LouisEly

Someone put bubble wrap around Freddy. Please.

Weren't there people here arguing for trading Burnes for Goldschmidt? I still can't believe there were people who thought that would be a good idea.

The Rocky Lombardi UDFA selection was nothing more than a name joke - I have nothing connecting the Packers to him. I added a QB that the Packers are connected to - Gavin Hardison of UTEP, who they just brought in for a visit. The Packers also attended UTEP's pro day (which I thought was for their LB Tyrice Knight).

He can go on a rehab assignment at AAA for up to 30 days and pitch in those games.

The Flavortown Secret Sauce would be outstanding to dip those fries into. And if those wings are spicy, a little Litehouse Original Blue Cheese dressing will top them off very nicely. I had always wondered why crabapples exist. They seemed useless, until now.

Russell Smith is quietly having an excellent start to the season. Very small sample, but 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 12 K. All may not be lost yet.

Because then they can recall anyone they want. If it's just sending him down, they can't recall another pitcher who was recently sent down (Koening, Myers). Not sure who would be available and eligible to be brought up.

Angel reportedly canceled his visit to Duke. Certainly increases his chances of coming to UW.

Duke just had their 7th player enter the portal. Down to two scholarship players apparently. Employers can put non-compete clauses in their employee's contracts if it can legitimately harm their business and give away trade secrets. I think transferring to another school can harm a team's "business" and give away "trade secrets" (i.e. the playbook), so the NCAA needs to convince a federal judge and Congress of that and put non-compete clauses into scholarships and NIL deals.

Packers signed OT Andre Dillard, former 1st round pick in 2019 and a guy who they brought in for a visit that year. Tested really well, 9.81 RAS, got injured and played terrible last year from what Titans media/fans say. PFF grade of 51 with 12 sacks credited against. My guess is that they look at him on the interior, given how poorly he played at OT and the need for interior depth.

I am expecting pictures of that printout complete with stains from Cheetos dust, Guy Fieri's Flavortown Secret Sauce, and Coors Light.

One thing that has been overlooked regarding Rob Demovsky's comments about Zach Tom is that not only did he claim that some Packers personnel thought Tom could be a HoF center, he also claimed that they thought he could be an All-Pro guard. Not exactly a slight. With the OT class as deep as it is, I wouldn't be surprised if the Packers grab multiple tackles and, if one is good enough, Tom slides inside to guard to get the best five on the field.

Oh, I agree. I was looking for IOL help in the first three rounds, but the list of IOL who can play guard who I have a 3rd round grade or higher was a really short list. This is a great year for OT, but a weak year for OG. Lots of the top OT are probably too tall/too high of a pad level for guard. Then there's the issue that many players have trouble initially switching from the left side (i.e. played LT in college) to playing the right side if they haven't played on the right side, as RG is where they need competition/depth. Almost all of the top OC prospects have really short arms and can probably only play center, as that will present a challenge against NFL DTs at guard. That just doesn't leave a long list, and between Myers and Tom they don't need to spend a high pick on a guy who can only play OC. I think that OG has perhaps the least positional value in the 1st round (excluding FB) and highly doubt the Packers would take a guard in the 1st. For the 2nd round, a guy would have to at least be able to competently back up at OT (Elgton Jenkins, Daryn Colledge, etc.) for the Packers to take him. That leaves the 3rd round and there just weren't many guys there except for Nourzad and Beebe. Suamataia would need to move inside and needs lots of technique work, and with Kiran you have the questions about the big step up in competition from the Ivy League. I think that Foster can make a really good guard as well as being able to play RT.

I had Davis on my radar when I first started drafting this out. But the more I looked into him, the less I liked him, and the more I looked into Wright the more I thought that Wright is a far superior prospect. If you take away Davis' game against Florida last season - who ranked 81st in FBS in defense rushing yards/game and 110th in FBS in defense rushing yards/carry - here's his numbers: 173 carries, 849 yards, 4.91 YPC. Other than that Florida game, he didn't do much. Yes, OL plays a big factor, but outside of Florida he only had one good game against a quality opponent - Missouri. Outside of Missouri, the only other games where he had either over 100 yards rushing or over 6.0 YPC were Ball State and Akron. Didn't do either of those against FCS Eastern Kentucky. I'm a little higher than most on Wright - I think that if you average 6.0 and 7.4 YPC in the SEC and 1/4th of your carries are for 10 yards or more, you're something special. Wright also just turned 21 years old 2.5 weeks ago; Ray Davis is 24 and will be 25 in November.

