Body:
​​Standing at 6’3 and 190 pounds, Sheppard will lack any positional size advantage and his athletic ability will likely be average or below the rest of NBA guards in terms of overall quickness, burst, and speed. For months Sheppard has been labeled as, “unathletic”, and “unexplosive” but I’m hoping his combine drills will dispel these labels, Sheppard is a much better athlete than people give him credit for, especially vertically. However, criticism of his lateral speed is valid.
Defense:
He makes up for his lack of burst/speed by being a pest on defense utilizing his high motor and anticipation to get in the passing lane, strip ball handlers and even protect the rim, showcased in his 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks a game. Nearly tying Rajon Rondo's Kentucky record for single-season steals. Sheppard's lack of speed and size can lead to quicker guards creating separation in the midrange and beating him to the basket. Although he is undersized, Sheppard can be a solid defender in the NBA, because of his strong off-ball defense, high motor, and I.Q, although it will certainly not be his calling card
Offense:
Outside of his elite shooting, Sheppard can struggle to “turn the corner” on his drives and his overall rim pressure is weak. Highlighting one of his biggest areas of development, if Sheppard wants to make a name for himself outside of strictly being a “shooter” he must build out his offensive game. As statistically impressive as Sheppard was, he had a low usage rate (19%) and with him taking 54% of his shots from beyond the arc, we really haven’t seen a consistent dose of Sheppard’s midrange and paint scoring. Still, when he did diversify his shot selection he was efficient, showing flashes of being a crafty finisher who has great touch around the rim. Sheppard relies on his elite vertical to elevate in the midrang making up for any size disadvantages. Still, I would have liked to see him be a greater three-level scoring threat given his top-five pick buzz.
.
Playmaking:
Sheppard is a strong playmaker, consistently getting downhill and making cross-court reads. Sheppard really shined in transition, constantly playing with his head up and generating easy points, one aspect NBA teams will fall in love with. I don’t project him to be the lead ball handler in the NBA, if tasked with initiating the offense he should be comfortable but I envision him being a combination of a point guard and shooting guard. A a secondary ball handler, connective passer and off-ball shooter at least in the beginning of his career. Although he certainly has the instincts necessary to become a ball-dominant facilitator at the next level, if that is what teams ask of him but he would need a stronger handle and improved agility.
Bust Potential:
For Sheppard to be a bust his shooting efficiency would need to drop significantly, shooting 52% in the NBA is a lot different than in college, so a drop in efficiency is expected but any major movement would make it difficult to keep him on the floor. If his shooting isn’t superb, flaws in his game become magnified. Specifically, his on-ball defense, where he may struggle against the size, length, and burst of NBA players, it wasn’t uncommon to see him get beat off the dribble this season. There is a reality where Sheppard can’t hold his own as an on-ball defender, his offensive game relies too heavily on his 3-point shooting and he ends up as an undersized role player who struggles to get on the court. If Sheppard can’t prove he can be an average defender and shoots around league-average from three it is hard to imagine he will have an impactful career.
All-Star Potential:
Sheppard's NBA ceiling is a high-end role player, because he doesn’t project to be an elite scorer, it’s hard to see him being an All-Star. Yet, I still think the potential is there but an All-Star bid would have come from him putting up impressive numbers both offensively and defensively because the massive scoring numbers won’t be there, a state line of 20ppg, 8rebs, 2stl, and 1 block would certainly put him in All-Star conversations.
Prediction:
Sheppards pace, I.Q., and high feel for the game mitigate my fears that he is to undersized and it is those traits that will keep him in rotations even when his on-ball defense is lacking. He will provide teams with an on/off ball three-point threat and will hopefully couple his elite three-point shooting with a strong midrange game. Sheppard knows how to play with other talented offensive players, he doesn’t demand the ball, takes good shots, and is a very willing passer often prioritizing getting his teammates involved. Sheppard should be taken with a top 6 pick and will be in the NBA for 10+ years.

It's that season again! lets get out there and support our local businesses and our community.
June 1st - Kickoff Block Party (21+) @ Cocktail You'll find us on June 1st from 7-10pm on the 2300 & 2400 blocks of Central Ave dancing in streets, enjoying live entertainment, and celebrating in a way that only the LGBTQIA+ community can! Featuring DJ Ace Vedo, a giant Red Bull truck, local LGBTQIA+ performers, corn hole, and a few surprises, the first Satur-GAY of June in the Grand Central District will not disappoint! https://www.stpetepride.org/events/2024-kickoff-block-party
June 6th - Stonewall Reception ($75pp) @ The James Museum Join us in celebrating the history of the Pride movement while supporting St Pete Pride's mission during this impactful event. With guest speakers, open bar, and some other special treats, this is an evening you won't want to miss. https://www.stpetepride.org/events/stonewall-reception-2024
June 8th - Youth & Family Day (free) @ North Straub Park This joy-filled event will bring thousands of LGBTQIA+ youth, queer families and allies to North Straub Park for this one-of-a-kind Pride event. Last year’s event was a remarkable reflection of St. Pete’s diverse and open-minded community, with many of the attendees being ally families. Guests will enjoy family-focused activities, vendors, and main stage performances. https://www.stpetepride.org/events/st-pete-pride-youth-family-day
June 13th - Rhythms of Pride (Latin Dance) @ Wet Spot Get ready for a night filled with vibrant music, dazzling drag performances, and captivating arts from south of the border. Experience the fiery spirit and colorful culture of our Latin Queer family as we come together to dance, laugh, and celebrate. DJ Ace Vedo will be spinning the hottest beats to keep the energy high all night long. https://www.stpetepride.org/events/2024-rhythms-of-pride
June 14th & 15th - Shades of Pride (Juneteenth Remembrance) @ The Factory Day 1, Friday, from 5:30pm-3:00am will feature a Prequel to Ballroom, Poetry Slam and Night Party. Day 2, Saturday, from 1:00pm-3:00am will feature panel discussions, live musical performances and closing out with The Honors Ball. https://www.stpetepride.org/events/shades-of-pride-2024
June 22nd - Pride Parade Festival (free) @ North & South Straub Parks The festival, held on June 22nd, from 2pm-10pm, in North and South Straub parks will host a variety of local vendors and food trucks, Glamstand front row parade seating, beverage gardens, multiple stages, family area, and more! Make sure to check back for event maps and updates! https://www.stpetepride.org/events/2024-pride-parade-festival
June 22nd - Pride Parade (free) @ Bayshore Dr Get your confetti, Pride flags, and dancing shoes ready as over 100 groups march the parade route coming together for an unforgettable celebration of inclusion, representation, and visibility! Grab your crew and get set to show that world that in Florida love always wins! https://www.stpetepride.org/events/2024-st-pete-pride-parade-presented-by-seminole-hard-rock-hotel-casino-tampa

On August 18, 2015 the Boston Red Sox hired the late General Manager of the Detroit Tigers, Dave Dombrowski, to run the team, replacing Ben Cherrington. The development focused Cherrington had failed to follow up the Red Sox miracle 2013 season with even winning records in the two years since, though the farm system ranked among the very best in baseball and a wave of prospects had just hit the majors (among them, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, and Blake Swihart). Thus, the swapping of Cherington for Dombrowski was rightly interpreted as the Red Sox moving to a more assertive phase, to win now even at the expense of the player development system.
