While doing some house cleaning, I came across my old copy of the 2007 THN Draft Preview.
Rather than going into any real detail, I figured I'd just post their top 50, along with their NHL style projection and a line or two from their player profile.

Patrick Kane, RW, London Knights (OHL) - Offensive forward. "His hands are just sick," said one scout. "He might have the best hands in all hockey, not just junior."
James VanRiemsdyk, LW, USNTDP - Two-way forward. "His upside potential is as great as anybody's in this draft," one scout said.
Kyle Turris, C, Burnaby (BCHL) - Offensive forward. "There was talk in the scouting community that had the Philadelphia Flyers won the first overall pick, they would have used it to select Kyle Turris, an offensive forward who has drawn comparisons to Joe Sakic and Dany Heatley."
Jakub Voracek, RW, Halifax (QMJHL) - Two-way forward. "I see him as a very safe pick," another scout said.
Alexei Cherepanov, RW, Avangard Omsk (Russia) - Offensive forward. "He's the mystery of the draft," one scout said. "He might be the best when everything is said and done."
Sam Gagner, C, London (OHL) - Playmaking forward. "He has the highest hockey IQ of anybody in the draft," one scout said. "At worst, he'll be a solid NHL player."
Logan Couture, C, Ottawa (OHL) - Playmaking forward. "He's overrated," one scout said. "He's not a great skater and his development has really flat-lined."
Karl Alzner, D, Calgary (WHL) - Defensive defenseman. "He's a really steady defenseman who does everything well, but nothing great," one scout said. "He's the kind of guy everybody is looking for every year at the trade deadline."
Angelo Esposito, C, Quebec (QMJHL) - Offensive forward. "He's going to cause a lot of teams drafting in the top five a lot of sleepless nights," one scout said. "But he might be the bargain of the draft if he drops to No. 6 or 7."
Brandon Sutter, C, Red Deer (WHL) - Two-way forward. "He's a big kid who plays a physical game and has decent offensive talent," one scout said. "In other words, he's a Sutter."
Keaton Ellerby, D, Kamloops (WHL) - Two-way defenseman. "I'm not sold on him being a solid NHLer," another scout said. "He has all the tools, but I wonder about the toolbox."
Zach Hamill, C, Everett (WHL) - Offensive forward. "He has great hockey sense, but his size is an issue and he has average speed, which scares you a bit," another scout said. "But he might be the next Daniel Briere. Who knows?"
Colton Gillies, C, Saskatoon (WHL) - Character player. "He's one of the best skaters in the draft for his size," said one scout, with a caveat. "This guy can just fly, but he never does anything."
Maxim Mayorov, LW, Leninogorsk (Russia) - Offensive forward. "He's one of those guys who if he doesn't score for you, I'm not sure what else he can do for your team," a scout said.
Nick Petrecki, D, Omaha (USHL) - Two-way defender. "I think if this kid played in the OHL, we'd be talking about him as a top-five pick," one scout said.
Alex Plante, D, Calgary (WHL) - Two-way defenseman. "He's really rough around the edges, but he's a real solid player," a scout said. "He could be a real sleeper."
Jonathon Blum, D, Vancouver (WHL) - Mobile defenseman. "Anybody taking him in the first round is taking a gamble," a scout said. "I'm not sure if he's an NHLer or just a really good minor-leaguer."
Kevin Shattenkirk, D, USNTDP - Offensive defenseman. "He's very aggressive in the way he rushes the puck," a scout said. "He has a chance to be a good defenseman in the new NHL."
Oscar Moller, RW, Chilliwack (WHL) - Two-way forward. "He's kind of like Zach Hamill in that he's not big, but has good hockey sense and puck skills. His shot is just average."
Keven Veilleux, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL) - Project forward. "Scouts would like to see bigger offensive numbers from Keven Veilleux, but more than that they'd like him to play with additional fire and competitiveness."
Joakim Andersson, C, Frolunda (Sweden) - Defensive forward. "He's a solid two-way player who has good size and he's strong on the puck," a scout said. "His speed is not great and he'll never be a big scorer, but he has a chance to be a real solid player."
Thomas Hickey, D, Seattle (WHL) - Skilled defenseman. "We really like this kid," a scout said. "We wish he was a little bit bigger, but that's really the only flaw we can find with him."
Luca Cunti, LW, GCK (Switzerland) - Skilled forward. "He has as much skill as almost anybody in this draft," a scout said.
Max Pacioretty, LW, Sioux City (USHL) - Power forward. "He's a big strong kid and I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be able to develop into a really good player," a scout said. "He skates well and hits hard, but I would question his hockey sense a little bit."
Jim O'Brien, C, Minnesota (WCHA) - Project forward. "This season he was a boy playing against men and he struggled," said another scout. "He has always been a very good player, but he's weak. This kid is as weak as a noodle."
Mark Katic, D, Sarnia (OHL) - Offensive defenseman. "In a best-case scenario, Mark Katic will develop the same way Keith Ballard did and become a reliable NHL defenseman. In a worst-case scenario, he'll never play a game in the big leagues."
Mike Hoeffel, LW, USNTDP - Project forward. "Others aren't as sold on Hoeffler, saying that his lack of hockey smarts in many ways cancels out his skating ability. 'He didn't really light our fire at all,' said another scout."
Bill Sweatt, LW, Colorado College (WCHA) - Project forward. "He's the fastest skater in the draft, no question about that," one scout said. "This kid can flat-out fly."
John Negrin, D, Kootenay (WHL) - Two-way defenseman. "It took him a while to get going, but once he did he wasn't too bad," a scout said. "I really like his skating ability and the way he moves the puck. He's pretty strong, too."
Ryan McDonagh, D, Cretin-Durham (MN-HS) - Two-way defenseman. "He's the best player in high school," one scout said. "He does everything right and he has good offensive skills. He's also good defensively and he can hit and skate."
David Perron, RW, Lewiston (QMJHL) - Skilled forward. "Perron gets physically manhandled, but he is one of the more talented players in the draft, is quick and is a wonderful stickhandler."
Brett MacLean, LW, Oshawa (OHL) - Skilled forward. "The other way you could look at it is he was good enough to play with (John) Tavares," (one scout) said. "He still had to put the puck in the net."
Michal Repik, RW, Vancouver (WHL) - Skilled forward. "He might be a guy, a few years down the road, where we're saying, 'I wish we had taken him sooner.'"
Dana Tyrell, C, Prince George (WHL) - Two-way forward. "If Tyrell's skill set matched his character, he'd be a top-five pick."
Lars Eller, LW, Frolunda (Sweden) - Project forward. "He also has NHL size, but rarely uses it. 'He seems sleepy at times,' one scout said.'"
Eric Doyle, D, Swift Current (WHL) - Two-way defenseman. "Doyle has good size and skating ability and puck skills are average."
Mikael Backlund, C, Vasteras (Sweden) - Skilled forward. "Backlund was being touted as one of the top draft-eligible players in Sweden when the season started, but a long-term knee injury moved him down the rankings."
Logan MacMillan, C, Halifax (QMJHL) - Two-way forward. "Scouts like his hame and view him as a reasonably skilled player with good speed and size. But there is concern about consistency."
Max Gratchev, LW, Rimouski (QMJHL) - Two-way forward. "He's a fireball," a scout said. "He's not a great skater, but he's quick from the faceoff circle to the net."
Maxim Goncharov, D, Central Army (Russia) - Two-way defenseman. "While he's not an end-to-end rusher, Goncharov does possess good offensive instincts and is not afraid to jump up into the play."
Maxime Tanguay, C, Rimouski (QMJHL) - Skilled forward. "Like his brother (Alex), Tanguay has a high level of skill and hockey sense."
Jeremy Smith, G, Plymouth (OHL) - Goaltending depth. "This year's draft is almost bereft of top-calibre goaltending, but Smith is one of the few quality keepers available."
Ruslan Bashkirov, LW, Quebec (QMJHL) - Two-way forward. "He's not the biggest kid or the prettiest player, but he's a gamer," one scout said.
Joel Gistedt, G, Frolunda (Sweden) - Goaltending depth. "He's come out of nowhere," one scout said. "He's a guy teams wish they would have drafted last year."
Tommy Cross, D, Westminster (MA-HS) - Two-way defenseman. "He's a big two-way player, but was difficult to read because of the high school competition."
Brendan Smith, D, St. Michael's (OHL) - Offensive defenseman. "Smith is a good skater who moves the puck well and gets involved physically, but needs to improve his play in his own end of the ice, something Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves will demand."
Nick Larson, C, Hill Murray (MN-HS) - Two-way forward. "I'm just not sure I see enough offense there to keep him as a center," one scout said. "He has some good raw skills, but I would like to see him compete a little harder."
Joe Lavin, D, USNTDP - Project defenseman. "He's really raw," a scout said. "His team has used him up front, which scares you a little."
Niclas Lucenius, C, Tappara (Finland) - Two-way forward. "Lucenius has decent skills and plays a good two-way game. He must, however, bulk up."
Akim Aliu, RW, Sudbury (OHL) - Project forward. "He has first-round skills and some team will get really lucky or strike out," a scout said. "It's a team game and you just hope that checks in with him soon enough."

2008 Preview

Also included is a look ahead to the 2008 draft, one year out.
The top ten is, in order, Steven Stamkos (Sarnia, OHL), Drew Doughty (Guelph, OHL), Alex Pietrangelo (Mississauga, OHL), Michael Del Zotto (Oshawa, OHL), Kyle Beach (Everett, WHL), Jimmy Hayes (USNTDP), Colton Teubert (Regina, WHL), Mattias Tedenby (HV71, Sweden), Colin Wilson (USNTDP), Kevin Poulin (Victoriaville, QMJHL).
Honorable mentions are Kelsey Tessier (Quebec, QMJHL), Yann Sauve (Saint John, QMJHL), Harri Sateri (Tappara, Finland), Mikkel Bodker (Frolunda, Sweden), Anton Gustafsson (Frolunda, Sweden), Johan Motin (Frolunda, Sweden), and Zach Boychuk (Lethbridge, WHL).

2009 Preview

There's also a peek ahead to 2009, which has John Tavares and "Euro-Pronger" Victor Hedman. Others to watch, in alphabetical order, are Steven Anthony, Jimmy Bubnick, Jared Cowen, Simon Despres-Bellavance, Matt Duchene, Landon Ferraro, Peter Holland, and Toni Rajala.

The Coronavirus Is Airborne Indoors. Why Are We Still Scrubbing Surfaces?

Scientists who initially warned about contaminated surfaces now say that the virus spreads primarily through inhaled droplets, and that there is little to no evidence that deep cleaning mitigates the threat indoors.
HONG KONG — At Hong Kong’s deserted airport, cleaning crews constantly spray baggage trolleys, elevator buttons and check-in counters with antimicrobial solutions. In New York City, workers continually disinfect surfaces on buses and subways. In London, many pubs spent lots of money on intensive surface cleaning to reopen after lockdown — before closing again in November.
All over the world, workers are soaping, wiping and fumigating surfaces with an urgent sense of purpose: to fight the coronavirus. But scientists increasingly say that there is little to no evidence that contaminated surfaces can spread the virus. In crowded indoor spaces like airports, they say, the virus that is exhaled by infected people and that lingers in the air is a much greater threat.
Hand washing with soap and water for 20 seconds — or sanitizer in the absence of soap — is still encouraged to stop the virus’s spread. But scrubbing surfaces does little to mitigate the virus threat indoors, experts say, and health officials are being urged to focus instead on improving ventilation and filtration of indoor air
“In my opinion, a lot of time, energy and money is being wasted on surface disinfection and, more importantly, diverting attention and resources away from preventing airborne transmission,” said Dr. Kevin P. Fennelly, a respiratory infection specialist with the United States National Institutes of Health.
Some experts suggest that Hong Kong, a crowded city of 7.5 million residents and a long history of infectious disease outbreaks, is a case study for the kind of operatic surface cleaning that gives ordinary people a false sense of security about the coronavirus.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority has used a phone-booth-like “full-body disinfection channel” to spritz airport staff members in quarantine areas. The booth — which the airport says is the first in the world and is being used in trials only on its staff — is part of an all-out effort to make the facility a “safe environment for all users.
Such displays can be comforting to the public because they seem to show that local officials are taking the fight to Covid-19. But Shelly Miller, an expert on aerosols at the University of Colorado Boulder, said that the booth made no practical sense from an infection-control standpoint.
Viruses are emitted through activities that spray respiratory droplets — talking, breathing, yelling, coughing, singing and sneezing. And disinfecting sprays are often made from toxic chemicals that can significantly affect indoor air quality and human health, Dr. Miller said.
“I can’t understand why anyone would think that disinfecting a whole person would reduce the risk of transmitting virus,” she said.
A range of respiratory ailments, including the common cold and influenza, are caused by germs that can spread from contaminated surfaces. So when the coronavirus outbreak emerged last winter in the Chinese mainland, it seemed logical to assume that these so-called fomites were a primary means for the pathogen to spread.
Studies soon found that the virus seemed to survive on some surfaces, including plastic and steel, for up to three days. (Studies later showed that much of this is likely to be dead fragments of the virus that are not infectious.) The World Health Organization also emphasized surface transmission as a risk, and said that airborne spread was a concern only when health care workers were engaged in certain medical procedures that produce aerosols.
But scientific evidence was growing that the virus could stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhaled — particularly in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation.
In July, an essay in The Lancet medical journal argued that some scientists had exaggerated the risk of coronavirus infection from surfaces without considering evidence from studies of its closely related cousins, including SARS-CoV, the driver of the 2002-03 SARS epidemic.
“This is extremely strong evidence that at least for the original SARS virus, fomite transmission was very minor at most,” the essay’s author, the microbiologist Emanuel Goldman of Rutgers University, said in an email. “There is no reason to expect that the close relative SARS-CoV-2 would behave significantly different in this kind of experiment,” he added, referring to the new coronavirus.
A few days after Dr. Goldman’s Lancet essay appeared, more than 200 scientists called on the W.H.O. to acknowledge that the coronavirus could spread by air in any indoor setting. Bowing to enormous public pressure over the issue, the agency acknowledged that indoor aerosol transmission could lead to outbreaks in poorly ventilated indoor places like restaurants, nightclubs, offices and places of worship.
By October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which had maintained since May that surfaces are “not the primary way the virus spreads,” was saying that transmission of infectious respiratory droplets was the “principal mode” through which it does.
But by then, paranoia about touching anything from handrails to grocery bags had taken off. And the instinct to scrub surfaces as a Covid precaution — “hygiene theater,” as The Atlantic magazine called it — was already deeply ingrained.
“My tennis partner and I have abandoned shaking hands at the end of a match — but, since I’ve touched the tennis balls that he has touched, what’s the point?” Geoff Dyer wrote in a March essay for The New Yorker magazine that captured the germaphobic zeitgeist.
From Nairobi to Milan to Seoul, cleaners in hazmat suits have been fumigating public areas despite W.H.O. warnings that the chemicals could do more harm than good.
In Hong Kong, where 299 people died during the original SARS epidemic, elevator buttons are often covered in plastic that is cleaned multiple times a day. Crews in some office buildings and subways wipe escalator handrails with disinfected rags as commuters ascend. Cleaners have blasted public places with antimicrobial coatings and added a fleet of robots to clean surfaces in subway cars.
Several Hong Kong-based scientists insist the deep cleaning can’t hurt, and supported the government’s strict social-distancing rules and its monthslong insistence on near-universal mask wearing.
Procter & Gamble said sales of its personal cleansing products grew more than 30 percent in the quarter that ended in September, with double-digit growth in every region of the world, including more than 20 percent in greater China.
Early on, officials required Hong Kong restaurants to install dividers between tables — the same sort of flimsy, and essentially useless, protection used at the U.S. vice-presidential debate in October.
But as the Hong Kong authorities have gradually eased restrictions on indoor gatherings, including allowing wedding parties of up to 50 people, there is a fear of potentially new outbreaks indoors.
Some experts say they are especially concerned that coronavirus droplets could spread through air vents in offices, which are crowded because the city has not yet developed a robust culture of remote work.
“People are removing masks for lunch or when they get back to their cubicle because they assume their cubicle is their private space,” said Yeung King-lun, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
“But remember: The air you’re breathing in is basically communal.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/world/asia/covid-cleaning.html

