Can’t buy the season pass. Every time I click on the “Activate Pass $4.99” I get a little pop up that says “Could not process transaction. Anybody else having this issue?
For reference I’m playing on an iPhone SE3 (3rd gen). I have plenty of money in my 🍎Cash Apple Wallet to cover the $4.99 so it’s not a financial issue.

I've been reading through NoContract for awhile now looking for some guidance but, either: a) I'm not technologically adept enough to understand this stuff, or b) I'm just not finding what's relevant to my situation, because I'm still lost.
Hoping for some advice, here.
Currently have a T-Mobile Magenta contract for three lines at $150+ per month, located in the US.
My primary issue is that every single time any kind of customer service has been sought, even for the most inconsequential things, it has been atrocious, whether in-store or over the phone. We get talked over and run in circles and the buck gets passed always and I'm extremely tired of this. Whenever my mother has needed assistance they've ranged from excessively unhelpful to point-blank rude. I normally end up having to take care of everything for her and even when I've needed to ask them for anything, they're wildly incompetent and I usually end up googling whatever we need and doing it myself. This seems very strange and uncalled for to me.
Data is also frequently slow to the point that I can't even load a website or open a banking app if not on wifi, which also seems ridiculous, since there's about a 50/50 chance of this happening when using data.
I think I'm finally tired enough of T-Mobile, after two years, that I'd rather just transfer all three lines to a no contract plan, instead, since I seem to always have to figure everything out and do it myself anyway. We live in major cities and have more-or-less equal coverage from T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T alike. I was going to transfer to Mint Mobile because it's the service I hear the most about, but then read a bunch of negative user experiences, and now I'm here asking for suggestions as a result.
3 unlocked phones: Pixel 5, iPhone 13, iPhone SE (2nd gen), would be keeping/transferring all three numbers.
Would prefer unlimited talk, text, and data for all three lines. No need for hotspots, international coverage, eSIMs or anything like that.
Generally just looking for something reliable that will have good coverage and no bullshit, and would be thrilled if it could be achieved for less than what I'm paying now which is usually $151 and some change per month. If staying with my current plan is the best option, I guess I would begrudgingly accept my fate.
PLEASE have mercy on me when it comes to tech talk - I'm slightly more informed than the average human but definitely not submitting any applications to GeekSquad.
Thanks in advance to anyone who may contribute!

Hello everyone! I am partnering with an experienced DM to start a group for a long-term campaign in the SE DenveAurora area. We are both upper 20’s professionals, but welcome players of all races, ages and orientations to join! We will start off with a 2 session intro game so that everyone can get to know one another before committing to something long-term. We are currently looking for 3-4 more players to round out the party. We are open to players of all experience levels, just be aware that this game will be a commitment and requires regular attendance.
Apply here ➡️ https://form.jotform.com/231497386933166
About the intro game:
The goal of these introductory sessions is to give players a taste of all the different types of gameplay that make up D&D. Your level 2 characters will fight tactical battles, make and lose frenemies, solve (or fail to solve) a puzzle, and roleplay with fellow party members and NPC’s alike. If you aren't used to roleplaying, don't worry! Roleplaying isn’t about speaking in funny voices or dressing up in wizard robes, it is simply thinking about the situations as your character would.
A word from the DM:
As a DM, the only measure of my success is that my players are having fun and no one feels unsafe or uncomfortable at my table. I pride myself on my stylistic flexibility and strong understanding of the aspects of D&D that appeal to different types of players. I've been playing D&D on and off for over a decade and have run games for many different players (well into triple digits). I've run both long-term homebrew campaigns and prewritten modules. The vast majority of my games have been with D&D 5E, however I shamelessly steal fun mechanics from other games and systems.
I try to balance narrative/roleplay, combat and exploration based on what my players enjoy. For the narrative/roleplay folks, I plan my sessions around heroic power fantasies. I try to set up a spotlight or two and fill the path to each with challenges so that they feel earned. I am also a big fan of tactical combat, and consider carefully the party composition when designing encounters to ensure everyone has their chance to shine. Because of the effort I put into combat/encounter design, outside of planned dungeons I prefer one big fight per session vs the (arguably) more traditional 3-5 smaller battles. Lastly, as an avid worldbuilder, exploration is a particular favorite of mine. If I get the sense that my players are interested in the world, history and lore I am more than happy to dream up cool stuff for them to learn and find.
When I consider the types of players I want at my table, the most important thing is that they are engaged. Ideally, I want players that either understand what they want and can communicate that to me, or are willing to work with me to figure out what they will enjoy. My foremost goal is to run a game my players will enjoy, but I need my players to help me focus my efforts on what is most important to them.
Additional Details
How to prepare for this one-shot:

1. Have a discord account
2. Fill out a level 2 character sheet (or choose a generated character)
3. DnD Beyond is encouraged

What I provide:

1. Ambient music to fit the current story setting
2. Good storytelling and interesting NPCs
3. Custom battle maps (will be provided during the official campaign)

Interested in joining? Please click on the link and fill out the New Player Form ↓
https://form.jotform.com/231497386933166
\Reminder → The eventual goal is to transition to a long-term campaign. We will first play a couple of intro sessions though to build rapport and so everyone can decide if this is the group for them. After that, the sky's the limit! We can’t wait to create an awesome world and tell some amazing stories together!*

Hello everyone! I am partnering with an experienced DM to start a group for a long-term campaign in the SE DenveAurora area. We are both upper 20’s professionals, but welcome players of all races, ages and orientations to join! We will start off with a 2 session intro game so that everyone can get to know one another before committing to something long-term. We are currently looking for 3-4 more players to round out the party. We are open to players of all experience levels, just be aware that this game will be a commitment and requires regular attendance.
Apply here ➡️ https://form.jotform.com/231497386933166
About the intro game:
The goal of these introductory sessions is to give players a taste of all the different types of gameplay that make up D&D. Your level 2 characters will fight tactical battles, make and lose frenemies, solve (or fail to solve) a puzzle, and roleplay with fellow party members and NPC’s alike. If you aren't used to roleplaying, don't worry! Roleplaying isn’t about speaking in funny voices or dressing up in wizard robes, it is simply thinking about the situations as your character would.
A word from the DM:
As a DM, the only measure of my success is that my players are having fun and no one feels unsafe or uncomfortable at my table. I pride myself on my stylistic flexibility and strong understanding of the aspects of D&D that appeal to different types of players. I've been playing D&D on and off for over a decade and have run games for many different players (well into triple digits). I've run both long-term homebrew campaigns and prewritten modules. The vast majority of my games have been with D&D 5E, however I shamelessly steal fun mechanics from other games and systems.
I try to balance narrative/roleplay, combat and exploration based on what my players enjoy. For the narrative/roleplay folks, I plan my sessions around heroic power fantasies. I try to set up a spotlight or two and fill the path to each with challenges so that they feel earned. I am also a big fan of tactical combat, and consider carefully the party composition when designing encounters to ensure everyone has their chance to shine. Because of the effort I put into combat/encounter design, outside of planned dungeons I prefer one big fight per session vs the (arguably) more traditional 3-5 smaller battles. Lastly, as an avid worldbuilder, exploration is a particular favorite of mine. If I get the sense that my players are interested in the world, history and lore I am more than happy to dream up cool stuff for them to learn and find.
When I consider the types of players I want at my table, the most important thing is that they are engaged. Ideally, I want players that either understand what they want and can communicate that to me, or are willing to work with me to figure out what they will enjoy. My foremost goal is to run a game my players will enjoy, but I need my players to help me focus my efforts on what is most important to them.
Additional Details
How to prepare for this one-shot:

1. Have a discord account
2. Fill out a level 2 character sheet (or choose a generated character)
3. DnD Beyond is encouraged

What I provide:

1. Ambient music to fit the current story setting
2. Good storytelling and interesting NPCs
3. Custom battle maps (will be provided during the official campaign)

Interested in joining? Please click on the link and fill out the New Player Form ↓
https://form.jotform.com/231497386933166
\Reminder → The eventual goal is to transition to a long-term campaign. We will first play a couple of intro sessions though to build rapport and so everyone can decide if this is the group for them. After that, the sky's the limit! We can’t wait to create an awesome world and tell some amazing stories together!*

Considering buying a 3rd gen for 7500 with 177k miles, is that too high for a 3rd gen? Of course I hear they are extremely reliable but iv never owned one iv seen them listed with 200k plus miles before but could I use this as a daily driver? I wouldn’t mind even putting a little money into it if I had to, ideally I’d like to get another 100,000 out if it.
Edit: I currently drive a 2011 charger SE with 118,000 miles on it as my daily but I miss having a truck and also want to get into some beginner overlanding.

I’ve been trying to look in the faq section but it looks like the guides are all outdated to 14.0 versions.
So I wanted to ask, I have an iPhone SE 2 on 14.3 with jailbreak.
Can I update to a newer version and still have jailbreak?

Disclaimer: I commented on this post, but only once and correcting another commenter. Also, this drama is a couple months old, so popcorn pissers beware. This is also my first writeup here, so I apologize for any formatting issues. I can also answer any questions anyone has.
Context: The Binding of Isaac is a roguelike. Each run is randomly generated; without using seeds, no two runs will be the same. As of the latest expansion, Repentance, there are 34 characters and 12 completion marks for defeating certain bosses. There's technically 24, one earned for beating the boss on normal mode and one for beating them on hard mode. However, beating the boss on hard mode also earns the mark for normal mode. Hard mode is available by default. There's another mode called Greed mode that has a mark. However, the hard mode of Greed, Greedier, is not unlocked by default. You'll have to play some Greed mode runs into order to unlock Greedier mode. (This is what my comment was about).
Some terms:
-T (example: T Lost, T Jacob): T stands for Tainted. It refers to the alternative forms of the 17 playable characters
-Eden token: The characters Eden and Tainted Eden require Eden tokens to play. Eden tokens are earned by beating certain bosses. All bosses that give Eden tokens give completion marks, but not all bosses that give completion marks give Eden tokens.
-Lost: The Lost is an unlockable character. You unlock the Lost by dying in a certain room holding a certain item. This revives you as the Lost. The Lost has no HP, any hit kills them. The Lost gets an innate Holy Mantle (an item that protects you from damage once per room) when 879 coins are donated in Greed(ier) mode.
-R Key: R Key is an active item that starts the current run over at the first floor, while keeping everything you've earned that run, such as health, items, and completion marks. Using R Key, you can earn mutually exclusive completion marks in one run.
A user posts a video to the subreddit, claiming to have gotten all completion marks with all characters. Their win streak is 230, and their stats show 0 deaths.
People are immediately suspicious:
I absolutely don't believe you

Has the same amount of Eden tokens as his streak
Never died a single time by a poorly designed room as T lost, T jacob and J&E
Never got telefraged by delirium as T lost
Didn't die after DYING and being revived with Missing Poster as The Lost WITHOUT MANTLE
🤡

-Never got telefraged by delirium as T lost
I cheesed it with Tainted Cain and had Gnawed Leaf as Tainted Lost.
-Didn't die after DYING and being revived with Missing Poster as The Lost WITHOUT MANTLE
Missing Poster revives you as The Lost even when unlocking it and actually if you have for example Dead Cat, it doesn't even turn you into The Lost, just unlocks it.
About Holy Mantle, I didn't even go alt path before unlocking it for The Lost for obvious reasons. (OOP)

Wait but you said you unlocked holy mantle before The Lost unless I'm reading this wrong?

