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2024 Opponents Set.

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Patriots front office tracker

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Meet New England’s 2024 Rookie Class.

Patriots updated depth chart

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New England Patriots News Catchup Links - OTA observations: Solid day for young rookies; QB throwdown

• Evan Lazar shares five observations as rookie QB Drake Maye and WR Javon Baker impress in second open OTA practice. 1. A ‘little things’ throw by Maye gets kudos from Jacoby.
• Mike Dussault finds Brian Belichick back where he’s happiest and grateful to be back coaching the Patriots safeties despite significant turnover across the rest of the staff and roster.
• Press Release: The Patriots and Beasley Media Group’s 98.5 The Sports Hub announce multi-year broadcast extension.
• Press Conferences: Jerod Mayo - Bailey Zappe - Chad Ryland - Jacoby Brissett - Jabrill Peppers - Deatrich Wise - Bryce Baringer - Brian Belichick - Dont’a Hightower - DeMarcus Covington - Jeremy Springer.
• Patriots Playbook: Takeaways from recent OTAs, Rookie expectations, potential changes to offseason schedule. (2 hours)
• Taylor Kyles’ Observations from Day 2 of open OTAs: Young offensive weapons made some big plays; Keion White assuming larger role in year 2; More.
• Mike Kadlick’s Patriots OTA Notebook: Tyquan Thornton is having another impressive spring; Maye’s footwork continues to be slower than the likes of Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe, but the focus on honing in that part of his craft is there; Chad Ryland finished practice hitting 4 of 5 field goal attempts; More.
• Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry’s Wednesday OTA observations: Drake Maye starts slow, finishes strong; QB snap breakdown; More.
• Doug Kyed’s Patriots OTA Notes: Rookie WR Javon Baker impresses, Drake Maye sees more work; Sidy Sow’s lack of participation saw some reshuffling on the offensive line. Atonio Mafi and veteran guard Michael Jordan saw an increase in reps; More.
• Chris Mason gives us 7 takeaways from OTAs: Zappe over Maye in QB reps; Strong day for Tyquan; Guard rotation continues; More.
• Alex Barth’s OTA notebook: Spreading things out on offense; Cadence work; Hangtimes; Attendance; More.
• Nick Stevens notes rookie WR Javon Baker highlights a solid day for Patriots offense at OTAs
• Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry share their observations of QB Drake Maye from yesterday’s OTA practice session. “I’d give him an A-, B+ relative to what I would expect from him.”
• Matt Dolloff’s Mayewatch: Rookie QB Drake Maye looked solid in his latest open OTA practice, despite appearing to remain behind in the pecking order.
• Doug Kyed reports how Jacoby Brissett’s familiarity with the Patriots offense gives the entire unit an advantage.
• Karen Guregian says it isn’t a big deal why Drake Maye is still getting reps behind Bailey Zappe.
• Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry discuss Bailey Zappe’s role with the Pats, noting that Zappe has received more reps than Drake Maye this spring.
• Mike D’Abate observes QB Bailey Zappe “having fun” while competing for a spot on the depth chart.
• Andy Hart says the elephant in the QB room is the question of where Bailey Zappe fits on the QB depth chart.
• Alex Barth reports second-year defender Keion White was an early ‘surprise’ for Jerod Mayo.
• Chris Mason highlights kicker Chad Ryland eager to attack 2024 after a trying rookie season. “I’m no coward to a challenge.”

I'm not the only one excited about this right ???

