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purplecoloredglasses · 6 years

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This past Spring, my boyfriend and I took a trip across Europe in celebration of him graduating and getting a new job, along with my need to explore. Over the course of nearly three weeks, we explored five countries, eight cities and their surrounding towns and parks. It was an ambitious trip, and we were exhausted by the end, but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. All Travel Logs focused on the trip will be linked with #Akron2Europe. I’ll also provide some small tips that helped make our lives easier.

Dublin, oh Dublin, be still my heart. Dublin has always captured my fascination. When I was a teen, I read a romantic fantasy novel series by Karen Marie Moning that was set in Dublin and since then I’ve been determined to set foot in the Irish city. It completely lived up to my expectations, and then some. This lush, green country with its hills, diverse city centre, and kind, but no nonsense residents captured my heart. This is a place that I would go back to again and again.

Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. A little more than 80% of the population is White Irish, while the other 20% are non-nationals, mostly from the UK, Poland, China, and the Philippines. It has a population of over 506,000 and about 1.2 million residents in the wider metropolitan area. Most of the residents speak English, but what surprised me the most was that Irish, or Gaelic, was still in use. I had no idea that the Celtic language had not gone the way of Latin. It is also surprisingly very progressive. While there, the city was in the midst of voting for an abortion referendum to repeal the eighth amendment to the Constitution focusing on the restriction of abortions. It won in a landslide victory, with 66% of the voters voting yes. But that’s not all. Ireland has an openly gay Prime Minister leading the country, and became the first country in the world to legalize gay marriage.

Needless to say, I fell in love with this country. We ended up arriving during a rare hot, sunny week and did not run into a single bit of rain the entire time. People commented on the strange good weather they were having. Airbnb was a big help on this particular leg of the trip. We stayed with a wonderful couple with the most Irish of names, Helen and Seamus. Helen prepared tea and biscuits for us when we arrived and every morning made us a wonderful Irish breakfast. She was honestly one of the kindest people that I had ever met. Seamus had a thick, rolling accent that reminded me of my family members who live in the South. It was warm, rough and full.

From the moment we stored our bags, we were off exploring. We only had about three and half days there and we wanted to make the most of it. It was a good 25 minute walk to the city centre where all the action was, but there was so much to see that it didn’t feel too long. One of the first things I noticed was the human-scale design of the buildings and the way they build their bike lanes. There were no skyscrapers reaching for the sky and they seamlessly accounted for different forms of transportation. The sidewalks were wide and there were protected bike lanes on some of the main streets that were on different levels than the road.

This was my first taste of the proper way to design public spaces for people in Europe. In the middle of the neighborhood where we stayed was a large park that sat across from the neighborhood library. Children from a nearby school played in the designated children’s playground, as adults strolled through the park or used some of the outdoor exercise equipment. A refrain of mine on this trip was that Ireland created the color green. Everything was so lush and alive.

In the city centre you could find pockets of green space where people were lounging or watching others play soccer. We spent some time scouting the area before stopping at Trinity College where the Long Room is housed. The Long Room is a stunning, 65 meter library that stretches towards the ceiling and houses 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. It is one of the most spectacular libraries that I’ve ever seen. I’d love to peruse the shelves and discover what secrets they hold.

I could spend an entire blog post talking about the library, but that would be irresponsible of me because Ireland is so much more than just that space. You can feel the history in this place. From the cobblestone roads to the graveyards and ruins of monasteries, this is a place steeped in history. Settled by farmers and home to Celts to being conquered by Vikings, Ireland has changed hands a number of times over the centuries. Currently, the isle is split between the independent sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. America has deep ties with the isle through the immigrants who moved to America for a better life during The Great (Potato) Famine in the mid-1800s.

We had originally secured a car to drive around the countryside, but after driving through Iceland, I had no nerves left to tackle driving on the opposite side of the road. We ended up saving some money and joining a DoDublin Tour. Normally I avoid all tourist attractions, but in a new country where getting out into the countryside would be a challenge, I was happy to break that rule. The less stress to deal with, the better.

The tour we selected was to Glendalough and Powerscourt. It was one of the best decisions we could have made. It took nearly seven hours round-trip as we rolled on a big double decker bus winding through Wicklow County. We passed the Docklands’ countless sheep before we reached the historic, monastic city of Glendalough. This place is a site to behold. We weaved our way through the old graveyard and ruins of the old 6th century monasteries before hitting the trail to the lakes which unfolded before us. Honestly, Ireland created the color green.

After this stop we wound our way around The Great Sugarloaf (Beannach Mhór) Mountains and into the town of Enniskerry, where Powerscourt is located. The Powerscourt Estate and Gardens was formerly a 13th century castle that was converted into a mansion by the 1st Viscount Powerscourt in the early to mid-1700’s. After a tragic fire and falling into disrepair, the estate was restored to its former grandeur. Now, the estate is open to the public and its gardens are some of the best and most diverse in the world. We snagged a really great lunch there and were able to spend around an hour exploring the estate. It is truly a beautiful place.

The rest of the time was spent eating, drinking, and exploring. The food here was not bland by any stretch of the imagination and pretty standard in terms of expensiveness. I had some of the best bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes) that I’ve ever had. I drunk some fine Guinness, although the newer microbreweries and whiskey distillers starting are even better than those that have dominated the market in the past. For dinner one night, we went to Boxty’s in Temple Square, a tourist haven, but the food was some of the best that I had on the entire trip.

On the last full day, we decided to take it slow and visit the visited The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland. The gardens were around 10 minutes by foot from our Airbnb and Helen gave us some of the most thorough directions that I’ve ever seen anyone give. We didn’t have to pull out our phones the entire walk. As we strolled through the neighborhood, we did get a chance to see a different side of the city. It was a Saturday and many of the children were taking their first communion. It was a slower pace than the inner city, but the area still buzzed with activity.

The National Gallery of Ireland is an incredible art museum with a range of works that reflected both Irish and world history. There was a painting of a Toy Seller by William Mulready that fulfilled something within me that I hadn’t realized that I was craving. It’s rare to see images of black people who are not slaves or servants in works as old as this . To find an image like this in Ireland of all places is making me reevaluate the way that I perceive art in museums and the intentions of curators. It was an experience that truly stands out above the rest.

Ireland is one of those places where I feel like I will never get enough of it. This is honestly just the tip of the iceberg for me with this country. I plan on going back several times over the next few years and truthfully, I would hop on a chance to live there. Next up from this trip is Amsterdam and Zaandam!

Thanks for reading,

Travel Log: Dublin This past Spring, my boyfriend and I took a trip across Europe in celebration of him graduating and getting a new job, along with my need to explore.

#Akron2Europe #black woman #dublin #europe #explore #ireland #photography #travel #travel noire #world

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eurekaminus-blog · 6 years

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How I Analyze Decklists

AKA How to be a Better Netdecker

There has been a pretty recent explosion in the popularity of Leila Fusoya decks after Harigai and Sawada’s performance at Masters Final, mostly of the Mono Water variety but also a couple of other spin-off variants. I started grinding games on the deck immediately after reviewing the vods on my Twitch channel (though it was a little different for about a day or two until the lists were published on the Column).

After watching Euro’s and seeing players struggle with mutilated versions of the deck I couldn’t help but feel like people were fundamentally misunderstanding what the point of Harigai’s variant actually is, why it’s teched the way it is, and how you are supposed to play the first few defining turns with the deck. Today, I would like to run through how I analyzed his list and how it taught me his thought process while building and playing the deck and what I should do to achieve a parallel level of performance.

As always, everything I say here is just the way I view and play the game. Take it with a grain of salt; it may not work for you the way it does for me, and that’s okay!

First: The List

Here’s a link for those who prefer one.

Mono Water Fusoya isn’t exactly a hot new archetype. We’ve seen a lot of Fusoya Decks in the past with Water/Lightning variants (ie the OG Harigai and Kurosawa decks) and then Mono Water as a successor for most of Opus 5 until Jihl R became a staple in both dominant Ice variants as a countermeasure that largely drove it out of the meta. So now in Opus 6, why did Harigai’s archetype absolutely curbstop the competition at the Final despite there being a plethora of it seen and tested beforehand? This should be puzzling to you, and it definitely was to me.

Second: Identify the Change

The first thing I looked at to try to understand the list was what was different. Take a moment to pour over the list and think about it.

There should be a number of things that draw your eye, but the immediately obvious ones should be the 3 PuPu, 3 Brahne, 3 Merlwyb R, and maybe 2 Baderon. These are pretty far out of the ordinary. Merlwyb H is usually preferred over Merlwyb R as an EX Burst and filter for your extra Fusoyas. Brahne is usually a 1 or 2 of, and PuPu is often viewed as strictly worse than Moogle, which isn’t even always a one-of in these lists. The backup lineup cuts a lot of mid-late performance Backups like Scholar and Gladiator, which are often viewed as staples for Water. Without Scholar there really isn’t a reliable Cag combo (yes it is possible with Leviathan) and without Gladiator you can lose some of your opponent mid-late cycle and Cloud of Darkness extensions. So why would Harigai make these unconventional changes? What purpose do they serve?

Third: Think About Why it Changed

This one is surprisingly less straightforward than it seems, and it’s possible that there is no one one “correct” answer; there is often a multitude of a reasons why any given change might have seen particular success at an event whether or not it aligned with the deckbuilder’s original intentions. Some commons things that are probably worth thinking about that may lead you to an answer are things like the popularity of a certain archetype at the previous event, expected fields, the introduction of certain power cards or new synergies (more relevant at the beginning of a new set), and the abuse of cards that have shown themselves to be significantly above the power curve.

To be very clear, Harigai’s changes to the existing archetype can most reasonably be attributed to the last of those statements; in other words, Harigai threw away the common logic of Mono Water Fusoya up until this point to abuse Leila as much as possible. The extra Brahnes and Merlwybs are insurance that you can get your Leila online as fast as possible, and this is often the case as early as turn 1 or 2. The entire of dynamic of the Fusoya deck shifts as a result. While Mono Water Fusoya was often considered a midrangey deck that relied on tempo swings with Summoner/Fusoya combo interaction, Harigai’s version of the list abuses everything that those lists had going for them while increasing the tempo and shifting down to a more aggressive approach. This is where PuPu really comes in to shine. Because if you have no hand you can tack it on to your Merlwyb/Baderon/Brahne/Viking or simply play out your hand and reload a little more quickly that the other aggressive decks (primarily TD, which PuPu is also fantastic into), you have multiple avenues for recovery when your tempo stutters.

I’ve heard a lot of talk about the list about going up to 5 Backups and getting stuck or clogged, or being unable to deal with developed opposing boards with your low quality Forwards. I think that if you’re experiencing those kind of issues, you’re probably missing the point of the deck entirely. You are the aggressor, not the controller, and Cloud of Darkness extensions plus Fusoya and his synergies are there to allow you to make those aggressive pushes. It is not an all-in deck, which is why we don’t see cards like Garnet S alongside the PuPu. The entire point of the PuPu is to abuse existing synergies and promote the aggressive playstyle; it is the glue that helps keep the deck bound together. You almost never hit 5 backups, because you should be pitching the dead ones (often Baderon and Wakka) to kill them.

Fourth: Play the Deck With Those Changes in Mind

Now that we’ve identified what Harigai’s list is trying to do; don’t go fuck it up by changing something right away. Playing a few games while thinking explicitly about the working components of the deck is the best way to process these changes, understand the strength of the deck, and abuse it as best as you possible can. Try to work with the changed elements as much as you can. If the point of Harigai’s list was to abuse t1/2 Leila in a Wind/Water, Earth/Wind, and TD heavy matchup, play into those matchups and try to abuse Leila. You’ll find yourself understanding the deck much more quickly.

I would like to clarify that I have no intention to say that you can’t change the deck, only that you shouldn’t do it right away and you shouldn’t turn around and reverse the changes the predecessor made just because you think X cards (Merlwyb H, Scholars, and Gladiators) are better than the new component those changes (Leila abuse via Brahne and Merlwyb R) provide. Every change made should be to take the deck into a direction that you think is more appropriate towards the field while doing your best not to screw with the new dynamic from the deck.

Anything beyond these four steps kind of reaches outside of the realm of netdecking and becomes deckbuilding, which is less about winning-deck analysis and more of a philosophy that I think I (a fairly successful netdecker) am less qualified to talk about. You would be better of reading Kurosawa’s article or listening to a very potent deckbuilding madman like JFB. I hope this gave a little insight into how you might go about understanding the thought process of players and metas just by looking over decklists, the way I do.

