Bear Hands

Only rivals the Bengals-Ravens 2 years ago and the Bengals-Broncos in 2000. On pace to break an NFL record.

Trade up: 1-QB Bruce Young QB 2-WR Zay Flowers WR 2-TE Dalton Kincaid TE 3-DT Jaq Roy LSU 3/4-LB Jack Campbell Iowa 4-EDGE KJ Henry Clemson 5-RB Chase Brown Illinois 5-QB Aidan O'Connell

What a find. The Athletic had a great piece on him https://theathletic.com/3978713/2022/12/08/tyson-bagent-2023-nfl-draft/?redirected=1 He could've gone to WVU or Maryland but stayed at Shepherd. Would be one hell of a story to get drafted. He's got the Senior Bowl invite and will have a pro day.

Haener & O'Connell probably lead the class behind Bryce in the competitive toughness category but Haener no doubt needs to fill out his frame. Comparing the two, both have a ton to like but their arms and athleticism hold them back. Haener has the edge over Aidanin both those depts, but Aidan has been a proven record coming back and having GWDs against top competition. He stands tall and really sees the middle of the field well. David Bell at WR helped but still, he's shown a lot. Buut I just love Haener's vibe on the field--pocket feel, accuracy and placement. That was a different team all together when he was out. Fresno State's offense wasn't some machine that kept running without him. But 6'1 195ish, you need some Young level intangibles to be considered R1-2. Both strike me as 3rd-6th rounders that could become a starter for the right team down the road. Kind of the Cousins path. I just look at them compared to a Duggan, Hall, Hooker, or Rattler and they're just so much better refined as a passer and really live in that QB mindset. Tune has even more traits than those two and the Senior Bowl could catapult him. Time will tell on that front but he's the one to watch that could sniff QB4, more than likely QB5 in this class. I can see teams buying in on him over any of these guys mentioned once Richardson is off the board.

Tune and Haener both stepped up in their bowls. I typically don’t attach to mid to late rounders but those two really interest me. Especially Tune. He could legit rise through the process to QB4-5

Clayton Tune looked pretty solid tonight. He’s going to have teams peeking interest. I see him, Haener and O’Connell rising on boards from here on out.

I think people need to brace for Corral not even sniffing QB2 on this team. There's a chance he's like Hackenburg level. Not saying that's the reality, but it's far more likely the reality than not with 3rd rounders. And yeah, good situation or not, he looked way far behind developmentally from what I expected. Just prepare thyselves for this not even being teased to workout folks. I do see a possibility Darnold is retained in some capacity but he's not our long term answer. If this is how he'd play as relief, I am actually totally cool with him as a backup compared to some of these other situations I've seen around the league like Rypien, McSorley, etc. Answer is OFF the roster.

It's karma for what he did to the Hokies in college.

I thought this would be the more obvious line: He now owns the record as the losing QB in BOTH the largest comeback victory in the NFL regular season and SB history.

Haha, was thinking the same with this one. I like Stroud for all the ability and tools, but something about his crunch time work is what gives me pause.

But that being said, a higher pick helps lol

Need to find the right guy for the right coach, round shmound indian burial mound.

Another prospect returning is Michael Pratt. One to watch next year IMO. And that USC-Tulane game could surprise some people. https://theathletic.com/4023121/2022/12/20/tulane-michael-pratt-return/

I am so happy that guy is gone. His farse of a football mind is so apparent and you can just smell this awful combination of entitlement, narcissism, and now resentment all packaged all into one. If he would've just shut up and left that would've been fine but his whole "I was never wrong" tour was cringeworthy and so freaking unprofessional.

Questionable QB rankings by PFN in my view, but very nice consolidating everything here. Nix is out (& not top-10 anyways), Haener & O'Connell are both in a solid conversation with Tune, ahead of Thompson & Hooker IMO. Ward may stay in school still, sounds like he is. I do love Tune.

That dude was a walking shart

It's just like the QB situation. People are wanting such an idealized person in the spot when you simply have to look at the reality, and take a chance on the one you like the best for the role out of what's available.

The guy with the most recent Lombardi had just that. Even the guy that HC'd the opposing team as well. You have to take a chance. Sirianni had zero HC experience at any level before coming to Philly. McVay zero as well. Same with Kevin O'Connell & Zac Taylor. Those four pretty much fit that bolded criteria to a tee. Just saying. You're asking for something so specific, you're going to miss out on the big shark all together.

Most games are like 140+ for nosebleeds these days, parking 20-30, not including any other expenses. You've gotta put a better product out there if you expect a ton of fans at the games. Cheap games between two bad squads are 40-50 at the absolute lowest but who really wants to see that?

Brady struggled early this year, had some good moments in recent weeks but he gives me the vibes of a weak link starter who would be best suited as a top of depth chart backup swing lineman, LT & LG. LG can be improved. Corbett had a bad game but has been a welcome addition at RG. Heyward and Watt feasted because they're also top tier. Our line is top-15, top-10 when on a good streak, but they simply got their socks rocked by a good DL. Need to respond and get better.

Not here to defend Tepper but I bolded what are no doubt true, but all a part of the same initial decision to hire and give Rhule a czar type control over the franchise. That control seemed to stem everywhere from marketing to management to coaching. DT hired him and said make it your program. That failed miserably. Panthers HQ was an unmitigated disaster. That's a bad look. What's the stadium debacle? Regarding Wilks, my take is that he looks like the guy many thought he was in 2016 after replacing McD. He is an excellent AHC that can run practice and get the team gelled. He is not a game planner, coordinator, or HC. Excellent position coach, really good right-hand man, not a HC or even a coordinator IMO.

Classifying him as stupid or not isn't really going to change anything. He obviously wants to look good with this football thing. We will see on his second hire. This premise though is incredibly speculative.

I just don't classify the man as stupid, although I do think when people get THAT successful and live in that level of a wealth bubble, there seems to be a degenerative element in their decision making across the board, not just NFL owners. There's probably some type of study on it. He's not some blind captain hitting every button in the cockpit. But he's obviously making bad decisions.

I think you're reading into Wilks having a bit of Rivera in him and not him having some secured feeling/assurance from Tepp. Tepper may have had a huge miss with Rhule to start his ownership, but to make the final choice on the next coach this early, after just going through that failed experience, with how we're playing, with a guy on that failed staff, would be ridiculously stupid. I don't think he would even think to make that decision this early even if it was an outside hire. Late January is usually and always the time where this happens.

Quentin Johnson, Jordan Addison, & Michael Mayer would be injections we need if we aren't in a spot to draft Young or Stroud. I however think we would place the upside value in Levis or Richardson above that.