Big Blue Huddle

Sorta good news...just read this from the NYS Govt page

"Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Cazenovia College has been selected as the site that the New York State Police will lease for its new State Police Auxiliary Academy. "

 "The additional auxiliary academy is part of the Governor's plan to fund an unprecedented number of Basic School classes, which was announced earlier this year."

"Governor Hochul secured more than $66 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 Enacted Budget to fund two additional State Police classes."

Not sure how well that will go over with the rich residents. Cazenovia is one of the wealthiest villages in Upstate NYS competing year in and year out with Skaneateles, Canandaigua, and Saratoga Springs

Quote from: Uncle Mickey on Today at 03:33:20 PMNew coaches or GM's that come in that inherit players they tend to treat those players as 'step-children'

At first sign of trouble they want to get rid of them.

Guys they bring in as FAs are like 'adopted children'

And guys they draft are like 'biological children' 

See how McAdoo treated Eli, TC with Kerry as couple examples of many.

That said, I still expect it to be Daniel but if Drew becomes Daboll's new 'pet project' it will be interesting if bias enters in the decision making process.

That might just be the best analogy I've ever read concerning the relationship between football players and coaches, LOL

Quote from: MightyGiants on Today at 12:00:29 PMSince the Giants gave Johnson the "big bucks," I did a little digging.  He was one of Tony Pauline's sleepers

I've been researching him as well...and mainly because of the "Big Bucks". I watched a long interview with him, and he's a high character guy as well as an academic scholar. His brother plays for the Colts (DT) and there were others in his extended family who played in college and the NFL, so he knows what's expected of him at the next level

He seems to be a ball of clay for a coach to mold into anything the coach wants. I don't think he's starter material (yet, who knows?), but if he can give quality minutes backing up guards and tackles, that'd be good. Not as big as most tackles, but excels at horizontal shifting and mirroring pass rushes, hence, his best asset is pass protection at both guard and tackle. Needs to add muscle if he's going to help in pushing open lanes for the run game. Will probably spend a year on the practice squad

If we could pick more than one option, I'd click both 3T and boundary corner, as I see them equally important...probably the 3T more, just because we didn't draft any (maybe Casey Rogers will surprise  ). Unfortunately, this draft had some good 3Ts, but they were gone fast. We might have been able to get Wingo (not sure when he went, but it was much later than expected). I was hoping for Myles Cole who is listed as an ER, but was 6'5/295 and went late (7th rd to Jacksonville). I thought he could be groomed for 3T because of his size and being a successful ER

I would like a proven boundary corner, but also would like to see Flott and Hawkins III get plenty of reps to grow into the position. They don't learn the finer nuances of the position from the bench or in front of a white board. Still, a proven vet would be nice...especially if we were "going for it" this year (which I don't think we are)

I'm pretty happy where we're at and hope Daboll will allow the rookies to get their lumps by playing them. They need as much on-field experience as possible. It requires delayed gratification, which is in short supply among most fans, but I'm all for it. I'm not expecting a run for the Lombardi and would rather lose a couple of games we could have won, but got rookies plenty of time in the game

I was going to say the same thing...he has a sense of humor and he obviously follows "where players go wrong"

Judging by his breakdown when he got the call, and his family surrounding him that is his natural family since birth, who have stood behind him all the way...he's going to have high character, and will take to coaching in earnest. I love this guy and hope he's the ball hawk he was in college

We have the summer to see if he has his head in the game after his unfortunate divorce. If he's healthy and wants to still play, we'd be fools to cut him. I see him as a mentor to Theo if he stays

Quote from: MightyGiants on Today at 03:13:03 PMCovid seems to have had an impact on smaller colleges.  Colleges made a lot of their money on dorm rooms and the like (which are run at a profit).   When colleges were remote, that income stream was taken away.  Even with the dorms reopening, more students seem to opt for online or remote learning over in-person.

My mother still works part-time for a small university in NJ.  It's struggling badly, and from what she tells me, it wouldn't surprise me if it goes belly up in the next couple of years.

Excellent point. I completely forgot about the whole COVID debacle and its effect on small colleges. I think you're spot on. Still sad

A couple of things I've read this past year:

1) Drake is DJ 2.0, except Drake was throwing to potential NFL receivers, whilst DJ was throwing to future doctors, surgeons, lawyers, nuclear engineers, and scientists

2) The tangibles between Drew Lock and JJ McCarthy are eerily similar, the intangibles, not so much

Regardless, I believe Daboll calls the shots concerning which players see the field. If Lock shows real substance and wows a few times during training, and DJ seems to struggle, I imagine Daboll puts in who he feels is the best of the two

If both show excellent form, throwing, aptitude, etc., or are both average looking, then I imagine DJ gets the nod because of his salary and starting experience

I live in a very rural section of the state, yet I am within a half hour drive of Cornell University, Binghamton University, SUNY Cortland, Ithaca College, SUNY Broome, and Tompkins Cortland Community College and a couple of specialty colleges

If I want to drive 45 minutes, I am at Syracuse University, LeMoyne University, and other community colleges and specialty college

In the last year though, two colleges within 45 mile of me have announced they are closing: Cazenovia College and now, Wells College. Three years ago, Davis College closed in Binghamton. This is disappointing to me as I've been blessed to be surrounded by high quality bastions of education, even though I live in the boonies where Amish in their wagons, snowmobiles, bald eagles overhead, coyotes howling at night, and grazing cows are more common than most rural areas, and far be it to find taxis, buses, or concrete buildings around here. Oh well...a lot of change is usually good. Closing quality schools is not one of them

Losing two very fine educational institutions in a span of one year sucks! 

