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Houston Dynamo FC schedule (all competitions)

St. Louis CITYSC vs. Houston Dynamo FC

Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: Saturday, June 3 - 7:30 PM
Venue: CITYPARK - St. Louis, MO
Stream: Apple TV - (Free game)
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN 93.3 FM (Spanish)

Chicago Fire FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC

Competition: U.S. Open Cup - Quarterfinals
Date: Tuesday, June 6 - 7:30 PM
Venue: SeatGeek Stadium - Bridgeview, IL
Stream: CBS Sports Golazo Network

Houston Dynamo FC vs. LAFC

Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: Saturday, June 10 - 7:30 PM
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, TX
Stream: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass required
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN 93.3 FM (Spanish)

LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo FC

Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: Wednesday, June 14 - 7:30 PM
Venue: BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
Stream: Apple TV - (Free game)
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN 93.3 FM (Spanish)

Houston Dynamo FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes

Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: Wednesday, June 21 - 7:30 PM
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, TX
Stream: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass required
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN 93.3 FM (Spanish)

Austin FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC

Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: Saturday, June 24 - 7:30 PM
Venue: Q2 Stadium - Austin, TX
Stream: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass required
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN 93.3 FM (Spanish)

Houston Dynamo 2 - MLS NEXT Pro schedule

LAFC2 vs. Houston Dynamo 2

Date: Sunday, June 4 - 6:30 PM
Venue: Titan Stadium - Fullerton, CA
Stream: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass required

MNUFC2 vs. Houston Dynamo 2

Date: Sunday, June 11 - 6:00 PM
Venue: National Sports Center - Blaine, MN
Stream: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass required

Houston Dynamo 2 vs. Timbers2

Date: Thursday, June 15 - 7:00 PM
Venue: SaberCats Stadium - Houston, TX
Stream: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass required

Houston Dynamo 2 vs. Earthquakes II

Date: Sunday, June 25 - 7:00 PM
Venue: SaberCats Stadium - Houston, TX
Stream: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass required
MLS Season Pass on Apple TV: all regular season, playoff, Leagues Cup, and certain MLS NEXT Pro games are available to stream exclusively on Apple TV through the MLS Season Pass. MLS Season Pass is not included with an Apple TV+ subscription.
Tickets: single-game tickets are sold through Seatgeek, the club's ticketing partner.
Pre-game/Tailgates: Check with the supporter groups for information on pre-game/tailgates.
Watch Parties: certain supporter groups are hosting their own watch parties whenever the Dynamo play on the road, check their social channels for updates.
Parking: Lots B and C are open for Dynamo games but plan ahead if the Astros are playing on the same day. There are other paid lots underneath I-69 but I recommend parking on the street anywhere across Emancipation Avenue past the stadium.
METRORail: You can get to Shell Energy Stadium via METRORail by taking the train to the EaDo/Stadium station on the purple and green lines.

Good morning gang and soccer is a funny sport, eh?
There are a lot of new soccer followers because of LAFC, and one thing new soccer fans struggle with is the sport does not go in a linear fashion like most American sports do. It's not just regular season playoffs championship every year; there are multiple competitions going on at once, with some more important than others. Throw in the idea of the two-leg format, and their heads really start to spin. I try to educate new fans as best I can, but it's understandable their confusion given their whole sports-following lives have gone in a straightforward fashion.
Cue last night's game and result as being a big hurdle for a new soccer fan to understand. It's a championship... but not the same one we won back in November. Is it more important than MLS Cup? Most of us would say yes... but some would say no. What was that game then against the Galaxy the other week. Well....
We lost 2-1. BUT... most of us aren't sad about it. We played pretty poorly, and yet the damage is very minimal at the end of the day. Leon began the match like we used to do under Bob - press the hell in the first 20 minutes. And like we used to do under Bob, they wore themselves out by the time the second half came around. So, even though the first half was brutal, I knew we'd have a chance in the second given how 2 Fast 2 Furious Leon began things.
We definitely looked better and more confident in the second half. I went from thinking we could win at the start of the game to just wanting us to minimize the damage and get back home. And we did just that and even snuck in a late goal in the 96th minute during a four minute stoppage time. That was wayyyy better than I expected us to finish.
Almost all credit goes to Johnny Mac, who kept us from losing 5-1. Our backline was constantly getting outrunned and outgunned, but J.Mac was there to save our asses. At this point, he won us MLS Cup and gave us a chance to win CCL on Sunday; he is our guy even when Max gets back. I dare say, he is playing even better this year than Max did last year.
Runner-up MOTM for us was Palacios, who had some timely and patient defensive moves that also helped stopped the beating. Without those two guys playing at a high level, Sunday turns into an exhibition game.
What went wrong? The tl;dr version is I think we approached this game like we were taking on another MLS team. But Leon was faster than anything we have faced this year. The talent gap between Liga MX and your average MLS team was on full display last night. I'm sure their month off helped them with the fresh legs, but my god was it hard to watch us backpedal through so much of the match.
The dark arts were also on display, and I was glad to see us perform them right back at Leon once our guys realized we weren't playing some dinky, low budget MLS side. We were lucky to avoid a Liga MX club on the road to this final, but you could tell our guys hadn't been tested with this level of a club like we had been in 2020.
So, we end it with a 2-1 loss but it somehow feels like a win. When you try to explain this to new soccer fans, it makes their heads spin. But that's what we got. A loss that feels like a win. Only down one goal and going back home to finish the job. Our CCL trophy hopes remain very much alive in a game where it could have brutally ended. And that, to me, is a win.
Welcome to the party new fans! See you all back here Monday morning.

I'm looking to buy two bags, and I'm a little paralyzed by choice. Here are my requirements for each, with the ones I'm looking at, but would love advice if there are others to consider:
Bag 1: Hike/Run back

• very light
• small & easy to pack away in a suitcase
• bonus for hydration pack slot
• chest strap
• can fit a change of clothes, water, and some food for a day hike
• waterproof

I'm looking at the following (in order):

• Osprey Sportlite 20 (more packable than Hikelite)
• Hauser 14L
• Arcteryx Aerios 15
• Osprey Hikelite 18
• Patagonia Altvia Pack 14
• Tad Azimuth Backpack V2 (where can I buy this?)

​
Bag 2: Everyday Kitchen Sink Backpack

• laptop & ipad sleeve
• separate compartment for dirty clothes / soccer cleats
• + for style / good looks & quality materials
• large enough to fit change of clothes and some (small) camera gear
• easy access compartments for small things
• water bottle pocket
• bonus for strong weather resistance

I'm looking at the following:

• Bannoch Backpack
• Alchemy AEL022 (sold out forever?)
• Boundary Errant Pack X-Pac **leading choice
• Wandrd PRVKE
• Osprey Arcane 25 (love the look, but lack of pockets might be a problem)
• Arcteryx Assault Pack 30
• Patagonia Black Hole Backpack

The weekend is here. That means game time!!
Here's what's going:

• TV/streaming
  • USLAX Magazine Listings (D1, Pro, and US National)
  • Inside Lacrosse (D1 Men's) Listing (D2, D3, Women's, and HS also)
• NCAA Men's D1 Main Page (D2 & D3 also there)
• MCLA (club)
• NLL
• PLL

If there's anything else going on, let me know and I can add it.

Defending the Draft: 2023 Washington Commanders 8-8-1
Preface:
Hope.
This 2023 season will be the most interesting for the Commanders franchise in a long long time. We enter this season with more uncertainty than I have ever been a part of, however, the one thing the fan base is certain of... is the future is brighter. Dan Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999 and subsequently done nothing but run a blue blood franchise into the ground. This team has lacked direction for a long time and a large part of that was due to Dan Snyder's meddling in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Starting his ownership with signing washed up HOF veterans, to then overspending in free agency (Albert Haynesworth is arguably the worst free agent signing of all time), drug scandal with thetraining staff, the mishandling of the RG3 and Kirk Cousins situation, Not resigning Trent Williams, and lastly we've now reached tumultuous time where his off the field issues have hung a dark cloud over a once proud franchise. Although, lol, his most egregious mistake may be hiring Jim Zorn as head coach. It's egregious that his only punishment is a 6 billion dollar payout for his franchise. I hope the banks bury him and he faces the deserved legal actions. As of now there had been an agreement to sell the franchise to 76'rs and NJ Devils owner, Josh Harris.... and is 20ish members of his parliament. We await to hear news of the reviews from the NFL financial committee to close out the process. Last news I came across was he has cut down the number of minority owners to 20. It will be a pleasure when this agreement is finalized. He could be a terrible owner, but it would still be an upgrade from Synder. Harris, seemingly has been a hands off owner and properly allows the people he's hired to operate the team. This last sports season he's had both of his teams deep in the playoff hunt. This season will be interesting. A lot of questions all around: Sam Howell? Chase Young? Ron Rivera? Eric Bienemy? Josh Harris? I'm not sure of those answers, but I'm very excited to find them out.
Coaching:
HC- Ron Rivera OC- Eric Bieniemy DC- Jack Del Rio
Key Additions: Eric Bieniemy
Ole' Riverboat Ron Rivera is back and going into his 4th season with the Washington Commanders, hopefully his last. I believe Ron Rivera is a leader of men, but I highly question his actual coaching skills and team building. I've currently seen enough of this coaching regime and front office to safely say let's move on. There's been several things that I believed were firable offenses.... the Carson Wentz trade. Some rumors have said that this was a Snyder push. Not entirely positive, but Ron bragged that it was his call. Our team at that point was not a qb away from being really good, let alone a Carson Wentz level of qb. The next fireable offense was starting Wentz over Hienke when the playoffs were on the line. Wentz ended up being benched for Hienke, but it was too little too late. The next fireable offense was not realizing we were eliminated from the playoffs. Going into the last week of the season Ron planned on starting Hieneke. Pretty odd to not know you're out of the playoffs, let alone to test Sam Howell out for next season. Additionally, there's been some pretty questionable roster creation decisions. I absolutely hate the versatile secondary and offensive line philosophy. We currently have a patch work offensive line that has the means to fluctuate between average to below average. Not a single player on the line is top 5 at their respected position. Two years ago we had a top 10 o-line, but that had Brandon Sherff playing like a top 5 guard and Charles Leno having his best season. Our o-line took a significant step back this past season and now looks to be our biggest weakness. Ron has shown to trust his own board and has reached (according to the consensus big board) with every single pick so far. People mistake 2019 as one of his drafts ( Sweat, McLaurin, Holcomb), but he was hired at the end of the season. Take this with a grain of salt as it takes at least 3 years to properly review a draft. Rons 1st round picks have been the following: 2020 pick 2 Chase Young- the correct pick at the time, but hard to botch the 2nd overall pick, 2021 pick 19 Jamin Davis- hated the pick at the time, too early for a linebacker... let a lone a project. On tape he looked lost a lot and made up for it with his elite athleticism. He's shown progress, but nothing showing he's worthy of the pick. 2022 pick 16 Jahan Dotson- looks to be an absolute baller, had him ranked above Olave in the pre-draft process. Was a slight reach above the consensus board, but flashed high end ability. Davis has been the only mistake in the 1st round thus far. When I say mistake I don't necessarily mean player, but the roster building philosophy. Whether reaching on Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round of 2022. Lol, he was older than Payne coming out of the draft, one year of good production, and was taken a round too early. In the next round Brian Robinson was taken and was really just a body. Haven't really seen anything elite with him so far and was a meh pick. John Bates in the 4th round was egregious. Now I have to give credit where it's due. Kam Curl was an absolute steal and can solidify himself as top 5 safety this season if he continues to play this well. Our other starting safety in Darrick Forest also had a lot of bright spots playing this past season.
Arguably, our best offseason move was signing Eric Bieniemy. I'm absolutely excited. Forget everything about him not calling the plays. Reports from OTA's shows his hands on approach and full control of the offense. One of my favorites things I've heard is he is using OTA's to see what the players can do and crafting the offense to their abilities. Time and time again (Scott Turner) you see coaches say this is the offense and not change anything to match the players strengths. We don't know for sure how the offense will look, but if it's anything close to the motion west coast offense the Chiefs have... boy lessssss gooooooo. Jack Del Rio has been up-and-down in his time in Washington. He's had two very slow starts with the defense to start year, however, they've finished strong and kept his job safe. This is really the no excuse year and everyone needs to show up amd show out.
Free Agency:
Key Departures:
Taylor Hieneke- signed with the Falcons
Cole Holcolm- signed with the Steelers
Bobby McCain- signed with the Giants
Carson Wentz- TBD
J.D. McKissic- TBD
Trai Turner TBD
Andrew Norwell- will be released when he passes a physical
Summary:
In my personal oppinion, the only player that hurt losing in free agency was Cole Holcolm. Linebacker is our one weak spot on defense, however, not resigning Holcolm shows Ron's belief in Jaymin Davis's progression. Cole was limited to 7 games last season and has yet to truly break out. Always played very solid and losing him downgraded the position. We've moved on from both starting guards from last year in Norwell and Turner (previously on the Panthers). Both players were liabilities last season and the guard position was easily upgradeable. Bonny McCain was a solid do it all for is player. Lined up at corner, safety, and nickel throughout the season. Hieneke was a big fan favorite, but was never the answer. We thank you for your service though. Carson Wentz, fuck you. Loved J.D. and his time here, suffered a major injury. Not sure if he gets picked up hy another team.
Key Additions:
Andrew Wiley- 3 years for 24 million, 12 guaranteed. Previously on the Chiefs
Nick Gates- 3 years for 16.5 million, 8 million guaranteed. Previously on the Giants
Jacoby Brissett- 1 year for 8 million, 7.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Browns
Cody Barton- 1 year for 3.5 million, 3.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Seahawks
Summary:
Simple. In free agency the Commanders did not overspend and tackled positions of need. None of the players signed are top 5 at their position, however, they could all possibly end up being upgrades to what we have. The most interesting is Andrew Wiley. He allowed 9 sacks (tied for 3rd most)... but man he put on the performance of his life in the superbowl. Another stat that favors him is pass block win-rate, which measure if a lineman can sustain a block for 2.5 seconds. Wylie ranked 9th in that stat last season. I translate that stat to mean can a lineman sustain a block against thr initial rush and counter move off the snap. After that 2.5 seconds the ball is thrown or the play breaks down. Another key factor to this signing is it kicks Samuel Cosmi inside to guard. Cosmi has shown flashes being a high end lineman and I expect him to be even better kicking to guard from right tackle. Guard was our weakest position on the line and Wylie signing helped to upgrade the RG position. Nick Gates is expected to he our starting center. He's coming off of a brutal leg injury that made him consider retirement. Has played guard and center and has some positional flexibility. Jacoby Brissett is the best backup qb in thr league. A solid signing if Howell doesn't pan out. Just a solid game manager that doesn't commit many turnovers. Cody Barton is another unproven guy. Last year was his first year with significant reps. Bobby Wagner leaving in FA and Jordyn Brooks injury made em the guy. He showed flashes of coverage abilities and had a lot of tackles. The tackles weren't necessarily a product of his abilities and more so of cleaning up on a bad run defense team. I've read some notes that he has trouble getting off of blocks. Honestly, haven't watched much on the guy, but reports were he played solid down the stretch.
The Draft:
Round 1 Pick 16: Emmanuel Forbes- CB
Round 2 Pick 47: Jatavius Martin- NCB/S
Round 3 Pick 97: Ricky Stromberg- C/G
Round 4 Pick 118: Braeden Daniels- T/G
Round 5 Pick 137: KJ Henry-DE
Round 6 Pick 193: Chris Rodriguez-RB
Round 7 Pick 223: Andre Jones- DE/LB
Link to all RAS scores for our draft class
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-for-the-washington-commanders-7-player-class-emmanuel-forbes/
Round 1:16 Emmanuel Forbes 6'1" 174 lbs. Mississippi St
Stats: 58 targets, 31 catches allowed for 284 yards (23 yards a game), 3 tds allowed/ 6 ints, 9 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 46 tackles.
PFF Grade: 87.2
If being a 160 pounds is your only knock then I think you're doing something alright. The word on the street is he is already up to 174 pounds. You wouldnt realize hes only 174 pounds by the way he plays the run. Hes not scared to hit and flies ro the ball. Although, he does struggle to get off of blocks. Emmanuel Forbes, per PFF, had the highest rating in man coverage last season, albeit the snap count was very miniscule. Emmanuel Forbes is a lanky corner than played a lot of zone coverage and is a very good scheme fit for what we do. I like the pick and I'm not upset about taking him over Gonzalez, who also had his own question marks. Forbes set a NCAA record with 6 pick sixes. A lot of those were the right place at the right time, but when you have that high of a number than you're doing something right.
PFF:
Forbes is one of the best ballhawks in this class. Over the course of his three-year career, he came down with 13 interceptions. That’s four more than the next closest Power Five cornerback since 2020. Forbes was unbelievably dominant in man coverage in 2022, giving up only three catches while also snagging three interceptions. He also only allowed a 20% completion rate in man, the lowest among FBS
PROS
Remarkably lanky frame. Limbs for days — ideal for a corner.Has bounce like a hooper. He can challenge any catch point necessary. Elite ability to locate the football. All six of his interceptions came in man coverage.
CONS
Still a stick. Not much mass on his frame. Has eyes that get him in trouble. Some freelance tendencies on tape.Can get bowled over in the run game. Mediocre tackler over the course of his career.
Round 2: 47 Jartavius "Quan" Martin 5'11". 194 lbs Illinois
Stats: 74 targets, 42 catches allowed, 611 yards allowed, 3 tds allowed, 3 ints, 15 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 4 missed tackles, 64 tackles.
PFF Grade: 73.2
Quan is a beast. I thought he was the 2nd best nickel prospect in the draft and a better deep safety than Brian Branch. Martin absolute rockets around the field in the run game. He started his career at cornerback before transitioning into the safety/nickel position. Another elite athlete that is a perfect fit for our Buffalo Nickel defense.
PFF:
Martin came to Illinois and immediately started as a true freshman in 2018. He originally started off as an outside corner before becoming more of a slot corner recently. He had arguably his best year in 2022, as his 15 forced incompletions were tied for the sixth-most among Power-Five corners. Martin’s 91.0 run-defense grade also led all Power Five cornerbacks. While he played corner at Illinois, we project him more as a safety for the next level.
PROS:
Explosive flat-foot breaks. Tremendous burst. Forceful and reliable tackler - 7 misses on the last 129 attempts last two seasons.Fills like a mac truck in the run game. Wants to come downhill and play in the backfield.
CONS:
Pure man skills are work in progress. Overagressive and liability to bite on fakes. cons On the lighter side for an around the line of scrimmage player. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield on run
Round 3: 97 Ricky Stromberg 6'3" 306 lbs Arkansas
Stats: 9 impact blocks, 11 qb hurries, 0 qb hits, 0 sacks allowed
PFF Grade: 82.4
Nasty. Another guard experience player that spent his last two years at the center position. Award winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy for the SEC'S most outstanding blocker award. This is a solid player that has started since he was freshman in the SEC. He's been battle tested since he was kid and has improved every year. He has some knocks about his play strength, but a NFL program should get em to where he needs to be.
PFF:
Stromberg was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class and started for the Razorbacks as a true freshman, mostly at right guard. He moved inside to center for his sophomore season and spent his final three college seasons there. Stromberg’s 82.4 overall grade and 83.7 run-blocking grade in 2022 both ranked fourth among all centers in college football, and his nine big-time blocks were tied for fifth among FBS centers. Not to mention, Stromberg had an incredible performance at the NFL combine.
PROS:
Does not want to let blocks go. Can see him straining his butt of to stay engaged on tape. Tons of experience against top competition. Four-year starter with 3,121 career snaps.
CONS:
Forward lean gets going on the move, making him liable to topple over. Has wide hands to initiate contact in pass protection before resetting. Leaves himself open for stronger rushers.Unimpressive musculature, which leaves questions about how he'll anchor against NFL strength.
Round 4: Braeden Daniels 6'4" 296 lbs Utah STATS:
0 sacks allowed, 1 qb hit allowed, 14 hurries allowed.
PFF GRADE: 72.2 at tackle, 2021 84.4 at guard.
Braeden Daniels is another tackle/guard hybrid, with starting experience across his college career. This guy is on the lighter side but that allows him to be an Explosive athlete. Very raw at the tackle position and will be a developmental guy. I'd like to give em a try as our swing tackle and see how he performs. He was one of the quickest offensive lineman I've seen off the tape and that athleticism will let him climb to the next level. Even on the lightweight side I'd hate to see this guy running at me on the second level.
PFF:
Daniels is an experienced veteran who commanded the Utes’ offensive line for the past few years. He originally started as a guard before switching over to tackle. His best season came in 2021, as he put up an 84.4 PFF grade. Given his time on the interior, Daniels is at his best when run blocking, and his run-blocking grade in 2021 was an elite 89.1. He still held his own as a pass protector, allowing only five sacks in his Utah career.
PROS
Explodes out of his stance. Arguably the quickest get off in the offensive line class. Linebackers don't want to see him climbing. Gets on them before they can even react. Drive in his lower half to still move the line of scrimmage despite being under 300 pounds.
CONS
Wild into contact. He approaches blocks with the adjustment ability of a freight train. consDoesn't bring his hands with him. Clean engagements are rare on tape. Very light by NFL standards (294 pounds at combine).
Round 5: 137 KJ Henry 6'4" 260 lbs Clemson
STATS:
51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 6 pass deflections, 50 qb pressures, 31 qb hurries, 14 qb hits.
PFF GRADE: 83.1
Loved this pick. Henry was a 5 star recruit coming out of high-school and decided to attend Clemson University. With Clemson having deep lines it took him a couple of years to get on the field. The stats look odd when you only see 3.5 sacks, however, the 50 qb pressures is the key stat. Seems more like bad luck that the sack numbers weren't high. Clemson's whole d-line underperformed (Bresee, Murphey) and they should have picked up more sacks from Henry who was the best DE on that team last year. The team clearly liked him as we traded back up for him. He's not elite athlete, but he is an elite hands guy. Almost had that veteran presence in college. High motor and will immediately make an impact as a rotational de, a position that sorely needed an upgrade.
PFF:
On a team with Myles Murphy, you can easily make the case that KJ Henry was Clemson's best defensive end this year, as he posted better PFF grades than Murphy in every category and even generated 19 more pressures. The only problem is That Henry is 24 years old while Murphy is only 21. Therefore, Henry was expected to produce this well against younger competition. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he can’t still improve. If Henry's play this season is any indication of his potential, he can still have a great NFL career as an edge defender.
PROS:
Heavy hands that are so well refined. Uses them independently to use combination moves.Utilizes hesitations and head fakes so well to catch linemen off-balance. Coaches rave about the type of teammate he is. He is the type of player you want in the locker room.
CONS:
First step that's unimposing for a rusher on the smaller side. Late bloomer. Wasn't even a starter until this past fall. One of the oldest prospects in the class. Already 24 years old.
Round 6: 193 Chris Rodriguez 6'0" 217 lbs Kentucky
STATS: 8 games played, 175 attempts, 904 rushing yards, 6 tds, 5.2 ypa, 5 catches, 41 rec yards.
PFF GRADE: 90.8
Chris Rodriguez is a PFF darling and was rated as the 7th best running back. This guy's is a pure one cut, run you over, power back. There's not much finesse to his game, but there's highlights of dragging guys 10-yards down the field. He does not posses break away speed, but he will get you 40 yards. He was suspended 4 games due to a dui and he may have been drafted higher on am abysmal Kentucky team. An extra 4 games of stats against SEC competition and no suspension may have jumped him into the 4th round. This was an Eric Bienemy guy and they brought him in because of that. Isiah Pacheco was another EB guy.
PFF:
Rodriguez is a powerful runner, but he lacks the burst and creativity to become anything more than a downhill grinder. He has the size and mentality to do the dirty work between the tackles, but it could be a challenge for him to get to and through the hole quickly in the NFL. He’s a physical blitz protector, so teams might envision a role for him as a second-half battering ram and third-down quarterback protector.
PROS:
Two-time team captain. Thick frame with ability to pick up tough yards. Makes tacklers feel his size at impact. Stays square getting through downhill cuts. Low success rate guaranteed for arm-tacklers. Stays on his feet through heavy angle strikes. Allows lead blockers to do their work. Steps up with force against incoming rushers.
CONS:
Below-average burst getting through line of scrimmage. Lacks finesse to navigate tight run lanes. Change of direction is heavy. One-speed running style is easy to track for linebackers. Pad level is a little tall as run-finisher. Inconsistent finding assignment versus blitz.
Round 7: 233 Andre Jones 6'4" 248 lbs Louisiana
STATS: 7 sacks, 5 qb hits, 20 hurries.
PFF GRADE: 77.2
Andre Jones was another hybrid de/lb player coming out last year. He possess 34 1/4" arms which is an elite number for his size. May move to LB, but I'm not sure that's the right move with a 4.71 40-yard dash. He doesn't have much a pass rush move set playing a hybrid role, but does use length to his advantage. A solid developmental pick.
PROS:
Shows a natural feel for setting up blockers and getting them off-balance. His hands are active and violent, and Jones quickly disengages with blockers and counters when his initial move stalls. Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge. Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. Showed initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. Jones has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation. He’s a high-effort pass rusher with an impressive combination of length and speed.
CONS:
Jones has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and Jones needs to make better use of his hands. He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks twitch as a pass rusher and lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge. Jones also shows some stiffness when trying to bend the edge, often getting pushed past the pocket — he seems more comfortable countering back inside.
Draft Summary:
This was my favorite Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew draft thus far. Going into the draft, offensive line, cornerback, and quarterback were our three biggest needs. Drafting in the middle of the round really took us out of the olineman race. The last one that interested me was Broderick Jones and he went off the board when the Steelers traded up. At that point in the draft it really left us with going cornerback. The Forbes pick was received negatively due to Christian Gonzalez being available. Both players will be viewed under the microscope throughout their careers. I'm fine with Forbes pick though. Another lanky cornerback who was an elite athlete. I did have Gonzalez rated higher going into the draft, but he slid for a reason. A lot of his tape shows him not necessarily being an elite cornerback, but being an elite athlete that plays corner. Forbes actually showed the athleticism, corner skills, and ballhawking ability. Some additional knocks against Gonazalez and his love of the game. Quan Martin was our biggest surprise pick of the draft. A lot of people had him going in the 3rd round, but I think the 2nd was a fine spot. Mayhew after the draft said he wish we were more aggressive at times, which I translated as not getting Brian Branch that went several picks before us. I think Quan was the backup option, but I like him as much as Branch. I think Quan will be a better deep safety and Bramch will be a better nickel. Liked Quan alot, but felt we should have gone o-line at this pick. Ocyrus Torrence would've been a sweet pick here. I think if that happened, the consensus view on our draft would shoot up. Quan will immediately via for playing time as our base defense is essentially a 4-2-5. Kendall Fuller was our only above average corner and now we turned our secondary into a strength. Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels were our next two picks. I like Stromberg’s tape a lot and think by next he will be a solid starter at guard or center. Braeden Daniels will be a nice depth piece and if he's able to tame his play he could develop into a starter. Fun player to watch. KJ Henry was an awesome pick and can see him being a nice rotational piece. Good pick at an underrated area of need on our defense. RB wasn't a pressing need, but it's an underrated area of weakness. I think Brian Robinson is about as average of rb as you will see starting in the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez slowly cut into Robinson's role over the next two years. Antonio Gibson has had some solid season, but has a severe fumbling problem. Andre Jones will be a depth piece that will need development moving forward.
Offseason summary:
The biggest question of our offseason was our owner, which now appears resolved. Our second biggest question... was who was our starting qb? Sam Howell. Ron preached all offseason that he was going with Howell and I'll be damned, he did. Brissett was good qb to bring in, not someone that would necessarily turn the offseason into a battle, but can be a starter if called upon. Really a true backup qb. I'm all in on the Sam Howell train. I love it for a multitude of reasons. One, he balls out and we have our qb of the future, two he plays well enough we give him another season and maybe Ron is out and we get a high draft pick, three he bombs and we fire Ron Rivera and go for Caleb Williams next season. If anything, it gives us a direction for our future. I'm ready for Ron to go and think he's only as good as his coordinators. I'm concerned that EB AND Howell turn the offense around Ron gets resigned and EB takes a head coaching role... then the offense regressed. Additionally, I don't want Ron to get credit for drafting Howell. It was 5th round pick, you and every team passed on him for 4 rounds. If Howell is that good... it's not because Ron was a genius and drafted him. Very similar to Seattle taking Russel. I am excited about EB being here and think he's the real deal. I will give Ron credit for allowing him to run his own offense as he sees fit. OTA's have shown that EB is pushing his guys hard and is trying to see what he can do with the offense. We really do have elite playmaker and I'm most excited to see what he can do with Antonio Gibson. I can see his role being that of Jerrick McKinnon, with more athleticism. Sam Howell has shown a lot of progress since his rookie season. Had issues with his foot work, but has shown vast improvements. We only have 1 preseason game and 1 NFL game of tape on him. I liked what he showed. When watching tape you could see him going through his progression, man absolutely saved the day wish his escapability- was under pressure the whole game, threw two beautiful deep passes, and won the game. He did throw one bad pick, but was under pressure and playing hero ball. He had one week of practice with the starters, now he has a whole offseason. Our defense should be a top 5 unit next season and we only got better. Chase Young should be fully healthy and he's the X-factor for the number one overall defense. He comes out plays to his full potential then he could be a mid teens sack guy. If we have that sort of production and Sam Howell plays well than we can compete for the decision. Big if though. Our secondary really lacked a 2nd option, Benjamin St Juyce has shown some flashes but didn't seeze the role last year. Now on paper he's the number and that's very solid. We return two top 6 defensive tackles and Montez Swear is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's yet to have a high sack season, but is very much that Jadaveon Ckowney type of player in the run game. Big question mark season for Jaymin Davis. We knew he needed development, but it's been slower than previously thought. Down the stretch he showed flashes that he was coming into his own and now is his year. He's one of the best athletes at linebacker in the league and his ceiling is very very high. Overall I predict we will go 10-7 and challenge for a wild card spot. That record can fluctuate each one, but I'm calling the improvement now. We went 8-8-1 with bottom 3 qb play. The defense got better, we hired a better offensive coordinator, Howell will at the minimum be slightly better than Hienke last season, we didn't lose any major pieces and had a solid all around draft. I'm truly excited to watch how our future plays out.

