Sgt Schultz

I halfway expected the Raiders to miss the deadline in his contract to release him and avoid guaranteeing 2023 and part of 2024. It just seemed like something they could do.

The Raiders defense in recent years has looked a lot like Tony Romo. When it was crunch time in a big game, you could count on them to do something bone-headed. Then sprinkle in the most overrated HC in the league who, as @SmokinwithWilly just mentioned, they literally cannot afford to fire (actually, they probably can if they simply don't hire a replacement, which could be an improvement) and you have the Raidahs. My main concern about Carr is what he will cost. I think his price tag is going to be out of our budget. But, we are going to have to get a vet from somewhere. The other thing I am not sure of is why people think signing Carr or any vet means we are not drafting a QB. Carr may take some of the urgency off, which at #9 might just prevent us from doing something desperate/stupid. But it does not mean we are not going to be drafting one, be it this year or next.

Ah, we know it will meltdown. It will do so if we get Carr, a veteran other than Carr, we get Rodgers or Jackson, somebody younger than them, somebody still on their rookie deal, draft a QB in the first round, draft a QB after the first round, draft a QB in the first round and then later, draft QBs in every round, sign and/or draft no one, or somehow acquire every other team's first round pick next year and announce we are going all-in on a QB in 2024. Whatever we do, I have a lot more faith in the current coaching staff to assess and find someone than I had in the past (even before The Process).

From the Bears' perspective, they need a lot on offense, any concerns about Fields aside. They have the #1 pick, then don't pick again until #56. They are going to want draft picks, and a lot of them both this year and next. I don't put a lot of stock in mock drafts, but here is one on NFL.com that shows a scenario that would have them trading to #2 (Houston) and then #4 (Indy) and winding up with the that #4, a high picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds this year, and Houston's 1st plus Indy's 2nd and 3rd rounders next year. I could see something like that playing out. I didn't pay much attention to who he thinks each team will pick, but the trade scenarios he outlined are about what I think could happen. As @CRA said, if the Bears are willing to slide further down a bit, the haul will get bigger and that could very well happen. Point is, I think the odds of them actually selecting #1 are slim. I think the odds of us selecting with their #1 pick are only slightly less slim. The above mock has us moving up to #5 and taking Levis.

I think the chance are greater that the Bears trade the #1 with somebody that wants to draft a QB than the Bears trade Fields and draft Young or Stroud. The Bears' offensive cupboard is bare. Fields is not the problem. Trading him and drafting somebody new to reset the clock does nothing to address the root of the problem. Their next pick is not until #56. But, we are talking about the Bears here, and they have not exactly been a farm for QBs or brilliant team building.

That poor SOB. As long as Irsay believes his extensive knowledge is an asset to the people with extensive knowledge, this will be a very tough situation. When the owner decides who the starting QB should be, success will not follow. Exhibit B is Jerrah Jones. Dan Snyder has also tried that at least once. Irsay, Jones, and Snyder make Moe, Larry, and Curly pretty appealing.

He hasn't shown he is top 16 other than in flashes. Then there is the inconvenient fact that Jerry Rice would not have looked top 16 with our QBs, game plans, and before this year, OL providing protection for the poor QBs executing the shallow game plans. DJ falls into that rather crowded category of people we hope to see more from with the new staff and QB. He's probably the least of our worries of the skill positions.

Waiting for the Colts to get their crap together may take years. Like whenever the next heir to the Irsay throne is crowned.

OK, I think I am not making as much progress in my rehab as I originally thought.

Good post.....and list. I think my rehab is making process. My first thought when I went through the list was NOT "which of these guys are from Temple or Baylor." The other thing yesterday proved was the value of TEs in this league. Kelce and Goedert were both huge (combined 12 catches for 141 yards). You can bet the defenses were paying attention to them on every play.