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eddycurrents · 6 years

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For the week of 19 March 2018

Quick Bits:

30 Days of Night #4 gets into the first assault on Barrow from the vampires. It’s bloody and beautifully illustrated by Piotr Kowalski.

| Published by IDW

Avengers #685 is a whole load of fun and despair as a large portion of the US Avengers team (and Lightning, Vision, and Quicksilver) attempt to stave off the assault of the Immortal Hulk. It really feels like we’re headed towards the endgame now and the braintrust of Mark Waid, Jim Zub, and Al Ewing are just churning out an epic. Also, the art from Paco Medina, Juan Velasco, and Jesus Aburtov is gorgeous.

| Published by Marvel

Avengers: Back to Basics #2 concludes the first arc with Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor attempting to stop Fenris and the Disir from bringing about Ragnarok. It’s a fun and action-oriented story from Peter David, with some great humorous moments, and the art from Brian Level (with colours by Jordan Boyd) is pretty much worth the price of the book alone. Great panel compositions and page layouts that greatly help the issue’s story feel meaty.

| Published by Marvel

Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #7 gets us close to the end, but of course it’s not as easy as rescuing Egg Shen and defeating Ching Dai, there has to be funny misadventures, in-fighting, and heaps of betrayal.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Cable #155 is pretty damn great. It begins the “Past Fears” arc from the new creative team of Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler, Germán Peralta, and Jesus Aburtov and leaps headlong into Cable’s past mixing it up with some body horror. Thompson and Nadler have a nice grasp on Cable and Hope’s characters, showing off their heart and stubbornness. Peralta’s art puts the book over the top, though.

| Published by Marvel

Dark Fang #5 brings to an end the first arc of the series, finally giving the lead character a name in-story itself. It’s a bizarre approach to vampires from Miles Gunter, almost like a twisted Disney fairy tale, but it’s entertaining and has some great artwork from Kelsey Shannon.

| Published by Image

Death of Love #2 features more wacky hijinks as Philo tells his friends about seeing the little Cherubs/Cupidae and...naturally they don’t believe him. It just gets more absurd from there as Justin Jordan and Donal DeLay push the series into new and more disturbing territory.

| Published by Image

Dept. H #24 ends what has been a good series with a nice bit of quiet reflection, Mia reminiscing about her father, her first case, and morality as she struggles upward for that last leg of survival.

| Published by Dark Horse

Dissonance #2 dives deeper into the machinations of the Fantasmen as they plot and scheme to control humanity. Singgih Nugoro and Ryan Cady are laying it on pretty thick, while making you wonder what all of it is truly for.

| Published by Image / Top Cow - Glitch

Doctor Strange: Damnation #3 is basically an issue’s long fight between the damned Avengers and the Midnight Sons. There’s some nice character bits and humour thrown in. Plus, a seemingly most ineffective plan.

| Published by Marvel

Evolution #5 sees Joe Infurnari and Jordan Boyd step up their game, and the art on the series was already incredible. It seems as we go on, the designs and presentation of the infected just get more and more impressive.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Harrow County #29 returns with the beginning of the end. Emmy is trying to come to terms with her actions in the last arc, while Hester’s return heralds more nightmares to come. Tyler Crook’s artwork is stellar, horrifying and evocative, elevating the terror with each subsequent panel.

| Published by Dark Horse

Ice Cream Man #3 is weird, trading in the more traditional horror notes of the past couple of issue for absurdist science fantasy, following a washed-up, fading musician who penned a one-hit wonder as he fades into obscurity. W. Maxwell Prince’s story gets pretty strange, but it allows for Martín Morazzo to really flex his muscles.

| Published by Image

Infinity 8 #1 begins adapting in English and North America’s standard comics format the Infinity 8 series that was previously published by Rue de Sèvres, created by Lewis Trondheim and Olivier Vatine. Part of the pitch for the book is an 8-part series each containing three issue arcs. The 8 parts certainly play into the structure of the story as each part will be done by a different creative team, and focus on a recursive time loop of agents exploring a debris field.

This first arc, written by Lewis Trondheim and Zep with art by Dominique Bertail, focuses on Agent Yoko Keren, a woman looking for a compatible mate among the ship’s crew so she can get pregnant and basically retire better off than she is currently. She gets to be the first guinea pig for the Captain’s time loop exploration of the debris, and it gets a bit weird when some of the ship’s complement of aliens decide that eating it is of the utmost importance. This story is weird sci-fi in the vein of Heavy Metal, but to me the draw is Bertail’s art. I’ve really been enjoying Bertail’s art in Ghost Money and he proves equally adept with wacky space stuff.

| Published by Lion Forge / Magnetic Collection

Iron Fist #78 jumps head first into Danny’s unresolved issues in what’s probably the best Damnation tie-in thus far. Ed Brisson uses the chaos of the event and the trigger of the penance stare to dredge up Danny’s feelings and reactions to what he considers his loss and failures, giving some really deep cuts into continuity in an organic, natural fashion. The art from Damian Couceiro and Andy Troy is also up to the heavy lifting. The layouts and panel designs at the beginning of the book as Danny navigates the surreal landscape of his memories and fears are particularly impressive.

| Published by Marvel

James Bond: The Body #3 has some great art by Rapha Lobosco, in the first of two series that have his work this week. His art is in a similar style to Eduardo Risso and it lends itself well to this dark tale of neo-Nazi arms dealers from Aleš Kot.

| Published by Dynamite

Kick-Ass #2 asks some important questions as Patience backslides into justifications for her criminal behaviour. Mark Millar steps up the moral quandary from just the vigilantism of the original Kick-Ass, even as she later protects a child from an abusive father figure.

| Published by Image

Lucy Dreaming #1 is fun. For starters, it’s nice to see Michael Dialynas again on another sci-fi/fantasy series after The Woods, even if it is just a limited series. His art naturally lends itself to the fantastical and it pays off in spades in this first issue, with nice designs for aliens, starships, and more. It’s also great that Max Bemis is bringing more of that weirdness and altered realities from his works like Centipede here. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this goes from here.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

The Mighty Thor #705 will break your heart. Epic storytelling and gorgeous art. Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Matthew Wilson should be proud.

| Published by Marvel

Ninja-K #5 brings the battle to the Acclimation Bureau and sparks off a deadly confrontation between Ninja-C and Ninjak. Christos Gage and Tomás Giorello bring this first arc to a stylish conclusion.

| Published by Valiant

Pathfinder: Spiral of Bones #1 brings the adventuring party back for a new expedition, this time far beneath Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers. Crystal Frasier is a new voice to the Pathfinder comics, but old hat to the roleplaying game, so she slides in nicely to the writer’s chair here. There’s a good amount of set-up and humorous banter as the Iconic character Imrijka is introduced in the comic as an old friend of Valeros.

| Published by Dynamite

Punks Not Dead #2 gets into more of Fergie’s ordinary life and the supporting cast of characters at his school and beyond. David Barnett fleshes them out fairly well, setting up some interesting hooks for what might be coming next. Combined with Martin Simmonds artwork, this series really is a must buy for anyone who enjoyed the British supernatural flavour of mid to late ‘90s Vertigo or the later series Vinyl Underground.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Regression #8 sees Adrian explore the nature of the cult and their grounds a bit more, although there is a weird bit in that he’s seemingly all right with the past lives, the demons, the cult itself and such, but apparently an orgy is a bridge too far. Death, murder, and demons are copacetic, but as soon as sex is introduced, Adrian wants to bug out. I’m hoping that Cullen Bunn does more with that theme in a future issue.

| Published by Image

Rumble #4 mainly deals with the fallout from Bobby’s injuries, with John Arcudi penning a growing divide between Rathraq and Del. David Rubín’s art perfectly capturing the insanity and the heart of the entire situation.

| Published by Image

Runaways #7 begins the “Best Friends Forever” arc with the team trying to adjust to their new status quo and “normal” life. Rainbow Rowell is great at these kinds of interpersonal relationships and it makes for an entertaining read.

| Published by Marvel

The Spider King #2 is more glorious madness blending Vikings and bizarre alien technology. The artwork from Simone D’Armini just fits this action perfectly.

| Published by IDW

Summit #4 concludes the first story arc, with Val coming to the realization of Lorena’s motivations and Foresight’s shadiness that readers of the broader Catalyst Prime line already know. It comes a bit suddenly after a moment of misdirection, but it makes more story sense to get Val back to her friends at the MIT labs.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Tales of Suspense #103 is that issue that tells us exactly what has been going on with Black Widow while Hawkeye and Winter Soldier have been running around chasing after her body count. It’s kind of dark and has some fairly complicated potential Alien Resurrection style implications. Matthew Rosenberg still throws in some humour with Ursa Major, but this one’s really an opportunity for Travel Foreman to showcase some of the darker end of his skill set.

| Published by Marvel

TMNT Universe #20 continues the excellent “Service Animals” arc from Ian Flynn, Dave Wachter, and Ronda Pattison that’s getting to the core of what Null has been doing, and providing an interesting, humanizing look at Raphael and Alopex. The art from Wachter and Pattison is wonderful. There’s also a great back-up from Matthew K. Manning, Adam Gorham, and Brittany Peer that tells a humorous and heartfelt tale of Raph trying to get some sleep.

| Published by IDW

Thanos #17 is the penultimate chapter of “Thanos Wins”, featuring both Thanoses against the Fallen One, with a few surprise guests. Geoff Shaw really gets the opportunity again to showcase just how damn good he is at action and spectacle.

| Published by Marvel

Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #1 is the first of the series to follow the series of series format Dark Horse tends to use for Mike Mignola’s Hellboy universe. Regardless of the approach, this still has the same great Stan Sakai taste. Ostensibly we’re dealing with some fugitives, and a secret package, being tracked down by agents of the shogunate, but we’re light on details so far and high on mystery.

| Published by Dark Horse

Vampirella #11 is the second of the books illustrated by Rapha Lobosco this week as he and Jeremy Whitley bring this current volume to a close. This issue serves as a recap of Vicki’s adventures with Vampirella as she comes to a new understanding of herself, opening up to find a solution for the fake heaven and missing God problem.

| Published by Dynamite

Weapon H #1 is probably better than any one would have thought as ridiculous a concept as a Hulkverine would be. Spinning out of the “Weapons of Mutant Destruction” crossover and subsequent Weapon X follow-up arc, this series follows Clay, a former soldier and test subject for some mad science experiments blending Hulk and Wolverine DNA. Greg Pak blends those two aspects in the story itself, taking elements from both the Hulk and Wolverine legacy, and wisely begins this with a new take on the tale that introduced Wolverine to the world in the pages of Incredible Hulk with a new Wendigo. The art from Cory Smith, Marcus To, and Morry Hollowell sticks the landing.

| Published by Marvel

Witchblade #4 continues the trend of being another great issue of this series. Caitlin Kittredge is beginning to get into the meat of the lore behind the Witchblade and the thirteen Artifacts, tying the reboot in to the mythology of the original Witchblade/Darkness universe, while also fleshing out more and more of Alex’s backstory. The art, again, by Roberta Ingranata and Bryan Valenza is some of the most beautiful on the shelves today.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Other Highlights: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #17, Archie #29, Babyteeth #9, Berlin #22, Corto Maltese: The Golden House of Samarkand, Descender #28, The Further Adventures of Nick Wilson #3, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call #4, Go Go Power Rangers #8, Incredible Hulk #714, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Fairies #4, Kill or Be Killed #17, Mata Hari #2, The Mighty Crusaders #4, Monsters Unleashed #12, Monstress #15, Moonshine #8, Ms. Marvel #28. Outcast #34, Quantum & Woody! #4, Southern Cross #14, Spider-Gwen #30, Star Wars #45, Star Wars: Poe Dameron #25, Superb #8

Recommended Collections: Aliens: Dead Orbit, Black Science - Volume 7: Extinction is the Rule, Giant Days - Volume 7, Harrow County - Volume 7: Dark Times A Coming, Iron Fist - Volume 2: Sabretooth Round Two, Moonstruck - Volume 1, Rick & Morty: Pocket Like You Stole It, Spider-Men II, X-Men Blue - Volume 3: Cross Time Capers

d. emerson eddy is doing stuff, Lori. Things!

#This Week in Comics

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briennoah54757 · 4 years

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BEST REFRIGERATOR

The kitchen is one of the primary regions that individuals will in general update or redesign when they are rebuilding any segment of their home. The cooler is a significant machine in the kitchen that comes in numerous styles and plans. You can look over top-cooler, base cooler, underlying, one next to the other, french entryway, counter profundity, undercounter, and that's just the beginning.

More than 11 million coolers were sold in the United States only a couple of years prior so deals are moving upwards as new fridges are hitting the market. The top producers for fridges are Whirlpool, Kenmore, Amana, GE, LG, Hotpoint, Maytag, Frigidaire, KitchenAid, Viking, Samsung, Jenn-Air, Bosch, Sub-Zero, Thermador, and Fisher and Paykel. Down beneath we will go into wanted highlights on a wide range of fridges followed by audits of the top models per Consumer Reports.

Purchasing Guide - When searching for another fridge there are a few components you have to consider - size, proficiency, dependability, water channels, materials, and capacity limit. The primary thing you need to do is measure your space in your kitchen to decide exactly how enormous the cooler can be to fit in your ideal region.

Specialists state the width is the key segment since things like counters and cupboards will restrict your choices. Something else to remember is that any entryways driving into your kitchen should give plentiful moving space to the cooler to get moved in. With regards to extra room, not all producers claims are dependable as far as real usable space.

Allocators, equipment and different articles disrupt the general flow and ordinarily bring down the "genuine" limit recorded. Vitality proficiency is something that all Americans ought to be aware of when buying another cooler since a refrigerator is the greatest client of vitality in your kitchen. Search for fridges that depend on less power to run and will eventually get a good deal on your electric bill every month.

Vitality Star models are unmistakably set apart in stores and you can regularly get considerably greater refunds and limits from your electric organization for purchasing certain models. Cooler fixes are the exact opposite thing you need and a few brands are more fix proned than others. Maytag and Sub-Zero have not exactly heavenly fix chronicles in their next to each other models while Whirlpool scores the best for unwavering quality. Whirlpool comes out as the best brand for top and base coolers with and without ice-creators also.

