#wr kaden

[letsbenditlikebennett]

TIMING: After this PARTIES: @chasseurdeloup @kadavernagh @magmahearts & @letsbenditlikebennett LOCATION: Office of the Medical Examiner SUMMARY: After Rhett attacks Cass and leaves her in a bad state, Alex gets her out of the woods and calls Kaden for a ride to the morgue as soon as she has cell reception. Or Regan, again, receives unexpected live patients at the morgue and Marcy needs a raise.

The time between when she hung up the phone with Kaden and when he actually arrived had felt like an eternity. Alex was certain that the warden wouldn't be moving again, at least for a little while, but the blood that clung to her wasn't just Rhett's. As if instinctively, it she gripped onto Cass tighter, desperately trying to keep them both upright until her cousin got there which was a far too grim reminder that too much of the blood that caked her skin was Cass's. She had to actively fight the sick feeling growing in her stomach. Even on a good day, she wasn't good with blood and now she was covered in it. Not even the spare giant t-shirt that went down to her knees was safe from it as her girlfriend continued to bleed and Alex tried to try pressure to the myriad of different wounds that covered the oread. 

“I just need you to stay with me a little longer, ok,” Alex practically pleaded though she tried to give her a voice a reassuring tone. She wasn't sure how much it covered up her own fear. She doubted it did at all. “Kaden'll be here any minute, it's going to be okay.”

She wasn't sure who she was reassuring, but when she saw headlights coming up the road and the familiar sound of Kaden's engine. Alex had never been so relieved to hear him approaching. She was pretty sure she could actually cry, but she wouldn't. Cass was hurt and she needed to be brave for Cass. Or at least try. 

When the car rolled to a stop, she waited for Kaden to rush to her side. “Thank you,” she huffed, “She's heavier than she looks... rock and all. I think I've been applying pressure to the worst of it. I can sit in the back with her on the way to the morgue.”

She had her suspicions about Regan being a nymph herself, but they were just that. Suspicions. Alex had no actual clue if the medical examiner would be able to work with... well, a girl made of rocks. “Dr. Kavanagh should be able to help her, right?“ Regan had to be able to help her because the alternative was too difficult to stomach. 

—

The keys were in Kaden’s hand and he was hopping into his truck before he’d even hung up with Alex. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, just that it was an emergency, in the woods, hurt. Cass. He considered using the work truck and flipping on the lights to get there even faster but he figured, whatever it was that had actually happened, he would want the space of his normal truck. He dared someone to pull him over on the way there. He’d run them over.

He saw their small figures across the way long before he was close enough to stop the car. It was hard to resist the temptation to throw it in park and sprint to them the second his eyes were on Alex and her girlfriend but he managed and pulled up as close as he possibly could, tires skidding into place.

“Putain,” he said, throwing himself out of the car. His eyes swept over Alex, trying to assess her wounds. She was roughed up but alright. His eyes fell over Cass and it was clear that she was far from okay. “Alex what the hell happened to her?” He knew she mentioned a hunter but he hadn’t assumed Cass was this injured. Crouching down beside her, it was hard to believe this was the same kid who had no trouble facing off with a pinball whirling towards her. She was beaten down, broken. The sparks of life she was filled to the brim with before were fading away. 

Kaden nodded at Alex’s words and reached under the nymph to carefully scoop her up. He didn’t have any plan on how to help her but he knew they had to do something. Fast. First step was to get her into the truck and away from here. 

Kavanagh? His brow furrowed at the mention of the medical examiner. Made sense. Was as good a plan as any. “Maybe. I think so.” He couldn’t think about anything beyond the immediate. “Fae. She knows about fae. And she’s a doctor.” He wasn’t sure if he was telling Alex or reminding himself. “We’ll get her there. Keep pressure and support her while I lift her. On three.” 

—

There was no room to do anything but push forward. It brought a certain sense of clarity with it. There wasn't room for panic or acknowledging the multitude of sensations that would make Alex sick to her stomach under less dire circumstances. If her head had been more clear maybe she would have thought of the miracle that was adrenaline, but all she could think of was making sure Cass was okay. So when she answered Kaden, the weight of her answer didn't fully register. 

“A warden... We met him before but didn't know he was— I heard her scream when I was hiking toward the cave and he had already grabbed her. He was going to kill her so I stopped him,” Alex said flatly, ”If he didn't bleed out already, he knows what I am.“ Whether or not Rhett was dead wasn't something she could think about when Cass was barely hanging on. Hell, she was barely hanging on in the strength department which became harder to ignore when Kaden lifted Cass into the truck and she realized her own legs were shaking.  

The weight Kaden lifted was more than a physical one as Alex felt some hint of relief once Cass was being lifted into the truck. Her left arm carefully kept the oread's neck upright as the other hand kept pressure against the wound on her shoulder. She was quick to follow into the truck once they got Cass inside; she knew she'd have to keep applying pressure to the wound in Cass's shoulder which looked so much worse than it ought to, even for an iron blade. Her already blood-caked hand found the wound and pressed down on it. ”I think she is fae,“ she added, ”But that's... She can help. She'll be able to make sure Cass is okay.“ 

There was an unspoken desperation in her words. Alex wasn't sure if that was part of what pushed Kaden to drive at such a rapid pace, but she found she didn't care even if the way the trees whipped by them was dizzying. ”It's going to be okay,“ she reassured quietly as she looked down at Cass. She wasn't sure entirely who she was trying to convince, but Cass being okay felt like the only option. ”I've got you,“ she whispered. She'd promise as much if Cass would let her. 

Trees kept zipping by through the window as Alex remained still as could be. She was afraid to move, to shift Cass in a way that might make things worse, but the stillness of it all let the events catch up to her a bit. ”We'll need to go back and check that he's,“ she trailed off, unable to fully let herself acknowledge that she very well may have killed Rhett— or worse, that some small part of her hoped he was dead.

—

A warden. Knew what Alex was. Nearly killed Cass. Was probably bleeding out. Kaden tried to process the information but there was too much happening all at once. He had to focus on the task at hand: save the nymph in the back of the truck. The rest he would file away for later, figure it out then. Like if there was a dead body they had to worry about. And if they should inform the medical examiner during this visit. 

None of that mattered as much as driving as fast and as carefully as he could directly to the morgue. As soon as he closed the door on Alex, he rushed to the driver’s seat and tore out of there and back onto the road. Hopefully he wasn’t bringing Regan another dead body. A pit dropped in his stomach at the thought. No. His grip tightened on the wheel. He wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Worry about that later,” he said to her, eyes pinned forward, not even allowing himself to look back at her through the rearview mirror. If he looked back, he’d lose focus, start worrying about what else they could do. He had to stay single minded, focus on the mission. It wasn’t a hunt but for once his training might save someone instead of hurting them. 

Kaden wove his truck through traffic, barely stopped at any signs or lights, and raced through town to get them to the morgue. He didn’t bother finding a spot, instead throwing the truck into park right along the curb outside the glass doors. It briefly occurred to him that it would be hard enough to explain why they were carrying someone alive into the morgue to see the medical examiner and even harder to explain what Cass was to the front desk. Putain de merde. 

He hadn’t come up with any sort of plan or anything at all by the time he was helping pull the fae out of the truck. “I’ve got her,” he told Alex. “Get the door, call for Regan. Maybe, I don’t know, tell the front desk to leave.” He winced once the full weight of Cass’s rock covered body was in his arms. It was strange that someone so small and who looked so fragile just then could be so heavy. It wouldn’t slow him down, he wouldn’t falter, he wouldn’t let himself. 

—

It was a small kindness that Kaden was willing to talk about the warden aspect of things later. Alex wasn’t sure she could rely on herself to really recount the details when Cass felt so cold in her arms. The blood was pooling in the hands that were desperately pressing down on the wound in her shoulder. It took a concentrated effort to keep her hands from shaking, surprisingly not because of the slick feeling of blood against her skin, but because she was terrified. Even when that ranger had a gun pointed in her direction, she couldn’t remember feeling this frightened. Cass was too quiet in her arms, her features too pained and contorted. All she could think of was how much the oread meant to her and the fact it felt like she was slipping away right there in her arms. 

The fact Kaden hadn’t bothered with parking etiquette was more than a relief to Alex. Every second between them and getting Cass proper help felt like an eternity. The truck was practically pulled up to the glass doors and Kaden was carefully extracting Cass from the truck. She hopped out following and nodded diligently as Kaden spoke. “Ok,” she answered, “I’ll get Marcy… to not be there. And get Dr. Kavanagh. Just… I’ll be quick.” Her eyes fell to Cass, “Hang in there, okay?” 

She wasn’t sure the oread could hear her so Alex simply ran off and into the fluorescent lighting of the morgue. She remembered Marcy from before and she seemed to be typing away on her computer. What was the best way to ensure Marcy didn’t follow Regan back to her desk? “Hi, Marcy,” she greeted more frantically than she would have liked, “I need to see Dr. Kavanagh… it’s important medical examiner business. Tell her it’s Alex Bennett. I… uh I have Animal Control Officer Langley outside, too. You should probably… I think you look like you totally deserve to take your lunch break like right after grabbing Dr. Kavanagh.” 

—

“Fiddlesticks, fudge, no, figh can’t be right…” Marcy glanced up from her phone as the doors opened and… oh, this had Dr. Kavanagh all over it. She remembered Alex Bennett, one of the doc’s oddball visitors, and apparently she brought company. Another person. No, wait, two other – oh. Oh, fiddlesticks. This seemed urgent enough to call the doctor instead of shooting her a text. She did so immediately. “Regan, we have a code ‘what the fuck’ up here.” Marcy looked nervously at the three mostly-strangers who had interrupted her game of Connections (today’s theme of f-expletives seemed appropriate, suddenly), her eyes wide with confusion and perhaps some degree of understanding. Her fingers danced across the tabletop and finally Regan picked up. 

“Can this wait?” the doctor asked, sounding exasperated, “I’m in the middle of a–” 

Marcy cut her off. “Please don’t tell me what body part your hand is in. This is, like, really ‘what the fuck’. Come now, okay?” 

Regan simply hung up, and Marcy stared blankly at Alex, trying not to look at the company she’d walked in with. Marcy usually lived for gossip (and both Regan and Morty were the perfect fodder) but this was something else. Regan couldn’t come fast enough.

The last time they’d had a code ‘what the fuck,’ it had been because a horde of crabs came scuttling in and nearly carried Marcy away with them. The crabs seemed to be gone, but Regan reasonably expected something else quite serious. She rushed out and up, barreling through the doors. Oh, how she wished it were crabs.

Kaden. Alex. Some lump in his arms. This cinniúint-amú family. Treating her morgue like a – She halted, midstep, feeling the presence of something, someone else. The lump was more than a lump. More than human, even. Regan raced to get closer, immediately setting her hands on the fae’s strange skin (was it part of what was wrong?). A girl, barely more than a child. Unconscious, or near it. 

Regan’s first instinct was to shout, break some lights, remind Kaden that this was not the emergency department and serious injuries needed to be attended to elsewhere. But the injured being fae changed the equation significantly. She could not go to a hospital, and especially not looking like this. And where better was there, really? Before Regan had arrived in Saol Eile, they had relied upon inexperienced hands and anecdotes reeking of homeopathy. Regan understood the lack of options. She just didn’t like it. “Langley. Why are you always involved in these things?” She narrowed her eyes at Kaden, who was too easy to blame, but really, Alex had been equally involved in her own injury and possibly what was happening right now. Kaden was older, though, and his shoulders were adequately-muscled for carrying blame.

Right now she needed him to carry their injured. “Hurry it up,” she said, carding the doors open and pointing; Kaden probably remembered where her office was, but they might need the space and tools the autopsy suite would afford them today. What a screaming mess this was. She wasn’t even sure the two of them knew the girl was fae. Regan waved a curt but grateful goodbye to Marcy, who needed no instruction on what to do next (stall Rickers). “Continue past my office and into the autopsy room. Give me as much medical history as you have and tell me what happened. And tell me what’s wrong with her skin.” Regan paused, feeling confident in her words, which seemed worth delivering. “She will not die here.”

In the autopsy suite, she did not waste a second. There were rarely emergencies here; the dead did not mind waiting for their procedures. But now she was filled with an energy and urgency she hadn’t felt in a long time. “On the table. Now.” There was a decedent lying on the adjacent autopsy table. Regan had just managed to stuff his organs back into him and stitch him up, but he needed to be put back in the fridge. She did not like the idea of anyone else touching her patients. She was even stingy when it came to Rickers and the techs. But… her eyes flicked between the dead and the living, and with a defeated sigh, she then looked over at Kaden. “He goes in 8F. If you drop him I will place you in there instead.” She turned to the girl, pulled open her eyelids. The pupils responded automatically to the harsh overhead light. Good. “Round, equal, and reactive.”