Ironically Dombrowski had been fired by the Tigers because of his belief that the organization’s competitive window had closed and that the team needed to rebuild; the Tigers gave the job to his former assistant who got one more winning season out of their aging core before the inevitabilities became insurmountable. By that time the Red Sox were in the midst of their second straight division crown of three, which climaxed with the single greatest season in franchise history. This is how Dombrowski built that team, as well as the fiscal panic that cost the Red Sox the greatest all around player in franchise history following it:
~2015~
November 13, 2015: Traded Logan Allen, Carlos Asuaje, Javy Guerra and Manuel Margot to the San Diego Padres. Received Craig Kimbrel.
The first major transaction of the Dave Dombrowski era set the pace for the next four years; trading four prospects for a relief pitcher constitutes the classic win-now move. In this case the Red Sox won the deal in both the long and short terms, as only Manuel Margot developed in regular at the major league level, and that at a position where the Red Sox were not in need (center field). Meanwhile Craig Kimbrel made the all-star team in each of his three seasons in Boston, the second of which was one of the greatest relief performances in the game’s history.
December 4, 2015: Signed David Price as a free agent, 217 million dollars over seven years.
At once the most maligned and most underrated move of the Dombrowski era as well as being the biggest, the David Price signing saw the Red Sox for the first time handout a nine figure contract to a free agent pitcher. This was all the more dramatic as they had alienated and traded away their own homegrown southpaw ace (Jon Lester) less than eighteen months before. This was also the first time with the Red Sox that Dave Dombrowski acquired a player he was he previously familiar with, perhaps slightly overpaying for that familiarity. Did we mention that this was largest contract ever given to a pitcher at time, too?
Price had a solid first season in Boston, leading the league in innings pitched with 230 and striking out nearly a man per inning. Nonetheless the first three years of his tenure were marked with mutual hostility towards the ever-ravenous Boston sports media, only alleviated after his fantastic 2018 postseason run. Aging and injuries limited both the quantity and quality of his performance in 2017 and 2019; this trend as well as his 31 million annum salary contributed to owner John Henry’s decision to offload Price even at the cost of Mookie Betts. If only for that last reason alone the David Price signing is one the Red Sox would likely not repeat in hindsight.
December 7, 2015: Traded Jonathan Aro and Wade Miley to the Seattle Mariners. Received Roenis Elías and Carson Smith.
The first of many times Dombrowski would be burned in pursuit of bullpen arms, this deal with Seattle comes down to Wade Miley for Carson Smith. Miley had been signed as a reclamation project by Cherrington before 2015 in the hopes that Miley could serve as a solid mid-rotation option, which he more or less fulfilled with just short of 200 league average innings. Smith on the other hand was coming off his first full season in the majors where he gave the Mariners seventy brilliant innings of high leverage relief pitching (2.31 ERA, 11.8 K/9, and only two home runs allowed).
In a twist of fate, this trade hurt both teams as Smith immediately got injured and only pitched 24 innings in the rest of his career while Miley bombed in Seattle en route to a midseason jettisoning. Yet he rebounded with Baltimore in 2017 and remains an effective if oft-injured starting pitcher to this day, currently with the Milwaukee Brewers.
~2016~
June 10, 2016: Drafted Bobby Dalbec in the 4th round of the 2016 amateur draft.
The once and future Red Sox, Quad A superstar Bobby Dalbec!
July 7, 2016: Traded Wendell Rijo and Aaron Wilkerson to the Milwaukee Brewers. Received Aaron Hill and cash.
With Pablo Sandoval well into his career of eating his way out of Boston, the Red Sox carried a gaping hole at third base from August 2012 to July 2017. One of the short term attempts at a fix featured the acquisition of infielder Aaron Hill, hoping that he and Travis Shaw could platoon for the rest of the 2016 season. The thirty four year old Hill had been decent in Milwaukee in the first half after two bad seasons, but he reverted to that form as soon as he put on a Red Sox uniform, posting a 54 OPS+ in 137 plate appearances. After another terrible eighty plate appearances for the Giants in 2017 Hill was done. On the bright side, the two players Dombrowski gave up for him never amounted to anything.
July 9, 2016: Traded Jose Almonte and Luis Alejandro Basabe to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Received Brad Ziegler.
Ziegler was an accomplished submarine righty who the Red Sox acquired for basically free to get same-sided batters out, a role which he fulfilled to perfection (1.52 ERA in 30 innings). Another clearly won trade for DD.
July 14, 2016: Traded Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres. Received Drew Pomeranz.
