Bear Hands

This was his revenge game!

Step one is to just run it out this year. See what happens using him as the guy. See if we can ever get a passing game going with running so effectively w/Dowdle. He'll be 28 next year and we're talking RB. It's easy to get sucked into this, and get all excited and emotional, but I just can't agree with paying a FA RB. Javonte and Dobbins are in very similar situations on 1 year deals, and both a year or more younger than Rico. Ride it out, see if we can bring him back on a modest deal. If not, no problem. Don't rope in the moon for him.

Our defense is proving they're able to win us games. Our running game is proving they're able to win us games. But we're still not scoring points. So we're gonna hit a few snags and I anticipate some unexpected duds.

It felt more like that time we had to bring Weinke back from the grave and beat ATL like 9-7

Wharton had himself a great game. Very nice to see from a guy who should be here the next 3-4 years.

We are built very well for almost any QB right now. The OL (and its depth) run blocks like crazed road graders. The defense has completely turned a corner with a healthy Horn, Brown & the new guys. Moehreg and Wharton were studs today. Scourton had a moment or so again as well. So with that said, give us a "GUY", and yeah, we beat AZ and JAX. Those games were thrown away. We just can't figure out a passing game.

I was going to post the same exact thing. There's no level of analysis or any essay-long post needed to explain it.

Pretty much. Defense is holding okay to start, but that levee will break.

Oof

This. We should hopefully learn our lesson. If we somehow ship Chuba, by no means does that translate to signing Rico to a multi-year deal. Unless we want to find ourselves in the same spot again -- i.e. Brooks looks great in 26' and Rico comes down to earth after we pay him at the cliff age of 28.

If we're talking exclusively 3-down ILBs, Allen (UGA), Weeks (LSU), & Lawson (Bama) are all going to be prime candidates for us. Finding a vocal, sideline-to-sideline, technically proficient man in the middle is what we need immensely.

Ideally that is the right mindset, but plenty of good teams also sell high. But I get it, it's a fair perspective - what does a 2026 5th rounder really do for us? If he's the key piece to netting wins for us right now, then ride him and see how much we can win. I have no issue staying pat/soundly in what we built for 2025, with no worry of if he stays/goes come the offseason. We have one in each round and an extra 5th as is. Thx Thielen. We're honestly in a position where we shouldn't be buyers or sellers midseason. Buuut my point in prior posts- if the right offer comes along for a guy on his last contract year, I don't see why we should shy away. It's a something to assess - the value of what he brings the remainder of 2025 vs. future value added.

Fair enough - if the mindset is winning absolutely. They’re a tad confusing though. I think we’re fine holding right now unless a good deal comes in from let’s say a NE Given the pattern, I’m convinced Cuba stays, we pay Rico but then Brooks looks legit in 26. The potential lesson being - stop paying RBs

It makes sense. i don’t see why people don’t get it. Dowdle will be 28 after his simple 1 year contract with this lousy org. So you want to sign him and overallocate our RB room for a guy we’ve only seen a 1/2 Matt Moore sample size from? Everyone just needs to take a beat. If we’re not paying him then absolutely listen to calls. Every player has a price. This team has no untouchables outside of McMillan and Brown.

I’ll never understand why Bryce is being guarded from being judged without guardrails. A good player should just be able to put his product out there and stand tall with his dick in tact. Jake did it in his prime, Cam for most of his career. It’s not that f*cking difficult. This kid is such a Z

This year, yes. I am incredibly weary of over-investment at RB--particularly via FA. As much as we all seem to like Rico right now, it's not smart to throw a contract at him. I lean into the trade side. We already have too much invested in a rather unspectacular but solid guy in Hubbard. He had a good enough 2024 to give a contract to, but not enough to make him the GUY. So we brought in Rico who has shown up. but you don't just go, "okay, sure, let's give a 28 year old Dowdle a 2-3 year deal. Etienne, Brooks are the annual dice throws that are honestly fine by me. The 2nd was stretching it for JB, but I think it's perfectly fine to keep slinging picks at a RB. You never know when you stumble upon a Irving, Achane, Kyren later or you're in position to land a Gibbs type. These guys phase out, come age 28-30 they're on the downturn unless you found yourself a Barkley or Henry.

I'd prefer Chuba if we can move him and have another team take on his weight. On the flipside, we're not going to the SB, Rico is on a 1 year deal so we're obviously listening to offers. Question is - Do you get something for him? Or do you add him back at 28 y/o next year with a fresh contract to a room with Chuba's contract that is still paying Miles Sanders $3 mil in dead cap? I mean, we keep making the mistake. So maybe we don't pay for the RB and get something for him instead?

Fun fact - the only reason he's not a Panther is because of Beane leaving the org the year they traded up to draft him 1 pick ahead of the Panthers. We wanted him. Moton was option B.

So now yet again we’re playing the guy we got for nothing and sitting the guy with the contract. Hope they finally figure out to not pay a RB. Just keep collecting them unless you find yourselves a Gibbs or Jacobs. Otherwise, don’t waste dough on the position.

We may likely be top-10 considering our remaining schedule. Think we’ll be in really good position for Reese.

All depends on who is there when we pick. Hard to say but I’m open to a QB in this next draft. Whether it’s a low risk 4th to be our new backup or Mendoza or Moore.

The board is worth about $15k at most, maybe $10k… and he probably wouldn’t let it go for much less than $30k. Anyone claiming they’re putting anything substantial down for a dying platform of Xennials and random old people that figured out the internet is either insane, lying, or both. BigKat has never been serious.

I checked and it looked like a mouse got into the server closet and chewed the Bryce conduits. It didn't take long, they were really short. about that "update"...