I'm a big fan of alternate or "what-if" history. Years ago, somebody wrote a alternate history of the Cleveland Browns becoming this ridiculously dominant dynasty into the 21st century titled 'The Dawg Pound Dynasty'. This one isn't quite like that but it's a question I often pondered particularly about the 1983 NFL draft. Before the draft, the Raiders had attempted to do some elaborate 3-way trade to get John Elway but it fell through. During the 83 draft, the Raiders picked C Don Mosebar. Right after they picked, the Dolphins had the next pick and used it on Dan Marino. What if... the Raiders decided to draft Dan Marino? Marino was never on their radar so how does he get on their radar?... Better yet, how many super bowls to the Raiders go to in the 1980's with Marino as their QB? Most of all, does Marino's relationship with Al eventually sour like with Kenny Stabler and Marcus Allen?

Hello, everyone! I just got my previous experience list today [radar only; no tower exp], and being from small towns all my life, I know next to nothing about cities/city driving/city life. I am looking for a not super pricy area with bike paths [if able to commute safely], safe neighborhoods [single, but my idea of a fun time is playing on my PC and DnD so my 'night life' is quite nerdy], a car commute that won't scare me into the next state, and great coworkers. Totally understand that's a lot of desires and sometimes, something has to give - but I can dream, eh?
Jokes aside, I would appreciate some advice on the list below:
CLE - 8 - Cleveland, OH
SDF - 9 - Louisville, KY
TYS - 8 - Knoxville/Louisville, TN
BHM - 8 - Birmingham, AL
CHS - 8 - Charleston, SC
CRP - 8 - Corpus Christi, TX
ICT - 8 - Wichita, KS
LIT - 7 - Little Rock, AR
MDT - 7 - Middletown, PA
MSY - 9 - New Orleans, LA
ORF - 8 - Norfolk/Virgina Beach, VA
SBN - 7 - South Bend, IN
TUL - 8 - Tulsa, OK
CVG - 9 - Cincinnati/Erlanger, KY
FAI - 7 - Fairbanks, AK
MKE - 8 - Milwaukee, WI
PBI - 9 - West Palm Beach, FL
PVD - 7 - Warwick, RI
I appreciate all of your guys' time!

Just came across my radar yesterday, Life West is opening a branch in Omaha, Nebraska. I'll bet the Midwest schools, especially Palmer, NWHSU and Cleveland, are stoked considering the # of students they pull from Nebraska. Seems a bit predatory on the part of Life West, but there are no friends in business. LOL Beat the bushes a little with the handful of contacts I have left in education and was told that it was kept VERY close to the vest, so it was a rare, well-kept secret where, in education, people talk like it's going out of business. LOL Apparently LW hired a consultant (upper level administrators love paying big $$$ to consultants even more than they love increasing enrollment #'s) to identify colleges anywhere in the USA who were willing to rent space to a chiro college and Bellvue University in Omaha bit, so that's where they decided to go.
I've heard a couple rumors, one that course work will be largely online with students in Omaha largely watching lectures while they are performed in California and then they'd attend lab sessions on campus at Bellevue. Another was that they will have actual on-ground, in-person faculty in Omaha and classes will not be televised.
I suspect they will go the "community clinic route" when it comes to the clinical phase, sending students to local practices to meet all their clinic requirements. Based on recent CCE actions over the past few years, I'm surprised to see schools doubling-down on this. All the recent CCE wrist-slapping has been over schools following what CCE (actually what UWS, who has MASSIVE influence on CCE) decided to soft-adopt as "best practices" in showing attainment of their metacompetencies. None of this is anywhere in the CCE's actual accreditation guidelines, but over the last few years they quietly published a white paper out of UWS that said the best way to track metacompetency outcomes is with at least three independent instruments, at least one being a direct measure. This surprised schools being re-accredited over the last year or so since this isn't anywhere in any accreditation standard manual. LOL In any case, MCOs are almost universally tracked in the clinical phase and showing each student has achieved each one prior to graduation is actually quite complicated. I thought this would put the "community clinics" things to death, but schools are really going for it. Talking to schools like Logan who have a small on-campus clinic but a large contingent of students who go to private practices in the community, the quality varies wildly from fine to horrible, so getting DC's who are trying to run practices to properly constantly assess, re-assess, identify the need for remediation, etc is literally impossible and I wonder how these schools are showing quality assessment and attainment of MCOs spread out over dozens and dozens of clinical sites where there is no norming to assessments or etc going on. I mean, I think I know, but I am cynical and assume everyone is cooking the books. LOL
Anyway, a little education drama for everyone. I imagine no one is happy about this except Life West.

I did this as if Rodgers went to the Jets (for a 2024 4th rounder and 2025 2nd rounder that can become a 1st) and Lamar to the Raiders (despite their denials). Also McGlinchey to the Bears seems pertinent. I didn't describe the in-draft trades to save space, so I hope they're obvious.
1ST ROUND:
(1) Carolina Panthers (From Chicago): Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida - Yeah I’m not buying all those reports coming out of the combine that they’re lukewarm on Richardson. Feels a little too timely, pointed and matter-of-fact. Nah, I say they nab a vet like Brissett or Bridgewater, keep Darnold while they blood AR. Reich made Carson Wentz look like a legitimate MVP candidate (in Philly at least), I think he’ll jump at the chance to develop Richardson.
(2) Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State - No one’s had a better two months than Stroud, from his performance against Georgia to his throwing at the combine. He’s been the biggest winner to me so far (we all knew Richardson was gonna test like a freak).
(3) Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama - Easy pick.
(4) Indianapolis Colts: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky - I just can’t envistion a world where a guy like Ballard drafts a guy like Young. Not unless Irsay forces him to (which yeah, is in the realm of possibility). Everyone says Steichen is gonna be all over Richardson and I agree, he’s probably interested, but if so he’s probably interested in Levis for a lot of the same reasons. Levis isn’t the athlete Richardson is (who is?), but he’s at least as good as Daniel Jones or Josh Allen. Given he also worked with Justin Herbert and Phil Rivers, I think Steichen can work wonders with Levis.
(5) Seattle Seahawks (From Denver): Jalen Carter, iDL, Georgia - Seattle more so than a lot of other teams doesn’t have a problem drafting players with character concerns. They drafted Malik McDowell in the 2nd knowing full well he was a head case, Bruce Irvin had been arrested for burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, and destruction of property before ever turning pro, and Frank Clark had been dismissed from Michigan after a domestic violence charge. Granted they’ve backed off since the McDowell miss but the other two worked out, and Carter’s red flags aren’t the bad person kind as much as they are the immature and stupid kind. I could easily see them talking themselves into it, Carter’s a major fit on their roster.
(6) Detroit Lions (From LA Rams): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama - I think Detroit would love to trade out of this spot but the since the Raiders, who would have picked next, have added Lamar Jackson in this exercise and since the Ravens will convince everyone they're going with Huntley for at least a year, I think they’ll find it difficult. So rather than take a position of greater need they say fuck it and go BPA. I was advocating for them to do this back in 2020 when Miami and the Chargers both called Detroit’s bluff and they took Okudah rather than Tua or Herbert. They should have taken one of the QBs and either held one of those teams hostage, or just kept the QB. But the FO was in win-now mode and they chickenshitted out. The current FO has no such problems. Let the bidding begin, or keep the QB.
(7) Baltimore Ravens (From Las Vegas): Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech - Pretty much pure BPA but also adding pieces to the DL has never been something the Ravens have shied away from.
(8) Atlanta Falcons: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia - I would like to mock them a larger edge defender to line up across from Ebiketie and/or Carter but I don’t think they’ll be able to resist the local coach’s dream with a get-off almost a tenth of a second faster than Micah Parsons or Von Miller. They’ll figure out a way to make it work.
(9) Chicago Bears (From Carolina): Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson - To me the Bears approach should be to hoard as much talent as possible, almost regardless of position. Yeah they need help along the OL but it’s much worse on the DL IMO (especially after bringing in McGlinchey), and to me Murphy is a level above the OL in the class. Skoronski’s close, but as I see him as guard only I’m going with positional value here as well.
(10) Pittsburgh Steelers (From Philadelphia): Peter Skoronski, iOL, Northwestern - So I had the Bears pass on him but the Steelers pounce. Partly because the Steelers are closer to contending and only have a few glaring holes to fill, but also because their FO has traditionally shown they don’t put much stock in positional value (Najee, Devin Bush, Pouncey, Minkah via trade). Now granted Khan might be different from Colbert, but he came up under him. Until I see otherwise, I expect he’ll show a lot of the same tendencies.
(11) Tennessee Titans: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State - No reason to belabor this one, right? Pretty much everyone mocks them a tackle.
(12) Houston Texans (From Cleveland): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State - I know he’s a little superfluous with Metchie but now that they’ve drafted Stroud he makes a lot more sense. The two made magic together in Columbus and while JSN has been typecast as slot only, I’m not sure that’s exactly true. He’s big enough to hang outside unlike a lot of other slot receivers, and Justin Jefferson had the same issues coming out. I don’t expect JSN to run as fast as him but you never know, that Ohio State track is blazing. Plus Metchie is a complete unknown coming off the illness, it’s shouldn’t stop Houston from adding what I think is one of the two or three highest-floor players in the class.
(13) New York Jets: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia - He’s moving on up, I wouldn’t be completely shocked if he surpassed Johnson Jr. as OT1 (or Skoronski, if you still consider him a tackle). The Jets have to keep throwing resources at OL until they fix it.
(14) New England Patriots: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State - Of all of the outrageously oversized tackles to come around the past few years (Becton, Trent Brown, Orlando Brown, Ma’afala), I think Jones is the best of the bunch. It looks awkward sometimes but he really understands what works best for his body and what scenarios to avoid. This is a little early compared to most mocks but this is the Pats we’re talking about, they’ve never cared about what we think. It’s why they’re so hard to mock for. But they’ve shown an ability to work with guys like this from all their years with Trent Brown, who I don’t expect to be back.
(15) Green Bay Packers: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia - Now that he’s tested into the tier Gutekunst typically picks from, I can’t imagine them not utterly loving him. They’ve held on to Marcedes Lewis for years now for his blocking ability, and Washington is like the cyborg version of Lewis. Plus with Tonyan a FA and Deguara more of a FB than TE, they could really stand to add bodies to the room.
(16) Washington Commanders: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon - A little later than most have the first CB coming off the board but that’s how the board fell. Lucky Commanders.
(17) Philadelphia Eagles (from Pittsburgh): Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas - I know Eagles fans are gonna hammer me for this one, there’s no way Howie goes RB in the 1st. I don’t know about that. There’s this nugget I read in an article, I forget where, that had the scuttlebutt being he wouldn’t take one at 10 but after a trade down where he added more picks he might be amenable. He took a NT in the 1st last year, another low-value position, and now we’re getting those reports where Sirianni prefers more of a bell cow back. Plus Bijan and Hurts would be devastating together. I’m not saying it’ll happen for sure, but I think Howie will give serious consideration to it, especially after a trade down.
(18) Detroit Lions: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State - I know Lions fans probably prefer Witherspoon but I just don’t think he’s gonna meet Brad’s athletic and size thresholds. Or if he does he’s gonna come much closer to missing them than Porter Jr., who checked in with a 9.62 RAS. Plus he played and thrived against much better competition. And that length! Aaron Glenn’s gonna love that length.
(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois - It looks like the Bucs are gonna lose a few players from their defensive backfield and Licht has always been a proponent of the “you can never have too many DBs” ideal.
(20) Seattle Seahawks: Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa - Seattle’s front 7 was dire last year. They had some young guys who could still develop (Boye Mafe, etc…), but I think they’re best bet is to keep throwing bodies at it. So after adding Carter at 5, I have them adding Van Ness. He can fit into that Michael Bennett big edge role they’ve always liked (and yes I know the scheme is different now, but the affinity for big edges likely hasn’t changed).
(21) Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU - Sometimes the boring pick is the right pick.
(22) Baltimore Ravens: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland - I know most Ravens fan want a WR, but I just think this is a really bad WR class and they’re not gonna go as high as we think (kind of like the QBs last year), and I wanted this mock to reflect that. I think anyone they add at WR with their next pick in the 3rd (foreshadowing) has a good chance to be as good as anyone added here. So instead I have them pivot to grab local boy and freaky tester Banks, who I kind of have as the last of a tier.
(23) Arizona Cardinals (From Minnesota): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee - The run on tackles spooks the Cardinals who decide to move up to secure one. They need help everywhere but keeping Kyler upright has to be a priority.
(24) Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame - Personally I have both Musgrave and Kincaid ranked ahead of him but as I expect them to bring Engram back, what the Jags really need is a TE who can block as well as catch passes. Since Washington’s already off the board, Mayer is easily the best Y TE remaining.
(25) New York Giants: Joe Tippmann, iOL, Wisconsin - Like I said above in the Banks blurb, I think the receivers are gash and they’re gonna fall like the QBs last year, and I wanted to put that to the test in this mock. And Tippmann’s pre-draft process reminds me a lot of Frank Ragnow’s, where he was a 2-3rd rounder the whole time in the media then a few days before the draft you start to hear actually teams love him and he ends up going a lot higher. To me Tippmann is the slam-dunk top center prospect and he’d look great in NY.
(26) Dallas Cowboys: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah - Mostly I’m ripping this off from Dane Brugler who mocked him here the other day and is really plugged-in with the Cowboys. There’s plenty of rumblings though that Jerruh wants to add offensive weapons, and it looks like Dalton Schultz is heading out the door.
(27) Buffalo Bills: Steve Avila, iOL, TCU - I’m sure a lot of you would prefer Torrence here and that’s fine too, I have them ranked really closesly. I just think Avila’s better on the move and more versatile, which gives him the nod in this spot.
(28) Cincinnati Bengals: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State - Cam Taylor-Britt looks like a keeper but Eli Apple is meh average and a FA, Tre Flowers is a FA, and Chidobe Awuzie will be attempting to come back from a November ACL tear. This is a thin group. Forbes thickens it, despite his frame.
(29) New Orleans Saints (From San Francisco via Miami and Denver): Mazi Smith, iDL, Michigan - Once he fully tests he’s gonna eradicate some RAS DT records, the Saints have always loved their traits, and they’ve never been afraid to take a guy before consensus. Shy Tuttle and Onyemata are both FAs and it’s unlikely both are back.
(30) Detroit Lions (From Philadelphia): Adetomiwa Adebawore, iDL/EDGE, Northwestern - Lions’ GM Brad Holmes had never been afraid to go and get the guys he wants, and I really expect that to include Adebawore. I think he’s more likely to be the next Aaron Donald than Kancey (though let’s be honest, we’ll never see another AD), and Holmes was on the staff that drafted Donald. And he believes in interior pressure, he admitted as much when he drafted Levi Onwuzurike. That one hasn’t worked out due to injury, so it’s time to go back to the well.
(31) Kansas City Chiefs: Matthew Bergeron, OT/iOL, Syracuse - One of my favorite players in the draft, I was regularly grabbing him in the mid-2nd for my Lions on the simulators but I think everyone’s starting to come around now. And seeing as the Chiefs have no tackles, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense.
2ND ROUND:
(32) Pittsburgh Steelers (From Chicago): Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina - Cam answered a lot of the athletic concerns at the combine and he plays with an attitude I expect the Steelers will love.
(33) Houston Texans: Drew Sanders, LB/EDGE, Arkansas - The Texans need help everywhere, and after bolstering the offensive side of the ball in the 1st round, it’s time to flip over to the defense.
(34) Minnesota Vikings (From Arizona): Bryan Bresee, iDL, Clemson - I can’t in good conscience not go defense with the Vikings pick, and I really think Bresee will be a great fit on Brian Flores’s attacking scheme. With the possibility Dalvin Tomlinson moves on they could really use an interior attacker, and Bresee fits.
(35) Green Bay Packers (From Indianapolis): Keion White, EDGE/iDL, Georgia Tech - Once the big RAS superstar starts to fall down the board a little, the Packers pounce. He’s a great fit in Green Bay as he has the ability to play on the line in a 3-4 and also to flex outside (he’s more athletic than Enagabare). With Rashan Gary out for a good chunk of the year, Hollins likely gone, and Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed likely gone as well, a guy with the versatility to play everywhere will have a lot of appeal.
(36) Los Angeles Rams: Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State - Snead has never been shy drafting TEs (Everett in the 2nd, Higbee in the 4th, Hopkins in the 4th) and due to the depth of the class Musgrave is a better prospect than what is normally available. Higbee’s realistically only got one year left on his contract (and they could move on this offseason without much penalty if they wanted to), so it’s time to start grooming his replacement.
(37) Seattle Seahawks (From Denver): O’Cyrus Torrence, iOL, Florida - Torrence’s mini-fall has nothing to do with his ability and more to do with his niche skills. Any team that wants their guards to move is gonna have him lower on their boards which will probably hurt his stock overall. But in a phone booth there might not be a better guard in the class.
(38) Las Vegas Raiders: Cody Mauch, iOL, North Dakota State - He’s got centeguard versatility which I think will really appeal, he and Parham can fight it out to see who snaps the ball and the other can play guard.
(39) Chicago Bears (From Carolina): Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College - So finally another receiver, Flowers is actually my #2 guy behind Smith-Njigba but I don’t think he’ll go before Johnston. He may still be an amateur but he’s really a pro who’s ready to contribute right away, and I don’t think it’s a mystery that Fields needs more weapons.
(40) New Orleans Saints: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama - I know he gets comped to Kamara all the time but I think that’s a lazy comp. Kamara ran in the high 4.5s, Gibbs just blazed a 4.36. He’s not as big as Kamara and doesn’t have his contact balance either. They’re both great pass-catchers but that’s really the extent of the similarities to me. But with Kamara facing a suspension that could potentially last as long as the whole season, and with the rest of the RB room being just a little bit gash, Gibbs is a fit whether he’s Kamara 2.0 or not.
(41) Tennessee Titans: John Michael Schmitz, iOL, Minnesota - Yeah, the Titans really need to hammer their OL. I don’t know if Schmitz plays center or guard for them, but he’s an upgrade.
(42) Cleveland Browns: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee - I know the Browns really need defense more than offense, but the mini-fall of Hyatt sees them pivot. Plus there’s all the rumors about how they really want to open up the offense, and we know the FO wants a legitimate field-stretcher. They tried to go that route with Schwartz but it turns out he wasn’t legitimate at all. So they take a second crack at it.
(43) New York Jets: Brian Branch, S/NB, Alabama - It might seem shocking to see him fall this far but I’ve been mocking him in the 2nd for a couple of months now. Non-elite athletes with average measurables at low value positions always fall. He’s a glove-perfect fit for the Jets though and I expect we’ll be looking at years of borderline all-pro production.
(44) Atlanta Falcons: Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami - After AJ Terrell, who didn’t have his best season, the Falcons are a little thin at CB. Isaiah Oliver’s a free agent and Casey Heyward’s old and missed a good chunk of last year with an injury. He technically has one more year left on his contract but the Falcons could move on if they wanted.
(45) Indianapolis Colts (From Green Bay): Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State - Ballard loves his elite testers and Brents fits that. And he’s never been afraid to take them a little early either. Facyson is almost certainly on the way out and Gilmore might not have too many years left. Adding another CB makes a ton of sense.
(46) Philadelphia Eagles (From New England): Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma - You know Howie’s not coming out of this draft without attacking the lines a little. I love the way he stacks positions with talent, it allows him to be very flexible with the roster.
(47) Washington Commanders: McClendon Curtis, iOL/OT, Tennessee-Chattanooga - Curtis is one of those guy’s who will go way higher than we expect, much like his former teammate Cole Strange. He’s answered all of the pre-draft questions we had for him. The step up in competition at the Senior Bow, check. He got better every day. The size, check. 35-inch arms at 6’6, 324. That’s tackle size. And while the athleticism wasn’t off the charts, it was plenty good enough (8.37 RAS). I don’t know that it’s enough to keep him outside, but on the inside I expect him to be a badass.
(48) Philadelphia Eagles (From Detroit): Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State - No surprise the Eagles are adding bodies to the DL, right?
(49) New England Patriots (From Pittsburgh via Philadelphia): Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State - The Pats needing receiver shouldn’t surprise anyone, but this receiver? Well did anyone think they were taking Tyquan Thornton in the 2nd last year? The Pats have a way of subverting our expectations. Also, Reed is awesome. This is about where I have him ranked personally.
(50) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee - I’m hearing a lot of noise right now that NFL teams like Hooker more than draft media does. There’s even a couple of anonymous scouts who have him graded above Levis and/or Richardson. I don’t know if it’ll be the Bucs, but some team is gonna believe they’re getting a top ten talent in the 2nd round at the most important postion in sports.
(51) Miami Dolphins: Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa - Much better fit for McDaniels offense than goner Gesicki was, I think he’s pretty underrated in this year’s class.
(52) Seattle Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA - The thunder to Walker’s lightning. The Seahawks often draft RBs high, even when it appears like they’ve already got it covered. And with so many picks they can afford to spend a couple on what many would call a luxury.
(53) Chicago Bears (From Baltimore): Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC - I know I had them go Murphy in the 1st but like I said when I talked about that, they have so many holes I think they should just keep adding the best talent (the Lions did this last year when they added Hutch in the 1st and Josh Paschal in the 2nd). And Tuipulotu brings more inside versatility than Murphy does IMO. It’s never a bad strategy to hammer both lines.
(54) Los Angeles Chargers: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia - At a certain point a team is gonna look at what he brings athletically (9.67 RAS) and decide they can bring the best out of him. And while corner isn’t a dire need for the Chargers, Staley always wants as many DBs as possible and in a division with the Chiefs, that’s just good strategy. And if Ringo isn’t able to overcome some of his change of direction issues, I think he could make a superstar safety.
(55) Detroit Lions (From Minnesota): Devon Achane, RB/WR, Texas A&M - You see that “/WR” in his byline? That’s the key to this pick for me. Otherwise there’s no way I think the Lions would go RB this early. But you know what other college RB was 5’8, 190 pounds and ran essentially a 4.3 flat? Tyreek Hill. And he wasn’t noted for his receiving ability either. When I heard Achane and Gibbs stuck around after the televised portion of the combine to do WR drills, my mind started to alight with ideas of Tyreek 2.0. The Lions like to be creative with Ben Johnson and Achane and Jameson Williams could potentially be a major headache for DCs.
(56) Jacksonville Jaguars: Calijah Kancey, iDL, Pittsburgh - This is another guy I think draft media is waaaaay higher on than NFL teams. You remember a couple of years back when Milton Williams set all kinds of DT testing records (9.94 RAS at DT)? Well he didn’t go until the mid-3rd. Now Kancey’s tape is a lot better but Williams was also 6’3 with 31.5 inch arms. Kancey’s 30.6 inch arms are all-time outlier territory, and that’s gonna be below a lot of team thresholds, no matter how much their GM likes his tape. In fact Baalke is typically a height-weight-speed guy himself so maybe Kancey’s off his board altogether. If not though this would be good value at a position of need.
(57) New York Giants: Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee - Along with Reed one of the more underrated WRs in the draft. Before he was hurt he was regularly dominating the best defenses the SEC had to offer. As his first year back from injury I basically throw last year out. In previous mocks I’ve had the Giants trade for Tee Higgins but now that it seems he’s not going anywhere, well why not take the Cincy GM’s advice and find their own?
(58) Dallas Cowboys: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson - I’m pretty sure the Cowboys are about to lose Van Der Esch and while there’s some moderately promising depth with Jabril Cox, Damone Clark and maybe Devin Harper, it’s a terribly inexperienced unit and certainly not one that can be relied on.
(59) Buffalo Bills: Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M - Pretty simple, they’ve lost a lot at safety so they end Johnson’s mini-slide here.
(60) Cincinnati Bengals: Jordan Addison, WR, USC - Some of you will call this an overreaction to his mediocre testing but I’ve been low on him throughout the process. I’ve never mocked him in the first, and while this is maybe a half-round slide for him, I think it makes sense given - at least to an extent - he’s not who we thought he was. But the Bengals need to start preparing for life without Tyler Boyd if they intend to keep Higgins, Chase and Burrow, so adding Addison now and easing him in is smart.
(61) Carolina Panthers (from San Francisco): D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan - Part of this is value, I don’t think there’s any way Turner falls out of the 2nd round (and could go as high as the 1st), but also because I believe the Panthers have a pretty dire need for more DBs. Horn’s great but under Evero they’ll have six DBs on the field far more often than before, and Donte Jackson might not be back for awhile (and Henderson and Taylor might kinda suck). Turner’s a good fit cause you can play him both inside and out, blitz him (which Evero absolutely will do), and just generally allow him to create havoc.
(62) Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama - It’s kind of gone under the radar just how good Ricks has been when he’s played. The problem, of course, is why didn’t he play more? A legit question teams are gonna have to get to the bottom of during the pre-draft process. But he could be a total steal if it turns out Saban was just being an overbearing ogre.
(63) Kansas City Chiefs: Blake Freeland, OT, BYU - Too high? Based on the tape maybe so. He has some real struggles with power. But long, athletic tackles never, ever last, and the Chiefs have no tackles as of this moment. Well they drafted one in the 1st but you know what I mean. As of the moment you’re reading this, they don’t have a single tackle .
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3RD ROUND:
(64) Chicago Bears: Keeanu Benton, iDL, Wisconsin - So yeah, I have Chicago hammering their DL. I know a lot of mocks have them going OL and certainly I was open to that too, but 1) the board didn’t fall the right way and I didn’t want to force it, and 2) I don’t think their OL is as bad as everyone thinks. Teven Jenkins is a bona fide stud guard, Braxton Jones looks like a total steal at LT, and Whitehair is still productive. I have them signing McGlinchey to play RT then at the other guard spot you can roll with Leatherwood or find another mid-round guard.
(65) Houston Texans: Karl Brooks, iDL, Bowling Green - The Texans need to get more pressure from everywhere on their line, and that happens to be Brooks’s strength.
(66) Arizona Cardinals: Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State - Project “Protect Kyler Murray” continues.
(67) Denver Broncos (From Indianapolis): Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland - Polarizing prospect but this feels like the right spot for a guy like him: great athlete but questionable tape. The Broncos certainly need the help upfront.
(68) Denver Broncos: Chandler Zavala, iOL, North Carolina State - One of my favorite prospects in the draft and another dire need, and the 3rd is generally where you start to see guys from further down the consensus mock board start to go.
(69) Los Angeles Rams: Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State - I think the league is gonna like him a little less than we do. He’s got a different build for an edge and he’s older, and his production wasn’t always up to snuff. But the Rams have succeeded with a similarly skinny edge in Leonard Floyd, so they won’t hesitate to turn in the card for McDonald.
(70) Las Vegas Raiders: B.J. Ojulari, EDGE, LSU - I expect there to be pretty great value at edge in this class with 2nd rounders getting pushed into the 3rd and so forth. Here, the Raiders benefit. He'll fit with Crosby and Chandler Jones to form a fierce rotation.
(71) New Orleans Saints: Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State - Let the edge run continue! This is the exact sort of edge the Saints like. Big, strong and fast. They may lose Davenport this offseason and Jordan’s getting up there, adding to the room makes sense.
(72) Tennessee Titans: Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn - Four edges in a row! It looks like the Titans are jettisoning Dupree and Landry’s coming off injury, they really need more help. Hall’s strength-based game should work well opposite Landry and Vrabel and Co are gonna love his leadership and personality.
(73) Houston Texans (From Cleveland): Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina - Hard to imagine him this high a month ago but he’s had one of the best pre-draft processes of anyone. Maybe the best.
(74) New York Jets: Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska - For a couple of reasons. 1) I think he’s been mocked too low all offseason. Guys with his size and athletic ability don’t last in the draft. They just don’t. And 2) His fit on the outside clearing out for Wilson and Moore to do work in the middle. An outside receiver who’s also a deep threat (unlike the soon to be released Corey Davis) will work wonders in New York, especially with Aaron slinging them the ball.
(75) Atlanta Falcons: Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati - Reuniting with his former QB Ridder. The Falcons are loaded with big, freaky pass-catchers. What they need now is a little electric guy to take advantage of all the space.
(76) New England Patriots (From Carolina): Jordan Battle, S, Alabama - The one thing we can say with some level of certainty about the Pats draft strategy is that Bill loves his Bama players. And with McCourty & Phillips getting older it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they brought in another body.
(77) Miami Dolphins (From New England): Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse - Seems like a perfect fit to me for the one-cut-and-go ZBS scheme the Dolphins run. For Tucker to get the most out of his career, this is the sort of spot he needs to go. Mitigates his questionable vision and underscores his speed.
(78) Green Bay Packers: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina - Finally a Randall Cobb replacement that will hopefully stick. They’ve got the outside guys from last year’s draft.
(79) Indianapolis Colts (From Washington): Gervon Dexter, iDL, Florida - Another height weight speed guy for Ballard (9.69 RAS), he can learn from DeForest Buckner for a little bit before eventually replacing him if all goes well.
(80) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa - I won’t do a mock this offseason where I don’t send Campbell to the Steelers. Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Jack Campbell. He already looks like a Steeler in Iowa’s black and gold, and he’s a glove-perfect fit as a ILB in a 3-4. I’m sure a lot of you think he will go higher than this after that combine, but remember another instinctive MLB with questionable coverage skills tested even better than Campbell (Leo Chenal, 9.99 RAS to Campbell’s 9.98) and still didn’t go until the very end of the 3rd. I think Campbell’s a little more instinctive so a half-round higher seems right.
(81) Detroit Lions: Riley Moss, CB, Iowa - In his tenure so far Brad Holmes hasn’t hesitated to double-up with premium picks on positions of need. Two DTs in 2021 in the 2nd and 3rd, two edges in 2022 in the 1st and 2nd. So despite grabbing Joey Porter Jr in the first I fully expect Brad to grab another CB. And Moss fits the RAS and scoring thresholds he’s liked so far.
(82) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Braeden Daniels, iOL, Utah - Like Zavala another guy I think will go much higher come draft day. Daniels is a fantastic athlete and has a nasty demeanor.
(83) Jacksonville Jaguars (From Seattle): Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU - I’ve been schooled by Jags fans that the CB need is not outside, but in the slot. THT didn’t play in the slot a lot at TCU but he’ll have to in the pros and he’s got the athleticism and the attitude for it.
(84) Miami Dolphins: Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse - The secondary really fell apart last year, it makes a lot of sense to add to it in a deep class. I had a 1st round grade on Williams coming into the season and think he could be a steal here, though he measured much smaller than I thought he would (5’10, 31 inch arms). But it's fine even if he has to play from the slot. He models his game after Jaire Alexander, and if he can become a fraction of the player Jaire is, he can play anywhere.
(85) Los Angeles Chargers: Siaki Ika, NT, Baylor - The Chargers need to stop the run, Ika stops the run. He doesn’t do much else but at this point in the draft that’s OK.
(86) Baltimore Ravens: Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma - The Ravens seem to really like drafting pass-catchers from Oklahoma. Mark Andrews, Marquise Brown, all the way back to Mark Clayton. Some of those worked out better than others but I think Mims has really been slept on throughout the process, though that might change after his good combine.
(87) Minnesota Vikings: Parker Washington, WR, Penn State - The Vikings don’t need a lot of help on offense but they could stand to take some of the pressure away from Jefferson, especially since Theilen’s on his last legs. Washington will do most of his work out of the slot but that’s fine.
(88) Seattle Seahawks (From Jacksonville): Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State - More front seven help for the Seahawks.
(89) New York Giants: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB, Stanford - It’s a pretty thin CB room in NY that could thinner if Moreau leaves. I like almost everything about Kelly’s game except for his long speed, otherwise he’d go much higher.
(90) Dallas Cowboys: Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland - Dallas loves their elite testers and could use more help at CB despite Bland’s emergence.
(91) Minnesota Vikings (From Buffalo): Zach Evans, RB, Mississippi - I actually have Evans as the #2 RB on my personal board, so yeah, don’t see him going to Minnesota. Of course what keeps him from going higher are off-the-field questions that will have to get answered. With Mattison a free agent and Cook potentially on the trading block, the Vikings could have a bigtime need here.
(92) Cincinnati Bengals: Kendre Miller, RB, TCU - The Bengals do have a bigtime need at RB since Mixon’s as good as gone and Perine’s a FA. More so than maybe any other team in the draft, I expect Cincy to draft a RB at some point.
(93) Carolina Panthers (From San Francisco): Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn - A mini-run on RBs. This is about the range I expect them to start coming off in a deep class. I don’t know if Foreman’s coming back but Hubbard’s just fine, they could definitely stand to add to the room.
(94) San Francisco 49ers (From Philly): Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee - A total bargain at this point in the draft due to his age and relative inexperience, he’ll protect against Ebukam leaving or Jackson not panning out.
(95) Kansas City Chiefs: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame - With Clark looking like he’s on the way out EDGE is a definite need for the Chiefs, and the pickings are start to get a little slim.
(96) Buffalo Bills (From Arizona): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU - I’m just not sure Gabe Davis is ever gonna be anthing more than a MVS style deep-ball specialist. I’m not sure Rice will either but they need more guys that will make opponents pay for focusing all their efforts on Diggs.
(97) Washington Commanders: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State - Great value at this point, might have been my #1 overall TE in last year’s class.
(98) Cleveland Browns: Moro Ojomo, iDL, Texas - The Browns have to get more pressue from the line, Ojomo brings that from inside, and if he can hold up against the run he might prove a steal here.
(99) Philadelphia Eagles (From San Francisco): Zacch Pickens, iDL, South Carolina - More rotation for the DL, it’s right up Howie’s alley.
(100) New York Giants: Byron Young, iDL, Alabama - Lawrence and Williams are great but any time they need a break the defense suffers greatly.
(101) San Francisco 49ers: Sydney Brown, S, Illinois - The 49ers have holes opening all over their secondary so they take Brown to help fill them.
(102) San Francisco 49ers: Jartavius “Quan” Martin, S/NB, Illinois - Then add his teammate to continue to fill them.

