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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 22:56:19 GMT -5
To hear Horford, sounds like he chose to get tested??
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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 22:50:08 GMT -5
I appreciate the response Lots to absorb. One thing I have ultimate confidence in. There isn't a single GM/Org who would go into a season in the tail end of a contending window with 2 rookies. You have a problem with the Ullmark contract, that's fine. But don't give me Swayman/Vladar as your evidence. No GM, under the circumstances, makes that call.
I'll dig into the rest later but, at a quick glance, it feels like we compare "our" players/coaches/execs to our own expectations and NOT to their peers. The issue isn't whether or not Sweeney has fallen short of our expectations/hopes (he has). It's whether there is someone put there who could/would do better.
If there is, great. I'm in. Otherwise you're just making an emotional decision and could easily end up with a GM who is, decidedly, worse.
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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 13:41:59 GMT -5
Horford is in!
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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 13:31:36 GMT -5
I think that's fair.
On Cassidy, I'd like to believe he learned from the JDB season. A great leader doesn't lead everyone the same way. People are different and to get the most out of them, you need to lead them differently. Many have a hard time understanding the difference between "consistent" and "the same". Not sure if that happened exactly that way with Jake or not.
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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 13:03:32 GMT -5
- Contrary to popular belief, his 1st draft ('15) was good (it just SHOULD have been epic) - Taylor Hall - Lysell and Lohrei - Swayman - got Marchand/Bergy/Pasta/etc to sign below market deals - Lindholm a very good get (though, granted, it puts them in a weird spot right now) - Haula was more than one typically gets for 3M. Forbort was miscast early but exactly what a playoff team needs from a veteran 3rd pair D. Ullmark was an overpay (but you can do that when you have a rookie as the other half of your pair) but was key to their success. - Nash was just an unfortunate outcome
When the players play well, it's the players but when they play poorly, it's on the GMs. I'd also argue that doing what he did with an owner who seems to be in it only for the concessions is no easy task.
I'm not saying he's above criticism. He's not. He's just below the LEVEL of criticism he receives.
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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 12:17:45 GMT -5
Horford upgraded to probable. Likely means he passed his Covid test yesterday and is just waiting on today's test results (at least that's what the beat guys are thinking and it would seem to make sense).
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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 12:16:21 GMT -5
Agreed but:
- Cassidy CAN be better than he is - Sweeney isn't as bad as everyone makes out
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Post by texs31 on May 19, 2022 10:29:59 GMT -5
Based on Sweeney/Neely press conferences, it sounds like extending Sweeney is the intention. Neely had some strange comments about Cassidy (saying he's a fantastic coach but "we may need to change the way we coach").
Sounds like it could be a bit of an ultimatum to change styles or he's gone??
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Post by texs31 on May 16, 2022 21:42:10 GMT -5
Devin Hafford was released also. Bad attitudes? Either that or health? Already cut Shanahan for a failed physical but, of course, these 2 participated. Signed a Long Snapper (Ross Reiter) but they had room on the roster to do so wo cutting guys.
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Post by texs31 on May 16, 2022 19:27:17 GMT -5
Just watched clips of the interview with Pasta. Outside of hoping he signs a big extension to stay with Boston long term, I hope he and his girlfriend find healing. So easy to forget what the human being(s) went through as we watch the athlete perform.
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Post by texs31 on May 16, 2022 17:12:32 GMT -5
King seemingly got reps at WR today. But maybe it didn't go so well because he was released.
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Post by texs31 on May 16, 2022 15:54:05 GMT -5
Well, it just might be Reilly that's traded. Grz announcing he played with a dislocated shoulder and it needs surgery. Expects to miss the start of next season.
EDIT - Of course, it could also mean nobody gets traded and B's just use LTIR. Still wouldn't surprise if Reilly is traded and Ahcan is given a shot on the 2nd pair.
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Post by texs31 on May 16, 2022 10:32:05 GMT -5
Move #2 as Beecher signs his ELC.
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Post by texs31 on May 16, 2022 9:34:34 GMT -5
1st move of the offseason as Boston has extended Jake Zboril.
If he could ever stay healthy, he's a reasonable bottom pair LHD (big IF, of course).
1.137 Cap hit. Further cements the need to move some LHD money (again, Grz/Forbort/Reilly).
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Post by texs31 on May 16, 2022 9:19:01 GMT -5
I feel like the only play for them this offseason is:
- Move some salary from your "middle to bottom" depth. So Haula (with a caveat), 1 or more of Grz/Reilly/Forbort, maybe Ullmark as discussed elsewhere. - Convince Bergy to come back (KEY) - Get a legitimate #2 C (that's the caveat for trading Haula, need a replacement). Bringing back Krejci may be the only real option. - Extend Pasta - I'm not sure what happens with JDB. He was excellent in the playoffs and answered the "what can you offer if you're not scoring" question that Cassidy likes to ask. If you trade him, can you replace him?
