BrewerFan

I don't think anything's really changed with Kraft. He's still getting open. Love just has had a...kinda start and stop season. Week 1, no snaps in the pre-season, all those guys slipping and falling, but he gets hurt. Then he comes back...he's off, but they're dropping balls and Kraft does look great. It's been a weird year for the offense. I still believe in all the guys I believed in coming into the year, Musgrave included. Wicks has been...bad, but he gets open. The real problem is in paragraph 2. I was all for an OT...and I even said Morgan(he was behind Guyton on my list)...but damn, if we could do it over again, when Mitchell fell past 20, I'd move up and get him. He and DeJean just...fit so damn well. The thing I didn't see coming was this DL. Jaire getting banged up, that was predictable. But if you have a pass rush you can overcome that. A mediocre pass rush but a really good secondary, same, you can overcome it. But a mediocre pass rush and secondary? We saw a little more life from them, but not enough. To the Bears credit, they had a good game plan and played to Caleb's strengths. We should also keep in mind, they do have 2 legit #1 WRs and a guy in Odunze with a ton of talent...plus Kmet. A lot of talent, but they gotta get Jaire healthy.

It would be so much easier had you gotten Mitchell. When he fell to #22...you should have made your move(really past 20). This draft is stacked also. I'm definitely ready to move on from Orzech who is over here doing IF practice with Wheelan. Wheelan might be the most improved player on the team the way he's saved our asses on all those bad snaps.

Especially after Caleb told him how little work he'd be getting done.

It's absolutely something Attanasio should get credit for. He hires the executive and I think you're absolutely right. We don't spend here...it's all Attanasio's fault we lost, then he should certainly get credit when you consistently have a well-run front office, you spend to retain young talent and you build the infrastructure they deem necessary. It was just last year there was a conversation about how the money was spent, if it would have been better spent on free agency. The ~10 million or so a year they spend on the LA Academy. I don't know what it is, but between signing players and the money to keep it going. I think about 99% of the board was in agreement...a FA reliever is not more valuable than the Latin American pipeline, even before Chourio had his big rookie season.

I'm absolutely stunned they fell for that...misinformation! More surprised Rodgers didn't do his own research...

Even if they're not coming after the signing bonuses, he's got the 35M option payment next year that wouldn't be guaranteed if he retired.

The Jets must have moved money to next year with Adams as he was out of GTD money. I'm pretty sure it does matter if Rodgers retires or not. He's got a 35M option the team has to decide to pick up before the '25th. He has void years and of course, retiring before it's open leaves him open to repaying some of the signing bonus if the team cares to do that, but I don't think they'll even consider moving on from Rodgers.

Classless. McCarthy already knows he's gone. This is his life and you have your own players...players you've coached since you got into the league, and you throw them under the bus? The Jets, Cowboys and Bears all have problems with their organization and it's not talent. I think the Jets, it's Rodgers. Saleh was a good coach. The Cowboys it's Jones playing GM and the Bears...they can still fix al their issues, but they need a new offensive minded coach in there. Baffling they didn't replace the staff coming into the season and get and offensive minded coach. I think if he retires they can get SOME relief, but I'm going to assume they'll want him back. They'll think they just need a new coach and some tweaks. The cap isn't bad. Rodgers costs a lot, but it's less than it would have been in GB. It's not the Saints. That team is in such bad cap hell, they can't get out. They just keep going further in. Most of their best players have higher dead caps than cap hits. Good thing they JUST committed more money to a RB approaching 30 years!

I was also making an assumption that this was over a longer period of time, but it sounds as though this was just last year? That'd explain the Dodgers placement.

Dallas. They're in the middle of what's supposed to be a win now period. Chicago has a rookie QB and...they're just starting. I do hope the reports that their staff and Poles will be back no matter what..,is true.

Let's push Made and Pena. They struggle, and they go to AZ. They hold their own, great. I'd also include Jose Anderson. Maybe just get in a few games at some point. He'll be there for the start of rookie ball, but I'd like to see him get some ABs there when someone is on the 7-day DL or whatever, but that may be too aggressive. I'd just be in favor of giving him some PAs there, letting him get a feel for it, see how he handles it and if he surprises, maybe he earns his spot there. More than likely it's too aggressive, but I'd still like to see it. Who's going to be our Low A SS? Di Turi, Guilarte? Probably Adamczewski would be the leader, but these guys are versatile. It also gives you the benefit of playing Made/Pena at 3B and 2B as well. I can't imagine what this system is going to look like after another group of IFAs and a draft class that includes several early picks(and hopefully one for Williams as they did with Burnes as the team acquiring him will presumably plan on getting a comp pick in return themselves). Top 5 farm system and #1 System mid '26.

I don't understand why. It's Leonhard's dream job(or was) and McIntosh wasn't down on Leonhard, he just went for the experienced big-time hire. I can't speak for Leonhard(or McIntosh for that matter) but I know Leonhard was very highly thought of by the people around the AD. Possible Leonhard may not want to come back, but it's one of the top 25-30 jobs in CFB. Not sure he is in the position to turn the job down if offered...in a couple of years(I agree, Fickell still has a couple years before it's a concern).