Her skin was hard, craggy like stone, and it defied anything Regan had ever seen before. Had the circumstances been different, she could have spent hours looking at it under a microscope and her scalpel. But the circumstances were what they were, and what could have been exciting and full of wonder was currently a hindrance, obscuring what she needed to see. She decided to take a gamble with their knowledge. “You need to get her to glamour.” Regan said, meeting Alex’s eyes with a deadly serious intensity. “She may not be able to hold it in place, but she must, even if it’s only around her injuries. I cannot see what’s going on under this… material. And would not know how to treat it like this.” There was one thing she could see plainly, though: a deep, smoking wound across her left shoulder, like a flaming blade had been plunged through muscle. It was open, exposing something underneath that glowed with orange, pulsing energy, but no blood. “I believe this is from cold iron. Quickly. If you cannot wake her, I can, but it will hurt.”

—

Kaden didn’t know Cass as well as he’d like but he knew enough. He knew was going to do every goddamn thing he could to keep her alive. He knew he was going to find that warden and— He didn’t know what came after that. Because first thing was carrying Cass into the morgue and forgetting that this building housed dead bodies. She wasn’t going to be one of them. “I’ve got you,” he said as his arms cradled her rock covered body. The edges and rough surface dug and pinched into his skin, likely leaving marks and bruises. If there was pain, he didn’t notice, just held on tighter. “Stay with me. Alex is inside.” His words came out like gasps and he couldn’t be sure if that was due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins or the fact that she was heavy in his arms. He was shuffling to the door as fast as he could, very aware of the fact that with Alex going ahead, no one was able to put pressure on the wounds. “Magma’s not going to go down like this, alright?” 

If there was anyone working the front desk, Kaden didn’t notice her. His eyes were searching for one person and one person only. He was already headed directly to her office when his eyes locked on hers, a tiny flick of hope lighting up in him. Apparently she wasn’t as thankful to see him. Right now, he didn’t give a shit if she wanted him there or not, she was going to help with the kid. “You can scream at me later, Kavanagh. Help her.” He barely had to pause as the doors slid open. Relief was a second away when she said to go to the autopsy suite instead. His head shot around to face her, his brows knit together and worry written across his face. She will not die here. He didn’t know if that was a wish or a fact, but Regan’s tone seemed to write it in stone. He was going to cling to them as tightly as he held Cass. 

Once they were inside the suite, Kaden did his best to set her down gently on the table, but it was difficult to rest rock on metal without any clashing. He winced at the sounds, hoping he hadn’t made anything worse, silently apologizing to her as he laid her down. Kaden backed away and thought that, for the time being, the extent of his ability to help was spent. He was shocked to hear that wasn’t the case. His eyes fell on the dead body next to Cass, sutures laced all the way down from his chest. He wasn’t a stranger to dead bodies, but he never saw them like this. His stomach churned and he could feel bile churning up to his throat. “He goes in… 8F?” he repeated, hoping that it might buy him the time to steady himself as he went pale. 

Putain de merde. This was stupid, he had dealt with much worse, scenes that were far more gruesome and had caused worse than that. In here, in this setting, surrounded by the cold and sterile medical supplies, it felt completely different. He took a deep breath before he nodded, grit his teeth, and decided to rip off the metaphorical band aid. Just pretend they’re alive, he thought as he rolled the body towards the right drawer. Fucking hell, he was putting a body in a drawer. Right. Easier said than done. Just had to make sure he didn’t vomit or pass out in the process. 

—

She will not die here.

There was no way those words could be spoken with absolute certainty, but Alex clung onto them like they were a liferaft. Her mind sunk its claws into them as if they were some tangible string she could tangle and keep in her grip. The alternative wasn’t something she could consider. The alternative terrified her. 

Though a small part of her felt guilty that Regan seemed to think Kaden was somehow involved in what happened to Cass or could have been the cause. Alex shook her head. “It’s not Kaden’s fault,” she explained, “I couldn’t carry her all the way– I needed a ride.” Given the bone nymph was straight on to business, which wasn’t at all surprising, she stopped herself from overexplaining because the truth of it was simple, wasn’t it? No matter how good Cass was, no matter how many people she helped during her patrols as Magma, there would always be a warden out there like Rhett who didn’t care and wanted her dead anyway. 

“This is my girlfriend, Cass,” Alex explained, looking at the oread in Kaden’s arms somewhat helplessly, “I was meeting her for a picnic and I found her being attacked by a warden. She probably… we met him before but didn’t know he was a warden. She probably…” The words caught in her throat. “He didn’t follow us, I promise,” she quickly added, hoping it answered enough that Regan and let her know there wasn’t an immediate threat following. 

Whatever Dr. Kavanagh asked of her, Alex would do it happily. Already, the medical examiner was taking control of the situation in a way that seemed practiced. It probably was practiced. Even if most of Regan’s patients were already dead, she was still a medical doctor. Emergency training was part of the education and well, Regan also seemed inclined to let the stray non-dead patient into her morgue too. If she wasn’t so damn scared that her girlfriend was about to be knocking death’s door, she may have watched Regan work with more admiration. As it was, she was quick to follow instructions. Any directive the doctor gave her was meant to help Cass, so aptly paid attention and followed into the autopsy room. 

The dead body on the table next to Cass hadn’t even fully registered until Regan was directing Kaden to put it in… a drawer. Alex knew how morgues worked in theory, but the normally unsettling idea was completely overlooked as she carefully looked over Cass. Regan mentioned a glamour and it made Alex positive that coming to the bone nymph was the right call… even if the doctor wouldn’t call herself a bone nymph. There was a weight in Regan’s gaze that made Alex immediately nod dutifully. 

“I’ll do what I can,” Alex agreed, “I don’t… she’s already in enough pain.” 

Her attention shifted to Cass and Alex leaned closer to the table as she looked the oread over. Neither arm looked too good, so she wasn’t sure hand was the right way to get Cass’s attention. Instead, her hand found Cass’s cheek and softly cupped it in her hand. “Cass,” she breathed out. No, she had to speak up. Her voice couldn’t be as small and scared as she felt. “Cass,” she spoke louder, “Babe, I need you to concentrate for a little while. I know it hurts… but we have help, ok? Dr. Kavanagh just needs you to put up your glamour, at least around your injuries so she can start taking care of them.” 

Cass stirred under her touch and Alex let out a breath she hadn’t realized she held in. “You can hold my hand as tight as you need, if it helps,” she added, “But you got this, ok? You’re like the bravest and strongest person I know… if anyone can throw on the ‘ol razzle dazzle in a time like this, it’s you. I think… focus on getting it on for your shoulder first?” She gave Regan an inquisitive look, hoping that she gave the right directive there. 

—

There were flashes, after the woods. She remembered walking with Alex, her feet so much heavier than they usually felt. Alex’s voice, talking first to her and then to someone else, their responses tinny and far away as they came through the speaker of a phone. Then Kaden was there, too, in the blink-of-an-eye kind of way that meant she was definitely losing time. Another blink, and she was laying across Alex’s lap in the backseat of an unfamiliar car. Another, and they were somewhere else. She heard Alex and Kaden talking, but she couldn’t track the conversation. Alex vanished for a moment, and Cass let out a low whine, feeling more like a child than she had in such a long time.

Another flash. Someone was holding her. They were moving, and she felt the vibrations but they were stilted, dull. Everything was, the world narrowed to the pain in her shoulder where Rhett’s knife had gone in. That hurt more than the broken arm, and there was something almost funny about that, wasn’t there? You’d think the broken thing would hurt more. You’d think. 

Kaden said something to her, and it took longer than it should have for it to register. Called her Magma, and she let out a quiet sound that was almost a laugh. Had she told him? She didn’t remember. Maybe he’d known all the while, the whole time. Or maybe she was Magma not Cass to him at the moment. Did Spider-Man have this problem? She swore she knew, but she couldn’t remember.

Another flash, and there was something solid under her back. It was cold; everything was cold. There was a flutter in her gut that was familiar, but felt as far away as the rest of it. Another fae? For a moment, some childish, outlandish part of her wondered if it was her father or someone from that long-forgotten aos si in Hawai’i. If one of them cared enough, somehow, to know she was in trouble and just… appear. But when her eyes were forced open and a flash of light shone into them, she caught a glimpse of white hair and pale skin that couldn’t belong to anyone with family ties with her. Her eyes fluttered shut again. Alone. She was alone.

But… that wasn’t true, was it? There was a presence at her side, worried and hovering. Alex’s voice cut through the haze, and it sounded like music. Concentrate. Glamour. “Anything for you, babe,” she murmured, and it came out more slurred than she’d wanted it to be. It was supposed to be smooth. Impressive. But she wasn’t either of those right now, was she?

Her eyes squeezed shut tightly, glamour flickering. It was hard to concentrate through the pain, but Alex asked her to do it so she would. The glamour was visibly unsteady, flickering on and off like a faulty lightbulb. Skin one moment, stone the next. She concentrated hard on her injured shoulder, letting out a low groan. “It hurts,” she whispered. “Is it — Am I doing it?”

—

As Kaden struggled with the decedent (but, fine, ultimately did an acceptable job stowing him away), Regan dedicated herself fully to her new patient as information poured out. Girlfriend. Alex had mentioned dating a fae. The pieces snapped together like dislocated bones popping into place. And a warden did this. Her teeth clenched as her jaw tightened around them. “I am not concerned about you being followed.” Normally she would have chastised the promise, but it was not the time. Nor was it the time to mention involving the authorities. Sure, they could not know what Cass was, but this was an unprovoked attack on a near-child. How could someone get away with such a thing, without an effort even being made to stop them? She thought of Teagan, whose assailant was still out there, as far as anyone knew. It could have been the same individual behind both attacks, but they had distinctly different flavors. Discussion for later.

Alex did an admirable job keeping herself together for Cass’s sake. When this was through, she would tell the child that. For now, though, Regan did not want to distract her – especially when her words of encouragement to her girlfriend seemed to be working to stir the patient. “Shoulder first. That is the most pressing concern.” If Regan was correct. It would be the most painful, too. The other incised wounds surely hurt, but they weren’t as deep or putrid. Alex was succeeding – and for that matter, so was Cass. Mostly. The tough material flickered away, replaced by skin, only to transform itself back again. “Keep it steady,” Regan said, “I can only be as steady as you are.” She left providing any comfort to Alex and dove right in, her hands carefully navigating the margins of the wound now that she could see clearly; they were semi-cauterized but still smoldered, and seemed to be almost expanding. If Regan was capable of paling, she might have.

Seeing the injury seared through Cass’s flesh only confirmed Regan’s suspicions. “This is a cold iron injury. Do you know what that is?” She truly did not know the knowledge base of her audience anymore. “It won’t heal by itself. And I cannot improve it. But I can stop it from getting worse, and permit it to heal on its own, given time.” Her palms stung with their own reminder. She had one cold iron blade, and even Cliodhna did not permit its use under typical circumstances. “Kaden,” she turned to him and was pleased to find her own seriousness reflected back at her. “Here is my ID. Card into my office and go into the bottom right drawer of my desk. There is a jar – small, plastic, red top. Bring it here.”

–

Instructions. Those were good. Kaden could follow those. It was better, even. Otherwise the best he could do was pace and wonder if he was in anyone’s way or distracting Regan. He took the ID card and ran off. Once he was out of the door, he hesitated, trying to remember the direction they came in. It was all a blur since they got there and he’d been carrying Cass, he hadn’t paid attention. 

Deep breath. He was pretty sure it was that way and soon enough he was sure once he saw the familiar door to Regan’s office. He fumbled with the card and slammed it against the reader a few different ways, but he didn’t need to put in all the effort, one tap was enough. He nearly pulled the door off its hinges and dove into the office.

Putain, what was it she said? Drawer, something about a drawer. He glanced around and saw a lot of those. Which fucking one? Desk, right, she’d mentioned that, too. Desk drawer. Narrowed it down but not completely. Kaden shut his eyes and tried to repeat the words over in his mind. Bottom drawer. Desk. Red top. That’s what he got. Yanking open the left drawer, all he saw were skulls. That was actually a pretty nice raccoon one but– Right. Task at hand. Better try the drawer on the right before digging around the bones. Sure enough, in the second drawer there was a flash of red. He leaned over and pulled a book out of the way. “How to Flirt Without Sounding like a Serial Killer.” Right. Good luck to her on that one. He set it aside and saw a jar, but reaching for it, it was clear it was just mayonnaise. Which brought some more questions. Either way, next to it was a second jar and there it was, just like she said: red lid, plastic jar. Kaden didn’t know what was in it, all he knew was they needed it and so he grabbed it, sprinting out of the office as fast as he’d gotten there.