Mineta, Cheney, the 5th plane, and the shootdown order
The testimony of Norman Mineta in front of the 9/11 panel has drawn much attention because his account differs from the official story in one essential point. He claims that he was in the White House shelter (PEOC) with Cheney and his staff at 9:25 when an unidentified plane was heading towards Washington causing Cheney to issue a "shootdown" order (actually, an engagement order).
This is a clear contradiction to the 9/11 Commission timeline. According to this, Cheney entered the PEOC not before 9:55.
Many writers take this contradiction as proof that the timeline of the official story, as laid down in the 9/11 Commission report, is completely fabricated, and that Cheney deliberately didn't prevent the attack on the Pentagon.
This "LIHOP" version of the contradiction is a daring conclusion; however, because it neglects the broad evidence that Cheney was still in his office at 9:25, was taken to a connecting bunker at about 9:37 and finally got to the PEOC at 9:55. This timeline is supported by statements of Lynn Cheney, staff from the White House, and several documents. Here's a quote from the 9/11 report:
American 77 began turning south, away from the White House, at 9:34. It continued heading south for roughly a minute, before turning west and beginning to circle back. This news prompted the Secret Service to order the immediate evacuation of the Vice President just before 9:36. Agents propelled him out of his chair and told him he had to get to the bunker. The Vice President entered the underground tunnel leading to the shelter at 9:37.209
Once inside, Vice President Cheney and the agents paused in an area of the tunnel that had a secure phone, a bench, and television. The Vice President asked to speak to the President, but it took time for the call to be connected. He learned in the tunnel that the Pentagon had been hit, and he saw television coverage of smoke coming from the building.
The Secret Service logged Mrs. Cheney's arrival at the White House at 9:52, and she joined her husband in the tunnel. According to contemporaneous notes, at 9:55 the Vice President was still on the phone with the President advising that three planes were missing and one had hit the Pentagon. We believe this is the same call in which the Vice President urged the President not to return to Washington. After the call ended, Mrs. Cheney and the Vice President moved from the tunnel to the shelter conference room.211
So the LIHOP version implies that Lynn Cheney and the White House staff are flatly lying and that the following documents are completely faked (take a look at footnotes 208-216 of Chapter I):

• White House transcript
• White House notes
• White House record, PEOC Shelter Log, Sept. 11, 2001
• USSS report, "Executive Summary: U.S. Secret Service Timeline of Events" Oct. 3, 2001
• USSS memo, OVP 9/11 Timeline, Nov. 17, 2001

Not that I think that Lynn Cheney and the other people are not capable of lying. However, if they are lying, their lies are astonishingly consistent (the only contradiction being the Mineta testimony). Occam's razor has often been applicated wrong, but in this case we have at least to consider the possibility that the 9/11 report timeline is wright and Mineta is wrong, for whatever reason.
So let's compare: if Mineta's statement is 100 percent true, this means that a lot of people from the White House are spreading massive lies, and that the corresponding documents are faked.
If however, Mineta is wrong - why doesn't he tell the truth, and where was he at 9:25?
A look at the 9/11 report, Chapter I.3, section "United 93 and the shootdown order" suggests an elegant solution to the problem. Mineta made only one little mistake - he got the time wrong. Make his "9:25" a "10:25", and a completely new view emerges: Mineta was indeed talking about a plane approaching the Pentagon, but it was not Flight 77 at 9:25, but the "phantom flight 93" at 10:25. Here's a quote from the 9/11 report:
At 10:02, the communicators in the shelter began receiving reports from the Secret Service of an inbound aircraft-presumably hijacked-heading toward Washington. That aircraft was United 93.The Secret Service was getting this information directly from the FAA. The FAA may have been tracking the progress of United 93 on a display that showed its projected path to Washington, not its actual radar return. Thus, the Secret Service was relying on projections and was not aware the plane was already down in Pennsylvania.217
At some time between 10:10 and 10:15, a military aide told the Vice President and others that the aircraft was 80 miles out. Vice President Cheney was asked for authority to engage the aircraft.218 His reaction was described by Scooter Libby as quick and decisive, "in about the time it takes a batter to decide to swing." The Vice President authorized fighter aircraft to engage the inbound plane. He told us he based this authorization on his earlier conversation with the President. The military aide returned a few minutes later, probably between 10:12 and 10:18, and said the aircraft was 60 miles out. He again asked for authorization to engage. The Vice President again said yes.219
Here the 9/11 commission commits to the breathtaking theory that the FAA reported a not-existing "phantom" flight 93 on its way to Washington.
I don't subscribe to this phantom flight theory. This so-called phantom was a real plane, it was the mysterious fifth plane reported by all broadcast media in the morning of 9/11 (only to vanish quickly). It landed in Cleveland, as reported in this email (which is also quoted in Loose Change):
I'm sure there was a fifth plane involved that was headed toward Camp David; however, that plane was forced (yes forced, militarily) to land in Cleveland. I thought the target could also have be NASA's Glen/Lewis Research Center that is right next to the Cleveland Airport. The news reported that the plane landed because of a suspected bomb on board but they haven't released anyone that was on that plane.
The closed NASA and transported everyone that was on the plane there for questioning. They are going through the plane and luggage with a fine toothed comb. The original flight plan was from Boston to LA.They closed all exits from the freeway to get into the airport and even bus drivers were told that if they attempted to exit, they would be shot. People that were already at the airport were forced to walk for miles to get transportation home because they were not even allowed to remove their cars from the parking lots.
http://www.911da.org/email/details/503
So this MIHOP interpretation of the Mineta testimony needs no lying White House staff and no faked documents, it needs just a little, probably deliberate mistake of Norman Mineta. Occam would surely have preferred the MIHOP version. Further confirmation arises from the fact that Mineta's statement matches the section "united 93 and the shootdown order" splendidly (leaving aside the little time error). Remember the young man who comes in and asks if the order still stands?
For more information, please read "The Secret Hijacking":
http://de.geocities.com/woody_box2000/secrethijacking.html
The Mineta testimony can be viewed as further evidence for the scenario presented in this article.
(from http://911woodybox.blogspot.com/2007/02/mineta-cheney-5th-plane-and-shootdown.html)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMXLmtLddbI&t=678

The Case Against Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern drenched this adorable village in the most toxic chemical ever tested - Dioxin.
​

1. We start by exploring the history of Dioxin the Toxin and Train Derailments
   
2. Next we outline the corporate decisions leading up to this disaster.
   
3. After that, we’ll break down the chain of events sparked on February 2nd
   
4. Finally we’ll wrap up with my recommendation to these Attorneys General to immediately arrest and prosecute Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern, for crimes against humanity, as defined under the geneva convention, as he has clearly demonstrated himself to be an urgent and present threat to the very fabric of our society. By taking clear action, the Attorneys General will establish a clear precident for the next corporate executive who drenches thousands of civilians in the most toxic chemical created by man - Dioxin.
   
5. 1897, Herbert Dow discovers how to produce chlorine from salt, creating a new industry of chlorine-based products. Chlorine is toxic, and chlorine reactions are the only known source of dioxin.
   
6. 1949, A chemical plant erupts in Nitro, West Virginia, resulting in a collossal dioxin release.
   
   1. The disaster was cleaned up by unfortunate first responders, and rabbits were placed in the allegedly clean area, those rabbits died immediately.
   2. Other rabbits were placed further away from the scene, they died in a matter of hours.
   3. These tests were hidden from government, and the public. Internal memos confirm they knew plenty about the danger of dioxin, as early as 1949.
7. In 1971, one resident hired a business to spray oil on the dirt roads in Times Beach, Missouri to control the dust in their air. The motor oil was contaminated with dioxin the toxin, from a nearby Agent Orange factory. In 1982, high levels were found in soil samples, prompting permanent evacuation of Times Beach. The town was declared as a Superfund site, indicating it as one of the most toxic sites in the United States. The cleanup was overseen by the (EPA.)
   
8. January 1979, a Norfolk wreck in Sturgeon, Missouri spills octochlorophenol, exposing the community to just one single teaspoon worth of dioxin. Everyone was forced to leave town. Monsanto denied dioxin the toxin was part of the spill, later testing documented extremely high levels. During the trial lawyer Rex Carr, performed legal miracles, resulting in a court order for Monsanto to reveal its secret dioxin research files.
   
   1. Monsantos chemical engineer, testified that, for seven years, they dumped 40 POUNDS of dioxin into the Mississippi River EACH DAY from their plant. This continued through 1977.
   2. Monsanto secretly tested corpses from dead locals, the test results showed every. body. contained dioxin in its tissue.
   3. Dioxin was the active ingredient in Lysol disinfectant and other cleaning products. One chemist testified that they knew Lysol is recommended for cleaning baby toys with direct human contact, while also knowing it was extremely toxic.
   4. Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act, giving power to the EPA. This law required companies to report dioxin contamination to the government if they discovered it.
   5. Despite this, testimony revealed in 1978 that all Monsanto products were contaminated with dioxin, completely unreported to the EPA, because they didn’t discover it, because they didn’t test for it, because it was, quote, “dangerous to work with dioxin”.
   6. They testified further that the EPA didn’t need to be notified of their dioxin products because the EPA already knew dioxin was dangerous. This type of Broken Logic can be found throughout nearly every environmental lawsuit thats ever been brought to court. Seriously.
   7. “Monsanto sold dioxin products for fifty years.” said their chemist.
      1. Why did Monsanto lie and fail to notify the world about dioxin? He testified that it was “profitable for Monsanto to not inform anyone their products contained dioxin the biotoxin.”
9. 2005: Norfolk Southern trains collide. Nine killed, 250 treated for chlorine exposure.
   
10. In 2013, A dozen tank cars ignite in North Dakota. Thick black smoke rolled from the wreckage as five explosions rocked the town. The collision occurred after a train derailed, and a train hauling oil ran into it. 📷
    
11. In 2019, Railroads and unions start arguing about Precision Scheduled Railroading.
    
    1. PSR resulted in staffing cuts; companies enact strict attendance policies. These policies eliminate free-time requiring workers to be on-call for weeks on end. Workers complain of stress and fatigue.
    2. Due to precision scheduled railroading, Shippers complain about poor service and delays. Workers are concerned with safety due to reduced inspections.
    3. TWENTY THOUSAND railroad workers were laid off in 2019. Large railroads employed 30% fewer workers in 2022 versus 2018.
    4. PSR also impacts safety due to increased train length, up to three miles in many cases. This leads to derailments as well as crew stress and fatigue; due to the enormous difficulty of operating trains at this length, for which the North American railroad network was not designed.
12. February 2022: Unions representing 17,000 workers threaten to strike, Burlington Northern sues and wins a restraining order preventing the union strike.
    
13. March 2022: Norfolk Southern announces $10 billion in stock buybacks and raises its dividend, while refusing to provide its workers with basic benefits such as paid sick leave.
    
14. August 2022, The Netflix movie White Noise described
    
    1. a Train Derailment
    2. an Evacuation
    3. an Airborne Toxic Event
15. September 15 2022, Biden announces a deal to solve a railroad strike. The deal was announced before being ratified by the unions.
    
16. November 30 2022, after firmly rejecting his deal, Biden told congress to pass the agreement into law. the House passed the agreement along with an amendement requiring 7 days paid sick leave.
    
17. December 1 2022, the next day the Senate passed the agreement with only 1 day of sick leave.
    
18. December 2 2022, President Joe Biden signed the agreement (or disagreement, really) into law. A McGill University Professor described his message to rail workers as: "shut up and get back to work." The Biden administration's disagreement was condemned by over 500 labor historians in an open letter to Joe Biden and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.
    
19. January 2 2023: precisely 1 month before East Palestine explodes, the CDC releases an updated toxic profile for Vinyl Chloride, 17 years after their previous update. This update removes information about dangers to human health. 📷
    
20. Train Passes through Cleveland ~8pm
    
    1. The train left Madison, Illinois heading to Conway, Pennsylvania.
    2. The crew started their shift in Toledo before the train passed through Cleveland.
21. Train on Fire in Salem, Ohio ~8:12pm
    
    1. Surveillance footage from a factory 20 miles from the crash, shows flaming wheels as the train passes. Not Hot Wheels, Not Flaming Cheetos, but dioxin the toxin in these cars.
22. Train derails in East Palestine, Ohio ~8:54pm
    
    1. The moment of impact can be seen lighting up the area on surveillance camera from Cardinal Welding.
    2. 38 cars derail with fire damaging 12 more.
23. Evacuation order 9:53 PM February 3, 2023
    
    1. 1 hour later, a shelter-in-place order was issued, alongside an evacuation order for the 1-mile area around the railroad crossing.
    2. A shelter is made available at EPHS.
24. Local Emergency Proclamation Issued 9:29 AM February 4, 2023
    
    1. The Village of East Palestine declares an emergency the next morning, describing the event, as well as the evacuation zone and shelters.
    2. 50 cars derailed, with what are described as: “various products,” instead of calling them “toxins,” which they are.
    3. They pulled the firefighters out, leaving unmanned water hoses to fight the fire
    4. Air monitoring is going on with quote “no dangerous reading to report at this time,” failing to explain what chemicals are involved, nor explaining which chemicals they’re monitoring in the air, while claiming that there are “no dangerous readings to report.” >Cut to firey train<
25. Village News Conference 1:30 PM Feb 4 2023
    
    1. Village Officials and EMS hold their first conference, 17 hours after the wreck.
    2. Ex. 31
    3. strange how they keep refering to the Vinyl Chloride as “the product” instead of “toxic biohazard”
26. NTSB holds first news conference 2:30 PM February 4, 2023
    
    1. The National Transportation Safety Board holds a news conference, describing the train.
    2. Ex. 32
    3. They refuse to release information about the chemicals involved, despite having them. They instead cite “air monitoring” which says “all good” >Cut to firey train<
27. East Palestine officials give second update 12:00 PM February 5, 2023
    
    1. Village officials give an update with state and federal EPA.
    2. Ex. 33
    3. James Justice with the Federal EPA steps into the scene with a strong wind of “air monitoring is a valid excuse for not evacuating a large radius around the collossal dioxin spill.” Looks like he’s done this routine a few times.
28. February 6th Norfolk Southern offers 25,000
    
    1. In a press release later scrubbed off their website, Norfolk Southern plainly offers just $25,000 to the town for exploding toxic biohazards in the heart of their community.
    2. Despite removing the article, you can still find the original copy on this website that records historical snapshots of other websites.
    3. Looks like Norfolk Southern learned the hard way, you can’t scrub a toxic spill off the internet either, because every action leaves residue.
29. Gov. DeWine issues evacuation order, deploys national guard 12:00pm February 6, 2023
    
    1. Governor DeWine issued an evacuation order due to "potential of a catastrophic tanker failure" that "could cause an explosion” with “the potential of deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile." He also "activated the National Guard to assist authorities.”
    2. Ex. 36 sequence
30. Norfolk Southern crews performs a 'controlled release' 4:20 PM February 6, 2023
    
    1. Scientists would later confirm that this was a vent-and-burn, not a controlled chemical reaction.
31. Smoke plume visible on weather radar 5:00 PM February 6, 2023
    
    1. 40 minutes later, the toxic cloud was identified (visible) from High Resolution Radar
32. Gov. Shapiro gives update 7:00 PM February 6, 2023
    
    1. Governor Josh Shapiro gives an update on the vent-and-burn on the Pennsylvania border, after immediate public concern throughout the region.
    2. Ex. 40 sequence
33. Press Release from Railroad Workers United Tuesday, February 7th, 2023
    
    1. They wrote that "the root causes [here] are the same ones that have been singled out repeatedly, stemming from the hedge fund-initiated operating model known as 'Precision Scheduled Railroading' (PSR).
    2. The group noted that the "immediate cause" of the wreck "appears to have been an 1800’s-style mechanical failure of the axle on one of the cars—an overheated bearing—leading to derailment and then jackknifing tumbling cars.”
    3. "There is no way in the 21st century, except for a combination of incompetence and disregard for public safety, that such a defect should still be threatening our communities," wrote RWU, which supports nationalization of the U.S. rail system.
    4. "Forty percent of the weight of NS 32N was grouped at the rear third of the train, which has always been bad practice," the statement continued. "This fact made the wreck dynamically worse. Increasingly the PSR-driven carriers, driven to cut costs and crew time by any means necessary, cut corners and leave crews and the public at risk.”
    5. The crash in Ohio "has been years in the making," the group added. "What other such train wrecks await us remains to be seen. But given the M.O. of corporate railroads, we can no doubt expect future disasters of this nature.”
34. Evacuation order lifted 4:16 PM February 8, 2023
    
    1. Governor DeWine announced the evacuation order was lifted and residents are allowed back home, just two days after the evacuation. The order was lifted after “air samples” quote showed safe readings, governor DeWine claimed. Ex. 41
    2. It’s just eerie how something that should be triumphant, you know, “Hey we saved the day, avoided the explosion,” you’d think they’d be at least slightly upbeat… if they really did everything in their power to save the people.
35. NewsNation reporter arrested during news conference 5:20 PM February 8, 2023
    
    1. During the news conference announcing the lifting of the evacuation order, reporter Evan Lambert was arrested by Major General John C Harris during a live report. TWELVE officers would follow General Harris to confront Evan Lambert, and General Harris is clearly seen assaulting Mr. Lambert. Charges were filed against Lambert for “Resisting Arrest” and “Criminal Tresspassing.”
    2. Ex. 42
    3. Ex. 41.b
36. Asked about the Evan Lambert arrest, D.O.D. press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder said this: February 10 2023
    
    1. Ex. 47
    2. Still no charges have been filed against Major General John C Harris Jr. For violating Mr. Lambert’s constitutional rights.
37. On February 10th, Alan releases his clean-up plan.
    