Defending the Draft: 2023 Washington Commanders 8-8-1
Preface:
Hope.
This 2023 season will be the most interesting for the Commanders franchise in a long long time. We enter this season with more uncertainty than I have ever been a part of, however, the one thing the fan base is certain of... is the future is brighter. Dan Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999 and subsequently done nothing but run a blue blood franchise into the ground. This team has lacked direction for a long time and a large part of that was due to Dan Snyder's meddling in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Starting his ownership with signing washed up HOF veterans, to then overspending in free agency (Albert Haynesworth is arguably the worst free agent signing of all time), drug scandal with thetraining staff, the mishandling of the RG3 and Kirk Cousins situation, Not resigning Trent Williams, and lastly we've now reached tumultuous time where his off the field issues have hung a dark cloud over a once proud franchise. Although, lol, his most egregious mistake may be hiring Jim Zorn as head coach. It's egregious that his only punishment is a 6 billion dollar payout for his franchise. I hope the banks bury him and he faces the deserved legal actions. As of now there had been an agreement to sell the franchise to 76'rs and NJ Devils owner, Josh Harris.... and is 20ish members of his parliament. We await to hear news of the reviews from the NFL financial committee to close out the process. Last news I came across was he has cut down the number of minority owners to 20. It will be a pleasure when this agreement is finalized. He could be a terrible owner, but it would still be an upgrade from Synder. Harris, seemingly has been a hands off owner and properly allows the people he's hired to operate the team. This last sports season he's had both of his teams deep in the playoff hunt. This season will be interesting. A lot of questions all around: Sam Howell? Chase Young? Ron Rivera? Eric Bienemy? Josh Harris? I'm not sure of those answers, but I'm very excited to find them out.
Coaching:
HC- Ron Rivera OC- Eric Bieniemy DC- Jack Del Rio
Key Additions: Eric Bieniemy
Ole' Riverboat Ron Rivera is back and going into his 4th season with the Washington Commanders, hopefully his last. I believe Ron Rivera is a leader of men, but I highly question his actual coaching skills and team building. I've currently seen enough of this coaching regime and front office to safely say let's move on. There's been several things that I believed were firable offenses.... the Carson Wentz trade. Some rumors have said that this was a Snyder push. Not entirely positive, but Ron bragged that it was his call. Our team at that point was not a qb away from being really good, let alone a Carson Wentz level of qb. The next fireable offense was starting Wentz over Hienke when the playoffs were on the line. Wentz ended up being benched for Hienke, but it was too little too late. The next fireable offense was not realizing we were eliminated from the playoffs. Going into the last week of the season Ron planned on starting Hieneke. Pretty odd to not know you're out of the playoffs, let alone to test Sam Howell out for next season. Additionally, there's been some pretty questionable roster creation decisions. I absolutely hate the versatile secondary and offensive line philosophy. We currently have a patch work offensive line that has the means to fluctuate between average to below average. Not a single player on the line is top 5 at their respected position. Two years ago we had a top 10 o-line, but that had Brandon Sherff playing like a top 5 guard and Charles Leno having his best season. Our o-line took a significant step back this past season and now looks to be our biggest weakness. Ron has shown to trust his own board and has reached (according to the consensus big board) with every single pick so far. People mistake 2019 as one of his drafts ( Sweat, McLaurin, Holcomb), but he was hired at the end of the season. Take this with a grain of salt as it takes at least 3 years to properly review a draft. Rons 1st round picks have been the following: 2020 pick 2 Chase Young- the correct pick at the time, but hard to botch the 2nd overall pick, 2021 pick 19 Jamin Davis- hated the pick at the time, too early for a linebacker... let a lone a project. On tape he looked lost a lot and made up for it with his elite athleticism. He's shown progress, but nothing showing he's worthy of the pick. 2022 pick 16 Jahan Dotson- looks to be an absolute baller, had him ranked above Olave in the pre-draft process. Was a slight reach above the consensus board, but flashed high end ability. Davis has been the only mistake in the 1st round thus far. When I say mistake I don't necessarily mean player, but the roster building philosophy. Whether reaching on Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round of 2022. Lol, he was older than Payne coming out of the draft, one year of good production, and was taken a round too early. In the next round Brian Robinson was taken and was really just a body. Haven't really seen anything elite with him so far and was a meh pick. John Bates in the 4th round was egregious. Now I have to give credit where it's due. Kam Curl was an absolute steal and can solidify himself as top 5 safety this season if he continues to play this well. Our other starting safety in Darrick Forest also had a lot of bright spots playing this past season.
Arguably, our best offseason move was signing Eric Bieniemy. I'm absolutely excited. Forget everything about him not calling the plays. Reports from OTA's shows his hands on approach and full control of the offense. One of my favorites things I've heard is he is using OTA's to see what the players can do and crafting the offense to their abilities. Time and time again (Scott Turner) you see coaches say this is the offense and not change anything to match the players strengths. We don't know for sure how the offense will look, but if it's anything close to the motion west coast offense the Chiefs have... boy lessssss gooooooo. Jack Del Rio has been up-and-down in his time in Washington. He's had two very slow starts with the defense to start year, however, they've finished strong and kept his job safe. This is really the no excuse year and everyone needs to show up amd show out.
Free Agency:
Key Departures:
Taylor Hieneke- signed with the Falcons
Cole Holcolm- signed with the Steelers
Bobby McCain- signed with the Giants
Carson Wentz- TBD
J.D. McKissic- TBD
Trai Turner TBD
Andrew Norwell- will be released when he passes a physical
Summary:
In my personal oppinion, the only player that hurt losing in free agency was Cole Holcolm. Linebacker is our one weak spot on defense, however, not resigning Holcolm shows Ron's belief in Jaymin Davis's progression. Cole was limited to 7 games last season and has yet to truly break out. Always played very solid and losing him downgraded the position. We've moved on from both starting guards from last year in Norwell and Turner (previously on the Panthers). Both players were liabilities last season and the guard position was easily upgradeable. Bonny McCain was a solid do it all for is player. Lined up at corner, safety, and nickel throughout the season. Hieneke was a big fan favorite, but was never the answer. We thank you for your service though. Carson Wentz, fuck you. Loved J.D. and his time here, suffered a major injury. Not sure if he gets picked up hy another team.
Key Additions:
Andrew Wiley- 3 years for 24 million, 12 guaranteed. Previously on the Chiefs
Nick Gates- 3 years for 16.5 million, 8 million guaranteed. Previously on the Giants
Jacoby Brissett- 1 year for 8 million, 7.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Browns
Cody Barton- 1 year for 3.5 million, 3.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Seahawks
Summary:
Simple. In free agency the Commanders did not overspend and tackled positions of need. None of the players signed are top 5 at their position, however, they could all possibly end up being upgrades to what we have. The most interesting is Andrew Wiley. He allowed 9 sacks (tied for 3rd most)... but man he put on the performance of his life in the superbowl. Another stat that favors him is pass block win-rate, which measure if a lineman can sustain a block for 2.5 seconds. Wylie ranked 9th in that stat last season. I translate that stat to mean can a lineman sustain a block against thr initial rush and counter move off the snap. After that 2.5 seconds the ball is thrown or the play breaks down. Another key factor to this signing is it kicks Samuel Cosmi inside to guard. Cosmi has shown flashes being a high end lineman and I expect him to be even better kicking to guard from right tackle. Guard was our weakest position on the line and Wylie signing helped to upgrade the RG position. Nick Gates is expected to he our starting center. He's coming off of a brutal leg injury that made him consider retirement. Has played guard and center and has some positional flexibility. Jacoby Brissett is the best backup qb in thr league. A solid signing if Howell doesn't pan out. Just a solid game manager that doesn't commit many turnovers. Cody Barton is another unproven guy. Last year was his first year with significant reps. Bobby Wagner leaving in FA and Jordyn Brooks injury made em the guy. He showed flashes of coverage abilities and had a lot of tackles. The tackles weren't necessarily a product of his abilities and more so of cleaning up on a bad run defense team. I've read some notes that he has trouble getting off of blocks. Honestly, haven't watched much on the guy, but reports were he played solid down the stretch.
The Draft:
Round 1 Pick 16: Emmanuel Forbes- CB
Round 2 Pick 47: Jatavius Martin- NCB/S
Round 3 Pick 97: Ricky Stromberg- C/G
Round 4 Pick 118: Braeden Daniels- T/G
Round 5 Pick 137: KJ Henry-DE
Round 6 Pick 193: Chris Rodriguez-RB
Round 7 Pick 223: Andre Jones- DE/LB
Link to all RAS scores for our draft class
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-for-the-washington-commanders-7-player-class-emmanuel-forbes/
Round 1:16 Emmanuel Forbes 6'1" 174 lbs. Mississippi St
Stats: 58 targets, 31 catches allowed for 284 yards (23 yards a game), 3 tds allowed/ 6 ints, 9 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 46 tackles.
PFF Grade: 87.2
If being a 160 pounds is your only knock then I think you're doing something alright. The word on the street is he is already up to 174 pounds. You wouldnt realize hes only 174 pounds by the way he plays the run. Hes not scared to hit and flies ro the ball. Although, he does struggle to get off of blocks. Emmanuel Forbes, per PFF, had the highest rating in man coverage last season, albeit the snap count was very miniscule. Emmanuel Forbes is a lanky corner than played a lot of zone coverage and is a very good scheme fit for what we do. I like the pick and I'm not upset about taking him over Gonzalez, who also had his own question marks. Forbes set a NCAA record with 6 pick sixes. A lot of those were the right place at the right time, but when you have that high of a number than you're doing something right.
PFF:
Forbes is one of the best ballhawks in this class. Over the course of his three-year career, he came down with 13 interceptions. That’s four more than the next closest Power Five cornerback since 2020. Forbes was unbelievably dominant in man coverage in 2022, giving up only three catches while also snagging three interceptions. He also only allowed a 20% completion rate in man, the lowest among FBS
PROS
Remarkably lanky frame. Limbs for days — ideal for a corner.Has bounce like a hooper. He can challenge any catch point necessary. Elite ability to locate the football. All six of his interceptions came in man coverage.
CONS
Still a stick. Not much mass on his frame. Has eyes that get him in trouble. Some freelance tendencies on tape.Can get bowled over in the run game. Mediocre tackler over the course of his career.
Round 2: 47 Jartavius "Quan" Martin 5'11". 194 lbs Illinois
Stats: 74 targets, 42 catches allowed, 611 yards allowed, 3 tds allowed, 3 ints, 15 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 4 missed tackles, 64 tackles.
PFF Grade: 73.2
Quan is a beast. I thought he was the 2nd best nickel prospect in the draft and a better deep safety than Brian Branch. Martin absolute rockets around the field in the run game. He started his career at cornerback before transitioning into the safety/nickel position. Another elite athlete that is a perfect fit for our Buffalo Nickel defense.
PFF:
Martin came to Illinois and immediately started as a true freshman in 2018. He originally started off as an outside corner before becoming more of a slot corner recently. He had arguably his best year in 2022, as his 15 forced incompletions were tied for the sixth-most among Power-Five corners. Martin’s 91.0 run-defense grade also led all Power Five cornerbacks. While he played corner at Illinois, we project him more as a safety for the next level.
PROS:
Explosive flat-foot breaks. Tremendous burst. Forceful and reliable tackler - 7 misses on the last 129 attempts last two seasons.Fills like a mac truck in the run game. Wants to come downhill and play in the backfield.
CONS:
Pure man skills are work in progress. Overagressive and liability to bite on fakes. cons On the lighter side for an around the line of scrimmage player. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield on run
Round 3: 97 Ricky Stromberg 6'3" 306 lbs Arkansas
Stats: 9 impact blocks, 11 qb hurries, 0 qb hits, 0 sacks allowed
PFF Grade: 82.4
Nasty. Another guard experience player that spent his last two years at the center position. Award winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy for the SEC'S most outstanding blocker award. This is a solid player that has started since he was freshman in the SEC. He's been battle tested since he was kid and has improved every year. He has some knocks about his play strength, but a NFL program should get em to where he needs to be.
PFF:
Stromberg was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class and started for the Razorbacks as a true freshman, mostly at right guard. He moved inside to center for his sophomore season and spent his final three college seasons there. Stromberg’s 82.4 overall grade and 83.7 run-blocking grade in 2022 both ranked fourth among all centers in college football, and his nine big-time blocks were tied for fifth among FBS centers. Not to mention, Stromberg had an incredible performance at the NFL combine.
PROS:
Does not want to let blocks go. Can see him straining his butt of to stay engaged on tape. Tons of experience against top competition. Four-year starter with 3,121 career snaps.
CONS:
Forward lean gets going on the move, making him liable to topple over. Has wide hands to initiate contact in pass protection before resetting. Leaves himself open for stronger rushers.Unimpressive musculature, which leaves questions about how he'll anchor against NFL strength.
Round 4: Braeden Daniels 6'4" 296 lbs Utah STATS:
0 sacks allowed, 1 qb hit allowed, 14 hurries allowed.
PFF GRADE: 72.2 at tackle, 2021 84.4 at guard.
Braeden Daniels is another tackle/guard hybrid, with starting experience across his college career. This guy is on the lighter side but that allows him to be an Explosive athlete. Very raw at the tackle position and will be a developmental guy. I'd like to give em a try as our swing tackle and see how he performs. He was one of the quickest offensive lineman I've seen off the tape and that athleticism will let him climb to the next level. Even on the lightweight side I'd hate to see this guy running at me on the second level.
PFF:
Daniels is an experienced veteran who commanded the Utes’ offensive line for the past few years. He originally started as a guard before switching over to tackle. His best season came in 2021, as he put up an 84.4 PFF grade. Given his time on the interior, Daniels is at his best when run blocking, and his run-blocking grade in 2021 was an elite 89.1. He still held his own as a pass protector, allowing only five sacks in his Utah career.
PROS
Explodes out of his stance. Arguably the quickest get off in the offensive line class. Linebackers don't want to see him climbing. Gets on them before they can even react. Drive in his lower half to still move the line of scrimmage despite being under 300 pounds.
CONS
Wild into contact. He approaches blocks with the adjustment ability of a freight train. consDoesn't bring his hands with him. Clean engagements are rare on tape. Very light by NFL standards (294 pounds at combine).
Round 5: 137 KJ Henry 6'4" 260 lbs Clemson
STATS:
51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 6 pass deflections, 50 qb pressures, 31 qb hurries, 14 qb hits.
PFF GRADE: 83.1
Loved this pick. Henry was a 5 star recruit coming out of high-school and decided to attend Clemson University. With Clemson having deep lines it took him a couple of years to get on the field. The stats look odd when you only see 3.5 sacks, however, the 50 qb pressures is the key stat. Seems more like bad luck that the sack numbers weren't high. Clemson's whole d-line underperformed (Bresee, Murphey) and they should have picked up more sacks from Henry who was the best DE on that team last year. The team clearly liked him as we traded back up for him. He's not elite athlete, but he is an elite hands guy. Almost had that veteran presence in college. High motor and will immediately make an impact as a rotational de, a position that sorely needed an upgrade.
PFF:
On a team with Myles Murphy, you can easily make the case that KJ Henry was Clemson's best defensive end this year, as he posted better PFF grades than Murphy in every category and even generated 19 more pressures. The only problem is That Henry is 24 years old while Murphy is only 21. Therefore, Henry was expected to produce this well against younger competition. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he can’t still improve. If Henry's play this season is any indication of his potential, he can still have a great NFL career as an edge defender.
PROS:
Heavy hands that are so well refined. Uses them independently to use combination moves.Utilizes hesitations and head fakes so well to catch linemen off-balance. Coaches rave about the type of teammate he is. He is the type of player you want in the locker room.
CONS:
First step that's unimposing for a rusher on the smaller side. Late bloomer. Wasn't even a starter until this past fall. One of the oldest prospects in the class. Already 24 years old.
Round 6: 193 Chris Rodriguez 6'0" 217 lbs Kentucky
STATS: 8 games played, 175 attempts, 904 rushing yards, 6 tds, 5.2 ypa, 5 catches, 41 rec yards.
PFF GRADE: 90.8
Chris Rodriguez is a PFF darling and was rated as the 7th best running back. This guy's is a pure one cut, run you over, power back. There's not much finesse to his game, but there's highlights of dragging guys 10-yards down the field. He does not posses break away speed, but he will get you 40 yards. He was suspended 4 games due to a dui and he may have been drafted higher on am abysmal Kentucky team. An extra 4 games of stats against SEC competition and no suspension may have jumped him into the 4th round. This was an Eric Bienemy guy and they brought him in because of that. Isiah Pacheco was another EB guy.
PFF:
Rodriguez is a powerful runner, but he lacks the burst and creativity to become anything more than a downhill grinder. He has the size and mentality to do the dirty work between the tackles, but it could be a challenge for him to get to and through the hole quickly in the NFL. He’s a physical blitz protector, so teams might envision a role for him as a second-half battering ram and third-down quarterback protector.
PROS:
Two-time team captain. Thick frame with ability to pick up tough yards. Makes tacklers feel his size at impact. Stays square getting through downhill cuts. Low success rate guaranteed for arm-tacklers. Stays on his feet through heavy angle strikes. Allows lead blockers to do their work. Steps up with force against incoming rushers.
CONS:
Below-average burst getting through line of scrimmage. Lacks finesse to navigate tight run lanes. Change of direction is heavy. One-speed running style is easy to track for linebackers. Pad level is a little tall as run-finisher. Inconsistent finding assignment versus blitz.
Round 7: 233 Andre Jones 6'4" 248 lbs Louisiana
STATS: 7 sacks, 5 qb hits, 20 hurries.
PFF GRADE: 77.2
Andre Jones was another hybrid de/lb player coming out last year. He possess 34 1/4" arms which is an elite number for his size. May move to LB, but I'm not sure that's the right move with a 4.71 40-yard dash. He doesn't have much a pass rush move set playing a hybrid role, but does use length to his advantage. A solid developmental pick.
PROS:
Shows a natural feel for setting up blockers and getting them off-balance. His hands are active and violent, and Jones quickly disengages with blockers and counters when his initial move stalls. Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge. Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. Showed initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. Jones has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation. He’s a high-effort pass rusher with an impressive combination of length and speed.
CONS:
Jones has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and Jones needs to make better use of his hands. He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks twitch as a pass rusher and lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge. Jones also shows some stiffness when trying to bend the edge, often getting pushed past the pocket — he seems more comfortable countering back inside.
Draft Summary:
This was my favorite Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew draft thus far. Going into the draft, offensive line, cornerback, and quarterback were our three biggest needs. Drafting in the middle of the round really took us out of the olineman race. The last one that interested me was Broderick Jones and he went off the board when the Steelers traded up. At that point in the draft it really left us with going cornerback. The Forbes pick was received negatively due to Christian Gonzalez being available. Both players will be viewed under the microscope throughout their careers. I'm fine with Forbes pick though. Another lanky cornerback who was an elite athlete. I did have Gonzalez rated higher going into the draft, but he slid for a reason. A lot of his tape shows him not necessarily being an elite cornerback, but being an elite athlete that plays corner. Forbes actually showed the athleticism, corner skills, and ballhawking ability. Some additional knocks against Gonazalez and his love of the game. Quan Martin was our biggest surprise pick of the draft. A lot of people had him going in the 3rd round, but I think the 2nd was a fine spot. Mayhew after the draft said he wish we were more aggressive at times, which I translated as not getting Brian Branch that went several picks before us. I think Quan was the backup option, but I like him as much as Branch. I think Quan will be a better deep safety and Bramch will be a better nickel. Liked Quan alot, but felt we should have gone o-line at this pick. Ocyrus Torrence would've been a sweet pick here. I think if that happened, the consensus view on our draft would shoot up. Quan will immediately via for playing time as our base defense is essentially a 4-2-5. Kendall Fuller was our only above average corner and now we turned our secondary into a strength. Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels were our next two picks. I like Stromberg’s tape a lot and think by next he will be a solid starter at guard or center. Braeden Daniels will be a nice depth piece and if he's able to tame his play he could develop into a starter. Fun player to watch. KJ Henry was an awesome pick and can see him being a nice rotational piece. Good pick at an underrated area of need on our defense. RB wasn't a pressing need, but it's an underrated area of weakness. I think Brian Robinson is about as average of rb as you will see starting in the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez slowly cut into Robinson's role over the next two years. Antonio Gibson has had some solid season, but has a severe fumbling problem. Andre Jones will be a depth piece that will need development moving forward.
Offseason summary:
The biggest question of our offseason was our owner, which now appears resolved. Our second biggest question... was who was our starting qb? Sam Howell. Ron preached all offseason that he was going with Howell and I'll be damned, he did. Brissett was good qb to bring in, not someone that would necessarily turn the offseason into a battle, but can be a starter if called upon. Really a true backup qb. I'm all in on the Sam Howell train. I love it for a multitude of reasons. One, he balls out and we have our qb of the future, two he plays well enough we give him another season and maybe Ron is out and we get a high draft pick, three he bombs and we fire Ron Rivera and go for Caleb Williams next season. If anything, it gives us a direction for our future. I'm ready for Ron to go and think he's only as good as his coordinators. I'm concerned that EB AND Howell turn the offense around Ron gets resigned and EB takes a head coaching role... then the offense regressed. Additionally, I don't want Ron to get credit for drafting Howell. It was 5th round pick, you and every team passed on him for 4 rounds. If Howell is that good... it's not because Ron was a genius and drafted him. Very similar to Seattle taking Russel. I am excited about EB being here and think he's the real deal. I will give Ron credit for allowing him to run his own offense as he sees fit. OTA's have shown that EB is pushing his guys hard and is trying to see what he can do with the offense. We really do have elite playmaker and I'm most excited to see what he can do with Antonio Gibson. I can see his role being that of Jerrick McKinnon, with more athleticism. Sam Howell has shown a lot of progress since his rookie season. Had issues with his foot work, but has shown vast improvements. We only have 1 preseason game and 1 NFL game of tape on him. I liked what he showed. When watching tape you could see him going through his progression, man absolutely saved the day wish his escapability- was under pressure the whole game, threw two beautiful deep passes, and won the game. He did throw one bad pick, but was under pressure and playing hero ball. He had one week of practice with the starters, now he has a whole offseason. Our defense should be a top 5 unit next season and we only got better. Chase Young should be fully healthy and he's the X-factor for the number one overall defense. He comes out plays to his full potential then he could be a mid teens sack guy. If we have that sort of production and Sam Howell plays well than we can compete for the decision. Big if though. Our secondary really lacked a 2nd option, Benjamin St Juyce has shown some flashes but didn't seeze the role last year. Now on paper he's the number and that's very solid. We return two top 6 defensive tackles and Montez Swear is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's yet to have a high sack season, but is very much that Jadaveon Ckowney type of player in the run game. Big question mark season for Jaymin Davis. We knew he needed development, but it's been slower than previously thought. Down the stretch he showed flashes that he was coming into his own and now is his year. He's one of the best athletes at linebacker in the league and his ceiling is very very high. Overall I predict we will go 10-7 and challenge for a wild card spot. That record can fluctuate each one, but I'm calling the improvement now. We went 8-8-1 with bottom 3 qb play. The defense got better, we hired a better offensive coordinator, Howell will at the minimum be slightly better than Hienke last season, we didn't lose any major pieces and had a solid all around draft. I'm truly excited to watch how our future plays out.