“Here,” he said, practically shoving the jar into Regan’s hands. He was out of breath from running but hadn’t noticed until he’d had to speak. Lungs heaving, he backed away and watched. That was all that was left for him to do, wasn’t it? Just watch, hope, and try not to get in the way, wait for any more instructions, but otherwise watch and wonder.

–

Kaden made haste and Regan was left with the two children. Something squirmed inside of her, seeing their pain. Fortunately for all of them, he wasn’t gone long. There it was: the red jar. She accepted it with a nod of approval, and hovered over Cass’s injury as she uncapped it. “This is for… these kinds of injuries. It is likely to work, but I can’t say for certain. It might not be to her specifications, though.” Regan opened the small jar and breathed in the scent of old bone marrow mixed with something floral. It was the last of what she’d brought from Saol Eile. If this happened again, she would need to figure something else out. Somewhere in her cabin was a book with instructions on making more of the salve, and though the ingredient list made a strange kind of sense, it filled her with unease. Still, she did know it worked… on banshees. She had seen it. “I’m going to put this in her wounds. It might sting a little at first, but it will function as an analgesic when it sets in. Most importantly, it will prevent the necrosis of her… flesh.” If it could be called flesh. “Know that there may be other effects. If you have objections, voice them now.”

—

Somewhere in the background, Kaden had returned to her side after getting the descendent where Regan had directed. A distant part of Alex knew that it couldn’t have been an easy task for him, but everything else seemed like a blur as she focused on Cass. It needed to be a blur. If she let her mind drift to the feeling of blood caked to her skin or linger on the fact she was absolutely terrified, there’s no way she’d be able to keep helping. Cass needed her to be strong right now, so she had to be strong. She gently held the oread’s hand and smiled down at her. “You’re doing so good, babe,” she reassured, her voice coming out much more gravelly than she would have liked, “Just keep it up and steady around your shoulder, ok? You got this.” 

She stayed close to Cass as Dr. Kavanagh looked over her shoulder. Every so often, Alex offered whispered reassurances to the oread. Her shoulder looked so much worse with the glamour up. It was so easy to see where the iron had seared her skin and how it seemed to be worse than when they’d first left the forest. Given, the lighting now was much clearer and the werewolf knew she should look away. Her stomach practically begged her to, but she couldn’t scare Cass more. It was her turn to be the brave one and she gripped onto Cass’s hand enough to mask the tremor in her own fingers. 

Her attention turned to Dr. Kavanagh as she spoke of cold iron. None of it made any sense to Alex. How was cold iron any different from regular iron? She didn’t think werewolves were more sensitive to cold silver. That would have been somewhere in the ranger family playbook. She shook her head. “I know iron hurts her. Most of what I know about fae… she didn’t grow up with other fae. I told her that iron hurts her. Is cold iron worse,” she asked though she was fairly certain she already knew the answer. 

It wasn’t something that could heal on its own. Alex wasn’t sure if that made her more angry or afraid. There was some strange haze of both that hung over her as she practically squeaked out, “Please.” Cass was already in terrible shape. She wasn’t sure how much worse the oread could handle before she— She quickly shook her head. She couldn’t think like that. Regan said Cass wouldn’t die here and she wouldn’t. She offered Kaden a quick grateful look as he made off to fetch what Regan needed. 

By the sound of his footsteps, Alex could tell he was moving quickly, but time still seemed to move too slowly. Somewhere she could hear a wall clock and the detail seemed deafening, more so than her own heart hammering away so erratically she swore she could feel it in her throat. Kaden was back and she tuned into Dr. Kavanagh’s instructions. It was likely to work and the emphasis on specifications wasn’t lost on Alex. “So it was made with a different type of fae in mind,” she said lowly, not really speaking to anyone so much as thinking aloud. It was a sure deal, but it was their only chance. While medicine was hardly something she knew about, she sure as hell knew enough that necrosis of the flesh was not good. And since it wasn’t made for Cass, she was fairly certain that meant it was hard to know what the other effects would be. 

“Use it,” Alex decided quickly as she glanced down the wound that already looked worse, “Whatever the effects are can’t be worse than the pacman of stab wounds over here.” If Cass was listening, she’d appreciate the arcade game reference. Alex smiled weakly as she remembered Cass showing her how to play the game and she knelt back down by Cass. “Hey, rockstar,” she grinned weakly, “You’re doing great. I just need you to hold out a little longer. Dr. Kavanagh is going to put something that’ll help on your wounds, but it might sting first… There may be some side effects, but I got you, ok? I’ll be right here.” 

—

She was out of it. It was difficult to follow the conversation, so she stopped trying. Alex would pick up on the important parts and tell her later… if there was a later. The thought rose up without her permission, inky black and heavy. Cass wasn’t a pessimist. Quite the opposite, in fact. She’d been called naive in her optimism, but she clung to it all the same because what was the alternative? The world fucking sucked. If you didn’t hold on to the bright side, you’d lose yourself to the darkness. 

But Cass couldn’t find the bright side here. She couldn’t work out the positives of the situation, couldn’t unpack the good. Everything hurt, and she’d never died before but she was pretty sure this was what it felt like. The way her shoulder seemed to be spreading pain to the rest of her, the shivers she couldn’t stop from wracking her frame, the way Alex and Dr. Kavanagh spoke about her like she wasn’t there and the way she might as well have not been there for how well she could listen to them. Alex was saying things to her occasionally, and Cass clung to her voice like a lifeline even if she couldn’t make out the words.

Alex was beside her, then, and Cass tried with everything she had to listen. Her glamour flickered as he concentration shifted, but she understood what Alex was saying. The doctor was going to do something. It was going to hurt. But it would help her, too. She closed her eyes, nodding her head. “Do it,” she agreed. “Do whatever. I don’t — I don’t want to die.” She looked to Dr. Kavanagh as she said it, eyes feeling wet. “I don’t want to die, okay? Do what you need to do, but don’t let me die.”

—

Cass’s informed consent was, Regan thought, as good as it would get. “No questions or concerns, then. We proceed.” There was something almost familiar about Cass’s voice when she spoke, and as the glamour flickered off her face for a moment, Regan recognized her. Oh, that was too strange to even think of right now. She focused instead on the weak, unevenness of Cass’s plea, the mortal fear, and was determined to be the unmoving force she was required to be. Regan’s voice had an edge of authority and certainty. “You’re not going to die here, today.” 

She was in the rhythm of urgency now, and Alex and Kaden cleared the way for what needed to be done. Cass was still having trouble with her glamour, but she seemed to be able to muster enough resolve to hold it steady now. Whatever that strange, tough material Cass’s skin truly consisted of, it would have been impossible for Regan to access for application. “Good work.” She offered the rare praise, a reminder to hang on as long as she could. With careful hands, Regan dabbed the cream around the wound. What remained went into the other injuries, just in case those were from the same blade, though they didn’t look so malignant. It would help either way. And then that was it. The last of what she had brought from Saol Eile, exhausted. Traded for Cass. Please let it work. 

The wound pulsed with a strange darkness for a moment like the salve had stained it, then sizzled, the searing heat of the iron abating. It still gaped with toothy, jagged edges but now, given the time and proper care, Regan was confident that it would heal. At least until it happened again. These people… this town…  it was at times more rotten than anything in her morgue, and she ought to be grateful she would soon be leaving it. Her eyes ticked from Alex to Kaden, who were probably full of complicated emotions right now. Hope. Fear. Confusion. Her own concern gnawed at her but she set it on ice like her cadavers. Regan watched as the wound seemed to soak up the remaining darkness and waited. For what, she did not know.

—

Good work. It was stupid, she knew. The way those two words somehow meant more than the promise that she wouldn’t die here today, the way they sent a thrill of newfound energy surging through her veins that allowed her the concentration she needed to hold that glamour in place. The doctor, the fae doctor said good work, and Cass was eleven years old again, trying with everything she had to win the approval of nymphs who saw her as more of a bother than a person. Back then, she’d never earned anything resembling praise. But now? She was doing good work. Her smile was small and pained and tight, but it was still there. It was still real.

The doctor’s hands were at the injury on her shoulder, the one that burned and ached and felt hot and cold at the same time. She touched it with something cool, and it was like someone had injected darkness into her veins. The effect felt so instantaneous. The room dimmed. The temperature dropped. Cass blinked, and when she dragged her eyes back open, the morgue was full of strangers. A man with his chest hanging open, staples ripped out. A woman with goat’s legs and a darkening bruise around her throat. A teenager with a crown of blood encircling their head, eyes curious and sad. In the middle of them all, partially blocked off by their bodies, stood Rhett. Staring down at her with an expression of mild curiosity, like she was an animal in the zoo. The scratches Alex’s claws had left in his face were there, blood dry now. 

Were these ghosts, she wondered? A sea of the dead, beckoning for Cass to join them? Her eyes darted to Alex and Kaden and the doctor. There was a wound in Kaden’s side, freely bleeding. His shirt was so covered in blood that the fabric was hard to make out beneath it — had he been wearing red flannel, or did it just look that way now? Alex’s hair was the wrong shade of red, shining dully in the overhead lights of the morgue. It was wet. Not water. It wasn’t water soaking her head. The doctor was in black and white (was that why she looked familiar?), but there were spots of red slowly staining through, swirls of color that didn’t belong. Cass’s breath hitched, eyes darting between them all until something behind them caught her attention.

Kuma stood a few feet from Rhett, arms crossed over her chest. Debbie was beside her, the injuries that led to her death prevalent and obvious in the morgue. They both looked rotted. Everything ached.

And then, Cass blinked again, and it was all gone. It was just as it had been before. There was no blood in Alex’s hair. Kaden’s shirt was clean. The doctor wasn’t exactly colorful, still, white coat and all, but there was no red to be seen. And her shoulder didn’t burn, and she didn’t feel quite as cold, but the exhaustion that clung to her was hard to fight.

“Thank you,” she whispered to the doctor, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them again, they darted around for a moment before meeting Alex’s. Clear and blue and alive, like they were supposed to be. She offered the werewolf a small smile and let her consciousness flee. Safe. She was safe now.

—

Desperation had a way of making time seem slower. Alex knew the clock ticked at the same rhythm somewhere off in the distance, but it felt distorted as she gave the doctor room to take care of Cass’s wounds. It wasn’t the first time that Regan assured the oread wouldn’t die here. Fae couldn’t lie. Cass had told her that. Sure, the truth was subjective, but Dr. Kavanagh was a bone nymph. If she said Cass wasn’t going to die here that had to be the truth. At least, it alleviated some of her own fear so she could be the steady presence her girlfriend needed. Not that she would consider herself steady. The only thing that felt steady was the gaze she kept trained on Cass. Even blinking felt like a gamble that she only took when her eyes felt like they were burning. 

The salve seemed to create a cloud of darkness around it and Alex found herself having to cover her mouth and nose as the wound seared. It was strange. The autopsy suite didn’t smell like burning. The bite of medical grade cleaners was the predominant scent in the air, but underneath she could smell him. His blood still coated her body and she didn’t dare look down to find it drying on her skin. Just focus on Cass. 

It seemed like the remedy Dr. Kavanagh had given her was working though Alex couldn’t explain how. There had to be some supernatural fae aspect to it. She could hear the rapid pounding of Cass’s heart, but it was hard to discern anything wrong besides the obvious. Her eyes were darting around the morgue and the werewolf wasn’t sure what she was seeing. She could only hope it wasn’t anything too bad, but if it meant Cass would live, she guessed whatever it was had to be worth it. 

After what felt like an eternity, Cass thanked the doctor and locked eyes with Alex. It was the briefest glance before she watched the oread fully slump onto the table. The breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding came out as a small gasp and she felt everything she’d been compartmentalizing threatening to spill over with it. She took in a slow breath before looking up to Regan. “Dr. Kavanagh,” she started hesitantly. She wasn’t sure where to begin or what to say. All she could think was to express her gratitude, even if Regan would tell her it was foolish. “Thank you,” she said finally, “Really. You saved her. I–”

The words ‘almost lost her’ found themselves trapped in her throat and came out as a strangled sound. It was a floodgate that Alex couldn’t allow herself to open just yet so she shook her head. “I just appreciate it and I’m glad you’re still here.” Aside from the fact Cass would have likely literally died in her arms, she did like Regan. “Anything I need to do for her as far as healing and taking care of her goes, I’m all ears.” 