Water channels are regular spot on present day fridges and most brands work admirably of sifting through awful tastes with Kenmore and Whirlpool standing out. Ice verification stockpiling, customizable racking, and coolers that don't leave "cooler consume" on your put away food are additionally significant highlights to investigate.

Which fridge models rate the best? Which perform best at the cost? We investigated the latest audits done by Consumer Reports to give you a thought of which brands rate the most noteworthy and least in specific territories. Shopper Reports tried more than 70 models from 20 brands for temperature control execution, vitality proficiency, clamor, limit/stockpiling, and appraised them for highlights like water containers and hardened steel wraps up. See all the discoveries underneath with the top models and brands in every class. Suggested - We propose that you peruse the top rated coolers online here.

One next to the other coolers are still genuinely normal in numerous kitchens since they offer outside ice and water containers. These refrigerators work best in zones where wide-swinging entryways essentially would not fit. They for the most part go from 32 to 36 creeps in width and are valued from $800 to $2000.

The disadvantages to next to each other coolers are that they are not truly adept at exploiting space and limit. Racking will in general be tight which restricts a few things and these models are as yet viewed as "expensive" contrasted with top-cooler and base cooler models. Likewise, the fix history of one next to the other coolers is more terrible than the other sort of models recorded beneath.

With respect to the best next to each other fridges as appraised by Consumer Reports, they state the Amana ASD2627KE ($1350) and the GE GSH25JFT ($1100) are "best purchases". The Amana one next to the other rates "brilliant" for temperature control and vitality proficiency while the GE gets top scores for temperature execution (both are 36 inch models). Kenmore and Whirlpool have a couple 33 inche models that positioned genuinely high also.

Frigidaire was appraised about mid-level as far as all highlights and their history on fixes isn't unreasonably extraordinary, however I have claimed one for more than 7 years now with zero fixes and astounding dependability which makes me thing I lucked out. Suggested - We propose seeing the top selling one next to the other fridges online here.

For the most trendy and smooth looking fridges, go with the underlying plan. Inherent coolers make a consistent vibe in your kitchen so the refrigerator will be flush with your cabinetry. Manufactured ins are frequently so all around holed up behind cupboard exteriors it's difficult to tell where they are in a kitchen.

They come in next to each other models or base cooler plans and are the most costly style accessible with costs running from $4000 to $7000. A portion of the bureau profundity models of fabricated ins are less expensive at $1500 to $3200. You will discover fabricated ins at 36 inches wide or bigger and some even come in the more current french entryway styles.

The greatest downside to worked in coolers are that they are expensive and simultaneously inclined to fixes. The top of the line constructed ins per Consumer Reports are the Sub-Zero 650F ($6500), the GE Monogram ZICS36ONR ($6400) and the KitchenAid KBFC42F ($6800). The Sub-Zero underlying is the least expensive of the 3, yet in addition gets horrible fix evaluations. At 37 inches wide the Sub-Zero gives a lot of extra room and rates high for temperature execution.

A few proprietors have said the icemaker is hazardous and that the drawers don't come out far enough. With respect to the GE, it's calm and works superbly on temperature control and has a lovely hardened steel finish. The KitchenAid is the most costly of the gathering yet is 43 inches wide giving you a lot of extra room. It likewise includes the french entryway style entryways are turning out to be increasingly more mainstream in business fridges found in homes.

In the event that you need bunches of capacity in your ice chest and most of your food things at eye level, go with a base cooler model. Base cooler refrigerators are normally 30 to 36 inches wide and a portion of the more up to date ones offer french entryway styling. They are evaluated from $700 to $1500 while the french entryway models are pricier at $1600 to $1800.

Base cooler fridges tend not to accompany water distributors or ice creators on the entryway. Likewise, you will wind up getting down entirely low to get things out of the cooler base. Concerning the top of the line models per Consumer Reports, they state the Amana ABB1912DE ($850), the Amana AFD2535DE ($1700), and the Kenmore 7500-Sears ($870) are "best purchases". The Amana for $850 is marginally littler at just 30 crawls in width, yet it rates the most noteworthy for generally speaking score and has an amazing history for unwavering quality.

The Kenmore is just 30 inches wide too, however rates high in numerous classes including temperature control. There are a few models that are estimated above $2000 for base cooler fridges, yet they don't rate any better per CR. Suggested - Check out the top of the line cooler on the base refrigerators online here.

The least expensive fridges are the top-cooler models and they are the more customary look that the majority of us grew up with. They are best for restricted spaces yet at the same time give a lot of capacity limit given their littler size (normally 30 to 33 inches wide).

The greatest drawback to top-cooler plans is that you will twist to arrive at your most usually utilized food things in your ice chest. Likewise, disregard getting water and ice distributors in the entryway. Costs go from $400 to $1200. In conclusion, you will require a lot of freedom for the entryways that are wide when swung open. CR says the Hotpoint HTS22GBP ($700) is a "best purchase" since Hotpoint has a phenomenal dependability history with the least fixes required of any model fridge.

Top-cooler ice chests are a nitty gritty kind of fridge that will take care of business at putting away the entirety of your nourishment at the least expensive cost. Suggested - See the most mainstream cooler on top fridges here.

Individuals are beginning to purchase increasingly more french entryway style coolers for their functional plan and new look. French entryway coolers have two one next to the other entryways that sit over a draw out cooler cabinet.

The greatest bit of leeway to the french entryway style is that you will have inside racking that is the full width of the cooler, in contrast to conventional one next to the other models. The Amana AFD2535DE ($1700) is perhaps the best worth you will discover for the french entryway fridges available. Accompanies pull out receptacles and racks, has an inside ice creator and separated water allocator, Energy Star evaluated, and includes a temperature controlled meat/shop canister for the freshest stockpiling of all your food things.

It's 36 inches wide and arrives in a tempered steel finish to include the cutting edge style that all kitchens request nowadays. See all french entryway coolers here.

Need a bureau profundity fridge that looks like an underlying? The Whirlpool Gold GC3SHEXN ($2300) is 36 inches wide and will sit practically flush with your counters and cupboards, similar to an implicit.

The Whirlpool accompanies an ice and water distributor and it's Energy Star productive. Whirlpool gets probably the best unwavering quality scores in the business, so we feel that for somewhat over $2000 you get what others are paying $6000+ for in assembled ins.

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mahoneyjoshua15808 · 4 years

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REFRIGERATOR

The kitchen is one of the principal regions that individuals will in general update or redesign when they are rebuilding any segment of their home. The cooler is a significant machine in the kitchen that comes in numerous styles and plans. You can browse top-cooler, base cooler, implicit, next to each other, french entryway, counter profundity, undercounter, and that's just the beginning.

More than 11 million fridges were sold in the United States only a couple of years back so deals are moving upwards as new coolers are hitting the market. The top makers for fridges are Whirlpool, Kenmore, Amana, GE, LG, Hotpoint, Maytag, Frigidaire, KitchenAid, Viking, Samsung, Jenn-Air, Bosch, Sub-Zero, Thermador, and Fisher and Paykel. Down underneath we will go into wanted highlights on a wide range of coolers followed by audits of the top models per Consumer Reports.

fridge

Purchasing Guide - When searching for another fridge there are a few components you have to consider - size, effectiveness, unwavering quality, water channels, materials, and capacity limit. The main thing you need to do is measure your space in your kitchen to decide exactly how enormous the fridge can be to fit in your ideal territory. Specialists state the width is the key part since things like counters and cupboards will restrict your choices. Something else to remember is that any entryways driving into your kitchen should give abundant moving space to the cooler to get moved in.

With regards to extra room, not all makers claims are dependable as far as real usable space. Distributors, equipment and different items disrupt everything and generally bring down the "genuine" limit recorded. Vitality proficiency is something that all Americans ought to be aware of when buying another cooler since an ice chest is the greatest client of vitality in your kitchen. Search for fridges that depend on less power to run and will at last get a good deal on your electric bill every month.

Vitality Star models are obviously set apart in stores and you can regularly get significantly greater refunds and limits from your electric organization for purchasing certain models. Cooler fixes are the exact opposite thing you need and a few brands are more fix proned than others. Maytag and Sub-Zero have not exactly heavenly fix chronicles in their next to each other models while Whirlpool scores the best for unwavering quality. Whirlpool comes out as the best brand for top and base coolers with and without ice-creators also. Water channels are normal spot on present day coolers and most brands work admirably of sifting through awful tastes with Kenmore and Whirlpool standing out.

Ice confirmation stockpiling, movable racking, and coolers that don't leave "cooler consume" on your put away food are additionally significant highlights to investigate. Which cooler models rate the best? Which perform best at the cost? We investigated the latest surveys done by Consumer Reports to give you a thought of which brands rate the most elevated and least in specific territories. Purchaser Reports tried more than 70 models from 20 brands for temperature control execution, vitality effectiveness, commotion, limit/stockpiling, and appraised them for highlights like water distributors and hardened steel wraps up. See all the discoveries beneath with the top models and brands in every classification. Suggested - We recommend that you peruse the top rated coolers online here.

Best Side By Side Refrigerator:

One next to the other coolers are still genuinely regular in numerous kitchens since they offer outside ice and water gadgets. These refrigerators work best in zones where wide-swinging entryways basically would not fit. They by and large range from 32 to 36 crawls in width and are valued from $800 to $2000.

The downsides to next to each other coolers are that they are not truly adept at exploiting space and limit. Racking will in general be tight which restricts a few things and these models are as yet thought to be "expensive" contrasted with top-cooler and base cooler models. Likewise, the fix history of one next to the other ice chests is more terrible than the other kind of models recorded underneath.

With respect to the best one next to the other fridges as evaluated by Consumer Reports, they state the Amana ASD2627KE ($1350) and the GE GSH25JFT ($1100) are "best purchases". The Amana one next to the other rates "amazing" for temperature control and vitality productivity while the GE gets top scores for temperature execution (both are 36 inch models). Kenmore and Whirlpool have a couple 33 inche models that positioned genuinely high too.

Frigidaire was appraised about mid-level as far as all highlights and their history on fixes isn't unreasonably extraordinary, yet I have claimed one for more than 7 years now with zero fixes and great unwavering quality which makes me thing I lucked out. Suggested - We propose seeing the top selling one next to the other fridges online here.

Top Built-In Refrigerator:

For the most up-to-date and smooth looking fridges, go with the inherent plan. Underlying coolers make a consistent vibe in your kitchen so the refrigerator will be flush with your cabinetry. Constructed ins are frequently so all around taken cover behind cupboard exteriors it's difficult to tell where they are in a kitchen. They come in one next to the other models or base cooler plans and are the most costly style accessible with costs running from $4000 to $7000.

A portion of the bureau profundity models of assembled ins are less expensive at $1500 to $3200. You will discover constructed ins at 36 inches wide or bigger and some even come in the more up to date french entryway styles. The greatest disadvantage to worked in coolers are that they are extremely expensive and simultaneously inclined to fixes. The first class assembled ins per Consumer Reports are the Sub-Zero 650F ($6500), the GE Monogram ZICS36ONR ($6400) and the KitchenAid KBFC42F ($6800).

The Sub-Zero underlying is the least expensive of the 3, yet additionally gets horrible fix appraisals. At 37 inches wide the Sub-Zero gives a lot of extra room and rates high for temperature execution. A few proprietors have said the icemaker is hazardous and that the drawers don't come out far enough. With respect to the GE, it's tranquil and works superbly on temperature control and has a lovely hardened steel finish. The KitchenAid is the most costly of the gathering yet is 43 inches wide giving you a lot of extra room. It additionally includes the french entryway style entryways are turning out to be increasingly more mainstream in business fridges found in homes.

Base Freezer Refrigerator:

In the event that you need heaps of capacity in your ice chest and most of your food things at eye level, go with a base cooler model. Base cooler refrigerators are normally 30 to 36 inches wide and a portion of the more current ones offer french entryway styling.

They are evaluated from $700 to $1500 while the french entryway models are pricier at $1600 to $1800. Base cooler fridges tend not to accompany water gadgets or ice producers on the entryway. Additionally, you will end up getting down entirely low to get things out of the cooler base. With respect to the top of the line models per Consumer Reports, they state the Amana ABB1912DE ($850), the Amana AFD2535DE ($1700), and the Kenmore 7500-Sears ($870) are "best purchases".

The Amana for $850 is marginally littler at just 30 creeps in width, yet it rates the most noteworthy for generally score and has an astounding history for dependability. The Kenmore is just 30 inches wide also, however rates high in numerous classes including temperature control. There are a few models that are valued above $2000 for base cooler fridges, yet they don't rate any better per CR. Suggested - Check out the first class cooler on the base ice chests online here.

Top-Freezer Refrigerator:

The least expensive fridges are the top-cooler models and they are the more conventional look that the majority of us grew up with. They are best for limited spaces yet at the same time give a lot of capacity limit given their littler size (ordinarily 30 to 33 inches wide).

The greatest weakness to top-cooler plans is that you will twist to arrive at your most generally utilized food things in your refrigerator. Additionally, disregard getting water and ice allocators in the entryway. Costs run from $400 to $1200. In conclusion, you will require a lot of freedom for the entryways that are wide when swung open. CR says the Hotpoint HTS22GBP ($700) is a "best purchase" since Hotpoint has a superb unwavering quality history with the least fixes required of any model cooler.