2023 Recap
2023 was a year of great expectations and disappointment for the Seahawks. The team was a trendy pick to take the next step and win a playoff game but faltered in the end and missed the postseason altogether. The season started on the wrong foot when both our starting tackles left the game early in the second half of our home opener against the Rams. The injuries continued to pile up a few games after that, losing a key cog in our defense in Uchenna Nwosu. The team’s run defense wasn’t spectacular before that, but cratered to near bottom of the league after that injury. And high priced safety Jamal Adams and promising cornerback Riq Woolen suffered through inconsistent play and injuries of their own. All of these issues culminated in a 9-8 record, missing the playoffs on a tie breaker with Green Bay, and the firing of our long time head coach Pete Carroll. On the surface it seems rather harsh to fire the coach after a middling season, but the stats painted an unflattering picture for him. Pete’s performance as of late was not great, considering that his calling card was on the defensive side of the ball. For 3 out of the last 4 years, the Seahawks have been at the near bottom of the league in defensive scoring and run defense. The Seahawks were also the fifth most penalized team in the NFL and caught a bad habit of missing tackles. On top of that, our record against our NFC rivals, the Rams and 49ers, was abysmal as of late. If they wanted to stop playing third fiddle to the Rams and 49ers, drastic changes were needed.
New era of Seahawks Football
After an emotional press conference, the Pete Carroll era was over and a new era of Seahawks football was starting. This current era is being spearheaded by GM John Schneider as the main decision maker for the team’s football operations, no longer sharing those responsibilities with coach Pete. He did an extensive coaching search and after a few overtures with Ben Johnson, he landed on Mike Macdonald, defensive coordinator of the Ravens for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Macdonald is considered to be one of the most promising young defensive minds in the league. He comes from the Wink Martindale/Rex Ryan school of defense that emphasizes the blitz, but he incorporates his own wrinkles into the system by masking coverage pre-snap and using simulated pressures. He is also known as a linebacker guru and loves coaching up that position in particular. He took what was a mediocre Ravens defense in 2021 (19th in points scored) and upgraded it into the top defense in the NFL by the 2023 season. More importantly, he was able to notch impressive defensive performances against many of the Seahawks rivals in 2023, including the Lions, 49ers and Rams. Under his tutelage, players like Kyle Hamilton, Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike, Jadaveon Clowney, Geno Stone and Kyle Van Noy had career years. The vision behind this hire is the belief that Macdonald can bring that scheme to Seattle and coach up the talent the team has already gathered in the last few draft classes to those levels of performance.
Another big change in this new era of Seahawks football comes at the offensive coordinator spot. Ryan Grubb was hired as the offensive coordinator of the team and Mike Macdonald is delegating a lot of the offensive strategy to him on year one. He has been the offensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies for the past two years and helped lead them to the National Championship game in 2023. From watching plenty of Husky games last year, it is clear why he was sought after to join the coaching staff. His creativity as a playcaller is evident. He was great at employing a quick passing game that made plays all over the field and used tempo to keep the defense off balance. He also brought his assistant Scott Huff with him, coach of the Joe Moore award winning best offensive line in college football in 2023. The offensive line was clearly a strength of the Washington Huskies and Huff will be tasked with using his expertise to improve a line that ranked 25th in the league in pass block win rate in 2023, according to ESPN. These two coaching hires bring the biggest variance in outcomes as the track record for college coaches jumping into the pros with no NFL experience is concerning. But anyone who has watched the 2023 Huskies offense will concede that Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff have incredible upside potential if they hit.
Notable pre-draft moves
At the 2023 trade deadline, the team acquired DT Leonard Williams for a 2024 second and 2025 fifth round pick. During free agency, they signed Leonard Williams to a 3 year, 64.5 million deal.
Going into the 2023 season, the team was incredibly thin at DT. The depth chart at NT was Jarran Reed and some backup level players. There was concern that Jarran Reed wouldn’t hold up the whole season playing that many snaps. We were basically forced to trade a second and a fifth for a half a season of Leo Williams due to the roster mismanagement in the 2023 offseason. To his credit, he did play well for the team, amassing 4 sacks, 9 TFLs and 11 QB hits in 10 games. After that performance, we had to resign him for market value considering what we had invested in him. There’s no denying it was an overpay. Having said that, the likelihood of obtaining a DT with the physical profile and talent level of a Leo Williams with a second round pick is low. A player that is 6’5” plus 300 lbs with athleticism that can play all over the line is valuable and you pay what you must to get them.
Before the draft, the team acquired QB Sam Howell and Washington’s fourth (#102) and sixth (#179) for the Saints' third round pick (#78) and a fifth round pick (#179)
With Drew Lock moving on to New York, we needed a new backup QB and this deal was made. Being able to to acquire a young backup QB with NFL starting experience for what amounts to a fifth round pick in compensation is a solid move. Someone may argue that the team was better off keeping the higher picks and drafting a Spencer Rattler or Michael Pratt, but let’s keep in mind a few things. First of all, Howell is same age as Rattler and one year older than Pratt. He’s still in the developmental period of his career but with a full season of NFL reps already in the bag. Furthermore, Howell does not have the character concerns of a Rattler or the arm strength concerns of a Pratt. Regardless on how you may feel about Howell’s 2023 performance, there is no doubt he did enough to prove that he can be a high level backup. And there is some hope that the new coaching staff can give Howell a fresh start and help him improve on his deficiencies.
Other Free Agency transactions
Notable Departures
LG Damien Lewis
C Evan Brown
RG Phil Haynes
LB Bobby Wagner
LB Jordyn Brooks
LB Devin Bush
S Jamal Adams
S Quandre Diggs
TE Colby Parkinson
TE Will Dissly
RB/KR Deejay Dallas
QB Drew Lock
Notable Arrivals
LG Laken Tomlinson
C Nick Harris
RG Tremayne Anchrum Jr.
T George Fant
LB Jerome Baker
LB Tyrel Dodson
S Rashawn Jenkins
S K’Von Wallace
TE Pharaoh Brown
DT Johnathan Hankins
WKR Lavishka Shenault
After these moves, the biggest needs going into the draft were at both guard spots, linebacker, safety and tight end.
2024 Draft Picks/Transactions
Round 1, Pick 16: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas - RAS Score
"He plays our style of football, and he's so talented," Macdonald said. "Versatility along the front, he's such an aggressive player, plays violently, heavy hands for a guy with a shorter stature, flexible, pass-rush flexibility, you name it. We're just really excited to have him… This is just a great opportunity for our team to get better. He's going to provide great competition and he's our type of guy. He's a Seahawk through and through."
While DT may not seem like the biggest need for the team at first sight, this pick along with the Leo Williams signing turned what was a weakness of the team in 2023 into a strength. Mike Macdonald loves building lines with large, versatile DTs that are stout against the run and Murphy fits that profile. I’ve only watched a handful of Texas games but I did pay close attention to Murphy during the Sugar Bowl and he consistently stood out in the run game with multiple tackles near the line of scrimmage. I fully expect the run defense to be vastly improved with the brand new defensive line that also includes Jarran Reed and former Cowboy Johnathan Hankins.
He is also adept at commanding double teams from opposing offensive lines and getting pressures on QBs. “The former Longhorn generated an impressive 21 pressures on true pass sets, stemming from a class-leading 29.5% pass-rush win rate.” according to PFF. I did notice that could improve his ability to convert pressures into sacks. One play from the Sugar Bowl stands out to me where he breaks through a double team and Michael Penix Jr is able to side step away from his arm tackle. Having said that, I feel perfectly confident in Macdonald’s ability to help Murphy improve his finishing abilities given what he accomplished with Madubuike.
Round 3, Pick 81: Christian Haynes, RG, Uconn - RAS Score
The lack of a second round pick really stressed out Seahawks fans since the team needed to come out of the draft with at least one day one starter at an interior Oline position. However, the Seahawks got lucky when teams were more interested in taking tackles over guard only prospects. There were two guard prospects that the Seahawks were reportedly interested in: Cooper Beebe and Christian Haynes, according to Seahawks.com reporter John Boyle. Boyle also noted that after Beebe went off the board and Haynes was still available, former Seahawk great Steve Hutchinson confirmed his approval of the Haynes pick, telling Schneider "I think he's going to be a really good (expletive) player”. Seems like a strong vote of approval, considering that it comes from a Hall of Fame guard.
As far as his abilities goes, Haynes is a 4 year starter for the Uconn Huskies. He played exclusively at RG during most of his career and only gave up 1 sack in his last two seasons. He’s a bit undersized but he makes up for it in hand technique and speed. He has elite level speed and explosion for a guard, so he will be an excellent fit for a zone blocking scheme. He plays with high effort and follows through on blocks on second-level defenders. His senior bowl film in 1 on 1 pass rush drills was extremely promising as he was causing fits for edges and defensive tackles. I didn’t count a single loss for him in the pass rush drills, which is crazy considering he’s going against the best of the best in college football. His game tape is equally impressive, although he does have a penchant for getting handsy and picking up penalties (22 in 4 seasons). It seems safe to assume the Seahawks have found their long term starter at RG.
Trade with Denver: Pick #102 and #235 for Pick #121, #136 and #207
The Seahawks were looking to acquire another pick in the draft to compensate for the loss in the Leonard Williams trade. There were talks about acquiring a second round pick earlier in the draft, but they stayed put and drafted Murphy. With this trade they obtained a fifth rounder and upgraded their seventh to a sixth at the cost of moving down 19 spots in the fourth round. Not a bad trade, considering the team’s ability to find talent in the fifth round. It is also interesting to note that the Denver Broncos always come up in the clutch whenever the Seahawks need draft picks. John Schneider must be blackmailing their GM or something.
Round 4, 118: Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP - RAS Score
Tyrice Knight being picked this high is a bit of a head scratcher. He was evaluated as a sixth round pick by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein and wasn’t even ranked within the top 200 on PFF’s big board. Why did they pick him this highly? Well, we clearly have a need at linebacker and there was a run on them at this point in the draft. There weren’t many appealing options remaining at the position so they reached to protect their preferred choice from other teams. This pick also makes sense when looking at the team’s deficiencies in open field tackling and run defense last year. The team was fourth worst in the league in missed tackles with 129 in 2023 and near the bottom of the league in run defense. Meanwhile, Knight was a tackling machine at UTEP. He led the FBS in 2023 with 84 solo tackles and made many plays in the run game with 15.5 TFL. He also was an adept blitzer with 4.5 sacks, and 7 PBUs. I think Knight could play a role from the bench early on non-passing downs. He could also play a pass rushing role on blitzes. He has a path to become a starter if Macdonald can coach him up when it comes to dropping back into coverage as he is apparently rough in those aspects of the game. If he can work his magic on Knight we might end up with huge steal.
Round 4, 121: AJ Barner, TE, Michigan - RAS Score
We needed a blocking TE to replace Will Dissly, and we got one with almost identical athletic numbers and college stats as Will Dissly. He excelled at Michigan’s run heavy scheme where “he produced the (TE) class’ only 70.0-plus run-blocking grade on these concepts (gap, power, counter, pull lead)” according to PFF. He’s not too shabby on pass plays either. He regularly chips and pushes around college level defensive ends. His production when it comes to pass catching is extremely low, but understandable considering the run heavy offense he operated under. His lack of straight line speed shows on film, but he does well enough on the short and intermediate routes. Plus he compensates with jump cuts and ability to break tackles with spin moves. He can also produce on special teams and has familiarity with our special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh from his days at Michigan. He has a decent chance to see the field early on with his blocking skills and his special team prowess.
Round 5, 136: Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn - RAS Score
Nehemiah Pritchett seems like an odd pick considering the team is already six deep at corner. But there are a few factors that support the idea that Pritchett was too valuable to the Seahawks to pass on. First of all, Nehemiah met a lot of the size/athletic thresholds that the Seahawks value in cornerbacks, with a 4.36 40 yard dash, 34.5” vertical jump and 31 and 5/8” arms. Pritchett was a key part of the Auburn defense that allowed 173.2 passing yards per game (eight best in all of college football according to cfbstats). He also had a standout performance in the Senior Bowl, recording multiple pass breakups including one in the endzone that prevented a touchdown. As far as downsides go, his strength and tackling ability seem to be limited. If he makes the team, his role will likely be as a backup and an insurance policy in case that Riq Woolen continues underperforming. This is also a move to shore up depth for 2025, as Tre Brown, Artie Burns and Mike Jackson are on the last year of their deals.
Round 6, 179: Sataoa Laumea, G, Utah - RAS Score
The team still needed a guard to pair up with Haynes and they got one that is a bit of a project. Scott Huff has some familiarity with Laumea as he tried to recruit him out of high school and played against his team while he was coaching at Washington. Laumea played his first two seasons at RG and was moved to RT for the 2022-2023 seasons. He looked decent enough on film against the Huskies in 2023 and at the Senior Bowl, but it is hard to feel strongly about his pass blocking abilities. He got cooked by Laiatu Latu on 1 on 1 drills, which isn't completely unexpected but to be fair he did better against the rest of the field. However, he does stand out on run plays when pulling or when setting blocks on the move. There is play of his circulating online where he pancakes a UCLA defender on a pull play and it is pretty spectacular. Since he has shown some positional flexibility, the Seahawks are trying him out at LG during rookie minicamp and OTAs. That move makes sense since there is more of a need at that position and he has a clearer path to playing time. At the same time that makes things more difficult for him since he needs to learn a brand new position on top of adjusting to NFL game speed. He has a good chance of winning a backup position at camp but I wouldn’t expect him to make it off the bench in 2024.
Round 6, 192: D. J. James, CB, Auburn - RAS Score
Yet another best player on the board, value too high to ignore type of pick for the Seahawks. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlen had D.J. James with a third round grade, while PPF had him as the #153 best player in the draft. Getting a player of that caliber in the sixth round seems like a steal to me. While watching film on Auburn, I couldn’t help but notice James pop up with more big time plays than his teammate Pritchett. He was more active when covering routes over the middle and showed better effort in his tackling. He can also play the nickel, which gives him a unique pathway to make the team. His lack of size and arm length did show up on occasion when he was defending fade routes in the end zone. But most of the time his effort compensated for his size limitations. The team currently has a logjam at CB and it’ll be interesting to see who wins the camp battle and makes the final roster.
Round 6, 207: Michael Jerrell, T, Findlay - RAS Score
Michael Jerrell is the latest Division II superstar, trying to make his NFL dream come true with all odds against him. Winner of about every single award possible for a Division II lineman, his story is pretty interesting. He did have offers to play on division I teams after a few seasons of Div II but he wanted to make the NFL as a Findlay alumni out of respect for his college and coaching staff. He came on the radar of NFL teams when he participated in the Ohio State pro day and produced testing numbers that would make him worthy of day 2 pick if he had played for a Division I school. Unsurprisingly, there’s not that much Findlay film available online. The highlight video I had access to shows him manhandling and pancaking every defensive player he went against, which is about what I expected. He did what you’d expect an NFL caliber player would do going against Division II football players. He is a total gamble at the NFL level, but the right type of gamble given the value of tackles. With his athletic numbers there’s a non-zero chance he becomes a starter at RT. Given the tenuous state of Abraham Lucas’s knee, we might need a starter sooner than expected.
Notable UDFAs
OT Garret Greenfield
DE Nelson Ceaser
RB George Holani
LB Easton Gibbs
C Mike Novitsky
WR Hayden Hatten
DB Ro Torrence
CB Carlton Johnson
CB Dee Williams
Out of all of these UFDAs, the one that has the clearest path to make the team is George Holani. He has decent athletic traits and production at running back, but his stock draft fell due to his extensive injury history in college. He looks to be slotted right now at fourth on the depth chart at running back and if the team decides to keep 4 running backs on the active roster he would probably make the team.
Closing Thoughts
The team wasn't able to fully address all of their needs in the draft, but given the amount of picks they started out with, they acquitted ourselves well. They were able to get day 1 starters at DT and RG, plus some depth options at LB, TE, CB, G and T. The depth at linebacker is still pretty rough and I don’t particularly trust any of the players they have battling for the left guard position. I'm expecting some kind of trade to happen before the deadline to address those positions, perhaps using Dre'mont Jones or some picks as bait. Safety is another position that they didn’t address in the draft, but the depth isn’t bad if Jerrick Reed II is able to play this season. I’d rather see what Coby Bryant and Reed can do in a bigger role than invest in another late round safety, if I’m perfectly honest.
2024 is shaping up to be a transition season for the team; the coaches will need time to install the new schemes and give the talent opportunities to establish themselves as building blocks going forward. In order to call this season a success I’d like to see an upward trajectory to the performance of the defense as Macdonald installs more of the defensive playbook. Our offense was pretty solid last year and I’m sure that Grubb can maintain a similar level of performance, but I’d like to see more consistency from the offensive line. That is Grubb’s specialty and Geno spent too much time running for his life in 2023. I'd also like to see more of the young promising talent emerge. Charles Cross, Riq Woolen, Witherspoon, JSN and Boye Mafe are a few of the young players that are close to being stars and need to take the next step in their development for the team to compete. If the coaching staff can get these players to perform in their system, I’m sure we will be competing for a playoff spot at the end of the year and setting up for even greater things in 2025.