At the time, Anderson Espinoza was a teenager in Single A while Drew Pomeranz had appeared to finally unlock his long-salivated over potential with an all-star appearance. Ideally the Padres were hoping Espinoza could eventually develop to that same quality while the Red Sox expected Pomeranz to fill the fourth spot in the rotation. Neither team got what they wanted, at least in 2016 or for most of thereafter; Espinoza immediately went down with a major arm injury which kept him from pitching professionally for five years. Pomeranz himself reverted to his pre-breakout level for the rest of the season, bounced back with a big 2017 (17-6, 3.32 ERA, a strikeout per inning across 174 frames) and then finally was the forgotten man on the 2018 pitching staff due to injuries and ineffectiveness (6.08 ERA in 74 innings, 66 strikeouts to 44 walks). At this point the thirty year old southpaw looked like the quintessential example of TNSTAAPP (There’s No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect), another electric arm who would never match his potential due to injuries and command woes. Anyways, Pomeranz then seemed to resuscitate his career out of the bullpen for the 2019 Brewers and 2020-21 Padres with a sub-2 ERA across 70 innings in those three seasons…before injuries again struck. Though he has not pitched in the majors in three years he remains in the Dodgers minor league system, currently (where else) on the injured list.
December 6, 2016: Traded Victor Diaz, Luis Alexander Basabe, Michael Kopech and Yoán Moncada to the Chicago White Sox. Received Chris Sale.
It’s easy to forget now, but Moncada was not only a can’t miss prospect but one of the three best in all of baseball at the time, and Kopech was another Top 100 type. I’ve covered Kopech in my previous article on Red Sox pitching prospect busts but Moncada’s own failure to reach his ceiling was due more to injuries and a passive approach at the plate. Thus far into his career, Moncada has had two good seasons out of seven and played in at least 130 games in only three. With a strikeout rate of thirty percent, a declining walk rate, little power and less defense, he’s become a fourteen million dollar albatross even when on the field for the White Sox.
Sale, of course, had two Cy Young Award worthy campaigns before injuries and an ill-advised extension soured his final five seasons as a Red Sox. That extension will be discussed further when we come to it, but the trade on its own was inarguably a major victory.
Traded a player to be named later, Josh Pennington, Mauricio Dubón and Travis Shaw to the Milwaukee Brewers. Received Tyler Thornburg. The Boston Red Sox sent Yeison Coca (June 5, 2017) to the Milwaukee Brewers to complete the trade.
Yet another ill-fated trade for a relief pitcher, this time costing the Red Sox heavily in terms of value lost; Shaw went to become an all-star power bat at second and third base for the next two seasons in Milwaukee before his career petered out. Thornburg on the other hand contracted thoracic outlet syndrome from which he never recovered. Even if he had pitched well, the Red Sox could have used Shaw more than any setup man due to Dustin Pedroia’s career ending knee injury.
December 8, 2016: Signed Mitch Moreland as a free agent.
Mitch Moreland was a decent first baseman, but could Dave really not find someone better to play first over the next three years? Even if they cost more than $18.5 million?
December 20, 2016: Traded Clay Buchholz to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received Josh Tobias.
This was more of a psychic relief to Red Sox Nation than anything else, finally alleviating them of the constant confusion over which Bucholz would show up on the mound—the oft-injured and easy to hit version, or the dominating ace? Fittingly Clay’s last three seasons in the majors featured two horrid starts for Philly, sixteen dominating starts in Arizona, and then finally split the difference with a final dozen poor performances as a Blue Jay.
~2017~
June 12, 2017: Drafted Tanner Houck in the 1st round (24th pick) of the 2017 amateur draft.
Houck’s selection constitutes one-third of the total number of draft picks by Dombrowski that made which helped the Red Sox at the major league level (the other two being fourteenth round pick Kutter Crawford in 2016 and fellow first rounder Triston Casas in 2018); inability to find even depth pieces in the draft left the Red Sox farm system utterly void of impact talent by 2018.
June 23, 2017: Selected Doug Fister off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels.
As alluded to in my previous article, veteran GMs tend to reacquire players they were familiar with from previous stops. Fister had been an excellent fourth starter for the Tigers early in the 2010s but by 2017 the end was clearly staring him in the face; a 4.88 ERA in eighteen appearances (fifteen starts) just underlined this inevitable and unenviable conclusion.
July 26, 2017: Traded Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos to the San Francisco Giants. Received Eduardo Núñez.
Nunez was the short-term solution to Pedroia’s knee injury. He turned out to be the medium-term solution too, as the degenerate condition of the incumbent’s affliction led DD to resign Nunez that winter. While fantastic down the stretch in 2017 this was a stretch of the infielder’s capabilities; Nunez suffered his own knee injuries and posted a remarkable -2.3 WAR as Boston’s primary keystone occupant over the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
July 31, 2017: Traded Gerson Bautista, Jamie Callahan and Stephen Nogosek to the New York Mets. Received Addison Reed.
Another deadline, another deal to reinforce the bullpen. Reed was inconsistent for the Red Sox during his two month stay, which turned out to be the penultimate chapter for his career—a poor 2018 in Minnesota marked the end of his major league career, an astonishingly quick demise even for a reliever.
~2018~
February 26, 2018: Signed J.D. Martinez as a free agent, five years and 110 million dollars.
The best free agent signing of the Dombrowski era, JD provided the power bat the Red Sox sorely lacked after Big Papi’s retirement. In his first and best season in Boston Martinez led the majors in both runs batted in and total bases, placed third in MVP voting, and earned Silver Sluggers at two different positions! He declined linearly from there, but remains a productive member of any team’s lineup to this day; he has spent the last two seasons as the Dodgers and now Mets’ DH, attempting to compensate for declining bat speed by sacrificing contact for power.
March 4, 2018: Signed Ryan Brasier as a free agent.
