I'm finishing my lease right now on my 2020 Honda Civic. I'm at the dealership for maintenance and have 3 months left on my lease. I just got a message from one of the dealers here saying that my 20202 Civic is in "high demand" and they wanted to give an offer (via text). They're saying they can offer between $19K and a little over $20K depending on the condition. Is it worth it to get a 2024 Honda Civic, or just keep the current one I have. I have 30K miles on my 2020 Civic and have been driving it for 3 years.

1. Always be on the phone and don't focus on the road. You're in a 5-star NCAAP rated car, at best you will have a scratch at worst you'll have a dead biker on road, if he's on a bike anyway his life is not worth that much.
2. Always make sure you take your biggest SUV and drive all by yourself, that way you can make sure you're occupying most of the road thereby reducing average pollution on the road.
3. Always break as much as you want on every rumble strip to keep your car maintenance low and make sure you're doing it suddenly so that everyone behind you has to react quickly so that those pesky bikers are brought back to their senses.
4. Always block all of the free left and almost scrape through the sidewalk to ensure none of those undeserving bikers get their free lefts.
5. Once the traffic in front of you clears, shift and accelerate in the slowest speed possible known to mankind, you're in your air conditioned, pollution free environment so you can stay at the signal as much as you can. Those poor bikers should've earned more to buy and car and occupy most of the road and speed at their convenience.
6. Don't signal when you turn in any direction, also your big SUV already has a huge turning radius it needs a minimum of 3 lanes to turn. So turn across all the lanes and then reverse in the middle of the fucking road in the middle of the fucking traffic. All those other people on the road? don't worry about them they've lot of time on their hands only you're supposed to quickly get to home. Even if you've a small car ensure you don't learn enough to drive it properly and still somehow manage to use three lanes to turn.
7. Go 25kmph in a 30 Kmph and get pissed at bikers for managing to overtake you from left side, you were supposed to drive on left and let people pass you on the right side but you're too dense to drive on the left when you can't keep up with the traffic.
8. Get stuck trying to switch between lanes randomly and block an entire "mini lane" for a bike to pass through and then be pissed at bikers for "sneaking" through once the "lane" gets freed, how dare they not follow you for their entire life time in hot summerain/chilly winters.

Hey fellow investors,
Today, I want to dive into the art of diversification and its significance in building a robust investment portfolio. As the old saying goes, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." This principle holds true in the world of investing.
Diversification is the strategy of spreading investments across different assets, sectors, and geographic regions to reduce risk and maximize returns. By allocating your capital into a variety of investments, you minimize the impact of any single investment's performance on your overall portfolio.
Here are a few key reasons why diversification is crucial:

1. Risk Mitigation: Diversifying your investments helps to mitigate risk. If one asset or sector underperforms, the positive performance of other investments can offset the losses. This reduces the overall volatility of your portfolio and provides a cushion against market downturns.
2. Opportunity for Growth: Diversification allows you to participate in different market opportunities. By investing in various sectors and asset classes, you increase the likelihood of capturing growth in different areas of the economy. This opens up avenues for potential returns and reduces dependence on a single investment's success.
3. Preservation of Capital: Diversification is an effective way to preserve capital. By spreading your investments, you avoid significant losses that may result from concentrating all your funds in a single investment. This protects your portfolio from the adverse impact of unforeseen events or poor performance in a specific market segment.
4. Flexibility and Adaptability: A diversified portfolio provides flexibility and adaptability in changing market conditions. By having exposure to different investments, you can adjust your portfolio to capitalize on emerging trends or navigate market shifts more effectively.
5. Setting Investment Goals: Define clear goals before making investments. These goals can be specific purposes such as generating short-term gains, building a retirement fund, or purchasing a home. By focusing on specific objectives, you can develop a more effective investment strategy.
6. Determining Risk Tolerance: Consider your risk tolerance when investing. Everyone has a different risk appetite, so take your personal preferences into account to determine your risk level. This will help you choose between an aggressive or more conservative investment approach.
7. Research and Knowledge Acquisition: Conduct fundamental research and acquire knowledge before making investments. Stay updated on current news, read reports, and evaluate analyses to understand the companies, sectors, or asset classes you plan to invest in. Being knowledgeable allows you to make more informed and sound investment decisions.
8. Regular Monitoring and Reevaluation: Regularly monitor your portfolio and evaluate the performance of your investments. When market conditions change or when you reassess your goals, reevaluate your portfolio and make adjustments as necessary.
9. Long-Term Perspective: Approach your investments with a long-term perspective. Market fluctuations are normal, and short-term volatility should not drive you into panic. Be patient, stay true to your strategy, and aim for long-term growth.
10. Diversification: Diversify your portfolio and spread out risks. By investing in different asset classes, sectors, and geographic regions, you can reduce risk and increase return potential.

