JohnC

One of the things that I'm getting tired of is the Goddell and draftee bear hugs. Enough with that act. I forgot the first player who spontaneously lifted up and bear hugged the commissioner. It was a heartwarming moment for the player who was filled with the emotion. It seems like everyone feels compelled to follow that tradition. I know I sound like a grouch but I wish there would be less of it.

I agree with you that the tattooed goalie who cost a first round pick was a Murray blunder, among many others. But don't give up on Nylander. With another offseason to physically mature and prepare he should be ready to play in the big league next year. Both he and Mittlestadt will add some skill and speed to a slow and sluggish team. I doubt that there is going to be a quick fix to the roster that Murray assembled. It's going to take time to undo the former tough talking GM's handiwork. Botterill is a respected hockey man and has a vision how a hockey organization should function and how a team should be built. My recommendation to you is not to look back and stew over the carcass. Whether you like it or not it is not going to be a quick fix. Moving forward is better than going backward.

There are some analysts (not necessarily team evaluators) who are going so far as to say that Allen may be the first player taken in the draft. And there are analysts (not necessarily team evaluators) who say they wouldn't take him at least until the third round or even later. That's quite a disparity of opinion. Bandit has repeatedly stated that he believes that his completion percentage doesn't reflect his accuracy level. His position is that he is forcing plays that bring down his stats. On the other hand Bloke is more resistant to him because he believes that his completion percentages are very telling when evaluating him. What makes me more interested in this player and the conflicting reviews is that he is often linked to Buffalo. If the Bills move up the board to select him then it is evident that the staff believes that whatever deficiency he has as a passer can be corrected. With respect to what is the purpose of hashing out an agreement there is nothing unusual for a team's scouting department to have conflicting views on a prospect. Each perspective surely has its own merit but that doesn't mean that there can't be give and take melding of opinion that results in a final decision. That's simply part of the evaluating process.

Belichick is probably the smartest coach in the game. He was an economic major at Wesleyan Univ. His father who coached at the Naval Academy was very influential at how he approached the game. I didn't want to suggest that the most successful HC in the history of the modern NFL was a dullard and doesn't have much to say. That is far off the mark. But in a league setting where it is mandatory to give interviews regarding his team and his opponent he has developed his own schtick of brief monotone responses that say little.

The different assessments on Allen is baffling. There is a camp that believes he is the next Roethlisberger and there is a camp that believes he is going to be a Kyle Boller type bust. I have seen projections where he could be the first qb off the board or a qb that teams are vying to get him. Can't Gunner, Bandit and Bloke get together and come up with a consensus? Just hash it out and come to an agreement. I need to warn Gunner and Bloke that Bandito is pugnacious and that he will forcefully hold to his position that Allen is worth being the apple of one's eye. If you continue to disagree you will be in a bloody battle until you relent.

With respect to the highlighted segment your point resonates with me that once the qb is in place then the franchise has so much more flexibility when addressing the rest of the roster. Just think if the Bills would have drafted either Mahomes or Watson last year how differently we would be looking at this draft? If the Browns would have selected Watson with their second first round pick instead of drafting Peppers, a hybrid DB/LB, just think how differently their approach would be to this upcoming draft?

A very well thought out post. But I disagree with how the Pats are going to handle this draft with their multiple high picks. What I see them doing is to use their picks to address a number of positions. That would preclude them from moving up by dealing picks. They have needs on the OL, DB, receivers, maybe TE and DL. The Pats are more likely to spread the talent rather than go sell out for an individual talent. I'm not saying you are wrong but see them more likely using those picks for more players than fewer players.

You bring up an interesting question: What coach is worth listening to? What coach speaks lucidly without resorting to indecipherable cliché riddled coach speak. Belicheck gives you a short burst of mumblings with an insulting attitude of what am I doing taking questions from you idiots. It's a standard expectation for the parties involved that there will be little content because the coach is entering the interview with no intent to say anything that is revealing. And that is understood by those doing the interview. The HC who when interviewed on his regular weekly WGR segment who was the most maddening was Doug Marrone. What was irritating about him was not what he said but the attitude of superiority and condescension that he exuded in the interview. He was a decent coach but his arrogance was insufferable to take. At least with McDermott there is a civility and courteousness that existed that wasn't present when Marrone had the mike.

You are the leader of the band. Start cracking the whip and get the picks in.

Is this draft going to be finished before the start of the season?

The coach didn't reveal anything that we didn't know. But what this interview underscores is that when he was interviewed by Terry Pegula for the job the wrestling coach was ready to propose his vision how he would run a football operation. This vision was less how he would coach Xs and Os but more about how he would assemble a roster and the type of players he wanted and how he would manage the cap. Clearly, he impressed the owner because he handed the keys to the wrestling coach and took them away from the GM who was on the job. Based on the job that he did last year whatever moves McBeane makes they will get the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bogo is built like a guerrilla but fragile like a piece of glass. When you look at his physical traits you are impressed. When you see him sidelined every year and sitting in the owner's box you want to just move on and not see the same scenario play out again. It's a shame. It took Pegula a while to learn the pro businesses he bought into. I like the staffs he has assembled on the hockey and football side of his empire.

Antipin = Not Bad Don't be so ready to give up on him. There is a big adjustment coming from Russia to North America. He can skate and pass. That's what this regime is looking for. Be patient and you might find a bonus that you didn't expect.