That's pretty damn high on Gasser. Certainly hope you're right.

Yeah, I went with Pratt over Made because I break it down into 70% upside, 30% chance of hitting it. So I had Quero(AS starting C upside)-and I don't think the shoulder is that big of a deal. He's not a pitcher. Then Pratt, Made and then Mis...because while I think he's got a massive upside, I actually think he's got less of a chance to hit it and more of a chance to be a reliever. Which is fine, it's just much less valuable if that happens. I think Pratt will end up close to the type of prospect Chourio is and I think just by virtue of hitting AA(for whatever reason) he's more likely to play in AmFam. That could change very early next year, but right now, Pratt seems like a JJ Hardy type defender who I think will hit 25-30 HRs and be a better hitter. The Gunnar comp is ambitious, but...80% of Gunnar is a helluva prospect. Quero is at worse an elite defender who will hit ~.250/.325/.375 IMO and that's very valuable. Could hit better. Made....his upside is Chourio playing elite D at SS or 3B. Mis hasn't thrown more than 80 innings yet. I'm a big fan, but he has a long way to go to become an ace, he could make a big impact next year. The fear with him is he has a great first year or two, injury misses 16 months, he's in arbitration and now he's toward the end of his team control. So if he comes out late next year and throws like we hope(I'm guessing 2-3 innings out of the pen Aug-Sept) then I'd look for one of those 6-year 40M extensions with a couple of option years for 25M per.

Well...maybe Leonhard would be a better option. I know he was pretty highly respected and did a good job as a recruiter(though he played a limited role from what I understand). He's young, wanted the job. Fickell was the "HR" hire. The guy everyone wanted, the guy who turned down other jobs. If he doesn't get it done(and I'm giving him at least another year at LEAST, probably 2)...then you go back to the homegrown guy? "Suffering" through the 10-win teams that couldn't beat OSU was a lot better than this.

Agreed. You can do whatever you want, but until you got that fixed, the program was going nowhere. It's like the OL just fell apart 3-4, maybe 5 years ago and stopped being an elite unit. Some good players on it, but not the dominant unit it'd largely been since Barry's '93 team. Not a shock, but more for Wisconsin than any other team, it all starts with establishing the run. It's been just as long since we've been hoping for good to elite QB play and haven't got it. Graham Mertz looked like a program altering recruit and...well, he was not. Then back to back years of disappointing transfers. Keep the OL playing well, and finally get the QB play we've been hoping for and this program may turn it around. Just saw Texas and their record in the first two years under Sarkisian and they were 13-12. Then he got his guys in there and they took off. I don't expect us to be UT, but sure be nice to see year 3 be the year Fickell can turn it around.

I don't actually think he does. I think if you were to ask, generally speaking, people would credit Stearns for changing the culture and then building "the lab," and the staff and then Arnold gets credit for being part of that front office and keeping it going. But it's only Arnold's 2nd year. I think the organization as a whole does get the credit.

I just don't want to be reactionary. He had the worst year of his career coming off an ACL. It's an additional 14M to the payroll. You start hacking away further and...it really doesn't make sense to me to eat more of that money and spend..8 M if a trade leaves us paying 10M to facilitate a trade. You get rid of Hoskins and I'd be willing to bet he goes somewhere else, puts up an 800 OPS again, hits 25-30 HRs and you're left with a hole at 1B. As for Black being Hiura...I don't think he is....but we're not going to know until he gets regular playing time. We at least gave Keston a couple chances. Black's not really been given that yet...and I don't see a scenario in which he has the holes in his swing that Keston does, but nobody's mind is going to be able to be changed in the off-season with ~50 ABs in his MLB career. They're similar in that they don't have a definitive home. The Brewers have seemingly been moving him around with an eye on the short term future to where they MIGHT need him.

In a 2 gap, your LBs are ALSO responsible for 2 gaps. In a 1 gap, your MLB is supposed to be responsible for 1 gap. So no, the reason 4-3 defenses have smaller LBs is because they don't have the same requirements. 4-3 teams also tend to play more Tampa 2 and they want versatile MLBers. Guys like Urlacher...even the prototype, he was not good at taking ion blocks. That's why you'll see smaller, less physical LBs in scouting reports referred to as fits for one gap schemes, not 2 gap schemes. Some of this has been mitigated by how little teams play in a Base defense now, but in the base and vs the run, if you're a 2 gap team, your off-ball LBs are also 2 gap LBs. Either way...Walker has to be more decisive and he has to take on blockers better. He's been worse this year. Cooper has been pretty impressive though. Good technique. Taking on blockers and keeping the right arm free(usually the outside arm when he's playing the SAM, but wherever he's playing). https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014/6/25/5841992/playing-the-run-on-defense-1-gap-vs-2-gap-schemes

Of all the things Rodgers did that...were amazing just throwing the ball, his ability to throw WRs away from contract was incredible. To throw the ball behind a crosser so he's stopping or his momentum is taking him away from the safety that's driving or...LB. Obviously there were SOME bad examples, and Rodgers threw the ball over the middle at a far lower rate than the likes of Brees, Manning or Brady, but still... Really? First timer? LOL...well, that's nice. I've spent too much time on Twitter in the past few weeks. Not sure there's an insult I haven't heard at this point!