[F4M] Star Wars; Civil Rights Movement; Narcos; or President and First Gentleman/Lady

BlakeDatAzzUp's 2020 NHL Mock Draft

PREFACE: pls dont hurt my feelings
1st Round
1. New York Rangers - Alexis Lafreniere - LW - QMJHL Rimouski
No shock here as the most complete, high floor high ceiling player in years finds his way to the most undeserving team. Thanks Bettman.

2. Los Angeles Kings - Quinton Byfield - C - OHL Sudbury
I don't think there's any reality where LA doesn't take QB. Any uncertainty stems from hoping Ottawa breaks and coughs up some picks to make sure they get their guy. Marco Sturm and Anze Kopitar will make for two great mentors for QB.

3. Ottawa Senators - Tim Stutzle - C/W - DEL Mannheim
If it's not Stutzle, it's Raymond. Well, unless they want to gatekeep D from going to Detroit. But, assuming Dorion wasn't talking out his butt, 1-3 go as planned. Stutzle who really seems mature beyond his years, could make the jump as soon as this year- depending on how Ottawa wants to manage his development.

4. Detroit Red Wings - Jake Sanderson - LD - USHL USDP
I'll eat crow if it isn't.

5. Ottawa Senators - Jamie Drysdale - RD - OHL Eerie
They've seen teams sleep on the skilled unersized d-man. They won't let it happen, especially with how even kneel and professional Jamie's demeanor is.

6. Anaheim Ducks - Cole Perfetti - LW/C - OHL Saginaw
Perfetti and Zegras is just a terrifying 1-2 punch.

7. New Jersey Devils - Lucas Raymond - LW/RW - SHL Frolunda
The Devils bucked expectations by going Nico over Patrick, awarded Hughes and now gifted Raymond. The draft gods love New Jersey.

8. Buffalo Sabres - Marco Rossi - C - OHL Ottawa
Kevyn Adams is in such a sticky situation with Eichel's future up in the air and Mittelsted not progressing as planned. Rossi is the real deal, whether it mitigates the pending loss of Eichel, or ends up being his compliment a line down. It's a smart move by Buffalo with so much uncertainty surrounding their roster.

9. Minnesota Wild - Yaroslav Askarov - G - KHL SKA
Judd Brackett comes from Vancouver, who's draft record as of late has been fantastic. But they've also been in a position to take the obvious BPA. Add this to another win on Brackett's long list of succesful first round picks. Hunter Jones last year shouldn't deter them from solidifying a known weakness on their team.

10. Winnipeg Jets - Seth Jarvis - RW - WHL Portland
Does Laine being shopped put an end to Finnipeg? It might put a pause on it, not because Lundell isn't good enough, but because Jarvis is that electryfying. Raw skill, high IQ. Could Dal Colle' on us, but his mind for the game seems better prepared for the NHL.

11. Nashville Predators - Jack Quinn - LW/RW - OHL Ottawa
Conventional safe wisdom would have Nashville taking Anton Lundell as well. But Jack's skill level is unquestionable. He'll come into the league with a chip on his shoulder that he wasn't in consideration much higher in the draft.

12. Florida Panthers - Alexander Holtz - RW - SHL Djurgardens
The North American bias is real. Holtz ends up falling a tad further than anticipated, but I can't think of a better situation for him to fall into. HooberDoo - Barkov - Holtz could be absolute ~filth~.

13. Carolina Hurricanes - Rodion Amirov - LW - KHL Tulpar
You can't ignore the already marked progression in Rodion's game. The russian factor has never affected Carolina, hello Federov. The high end potential is too much to ignore.

14. Edmonton Oilers - Anton Lundell - C - LIIGA HIFK
KH/Wright always jump at the opportunity for a faller. Here yeee'arhh

15. Toronto Mapleleafs - Kaiden Guhle - LD - WHL Prince Albert
Defense is always a priority and with the beating Toronto took by it's media/fan base for a lack of intensity. Guhle projects as a sign that that Dubas is listening.

16. Montreal Canadiens - Brendan Brisson - C/W - USHL Chicago
Wisconsin bound, and more importantly, no injury concerns. Headed to UofM with another top US draft eligble, should be ready to make an impact in 2-3 years.

17. Chicago Hockey Club - Dylan Holloway - C - BigTen Wisconsin
Yannick Perrault im sure attempted to bring his son Jacob into the pipeline, but the Wisconsin/Chicago fan base would shoot them for not taking the Toews predecessor.

18. New Jersey Devils - William Wallinder - D - SWE MODO
Pure size and skating. A unique prospect that needs time to mature and fill out.

19. Calgary Flames - Connor Zary - C/LW - WHL Kamloops
For a historically physical team, speed isn't a deterence when looking at a kid. The compete level mixed with the skill level screams future Flame. Ala Monahan.

20. New Jersey Devils - Helge Grans - D - SHL Malmo
Double dipped in Sweden on D. They need the help and the value is here.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets - Thomas Bordeleau - RW - USHL USDP
Cole Caufield 2.0 but instead of Wisconsin, he's going to Ann Arbor with Brisson.

22. New York Rangers - Dawson Mercer - RW - QMJHL Drummondsville
Lafreniere brings a certain level of intensity, as does Mercer in a very similar way. Kris Versteeg is a name that comes to mind when looking at Mercer.

23. Philadelphia Flyers - Jacob Perrault - C/W - OHL Sarnia
Flyers get themselves a shooter, good size and NHL bloodlines. The comparisons between Holloway/Perrault internally for Chicago will go on for years to come. Flyers make out like bandits this deep into the first.

24. Colorado Avalanche - Hendrix LaPierre - C - QMJHL Chicoutimi
The rich keep getting richer. With the injury concerns and shortned season, you're really going out on a limb going into the draft. No team can afford to take that risk more than Colorado. If all pans out will be a great replacement for Nadri at the very least.

25. Washington Capitals - Jan Mysak - C - OHL Hamilton
The Capitals have always beat to their own drum in the draft and they see ultra skilled Czech slowly slipping their way. BPA meets Value.

26. St Louis Blues - Braden Schneider - RD - WHL Brandon
He fit's the aura of the Blues. It's the same team that drafted Jackman, Parayko, Edmundson and even took a gamble on DETs Nedomlel. They like their big d-men.

27. Anaheim Ducks - Tyson Foerster - C/RW OHL Barrie
Perfetti and Zegras, throw in Foerster to snipe in all the loose offense that they create. That trio has all the potential in the world to exceed whatever Getzlaf/Perry/Ryan had in their prime.

28. Ottawa Senators - Ryan O'Rourke - LD - OHL Soo
A natural leader with a nasty streak. Fits the current make-up, could potentially be the saftey gap that lets Drysdale rip a little move freely.

29. Vegas Golden Knights - Mavrik Bourque - RW - QMJHL Shawinigan
Vegas just slurps up the sloppy seconds and keep getting richer because of it. Bourque is a little bit slept on in this draft class. Where Krebs fell in their laps last yaer, Bourque does the same this year.

30. Dallas Stars - Marat Khusnutdinov - C - KHL SKA
Nill comes from a long line of long planning and putting players in places, not exactly swinging for the fences ever. Marat having all the tools to be a projectible NHL center is a TYPICAL Nill pick.

31. San Jose Sharks - Emil Andrea - RD - SWE HV71
Ryan Merkley cemented the fact that they are not scared of size on the back end or characther issues. Where most assume smaller swedes are soft, Emil makes up for his height with extreme competitiveness. Has that Zidlicky-esque physicality to his game.

2nd Round

Detroit Red Wings - Lukas Reichel - LW - DEL Berlin

Ottawa Senators - Ridley Greig - C - WHL Brandon

San Jose Sharks - John Jason Peterka - LW - DEL Munchen

Los Angeles Kings - Noel Gunler - RW - SHL Lulea

Anaheim Ducks - Justin Barron - RD - QMJHL Halifax

Nashville Predators - Roni Hirvonen - C - Liiga Assat

Buffalo Sabres - Ozzy Wiesblatt - C/RW - WHL Price Albert

Minnesota Wild - Jeremie Poirier - LD - QMJHL Saint John

Winnipeg Jets - Theodore Niederbach - C - SHL Frolunda

Carolina Hurricanes - Topi Niemela - D - Liiga Karpat

Nashville Predators - Luke Evangelista - RW - OHL London

Florida Panthers - Daniil Gushchin - RW - USHL Muskegon

Toronto Mapleleafs - Sam Colangelo - RW - USHL Chicago

Detroit Red Wings - Will Cuylle - LW - OHL Windsor

Chicago Blackhawks - Tyler Kleven - LD - USHL UDSP

Montreal Canadiens - Brock Faber - LD - USHL UDSP

Montreal Canadiens - Daniel Torgersson - LW - SWE Frolunda

Arizone Coyotes - Idiots

Calgary Flames - Lukas Cormier - D - QMJHL Charlottetown

Los Angeles Kings - Joni Jurmo - D - Liiga Jokerit

Ottawa Senators - Daemon Hunt - D - WHL Moose Jaw

Carolina Hurricanes - Jake Neighbours - LW - WHL Edmonton

Philadelphia Flyers - Eemil Viro - D - Liiga TPS

San Jose Sharks - Wyatt Kaiser - D - HS-MN Andover

Detroit Red Wings - Donovan Sebrango - D - OHL Kitchner

Montreal Canadiens - Vasili Ponomaryov - C - QMJHL - Shawinigan

Boston Bruins - Jean Luc Foudy - RW - OHL Windsow

Ottawa Senators - Zion Nybeck - LW - SHL HV71

Los Angeles Kings - Luke Tuch - LW USHL USDP

Ottawa Senators - Shakir Mukhamadullin - D - KHL Ufa

Tampa Bay Lightining - Ty Smilanic - C - USHL USDP

3rd Round

Detoit Red Wings - Dylan Peterson - C - USHL - USDP

Ottawa Senators - Nico Daws - G - OHL Guelph

Detroit Red Wings - Michael Benning - RD - AJHL Sherwood Park

DETROITS 3 ROUND MOCK.

Detroit Red Wings - Jake Sanderson - LD - USHL USDP

Detroit Red Wings - Lukas Reichel - LW - DEL Berlin

Detroit Red Wings - Will Cuylle - LW - OHL Windsor

Detroit Red Wings - Donovan Sebrango - D - OHL Kitchner

Detoit Red Wings - Dylan Peterson - C - USHL - USDP

Detroit Red Wings - Michael Benning - RD - AJHL Sherwood Park

Sports Illustrated NBA Draft Big Board (only including big men)