The quality of Brasier’s pitching is inversely proportional to the quality of the expectations laid upon him. Thus he alternates excellent if limited seasons with ostensibly healthier but more erratic contributions.
March 24, 2018: Traded Deven Marrero to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Received a player to be named later. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Josh Taylor (May 15, 2018) to the Boston Red Sox to complete the trade.
Deven Marrero was the prototypical good-field/no-hit infielder. Taylor is yet another oft-injured reliever, though he at least gave the Red Sox two solid seasons as the primary southpaw in 2019 and 2021. After missing all of 2022, he was traded to the Royals for Adalberto Mondesi and a teenage infielder named Angel Pierre; while Mondesi knee injuries seem to have ended his career Pierre posted a .415 OBP in rookie ball last year. Keep an eye and ear out for him as he climbs through the minor league ranks.
June 4, 2018: Drafted Triston Casas in the 1st round (26th pick) of the 2018 amateur draft.
Get well soon. There’s only so much Bobby Dalbec a fan can take.
June 28, 2018: Traded Santiago Espinal to the Toronto Blue Jays. Received Steve Pearce and cash.
Moreland had never and would never hit southpaws, but it took until the middle of his second season in Boston for the Red Sox to provide him with a platoon partner. When they finally did so at least they chose one of the very best platoon players in the major leagues in Steve Pearce; Pearce of course would win the World Series MVP that should have gone to Price later that year.
July 25, 2018: Traded Jalen Beeks to the Tampa Bay Rays. Received Nathan Eovaldi.
Even had he not resigned with the team during the offseason, Eovaldi would have earned his place in Red Sox lore for his heroic six inning relief appearance in the World Series. We’ll discuss the extension later, but also note that Beeks is perhaps the only pitcher who the Rays failed to turn into a Cy Young contender. What’s the opposite of adding insult to injury?
July 30, 2018: Traded Ty Buttrey and Williams Jerez to the Los Angeles Angels. Received Ian Kinsler and cash.
With Nunez playing well below replacement level, the Red Sox needed a replacement for the replacement. Kinsler in his penultimate season at least provided a solid glove; just in case the Red Sox also picked up Brandon Phillips.
November 16, 2018: Signed Steve Pearce as a free agent. AND, December 6, 2018: Signed Nathan Eovaldi as a free agent.
These were covertly two of the worst transactions of the Dave Dombrowski era. Refusing to say goodbye to midseason rentals is risky enough, but the amount of money given to Pearce and Eovaldi also baffled reasonable explanations; a thirty-six-year-old platoon hitter at first base is replaceable enough, even when he’s not the weak side of the arrangement. Had Pearce played well and been healthy in 2019, perhaps the six and quarter million would have seemed mostly worth it; instead, he “hit” .180 in twenty nine games before retiring.
Meanwhile, Eovaldi’s lengthy injury history made it a minor miracle that he was healthy enough for the Red Sox during his three months in Boston—bringing him back for four years and sixty-eight million dollars can only be explained as a sentimental move, an excessive reward for that World Series performance. As could have been reasonably expected in December 2018, Nitro Nate only proved worthy of that contract in one out of four seasons; in the other three he was either injured for most of the season, ineffective, or both.
~2019~
March 23, 2019: Extended Chris Sale for five years, 145 million dollars.
It wasn’t the David Price contract that caused the fiscal panic that cost the Red Sox their best player since at least Carl Yastrzemski, not really. The Red Sox could have eaten that sunken cost, had it been the sole albatross on their pitching staff. But, of course, it was only one of three unnecessary contracts that Dave Dombrowski issued to injury-prone starting pitchers on the wrong side of thirty. Sale had already shown long term red flags in 2018, which argued for letting him play out his walk year in 2019 before possibly ponying up the cash to keep him. After all, the Red Sox also had to extend Xander Bogaerts as well as the inestimable Betts; those two would cost at least sixty million a year to retain. Since they were coming off the most dominant single season in franchise history, perhaps now was the best time to let go some of the chief contributors, before the Red Sox tricked themselves into trying to recapture lightning in a bottle…Well, you know what happened in reality.
Between them, Eovaldi, Sale, and Price cost the Red Sox $52 million in 2019 alone, then $67 million in 2020; accounting for other contracts (JBJ’s arbitration rang up $11 million, Bogey was extended for $20 million, and JD was on the books for about $24 million) that was at least $122 million dollars already assigned to six players entering 2020. Assuming a payroll of effectively $200 million, this would have left about thirty million to spend on the other twenty-odd players required to field a team after giving Mookie his presumed megadeal. Turning back to 2019, just like with the Tigers in 2015, Dave couldn’t even make his customary July trade for pitching; the acquisition of Andrew Cashner from the Orioles felt like a low-budget parody of his previous deadline splashes, which of course it was.
There’s the real reason Dave Dombrowski was fired—just as in Detroit his full throttle commitment to a win-now mandate from ownership eventually led to a top-heavy roster and barren farm system. Have fun while you can, Phillies Phans.
Final Note/Small Self Promotion I forget to add: You could have read this post ten days earlier if you follow my blog

Light Science Technologies secures first distribution agreement with AgriLogiq, targeting significant growth areas in the South African agricultural sector.
The distribution agreement between Light Science Technologies and AgriLogiq has the potential to significantly impact the agricultural sector in South Africa by addressing challenges like extreme weather and pests. The expansion plans also signal a strategic move to enhance the controlled environment agriculture market in the region and other significant growth areas, offering potential economic and technological benefits.
