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Topics - Jolly Blue Giant

#1
I pulled up defensive and offensive charts to see if there are glaring holes that need to still be addressed via FA, or the draft

IMOFWIW, we should re-sign WR Isaiah Hodgins, and if there are no takers, offer Adoree' Jackson 1-yr minimum vet contract. Hopefully, Aaron Robinson is 100% healthy and has been using all this time off to get in peak shape. At one time, he had big potential. We traded up in the 3rd (leap frogging the Eagles) that made the Eagles' FO groan in disgust, as he was their target. But who knows  :-??

Anyway, looking at the chart might offer insight as to what the Giants still need to do and what position should be a priority on draft day


#2
I think this coming season is going to be radically different (knock on wood) and I like what I'm seeing...especially in finally addressing QB protection

Since playing our last game of the season, the Giants have:

1) hired a new OL Coach (Carmen Bricillo)  =D>

2) the very first players signed by Giants when Free Agency opened up, were the pick of the litter (G Jon Runyan 3-years, $30M) and (G/T Jermaine Eluemunor 2-years, &14M)

3) signed TE Jack Stoll and TE Chris Manhertz who both are known for their exceptional blocking skills. Manhertz has a 97.0 pass blocking rating according to PFF; and Stoll is the premier zone-blocking TE in the NFL (kind of a one-trick pony). They are not brought in to be receiving targets, but to assist the offensive line in run and pass blocking

4) brought in depth pieces for backup on the offensive line in Aaron Stinnie and LG/C/RG Austin Schlottmann

When considering the moves the Giants have made since the offseason began, it is obvious (to me anyway FWIW) that there are two areas they wanted to focus on early: Protecting the QB, and keeping their best (better) special teams players, judging by their quick signings of Carter Coughlin, Casey Kreiter, and Gunner Olszewski

And their trading for Brian Burns was a walk off game winning grand slam home run and should be a big upgrade in the defensive front
#3
Just my opinion, but a few things have shaken the cart this past week that have early round implications

By no means do I have any inside information, or for that matter, might be so far off as to sound like I should be picked up by a short bus for a "short ride"...anyway

Keep in mind: the first 10 picks are the most costly (contract wise) and most GMs are smart enough (???) to put the big money on "position strength"...i.e., QBs, WRs, ERs, and OTs...and perhaps CB

A couple things happened in the past few days that make me think some teams in need of an OT are strategizing and ready to compete for one of the top two (i.e., Alt and Fashanu) which would both be top 3 picks in most prior drafts, if not for the bevy of "potential" (with a HUGE emphasis on potential) franchise QBs this year, making it a little different because of the need and rush for QBs

So...Dallas lost their perennial pro-bowl LT to the Jets this week when Tyron Smith signed with them...this, after the Jets already signed RT Morgan Moses from the Raven's squad. So the Jets (expected to address their OL in the draft) will now be in search of a WR or perhaps a DL/ER type like Dallas Turner. With the Jets drafting 10th, they will probably have to move up if they wish to get their hands on one of the top 3 WRs. Meanwhile, the Cowboys will probably be searching for a way up to get their hands on Alt or Fashanu, but I doubt they have the assets to make it happen unless they unload next year's assets. They are kind of in a pickle because they also have doubts about Dak's future. How bout them Cowboys?  :sick:

Secondly, the Titans released LT Andre Dillard after signing him to a 30 million dollar contract exactly one year ago. The Titans draft 7th and will be in a position to snag Alt or Fashanu. The good news is that Titans will probably be sweating bullets that they'll get jumped, which means they might throw us a 2nd to jump to our 6 spot if they think another team is crafting a deal with the Giants (just like the Giants did last year to get Banks). Other teams in need of an OT are Ravens, Miami (especially if Armstrong retires - missed 13 games last year), Saints (after the disastrous draftee Trevor Penning just plain sucked and is benched), and the Commanders (still seems weird calling them that, but I digress) have a big need to fix their offensive line that gave up 65 sacks last year