*I have copied and pasted the description of player listed as Power Forwards and Centers among the top 60 players from this big board.*
3. James Wiseman, C, Memphis | Freshman
Height: 7' 1" | Weight: 245 | Age: 19 | Previous Rank: 3
As a seven-footer with plus physical tools, an ideal frame, and room for growth in the skill department, Wiseman checks some key boxes that still matter in the NBA, despite the fact all but the best centers have been somewhat devalued. Investing in him as a top-five pick, in essence, requires belief that he ends up in the upper echelon at his position. He played just three games at Memphis before an NCAA suspension led to his eventual exit. Wiseman’s size will almost certainly make him a defensive deterrent in the paint, he’ll run the floor and rebound, and should be competent finishing around the rim. He has potential to shoot but will need to take a huge leap in skill to be worth playing through on offense. Still, there’s an attractive production floor here, and Wiseman is probably going to be a productive, starting-caliber center, if not a franchise-altering star.
5. Obi Toppin, F/C, Dayton | Sophomore
Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 220 | Age: 22 | Previous Rank: 10
Toppin’s stock has risen to the point where he’s essentially a lock to go top-five, and he’s viewed as more of a sure thing in a relatively thin lottery class, with some teams willing to overlook his age and prioritize the here-and-now offensive contributions. Keeping perspective here is important—Toppin needs to add lower body strength and doesn’t move all that well laterally, which may eventually lead to him getting hunted on defense. He’s going to be more of a face-up big than low-post scorer, and his continued ability to hit corner threes and finish at a good clip is essential to his long-term success. Toppin is probably best off at power forward alongside a defensive-minded big. But there’s a good chance he’s ready to contribute immediately, and if everything translates, he could certainly justify an early pick.
8. Onyeka Okongwu, C, USC | Freshman
Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 245 | Age: 19 | Previous Rank: 8
Okongwu is ready to help an NBA team right now from a defensive standpoint, and teams generally view him as a winning player, thanks to a strong understanding of his role and willingness to do the dirty work inside. He runs the floor well, covers ground defensively, and was consistent all season for a USC team that sorely needed it. Okongwu lacks elite size and length for his position, but that should matter less as the league trends toward smaller lineups. Taking him early in the draft requires belief that he’ll continue to add to his offensive skill set, whether it’s as an interior playmaker or floor-spacer. Still, Okongwu’s productivity and the fact that he doesn’t need his number called to impact a game should make him a valuable supporting piece, particularly for teams that already feature ball-dominant scorers.
11. Patrick Williams, F, Florida State | Freshman
Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 225 | Age: 19 | Previous Rank: 12
Williams has as much upside as most of the other players in the lottery, with a great frame and base set of skills that should add versatility on both ends of the floor. He’s not ready for major minutes, and a lot of his value involves projection, but as the youngest college player in the draft, it’s easy to take an optimistic tack, so long as a team can afford him time to develop. He’ll hold up fine defensively with his body type and mobility and should be able to guard slower wings as well smaller bigs. Williams’ offensive future is a bit less clear and tied to how well his handle develops, but he’s shown encouraging signs as a shooter and has enough feel to fit in without issue. For a team that doesn’t need its first-round pick to play immediately, he looks like a worthy project and easy lottery option.
14. Precious Achiuwa, F/C, Memphis | Freshman
Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 225 | Age: 20 | Last Rank: 23
Achiuwa certainly looks the part in terms of tools and athletic ability, and while there are doubts about his overall feel, teams are enticed by his productivity, and there’s a pretty good chance he ends up in the lottery. He’s not a natural perimeter player, but the simple solution seems to be playing him in a lower-leverage role at center, at least to start, and asking him to run the floor, rebound, and cover the middle defensively. Achiuwa has always been a little too interested in moonlighting as a wing, but if he’s willing to buy in as a full-time big, it’s much easier to see him succeeding long-term. He’ll have to work hard on his jumper, but there’s a chance he shoots it effectively, which would add some versatility. Achiuwa is still mistake-prone on both ends, and he turns 21 this week. But with the NBA trending smaller, it isn’t hard to see him fitting in as a useful rotation player in the right situation.
21. Aleksej Pokusevski, F, Olympiacos
Height: 7' 0" | Weight: 200 | Age: 18 | Last Rank: 22
Oftentimes the “mystery man” designation feels cliché and unhelpful; Pokusevski wears it particularly well. He’s the youngest player in the draft and has unusual ball skills and shooting proficiency for someone his size, but he spent the past season in Greece’s second division, which was not a particularly challenging level. His upside is tied more to the splash plays than the productivity, and his physical frailty is a stumbling block for some scouts, as he’ll likely be ill-suited to playing on the interior. He has a clear knack for passing the ball, and there’s potential for his shot-blocking to translate if he adds enough strength, but he also takes a lot of bad shots and may need more time than most to adjust from a physical and competitive perspective. He’s likely to be drafted in the back half of the first round, and the expectation is that he’ll come to the NBA immediately and spend the year taking advantage of the weight room and other resources.
25. Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington | Freshman
Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 250 | Age: 19 | Last Rank: 25
Stewart was highly productive on a bad Washington team, which didn’t exactly help him from a draft perspective, but he remains appealing to teams due in large part to his motor, energy and work ethic. He has elite length in spite of not being particularly tall for a center and is willing to do the dirty work as a rebounder and defender, some of which was lost in the shuffle due to the Huskies’ 2-3 zone. Stewart sometimes struggles to finish plays and get off clean looks against guys who can counter his size, but there’s optimism that he’ll be able to shoot threes, and he’s not going to require tons of touches to be effective. There’s not star upside here, but the odds are good that Stewart keeps improving and carves out a solid career.
26. Xavier Tillman, C, Michigan State | Junior
Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 245 | Age: 21 | Last Rank: 28
There may not a better big in the draft than Tillman when it comes down to the small details, and his hard-nosed, smart approach to interior play is tailor-made for an NBA role. His strength and balance help compensate for his lack of height, and he should be able to give teams immediate help off the bench with his defensive chops, rebounding, playmaking and screen-setting. Tillman isn’t a great jump shooter, nor is he a particularly skilled scorer, but he does so many other things well that it may not matter a ton. His range starts around here and ends around No. 40, which makes him a strong bet to deliver value.
30. Tyler Bey, PF, Colorado | Junior
Height: 6' 7" | Weight: 215 | Age: 22 | Last Rank: 32
Bey offers some real role-player intrigue as a potentially useful big in small-ball lineups, as a high-energy rebounder and play finisher with some untapped ability. He’s not a great shooter, but also not a non-shooter, and he’s athletic enough to defend some wings as well as smaller bigs. Bey may enable his team to play small and fast without commanding touches, and if he’s able to eventually space the floor, it’s not hard to see him having utility off the bench. He’s one of the more unorthodox players in the draft, but it’s hard to see a team taking him without a plan to optimize him accordingly, which bodes well.
31. Jalen Smith, C, Maryland | Sophomore
Height: 6' 10" | Weight: 225 | Age: 20 | Last Rank: 39
Although Smith is likely to be selected in the first round at this point, he’s more of a situational fit on a team in particular need of a floor-spacing big. Optimistically, he fits a useful archetype as a center who can shoot threes and block shots, but his limited mobility and balance may be problematic and hamper his ability to play in traffic. Maryland played a slower pace that insulated Smith in the half-court defensively, but he’ll be asked to defend more in space moving forward, and he doesn’t read and recover all that well when pulled away from the basket. Given his lack of lift in tight spaces and rudimentary finishing skills, Smith will have to improve his shooting enough to make it work as a pick-and-pop five. If it clicks, he has a pathway to utility as a rotational big.
35. Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke | Freshman
Height: 6' 10" | Weight: 270 | Age: 19 | Last Rank: 33
Carey was highly productive as a freshman, and while he’s not where the NBA is headed, his size, strength and rebounding ability should work in his favor. He’s still pretty young, has room to improve his body and has potential to shoot the ball adequately from outside, which could make him a fairly useful player. Carey isn’t especially skilled as a finisher against bodies, and he relies heavily on going to his left hand and drawing contact, which probably limits some of his offensive utility for the time being. Carey blocks shots well within his area, but given his average lateral mobility and length, teams are skeptical as to how well he’ll actually defend in space when opponents inevitably try to make him hedge and recover. Still, there’s time for him to figure it out, and his Duke pedigree should keep him from free falling.
38. Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville | Junior
Height: 6' 7" | Weight: 220 | Age: 22 | Last Rank: 38
Although Nwora wasn’t as consistent as he probably should have been last season, he remains one of the best pure shooters in this draft, which shouldn’t be undersold. It’s easy to nitpick the flaws here, as he’s not an elite athlete or great defender, but he’s a solid rebounder with good size, and teams will primarily ask him to space the floor and make simple plays. Some of the issues at Louisville should be mitigated by the fact that defenses won’t be keying on him as much in the NBA. If a team has the framework to cover for Nwora on defense, he’s a strong value play in the early second round. His jumper is worth the gamble.
40. Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas | Senior
Height: 6' 11" | Weight: 275 | Age: 21 | Last Rank: 48
Thanks to his sheer enormity, Azubuike was extremely effective by the end of his Kansas career, and by simple dint of being huge, there may be a place for him as a situational center in the NBA. His strength and massive wingspan are effective deterrents to keep opponents out of the paint, and while he’ll never be able to switch onto guards or play creative coverages, it’s conceivable he could fill a 10-15 minute per-game role on a team that values his rebounding and ability to eat space. Azubuike is an abysmal free throw shooter and his jumper will probably never be a threat, so he kind of is what he is at this point. But with more teams starting to employ a center-by-committee approach, he’s a decent low-cost option and comes with some built-in role clarity.
44. Zeke Nnaji, C, Arizona | Freshman
Height: 6' 11" | Weight: 240 | Age: 19 | Last Rank: 31
A physical rebounder who was effective as a freshman relying primarily on his soft touch and opportunistic scoring in the paint, Nnaji brings energy and a little upside, but his physical stiffness, lack of length and limited ball skills are somewhat concerning. He’s a decent shooter who may be able to stretch the floor, but he doesn’t offer much else in terms of offensive growth potential right now, and he may not be able to live off putbacks in the same fashion. Nnaji also struggles to protect the rim and is a bit behind defensively, which may limit his ability to center competent lineups. There’s room for growth here if Nnaji can work himself into a legitimate stretch big, but it’ll take a lot of work to get there.
47. Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota | Sophomore
Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 240 | Age: 20 | Last Rank: 45
Oturu was highly productive this season, but also benefited greatly from being a high-minute, high-volume post player on a team with few consistent offensive options. Projecting forward, the question becomes how valuable he will against better competition if you were to limit his post-up touches and ask him to fill a rim-running role. Oturu is a powerful athlete but lacks the ideal size and skill level for an NBA five, and he can be somewhat of a black hole when catching the ball in the paint. He does have potential to shoot, and if he can space the floor, rebound and finish effectively, he could be a viable option. But the general replaceability of centers and his lack of an elite skill makes him a trickier sell.
48. Paul Reed, F/C, DePaul | Junior
Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 220 | Age: 21 | Last Rank: 46
Reed has an intriguing statistical profile and has some attractive traits as a prospect, but was a bit of mixed bag over the course of the season and played worse down the back stretch, as DePaul descended into mediocrity. Defensively, Reed has a lot to offer in terms of blocking shots, rebounding and impacting plays. But his motor comes and goes, and he can still be prone to fouls and mental mistakes. He’s toolsy, but a little awkward athletically, and he lacks the requisite feel to play much on the perimeter, making him a bit of a narrower lineup fit. Reed’s defensive impact and occasional flashes of brilliance should be enough to get him drafted, but he’s probably more of a project than advertised.
49. Killian Tillie, PF, Gonzaga | Senior
Height: 6' 10" | Weight: 220 | Age: 22 | Last Rank: 47
Tillie’s long list of lower-body injuries has created a level of medical concern that’s hampered his stock as a prospect over the years. But he was almost always effective when healthy, and he might be the most natural shooter of all the bigs in this draft. Granted, his slender body type is a negative, and at this point his frame won’t improve much. He’s not very long and may not be able to add a ton of strength, which will probably limit his contributions to the perimeter. But Tillie’s activity level is solid, his ability to space the floor is legit, and he’s a better athlete than he gets credit for. Tillie is worth a flier if his medical checks out, and in this part of the draft, the risk is mitigated.
53. Kaleb Wesson, C, Ohio State | Junior
Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 270 | Age: 21 | Last Rank: 50
Wesson put together a strong year after slimming down in the offseason. He anchored Ohio State’s offense admirably with his post play, perimeter shooting and above-average passing skills. While he’s still somewhat inconsistent and isn’t much of a rim protector given his size and limited verticality, his skill level and consistent jumper are still notable. He’s a high-level passer for his position, but there are very few bigs worth playing through at the NBA level, so he’s probably better suited as a short-roll and high ball-screen player. Ideally, Wesson will pair with a more mobile frontcourt player who can cover for him at the rim. But in the right system, he has a chance to stick.
55. Reggie Perry, F/C, Mississippi State | Sophomore
Height: 6' 10" | Weight: 250 | Age: 20 | Last Rank: 68
Perry has great physical tools and has been highly productive the past two seasons, but he lacks the level of feel and on-court awareness that would make him a surefire draftable player. He did earn a combine invite last season and has some fans around the league, but his shot selection and consistency have always left something to be desired, and his struggles also persist on the defensive end in terms of positioning and impact. He’s shown potential to shoot and has the type of frame teams like to gamble on. But he’s looking at a second-round selection as things stand.
58. Paul Eboua, F/C, Pesaro
Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 215 | Age: 20 | Last Rank: 64
Elite physical tools alone make Eboua a potential second-round stash candidate as a powerful, athletic frontcourt piece worth developing in case his skill set ever clicks. Scouts question how good his feel for the game is, and his ideal long-term role might be at center, where his athletic advantage might create mismatches against slower bigs. Eboua’s ability to rim-run and beat basically anyone up and down the floor is noteworthy. In an energy role, it’s possible he’ll eventually succeed, but his feel and ball skills aren’t great. His highlights tend to mask his overall poor efficiency, and he’s an inconsistent jump shooter who will need time to grow into a more confined role.

The Frugal Capitalist - a consumerist FI/RE story

I would like to think my FI journey has been unique. I’m a super spender in every sense of the word. I’m also pretty much in the middle of the FIRE journey and that isn’t something I see written about often. There are lots of stories of those in their last year, should I or shouldn’t I pull the trigger, those in their first few years of full retirement, and beginners. However, I’ve noticed a lack of those that are pretty much in the middle, maybe not even that serious about FIRE as a driving goal, but instead use the principles to be a better capitalist.
My story has nothing out of the ordinary beyond some rational choices and being overly conservative with our money, and an overwhelming desire to build businesses. We may not make it to FIRE early in life; we are having children and FIRE is not our number one concern or priority. As I’ve earned more I’ve absolutely let lifestyle inflation happen and we are 100% ok with that. The reason I wanted to tell my story was to tell the story of how these principals will always improve your situation at nearly every income level and I dream of a society (American) that can begin to see beyond the now.
\Before we begin, anytime I write something that shows I had/have extreme privilege, I promise I feel it and much as you see it. It would just be exhausting to call it out every time so consider this my one acknowledgement that I have had it WAY better than almost everyone in human history and I do feel guilty about that most of the time.*
I’m 35 years old and my wife is 30 and as of today we are roughly 60% of the way to FI/RE with a baby on the way.
I grew up in a lower middle class household in the midwest in a town you’ve never heard of but you’ve seen dozens of them. Both my wife and my childhoods were pretty traditional for the time in middle America, but most of this post will be from my perspective. For middle America it didn’t feel like we had much, but we had enough at all times. We were absolutely paycheck to paycheck, but there was some excessive spending and a gambling addiction. Divorced Parents when I was young enough to have really vague memories, but all in all I would say it falls right at an average American childhood in the 80s-2000s
My exposure to money was basically watch and learn. I had a bank account setup when I was old enough and told to save some everytime I made money “pay yourself first”. Something my parents didn’t really do much of, but at least they knew enough to try and teach me that. From there I was on my own and learned some bad habits, even though I always knew I shouldn’t be spending I just did it anyway. No matter how insane a purchase I made felt, there were others out there doing it way stupider, but being praised for it more. I began to embrace the research process to get the best thing that’s also the best value. Cars had a sweet spot at 4 years old from lease turn ins. I learned I could buy a 4 year old, low mileage lease, drive it for a year and sell it private party a year later for what I paid. My average age for owning a car must be like 9 months, but I have only had 1 or 2 instances where I lost a lot on a car. I began applying these principals of Capitalism to everything from bikes, to lodging (sleeping in my car), to growing my own food vs buying it. Nothing was off limits in the pursuit of living a life of luxury that was outside my income. See I wasn’t trying to live frugally for the sake of living frugally. I was doing it for the purposes of getting all the best and most luxurious things cheaper than the average consumer pays for the ordinary.
Some perspective, because frugality is a spectrum and I’m on the extreme end (spendy).
When I’m into something I go for the absolute best, every time. Some examples of things I bought before I was 25 while never making more than $50,000 a year and sometimes way less:

Almost the best gaming computer you could buy at the time - pretty much didn’t hold back here. I wanted a VR racing sim and I got one, but I spent months researching all the most cost effective components for the money.
Between 8 and 11 different cars from age 16-25 - see description above
High end triathlon equipment - The sweet spot for bikes is pretty much anything other than new. I can’t think of any market that has a worse resale value than bikes. Buy it 1 year used from some dude on pinkbike and you’ll pay 40% of retail.
Registrations for races some at $500+ events, plus travel for 2-3 days, multiple times each year. - Slept in my car a lot before these races. Even would make sure and stick around to the end of each event and offer to take home the unused food. Each race I did I would average - 1 weeks worth of bananas, tons of granola bars, as much as I could carry of some sponsor that had a new product they wanted people to try. There are some races I did where I brought home more money in food than the entry fee of the race.
Designer furniture barely used (picked it up in my old van from the biggest house I’ve ever been in. My wife and I were terrified moving it for fear of breaking something we couldn’t afford to replace) The 2 couches we bought retailed for over $10,000. We paid $800….. In cash. Still have them in a rental unit today. They look great for their age as they are extremely well built.