Read More https://newsramp.com/curated-news/light-science-technologies-secures-first-distribution-agreement-with-south-africa-s-agrilogiq/376e68f4ee7fd42e1c19f7a8a30ca7f1

With a lot changed between Free Agency, a few trades, and the NFL Draft, it seemed like a good time to reset a bit and look around the NFL for the roster situations team-by-team at the RB position. The episode of Fantasy For Real below covers the NFC RB Rooms post-draft.
https://cjfreel.substack.com/p/24-dealing-w-day-3-troy-franklin -- FULL AUDIO Podcast
Show 24 Timeline: Looking into Troy Franklin (4:30) NFC RB Rooms (North - South - East - West) (22:30) Age List Update '22-'24 Prospect Ages (50:25) End (58:00)
//
DISCLAIMER: I use publicly available information about NFL contracts to draw conclusions about their structure. This can be a flawed process, but hopefully these publicly available reported contract figures are close enough to reality that the contract discussions have proper merit.
NFC RB Rooms
For the write-up today, instead of going Division-by-Division like the AUDIO podcast version of Fantasy For Real, I’m going to split teams up by how much addition has been made. There is a bit of subjectivity here, not just in who the team brought in, but in who they already have. For example, a 6th Round Pick going to a relatively open room can be a significant addition. A 6th Round Pick going to a team with Bijan Robinson is significantly less impactful.
NO CHANGE RB Rooms
Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks
As mentioned above, the Falcons did add an intriguing physical talent in Jase McClellan, but given who Bijan Robinson is, I’m considering this a “No Change” situation. Both Bijan Robinson and the lead RB for the Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs, are under contract through at least 2026 with a team option for the 2027 season (3 + 1). David Montgomery has a reasonable cap hit in 2025, but could save the team most of his cap hit if he were cut. For New Orleans, it seems very unlikely that the Saints will be able to retain Alvin Kamara without a significant reworking of his contract after 2024. This is certainly possible, but at 29 this season and 30 next year, it seems more likely this is Kamara’s final year with the team. That said, Jamaal Williams has a decent chance to be with the Saints for all three years of his contract including 2025 if he stays healthy, and the Saints have Kendre Miller (three years remaining) as well. The Seattle Seahawks have two highly drafted RBs under rookie contracts in Kenneth Walker III (two years remaining) and Zach Charbonnet (three years remaining).
FA CHANGE RB Rooms
Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders
The Dallas Cowboys pretty much deserve to have their own section of this conversation. They have Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, and Deuce Vaughn (three years remaining). The biggest talking point for the Cowboys might be the RBs around the NFL like Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, or Khalil Herbert from this next team who could all theoretically become available for one reason or another. While many liked the low-cost tandem of Roschon Johnson (three years remaining) and Khalil Herbert (expiring contract), the Bears paid a sizable contract to former Lions & Eagles RB D’Andre Swift in Free Agency this year. Swift will be locked into a sizable investment on the Bears for at least the next two seasons. Swift’s 2026 cap hit is feasible, but most of it can be avoided by cutting Swift, so it is far from guaranteed. Both the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Commanders brought in older RBs in Aaron Jones and Austin Ekeler respectively to one-year contracts. Both teams also have a home-grown 3rd-year RB behind their new veterans in Ty Chandler (two years remaining) and Brian Robinson Jr. (two years remaining). While I wouldn’t recommend paying too much for either, it is fair to say those are two of the best situated handcuffs considering the age, injury history, and new locations of the backs in front of them.
DRAFT CHANGE RB Rooms
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams
I profiled the AFC first, but the NFC got all the major shake-ups, including the top two drafted RBs in Jonathon Brooks to Carolina and Trey Benson to Arizona. This piece and the contracts within really highlight some of the value that Brooks and Benson bring to the table: both players have been assessed at a fairly high talent grade and given a four year commitment alongside those assessments. Brooks is recovering from an ACL injury and has a fairly crowded room around him (Rashaad Penny – Expiring ; Chuba Hubbard – Expiring ; Miles Sanders – Likely Cut after 2024), but no individual is likely taking too much work from Brooks if he is healthy given the capital investment. James Conner (expiring contract), when healthy, is a much bigger roadblock for Trey Benson, but it is also important to mention that aside from just the expiring contract, the 29-year-old RB has never been healthy for a full season in his entire NFL Career. Conner’s career high is 15 Games Played and he has played in 13 or fewer games in five of the last six seasons.
If Christian McCaffrey (two years remaining ; some cap savings, but unlikely to cut given who McCaffrey is without major injury) was a bit younger, he would be getting the Bijan Robinson treatment and the San Francisco 49ers would be in the top group, but now a 28-year-old RB, it’s important to bring up a player like Isaac Guerendo (four years remaining). Guerendo is a bit limited in ways you may not expect for a bigger RB, but as an outside runner similar to Raheem Mostert, there is a lot of upside here. Elijah Mitchell (expiring contract) remains a potentially more likely #2 RB if healthy. How the Los Angeles Rams plan to deploy Kyren Williams (two years remaining) and Blake Corum (four years remaining) is very tricky. On the one hand, there is ample evidence that Sean McVay’s instinct is to rely on a single back. On the other hand, what McVay has done has not worked for the Rams nearly as well as it has worked for fantasy managers, and keeping Kyren Williams healthy by rotating drives with a similar player who does not need to leave the field (for the drive) makes a lot of sense on paper. This is nature versus intention in my eyes, as I do think the intention is clearly going to be to use Corum to take drives away from Kyren. Finally, not too big of an addition, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added the scrappy, small, and oddly physical pass catching back Bucky Irving (four years remaining). The biggest trick will be to figure out if Irving is a thorn for the pass catching of Rachaad White (two years remaining). White’s best tool is his pass catching, so if he cedes those plays to Irving, you have to hope that his rushing efficiency finally takes a leap.