I am so offended...  

Comedians today that DON'T tow the line, are in great demand and are thriving

Not to drag this never-ending discussion out, but let me tell you a story about Terry Bradshaw. The first overall pick in 1970. In the first five years of his career, he threw 77 interceptions. His average QB rating was in the mid-50s, with a low of 34 and a high point of 64.1 (the only time he had a QB rating in the 60s). He was ridiculed by fans and analysts alike. He was called a bust and a rural hick that would never adjust to the sophistication of the NFL

After 5 years of hell, he only was a 4× Super Bowl champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV); 2× Super Bowl MVP (XIII, XIV); NFL Most Valuable Player (1978); First-team All-Pro (1978); 3× Pro Bowl (1975, 1978, 1979); 2× NFL passing touchdowns leader (1978, 1982); NFL 1970s All-Decade Team; and is enshrined in the Football Hall of Fame

The list is endless of QBs who had a tough going from the start (especially when going to a bad team and a revolving door of coaches and schemes), but patience sometimes pays off. As a note: DJ has been immensely better than Bradshaw in his first 5 years, who threw 40 interceptions (for which he was taken to the wood shed by everyone with a keyboard), and has had QB ratings of 87.7 (2019), followed by 80.4, 84.8, 92.5, and 70.5...and he has done so working behind the worst rated OL in the NFL and no star receivers. Let that sink in

Can't we all just get behind our QB and watch to see what happens. No one is going to change their opinion on DJ because a person brings up the exact same argument every day (often more than that, every day) for two years. No one is changing their minds after 1,356 posts with the same argument because the person repeated it 1,357 times and it finally "clicked". If a point in an argument is valid and obvious, it only has to be said once, otherwise, it's just an opinion stuck on repeat, like a broken record

Here is my daily prayer: "Dear Lord, please let our message board be something other than more discussions about Daniel Jones that have been discussed with the exact same points more than ten thousand times ad nauseam, by naysayers who are too obsessed with the subject to let it go and move on and cheer our glorious team...the horse is not only dead, but it has been beaten into dust and even the dust no longer exists as it has blown away with the wind. Please don't let it keep coming back...Amen"

Quote from: Uncle Mickey on Today at 09:11:43 AMSOme may not agree but I think this draft will have 4 maybe more who become positive to strong contributors to the team and a few day 1 starters. I think we bring in a vet CB and this team will hinge on DJ. If he is the real deal then this team will surprise.

I've spent a lot of time (too much actually) thinking about how many of this year's draftees will become starters out of the gate, which from all I've heard and read over the years (and I'm old), is the true measure of a successful draft

Without a doubt, Nabors is a day 1 starter;  I think Nubin is a day 1 starter as well; and I think there's an above average chance that Philips starts at Nickel. I think Theo Johnson will see quite a few snaps this season, but not necessarily as a starter, but he will be eventually and become to the Giants, what Witten was to Dallas (had to throw that in). Tracy will probably start as a STs player and, like Theo as TE, will eventually become a regular starter as a RB and gadget player. I have no clue about Muasau, unless he's a superb STs player...and to be honest, I'm still scratching my head over that pick; although, it makes sense if our new ST coach, Michael Ghobrial wanted him and thus, had a lot of impact on the pick, as he was a STs demon at Hawaii when Ghobrial was there  I think that's the same reason we picked up Eluemunor in free agency, as he was one of Bricillo's star students/players at the Raiders. It's nice that Schoen respects his coaches enough to allow them a chance to reunite with a player that is special to them...but I digress

So, if I'm right, three of the draft picks will be starters on day one, and two will become starters soon (within two years). If I'm right, that makes this a very successful draft

Quote from: Uncle Mickey on April 29, 2024, 04:28:38 PMWas Wink an increasing cancer last year? That was a very strange dynamic to say the least and the defense did not seem like it had a really sound plan many games.

I think so, but more in the front office and coaching staff then the players. There was a cancer in the Eagles' last year, who started out the season 10-1, followed up by 1-6 to finish the season. That doesn't happen because of a talent void. So the front office made a lot of coaching changes. All was not well in the Eagles' camp last year

Disharmony and unhealthy relationships, whether between players or coaches/staff...it destroys moral, and takes its toll on a team. You have to believe in the system and live for it...from top to bottom. It's why you check character and locker room atmosphere and cut bait with certain individuals before things get worse

IMHO, it's going to come out like this

Eagles
Giants
Cowboys
Commanders

Eagles: about the same as last year...maybe some improvement, but nothing radical. Still not Super Bowl ready, but the team to beat in the division

Giants: improving with dynamic offensive players and solidified defense, but still young. Heading in the right direction with speed and depth...a year or two away from being highly feared

Cowboys: going in the wrong direction after losing key players and saddled with very expensive Dak, and a patchwork OL with aging vets and error-prone rookies. Taking Zeke back tells you just how desperate they are on the offensive side. They could end up last in the division if Commanders are quick studies

Commanders: in a couple of years, they might very well be the team to beat in the NFC East. They are going to have a lot of up 'n coming rookies that make mistakes this year, as well as breaking in a new QB. But they are heading in the right direction, and they aren't going to be bottom feeders in a year or two

Just my opinion. Anyone see it differently?