#well at least they have 2017’s super bowl to look back on

[kdsburneraccount]

Rip the iggles they were hurted by Andy Reid again

[theyarebangtan]

http://time.com/collection-post/5414052/bts-next-generation-leaders/

It’s early on a Monday night in September at a lavish top-floor suite of the Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles, and Jimin, one-seventh of BTS, the most popular boy band in the world, is napping upright in front of an illuminated dressing room mirror.

You can’t blame him for being exhausted. Exactly 24 hours earlier, Jimin, 22; Jin, 25; Suga, 25; J-Hope, 24; RM, 24; V, 22; and Jung Kook, 21, were warming up backstage at L.A.’s Staples Center, prepping to perform their fourth and final show of a sold-out stretch at the 20,000-seat arena. Each night is a marathon of sharp dance choreography, music-video interludes and indoor pyrotechnics—all backgrounded, of course, by the roars of screaming fans. “It’s a real honor,” says J-Hope, via a translator. “We’re proud that everything we do is giving off light.”

Like The Beatles and One Direction before them, BTS serves up a mania-inducing mix of heartthrob good looks and ear-worm choruses, alongside dance moves in the vein of New Kids on the Block and *NSYNC. But the band—whose name stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan in Korean and Beyond the Scene in English—is also breaking new ground. Not only is BTS the first Korean act to sell out a U.S. stadium (to say nothing of the records they’ve set across Asia), but they’ve done so without catering to Western audiences. Only one of their members, RM, speaks fluent English, and most of their songs are in Korean—even more proof that music “doesn’t have to be English to be a global phenomenon,” says Steve Aoki, a U.S. DJ who has collaborated with BTS. The group is also preternaturally adept at leveraging social media, both to promote their music and connect with their fans.

But for now, at least, they may need sleep. “I’m still trying to get over my jet lag,” deadpans Suga, one of the group’s three rappers.

***

Since its genesis in the ‘90s, Korean pop—or K-pop—has become synonymous with what studios call “idols”: a cadre of young, polished, perfect-seeming pop stars whose images are often rigorously controlled. (They’re often discouraged from discussing their dating lives, so as to seem available to fans.) But even as K-pop matured to a nearly $5 billion industry with fans around the world, its biggest stars—including Rain, Girls’ Generation and Big Bang—largely failed to gain traction in Western markets. The outlier was Psy, a South Korean rapper whose “Gangnam Style” became a viral hit in 2012, though his comic, outlandish persona was an unlikely (and some critics argue, problematic) herald for the genre.

When BTS arrived in 2013, it was clear they would play by new rules. They were formed by Bang Si-hyuk, a K-pop renegade who left a major label to start his own enterprise. He chose young stars that appeared to have an edge, beginning with RM, who was initially a part of Korea’s underground rap scene. And although BTS has idol elements—the slick aesthetics, the sharp choreography, the fun-loving singles—they also embrace their flaws. Their first release, “No More Dream,” took on the ways Korean kids feel stymied by societal expectations; RM recorded a song with Wale that alludes to the importance of activism; Suga released a mixtape addressing his depression. “We started to tell the stories that people wanted to hear and were ready to hear, stories that other people could not or would not tell,” Suga says. “We said what other people were feeling—like pain, anxieties and worries.” They convey these messages in their music videos, loaded with metaphors and cultural references; in their social media updates; and in the lyrics of their music, which fans translate and analyze on message boards, group chats and podcasts. “That was our goal, to create this empathy that people can relate to,” Suga continues.

It helps, too, that their sound is broadly appealing, fusing hip-hop with EDM and pop production. Recent collaborators include Desiigner and Nicki Minaj, who added a verse to their latest single “Idol,” whose lyrics wink at their place in the K-pop firmament. “You can call me artist, you can call me idol,” they sing. “No matter what you call me, I don’t care… you can’t stop me lovin’ myself.” RM says that mantra—love yourself—is core to BTS’ identity; it’s even incorporated into their most recent album titles. “Life has many unpredictable issues, problems, dilemmas,” says RM. “But I think the most important thing to live well is to be yourself. We’re still trying to be us.”

This combination of traits has resonated with fans, especially on social media, where BTS has amassed millions of devoted followers. They call themselves ARMY, which is both an acronym for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth and a nod to their organized power. In 2017, BTS fans made headlines for lifting the group to the top of Billboard’s Social Artist chart—which incorporates streams, social-media mentions and more—and besting the likes of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Since then, the ARMY has catapulted both of BTS’s latest albums, Love Yourself: Answer and Love Yourself: Tear, to the top of album charts in the U.S., South Korea and Japan. “Even if there is a language barrier, once the music starts, people react pretty much the same wherever we go,” says Suga. “It feels like the music really brings us together.” Adds Jimin: “We give energy to our audience members and listeners, but we also draw energy from them.”

***

Back at the Ritz, a makeup artist wakes Jimin from his nap. Nearby, V sings a bar of music as his bleach-blond hair gets blown out. Jung Kook stretches his neck as a makeup artist applies concealer. RM chats with a manager. Suga slips into loafers. Jin, who goes by the fan-given moniker of “Worldwide Handsome,” lets a wardrobe assistant tie his necktie. J-Hope’s laughter filters through the door.

It’s a rare moment of downtime for the boys. Over the coming weeks, they will perform another 11 sold-out shows, appear on Good Morning America and even help launch a youth empowerment initiative at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, at which RM spoke about self-acceptance: “No matter who you are or where you’re from, your skin color, your gender identity, speak yourself.”

A schedule like this might seem daunting. But for BTS—and their ARMY—it’s an encouraging sign of what’s to come. “I’m just throwing it out there,” Suga says, “but maybe we could perform at the Super Bowl someday.”

[ink-flavored]

11/11/11 Tag Game (Triple Threat)

I was tagged by @bookenders @timetravelingpigeon and @oradall! Thank you!

Questions

What animal would be your familiar?

You can bring any one extinct species back, with the guarantee that it won’t become extinct again. Which animal do you bring back?

Top three favorite animals?

What’s your favorite road trip snack?

What’s one place you never want to visit?

If you had to live in the world of (one of) your WIP(s), how screwed would you be?

What’s the worst name for a character you’ve ever had?

What’s something your 8-year-old self would love about you? 

What’s the stupidest thing your OC(s) has ever done?

How important is family to your OC(s)? To you?

What’s the song you want playing in the background every time you walk into a room?

Tagging: @rainy-rose​ @rrrawrf-writes​ @aslanwrites​ @tenacious-scripturient​ @waterfallwritings​ @quilloftheclouds​ @blueinkblot​ @lilquill​ @kobalt-ink​ and anyone else who feels like it!

My 33 answers below!

1.      What baseball positions would your OCs be in if they all had to be on a baseball team? What’s the team name? What’s their mascot? What do the uniforms look like? (If you hate baseball or prefer a different sport, substitute said sport for baseball.)

Well, considering Park is literally on a baseball team, I think I’ll answer this one for him. He’s a pitcher for the North Carolina Sabretooth Cats, and if you can’t tell their mascot from that, then I don’t know what to tell you. Their uniform colors are white, gold, and black.

2.      How good are your OCs at bowling? How good are you at bowling?

I, personally, suck at bowling. I’ve never been good at it, but I still have fun!

Before Hayden was on crutches, he was the bowling master. It’s harder for him to bowl now that he can’t really balance by himself, or hold a ball at the same time as he holds his crutches.

Park is also really great at bowling, something that Jamie (bad at bowling) will never forgive him for.

If bowling existed for Teconia, she would try her best, but not succeed. Xinya would be almost good. The occasional strike. Yu-Qi would attempt to chuck the bowling ball like a softball because it Made Her Lose.

3.      Rewrite this in your style: “I picked up the book and read the back. He took it from me before I could protest. He never lets me have the cool stuff.

I took the book of the shelf and flipped it over to read the back, but I couldn’t get a single word in before he snatched it out of my hands. I pouted – he never lets me have the cool stuff.

4.      What do you love about the last book you read?

The last book I read is called Policing the Black Man, a collection of essays edited by Angela J. Davis. I’m telling you this because you should read it. It’s not an easy read, and I’ve had to take several breaks from it because it’s very heavy, but it’s an eye-opening look at how race and law enforcement interact in America. It reinforced a lot of the things I already knew (the police are an institution founded on racism), but it’s teaching me so much more about why that is, and how we can fix it in the future. Highly recommended – especially if you’re white.

5.      What are three things you love about your writing?

I really love my descriptions, character interactions, and settings.

6.      What’s a word you love the sound of? What’s a word you really don’t like the sound of?

I have an entire list of words that I love, but I’ll pick my top three: Vivaciousness, Gossamer, and Facetious.

My least favorite word is flesh. I hate that word so much.

7.      How do you like to begin your stories?

It depends on the story. Usually I like to jump into the action, to give the reader something to latch onto as soon as possible, and to get them to form questions at the same time.

8.      What other forms of writing have you tried other than the one you’re working with now? (i.e. playwriting, screenwriting, poetry, interactive, novels, short fiction. etc.) How do you feel about them?

I’ve been writing a game! It’s been a super huge blast, and even though I know neither jack nor shit about coding, the program I’m using makes it very easy to write games without any coding. Use Twine! It’s the best!

Once I graduate (in June!!), I want to finish the game and upload it somewhere so I can get people playing it. Stay tuned for that!

9.      What’s your favorite play/musical? Why? What’s your favorite part?

OH NO, I HAVE TO PICK ONE? Okay fine, it’s Chicago. I absolutely adore that musical, mostly because I love jazz. But also because the dark humor, satire, and well-rounded and unique women are top notch. I had the privilege of seeing it on Broadway in 2017, and I cannot recommend it enough.

10.  What kind of stories do you like to read? How different are they from what you write?

Honestly, not much different at all. I read a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and poetry – I write a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and poetry. The only thing I write, but don’t read, is suspense/horror-ish stuff. Which sounds weird, but I listen to Welcome to Night Vale, which is about as much horror as I can handle.

11.  What’s your favorite bit of worldbuilding from a story someone else wrote?

I’m a huge Tolkien nerd, and the whole concept of two trees that give light to the whole world is the best idea.

12.  If you had to change the genre of your WIP, what would you change it to?

Oh man, this is a tough one. I think the easiest one would be changing Firesoul from fantasy to steampunk-fantasy, a la Perdido Street Station by China Miéville, but I’m not sure if that counts. The idea of an urban fantasy God-Dragon’s Wife is interesting, too.

13.  What’s your favorite writing POV? First person? Third person limited? One or multiple POV’s?

I prefer Third Person Omniscient or Third Person Limited, but I will (very rarely) write in First Person, and even a little Second Person.

14.  Have you thought of a title for your WIP? How did you pick it?

All my WIPs have titles, but the one that was hardest was Out of the Park, because it’s way too cliché and I only picked it because I needed something to call the project.

15.  How easy is it for you to come up with outfits for your OCs?

Depends on the character. Xinya is the hardest, because all of her outfits have to be super elaborate and have to fit in with her culture, but Hayden? Jeans and a t-shirt. Easy.

16.  Who is the oldest OC in your WIP? (Either in-universe or when you made them.)

In-universe, Xinya is the oldest human at thirty-three. Yu-Qi easily surpasses that by like ten thousand years, but she’s an eternal dragon deity, so.

In real life, Teconia is the oldest. Believe it or not, I made her for my first D&D campaign, and then decided I liked her so much I would make a whole story about her.

17.  Have you ever written fanfiction (even if it wasn’t posted online?)

Yes! I write a lot of fan fiction, and though most of it hasn’t left my flash drive, I have an AO3 account, with a couple of works-in-progress. Come say hello!

18.  What are your OC’s favorite colors? (List as many or as few as you want)

Teconia: bright orange, green, red

Xinya: dark blue, silver, light pink

Hayden: purple, yellow, lime green

Park: grass green, rusty red-brown, gold

19.  What is the most significant/important/often-appearing object in your WIP? Or, what is one object that one of your OCs cherishes?

D…dragons. In almost all of them, it’s dragons. Can you tell that I like dragons?

20.  What’s that one word that you can never seem to spell correctly?

This isn’t really a spelling thing, but I will never ever remember the difference between affect and effect. I’ve had it explained to me countless times, but I will never get it. I’ll be confused for the rest of my life.

21.  Which arc do you like better/think is more interesting: a hero who starts slowly slipping into evil, or a villain who decides to try to be good?

I think both have their perks, but the villain that tries to do good has a special place in my heart because it shows that people can change, which is a dose of positivity that I think we all need right now.

22.  Do you have any minor characters that are trying very, very hard to become one of the mains?

You know, I thought Yu-Qi would be happy staying the love interest. But now she wants to be a co-protagonist with Xinya. That’s what I get for making her literally a god.

23.  Weirdest thing you’ve been inspired by?

I read a fan fiction once, and I thought, “Psh. I could write that better.”

And now I have The God-Dragon’s Wife.

24.  Which character is closest to a self-insert?

In a way, all of my characters have some aspect of me in them, or some kind of trait I wish I had. Teconia has my kindness – the kindness that’s probably too nice. Park has the confidence I wish I had a lot of the time, but also the fear that I’ll never be good enough. I gave Hayden my anxiety (sorry), but also the determination to push through it that I need. Xinya is pleasant in polite company, but behind closed doors she’s a very angry character, which is something that I’ve been dealing with lately.

I guess I just don’t like the term “self-insert,” because all of my characters are me as much as they’re their own characters. They can be both.  

25.  Favorite season?

I’m assuming you mean my favorite season. It’s summer.

26.  Do you eat appetizers when you go out to eat?

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: If they serve mozzarella sticks, you bet your ass I will eat every single one of those fuckers unless someone holds me back. Also, if you try and separate me from gyoza, you will have your arms separated from your body.

27.  What is something you’re scared to write about?

Romance. I don’t know why, but I always feel like it comes off very stiff and impersonal when I write it, so I’ve been avoiding it for a long time.

28.  Favorite fantasy book series? (I need recommendations ;))

The. Inheritance. Cycle. Ho-lee shit, I have been talking about this series since I was in first grade, and I will never shut up. The first book is Eragon by Christopher Paolini. If you read it (or if anyone reading this has read it before) feel free to drop in and scream at me. I’m always ready.

29.  The most you’ve ever written at one time?

I don’t remember, actually! I think it might have been… when I wrote 8k words in a day?

30.  When do you like to write?

Whenever I can, but mostly at night. Which is not doing my sleeping schedule any favors, I’ll tell you that.

31.  Why is coming up with questions the most difficult part?

Good question. I have no idea.

32.  Which character would cry over a marvel movie?

Teconia, for sure.

33.  First character you created. Why?

My first character was a girl who had the werewolf-esque ability to turn into a dragon. She was pretty much my ideal self.

[bballer24143-blog]

The Rise, Fall, and Future of Cam Newton

USA Today Sports

By Sam Mehr    

6/8/2020

Quarterback Cam Newton is one of the most intriguing figures in the NFL. The Carolina Panthers drafted him with the number one overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, and from the outset, he took the league by storm. Newton threw for 422 yards in the opening game of his career against the Arizona Cardinals, the most by any rookie qb in an NFL debut. That game set the tone for a spectacular rookie season, which included him breaking future hall of famer Peyton Manning's record (at the time) for passing yards in a rookie season. Newton threw 21 touchdowns passes, and rushed for 14 touchdowns on the ground, the most rushing touchdowns in a season by any quarterback (this record still stands today). Newton’s spectacular rookie season led to him earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and garnered him placement as the 40th best player in the NFL (as voted on by his peers) in the NFL Top 100 show before the 2012 season. He continued to have further success in the coming years, culminating in his masterpiece 2015 season. In 2015, Newton totaled 45 touchdowns (35 passing, 10 rushing), leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record (the best mark in franchise history). Newton’s performance led to him receiving the MVP award. The Panthers reached the Super Bowl in 2015, only the second time in their existence that they had reached that game. They ultimately came up short, however, falling to the Denver Broncos 24-10. Through the years, Newton has been known for his considerable physical gifts. He has a titanic 6'5 inch, 245 pound frame. Cam has a strong arm, giving him the ability to effortlessly uncork deep passes. He possesses gazelle-like speed to run for first downs and touchdowns, often accentuated by acrobatic dives and flips into the end zone. 

Newton has fallen on hard times in recent years, however. In 2018, Newton played excellent football for the first 11 games of the season.  However, he struggled down the stretch with a shoulder injury. The injury forced Newton to miss the final two games of the season, and required offseason surgery. Newton came back in 2019, but injured his foot August 22 in a preseason game against the Patriots. Newton showed his toughness and competitive fire by returning to the field a mere two weeks later when the regular season started. Nevertheless, after struggling in the first two games of the season, the Panthers shut Newton down with a Lisfranc injury. According to Orthoinfo.org, the injury entails either bone fractures in the midfoot or torn ligaments. Newton ended up missing the rest of the season, and had to undergo surgery in December. In March, the Panthers unceremoniously moved on from Newton, signing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to replace Newton. The team allowed Newton the opportunity to talk to other teams about trade possibilities the same day they signed Bridgewater. One week later, the Panthers ended up releasing Newton, officially closing the book on a thrilling era in Panthers history.

To date, Newton remains a free agent. It is surprising that a player of Newton’s caliber and credentials is still out there to be had. Naturally, the question is raised as to why Newton is still a free agent. A number of factors are likely in play, in my mind. One possibility for Newton’s continued unemployment is pickiness by him in terms where he wants to play. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said that, while Newton wants a starting job, he is open to signing as a backup. The one stipulation, however, is that he would only accept a backup role with the right team, implying he would not just sign with any team that picked up the phone to call him. Another logical possibility is concern over Newton's attitude. Newton has been known to sulk during games and after losses. Who is to say that Newton would be content when dealing with the reality of being a backup quarterback come fall? Therefore, teams might look at other quarterbacks who are less accomplished, but more willing to accept being a backup rather than bringing Newton onboard (average at best quarterbacks such as Joe Flacco and Mike Glennon already found backup work). A final issue for Newton relates to the timing of when Carolina released him. The Panthers cut Newton loose on March 24. The problem is that by the time he became a free agent, teams that needed starting qb’s (including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts) had already made commitments to the guys they signed in free agency (Tom Brady and Philip Rivers respectively). Beyond that, the horrific Coronavirus hit the world, leading to NFL teams closing their facilities. This shutdown hurt(s) Newton because team doctors cannot examine him to see whether or not he has fully recovered from his injuries. Without such clearance from doctors, it is hard for a team to be willing to pay Newton a hefty sum of money. Further support for this specific factor is reflected in comments made by Seattle Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen, a longtime teammate of Newton’s, told Seattle reporters that Newton’s release post-pandemic lockdown limited his options, in part, due to teams not being able to see his current health status. 