First, tip of the cap to those who reached out directly and asked. It means a lot. Second, I think I've been doing this long enough and been successful enough where I've earned the right to have my own thread. (And Brock prefers separate threads.) Once again the draft hinges on what the Packers really think about their OL. Is Walker the guy who struggled the first eight weeks or the guy who PFF had as the sixth highest-rated OT (LT or RT) weeks 9-18? What do they think of Rhyan, who essentially was a rookie last year after the suspension the year before? Can he make the jump? Is Tom’s future at RT or OC (and will Tom stick around on an OC’s contract value or leave for a RT contract value)? One thing is for sure about the OL – right now the Packers have only eight OL on the roster who have played an NFL snap, and of those, Caleb Jones has played exactly one special teams snap, Luke Tenuta has played seven offensive snaps, Sean Rhyan has played 183 offensive snaps, and a fourth is named Royce Newman. Expect multiple OL selected, even if they think that Rhyan is ready. For the 7th round I had fun with a bunch of guys who aren’t on anyone’s radar, so I might not hit on as many of them as I usually do. 1st Round (#25): Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa – ballhawk with 7 INTs over the last two seasons, returning three for TDs. DeJean played mostly CB the last two seasons but also played their “cash”/hybrid safety position a little and that is where many are projecting him due to tight hips causing him to likely struggle with man & press coverage. Has good size for a box/hybrid safety (6’1”, 202). Only two weeks from being medically cleared, DeJean ran a 4.45 and a 4.43 at his individual pro day with a 38” vertical and is only 21 years old – the Packers have leaned towards younger players in the first round. Outstanding punt returner, returned one for a TD last year and had a second called back. (Replaces Darnell Savage) If he’s still available: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington – if the Packers are going to draft an OL in the first round it will likely be a guy who can play anywhere along the line, inside or outside, and people believe that Fautanu can play any of the five spots along the line. Not the tallest, but has good arm length and outstanding footwork, lateral quickness, and knee bend. Active hands and keeps his weight back to stay balanced. The word “finesse” is not in his vocabulary. Played LT the last three seasons but also has played some LG. The Packers have had success with OT who are 6’4”. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama – While teammate Terrion Arnold is projected to go earlier by most, there’s a reason that teams threw at Arnold twice as much as they did McKinstry last season. Smart, confident, outstanding in matching both outside and inside release. More of a cover corner than playmaker as he only had two INTs over the last 3 seasons, but has rapid acceleration to close quickly on throws. That, and it’s hard to get INTs when teams don’t throw at you. Ran a 4.47 40 at their pro day (that Gutey saw in-person) with a Jones fracture in his foot. Alexander and Stokes have had trouble staying healthy, Stokes is due $12M next year on a 5th year option that the Pack has to decide on by May 2nd, Alexander is due $18M in cash in 2025, and if both continue to have trouble being available they will need a corner both this year and long term. Overall PFF grade of 88.8 last season, and no penalties on 39 targets. 2nd Round (#41): Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M – physical, elite speed, and on a mission to find the ball carrier, Cooper plays every snap with intensity. Good at dodging blockers and working through traffic to make the tackle and outstanding at sniffing out screens and spying on the QB. Sometimes overshoots his mark, and lack of knee bend and high pad level can lead to inconsistencies with tackling, but had 17 TFLs and 8 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles last season. (Replaces De’Vondre Campbell) If he’s still available: Graham Barton, OL, Duke – Barton started at LT at Duke the last three seasons, but did play a handful of games at OC in 2020 due to injuries along the line. Barton’s arms are a little on the shorter side at 33” but has a decent 80” wingspan. Wowed at his pro day running a 4.84 40, which would have been best among all OL at the combine, with 3-cone and SS times that would have been top-5. But he did give up two sacks this season and last season and had a decent but not great PFF grade of 75.9 last season, thus interior is likely his best home with backing up OT. I doubt the Packers will spend a 1st round pick on him if they view him only as an IOL as guards perhaps have the least positional value in the 1st round, but if the Packers believe that he can play OT with some better coaching and he’s there late in the 1st/early 2nd, I could see the Packers moving up to get him. I don't think he'll go as high as some think - he missed three games with injury last season, and two of them were two of the three best teams they played last year (Notre Dame, Louisville) based on final poll rankings. His body of work wasn't against all of their best opponents. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Jaylon Wright, RB, Tennessee – while the Packers spent on Josh Jacobs, in reality it isn’t likely to be a long-term contract and they might want some lightning to go with Jacobs’ thunder. Wright averaged 7.4 YPC last season, 6.4 for his career, very impressive for going against SEC defenses. Blazed a 4.38 40 at the combine, he’s explosive with breakaway speed and had a 10+ yard run on over 25% of his carries last season. More linear and average vision, but has an outstanding jump cut to avoid defenders. Caught 22 passes and many think he can be more of a passing threat than he was in college. Overall PFF grade of 91.0 last year, just turned 21 2.5 weeks ago and is only 9 months younger than Braelon Allen. 