Wdym? To be precise, I didn't "unlock" Holy Mantle because it is available from the beginning, I meant "Lost holds Holy Mantle". (OOP)

You need to donate like 4 Quintillion Coins to the Greed machine in Greed mode 🎃

Some users try to math it out:
There s no way this is real, cmon no deaths when characters like t.lost exist? Also you beat delirium lots of times in a row without dying once?
Edit: since there are 34 characters and 12 marks to get, the worst case scenario is gaining only a mark per run so the maximum number of runs assuming you get at least a new one each time is 408. Lets count the scenario where you get 3+ marks on a run, or even more insane, lets say you get 4 per every run, that will be 34 times (12 - 4) which is 272. Your run count is 230, so basically besides the fact that you didnt even die once you also managed to get an insane amount of R keys?
Edit 2: forgot to add that you also need to store the coins in greed mode to unlock keeper, and here are some runs wasted because of that

(This comment is deleted and I wasn't able to recover it, but based on the context it was probably pointing out that OOP had the same number of Eden tokens as their win streak)

Yeah, which means he must have never played either Eden character

Holy shit good observation

Uhh why is that can you explain i didnt get it

You have to spent Eden tokens to play him. Since his Eden tokens is the exact amount of wins he has that means played eden for free which isn’t possible

Wait? Arent eden tokens are not spent if you win as Eden. Or at least its spent unless you win and gain another token

Winning as a normal character would increase your Eden tokens by 1 and your win streak by 1. Because Eden costs a token to play and gives you one back when you win, your Eden tokens wouldn’t increase afterwards but your win streak would. Playing as Eden would make your winstreak increase but not your token count, so he can’t have played as either Eden because the winstreak and token count are identical. OP is also claiming the use of R keys as a way of balancing that, and I’m not totally sure how R key interacts with tokens and winstreaks, but that seems far less likely than them just having faked it.

Iirc you get a eden token at the end of it lives no? So if you R key you should be able to get 2 every run. Although even then he’d need an r key EVERY SINGLE FUCKING RUN AS BOTH T. AND REGULAR EDEN which is much less likely than it sounds (ESPECIALLY t.eden)

Optimally all completion marks need just 5 runs. For example:

1. Boss Rush + Hush + Chest
   
2. Dark Room + Mega Satan + Delirium
   
3. Mother
   
4. Home
   
5. Greed mode
   

That would be just 5*34 = 170 runs. More realistically it's 6 runs per character or 204 runs in total. I averaged 6.67 so I'd say it's not even that tight. (OOP)

may I remind you that at the start of a new file you need to beat mom's heart 9 times and get to satan and isaac a few times as well? you dont get this setup from the get go, you need additional runs where you get no marks

I believe the minimum is 5 runs to get all completion marks for a character, which would only be 170 runs, so that is actually believable
for example:
1st run: Boss Rush, It Lives!, Hush (ignore Deli), Isaac, Blue Baby, Mega Satan
2nd run: Satan, The Lamb, lucky Delirium
3rd 4th and 5th run for Greedier, Mother and The Beast respectively
you would still have to get lucky to get a Void portal on the last boss and not sooner, but even so you could still do a dedicated run and it would only be 6, which assuming you never got lucky the new minimum would be 204. This makes 230 runs perfectly believable for a minimum amount of wins but not to get them all in a row

I keep saying this but I explained in another comment that you cannot get the 5 runs minimum since you do not have these bosses unlocked on a new file

oh damn you're right, you'd need somewhere around 25 wins to unlock every ending. 10 for Sheol and Cathedral, 5 for both of them to unlock Chest and Dark Room, 3 wins against Hush to unlock the Void and Mother (first win you can still go to the Void by exiting and reentering however)
add those 23(+?) runs to the 170-204 minimum range and it gets pretty damn close, with 193-227
But honestly, it's not like the minimum amount of wins was really in question to begin with, it is pretty likely he went and got every mark without dying, he just cheated to do it or more likely edited the file to bring the death counter down and preserve his win streak

Someone asks for the Bestiary to be shown:
Show the beastiery, it will show you how many times you died to each enemy

It shows couple deaths but it doesn't take into account revive items so kinda meaningless. (OOP)

Then your not afraid to prove to the public, your beastiery.

Here https://streamable.com/pejo69. I counted 26 "deaths" (=revives). Many of the deaths are to so dumb characters they were probably for going through Dead Cat to get revived as another character. For comparison, my second file says 406 deaths but I counted 478 in bestiary. Scaling that number would mean 34.6 revives expected and I got just 26. (OOP)

The bestiary may not take revive items into account but the deaths counter does, if you die and revive it''ll still show as a death on the counter

In stats main page? No it doesn', you can test it yourself. (OOP)

I have, that's how I know

You haven't apparently I just tested it. OP may be a liar elsewhere, but they're right on this one. The death counter on the stats page does not increment if you die and revive. (PC, testing by giving 1up! with the debug console in case that matters)

Some users make jokes:
If real- you need to touch grass
If fake (which we all know this is)- you need to touch grass
In conclusion-go touch some goddamn grass

Now die 100 times to get the Scissors and Dead God

No. (OOP)

Sounds like a skill issue ngl

Things weren't great with my family to begin with as my father was a raging alcoholic (could be pretty abusive at time not just physically but mentally) I have never really viewed them as being like an ideal family or what ever. But long story short I was the kid that took all the fault for anything even if I wasnt there when it happened. But I was on my way to moving out and had found an apartment that wasn't in poorer condition and my wife and I cleaned and made the apartment liveable, while cleaning the apartment my wife would come over to my parents house and would stay the night (cheaper on gas and she lived about 45 min away) she stayed at my parents house for a total of 3 nights no days as we would be cleaning the apartment or she would be with me at work. And my sister had said something about my wife stating that she used to say things to her like she would threaten her and even to the extreme of saying that she drove her truck on the side walk at her... Like what?! Any way my mother on the next morning after the 3rd night and comes storming into my room to say that we needed to get out of her house and that we were not welcome there anymore. Quick time warp (2018) I had a job with my father working at a Grain Elevator and idk if any of y'all have worked and lived with the same person seeing them 24/7 practically but it gets very tiresome very fast but, I had been hearing people talking about how my dad is "talking" to someone else (not my mother), and I had seen some edge screen of his iphone that is clearly not the iphone messages app so I know he was. I hadn't told my mother anything and had always kept that secret until this point. (Warp back) so after my mother came up and was trying to talk to me about everything I was in the midst of packing the rest of my stuff saying how annoying it was considering I was 1 or 2 more days to being fully moved out but early isn't terrible. After I had loaded up my truck and brought it to the apartment she was blowing up my phone saying that she was specifically talking to my wife and not me (little fucked up if you ask me) and I went back for one lest trip to get some bigger things, TV, ECT. as I walked out of that house for the last time in the most calm tone and easy going demeanor I said mom I hate this is what it's come to and I hate to have to say this bum I'm 99% sure dad's cheating on you. Closed the door and didn't talk to them for 2 years after as it was always a fight for an apology. AITA??
Quick edit. MY FATHER USES 0 SOCIAL MEDIA and that's the reason why I knew what it was and that it wasn't the iphone messages app