The Hotpoint is 33 inches wide and rates well for temperature control. Different models that evaluated the most noteworthy are the Whirlpool ET1FHTXM ($750) which is Energy Star appraised with spill control racking and an inner ice producer and water container, and the Kenmore 7425-Sears ($850). Top-cooler ice chests are a no nonsense sort of fridge that will take care of business at putting away the entirety of your nourishment at the least expensive cost. Suggested - See the most mainstream cooler on top fridges here.

French Door Refrigerator:

Individuals are beginning to purchase increasingly more french entryway style coolers for their commonsense plan and new look. French entryway coolers have two next to each other entryways that sit over a draw out cooler cabinet. The greatest favorable position to the french entryway style is that you will have inside racking that is the full width of the refrigerator, in contrast to customary next to each other models.

The Amana AFD2535DE ($1700) is probably the best worth you will discover for the french entryway fridges available. Accompanies pull out canisters and racks, has an inside ice producer and sifted water distributor, Energy Star appraised, and includes a temperature controlled meat/shop receptacle for the freshest stockpiling of all your food things. It's 36 inches wide and arrives in a tempered steel finish to include the advanced style that all kitchens request nowadays. See all french entryway fridges here.

Counter Depth Refrigerator:

Need a bureau profundity cooler that takes after an implicit? The Whirlpool Gold GC3SHEXN ($2300) is 36 inches wide and will sit practically flush with your counters and cupboards, similar to an underlying. The Whirlpool accompanies an ice and water allocator and it's Energy Star effective. Whirlpo

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attackandadjust · 7 years

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DeVoss Dream Team

Brian and I moved to Detroit because our other options were Atlanta and New York City. Since we wanted a backyard, but we didn’t want to pretend to like SEC football, we decided that Michigan would be our new home.

Plus, it’s still in the Midwest. How different can it be?

When I was first offered a job at UPSM, I thought it would be a decent fit, given that I’d spent 14 years at Nebraska’s inner-citiest school and surely that would have trained me well. How different can it be?

Especially since this school has the same homeroom model as Omaha North. Theirs is called Viking Time, ours is called Crew. They meet each day, for a half an hour, in the mid-morning. We discuss the same topics. Class sizes are the same. Grade levels are the same. How different could this be?

Let’s compare:

Any of my former students (or teachers who had classrooms near mine) can tell you that room 261 at Omaha North was a happy place.

There was usually some type of singing/dancing, people hung out there before school, after school and during lunch. They stored their belongings anywhere they would fit. It was like a Goodwill with a computer lab. In addition, I’d never been yelled at, cursed at or otherwise insulted by any of my kids.

Here at UPSM...how different could it be, right?

One difference about our homeroom is that each Crew adopts its own name. Mine is the DeVoss Dream Team. They are 12 freshmen of varying temperaments, all of whom had to pass the placement exam to get into the school.

Another difference can be illustrated with a story -- and a simple visual aid -- from today:

They had to work in Naviance, as they do every Tuesday, and I’d written the assignment on the board: “Anatomy of a College App.” I sat on a table up front, balancing my computer on my lap, entering their Naviance points and helping them when needed.

They knew where they could find me.

One student, Nakesha (I’ve written about her before), sat in back and demanded that I come help her with her Naviance. I asked her if she’d please bring her laptop up to me, since I was helping Phil, who was sitting next to me so I could retrieve his username/password.

“You’re a teacher. You’re supposed to help me,” Nakesha said.

“You’re right, I am,” I calmly agreed. (Calmly, because I could tell shit was about to go down and I couldn’t give the Firing Squad any ammunition.)

Another student, Jessica (who has not done a single Naviance assignment all year), came to Nakesha’s defense.

“She needs your help, and you’re gonna come at her like that? Get off your ass and do it, shit.”

I told her that that’s probably not a good way to talk to a teacher, or any adult, actually. Then I went about my business, still on my tabletop seat.

Then Phil chimed in.

He had taken exception that I hadn’t entered his points immediately after he hit “submit,” coupled with his frustration with me for yesterday’s progress report -- which is just a computer-generated printout of his current grades in all of his classes -- which homeroom teachers are required to give kids every Monday.

Since he somehow equates his current grades with my professional capabilities (even though I am not his teacher in any other class), he asked for my CV.

“Where did you go to college?” he asked. “We need to call them and ask them where they went wrong with you, seriously.”

“You should,” I replied. “That would be interesting.”

And that set them off more.

Nakesha, still sitting in the back, had had enough. She spouted off about me “not getting up” to help her. Again, I told her (still calmly) that she could bring her laptop over to me, but I was staying put.

“Stop fucking talking to me, bro!” she yelled.

She punctuated it with an “I’m so fucking done with you, damn!”

Then the bell rang.

One minute after she left class — exactly seven minutes after she told me to stop fucking talking to her, bro — we had this email exchange (the bottom is my initial email, the top is her reply):

Weird, right? Straight-up dysfunctional.

To be clear, she had not apologized to me and we had not resolved our fallout.

We also have not resolved what happened a few weeks ago:

She started referring to me as “that bitch.” She told me she was going to have her mom and grandma come up to the school and “fuck with my shit.” Since I was going over another student’s PSAT scores with him, I started tuning Nakesha out, but she didn’t stop lashing out at me.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, yes, it’s different here. Room 117 is not a happy Goodwill. It’s kind of a sad, angry, shit-show parallel universe. The closer you get to them, the more vulnerable they can be around you, the more of an enemy it SEEMS like you are.

It took me awhile to decode this. It is different. It is rude. And honestly? At the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade my Dream Team for anything.

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biofunmy · 5 years

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Vienna’s Ambitious Burgtheater Tours the Ruins of Europe

VIENNA — Martin Kusej, the new artistic director of the Burgtheater, Austria’s main playhouse, wants the Burg to be a place of extremes. “Extremely controversial, extremely varied, extremely urgent, extremely contemporary, extremely loud, extremely quiet, extremely Austrian, extremely international,” promises a manifesto-like text on the theater’s website.

To that list, one might add “extremely ambitious.”

Kusej’s first season in Vienna features 30 premieres (including five directed by him), which range from classical dramas to brand-new works. In mid-January, a new production of Heiner Müller’s “Die Hamletmaschine” (“The Hamlet Machine”) was the opening salvo of “Europamaschine,” an interdisciplinary series inside the stately Kasino, a former archduke’s residence that is now one of the Burg’s smaller venues. Co-curated by Oliver Frljic, who also directed “Die Hamletmaschine,” and the Croatian philosopher Srecko Horvat, the series features readings, lectures, debates and even dinners that address the question of where Europe is headed.

On the basis of “Hamletmaschine” and two other Burgtheater premieres this season, the answer to that question is extremely gloomy.

Müller’s 1977 play is a poetic and nonlinear reflection on “Hamlet” and European culture, with a strong feminist subtext. It includes no dialogue from William Shakespeare’s play, although Müller invents a number of Shakespearean-sounding quotes and scatters them throughout the dense text, along with references to some of the Bard’s other plays and German literature, philosophy and history.

The nine-page text can be staged numerous ways and is considered a foundational text of German post-dramatic theater, a mostly non-narrative approach to the stage that reflects on the theatrical experience and the possibilities of theater. In 1990, Müller, a leading East German playwright and intellectual, staged “Die Hamletmaschine” as the play within the play in a Berlin production of “Hamlet” that ran seven and a half hours.

Frljic’s production is a comparatively brisk 75 minutes and stars five actors from the Burg’s ensemble. Like the Croatian director’s recent production of “Anna Karenina” at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin, this “Hamletmaschine” has an engaging intensity that owes much to the actors’s quick-witted performances, but it goes off the rails toward the end. With little in the way of props beyond a red armchair and a coffin, the actors energetically perform a revised version of the text that includes quotes from Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban and Marine Le Pen, as well as multiple addresses to the audience. But such additions to the dialogue are, on balance, less successful than many of Frljic’s wittier staging ideas, such as a magic trick in which an Austrian flag locked in the coffin transforms into an endless ream of various European flags sewn together.

The production is also less effective when stating its political messages in more explicit ways. At one point, the actors introduce themselves as Gastarbeiter (“guest workers”) from other European nations, including Hungary, Ukraine and Luxembourg, and try to make a sincere point about diversity among Europeans within a parody of white nationalist rhetoric. Looking out into the audience, the all-white cast praise the audience for being “so white and so diverse” and quip that only white people can afford a ticket to the Burg. When the actors start talking about how racist and xenophobic Austrians are, the audience I was part of smiled back, as if comfortable in the knowledge that they were not that kind of Austrian.

If those stage gestures feel somewhat morally superior and banal, they are harmless next to the production’s nauseating grand finale: a breathless run-through of a sizable portion of the text we have already heard, this time performed by Marcel Heuperman, who is naked as he simulates defecation and sex acts on a large silicon pig. Is the pig Austria? Europe? Hamlet? By this point, the only question that had any urgency to this audience member: To flee or not to flee?

Two ambitious main stage productions lead us deeper into Europe’s origins and its ruins. In “Die Edda,” the Icelandic directing and writing duo Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson and Mikael Torfason conjure up a theatrical version of Old Norse legends from the 13th century. Interweaving these ancient myths with modern-day characters, they set out to create a new kind of theatrical epic, at once expansive and surprisingly intimate.

Arnarsson, who is also the new head of drama at Berlin’s Volksbühne, cuts the saga, with its cast of gods, giants and dwarves, down to size in an intricate production that is endearingly scrappy. Despite the vastness of the Burgtheater stage, the elaborate lighting and the apparently unlimited fog budget, the raggedy costumes and the slapdash scaffolding lend the proceedings a DIY feel. Live music is used to help string together episodes of varying levels of interest. We wince as Odin sacrifices his eye for absolute knowledge, laugh as an emotional Thor loses his hammer and listen patiently to a lengthy monologue about Torfason’s father, who imagined himself to be a modern-day Viking. The striking visuals and loud music, however, including an extended riff on Arcade Fire, are ultimately not enough to compel one’s concentration.

For those of a particularly eschatological bent, there’s more Armageddon around the bend in Kay Voges’s latest work, “Dies Irae — Day of Wrath,” subtitled “An Opera for the End of Time.”

After tackling the Bible with his stupefying play “Das 1. Evangelium,” Voges has turned his directorial attention to the apocalypse in another overstuffed theatrical frolic. The end of days, it turns out, is perfectly suited for Voges’s uniquely headache-inducing brand of theater, which combines rigorously choreographed routines and video on an endlessly rotating stage. Voges’s aesthetic is clearly indebted to the German director Frank Castorf, although it lacks the verbal exuberance or bravura acting of Castorf’s best work.

As the elaborate set goes round and round, various scenarios repeat in a loop. Peter Wallfisch’s rock soundtrack helps usher us between the episodes, lending a structure that was lacking in “Das 1. Evangelium.” In one scene, passengers start mysteriously disappearing midflight from an Air Mageddon plane. In another, a couple are filmed making love in a motel room (the sex is real, according to local reports). Other characters include a man dying in his hospital bed and a Beckett-like pair whose absurd exchanges provide some comic relief. Otherwise, the dialogue, cobbled together by Alexander Kerlin, is a patchwork of dreary quotes from the likes of Walter Benjamin, Friedrich Nietzsche and Jacques Derrida. When these are added to the poppy music and the twirling stage, the effect is often numbing and the two-hour running time feels much longer.

It seems this is the way the world ends: not with a bang, but with a yawn.

Die Hamletmaschine. Directed by Oliver Frljic. Vienna Burgtheater. Through Feb. 12. Part of Europamaschine. Through March 12.

Dies Irae — Tag des Zorns. Directed by Kay Voges. Vienna Burgtheater. Through Feb. 16.

Die Edda. Directed by Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson. Vienna Burgtheater. Through Feb. 15.

Sahred From Source link Arts

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mastcomm · 5 years

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Vienna’s Ambitious Burgtheater Tours the Ruins of Europe

To that list, one might add “extremely ambitious.”

On the basis of “Hamletmaschine” and two other Burgtheater premieres this season, the answer to that question is extremely gloomy.

It seems this is the way the world ends: not with a bang, but with a yawn.

Die Hamletmaschine. Directed by Oliver Frljic. Vienna Burgtheater. Through Feb. 12. Part of Europamaschine. Through March 12.

Dies Irae — Tag des Zorns. Directed by Kay Voges. Vienna Burgtheater. Through Feb. 16.

Die Edda. Directed by Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson. Vienna Burgtheater. Through Feb. 15.

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yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog · 6 years

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2018 NFL Preview: Saquon Barkley wasn't the right pick for Giants, but he should be a star

yahoo

Yahoo Sports is previewing all 32 teams as we get ready for the NFL season, counting down the teams one per weekday in reverse order of our initial 2018 power rankings. No. 1 will be revealed on Aug. 1, the day before the Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason.

(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

The New York Giants couldn’t have handled the one-game benching of Eli Manning any worse. Then they seemed to spend the offseason making it up to him.

A team with a 37-year-old quarterback on a significant two-year decline, which had the No. 2 overall pick in a solid quarterback draft, should have picked a quarterback. That seemed obvious. However, the Giants selected a running back. By doing so, they are planning on Manning reversing his slide and being their quarterback for the foreseeable future. It’s not like the 2018 Giants are going to compete for a title, therefore their actions say they expect Manning will be good for three or more seasons.