2nd Round (#58): Patrick Paul, OT, Houston – mountain of a man at 6’7.5”, 330, with arms for days (36.25”), getting around Paul is like trying to get around a Costco. Paul’s pass blocking is well ahead of his run blocking and was credited with only two sacks against him over the last two seasons on almost 1,100 pass block snaps and an overall PFF grade of 81.1 last season. Worked hard to improve his technique, looked good in the position drills at the combine, and his 3-cone and 40 times were impressive for his size, culminating in a 9.69 RAS. Can struggle to sustain and finish as a run blocker, but the strength is there – he put up 30 reps on the bench at the combine which is almost unheard of for arms as long as his. Has as much upside as any OT in the draft. (Replaces David Bakhtiari) If they get beat to Edgerrin Cooper: Payton Wilson, LB, NC State – the Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year and Butkus Award winner, he has the size, length, and athleticism to be a 1st round pick but his injury history and age (6th year senior) will push him down. Blazed a WR-like 4.43 40 at the combine and he was a tackling machine last year with 138 total tackles, 17.5 TFL, 6 sacks, 3 INTs, and PFF credited him with only 6 misses on 98 tackle attempts last season for a grade of 89.9. Watching him in pursuit is like watching the National Geographic channel – you don’t see him and then out of nowhere like a cheetah he gets his prey. Can run in man coverage with any TE in the NFL. I think his injury history is a little overblown as he played in at least 11 games in four seasons, but it’s a definite risk. Brother of Brewers RPH Bryse Wilson. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon – might be the yin to the yang of Alexander, Jackson is a tall (6’4”) corner with length (32.75” arms) and an impressive 1.50 10-yard split. Transfer from Alabama who, understandably, had trouble getting on the field with McKinstry and Arnold there. Has the physicality and size of a safety with NFL-caliber run support, he could probably move to safety if needed. Smooth backpedal, can change directions without having to gear down, and showed a knack for reading the receiver’s eyes and getting his head around in time to make the play. Only one year of starting experience, which shows with some inconsistency on the tape and hit-or-miss with press coverage, but when he gets his punch in the receiver is in trouble. Should get more consistency with more playing time. Gave up a passer rating of only 41.7 when targeted last season with a PFF grade of 80.5. Did get suspended at Alabama, so there is some character risk. 3rd Round (#88): Jarian Jones, CB, Florida State – Jones has excelled as a slot corner at FSU with a passer rating against of 25.3 this year and 41.7 last year for a PFF grade of 90.1. Showed his athleticism at the combine running a 4.38 40 with a 39.5” vertical. Urgent, shows above-average aggression in both pass coverage and in run support, and can play outside or inside. Sometimes struggles with footwork and matching releases with consistency. (Replaces Rasul Douglas) If he’s still available: Kingsley Suamataia, OL, BYU – athletic OT who played both LT and RT at BYU, Suamataia has good size and length as well as lateral quickness. More upside than production at this point, showed sloppy hand placement and oversetting that led to lots of inconsistencies in his game as evidenced by his PFF grade of 67.5, which is why I don’t think he’ll go as early as most do (NFL.com agrees). Played better on the right side in 2022 than on the left side in 2023. He has said that he’s willing to play any position on the OL including OC, and might be a better fit inside at least early in his career while he works on his technique. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Cole Bishop, S, Utah – Big time athleticism coupled with physical nature and good size, Bishop was a three year starter for Utah who had 21.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, and 3 INTs for his career. Hustle never shuts off and isn’t afraid to blister a receiver who comes across his path. Showed his athleticism at the combine with a 4.45 40 and 39” vertical. Does have short arms, which can lead to some tackling inconsistencies and trouble wrapping up, and his desire to make plays can sometimes cause him to leave his zone or overrun a play, but he can be that box safety who can cover TEs and stop the run (if he can wrap up). 3rd round (#91): Tyrone Tracy, RB, Purdue – former WR turned RB, Tracy is a low-mileage runner who is just showing what he can be. Didn’t put up a ton of production because of Purdue’s horrible offense, but he averaged 6.3 YPC and has caught 113 passes in his career. Showed his athleticism, explosiveness, and agility at the combine. Bendy runner with loose hips, he can traverse interior run lanes with ease and had the most yards after contact (4.44) of any RB in this draft class. Still learning the position and his consistency reflects that, but can threaten LBs running routes out of the backfield or on gadget plays until he learns the nuances of the position. (Replaces Aaron Jones) If he’s still available: Hunter Nourzad, OC, Penn State – former all-Ivy League RT turned 2nd team All-B1G OC at Penn State, Nourzad is known for NFL-caliber core strength, technique, and body control. Unlike most of the OC in the draft, he has adequate length with 33+” arms and is strong enough to handle NTs lined up across from him. Good pad level, quick pass sets, with the athleticism to get out on pulls. Can get a little over his skis and whiff on blocks and can have issues with quick change of direction in protection. Started eight games at LG at Penn State in addition to OC and has taken snaps at RG, and the Packers like interior linemen who have experience at OT. Don't be surprised if it's: Marshawn Kneeland, DE, Western Michigan – the writing is on the wall for Preston