I was starting to think that nothing made sense. For the most part, I knew what my friends made; most of the time it was more than I was making and somehow I always had more, newer and cooler stuff than them, but they were the ones struggling with money. I almost never struggled with money even for the years I was near the poverty line for my income while taking on student loan debt or during a 4 month stretch of job loss where I was denied unemployment.
I really only saved for the short term. I would save for a goal, buy whatever that goal was depleting my savings or investments then repeat. I learned early on that having cash on hand would always get me the best deal and therefore made my meager salary go farther.
It wasn’t until I was around my mid 20s when a conservative and rich aunt told me about Dave Ramsey that I really started to embrace what FI/RE was and could be.
It’s hard to explain my relationship to DR, but what he was saying was truly life changing, but not for the reason that most people say DR changes their life. DR didn’t teach me a new way to look at money, he was simply the first person to even think remotely similar about money as I did. That at almost every income level, spending less than you make is really all that matters. If you live by that principal and apply a loose plan you should at least be able to survive in our current society. Up until this point in my life I felt I was the only person who felt I was doing well with money and I didn’t think I was doing that well. I always felt my spending was out of control and I could be so much more frugal. I actually remember the exact event that made me stop having debt when I was at my lowest NW.
I went to sign up for the Pigman triathlon short course, it was my favorite race and they did it twice a year. It was 90 minutes away from home so it was a perfect weekend trip for me. I went to register and didn’t have the $65 to write a check (yep, I’m old). I was going to put it on my credit card, but couldn’t find my wallet. I knew the number was printed on the statement so I went and opened the mail it was in. The amount of interest I was paying that month was something like $71. I got so pissed that if I had no debt I would have had the money to go do my race. I swore off debt at that moment and never looked back.
I was learning the FI and Dave Ramsey principals through an expensive trial and error process, but it was when I read DR’s book that it gave me justification that my instincts had been right about money and this guy proved to me that it works. I felt he was wrong about a few things, namely his aversion to credit cards never made any sense to me; later his conflicts of interest with investing. I hate debt far more than is rational, but credit cards are not debt and making 2% on every purchase for no additional effort? That’s foolish because it requires no additional effort in my daily life and has an immediate return.
From there I went on to Mr Money Mustache.This was my guy. Not only did I agree with him on a lot of stuff, but he was cool. Even if I was not making all the same choices he suggested I could at least follow his logic of thinking on nearly all of them. His suggestions always made me have an internal question of “Yeah, a minivan is the most logical vehicle for money savings” That’s how I ended up with a Honda Odyssey. However, I still was using these savings to be able to afford a more expensive lifestyle in the hobbies I loved and luxury is the rest of my life. From there I dove in deep into FI/RE blogs and knew that my next savings goal to add should be early retirement, and while it wouldn’t always be the number 1 goal or even a major priority, it would always be on the list. That was 9 years ago and is as close a start date as I can guess.
After digesting all the information I could I decided to go the “large income route” to achieve FI/RE. I love buying shit too much to lean fire so I knew the only shot I had was to get my income way up. It basically needed to double. When we decided to start my wife was still in college and I was working a lower paying accounting job and working part time at a running specialty store. I had also just started an additional part-time contract job timing races across the midwest. Between us we were making around $40,000 a year. Still living pretty large on that in our small, but insanely affordable condo.
Since I sorta had a gig economy work/life including one that was a 40 hour a week full time job I knew that going all in on working was my answer to FI/RE. I was not short on opportunities to make money, and I just needed time to do them all. I started with my accounting job. I was still pretty new to the accounting field with only 6 years of experience up to that point. Rather than try to earn more I took the gamble of working for a non-profit for $26,000 a year. In it for me was being 25 years old and having the title of Accounting Manager, managing a multi-million dollar budget, reporting to a board of directors, and having a small staff. From where I am today in my accountingcareer I can draw a direct line back to accepting that very low salary for a position I was under qualified for and figuring it out as I went.
The person I replaced was retiring so the systems were…..ancient to say the least. After learning the way the old guard did things I immediately began automating everything; tuition payments, contributions, tax documents to donors, reporting to the board, and anything else I could automate I did. This had the surprising effect of making me bored as hell most days.
It took me about 6 months to turn a 40 hour a week job done by hand into about 12 accomplishing even more tasks. In the beginning I fucked around but that gets old quick. Playing Hearthstone or Diablo for 6 hours a day in your office isn’t as fun as it sounds, trust me on that. I was working a couple part time jobs at this point, all of which were in my passion topic of racing, running, and outdoors. The problem was that I was so bored during the day that I wasn’t motivated to do much of anything the rest of the time.
It was important for me to always be in my office during business hours to help or answer questions, but as long as I met all my deadlines and my Board was happy with my performance, always made the non-profit the priority when I was there; then I felt comfortable spending the rest of my time there focusing on starting my own business. If it became too much I would drop the business before my boss even knew something was happening or off.
I applied all this additional time into focusing on Race Timing and Race Management. I had spent the last 7 years or so racing at these events any chance I got. It was one of my favorite places to be so the idea of being able to be PAID to be there? I was very entranced by this line of work. Through some connections I had made at events I started working for a guy who was kind of a prick but had the industry knowledge I needed. I worked for him for pretty cheap - $250 per event that I worked. This meant that I would leave after work on Friday, drive between 2-4 hours, sometimes stay overnight (slept in car), would work the event by myself and drive home to be back to work Monday morning. I was learning a lot and especially a lot of what NOT to do in business from the company owner. He was the definition of small business. It was just himself and sometimes he would hire friends or family to work these events with him. He hired me as a contractor on a per event basis and for the entire time I worked for him he only ever hired a couple of my friends when I said I needed help.
This guy was very smart and knew the technology better at the time than I do still almost 10 years later, but he was a fucking trainwreck. Here are some of my ‘favorite’ highlighted memories:

At a charity event for a Lung Cancer charity he got into a screaming match with the Fire Chief who was the top fundraiser - he was never allowed to return and I still work this event to this day.
He would send out new “employees” with almost 0 training. This was at a time where learning to time a race was a very difficult process where you must follow precise instructions. My first event I worked for him I had a 1-30 minute training session at his house and was told to call him if I had any trouble. He was working a race that same day and had no cell service. Results should take minutes to produce - took me 2 hours that day and it was basically me stumbling through some very old help documents.
He would never invoice - eventually I took over this part for him as an accountant. He had some clients he hadn’t invoiced for 18 months.
He never responded to clients and would be SUPER rude. They would ask something simple in an email like “Will you be bringing a clock we can use?” His response would be some swearing and then a response like “NO, if you would read the contract we charge an additional $50 for a clock.”
My tally of annual, good money, contracts he lost for being a total dick was 11.
Likely the same contracts lost for not communicating or forgetting something the customer ordered or some other catastrophic failure (ex. Inflatable finish line, clock, equipment that would break because he didn’t maintain it, etc)

I learned almost everything I know about how to run a business and the way I operate today from watching him during this “apprenticeship”. I was taking races every weekend they were available cause $250 was a lot of money and working a bunch had the added benefit of not spending as much. Once I started to do his accounting I learned this guy is making FUCKING bank. This bumbling fool is making north of $200,000 a year in this business and he can’t even invoice people or just be polite. One event a year that we did together I was getting paid $250 and he was clearing $15,000.
This motivated me so much. I saw the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The curtain had been pulled back. I saw a hole in the marketplace and I was going to fill it.
I was saving as much of my timing money and running store money as I could. I went from saving $0 for retirement at 24ish to saving about $8,000 a year. I knew it wasn’t going to be enough and so I just kept committing to working more and more, and at this point I was just saving to start a business. FIRE principles applied to our life, but really only for the goal of investing in a business. After a few years of some job moves in Accounting to timing more events, to doing the finances for the running store I had gained a sizable amount of knowledge and set forth on a huge life change.
I was going to start my own race timing business and move to where the races are, where I’ve always wanted to be, Colorado.
We made the move happen in a frugal way, staying with family here while my wife stayed with my folks for 6 weeks (she’s a saint). This was the only way we could afford this move, and was to save every penny possible along the way. We sold our beautiful house in Iowa for $150,000, exactly what we paid and bought a $300,000 fixer up that when the wind blew made the whole house shake. Double the money and a way worse house.
I quickly found a full time job that would pay the bills; one I was also able to automate and optimize to give me more time throughout the day. From there I spent all my free time building another new race business. From everything I learned from my ‘mentor’ I knew everything I didn’t want to do so I decided to model the business around some basic principles:

We will not compete on price - we will never be the cheapest option
We will do anything a client asks, if I cannot do it, I will find them a referral I trust(within reason)
We pay our staff at least double the industry average
We are always available to help by phone, text, email (within reason)
We will do everything in our power to make your event as good as we possibly can
We only bid on events we want to do or believe in - Currently we only bid on about 50% of RFPs we receive

My theory was simple. If we charge way above the amount where everyone is fighting over margins, we can hire the best and afford to give each client a ton of attention to detail. An event planner is busy, they don’t want to think about the timer. If they are worrying about you then you fucked up.
We started slow, but my margins were strong enough that I was squeezing out around $50,000 a year my first year. I bought all my equipment for cash based on my hatred of debt. This allowed me a ton of freedom to pick and choose the work I wanted to do. It also started my reputation of “They are good, but you’ll pay for it.” A compliment I could not be more proud of.
All along the way I’ve always had an accounting job full-time to which I follow the same plan I’ve done for the last 12 years.

Find a full-time job and be open with them on expectations
- I own a small business
- This full-time job will always come first when I am here
- I will never miss a deadline, appointment, or commitment for this job
- I have avoided large companies for this reason. My accounting life has been in small businesses and nonprofits. I’ve found those to be the most understanding and flexible. If you find the right small business owner they won’t dislike you having a side business; they will respect you for being a motherfucking hustla.
I learn the job and then spend all my time automating and simplifying every task, down to small and seemingly insignificant.
Now with a reduced time load at this main source of income I focus on other money making pursuits.