Just feel like they need to make another run with Bergy at the top. Blowing it up makes no sense given they have a #1 G, McAvoy, a newly extended Lindholm, and Pasta and Marchand at various points within their elite prime. I also don't see a way they can really extend the window beyond Bergy bc they have nobody to C a top line.
2 curveball trade candidates are Coyle and Hall. Both make legit money. Have value (though, probably, with some debate on how much value relative to that money but still). But either could still create some room AND bring back assets. Not advocating or predicting but could see one of them moving on as a possibility.
And yes they need some non-first rounders to hit (both those already drafted and those to be made this year). We know about Lysell and Lohrei (and there is still mixed opions on the latter) but there would seem to be others in the system who are legit NHLers. But can any take another leap to be more than just 3rd/4th line/Bottom 4 pairs? Brett Harrison and Johnny Beecher are probably the most likely candidates but require significant improvement (possible but hard to bet on).
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Post by texs31 on May 15, 2022 13:16:37 GMT -5
Active but not starting. Available "if needed", whatever that means.
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Post by texs31 on May 14, 2022 18:27:15 GMT -5
Hate that I'm starting this already. BIG offseason ahead.
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Post by texs31 on May 12, 2022 8:38:05 GMT -5
Pats and Vegas working on a Stidham trade. Swap of late round picks involved.
2023 picks - Pats get a 6th while giving up a 7th (plus Stid)
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Post by texs31 on May 8, 2022 19:24:57 GMT -5
Not suggesting need isn't a factor. Just don't think he's approaching it from a "I need a G and I can wait to get one in Rd X" as you are suggesting. Gotta believe if WE know he can get a starting caliber G late, so does BB. All depends on what their board looks like no? I'd compare it to me wanting Shakir so bad because he was the perfect fit for what our offense needed. The only difference is I don't have the information they have and I don't make a crazy small board, which we known in the past they have done. Remember the trading up for Cowart and Bailey because Bill said they were running out of players on their board to draft? That was Nick Caserio, Zeigler seemed to have a much larger board and Groh seems to have a smaller one. It's Bill the OG we took in the 6th, could have been his next rated OG and I wouldn't put it past him to only have one LG rated to be able to start next year. Just like I felt there was only one Shakir in the draft and I would have overdrafted him. That mindset is because I went into this draft determined to get Mac Jones weapons, Bill went in determined to get a starting LG and he's very picky about those guys, compared to RG. We'll never know, our owner isn't Jerry Jones, he won't show off our draft board. Yet what I'd pay to see Bills boards from over the years. If BB wrote a book explaining his thought process throughout the years, that'd be an all-time best seller.
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Post by texs31 on May 7, 2022 9:43:28 GMT -5
Not suggesting need isn't a factor. Just don't think he's approaching it from a "I need a G and I can wait to get one in Rd X" as you are suggesting.
Gotta believe if WE know he can get a starting caliber G late, so does BB.
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Post by texs31 on May 7, 2022 7:43:15 GMT -5
Felt like Lazar and Forbort (9 blocks) were everywhere last night. Reilly stepped up well too.
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Post by texs31 on May 6, 2022 14:47:59 GMT -5
I'd like to believe that BB didn't draft Strange bc he was a guard and they needed a guard. Even with my disagreement of the process, I'd like to believe je drafted him bc he was the highest rated player on his board.
Overdrafting the guy bc he was forcing a guard pick seems SO crazy.
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Post by texs31 on May 6, 2022 11:53:23 GMT -5
I think many DO understand the different boards. That's not the issue. The issues are (potentially):
- not having a good handle on consensus so that you take a guy you love higher than you need to.
- having such a small board that you can't afford to lose "your guy". I don't mind (that much) that they had a higher grade on Strange and Thornton than others. It's also quite possible that other teams would've popped them higher as well (especially those that have NE connections in their braintrust). I DO struggle with the idea that they didn't have enough players evaluated with similar grades that they couldn't risk losing out on them.
Both of those can lead to missed opportunities.
EDIT - now if someone wants to argue that the stuff we don't have access to (specifically the interviews) tells BB that the other other guys they missed on wouldn't be successful in his system (ow with his coaching style) okay? But that would still suggest a limitation in the WHOLE system/process.
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Post by texs31 on May 6, 2022 10:17:19 GMT -5
I gotta be honest idc what analysts give us for a draft grade. They gave us A’s for 2019 lol Again, you are falling unto the trap of evaluating the process based on the result. Think of it this way, if the coach and GM were different people and the GM drafted all the right players but the coach butchered their development. Still a bad draft? There were better decisions to be made at the top but the value they got was fantastic. What happened subsequently is a different story. That's why we can actually like the players they drafted this year but hate how they went about doing it.
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Post by texs31 on May 1, 2022 13:10:18 GMT -5
Ugh. Seems like Smart dislocated/separated his shoulder.
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