However, it's important to note that diversification does not guarantee profits or eliminate all risks. It is essential to conduct thorough research, evaluate investment opportunities, and monitor your portfolio regularly.
In conclusion, diversification is a fundamental principle of successful investing. It helps to reduce risk, maximize returns, and provide stability to your portfolio. So, embrace the art of diversification and build a well-balanced investment strategy.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on diversification. How do you approach diversifying your investments? Let's discuss in the comments!

I'm finishing my lease right now on my 2020 Honda Civic. I'm at the dealership for maintenance and have 3 months left on my lease. I just got a message from one of the dealers here saying that my 20202 Civic is in "high demand" and they wanted to give an offer (via text). They're saying they can offer between $19K and a little over $20K depending on the condition.
​
Is it worth it to get a 2024 Honda Civic, or just keep the current one I have. I have 30K miles on my 2020 Civic and have been driving it for 3 years.

Wilugo awoke and looked around the Kikika [wigwam-like single family housing]. Dawn’s light was creeping in under the buckskin walls. The central fire had burned low, but was still smoldering. Her father was away on a fishing trip; her mother’s bed was empty. She had likely gone to attend to Eleda, the village Upa [tribal matriarch], who was recovering from an illness and wanted all the older women in the village to wait on her until she regained her strength. Wilugo’s sister Gilulo was sleeping next to her. She kicked at her sister to wake her up, then got up from the mat. As Gilulo blearily blinked her way to wakefulness, Wilugo put on her Zekizu [palm fiber loincloth] and grabbed some leftover Yatilu [maize flatbread] from a basket for breakfast. She and her sister ate, Wilugo humming a song thanking Tahado for the dawn, Gilulo babbling on about a dream she had had – something about being a goose? – then they did each other’s body paint and stepped out into the village.
The village of Hemeneng was full of women. None of the men had returned from their hunting, fishing, or gathering expeditions yet, so the only males present were young boys who had not yet gone on their Gomanggo [manhood ritual] and found a new tribe, elders too frail to travel anymore, and Eblazan. Eblazan had been cursed by the spirits with a malformed leg, and so was unable to journey into the wilderness like the other men, but had still gone on his Gomanggo and had survived, arriving at his new home of Hemeneng. Unsuited for physical pursuits, he had gained a knowledge of herblore, so that even if he couldn’t go out and gather medicines on his own he could use the herbs gathered by others. It was said by many of the women in the village that in payment for his leg, the spirits had given him insights into their world, which was how he was able to know things hidden from other humans. But despite any spiritual favors, no woman wanted to marry a crippled man, so he remained in the Kikika assigned to men with no family to take them in.
Turning her thoughts from Eblazan, Wilugo instead considered the day’s work. The planting had been done weeks ago, and the first green shoots were beginning to appear. But the squash had yet to cover the ground in her shady leaves, meaning that weeds were sprouting up just as fast. She hugged goodbye to Gilulo, whose hyper-focusing mind was not suited for farm work and instead preferred to weave palm fibers into fabrics, and set about her task. It was hot work, even this early in spring, and required a lot of bending over and standing up again. She sang a working song with the other women in the field to help the work go by faster. Still, she could feel the sun beating down on her back, and the strain in her legs got worse and worse as they day went on.
Taking a break near noon to snack on some smoked fish and pawpaw, she looked out over Hemeneng. From the farms, she could look down over the entire village and to the glittering sea beyond. There, on the beach, was the tiny figure of her sister and some of the other women gathering palm fronds. She kept a careful eye on Gilulo – the girl was always trying to sneak off into the wilderness like a man. She was truly wild, a real child of Tahado the Chaotic. She could see a lot of activity around the largest Kikika, the one belonging to Eleda, but she couldn’t tell from this distance if her mother was among the figures milling around it. She looked westward, past the row of Hihuwi [Aluwa orange] trees to the forest beyond. There was activity there, too. Had the hunters or gatherers returned? Or was a caravan of merchants on its way? She peered at the rustling trees, trying to make out details. They were not singing a song of homecoming, or of greeting to strangers. She saw sunlight glint off an axehead. Raiders!