FA+DRAFT CHANGE RB Rooms
Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles could arguably be in the FA section just because of how different these investments are. The Eagles added Saquon Barkley on a contract that appears to be locked in for two years with at least some substantial dead money in Year 3. Barkley being who he is, he will definitely be the guy, but behind Barkley or should Barkley get injured, the Eagles have incumbent Kenneth Gainwell (expiring contract) and new rookie Will Shipley (four years remaining). Shipley is not the most flashy, but I think he is a bit underrated in this specific context where he can be a three-down handcuff (should he beat out Gainwell). The team that Barkley departed, the New York Giants, are trying to fix the RB room by committee and/or lower investments, bringing in Devin Singletary with their main investment. Singletary is likely under contract through 2025, though the figure for his 3rd year in 2026 is not too high. Aside from Singletary, the Giants have thrown darts the last two years at Eric Gray (three years remaining) and Tyrone Tracy (four years remaining). Tracy is currently my favorite fantasy draft pick with an ADP of the fourth round of rookie drafts or lower due to his explosive upside and pass catching background, though Tracy’s lack of history at RB and advanced prospect age showcase some risks.
Finally, the Green Bay Packers are pretty much the only team in both conferences to truly make significant investments in both areas for the RB position. Josh Jacobs was signed by the Green Bay Packers to a complicated contract that has been discussed quite a bit, though I do think we may have gone a bit too far. While it is true that Jacobs can be cut for a cap “savings” after just one season, that “savings” is compared to a sizable cap hit and the dead cap is substantial, meaning the Green Bay Packers would have to pay a considerable amount of dead cap in 2025 to not have Jacobs on the roster, plus they would then need to fill his spot on the 53 with more money. The cap savings I’m seeing is under $2 mil, and so when you subtract a minimum contract figure from that for the 53 man roster spot you need to fill, the amount gets even smaller. It makes it feasible the Packers might cut Jacobs after 2024, but still very unlikely unless he were borderline un-rosterable. That said, Marshawn Lloyd (four years remaining) does enter a situation where he has a chance to maintain a smaller role like he did throughout college while allowing him to display potentially his dynamic playmaking and pass catching ability in an offense that can utilize both effectively. The Packers also still have AJ Dillon (expiring).
//
For podcast listeners, delayed release for Episode 26 because of Mother's Day among other things. I'm done with my first series of 2025 shows which can be found on this sub and by my profile. I’ll be around to answer any questions / comments about Redraft / Dynasty / Futures.
Thanks,
C.J.

Good evening. I just got home from a fun day of a baby shower that turned into a cook out. Its been an action packed week with a rewarding weekend that I will NEVER forget, even if the lights only visited me one night but no graphs or imagery tonight. I have pondered the events of the last 10 days and as I look back, it was a dream come true. Not just seeing something I have always wanted to see in the AB, but meeting all of you, and sharing this experience. Building the foundations of a community here on Reddit where we can share, learn, discuss, and explore free from any restraint or encumbrance in an inclusive setting where there are only two rules. Respect one other along the lines of the golden rule, treat as you would like to be treated and no politics. Remember the sun gives light and warmth to all regardless of what party you are with or what church or place of worship you attend or dont attend. I will emulate that and I encourage you to as well.
With all of that being said, I took my own advice today, and I went about my day, kept my eyes on things, and had zero expectations. I wanted to see the lights tonight and I was with a group of people who would have loved to as well. It has not happened as of yet, and to be clear, while the chances are shrinking, but they are not dead, at least for those more northerly. I personally will not be staying up tonight, but would it surprise me if we had a brief stretch of more intense activity than we are seeing? Not at all, but at the same time we have to go back to the night of the X5.98 before any models had run. If you recall, I was concerned about the NW trajectory of the last CME owing to its location and LASCO coronagraphs, but I was swayed by the SWPC going G5 in their warning and the possibility of cannibalization. Gosh I wanted it to be true, but I just could not commit. I thought it would be more intense than it is but I never wavered in my uncertainty. Uncertainty can be a cop out, but truly I was uncertain and I tried to manage all of your expectations appropriately.
A spike or two cannot be ruled out and the Kp index forecast is elevated for the next several days, but I think we can all safely conclude that another Friday night is not in the cards here in the lower 48. Unfortunately alot of folks in Canada who would still be able to get a glimpse or two are dealing with wildfire smoke which not only makes viewing difficult, but makes breathing difficult. Here is hoping that gets better soon. If you decide to be a die hard tonight against the odds, I wish you luck, and you are not exactly crazy for trying, but the odds are long at this point. If there was a big CME in the pipe moving faster than the others, it would have likely been here by now but some fluctuation is expected at lower or even moderate levels for the next few days. All in all, I got some things right this week and I got some things wrong. The one thing I did not get wrong, is this stuff is difficult to predict, and the models struggled with timing and severity. I was impressed with DONKI Scorecard though, I think it is a heck of a tool. I love how it takes all of the models into consideration and will be consulting it always going forward. It was definitely the most accurate of the model systems in my view, but you may feel differently. This can get subjective and with so many readings from so many places, locations, levels, etc, its a data mess right now and I see the high end numbers quoted quite a bit but its important we wait for all of the data to be parsed and analyzed. I expect some revisions and we will see what it looks like when the smoke clears on this storm.
As far as any and all tools go, I will never hold them back from you. I am not here to gatekeep or play man behind the curtain. I have no degrees. I am a self proclaimed armchair analyst and while I take the moniker seriously and credibility is important to me as silly as that may sound, I want you to know that I am very much a student still. Several years ago, I was right where most of you are. My appetite for knowledge of all things has always been voracious and I have had various passions at times, but never one that I just had to share with somebody, anybody. My 9 year old loves this stuff, and I am working on my wife, but YOU are who shared my passion the most, and that is what it is all about to me. Sharing. Learning. Teaching. Growing. I feel good that I do not have to make any significant retractions or revisions and that I gave you the best advice I could and I am happy with the result. And you know what, even though there were no aurora overhead tonight at the get together I was at, it still ended up with the group marveling at the stars and objects in our sky, as we went through and identified each one and its characteristics. Saw a shooting star and starlink go by. My sister who lives in Tampa called me very excited and said that she saw a meteor overhead in the area around 830 EST. Like everyone, she is awed by beautiful and rare occurences, but is not what I would consider an enthusiast, but boy there sure was enthusiam in her voice when she called. I just smiled to myself, and thought about how grateful I am for how this all played out and I think we have set a pretty high bar here, but I will try my best to meet it for you each and every time. This sub is called SolarMax and that is our primary focus, but as my day 1's are aware, we get into alot more than just the sun. There are more spectacles yet to come this year, dare I say the chances exist for something just as special and just as rare, maybe more. Topic for another day.