—

There wasn’t anything left for Kaden to do to help Cass. He was just as helpless as she was to fix her at that moment. He stood back and tried not to be in the way. Alex was there to comfort her girlfriend, Regan was there to heal her, and as much as he wanted to peer over her shoulder and see what was going on, check if it was working, he knew better. Hovering could only make it worse if anything at all. 

Now that his part was done, his mind drifted to the cause of her wounds, the blood covering Alex’s clothes. A warden. Another hunter. Kaden had to wonder if it was someone he knew. His stomach dropped as the face of the hunter dying at Andy’s hand flashed into his memory. Would he see that same look all over again? Would it be at his hands this time? Or Alex’s? Had she already killed him? He didn’t know. He didn’t want this to keep happening. Death. Over and over again. A snake eating its tail. And Kaden didn’t know how to stop it when all he knew how to do was how to slice it in half. 

The gasp from the fae on the table pulled his focus back to the present. His own breath stopped as he waited to see what would happen next – would she pull through or would she pass out again? He reached out and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder, hoping to give some comfort to her while she was giving all hers away to Cass. 

The words ‘thank you’ felt like a sigh of relief, a sign that the course had corrected itself. For now. “Good work,” he said to Regan. “See, way better than a hospital.” He had no idea what it was she did, but he knew it worked. That was enough for him. But now that they were in the clear, thoughts of the hunter and the potentially dead body in the woods lingered. Putain. His eyes darted to Alex, then back to the medical examiner. He opened his mouth to speak. “I, uh, when you have a second I need to talk to–” He knew what he should do, he should report the potential dead body. Alex wouldn’t be implicated. She couldn’t. Right? It’s not like she was human when she did it. Actually, he didn’t know. He just assumed. 

He owed it to the hunter to say something, owed it to his family, but he owed Alex more. He couldn’t risk it. “Nevermind,” he said, waving it off. “Thanks again. Hopefully you won’t see me here again anytime soon.” He glanced back to Alex and gave her a nod. “Come on, let’s get her back home so she can rest.” 

—

Something was happening to Cass – her eyes went wide and scanned the room as if she was looking for something or seeing something, and Regan watched in silence for a moment. Whatever it was seemed to pass, but that didn’t mean it was the last of it. She glanced down to the empty jar, the remnants of the cream clinging to the neck of it. Do not let it be a mistake. The child was increasingly lucid, though, which had to be a good sign. Her other injuries were minor in comparison, and Regan bandaged them up, confident they needed no further attention from her. Cass was certainly benefiting from the diligent attention of her girlfriend, though. Probably an ill-advised relationship, if Cass’s lifespan was anything like that of a banshee’s. But happiness was a rare and often hard-won thing, and she would not spoil theirs, however useless she felt the emotion to be. Yes. Useless. Of course it was. She suppressed the trickle of doubt.

As Cass roused herself up and the two of them thanked her, Regan shook her head. Their gratitude was less than ideal – or at least the language used to express it, was. She let the thank yous linger, not accepting them nor chastising right now. “It’s not over yet. You have a lot of healing to do, and there may be lingering effects from the wound and what I applied to it. Monitor it closely and come to me if anything unexpected occurs.” Her voice lowered, something soft squirming through her that she barely recognized and did not particularly like. “I didn’t save her. I think you did that. Or perhaps she saved herself.”

And then there was Kaden. “I do not need your ‘good job’.” She narrowed her eyes at him. Demeaning. And what followed pulled at her temper, however much she tried to deny it. “Or your jokes. You come here instead of the hospital and you tell me good job.” Regan wrinkled her nose at him, but Cass was too much a priority for her aggravation at the remark to persist. Did Kaden have something to tell her? Or was he trying to tell something to Alex or Cass? She wasn’t going to figure it out now, apparently, as he seemed to cut himself off. Later, then. Maybe he was trying to tell her there was something to discuss later. She turned to address all three of them. “Not that you chose poorly, in this very specific instance. But we are not done here. Today, right now, we are, because… well, she is asleep.” Regan motioned toward Cass, whose eyes were shut and who looked entirely like a rock again. “But we will need to discuss this attempted murder. I don’t need another victim in here.”

—

Adrenaline was a funny thing. In the absence of an immediate threat and the knowledge Cass would be okay, the rush that had been pushing her forward had melted into lead. Or maybe peridotite would be more accurate. The metaphorical density of her bones was hardly the point, but Alex knew they felt heavy. So did the blood and flakes of rock on her skin. And her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was the firm kick from Rhett or the weight of what had just happened catching up to her somehow, but now it was sinking. 

Then the hand on her shoulder reminded Alex she didn’t have to carry this alone. Even as Kaden spoke again, there was something decisive in his tone. He knew as well as she did that Regan would have questions. She didn’t mind that so much. Even if Regan seemed to follow the letter of the law, she knew about this stuff. She was part of this stuff. She’d seen firsthand what Rhett had done to Cass. Even if the medical examiner did insist on going the official route, she doubted claw marks could truly be traced back to her. Plus, she was pretty sure some logic or law of self defense was on her side. There was a chance she killed him, but he’d been the one to lift the knife. She’s given him every chance. Her gaze drifted to her sleeping girlfriend and she couldn’t help but think maybe she’d given him too many chances. 

That thought hurt to linger on so Alex instead aptly listened to the doctor’s instructions. She’d need to monitor Cass closely. She could do that. Hell, she wasn’t sure it’d be so much a choice on her part. As tired as she was, she didn’t think she’d find sleep in the coming hours. She’d nodded diligently and had been prepared to accept the instructions as they were, but then there was something there again. It was the tiniest glimpse of something less cold in her eyes. It was brief and if the doctor’s words hadn’t matched that slight etch of something warmer in her features, she would have doubted she saw it all. “Oh,” she uttered with wide eyes. She hadn’t expected that. Dr. Kavanagh had called her a good child once, but this held something more. She saved someone. She saved Cass. She wasn’t too soft. She was soft and she’d protected those parts of herself by protecting the person who brought them out the most. And Cass saved herself too. She was proud of her for pushing through that pain so Dr. Kavanagh could treat her wounds even if the oread never should have experienced that pain in the first place.

If the creeping exhaustion hadn’t fully made itself at home in her body, Alex would have nudged her cousin. It wasn’t lost on her that jokes in the face of traumatic incidents was a shared family trait. Pointing it now wouldn’t hold the same satisfaction, especially not when there was something so comfortable in it for her. Dr. Kavanagh didn’t seem to appreciate it though. That wasn’t entirely surprising and if she wasn’t so tired, she’d feel bad that Kaden seemed to be taking the brunt of her frustration when all he did was drive the car. “We’ll get her home,” she assured, “Once she’s settled, I’ll answer anything you want to know. He won’t do this again.”

Alex didn’t know if he was dead, but some part of her knew he probably should be. That spark of hatred in his eyes was too familiar. She knew the only thing that put it out was blood. Or at least, if there had been some other answer, she wasn’t privy to it. If love had been enough, she had to think it would have made a difference with her parents. It didn’t matter anyway. She gave Cass’s hand one final squeeze before she moved aside to let Kaden pick her back up so they could go home. “You’re gonna be okay,” she whispered to the oread she knew couldn’t hear her, “I got you. We got you.” 

Because even if she couldn’t hear it, Alex still felt it was important to remind Cass she wasn’t alone in the world. Not anymore. 

#wr cass #wr kaden #wr regan #threads; with cass #threads; with kaden #threads; with regan #threads; with cass; emorguency room #threads; with kaden; emorguency room #threads; with regan; emorguency room #(never been a natural all i do is try try try) ;; writing #(the moonlight is blinding) ;; season 1 writing

[stainedglasstruth]

@chasseurdeloup replied to your post “What habits do you wish you could give up? Why?”:

You, too, huh? I managed to kick the habit for a few months but I ended up picking it up again. Almost like it's an addiction or something.

Or something. ​Yeah, same here, I've managed for a few months before, but I've always come back to it. Never quite been able to kick it for good. Maybe one of these days we'll get there, though.

#chasseurdeloup #wr kaden

[chasseurdeloup]

Meta Question: What was your biggest inspiration for your character?

META

Goood question. I've written Kaden for so long now I can't say for sure 100%. Not to mention he was originally a bio that Casey wrote waaaaay back when for the Buffy RP. And oh boy has he changed a lot since then.

So I figured out pretty early into WR 1.0 that I was accidentally pulling from how I wrote Catman in a previous Batfam RP. I also very much take inspiration from The Witcher (wow no one saw that coming). That sort of take on monster hunting being a thankless job in a way and something that they can't exactly run from.

Lambert is the witcher that Kaden is most like (game and book lore, the show is... well the show). Reluctant to be a monster hunter at times but also not sure what else he can really do at this point since his whole life was shaped in service of him being that. And there's a little bit of resentment for the whole system and people that put him there. But at the end of the day, wants to do what he can to help make the world a little better, whatever the hell that means.

There's also like a teeennyy bit of inspiration from Spike from Buffy in the sort of attempting to be better after realizing you don't like who you are and what you've done.

And then there's Luke from Gilmore Girls. Also unintentional. But like... Grumpy flannel wearing guy who complains about bad eating habits. Also cooks. No backwards baseball hat, though.

#answered #meta #headcanon

[mor-beck-more-problems]

@chasseurdeloup

[pm] You're the one who implied it. I don't want to make a big deal out of a joke. Or something.

[pm] I’m like... 75% kidding. 

Also, you’re the one getting insecure about it. 

#wr kaden #wr convo #wr kaden convo

[thesportssoundoff]

A Dumb Draft Exercise

It's a Friday night and we're all locked in so I decided to do something a touch different. I took the current NFL draft order and then looked up the last five NFL drafts (2015-2019) to see who was picked at spots. Using the teams as they stand after one long (and it feels it) week of free agency, I picked ONE player selected at that set position to try and do a retro draft. Each team picked ONE player picked over the last five years at that specific spot (so at 1 overall, you could only draft 1st overall). How different would your favorite team look? Welll.....

1. Cincinnati- QB Kyler Murray (2019)

The first round picks of the past five years consist of four QBs (Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield and Murray) alongside premiere edge rusher Myles Garrett. As is often the case with top pick QBs tasked with saving bad franchises, each becomes less and less attractive as the years go by and they hit the ceiling of "damn good but not quite franchise saver" over and over. I went with Murray because while I think Goff is vastly underrated by most fans, Murray's got the ability and personality to drastically change an organization that feels like it's been hankering for a chance over the past five years. Murray was one of the NFL's brightest stars last year and figures to only improve, especially if you put him under the watchful gaze of an offensive guru (of sorts) in Zac Taylor.

2. Washington- DE Nick Bosa (2019)

Was REALLY torn with Carson Wentz and Nick Bosa for the Redskins. There's a lot of dead-ish weight here with Mitch Trubisky and Marcus Mariota and while Saquon may be the best player in theory, no team needs to take a running back in the top 5 (or in the first round at all). Assuming the Redskins are truly comfortable with Dwayne Haskins then taking Nick Bosa and pairing him up in the front four along with the likes of Montez Sweat, Matt Ionidis and Daron Payne would probably be a formidable ass crew.  Basically the Chase Young strategy.

3. Detroit- DE Joey Bosa (2016)

How about the Bosa Bros going back to back! One would assume tht if the Lions wanted a QB, they're GOING to have their pick of the proverbial litter on the back end. After all after Cincy, they'll have Tua, Herbert and Love at their disposal if taking a QB so amuses them. Instead operating under the belief that the Lions feel comfortable with Stafford for MAYBE one more year, it leaves us to choose from Joey Bosa, Solomon Thomas and Dante Fowler. Bosa is likely on his way to a multiple pro bowl career while Thomas may just grade out as average and Fowler is on his third team now. Easy choice if ya ask me.

4. NY Giants- WR Amari Cooper (2015)

The Giants would be picking from a variety of offensive players; two of which are current Dallas Cowboys. You have Amari Cooper, Zeke Elliott, Leonard Fournette on offense and then Denzel Ward at cornerback as pretty much your only other option. Give me Amari Cooper as he'd immediately step in and make an offense consisting of Daniel Jones, Barkley, Golden Tate and a two tight end threat of Evan Engram and Kaden Smith a pretty damn formidable one.

5. Miami- OLB Bradley Chubb (2018)

This WOULD be easy in theory. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey would've been a FINE choice here but the Dolphins have Xavien Howard and Byron Jones on the back end. With Jalen Ramsey out of the picture, you have an interesting linebacker in Devin White, a superb guard in Brandon Scherff and my selection Bradley Chubb. With so much locked in on the defense, Chubb (if healthy) steps in as an immediate premiere pass rusher. Barely edges out Brandon Scherff. BARELY.