She shouted out a warning to the women around her, then ran towards the village. Even as she ran, the raiders made their attack. Brandishing axes and atlatls, they stormed into the village, women running in fear before them. Men ducked into Kikikas and came out carrying baskets of food and valuables. So far none of them had actually attacked any of the inhabitants of Hemeneng, but Wilugo didn’t know how long that would last. The main force of the raiders approached Eleda’s Kikika, but here, for the first time, the women closed in ranks to protect it. Their Upa was in a delicate condition, and even if they didn’t attack her, the mere sight of such violent interlopers might frighten her to death. The raiders, though, would not back down. They wanted whatever treasures were hidden in the largest Kikika in the village.
Wilugo ran into the village and stopped abruptly. Nobody was moving. The men seemed unwilling to anger the spirits by killing anyone, but the women refused to let them past. Then, the women from the beach arrived. Leading the way was Gilulo, who was carrying a knife – Kuhugu the Preserver protect her, why was she carrying a knife? The foolish girl did not stop, but charged towards the raiders, waving her knife around like a madwoman. Most of the raiders retreated, but the largest of them swung his axe, hitting Gilulo with the flat of the blade in the arm. She cried out in pain, dropped her knife, and fell to the ground. The man raised his axe again.
Wilugo didn’t care that she was unarmed. She ran towards the raiders, willing to do anything to protect her sister. She just barely had time to feel stupid as she leapt forwards, certain that death was awaiting her in mere moments – but then the other women of the village cried out in a loud voice and rushed in behind her. They had no weapons, only household tools, but their numbers and the anger in their eyes were enough to send the raiders running. They drove the interlopers out of the village, shouting and clapping and stomping the ground. They broke into song – properly a song used when pounding Kohi [masa], but it worked as a song of victory, too. Wilugo was filled with fear and exhilaration, her chest heaving, when she remembered Gilulo. While the other women cheered by the edge of the forest, she turned and ran back to where her sister had fallen.
There she saw Gilulo, and also Eblazan. The spirit-touched man was cradling her arm, which looked broken. He commanded Wilugo to bring him certain herbs from his supplies, along with palm fiber and bark. She didn’t hesitate to comply, and as she watched, he mixed together a poultice, said a prayer to drive off infecting spirits, then slathered the poultice around the wound and wrapped her arm in a splint. Wilugo was amazed at how confident he was in his healing knowledge, and how tender yet strong his movements were in affixing the splint to her sister’s arm. Just then, her mother came running back, and she cradled Gilulo in her arms and sang a song of happiness that her daughters were still alive.
There was no more work that could be done that day. The villagers scrounged together what food was left to them and cooked up some Globiplo [cassava dumpling soup]. Wilugo considered the village lucky. Nobody had been killed, and only Gilulo – who was being treated as a wounded hero, waited on hand and foot by the other women – had been injured. Soon the men would be back with fish, meat, fruits, and nuts for them to eat. Really, they were very lucky that they lived on the coast and could rely so much on fish for their food. These last few years had been bad for crops, and now even the hunting was getting thin. That was why the raiding had started – many villages further inland just didn’t have enough to feed themselves. She scowled. These raids hadn’t been a problem when she was a little girl. Back then people from different villages were willing to help each other, and they hadn’t just taken what they needed. But then, back then there was enough food to go around – her belly was full now, but tonight’s Globiplo had used up all of the village’s remaining Kohita [cassava flour], and it could be days before any of the men returned.
As she lay down to sleep, Gilulo snoring beside her, she kept replaying the events of the day in her head. The terror of the raid, the exhilaration of the counterattack, the gentleness with which Eblazan had healed her sister… She smiled in the dark. Perhaps marrying a crippled man wasn’t such a bad prospect after all…

