The good thing is Baalke has to draft players that can help us this year and not just guys with potential.  I think if Baalke knew he was locked in for another 3 years he might take a guy like Guyton in the 1st.  Guyton would be a project and not a guy that would help us this year imo with Little and Harrison, he would take over at RT in 2025.

  He don't have time for projects anymore because if we don't make the playoffs at the very least next year he is likely gone.  Game tape and players that are ready day 1 might be a little more important to him than in years past because his job is on the line at this point which is good because I don't want Guyton as much as I love the size and length.  His draft approach changes this year i believe for the reason above

Lol, Baalke's seat ain't even warm. They've had 2 winning seasons, he's already produced enough for Shad to be ok with him.

Im not buying that.  2, 9-8 seasons and this year missed the layoffs after making the playoffs the previous year.  It means we went backwards, if we miss the playoffs again I think Baalke is gone.

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I say...he needs to hit big this year or he's gone the following year. Missing the playoffs again would be a disaster.

What about making playoffs as WC but losing in the first round? second round?

Would he be gone in those scenarios?

I think in this scenario it would just depend on how the season went, how many injuries, how was our draft picks from the last few years etc.  If we miss the playoffs though he will be gone regardless imo.

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After the Gus and Urban debacles, I would like to believe that Shad Khan is a little more attentive to the needs of this organization. But it is growing in financial value, which is his primary concern. Hopefully, Tony Khan, who is the presumptive successor to Shad and does not seem to be under the spell of Baalke, is giving the old man some advice in his ear. We can only speculate.

In my most humble opinion, last season's collapse nullified the two-season winning record. This team did an abrupt about face and ran, not walked, in the other direction. We all know what the problem was, we also know the person who was responsible for addressing that problem did nothing to resolve it. I don't think Shad is so blinded by dollar signs that he doesn't see it too. Would I have preferred Baalke to get canned in January? We all would have, but don't underestimate the survival instincts of snakes. He'll address the offensive line this year, but now we have the Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence contracts coming up. Does he screw those up? It's awful having a GM who seems to have an agenda which is more aligned with Machiavelli than Lombardi.

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After the Gus and Urban debacles, I would like to believe that Shad Khan is a little more attentive to the needs of this organization. But it is growing in financial value, which is his primary concern. Hopefully, Tony Khan, who is the presumptive successor to Shad and does not seem to be under the spell of Baalke, is giving the old man some advice in his ear. We can only speculate.

In my most humble opinion, last season's collapse nullified the two-season winning record. This team did an abrupt about face and ran, not walked, in the other direction. We all know what the problem was, we also know the person who was responsible for addressing that problem did nothing to resolve it. I don't think Shad is so blinded by dollar signs that he doesn't see it too. Would I have preferred Baalke to get canned in January? We all would have, but don't underestimate the survival instincts of snakes. He'll address the offensive line this year, but now we have the Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence contracts coming up. Does he screw those up? It's awful having a GM who seems to have an agenda which is more aligned with Machiavelli than Lombardi.

I don't disagree with any of this - but I'd point out that the personnel issues must fall on Baalke and Pederson jointly. It's a collaboration. We can try to pin blame for individual picks and acquisitions on one or the other - but they agreed on all of them at the end of the day and we have no proof or even suggestion that Pederson is unhappy with the arrangement. 

Regarding contract work and extensions - we have no negative track record from Baalke to suggest he'd bungle those upcoming. 

I look to the OL issues and how they fix them as our best indicator of whether this collaboration will be viable moving forward.

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Hopefully we get some answers from Baalke today

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Hopefully we get some answers from Baalke today

There's some kind of presser with him today?

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

Hopefully we get some answers from Baalke today

There's some kind of presser with him today?

Combine coaches and executives pressers are today

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Hopefully we get some answers from Baalke today

What kind of answers do you expect?  

Don't expect him to tell you "Fortner is a failure and we're going to get a better Center."  Because telling us that doesn't do him or the team any good.  In fact, don't expect anything much at all.   Because the art of the press conference is to use a lot of words to impart very little new information.