6. LA Chargers- OG Quinton Nelson (2018)

Man! The Chargers would have their glut of talent to choose from if they so desired. Want an elite strong safety? Jamal Adams was picked 6th in 2018. Want a QB to groom and develop? Daniel Jones went here in 2019. If you want a flexible havoc inducing DL piece? Leonard Williams in 2015 went 6th overall. Ronnie Stanley is a pretty damn good tackle as well.  Quinton Nelson is a top 3 guard in just two seasons and figures to continue to improve. It's not a premiere position for a lot of people but Nelson bucks the trend.

7. Carolina- QB Josh Allen (2018)

Funny bit? We have two Josh Allens here as Josh Allen from Wyoming and Josh Allen from Kentucky both went 7th overall. Both would be tremendous picks given the Panthers needs (an elite edge or a QB). Deforest Buckner finally hit on his potential and got paid paid for it as well, fitting in interestingly here as a potential flexible front line piece. The Panthers just paid Teddy Bridgewater relatively big time money but if you have the chance to take a really athletic strong armed QB who has shown strides in two seasons, you should do it. Imagine Allen throwing it to the likes of DJ Moore and Christian McCaffery.

8. Arizona- RB Christian McCaffery (2017)

THIS one was hard given the lack of obvious options. Do you need more receiving options? If so TE TJ Hockenson was picked 8th. Christian McCaffery is probably the best player at this spot but again, running backs and top 10s and etc etc etc. Nuke Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk are on paper a superb trio of WRs and you also have Kenyan Drake at RB. Vic Beasley is a good pass rusher who has sort of lost his way as a player (hence the one year prove it deal). Give me McCaffery I guess. I think he'd do wonders in Kingbsury's offense and I suppose you can make he and Drake work together. That's why head coaches get paid.

9. Jacksonville- OT Mike McGlinchey (2018)

There's not a lot of obvious fits for a tanking team like the Jaguars. DT Ed Oliver would be intriguing but I have no idea how he fits in with the Jaguars defense. The likes of Leonard Floyd (recently released), Ereck Flowers (failed tackle turned kinda failed guard), John Ross (oft injured speedster) are other options. Lastly there's Mike McGlinchey who was starting at right tackle for the Super Bowl 49ers. The Jaguars have spent picks at both tackle spots but McGlinchey is better.

10. Cleveland- QB Patrick Mahomes (2017)

Fuck. Would the Browns even with Baker Mayfield flirt with taking Patrick Mahomes? Who cares. Mayfield can be traded. If you have the chance to grab the best QB in the NFL, you do it. Easy peasy.

11. NY Jets- CB Marshon Lattimore (2016)

This one came down to Lattimore or Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick can do so much across a secondary and his swiss army knife toolset was amplified in a Pittsburgh secondary that left to his devices where he could roam free and fuck shit up. On the other hand, Marshon Lattimore represents one of the NFL's rare commodities; a star shutdown cornerback. Plus with Marcus Maye and Jamal Adams tie up the safety spots pretty well.

12. Las Vegas- QB Deshaun Watson (2017)

The Raiders are openly flirtatious with moving on from Derek Carr. Deshaun Watson would step in and be a massive upgrade. There's also not much here either given how 90% of the players are DL and the Raiders have plenty of names and faces they like there. Maxx Crosby, Maliek Collins, John Hankins and Clelin Ferrell to name a few.

13. San Francisco f/IND- OG Laremy Tunsil (2016)

Take the 49ers OL with Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey and Laken Tomlinson and then slide in Laremy Tunsil at RG. That's an absurd OL. There also weren't many options to really delve into either depending on how you feel about Da'Ron Payne and Vita Vea.

14. Tampa Bay- DE Marcus Davenport (2018)

Pick 14 over the past five years is a bit of a dry spell unfortunately. The best player on the list is DeVante Parker and the Bucs clearly have a collection of damn good WRs. Shaq Barrett and JPP are in place for 2020 but could the Bucs use Davenport as a third rusher and move him inside on pass rush downs. Not a lot of good ideas here unfortunately.

15. Denver- RB Melvin Gordon (2015)

Easy peasy! I mean Denver just signed him! That's a bit of a cheapie but let's keep with it. Gordon fitshere (and nobody else does).

16. Atlanta- LB Tremaine Edmunds (2018)

Edmunds with Deion Jones? Sign me up! The only other option that makes sense here is Marlon Humphrey at corner which would be an equally fine pick.

17. Dallas- S Derwin James (2018)

Given that Arik Armstead and John Allen would be 3-technique types in this defense, it makes sense we would ONCE again look at the safety market! Yay! The Cowboys scheme in 2018 apparently didn't like Derwin James as much as the media thought they did but this is a brand new scheme and a new way to play. Derwin James would edge out Keanu Neal (who BTW when healthy is an amazing safety) by virtue of being more of the chess piece the Cowboys need.

18. Miami f/PIT- C Ryan Kelly (2017)

Again there's a glut of corners here but the Dolphins have their fair share. As such, turn your attention over to a glut of centers---who they also just signed a guy for. Ryan Kelly is a pro bowl center though and you can make exceptions for that.

19. Las Vegas f/CHI- LB Leighton Vander-Esch (2018)

One of the better linebackers in the NFL prior to his neck injury, LVE was a friggin' elite athlete who could still redefine what NFL linebackers look like. His defensive coordinator is there as well (as the DL coach) and I bet Gruden would love his leadership and his ability as an off ball linebacker. This one is easy enough.

20. Jacksonville f/LAR- TE Noah Fant (2019)

The Jaguars are in the midst of a rebuild of sorts but unfortunately there's no immediate building block pieces at 20. It came down to Frank Ragnow (a versatile OL with upside) or Noah Fant and I opted for tight end Noah Fant since Minshew could use a reliable safety blanket. Assuming Fant can control his drops of course.

21. Philadelphia- WR Will Fuller (2016)

The Eagles could REALLY use some targets for Carson Wentz. Last year in clutch games they were relying on JJ Arceaga-Whiteside and Boston Scott for targets outside of their tight ends. Wouldn't have a problem going with FS Darnell Savage either who also went at 21.

22. Minnesota f/BUF- DE Bud Dupree (2015)

I don't know if the Vikings NEED an edge but even if they don't, there's really no options here. Josh Doctson was a flop in Washington, Charles Harris was a flop in Miami, Rashaan Evans plays the same spot as their glut of damn good linebackers and Andre Dillard is an unproven tackle for Philly to this point. Hit or miss here.

23. New England- Isaiah Wynn (2018)

I mean they drafted him here. Easy enough. Although would they take TE Evan Engram all things being equal?

24. New Orleans- WR DJ Moore (2018)

The Saints did grab Emmanuel Sanders but DJ Moore, Sanders and Michael Thomas is a whole different world of WR depth. There's also pretty much nobody else here worthy of snagging either.

25. Minnesota- WR Marquise Brown (2019)

HOLLYWOOD! The Vikings just traded away Stefon Diggs and could use an infusion of playmaker at their WR spot to help assist their TE room, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen. Marquise Brown would give Kirk Cousins a souped up version of Jamison Crowder; a WR-3 he relied heavily on in Washington.

26. Miami f/HOU- DE Montez Sweat (2019)

So the Dolphins have signed a lot of DE and we also gave them Bradley Chubb earlier BUT Montez Sweat is going to terrorize the NFL for the next 5-10 years and so he and Chubb combined? That's big time pass rush. Also, again, not much to really select from here either.

27. Seattle- CB Byron Jones (2015)

If you drew up a make and model for a Seahawks DB? It looks like Byron Jones. Byron just got paid big time money by Miami It's Byron vs Tre White and Byron fits the mold a bit better. Could also see Seattle liking Kenny Clark. Lots of good defensive players at 27.

28. Baltimore- OG Laken Tomlinson (2015)

Let Tomlinson battle it out with the interior OL the Ravens have currently. There's really not much here, it's either Tomlinson or DT Jerry Tillery.

29. Tennessee- TE David Njoku (2017)

Funny story, the 2016 1st round pick here was forfeited via deflategate. With just four names to choose from (and not really much to talk about either way), the Titans take David Njoku. Njoku has struggled with his role in Cleveland and the Titans do have some solid tight ends already in place but Njoku would be a pretty nice flier. Most of the guys here at 29 are just not good unless you're a Taven Bryan truther.

30. Green Bay- LB TJ Watt (2017)

And Cowboys fans across the globe shudder in horror. Yes, the Packers have two really good DEs in the Smith brothers. There's nobody else here who comes remotely close to the pure value TJ Watt has. Let him rush from the left side and rack up the sacks. You can figure it out somehow I figure. Let Preston Smith play 3-tech or something!

31. San Francisco- LB Reuben Foster (2017)

On one hand, the less said about Foster the better. On the other, there's really nobody else here who would come close. Unless you're a Germaine Ifedi fan?

32. Kansas City- DT Malcolm Brown (2015)

For any other team in any other league, this is Lamar Jackson. The Chiefs are really set at QB for the next 10-15 years so we'll have to take a pass. Instead Malcolm Brown is pretty much the only other really good value play. Big thumpy 1-tech/nose tackles are usually found later on in the draft but Brown is a good one and the Chiefs truthfully don't need much else either.

#NFL #Draft #Thought exercise #fuckin' around

[unclescurvy]

2019 NFL Rookies of the Year

Let’s keep track of the best rookie performances from week to week. At the end of the year, hopefully we can make a legit case for the offensive and defensive rookies of the year based on that info.

WEEK 1

OFFENSE: WR Marquise Brown (BAL)

Honorable Mention: RB Josh Jacobs (OAK), QB Gardner Minshew (JAX), TE T.J. Hockinson (DET), WR Terry McLaurin (WAS), WR A.J. Brown (TEN), QB Kyler Murray (ARZ), P J.K. Scott (GB), OT Jawaan Taylor (JAX), G Dalton Risner (DEN)

DEFENSE: LB Cole Holcomb (WAS)

Honorable Mention: DE Clelin Ferrell (OAK), S Jonathan Abram (OAK), LB Dre Greenlaw (SF), DE Nick Bosa (SF)

WEEK 2

OFFENSE: QB Kyler Murray (ARZ)

Honorable Mention: C Erik McCoy (NO),  RB Josh Jacobs (OAK), RB Devin Singletary (BUF), WR Deebo Samuel (SF), WR Marquise Brown (BAL)

DEFENSE: S Darnell Savage (GB) 

Honorable Mention: S Khari Willis (IND), LB Jahlani Tavai (DET),  CB Kendall Sheffield (ATL), LB Quincy Williams (JAX), DE Chase Winovich (NE), CB Greedy Williams (CLE), DE Charles Omenihu (HOU)

WEEK 3

OFFENSE: QB Daniel Jones (NYG)

Honorable Mention: QB Gardner Minshew (JAX), RB Miles Sanders (PHI), RB Tony Pollard (DAL), WR Mecole Hardman (KC), KR/PR Deonte Harris (NO); TE Dawson Knox (BUF)

DEFENSE: LB Devin Bush (PIT)

Honorable Mention: LB Josh Allen (JAX), DE Brian Burns (CAR), LB Ryan Connelly (NYG), S Darnell Savage (GB), LB Cole Holcomb (WAS), CB Jimmy Moreland (WAS)

WEEK 4

OFFENSE: WR A.J. Brown (TEN)

Honorable Mention: WR Diontae Johnson (PIT), RB Miles Sanders (PHI), QB Gardner Minshew (JAX)

DEFENSE: LB Devin Bush (PIT)

Honorable Mention: S Khari Willis (IND), LB Ryan Connelly (NYG)

WEEK 5

OFFENSE: RB Josh Jacobs (OAK)

Honorable Mention: QB Gardner Minshew (JAX), QB Kyler Murray (ARZ), WR Darius Slayton (NYG)

DEFENSE:  LB Nick Bosa (SF) 

Honorable Mention: LB Devin Bush (PIT),  LB Troy Reeder (LAR), LB Cole Holcomb (WAS), CB Byron Murphy (ARZ), S Roderic Teamer (LAC), LB Josh Allen (JAX), CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (TB)

WEEK 6

OFFENSE: QB Kyler Murray (ARZ)

Honorable Mention: WR Terry McLaurin (WAS),  RB Miles Sanders (PHI), OT Dennis Daley (CAR)

DEFENSE: LB Devin Bush (PIT)

Honorable Mention: LB Troy Reeder (LAR), S Juan Thornhill (KC), DE Charles Omenihu (HOU)

WEEK 7

OFFENSE: RB Josh Jacobs (OAK)

