quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

quote:

ORIGINAL: ratoppenheimer

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the underlying question to all of these conversations is: do we try to win now and stretch out the credit card accounting, or blow it up and try to win in a few years?

Do we try to win now and stretch out the credit card accounting? We are talent deficient in too many areas to win now, regardless of the credit cards.

As far as blowing it up, everyone has a different interpretation of that. IMO it includes trading away talented players to gain draft picks and cap space. Kind of a non-starter because there are so few players on the team with that talent. Who fits the criteria?

- Darrisaw, no. Don't trade a very good, young LT primarily because he protects the QB's blind spot.
- Hock, no. Doubt we get comparable picks in return. Who would do that with his salary, especially after his injury? He's not in the mix.
- Pace, no. Just started his rookie contract, potentially part of the future.
- Blackmon, no. Just started his rookie contract, potentially part of the future.

- O'Neill, a likely no. Trade bait, but who would want to fork over picks and take on his salary.
- JJ, yes. Discussed ad nausem.

Besides JJ, barring being foolish, or finding a really stupid GM to deal with, we don't have assets to blow anything up! Your criteria may vary.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

quote:

ORIGINAL: ratoppenheimer

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the underlying question to all of these conversations is: do we try to win now and stretch out the credit card accounting, or blow it up and try to win in a few years?

Do we try to win now and stretch out the credit card accounting? We are talent deficient in too many areas to win now, regardless of the credit cards.

As far as blowing it up, everyone has a different interpretation of that. IMO it includes trading away talented players to gain draft picks and cap space. Kind of a non-starter because there are so few players on the team with that talent. Who fits the criteria?

- Darrisaw, no. Don't trade a very good, young LT primarily because he protects the QB's blind spot.
- Hock, no. Doubt we get comparable picks in return. Who would do that with his salary, especially after his injury? He's not in the mix.
- Pace, no. Just started his rookie contract, potentially part of the future.
- Blackmon, no. Just started his rookie contract, potentially part of the future.

- O'Neill, a likely no. Trade bait, but who would want to fork over picks and take on his salary.
- JJ, yes. Discussed ad nausem.

Besides JJ, barring being foolish, or finding a really stupid GM to deal with, we don't have assets to blow anything up! Your criteria may vary.

I suppose we could look at it as a competitive blowup.

Right now we have a roster with the players you just mentioned and a bunch of smithereens.

Maybe ... Kwesi has disguised his intentions so well ... like a GM Columbo ... that we'll find ourselves in 2025 flush with cash and a bundle of young players ready for ascension.

Or not. This offseason is going to be a wild ride I think.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ratoppenheimer

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what if we draft a qb in the 1st round, and he turns out to be a first-season phenom, but the team can't gain traction because we blew up the rest of the roster and traded jefferson?....

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: ratoppenheimer

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what if we draft a qb in the 1st round, and he turns out to be a first-season phenom, but the team can't gain traction because we blew up the rest of the roster and traded jefferson?....

Yeah, then all we'd have is a brilliant young QB to build a team around.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: ratoppenheimer

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what if we draft a qb in the 1st round, and he turns out to be a first-season phenom, but the team can't gain traction because we blew up the rest of the roster and traded jefferson?....

Yeah, then all we'd have is a brilliant young QB to build a team around.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ricky J

ESPN: NFL salary cap rises $30.6 million to record $255.4 million per team

- oh oh, looks like it might be a little easier to sign every ones favorite QB ...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ricky J

ESPN: NFL salary cap rises $30.6 million to record $255.4 million per team

- oh oh, looks like it might be a little easier to sign everyones favorite QB ...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ricky J

ESPN: NFL salary cap rises $30.6 million to record $255.4 million per team

- oh oh, looks like it might be a little easier to sign every ones favorite QB ...

That's what I think.

I've been saying it since last offseason ...

I don't think Kwesi and Kevin have the vision or cajones to come up with their own answer at the position. So I don't see them moving on from Cousins. In spite of the numbers which made resigning him prohibitive.

30M is just a drop in the bucket for what it will take to make this team a competitor but its probably all the excuse they need to keep treading water with Cousins.

Depressing. I was hoping for better from a new regime.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ricky J

ESPN: NFL salary cap rises $30.6 million to record $255.4 million per team

- oh oh, looks like it might be a little easier to sign everyones favorite QB ...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

The big picture is how to get better with any significance. With a thin roster, not a lot of resources, and people in charge that have been making below average personnel and draft decisions. And without handcuffing our cap in the future (like we have been the last 3 years at least).

Versus the simplified, ‘we can create 60M by making some simple moves and then we’re in a good position.

Nobody is saying we won’t sign FAs. We don’t have any choice … we simply dont have enough players, decent or otherwise at this point in time.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Jandro

With this extra 30ml things could get pretty stupid contract wise in the first wave of FA.

I still think Kwesi should have ext Jefferson 30 seconds after he became eligible. The longer he waits the more expensive it becomes. Jefferson smells the blood in the water.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark Anderson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

The big picture is how to get better with any significance. With a thin roster, not a lot of resources, and people in charge that have been making below average personnel and draft decisions. And without handcuffing our cap in the future (like we have been the last 3 years at least).