Finally, looking to the future, it is interesting to consider teams where Newton could fit. In terms of potential teams where Newton could start, there are a few options. One would be the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew gained the starting job last season after playing well in relief of the injured Nick Foles (who has since been traded to the Chicago Bears). However, Minshew was chosen in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, a draft slot that doesn’t guarantee long-term commitment. If the Jaguars wanted to add a new starter, or at least make Minshew compete for the starting position, Cam Newton would be an ideal player to sign. Another place where Newton could start is the New England Patriots. The departure of superstar Tom Brady left a gaping hole at the quarterback position. The Patriots like Jarrett Stidham, a second-year player who played at a high level in the 2019 preseason. Still, Stidham is inexperienced, as he only threw four passes during the 2019 regular season. He may need one more season to sit on the bench and learn from a veteran quarterback. Newton would be a perfect one year bridge, who could keep the Patriots in the playoff mix, and revive his own career before potentially hitting free agency again in 2021. A final place where Newton could start is the Washington Redskins. New coach Ron Rivera hasn’t fully committed to 2019 first round pick Dwayne Haskins (whom he inherited upon taking the job). Rivera indicated that, while Haskins is the presumptive starter going forward, he would have to compete for the job. Rivera, the Panthers head coach from 2011-2019, already traded this offseason for former Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen. Why not bring in Newton, another quarterback with whom he has familiarity? In fact, Rivera acknowledged to Good Morning Football on NFL Network that he had thought about the possibility of signing Newton, and would not rule it out one way or the other. 

If Newton wants to be a backup, there are two teams where he would be a solid fit. One is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is planning to play in 2020. However, he is 38 years old, is coming off elbow surgery, and has considered retirement as far back as 2017. Newton could be a backup for a year, and then slide into the starting role if Roethlisberger were to retire in 2021. The San Francisco 49ers are a team where Newton could have an opportunity to play in time. Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers current quarterback, guided the team to the Super Bowl in 2019. However, he doesn’t seem to have the complete confidence of coach Kyle Shanahan, who only let Garoppolo throw a combined 27 passes in the 49ers first two playoff wins in 2019. Newton could go to San Francisco as a backup, with the chance to eventually become starting quarterback if Garoppolo were to struggle, or if Shanahan simply thought Newton was a better option given his dynamic talents. 

A multitude of unfortunate events have led to Cam Newton getting knocked off his spot amongst the best players in the NFL. Still, there are teams out there that could use a player of Newton's caliber; therefore, his long term future in the NFL should not be in doubt. Going forward, if healthy and given an opportunity to play, don't be surprised to see Cam Newton wowing NFL fans again with his fantastic talent.

[wsmith215]

Re-drafting the NFL – We picked 128 foundational players across all 32 teams

7:00 AM ET

NFL NationESPN

What if every NFL team had a complete do-over in building its roster? What if every single player were a free agent? What if the worst team in the league had a chance to add a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback? Or one of the worst defensive teams out there was able to plop a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the middle of its front?

Well, let’s find out. We hit reset on NFL contracts and released every player to the open market. Then we gave our NFL Nation reporters the GM job, allowing them to re-draft the foundations for their teams. Here are the rules:

Every current NFL player is available, and salary caps don’t matter here. But we only drafted four rounds.

In those four picks, each pretend GM had to select a quarterback, a non-QB offensive player and a defensive player. The fourth pick was a wild card, open to anything.

We used the 2020 NFL draft order, with traded picks reversed, and a snaking format.

What about the other 20 starters for each team? The rest of the roster is made up of average-level NFL talent. Our analytics team identifies that as someone such as OT Donovan Smith, edge rusher Harold Landry III or CB Malcolm Butler.

Each GM was asked to draft with intentions of winning a Super Bowl within five years. Some took a harder line, while others built a base that might still need a year or two.

So how did the players come off the board? What kinds of strategies were used? Which team came out looking like a championship favorite? Our NFL Nation reporters explain their process. Plus, ESPN Stats & Information provides a nugget for each roster, and Mike Clay evaluates each foursome with a tiered draft grade (1-4). Navigate by team or skip ahead to the full list of Nos. 1-128 at the bottom.

Jump to: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

All 128 picks | Experts react

Drafted by Ben Baby, Bengals reporter

Round 1 (1): Patrick Mahomes, QB Round 2 (64): Josh Allen, DE Round 3 (65): Laremy Tunsil, OT Round 4 (128): Tyler Lockett, WR

If this squad isn’t putting up 30 points a game, it will be looking for a new offensive coordinator. On this team, points and big plays are king, time of possession is overrated and using two tight ends in a single formation is grounds for dismissal. But for that philosophy to work, it needs an elite quarterback. Fortunately, I had the No. 1 overall pick and used it on Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP who is perfectly suited for today’s modern game.

The next three picks were all about the quarterback: protecting him (Tunsil), rushing him (Allen) and catching his passes (Lockett). Expect to see high-scoring games, an exasperated opposing defensive coordinator and an exciting style that would make Hal Mumme proud. — Baby

Stat to know: Mahomes loses Tyreek Hill, who leads the NFL with 21 touchdowns of 40-plus yards since 2015 (including returns). But who is second on that list? Lockett, with 12, giving this exercise’s “Mr. Irrelevant” a great chance to continue Mahomes’ big-play production.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Mahomes was the obvious 1-1 pick. Allen has big upside but is unproven, Tunsil is a fine anchor and Lockett remains underrated.

Drafted by John Keim, Redskins reporter

Round 1 (2): Russell Wilson, QB Round 2 (63): Shaquil Barrett, DE Round 3 (66): Trent Williams, OT Round 4 (127): Terry McLaurin, WR

Wilson was a no-brainer at No. 2 overall. He consistently plays at a high level and lifts his team. He also is durable and smart. Most of the top defensive ends were gone when I was again on the board, so I went with Barrett. Now I just have to hope he wasn’t a one-year wonder (19.5 sacks in 2019).

1 Related

Williams was an easy pick for me too. He still has several high-level years remaining, but I worry about his durability. I wanted a corner next and hoped Marshon Lattimore would fall to me with the next-to-last pick. He didn’t. But I didn’t want to force the position, so I went with a young playmaker in McLaurin. With his ability to separate and all that speed, he would be a good fit with Wilson. — Keim

Stat to know: Over the past three seasons, Wilson’s 100 touchdown passes are 15 more than any other quarterback. But he could benefit from playing behind an offensive lineman like Williams; Wilson has been sacked (142 times) and contacted while throwing/rushing (356 times), the most in the league since 2017.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. I can’t fault Keim for making Wilson the second player off the board, nor Barrett and his sack production in Round 2. Williams provides an anchor at left tackle, and McLaurin supplies Wilson with a good, young target.

Drafted by Michael Rothstein, Lions reporter

Round 1 (3): Lamar Jackson, QB Round 2 (62): Derwin James, S Round 3 (67): Tre’Davious White, CB Round 4 (126): DJ Moore, WR

I thought about defense at No. 3 overall, but taking a quarterback seemed like a must. And when Jackson — who I thought would go No. 1 or No. 2 — fell to me, it seemed too good to be true. Beyond that, I made the decision to go with two defensive players before the draft even started, given the league’s lean toward passing. Since I couldn’t find any young pass-rushers I loved on the board when I was again on the clock, I instead decided to make my secondary dominant with James and White. And then I gave Jackson a speedy option to work with in Moore, who can line up almost anywhere.

Safety might not seem like a ton of value, but James gives me protection against both the run and pass, and he was a player I keyed on from the beginning for my roster. Age also played a part in how I built my team. I want ascending players as franchise cornerstones to build around, knowing they can still get better over the next three seasons. I found that in all four players. — Rothstein

Stat to know: Moore ranked ninth in the NFL with 1,175 receiving yards in 2019 despite catching passes from three different quarterbacks. He’ll settle in nicely with Jackson, who set an NFL QB rushing record with 1,206 rush yards last season but also had a league-high 36 passing TDs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. The reigning MVP at third overall? That will do. Round 2 is a little early for a safety, as Rothstein alluded to, but James is a star. White was a steal at No. 67, and Moore is a good value at No. 126.

Drafted by Jordan Raanan, Giants reporter

Round 1 (4): Deshaun Watson, QB Round 2 (61): Yannick Ngakoue , DE Round 3 (68): Terron Armstead, OT Round 4 (125): Allen Robinson II, WR

If you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have a chance. It’s really that simple. And Watson has produced 64 total touchdowns in the past two seasons — only Mahomes and Wilson had more — and did it behind a really bad offensive line.

After that, I had to wait a while (57 picks) but still tabbed one of the league’s best pass-rushers in Ngakoue. Again, positional value was key. I got the most important offensive position with my first pick and the most important defensive position with my second. An All-Pro tackle in the third round helps give Watson’s line talent he hadn’t seen in Houston. And put fourth-rounder Robinson with Watson instead of Mitchell Trubisky and you’ll see the star ability. This is a core that would win multiple Super Bowls. — Raanan

Stat to know: Watson — the first player in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons — and Robinson should be able connect for some tough completions; Robinson had the third-most receptions (18) on tight-window throws last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. It feels like Watson remains a bit underrated by the general consensus, so I’m glad he got some respect here. And then Raanan found good value the rest of the way.

play

1:20

Stephen A. Smith makes the case for why Deshaun Watson has the best chance to challenge Patrick Mahomes as the top quarterback in the NFL.

Drafted by Cameron Wolfe, Dolphins reporter

Round 1 (5): Aaron Donald, DT Round 2 (60): Ezekiel Elliott, RB Round 3 (69): Kirk Cousins, QB Round 4 (124): Kevin Byard, S

Quarterback was my first priority, but my clear top-four options were gone. So it was between a trio of QBs with differing concerns — Carson Wentz (durability), Aaron Rodgers (age) and Kyler Murray (limited proven production) — and Donald. I took my chances with the defensive tackle. Defense wins championships, right?

I landed Cousins in Round 3 as the 24th QB off the board, and I loved the value there. I got whom I consider the NFL’s best running back in Elliott late in round 2, and he will be the focal point of my offense. I thought about taking Adam Thielen (given his chemistry with Cousins) or cornerback Xavien Howard with my wild-card pick, but I couldn’t pass on Byard. He is arguably the NFL’s best safety and a strong leader. I wish one of the big-four QBs fell to me, but I have a consistent playoff team that leans on defense, the run game and a veteran QB. My team might not be the top contender, but it could easily snag a Super Bowl in a five-year period. — Wolfe

Stat to know: Premium investment in a defensive tackle again? You’ll forgive the skepticism of Dolphins fans, but there’s a reason Donald is the most double-teamed pass-rusher in the NFL, per pass rushing metrics from ESPN and NFL Next Gen Stats. And offensively, an average O-line should be plenty for Elliott, who leads the NFL with 928 rush yards against loaded boxes over his career.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Bold move to not convert the fifth overall pick into a QB! But it’s hard to knock the selection of the league’s best defensive player, and Cousins falling to No. 69 was a good bailout. While I don’t love the Round 2 running back move, getting Byard late was a steal.

Drafted by Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer

Round 1 (6): Ronnie Stanley, OT Round 2 (59): Za’Darius Smith, OLB Round 3 (70): Daniel Jones, QB Round 4 (123): Brandon Brooks, G

I built the Chargers from the inside out, based on three tenets. First, there is a severe shortage of really good offensive linemen in the NFL. Second, finding a pass-rusher who can demand and beat double-teams is rare. Third, the No. 6 spot meant I wouldn’t have access to a young, elite quarterback.

In drafting tackle Stanley and guard Brooks, I have two of the best at their positions. They’ll give me maximum scheme flexibility and make good skill position players better. They also can help recover the inevitable fumbles of my young quarterback, whom I chose with my third pick because of the players remaining at that point. He had the most reasonable room for improvement. Smith wasn’t my first choice for a pass-rusher — I had hoped that Danielle Hunter would slip a bit further — but he fits the bill. — Seifert

Stat to know: Jones will appreciate the blocking help after seeing pressure on 32% of his dropbacks last year, the fifth-highest rate in the league. By ESPN’s pass block metrics, Stanley is one of the NFL’s most consistent blockers. Since 2018, he’s held his block for at least 2.5 seconds 93% of the time, per NFL Next Gen Stats, trailing only David Bakhtiari and Andrew Whitworth among OTs with 300 pass blocks.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Man, I hate passing on a QB with the sixth overall pick, but with age in mind, Stanley is arguably the league’s most valuable LT. And Jones has a shot and isn’t a bad flier if you wait at the position.

Drafted by David Newton, Panthers reporter

Round 1 (7): Joey Bosa, DE Round 2 (58): DeForest Buckner, DE Round 3 (71): Jarrett Stidham, QB Round 4 (122): Jedrick Wills Jr., OT

I made up my mind before the draft that if my top four QBs were gone at No. 7, I would go with the best defensive player. If you’re going to win in this league you’d better be able to create pressure, and Bosa does. And with the wild run of quarterbacks in the first round and into the second, I opted to continue building my roster from the inside out on defense and around pressuring the quarterback with Buckner.

We made every NFL player a free agent then asked our 32 NFL Nation reporters to re-draft four rounds of high-impact stars with a five-year Super Bowl window in mind. Which team is the best? • Re-drafted NFL rosters: All 128 picks » • Experts react to our NFL re-draft »

The key to my draft ultimately will be Stidham. To help him, I took Wills — the 10th overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft — in the fourth round. You can fill in receivers and running backs with average talents, but look at most Super Bowl teams, and you’ll find a solid interior core with a lot of high draft picks. I also chose to build the roster around players 26 years or younger to get the best years of their careers. If Stidham is the real deal, I’ll see you in the Super Bowl. — Newton

Stat to know: Getting to the QB was a top priority for the Panthers and they’ve solidified their line with one of the better outside (Bosa) and inside (Buckner) rushers. Bosa’s 0.78 sacks per game ranks third in the NFL over the past four seasons (minimum 40 games). And over the past two years, Buckner has 18.5 sacks when lined up at defensive tackle, third most in the league.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Bosa is great, but seventh overall is too early. There are more young, impact edge rushers than there are reliable QBs. Buckner is a fine get at 58th, but Stidham under center is a major risk, as is protecting him with an unknown in Wills.

Drafted by Josh Weinfuss, Cardinals reporter

Round 1 (8): Drew Brees, QB Round 2 (57): Chandler Jones, DE Round 3 (72): A.J. Green, WR Round 4 (121): Patrick Peterson, CB

Brees might not have five years left, but he for sure has a good one or two in him, so I immediately went into win-now mode. I followed with arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL who no one pays attention to; Jones’ 96 sacks since 2012 are the most in that time frame.

I gave Brees one of the four best receivers since 2011 in Green, and paired Jones with a lockdown corner in Peterson. That Jones-Peterson duo will create havoc for offenses and be the cornerstone for a winning defense. — Weinfuss

Stat to know: From 2011 to ’17, Brees threw for over 3,200 yards more than anyone else in that span, while Green was the only receiver to be selected to the Pro Bowl each season.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. It’s 2020 or bust for GM Weinfuss. You may get only one year out of Brees, who is 41, and durability issues for Green, 31, make the veteran receiver risky. Jones, 30, is an elite edge, and while Peterson, 29, is a fine pick, he’s nearing the end of his prime.

Drafted by Mike DiRocco, Jaguars reporter

Round 1 (9): Dak Prescott, QB Round 2 (56): Danielle Hunter, DE Round 3 (73): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Round 4 (120): Marshon Lattimore, CB

I wanted players age-27 or younger. Taking Prescott at No. 9 might raise some eyebrows, but he has averaged 3,944 yards and 24 TD passes in his first four seasons, and is coming off his best season. Smith-Schuster is only 23 and will be a top-five receiver as long as he’s not catching passes from Delvin Hodges.

On defense, it’s all about elite pass-rushers and corners, and only Aaron Donald and Chandler Jones had more sacks than Danielle Hunter (29) over the past two seasons. Lattimore was the defensive rookie of the year in 2017 and made two Pro Bowls in three seasons. Good, young players form a fantastic nucleus in the quest to win a Super Bowl within five years. — DiRocco

Stat to know: Prescott has posted an above-average Total QBR in all four seasons of his career and ranked fourth last year at 70.2. The only Jaguars passer to post a QBR that high since the metric began in 2006 was David Garrard in 2007. Hunter could also make Duval County forget about Yannick Ngakoue: Hunter had more sacks (14.5 to 8.0) and pressures (56 to 40) in 2019.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1, and my best draft award. I’m surprised Prescott fell to ninth. Hunter is only 25 and remains painfully underrated. Smith-Schuster might have gone in Round 1 if we re-drafted a year ago. And Lattimore is one of the league’s best corners at just 24 years old.

play

1:46

Michael DiRocco breaks down why he chose Dak Prescott over other available QBs, as well as his reasons for taking Danielle Hunter and Marshon Lattimore in the Jaguars’ NFL Nation re-draft.

Drafted by Jake Trotter, Browns reporter

Round 1 (10): Nick Bosa, DE Round 2 (55): Justin Herbert, QB Round 3 (74): Chris Godwin, WR Round 4 (119): Jarvis Landry, WR

My strategy was to operate against the grain of simply taking the best QB available, and I got the league’s best young defender in Bosa. I assumed I’d still be able to get a proven QB starter with my second pick but given what was left, I opted to go with highest upside possible. Yes, the success of my draft will hinge on Herbert developing into a franchise-caliber quarterback within the five-year window. But at some point, you have to roll the dice on a QB, and Herbert has an elite skill set.

My approach then shifted to getting Herbert help on his timeline, and that includes Godwin, still just 24. I probably should’ve taken a young left tackle like Andrew Thomas or Jedrick Wills Jr. with my final pick, but Landry is a Pro Bowler and another asset for Herbert. — Trotter

Stat to know: Bosa was easily the league’s best rookie in ESPN’s pass rush win rate, beating his block within 2.5 seconds on 21.8% of his pass rushes. And counting on the unproven Herbert is a little easier to do when you’re the only team in the exercise with two of the league’s top 10 in receiving yards last year. Godwin was one of two players (Michael Thomas) with 1,300-plus and nine-plus receiving TDs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. I don’t love passing on QB at 10th overall, but Bosa is a defensive cornerstone. Herbert is a complete lottery ticket, and the QB situation scares me. At least he’ll have weapons.

Drafted by Rich Cimini, Jets reporter

Round 1 (11): Carson Wentz, QB Round 2 (54): Odell Beckham Jr., WR Round 3 (75): Bradley Chubb, OLB Round 4 (118): Zack Martin, G

I didn’t want to build a one-year wonder. All four picks are under the age of 30, and I made the seemingly ridiculous decision to take Wentz, 27, over Aaron Rodgers, 36, with the 11th overall pick. I’m thinking long term here, folks, and I think I picked up four blue-chip talents in the prime of their careers.

Admittedly, there are durability concerns with Wentz, Beckham and Chubb, but the risk-reward factor was too good to ignore. When all three are healthy, they can be among the best at their respective positions. People tend to forget about Chubb because he missed most of last season because of a knee injury, but he’s the same player who exploded for 12 sacks as a rookie. As for Martin, he doesn’t play a so-called “premium” position, but we’re talking about the best guard in the sport and a future Hall of Famer. I like my team. — Cimini

Stat to know: Wentz averaged 299.8 yards per game from Weeks 14-17 last year, throwing seven touchdowns and zero interceptions — and his Eagles were led in receptions in that stretch by Boston Scott, Greg Ward Jr. and Dallas Goedert. Beckham and his five career 1,000-yard seasons represent a significant talent upgrade.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Well done grabbing a franchise QB in Wentz at 11, and we know OBJ has elite upside. It just felt way too early on Chubb.

Drafted by Paul Gutierrez, Raiders reporter

Round 1 (12): Aaron Rodgers, QB Round 2 (53): Von Miller, OLB Round 3 (76): Josh Jacobs, RB Round 4 (117): Henry Ruggs III, WR

Let’s make right what once went wrong, shall we? The Raiders coulda, shoulda, woulda drafted Rodgers way back in 2005, but went with speedy cornerback Fabian Washington instead. Now a grizzled vet and a future Hall of Famer, Rodgers has a massive chip on his shoulder with the Packers having drafted Jordan Love, and Jon Gruden loves vets with chips — and ‘ships. Miller, a veteran presence on defense who has terrorized the Raiders for nine years, checks another box.

