I wouldn't ruin a perfectly good steak by putting fake cheese on it, and then wrapping a bunch of bread around it. Just give me the damn steak. Medium rare please.
As to Mafe, his progression has seemed to stall. On the other hand, Mike Macdonald's defense does seem to spread production around, so no one player puts up gawdy numbers. Mafe's pressure rate was decent, and his run grade is also good. He can set an edge with the best of them. But playing 'good' doesn't get you paid like playing 'great'. He'll get a substantial raise in FA, but I'm not sure he'll find someone to pay north of $10/year, and he may not find more the 2 years on the term. We'll see. It only takes one team.
I'm optimistic Hall has turned the corner. He's one strong mf'er, and very athletic. It took him some time to get his head on straight (which J-Reed helped with), but he figured some things out this year. A small step forward this year could lead him to turn some of those pressures into sacks. Of course, then Seattle has another FA problem, but that's for next offseason.
It's nice having Super Bowl winner problems, ain't it?
So, this is the "I'm on vacation" poll? Works for me, hope you are having a good one. Just my opinion, the choices were not too good. Stay away from the American and Cheez Wiz. No real cheese, unhealthy chemical concoctions.
I'm not going to hate on Cheez-Whiz. Just know that it is mostly oil & water, but it is the original "cheese" on Philly Cheesesteaks. I just prefer actual cheese on my steaks. I am a cheesesteak lover and consider myself a connoisseur. I worked in restaurants for over 15yrs and have been around many different variations of the cheesesteak.
Personal preference is the only thing that matters.
I like a sub roll toasted on the flat griddle. I like ALL the veggies on it: onions, cherry peppers over bell peppers if available, mushrooms, banana peppers, and black olives. No jalapenos, the spice overpowers the rest. Top it with provolone. The cheese is mild enough to not overwhelm the sandwich but accentuate it nicely, and it is also a natural cheese, unlike american and Cheez-Whiz. Both of those tend to be very sticky and cloying on the palate to me, muting the flavors of the meat and veggies. Add mayo and mustard... done.
If I get a wild hair, I will put cold lettuce and tomato on it, or make it an "Italian" cheesesteak and put some tomatoes on the griddle with the other veggies just for a few seconds. In that case, no lettuce or raw tomato.
Shaved ribeye is where it's at, also. Steak-Umm is garbage. It has a freezer burned fat taste that is nauseating.
Pretty sure that defensive celebrations aren’t an indicator of current success and future performance but it seems Hall was way more involved with the vets in any celebration. And I think that indicates something.
The cheese debate is a serious matter with extremely strong opinions and arguments to be made on both/all sides. I like it all. If you're eating a quality cheesesteak right now, you're a lucky human, regardless of the cheese selection. My argument is that the quality/cook of the steak, and correct bread choice are more critical than the cheese. I'll vary my selection based on mood, so in today's poll I went with "both," which I interpreted as I like them both individually, but not all mixed together.
I’m with you. I have yet to have a bad cheesesteak.
While my favorite varies based on mood and availability, today I voted Cheese Whiz because my Philly friends always told me that’s the original and the best.
Sounds like Lawrence is seriously considering retirement. We’ve also said Nwosu cap hit might be too high this year. Even if he plays another year, I don’t think they extend him.
If we’re looking 2 years ahead, we need to find 1-3 edge players.
This team is still young and a legit playoff / SB contender for the next couple of years.
Who do you all think we should target in the draft and free agency? For draft, I assume we will use our first or second round pick. For FA, we don’t typically sign the first wave guys.
Bonus, who would say yes to a trade for Crosby and our first round pick this year and next + Nwosu (the reported asking price from Raiders).
I'm not great at interpreting how/why contracts are structured the way they are, but Crosby's looks like it was designed to make him tradable. I think any team that acquired him would want to negotiate an extension to offer more guaranteed money in exchange for lessening the cap hit in the first year or two.
I think that trade value for Crosby is probably right, but I don't think I'd pay it. The problem with Crosby is that there is a far higher chance that he doesn't live up to expectations than there is that his play exceeds his contract value. We can't trade for him unless we are planning to extend him, and we're already trying to make JSN and Spoon two of the highest paid players at their positions. I just don't think we can build a solid team around all those massive contracts. It would be better to use those two first round picks on edge rushers and see if we can get a hit on a rookie deal for four or five years.