Versus the simplified, ‘we can create 60M by making some simple moves and then we’re in a good position.

Nobody is saying we won’t sign FAs. We don’t have any choice … we simply dont have enough players, decent or otherwise at this point in time.

I've said that. We can get there without creating anymore dead cap or void years.

And yes, I do say make a splash in FA. Get a top corner for 18M per and it improves 3 positions with one move. Moving Murphy to #2 and Blackmon to nickel. With Evans being a special team/injury fill in guy. Get another difference maker($$$) at DLine and then do some bargain hunting.

It won't all get done in one year but you can fill some important holes the 1st year. Then, 2025 the void years and dead cap diminish and you have some more cap space.

Of course, the main way to improve this team is in the draft(because you need to have some starters who have small cap numbers) and finding QBOTF. If that doesn't happen, nothing we accomplished in FA will put us in a situation where we can start being a top team.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark Anderson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

The big picture is how to get better with any significance. With a thin roster, not a lot of resources, and people in charge that have been making below average personnel and draft decisions. And without handcuffing our cap in the future (like we have been the last 3 years at least).

Versus the simplified, ‘we can create 60M by making some simple moves and then we’re in a good position.

Nobody is saying we won’t sign FAs. We don’t have any choice … we simply dont have enough players, decent or otherwise at this point in time.

I've said that. We can get there without creating anymore dead cap or void years.

And yes, I do say make a splash in FA. Get a top corner for 18M per and it improves 3 positions with one move. Moving Murphy to #2 and Blackmon to nickel. With Evans being a special team/injury fill in guy. Get another difference maker($$$) at DLine and then do some bargain hunting.

It won't all get done in one year but you can fill some important holes the 1st year. Then, 2025 the void years and dead cap diminish and you have some more cap space.

Of course, the main way to improve this team is in the draft(because you need to have some starters who have small cap numbers) and finding QBOTF. If that doesn't happen, nothing we accomplished in FA will put us in a situation where we can start being a top team.

You can spend big or you can spend smart.
And by smart I don't mean cheap ... we all want good players added to the team.
Smart would not just be cap space, it would be the structure of contracts within the cap, how they are laid out for this year, and next and after. It also includes having your RT and TE NOT locking down more than your QB, top CB and Edge rusher combined – the cap has to have a semblance of positional responsibility and balance.
You can say lets cut and rework the cap space - which we can do - and then add an unnamed CB for an arbitrary 18M ... which is easy to say but neither here nor there until we know there is player like that we can sign.
Then there's the issue of Kwesi's skill as a GM in signing and drafting players.
We are not quite clear of the Spielman mess. Kwesi has started creating a his own mess and with Cousins, JJ, Darrisaw and maybe Hunter lurking out there ... it remains to be seen how much cap space we can create for this year that aren't going to be gobbled up by more lame cap management.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark Anderson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

The big picture is how to get better with any significance. With a thin roster, not a lot of resources, and people in charge that have been making below average personnel and draft decisions. And without handcuffing our cap in the future (like we have been the last 3 years at least).

Versus the simplified, ‘we can create 60M by making some simple moves and then we’re in a good position.

Nobody is saying we won’t sign FAs. We don’t have any choice … we simply dont have enough players, decent or otherwise at this point in time.

I've said that. We can get there without creating anymore dead cap or void years.

And yes, I do say make a splash in FA. Get a top corner for 18M per and it improves 3 positions with one move. Moving Murphy to #2 and Blackmon to nickel. With Evans being a special team/injury fill in guy. Get another difference maker($$$) at DLine and then do some bargain hunting.

It won't all get done in one year but you can fill some important holes the 1st year. Then, 2025 the void years and dead cap diminish and you have some more cap space.

Of course, the main way to improve this team is in the draft(because you need to have some starters who have small cap numbers) and finding QBOTF. If that doesn't happen, nothing we accomplished in FA will put us in a situation where we can start being a top team.

You can spend big or you can spend smart.
And by smart I don't mean cheap ... we all want good players added to the team.
Smart would not just be cap space, it would be the structure of contracts within the cap, how they are laid out for this year, and next and after. It also includes having your RT and TE NOT locking down more than your QB, top CB and Edge rusher combined – the cap has to have a semblance of positional responsibility and balance.
You can say lets cut and rework the cap space - which we can do - and then add an unnamed CB for an arbitrary 18M ... which is easy to say but neither here nor there until we know there is player like that we can sign.
Then there's the issue of Kwesi's skill as a GM in signing and drafting players.
We are not quite clear of the Spielman mess. Kwesi has started creating a his own mess and with Cousins, JJ, Darrisaw and maybe Hunter lurking out there ... it remains to be seen how much cap space we can create for this year that aren't going to be gobbled up by more lame cap management.

