#Deputy Avery Winters

[crown-of-briars]

Peace Keeper | John Seed x Female Deputy

Chpt 1

“Deputy Winters; we've got another call concerning Edens Gate.” Sheriff Whitehorse tosses a file down on the deputies desk with a sigh. “Mrs. Sanders says she's concerned about her boy; claims he started showing interest in the cult before going missing last Thursday.”

Avery raises a brow, taking the file and opening it to scan the contents. “Last Thursday? It's already Wednesday. She waited almost a week to call it in?”

Shrugging his shoulders Whitehorse brings a cup of coffee to his lips. “This isn't the first time her boy has wondered off for a few days, she was probably expecting him to show up again sooner or later.” A momentary silence fell. “He's been sighted at their compound. Figured placing you on this would be the best decision since you're the only one here who's managed to stay neutral on the matter of Edens Gate. Putting Hudson or Pratt on the case would undoubtedly end in conflict; we can't risk that.”

“And what about you? I know you've got your reservations on the matter but you're more than capable of keeping your wits about you.” For the last few months anytime a call came in concerning the project she would always be assigned the job. It normally wouldn't be an issue except the residence of Hope County were whispering about her being an Edens Gate sympathizer because she tried to keep peace between the project and Hope County, tried to resolve things in a civil manor, talking things through instead of going in throwing accusations and harsh words around.

“Being the Sheriff Edens Gate doesn't take kindly to me, Deputy. I have no grounds with them where you... well, the project doesn't seem to have any qualms with you.” Whitehorse wasn't wrong, he was the face of the local police, the face of the people who showed an obvious disdain for their cause. “You best get moving, Winters. You know how inpatient Mrs. Sanders can be.”

With a sigh Avery rises from her seat and throws on her jacket before grabbing her keys from the desk. “She won't be all too happy I'm the one at her door, Sheriff.”

“I wouldn't be sending you out if I didn't think you could handle it, Avery.”

~

Deputy Winters headed out, climbing into her tan and white bronco which proudly displayed 'Hope County Sheriffs Department' on its side. Within 20 minutes she was in the heart of Holland Valley, standing on Mrs. Sanders porch. As soon as she had knocked on the door it flung open, a distressed older woman standing before her. Her expression faltering as she saw Avery, wrinkling her nose.

“Of course they sent you.” The woman exclaimed as she threw her hands up. “Can't even mutter the words Edens Gate to the police without you showin' up!” Leaving the door open she shuffles deeper into her house.

Winters' purses her lips as she takes a step inside. “Well like it or not, I'm here. Now why don't you tell me what's goin' on.”

The Deputy proceeded to take a seat on the woman's couch, listening and taking notes as Mrs. Sanders broke it all down. Her son Kevin, 18, had been acting 'weird' talking about the project and showing interest in their cause; acquired a copy of The Book Of Joseph which disappeared along with him just shy of a week ago. In the end she just wanted to know if he was okay and perhaps try to convince him to come home. Though there wasn't much the Deputy could do in way of getting him to come home. The boy was 18 and legally didn't have to return if he didn't want to.

Rook thanked Mrs. Sanders for her time and left, closing the door behind her before letting out a groan. This was just another person who didn't like that a family member joined The Project, another person who harbored negative feelings towards something they didn't agree with and couldn't accept another persons choice. In the end these particular calls always resulted in a welfare check and rarely with anyone coming home.

It wasn't before long she pulled up to the gates of the compound, greeted by two armed guards who looked her over as she climbed out of her vehicle. Rook offers a smile as she walks past them, quickly being struck by the sickeningly sweet smell of Bliss flowers as she entered the compound; rubbing her nose and huffing softly trying to clear her airways to no avail. She couldn't stand those flowers. As pretty as they were to look at the smell always gave her a headache and made her stomach churn. Making her way towards Joseph's church she was greeted, to a degree, warmly by the members of Edens Gate and she returning those greetings in equal warmth.

Approaching the large white doors of the church a pang of anxiety bloomed inside her. She was no stranger to the Seeds by any means, they had been an element in her life since her youth. At this point encounters with the Project, with the Seeds' in her personal life felt as natural as could be, especially with the youngest of the three. But when the uniform was thrown into the mix she was expected to behave a certain way, had to keep an image, the image of law enforcement and that was what caused the unease within her. Pushing the door open slowly she peaks her head in, glancing around the room before entering; and before her they stood, their conversation halted, the Seed Brothers and sister. Joseph stood at his podium, Jacob was leaning against the wall behind him, Faith sat on the edge of the platform and John... Oh John. Standing beside Joseph, his stance and well built frame screaming elegance and power.

As she steps inside they all lift their heads, gaze falling upon her. The church was silent for a moment longer than was comfortable before Joseph spoke.

“Deputy. To what do we owe this visit?” For once he had a shirt on, the only thing at this point that ever surprised her when it came to Edens Gate.

“Apologies for uh... interrupting. I'm here to ask a favor of you.” Avery strode forward, taking a deep breath to shake off her nerves. “There's someone I've been asked to check on who I can only assume is currently under John's care, likely for confession.” She glances at the youngest Seed, his cold blue eyes and heavy gaze threatening a lump to form in her throat.

John tisks at her with a slight smirk. Were she not in uniform she'd roll her eyes at the arrogance this man emitted. “Deputy, you know someone can't be interrupted when preparing to confess their sins. I'm shocked you'd even ask.”

“Yeah well, that's the favor I'm asking for, to speak with him.” Joseph and John shared a glance for a moment before looking back to the Deputy. “Look, for once I'm not here having been asked to preform a removal. If I'm able to see him and just talk with him for a moment with no resistance from the project, it's likely you won't be seen as the bad guys for once.”

A thoughtful look graced the Father's face. “This decision I will leave to my brother.” Joseph announces as he places a hand on John's back.

The youngest Seed takes a moment to think, still taking in the view of the Deputy standing before him; stray blonde hairs messily framing her face and cheeks red from the chilled winter air. He smirks as he steps down from the platform, firmly clasping a hand on Avery's shoulder to turn her around towards the doors of the church. “I believe I can work something out, my dear Deputy.” His arm wraps around her shoulders as he walks with her out the doors of the church. “Who is it you're looking to speak with?”

Within moments of John's embrace Avery's face flushed a disgraceful shade a red. Since the day she had first laid eyes on him she'd been memorized by the youngest of the brothers. Everything about him drew her in, from the way he presented himself even when under heavy allegations of abuse and kidnapping; to his manicured and masculine presence, his perfectly shaped form and sculpted  features and those... beautiful steel blue eyes... This train of thought isn't helping...