Anyway - The Giants are sitting pretty good for an opportunity to trade down and pick up assets...should they want to. I guess everyone has a price, but what that is for the Giants to trade down is an unknown. There are teams desperate for a QB, and an OT, and a WR. In a perfect world, the Titans trade their 7 pick to move up to 6 because the Giants don't plan on going OT again in the first

I really think the Giants are in a pretty dang good spot if they wish to collect assets in this draft by trading down...especially if there are a couple of QBs still on the board with first round grades...and now, for a team to grab an OT they believe is crucial to their team

And don't forget that there are several teams who are desperate for a decent CB. This year will be fascinating to watch because I foresee a lot of trading early...but time will tell

 :Giants:  :boldblue:  :Giants:
#4
JMS got married in the Bahamas last weekend - "you can dress him up, but you can't take the footballer out of him", LOL

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4gkiTJvCBg/?hl=en
#5
I know the cap is pretty well spent, so pickens is slim

For me, I still like the idea of another DL after the loss of Leo last season and now A'Shawn Robinson to the Panthers (hard to believe he got a 22.5M contract), we could use a steady defensive lineman to balance out the line

Available: Arik Armstead of the 49'rs

From the Athletic: When he's on the field and playing hard, Armstead is very productive. He's a big man with great agility and balance for his size, making him dangerous as a one-on-one pass rusher, even if his style is more finesse than power. He can be disruptive in the run game, too, shedding blocks, getting upfield penetration and showing tackle-to-tackle range, though he's not the factor in pursuit that he once was. The downside is he turns 31 in November, and over the last two seasons, he's missed 13 games while — even when healthy — playing a smaller share of the snaps than he had since the 2016 season. But for a team that needs a five-technique in a 3-4 scheme, he would be a really good fit.

If we could get him on a 1-yr deal, he could fill in until one of the youngsters is ready
#6
Big Blue Huddle / Giants get Drew Lock for backup QB
March 12, 2024, 02:03:52 PM
Just coming across the air
#7
For me:

1) Andrew Thomas
2) Dexter Lawrence
3) Brian Burns
4) toss-up between Kayvon Thibodeaux and Bobby Okereke (slight edge to Thibs)
5) toss-up between Bobby Okereke and Deonte Banks (slight edge to Okereke)

I guess the point of this exercise is to point out the significance of Brian Burns joining the Giants
#8
I don't feel like digging up the old thread about things I learned from watching movies, so this is just an attachment to the long gone thread



The Wild, Wild West

The fast draw did not exist

Revolvers were not worn low slung

Revolvers were never fired from the hip

Fanning a revolver was unheard of and made up for movies

The low-slung pistol holster wasn't designed until the 1920s

Gunslinger and gunfighter are movie terms

Calling out for a showdown in the street only happened a couple times

More men in the old west were killed with knives in barrooms than by firearms

Most cowboys on the range did not carry revolvers, most carried rifles in saddle boots

Indians preferred to fight at night, in spite of movies showing them attacking during daytime

Cavalry troopers did not wear yellow bandanas

There was no such military command as "Forward Ho"!

Most women wore dresses, not jeans

Chaps were only worn when herding cattle

Indians did not attack a wagon train circle by riding in circles around it

Most western forts did not have walls

Army chevrons were not worn on shirts

Mexican Bandidos did not wear bandoleers

String bow ties ("bolo ties") are a 20th century invention

Panel front shirts were not worn with one top corner unbuttoned and hanging down

Stage coaches rarely carried gold on a run, most holdups were made to rob the passengers

Most men did not carry revolvers all day, every day

Hats worn by cowboys looked much different than what is shown in movies and a good cowboy hat cost as much or more than a pistol

The Winchester lever action rifle was "The gun that won the west" not the Colt revolver



#9
The Front Porch / Time is a cruel mistress
March 06, 2024, 05:46:38 PM
Jack Nicholson appears for the first time in 2 years and was wobbly looking off his balcony of his Hollywood mansion. He's 86 years old. Never really cared for him...always seemed smug and angry to me. Thought he was bigger than life...never once saw him as a down to earth human being in any situation

#10
I like art of all kinds. Sometimes I see a picture that moves me in ways that is hard to describe

As a father of two daughters, and three granddaughters...this picture touched me to the soul. The admiration and love of the daughter watching her father paint her toenails is the epitome of fatherly love