• Big questions » | Power Rankings » • Free agency: Tracker » | Grades » • Draft: All 255 picks » | Grades » • Fantasy: Cheat sheets » | Projections » • 2020 schedule » | More NFL coverage »

Filling out this roster with youth and speed is the yin to the vet yang, so Jacobs and Ruggs — the fastest man in the 2020 draft — make for a balanced roster. — Gutierrez

Stat to know: Miller’s sack total was “only” 8.0 last year, the first time he has had less than 10 sacks in a full season. Since entering the league in 2011, Miller has more double-digit sack seasons (seven) than the Raiders as a team (four).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Rodgers might not be what he used to be, but I can’t fault taking him at No. 12. And Miller still has something left at age 31. But while Jacobs was great as a rookie, going RB is bold, especially one who hasn’t done much as a receiver. And I think there were proven star WRs available when Ruggs was picked.

Drafted by Mike Wells, Colts reporter

Round 1 (13): Joe Burrow, QB Round 2 (52): Zach Ertz, TE Round 3 (77): Quenton Nelson, G Round 4 (116): Darius Leonard, ILB

The Colts are known for selecting franchise quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, anyone?). Now it’s Burrow’s turn. Honestly, it was a little surprising that Burrow was still on the board at No. 13.

Coach Frank Reich values tight ends in his offense, and Ertz is one of the best in the NFL, giving Burrow a go-to target. Who better to provide nastiness for the entire team than Nelson, who arguably was the best overall player from the 2018 draft? Franchise quarterback. Big target for said QB. Anchor on the offensive line. And then an anchor on defense with Leonard, who led the NFL in tackles as a rookie in 2018 and was a Pro Bowler in 2019. The foundation is set in Indianapolis. — Wells

Stat to know: Indy hangs on to the crown jewels of their 2018 draft class in Nelson and Leonard. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two were the second pair of rookie teammates to each make first-team All-Pro, joining Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers of the 1965 Bears.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. There were safer QB targets at No. 13, but I can appreciate selecting an age-23 potential franchise QB in Burrow. Ertz is a safe pick, and hometown heroes Nelson and Leonard will be difference-makers for a long time.

Drafted by Jenna Laine, Buccaneers reporter

Round 1 (14): Tom Brady, QB Round 2 (51): Alvin Kamara, RB Round 3 (78): Chris Jones, DT Round 4 (115): Kenny Golladay, WR

I wanted a proven QB versus potential, and I chose Brady because of his track record, his 45 career game-winning drives and longevity — even at 42, he has missed fewer games than Ben Roethlisberger or Matthew Stafford. I also trust his “clutch” gene more than Matt Ryan. But in taking Brady though, I know my window to win will be much smaller than other teams, possibly as small as two years.

Kamara was the third-best non-QB offensive player on my board, so I was thrilled to land him. He can line up anywhere on the field and can help Brady in the screen game. I like that Jones can move all across the defensive line, and his 69 wins against double teams over the past four seasons puts him second only to Aaron Donald in the NFL, according to ESPN pass-rush metrics powered by NFL Next Gen Stats. Golladay has back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, so I consider him terrific value in the fourth round. — Laine

Stat to know: The Buccaneers drafted everything to help a soon-to-be 43-year-old quarterback. Since coming into the league in 2017, Kamara ranks third in scrimmage touchdowns (37) and fifth in scrimmage yards (4,476). And last season, Golladay had the most catches (16) and tied for the most touchdown catches (five) on throws 20 yards downfield.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. Brady on the Bucs? Pfft. Like that would ever happen. I don’t like the Round 2 running back, but at least Kamara is a receiving weapon, too. Jones is an absolute steal in Round 3, and Golladay a strong late find.

play

2:36

Jay Williams and Rob Ninkovich debate how close Tom Brady could be to surpassing Michael Jordan for greatest athlete of all time.

Drafted by Jeff Legwold, Broncos reporter

Round 1 (15): Drew Lock, QB Round 2 (50): Travis Kelce, TE Round 3 (79): Isaiah Simmons, ILB Round 4 (114): Courtland Sutton, WR

Working off the five-year window, the line between current production and youth with room to grow had to be considered with the selections. The quarterbacks came off the board quickly with 10 already gone, so I made my biggest gamble on potential with Lock.

I had gone in thinking quarterback, edge rusher and cornerback, and I gave a long look at Von Miller with my second pick. But in the everyday NFL world, edge rushers often develop the most quickly, so that was a position that could be addressed later in a full-team build. I decided to get a little more offense with Kelce instead. I might have gotten a little impatient there, and if we re-did it, I would lean defense in the second round. Defensive versatility came in the third with Simmons, the top player on my 2020 draft board, and I think Sutton was a Round 4 steal. — Legwold

Stat to know: Kelce and Sutton serve as a strong inside-outside tandem. Kelce’s 69 catches between the painted numbers trailed only DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Thomas in 2019. Sutton averaged just under 17 yards per catch on targets outside the numbers, which ranked 10th. The duo could help justify the presence of Lock, who was selected before Matt Ryan and Kyler Murray.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Legwold showed his faith in Broncos GM John Elway by taking Lock over safer QB options and then Sutton in Round 4. Kelce is a good, safe pick at No. 50. Simmons is risky, but there’s obviously big upside for the 2020 first-rounder.

Drafted by Vaughn McClure, Falcons reporter

Round 1 (16): Matt Ryan, QB Round 2 (49): Cameron Jordan, DE Round 3 (80): CeeDee Lamb, WR Round 4 (113): Jeff Okudah, CB

Eleven quarterbacks were drafted before my selection, and I’m one of those who believes Ryan is still a top-10 quarterback despite his age. You need your franchise QB, and he gives you almost a 70% completion rate and durability (one missed game over the past 10 seasons).

A consistent pass-rush is also a must, and Jordan has averaged 13.5 sacks over the past three seasons. Pressure up front then needs to be coupled with great coverage, and all signs point to Okudah being a shutdown corner for years to come. Lastly, one NFL executive said Lamb will be a Pro Bowl receiver this year. As a rookie. Imagine how bright his future is then. — McClure

Stat to know: The Falcons get a big boost on defense with the addition of Jordan, who has the third-most sacks over the past three seasons (40.5). Atlanta ranks 27th in sack rate over that same period (5.6%).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Ryan, 35, figures to have a few years left, so getting him 16th overall is a strong value. And the underrated Jordan is a nice get, too. But Lamb and Okudah went before many proven stars at their positions.

Drafted by Todd Archer, Cowboys reporter

Round 1 (17): Kyler Murray, QB Round 2 (48): Tyron Smith, OT Round 3 (81): Keenan Allen, WR Round 4 (112): Maxx Crosby, DE

• Re-drafting the NFL from scratch • Rhule, Nixon lean on friendship in rebuild • Giants learn NASA about more than stars • Aussie plumber’s unlikely journey to NFL • Lions’ Harmon speaks up about racism • Lessons from Selma stick with Falcons’ Allen

The game is about quarterbacks, pass-rushers, pass protectors and big-play ability. I bet on Murray because I wanted to make sure I had a QB who can make plays when things break down. I went with Smith because he remains one of the best left tackles in the game.

In the third round, I got cute and it hurt me. I wanted to take DeMarcus Lawrence but thought maybe his five-sack season in 2019 would make him slip to the final round. I’m happy with Allen, but I could have gotten a comparable receiver in the fourth while shoring up the pass-rush first. Needing to take a defender with my last pick, my choice was down to Crosby and Jeff Okudah. A pass-rush makes a secondary better, and Crosby’s 10 sacks in 2019 lead me to believe he will have bigger things to come in the future. — Archer

Stat to know: Murray likes to get the ball out quickly and had the second-most pass attempts (285) with fewer than 2.5 seconds from snap to throw. He’ll enjoy throwing to Allen, who has been the model of consistency with the third-most receptions since 2017 (303) and 1,100 receiving yards in each of the past three years.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. Archer had to be shocked Murray was still on the board at 17th overall. I sure am. Both Murray and Smith were steals, and I do like the Allen get at No. 81. Crosby was probably a reach, but he flashed as a rookie.

Drafted by Brooke Pryor, Steelers reporter

Round 1 (18): Teddy Bridgewater, QB Round 2 (47): Minkah Fitzpatrick, S Round 3 (82): Mitchell Schwartz, OT Round 4 (111): DK Metcalf, WR

At No. 18, I felt like I was in no-man’s land. The top-tier QBs were off the board, and the some of the best skill players were also gone. I decided to go with Bridgewater because he has shown potential of jumping into the next tier of QBs, and I think a couple of years in New Orleans have made him even better. Then I focused on getting a game-changing defensive player. A young Swiss Army knife talent like Fitzpatrick more than fits the bill.

Next, I wanted to give Bridgewater durable support in an offensive weapon and a protector. I went with Schwartz for that protection, though I almost chose Orlando Brown. Schwartz has a Super Bowl ring, so I ultimately chose experience over youth, but I believe Brown is on his way to becoming a mainstay in the league. Metcalf was my final pick. Sure, he had a good rookie season, but I’m still not over his pre-draft workout photos. No way could I pass on a guy as jacked as him. — Pryor

Stat to know: Can Fitzpatrick replicate the impact he had on Pittsburgh’s defense last year? After he joined the team before Week 3, the Steelers’ defense led the NFL in Total QBR allowed (39.1) and tied with the Panthers for the league lead in sacks (49).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. I would’ve aimed younger at No. 18, and the jury certainly remains out on Bridgewater. He has made only six starts over the past four complete seasons. But it’s hard to fault any of Minkah, Schwartz and Metcalf selections.

Drafted by Jeff Dickerson, Bears reporter

Round 1 (19): Jimmy Garoppolo, QB Round 2 (46): Derrick Henry, RB Round 3 (83): Jerry Jeudy, WR Round 4 (110): Eddie Jackson, S

I was determined to draft a quarterback in Round 1 and felt fortunate that Garoppolo was available. At 28 years old, he tied for fifth in touchdown passes (27) and took his team to the Super Bowl last year. And Henry, the NFL’s rushing champion, was a no-brainer for me in the second round.

I wanted another offensive weapon, so I used my wild-card pick on Jeudy. My only regret is that I took Jeudy over Amari Cooper, who went four spots later. Hindsight is 20-20, but there’s no time to second-guess in my war room. I wrapped up the draft by addressing defense with ascending Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson. Translation: 12 victories and a berth in the conference championship game, at minimum. — Dickerson

Stat to know: Which two teams led the NFL in play-action passing yards last year? Henry’s Titans (1,694) and Garoppolo’s 49ers (1,614). There might be a play-action pass or two in this Chicago playbook.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Garoppolo appears legit, and getting him at 19th overall is a nice value. Henry doesn’t catch enough balls to go at No. 46, and as Dickerson acknowledged, it was risky to go Jeudy over proven commodities. I would’ve looked elsewhere on defense, too, but Jackson is solid.

Drafted by Lindsey Thiry, Rams reporter

Round 1 (20): Christian McCaffrey, RB Round 2 (45): Bobby Wagner, ILB Round 3 (84): Jared Goff, QB Round 4 (109): Dante Fowler Jr., DE

The top tier of quarterbacks were off the board, so I held out, anticipating a few midtier options would remain available after the initial first-round run. It made sense instead to get the multipurpose McCaffrey, who last season led the league with 2,392 scrimmage yards. Because of the snake format draft, it also made sense to select an elite defensive player in Wagner in the second round.

My quarterback gamble paid off in the third round, as I was able to take Goff. He might have had a down season in 2019 but still has plenty of potential given he helped the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018. A good-to-elite pass-rusher is always important in forming a successful defense, and Fowler — coming off his most successful season to date with 11.5 sacks — seemed like an obvious great value. — Thiry

Stat to know: McCaffrey became only the third player in NFL history to record 1,000 rush and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season (Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig). But he also led all running backs in receptions and receiving yards on play-action, which should help Goff, who in 2018 threw a league-best 15 play-action TDs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. McCaffrey is incredible, but my analytically-inclined brain can’t get behind an RB at 20th overall. Wagner is a great get, Goff isn’t a bad find in Round 3 and Fowler is off the board a bit too early.

play

2:43

Max Kellerman, Booger McFarland and Christian McCaffrey can’t agree on who’s the best running back in the NFL between McCaffrey, Zeke Elliott and Saquon Barkley.

Drafted by Tim McManus, Eagles reporter

Round 1 (21): Baker Mayfield, QB Round 2 (44): Chase Young, DE Round 3 (85): Lane Johnson, OT Round 4 (108): A.J. Brown, WR

I bought low on the 25-year-old Mayfield, believing circumstance dragged him down last season and that he’s poised for a sharp ascent entering Year 3. Given that we’re looking at a five-year window to pursue a championship, I can’t think of an edge rusher I’d rather bet on than the exceptionally-gifted Young, who led the FBS with 16.5 sacks last season.

I would have preferred a left tackle in Round 3, but it would have been a forced pick given the players available, and you can sleep well knowing Johnson is going to take care of business on his side. With the main priorities checked off the to-do-list, I gave Mayfield an explosive skill position player to lean on in Brown. — McManus

Stat to know: Expect plenty of big plays. Mayfield has the fourth-most completions of at least 20 yards downfield (56) over the past two seasons. Now he gets to throw to Brown, who led all rookies in receiving yards (1,051) last season and averaged the second-most yards per reception (20.2) in the NFL.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Mayfield remains an unknown, but I like the upside dart throw at No. 21. We know Johnson is an elite OT, and while Young and Brown are less of sure things, both have elite upside.

Drafted by Marcel Louis-Jacques, Bills reporter

Round 1 (22): Michael Thomas, WR Round 2 (43): Josh Allen, QB Round 3 (86): Matthew Judon, OLB Round 4 (107): Micah Hyde, S

With so many QBs off the board by the time my first pick came around, I wanted to focus on getting a bonafide playmaker for whichever QB I ended up with. And you can’t do too much better than Thomas. Then Allen’s ability to extend plays and move the chains elevated him above the remaining QB candidates in the second round, especially if he develops on the same trajectory in Year 3 that he did in Year 2. Judon provides this defense with a high-level pass-rusher, while Hyde secures the secondary as one of the league’s most underrated and versatile safeties. — Louis-Jacques

Stat to know: If you’re sticking with Allen, the only qualified passer who didn’t complete 60% of his passes in either 2018 or 2019, then pairing him with Thomas is as good as it gets. NFL Next Gen Stats tells us Thomas led the NFL with a plus-12.7% catch percentage above expectation last season. That’s great news for Allen’s accuracy; he ranked 31st out of 32 last year in off-target percentage on short throws (17%).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Thomas may be the most valuable non-QB in the league. But can Allen get him the ball? And Nos. 86 and 107 feel a little early for Judon and Hyde, respectively.

Drafted by Mike Reiss, Patriots reporter

Round 1 (23): Sam Darnold, QB Round 2 (42): T.J. Watt, OLB Round 3 (87): Amari Cooper, WR Round 4 (106): Frank Clark, DE

A trusted personnel evaluator relayed that any good team would primarily focus on four areas — QB, pass-rusher, CB and left tackle. But picking at No. 23, there was concern with the quality of QB that would be there. So it was a pleasant surprise to see Darnold still available (he got the nod over Matthew Stafford due to age). Two top pass-rushers in Watt and Clark create the foundation for a defense that will attack with the pass-rush, while Cooper in the third round was simply a case of not letting an unexpected opportunity with a high-end player pass.

I was hoping All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson would fall to No. 87 in the third round, but it figures the Colts (No. 77) ensured that wouldn’t happen. Cooper was a nice consolation prize. — Reiss

Stat to know: The Patriots are the only team in this exercise that has two different pass-rushers with 20-plus sacks over the past two seasons.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. I appreciate the objectivity of taking Darnold over Stidham, but the locals may not. Landing Watt at No. 42 is a steal, and Reiss did a solid job filling the roster out with Cooper and Clark.

Drafted by Mike Triplett, Saints reporter

Round 1 (24): Khalil Mack, OLB Round 2 (41): Ryan Ramczyk, OT Round 3 (88): Jamal Adams, S Round 4 (105): Philip Rivers, QB

To celebrate 100 years of pro football, Peyton Manning travels the country to see the people and places that made the NFL the NFL. Watch on ESPN+ » More »

I obviously went with the “best available” strategy since I was the last person to draft a QB. I considered Kirk Cousins in Round 2, but since 17 QBs were taken before I even made my first pick, I never felt like there would be a major drop-off if I waited. I’m happy with Rivers in the short term while I develop a future replacement — maybe even Taysom Hill.

Meanwhile, I landed a top-10 overall talent in Mack at No. 24 and a steal in Adams at No. 88. My toughest choice was Ramczyk at No. 41 over fellow OTs like Tyron Smith, Laremy Tunsil and Terron Armstead. But Ramczyk is obviously a great fit with the Saints, just turned 26 and is widely regarded as the league’s top right tackle. And we could move him back to his college position of LT if needed. — Triplett

Stat to know: The passing game was a priority on both sides of the ball. Mack is one of two players since 2014 with 60.0 sacks and 20 forced fumbles (Chandler Jones). Last season, Adams had the second-best completion percentage relative to expectation when the nearest defender, trailing only Eddie Jackson, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. And Adams has 12.0 career sacks, which is most among all defensive backs over the past five seasons (Adams debuted in 2017).

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Mack is great, but also 29 years old and not a QB. That’s a risky move at No. 24. I like the Ramczyk and Adams picks, and Rivers is a great short-term QB find at No. 105.

Drafted by Courtney Cronin, Vikings reporter

Round 1 (25): Ryan Tannehill, QB Round 2 (40): Davante Adams, WR Round 3 (89): Arik Armstead, DE Round 4 (104): Harrison Smith, S

I grabbed Tannehill, who I see as a top-15 QB talent, with my first-round selection and built around him. The 2019 season was the best of Tannehill’s career, and I believe bringing a true No. 1 receiver like Adams into the mix will allow him to carry over that success for the next three to five years. Adams has the second-most receiving touchdowns (28) over the past three seasons and shows up when it counts the most, with 45 catches for 687 yards and six touchdowns in eight playoff games.

The value I got for a pass-rusher (another key part of a Super Bowl team) in the third round, when I landed Armstead coming off a 10-sack breakout season, made me feel like I was building a solid, balanced team. I chose Smith with my wild-card pick because when a future Hall of Famer is available, you take him, especially one who makes plays all over the defense. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he’s the only player in the league with 20-plus interceptions (23) and 10-plus sacks (13) since 2012. — Cronin

Stat to know: Adams is Tannehill’s only above-average skill player, a spot in which he’s familiar. Over the past two years, Adams is one of six wideouts who has accounted for over one-quarter of his team’s targets, joining Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, Jarvis Landry, Keenan Allen and Julio Jones.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Cronin is betting that she’ll get the Tannehill of 2019. We’ll see. But Adams, Armstead and Smith were good, safe picks.

Drafted by Sarah Barshop, Texans reporter

Round 1 (26): DeAndre Hopkins, WR Round 2 (39): Saquon Barkley, RB Round 3 (90): Derek Carr, QB Round 4 (103): Tyrann Mathieu, S

No elite quarterback available at No. 26? No problem. The player I took instead only needs an average one to be an All-Pro. Hopkins is in his prime and has put up huge numbers with the likes of Brian Hoyer, Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage throwing him the ball.