Defending the Draft: 2023 Washington Commanders 8-8-1
Preface:
Hope.
This 2023 season will be the most interesting for the Commanders franchise in a long long time. We enter this season with more uncertainty than I have ever been a part of, however, the one thing the fan base is certain of... is the future is brighter. Dan Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999 and subsequently done nothing but run a blue blood franchise into the ground. This team has lacked direction for a long time and a large part of that was due to Dan Snyder's meddling in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Starting his ownership with signing washed up HOF veterans, to then overspending in free agency (Albert Haynesworth is arguably the worst free agent signing of all time), drug scandal with thetraining staff, the mishandling of the RG3 and Kirk Cousins situation, Not resigning Trent Williams, and lastly we've now reached tumultuous time where his off the field issues have hung a dark cloud over a once proud franchise. Although, lol, his most egregious mistake may be hiring Jim Zorn as head coach. It's egregious that his only punishment is a 6 billion dollar payout for his franchise. I hope the banks bury him and he faces the deserved legal actions. As of now there had been an agreement to sell the franchise to 76'rs and NJ Devils owner, Josh Harris.... and is 20ish members of his parliament. We await to hear news of the reviews from the NFL financial committee to close out the process. Last news I came across was he has cut down the number of minority owners to 20. It will be a pleasure when this agreement is finalized. He could be a terrible owner, but it would still be an upgrade from Synder. Harris, seemingly has been a hands off owner and properly allows the people he's hired to operate the team. This last sports season he's had both of his teams deep in the playoff hunt. This season will be interesting. A lot of questions all around: Sam Howell? Chase Young? Ron Rivera? Eric Bienemy? Josh Harris? I'm not sure of those answers, but I'm very excited to find them out.
Coaching:
HC- Ron Rivera OC- Eric Bieniemy DC- Jack Del Rio
Key Additions: Eric Bieniemy
Ole' Riverboat Ron Rivera is back and going into his 4th season with the Washington Commanders, hopefully his last. I believe Ron Rivera is a leader of men, but I highly question his actual coaching skills and team building. I've currently seen enough of this coaching regime and front office to safely say let's move on. There's been several things that I believed were firable offenses.... the Carson Wentz trade. Some rumors have said that this was a Snyder push. Not entirely positive, but Ron bragged that it was his call. Our team at that point was not a qb away from being really good, let alone a Carson Wentz level of qb. The next fireable offense was starting Wentz over Hienke when the playoffs were on the line. Wentz ended up being benched for Hienke, but it was too little too late. The next fireable offense was not realizing we were eliminated from the playoffs. Going into the last week of the season Ron planned on starting Hieneke. Pretty odd to not know you're out of the playoffs, let alone to test Sam Howell out for next season. Additionally, there's been some pretty questionable roster creation decisions. I absolutely hate the versatile secondary and offensive line philosophy. We currently have a patch work offensive line that has the means to fluctuate between average to below average. Not a single player on the line is top 5 at their respected position. Two years ago we had a top 10 o-line, but that had Brandon Sherff playing like a top 5 guard and Charles Leno having his best season. Our o-line took a significant step back this past season and now looks to be our biggest weakness. Ron has shown to trust his own board and has reached (according to the consensus big board) with every single pick so far. People mistake 2019 as one of his drafts ( Sweat, McLaurin, Holcomb), but he was hired at the end of the season. Take this with a grain of salt as it takes at least 3 years to properly review a draft. Rons 1st round picks have been the following: 2020 pick 2 Chase Young- the correct pick at the time, but hard to botch the 2nd overall pick, 2021 pick 19 Jamin Davis- hated the pick at the time, too early for a linebacker... let a lone a project. On tape he looked lost a lot and made up for it with his elite athleticism. He's shown progress, but nothing showing he's worthy of the pick. 2022 pick 16 Jahan Dotson- looks to be an absolute baller, had him ranked above Olave in the pre-draft process. Was a slight reach above the consensus board, but flashed high end ability. Davis has been the only mistake in the 1st round thus far. When I say mistake I don't necessarily mean player, but the roster building philosophy. Whether reaching on Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round of 2022. Lol, he was older than Payne coming out of the draft, one year of good production, and was taken a round too early. In the next round Brian Robinson was taken and was really just a body. Haven't really seen anything elite with him so far and was a meh pick. John Bates in the 4th round was egregious. Now I have to give credit where it's due. Kam Curl was an absolute steal and can solidify himself as top 5 safety this season if he continues to play this well. Our other starting safety in Darrick Forest also had a lot of bright spots playing this past season.
Arguably, our best offseason move was signing Eric Bieniemy. I'm absolutely excited. Forget everything about him not calling the plays. Reports from OTA's shows his hands on approach and full control of the offense. One of my favorites things I've heard is he is using OTA's to see what the players can do and crafting the offense to their abilities. Time and time again (Scott Turner) you see coaches say this is the offense and not change anything to match the players strengths. We don't know for sure how the offense will look, but if it's anything close to the motion west coast offense the Chiefs have... boy lessssss gooooooo. Jack Del Rio has been up-and-down in his time in Washington. He's had two very slow starts with the defense to start year, however, they've finished strong and kept his job safe. This is really the no excuse year and everyone needs to show up amd show out.
Free Agency:
Key Departures:
Taylor Hieneke- signed with the Falcons
Cole Holcolm- signed with the Steelers
Bobby McCain- signed with the Giants
Carson Wentz- TBD
J.D. McKissic- TBD
Trai Turner TBD
Andrew Norwell- will be released when he passes a physical
Summary:
In my personal oppinion, the only player that hurt losing in free agency was Cole Holcolm. Linebacker is our one weak spot on defense, however, not resigning Holcolm shows Ron's belief in Jaymin Davis's progression. Cole was limited to 7 games last season and has yet to truly break out. Always played very solid and losing him downgraded the position. We've moved on from both starting guards from last year in Norwell and Turner (previously on the Panthers). Both players were liabilities last season and the guard position was easily upgradeable. Bonny McCain was a solid do it all for is player. Lined up at corner, safety, and nickel throughout the season. Hieneke was a big fan favorite, but was never the answer. We thank you for your service though. Carson Wentz, fuck you. Loved J.D. and his time here, suffered a major injury. Not sure if he gets picked up hy another team.
Key Additions:
Andrew Wiley- 3 years for 24 million, 12 guaranteed. Previously on the Chiefs
Nick Gates- 3 years for 16.5 million, 8 million guaranteed. Previously on the Giants
Jacoby Brissett- 1 year for 8 million, 7.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Browns
Cody Barton- 1 year for 3.5 million, 3.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Seahawks
Summary:
Simple. In free agency the Commanders did not overspend and tackled positions of need. None of the players signed are top 5 at their position, however, they could all possibly end up being upgrades to what we have. The most interesting is Andrew Wiley. He allowed 9 sacks (tied for 3rd most)... but man he put on the performance of his life in the superbowl. Another stat that favors him is pass block win-rate, which measure if a lineman can sustain a block for 2.5 seconds. Wylie ranked 9th in that stat last season. I translate that stat to mean can a lineman sustain a block against thr initial rush and counter move off the snap. After that 2.5 seconds the ball is thrown or the play breaks down. Another key factor to this signing is it kicks Samuel Cosmi inside to guard. Cosmi has shown flashes being a high end lineman and I expect him to be even better kicking to guard from right tackle. Guard was our weakest position on the line and Wylie signing helped to upgrade the RG position. Nick Gates is expected to he our starting center. He's coming off of a brutal leg injury that made him consider retirement. Has played guard and center and has some positional flexibility. Jacoby Brissett is the best backup qb in thr league. A solid signing if Howell doesn't pan out. Just a solid game manager that doesn't commit many turnovers. Cody Barton is another unproven guy. Last year was his first year with significant reps. Bobby Wagner leaving in FA and Jordyn Brooks injury made em the guy. He showed flashes of coverage abilities and had a lot of tackles. The tackles weren't necessarily a product of his abilities and more so of cleaning up on a bad run defense team. I've read some notes that he has trouble getting off of blocks. Honestly, haven't watched much on the guy, but reports were he played solid down the stretch.
The Draft:
Link to all RAS scores for our draft class
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-for-the-washington-commanders-7-player-class-emmanuel-forbes/
Round 1:16 Emmanuel Forbes 6'1" 174 lbs. Mississippi St
Stats: 58 targets, 31 catches allowed for 284 yards (23 yards a game), 3 tds allowed/ 6 ints, 9 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 46 tackles.
PFF Grade: 87.2
If being a 160 pounds is your only knock then I think you're doing something alright. The word on the street is he is already up to 174 pounds. You wouldnt realize hes only 174 pounds by the way he plays the run. Hes not scared to hit and flies ro the ball. Although, he does struggle to get off of blocks. Emmanuel Forbes, per PFF, had the highest rating in man coverage last season, albeit the snap count was very miniscule. Emmanuel Forbes is a lanky corner than played a lot of zone coverage and is a very good scheme fit for what we do. I like the pick and I'm not upset about taking him over Gonzalez, who also had his own question marks. Forbes set a NCAA record with 6 pick sixes. A lot of those were the right place at the right time, but when you have that high of a number than you're doing something right.
PFF:
Forbes is one of the best ballhawks in this class. Over the course of his three-year career, he came down with 13 interceptions. That’s four more than the next closest Power Five cornerback since 2020. Forbes was unbelievably dominant in man coverage in 2022, giving up only three catches while also snagging three interceptions. He also only allowed a 20% completion rate in man, the lowest among FBS
PROS
Remarkably lanky frame. Limbs for days — ideal for a corner.Has bounce like a hooper. He can challenge any catch point necessary. Elite ability to locate the football. All six of his interceptions came in man coverage.
CONS
Still a stick. Not much mass on his frame. Has eyes that get him in trouble. Some freelance tendencies on tape.Can get bowled over in the run game. Mediocre tackler over the course of his career.
Round 2: 47 Jartavius "Quan" Martin 5'11". 194 lbs Illinois
Stats: 74 targets, 42 catches allowed, 611 yards allowed, 3 tds allowed, 3 ints, 15 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 4 missed tackles, 64 tackles.
PFF Grade: 73.2
Quan is a beast. I thought he was the 2nd best nickel prospect in the draft and a better deep safety than Brian Branch. Martin absolute rockets around the field in the run game. He started his career at cornerback before transitioning into the safety/nickel position. Another elite athlete that is a perfect fit for our Buffalo Nickel defense.
PFF:
Martin came to Illinois and immediately started as a true freshman in 2018. He originally started off as an outside corner before becoming more of a slot corner recently. He had arguably his best year in 2022, as his 15 forced incompletions were tied for the sixth-most among Power-Five corners. Martin’s 91.0 run-defense grade also led all Power Five cornerbacks. While he played corner at Illinois, we project him more as a safety for the next level.
PROS:
Explosive flat-foot breaks. Tremendous burst. Forceful and reliable tackler - 7 misses on the last 129 attempts last two seasons.Fills like a mac truck in the run game. Wants to come downhill and play in the backfield.
CONS:
Pure man skills are work in progress. Overagressive and liability to bite on fakes. cons On the lighter side for an around the line of scrimmage player. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield on run
Round 3: 97 Ricky Stromberg 6'3" 306 lbs Arkansas
Stats: 9 impact blocks, 11 qb hurries, 0 qb hits, 0 sacks allowed
PFF Grade: 82.4
Nasty. Another guard experience player that spent his last two years at the center position. Award winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy for the SEC'S most outstanding blocker award. This is a solid player that has started since he was freshman in the SEC. He's been battle tested since he was kid and has improved every year. He has some knocks about his play strength, but a NFL program should get em to where he needs to be.
PFF:
Stromberg was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class and started for the Razorbacks as a true freshman, mostly at right guard. He moved inside to center for his sophomore season and spent his final three college seasons there. Stromberg’s 82.4 overall grade and 83.7 run-blocking grade in 2022 both ranked fourth among all centers in college football, and his nine big-time blocks were tied for fifth among FBS centers. Not to mention, Stromberg had an incredible performance at the NFL combine.
PROS:
Does not want to let blocks go. Can see him straining his butt of to stay engaged on tape. Tons of experience against top competition. Four-year starter with 3,121 career snaps.
CONS:
Forward lean gets going on the move, making him liable to topple over. Has wide hands to initiate contact in pass protection before resetting. Leaves himself open for stronger rushers.Unimpressive musculature, which leaves questions about how he'll anchor against NFL strength.
Round 4: Braeden Daniels 6'4" 296 lbs Utah STATS:
0 sacks allowed, 1 qb hit allowed, 14 hurries allowed.
PFF GRADE: 72.2 at tackle, 2021 84.4 at guard.
Braeden Daniels is another tackle/guard hybrid, with starting experience across his college career. This guy is on the lighter side but that allows him to be an Explosive athlete. Very raw at the tackle position and will be a developmental guy. I'd like to give em a try as our swing tackle and see how he performs. He was one of the quickest offensive lineman I've seen off the tape and that athleticism will let him climb to the next level. Even on the lightweight side I'd hate to see this guy running at me on the second level.
PFF:
Daniels is an experienced veteran who commanded the Utes’ offensive line for the past few years. He originally started as a guard before switching over to tackle. His best season came in 2021, as he put up an 84.4 PFF grade. Given his time on the interior, Daniels is at his best when run blocking, and his run-blocking grade in 2021 was an elite 89.1. He still held his own as a pass protector, allowing only five sacks in his Utah career.
PROS
Explodes out of his stance. Arguably the quickest get off in the offensive line class. Linebackers don't want to see him climbing. Gets on them before they can even react. Drive in his lower half to still move the line of scrimmage despite being under 300 pounds.
CONS
Wild into contact. He approaches blocks with the adjustment ability of a freight train. consDoesn't bring his hands with him. Clean engagements are rare on tape. Very light by NFL standards (294 pounds at combine).
Round 5: 137 KJ Henry 6'4" 260 lbs Clemson
STATS:
51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 6 pass deflections, 50 qb pressures, 31 qb hurries, 14 qb hits.
PFF GRADE: 83.1
Loved this pick. Henry was a 5 star recruit coming out of high-school and decided to attend Clemson University. With Clemson having deep lines it took him a couple of years to get on the field. The stats look odd when you only see 3.5 sacks, however, the 50 qb pressures is the key stat. Seems more like bad luck that the sack numbers weren't high. Clemson's whole d-line underperformed (Bresee, Murphey) and they should have picked up more sacks from Henry who was the best DE on that team last year. The team clearly liked him as we traded back up for him. He's not elite athlete, but he is an elite hands guy. Almost had that veteran presence in college. High motor and will immediately make an impact as a rotational de, a position that sorely needed an upgrade.
PFF:
On a team with Myles Murphy, you can easily make the case that KJ Henry was Clemson's best defensive end this year, as he posted better PFF grades than Murphy in every category and even generated 19 more pressures. The only problem is That Henry is 24 years old while Murphy is only 21. Therefore, Henry was expected to produce this well against younger competition. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he can’t still improve. If Henry's play this season is any indication of his potential, he can still have a great NFL career as an edge defender.
PROS:
Heavy hands that are so well refined. Uses them independently to use combination moves.Utilizes hesitations and head fakes so well to catch linemen off-balance. Coaches rave about the type of teammate he is. He is the type of player you want in the locker room.
CONS:
First step that's unimposing for a rusher on the smaller side. Late bloomer. Wasn't even a starter until this past fall. One of the oldest prospects in the class. Already 24 years old.
Round 6: 193 Chris Rodriguez 6'0" 217 lbs Kentucky
STATS: 8 games played, 175 attempts, 904 rushing yards, 6 tds, 5.2 ypa, 5 catches, 41 rec yards.
PFF GRADE: 90.8
Chris Rodriguez is a PFF darling and was rated as the 7th best running back. This guy's is a pure one cut, run you over, power back. There's not much finesse to his game, but there's highlights of dragging guys 10-yards down the field. He does not posses break away speed, but he will get you 40 yards. He was suspended 4 games due to a dui and he may have been drafted higher on am abysmal Kentucky team. An extra 4 games of stats against SEC competition and no suspension may have jumped him into the 4th round. This was an Eric Bienemy guy and they brought him in because of that. Isiah Pacheco was another EB guy.
PFF:
Rodriguez is a powerful runner, but he lacks the burst and creativity to become anything more than a downhill grinder. He has the size and mentality to do the dirty work between the tackles, but it could be a challenge for him to get to and through the hole quickly in the NFL. He’s a physical blitz protector, so teams might envision a role for him as a second-half battering ram and third-down quarterback protector.
PROS:
Two-time team captain. Thick frame with ability to pick up tough yards. Makes tacklers feel his size at impact. Stays square getting through downhill cuts. Low success rate guaranteed for arm-tacklers. Stays on his feet through heavy angle strikes. Allows lead blockers to do their work. Steps up with force against incoming rushers.
CONS:
Below-average burst getting through line of scrimmage. Lacks finesse to navigate tight run lanes. Change of direction is heavy. One-speed running style is easy to track for linebackers. Pad level is a little tall as run-finisher. Inconsistent finding assignment versus blitz.
Round 7: 233 Andre Jones 6'4" 248 lbs Louisiana
STATS: 7 sacks, 5 qb hits, 20 hurries.
PFF GRADE: 77.2
Andre Jones was another hybrid de/lb player coming out last year. He possess 34 1/4" arms which is an elite number for his size. May move to LB, but I'm not sure that's the right move with a 4.71 40-yard dash. He doesn't have much a pass rush move set playing a hybrid role, but does use length to his advantage. A solid developmental pick.
PROS:
Shows a natural feel for setting up blockers and getting them off-balance. His hands are active and violent, and Jones quickly disengages with blockers and counters when his initial move stalls. Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge. Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. Showed initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. Jones has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation. He’s a high-effort pass rusher with an impressive combination of length and speed.
CONS:
Jones has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and Jones needs to make better use of his hands. He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks twitch as a pass rusher and lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge. Jones also shows some stiffness when trying to bend the edge, often getting pushed past the pocket — he seems more comfortable countering back inside.
Draft Summary:
This was my favorite Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew draft thus far. Going into the draft, offensive line, cornerback, and quarterback were our three biggest needs. Drafting in the middle of the round really took us out of the olineman race. The last one that interested me was Broderick Jones and he went off the board when the Steelers traded up. At that point in the draft it really left us with going cornerback. The Forbes pick was received negatively due to Christian Gonzalez being available. Both players will be viewed under the microscope throughout their careers. I'm fine with Forbes pick though. Another lanky cornerback who was an elite athlete. I did have Gonzalez rated higher going into the draft, but he slid for a reason. A lot of his tape shows him not necessarily being an elite cornerback, but being an elite athlete that plays corner. Forbes actually showed the athleticism, corner skills, and ballhawking ability. Some additional knocks against Gonazalez and his love of the game. Quan Martin was our biggest surprise pick of the draft. A lot of people had him going in the 3rd round, but I think the 2nd was a fine spot. Mayhew after the draft said he wish we were more aggressive at times, which I translated as not getting Brian Branch that went several picks before us. I think Quan was the backup option, but I like him as much as Branch. I think Quan will be a better deep safety and Bramch will be a better nickel. Liked Quan alot, but felt we should have gone o-line at this pick. Ocyrus Torrence would've been a sweet pick here. I think if that happened, the consensus view on our draft would shoot up. Quan will immediately via for playing time as our base defense is essentially a 4-2-5. Kendall Fuller was our only above average corner and now we turned our secondary into a strength. Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels were our next two picks. I like Stromberg’s tape a lot and think by next he will be a solid starter at guard or center. Braeden Daniels will be a nice depth piece and if he's able to tame his play he could develop into a starter. Fun player to watch. KJ Henry was an awesome pick and can see him being a nice rotational piece. Good pick at an underrated area of need on our defense. RB wasn't a pressing need, but it's an underrated area of weakness. I think Brian Robinson is about as average of rb as you will see starting in the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez slowly cut into Robinson's role over the next two years. Antonio Gibson has had some solid season, but has a severe fumbling problem. Andre Jones will be a depth piece that will need development moving forward.
Offseason summary:
The biggest question of our offseason was our owner, which now appears resolved. Our second biggest question... was who was our starting qb? Sam Howell. Ron preached all offseason that he was going with Howell and I'll be damned, he did. Brissett was good qb to bring in, not someone that would necessarily turn the offseason into a battle, but can be a starter if called upon. Really a true backup qb. I'm all in on the Sam Howell train. I love it for a multitude of reasons. One, he balls out and we have our qb of the future, two he plays well enough we give him another season and maybe Ron is out and we get a high draft pick, three he bombs and we fire Ron Rivera and go for Caleb Williams next season. If anything, it gives us a direction for our future. I'm ready for Ron to go and think he's only as good as his coordinators. I'm concerned that EB AND Howell turn the offense around Ron gets resigned and EB takes a head coaching role... then the offense regressed. Additionally, I don't want Ron to get credit for drafting Howell. It was 5th round pick, you and every team passed on him for 4 rounds. If Howell is that good... it's not because Ron was a genius and drafted him. Very similar to Seattle taking Russel. I am excited about EB being here and think he's the real deal. I will give Ron credit for allowing him to run his own offense as he sees fit. OTA's have shown that EB is pushing his guys hard and is trying to see what he can do with the offense. We really do have elite playmaker and I'm most excited to see what he can do with Antonio Gibson. I can see his role being that of Jerrick McKinnon, with more athleticism. Sam Howell has shown a lot of progress since his rookie season. Had issues with his foot work, but has shown vast improvements. We only have 1 preseason game and 1 NFL game of tape on him. I liked what he showed. When watching tape you could see him going through his progression, man absolutely saved the day wish his escapability- was under pressure the whole game, threw two beautiful deep passes, and won the game. He did throw one bad pick, but was under pressure and playing hero ball. He had one week of practice with the starters, now he has a whole offseason. Our defense should be a top 5 unit next season and we only got better. Chase Young should be fully healthy and he's the X-factor for the number one overall defense. He comes out plays to his full potential then he could be a mid teens sack guy. If we have that sort of production and Sam Howell plays well than we can compete for the decision. Big if though. Our secondary really lacked a 2nd option, Benjamin St Juyce has shown some flashes but didn't seeze the role last year. Now on paper he's the number and that's very solid. We return two top 6 defensive tackles and Montez Swear is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's yet to have a high sack season, but is very much that Jadaveon Ckowney type of player in the run game. Big question mark season for Jaymin Davis. We knew he needed development, but it's been slower than previously thought. Down the stretch he showed flashes that he was coming into his own and now is his year. He's one of the best athletes at linebacker in the league and his ceiling is very very high. Overall I predict we will go 10-7 and challenge for a wild card spot. That record can fluctuate each one, but I'm calling the improvement now. We went 8-8-1 with bottom 3 qb play. The defense got better, we hired a better offensive coordinator, Howell will at the minimum be slightly better than Hienke last season, we didn't lose any major pieces and had a solid all around draft. I'm truly excited to watch how our future plays out.