All along the way I was still involved at the retail store I discussed earlier. Since I’m never one to turn down someone paying me for work I did accounting and consulting for this retail store. Through a series of circumstances I took full ownership of this company in November 2019. (I did pay for it, but it was the result of an untimely death of a close friend. A situation that I wasn’t planning on for many years to come.)
As of today FIRE principles have helped me build a very privileged life. My events business is 100% shut down, but it doesn’t matter. I was able to pay my employees a sizable lump sum each for not working this year and since I run the business with no debt we only have $800 a month in liabilities. Compare this to some of my friends in the industry who have multiple leases on cargo vans,a warehouse they rent, six figure debt on equipment; I don’t think many of them will survive this.
The Running Specialty store I now own is in the exact same situation. Our one competitor in town is struggling because they have very high rent and are part of a franchise. I purchased our building and we pay cash for our inventory. My fixed expenses are very low and since my front line staff is working during a pandemic I just gave raises to everyone, averaging about 20%.
As of today I’m about 50% of the way to FI. I could likely just quit my accounting job and live from my businesses but I see no reason to do that. I’m having too much fun and have really been enjoying my money. I think the uniqueness of my approach is that I embrace a lot of modern culture but just attempt to do it in a more frugal way. Like most 30somethings that get a taste of success I made sure to buy a sports car. I’ve been into cars my whole life and it’s my greatest weakness for sure. Rather than go to a dealership I bought an immaculate 2004 911. After fixing some mechanical issues which made the purchase price cheap I only have about $30,000 in the car. It’s worth about $35,000 now. I think Mr Money Mustache would beat the shit out of me for buying that, but I got the dream car I had on my wall as a kid AND it’s costing me very little compared to my income, net worth and the fact that I learned everything I could about the 911 market and bought something worth more than I paid.
The major changes that have happened in the last 6 months are really what motivated me to write all of this down, because so much of what I knew in FI/RE has changed, and it feels like it’s all for the better.
There is no denying I’m a workaholic. The only thing I can say is that I really do love the grind. I’m friends with most of my clients at this point and owning a running store is like the coolest thing in the world. What changed in the last few months was my approach to investing.
As my income has risen, and there have been no new businesses for me to start since my time was pretty optimizely spent; my investments just kept growing.
6 months ago I was sitting on $200,000 in pre tax and $300,000 in after tax and savings.
I always felt that I can quit my accounting job and focus on my businesses when I hit $1,000,000 net worth. The thing that doesn’t get discussed much is that $500,000 in investments is a super boring spot to be.
For a person like myself who likes to be in charge of his own destiny seeing that $300,000 in after tax move with the market was annoying. I wanted it to go faster, but also I just felt so not in control. COVID has proved to me that I’m comfortable with the market for long term goals, but it’s dog shit for an entrepreneur that likes to see their money work. I believe in the market 100% and I’ll always keep my pre-tax money in low cost index funds, but I also believe in myself and it turns out I believe in myself way more than I believe in the market.
I have had rental properties in the past and was very happy with how I did. Even had some major issues that I fixed, appliances broke, water heater flooded and I needed to replace the floor, etc. No big deal, YouTube these days and you can do almost anything and just hire a pro when it’s something critical like electrical work that I’m not comfortable with.
One of the reasons I avoided real estate for so long was the HCOL here in Northern CO. It’s stupid here and you won’t make money unless you get in the vacation rental business and that’s just not for me. I’m a lazy workaholic at my core- I look at maximum return for the least effort. At the time I was trying to solve this problem I had a new creeping problem. The running store I owned was 13 hours away in my hometown and I was getting tired of coming back to work staying at either of my parents. Not because we don’t get along, it’s just a lot to ask of older parents. Plus there is an obligation to do a lot of socializing when I’m there to work plus working remote for other jobs it’s just better to have some space of my own.
I do not make enough to afford a proper second home. Also, that would defeat the entire purpose of purchasing the running store in the first place. Why bother if there is a 3 year break even just to afford a place to stay when I’m there, doesn't make sense.
Looking at non-traditional options I found a cabin in the woods that was fully furnished for $55,000. It was adorable, secluded, hard to access, right on the water and perfect. A house in my hometown at $55,000 would have been an absolute shit hole likely with bullet holes. This is in amazing shape, a 55 minute peaceful drive to my store and everything I love about nature.
The drive is not a big deal since I’m only there roughly 6 weeks a year. We also decided that is where we will spend 100% of our family vacations. I’ve spent the last decade travelling for work. Unlike most FI/RE folks I have little to no interest in travel to foreign lands. My own little slice of secluded land where I can hunt and fish is all I’ll ever need. Henry David Thoreau once wrote “I quite think I would enjoy a quiet life in the woods.” We paid cash.
Owning a property near my hometown and the location of my business opened up an opportunity to work my savings even better. I immediately started looking for rental properties. Applying my rules of least effort for my return and looking at many properties I settled on a beautifully remodeled 3 br condo, a $130 a month HOA fee to do all maintenance and made a cash offer of $122,500. Yes, it is mathematically better for me to leverage into a mortgage, trust me I know this I’m an accountant. My decision to pay cash is a risk aversion strategy to the max. Limiting how much I pay in interest goes back to that guy who couldn’t register for a race because I had to pay interest. Now, if it takes me a couple months to find a tenant at some point it doesn’t matter to me financially. That has value to me and it’s more valuable than the leverage a mortgage provides.
A little digging found that when these do come available to rent from other investors they are getting $1,300-$1,400 a month in rent for ones that are not remodeled. I’m confident I’ll be able to get these amounts which will earn me almost a 4x return over the rental market where we live in CO. Sure, a conventional life wouldn’t be to live in the mountains full time and have your cabin in Western Illinois, but it’s the most cost effective way to have both. I’ve found most people have their vacation homes or second homes in the opposite scenario financially. They live in the less desirable places and spend big bucks on the vacation home.
6 months ago I would have never guessed all of that was the plan, but the power of saving money has opened up so many opportunities for success in my life. As of today I’m casually looking for rental property number #2 in that area and I may try to learn how commercial financing works by putting 50% or more down while keeping the entire amount in a bond fund to pay off if it gets uncomfortable for me.
FIRE is no longer my primary goal. It would be nice to be able to walk away from my CFO position at some point; for now I like the insurance, salary and it’s a super fun job, so why leave? My goal now is diversification as that is what has worked for me to survive this pandemic and in nearly every life situation I’ve experienced.
If I had only done my events business when it got very successful I would be in trouble today as we have 0 clients, 0 revenue and no horizon for when that ends. Instead, we ran the business with FI principles and that business can just be dormant.
Same thing happened when retail was shut down. The month of March is usually our 2nd best month of the year, and this year we only did orders over the phone and delivered them, we were down 90% for 8 weeks. However, since I operate with no debt, we own the building and pay for inventory in cash we bled far less than our competitors. In fact, it has allowed us to take advantage of savings on reduced price inventory.
The last 2 months has seen me getting heavily into real estate from my after tax brokerage account. We were able to get a beautiful cabin by being the buyer who offered cash. There were other offers, some for more, but they all needed financing. Being overly conservative and having a large cash cushion is such a large contributor to success. It allows you to act from a place of confidence and action. When the deal is available, whether it’s business or personal you will be able to act and act first.
From here we are back to our usual ways. Every month we max 401ks & 457s, and then save whatever we don’t spend to keep buying more rentals. At some point I’ll stop buying them, but I can’t tell you when.
Whatever is left we spend on whatever we feel like. I’ve gotten a little out of control on vehicles lately. I keep talking about how much we spend and while I really don’t keep track here is one example so you know i’m not lying:
Current cars - I don’t count these in my networth but totalled it’s around $120,000
2004 911 4s
2016 Tesla Model X P90D
1987 Volvo 760 turbo
2017 Toyota Sienna Limited
I’ll be honest, even listing those out on a FI forum is embarrassing, but before 2020 we have never made more than $100,000 in a year. I just always save up for what I want, pay cash whenever possible and put significant effort into getting the best value.
I’m not as frugal as most of the people here, and I’m very comfortable with that. As long as I’m maxing my retirement accounts and investing in my businesses then I enjoy buying luxuries, toys and conveniences all the time.
Since it’s my favorite buy on my FI track here was my process from my “Should I buy a 911” spreadsheet.
Buying an exotic sports car is unheard of in the FI community, but it shouldn’t be. If it’s truly a hobby you love then my 911 is a steal.

911s are the most practical sports car - back seats, total cost of ownership, community with the Porsche club of America, can be driven on track with no modifications
911s are very reliable compared to almost any other exotic
911s really hold their value after their initial depreciation
Mine (2004 the 996 generation) is the cheapest by far of any generation and the reason is pretty much only because the headlights are ugly. 50% off compared to all other generations because of headlights…..it’s a thing, google it.(ok maybe the IMS, but it’s also fixable)
The market bottomed out a few years ago and prices are steadily rising, making it worth even more than I paid for it
It’s not an investment, but some research and knowledge let me punch way above my income levels for my mid-life crisis-mobile
It’s awesome. In high school I had a picture of the 2002 Turbo 911 ripped out of a MotorTrend held up with a magnet in my locker.

I’ve owned that car for almost a year, and spent almost a year researching before purchasing it and as of today I could sell it for roughly $5,000 more than I paid. Along with that I’ve had a blast every time I drive it and spend a lot of free time enjoying it. In every purchase I make I feel it’s important to maximize your value. So far the 911 is a great example of excess American consumption done right.
If we just keep our investments on auto-pilot I shouldn’t need to work anywhere (other than rental properties) in 10 years or less, at age 45 and 40. We could do it much sooner if we really wanted to adjust our lifestyle but for now, that doesn’t seem necessary. To me that’s the beauty of the FI/RE movement. It’s personal and no matter how much or little you embrace, every little change you make will improve your financial life.
Reading individual stories is my favorite part of this community and I sincerely hope you enjoyed mine.
****I was somewhat vague on details, but at some point I gave up and figure if someone wants to figure out who I am it won’t be tough****
TL;DR - Took FI/RE principles and applied them to become a very efficient spendy pants and will still finish early.

2020 Offseason Review Series - Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

Division: AFC North
Record: 6 - 10
Introduction
Hey everyone u/goingsouthhiker here to provide you more information than you ever wanted to know about the Cleveland Browns. My first distinct memory as a child is my fathers face in stunned silence as Ernest Byner fumbled at the goaline. I have been gifted through some sick hereditary defect a lifelong love of the Browns. so here you go.

Coaching Changes/GM Changes

Freddie Kitchens Fired
On December 29th, 2019, the Browns fired head coach Freddie Kitchens. This is the culmination of a coaching hire that seemed to be entirely based upon folksy blue collar catch phrases “if you don’t wear brown and orange, you don’t matter” and a good relationship with Baker Mayfield.
Some of Freddie's greatest hits included

4th and 9 - Draw Play
Madden Style 5 WR streaks from your own goal line
Send out the punt team on 4th-and-11 down 17 points in the fourth quarter to the New England Patriots, only to change his mind and take a deliberate false start rather than burn a timeout.
4th and 1 on the goal line and not have Nick Chubb on the field

John Dorsey Fired
On December 31st, 2019, the Browns and general manager John Dorsey mutually agreed to part ways after an up and down tenure that brought in a lot of talent but ultimately the decision to hire Kitchens and some questionable high draft picks sank him.

Kevin Stefanski Hired
On January 13th, 2020, the Browns hired former Minnesota Vikings' offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski as head coach. This is another first time head coach hire for the browns after an exhaustive coaching search. This hire is the one Paul Depodesta of Moneyball Fame banged the table for prior to the promotion of Kitchens so ultimately the nerds won the battle a year too late.

Andrew Berry Hired
On January 27th, 2020, the Browns hired former Philadelphia Eagles' vice president of football operations Andrew Berry as general manager. Berry previously served as the Browns' vice president of player personnel from 2016–18 under Sashi Brown. At age 32, Berry became the youngest general manager in NFL history.
Berry has been considered in league circles as the next great rising front office star even from his early days in Indianapolis. Ivy league educated and an analytics darling now paired again with Depodesta the Browns will be heavy into analytics and efficiency in their decision making.

Alex Van Pelt Hired
On January 29th 2020, the Browns hired former Cincinnati Bengals' quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator. Van Pelt, who served as offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2009, replaced Todd Monken, who was not retained by Stefanski.
Nobody is quite sure who will be calling plays on game day, The one thing going for this hire is when Van Pelt was the QB Coach for Green Bay Aaron Rodgers was super angry about Van Pelt being fired so there is that.

Joe Woods Hired
On February 7th 2020, the Browns hired former San Francisco 49ers' defensive backs coach Joe Woods as defensive coordinator. Woods, who previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2017–18, replaced Steve Wilks, who was not retained by Stefanski
Woods is a man of mystery he has coached just about every scheme in existence and has given the ever popular "We will tailor our defense to our personnel" answer every time somebody tries to get anything out of him in regards to what he plans to run in Cleveland.

Free Agency
Players lost/cut

Player	Position	New Team
Joe Schobert	LB	Jacksonville
Christian Kirksey	LB	Green Bay
Eric Kush	G	Las Vegas
Demetrius Harris	TE	Chicago
T.J. Carrie	CB	Indianapolis
Damarious Randall	S	Las Vegas
Greg Robinson	T	Prison
Rickey Seals Jones	TE	Kansas City
Adarius Taylor	LB	Released
Morgan Burnett	S	Released
Eric Murray	S	Houston

Going into the 2019 season the Browns defense had a lack of quality depth at LB and Safety. So naturally the first thing the Browns do in Free Agency is let go the remaining veteran players at LB and Safety. I can't say for certain this was a bad thing as you will see below.

Top Losses

Joe Shobert LB - Was a tackling machine and rare pro bowler on this team, however too many of those tackles were made 8-10 yards downfield on run plays. His coverage skills were raw as well so I get not paying him big money.
Christian Kirksey LB - This one hurts a bit not due to production on the field as Kirko was hurt a lot! But more so as he was that beloved master of the Dawg Check and was a great team guy.
Damarious Randall S - A solid player who the Browns converted back to Safety but was always a bit of a headcase. He will be remembered best as the player who intercepted a Bengals pass and handed the ball to Hue Jackson on the Bengals sideline.

Players Signed/Brought Back

Player	Position	Contract
Kareem Hunt	RB	1yr $3.25M
Case Keenum	QB	3yr $18M
Andy Janovich	FB	Trade w/Broncos
Jack Conklin	T	3yr $42M
Austin Hooper	TE	4yr $44M
Karl Joseph	S	1yr $2.5M
Andrew Billings	DL	1yr $3.5M
Kevin Johnson	CB	1yr $3.5M
Andrew Sendejo	S	1yr $2.5M
Evan Brown	C	No Details
Donovan Olumba	CB	No Details
JoJo Natson	WR	1yr $1M
BJ Goodson	LB	1yr $2.4M
Chris Hubbard	T	Restructured
Adrian Clayborn	EDGE	1yr $2.4M
Olivier Vernon	EDGE	Restructured
Myles Garrett	EDGE	So Much Money
Rashard Higgins	WR	1yr 910k

Man this is a list... Ok so there were very few holes on Offense going into Free Agency but the ones that stood out were both tackles and depth at tight end. The Browns ultimately solved one tackle spot and TE really early in Free Agency with what most considered the best available players at their position.
On the Defensive side we had a open call for any experienced body who wanted to take a 1 year prove it deal. So much depth added via players that fell through the cracks on their former team.

Top Signings

Jack Conklin RT - The top right tackle in free agency, had a nice season for the titans after coming off a major injury the year before. Can be a All-Pro caliber RT if healthy. Really filled a huge need.
Austin Hooper TE - or "HooooooP" As the falcons fans tell me I am to call him. Filled a big need for reliable catches at the TE position. With David Njoku in the dog house, unable to catch anything, and now asking for a trade this is a big get for the Browns.
Andy Janovich FB - By far my personal favorite signing. Acquired in a trade with the Broncos he is one of the best pure Fullbacks left in the game. I expect him to be a Fan Favorite quickly. There is nothing more that Cleveland Fans adore than elevating a former Broncos fullback to Legendary status.(See Peyton Hillis)
Case Keenum - Browns fans all hope that the Baker Mayfield of last year was a product of really bad coaching, however Keenum can win games in the NFL and is a familiar face to new coach Stefanski having had a career year with Minnesota with Stefanski as his QB coach. I am much more confident in having Keenum as the backup than Garrett Gilbert.
New Contracts - The Browns have ensured Myles Garrett will be a Brown for a long while, placed a 2nd round tender on former rushing champ Kareem hunt, and after briefly flirting with Clowney decided to restructure Olivier Vernon to a much better contract number befitting his oft injured yet surprisingly productive season.

Draft - Cribbed from u/Marzman315 with permission who did a very excellent defending the draft and I agree with it in it's entirety. The Grades are mine.

