Captroop

Okay, I like that. If this was coming out while the negotiations were ongoing, I'd be more cynical and assume he was just trying to get the fans on his side as a negotiating ploy. The classic, "I'd really like to stay here, but at the end of the day, it's a business decision," thing. i.e. "Blame the front office if I don't stick around, not me." I think there's at lease an ounce of sincerity if this is coming the day after the deal is locked in. Hope he has a great year.

Poor guy. I really hope we can one day find a solution to the concussion issue in football. Not sure there is one short of not playing football. But it's saddening to know this guy's long term health has henceforth irreparably been affected.

I wish him the best, and many games as the Falcons' starter!

Okay, his guaranteed money over 3 years is about the same contract Stefon Diggs has, who I'd say is "elite." But, if you insist on being a pedant about it. How about we just leave it at the first half of my post: We're paying him like a #1 wide receiver. So he better perform like it on game day.

Well, we're paying him not only like a #1 receiver, but an elite #1 receiver. So he better perform like one on game day.

My read is that it was intentional. It seems like Slye has a confidence issue, so I think they were trying to give him a confidence boost that he was going into the season unchallenged as the starter to see if taking the pressure off would help cure his case of the shanks. And by all accounts it did not seem to have that effect.

This. What advantage would a kicker on the roster during training camp have over a kicker who camped with another team? He's more familiar with the nuance of the "Kick the Ball" pages of the Panthers playbook?

Interested as well.

I wouldn't. He's shown enough flashes, and I think enough teams are hurting for D Line help that I'm not sure he'd make it through waivers.

Yeah, as others have said, this matters a lot less now with the 25 yard starting position. So, man, Slye just can't catch a break. The league just recently changed the rule on the one thing that could make his skillset valuable to an NFL team. Remember the days when we carried two kickers because there was such a thing as a "Kickoff Specialist?" Yeah, I don't think anyone's giving up a roster spot these days to let the opposition start on the 25.

K has to be priority one. But I feel like some talent will become available. At this point, I don't think we need a booming leg, we just need someone who's automatic at 40 yards or less. I'd settle for someone who won't win us games but won't lose us any. And speaking of booming legs, I have to say I'm really happy with Charlton. MLB depth. After watching Johnston get gassed in the 3rd quarter, I'm really not comfortable with us even having a reliable 3rd string MLB. And of course OL depth. But is seems like we're far from alone in that. There might be a bidding war for some teams' table scraps.

I'd say Grier. I feel like it's easier for a QB in that mold to step in for a stretch of games. PJ is nothing like the QB we're scheming for. The Ravens showes last night that it helps to have a backup who's basically an inferior version of your starter. I'd say keep Grier, and bring in a journeyman backup.

This is so disappointing to me. I was really pulling for him. He's got such a powerful leg, if he could just improve his consistency, he'd be a stud. But we've given him more than enough time to get whatever his issue is figured out. And at this point I thin the problem is more between his ears than anything with his mechanics. So yeah, he's gone, and I don't see how you could possibly think otherwise after Rhule's comments last night. That was almost like the Fredo speech.

This is such a double edged sword. On the one hand, in principle, I totally agree. I'm kind of stoked about the big studios giving more creative control to these visionary directors. Because I'd love to see a return to 1970s auteurism, when you had maniacs like Martin Scorsese, William Friedkin, and Francis Ford Coppola just doing mountains of blow and having total creative control without studio interference. BUT on the other hand, probably the biggest example of when studio micromanagement worked and auteurism utterly failed occurred at the exact same time, very recently. You had the Marvel cinematic universe, which was completely planned out and their IP clenched with an iron fist by Marvel Studios, and you had Star Wars, with complete creative control handed over to some very creative filmmakers, and that was probably one of the biggest flops in motion picture history. Sure they made money, but let's put if this way, do you think anyone would buy the Star Wars brand for the $4 Billion Disney bought it for back in 2012 right now? As a Star Wars fanboy, Abrams and company did what I never thought was possible; they made me lose interest in Star Wars. I think the lesson to be learned from Suicide Squad and James Gunn is this; lower the stakes. These studios have properties with back catalogs of characters thousands deep that no one gives a poo about. Instead of making ANOTHER Batman movie, dig up Polka Dot Man, dig up Shazam!, dig up Groot, hand the reigns over to a really innovative filmmaker, give them $140M to make a movie, and see if you knock one out of the park. Not everything has to be a Justice League, or an End Game, with all of your most famous characters, and the biggest name actors, and if it makes less than $1 Billion worldwide, you're losing money. And you know what? If you hit, you've got a whole new cash cow you can milk instead of trying to wring every last cent out of Superman. Guess what, I've got a Groot planter sitting right next to me in my office. How much was the Groot IP worth in 2010?

I'm interested in watching because I want to see if Elijah Holyfield gets some carries. I was really pulling for him to make the roster a couple years ago, but Bonnafon locked up the RB3 slot.

People on fan boards like to complain and panic given the opportunity. Not surprised there's not 12 pages reacting to the defense performing as you would expect it to...

It's hard to get excited about tweets. Not enough video = not enough excitement.

These choices are all that was left. One guy literally bought up the domains and IP for every decent name that a rational person would come up with, and is asking the moon to sell it to the team. Boots on the ground here in DC, I can tell you the locals and all the young transplants who live in the District like the WFT. It's kitschy, and so humorously banal that it's ironically appealing to the hipsters. I'd absolutely stick with it!

I'd go positive. Very vocally and publicly call out players who do something exceptionally well. Pro players, I would wager, beat themselves up enough when they make dumb mistakes. Making an example of them in front of their peers is like rubbing their nose in it. And it's been shown time and time again people respond much better to praise than punishment.

If it's stupid, and it works, it's not stupid. I'd say compare our penalties and yards this year to last year, and then decide.

Looks like Trenton Cannon just took a KO to the house.

Damn. The GM straight up saying, "we think we can do better than the guy we've got." That's a refreshing departure from hearing about the answer being on the roster.

Hopefully the offense being so transparently out of sync today will encourage Rhule to let the starters get some serious reps on Saturday. Talent evaluation for cut day is super. But we really need to get some game situation reps for Darnold and company.

Oh, poo. We're gonna end up owing them something, aren't we.

Don't be so sure.