Avery hunches her shoulders, drawing into herself to escape his hold as they step out of the church, quick to give John's firm... toned back 'Avery stop' a friendly pat. “I appreciate it, Seed. His name is Kevin Sanders.”

John looked almost offended for a moment at her slinking away from him before amusement takes it's place. “Well what can I say, you're solely responsible for the fragile peace between Edens Gate and the people of Hope County. You're our Peace Keeper.”

The Deputy scrunches her nose. She hated being called that, but it wasn't far from the truth. “It's certainly come with it's share of consequences. The county is convinced I'm in your pocket, that I'm one of you.”

With a smirk on his face John hails on his radio for the Sanders boy to be brought to Seed Ranch then returns the device snugly to his hip. “Is that really such a bad thing? You've been such a help to us that should you decide to join I'm sure Joseph would provide you a comfortable spot among us; perhaps even by me, aiding in bringing the sinners to redemption. Edens Gate has warmed up to you Deputy. I'd even go so far as to bet you weren't searched or questioned when entering the Father's compound.” John gave a knowing look in Avery's direction, catching a look of what seemed to be frustration from the fact she knew he was right.

The two approached her vehicle and climbed in, John settling into his seat with a dramatic sigh. “The boy will be at Seed Ranch waiting for you, Deputy Winters. Though do keep in mind, every favor requires payment.”

Rook narrows her eyes and glances at him as she shifts into reverse. “What do you want?” Her response came off more aggressive than intended, though John didn't seem to care.

Bringing a hand up to thoughtfully stroke his beard, John gazes ahead, letting a silence hang a few moments longer than was necessary. “I'll think of something.” His gaze shifts towards Avery, a mischievous look in his eye.

Avery rolls her eyes, letting a soft smile stain her lips before driving off. That look on the man's face made her stomach flutter with butterflies and her heart feel warm. She may have been in uniform but in the privacy of her Bronco, she felt as though she could relax around him more, even if just a little.

~

She was 16 when the religious congregation moved into the town she called home. Her grandfather would rant and rave about them during supper, Avery and her grandmother ignoring his ravings as they ate. The Project was small then, never caused problems and kept to themselves aside from the public service the Father would host every Friday and Sunday which she had attended on occasion. Initially it was out of curiosity, but the moment she had laid upon the youngest Seed, she admittedly attended for more... personal reasons. Avery would sit as close to the front as possible just to gaze upon blue clad man standing at the back of the stage. Though by the end of the service, when the brothers would encourage attendees to approach them, the young woman would leave due to lack of nerve. While she enjoyed looking at him, the thought of speaking with him drained her of all confidence, typical teenager. Avery continued her attendance for quite some time before her first interaction with the either of the Seed brothers.

Not long after turning 17, during a sermon one evening as she examined those in attendance, taking in who was around her and spotting familiar faces, she couldn't help but take notice of just how much their following had grown; how many more people now came to attend their service. As Avery returned her attention to the front, her heart stopped when she caught the gaze of the youngest Seed. His eyes were shamelessly watching her with a knowing look; as if telling her 'I know what you've been doing'. It took a few moments but Avery managed to pry her eyes away from him, face flushed and heart racing. She kept her attention off of him for a good portion of the sermon that evening, but whenever she tried to catch a glimpse of him after that, their eyes met, making her more and more frustrated each time.

At the end of service when it was time to rise Avery briskly made her way towards the exit, letting out a deep breath as she stepped out of the tent to sooth the rapid fire nerves shooting off inside her. This was the end, there was no way she could continue to attend these little sermons after this.

“It's impolite to stare, dear.” A voice suddenly calls to her, the tone a playful mockery of a parent scolding their child.

The young woman quickly turns with wide eyes, the unexpected company firing up her nerves yet again. She was met with the sight of the one and only John Seed slowly walking from around the tent, that knowing look still on his face and accompanied by a smirk. No words Avery could muster up in that moment would have been adequate, so she pursed her lips and chose not to respond, instead deciding to take a step back. Blue met gray for a long moment as the two stared at one another, the silence doing nothing to help the anxiety that was bubbling up inside Avery.

John tilts his head in amusement, the smirking growing the slightest bit as she continues to slowly stride towards her. “But, I'm willing to be... lenient in allowing this behavior. I also tend to find myself not wanting to look away when I see something I like.” His words dripped with salaciousness, sending the girls mind reeling, rendering her near unable to process what was happening.

A faint nervous laugh managed to force it's way past the barricade that had built in her throat as John grew close enough that Avery could smell his cologne; and if she focused hard enough, she swore she could feel the heat radiating off of him. Just as she tried to find a response a white book held by long tattooed fingers thumps against her stomach causing her to let out a yelp. Taking hold of the hardback Avery look down at the book examining the cover; The Book Of Joseph... As she looks it over a shiver runs down her spine when John leans down to her ear and speaks softly.

“See you Friday, dear.” His playful and alluring tone echoed through her head as she watched him walk away, leaving her to process what just happened.

After that she felt she had no choice but to continue attending, continue those heart pounding moments where their eyes would meet throughout the evening. Her relationship with the brothers, especially John continued to grow and became comfortable and familiar for the next year; until she turned 18. That day she had taken the first steps to joining the police academy and ship off not long after. For those 21 weeks and the following 2 years of service in Great Falls, Avery counted the days until she could request a Deputy's slot in Hope County.

~

That had been 5 years ago by this point. 5 years of desperately trying to keep peace between the people of the county she loved and the people of a project that was ran by a man that she... well... admired.

The drive was quiet for the most part, nothing but the sound of the dirt and loose rocks beneath tires to fill the silence. Since coming back to Hope County the feelings she felt for the man had never faltered, though due to her job she couldn't allow herself to indulge in them too much no matter how tempted she found herself. John still gave her those knowing looks which she on occasion returned, he still made her nerves set a blaze, she still found herself enjoying the moments she could gaze upon him. Nothing seemed to have changed. Despite all that hadn't changed, enough about the project had changed that she found her concern growing.

“John...?” The Deputy spoke up, thumb worrying the leather on her steering wheel.

“Avery?” He turns his attention to her.

“Off the record... all these accusations of the Project 'forcing'..” She air quotes “people to join... are they any grounds for those claims to stand on?” Avery almost sounded ashamed to ask, guilty for daring to question the innocence of the project on the front of the accusations pressed against them. Every time she had been sent out to look into kidnapping allegations she found no proof of it being true, but the number claims struck her with concern.