Good Morning Patriots
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Free place to chat and a good place to discuss whatever you like with other sub users
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2024 Opponents Set.

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Patriots front office tracker

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Meet New England’s 2024 Rookie Class.

Patriots updated depth chart

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New England Patriots News Catchup Links - Wolf: Collaborative will decide when Drake Maye starts

• Transaction: Patriots sign 2024 first-round draft pick QB Drake Maye.
• Mike Dussault tackles this week’s Patriots Mailbag: Parsing tackle and receiver depth; To play Maye or not.
• Patriots Unfiltered: Previewing upcoming OTAs and minicamp, proposed restructured offseason schedule. (2 hrs)
• Doug Kyed’s Patriots notes: QB Drake Maye signs rookie deal ahead of second week of OTAs.
• Alex Barth points out the team has three more rookie contracts to go, now that Drake Maye and the Pats have officially agreed to terms.
• Mike D’Abate talks about how the Patriots have now signed Drake Maye, the new face of their “new era” for the foreseeable future.
• Tom E. Curran explains why Drake Maye is in a very “beneficial situation” as a rookie in New England.
• Michael Brauner notes PFF ranked Mike Onwenu as a top-32 Tackle.
• Mark Daniels reports Eliot Wolf revealed that his one regret from the Patriots offseason is that he only drafted one player on defense.
• Chris Mason finds Eliot Wolf pushing back on the narrative that the Patriots haven’t spent this offseason.
• Chris Mason highlights Eliot Wolf on the “Up and Adams Show”. “Are the Patriots a playoff team? Listen, we’re not really playoffs or bust,” Wolf said. “I would say we’re just looking for progress. ...”
• Alex Barth tells us the Patriots will host at least one joint practice this summer.
• Ian Logue’s Patriots Notebook: Hoyer says new offense should be less complex for QBs; Brady holds young QB to ‘three questions’ per day; More.
• Zolak & Bertrand discuss the best case scenario for the Patriots win total.
• Jordy McElroy tells us the Patriots have been ranked 25th by Relative Athletic Score (RAS).
• Matt Dolloff wonders if Matthew Judon dropped a new hint about his contract.
• Mike D’Abate remembers former Patriots’ DE Marquise Hill: ‘A hero until the end,’ on the 17th anniversary of his tragic death. /Good read.
• Lauren Campbell mentions how the NFLPA is hoping to ‘overhaul the offseason’ in 2025.
• Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate is joined by Miguel Benzan. @patscap breaks down the Pats’ rookie deals and “sets the record straight” on the latest “cap myths” running rampant within Patriots Nation. (46 min.)

G2 🇪🇺 2-1 🌍 Liquid

Dust2: 11-13 Inferno: 13-8 Nuke: 13-11
 
G2 advances to playoff quarter-finals
Liquid is eliminated.
 

Map picks:

G2	MAP	Liquid
	Vertigo	X
X	Ancient
	Dust2	✔
✔	Inferno
	Anubis	X
X	Mirage
	Nuke

 

Full Match Stats:

Team	K-D	ADR	KAST	Rating
🇪🇺 G2
🇧🇦 NiKo	45-46	76.1	75.4%	1.11
🇷🇺 m0NESY	46-41	69.4	66.7%	1.06
🇧🇦 huNter-	46-48	71.9	66.7%	1.00
🇺🇸 Stewie2K	37-45	61.1	63.8%	0.94
🇷🇸 nexa	28-43	49.0	62.3%	0.72
🌍 Liquid
🇨🇦 Twistzz	49-40	86.8	68.1%	1.22
🇱🇻 YEKINDAR	49-42	72.4	69.6%	1.13
🇨🇦 NAF	47-43	69.2	71.0%	1.04
🇩🇰 cadiaN	38-40	61.7	73.9%	1.00
🇧🇷 skullz	37-39	63.4	71.0%	0.93

 

Individual Map Stats:

Map 1: Dust2

Team	CT	T	Total
🇪🇺 G2	7	4	11
	T	CT
🌍 Liquid	5	8	13

 

Team	K-D	ADR	KAST	Rating
🇪🇺 G2
🇧🇦 NiKo	15-16	73.8	75.0%	1.07
🇺🇸 Stewie2K	16-18	74.1	58.3%	1.02
🇧🇦 huNter-	14-17	64.3	62.5%	0.90
🇷🇺 m0NESY	13-16	53.0	62.5%	0.82
🇷🇸 nexa	9-15	54.5	58.3%	0.71
🌍 Liquid
🇨🇦 Twistzz	24-12	100.8	70.8%	1.55
🇨🇦 NAF	19-15	77.2	66.7%	1.17
🇱🇻 YEKINDAR	13-12	59.8	75.0%	1.08
🇩🇰 cadiaN	14-15	66.7	79.2%	1.07
🇧🇷 skullz	12-14	61.6	75.0%	0.93

Dust2 detailed stats and VOD

 

Map 2: Inferno

Team	T	CT	Total
🇪🇺 G2	4	9	13
	CT	T
🌍 Liquid	8	0	8

 

Team	K-D	ADR	KAST	Rating
🇪🇺 G2
🇷🇺 m0NESY	20-10	98.2	76.2%	1.54
🇧🇦 huNter-	17-14	82.0	71.4%	1.19
🇧🇦 NiKo	15-14	70.7	76.2%	1.17
🇺🇸 Stewie2K	13-14	71.8	61.9%	1.04
🇷🇸 nexa	8-15	49.9	61.9%	0.71
🌍 Liquid
🇱🇻 YEKINDAR	18-16	75.0	52.4%	1.15
🇨🇦 NAF	16-15	86.2	71.4%	1.06
🇨🇦 Twistzz	14-16	84.7	61.9%	1.03
🇩🇰 cadiaN	10-13	57.0	71.4%	0.87
🇧🇷 skullz	9-13	63.0	61.9%	0.80

Inferno detailed stats and VOD

 

Map 3: Nuke

Team	CT	T	Total
🇪🇺 G2	6	7	13
	T	CT
🌍 Liquid	6	5	11

 

Team	K-D	ADR	KAST	Rating
🇪🇺 G2
🇧🇦 NiKo	15-16	83.2	75.0%	1.12
🇧🇦 huNter-	15-17	70.7	66.7%	0.94
🇷🇺 m0NESY	13-15	60.6	62.5%	0.94
🇺🇸 Stewie2K	8-13	38.8	70.8%	0.81
🇷🇸 nexa	11-13	42.6	66.7%	0.76
🌍 Liquid
🇱🇻 YEKINDAR	18-14	83.0	79.2%	1.23
🇨🇦 Twistzz	11-12	74.5	70.8%	1.08
🇧🇷 skullz	16-12	65.6	75.0%	1.07
🇩🇰 cadiaN	14-12	60.9	70.8%	1.07
🇨🇦 NAF	12-13	46.2	75.0%	0.95

Nuke detailed stats and VOD

 

Highlights

M1R1 Twistzz - 4 surgical P250 HS kills on the bombsite A offensive

M1R6 YEKINDAR - 1vs2 clutch

M1R9 huNter- - 4 quick kills on the defensive flank to complete his ACE

M1R24 NAF - 3 quick AK HS kills on the bombsite B defense to help Liquid secure the map victory

M2R4 YEKINDAR - MP9 ACE

M2R5 YEKINDAR - 4 MP9 kills on the bombsite B defense

M2R5 YEKINDAR - 4 MP9 kills on the bombsite B defense

M2R11 m0NESY - 1vs2 clutch

M2R16 Stewie2K - 4 MP9 kills on the bombsite B defense

M2R19 m0NESY - 4 massive kills on the bombsite A defense

M3R11 YEKINDAR slaps the pixels out of his monitor so hard that inertia comes swinging and almost slaps him in return only to get headbutted back to obscurity

 
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So here we are. The final week. I sincerely hope as the season drew on I made clear what I was doing. It’s a play on the “must win?” segment from First Things First that they did in the NFL season as most of my things are. I’m hoping they pick up talking about the league since they’re on FS1 but until then, I got you.
Thankfully, I can be at my desktop I THINK for the rest of the season so I can format.
First we look at Week 9 results and their emotional impact:

Week 9 “Must Wins” Results:

Bryce Perkins
Look, I think you might not be just the answer at QB now but the answer moving forward. BUT Mike Nolan is going to need you to make this a choice so just repeat.
GIVE HIM A COMPLETE TRIAL RUN AGAINST THE STALLIONS THIS WEEK!!!!!
Brahmas
Look, I didn't predict a W. You're at home. You're a playoff team. I’ll be giving the toast at my best friend's wedding while this game is on and that's unfortunate because it was the game I was looking the most forward to. Just don't get massacred
OH they didn’t get massacred my friend and are the 1 in 8-1. While this led to my tied worst week of predictions (2-2), I prefer it this way.
Battlehawks QB
That was NAME REDACTED defense out there. Was expecting a massacre. Not to still be in it in the 4th and while you were “fine”, “fine” doesn't cut it in the playoffs. Hopefully AJ is back but to make me feel better do even better.
Literally my actual thoughts in real time at my sister’s Saturday:
“Hmmmmmmm I am kinda bored, let me play with my phone.”
“OH right UFL atm, let me check it out”
“St. Louis is actually losing, not surprised despite my pick but they do have a chance to comeback yet, let me turn this bad boy o- annnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddddd he threw a pick-6 ok gg Im out.”
Memphis Attendance
Right now you are averaging 7,360. In comparison, Orlando was 8,931. With a min of 7,000. I know once upon a time, the FedEx guy wanted y'all in market but we gave up BANDITBALL for y'all and you are embarrassing af right now so I need y'all to buck up.
I mean………….technically it went up, but don’t get cocky.

