Like FL points out players love their stats. Hurts I think can live with whatever stats. Well….seemed pretty obvious the interception stat was way too big a talking point across the Negadelphia. But he genuinely seems to be focused on winning and even more to the point winning championships. Felt a bit bold for him to talk about it after losing that first SB. I mean …who knew if he’d ever return. Dan Marino sure thought he’d get another shot…but never happened again. Can’t remember a player so focused on wining Lombardis like Hurts so young. Brady…after being there so routinely…sure he developed that habit.

I loved him being all about winning. But even I thought it bold of him to state so clearly to the world his goal was winning championships.

Gives the ability in the locker room to spread and be contagious. Saquan…any new guy that came in…goal wasn’t win the division. Goal wasn’t regular season rushing titles and records. Just think about how easy it would have been last season for so many of our guys to be distracted. I think the Oline wanted the rushing records more than Barkley even. But Hurts made it very clear what the main goal is. So really never needed to ask any questions about how to handle things. Didn’t have to go through a big drawn out debate to convince guys goal was SB victory. How Siri pulled things last season don’t think happens without that  mentality being widely preached and known. QB and WRs sacrificed. Just was really amazing the quality players Rosie has stockpiled here. Draft strategy and trades very clearly targeting these character types. Not leaping for the flashy showboat super talented athletes. Getting the consistent hard working focused and dedicated athletes players. Great or not….those guys are so much more consistent. They almost all always show steady improvement from year to year. 

This locker room is strong.

Just now, cunninghamtheman said:

This locker room is strong.

Rosie deserves full credit. 

So the Jaxson Dart hype is in full swing. I’m convinced he’s going first round now. Obviously I’m hoping for a trade with us for him. Browns….in particular. Makes total sense for them. But they probably will lock him in by trading up. Just have to. 

Move back two spots. With them taking the QB we aren’t drafting anyway. Would just be a win all the way around. 

8 hours ago, cunninghamtheman said:

Rank Hurts wherever you wish. He doesn’t care. The only one on the list that doesn’t too

Agree....that's what I was trying to tell you all season.....Hurts doesn't care about all the other stuff... you were all angry that he wasn't " developing in the Moore O"   he does his thing, ot doesn't look pretty, not conventional.   He takes care of the ball....and he wins doing it his way.   

You on the other hand... have to have him perfect...never anything his fault, he has to be the best at every QB skill etc.   

Sports is about knowing your strengths and weaknesses....and strategies for playing toward your strengths and away from your weaknesses.   That's what Hurts and the offensive coaches were mastering as the season went along. 

5 hours ago, cunninghamtheman said:

Gives the ability in the locker room to spread and be contagious. Saquan…any new guy that came in…goal wasn’t win the division. Goal wasn’t regular season rushing titles and records. Just think about how easy it would have been last season for so many of our guys to be distracted. I think the Oline wanted the rushing records more than Barkley even. But Hurts made it very clear what the main goal is. So really never needed to ask any questions about how to handle things. Didn’t have to go through a big drawn out debate to convince guys goal was SB victory. How Siri pulled things last season don’t think happens without that  mentality being widely preached and known. QB and WRs sacrificed. Just was really amazing the quality players Rosie has stockpiled here. Draft strategy and trades very clearly targeting these character types. Not leaping for the flashy showboat super talented athletes. Getting the consistent hard working focused and dedicated athletes players. Great or not….those guys are so much more consistent. They almost all always show steady improvement from year to year. 

I think during the offseason the owner took control of the team.   Waited patiently to hear out the strategies from coach and GM.

Also made it clear to his QB...that it wasn't going to be another Wentz situation where the QB thinks he runs things.   Any " beef"  between " coach and players"  was obviously with how one player might have been butt hurt that his childhood family friend got fired.   The owner and organization made it clear to the QB...shut up this is how it's going to be.

Barkley came in with instant leadership.  The true elite talent that's selfless and didn't win anything yet.  Once the full squad was healthy after the bye week...and they decided to go with their strength of putting the ball in their elite player's hands,  their leader.  It went from there.... perfect except for a Smith drop after the starting QB got hurt and CGJ got ejected for using mean words.  

Team was dominant.   The owner had his best season from Jan 2024 to Feb of 2025.  Kudos Mr Lurie.

Your thoughts on a repeat??? You know it's very difficult to even MAKE it to the SB, let alone win it. Howie has plugged the holes as best he could this off season. Yes we lost some terrific players. But you know, in life and working with various businesses, I found that even when someone  goes away, others rise up and fill the need. I'm hoping we see that happen now. If people take the reins, I see no reason we can't be right there at playoff time. This years schedule is a bit tougher than the last 2. I'm fine with that. Iron sharpens iron. We still retained a high percentage of those that won last year. We still have all our playmakers, or most if Goedert goes, but maybe one of the TE's would step up. Stoutland will whip any new linemen into solid players. Becton got his career resurrected here, no reason Stout can't do that again. A new OC, possibly we see some new things. If I was Patullo, there would be few changes to the O. The D should continue to be stellar. I suspect our record won't be as high as 2024, but we are still a dangerous contender, with alot of the core intact. Time for others to step up. IDK about y'all,but I'm looking for another Lombardi

https://thedraftnetwork.com/2024/05/22/mitchell-evans-scouting-report-nfl-draft  Since it seems there is no rush for a TE, here is a nice developmental one in round 4/5(yes he can block LOL) He has the skills, needs refined. 1,2 years should do it

Kind of cumbersome, needs alot of work on his footwork and breaks. But he is a round 5,so you'd expect work needs to be done. He is a big kid with good hands. Excellent guy to bring along over time

Tyler Booker(listed as OG-Bama) is actually BIGGER than OT Conerly by about 30 pounds. G and T almost becoming interchangeable now

Browns are picking Travis Hunter at 2

Just now, cunninghamtheman said:

Browns are picking Travis Hunter at 2

Neon Deon even stated Browns are taking him or his son. I’m pretty sure he knows. But always good to pump your son as worthy of the second pick. Because he might slide. Giants I think will take him. But if they back out? He might fall pretty far.