"Welcome one and welcome all to the 528th quadrennial summer Olympics! This has to be the most exciting day we have seen in the history of competitive sports."
"That's exactly right because this is only the second time in human history that the Olympics will be held off earth, and the first time that they are being held interstellar."
"Four years ago, some summer Olympics were held on Mars, but with the restriction to gravity, and some issues regarding respiration. However, after an agreement with the Galactic Assembly. The Rundi delegation has graciously offered to host the 4020 summer Olympics."
"And hosted they have. This stadium was built in under four years with consultations from human architects and with the original classic style of greek and roman architecture in mind. The Rundi really do know how to make a beautiful building when they want."
"This is honestly what the universe really needed after these last hard few years, with the Burg war, and the Gromm outbreak, and the Tesraki earthquake, a lot of people were just ready and waiting for some good news. Not to mention that after all of the issues with the LFIL and poor PR for humans across the galaxy, we all really needed a break."
"And what better PR than to share one of the greatest cultural achievements of human history? Historically the Olympics have been a time where countries set aside their differences and come together to show off their best athletes in competitions of human skill, fortitude, and perseverance. Now, for those non-human watchers, the Olympics were originally established in Ancient Greece. The word Olympics derives from the word Olympus which was the historical home of the Greek gods. Anyone who competes in the games is called an Olympian giving the implication that their feats of strength and power are almost godlike."
"Not to mention they originally required the participants to compete in the nude."
"Ha! Yes, let us not forget that. Luckily, or unluckily for us, things have been a bit more modernized since then, and men and women from around the universe will begin their competitions today. Today will be the first Olympics in history with representatives from interstellar colonies all across the Milky Way galaxy."
"Beginning in the next four years, Olympic officials hope to open the games up to non-human species for competition."
"Yes, officials say that it would be an opportunity for humanity to reach out a hand of peace and offer this great tradition of peace to the rest of the galaxy in hopes of fostering cooperation and understanding between all who live in the universe."
"That will be a great day indeed, and look here comes the Olympic torch, carried by none other than commander Adam Vir of the UNSC, Earth's golden boy."
"The Olympic torch had an intense journey this year, lit in Olympic greece and carried all across Earth, to where it was secured to be transported on the UNSC harbinger. Now it took some work as UNSC regulations do not allow open flames aboard an interstellar transport, but with some work from some fine engineers and a bit of finagling, the torch was secured lit but burning low in a specialized sealed, and climate controlled compartment during the duration of the flight. Oh, and here he goes, handing of the torch. This will be the first time in human history that a non-human has carried the torch and lit the cauldron. They debated long and hard about who would light it this year, and as a symbol of good will towards the rest of the galaxy, and to usher in a new age of the Olympic Games, the torch has been passed to the chairwoman of the Galactic Assembly."
"You know it really warms my heart to see us humans sharing such a rich part of our culture and history with the rest of the galaxy. It really is a symbol of everything we stand for at our core."
"And there she goes. IT'S LIT IT'S LIT!"
"A truly amazing day for humanity, the world, the galaxy and the universe!"
And truly amazing it was!
The galaxy had never seen anything like it.
Humans from all around the galaxy had come together and were determined to astound the watching crowds with feats of acrobatics and athletics, so intense, it would be unbelievable to anyone who watched, human and nonhuman alike.
In those days ahead, the galaxy watched with its jaw wide, as one man broke the world, now universe record, for fastest human sprint at 29 miles per hour (47 km/h). Facts and figures put up on screens above the heads of the crowd gave info’s about the human body, to put into perspective just how powerful these athletes were, as olympic sprinters put their muscles under pressure equivalent to 1,000 pounds (453kg) of force in a single sprinting step.
They watched in awe and confusion as a tiny Olympic gymnast, no older than sixteen, cleared more than twice her body height in a double air rotation, defying the laws of physics and gravity as she hung suspended in the air, for what seemed like an impossible amount of time.
Eyes were wide and jaws had to be picked up off the floor, as a young human from earth cleared the pole-vaulting record, launching himself into the sky at 20 feet 3.⅕ inches (6,2m).
Feats of balance and strength, never before seen in the galaxy, were demonstrated as those same young adults demonstrated flips, cartwheels and feats of acrobatics on beams barely wider than the width of their feet. Gasps rose from the assembled alien crowd as a dismount brought one young woman off the beam at least three full rotations before landing.
There was no way that she could have known where she was going to hit.
But the announcers had been right, these humans had an almost godlike control of their bodies and some strange ability to know where they were in space at the optimal moment rotating on a single bar, or between two, flipping themselves around and around in ways that would have made others feel dizzy, only to land smiling a moment later their hands raised into the air in triumph.
And then came the marathon, the event that aliens had heard about, but never thought possible, preformed for the first time on a fiery death planet by a one legged, one eyed space captain in his boxer shorts in a little over four hours. The feat itself seemed unbelievable as a story, but when a young woman from a distant space colony preformed the marathon in a record breaking 2:22:53. Less than two and a half hours required her to be running at speeds of almost ten miles per hour (16km/h) for two full hours.
The stadium could not believe their ears when they had heard what she had done. Alien race officials watched her run through cameras, to make sure that the feat was really true.
But it was true, it was all true.
They could not believe their eyes.
Even in the water, humans could not be matched, pushing bodies that were not meant for swimming to speeds that could compete with one or two species running.
They put their bodies under strain so powerful it should have torn muscle and snapped bone, but when they came up smiling and grinning and waving to the crowd, all the stadium could do was to contain their excitement.
And when that wasn't enough, humans started adding obstacles to their events.
What was better than a hundred-meter sprint?
A hundred-meter sprint with obstacles you had to jump over!
At an average of 12.5 seconds, participants were reaching speeds of almost seventeen miles per hour (27km/h), as fast as car speeds within city limits.
If any of the humans had crashed, they would surely hurt themselves horribly in the process.
And the crowd absolutely loved it.
Nothing was better than watching the humans lift heavy objects, throw pointy sticks, or even leap to great vertical heights, sometimes throwing their legs higher than their own heads, which seemed impossible for aliens who had spent most of their time with average humans, if they had spent time with humans at all.
Regular humans couldn't do that!
So, what insane kind of humans were these!?
How did a human knew to release the weighted metal disk when they were spinning around so fast, and what made them decide to throw the weight of their entire body into a kinetic linkage of angular momentum that would send the metal disk nearly two hundred feet in the opposing direction?
It was the most viewed Olympics in the history of the event. Aliens watched to see the humans perform, and the humans watched to see the alien's reaction to the other humans preforming.
The Rundi home world grossed trillions of dollars, which expanded the universe's economy to soaring heights.
Tesraki capitalized on the idea, holding even more events for humans to compete in, even after the Olympics were over. From then on, alien planets would beg humans to come hold their games and competitions on their planet, didn't matter what it was… Soccer, football, baseball, you could be sure the rest of the galaxy was interested in seeing it.
The entire universe was giddy with the feats of strength and ability which had been demonstrated in those intervening days.
Humans, who only fell prey to praise once every four years, suddenly found themselves famous on distant moons, completely by accident. They all had alien companies begging them to endorse products they had never even heard of.
It was such a violent economic upturn, no one knew how to handle it.
There were those, of course, who realized something very different about humanity on those days…
They had met your average human, the lazy kind that likes to sit in comfy nests, watch TV and imbibe on excessive amounts of glucose. They had even met the average human who threw in some daily workout routine, so at least they could control their love handles.
Your average human scared them with what they could do, without even thinking.
But what did this mean?
It meant that it was very important to allow humans to nerf themselves, because if anyone ever convinced humanity as a hole what they could be if ninety percent of the population were at peak human performance...
Well…
It was simply better to keep the humans well-fed and sleepy.
Maybe then the universe would stand a chance…
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author