So on to Week 10, Who needs some motivation?:

Mike Nolan:
Look, the game is in Birmingham in the playoffs because Detroit can’t host. So just try new things, play free and don’t get killed. What that doesn’t mean is put all your stuff on film, because you play a much more meaningful game next week.
That’s a very very very real thing btw for those who don’t know. On staffs I’ve been on, we typically had a guideline of “Call off the Dogs asap” and it was hammered in the coach meeting room. It meant jump on em quick, show no mercy early so by mid 2nd quarter we can just be as Vanilla as possible so our next few opponents don’t know the other cards we have.
Defenders:
So at first glance, this would look bias because I’m a DC fan. “Of course the DC fan wants them to end at .500.” And you’re correct, that’s part of it. But this also comes from a wider UFL fan that intimately knows the DC market. Atm, St. Louis is the best crowd. My hope is that what we saw in San Antonio this week just grows and grows.
That doesn’t mean that other markets can just go down. And I feel like Houston and Arlington both did this year. DC built up a good vibe last year but I think even they declined. They need to get back to .500 so there is a bit of juice. The Commanders have excellent vibes atm, so you need to ride the market hype.
Players on eliminated teams:
This is a very important game for everyone essentially playing in Game 0 of NFL preseason.
You need to put on tape a great effort. Who's hustling? Who’s flying to the ball? These NFL GM’s are going to meet with the coaches post OTA’s and minicamp but pre-training camp and go “ok, who’s here atm that just isn’t getting it and we got these UFL guys coming available, anyone ya’ll wanna see?”
I am myself going to be making a list of guys I think would fill gaps on the Commander roster.
Showboats:
No team has been more disappointing to the committee this year. Get the #1 pick so we can infuse this roster with talent please.

While nothing has been reported so far this offseason, Hall's presence with the rehab group suggests he picked up some kind of minor injury during a previous OTA practice or workout. Any absence(s) from team drills could free up first-team reps for Israel Abanikanda, Braelon Allen or Isaiah Davis, with recent signing Tarik Cohen potentially an option for third downs and two-minute drills.

The Indianapolis Colts have been busy this offseason, making strategic moves to bolster their roster and coaching staff as they prepare for the 2024 NFL season. Despite barely missing the playoffs last year with a backup quarterback starting most of the season, the Colts have focused on retaining their core players, expecting improvement from the return of Anthony Richardson and the natural growth of their young talent.
Quarterback
The Colts are excited to have Anthony Richardson back under center after he missed most of the 2023 season due to injury. Richardson's return, along with the natural development of his skills, should provide a significant boost to the team's offense. The Colts also brought in veteran quarterback Joe Flacco on a 1-year, $4.5 million contract to serve as a backup and mentor to Richardson. Flacco's experience will be valuable in helping Richardson develop under the guidance of quarterbacks coach Cam Turner.
Running Back
The Colts re-signed running back Trey Sermon to maintain depth behind star rusher Jonathan Taylor. The team is confident in the abilities of their young running backs, including Sermon, Tyler Goodson, and Evan Hull, to contribute to the offense. However, the Colts may look to add a veteran running back after OTAs or initial roster cuts to provide additional experience and depth to the position group.
Wide Receiver
One of the Colts' top priorities this offseason was ensuring that their core players remained in Indianapolis. The team successfully re-signed wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to a substantial 3-year, $70 million extension, solidifying his role as the team's primary target in the passing game. In the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Colts selected wide receiver Adonai Mitchell out of Texas, adding another explosive weapon to their passing game. Mitchell's addition could threaten the playing time of Alec Pierce, who has not shown significant growth thus far in his career. Fifth-round pick Anthony Gould from Oregon State adds depth to the position. Reggie Wayne, a Colts legend and Hall of Fame wide receiver, will enter his second season as the team's wide receivers coach, and his expertise will be invaluable in developing the team's young receiving corps.
Tight End
The Colts did not make any significant moves at the tight end position, choosing to rely on the development of their existing young talent. Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson are expected to continue their growth, while second-year players Drew Ogletree and Jelani Woods have shown promise and are anticipated to take significant steps forward. With the depth at the position, the Colts may either carry a large number of tight ends on the final roster or face a surprising cut. Tight ends coach Tom Manning will work to maximize the potential of these players and help them reach new heights in their careers.
Offensive Line
The Colts made several moves to bolster their offensive line. They re-signed interior offensive lineman Danny Pinter to maintain depth and continuity in the trenches. In the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the team selected offensive tackle Matt Goncalves from Pittsburgh to provide depth and competition along the offensive line. Fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini, a center from Wisconsin, further solidifies the offensive line. The Colts will return their starting offensive line, which includes left tackle Bernhard Raimann, left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, right guard Will Fries, and right tackle Braden Smith. This unit has played together for several seasons and has developed a strong chemistry. Tony Sparano Jr., son of the late Tony Sparano, will continue to serve as the offensive line coach, building upon the unit's success from the previous season and working to integrate the new additions.
Defensive Line
The Colts made significant moves to strengthen their defensive line. They re-signed defensive tackle Grover Stewart to a 3-year, $39 million deal, ensuring a strong anchor in the middle of the defensive line. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner also received a 2-year extension, keeping him in Indianapolis through the 2026 season. The team added defensive tackle Raekwon Davis on a 2-year, $14 million contract to bolster their run defense. In the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Colts selected defensive end Laiatu Latu from UCLA, whose athleticism and pass-rushing skills should make an immediate impact. The starting defensive line is expected to consist of Buckner and Stewart at defensive tackle, with Kwity Paye and Latu at defensive end. Tyquan Lewis and Dayo Odeyingbo provide depth and rotational ability. Charlie Partridge, the new defensive line coach, will work to integrate these new additions and maximize the potential of the defensive line.
Linebackers
The Colts rewarded linebacker Zaire Franklin, a consistent performer and leader, with a 3-year, $31.3 million extension. Franklin is expected to start at middle linebacker, with E.J. Speed flanking him on the outside. The team also re-signed linebacker Ronnie Harrison to maintain depth at the position. The Colts expect continued growth from Speed, who has shown promise in his early career. Fifth-round pick Jaylon Carlies from Missouri adds depth and potential to the group. Richard Smith, a veteran linebackers coach, will work to maximize the potential of the team's talented linebacker corps.
Defensive Backs
The Colts retained cornerback Kenny Moore on a 3-year, $30 million deal, maintaining stability in the secondary. Moore is expected to start at one cornerback position, with Isaiah Rodgers and Jaylon Jones competing for the other starting spot. At safety, the team re-signed Julian Blackmon to ensure continuity in the defensive backfield. Blackmon is expected to start at strong safety, but free safety is likely to be a competition between Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas, and Daniel Scott. The Colts may also look to add a veteran safety after OTAs or initial roster cuts to bring additional experience to the secondary. Defensive backs coach Ron Milus will work closely with the young talent to foster their development and help them reach their potential.
Special Teams
The Colts re-signed punter Rigoberto Sanchez to a multi-year deal, ensuring consistency in their special teams unit. The team also added kicker Spencer Shrader as an undrafted free agent as a extra kicking leg for training camp. Brian Mason, the Colts' special teams coordinator, will continue to oversee the kicking, punting, and return units, aiming to maintain the team's strong performance in this crucial aspect of the game.
Coaching Staff
Head coach Shane Steichen returns for his second season, bringing continuity and stability to the team. Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, known for his innovative play-calling and ability to develop quarterbacks, will work closely with quarterbacks coach Cam Turner and passing game coordinator Alex Tanney to maximize the potential of the offense. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, a seasoned coach with a track record of creating strong defensive units, will collaborate with defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, linebackers coach Richard Smith, and defensive backs coach Ron Milus to build a formidable defense. Brian Mason will continue to lead the special teams unit.
Front Office
General manager Chris Ballard has been instrumental in shaping the Colts' roster over the past several seasons. Known for his keen eye for talent and emphasis on building through the draft, Ballard has assembled a strong core of young players while maintaining financial flexibility. This offseason, Ballard focused on retaining key players, such as Michael Pittman Jr., Grover Stewart, and Kenny Moore, while also making selective additions through free agency and the draft. Assistant general manager Ed Dodds and director of player personnel Kevin Rogers Jr. have played significant roles in supporting Ballard's vision and executing the team's personnel strategy. The Colts' front office remains largely intact, providing stability and continuity in the team's decision-making process. Other key front office members include Morocco Brown (chief personnel executive), Jon Shaw (director of pro scouting), Matt Terpening (director of college scouting), Jamie Moore (assistant director of college scouting), and Mike Bluem (director of football administration).
With a strong core of players, a stable coaching staff with a few key additions, and the infusion of young talent from the 2024 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts are poised to make a significant impact in the upcoming season. The team's decision to prioritize continuity, combined with the expected improvement from Anthony Richardson's return and the development of their young players, has created a sense of optimism and excitement for the future of the franchise.

Good Morning Patriots
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Free place to chat and a good place to discuss whatever you like with other sub users
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2024 Opponents Set.

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Patriots front office tracker

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Meet New England’s 2024 Rookie Class.