I have just a few more housekeeping items to discuss and then I will be signing off for the night. I have alot to catch up on this week in my real job. I neglected it this past week with no regrets, but its time to pay the piper and get caught up. I do my best work back against the wall anyway and am no stranger to pressure. As a result though, I may not be as engaged or engaging, but I will keep you apprised. Whatever I know, you will know.
SHOULD I BE WORRIED?
No. Not just about the storm we had, but the next storm, or the mag field. I need to make something abundantly and unequivocally clear. We are in NO immediate danger, nor are we in danger in the forseeable future. We have new sunspots coming around and the growth curve on them may be ramping up. Again, I am excited. Its solar maximum. This is a natural process. Could a CE happen? NOAA just told you this weekend there is a 2 to 10% chance in the decades to come. You dont need me to tell you that its possible, but again, all manner of things are possible and COULD happen. You can't get yourself worked up about something that COULD happen, when there is no signs it is imminent. Look, there is some confusion about the mag field and its ramifications. Its a complicated topic, truly it is, but the concerns are not immediate. Our mag field has been weakening for over 150 years, yet here we are. You probably did not even know that, yet life has gone on still.
The other thing you need to take away from that is this other than its not an immediate concern you should suffer anxiety from, its a long term issue, just like climate, that is of course assuming that they are not sort of one in the same. If you are not losing sleep and fretting about our oceans literally trying to boil right now, then you are practicing some cognitive dissonance around the topic of existential dread. One fear is not greater than the other, and all fear is the enemy. We are just fine. We are safe. Our magnetic field does its job. It IS weakening, but its weakening slowly. Official estimates are at 5% per decade currently. That is not overnight. Its not next week. Its not even certain we should be concerned about it, there are two sides to the coin after all. For all of these reasons, you cannot get yourself worked up about it. Besides you know what else above all? Worrying your ass off about the world ending will not buy you a single minute more of time living your life and doing what you love with the people you love, so get busy living, or you'll stay busy dying from being eaten alive from stress and worry. Should you be prepared? Yes. Whether its a tornado, flood, EQ, war, hurricane, mega super duper extreme solar storm, its never a bad idea to have some supplies and most importantly a plan. This will calm you, and if you ever have to need it, youll be glad of it, and youll have something to anchor to when your anxiety and shock make it difficult to just get to the next moment. More than that, build a community, because in a really tough situation, a community gets through. Certainly some of you remember GoT. In the long night, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. If you really are so worried about something so big and so totally out of your control, do that.
So people, take care of your mental health. If this stuff stresses you out, take a step back because it aint worth it. Can you imagine how silly the people on X who thought the world was ending this weekend feel right now? Most of them will never mention they were scared, or that they were panicking about nothing, they will never speak of it, and they will look for the next scare. I just hope they at least got to see the lights. Look, I will be real with you. When all of this started unfolding in earnest, and I knew the chances were there for a big storm, I posted my work in 2 places. Here and prepperintel. I met many of you from there. I posted it there because I respect the hell out of the suns power and I know that in the very very very rare event a CE or something of that nature unfolds, a few precious hours may mean everything. I am true to what I say. I do understand the risks, and I treat them appropriately, but I can only do so from a place of understanding and that takes time. Right now, what you NEED to know, is that we are safe, this was a great experience, the next sunspots may be more active, less active, the same as the departing regions, but there is a reason why the auroras have not dipped that far south in 20 years. So many things have to line up juuuust right for what we saw on Friday let alone a grid frying event. You would need a HUGE flare, and I do mean huge, no X5.98 or a twin peaked X1/M9 will suffice. Not only do you need a rediculously large flare, you need it to produce an earth directed CME, and while AR3664 seemingly did it at will, its not usually the case, but the times when its most likely to happen are during solar maximum. So many solar max have came and went and you never even knew it and you are still here on your tech.
I would like to think I know my stuff pretty well for an armchair expert, but I understand my limitations. There are people who are much more experienced, educated, and knowledgeable about the finer finer details and components of the space weather game that I am just barely beginning to grasp. Do you know that when I was first learning space weather that I used to get caught up in the same hype? I see that we had an X-Class flare, and Newsweek tells me that they can destroy powergrids, which is technically true, but damn if it doesnt leave out alot of nuance and fine details which are absolutely critical to understand in depth. So I get on Prepperintel and I make a post about it and I am ran off the damn sub because the people in there who knew more than I did knew it was nothing to be scared of. I was that person guys. If you felt that way this weekend, just know that I am you. But here we are, and now if I post something in there, those folks know its at least worth knowing about. Its a process. Its a complicated and nuanced topic, but its not inaccessible. I bet many of you had no idea that you could be a space weather observer like the folks at the alphabet agencies looking at the same data they do, but I hope you do now.
When I sat down to write this "small" update and goodnight, I did not expect to fill a page. I will tell you one thing about me. I have been called many many things in my life, but inarticulate is NOT one of them. I have more than a few video or YT live requests and maybe we get there eventually because I do think it will be cool and interactive. I may still cherish the written word but I am no dummy, I realize that is analog thinking in a digital world. However, here we are and I like the readers, because they are careful and considerate. They usually ave the attention span to get into complex subjects and are able to orchestrate exquisite theater of the mind.