There are some things you have to give Kwesi/KOC credit for....Kendricks was replaced by Pace, Thielen by Addison, Cleveland by Risner, and PP by Murphy. If you also talk cap---they were in really bad shape going into 2022 and 2023. They basically had to cut Kendricks, Thielen, and Zed last year to be compliant.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark Anderson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

The big picture is how to get better with any significance. With a thin roster, not a lot of resources, and people in charge that have been making below average personnel and draft decisions. And without handcuffing our cap in the future (like we have been the last 3 years at least).

Versus the simplified, ‘we can create 60M by making some simple moves and then we’re in a good position.

Nobody is saying we won’t sign FAs. We don’t have any choice … we simply dont have enough players, decent or otherwise at this point in time.

I've said that. We can get there without creating anymore dead cap or void years.

And yes, I do say make a splash in FA. Get a top corner for 18M per and it improves 3 positions with one move. Moving Murphy to #2 and Blackmon to nickel. With Evans being a special team/injury fill in guy. Get another difference maker($$$) at DLine and then do some bargain hunting.

It won't all get done in one year but you can fill some important holes the 1st year. Then, 2025 the void years and dead cap diminish and you have some more cap space.

Of course, the main way to improve this team is in the draft(because you need to have some starters who have small cap numbers) and finding QBOTF. If that doesn't happen, nothing we accomplished in FA will put us in a situation where we can start being a top team.

You can spend big or you can spend smart.
And by smart I don't mean cheap ... we all want good players added to the team.
Smart would not just be cap space, it would be the structure of contracts within the cap, how they are laid out for this year, and next and after. It also includes having your RT and TE NOT locking down more than your QB, top CB and Edge rusher combined – the cap has to have a semblance of positional responsibility and balance.
You can say lets cut and rework the cap space - which we can do - and then add an unnamed CB for an arbitrary 18M ... which is easy to say but neither here nor there until we know there is player like that we can sign.
Then there's the issue of Kwesi's skill as a GM in signing and drafting players.
We are not quite clear of the Spielman mess. Kwesi has started creating a his own mess and with Cousins, JJ, Darrisaw and maybe Hunter lurking out there ... it remains to be seen how much cap space we can create for this year that aren't going to be gobbled up by more lame cap management.

There are some things you have to give Kwesi/KOC credit for....Kendricks was replaced by Pace, Thielen by Addison, Cleveland by Risner, and PP by Murphy. If you also talk cap---they were in really bad shape going into 2022 and 2023. They basically had to cut Kendricks, Thielen, and Zed last year to be compliant.

Kendricks and Thielen could have easily been let go the year before. Letting them and Zed go last year gets Kwesi an 'ok, you did what you were required to do.'

Yes Addison was a good upgrade from Thielen, on all levels. Yes Pace was a good replacement for Kendricks. Risner for Cleveland ... yes but it took way too long. PP for Murphy? Not clear. From a performance standpoint, its pretty even with Peterson saving a couple of games with INTs. and Murphy cost more.

But you're right. I tend to only find the negative in Kwesi.

Not by choice. I'm open. If he changes our direction this offseason, I'll come around.

A lot has to happen first though, in my mind.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark Anderson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom Sykes

The big picture is how to get better with any significance. With a thin roster, not a lot of resources, and people in charge that have been making below average personnel and draft decisions. And without handcuffing our cap in the future (like we have been the last 3 years at least).

Versus the simplified, ‘we can create 60M by making some simple moves and then we’re in a good position.

Nobody is saying we won’t sign FAs. We don’t have any choice … we simply dont have enough players, decent or otherwise at this point in time.

I've said that. We can get there without creating anymore dead cap or void years.

And yes, I do say make a splash in FA. Get a top corner for 18M per and it improves 3 positions with one move. Moving Murphy to #2 and Blackmon to nickel. With Evans being a special team/injury fill in guy. Get another difference maker($$$) at DLine and then do some bargain hunting.

It won't all get done in one year but you can fill some important holes the 1st year. Then, 2025 the void years and dead cap diminish and you have some more cap space.

Of course, the main way to improve this team is in the draft(because you need to have some starters who have small cap numbers) and finding QBOTF. If that doesn't happen, nothing we accomplished in FA will put us in a situation where we can start being a top team.

You can spend big or you can spend smart.

And by smart I don't mean cheap ... we all want good players added to the team.

Smart would not just be cap space, it would be the structure of contracts within the cap, how they are laid out for this year, and next and after. It also includes having your RT and TE NOT locking down more than your QB, top CB and Edge rusher combined – the cap has to have a semblance of positional responsibility and balance.

You can say lets cut and rework the cap space - which we can do - and then add an unnamed CB for an arbitrary 18M ... which is easy to say but neither here nor there until we know there is player like that we can sign.

Then there's the issue of Kwesi's skill as a GM in signing and drafting players.

We are not quite clear of the Spielman mess. Kwesi has started creating a his own mess and with Cousins, JJ, Darrisaw and maybe Hunter lurking out there ... it remains to be seen how much cap space we can create for this year that aren't going to be gobbled up by more lame cap management.