Patriots updated depth chart

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New England Patriots News Catchup Links - Run defense still a strength

• Tom E. Curran relays Brian Hoyer explaining how even though Drake Maye’s day-to-day quarterbacking role model is going to be Jacoby Brissett, Tom Brady’s way of operating will inevitably filter down. Because when Brissett was starting out, it was Brady he learned from.
• Faith Pinnow notes James White had some advice for Rhamondre Stevenson heading into 2024 season. “So I think for him, it’s just taking care of your body and just continuing to work on your endurance,” White said. “If you’re gonna be on the field for 80% of the snaps, you’re gonna have to build up your endurance...”
• Mark Daniels looks to Ron Wolf’s book on how he rebuilt Green Bay’s organization, to see how it may shed light on the Patriots’ path forward.
• NESN reports Matthew Judon is entering the final year of his contract; The Pats cannot afford to let him leave.
• Michael DeVito takes free agency signee Chukwuma Okorafor’s comments as a gloomy indicator for the Patriots’ offense, and Eliot Wolf’s most glaring offseason blunder.
• Sara Marshall notes that PFF’s 25 under 25 list snubbed Patriots rising star, WR Demario Douglas.
• Sara Marshall explains why she feels the Patriots missed an opportunity from releasing Malik Cunningham too early.
• Mike D’Abate reports the Patriots hired ex-Falcons coach Bob Kronenberg for scouting role Kronenberg has nearly 2 decades of experience in both on field and personnel roles in multiple pro football leagues, including the NFL.
• Mike D’Abate notes former WR and Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch is excited to honor Tom Brady at his induction to the Patriots Hall of Fame.
• Michael Brauner captures the players’ responses when asked at OTAs to share their biggest pet peeves.
• Jerry Thornton writes how Daniel Jones is a broken man over the Giants’ failed attempt to land Drake Maye. /Sneaky great Twilight Zone episode mentioned.
• Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate and Michael Brauner discuss possible breakout players, the team’s biggest remaining concerns and how the success of this season should be measured. (41 min.)

“Golden rules” about buying cheap flights, like booking domestic flights 57 days before the departure date, are no longer valid, as there has been a huge shift in the travel industry in what days were thought the cheapest to booking flights. If a study has not been conducted recently, or only one year ago, do not put too much faith in it; there’s no reason to worry about booking a flight far in advance. The stellar tips below are current.

Check airlines which don’t appear on 3rd party websites

One of the major weaknesses of Internet search engines is that they frequently will not display the flights of all airlines such as Southwest, Frontier, and Allegiant. To solve this problem, use a free resource like Wikipedia to learn which of these airlines operates a certain airport. Visit Wikipedia, go to their airport page, and search for a section called “Airlines and destinations.” You are advised to locate a list of each airline that flies to that airport as well as all the nonstop destinations that airport operates. So, once you become aware of any carriers which did not show up in your first searches, you could now look for flights straight on the airlines’ sites.

Search one-way & round-trip flights

Once upon a time the majority of round-trip flights were cheaper than booking two one-way airfare flights. That’s no longer the situation today. For instance, Southwest and Jetblue set their prices for their flights on a one-way basis; and a round-trip flight is only the sum of the 2 one-way rates. So, you’ll want to check one-way flight rates to ensure you buy the best round-trip deal by pairing two one-way flight tickets, probably on two different carriers.

Look for one seat at a time

There exists a virtually unknown quirk in how carriers price seats which could result in greater prices if searching for many passengers as opposed to a single ticket. Airlines put their inventory in fare classes, or called buckets, which are not always obviously visible to customers. For instance, there may be just three seats left in a fare bucket for $300 each, and the next higher bucket may be $400 for each ticket. But, if you happen to look for four seats, each one would end up falling into the $400 fare bucket.

Search alternate airports

At times the cost of a certain flight is extremely high that it could be a good idea to use your second or even third choice of airports. For instance, you perhaps are aware of the New York area’s 3 biggest airports: New York-JFK, Newark (EWR), and New York-LaGuardia. But did you know that Stewart (SWF), Westchester (HPN), and Long Island McArthur (ISP) are also in the region? Several airlines permit you to look for all airports in a region by just specifying the destination as the city itself rather than a certain airport. The ITA Matrix tool is also a great way to look for close by if you do not know the area too well, and Google Flights offers a “Nearby airports” option to assist in this search, too.

Don’t always travel direct

Being flexible with your route you’ll be flying is another way to find a cheap flight. For instance, at times it’s cheaper to travel to London and use a budget airline to Amsterdam instead of flying directly to Amsterdam from the actual departure city.
To utilize this approach, learn how much it costs to fly directly to the target destination. Next, open Google Flights, type in the destination’s details like country name to see the rates to nearby airports. If the difference happens to exceed $150 dollars, find out how much it actually is to fly from the 2nd airport to the main destination.

Leverage elite status

Although having elite status will not allow you to book flights at a discount, you still could use it to save money another way. But with elite status with the majority of airlines let you to standby for earlier flights or perform same-day verified flight modifications. This can permit you to buy a discounted airline flight at an awful time, only to modify it to the flight you really want but at no extra charge. Even without elite status, the charge to standby or make a same-day verified flight modification might be less than the airfare difference between the flight you truly want and the lowest option that day.

Use the correct credit card

The right credit card may very well provide you major savings on flight tickets in a number of various ways. For instance, The Platinum Card from American Express now offers 5x points on all airline bookings made directly with the carrier or with Amex travel, worth 10 cents each dollar spent, based on TPG’s recent valuations. That card in addition offers the International Airfare Program, providing cardholders discounts for premium class flights on certain airlines.

Search for free hotels and stopover tours

Whenever an airline imposes a lengthy layover because of its very tight schedule, the airline will usually offer a free STPC, or stopover paid by carrier, which can include a free tour or hotel room as well.

Don’t mind the myths

The initial and main fact to know whenever locating a cheap flight is there exists no magic trick for achieving this objective. There are however a ton of myths floating online about certain ways to seek cheap flights. Without doubt, you must have run into a lot of them while searching for the best flight deals.
Airline companies use advanced technology like computers and pricing algorithms for determining flight prices and offer deals based on various factors like time of the year, weather, time of day, passenger demand, fuel prices, competitor prices, and others. These myths and similar ones will lead you astray.

Be flexible in respect to your travel times & dates

Airline flight rates vary a lot depending on upcoming holidays, day of the week, and time of the year. August is a major month for flying to Europe, and plenty of people are planning to travel somewhere hot during winter or fly while the kids are taking a break from school.
In summation, if you’re traveling when everyone is also flying, then logically your flight price will be higher.

Flexibility is everything for cheap plane tickets & cheap flight deals

The more flexible you are, you’ll get better cheap flight deals you can book. Here’s a new way of doing things: Instead of deciding where to go next, choosing dates, and then searching for the cheap plane tickets to certain destinations on those particular dates, consider first selecting your destination and dates based on the best going deals available. By exercising greater flexibility where you travel and the specific dates you fly, you will have a far better opportunity to find cheaper airfare.

Book first, think later for cheap flight finder cancellation

Take complete advantage of the free 24-hour cancellation window while purchasing flights. Because of the Department of Transportation’s strict regulations, any cheap flight booked to or from the United States could be canceled without worry of incurring a penalty, for 24 hours after the flight’s reservation; it must be booked no less than one week before the flight’s departure. Yes, it’s a very good idea to use a cheap flight finder these days. What this means is that if you buy a flight and the ticket price drops within 24 hour window, you could cancel the original flight and purchase the new, less expensive one.
Warning: the 24-hour rule can only work for flights directly bought with the airline or with booking engines such as Priceline.

Set a price alert for all cheap flight tickets

You can choose emails or push notices to your cell phone which will tell you exactly when the flight you are interested in has increased or decreased in price. This may be a great way for getting the best possible price on all cheap flight tickets in the near future. You can do this on the majority of search travel sites and OTAs. Why miss out on potential easy savings? You can then always locate flight tickets cheap when you need them.

Buy in foreign currency to get cheap flight ticket

Because regular fliers travel abroad now and then, you could switch the currency on the airline’s website to determine if the price would be listed in other monies.
You can save big this way. For example, if an airline increased the flight price in US dollars but not in Indian rupee, you could book flights at half the price! But this may require altering either the location or language on the airline’s website; or you may change to the home country’s URL, where ticket prices are generally cheapest by searching in its local currency. This is how you can in fact find cheap flight ticket to wherever you like to travel.

Sign up for an airline’s travel rewards credit card for cheap flight booking

One of the smartest ways to take full advantage from travel credit cards is to use the hefty sign-up bonuses. For example, if you sign up for a new travel card when the airline is offering unusually high quantity of bonus miles, you could score yourself literally thousands of dollars worth of reward points by just opening the card.
Although several of these travel cards could have higher annual fees, a big sign-up bonus may amount for months or even years worth of cheap flight booking for you and your whole family.

The cheapest day to book flights

Even though you might see great deals flashing on your computer screen for international airfare three to six months out, if you are flying during peak times, or perhaps your plans are not very flexible, it’s smart to begin searching sooner. The cheapest day to book flights actually evades many flyers.
This does not automatically mean you ought to purchase tickets when hitting the 6-month window; hold on till you book cheap flights online. And, just ignore the old advice that travel experts often repeat regarding booking the cheapest flights at 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday; that used to be true but now airfare prices are updated often and great deals could pop up any given moment when least expected. So, now you can secure a flight cheap most of the time.

Utilize momondo to book cheap flight air tickets

Upon finding what you imagine to be the cheapest flight wherever, try searching on Momondo; it will search dozens of OTAs; bear in mind that it may not display the cheapest fares seen on large OTAs and Google Flights. But you got a greater chance to find cheap air tickets sooner this way. Otherwise, only one cheap air ticket may be attained, if tried another manner. Now you too can enjoy when you book cheap flight tickets when you need them.

Fly cheap during the low season

Have you ever scanned flight prices from the USA to Europe’s insanely popular cities in August? Surpassing quite easily $1000.00, they can frighten seasoned and expert travelers alike.
But are those the same ticket prices in February? So, fly cheap from major hubs in USA to Europe, you could often locate roundtrip flights throughout the winter months for less than $400 or even $300!

