2018 NFL Football

[shaft.ed]

I think the Eagles are trying to sign ALL the defensive lineman to increase the trade value via scarcity

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Am I the only one that thinks Rosen is going to work out the best of the QBs?

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i think without Wentz, Allen won't be as big a deal as he is

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or you have to do like the Iggles last year. Build up enough of a cushion that you can redesign your playbook during the last 3 weeks of the season

problem solved!

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i enjoyed the Eagles drafting a guy named Dallas after Akers gave that speech
grade A trolling there
so worth it

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You're using statistics incorrectly

thats not even statistics

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Just my prediction he won't.

it's really easy to not win a Super Bowl

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Man the QB class of 83 only had one Superbowl winner
must have sucked big time

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I seriously think you guys are understimating Arizona.

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a bunch of superstars on rookie contracts and his GM was allowed to ape shit in free agency for defensive stars AND depth - including a star QB that was being paid less than a million dollars a year?

Basically how the Eagles were built

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but the cost is pretty explicitly making building of dynasties hard.

well its a lot more about underpaying athletes that seriously fuck up their health, but no one really cares about that end of the stick

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I don't know why they can't return to the old system where the players weren't on the field during the national anthem
it would really solve all the problems
but apparently they need to demonstrate that they own the players

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Holy shit, a significant number of star players intend to sit out the season until the blacklisting of players like Kaepernick and Reid are lifted.

considering is doing a whole lotta work in that statement

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That's dumb, NFL teams shouldn't be punished for not wanting to alienate fans.

Fans should be less racist.

Maybe the players should find a forum to voice their social concerns where their jobs aren't at stake.

it's almost like they are using the one area of society in which minorities have any leverage to make people socially aware

those bastards

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I would guess there are reasons for tension between blacks and police besides racism.

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Well...if people don't want to see these protests, there is a much simpler solution.

Or they could stop pretending they actually watch the anthem
seriously nobody watches the anthem, that's time for emptying your bladder and filling your plate before the game starts

Do they get just as upset when people are displaying the flag improperly (Stars on the right?). Or when their neighbors leave it out at night without lighting it? Lazy jingoists

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You appear to be wrong...

During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.

http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html

so are you as offended when your neighbors leave their flag out at night without illumination?

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so selective pearly clutching it is

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It's easier to pick at the part of the code he's mad about.

For instance, fans are not in uniform. Should the NFL shut down concessions and memoriabilia shops in the stadium 5 minutes before the anthem and open them after, to increase patriotism and make sure everyone is "facing the flag and standing at attention". What about bathrooms? Or is that only for fans of color that need to respect the flag? White guy getting pre-game nachos ok but black guy next to him's nachos are disrespecting the flag?

I'm also really curious if there is an exception for non-US citizens
Does Jay Ajayi have to do the anthem?
I guess beisbol does, but I'm p sure the guys from Canukistan in the NHL don't

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Also are nachos ok as long as neither nacho getter is kneeling?

obv no
kneeling is horrible
standing with nachos on heart
facing the cash register

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i also wish we could talk about the flip side of this whole thing. Why does the anthem even need to be at sportsball events in the first place? When I go to the movies, or improv comedy, or the symphony, I don't have to do the anthem. The only other place I can think of is Woodstock. Doesn't the fact that the NFL and other leagues have co-opted the national anthem for their own national pride image cheapen it? What's next, athletes draped in the American flag being used to sell children's cereal?

And on the other hand, why are the same people complaining about government reaching into the lives and shoving things down their throats perfectly happy to have this forced display of allegiance pushed on them every time they want to relax with their favorite sports franchise? Shouldn't we be drowning it in the bath water and not signing its praises nearly every day of the year?

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I also have no clue why Seattle signed Marshall. Maybe to sell tickets but I don't think it makes a ton of football sense.

he's Jimmy's replacement

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I'm happy for Bell
its bullshit how little RBs get paid

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Zito..can I be a houston fan too? I need something to cheer for

i think you;d make a good Iggles bandwagoner

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ur mum

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this was great btw

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Jax vs Iggles SB let's go

phillys not going back

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6-10 at best because the team is talented, 0-16 at worst because the team has Hue

0-16 tbh

i'd more like to bet on the over/under for how many years Gruden lasts before running away with his bag of cash

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It's really a tragedy that NE sports are allowed to exist

the number of championship banners hanging in Boston Logan is obscene

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well that'll happen when you have twice the number of teams

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Even if you remove the 2nd teams in NYC

The Yankees just have a stupid number of World Series wins

this is correct
if you remove the second best team from each sport it is:
NYC: 44
Boston-(Including Patriots): 37

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so is it too soon to be excited about Mailata?

