45catfan

PJ needs to learn touch. His passes are usually on the mark, but he only throws fast balls. Grier, while admitted looking better, still is not the answer if needed to be called into service as starter.

How did I forget the LS battle? JJ is on a one-year deal and Fletcher needs one year of NFL experience. JJ gets his swan song and Fletch is sent to the PS to groom this season.

if they are cut, they aren't nearly as expensive. As a cut veteran FA looking for employment, that old, expensive contract from last season means absolutely nothing.

I know it's shock, but some teams draft well and are wise with FA moves. There's only so many positions are available on the 53 man roster, so yeah, there are very serviceable players available after final cuts. Just because we suck at building depth; that isn't the case for every team in the NFL.

Final cuts are just a couple days away. Any names that should make the roster that don't or any guys that are fringe guys that make the final 53? The 6th WR will be interesting. I thought Zylstra had it locked up, but then had two drops Friday night. The team seems intrigued by Saunders. Kirkwood is the veteran, but for the cap savings, it better just to part ways. At RB, the depth chart says Bonnafon is the primary back up, but he doesn't even make it. Spencer Brown's performance on Friday earned him the #3 RB spot. The biggest name that I think gets cut is Ian Thomas at TE. Too much cap saving for a guy that will be a back up. I think Ricci edges out Thompson, but it could go either way. Mike Horton is let go and Sam Tecklenburg makes the initial 53, but only until an upgrade is acquired and then sent to the PS. *Something tells me Grier sticks over PJ, but PJ SHOULD get the nod. Christian Miller gets cut and sent to the PS. Dude looks too slow to be an edge rusher. A DE will be picked up. Clay Johnston will make the initial 53, but only until an upgrade is found. Rashaan Melvin gets cut in favor of Thomas-Oliver III. Keith Taylor makes the roster as the 5th CB. Hartsfield played himself into a roster spot Friday night and will make it over Franklin. Franklin goes to the PS. It very well could go the other way, but Hartsfield looks to have more upside than Franklin. I know that was the long version, but here's the condensed one: Makes: Saunders, Brown, Ricci, Tecklenburg (briefly), STO and Hartsfield Cuts: Thomas, Kirwood/Zylstra, Horton, Miller and Franklin

Darnold and our defense should put that dream to bed. Don't worry, Darnold also ended this year's crush of drafting Try Lance. It didn't matter as he went 3rd overall anyway. Was I surprised? Nope, but it shocked the crap out of a lot of people, especially on this board.

Bump...so Slye has been cut and now we are looking for 1-2 LBs. Ricci is getting more looks at FB, but honestly they are just trying to find him a home since he's a good STer. Ricci isn't a FB so one should be brought in. I still expect an OT (swing, most likely) and a young, promising DE to be picked up off waivers.

ATM? The mere idea that the organization is even entertaining the idea is BEYOND hypocritical now or even in the future. I guess a "force sale" to acquire an NFL team off a sexual scandal and subsequent zero tolerance messaging from the organization is one thing, but it's apparently also okay to put a sexual predator, oops...'alleged' sexual predator as the face of the franchise as long as he's really good. No conflicting messages there.

I find it amusing that a lot of the people that are on the Watson wagon are the very same ones that threw Jerry Richardson under the bus for WAAAAAAAY less. But hey, admiring women in jeans = rape. As long as the #metoo fits your agenda.

Dude looked s-l-o-w out there.

Really? When I raised this issues weeks ago, I was assured by several Huddlers since we ran odd fronts a good deal last year that our LB depth was fine. Now we release a few scrubs and trade a dude that gimpy from day one and all of a sudden we need LB help? Color me shocked. I chuckled when the names Johnston and Stanford were mentioned as solid depth. We are 4 deep at LB, period and anyone else saying otherwise is only fooling themselves.

Is it me or does he look like a young Ron Jeremy with short hair. I mean...so I've been told.

So a scrub kicker has been signed and Ricci has been moved from TE to FB. Band-aides; neither of these moves fix the problems. Also if Tremble was going to be the FB as been assumed by some folks here, why would the staff kicking the tires on Ricci there?

