Khyber53

I think we really need to see more before we have any sense of how we're going to be. I want to be optimistic, but what I saw out there was just first preseason game effort and capabilities. Nothing to write home about and nothing that's going to win many games. They didn't look horrible when the 1s were in there, just kinda, well, pedestrian. Tet made that one catch everyone is raving over, but otherwise he was meh and had the rookie drop in the endzone. XL was doing nothing before getting ejected. Our TEs were doing meh. Offensive line didn't have the push and were showing how just missing one of the starting guards hurt. Bryce looked more poised, but it's about time he did. And I know that it was a vanilla game plan called by the OC rather than the HC. I understand there were a lot of moving pieces just trying to find their places and paces. It's just the first preseason game and nothing should really be taken from it. We don't know what the coaches were trying to see and why they called certain plays. It's all just evaluations on their end. But it's evaluations on our end, too. And for that, they still get an incomplete. (And don't get me started on the defense, which really doesn't look any better imo.)

About Ejiro Evero... this is a prove it year for him. I haven't believed that he's the guy, I just didn't see the schemes last season or before. He just doesn't look like a good DC to me, at least right now. I sure hope he proves me wrong, but last night their 2s were beating our 1s, their 2s beat our 2s and so on. Defensively we sucked.

Umm, best I can say is that we've still got a lot of work to do. We've got the pieces, but this puzzle is far from put together. Our 1s were struggling against the Browns' 2s. (And there are a lot of ways to read that sentence.)

He may end up in Indy... they seem desperate and now have a pinkie problem.

I wish I could say it was different, but he's right. And I'm not sure how good our starting MLBs are, either. I still miss the 4-3 defense, but aside from that, we haven't prioritized MLB since Shaq was drafted. And it shows. Hopefully someone will show out this year. Roseboom, he's your shot.

Anyone want to start a non-money league?

In his defense, and really, all kickers... if you're regularly needing to kick 50+ yarders, then there's a problem with the offense. But yeah, he was bottom third of the league level. Still, it's hard to find someone who can be top 2/3 of the league level. Kickers, man, they'll kill ya.

So, um, why did we let Eddie go? I'm sorry, but somehow I just missed what was the actual reason.

He ain't coming here.

As for Bryce, good to get the misses out during early training camp.

Used to be I never thought I'd ever have to take more medication than an aspirin every now and then. Now I've got one of those pill sorting things. It doesn't creep up on you... it leaps on you outta nowhere!

I hope Deion will be well now, he's been battling a lot of health issues, as do almost every person of his or our age. Even one of the greatest athletes of his time has had to battle with health issues and thankfully it seems like he's been on top of things. Learn from him and stay on top of things, especially after 40. You really, really aren't as young as you feel.

Yeah, I believe he will. That body of work, the 15-1 season. His cleats are already there. The only thing that could keep Cam out is a scandal of some kind.

As someone once said of Chris Collinsworth as a player, "If they had a hall of the really, really good, he'd be in there." As much as we love them, TD and Greg probably aren't getting the gold jackets, unless Greg gets it for broadcasting way down the line. Both were excellent players, and heroes locally, but not on the national note HoF level of Pep, Luke, Smitty or Cam (eventually).

Let's catch a pass in a meaningful game first. At least one.

Football aside, just praying for the man's health and recovery. A new page in life for him, I hope it all turns out well along the way.

I wish it was different, but really, it's all in his own hands now. If he can come back and be that guy he was at the end of last season then we are looking at something long-term and grand. If not... then it is back to the draft, again. Unless Canales has another reclamation project waiting in the wings. Personally, I believe in what I saw. I think he can certainly do it. I want to see him succeed at the highest level possible.

These are just ripples of a move to redo the rookie deal schedule for second rounders and beyond. These kids coming out of college with NILs are even more money savvy than those before them and they've been working with agents for longer. And agents will always try to sweeten the deal for their clients, and therefore, themselves.

Haven't heard a thing so far.

Here's hoping he heals up well. Might be an opponent of ours, but no reason to wish harm to the fellow. And yeah, I think it's probably unlikely he'll be back for this season. He's going to need time to heal up and rehab.

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I think we'll see what used to be a more traditional set up for QB in pre-season, becase, well, Bryce still needs it. Full first quarter in the first game, half to three quarters in the second, and then a full series in the final game. He really took off at the end of last season, but we have to get him rolling and warmed up before the real season starts. This isn't a time for "let's not get him hurt" worries or "work the hell out of him" hardliners. And we really, really need to have some time to evaluate who is going to be that QB3/practice squad guy and see if he is our backup of the future. Andy Dalton is going to be fine as our QB2 for a year or two maybe, but there needs to be some line of succession there. And let's not talk about how serious things will quickly get if it turns out Bryce's coming out party was the whole sizzle and there's no steak left.

I know they've hurt you over the years, hell, they've hurt us all. We've got the scars to prove that we've survived the lean years, the horrible years, the near misses and the what-the-fug seasons. I hope we have a good year, a solid year, one that can give ya some joy. You deserve it for sticking with them through thick and thin. We all deserve it.

Let's hope it all works out great this season. It's about time that it did.

Synchronicity is the key. And it is a frikkin' hard key to get. The teams that have/develop it, win and win big: Chiefs, Eagles, Lions (can you believe I'm saying that?), Bills, Ravens. Teams that only get one or the other going successfully peak at being competitive but sputter out in a couple of seasons... it just can't hold together. And what happens when you have neither one working? I give you the last half decade of the Carolina Panthers.