I was shocked to see Barkley on the board for my next pick, so I opted to go for the best running back-wide receiver combo in the league. Carr is coming off a strong season without elite playmakers to throw to, so he was an easy third-round pick. I wanted J.J. Watt but couldn’t risk missing out on the best of the remaining quarterbacks. Besides, Mathieu — who was voted by his teammates as the MVP of the reigning Super Bowl champions — is an ideal leader and playmaker to lead the defense. — Barshop

Stat to know: The non-O’Brien Texans welcome back Hopkins and pair him with Barkley, both of whom rank third at their positions in scrimmage yards since 2018. And Carr quietly set career-highs in Total QBR and yards per attempt last season, and would have the two best weapons of his career.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. I am shocked Barshop took Hopkins over David Johnson. Wait, no I’m not. Speaking of running backs, I would’ve passed on one in the second round, but at least it’s the young, dynamic Barkley. Carr was a strong value, and Mathieu’s versatility is a terrific get.

play

1:48

DeAndre Hopkins joins Jalen & Jacoby to rank himself against the elite wide receivers in the NFL like Michael Thomas and Julio Jones.

Drafted by Brady Henderson, Seahawks reporter

Round 1 (27): Mike Evans, WR Round 2 (38): Jalen Ramsey, CB Round 3 (91): Ben Roethlisberger, QB Round 4 (102): DeMarcus Lawrence, DE

Eighteen quarterbacks were already taken, and I went into the draft prioritizing a wide receiver or left tackle as my non-QB offensive player. Evans was the choice at No. 27 because he’s younger than Julio Jones and more trustworthy than Tyreek Hill.

Jared Goff was tempting at No. 38, but I went with Ramsey with the hopes that Roethlisberger would still be there for my third pick. He was. My thinking: The difference between Goff and Roethlisberger is smaller than the difference between Ramsey — arguably the NFL’s top cornerback — and any defenders who would be available at No. 91. It was a toss-up between Lawrence and Frank Clark for my final pick, but I went Lawrence because of his superior pass rush win rate. — Henderson

Stat to know: What better way for Roethlisberger to get his career going again after missing all but two games last season than throwing the ball to someone like Evans, who joined Randy Moss as the only players with 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first six seasons.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Evans is a difference maker but a bit bold of a pick in Round 1. Landing Big Ben in Round 3 was a nice save, while Ramsey and Lawrence are tremendous gets on defense.

Drafted by Jamison Hensley, Ravens reporter

Round 1 (28): Matthew Stafford, QB Round 2 (37): Julio Jones, WR Round 3 (92): J.J. Watt, DE Round 4 (101): Stefon Diggs, WR

As one team official said long ago, you need a strong-armed quarterback to compete in the AFC North. Stafford was too obvious. The only other worthy quarterbacks available were either too young (Tua Tagovailoa) or too risky because of health (Cam Newton).

The Ravens’ mindset is to take a running back next, but Jones was sitting there at the No. 37 overall pick. As Baltimore showed time and time again in the 2020 NFL draft, you take the best player available. The Ravens have traditionally had vocal leaders on defense, so it made perfect sense to take someone like J.J. Watt. For the wild-card spot, the targets were running back Nick Chubb and kicker Justin Tucker. But both were selected in the five picks before I was on the clock. The top player left at the No. 101 pick, in my opinion, was Diggs. — Hensley

Stat to know: Stafford ranks sixth in passing TDs over his career (237), but his teams have ranked in the top 12 in scoring defense only once. Enter Watt, whose Texans defenses have ranked in the top 12 in scoring defense in six of his nine career seasons.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Stafford was one of the steals of the draft, as the 32-year-old remains an above-average starter. This team will have a short window with Jones and Watt nearing the end of their primes. Will Diggs dig being second in line at WR?

Drafted by Turron Davenport, Titans reporter

Round 1 (29): Tyreek Hill, WR Round 2 (36): Cam Newton, QB Round 3 (93): Fletcher Cox, DT Round 4 (100): Jaire Alexander, CB

How can I generate chunk plays through the air and keep opposing teams from doing the same? On offense, Hill is a receiver who can score any time he touches the ball and one of the NFL’s best deep threats. To further take advantage of that, I got Newton because of his downfield accuracy. The current real-life free agent can also extend plays to give Hill even more time to break free from coverage.

Defensively, I had Cox targeted, figuring he’d drop because of his sack numbers. He’s a disruptive player who impacts the quarterback and consistently stops running plays behind the line of scrimmage. Getting a top-level coverage corner like Alexander to match up with opposing WRs makes the pass defense complete. — Davenport

Stat to know: Could Hill’s speed turn Newton back into Superman? Hill has 43 catches of at least 30 yards since entering the league in 2016, the most in that span. Newton’s average pass distance traveled 10.3 yards in his 2015 MVP campaign, third-highest in the NFL. But that dipped to a career-low 7.0 air yards per attempt in 2018, which ranked 30th.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 3. Davenport landed a game-changer in Hill at No. 29 and quickly found him a QB (albeit a risky one) in Newton a few picks later. Cox and Alexander are both defensive disruptors.

play

1:53

Domonique Foxworth explains why Cam Newton hasn’t lived up to expectations during the nine years he has been in the NFL.

Drafted by Rob Demovsky, Packers reporter

Round 1 (30): Tua Tagovailoa, QB Round 2 (35): David Bakhtiari, OT Round 3 (94): Darius Slay, CB Round 4 (99): Justin Tucker, K

Picking at No. 30 wasn’t ideal for finding an established quarterback who’s better than average. But if you’re running the Packers, you better have a quarterback who can keep the franchise relevant. The ceiling is higher for Tagovailoa than any of the experienced guys who were still available. And you better protect him with an All-Pro tackle (yes, Bakhtiari is a left tackle and Tua is left-handed so he wouldn’t necessarily be protecting his blind side, but he’s elite). You’d love a pass-rusher, too, but the sure-fire disruptors were gone by Round 3. A shutdown corner is next-best in terms of importance, and I got that in Slay.

As for the kicker, why the heck not if you can get the best one in the league? The league-wide field-goal percentage last season was 81.6% (the lowest since 2009, according to ESPN Stats & Information) so having a kicker who’s coming off a 96.6% season (28 of 29) might win a game or two. Besides, it’s my team, and I’ll do what I want! — Demovsky

Stat to know: Keeping Tagovailoa upright is priority No. 1, and Bakhtiari will help a lot. He was the best pass blocking offensive tackle in the NFL, according to ESPN’s pass block win rate, sustaining 96% of his pass blocks for at least 2.5 seconds.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 2. Tua was arguably as good as Burrow pre-injury, so landing a 22-year-old potential star QB at No. 30 is an excellent value. Demovsky then protects him with one of the best in Bakhtiari, adds a top CB in Slay and then takes … a kicker?

Drafted by Nick Wagoner, 49ers reporter

Round 1 (31): George Kittle, TE Round 2 (34): Myles Garrett, DE Round 3 (95): Jameis Winston, QB Round 4 (98): Grady Jarrett, DT

With the 31st pick, I planned to wait on QB, and I wanted either the best player at a lesser position where there’s a sizable drop-off or someone who is elite at a premium position. I believe I checked each box with Kittle and Garrett, respectively.

I would have waited to take Winston with my final pick, but Kansas City still needed a quarterback, and he was the clear best option at that point. Finally, I would have preferred a top corner with my last selection, but Jarrett is one of the most underrated players in the league, and I liked him better than any of the corner options available. So I figured I’d give Garrett a running mate to get after quarterbacks. — Wagoner

Stat to know: Over the past two seasons, Kittle’s 2,430 receiving yards trails only Travis Kelce among tight ends. That should help Winston, who in that same span has completed 64% of his passes to tight ends, fourth-worst of any quarterback with at least 100 such throws. Meanwhile, the “Arrett Brothers” should provide pressure on the quarterbacks. Last season, Jarrett was second in pass rush win rate among interior defenders, while Garrett was fourth off the edge.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 1. Kittle and Garrett are arguably the best at their respective positions, Winston is a great QB flier at No. 95 and Jarrett is an elite DT. I like it a lot!

Drafted by Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter

Round 1 (32): Stephon Gilmore, CB Round 2 (33): Dalvin Cook, RB Round 3 (96): Nick Chubb, RB Round 4 (97): Tyrod Taylor, QB

I was guided by the “best player available” philosophy throughout and was pleasantly surprised at the availability of the NFL’s top cornerback in Gilmore and a couple of versatile backs in Cook and Chubb. But having seen how the draft unfolded, I made a mistake in waiting until my second wave of back-to-back picks to get my quarterback.

• Early rankings: Kiper » | McShay » • Meet the QBs » | Lawrence v. Burrow » • Predicting risers, sleepers, more » • Projecting the top 10 picks for 2021 » More NFL draft coverage »

I anticipated a better selection of QBs being available when I passed the first time around, and I was wrong. Instead of Cook, I should have gone for a veteran like Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr or Jared Goff, or even a younger player like Justin Herbert or Jarrett Stidham. But now I’m stuck with a journeyman at the game’s most important position, and I’m afraid I’m doomed to a lowly record and a much higher draft pick next year. — Teicher

Stat to know: Virtually the opposite of the real-life Chiefs, this Kansas City team will be run-heavy. It features a backfield with last year’s second-ranked (Chubb) and seventh-ranked (Cook) rushers in rushing yards per game. And when he was a starter from 2015 to ’17, Taylor’s 1,575 rushing yards and 14 rushing TDs trailed only Cam Newton among QBs.

Mike Clay’s draft grade: Tier 4. Starting with the league’s best corner was great, but back-to-back running backs and a 30-year-old borderline backup QB is problematic.

ALL 128 PICKS OF THE RE-DRAFTRound 1

1. Cincinnati: Patrick Mahomes, QB 2. Washington: Russell Wilson, QB 3. Detroit: Lamar Jackson, QB 4. N.Y. Giants: Deshaun Watson, QB 5. Miami: Aaron Donald, DT 6. L.A. Chargers: Ronnie Stanley, OT 7. Carolina: Joey Bosa, DE 8. Arizona: Drew Brees, QB 9. Jacksonville: Dak Prescott, QB 10. Cleveland: Nick Bosa, DE 11. N.Y. Jets: Carson Wentz, QB 12. Las Vegas: Aaron Rodgers, QB 13. Indianapolis: Joe Burrow, QB 14. Tampa Bay: Tom Brady, QB 15. Denver: Drew Lock, QB 16. Atlanta: Matt Ryan, QB 17. Dallas: Kyler Murray, QB 18. Pittsburgh: Teddy Bridgewater, QB 19. Chicago: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB 20. L.A. Rams: Christian McCaffrey, RB 21. Philadelphia: Baker Mayfield, QB 22. Buffalo: Michael Thomas, WR 23. New England: Sam Darnold, QB 24. New Orleans: Khalil Mack, OLB 25. Minnesota: Ryan Tannehill, QB 26. Houston: DeAndre Hopkins, WR 27. Seattle: Mike Evans, WR 28. Baltimore: Matthew Stafford, QB 29. Tennessee: Tyreek Hill, WR 30. Green Bay: Tua Tagovailoa, QB 31. San Francisco: George Kittle, TE 32. Kansas City: Stephon Gilmore, CB

Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Donald & Lamar Jackson ESPNRound 2

33. Kansas City: Dalvin Cook, RB 34. San Francisco: Myles Garrett, DE 35. Green Bay: David Bakhtiari, OT 36. Tennessee: Cam Newton, QB 37. Baltimore: Julio Jones, WR 38. Seattle: Jalen Ramsey, CB 39. Houston: Saquon Barkley, RB 40. Minnesota: Davante Adams, WR 41. New Orleans: Ryan Ramczyk, OT 42. New England: T.J. Watt, OLB 43. Buffalo: Josh Allen, QB 44. Philadelphia: Chase Young, DE 45. L.A. Rams: Bobby Wagner, ILB 46. Chicago: Derrick Henry, RB 47. Pittsburgh: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S 48. Dallas: Tyron Smith, OT 49. Atlanta: Cameron Jordan, DE 50. Denver: Travis Kelce, TE 51. Tampa Bay: Alvin Kamara, RB 52. Indianapolis: Zach Ertz, TE 53. Las Vegas: Von Miller, OLB 54. N.Y. Jets: Odell Beckham Jr., WR 55. Cleveland: Justin Herbert, QB 56. Jacksonville: Danielle Hunter, DE 57. Arizona: Chandler Jones, DE 58. Carolina: DeForest Buckner, DE 59. L.A. Chargers: Za’Darius Smith, OLB 60. Miami: Ezekiel Elliott, RB 61. N.Y. Giants: Yannick Ngakoue , DE 62. Detroit: Derwin James, S 63. Washington: Shaquil Barrett, DE 64. Cincinnati: Josh Allen, DE

Round 3

65. Cincinnati: Laremy Tunsil, OT 66. Washington: Trent Williams, OT 67. Detroit: Tre’Davious White, CB 68. N.Y. Giants: Terron Armstead, OT 69. Miami: Kirk Cousins, QB 70. L.A. Chargers: Daniel Jones, QB 71. Carolina: Jarrett Stidham, QB 72. Arizona: A.J. Green, WR 73. Jacksonville: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR 74. Cleveland: Chris Godwin, WR 75. N.Y. Jets: Bradley Chubb, OLB 76. Las Vegas: Josh Jacobs, RB 77. Indianapolis: Quenton Nelson, G 78. Tampa Bay: Chris Jones, DT 79. Denver: Isaiah Simmons, ILB 80. Atlanta: CeeDee Lamb, WR 81. Dallas: Keenan Allen, WR 82. Pittsburgh: Mitchell Schwartz, OT 83. Chicago: Jerry Jeudy, WR 84. L.A. Rams: Jared Goff, QB 85. Philadelphia: Lane Johnson, OT 86. Buffalo: Matthew Judon, OLB 87. New England: Amari Cooper, WR 88. New Orleans: Jamal Adams, S 89. Minnesota: Arik Armstead, DE 90. Houston: Derek Carr, QB 91. Seattle: Ben Roethlisberger, QB 92. Baltimore: J.J. Watt, DE 93. Tennessee: Fletcher Cox, DT 94. Green Bay: Darius Slay, CB 95. San Francisco: Jameis Winston, QB 96. Kansas City: Nick Chubb, RB

Round 4

Who is No. 1 in the latest NFL Football Power Index? Go to Ratings

97. Kansas City: Tyrod Taylor, QB 98. San Francisco: Grady Jarrett, DT 99. Green Bay: Justin Tucker, K 100. Tennessee: Jaire Alexander, CB 101. Baltimore: Stefon Diggs, WR 102. Seattle: DeMarcus Lawrence, DE 103. Houston: Tyrann Mathieu, S 104. Minnesota: Harrison Smith, S 105. New Orleans: Philip Rivers, QB 106. New England: Frank Clark, DE 107. Buffalo: Micah Hyde, S 108. Philadelphia: A.J. Brown, WR 109. L.A. Rams: Dante Fowler Jr., DE 110. Chicago: Eddie Jackson, S 111. Pittsburgh: DK Metcalf, WR 112. Dallas: Maxx Crosby, DE 113. Atlanta: Jeff Okudah, CB 114. Denver: Courtland Sutton, WR 115. Tampa Bay: Kenny Golladay, WR 116. Indianapolis: Darius Leonard, ILB 117. Las Vegas: Henry Ruggs III, WR 118. N.Y. Jets: Zack Martin, G 119. Cleveland: Jarvis Landry, WR 120. Jacksonville: Marshon Lattimore, CB 121. Arizona: Patrick Peterson, CB 122. Carolina: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT 123. L.A. Chargers: Brandon Brooks, G 124. Miami: Kevin Byard, S 125. N.Y. Giants: Allen Robinson II, WR 126. Detroit: DJ Moore, WR 127. Washington: Terry McLaurin, WR 128. Cincinnati: Tyler Lockett, WR

Source link

The post Re-drafting the NFL – We picked 128 foundational players across all 32 teams appeared first on The Bleak Report.

from WordPress https://bleakreport.com/re-drafting-the-nfl-we-picked-128-foundational-players-across-all-32-teams/

[auburnfamilynews]

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Yikes.

Before you get any further than this, stop. Grab a beverage. You may need it.

Losing sucks. Losing is the House. The House always wins; your team will eventually lose. And the loss, the one loss, will hurt more than all the other wins, until you win again. The cycle resets. In your heart, you believe your team will never lose again. Losing is the inevitable outcome of sports. But losing is necessary. Losing is perspective. Pain, as a sports fan, is vital. Without 2012, 2013 isn’t quite as magical.

I’ve been on twitter long enough to know that Auburn fans love suffering, and love to argue about suffering, and love to compare bad experiences. We all believe we have it worse than the next fan. And Auburn fans? Well, Auburn fans have seen their share of suffering. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and visit some of the most brutal losses in Auburn football history.

Criteria:

To date (May, 2020), Auburn football has participated in 1,268 games. To make this super exclusive list, the Auburn team must qualify for all three of the following criteria:

Auburn Lost: this may seem obvious, but to make this list, Auburn must have lost the game in question. Otherwise, 2015 Jax State would definitely be making an appearance. That game was terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad. But Auburn won, technically, so we’ll move on. Games are weighted by margin of defeat. Games remaining: 445

Auburn must have been ranked: if you have ever visited twitter dot com, you are aware that everyone loves to dump on the AP poll. Myself included. However, they typically do a decent job at identifying the good teams from the bad. Being ranked does carry weight, especially among the fan base. Be honest, our own expectations are significantly increased when Auburn is a Top 10 team. This will eliminate games prior to 1936. Apologies to your great great grandparents. Games are weighted by rank: Top 10 Auburn teams will be weighted higher than Auburn teams ranked 11-25. Games remaining: 118

Auburn must have been a double digit favorite: This is the key. While the AP poll is somewhat good at evaluating strengths, Vegas is really, really good at evaluating strengths. Those casino high rises didn’t build themselves. In 2019, Vegas favorites went 540-184-11 (.742) straight up. Double digit favorites went 423-40 (.914) straight up. If Auburn was ranked as a double digit favorite, we were all confident at kickoff. This will eliminate games prior to the late 1980’s. I’m sure spreads existed back then, but it is very difficult to find them online. Games are weighted by spread: the larger the spread, the more brutal. Games remaining: 14

So here we are. Last chance to turn around. Maybe take a moment, top off that beverage. Hug a loved one. Take in some fresh air. Whatever it takes to get through the next few paragraphs.

The 14 most brutal Auburn losses, ranked from least brutal to most brutal:

14. 1986 Georgia

Final Score: L, 16-20

Auburn Rank: 9

Spread: Auburn -10.5

I’m putting this here for a couple of reasons.

Auburn’s undefeated 1986 campaign had already been ruined by Florida in Gainesville two weeks earlier. Still, a win would have given Auburn at least a share of the SEC title.

However, I was born a few years after this game was played. I can’t put this kind of loss into perspective. Sorry. Feel free to tell me all the reasons I’m wrong below, though!

13. 1991 Southern Miss

Final Score: L, 9-10

Auburn Rank: 16

Spread: Auburn -12.5

Similar to a couple of games below, this is an Auburn team that had no business being ranked. A flat Auburn team just couldn’t get it done.

12. 1990 Southern Miss

Final Score: L, 12-13

Auburn Rank: 15

Spread: Auburn -12

Is a loss to Brett Favre really that brutal? A winnable game that Auburn let slip through their fingers.