John stared at her for a moment, clearly putting together his response in his head before opening his mouth to respond. “Our goal is to save as many of god's children- the Father's children as we can before the earth is cleansed by his righteous and holy fire. His creatures, his children, don't all know they need saving. They don't all want saving, sometimes they just need a little... coercion. We do nothing but present them with what they will inevitably accept they need.”

Avery sighs, rubbing her forehead she closes her eyes for a moment. That basically sounded like a big ole' 'yes' to her. “Yeah, I've read the book John, I know what the project is about but exactly how do you coerce people join?”

“We simply promise them what they need, we promise them freedom and a chance to be cleansed and reborn. And, should it be necessary we will use... a firm hand to guide them to their decision.” He spoke matter-of-factly.  

“Well maybe try softening that hand a bit? There's going to be a point John where no matter what I say or what I do, it won't be enough to protect the project...”

“Is that self doubt I hear in your voice, Avery?” Slender fingers gently caress her mid thigh. “So unlike you...”

A shamefully pleasurable shiver quakes up her spine.

“You needn't worry, Deputy. You're our peace keeper, capable of more than you realize.” There was an unusually tender sound to his tone, his words coming off softer than she was used to. His words always carried such boldness, a confidence that was honestly annoying; but in that moment he sounded genuine... sounded sincere. With that the previously uncomfortable silence felt comfortable, and they spent the rest of the ride in that silence.

Full work will be posted here

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23076199/chapters/55200811

[mariaalrox-blog]

SWANFIRE MONTH 2022.

Day 10: Give Emma and Neal "cursed" personas

Ok, ok, I know it's late, but I wasn't feeling good the last days.

Here, I have two ideas, for s1 and s7.

S1: In an AU in which the curse was cast later than in the series and Bae came back to the enchanted forest after Neverland.

In Storybrooke, Neal Cassidy is an art teacher in the elementary school, he is single but with an occasional relationship with Rachel (princess Alexandra, a good friend of Emma in EF). He lives in an apartment in the center of the town and it's years since he doesn't talk with his father Mr Gold. He took his deceased mother's surname for not being related to him.

And Megan Winters is a nurse and a single mother. He lives in a little house near the beach with his son Mason. She is totally focused on her work and son with no time for dating, although deputy sheriff Keith (Sheriff of Nottingham) is always bothering her.

They know each other just because of Mason, whose favorite class is art class.

S7: In an AU where Neal lives and he and Emma also went to help Henry.

Kyle Weaver works at Belfrey Developments. He likes his work, not his boss. His relationship with his father is not bad, but also is not the best. Although his father's new partner is his best friend, Rogers. He remembers having a son once, but he ran away.

Diane Barrow is a single mother of Bianca (actual Avery Cassidy) who have to move on out of Seattle because of Belfrey. They live in Nevada, where Diane works at the police station. When Regina goes to find her sister, her second stop is Nevada to find Emma, but she don't have a third memory potion for Bianca.

Kyle and Diane only know each other because some nights they used to drink together at Roni's.

[liaromancewriter]

Do you HC that MC/Ethan are still close to The Gang in the future? Like when their child/ren are bigger, or they’re retired doctors? Who of them do you HC they would eventually have less contact with and who of them would remain their best of friends? Of course Sienna is a given :)

Yes, to varying degrees. I shared some details about the future in this post and this MC Monday entry.  

Bryce considers Cassie his best friend and they remain close throughout their life. She sees him through issues with his family and is a support for whenever he needs help with Keiki. In Ballet Memories, we see Bryce commenting on Cassie’s picta about Sophie’s first professional performance. After Max and Tony, Bryce is the favorite uncle for the Ramsey Twins and Maxenna’s kids.

I don’t have Bryce’s future fully mapped out, but I see him getting married and having kids. I do hc that his kids, Cassie’s girls and Maxenna’s children are all very close growing up and remain so when they’re older too.

Aurora and Cassie worked together on the Diagnostics Team. Aurora was a team leader, eventually becomes Deputy, and then succeeds Cassie as head of the team. In Cassie’s Memory Book, on page 2 is a Picta post of Cassie receiving an award for mentoring women and you’ll see Aurora’s comment. Cassie introduced Aurora to her future husband and was back-up Lamaze coach when Aurora had her daughter Avery. Sophie and El consider Avery their little sister.

Elijah and Cassie often collaborate on research projects with patients from the Diagnostics team part of his trials. When she and Ethan leave Edenbrook to start their own medical foundation, she steals him away to head up her research department.

After several years at Edenbrook, Jackie eventually accepted a job in Miami. She does not miss the New England winters. She and Cassie continue to remain in touch, but distance means it’s not the same as it was when they lived in the same city. Jackie continues to post snarky comments on Cassie’s and Sienna’s Picta posts, especially with either or both of them gush over their husbands.

Cassie makes sure to bring the Gang back together at least once a year for a reunion, and there are usually special occasions like birthdays, celebrations, anniversaries.

Character Asks: @jerzwriter @coffeeheartaddict2 @quixoticdreamer16 @lucy-268 @queencarb @crazy-loca-blog @peonierose @openheartforeverinmyheart @bluebelle08 @trappedinfanfiction @rookiemartin @doriopenheart

[multiuniverse02]

OC Tag!

I finally found the template for this and decided to do it for my Far Cry OC since I haven’t posted much about her. So here it is! :)

Name: Charlie Reid (After marriage: Charlie Seed)

Alias/nicknames: Bastard Deputy (After joining Eden’s Gate)

Gender: Female 

Age: 23

Zodiac: Gemini

Abilities/Talents: Expert at handling explosives and able to create good distractions 

Religion: Christianity 

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: English 

Family: Mother and Father (only child)

Family after marriage: Charlie and Jacob had a daughter named Avery Seed

Friends: Deputy Hudson (ex girlfriend), Jess Black, Hurk Jr and Sharky 

Sexuality: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other

Relationship status: single / partnered / married (to Jacob Seed) / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating / it’s complicated

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent

Build: slender / average / athletic / muscular / curvy

Hair: white / blonde / brunette / red / black / other

Eyes: brown / blue / gray / green / black / other

Skin: pale / fair / olive / tan / brown / dark / other

Height: 5′7 (170cm)

Scars: Sin scars carved in from John. Lust scar on her left inner thigh, pride scar on the right side of the collarbone, sloth scar on her right wrist and greed scar on her left wrist. 

