Khyber53

Our TEs are extremely successful in a very important way. All of them are making much more money than they would be in a normal 9 to 5 job. Heck, they're successful in the very fact that they are on an NFL roster when so many young men with talent and drive aren't. From a football per dollar standpoint of the team, though, whew they suck as a group.

But, if we have a veteran QB, with the offensive line intact (if injury recovery and resigning go well), then grabbing the best RB in the draft (and a very CMC similar skill set with a bit more mass) could be the biggest asset possible in getting our offense on tract. I'm also looking that we grab him now, work him hard for the four years standard on the rookie contract and let him go out into the free agency world with a great resume, heavy stats and a higher price tag to someone else. He'd end up costing us less than $6 million a year, which after Foreman's performance may be less than he'd cost us to retain with a smaller skill set and more mileage. Foreman also wouldn't net us any compensatory picks when released later on while the first round RB would net us an additional 3rd. I just think it makes a lot of sense on paper and on the field and in the salary cap department.

Thanks to the Big Cat. He was a man of many accomplishments beyond football as well and his philanthropy has benefitted the region so greatly. Rest in Peace and thanks for all you did Mr. Richardson.

If you could get CMC again at rookie wages... That's why I said earlier this week that's why I'd take him with our pick, especially if we could trade back four or five spaces.

Just avoid the Cleveland Steamer room...

Darnold may well be teachable with the right coaches and tools around him. I think it would behoove us to give him a one year prove it contract starting with back-up QB rates and some heavy incentives for number of starts, win percentage and play offs. If he can get us to those, he deserves the extra money and a better contract. In the meantime, you work with Corral and Eason to develop them to their potential, perhaps one of them wins out. Grabbing another good QB in the third is a good move, in my opinion, Bennett, Tune or Duggan could be great value picks. In the draft this year, there will be at least one of the big name QB prospects available at #9. Be smart, trade it away to a desperate team. Move back in the draft, pick up another second, maybe another third in the process. And here's what I would do: Grab RB Bijan Robinson who can be the do everything CMC replacement at rookie wages, look to run him hard and often, then let him head to the free market after four years. In the second, use our top pick on Darnell Washington, the TE out of Georgia who could well be even better as a RT (think of reducing cost of Taylor Moton or finding that big target we need). With the next second rounder, dip into the DL pool that is so deep and look for that NT we are going to desperately need if we move to a 3-4. Mazi Smith out of Michigan might just fit that bill perfectly and still be on the board. In the third, grab one of the three QBs listed before, one or more of them will still be there. After that, it's too much of a crap shoot as to availabilities. This should be a building year for us, and it is also a get out from cap hell year, if we are smart and don't overdo it in free agency or resigning players. The biggest part of that will be going in with little attention paid to the hype machines or the buddy-buddy relationships in the NFL that can drive up demand and prices. Fitterer needs to reign in those long term deals that carry soooo much potential dead cap with them.

I completely missed Carr and he's an important one. He's a case of probably a very, very good QB who just ended up stuck on bad teams with coaches who couldn't develop QBs. Jimmy G. ended up in the opposite situation with excellent coaching but stuck behind good or legendary QBs. And this may well be that kind of draft with the best guys being relegated to the second or third echelon. There are steals to be found.

Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater in the first, Garropolo in the second. And those are the highlights... Remember how much hype there was over Bortles and Manziel? Woof. Yeah, it could be that year again. Heck, 2022 could have been that year for all we know.

Except what championships did they win? Did Megatron even get them to the playoffs more than once? A WR, even the great ones, isn't worth what the market value says anymore.

I'm not against that plan.

Intriguing choice there... could surprise some folks if given a chance.

Oh, I don't know for sure who it will be. But y'all don't either. I'd be happy if we went with either Hooker, Bennett or Duggan. All three could be excellent values picked up in the 2nd-4th rounds.

The best QB from this class won't be one of the top four picked.

There will never be another Cam. Just let it go. Let the next guy be the next big thing.

I don't think we trade up, I don't even think we draft QB in the first or second rounds. I'm not sure this is a great QB draft class, just a good one, and good isn't worth mortgaging the future for.

I've been thinking a lot about this. And I agree wholeheartedly. Too many mid-level guys out there getting big money contracts (or even bottom tier guys like Sideshow Bob) for positions that aren't in on every play. And I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it, if your star player is a WR your team has a whole host of problems. Draft RBs, Edge and WRs high, use the four low cost years of their contract, and a fifth if they are really good, and then send them out to get the big paychecks somewhere else. Pay the men on the line to keep them, pay the QB when you have a good one, and keep decent pay to your DBs and LBs. And if you have a hoss at NT, pay the man to keep him happy. But $18 million for a WR2? We're doing something like that already and it just isn't working out.

Future draft picks are just a bonus, I really think we got the best coaches that will fit in with Reich's plans. If, at any time those potential draft picks factored into the decision making process, then the Rooney Rule iss working just as designed and that's a very good thing. What we did receive, taking race completely out of the picture, are two young, innovative, learned, motivated coordinators who are very, very likely to become head coaches on their own in the near future. Guys like that will win you a lot of games and perhaps a trophy or two before they move on. And they'll leave a great legacy behind them -- both in our team and for the trails they will blaze. On first glance, this is an incredibly diverse staff in Carolina. On a second and deeper glance, this is a very well put together coaching staff at all levels and I really think we'll see the proof on the field very soon.

He may be serving as something of a fact checker... QB says he can make all the throws and can handle full field reads... Li says nope, bad on the underneath and rarely makes it to his third read before bailing out... NEXT!

No, and neither would the Bears.

You win this one!

They've all been knock offs ever since. He had everything, great arm, great speed and an overactive survival instinct. Tarkenton often said he never had a plan on the scrambles, he just wanted to see the next morning from something other than a hospital bed. If you straightened out all of his runs, he'd probably still hold the NFL rushing record for all players! And is still #14 on all time passing with 47,003 yards on the career. I believe four Super Bowl appearances, too. Dude is way underappreciated by the league.

Hmmm, that's very interesting. I wonder if it's an old school/new school thing that keeps some teams from using it. It seems to be really intuitive.

I used to spend my summers working as a brick mason's laborer when I was growing up. Did it a few other times later in life when jobs and money were really scarce. Tore up my shoulders, tore up my back, probably helped do in my knees. The shots of cortisone and stuff I've had to take probably made things worse over time. And there are sooo many people who work like that every day of their entire lives, just getting ground down to a nub. They get some shots when they can afford it, have no health insurance to speak of and often have to resort to alcohol and pain killers to make it through their days, working and not. A lot of them are just completely worn out by the time they hit their mid 30s and just hang on somehow because that's all there is for them. It sucks to be in constant pain, but having a bunch of money in the bank can certainly help. Or if not, if there was just some way they could get medical help. I wish the best to the guy and other players like him, but man, my sympathies on this rest heavier on much less fortunate people.

We need Fran Tarkenton. Someone go back to 1973 and grab the guy.