But really, how do you come back from a beating in the Swamp? Auburn was 7 days removed from a 48-7 bludgeoning by the Gators. I’m going to let this one slide.

11. 2005 Wisconsin (Capital One Bowl)

Final Score: L, 7-21

Auburn Rank: 7

Spread: Auburn -10

Another one that barely squeaks in. Fan expectations were high after an undefeated campaign in 2004, but a poor opening loss to Georgia Tech and an overtime loss to LSU (that included a hundred missed field goals) left the 2005 team with a feeling that they fell short, even after defeating Georgia and Alabama to close out the regular season.

I don’t know for certain that the team didn’t care about the game. I don’t know for certain that the team might have had a little too much team-building the night before. I know a sleepy Auburn squad on New Year’s Day got run out of the building by a Wisconsin team that wanted to be there. Barry Alvarez had those boys ready to play.

10. 2008 Arkansas

Final Score: L, 22-25

Auburn Rank: 23

Spread: Auburn -16.5

This is such a bizarre game. 2008 was wild. Preseason expectations were quickly dashed with a typical crazy last-minute loss to LSU. Then, somehow, College Gameday was the Auburn/Vanderbilt game two weeks later? (side note: the worst Auburn teams always seem to draw the best Vanderbilt teams. See, 2008 and 2012). Did Auburn deserve to be ranked? Hindsight, no, but even in the moment, 23 felt generous. Should Auburn have beaten that Arkansas team? Definitely. Arkansas was 2-3 and had been outscored 139-31 in their previous 3 games. But Auburn was awful that day. Tony Franklin had just been dismissed, and football genius Steve Ensminger took over playcalling duties. Auburn stunk from start to finish, and Arkansas took a deliberate safety to seal the win.

9. 2018 Tennessee

Final Score: L, 24-30

Auburn Rank: 21

Spread: Auburn -14.5

This one that barely qualifies. At this point, Auburn had already gotten beaten pretty badly by Mississippi State (no thanks to two different instant replays, no, I’m not bitter at all) and lost a narrow one to LSU (patience, we’ll get to this one) but this pretty much ended any expectations for 2018. Not much else to say.

8. 2017 UCF (Peach Bowl)

Final Score: L, 27-34

Auburn Rank: 7

Spread: Auburn -10.5

Maybe it’s just me, but this loss wasn’t as brutal as some make it out to be. 2017 Auburn had a magical November, followed up by a poor performance in Atlanta against Georgia. Several players had suffered injuries (Kerryon Johnson) or had all but declared for the draft (Carlton Davis). UCF looked like they wanted to be there, Auburn didn’t. UCF would go on to claim a national championship.

7. 1996 Georgia

Final Score: L, 49-56 (4 OT)

Auburn Rank: 20

Spread: Auburn -10

The first overtime SEC game was especially painful. Georgia was aggressively mediocre at best in 1996, and Auburn led 28-7 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Even after surrendering two TDs, Auburn still got a fourth down stop with very little time remaining, and then they proceeded to fail to get a first down and run out the clock. No matter, they could still get a stop. Except on nearly the final play of the game, Auburn appeared to sack Mike Bobo with just 6 seconds remaining. For some reason, the clock was stopped and placed back at the 31 yard line, allowing UGA to spike the ball. They would throw a desperation TD pass on the next play, and hit the PAT to tie the game. Four overtimes later, Auburn finally couldn’t convert their opportunity.

6. 1997 Mississippi State

Final Score: L, 0-20

Auburn Rank: 11

Spread: -17

Some of the losses in this list make sense in hindsight (the 2018 team wasn’t as good as originally thought; the 2006 team had so little offensive firepower that if they started committing turnovers, or if the defense wasn’t lights-out that things could go south). This loss does not. This was not a particularly good Mississippi State team. They had been blown out by UGA, handled easily by LSU, and beat their 3 non-conference opponents (Memphis, ULM, and UCF) by a total of 24 points. The game was in Auburn, and the Tigers were coming off of a more-solid-than-it-looked win at Arkansas, and the only blemish was a hard-fought loss to one of Spurrier’s best Florida teams. For some reason, Auburn couldn’t do anything against Mississippi State on offense. In the previous 3 meetings, Auburn scored 42, 48, and 49 points against the Bulldogs. Then, somehow, on a rainy afternoon at Jordan-Hare, Terry Bowden’s offense lost the plot.

My enduring memory of this game: on almost every fourth down, Mississippi State would line up with their base offense and force Auburn’s defense to stay on the field. Then MSU QB Matt Wyatt would drop back a few yards and punt. Not a pooch punt. I’m talking a real two-step punt. Fearing MSU would go for it if given the opportunity, Auburn never sent anyone back to return the punt, so it would inevitably roll another 10-15 yards. Sports-reference.com tells me Wyatt punted 13 times in 1997, but I swear half of them were in this game.

5. 2018 LSU

Final Score: L, 21-22

Auburn Rank: 7

Spread: -10

We briefly talked about 2018 earlier. Expectations were high with returning starter Jarrett Stidham at quarterback. However, the future New England Patriot opened the game with a really, really poor interception, setting up transfer quarterback Joe Burrow with a very easy touchdown drive. Auburn regained control of the game and led 21-10 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. FPI even gave Auburn a 90% chance of winning halfway through the fourth quarter. Auburn let a 71 yard touchdown pass slip through their fingers and committed several defensive pass interference penalties as Cole Tracy kicked the game winning field goal as time expired. The way this game played out was heartbreaking. Auburn had the team to win this game.

4. 2006 Arkansas

Final Score: L, 10-27

Auburn Rank: 2

Spread: Auburn -13.5

2006 Auburn entered the season with all sorts of crazy expectations, even on a national level. The AP had Auburn at #4 in the country in the preseason poll and was a near-consensus #2 behind Ohio State by the time the Arkansas game rolled around. Auburn had already beaten #6 LSU 7-3 in a nail-biter 3 weeks earlier. This team was good, and had the resume to prove it.

Enter Darren McFadden. A young play caller by the name of Gus Malzahn, equipped with the second-best football player I have ever seen with my own eyes, had his way against Auburn’s elite defense.

Arkansas was obviously underrated at the time. Malzahn had his typical “slow start to the season” game against USC, getting blown out 50-14, followed by 3 wins against unranked opponents. They would go on to win the SEC West in 2006. But in the moment, this one stung.

Oh, and this was the first loss I ever witnessed in person. That may explain why this one is so high.

3. 2016 Georgia

Final Score: L, 7-13

Auburn Rank: 9

Spread: Auburn -10

There was a stretch in 2016 where Auburn’s offense looked as dominant as they ever had. I fondly remember the 2016 Arkansas beatdown, or even the Mississippi State game. That team was clicking. Unfortunately, Pettway was hindered by injuries. Sean White likely lied to his coaches about the extent (or existence of) an injury in his throwing arm. By the time the Georgia game got around, the defense looked unbelievable, and the offense looked incompetent.

Still, Auburn’s defense was good enough to beat this Georgia team with one hand tied behind their back.

2. 2006 Georgia

Final Score: L, 15-37

Auburn Rank: 9

Spread: Auburn -11.5

This team could have contended for a national championship. HOWEVER, some huckster from Arkansas had to come in with his Wildcat and his gotdang trick plays and ruin us on a hungover Saturday morning when the Tigers were ranked 2nd in the country. Yes, Gus Malzahn hit the 2006 Auburn team with its first death blow, but Georgia provided the killshot.

If you were there on a rainy November morning, Auburn had rebounded from the loss to the Hogs, beaten Florida, and entered the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry ranked 5th in the land (the highest-ranked SEC team). Arkansas had the inside track to the SEC Championship game with the tiebreaker, but Auburn was in position for a BCS bowl game either way, if they could finish at 11-1 in the regular season. Nah.

This one started poorly with a Georgia drive to score five minutes in, but it was a 23-7 Bulldog second quarter that doomed Auburn. Down 30-7 at halftime, Brandon Cox and the offense were completely ineffective (Cox completed 4 passes to his own team and 4 passes to the other team), while chubby Matt Stafford ran the quarterback draw to perfection (7 carries, 83 yards, 1 touchdown). My memories include sitting in the rain under the press box in Section 5 and wondering why Georgia’s shell band was so much louder than our full band.

Auburn lost 37-15, and over his final two games against Georgia, Brandon Cox would throw EIGHT interceptions. The Tigers finished the 2006 season at 10-2 after a super-boring and totally Tubervillian win over Alabama, then they’d beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl to reach 11 wins. In September/October, you would’ve thought this team could compete for a national championship. In November? The eleven wins would seem like an incredibly unrealistic total for an offense that could barely escape from a wet paper bag.

1. 2014 Texas A&M

Final Score: L, 38-41

Auburn Rank: 3

Spread: Auburn -23.5

I have some pretty strong feelings about the 2014 team. I believe that offense was actually better than 2013. I loved that team. The 2014 LSU game is the most fun game I’ve been too, and that list includes the Kick Six. 2014 Auburn rose all the way up to #2, stumbled against future Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and made it back up to #3 in time for the game against A&M. Meanwhile, A&M’s last two games included a 59-0 beatdown by Alabama and a narrow win over La Monroe. Oh, and Auburn was a 23.5 point favorite. twenty three and a half points. In 2019, teams favored by at least 20 points went 224-10 (.957) straight up. You may recall South Carolina beating a Top 5 Georgia squad. Losses like this just don’t happen.

Auburn outplayed A&M that afternoon. Auburn trailed all game, but a comeback seemed like a foregone conclusion. We were that much better. CAP rushed for 220 and 2 touchdowns! Nick Marshall ran two touchdowns in and threw for another. The team was clicking. However, it wasn’t meant to be. A late fumble near the goal line, followed by a rather large blunder with a snap, gave the game away to the Aggies.

A 23.5 point spread remains the largest upset in Auburn history. I’d argue that this game, single-handily, knocked the magic out of Gus Malzahn until 2016, maybe even 2017. Darkest_Timeline.gif. If Auburn wins this game, they don’t sleepwalk through Georgia, they may play just a bit better against Alabama, and may even make a playoff. Am I reaching? Maybe. I was at Jordan Hare for this. Sitting in the same section, same row as I did for the Kick Six. This one stuck with me.

How did I do? What criteria would you use to rank the most brutal losses in Auburn history?

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/5/11/21246429/the-most-brutal-losses-in-auburn-football-history

[thepilgrimgeek]

What's On My "To See" List in 2020

The Academy Awards are over. They were mediocre as far as production but Parasite won Best Picture and Bong Joon-ho won Best Directing which was all I desired. But a new year in cinema is upon us! Here's what I'm looking forward to in 2020! Wonder Woman 1984: I was genuinely surprised by the first film. It was a brief sign that maybe the tide was beginning to turn for DC. While I thought the third act was nothing special and perhaps even a little contrary to some of Wonder Woman's overarching themes, I'm still looking forward to Patty Jenkins' and Gal Gadot's second entry in the Wonder Woman saga. Between the retro '84 aesthetic and Kristen Wiig as Cheetah, I'll be surprised if this movie doesn't at least entertain for the majority of its run time. https://youtu.be/sfM7_JLk-84 The Invisible Man: I'm not sure what to expect from this movie. It has the potential to be a fascinating exploration about the trauma left in the wake of abusive relationships. The trailer certainly seems to indicate the same. However, the original work by H.G. Wells characterizes Griffin (the titular Invisible Man) as someone slowly becoming unhinged through his life experiences. Will this film be a bold take on abusive relationships, or will take a route similar to Joker where the villain is a tragic creation of his society and circumstances? I hope it is the former... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO_FJdiY9dA The New Mutants: This movie is on here for no other reason than I've waited... and waited... and waited. I love the X-Men, despite their lackluster film history. This film has had production woes, their production company then changed hands from Fox to Disney, and the release date has been pushed back several times. But check out Wolfsbane and Magik. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2QXoFZekNE The French Dispatch: So it's Wes Anderson... doing Wes Anderson stuff. I'll laugh, and reflect fondly on Bill Murray's versatility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcPk2p0Zaw4 Emma: I would not consider myself a fan of Jane Austen. I can appreciate Pride and Prejudice, but I never felt inclined to devour her bibliography the way I have Charles Dickens. But Emma looks very dry, and very funny. Bill Nighy looks like he's having a blast chewing scenery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsOwj0PR5Sk The King's Man: 2020 (like 2019, 2018, 2017...) is the the year for sequels, prequels, and spin offs. Franchises rule the day. I've written about The Kingsman franchise before on ThePilgrimGeek. I dig its style, its humor, and its deliberate yet lighthearted engagement with the super agent legacy of the likes of James Bond. The King's Man is a shoe-in for my 2020 list. Did I mention the villain is Rasputin!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pbLPOrTSsI Free Guy: Sometimes I'm interested in a flick because of its cast, despite a shaky premise. The trailer for Free Guy really says it all. Not something I'll run to the box office for on opening weekend, but a mid-week matinee? Sure. Also Taika Waititi has a role. Enough for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2m-08cOAbc Bill & Ted Face the Music: There is not official trailer as of this posting. But there is a Super Bowl ad for Walmart. How much explanation does this sequel really need? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE-WqZauGsc Wendy: Peter Pan is one of my favorite stories of all time. This interpretation has my curiosity. Captain Hook and his crew look less like pirates and more like lost fisherman, which is intriguing in its own right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKktQFFcXL0 Trolls World Tour: I did not see Trolls. I am still not sure I want to see Trolls. But Trolls World Tour? I am down. First and foremost, I want to see Trolls World Tour because my favorite podcasters and content creators trolled their way into the movie. Read that story from Vanity Fair here. That put the movie on my list right away because I love everything the McElroys touch, even bit cameos in movies with Justin Timberlake. I finally decided to watch the trailer this past week. Metal Trolls conquering the world. This would be a great opportunity to add Steel Panther's "Death To All But Metal" to the official sound track, but I have my doubts. Rock on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyTg7RIn-X8 What are you looking forward to in 2020? Which ones on this list look like garbage? Did I miss any important films in 2020? Comment below or shoot me an email! Read the full article

[nothingman]

It’s official: Disney has acquired the film and television arms of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion.

Assuming regulators allow the deal to go through (it’s expected to take at least a year to close), Disney will own the rights to everything from the Avatar movies to FX’s The Americans. Fox, meanwhile, maintains the rights to Fox News, the Fox broadcast network, Fox Sports 1, and the gigantic Fox studio lot in Los Angeles. One of the six core studios that make up Hollywood has effectively been gobbled up by another, the biggest deal of its kind in decades (probably since the 1955 dissolution of RKO, since by the time MGM finally disappeared, it had been ailing for decades, unlike Fox). Variety marks it as the second-biggest merger ever after AOL-Time Warner.

Much casual interest in the sale has been driven by the fact that Disney will now own the film rights to the Marvel comics characters associated with the X-Men and Fantastic Four, which Marvel sold off to Fox long before either was a Disney subsidiary. (Marvel still doesn’t entirely own film rights to the Hulk — solo Hulk movies have to be produced with Universal, which is probably part of why there haven’t been any recently.) But Disney also now owns the rights to a bunch of other well-known cultural properties, including The Simpsons, the Alien franchise, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Considering that Disney has proved so capable at turning beloved cultural properties into blandly effective hit-producing machines, there are a handful of reasons to be at least cautiously anticipatory about what it might do with all of its new toys.

But for the most part, this deal is a little terrifying. There are myriad reasons, but here are five that are most distressing to me — and only one of them is the incredibly troubling march of further media consolidation!

1) It’s entirely possible the Fox TV network will slowly wither away

One of the assets Disney couldn’t buy from Fox was its broadcast network of the same name, home to everything from The Simpsons to New Girl to The X-Files. The network launched in 1986 and was largely seen as a folly, but by the mid-’90s, it was a mainstay in most American homes, breaking the hegemony of the big three networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Federal Communications Commission regulations state that no one company can own more than one broadcast network, and Disney already owns ABC. This would be fine if Rupert Murdoch and News Corp were simply going to keep running the Fox network as it’s been run until now. But in 2017, there are essentially only two ways to make money as a broadcast network: make it a home for programming already owned by the network’s sister studio (meaning ABC airs mostly programming made by ABC Studios or other Disney sister companies), or make it a home for ridiculously cheap programming (meaning reality shows and news). So it seems unlikely they’ll stay the course, even though early reporting suggests Fox TV will exist much as is for now (though scripted product is expected to decline).

Fox, in essence, can’t pursue option one. If the deal goes through, all of Fox Television’s other assets — including its studio and attached cable networks, of which FX is the most prominent — will belong to Disney. And while there are a few programs on the network that are money-printing machines and will thus continue for at least a little while (The Simpsons and Family Guy chief among them), and a few other programs that it’s in Disney’s best interests to keep going (like the Marvel co-production The Gifted), there’s no reason for the Fox TV network to keep airing almost everything on its lineup if it won’t be collecting revenue from those shows via other means, like international sales or streaming sales. (Broadcast networks make almost all of their money from selling advertising space, a shrinking market in an era of ratings diminishment; essentially every other revenue stream is funneled toward the studios that produce TV shows.)

Now, there are ways that Fox could largely continue as-is. Disney could cut it a huge deal to carry many of those old Fox shows cheaply, figuring that they’re worth more to Disney as part of a huge streaming library and, thus, worth losing a lot of money on for a while. It’s also theoretically possible that Fox could sell off its TV network to another major studio that produces its own TV but doesn’t have a natural home for all of it (in essence, Sony or Warner Bros.). It could even become a glorified CW, should a studio like Sony team up with another player to share the cost of the network. (The CW is a joint venture between CBS and Warner Bros.)

But consider this: One of the key reasons to invest in the Fox network is that it holds NFL rights to broadcast NFC games, as well as the Super Bowl every third year. While NFL ratings have slipped, they’re still by far the biggest game in town, and if Fox really is refocusing on news and sports, letting NFL rights slip away wouldn’t make a lot of sense. And when you further consider that Fox has a longstanding relationship with (and share of) the reality TV producer Endemol Shine, it seems all the more likely that the network will continue to exist but mostly become a clearinghouse for reality programming, sports, and news content. This evolution, barring a sale to a different studio, seems inevitable. The network will still be Fox, but essentially a halfhearted version of itself.

Disney announces it has reached a deal to acquire 21st Century Fox, as predicted by a Simpsons episode that first aired on November 8, 1998. http://pic.twitter.com/kzloJQHeM8

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 14, 2017

2) Hulu will almost certainly become a Disney property

Hulu

One of the things keeping Hulu from truly taking on Netflix and Amazon for streaming network superiority has been its strange ownership situation, in which it is owned in part by Fox, Disney, NBCUniversal (an investor in Vox Media), and Warner Bros. When Fox sells its 30 percent share of Hulu to Disney in this deal, Disney will become the majority shareholder in Hulu. It remains to be seen if NBC will sell off its 30 percent stake, or Warner Bros. its 10 percent stake, but I think such a deal is likely.

Disney has been looking for a streaming platform with which it can strike back at Netflix. It made noise about creating its own platform, but just buying Hulu outright makes a certain sense. Hulu, after all, is already built and simply needs to go international. (Currently, Hulu is only available in the US.) And considering that Disney will now control the considerable TV library of Fox — as well as the smaller but still impressive Disney TV library — it will have a substantially advantageous position to turn Hulu into the Netflix competitor. (Disney is still said to be looking at building streaming platforms for sports programming, and then for its Marvel and Star Wars properties, but it’s also easy to imagine these proposed services becoming pricey Hulu add-ons.)