FYI, this is a story COLLECTION. Lots of standalones technically. So, you can basically start to read at any chapter, no pre-read of the other chapters needed technically (other than maybe getting better descriptions of characters than: Adam Vir=human, Krill=antlike alien, Sunny=tall alien, Conn=telepathic alien). The numbers are (mostly) only for organization of posts and continuity.
OC Written by Charlie Stastarrfallknightrise,
Typed up and then posted here by me.
Proofreading and language check for some chapters by u/Finbar9800
Future Lore and fact check done by me.
And once again the human craze takes over the whole galaxy!
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
"Welcome one and welcome all to the 528th quadrennial summer Olympics! This has to be the most exciting day we have seen in the history of competitive sports."
"That's exactly right because this is only the second time in human history that the Olympics will be held off earth, and the first time that they are being held interstellar."
"Four years ago, some summer Olympics were held on Mars, but with the restriction to gravity, and some issues regarding respiration. However, after an agreement with the Galactic Assembly. The Rundi delegation has graciously offered to host the 4020 summer Olympics."
"And hosted they have. This stadium was built in under four years with consultations from human architects and with the original classic style of greek and roman architecture in mind. The Rundi really do know how to make a beautiful building when they want."
"This is honestly what the universe really needed after these last hard few years, with the Burg war, and the Gromm outbreak, and the Tesraki earthquake, a lot of people were just ready and waiting for some good news. Not to mention that after all of the issues with the LFIL and poor PR for humans across the galaxy, we all really needed a break."
"And what better PR than to share one of the greatest cultural achievements of human history? Historically the Olympics have been a time where countries set aside their differences and come together to show off their best athletes in competitions of human skill, fortitude, and perseverance. Now, for those non-human watchers, the Olympics were originally established in Ancient Greece. The word Olympics derives from the word Olympus which was the historical home of the Greek gods. Anyone who competes in the games is called an Olympian giving the implication that their feats of strength and power are almost godlike."
"Not to mention they originally required the participants to compete in the nude."
"Ha! Yes, let us not forget that. Luckily, or unluckily for us, things have been a bit more modernized since then, and men and women from around the universe will begin their competitions today. Today will be the first Olympics in history with representatives from interstellar colonies all across the Milky Way galaxy."
"Beginning in the next four years, Olympic officials hope to open the games up to non-human species for competition."
"Yes, officials say that it would be an opportunity for humanity to reach out a hand of peace and offer this great tradition of peace to the rest of the galaxy in hopes of fostering cooperation and understanding between all who live in the universe."
"That will be a great day indeed, and look here comes the Olympic torch, carried by none other than commander Adam Vir of the UNSC, Earth's golden boy."
"The Olympic torch had an intense journey this year, lit in Olympic greece and carried all across Earth, to where it was secured to be transported on the UNSC harbinger. Now it took some work as UNSC regulations do not allow open flames aboard an interstellar transport, but with some work from some fine engineers and a bit of finagling, the torch was secured lit but burning low in a specialized sealed, and climate controlled compartment during the duration of the flight. Oh, and here he goes, handing of the torch. This will be the first time in human history that a non-human has carried the torch and lit the cauldron. They debated long and hard about who would light it this year, and as a symbol of good will towards the rest of the galaxy, and to usher in a new age of the Olympic Games, the torch has been passed to the chairwoman of the Galactic Assembly."
"You know it really warms my heart to see us humans sharing such a rich part of our culture and history with the rest of the galaxy. It really is a symbol of everything we stand for at our core."
"And there she goes. IT'S LIT IT'S LIT!"
"A truly amazing day for humanity, the world, the galaxy and the universe!"
And truly amazing it was!
The galaxy had never seen anything like it.
Humans from all around the galaxy had come together and were determined to astound the watching crowds with feats of acrobatics and athletics, so intense, it would be unbelievable to anyone who watched, human and nonhuman alike.
In those days ahead, the galaxy watched with its jaw wide, as one man broke the world, now universe record, for fastest human sprint at 29 miles per hour (47 km/h). Facts and figures put up on screens above the heads of the crowd gave info’s about the human body, to put into perspective just how powerful these athletes were, as olympic sprinters put their muscles under pressure equivalent to 1,000 pounds (453kg) of force in a single sprinting step.
They watched in awe and confusion as a tiny Olympic gymnast, no older than sixteen, cleared more than twice her body height in a double air rotation, defying the laws of physics and gravity as she hung suspended in the air, for what seemed like an impossible amount of time.
Eyes were wide and jaws had to be picked up off the floor, as a young human from earth cleared the pole-vaulting record, launching himself into the sky at 20 feet 3.⅕ inches (6,2m).
Feats of balance and strength, never before seen in the galaxy, were demonstrated as those same young adults demonstrated flips, cartwheels and feats of acrobatics on beams barely wider than the width of their feet. Gasps rose from the assembled alien crowd as a dismount brought one young woman off the beam at least three full rotations before landing.
There was no way that she could have known where she was going to hit.
But the announcers had been right, these humans had an almost godlike control of their bodies and some strange ability to know where they were in space at the optimal moment rotating on a single bar, or between two, flipping themselves around and around in ways that would have made others feel dizzy, only to land smiling a moment later their hands raised into the air in triumph.
And then came the marathon, the event that aliens had heard about, but never thought possible, preformed for the first time on a fiery death planet by a one legged, one eyed space captain in his boxer shorts in a little over four hours. The feat itself seemed unbelievable as a story, but when a young woman from a distant space colony preformed the marathon in a record breaking 2:22:53. Less than two and a half hours required her to be running at speeds of almost ten miles per hour (16km/h) for two full hours.
The stadium could not believe their ears when they had heard what she had done. Alien race officials watched her run through cameras, to make sure that the feat was really true.
But it was true, it was all true.
They could not believe their eyes.
Even in the water, humans could not be matched, pushing bodies that were not meant for swimming to speeds that could compete with one or two species running.
They put their bodies under strain so powerful it should have torn muscle and snapped bone, but when they came up smiling and grinning and waving to the crowd, all the stadium could do was to contain their excitement.
And when that wasn't enough, humans started adding obstacles to their events.
What was better than a hundred-meter sprint?
A hundred-meter sprint with obstacles you had to jump over!
At an average of 12.5 seconds, participants were reaching speeds of almost seventeen miles per hour (27km/h), as fast as car speeds within city limits.
If any of the humans had crashed, they would surely hurt themselves horribly in the process.
And the crowd absolutely loved it.
Nothing was better than watching the humans lift heavy objects, throw pointy sticks, or even leap to great vertical heights, sometimes throwing their legs higher than their own heads, which seemed impossible for aliens who had spent most of their time with average humans, if they had spent time with humans at all.
Regular humans couldn't do that!
So, what insane kind of humans were these!?
How did a human knew to release the weighted metal disk when they were spinning around so fast, and what made them decide to throw the weight of their entire body into a kinetic linkage of angular momentum that would send the metal disk nearly two hundred feet in the opposing direction?
It was the most viewed Olympics in the history of the event. Aliens watched to see the humans perform, and the humans watched to see the alien's reaction to the other humans preforming.
The Rundi home world grossed trillions of dollars, which expanded the universe's economy to soaring heights.
Tesraki capitalized on the idea, holding even more events for humans to compete in, even after the Olympics were over. From then on, alien planets would beg humans to come hold their games and competitions on their planet, didn't matter what it was… Soccer, football, baseball, you could be sure the rest of the galaxy was interested in seeing it.
The entire universe was giddy with the feats of strength and ability which had been demonstrated in those intervening days.
Humans, who only fell prey to praise once every four years, suddenly found themselves famous on distant moons, completely by accident. They all had alien companies begging them to endorse products they had never even heard of.
It was such a violent economic upturn, no one knew how to handle it.
There were those, of course, who realized something very different about humanity on those days…
They had met your average human, the lazy kind that likes to sit in comfy nests, watch TV and imbibe on excessive amounts of glucose. They had even met the average human who threw in some daily workout routine, so at least they could control their love handles.
Your average human scared them with what they could do, without even thinking.
But what did this mean?
It meant that it was very important to allow humans to nerf themselves, because if anyone ever convinced humanity as a hole what they could be if ninety percent of the population were at peak human performance...
Well…
It was simply better to keep the humans well-fed and sleepy.
Maybe then the universe would stand a chance…
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author
Thanks for reading! As you saw in the title, this is a cross posted story written by starrfallknightrise and I'll just upload some of it here for you guys, if you are interested and want to read ahead, the original story-collection can be found on tumblr or wattpad to read for free. (link above this text under "OC:..." ) It is the Empyrean Iris story collection by starfallknightrise. Also, if you want to know more about the story collection i made an intro post about it, so feel free to check that out to see what other great characters to look forward to! (Link also above this text). I have no affiliations to the author; just thought I’d share some of the great stories you might enjoy a lot!
Obviously, I have Charlie’s permission to post this and for the people already knowing the stories, or starting to read them: If you follow the link and check out the story you will see some differences. I made some small (non-artistic) changes, mainly correcting writing mistakes, pronoun correction and some small additional info here and there of things which were not thought of/forgotten or even were added/changed in later stories (like the “USS->UNSC” prefix of Stabby, Chalar=/->Sunny etc). As well as some "biggemajor" changes in descriptions and info’s for the same stringency/continuity reason. That can be explained by the story collection being, well a story collection at the start with many standalone-stories just starring the same people, but later on it gets more to a stringent storyline with backstories and throwbacks. (For example Adam Vir has some HEAVY scars over his body, following his bones, which were not really talked about up till half the collection, where it says it covers his whole body and you find out via backflash that he had them the whole time and how he got them, they just weren't mentioned before. However, I would think a doctor would at least see these scars before that, especially since he gets analyzed, treated and goes shirtless/in T-shirts in some stories). So TLDR: Writing and some descriptions are slightly changed, with full OK from the author, since he himself did not bother to correct these things before.

2023 French Open

STREAMS	↑ Streaming in the top bar
French Open	Schedule, Live Scoreboard, Results, Draws (MS, WS, MD, WD, XD)
CHAT	#reddit-tennis, /tennis Discord
PREVIOUS THREADS	D3

And so this month, alongside our sport's 177th birthday, we also come to the exciting finale month of the 2023 college baseball season and the first full month of collegiate summer ball.
Welcome to the D1 college baseball playoffs and the final miles to road to Omaha. Our best wishes to all the D1, D2, D3, JUCO and NAIA schools and universities as they fight for their division championships this month!
May the glad tidings of this journey be upon us all!
John

• Soccer theme with regular season and playoffs.
• 2 player copies
• Superflex, TEP
• $25/season with one season paid in advance on LeagueSafe.
• MFL will be the platform and Discord is our communication app.

You can check out the league page here and constitution here.
​
Feel free to DM for a Discord link or with any questions!

Reality Dating Show

In search of a marriage partner, hyperrealistic dating begins where singles gather and struggle to find love.

Details

[From KOCOWA description]

Six men and six women, who desire to get married, are invited to Solo World, which is arranged on an enormous scale. The singles of "I am Solo," who are no celebrities, show off their charms to find their partner and date on this real dating program. An all-time romantic yet shocking love story, way more heart-fluttering than a melodrama that will provoke everyone's passion for love, will be revealed.

SBS Plus 나는 SOLO
Producer: Nam Gyu Hong (남규홍 PD)

Panel

• Defconn - thugdefconn
• Song Ha Na - songhaena
• Lee Yi Kyung - luvlk89

Cast of Season 14

Men

Name	Age	Notes
Young Soo	43 ('81)	Finance. Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Majored in Education (Korea Univ.). Hobbies: Kendo.
Young Ho	43 ('81)	Civil Servant for Seoul Gov't. Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Hobbies: Snoring like an F-111 with full afterburners, Horangnabi 호랑나비 cover dance enthusiast. hyunwook21
Young Sik	41 ('83)	Manufacturing (Father's company). Guwol-dong, Incheon. Hobbies: Soccer, Scuba. qotnsqh
Young Chul	40 ('84)	Hotel owner & Opera singer. Born Tongyeong, Gyeongnam. Residence: Geoje. Studied in Milan, Italy. Returned Korea in his mid-30s. marco_k1811
Kwang Soo	42 ('82)	Certified Labor Attorney (8 years). Ex-Police (5 years), Ex-Navy officer (Lt.), Ex-ROTC. Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. mangdo___
Sang Chul	40 ('84)	Hyundai Motors (Sales) @ Gangam, Seoul. English Academy (investor). House: Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Hobbies: Basketball. hohoojh1
Kyung Soo	43 ('81)	Retired Baseball Pitcher (LG Twins). Baseball training center (CEO). Sadang-dong, Seoul. Talent Show result: S14 Villain. minkyungsoo

Women

Name	Age	Notes
Young Sook	41 ('83)	Sales (American IT company). Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. MBA(?). Hobbies: Exercise (Golf, Weights, Water Skiing). nanazip_
Jung Sook	44 ('80)	Test Prep Teacher (TOEFL) since 2002 (Jongno, Seoul). Residence: Gimpo. Hobbies: Car racing, Exercise (Weights). katri_na1102
Sun Ja	40 ('84)	CEO Biotech & Cosmetics company, Business Consultant. Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. jyp0224
Young Ja	40 ('84)	Secretary(?), Hyundai Heavy Industries. Ulsan. Hobbies: Baking (certificate), 9 peaks of Yeongamn Alps. graceimsu
Ok Soon	38 ('86)	Student (pursuing Masters in Korean Language Education @ Ewah Women's Univ. Graduate School of Education). Former Airline Cabin Attendant (Qatar Airways). Returned Korea 2021. Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Hobbies: Golf, Weights, Pole Dancing, Bicycling.
Hyun Sook	41 ('83)	Sales (German pharmaceutical company). Hometown: Gwangju. Former Miss Korea participant (2007). 2 dogs. Hobbies: Travel. bongbong_611

Notes

• Cast info will be updated when it becomes available.
• Ages are from the subtitles, so Korean age (+1 from international age).
• New for S14: 7 men x 6 women.
• Filmed in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do.
• S14 Theme: Golden Mister & Misses ("Those who have everything else...[except love & marriage]").
• Four of the cast live in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
• Thank you to u/invitrium for providing the S14 cast Instagrams.
• ¹ - Unconfirmed Instagram (marked as private).

Links

Info	Link	Notes
Stream	Kocowa	Subs +24h from broadcast

Previous S14 Discussion Posts

Episode
S14E01
S14E02
S14E03
S14E04
S14E05
S14E06
S14E07

NOTE: This discussion post may (and probably will) contain spoilers

To promote free and flowing discussion, spoiler tagging is not required in this discussion post.