Features: Birth marks on her hand and a scar on her left eyebrow

dogs or cats || birds or bugs || snakes or spiders || coffee or tea || ice cream or cake || fruits or vegetables || sandwich or soup || magic or melee || sword or bow || summer or winter || spring or autumn || past or future

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY AND ANDY GRIFFITH

S6;E8 ~ October 29, 1973

Directed by Coby Ruskin ~ Written by Robert O'Brien

Synopsis

When Lucy meets a charismatic man (Andy Griffith) raising money for underprivileged youth in the park, Kim decides to investigate to see if he's really who he says he is.  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter)

Guest Cast

Andy Griffith (Andy Johnson) was a former music teacher.  He began his screen career in 1948 on variety shows hosted by Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen.  In 1955 he was nominated for a Tony Award for his appearance on Broadway in No Time for Sergeants. He also appeared in the 1958 film version of the play.  In 1960 he appeared with Danny Thomas on “Make Room for Daddy” as Sheriff Andy Taylor and the character was spun-off into his own series “The Andy Griffith Show.”  He stayed with the show until 1968.  That same year he appeared on “The Tennessee Ernie Ford Special” on NBC with Lucille Ball.  He also appeared as Andy Taylor on two episodes of “Gomer Pyle: USMC.” In 1971 he starred in “The New Andy Griffith Show” which lasted only one season.  He had another hit series in 1986 with “Matlock” which ran until 1995. Griffith died in 2012 at age 86.

Sid Gould (Policeman) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. This is one of his nearly 50 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.  

Randall Carver (Henry, left) began his career in 1969 and is best remembered as John Burns on the first season of “Taxi” (1978-79). This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball. He was 27 years old when he appeared in this episode.

Rick Kellman (Jerry, above right) played Lucille Ball and Bob Hope's son in the film Critic's Choice in 1963. He started acting at age 6 and is best remembered for playing Randy in “The Dennis O'Keefe Show” (1959-60) and Tommy in “Our Man Higgins” (1962-63).  A year after this appearance on “Here's Lucy” he left show business.  

The character's name is not spoken aloud, just listed in the final credits.

Hank Stohl (Bill Adams) began his career in 1959 and was the voice on the radio on “The Waltons” from 1977 to 1980. This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball.  

Bob Whitney (Stage Manager) appeared with Lucille Ball in The Facts of Life (1960). This is the second of his five appearances on the series.

The character has no lines. He tallies the donations on a chalk board at the end of the episode.

Marl Young (Conductor) was the musical director for “Here's Lucy” as well as making several on-camera appearances when the shows included live music.  

Vocalists: Nancy La Mar, Rosemary O'Brien, Dave Anderson Stuart, and Marvin Robinson

The musicians and others in the park and restaurant are played by uncredited background performers.

In March 1965, Lucille Ball interviewed Andy Griffith for two installments of her CBS radio show “Let's Talk To Lucy” while he was still playing Sheriff Andy Taylor on TV.  

Six Degrees of Lucy! Although none of Lucille Ball's TV incarnations ever came face to face with Sheriff Andy Taylor, they traveled in the same TV world:

In 1959, the year before Andy Taylor met Danny Williams on “Make Room for Daddy”, Danny Williams and family met Lucy Ricardo and family on a 1958 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.”  

Keith Thibodeaux, who played Lucy Ricardo's son, Little Ricky, played Opie's pal Johnny Paul Jason in 13 episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” between 1962 and 1966.  

Gomer Pyle, who lived in Mayberry, joined the Marines and was spun off in his own series “Gomer Pyle USMC” when he made a brief appearance on “The Lucy Show” in 1966.  

“The Andy Griffith Show” had a sequel series titled “Mayberry RFD” starring Ken Berry, a protégé of Lucille Ball's who had appeared on “The Lucy Show” in 1968.  

All of these shows were filmed on the Desilu backlot (formerly RKO, later Paramount).  

Don Knotts, who played Andy Griffith's bumbling sidekick Deputy Barney Fife, guest starred in “Lucy Goes on Her Last Blind Date” (S5;E6). Some other “Lucy” actors who frequently showed up in Mayberry include Hal Smith, Parley Baer, Norman Leavitt, Amzie Strickland, Dub Taylor, Stanley Farrar, Will Wright, Herbie Faye, Jonathan Hole, Byron Foulger, Tol Avery, Reta Shaw, Lurene Tuttle, Ruth McDevitt, Ruta Lee, Jay Novello, Ross Elliot, Maxine Semon, Herb Vigran, and Sid Melton.

There are some very basic similarities between “The Lucy Show” and “The Andy Griffith Show.” 

Both Griffith and Ball used their own first names, which consist of four letters ending in ‘y’ and also appear in the title. 

Both characters have spouses that died before the series' begins. 

Both have children and faithful sidekicks. 

Both started filming in black and white and eventually aired in color. 

Both shows ended in early 1968 only to be re-born in the fall as newly-titled shows: “Here's Lucy” and “Mayberry RFD.”  

The Christian overtones in this episode are unusual for this series. A few weeks earlier Kim jokingly said that they missed church on Sunday!

When Lucy and Andy are in the same shot together it becomes visibly clear that Lucille Ball is being filmed by a camera with a filtered lens to soften her look, while the other camera remains unfiltered. The contrast is especially noticeable when Lucy is standing next to Andy in the motel room and goes in and out of soft focus depending on which camera angle is used.

The show opens with Andy and his back-up singers performing “I'll Fly Away” by Albert E. Brumley. First published in 1932 it has been called the most recorded Gospel song of all time. Andy passes the hat for donations for his Right Path Youth Camp in Northern California – only getting thirty eight cents.

At a local restaurant, Andy Johnson tells Lucy that after he came out of the service he became a Sheriff. Lucy responds with disbelief: “A Sheriff!” Although he had left the role of Sheriff Taylor in 1969, Griffith would play him again in the 1986 TV movie “Return to Mayberry.” He would play another Sheriff on “Adams of Eagle Lake,” a 1975 police drama that lasted just two episodes on ABC. The two episodes were later issued on DVD under the titles “Deadly Game” and “Winter Kill.”  

Andy tells Lucy his fiancee Alice ran off with his best man Charlie.

Dressed in her downmarket blue jeans, Kim says “What do I look like? Jackie Onassis.” Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (1929-94) was first mentioned in “Lucy Visits the White House” (TLS S1;E25) in 1963, when she was First Lady of the United States. She married Greek millionaire Aristotle Onassis in 1968.  

On Bill Adams' TV show, Andy and his singers perform “I'm Gonna Write a Song” by Jerry Reed and released in 1973. They raise $464.00 for the Right Path Youth Camp – quite a step up from their initial take of thirty eight cents!