That seems like a team making decisions with its heart instead of its head. When the Giants drafted Saquon Barkley, they might as well have sent flowers to Manning’s door with a note that said, “Sorry for Ben McAdoo breaking your consecutive starts streak last year.”

[Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free]

While it seems reckless to bet against the poor history of quarterbacks in their late 30s, what’s done is done and this much is also true: Barkley has a chance to be a superstar in New York.

To say Barkley is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson might even be a bit of revisionist history, because Peterson turned out to be a great NFL back. Barkley might be a better prospect than Peterson was in 2007. Peterson had some injury concerns coming out of Oklahoma. Barkley has all the upside of Peterson, and no significant mark against him. That doesn’t mean Barkley will have a Hall-of-Fame career like Peterson, but he could. He’s really exciting.

While general manager Dave Gettleman — who was diagnosed with lymphoma after the draft, and clearly everyone is rooting for a full recovery — had a head-scratching moment when he called positional value in he draft a “crock,” he = believed that Barkley is a rare talent and he’ll help the Giants in many ways.

“I think that the devaluing of the running back is really a myth,” Gettleman said, according to the Giants’ transcripts. “If you have a great running back, he immediately makes your quarterback better, your offensive line better and your passing game. So I don’t believe in it.”

Of course, the Giants already have an exciting offensive star. Assuming Odell Beckham Jr. returns full speed from ankle surgery, he and Barkley will form an awesome duo. Match them with tight end Evan Engram, receiver Sterling Shepard and an offensive line that added left tackle Nate Solder in free agency, and the Giants have a lot of weapons for new coach Pat Shurmur. Maybe Gettleman is right and all of that talent will lead to Manning’s revival.

Still, the Giants have a long way to go after last season’s fiasco. The Giants had no punch on offense, were bad on defense, abysmal on special teams and fell apart in the locker room. They did nothing at an above-average level last season. You can blame McAdoo for only so much. The Giants were 3-13 and that record was earned.

Shurmur has a mess to clean up. Some coaches are great coordinators and for whatever reason they weren’t great head coaches. We know Shurmur is a fine coordinator. Under his watch, the Minnesota Vikings’ offense had a fine 2017. However, Shurmur also went 9-23 in two seasons as Cleveland Browns coach. Maybe that’s just the stink of the Browns (9-23 isn’t even bad given what has happened since Cleveland fired Shurmur), but we don’t know if Shurmur is a Norv Turner/Wade Phillips type who is better suited as a coordinator.

He takes on a challenging job. Between Beckham’s drama and what seemed like a different Eli Apple story each day, the Giants were a mess on and off the field last season. Part of that comes from being in a media market that never rests. The first order of business wasn’t figuring out what defensive scheme to run or whether Barkley was the best fit at No. 2 overall, but fixing the locker room.

“They don’t want no [expletive], honestly,” Giants safety Landon Collins said this offseason, according to the New York Post. “We want people who want to win, we want people that want to play. We want people that’s hungry and go on the field and do their thing.

“That’s the kind of mindset I see. It’s positive, it’s more [getting] after it, and I would say back to the Giants way.”

To say this is an interesting Giants team is an understatement. The Giants are coming off 13 losses, the most in team history. They have an aging icon at quarterback and passed on replacing him – if Sam Darnold is a star with the New York Jets, they’ll never hear the end of it. Barkley and Beckham will be fun to watch. Shurmur gets his second chance at being a head coach, as he tries to clean up the never-ending drama from the locker room.

At least this year when television networks stick us with the Giants in prime time, they’ll be worth watching.

Saquon Barkley is one of the best running back prospects in many years. (AP)

I just can’t get behind the Saquon Barkley pick. I like Barkley a lot as a player but that’s a luxury pick, and the Giants aren’t in a spot to make that type of selection. I will give them credit for trying to fix the offensive line. They overpaid left tackle Nate Solder, but any decent offensive lineman will be overpaid in free agency. Guard Will Hernandez was a quality second-round pick. However, the Giants also lost center Weston Richburg and guard Justin Pugh in free agency. Trading for linebacker Alec Ogletree fixes a long-standing weakness, though trading away Jason Pierre-Paul leaves the Giants thin at edge rusher. Mostly I have to dock their grade because of the Barkley decision. Drafting a running back second overall while ignoring quarterback is not a shrewd move in 2018.

GRADE: C-

The obvious answer is that the Giants have the most exciting running back-receiver duo outside of Pittsburgh. But there’s more to the Giants’ offense than their two superstars. Most rookie tight ends struggle, but Evan Engram posted a strong 64-722-6 line. He should be better this season, even if his targets take a hit due to Odell Beckham’s return and the addition of Saquon Barkley. The Giants are also getting Sterling Shepard back and healthy after an injury-plagued 2017. Shepard still put up 731 yards in 11 games. There are capable players around the Giants’ two featured offensive weapons.

I’m always a little wary of teams switching between 4-3 and 3-4 because, generally, time is needed to acquire pieces that fit (though, it’s also fair to say every team has some form of a hybrid defense in this era). The Giants are switching to a 3-4 this season under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher. The good news is pass rusher Olivier Vernon has some experience standing up on the edge, and Damon Harrison should be a fine nose tackle. But I’m not sure the Giants have much depth at linebacker for a 3-4. Their pass rush is very thin unless rookie third-round pick Lorenzo Carter has an instant impact, and the history of rookie pass rushers isn’t good. Cornerback depth is also a bit of a concern, and I’m curious to see if they use star safety Landon Collins in an advantageous way. This was a bad defense last season, and it’s a leap of faith to believe it will be a lot better with a scheme change.

While it’s clear the Giants mishandled Eli Manning’s benching, the truth is … (lowers voice) … benching Manning last season was justified. Breaking Manning’s streak to start Geno Smith, not rookie Davis Webb, was coaching malpractice. The clumsy way Ben McAdoo handled it all will be the most memorable moment of his disastrous Giants stint. But, it’s not like Manning was playing well.

Manning hadn’t posted a passer rating lower than 85.3 since 2007. Last season he was at 80.4. Manning’s touchdown percentage of 3.3 percent was better than only six qualifying quarterbacks, and four were first-time starters: Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett, Brett Hundley, DeShone Kizer, Mitchell Trubisky. C.J. Beathard. That’s not a group you want to be a part of. His yards per attempt was better than only Hundley and Joe Flacco. Manning’s QBR and passer rating both ranked lower than Jay Cutler, who was retired until last August and is retired again this year. And Manning’s poor season continued a trend; his numbers took a dip in 2016 as well.

You can blame Manning’s terrible supporting cast, especially after Odell Beckham’s injury, and that’s fair. But Manning hasn’t played well in two seasons, and now he’s 37. Other than Tom Brady, the history of quarterbacks who are 37 years old and beyond isn’t great. Yet, the Giants haven’t prepared for the future. The Giants told us what they think of 2017 third-round pick Davis Webb when they picked Kyle Lauletta in the fourth round this season. And Lauletta is unlikely to be the ultimate answer either. Mid-round quarterbacks are usually wasted picks. When Manning is done, the Giants will likely be trying to buy someone better than Webb or Lauletta (can we just fit Sam Bradford for a Giants jersey right now?).

It’s Manning’s job, and the Giants seem to think he’ll have it for a while. That’s a big gamble on Manning reversing some troubling trends late in his career.

If we’re debating the best player in the NFL, and don’t include quarterbacks, Odell Beckham has a good argument. After he fractured his ankle last season, the Giants’ offense fell apart. For a couple years, opponents have known Beckham was the only option the Giants had, and they still couldn’t stop him. He has rare, spectacular talent. The big question surrounding Beckham is his contract. He has said he wants to be paid like a top quarterback, which is probably why he doesn’t have an extension yet. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reported in mid-June there is “no movement in contract talks.” The Giants could franchise Beckham two times for far less money than he presumably wants, but it seems doubtful he’d happily accept that. Most contract issues get resolved, but this standoff won’t be easy.

From Yahoo’s Brad Evans: “In the middle part of Round 1 in 12-team drafts, Saquon Barkley is the fantasy equivalent of when ‘No Diggity’ spins at the wedding reception: THE JAM. I have zero reservations about his RB1 worth no matter format. Zero.

“Barkley is an extremely gifted, multidimensional marvel destined to take the league by storm. His off-the-charts athletic profile (99th SPARQ percentile), ideal size (6-feet, 233 pounds), versatile three-down skill set, ridiculous tackle-thwarting abilities (3.54 YAC per attempt in 2017) and breakaway wheels (4.40 40-yard) place him among some of the game’s best rushing talents. Oh, and his quads are superhero quality.

“Behind an upgraded offensive line, given what should be an above-average Giants defense and with Eli Manning in his twilight phase, he will be Big Blue’s steam engine, a rusher likely to total nearly 25 touches per game. Remember, four first-year RBs in .5 PPR last season finished inside the position’s top 12. Fear the unknown; lose your league. Barkley, who is a strong candidate for 1400-1600 total yards with 12-plus touchdowns, is every bit a fantasy first rounder.”

[Booms/Busts: Fantasy outlook on the Giants.]

[Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free]

Odell Beckham’s yardage per game has seen a significant drop each season. He had 108.8 yards per game his amazing rookie season, then 96.7 in Year 2, 85.4 in 2016 and 75.5 per game before his season-ending injury last season. Make no mistake, the numbers Beckham puts up are still amazing. But a few factors — a decaying offensive line, Eli Manning’s play slipping, no other elite option in the offense to take pressure off of him — have put a dent into his productivity the past few seasons.

ARE THE GIANTS TRYING TO WIN NOW OR BUILD FOR THE FUTURE?

For most NFL teams, this answer is usually pretty easy to figure out. Not so when it comes to the Giants. Even GM Dave Gettleman admitted he was stuck in the middle.

“As the GM, I walk a tight line,” Gettleman said, according to NJ.com. “I have to look at the short term and I have to look at the long term, and that’s the tightrope that I walk. I have to take all that into consideration in making decisions, whether it’s the draft, whether it’s unrestricted free agency, whether it’s trading for an Alec Ogletree. You have to think about it. So I’m on that tight rope doing the best I can with the information that I have, and we move forward.”

He made it clear this isn’t a rebuild (“I’ve seen someone told one of the reporters that I’m in a tear-down. I’m not doing that,” Gettleman told NJ.com) and mostly it seems like a win-now offseason. The trade of Jason Pierre-Paul and the release of receiver Brandon Marshall seemed to signal a bit of a youth movement, but then the team traded for linebacker Alec Ogletree and of course passed on a quarterback with the second pick of the draft (and Gettleman says they never considered trading down to stockpile picks). Though, fourth-round pick Kyle Lauletta was a pick for the future at quarterback.

A 3-13 team isn’t usually going to invest in a quick turnaround, but that’s mostly what the Giants did.

We have to acknowledge that in 2016, the Giants were 11-5. It’s hard to envision that type of season in 2018, but maybe Dave Gettleman is right and Saquon Barkley will help restore Eli Manning’s prime. Any offense with Odell Beckham and Barkley should put up points, and the defense has stars like safety Landon Collins, linebacker Alec Ogletree, nose tackle Damon Harrison, cornerback Janoris Jenkins and pass rusher Olivier Vernon. Assuming Pat Shurmur is a huge upgrade over bumbling Ben McAdoo, you can imagine a big jump in wins. Not many 3-13 teams have as much talent as the Giants.

If Eli Manning continues his slide, then what? Keep hoping for a rebound at age 38? If the Giants stink again – and they were terrible in practically any measurable category last season – they’ll be a bad team with an old quarterback and no real plan for the future. And while Dave Gettleman says he didn’t “fall in love” with any of the quarterbacks in this class, it’s not like there’s a 2012 Andrew Luck-level prospect on the horizon. And even if one emerges, the Giants aren’t guaranteed to get the first overall pick to grab him. If there’s no progress this season, the Giants are going to be in a weird spot.

I think the Giants improve, because a healthy Odell Beckham and Saquon Barkley will boost the offense. But I don’t buy Eli Manning having a big rebound, the offensive line still has issues and a defense that’s undergoing a significant scheme change has holes too. The Giants will finish in last in the NFC East, with about six wins. That would be good enough to knock them out of the running for a top quarterback prospect in the 2019 draft. And I have no idea what they would do then.

32. Cleveland Browns 31. Indianapolis Colts 30. New York Jets 29. Arizona Cardinals 28. Buffalo Bills 27. Cincinnati Bengals 26. Chicago Bears

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

#_author:Frank Schwab #_uuid:4359aec7-0ee2-34a1-a9a5-1e2184c192a6 #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #_revsp:99add987-dcd1-48ae-b801-e4aa58e4ebd0

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junker-town · 7 years

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NFL Draft: Every team’s worst pick in the last 5 years

Some of these players aren’t even in the league anymore, while others are still hanging around trying to shed the bust label.

Every team makes mistakes in the draft, and this year’s draft will be no different. Sometimes players don’t pan out because of injuries, sometimes teams just make mistakes in their evaluation process, and sometimes the transition to the NFL is too hard for a rookie.

Every team gets it right sometimes, too. But when a team misses on a draft pick, no matter the reason for a player not living up to potential, teams can take comfort in knowing it happens to everyone at some point. It’s happened to some teams — like the Browns — on a regular basis.

Some of these players have washed out of the league entirely, and some are clinging to a chance that they’ll be able to shed the bust label.

Here’s a look at the worst draft pick for every team over the past five years.