Fly basic economy for cheap air flights

A basic economy flight ticket could save you money, if you do not require checked luggage or advance seat selection. Pay only for what you need. In theory, you’ll achieve cheap air flights via this option.

Enroll in the airline’s loyalty program for cheap airfare

If you fly one particular airline often, join its loyalty program in order to earn points each time you go anywhere. Then, you can redeem such points for upgrades or cheap airfare in the future. If you accumulate enough miles and achieve a considerable status with the airline, you might receive free upgrades. Now, you can take fuller advantage of cheap air fare whenever you require it.

Skiplag to discover hidden-city cheap airfares & last minute flights

Hidden-city ticketing happens by booking a flight to a place beyond your final destination, and then end your flight on the layover city. This could help you in getting cheap airfares as well as best last minute flights to most destinations. Think about it: can you imagine a better, more creative way to book cheap air fares while searching the Internet?

Prolong your layovers for cheapest flight tickets

Sometimes only by extending a layover a few days in another city in-between, you can score cheapest flight tickets to your original destination. In conclusion, more often than not, you’ll usually find the cheapest flight ticket by following this method consistently. Why not? A lot of people are discovering that they are by accident getting the cheapest flight via the extended layovers.

Don’t overlook sales for cheapest flight booking

Airlines are frequently offering amazing deals which you may jump on fast enough and save yourself hundreds of dollars on your next flight. Sign up for your favorite airline’s newsletter to be on top of their latest flight deals. This is yet another way to know about the cheapest flight booking that becomes available whenever.

Focus on going across the ocean for cheap fly tickets

If you are thinking to visit a distant location, it could be less expensive to book one ticket to the main hub, and then a second ticket from there to your final destination. For example, if you wish to fly to Alhambra, Spain, it’s probably cheaper to book one roundtrip flight from your home to Madrid and a second roundtrip ticket from Madrid to Alhambra than it would be to buy a ticket to Alhambra on one itinerary. In essence, you’ll end up with cheap fly tickets by following the above example.

Don’t overlook destinations with low cost carriers to get cheapest flights

Carriers such as Frontier, AirTran, and Southwest all drive down airfares along their routes. So, it may be quite wise to travel a bit longer to a larger airport with low-cost carriers, because even major carriers flights will most likely be cheaper. Using this method regularly, you are more likely to find the cheapest flights to most if not all your destinations. Why not take advantage of low cost flights whenever possible?

Avoid Friday, Sunday flights, & traditional air travel days

This may mean going away before and returning later than usual, or even flying exactly on the holiday. Pelletier, the air travel specialist, says you can save up to 50% by simply flying Christmas Eve or Day. She said: “We saved $300 per ticket around Thanksgiving for our family of four by flying out the Saturday before Thanksgiving and coming back the Saturday after. Not everyone can swing that with their work schedules, so my advice is to leave Thanksgiving day and return on Saturday for cheaper fares.”

Begin with a reputable flight search engine to find cheapest international flights

While searching for a flight, the initial thing you will wish to do is determine which airlines run a certain route and get an estimated price on the biggest carriers. Opposed to individually visiting all of these airlines’ sites, begin by looking for a website which will provide results from many airlines and different combinations of carriers. You may end up with the cheapest international flights this way. So, you could start with Expedia or another such as Orbitz, Hotwire, Travelocity, and Cheap Tickets. Do not ignore Google Flights, which, though a very powerful search engine, know that it’s not a booking platform and can’t buy a flight ticket there. This is how you could find cheapest flights to many popular locations.

Be flexible where you go to book discount flights

If for some reason or another you cannot be flexible with the time factor of your flight, then try to be flexible with your destinations. It’s ideal to be both. However, you still can save a lot of money and book discount flights by being flexible with either factor.
You don’t have to conduct manual searches, going city by city and day by day. Websites such as Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Momondo provide explore tools and permit you to add your nearest airport and see a world map with all the possible flights on it. This helps you to quickly compare many destinations with no need to brainstorm each potential option.

Fly budget airlines/carriers

Many years ago, you were generally stuck flying with traditional costly airlines. That’s not true anymore. Budget airlines today service both short and medium-haul routes all over the world.
For example, AirAsia provides incredible cheap flight deals around Australia and Asia for less than $150 dollars! Indian and Middle Eastern air carriers sell cheap flight tickets throughout Africa and the subcontinent.

Book early: how to find the cheapest flights

You can discover how to find the cheapest flights by booking early. Although flight rates continue climbing the nearer you get to departure, there exists a great spot along the way when airline companies start to reduce or increase flight prices based on demand. Do not wait till the last moment but do not book too far in advance. The ideal time to buy your flight ticket is about 2 to 3 months prior to your departure, or even about 5 months prior if you’re flying there in their peak season.

Good Morning Patriots
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Free place to chat and a good place to discuss whatever you like with other sub users
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2024 Opponents Set.

__

Patriots front office tracker

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Meet New England’s 2024 Rookie Class.

Patriots updated depth chart

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New England Patriots News Catchup Links - Memorial Day edition

• Transaction: Patriots sign 2024 fourth-round draft pick WR Javon Baker.
• Mike Dussault reports the Patriots just became the first NFL team to surpass one million followers on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
• Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: Drake Maye to grow with two rookie receivers; Tony Dungy visited practice on Thursday; High attendance; Brady night; More.
• Steve Balestrieri’s Sunday Patriots News: Upcoming OTAs scheduled for May 29-31, June 3-4, and June 6-7; There is a lot of work to do before the Patriots, especially the offense, are close to fielding a decent unit.
• Ben Volin’s Sunday Football Notes: More than a dozen players are angling for new contracts, with some skipping voluntary Organized Team Activities and others choosing to handle their business more quietly.
• Andy Hart’s Sunday 7: Everything is awesome at Patriots OTAs! The second thing that was very clear in OTA action, though, is that the Patriots have lots of holes to fill and questions to answer.
• Brian Hines’ Sunday Patriots Notes: Quarterback room ready to be pared down by training camp.
• Danny Jaillet highlights North Carolina offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey on why the Patriots got it right with the Drake Maye draft pick.
• Karen Guregian feels Drake Maye aced a ‘very important’ early test with genuine fandom, making appearances at both the Bruins and Celtics playoff games at TD Garden.
• Chris Mason notes that with the rookie WR Javon Baker signing, half the Pats ‘24 draft class is now under contract.
• Karen Guregian reports Matthew Judon says he won’t be a minicamp holdout.
• Nick O’Malley highlights Bill Belichick, who lent his insight on video games [and more] during an appearance at a coaching academy led by John Harbaugh.

Hey, Fam!
We have created this thread for all things related to our offseason. Any news, discussions feel free to bring them to our chat!
Fuck the Saints!

Catch the latest episode on the official New Heights YouTube channel, premiering 05/24/2024 at 9:30AM EDT.
You can STILL check out the full Lombaby Games episode here!
Drop your favourite moments and discussion from this week's New Heights Episode here in the thread!
Don't forget to drop your "No Dumb Questions..." questions in our weekly "No Dumb Questions..." thread!
Episode Notes: 92%ers we are finally back with another episode of New Heights sponsored by Subway. Try All-new Footlong Sidekicks at Subway today!
In this episode, we’ve got some huge announcements, other than Travis is still Outta the House because everyone knows that by now, we are officially running back The Beer Bowl! To submit your team visit the link below: http://newheightsbeerbowl.rsvpify.com/
We’ve also got Travis reacting to Jason’s Jeopardy appearance, a sad goodbye to the chain gang, and we find out how far Jason was willing to go to win a football game.
We also get Travis’ thoughts on everything happening in and out of Chiefs OTAs, the guys' opinion on the full NFL schedule, and a definitive ranking of the seasons.
Finally, we’re trying out a new segment so we can get back to watching football, we recap Kelce Jam II and the Eagles Autism Challenge, and finally, we send our thanks to Elaine who has been doing the thankless task of keeping track of the New Heights Swear Jar.
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I think this post should help a lot of people for different purposes, so I decided to write up all my own notes for others to use. Mods, please pin this for everyone if you do not mind.

WARNINGS:

- Keeping your device plugged in for extended periods of time may pose a battery hazard. (i.e swelling, leaking, explosions, catching fire) If the device can be operated without the battery, I highly recommend removing it.
- If your phone has OLED, displaying the same image for extended periods of time will cause burn-in. If you can, either configure an app to change what is displayed occasionally.
- Disabling apps to improve performance or reduce functions may break certain Android features, so be careful. That being said, if you don't need to install apps via GPlay, I highly recommend disabling both GPlay Store and GPlay services, as it will drastically affect your device.

What can I do with my device?

First, the textual monolith. This is a revised version of this post, with more added by yours truly.

• Backup Phone
• Work / Secondary Phone
• Travel / Emergency Phone (Esp. if it's still okay for use)
• Dedicated Camera (Esp. for devices with high-resolution cameras / multiple lenses)
• Dedicated Media Device (Esp. for devices with high-quality DACs or lots of media support, such as Sony Xperias)
• Dedicated Gaming Device (Esp. for devices with high-performance specs)
• Dedicated eReader (Esp. for devices with large screens / high DPI)
• Dedicated GPS (Esp. for devices with fully-integrated GPS)
• Dedicated Chat device (i.e Whatsapp, Telegram, Messenger)
• Baby / Pet monitor
• Smart Doorbell
• Recording POVs / more cameras for filming
• Smart Home Controller
• Alarm Clock / At a Glance device
• Digital Photo Frame
• Dash Camera
• Device for kids (Esp. if you can set up Parental Controls / have a durable case for it)
• Video Caller
• WiFi extender / Portable Hotspot
• Host a server
• Remote PC monitor
• Wireless controller
• Macro Pad
• Webcam / Microphone
• White Noise machine
• Cast Reciever
• TV remote control

*Credits to u/utakatikmobil and u/Substantial_Berry_14 for some of the ideas on the OG post.