There are a handful of exciting things about this from the point of view of TV fans, like the idea of better integration between Hulu and FX, for instance. But one of the things that’s made Hulu work is its unstable ownership situation, which has essentially given the service access to almost all of the good TV, with packages that allow you to include even more TV networks to your Hulu bundle as add-ons. That’s led to a neither-fish-nor-fowl problem here and there for Hulu, but it’s also led to a massive library of TV shows, as well as the first drama series Emmy for a streaming service with The Handmaid’s Tale. It would be a shame to see that turned into another arm of the Disney monolith.

3) Wherever Rupert Murdoch ends up, he’ll have $52 billion more to play around with

The real wild card in this deal is what happens to Rupert Murdoch. He and his family now own 5 percent of Disney and will hold seats on the company’s board of directors. But Murdoch, by most accounts, has always preferred the worlds of news and sports to the world of movies and scripted TV.

The important thing is this: Murdoch has long wanted to take Fox News international, previously via a furtive, aborted attempt to port the model to the UK. The jury’s out on whether he can actually accomplish this (the network may simply be too wedded to the US Republican Party in the eyes of overseas viewers), but it’s not as if socially conservative, jingoistic nationalism can’t gain a foothold in other countries. One hitch in this is that Fox sold off many of its international TV assets in the Disney deal. Yet if any media platform can figure out a way to make that work, Fox News seems as likely as anybody else.

Couple that with the Fox broadcast network’s need for cheap programming (which would likely include news programming) and Fox Sports 1’s inability to get out of the shadow of Disney-owned ESPN, and you have what amounts to a company that exists largely to keep the Fox News business humming along. (News Corp, of course, still owns a number of print publications, including the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal.)

Of my five points, this is by far the most speculative. To be sure, it’s unlikely this will happen overnight, and it might take as long as a decade or two. But the successful future of the Murdoch empire is now tied largely to the successful expansion of Fox News. And the most likely path to chart leads out of the US and overseas.

4) 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight at least tried making films for adults. They now belong to a company only interested in making blockbusters.

The Post is one of several Oscar-friendly films Fox released this year.

Niko Tavernise/Twentieth Century Fox

This is, in comparison to most of these other points, ultimately a somewhat minor concern. But it’s true that Disney doesn’t make many movies per year, and those movies are almost always aimed at the blockbuster audience — which is to say families and young men in their early 20s and late teens. Disney is, in a real way, in the blockbuster business, making lots of Marvel, Star Wars, and animated films while rarely straining for much more.

Consider, for instance, that the studio is pumping a lot of money into an Oscar campaign for its Beauty and the Beast live-action remake because it … doesn’t have much else (though the strong reviews for the latest Star Wars film may give it another competitor). In contrast, Fox has many of the year’s most Oscar-friendly films, with two released under its Fox Searchlight banner, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and one from Fox proper, The Post, combining for 19 Golden Globe nominations just this week. Add in scattered nominations for the studio’s Battle of the Sexes, The Greatest Showman, and Ferdinand and Fox’s total rises to 27 nominations in total.

This isn’t a one-off, either. Fox Searchlight is fairly consistently in the Oscar hunt, and 20th Century Fox might not win awards as consistently, but it still continues to produce films aimed at adult audiences, like the surprise success Murder on the Orient Express or the less successful The Mountain Between Us.

Fox certainly tries to play the blockbuster game, but most of its major franchises, from X-Men to Planet of the Apes, have seen stronger box office returns in the past. While it might be worth it to Disney to get the X-Men and Fantastic Four back in the Marvel fold, Fox itself doesn’t bring a ton of great franchise assets to the table (though the Avatar sequels, slated to begin arriving in 2021, are a huge wild card in this equation). And though Oscars may not be incredibly important to Disney, it’s not as if the company wouldn’t like to win a Best Picture trophy someday (remarkably, a Disney film has never won Best Picture, though the former Disney subsidiary Miramax won a couple of times), which Fox Searchlight might help with. Indeed, Disney’s early messaging around Fox Searchlight has been largely positive, and it’s expected the division will continue as it has, for the most part.

But in order to not trip up antitrust regulators, it’s most likely Fox itself will have to reduce overall output. (It released 16 movies in 2016 and 13 in 2017.) So will Disney allow Fox to continue making movies aimed at a wide variety of audiences, some hitting and some flopping? Or will it push Fox into the same box as its other subsidiary studios, like Marvel and Pixar, responsible for a certain number of films per year, all of which are expected to set certain box office benchmarks? If that’s the case, then film fans will have lost something.

5) Yeah, media consolidation is bad, and it’s only getting worse with this deal

The quick and obvious take on the Disney-Fox deal is that media consolidation, already bad, is only getting worse. It’s been ages and ages since a major Hollywood studio just … disappeared, and now one that seemed pretty healthy from all evidence has been consumed by a bigger corporation. The big fish are eating each other, and soon there may only be one left.

The standard rebuttal to this concern is that tech companies can come in and “disrupt” the entertainment industry and media and shake things up to create room for new voices. And maybe this will happen! Certainly Netflix has become a Hollywood heavyweight in record time (even if it still struggles to draw interest to its films).

But for the most part, tech companies have built really great aggregators of content that comes from elsewhere. Outside of Netflix’s TV division, there aren’t any real roaring successes out of the tech industry — and you can’t create great art, or even popular art, simply by throwing money at it, something Hollywood knows all too well.

But if Fox is now part of Disney, then it’s hard to imagine that we’re not heading toward a universe where essentially all of the major media providers in the world are owned by three or maybe four companies. And while the most obvious issues with that stem from how media consumers are able to get news that takes on corporate interests, there are a host of others that range from the political to the artistic.

Suffice to say that having one less major studio isn’t a great sign for the health of the American entertainment industry, for the future prospects of film lovers, and for anybody who read the David Mitchell novel Cloud Atlas and recoiled a bit when learning that his futuristic, dystopian society where humans are literal corporate cattle described movies as “Disneys.”

via Vox - All

[recommendedlisten]

Album Review: oso oso - ‘basking in the glow’

A positive outlook doesn’t come natural to all people, and if it does -- Congratulations, and consider it your super power. It’s otherwise hard work for the rest of us to find in a world where the macro and the micro of bad things happening can whelm easily, though, and putting into practice looking at the glass half full eats a lot of energy. We all have our ways, to. This site alone is an act of intentional positive thinking on my end, because when I was in my mid-to-late 20s, I found it (and still sometimes do) very easy to fall into the pitfalls of negativity. When I began making an intention to look for the good in something I cared about (that being music and art,) it started to keep my mind on track offline as well.

oso oso mastermind Jade Liliitri is confronting that time in his life where he needs to do the same. The 26-year-old songwriter spent an entire album dwelling on the hurdles life throws at us with his 2017 sophomore breakout the yunahon mixtape, an album that recalled the melancholic guitar drifts of early Death Cab and the Promised Ring, but presented through a modern filter of personal specificity that empathized today’s generational woes. That album’s success led to him to being signed to independent punk and emo stronghold Triple Crown Records, who gave the self-released effort a wide re-release, and with it, a growing legion of listeners. Now that Lilitri is realizing that with a little hard work, patience, and dumb luck, good things can come your way even if they don't look exactly how you expected them to.

With his third studio effort basking in the glow, he’s gracious of them while they’re here, and giving them justice just as well in a technically tight outing in emo-pop precision. Truly, there hasn’t been an album as vivid and picturesque in spite of grim realities as this since Saves the Day’s criminally underrated power-punk-pop crossover classic in 2002′s In Reverie with both its form and texture, and go big or go home personality, which in this case also serves the greater good of, er, trying to see the good out there in your life despite. The struggle to get there is real, though, as Lilitri puts it a few times.

“Something’s little off / Now, nothing's ever right / I've got two souls fighting for the same spotlight,” he sings through the sun-lilted acoustic echoes of “intro” as he walks the long way toward toward the light in the process. The subsequent “the view” -- a life-affirming jolt of compact riffs and heartbeat-thumping drums -- goes all in, though, and has him dying trying to get there. “Hell yeah, so what? / Watch an optimist drink half-empty cups / Well I'll grow, we'll see / If there's something good in me.” If you needed more proof that old habits of negative thinking patterns can easily be undone by training the brain to think otherwise, where Lilitri is standing on “the view” is scientific evidence of that.

This back and forth sway of the positivity pendulum is what gives basking in the glow its earnestness in showing what self-preservation actually looks like when not dolled up in easier-said-than-done memes or clickbait guides. The album’s title track punches up to the motions of falling back into old ways, while “dig” sinks its heels in deep into mirrored harmonies as Lilitri holds an intervention with himself in questioning self-destructive tendencies. Its resolution comes in the acoustic gleam of “one sick plan”, a listen which initially begins in a state of dissolve and eventually reclaims clarity by its end. Lilitrii may take a few more faceplants before the album’s end, but it’s a fun journey to be on with him, whether it be letting the devil take the reigns on the riff-revved “wake up next to god” or learning how to just roll with the losses with relaxed shoulders on “impossible game”.

Sometimes looking at the world in a way that moves your feet forward also means accepting that shit happens regardless of our best efforts to do better. basking in the glow’s closer “charlie” leads him back down that same lightless, pensive path he started, but only so far. “I know it has to end / We'll just play pretend / Yeah, I think that's fine / 'Cause you and I had a very nice time,” he eulogizes a relationship on its collapse before sending the album off in roaring eruption fit to leave listeners bowled over. Bad things will never stop testng us, and maybe positive thinking isn’t a one-and-done session either. At least Lilitri knows how to twist life’s misfortune in his favor in a way that let’s both souls in him coexist peacefully.

basking in the glow by oso oso

oso oso’s basking in the glow is available now on Triple Crown Records.

[junker-town]

Predictions for every NFL team from those who know their team best

With no scrimmages or preseason, here is what to expect.

The hopes and dreams of 32 fanbases hang in the balance with the NFL season almost upon us. It’s been a bizarre lead up to the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning we have much less information than we normally would entering the season.

Normally we get at least some information from scrimmages and preseason by now. Instead we’re going off gut feelings and beliefs. We asked our network of team blogs (and a couple from your’s truly) to give us their predictions for their beloved teams in the hopes to learn more. Here’s what they think from the fans who know their teams the best.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals will live and die by their offense. The Cardinals did little to address their defense in the offseason, instead further stacking the offense by adding DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald are a quarterback’s dream, and Kyler Murray should have major success through the air this season. Unfortunately the defense still won’t be enough to have them compete in the NFC West ... yet.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons will be looking to put two straight years of mediocrity behind them and take a veteran team on a deep playoff run. With a ton of money committed to stars and short-term bets on players like Todd Gurley and Dante Fowler Jr., this team is built to contend right now and more or less has to keep the current brain trust around.

— Dave Choate, The Falcoholic

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will win the Super Bowl. With nearly all of their high-level talent returning and multiple big-name pass rushers being added to the defense, the Ravens will end the season hoisting the Lombardi trophy.

— Kyle Barber, Baltimore Beatdown

Buffalo Bills

The Bills will sink their teeth into the AFC East. The window is wide open for the Bills after years of being in New England’s shadow. While the Patriots move on from Tom Brady, and the rest of the division is, well, the Dolphins and Jets — there’s a major chance for the Bills to dominate and try to becoming the source of consistency in the division.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers will try to rebuild the franchise into a consistent winner under new head coach Matt Rhule, something they haven’t been since... well, since the team was founded in 1995. They’re still searching for their first ever back-to-back winning seasons, and they currently have a long, rocky road ahead if they plan to accomplish that goal anytime soon.

— Bradley Smith, Cat Scratch Reader

Chicago Bears

The Bears will once again have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but as is Chicago tradition, they’ll only go as far as the quarterback can take them. If Mitchell Trubisky — or Nick Foles — can simply manage the offense, the Bears will be back in the playoffs.

— Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., Windy City Gridiron

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals will bounce back faster than anyone expected. Joe Burrow is NFL ready from the jump, and the bones of this team are still good. Expect them to at least be competitive this season, and make people wonder why they were so bad a year ago.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Cleveland Browns

The Browns will have the best rushing attack in the NFL, but only when the passing game gets more efficient mid-way through the season will Cleveland start being the favorite to win every week as opposed to just a crapshoot. That will put them in the mix for a late-season wildcard chase in the AFC.

— Chris Pokorny, Dawgs By Nature

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys will see if Jason Garrett was the issue with their talented roster falling short of expectations. Mike McCarthy takes over as head coach and he will try to elevate the Cowboys into a team that can win in the playoffs.

— Dave Halprin, Blogging The Boys

Denver Broncos

The Broncos will surprise a lot of people. That defense is going to be sneaky elite, so watch out!

— Tim Lynch, Mile High Report

Detroit Lions

The Lions will have a top five offense with a healthy Matthew Stafford and new weapons in the backfield. If the defense can improve even marginally, they will be in the NFC North race come December.

— Jeremy Reisman, Pride of Detriot

Green Bay Packers

The Packers will be an NFC contender again, and even if they don’t match their lofty 13-3 record from a year ago they could be a better team overall. The defense returns almost all of the key players, featuring a terrifying pass rush and a strong secondary, while Aaron Rodgers looks poised for a bit of a bounce-back in his second year in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

— Evan Western, Acme Packing Company

Houston Texans

The Texans will be unpredictable. Yes, that sounds weird for a prediction — but so much is up in the air. Houston went some big roster shifts this offseason, notably headlined by trading DeAndre Hopkins, but as long as DeShaun Watson is under center this team can still make noise and win the AFC South.

— James Dator, SB Nation

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts will reclaim the AFC South title with a potent rushing attack, dominant offensive line and veteran quarterback leadership. The young defense will start to put everything together as All Pros Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner complement each other, second year cornerback Rock Ya-Sin takes a second-year leap, and Kenny Moore returns to the field healthy as one of the league’s best nickel corners.

— Brett Mock, Stampede Blue

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars will try to avoid suffering their ninth losing season since 2011. With 16 rookies included on the roster going into the season opener, a question mark at quarterback in Gardner Minshew, and a defense that traded away key players like Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye, it looks to be another year of heartbreak in Duval.

— Ryan Day, Big Cat Country

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs will become the first NFL team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since 2005. During the most uncertain of times, they returned nearly all of their starters from their championship team, highlighted by the game’s best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.

— Pete Sweeney, Arrowhead Pride

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders will be better on both offense and defense and will vie for an AFC playoff berth.

— Bill Williamson, Silver & Black Pride

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams will find the explosiveness on offense that they had in 2018 but lost last year and a surprise star player in the front-seven besides Aaron Donald, but who that is remains to be seen.

— Kenny Arthur, Turf Show Times

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins will look to build upon a surprise five-win season in 2019 after being called the “worst team ever” by some analysts. Under Ryan Fitzpatrick, this year is the stage-setter for the Dolphins to return to being a long-term contender once Tua Tagovailoa takes over late in the year or in 2021.

— Kevin Nogle, The Phinsider

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings will break their Bret Saberhagen-esque cycle of being very good in odd-numbered years and average in even-numbered years under Mike Zimmer. Despite their offseason losses, the Vikings still have a lot of talent, and the NFC North is there for the taking. The Vikings will do just that, nabbing their first division title since 2017.

— Christopher Gates, Daily Norseman

New England Patriots

The Patriots will continue to try to do their jobs. Are those jobs good enough to keep the dynasty alive, though? That’s the question...

— Bernd Buchmasser, Pats Pulpit

New Orleans Saints

The Saints will finally be able to add a second Super Bowl to the resume of Drew Brees. After getting agonizingly close the past few seasons, the Saints will finally take care of business in the playoffs to let Drew Brees ride off into the sunset of retirement as a champion.

— Christopher Dunnells, Canal Street Chronicles

New York Giants

The Giants will try to get turned around after going 12-36 over the past three seasons. The Giants are starting over with rookie head coach Joe Judge and second-year quarterback Daniel Jones.

— Ed Valentine, Big Blue View

New York Jets

The Jets will begin their latest rebuild. New general manager Joe Douglas made the first investments in the offseason by focusing on the offensive line. It is overdue, but the Jets have finally started to put pieces around Sam Darnold.

- John Butchko, Gang Green Nation

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles will make the playoffs for the fourth straight season but fail to win more than one playoff game at most due to offensive line issues.

— Brandon Lee Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers will look to ride Ben Roethlisberger‘s surgically repaired elbow back to the postseason. With an elite defense and a two-time Super Bowl champion commanding the huddle, the Steelers have pushed all their chips in for the 2020 season.

— Jeff Hartman, Behind the Steel Curtain

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers will see if Philip Rivers was really in decline last season, or if it was his surrounding cast that couldn’t get the job done. However, injuries remain a nuisance as they’ve already lost their best player on defense for the year.

— Michael Peterson, Bolts from the Blue

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers will turn into an offensive juggernaut, but come up short in the Super Bowl for the second season in a row. After a season’s worth of offensive highlights, ironically enough, it’s the defense that lets the team down in the big game.

— Kyle Posey, Niners Nation

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks will make their first serious Super Bowl run since the 2014 season. With an offense led by an MVP contender in Russell Wilson, as well as a defense with as talented a linebacker and secondary group as any in the NFL, Seattle is poised to win its first NFC West title since 2016, with the hope of greater things to come from there.

- Mookie Alexander, Field Gulls

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers will be one of the most improved and most successful teams in the NFL thanks to a man they call Tom Brady. Can we say Super Bowl?

— Gil Arcia, Bucs Nation

Tennessee Titans

The Titans will find themselves playing in the final four again, but this year they will get over the hump and make the Super Bowl.

— Jimmy Morris, Music City Miracles

Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team will struggle, but finally show some signs of life. Ron Rivera is a coach players love to give all their effort to, and that alone should make Washington at least watchable this season. It’s not much, but it’s progress.

— Scott Jennings, Hogs Haven

[beavervan55-blog]

7 key things we’ll be watching during Eagles OTA practices

The Philadelphia Eagles’ 2019 OTA practice schedule starts tomorrow on May 21. Tuesday marks the first time we’ll get to see these Birds in their first full practice this offseason. Remember: these drills are designed to be non-contact (no pads allowed), so it’s not quite real football yet, but it’s still better than nothing. Here are some key things we’ll be watching.

UPDATE: NFL Network reports Carson Wentz will have “no limitations for on-field drills during OTAs.”

Duh. There’s no other way to start this list.

It’s currently unclear to what extent Wentz will be participating in Tuesday’s practice. In his rookie minicamp press conference from two weeks ago, Doug Pederson was noncommittal about the starting quarterback’s status.

“Not going to get too specific or detail a lot of the things, but he’s been working. Encouraged by his progress and where he’s at. And just looking forward to the next few weeks with him.”

Wentz is still seemingly recovering from the fractured vertebrae that ended his 2018 season early. Here’s what Pederson originally said about Wentz’s potential recovery period back in mid-December:

“Don’t want to put a timetable on it, but it could be three months possibly.”

That was five months ago.

Wentz missing some spring practices would be far from the end of the world. But any time the team’s franchise quarterback is less than 100%, people are reasonably going to have some level of concern.

The guess here is that Wentz will be participating in practice in some capacity. But I also think the Eagles want to be super extra cautious with him so he’s ready for the actual games that matter.

Still, it’d be nice to see Wentz at 100% sooner than later. The last time he had a full offseason to prepare for the upcoming campaign was 2017, a year in which he nearly won NFL MVP.