Honorable Mention: WR Preston Williams (MIA), OT Justin Skule (SF)

DEFENSE: LB Nick Bosa (SF)

Honorable Mention: DT Jeffery Simmons (TEN), S Roderic Teamer (LAC), LB Troy Reeder (LAR)

WEEK 8

OFFENSE: QB Daniel Jones (NYG)

Honorable Mention: RB David Montgomery (CHI), QB Gardner Minshew (JAX), WR Deontae Johnson (PIT), RB Miles Sanders (PHI), WR Hunter Renfrow (OAK), G Elgton Jenkins (GB)

DEFENSE: LB Nick Bosa (SF)

Honorable Mention: S Marquise Blair (SEA), S Roderic Teamer (LAC), LB Josh Allen (JAX)

WEEK 9

OFFENSE: WR D.K. Metcalf (SEA) 

Honorable Mention: RB Josh Jacobs (OAK) , WR Preston Williams (MIA), WR Hunter Renfrow (OAK), QB Kyler Murray (ARZ), RB Devin Singletary (BUF), TE Noah Fant (DEN), TE Dawson Knox (BUF), P J.K. Scott (GB)

DEFENSE: LB Devin White (TB)

Honorable Mention: CB Nik Needham (MIA), LB Mack Wilson (CLE), LB Drue Tranquill (LAC)

WEEK 10

OFFENSE: WR Darius Slayton (NYG) 

Honorable Mention: QB Daniel Jones (NYG), QB Kyler Murray (ARZ), WR Marquise Brown (BAL), WR Deebo Samuel (SF), RB Josh Jacobs (OAK)

DEFENSE: DE Clelin Ferrell (OAK)

Honorable Mention: DT Dalvin Tomlinson (NYG), LB Drue Tranquill (LAC),  S Taylor Rapp (LAR), LB David Long (TEN), CB Nik Needham (MIA), LB Dre Greenlaw (SF), CB Jamel Dean (TB)

WEEK 11

OFFENSE: WR Deebo Samuel (SF)

Honorable Mention: QB Kyler Murray (ARZ), RB Josh Jacobs (OAK), P Jamie Gillan (CLE)

DEFENSE: DE Maxx Crosby (OAK)

Honorable Mention: LB Devin White (TB),  LB Dre Greenlaw (SF), CB Rock Ya-Sin (IND), CB Trayvon Mullen (OAK), CB Nik Needham (MIA)

WEEK 12

OFFENSE: WR A.J. Brown (TEN)

Honorable Mention: RB Devin Singletary (BUF), RB Benny Snell (PIT)

DEFENSE: LB Devin White (TB)

Honorable Mention: LB Cole Holcomb (WAS), CB Corey Ballentine (NYG), CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (TB), CB Amani Oruwariye (DET)

WEEK 13

OFFENSE: RB Josh Jacobs (OAK)

Honorable Mention: C Patrick Mekari (BAL), QB Dwayne Haskins (WAS)

DEFENSE: DT Ed Oliver (BUF)

Honorable Mention: LB Devin White (TB), LB Montez Sweat (WAS), LB Josh Allen (JAX), S Juan Thornhill (KC), S Darnell Savage (GB), CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (TB), S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (NO), DT Shy Tuttle (NO), CB David Long, Jr. (LAR), S Taylor Rapp (LAR)

WEEK 14

OFFENSE: QB Drew Lock (DEN)

Honorable Mention: WR Darius Slayton (NYG), TE Noah Fant (DEN), WR A.J. Brown (TEN), QB Devlin Hodges (PIT), RB Devin Singletary (BUF), WR Diontae Johnson (PIT), OT Kaleb McGary (ATL)

DEFENSE: S Khari Willis (IND)

Honorable Mention: LB Oshane Ximines (NYG), DT Jeffery Simmons (TEN)

WEEK 15

OFFENSE: WR A.J. Brown (TEN)

Honorable Mention: QB Dwayne Haskins (WAS), QB Gardner Minshew (JAX), RB Tony Pollard (DAL), RB Miles Sanders (PHI), WR Terry McLaurin (WAS)

DEFENSE: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (TB)

Honorable Mention: LB Mack Wilson (CLE), S Juan Thornhill (KC)

WEEK 16

OFFENSE: QB Daniel Jones (NYG)

Honorable Mention: QB Dwayne Haskins (WAS), WR Hunter Renfrow (OAK), WR Diontae Johnson (PIT), RB Miles Sanders (PHI), TE Kaden Smith (NYG), WR Steven Sims (WAS)

DEFENSE: DE Dre’Mont Jones (DEN)

Honorable Mention: LB Dre Greenlaw (SF), LB Bobby Okereke (IND), LB Derick Roberson (TEN)

WEEK 17

OFFENSE: WR A.J. Brown (TEN)

Honorable Mention: QB Gardner Minshew (JAX), RB David Montgomery (CHI), RB Benny Snell (PIT), WR Hunter Renfrow (OAK), WR Deebo Samuel (SF), TE Kaden Smith (NYG), WR D.K. Metcalf (SEA)

DEFENSE: LB Montez Sweat (WAS)

Honorable Mention: LB Dre Greenlaw (SF), LB Devin Bush (PIT), DE Maxx Crosby (OAK), S Taylor Rapp (LAR)

[nflfanpointii]

Saints Draft recap and UFA list so far

Draft Recap

2nd Round, 48th Overall - Erik McCoy, C, TAMU

4th Round, 105th Overall - Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida

6th Round, 177th Overall - Saquan Hampton, S, Rutgers

7th Round, 231st Overall - Alize Mack, TE, Notre Dame

7th Round, 244th Overall - Kaden Elliss, OLB, Idaho

Undrafted Rookie Tracker

Nick Moore, LS, Georgia (source)

Ethan Greenidge, OL, Villanova (source)

Chase Hansen, LB, Utah (source)

Deonte Harris, WR/KR, Assumption College (source)

Jordan Wyatt, CB, SMU (source)

Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska (source)

Carl Granderson, DE, Wyoming (source)

Shy Tuttle, DL, Tennessee (source)

Darnell Holland, RB, Kennesaw State (source)

Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR, Texas (source)

Kenny Bigelow, DT, West Virginia (source)

Darrell Williams, LB, Auburn (source - deal reportedly being worked out)

Corbin Kaufusi, DE, BYU (source)

Jake Powell, TE, Monmouth (source)

Derrick Kelly, OL, Florida State

#saints #new orleans saints #nfl #nola no call #mission miami #ufa #draft #csc.com

[albertoromano]

Necesidades de los equipos de la división AFC Sur.

La AFC Sur, fue la única división de la NFL con 3 equipos con record ganador, Houston Texans fue el ganador de la división e Indianapolis Colts fue el segundo Wild Card de la AFC, Tennessee Titans se quedo muy corto de playoffs y Jacksonville Jaguars, fue una de las decepciones mas grandes de 2018.

Estas son las 3 principales necesidades de cada equipo y como podrían solucionarlas:

Houston Texans.

Record 2018: 11-5, eliminados en ronda de Wild Card

Cap Space: $62,625,215 – 7o en la liga.

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 7.

Mayores necesidades: 1) Offensive Tackle, 2) Interior Offensive Lineman, 3) Tight End.

Sin duda alguna la línea ofensiva de Houston fue la peor de la liga la temporada pasada, Desaun Watson fue el QB mas capturado, 62 veces y empato el record como el segundo QB que mas sacks recibió y accedió a postemporada, no puedes permitir que tu mariscal de campo que viene de dos rupturas de ACL, sea golpeado constantemente detrás de la línea de scrimmage, no me sorprendería que por lo menos, 3 integrantes de la línea ofensiva sean caras nuevas. El grupo de receptores ya es uno de los mejores de la NFL, pero no tienen apoyo por parte de un ala cerrada que además de bloquear en la línea, atrape balones.

Como podrían solucionarlo: Los primeros dos picks del draft tendrán que ser en la línea ofensiva y hay varios jugadores que podrían ayudarlos a mejorar su línea ofensiva como: G Chris Lindstrom (Boston College) o David Edwards (Wisconsin), también tendrán que gastar en el mejor agente libre disponible en la posición preferiblemente Trent Brown (New England Patriots). Deberán de seleccionar posteriormente un ala cerrada como: Josh Oliver (San Jose St.).

Indianapolis Colts.

Record 2018: 9-7, eliminado en ronda divisional.

Cap Space: $107,563,186  - 1a  en la liga

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 8

Mayores necesidades: 1) Wide Receiver, 2) Corner Back, 3) Safety.

Los Colts, ganaron 10 de sus últimos 11 juegos y  fueron uno de los equipos que mas sorprendieron la temporada pasada. TY Hilton es uno de los mejores receptores de la liga, pero necesita ayuda del otro costado, Ryan Grant fue un desastre, acumulando solamente 334 yardas y 1 TD y Dontrell Inmann, quien fue firmado en la semana 7, fue el segundo mejor receptor del equipo. A pesar de que la secundaria fuera la 15a mejor de a liga, ni el CB Pierre Desir ni el S Quincy Wilson, son dos jugadores que podrán sostener el nivel mostrado en 2018 y ambas posiciones debería de mejorar con otros jugadores.

Como podrían solucionarlo: Los Indianapolis Colts están en una posición privilegiada esta off-season, tienen la mayor cantidad de cap space para gastar y deben de gastarlo en la posición que mas necesidad tienen y algunas opciones son: WR Golden Tate (Philadelphia Eagles) o WR Tyrel Williams (Los Angeles Chargers). La posición de safety es la agencia libre es muy profunda y deberían pujar por el S Earl Thomas (Seattle Seahawks) o S Landon Collins (New York Giants). En el draft su primera selección deberá de ser CB y talvez este disponible cuando seleccionen a CB Deandre Baker (Georgia).

Jacksonville Jaguars.

Record 2018: 5-11.

Cap Space: $-6,334,989 – 31o en la liga.

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 8.

Mayores necesidades: 1) Quarter Back, 2) Wide Receiver 3) Tight End.

LA era de Blake Bortles en Jacksonville por fin termino, Bortles quien a mitad de temporada fue banqueado por Cody Kessler, sencillamente no es un QB titular en esta liga. Parece que todos los WR que Jacksonville draftea son iguales: rápidos, pequeños y explosivos, pero Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole y  DJ Chark no han dado los resultados esperados, Westbrook fue el líder receptor con 717 yardas y 5 TD. El cuerpo de TE es paupérrimo, su mejor elemento en la temporada fue James O’Shaughnessy, quien solo acumulo 214 yardas y 0 TD.

Como podrían solucionarlo: Tendrán que hacer varios cortes en la plantilla para tener salar cap y tener un poco dinero para la clase del draft que seleccionen. Deben de hacer todo lo posible por seleccionar al QB Dwayne Haskins (Ohio St.) quien es el mejor QB de este año y si esto implica hacer un trade para poder robárselo a otro equipo no deberían de pensarlo dos veces. Ya en rondas posteriores tendrán algunas opciones para mejorar su ataque aéreo con un real WR1 y un TE capaz de hacer daño por aire, con nombres como: WR Hakeem Butler (Iowa St.) y TE Kaden Smith (Stanford).

 Tennessee Titans.

Record 2018: 9-7.

Cap Space: $40,470,557 – 12o en la liga.

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 6.

Mayores necesidades: 1) Wide Receiver, 2) EDGE Rusher, 3) Guard.

Este es el año de “make or breack” de Marcus Mariota y los Titans, necesitan darle todas las herramientas posibles para ver si es su QB franquicia en el futuro o no. Corey Davis, empieza a mostrar momentos brillantes en su corta carrera, termino con 891 yardas recibidas, dentro de la ofensiva numero 29 por pase de la liga, pero Taywan Taylor y Tajae Sharpe han sido enormes decepciones en su carrera. Brian Orakpo acaba de retirarse y Derrick Morgan no será recontratado y el equipo pierde a sus dos EDGE titulares de los últimos 4 años. Josh Kline fue uno de los peores guards de la liga y el otro guard Quinton Spain, podría ser agente libre.

Como pueden solucionarlo: La posición de WR debe de ser atacada vía agencia libre con Tyrel Williams (Los Angeles Chargers), así aliviarias presión en cobertura a Corey Davis. EDGE Rusher debe de ser la selección en primera ronda y la mejor opción cuando seleccionen en el puesto 19 seria: Jachai Polite (Florida). La posición de Guard corregirla en segunda ronda con Beau Benzschawel (Wisconsin).

#afcsur #houston texans #indianapolis colts #jacksonville jaguars #tennessee titans

[streetfinger0]

오클라호마 신입생은 대학 축구의 최고 타이트 엔드, Jason Llewellyn에서 우위를 점하고 있습니다.

