The Russia Mafia is part and parcel of Russian intelligence. Russia is a mafia state. That is not a metaphor. Putin is head of the Mafia. So the fact that they have deep ties to Donald Trump is deeply disturbing. Trump conducted FIVE completely private meetings and conferences with Putin, and has gone to great lengths to prevent literally anyone, even people in his administration, from learning what was discussed.
According to an ex-KGB spy...Russia has been cultivating Trump as an asset for 40 years.
Trump was first compromised by the Russians in the 80s. In 1984, the Russian Mafia began to use Trump real estate to launder money.
In 1984, David Bogatin — a convicted Russian mobster and close ally of Semion Mogilevich, a major Russian mob boss — met with Trump in Trump Tower right after it opened. Bogatin bought five condos from Trump at that meeting. Those condos were later seized by the government, which claimed they were used to launder money for the Russian mob.
“During the ’80s and ’90s, we in the U.S. government repeatedly saw a pattern by which criminals would use condos and high-rises to launder money,” says Jonathan Winer, a deputy assistant secretary of state for international law enforcement in the Clinton administration. “It didn’t matter that you paid too much, because the real estate values would rise, and it was a way of turning dirty money into clean money. It was done very systematically, and it explained why there are so many high-rises where the units were sold but no one is living in them.”
When Trump Tower was built, as David Cay Johnston reports in The Making of Donald Trump, it was only the second high-rise in New York that accepted anonymous buyers.
In 1987, the Soviet ambassador to the United Nations, Yuri Dubinin, arranged for Trump and his then-wife, Ivana, to enjoy an all-expense-paid trip to Moscow to consider business prospects.
A short while later he made his first call for the dismantling of the NATO alliance. Which would benefit Russia.
At the beginning of 1990 Donald Trump owed a combined $4 billion to more than 70 banks, with $800 million personally guaranteed by his own assets, according to Alan Pomerantz, a lawyer whose team led negotiations between Trump and 72 banks to restructure Trump’s loans. Pomerantz was hired by Citibank.
Interview with Pomerantz
Trump agreed to pay the bond lenders 14% interest, roughly 50% more than he had projected, to raise $675 million. It was the biggest gamble of his career. Trump could not keep pace with his debts. Six months later, the Taj defaulted on interest payments to bondholders as his finances went into a tailspin.
In July 1991, Trump’s Taj Mahal filed for bankruptcy.
So he bankrupted a casino? What about Ru...
The Trump Taj Mahal casino broke anti-money laundering rules 106 times in its first year and a half of operation in the early 1990s, according to the IRS in a 1998 settlement agreement.
The casino repeatedly failed to properly report gamblers who cashed out $10,000 or more in a single day, the government said."The violations date back to a time when the Taj Mahal was the preferred gambling spot for Russian mobsters living in Brooklyn, according to federal investigators who tracked organized crime in New York City. They also occurred at a time when the Taj Mahal casino was short on cash and on the verge of bankruptcy."
....ssia
So by the mid 1990s Trump was then at a low point of his career. He defaulted on his debts to a number of large Wall Street banks and was overleveraged. Two of his businesses had declared bankruptcy, the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City and the Plaza Hotel in New York, and the money pit that was the Trump Shuttle went out of business in 1992. Trump companies would ultimately declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy two more times.
Trump was $4 billion in debt after his Atlantic City casinos went bankrupt. No U.S. bank would touch him. Then foreign money began flowing in through Deutsche Bank.
The extremely controversial Deutsche Bank. The Nazi financing, Auschwitz building, law violating, customer misleading, international currency markets manipulating, interest rate rigging, Iran & others sanctions violating, Russian money laundering, salvation of Donald J. Trump.
The agreeing to a $7.2 billion settlement with with the U.S. Department of Justice over its sale and pooling of toxic mortgage securities and causing the 2008 financial crisis bank.
The appears to have facilitated more than half of the $2 trillion of suspicious transactions that were flagged to the U.S. government over nearly two decades bank.
The embroiled in a $20b money-laundering operation, dubbed the Global Laundromat. The launders money for Russian criminals with links to the Kremlin, the old KGB and its main successor, the FSB bank.
That bank.
Three minute video detailing Trump's debts and relationship with Deutsche Bank
In 1998, Russia defaulted on $40 billion in debt, causing the ruble to plummet and Russian banks to close. The ensuing financial panic sent the country’s oligarchs and mobsters scrambling to find a safe place to put their money. That October, just two months after the Russian economy went into a tailspin, Trump broke ground on his biggest project yet.
Directly across the street from the United Nations building.
Russian Linked-Deutsche Bank arranged to lend hundreds of millions of dollars to finance Trump’s construction of a skyscraper next to the United Nations.
Construction got underway in 1999.
Units on the tower’s priciest floors were quickly snatched up by individual buyers from the former Soviet Union, or by limited liability companies connected to Russia. “We had big buyers from Russia and Ukraine and Kazakhstan,” sales agent Debra Stotts told Bloomberg. After Trump World Tower opened, Sotheby’s International Realty teamed up with a Russian real estate company to make a big sales push for the property in Russia. The “tower full of oligarchs,” as Bloomberg called it, became a model for Trump’s projects going forward. All he needed to do, it seemed, was slap the Trump name on a big building, and high-dollar customers from Russia and the former Soviet republics were guaranteed to come rushing in.
New York City real estate broker Dolly Lenz told USA TODAY she sold about 65 condos in Trump World at 845 U.N. Plaza in Manhattan to Russian investors, many of whom sought personal meetings with Trump for his business expertise.
“I had contacts in Moscow looking to invest in the United States,” Lenz said. “They all wanted to meet Donald. They became very friendly.”Lots of Russian and Eastern European Friends. Investing lots of money. And not only in New York.
Miami is known as a hotspot of the ultra-wealthy looking to launder their money from overseas. Thousands of Russians have moved to Sunny Isles. Hundreds of ultra-wealthy former Soviet citizens bought Trump properties in South Florida. People with really disturbing histories investing millions and millions of dollars. Igor Zorin offers a story with all the weirdness modern Miami has to offer: Russian cash, a motorcycle club named after Russia’s powerful special forces and a condo tower branded by Donald Trump.
Thanks to its heavy Russian presence, Sunny Isles has acquired the nickname “Little Moscow.”
From an interview with a Miami based Siberian-born realtor... “Miami is a brand,” she told me as we sat on a sofa in the building’s huge foyer. “People from all over the world want property here.” Developers were only putting up luxury properties because they “know that the crisis has not affected people with money,”
Most of her clients are Russian—there are now three direct flights per week between Moscow and Miami—and increasing numbers are moving to Florida after spending a few years in London first. “It’s a money center, and it’s a lot easier to get your money there than directly to the US, because of laws and tax issues,” she said. “But after your money has been in London for a while, you can move it to other places more easily.”
In the 2000s, Trump turned to licensing deals and trademarks, collecting a fee from other companies using the Trump name. This has allowed Trump to distance himself from properties or projects that have failed or encountered legal trouble and provided a convenient workaround to help launch projects, especially in Russia and former Soviet states, which bear Trump’s name but otherwise little relation to his general business.
Enter Bayrock Group, a development company and key Trump real estate partner during the 2000s. Bayrock partnered with Trump in 2005 and invested an incredible amount of money into the Trump organization under the legal guise of licensing his name and property management. Bayrock was run by two investors:
Felix Sater, a Russian-born mobster who served a year in prison for stabbing a man in the face with a margarita glass during a bar fight, pleaded guilty to racketeering as part of a mafia-driven "pump-and-dump" stock fraud and then escaped jail time by becoming a highly valued government informant. He was an important figure at Bayrock, notably with the Trump SoHo hotel-condominium in New York City, and has said under oath that he represented Trump in Russia and subsequently billed himself as a senior Trump advisor, with an office in Trump Tower. He is a convict who became a govt cooperator for the FBI and other agencies. He grew up with Micahel Cohen --Trump's disbarred former "fixer" attorney. Cohen's family owned El Caribe, which was a mob hangout for the Russian Mafia in Brooklyn. Cohen had ties to Ukrainian oligarchs through his in-laws and his brother's in-laws. Felix Sater's father had ties to the Russian mob.
Tevfik Arif, a Kazakhstan-born former "Soviet official" who drew on bottomless sources of money from the former Soviet republic. Arif graduated from the Moscow Institute of Trade and Economics and worked as a Soviet trade and commerce official for 17 years before moving to New York and founding Bayrock. In 2002, after meeting Trump, he moved Bayrock’s offices to Trump Tower, where he and his staff of Russian émigrés set up shop on the twenty-fourth floor.
Arif was offering him a 20 to 25 percent cut on his overseas projects, he said, not to mention management fees. Trump said in the deposition that Bayrock’s Tevfik Arif “brought the people up from Moscow to meet with me,”and that he was teaming with Bayrock on other planned ventures in Moscow. The only Russians who are likely have the resources and political connections to sponsor such ambitious international deals are the corrupt oligarchs.
In 2005, Trump told The Miami Herald “The name has brought a cachet to certain areas that wouldn’t have had it,” Dezer said Trump’s name put Sunny Isles Beach on the map as a classy destination — and the Trump-branded condo units sold “10 to 20 percent higher than any of our competitors, and at a faster pace.”“We didn’t have any foreclosures or anything, despite the crisis.”
In a 2007 deposition that was part of his unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against reporter Timothy O’Brien Trump testified "that Bayrock was working their international contacts to complete Trump/Bayrock deals in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. He testified that “Bayrock knew the investors” and that “this was going to be the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Moscow, Kiev, Istanbul, et cetera, and Warsaw, Poland.”
In 2008, Donald Trump Jr. gave the following statement to the “Bridging U.S. and Emerging Markets Real Estate” conference in Manhattan: “[I]n terms of high-end product influx into the United States, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets; say in Dubai, and certainly with our project in SoHo and anywhere in New York. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”
In July 2008, Trump sold a mansion in Palm Beach for $95 million to Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian oligarch. Trump had purchased it four years earlier for $41.35 million. The sale price was nearly $54 million more than Trump had paid for the property. This was the height of the recession when all other property had plummeted in value. Must be nice to have so many Russian oligarchs interested in giving you money.
In 2013, Trump went to Russia for the Miss Universe pageant “financed in part by the development company of a Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov.… a Putin ally who is sometimes called the ‘Trump of Russia’ because of his tendency to put his own name on his buildings.” He met with many oligarchs. Timeline of events. Flight records show how long he was there.
Video interview in Moscow where Trump says "...China wanted it this year. And Russia wanted it very badly." I bet they did.
Also in 2013, Federal agents busted an “ultraexclusive, high-stakes, illegal poker ring” run by Russian gangsters out of Trump Tower. They operated card games, illegal gambling websites, and a global sports book and laundered more than $100 million. A condo directly below one owned by Trump reportedly served as HQ for a “sophisticated money-laundering scheme” connected to Semion Mogilevich.
In 2014, Eric Trump told golf reporter James Dodson that the Trump Organization was able to expand during the financial crisis because “We don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia. I said, 'Really?' And he said, 'Oh, yeah. We’ve got some guys that really, really love golf, and they’re really invested in our programmes. We just go there all the time.’”
A 2015 racketeering case against Bayrock, Sater, and Arif, and others, alleged that: “for most of its existence it [Bayrock] was substantially and covertly mob-owned and operated,” engaging “in a pattern of continuous, related crimes, including mail, wire, and bank fraud; tax evasion; money laundering; conspiracy; bribery; extortion; and embezzlement.” Although the lawsuit does not allege complicity by Trump, it claims that Bayrock exploited its joint ventures with Trump as a conduit for laundering money and evading taxes. The lawsuit cites as a “Concrete example of their crime, Trump SoHo, [which] stands 454 feet tall at Spring and Varick, where it also stands monument to spectacularly corrupt money-laundering and tax evasion.”
In 2016, the Trump Presidential Campaign was helped by Russia.
(I don't have the presidential term sourced yet. I'll post an update when I do. I'm sure you probably remember most of them...sigh. TY to the main posters here. Obviously I'm standing on your shoulders having taken a lot of the information or articles from here).

Title says it all. Going to suggest a player to be drafted in either the first or second round (or third for HOU at the moment) for each team, along with a player to target in free agency, and a player to potentially trade for.
Trying to avoid overlap as best I can, but some may have similar targets. Resources used include PFF, The Draft Network, and OverTheCap. Enjoy!

Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

Trade Target: DT J.J. Watt, Houston Texans - The last deal between Arizona and Houston worked out well. Why not try again and add a serious piece to their pass rushing arsenal in Watt. An ideal interior fit for Arizona, Watt would help them push for the playoffs in his final seasons in the league.
Draft Pick: C Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma - Reuniting Kyler Murray with his old center for the Sooners would be an excellent move. The Cardinals currently have Mason Cole at center, but could easily slide him over to guard to make room for Humphrey if they wanted a significant upgrade at an underrated position.
Free Agent Signing: TE Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans - Arizona would be wise to look at adding Jonnu Smith into the equation on offense. One of the NFL's best after the catch at the TE position, he'd be another fun weapon to slot alongside Murray and Hopkins.

Atlanta Falcons (4-12)

Trade Target: S Tracy Walker, Detroit Lions - With a new regime coming in, Detroit is headed towards an extended rebuild, and acquiring assets for up-and-down players like Walker could be a consideration. Now, still young, Walker has plenty of potential for the Falcons, and if the price is right, could be a tremendous bargain.
Draft Pick: QB Justin Fields, Ohio State - While Matt Ryan will remain the QB of the Falcons next season, due to his contract, the Falcons should plan for the future and add a Georgia native in Fields, one of the better QB's out of college football in recent years. He'd be able to develop behind Ryan under the tutelage of new head coach Arthur Smith.
Free Agent Signing: CB Mackensie Alexander, Cincinnati Bengals - The Falcons do not have positive cap space at the moment (currently projected $30 million over the limit) so even after reworking deals and cutting some players, they'll be bargain shopping more than anything else. PFF projects Alexander to fetch a deal of about 2-years, $6 million, which could be feasible for the Falcons. He'd be a solid veteran presence across from CB A.J. Terrell.

Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

Trade Target: OLB Whitney Mercilus, Houston - I list him in "trade target" as he's technically under contract in Houston going into 2021. However, it's 99% more likely that the Texans cut him and Baltimore pursues him as a newly released free agent. Kind of cheating on my listings, but I like the idea of Mercilus in Baltimore after Houston cuts him. It'd be a coup for Houston if they could get a pick for him. Mercilus is a veteran pass rusher who could step into a role in Baltimore should OLB Matt Judon depart for greener pastures...green meaning money of course.
Draft Pick: WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota - The idea of Bateman in Baltimore remains one of my favorite potential pairings for any player likely to be selected in the first round of the draft. Similar to Keenan Allen in my opinion, Bateman could become the go-to wide receiver the Ravens lacked last season.
Free Agent Signing: G Jon Feliciano, Buffalo Bills - The Ravens need to bolster the middle of their offensive line, and a tough veteran like Feliciano could be ideal target for the Ravens. With a big contract committed to LT Ronnie Staley, a cheaper veteran like Feliciano could match price tag with talent. Good value for the Ravens.