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Hopefully we get some answers from Baalke today

What kind of answers do you expect?  

Don't expect him to tell you "Fortner is a failure and we're going to get a better Center."  Because telling us that doesn't do him or the team any good.  In fact, don't expect anything much at all.   Because the art of the press conference is to use a lot of words to impart very little new information.

"We believe in the guys in that locker room but we also know we have work to do"

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What kind of answers do you expect?  

Don't expect him to tell you "Fortner is a failure and we're going to get a better Center."  Because telling us that doesn't do him or the team any good.  In fact, don't expect anything much at all.   Because the art of the press conference is to use a lot of words to impart very little new information.

"We believe in the guys in that locker room but we also know we have work to do"

Exactly.

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There's some kind of presser with him today?

Combine coaches and executives pressers are today

Duh. My bad. That makes sense with it starting in two days. 

"We believe in the guys in that locker room but we also know we have work to do"

Exactly.

A lot of poker face will be on display today. Stonewalling in full effect. Which is normal. Agreed with both of you. We really won't have an idea of how they're framing things out until free agency starts next month.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

Hopefully we get some answers from Baalke today

What kind of answers do you expect?  

Don't expect him to tell you "Fortner is a failure and we're going to get a better Center."  Because telling us that doesn't do him or the team any good.  In fact, don't expect anything much at all.   Because the art of the press conference is to use a lot of words to impart very little new information.

Are they in contract talks with Josh Allen?  Im sure someone will ask that and inwant to hear his answer.  He has already gave the answer on how he feels about the interior oline.  " Need to be bigger and stonger." Can usually tell the answers if you are able to read between the lines.  Also want to hear what players we meet with at the combine. If you are able to read between the lines a little you can get answers from Baalkes responses

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Combine coaches and executives pressers are today

Duh. My bad. That makes sense with it starting in two days. 

Exactly.

A lot of poker face will be on display today. Stonewalling in full effect. Which is normal. Agreed with both of you. We really won't have an idea of how they're framing things out until free agency starts next month.

They could probably have artificial intelligence create the whole press conference with standard questions and standard answers.  Just feed the computer with all the previous press conferences by all the other GMs in the league, and it will spit out an entire press conference for publication.  That would save everyone a lot of time.

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What kind of answers do you expect?  

Don't expect him to tell you "Fortner is a failure and we're going to get a better Center."  Because telling us that doesn't do him or the team any good.  In fact, don't expect anything much at all.   Because the art of the press conference is to use a lot of words to impart very little new information.

Are they in contract talks with Josh Allen?  Im sure someone will ask that and inwant to hear his answer.  He has already gave the answer on how he feels about the interior oline.  " Need to be bigger and stonger." Can usually tell the answers if you are able to read between the lines.  Also want to hear what players we meet with at the combine

"Yeah, we're in talks now with Allen's camp".

Tomorrow, per Josh Allen, "What? No, still no conversation with him, I heard he was, uh, "Hunting" for a specific player in free agency".

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

He likely won't give any "real" answers at this press conference. That would lead to possible tampering and giving away draft strategy.

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Duh. My bad. That makes sense with it starting in two days. 


A lot of poker face will be on display today. Stonewalling in full effect. Which is normal. Agreed with both of you. We really won't have an idea of how they're framing things out until free agency starts next month.

They could probably have artificial intelligence create the whole press conference with standard questions and standard answers.  Just feed the computer with all the previous press conferences by all the other GMs in the league, and it will spit out an entire press conference for publication.  That would save everyone a lot of time.

Would AI have said our oline needs to be bigger and stonger?  Would AI have said Josh Allen will be a Jag and they haven't started negotiations?

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What kind of answers do you expect?  

Don't expect him to tell you "Fortner is a failure and we're going to get a better Center."  Because telling us that doesn't do him or the team any good.  In fact, don't expect anything much at all.   Because the art of the press conference is to use a lot of words to impart very little new information.