Arizona Cardinals

OG Jonathan Cooper, 2013 first round

Cooper broke his leg in his first preseason and never recovered. Even when he was healthy enough to take the field, he never came close to living up to his status as a No. 7 overall pick. The fact that he was a throwaway piece in the Cardinals’ Chandler Jones trade says it all.

Atlanta Falcons

DT Ra’Shede Hageman, 2014 second round

Hageman was a bit of a reach in the second round, but his raw athleticism and speed coupled with his size made him an appealing prospect. Since he was drafted, Hageman had a couple of heated disagreements with former defensive line coach Bryan Cox at practice and during games, and he also faced charges in 2016 stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident. He had 18 tackles and two sacks over 12 games last season, and he was a healthy game day inactive a couple of times.

Baltimore Ravens

S Matt Elam, 2013 first round

Ozzie Newsome normally has a golden touch with drafts, so it’s rare to see him whiff this badly on a first-round pick. Elam was supposed to be Ed Reed’s successor at safety, but utterly failed as a starter and found himself warming the bench for most of 2016.

Buffalo Bills

QB EJ Manuel, 2013 first round

In a year with almost no can’t-miss quarterback prospects, the Bills made a foolish gamble reaching on Manuel in the first round. He was mediocre at best in 10 starts his rookie year, throwing 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions and recording a 77.7 QB rating. The Bills benched him for Matt Cassel and then Tyrod Taylor, and Manuel is now backing up Derek Carr in Oakland.

Carolina Panthers

WR Devin Funchess, 2015 second round

Funchess wasn’t a prolific college receiver, but his 6’4, 225-pound frame helped Carolina overlook the former tight end’s average production and athleticism. While he’s used that size to become a steady red zone target (nine touchdowns in his two seasons as a pro), he has yet to develop into the No. 2 receiver the Panthers thought they were pairing with Kelvin Benjamin. The former Wolverine has only 54 receptions in the NFL.

Chicago Bears

LB Shea McClellin, 2012 first round

McClellin was a piece of a Super Bowl-winning defense — with the Patriots. The hybrid defensive end/linebacker was versatile and productive at Boise State, recording 26 tackles for a loss and three interceptions as an underclassman. However, he struggled to find a true position in Chicago, getting reps at end and on the second level but never finding the kind of pass-rushing impact he’d had in Idaho. He made four starts with New England last fall and worked as a platoon linebacker under Bill Belichick.

Cincinnati Bengals

DE Margus Hunt, 2013 second round

The Estonian discus and shot put star was supposed to have a breakout year — or at least, that’s what the narrative has been seemingly every offseason since Hunt joined the team. Once things come together for the 6’8 giant, he’ll be impossible to stop. Did you see what he did in preseason? Unfortunately for the Bengals, it never came together, and in four years he tallied just 1.5 sacks before joining the Colts this offseason.

Cleveland Browns

Almost all their first-rounders

Honestly, take your pick. Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden in 2012. Barkevious Mingo in 2013. Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel in 2014. None of those players are on the roster today. Danny Shelton and Cameron Erving in 2015 aren’t looking too hot, either, while Corey Coleman was hobbled by a hand injury in 2016. You could write a book on the Browns’ disastrous draft decisions made this decade.

Dallas Cowboys

DE Randy Gregory, 2015 second round

Sometimes a failed drug test can drive an elite prospect’s draft stock down and turn him into an all-time bargain. Other times, it’s just a harbinger for a career filled with bad choices. Gregory is the latter.

Denver Broncos

RB Montee Ball, 2013 second round

Coming off a storied college career at Wisconsin, Ball had a promising rookie year with 4.7 yards per carry on limited snaps. However, it was all downhill from there. A groin injury wiped out most of his 2014 season and he got supplanted by C.J. Anderson on the depth chart. The Broncos released him in 2015 and he washed out of the league after a domestic violence arrest.

Detroit Lions

TE Eric Ebron, 2014 first round

Since 2004, there have been 11 tight ends taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. Seven have gone on to earn Pro Bowl honors. If Ebron continues to improve, he could push that figure to eight — but early returns on the athletic pass-catcher have been disappointing. The 250-pound red zone target has scored just seven touchdowns in his career, but has improved his overall yardage, reception, yards-per-catch, and catch rate in each of his last two seasons with the team.

What hurts about this pick are the players the Lions could’ve had instead. Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald, Taylor Lewan, and C.J. Mosley were just a handful of stars all taken after Ebron in the 2014 draft.

Green Bay Packers

DT Jerel Worthy, 2012 second round

Worthy had promise, and the Packers saw that in him when Green Bay traded up to take him with the 51st pick in 2012. But injuries kept him from reaching that potential, and he only played in two games in 2013. The Packers cut bait and shipped him off to the Patriots, but he didn’t make it through roster cuts. Worthy is currently trying to get back up to speed with the Bills and played in 13 games for Buffalo last season.

Houston Texans

S D.J. Swearinger, 2013 second round

Swearinger spent two seasons with the Texans, and actually didn’t play poorly. He had over 70 tackles each season, and he added 10 pass deflections, a sack and three interceptions over those two years. But his attitude left a lot to be desired, and after Swearinger refused to play special teams because he thought his second-round draft status justified skipping it, the team cut him loose.

Indianapolis Colts

DE Bjoern Werner, 2013 first round

It didn’t help that the Colts shoehorned Werner, a traditional 4-3 end, into a 3-4 outside role, but he still didn’t do anything to justify his draft stock, with just 6.5 sacks in three seasons. Indy released Werner in 2016 and he announced his retirement this past January.

With football done, it looks like Werner is giving pro wrestling a shot — he recently had a tryout at the WWE Performance Center.

Jacksonville Jaguars

WR Justin Blackmon, 2012 first round

Trouble was on the horizon almost right away with Blackmon, who was arrested for DUI one month after he was drafted. Still, he was a pretty good rookie with 865 receiving yards and returned from a suspension in 2013 to have 326 yards in his first two games. Then he got suspended again and never returned. Even taking a third-round punter isn’t as bad as trading up to No. 5 for that.

Kansas City Chiefs

CB KeiVarae Russell, 2016 third round

The Chiefs drafted Russell last year, and he barely made it to mid-September. When Kansas City selected him, general manager John Dorsey raved about Russell’s toughness and his love for the game of football, but something went wrong along the way. All Andy Reid would say is that it was “the best thing for the Chiefs right now” to waive him, but throwing away a third-round pick is painful.

Los Angeles Chargers

LB Manti Te’o, 2013 second round

Even with the bizarre fake dead girlfriend saga, Te’o was touted as a high-end prospect and the Chargers seemingly got a steal taking him in the second round. Unfortunately, his Chargers run was defined by injuries and mediocre play. Te’o tore his Achilles last year and will have to fight for a starting job in New Orleans.

Los Angeles Rams

OT Greg Robinson, 2014 first round

Everyone knew Robinson wasn’t a finished product coming out of Auburn, an offense that barely had him doing any pass blocking at all. But he at least had the raw potential to iron out that part of his game in the right system and with good coaching. He got neither with the Rams. Instead of being the cornerstone of a rebuilt offensive line, he was just one more crumbling building block. He’s getting moved to the right tackle spot this year.

Miami Dolphins

LB Dion Jordan, 2013 first round

The Dolphins traded up to use the third overall pick on Jordan, and it turned out to be a waste. He was in Miami for four seasons, but spent six games in 2014 and the entire 2015 season suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. Jordan started one single game during his time in Miami and racked up three sacks. The Dolphins waived him, and he’s got another shot to live up to his potential after signing with the Seahawks.

Minnesota Vikings

OT Matt Kalil, 2012 first round

Kalil’s career got off to a strong start after being drafted by the Vikings with the fourth overall pick. But he went downhill from there, consistently allowing pressure and being flagged for penalties. Knee injuries may have contributed, and he had arthroscopic surgery on both knees following the 2015 season. A hip injury that required surgical repair sidelined him for most of 2016, and he’ll get a fresh start with the Carolina Panthers after signing with them in free agency.

New England Patriots

WR Aaron Dobson, 2013 second round

If you’re a wide receiver and Tom Brady can’t make you look good, you’re in trouble. Dobson was a curious pick out of Marshall University — a deep threat whose yards-per-reception decreased each year he spent in college. He never gained more than 689 yards in a single season with the Thundering Herd, but had strong measurables and looked the part of a No. 1 wideout.

Unfortunately for New England, he carried on a proud tradition of regrettable WR draft choices. Dobson had a solid rookie campaign after making nine starts, but soon fell out of favor while players like Kenbrell Thompkins and Brian Tyms usurped his spot in the lineup.

New Orleans Saints

CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, 2014 second round

After Richard Sherman blew up and became a household name, it seems like every tall cornerback prospect has been hyped up as “the next Sherman.” Jean-Baptiste was one of those guys, but he never did anything of note and the Saints cut him after just one year. Naturally, he’s Sherman’s teammate now, having signed with the Seahawks to compete for a roster spot in training camp.

New York Giants

RB David Wilson, 2012 first round

The Giants have been looking for a true No. 1 tailback since Tiki Barber’s retirement. For a hot minute, Wilson looked like he might be the guy. The Virginia Tech product started slowly in his rookie season, but finished the year averaging five yards per carry and looking like a building block for the future. Instead, he struggled through the first five games of his sophomore year before suffering a career-ending neck injury.

He’s currently re-dedicating himself to the world of track and field, where he’s a triple jumper.

New York Jets

CB Dee Milliner, 2013 first round

The Jets took Milliner with the ninth overall pick, hoping he could fill the void left by Darrelle Revis’s departure, but injuries kept him from ever hitting his stride. The Jets waived Milliner with an injury designation after he was only able to play in eight games over the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Oakland Raiders

CB D.J. Hayden, 2013 first round

The Raiders knew Hayden was a risk when they drafted him out of Houston in 2013. The rangy cornerback nearly died after an injury suffered in practice left him with a torn vein near his heart. He came back and performed well enough to assuage Oakland’s doubts at that year’s combine, but the team overlooked one thing: he wasn’t that good of a cornerback.

Hayden feasted on lesser offenses in two years of junior college ball and two years in Conference USA, leaving a stark transition from amateur to professional football. In four seasons with the Raiders, he made just 25 starts and hauled in three interceptions.

Philadelphia Eagles

LB Marcus Smith, 2014 first round

Smith, a former quarterback who converted to defense while at the University of Louisville, was a force in college. He was a shadow of his college self after being drafted by Philadelphia with the 26th overall pick in 2014. Smith has zero starts for the Eagles over three seasons and has contributed just four sacks.

Pittsburgh Steelers

LB Jarvis Jones, 2013 first round

Jones was a first-round pick after leading the SEC in sacks in 2011 with 13.5, and then the nation in 2012 with 14.5. But in four seasons with the Steelers, his grand total for sacks came out to a whopping six. He developed into a decent outside linebacker in run defense, but his inability to rush the passer is the reason Pittsburgh let him walk in free agency and the reason why he only received a one-year, $2.25 million deal from the Cardinals.

San Francisco 49ers

WR A.J. Jenkins, 2012 first round

Just think, the 49ers could’ve had Alshon Jeffery or T.Y. Hilton, who went in the second and third rounds, respectively. Drafting receivers is always a crapshoot, but it stings when you miss on one with a precious round one pick. He was active for exactly three games as a rookie and targeted just once. The 49ers swapped disappointing, over-drafted receivers with the Chiefs a year later, sending Jenkins to Kansas City in exchange for Jonathan Baldwin, neither of whom happen to be in the league anymore.

In hindsight, the 49ers’ picks that year were a sure sign that Trent Baalke was in over his head as a general manager.

Seattle Seahawks

RB Christine Michael, 2013 second round

Michael was supposed to apprentice under Marshawn Lynch, then eventually step into his role as a bruising bowling-ball of a tailback after Lynch’s sudden retirement in 2016. Instead, he’s been traded once and released three times in just four seasons of NFL play. His most successful season came in 2016, where he started seven games for Seattle (who had traded him in 2015, re-acquired him, and then cut him despite solid numbers) and added valuable depth to the bombed-out cave once known as the Packers’ tailback platoon.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

K Roberto Aguayo, 2016 second round

The Bucs traded up to draft a kicker in the second round. Let me repeat that: the Bucs traded up to draft a kicker in the second round. A kicker who’s already facing veteran competition because he was so bad in his rookie season. GM Jason Licht has quietly built a solid roster in Tampa, but this is some serious red on his ledger.

Tennessee Titans

WR Dorial Green-Beckham, 2015 second round

Green-Beckham was one of the nation’s highest-rated recruits coming out of high school, but never had the kind of NCAA impact expected of a five-star athlete. He spent two seasons at Missouri before being dismissed from the program due to legal issues, gaining fewer than 1,300 yards through the air in the process. He spent the next season on Oklahoma’s sideline due to NCAA transfer rules, then declared for the 2015 draft where the receiver-starved Titans snapped him up.

Tennessee expected him to be their next Derrick Mason. He wasn’t even Kendall Wright. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, he was traded to the Eagles for sixth-man offensive lineman Dennis Kelly in 2016. Green-Beckham may still develop into an All-Pro, but it won’t be for the Titans.