    1. This document confirms On February 8, 2023, when the evacuation order was lifted, all rail operations resumed
    2. This suggests, heavily, that “vent and burn” allowed Alan to resume making profit very quickly.
    3. This document also provides ZERO detail about what chemicals they are testing the air for.
38. West Virginia water utility takes precautionary measures 5:20 PM February 12, 2023
    
    1. West Virginia American Water said that it’s installing a secondary water intake in case they need to switch to an alternate water source. Read the full story here. This is a large investment for what the EPA claims is basically not a problem at all.
39. Alan announces an additional One-Million-Dollars of support to East Palestine, or roughly $212 per resident. Maybe they realized the initial offer of $25,000 looked a little stingy.
    
40. EPA releases list of hazardous materials on train 6:00 PM February 13, 2023
    
    1. 11 days after the crash, The EPA finally released a list of the biotoxins on board the train provided by Norfolk Southern, providing zero guidance or confirmation about combustion byproducts, such as, you know, Dioxin.
41. Gov. DeWine gives 3rd update since derailment 3:00 PM February 14, 2023
    
    1. Gov. DeWine provided his third news conference on the subject, for the first time revealing that the Norfolk Southern train was not classified as carrying highly hazardous materials, because “only some of the train cars were carrying toxic chemicals.”
    2. Ex. 50
    3. Gov. DeWine said he has no idea what happens when the plume goes up. Seems like something he might want to figure out.
42. PA Gov. Shapiro calls out Norfolk Southern for 'inaccurate information' 6:05 PM February 14, 2023
    
    1. In a letter to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro expressed "serious concerns" over the company's handling of the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio—located less than a mile away from the Pennsylvania border. Full story here. My opinion is that this sounds like the Governor blindly followed the guidance of Norfolk Southern to conduct the “controlled burn,” and after reviewing the aftermath versus what they sold him, he felt lied to.
    2. Ex. 51
43. Ohio AG drops charges against NewsNation reporter arrested 11:00 AM February 15, 2023
    
    1. 7 days after his arrest, The charges against Evan Lambert, the reporter arrested during Gov. DeWine's news conference, were dropped by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. No update was provided on charges being filed against General John C. Harris.
44. Gov. DeWine says municipal water safe to drink 4:30 PM February 15, 2023
    
    1. Test results in East Palestine's five water wells that feed the city's municipal water system showed no sign of contaminants as of Feb. 15, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.
    2. Ex. 54
45. Lawsuit filed against Norfolk Southern 9:30 PM February 15, 2023
    
    1. Morgan & Morgan filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern allgeging they “dumped 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride into East Palestine, Ohio"
    2. “I’m not sure Norfolk Southern could have come up with a worse plan to address this disaster,” said attorney John Morgan. “Residents exposed to vinyl chloride may already be undergoing DNA mutations that can linger for decades before manifesting as terrible and deadly cancers.” The lawsuit alleges that Norfolk Southern made it worse by quote “blasting the town with chemicals" as they focused on restoring train service and protecting their shareholders.”, according to the highly regarded law firm.
    3. The complaint goes on, saying, rather than taking safer, and more expensive efforts to properly clean up the spill, Norfolk Southern chose a cheaper, less safe method — ………. setting the spilled chemicals on fire, creating a 1-million-pound-plus chemical burn pit, and releasing toxic gas into the atmosphere.
    4. The firm has successfully litigated against major corporations in cases such as the 2010 BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
    5. Ex. 55
46. State Fire Marshal says firefighters likely didn't know about train's toxic cargo 7:00 PM February 17, 2023
    
    1. First responders rushed to put out the fire in East Palestine, but the Ohio Fire Marshal stated they were clearly unaware of the chemical weapon burning in the air around them, as nobody was in hazmat suits. Because the train was not classified as “Highly Hazardous,” none of the authorities had a list of the chemicals involved. Firefighters often do not know what they will encounter, so its our responsibility to keep these innocent heroes prepared for whatever fresh hell corporate america serves up this week, and take the necessary precautions. We already have heard from fire chief Keith Drabick they were fighting the fire until Norfolk Southern arrived and told them to stop. Notification of the material being transported is essential, it can provide advance notice during the dispatch before anyone leaves the fire house. Firefighters obviously need to be in hazmat suits when working in toxic smog. This is a very bad piece of the puzzle for Norfolk Southern.
47. Gov. DeWine announces FEMA to deploy to East Palestine 8:00 PM February 17, 2023
    
    1. 15 days after the wreck, a week after opening the 1-mile-radius back up and telling everyone it’s safe, Governor DeWine and FEMA Administrator Thomas Sivak announced FEMA will deploy an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) and a Senior Response Official to support ongoing assessments of potential long term recovery needs according to a joint news release.
    2. Ex. 57
48. 8:00am February 18th: JD Vance demands dioxin air testing, 16 days after the wreck no tests for dioxins have been conducted.
    
    1. The EPA's handling of this is highly concerning. Despite the known presence of dioxin the toxin, the EPA failed to conduct any testing for it, effectively covering up the potential danger to public health. This lack of transparency and responsibility is unacceptable, and the EPA must be held accountable for its inaction.”
49. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw visits East Palestine 11:00 AM February 18, 2023
    
    1. 16 days after the wreck, Alan Shaw, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern, showed up to East Palestine where he met with people including local officials, according to a press release from the rail company. Read more here.
50. Beachwood Athletics forfeits girls high school basketball playoff game due to proximity to East Palestine 5:50 PM February 18, 2023
    
    1. The Beachwood Athletics Department decided to forfeit the girls basketball playoff game against Crestview High School due to the "health and safety concerns" given the proximity to the train derailment in East Palestine, 8 miles away.
51. Cincinnati water utility reported no detectable chemicals in Ohio River 12:00 PM February 20, 2023
    
    1. Greater Cincinnati Water Works is reporting there are no detectable chemicals in the Ohio River intakes as contaminated water from the East Palestine train derailment reached the Cincinnati area. This would imply that the chemical slug had fully dissolved into the local ecosystem by that point, or they didn’t have the ability to test for the full spectrum of leaked contaminants.
52. February 20: Norfolk Southern Announces a total of $5.6 million to East Palestine for the inconvenience, roughly $1,200 per resident. This is 224 times more money than their initial offer of $25,000, yet still not close to enough to compensate for derailing 4700 lives.
    
53. 12:00 Noon, February 21: EPA top man Michael Regan holds a press conference
    
    1. Ex. 57
    2. The EPA is very obviously dodging information about dioxins throughout this presentation
54. February 21 A former official at the Federal Railroad Administration confirmed ECP brakes could have minimized or prevented the damage from the East Palestine derailment.
    
55. February 23 an independent environmental tester arrives with a grim warning
    
    1. Ex. 64
56. February 23 NTSB releases their preliminary report, calling the wreck “Completely Preventable”
    
    1. Here’s the NTSB’s statement
    2. She was very clearly NOT on board with the Vent-and-Burn
57. February 23 River Valley Organizing
    
    1. Ex 62 (a)
    2. Ex 62 (b)
58. February 24 Erin Brockovich arrives
    
    1. Ex. 66
59. February 25 FEMA and Department of Health field questions about Dioxin the Toxin
    
    1. Ex.
60. February 26 Residents of east palestine grow outraged
    
    1. Ex.
61. February 27
    
62. February 28
    
    1. Michael Regan addresses east palestine high school
    2. Michael Regan addresses east palestine

So we have a high-quality source that says East Paluhsteen was both preventable and deliberate negligence, yet nobody responsible is behind bars, or even held slightly accountable in any meaningful or significant way, for this crime. against. humanity.
I’ve reported diligently on this topic because it lights me on fire to hear news reporters talking with zero business expertise. The kind of intuition only earned through real life dealmaking.
Until one of these fellas in a suit-coat, gets to spend a serious amount of time in a place that looks like this, the safety of all innocent citizens, will not ever be properly “valued” in their quarterly profit and loss statement.
I’d say, in fact, every time we can point to a “Completely Preventable” crime against humanity, especially one obviously directly tied to corruption at the highest levels such as “ECP Brakes” and “Precision Scheduled Railroading,” I’d say several of these gentlemen in suitcoats could afford to spend a fair amount of time thinking about their actions.
Especially when their initial response amounted to $5.31 per resident in exchange for derailing their whole lives for a month now, and suddenly weeks later we’re learning they lied and drenched everyone in dioxin. Clearly these executives are out-of-touch with the consequences of their actions.
Let’s just do some simple math shall we?
If you get a drunk and disorderly in a bar, say it takes 15 minutes for them to have you in squad car.
Alan Shaw drenched East Palestine in dioxin nearly a month ago and still walks as a free man.
The drunk in a bar disrupted maybe 50 people for 15 minutes, that’s a total of 12 hours.
Alan Shaw disrupted maybe 5000 people for a month, that’s a total of 416 years, so far.
The drunk gets thrown in the drunk tank overnight and society calls it even.
So 30 years a piece for these chemical terrorists, and maybe society can call it even.
So yeah, that’s my recommendation to the States Attorneys General, 5,000 counts of gross criminal negligence, then, for a total of 30 years jailtime per Norfolk Southern Executive.
That would be a fair place to start, in my opinion. But this is a democracy, so instead let’s put it to a vote, then, what do the residents of East Palestine think?
If you don’t know what to think, I asked the superintelligence ChatGPT for answers for you, here’s what it said:
q.1. which dioxin variant would be suspect at the scene of a vent-and-burn of 10 tank cars full of vinyl chloride A.2. The most likely dioxin variant that would be present at the scene of a vent-and-burn of vinyl chloride is (TCDD)
The vent-and-burn is a significant event that would likely produce a large amount of TCDD and other dioxin variants as byproducts of combustion process. It’s important to take appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of first responders and nearby communities in the aftermath of such an event.
q.2. What are the least and most toxic dioxin variants?
A.2. The least toxic is OCDD, and the most toxic is TCDD
q.3. Norfolk Southern and the EPA failed to test for dioxin at the site of a vent-and-burn of tank cars full of vinyl chloride. Might this be considered criminal, and which laws might that have violated.
A.3. The failure to test for dioxin at the site of a vent-and-burn of tank cars full of vinyl chloride could be considered criminal if shown that they acted with gross negligence in violating applicable laws and regulations. The following laws or regulations may have been violated:
​

1. The RCRA is a federal law that governs the management of hazardous waste from cradle to grave. If the vinyl chloride released from the cars is classified as hazardous waste under the RCRA, Norfolk Southern and the EPA may have violated the law by failing to properly manage and test for the presence of dioxin at the site.
2. CERCLA, aka Superfund, is a federal law providing for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites. If the vent-and-burn site is determined to be a hazardous waste site under CERCLA, Norfolk Southern and the EPA may have violated the law by failing to properly investigate and clean up the site, including testing for the presence of dioxin.
3. The Clean Water Act is a federal law regulating the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters of the United States. If the vent-and-burn released pollutants into nearby bodies of water, Norfolk Southern and the EPA may have violated the CWA by failing to properly test and manage the pollution.

If criminal charges are pursued, it would be up to the prosecuting authority to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution and whether the evidence meets the legal requirements for charging and convicting individuals or organizations of criminal offenses.
Q4. The EPA is defending their actions by saying dioxin is an everyday chemical released by regular human activities such as a bonfire. Is this fair or does it grossly misrepresent the relative difference in different dioxin variants?
A4 The EPA's defense that dioxin is an everyday chemical released by regular human activities such as a bonfire is not entirely fair, as it ignores the fact that different dioxin variants have vastly different levels of toxicity. While it is true that dioxins can be formed as byproducts of certain types of combustion, such as the burning of wood or garbage, it is also true that some dioxin variants, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), are highly toxic and can cause a range of serious health effects, even at very low concentrations.
Comparing the toxicity of TCDD to that of other, less toxic dioxin variants, such as octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD), reveals that the EPA's defense does not accurately represent the relative differences in toxicity between different dioxin variants. While both TCDD and OCDD are technically "dioxins," the toxicity of TCDD is orders of magnitude higher than that of OCDD, and exposure to even very small amounts of TCDD can have serious health effects.
It is important to accurately characterize the toxicity of different dioxin variants and to take appropriate measures to minimize exposure to those that are highly toxic, such as TCDD. This includes proper management of hazardous waste and pollution, as well as monitoring and testing of potentially contaminated sites to ensure that appropriate cleanup and mitigation measures are taken.
Q.5 is it fair for the government to conveniently not address dioxin, in order to avoid public fears about the widespread release directly into the atmosphere?
No, it is not fair for the government to conveniently not address the issue of dioxin in order to avoid public fears about the widespread release directly into the atmosphere. The government has a responsibility to be transparent with the public about potential risks to human health and the environment, especially in situations where hazardous substances have been released into the environment.
Failing to address the issue of dioxin and its potential health effects would be a disservice to the public, as it could prevent individuals from taking appropriate precautions to protect themselves and their families. In addition, it could lead to a loss of trust in government and other regulatory bodies tasked with protecting public health and safety.
Q6. how far will the dioxin spead over 5 years after vinyl chloride being vented and burned
It is difficult to predict with certainty how far dioxin may spread over a period of five years after vinyl chloride is vented and burned. The spread of dioxin will depend on many factors, including the amount and concentration of dioxin released, the environmental conditions in the surrounding area, and the extent to which the dioxin is transported through air, water, or other media.
Dioxin is a persistent organic pollutant that can travel long distances through the air and water. Its movement can be influenced by factors such as wind patterns, precipitation, and temperature. In addition, dioxin can adhere to soil and other surfaces, where it can persist for years and be transported through runoff or erosion.
Given the persistence and mobility of dioxin, it is possible that it could spread over a wide area over a period of five years after a release event. However, the actual extent of the spread will depend on many factors, as mentioned above. It is important to note that the health effects of exposure to dioxin are cumulative and can take years to manifest, so continued monitoring and testing may be necessary to assess the long-term health impacts of a dioxin release.

​
The conflict between the Solarian Union and the Celestial Commonwealth has been going on for decades, with no end in sight. Both sides have committed atrocities against each other, with countless innocent lives lost. The Galactic Federation has been trying to negotiate a peace settlement for years, but both sides refuse to back down.
The UNT, being a neutral party, has been providing humanitarian aid to the citizens of the CC for years. However, the recent attacks on their convoys have made them rethink their approach. The UNT believes that the best way to protect the convoys is by providing a military escort.
Admiral Chester N. Osaer is a highly decorated officer in the Terran Navy, known for his tactical genius and his ability to inspire his troops. He has been given the difficult task of escorting the humanitarian convoys through hostile territory. The fate of thousands of innocent lives rests on his shoulders.
The Blackout-class battlecruiser TNS Enterprise is one of the most advanced ships in the Terran Navy. It's equipped with the latest weapons and defensive systems, making it a formidable opponent in any battle. The Tempest-class cruisers TNS Belfast and TNS Cleveland are also highly capable ships, designed for long-range engagements.
The Federation member states contributing to the convoy are risking their own resources to help the citizens of the CC. Many of them have been affected by the conflict, with their own trade routes disrupted by the ongoing war. However, they believe that it's their duty to help those in need, even if it means putting their own resources at risk
Chester Osaer, captain of the Teran naval ship TNS Enterprise, awoke from a fitful sleep in his cramped captain's quarters. He had been restless, knowing that they were headed into SU space and that danger could be lurking around every corner.
Chester donned his white naval uniform, a stark contrast to the drab gray walls of his quarters. He headed to the bridge, where his officers were already at work preparing for the day ahead. First up was his XO, Lieutenant Commander Kira Patel. She had been with Chester since the beginning of his command, and he trusted her implicitly.
"Morning, sir," she said, saluting him smartly.
"At ease, Kira," Chester replied. "What's the status of our convoy?"
"We've got the cruisers on our flanks and everything looks good so far," Kira said. "The radar officer has detected around 20 combat ships shadowing us since we entered SU space."
"Alright," Chester said. "Let's keep a close eye on them. We don't want any surprises."
As he walked onto the bridge, the sailors on duty stood at attention, and Chester nodded to each of them. He knew that many of them were anxious about the journey ahead, and he wanted to instill confidence in them.
"What does the radar officer have in terms of possible SU contacts?" Chester asked.
Lieutenant Jazmin Flores, the young woman manning the radar station, spoke up. "We've got about 20 combat ships shadowing us, sir. They've been with us since we entered SU space."
"Very well," Chester said. "Stay on alert for any changes or additional SU ships. Navigation, how far out are we from entering CC space?"
Lieutenant Thomas Jackson, the navigator, consulted his charts. "We're about two weeks out, sir, once we pass the SU spaceport."
"Okay, keep us posted," Chester said. "Let me know if anything changes on the SU boys."
For the next three days, the convoy remained unharassed, but tension hung in the air. Chester knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened. He spent most of his time on the bridge, watching the radar screen and monitoring their progress.
One morning, a message came through on the comms system. A second SU combat force had been spotted in front of the convoy, demanding that the Teran naval ships return home and the convoy ships be boarded.
Chester was immediately notified, and Kira asked for their response. Chester instructed her to respond that they would not leave the convoy and would continue on their agreed-upon path in the Council of the Galactic Federation.
"Send the message word for word," Chester said.
"Yes, sir," Kira replied, her fingers flying over the keyboard.
Chester turned to the rest of the bridge crew. "All right, people. This is what we've trained for. I want everyone at battle stations, and I want Cleveland and Belfast to do the same."
The crew sprang into action, the ship coming to life around them. Chester turned to Lieutenant Flores. "I need around-the-clock data on the location of the SU ships and targeting data for them as well."
"Understood, sir," Flores replied, her fingers dancing over the controls.
Chester stood at the center of the bridge, watching as the SU ships came into view on the radar screen. He could feel his heart racing as he waited for the inevitable. But for the moment, they remained at a standoff, the tension mounting with each passing second.

After my time in Portland, OR and Bozeman, MT, I'm really over not being able to afford much more than getting by comfortably. I'd like to start building a new life somewhere I can afford to eventually get a home and not have to leave the restaurants behind. Minneapolis and Cleveland are on my radar. Can anyone give me an idea of what the wages look like for a chef with extensive experience and any other pros/cons about living there? Also open to any other considerations for new places to move to. Thanks!

Last year, as with any year, a bunch of "unknown commodities" ended the season as some of the most valuable relievers in baseball.
The poster child for this was Ryan Helsley, who finished as the 63rd most valuable fantasy baseball player (via yahoo season end rankings).
A J Minter, Evan Phillips, Jason Adam, Alexis Diaz, Felix Bautista, John Schreiber, Andres Munoz, Clay Holmes, Trevor Stephan and Alex Vesia all finished in the top 200 overall, all of whom likely went undrafted even in the deepest of leagues (with the exception being Minter).
To fantasy owners who grabbed these guys, for most of the season you were very happy to have them and they almost certainly became mainstays on your teams.
But how exactly are you supposed to find these breakouts before the rest of your league is already reading about them?
I would like to make the case that finding the next 2023 class of "unknowns" who can become elite, is actually quite easy to do. Before I jump into the unknown relievers that I believe can achieve this "top 200" status in 2023, I would like to point out the things to monitor yourselves, so that you can make these adds before anyone else does.
1: Watch for early K/9 risers.
While I am going to be using 2022 stats, the best thing to do is monitor spring training and early April performance.
Small sample size is often brought up for arguing to hold players when they start slow. For relievers however, who are already likely to only be contributing 60-80 innings at best, you must use a small sample size to your advantage. One of the "stickiest" small sample size statistics that tend to carry over in extended samples, is K/9.
Let's use Ryan Helsley for example. Through May 1st among pitchers with an least 8 innings pitched, Helsley had a 17.28 K/9, tied with Devin Williams for the highest in the entire league. Guess who was third on the list? Andres Munoz at 16.88.
2: Improved Command
K/9 is a big deal to get those next elite relievers, but it's not the whole picture. In the same period (through May 1st) Tanner Scott had a 16.2K/9. However, as much as the Marlins tried to make Tanner Scott happen, without any improvement in control, as evidenced by his 4.32 BB/9 in that same time span, we can see that the end results did not work out for Tanner Scott owners last year (4.31 season-end ERA).
Ryan Helsley on the other hand, had zero walks. ZERO WALKS. And a NEGATIVE 0.73 FIP. He was a one man wrecking crew.
You don't even need to wait until May 1st to find this. I would argue that over a 3-5 inning sample if a change this positive is happening that you should run, not walk to pick that reliever up. Especially when the rest of the league hasn't caught on with how absolutely filthy they are.
Andres Munoz, in the same time frame, had a 3.38 BB/9. That wouldn't normally be seen as a good thing. But when you look at Munoz's last season of action, the improved walk rate was there for everyone to see. Whereas Tanner Scott was showing "same old Tanner" Munoz was showing another level, which he took things to in by mid season.
AJ Minter, another great example (85 overall finish) was another clear buy. His K/9 had increased from 9.8 K/9 in 2021 to 14.54 K/9. Even better, his BB/9 dropped from 3.44/9 to 2.08/9.
So, using this same logic, I want to look at some players who went under the radar or maybe had short samples. Given a larger expected workload, these are some of my favorite relievers that will cost nearly nothing and can likely be had after your draft is over.
To make these educated guesses at breakouts, I will be using the following measures:
K/9
BB/9
CSW% (Called strike + swinging strike %)
Contact Rate
Pitch values
via Fangraphs Pitching Leaders Data
And eliminating any reliever that is already hurt, for obvious reasons.
I will start this list with one exception, since they are already being drafted (much too low of course) in 2023, but that, with good health, will likely finish as a top 5 reliever in 2023.
Pete Fairbanks, Tampa Bay Rays
With health is the main caveat here, as Fairbanks has gone through a multitude of injuries in his career. But his end of season run in 2022 can be summed up in one word; MECHANICAL.
Fairbanks' stats look like if prime Cliff Lee could throw 100 and became a reliever:
14.25 K/9
1.13 BB/9
1.13 ERA
0.86 FIP
Fairbanks throws two pitches, a 99 MPH fastball and an 86 MPH Slider, both of which are essentially impossible to barrel up, let alone make contact with.
In 2022 his 67% contact rate and 34.4 CSW% were both 4% improvements from 2021. So what changed to make him elite? Very simply, it was his control. His first strike % jumped by 5% and his walk rate collapsed from 4.43 in 2021 down to the insane 1.13.
TL;DR: He began to trust his stuff, to the rest of the league's dismay.
The only thing standing in Fairbanks' way of finishing top 100 this year is health, which is a very legitimate concern. But if he can reach 60 innings this year, he will be on many championship teams in the fall.
Adbert Alzolay, Chicago Cubs
In Alzolay's rookie season, he was frequently compared with Freddy Peralta due to his absolutely nasty offspeed pitches, specifically the slider. However, unlike Peralta who's fastball plays up and is a very good pitch, Alzolay was never able to find a way to make his fastball work as a starting pitcher.
Which is why his 2022 and the Cubs' intention of making him a full time reliever in 2023 is so darn appealing. Last year, Alzolay's fastball finished with positive value as he threw it harder than he's ever thrown in the majors, working exclusively out of the bullpen.
More interestingly, he added a cutter to his repertoire, which also finished positive, showing early success there. And his slider continued to be his most unhittable pitch.Year end numbers:
12.83 K/9
1.35 BB/9
3.38 ERA
1.91 FIP
69% Contact
31.6% CSW
First strike 75% of the time
As crazy as it sounds, the only thing Alzolay needs to do to join the top 200 this year might be to throw less strikes. With a full year ahead as a reliever, I expect him to finish in the top 200 by end of year and easily be the most valuable reliever on the Cubs in 2023 (though he'll have unexpected competition for that honor).
Shelby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers
Believe me, I was just as surprised to write this name as you are to read it. But the numbers do not lie. Miller has reinvented himself as an unhittable reliever and the Dodgers are about to let him loose on the league over a full season.
Miller, more than anyone on this list, is going to be a great case study for my theory that you don't need many innings from a reliever to "take the plunge" and trust that they will maintain it. We're talking just 7 innings in 2022. Less than Fairbanks (26) and Alzolay (13.1).
So why am I so confident? Well, it's a combination of three improvements/changes over the last year.
1: The simplification of the repertoire. Miller is a fastball, slider reliever now. Gone are the days where he was throwing 4-5 pitches. And what has the simplification done (and as a reliever)? It's allowed his fastball to be thrown harder and to play up when he's throwing the slider 55% of the time. His fastball was thrown harder than it has been since 2017, and hitters weren't touching it. The slider has room for improvement but that in and of itself makes me even more excited about what we see in 2023.
2: Miller threw strikes and early in the count.
Miller had a 70% first pitch strike last year. Doing that cut his walk rate to 3.86/9. Now that isn't really a good walk rate, but when we factor in the change in first pitch strike % and that the walk rate was much improved to where it was the last few years, Miller's K/9 jumped to 18. 18! That's over a 4 K/BB ratio.
3: Dodgers got their guy. Let's put it this way. If the Dodgers gave Shelby Miller a major league guaranteed contract for $1.5 million in 2023 based off these 7 innings. You won't have to pay anything to acquire his services. If anyone can turn the slider into a weapon, it's the Dodgers.
Now Miller will have his work cut out for him to hit top 200 overall by season's end. The Dodgers' depth is a disadvantage but on a per inning basis I believe he will turn heads this year with a very solid chance at ending the season as one of the top two relievers on the Dodgers which should put him close to the top 200.
Garrett Cleavinger, Tampa Bay Rays
Cleavinger was a tale of two pitchers. Traded from the Dodgers to the Rays mid season, Cleavinger did something that you will start to notice is a running theme for the others on this list; he learned to command his arsenal.
After being traded to the Rays, Cleavinger put up the following numbers (18.2 IP):
12.05 K/9
1.93 BB/9
2.41 ERA
1.77 FIP
70.6% Contact
37.1% CSW
These are the numbers of a top 10 reliever which is what he was after he went to the Rays. Cleavinger's fastball and slider were both + pitches and the only thing holding him back in 2023 may be the Ray's pitching depth. On 25 other teams, Cleavinger would be the number 1 reliever heading into 2023 but the Rays have Pete Fairbanks. Still, I expect the Rays to use Cleavinger a lot more this year and fully expect a top 200 finish with 60 innings.
Others in consideration with equally high upside but higher risk (with shorter blurbs):
DL Hall, Baltimore Orioles
If I knew that the Orioles wouldn't spend half the year trying to turn Hall into a starting pitcher, he would have been in my first list. However, I don't think it's a bad idea on the Orioles part. Whenever he gets fully integrated as a reliever, I believe he will be worth grabbing immediately. Especially with his improved BB/9 rate towards the end of the year. That's all that's holding Hall back from joining the best relievers.
Alex Lange, Detroit Tigers
Lange, just like others I'm about to mention, has control problems. But of any poor control reliever that it may be worth gambling on this year in drafts (he will be closing after all) it's Lange. His contact rate last year was 56.6%! In 60 innings! Absolute insanity. Lange is so filthy that he often doesn't know where his pitches are going. But if he can even cut the walk rate by 0.5% he will likely join the elite relievers and put himself very close to a top 100 season.
Michael King, New York Yankees
If I could say with confidence that King would come back and pitch the same way he did in 2022, I would lock him in to finish as a top 120 player in 2023. That's how good he was last year before fracturing his elbow. He was better than Clay Holmes to put in in another way. If he comes back strong in spring training I would run not walk to pick him up.
Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros
Abreu is the closer heir apparent and thanks to a literally unhittable slider, had a 64% Contact rate in 2022. If he can get into a few more high leverage situations, he easily finishes near top 100.
Jake Cousins, Milwaukee Brewers
Take everything I said about Alex Lange and apply to Cousins (with slightly less filthy stuff).
HIGHER RISK OR SLIGHTLY LOWER PEAK
Matt Brash, Seattle Mariners
Brash as a reliever was great, but his BB/9 was still much too high. However he's young and if he can figure out the command, he's going to be elite. He's one of my picks to figure it out this year and join the top relievers.
Dylan Lee, Atlanta Braves
Lee has a lower peak due to his lower K/9 but everything about his 2022 season looks legit. If Atlanta ever loses one of their top two, Lee is my pick to sub in without skipping a beat.
Enyel De Los Santos, Cleveland Guardians
With the unfortunate injury news to Sam Hentges, if he is shelved it will only allow more higher-leverage innings for De Los Santos, who, if he can increase his K/9 up in 2023 will become elite. He has two elite pitches to do it, possibly benefiting from throwing a few more sliders.
Ron Marinaccio, New York Yankees
Marinaccio needs better command. That's really it. His fastball change are elite. If he can pound the strikezone a bit more, watch out.
Zach Jackson, Oakland Athletics
Jackson has very poor command but his pitches grade out as plus plus. He's the lowest expectations for this whole list but I see a path to top 200.
Franmil Reyes, Chicago Cubs
You may be surprised to see the Franimal on this list. I forgot he wasn't still on the Guardians so we're all a bit surprised here. But if small sample sizes are the point of my argument, he must be included. In 1 inning in 2022, this is what Franimal put up:
9 K/9
0 BB/9
0 ERA
4.11 FIP
66.7% Contact
40% CSW
So what lead to the success here? Like a prime Lance Lynn, Franmil pounded the strikezone with 83 MPH heaters. And they were filthy apparently. 66.7% First strike.
So if you've learned anything here, watch high strikeout guys who show signs of improved command. You may find the 2023 Ryan Helsley. Or at least the next Franimal.
Please open up the debate - or add any other relievers you think will be on a lot of championship teams at the end of the season.
Prior Posts:
Top 100 picks with the most risk to finish below their ADP
Finding a workhorse SP that you don't have to pay up for
Every position - one hitter poised to break out