Smith, so the Packers could be looking for a DE to develop as they weren’t afraid to draft Gary after signing both of the Smiths. Competed in track & field in HS and that shows in his athleticism, posting a DB-like time of 7.02 in the 3-cone and 4.18 in the short shuttle on top of a 35.5” vertical. Non-stop motor, Kneeland had 31 pressures in 2023 but only 4.5 sacks primarily due to a lack of diversity and finesse in his rush attack. I think that Wooden is going to move to end, given that he’s listed at only 273 lbs on the Packers website, but he seems like the developmental type the Packers like. 4th Round (#126): Javon Foster, OT, Missouri – first team All-SEC and third team All American, Foster went into this season needing to improve his footwork and he did exactly that, resulting in only one sack credited against him on 449 pass block snaps and an overall PFF grade of 84.9. Not the most athletic tackle, but he has long arms and gets the job done. Outstanding run blocker, he’s a major reason for Cody Schrader running for 1,600 yards, but he isn’t a mauler – I watched a couple of their games and he did an uncanny job of always getting into position to wall off his defender to create the run lane. 3-year starter at LT who started a couple of games at RT and played RT at the Senior Bowl. Dominates in a phone booth, can probably move inside and be an excellent guard if he can improve his knee bend. Packers attended Missouri’s pro day. (Replaces Yosh Nijman) If he’s still available: Marshawn Lloyd, RB, USC – compact bowling-ball of a RB at 5’9”, 220, who has NFL-caliber burst and twitchy feet to make sudden lateral cuts. Lloyd averaged 7.1 YPC last season showcasing his big play ability, but that may be partially due to weak Pac-12 defenses as he only averaged 5.2 at South Carolina. Caught 34 passes in his career and has the shake to make open-field tacklers miss, but also has had issues with ball security. Packers attended USC’s pro day. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State – bigger box safety who has played every position – box, deep, and slot – and has played almost an equal number of snaps at each. Went from walk-on to team captain and helped set the secondary pre-snap. Has the length and ability to cover both Y and F tight ends as well as play the run. Can play deep, but limitations in deep speed likely mean a future as a box safety with the ability to play slot. The Packers like versatility in their safeties, and they don’t get more versatile than Oladapo. PFF overall grade of 88.3 last season. 5th Round (#169): Dominique Hampton, S, Washington – has some of the best physical traits of any safety in his class with size (6’2”, 215), length (6’7” wingspan), speed (4.51 40), and agility (6.83 3-cone), but that doesn’t always show up on tape. Length wins in contested catch situations and has put some big hits on receivers coming into his zone, but bad angles and body control sometimes lead to arm tackles. Can be a special teams ace while they see if NFL coaching can maximize his physical traits, but the upside is there. (Replaces Jonathan Owens) If he’s still available: Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina – Gutey has said that he wants to get back to “drafting QBs”, and Jordan Love hasn’t signed an extension yet. Capable of getting through full-field reads, patient to let routes and spacing develop, but doesn’t quite have the arm strength for every throw and has below-average height. Can extend plays, more elusive than a running threat. Excellent ball placement at every level of the field. Ranked 3rd in FBS in On-Tgt %, accuracy doesn't suffer when he's on the move. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Tylan Grable, OT, UCF – former high school QB who threw for 3,000 yards turned college TE turned college LT, Grable is still relatively new to OT but has the athleticism and footwork of a tight end. Has nimble feet and moves well in space with good lateral quickness to win the corner. Credited with no sacks and only 10 pressures this past season by PFF, a big improvement over 2022 and evidence that he is still learning the position. Good upper body strength. If the Packers think Walker and Tom are the franchise tackles then Grable can have time to develop behind them and learn to use the athleticism he has to become the next great day 3 Packers OL draft pick. 9.83 RAS. 6th round (#202): Matt Lee, OC, Miami – the Packers need a backup for Myers, and Lee is perhaps the best pass blocking center in the draft. PFF graded him with a pass blocking grade of 89.1 last year and 90.6 in 2022 with UCF before transferring to Miami, and only one sack attributed to him in over 1,300 pass block snaps the last three seasons. Fiery, outspoken, athletic, does a good job of absorbing contact but concerns about lack of size (weighed only 288 at the Shrine Game, 301 at the combine) and holding up against bull rushers push him down. Don’t need him in 2024, so that gives the Pack a year to focus on bulking up. 9.85 RAS. (Fills void) If he’s still available: Ryan Watts, DB, Texas – miscast as a CB at Texas, projecting Watts to safety is what has teams interested as Watts has the size (6’3”, 208), length (34.5” arms), and athleticism he demonstrated at the combine along with the demeanor to be a box safety who can line up over TEs in the slot. It will take him a while to learn the position, but can be a special teams demon in the short term while he works on the transition. 9.81 RAS. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Kristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa – FCS All-American who put up 38 reps on the bench at his pro day, Boyd participated in the Shrine Bowl but was not invited to the combine. Graded as an elite interior pass rusher, but that was at the FCS level and only registered 10.5 sacks in 49 career games. 