Washington

QB Robert Griffin III, 2012 first round

Washington traded up to take Griffin with the second overall pick in 2012, and his first season was promising. After being named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, injuries derailed his career and it never got back on track. Griffin lost the starting job in Washington to Kirk Cousins, and he spent a season mostly sidelined by injury in Cleveland. The Browns released him, and he’s still on the market.

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dasarontohod · 4 years

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dasarontohod · 4 years

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dasarontohod · 4 years

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junker-town · 8 years

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NFL free agency 2017: Grades for every move as they happen

Who got the next Brock Osweiler? Which team landed the perfect pass rusher? Let’s grade this year’s free agent additions to find out!

There are two ways of looking at free agent signings in the NFL. If you’re a fan, it’s pretty exciting to see your team adding brand new players to the roster. The more name recognition those players have makes it even better. When another team does the same thing, they are clearly making a mistake, the second coming of the 2011 Eagles “Dream Team.”

If this spectrum of free agency reactions were represented on a line, there’d be a larger middle part where not every decision looks like it was made by Dan Snyder.

In 2016, the Giants defense thrived with the help of free agents Janoris Jenkins and Olivier Vernon. Atlanta made smart, targeted, and expensive moves last year to fill gaps, and that worked pretty well for them, except for blowing a 25-point lead at the worst possible time in the history of the sport.

Maybe this year’s moves will work. Maybe they won’t. In the meantime, all we can do is assign them letter grades.

Patriots re-sign Dont’a Hightower

The Patriots aren’t messing around this offseason. Hightower was key to New England’s defensive success last year, and he’ll return to the Patriots despite generating interest from the Jets and Steelers on the open market. Hightower returns to New England on a four-year, $43.5 million deal with $19 million in guaranteed money.

Grade: A

Seahawks sign RB Eddie Lacy

It’s a low risk move for Seattle on a one-year deal that pays Lacy $5.55 million. That’s a lot of “China food.” Minutes after Lacy signed there were reports about his weight circulating. It’s something to keep an eye, but not as big of a question as his ability to stay healthy. Seattle already has Thomas Rawls, but there’s reason to wonder about his health too. C.J. Prosise is another good runner on the roster and another one who struggles with durability. Between the three of them, they ought to get 16 good games.

Now, who’s going to block for them?

Grade: B

Raiders sign WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson

Patterson wants a role in the offense, and he’ll get it as a third or fourth receiver in a productive offense. Also, think about those trick plays the Raiders can run with him. More importantly, Oakland gets one of the best return men in the NFL.

Grade: A

Rams sign CB Kayvon Webster

There just wasn’t any room on the depth chart in Denver for Webster to get his snaps. He’ll get plenty of them with the Rams who are desperate for cornerback help. At two years, $8 million, it’s the kind of low key signing that can turn out to be the best kind in free agency.

Grade: A

Eagles sign QB Nick Foles

I’m guess this was purely a financially motivated move since he comes a lot cheaper than Chase Daniels, who they signed to a three-year deal worth $21 million last year. Foles gets $11 million over two years with just $7 million guaranteed. And the Eagles only get $1 million in cap savings.

Grade: C

Chiefs sign DT Bennie Logan

They lost Dontari Poe, but got a capable replacement for a one-year deal worth $8 million. That’s not a bad way to do free agency. The only quibble I have is why just one year, which is great for Logan, but could leave the Chiefs looking to replace that position again.

Grade: A

Lions sign G T.J. Lang

Detroit made a nice investment to upgrade its offensive line this month. Lang gives them a mauler on the inside who helps keep the pocket clean and gets push in the run game. It doesn’t hurt that they also stole him away from the Packers. The downside here is that they have $19 million guaranteed to a 30-year old who had foot and hip surgeries this year.

Grade: B

Patriots trade a first- and third-round pick to the Saints for WR Brandin Cooks

If you think about it, the Patriots average of 27.6 points per game was their lowest offensive output since 2009. Sure, they won a Super Bowl, again, but they could be better. Now, they’re better, A LOT better.

Cooks and Chris Hogan on the outside. Rob Gronkowski anywhere he wants to be. Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell, Dion Lewis, James White and the newly acquired Dwayne Allen. Good luck stopping that!

Grade: A

Packers sign TE Martellus Bennett

Why settle for Jared Cook when you can have Martellus Bennett? This is a great move for the Packers, a big upgrade at the position and a dynamic receiver who gives their offense more punch in the middle of the field. The Packers don’t sign a lot of free agents, but it seems like when they do, they make it count.

They’ll still have to do something about that defense.

Grade: A

Washington signs WR Terrelle Pryor

It’s a little surprising that Pryor has to settled for a one-year, $6 million deal to prove himself. He did manage to top 1,000 yards with the Browns last year, despite a rotation of bad quarterbacks. It could be a steal for Washington, looking to fill the void left by DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon’s departure ... assuming the organizational dysfunction doesn’t spill over to the field.

Grade: A

Patriots acquire DE Kony Ealy and a third-round pick from the Panthers in a trade for a second-round pick

Don’t judge the deal by the rounds, New England is only moving down eight spots. And in return, they get a former second-round pick who had a huge game in the Super Bowl last year. He’s been a disappointment other than that, but the Patriots have a knack for turning those players around.

Grade: A

Colts sign DL Jabaal Sheard

Indianapolis has a lot of work to do on defense. Signing a mid-level pass rusher like Sheard is a good move toward that. Three years, $25.5 million with $12.75 guaranteed for a guy who picked up 13 sacks in two years with the Patriots. He’s also a solid presence defending the run.

Grade: A-

Vikings sign RT Mike Remmers

Everyone remembers Remmers for his struggles when he started at right tackle for the Panthers in the Super Bowl (it didn’t help that Carolina didn’t bother to send an extra blocker to assist), but he’s a solid right tackle. The Vikings scooped up Reiff and Remmers in 24 hours, not a bad haul. This was their biggest need.

Grade: A

Panthers sign FS Mike Adams and DE Julius Peppers

Peppers returns to Carolina where they can use some depth for their pass rushers. He had 7.5 sacks last season, so even at 37, he can be effective in a situational role.

Adams is another old-timer — he turns 36 this month — but he’s a good one. He had 12 picks over the last three seasons with the Colts. You probably didn’t notice because, lol, Colts defense. They needed veterans in the secondary.

Grade: B

Dolphins sign LB Lawrence Timmons

I’m not exactly sure what the 31-year old linebacker brings to the table at this point, other than a part-timer. But at two years, $12 million, with $11 million guaranteed, the Dolphins probably don’t intend for him to be a in part-time role.

Grade: C

Bears sign CB Prince Amukamara

Another season, another one-year deal for the former first-round pick who’s struggled with injuries his entire career. He’s a steady enough corner who can start, that’s not a bad thing for the Bears.

Grade: B+

Titans sign CB Logan Ryan

The Titans lost out on the A.J. Bouye sweepstakes, but they were still able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the free agent market — and at a cheaper price (three years, $30 million).

Ryan earned his payday after developing into a starter in his final two years with the Patriots. The Titans needed secondary help, and even if Ryan wasn’t as highly coveted as Bouye or new Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore, this is still a solid pickup.

Grade: A-

Chargers sign Russell Okung

Four years and $53 million seems expensive based on Okung’s performance in Denver last year, but if the Chargers can keep him on the field, he can be an effective blocker again.

Grade: B

Ravens re-sign DT Brandon Williams

We don’t usually include players re-signing with their team on this list, but Williams is a useful exception. It looked like he would for sure get away, but the Ravens kept the centerpiece of their defensive line in-house with a five-year$54 million deal with $27.5 million guaranteed. Dontari Poe can expect a similar deal.

Grade: A

Jaguars sign CB A.J. Bouye

It wasn’t cheap, but boy oh boy does the Jacksonville secondary look fun with Bouye paired with Jalen Ramsey. Bouye turns 26 in August and Ramsey turns 23 in October, so the Jaguars don’t look like they’ll be worried about the cornerback position for a long time.

Is Bouye worth the $67.5 million he’ll be making over the next five years? He looked like it in 2016, but that was his only year as a starter.

Grade: B

Seahawks sign OT Luke Joeckel

The former No. 2 overall pick didn’t live up to his draft status in four seasons with the Jaguars. He dealt with injuries, but mostly just didn’t play very well and was eventually kicked inside to guard when the team signed Kelvin Beachum.

But it’s a one-year deal that makes sense for the Seahawks and doesn’t break the bank. Even though he didn’t live up to his blind side protector promise in Jacksonville, he’s an upgrade for a Seattle offensive line that badly needs one.

Grade: B

Vikings sign OT Riley Reiff

Minnesota was desperate for offensive linemen, and they found one. He can play either side, and with Matt Kalil gone, he’ll probably start on the left.

Grade: A

Eagles sign WR Alshon Jeffery

The most notable thing about Jeffery signing with the Eagles is that he did so on a one-year deal. It’s worth $14 million so it’s not a cheap deal for Philadelphia, but it means Jeffery will be playing for what he hopes will be an even bigger contract in 2018.

Coupled with Torrey Smith, this is a deal the Eagles can definitely feel good about for the 2017 season and the development of Carson Wentz. The concern is whether or not Jeffrey will be able to stay healthy for an entire season.

Grade: A

Texans solve their Brock Osweiler problem by trading him to the Browns

Well, here’s one you didn’t see coming this week! Maybe we should have. The Texans made a huge mistake with the Osweiler deal last year, and by the end of the season it was pretty apparent that Bill O’Brien knew that too. They had to do something about it, but given that contract the Texans couldn’t just cut him without a massive cap hit.

A trade seemed unlikely because who else would want Osweiler after watching his film from 2016? Turns out the Browns did! And they might have been the perfect landing spot for him. They have the cap space — more than $100 million to start the offseason — to do it. Even if they do end up releasing him, which is now a possibility, they can still eat the cap space. Essentially, what they’re doing is buying a second-round pick by taking a big problem off the Texans’ hands.

Cleveland gets: Osweiler & his deal contract, a second-round pick in 2018 and a sixth-round pick this year. Houston gets: A fourth-round pick this year and saves $10 million in salary-cap space and $16 million in cash.

More importantly, Houston gets the cap room to make a move for Tony Romo.

Grade: Give both teams an A for creativity. If Houston can’t land Romo for some reason, I’d drop them to a B, because at least they made Osweiler someone else’s problem.

Titans agree to terms with S Johnathan Cyprien

Cyprien is staying in the AFC South, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’s fine, an upgrade at a position of need for the Titans, but not the kind of free agent that changes the shape of a team or anything.

Grade: B

Cardinals sign S Antoine Bethea

At 32, it’s legit to wonder if he can be effective, but going from the dumpster fire in San Francisco to talented outfit like this could be just what he needs. He replaces Tony Jefferson.

Grade: B

Browns sign C J.C. Tretter

The Browns could’ve had a good interior line had they just hung onto Alex Mack, but they didn’t. Tretter helps paste over that mistakes and gives them a real tough center who should do wonders for the run game. Combine this with the decision to re-sign guard Joel Bitonio (who got a $51 million deal despite injury concerns), and the Browns have reason to be optimistic about their line this year and beyond.

Grade: A

Broncos agreed to terms with G Ronald Leary

You can make a pretty good case that the Broncos trash offensive line was the reason they didn’t make it back to the playoffs this year. This is a good first step toward fixing that. And, hey, maybe he’ll be reunited with his old pal Tony Romo from Dallas.

Grade: A

Washington agreed to terms with DT Terrell McClain

McClain is being rewarded for this healthiest season in a long time. But he’s more of solid starter than a game-changer, and Washington defense needs game-changers. The most interesting part of this deal will be to see what kind of money he’s getting now that front office infighting has made Bruce Allen the de facto GM again.

Grade: C

Saints agree to terms with Tedd Ginn, Jr.

If the team does end up trading Brandin Cooks, and it sounds like they will, Ginn gives them another deep threat, though probably not a guy who can pull out a 1,000-yard season like Cooks.

Grade: B

Rams sign WR Robert Woods

Woods is getting $39 million for a five-year deal with the Rams, with just $15 million guaranteed. If you consider that deal alongside the $42 million contract, with a stunning $28.5 million guaranteed, the Rams gave Tavon Austin last year, the team now has more than $80 million committed to a pair of role playing receivers, neither one of whom has topped 700 yards in a season.

Woods will see his share of work in the passing game, but the Rams need a true No. 1 receiver, especially after letting Kenny Britt walk.

Grade: C

Eagles and WR Torrey Smith agree to terms

It’s a three-year, $15 million deal, which could end up being one of the biggest steals in free agency this year. It gives Carson Wentz a veteran speedster at a fraction of the cost it would’ve taken to land DeSean Jackson.

Grade: A

Patriots agree to terms with CB Stephon Gilmore

Gilmore’s deal with the Patriots is expected to be in the neighborhood of $14 million per season, which is about on par with what the market’s top cornerback was expected to get. We’ve seen the Patriots make a play for the market’s top corner before when they signed Darrelle Revis to a two-year deal for $32 million. That one was effectively a one-year deal with $12 million the first season and a $20 million option for the second that the team declined.

Anyway, this makes their secondary one of the best in the AFC, enough to rival Denver. The thing to keep an eye on now are the reports of a potential trade brewing with the Saints that would send their other starting corner, Malcolm Butler, to New Orleans in exchange for WR Brandin Cooks.

Grade: A

Rams will sign LT Andrew Whitworth

The Rams needed o-line help bad enough to sign a 35-year old left tackle to a three-year, $36 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. Whitworth did make two All-Pro teams in his last two seasons, and has only missed two starts in his last eight years. He was the best left tackle available this year.