How do I install this app on my device?

Quick Glossary:

• OTA: Over The Air; literally tapping 'Check for Updates' in Settings
• Architecture: Imagine your device is a house. This word basically describes what your house is made of. The most archaic is armeabi, which is from the first versions of Android, while the most recent is arm64.
• API Level: Application Programming Interface. Imagine your device can only speak to the apps installed in one language, like German. This means any apps for any 'languages' (API levels) may not understand it. Apps made for older 'languages (API levels) have varying modicums of 'language' compatibility.
• ROM: Read-only memory; kind of a misnomer but the community uses it everywhere. This is really the package that contains Android and supporting libraries like the GPlay store.
• GPlay: My shortened version of Google Play. (Google Docs = GDocs, Google Drive = GDrive, etc.)
• Recovery: This is a mini-program used to 'recover' the OS, which basically means a full system-reset from a protected section of the memory. It is possible to replace this program with your own.
• AOSP: Android Open-Source Project, the underlying backbone to many cheap devices and community projects. It's because of this that polished, refined systems (i.e LineageOS) can coexist alongside the crapware made for TV boxes and Smart TVs.
• PPI / DPI: Pixels Per Inch \ Dots Per Inch. They mean the same thing. It's how sharp displayed text and images are; the lower the number, the blurrier the image. For the longest time, Apple 'Retina' devices were made at 326 PPI. Sometimes display resolutions may not exactly match Android PPI presets, so you may run into a device that has a 432 PPI using a 320 DPI or 440 DPI interface scale.

Updates:

Always check if your phone has any updates! Sometimes all you might need to do is install any OTA updates released for your device. This is true of my LG K30, which recieved an update from Android 9 to Android 10.

Custom ROMs:

If the device was popular enough, it might have had custom ROMs / recoveries developed for it. A great example would be the Google Pixel 3a, with unofficial support to install a version of Android 13 or 14, based on Google's own AOSP project. I recommend looking on XDA Forums.
Warning: If you are not careful, this can / will turn your device into an unusable / unrecoverable paperweight. If you are not confident in your technical skills, then I highly advise against this method.

Older App Versions:

If your device is too obscure or has no updates, then your last resort is learning how to install APKs and hunt down previous app versions. I previously wrote a quick guide here, but figured I should expand on it.
Step 1: Enable 'Installation of Apps from unknown / external sources'. This setting can usually be found in the Security page of your Settings app.
Step 2: Find out your hardware. I prefer using an app like Device Info HW since it tells you the API level, OS version and your supported architecture(s), but feel free to try your own.
Step 3: Launch your hardware info app and read! Take notes if you need to. Write down your API Level, Android version, supported architectures, and your display DPI / PPI.
i.e 'API Level 22', 'Android 5.1', 'Architecture: armeabiv7a, armeabi', and '240dpi' (Sometimes you can get away with using the OS version instead of the API level, so write that down too!)
Step 4. Begin the hunt! This is where the information from the hardware info app will make sure that the app is compatible. For example:

• My device is: API Level 19, Android 4.4, armeabiv7a, 180 dpi

Personally, I use APKMirror and Uptodown for finding clean APKs.

I have yet to see one, but be warned: DO NOT INSTALL APKs from shady websites unless you are willing to take the risk of being compromised. This is why I provided APKMirror and Uptodown, as they are known by me to be reputable.

If you're looking for open-source apps, which usually are ad-free and updated frequently, use F-Droid or GitHub.
Step 5. Download the APK for your device! I know APKMirror is a maze, which is why having your hardware info comes in handy. Really, all you have to do is plug in what you have to find the versions. If any are marked 'universal', go for those apps! They're very likely to run on your device with no issues.
Step 6. Install the APK Once you have the APK downloaded, you have to install it, haha! Most browsers will give a warning that the file may harm your device, but if you recognize that it's what you downloaded, then there should be no harm.* *Be careful. Viruses do exist out there.
Check your 'Downloads' folder using either the factory shortcut or your file managing app. Tap on the file to begin installation, and confirm on the next page. Once installed, you can either close the install menu or open the app.

My phone is slow, can I do anything to fix it?

There are multiple methods to doing this, with varying levels of complexity.

1. Restart your phone. This is as easy as closing all apps and holding the power button, then tapping "Shut down Device" or "Restart if that option is available.
   
2. Install any updates. Sometimes updates can improve performance, but this is hit-or-miss. Frankly, I've found updates bog down devices more than they fix them, but that doesn't mean they can't improve performance.
   
3. Uninstall unused apps. Time to sort your 'junk drawer' and clear out the things that don't belong anymore.
   
4. Disable factory-installed apps. If you don't use the OE-provided apps with your device, you may be able to disable them in their App Info Settings page. This stops them from launching and running in background, which frees up system resources.
   

As stated before, disabling apps to improve performance or reduce functions may break certain Android features, so be careful.

1. Factory-reset the device. Sometimes, you just need a completely blank slate, literally. BACK UP ALL DATA YOU WANT FIRST, AND DOUBLE-CHECK YOU KNOW YOUR ACCOUNT / APP PASSWORDS! Then proceed with 'the nukening'. You can usually find the factory-reset option in either the General Management or Backup and Reset Settings page.

Another way is downgrading your apps. Dropping down a major version or two can usually improve app responsiveness with minimal loss to features. As long as you don't do major jumps in versions, you should be fine. :) Scroll up to learn how to install APKs under the header "Older App Versions".
Please let me know if you have any other ideas for using your device, and I will happily add them!

Link to article here: https://www.marvelsnap.com/newsdetail?id=7296800681082493701

• Captain America
• [Old] 3/3 - Ongoing: Your other cards here have +1 Power.
• [New] 3/2 - Ongoing: Your other Ongoing cards here have +2 Power.

As you may have seen in various social media discussions, we've been reluctant to buff Captain America. The reasons for that aren't necessarily obvious, but they include keeping the early game simple and maintaining existing tutorials. However, this change we eventually arrived at shouldn't threaten either of those. While Spectrum is a strong deck on the competitive side, the Spectrum deck performs worse for newer players with smaller collections. This should be a tidy buff to that archetype for early Series play.

• Spectrum
• [Old] 6/7 - On Reveal: Give your Ongoing cards +2 Power.
• [Change] 6/7 -> 6/6

Of course, the Cap change is a pretty decent buff to existing strong Spectrum decks too. We want these decks to hold a spot in the metagame, so we've given it a lot of rope while waiting to see if cards like Enchantress would be enough to fight back. However, the deck has remained a top performer and approached levels that would require a rebalance–that made the Cap buff above more dangerous, so this is a small compensatory nerf to keep things in balance.

• Luke Cage
• [Old] 3/4 - Ongoing: Your cards can't have their Power reduced.
• [Change] 3/4 -> 3/3

One of the best cards in the top Spectrum decks, Luke Cage does extra work by also hampering afflict decks a bit, making it harder for them to contend for the metagame crown. A slightly weaker Luke Cage is good for these decks, and also paves the way to slot Luke into successful Cerebro shells once more.

• Baron Mordo
• [Old] 2/3 - On Reveal: Your opponent draws a card. Set its Cost to 6.
• [New] 2/3 - On Reveal: The top card of your opponent's deck costs 6 until turn 6.

Baron Mordo has long been one of the weakest cards in Marvel Snap, often functioning as a worse Yondu for players in that the drawback could mean your opponent just gets a free card. This tweak to the original design maintains the disruptive intent, but makes sure the effect is more strictly negative for your opponent.

• Grand Master
• [Old] 2/0 - On Reveal: Move one of your other On Reveal cards here to the middle location. Its ability happens again.
• [Change] 2/0 -> 2/2

This is a significant but fairly straightforward change to a card beloved by many players that's failed to find a role in the metagame. While we often aim cards high on release, Grand Master was a unique case where we felt our testing was unlikely to identify the best possible thing to do with the card–it's just got so many potential applications. It turns out that we were too conservative, so we're trying out a sizable buff.

• Werewolf By Night
• [Old] 4/4 - After you play a card, move there to gain +2 Power if it has an On Reveal.
• [Change] 4/4 -> 3/1

Werewolf By Night is a card we've been reticent to let live at 3-Cost, as the sheer amount of leaping can get out of hand fast. That said, in the months since its original release we've also seen a lot of strong and successful experimentation among 3-Costs, and Werewolf seems a lot more fair in today's world than it did upon release. Plus, being able to start with a small amount of Power is more evocative of the werewolf canon we want the card to communicate (starting weak, becoming a monster).

• Leader
• [Old] 6/2 - On Reveal: Copy the enemy card(s) with the highest Power played this turn, but on your side.
• [Change] 6/2 -> 6/3

Probably not a lot of Leaders on the balance bingo cards at home, but this card has been languishing of late. We were hopeful that Leader's stocks would rise with the release of Red Hulk, as that made Leader a clean answer to one of the best 6-Cost cards in the game, but that's not what wound up happening. This buff isn't likely to move the needle in a big way, and we wouldn't want to–Leader's not a card players enjoy seeing too often. Even so, there's enough room to improve that we feel confident a point of Power will be a small, but helpful, bump.

• Leech
• [Old] 4/2 - On Reveal: Remove the text from cards with On Reveal abilities in your opponent's hand.
• [Change] 4/2 -> 5/5

Speaking of unexpected outcomes, we've decided to take Leech back to 5-Cost. Our primary Leech target with the initial move to 4-Cost was Annihilus, though we did see value in strengthening one of the few answers to a handful of other powerful endgame threats. However, Annihilus wasn't substantially affected by the increased presence of Leech, and the winrate for Leech itself grew higher than we'd hope to see against other strategies, narrowing the range of competitive viability with the game. Of course, we've also heard the public discontent around leaning this hard on Leech as a valve within the metagame, and we've determined we don't want this card bearing that kind of weight. That said, 5/3 was just not really playable, so we're giving back some more Power in an effort to keep Leech meaningful.