Round	Player	Position
1.10	Jedrick Wills	T
2.44	Grant Delpit	S
3.88	Jordan Elliott	DT
3.97	Jacob Phillips	ILB
4.115	Harrison Bryant	TE
5.160	Nick Harris	C
6.187	Donovan Peoples-Jones	WR

1.10 - Jedrick Wills Jr., Offensive Tackle Alabama Grade A
As expected, the Browns used the tenth overall pick on a tackle. The tackle turned out to be Jedrick Wills Jr., blindside blocker for Tua Tagovailoa. The former four star high school prospect started all 28 games for the Crimson Tide over his sophomore and and junior years. As a second team All-American and first team All-SEC player, he paved the way for Alabama's elite offense with his quick feet, smooth redirection, extremely powerful anchor and strength, and absolutely punishing punch.
This pick was overwhelmingly approved of by analysts both internally and externally. Joe Thomas released a reaction video that was enthusiastic to say the least. He made it clear that Wills was his ideal target for the Browns at 10th overall. The front office and coaching staff made it known that Wills was their priority target going into the draft, and were entertaining the possibility of trading up for him, but ultimately the draft board fell their way and they got their man at 10.
The only negative to the drafting of Wills is that he has only played right tackle in his college career, and given the free agent signing of right tackle Jack Conklin, Wills is going to be expected to transition to left tackle to start his NFL career. Joe Thomas also gave input on this, and stated that while the transition is difficult it is easier to do early in your career, and that he would personally take Wills under his wing and mentor him. Between Joe Thomas's guidance and the coaching of veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan, not to mention the phenomenal talent of Wills, the transition should be doable for Wills with a minimum of serious difficulty. The protection of franchise QB Baker Mayfield is of paramount importance, and this selection reflects that.

2.44 - Grant Delpit, Safety LSU Grade A
Most Browns fans anticipated that a safety specializing in coverage would be a priority target on day 2. With replacing Damarious Randall a necessity, the Browns zeroed in on LSU standout Grant Delpit. Boasting phenomenal range, excellent ball skills, and tremendous athleticism for the position, he brings an impressive skill set to the team.
Once considered a top 15 to top 20 pick, injuries and questions about tackling caused his value to drop a bit over the season. His broken clavicle in 2018 likely led to a hesitation in committing fully to tackles, and his production in that sense dropped in 2019. Despite some questions about open field tackling, Delpit's football IQ, versatility, and ball skills are enough to excite Browns fans into thinking that they found a solid starter.

3.88 - Jordan Elliot, Defensive Tackle Missouri Grade B
In a post draft interview, Browns Chief Strategist Paul DePodesta revealed that obtaining 2021 draft capital was a priority coming into the draft. Depth along the defensive line has been an issue for the Browns for some time. Both of these issues were addressed with the Browns first pick in the third round.
Jordan Elliot is well known in the scouting community for being the darling prospect of Pro Football Focus, who consistently rated him as a first round prospect. While he lacks some power and length, he has a lightning quick first step and fluid pass rushing skills. His skill set doesn't exactly project him to be an every down player, but he can be a strong gap penetrating 3T rotating along the Browns defensive line.

3.97 - Jacob Phillips, Linebacker LSU Grade C Minus
Joe Shobert led the Browns in tackles in two of the last three seasons. Replacing that production was certainly a concern of the Browns. Phillips is an athletic linebacker that led a powerhouse LSU team in tackles. He is strong against the run, and plays fast and strong with solid instincts.
Phillips likely may not replace Shobert's pass coverage, as coverage skills were a clear negative on Phillips' scouting report. But as far as reliable tackling goes Phillips can contribute early, especially on special teams and base defense.

4.115 - Harrison Bryant, Tight End Florida Atlantic Grade A
Kevin Stefanski's offense notably uses multiple tight end sets and 12 personnel. Harrison Bryant is a very exciting receiving threat at the TE position. He projects mainly as a depth player behind Austin Hooper and David Njoku (if he remains on the team) currently while he develops his overall game, but he likely sees the field a bit as a rookie. He doesn't bring much to the table as far as blocking goes, but there is absolutely some exciting upside here.

5.160 - Nick Harris, Guard/Center Washington Grade C
While the Browns O-line was the subject of well deserved criticisms in 2019, the interior of the line was quietly fairly solid. Left guard Joel Bitonio is among the best in the league at his position and Center JC Tretter is a pro bowl caliber player. Wyatt Teller was unspectacular but played well enough to bring a bit of stability to the position. Lacking at the interior o-line was any sort of depth.
With years of experience at guard and center, Nick Harris will add solid depth and may compete with Teller for the starting right guard spot. He is a smart and nimble pass blocker, and while he doesn't have ideal size for the position (6'1" 300 LB) he uses his low center of gravity effectively to secure a solid base.

6.187 - Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wide Receiver Michigan Grade A (upside)
Wide receiver was sneakily a bit of a need for the Browns going into the 2020 draft. Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry are among the best 1/2 starters in the NFL, but after them the depth chart is thin.
Peoples-Jones is a perfect prospect to gamble on. He showed flashes of phenomenal play while at Michigan, and was considered at one point to be a future first round pick and NFL star. Injuries and abysmal QB play severely hindered his college career. His production did not come close to matching his talent. He is athletic, runs clean routes, gets solid separation, and is good with the ball in his hands. There is a lot of talent here that can be developed.

Undrafted Free Agents:
Soloman Ajayi, Linebacker, Liberty
Elijah Benton, Safety, Liberty
Ja'Marcus Bradley, Wide Receiver, Louisiana
Tony Brown, Wide Receiver, Colorado
Kevin Davidson, Quarterback, Princeton
Drake Dorbeck, Offensive Tackle/Guard, Southern Mississippi
A.J. Green, Cornerback, Oklahoma State
Brian Herrion, Runningback, Georgia
Jameson Houston, Cornerback, Baylor
Benny LeMay, Runningback, Charlotte
Jovante Moffit, Safety, Middle Tennessee
George Obinna, Defensive End, Sacremento State
Alex Taylor, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina State
Jeffrey Whatley, Defensive Tackle, South Alabama
Nate Wieting, Tight End, Iowa

Going Forward:
You will have a hard time finding a Browns fan who did not love this draft. They filled all of their pressing needs without reaching, were savvy navigating the board with trades, and acquired 2021 draft picks. The Browns earned one of only four A+ grades from PFF. While the roster is not without some holes, particularly at linebacker, this is a team that is built to compete. With improvements on the offense that will hopefully come with better coaching and a brand new O-line, the Browns are absolutely in a better position this year than last

Projected 53 Man Roster (starters in bold):
OFFENSE:
QB - Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum (2)
RB - Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Dontrelle Hilliard, (5)
FB - Andy Janovich (6)
WR - Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Taywan Taylor, Donovan Peoples-Jones, JoJo Natson (12)
TE - Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Harrison Bryant (15)
OT - Jedrick Wills Jr. (LT), Jack Conklin (RT), Chris Hubbard, Drew Forbes (19)
OG - Joel Bitonio (LG), Wyatt Teller (RG), Colby Gossett (22)
C - JC Tretter, Nick Harris (24)

DEFENSE:
DE - Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Adrian Clayborn, Chad Thomas (28)
DT - Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi, Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliot, Daniel Ekuale (33)
LB - Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, BJ Goodson, Jacob Phillips, Jermaine Grace, Tae Davis (39)
CB - Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Kevin Johnson, Terrance Mitchell, Donnie Lewis Jr., Tavierre Thomas (45)
SS - Karl Joseph, J.T. Hassell (47)
FS - Grant Delpit, Andrew Sandejo, Sheldrick Redwine (50)
SPECIALISTS
K - Austin Seibert (51)
P - Jamie "Scottish Hammer" Gillan (52)
LS - Charley Hughlett (53)

What to expect in 2020

QB Grade: Incomplete
Baker Mayfield - This is the wildcard for the entire team. There is arguably not a better supporting cast in the league for a Quarterback. Assuming at minimum competent coaching there is no excuse for Mayfield going into year 3. There will be a long leash I am sure but Keenum is waiting in the wings if Mayfield looks like he did last year as opposed to the record setter he was in year 1.
As goes the arm of Mayfield so goes the Browns Playoff hopes.

RB Grade: A+++
Nick Chubb - Quiet, professional, will run you over and laugh at your pitiful tackle attempts. Nick Chubb is a beast, lead the league in yards after contact and nearly won the rushing title. In this new RB friendly system with an improved O-Line and an actual fullback Chubb is going to eat.

Kareem Hunt - It's not often that your backup running back is also a league rushing champion. Last year after serving his suspension he came in and made quite a few spectacular plays in the passing game and showed he still had that spark in the running game. This one Two punch is going to be fun to watch!

Pass Catchers WTE Grade: A
Goodness where to start... This might be an unpopular take but Jarvis Landry is the Best WR on this team and a top 5 pass catcher in the league. He has the most catches ALL TIME in a players first 6 seasons in the league. No longer relegated to slot duties as he was in Miami he had is best year in 2019.

Both Landry and OBJ went over 1000 yards last year which is stunning to me because it felt like both were under utilized all year long. With an increased emphasis on the running game and a deceptive scheme there should be a lot of wide open receivers for the Browns this year
Adding in a third down catch machine in Austin Hooper oh my.. The room is stacked.

Offensive Line Grade: B Minus
The OL has been a major issue at the tackle spot since Joe Thomas retired. It now feels like the Browns have the complete package assuming Wills can make the transition to LT in this super strange offseason. The interior is still super solid. There will be a lot riding on the rookie.

Defensive Line A Minus
Oh noooooo MYLES!!!! How different would 2019 have been had Myles Garrett kept his cool. Fresh off signing a new mega deal Myles Garrett needs to be the great pass rusher he has been in his first few seasons. He was averaging a sack per game before the suspension and should easily go into double digit sacks this season as well.
Olivier Vernon when healthy is a QB pressure machine but he has problems staying on the field. When he is playing though He and Myles make a great bookend.
The interior is solid with Sheldon Richardson and Larry O, in the middle. This will probably be Richardson's last year with the Browns so I expect him to show out to push for that one last contract.

Linebackers Grade: I was told there would be no math
Do I believe in Mack Wilson? Ask me on a day he writes a fired up hype tweet and I will say he is going to be a stud. In the quiet times though I think to myself boy I hope the opposing team does not have a decent tight end because our LB core is going to get burned. I don't know what to think of the rest of the room as it is totally shuffled. Maybe Takitaki is something more than a special teamer? Was B.J. Goodson a diamond waiting to be polished?
The Browns need Takitaki, Wilson, and Phillips to grow up fast in this defense. Goodson has been a part-time player in his career and should have the opportunity to get more playing time than he has had to date in his career. With a one-year prove-it deal, Goodson has the motivation to show that he deserves a multi-year deal.
This is by far on paper the weak point of this team.

Cornerback Grade: B
This is the Ward and Greedy Show. Ward is occasionally dinged up but most of the time he is a shut down corner. Super young and is a willing tackler if a bit reckless in his form. Ward has the potential to be a top 5 CB in the league.
Greedy Williams had a decent season on the other side when he got into the game but it is his spot full time now and he needs to step up. The talk when he was drafted was he could not tackle. (Much like Delpit this year) but he showed he was more than willing to tackle and even come up and rush the passer and play the run when needed. With Ward on the other side he is going to be targeted a LOT.

Safety Grade: D
Who the hell knows.. Really. I know I said that Linebacker was the weak point but man Safety is as much of a question. Karl Joseph is a Thumper and with that he ends up injured a bit. Delpit has huge potential but is a rookie at FS and supposedly has tackling issues. Outside of those two you have Sendejo in his 11th year in the league and Sheldrick Redwine who was a beast in college but has yet to really prove himself in the league.
Here is hoping Delpit lives up to his potential because man this is a thin group.

Specialists Grade: B
Scottish Hammer That is all... The Punter might be the best form tackler on the team hopefully he does not have to do that this season. Or we can stick him in at Linebacker.
But seriously things stabilized with two rookie kickers last year and they both look serviceable. Jojo Natson was brought in to do one thing and that is to return kicks.

Training Camp Battles

On Offense there is very little up for grabs maybe who wins the 3rd WR spot but given Higgins relationship with Mayfield it is his job to lose.
On Defense a lot of the battle is going to be who shows up at LB and Safety as discussed above. there are slim pickings at both positions and really the only people who seem to be safe are Mack Wilson just due to the playing time he got last season and Karl Joseph just based upon his experience in the league.

Scheme Descriptions

Offense: Kevin Stefanski as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2019 produced an offense determined to run the ball and crush teams with play-action. Under the watchful eye of consultant Gary Kubiak he installed a Wide Zone blocking scheme that is time tested and very OL and RB friendly. It is considered a Run first offense which should play right into the Browns strengths. If Mayfield can tighten up the play action fake game the Wide outs should feast as well.

Defense - Who knows? I am not even sure Joe Woods knows yet what type of Defense the Browns will run. During his tenure as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator he ran a Base 3-4 Under defense. During his time with the Minnesota Vikings the team ran a base 4-3 which is also the case for the San Francisco 49ers defense this past season.
When asked Woods usually replies with something along the lines of "it's a secret"
Based on the Browns current roster,the preference would be an attacking 4-3 scheme given the strength on the defensive line and questionable linebacker core.

Season Predictions
It is an impossible task to predict a Browns season. Typically you could say 3 - 5 wins and chances are you would be right. This season with a new head coach, no preseason, maybe no training camp who the hell knows. It is a weak schedule on paper.
So instead of going game by game I am going to make some bold predictions.

The Browns will make the playoffs
Nick Chubb will win the rushing title
Jarvis Landry and OBJ will both go over 1000 yards again
The Browns will split all of the division games
The Steelers, Ravens, and Art Modell still suck
Final Record 10-6 with a Wild Card game win

Thank You's and Final Thoughts
If you read all this you are a better person than I. Big thanks to u/Marzman315 for lending me the draft section. Also a hearty Woof Woof to u/Usuallyrelevant who keeps us entertained over at Browns
Also the crew at LakeErieBros for sharing together our collective misery.
And finally I want to thank the Bull City Browns Backers in Durham NC for being awesome and showing up to every game with hope in your heart and unwavering dedication.

I did not hear from the non fan for the post so maybe we can add it later.

Link To Hub

2020 r/baseball Power Rankings -- Week 3: Dodgers Dethroned, Rockies Reach Higher Peak, a Meltdown in Metropolis, Almost Every Team Moves w/ Top 10 Shake Up and New #30

Hey Sportsfans — it's time for Week 3 of baseball's 2020 Power Rankings — With two teams banished to the nether regions it's hard to call this a normal week, but otherwise we finally had a fuller week to rank baseball clubs. This unique season provides new challenges and you will likely continue to see high variance among the voters.
Every voter has their own style / system and the only voting instructions are these:

"To an extent determined individually, you must take into account how strong a team is right now and likely to be going forward. You must, to some degree, give weight to the events and games of the previous week."