Buffalo Bills (13-3)

Trade Target: DT Malcom Brown, New Orleans Saints - The Saints are in cap space purgatory, and thus could be looking to offload some decent players like Brown simply to get back under the cap. He's a solid starting DT who could be available for cheap in the Saints push to real in their financial situation. A strong fit next to Ed Oliver on the inside.
Draft Pick: LB Chazz Surratt, North Carolina - Given their limited cap space, the Bills may have to decide between re-signing OT Daryl Williams and LB Matt Milano. If so, a replacement like Surratt could be a smart move for Sean McDermott and co. as Surratt is a quick backer who excels in space and has shown plenty of promise in coverage.
Free Agent Signing: DE Romeo Okwara, Detroit Lions - The Bills aren't loaded with cap space (barely above 0 if the cap stays down at $175 million), but I'd imagine they'll find some ways to free some cap up. If they do, they may want to consider Okwara, a rising pass-rusher, as a replacement for some of their own departing edge rushers. He tallied 10 sacks this season after hitting 7.5 sacks in 2018 in Detroit. While not elite, Okwara's likely a solid value pass-rusher for a contender like the Bills.

Carolina Panthers (5-11)

Trade Target: DT Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears - The Panthers just drafted DT Derrick Brown, but pairing him and Hicks together could become a dominant duo in the middle of that defense. And with DT Kawann Short a likely cut candidate, Hicks could be an instant upgrade for Carolina.
Draft Pick: LB Micah Parsons, Penn State - Forget the QB position, if the Panthers have the opportunity to land Parsons at 8th overall, they should pull the trigger. He'd be an immediate boost of speed, instincts and athleticism into their linebacker corps, a strong replacement for Luke Kuechly.
Free Agent Signing: TE Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams - More of a move tight end than a traditional in-line blocker, Everett could be an exceptional value signing for someone, as he's not likely to command as much money as Hunter Henry or Jonnu Smith, but is a very good player himself.

Chicago Bears (8-8)

Trade Target: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers - Unless the Bears are set to bring back Mitch Trubisky, who played a bit better to end the season but still not strong enough, the Bears should look at the veteran QB market. While Garoppolo has had some injury issues, he's a notable upgrade over Trubisky and could give them a steady veteran presence for a couple of more years.
Draft Pick: OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech - There's growing buzz that Rashawn Slater could join Penei Sewell in the top-10, leaving him just out of the Bears' grasp. But Darrisaw is quite the consolation prize as he's a first-round caliber offensive tackle himself who could fill a big need for the offense in the Windy City.
Free Agent Signing: WR Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs - Watkins and Bears head coach Matt Nagy did not cross paths in Kansas City, but a recommendation from Andy Reid could push the two together. The Bears are another team facing some cap complications, and thus may need a cheaper replacement for Allen Robinson on the outside. If so, Watkins has been a strong complimentary receiver who could pair well with rising youngster Darnell Mooney.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)

Trade Target: G Joe Dahl, Detroit Lions - Finding protection and weapons for QB Joe Burrow is the primary goal for Cincinnati this offseason before they enter the coaching carousel in 2022. Dahl is a strong pass protector who has grown into a quality starter. However, with large contracts for C Frank Ragnow coming up, along with big deals in place for Decker and Vaitai, Detroit may need to send Dahl out for picks.
Draft Pick: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon - There is buzz that Northwestern's Rashawn Slater may be viewed as OT1, and I get the hype, however, I'm sticking with Sewell for now. The Bengals should draft Sewell and get him ready to go as their franchise left tackle in 2021.
Free Agent Signing: CB Troy Hill, Los Angeles Rams - The Bengals have a healthy chunk of cap space, and should use of that to bring back CB William Jackson III. However, they should not stop there, they should also make a push for a quality veteran cornerback like Hill to bolster their defense in the meantime.

Cleveland Browns (11-5)

Trade Target: LB Jaylon Smith, Dallas Cowboys - After looking like an elite linebacker from 2017-2019, Smith had a rough year under now fired defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. A fresh start in Cleveland could be ideal for both teams, as Smith is still young enough, 26 years, to be a strong piece to their defense for years to come.
Draft Pick: DT Daviyon Nixon, Iowa - The Browns are in a strong position at 26th overall to sit and see who the top defensive lineman on the board is. If they're lucky enough for it to be a high potential defensive tackle like Nixon, it'd be an ideal situation to bring him in the replace Ogunjobi. A defensive end like Jayson Oweh or Jaelan Phillips could also work here.
Free Agent Signing: S Marcus Williams, New Orleans Saints - The Browns could use a big upgrade on the back end, and Williams, at only 24 years old, would be a premium add for a team who finally broke through the playoffs. PFF projects Williams to command a deal around 4-years $57 million, and the Browns would likely have the money to make that happen, sitting tenth in cap space this offseason.

Dallas Cowboys (6-10)

Trade Target: CB Mike Hughes, Minnesota Vikings - Hughes was a first-round pick for the Vikings in 2018, but has not lived up to the billing so far. Dallas is in need of several new faces on its defensive backfield, and perhaps a new situation could be best for Hughes to turn his NFL career around. For Dallas, a cheap flier on defense.
Draft Pick: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama - The Cowboys defense is a mess at many levels, and so picking a premium defensive player like Surtain would be a wise for Dallas to get things straightened out. He's consistently been pegged as the top corner of this draft cycle and makes a lot of sense in Dallas.
Free Agent Signing: DT Dalvin Tomlinson, New York Giants - The Cowboys ranked 31st in total rushing yards surrendered in 2020, meaning they'll need to make it a priority to find a run-stuffer like Dalvin Tomlinson to get their defense back on track. While most teams are geared towards stopping the pass, you simply cannot be as bad in run stopping as Dallas was and expect to be competitive.

Denver Broncos (5-11)

Trade Target: QB Marcus Mariota, Las Vegas Raiders - An inter-divisional trade for a QB seems unlikely, but it's something for both sides to consider. The Broncos need to find a veteran QB to bring in to push QB Drew Lock, who has shown flashes in his first two years but has so far been too inconsistent to commit to long-term.
Draft Pick: EDGE Joe Tryon, Washington - More likely a second-round selection here, the Broncos should consider finding a player to develop into Von Miller's replacement, given all the complications with their star pass-rusher recently. Tryon has a high motor and excellent athleticism to develop across from Bradley Chubb.
Free Agent Signing: CB Quinton Dunbar, Seattle Seahawks - Dunbar was an excellent player for Washington previously, but did not meet expectations after getting moved to the Seahawks. Should he walk in free agency, perhaps putting him under a solid defensive coach like Vic Fangio could help him get back into the strong form that made him a coveted player in 2019.

Detroit Lions (5-11)

Trade Target: A Big Haul for Matt Stafford - We suggest one later on, but Detroit's in a full-on rebuild with Stafford wanting out. Peter King recently reported that at least five teams would be willing to offer their first-rounder for Stafford. Detroit should turn it into a bidding war and land as many draft picks as they can to bolster their rebuilding efforts.
Draft Pick: QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State - The Lions are moving on from QB Matthew Stafford after he understandably requested out. With Detroit picking at 7th, there's a very good chance that Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson are all off the board. Thus, unless Detroit makes a bold move up the board, chances are that they go with Lance, who has the potential to be available with their pick. He has plenty of upside to develop into a starting QB behind a veteran QB, say Tyrod Taylor, reuniting with new Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn?
Free Agent Signing: LB Matt Milano, Buffalo Bills - If we were ranking worst position groups in the league, Detroit's LB corps is in strong contention. An outdated group of lethargic old-school thumpers, almost none of Detroit's LB's are capable of playing modern football at a high level. Detroit should invest some cash into someone who is, such as the Bills LB Matt Milano, an excellent backer with range and some ability in coverage.

Green Bay Packers

Trade Target: WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys - The Packers wide receivers performed quite well after all the criticism Green Bay received after not bringing in anyone for QB Aaron Rodgers. However, good is the enemy of great, and pairing Gallup with Davante Adams would give Green Bay an elite duo in terms of pass catchers.
Draft Pick: LB Nick Bolton, Missouri - If Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was here as well, I think he could be another strong option, but Bolton is an excellent linebacker who can fill gaps inside and fly from sideline-to-sideline.
Free Agent Signing: CB Gareon Conley, Houston Texans - Like the Falcons listed earlier, the Packers don't have positive cap space at the moment, and thus any free agent additions will likely be bargain bin deals. I like the example that PFF lists in their free agency preview, suggesting Conley could replicate Ronald Darby's return, taking a year deal with the aims of getting things turned around and landing a larger deal after that. An opportunity in Green Bay seems like a good start.

Houston Texans (4-12)

Trade Target: Every Pick they can get from the Jets - Even hiring a veteran coach like Culley to run the show and attempt to repair the relationship with Watson, it seems unlikely to me that Houston holds on, given the issues between Watson and owner Cal McNair. Thus, if forced to deal him, the Texans should aim to land at least three first rounders from a team like the Jets, who could see Watson as a better player than any of the QB's available behind Trevor Lawrence.
Draft Pick: QB Zach Wilson, BYU - This obviously assumes a trade with the Jets sends #2 overall to Houston. If so, Wilson looks like the next best bet behind Lawrence in my opinion. He, along with the boatload of additional assets that would come along in this trade, should be a solid foundation for Culley and co.'s rebuild.
Free Agent Signing: S Malik Hooker, Indianapolis Colts - The Texans will start their rebuild without any cap space, meaning that taking chances on younger guys like Hooker, 24 years old, to potentially find useful pieces is key. If they can land Hooker to play safety for them on a cheap 1-2 year deal, that'd be ideal for Houston.

Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

Trade Target: QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions - Easy one here. If the Colts had Stafford in 2020 they probably would have replaced the Bills in the AFC Championship Game. Stafford is only 32 years, meaning he still has a strong 4-5 years left to help the Colts' well-rounded roster make a championship push. Surrendering a first round pick and potentially a 2022 3rd (if there competition from others) is a gamble I'd definitely make if I were Chris Ballard.
Draft Pick: DE Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh - Assuming the Colts use their first on the aforementioned Stafford deal, then finding a balanced edge rusher like Jones would be a great move for Indy. With players like Denico Autry and Justin Houston headed to free agency (and getting old), the Colts would get a terror on the edge with a tremendous motor and tools to develop.
Free Agent Signing: WR Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears - The Colts have a large amount of cap space, second in the league according to OTC's projections. Given that they will need to conserve some of that war chest for internal extensions, they would be wise to replace T.Y. Hilton with a more dominant receiver like Allen Robinson. An offseason adding Matt Stafford and Robinson together should make Frank Reich and Marcus Brady very excited for 2021.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)

Trade Target: WR Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns - If the Browns are preparing to move on from Beckham Jr., then perhaps sending him down to Jacksonville to pair up with Urban Meyer could help get him playing elite football again. After posting 1,000 yard season in 3 of the previous 4 seasons, an injury once again cut his year short.
Draft Pick: OT Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State - Not at #1 overall obviously. We all know that will go to QB Trevor Lawrence. However, with the Rams 1st round selection (acquired via the Jalen Ramsey trade), the Jaguars should look to use it on an upgrade to their offensive line in the form of Radunz.
Free Agent Signing: OLB Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Provided new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen brings a Ravens style 3-4 defense with him, then adding a premier OLB like Barrett while K'Lavon Chaisson develops would be a great move for Jacksonville. With the NFL's lead in cap space, Jacksonville could afford Barrett along with some other instant contributors.

Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)

Trade Target: WR Anthony Miller, Chicago Bears - The Chiefs could easily lose WR Sammy Watkins to free agency, leaving an opening for another wideout to join the rotation. Miller has been fairly productive in Chicago, and could be a solid option to join Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce in Andy Reid's passing attack.
Draft Pick: G Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC - Vera-Tucker gets mocked to the Chiefs a lot, and it makes perfect sense why. A premier offensive line talent, he has some versatility after playing tackle for the Trojans. While I think his best fit is inside, he'd be an ideal player for Kansas City to add to bolster their protection after investing so much in QB Patrick Mahomes.
Free Agent Signing: C Ted Karras, Miami Dolphins - The Chiefs will also be bargain bin hunting, as they're currently over the cap by $18 million. Thus, a starting caliber center like Ted Karras could prove useful for the defending Super Bowl champs (at this point). Karras signed with the Dolphins for only $3 million last season, and a similar deal with KC could be an absolute bargain when all is said and done.

Las Vegas Raiders (8-8)

Trade Target: DT Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears - I mentioned Hicks for the Panthers as well, but he'd be a great add for either team, perhaps even more so for the Raiders, who could easily see DT Johnathan Hankins depart in free agency. A disruptive player in the middle, he'd be a nice add in Las Vegas.
Draft Pick: EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia - After shockingly selecting DE Clelin Ferrell at fourth overall in 2019, the Raiders have still been searching for a game changer at DE to go alongside the productive efforts of Maxx Crosby. Ojulari profiles as a high potential pass rusher to scratch that itch for Jon Gruden and co.
Free Agent Signing: S Anthony Harris, Minnesota Vikings - The Raiders may have to get creative to free up the cap space to land Harris, as they're currently over. But if they can do it, he'd be an ideal player to add to the Vegas' defense, now led by defensive coordinator Ken Whisen...uh...Gus Bradley. Harris is an elite free safety who would pair well with Jonathan Abram.

Los Angeles Chargers (7-9)

Trade Target: DT Danny Shelton, Detroit Lions - Shelton struggled in Detroit, but frankly, everyone on Patricia's defense did. Before that, Shelton posted strong results as a 3-4 interior gap-plugger, doing a quality job for both the Browns and Patriots before him. With Linval Joseph on the decline, adding a younger replacement for cheap could be in store.
Draft Pick: G Wyatt Davis, Ohio State - LA needs a couple of new starters on its offensive line, and if the tackles fly off the board before they can get one at 13th overall, then perhaps a top notch guard could also suffice. Davis has been a consistent player for the Buckeyes and projects as an instant impact lineman for someone at the next level.
Free Agent Signing: OT Alejandro Villanueva, Pittsburgh Steelers - A sturdy, veteran left tackle should be a big priority for the Chargers, as the imperative to protect QB Justin Herbert is high. After a breakout season for Herbert, he gives the franchise a ton of optimism under new head coach Brandon Staley. Keeping him upright is something Villanueva would do well at.