6th Round (#219): Jarrett Kingston, OG, USC – excellent athleticism combined with strength (32 reps on his pro day) gives Kingston a 9.93 RAS, coupled with the grit and know-how to play guard. The concern with Kingston is his lack of length and relatively short arms (32”). Well-trained in pass protection, his pass slides are quick and has the athleticism to make blocks on the 2nd level and puts strain into every run rep. Transfer from Washington State where he started 16 games at LG and 10 games at LT, and the Packers like guards who have experience at tackle. (Replaces Jon Runyan) If he’s still available: Omar Brown, DB, Nebraska – Brown spent three seasons at Northern Iowa before transferring to Nebraska and has played CB, safety, and slot. Gutey has said that he likes multi-position flexibility and Brown has that. Didn’t get invited to the combine, but ran 4.53 40 at his pro day with a very good 10-yard split (1.53) and 3-cone time (6.97). PFF grade of 82.8 last season, credited with 11 missed tackles on 60 attempts but didn’t give up any TDs. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP – big time tackle production over the last three years with 140 total tackles, 15.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks last year alone. Knight tied with Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter for the highest career PFF grade of all draft-eligible LBs and plays somewhat of a floating freestyle brand of play in the 2nd level looking for ways to knife his way in to make the tackle. Adequate athleticism for the position, sometimes his guesswork gets him out of position and needs to improve his blocking scheme recognition. Packers attended UTEP’s pro day, and the last time they drafted someone from UTEP it worked out pretty well. 7th round (#245): Jackson Sirmon, LB, Cal – 2022 first team All Pac-12 and preseason 4th team All-American, Sirmon suffered a biceps tear in the team’s 6th game which ended his season. Recovered in time to play in the Senior Bowl where he had five tackles and a PBU but wasn’t invited to the combine. Starter at Washington, transferred to Cal to play for his father who was the Bears DC and played LB in the NFL. Ranked 9th among all draft-eligible LBs in career PFF grade, he long-snapped in high school and was Cal’s backup long snapper. His short-shuttle time at his pro day was within 0.04 seconds of being the top mark among all LBs in the last three combines. Excellent technique, consistent, size for a SAM, but perhaps limited in coverage. (Competes with Eric Wilson/Kristian Welch) If he’s still available: Tejhaun Palmer, WR, UAB – bigger receiver that plays up to it, he made Bruce Feldman’s 2023 freaks list and backed it up running a 4.45 40 at their pro day with 19 reps on the bench. Averaged over 18 YPC and had 7 touchdown receptions with at least one from every 20 yard delineation of the field; only Brian Thomas and Troy Franklin can also make that claim. Made honorable mention in the fastest players in college in 2023 with one run of 21 mph and had just one drop this season on 66 targets. Lacks suddenness, has tight hips which might limit routes he can be successful with. Born in Milwaukee, WI. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Giovanni Manu, OT, University of British Columbia – maybe literally the biggest secret of the 2024 draft is 6’7 3/8”, 352 lb Manu, who is a former basketball player turned LT. Perhaps the freak of all freaks, the Packers – along with half the league – attended his pro day where he lollygagged somewhere between a 5.06 and 4.96 40 with a 33.5” vertical. Yes, at 352 lbs. The Packers followed up with a top-30 visit. His basketball tape isn’t going to remind anyone of Robert “Tractor” Traylor much less Zion Williamson, but if the Packers are happy with their backups he’s someone who can be stashed for a couple of years to see if they can develop that combination of size and athleticism. 7th round (#255): Jack Westover, H-Back/FB, Washington – former walk-on and high school basketball player who didn’t play football until his senior year in high school, Westover was offered a PWO at Washington after impressing at one of their camps. Westover was 3rd on the Huskies in receptions in 2023 and has 87 career receptions plus plenty of special teams experience. Has a knack to know where the soft spots in the zone are to be a safety valve when the downfield receivers aren’t open. Started as a FB at UW and moved to more of an H-Back role. Couldn’t participate at the combine due to injury, but has shown the speed to get over the top of LBs. (Replaces Josiah Deguara) If he’s still available: Dallas Gant, LB, Toledo – former 4-star recruit who had difficulty getting on the field at Ohio State, Gant transferred to Toledo where his father played football and had two outstanding seasons. 3rd highest career PFF grade among all draft-eligible LBs, Gant was credited with only eight missed tackles on 96 tackle attempts this last year for a PFF grade of 87. High football intelligence, long arms, but a little lean and won't offer much as a blitzer. Don’t be surprised if it’s: Alex Johnson, CB, UCLA – one year starter who made the most of it, notching 5 INTs. Fluid athlete, ran a blazing 4.40 40, showed good explosiveness at their pro day, and Gutey was there to see it in-person. Below average in run support, needs to play with more physicality, could get looks at FS. Who I'll probably regret leaving out - Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas; Michael Hall, DT, Ohio State; Kiran Amegadjie, OL, Yale; Mark Perry, S, TCU; Kamal Hadden, CB, Tennessee UDFAs: Rocky Lombardi, QB, Northern Illinois Gavin Hardison, QB, UTEP Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy Luke Benson, TE/H-Back, Georgia Tech Devaughan Vele, WR, Utah Donovan Jennings, OT, South Florida X'Zauvea Gadlin, OG, Liberty Jake Levengood, OC, Oregon State Casey Rogers, DT, Oregon Michael Mason, DE, Coastal Carolina Justin Blazek, Edge, UW-Platteville Bryce Gallagher, LB, Northwestern Chris Edwards, SS, Arizona State Cam Allen, FS, Purdue Myles Sims, CB, Georgia Tech