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Dudes gonna be a monster. When your problem for rugby* is "you're too big," of course the solution is going to the only sport where being bigger is good.

*league, which is barely real rugby

didn't that other rugby dude crash out of the league?

he was trying to be an RB
this guy has the measurables and athleticism of a Left Tackle grown in a lab
he's a freaking beast
and he's learning from JP and Stoutland
quickly

[shaft.ed]

I really felt Pitt was just trolling in that game
Giving up a tie was worth all of that troll
especially now that Cleveland has talked themselves into tie=win
its even trollier

Also it looks like odds of Rosen and Mayfield starting sometime this year have gone up quite a bit now

[shaft.ed]

Also I have to say I don't really like the new rule about D-lineman not being able to fall on a QB. I don't even know how they are supposed to pull that off. And the one play I saw someone do it, they got called for it anyway.

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he might also be trying to make clear that this is a stupid play and they shouldn't run it cause its stupid

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It's rough running into Fitzpatrick in the wrong part of his cycle
should have known better

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Yeah but Bortles is a poor-man's Nick Foles.

is Bortles really as streaky as Foles?
Foles only seems to have two settings, shite and GOAT

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so the Pats will be getting Josh Gordon for pennies on the dollar right?
thats how the script usually goes

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lol

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i cant believe that a conditional 5th was the most anyone was willing to risk

and they cut Coleman to make room for him

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that Wilson hasn't died yet is a testament to his skill as an athlete and QB

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oh yay, Iggles brought back Jordan Mathews
slot receiver is obv the missing piece on that offense

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also Andy Reid

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I doubt Reid makes the Super Bowl, and I doubt he'll beat whoever is out of the NFC

NE is always the favorite as long as Bill and Tom are around

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Derek Anderson has been with the Bills for 10 days. He's now the starting QB while Josh Allen is out with his elbow injury. Much like the Brissett/Tolzien situation last year, literally nobody thinks this is the wrong move. Not even Nathan Peterman's mom. Hell, if he;s being truly honest, not even Nathan Peterman himself thinks this is a worse idea than playing Peterman again.

I wonder if the Bills are doing more to help Colin Kapernick than just offering him a contract
at least he's not risking physical harm

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His case against the NFL is just clips of Peterman playing

yeah but now he can add Derek Anderson
presumably

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Ravens/Saints announcers: Tucker has never missed an extra point in his career.
Me: Really? You have to say that? Way to jinx him.
Tucker: misses extra point

As soon as he said it everyone had to see it coming. They always do that. Lol.

I'm p sure theyve said that before
but he didnt miss those times
so you didnt notice

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I really think this is just Chucky's long plotted revenge

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nah
Browns aren't going anywhere this year, why bring in a vet you won't need
Save the capital and keep building

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Golden Tate?
wtf

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my question is why the iggles picked him up

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but the eagles already have two slot receivers in Algholar and Mathews
they dont need a third, they need a deep threat
or an RB
or a DB

[shaft.ed]

but the eagles already have two slot receivers in Algholar and Mathews
they dont need a third, they need a deep threat
or an RB
or a DB

Matthews has been playing as the deep threat(also hardly playing). His Y/R is 20.0

i realize that
but i think everyone also realizes Mathews isnt a deep threat

[shaft.ed]

so youre saying the Eagles are going to lose

a lot

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nah Chiefs will never get it done
but I didn't really think Philly would be building a dynasty
They lucked into the Title by landing with Godly Foles when it mattered
it also seems teams are much better at scheming for the D after New England trounced them in the title game

i just dont see why the running game is being ignored. I understand there aren't enough good receivers, but with Ajayi and Blount both gone it won't matter who is catching the ball

[shaft.ed]

maybe him and Bortles can get their own sitcom once they both get benched

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lol
i didnt know someone hired Tom Cable
definitely Chucky's Revenge

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So Josh Gordon is giving the Pats the Superbowl again would be my guess
it was so obvious when the trade happened

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I don't see Rams taking NFC so...