Draft bust Greg Robinson will likely move inside to guard. The right tackle job can go to either Rodger Saffold or Rob Havenstein. The Rams have been trying to build a viable offensive line since Orland Pace left a decade ago. This gets them a competent option for protecting their investment in Jared Goff.

Grade: B

Buccaneers agree to terms with WR DeSean Jackson

To compete in the NFC South right now, you have to be able to keep pace with the Falcons offense. Adding Jackson helps the Bucs accomplish that by giving them a dynamic speedster to pair with Mike Evans.

Grade: A

Browns will sign WR Kenny Britt

Four years, $32.5 million for Britt, who posted his first 1,000-yard season at age 29. The good news for the Browns is that he did that with Case Keenum and Jared Goff throwing him the ball, so he should get better QB play even with the Browns’ relatively low standards in that department.

What makes this deal a bad one is that it likely means the Browns are moving on from Terrelle Pryor. They reportedly balked at a rate starting at $10 million per season, but they also spurned one of the few players who expressed a desire to play in Cleveland, not to mention a 27-year-old talented receiver who posted his own first 1,000-yard season with the Browns rotating cast of signal callers.

This is how the Browns stay the Browns.

Grade: D

Bears expected to sign QB Mike Glennon

A three-year deal averaging almost $15 million per season for an immobile pocket passer with limited upside really isn’t as bad as it sounds. That’s at the low end of the pay scale for starting quarterbacks, at least the ones who aren’t still playing on a rookie deal. And it’s clear that this is just a temporary solution. Chicago still plans to draft a quarterback.

Maybe they’ll save enough money to re-sign Alshon Jeffery.

Grade: B

March 8

Free agency doesn’t start until 4 p.m. ET on March 9, but you can be forgiven for any confusion you had watching the free agency scoops drop from morning until night the day before that.

Most of the deals struck prior to the official start of the league year are of the “agreed in principle” variety, i.e. teams and players have the details all worked out, they just can’t sign any dotted lines until the league blows the whistle.

Giants sign WR Brandon Marshall

The Giants had a really good run through free agency last year, picking up players like Jenkins and Vernon to round out their defensive needs, versus, say, trying to make over the roster entirely in free agency. This is a similar move.

Odell Beckham Jr. is clearly the No. 1 guy still. Marshall gives them a really good No. 2 who helps create more mismatches for Odell, he’s an upgrade over Victor Cruz, and he gives Eli Manning another big target.

It was a two-year deal worth reportedly just $12 million. I would have assumed Marshall, even at 32, could’ve had more money.

Grade: A

49ers agree to terms with QB Brian Hoyer, WR Marquise Goodwin, and FB Kyle Juszczyk. They’re expected to sign WR Pierre Garcon on Thursday afternoon too.

The 49ers were scheduled to start the league year with no quarterbacks on the roster and no real offensive playmaking talent either. So it’s not surprising to see them sweep up four players right off the bat, especially the two players — Hoyer and Garcon — that coach Kyle Shanahan already knows well.

At least they seem to have realistic expectations about who Hoyer is: a backup. Kyle Shanahan reportedly suggested as much. It’s a two-year deal, which supports that. Now, the Niners can draft a quarterback and develop him on the bench behind Hoyer, if they so choose. Or, perhaps more likely, use Hoyer to keep Kirk Cousins’s seat warm until 2018.

Contract values for Garcon and Goodwin haven’t been reported as of press time. It’s likely the team views Goodwin as a role-playing fourth receiver/speed guy. Garcon isn’t a No. 1 receiver in the traditional sense of the position, but he’s a reliable pass catcher who led Washington in receptions and yards last season.

The one I don’t get is Juszczyk. Sure, he catches more passes than your average fullback, but they just made him the highest-paid fullback in the NFL at four years, $21 million, with $10.5 million guaranteed. An average of $5.25 million per year for a position that’s all but eliminated in the modern game.

Grade: B ... and a D for the fullback signing

Patriots acquire TE Dwayne Allen and a sixth-round pick from the Colts for a fourth-round pick.

There was a time when Allen looked like he could be one of those rare tight ends who could block and be a matchup threat, but he’s mostly been a disappointment since his rookie season. In New England, he’ll be a role player, replacing the departing Martellus Bennett as the second tight end on the roster, behind Gronk.

Grade: A

The Bills signed TWO fullbacks: Mike Tolbert and Patrick DiMarco.

Whoever said fullbacks were irrelevant would be really confused by all the road graders getting scooped up on Wednesday. DiMarco is the blocker, and the Bills committed $8.5 million for a four-year deal with him. Tolbert’s deal is a one-year, $1 million flyer, so it’s not like they’ve tied up a bunch of money in two hulking backs.

Buffalo’s running game has LeSean McCoy to be the speedy home run threat. Now, they have some hosses for the short-yardage power side of the equation.

On the other hand, the Bills could have used this money to help address other needs and find fullback help somewhere else.

Grade: C

Jaguars agree to terms with S Barry Church and DE Calais Campbell.

Jacksonville won the offseason championship last year. The Jags are off to another strong start this year, and they won’t have Gus Bradley coaching the team, which should do wonders.

Church replaces departing free agent Johnathan Cyprien, and will be an upgrade at strong safety. Church signed a four-year deal reportedly worth more than $6 million per season.

Campbell was one of the better defensive linemen on the market this year. He’s a great addition to the Jaguars’ already loaded defensive line. Sure, he’ll be coming from a 3-4 to a 4-3, but he can play all over the line and should transcend the scheme. He’s a great addition, but almost feels like more of a luxury than a pure need for the Jags. I’d be more pumped as a fan than as an armchair general manager.

Grade: B

Lions agree in principle with RT Ricky Wagner.

There’s a new price point for right tackles this year, and it starts north of $9 million per season. Nobody else on the market is likely to get that kind of deal — a deal like the one Wagner got with the Lions. He was the best right tackle available. He’s an upgrade over departing Riley Reiff, especially as a pass blocker, and is a great bookend with second-year left tackle Taylor Decker.

Grade: A

Ravens agree to terms with S Tony Jefferson

Two years in a row now that the Ravens have scored a big free agent safety. Last year it was Eric Weddle. That move paid off, but inconsistent play from Lardarius Webb undercut the secondary. And with Matt Elam’s injuries and legal troubles, the Ravens had a major need here. This is the kind of safety tandem that can make a defense fearsome for opponents.

Grade: A

Panthers expected to sign LT Matt Kalil

It’s nice that he’ll get to play on the same line as his brother, Ryan, but the Panthers better hope the family reunion can get him to play better than he ever has since being drafted fourth overall by the Vikings in 2012.

A hip injury kept him sidelined for all but two games last year. He’s reportedly back to 100 percent.

Carolina is committed to reclamation projects for the left tackle spot. Michael Oher didn’t cut it after signing there in 2015. He still has two years left on his deal. Now, with Kalil, the Panthers are banking on an other first-round pick turning around his disappointing career.

Grade: D

Ravens agree to terms with RB Danny Woodhead

Woodhead and Joe Flacco on the same team? Is it possible to win 10 games with the league’s leader in grit and an #elite quarterback? I guess we’ll find out.

Grade: B

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junker-town · 8 years

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NFL free agency 2017: Grades for every move as they happen

Who got the next Brock Osweiler? Which team landed the perfect pass rusher? Let’s grade this year’s free agent additions to find out!

If this spectrum of free agency reactions were represented on a line, there’d be a larger middle part where not every decision looks like it was made by Dan Snyder.

Maybe this year’s moves will work. Maybe they won’t. In the meantime, all we can do is assign them letter grades.

Seahawks sign RB Eddie Lacy

Now, who’s going to block for them?

Grade: B

Raiders sign WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson

Grade: A

Rams sign CB Kayvon Webster

Grade: A

Eagles sign QB Nick Foles

Grade: C

Chiefs sign DT Bennie Logan

Grade: A

Lions sign G T.J. Lang

Grade: B

Patriots trade a first- and third-round pick to the Saints for WR Brandin Cooks

Cooks and Chris Hogan on the outside. Rob Gronkowski anywhere he wants to be. Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell, Dion Lewis, James White and the newly acquired Dwayne Allen. Good luck stopping that!

Grade: A

Packers sign TE Martellus Bennett

They’ll still have to do something about that defense.

Grade: A

Washington signs WR Terrelle Pryor

Grade: A

Patriots acquire DE Kony Ealy and a third-round pick from the Panthers in a trade for a second-round pick

Grade: A

Colts sign DL Jabaal Sheard

Grade: A-

Vikings sign RT Mike Remmers

Grade: A

Panthers sign FS Mike Adams and DE Julius Peppers

Peppers returns to Carolina where they can use some depth for their pass rushers. He had 7.5 sacks last season, so even at 37, he can be effective in a situational role.

Grade: B

Dolphins sign LB Lawrence Timmons

Grade: C

Bears sign CB Prince Amukamara

Grade: B+

Titans sign CB Logan Ryan

The Titans lost out on the A.J. Bouye sweepstakes, but they were still able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the free agent market — and at a cheaper price (three years, $30 million).

Grade: A-

Chargers sign Russell Okung

Four years and $53 million seems expensive based on Okung’s performance in Denver last year, but if the Chargers can keep him on the field, he can be an effective blocker again.

Grade: B

Ravens re-sign DT Brandon Williams

Grade: A

Jaguars sign CB A.J. Bouye

Is Bouye worth the $67.5 million he’ll be making over the next five years? He looked like it in 2016, but that was his only year as a starter.

Grade: B

Seahawks sign OT Luke Joeckel

Grade: B

Vikings sign OT Riley Reiff

Minnesota was desperate for offensive linemen, and they found one. He can play either side, and with Matt Kalil gone, he’ll probably start on the left.

Grade: A

Eagles sign WR Alshon Jeffery

Grade: A

Texans solve their Brock Osweiler problem by trading him to the Browns

More importantly, Houston gets the cap room to make a move for Tony Romo.

Grade: Give both teams an A for creativity. If Houston can’t land Romo for some reason, I’d drop them to a B, because at least they made Osweiler someone else’s problem.

Titans agree to terms with S Johnathan Cyprien

Grade: B

Cardinals sign S Antoine Bethea

At 32, it’s legit to wonder if he can be effective, but going from the dumpster fire in San Francisco to talented outfit like this could be just what he needs. He replaces Tony Jefferson.

Grade: B

Browns sign C J.C. Tretter

Grade: A

Broncos agreed to terms with G Ronald Leary

Grade: A

Washington agreed to terms with DT Terrell McClain

Grade: C

Saints agree to terms with Tedd Ginn, Jr.

If the team does end up trading Brandin Cooks, and it sounds like they will, Ginn gives them another deep threat, though probably not a guy who can pull out a 1,000-yard season like Cooks.

Grade: B

Rams sign WR Robert Woods

Woods will see his share of work in the passing game, but the Rams need a true No. 1 receiver, especially after letting Kenny Britt walk.

Grade: C

Eagles and WR Torrey Smith agree to terms

Grade: A

Patriots agree to terms with CB Stephon Gilmore

Grade: A

Rams will sign LT Andrew Whitworth

Grade: B

Buccaneers agree to terms with WR DeSean Jackson

Grade: A

Browns will sign WR Kenny Britt

This is how the Browns stay the Browns.

Grade: D

Bears expected to sign QB Mike Glennon

Maybe they’ll save enough money to re-sign Alshon Jeffery.

Grade: B

March 8

Free agency doesn’t start until 4 p.m. ET on March 9, but you can be forgiven for any confusion you had watching the free agency scoops drop from morning until night the day before that.

Giants sign WR Brandon Marshall

It was a two-year deal worth reportedly just $12 million. I would have assumed Marshall, even at 32, could’ve had more money.

Grade: A

49ers agree to terms with QB Brian Hoyer, WR Marquise Goodwin, and FB Kyle Juszczyk. They’re expected to sign WR Pierre Garcon on Thursday afternoon too.

Grade: B ... and a D for the fullback signing

Patriots acquire TE Dwayne Allen and a sixth-round pick from the Colts for a fourth-round pick.

Grade: A

The Bills signed TWO fullbacks: Mike Tolbert and Patrick DiMarco.

Buffalo’s running game has LeSean McCoy to be the speedy home run threat. Now, they have some hosses for the short-yardage power side of the equation.

On the other hand, the Bills could have used this money to help address other needs and find fullback help somewhere else.

Grade: C

Jaguars agree to terms with S Barry Church and DE Calais Campbell.

Jacksonville won the offseason championship last year. The Jags are off to another strong start this year, and they won’t have Gus Bradley coaching the team, which should do wonders.

Church replaces departing free agent Johnathan Cyprien, and will be an upgrade at strong safety. Church signed a four-year deal reportedly worth more than $6 million per season.

Grade: B

Lions agree in principle with RT Ricky Wagner.

Grade: A

Ravens agree to terms with S Tony Jefferson

Grade: A

Panthers expected to sign LT Matt Kalil

A hip injury kept him sidelined for all but two games last year. He’s reportedly back to 100 percent.

Grade: D

Ravens agree to terms with RB Danny Woodhead

Woodhead and Joe Flacco on the same team? Is it possible to win 10 games with the league’s leader in grit and an #elite quarterback? I guess we’ll find out.

Grade: B

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