Los Angeles Rams (10-6)

Trade Target: QB Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars - The Rams are in a pickle with QB Jared Goff. He has not been a strong point for the team recently, but his contract is a bit too heavy to move right now. Thus, a cheaper way to acquire some genuine competition for Goff could be to trade for the affordable Minshew, a solid starter in his own right. Jacksonville will be bringing in Trevor Lawrence anyways to replace him, so perhaps acquiring a pick or so to send him out could be a wise move.
Draft Pick: EDGE Quincy Roche, Miami - Provided that new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris isn't changing the scheme outright, Roche would be an excellent fit at 3-4 OLB in LAR. He's a dynamic pass rusher with excellent physical traits. If he falls to the Rams in the second-round they shouldn't think twice about selecting him.
Free Agent Signing: LB Jarrad Davis, Detroit Lions - The Rams are another team already over the cap, so not a lot to spend on. However, they could use some help at inside linebacker, and Davis projects to be a relatively cheap piece to take a gamble on. Physically impressive, he's struggled with the mental side of the game. If Morris can get him sorted out, it could be excellent value.

Miami Dolphins (10-6)

Trade Target: WR Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons - The Dolphins will likely have the opportunity to draft a premier wide receiver in the first round, but could also use some of their stockpile to add an established star like Jones. Giving Tua as many options as you can is a wise move.
Draft Pick: RB Najee Harris, Alabama - Reuniting Harris and Tua in a backfield would fill a big need for the Dolphins. Whether taking him with their second selection in the first round or hoping he drops to the second, Miami should get serious about finding a talented running back,
Free Agent Signing: G Joe Thuney, New England Patriots - The Dolphins still have a decent amount of cap space (8th in the league) and could easily use some of that to target an upgrade to the interior of their offensive line by adding Thuney. Thuney crossed paths with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores in New England, and a reunion down south could be profitable for both parties.

Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

Trade Target: DT Tyquan Lewis, Indianapolis Colts - Lewis may not be on the trade block, but the Colts have both defensive tackles locked up ahead of him (Buckner, Grover Stewart). Perhaps they'd consider moving a young, promising 3-technique if Minnesota put together a quality offer for him. He'd instantly fill a need for the Vikings.
Draft Pick: EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami - With the failed Yannick Ngakoue tenure, the Vikings still need to find a premium pass rusher. Rousseau sat out 2020, but was dominant the year before and projects as a highly athletic piece for Zimmer to develop.
Free Agent Signing: OT Matt Feiler, Pittsburgh Steelers - Feiler offers a lot of versatility, which works great for Minnesota, as they could insert Feiler as a starting tackle, or slide G Ezra Cleveland into the LT position and put Feiler in at guard. Either way, a relatively affordable upgrade on the OL.

New England Patriots (7-9)

Trade Target: TE Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles are another team finding themselves in a less-than-ideal cap situation, and thus, will likely explore moving a top player like Ertz. While the Patriots have drafted a handful of decent role players at TE, they've lacked a player of Ertz's caliber. He'd be a nice upgrade to help whomever the Patriots land at QB.
Draft Pick: WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama - It seems unlikely that Devonta Smith or Ja'Marr Chase slip to New England, but I'd imagine they'd be perfectly content with a potential stud like Waddle to bolster their mediocre group of pass catchers. He's a very smooth player with a lot of potential.
Free Agent Signing: QB Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys - Dalton got off to a rough start with Dallas in relief of QB Dak Prescott, scoring a total of 13 points in 2 games while throwing 1 touchdown to 3 interceptions. However, he was admirable after that, throwing 13 touchdowns to 5 interceptions while posting a 4-3 record over that stretch. Dalton could be an upgrade over Cam Newton for New England while they hunt for a new franchise QB to replace Tom Brady.

New Orleans Saints (12-4)

Trade Target: Draft Picks for Kwon Alexander, Nick Easton, or Latavius Murray - The Saints game isn't necessarily who they should bring in, but if they can get picks for some players with bloated contracts that they may need to cut. If they can score some late-round picks to move these guys (or others) elsewhere, they need to pull the trigger.
Draft Pick: WR Kadarius Toney, Florida - While it seems like the hype train on Toney has left the station, it'd be incredible if he slipped to the Saints at 28th overall in this draft. An explosive player, he'd be an ideal partner for WR Michael Thomas, giving Taysom Hill or maybe Jameis(?) some excellent weapons.
Free Agent Signing: TE Jacob Hollister, Seattle Seahawks - The Saints, as mentioned, are in cap purgatory. Their signings will be quite minimum once they make the trades, cuts, and restructures required to get them back under the cap. However, one cheaper option could be a solid TE like Hollister, as TE Jared Cook is set to depart. Putting up 25 catches including 3 touchdowns at a price tag a shade over $3 million could be in New Orleans price range.

New York Giants (6-10)

Trade Target: G Gabe Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders - Jackson has been rumored to be available for a little while now. Not yet 30 years old, he's a steady veteran option on the interior of any offensive line and would fit quite well with the Giants.
Draft Pick: WR Devonta Smith, Alabama - If the Dolphins don't take Smith, the Giants certainly should. Ensuring that QB Daniel Jones has the weapons he needs to grow into the franchise QB role is pertinent. Smith is a stud pass catcher and would be an excellent pick if he were on the board at 10th overall.
Free Agent Signing: EDGE Matt Judon, Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens have let a handful of pass rushers walk, and if they do so with Judon this year, the Giants should go get him. While Yannick could also be a Ravens OLB on the market, Judon fits Joe Judge's style a little bit more than Yannick does, and could be available for cheaper, which is important for another cap squeezed team like the Giants.

New York Jets (2-14)

Trade Target: QB Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans - As I do think Justin Fields or Zach Wilson can be good franchise QB's, Watson already is an exceptional one. The Jets should put together a package of picks to go land the beleaguered QB and unite him with Robert Saleh, whom he listed as one of the guys he originally wanted Houston to interview.
Draft Pick: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC - Assuming the Jets send both first-round selections to the Texans in the hypothetical Watson trade, the Jets would still have a premium pick to start off the second-round, one they should use to add a top tier WR like St. Brown who could be a star quickly.
Free Agent Signing: CB William Jackson III, Cincinnati Bengals - If the Bengals can't lock Jackson up to an extension before free agency, the Jets should throw some cash at him to be a foundational piece of Saleh's defense in the Big Apple.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1)

Trade Target: Draft Picks for Zach Ertz, DeSean Jackson, and Alshon Jeffery - Like the Saints, the Eagles probably should focus on offloading bloated contracts rather than bringing anyone in. The cheap rookie contracts that draft picks provide will be needed to steer themselves out of cap purgatory.
Draft Pick: WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU - The Eagles and Chase are an ideal fit, and new head coach Nick Sirianni sure could use the big play ability that Chase provides. Whichever QB ends up getting the start, they'll be happy to have a guy like Chase to throw to.
Free Agent Signing: CB Bashaud Breeland, Kansas City Chiefs - The Eagles have a horrific cap situation themselves, and thus, a lower-end veteran like Breeland can give them a solid starter at an affordable price as the Eagles try and sort out their defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

Trade Target: QB Sam Darnold, New York Jets - The Steelers may have brought in Dwayne Haskins, but frankly I have little faith there. Instead, they should call up the Jets to figure out what Darnold will cost them. One season behind Roethlisberger in his final go could be a great change of pace for Darnold before taking over.
Draft Pick: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson - Everyone is too cool for elite running backs in the wannabe scouting world. But Etienne is a stud, and the Steelers need a big upgrade at running back. If they don't like their options for QB late into the first, they should give serious weight to taking Etienne and landing an elite player rather than reach for a lesser player elsewhere.
Free Agent Signing: G Elijah Wilkinson, Denver Broncos - Wilkinson had a very rough 2019 season, but has been a good deal better in 2020. He's still on the younger end, not even 26 years old, and could be an affordable gamble for Pittsburgh, who also needs to find their way back under the cap ($35 million over).

San Francisco 49ers (6-10)

Trade Target: QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions - If the Colts don't land Stafford, the 49ers absolutely should. Pairing Stafford and Kyle Shanahan would be fun to watch, and he'd be a much most consistent player for the 49ers than the oft-injured Jimmy G. It's a big move, but one Shanahan may want to consider to make another championship run.
Draft Pick: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech - If the 49ers don't move for Stafford and keep their first-round selection, they should target a top tier corner like Farley as they have a handful of corners (Sherman, Witherspoon, Williams) set to hit the open market.
Free Agent Signing: DT Shelby Harris, Denver Broncos - The 49ers top priority should be retaining OT Trent Williams, but after that, adding a veteran pass rusher on the interior could be a good move. Harris has been a consistent player for Denver, but has yet to be rewarded with a big opportunity, something he could get here alongside Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead.

Seattle Seahawks (12-4)

Trade Target: DT Jonathan Allen, Washington Football Team - I'm not sure the Football Team would move him, but he is on the final year of his deal, and Washington's going to have weigh future deals for DE's Montez Sweat and Chase Young into the equation. If they aren't willing to pony up for three studs on the defensive line, they may look to add some picks in exchange for Allen.
Draft Pick: CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern - A late riser up the board after a stellar junior year in Evanston. Newsome has ideal size (6'1, 190 lbs) for Seattle and could help fill a gap if they have to choose between Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar.
Free Agent Signing: DE Carl Lawson, Cincinnati Bengals - A really good fit here, as the Seahawks very much need some pass-rushing help. Lawson has been an excellent player for the Bengals and could find the chance to compete in the playoffs if he heads west for Seattle.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)

Trade Target: QB Sam Darnold, New York Jets - The Bucs are another team that should explore the asking price for Darnold. While Brady is still winning his battle against time, it seems unrealistic to expect it to continue for too much longer. The Bucs could potentially land his heir apparent in Darnold.
Draft Pick: Christian Barmore, Alabama - Between Barmore and Daviyon Nixon, I think both have a case to make as DT1 in this class, but Barmore projects as a bit better fit to Todd Bowles' 3-4 defense than Nixon does. The Bucs add an impact defensive lineman to pair on the inside with Vita Vea, giving them flexibility in replacing Ndamukong Suh.
Free Agent Signing: OLB Tyus Bowser, Baltimore Ravens - The Bucs have a good chunk of cap space available, but will need to prioritize some re-signings like LB Lavonte David, OLB Shaq Barrett, and TE Rob Gronkowski. Thus, they may not have a lot of cash to throw out there after bringing back some of their own. Bowser is a good value to add as a rotational pass rusher, scoring some decent grades from PFF as a backup for Matt Judon and Yannick in Baltimore. An expanded role in Tampa could pay off for both sides.

Tennessee Titans (11-5)

Trade Target: OLB Jacob Martin, Houston Texans - As sad as it is, Martin's 3 sacks in 2020 would have led the team for Tennessee. In a passing era, you need to get after the QB better than the Texans are doing. While team's are hesitant to trade within the division, the Texans should be more focused on acquiring picks to rebuild, which they could get by moving a decent rotational pass-rusher.
Draft Pick: OLB Joseph Ossai, Texas - Really the Titans should be focused on landing a high potential pass-rusher, and Ossai figures to be a hot name in that range. He's a springy pass rusher who can inject some life into one of the league's worst team's at getting to the QB.
Free Agent Signing: WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts - After a strong season in 2020, WR Corey Davis seems a bit unlikely to return, as he'll likely fetch more on the market than the Titans can afford to pay him. Thus, they should consider adding a veteran replacement to pair with budding star A.J. Brown at wide receiver.

Washington Football Team (7-9)

Trade Target: QB Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans - Another team I think should really make a push for Watson. It'll cost them at least a 2021 and 2022 first-round pick, along with probably another second and DT Jonathan Allen or some other player. It could definitely cost more than that! But Watson would solidify Washington as the top team in the NFC East for the next few years. With QB and DE locked in with Watson, Sweat, and Young, this could be a potential dynasty in the division.
Draft Pick: OT Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State - A potential second-round target, Washington should look to find a developmental tackle to eventually slot into their lineup. Morgan Moses and Cornelius Lucas were a solid pairing last year, but both are about to turn 30 years old, and Jenkins has a lot of potential. A year to develop before taking a spot in the starting lineup would ideal for everyone involved.
Free Agent Signing: WR Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions - Washington managed to build a passing attack out of Terry McLaurin and a handful of role players at RB and TE. While it worked in 2020, it does not seem very sustainable, as Washington should use its cap space to bring in a premier WR to pair with Terry McLaurin. Pairing up McLaurin's speed with Golladay's ability to go win contested balls is an ideal complementary pairing.