The TV camera is labeled ‘KBEX COLOR.’  KBEX were the call letters for fictional TV and radio stations. They were used in many TV shows and films, including in Desilu’s “Mannix” and “Mission: Impossible.”  They were first used on “Here’s Lucy” in “Lucy Is Really in a Pickle” (S5;E15) and most recently in "Lucy, the Wealthy Widow" (S6;E4). Starting in 2005, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) started using KBEX for actual broadcast stations. Similarly, the 555 telephone exchange is used exclusively for fictional numbers seen in films and television.  Here, the telethon number on the chalkboard is 555-8732.  

Lucy Ricardo also meet a charity organization in a public park in “Lucy's Last Birthday” (ILL S2;E25). They were called The Friends of the Friendless.  

Recycling! The exterior plaza where Andy sings in the first scene is the same one used for the gallery courtyard in “Lucy and Danny Thomas” (S6;E1). The red booth in the restaurant also makes the rounds.  It has been seen many different restaurants throughout the series.  

Character Consistency! Lucy says that Kim works for a talent agency.  In “Kim Cuts You-Know-Whose Apron String” (S3;E24) she said she worked for a Public Relations firm.

“Lucy and Andy Griffith” rates 1 Paper Heart out of 5 

This is an unusual and awkward episode – not funny or serious. The chemistry between Andy and Lucy is given short shrift in favor of Kim's suspicions about his veracity.  When she allows Andy (an older, single man from out of town) to bring her to his run-down motel room things just get weird. Then he turns her over his knee and spanks her with his slipper, and things turn from weird to uncomfortable. This sort of thing might have passed for funny in 1953, but not in 1973. She leaves the room through a window (luckily they were on the first floor) after writing on the mirror in shaving cream “You are a nice man.”  Huh? There's also an undertone of religion (gospel songs, mentions of 'the Lord'), something that Lucy meticulously avoided throughout her television career. The only exception to this unpleasantness is the brief scene where Lucy schools Andy in how to relax on television. This must have been something that Lucille Ball did when coaching young actors as part of the Desilu Playhouse. There are so many ways Andy Griffith could have been used on “Here's Lucy,” but this seems the least satisfactory showcase for his talents.  

[ao3feed-farcry]

by Crown_Of_Briars

Torn between her duty as a peace officer of Hope County and the peace keeper of Edens Gate, Deputy Avery Winters finds herself caught in a county at war. All eyes are on her, especially the eyes of the much feared Baptist.

Words: 3181, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Far Cry 5

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Deputy | Judge (Far Cry), Female Deputy | Judge (Far Cry), John Seed, Joseph Seed, Jacob Seed, Earl Whitehorse, Adelaide Drubman, Sharky Boshaw, Original Characters, Random, ill add more later maybe idk, Female Deputy

Relationships: Female Deputy | Judge/John Seed, Deputy | Judge/John Seed, John Seed - Relationship

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Eventual Romance, au kind, Alternate Universe, deputy from the game but different situation, Established Relationship, again kinda not really, Eventual Smut, Shameless Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Flirting

[mikemortgage]

Keep your eye on the new neutral as the Bank of Canada grapples with a slowing economy

In October, when the Bank of Canada last raised interest rates, Governor Stephen Poloz and his deputies said something new: “Governing Council agrees that the policy interest rate will need to rise to a neutral stance to achieve the inflation target.”

As often happens, the Bay Streeters and Wall Streeters who only speak Fed struggled with the Polozian dialect.

By neutral, Poloz and company were referring to a place that doesn’t really exist. It’s an important concept, but it’s not a target the way inflation is a target; you can’t observe the neutral rate, and you only know you’ve arrived after you get there. (Poloz compares it to landing a plane in the fog.) The Bank of Canada’s current estimate of neutral is somewhere between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent, a wide band that reflects the difficulty of pinpointing the perfect interest rate.

Trade woes weigh on confidence as Bank of Canada weighs decision

Stephen Poloz’s dashboard: The latest charts that matter most to the Bank of Canada

Bank of Canada’s business sentiment gauge turns negative and drops to lowest since 2016

“If you drove your car with the same degree of precision that we are able to do monetary policy, you’d be in trouble all the time, driving on the two sides of the road and stuff, because it’s a very imprecise business,” Poloz told reporters in Washington recently.

One might have interpreted the Bank of Canada’s desire to get to a neutral stance as a statement of the obvious. Policy makers followed the new language with an advisory that the “pace” of interest-rate increases would be determined by the evolution of household spending and exports, a reiteration of Poloz’s insistence that the future is too uncertain to make confident statements about a path for interest rates.

And yet some analysts, fluent in the code words that the Federal Reserve uses to guide market participants, felt the Bank of Canada was telling them more. The midpoint of the neutral range was three per cent, and the new policy setting was 1.75 per cent, so surely Poloz was planning at least three or four more quarter-point increases in the months ahead! 

So imagine the frustration that those Bay Streeters and Wall Streeters felt when the Bank of Canada adjusted its outlook to reflect weaker-than-expected data. In December and January, policy makers added new variables to the list of factors that would determine the pace of interest-rate increases. And then in March they decided they favoured a policy setting that was “below the neutral range.”

The typical grumbling about Poloz sending mixed messages ensued. That frustration is rooted in a desire for clarity that the leader of Canada’s central bank refuses to give because he thinks doing so would be irresponsible. Speaking to reporters from the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund meetings earlier this month, he said the decision to mention the neutral rate was intended to make sure the public understood that there was an outer limit to the central bank’s desire for higher interest rates.

“When you try to impose precision on (the neutral rate), it’s just going to be frustrating, because it doesn’t have the degree of meaning that you’d like to attach to it,” Poloz said. “We don’t know enough about it to be worried about whether it’s .25 (percentage point) higher or lower than the central tendency.”

Keep all of that in mind this week as you assess the latest from the Bank of Canada. On Wednesday, the central bank will update its policy stance and release a new quarterly report on the economy. That report will include the annual revision of the neutral rate, which could be a more important development than usual. 

Some economists already think the rate is lower because the ability of developed economies such as Canada to generate inflation-free growth has declined because of aging populations, diminished productivity, and other structural factors. Nikita Perevalov, a senior economist at Bank of Nova Scotia, published research in February that puts the neutral rate in a range of two per cent to three per cent.

No one expects the central bank will raise interest rates this week. But there is a debate over whether Poloz will oversee a shift to a different sort of neutral. Royal Bank economists have been advising their clients to expect the Bank of Canada to extinguish all talk of higher interest rates; they reckon economic data have been too weak lately to justify such a tilt.

“The shift to a neutral bias shouldn’t come as a surprise to investors who are already pricing in some chance of a rate cut by the end of the year,” Nathan Janzen and Josh Nye wrote in a note last week.