오클라호마는 2022년 모집 클래스에 17명의 신입생(지금까지)을 등록했습니다. 2022년 모집 클래스에 대한 오클라호마의 초기 모집을 소개하는 10개 기사 시리즈 중 아홉 번째. TE 제이슨 르웰린 6-5, 240 알레도, TX 247 스포츠: 3성, 종합 426호, 20번 TE 라이벌: 4성, 전체 순위 없음, top 12 TE 배경: 르웰린의 주니어 시즌이 끝난 후 2020년 12월에 뜨거워진 영입, 그는 Aledo를 클래스 5A D-II의 주 챔피언십으로 이끌었습니다. 텍사스, 베일러, TCU, 오클라호마 주립대가 1월에 장학금을 제공했고 유타, 미시간, 텍사스가 곧 뒤를 이었습니다. Auburn과 Ole Miss는 2월 중순에 오클라호마주를 따랐습니다. 일주일 후 Alabama가 Llewellyn에게 제안을 했을 때 그는 수락하는 데 큰 문제가 없었습니다. 소셜 미디어에서 목소리를 내는 것 외에도 그는 12월에 서명하고 1월에 캠퍼스에 도착하기 전에 Lincoln Riley와 Brent Venables 아래에서 여러 캠퍼스를 방문했습니다. 주로 블로커로 서클을 모집하는 그의 명성에도 불구하고 2022년 Jeff Lebby의 패스 게임에서 Llewellyn을 제외하는 것은 어리석은 일입니다. Llewellyn은 Aledo에서 주니어 시절 453야드 28개의 패스와 5개의 터치다운을 잡았고 시니어 시절 452야드의 30개의 패스와 7개의 터치다운을 잡았습니다. 잘 움직이고 손이 좋으며 상대를 지렛대로 활용할 때를 이해합니다. 그와 같은 물리적 차단제도 도움이 됩니다. Lebby는 경력의 초기 단계에서 그와 동료 1학년 Kaden Helms를 얼마나 사용합니까? 우선 Lebby는 Ole Miss에서 2년을 보냈습니다(Rebels는 빡빡한 마무리로 약간의 성공을 거두었습니다). OU는 또한 미주리 주에서 다니엘 그레이엄과 수석 브레이든 윌리스를 다시 이적하게 했습니다. Riley의 오래된 지명인 H-back의 위치는 아마도 타이트 엔드로 이름이 바뀌었지만 여러 포메이션 내에서의 다재다능함이 이점을 제공합니다. Llewellyn의 조기 등록 및 스프링 연습 참여, 위치에서의 깊이 부족으로 인해 그는 2022년에 많이 뛸 가능성이 있습니다. 그가 계속해서 근육과 몸집을 키우는 시간이 길수록 그가 팀에 더 많은 피지컬을 가져다줄 때 라인업에 들어갈 가능성이 더 커집니다. 260파운드의 Llewellyn은 Division I에서 엄청난 타이트 엔드가 될 수 있지만 그는 조금 더 시간이 필요할 것입니다. 일요일 오클라호마주의 2022 조기 등록자를 만나십시오. 1월 23일: WR Nicholas Anderson 월요일, 1월 24일: RB Jovantae Barnes 화요일, 1월 25일: QB Nick Evers 수요일, 1월 26일: WR Jayden Gibson 목요일, 1월 27일: TE Kaden Helms 금요일, 1월 28일: LB Jaren Kanak 토요일, 1월 29일: LB KIP LEWIS 일요일, 1월 30일: TE JASON LLEWELLYN 월요일, 1월 31일: LB Kobie McKinzie 화요일, 2월 1일: DB 로버트 스피어스-제닝스. 꽁머니

#꽁머니

[letsbenditlikebennett]

@chasseurdeloup replied to your post “[pm] Full moon go alright? It sounded like a lot...”:

[pm] Yeah. I figured. But uh, were you injured? What happened?  Oh. Okay. That’s— yeah. Sure. Did I do alright? I mean did you need me to do anything else? Or do anything different? More animals or something? 

​[pm] Nothing major. I went a little up the walls. What do you want me to say? That I was so restless that I hurt myself? That one wrench in my routine is enough to fuck me up?

Kaden, of course you did alright. [user wants to reassure him that he did great, but she also needs to push him away so he's not around to protect her so here we are :/ ] Are you really asking if you did alright? This might be a huge shocker, but hey, this has literally nothing to do with you. I was always going to end up losing it in that fucking bunker. I'm claustrophobic the other twenty odd days of the month, were we all just gonna pretend like a werewolf panic attack wasn't inevitable? Better yet, we can all just keep pretending my parents never fucking existed and that I don't still wake up in there some mornings and have to remind myself I'm not locked in that stupid fucking training room. Because that just all goes away when I'm a literal monster and everything is intense. Not exactly sure what you could do differently there. Probably because this is about me and what I need to do to not werewolf on my fucking self, so maybe chill or something. I don't know, but stop trying to make this your fault.

#wr kaden #wr dash #domestic abuse tw #self harm tw #parental death tw #// she originally only intended to lash out to push kaden away #but somewhere in here she got upset #about andy always changing the subject #when alex tries to bring their parents up #and somehow she's lashing out @ kaden for this #:/ #sorry kaden :/

[your-dietician]

There’s a notable increase of Utah ties in the NFL this offseason

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/nfl/theres-a-notable-increase-of-utah-ties-in-the-nfl-this-offseason/

There’s a notable increase of Utah ties in the NFL this offseason

Each summer over the past eight years, the Deseret News has created a master list of Utah ties in the NFL during the offseason. This year, there are 89 Utah ties on an NFL roster just a few weeks before teams head to training camps near the end of July.

How does the number of Utah ties on NFL rosters in 2021 stack up to past seasons?

The 89 Utah ties currently in the NFL is significantly higher than the past three seasons — there were 74 last season, 76 in 2019 and 79 in 2018.

The 2017 offseason set the standard in recent years, when there were 90 local players on NFL rosters around this time, paced by a strong contingent of 35 rookies. Earlier this offseason, there were 90 Utah ties on NFL rosters, before former South Sevier High’s Alani Pututau was released by Atlanta.

In 2016, there were 75 Utah ties on rosters during the summer, with 70 in 2015 and 66 in 2014.

This year’s crop of 89 local players includes 16 rookies, with eight draft picks and eight undrafted free agents.

Here’s a breakdown of those 89 players (note: they can count towards multiple categories):

29 who played at the University of Utah (down from 30 last year)

26 who played at BYU (up from 12 last year)

14 who played at Utah State (down from 15 last year)

4 who played at Weber State (equal to 4 last year)

4 who played at Snow College (equal to 4 last year)

1 who played at Southern Utah (down from 2 last year)

42 who played football at Utah high schools (up from 30 last year)

So, why is there such an increase of Utah ties this year?

Three main reasons contribute to the sizable jump of Utah ties in the NFL:

BYU went from 12 players in the NFL in the 2020 offseason to 26 this year. There are 13 Cougars who will be rookies in 2021 — if they make it to an opening day roster — headlined by quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall selection by the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL draft.

The number of Utah high school players in the NFL saw an increase of 40% from last year to this year. In addition to Wilson, who went to Corner Canyon High, former Desert Hills High’s offensive tackle Penei Sewell was a first-round draft pick — he went No. 7 overall to the Detroit Lions — and there were seven total Utah high schoolers taken in this year’s draft. There are a total of 10 Utah high school rookies overall.

The University of Utah, yet again, leads the way among state representatives, and the number of Utes only went down one even though longtime quarterback Alex Smith retired and no Utah rookies were drafted — thanks in large part to COVID-19 impacting the past year. Even so, the Utes have had 21 players drafted in the past five years and 18 of them are still in the league.

Here’s a look at each Utah tie in the NFL, listed by team in alphabetical order:

San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner (54) in action against the Arizona Cardinals during an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz.

Jennifer Stewart, Associated Press

BYU players in the NFL

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school (if applicable)

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school (if applicable)

Zayne Anderson S Kansas City Chiefs Stansbury Matt Bushman TE Las Vegas Raiders N/A Brady Christensen OT Carolina Panthers Bountiful Michael Davis CB Los Angeles Chargers N/A Zac Dawe DE Atlanta Falcons Pleasant Grove Chandon Herring OL Tennessee Titans N/A Taysom Hill QB New Orleans Saints N/A Tristen Hoge OG New York Jets N/A Bronson Kaufusi TE Green Bay Packers Timpview Corbin Kaufusi OL San Francisco 49ers Timpview Isaiah Kaufusi LB Indianapolis Colts Brighton Dayan Lake CB Los Angeles Rams Northridge Harvey Langi LB New England Patriots Bingham Dax Milne WR Washington Football Team Bingham Kai Nacua S San Francisco 49ers N/A Micah Simon WR Carolina Panthers N/A Daniel Sorensen S Kansas City Chiefs N/A Sione Takitaki LB Cleveland Browns N/A Khyiris Tonga DT Chicago Bears Granger Kyle Van Noy LB New England Patriots N/A Fred Warner LB San Francisco 49ers N/A Troy Warner S Los Angeles Rams N/A Chris Wilcox CB Tampa Bay Buccaneers N/A Jamaal Williams RB Detroit Lions N/A Ty’Son Williams RB Baltimore Ravens N/A Zach Wilson QB New York Jets Corner Canyon

Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) warms up before an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Denver.

Jack Dempsey, Associated Press

Utah players in the NFL

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school (if applicable) Utah junior college (if applicable)

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school (if applicable) Utah junior college (if applicable)

Brian Allen CB Cleveland Browns N/A N/A Bradlee Anae DE Dallas Cowboys N/A N/A Cody Barton LB Seattle Seahawks Brighton N/A Jackson Barton OT New York Giants Brighton N/A Francis Bernard LB Dallas Cowboys Herriman N/A Julian Blackmon FS Indianapolis Colts Layton N/A Marquise Blair S Seattle Seahawks N/A N/A Garett Bolles OT Denver Broncos Westlake Snow Devontae Booker RB New York Giants N/A N/A Terrell Burgess S Los Angeles Rams N/A N/A Kylie Fitts OLB Arizona Cardinals N/A N/A Leki Fotu DT Arizona Cardinals Herriman N/A Matt Gay K Los Angeles Rams Orem N/A Javelin Guidry DB New York Jets N/A N/A Chase Hansen LB New Orleans Saints Lone Peak N/A Tyler Huntley QB Baltimore Ravens N/A N/A Jaylon Johnson CB Chicago Bears N/A N/A Star Lotulelei DT Buffalo Bills Bingham Snow Zack Moss RB Buffalo Bills N/A N/A Jared Norris LB Washington Football Team N/A N/A Tim Patrick WR Denver Broncos N/A N/A Darrin Paulo OL Detroit Lions N/A N/A John Penisini DL Detroit Lions West Jordan Snow Eric Rowe CB/S Miami Dolphins N/A N/A Pita Taumoepenu LB Denver Broncos Timpview N/A Sam Tevi OT Indianapolis Colts N/A N/A Hunter Thedford TE Detroit Lions N/A N/A Marcus Williams FS New Orleans Saints N/A N/A Mitch Wishnowsky P San Francisco 49ers N/A N/A

Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner stands on the field between drills during NFL football practice Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Renton, Wash.

Ted S. Warren, Associated Press

Utah State players in the NFL

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school (if applicable)

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school (if applicable)

Jalen Davis CB Cincinnati Bengals N/A Dominik Eberle K Las Vegas Raiders N/A Kyler Fackrell LB Los Angeles Chargers N/A Tipa Galeai DE Green Bay Packers N/A Tyler Larsen C Washington Football Team Jordan Nevin Lawson CB Las Vegas Raiders N/A Dallin Leavitt S Las Vegas Raiders N/A Jordan Love QB Green Bay Packers N/A JoJo Natson WR/Ret. Cleveland Browns N/A Dax Raymond TE Pittsburgh Steelers Timpview Patrick Scales LS Chicago Bears Weber Darwin Thompson RB Kansas City Chiefs N/A Nick Vigil LB Minnesota Vikings Fremont Bobby Wagner MLB Seattle Seahawks N/A

Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (24) runs back an interception for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL divisional round football game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y.

John Munson, Associated Press

Other Utah college players in the NFL

Name Pos. NFL College Utah high school (if applicable)

Name Pos. NFL College Utah high school (if applicable)

Miles Killebrew S Pittsburgh Steelers Southern Utah N/A Taron Johnson CB Buffalo Bills Weber State N/A Sua Opeta OG Philadelphia Eagles Weber State Stansbury Andrew Vollert TE Indianapolis Colts Weber State N/A Jonah Williams DE Los Angeles Rams Weber State N/A

Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell runs a drill during NFL football practice in Allen Park, Mich., Thursday, June 3, 2021.