Defending the Draft: 2023 Washington Commanders 8-8-1
Preface:
Hope.
This 2023 season will be the most interesting for the Commanders franchise in a long long time. We enter this season with more uncertainty than I have ever been a part of, however, the one thing the fan base is certain of... is the future is brighter. Dan Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999 and subsequently done nothing but run a blue blood franchise into the ground. This team has lacked direction for a long time and a large part of that was due to Dan Snyder's meddling in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Starting his ownership with signing washed up HOF veterans, to then overspending in free agency (Albert Haynesworth is arguably the worst free agent signing of all time), drug scandal with thetraining staff, the mishandling of the RG3 and Kirk Cousins situation, Not resigning Trent Williams, and lastly we've now reached tumultuous time where his off the field issues have hung a dark cloud over a once proud franchise. Although, lol, his most egregious mistake may be hiring Jim Zorn as head coach. It's egregious that his only punishment is a 6 billion dollar payout for his franchise. I hope the banks bury him and he faces the deserved legal actions. As of now there had been an agreement to sell the franchise to 76'rs and NJ Devils owner, Josh Harris.... and is 20ish members of his parliament. We await to hear news of the reviews from the NFL financial committee to close out the process. Last news I came across was he has cut down the number of minority owners to 20. It will be a pleasure when this agreement is finalized. He could be a terrible owner, but it would still be an upgrade from Synder. Harris, seemingly has been a hands off owner and properly allows the people he's hired to operate the team. This last sports season he's had both of his teams deep in the playoff hunt. This season will be interesting. A lot of questions all around: Sam Howell? Chase Young? Ron Rivera? Eric Bienemy? Josh Harris? I'm not sure of those answers, but I'm very excited to find them out.
Coaching:
HC- Ron Rivera OC- Eric Bieniemy DC- Jack Del Rio
Key Additions: Eric Bieniemy
Ole' Riverboat Ron Rivera is back and going into his 4th season with the Washington Commanders, hopefully his last. I believe Ron Rivera is a leader of men, but I highly question his actual coaching skills and team building. I've currently seen enough of this coaching regime and front office to safely say let's move on. There's been several things that I believed were firable offenses.... the Carson Wentz trade. Some rumors have said that this was a Snyder push. Not entirely positive, but Ron bragged that it was his call. Our team at that point was not a qb away from being really good, let alone a Carson Wentz level of qb. The next fireable offense was starting Wentz over Hienke when the playoffs were on the line. Wentz ended up being benched for Hienke, but it was too little too late. The next fireable offense was not realizing we were eliminated from the playoffs. Going into the last week of the season Ron planned on starting Hieneke. Pretty odd to not know you're out of the playoffs, let alone to test Sam Howell out for next season. Additionally, there's been some pretty questionable roster creation decisions. I absolutely hate the versatile secondary and offensive line philosophy. We currently have a patch work offensive line that has the means to fluctuate between average to below average. Not a single player on the line is top 5 at their respected position. Two years ago we had a top 10 o-line, but that had Brandon Sherff playing like a top 5 guard and Charles Leno having his best season. Our o-line took a significant step back this past season and now looks to be our biggest weakness. Ron has shown to trust his own board and has reached (according to the consensus big board) with every single pick so far. People mistake 2019 as one of his drafts ( Sweat, McLaurin, Holcomb), but he was hired at the end of the season. Take this with a grain of salt as it takes at least 3 years to properly review a draft. Rons 1st round picks have been the following: 2020 pick 2 Chase Young- the correct pick at the time, but hard to botch the 2nd overall pick, 2021 pick 19 Jamin Davis- hated the pick at the time, too early for a linebacker... let a lone a project. On tape he looked lost a lot and made up for it with his elite athleticism. He's shown progress, but nothing showing he's worthy of the pick. 2022 pick 16 Jahan Dotson- looks to be an absolute baller, had him ranked above Olave in the pre-draft process. Was a slight reach above the consensus board, but flashed high end ability. Davis has been the only mistake in the 1st round thus far. When I say mistake I don't necessarily mean player, but the roster building philosophy. Whether reaching on Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round of 2022. Lol, he was older than Payne coming out of the draft, one year of good production, and was taken a round too early. In the next round Brian Robinson was taken and was really just a body. Haven't really seen anything elite with him so far and was a meh pick. John Bates in the 4th round was egregious. Now I have to give credit where it's due. Kam Curl was an absolute steal and can solidify himself as top 5 safety this season if he continues to play this well. Our other starting safety in Darrick Forest also had a lot of bright spots playing this past season.
Arguably, our best offseason move was signing Eric Bieniemy. I'm absolutely excited. Forget everything about him not calling the plays. Reports from OTA's shows his hands on approach and full control of the offense. One of my favorites things I've heard is he is using OTA's to see what the players can do and crafting the offense to their abilities. Time and time again (Scott Turner) you see coaches say this is the offense and not change anything to match the players strengths. We don't know for sure how the offense will look, but if it's anything close to the motion west coast offense the Chiefs have... boy lessssss gooooooo. Jack Del Rio has been up-and-down in his time in Washington. He's had two very slow starts with the defense to start year, however, they've finished strong and kept his job safe. This is really the no excuse year and everyone needs to show up amd show out.
Free Agency:
Key Departures:
Taylor Hieneke- signed with the Falcons
Cole Holcolm- signed with the Steelers
Bobby McCain- signed with the Giants
Carson Wentz- TBD
J.D. McKissic- TBD
Trai Turner TBD
Andrew Norwell- will be released when he passes a physical
Summary:
In my personal oppinion, the only player that hurt losing in free agency was Cole Holcolm. Linebacker is our one weak spot on defense, however, not resigning Holcolm shows Ron's belief in Jaymin Davis's progression. Cole was limited to 7 games last season and has yet to truly break out. Always played very solid and losing him downgraded the position. We've moved on from both starting guards from last year in Norwell and Turner (previously on the Panthers). Both players were liabilities last season and the guard position was easily upgradeable. Bonny McCain was a solid do it all for is player. Lined up at corner, safety, and nickel throughout the season. Hieneke was a big fan favorite, but was never the answer. We thank you for your service though. Carson Wentz, fuck you. Loved J.D. and his time here, suffered a major injury. Not sure if he gets picked up hy another team.
Key Additions:
Andrew Wiley- 3 years for 24 million, 12 guaranteed. Previously on the Chiefs
Nick Gates- 3 years for 16.5 million, 8 million guaranteed. Previously on the Giants
Jacoby Brissett- 1 year for 8 million, 7.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Browns
Cody Barton- 1 year for 3.5 million, 3.5 million guaranteed. Previously on the Seahawks
Summary:
Simple. In free agency the Commanders did not overspend and tackled positions of need. None of the players signed are top 5 at their position, however, they could all possibly end up being upgrades to what we have. The most interesting is Andrew Wiley. He allowed 9 sacks (tied for 3rd most)... but man he put on the performance of his life in the superbowl. Another stat that favors him is pass block win-rate, which measure if a lineman can sustain a block for 2.5 seconds. Wylie ranked 9th in that stat last season. I translate that stat to mean can a lineman sustain a block against thr initial rush and counter move off the snap. After that 2.5 seconds the ball is thrown or the play breaks down. Another key factor to this signing is it kicks Samuel Cosmi inside to guard. Cosmi has shown flashes being a high end lineman and I expect him to be even better kicking to guard from right tackle. Guard was our weakest position on the line and Wylie signing helped to upgrade the RG position. Nick Gates is expected to he our starting center. He's coming off of a brutal leg injury that made him consider retirement. Has played guard and center and has some positional flexibility. Jacoby Brissett is the best backup qb in thr league. A solid signing if Howell doesn't pan out. Just a solid game manager that doesn't commit many turnovers. Cody Barton is another unproven guy. Last year was his first year with significant reps. Bobby Wagner leaving in FA and Jordyn Brooks injury made em the guy. He showed flashes of coverage abilities and had a lot of tackles. The tackles weren't necessarily a product of his abilities and more so of cleaning up on a bad run defense team. I've read some notes that he has trouble getting off of blocks. Honestly, haven't watched much on the guy, but reports were he played solid down the stretch.
The Draft:
Link to all RAS scores for our draft class
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-for-the-washington-commanders-7-player-class-emmanuel-forbes/
Round 1:16 Emmanuel Forbes 6'1" 174 lbs. Mississippi St
Stats: 58 targets, 31 catches allowed for 284 yards (23 yards a game), 3 tds allowed/ 6 ints, 9 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 46 tackles.
PFF Grade: 87.2
If being a 160 pounds is your only knock then I think you're doing something alright. The word on the street is he is already up to 174 pounds. You wouldnt realize hes only 174 pounds by the way he plays the run. Hes not scared to hit and flies ro the ball. Although, he does struggle to get off of blocks. Emmanuel Forbes, per PFF, had the highest rating in man coverage last season, albeit the snap count was very miniscule. Emmanuel Forbes is a lanky corner than played a lot of zone coverage and is a very good scheme fit for what we do. I like the pick and I'm not upset about taking him over Gonzalez, who also had his own question marks. Forbes set a NCAA record with 6 pick sixes. A lot of those were the right place at the right time, but when you have that high of a number than you're doing something right.
PFF:
Forbes is one of the best ballhawks in this class. Over the course of his three-year career, he came down with 13 interceptions. That’s four more than the next closest Power Five cornerback since 2020. Forbes was unbelievably dominant in man coverage in 2022, giving up only three catches while also snagging three interceptions. He also only allowed a 20% completion rate in man, the lowest among FBS
PROS
Remarkably lanky frame. Limbs for days — ideal for a corner.Has bounce like a hooper. He can challenge any catch point necessary. Elite ability to locate the football. All six of his interceptions came in man coverage.
CONS
Still a stick. Not much mass on his frame. Has eyes that get him in trouble. Some freelance tendencies on tape.Can get bowled over in the run game. Mediocre tackler over the course of his career.
Round 2: 47 Jartavius "Quan" Martin 5'11". 194 lbs Illinois
Stats: 74 targets, 42 catches allowed, 611 yards allowed, 3 tds allowed, 3 ints, 15 forced incompletions, 2 dropped ints, 4 missed tackles, 64 tackles.
PFF Grade: 73.2
Quan is a beast. I thought he was the 2nd best nickel prospect in the draft and a better deep safety than Brian Branch. Martin absolute rockets around the field in the run game. He started his career at cornerback before transitioning into the safety/nickel position. Another elite athlete that is a perfect fit for our Buffalo Nickel defense.
PFF:
Martin came to Illinois and immediately started as a true freshman in 2018. He originally started off as an outside corner before becoming more of a slot corner recently. He had arguably his best year in 2022, as his 15 forced incompletions were tied for the sixth-most among Power-Five corners. Martin’s 91.0 run-defense grade also led all Power Five cornerbacks. While he played corner at Illinois, we project him more as a safety for the next level.
PROS:
Explosive flat-foot breaks. Tremendous burst. Forceful and reliable tackler - 7 misses on the last 129 attempts last two seasons.Fills like a mac truck in the run game. Wants to come downhill and play in the backfield.
CONS:
Pure man skills are work in progress. Overagressive and liability to bite on fakes. cons On the lighter side for an around the line of scrimmage player. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield on run
Round 3: 97 Ricky Stromberg 6'3" 306 lbs Arkansas
Stats: 9 impact blocks, 11 qb hurries, 0 qb hits, 0 sacks allowed
PFF Grade: 82.4
Nasty. Another guard experience player that spent his last two years at the center position. Award winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy for the SEC'S most outstanding blocker award. This is a solid player that has started since he was freshman in the SEC. He's been battle tested since he was kid and has improved every year. He has some knocks about his play strength, but a NFL program should get em to where he needs to be.
PFF:
Stromberg was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class and started for the Razorbacks as a true freshman, mostly at right guard. He moved inside to center for his sophomore season and spent his final three college seasons there. Stromberg’s 82.4 overall grade and 83.7 run-blocking grade in 2022 both ranked fourth among all centers in college football, and his nine big-time blocks were tied for fifth among FBS centers. Not to mention, Stromberg had an incredible performance at the NFL combine.
PROS:
Does not want to let blocks go. Can see him straining his butt of to stay engaged on tape. Tons of experience against top competition. Four-year starter with 3,121 career snaps.
CONS:
Forward lean gets going on the move, making him liable to topple over. Has wide hands to initiate contact in pass protection before resetting. Leaves himself open for stronger rushers.Unimpressive musculature, which leaves questions about how he'll anchor against NFL strength.
Round 4: Braeden Daniels 6'4" 296 lbs Utah STATS:
0 sacks allowed, 1 qb hit allowed, 14 hurries allowed.
PFF GRADE: 72.2 at tackle, 2021 84.4 at guard.
Braeden Daniels is another tackle/guard hybrid, with starting experience across his college career. This guy is on the lighter side but that allows him to be an Explosive athlete. Very raw at the tackle position and will be a developmental guy. I'd like to give em a try as our swing tackle and see how he performs. He was one of the quickest offensive lineman I've seen off the tape and that athleticism will let him climb to the next level. Even on the lightweight side I'd hate to see this guy running at me on the second level.
PFF:
Daniels is an experienced veteran who commanded the Utes’ offensive line for the past few years. He originally started as a guard before switching over to tackle. His best season came in 2021, as he put up an 84.4 PFF grade. Given his time on the interior, Daniels is at his best when run blocking, and his run-blocking grade in 2021 was an elite 89.1. He still held his own as a pass protector, allowing only five sacks in his Utah career.
PROS
Explodes out of his stance. Arguably the quickest get off in the offensive line class. Linebackers don't want to see him climbing. Gets on them before they can even react. Drive in his lower half to still move the line of scrimmage despite being under 300 pounds.
CONS
Wild into contact. He approaches blocks with the adjustment ability of a freight train. consDoesn't bring his hands with him. Clean engagements are rare on tape. Very light by NFL standards (294 pounds at combine).
Round 5: 137 KJ Henry 6'4" 260 lbs Clemson
STATS:
51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 6 pass deflections, 50 qb pressures, 31 qb hurries, 14 qb hits.
PFF GRADE: 83.1
Loved this pick. Henry was a 5 star recruit coming out of high-school and decided to attend Clemson University. With Clemson having deep lines it took him a couple of years to get on the field. The stats look odd when you only see 3.5 sacks, however, the 50 qb pressures is the key stat. Seems more like bad luck that the sack numbers weren't high. Clemson's whole d-line underperformed (Bresee, Murphey) and they should have picked up more sacks from Henry who was the best DE on that team last year. The team clearly liked him as we traded back up for him. He's not elite athlete, but he is an elite hands guy. Almost had that veteran presence in college. High motor and will immediately make an impact as a rotational de, a position that sorely needed an upgrade.
PFF:
On a team with Myles Murphy, you can easily make the case that KJ Henry was Clemson's best defensive end this year, as he posted better PFF grades than Murphy in every category and even generated 19 more pressures. The only problem is That Henry is 24 years old while Murphy is only 21. Therefore, Henry was expected to produce this well against younger competition. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he can’t still improve. If Henry's play this season is any indication of his potential, he can still have a great NFL career as an edge defender.
PROS:
Heavy hands that are so well refined. Uses them independently to use combination moves.Utilizes hesitations and head fakes so well to catch linemen off-balance. Coaches rave about the type of teammate he is. He is the type of player you want in the locker room.
CONS:
First step that's unimposing for a rusher on the smaller side. Late bloomer. Wasn't even a starter until this past fall. One of the oldest prospects in the class. Already 24 years old.
Round 6: 193 Chris Rodriguez 6'0" 217 lbs Kentucky
STATS: 8 games played, 175 attempts, 904 rushing yards, 6 tds, 5.2 ypa, 5 catches, 41 rec yards.
PFF GRADE: 90.8
Chris Rodriguez is a PFF darling and was rated as the 7th best running back. This guy's is a pure one cut, run you over, power back. There's not much finesse to his game, but there's highlights of dragging guys 10-yards down the field. He does not posses break away speed, but he will get you 40 yards. He was suspended 4 games due to a dui and he may have been drafted higher on am abysmal Kentucky team. An extra 4 games of stats against SEC competition and no suspension may have jumped him into the 4th round. This was an Eric Bienemy guy and they brought him in because of that. Isiah Pacheco was another EB guy.
PFF:
Rodriguez is a powerful runner, but he lacks the burst and creativity to become anything more than a downhill grinder. He has the size and mentality to do the dirty work between the tackles, but it could be a challenge for him to get to and through the hole quickly in the NFL. He’s a physical blitz protector, so teams might envision a role for him as a second-half battering ram and third-down quarterback protector.
PROS:
Two-time team captain. Thick frame with ability to pick up tough yards. Makes tacklers feel his size at impact. Stays square getting through downhill cuts. Low success rate guaranteed for arm-tacklers. Stays on his feet through heavy angle strikes. Allows lead blockers to do their work. Steps up with force against incoming rushers.
CONS:
Below-average burst getting through line of scrimmage. Lacks finesse to navigate tight run lanes. Change of direction is heavy. One-speed running style is easy to track for linebackers. Pad level is a little tall as run-finisher. Inconsistent finding assignment versus blitz.
Round 7: 233 Andre Jones 6'4" 248 lbs Louisiana
STATS: 7 sacks, 5 qb hits, 20 hurries.
PFF GRADE: 77.2
Andre Jones was another hybrid de/lb player coming out last year. He possess 34 1/4" arms which is an elite number for his size. May move to LB, but I'm not sure that's the right move with a 4.71 40-yard dash. He doesn't have much a pass rush move set playing a hybrid role, but does use length to his advantage. A solid developmental pick.
PROS:
Shows a natural feel for setting up blockers and getting them off-balance. His hands are active and violent, and Jones quickly disengages with blockers and counters when his initial move stalls. Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge. Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau. Showed initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. Jones has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation. He’s a high-effort pass rusher with an impressive combination of length and speed.
CONS:
Jones has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and Jones needs to make better use of his hands. He lacks the speed of a chase and- tackle guy. He lacks twitch as a pass rusher and lacks the feet and flexibility to threaten around the edge. Jones also shows some stiffness when trying to bend the edge, often getting pushed past the pocket — he seems more comfortable countering back inside.
Draft Summary:
This was my favorite Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew draft thus far. Going into the draft, offensive line, cornerback, and quarterback were our three biggest needs. Drafting in the middle of the round really took us out of the olineman race. The last one that interested me was Broderick Jones and he went off the board when the Steelers traded up. At that point in the draft it really left us with going cornerback. The Forbes pick was received negatively due to Christian Gonzalez being available. Both players will be viewed under the microscope throughout their careers. I'm fine with Forbes pick though. Another lanky cornerback who was an elite athlete. I did have Gonzalez rated higher going into the draft, but he slid for a reason. A lot of his tape shows him not necessarily being an elite cornerback, but being an elite athlete that plays corner. Forbes actually showed the athleticism, corner skills, and ballhawking ability. Some additional knocks against Gonazalez and his love of the game. Quan Martin was our biggest surprise pick of the draft. A lot of people had him going in the 3rd round, but I think the 2nd was a fine spot. Mayhew after the draft said he wish we were more aggressive at times, which I translated as not getting Brian Branch that went several picks before us. I think Quan was the backup option, but I like him as much as Branch. I think Quan will be a better deep safety and Bramch will be a better nickel. Liked Quan alot, but felt we should have gone o-line at this pick. Ocyrus Torrence would've been a sweet pick here. I think if that happened, the consensus view on our draft would shoot up. Quan will immediately via for playing time as our base defense is essentially a 4-2-5. Kendall Fuller was our only above average corner and now we turned our secondary into a strength. Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels were our next two picks. I like Stromberg’s tape a lot and think by next he will be a solid starter at guard or center. Braeden Daniels will be a nice depth piece and if he's able to tame his play he could develop into a starter. Fun player to watch. KJ Henry was an awesome pick and can see him being a nice rotational piece. Good pick at an underrated area of need on our defense. RB wasn't a pressing need, but it's an underrated area of weakness. I think Brian Robinson is about as average of rb as you will see starting in the NFL. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez slowly cut into Robinson's role over the next two years. Antonio Gibson has had some solid season, but has a severe fumbling problem. Andre Jones will be a depth piece that will need development moving forward.
Offseason summary:
The biggest question of our offseason was our owner, which now appears resolved. Our second biggest question... was who was our starting qb? Sam Howell. Ron preached all offseason that he was going with Howell and I'll be damned, he did. Brissett was good qb to bring in, not someone that would necessarily turn the offseason into a battle, but can be a starter if called upon. Really a true backup qb. I'm all in on the Sam Howell train. I love it for a multitude of reasons. One, he balls out and we have our qb of the future, two he plays well enough we give him another season and maybe Ron is out and we get a high draft pick, three he bombs and we fire Ron Rivera and go for Caleb Williams next season. If anything, it gives us a direction for our future. I'm ready for Ron to go and think he's only as good as his coordinators. I'm concerned that EB AND Howell turn the offense around Ron gets resigned and EB takes a head coaching role... then the offense regressed. Additionally, I don't want Ron to get credit for drafting Howell. It was 5th round pick, you and every team passed on him for 4 rounds. If Howell is that good... it's not because Ron was a genius and drafted him. Very similar to Seattle taking Russel. I am excited about EB being here and think he's the real deal. I will give Ron credit for allowing him to run his own offense as he sees fit. OTA's have shown that EB is pushing his guys hard and is trying to see what he can do with the offense. We really do have elite playmaker and I'm most excited to see what he can do with Antonio Gibson. I can see his role being that of Jerrick McKinnon, with more athleticism. Sam Howell has shown a lot of progress since his rookie season. Had issues with his foot work, but has shown vast improvements. We only have 1 preseason game and 1 NFL game of tape on him. I liked what he showed. When watching tape you could see him going through his progression, man absolutely saved the day wish his escapability- was under pressure the whole game, threw two beautiful deep passes, and won the game. He did throw one bad pick, but was under pressure and playing hero ball. He had one week of practice with the starters, now he has a whole offseason. Our defense should be a top 5 unit next season and we only got better. Chase Young should be fully healthy and he's the X-factor for the number one overall defense. He comes out plays to his full potential then he could be a mid teens sack guy. If we have that sort of production and Sam Howell plays well than we can compete for the decision. Big if though. Our secondary really lacked a 2nd option, Benjamin St Juyce has shown some flashes but didn't seeze the role last year. Now on paper he's the number and that's very solid. We return two top 6 defensive tackles and Montez Swear is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's yet to have a high sack season, but is very much that Jadaveon Ckowney type of player in the run game. Big question mark season for Jaymin Davis. We knew he needed development, but it's been slower than previously thought. Down the stretch he showed flashes that he was coming into his own and now is his year. He's one of the best athletes at linebacker in the league and his ceiling is very very high. Overall I predict we will go 10-7 and challenge for a wild card spot. That record can fluctuate each one, but I'm calling the improvement now. We went 8-8-1 with bottom 3 qb play. The defense got better, we hired a better offensive coordinator, Howell will at the minimum be slightly better than Hienke last season, we didn't lose any major pieces and had a solid all around draft. I'm truly excited to watch how our future plays out.