• Sentry
• [Old] 4/10 - You can't play this at the right location. On Reveal: Add a -8 Power Void to the right location.
• [Change] 4/10 -> 4/8
• The Void
• Change: 4/-10 -> 4/-8

We have determined it's necessary to weaken the Annihilus shell in the interest of metagame health, and this adjustment is in pursuit of that goal. We'd hoped to avoid it entirely–Sentry at 10 Power is a more interesting card, especially with stuff like Skarr. To that end we've explored potential revisions to Annihilus instead, but weren't able to find a change we could stand on confidently in time for this OTA. We may revisit Sentry later if that work proves more fruitful, but for now we're just reducing some of the bite that combo packs by reverting Sentry to its original stats.

Does anyone know how to disable the OTA modem using forscan or some other method (unplug antenna?) I don't want updates, I don't want my information being sent to Ford, I don't want to use Ford pass. I want a closed loop vehicle.
Edit: for those of you wondering why, here's a good article outlining Ford's data collection practices. The New York times also wrote an expose on some individuals who's auto insurance went through the roof because Ford sold their driving data to nexislexis, an auto insurance risk management company who turn passed the info to their insurance companies. Ford pass is free, the modem connection to use it is free, you are the product. They know everywhere you go, where you shop, who you visit...etc.
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/ford/

(Deleted/Resubmitted to fix title)
Empire Size (ES) is a big deal in Stellaris, and it can be absolutely crippling for wide empires. Fear not, Machine Age has introduced several new ways to drastically reduce or nullify ES.
Nanites with Imperial Prerogative is an obvious one, reducing ES from colonies to 0. However, pops are usually the biggest contributor to ES. Sovereign Guardianship (SG) used to be the only way to completely nullify ES from pops, which is fine if you're tall but often terrible if wide. Machine Age opens up a ton of new options to reduce ES from pops by 84-100% both with and without SG:
1: Cybernetic Hive Mind (-80% ES effects)

• Divided Attention civic (25%) + Integrated Hive Authority (50%) + Compact Living observation insight (5%) = -80% ES effect reduction
• This only applies to ES over 100. There's some ratio math here that I won't get into but basically, the higher your ES the more you benefit from this. At 150 ES, you're getting -26.7% less ES. At 200ES, you're getting -40%. At 500 ES, -64% and so on approaching -80%.
• Side note: The wiki says you can get -5% ES effect from Statecraft, but this is incorrect or outdated. Statecraft is -5% to overall ES, making it a multiplier (it would only get you between -80 to -81% ES effect, NOT -85%)
• This effective is multiplicative, so you benefit less from ES reductions than other empires would. It might still be worth taking some, but I wouldn't go out of my way for them.
• While this doesn't nullify ES, the -80% ES effect so huge that it's basically always worth growing as wide as you possibly can. Even if you got to something crazy like 2000 ES (+380% tech cost), you would effectively be operating at an ES of 480 (+76% tech cost). This means your research would be 2.7 times faster than it would otherwise.

2: Fanatic Pacifist Cyberdemocracy (-95% to -100% ES from pops)

• Cyberdemocracy Authority (15%) + Fanatic Pacifist (30%) + Egalitarian w/ Beacon of Liberty (15%) + Domination (10%) + Harmony (15%) + Psionic Theory (10%) = -95% ES from pops
• The Greater Good resolution from the Galactic Community at level 4-5 gives another -10%, bringing this down to a full -100% ES from pops

3: SG Virtual Individualist (-100% ES from pops)

• SG (50%) + Psionic Theory (10%) + Beacon of Liberty (15%) + Domination (10%) + Harmony (15%) + Virtuality (15%) = -115% ES from pops
• -115% means you can drop Domination, Harmony, or Beacon of Liberty
• If you get Greater Good 4-5 passed, you can drop Domination and either Harmony or Beacon of Liberty
• Dropping Beacon of Liberty from the standard SG build means you can pick any authority (including corporate) or ethic you want; you just need some degree of Militarism
• Note that if you are Materialist, you cannot roll Psionic Theory unless you either get Expertise: Psionics on your council or have psionic pops (from conquest, slave market, or migration)

4: Fanatic Pacifist Virtuality (-95% to 100% ES from pops)

• Virtuality (15%) + Fanatic Pacifist (30%) + Egalitarian w/ Beacon of Liberty (15%) + Domination (10%) + Harmony (15%) + Psionic Theory (10%) = -95% ES from pops (-100% with Greater Good)
• I consider this a lot weaker than the #3's SG variety because being virtual limits how many planets you can take anyways; this also locks you to fanatic pacifist & egalitarian
• You can take more systems than you otherwise could with SG, but unlike SG you are locked into a defensive wars only policy

5: Driven Assimilator (-94% to -100% ES from pops)

• Memory Aggregator Cybernetic Authority (10%) + Level 10 ruler (30%) + Domination (10%) + Synchronicity (15%) + OTA updates (20%) = -85% ES from pops
• You can push this down 3% per effective councilor skill: -3% from Advanced Node Reformatting technology, -3% from Experience Cache, -3% from Statecraft, and -6% from the Departmental Efficiency agenda (for a total of -100% while the agenda is running and -94% without)
• If you get Greater Good passed, you can drop Experience Cache and stop running Departmental Efficiency
• You could also drop statecraft entirely if you feel patient enough to wait for Greater Good; I wouldn't recommend this because statecraft gets you there a lot sooner by speeding up your ruler's experience gain

6: Nanite/Modularity Gestalts (-84% to -100% ES from pops)

• Same strategy as #5, but without the Cyber Authority you need Greater Good to then achieve -94% (-100% while Departmental Efficiency is running)
• Alternatively, you could start with SG, making it easy to get -100% from pops; you get -83% base between your ruler & SG, so pick what you want to fill that 17% between: OTA updates, Synchronicity, Domination, Statecraft, Experience Cache, & Greater Good
• If you take SG, you probably want Expansion even if you're Nanite. Imperial Prerogative & Nanite reduces ES from colonies by -100%, but this is additive with SG's +100% from colonies, so with/without Expansion you'd get 7.5/10 ES per colony & 2.25/2.5 ES per system

7: Virtual Gestalts (-99% to -100% ES from pops)

• Same strategy as #5, but you get -15% from Virtual rather than the -10% from Cybernetic, letting you drop some of the picks
• You don't need SG here, which reduces a lot of your ES from colonies & lets you grab a whole lot more systems
• If you do start with SG, you probably just want harmony, which will easily push you to -100% from pops & boost your likely maximally ascended 5-8 colonies

Some Final Notes

• Government reforms are your friend. A lot of these civics are only strong later on (if not downright terrible), so by all means start with something better unless you are required to start with them.
• If you get lots of planets you need to fill with pops, migration treaties can boost pop growth tremendously. If your planet isn't already full on districts/buildings, you can develop them to create free jobs. Free jobs boost immigration, so you might as well develop as much as you can until you reach the cap of +10 pop growth from immigration.
• You can force migration treaties if you're in a federation by passing the migration law, even with empires that normally can't have migration. I was able to boost my growth with federation migration as a Driven Assimilator, which normally can't have migration treaties (this may be a bug).
• I didn't talk about a lot of other ES effects because they are multiplicative. For example, the Docile trait reduces ES by 10% per pop, which if you have -90% ES from pops would only bring you to -91%. The wiki has all the info on this.
• Planetary ascension effects are one of these multiplicative ES reductions to pops, districts, & # of colonies (ex: If you normally get 20 ES per colony, ascending one planet to level 10's -50% ES effect will reduce your ES from colonies by 10). If you're virtual you can ascend all your planets (you probably never want more than 8), but if you're wide you still have to pick and choose. If you get your empire size from pops to -100%, I would go for ascending planets that have good designation effect bonuses. Foundry worlds would be mediocre, because they only reduce mineral upkeep & reduce ES from districts. Research ring worlds/habitats & unity worlds are better as they increase research/unity output.
• If you're in a holy covenant, you definitely want to ascend well populated unity worlds. You may also want to designate your foundries/factories for unity and ascend them anyways to get lots of free priest jobs.
• Ascensionist civics are a strong pick later on if you can afford the civic slot. With the ascension civic, harmony/synchronicity, and holy covenant bonuses you get +70% to ascension effects. This boosts the designation effects as well as further reducing ES effects. At ascension level 10, you get -85% to any ES you're getting from pops, districts, & # of colonies.
• Base ES: +10 per colony, +2 per branch office, +1 per pop, +1 per system, +0.5 per district; +0.2% tech/tradition cost per ES point over 100

Zack Rosenblatt recently posted the contracts the 2024 Jets UDFAs were offered:

DL Eric Watts: $245K guaranteed Edge Braiden McGregor: $220K DB Jarius Monroe: $125K LB Jimmy Ciarlo: $110K DT Leonard Taylor: $110K CB Shemar Bartholomew: $105K CB Al Blades: $100K Edge Tyreek Johnson: $50K G Brady Latham: $47.5K WR Tyler Harrell: $25K WR Marcus Riley: $15K TE Lincoln Sefcik: $12.5K OT Willie Tyler: $5K CB Myles Jones: $3.5K LB Jackson Sirmon: $2.5K

Now what makes this interesting is how much money Eric Watts received. Like Bryce Huff before him, he got the most money so that should tell us that he and Braiden McGregor are high up on the Jets radar.
While he doesn't really play a Bryce Huff pass-rush specialist sort of role, he's absolutely in the mold of our dearly departed John Franklin-Meyers. If he were to make the roster, it would be in relief of Michael Clemons who tried to play the inside/outside big, fast, strong man role of a JFM. Check out his body type.
In theory, Braiden McGregor can be a new Bryce Huff as a pass rush specialist who generates a ton of pressures, but the beat reporters haven't really focused on his OTA play as of today, but it's worth for interested fans to keep your eye on.