Paul Sancya, Associated Press

Other Utah high school players in the NFL

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school Utah junior college (if applicabe)

Name Pos. NFL Utah high school Utah junior college (if applicabe)

Branden Bowen OT Arizona Cardinals Corner Canyon N/A Jordan Devey OL Buffalo Bills American Fork Snow Kaden Elliss LB New Orleans Saints Judge Memorial N/A Simi Fehoko WR Dallas Cowboys Brighton N/A Alohi Gilman S Los Angeles Chargers Orem N/A Porter Gustin DE Cleveland Browns Salem Hills N/A Andre James OT Las Vegas Raiders Herriman N/A Marcus Kemp WR Kansas City Chiefs Layton N/A Bryan Mone DT Seattle Seahawks Highland N/A Dalton Schultz TE Dallas Cowboys Bingham N/A Penei Sewell OT Detroit Lions Desert Hills N/A Xavier Su’a-Filo OT Cincinnati Bengals Timpview N/A Noah Togiai TE Indianapolis Colts Hunter N/A Jay Tufele DT Jacksonville Jaguars Bingham N/A John Ursua WR Seattle Seahawks Cedar/Westlake N/A

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[mor-beck-more-problems]

@chasseurdeloup​

[pm] Not sure I earned that really but, uh, thanks. You're on my list, too. For the record.

[pm] Seriously? All the times you saved my life, all the banshee stress relief pie baking, and I know it’s personal for you too, but your understanding with the whole revenge gone wrong thing this winter...that really meant a lot, Kaden. You’re a good friend.

#wr kaden #wr convo #wr kaden convo

[deepdishfootbal]

[junker-town]

Meet the sons of former NFL players taking over the 2021 draft class

Want to feel old? The 2021 draft is filled with sons of NFL players you used to watch.

There’s a not-so-fun cycle of being a sports fan. As a kid, your idols are all adults — viewed from far away, and serving as inspiration. The next jump happens in college, when suddenly players entering the league are your age, and it’s kind of neat. In your early twenties it’s still fun, and people slightly younger than you are becoming superstars.

The pivot begins in your late 20s. At this point you suffer the crippling weight of realization that players destined to be millionaires will be more financially successful than you ever will, and they’re a decade younger than you. Now, I’m reaching the final stage: Hilarity. This is when the players you watched as a kid have their own children entering the league. A grim realization of the unstoppable passage of time,

And on that cheery note, I’d like you to share in my grim existential crisis by learning about all the players entering the 2021 NFL Draft who had parents you watch play years ago, and some who entered the league in recent years you may have missed. It’s my hope that you’ll feel terrible about all this when it’s over, because misery loves company.

Patrick Surtain II, CB — Alabama

The highest-rated prospects of the NFL children this class, Patrick Surtain II is, you guessed it, the son of Patrick Surtain. Surtain Sr. played 10 years in the NFL at cornerback for the Dolphins and Chiefs, being named to the All-Pro team in 2002 and 2003.

Surtain Sr. was a highly-rated small-school prospect when he entered the league out of Southern Miss, but his son is a very different player at the same point in his career. A five star recruit who played for Alabama, Surtain II has prototypical size for the modern cornerback position at 6’2, 202 pounds — and is expected to be one of the first defensive backs off the board in the draft.

Unlike his father, who needed to prove himself in the NFL, Surtain II will be expected to enter the league from day one, not just as one of the best defensive backs on his team, but ready to take on a leadership position.

Will he be better than dad?

It’s likely. That’s not a knock on Patrick Surtain Sr, but rather an acknowledgment of just how incredible Surtain II is. Yes, he was on a dominant Alabama team, but between his time in Tuscaloosa and his tutelage under his father we’re going to see a monster in the NFL.

Asante Samuel Jr, CB — Florida State

When you talk about a chip off the old block, this is one heck of a father-son comparison. Asante Samuel Jr. is the exact same height as his dad, and just one pound lighter than his father’s playing weight.

Once seen as a lock first round pick, Samuel Jr. has fallen a little down draft boards after putting in an excellent, but not transcendent final season for the Seminoles, but he’ll still be selected on day two, no question. There are still things he needs to learn to become a true force in the NFL, but that’s really appropriate, considering his dad did the same.

While Asante Samuel was drafted by the Patriots and played four years in New England, most remember him for his time in Philadelphia. The prize of the 2008 free agency class, Samuel quickly signed with the Eagles and became one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

For three straight years he was named to the Pro Bowl, making the All-Pro team in two of these years. A big-play, ball-hawking cornerbacks, Samuel wasn’t just known for locking down top receivers, but absolutely turning games with big-time interceptions that teams crave.

Will he be better than dad?

Asante Samuel was one of the best defensive players in the entire league for a good chunk of his career. There’s possibility here, but it will require a little humility from Samuel Jr, and a willingness to learn the finer points of playing cornerback in the NFL.

Jaycee Horn, CB — South Carolina

This is a fun case of seeing a son completely flip positions from his father. Everyone knows the great Joe Horn, who played wide receiver in the NFL from 1996-2007, most notably with the New Orleans Saints, but Jacee Horn has become a force of a cornerback at South Carolina.

Similar to Asante Samuel Jr, Horn was once seen as a first round lock but has been sliding lower with concerns whether his game was too based on the ability to make contact with receivers in the college game, which may not translate to the NFL. That sounds a lot more dire than it really is, because Horn will be a day two pick for sure — and would likely start for most teams in the NFL from the jump.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Jaycee adapts to the NFL. Here’s a kid who, presumably, spent many of his formative years covering his dad. That will be interesting to watch. The biggest tragedy of Joe Horn’s career is that he caught on too late. After languishing on the Chiefs’ special teams unit for years, it wasn’t until he arrived on the Saints that he showed his potential — often playing much larger than his 6’1 frame would suggest. A jump ball master, Horn would out-muscle smaller DBs and come down with ball, being a nightmare matchup for opposing defensive coordinators.

Will he be better than dad?

That’s a difficult question considering they play different positions. Joe Horn was a four time Pro Bowler for the Saints, and probably deserved more than he ended up getting — but everything is really on Jaycee Horn as he develops in the NFL. If the metric we’re using is Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro teams he certainly has a chance, because his dad felt so often like he was on the outside looking in.

Current NFL players with dads who used to play that you might have missed

Jamal Adams, SS — Seattle Seahawks Son of former Giants and Patriots RB George Adams

Joey Bosa, DE — Los Angeles Chargers and Nick Bosa, DE — San Francisco 49ers Sons of former Dolphins DE John Bosa

Jon Bostic, LB — Washington Football Team Son of former Lions DB John Bostic

Anthony Barr, LB — Minnesota Vikings Son of former Eagles RB Tony Brooks

David Buehler, K — Dallas Cowboys Son of former Raiders G George Buehler

Joe Burrow, QB — Cincinnati Bengals Son of former Packers DB Jim Burrow

Devin Bush Jr., LB — Pittsburgh Steelers Son of former Falcons S Devin Bush Sr.

Jairus Byrd, S — New Orleans Saints Son of former Chargers CB Gil Byrd

Britton Colquitt, P — Minnesota Vikings Son of former Steelers P Craig Colquitt

Kaden Elliss, LB — New Orleans Saints Son of Lions DT Luther Elliss

Bryce Hager, LB — New York Jets Son of former Eagles LB Brit Hager

Charlie Heck, C — Houston Texans Son of former Chiefs OL Andy Heck

Isaiah Hodgins, WR — Buffalo Bills Son of former Rams FB James Hodgins

Van Jefferson, WR — Los Angeles Rams Son of former Cardinals WR Shawn Jefferson

Jon’Vea Johnson, WR — Jacksonville Jaguars Son of journeyman WR Jason Johnson

Cameron Jordan, DE — New Orleans Saints Son of former Vikings TE Steve Jordan

Kyle Long, OT — Kansas City Chiefs Son of former Raiders DE Howie Long

Christian McCaffery, RB — Carolina Panthers Son of former Broncos WR Ed McCaffery

DK Metcalf, WR — Seattle Seahawks Son of former Chicago Bears G Terrence Metcalf

Christian Miller, LB — Carolina Panthers Son of former Giants LB Corey Miller

Thaddeus Moss, TE — Washington Football Team Son of former Vikings WR Randy Moss

Paul Perkins, RB — Indianapolis Colts Son of former Colts RB Bruce Perkins

Michael Pittman Jr., WR — Indianapolis Colts Son of former Buccaneers RB Michael Pittman

Jalen Raegor, WR — Philadelphia Eagles Son of former Broncos DT Monty Raegor

J.R. Reed, DB — Los Angeles Rams Son of former Vikings WR Jake Reed

Jon Runyan Jr., OG — Green Bay Packers Son of former Eagles OT Jon Runyan

Matthew Slater, WR — New England Patriots Son of former Rams OT Jackie Slater

Irv Smith Jr., TE — Minnesota Vikings Son of former Saints TE Irv Smith

Billy Turner, OT — Green Back Packers Son of former Minnesota Vikings RB Maurice Turner

Cedrick Wilson Jr, WR — Dallas Cowboys Son of former Steelers WR Cedrick Wilson

Antoine Winfield Jr., S — Tampa Bay Buccaneers Son of former Vikings CB Antoine Winfield

Robert Woods Jr., WR — Los Angeles Rams Son of former Oilers WR Robert Woods Sr.

[elite3powerrankings]

Elite 3 Magazine PRE-SEASON 20/20 TENNESSEE POWER RANKINGS

1. Oakland- The Patriots are poised to make a state championship run as they add transfer RB Jordan James, it could get scary really quick for opponents.

2. Maryville- Well its Maryville where they collect gold balls.

3. MBA- West End Boyz are always tough. Look for phenom QB Marcel Reed connecting with 3 star WR Lucien Brunetti, and with Nasir Cook anchoring the defense expect MBA to be back in the state championship game as usual.

4. Alcoa- Nobody in 3A will be able to compete with this talented team. Nobody in the state might be able to compete with this talented team. Its Alcoa.

5. Baylor- Elijah Howard and Neyland Jean bring one of the greatest shows on turf to High School football.

6. Ravenwood- P5 recruits everywhere in Junior Colson, Damon Owens, and Jake Briningstool, should make for a successful season.

7. Knox Catholic- Kaden Martin looks to lead the Irish on a quest for a Gold Ball.

8. Pearl Cohn- The Firebirds are loaded under QB Bino Owens and just about return everyone from the talented squad they had last year. Can William Griffin, and Breedlove and company get it done when it counts.

9. Whitehaven- The Tigers always reload and will be a force to deal with once the season starts.

10. CPA- Ingle ball will be consistent and hard- nosed as they look to win a gold ball.

11. Brentwood Academy- There is a bad taste out Cool Springs in Eagles fans mouths as they missed the playoffs last year. Look for that to change as Noah Josey and James Stewart and some up and coming stars look to get back to Cookeville.

12. Cane Ridge- Cane Ridge’s offense should be fun to watch with two power 5 WR in Georgia commit Adonai Mitchell and highly recruited Quenton Barnes. The Ravens should be high flying this year.

13. Ensworth- Batten Ball will be on full display in the hardest division in the state. The Tigers have a defense led by Bryce Edmondson and Jai Morris that should impress this year.

14. Summit- It’s a family affair in highly recruited twins Destin and Keaten Wade as they look to bring Summit back to the state championship. Konata Werts led the team with 6ints last year also returns.

15. Henry County- Ryan Damron, Zamariyon Kendall, and Jawaon Odoms look to have the guys from Paris TN in Cookeville.

16. Freedom Prep- The high flying Eagles offense under Coach Cook averaged 42pts a game and only gave up 25pts all season and we expect the same this year as they look to dominate the 1A Division.

17. Knox- West- The Rebels will be the class of 5A as they chase the gold ball that slipped away after a successful season.

18. MUS- The Owls look to replace Hunter Kendall and get back focused on a quest for state championship run.

19. Lipscomb- Dilfer and his Mustangs look to turn heads in D2 AA. With QB Luke Richesson who has P5 potiential and a two headed monster running attack in Alex Broome and Jaden Lyles. This NFL coaching staff should mesmerize opponents!!

20. ECS- Evangelical Christian looking to make it a back to back state championship run!

On the Bubble: Briarcrest, Beech, Haywood County, Greenville, Elizabethon, Houston, South Pitt, JP2, East, Red Bank, Blackman, Powell, Stratford, CBHS.