If Wentz is limited, it’ll be interesting to see what Nate Sudfeld can do with extended first team reps. There’s obviously pressure on Studfeld to step up as the No. 2 guy with Nick Foles gone.

2 - First look at the new offensive weapons

The Eagles offense was too stagnant at times in 2018 so Howie Roseman went and out and acquired a bunch of new weapons for Wentz in the offseason. It’ll be fun to see the likes of Miles Sanders, DeSean Jackson, Jordan Howard, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside out there on the practice field.

Sanders’ usage will be especially interesting. How big of a role will he have as a rookie? How involved will he be in the passing game?

Eagles fans already know all about Jackson’s capabilities. He’s going to burn some defensive backs in practice. But can Wentz — whenever he’s back on the field — and Jackson get their timing down and get on the same page?

Howard’s physical style isn’t best highlighted in non-contact drills. It’s still be interesting to see just how many reps he gets in relation to Sanders.

JJAW could make for a very fun practice player to watch, especially if the quarterbacks are giving him some jump ball opportunities in the red zone.

How the new guys fit in will be interesting to watch.

3 - Will there be more 12 personnel?!

Earlier this offseason, Doug Pederson said the Eagles’ coaching staff has made a concentrated effort to get more two tight sets involved in the offense. Assuming he’s telling the truth, that’s very smart because 12 personnel helped saved the Eagles’ 2018 season.

I want to take Pederson at face value because 2019 marks the first full offseason where the Eagles know they have two really good tight ends. The team didn’t select Dallas Goedert until late April last year and they didn’t know exactly how much he could contribute as a rookie.

But now they should know that Goedert and Zach Ertz are both studs who deserve a lot of playing time. Goedert showed serious potential last year and he should only improve moving forward. Ertz, meanwhile, is coming off a year in which he broke the NFL record for single-season tight end receptions.

We should be seeing the Eagles utilize a good amount of 12 personnel during spring practices.

4 - The right guard spot

Brandon Brooks isn’t going to participating in OTAs as he recovers from his Achilles injury suffered in January. So, who get the first crack at right guard in his absence?

It could be 2018 sixth-round pick Matt Pryor. Or it could be Stefen Wisniewski. Maybe the Eagles rotate those guys there. Wis offers more experience but Pryor has more upside.

There’s also the possibility the Eagles could move Halapoulivaati Vaitai to guard. Doing so would free up Andre Dillard to get more reps at left tackle, which is the exact spot Pederson said the Eagles want to keep their 2019 first-round pick focused on.

5 - The defensive end rotation

Sadly, Chris Long is retiring. So, how do the Eagles replace him?

Let’s start with what we DO know: the Eagles have a good trio of defensive ends in Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, and Vinny Curry. There’s reason to believe these guys can be more effective in 2019 than 2018 since injuries held them back last season. Barnett’s outlook will be especially interesting to watch; the Eagles seem to be really counting on their 2017 first-round pick to make a big leap in his development. At only 22 years old heading into his third season, he very well could be up to the task.

But what about beyond those three guys? We know Jim Schwartz loves to rotate his pass rushers.

Before we look outward, we must look inward. And by that I specifically mean the interior defensive line. The presence of both Malik Jackson and Timmy Jernigan could result in the Eagles using their ends to play at defensive tackle less often. This configuration could shorten up the defensive end rotation.

Still, what if there are injuries to the ends? The Eagles could suddenly be looking at one of Daeshon Hall, Josh Sweat, Shareef Miller, or Joe Ostman as one of their top three edge rushers. That’s not ideal.

It’s always possible the Eagles could sign a veteran defensive end (Derrick Morgan?) but for now the Eagles can use the spring to evaluate their young guys at that position.

The dark horse to watch at defensive end is Hall. I put him over Sweat on my latest 53-man roster projection. Maybe I’m reading into things too much but I found it interest how Howie Roseman mentioned Hall’s name before Sweat during his post-draft press conference. Also look at this recent article from Dave Spadaro that features three paragraphs on Hall before one shorter one on Sweat. Hall, not unlike Sweat, boasts an elite athletic profile. Hall also doesn’t have the injury history that’s always going to be a concern with Sweat.

Miller and Ostman obviously bear watching as well. The Eagles liked Miller enough to select him with a fourth-round pick. Ostman is a guy that’s drawn a lot of praise from the organization and it’ll be interesting to see if he’s anything more than a good practice player.

The Eagles were able to win a Super Bowl title largely in part because they led the NFL in pressures generated that season. The defensive end position is critical to their team success.

6 - The secondary configuration

There are many questions to be answered in the Eagles’ secondary.

Who is starting at the outside spots? Who’s starting at nickel cornerback? When will Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills be healthy? What position will Avonte Maddox play: corner, nickel, or safety? Can Cre’Von LeBlanc pick up where he left off after playing well down the stretch in 2018? Is Rasul Douglas ready to make the leap as a full-time starter? Is Malcolm Jenkins going to show up to practice? Is Andrew Sendejo going to make the team when he could be cut to preserve a 2020 fourth-round compensatory pick? Can Tre Sullivan step up into the old Corey Graham role?

I thought of all of those before I even got to one of the biggest questions of all: what’s in store for Sidney Jones’ future? Can he stay healthy? How does he fit in?

By re-signing Darby, the Eagles gave themselves a lot of options heading into 2019. The offseason is the time for them to experiment with different combinations and see what works best.

7 - The stock we put into spring performances

It’s fair to wonder how much spring success translates to the regular season.

Sometimes it just doesn’t. Take De’Vante Bausby last year, for example. He looked really good in OTAs but he didn’t even make the original 53-man roster.

I don’t think that final result made Bausby’s spring performance totally irrelevant, though. He was good enough to where he earned the right to battle for first team slot cornerback reps in training camp. Bausby then lost that role after struggling in summer practices and preseason games. But, still, his strong spring allowed him to at least contend for a significant role on the defense.

There could easily be some player(s) who follow in Bausby’s footsteps this offseason. Some guys will look good in the spring and then fade in the sweltering training camp heat. On the flip side, there could also be some guys who build on their spring momentum and take a big step forward in their development heading into the regular season.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/5/20/18632446/eagles-otas-practice-philadelphia-nfl-things-watch-preview-guide-carson-wentz-miles-sanders-battles

[auburnfamilynews]

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Spicy.

Auburn beat a 3-5 Ole Miss 20-14 last night, and that included the Rebels’ last-gasp attempt at the win. They forayed into Auburn territory, and only by the grace of a 4th-and-2 stop did the Tigers secure the win.

Oh, and none of the students were there to see it.

SNAP JUDGMENTS

Offense ain’t fixed. Maybe this was Gus trying to let Bo get some confidence and timing throwing the ball. Put a ton of yards up but we have to score points. Bo threw 44 passes without a touchdown and, like, that’s hard to do. We have to figure out scoring points. Anders Carlson is too much of a vet to miss three makable kicks. We have to be better. However, we won. As bad as this was, it could have been so much worse had we lost this stupid game. We won it, which is way better than losing.

-Son of Crow

A win is a win. I refuse to give this game any further brain power. Now we have 2 weeks to properly hate Georgia. War Damn Eagle.

-AU Nerd

We won the game. We’re 7-2 going into the Georgia game and right back where we were in 2017. It’s a must win for Auburn. And we’re no longer allowed to make fun of Bama kickers, that was pitiful.

Now, I want to take this opportunity to discuss the very empty student section at the end of that game. You noticed at halftime a LOT of empty space and that only escalated as the game went on. I get the game didn’t go well but stay and support the team. Don’t quit on the team!

And yes, it was cold in Auburn tonight. But you had to have known that before you went to the game so that’s not an excuse. Auburn hadn’t had a home game in FIVE weeks! It was a SEC game at NIGHT and it was a close game. If Auburn was up 40-0 that’s another thing. The team feeds off the crowd’s energy and it wasn’t there tonight. If the students don’t want to support the team then I guarantee there are Auburn fans that aren’t able to get into the game that would gladly trade places with those students. End rant.

This was early in the fourth quarter.

-Will McLaughlin

Auburn’s going to come out of this one with an expected win probability over 90%, but I swear when that ball was snapped on 4th down, I was convinced we weren’t winning. The offense was pretty good tonight, despite being totally incapable of scoring and a case of the dropsies. Bo looked as good as he has all season, although the run blocking was pretty terrible to the point where only DJ Williams could make something happen with it. Being down two key players, I’d say the defense was really good. Special teams were hot garbage.

Something’s off, and I’m not sure if the program can recover right now. It’s no one persons fault, but it’s pretty much everyone’s fault (sans Kevin Steele and the actual players on the team). Auburn is a REALLY talented football team, and Gus Malzahn is a good football coach. But it feels like this is the point in the marriage where both sides realize they just don’t love each other anymore. *cue sad montage*

-Ryan Sterritt

1) our students suck. That was embarrassing

2) we have to manage game state better than that. It should never have come down to what it did

3) hell yeah Damn right Hotty toddy porta potty who the hell are you Piss pass biss bass ole miss sucks ass

-James Jones

There is no excuse for winning a game by 6 points when you almost double up the opposition in total offense and surrender 1 turnover that didn’t result in any points. You can’t put this frustration on the quarterback, who had arguably his best day, which would’ve been even better had it not been for drops. Can’t blame it on the running game, with the emergence of DJ Williams as the most complete running back on this football team. Can’t blame it on the defense, who only surrendered points because of what I’m about to get to and a penalty-filled drive (that’s gonna happen every once in a while).

We just couldn’t finish drives. It’s insulting that we’re kicking field goals inside the 5 yard line, but that’s who we are right now as an offensive unit that there is absolutely no confidence in being able to push it over the goal line. Even so, I’ll break my frustration down into 3 sequences:

3) Why in the world are we kicking a low percentage field go and potentially giving a team momentum with time left on the clock to go down and score to win the game? We’ve run a pooch punt with Bo once this year. Run it again here. If it goes 20 yards then Ole Miss has to go 90 with no timeouts! If it goes through the end zone then they have to go 80! Instead, they have to go 69 (nice) _with_ momentum thanks to a kick that was at best a 50/50 chance with the day Anders was having. It was the wrong call and the worst time in the game to have that wrong call. If not for a valid holding call on TD Moultry going our way (which we’re all too aware isn’t something we’re going to be getting a lot of this year), we have a very good chance at blowing this game we had no business losing.

None of this is ok. All of this warrants why Auburn people are frustrated. As someone who supports Gus Malzahn as Auburn’s head coach, tonight is an extremely tough one, because it means we’re once again enduring a win while still reeling from excruciating losses. Does this mean it’s time for a coaching change? No. But what it does is continue to lose equity in a season that he, and Auburn, both knew they needed to get some back. Because nobody in this relationship wants to go through a firing at _any_ point, albeit for very different reasons.

The two biggest games of the season are coming up, and this team is absolutely capable of winning 9-10 games in the regular season. It’s going to take some mixture of outplaying our ability along the offensive line, getting lucky on 50/50 balls in the passing game, and seeing the opposition make uncharacteristic mistakes. And for our defense to play like…our defense. Plus they’re at home, which normally gives us a huge advantage. But if the students feel that going to see the Velcro Pigmies at the Sigma Nu house or whatever in the hell was going on tonight instead of being there for this football team, then you might as well go back to playing games like what we have coming up in Birmingham. Because at least then the folks that show up wearing orange and blue will be there to watch a damn football game and support their team for 4 quarters, because Auburn Football is where our memories are made, not the damn boom boom room at Skybar. And if you’re part of the reason the bleachers were empty ALL of the 2nd half in this game, after 5 weeks without a home football game, then you owe it to this team and to the rich history and tradition of Jordan-Hare Stadium to make damn sure it never happens again.

-Josh Black

Auburn played some really good football against Ole Miss. Everyone around me was complaining about how the offense was terrible. Auburn dominated that team! If you cover up the final score on the box score, you’d take that performance every week. And if it wasn’t for a blatant missed facemask that I could see from 17 rows up in the upper deck, Ole Miss is never in this game to begin with. The final is probably 27-7.

Here’s where I sound like an old man yelling at the youths. The crowd plays a part in the game. The crowd at LSU and Florida forced penalties on Auburn. They played a tangible part in the result. Additionally, the team feeds off the crowd. Especially the defense. Derrick Brown is out there pumping up the crowd. Derrick Brown postponed his NFL career for 7 more chances to step onto Pat Due Field and pump up the crowd. They live on that energy. And it wasn’t there! The crowd has to be there the entire game.

Tigers Unlimited is going to submit pictures of the empty student section to the athletic department with a summary of how much more money they’ll make selling season tickets in those sections. And there’s nothing you students can do about it. Not every game is going to be against a ranked team. But It was a damn SEC night game. These are so rare. Embrace them. Fuel the defense. Fuel the team. We need our players spending their post game interviews talking about how the crowd was there with them the whole time - not specifically calling the crowd out.

And for those of you who believe “they played like crap, we don’t owe them a thing, I’m not obligated to stay the entire cold game” - you’re the reason the student section is going to get smaller one day.

-Josh Dub

The stats bear out a game that was called well by Gus Malzahn, and good effort by our maligned quarterback Bo Nix. He had maybe his best game, going 30-44 in what was clearly an attempt to get him back on track. The only problem is that when he played well, hardly anyone else on offense did. Receivers dropped passes, the line still couldn’t really block, and we still rolled up more than 500 yards on offense. The plan looked like we introduced some easier throws for Bo, and he was hitting them. That’s great. Still, it looked like we had a team full of guys ready to get to the bye week and completely overlooking Ole Miss.

The Rebels clearly treated this game like it was their Super Bowl, and you could see how locked in Matt Luke was on the sideline. They had an annoyingly slippery quarterback, and we weren’t focused. A couple of uncharacteristic mistakes (the long punt return allowed was a throwback to September) and some of the defensive penalties (Derrick Brown’s late hit/hands to the face/the horse collar late) allowed the Rebels to pull within striking distance.

Yeah, the students were disappointing, and when you have players tweeting about how crappy that was after the game you know it’s a real issue. We don’t get to make fun of Alabama for their students leaving in blowouts when ours didn’t stay for a close game. If you’re disappointed in Gus Malzahn and won’t stay to support the team, then don’t buy tickets, or give yours to someone who will stay in their seats. Last night felt weird, like we were witnessing the after effects of a marital fight. Both sides are being passive aggressive in their actions. One side just leaves to go to the bar without saying anything, and the other side refuses to do any of the necessary stuff around the house to keep things above water.

Hopefully we get some counseling over the next two weeks and crush the big event on November 16th.

-Jack Condon

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/11/3/20946196/snap-judgments-11-auburn-20-ole-miss-14

[themeatlife]

Avengers: Endgame (Spoiler-Free Remix Review), the Legacy of the Avengers, and the Future of Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe

For those who haven’t seen it, I’ll discuss Avengers: Endgame - the movie itself without discussing or spoiling plot lines, and the larger impact it has on the legacy of the Avengers and the MCU.

Avengers: Endgame - A Review (Spoiler-Free Remix)

To begin, it’s kind of hard to judge the film on its own. Even more so than its predecessor Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame is largely dependent on the previous films. So the impact of it is less so on someone that’s only seen a handful of the Marvel movies than for someone who has invested time seeing the now 22-film catalog. With that being said, for those who have seen most or all of the other movies, wow. It is both extremely entertaining and extremely gratifying. If you are an MCU fan, Endgame was made especially for you.

While I won’t dive into what happens, what the movie effectively does is show just how far back the arc of the original six (Stark, Rogers, Thor, Banner, Barton, and Romanoff) goes and how far they have come.

Other than a couple of issues, the storyline works very well. I dug the balance it struck between the emotional weight, action, and humor. It was smart to have a lot of small moments early in the film where it focuses the interaction between characters. And it was a lot funnier than I expected it to be. The film as a whole is emotionally gratifying and clearly wraps up this chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is at max effectiveness if you’ve already invested the time in the characters’ previous stories, in particular the original six. If you know the original six’s stories in particular, you will thoroughly enjoy this movie.

Rather than a credits scene, the opening of the credits showcases each of the major Marvel heroes and villains over the years of the MCU, with the actor who played them and ends the sequence with the original six Avengers with the actors’ signatures displayed on screen. Cool way to salute the actors in some of the major roles over the years.

I’ll save my ranking the Infinity Saga movies for after Spider-Man: Far From Home (Marvel President Kevin Feige calls the latest Spider-Man the final installment in the Infinity Saga). You can expect that Endgame would rank very highly in my ranking.

The Legacy of the Avengers

What is the biggest impact the Avengers and Marvel’s Infinity Saga have had on pop culture?

It is crazy to think that when Iron Man came out back in May of 2008 when Marvel Studios was using Paramount to distribute, it was considered a risk. Robert Downey Jr had yet to make his comeback complete (Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes a year later marked his return full return to stardom). Iron Man was a few months before The Dark Knight came out and garnered critical acclaim and helped legitimize the comic book-based genre. And the MCU was in its infancy, no one thought it would become the bohemeth it is now.

Marvel Studios, whether intentional or accidental, helped mold and was molded by the changing methods of which people were consuming their visual entertainment. The early 2000’s saw the advent of binge-watching television, where serial series like Alias, 24, and Lost saw people prefer to consume episodes in bulk. Once Netflix got their streaming service going, the idea of binge-watching caught on everywhere. Television ratings waned as people watched things more on their time on devices other than an actual TV. People only tuned in to things when they are originally broadcast if they were billed as an event, like a series finale (or in Game of Thrones’ case a final season) or a live event like the Super Bowl. Similarly, film started becoming more event-based. Blockbusters had to be built up as an event to go to in order for films to be successful, more so now than any other film era. And in making an event out of their films, Marvel serialized their MCU movies like a season of Lost - individual episodes focused on a character or set of characters with the overarching story in the background until culminating in the season finale, or in Marvel’s case an Avengers movie.

So the biggest impact the MCU has had is shaping other movie studios approach to movie releases. After 2012’s The Avengers, many tried the serialized team-up event concept to varying degrees of failure. Universal flopped trying to launch a shared monsters universe with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy reboot in 2017. Warner Brothers has a semi-successful MonsterVerse going with Godzilla and King Kong. We’ll see how that progresses with the new Godzilla movie this summer. Warner Brothers also has the mostly failed DC Extended Universe. Starting strong with 2013’s Man of Steel but limping thereafter with lackluster installments in 2016’s Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad and 2017’s Justice League, DC/Warner Bros has seen more success with the mostly standalone attempts Wonder Woman in 2017, Aquaman in 2018, and Shazam in 2019. DC’s current strategy is kind of confusing though, with some plans to continue the DCEU, and other plans to do more standalone work.

So the fact that Marvel’s shared universe set of movies has worked and has been the only one to work so successfully is an anamoly and an achievement. Marvel was allowed to build its world over time, a luxury that was afforded to them by Paramount from 2008-2011 and by Disney when they were acquired in 2012. The first two phases of the MCU spanned ten films from 2008-2015, building a foundation for what the franchise is today. That type of patience has not been lended to DC in particular, something that ended up looking and feeling rushed and resulted in a less successful and less satisfying result in the DCEU.