Agree, not worth it for the Hawks. An injury or other limiting factor would hamstring our Cap position. At the moment the Defense's $ is spread around reasonably well with all involved getting a decent amount of the pie. Our D doesn't need one player to over-perform but rather each 'n every player doing thier job and holding their position. MOB.
Edge is definitely the position that JS needs to get a draft hit in. There's no edge on our roster right now with any chance of being a bargain in 2027. Tank ended up being a bargain last season, but can he do it again? Does he want to? Chenna is highly unlikely to meet his contract value next season, in my opinion. Hall is either going to end up in the same boat as Mafe this time next year or play himself into a more lucrative extension. Either way, he won't be a bargain. There's just no way to find value in this position group on the roster right now, and like QB, WR, and CB, it's a position group where great values help you win championships; especially now that we're gonna have to pay JSN and Spoon.
It would be fantastic, and a bargain, if one or both of them became solid starters. I'd just be nervous if that were the pash rush plan going into the season.
Radical suggestion, put real cheese in your food! You will be shocked how good that tastes compared to cheese "product/food/process". Even if it's just some grated cheddar or mozzarella it'll make your Philly Cheesesteak a hundred times better in both flavour and texture.
Regarding Mafe, think this one has been an open and shut case for a while.
MM has to approach defense differently from year to year, else we get 'figgerd out'. I expect we'll see Boye return simply because he is here. Because he is "1 of the 70' in the spirit of '1 as 12'. This year, we saw Byron Murphy's strengths used to focus our entire assaults. Next year, it may be our Edge Guys. Every man on this team sees themselves as capable of reaching welite performance, or close enough to make little to no difference. Soon enough, our Hawks will impose themselves in so many ways that offenses will be wondering if there is anything short of outright luck getting them into the endzone. MM is constantly wondering 'If Not/Why Not?", leading a Team of Brothers built to win. If a guy wants to leave, let it be his choice and not a team decision.
Mafe has imo a processing delay and he also quits on plays too soon. Hall seems like he's getting a little better each year even if it's marginal, it's still improvement. There are so many edges in this draft...it's almost overwhelming. You want a smaller one designed just for pass rush, you want a big end to set edge and play all three downs, you want a hybrid that also drop and cover, you want a traditional 4-3 end or something different...they are all there. There are going to be options in literally every round almost. I could see Caden Curry being like AJ Barner in that he could be one of the last Ends selected but after a few seasons could be one of the best from that class. Barner was 8 of 9 TE selected that year and the only one that has any claim to be better is Bowers. C Howell, A Mesidor, M Lawrence, and C Curry look solid but there are so many others it's crazy.
I have no idea what people in Pennsylvania eat, but please, for the love of God and the betterment of mankind everywhere, don't do Cheez Whiz. That stuff is just nasty.
Amen brother. Right up there with Spam and Vienna Sausages...
Side note: in a prior life I ran the business that made Libby's Vienna Sausages and the internal remark was "they're great except they ain't from Vienna and they ain't sausages"
It's interesting how things can change. After the first two years of Mafe, and at the time, the first year of Hall, I felt Mafe had the higher ceiling and was a lock to be our next star Edge.
It just hasn't clicked under MM unfortunately, while Hall seems to be growing into a better fit.
I was pretty resistant to signing Lawrence initially (clearly, very wrong) as I thought his upside was low and he would take snaps away from the young guys, but I'm seeing now that it seems you need really high field IQ to play in Mike's defense as an edge, which could be why Nwosu and Lawrence are the starters.
I’ve been waiting for Mafe to flip the switch from potential to production. The fact that I’m still waiting after 4 years says a lot. He has ALL the tools to be an AMAZING edge, but just can’t seem to put it all together.
So I guess it’s time to move on. Bummer it turned out this way.
I wouldn't ruin a perfectly good steak by putting fake cheese on it, and then wrapping a bunch of bread around it. Just give me the damn steak. Medium rare please.
As to Mafe, his progression has seemed to stall. On the other hand, Mike Macdonald's defense does seem to spread production around, so no one player puts up gawdy numbers. Mafe's pressure rate was decent, and his run grade is also good. He can set an edge with the best of them. But playing 'good' doesn't get you paid like playing 'great'. He'll get a substantial raise in FA, but I'm not sure he'll find someone to pay north of $10/year, and he may not find more the 2 years on the term. We'll see. It only takes one team.