We appear to be in violent agreement on this whole situation. I'd not be interested in NO, either. Everything there looks tentative, and subject to adjustment due to cap manipulation in the past coming to a head. Tampa really does not look any better, and with another big bill due to pushing all the chips into the center of the table for an Owl. In the NFCS, that leaves us and Atlanta, who may have already hit bottom and can start to emerge from past sins. The other two are still in the confession booth. I think we need a legitimate #1 WR (DJ in that role is still in front of the jury, probably due to offensive schemes and QB limitations). If not, we do need someone who can complement DJ. If they opt to go all in for Stroud, I am going to hope for the best and I don't mean that in a gloomy way. I like Stroud, and based on what we see on our coaching staff thus far he would be far better off than his predecessor at OSU was when he wound up going to Da Bears. Any development Fields has done in Chicago has been an accident on the team's part. It's just as likely he has been looking at YouTube videos to improve as he has gotten any good coaching.

This part of your post is exactly my concern, and I would prefer not to have Darnold back. When you look at went on yesterday for 60 minutes, we do not have the horses on offense run with that. Now granted, there were some defensive lapses by both the Chiefs and Eagles that allowed some of that, but even with those lapses, I am not convinced we have the horses to take advantage. Those lapses are often set up by having the horses do what horses do. Maybe the new staff can elevate what we have. But until I see it, I am not willing to fly with the assumption they are there.

Carr's motivation is certainly a huge factor. And it is hard to predict, since he has made a decent truckload of money thus far but has played is career on a clusterf*#k of a team/organization, and feels dumped on by that same organization. The latter may making him more sensitive to us drafting a QB high, who knows? I do think there will be a minor bidding war for him since there are a ton of QB starved teams. But, looking at the staff we are assembling and where we are in the building process, we do certainly pass the sniff test for somebody in his position.

I'm fine with Carr, but not at the price I think he will command. My answer might be different if I thought the only thing separating us from playing for an Owl was a QB, but I don't believe that. The QB is probably what is preventing us from having a realistic shot at the playoffs, but when I look at last night's game, we don't have that level of firepower, at least that we know of. Granted, part of that comparison is the fact that we have not had a coaching staff like either of those teams in, well, ever. We'll see what Reich thinks of and can do with our roster. I feel the same way about Lamar. If he were to become available tomorrow, the cost would be crippling. Both those guys, to varying degrees, are for teams that are close and need to get over the hump. We are still climbing the hill. I think we need a vet to carry the baton for a while, but it is a baton to be handed off, not a torch to be carried to the final goal. Others think we are closer to the promised land than I do, I'm sure.

I think the last football game at that stadium was December 31, the Fiesta Bowl. The NFL's grounds crew should have celebrated New Years Eve in Phoenix and been resodding on January 1. Although it may have also been their new hybrid grass that was slick, who knows. Why they would wait until two weeks before the game to do that is anybody's guess.

Last year's Superb Owl, Cincy's long TD pass. The receiver pushed the DB hard enough to cause him to fall. No call, TD. He was probably on an angle the official just didn't see it. Professional athletes can be cagey that way.

Oh, that is not a redline. But I don't suffer fools well anymore. Adios.

You don't even know what you are talking about, how could I?

I'm from originally Missouri. Let's step outside. Not a Chiefs fan, either.

When Super Bowl XI ended (Raiders over the Vikings), as the Raiders lifted John Madden on their shoulders, Curt Gowdy said "that's the toughest job they have had to do all day."

I honestly think that was the problem. That call is either the Side Judge or the Field Judge, who is line up pretty much in the corner of the end zone (maybe a few yard inside). From his angle, I think that probably looks like the receiver was hooked and it impeded his cut. Flag comes out. If he thought it was a hook and it impeded the receiver, it is a call he has to make.

Again, whether it was catchable or not is irrelevant for defensive holding and always has been. The flag was long since thrown by the time the pass was launched. Weak call, perhaps. But whether it was catchable or not does not matter.

Exactly. My guess is that if we look at that play from the angle of the back line official that threw the flag, it looks very much like the receiver was hooked. Doesn't matter if he was within 5 yards of the LOS, doesn't matter if the ball is catchable. KC scored on every possession they had in the second half. They were going to score on that one. The only question is what Philly would have done with a buck 45 remaining.

@stbugs, you know (or should) whether it was catchable or not does not matter for defensive holding. By the time Mahomes threw the ball the flag was already out. Catchable or not only applies to DPI.

We had Indian for lunch. My time is coming, although at a much slower speed.