u/buckster_007

In honor of Mike Ditka… the ‘85 Bears are still the greatest, most dominant team I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.

They were doing the Super Bowl shuffle in the third quarter

I need a same day bakery and/or restaurant for catering to 18-20 people. It's a potluck and I need to bring something. Can be anything: main course or dessert.

For those who don't know, here are the Supplemental Draft rules in a nutshell. First, it's not really a draft... it's a silent auction. All 32 teams are put into 1 of 3 different groups. Then there is a weighted lottery within each group that determines the order (teams with more losses are weighted heavier than teams with less losses). Then they all bid and see who's on top.

Group 1 (teams with <6 wins). These are the drafters with the highest priority. Based on last season that is: Jets (3-14), Titans (3-14), Raiders (3-14), Cardinals (3-14), Giants (4-13), Browns (5-12), Commanders (5-12), Bengals (6-11), Chiefs (6-11), Saints (6-11).

Group 2 (teams with 6+ wins but no playoffs): Dolphins (7-10), Cowboys (7-9-1), Ravens (8-9), Colts (8-9), Buccaneers (8-9), Falcons (8-9), Vikings (9-8), Lions (9-8).

Group 3 (playoff teams): Patriots (14-3), Bills (12-5), Steelers (10-7), Jaguars (13-4), Texans (12-5), Broncos (14-3), Chargers (11-6), Eagles (11-6), Bears (11-6), Packers (9-7-1), Panthers (8-9), Seahawks (14-3), Rams (12-5), 49ers (12-5).

Highest round bid wins. So, if multiple teams bid the same draft pick round, the higher group wins (Group 1 > Group 2 > Group 3). If multiple teams in the same group bid the same round, the NFL's supplemental lottery order breaks the tie. The winning team forfeits that pick in the 2027 draft.

Example: if Cleveland and Pittsburgh both bid a 3rd, Cleveland gets Sorsby because Group 1 beats Group 3. In this scenario, Pittsburgh would need to bid a 2nd rounder to guarantee getting him.

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With that in mind, this supplemental draft is very different than a regular draft. There's significantly more gamesmanship due to the silent bidding aspect, because you can overpay or get lucky, depending on where you are situated in each group.

It's said that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are seriously considering bidding. Because of them both being in Group 3, that virtually guarantees no less than a second-round bid. So, if the Browns want Sorsby, it's probably a lock that it'll take (at least) a 2nd... even then, QB-hungry teams like the Jets and Cardinals are higher up the totem pole.

If they don’t, who is worse? If they do, what does that mean for the team strategy this season?

I’d argue that Jets and Cardinals are right there at the bottom too, but I’d take Brissett or Geno over Watson or Shedeur.

As far as how this plays out, I think Monken is going to adopt a run first / run heavy approach, with the QB rolling out and relying on short passes, that attacks one side of the field, limits the number of progressions the QB has to read, and eliminates as many decisions as possible. Either way, I can’t imagine he’ll endorse a strategy that allows/encourages either starter to throw often.

Starting with the quarterback situation. It's unknown and shaky. Shedeur was statistically terrible (56.6% completions, 7 TDs, 10 INTs, and a 68.1 rating). He has a weak arm, struggles to read defenses, and turns the ball over too much. Watson is coming off two Achilles tears, so nobody knows if he'll last or what he'll even look like, and in his last 17 games, he was flat-out horrible (remember the pass in wrong direction). And we all know how anemic the offense looked under Gabriel. Seemingly, the Browns will have to lean on a run-heavy attack, which does fit Rees's MO.

One concern is that Monken has a fairly well-documented history of abandoning the run too soon, and a penchant for shotgun sets and (ineffective) sweeps. Critics say he lacks the patience to stick with the ground game and sustain drives, even when it's working.

Monken's offensive philosophy is built around creating space, using the full width and depth of the field, and attacking defenses with playmakers. Like any coach he wants versatile playmakers that create mismatches. When the Ravens were at their best, they had a mix of power and zone runs, and Lamar forcing defenses to remain off balance. But that system only works when Lamar (the NFL's premier dual-threat QB) is healthy. It was glaring how much they rely on Lamar, even with having Henry, when Lamar is injured. I'm wondering how he's going to run his offense with a, surprisingly elusive but still slow, turnover-prone 2nd year QB or a broken-down veteran coming off 2 ACL tears. On top of which, his starting RB, Judkins, is still rehabbing from a late-season ankle dislocation and leg fracture.

Plus, the Ravens know his entire playbook from his three years there. Monken has admitted he'll have to change terminology and some calls. But as he says, "You are who you are." The question is whether his pass-leaning, space-and-tempo apporach can work with who the Browns have under center. Curious what everyone's thoughts are.