Defending the Draft: 2023 Washington Commanders 8-8-1
Preface:
Hope.
This 2023 season will be the most interesting for the Commanders franchise in a long long time. We enter this season with more uncertainty than I have ever been a part of, however, the one thing the fan base is certain of... is the future is brighter. Dan Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999 and subsequently done nothing but run a blue blood franchise into the ground. This team has lacked direction for a long time and a large part of that was due to Dan Snyder's meddling in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Starting his ownership with signing washed up HOF veterans, to then overspending in free agency (Albert Haynesworth is arguably the worst free agent signing of all time), drug scandal with thetraining staff, the mishandling of the RG3 and Kirk Cousins situation, Not resigning Trent Williams, and lastly we've now reached tumultuous time where his off the field issues have hung a dark cloud over a once proud franchise. Although, lol, his most egregious mistake may be hiring Jim Zorn as head coach. It's egregious that his only punishment is a 6 billion dollar payout for his franchise. I hope the banks bury him and he faces the deserved legal actions. As of now there had been an agreement to sell the franchise to 76'rs and NJ Devils owner, Josh Harris.... and is 20ish members of his parliament. We await to hear news of the reviews from the NFL financial committee to close out the process. Last news I came across was he has cut down the number of minority owners to 20. It will be a pleasure when this agreement is finalized. He could be a terrible owner, but it would still be an upgrade from Synder. Harris, seemingly has been a hands off owner and properly allows the people he's hired to operate the team. This last sports season he's had both of his teams deep in the playoff hunt. This season will be interesting. A lot of questions all around: Sam Howell? Chase Young? Ron Rivera? Eric Bienemy? Josh Harris? I'm not sure of those answers, but I'm very excited to find them out.
Coaching:
HC- Ron Rivera OC- Eric Bieniemy DC- Jack Del Rio
Key Additions: Eric Bieniemy
Ole' Riverboat Ron Rivera is back and going into his 4th season with the Washington Commanders, hopefully his last. I believe Ron Rivera is a leader of men, but I highly question his actual coaching skills and team building. I've currently seen enough of this coaching regime and front office to safely say let's move on. There's been several things that I believed were firable offenses.... the Carson Wentz trade. Some rumors have said that this was a Snyder push. Not entirely positive, but Ron bragged that it was his call. Our team at that point was not a qb away from being really good, let alone a Carson Wentz level of qb. The next fireable offense was starting Wentz over Hienke when the playoffs were on the line. Wentz ended up being benched for Hienke, but it was too little too late. The next fireable offense was not realizing we were eliminated from the playoffs. Going into the last week of the season Ron planned on starting Hieneke. Pretty odd to not know you're out of the playoffs, let alone to test Sam Howell out for next season. Additionally, there's been some pretty questionable roster creation decisions. I absolutely hate the versatile secondary and offensive line philosophy. We currently have a patch work offensive line that has the means to fluctuate between average to below average. Not a single player on the line is top 5 at their respected position. Two years ago we had a top 10 o-line, but that had Brandon Sherff playing like a top 5 guard and Charles Leno having his best season. Our o-line took a significant step back this past season and now looks to be our biggest weakness. Ron has shown to trust his own board and has reached (according to the consensus big board) with every single pick so far. People mistake 2019 as one of his drafts ( Sweat, McLaurin, Holcomb), but he was hired at the end of the season. Take this with a grain of salt as it takes at least 3 years to properly review a draft. Rons 1st round picks have been the following: 2020 pick 2 Chase Young- the correct pick at the time, but hard to botch the 2nd overall pick, 2021 pick 19 Jamin Davis- hated the pick at the time, too early for a linebacker... let a lone a project. On tape he looked lost a lot and made up for it with his elite athleticism. He's shown progress, but nothing showing he's worthy of the pick. 2022 pick 16 Jahan Dotson- looks to be an absolute baller, had him ranked above Olave in the pre-draft process. Was a slight reach above the consensus board, but flashed high end ability. Davis has been the only mistake in the 1st round thus far. When I say mistake I don't necessarily mean player, but the roster building philosophy. Whether reaching on Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round of 2022. Lol, he was older than Payne coming out of the draft, one year of good production, and was taken a round too early. In the next round Brian Robinson was taken and was really just a body. Haven't really seen anything elite with him so far and was a meh pick. John Bates in the 4th round was egregious. Now I have to give credit where it's due. Kam Curl was an absolute steal and can solidify himself as top 5 safety this season if he continues to play this well. Our other starting safety in Darrick Forest also had a lot of bright spots playing this past season.
Arguably, our best offseason move was signing Eric Bieniemy. I'm absolutely excited. Forget everything about him not calling the plays. Reports from OTA's shows his hands on approach and full control of the offense. One of my favorites things I've heard is he is using OTA's to see what the players can do and crafting the offense to their abilities. Time and time again (Scott Turner) you see coaches say this is the offense and not change anything to match the players strengths. We don't know for sure how the offense will look, but if it's anything close to the motion west coast offense the Chiefs have... boy lessssss gooooooo. Jack Del Rio has been up-and-down in his time in Washington. He's had two very slow starts with the defense to start year, however, they've finished strong and kept his job safe. This is really the no excuse year and everyone needs to show up amd show out.
Free Agency:
Key Departures:
Taylor Hieneke- signed with the Falcons
Cole Holcolm- signed with the Steelers
Bobby McCain- signed with the Giants
Carson Wentz- TBD
J.D. McKissic- TBD
Trai Turner TBD
Andrew Norwell- will be released when he passes a physical
Summary:
In my personal oppinion, the only player that hurt losing in free agency was Cole Holcolm. Linebacker is our one weak spot on defense, however, not resigning Holcolm shows Ron's belief in Jaymin Davis's progression. Cole was limited to 7 games last season and has yet to truly break out. Always played very solid and losing him downgraded the position. We've moved on from both starting guards from last year in Norwell and Turner (previously on the Panthers). Both players were liabilities last season and the guard position was easily upgradeable. Bonny McCain was a solid do it all for is player. Lined up at corner, safety, and nickel throughout the season. Hieneke was a big fan favorite, but was never the answer. We thank you for your service though. Carson Wentz, fuck you. Loved J.D. and his time here, suffered a major injury. Not sure if he gets picked up hy another team.
Key Additions:
Andrew Wiley- 3 years for 24 million, 12 guaranteed. Previously on the Chiefs
Nick Gates- 3 years for 16.5 million, 8 million guaranteed. Previously on the Giants
Jacoby Brissett- 1 year for 8 million, 7.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Browns
Cody Barton- 1 year for 3.5 million, 3.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Seahawks
Summary:
Simple. In free agency the Commanders did not overspend and tackled positions of need. None of the players signed are top 5 at their position, however, they could all possibly end up being upgrades to what we have. The most interesting is Andrew Wiley. He allowed 9 sacks (tied for 3rd most)... but man he put on the performance of his life in the superbowl. Another stat that favors him is pass block win-rate, which measure if a lineman can sustain a block for 2.5 seconds. Wylie ranked 9th in that stat last season. I translate that stat to mean can a lineman sustain a block against thr initial rush and counter move off the snap. After that 2.5 seconds the ball is thrown or the play breaks down. Another key factor to this signing is it kicks Samuel Cosmi inside to guard. Cosmi has shown flashes being a high end lineman and I expect him to be even better kicking to guard from right tackle. Guard was our weakest position on the line and Wylie signing helped to upgrade the RG position. Nick Gates is expected to he our starting center. He's coming off of a brutal leg injury that made him consider retirement. Has played guard and center and has some positional flexibility. Jacoby Brissett is the best backup qb in thr league. A solid signing if Howell doesn't pan out. Just a solid game manager that doesn't commit many turnovers. Cody Barton is another unproven guy. Last year was his first year with significant reps. Bobby Wagner leaving in FA and Jordyn Brooks injury made em the guy. He showed flashes of coverage abilities and had a lot of tackles. The tackles weren't necessarily a product of his abilities and more so of cleaning up on a bad run defense team. I've read some notes that he has trouble getting off of blocks. Honestly, haven't watched much on the guy, but reports were he played solid down the stretch.
The Draft:
Link to all RAS scores for our draft class
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-for-the-washington-commanders-7-player-class-emmanuel-forbes/
Round 1:16 Emmanuel Forbes 6'1" 174 lbs. Mississippi St
Stats: 58 targets, 31 catches allowed for 284 yards (23 yards a game), 3 tds allowed/ 6 ints, 9 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 46 tackles.
PFF Grade: 87.2
If being a 160 pounds is your only knock then I think you're doing something alright. The word on the street is he is already up to 174 pounds. You wouldnt realize hes only 174 pounds by the way he plays the run. Hes not scared to hit and flies ro the ball. Although, he does struggle to get off of blocks. Emmanuel Forbes, per PFF, had the highest rating in man coverage last season, albeit the snap count was very miniscule. Emmanuel Forbes is a lanky corner than played a lot of zone coverage and is a very good scheme fit for what we do. I like the pick and I'm not upset about taking him over Gonzalez, who also had his own question marks. Forbes set a NCAA record with 6 pick sixes. A lot of those were the right place at the right time, but when you have that high of a number than you're doing something right.
PFF:
Forbes is one of the best ballhawks in this class. Over the course of his three-year career, he came down with 13 interceptions. That’s four more than the next closest Power Five cornerback since 2020. Forbes was unbelievably dominant in man coverage in 2022, giving up only three catches while also snagging three interceptions. He also only allowed a 20% completion rate in man, the lowest among FBS
PROS
Remarkably lanky frame. Limbs for days — ideal for a corner.Has bounce like a hooper. He can challenge any catch point necessary. Elite ability to locate the football. All six of his interceptions came in man coverage.
CONS
Still a stick. Not much mass on his frame. Has eyes that get him in trouble. Some freelance tendencies on tape.Can get bowled over in the run game. Mediocre tackler over the course of his career.
Round 2: 47 Jartavius "Quan" Martin 5'11". 194 lbs Illinois
Stats: 74 targets, 42 catches allowed, 611 yards allowed, 3 tds allowed, 3 ints, 15 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 4 missed tackles, 64 tackles.
PFF Grade: 73.2
Quan is a beast. I thought he was the 2nd best nickel prospect in the draft and a better deep safety than Brian Branch. Martin absolute rockets around the field in the run game. He started his career at cornerback before transitioning into the safety/nickel position. Another elite athlete that is a perfect fit for our Buffalo Nickel defense.
PFF:
Martin came to Illinois and immediately started as a true freshman in 2018. He originally started off as an outside corner before becoming more of a slot corner recently. He had arguably his best year in 2022, as his 15 forced incompletions were tied for the sixth-most among Power-Five corners. Martin’s 91.0 run-defense grade also led all Power Five cornerbacks. While he played corner at Illinois, we project him more as a safety for the next level.
PROS:
Explosive flat-foot breaks. Tremendous burst. Forceful and reliable tackler - 7 misses on the last 129 attempts last two seasons.Fills like a mac truck in the run game. Wants to come downhill and play in the backfield.
CONS:
Pure man skills are work in progress. Overagressive and liability to bite on fakes. cons On the lighter side for an around the line of scrimmage player. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield on run
Round 3: 97 Ricky Stromberg 6'3" 306 lbs Arkansas
Stats: 9 impact blocks, 11 qb hurries, 0 qb hits, 0 sacks allowed
PFF Grade: 82.4
Nasty. Another guard experience player that spent his last two years at the center position. Award winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy for the SEC'S most outstanding blocker award. This is a solid player that has started since he was freshman in the SEC. He's been battle tested since he was kid and has improved every year. He has some knocks about his play strength, but a NFL program should get em to where he needs to be.
PFF:
Stromberg was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class and started for the Razorbacks as a true freshman, mostly at right guard. He moved inside to center for his sophomore season and spent his final three college seasons there. Stromberg’s 82.4 overall grade and 83.7 run-blocking grade in 2022 both ranked fourth among all centers in college football, and his nine big-time blocks were tied for fifth among FBS centers. Not to mention, Stromberg had an incredible performance at the NFL combine.
PROS:
Does not want to let blocks go. Can see him straining his butt of to stay engaged on tape. Tons of experience against top competition. Four-year starter with 3,121 career snaps.
CONS:
Forward lean gets going on the move, making him liable to topple over. Has wide hands to initiate contact in pass protection before resetting. Leaves himself open for stronger rushers.Unimpressive musculature, which leaves questions about how he'll anchor against NFL strength.
Round 4: Braeden Daniels 6'4" 296 lbs Utah STATS:
0 sacks allowed, 1 qb hit allowed, 14 hurries allowed.
PFF GRADE: 72.2 at tackle, 2021 84.4 at guard.
Braeden Daniels is another tackle/guard hybrid, with starting experience across his college career. This guy is on the lighter side but that allows him to be an Explosive athlete. Very raw at the tackle position and will be a developmental guy. I'd like to give em a try as our swing tackle and see how he performs. He was one of the quickest offensive lineman I've seen off the tape and that athleticism will let him climb to the next level. Even on the lightweight side I'd hate to see this guy running at me on the second level.
PFF:
Daniels is an experienced veteran who commanded the Utes’ offensive line for the past few years. He originally started as a guard before switching over to tackle. His best season came in 2021, as he put up an 84.4 PFF grade. Given his time on the interior, Daniels is at his best when run blocking, and his run-blocking grade in 2021 was an elite 89.1. He still held his own as a pass protector, allowing only five sacks in his Utah career.
PROS
Explodes out of his stance. Arguably the quickest get off in the offensive line class. Linebackers don't want to see him climbing. Gets on them before they can even react. Drive in his lower half to still move the line of scrimmage despite being under 300 pounds.
CONS
Wild into contact. He approaches blocks with the adjustment ability of a freight train. consDoesn't bring his hands with him. Clean engagements are rare on tape. Very light by NFL standards (294 pounds at combine).
Round 5: 137 KJ Henry 6'4" 260 lbs Clemson
STATS:
51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 6 pass deflections, 50 qb pressures, 31 qb hurries, 14 qb hits.
PFF GRADE: 83.1
Loved this pick. Henry was a 5 star recruit coming out of high-school and decided to attend Clemson University. With Clemson having deep lines it took him a couple of years to get on the field. The stats look odd when you only see 3.5 sacks, however, the 50 qb pressures is the key stat. Seems more like bad luck that the sack numbers weren't high. Clemson's whole d-line underperformed (Bresee, Murphey) and they should have picked up more sacks from Henry who was the best DE on that team last year. The team clearly liked him as we traded back up for him. He's not elite athlete, but he is an elite hands guy. Almost had that veteran presence in college. High motor and will immediately make an impact as a rotational de, a position that sorely needed an upgrade.
PFF:
On a team with Myles Murphy, you can easily make the case that KJ Henry was Clemson's best defensive end this year, as he posted better PFF grades than Murphy in every category and even generated 19 more pressures. The only problem is That Henry is 24 years old while Murphy is only 21. Therefore, Henry was expected to produce this well against younger competition. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he can’t still improve. If Henry's play this season is any indication of his potential, he can still have a great NFL career as an edge defender.
PROS:
Heavy hands that are so well refined. Uses them independently to use combination moves.Utilizes hesitations and head fakes so well to catch linemen off-balance. Coaches rave about the type of teammate he is. He is the type of player you want in the locker room.
CONS:
First step that's unimposing for a rusher on the smaller side. Late bloomer. Wasn't even a starter until this past fall. One of the oldest prospects in the class. Already 24 years old.
Round 6: 193 Chris Rodriguez 6'0" 217 lbs Kentucky
STATS: 8 games played, 175 attempts, 904 rushing yards, 6 tds, 5.2 ypa, 5 catches, 41 rec yards.
PFF GRADE: 90.8
Chris Rodriguez is a PFF darling and was rated as the 7th best running back. This guy's is a pure one cut, run you over, power back. There's not much finesse to his game, but there's highlights of dragging guys 10-yards down the field. He does not posses break away speed, but he will get you 40 yards. He was suspended 4 games due to a dui and he may have been drafted higher on am abysmal Kentucky team. An extra 4 games of stats against SEC competition and no suspension may have jumped him into the 4th round. This was an Eric Bienemy guy and they brought him in because of that. Isiah Pacheco was another EB guy.
PFF:
Rodriguez is a powerful runner, but he lacks the burst and creativity to become anything more than a downhill grinder. He has the size and mentality to do the dirty work between the tackles, but it could be a challenge for him to get to and through the hole quickly in the NFL. He’s a physical blitz protector, so teams might envision a role for him as a second-half battering ram and third-down quarterback protector.
PROS:
Two-time team captain. Thick frame with ability to pick up tough yards. Makes tacklers feel his size at impact. Stays square getting through downhill cuts. Low success rate guaranteed for arm-tacklers. Stays on his feet through heavy angle strikes. Allows lead blockers to do their work. Steps up with force against incoming rushers.
CONS:
Below-average burst getting through line of scrimmage. Lacks finesse to navigate tight run lanes. Change of direction is heavy. One-speed running style is easy to track for linebackers. Pad level is a little tall as run-finisher. Inconsistent finding assignment versus blitz.
Round 7: 233 Andre Jones 6'4" 248 lbs Louisiana
STATS: 7 sacks, 5 qb hits, 20 hurries.
PFF GRADE: 77.2
Andre Jones was another hybrid de/lb player coming out last year. He possess 34 1/4" arms which is an elite number for his size. May move to LB, but I'm not sure that's the right move with a 4.71 40-yard dash. He doesn't have much a pass rush move set playing a hybrid role, but does use length to his advantage. A solid developmental pick.
PROS:
Shows a natural feel for setting up blockers and getting them off-balance. His hands are active and violent, and Jones quickly disengages with blockers and counters when his initial move stalls. Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge. Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. Showed initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. Jones has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation. He’s a high-effort pass rusher with an impressive combination of length and speed.
CONS:
Jones has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and Jones needs to make better use of his hands. He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks twitch as a pass rusher and lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge. Jones also shows some stiffness when trying to bend the edge, often getting pushed past the pocket — he seems more comfortable countering back inside.
Draft Summary:
This was my favorite Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew draft thus far. Going into the draft, offensive line, cornerback, and quarterback were our three biggest needs. Drafting in the middle of the round really took us out of the olineman race. The last one that interested me was Broderick Jones and he went off the board when the Steelers traded up. At that point in the draft it really left us with going cornerback. The Forbes pick was received negatively due to Christian Gonzalez being available. Both players will be viewed under the microscope throughout their careers. I'm fine with Forbes pick though. Another lanky cornerback who was an elite athlete. I did have Gonzalez rated higher going into the draft, but he slid for a reason. A lot of his tape shows him not necessarily being an elite cornerback, but being an elite athlete that plays corner. Forbes actually showed the athleticism, corner skills, and ballhawking ability. Some additional knocks against Gonazalez and his love of the game. Quan Martin was our biggest surprise pick of the draft. A lot of people had him going in the 3rd round, but I think the 2nd was a fine spot. Mayhew after the draft said he wish we were more aggressive at times, which I translated as not getting Brian Branch that went several picks before us. I think Quan was the backup option, but I like him as much as Branch. I think Quan will be a better deep safety and Bramch will be a better nickel. Liked Quan alot, but felt we should have gone o-line at this pick. Ocyrus Torrence would've been a sweet pick here. I think if that happened, the consensus view on our draft would shoot up. Quan will immediately via for playing time as our base defense is essentially a 4-2-5. Kendall Fuller was our only above average corner and now we turned our secondary into a strength. Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels were our next two picks. I like Stromberg’s tape a lot and think by next he will be a solid starter at guard or center. Braeden Daniels will be a nice depth piece and if he's able to tame his play he could develop into a starter. Fun player to watch. KJ Henry was an awesome pick and can see him being a nice rotational piece. Good pick at an underrated area of need on our defense. RB wasn't a pressing need, but it's an underrated area of weakness. I think Brian Robinson is about as average of rb as you will see starting in the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez slowly cut into Robinson's role over the next two years. Antonio Gibson has had some solid season, but has a severe fumbling problem. Andre Jones will be a depth piece that will need development moving forward.
Offseason summary:
The biggest question of our offseason was our owner, which now appears resolved. Our second biggest question... was who was our starting qb? Sam Howell. Ron preached all offseason that he was going with Howell and I'll be damned, he did. Brissett was good qb to bring in, not someone that would necessarily turn the offseason into a battle, but can be a starter if called upon. Really a true backup qb. I'm all in on the Sam Howell train. I love it for a multitude of reasons. One, he balls out and we have our qb of the future, two he plays well enough we give him another season and maybe Ron is out and we get a high draft pick, three he bombs and we fire Ron Rivera and go for Caleb Williams next season. If anything, it gives us a direction for our future. I'm ready for Ron to go and think he's only as good as his coordinators. I'm concerned that EB AND Howell turn the offense around Ron gets resigned and EB takes a head coaching role... then the offense regressed. Additionally, I don't want Ron to get credit for drafting Howell. It was 5th round pick, you and every team passed on him for 4 rounds. If Howell is that good... it's not because Ron was a genius and drafted him. Very similar to Seattle taking Russel. I am excited about EB being here and think he's the real deal. I will give Ron credit for allowing him to run his own offense as he sees fit. OTA's have shown that EB is pushing his guys hard and is trying to see what he can do with the offense. We really do have elite playmaker and I'm most excited to see what he can do with Antonio Gibson. I can see his role being that of Jerrick McKinnon, with more athleticism. Sam Howell has shown a lot of progress since his rookie season. Had issues with his foot work, but has shown vast improvements. We only have 1 preseason game and 1 NFL game of tape on him. I liked what he showed. When watching tape you could see him going through his progression, man absolutely saved the day wish his escapability- was under pressure the whole game, threw two beautiful deep passes, and won the game. He did throw one bad pick, but was under pressure and playing hero ball. He had one week of practice with the starters, now he has a whole offseason. Our defense should be a top 5 unit next season and we only got better. Chase Young should be fully healthy and he's the X-factor for the number one overall defense. He comes out plays to his full potential then he could be a mid teens sack guy. If we have that sort of production and Sam Howell plays well than we can compete for the decision. Big if though. Our secondary really lacked a 2nd option, Benjamin St Juyce has shown some flashes but didn't seeze the role last year. Now on paper he's the number and that's very solid. We return two top 6 defensive tackles and Montez Swear is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's yet to have a high sack season, but is very much that Jadaveon Ckowney type of player in the run game. Big question mark season for Jaymin Davis. We knew he needed development, but it's been slower than previously thought. Down the stretch he showed flashes that he was coming into his own and now is his year. He's one of the best athletes at linebacker in the league and his ceiling is very very high. Overall I predict we will go 10-7 and challenge for a wild card spot. That record can fluctuate each one, but I'm calling the improvement now. We went 8-8-1 with bottom 3 qb play. The defense got better, we hired a better offensive coordinator, Howell will at the minimum be slightly better than Hienke last season, we didn't lose any major pieces and had a solid all around draft. I'm truly excited to watch how our future plays out.