#11
If you live in NYC, you see her all the time. If you're old enough to remember walking liberty quarters and half dollars, you've seen her. Yet no one knows who she is

The story of Audrey Munson (probably distantly related to Thurman, but that's just a guess on my part after doing genealogy for half a century)

#12
This is my fan-based opinion coupled with being old and looking through the fog, tapping into years of experience based on failures and successes I've seen in my lifetime

Meeting set up by Schoen with top analysts and coaches before the regular season ends: "welcome everyone, we need an in depth review of our biggest weaknesses and our strengths. I want everyone's opinion on what you feel is our greatest needs and I need a comprehensive breakdown of 'why, what', 'when', and 'your solution' to fix problems, while looking at our long term strategy that has been laid out before you. This will take weeks, not days. And oh yeah, if even a hint of this is leaked to anyone, including personal friend or family member...you're fired"

Several weeks later, Schoen sets up a meeting with scouts
: "welcome everyone, here is our long term strategy on our needs. Guard this exposé as if you and your family's lives depend on it. It is a unanimous agreement among all our coaches and analysts, as to what we need to turn this ship around and guide us to long term success. I want a detailed, in-depth analysis of every single player in the draft and in free agency. You will be asked to defend your opinions against other scouts with differing opinions concerning individual players. This could take weeks. And oh yeah, if even a hint of this is leaked to anyone, including personal friend or family member...you're fired"
#13
Big Blue Huddle / Combine Standouts at Day 1 (DL/LB)
March 01, 2024, 10:28:25 AM
Some players really wowed at the combine yesterday...for me, it was a tie between Payton Wilson and Braden Fiske. They put on a show...both of them are freaks of nature, but smooth as silk when blowing everyone else out of the water

Also looked good, but didn't exactly steal the show: "Chop" Robinson, Dallas Turner, and Bryan Murphy II



#14
The Front Porch / I'm getting Fiber Optics
February 28, 2024, 02:13:45 PM
I'm floored that I am having fiber optics installed for my internet today. For some, that might not be big news, but for me, it's huge. I live in a very rural area where I see Amish drive by in their horse and buggies and when it snows, there are more snowmobiles than cars. I have to drive several miles to get to a small village with one store. Yet, a small company in Ithaca decided to run fiber optic lines throughout the rural areas...and that includes dirt roads like "Bloody Pond Road" out of Texas Valley (population under 75), where there are only 2 houses on a 2-mile stretch. Incredible because I have friends in Binghamton who still can't get fiber optics and my son who lives in Homer, NY can't get it

I've had Spectrum for many years, and it constantly goes out or becomes so slow, it's like Chinese Water Torture. When streaming a HD movie or show and the internet slows, the picture becomes blurry and sometimes freezes...very irritating

Price: 59.95 for 300 mgb; 69.95 600 mgb; and 79.95 for 1gb...I opted for the 1 gigabyte speed because I do a lot of streaming on the TV as well as download a ton of music videos and other stuff from my computer. Anyway, I'm happy about it

#16
Big Blue Huddle / Combine 2024
February 26, 2024, 11:25:45 AM
Although it has already started, for the next several days, it is registering, media interviews, etc. The real meat of the program will start on Thursday (Feb. 29th "Leap Day). Workouts will be available to watch on NFL Network, for those interested

#17
For me, there are two movies that I won't even watch a highlight of because they unnerved me so much and left me traumatized:

The Deer Hunter
Pet Semetery

The Russian Roulette played in The Deer Hunter was beyond comprehension to me. On top of that, some kids up the road decided to do it after watching the movie, and one of the kids blew his head off. Just freaked me out. Couldn't believe it. Left me having nightmares

I'm not a fan of horror movies at all unless they are downright funny, like "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil" or "The Babysitter", that I loved and laughed my ass off. Same with one of the "Scary Movie"s with the rude and crude parrot. And I actually liked "An American Werewolf in London", even though parts of it scared the crap out of me. There were no parts in Pet Semetery that were humorous