Why does he have to be a 1st rounder? Why can't he be a 2nd rounder or 3rd rounder or even a 4th? They've had plenty of success developing OL who were not 1st round picks. They didn't draft an OL at all in 2023 to even try to move Tom to center even though they had 13 draft picks. In 2019 the Packers had two first-round picks - #12 and #30 overall. They brought in Greg Little, Jonah Williams, Andre Dillard, Kaleb McGary, and Tytus Howard, all OL who went in the 1st or very early 2nd, along with Montez Sweat and Jeffrey Simmons, who also went in the 1st round. They drafted Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage, and didn't draft an OL at all. Just because they bring in a couple of OT on visits doesn't mean they are going to draft one. Love was a virtual visit and Wyatt was an in-person visit, but no virtual or in-person visits for Stokes, Walker, or Van Ness. Bringing in a guy who is projected to go early has been more of an indication that they aren't going to draft them than they will. If you think a guy is a Hall of Fame type of player at one position, why is he playing another? Just doesn't add up.

If you don't put in the work to learn the offense and can't run it correctly, you aren't going to see the field.

That's been more hypothesis from reporters/fans than anything. The Packers' actions don't exactly align with that. When they've had a backup center in I recall it's mostly been Runyan. And they didn't draft a RT last year so that Tom could move to center. If those statements are true, then why wasn't he playing center over Myers and why didn't they draft a RT last year so that he could move to center? Either Myers is a lot better center than people think - which isn't a bad thing - or that isn't exactly how the team feels about Tom.