Race Information

• Name: Edinburgh Marathon
• Date: 28 May 2023
• Distance: 42.2 km
• Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
• Time: 3:07:XX

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Sub 3	No
B	Beat my dad (3:10)	Yes

Splits

Split	Time
5k	21:12 (4:12)
10k	20:49 (4:10)
15k	20:59 (4:12)
20k	20:55 (4:11)
Halfway	1:29:04
25k	21:01 (4:12)
30k	21:14 (4:15)
35k	21:33 (4:19)
40k	24:47 (4:57)
42.2k	6:02 pace

(splits apart from the half are GPS - I think pretty accurate though)

Background

I took up running in 2019, and have been training consistently since 2021. I run decent mileage - 4000+km in both 2021 and 2022, with frequent sustained peaks above 100km per week. I ran the Edinburgh half marathon in 1:23 last year, and a trail 50k in that summer, but this would be my first marathon.
I spent Christmas 2022 out for a couple weeks with a simultaneous sickness bug and a twisted knee, so started this year building back feeling like I'd lost a bit of fitness. In early February though I ran a half marathon in 1:22, and although I think the course was a little short I felt like I was still in decent shape.

Training

I designed my plan based on Pfitz, averaging 114km over the 13 weeks pre-taper, peaking at 131km per week (in fact, 152km was my highest 7 day total!). Although I'd hit close to this mileage before on one-off occassions, never for such a sustained period. I got married and went on my honeymoon during this period, but still sustained the mileage - only really missing a couple days when I was sick about 3 weeks out. But the timing of the honeymoon, being away for someone else's wedding and then getting sick meant that my peak mileage was 7 weeks out.
My general structure was running 7 days, normally with a couple of doubles (run commuting 3 times a week). One workout - starting with tempos and then moving to shorter stuff closer to the race a la Pfitz - and one long run. I wasn't as good getting the medium-long run in mid-week as I'd have like, but I did 6 runs longer than 30km, with two 37km runs.
The latter of these, 4 weeks out, contained 23km at marathon pace - I started this at 4:15 and worked down to 4:05. The 23km averaged 4:11 and felt good - not easy but definitely not an all out effort. I only did one other MP LR - 31km w/ 16km @ MP. I did that early in the block in non-race shoes, started too fast and blew up completely - so the later run was a good confidence builder.
Other workouts weren't anything special - I'm not really one for hard sessions. I did race a few times though - two 10 Mile races, a half marathon (on my honeymoon in New York!), and a 10k two weeks out. These were all largely untapered, but ran 1:01:XX in both 10 Miles, 1:22:35 for 3rd place in the HM, and 37:12 in the 10k.
So while the training wasn't perfect, I was pretty happy and in the best shape of my life. All this gave me confidence that targeting sub-3 was a good idea - and if anything, a bit conservative - at Edinburgh.

Race

Forecast was for a bit of a heatwave, but thankfully race day was supposed to only be 14C - although in the end this felt hot enough with no clouds or shade. My wife came down with a nasty sickness about a week before the race, and although I think I missed it I was a bit paranoid I might have something lingering under the surface.
Nutrition-wise, I had two slices of toast and a banana for breakfast, a gel just before the start and then 6 on the course - after roughly 5k/10k/18k/26k/35k/40km.
I started conservatively, 4:22 for the first two km, then after the downhill settled into 4:10-12. I came through halfway at 1:29:04 feeling decent - working but feeling good about the pace. This continued until about 31km, where there's a wee gravel section I was slipping a bit on. After that I slipped a few seconds off the pace - not much, but around 34km I started see 4:20 on my watch and my confidence was fading. I thought sub-3 might be tight but doable if I could hold on to that. Sadly it was not to be.
Around 38k I hit the wall big time - dropping below 5:00/km, and then quickly below 6:00. I knew sub-3 was long gone by now, but kept myself running - I didn't stop or walk at all, but I was going at what is normally the slowest end of recovery. Interestingly, my heart-rate dropped here too - I just couldn't get my legs or body to work for me.
I even started to panic that my very safe (I thought!) B goal was in doubt. My dad was a very good 3000m SC and 5000m runner when he was young (15:20 5000m PB I think), but he'd run one marathon without specific training, blown-up horribly and come in at 3:10. So a 'family PB' was the back-up goal.
In the end I kept moving forward, and made that time fairly comfortably. I mustered my best 'sprint finish' at about 5:10/km and came in at 3:07.

Post-race & Reflections

I was disappointed, but not as much as I'd thought I might be. Cringe as it sounds I'm pleased I managed to keep myself running when the goal was evaporating.
I don't think I went out too fast, and the pace felt fine (until it didn't), but possibly that first half stretch from at 4:10ish was a little bit quicker than ideal. All the predictors had me on a fair bit quicker than sub-3, and I ran good mileage. While there's tweaks to be made to training, I can't think of anything super significant.
So thinking of what went wrong, I'm focussed on nutrition - the gels were the High-5 ones with 23g carbs, so in total I had ~160g, a bit below 60g/hour recommended. I thought this would be OK - but evidently not.
I'm interested in people's thoughts though?

What's Next

After some recovery weeks, I'm focusing on a HM and a 10 Mile in SeptembeOctober - would be nice to get closer to sub-1:20 and sub-60. But I think I still have a marathon itch to scratch - so will probably sign up for another next spring and give sub-3 another go.
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

Source: https://iphone-gratuit.net/blog/poor-anakin-2023-26/
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https://yamcode.com/california-democrats-sideline-gavin-newsoms-plan-to-build-big-things-faster-3

Source: https://iphone-gratuit.net/blog/been-stewing-of-this-for-a-while-2023-13/
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Sup guys. I'm presenting business ideas for feedback. Sorry in advance because this post is long, so I've labeled the important parts if you want to skip the extras!
To preface: I am going to be attending a business seminar on Friday. In this seminar, we are to go over ideas for startups. Those with the best ideas will have an opportunity to have support from the city we live in. In addition, the seminar attempts to encourage job growth in our area because the demographics need to look better. I am confident in sharing ideas because it usually comes down to execution, and good ideas are a dime a dozen. Still, I wanted input exploring the implications of three business ideas to establish a clear direction on which idea I will actively pursue. 1st idea- MODERN What it is: Modern is a home remodeling and design service where you remodel your home the way you want before you ever do anything. Imagine you have a day off, work from home, and want to reimagine your home. First, you take a few pictures of your home and then select some popular design templates that we have on tap. Next, you'll be able to come to our website. We then formulate that design in your existing space and provide you with the right furniture or lighting supplier. For extra service, we could have a beautiful location in major metropolitan areas with a few designs in person so you can see and feel. You can work with an actual person, and then we would take care of all of that extra work on the back end by setting up all of the renovations in the order it needs to be done. After we develop a design that works for your home and your budget, we connect you to the contractors that can supply that work. We order the necessary supplies and bundle the project in a single financed option or payment to simplify it. We make money from contractors who give us a cut; you get your first design for free. We then collect your data and sell it to our overlords (kidding). Why: Home Renovation and Remodeling is estimated to be a 500 billion to 700 billion dollar industry in the United States. If one were to guess the most prominent industry players on the consumer side of the market, Home Depot and Lowe's would have a strong presence with relatively no viable competitors. These companies remain strong but cater to a dwindling demographic. The problem is that I'm less handy than my father and the generations before him. So when I walk into Home Depot, I'm quickly overwhelmed. Our current home improvement sector no longer suits the most significant needs of my generation and the generations that will come after me. I need to learn about 50 rows of products and materials before I touch them, and no one has the time to know everything necessary to renovate their home. Initial Motivation: I recently moved into an old fixer-upper home. I have all these grand ideas for improving it, but I need to figure out where to begin. I need help figuring out where to start, what design I like, or having the time to figure out every minor detail because I'm swamped these days. Home Depot will not cut it; I have different needs and want things to look manageable. If there were a service where I could design how I want my home to be and use it as a conduit to give me my desired result, it would save so much time. It would also be designed with the big picture in mind. Then, I could create my dream space. In addition, I would get better pricing because I'm bundling, and the marketplace would enforce a new style of contractor competition. 2nd idea: Flow Genie What it is: Flow Genie creates Cash flow templates for specific business sectors and order flow templates for different types of service businesses. Think AC/Plumbing companies to flooring and home goods providers. It's software that compartmentalizes revenue and delegates it evenly so that you can make sure your business is managed correctly. You input your company data and goals, which Flow Genie will then take and segregate your funds appropriately. We do this for existing businesses by analyzing your data and separating funds from the beginning instead of randomly having massive outflows and inflows. For example, you own an AC or Plumbing company every time you receive a payment. In that case, part of the payment goes to the cost of goods sub-account, another portion to the payroll account, and another to miscellaneous or tax sub-accounts-no more need to have one pool of funds with no apparent direction. For new businesses, we could establish a proper pricing structure that suits your needs and is in control before it ever has the opportunity to get out of hand. This type of turn-key business management hasn't existed for millennia. So much knowledge about managing cash flows is lost in the ether. Flow Genie will also establish how much to order and when to prevent you from being overweight on the production side vs. the customer-facing side. It creates a nice flow that can bring much-needed stability in otherwise chaotic environments. Why: The most significant part of my job as an entrepreneur is spent thinking about cash flows and payments. Unfortunately, it is also the most overwhelming and treacherous part. The time spent thinking about cash flow and material/labor costs can act as a prison preventing growth due to fear and uncertainty. When moving around millions of dollars, the mistakes become more and more costly and can even compound over time. It's taken five years to grasp the little I know now. But, first, hundreds of thousands of dollars were lost because of my mistakes with cash flow and thinking I had more or less working capital than I did. Suppose people had a resource just a layer just above the Quickbooks Onlines' of the world. In that case, they might feel more confident running and growing their business. They could focus on providing better service rather than stress about finances. Initial Motivation: My business ran into an issue where I had 200 units ready in a warehouse and 100k due. The problem was that my accounts only had 80-100k at the time. The money would replenish after servicing those units for customers, but I had a big situation. On the one hand, I could pay most of this balance to get the new units in. But, still, I need the warehouse space, the extra cash reserves when that cash is gone, and installers to install those units quickly enough, and I have none of those at this time. So essentially, I'd put myself in a position that could go bad soon if I didn't navigate it correctly. Enter in the little spot between a rock and a hard place. The damned if you do and damned if you don't because now the supplier suspends any new orders until that backlog is resolved and my account is suspended. On the other hand, if I had proper procedures and processes in place to ensure that a bottleneck of that nature wouldn't occur in the first place, I wouldn't have this problem. These are things that Flow Genie would see before I do because I enter my input capacity, space capacity, and average gross margin percentages to create a proper balance and flow. 3rd idea: MRW What it is: A window and door replacement company that provides lower prices and an easy self-quoting tool so people can estimate their projects. Consider incorporating solar glass that can also power parts of your home. Why: Windows and doors are costly. Some companies charge upwards of $3-$5k per unit. When people have homes with 25 windows, they shouldn't have to take out a second mortgage to replace them. During the home building boom of previous decades, the builders' materials were cheap and, unfortunately, not built to last. The incentive was to make it fast and affordable. So where did these builders sacrifice the most quality? Things like windows and doors and siding. The parts of a home that are not superstructural or over-regulated. If the big box retailer is selling 25 windows to a homeowner, it can cost upwards of $70-$100k We can do it for $30k or less with the same glass. As far as solar glass goes, this technology is still being developed, but here's some food for thought. . Hypothetically, we could power the world's current electricity consumption by covering just 3.27% of the US with solar power plants. However, the issue is a gaping security risk because everyone would need to drop a bomb on that area, and the world would be in a pickle. However, if our windows were solar panels, they could cover a portion of our energy consumption while also being decentralized and ubiquitous. One would have to destroy all homes to sabotage only part of our power supply. In Arizona, for instance, The power generated from solar windows could directly power AC units, almost 25% of all energy usage in Arizona homes. They could also mine Bitcoin, but that's a whole other story. Initial Motivation: I had no idea people replaced their windows when I fell into this industry. I worked for a company for a few years and thought I could do it better, so I did. I want to provide a reputable service at a fair price, so I did. Oddly enough, this is the business model I'm using right now. It works because it's a simple service that people need without too much competition. To conclude: I know that was long. If you read all of that, thanks; you're a trooper. Feel free to let me know which one you're drawn to or any obvious rebuttals to the validity of those ideas. I have yet to think through these rough ideas, so there will be critical difficulties to overcome. Thanks!