This has been one of the most exciting and gratifying weeks of my life. I tried my best to keep up with the comments but I know I failed. Esp last night and today, I had to stop and smell the roses and its always family first in my world. Even if I had all day, I could not have kept up. These are human limitations of course, but I want you to know that I saw 99% of the comments, the posts, the messages, the pictures. I am deeply moved and I really appreciate everyone who took the time just to tell me their story, their experience, how this experience touched them, how they learned something new, how they werent scared anymore, who just appreciated the fact that Reddit now has a thriving dedicated solarmax community. I wish there was a way I could let you all know just exactly how much it all means, but these words will have to do. Thank you friends. We are only getting started. If you find yourself needing a fix though, check out the rest of the sub. Solarmax blew up this weekend, but we have been trying to get established for a bit and I say we, because it is not just me. Others have contributed, even when it was just a handful of people. I just can't say it enough, thank you thank you thank you. Every writer just wants someone to read their stuff. That is why they do it. If you can make a living at it, cool, but every writer started for free, and just wanted an audience, any audience, let alone one as awesome as you all.
And one final shoutout to Mrs AA for putting up with me absolutely glued to my phone, computer, and keyboard for the last 14 days and yes 14 days, because before AR3664 stole the show, lil ol AR3663 was trying so hard to make a name for itself, but just did not have the juice, but did depart with an X4.5 IIRC offhand. Solar max continues everyone, we got new sunspot groups to analyze, a few more mild impacts to come, and a ton of stuff to break down on the May 2024 Storms as well as the other topics I promised we would get into. We are only getting started and I look forward to sharing all of it with you.
For all of you who asked about whether you should chase your dream of astronomy or something space related, I have one final piece of advice this weekend. It does not matter if its space related, it just matters that you have a dream. If you have the ability and circumstance to chase or still chase your dream, you need to do it, whatever it is. The lucky(wise) people are not the ones who make millions on millions in a 80 hr work week where seeing their kids ball game is not even possible. The wise people are the ones who never work a day in their life because they love what they do and make a living that suits them and their family.
Good night everyone, and may you have clear skies.
AA

I felt like every time I turned around, I was reading about how this or that team had landed the "steal" of the draft. So I decided to investigate: does every team think they got THE steal of the draft?
The answer is mostly yet. You'll find that some of these sources are higher quality than others (someone who covers the NFL professionally vs a random youtuber), and the strength of the claim varies as well (lots of "may have gotten" a steal, or specifying that a pick was a steal of a certain — usually late — round). Nevertheless, within the first couple results on Google, I was able to find some claim that almost every team had landed the biggest (or one of the biggest) steals of the 2024 draft.
There was one team for whom my Google-fu could not produce a result here. (Though that search did turn up a bunch of results with Drew Brees calling Mac Jones the steal of his draft, if that makes you feel any better.)
NFC East
Did the Dallas Cowboys quietly get the steal of the 2024 NFL Draft?
New York Giants snagged an absolute steal for their defense according to scouts and NFL Draft experts
NFL Draft Grades: Eagles got “the steal of the draft”
Washington Commanders: Johnny Newton the Steal Of the 2024 NFL Draft?
NFC North
Why Packers' Kalen King may be 'biggest steal of the draft'
Metric Points to Vikings’ 1st-Round Pick as ‘Biggest Steal’ of 2024 Draft
Chicago Bears: Austin Booker Could Be Steal Of 2024 NFL Draft
The Detroit Lions may have just gotten the STEAL of the 2024 NFL Draft...
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons draft the STEAL of 2024 NFL draft BRANDON DORLUS
Panthers steal playmaker everyone forgot to draft and he'll be huge for Bryce Young's development
Robert Griffin III says the Saints got the steal of the draft in Spencer Rattler
Why Bucky Irving could be a steal for the Bucs (This was actually the strongest piece I could find about Tampa.)
NFC West
The steal of the draft may have ended up with Arizona Cardinals
Rams News: Rich Eisen Considers This LA Pick Steal of the Draft
ESPN names this 49ers pick as the top steal of the 4th round
Seahawks Land 1st-Round ‘Steal of the Draft’ With Speedy 300-Pound DT
AFC East
PFF says Buffalo Bills landed one of the biggest steals of the 2024 NFL Draft
Did the Miami Dolphins Get the Steal of the NFL Draft in Mohamed Kamara?
The Jets got the steal of the draft.
The Patriots might have the steal of the draft in WR Javon Baker 😳
AFC North
T.J. Tampa May Be the Steal of the Draft (Ravens)
Bengals fifth-round pick Josh Newton will end up “steal of the Draft,” says Will Blackmon
The Cleveland Browns may have gotten the STEAL OF THE NFL DRAFT in Michael Hall Jr.
Steelers Land One of Best Steals in NFL Draft
AFC South
Houston Texans Somehow Get A Steal In 2nd Round Of The NFL Draft
Colts get an absolute steal with Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
Jaguars may have found a potential draft steal in DE Myles Cole
In the fourth round the Titans got a steal. (This one is a pretty huge stretch.)
AFC West
Why Broncos' Selection of Troy Franklin Was the Biggest Steal of the 2024 NFL Draft
Chiefs Draft Pick Named ‘Biggest Steal’ of 2024 NFL Draft: ‘Doesn’t Seem Fair’
Raiders RB Dylan Laube named draft steal by ESPN
Los Angeles Chargers Land Biggest Draft Steal? Analyst Calls Colson “Most Impactful Player” of 2024 Draft

I was let go from CITI Bank Tampa in March of 2024. I was put on a 1 month paid working period. Following that, I've been on a 1 month non-working paid period. I've reached out to HR and my HR severance contact requesting an overview of the contents. I've been calling and writing requesting an expected severance ETA date. I've not received any response.
Does anyone else have any information regarding their severance information / experience? Has anyone received their severance?
My thoughts are with everyone impacted. I hope everyone is doing okay! Thank you in advance.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Guardian Shield Windows and Doors for my retail space, I have the pleasure to meet Owen and their team! They replaced my storefront windows and door with a high-impact storefront system that not only looks fantastic but also provides excellent protection. Highly recommend!!
If anyone needs website and phone number : https://guardianshieldwindows.com
(813) 830-1170
They are located in Tampa