Fear The Chorizo

Edit: Is there another team that values draft picks less than the Raiders (other than a Ryan Pace managed team)? Pretty sure the Rams' GM had t-shirts made that lets everyone know they could care less about picks, too....saw a bunch of them worn by fans during the parade after they won the Super Bowl. Carr can say there's no way a Waller trade will happen - but Waller has no guaranteed money left on his current contract and Carr has openly talked about making sure Renfroe gets paid next. The Raiders have other TE's on their roster that may have supplanted Waller based on his uneven 2021 due to injuries and COVID list absences, too. With less than $6M in current cap room and with other players on their roster in need of new deals along with signing their draft pics, trading Waller and instantly freeing up almost $7M in cap space due to no dead money left on his contract actually makes a ton of sense for them. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Waller dealt to someone this thursday or friday in exchange for a 2nd or a couple mid-round picks.

Grisham's best MLB season was actually only 1/3 of a year due to the shortened schedule via COVID. That also happened to be Davies' best rate season as a starter (pitching in San Diego's home ballpark). Grisham was decent in 2021 but Davies was awful - and both are now at the point in their careers where they start getting expensive - or in Davies' case pitches himself out of the league if he continues to be bad. Urias outperformed Grisham in 2021 and Lauer is world's better than Davies at a much more team-friendly salary and with two more years of team control before he reaches free agency. This isn't really a debate anymore even with Urias still on the mend, and there's no point to play the 'what if' semantics game involving JBJ, Garcia, and everything else. The Brewers came out ahead in that trade and the gap will continue to grow over time as Urias and Lauer continue to be key cogs on the Brewers' roster.

Given what is going on this offseason with stud WRs who were drafted after the 1st round demanding market-setting contracts or wanting to be traded headed into their 4th NFL season, if the Packers hold onto that #28 pick I can see them going WR or somewhat of a talented but raw player that would benefit the team greatly to have that 5th year option on their rookie deal. Because of this, it also wouldn't surprise me to see the Packers package one of their 2nd rounders with a player or future draft capital to move into round 1 for a 3rd bite at the 1st round apple. That 5th year option gives the late 1st round picks a ton more value than the top half of round 2 simply for contract/team control certainty.

To me a sensible longterm deal for Deebo would still be a huge payday for him - it would just need to include enough years on the back end to spread the signing bonus out for cap purposes. Packers have the room to add a marquee WR on a huge new deal, moreso than the 49ers and a few other contenders do at the moment - unlikely he gets traded here because the 49ers wouldn't want to face Samuel in this offense come playoff time, though.

Given the history between these teams from about this time last year, the least MLF can do is call up the 49ers and ask what it would take to acquire Deebo assuming he wants out...if only for due diligence purposes. I'm sure Shanahan would understand!

probably just posturing at this point in effort to land a big extension, but Deebo Samuel has apparently let 49ers brass know he wants to be traded...similar contract situation to Metcalf in that he's entering the last year of his rookie deal (2nd round pick). Took a look at their current cap situation, and boy they really need Jimmy G's contract off their books so they can get things done with their own guys who need new deals (Deebo, Bosa, etc) - frankly they need to make some moves in order to free up space to sign their own draft picks later this year. Between Jimmy G and Mayfield, there are two teams who hope to contend in 2022 that likely need to trade their 2021 starting QB away for little more than cap relief. Due to his versatility I'd actually prefer Deebo over Metcalf in a Packer uniform on a sensible longterm contract.