The Marvel approach has changed not just the method of outside studios release strategies but also in releases within their Disney family. For studios to make money on these films, they have to culminate in an event to get people to the theater. Fewer and fewer indie films turn into financial successes, at least at the theater. So event movies galore are on the horizon at Disney. Disney proper has “live-action” remakes of classics animated classics Aladdin and Lion King coming out this summer and Frozen 2 in the winter. Pixar has Toy Story 4 set for a summer release as well, even though the third installment was originally thought to be the conclusion of the story. Lucasfilm has what has been announced to be the finale of the Skywalker saga in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker coming out this winter. Each of those marketed as an event, whether it be a nostalgic event, an unexpected continuation, or a conclusion of a story.

Up Next for the Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe

While Marvel Studios has changed the movie industry and pop culture, it is hard to say what the next step for the MCU is. We know of a few things coming though.

With the announcement of Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, coming in November, there were MCU projects also announced to debut on the service. Loki, Falcon/Winter Soldier, and Wanda/Vision will all get series on Disney+. There will also be an interesting What If series where they were explore what if scenarios of some of your favorite Marvel characters.

The MCU’s film future is less set. We know that Spider-Man: Far From Home (co-release with Sony Pictures) comes out in July and is set in the immediate events after Endgame. After that, we know a few projects are in production but no definitive release dates have been set. Projects include a Black Widow flashback, origin stories for The Eternals and Shang-Chi, and sequels for Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther as well as talks of sequels for Ant-Man and Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Thor (although I think the route for the Thor character should be to join the Guardians).

And then there is 21st Century Fox. Disney acquired the entertainment wing of Fox proper earlier this year (I was scared of Apple taking over the world, but Disney is closer to doing so). Fox owned the movie rights to all the Marvel properties included in the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Fox’s run of X-Men movies presumably concludes this summer with Dark Phoenix. Since Marvel Studios now owns the movie rights to what has been traditionally two of the more popular Marvel brands, one would think some sort of reboot and integration into the MCU would be coming in this next chapter.

I’ll end on this. The Avengers Infinity Saga, the Star Wars Skywalker Saga, and Game of Thrones are all pop culture epics that will be ending their current chapters this year. It is hard to imagine the changing entertainment world will ever have subjects as impactful as these given the number of formats available and the vast number of entertainment options now available. Those three epics, especially the oldest being Star Wars, caught pop culture at a time when people would watch and experience the same thing. Soon, the event-centered entertainment world will grow smaller with less people gathering to experience and watch the same thing. Or maybe I’m wrong and every generation finds a way to galvanize to have that shared experience (Gone With The Wind, the original Star Wars, Titanic in the film world all being previous examples). I hope for the latter, but I can’t help but feel that the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame will be one of the last of its kind: an event that everyone wants to share and experience together.

[junker-town]

What each No. 1 pick still in the NFL has to prove this year

Jadeveon Clowney, Baker Mayfield, and Joe Burrow are all members of the No. 1 pick club.

From Joe Burrow to Cam Newton, there are nine former No. 1 picks currently in the league — and all have plenty to play for this season.

A wide range of players can call themselves No. 1 overall picks. That includes Hall of Famers like John Elway and Terry Bradshaw, and high-profile busts like JaMarcus Russell and Tim Couch. Not every draft pick pans out, but players selected first overall are greeted with higher expectations than most.

When the 2020 NFL Draft arrived, the Cincinnati Bengals made Joe Burrow the newest No. 1 pick. Like those before him, Burrow is expected to be a big part of his team’s turnaround. He also has a lot to learn as he transitions to the NFL.

But what about the other nine No. 1 picks who are still playing in the league? Let’s see what Burrow and his fellow top picks need to prove this season.

2020: QB Joe Burrow, Bengals

What he has to prove: His magical 2019 season wasn’t a fluke

No, I am not saying it was a fluke. But Burrow wasn’t on many people’s radars before last season. Then the quarterback had one of the greatest seasons in college football history, leading LSU to an undefeated and a national championship. He did so after an OK season for the Tigers in 2018 after transferring from Ohio State, where he completed just 29 passes in three years.

Now, the Bengals are banking on him being their next franchise QB. He doesn’t need to replicate the monster numbers from his Heisman season (5,761 yards and 60 touchdowns), but he needs to show the Bengals they put their future in the right hands.

2019: QB Kyler Murray, Cardinals

What he has to prove: The Cardinals should no longer be taken lightly

Murray had one hell of a rookie season in 2019. He threw for 3,722 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning him the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

The good news is the Cardinals have acquired some major weapons around their second-year QB to help him grow even more. It started with acquiring receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans, then drafting offensive tackle Josh Jones out of Houston to beef up Arizona’s offensive line. Murray was sacked 48 times last season, but the future is already looking bright for the Cardinals in Year 2 under Kliff Kingsbury.

2018: QB Baker Mayfield, Browns

What he has to prove: His sophomore slump isn’t who he really is

Mayfield entered 2019 with high hopes after a strong finish to his rookie season. He played his best football in 2018 under interim OC Freddie Kitchens, which is likely a big reason the Browns chose Kitchens as their head coach. But things didn’t go well for Mayfield (or Kitchens) last season, to say the least.

Despite playing in more games, Mayfield regressed in literally every major statistical category in his second year. He threw five fewer touchdowns, seven more interceptions, completed 4.4 percent less of his passes, and his passer rating dropped from 93.7 to 78.8. The Browns finished 6-10, and what was once the most hyped team at the start of the year ended with another disappointing season in Cleveland.

But let’s not forget Mayfield has yet to spend two seasons under the same coaching staff. There’s reason to believe he can rebound in 2020 with QB guru Kevin Stefanski as his new coach.

2017: DE Myles Garrett, Browns

What he has to prove: He’s more than the guy who fought Mason Rudolph

Garrett’s 2019 season was over after he hit the Steelers’ QB in the head with his helmet at the end of the Week 10 Steelers-Browns game. Garrett was suspended for the rest of the season, ending his 2019 on a not-so-pleasant note.

Garrett still alleges as recently as February that Rudolph used a racial slur during the fight, which Rudolph denied and of which the NFL found no evidence. Regardless, Garrett has accepted blame for his own actions and has apologized.

Before the nasty brawl, Garrett was known as more than a football player. He’s displayed his love for poetry and charming personality, and he’s been doing charity work in the city of Cleveland both before and after his suspension. Off the field, he has a chance to redeem himself and show that he’s bigger than one mistake.

On the field, Garrett was on his way to his best season yet before the suspension. He had 10 sacks through 10 weeks last season, just 3.5 away from his career-high mark. If he can pick up where he left off in 2019, he can easily be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

2016: QB Jared Goff, Rams

What he has to prove: He can play like he did when he led the Rams to the Super Bowl

Goff had the most productive season of his career in 2018 with 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns. He led the Rams to a Super Bowl that year, and then was given a four-year, $134 million extension before the 2019 season.

Last season didn’t go the same way for Goff. He had just 22 touchdowns and a career-worst 16 interceptions. The Rams finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the first time under Sean McVay.

Unfortunately for Goff, he lost some weapons from that 2018 Super Bowl team, including running back Todd Gurley and receiver Brandin Cooks. But Goff still has McVay as his coach and weapons like Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods around him. That means he has a chance to bounce back to his 2018 form once again.

2015: QB Jameis Winston, drafted by Bucs and now with Saints

What he has to prove: That he’s still a valuable QB, even if he has to be a backup

Winston signed a one-year deal with the Saints, where he’ll likely be the No. 2 quarterback behind Drew Brees. It’s an interesting move for the 26-year-old Winston, who will be taking on a backup role for the first time in his career and has a surprisingly low $1.1 million contract.

However, it’s a win-win for both sides. New Orleans needed a reliable backup after Teddy Bridgewater left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency. Winston needed to restore his value as a starter. If he does, he could have the inside track to the Saints’ starting job after Brees retires, or he could become a starter elsewhere like Bridgewater did.

2014: DE Jadeveon Clowney, drafted by Texans and now a free agent

What he has to prove: He can be an elite edge rusher with more consistency

Clowney was drafted out of South Carolina with the expectation to be an elite pass rusher. But over his six-year career, he’s accounted for just 32 sacks. Still, he’s emerged as a good defender against the run, which was part of the advantage he gave to Seattle’s defense last season.

Clowney was much better than you might think last season, had one of the best EDGE run defender seasons ever. But he wants to get paid like a pass-rushing specialist, like he was drafted as, and that's simply not what kind of player he turned out to be. Still great, though.

— James Brady (@jamesbradyisme) March 18, 2020

Even though Clowney had just three sacks in Seattle, he still had a good season in 2019 and showed up when it mattered most in the Seahawks’ biggest games. Among all defensive players last season, he was ranked 13th in hurries (17), 21st in knockdowns (10), and 27th in total pressures (30).

Clowney has missed seven games over the last two years due to various injuries. If he can stay healthy for whichever team he signs with and play more consistently, he can be a valuable asset on defense even if he’s not racking up sacks.

2013: LT Eric Fisher, Chiefs

What he has to prove: He’s still worth his $11.5 million salary

Fisher has been a starter in Kansas City since he was drafted. Although his rookie season wasn’t great, he’s been a solid offensive lineman each year since then. But Fisher missed half of last season due to a groin injury, then returned in November in time for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run.

Fisher might be looking over his shoulder a bit next season, though. In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected TCU OT Lucas Niang in the third round, which might give KC the opportunity to move on from Fisher after this season.

I’ll let Arrowhead Pride explain:

Although the expectation is for Niang to be kicked inside this season, the Chiefs may decide to move him back outside to tackle in 2021. If he is capable, the team gives itself the option of moving on from Fisher. If they do decide to release the No. 1 pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Chiefs would free up $11.5 million in cap room.

Fisher has been a fixture in Kansas City and will still be tasked with protecting Patrick Mahomes this season. As long as he stays healthy, he can remind the Chiefs why they drafted him so high in the first place.

2011: QB Cam Newton drafted by Panthers, now a free agent

What he has to prove: He can be a franchise QB again

Newton has yet to be signed to a team since the Carolina Panthers released him in March. But now that teams for the most part have their QB situations figured out post-draft, he might have to join a team which just drafted a QB to add some veteran experience to the locker room.

One reason why Newton hasn’t been signed yet is his health. He played in just two games last season due to a broken foot, and missed two games in 2018 due to a shoulder injury. Newton had a physical and was cleared before being released. But until team doctors can examine Newton’s health — which currently can’t happen because of coronavirus — there will still be doubts about his foot and shoulder.

When Newton is healthy, he’s one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the league. He won the NFL’s MVP Award while leading Carolina to a Super Bowl in 2015, and he’s the Panthers’ winningest QB in franchise history. If he gets a chance to start, he can prove he can be that same QB for another team in 2020.

[ronaldmrashid]

How To Plan For Your Retirement The Second Time Around

The main reason why I’ve gotten more conservative with my investments is not because valuation for the S&P 500 is near an all-time high and earnings growth is decelerating.

Nor have I gotten more defensive because housing inventory has shot up across major parts of the country and prices are clearly declining.

No. The main reason why I’ve gotten more conservative with my investments is because I’m very close to retiring for a second time.

Let me recap my background and share some retirement preparation plans if you’re also planning on retiring soon.

The Return To Retirement Living

After first retiring in 2012, I spent about nine months living the early retirement lifestyle. I wrote a book about my experience negotiating a severance and my wife and I traveled around the world for about 12 weeks.

By the beginning of 2013, I no longer told anybody I was retired. People gave me funny looks whenever I mentioned I had left corporate America for good. I also felt stupid saying I was retired in my mid-30s.

I longed for more purpose and a more acceptable identity that didn’t require explaining my background each time. So I decided to pivot from early retiree to full-time writer and entrepreneur.

Almost immediately, I felt better about my new role in the world. Growing Financial Samurai all these years has been incredibly fun.

On average, I spend about three hours a day on the site, which is one of the main reasons why it’s been so enjoyable. If I was forced to work 10 hours a day on FS and commute, I’d have probably started hating it after a year.

Having something intellectual to do, especially after my son was born in early 2017, has been a blessing. Being cooped up in the house all day is no fun for this stay at home dad.

Another thing I’ve enjoyed doing in my second career is mastering everything that relates to online publishing. From writing, to marketing, to business development, I now have a strong grasp on all the things it takes to build and run an online media company from the ground up.

Although it’s been seven years since I left full-time work, it’s been almost 10 years since I started Financial Samurai in 2009.

Back then, I had told myself that if I could reach various stretch goals by the summer of 2019, I would give myself the luxury of taking it easy once again.

The main stretch goal was to regularly generate over one million organic pageviews a month.

As fate would have it, I have the option to let go this summer and fully retire once more.

The Origin Of Luck And Fear

What I realize now is that whether by coincidence or on purpose, I’m living my life in 10-year cycles.

I first got a job out of college in 1999. Getting a job at a major investment bank was mostly luck because graduates out of a non-target public school usually don’t get these front office jobs in NYC.

Although there was the dot com bust in 2000, the 10-year journey from 1999 to 2009 was an overall positive for my career.

After about two years at the first investment bank, I got my second lucky break when a recruiter placed me at a new firm in 2001 in San Francisco. If I had not changed jobs, I would have been kicked to the curbed after my two years were up.

Then, of course, everything started crashing in 2008 – 2009. I was scared for my future given Lehman Brothers, Bear Sterns, Washington Mutual, and a bunch of other firms had collapsed. Friends were losing their jobs, their houses, and their savings.

Somehow, I managed to escape seven rounds of layoffs in a two year period at my firm. My immediate boss had left the firm to become a client the year prior. Thus, if the firm was to lay me off, it wouldn’t have had anybody to run the business. Another lucky break.

I was so worried about my future in 2009 that I decided to finally start Financial Samurai, an idea I had had since graduating from business school in 2006, but had been putting off.

If you look at the chart of when Financial Samurai was started, you’ll see that it was started at the exact bottom of the previous financial crisis in July 2009.

To start Financial Samurai at the bottom of the last financial crisis and then have a massive bull market help propel the site forward was also tremendously lucky.

Yes, I’ve spent many hours developing this site, but I fully admit that most of the growth is serendipitous. Living in San Francisco, the epicenter of technology and financial innovation has also helped me develop some key industry relationships.

If you started something in 2009, it would be relatively hard not to have successfully grown your business or your wealth.

The tailwind is like having a mentor who is actually the CEO of your company and also happens to be your dad who wants to give you the company. In such a scenario, how can you fail?

Since 1999 I’ve constantly wondered when my luck will run out. I’ve already talked about experiencing survivor’s guilt after my friend passed away when I was 15. All the good that has transpired since has only made me wonder more about the future.

Don’t Push Luck Too Far

Despite the good fortune, 2009 still burns deep in my psyche because of how badly my finances got crushed. Perhaps this is how survivors of the Great Depression felt for the rest of their lives.

I don’t want to ever again suffer through a 2009-like experience. I recently got a taste of temporarily losing lots of money in 2018, and that was enough.

I’m so thankful we’ve recovered and I no longer wish to push my luck.

2019 is the year where I plan to retire again after 10 years of running Financial Samurai. I’ll either sell the site, write less, or hire talented staff writers or guest writers to write using the Financial Samurai principles.

It’s been a great run, and I want to leave on an up note. If you are thinking of retiring for a first or second time, here are some things you should consider.

Retirement Planning Checklist

1) Adjust your risk exposure down.

As with any classic retiree in their 60s or 70s, it’s important to take down risk exposure because you no longer have the ability or the desire to work any longer.

Measure your risk tolerance in terms of the Financial SEER ratio. In other words, how many months are you willing to work to make up for a potential loss in retirement.

Once you’ve retired, you don’t want to be forced to go back to work. Giving up precious time for money is one thing, but so is the embarrassment of having to go back to work because of poor financial planning.

Debt should be completely eliminated or reduced to a level that will never be able to sink your finances.

2) Calculate your various income streams.

If after taxes, your income streams can sustain your desired retirement lifestyle, you’re golden. If not, keep working or build more side hustle income. To be conservative, it’s best to have at least a 20% cushion above your living expenses.

Plan out a tax-efficient safe withdrawal strategy based on a combination of your pre-tax and post-tax retirement accounts.

Those who want to stay conservative should try to only live off their after-tax passive income and never touch principal. Only when Required Minimum Distributions are in effect should you start drawing down principal.

3) Make sure you’ve accomplished all your goals.

When you leave your profession, you want to leave with as few regrets as possible. The best way to leave with few regrets is by fulfilling your stretch goals.

One of the reasons why professional athletes retire after winning the Super Bowl, a Major, or the NBA Championship is because there is no greater glory. During the rare times when such a champ tries to make a comeback, it’s often a sad affair filled with struggle.

If you cannot reach the pinnacle of your profession, one thing you must ask yourself is whether you’ll be leaving the place better than when you first started. If the answer is no, then you must take measures to rectify or continue working.

Retiring when your fund or company burned to the ground will make you feel like an unsettled ghost, unable to rest in peace. You want to go out on your own terms, which is why negotiating a severance can be incredibly powerful to your mental well-being.

4) Ensure your legacy will be left in good hands.

The longer you’ve worked, often the harder it is to walk away. The transition is made easier if you have someone you’ve trained or trust to take over once you’re gone.

The last thing you want is to have all your good work get undone by someone with a completely different philosophy. If this happens, you will feel as if you wasted many years of your life. Find an excellent successor and don’t leave until you do.

5) Have a next purpose.

You don’t want to retire into nothingness. Going from working 12 hours a day to having all the free time in the world can be very disconcerting. After being so used to structure for so long, you might start wondering what else is there to life. Some of you might even get depressed if you don’t have purpose.

Instead, diligently map out your retirement goals months or even years before you retire. You want to retire to something, not from something.

Start talking to people in the fields that interest you when you still have a job. Once you retire, it may be tougher to build relationships because society tends to look down of those who no longer work.

Having a clear purpose in retirement will make your remaining days at work even more meaningful. You’ll also experience a much more joyful retirement life.

Retire As Many Times As You Can

There doesn’t need to be only one retirement in your life. Instead, I encourage you to retire multiple times because that means you’re challenging yourself with new endeavors.

Whether you decide to retire for six months or for six years is up to you. There’s nothing more professionally fulfilling than mastering a new skill and enjoying its accompanying rewards.

Skills are highly fungible today thanks to technology. So long as you’re able to work hard, communicate intelligently, get along with others, and produce more than you cost, you can do well at almost anything because the rest is learned on the job.

I truly hope we never see another 2008 – 2009, nor am I anticipating a correction of such magnitude. I’m just not willing to take unwarranted chances given I’m satisfied with what I have.

With now a wife and son to take care of and potentially zero active income if I sell Financial Samurai, I can no longer afford to take any excess risk. To go through another 40% loss as I did in 2009 at this stage in my life would be devastating.

Our passive income should keep us afloat, but I haven’t truly been able to means test it yet due to my severance that paid out from 2012 – 2017 and the active income I’ve been generating from Financial Samurai.

From July 2019 – July 2029, I plan to spend my 40s primarily focused on raising my boy and spending time with my parents. If we relocate to Hawaii, we’ll have more than enough activities to keep us busy in our second go around.

Let’s pray the next 10 years are as lucky as the past 10!

Related Posts:

The First Rule Of Financial Independence: Never Lose Money

The Fear Of Running Out Of Money In Retirement Is Overblown

Readers, anybody on a 10-year cycle like me? How do you plan to ensure good fortune for the next 10 years of your life? Anybody retire a second or third time? How long did each retirement last and what did you do? What else should people do to prepare for retirement?

The post How To Plan For Your Retirement The Second Time Around appeared first on Financial Samurai.

from https://www.financialsamurai.com/how-to-plan-for-your-retirement-the-second-time-around/