1 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson - At this point, the only way Lawrence wont go first is if the Jags somehow write the wrong name on the card.
2 - New York Jets - Justin Fields, QB, OSU - Zach Wilson vs Justin Field has become a hotter debate in recent times, with mocks seems to split 50/50 on which of the 2 will go before the other. This one will likely end up coming down to preference, but personally I prefer Field’s upside and athleticism. Still, it’ll probably end up being a close call overall.
3 - Carolina Panthers (via MIA via HOU - sends 1.08, 3.73, 2022 CAR 1st, 2022 CAR 2nd, for 1.03) - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU - This seems like a lot at first glance, but I’d bet on the Panthers being much improved next year with the return of a healthy McCaffery and Joe Brady/Matt Rhule having another year to establish their system. What that means is that if the Panthers can improve at QB, they could be a legitimate playoff contender. Teddy Bridgewater is not the answer, and IMO when you have someone as good as CMC, you need to give him a good QB. The Panthers don't want to end up like the Vikings, sticking a bunch of mediocre at best QBs next to their stud RB.
4 - Atlanta Falcons - Trey Lance, QB, NDSU - I know there’s a large portion of Falcons fans who really want to go anywhere but QB here, but how much longer can Matt Ryan play at a high level? With the 2022 QB class still full of question marks, grabbing your guy of the future right now would be a prudent move. Its instant gratification vs long term strategy. And with the success of raw QBs at the next level under proper development, Trey Lance looks like a solid bet. He’s got a great arm, and plays smart enough to only have a single interception in his college career. There’s a serious ceiling here, and he could absolutely benefit from learning from Matt Ryan for a year. Arthur Smith completely revitalized Tannehill as well, so maybe he could turn Lance into a stud.
5 - Cincinnati Bengals - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon - Seems like it ends up working out for the Bengals, who really need to protect Joe Burrow. There’s been whispers that teams have Rashawn Slater over Sewell currently, but I partially chalk that up to prospect fatigue. IMO Sewell’s the best OT in the class, and although he’s got areas he can improve, his body of work is utterly dominant currently. If he can polish up his technique and stay healthy, he’ll be a godsend to the Bengals OL.
6 - Eagles - Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU - DeVonta Smith has been crazy this year, but it seems like people have forgotten Ja’Marr Chase was just as dominant last year too. Honestly, the Eagles really can't go wrong here with either WR, but IMO Chase is more of a sure thing to be dominant in the NFL, as minute of a difference as that is.
7 - Detroit Lions - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama - After that insane performance against Ohio State, I don't think the Lions can pass up on Smith here, even as bad as their defense is. With their entire WR corps being possible FAs, they need to find replacements ASAP, especially if they cannot find a way to agree to a deal with Kenny Golladay. As for Smith well, he’s a beast. Plain and simple. Y’all saw what he did to Ohio State in just one half.
8 - Houston Texans (Via MIA via DET - Sends Deshaun Watson, 2022 HOU 3rd for 1.08, 2.50, 2022 MIA first, 2023 MIA first, Tua Tagovailoa, salary fillers) - Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan - The Dolphins send away Tua + a ton of picks for a shiny new franchise QB, and the Texans begin their rebuild. First up is addressing the defensive line. JJ Watt is very likely gone, Whitney Mercilus is done, and Jonathan Greenard has disappointed. They need someone who can make a serious impact, now. Kwity Paye has been one of the most dominant players in college football, with an insane pressure rate, and is a supposed athletic freak who runs a sub 6.8 3 cone at 6’4’’, 272, with some claiming it being as low as 6.37. No matter what the time ends up being, it's utterly insane for someone of his size, and he could likely play the same role that Watt does for the Texans.
9 - Denver Broncos - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State - The Broncos do really need CB, but there’s a pretty big hole in the middle of the defense next to Alexander Johnson. Josey Jewell isnt a 3 down LB, and it's really hard to pass up on Parsons here, an elite LB who can be the tonesetter of the Broncos defense from day one. Pairing up Parsons and Johnson should give Denver two monsters in the middle of the defense.
10 - Dallas Cowboys - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech - Now that Dan Quinn’s the new DC, meaning that they’ll be running a ton of Cover 3. And with how much Quinn loves his physical/athletic CBs who can play both man and zone, Caleb Farley is the natural pick here IMO. He’s sticky as glue, with fluid hips and a size profile that NFL teams dream of, perfect for pattern-match that should be used a lot in Dallas next season. His zone coverage does need a little work, but the Cowboys will likely be doing mostly spot-drop zone, which is pretty simple to pick up, and outside of injury concerns, Farley should be a huge help for the Dallas defense.
11 - New York Giants - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina - The Giants love their press man coverage, but were forced to run zone a lot last year due to how bad their cornerbacks were outside of James Bradberry. Jaycee Horn fits their preferred scheme, and also shores up that huge hole at CB2 that they have. No CB in the class is as good as disrupting WRs at the LOS as Horn is, and he’ll be a great addition to what was a surprisingly good defense last year.
12 - San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama - The 49ers have 0 CBs under contract next year. They need building blocks now, especially with Robert Saleh now gone. Patrick Surtain fits into their zone heavy system perfectly. He’s got elite ball skills, is consistently disruptive, and can stick to WRs like glue. He’d be the perfect guy to replace Richard Sherman if the 49ers cant bring him back, and should be able to slot in at CB1 or CB2 immediately.
13 - LA Chargers - Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern - Slater’s a guy who's been getting a ton of hype in recent times, with some even putting him above Sewell. How much of that is real and how much of it is smoke? Hard to say at this point, but I do know that he’ll be an upgrade no matter where he slots in for the Chargers. Protecting Herbert should be there #1 priority right now, especially for the terrible LA OL. Slater should be a fantastic player for the Chargers from day 1.
14 - Miami Dolphins (Via Minnesota Vikings - sends 1.18, 3.82 for 1.14) - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama - Miami goes ALL in here. With Watson now on the roster, their window is now, and they treat it with urgency, giving up some more draft capital to grab the last of the 3 main stud WRs in the class. Jaylen Waddle fits what Miami needs right now, a speed demon joystick who would be what Will Fuller was for Watson in Houston, a connection that was lethal even with Fuller being injured constantly. Watson to Waddle should be one of the deadliest partnerships in the league, turning the Miami offense into a high powered scoring machine.
15 - New England Patriots - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama - Mac Jones is a guy who’s worked his way from fringe QB prospect all the way up to R1 guy. I'm not sure if the NFL likes him as much as most people in the draft community do, but he’s a smart QB who was instrumental in leading the Crimson Tide to a National Championship. I’d say he grades out pretty well at all the important areas of being a QB, like his arm, going through progressions, that kind of thing. This only big flaw IMO is his ability to extend plays, but the Patriots have the OL to shore up that weakness. The main question here is how will Mac Jones play without any solid WRs? The Patriots receiving corps is barren, so that will be something that must be addressed soon.
16 - Arizona Cardinals - Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State - The Cardinals offensive line seems to consistently lose at the LOS, something that was a huge part in them not making the playoffs. With that in mind and all of the top 3 CBs long gone, they grab the mauling OG out of Ohio State, an absolute mauler who can hit hard to create space in the run game. He’s a great fit for the Cardinals run game, and should give them some of the nasty they’ve been lacking.
17 - Las Vegas Raiders - Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame - It's hard to say what the Raiders will go with, as Mayock has not been on the job that long, but this is a pick that I agree with Daniel Jeremiah on. The Raiders lack that dynamic linebacker who can move around and cover everything, and JOK should be able to line up all over. He’s perfect for an NFL that seems to value positionless players more, and especially for a Raiders defense that’s going to be stuck against Travis Kelce for the near future.
18 - Minnesota Vikings - Gregory Rousseau, DE/DT, Miami - When your sack leader is a guy you traded away half way through the season, there's a problem. That Vikings defense was inexcusably bad this year, even with the loss of Danielle Hunter, and basically cost their offense a shot at the playoffs. They need to add some juice to the pass rush ASAP. Gregory Rousseau would be perfect, a raw and crazy athletic player who can line up all over the defensive line to wreak havoc. Considering Minnesota turned one athletic freak into a stud, they should have confidence that they can make Rousseau great too, and he’d be a wonderful addition, especially considering the fact that the Vikings have moved around their edge rushers to exploit mismatches, most notably against the Saints.
19 - Washington Football Team - Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech - There doesn't seem to be a solid answer at QB available here for Washington, so they look to bolster up their trenches in order to replace the departed Trent Williams. Darrisaw has the size and length to be a fantastic NFL tackle, along with an extremely strong anchor and some great agility for his size. His technique needs to be cleaned up a little, but he could easily lock down the LT spot for Washington in the future.
20 - Chicago Bears - Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota - Allen Robinson is gone, leaving a huge hole at WR1 for Chicago. Seeing as there’s not really a great way to fix Chicago’s QB situation, they instead look to try and make the most of their closing window. Rashod Bateman should come in and be the WR1 for Chicago, a great route runner with sure hands who can snag a ball and some more yards after the catch. Hopefully Trubisky builds a much better connection with him than he did with Arob.
21 - Detroit Lions (Via IND - sends Matthew Stafford for 1.22, salary filler) - Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa - The Lions defense really needs help at LB. Jarrad Davis is probably starting again, but Tavai really shouldnt be. Zaven Collins can step in and be the best LB in the Lions from day 1, an absolute freak athlete who can cover, can stop the run, and even has a pass rushing upside. He’s the perfect chess piece for the new Lions defense to build around, and should be an immediate impact player from day 1.
22 - Tennessee Titans - Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa - The Titans need pass rush in every capacity, and that includes from the defensive line. Jeffery Simmons is a monster, but he doesn't get much help. He’d pair up great with Daviyon Nixon, a freak athlete out of the B1G who excels most when he gets to pin his ears back and just attack the QB. His ability to cause issues down the middle should help alleviate the Titans pass rush issues somewhat.
23 - New York Jets (Via SEA) - Kyle Pitts, TE/WR, Florida - The Jets just need to add weapons to their team at this point. Their WR corps has little promise outside of maybe Mims, and their TE corps is equally barren. Pitts addresses both of those issues at once. Able to play all over the lineup, Pitts can work as both a huge WR and a TE, able to consistently beat coverages and get catches against defenses. He’ll be a great weapon for Fields to utilize, a truly dynamic threat who could be one of the best receivers on the Jets from day 1.
24 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Liam Eichenburg, OT, Notre Dame - A lot of the Steeler’s tackle depth, most notably starting LT Alejandro Villenueva, will be lost to FA, and Pittsburgh needs to address that ASAP. Liam Eichenburg isnt the most athletic OT with a crazy high ceiling, but he’s a solid technician who should be able to start from day 1, perfect for a contending team like the steelers.
25 - Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR) - Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas - The Jaguars need to protect their investment, especially with Cam Robinson a question mark to be back due to his poor play. Protecting a young QB should be the #1 priority after landing one, and Cosmi is a tantalizing prospect to add. He’s got plenty of athleticism and a frame that’s waiting to be filled out, a solid pass blocker who can deal with speed rushers really well. He’s a high ceiling prospect who could become a great LT and lock down Tlaw’s blind side for the future.
26 - Cleveland Browns - Jaelen Phillips, EDGE, Miami - Sometimes it just feels like the Browns defensive line is just Myles Garrett. That can't stand. The Browns need to give Garrett some help in the pass rush, and that's why they pick Jaelen Phillips. There’s a lot of injury concerns here, but if Phillips can stay healthy, he’s an absolute MONSTER in the pass rush, having notched 8 sacks in just 5 games this year. If he can stay on the field, he and Garrett should give opposing offensive lines some serious headaches.
27 - Baltimore Ravens - Alijah Vera-Tucker, iOL, USC - The Ravens need to bolster their offensive line more. After the loss of Marshall Yanda, the Ravens offensive line has taken a notable step back, and Ronnie Stanley’s injury certainly didn't help there. AVT’s easily BPA at this point, an interior beast who is a stone wall with excellent hand usage. He should be able to make the Ravens offensive line even better, and boost their already lethal run game to higher levels.
28 - New Orleans Saints - Kyle Trask, QB, Florida - Im sorry, I don't think Taysom Hill is an NFL level QB. Especially not for a title contender. Drew Brees is retired, and I doubt Winston will be back. That means QB is the most glaring hole in NO. Kyle Trask might never be Patrick Mahomes, but he’s a good solid player who can make accurate passes, adjusts to pressure well, and is willing to extend plays. With the Saints filled with weapons and talent, Trask should be a good enough game manager to help the Saints be contenders for the rest of their window.
29 - Green Bay Packers - Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington - Kenny Clark and Keke Kingsley are building blocks along the defensive line, but the Packers could afford to add some depth. Onwuzurike has been mocked in the first by DJ, and he tends to have his ear to most NFL team’s pulse. Onwuzuriki’s calling card is his length and athleticism, which combined with his explosiveness and motor results in him just running over people at times. He does need to improve his power and add more consistently, but the addition of Onwuzurike could make the Packers defensive line a force as good as the Steelers DL.
30 - Buffalo Bills - Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson - The Bills just need playmakers especially in the run game, and Etienne is one of the best pure playmakers in the class. He’s an explosive threat who must be addressed at all times, or else he could break free and gash the defensive for serious yardage. His acceleration and contact balance make him a problem to tackle, and with supposed 4.3 speed, defenders won't be able to catch him once he gets into open space. He’s no slouch in the pass game either, putting up solid production at Clemson and flashing the ability to run a few option routes. The Bills already have their Jim Kelly and Andre Reed in Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Time to add the Thurman Thomas of the trio, and turn Buffalo into an offense that can toe to toe with the Chiefs.
31 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan - Donovan Smith is very likely gone this year, meaning that Tampa would have a hole at one of the tackle spots opposite of Wirfs. No matter if they move Wirfs to LT or keep him at RT, Mayfield would be a great get opposite of him. Mayfield’s a dependable run blocker who has good feet, and although he's not finished just yet, if Tampa can utilize his athletic gifts to the fullest, he’d be a great compliment to their current franchise OT.
32 - Kansas City Chiefs - Joe Tryon, EDGE, Washington - Joe Tryon’s another player who is apparently well regarded according to DJ. He’s shown flashes of being a great pass rusher, but he’s really still a WIP in most areas, especially as a run defender. However, he does fit the mold of what the Chiefs want in their pass rushers, standing at 6’5 262. Kansas City does need the help on the EDGE, and they can afford to take a gamble here, considering the Mahomes led offense should be able to easily cover up any defensive deficiencies for the next few years.

I've noticed a lot of new people in here asking some obvious questions to those of us who have been around for a while. So to generate new and better discussion I want to answer some of these frequently asked questions.
 
1. Where can I find information about these companies
I hope you haven't bought any of these names before you did research and before you even know where to start looking. First place you should go to is Google and type in " investor relations". If this is too much you can shorten it to " IR". It should be the first link in every case and if it's not then that's already a red flag.
Read about the companies products, how they operate. Read their MD&A, read their financial statements from the last few years. Maybe look at product reviews or review the products yourselves. Watch interviews with the CEO. Find out what makes this company unique, operationally effective and worth buying for consumers. You should quickly figure out that APHA is NOT a cannabis company, but a consumer packaged good company. They own Cannabis, Alcohol, and Pharma businesses (plus hemp after the TLRY merger).
Doing your DD should take time. Don't be in a rush to buy the stock because it's run up 100% in the past few weeks. If you look at the chart, 2 years ago these companies rocketed upwards to ATHs, you could have waited another year or so and bought lower. Are we taking off to the moon and never coming back? Probably not.
 
2. Where can I buy these companies? Are they on Robinhood?
First, ditch Robinhood a get a broker that won't go under in the next few years. Pay a trading fee if you need to but just buy enough stock to make the tade worth it. Don't buy $20 of Apha on investorline or you're immediately taking a 50% haircut with a $9.95 trading fee.
Second, you can buy these companies on most/all legit trading platforms. I won't name them all but all of the big Canadian banks self-directed platforms have them. I'm not American so I can't speak for them but I've heard good things about Fidelity and Vanguard.
Oh, did you also mean what exchanges can I buy them on? Big Canadian names are on the major exchanges like TSX and Nasdaq. Smaller names are on the CSE and OTC markets. US names can't list on the big exchanges because your government decided cannabis was bad like 50 yrs ago so those are only on the OTC and CSE markets. MSOs is a fund on the NYSE (I think) that hold some sort of swaps on the US names but I personally just buy the names myself. Again, do you own DD, even if you're buying a fund.
 
3. This stock went up x% in the last y time, should I buy it or wait for a dip?
This ties into point 1 above, so if you've done your DD you should know if the company is worth what it is priced at. The market does wacky shit all the time (see Gamestop, morgage crisis, great depression) so it'll go up and down, but generally follow along the trajectory of the company profits. If the profits increase by 5x in 10 years, the stock price will do the same. If you're asking for predictions in the short term consult a fortune teller, roll dice or find one of those pets that pick stocks.
 
4. What stocks should I buy? How do you feel about x company?
See 1, then 3. I can't tell you what companies are good in the space better than your own research. Especially since you don't know what my plans are. Maybe a poster says buy "Apha" but they're only holding until the TLRY merger closes. They'll never tell you when they're selling so if it drops you'll be scratching your head. Do a bunch of research on the main players, then some smaller guys and figure out what you can stomach. Maybe a cannabis ETF is right for you or maybe 1 or 2 strong picks or maybe you like gambling with penny stocks. Just do your own DD.
Popular names and good places to start are:

• Canadian names: APHA/TLRY, CGC/WEED, ACB, CRON
  
• US names: CURA, TRUL, CL, GTII
  

 
5. Should I buy leaps or warrents or calls or puts? Also what are derivatives?
If you have to ask, no. I'm also not going to explain because I don't know either.
 