The auxiliary post with added data / fun can be found here.
TRANSPARENCY: this link will show you who voted each team where and has added neat statistics!
If something is a little messed up, feel free to ~~pester me~~ let me know.
Total Votes: 30 of 30. Another perfect week!

#	Team	Δ	Comment	Record
1	Yankees	+1	Judge is currently on a 5 game Home Run streak (the record is 8, <3 Mattingly), and it has me wondering, how would we treat these type of records in a season where half of the pitchers are AAA callups scraping for a job? Regardless, Cole has looked absolutely dominant, which is more of a relief than anything. The bats have been carrying the team, though, with a 128 OPS+ over these eight crazy games. Upcoming is a spit home/away series with Girardi's Phils, who have only played three games, what is this season even.	7-1
2	Dodgers	-1	Remember how I said to give them another week? Outside of a managerial blunder from Dave Roberts and a mask wearing blunder from Bob Garen, the Dodgers have been close to perfect. Mookie is hitting .400 on this road trip, Cody looked to be coming out of his funk a little today, Seager should be your hipster pick for MVP, and Kersh just came back and looked better than he did all of last season. A 5-1 week would be worth writing home about for a lot of teams, but for the Dodgers, this week is what they're expected to do.	7-3
3	Twins	+1	Another good week for the Twins, capped off by a big 3-1 series win over divisional rival Cleveland. The bullpen has really come into its own, with just 3 ER in 26 IP during the homestand. The offense is struggling though (relative to expectations) with half the lineup still trying to get going. It hasn't been a worry though, as our lineup is deep enough to carry anyone with early-season struggles, and timely hitting making all the difference.	7-2
4	Braves	+1	Ozuna is making believers out of preseason haters. Dansbae is playing at an MVP level. Bullpen is clicking (and we haven't even seen Will Smith). Acuña is heating up. Kakes is on the way back to teach us how to not strikeout. Looking for a 4 game sweep of the Mets on Monday. Life is good in Atlanta. Brandon Nimmo should tell everyone in the NL East to run away from the Braves as fast as he runs after ball 4. Run Nimmo Run!	7-3
5	Astros	-2	The Astros offense really struggled this week. Seems like they just could not maintain momentum late in games, with the exception of a few. Our bullpen is almost entirely full of rookies, who are actually doing well overall. Blake Taylor continues to be a wonderful surprise, earning his first win in relief as the Astros closed out an extra inning matinee against the Angels on Sunday. Lots of question marks, primarily hitting and the bullpen.	5-4
6	Cubs	+4	Imagine a team...where the starting pitching is dominant...the bats are hot...and the bullpen is an unmitigated disaster. Possibly continuing THIS SUMMER: the 2020 Chicago Cubs. Fans should be happy with this 7-2 start, but it's hard to completely focus on it when the league is such a mess. Like I said last week, I still don't believe this season should be finished. I hope I am proven wrong.	7-2
7	Athletics	0	The A's had our worst 5 game romp since late May 2019, with listless bats and shaky pitching against the rockin' Rockies. Even in our first road series of the year, in Seattle, T. Walker pitched the game of his life and further added to the hitting woes. There are still sluggers with poor averages so far- Semien and Olson had a rought week and K. Davis looks broken- but a heroic extra inning bullpen win and a Laureano homer ended the week on a good note. Luzardo is joining the rotation, and the team is starting to click. Sean Murphy.	5-4
8	Rays	-2	The world outside the Trop is a dangerous and horrible place. The pitching has been decent enough, but the Rays currently have multiple players looking at the Mendoza line like Ted Williams looks at .400. TTO and Austin Meadows won't save an offense this anemic, which is not helped by the apparent refusal to do anything with less than 2 outs. Defense, usually the most reliable part of the Rays, has been extremely dodgy with uncharacteristic mistakes happening all over the field. TLDR, swept by the Orioles lmao.	4-6
9	Indians	+2	Pitching good, hitting bad	5-5
10	Nationals	-2	The Nationals have been idle since July 30 and won't play again until Aug 4 against the Mets. The Nationals looked good in their last 2 games before the pause so hopefully they can carry over the momentum. One big bright spot has been Carter Kieboom. After looking completely overmatched last year, he is on a tear and should not sit again this year.	3-4
11	Padres	+3	I’ll take 6/10 every time, but the Pads certainly have come back to earth a bit after the series in Colorado. San Diego has given up at least 6 runs in each of the last 5 games, which is not a winning formula, especially with Kirby Yates not giving us any confidence and Hosmer being out for a bit with Gastritis. With Paddack, Lament, and Richards going against the Dodgers, this will be a good litmus test as to where the Padres are at, while the entire west looks around nervously, as we’re the only group not yet affected by the you-know-what.	6-4
12	Brewers	0	Starting 1-27 has a lot of people concerened about Christian Yelich, but MVP players don't forget how to hit overnight, Yelich is due for a bounceback. The matchup against the Cardinals being delayed definitely does something for the team, but I'm not entirely sure what it does. Having 4 off days after only playing 6 games is bound to have some sort of an impact.	3-3
13	White Sox	+4	A 3 game series with the Royals was exactly what Sox fans needed to pull them from the brink, starting 2-4 with Nicky Delmonico inexplicably hitting high in the lineup despite being terrible. The Sox scored 23 runs on 39 hits in 3 games to sweep KC. Nick Madrigal made his debut and started 0-8 before breaking out with a 4-hit game. The pitching showed something the second time through the rotation, including a Dylan Cease QS. You can take us off suicide watch--for now.	5-4
14	Rockies	+8	The Rockies starting pitching has been spectacular to start the year. Same can be said for some of their position players and some of their bullpen pieces. Rockies likely lost their best reliever, Scott Oberg, for the year and Wade Davis hit the IL so the pen will be stretched pretty thin. Last week: 4-1 This week: vs San Fran (4) & @ Seattle (3).	6-2
15	Cardinals	-6	Cards lost 2 against the Twins, and who knows when they'll baseball again	2-3
16	Reds	-1	The Reds kicked and sputtered to a 3-3 week against the Cubs and Tigers. It feels in my gut like the offense has let the team down, but the numbers actually don't back that up. They're 4th in the NL in batting WAR (to go along with the best rotation in the majors) and near the top in wOBA and xWOBA. Nick Castellanos nearly blew the first game of the doubleheader by dropping a fly ball after refusing to be taken out for defense. But so far I've been eating a lot of crow when it comes to his offense; he's got a league-best 254 wRC+. Nick Senzel is also slugging .619, and it feels like he's been robbed of about a dozen more hits. If the bullpen comes around to being even regular-bad as opposed to 2016-bad, the Reds will be in good shape for the remainder of the season, however long that ends up being.	4-5
17	Blue Jays	+4	This sham of a season powers on. The Blue Jays haven't played since the 30th, and yet Manfred insists competitive balance won't be impacted. ~~Chris Montoya~~ Charlie Montoyo continues to lose winnable games for the Jays, but the bats are doing them no favours. Seemingly only Teoscar Hernandez came to play this season.	3-4
18	Phillies	+1	The Phillies had quite the eventful week considering they didn't play any games. There really isn't much to say about the Phillies except that we are further deprived of seeing Spencer Howard pitch in the majors. This week was an enjoyable week of baseball anyway, and I'm glad it's back.	1-2
19	Angels	-3	My comments from last week feel especially prescient given what unfolded for the Halos. It was disaster after disaster on the mound, with Sunday being capped off again by a disconcerting Shohei Ohtani start. Of course, things only got worse from there, with Ohtani experiencing elbow discomfort and now needing an MRI. I'm starting to wonder if the two-way experiment with Shohei might be in its twilight.	3-7
20	Mets	-7	I wish I could opt out of the Mets	3-7
21	D-Backs	-3	Yeah this team fucking sucks. Everything has gone wrong so far. Not much else to say. Through 10 games, the D-backs as a team have two home runs, a total which many individual players across the league have doubled. Also, the pitching has been terrible, and also, believe it or not, the defense has been terrible. I don't know dude. I don't know. We're 10 games in and I give up. Cancel baseball.	3-7
22	Giants	+2	Picture this: You go back in time to early August 2016. The Giants are still seemingly running away from the NL West. You must inform their fanbase not only of their impending collapse, but also of the fact that in a few short years their best players will be Carl Yastrzemski's grandson, Corey Dickerson's brother, the crying guy from the Mets, and that utilityman from the Marlins who's never hit above .250 in his career. I guess you could also warn them about other future events too, like the season being jeopardized because some Cardinals went gambling during a pandemic.	5-5
23	Rangers	0	Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Scott Heineman hit a homer while his brother was catching behind homeplate and I think that's a flex he can carry for the rest of their lives. Speaking of offense, Joey Gallo is the offense.	3-5
24	Red Sox	-4	This team reminds me of like, a nightmare version of our 2015 team. Tons of offense, no pitching whatsoever. The big difference is that in 2015 it really felt like we were progressing, there was chemistry, our young guys were fun to watch. Now its a bunch of standins and established players sucking. I don't have much else to say, so here's a Red Sox Fun Fact: The Red Sox have given up or more runs in 8/10 games this year!	3-7
25	Orioles	+4	Yeah there was baseball this week and that was fine, if you follow the Orioles at all though you know of the passing of Mo Gaba. If you don't know who Mo Gaba was you should google him and learn that no matter what you are going through, if this kid could be positive and have the energy for life that he did, then you can get through what you are going through as well. His laughter and strength will live on in Baltimore sports forever.	5-3
26	Tiggers	+1	I had my hopes up that Casey Mize would make his debut on Sunday, but we got stuck with Daniel Norris instead. Either way, if the season continues expect to see Mize at some point sooner rather than later. Gregory Soto has really impressed in the bullpen, which has more or less been decent in the back end. JaCoby Jones needs a promotion from the nine hole. This week: 4 vs STL (with the latter two being played as the road team at CoPa), 3 at PIT.	5-5
27	Mariners	+3	Another week in the books, somehow. The season goes on. The Seattle Kyle's are just Kyle-ing over everyone right now. Kyle Lewis is the best player of all time and is going to SHATTER the MLB record for hitting streak of 56 games in a 60 game season. You heard it here first, folks.	4-6
28	Marlins	-3	So after a week of quarantine, Miami has been cleared to play ball. Theyre gonna pick up where they left off on tuesday against the O's. Damn near half the roster is out with covid, so this team is gonna struggle to win games for a bit. Hopefully they start wearing their facemasks in the dugout and stop spittin on the diamond (lookin at you aguilar). Oh and as far as im concerned, folks asking for the whole team to be penalized for the actions of a couple players that went to bars/restaurants need to grow up. After the O's series, the Fish have a 3 game series in Citi Field.	2-1
29	Royals	-1	The Royals are using this season the right way - to give their young arms a look and to see how close they are to possibly contending again. Thus far, the answer is not even fucking close. It would help if they could catch a ball or two, as the Royals 13 errors are the most in the AL, but even then, fielding those grounders wouldn't solve their woes.	3-7
30	Pirates	-4	Dęär Brêwërš åñd Çùßš: Thånk ÿøû fōr hėłpįńg thë ₽īttśßürgh ₽ïrâtęš øń thēįr qùėšt för Kūmår Røçkêr	2-7

Cleveland Browns 2020 Offseason Review

I was tasked to write the offseason review for NFL so here it is

Cleveland Browns

4th and 9 - Draw Play
Madden Style 5 WR streaks from your own goal line
Send out the punt team on 4th-and-11 down 17 points in the fourth quarter to the New England Patriots, only to change his mind and take a deliberate false start rather than burn a timeout.
4th and 1 on the goal line and not have Nick Chubb on the field

Player	Position	New Team
Joe Schobert	LB	Jacksonville
Christian Kirksey	LB	Green Bay
Eric Kush	G	Las Vegas
Demetrius Harris	TE	Chicago
T.J. Carrie	CB	Indianapolis
Damarious Randall	S	Las Vegas
Greg Robinson	T	Prison
Rickey Seals Jones	TE	Kansas City
Adarius Taylor	LB	Released
Morgan Burnett	S	Released
Eric Murray	S	Houston

Player	Position	Contract
Kareem Hunt	RB	1yr $3.25M
Case Keenum	QB	3yr $18M
Andy Janovich	FB	Trade w/Broncos
Jack Conklin	T	3yr $42M
Austin Hooper	TE	4yr $44M
Karl Joseph	S	1yr $2.5M
Andrew Billings	DL	1yr $3.5M
Kevin Johnson	CB	1yr $3.5M
Andrew Sendejo	S	1yr $2.5M
Evan Brown	C	No Details
Donovan Olumba	CB	No Details
JoJo Natson	WR	1yr $1M
BJ Goodson	LB	1yr $2.4M
Chris Hubbard	T	Restructured
Adrian Clayborn	EDGE	1yr $2.4M
Olivier Vernon	EDGE	Restructured
Myles Garrett	EDGE	So Much Money
Rashard Higgins	WR	1yr 910k

Man this is a list... Ok so there were very few holes on Offense going into Free Agency but the ones that stood out were both tackles and depth at tight end. The Browns ultimately solved one tackle spot and TE really early in Free Agency with what most considered the best available players at their position.
On the Defensive side we had a open call for any experienced body who wanted to take a 1 year prove it deal. So much depth added via players that fell through the cracks on their former team.

Top Signings

Jack Conklin RT - The top right tackle in free agency, had a nice season for the titans after coming off a major injury the year before. Can be a All-Pro caliber RT if healthy. Really filled a huge need.
Austin Hooper TE - or "HooooooP" As the falcons fans tell me I am to call him. Filled a big need for reliable catches at the TE position. With David Njoku in the dog house, unable to catch anything, and now asking for a trade this is a big get for the Browns.
Andy Janovich FB - By far my personal favorite signing. Acquired in a trade with the Broncos he is one of the best pure Fullbacks left in the game. I expect him to be a Fan Favorite quickly. There is nothing more that Cleveland Fans adore more than elevating a former Broncos fullback to Legendary status.(See Peyton Hillis)
Case Keenum - Browns fans all hope that the Baker Mayfield of last year was a product of really bad coaching, however Keenum can win games in the NFL and is a familiar face to new coach Stefanski having had a career year with Minnesota with Stefanski as his QB coach. I am much more confident in having Keenum as the backup than Garrett Gilbert.
New Contracts - The Browns have ensured Myles Garrett will be a Brown for a long while, placed a 2nd round tender on former rushing champ Kareem hunt, and after briefly flirting with Clowney decided to restructure Olivier Vernon to a much better contract number befitting his oft injured yet surprisingly productive season.