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(EST PUB DATE) CIA'S ROLE IN THE STUDY OF UFO'S, 1947-90, BY GERALD K. HAINES
Document Type:
FOIA
Keywords:
UFO SPECIAL COLLECTION
Collection:
FOIA Collection
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
0005517742
Release Decision:
RIFPUB
Original Classification:
U
Document Page Count:
18
Document Creation Date:
June 24, 2015
Document Release Date:
January 31, 2011
Sequence Number:
Case Number:
F-2010-00651
Publication Date:
July 1, 1999
File:
AttachmentSize DOC_0005517742.pdf1.42 MB
Body:
C00242525 CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-90 Gerald K. Haines B4y't pBU 44 While Agency concern over 47 UFOs was substantial until the early 1950s, CIA has since paid only limited and peripheral attention to the phenomena. Gerald K. Haines is the National Reconnaissance Office historian. An extraordinary 95 percent of all Americans have at least heard or read something about Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), and 57 percent believe they are real.' Former US Presidents Career and Reagan claim to have seen a UFO. UFOlogists-a neologism for UFO buffs-and pri- vate UFO organizations are found throughout the United States. Many are convinced that the US Govern- menc, and particularly CIA, are engaged in a massive conspiracy and coverup of the issue. The idea that CIA has secretly concealed its research into UFOs has been a major theme of UFO buffs since the mod- ern UFO phenomena emerged in the late 1940s.2 In late 1993, after being pressured by UFOlogists for the release of addi- tional CIA information on UFOs,] DCI It James Woolsey ordered another review of all Agency files on UFOs. Using CIA records compiled from that review, this study traces CIA interest and involvement in the UFO controversy from the late 1940s to 1990. It chronologically examines the Agency's efforts to solve the mys- tery of UFOs, its programs that had an impact on UFO sightings, and its attempts to conceal CIA involvement in the entire UFO issue. What emerges from this examination is that, while Agency concern over UFOs was substantial until the early 1950s, CIA has since paid only limited and periph- eral attention to the phenomena. Background The emergence in 1947 of the Cold War confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union also saw the first wave of UFO sight- ings. '['lie first report ofa -flying saucer" over the United States came on 24 June 1947, when Kenneth Arnold, a private pilot and reputable businessman, while looking for a downed plane sighted nine disk- shaped objects near Mc. Rainier, Washington, traveling at an estimated speed of over 1,000 mph. Arnold's report was followed by a flood of addi- tional sightings, including reports from military and civilian pilots and air traffic controllers all over the United States 4 In 1948, Air Force . Gen. Nathan Twining, head of the Air Technical Service Command, established Project SIGN (initially named Project SAUCER) to collect, collate, evaluate, and distribute within. the government all information relar. ing to such sightings, on the premise that UFOs might be real and of national security concern.5 .. The Technical Intelligence Division of the Air Material Command (AMC) at Wright Field (later Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) in Dayton, Ohio, assumed control of Project SIGN and began its work on 23 January 1948. Although at first fearful that the objects might be Soviet secret weapons, the Air Force soon concluded that UFOs were real but easily explained and not extraor- dinary. The Air Force report found that almost all sightings stemmed from one or more of three causes: mass hysteria and hallucination, hoax, or misinterpretation of known objects. Nevertheless, the report rec- ommended continued military intelligence control over the investi- gation of all sightings and did not V~? /991 C00242525 rule out the possibility of extraterres- trial phenomena.6 Amid mounting UFO sightings, the Air Force continued to collect and evaluate UFO data in the late 1940s under a new project, GRUDGE, which cried to alleviate public anxiety over UFOs via a public relations cam- paign designed to persuade the public that UFOs constituted nothing unusual or extraordinary. UFO sight- ings were explained as balloons, conventional aircraft, planets, mete- ors, optical illusions, solar reflections, or even large hailstones." GRUDGE officials found no evidence in UFO sightings of advanced foreign weapons design or development, and they con- cluded that UFOs did not threaten US security. They recommended that the project be reduced in scope because the very existence of Air Force official interest encouraged peo-, pie to believe in UFOs and contributed to a "war hysteria" atmo- sphere. On 27 December 1949, the Air Force announced the project's termination. 7 With increased Cold War tensions, the Korean war, and continued UFO sightings, USAF Director of Intelli- gence Maj. Gen. Charles P. Cabell ordered a new UFO project in 1952. Project BLUE BOOK became the major Air Force effort to study the UFO phenomenon throughout the 1950s and 1960s.8 The task of identi- fying and explaining UFOs continued to fall on the Air Material Command at Wright-Patterson. With a small staff, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) cried co persuade the public that UFOs were not extraordi- nary.' Projects SIGN, GRUDGE, and BLUE BOOK set the cone for the official US Government position regarding UFOs for the next 30 years. Early CIA Concerns, 1947-52 CIA closely monitored the Air Force effort, aware of the mounting number of sightings and increasingly con- cerned that UFOs might pose a potential security threat. 10 Given the distribution of the sightings, CIA offi- cials in 1952 questioned whether they might reflect "midsummer madness."" Agency officials accepted the Air Force's conclusions about UFO reports, although they con- cluded that "since there is a remote possibility that they may be interplan- c ary'aircraft, it is necessary to investigate each sighting." t2 A massive buildup of sightings over the United States in 1952, especially in July, alarmed the Truman adminis- tration. On 19 and 20 July, radar scopes at Washington National Air- port and Andrews Air Force Base tracked mysterious blips. On 27 July, the blips reappeared. The Air Force scrambled interceptor aircraft to inves- tigate, but they found nothing. The incidents, however, caused headlines across the country. The White House wanted to know what was happening, and the Air Force quickly offered the explanation that the radar blips might be the result of "temperature inversions." Later, a Civil Aeronautics Administration investigation con- firmed that such radar blips were quite common and were caused by temperature inversions. 13 Although it had monitored UFO reports for at least three years, CIA reacted to the new rash of sightings by forming a special study group within the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) and the Office of Current Intel- ligence (OCI) to review the Situation. 14 Edward Tauss, acting chief of OSI's Weapons and Equip- ment Division, reported for the group that most UFO sightings could be eas- ily explained. Nevertheless, he recommended that the Agency con- tinue monitoring the problem, in coordination with ATIC. He also urged that CIA conceal its interest from the media and the public, "in view of their probable alarmist tenden- cies" to accept such interest as confirming the existence of UFOs. 15 Upon receiving the report, Deputy Director for Intelligence (DDI) Rob- ert Amory, Jr. assigned responsibility for the UFO investigations to OSI's Physics and Electronics Division, with A. Ray Gordon as the officer in charge. 16 Each branch in the division was to contribute to the investigation, and Gordon was to coordinate closely with ATIC. Amory, who asked the group to focus on the national secu- rity implications of UFOs, was relaying DCI Walter Bedell Smith's concerns)' Smith wanted to know whether or not the Air Force investiga- tion of flying saucers was sufficiently objective and how much more money and manpower would be necessary to determine the cause of the small per- centage of unexplained flying saucers: Smith believed "there was only one chance in 10,000 that the phenome- non posed a threat to the security of the country, but even that chance could not be taken." According to Smith, it was CIA's responsibility by statute to coordinate the intelligence effort required to solve the problem. Smith also wanted to know what use could be made of the UFO phenome- non in connection with US psychological warfare efforts. 18 Led by Gordon, the CIA Study Group met with Air Force officials at Wright-Patterson and reviewed their data and Findings. The Air Force claimed that 90 percent of the reported sightings were easily 68 C00242525 Amateur photographs of alleged UFOs Passoria, New Jersey, 31 July 1952 )ce ~4N,q~~B jE C00242525 Minneapolis. Minnesota. 20 October 1960 70 BAST COPY AYE' C00242525 44 accounted for. The other 10 percent were characterized as "a number of incredible reports from credible observers." The Air Force rejected the theories that the sightings involved US or Soviet secret weapons development or that they involved "men from Mars"; there was no evi- dence to support these concepts. The Air Force briefers sought to explain these UFO reports as the mis- interpretation of known objects or little understood natural phenomena.19 Air Force and CIA officials agreed that outside knowl- edge of Agency interest in UFOs would make the problem more serious. 20 This concealment of CIA interest contributed greatly to later charges of a CIA conspiracy and coverup. The CIA Study Group also searched the Soviet press for UFO reports, but found none, causing the group to conclude that the absence of reports had to have been the result of deliber- ate Soviet Government policy. The group also envisioned the USSR's possible use of UFOs as a psychologi- cal warfare tool. In addition, they worried that, if the US air warning system should be deliberately over- loaded by UFO sightings, the Soviets might gain a surprise advantage in any nuclear attack. 21 Because of the tense Cold War situa- tion and increased Soviet capabilities, the CIA Study Group saw serious national security con- cerns in the flying saucer situation. The group believed that the Soviets could use UFO reports to touch off mass hysteria and panic in the United States. The group also believed that the Soviets might use UFO sightings to overload the US air warning system so that is could not distinguish real targets from Because of the tense Cold War situation and increased Soviet capabilities, the CIA Study Group saw serious national security concerns in the flying saucer situation. 99 phantom UFOs. H. Marshall Chad- well, Assistant Director of OSI, added that he considered the prob- lem of such importance "that it should be brought to the attention of the National Security Council, in order that a communitywide coordi- nated effort cowards it solution may be initiated."22 Chadwell briefed DCI Smith on the subject of UFOs in December 1952. He urged action because he was con- vinced that "something was going on that must have immediate attention" and that "sightings of unexplained objects at great altitudes and travel- ing at high speeds in the vicinity of major US defense installations are of such nature that they are not attribut- able to natural phenomena or known types of aerial vehicles." He drafted a memorandum from the DCI to the National Security Council (NSC) and a proposed NSC Directive estab- lishing the investigation of UFOs'as a priority project throughout the intelligence and the defense research and development community. 13 Chadwell also urged Smith co estab- lish an external research project of top-level scientists to study the prob- lem of UFOs .2' After this briefing, Smith directed DDI Amory co pre- pare a NSC Intelligence Directive (NSCID) for submission to the NSC on the need to continue the investiga- tion of UFOs and to coordinate such investigations with the Air Force." On 4 December 1952, the Intelli- gence Advisory Committee (IAC) took up the issue of UFOs.26 Amory, as acting chairman, presented DCI Smith's request to the committee that it informally discuss the subject of UFOs. Chadwell then briefly reviewed the situation and the active program of the ATIC relating to UFOs. The committee agreed that the DCI should "enlist the services' of selected scientists to review and appraise the available evidence in the light of pertinent scientific theories" and draft an NSCID on the subject.27 Maj. Gen. John A. Sam- ford, Director of Air Force Intelligence, offered full cooperation.28 At the same time, Chadwell looked into British efforts in this area. He learned the British also were active in studying the UFO phenomena. An eminent British scientist, R. V. Jones, headed a standing committee created in June 1951 on flying saucers. Jones' and his committee's conclu- sions on UFOs were similar co chose of Agency officials: the sightings were not enemy aircraft but misrepre- sentations of natural phenomena. The British noted, however, that dur- ing a recent air show RAF pilots and senior military officials had observed a "perfect flying saucer." Given the press response, according to the officer, Jones was having a most diffi- cult time trying to correct public opinion regarding UFOs. The public was convinced they were real.29 In January 1953, Chadwell and H. P. Robertson, a noted physicist from the California Institute of Technology, put together a distinguished panel of nonmilitary scientists to study the UFO issue. It included Robertson as C00242525 chairman; Samuel A. Goudsmic, a nuclear physicist from the Brookhaven National Laboratories; Luis Alvarez, a high-energy physicist; Thornton Page, the deputy director of the Johns Hop- kins Operations Research Office and an expert on radar and electronics; and Lloyd Berkner, a director of the Brookhaven National Laboratories and a specialist in geophysics.'0 The charge to the panel was to review the available evidence on UFOs and to consider the possible dangers-of the phenomena to US national security. The panel met from 14 to 17 January 1953. It reviewed Air Force data on UFO case histories and, after spend- ing 12 hours studying the phenomena, declared that reasonable explanations could be suggested for most, if not all, sightings. For exam- ple, after reviewing motion-picture film taken of a UFO sighting near Tremoncon, Utah, on 2 July 1952 and one near Great Falls, Montana, on 15 August 1950, the panel con- cluded that the images on the Tremoncon film were caused by sun- light reflecting off seagulls and that the images at Great Falls were sun- light reflecting off the surface of two Air Force interceptors.31 The panel concluded unanimously that there was no evidence of a direct threat to national security in the UFO sightings. Nor could the panel find any evidence that the objects sighted might be extraterrestrials. It did find that continued emphasis on UFO reporting might threaten "the orderly functioning" of the government by clogging the channels of communica- tion with irrelevant reports and by inducing "hysterical mass behavior" harmful to constituted authority. The panel also worried that potential enemies contemplating an attack on the United States might exploit the UFO phenomena and use them to dis- rupt US air defenses. 31 To meet these problems, the panel rec- ommended that the National Security Council debunk UFO reports and institute a policy of public education to reassure the public of the lack of evidence behind UFOs. It suggested using the mass media, advertising, business dubs, schools, and even the Disney corporation to get the message across. Reporting at the height of McCarthyism, the panel also recom- mended that such private UFO groups as the Civilian Flying Saucer Investigators in Los Angeles and the Aerial Phenomena Research Organiza- tion in Wisconsin be monitored for subversive activities.33 The Robertson panel's conclusions were strikingly similar to chose of the earlier Air Force project reports on SIGN and GRUDGE and to those of the CIA's own OSI Study Group. All investigative groups found that UFO reports indicated no direct threat to national security and no evidence of visits by extraterrestrials. Following the Robertson panel find- ings, the Agency abandoned efforts to draft an NSCID on UFOs. 14 The Sci- entific Advisory Panel on UFOs (the Robertson panel) submitted its report to the IAC, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Federal Civil Defense Administration, and the Chairman of the National Security Resources Board. CIA officials said no further consideration of the sub- ject appeared warranted, although they continued to monitor sightings in the interest of national security. Philip Strong and Fred Durant from OSI also briefed the Office of National Estimates on the findings.35 CIA officials wanted knowledge of any Agency interest in the subject of flying saucers carefully restricted, not- ing not only that the Robertson panel report was classified but also that any mention of CIA sponsorship of the panel was forbidden. This attitude would later cause the Agency major problems relating to its credibiliry.36 The 1950s: Fading CIA Interest in UFOs After the report of the Robertson panel, Agency officials put the entire issue of UFOs on the back burner. In May 1953, Chadwell transferred chief responsibility for keeping abreast of UFOs co OSI's Physics and Electronic Division, while the Applied Science Division continued to provide any nec- essary support.37 Todos M. Odarenko, chief of the Physics and Electronics Division, did not want to cake on the problem, contending that it would require coo much of his division's ana- lytic and clerical time. Given the findings of the Robertson panel, he proposed to consider the project "inac- tive" and to devote only one analyst part-time and a file clerk to maintain a reference file of the activities of the Air Force and ocher agencies on UFOs. Neither the Navy nor the Army showed much interest in UFOs, according to Odarenko.31 A nonbeliever in UFOs, Odarenko sought to have his division relieved of the responsibility for monitoring UFO reports. In 1955, for example, he rec- ommended that the entire project be terminated because no new informa- tion concerning UFOs had surfaced. Besides, he argued, his division wag fac- ing a serious budget reduction and could not spare the resources.39 Chad- well and other Agency officials, however, continued to worry about UFOs. Of special concern were over- seas reports of UFO sightings and 000242525 44 claims that German engineers held by the Soviets were developing a "flying saucer" as a future weapon of war.40 To most US political and military leaders, the Soviet Union by the mid- 1950s had become a dangerous oppo- nent. Soviet progress in nuclear weapons and guided missiles was par- ticularly alarming. In the summer of 1949, the USSR had detonated an atomic bomb. In August 1953, only nine months after the United Stares tested a hydrogen bomb, the Soviets detonated one. In the spring of 1953, a cop secret RAND Corpora- tion study also pointed out the vulnerability of SAC bases to a sur- prise attack by Soviet long-range bombers. Concern over the danger of a Soviet attack on the United States continued to grow, and UFO sightings added co. the uneasiness of US policymakers. Mounting reports of UFOs over east- ern Europe and Afghanistan also prompted concern char the Soviets were making rapid progress in this area. CIA officials knew that the British and Canadians were already experimenting with "flying saucers." Project Y was a Canadian-British-US developmental operation to produce a nonconventional flying-saucer-type aircraft, and Agency officials feared the Soviets were resting similar devices." Adding to the concern was a flying saucer sighting by US Senator Richard Russell and his party while traveling on a train in the USSR in October 1955. After extensive inter- views of Russell and his group, however. CIA officials concluded that Russell's sighting did not sup- port the theory that the Soviets had developed saucerlike or unconven- tional aircraft. Herbert Scoville, Jr., BLUE BOOK investigators were able to attribute many UFO sightings to U-2 flights. 11 the Assistant Director of OSI, wrote char the objects observed probably were normal jet aircraft in a steep dimb.2 Wilton E. Lexow, head of the CIA's Applied Sciences Division, was also skeptical. He questioned why the Soviets were continuing to develop conventional-type aircraft if they had a "flying saucer."43 Scoville asked Lexow to assume responsibility for fully assessing the capabilities and limitations of nonconvencional air- craft and to maintain the OSI central file on the subject of UFOs. In November 1954, CIA had entered into the world of high technology with its U-2 overhead reconnaissance project. Working with Lockheed's Advanced Development Facility in Burbank, California, known as the Skunk Works, and Kelly Johnson, an eminent aeronautical engineer, the Agency by August 1955 was testing a high-altitude experimental aircraft- the U-2. It could fly at 60,000 feet; in the mid-1950s, most commercial airliners flew between 10,000 feet and 20,000 feet. Consequently, once the U-2 started rest flights, com- mercial pilots and air traffic controllers began reporting a large increase in UFO sighcings.44 (U) The early U-2s were silver (they were later painted black) and reflected the rays from the sun, especially at sun- rise and sunset. They often appeared as fiery objects to observers below. Air Force BLUE BOOK investiga- tors aware of the secret U-2 flights cried to explain away such sightings by linking them to natural phenom- ena such as ice crystals and temperature inversions. By checking with the Agency's U-2 Project Staff in Washington, BLUE BOOK inves- tigators were able to attribute many UFO sightings to U-2 flights. They were careful, however, not to reveal the true cause of the sighting to the public. According to later estimates from CIA officials who worked on the U- 2 project and the OXCART (SR-71, or Blackbird) project, over half of all UFO reports from the late 1950s through the 1960s were accounted for by manned reconnaissance flights (namely the U-2) over the United States.45 This led the Air Force to make misleading and deceptive .case- ments to the public in order to allay public fears and to protect an extraor- dinarily sensitive national security project. While perhaps justified, this deception added fuel to the later con- spiracy theories and the coverup controversy of the 1970s. The per- centage of what the Air Force considered unexplained UFO sight- ings fell to 5.9 percent in 1955 and to 4 percent in 1956.6 At the same time, pressure was build- ing for the release of the Robertson panel report on UFOs. In 1956, Edward Ruppelt, former head of the Air Force BLUE BOOK project, publicly revealed the existence of the panel. A best-selling book by UFOI- ogist Donald Keyhoe, a retired Marine Corps major, advocated release of all government informa- tion relating to UFOs. Civilian UFO groups such as the National C00242525 Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) and the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (AFRO) immediately pushed for release of the Robertson panel report.47 Under pressure, the Air Force approached CIA for permission to declassify and release the report. Despite such pressure, Philip Strong, Deputy Assistant Director of OSI, refused to declassify the report and declined to disclose CIA sponsorship of the panel. As an alternative, the Agency prepared a sanitized version of the report which deleted any reference to CIA and avoided mention of any psychological warfare potential in the UFO controversy.4a The demands, however, for more gov- ernment information about UFOs did not let up. On 8 March 1958, Key- hoe, in an interview with Mike Wallace of CBS, claimed deep CIA involvement with UFOs and Agency sponsorship of the Robertson panel. This prompted a series of letters to the Agency from Keyhoe and Dr. Leon Davidson, a chemical engineer and UFOtogisc. They demanded the release of the full Robertson panel report and confirmation of CIA involvement in the UFO issue. Davidson had convinced himself that the Agency, not the Air Force, carried most of the responsibility for UFO analysis and that "the activities of the US Government arc responsible for the flying saucer sightings of the last decade." Indeed, because of the undisclosed U-2 and OXCART flights, Davidson was closer to the truth than he suspected. Cl, neverthe- less held firm to its policy of not revealing its role in UFO investiga- tions and refused to declassify the full Robertson panel report.49 In a meeting with Air Force represenca- cives to discuss how to handle future inquires such as Keyhoe's and David- son's, Agency officials confirmed their opposition to the declassification of the full report and worried that Key- hoe had the ear of former DCI VAdm. Roscoe Hillenkoetcer, who served on the board of governors of NICAP. They debated whether to have CIA General Counsel Lawrence R. Hous- ton show Hillenkoetter the report as a possible way to defuse the situation. CIA officer Frank Chapin also hinted that Davidson might have ulterior motives, "some of them perhaps not in the best interest of this country," and suggested bringing in the FBI to investigate.50 Although the record is unclear whether the FBI ever insti- tuted an investigation of Davidson or Kcyhoe, or whether Houston ever saw Hillenkoetter about the Robertson report, Hillenkoetcer did resign from the NICAP in 1962.51 The Agency was also involved with Davidson and Keyhoe in two rather famous UFO cases in the 1950s, which helped contribute to a growing sense of public distrust of CIA with regard to UFOs. One focused on what was reported to have been a tape recording of a radio signal from a fly- ing saucer; the ocher on reported photographs of a flying saucer. The "radio code" incident began inno- cently enough in 1955, when two elderly sisters in Chicago, Mildred and Marie Maier, reported in the Jour- nal of Space Flight their experiences with UFOs, including the recording of a radio program in which an uni- dentified code was reportedly heard. The sisters taped the program and other ham radio operators also claimed to have heard the "space mes- sage." OSI became interested and asked the Scientific Contact Branch to obtain a copy of the recording. 5- Field officers from the Contact Divi- sion (CD), one of whom was Dewelt Walker, made contact with the Maier sisters, who were "thrilled that the government was interested," and set up a time to meet with them. 53 In try- ing to secure the tape recording, the Agency officers reported that they had stumbled upon a scene from Arsenic and Old Lace. "The only thing lack- ing was the elderberry wine," Walker cabled Headquarters. After reviewing the sisters' scrapbook of clippings from their days on the stage, the offic- ers secured a copy of the recording.54 OSI analyzed the tape and found it was nothing more than Morse code from a US radio station. The matter rested there until UFOlogisc Leon Davidson talked with the Maier sisters in 1957. The sisters remembered they had talked with a Mr. Walker who said he was from the US Air Force. Davidson then wrote to a Mr. Walker, believing him to be a US Air Force Intelligence Officer from Wright-Patterson, to ask if the cape had been analyzed at ATIC. Dewelc. Walker replied to Davidson that the cape had been for- warded to proper authorities for evaluation, and no information was available concerning the results. Not satisfied, and suspecting that Walker was really a CIA officer, Davidson next wrote DCI Alen Dulles demand- ing to learn what the coded message revealed and who Mr. Walker was.55 The Agency, wanting co keep Walker's identity as a CIA employee secret, replied that another agency of the government had analyzed the cape in question and that Davidson would be hearing from the Air Force. 56 On 5 August, the Air Force wrote David- son saying that Walker "was and is an Air Force Officer" and that the tape .was analyzed by another government organization." The Air Force letter 000242525 44 confirmed that the recording con- tained only identifiable Morse code which came from a known US- licensed radio station. 57 Davidson wrote Dulles again. This time he wanted to know the identity of the Morse operator and of the agency that had conducted the analy- sis. CIA and the Air Force were now in a quandary. The Agency had pre- viously denied that it had actually analyzed the tape. The Air Force had also denied analyzing the tape and claimed that Walker was an Air Force officer. CIA officers, under cover, contacted Davidson in Chicago and promised to get the code translation and the identification of the transmit- ter, if possible." In another attempt to pacify David- son, a CIA officer, again under cover and wearing his Air Force uniform, contacted Davidson in New York City. The CIA officer explained that there was no super agency involved and that Air Force policy was not to disclose who was doing what. While seeming to accept this argument, Davidson nevertheless pressed for dis- closure of the recording message and the source. The officer agreed to see what he could do. 59 After checking with Headquarters, the CIA officer phoned Davidson to report char a thorough check had been made and, because the signal was of known US origin, the cape and the notes made at the time had been destroyed to conserve file space.G? Incensed over what he perceived was a runaround, Davidson cold the CIA officer that "he and his agency. whichever it was, were acting like Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamster Agency officials felt the need to keep informed on UFOs if only to alert the DCI to the more sensational UFO reports and flaps. 99 Union in destroying records which might indict chem."61 Believing that any more contact with Davidson would only encourage more specula- don, the Contact Division washed its hands of the issue by reporting to the DCI and to ATIC that it would not respond to or try to contact Davidson again.62 Thus, a minor, rather bizarre incident, handled poorly by both CIA and the Air Force, turned into a major flap that added fuel to the growing mystery surrounding UFOs and CIA's role in their investigation. Another minor flap a few months later added to the growing questions surrounding the Agency's true role with regard to flying saucers. CIA's concern over secrecy again made mat- ters worse. In 1958, Major Keyhoe charged that the Agency was deliber- ately asking eyewitnesses of UFOs not to make their sightings public.63 The incident stemmed from a November 1957 request from OSI to the CD to obtain from Ralph C. Mayher, a photographer for KYW- TV in Cleveland, Ohio, certain pho- tographs he took in 1952 of an unidentified flying object. Harry Real, a CD.officer, contacted May- her and obtained copies of the photographs for analysis. On 12 December 1957, John Hazen, another CD officer, returned the five photographs of the alleged UFO to Mayher without comment. Mayher asked Hazen for the Agency's evalua- Lion of the photos, explaining that he was trying to organize a TV program to brief the public on UFOs. He wanted to mention on the show chat a US intelligence organization had viewed the photographs and thought them of interest. Although he advised Mayher not to take this approach, Hazen stated that Mayhcr was a US citizen and would have to make his own decision as to what to do.64 Keyhoe later contacted Mayher, who cold him his story of CIA and the photographs. Keyhoe then asked the Agency to confirm Hazen's employ- ment in writing, in an effort to expose CIA's role in UFO investiga- dons. The Agency refused, despite the fact that CD field representatives were normally overt and carried cre- dentials identifying their Agency association. DCI Dulles's aide, John S. Earman, merely sent Keyhoe 4' noncommittal letter noting that, because UFOs were of primary con- cern to the Department of the Air Force, the Agency had referred his letter to the Air Force for an appro- priate response. Like the response to Davidson, the Agency reply to Key- hoe only fueled the speculation that the Agency was deeply involved in UFO sightings. Pressure for release of CIA information on UFOs contin- ued to grow.65 Although CIA had a declining inter- est in UFO cases, it continued to monitor UFO sightings. Agency offi- cials felt the need to keep informed on UFOs if only to alert the DCI to themorc sensational UFO reports and flaps." C00242525 The 1960s: Declining CIA Involve- ment and Mounting Controversy In the early 1960s, Keyhoe, David- son, and other UFOlogisrs maintained their assault on the Agency for release of UFO informa- tion. Davidson now claimed that CIA "was solely responsible for creat- ing the Flying Saucer furor as a cool for cold war psychological warfare since 1951." Despite calls for Con- gressional hearings and the release of all materials relating to UFOs, little ehanged.67 In 1964, however, following high- level White House discussions on what to do if an alien intelligence was discovered in space and a new out- break of UFO reports and sightings, DCI John McCone asked for an updated CIA evaluation of UFOs. Responding to McCone's request, OSI asked the CD to obtain various recent samples and reports of UFO sightings from NICAP. With Key- hoe, one of the founders, no longer active in the organization, CIA offic- ers met with Richard H. Hall, the acting director. Hall gave the officers samples from the NICAP database on the most recent sighcings.6e After OSI officers had reviewed the material, Donald F. Chamberlain, OSI Assistant Director, assured McCone that little had changed since the early 1950s. There was still no evi- dence that UFOs were a threat to the security of the United Stares or that they were of "foreign origin." Cham- berlain cold McCone that OSI still monitored UFO reports, including the official Air Force investigation, Project BLUE BOOK.69 At the same time that CIA was con- ducting this latest internal review of UFOs, public pressure forced the Air Force to establish a special ad hoc committee to review BLUE BOOK Chaired by Dr. Brian O'Brien, a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, the panel included Carl Sagan, the famous astronomer from Cornell University. Its report offered nothing new. It declared that UFOs did not threaten the national security and that it could find "no UFO case which represented techno- logical or scientific advances outside of a terrestrial framework." The com- mittee did recommend that UFOs be studied intensively, with a leading uni- versity acting as a coordinator for the project, to settle the issue conclusively.70 The House Armed Services Commit- tee also held brief hearings on UFOs in 1966 that produced similar results. Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown assured the committee that most sightings were easily explained and that there was no evidence that "strangers from outer space" had been visiting Earth. He told the committee members, however, that the Air Force would keep an open mind and con- tinue to investigate all UFO reports." Following the report of its O'Brien Committee, the House hearings on UFOs, and Dr. Robertson's disclosure on a CBS Reports program that CIA indeed had been involved in UFO analysis, the Air Force in July 1966 again approached the Agency for declassification of the entire Robert- son panel report of 1953 and the full Durant report on the Robertson panel deliberations and findings. The Agency again refused to budge. Karl H. Weber, Deputy Director of OSI, wrote the Air Force that "We are most anxious that further publicity not be given to the information that the panel was sponsored by the CIA." Weber noted that there was already a sanitized version available to the public.72 Weber's response was rather shortsighted and ill considered. It only drew more attention to the 13- year-old Robertson panel report and CIA's role in the investigation of UFOs. The science editor of The Sat- urday Review drew nationwide attention to the CIA's role in investi- gating UFOs when he published an article criticizing the "sanitized ver- sion" of the 1953 Robertson panel report and called for release of the entire documenc.73 Unknown to CIA officials, Dr. James E. McDonald, a noted atmospheric physicist from the University ofAri- zona, had already seen the Durant report on the Robertson panel pro- ceedings at Wright-Patterson on 6 June 1966. When McDonald returned to Wright-Patterson on 30 June to copy the report, however, the Air Force refused to icc him see is again, stating that it was a GIA classi- fied document. Emerging as a UFO authority, McDonald publicly claimed that the CIA was behind the Air Force secrecy policies and coverup. He demanded the release of the full Robertson panel report and the Durant rcport.74 Bowing to public pressure and the rec- ommendation of its own O'Brien Committee, the Air Force announced in August 1966 that is was seeking a contract with a leading university to undertake a program of intensive investigations of UFO sightings. The new program was designed to blunt continuing charges that the US Gov- ernment had concealed what is knew about UFOs. On 7 October, the Uni- versity of Colorado accepted a $325,000 contract with the Air Force for an 18-month study of flying sau- cers. Dr. Edward U. Condon, a physicist at Colorado and a former C00242525 44 Director of the National Bureau of Standards, agreed to head the pro- gram. Pronouncing himself an "agnostic" on the subject of UFOs, Condon observed that he had an open mind on the question and thought that possible extraterritorial origins were "improbable but not impossible."73 Brig. Gen. Edward Giller, USAF, and Dr. Thomas Ratchford from the Air Force Research and Development Office became the Air Force coordinators for the project. In February 1967, Giller contacted Arthur C. Lundahl, Director of CIA's National Photographic Inter- pretation Center (NPIC), and proposed an informal liaison through which NPIC could provide the Con- don Committee with technical advice and services in examining pho- tographs of alleged UFOs. Lundahl and DDI R. Jack Smith approved the arrangement as a way of "preserv- ing a window" on the new effort. They wanted the CIA and NPIC to maintain a low profile, however, and to take no part in writing any conclu- sions for the committee. No work done for the committee by NPIC was to be formally acknowledged. 76 Ratchford next requested that Con- don and his committee be allowed to visit NPIC to discuss the technical aspects of the problem and to view the special equipment NPIC had for photoanalysis. On 20 February 1967, Condon and four members of his committee visited NPIC. Lundahl emphasized to the group that any NPIC work to assist the committee must not be identified as CIA work. Moreover, work performed by NPIC would be strictly of a technical nature. After receiving these guide- lines, the group heard a series of briefings on the services and equip- Additional sightings in the early 1970s also fueled beliefs that the CIA was somehow involved in a vast conspiracy. 11 merit not available elsewhere that CIA had used in its analysis of some UFO photography furnished by Ratchford. Condon and his committee were impressed.77 Condon and the same group met again in May 1967 at NPIC to hear an analysis of UFO photographs taken at Zanesville, Oh