6. I bought Gamestop at all time highs and I sold and lost 90%, is cannabis good?
No, kindly take your paper hands and go back to WSB. We don't want investors in this space who sell at the first 10% drop after an 100% run, or after a 50% drop from ATHs, or after a short report from some short selling parasites. We hold because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity of a product moving from the illicit market to the legal market. There is no need to build up demand, merely move the consumer from buying from their dealer to our dealer. This will take time, regulatory changes, perception changes and most importantly, your patience.
 
7. Any small companies you can reccomend?
Being a small company in this space comes with distinct disadvantages. Price compression in Canada will kill small/medium sized growers since they can't achieve postive margins without scale. Add in some mould on even 1 harvest and the losses have destroyed your business. On the US side, regulations are weird and vary across different states. Califonia is a dumpster fire, Florida requires you to be vertically integrated, and other states have limited licences for retail and grows. Think about how hard it would be to get a foothold in Florida as a small business. Think about how valuable a licence is in limited licence states. Maybe your small player is looking for licences and gets NONE. That's devastating. Curaleaf misses 1 licence? Not great, but they have other applications in multiple states.
If you're buying a small company or penny stock, know the risks and do extra DD.
THERE HAVE BEEN COMPANIES THAT ARE FRAUDULENT IN THIS INDUSTRY.
COMPANIES HAVE GONE BANKRUPT IN THIS INDUSTRY.
Canntrust was legit but had fake walls with more plants behind them. Ignite was run by Dan Bilzerian. YOUR PICKS ARE NOT IMMUNE FROM GOING BANKRUPT.
Let me repeat the most important point: THERE HAVE BEEN COMPANIES THAT ARE FRAUDULENT IN THIS SPACE.
 
8. I wanna buy because of US legalization! When will Cannabis be legalized in the US?
Asking for a specific date is dumb and assuming that it's going to pass is dumber. Yes, Democrats control all 3 branches of government and yes, they are more cannabis friendly than Republicans and yes, some Republican states also recently legalized cannabis. THIS DOES NOT MEAN LEGALIZATION WILL PASS THIS YEAR, OR EVEN UNDER THIS CONGRESS OR PRESIDENT. Some Republicans in the house voted for cannabis regulation under Trump and some Democrats voted against it. We have no idea how the senate will vote and it doesn't take many votes to torpedo any legislation.
If you know the US Cannabis space right now you'll know that descheduling and getting access to lower tax rates, access to capital and ability to cross state lines are some of the most important regulatory changes that need to happen. Look up the 208e280e tax code. Seriously do it. Full legalization is nice but also unlikely.
 
If I've missed any questions post them below. and I'll add them.
 
TL:DR: Do your own DD. Start here:

• Canadian names: APHA/TLRY, CGC/WEED, ACB, CRON
  
• US names: CURA, TRUL, CL, GTII
  

 
EDIT: Adding in some resources for those who want more. These are my own resources I use/used to get started. If you have resources to share please do so but don't self promote you ding dongs.
 
Resources
New to Investing:

• Most people think Warren Buffet is the GOAT but Peter Lynch is also a GOAT in his own right and a better speaker.
• People also think you need to read through all of "The Intelligent Investor" before you can start investing but that's bs. Read "One up on Wallstreet" by Peter Lynch. It's like 300 pages shorter and more fun. Then read Intelligent Investor if you want but if you get 20 pages in and fall asleep or feel stupid then I told you so.
• Martin Shkreli is an asshat but he knows the finance side of valuing companies. His finance lessons are awesome if you stand him for a few hours at a time. Follow along with your own companies.

Cannabis Resources:

• The sidebar has great resources. Stateside cannabis investors(EDIT: Currently down) is awesome for the US side.
• The OCS releases a quarterly report you should read for Canada. Hell, go to OCS.ca and see what products are available and prices. Go to the BC page, the quebec page etc...
• Statscan has a cannabis hub. It's updated super rarely and it might be archived but it's good to look at to start.