Draft - Cribbed from u/Marzman315 with permission who did a very excellent defending the draft and I agree with it in it's entirety. The Grades are mine.

Round	Player	Position
1.10	Jedrick Wills	T
2.44	Grant Delpit	S
3.88	Jordan Elliott	DT
3.97	Jacob Phillips	ILB
4.115	Harrison Bryant	TE
5.160	Nick Harris	C
6.187	Donovan Peoples-Jones	WR

1.10 - Jedrick Wills Jr., Offensive Tackle Alabama Grade A
As expected, the Browns used the tenth overall pick on a tackle. The tackle turned out to be Jedrick Wills Jr., blindside blocker for Tua Tagovailoa. The former four star high school prospect started all 28 games for the Crimson Tide over his sophomore and and junior years. As a second team All-American and first team All-SEC player, he paved the way for Alabama's elite offense with his quick feet, smooth redirection, extremely powerful anchor and strength, and absolutely punishing punch.
This pick was overwhelmingly approved of by analysts both internally and externally. Joe Thomas released a reaction video that was enthusiastic to say the least. He made it clear that Wills was his ideal target for the Browns at 10th overall. The front office and coaching staff made it known that Wills was their priority target going into the draft, and were entertaining the possibility of trading up for him, but ultimately the draft board fell their way and they got their man at 10.
The only negative to the drafting of Wills is that he has only played right tackle in his college career, and given the free agent signing of right tackle Jack Conklin, Wills is going to be expected to transition to left tackle to start his NFL career. Joe Thomas also gave input on this, and stated that while the transition is difficult it is easier to do early in your career, and that he would personally take Wills under his wing and mentor him. Between Joe Thomas's guidance and the coaching of veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan, not to mention the phenomenal talent of Wills, the transition should be doable for Wills with a minimum of serious difficulty. The protection of franchise QB Baker Mayfield is of paramount importance, and this selection reflects that.

2.44 - Grant Delpit, Safety LSU Grade A
Most Browns fans anticipated that a safety specializing in coverage would be a priority target on day 2. With replacing Damarious Randall a necessity, the Browns zeroed in on LSU standout Grant Delpit. Boasting phenomenal range, excellent ball skills, and tremendous athleticism for the position, he brings an impressive skill set to the team.
Once considered a top 15 to top 20 pick, injuries and questions about tackling caused his value to drop a bit over the season. His broken clavicle in 2018 likely led to a hesitation in committing fully to tackles, and his production in that sense dropped in 2019. Despite some questions about open field tackling, Delpit's football IQ, versatility, and ball skills are enough to excite Browns fans into thinking that they found a solid starter.

3.88 - Jordan Elliot, Defensive Tackle Missouri Grade B
In a post draft interview, Browns Chief Strategist Paul DePodesta revealed that obtaining 2021 draft capital was a priority coming into the draft. Depth along the defensive line has been an issue for the Browns for some time. Both of these issues were addressed with the Browns first pick in the third round.
Jordan Elliot is well known in the scouting community for being the darling prospect of Pro Football Focus, who consistently rated him as a first round prospect. While he lacks some power and length, he has a lightning quick first step and fluid pass rushing skills. His skill set doesn't exactly project him to be an every down player, but he can be a strong gap penetrating 3T rotating along the Browns defensive line.

3.97 - Jacob Phillips, Linebacker LSU Grade C Minus
Joe Shobert led the Browns in tackles in two of the last three seasons. Replacing that production was certainly a concern of the Browns. Phillips is an athletic linebacker that led a powerhouse LSU team in tackles. He is strong against the run, and plays fast and strong with solid instincts.
Phillips likely may not replace Shobert's pass coverage, as coverage skills were a clear negative on Phillips' scouting report. But as far as reliable tackling goes Phillips can contribute early, especially on special teams and base defense.

4.115 - Harrison Bryant, Tight End Florida Atlantic Grade A
Kevin Stefanski's offense notably uses multiple tight end sets and 12 personnel. Harrison Bryant is a very exciting receiving threat at the TE position. He projects mainly as a depth player behind Austin Hooper and David Njoku (if he remains on the team) currently while he develops his overall game, but he likely sees the field a bit as a rookie. He doesn't bring much to the table as far as blocking goes, but there is absolutely some exciting upside here.

5.160 - Nick Harris, Guard/Center Washington Grade C
While the Browns O-line was the subject of well deserved criticisms in 2019, the interior of the line was quietly fairly solid. Left guard Joel Bitonio is among the best in the league at his position and Center JC Tretter is a pro bowl caliber player. Wyatt Teller was unspectacular but played well enough to bring a bit of stability to the position. Lacking at the interior o-line was any sort of depth.
With years of experience at guard and center, Nick Harris will add solid depth and may compete with Teller for the starting right guard spot. He is a smart and nimble pass blocker, and while he doesn't have ideal size for the position (6'1" 300 LB) he uses his low center of gravity effectively to secure a solid base.

6.187 - Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wide Receiver Michigan Grade A (upside)
Wide receiver was sneakily a bit of a need for the Browns going into the 2020 draft. Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry are among the best 1/2 starters in the NFL, but after them the depth chart is thin.
Peoples-Jones is a perfect prospect to gamble on. He showed flashes of phenomenal play while at Michigan, and was considered at one point to be a future first round pick and NFL star. Injuries and abysmal QB play severely hindered his college career. His production did not come close to matching his talent. He is athletic, runs clean routes, gets solid seperation, and is good with the ball in his hands. There is a lot of talent here that can be developed.

Undrafted Free Agents:
Soloman Ajayi, Linebacker, Liberty
Elijah Benton, Safety, Liberty
Ja'Marcus Bradley, Wide Receiver, Louisiana
Tony Brown, Wide Receiver, Colorado
Kevin Davidson, Quarterback, Princeton
Drake Dorbeck, Offensive Tackle/Guard, Southern Mississippi
A.J. Green, Cornerback, Oklahoma State
Brian Herrion, Runningback, Georgia
Jameson Houston, Cornerback, Baylor
Benny LeMay, Runningback, Charlotte
Jovante Moffit, Safety, Middle Tennessee
George Obinna, Defensive End, Sacremento State
Alex Taylor, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina State
Jeffrey Whatley, Defensive Tackle, South Alabama
Nate Wieting, Tight End, Iowa

Going Forward:
You will have a hard time finding a Browns fan who did not love this draft. They filled all of their pressing needs without reaching, were savvy navigating the board with trades, and acquired 2021 draft picks. The Browns earned one of only four A+ grades from PFF. While the roster is not without some holes, particularly at linebacker, this is a team that is built to compete. With improvements on the offense that will hopefully come with better coaching and a brand new O-line, the Browns are absolutely in a better position this year than last

Projected 53 Man Roster (starters in bold):
OFFENSE:
QB - Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum (2)
RB - Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Dontrelle Hilliard, (5)
FB - Andy Janovich (6)
WR - Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Taywan Taylor, Donovan Peoples-Jones, JoJo Natson (12)
TE - Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Harrison Bryant (15)
OT - Jedrick Wills Jr. (LT), Jack Conklin (RT), Chris Hubbard, Drew Forbes (19)
OG - Joel Bitonio (LG), Wyatt Teller (RG), Colby Gossett (22)
C - JC Tretter, Nick Harris (24)

DEFENSE:
DE - Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Adrian Clayborn, Chad Thomas (28)
DT - Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi, Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliot, Daniel Ekuale (33)
LB - Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, BJ Goodson, Jacob Phillips, Jermaine Grace, Tae Davis (39)
CB - Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Kevin Johnson, Terrance Mitchell, Donnie Lewis Jr., Tavierre Thomas (45)
SS - Karl Joseph, J.T. Hassell (47)
FS - Grant Delpit, Andrew Sandejo, Sheldrick Redwine (50)
SPECIALISTS
K - Austin Seibert (51)
P - Jamie "Scottish Hammer" Gillan (52)
LS - Charley Hughlett (53)

What to expect in 2020

QB Grade: Incomplete
Baker Mayfield - This is the wildcard for the entire team. There is arguably not a better supporting cast in the league for a Quarterback. Assuming at minimum competent coaching there is no excuse for Mayfield going into year 3. There will be a long leash I am sure but Keenum is waiting in the wings if Mayfield looks like he did last year as opposed to the record setter he was in year 1.
As goes the arm of Mayfield so goes the Browns Playoff hopes.

RB Grade: A+++
Nick Chubb - Quiet, professional, will run you over and laugh at your pitiful tackle attempts. Nick Chubb is a beast, lead the league in yards after contact and nearly won the rushing title. In this new RB friendly system with an improved O-Line and an actual fullback Chubb is going to eat.

Kareem Hunt - It's not often that your backup running back is also a league rushing champion. Last year after serving his suspension he came in and made quite a few spectacular plays in the passing game and showed he still had that spark in the running game. This one Two punch is going to be fun to watch!

Pass Catchers WTE Grade: A
Goodness where to start... This might be an unpopular take but Jarvis Landry is the Best WR on this team and a top 5 pass catcher in the league. He has the most catches ALL TIME in a players first 6 seasons in the league. No longer relegated to slot duties as he was in Miami he had is best year in 2019.

Both Landry and OBJ went over 1000 yards last year which is stunning to me because it felt like both were under utilized all year long. With an increased emphasis on the running game and a deceptive scheme there should be a lot of wide open receivers for the Browns this year

Adding in a third down catch machine in Austin Hooper oh my.. The room is stacked.

Offensive Line Grade: B Minus
The OL has been a major issue at the tackle spot since Joe Thomas retired. It now feels like we have the complete package assuming Wills can make the transition to LT in this super strange offseason. The interior is still super solid. There will be a lot riding on the rookie.

Defensive Line A Minus
Oh noooooo MYLES!!!! How different would 2019 have been had Myles Garrett kept his cool. Fresh off signing a new mega deal Myles Garrett needs to be the great pass rusher he has been in his first few seasons. He was averaging a sack per game before the suspension and should easily go into double digit sacks this season as well.
Olivier Vernon when healthy is a QB pressure machine but he has problems staying on the field. When he is playing though He and Myles make a great bookend.
The interior is solid with Sheldon Richardson and Larry O, in the middle. This will probably be Richardson's last year with the Browns so I expect him to show out to push for that one last contract.

Linebackers Grade: I was told there would be no math
Do I believe in Mack Wilson? Ask me on a day he writes a fired up hype tweet and I will say he is going to be a stud. In the quiet times though I think to myself boy I hope the opposing team does not have a decent tight end because our LB core is going to get burned. I don't know what to think of the rest of the room as it is totally shuffled. Maybe Takitaki is something more than a special teamer? Was B.J. Goodson a diamond waiting to be polished?
The Browns need Takitaki, Wilson, and Phillips to grow up fast in this defense. Goodson has been a part-time player in his career and should have the opportunity to get more playing time than he has had to date in his career. With a one-year prove-it deal, Goodson has the motivation to show that he deserves a multi-year deal.
This is by far on paper the weak point of this team.

Cornerback Grade: B
This is the Ward and Greedy Show. Ward is occasionally dinged up but most of the time he is a shut down corner. Super young and is a willing tackler if a bit reckless in his form. Ward has the potential to be a top 5 CB in the league.
Greedy Williams had a decent season on the other side when he got into the game but it is his spot full time now and he needs to step up. The talk when he was drafted was he could not tackle. (Much like Delpit this year) but he showed he was more than willing to tackle and even come up and rush the passer and play the run when needed. With Ward on the other side he is going to be targeted a LOT.

Safety Grade: D
Who the hell knows.. Really. I know I said that Linebacker was the weak point but man Safety is as much of a question. Karl Joseph is a Thumper and with that he ends up injured a bit. Delpit has huge potential but is a rookie at FS and but supposedly has tackling issues. Outside of those two you have Sendejo in his 11th year in the league and Sheldrick Redwine who was a beast in college but has yet to really prove himself in the league.
Here is hoping Delpit lives up to his potential because man this is a thin group.

Specialists Grade: B
Scottish Hammer That is all... The Punter might be the best form tackler on the team hopefully he does not have to do that this season. Or we can stick him in at Linebacker.
But seriously things stabilized with two rookie kickers last year and they both look serviceable. Jojo Natson was brought in to do one thing and that is to return kicks.

Training Camp Battles

On Offense there is very little up for grabs maybe who wins the 3rd WR spot but given Higgins relationship with Mayfield it is his job to lose.
On Defense a lot of the battle is going to be who shows up at LB and Safety as discussed above. there are slim pickings at both positions and really the only people who seem to be safe are Mack Wilson just due to the playing time he got last season and Karl Joseph just based upon his experience in the league.

Scheme Descriptions

Offense: Kevin Stefanski as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2019 produced an offense determined to run the ball and crush teams with play-action. Under the watchful eye of consultant Gary Kubiak he installed a Wide Zone blocking scheme that is time tested and very OL and RB friendly. It is considered a Run first offense which should play right into the Browns strengths. If Mayfield can tighten up the play action fake game the Wide outs should feast as well.

Defense - Who knows? I am not even sure Joe Woods knows yet what type of Defense the Browns will run. During his tenure as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator he ran a Base 3-4 Under defense. During his time with the Minnesota Vikings the team ran a base 4-3 which is also the case for the San Francisco 49ers defense this past season.
When asked Woods usually replies with something along the lines of "it's a secret"
Based on the Browns current roster,the preference would be an attacking 4-3 scheme given the strength on the defensive line and questionable linebacker core.

Season Predictions
It is an impossible task to predict a Browns season. Typically you could say 3 - 5 wins and chances are you would be right. This season with a new head coach, no preseason, maybe no training camp who the hell knows.
So instead of going game by game I am going to make some bold predictions.

The Browns will make the playoffs
Nick Chubb will win the rushing title
Jarvis Landry and OBJ will both go over 1000 yards again
The Browns will split all of the division games
The Steelers, Ravens, and Art Modell still suck
Final Record 10-6 with a Wild Card game win

I did not hear from the non fan for the post so maybe we can add it later.

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Danielle Herrington Goes Topless In The Bahamas ...