Exactly - we are at the height of lying season. And why would they want Tom to know that? Pro Bowl RTs get paid a lot more than HOF centers - the top RTs are getting $18M-$20M/year, the top centers are getting $13M/year. All things being equal, if the Packers plan was to move him to center then wouldn't Tom rather wait and take a free agent contract from another team at RT value than sign an extension with the Packers at OC rates?

Not sure what made me look this up (I think Oxy's what I hope was sarcastic prediction, given that the Packers haven't traded up since 2020), but for all the flak that Royce Newman and A.J. Dillon have gotten, according to pro-football-reference.com Royce Newman is tied for the 4th highest weighted career AV among all 4th round picks that year and A.J. Dillon has the 9th highest weighted career AV among all 2nd round picks that year, and Newman and Dillon were both the 3rd to last picks in their respective rounds. Those two draft classes league-wide were just duds.

Prices are healthy, but that's because there's very low supply. Volume is down significantly, so what banks are potentially gaining in rates they are losing in volume. Profit = margin x volume. Also, the home builders are afraid to increase production on the fears that higher interest rates for longer will scare off buyers and buyers at current monthly payments will dry up, and they don't want to be stuck with inventory, further decreasing the supply. If rates come down, bank profit will be made up in volume. And all it takes is one bank to cut rates to get volume, and the rest will follow because of how much business they'll lose to other banks with lower rates.

No talk of rate hikes in the Fed minutes.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/heres-the-inflation-breakdown-for-march-2024-in-one-chart.html Some bright spots: Food: 2.2% YoY Driven by Food Away From Home (4.2%) Food at Home: 1.2% Energy: 2.1% YoY Driven by Electricity (5%) Gas: 1.3% Inflation is being driven primarily by two things: Shelter (5.7%) Motor Vehicle Insurance (22.2%) What are consumers supposed to do about those things? Go without insurance? Can't tell you how many damaged vehicles I've seen driving around because people only have liability insurance (and the cost of repair, also up 11.6%). People have to live where the jobs are, plus millions of immigrants/migrants are taking up the housing on the low end of the spectrum forcing people to higher rents. That, and high interest rates make home ownership less affordable, increasing the demand for rent. Don't get me started on Juices & Drinks (27.5%). $9.99 for a 12-pack at my local store now. Seriously Coca-Cola and Pepsi?

What doesn't help the upper class and big businesses far more than it will help everyone else? It's not about what will help who the most. It's about what will hurt who the most. The upper class and big businesses will figure out how to make money regardless of what the fed/guvmint does. But if rates get raised, businesses will layoff more people, and the middle class will get hurt. As I pointed to above, it's already happening. And it already happened to me. 7 months unemployed and now I'm making 20% less than I was making a year ago. I'm in a permanent mild recession.

And almost Milwaukee Brewer. You wonder how things may have been different if that had happened. Lucroy vetoed that deal to Cleveland and the Brewers got Brinson from Texas instead, who they packaged to Miami for Yelich. Mejia was still a top prospect pre-2018 at the time of the Yelich trade, but who knows if the Brewers would have been willing to part with him versus an OF.