Defending the Draft: 2023 Washington Commanders 8-8-1
Preface:
Hope.
This 2023 season will be the most interesting for the Commanders franchise in a long long time. We enter this season with more uncertainty than I have ever been a part of, however, the one thing the fan base is certain of... is the future is brighter. Dan Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999 and subsequently done nothing but run a blue blood franchise into the ground. This team has lacked direction for a long time and a large part of that was due to Dan Snyder's meddling in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Starting his ownership with signing washed up HOF veterans, to then overspending in free agency (Albert Haynesworth is arguably the worst free agent signing of all time), drug scandal with thetraining staff, the mishandling of the RG3 and Kirk Cousins situation, Not resigning Trent Williams, and lastly we've now reached tumultuous time where his off the field issues have hung a dark cloud over a once proud franchise. Although, lol, his most egregious mistake may be hiring Jim Zorn as head coach. It's egregious that his only punishment is a 6 billion dollar payout for his franchise. I hope the banks bury him and he faces the deserved legal actions. As of now there had been an agreement to sell the franchise to 76'rs and NJ Devils owner, Josh Harris.... and is 20ish members of his parliament. We await to hear news of the reviews from the NFL financial committee to close out the process. Last news I came across was he has cut down the number of minority owners to 20. It will be a pleasure when this agreement is finalized. He could be a terrible owner, but it would still be an upgrade from Synder. Harris, seemingly has been a hands off owner and properly allows the people he's hired to operate the team. This last sports season he's had both of his teams deep in the playoff hunt. This season will be interesting. A lot of questions all around: Sam Howell? Chase Young? Ron Rivera? Eric Bienemy? Josh Harris? I'm not sure of those answers, but I'm very excited to find them out.
Coaching:
HC- Ron Rivera OC- Eric Bieniemy DC- Jack Del Rio
Key Additions: Eric Bieniemy
Ole' Riverboat Ron Rivera is back and going into his 4th season with the Washington Commanders, hopefully his last. I believe Ron Rivera is a leader of men, but I highly question his actual coaching skills and team building. I've currently seen enough of this coaching regime and front office to safely say let's move on. There's been several things that I believed were firable offenses.... the Carson Wentz trade. Some rumors have said that this was a Snyder push. Not entirely positive, but Ron bragged that it was his call. Our team at that point was not a qb away from being really good, let alone a Carson Wentz level of qb. The next fireable offense was starting Wentz over Hienke when the playoffs were on the line. Wentz ended up being benched for Hienke, but it was too little too late. The next fireable offense was not realizing we were eliminated from the playoffs. Going into the last week of the season Ron planned on starting Hieneke. Pretty odd to not know you're out of the playoffs, let alone to test Sam Howell out for next season. Additionally, there's been some pretty questionable roster creation decisions. I absolutely hate the versatile secondary and offensive line philosophy. We currently have a patch work offensive line that has the means to fluctuate between average to below average. Not a single player on the line is top 5 at their respected position. Two years ago we had a top 10 o-line, but that had Brandon Sherff playing like a top 5 guard and Charles Leno having his best season. Our o-line took a significant step back this past season and now looks to be our biggest weakness. Ron has shown to trust his own board and has reached (according to the consensus big board) with every single pick so far. People mistake 2019 as one of his drafts ( Sweat, McLaurin, Holcomb), but he was hired at the end of the season. Take this with a grain of salt as it takes at least 3 years to properly review a draft. Rons 1st round picks have been the following: 2020 pick 2 Chase Young- the correct pick at the time, but hard to botch the 2nd overall pick, 2021 pick 19 Jamin Davis- hated the pick at the time, too early for a linebacker... let a lone a project. On tape he looked lost a lot and made up for it with his elite athleticism. He's shown progress, but nothing showing he's worthy of the pick. 2022 pick 16 Jahan Dotson- looks to be an absolute baller, had him ranked above Olave in the pre-draft process. Was a slight reach above the consensus board, but flashed high end ability. Davis has been the only mistake in the 1st round thus far. When I say mistake I don't necessarily mean player, but the roster building philosophy. Whether reaching on Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round of 2022. Lol, he was older than Payne coming out of the draft, one year of good production, and was taken a round too early. In the next round Brian Robinson was taken and was really just a body. Haven't really seen anything elite with him so far and was a meh pick. John Bates in the 4th round was egregious. Now I have to give credit where it's due. Kam Curl was an absolute steal and can solidify himself as top 5 safety this season if he continues to play this well. Our other starting safety in Darrick Forest also had a lot of bright spots playing this past season.
Arguably, our best offseason move was signing Eric Bieniemy. I'm absolutely excited. Forget everything about him not calling the plays. Reports from OTA's shows his hands on approach and full control of the offense. One of my favorites things I've heard is he is using OTA's to see what the players can do and crafting the offense to their abilities. Time and time again (Scott Turner) you see coaches say this is the offense and not change anything to match the players strengths. We don't know for sure how the offense will look, but if it's anything close to the motion west coast offense the Chiefs have... boy lessssss gooooooo. Jack Del Rio has been up-and-down in his time in Washington. He's had two very slow starts with the defense to start year, however, they've finished strong and kept his job safe. This is really the no excuse year and everyone needs to show up amd show out.
Free Agency:
Key Departures:
Taylor Hieneke- signed with the Falcons
Cole Holcolm- signed with the Steelers
Bobby McCain- signed with the Giants
Carson Wentz- TBD
J.D. McKissic- TBD
Trai Turner TBD
Andrew Norwell- will be released when he passes a physical
Summary:
In my personal oppinion, the only player that hurt losing in free agency was Cole Holcolm. Linebacker is our one weak spot on defense, however, not resigning Holcolm shows Ron's belief in Jaymin Davis's progression. Cole was limited to 7 games last season and has yet to truly break out. Always played very solid and losing him downgraded the position. We've moved on from both starting guards from last year in Norwell and Turner (previously on the Panthers). Both players were liabilities last season and the guard position was easily upgradeable. Bonny McCain was a solid do it all for is player. Lined up at corner, safety, and nickel throughout the season. Hieneke was a big fan favorite, but was never the answer. We thank you for your service though. Carson Wentz, fuck you. Loved J.D. and his time here, suffered a major injury. Not sure if he gets picked up hy another team.
Key Additions:
Andrew Wiley- 3 years for 24 million, 12 guaranteed. Previously on the Chiefs
Nick Gates- 3 years for 16.5 million, 8 million guaranteed. Previously on the Giants
Jacoby Brissett- 1 year for 8 million, 7.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Browns
Cody Barton- 1 year for 3.5 million, 3.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Seahawks
Summary:
Simple. In free agency the Commanders did not overspend and tackled positions of need. None of the players signed are top 5 at their position, however, they could all possibly end up being upgrades to what we have. The most interesting is Andrew Wiley. He allowed 9 sacks (tied for 3rd most)... but man he put on the performance of his life in the superbowl. Another stat that favors him is pass block win-rate, which measure if a lineman can sustain a block for 2.5 seconds. Wylie ranked 9th in that stat last season. I translate that stat to mean can a lineman sustain a block against thr initial rush and counter move off the snap. After that 2.5 seconds the ball is thrown or the play breaks down. Another key factor to this signing is it kicks Samuel Cosmi inside to guard. Cosmi has shown flashes being a high end lineman and I expect him to be even better kicking to guard from right tackle. Guard was our weakest position on the line and Wylie signing helped to upgrade the RG position. Nick Gates is expected to he our starting center. He's coming off of a brutal leg injury that made him consider retirement. Has played guard and center and has some positional flexibility. Jacoby Brissett is the best backup qb in thr league. A solid signing if Howell doesn't pan out. Just a solid game manager that doesn't commit many turnovers. Cody Barton is another unproven guy. Last year was his first year with significant reps. Bobby Wagner leaving in FA and Jordyn Brooks injury made em the guy. He showed flashes of coverage abilities and had a lot of tackles. The tackles weren't necessarily a product of his abilities and more so of cleaning up on a bad run defense team. I've read some notes that he has trouble getting off of blocks. Honestly, haven't watched much on the guy, but reports were he played solid down the stretch.
The Draft:
Link to all RAS scores for our draft class
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-for-the-washington-commanders-7-player-class-emmanuel-forbes/
Round 1:16 Emmanuel Forbes 6'1" 174 lbs. Mississippi St
Stats: 58 targets, 31 catches allowed for 284 yards (23 yards a game), 3 tds allowed/ 6 ints, 9 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 46 tackles.
PFF Grade: 87.2
If being a 160 pounds is your only knock then I think you're doing something alright. The word on the street is he is already up to 174 pounds. You wouldnt realize hes only 174 pounds by the way he plays the run. Hes not scared to hit and flies ro the ball. Although, he does struggle to get off of blocks. Emmanuel Forbes, per PFF, had the highest rating in man coverage last season, albeit the snap count was very miniscule. Emmanuel Forbes is a lanky corner than played a lot of zone coverage and is a very good scheme fit for what we do. I like the pick and I'm not upset about taking him over Gonzalez, who also had his own question marks. Forbes set a NCAA record with 6 pick sixes. A lot of those were the right place at the right time, but when you have that high of a number than you're doing something right.
PFF:
Forbes is one of the best ballhawks in this class. Over the course of his three-year career, he came down with 13 interceptions. That’s four more than the next closest Power Five cornerback since 2020. Forbes was unbelievably dominant in man coverage in 2022, giving up only three catches while also snagging three interceptions. He also only allowed a 20% completion rate in man, the lowest among FBS
PROS
Remarkably lanky frame. Limbs for days — ideal for a corner.Has bounce like a hooper. He can challenge any catch point necessary. Elite ability to locate the football. All six of his interceptions came in man coverage.
CONS
Still a stick. Not much mass on his frame. Has eyes that get him in trouble. Some freelance tendencies on tape.Can get bowled over in the run game. Mediocre tackler over the course of his career.
Round 2: 47 Jartavius "Quan" Martin 5'11". 194 lbs Illinois
Stats: 74 targets, 42 catches allowed, 611 yards allowed, 3 tds allowed, 3 ints, 15 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 4 missed tackles, 64 tackles.
PFF Grade: 73.2
Quan is a beast. I thought he was the 2nd best nickel prospect in the draft and a better deep safety than Brian Branch. Martin absolute rockets around the field in the run game. He started his career at cornerback before transitioning into the safety/nickel position. Another elite athlete that is a perfect fit for our Buffalo Nickel defense.
PFF:
Martin came to Illinois and immediately started as a true freshman in 2018. He originally started off as an outside corner before becoming more of a slot corner recently. He had arguably his best year in 2022, as his 15 forced incompletions were tied for the sixth-most among Power-Five corners. Martin’s 91.0 run-defense grade also led all Power Five cornerbacks. While he played corner at Illinois, we project him more as a safety for the next level.
PROS:
Explosive flat-foot breaks. Tremendous burst. Forceful and reliable tackler - 7 misses on the last 129 attempts last two seasons.Fills like a mac truck in the run game. Wants to come downhill and play in the backfield.
CONS:
Pure man skills are work in progress. Overagressive and liability to bite on fakes. cons On the lighter side for an around the line of scrimmage player. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield on run
Round 3: 97 Ricky Stromberg 6'3" 306 lbs Arkansas
Stats: 9 impact blocks, 11 qb hurries, 0 qb hits, 0 sacks allowed
PFF Grade: 82.4
Nasty. Another guard experience player that spent his last two years at the center position. Award winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy for the SEC'S most outstanding blocker award. This is a solid player that has started since he was freshman in the SEC. He's been battle tested since he was kid and has improved every year. He has some knocks about his play strength, but a NFL program should get em to where he needs to be.
PFF:
Stromberg was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class and started for the Razorbacks as a true freshman, mostly at right guard. He moved inside to center for his sophomore season and spent his final three college seasons there. Stromberg’s 82.4 overall grade and 83.7 run-blocking grade in 2022 both ranked fourth among all centers in college football, and his nine big-time blocks were tied for fifth among FBS centers. Not to mention, Stromberg had an incredible performance at the NFL combine.
PROS:
Does not want to let blocks go. Can see him straining his butt of to stay engaged on tape. Tons of experience against top competition. Four-year starter with 3,121 career snaps.
CONS:
Forward lean gets going on the move, making him liable to topple over. Has wide hands to initiate contact in pass protection before resetting. Leaves himself open for stronger rushers.Unimpressive musculature, which leaves questions about how he'll anchor against NFL strength.
Round 4: Braeden Daniels 6'4" 296 lbs Utah STATS:
0 sacks allowed, 1 qb hit allowed, 14 hurries allowed.
PFF GRADE: 72.2 at tackle, 2021 84.4 at guard.
Braeden Daniels is another tackle/guard hybrid, with starting experience across his college career. This guy is on the lighter side but that allows him to be an Explosive athlete. Very raw at the tackle position and will be a developmental guy. I'd like to give em a try as our swing tackle and see how he performs. He was one of the quickest offensive lineman I've seen off the tape and that athleticism will let him climb to the next level. Even on the lightweight side I'd hate to see this guy running at me on the second level.
PFF:
Daniels is an experienced veteran who commanded the Utes’ offensive line for the past few years. He originally started as a guard before switching over to tackle. His best season came in 2021, as he put up an 84.4 PFF grade. Given his time on the interior, Daniels is at his best when run blocking, and his run-blocking grade in 2021 was an elite 89.1. He still held his own as a pass protector, allowing only five sacks in his Utah career.
PROS
Explodes out of his stance. Arguably the quickest get off in the offensive line class. Linebackers don't want to see him climbing. Gets on them before they can even react. Drive in his lower half to still move the line of scrimmage despite being under 300 pounds.
CONS
Wild into contact. He approaches blocks with the adjustment ability of a freight train. consDoesn't bring his hands with him. Clean engagements are rare on tape. Very light by NFL standards (294 pounds at combine).
Round 5: 137 KJ Henry 6'4" 260 lbs Clemson
STATS:
51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 6 pass deflections, 50 qb pressures, 31 qb hurries, 14 qb hits.
PFF GRADE: 83.1
Loved this pick. Henry was a 5 star recruit coming out of high-school and decided to attend Clemson University. With Clemson having deep lines it took him a couple of years to get on the field. The stats look odd when you only see 3.5 sacks, however, the 50 qb pressures is the key stat. Seems more like bad luck that the sack numbers weren't high. Clemson's whole d-line underperformed (Bresee, Murphey) and they should have picked up more sacks from Henry who was the best DE on that team last year. The team clearly liked him as we traded back up for him. He's not elite athlete, but he is an elite hands guy. Almost had that veteran presence in college. High motor and will immediately make an impact as a rotational de, a position that sorely needed an upgrade.
PFF:
On a team with Myles Murphy, you can easily make the case that KJ Henry was Clemson's best defensive end this year, as he posted better PFF grades than Murphy in every category and even generated 19 more pressures. The only problem is That Henry is 24 years old while Murphy is only 21. Therefore, Henry was expected to produce this well against younger competition. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he can’t still improve. If Henry's play this season is any indication of his potential, he can still have a great NFL career as an edge defender.
PROS:
Heavy hands that are so well refined. Uses them independently to use combination moves.Utilizes hesitations and head fakes so well to catch linemen off-balance. Coaches rave about the type of teammate he is. He is the type of player you want in the locker room.
CONS:
First step that's unimposing for a rusher on the smaller side. Late bloomer. Wasn't even a starter until this past fall. One of the oldest prospects in the class. Already 24 years old.
Round 6: 193 Chris Rodriguez 6'0" 217 lbs Kentucky
STATS: 8 games played, 175 attempts, 904 rushing yards, 6 tds, 5.2 ypa, 5 catches, 41 rec yards.
PFF GRADE: 90.8
Chris Rodriguez is a PFF darling and was rated as the 7th best running back. This guy's is a pure one cut, run you over, power back. There's not much finesse to his game, but there's highlights of dragging guys 10-yards down the field. He does not posses break away speed, but he will get you 40 yards. He was suspended 4 games due to a dui and he may have been drafted higher on am abysmal Kentucky team. An extra 4 games of stats against SEC competition and no suspension may have jumped him into the 4th round. This was an Eric Bienemy guy and they brought him in because of that. Isiah Pacheco was another EB guy.
PFF:
Rodriguez is a powerful runner, but he lacks the burst and creativity to become anything more than a downhill grinder. He has the size and mentality to do the dirty work between the tackles, but it could be a challenge for him to get to and through the hole quickly in the NFL. He’s a physical blitz protector, so teams might envision a role for him as a second-half battering ram and third-down quarterback protector.
PROS:
Two-time team captain. Thick frame with ability to pick up tough yards. Makes tacklers feel his size at impact. Stays square getting through downhill cuts. Low success rate guaranteed for arm-tacklers. Stays on his feet through heavy angle strikes. Allows lead blockers to do their work. Steps up with force against incoming rushers.
CONS:
Below-average burst getting through line of scrimmage. Lacks finesse to navigate tight run lanes. Change of direction is heavy. One-speed running style is easy to track for linebackers. Pad level is a little tall as run-finisher. Inconsistent finding assignment versus blitz.
Round 7: 233 Andre Jones 6'4" 248 lbs Louisiana
STATS: 7 sacks, 5 qb hits, 20 hurries.
PFF GRADE: 77.2
Andre Jones was another hybrid de/lb player coming out last year. He possess 34 1/4" arms which is an elite number for his size. May move to LB, but I'm not sure that's the right move with a 4.71 40-yard dash. He doesn't have much a pass rush move set playing a hybrid role, but does use length to his advantage. A solid developmental pick.
PROS:
Shows a natural feel for setting up blockers and getting them off-balance. His hands are active and violent, and Jones quickly disengages with blockers and counters when his initial move stalls. Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge. Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. Showed initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. Jones has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation. He’s a high-effort pass rusher with an impressive combination of length and speed.
CONS:
Jones has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and Jones needs to make better use of his hands. He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks twitch as a pass rusher and lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge. Jones also shows some stiffness when trying to bend the edge, often getting pushed past the pocket — he seems more comfortable countering back inside.
Draft Summary:
This was my favorite Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew draft thus far. Going into the draft, offensive line, cornerback, and quarterback were our three biggest needs. Drafting in the middle of the round really took us out of the olineman race. The last one that interested me was Broderick Jones and he went off the board when the Steelers traded up. At that point in the draft it really left us with going cornerback. The Forbes pick was received negatively due to Christian Gonzalez being available. Both players will be viewed under the microscope throughout their careers. I'm fine with Forbes pick though. Another lanky cornerback who was an elite athlete. I did have Gonzalez rated higher going into the draft, but he slid for a reason. A lot of his tape shows him not necessarily being an elite cornerback, but being an elite athlete that plays corner. Forbes actually showed the athleticism, corner skills, and ballhawking ability. Some additional knocks against Gonazalez and his love of the game. Quan Martin was our biggest surprise pick of the draft. A lot of people had him going in the 3rd round, but I think the 2nd was a fine spot. Mayhew after the draft said he wish we were more aggressive at times, which I translated as not getting Brian Branch that went several picks before us. I think Quan was the backup option, but I like him as much as Branch. I think Quan will be a better deep safety and Bramch will be a better nickel. Liked Quan alot, but felt we should have gone o-line at this pick. Ocyrus Torrence would've been a sweet pick here. I think if that happened, the consensus view on our draft would shoot up. Quan will immediately via for playing time as our base defense is essentially a 4-2-5. Kendall Fuller was our only above average corner and now we turned our secondary into a strength. Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels were our next two picks. I like Stromberg’s tape a lot and think by next he will be a solid starter at guard or center. Braeden Daniels will be a nice depth piece and if he's able to tame his play he could develop into a starter. Fun player to watch. KJ Henry was an awesome pick and can see him being a nice rotational piece. Good pick at an underrated area of need on our defense. RB wasn't a pressing need, but it's an underrated area of weakness. I think Brian Robinson is about as average of rb as you will see starting in the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez slowly cut into Robinson's role over the next two years. Antonio Gibson has had some solid season, but has a severe fumbling problem. Andre Jones will be a depth piece that will need development moving forward.
Offseason summary:
The biggest question of our offseason was our owner, which now appears resolved. Our second biggest question... was who was our starting qb? Sam Howell. Ron preached all offseason that he was going with Howell and I'll be damned, he did. Brissett was good qb to bring in, not someone that would necessarily turn the offseason into a battle, but can be a starter if called upon. Really a true backup qb. I'm all in on the Sam Howell train. I love it for a multitude of reasons. One, he balls out and we have our qb of the future, two he plays well enough we give him another season and maybe Ron is out and we get a high draft pick, three he bombs and we fire Ron Rivera and go for Caleb Williams next season. If anything, it gives us a direction for our future. I'm ready for Ron to go and think he's only as good as his coordinators. I'm concerned that EB AND Howell turn the offense around Ron gets resigned and EB takes a head coaching role... then the offense regressed. Additionally, I don't want Ron to get credit for drafting Howell. It was 5th round pick, you and every team passed on him for 4 rounds. If Howell is that good... it's not because Ron was a genius and drafted him. Very similar to Seattle taking Russel. I am excited about EB being here and think he's the real deal. I will give Ron credit for allowing him to run his own offense as he sees fit. OTA's have shown that EB is pushing his guys hard and is trying to see what he can do with the offense. We really do have elite playmaker and I'm most excited to see what he can do with Antonio Gibson. I can see his role being that of Jerrick McKinnon, with more athleticism. Sam Howell has shown a lot of progress since his rookie season. Had issues with his foot work, but has shown vast improvements. We only have 1 preseason game and 1 NFL game of tape on him. I liked what he showed. When watching tape you could see him going through his progression, man absolutely saved the day wish his escapability- was under pressure the whole game, threw two beautiful deep passes, and won the game. He did throw one bad pick, but was under pressure and playing hero ball. He had one week of practice with the starters, now he has a whole offseason. Our defense should be a top 5 unit next season and we only got better. Chase Young should be fully healthy and he's the X-factor for the number one overall defense. He comes out plays to his full potential then he could be a mid teens sack guy. If we have that sort of production and Sam Howell plays well than we can compete for the decision. Big if though. Our secondary really lacked a 2nd option, Benjamin St Juyce has shown some flashes but didn't seeze the role last year. Now on paper he's the number and that's very solid. We return two top 6 defensive tackles and Montez Swear is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's yet to have a high sack season, but is very much that Jadaveon Ckowney type of player in the run game. Big question mark season for Jaymin Davis. We knew he needed development, but it's been slower than previously thought. Down the stretch he showed flashes that he was coming into his own and now is his year. He's one of the best athletes at linebacker in the league and his ceiling is very very high. Overall I predict we will go 10-7 and challenge for a wild card spot. That record can fluctuate each one, but I'm calling the improvement now. We went 8-8-1 with bottom 3 qb play. The defense got better, we hired a better offensive coordinator, Howell will at the minimum be slightly better than Hienke last season, we didn't lose any major pieces and had a solid all around draft. I'm truly excited to watch how our future plays out.