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I think NoLa vs Pats for superbowl personally

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is it just me or does it seem like there is at least one flea flicker in every game now?

they basically always work
really every play should be a flea flicker

you hear that Cleveland? I'm available for the OC job

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I'm glad the Eagles are figuring out why they were the underdogs last year
it should be a good learning experience for them

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I agree he could start for someone..like..3-4 options, but people need to dial back the "he can start everytime someone throws an interception" rhetoric, especially considering that all the noise is partially why you can't hire him as a back up. You don't want the fans chanting for your back up the second your starter throws a pick.

Mark fucking Sanchez

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As if a full academic scholarship isn't paying them.

lol

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its actually much more the fact that the "compensation" in numerous cases do not come close to covering the value reaped by the university

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the classes are going to happen anyway
the uni doesn't really lose anything of monetary value

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um...
how about no?

I mean i can't think of any institution of learning wherein the students generate billions of dollars in revenue by "taking courses"
Closest to that would actually be PhD's funded by various grants. Depending on focus they do get paid, not sure if it is a fair pay, but nowhere near as lopsided as NCAA

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I dont see the point of making such a convoluted argument
there are other people who go to college and get pointless degrees
and there are also plenty of examples of student athletes that actually get a real education while in college
it's simply a lot harder because of the time commitments

also lost in all the glitz is that most university athletic departments are a net drain on the institution. The losers just have to keep shoveling in money or else they give up all hope of remaining competitive

so disbanning the NCAA as it exists would be a net benefit for everyone except the NCAA

[shaft.ed]

Just curious. Do you think women’s field hockey should get paid too?

i see nothing wrong with college scholarships for athletics
they exist for art and academic performance, why not athletics?

what i have a problem with is college becoming a farm system for multibillion dollar industries
I'm not that up on it, but beisbol has what seems to be a working farm system, and I don't think collegiate baseball is as much a thing as basketball and football. Even basketball is not as much a problem as its common for blue chip athletes to skip some or all of college

Basically I would prefer young athletes obviously capable of raking in hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to be able to do that without risking their future playing in a forced system. And furthermore that forced system being incredibly restrictive with what they can do in their own time to make money off of their own persona in the guise of maintaining amateur athletics or whatever the NCAA's excuse is

[shaft.ed]

Should Frank Gore be in the Hall of Fame when he's eligible?

i dont care about the HoF?

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I'm not usually one to cheer on injury, but I'm glad Colt McCoy got injured so Mark Sanchez could redeem himself with the butt fumble recovery
that was special

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http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... own-fumble

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but he's older than he's ever been

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Washington was gone even with Alex Smith. They have way too many injuries on the offensive line to keep going

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doesn't Miami always win this game against NE though?

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so did anyone have Henry and Kittle on their fantasy teams?

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Pittsburgh being so Pittsburgh
Losing to one of the worst teams in the league on week, and beating a perennial Superbowl favorite the next

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So is Foles like a rich man's Fitzmagic?

I really don't know how I want the Philly QB situation to pan out. It's so weird

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I just don't understand why Philly's defense plays better with Foles in the game.
Is it because he has less horrible turnovers than Wentz? Do the coaches put more load onto the running game giving more rest for the D? Did Schwartz finally settle on the optimal D-back combo? But why is the pass rusher back to full form?

And why does the O-line plays better. Is that just chance? Is it Johnson getting back to full health and a subpar Peters injuring himself out of the season? Or is Foles easier to block for?

It just seems all these things a quarterback has no business effecting are going right when Foles plays. But at the same time, he is demonstrably balling out.


And I dont see Philly sending Wentz within the division

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Wentz is hurt more often than Mariota

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thats actually a good point
I see Wentz costing more than Foles once the rookie deal is over

saving money on your QB is a great strategy

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Wentz is only 1 more year on the cheap, but that cheap year might entice someone like the giants to go hard for a trade.

wouldn't the Jags be more likely to think themselves a complete team minus a star QB with a soon closing window?