Sup guys. I'm presenting business ideas for feedback.
Sorry in advance because this post is long, so I've labeled the important parts if you want to skip the extras!
To preface: I am going to be attending a business seminar on Friday. In this seminar, we are to go over ideas for startups. Those with the best ideas will have an opportunity to have support from the city we live in. In addition, the seminar attempts to encourage job growth in our area because the demographics need to look better. I am confident in sharing ideas because it usually comes down to execution, and good ideas are a dime a dozen. Still, I wanted input exploring the implications of three business ideas to establish a clear direction on which idea I will actively pursue.
1st idea- MODERN What it is: Modern is a home remodeling and design service where you remodel your home the way you want before you ever do anything. Imagine you have a day off, work from home, and want to reimagine your home. First, you take a few pictures of your home and then select some popular design templates that we have on tap. Next, you'll be able to come to our website. We then formulate that design in your existing space and provide you with the right furniture or lighting supplier. For extra service, we could have a beautiful location in major metropolitan areas with a few designs in person so you can see and feel. You can work with an actual person, and then we would take care of all of that extra work on the back end by setting up all of the renovations in the order it needs to be done. After we develop a design that works for your home and your budget, we connect you to the contractors that can supply that work. Order the necessary supplies, and bundle the project in a single financed option or payment to simplify it. We make money from contractors who give us a cut; you get your first design for free. We then collect your data and sell it to our overlords (kidding). Why: Home Renovation and Remodeling is estimated to be a 500 billion to 700 billion dollar industry in the United States. If one were to guess the most prominent industry players on the consumer side of the market, Home Depot and Lowe's would have a strong presence with relatively no viable competitors. These companies remain strong but cater to a dwindling demographic. The problem is that I'm less handy than my father and the generations before him. So when I walk into Home Depot, I'm quickly overwhelmed. Our current home improvement sector no longer suits the most significant needs of my generation and the generations that will come after me. I need to learn about 50 rows of products and materials before I touch them, and no one has the time to know everything necessary to renovate their home. Initial Motivation: I recently moved into an old fixer-upper home. I have all these grand ideas for improving it, but I need to figure out where to begin. I need help figuring out where to start, what design I like, or having the time to figure out every minor detail because I'm swamped these days. Home Depot will not cut it; I have different needs and want things to look manageable. If there were a service where I could design how I want my home to be and use it as a conduit to give me my desired result, it would save so much time. It would also be designed with the big picture in mind. Then, I could create my dream space. In addition, I would get better pricing because I'm bundling, and the marketplace would enforce a new style of contractor competition.
2nd idea: Flow Genie What it is: Flow Genie creates Cash flow templates for specific business sectors and order flow templates for different types of service businesses. Think AC/Plumbing companies to flooring and home goods providers.
It's software that compartmentalizes revenue and delegates it evenly so that you can make sure your business is managed correctly. You input your company data and goals, which Flow Genie will then take and segregate your funds appropriately. We do this for existing businesses by analyzing your data and separating funds from the beginning instead of randomly having massive outflows and inflows. For example, you own an AC or Plumbing company every time you receive a payment. In that case, part of the payment goes to the cost of goods sub-account, another portion to the payroll account, and another to miscellaneous or tax sub-accounts-no more need to have one pool of funds with no apparent direction. For new businesses, we could establish a proper pricing structure that suits your needs and is in control before it ever has the opportunity to get out of hand. This type of turn-key business management hasn't existed for millennia. So much knowledge about managing cash flows is lost in the ether.
Flow Genie will also establish how much to order and when to prevent you from being overweight on the production side vs. the customer-facing side. It creates a nice flow that can bring much-needed stability in otherwise chaotic environments. Why: The most significant part of my job as an entrepreneur is spent thinking about cash flows and payments. Unfortunately, it is also the most overwhelming and treacherous part. The time spent thinking about cash flow and material/labor costs can act as a prison preventing growth due to fear and uncertainty. When moving around millions of dollars, the mistakes become more and more costly and can even compound over time. It's taken five years to grasp the little I know now. But, first, hundreds of thousands of dollars were lost because of my mistakes with cash flow and thinking I had more or less working capital than I did. Suppose people had a resource just a layer just above the Quickbooks Onlines' of the world. In that case, they might feel more confident running and growing their business. They could focus on providing better service rather than stress about finances. Initial Motivation: My business ran into an issue where I had 200 units ready in a warehouse and 100k due. The problem was that my accounts only had 80-100k at the time. The money would replenish after servicing those units for customers, but I had a big situation. On the one hand, I could pay most of this balance to get the new units in. But, still, I need the warehouse space, the extra cash reserves when that cash is gone, and installers to install those units quickly enough, and I have none of those at this time. So essentially, I'd put myself in a position that could go bad soon if I didn't navigate it correctly. Enter in the little spot between a rock and a hard place. The damned if you do and damned if you don't because now the supplier suspends any new orders until that backlog is resolved and my account is suspended. On the other hand, if I had proper procedures and processes in place to ensure that a bottleneck of that nature wouldn't occur in the first place, I wouldn't have this problem. These are things that Flow Genie would see before I do because I enter my input capacity, space capacity, and average gross margin percentages to create a proper balance and flow. 3rd idea: MRW: What it is: A window and door replacement company that provides lower prices and an easy self-quoting tool so people can estimate their projects. Consider incorporating solar glass that can also power parts of your home. Why: Windows and doors are costly. Some companies charge upwards of $3-$5k per unit. When people have homes with 25 windows, they shouldn't have to take out a second mortgage to replace them. During the home building boom of previous decades, the builders' materials were cheap and, unfortunately, not built to last. The incentive was to make it fast and affordable. So where did these builders sacrifice the most quality? Things like windows and doors and siding. The parts of a home that are not superstructural or over-regulated. If the big box retailer is selling 25 windows to a homeowner, it can cost upwards of $70-$100k We can do it for $30k or less with the same glass. As far as solar glass goes, this technology is still being developed, but here's some food for thought. . Hypothetically, we could power the world's current electricity consumption by covering just 3.27% of the US with solar power plants. However, the issue is a gaping security risk because everyone would need to drop a bomb on that area, and the world would be in a pickle. However, if our windows were solar panels, they could cover a portion of our energy consumption while also being decentralized and ubiquitous. One would have to destroy all homes to sabotage only part of our power supply. In Arizona, for instance, The power generated from solar windows could directly power AC units, almost 25% of all energy usage in Arizona homes. They could also mine Bitcoin, but that's a whole other story. Initial Motivation: I had no idea people replaced their windows when I fell into this industry. I worked for a company for a few years and thought I could do it better, so I did. I want to provide a reputable service at a fair price, so I did. Oddly enough, this is the business model I'm using right now. It works because it's a simple service that people need without too much competition. To conclude: I know that was long. If you read all of that, thanks; you're a trooper. Feel free to let me know which one you're drawn to or any obvious rebuttals to the validity of those ideas. I have yet to think through these rough ideas, so there will be critical difficulties to overcome. Thanks!

So i made a v2 of my posted pc, and i would like to know, what should i change again.
(If you have time, can you make it 200-300 bucks cheaper? thx)
PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor	$130.37 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler	$19.89 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI B550-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard	$139.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$64.95 @ Amazon
Storage	Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$139.00 @ Amazon
Video Card	MSI VENTUS 3X OC GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR 8 GB Video Card	$404.99 @ B&H
Case	Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case	$94.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair RM750x (2021) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$139.99 @ B&H
Monitor	LG 24GN650-B 24.0" 1920 x 1080 144 Hz Monitor	$145.00
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1279.17
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-05-31 17:16 EDT-0400

Purchased device directly from Apple. Unable to activate (unlocked, no sim restrictions). But tech support can’t manually override the activation apparently? The device isn’t showing up on their end… does anyone know if tech support can no longer do a manual override?