Others, including Sébastien Lavoie at Laurentian Bank Securities and Avery Shenfeld at CIBC World Markets, think the Bank of Canada will stay the course. That makes sense. Data have been poor, but maybe not poor enough to turn a pause into a pivot. Some economists think stronger-than-expected growth in China heralds a rebound in international demand, and a tough winter might be making the real-estate market look weaker than it actually is.

The new estimate of the neutral interest rate could be the deciding factor. If it dropped to a range of two per cent to three per cent, the Bank of Canada could opt to erase it from policy statement; not because conditions changed, but because policy makers realize they have arrived at destination.

• Email: kcarmichael@nationalpost.com | Twitter: carmichaelkevin

from Financial Post http://bit.ly/2Gsyiaj via IFTTT Blogger Mortgage Tumblr Mortgage Evernote Mortgage Wordpress Mortgage href="https://www.diigo.com/user/gelsi11">Diigo Mortgage

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

Five moves each AFC team should make in 2018 NFL offseason for trades, free agency, cuts

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/five-moves-each-afc-team-should-make-in-2018-nfl-offseason-for-trades-free-agency-cuts/

Five moves each AFC team should make in 2018 NFL offseason for trades, free agency, cuts

Last week I previewed the beginning of each NFC team’s offseason by identifying the first five things it should do during this downtime. Now it’s time for the AFC over the next few days. Here’s the schedule for the week ahead:

Monday, Feb. 19: AFC West

Tuesday, Feb. 20: AFC South

Wednesday, Feb. 21: AFC North

Thursday, Feb. 22: AFC East

QUICK LINKS: NFC AFC West: Broncos | Chiefs | Chargers | Raiders

AFC West

Let’s move onto the AFC and begin with the West (in alphabetical order), where we’ll see a new head coach and one new starting quarterback, with another likely on the way in the Mile High City:

1. Cut Aqib Talib and C.J. Anderson. The Broncos floated the idea of trading Talib earlier in the offseason but, predictably, nobody took the bait. Talib is still a useful cornerback, but he lacks trade value, with two years and $19 million remaining on his contract, including a $12 million cap hit this season. Someone could theoretically still trade for him, but it’s more likely the Broncos will move on from the 32-year-old and Talib signs somewhere else on a smaller deal in free agency.

Kirk Cousins. Jimmy Graham. Le’Veon Bell. This class could get wild. Here’s everything to know heading into free agency, which begins March 14.

• Ranking top 50 potential free agents » • Looming FA decisions for all 32 teams » •Making biggest decisions for all 32 » • Destination Cousins: Landing spots »

Anderson is a good example of how NFL teams can stumble into bad decisions. The undrafted free agent made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and then lost his job (in part via injury) to Ronnie Hillman in 2015, before finally returning to the primary role during the postseason. The Broncos then decided to tender Anderson at the lowest restricted free-agent level to try to save a couple of million dollars, only for the Dolphins to swoop in with a heavily front-loaded offer.

John Elway then matched the offer. So the Broncos — who didn’t think Anderson was worth a second-round tender just weeks earlier — paid Anderson like an upper-echelon running back and promptly got 23 games of anonymous running back play, with Anderson averaging 4.1 yards per carry.

Denver can free up $15.5 million by releasing Talib and Anderson, money it will want in its pursuit of a veteran quarterback.

Kirk Cousins could be a fit in Denver, but the Broncos will have to get creative with his contract. Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports

2. Go after Kirk Cousins. Speaking of veteran QBs, there’s every reason to think the Broncos should be both all-in for Cousins and one of the favorites to land the former Washington star. The Broncos should be able to make a strong case for Cousins, given the presence of a defense that slipped but still finished tenth in DVOA last season. While their offensive line is still struggling, the Broncos have invested heavily up front, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if their pass protection looked far better with Cousins at quarterback as opposed to the combination of Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler and Trevor Siemian.

If Cousins wants to play in Denver, the Broncos will pay up. What would a Cousins deal look like? Assuming the 29-year-old craves the stability Washington failed to offer him, the Broncos are probably looking at a minimum of five years and possibly a six-year contract. Elway tends to avoid larger signing bonuses and prefers roster bonuses early in contracts for cap purposes, but given how massive the Cousins extension is likely to be, the Broncos might not have much of a choice.

There’s no way to make a Cousins deal cheap, but here’s how the Broncos could frame a six-year, $180-million deal with a $40 million signing bonus and an even $100 million payable over the first three years, all of which would be practically guaranteed:

Year Base Salary Signing Bonus Roster Bonus Workout Bonus Cap Hit 2018 $3.5 million $8 million $12.5 million $150,000 $24.15 million 2019 $9 million $8 million $12 million $350,000 $29.35 million 2020 $15 million $8 million $7 million $500,000 $30.5 million 2021 $18 million $8 million $5 million $600,000 $31.6 million 2022 $21 million $8 million $5 million $750,000 $34.75 million 2023 $27.5 million $0 $1.35 million $800,000 $29.65 million Totals $94 million $40 million $42.85 million $3.15 million $180 million

3. Add a tight end. Virgil Green is a free agent. A.J. Derby was waived last year. Jeff Heuerman hasn’t panned out. Jake Butt has returned after missing the entire 2017 season while recovering from a torn right ACL, and you figure he’ll be part of the tight end rotation, but the Broncos probably want to supplement Butt with another tight end to play on early downs.

They could re-sign Green, but it’s not difficult to find a useful blocking tight end in free agency. Lee Smith, formerly of the Raiders, could make sense as the team’s starter in 2018 as the Broncos get to see whether Butt finally becomes their long-term solution as a pass-catching tight end.

4. Lock up Matt Paradis and Bradley Roby. While Elway’s drafts have been middling at best over the past few seasons, the Broncos have one useful contributor on each side of the ball entering the final year of their respective deals. Paradis really emerged in 2016 as one of the best centers in the AFC, and as he enters restricted free agency this offseason, the Broncos won’t make the same mistake they made with Anderson. Paradis likely will be tendered at a high level, and the Broncos will use that as a prelude to an extension.

Likewise, Roby seems likely to emerge after spending years as the third cornerback in Denver’s dream trio alongside Talib and Chris Harris. The Ohio State product suited up for more than 68 percent of Denver’s defensive snaps this past season and is ready to take over for Talib as an every-down cornerback. The Broncos already are handing Roby a raise to $8.5 million as a result of picking up his fifth-year option last offseason, so while Denver could let Roby play out his deal and work on an extension next offseason, it seems more likely they’ll sign Roby to a five-year extension in the $55 million range.