Note: I was technically supposed to post this earlier this week, but noticed that no one was signed up for today (plus I was super busy earlier), so I'm posting a bit late, under a throwaway account! Fair warning: I'm VERY verbose, so this will be long!
Section One: Assets and Debt
As I mentioned above, I make $56k per year as an administrator in higher education. My husband (K) just got a raise to making $155k per year. He works as a lawyer, has been in the workforce for about 12 years. I won't get into too many details but he works for a small boutique firm, not Biglaw. He also sometimes gets a yearly bonus of around $10k-20k but it's not guaranteed or anything like that. K and I have totally combined finances, so the below numbers are for both of us. I have a humanities PhD but I decided to leave academia and find an alt-ac job. My current position has good work-life balance (I never work past 5 pm), but pays terribly and my university is very badly run. I'm hoping to leave higher education all together in the future and am currently enrolled in a certificate program to try to make a career transition to instructional design.
The big elephant in the room is that my husband, K, makes a lot more money than me. When we first met, he was paying off massive amounts of student loans and making much less, and I was debt free with a lot of savings, so we both spent about the same amount. Now he makes 3x what I make and we are both debt-free, so the difference is much more noticeable. We do argue about money sometimes (more in the past), but the reality is that I have a humanities PhD and will likely never out earn him, and he knew that when I married him, lol. Because of all the labor I do around the house and in our lives to support him as he works a much more intense job, I was very clear that I believed we should split our finances equally as soon as we got married. We don't have separate accounts and we generally check in with one another whenever we are planning to spend more than $100. This system works for us for now.
I also want to address the question about parental or family support. Although I technically paid all of my own bills since I got my Bachelor's degree, my parents supported me a lot by paying for my flights home to visit at Christmas or in the summer as Xmas presents/birthday presents. My parents also paid for my undergraduate degree (and K's parents paid for his undergraduate degree as well). They also gave us about $15k to pay for our wedding.
Finally, my parents recently gave me $20k as an "early inheritance." They told me they plan to do this every year (depending on the stock market). We put this money into a brokerage. I don't consider my parents rich, as they both worked hourly jobs in health care my entire life (as a nurse and respiratory therapist - both with only associate's degrees). We never owned a new car, when we went on vacation we stayed in hostels , and shopped almost exclusively at Goodwill. But they scrimped and saved and now they have over $1 million in a retirement account. So I want to acknowledge my financial privilege in that I came from this kind of background. K's parents are similar.
Retirement Balance: $186k (combination of 401k, 403b, 457, 2 Roth IRAs, and taxable brokerage account).
Equity: None, we rent.
Savings account balance: Approximately $45k.
Checking account balance: Right now, around 8k.
Credit card debt: Right now, around $3k. But we pay it off each month with our checking account balance.
Student loan debt: $0. We finally paid off my husband’s law school loans (around $130k), last year. I didn’t have any student loans from undergrad (parents paid) and my MA & PhD were fully funded.
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I’ve been working in my current field for 3 years. I started off making about $53k and got tiny 2% “merit increases” twice. Then in July my payroll title was changed, which triggered a required raise of about $2k. (I am dramatically underpaid).
Before my current position, I was in academia. I worked as a visiting assistant professor for one year at my alma mater (made $50k for 9 months of work) and before that I was a graduate student for 7 years. I was paid $18k-21k in stipends each year and my tuition & benefits were covered. Luckily, I lived in a very low cost of living area and this was enough for me to live on without going into debt. I got my PhD in 2017. Before I was a graduate student, I taught English in Japan for three years and made around $36k per year. In high school and college, I had random jobs that provided grocery/spending money, but I was lucky enough to have parents that paid my tuition and my rent in college.
I’m currently trying to make a career change (as you will see in my diary) and enrolled in a certificate program which runs from Autumn 2020 to Spring 2021 in order to help with that.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $7,634. This probably seems low relative to our joint income, but we max out our 401k (K) and 403b (me). I work for the state government, which means I’m also eligible for something called a Deferred Compensation Plan (457b). This is basically the same as a 401k but you can withdraw contributions and gains from the account at any age without penalty (of course, you still have to pay taxes). I also max this out, and the limit is the same as a 401k/403b - $19.5k. Also this number is before K’s raise is accounted for. It won’t increase until his end of February paycheck.
Other deductions - I have health insurance taken out (about $80 a month for me, K’s firm covers his premiums) and taxes. WA has no state taxes, so it’s only federal taxes. I used to have to pay $50 / month for a bus pass (K's was free), but I don’t pay any longer because I’m working from home during COVID.
Final note - the sum I mentioned in the headline includes a variable bonus my husband gets. My base pay is $56k and his is $155k (as of February 1). This year he also got a bonus of $20k, which is set up a bit strangely. About $4k of this was structured as a 3% matching contribution to his 401k and the rest was taxable income. In small law firms, it’s unusual to get any 401k match so this was nice.
Side Gig Monthly Take Home: None.
Any Other Monthly Income Here: We get some interest from our savings account… like $25 a month.
Section Three: Expenses
Rent: Rent comes to approximately $2,050 total for a one-bedroom apartment. Rent itself is $1886, then we have pet rent ($25 per month), bicycle parking ($15 a month) and water / sewage / gas, which is usually $120-150 (variable cost).
Renters insurance: $157.76, paid annually. $13 a month.
Retirement contribution: In addition to the 401k, 403b, and 457, which all come out before taxes, we max out our Roth IRAs. That means $500 each per month per person (for a yearly total of $6k each). As I noted up top, we match out our 401k and 403b (19,500 each) and our 457. My employee also offers a 7.5% match. K's employee offers a 3% match but it is included in his yearly bonus so it's not guaranteed (confusing).
Savings contribution: We put $500 per month into our emergency fund. We also put about $860 a month into our “sinking fund,” which covers large and small annual or sporadic purchases such as vacations, gifts, Amazon Prime renewal, car insurance and renters insurance, etc.
Investment contribution: $875 per month into a taxable brokerage at Vanguard.
In total, we save about 47% of our gross income. We can do this because we keep our housing cost low relative to our high income, we don’t have any debt remaining, we don’t have any kids or parents who need financial support, and we’re very privileged in a lot of ways. We are hoping to FIRE within 10 years.
Debt payments: None.
Donations: We budget $100 per month for donations, which includes one-time donations as well as some reoccurring donations. My husband does pro bono work as well. I would like to increase this by quite a bit, but I still have a hard time budgeting for donations because I spent 7 years living on approximately $20k a year. To go from that to making more than 10x that amount within 3-4 years is obviously something that I am very privileged for, but it is still hard for me emotionally to comprehend at times.
Electric: ~$50-100 (billed every other month)
Wifi/Cable/Landline: An extortionate $87.12 for slow internet that only works for Zoom calls about half the time. Do I really live in one of the tech cities of the future?
Cellphone: $170 (This includes both service and paying off two new iPhones. We could have paid them off up front, but it was actually cheaper by like $50 to go on a payment plan.)
Subscriptions: BritBox ($7.70), Spotify ($16.50), HBOMax ($16.50), We Hate Movies Patreon (my favorite podcast - $8.81). My parents pay for Netflix and my sister pays for Hulu, and we all share.
Gym membership: None. K and I both run and do yoga with YouTube videos. Before the pandemic, we went to yoga classes pretty frequently in person. I’d like to do some online synchronous yoga classes but find it hard to make time.
Pet expenses: Varies, but I budget $50 per month and also include an emergency fund for my cat’s vet bills in our sinking fund. She’s 11 years old and probably asthmatic, so I know her vet bills are going to increase over time.
Car payment / insurance: We own our car outright. Insurance billed yearly is $2,097, about $174 per month.
Regular therapy: $0
Paid hobbies: Nothing regular, sporadic language classes and art supplies.
Other expenses: Right now I’m doing a certificate to hopefully help with a career change. The total cost for tuition is about $5k and we already saved it up (included in our 'sinking fund') basically through spending less during the pandemic. I’ve paid two quarters so far, and the last quarter (due in March) will be a bit more - about $2.3k.
__________
Day 1
Morning: I wake up at 5:30 am. Ever since the pandemic, my sleep schedule has been shot. At first, I was so happy not to have to leave the house at 7:15 for my 45 minute bus commute and I slept in a lot. But the stress (and maybe getting old?) has made me an early riser, no matter how much I try to sleep in. I do value my early mornings with just me, my cat, and my coffee, though.
I start work at 8 am and begin by triaging my emails. I have a bunch of deadlines this week, so it’s busier than usual. My job tends to be very seasonal, and sometimes I have a ton of work and sometimes I have none and can work on other longer-term projects. I have a piece of toast for breakfast and place a Whole Foods delivery order for the following day at 10:30 am. We made a meal plan and put everything in the cart the day before ($117.36, including tip).
Afternoon: I have my lunch break from noon to 1 pm. It doesn’t really matter when I take my lunch break, since I’m salaried, but the others in my office are hourly so in the before times we used to always close our office during the same time. I have a piece of leftover delivery pizza and some spinach risotto that I made a few days earlier. I also have half a brownie – the last one from a batch I made a few days ago (K gets the other half). He also has leftovers for lunch.
I should say at this point that both K and I are lucky enough to have been working almost entirely from home since early March. An area near Seattle was one of the first places to get hit by COVID-19, and my state and both of our employers have been taking it very seriously ever since. Working from home hasn’t always been easy since we live in a 600-square foot apartment. Also, there is a three-story townhouse being built directly next door to us and I can hear the pounding in my dreams at this point.
Around 2 pm, I go for a 2-mile run. I feel like some money diarists tend to toss off things like “oh, I went for an easy 7 mile run,” at the drop of a hat, so I want to be clear – running for 2 miles isn’t easy for me; it’s exhausting, annoying, sweaty, and generally gross. Also I am very slow. But it has kept me sane during quarantine.
Meanwhile, my husband goes to our local pet store to get an enzymatic cleaner (our cat peed in one of our suitcases… I think it’s probably a lost cause, but it was basically brand new, so worth a try) and special weight-loss cat food. Our cat is an 11-year-old rescue from the Humane Society and she is a chonky girl. We had to sign a waiver when we adopted her, saying that we understood that she was very overweight, lol. Our vet recommended a special diet food, rather than just restricting her intake as we have been doing, so we will give it a try ($78). My husband also stops buy our local wine store and picks up two bottles. We’ve been doing a dry January, so this will be our first drink for a while ($27.53).
I have a phone interview scheduled for 4 pm – just a preliminary interview with an internal recruiter. It’s the first ‘corporate’ job interview I’ve ever had, since I’ve been in academia my entire life. I’m trying to make a pivot into instructional design / training and development. I’m just excited to get an interview. It seems to go pretty well, but who knows. They tell me they will probably get back to me by the end of this week.
Evening: My husband whips up a random meal of fridge remnants – pesto pasta with sausage and a fridge salad with feta and bell peppers. It’s pretty tasty with a little Sauvignon Blanc. During dinner, we play a card game we call gin rummy, although it bears no resemblance to the actual game. After dinner, I make a chocolate cake with orange buttercream frosting and we watch Cobra Kai.
Daily total: $222.89
Day 2
Morning: Up early again, a piece of toast for breakfast (very exciting). We’re out of eggs until our Whole Foods order arrives. I’m working on creating some tedious but necessary spreadsheets this morning.
Noon: Our Whole Foods order arrives around noon. Excitement! They’ve given us a half-rotten bag of romaine lettuce and substituted pecans for hazelnuts. I should probably just double mask and go to Trader Joe’s myself (our regular spot, only a 5-minute walk from my apartment). I’m just getting anxious about these new variants.
I have leftover meatloaf and spinach risotto again for lunch. Lots of meetings and more organizing spreadsheets in the afternoon. Around 3 pm, I go for my daily ritual - a 20-minute walk around my neighborhood. It’s still raining slightly but I need to get out. Halfway through the walk, I get an email from my apartment manager telling me the apartment will no longer accept debit card payments, direct deposit, or credit card payments for paying rent. In other words, only checks or money orders (?!). Ugh. Our lease is up in 4 months and we will not be renewing our lease. Our last apartment manager was a gambling addict who may have been stealing people’s identities, but by God, he kept things working. Ever since they fired him, this place has been going downhill.
Evening: I check my bank statements to update my budget spreadsheet and realize that I have been billed the wrong amount of rent. They actually charged me less than they should have. I don’t trust my apartment manager not to start charging me a late fee or something for this, so I call them up. They are baffled by how to fix this, which you would think would be the one thing you would want to get right, if you’re renting out apartments.
K cooks dinner – steak with a Roquefort sauce and glazed brussels sprouts. It’s from a French cookbook we recently bought and it is delicious. I work on classwork for my certificate program while he cooks. After dinner, I do the dishes and buy the 13th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I watch the first episode – lots of shocking twists and turns! I’m planning to watch the rest of the episodes together with my younger sister, M ($22.01).
Daily total: $22.01
Day 3
Morning: K has an 8 am dentist appointment, so he takes off early. He already paid for the work last month, so there’s no charge. I have a piece of toast for breakfast and get to work checking my emails. It’s 8:20 am and the construction crew building a townhouse next door is blasting mariachi music. I’m glad someone is having fun. At least the sun is coming out.
Someone at work has made a critical error, but it wasn’t me, thank God. I was the one who found out about it, but it’s still going to cause a big old headache for me. I’m ready to be done with this job. K and I go for a run so that I can exhaust myself enough to no longer be furious about said careless error.
Noon: I have leftover spinach risotto and meatloaf again – exciting. I’m busy at work but frankly, not a lot going on other than that. Still no word about fixing my rent payments. I’m not really willing to pursue this any further at this point.
Evening: I start making chili (Turkey Chili from the NY Times) and cornbread (from my new cookbook, Jubilee). K is doing some work on our investments when he announces that, somehow, a transfer was scheduled from our checking account to our savings account of $55k (?!) We obviously don’t have $55k in our checking account, so we start frantically trying to figure out what’s going on. Numerous phone calls later, we still don’t know if that was a hack, if my husband somehow mistakenly scheduled the transfer himself, or if the bank messed it up. Either way, it doesn’t seem like any harm was done since the bank with our checking account just declined the transaction. But it seems really strange and worrisome. We get to work changing the passwords on all of our accounts, just in case it was some kind of hack.
After dinner (and chocolate cake), I have a Zoom happy hour with a local friend. We occasionally see each other outside but it’s nice to have a longer chat from the comfort of our living rooms. We both love murder mysteries, so we signed up for a service where a company sends us letters with clues and we try to solve the mystery together. It’s a fun way to stay connected and look forward to something during the pandemic. The service costs about $15 per month, but I paid for it in lump sum for 3 months, so it’s not included in my budget above. I drink some wine and we vent about work (we work at the same place) before getting started on the puzzle.
Daily total: $0
Day 4
Morning: I sleep in a bit, which is nice. Get up around 7 am. My parents are both getting their 2nd vaccine today – they’re both in their 70s and I am so relieved. I send my mom a “congratulations on being vaccinated!” text and we chat for a bit. I have leftover cornbread with honey and butter for breakfast – soooo good.
Work is not particularly exciting today, but someone sends me a last-minute request for something that does not need to be so urgent. I feel annoyed. Still no word from the interviewers on Monday, and I’m beginning to suspect I wasn’t selected to move forward. Too bad. K pays for a Wordpress website for the year (it’s a work-related website, but sadly his work doesn’t reimburse him). It costs $92.48.
Noon: The mariachi music is particularly loud today. I stand out on my balcony in the sun for a while and watch the workers. It’s been interesting seeing a house go up next door in real time, especially since I’m at home all the time. The workers are balancing on the top of the third story wall without, as far as I can see, anything like a safety line. It seems unsafe, but I presume they know what they’re doing.
We booked a cabin for the upcoming weekend in the Hood Canal region of Washington to do some hiking and birdwatching. I want to be as safe as possible and not go to any grocery stores or risk spreading COVID in any way while I’m there, so I place another grocery order with Whole Foods just for some special treats for the weekend. The cabin has a small kitchen and a grill, so we’re planning to make a fancy steak salad on Saturday. I order chips and hummus, some fancy cheese and meats, Tate’s cookies (I’ve heard a lot of good things about these), a baguette, and the ingredients for the steak salad. I also order a few staples I forgot in our last order, like sweet potatoes, more coffee, and half and half. It comes to $87.41, including tip, but that does include like $30 worth of steak. For some reason, I can’t order a small amount of steak online, so I’m planning to freeze half of it for later. (I include this purchase in our vacation fund budget, rather than under our regular grocery budget).
Around 2 pm, K makes a quick trip to our local wine store to buy an Oregon pinot noir and some port to enjoy at the cabin ($59.45). This store has an outdoor walk-up counter where you can tell the owner what you’re looking for, and he brings you some options (the store is way too small to allow customers to enter during Covid). It’s fun to chat with another human being, even briefly.
Evening: After work, we spend a little time rebalancing our investing and retirement accounts. We decide to put more money into bonds and a little bit into REIT’s as a hedge against a potential crash or recession in the future. Then I start making dinner – Broken Eggs (Huevas Rotas) from the NY Times cooking site. You basically cook the potatoes in a skillet in water, spices, and olive oil, and then sauté them to crisp them up once the water evaporates. Then you add onion, lots of garlic, and finally some eggs. It is delicious. I eat it with leftover cornbread while watching RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 with my sister – we watch the first two episodes. It’s full of twists and turns. A note about this – we have an elaborate procedure for watching shows together developed during quarantine whereby we start the show at the same with an earbud in one ear, while FaceTiming. I also have chocolate cake, of course.
Later, I get an email that I’ve signed up for HBO on Amazon Prime. I definitely have not. I text my mom, who shares my account, and she tells me she signed up by mistake. I cancel right away and luckily they won’t charge us for it.
Meanwhile, K is doing an online Japanese language class over Zoom. He’s been interested in learning ever since we went to Japan last January. I lived in Japan for 3 years so I was able to take us around to a lot of more obscure places and he really enjoyed the trip – it was a blast.
K starts a YouTube yoga class (from Do Yoga With Me – my favorite channel) and I join him for part of it before bed around 10 pm.
Daily total: $239.34
Day 5
Morning: I get up around 7 am and we go for a run first thing. I prefer running early in the morning because there are fewer people to avoid during COVID. We do a different route today – it’s longer (3 miles) but has fewer hills. It’s a slog, as always, but I feel good when I get back right around 8 am. I jump straight onto my computer to start checking work emails and my husband makes us avocado and egg toast for breakfast - it is absolutely delicious.
We talk about how our bathroom smells distinctly mildewy (yay for being a grown-up because I guess this is what we talk about now) and we buy two big buckets of DampRid on Amazon ($26.60). I’ve found this to be a necessity in Seattle. Mid-morning, I take a break from work and start packing for our trip to the cabin.
Noon: I have leftover potatoes and cornbread for lunch, and my husband has the leftover chili. We finish getting ready to leave and head out right after lunch, taking a half day. The only problem is that I have attend a meeting at 3:30 pm, so we head out hoping to get there in time. Our cabin is near Quilcene in the Hood Canal region of Washington, about a 2 hour drive or a 2 hour ferry ride + drive. We are initially planning to take the ferry both ways, but realize that we mistimed the ferry departure, so we drive the whole way instead. Luckily, there’s little traffic mid-day, and we arrive at our Airbnb around 3:00 pm.
The Airbnb is beautiful! It’s a small cabin handmade by the owner, whose house is next door. It’s very rural, with a beautiful view. It’s tiny, but has a little kitchen and a waterfall-style shower with river rocks on the floor. It’s a great place to get away for a short time. Luckily, it also has good reception and I’m able to sit in on my meeting with no problems. My husband also does a little work, and then at 5 pm we’re free!
In our planning, we decided to get takeout on Friday night, since the little kitchen isn’t designed for any serious cooking. We call ahead to a local restaurant to order burgers (one of only 2 restaurants in the whole town). It’s around 5:30 pm and the place is deserted. It’s a microbrewery, but they tell us they haven’t been making beer since COVID-19 hit. None of the workers are wearing masks when I walk in, but they put them on when they see I’m wearing one. I pick up our order - a few bottled beers and burgers and fries ($49.52 including tip).
Back at our Airbnb, we watch Big Trouble in Little China and enjoy our very messy, but delicious, burgers (it costs $4.39 to rent). The movie is very campy but fun. I love silly action movies, as you will see with my other viewing choices. We wrap up the night in a very exciting fashion, eating chocolate cake and watching old episodes of the original Star Trek.
Daily total: $80.51
Day 6
Morning & noon: When we wake up around 8 am, the weather is looking thankfully clear and even sunny! We were expecting rain, so we’re really glad. We decide to go hiking today, and we head out before even having breakfast, with snacks and lunches packed. Our first destination is a hike called Mt. Zion, but unfortunately, we run into enough snow 2 miles before the trailhead that we decide to turn back. We don’t have any traction for our Subaru and don’t want to risk getting stuck on a very narrow mountain road. Instead, we drive another hour or so to the Lena Lake trailhead, a very popular and less strenuous trail. It’s about 7.5 miles roundtrip with 1200 feet of elevation gain.
By this time, it’s around 11:30, but luckily there is still parking. It’s a great hike up, and we run into relatively few people. We always mask up whenever we pass anyone, as does about 50% of the people we meet. The others… not so much. Around a mile from the lake, we start to run into snow. It’s turned into a beautiful sunny day, and I’m loving seeing all this snow! It’s a bit slippery, but not too bad. We make it to the lake mid-day, and it’s super jammed – there’s only a small viewpoint accessible, so everyone is crowded in there. I feel a bit uneasy with all the unmasked people, but we manage to find a spot away from the crowd and sit down to eat our lunch of apples, chips, and energy bars. There are a ton of robber jays there (Canada Jays) which try to eat our chips. It is fun watching them, but I’m annoyed to see some kids feeding them – it’ll just make them that much more aggressive. Bad trail manners.
On our way back down, we get stuck behind a group of 5 unmasked adults, who refuse to cede the narrow trail to faster hikers. I’m a slow hiker myself, so, to be clear, I’m not angry at slower walkers being on the trail but have some self-awareness and let people pass! especially if you’re going to go hiking in a big group during a pandemic! We finally get back down and head back to our Airbnb.
Evening: Back home, we explore some of the trails our Airbnb host has set up around his extensive property, and then relax on the deck. The sun is breaking through the clouds and it feels wonderful to sit out in nature and feel the sun on my back. We open up a bottle of wine and have a few pre-dinner snacks (more chips and hummus). For this night, we brought ingredients to make a steak salad. Our Airbnb host has kindly set up a charcoal grill for us, so we grilled the steak and toast some bread on the side.
We eat dinner while watching the truly terrible Jean Claude Van Damme movie Bloodsport and finish up the very last of my chocolate cake. It’s amazing that anyone ever let Van Damme act… or should I say ‘act.’ I also have a Tate’s chocolate chip cookie or two, accompanied by a little port. My husband and I are truly very old people at heart, so we finish up the night watching a few episodes of Columbo.
Daily total: $0
Day 7
Morning: Unfortunately, K had insomnia last night, so he sleeps in pretty late. I drink coffee in bed and enjoy looking at the view out our big windows. Once he’s up, we get packed up and write a thank you note for our host. It was a great stay.
One of my big hobbies is birding and K enjoys wildlife photography, so we go out to look for some lifers! (The first time you see a new species of bird). Did I mention we are very old people in (relatively) young bodies? We first go to Dosewallips State Park and see some bald eagles, great blue herons, lots of various ducks, and a flock of Canada Geese, which, strangely, includes a domesticated gray goose. He’s much larger than the Canada Geese and seems to be watching over them. It’s kind of cute. Unfortunately, a lot of the birds are too far from shore to be seen clearly.
Our next stop is Point No Point (I love all the sad & disappointed names that early Westerner explorers gave places in the Washington/Oregon coast), a popular birding spot. We see a ton of birds here, and I can understand why it’s so well-known - Red-Breasted Mergansers, Western Grebes, Common Goldeneyes, Pacific Loons, and a few others I can’t identify yet. Most excitingly though, we see a whole pile of otters! They’re lounging around together on a rock just offshore and a ton of people are watching. We watch as they all slip off the rock and go hunting in the shore. It’s my first otter sighting in the wild, and it’s so cool! We also see some seals and possibly a sea lion. It’s a great spot for wildlife. We eat some snacks (hummus, chips, some sliced meat & cheese) before we head out.
I really want to come back to this area another time and explore further, but K has decided that we need to get back home in time for the Big Game. We take the 3:00 pm ferry back to Seattle ($16.40) and get home around 3:45 pm. I veg out at home while my husband watches football. He’s a Patriots fan but he still loves Tom Brady (??) so he’s happy to see Florida win. I don’t understand sports team loyalties at all, but whatever, I’m glad he’s happy. We order from a new Indian place called Spice Box and get vindaloo, roganjosh, and vegetables pakora – so tasty ($53.96). Happily, there’s enough left over for lunch the next day, since I have no plans for what we will eat yet!
I’m really dreading work the next day, as I know that it will be obnoxious. I want to get out of my job so badly, but it doesn’t look like I’m going on to the next interview stage for the job I interviewed no back on Monday. I’m feeling kind of down about it. I try to stay positive and promise that I’ll apply for at least 2-3 new jobs next week. I bake up some frozen cookie dough I had in the freezer and feel sorry for myself. We end the night by watching another episode of Columbo.
Daily total: 70.36
Food + Drink: $395.23
Fun / Entertainment: $26.40
Home + Health: $26.60
Clothes + Beauty: $0
Transport: $16.40
Other: $170.48
Grand Total: $635.11
I think this week was pretty normal for us. Obviously we spent a bit more than usual due to the weekend cabin trip, but nothing outrageous. Our largest consumer spending category is definitely food and drink – we live in a very busy area of Seattle with tons of restaurants and bars so believe it or not, we actually used to spend even more on eating out. We still try to support our local places by getting takeout or delivery during the pandemic and even occasionally getting a few drinks outside. I spent more than usual on groceries due to stocking up for the weekend away.