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you gotta have an automatic kicker man

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not the Rams or the Chiefs

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its probably easier just to list who won't be going because the teams are pretty level this year
but in the NFC, Saints are surely the favorites
That said, I'd love to see a Dallas v. Philly NFC championship for the simple fact that the entire NFC East was written off for dead about half way through the season and Washington looked to be taking the Division by default until their QB1 and QB2 broke their legs

In the AFC all three of the non-Pats teams have playoff demons (perhaps not so much Indy) so it makes one reluctant to go against the Pats. At the same time, I think all three of them are playing better than the Pats. I generally don't like to complain about this, but the Pats 2 seed is very much a product of the AFC East this year. Hopefully Allen and Darnold will bring some competition back in the long run.

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I just noticed the Pats went 4-0 against playoff teams and 7-5 against non-playoff teams
whats that about

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interesting that fate decided to demonstrate in a single game the reason the Iggles play better with Foles than Wentz
Theyre all injured apparently

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I think Dallas was the better team (especially after the Eagles lost a number of key players). So I'd give LA the edge in the NFC
Pats vs KC will likely come down to if Pats D can scheme for KC. Actually more likely to come down to bad clock management for Big Red

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conditions lean Pats
also they have a knack for stopping high flying offenses
last year's SB seemed to be the exception

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wow that was the most interfered pass I've ever seen

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man I dont think he touched it, but thats gonna be hard to overturn

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so Brady will have the ball with about 2 minutes
wonder how this is gonna turn out

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he should feel all the bad

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its more fate than karma
I still dont know why KC didn't try a little harder for endzone when they had the chance in regulation
the way the two defenses were playing, OT was pretty likely to come down to the coin toss

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so...why didn't the Rams run the ball?

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curious how that super bowl played out in the alternate universe where Nick Foles stayed with the Rams and Jared Goff got injured in Week 14

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it must have been pretty bad
i haven't heard anyone complaining about Maroon 5 yet


Which unusual, because as much as its annoying that the Pats are always in the SuperBowl, their games are usually pretty entertaining and close

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I mean yeah, having the SB in ATL and not involving any of the myriad of amazing black artists that come from that area instead of the Maroon 5 of all things was pretty insulting
but since the SB has basically killed off a bunch of horrible acts, I was hoping M5 might be next in line

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I would think some Outkast/Andre 3000 would have gone over well enough

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Maroon 5 is great you shut your mouths.

i mean you can like a terrible band
but dont keep lying to yourself about it

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Eagles letting Foles free and not trying to shop him is interesting.

i think estimates of trade value vs. compensatory pick value were on par
and if they somehow got stuck with his contract, theyd have been in huge cap trouble
already are really

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excited about DJax
not sure about O-line changes
no idea where the money is going to come from

[shaft.ed]

but Foles had success in spite of the system (2013) and because of it (2017).

umm
a bunch of Foles' 17 success was because they went back to the 13 gameplan
he dropped off after 13 because Chip Kelly got control of the 'talent' and then he was working under Jeff Fisher
Pederson was smart enough to realize he needed to change the offense to suit Foles and had the pieces to do it

[shaft.ed]

No, he shipped out the talent that was working because Chip only wanted players that would 100% buyin as if they were all college kids

This meant losing their receiving core for absolutely no compensation and getting rid of McCoy
To replace McCoy they brought in Demarco Murray to run to the outside on 1st and 2nd down over and over again. Because that is what he was good at

I mean Kelly didn't even want Foles. He paid Foles+ to bring in Sam Bradford for godsakes

And dont forget stepping on their dicks with their first round pick of one of the most talent rich draft classes of recent years. Nobody seems to remember that Marcus Smith pick because it was low in the first round, but its one of the worst 1st round selections in the history of the draft

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browns gonna take the division and win at least one playoff game
Draft should add more pieces
you've got a good GM now

Biggest hurdle will be everyone having tape on Mayfield and an offseason to figure him out

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I'm a Raven's fan and I'm not that confident in them. Sheesh. Our defense has been decimated.

losing two or three guys isn't that bad
#decimals

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Whatever drafting illness the Browns used the have, Raiders and Giants should have gotten vaccinated

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I know the LB class was thin, so make some sense the Iggles didn't take one, but am a bit surprised that no DBs were picked up given the mid/high range depth