Horror works for me when it has a comedic theme, otherwise, not thank you



Warning...very bad language
#18
We all know that Mahomes is a franchise QB and potentially the best to play the game since Brady. He's sort of a "Brady who can run" IMO

But two things stuck out to me as I watched the last year's and this year's Super Bowl

1) Last season the Chiefs used to use a fullback and two TEs to help block the offensive line (and it doesn't escape me that San Fran now uses a fullback to help the ground game and protect Purdy)

2) The Chiefs used a three TE set at times in the Super Bowl, with two of them blocking :-?? Basically, having a bigger, faster fullback to aid in blocking

My take on this...and I could be wrong (been wrong a lot)...is that the use of a fullback and/or multiple blocking TEs gives additional protection to Mahomes that allows him time to get the ball to where he wants it to go, as well as, gives the ground game some holes to work with. My father used to say that "paint can hide a multiple of sins" and believed paint was a secret to making a place look better than it is. Perhaps this is the Chiefs' way of hiding offensive line issues

Personally, I think it might be borderlines genius (considering the difficulty in putting together a solid offensive line), and maybe it's their "secret sauce" that no one seems to notice. I was surprised during the Super Bowl that the Chiefs employed 3 TEs on plays. Does anyone else think this, or am I off my rocker...again. I know a lot of fans believe that a QB wins games all by himself because he is just so f..n good. I am of a different camp who believes that a QB can only be as good as his teammates who are in sync with him...and it helps to have extra protection and guys who can get open and make hard catches. What say you? Am I out to lunch on this observation or on to something?
#19
Wordle Streak Breakers

Note: Words preceded with asterisk *, have already been used in WORDLE that had high percentage of breaking streaks

QUEUE: objects or people waiting in line
AQUOX: An oxisol with a water table at or near the surface
MYYRH: a red-brown resinous material, used throughout history in medicine, perfumery, and incenses.
*MUMMY: a human being or animal that has been ceremonially preserved
*CACAO: tree that bears cacao seeds, from which cocoa, and chocolate are made
QWAKE: rumbling vibrations
*WOOER: one who seeks favor or support
DUCAT: an admission ticket
OUIJI: a spirit board, talking board, or witch board
ERGAT: a fungal disease
MIMIC: imitate
*PARER: one who pares
CRAIC: enjoyable social activity; a good time
*KNOLL: small hill or mound
SQUAB: a young pigeon
QUIRK: peculiar behavioral habit
ENOKI: an edible Japanese mushroom
*IONIC: composed of, or using ions
*COYLY: outwardly shy or modest in order to allure someone
*NYMPH: immature form of an insect
*REBUS: a puzzle in which words are represented by pictures and/or individual letters
TRITE: overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality
ONION: an edible bulb with a pungent taste
TRUSS: a framework, typically consisting of rafters, posts, and struts
*MIDGE: a small fly that is often seen in swarms near water or marshy areas
SYLPH: imaginary spirit of the air; or type of dark green humming bird
WINCE: involuntary grimace
HUMPH: expressing slight sound of scornful doubt or dissatisfaction
APHID: a tiny insect
*TRYST: a private romantic rendezvous between lovers
*AGORA: a public open space used for assemblies and markets.
EPOCH: a period of time in history or a person's life, typically one marked by notable events
SALVO: simultaneous discharge of artillery or other guns in a battle
RABBI: a Jewish scholar or teacher
KOALA: Australian marsupial that has thick gray fur and feeds on eucalyptus leaves
QUARK: any of a number of subatomic particles carrying a fractional electric charge




#20
Big Blue Huddle / Standouts from the Senior Bowl
February 06, 2024, 10:41:34 AM
IOLJackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
DL Darius Robinson, Missouri
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
IOL Christian Haynes, Connecticut
TE Theo Johnson, Penn State
WR Roman Wilson, Michigan
DL Gabe Hall, Baylor

As a side note: QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina was named the Senior Bowl MVP

A write-up on each of the eight named above: https://sports.yahoo.com/8-standouts-2024-senior-bowl-153408479.html

Another opinion (Winners and Losers) https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/sports/college/2024/02/03/senior-bowl-2024-winners-losers-mobile-alabama-spencer-rattler-tvondre-sweat-christian-haynes/72464761007/