If you want to just get to the goodness, you can view the entire sheet here
So I did one of these about a month ago and found some really great conversation. I didn't get to do another before the regular season ended, but my predictions should actually get a bit better due to knowing the full draft order and how some FOs are changing around. Let's go team by team
AFCW
KC - We start with the defending champion, who seek to replace their offensive and special teams coaches with internal hires: QB coach Mike Kafka and Asst ST Coordinator Andy Hill. Nothing surprising here. They enter the offseason just a bit over the cap, but restructures to Eric Fisher and Tyrann Mathieu should help fix that. They also bring in veteran AJ Green to start across from Tyreek Hill on a cheap one year deal. The draft helps the team maintain their strong offense. Two of their first three picks are on the OL, one on Irish tackle Liam Eichenberg and the other on Crimson pivot Landon Dickerson. Marshall adds depth to a depleted WR room. Spagnuolo has run a great unit despite a lack of high capital talent. He'll continue to do so with depth pieces in LB Browning, CB Griffin, and DE Sanders.
LAC - The Chargers should hire the man that can turn around an undisciplined team. That man is Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub, who brings in Chad O'Shea to run his offense and Lovie Smith to run his defense. The rest of the transactions are centered around building a team to help Herbert suceed. Hunter Henry is retained and David Andrews is brought in to shore up the OL. VT rookie Christian Darrisaw and BC guard Alex Lindstrom add to this quickly improving unit. I don't think I need to justify most of the other picks. Florida kicker Evan McPherson is brought in to replace a kicking unit that was only 53% from 40+.
LV - The Raiders' first act is to bring in Packers DB coach Jerry Gray, who has overseen the elite seasons of Jaire Alexander (20), Xavier Rhodes (17), and Alterraun Verner (13). Gruden and Mayock have been vocal about wanting to improve the secondary play, and Gray should be able to do just that. The Raiders are also able to free up space by cutting Tyrell Williams and Jeff Heath, as well as by restructuring Trent Brown. They add Sammy Watkins and Tevin Coleman to their depth chart. In the draft, they add my favorite safety in Oregon's Jevon Holland, who is a nickel/S hybrid with great physicality. They also add DT Jay Tufele, DE Carlos Basham, and DE Xavier Thomas to an underwhelming front 4.
DEN - Elway's decision to step back as the GM is complimented by the hiring of former Falcons' GM Thomas Dimitroff, who has shown the ability to build a SB caliber roster and isn't afraid to be aggressive to get the right pieces for his team. Dimitroff starts his tenure by signing S Justin Simmons to a multi-year deal, as well as adding veterans Richard Sherman and Gus Edwards in free agency. He sits still with his first draft pick, adding the draft's top CB in Patrick Surtain before bringing the guns out and trading up to 30 to draft Florida QB and Heisman candidate Kyle Trask. While Trask doesn't bring the elite upside of someone like Fields or Lawrence, he proved he was more than capable of reading defenses and winning games. Dimitroff also drafts OT Brady Christensen, LB Dimitri Moore, and DE Tyreke Smith before the draft is over.
AFCN
PIT - Despite a stellar season, the Steelers are able to enter free agency with their full coaching staff in tact. They start by extending DPOY TJ Watt through 2025, as well as re-signing Al V to a cheap deal and cutting Steven Nelson and Eric Ebron. The Steelers are quietly full of holes, but their draft helps them fill them. Star RB Najee Harris falls to them at 28, and mammoth OT Daniel Faalele and CB TJ Carter are right behind him. QB Desmond Ridder gets picked up in the 4th. Ridder is a high upside athlete with a very inconsistent arm. He's a cheap gamble at a QB of the future. They also add punter Max Duffy from Kentucky.
CLE - With plenty of cap and all of their picks, Berry and Stefanski are able to spend their first full offseason building off their 2020 success. They re-sign DE Vernon and LB Butler while extending QB Mayfield and RB Chubb. They also trade away David Njoku to the Jets for a 4th, and they add S Keanu Neal and DT Suh in free agency. The draft falls their way. They grab the uber physical slot corner Shaun Wade in the 1st before coming around for Pitt DT Jaylen Twynam. I know this FO doesn't care about LB, but McGrone at 87 is too good a value to pass up.
BAL - EDC is busy this offseason. With plenty of cap space to play with, he is able to start off by re-signing Ngakoue and extending Lamar Jackson. He then adds two key offensive pieces in WR Allen Robinson and C Ted Karras. The Ravens have a solid draft. They pick up Texas LB Joseph Ossai, who is a mean power rusher to replace Judon. They also add OG Vera-Tucker and S Bubba Bolden. Justyn Ross in the 5th is a risk, but his red zone ability means a lot to this team.
CIN - As much as I would've liked to replace DC Lou Anarumo, the Bengals have stated that he is staying on the team. No matter. The Bengals spend money on their key players, franchise tagging CB Williams Jackson and extending S Jessie Bates. Bobby Hart is cut and replaced with former JAX LT Cam Robinson, giving this team flexibility in the draft. They start the draft by trading down with CAR, picking up an extra 1st and 2nd along the way. With Sewell off the board, the Bengals draft star TE Kyle Pitts, giving Burrow a huge target in the middle of the field. They then add back to back linemen with Myers and Randunz in the 2nd before adding Aidan Hutchinson and Pete Werner on defense.
AFCE
BUF - Brandon Beane's first task of the offseason is replacing OC Brian Daboll, who has left to coach the Jaguars. He does so by hiring Panthers OL Coach Pat Meyer, who has over 20 years of coaching experience. Beane retains LB Matt Milano on the franchise tag before signing QB Josh Allen to a huge extension. The Bills trade out of the first round, picking up the 41st and 72nd picks to do so. They use those picks on Bulldog CB Eric Stokes and Miami TE Brevin Jordan, with Kentucky EDGE Jamar Watson stuck in between them. They also add two OL in the draft, as well as two DTs, a LB, and another CB. This defense is replenished with youth while Allen gets the middle of his offense strengthened.
MIA - The Phins start by using their huge cap space to add key playmakers. They sign two former Packers in Corey Linsley and Aaron Jones, as well as a big time pass rusher in Matt Judon. The draft goes really well for Miami. With 5 picks in the top 100, the Phins are in a great spot. They add generational OT Penei Sewell with the Texans' pick before letting WR Jaylen Waddle and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah fall into their laps.
NE - The Pats are a tough offseason to predict. A lot of their action hinges on QB. Well I thought I'd be a bit poetic and have Billy B trade for his former signal-caller, giving a pair of 4ths to SF for QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Jimmy G fits the traditional QB mold much better than Cam, and they're going to give him some tools to work with. The Pats add WR Curtis Samuel and TE Gerald Everett in free agency. They also retain JC Jackson, James White, and Jason McCourty while bringing in KJ Wright and Jadevon Clowney on cheap deals. In the draft, the Pats are patient. They let WR Devonta Smith fall to them at 14 and LB Zaven Collins get to them at 45. They spend their draft filling out the holes in the roster, adding a TE, two DTs, and another WR. They also take a shot on Miami QB D'Eriq King, who is an inconsistent passer with a nice upside.
NYJ - I had a bit of fun with the Jets. I had JD bringing in Titans OC Arthur Smith to coach the team. Joining him are PIT secondary coach Teryl Austin, who has experience as a DC, and BAL assistant TJ Weist. With one of the highest cap spaces, the Jets are active this offseason. They re-sign S Marcus Maye and CB Brian Poole. They add some key playmakers in WR Will Fuller, LB Bud Dupree, and RB Kenyan Drake. They also add OG Joe Thuney and trade for TE David Njoku. The Jets are done with Darnold, shipping him off to Tampa for a 3rd round pick. In the draft, the Jets are smart. They don't overthink it. They draft Ohio St QB Justin Fields, who has shown time and time again that he has the tools to be a franchise QB. They also add Sooner center Creed Humphrey and Miami DE Quincy Roche. Javonte Williams comes at 66 to compliment Drake, and Surratt comes at 91 to be a red zone target. Perhaps my one regret with this class is failing to address CB sooner, but Deommodore Lenoir at 90 is a pick I'm a real fan of.
AFCS
TEN - The Titans unfortunately lose OC Arthur Smith to the Jets, prompting Vrabel to promote QB coach Pat O'Hara to the position. The Titans aren't flush with cash, but they are able to retain TE Jonnu Smith while adding WR Marvin Jones and DE Melvin Ingram on cheap win now deals. In the draft, the Titans address their weakest position early, grabbing Georgia's Azeez Ojulari at 25. They then add CB Asante Samuel in the 2nd before grabbing a potential Isaiah Wilson replacement in Teven Jenkins in the 3rd. Elijah Moore at 128 is interesting. He's a poor man's Rondale Moore in this class. Tennessee also adds a K in Miss St's Brandon Ruiz, who has only ever missed one PAT and was 10/12 in 2020.
IND - Colts fans are going to hate me for this, but Carson Wentz is going to be the starter in 2021. Let's come back to that. First, we have to hire a DC. They promote DB coach Alan Williams. They also re-sign CB Xavier Rhodes, who had a surprising resurgence under Williams, as well as Justin Houston. Darius Leonard gets a big extension and is now the league's highest paid LB ever (well starting in 2022). Agholor adds WR depth and Dalton gives some insurance at QB. Ok so Wentz. Just hear me out. The Colts have plenty of cap space, and the Eagles are paying them to take on the deal. Wentz thrived under Reich in the past, and a lot of his issues seem fixable with a proper offseason. Now in the draft, the Colts try to give Wentz the tools to succeed. They add Texas OT Sam Cosmi in the 1st, giving a long term answer should AC call it quits. They also add Florida WR Toney in the 2nd, a man who has taken huge strides in 2020.
HOU - We need to start by saying that JJ Watt is gone. I have the Texans trading him and a 5th to SF for Dee Ford and a 2nd. While this is a sad move, it's a necessary one. Watt frees over $17M in cap space for a team with no cap space. That, combined with the firing of both Johnson RBs, allows the team to add CB K'Waun Williams and RB James Conner for relatively cheap deals. Other than the Watt deal, Houston's big move this offseason is bringing in Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer to run the front office while former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy runs the team. Bieniemy adds Raheem Morris as his DC and Phil Galiano as his ST coach. The Watt trade proves hugely critical. Houston now has a pick inside the top 60, which they use on Oklahoma St WR Tylan Wallace. They also add CB Paulson Adebo, who is a raw but super physical player from Stanford. Joe Tryon and Trey Sermon add depth to the DL and RB rooms respectively. This team is still working its way back to the top, but this draft is a good start.
JAX - The Jaguars have a great offseason. They hire Vikings executive George Paton, who has turned down previous jobs for the right opportunity, to be their GM. He hires BUF OC Brian Daboll to run the offense. Daboll brings his former assistant Ken Dorsey to help him on offense while Dan Quinn calls the defense. Paton adds several key free agents capable of starting immediately. Rashard Higgins becomes the WR3 on this team while Julie'n Davenport replaces Cam Robinson. Mack Alexander and Troy Hill complete the CB room, and Anthony Harris gets some big money to start in the secondary. While Paton isn't afraid to spend his money, the real crux of the offseason occurs in the draft. They take Trevor Lawrence, obviously. But they also add DT Marvin Wilson to replace Taven Bryan, as well as Alex Leatherwood, who can challenge Davenport for the LT spot and kick into LG if he fails. Pat F becomes to long term answer at TE and Andre Cisco is that big hitting playmaker to fill in the gap next to Harris.
NFCW
SEA - With a good amount of money to spend, the Seahawks prioritize their in house men. Shaquill Griffin and Chris Carson are retained, and Carlos Dunlap and Tyler Lockett are restructured. Jamal Adams gets an enormous deal, surpassing Budda Baker's from just a few months ago. TY Hilton is also brought in. The draft goes well for Seattle. They are able to add a productive pass rusher in Victor Dimukeje without trading up. They also nab Florida CB Marco Wilson and add to their trenches with Josh Ball and Mustafa Johnson. The Hawks are keeping things more or less the same and trying to build on a successful 2020.
LAR - Despite all the buzz, I have a hard time seeing DC Brandon Staley getting a HC job after one year at the helm. Instead, the Rams FO remains in tact. They lose Andrew Whitworth to retirement, but they are able to retain breakout CB Darious Williams. With such little cap, it's crucial that the Rams are able to fill out the starting lineup with rookies. That happens with DE Hamilcar Rashed, LT Jalen Mayfield, and LB Monty Rice filling up their cards.
ARI - Despite a promising start to the year, the Cards have fallen flat. They'll need to look at their 2nd half collapse to assess where this roster stands. With a decent amount of money, they prioritize some in house players, re-signing Patrick Peterson, Zane Gonzalez, and Andy Lee. They also bring in DE Trey Hendrickson, who has been on fire for New Orleans, as well as former UDFA RB Phillip Lindsay. The Cards take Gamecock CB Jaycee Horn with their first pick before adding to their OL with Trey Smith in the 2nd. Kenny Gainwell (yes, he can gain well) looks like a potential star in the 3rd.
SF - This is the fun one. So out the gate, Shanahan has to replace Robert Saleh at DC. We're sticking to LB coach DeMeco Ryans, who has earned high praise from Shanny. Now the fun stuff. The 49ers aren't flush with cash, but they are comfortable. That gives them some room to play around. SF re-signs Trent Williams and Jason Verrett before extending LB Fred Warner. They also add C Austin Blythe, who has been solid for the division rival Rams. Jimmy G can't seem to stay healthy, so he gets shipped off back to the Pats for a pair of 4ths. To replace him, the 9ers make a big move and give up their 1st and 5th round picks for QB Matthew Stafford. But wait, they aren't done. They also package DE Dee Ford and their 2nd round pick for veteran DE JJ Watt and a Day 3 pick. Shanahan believes that his roster is ready to win. Without a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round pick, the 49ers have to be wise with their draft picks. They add Michigan's Ambry Thomas, as well as guard Zion Johnson, two guys that can push to start as rookies. Sterns, Smith-Marsette, Castro-Fields, and Herbert should all rotate into the lineup as well.
NFCN
GB - There isn't too much action in the offseason for the Packers. They cut Preston Smith to free up some money, and they extend Davante Adams to a backloaded deal. They also retain Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan. It's a quietly solid draft. They are able to add a dynamic playmaker in Rondale Moore before addressing their defense with DT Jordan Davis and LB Chazz Surratt. Chuba Hubbard in the 5th gives some depth to a depleted RB room.
CHI - So Bears fans aren't going to like this, but I gave Trubisky a franchise tag. Trubisky went 4-1 to close the season and got them into the playoffs. To make room for this deal, the Bears restructure Akiem Hicks and cut both Bobbie Massie and Jimmy Graham. They also bring Corey Davis in to be the ARob replacement. They add local OT Rashawn Slater in the draft, a Daniel Jeremiah favorite who has some positional versatility. Chris Olave in the 2nd helps make up for the ARob departure, and Nasirildeen in the 3rd provides a hard hitting safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson.
DET - For the Lions, I decided to hire Saints exec Jeff Ireland, who has had a long history with successful teams. He hires SF DC Robert Saleh, who brings with him SF's passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur to run the offense. While there have been reports that Stafford isn't going anywhere, I have them dealing him to SF for the 15th overall pick. They do tag Kenny Golladay to a one year deal to prove his worth to a new regime. They also sign Kwon Alexander to start at LB and Jacoby Brissett to be their new bridge QB. Frank Ragnow gets a huge extension too. In the draft, the Lions start off aggressive. They ship off two 1sts, a 2nd, and a 3rd to get Zach Wilson. With the SF pick, they add Miami's Greg Rousseau, a versatile linemen with plenty of upside. They then add Nico Collins and Tre Walker to the WR room.
MIN - After losing OC Gary Kubiak to re-retirement, the Vikes promote QB coach Klint Kubiak to the position. They also hire former HOU ST man Tracy Smith to replace Marwan Maalouf. The team moves some money around, restructuring Riley Reiff and extending Harrison Smith. In the draft, they are unable to trade back but do grab the best guard in the class with Ohio State's Wyatt Davis. They also add S Paris Ford and DT Alim McNeil in the 3rd to potentially start as rookies. Brock Purdy in the 4th comes in to be the backup and possible heir to the QB room.
NFCE
WAS - I feel like I'm going to dissapoint WAS fans a bit. I had them signing Cam Newton to compete with Alex Smith. The good news is that the rest of their offseason is productive. They hire KC exec Brandt Tills to be their new GM, and they are able to retain Scherff, Darby, and Dustin Hopkins. Jared Cook and Emmanuel Sanders come in to start for them as well. Rashod Bateman falls into their lap at 19, and Jackson Carman tumbles to 51. Jamie Newman in the 3rd is a bit of a risky pick, but I really like his upside. He can develop on the bench for a year.
NYG - The Giants are quiet in free agency. They do retain Leonard Williams and Logan Ryan. Restructuring Zeitler's deal allows them to bring in Ryan Kerrigan. Their draft goes fairly well though. Micah Parsons falls to them at 8, and they grab Amon-Ra St. Brown (a potential top 30 pick) in the 2nd. Joe Judge will count on a year of improvement from his young OL and QB to compliment a strong and disciplined defense.
DAL - The one coaching change I have for Dallas is the replacement of Mike Nolan with Gus Bradley. Other than that their offseason is relatively quiet. They sign Dak to a long term deal (as they should have done last year). And Dalvin Tomlinson comes in to start at DT. They use the draft to fix their defense, adding Farley, LeCounte, and Rumph as potential starters. Walker Little in the 3rd gives them some much needed OL depth.
PHI - The Eagles are active this offseason, with a massive debt in cap space and no DC. They hire PIT DL coach Karl Dunbar to coach the defense, and they cut Goodwin, Jeffery, DJax, and Malik Jackson. The big news is that they are sending Wentz to Indy in a Osweiler-CLE esque deal, pairing a 3rd with him. They spend the draft retooling, adding Ja'Marr Chase in the 1st before going to the defense with Tyson Campbell and Dylan Moses on Day 2. Cade Mays and Cordell Volson add depth to a depleted line, and Divine Deablo will push for serious playing time.
NFCS
NO - Similar to the Eagles, the Saints are going to have to blow it up after this season. Brees retires, and they cut: Kwon Alexander, Emmanuel Sanders, Nick Easton, Malcolm Brown, Janoris Jenkins, Josh Hill. They also extend Lattimore and Ramczyk to backloaded deals before restructuring Cam Jordan. In the draft, they take Mac Jones in the 1st and hope to surround him with the same level of talent he had at Bama. They add Derion Kendrick in the 2nd and Dazz Newsome in the 4th.
TB - The Bucs are in a great spot to push for a 2021 Championship while maintaining a bright future. They have a good amount of cap and are able to retain David, Godwin, Barrett, and Gronk. They also trade a 3rd for Sam Darnold. In the draft, they work on maintaining a suffocating defense with DT Daviyon Nixon, DE Jayson Oweh, and DE Shaka Toney. Kylin Hill, Damon Hazelton, and Tre' McKitty add some potential dynamicism to this offense.
CAR - The Panthers start by bringing SF VP Adam Peters to run the show. He signs Okung and Moton to big money deals before turning his attention to the draft. Peters sees that Bridgewater limits this team's ceiling, so he trades up for Trey Lance, giving up a pair of 1sts and a 2nd to grab his QB of the future. Lance is raw, no doubt, but he'll be in a great spot learning behind Teddy. The Panthers then add Bolton in the 3rd to replace Whitehead. Amari Rodgers in the 5th is a fun pick. He plays exactly like Curtis Samuel.
ATL - The Falcons overhaul their entire front office, bringing in Indy's Ed Dodds to run the show with Matt Eberflus next to him. Mike McDaniel gets promoted to OC from his run game coordinator position in SF, and Franky Ross follows Eberflus to coach the special teams. Without any money to spend, the Falcons are relatively quiet. They cut Fowler, Ricardo Allen, and Allen Bailey to free up space. They add Charvarius Ward and Jamaal Williams in free agency. The focus primarily on defense in the draft, adding Kwity Paye in the 1st after trading back with Detroit. They also draft S Trevon Moehrig, DT Christian Barmore, and DE Daelin Hayes. Travis Etienne comes in to play next to Jamaal Williams, fulfilling all fantasy players' dreams.
Overall I felt like there are definitely some moves in here that are going to cause tension. But I think that's also realistic. This was a lot of fun, but I don't expect to be doing another one of these for a while. I need to turn my head back to scouting (I've only truly watched about a third of the players in this draft). Let me know what your thoughts are. What did I do well? What do you hate?