I took some time to look at a few of Yelich's swings in August/September 2021 compared to his swings last night. A couple things jumped out... 1 - his setup is quite similar in his stance, but it does seem like he eases himself into his crouch with his leg kick much more efficiently and in better balance this year compared to late last season - his 2021 swing almost looked like his his back leg collapsed into his crouch while his swings last night looked much more like he was loading up and lowering that leg. 2 - Yelich's lower half looks much more solid/athletic through the swing this season than what I was seeing in some of those late summer 2021 swings - this could be a combination of health-related factors with Yelich's back feeling better and having more confidence in being able to torque on his front leg (the one he injured his knee on back in 2019). Something to definitely continue monitoring - regardless of launch angle, hitting the ball hard at the MLB level requires explosion through the lower half during the swing. If Yelich keeps up with the high exit velo' when making contact it at least indicates he's using his whole body to hit the baseball and is feeling better at the plate than he was during most of the last two seasons.

frustrating that the Brewer starters apparently aren't ready with command to start this season - I get that they had a shortened spring training this year, but this isn't 50 years ago where they don't pick up a baseball until they report.

throw strikes Freddy

This is a move that needed to happen, bringing in a vet with speed that improves their WR depth chart - this also means the Packers won't need to be as WR-focused early in the draft if a stud at a different position falls in their lap.

The example you listed from back in 2013 had both the Orioles and White Sox flying into Baltimore the night before a September series, which at the time this scheduling flap came up very much had likely postseason ramifications (both teams were playoff contenders in 2012). Plus, that was much more of a MLB vs NFL scheduling spat than the Orioles declaring they were the Darth Vader of scheduling. The Brewers are still having their home opener being played during the day/afternoon, as is sort of customary - what's not customary is their planned home opener had to get cancelled because of a labor dispute so MLB is kind of in scramble mode with their own schedule. The Brewers opted to move up their retrofitted home opener to try and sort of stick with a traditional 1st home game not being started at night and they saw the minor marketing upside of starting it at 4:14 to coincide with a city's festival - both things the Orioles should care less about.

Home teams tend to get to pick what times their games start. Baltimore had zero reason to move a wednesday night game in mid April to a daytime start because their opponent had to fly home and wants to start their next game late in the afternoon. The Orioles aren't traveling and have a day off Thursday on their schedule. Why would they want to shift a midweek gametime when it would just inconvenience their own fans who purchased tickets and made travel plans in the first place to attend an evening game? The original schedule had tomorrow's game slated for a 6:40 start...so the Brewers opted to push it up 2.5 hours to follow a hokey 414 theme since it became their home opener. It's not like they're on the west coast and losing a few hours in time zones traveling to Milwaukee tonight and the game's a noon start.

https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/414-Day-events yep....however 414 day isn't even honorable mention for some much weirder (and honestly more entertaining) festivals... https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/articles/the-13-most-unusual-festivals-in-the-world/

This is all on the Brewers, actually. Orioles have a night game Friday and still have a day off tomorrow - the afternoon home opener in Milwaukee has as much to do with it being 4/14 day (something the Brewers embraced to start this game at 4:14 pm to coincide with the City's area code celebration that has been happening since 2010). It's on the Brewers for not scheduling a thursday home game to open a 4 game series on the heels of a road trip at 7pm - because it happens to be on 414 day. Having the first two series of the original schedule shifted due to retrofitting the calendar after the lockout is the reason this happens to be the Crew's home opener, too.

Gotcha - my main point is this time of year there are always a handful of media draftnick darlings that rocket up boards due to measureables. Sometimes they pan out to be great NFL players - but many times they flame out, particularly if part of the physical advantage they have playing against inferior and immature college players evaporates as soon as they walk into their first NFL minicamp. Specific to Raimann - watched some game tape of him in a 2021 game against a very average Miami of OH defense, and it was apparent that he struggled with pass pro against speed on the edge. Despite his frame and wingspan he seemed to block much more with his body/size advantage against lineman that won't be playing on Sundays (and any other day NFL plays) than with hands behind extended arms. Initial punch on pass blocking was more like absorbing the lineman instead of stopping his momentum with his hands. If a lineman in the NFL lets a defender get into his chest, he's beat either for a holding penalty or he's going to give up pressure. His athleticism makes him very intriguing - but Raimann is very much a project.