My annual pre-Combine/FA 1-Round Mock Draft. Hopefully I can get a 3-Rounder in later in the process but I also really like the way this one came out. Like, Comment, Subscribe… or whatever you feel like doing. THHHANKS.
1.01. CHI - Will Anderson, Jr., EDGE, Alabama. It’s certainly possible that the Bears do in fact trade out of this pick but Anderson can really cement the foundation of Chicago’s defense and be a game-wrecker so that when Justin Fields and the offense put up 30+ then the defense can create consistent pressure and force QB’s to make mistakes which was severely lacking in 2022. While we have seen DJ put a mock out recently with Tyree Wilson ahead of Anderson - it’s certainly possible - I will refrain from that at this time. I get the sense that the community is trying to predict the next Travon Walker and that type of player just isn’t in this class. We see parts of Walker separated into Tyree Wilson, Keion White (if he remains at EDGE which I think he will) and Myles Murphy but I don’t think this draft class has the complete package of that kind of upside talent. It’s testament to how rare his athletic profile is that we don’t have it here in this loaded EDGE class. I would say Myles Murphy has the best chance of succeeding Anderson as the first EDGE off the board but I think Anderson is going to silence a lot of critics with his own athleticism once the Combine starts. I’ll reserve something like that happening for my version 2.0 if it happens at all. For now, what are you getting in Will Anderson? An elite EDGE talent. Plain and simple, and that used to be good enough before the term “Generational Talent” started becoming loose in meaning and thrown around every draft class. He’s not Von Miller at all, I’ve seen that thrown around too. His Coverage just isn’t there. I don’t think there is a system you can’t build around Anderson. A cornerstone player for Chicago, a franchise known for its rich history of dominant defensive football.
1.02. HOU - Bryce Young, QB, Alabama. A part of me wanted to flirt with mocking New England making a double trade-up that involved dealing Mac Jones to LV, swapping picks, then moving up to 1.01 but I really just don’t feel like doing all that right now. Houston should be drafting one of the QB’s here, unless Will Anderson is somehow available and then it’s a debate. I don’t think Houston is going to be drafting this high again and Young is more than likely the top guy on their board. With a solid off-season I don’t even think that Houston is going to be last in its division. Young can step in immediately, run the offense, really set the tone and have Houston making a playoff push possibly in year 1. It would be wise to get him as many weapons in this class and free agency as possible. DJ Chark should be at the top of their priority signings.
1.03. AZ - Jalen Carter, DT, UGA. Jalen Carter could be the Fletcher Cox of Gannon’s defense. I believe it will remain multiple as it was in Philly, Carter being disruptive from the 3T and becoming a foundation to this Arizona Defense. This pick is a no-brainer so I won’t waste much time talking about it.
1.04. IND - Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson. I have the Colts as the favorite to land Aaron Rodgers this off-season. If true, I will have correctly predicted the last 3 QB acquisitions of the Colts. No direct sources to the franchise (yet) but see them taking the approach of spending in FA, drafting a QB on Day 2 and bringing Aaron Rodgers to a place where cold weather isn’t going to play a part so long as they can hold onto one of the top seeds in the AFC. Myles isn’t getting enough love right now but he is one of the best athletes in this class. I’m expecting Myles to really shine and prove how rare of an athlete he is. I’m expecting one of the best RAS scores after we just came off an entire draft with disgusting EDGE RAS Scores. Lucky us to be spoiled. We hear about how he needs some time to cook, yet no one talks about how disturbing this guy’s first step is. Myles Murphy’s first step is arguably just as good as Chase Young’s at the time he declared and I would argue he’s a better overall prospect- always thought Chase was lazy, Murphy is not. The explosiveness, length, and ability to fit any scheme trump any of his shortcomings.
1.05. SEA via DEN - C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU. I think regardless of what happens with Geno Smith, the Seahawks should think about using this pick on a QB. Seattle could easily draft Stroud here, and it’s not because Geno Smith is bad, it’s because he’s going to be 33 in a few months. We should be discussing Seattle even trading up to 1.01 with the Bears as well, quite frankly, but set aside what any of us agree on, I think the chances of Seattle securing a Top 5 pick again next year are probably rather slim. I think it would be fine to both pay Geno Smith reasonably and draft his successor in this class if the opportunity presents itself. C.J. Stroud could be an elite QB with Pete Carroll ironing out his flaws in a redshirt year and if things go south with Geno, if he shows signs that he was a one-year wonder, then they can immediately bench him in favor for Stroud so long that he’s ready.
1.06. DET via LAR - Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon. CB is a desperate need to upgrade for Detroit. This is a move that upgrades multiple positions as Gonzalez can step in immediately on the outside and allow either Jerry Jacobs or Jeff Okudah to move inside. I ultimately think that Detroit may be trading out of this pick prior to the draft, but again, not really interested in trying to predict all of that right now. Gonzalez has received some of the rave reviews similar to Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II in recent years so it won’t be a surprise to me if he’s the first CB off the board or even if he’s selected within the Top 5. Has length, physicality and is scheme friendly. Has everything that talent evaluators love at the next level. You’ll probably see Detroit double dip in Round 2 as it relates to this position.
1.07. LV - Joey Porter, Jr., CB, PSU. Another player that is possibly being under-mocked at this time. Joey Porter has ridiculous length and has the athletic profile that transitions well at the next level. His resume includes some strong performances against some of the most elite WR talent in college football too. If any team comes away with Lamar Jackson, I have the Raiders as the favorite for now followed by the Panthers. Sticking with this pick, the Raiders have 2 starting CB’s hitting free agency so this is an area that they will want to address early and immediately.
1.08. ATL - Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech. This is super close between Tyree Wilson and one of the OT’s but with Taylor Lewan now officially a free agent, it makes sense for him to reunite with Arthur Smith assuming that the team doesn’t re-sign Kaleb McGary. Even if they do not approach either of those options, Day 2 has plenty of good RT’s to select from and fortify that side of the line. Atlanta has to address its passrush woes. When I look at some of the old scouting reports of Derek Barnett that are still floating around, some of the same things mentioned are what stick with Tyree Wilson but I would argue that Wilson is a more polished version of Derek Barnett and I loved Barnett as a prospect. Tons of power and the production to match, will get things going right in ATL.
1.09. CAR - Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas. Bijan is so controversial where you see him slated in mocks. I’ve seen him in the Top 5, seen him at 28 to Buffalo for whatever reason, I have gone back and forth with him between the Top 10 and Top 15 several times myself. My direct comp to him is Todd Gurley, only better. I think he’s every bit worth the hype. Carolina would love to give Frank Reich and Duce Staley an elite offensive weapon on the ground like Robinson. An absolute workhorse that can make any QB’s job easier. There are some needs on the DL, especially with an implied scheme change, but some stop-gaps in FA that fit the system and developmental players on Day 2 should set Carolina up nicely in the draft. Now that Derek Carr is a free agent, I have Carolina as a likely destination should they fail to acquire Lamar Jackson.
1.10. HOU via PHI via NO - Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee. (HOU Receives: 1.10; PHI Receives: 1.12, 3.74.) I think Jalin is going to run a 4.19. No cap. He’s not my WR1 in this class, but I don’t think this is John Ross either. WR is a significant need. Brandin Cooks could be traded, John Metchie is battling Leukemia, and there’s no depth at the position. With the state of their WR Room, no QB is even going to have anyone to throw to.
1.11. WAS via TEN - Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern. (WAS Receives: 1.11; TEN Receives: 1.16, 3.98, 4.119.) Tennessee could remain here and draft Skronk themselves but they only have 6 picks and are entering the “Re-tool” Phase (aka get rid of everyone phase) of new GM Ron Carthan’s plan. He could elect to start trading pieces away in an attempt to move up for a QB, but I have a different level of insanity in mind for this mock that you will soon bear witness to. Washington is in need of OL upgrading and Skoronski is someone I see better suited to play G than OT. That being said, it wouldn’t hurt to at least try him out at LT first as it’s an immediate upgrade to Charles Leno.
1.12. PHI via HOU via CLE - Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois. Philly has quite a bit of needs at this time with their impending free agents. CB is an immediate need and one for the future as Darius Slay hits free agency next year too- the same year that the team must make a decision on whether or not to extend Jalen Hurts. (They’re extending Jalen Hurts lol.) Witherspoon could be a fine CB2 with further plans to become CB1 next season especially if Slay isn’t brought back.
1.13. GB via NYJ - Brian Branch, S, Alabama. (GB Receives: 1.13; NYJ Receives: 1.15, 4.117, 5.152, 5.172.) With an immediate need at Safety and also a future need as Darnell Savage hits free agency, Green Bay leapfrogs New England for a player that they would probably happily pounce on. Branch compliments this Secondary and offers stability for the present and future. I personally think this might be a little high for him. I may have him a bit lower in my final mock.
1.14. NE - Paris Johnson, Jr., OT, OSU. I typically don’t like to mock teams drafting the same positional group in back-to-back years but there is a need at OT, and Trent Brown could possibly even be cut as well. Paris Johnson is nothing to sneeze at and is someone who I once mentioned as having Christian Darrisaw upside. I was wrong. PJJ has Trent Williams upside. An athletic freak, plug him in at LT immediately and be set for the rest of your life.
1.15. NYJ via GB - Cody Mauch, C, NDSU. Cody has a ton of versatility, being able to play all 5 positions, allowing only 2 sacks in his entire college career and has a very high football IQ. I have Cody stepping in at Center for the Jets as that is the area of need at this time, but he could just as easily play LT if Becton has a set-back.
1.16. TB via TEN via WAS - Drew Sanders, LB/EDGE, Arkansas. (TB Receives: 1.16; TEN Receives: 1.19, 6.182.) Tennessee trades back again. I have no clue why Drew Sanders is slipping, maybe he’s hurt, maybe he gasmasked, I don’t know. He’s a combo LB/EDGE prospect and has been playing at a high level. Fits a need for the Bucs, White is also a free agent next year so it offers further future security as well.
1.17. PIT - O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida. Sanders would have probably been picked up by Pittsburgh in this mock scenario and we’ve seen time and time again that when all else fails, just stick to your board and select the best player available. There were rumors of O’Cyrus Torrence’s weight and work ethic being the subject of conversation until he shut that talk down with an amazing performance in Mobile. Not only did he dominate, he has cemented his status as being able to play either Guard spot in the NFL–at an elite level in both spots. Draft media were really trying to get this guy to fall- no longer. I do not throw the term generational talent around lightly, but when it comes to O’Cyrus Torrence, I currently have him as the highest graded Guard prospect since Quenton Nelson. If that makes him a GT, so be it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he put up 36 bench reps at the Combine and his stock begins to soar. This is someone who dominated at every phase of his career and has yet to give up a QB Sack. Ever. In 3,065 snaps! We all know that he held his own with Jalen Carter as well. It’s an easy piece of scouting material to watch and outlines how while Carter got some nice pressures, he truly didn’t start blowing things up until they moved Carter away from Torrence to attack the left side of the OL. Torrence is an absolute beast and lets not forget that he only transferred to Florida so that he could challenge himself against better competition. I can see him going as high as 6 overall to Detroit, who also needs some Guard help, especially if he has a dominating Draft Process. Not ready for all of that yet though, I’ll let the process do the work for me.
1.18. DET - Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan. Mazi Smith is undervalued, inaccurately scouted and under the radar. He is not just a Nose. He can play the 3, 4i, 5, even kicked out to the 7. He does his most damage in passrushing situations between the 3-5 while being able to stop the run from virtually anywhere. He’s a game-wrecker. I don’t think the gun charge is going to keep teams from passing on him early. It seems like an honest mistake but it’s all about how he interviews during the process. He’s every bit of an athletic freak as Jordan Davis and his strength is surprisingly close to that of Aaron Donald. A part of me thinks that this draft pick may be involved in a trade for Jeffrey Simmons but that could also be accomplished via Tennessee and Detroit swapping the 6 and 12 picks in some fashion. I’ll leave it like this for this version of my mock.
1.19. LAC via TEN via TB - Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati. (LAC Receives: 1.19; TEN Receives: 1.22, 6.201.) The ultra rare triple trade down accomplished. It’s quickly becoming apparent that this draft doesn’t seem as though it has many Day 1 WR1 type options if any at all. Jalin Hyatt seems more like a WR2 with WR1 upside and the only reason why he’s so high is because I’m expecting him to have ungodly speed. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is who I have rated as the best WR in the class and he’s not even in this mock as I have him in Round 2 right now and that’s only because of where players like him have gone historically. Tyler Scott is being slept on and I’ve seen a lot of slander on this sub about him, however, his skillset typically translates to a Round 1 draft pick. Scott could step in and fill the shoes of Keenan Allen if the Chargers move on from Allen. Doesn’t have the size, of course, but there is some overlap. He’s a YAC Merchant, can excel as a Punt Returner and has great top-end speed. A bit of an upgraded Kadarius Toney. I should say quite a bit as he is already ahead of where Toney was at seeing as his hands are much better and he seems to have the game down better as a Junior than Toney did as a Senior.
1.20. NYG via SEA - Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU. (NYG Receives: 1.20; SEA Receives: 1.26, 4.127.) All but 2 months ago Quentin Johnston was being mocked in the Top 4 and here he is sliding towards the later parts of the first and in the final mock he may not even be in the first round at all. He is someone who fell down to earth fast. People were expecting Julio Jones and instead they got Alshon Jeffery. The reason I have Seattle trading here is because they probably draft Tyler Scott themselves if he’s available. The Giants desperately need a WR and this may not be the last time they dip into the well, especially given how Day 2 has exceptional value. Everything should be fine with re-signing Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley so they can concentrate on other areas through the draft.
1.21 MIA - Tom Brady.
1.22. TEN via LAC - Dawand Jones, RT, OSU. Well, I had a hell of a time. Now armed with 10 picks, including this one, the Titans decide to make the damn pick and land arguably the best pure RT prospect in the class. Kick NPF to LT and have Jones at RT, find a RG on Day 2 or 3. Your RT situation is set for the next 10+ years. Thanks for coming along the ride during this triple trade-down event.
1.23. KC via BAL - Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State. (KC Receives: 1.23; BAL Receives: 1.32, 3.95, 4.123.) For the second year in a row, the Chiefs make a move up to get their man. Travis Kelce is 33 and while he hasn’t slowed down, it’s only a matter of time. Luke Musgrave has the best chance to offer a fraction of what Travis Kelce does, and is possibly the best route-runner of the TE Class. Has a background in Lacrosse and Skiing in addition to football, played indoor volleyball, the guy is one of the elite athletes of this class and possibly the most athletic player of the offensive skill positions. Run Blocking needs work, Pass Protection can also get better, but he only gave up 1 pressure all of last year, the upside is through the roof.
1.24. CLE via MIN - Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech. (CLE Receives: 1.24; MIN Receives: 2.43, 3.99, 4.112.) Minnesota only has 5 draft picks and I think they are poised to resolve their needs in free agency by bringing back some of their own. Once again, they have an opportunity to trade back and take advantage of better value given their roster situation and capitalize on one of the deepest Day 2 talent pools in NFL Draft History. Cleveland, on the other hand, can’t afford to **** around with the EDGE position opposite Myles Garrett any longer. Keion White is just what they need. A player that can cover pretty much any area on the field, rush the passer on the EDGE or on the interior and is solid against the run. The perfect Robin to Myles Garrett and a good tone-setter for Jim Schwartz’s defense.
1.25. JAC - Darnell Wright, RT, Tennessee. I don’t even think the Jags are keeping this pick to be honest. They don’t have many pressing needs and more than likely will take care of their own in free agency first. This pick could be dealt. Wouldn’t be surprised if they send it back to the Rams to get Jalen Ramsey back. Stranger things have happened… anyway… Wright is a mauler at RT. Needs some refining but has the upside and size that resonates with both Future Executive of the Year Trent Baalke (never thought I’d say that) and Doug Pederson. Being able to keep Will Anderson, Jr. along with the athletic profile and upside should get you a trip to the first round more often than not.
1.26. SEA via NYG - Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State. Seahawks land a talented passrusher that fits their attack like a glove. Will McDonald reminds me a bit of Bud Dupree, but the good Bud Dupree not whatever the hell he became in Tennessee. I can see Pete Carroll taking a similar development approach by having McDonald rotate on a situational basis before earning a full-time starting role.
1.27. DAL - Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn. More EDGE talent. My comp for Derick Hall is Demarcus Ware. He blows up the offense’s plan and must be accounted for on every play. He belongs in the first round and probably could even stand to go higher than this. Freak athlete, fast, explosive, polished tackler, strong in run support.
1.28. BUF - Andrew Voorhees, G, USC. The Bills almost never draft non-premium positions in the first round but they do need a Guard. Andrew Voorhees is flying a bit low right now, he’s a solid IOL prospect and would become an immediate starter at LG.
1.29. CIN - Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame. I think Michael Mayer is the most complete TE prospect and has exceptional value for any team looking to fill an immediate need or upgrade at TE. He can do everything very well. Strong blocker, reliable catcher. Not much more needs to be said although I did go back and forth for awhile if this pick should instead be Tucker Kraft but I’ll think about that some more. He’s probably better suited for Day 2. I’ll wait to see how he tests first.
1.30. LAR via NO via DEN via MIA via SF - Broderick Jones, OT, UGA. (LAR Receives: 1.30; NO Receives: 2.37, 4.137, 5.173.) I just wanted to trade this pick again because it’s fun. The Rams can’t let what happened to their OL last year happen again. Broderick Jones may not be the most pro-ready OT as it stands right now but he has a rather high ceiling and it’s worth the risk this late into Day 1. I would say he belongs at LT or LG for most teams and for the Rams I would probably project to slide him into LG to start things off while he grasps the speed of the NFL before moving outside.
1.31. PHI - Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, KSU. Eagles probably trade this pick as well but I’m exhausted with trade scenarios at this point… This EDGE class is stupid good, as evidenced by the 4th one being selected in the last 7 picks and the 7th/8th of the 1st Round. Philly also has a quiet future need at EDGE with Derek Barnett projected to be a free agent in 2024. More pass rushers to refill the supply.
1.32. BAL via KC - Lukas Van Ness, DL, Iowa. I like Lukas as a down lineman in a 2-gap assignment. He wouldn’t start right away, which is fine with him as he was an impact player who didn’t start at Iowa anyway, but the Ravens will have some DL issues with those hitting free agency next year and with Lamar wanting basically $300MM guaranteed. Who knows if they pay or let him walk if those rumors are even true but not sure how any team is going to be able to afford that price anyway. So we end off version 1.0 with no Will Levis or Anthony Richardson present. Just can’t bring myself to mock them in the first at this time, even though I am a firm believer that Will Levis could (will) end up as an All Pro someday with his lethal assassin-like release. Thanks for reading.