A Pebble : Previous : Next : My Other stories
Mass Effect: Logical Conclusions, The Unification War, Part 10
Operation Star fall is the UNE’s answer to the stabilized front lines that had formed by early March. Most of the world’s military was space based with land armies having atrophied during the long years of peace. Fortunately the orbital colonies, already governed under international law, had remained loyal, though a few were damaged by nationalist terror attacks. The operation would consist of three phases, the first was establishing orbital supremacy over all of earth, the second would be a general ground based offensive supported by special forces inserted from orbit alongside pinpoint orbital bombardment. The final phase would be the emergency delivery of food and aid to the civilians trapped behind the nationalist lines once the fighting ended. It was ambitious and no military had ever attempted anything on such a scale before in human history but with more dirty bombs being detonated and actual nuclear weapons falling into the hands of the anti-internationalists, the clock was ticking closer to midnight with every passing second.
March 10th, 2020, 13:00 Coordinated Universal Time
Dukh Revolyutsii, High Earth Orbit
The first combined UNE orbital fleet flew in formation towards Earth. Nuclear explosions pushed them towards the shimmering jewel of life that humanity called home. The Dukh Revolyutsii was joined by the Enterprise, a formerly American AKV carrier, the Dreadnought, a British space battleship based around a powerful particle accelerator and the Japanese Itano missile bus. Each ship was entirely untested in combat, their designs based upon theories never before tested in the fires of war.
Their adversaries for today’s battle was the Italian designed Leonardo da Vinci, a laser equipped battleship fighting in support of the Florida Orbital Fortress. While outnumbered, both the fortress and the da Vinci far out-ranged their foes. Lasers were the king of range, though they were lacking in immediate effect. The question of the day was, would the active cooling aboard the Dukh Revolyutsii be able to counteract the ranged advantage or would laser weaponry prove supreme?
Captain Yelena Kovalev watched the tactical display from her captain’s chair. She was thoroughly strapped down, though the ship’s soft AI was only cruising in a straight line for the moment. Behind her, in the corner of the combat information center that controlled the warship, the two Shepards sat watching the battle. Since they were technically guests on her ship, she’d given them front row seats to the battle, seats that came with staying in the most protected part of the warship.
“We’re about to enter combat range. The enemy has deployed mirror drones.” The ship’s sensors officer announced and Kovalev nodded.
“Begin drunk walk, I don’t want them getting free shots in. Tell the Enterprise to begin deploying their craft. I want four of our own AKVs heading towards that station, three kinetic, one wide angle casaba at full blast.” Nobody in the room blinked an eye at the order to use nuclear ordinance this early in the battle. After all the crew of the Revolyutsii had already complied with such orders previously.
The ship rumbled, launching four missiles at a blistering 5 kilometers per second across space. Several hundred miles from the Revolysutii, the Enterprise began to steadily launch AKVs to sweep the area of mirror drones, opening up a route towards the enemy forces.
“Missiles one and two have been disabled, they’re going to burn up on reentry.” Everyone in the room held their breath as the sensors officer watched his feed, announcing a play by play of the distant battle. “Third kinetic is killed, Casaba is closing into effective range.” Everyone could feel the tension despite the thousands of miles that separated them from the action. “Nuclear detonation confirmed, the enemy is temporarily blinded. They’ll be back up and running in fifteen seconds.”
“The captain of the Itano has just unleashed half his total arsenal.” The communication’s officer announced and everyone saw hundreds of heat signatures flare to life around the Japanese warship.
“Perfect, order the Dreadnought to close at full acceleration. We’re closing in as well, use those missiles for cover!” Kovalev felt the ship jolt, the AI beginning to kick it around to avoid incoming fire in a semi-random three dimensional zig zag.
Missiles screamed across the battle space, lasers burning them away in a wink of plasma. The whipple shields of the Dukh Revolyutsii boiled away whenever one of the deadly beams struck the ship, however the inner armor ignored the deadly light, its active cooling wicking away the heat with ease. The Enterprise, already within the effective range of its own weapons held its position, kicking itself around in a high g dance that had the crew pressed into their combat harnesses. The main guns of the Revolyutsii recharged and a second wave of kinetics were sent downrange, the guided missiles joining the Itano’s barrage, though traveling significantly faster.
Hyper sonic debris began to fill the orbitals, smashing into satellites and creating a deadly chain reaction. Destroyed satellites hurtled through space slamming into still operating satellite while ground side, the effects of the Dukh Revolutsii’s nuclear attack had created an impressive EMP that blanketed most of the Caribbean sea and its surrounding coastline. The Leonardo da Vinci, which was the target of the Itano’s strike, quickly found its radiators blazing with heat. Its point defenses were sweeping the missiles from the sky but it just couldn’t keep up with the barrage of inbound weapons without cooking itself. Within the ship’s combat information center, alarms blared a warning that the laser engine was rapidly loosing efficiency. The captain of the doomed ship snarled angrily moments before dozens of missiles slammed into the da Vinci. The whipple shielding stopped the first few hits but the ship quickly disintegrated as three shots from the Dukh Revolyutsii made contact.
“How is our armor holding up?” Kovalev, barked, trying to keep track of the information on the half dozen screens in front of her.
“It’s holding up, our laser engine is creating a lot of waste heat and the enemy doesn't’ seem to have projectiles.” The weapons officer announced and Kovalev grinned.
“Kill the reactor and the laser engine. Close to suicide distance. Get the accelerators charged, I don’t want them intercepting our next volley.” It was a gamble, closing with a laser meant the beam would effectively keep getting stronger, however the Dukh Revolyutsii’s armor was easily handling the heat output even at their current distance. If they killed the fusion reactor and the laser engine they’d be vulnerable to kinetic attacks but they’d free up their radiators to pump away even more laser heat, allowing for a close pass of the station; assuming their armor’s cooling system could handle the task. “Inform the other ships of our plan, have the Itano fire off another salvo.”
“The captain of the Enterprise just wished us god speed, the captain of the Itano also sends his regards.” The radio operator announced, fighting the constant g forces crushing his chest to get the words out.
The ever present hum of the ship’s fusion reactor vanished, replace by the distant buzz of the active cooling system. The Rumble of the orion’s impact plate occasionally made itself known and everyone watched the distance between the Revolyutsii and the Florida close. The orbital defense platform’s lasers all focused on the incoming battleship but without kinetic weapons it had no way of punishing the Revolyutsii for its gamble. The laser light was simply heat, which meant it was radiated away harmlessly as the ship rapidly closed the gap. Captain Kovalev had gambled her life and it’d paid off, for she now sat under the burning light of the Florida, sitting at suicide distance unharmed.
“Captain of the Florida, surrender or I will strike your station with four hundred megaton nuclear spears.” Kovalev’s words flew across space and the world held its breath. The battle was being watched by people on both sides of the war and the nuclear blast Kovalev had unleashed previously proved she wasn’t bluffing.
“This is John Lee, we will never surrender.” Captain Kovalev shook her head in disgust and ordered her gunner to open fire.
“You’re a fool to kill your crew for pride, John. Once that station is destroyed launch drones to look for survivors.” Kovalev shouted over the rumble of the ship’s mass accelerators and her crew were already complying with the order as four stars of nuclear hellfire erupted in space between the two ships. The blasts sent streams of screaming plasma into the orbital fortress, gutting it entirely. “And get the fusion reactor and laser engine back online, we’ve got Kessler syndrome!”
Rotating her chair to face the two Shepards, Kovalev looked over at them before letting her mask drop.
“Looks like you’ll be free of my command after all.” Yelena smiled wearily, beads of sweat visible on her forehead.
“We’ll prepare to drop once rescue operations have finished. It’s been an honor working with you, Captain Kovalev, though I wish we’d met under nicer circumstances.” Sigmund saluted the exhausted captain quickly returned the gesture and returned to her previous position, facing her combat display. For Yelena Kovalev, the battle wouldn't be over until the last enemy cosmonaut was rescued or accounted for.
***
Far below the battle, the anti-internationalists holding what had been the southern United States and the Caribbean began to realize the scale of the disaster they were now facing. Cut off from from their food supply, they had lost orbital and aerial supremacy. The EMPs released by the fighting had destroyed the civilian infrastructure, which meant the entire electrical grid outside of a few hardened facilities. Even supposedly hardened systems had fried, their defenses overstated and under performing. Still spaceships couldn’t hold ground and even if the writing was on the wall, brave men and women would be forced to bleed and die over every inch of land.
***
I must say it is difficult going from writing fantasy naval battles to realistic space combat. I'm mostly a fantasy kind of woman. I write about orcs, elves, dwarves and gunpowder wielding humans. This? This is hard but I think I managed to keep it true to real life. I know it's harder to write but space battles are not naval battles.
They're three dimensional affairs that are far more complex. Here are simpler examples. You have two fleets orbiting in opposite directions. They only have a few seconds to maybe minutes to fire at each other before disappearing over the planetary horizon before once again meeting up with each other some hours later to repeat the process. Or you could have two fleets orbiting in the same direction with one trying to close in on the other, which has an entirely different dynamic. There is a reason I made this fight over a geostationary position. It's easier to manage and I need the practice.
Rant over, I hope you enjoyed and if you've spotted any errors, let me know! If you want a fantasy, I posted for the monthly prompt and you can find that here.
Guys, Sovereign wont leave. He's set himself up in my closet, hissing and spitting particle beams whenever I try to get him out. What should I do?