I didn't realize a 24 yr old converted TE has already made the NFL's all pro team after playing a couple seasons of offensive line at central michigan. He's projected to eventually be a good starting tackle in the NFL, but he's still very much a development prospect and could just as easily bust out of the league than become a perennial pro bowler. With all the picks GB has in the late first-mid second, Raimann is an intriguing option if he falls in their lap with their late 1st round pick. Any team that drafts him in the first round has to view him as a development project that probably shouldn't be starting his 1st season despite the fact he's already in his mid-20s - which would burn at least one of those rookie contract years up.

I know it's probably jaded memories only focusing on the bad outcomes....but I've long felt like the Brewers absolutely stink offensively on the road in day games - most of the time those are getaway days on top of it, but based on the results thus far during 4 day games I'm very much looking forward to playing some games under the lights.

Cousins is nibbling his way to a big Cub inning here

here's your shot Brewers....let's get a hit here Wong!

quick bit of advice for Rowdy....just leave the bat on your shoulder and he'll walk you next time

Gotta love the fact the Brewers are on pace for 18 Ks in this game after 3 innings against a pitcher who can't touch 90....regular season form for this offense already!

He said they tried starting a family in 2020........so they indeed probably tried things the old fashioned way for 1+ years before seeking medical help. I'm pretty certain Robert Mathis of the Colts got suspended for Clomid at one point while he was also working through fertility treatments with his wife to try and have a 3rd child (they had their twins after fertility treatments previously). As an off-brand prescription, Clomid is typically taken by men who may have issues with injuries to the berries - not exactly a rarity among catchers, most likely. Severino screwed up by not knowing what he was taking could impact his ability to play baseball at the start of this year due to failing a drug test. Any time a professional athlete finds themselves taking a drug whose intent is to alter hormonal responses, they need to be be extremely careful understanding whether it's a substance that could trigger a suspension from a PED test. I'm not defending Severino or offering up excuses justifying his decision to take Clomid as part of this fertility treatment - he's out half the season because of it and that sucks for both the Brewers and more importantly him. That all being said, you are way off base instantly jumping to say he took this strictly for on field performance issues. There are many other drugs that players would opt to take first before Clomid to get that effect, which is typically used as a masking agent in conjunction with steroid use or to try and trigger the body to start producing testosterone if someone has previously been on roids and their body can no longer produce it naturally. This is Severino's 1st positive test in over 10 years of professional baseball and many prior drug tests, so I'm going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt at this point even if I don't think his decision was the right one to take it.

Pretty certain if he's not a US Citizen, it would prove kind of difficult to just run up to the US in the offseason for a doctor's appointment - they didn't start exploring medical assistance for infertility until after the 2021 season when he was back home in the Dominican.

Or just realize that the role of a backup catcher to Narvaez, who was an all star last season, can likely be filled decently by a replacement level player and not be sweating it too much when there seems to be internal options available to fill this role for a couple months until Severino returns. And Cooper Hummel is flipping 27 years old and never has been considered a good defensive catcher - he isn't a prospect, he's Crash Davis. He likely makes the lowly Diamondbacks' opening day roster due to a ballooned roster size and an oblique injury to Luplow.

Most people's jobs don't require them to be randomly and frequently tested for athletic performance-enhancing drugs (or any drugs for that note) - as a professional athlete whose livelihood is entirely dependent on his body, there is no excuse for him to not know everything that goes into it...particularly any sort of medication or drugs that are used to alter hormonal responses for human beings. I actually believe his story - but that doesn't mean he's not culpable for screwing up even if his intentions were focused on off the field issues. There are always alternative options/approaches in struggling with infertility - as a father of 2 adopted children after my family's own initial infertility struggle that made us feel more like lab rats than patients I can most certainly attest to that - and many of those options don't require any drug prescriptions or treatments that could risk losing his job as a professional baseball player.