backINblack28

right so proving my point by tying XL's success before he plays one real game to 7 years of evaluating someone who isn't XL

bust vibes before week one is outright insane, i agree with you there, and it screams not being around the game long--Steve Smith caught 10 passes his rookie year. this board/fanbase is not currently in the business of caring about rationality or patience

This all makes sense and I don't disagree with any of it, it's just frustrating that a 2 win team is essentially fronting that we can't use all the reps we can get (esp given new system, new staff, and OL/roster turnover). I have seen enough freak preseason/training camp injuries to know that health is paramount, but I do think young QBs getting reps is important no matter the situation. I say that to also say I'm not sure how much any rep last year helped Bryce considering we couldn't run for 3 yards, run block, pass block, run a route, catch a ball, or put all of those things together for more than like 15 plays in an entire season so I digress

Jeremy Shockey was pretty good Cam's rookie year/probably helped Greg in a lot of ways become what he became to the franchise

the game on 8/24 is a massive one with a team we're looking up at in the standings. Great time to go for anyone with any remote interest. It's time to make a big push, and this is a big one to kick it off. Hopeful that Ream has plenty left in the tank (and Privett being available to spell him/keep him fresh and learn from him is awesome), and it's sick to have a contributing US MNT player on our roster. As far as Biel--if he had been the first name we heard we probably would have been fine with it. Instead we spend entire transfer windows lauding fans with what ifs that never materialize. It's exhausting. But I trust Dean and I hope we can gel and have a nice stretch run here. Hosting a playoff MLS game would be an amazing atmosphere.

to a non contending team who can afford to find out if there's anything there. and as you said previously--it seems pretty likely that his next stop goes exactly how his last few have

retread selfish me first dudes dont tend to do well in Brindamour's system where you have to defend first

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40733879/usmnt-tim-ream-move-charlotte-final-stages apparently this is very close to official. Topbin says he expects a departure. I'm not sure it will be on defense. I think maybe Brecht because of salary. Sounds like we are still looking for a 10.

I don't disagree with any of this. At the same time, I think he plays at odds with our system and you can see that sometimes it works out and is flashy (and therefore lends making it easier to say why don't we grant him a bigger role and/or more freedom) but sometimes, it lends to the exact things Rod tries to prevent (bad giveaways/odd man breaks/unnecessary turnovers). Necas is still very young in the sense that he still has improvement in him even in the facets of his game he's best at. I worry though here because it seems like he is putting us in a really tough place with negotiations which both lessens his value on open market and lessens his trade value. The early rumors of not wanting to sign here don't really match up with him just turning down a possible extension with several other playoff teams. If he doesn't know what he wants and can't be decisive about it then it gives no sides any leverage including teams trying to make calls about him. Guentz may have strung us along and screwed us, but at least it's done and over with. I just want this to end so we know exactly where we stand. I don't love including him in an Ehlers trade, but if we're losing him anyway it would make sense. Just hard to feel like at this point any side is going to get the best of any deal cause it rarely improves for all parties as time goes on.

in itself i didn't/don't have an issue with this. And our main point has always been that we didn't want to be one of the go for it all teams at the deadline because we have a window that has term with Slavin/Aho/Svech/Jarvy. however. keeping martinook above market value and not combining the youth influx with things like changing things at goalie and or signing a big name as a guentz replacement just feels like so far we're kind of sitting this out, and i really dont like the idea of taking a large step backwards from pre deadline roster last year. i understand we've given this a run with the same guys and it hasn't worked and changing some things there. but we also know exactly what our glaring issues are. so to not get better at those while also getting worse/losing big time names in other areas is pretty disheartening thus far. Hope there's more to come.

he turns 32 in a month. the reason we are letting TT, Skjei type guys go is because we're betting on youth to fill instead of overpaying guys who are probably not going to get better/faster etc at this point. Martinook has been on the top of his game, yes. But that's exactly what the complete ceiling looks like, and he's getting older and was never the fastest/most skilled guy regardless. We outbid ourselves.

I like Martinook, but this is an objective overpay for a dude who cleared waivers months ago

https://x.com/Canes/status/1803081577003438591 Think this was the right move. He was always the guy driving the analytics--hopefully he has learned the other parts of the trade under Waddell. It's worth seeing rather than losing him for sure. Let's get some dudes locked down!

I have both so I wouldnt need to trade, but I have 2 seats in 253 row 15, and I know my seat neighbors so 4 total available for some matches all that can be had at face value with no fees etc

idk. if they brought him here with the hope of re-signing him they knew it would take 8 at bare minumum. i'd go 8.5 with term easy. we can save some money letting skjei/pesce walk, trading necas and or kk. it's all about what Jake wants. if it's me in the twilight of my career i'm taking 8.5 over 10 to stay on a team this close and that seems like where his priorities are which makes a difference. I'm just hopeful

Guentz has said great things about being here and caring about winning over money. I think it's possible we can get both him and Jarvis on a slight discount

Fred had a terrible elimination game, but if our PK/PP was anything less than absolutely dog poo in games 1-3, game 6 would have been our closeout game based on his play. so....yeah. While I think this year Kotchetkov needs to get the majority of games and if things aren't going well we need to jump at trade deadline---it's easiest to blame Fred because of a couple mistakes directly in the elimination game that never should have been

Agyemang had a 'oh that's why he should be just young fresh legs off the bench game' last night. Feels like we should have had five goals. He definitely should have drawn a penalty (after we were down 3-0) but he has got to start simplifying things/burying the easy ones. Please go spend money in the transfer window. We got a great coach..that much is obvious. Please do not handcuff him. We said we were gonna party and spend. St Louis City says they're a budget team who isn't going to spend the lights out. Right now, we're spending less than them. Go. Spend. Money. On. Real. DPs.

I've always thought that Tulsky is the guy driving the analytics/signings and that Don is the iron out figurehead. I'm hoping Tulsky has been groomed and that the 'search' is a formality. I would be ok with hiring another figure above Tulsky but I'd rather Tulsky be GM than us lose him if we hire over him

he's been good, but it's not his spot. We will 100% get a DP there come summer window. Pat will be amazing coming in against tired legs, but he's still young and he's not going to replace a DP type big money player that we'll need to truly contend in the east

https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/premier-league-news-live-updates-latest/ohSDwMWMcgdZ/E9kwdYOdEWZ7/ He's had a tough start to the season, and definitely hasn't been worth a DP spot. This opens us up to sign 2 DP in the summer window. Just gotta survive on pace for two months in the meantime.

Smith said today he expects him back 5/29 at the earliest. Which sucks bad.

it's not that i disagree with this sentiment as much as objectively i think Svechnikov has been our best all around player in the playoffs altogether

Wish we had gotten Fred rest for game 4 of the first round series, and gotten Pyotr in for a lower pressure situation. At this point because of 2OT Fred has to get rest, but I don't love going to him only when forced. Win at home and give ourselves another chance to steal a roadie. We're in this until we're not. Let's fudgin go CANES

Fred has had a half season of rest, and he's the guy. I think Rod learned from the Florida series, and in general. Rest for Bob last year was overrated. It mattered eventually, sure, but there can be both a better balance while still featuring the guy. And Fred is the guy. It's nice that Pyotr at this age already has playoff experience, but in my opinion, not starting him in game 4 was the ultimate sign that Rod is riding Fred until otherwise noted. And I think Fred has earned that in his time since his injury. I don't hate a better balance, but I think game 4 was the perfect time with no pressure to do it and the fact that we didn't spoke volumes. His leash will inevitably be shorter with the struggles, but he's been solid overall.