So Thompson was supposed to let the DB get past him? If there is an unblocked man coming free to the play side and you are a blocker, you block him whether or not he was his assigned man. Yes, Daley was pulling but he was most likely supposed to seal the backside pressure while Thompson was supposed to kick any outside pressure to the wide side of the play. Instead it looks like is a FB dive play, but Thompson just doesn't have the ball. Thompson ducks down as to lower the shoulder into the guy, brushes him off and keeps on trucking into in the end zone. Had he extended his hands and engaged the DB, locking him up, Hubbard could have continued on the path that Thompson himself eventually took.

The guy that Hubbard is trying to brush off is the same guy Thompson bumped into try to block downfield. Actually form this still shot, had Thompson actually effectively blocked that initial defender, Hubbard had a chance. All you have to do is swap Hubbard and Thompson in this shot. Would #31 and 95 have stopped him? Possibly, but Hubbard could have dove into the end zone too.

Touchbacks are not what they used to be though, once the League move it out to the 25 yard line, that actually hurt it's importance. That's the reason teams opt to grenade kick it now, chances are if there's a return, it will come up short of the 25 yard line. Granted a touchback gives a returner 0% chance of a TD return, but I would venture to guess KO returns have plummeted since they have, not only moved up the KOs by 10 yards, but starting spotting touchbacks at the 25.

I would still like to see Tremble more in a power 'I" formation more instead of an H-back before I feel comfortable with his blocking. Sure, when he's split out and has time to seek out a defender, he's pretty solid, but I want to see how he measures up inside where he's things get messy working with the OL, traditional FB plays. I get we run multiple fronts and that's fine, but unless we are running a 3-4 and 3-3-5 exclusively, then I think we need another big-bodied DE. It will not take teams long to figure out that if Miller and/or Hanyes is in the game, you go right at them. They cannot hold the edge by themselves. If a OT gets their hands on them, it's over. Again, they are one-trick ponies. I'm fine with our interior D-line and yes, they can slide out on certain occasions, but I think it's easier for heavy DE to slide inside and play a 3-tech on passing downs (like Obada did last year) than is it for a DT to slide outside and be an effective end. Brown being the lone exception on the team, but he's also a top 10 pick.

So this is who we need to think about when considering an upgrade: OT-Scott, FB-Rodney Smith, DE-Miller, LB-Stanford and/or Celestin and Slye. It's pretty reasonable to imagine that after final cuts, there's going to be upgrades available.

I wonder If Hoover would be willing to strap on the pads for one more season?

Laces out!!!!!!!!

FYI, after Luvu, the last four LBs have little or no cap hit and are playing at or near League minimum. So that's the type of depth we have there. Yes, pay is direct indicator of what the team thinks you are worth. In this case of these guys, not much.

'Relatively' young; most kickers retire themselves because of under-performing, not age. Effective kickers play well into their 40's. I wouldn't want a rookie either. We already have a guy that can't handle pressure.

I don't think Haynes or Miller are true DEs. Both are undersized and are pure edge rushers. They are essentially the same guy and one-trick ponies. I would like to see one more traditional 4-3 DE added for depth. The depth at LB is questionable beyond Luvu, the #4 guy. I know Tremble likes to hit, but liking contact is not the only quality of a good FB. I'd prefer a guy that has done it routinely and understands how to lead block while being able to execute. Swing tackle and kicker are no-brainers.

Why would you chip on the 1-yard line? It seems he was more concerned about getting to the second level. Why? You have one yard, getting to the second level for a block is pointless. Again if you watch the clip, his focus was getting to a LB at the next level and not the DB right in front of him. I'm not sure if it was so much a chip as the defender was just in Thompson' way as he was looking for a LB to block...IN THE END ZONE.

I think we need to hit up the waivers for a K, FB, DE, LB and swing tackle. Slye is done and we don't have a legit FB on the roster. I am uncomfortable with the depth at DE, LB and OT. Theses 5 positions I would target after final cuts IF there's an upgrade available.