5. Pick up Shane Ray‘s fifth-year option. The Denver pass rush was down across the board in 2017. Von Miller wasn’t as productive as he had been the previous year. DeMarcus Ware retired, and while that opened up a role for Shaquil Barrett in the pass-rush rotation, Barrett only mustered four sacks and 12 knockdowns despite playing 67.2 percent of the defensive snaps.

Nobody fell off more than Ray, who missed the first half of the year with a wrist injury and never seemed to get going. After racking up eight sacks and 21 knockdowns as a situational pass-rusher in 2016, Ray had just one sack and four knockdowns while playing 35.7 percent of Denver’s seasonal snaps. That said, pass-rushers are too valuable to give up on, so the Broncos have to pick up Ray’s fifth-year option, but this will be a critical year for the Missouri product.

1. Cut Tamba Hali. The Chiefs signed Hali to a questionable extension after the 2015 season, one with a structure that basically guaranteed the 34-year-old would be on the roster in 2017. By the end of 2016, the organization probably regretted the decision. Hali lost his starting job to Dee Ford during the 2016 season, then publicly fought for his release before the 2017 season; that release never came. The Chiefs placed Hali on injured reserve to start the year, then had him take only 99 defensive snaps over the second half of the season. Kansas City will save $7.7 million by moving on from their 2006 first-round pick.

2. Pick up Marcus Peters‘ fifth-year option. Peters got suspended for a game last season after briefly losing his mind against the Jets, including a tossing a penalty flag into the crowd. But he’s one of the best cornerbacks on the planet. Andy Reid & Co. might theoretically pass on signing Peters to an extension if there are more flare-ups, but it seems extremely likely that the University of Washington product will be wearing Chiefs colors for the next several seasons.

Marcus Peters has 19 regular-season interceptions in only three seasons. Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire

3. Add an inside linebacker. Kansas City has already announced that it intends to move on from stalwart inside linebacker Derrick Johnson, whose contract voids at the end of the 2017 league year. Now the Chiefs need to find somebody to play alongside Reggie Ragland, who Kansas City acquired from Buffalo before the season.

Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton should have his pick in a market which is perennially team-friendly these days. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Chiefs wait the market out before going after a veteran like Demario Davis or Avery Williamson; they could also look at likely cap casualties, a group which should include Brian Cushing and Jerrell Freeman.

4. Find a backup quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is the starter for the foreseeable future, but the Chiefs need to find a new backup to fill in after trading away Alex Smith. Tyler Bray is an unrestricted free agent, while their previous backup — Nick Foles, who had a big game recently — is probably off the market.

If Tyrod Taylor‘s market fails to develop, the former Buffalo starter would be about as good as it could possibly get as a backup for Reid, given Taylor’s ability to avoid turnovers and his comfort working out of the shotgun as a runner. If Taylor is out of their price range, the Chiefs could look to former deputy Chase Daniel, who has now made more than $24 million as a professional quarterback (including an even $10 million from the Chiefs) for 78 professional passes.

5. Find a punter. Dustin Colquitt is a free agent, and while the 13-year NFL veteran had a solid season in 2017, it’s unclear whether he’ll be back with the Chiefs for another run in 2018. Colquitt had a $4.9 million cap hit last season, which was the most of any punter in the league. If he’s back in 2018, it probably won’t be at that number. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Chiefs use a late-round pick on a punter to develop under stud special-teams coach Dave Toub.

1. Pick up the fifth-year option on Melvin Gordon. Injuries have kept Gordon from emerging as a consistently impactful running back, but the Wisconsin product served as the focal point of the offense for a long stretch in 2016, when he was one of the few left standing. Gordon hasn’t been healthy enough to justify an extension, but he’s good enough to keep around into 2019.

Seattle has big decisions to make on the Legion of Boom. The Saints need to lock up Drew Brees. The Vikings need to sign a quarterback. Here are five offseason moves to improve all 16 NFC teams.

Something has to change for Michael Crabtree in Oakland. Will Jon Gruden be enough, or would the receiver be better off elsewhere? NFL Nation reporters identify players and teams who should part ways.

Should the Steelers franchise tag Le’Veon Bell again? What should the Dolphins do with Jarvis Landry? Here’s advice on the league’s top upcoming roster decisions.

2 Related

2. Ask Travis Benjamin and Corey Liuget to take a pay cut. Benjamin, the former Browns draftee, hasn’t been consistent during his time in California, having racked up 1,244 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over two seasons. He’s likely the fourth wideout on the depth chart this season behind Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Tyrell Williams, which makes his $5.8 million salary a luxury. The Chargers can save $4.5 million by releasing Benjamin, money they can better apply to weaker parts of the roster.

Liuget has never lived up to the five-year, $51.3-million deal he signed before the 2015 season, offering enough neither as a pass-rusher or as a run defender on a unit which ranked 27th in DVOA in the latter category. He wouldn’t make anything close to the three years and $26.3 million remaining on his deal on the open market, and the Chargers should be interested in getting a discount, if not moving on from their former first-round pick altogether.

3. Re-sign a group of restricted free agents. While most teams don’t have any restricted free agents worth discussing, the Chargers have several worth retaining in wideout Tyrell Williams, safety Adrian Phillips and backup edge rusher Chris McCain. (Cornerback Trevor Williams also is an exclusive-rights free agent, which is a paradox.) The Chargers should be interested in bringing them all back.

Phillips could move into the starting lineup if the Chargers don’t re-sign Tre Boston, who racked up five interceptions in his best season as a pro after coming over from the Panthers. The price for Boston might determine whether the Chargers should bring him back, given that they’ve already invested in Jahleel Addae and Casey Hayward in the secondary and have Jason Verrett signed for one more year at his fifth-year option price of $8.3 million. If the bidding for Boston tops $7 million per year, I would be hesitant to pay up for a guy who the league didn’t really value very much before last season.

Casey Hayward has been one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks since being signed by the Chargers in 2016. Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire

4. Lock up Casey Hayward and Denzel Perryman. Speaking of Hayward, the former Packers corner is due for a huge raise after emerging as one of the best cornerbacks in all of football. Hayward’s three-year, $15.3-million deal has been one of the biggest free-agent steals in recent memory for the Chargers, as Hayward has gone from being a slot cornerback with the Packers to a guy capable of competing with any receiver in football anywhere on the field.

The 28-year-old Hayward has racked up 11 interceptions over the past two years; and with one year left on that contract, the Chargers are going to have to offer their star corner a new deal as early as this offseason. There’s every reason to think the Chargers will need to give Hayward an extension in the five-year, $70-million range to stay in Los Angeles for years to come.