I’ve been seeing a lot of people in here highlighting issues they have with working for the government. That makes sense because people rarely go to social media to say things are going great, but that’s what I’m going to do.
Background: worked as GS7-9-11 right out of college from 2005-2009. The government paid for me to get my masters degree and let me go to classes during work, so I was essentially being paid to go to school. I quit in 2009 because my family decided to move from Iowa to Colorado.
I worked a number of jobs as a technical writer, which is what I did for TACOM, but all the work was contract work. Once I wrote what they wanted me to write, the gig was over. None of the jobs were particularly bad, but nothing was good. All the problems I hear about in this Reddit were happening in the private sector too except there was even less someone could do about it.
My wife was a pharmacy manager for almost 20 years for multiple organizations and her job was terrible everywhere she went. She finally got a job with the VA Hospital and her life turned around. Better benefits, better work hours, and although she started at a lower hourly rate, she got overtime which made her yearly rate more and now even the hourly rate has caught up, so she is finally enjoying her career.
When she got her job with the VA, I started looking into fed work again and about a year later I got hired as a GS7-9 workin 100% from home. The job is great. Are there issues? Sure, but the same as when I was a contract writer driving in to a company just so I could punch a clock and with no job security or real benefits. Now I have vacation, sick leave, and I know I’m getting promoted this summer, plus COLA, plus we got a raise in January just because. Nothing like that happens in the private sector.
As for issues where people aren’t getting their steps or raises, the Fed Gov is a union shop. My wife and I are both in the union and I suggest you do the same. Then you have a real person to help you instead of asking those of us on Reddit.
That’s my story. I wanted to shed a little light on this gloomy place. I hope everyone in here gets their issues resolved and has a better experience like my family has with the V.A.

I'll be traveling to Maui for 6 days from 8/26-8/31 with my wife and want to try some snorkeling. Due to a medical condition I can't ride on boats, so I am wondering if there are any areas on the island that you can snorkel right from the beach or near by? We will be staying in Lahaina or Kaanapali (undecided yet), but are willing to drive a bit if needed.

Looking for high level feedback on my situation. I live on a hill inside a gated community that has HOA. During winter, icy conditions caused my car to crash into the gate severely damaging it. Gate was 8 years old, HOA got it replaced with a brand new one for $23k. My car insurance only wants to pay $20k per their policy since they do not owe depreciation. HOA wants to come after me for the 3K difference and car insurance won't sign off on $20k payment unless I agree to pay $3k.
What are my options here other than paying the $3k out of pocket? Both the car insurance and I are on the same page regarding us not having to pay the full amount for a brand new gate with warranty when it replaced an 8 year old gate that cost significantly less and had depreciated in value.

People quite understandably said it wasn't fair to write his obituary before he had even been born. I suspected the opposite-- DeSantis was already running in the minds of those who cared, and his announcement would mostly be a bookkeeping change.
Earlier in the campaign, me and some other illustrious users here outlined DeSantis's path to victory. It involved running an aggressive, nasty campaign full of personal attacks and a race to the bottom on social issues with his personal Darth Revan. He needed to hit back early and hit back fast before the witless ape he was facing off against got his shit together.
The rest is history, but suffice to say DeSantis managed to make all the worst possible choices at all the wrong junctures. The not-campaign was a comedy of errors, and his polling has actually gotten worse since he announced. At this rate, he is not winning, and might not even get second.
Do things have to proceed at that rate? Does DeSantis need to keep going on like this? I think if he was capable of or knew of a better path, he'd have taken it once it was clear he was running for President back in the winter. And if he did change and go the route that I prescribed, or some other winning formula, would it matter? Trump has had a seven month head start to define DeSantis however he pleases, and he's used it viciously.
There's no reason to suggest DeSantis will change course. Take a look at his Iowa events, the man can't run a national campaign. I guess it's theoretically possible he does a dramatic turnaround and the primary electorate ends up buying it, and he somehow beats Trump's thirty-point lead, manages to reconcile Trump's supporters, and then goes on to beat Joe Biden, but would you honestly bet any money on this result whatsoever?
The question is moot, anyway. DeSantis win scenarios are so distant and implausible that we need dramatic hypotheticals to even conceive of them. Trump is winning fairly comfortably at this rate-- in a rather wide primary field, he's polling as well as Al Gore was at this time.