For those unfamiliar with the genre, the Weird War genre is basically taking a historical war (in this case, WWII) and adding in fantastical or science-fiction elements (If you've watched Indiana Jones, read The Rocketeer, or played either Bloodrayne or Wolfenstein, basically that.)
1) A Jewish deathcamp prisoner attempts to make a golem to kill the Nazis and free his fellow prisoners. However due to unknowingly using clay that was infused with human ashes from the camp's furnace, the negative emotions corrupted the rituals and created a corpse gatherer instead.
2) A batch of dragon eggs is found in Wales. The British military already has plans on using the dragons as weapons against the Axis forces. Potential plot twist is the a Nazi spy has infiltrated the military and is planning on stealing the eggs.
3) The detonation of Trinity results in opening up a portal to another world (Biblical Hell, The Far Realms, or even the Forgotten Realms are all good choices).
4) The US military start fielding weapons that were reversed engineered from wreckage from a UFO crash in Roswell (I know the crash happened two years after the war ended, but work with me here.)
5) Nazi zombies... 'nuff said.
6) A allied soldier is struck by a bullet that lodges in his body. Shortly afterwords he begins hearing a voice in his head. The voice claims to be the bullet and it seems to know things that the soldier cannot of possibly known himself. u/PureLoop
7) A World War I battle is replayed by the ghosts of the dead that participated it, in the middle of a World War II battlefield, causing chaos and confusion among the living. u/PureLoop
8) A single time traveling soldier from after the war returns to prevent the loss of the Allied nations by assassinating Allied leaders. u/PureLoop
9) A poltergeist of unknown origins causes the deliberate misfiring of guns within the confines of rubble that used to be their school. u/PureLoop
10) In order to combat the recently developed biological weapon that is Nazi Zombies, American soldiers become unwitting test subjects of Lycanthropy. u/PureLoop
11) A meteor strikes the heart of a battlefield, causing an enormous explosion. From the crater countless bug like creatures swarm out and attack all living beings near by. Allied and Axis soldiers are forced into a cease fire to defeat the alien foe. u/PureLoop
12) A batch of bad rations cause nightmarish hallucinations for those that ate it. It soon becomes clear the that hallucinations were actually warped premonitions of the eaters fate in the war. u/PureLoop
13) Nazi scientist develop a cannon that ruptures the bonds that hold a soul in place. Unleashing it in battle they destroy an entire allied platoon in one shot, only to be violently torn apart by the vengeful souls. u/PureLoop
14) A decapitated head that appears to be still talking is found in the battlefield. When wind is passed over it's vocal cords it shouts a string of obscenities about Nazi scum and that it will take more than a tank to stop him. Unless the head is destroyed, the soldier remains alive. u/PureLoop
15) Death being overburdened by the war recruits a recently deceased soldier to act as his aid and help him gather the souls from the bodies. The soldier learns that if he does not lift the soul from the body of the mortally injured, they remain alive and in terrible suffering, and thus must choose who among his battalion he has to kill out of mercy. u/PureLoop
16) A Chaplin is the soul survivor of a battle between forces in a small french village. He speaks of a rapture by God who came down and smote all who participated in the heinous war. It comes to light that several of the dead at the battlefield were struck with tremendous force, and have bite marks on their bodies. Eventually it's discovered that the Chaplin was a vampire, though were he is now, no one knows. u/PureLoop
17) Nazi aquatic tanks and APV's suddenly appear on the beaches of Delaware, ushering and new front on the American coast. u/PureLoop
18) Two islands with separate operations occurring on them in the Pacific front begin moving towards one another before colliding. Both islands turn out to be massive sea creatures that then attack one another, utter destroying the armies above them. u/PureLoop
19) In Paris, several off-duty Nazi officers, drunk off of cheap wine, end up getting lost in the catacombs. They inadvertently destroy a shrine or glyphs, resulting in releasing several hundred angry spirits.
20) During the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, several American GIs and German stormtroopers end up becoming the target of a Wild Hunt.
21) A time-traveler, attempting to assassinate Hitler, is captured, and his technology is reverse-engineered to aid the German war effort.
22) The golem of Prague, left dormant until it was needed, is reawakened. u/I_walked_east
23) The head of Bran is buried under the Tower of London and protects England from invasion. The power of the head scuttled the Spanish Armada. Now Nazis plan to steal it in preparation for their invasion. u/I_walked_east
24) The ghosts of victims of Unit 731 are hunted by a sadistic band of exorcists. u/I_walked_east
25) The Spanish fascists find Durandal, the sword of Roland, that has the power to cut mountains. u/I_walked_east
26) The Nazis have captured Baba Yaga, who has been helping the Russian all woman 588th night bombers (aka The Night Witches) repel the German Invasion. u/I_walked_east
27) In the woods surrounding Los Angeles Nazi sympathizers know as the Grey Shirts perform dark rituals at a secret compound. u/I_walked_east
28) At the American naval base on Midway, Private Second Class Leeroy Beck’s last sight as he bleeds out through his slit throat is a Japanese soldier morphing into an exact copy of him, trying to hide a large fox tail within a duffel bag. u/Pretzelbomber
29) Charles de Gaulle was actually a necromancer the entire time, and manages to stall the Germans using the wandering souls of the catacombs. u/OctoyeetTraveler
30) In the face of invasion, occupation, and possible annihilation at the hands of the invading German forces, the elders of a Russian village send their bravest into the forest to meet with the fae folk to make a deal. Will the village be willing or able to pay the price for protection against the Nazis?
31) A Soviet submarine accidentally opens an underwater portal to the Elemental Plane of Water during a nuclear test. The crew must find a way to seal the portal and deal with the creatures that initially made it through. u/JollyGreenStone
32) Elves are found in the Black Forest. The Nazis conspire with the Elves: if the Elves can push back the Russians on the Eastern Front, they'll receive Ukraine and Belarus as a new sanctuary. The Elves agree because they see all humans as inferior and they believe after defeating Stalin they can defeat Hitler. u/JollyGreenStone
33) A mad Nazi doctor in a concentration camp creates lycanthrope soldiers who transform, kill the staff, and take over the village. Invading Allied forces have to save the camp's prisoners from the feral lycanthropes. u/JollyGreenStone
34) On both the Allied and Axis sides, soldiers find themselves unable to die. Made immortal by some strange force which causes them to cling onto death (despite suffering grievous injuries which refuse to heal) all they can do is keep on fighting. Both sides must investigate the cause behind this lest the war never end and devolve into pure, mindless slaughter. u/Sobek6
35) Midway through the war and despite previous reports, the German forces have suddenly gained an advantage. Using new weaponry and possessing new successful approaches to warfare they look set to be unbeatable. It turns out that Germany has finally cracked communications across dimensions and Hitler is receiving advice from alternate versions of himself. (Perhaps there’s room for a version of Hitler that never became the monster history remembers him as to become a potential ally?) u/Sobek6
36) In the Pacific Theater, planes on both sides have been suffering malfunctions on a near regular basis, with both sides accusing each other of sabotage. The malfunctions began after a battle on an unnamed island which ended up destroying a small shrine. Are the malfunctions truly the work of sabotage? Is it gremlins doing what gremlins do best? Or have the island spirits been angered by the desecration of the shrine?
37) The Nazis' occult sciences division have been designing an engine that can run off the souls of the deceased. An Allied spy has been attempting to stall development, but has been reporting that the soul engine is almost ready for deployment in the Russian front. A team must be sent in to extract the spy and either retrieve or destroy the blueprints and the prototype engine. u/Th3R3493r
38) In response to the Polish resistance weaponizing golems with help from kabbalists, the Nazis have been attempting to mass-produce their own golems. So far efforts have been stymied by uncooperative Jewish prisoners, who often sabotage the golems by either making them fragile or programming them to attack their masters whenever they hear German, and the Third Reich's distrusts of "Juden Witchcraft". u/Th3R3493r
39) Due the Japanese's ill-treatment of the Chinese dead in Manchuria, Qui Shen (Chinese wraiths) have been rising in droves and attacking the invading Japanese soldiers. The attacks were originally random, lately they seem to be directed in such a way to be as damaging as possible. Either an exceptionally powerful Qui Shen is leading the attacks, or a powerful fangshi (type of Chinese wizard) has gain control of the undead. u/Th3R3493r
40) Oni are operating as mercenaries in the Pacific theater, selling their services to the highest bidder (typically whoever can offer the best alcohol and the prettiest girls). u/Th3R3493r
41) Having perfected a powerful and easily portable shielding spell, Axis paratroopers are now dropped without parachutes. Holy_Hand_Grenadier
42) Hitler's invasion of England is under way, and the Royal Family has been captured or assassinated. In the country's darkest hour, King Arthur returns, wielding Excalibur. Holy_Hand_Grenadier
43) The UK discovers that the Loch Ness monster is really a plesiosaur and that the bottom of the Loch contains a portal to an alternate Earth ... where dinosaurs still roam. Can the British expedition recover enough resources from this resource rich world to aid the war effort? PutridMeatPuppet
44) The nazi's have perfected an Aryan ritual, thinking it will allow them control over destiny. It instead unleashes an avatar of the demiurge who is rampaging across both frontlines. stamau123
45) Almost an entire batallion of captured Enemy Prisoners of War all spontaneously go catatonic, and then collectively, robotically, begin reciting biblical passages in Olmec, backwards for 3 hours, and 3 minutes every 27 hours and 27 minutes. Every prisoner repeats a different selection of passages and refuses to eat or drink, returning to a catatonic state between cycles. When sedated, additional prisoners fall catatonic and begin chanting where the others left off... those that die continue to move, unless cremated, at which point a new prisoner joins the chorus. MaxSizeIs
46) The metal inside every shell, shell casing, and bullet in Easy Company's ammunition train spontaneously liquified, pooling at the bottom of the containers. The explosives inside were undisturbed. The logistics crew tasked with guarding the train were all struck with dissociative hysterical blindness. MaxSizeIs
47) The local sex workers in the villages nearest the front speak of "La Dame sans merci" wearing a shimmering gown of purest black silk and with a touch capable of freezing a man to death instantly. There have been nine corpsman found dead from an unknown cause within the last 27 days, locally. The sex workers claim it to be her work. MaxSizeIs
48) Our soldiers report sightings of spectral cavalry riding ghost horses during the last battle. The knights wore feathered wings upon thier back. They wiped out all but one member of three platoons, who report as witness. The witness beleives the men were all slashed to death with swords and spears. Autopsy supports this statement. MaxSizeIs
49) An Allied Radio Operator for the 589th Field Artillery Battallion reports receiving requests for artillery strikes calling for a fire mission directly on the calling unit's position a full 24 hours before said unit had actually arrived in the combat zone. The radio-man and a second operator on duty reported details of the battle they heard accurately, before the events actually occured. MaxSizeIs
50) Bomber crews report sightings of unlit and unflagged "Black Bombers" joining thier formation shortly before bombs are dropped, sometimes doubling thier numbers in formation. Missions where such sightings have occured have a 56% higher loss rate than those without these sightings. MaxSizeIs
51) After several hours of listening for enemy radio activity during bouts of heightened ionospheric activty, a handful of Radio Operators develop obsessive compulsions to scrawl out the strangely shaped Hexagramatic runes contained within several Elder Signs. The operators continue to repeat the glyphs until thier fingertips wear off to bloody stumps. MaxSizeIs
52) Eighteen enemy soldiers fall ill and die after desecrating a shrine to an obscure saint in a tiny church a few miles behind the front-lines. A special forces unit of crack troops crossed the lines to help meet and retrieve what they found, only to report the incident. Three of those soldiers found dead were our boys under-cover or were double agents. Just what did they uncover? MaxSizeIs
53) The boffins coming out of SRI in Menlo Park (known in certain circles for powerful 'psychotronic research') have requested OSS (the precursor to the CIA) support for something they're calling Operation MOON WICKET. OSS explains, they need a platoon of soldiers near the front-lines to sit inside a dark water tank for days on end under specific conditions outlined in the mission parameters and to be strictly adhered to! (The common soldiers are to report on thier psychic experiences, despite up until now, never having heard the words: 'psychotronic research') It is critical that the unit's position not be discovered until after the operation has been completed, after which an elaborate counter-intelligence ruse will be perpetrated to obscure any hint of the research-site. The soldiers are told that this is to be their R&R, but the rules are stricter than normal, and punishments for breaking these rules are severe. (Not much of a R&R, if you ask the soldiers, and as the enemy draws closer, internal tension are high.) The OSS spooks, on the other hand, have been told that should the research not be completed before the enemy locates and overruns the village, that the enemy must not be allowed to take any prisoners, alive or dead; whatever the "or dead" part means, the spooks aren't sure. (The pressure is getting to them, which one will crack first?) MaxSizeIs
54) Under orders from the OSS Black branch, upon retaking of the city by US 5th Army Infantry forces, available units must clear out Nazi holdouts in the sewers beneath the Temple of the Magna Mater in Rome, and secure the contents of the temple at all costs; but instead find an infestation of Ghouls, some in SS uniform and armed with automatic weaponry, and seem to be able to dissapear in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately the temple was already looted by the Nazi Karotechia. The contents of the temple could no doubt give the Nazis tools to turn the tide, (should thier occult research be as advanced as the Allies) and possibly allow them to retake much of the ground lost since D-Day. It is imperative that the contents of the temple prior to the Nazi looting be verified in order to gain an understanding of Nazi capabilities. MaxSizeIs
55) According to your most recent orders, Allied Army Airforce planes carrying vital one of a kind equipment, and research personell to support General Chiang Kai-shek in the Chinese Theater's War Effort, crashed somewhere over "The Hump" (The Eastern Himilayas) due to enemy air patrols that shouldn't have been there, according to intellegence. A brief radio message has gotten through, confirming the safety of the pilots; you have been tasked with establishing a hasty expedition to retrieve them and the "package". It is the depths of winter, prey that you and your men do not encounter the dreaded Yeti, or the armed occult forces protecting the secrets of Hidden Shangrala and Kublai Kahn's Pleasure Domes from outsiders; both secret and unknowable threats to a Westerner. MaxSizeIs
56) Dr Moreau's research has been wholeheartedly adopted by the Soviets, creating an entire Regiment of Hybrid Ape-men shock-troops, with Never-Before-Seen Heavy Mechanized-Infantry Weapon systems of a design more advanced than even Axis or Allied Scientists could devise. The truth is, these forces arrived from an alternate future; stop the inciting event from forming a closed-timeloop, and the never-ending fountain of Ape-troops and Super-Science Materiel might stop, and prevent a Future Soviet Union from winning the Cold War (even now a Distant Nightmare Vision in the minds of Allied Oneiromancers; worse even than an Axis victory!) MaxSizeIs
57) Something is destroying Japanese submarines in the pacific at a frightening pace. American warships, equipped with a new sonar technology, have detected an enormous signal that appears to be biological in nature. The size and speed have caused the scientists to speculate about the old stories of giant squids or kraken. PutridMeatPuppet
58) In 1930, Albert Einstein discovers that he is the second reincarnation of Isaac Newton, after a chance encounter with a Romani spiritualist and in the process discovered that Gauss was the first. Guided by his former life's work with Alchemy, he develops the theory on the General Equivalence of Energy Exchange and Matter Creation and launched the search for a rigorous understandings of the underpinnings of High Energy Magicks. In his research, in 1933 Weimar Germany, he is contacted by a war-weary version of his future self, who convinces him he must defect to the United States to avoid a horrific fate. The OSS Black Branch has tasked you, a local operative undercover in Europe to extract Einstein and see him safely to the States; except the current year is 1945; The Black Branch has cryptically warned you that Einstein has been killed sixteen times over numerous timelines, and that it is imperative that he remain unharmed in this one... will the reality of the multiverse tear your sanity apart? MaxSizeIs
59) At sundown on the autumn equinox, 1940; a plucky 20-something female Home Guard volunteer, who up-until-now had not revealed that she was a Witch, managed to hold off a scouting party of at least one Company of German forces in the early days of Unternehmen Seelöwe (Operation Sea Lion), outside the small coastal village of Pepperinge-Eye near Dorsetshire. Her defense bought the small village time to evacuate, (unsupported due to a massive, coordinated assault across the Southern Coast of England by the invading Germans, leading to a general evacuation known as Operation Dynamo II) and for three days and nights engaged the enemy long enough for scattered elements of VII Corps and the 70th Independent Infantry Brigade to arrive. Should the undermanned, undertrained, and under supported Guerilla forces of VII Corps, fail in their defense of the fighting retreat London could have been lost during the Siege. Instead, she (and as it later turned out, other members of the New Forest Coven) helped to bog down the Nazi advance all along their advancing front. Marylinn Myrddin Eglantine-Price was awarded Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for her actions in the battle called "Bedknob Hill". Witnesses report extensive wreckage consisting of household and kitchen items said to be "floating in the air on their own and holding Jerries prisoner, afraid for their lives", as well as dozens of flags and even one bullet-riddled suit of plate-armor! MaxSizeIs
60) An Australian Division has been capturing and training bunyips and releasing them in Asian Jungles for use against the Japanese. Allied forces are instructed to say 'lollipop lick liquor lover like Lillihammer' or anything with a lot of 'L's in it if you hear a bark that sounds like a dog mixed with a walrus as the Japanese forces who do not practice usually do not say 'L's correctly. They are stealthy as the grave and have been seen killing crocodiles with ease. Th3R3493r
61) The Nazi SS Occult research and development have made a "perfect" machine gunner. It is an abomination made of sewn flesh that can hold two hundred kilograms of bullets, two modified MG-42s, is armored to take a large quantity of small arms fire without losing momentum. It lacks a head but has three eyes in their aiming upper arms to aim each gun independently and two sets of arms to reload and fix the machine guns. Where they are getting the bodies are theorized to be one willing living subject and at least 3 undamaged dead bodies. They are questionable loyal to the units and are known to kill friend and foe alike who crosses their lines of fire. Th3R3493r
62) In the early days of the war, both the Germans and Allies made extreme advancements in Optics, driven perhaps by research into early radar prototypes. Progress was also fueled by the need to predict airstrikes before they occur, and the promises of early stage resarch into Applied Occult Prognostication, for both sides. By 1941, two independent programs, codenamed MÍMISBRUNNR and BARONSATURDAY, by the Germans and Allies respectively, were of sufficiently advanced stages as to be applied to the war effort directly. Independently, both sides had realized the importance of extensive pharmaceutical and surgical modification. Should the subject survive the chemical treatments, and surgery, of which denucleation was one important step, the resulting high rates of insanity and chemical dependency eventually led to a curtailment and confinement to asylum of members of both programs before the end of the war. A friend of yours has undergone this procedure, has foreseen the results, and begs you to help them escape their fate. MaxSizeIs
63) War is at a stalemate, both sides are looking for a way to open up new a new front. This brings them to the under dark where both sides try to sway the drow empress to join them. As the drow contemplate wheter to join one side or the other both british and german covert agents wage a shadow war even the drow can't see. AllSeeingCCTV
64) Early on in the war, Himmler and the Thule Society accidentally stumbled across a ritual which allowed them to open portals to other universes. Now the Nazis find their forces bolstered by fascist doppelgangers and malevolent/sympathetic alternative versions of members of the Allied Forces. Rumour has it Hitler himself often seeks audience with a council of versions of himself. Sobek6
65) The Allies begin formalization of a Magician Corps, from priests and rabbis who demonstrably and reliably performed miracles, to so-called "witch doctors", women accused of witchcraft, and American natives rumored to wield their own magic. Some of them don't really have anything truly mystical, while others find that their miracles and magics work so fundamentally different as to interfere with each others' workings. Meanwhile, the Thule Society under Nazi Germany has been regularly unearthing artifacts, which the leadership orders utilized in the war effort without attempting to properly understand each one, leading to mixed and unpredictable results. archDeaconstructor
66) A detachment of advanced Nazi submarines begins raiding the American coast, beaching under the surf and releasing nixes trained as amphibious soldiery. America has its own amphibious horrors as well, though- the Deep Ones, finding their hidden holdings threatened by this new battleground, begin their own off-the-books contributions to the war. archDeaconstructor
67) A shadowy wraith levitates the Shah of Iran and severs his head from his body in broad daylight, days before what would have been the invasion of Iran by Soviet and Allied forces. It is recognized as a kind of specter typically employed by British magicians, and so the full, if still outdated, military might of Iran mobilizes as quickly as it can. It is still crushed, but the Shah's supporters manage to lionize his legacy in the national eye as someone who would have created a more independent Iran up until his death at foreign hands. archDeaconstructor
68) Stregherian witches in both New England and Old Italy call upon their deities to nourish and poison, to send storms and fair weather, and to bring luck and fair fortune to the boys they send to the front lines. archDeaconstructor
69) In the chaos of battle, rifts in time release warriors from centuries past and future. In the Vienna Offensive, Mongols spill out onto the streets and further compound civilian casualties in the confusion. A lone jet fighter from the Pan-Pacific Union spontaneously appears over Japan with weapons white-hot, accidentally taking out two bombers from the Doolittle Raid with charged-particle weaponry before fatally crashing into a third, causing America to mistakenly believe Japan's air superiority and readiness even more powerful than they thought. Small numbers of Ottoman Janissaries are inexplicably found in Greecian cities, helping resist the Italian invasion and later dying to a man in Nazi occupation. archDeaconstructor
70) With British psi intelligence offices having cracked the Enigma code, Alan Turing is brought onto a long-term project few minds have the aptitude for- the development of automated soldiers that could end not only this war, but any war Britain would have to prosecute after. archDeaconstructor
71) Two black American infantry battalions are subjected to vampirism and lycanthropy, respectively, as an initial assessment of the effectiveness of each on logistical, tactical, and strategic levels. There's no way even a word of this can be leaked to anyone back home, though, so they're sent on only the most dangerous, far-reaching covert missions, becoming the bogeymen that every Axis soldier fears. archDeaconstructor
72) The dying Great Clans of Mars can wait no longer, and regrettably must colonize the Earth before the global life support railwork collapses and kills every last Martian. Long-distance radio signals are picked up from Mars, indicating in over thirty Earthling languages that the Martians will offer full military support to whichever faction of primitives can guarantee the most land to the Great Clans. archDeaconstructor
73) Rumor starts spreading about the "seven for one deal"; if you find a pistol magazine with bizarre symbols and untranslatable words on it, load seven rounds, and insert it in your pistol, each of those seven rounds will strike true if it is any way physically possible for them to do so. But after the 7th round is fired, fatal calamity instantly befalls the shooter. Vote_for_Knife_Party
74) Good news: the Army isn't putting saltpeter in the rations to dull your libido. Bad news: they're putting experimental mood adjusters in the rations to get you to associate violence with pleasure, and the squad machine gunner keeps giving you this look while he cleans his weapon... Vote_for_Knife_Party
75) There are no atheists in foxholes, but there sure are a lot of accidental devil worshippers. Demons are having a field day going from fighting hole to fighting hole, ready to cut a deal for survival. Sure, you'll survive the battle, but in the heat of the moment did you think to specify how long? Vote_for_Knife_Party
76) In the highlands of SE Asia, Japanese troops have forced Chinese and British troops to fall back. But something that lives in those mountain passes of the SE Himalayas is mauling the Japanese soldiers at night ... and locals are mentioning the term “Yeti”. PutridMeatPuppet
77) Theories of a Hollow Earth are partially true. Although the Earth is not truly hollow, its more like Swiss cheese with tunnels traveling deep underground and undersea ... and it opens up a new front in the war as both sides scramble to explore these tunnels and move troops thru the core of the Earth to strike at their enemies on the surface. Things take a turn for the weird when both sides encounter species native to these underground travel routes... PutridMeatPuppet
78) An increasingly paranoid Joseph Stalin seeks to recreate the rituals of Koschei the Deathless and become immortal. He has begun to harrase the tribal peoples of Siberea in an attempt to force the secret from them. Patchwork18
79) First contact has been made, and the aliens want... Entertainment? Turns out that they view war as a spectator sport, and start giving out advanced technology to the armies that amuse them the most. Do you try and win their favour? Or perhaps someone should stop them before the war becomes the apocalypse! deadgaiko
80) One day, without warning, every projectile weapon on the planet ceases to function. Guns jam, bombs explode before deployment, even bow strings instantly snap! Chaos ensues as battlefield tactics are forced to adapt. Weeks later, delayed intelligence reaches both sides: The neutral state of Vatican City have discovered a powerful artifact with reality-bending powers... deadgaiko
81) Fiji mermaids are real. They're a boogeyman while out in the Pacific, feeding off those sleeping. The Axis powers are really interested in capturing one alive: They're venom is known to have strange hallucinogenic properties. Thepipe90
82) There is rumors of a circus roaming the Europeon countryside; putting on shows for whoever will take them in for the night. Allied brass thinks they are a bunch of spies. The truth is much worse: The circus is made up of damned souls. The firebreather can do more with fire than just breathe it,The strongman can flip a tank like an end table, and the clowns are ACTUALLY fitting into those tiny cars. All that makeup? Not just to make them look cheery and silly.... Thepipe90
83) The SS’s pagan worship has awakened a lovecraftian eldritch horror TheMarvelMan
84) It turns out Hitler is an alien with immense mind control powers who has hypnotized the axis into starting the war so the world will descend into chaos so it cannot effectively resist the incoming alien invasion. AndreTheSalty
85) Allied scientists unlock humanity's psionic potential. Thanks to a injected serum specially chosen and selected members unlock the power to read minds, throw objects with the power of thought, control others like puppets, and cause enemy's heads to explode. This advantage allows the allies to make huge advances however the germans manage to reverse engineer the serum, giving it to their own men. This results in the war becoming even more brutal and bloody as these psi troops are produced in increasing numbers. AndreTheSalty
86) Rumors of monsters attacking the Japs in a occupied Philippines has reached the ears of the emperor. They kept saying words like 'aswang', 'duwende', 'magkukulang', and 'tikbalang' among other words that seemed to be more stranger than the next. CAvenir
87) The back of soldiers dog tags suddenly display the name of the person who will kill them. The trouble is, not all of the names belong to enemies. HarshMillennium
88) Allied Astronomers, while working on Project RUNCIBLESPOON, a poorly funded automated radio observation system for spotting incoming bombers, have intercepted coded messages that indicates there is a Nazi base on the moon. MaxSizeIs
89) Both Axis and Allied Magic Scholars crack the code of Linear B and link its syllabary into the current Pnakotic-Enochian Thaumo-Accoustic Complex, at about the same time; the advancement unlocks some new, mysterious, and horrifying magical properties that will take much study to properly grasp. It seems some of our Mages have been sharing secrets with the enemy, while it has helped us this time, it has also helped the enemy. MaxSizeIs
90) A small colony of large hominins in the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the US, announce their existence and seek to form thier own society by claiming a few dozen square miles of mountainous forest area in an uninhabited region. A Company of Soviet Heavy-Mechanized Ape-Hybrid Cavalry Soldiers has also reportedly defected, and wound up, somehow, joining the new Nation. MaxSizeIs
91) The growing ubiquity of radio among Allied Forces and Civilians back home has seen the emergence of a new Secret Axis Unit devoted to PsyOps using Clandestine Radio Broadcasts. Our spooks have proof that several Axis Radio Broadcasts are attempting to Mind Control the impressionable youth of London, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. We must find these broadcasting stations and shut them down. MaxSizeIs
92) One of our Destroyers has reported that an entire convoy of ours was sunk off the coast of Midway Island, and they only managed to limp back after sustaining heavy damage, intense electrical storms and a mysterious malady that rapidly spread amongst the crew. They're in quarantine, but the only problem is, that specific ship hasn't been built yet! You need to confirm the ship is really ours and question the crew for clues as to how they somehow managed to get back before their own ship was built! Don't catch whatever bug they have, either. MaxSizeIs
93) We lost our fleets at Midway and Pearl Harbor; one second we were in radio communication, the next.. nothing but static. More scientists are en-route now, but preliminary reports indicate high levels of radiation and complete destruction at both sites. MaxSizeIs
94) The Chicago Meat Packing District has been sealed off. Fifth Column Axis Sabotuers must have poisoned the food supply there. It seems they have weaponized a strain of Virulent Cannibalistic Virus, it spreads by either consuming human flesh or being bitten by someone who has consumed the virus. There's nothing we can do to help the victims trapped inside the city... MaxSizeIs
95) We have the difficult task of performing as diplomatic attaches to the New Chinese Empire; after they defeated Japan, they rapidly took over all the territory formerly occupied by their enemy and have now declared themselves as Neutral in the war against Germany and the Soviet Union. MaxSizeIs
96) Terrifying News out of Greece and Italy: We just found out that the Gods are Real, and Zeus is a Fascist and Amaterasu is fully in support of the Emperor. We have begun to search for Thor or Odin, to hopefully swing them away from potential Nazi-ism, but it isn't looking good. Still nothing from the Egyptians or Mesopotamians... MaxSizeIs
97) In the midst of Operation Sea Lion, the Duke of Windsor (and former crowned head of state of the United Kingdom, King Emperor Edward VIII) has succeeded in overthrowing the United Kingdom Government, and has recrowned himself King Emperor Edward IX after executing the entire remainder of the Royal Family and much of the Parliament in a quick, but bloody operation. Axis forces now control all but a much beleaguered Northern Ireland. Miraculously, one month after the loss, a much terrified, Young Princess Margaret, still a child, is revealed to have escaped in a shipping crate bound for Melbourne. The remains of the British Allied Government support her coronation as the legitimate rule, despite her extreme youth. MaxSizeIs
98) Mozambique has declared independence from Portugal. In exchange, Axis forces gain free reign to mine the rare-earth alloys recently discovered in the Rift Valley. Shortly thereafter, a small number of armored "Red" super-samurai appear on the European front, taking small arms fire without effect. MaxSizeIs
99) The Liberation of Finnmark fails, Allied forces facing the Nazi 20th Mountain Army; 5000 Soviet and Norwegian Troops and Civilians are found frozen in ice. Survivors tell of the appearance of horrific frozen men with glowing blue eyes among the enemy forces. MaxSizeIs
100) Chrysler Motors Corp announces their new Heavy Walking Tank the M45 Pershing-Defender, with prototypes delivered to the front line. It begins volume production in a month, but saboteurs have slowed the lines. The development of the tank is a priority! MaxSizeIs
101) Residents of the Pennsylvania Village of Frick's Lock are forcibly relocated after a Top-Secret Military Research Reactor melts down in the middle of the Winter of 1941. Stories of glowing auroras and supernatural ghost sightings for several nights around the time of the meltdown, spread quietly. Official records state that 2000 residents are forcibly imprisoned and quarantined "for their own safety", due to a "highly contagious and deadly small pox" outbreak. The villagers are sworn to secrecy, but approximately 800 die from acute radiation poisoning. MaxSizeIs