I’m talking about this because it relates to my thoughts about trying to just steal an extra pick for pretty much nothing out of this. Move back from 32 to 34. 32 will be the QB we aren’t taking. So we might have one guy taken is all. 

Browns are actually being smart in thinking this draft. I know we’ll see. It’s the Browns. But feels like everybody already knows they’re loving Travis. Sanders isn’t worth a first round pick if you ask me. Confidence…swagger…sell some tickets…make the loses more entertaining is what he’s good for. I prefer the later QBs behind him. Actually really liking these guys. They seem to all have some pretty special qualities. We really don’t need one….but you know Lurie is thinking about it. He kind of loves when everybody questions him taking a backup QB. But this draft really has some options he won’t have to spend a bunch on. Fourth round maybe. Having Tanner completely takes the pressure off too. Just can sit back and completely be developed….by somebody…guess the Bowling Greeen coach is QB coach now. Siri actually won’t mind with his third string QB to do things right. Teach him all the fundamentals…no rush…no short cutting. Still think Hurts actually still has a couple areas of fairly fundamental QB lessons he still has been skipping over all these years. Siri was forced to go with a very young and green QB. He had to start right away. I never agreed with skipping all these things with your franchise QB. But Hurts wasn’t seen as the franchise guy his first season starting. Heck….Rosie was clearly scouting Pickett very hard. That would have really sucked….you know…just like the Steelers situation. Third stringer was better option. Pickett will grow and develop more. He has to. But he’s really developmental backup QB level. Good backup he’ll become. But he just is to low in too many areas to ever really think he could be a starter. And no…not just the hand size. 

So throw it in your mocks boys. I’m placing my one time blue light guarantee…Lurie will draft some QB …his factory is primed to pump these suckers out. Tanner was a better backup option all along anyway. Really was a bad idea to trade for Pickett. 

See Rosie did so much to bring us home the parade. But we can still point out his bad moves. It’s kind of crazy actually. He gave the retirement home ready CB Bradbury way too long a contract. I guess to keep him …that was what it took? I don’t know. Hindsight clearly pointing to Rosie really screws up when he forces things to cover for other options…as the main reason he does the deal on some of these. Let Reddick go….but Huff as our big FA was a bust. Wish we just kept that money open instead….or got Swoop some new duds….basically anything …other than Huff. I mean how didn’t everybody see him as the poster boy of coming off his career season in his contract year? More importantly….he was a beneficiary of the talented D more than his own dominance. Saleh didn’t even try to keep him. He knew that was his fantastic coaching job…took that …was he undrafted or just real late? Whatever…super project…and got the most out of him. Great coaching right there.

I mean we had two starter level paid defenders just eating in our cafeteria. Not much else. Crazy how good we were while just carrying that worthless expensive baggage. Two starters…that really don’t deserve to suit up on gamedays…and we crushed everybody! Pretty sick! But goes to show Rosie had a great season…a freaking incredible ultimate season. Hats off…so we can see the beer can scar..on the nerd. 

He traded for Pickett and was forced to have him as the backup..with no chance for Tanner. Not a terrible trade…but wasn’t good. Tanner is our guy! QB factory ready to polish him off some this season. Maybe even trade him. But that was the main downside to the trade for Pickett….not the money or draft pick…that he got in Tanners way. We are developing here…get out of the way.

Pickett, Bradberry and Huff as the big FA signing. That long of contract for Bradbury was really bad. Sorry…got to call everything like I see it. I understand how he played really well one season. So signing him back for another one year deal I wouldn’t slam Rosie over. He fell off the cliff. One more year take your chances….but in hindsight…were we actually can grade each move….freaking trainwreck out of your freaking mind signing there. Giants let him walk because they saw he was on the decline. 

Huff I see as Rosie’s plan long in the making to replace Reddick. He knew Reddick wouldn’t be getting a new contract. Heck Redick and Rosie knew it his second season here. So Rosie softens the blow of just dumping our elite defender. With the Big Pass Rusher next thing. Don’t follow the magic hands too closely or you’ll see it’s all smoke and mirrors. So this I’m putting in the negative box for Rosie of forced replacement. Feels like when he screws up …is doing exactly this type move. 

Signed White hyped with a bit of loot…nothing crazy. But he was touted as the starting LB. I believe Rosie actuallly was wise on this bad signing. I really do believe he was forcing competition on Dean. He clearly always believed in him. But the year before…just all eggs in the Dean basket…when he hadn’t earned or played his rookie season…was not how we want to run things. Need competition always. But Dean showed out…until he got injured again. So I’m calling the bad signing of LB White actually a win. With Dean. 

So the draft. I really can only give Rosie the assist on the three defenders taken first. Fangio had the power…as we’ve just witnessed for good reason. Fangio should be head of D draft.