Hts121

I hope that is real brick and not a veneer

There probably is some motivation to get started before Optima finds a sypathetic judge to hold things up. The farther along they are, and the more investment sunk in, the less likely it will be for a judge to throw in a roadblock.

This deal keep getting better IMO. The 1st rounder we received is not only top 5 protected for Memphis, but also top 15 protected for us in 2015 and 2016........ which means that they only send us the pick in those years if they are picking between 6 and 15. In 2017 and 2018, the pick is then only top 5 protected and we get whatever Memphis has in the 1st round outside of the top 5. Chris Grant sure loves to stockpile picks. We have the right to swap the Lakers pick this year (if LAL makes the playoffs), we still have the Kings' pick from the JJ trade (although it is heavily protected and might end up defaulting into a 2nd rounder), we have two 1sts from Miami coming up over the next 3 years, and we now this 1st rounder from Memphis. We still also have all of our picks. I'd say we have some good assets moving forward.

I am going to guess that the acquisition of Ellington, who is a good defender and 40%+ 3-point shooter, means that Boobie's time in town is about over. I anticipate he (and maybe Luke Walton due to the value of his expiring contract) will be moved before the trade deadline. With Irving, Waiters, Pargo, Selby, Gibson, and Ellington..... half of the 12 man active roster would be guards 6'4 and under. Add in Livingston, who has settled into the backup PG role, and I think the writing is on the wall for Boobie.

Well..... let's think about it. Chip Kelly is the head coach, which makes "offensive coordinator" f the Eagles on par with "Assistant to the Regional Manager"

That is going to be a hefty tax bill for a shuttered property

After hearing the news about Andy, I was just thinking how thin we were in the frontcourt. Then, this morning, Dan Gilbert again shows why Cleveland fans should love him. Memphis was in desperate straits in terms of the salary cap. Their hand was almost forced to trade Rudy Gay to stay out of the luxury tax. But the Cavs swoop in and agree to take on some salary to better our team. Cleveland trades Jon Lauer for........ Maurice Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby, a 2015 1st Round pick (top 5 protected), and a future 2nd round pick. I sure the driving factor for us was the 1st Rounder. Speights also gives us some height we were missing. He's a body to throw in there, if nothing else. Ellington is nothing special, but is a decent role player. Selby is intriguing. He ran into some trouble in college after being a top recruit and had to leave Kansas before ever developing. He was co-MVP (with D. Lilliard) of this past year's summer league.

Looks like the PD had to cut-off the comments entirely. Probably, but sadly, a good idea....

I like Horton. If a shift to the 3-4 is inevitable, I prefer the hybrid he runs with a NT, DT, DE, and an OLB that can both play with his hand in the dirt and standing up. 3 names for the draft with Horton running the show on defense are Demontrae Moore, Jarvis Jones, and Dee Milliner

I don't know how much of the Oakland drafting you can hold against him. Al Davis was a major meddler in the draft process and often dictated the picks to his personnel guys.

Mike Lombardi is in as the 'player personnel guy'........ and so ends the worst kept secret in the NFL

NFL coaches usually don't move on to "greener pastures" without a mutual parting of ways with the team they are already with. I was not concerned that Kelly would dart the second something better came along. What concerned me about Kelly was that his system is untested in the NFL and he has no experience dealing with NFL players. He may very well be a big hit, but it was a risky play. I see Chud as a "safer" pick, for sure, although Kelly would have been the "bigger splash."

His allegiance and love of his home district brought you Dennis Kucinich. No matter what people say about him nationally, the west side of Cleveland loved the guy. And it is hard to categorize him within the liberal wing. In reality, despite a few stark contrasts, he had a lot more in common with Ron Paul than he did with most liberals.

I actually preffered First Energy Field

Is CBS built on a garbage dump? I thought it was dredged materials...... and Burke was where the dump was

For whatever reason, I do not feel the same attachment to "Cleveland Browns Stadium" that I did towards "Gund Arena" or "Jacobs Field". I have finally come around to calling it "the Q", but I don't think I have ever used "Progressive Field"..... "the Prog"...... or whatever we are supposed to call it. That stadium will always be "Jacobs Field" to me.

It can't come from the Cavs front office because that would constitute 'tampering' I'd certainly believe there is something to this..... at least that the LBJ is keeping it open as an option. More than anything, the Cavs no pursuing Rudy Gay at all seems to provide some credibility to the rumor. Their lack of interest makes no sense otherwise.

The bigger (no pun intended) question for me is whether the system allow for both Rubin and Taylor on the field together. The pats tend to use 300+ lb DEs that look like DTs in a 4-3. Making offenses worry about both those guys at the same time was a turning point for the D this past season. One positive I suppose is that JMJ should fit better at ILB than he did at Sam

You can rest assured that CH would never allow annexation of anything "down the hill." But "the hill" itself, that could be open for discussion

I don't know how elite you need to be to qualify as a "star" under your analysis, but I have a hard time not putting ALL-PRO (not simply Pro-Bowl) players in the category of a star. If it was so easy for Pittsburgh with their system, they would have not had any problems this year when their...... "very good players"..... got banged up. Roethlisberger - Offensive ROY; Pro-bowler; two time super bowl champ QB (youngest to ever win) Palomalu - Collegiate All-American; SEVEN time pro-bowler; mutiple selections to All-Pro team; AP Defensive POY Harrison - AP Defensive POY; All-Pro; Pro-bowler Pouncey - been the pro-bowl every year since he was drafted and is generally considered the best center in the NFL Hampton - five-time pro-bowler

Stars on Pittsburgh? James Harrison, Troy Palamalu, Lawrence Timmons, Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton, Lamarr Woodley, Ben Rothlesburger, Mike Wallace, Heath Miller, Maurkice Pouncey to name 'a few'. Not all of those guys had their best years last year, but talent is not an issue in Pittsburgh at all. New England I would be more inclined to agree that their success is not dependent on a star-studded roster. But they do have Tom Brady, who might be the biggest star of all. Take Brady off that team and it is not a contender.

Did you listen to the link I posted? It's one thing to sound like he usually does, which is 'punch drunk' perhaps. It's another to be obviously tanked. I'm sure the pills he has to take don't mix well with alchohol. I'm no morality cop and, don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm offended. But let's not pretend that, justified or not, the guy has or at least had a drinking problem.

About running a 4-3 or 3-4 defense, Chudzinski says there are a lot of hybrid defense out there and with the personnel Browns have, they can go either way http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2013/01/rob_chudzinski_press_conferenc.html#incart_maj-story-1 I can live with that...

^ I love San Diego! I just don't care for Sandyohgans... Winston Salem is on the major upswing. 15 years ago, it was considered among NC locals as kind of slummy and on par with Durham.