Daniel Jeremiah's Top 10: https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-senior-bowl-daniel-jeremiah-s-top-10-nfl-draft-winners-from-week-of-practice

Another opinion: https://www.al.com/sports/2024/02/senior-bowl-2024-10-players-who-made-big-impressions-this-week.html

33rdTeam's "Risers and Fallers": https://www.the33rdteam.com/2024-senior-bowl-biggest-risers-fallers-at-this-years-event/
#21
The Front Porch / Phone etiquette
January 31, 2024, 11:45:10 AM
Only recently I've noticed that I end all my calls with "bye, bye" and that the end of the call, the caller just says, "bye". It makes me think I send out a hidden message that I'm effeminate or something. Would you guys ever say "bye, bye"?

I worked in an office environment for years and answered the phone with a brisk tone and identifying myself - name only. At the end of the call, I basically said, "yup" or "okay". But now that I'm an old retired coot, I don't like the way I end my calls. Even my daughters and granddaughters don't say, "bye, bye". Is there something wrong with me (that's a rhetorical question BTW, I know there are plenty of things wrong with me, so be kind please)

In the old days when I was a kid on a farm, my father and whoever he was on the phone with just hung up when they were through with whatever they had to say...never said "bye", just "click". Anyway, I need to up my game on the phone. Anyone else have this issue?
#22
LA Chargers are bringing Brown in for his second interview for their GM. Likely gone. It was always going to happen that he would be a GM for some team...just a matter of time

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/chargers-to-have-second-g-m-interview-with-brandon-brown
#23
The Front Porch / Brain Candy for Math Whizzes
January 23, 2024, 11:36:19 AM
Proportionately, how much of the rectangle is colered?

Please don't grab your trig tables and calculators, just take a stab at it based on intuition

#24
Big Blue Huddle / Wink to the Eagles???
January 22, 2024, 06:50:54 AM
Eagles fired their DC and showing interest in Wink. Wouldn't that be a kick in the ass  :-??

https://nypost.com/2024/01/21/sports/eagles-interested-in-wink-martindale-after-sean-desai-firing/
#25
The Front Porch / What am I?
January 21, 2024, 05:57:26 PM
This is a creature who lives on our planet. Hint, it is not uncommon and it is not an insect

#26
The Front Porch / How times change
January 20, 2024, 11:48:09 AM
Hell to get old, but you can look back and see how the world has changed, in particular, technology, but a whole lot more than just that...some for the better, a lot for the worse

The first time I went to Israel was in 1990. I was 37 yrs old, and my sister went to a vending machine and bought a bottle of water. I laughed my ass off. I said, "I can't believe people would buy a bottle of water and that it's even for sale". She told me that it is common around the world, especially in hotter climates. That was news to me. Now, Walmarts have an entire aisle of nothing but bottled water...by the gallon, 48 packs of different brands of water, etc., and young people buy special bottles for their bottled water as a fashion statement. All the years growing up, I thought nothing of drinking from any water hose lying around on the ground between jumping on rickety ramps with my bicycle with no helmet. I lived

When I was young (late 50's, early 60's) I loved cars and I would sit on the front porch watching cars go buy educating myself to each brand and year...particulary excited to see an Avanti. Exciting because every year, the big car companies would completely retool their manufacturing equipment and deliver an exciting new model, usually radically different from the last year's model...every single year. Now, I can barely tell the difference between cars other than by their grill pattern or insignia...boring  :sleeping:

You tell me the maker of these 2023 cars:



In the old days, you didn't wonder if it was a Ford, a Chevy, a Plymouth, an Oldsmobile or Buick...or who made the Falcon, or the Nova, or the Barracuda...or the Avanti (Studebaker for you old car enthusiasts)



I understand the economics in a highly competitive business and the high cost of retooling and engineering, but it pains me to see a model look almost identical over a 5 year (or longer) span as they make minor changes if at all. And the similarity between car companies (American, European, Japan, S. Korea) is almost a joke...although, I tip my hat to the designers of EVs which seem to have strayed from the "consensus design" of gasoline cars. Some are quite intriguing