Perryman hasn’t been quite as revelatory over the past couple of years. But the Chargers had a significantly better run defense with him on the field, and they got lost for stretches last season while their defensive signal-caller was out injured. The University of Miami product hasn’t been able to stay healthy, having missed 15 games over his first three seasons, but Los Angeles has allowed 4.0 yards per carry with Perryman on the field and 4.8 yards per carry with Perryman sidelined.

5. Make a run at one of the top-tier defensive tackles. Teams are going to copy the Eagles this offseason, and as plans go, you can do worse than bombarding the opposing team with dominant defensive linemen. The good news for the Chargers is that they already have one of the best edge-rushing combinations in football with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The problem: The interior of the line hasn’t been as effective.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley helped build a Jaguars defense that finally crested after he departed, so let’s try to get the Chargers a dominant interior piece. Sheldon Richardson and Star Lotulelei are both free agents, and while they’re going to help dramatically against the run, Richardson or Lotulelei might not be a third impactful pass-rusher the Chargers could thrive with alongside Bosa and Ingram.

What about Ndamukong Suh? There are rumblings that the Dolphins could cut their highly paid defensive tackle, and while Suh is coming off his least-productive season as a pro, it was still good for 4.5 sacks and 12 knockdowns. If that’s your worst campaign, you’re doing OK. Suh never gets injured and still commands plenty of double-teams. I can see the argument for spending money elsewhere, but if Suh hits the market, he would be a massive upgrade on Liuget on the interior.

1. Release Sean Smith — and don’t stop there. The Raiders already moved on from one starting cornerback by cutting David Amerson earlier this offseason, and they’ll complete the set by dumping Smith, who was a replacement-level cornerback for most of his time in Oakland. Releasing the former Dolphins draft pick will free up $8.5 million. The Raiders will go forward with 2017 first-rounder Gareon Conley at one spot and could re-sign TJ Carrie to play across from him.

General manager Reggie McKenzie has structured most of Oakland’s contracts to keep the organization flexible, and if he and new coach Jon Gruden want, the Raiders can clean house. McKenzie could release Bruce Irvin, Michael Crabtree, Marshawn Lynch and Jared Cook to create more than $27 million in additional cap room, although I don’t think they should necessarily make those cuts.

One move the Raiders should make is to move on from Seth Roberts, who has managed to post the highest drop rate in football over the past three years among wideouts with 100 targets or more. Oakland just signed Roberts to an extension last August, but they can free up $2.3 million by moving on from him. More importantly, they can sign a better third wideout for Derek Carr.

New coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders have several interesting roster decisions to make this offseason. Jose Sanchez/AP Photo

2. Pick up Amari Cooper‘s fifth-year option. Cooper had a wildly frustrating third season in the NFL, seemingly disappearing from the offense for stretches of time before suddenly emerging with big plays. It seems easier to blame his disappearing act on deposed offensive coordinator Todd Downing, given how many other players in the offense struggled this past season. The Raiders will have cause for concern if Cooper doesn’t bounce back in 2018, but they have to pick up his fifth-year option to retain negotiating leverage if they want to sign him to a long-term deal.

3. Extend Khalil Mack. Mack didn’t get close to his (absurd) goal of 30 sacks, finishing with 10.5 sacks and 22 knockdowns. But 2017 was Mack’s third consecutive season with double-digit sacks, making the University of Buffalo product the 22nd player to pull that off during the first four years of his NFL career.

The Raiders have Mack signed for one more year as part of his fifth-year option, but he’s going to be a core player for the team long after they head to Las Vegas. As Alden Gonzalez mentioned last month, the Raiders and Rams might be in a holding pattern atop the pass-rushing market, since Mack’s deal should come in the same ballpark as that of NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

I mentioned last week that Donald was in line for a six-year, $120-million extension. Mack’s deal might be even bigger by virtue of the fact that he’s a top-10 pick, which impacts the cost of his fifth-year option. Top-10 picks like Mack get paid the average of the top 10 salaries at their position, while first-rounders taken after the 10th spot, like Donald, get the average salary of the players ranked between three and 25 at their respective positions.

As a result, Donald’s fifth-year salary is still a bargain at $6.9 million. Mack’s not stealing money, but his $13.9 million base salary isn’t much of a discount on what he would get as an annual salary as part of a new deal. Donald will probably get more new money, but the $7 million gap between the two means Mack’s deal might look larger once pen hits paper.

When: April 26-28 Where: Arlington, Texas NFL draft home page » | Draft order »

•Todd McShay’s Mock Draft 2.0 » •Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft 1.0 » • Which NFL teams could draft a QB? » • Kiper’s Big Board » | McShay’s Top 32 » • 2018 draft QB class primer » • Underclassmen who have declared »

4. Sign defensive line help. McKenzie has invested high draft picks up front, but they haven’t really panned out. Mack obviously has been a success, but 2015 second-rounder Mario Edwards didn’t show much in his return from injury last year, while 2016 second-rounder Jihad Ward was a healthy scratch for most of the season. While there are holes behind the defensive line at middle linebacker and possibly at safety next to Karl Joseph, the Raiders need more from their non-Mack defensive linemen to emerge as an effective defense.

The problem: This really isn’t a deep free-agent crop for defensive linemen, especially if Ezekiel Ansah and DeMarcus Lawrence get franchised. The Raiders wouldn’t be in for Ansah or Lawrence, but teams that might have made a huge offer for one of those two stars will instead be putting their money toward lesser players along the defensive front. Oakland could look at Adrian Clayborn, who would play as a defensive end on early downs, then shift inside to offer interior pass-rushing help on third downs. A big offer for Sheldon Richardson also wouldn’t be the worst idea.

5. Take the best player available in the first round. Outside of quarterback and guard, the Raiders are not in a position to pass up a potential difference-maker at any position. While they have needs at the spots I mentioned earlier, Oakland should be willing to take the best player on the board at No. 9 or No. 10 (their pick will be determined in a coin flip with the 49ers at the combine).

Should McKenzie unite a pair of Alabama wideouts, with Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley? Or a pair of Ohio State cornerbacks, with Conley and Denzel Ward? It’s not difficult to imagine the Raiders improving with either option. Players like Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey and Georgia inside linebacker Roquan Smith could fill more pressing needs, but the Raiders’ roster looks far less impressive right now than it did this time last year. It will take a good draft — and a winning debut under Gruden — to turn that perception around.

[crown-of-briars]

Im super close to being convinced to get a tablet so I can get better at art and draw my Deputy.