I’m SOOO looking forward to watching to this Defense…

I mean, I haven’t looked forward to watching a Ram unit since the GSOT.

Seriously.

Well, that… and longer arms and usually quicker feet. As well, Tackles are usually at times left on an island as well as having to work in tandem with their OG to pick up stunts, twists, dawgs and blitzes.

They tend to be the leaders on the OL and the most competent as they have to face the best athletes on the DL.

So, yeah. I can totally see where Coach Boo is coming from.

I guess.

Normally, I don’t go to extremes. I didn’t with Zac Stacy and haven’t with Tre Mason.

Gurley has the ceiling to warrant the extremes AS PART of the discussion. I suppose he could end up being JAG, but I tend to doubt it…

Well, Invader, Gurley did beat Chris Conley in a 40 and Conley just ran a 4.35 40 at the Combine.

I don’t recall when that was, but understand, this guy is FAST.

His sophomore highlights don’t show his speed nearly as much since he played all year with an ankle.

You can see his speed his freshman year when he quite literally ran away from guys who were drafted in the 1st round.

Draftniks drooled over this kid after the first few games saying that he was a first rounder and based on actually watching him closely, it was hard to argue other than saying, “yeah, but you can’t judge after only a few games…” After his time at UGA, now we can.

Gurly isn’t as fast as AP in the flat, but he hits HARDER. He’s WAAAAY faster than Lynch and may hit as hard or nearly as hard.

So being an AP/Lynch hybrid is a pretty damn nice thing to be and that’s what we should have in Gurley which is why Fisher isn’t going to screw this up by bringing him back too early.

I fully expect him to be on the IR-designated to return list, which should allow him to be able to play week 9, which is our 8th game, I think since we have a bye in there. I’m not sure how the bye fits in all of that. I think it’s based on weeks, not games.

Anyway, I would expect that based on that, Gurley would continue to rehab and learn the playbook, then start practicing and getting up to speed starting Week 7 and actually playing Week 9. That would be the home game against the 49ers. Pretty good game to take the wraps off of the new kid…get him some carries…at home against a division foe.

Yes, bnw, that little bit of data is CONVENIENTLY ignored. Moreover, the response is to try and equivocate domestic violence issues with integrity/game violation issues.

Apple? Meet Orange…

Bob Costas was absolutely right. Had Brady simply come clean from the beginning, surrendered the messages, put it off on the equipment guys as over eager, owned his hyper-competitive nature and just said, “my bad”… this would have been a NON ISSUE.

And you know what? The rest of the NFL, including players who hate his guts would have lined up behind him.

But, he didn’t.

It’s Barry Bonds v. Jason Giambi.

Barry Bonds abused steroids…then lied about it and was defiant until the end. Now he’s a punchline.

Jason Giambi came clean right away…”yeah, I did a bunch of steroids. I’m very sorry.” He took his lumps, took his penalty and WAS BACK PLAYING RELATIVELY SOON. Moreover, almost no one slams Giambi relentlessly like they do Bonds, McGwire and other cheaters who belligerently fought the allegations that turned out to be true.

Brady is guilty. The language is what it is because it was crafted by a lawyer preparing a LEGAL document. Those words MEET THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR GUILTY under the Preponderance level in civil cases.

Legal language is NOT the same as “il vulgare”. It cannot be read as a common language. The words in the Wells report are actually quite damning and Yee and Kraft KNOW IT or at least their lawyers should be telling them that.

And unlike in Bountygate, Goodell is NOT the sole judge and jury. Wells was an independent investigator. Troy Vincent was responsible for the administration of punishment. Thus, any bias argument like those alleged by Agent Yee are just silly because those are aimed at Goodell and Troy Vincent made this judgment based on the findings of Wells. Goodell was NOT involved with any of this. So, slamming the Commish is like a stunned fighter just swinging, hoping to hit…something.

The Saints players had GOOD cause to sue Goodell and win. However, as Vilma stated in his texts to Brady in urging him to sue, the very cause which allowed Vilma to sue simply doesn’t exist for Brady.

Worse, the longer Brady and the Patriots fight this, the worse it gets for them.

This whole thing is yet another example of life presenting itself like the Chinese finger trick. The solution is to push one’s two fingers toward one another. No amount of pulling, twisting or resisting of any kind solves this puzzle. The way OUT…is IN. The way towards if not innocence, but maybe mitigation or even minimization is guilt. Admit. Go for it.