Andy Herman was talking about Mosby. He had him as the 3rd highest-graded player in the Lions game. The Packers clearly felt like those two, Mosby and Cox would provide more juice than Smith and the savings was worth it. I'd have loved to see another DT added, even just a guy like Davlin Tomlinson, but this is the group. I hope I'm proven wrong or Slaton, Ford, someone can step up in the middle of the defense.

Every team is going to play some 2 gap. It's like a zone-blocking team like the Packers. They're not going to run all zone, they're going to double and run iso power runs. But a 3-4 IS inherently a 2 gap and a 4-3 a 1 gap. And even that is going to be on early downs, not on passing downs as...that'd be rather pointless. The Wade Phillips, Fritz Shurmur defense's are the exception that proves the rule. Even then, I'm pretty skeptical that Fritz was running a 2-gap in GB. Maybe in LA with the Rams or earlier in his career, but with Reggie, Dotson, Jones? But back to MLB...historically the 4-3's have been smaller, the 4-3 have been bigger, but again, Quay is large enough to play in either scheme. He's actually listed at 6'4 241. So I don't think it's a size issue. You question yourself and play on your heels, you're going to be blocked pretty easily.

No...I'm not sure anymore. That was definitely the...prototype for a 4-3 vs a 3-4 for a long time, but I'm not even sure what defense we're playing. Go back and watch and you'll see Slaton on several snaps trying to 2 gap and hold the Guard or even line up over the C and a 0 Tech. I know traditionally you wanted bigger, more physical 3-4 MLBers...but I can't really say with much confidence what they're looking at anymore. Take SF though. Warner is their MLB. 4-3, he's probably 220-225. He's not big. Devin White was a MLB. When reading the scouting report on Ty'Ron Hopper, the scouting report said 'due to his size and...something about inability to disengage, he'll have to go to a one gap scheme and "wouldn't survive in a 2-gap scheme." https://bleacherreport.com/articles/891384-breaking-down-the-3-4-defense#:~:text=In a 3-4 defense there is no one,capable at fighting through traffic to the ball. That's supposed to be the...qualities you look for in a MLB in a 1-gap and a 2-gap scheme...but I don't know. These aren't the days of Levond Kirkland anymore or Derrick Brooks are gone. Even in Chicago, Urlacher was the MLB and he was big, but he wasn't close to as good as Briggs at taking on Blocks. Meanwhile Ray Lewis was the best MLBer of the last 30 years...probably and he was a 220-pound kid who I'd say got up to 235 maybe a little bigger, but he was a 3-4. So I'm actually not sure. What you're saying makes sense, but I think in the modern NFL you just need to be smart, instinctive, they want guys who can run you down East to West, playing the pass comes first. Just play smarter, be more decisive and play physical. Quay is 6'4 ~235 anyway. He should be big enough. The issue is he's trying to go around blocks, not playing downhill and he's regressed.

I think we get one more of 25 basis points... And then...who knows what 2025 will look like. How drastically the autonomy the Fed has could change. So I won't predict what will happen there, but this week, 25 basis points. The economy is certainly humming along pretty well and the markets going strong despite the most consequential election of my lifetime.

These are the big issues. It's the DL #1, #2, #3. I really think the most obvious target for tomorrow should be Calais Campbell. Maybe a guy like Clowney. Two guys who can still get after the QB, they're cheap(Campbell is really cheap and still REALLY good). Slaton isn't playing with any leverage, he's getting turned and...then put on skates. Clark just looks old. He makes a couple of big plays here and there, but he's running on fumes. DL has to be the #1 priority. There are times where it appears the DL is playing 2-gap. I don't know if they are or if they're just playing that poorly. I mean, Hafley's defense is working, so maybe we should start considering he's not quite following the very basic rules. I don't think that's the case, especially when you watch Wyatt play. Cooper has been really good at taking on blocks and shedding, but then you lose his pass-rushing, he's ability to play in space. In theory, you're 3-4 MLBs are supposed to be bigger and more physical. This is why all the scouting reports say Hopper(for example) would not survive in a 2-gap scheme but had a chance at a if he went to a one-gap defense, but the 4-3 MLBs are the heartbeat of your defense. That's the player the offense identifies, they run an ISO, it's at the Mike, he's the guy who's supposed to play instinctively. I don't really think either system is a better fit for Quay, I think Quay is playing on his heals, with less aggression and he's not reacting. 4-3 is similar to a RB. You have to read the hole and hit it. Quay waits too much, he doesn't want to take the wrong route and ends up making contact 7 years behind the LOS. I loved Quay's energy and his athleticism, but he's playing on his heels. Still, a lot of what a LB does is dictated by the DL. So whoever it is, they need better play from the IDL first. Bottom line, this time last year we were looking at picking in the top 5-10 and not sure how to evaluate Love. So...I'll take it. The offense starts putting up more points, converting, and less pressure on the defense, Hafley can create some of those more creative blitz packages and...hopefully, guys will step up the 2nd half of the year.