1984Echoes

Also, they have Glasgow and Sorsdal as RG's... IMO... 1st need on the O-Line is the best talent in the 2nd and/or 3rd rounds so I'm looking at C first, with flexibility to switch to Guard. And a top backup tackle 2nd. I'm not worried about RG for at least another year or so...

RT? You mean... Sewell? Or are you expecting Sewell to switch to LT soon to replace Decker...?

In alignment. On the bolded part though... Ragnow's injuries worry me. So... I want to draft an athletic Center who can also play Guard... sort of like both Ragnow & Glasgow. I don't want a Guard incapable of playing Center. A Center-Guard gives us the most flexibility IMO.

PS: 2023 2nd round (43 overall) Starting Center for the Jets (and looking really good according to PFF...) Joe Tippmann: https://nypost.com/2023/12/10/sports/rookie-joe-tippmann-proves-he-belongs-as-jets-center/ 2023 2nd round (57 overall) Starting Center for the Giants (and looking OK, not great according to PFF... 3 sacks in eight starts at center...) John Michael Schmitz

Not looking for a top-10 guy. Just 2nd/3rd rounder types that can develop into top backups or eventual starters. Glasgow and Jackson were both 3rd rounders. Glasgow was a Center.

We'll have to see what his new-found splitter can do...

It's just really, really, really nice to not be hankering for draft position next year. It's been a great season and whatever we get, we get. Obviously, playoffs and positioning and getting some playoff wins are foremost in mind right now... But... Not gonna lie... I cheated and looked at 2024 Prospect Rankings yesterday after seeing this post... Not because I'm worried about draft position... but more along the lines of... we know what the weaknesses are on this year's team and if we're trying to get to "the pinnacle", what should we expect in the way of help in next year's draft? Thinking ahead, so to speak... Needs? #1. Pass-rusher. #2. It gets tricky here IMO. Our O-Line is critical to our success. That's become so overwhelmingly obvious that I don't think it can be dismissed with "we need a top-notch CB". We do, or most likely do, need an improvement at CB. But I don't know that it is as critical as our O-Line... just a thought. I'm putting O-Line #2. #3 CB #4 Gotta get an NFL-caliber Kicker. #5 Either a depth/develop guy at LB'er, or same thing at RB. Just someone that may help down the road, or if there's an injury. Depth never hurts. So... 1. There's a crapload of edge rushers next year... Holmes just has to decide on the right guy... and be able to get his hands on him with a late 1st. A couple guys will fall and/or there are actually a couple slotted in our area so I don't think I stress here. Top of the 1st: Laiatu Latu, Jared Verse, Dallas Turner... mid-to-late 1st (in our range): Chop Robinson, Jack Sawyer, Bralen Trice, JT Tuimoloau. 2. I want Holmes to move to the top of the 2nd for Troy Fautanu, who looks like a monster in the middle, able to play Center or Guard. He can sit behind Jonah Jackson (I think they sign him to a multi-year), Ragnow & Glasgow for a year and come in only as needed (injuries, etc.). If he steals the RG spot eventually, for example, Glasgow can swing back to the top interior backup O-Lineman. Maybe Sorsdal gets better and we have a strong interior O-Line backup and/ or transition plan... 3. I think we need a top backup OT too but CB is still a concern. But if Holmes can keep our two 2024 3rds (trade a 2025 4th since we have two, if that gets us in the right spot to select Fautanu)... then he can draft both a draft-n-develop OT as well as a CB. All sorts of options in this area so I'll just leave it at that. 4. Our next pick is in the 5th... and here Holmes is just working his magic to find depth players at RB, LB, a Kicker maybe... whatever he can find. Just a couple thoughts I had perusing what's available in next year's draft...

They're trying to gain an advantage. Fans also in all-white? They're trying to "hide" their players against a white backdrop to confuse the Lions... on O and/or D. Whether that's worth 0 or 3 points or...? Who knows... but it's mildly nefarious to me.

Well... Toledo might have a really nice rotation in 2024...