Even still. Drop it. Drop it all. Don’t appeal. Bend like a read in the wind and just chalk up this past bit to being hyper-competitive, but admit it. Admit the lie. Apologize. Do NOT mention anyone else. Answer every question. Wait until the last question is the janitor is asking if he can turn off the lights.

Will he listen? No. His agent who has the same good ideas as Greg Stillson did in The Dead Zone, will have him fight this until the bitter end.

What’s a shame is that the end will be more bitter than a rhubarb pulled fresh from the good earth.

Lastly, they need to keep Gronk locked up in Pats HQ. Lord help that guy, he may be one of the best TEs ever and, Bless his heart, but he’s a damned meathead. If ever there were a guy that really needs to be protected from himself and the media, it’s that guy. I’m serious, I wonder if he’s got an IQ above 85. He was on either ESPN or NFL Network and the anchors were just cringing when asked pretty basic questions and his answers were the same as if he were at the Combine… painful to watch, really.

“So, the penalties were just handed down today. What do you think about them and how they affect your team?”

“Yeah, I dunno anything about that. All I can do is go out everyday and be the best football player I can be.” At first, I thought he was doing a Mongo impersonation, from Blazing Saddles, then realized…uh oh… by the squirming of the anchors and his demeanor, he completely was NOT.

My two faves from the draft outside of Gurley are Havenstein and Wichmann.

I really like all of them, but those two are my faves.

That said, it sure isn’t hard to really like Donnal and Brown, either.

Understand… just for sending a text to the sideline, people have been suspended a number of games.

If Brady isn’t suspended at least 6 games due to this, the league has no compass.

This wasn’t a rule misunderstanding. He violated the integrity of the game.

In Baseball, if a pitcher changes the ball via scuffing or applying a substance, he’s not only ejected, but can be suspended and banned.

Would the Pats have won if they had these results at halftime of the AFC Championship game and ejected Brady like in a baseball game? Likely not…

Eternal Ramnation… I may have to steal your handle for my fantasy football team.

It used to be Inglorious Bradferds. And that’s where my head’s at.

I thought about Gurley Men, but I don’t like that vibe.

Foles Gold seems too plain.

“That’s HAH-venstein” is a joke only Mel Brooks fans will get…

“We’re Jamon”… I couldn’t hardly even type that…

I am warming up to “Pancake Breakfast” what with all of our beefy OL…

but just sayin… if you see Eternal Ramnation in some random fantasy league… it might be me.

I mean, I don’t want to play this year, but my friend is very persuasive…

And if I think of a really good name (c’mon, Inglorious Bradferds was a really good name before he went down…), I’ll have to play…

That’s Rex being Rex.

I dunno what unsanctioned means, but I surely hope that the Rams are in the picture.

Still, if Ryan swoops in and gets him for what amounts to a dinner… good on him.

Dale Hansen is a freaking GEM.

Love that guy.

Very damn sad. Was going to post about this, but wanted to wait until the post went up at ROD after I got the text from Les.

At first Thor and I got along… and then we REALLY didn’t.

Went through some EPIC battles (and I don’t mean epic in a good way). Then I realized that between my health and principles and all that, I just didn’t want to behave that way…not toward anyone. So I apologized and ended it.

Turns out he felt the same way.

Turns out he had a lot of similar stuff going on.

We’ve been communicating privately and praying for one another ever since.

I will miss being able to give him comfort and I will miss the comfort he shared with me.

I will miss my friend.

Yeah, they can’t offer him a $2M signing bonus, for example.

And since likely all of the UDFA money is gone, the ONLY things they can offer are

1) starting job
2) guarantee salary
3) opt out in 2nd year of contract.

Normally, the team will have an RFA clause for UDFAs that allow them to extend them from 3 to 4 years, but he could get out after just two if they allow him to have that in his contract. That would allow him to recoup what he lost.

If he really is as good as he looked, then he may be actually better off because he’d be hitting that 2nd contract after only 2 years. Which, is kinda crazy…

I’d still do it if I were the Rams. If GRob struggles, you can move him to RG and you have Collins as your LT. If not, you have your bookends that can dominate in both pass pro and definitely in the run game.

I’d be shocked if the Rams weren’t really on this… I know they like Havenstein, but c’mon. You really have to be on this guy… If he’s cleared, they Rams have to be after him like Quinn after a strip sack…

Dunno why I’m in the minority loving Wichmann, but I’m okay with that…

They took the initial profile down, but not the one you posted…

har har har…

Wow… that’s going to stir the pot…