I'm optimistic Hall has turned the corner. He's one strong mf'er, and very athletic. It took him some time to get his head on straight (which J-Reed helped with), but he figured some things out this year. A small step forward this year could lead him to turn some of those pressures into sacks. Of course, then Seattle has another FA problem, but that's for next offseason.
It's nice having Super Bowl winner problems, ain't it?
So, this is the "I'm on vacation" poll? Works for me, hope you are having a good one. Just my opinion, the choices were not too good. Stay away from the American and Cheez Wiz. No real cheese, unhealthy chemical concoctions.
Weird one being in Hong Kong. You think he would have asked about fish or rice. :-)
I'm not going to hate on Cheez-Whiz. Just know that it is mostly oil & water, but it is the original "cheese" on Philly Cheesesteaks. I just prefer actual cheese on my steaks. I am a cheesesteak lover and consider myself a connoisseur. I worked in restaurants for over 15yrs and have been around many different variations of the cheesesteak.
Personal preference is the only thing that matters.
I like a sub roll toasted on the flat griddle. I like ALL the veggies on it: onions, cherry peppers over bell peppers if available, mushrooms, banana peppers, and black olives. No jalapenos, the spice overpowers the rest. Top it with provolone. The cheese is mild enough to not overwhelm the sandwich but accentuate it nicely, and it is also a natural cheese, unlike american and Cheez-Whiz. Both of those tend to be very sticky and cloying on the palate to me, muting the flavors of the meat and veggies. Add mayo and mustard... done.
If I get a wild hair, I will put cold lettuce and tomato on it, or make it an "Italian" cheesesteak and put some tomatoes on the griddle with the other veggies just for a few seconds. In that case, no lettuce or raw tomato.
Shaved ribeye is where it's at, also. Steak-Umm is garbage. It has a freezer burned fat taste that is nauseating.
Of course, all IMHO. Lol
The results from the poll has taken a toll on my estimation of the human population, of which this group is as fine an example as we are to find.
Pretty sure that defensive celebrations aren’t an indicator of current success and future performance but it seems Hall was way more involved with the vets in any celebration. And I think that indicates something.
The cheese debate is a serious matter with extremely strong opinions and arguments to be made on both/all sides. I like it all. If you're eating a quality cheesesteak right now, you're a lucky human, regardless of the cheese selection. My argument is that the quality/cook of the steak, and correct bread choice are more critical than the cheese. I'll vary my selection based on mood, so in today's poll I went with "both," which I interpreted as I like them both individually, but not all mixed together.
I'd be happy if American cheese ceased to exist....
I’m with you. I have yet to have a bad cheesesteak.
While my favorite varies based on mood and availability, today I voted Cheese Whiz because my Philly friends always told me that’s the original and the best.
We all seem to agree Mafe is not the answer.
Sounds like Lawrence is seriously considering retirement. We’ve also said Nwosu cap hit might be too high this year. Even if he plays another year, I don’t think they extend him.
If we’re looking 2 years ahead, we need to find 1-3 edge players.
This team is still young and a legit playoff / SB contender for the next couple of years.
Who do you all think we should target in the draft and free agency? For draft, I assume we will use our first or second round pick. For FA, we don’t typically sign the first wave guys.
Bonus, who would say yes to a trade for Crosby and our first round pick this year and next + Nwosu (the reported asking price from Raiders).
his contract runs through 2029 so extending him is not an issue, but his cap hit is $35.9M this year. Don’t think it’s worth it.
I'm not great at interpreting how/why contracts are structured the way they are, but Crosby's looks like it was designed to make him tradable. I think any team that acquired him would want to negotiate an extension to offer more guaranteed money in exchange for lessening the cap hit in the first year or two.
I think that trade value for Crosby is probably right, but I don't think I'd pay it. The problem with Crosby is that there is a far higher chance that he doesn't live up to expectations than there is that his play exceeds his contract value. We can't trade for him unless we are planning to extend him, and we're already trying to make JSN and Spoon two of the highest paid players at their positions. I just don't think we can build a solid team around all those massive contracts. It would be better to use those two first round picks on edge rushers and see if we can get a hit on a rookie deal for four or five years.