Link to hub
Thank god it's over. The 2022 Indianapolis Colts were a team with high expectations, but they ultimately fell flat. The offense regressed at almost every position. The organization suffered a complete meltdown. In one season, the Colts fired HC Frank Reich, hired Jeff Saturday as interim, changed quarterbacks an amazing four times, and ended the season with a loss to the Texans on a two-point conversion. All this culminated in a 4-12-1 record, the #4 pick in the draft, and a shiny new coach: Shane Steichen.

Season Overview

Record: 4-12-1 (.265)
vs Division: 1–4–1
vs AFC: 4–7–1
Playoff Result: Did Not Qualify
Pro Bowlers: G Quenton Nelson
Offensive DVOA: 32nd
Defensive DVOA: 14th

Offseason Review

Notable Trades

Washington Commanders
Indianapolis Receives: 2022 second-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2023 third-round pick
Washington Receives: QB Carson Wentz, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick
This was an obvious move after the end of the 2021 season. The late season collapse drew Jim Irsay's ire and he sought to get Wentz off of his team. It is likey that Irsay was also mad with Wentz's lack of leadership skills and his COVID-19 scare also contributed to this decision. In the weeks after the trade, Irsay painted Wentz as a scapegoat. In reality, the entire team contributed to the collapse. While Wentz was clearly not the guy at QB, painting him as the sole problem meant that the rest of the team flew under the radar.
Las Vegas Raiders
Indianapolis Receives: DE Yannick Ngakoue
Las Vegas Receives: CB Rock Ya-Sin
This was a very interesting trade, as Ya-Sin had been getting better and had continued his development, so it was surprising to see him go, but in return, the Colts got Ngakoue, who played under DC Gus Bradley in Las Vegas, allowing him to align with our defense. Ngakoue played pretty well for us as well as giving a veteran presence to our young DE room. The front office should look to re-sign him in free agency but he's not the highest priority since Paye and Odeyingbo should be serviceable.
Atlanta Falcons
Indianapolis Receives: QB Matt Ryan
Atlanta Receives: 2022 third-round pick
The Carson Wentz experiment obviously ended poorly, and we were still in win-now mode, so this trade was obvious. Matt Ryan was a very good player and he, in theory, should have been able to elevate this roster. Unlike Wentz, Ryan is a leader and he is very calculated, so we were unlikely to see any boneheaded moves like we did last year. The compensation we gave the Falcons was pretty good for what we thought we were getting. During the season, he led some impressive game-winning and game-tying drives and got us wins Wentz wouldn't have gotten. Unfortunately, Matt Ryan was not as good as we thought. His inability to move with the ball proved costly due to our bad o-line, and he constantly got sacked. He fumbled the ball a lot, 15 times to be exact. Add the fact that our receiving room was just okay and that we fired our two main offensive minds (Reich and Marcus Brady) and Matt Ryan just did not work out. Expect him to be cut this offseason so we can save some cap money.
Buffalo Bills (Midseason)
Indianapolis Receives: RB Zack Moss, 2023 fifth-round pick
Buffalo Receives: RB Nyheim Hines
From what I can tell, this trade was a win for the Bills, but the Colts still got some good out of it. The compensation we got wasn't great, but we were able to get Hines off the books and get another running back. Moss turned out to play pretty well for us during the season in the absence of Jonathan Taylor. He and JT will make our RB room pretty good going into next season, giving more options for our rookie quarterback.

Free Agency

CB Brandon Facyson - Las Vegas Raiders
This was another Bradley signing. Facyson gave us depth in the cornerback position and ended up starting for a while. He was not good, missing tackles and being generally inefficient against the run. Eventually, the CB job was given to Isaiah Rodgers, meaning Facyson is not likely to be on the team next year.
S Rodney McLeod - Philadelphia Eagles
With us drafting Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II at safety, we needed a veteran at the position, and McLeod exceeded expectations. He should definitely be kept on the team if we can afford him while Cross and Thomas continues to develop.
CB Stephon Gilmore - Carolina Panthers
Signing Gilmore was one of the best moves, if not the best move, made this offseason. He was a beast for us and helped us win a few games. He was one of the big reasons why our defense was good this year, and he will be crucial these next few seasons to push us into the playoffs.
OT Dennis Kelly - Green Bay Packers
With Matt Pryor being hot garbage, Kelly should have been played more, but he wasn't until midway through the season. He was decent, better than Pryor, but that's really not saying much.
QB Nick Foles - Chicago Bears
Foles came to Indy to reunite with his offensive coordinator from Philly in Frank Reich, but as he put it aptly, "Frank's not here." He was part of the QB carousel this season, as he swapped between QB1, QB2, and QB3 this season more times than I can count. He wasn't any better than Ryan or Ehlinger in his two starts.
P Matt Haack - Buffalo Bills
Longtime Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez tore his achilles in practice so the Colts desperately needed a punter. After being released in favor of [redacted], Haack made his way here. He got a lot of usage this season and was one of our best players.
K Chase McLaughlin - Cleveland Browns
After Rodrigo Blankenship was (probably) personally released by Irsay, the team needed a new kicker, and McLaughlin delivered. He should be our long term answer at the position.

Draft

Round 2, Pick 53: WR Alec Pierce - Cincinnati
Pierce was brought on to give our receiving room more strength. He impressed quite a bit this season despite his QBs not being very good, making the game-winning catch against the Jaguars as well as generally playing decently. He should end up being a good WR2 behind Pittman.
Round 3, Pick 73: TE Jelani Woods - Virginia
Following the retirement of Jack Doyle, the Colts were looking for someone to partially fill his shoes. Woods might up being the answer. He showed he had a solid foundation this year, and is apparently going to be working on his blocking this off-season, so look for him to be a threat in the coming seasons.
Round 3, Pick 77: OT Bernhard Raimann - Central Michigan
Finding a left tackle was one of our biggest needs, and Ballard seems to have found the answer. Raimann looked good for a rookie in the position during his starts, and should get better with time. Most of the o-line is getting worse, but Raimann is getting better.
Round 3, Pick 96: S Nick Cross - Maryland
As I mentioned earlier, Cross has developed well. He played okay this year and should get better next year to hopefully complement McLeod and Thomas.
Round 5, Pick 159: DT Eric Johnson - Missouri State
Round 6, Pick 192: TE Andrew Ogletree - Youngstown State
Ogletree was very impressive during training camp but unfortunately tore his ACL. The hope is that he can return to form next year.
Round 6, Pick 216: DT Curtis Brooks - Cincinnati
Round 7, Pick 239: S Rodney Thomas II - Yale
Thomas turned out to be a good safety for us and has done that immediately out of the gate. He played alongside McLeod for most of the season and will start going forward regardless of what McLeod does in the offseason.

Week By Week Review

Week 1: @ Texans T 20-20 OT

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
The Colts were desperate to break their Week 1 curse, and it seemed all but likely that they would do just that against Houston. Unfortunately, the offense came out of the gate looking flat. The first two drives ended with Reich getting outcoached and Ryan getting picked off. The Colts just could not capitalize on their drive in the first three quarters. Matt Ryan fumbled four times and lost one of those four. Rodrigo Blankenship shanked his kickoffs out of bounds. Taylor, Pittman, and Paye played well, but it took three quarters for Matt Ryan to start playing, his comeback and a surrender by Lovie Smith allowing us to tie this game. If we lost, we'd be picking third.

Week 2: @ Jaguars L 24-0

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
The Colts were desperate to break their Jacksonville curse, and it seemed all but likely that they would do just that. Unfortunately, the offense came out of the gate looking flat. Sound familiar? This time, there would be no comeback. The Colts laid the most abhorrent and shocking goose egg that left fans reeling. Matt Ryan was picked off three times. Jonathan Taylor was stuffed. With Pittman out, the WR corps suffered. Not that they would be passed to anyways the the o-line kept allowing pressure. Trevor Lawrence had so little pressure that an ant cloud climb all the way up his neck and the pocket would be wide open.

Week 3: vs Chiefs W 20-17

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
…and if you don't like that, you don't like Colts football. I'm not too sure I like Colts football. Matty Ice came through for us for the second time in two weeks as he led a comeback against the eventual Super Bowl champions. Were there still fundamental problems with this team? Absolutely. The o-line was still bad and Matt Ryan still couldnot handle the pressure. Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense made plenty of mistakes and the defense made them pay. Our rookie receivers in Pierce and Woods played well and Woods picked up the game winner. Yes, the Chiefs screwed themselves over, and the Colts don't win without those mistakes, but the Colts did win this game.

Week 4: vs Titans L 24-17

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
Back to reality. The o-line sucked once again and Matt Ryan kept fumbling the ball. It became obvious that the Kansas City game was a fluke and nothing more. Taylor once again kept getting stuffed. The only bright spot was that tight ends Mo Alie-Cox and Jelani Woods played alright. The worst part about this was that the Colts almost came back, allowing Frank Reich to make excuses about this team. Four weeks into the season, and the Colts were 0-2-1 in the AFC South. It was clear things needed to change.

Week 5: @ Broncos W 12-9 OT

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
My deepest apologies to anyone who watched this game. I would suggest contacting Amazon for a refund. Both offenses played so poorly in this game that fans left before overtime started. The defense played well and didn't allow a touchdown. Gilmore came up clutch once again, blocking the game-winner. Gus Bradley at this point has put together a somewhat decent unit. I could go on about the offense but it's just the same old story. At least Pierce played well to solidify his role as WR2. Also McLaughlin played well.

Week 6: vs Jaguars W 34-27

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
After the brutal loss in Duval, a win against the Jaguars would be exactly what the Colts needed for their season to be saved. With just under three minutes left, the Colts got the ball down by 1. And Matt Ryan, that crazy man, executed yet ANOTHER game-winning drive, capped with an Alec Pierce touchdown. Dennis Kelly came into the game and Braden Smith and Matt Pryor were moved around, making the o-line a little better. Crazy what Matt Ryan can do with a competent o-line. Our receivers played well and soo did Deon Jackson who filled in for our injured running backs.

Week 7: @ Titans L 19-10

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
And we're back! The Colts gave up three turnovers and the o-line was once again bad. There were a few positives though. The defense was good enough and the receivers once again exceeded expectations. At this point, the Colts are at a crossroads. They are now 1-3-1 in their division and it's clear the coach has lost the locker room. The Colts at this point need to decide if they want to contend or if they want to take.

Week 8: vs Commanders L 17-16

Quarterback: Sam Ehlinger
Matt Ryan was benched and Sam Ehlinger was the next guy up. He played fine enough. Unlike Ryan, he was able to scramble in the pocket and extend a few plays, giving the Colts more opportunities. On the potential game-tying drive, he threw a dime to Pittman that would've put us near field goal range, but Pittman dropped it. It was a refreshing change of pace. But the Colts still wasted their red zone chances when it mattered and blew the lead late. Shaq Leonard came back and made a pretty solid impact. Overall this was a good game for the Colts but good doesn't matter when you lose. Also after this game, our OC Marcus Brady got fired, and Frank Reich took over his duties.

Week 9: @ Patriots L 26-3

Quarterback: Sam Ehlinger
Apparently Marcus Brady was not the problem. Ehlinger didn't play too well in his second start, but the same can be said about most players on the team. The defense was a little better than the offense but the usual suspects acted up on the offense. The receivers didn't even play that well. I really think the score speaks for itself. The Colts really showed they were a directionless franchise.

Week 10: vs Frank Reich

Quarterback: Jim Irsay
Jimmy finally got pissed and pulled the plug. Frank Reich was unceremoniously fired much to the delight of the fanbase. This was a lost season but the fact that this franchise was finally going in a different direction was optimistic. In Frank's place was the legendary, almighty, tank commander Jeff Saturday. Bizarre decision sure, but we needed to do something different, and this was indeed different. Parks Frazier, assistant QB coach, was declared the new play caller.

Week 10: @Raiders W 25-20

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
Looks like Jeff was right. Matt Ryan was reinstated as QB and he did pretty good. He even had a 39 yard run! Jonathan Taylor was also back and he put on a beast of a performance. Stephon Gilmore once again clutched up and got us the win. Most importantly, we finally got our revenge over the snake Josh McDaniels.

Week 11: vs Eagles L 17-16

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
The Jeff Saturday era was almost off to a 2-0 start, but the Colts bit themselves in the butt and couldn't get it done. They couldn't capitalize off of their opportunities, including not getting a touchdown on a turnover just outside the Eagles' redzone. The o-line once again sucked. The defense got two turnovers and the offense only gave away one, and yet the Colts still lost the game. That is the story of our season. The rest of our losses were basically the same, so I won't bother repeating myself anymore.

Week 12: vs Steelers L 24-17

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
Jelani Woods played well for 98 yards, the pass rush was shockingly bad, and the Colts made costly mistakes including a redzone fumble. Jeff Saturday also seemingly forgot how to use timeouts and the Colts lost valuable time on their final drive. The tank rolls on.

Week 13: @ Cowboys L 54-19

After three quarters, the Colts were down 21-19. Now look at the score again. The Cowboys scored 33 points in the fourth quarter. Tanking has taken an entirely new meaning. Alec Pierce played well, but he was barely on the field because of our incompetence on both sides of the ball. The Colts allowed a maximum of three touchdowns a game before this game. They allowed five in the fourth quarter. But at least we got Scorigami!

Week 14: BYE

Everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief as they did not have to watch Colts football.

Week 15: @ Vikings L 39-36 OT

Quarterback: Matt Ryan
The Colts immortalized themselves into the record books as they choked a 33-0 lead, surpassing the time when Frank Reich led a 32-point comeback. The Colts played well in the first half, especially the special teams. They got a blocked punt and stopped a fake punt. Everything unraveled in the second half when the defense started breaking down. This was truly a masterful tank job that not even George Patton could pull off. Jeff Saturday's performance brought tears to my eye. You can decide what type of tears.

Week 16: vs Chargers L 20-3

Quarterback: Nick Foles
The Colts switched things up again, this time installing Nick Foles as the quarterback. He was somehow worse than Matt Ryan, because he could barely make his throws and he was the same statue that Ryan was. But that ok, because the tank continues on. Blah blah offense sucked defense did well. It was the same Colts football we've seen. Luckily for Colts fans there was only two weeks left of incompetence and Saturdays and then we could finally be free.