A. Fix whatever it is that makes it virtually impossible for your team to lose when simming
If I sim any game after playing the first game of the season, there is zero chance my team doesn't finish with the greatest (or close to) regular season record of all time.
That's a pretty insane bug to have IMO and I know it won't get fixed this year, but please god fix it. There is zero fun just simming to the playoffs and having HC advantage throughout.
B. Give us just a fraction of the tactical options you have to choose from in MyNBA.
Calling plays on the fly is basically useless even as a PG because you have to spend half the shot clock finding the play then waiting for your teammates to get in position. Just being able to select favourite plays would make the gameplay far more enjoyable.
As it is, you either have to suffer your HC terrible play-calling or turn it off altogether—which would be just fine if it weren't for the fact the game then randomly assigns you a Freelance offense to run that doesnt remotely suit your team or even the era of basketball you are playing in. I mean the amount of teams I've joined that run a 3-Out offense, in 2023, is insane considering not a single NBA offense today sets up with two post men on the blocks....
If just those two things could be dealt with, I'd be stoked
Not holding my breath though.

Awhile back I made a post about how powerful Percy and how powerful he is. If you want you can view it here. This is a part two of sorts and will feature:
Corrections to the original post, a debunk, Curse of Achilles, and Eye of Nekhbet, Tl;dr end.
Correction:
I said that the explosion from the Mt. Saint Helens nearly killed him. However I reread this feat after it was pointed out that it was the exertion of power, not the explosion that nearly killed him. First the feat:

Afterward, I could never describe what happened. An explosion, a tidal wave, a whirlwind of power simultaneously catching me up and blasting me downward into the lava. Fire and water collided, superheated steam, and I shot upward from the heart of the volcano in a huge explosion, just one piece of flotsam thrown free by a million pounds of pressure. The last thing I remember before losing conscious was flying, flying so high Zeus would never have forgiven me, and then beginning to fall, smoke and fire and water streaming from me. I was a comet hurtling toward the earth. The Battle of the Labyrinth

Howerever, if you go forward a little bit you will read this.

That’s the last thing I wanted him to say. I hadn’t been in control of myself in that mountain. I’d released so much energy I’d almost vaporized myself, drained all the life out of me. The Battle of the Labyrinth

It drained him so much that he described it as draining him more than anything else he's ever done:

“Holy Poseidon,” I muttered. I looked as if I’d lost twenty pounds I couldn’t afford to lose. On the other hand, I really was weak. I couldn’t stay on my feet more than a few hours. Whatever I’d done in Mount St. Helens had drained me like nothing else I’d ever expected. The Battle of Labyrinth

However that wasn't an effect of the explosion, rather an effect from causing the explosion. So that increases his durability past what I originally said. Which I will recalculate after the next correction:
Percy reacting to the bullets. First, the quote:

They stepped from the trees on either side of the road. Instead of gray camouflage, they were now wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms...They drew their handguns The first skeleton fired. Time slowed down. I won't say I could see the bullet, but I could feel its path, the same way I felt water currents in the ocean. I deflected it off the edge of my blade and kept charging. Zoe and Bianca fired at their heads point-blank Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Fifty feet away. Forty feet... The other skeletons opened fire. I raised my lion coat for protection, but I didn't need it.
The Titan's Curse

Something I didn't think about was that the were equipped with New Mexico State Police equipment. Since they were using their gear, they were either using Smith & Wesson .357/.45 or the Glock 22/31. They both have have firing speed of 370-375 m/s.
The calculation for this feat was done here. u/FalseTrajectory calculated that it would require a reaction of 10.7 milliseconds to react to this speed. Which is a bit more inline with his lighting reaction feat. Which would require a reaction speed of 16 milliseconds.
Now for a corrected scaling. Here is what I originally said:

Scaling: So for durability, City level. While surviving the St. Helens explosion was impressive, it nearly killed him and Calypso had to nurse him back to health. Physical Strength is 4-5 tons. More than likely higher. Speed is also impressive and he is capable of running at well above peak human. His skills can't be scaled but are impressive. For his actual powers. He is definitely small mountain level. However, this one is debatable.
My First Post

For reaction, which I forgot to mention at all, I will say 10-16 milliseconds. Keep in mind that the average human can react at 250 milliseconds
And for the durability, it is getting buffed from city level to volcano level. I am going to move up to volcano level. The reason: he was still able to destroy Mt. Saint Helens. Mt. Saint Helens is a stratovolcano. They can get as tall as 10,000 feet (3048 meters). Mt. Saint Helens caps out at 9,677 feet (2,950 meters). The average volcano is 10000 ft or 3048 meters. So for that, I can say with confidence that he is volcano level.
And now, a debunk that is going to get me some hate: Percy can't blood bend. Yes, I know about him controlling the poison in Tartarus. And yes, he did that through controlling the water in the poison. However, he hasn't been shown to be able to control blood. And to be honest, we never will. I know it is a logical and easy jump to make, but for now that is only theoretical.
Next, Curse of Achilles Percy.
Since this is a amplified version of Percy, because of this, he scales above all of the previously mentioned feats. Although, an argument could be made that HoO feats shouldn't count, I say they should considering that was a Percy without the Curse, which amplifies his powers.
Some feats for this version of Percy:

It was the stupidest thing I've ever done. A hundred muskets fired at me, point blank. All of them missed. I crashed into their line and started hacking with Riptide. Bayonets jabbed. Swords slashed. Guns reloaded and fired. Nothing touched me. I whirled through the ranks, slashing redcoats to dust, one after the other. My mind went on autopilot: stab, dodge, cut, deflect, roll. Riptide was no longer a sword. It was an arc of pure destruction. I broke through the enemy line and leaped into the black chariot. Hades raised his staff. A bolt of dark energy shot toward me, but I deflected it off my blade and slammed into him. The god and I both tumbled out of the chariot. The next thing I knew, my knee was planted on Hades's chest. I was holding the collar of his royal robes in one fist, and the tip of my sword was poised right over his face. Silence. The army did nothing to defend their master. I glanced back and realized why. There was nothing left of them but weapons in the sand and piles of smoking, empty uniforms. I had destroyed them all. Hades swallowed. "Now, Jackson, listen here. . . ." He was immortal. There was no way I could kill him, but gods can be wounded. I knew that firsthand, and I figured a sword in the face wouldn't feel too good. "Just because I'm a nice person," I snarled, "I'll let you go. But first, tell me about that trap!" Hades melted into nothing, leaving me holding empty black robes. I cursed and got to my feet, breathing heavily. Now that the danger was over, I realized how tired I was. Every muscle in my body ached. I looked down at my clothes. They were slashed to pieces and full of bullet holes, but I was fine. Not a mark on me.
The Last Olympian

While he thinks that they were all missing, they were actually hitting him. He was just not registering it, and not only that, besides his clothes, he was unharmed.
He was temporarily able to fight Hyperion. Even causing the air to get charged with ozone:

I concentrated on the tidal wave and forced it to reverse. Just before impact, I jumped upward on a jet of water. "AHHHHH!" The waves smashed into Hyperion and he went under, his light extinguished. I landed on the lake's surface just as Hyperion struggled to his feet. His golden armor was dripping wet. His eyes no longer blazed, but they still looked murderous. "You will burn, Jackson!" he roared. Our swords met again and the air charged with ozone.
The Last Olympian

He was able to fight with Kronos and survive hits that shook the Williamsburg Bridge:

I met his first strike with Riptide. The impact shook the entire bridge, but I held my ground. Kronos's smile wavered. With a yell, I kicked his legs out from under him. His scythe skittered across the pavement. I stabbed downward, but he rolled aside and regained his footing. His scythe flew back to his hands.
The Last Olympian

He was even able to tank hits that break the cables of said bridge and was only mildly disorientated:

He struck the bridge with the butt of his scythe, and a wave of pure force blasted me backward. Cars went careening. Demigods—even Luke's own men—were blown off the edge of the bridge. Suspension cords whipped around, and I skidded halfway back to Manhattan. I got unsteadily to my feet.
The Last Olympian

Get sent back 300 yards (900 feet) by a blast from Hyperion with enough force to break every bone is his body if it weren't for the Curse of Achilles:

A wall of force slammed me through the air—just like the trick Kronos had pulled on the bridge. I sailed backward about three hundred yards and smashed into the ground. If it hadn't been for my new invulnerability, I would've broken every bone in my body.
The Last Olympian

The average 15 year old weighs 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg). It takes 4,000 N or 899.2358 ibs to break a human femur (it is the strongest bone in the human body and the impact would have broken all of his bones). That means he flew at a minimum of 3000 m/s. With this knowledge, we can calculate that the impact or 413172 pounds of force.
He was able to kill a Gorgon with a single slice of Riptide and later knock out another Gorgon with a single hit from a silver platter:

Gah!” Euryale stormed toward her sister. Percy took the opening. He grabbed Stheno’s platter, scattering poisoned Cheese ’n' Wieners, and slashed Riptide across Euryale's waist, cutting her in half. He raised the platter, and Stheno found herself facing her own greasy reflection. “Medusa!” she screamed. Her sister Euryale had crumbled to dust, but she was already starting to re-form, like a snowman un-melting. “Stheno, you fool!” she gurgled as her half-made face rose from the mound of dust. “That’s just your own reflection! Get him!” Percy slammed the metal tray on top of Stheno’s head, and she passed out cold.
The Son of Neptune

The same Gorgons was unscaved by a hit from a truck in the fast lane and getting dragged for a hundred yards:

“Gotcha!” shrieked Euryale. Percy turned as an arrow thudded into her forehead. Euryale tumbled into the fast lane. A truck slammed into her and carried her backward a hundred yards, but she just climbed over the cab, pulled the arrow out of her head, and launched back into the air…
The Son of Neptune

The average speed limit of a highway in California is 55m/h or 88.5139 k/h. The most common car to drive one the west coast of the US is the Toyota Tacoma. These can weigh anywhere from 3,915 to 4,550 lbs. Or 1775.8141 Kg to 2063.845. With all this knowledge we can calculate the force of impact would be around 263933 to 306742 lbf.
Eye of Nekhbet:
Being Nekhbet's Avatar gave him the access to thousands of years of knowledge:

Thousands of years of memories flooded my mind. I saw pyramids rising from the desert, the sun glittering on the Nile River. I heard priests chanting in the cool shadows of a temple, and smelled myrrh incense on the air. I soared over the cities of Ancient Egypt, circling the palace of the pharaoh. I was the vulture goddess Nekhbet—protector of the king, shield of the strong, scourge of the weak and dying.
Crown of Ptolemy

He is able to see on multiple layers of reality:

I saw layers of reality, like strata of glowing multicolored jelly, plunging down into infinity. On the surface, where the mortal and immortal worlds met, Setne was whipping the Duat into a storm—churning waves of color and frothy white plumes of smoke.
Crown of Ptolemy

He has enhanced strength:

I hefted the sword. Like so many I’d tried, it didn’t feel right in my hands. The hilt was too heavy for my wrist. The single-edged blade was curved awkwardly, like a giant hook knife. I tried a jab and nearly lost my balance. “This one doesn’t look like yours,” I told Carter. “Isn’t yours called a kopis?” “Mine is a khopesh,” Carter said. “The original Egyptian version. What you’re holding is a kopis…
Crown of Ptolemy (pre Eye of Nekhbet)
Setne, drop the crown.” I raised my kopis, which didn’t feel heavy with Nekhbet’s power flowing through me.
Crown of Ptolemy (post Eye of Nekhbet)

His reaction time is enhanced even further:

Thanks to Nekhbet, I realized what was going to happen a split second before it did, which saved our lives.
Crown of Ptolemy

He can tank an explosion capable of leveling a soccer field:

He strutted around the soccer field an black bell-bottomed slacks, a frilly white shirt, and a glittery purple trench coat-all of which clashed with his newly combined red and white crown.
Crown of Ptolemy
A ring of fire exploded outward from Setne.
A shell of purple light surrounded me, and the flames rolled harmlessly over translucent wings that that now extended on either side of me.
The Crown of Ptolemy
The fire blackened the entire field, instantly turning wet mud into steaming cracked clay.
The Crown of Ptolemy

The fire was so hot that it melted Celestial Bronze:

My new sword was a steaming line of bronze slag on the ground.
The Crown of Ptolemy

This Percy can fly:

Before Setne could finish casting his spell, I grabbed him in my spectral claws and carried him into the sky
The Last Olympian

Tl;dr: Percy has volcano level durability. He also volcano level powers. He can lift up 4-5 tons. He is faster than peak human. His skill is amazing.
Curse of Achilles Percy is even more powerful than base Percy so should be able to be moved up, however we never get the chance to see this (at its fullest) as Rick takes this away because it was to OP.
Eye of Nekhbet Percy is honestly, in my opinion, more powerful and has greater variety than CoA Percy.And of course, this is perhaps the most experienced Percy we see. However, Percy once again has this power taken away before it can be used to its fullest.
What are your thoughts? Has this post made you see Percy as weaker or stronger than you did before? What are your thoughts? Finally, who should I scale next?
Respect the Son Of The Sea, Percy Jackson!

The OOP is u/VanBabyPony2 - DO NOT HARASS HER
Content Warning: Depression, Emotional Abuse
Mood Spoiler: Things get really bad, but there's a glimmer of hope
Please note that I was not able to include all the posts here because Reddit posts have a character limit of 40,000 and this exceeded that. I considered making a part one/two of this, but decided against it as this story had been posted here before.
So: please read this previous BORU post for the first post and the first five updates.
To give a TL;DR: OOP's mother came out of the closet and moved away with her fiancée. Things spiraled for OOP when she overheard her mother talking about moving on from her old life. Her mother did not visit her in the hospital when she medical issues. At her mother's wedding, OOP was snubbed by her mother. Her mother began forcing OOP to come over for her in-laws, trying to control her university choice and ditched her birthday party.
Update 6 - January 17th 2023:
So, the day after my dad and his fiancee got married (I guess she's also my stepmom now) I had to go to Victoria because my mom wanted me there. My cousin was supposed to come but she changed plans cause her boyfriend got time off work so they went to Whistler instead. When I got to my mom's house, I was there for half an hour and found out my mom and her wife were going to Ottawa for her wife's job so I'd be staying with my step-grandparents until Christmas weekend. I call them step-grandparents here cause it makes sense for some reason but in real life I've started calling them nana and papa. I'll be honest, I had so much fun with them. I really love them both so much. Step-grandpa loves basketball as well and he's also a Lakers fan, step-grandma taught me how to knit (I'm not that good), they made me amazing breakfasts and lunch every day I was there, we would go out for dinner every night and they even live closer to UVic than my mom does, so they said if I go there, they'd turn a room into a study room for me.
The thing was when my mom came back and I went back there, she told me that she found out while in Ottawa that they got a new car for me for Christmas. Mom was kind of angry because she thinks it's too much and I was honestly just scared cause I've never had anything so expensive. But my mom talked it out with my dad and apparently it's all right. So, on Christmas, they brought me the car and it is really cool. I was so nervous to drive it but I do like it. I left it in Victoria because I don't want to drive by myself yet. My mom got me a lot of presents and I mean a lot, there was so much there it felt super overwhelming.
After Christmas, we saw that new Disney movie Strange World because my mom and I both love those kind of movies. In it the main character is a teenager who has issues with his dad and grandpa and he's also gay, but it's just who he is and it's handled like normal in the movie. But as soon as it became clear he was gay, my mom got really quiet and just kind of shut down and just went to her room when the movie was done. She didn't even say good night to me. When I went to brush I could hear her crying really badly to her wife and I know I shouldn't spy but I just had to and she was crying about how it's so normal now and how she wishes she could have come out as a teenager and lived her life the way she should have and how she and her wife could have gotten married way before. I felt really bad and then I heard her talk about how many years she wasted as a soccer mom and I got mad as well and just went to my room.
I was kind of prepared to argue about the movie the next morning but my mom didn't even come out of her room. Her wife said she was feeling sick and when I went to say good morning, she stopped me cause she was like my mom doesn't me to see her like that. I heard my mom throwing up and when I said good morning through the door just to check on her she said it back but then started crying again really loudly and had her wife take me away because she said she can't let me hear her cry. I just stayed watching tv after that because I felt really bad cause it was my idea to watch that movie. Her wife kept going back and forth and tried to get her to eat and apparently she ate some bread but then she threw that up too.
Then my step-grandparents came because they were worried and they went driving with me to distract me. We went to DQ even though it was really cold and it did get my mind off things until step-grandpa answered a call from my mom's wife and and then he was telling her to take my mom to a hospital but I heard her mention how my mom would rather die than go there and how she didn't see her parents in the hospital and didn't even go to see me. When my step-grandparents asked if that was true, I said it was about me and I tried not to but I did cry. They got me to stop and I still feel fucking embarrassed that I cried in front of them but we had a good day together.
When my step-grandparents dropped me off, my mom was on the couch and called me over and then gave me such a big hug but it was like she was holding in tears. She told me that she wasn't feeling good at all and asked if I wouldn't mind going back to my step-grandparents the day after. Her wife said that maybe they should send me back to Vancouver and I could stay with my uncle and my mom just got so angry I actually got really scared and she went on a rant about how she's not going to let me see him and how he's just been trying to turn me against her and he just hates her because she doesn't have aids trauma (that didn't make sense because my uncle doesn't have aids) and he needs to get over himself and remember that my dad is his brother and not son and to focus on his actual granddaughter. Her wife tried to calm her down but then she just yelled out that she wishes that my uncle would just fucking die and it was the worst decision of her life to pity my dad and not just take me with her when she left. I really didn't know that she hated him that much. Like when I was younger, they were always so close and dad would even joke sometimes about her stealing his brother.
I honestly started crying really badly because he is my favourite uncle but that just made mom angrier and she was like to her wife that it's jut proof that nobody understands and that my uncle is trying to steal me cause I'm the best thing in her life. Then she actually yelled at me to fucking stop crying, that I cried more than I did when I was a baby and she said the thing about me not getting a husband again. Her wife just took my mom to their room and they left me on the couch and I don't know I couldn't stop crying and I just fell asleep there cause I didn't feel like I could move.
In the morning, I woke up and I was still on the couch but there was a blanket on me and my head was in my mom's lap and really felt like crying again but I held it in and then my mom actually said sorry. She said she doesn't know what's been happening to her since we saw the movie but it was no excuse to yell at me for crying and she's so sorry that she hurt me so badly and she's starting to understand how horrible she's been to me the entire winter break. She called her wife over and made her apologize to me too. And after breakfast we had a really big talk about how she was feeling and she seemed really sorry and said she would never get mad at me for crying again. But what mattered to me was when she said she was sorry she took all her anger on my uncle out on me and that she was wrong to do that and wrong to let me know how she feels because it would be wrong to make me stop loving him. She said she knows I might not forgive her but even if I do, she'll never forgive herself and she will try to change back to who I need her to be so we can go back to normal. She did offer to let me go to him and I don't know why I didn't say yes but I kind of felt like I still had to stay.
I talked to her wife too and she was really sorry for what happened cause she'd never seen my mom that way before and just wanted to calm things down. She told me she was wrong not to take my side and apparently my mom was mad at her for not doing that and she feels really guilty and she's the one who put the blanket on me and she slept by me until like 4 AM when my mom came and took over. She also said she'd do whatever it took to get my forgiveness and she wishes she never hurt me because I've become such an important part of her life and she's so grateful I love her parents.
For the rest of the break, my mom didn't really talk that much and she did start eating, but it wasn't that much. My step-grandparents came over every day to check on me. Mom did seem to get a little bit better on New Years. Every time I'd ask how she felt though she'd just say she's fine and it's her job to worry about me and not the other way around. I did go home the day after New Years because school was starting but I had to go back on Friday (I got back Sunday night) because I had a meeting at UVic. And mom seemed really different, she seemed smaller somehow and she definitely looked skinnier. I know it's only been two weeks but she seemed skinnier and she still seemed sad but like she was at least pretending to be happy.
The meeting at UVic went really good and it really does seem like an amazing place to go to school and even though I don't know if I want to do engineering anymore, there's still a lot there. My mom did make me sign up to go check out UBC, SFU and Langara as well. She also said that she's going with her wife to Ontario in February and we can do a road trip together while her wife is working and check out univerisites there like Waterloo or McMaster and U of T. She said she wanted me to know I can choose to go to them but she's confident I'll come to her. But aside from the meeting, she didn't leave home at all (I did to hang out with my step-grandparents) and when I was there, she cuddled me almost the entire day unless we were eating and her wife told me she's been working from home. I don't know what to make about any of it like if this means I'm getting my mom back like she used to be or if she's just going to keep on changing or if she's depressed now too. I wasn't planning on posting but I feel like I need people's opinions on what could be happening with her.
Comments:

• OOP comments on her mom being afraid of the hospital here: "Thank you, it meant a lot that my mom apologized to me too. I was surprised that she did and maybe it means more than it seems. I never knew she was afraid of the hospital before because it's not like she's never taken me to the doctor and she obviously had to go when she gave birth to me but it does make sense. "
• OOP comments on her mom's AIDS insult here: "I know for a fact that my uncle doesn't have aids. He helped me when I was in grade eight with a project we did on HIV/AIDS in Malawi about a book called the Heaven Shop and he introduced me to a friend of his from South Africa who has it for an interview part me and my friend put in it. But we didn't learn anything about an AIDS epidemic, only that it's a serious problem in countries like Malawi. My uncle's in his fifties, so maybe that was what she was talking about."
• OOP comments on her parents' ages here: "My mom and dad got married right when high school finished and then they had me not that long after. "

Previous BoRU - Feb 17th, 2023
Update 7 - March 21st, 2023
So, I'm posting here because I've gotten a lot of DMs and I guess I just want to address things. My spring break is almost over, just this week left, so I don't know how much more I'll be on here. I'm not posting this in JUSTNOMIL because my original account has not been restored yet and I figure it's best if I only post on my profile or on mom for a minute and I'm sure that whoever sees this here could give advice. That way I won't break any rules again.
So, first I haven't seen my mom since winter break and I do miss her a lot. It's weird because I don't want to go to her house and my therapist has been helping me deal with it saying this is the time to learn to be myself but I do miss her a lot and I wish I could see her. At the beginning of last month, my mom did start going to therapy herself and I was supposed to go and see her for Valentines but her therapist said she was unstable and made it an unsafe environment for me so I couldn't go. She texts me good morning and good night every day but whenever I've called or FaceTimed she would hang up and I know that because it ends after a ring or she'd text me to not call. I talked to her wife on the phone every week and she said she's been getting better.
My cousin got engaged last week and my mom did call me then. My mom and my cousin are really close and I'm so happy she's getting married so it's a big deal for all of us. And my mom promised me that she'll come over whenever my cousin actually starts planning because she's doesn't want to get married until November. She did start making those jokes again about me and my boyfriend being next but stopped when I asked.
And when she called, my mom told me that therapy has helped her see she had the wrong view on some things, so she said she's sorry for not to taking me with her when she came out and moved. She said that's why I was being resentful and thinking horrible things and if she could do it all over again, she would take me so we could be as close as we were. She said she didn't take me because she still loves my dad and was worried he would be broken without me and she didn't want to uproot my life. She did say it was nice to get a break from being a day to day mom but it hasn't been worth how bad things have gotten between us. She promised me I am the most important thing in her life and when therapy gets her to a place where she can be herself again we will be just like we used to.
I don't know every time I think about that call it's been confusing me because I'm happy that she finally said sorry to me and that it's not my fault and she was wrong to go without me. But at the same time the call just kept making me feel like she's never going to get to where she needs to be even though she's in therapy. I know I'm being ridiculous or worrying too much because I tried to tell her that but she didn't get what I meant.
My step-grandparents did come over for the weekend though. We had a lot of fun together and step-grandpa/papa promised me that he'd get us Lakers tickets if they made it to the playoffs. And not just him and me but my cousin, her fiancée, my dad and his wife too. So I really hope that they do. They did ask me about my mom and told me she's got a really big promotion at work but I guess they knew talking about her was making me sad since they only did it once.
Oh and to people messaging me asking about my uncle and asking if he's the same uncle I mentioned who has a son, yes he is. When my uncle's partner was alive, he got custody of his nephew because his sister died and my uncle and his partner raised him together. So he is my uncle's son and is my cousin and his daughter is my niece. I got 12 people messaging me and like it's probably just one troll but it is very annoying.
If you guys have any advice that I can bring up with my therapist, I would love to hear it.
Previous BoRU - March 29 2023
Update 8 - May 24th 2023
So I guess I'm posting here because I need to vent somewhere because it feels like nobody is listening. I guess the first thing is that other than texting, my mom and I haven't talked at all aside from this last weekend.
The first thing was that my cousin is getting married and she told me that she wants to have kids as soon as she gets married. Because my aunt isn't alive and our real grandparents aren't either, she wants my mom to be her kids' grandma. I don't know why that still made me feel so weird especially because I was there when my cousin phoned my mom and she seemed so happy and excited even though this is like two years away. But my mom has been taking care of my cousin since she was like eleven or twelve and they both mean a lot to each other so I tried to get over it.
And then my step-grandfather got me, my dad, my cousin and her fiance tickets to the Lakers/Warriors game. My step-grandfather couldn't come even though he wanted to because my step-grandmother and my mom's wife got sick and my mom didn't feel she could take care of both of them alone. I still had the best time at the game and saw Lebron and Steph Curry and the Lakers even won but I wish that everyone could have gone.
And then I got into UVic, UBC, SFU, McMaster, Waterloo, Guelph and University of Guelph. I think it's because of my extracurricular projects and clubs because my English grades are still very bad even though I'm doing great in everything else. So my mom phoned me and said she was coming over this last weekend because it was a long weekend and we were going to talk about university and her will and I got nervous but excited because she was actually going to come.
And she came on Friday and said she'd be staying with my cousin but she came to our house first. She really looked a lot different, I mean she looked so much skinnier than before and she had her hair dyed jet black with green streaks in it. And then she was wearing all these fancy and expensive clothes that she never wore before like she was wearing a Versace dress and promised to get me one too. She also got a tattoo on her wrist with my name and showed me it and the design was beautiful but it was so weird seeing her looking so different.
She said she'd leave on Monday and that gave us an entire weekend together. She took me and my boyfriend out for dinner and then we even watched the new Fast and Furious movie and she didn't even make those jokes about us getting married. And I stayed over at my cousin's that night and we did cuddle and get up late and make breakfast together and we had a lot of fun. We spent that day together as well and then had dinner at a really nice place in Burnaby with my cousin and her fiance.
And then on Sunday we finally had the talk. She and my dad and my dad's wife sat me down and first they talked about the will. My mom said she's leaving me most of the things she has with my cousin getting the rest and my dad said pretty much the same. I don't want to go into specifics but they kept talking about it down to the details like my great grandmother's necklaces and what to do when I inherit their houses and life insurance and stuff even though I really didn't want to. It felt so morbid thinking about them being dead and they wouldn't stop, they both said I'm going to university, I'm 17 and I need to know this and it just made my mood so sour.
And then I told my mom the universities that I got into and she was so happy that I got into so many. And then she said that as much as she wants me to come to UVic, she's proud of me either way and would be perfectly fine with me staying and going to UBC. But then I told her that my boyfriend was going to McMaster and I wanted to go so we could be together. Her face got really disappointed then and she said that's not the right reason to choose moving all the way to Hamilton for and she can't support my decision if it's not for myself and my education. She said if I'm serious about going to an east coast university then every other one on my list is just as good.
That started another argument between us because I got really mad and asked what's the problem and she asked if I'm going to study or to support my boyfriend. Then she went on about sex and what if I got pregnant and I yelled at her that she should be happy since it's like she keeps talking about me getting married and having kids. She didn't yell back at me and just said that she was always joking about that and won't make those jokes again. But then I said that she and dad were both eighteen when they got married and then had me and she started talking about how hard that made university for her and how it led her to repress who she was for so long and how she wants me to focus on my future. Then when I said I wanted to have my future with him she said she's going to talk to his mother about this and I should get ready to break up with him if he can't go long distance because it's the best thing for me.
And I started crying because I don't want to break up with him and I didn't want to because as soon as I did I could see her get really, really mad like she wanted to scream at me but all she said was that she's extremely disappointed in me and that she can't be here. She left and she went to my cousin's house and that just made me cry more and I fell asleep hugging my dad.
On Monday, my mom, my dad and my dad's wife met with my boyfriend's mom and we weren't allowed to be there. I don't know what they talked about but they did agree that we shouldn't go to McMaster together even though I know they wouldn't have said that if we both chose UBC. My boyfriend's mad too but he said that he's still going to McMaster no matter what his mom says. Before my mom left she told me she knows I'm mad at her but one day I'll know that she was just looking out for me and to choose any other university on my list and she'll pay for it right away.
It just makes no sense. I really want this and they're all agreeing with her that I shouldn't. I talked to my cousin and she said my mom has a point. I told my uncle and he said that I need to look at it like would my boyfriend go to Guelph for me even though that's not the point. Even my counselor said that my mom was right and that just because we've been having issues and that she's been on the wrong side of things doesn't means she's always wrong. I don't know what else to write I'm just feeling really pissed off.

Sevilla vs. Roma live stream: How to watch UEFA Europa League final live online, TV channel, prediction, oddsSix-time record winners Sevilla face AS Roma in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday with Jose Mourinho bidding the become the most decorated head coach in European competition history. The Portuguese tactician can pull clear of Giovanni Trapattoni if the Giallorossi win their second consecutive piece of continental silverware in Budapest this midweek. Mourinho has two UEFA Champions League, one UEL and one Europa Conference League title to his name so this would bring his total to six considering that he also won the UEFA Cup before the Europa League rebrand.

Sevilla vs. Roma live Stream Free

Sevilla vs. Roma live Stream Free

2Jose Mourinho emotional as Roma progress to the Europa League finalCredit: GETTY 2Erik Lamela celebrates scoring the winning goal in the Europa League semi-final against JuventusCredit: REUTERS Roma knocked out Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals to reach the final in Budapest. Meanwhile, Sevilla beat Juventus over two legs, with the tie requiring extra time to find a winner. The Spanish side could extend their record number of Europa League titles if they overcome Mourinho's Roma side. When is the Europa League final: Sevilla vs Roma? Sevilla vs Roma will take place on Wednesday, May 31.
local time in Hungary. Here’s how that time translates in time zones across the world: Sevilla vs Roma date, time Country Date Kickoff Time USA Wed, May 31 3 p. EDT UK 8 p. BST Canada Australia Thu, June 1 5 a. AEST India 12:30 a. IST Hong Kong 3 a. HKT Malaysia 3 a. MYT New Zealand 7 a. NZST Singapore 3 a. SGT MORE: Europa League prize money 2023 Sevilla vs Roma live stream, TV channel TV channel Streaming CBS Sports Network, TUDN, UniMas Fubo, ViX, Paramount+, Univision Now, TUDN site/app — DAZN BT Sport Ultimate, BT Sport 1 BT Sport site/app Stan Sport Sony Ten 2 JioTV, Sony LIV beIN Sports 3 beIN Sports Connect beIN Sports Connect, sooka Spark Sport StarHubTV+ USA: This match will televised on CBS Sports Network (English), TUDN and UniMas (Spanish), and those channels can be streamed on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.
[[[sport uživo]#]] Sevilla Roma uživo prijenos gledati 31 sv
[SPORT UŽIVO!!!] Sevilla Roma uživo 31 svibnja 2023 - Exilio
Gdje gledati finale Europske lige? Raketa ide po drugi naslov
Sevilla vs Roma live stream: How to watch Europa League final for FREEJose Mourinho puts his proud unbeaten run in European showpiece fixtures on the line against the undisputed kings of this competition. ‘The Special One’ has won all five of his previous finals on the continent, and is hunting a sixth European title with a fourth different team as well as a third Europa League triumph overall. However, the Giallorossi are in for a tough test against Sevilla, who have won Europe’s secondary club competition twice as many times as anyone else. A remarkable seventh success in the Hungarian capital this evening would be just reward for a fine turnaround under Jose Luis Mendilibar, who has steadied the ship brilliantly after Jorge Sampaoli’s disastrous reign had left the Andalusians in danger of relegation from LaLiga.
What time is Sevilla vs Roma today? Live stream, TV schedule, channel to watch Europa League finalIt will be Mendilibar vs Mourinho as Sevilla take on Roma in the 2022/23 Europa League final in Budapest on May 31. Sevilla are the competition's kingpins, with six combined UEFA Cup/Europa League titles, up against Mourinho's Roma, who won the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022. Both sides have failed to secure a Champions League qualification spot, via their domestic league, and this final is a final chance to seize a place in the competition for next season.
CBS Sports has a soccer podcast covering everything you need to know about European game's top competitions and storylines. Make sure to give House of Champions a follow for coverage of the biggest games, stories, transfer news with Fabrizio Romano, and everything else going on in the world's most popular sport. Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:How to watch and oddsDate: Wednesday, May 31 Time: 3 p. m. ETLocation: Puskas Arena -- Budapest, HungaryTV and live stream: Paramount+Odds: Sevilla +170; Draw: +200; Roma +180 (via Caesars Sportsbook) Featured Game Sevilla vs.
Roma How they got hereSevilla: After barely saving their European season in the UEFA Champions League group stage, the Spaniards dropped down into their continental competition of choice and made light of their domestic struggles to edge PSV Eindhoven in the knockout round playoffs. Fenerbahce followed and Sevilla once again advanced with Jorge Sampaoli still in charge, but Mendilibar had replaced him by the time they overcame Manchester United over two legs in the quarterfinals.
(Uživo prijenos@@@) Sevilla Roma gledati prijenos 31.05.2023
Below are all the details to follow the Sevilla vs. Roma Europa League final match, including the kickoff time for fans around the world. MORE: Europa League bracket 2023: Path to final for Sevilla and Roma Sevilla vs Roma start time This Europa League final match between Sevilla and Roma will be played at Puskas Arena in Budapest and will kick off at 9 p. m.
! [WATCHLIVE]4k!]*Sevilla vs Roma LIVE Broadcast Free ON

Sevilla vs. Roma live stream: How to watch UEFA Europa League final live online, TV channel, prediction, oddsSix-time record winners Sevilla face AS Roma in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday with Jose Mourinho bidding the become the most decorated head coach in European competition history. The Portuguese tactician can pull clear of Giovanni Trapattoni if the Giallorossi win their second consecutive piece of continental silverware in Budapest this midweek. Mourinho has two UEFA Champions League, one UEL and one Europa Conference League title to his name so this would bring his total to six considering that he also won the UEFA Cup before the Europa League rebrand.
Sevilla vs. Roma live Stream Free
Sevilla vs. Roma live Stream Free
2Jose Mourinho emotional as Roma progress to the Europa League finalCredit: GETTY 2Erik Lamela celebrates scoring the winning goal in the Europa League semi-final against JuventusCredit: REUTERS Roma knocked out Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals to reach the final in Budapest. Meanwhile, Sevilla beat Juventus over two legs, with the tie requiring extra time to find a winner. The Spanish side could extend their record number of Europa League titles if they overcome Mourinho's Roma side. When is the Europa League final: Sevilla vs Roma? Sevilla vs Roma will take place on Wednesday, May 31.
local time in Hungary. Here’s how that time translates in time zones across the world: Sevilla vs Roma date, time Country Date Kickoff Time USA Wed, May 31 3 p. EDT UK 8 p. BST Canada Australia Thu, June 1 5 a. AEST India 12:30 a. IST Hong Kong 3 a. HKT Malaysia 3 a. MYT New Zealand 7 a. NZST Singapore 3 a. SGT MORE: Europa League prize money 2023 Sevilla vs Roma live stream, TV channel TV channel Streaming CBS Sports Network, TUDN, UniMas Fubo, ViX, Paramount+, Univision Now, TUDN site/app — DAZN BT Sport Ultimate, BT Sport 1 BT Sport site/app Stan Sport Sony Ten 2 JioTV, Sony LIV beIN Sports 3 beIN Sports Connect beIN Sports Connect, sooka Spark Sport StarHubTV+ USA: This match will televised on CBS Sports Network (English), TUDN and UniMas (Spanish), and those channels can be streamed on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.
[[[sport uživo]#]] Sevilla Roma uživo prijenos gledati 31 sv
[SPORT UŽIVO!!!] Sevilla Roma uživo 31 svibnja 2023 - Exilio
Gdje gledati finale Europske lige? Raketa ide po drugi naslov
Sevilla vs Roma live stream: How to watch Europa League final for FREEJose Mourinho puts his proud unbeaten run in European showpiece fixtures on the line against the undisputed kings of this competition. ‘The Special One’ has won all five of his previous finals on the continent, and is hunting a sixth European title with a fourth different team as well as a third Europa League triumph overall. However, the Giallorossi are in for a tough test against Sevilla, who have won Europe’s secondary club competition twice as many times as anyone else. A remarkable seventh success in the Hungarian capital this evening would be just reward for a fine turnaround under Jose Luis Mendilibar, who has steadied the ship brilliantly after Jorge Sampaoli’s disastrous reign had left the Andalusians in danger of relegation from LaLiga.
What time is Sevilla vs Roma today? Live stream, TV schedule, channel to watch Europa League finalIt will be Mendilibar vs Mourinho as Sevilla take on Roma in the 2022/23 Europa League final in Budapest on May 31. Sevilla are the competition's kingpins, with six combined UEFA Cup/Europa League titles, up against Mourinho's Roma, who won the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022. Both sides have failed to secure a Champions League qualification spot, via their domestic league, and this final is a final chance to seize a place in the competition for next season.
CBS Sports has a soccer podcast covering everything you need to know about European game's top competitions and storylines. Make sure to give House of Champions a follow for coverage of the biggest games, stories, transfer news with Fabrizio Romano, and everything else going on in the world's most popular sport. Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:How to watch and oddsDate: Wednesday, May 31 Time: 3 p. m. ETLocation: Puskas Arena -- Budapest, HungaryTV and live stream: Paramount+Odds: Sevilla +170; Draw: +200; Roma +180 (via Caesars Sportsbook) Featured Game Sevilla vs.
Roma How they got hereSevilla: After barely saving their European season in the UEFA Champions League group stage, the Spaniards dropped down into their continental competition of choice and made light of their domestic struggles to edge PSV Eindhoven in the knockout round playoffs. Fenerbahce followed and Sevilla once again advanced with Jorge Sampaoli still in charge, but Mendilibar had replaced him by the time they overcame Manchester United over two legs in the quarterfinals.
(Uživo prijenos@@@) Sevilla Roma gledati prijenos 31.05.2023
Below are all the details to follow the Sevilla vs. Roma Europa League final match, including the kickoff time for fans around the world. MORE: Europa League bracket 2023: Path to final for Sevilla and Roma Sevilla vs Roma start time This Europa League final match between Sevilla and Roma will be played at Puskas Arena in Budapest and will kick off at 9 p. m.
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