I have been dating Jay for a few months now and when we started, everything was going great. He lives pretty far from me but he would come see me 2-3 times a week and our communication was on point. I never felt insecure about our relationship and trusted him 100%
He lives with his parents and they are pretty strict on him so he told me he didn't want to tell them about us just yet as they already find reasons to argue with him and he doesn't want them to use our relationship as ammo. His father gets mad at him if he comes home from work and doesn't go straight to sleep and also if he sleeps in even when he gets home around midnight after work and doesn't work until the afternoon. He starts technical school in august and has a home gym to work out in so I don't know what more his dad wants from him. Jay literally just stays home and goes to work, nothing else and his dad still wants more from him. Jay doest even go out anymore. I remember he came to spend the night, pretty sure lying to his parents about who he was staying with and his dad starting blowing him up around noon asking where he was at. Jay lied and said work and his dad left him alone. It's like his dad wants him to stay in the house when he's not working. He had just started a new job when we started out so he had multiple days off during the week and he would come see me for maybe an hour or two. He told me he used his friend as excuse a lot of the times when they questioned where he was at bc they knew his friend was going thru a tough time and that Jay was “helping him out”
I haven't seen him for 2 1/2 weeks and at first it was because of work, then bc a really close family friend passed away and he had dental surgery. I understood and was supportive. He's had only 2 days off of work in the last 17 days and it was only for his procedure and the funeral. Even when he’s scheduled off, he’ll pick up shifts. It's like he's purposely asking for as much work possible to get out of his house. He's even working doubles, he's worked 3 doubles since Saturday already. I miss him and he told me Saturday he was coming over to spend the night after work and I got so excited. 10 minutes after he got out of work, he told me his mom called him arguing with him about where he was at and he had to go home first. I just knew right then and there he wasn't coming so instead of making him feel like he had to choose, I told him I didn't want him to start a fight with his family. He told me he would try to see me this week.
The way he phrased his texts, he made it sound like his parents found out about us. He said that I technically am a far drive (an hour) so he understands why they trip out on him. That made me question how they knew he was coming to my city but I didn't ask. And then he said he needed to find a good day to bring his car over here. The thing is, he has an older car and he usually drives a car shared between him and his mom, in the time we've been together I've only seen him driving his own car once so then that made me question if his parents are keeping the "good" car from him since they know he can't drive too far in his car considering how much gas it takes and how driving it long distances isn't good. He wastes a full tank just driving here and back so that's about $90 right there.
Now our communication has gotten really really short. We just have like "hi how are you" convos but nothing deep. I don't know what he's been up too lately when he use to send me paragraphs about his days and he's just been kinda blocked off.
Last night was the night I started questioning our relationship. I have his location and he has mine and I've never had a problem with it, I barely even check it as I know he's always home or at work. Well last night he got off of work and we texted a bit, he was asking about my day when he suddenly stopped texting. I didn't think much of it as I assumed he got home but after 40 minutes something told me to check his location. He turned it off. It said no location found and I was so confused. I wanted to freak out bc he has NEVER done that but suddenly he felt the need to hide it? I texted him saying I had a question and it delivered so his phone didn't die and he texted back quickly. I came up with a lie saying I was going out for "taco Tuesday" and what he was doing, if he wanted to come out. He just said he sadly works a double today so he can't & appreciated the invite but never told me what he was doing. I was fuming, I wanted to ask him sooo bad why his location services was off but decided against it. I once saw all the people he has on find my friend and I'm pretty sure I saw his moms email on it. My cousin told me not to react bc I can come off crazy when whole time it probably isn't about me and more him trying to hide it from his parents if anything. I just don't known what to think and really want to give him the benefit of the doubt.
This morning came and his services are still turned off, maybe he forgot to turn them back on but now I dot know what to do. I don't know if I should bring it up to him or act nonchalant. If I bring it up then he knows I'm checking it. He's been acting so sketchy lately and he's not the type to tell me things over text, but in person. There's been times when big things happen to him and he doesn't tell me until days later when we meet in person. Im sure there's an explanation but him acting this secretive is making me feel weird. Something is off with him and the part of me that is scared to get hurt wants to text him and tell him this won't work out, even without giving him a chance to explain but then the part of me that still trusts him and know relationships take work tells me to just wait and see him to hear him out. Problem is, who knows when I'll see him again.
I don't know what to do. Should I text him saying we NEED to meet up soon or go with the flow. Should I break up with him or see what he has to say first? Technically there's no solid proof anything is wrong and last night was the first red flag. Something inside me just screams this has to do with his parents and when talking about the situation with my cousin, before I could even mention that I think his parents are controlling him, he told me that what jay is doing sounds exactly how he use to act when he was dating his ex while living his parents. That no grown man wants to admit that his parents won't let him go or do things so instead they come off as sketchy bc it's embarrassing to admit mommy and daddy still tell him what to do.
Hes an amazing guy but the no explanation for his sketchiness is driving me crazy.