Week 17: @ Giants L 38-10

Quarterback: Nick Foles, Sam Ehlinger
New year, same Colts. Perhaps the most shocking moment of the season came when Foles got completely massacred by Kavyon Thibodeaux, who starting making turf angels next to a lifeless Foles. No one did anything. The man stayed laid down on the field for a good 15 seconds before he finally got up. No Colt made an effort to stop him. Now sure, you can say that Thibs didn't know Foles was hurt and I'd be inclined to agree with you, but if you are a Colt you have to defend your quarterback. The lack of effort there highlights the laziness everyone showed all season.

Week 18: vs Texans L 32-31

Quarterback: Sam Ehlinger
With 3:33 left in the fourth quarter, Chase McLaughlin kicked a field goal to put the Colts up by seven. All hope seemed lost for the tank. When, suddenly, the Texans creep closer and closer to the goal line. They score a touchdown. They go for two. They make it. They win the game by one point and hand the Bears and the Colts the number 1 and 4 pick respectively. Lovie Smith is welcome in Indianapolis anytime. And with that, the season ends. Colts fans everywhere rejoice, screaming from the rooftops of Indianapolis. Jeff Saturday, the Tank God, has led us to the promised land. In terms of actual game takeaways Moss looked good with 121 yards and Rodney Thomas balled out again.

Roster Review

The Colts were supposed to be good. The addition of Matt Ryan was supposed to elevate the Colts to contenders, due to him having Jonathan Taylor, a good o-line including Quenton Nelson, and a solid defense, led by new DC Gus Bradley. Instead, the Colts defied expectations and were a shockingly bad team.
The QB room was a complete mess. The Colts couldn't decide on who our QB should be, with Matt Ryan starting, then getting benched in favor of Sam Ehlinger, then coming back, then getting replaced by Nick Foles, before Sam Ehlinger started the final game of the season. Quenton Nelson and Matt Pryor got contract extensions, but it didn't work out as the offensive line was shockingly bad. The Colts allowed 60 sacks, the second-most of any NFL team. The rushing game was heavily impacted by the ankle injury to Jonathan Taylor and trading Nyheim Hines to the Bills, but Zack Moss, who they got in return, and Deon Jackson, were able to somewhat fill the void and be serviceable. The receivers werw widely criticized but they didn't turn out to be half bad. Definitely not a top ten unit but Pierce and Woods looked like studs while Pittman continue to play well as WR1. With a young QB, I think this unit will really start to grow.
The defense was a different story. Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo continued their development while Ngakoue looked good for a veteran. Grover Stewart was one of the only consistent players all season, and was most Colts fans' player of the season. DeForest Buckner continued to play well and hopefully will not be traded to the Bears. With Shaquille Leonard out for most of the season, Zaire Franklin and E. J. Speed were able to somewhat fill in, but the linebacker unit will be much better with Leonard back even if we let Speed walk. Stephon Gilmore willed this team to multiple wins and was one of the most valuable pieces we had. Isaiah Rodgers also played well at CB but the Colts will need to bolster this position as Facyson is likely to walk and Kenny Moore II will probably be traded out. Rodney's McLeod and Thomas played well at safety and should be the next two years at that position.

Staff Review

Starting with the head coach, Frank Reich looked like he had completely lost the locker room. He was outcoached in nearly every game and Irsay quickly got frustrated with it. Scapegoats kept getting blamed, from Rodrigo Blankenship to Matt Ryan to Marcus Brady, but nothing worked. For the first time ever, Jim Irsay fired a coach in the middle of the season. Jeff Saturday was a head scratching hire and no one could figure out why Gus Bradley and Bubba Ventrone weren't hired. I won't try and say that Irsay is a 5D chess player with this hire but I will say that those two coaches will likely stay on the staff next year, something that may not have happened if either of them became the interim. Jeff Saturday was not a good head coach but we didn't exactly set him up to succeed
The offensive staff is likely to be cleaned out. Marcus Brady was fired midseason and was not replaced when Reich was fired. Chris Strausser, the o-line coach, is apparently likely to be hired by the Texans, which is good for us. The only bright spot on the offensive staff was receivers coach Reggie Wayne, who made our on paper bad receiving room look pretty good. Hopefully he will be retained.
Expect Gus Bradley to be retained by Shane Steichen. Despite a slow start, his unit played good this year and was a complete 180 from our offense. Bubba Ventrone should also be kept since his unit is always great, but it's unclear what will be done there.
Shane Steichen is a breath of fresh air for this franchise. He is a commanding leader and he's worked with so many quarterbacks, the latest of course being Jalen Hurts, so I have faith that he will bring the full potential out of whoever we draft. Jim Bob Cooter has been requested for an OC interview and I think he'd also help with a rookie QB.

Offseason Outlook

Notable Free Agents

• WR Parris Campbell: Could likely get re-signed on a prove it deal.
• CB Brandon Facyson: Probably shouldn't get re-signed, but if Bradley stays on he might stay.
• OT Dennis Kelly: Played well this season but didn't get starts so he will likely walk
• K Chase McLaughlin: Absolutely must get re-signed.
• S Rodney McLeod: Also needs to get re-signed to continue to develop young players
• DE Yannick Ngakoue: Should get re-signed to partner Kwity Paye
• LB Bobby Okereke: We likely don't have room for him but if we trade Leonard then he should be a priority.
• OT Matt Pryor: Re-signing shouldn't even be considered.
• LB E. J. Speed: Should also keep him but it depends on the cap space we have

Draft

Needs: QB, WR, OL, TE, CB
The Big Question is whether or not the Colts should trade up to the top pick for a quarterback. I personally think that if the Colts have a specific guy they want like Young or Stroud, they should trade up. That being said, they also should not overpay just to get a quarterback this year. They should not trade Pittman or Leonard to take a gamble on a relatively weaker QB class. The top two quarterbacks to me are Bryce Young and C. J. Stroud, but Colts fans are also high on Anthony Richardson because of Steichen's coaching ability. The fanbase is low on Levis even though mock drafters have us taking him at four.

Conclusion

This year's Colts were a dumpster fire from start to finish, but there is still room for optimism as our young guys shined and our defense played well. Shane Steichen will hopefully provide a winning atmosphere in Indy and a new QB to break the cycle will be important for resetting the franchise. This is one of the most important drafts we've had in a long time, so we will see if Ballard can continue his drafting magic.

Links to FanFiction or Ao3 in case you wanted to read it there.
Chapter 16
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Brooklyn coiled around her sister's neck, pinning her to the bed. Honolulu's protests were muffled in her sister's bosom, striking at Brooklyn's shoulders with repeated fury. The blanket fell to the floor with a light thump, kicked aside by Honolulu's flailing legs. Many tides have gone since Brooklyn last held her sister, she'd be damned to let go now. Each strike at her shoulders bruised more than just her skin, chipping away at the hard exterior she wore around her heart like shells impacting the sides of her armored belt.
Honolulu's lungs burned, her limbs too tired to keep up the resistance. 'It's not fair, after all this time,' she thought, grabbing at the locks of hair that draped over her sister's back. 'What gave her the right to barge in here, to hold her anger hostage? The younger Brooklyn trembles, burrowing her face deeper into her sister's chest.
"I'm sorry…"
A voice that once held world leaders captive, came off shaking and vulnerable. Squeezing even tighter, Brooklyn nuzzled into Honolulu's crown. Unlike the plushie she neglected back home, Brooklyn would not let herself keep making the same mistake. Too many years have passed for her apology to have any meaning, but she still felt the need to say it.
"I'm sorry, Lulu.. " Brooklyn whispered again, her voice scratchy like her throat was lined with sandpaper. Forgiveness, a fleeting hope she knew to be undeserving, but yearned anyway. Those years of absence, in a time when her sisters needed her most, she ran from the stranger she thought to be wearing Helena's face. "Work" let her distance herself from ever having to face reality, and before she knew it, the last of her sisters had left their home port and she was left alone.
"Not fair sis…" Honolulu said, muffled, still smothered in her sister's breast. Feeling the crown of her head dampen from what she thought were tears, her own staining the front of her sister's uniform. A catharsis washed over the younger Cruiser, finally returning her sister's embrace.
Rays from the late afternoon sun fought through the curtains blanketing the two sisters in a soft warm glow. Their shoulders heaved from their quiet sobs as they stayed holding on to each other. Curling up, Honolulu replaces the warmth of her fallen blanket with that of her sister's, taking in her scent of the ocean and gunpowder. Who knows how much time passed as their sobs turned to soft breaths, their eyes shut with the events of the day catching up to them.
<><><>o7<><><>
The distinct aroma of freshly brewing coffee wafted into Honolulu's nose, stirring her from her sleep. She found it difficult to move, with Brooklyn's arms still wrapped tightly around her head. Honolulu slowly wriggled free, gently untangling their hair from each other, careful as to not rouse the still sleeping Cruiser.
A faint light spilled into the room from the bottom of her bedroom door. The distinct sound of clinking glass disturbed the otherwise quiet suite.
"Louis?" Honolulu cracks the door open, scratching at the soreness at the top of her head from where she laid on one of her twin-tails. Peeking out of her bedroom, she yawns, "what are you doing here so early?"
"Oh, hey… didn't mean to wake you."
The voice was not that of her sister, but of the girl Brooklyn had brought with her. Releasing a sigh, Honolulu had forgotten she had offered her the other bedroom.
"...hey…" Lulu says back, avoiding the girl's eyes.
Val looked to be tending to a bizarre contraption resembling that of a chemistry set. An open flame licked at the bottom of a brass container, a glass next to it slowly filled with what Honolulu thought to be coffee.
"Would you like some?" Val asks with a nervous smile.
"Coffee?" Lulu answered with a tilt to her head.
"Yeah. I brought some beans with me from the mainland."
"And that thing too?" Honolulu pointed at the peculiar old fashioned appliance.
"Cool huh?" Val beamed, "it's a Belgium coffee maker, I found it yesterday at that neat shop by the docks!"
"Neat shop by the docks…" Honolulu parroted to herself.
"I've been to many thrift stores in the past, but I've never seen one with such a crazy and weird collection. And that shop keeper is probably the cutest thing in the world!" Val gushed.
"..." great, hopefully Akashi didn't rip this poor girl off,' Honolulu thought as she took a seat at the counter.
"Cat girl's are so unfair!" Val clenched her fist, "it should be illegal to be that cute!"
"Oh, that one's totally illegal," Honolulu muttered to herself.
The sky out the window was still dark, with the first morning’s glow just peeking over the horizon. Yet the girl across from her was smiling brighter than the sun, seemingly filled with boundless energy. Even the perpetually smiling St. Louis had to allow some time to build up to her normal levels. Honolulu always had trouble handling people like her younger sister and Val. But just who was Val really?
The girl in the kitchenette looked awfully plain, normal even, much like most humans. Her simple brown eyes were magnified slightly by her dark rimmed glasses coupled with her short messy ponytail gave her a somewhat nerdy look. She did look the part of an advisor, Honolulu guessed as she tried to piece together what her relationship with Brooklyn truly was.
If St. Louis's conversation with her was any indication, the two were fairly close.
"Is… there… something on my face?" Val asks, brushing her messy bangs with her fingers.
"No! I… uhh…" Honolulu mentally kicked herself, not realizing she had been staring a second ago, "I'll t-take one… a c-coffee I mean."
"Y-yeah sure!"
The girl looked lost, scanning the cupboards behind her.
"Over there," Honolulu pointed, "in the corner."
"Ah, thanks."
Honolulu watched closely, unaware of how close she was to the edge of her seat, at the old-fashioned coffee maker as it rose a little higher from the flame. The early riser's lifeblood drained from one container, presumably into the brass one.
"Sugar?"
Maybe it was from waking so early or the fact she was so mesmerized by the peculiar appliance, but Honolulu couldn't process Val's words quickly, choosing instead to parrot her question, "Sugar? Uh… one…"
With little waisted movement, she poured the aromatic liquid into separate mugs. Lifting a spoonful of sugar from a tiny container she dipped it into one of the mugs, stirring it, looking practiced like she'd done this a thousand times.
"Enjoy," Val smiled, placing the steaming mug in front of the Light Cruiser.
There was something about the smell that reminded Honolulu of her eldest sister's namesake, her old homeport. The longer she held it under her nose the stronger her nostalgia became.
Many hours were spent being pulled down 5th Avenue by St. Louis, for her many shopping sprees. Being treated like an experimental mannequin for her sister's wide range of fashion. She wasn't the only one put through the ringer though, as Boise shared her plight, probably to a greater extent given her dislike for large crowds. Phoenix only liked tagging along to sate her amusement, up until she too started getting the dress up doll treatment. Helena was fully complicit in the whole ordeal, using her SG Radar to find "perfect" outfits, aiding in Louis's escapades. The two truly were the perfect storm, at least for the people caught up with them in a shopping mall. Brooklyn though, she was always off in the back making sure her sisters never got too out of hand and blow all their money in clothing. She really did miss those days.
"Did I screw up?"
Val's voice snapped Lulu back to the present. The girl fidgeted in place, twiddling with her fingers.
"Screw up?" Lulu looked down at her still steaming mug realizing she hadn't even taken a sip yet, "oh, n-no! I… I was just…" she scrambled, bringing the mug up to her lips quickly.
It burned, but despite that, "it's good!" Honolulu said, sticking out her sore tongue.
"Really?!"
"Y-yeah!" She said, before taking another sip, cautiously this time. The warmth slowly spread down into her core, her remaining taste buds alight in delight.
Val clasped her hands, her face brightened up almost immediately, "that's a relief!"
Honolulu was no stranger to coffee, and the stuff they're supplied with at this base was well above whatever rations most frontline bases get, but whatever Val just brewed really was one of the best cups she's had in a long time.
A light yawn came from the threshold of Honolulu's bedroom, a still half asleep Brooklyn emerged into the light.
"Brook!" Val clasped her hands together, "just in time! The coffee just finished!"
"Thanks…" she replies before yawning again, "I could really use a cup right now."
Brooklyn took a stool next to her sister at the countertop, with the two actively avoiding eye contact.
"Right! One Brooklyn special coming right up!" Val hurriedly poured a few teaspoons of sugar and some creamer, before sliding the mug towards her fiance.
The trio each held a mug in hand, taking small sips every so often. Val discreetly bounced glances between the two sisters as they sat quietly beside each other, each finding something interesting to look at at the opposite sides of the room. At the very least, they weren't actively trying to distance themselves, though, the still air that surrounded them was almost suffocating.
"You guys slept well?" Val asks in a small voice, wanting to retreat between her shoulders as if bracing for whatever circumstances that question would bring about.
"Hardly-"
"Not at all-"
The two sisters spoke at the same time. Whipping their necks around to stare down the other.
"H-hardly?!" Honolulu spat out.
"Y-yeah well…" Brooklyn stammers, "I can still barely feel my arm right now!"
"And whose fault do you think that is?! Do you know how hot it got?! And were you trying to suffocate me?! I thought I was gonna die in there!"
Val couldn't help but snicker at the two bickering sisters, "sorry sorry," she tried to hide her trembling lips behind her mug
"You guys really are sisters!" She said between bouts of giggling.
"Of course we are!" Both sisters said in unison, before their cheeks flush from embarrassment.
"Sorry," Val starts to calm down, "it's just that I always thought there was barely any resemblance between you guys."
"Yeah… I could see how you would think that," Brooklyn takes a sip from her coffee.
"But I see it now!" Val points to the top of her head.
"What…?" Honolulu said back, confused.
“I couldn’t see it before because you were always wearing a hat when I saw you in the pictures I’ve seen, and when I met you, but-" Val re-emphasized the top of her head, "-it's your hair!"
"But I'm the only blonde…" Brooklyn runs a hand through her own hair.
"No, not the color! Your cowlicks!"
"..." Honolulu and Brooklyn both stared at the stray locks of hair that sat happily on the other's head. They always refused to come down, no matter how much work they put into their hair in the past.
"See!" Val looked almost proud at herself for her observation.
"Well… I guess it is kinda a Brooklyn-class staple." Brooklyn scratched at her cheek, self conscious of a feature she's always taken for granted, all because no one has really pointed it out so explicitly.
"But who cares if we don't really look alike? Honolulu shot out, pressing down her protruding hair, "she's still my-"
The younger Cruiser rested her chin on the palm of her hand, facing away, hiding her reddened cheeks, -...sister."
"And I'll always be…"
Honolulu couldn't quite make sense of the feelings bubbling up from inside of her as she clenched the handle of her coffee mug. Always… she repeated in her mind, it was so ironic that she wanted to laugh. To laugh so hard she'd cry. She wanted to scoff, like she's always done at such absurd statements, but the weight pressed upon her head, stroking her hair gently, dispelled that train of thought. Always… she hummed in her mind again, even in the chance they were nothing but empty words, it did bring a level of comfort that she had been longing for.
Brooklyn giggled to herself, watching the tips of Honolulu's ears turn red as she buried her face into her arms on the counter, whining quietly all the while.
"Aww~" a voice by the entrance to the suite startled those in the room.
"L-Louis!" Honolulu stammered out, "when did you-"
"Ufufu~" the busty bluenette hid a giggle behind her hand, "oh~ not too long."
"Helena's not with you?" Brooklyn tried to peek around her sister standing by the door.
"She ran off with Cleveland just a little while ago."
Brooklyn's gaze was fixated at the center of her mug, watching the last wisps of steam dissipate into the morning air. Even from a blank slate, Helena would always be Helena. Even back in the day that girl was constantly occupied with something, either of her own making or getting caught up in the various happenings along whatever base she happened to be at. And when Cleveland was around she would never be too far behind.
"They're still joined at the hip, huh?" A small smile showed on Brooklyn's lips as she traced around the rim of her mug.
"And I doubt that would ever change," St. Louis giggled to herself once more, before joining her sisters at the counter.
Val quickly adjusted the knot of her apron, before grabbing for another mug, "Coffee?" She asked the younger Cruiser, already prepping for another batch. The calm warmth that blanketed the room, the light chatter of the Shipgirls in front of her, and the punchy aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, all reminded her of home.
A small chuckle escaped her lips, amused by the flustered faces of Brooklyn and Honolulu as their teasing sister leaned into them pressing for details of what happened last night.
If the smile Brooklyn let show as she hooked around the necks of her younger sisters was any indication, she was right where she belonged.
A small pang rang out in Val's heart the longer she watched, like an outsider looking in. Feeling for the ring on her finger, all she could wish for, is to one day be a part of their lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry about the late update and this chapter was on the shorter side, but my friend wanted to read what happened between Brooklyn and Honolulu so I ended delving into that for a bit.
So that means the Massachusetts focused chapter is happening next chapter.
Again, if you have any criticism and feedback on how the story is developing, please let me know!

With Rochester, Wargaming had the chance to deliver a much-needed high-tier heavy cruiser into the hands of players. Instead, we got something much less inspiring.

Historical Context

The USS Rochester (CA-124) was an Oregon City-class heavy cruiser, one of the four heavy cruisers that served as incremental improvements to the *Baltimore-*class design at the end of the Second World War. As designed, these ships were effectively Baltimores with a more compact superstructure arrangement and a single funnel instead of two, all for the purpose of providing better arcs of fire for the anti-aircraft suite. The four *Oregon City-*class cruisers would be the direct predecessors of the Des Moines class, which would follow in 1948.
USS Rochester was laid down in May 1944, launched August 1945, and commissioned in December 1946. Although she was designed with floatplane aircraft in mind, during her first major overhaul at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Rochester’s catapults were removed in favor of a helipad for four brand-new Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopters. She was transferred to the Pacific in 1950 and participated in the early stages of the Korean War, fending off North Korean aircraft (including recording the only naval shoot-down of an attacking airplane) while providing shore bombardment and operating as a forward helicopter base.
In 1953, Rochester would see a refit to her AA battery, swapping out the quad and twin Bofors and the Oerlikons originally fitted for the new 3” (76mm) / 50 caliber guns, which were more effective at destroying kamikaze-style attacks before they could reach the ship. She was briefly one of the ships considered for conversion into an *Albany-*class guided missile cruiser in the early 1960s, but ultimately this effort was canceled after only three ships (Albany, Chicago, and Columbus). USS Rochester was struck from the register in August 1961 and finally scrapped in 1974.

USS ROCHESTER (CA-124)	VII ROCHESTER
General Characteristics	Base Statistics
Commissioned: December 1946	Tier VII premium cruiser
Displacement: 13,700 tons (standard)	Hit points: 41,900
Length (waterline): 202 m	Detectability: 14.1 km (8.9 km by air)
Maximum speed: 32.4 kt	Maximum speed: 33.0 kt
	Turning radiius: 750 m
Main Armament	Main Battery Artillery
3x triple 203 mm / 55 (Mk15)	3x triple 203 mm / 55 Mk.15
Maximum range: 27.5 km	Range: 15.4 km (sigma 2.00)
Rate of fire: 4 rd/min	Reload: 12.0 s
Muzzle velocity: 760 m/s	HE damage: 2,800 (14% fire)
Shell weight: 152 kg	AP damage: 5,000 (34 mm fuse)
Secondary Armament	Secondary Battery Artillery
6x twin 127 mm / 38 (dual purpose)	6x twin 127 mm Mk32
Rate of fire: 15 rd/min	Reload: 6.0 s
	Range: 5.0 km (sigma 1.00)
Anti-Aircraft Armament	Anti-Air Defense
10x 76 mm / 50 (1953 refit)	Range: 5.0 km
	AA DPS: 370
Aviation and Equipment	Consumables
4x Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopters	Damage Control Party
P-Band fire control radar	Defensive AA
S-Band surface search radar	Sonar
	Smoke Generator / Repair Party
Armor	Armor Model
Belt: 152 mm	Belt: 152 mm
Deck: 64 mm	Deck: 27 mm
Turret face: 203 mm	Turret face: 203 mm
	Bow/stern plate: 27 mm
	Superstructure: 16 mm
	Torpedo damage: - 4%

Appearance and Configuration

Rochester’s in-game model is, as usual, gorgeous. She sports the popular Measure 32 16d camouflage scheme, which you can find as the “historical” camouflage option for pretty much all the higher-tier US cruisers (Baltimore, Cleveland, and Des Moines). It would have been kind of fun if they put her in one of the other Measure 22 or Measure 21 camos that were also used in 1945, just for some variety over her very similar-looking American counterparts, but that’s a minor complaint.
Outfitting-wise, Rochester appears in her post-1953 configuration, with the aft aircraft catapults removed, and the ten harder-hitting 3-inch/50 AA guns making up her small-caliber AA suite. The latter shows up in a big way, as her full 370 DPS against aircraft extends out to all five kilometers of her AA bubble. Unfortunately, my understanding is that her primary armament doesn’t perform quite as well as Baltimore’s in terms of shell flight time and penetration, which really doesn’t make a lick of sense when you consider that they are both shown as 8-inch Mk15 guns on the main battery stats screen.
On the armor front, she’s a carbon-copy of Baltimore, of course. I find it curious why her (and *Baltimore’*s) in-game armor model only has 27 mm of deck armor, because the 64 mm deck would probably make her more resistant to bombs and long-range HE spam.

Suggested Changes

Full disclosure: I love the Baltimore. In my opinion, the US heavy cruisers are the best all-around ships in the game, and the American tier-7 tech tree ship is no different. It would have been great to have Wargaming give us the super-utility consumables suite that the Baltimore and Des Moines (Rochester’s closest in-game cousins) enjoy – those ships have access to all the goodies: Defensive AA, Sonar, Catapult Fighter and Spotter planes, Radar, and a Repair Party. I don’t mind the choice between Smoke and Repair in *Rochester’*s fourth slot, as I think it gives players an interesting decision to make; however, I think Radar should be added as an option in the second slot (instead of currently just DFAA). Giving players another choice between perhaps the Sonar and a new “spotter helicopter” consumable in the third slot could be considered as a nod to the ship’s legacy as one of the first US cruisers to operate helicopters.
By far the biggest crime, however, is that even though this ship fits perfectly between the Baltimore and the Des Moines in its real-life design history (ships which are both represented as tier-7 and legendary-tier ships in-game, respectively), Rochester somehow isn’t a tier-8 ship in its current iteration. This is particularly egregious when the game is crying out for more heavy cruisers at higher tiers that aren’t just battlecruisers or supersized cruisers, and the current campaign would have been a great way to quickly deliver just such a ship that would feel very familiar in a lot of players’ hands, rather than yet another German battleship. Rochester could have comfortably slid in as a slightly improved Baltimore with a much better AA suite – perhaps some minor balancing could have been done to buff the main gun damage-per-second or accuracy under the guise that the 1946 Mk15 8-inch guns were slightly better than those produced earlier in the war, or even a small buff to the radar duration (thanks to post-WWII technology), but even just the option of smoke (with the newly improved smoke-firing penalty) might have been enough.
Wargaming could have another opportunity to get this right if they choose to introduce another Oregon City-class ship at some point, which, incidentally, is the tier-VIII US Navy tech tree ship I would have preferred to see (as opposed to the never-completed Buffalo), but my guess is this will be the last Oregon City cruiser we see for a very long time. That’s too bad, because they really were fine ships that took a great design and made it just incrementally better.

Final Verdict: C

What kills me here is that this ship absolutely should have been an A+. A premium tier-8 cruiser would have been so nice, whereas a tier-7 premium that largely duplicates a couple of existing ships (Baltimore and Wichita) is decidedly less inspiring. Unfortunately, Rochester probably ends up feeling more like a nerfed Baltimore to most players.