Agree, not worth it for the Hawks. An injury or other limiting factor would hamstring our Cap position. At the moment the Defense's $ is spread around reasonably well with all involved getting a decent amount of the pie. Our D doesn't need one player to over-perform but rather each 'n every player doing thier job and holding their position. MOB.
Edge is definitely the position that JS needs to get a draft hit in. There's no edge on our roster right now with any chance of being a bargain in 2027. Tank ended up being a bargain last season, but can he do it again? Does he want to? Chenna is highly unlikely to meet his contract value next season, in my opinion. Hall is either going to end up in the same boat as Mafe this time next year or play himself into a more lucrative extension. Either way, he won't be a bargain. There's just no way to find value in this position group on the roster right now, and like QB, WR, and CB, it's a position group where great values help you win championships; especially now that we're gonna have to pay JSN and Spoon.
I wouldn't sleep on Jared Ivey or Conner O'toole at edge.
It would be fantastic, and a bargain, if one or both of them became solid starters. I'd just be nervous if that were the pash rush plan going into the season.
Radical suggestion, put real cheese in your food! You will be shocked how good that tastes compared to cheese "product/food/process". Even if it's just some grated cheddar or mozzarella it'll make your Philly Cheesesteak a hundred times better in both flavour and texture.
Regarding Mafe, think this one has been an open and shut case for a while.
Unfortunately
MM has to approach defense differently from year to year, else we get 'figgerd out'. I expect we'll see Boye return simply because he is here. Because he is "1 of the 70' in the spirit of '1 as 12'. This year, we saw Byron Murphy's strengths used to focus our entire assaults. Next year, it may be our Edge Guys. Every man on this team sees themselves as capable of reaching welite performance, or close enough to make little to no difference. Soon enough, our Hawks will impose themselves in so many ways that offenses will be wondering if there is anything short of outright luck getting them into the endzone. MM is constantly wondering 'If Not/Why Not?", leading a Team of Brothers built to win. If a guy wants to leave, let it be his choice and not a team decision.
Writing has been on the wall for a while on this one.
And cheese whiz is the classic receipe and should never be altered...it's perfect as is. In fact that's what I'm gong to go get for lunch mmmmm
Mafe has imo a processing delay and he also quits on plays too soon. Hall seems like he's getting a little better each year even if it's marginal, it's still improvement. There are so many edges in this draft...it's almost overwhelming. You want a smaller one designed just for pass rush, you want a big end to set edge and play all three downs, you want a hybrid that also drop and cover, you want a traditional 4-3 end or something different...they are all there. There are going to be options in literally every round almost. I could see Caden Curry being like AJ Barner in that he could be one of the last Ends selected but after a few seasons could be one of the best from that class. Barner was 8 of 9 TE selected that year and the only one that has any claim to be better is Bowers. C Howell, A Mesidor, M Lawrence, and C Curry look solid but there are so many others it's crazy.
Hall is that mix of hybrid that can defend the run and occasionally drop back and yet has massive power.
I have no idea what people in Pennsylvania eat, but please, for the love of God and the betterment of mankind everywhere, don't do Cheez Whiz. That stuff is just nasty.
Amen brother. Right up there with Spam and Vienna Sausages...
Side note: in a prior life I ran the business that made Libby's Vienna Sausages and the internal remark was "they're great except they ain't from Vienna and they ain't sausages"
Hey man Spam is a Hawaiian delicacy. :-)))
It's interesting how things can change. After the first two years of Mafe, and at the time, the first year of Hall, I felt Mafe had the higher ceiling and was a lock to be our next star Edge.
It just hasn't clicked under MM unfortunately, while Hall seems to be growing into a better fit.
I was pretty resistant to signing Lawrence initially (clearly, very wrong) as I thought his upside was low and he would take snaps away from the young guys, but I'm seeing now that it seems you need really high field IQ to play in Mike's defense as an edge, which could be why Nwosu and Lawrence are the starters.
I’ve been waiting for Mafe to flip the switch from potential to production. The fact that I’m still waiting after 4 years says a lot. He has ALL the tools to be an AMAZING edge, but just can’t seem to put it all together.
So I guess it’s time to move on. Bummer it turned out this way.