When I went to school, if I cut up (which was often), I'd get sent to the office or the teacher would have a talk with my parents (much worse for me), and we had a town cop (Johnnie) who instead of writing me a ticket when I left rubber or for speeding like a mad man, he would stop in and have coffee with my parents, and then I'd get my ass kicked (mostly figuratively, but sometimes I got the real deal). Regardless, the last people on earth I wanted to find out I was a trouble maker, were my parents

I won't even go into technology and going from 45's, to LPs, to 8-track players, to cassettes, to whatever kids use today...or phones, or computers, or flight, or TVs, microwaves, etc. I'll give one example: in 1986 at the company I worked for, we had a climate controlled clean-room that was about 40'X40' and was filled to the walls with giant computer equipment that ran an antiquated (now) CAD system and was the best system from IBM money could buy. My cell phone today has more than a thousand times more computing power and hundreds of times more storage

For the good: I'm thankful for the environmental push to clean up rivers and air and getting rid of certain pesticides. I now can watch eagles fly every day as they hunt up and down a clean river while being antagonized by little birds. Never saw an eagle as a kid, and didn't see one in Upstate New York until I was at least 50 yrs old. Now they are as common as Cardinals and Orioles...maybe more so

Anyway, I digress

Answers to the above are A) Mazda B) BMW and C) Honda


#27
Big Blue Huddle / Where Schoen went wrong
January 18, 2024, 12:08:47 PM
From The Athletic (subscriber's only) this morning by Dan Duggan

In a nutshell: Schoen tried to turn the team around too fast. Instead of slowly building the team and coaching up current players, he took a few too many swings for the fences in order to shorten the timeline, i.e., trading for Waller (a known oft-injury prone player), paying Saquon, and grasping at Parris Campbell in hopes of getting new offensive weapons in the arsenal "now", and in order to get players quicker, he went against his belief and started to restructure contracts to free up money, opposite his own belief. From the article: "Schoen frequently described restructures as a 'last resort' during his first offseason, but they became common practice..." Pushing the cap down the road was always viewed by Schoen as "break glass in case of emergency", but he did it anyway. A lot of it was driven by his successful first season causing a false sense of success, and then he went against his own premonitions and strayed from the lesson he preached about the virtue of "patience"

Duggan does praise Schoen for getting Okereke and locking up Dex...for which I concur

#28
I find this area of engineering to be intriguing, to say the least. A company called "Sirius" has developed two different hydrogen-fueled aircraft that is going through testing and will debut next year. It will be the first zero-emission jet with long range capability. For now, it is only "Business Jet" size, but larger sizes are planned. It has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities like a helicopter. This area of technology is fascinating...to me anyway. I really hope hydrogen is the future of energy propulsion. I have too much money wrapped up in hydrogen companies' stock while betting on it.    :crazy:







https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/transport/formula-1-engineering-swiss-start-up-unveils-futuristic-hydrogen-powered-passenger-aircraft/2-1-1582110
#29
Big Blue Huddle / Cowboy fans are melting down
January 16, 2024, 11:45:05 AM


Skip Bayless having a meltdown

https://twitter.com/RealSkipBayless/status/1746701972034801946

I thought Jimmy Johnson might stroke out during the half-time show. He was taking is personally. Strahan tried to console him, but the producers quickly cut away when Jimmy didn't want to be consoled
https://www.tiktok.com/@jackmacbarstool/video/7324098052774579487
#30
Big Blue Huddle / 2024 NFL Draft Tools and Charts
January 12, 2024, 11:27:51 AM
I've been putting this chart together for the last few weeks and updating it now and then. It's not set in concrete, but just a chart to aid in ranking players...which will change over the coming weeks. Some of the players names have a "strike through" because they decided to return to college. I think I got most of them, but not 100% sure

Anyway, one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb: The draft is stacked to the max with WR's, OL, and CBs, with a pretty good crop of ERs

Subject to change (because it will be) and subjective anyway. Unfinished after 4 rounds and likely never finished, but we'll see. Most position rankings are a combination of CBS Rankings, NFLMockDraftDatabase, Great Blue North Draft Report, Walter Football, etc