Are they in contract talks with Josh Allen?  Im sure someone will ask that and inwant to hear his answer.  He has already gave the answer on how he feels about the interior oline.  " Need to be bigger and stonger." Can usually tell the answers if you are able to read between the lines.  Also want to hear what players we meet with at the combine.  If you are able to read between the lines a little you can get answers from Baalkes responses

"We are exploring options, leaving no stone unturned. We look forward to what the next few weeks hold."

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Duh. My bad. That makes sense with it starting in two days. 


A lot of poker face will be on display today. Stonewalling in full effect. Which is normal. Agreed with both of you. We really won't have an idea of how they're framing things out until free agency starts next month.

They could probably have artificial intelligence create the whole press conference with standard questions and standard answers.  Just feed the computer with all the previous press conferences by all the other GMs in the league, and it will spit out an entire press conference for publication.  That would save everyone a lot of time.

I would swing the pendulum the opposite way and just sarcasm font every response.

"We're exploring what we can do to trade up to 1. We've got experience picking there, and it's good to have your pick of the pack."

"Salary cap, shmalary cap. We are going to push everyone's contracts out 5 years so we can sign every free agent whose name y'all recognize. Paper Champs, baby!"

"I am going to leverage the Jimmy Haslam approach to scouting this year. We're bringing a whole crew of vagrants from Duval County to provide us with advice on who they think we should darft. Yes, I said darft. Deal with it."

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Are they in contract talks with Josh Allen?  Im sure someone will ask that and inwant to hear his answer.  He has already gave the answer on how he feels about the interior oline.  " Need to be bigger and stonger." Can usually tell the answers if you are able to read between the lines.  Also want to hear what players we meet with at the combine.  If you are able to read between the lines a little you can get answers from Baalkes responses

"We are exploring options, leaving no stone unturned. We look forward to what the next few weeks hold."

I hope he don't say that.  Makes it sound like he wants to trade Allen. A big difference from what he said a few weeks ago when he said Allen will be a Jaguar

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"We are exploring options, leaving no stone unturned. We look forward to what the next few weeks hold."

I hope he don't say that.  Makes it sound like he wants to trade Allen.  A big difference from what he said a few weeks ago when he said Allen will be a Jaguar

Man, you really, really don't get how this works, do you? He can't trade Allen, Allen is a free agent. And if he weren't he SHOULD make it sound like he wants to trade him, and also that he wouldn't trade him under any circumstances. Being an NFL GM is like being in the world's most high profile poker game, you lie about everything all the time and make the other players (GMs, coaches, agents) have no idea what you're doing. Baalke's problem is he just goes silent, like with Allen, when he should've been lying to them at the time so he could lie at the presser as well. He's not good at that part the same way you don't understand it.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I hope he don't say that.  Makes it sound like he wants to trade Allen.  A big difference from what he said a few weeks ago when he said Allen will be a Jaguar

Man, you really, really don't get how this works, do you? He can't trade Allen, Allen is a free agent. And if he weren't he SHOULD make it sound like he wants to trade him, and also that he wouldn't trade him under any circumstances. Being an NFL GM is like being in the world's most high profile poker game, you lie about everything all the time and make the other players (GMs, coaches, agents) have no idea what you're doing. Baalke's problem is he just goes silent, like with Allen, when he should've been lying to them at the time so he could lie at the presser as well. He's not good at that part the same way you don't understand it.

Clueless as always, doesnt surprise me lol.  They can tag him and trade him if they want.  Baalkes problem isn't that he goes silent, Baalkes problem is he don't know how to draft and his board has sucked in the past, that's his problem.  Not to mention he has built this team and hasn't provided enough protection for Trevor, on top of saying the trenches need to bigger and stronger when it's been built by him, that's his problem.  At the end of the day it doesn't matter what he says it matters what he does, the draft and FA last year sucks and this team took a step, that's not going to get it done.

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