I agree with you that there isn't a first pairing. But if your first three pairings are solid and responsible then the unit in general is going to be upgraded. I consider Risto a top pairing type of player. He would be a better player with an authentic first pairing partner. But if you don't have it you just don't have. The next best option is to upgrade the secondary pairings and have a general improvement. It's a shame that the Bogo acquisition so far hasn't worked out. It was a set back. Wouldn't it be nice to have Tyler Myers back on the roster?

If you add McCabe to the defensive group and consider Antipin better adjusted to the North American game then the cupboard isn't so empty with this unit. So you got Risto, Guhle, McCabe, Nelson making a good skating up and down unit. Maybe Bogo can go against the odds and stay healthy. He needs to adjust his game from a banging style to a more skating and puck moving style. If Nylander can make the jump with a good offseason and you add him to the mix with Mittlestadt then you are adding some speed and skill to this slow and sluggish team. What seems obvious is that this staff is not enamored with Lehner. I doubt he will be on next year's roster. This was a boondoggle deal that the former GM made.

The problem with being a hometown subversive is that he might end up hanging from the goal posts with the hometown mob cheerfully chanting let him dangle a little more just to make sure that the deed is completely done. Cleveland is in a good position to make a quantum leap forward. Interference by the owner is a needless obstacle for a franchise that has a history of creating its own obstacles. Cleveland as much as any team in the league is going to be interesting to follow.

Dorsey wanted to fire Hue Jackson and start with a clean slate. The owner said no because he had a generous buy out term in his contract. It's as if the owner is working hard to sabotage his own franchise. Moral of the story is that having wealth doesn't mean that you are smart.

I'm curious as to whether Ben Roethlisberger was considered an accurate passer coming out of college? And is Roethlisberger in an offense where there are multiple progressions and rhythm throws or is the passing game simplified so it accentuates his abilities? I'm asking these questions because the issue comes down to can you design an offense to accommodate both the weaknesses and strengths of a qb. It's safe to say that Rosen and Allen won't/shouldn't be expected to play in the same type of offense. It seems that you and many others are dismissing Allen as a prospect while so many others are enticed by his raw talents. My feeling is if the selecting organization is willing to be patient with him and take the time to groom him I don't see it as a poor pick. I would be very receptive to selecting him if the other premier prospects such as Darnold, Rosen and Mayfield were off the board. Sometimes when you are on a high diving board and you start to get butterflies the solution is not to look down and get more queasy. Just jump and then find out that what you worried about didn't come to pass. Sometimes taking action can remedy the common ill of over-analyzing. Just jump!

If Foles is not the answer then why give up a high pick for him? Foles did have a terrific playoff run. But that short term high level of play doesn't represent his usual level of play. So the question becomes is Foles much better than McCarron? I would say not appreciably so. If the Bills can't work a deal to get one of the top tier qbs then it should stay where it is at and use their current picks to add to the roster.

Don't tell Bloke because he will be on a rampage. On the other hand if you tell Bandit he will be infused with the warmth of happiness.

I doubt the Pats are going to trade away a bunch of picks to move up for a qb. They'll use those picks to add to the roster on both sides of the ball. If they draft a qb it will be with one of the picks they already have. When a team deals with the Pats or any team it has little regard for what it will do for the other teams. The only concern is how will the transaction help them. My sense of this deal from a Ram perspective is that they want to take advantage of Goff while he is under his first contract. The Pats are always thinking ahead. They have shed some expensive veteran players and will soon replenish them with younger and cheaper talent. Don't be surprised if the Pats draft Gronk's replacement this year and also draft a second-tier qb ala Garappolo in this draft.

Rumor has it that your went to Eton and that your real name is Chadworth. Because you are a fine fellow and I don't want you to be scorned because you have an aristocratic background that the proletarians resent I'll just call you Bloke. In that way maybe you can fool the commoners into believing that you are a down to earth guy. In order to make this charade work you have to give up your pipe and bloody cardigan sweater.

You can be righteously condemned for stereotyping.

How a player played in the pros or even the college ranks has little to do how good a coach he is. The paradox is that the less talented players usually are better than the talented players. Any coach working with any qb preparing for the draft is going to be paid. It's a job. So that shouldn't disqualify what he says about a player. But it shouldn't be the primary source when evaluating a player. Would Allen be my first choice for a qb? No. Would I move up to get him? Probably not unless the price was paltry. Would I seriously consider him if he was on the board at the 12 spot? Yes, with the recognition that he was a talented player who was in the developmental category i.e. won't see the field his first year. If you are going to gamble on a player then gamble on a player with talent.

You are pretty clued in the Cleveland scene. Is Dorsey in full control of the operation or is he still contending with an interfering owner? Reports were that Dorsey wanted to fire Hue Jackson and move on with a clean slate. But it was the owner who wouldn't permit the change because of financial considerations over Jackson's contract payout. I agree with you that Cleveland should address another need with their second first round pick. There will be some big time talents on the defensive side of the ball. If they were determined to get a back they could address that issue at the top of the next round where high end talent will be available (as you noted). If Cleveland smartly handles their draft and with their cap availability does the same in the free agent market this tormented franchise could make a dramatic turn upwards. However, if they make some bad decisions with their high picks as they have a history of doing they will be again lose a golden opportunity that is there for the taking.