PS: I don't think the team goes after Hanifan, IMO. If they go after someone, it's a bigger 2-way power forward so... I'm looking more at Elias Lindholm than Hanifan. In fact... that's the guy I want. I think a forward like Lindholm improves our defense (over what we've got: Veleno or Berggren probably lose their spot) more than Hanifan improves our D (over what we've got... I mean, Hanifan is definitely an improvement over Maata/ Chiarot/ Holl, whoever loses out, but I think the difference is smaller here than in the forward group).

I could see Chiarot and Maatta losing their roster spots but... 1) What does it cost to get Hanifan? 2) and... how do you get Chiarot off the roster? 3) If not Chiarot, then Holl? Then: who plays off-hand with only 2 right shot D'men if Holl goes out the door...?

I was going to say Vest would have the most risk at losing his spot but that may not be true. I think Lange may still have some risk even though the bullpen and rotation look pretty much set. Just a WAG theory but... if 6 starters actually squeeze onto the roster (and Manning/Mize work by tandem starts) in a 5-man rotation... that exposes one of those relievers to a trade. It'd have to be a Spring Training move though... and late... March 31st, 2024: Traditional (modern) staff...? Or "calculated risk"?

Both of those are going to be upgraded by kids already at Grand Rapids. Even if that takes a bit of time (and seasoning...).

Per the Acronym Finder. And the Bullpen (BP) Tournament... And... a lazy typist like me...

Except when it also means Bullpen.

I think it's Olson that makes the roster and Mize that starts out in Toledo... with kid gloves on him... I think there's also a non-zero possibility that there are 6 starters on the Opening Day roster, but a 5-man rotation. I like the idea of Manning and Mize co-starting games. Manning pitches 5 inn's, Mize 4. Next start: Mize pitches 5, Manning 4. And so on and so on...

I think BP is primarily Batting Practice. But it is used for both. But batting practice is about a 0 in my head, I never really think about it... The Bullpen... quite often. So I always think of BP = Bullpen even though there's not much out there that supports that. Here's a couple of links though: https://www.acronymfinder.com/Bullpen-(baseball)-(BP).html Bullpen Tournaments BP Tournament Logo https://bullpentournaments.com › Home Home · Baseball · 2023 Tournaments · Baseball Rules · Divisions · Rosters ... Bullpen · Grand Park · Grand Park Campus Map · Park Rules · Directions · Parking I think we had this discussion on here before... including Casimir's "Arm Barn" suggestion... Or maybe that was on the old site...?

Barely hanging on in the 2nd...

Right. Can't be Zimmerman 2.0 on a 1-year contract. Does not compute.

Please tell me you're yanking my chain... BP = Bullpen.

Not only that... Maybe he can reacquaint Mize with his old splitter. Or better yet.. Improve upon it...

The first impeachment was NOT on Russia... It was on Trump's attempt to extort Ukraine for a "fake investigation" on Biden by refusing to forward congressionally approved funding to them. It was a legit impeachment. Probably not strong enough though... which is essentially the same thing as your "weakness on the 1st" and rolls right into your "2nd = suspect in some eyes" comment.

Probably just someone to throw in the BP to try and help all the kids in there...

Mine is not very different. I actually got through Calc II and Matrix Theory and Differential Equations and... Was looking at career choices as a Mathematician: (A) Actuary. (B) Theoretical Mathematician with a PHD. I didn't like either choice so I shifted to Accounting and got my degree and my CPA. But my family consists of almost all uneducated blue collar workers. Firefighters (Dad & Grandpa), machine shop workers or GM (various uncles), etc... So I had zero guidance as well... No regrets with my choice, but I actually think I would have preferred either Actuary or Finance if I had known better (anything). I was on the Math Club in High School. My head was filled with numbers. And I actually, in all of my accounting jobs over the past 30+ years do math all day long. Writing math formulas in Excel, financial analytics, financial reporting, understanding ERP system logic and coding and working with the IT guys to write Workflows, Reports, Scripts, etc...

I'm thinking that's too far for LaPorta to make it...