Here is a link to my previous updates.
I got sick February 15, 2020 and I'm now fully recovered except for the permanent conditions I got from covid (asthma, sleep apnea, NAFLD, some seemingly permanent brain damage).
Even though I have permanent damage/conditions, I consider myself fully recovered because I've been able to return to the life I had before I got covid. Of course I need to manage the asthma & sleep apnea, and watch what I eat because of the NAFLD, but I can do everything I used to do, though mentally I'm a little slower than I was.
I just returned from a trip to Florida, driving 4,000 miles round trip, hardly getting any sleep through most of it and the last day driving 19 hours (only 1 hour total for stops), got 3 hours of sleep that night and helped my friends with work on their homestead the next day. I've been doing heavy physical labor every day, driving a ton from farm to farm, not getting much sleep and I'm still fine. One year ago if I drove 1 hour I would have to lie down for 2 hours to rest.
I started having significant improvements after getting covid again last summer, and being given MAB (monoclonal antibodies, no longer available afaik). I don't know if it was the reinfection or the MAB, but once I was recovered from the infection, I regained a lot of my old abilities and have continued getting stronger and more capable every day.
I wish you all well! Hang in there, I really think time is our biggest helper.

So I got a good deal on a 2017 Club at a Carmax and I have 30 days to return it. I was hoping to get some opinions here to help me make up my mind.
I did have it inspected at Mazda
At 30k miles it was in an accident labeled as "moderate" No frame or serious damage. It was repaired and driven another 30k miles and about 3 years before I got it.
The driver side rear axle rod is newer with some paint overspray on the spring. So I think that's where the "moderate" damage occurred.
The bottom of the driver door has a small area of clearcoat drip and the hood has a spot of very slight white haze/marring. These issues are not noticeable unless you're up close washing the car.
The front bumper is missing a few clips underneath.
Mechanically, the car seems great. No rust, no leaks anywhere. The engine bay looks clean. Fluids are all good. It drives great and I'm in love. No alignment issues, it feels great at all speeds and in the corners.
Interior trim has some typical fading on the center controls and some peeling on the gear selector. Nothing major and I can fix/replace those.
I also did get an extended warranty in case anything major does blow up.
So to get an ND that is in better condition is not an option for me unless I want to wait a couple more years to save up more money. I did also look at NC's and they're nice too but I want the ND.
I guess I'm just nervous because I don't know if I'm making a mistake. It's still a lot of money to me. I have another car for winter. I've owned a sports car before so I have some experience as far as driving carefully, knowing limits and respecting the car etc. This Miata would be like a next step up for me.
Overall, I'm in love. My first Miata. I love that all the proportions are smaller than a regular car. I like the small trunk, small doors etc. It just feels and looks special to me like a Lotus Elise or an Alfa 4C and I love that.
So TL;DR If you had a chance to get an ND for a great price because it was previously in an accident but it was repaired pretty well and this was your only chance to ever get an ND, would you go for it?
Thank You

link to the eBay listing with pictures of the iPhone: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/175761721953
Device: iPhone 11 Pro Max 256 GB
Software Version: 14.8 (Compatible with the unc0ver Jailbreaks and TrollStore all blobs saved)
Color: Midnight Green
Sim-lock status: Factory Unlocked can be used with any carrier anywhere
Condition: It's in very good condition. It has no scratches except for a three dots on the top-right corner which is not really noticeable already shown in the picture that's why 9.8/10 always in the UAG case Since day one case comes with it. Please review the pictures from the eBay listing to see overall condition.
Battery Health: 76%,
Warranty: No warranty is remaining.
Shipping: International (Buyer pays for the shipping)
Repairs: None

Link to Hub

Recapping 2022

2022 was a dangerous year to be a Vikings fan, especially if you have a pre-existing heart condition. While a season of 13 wins -- tied for the most since 1998 -- may seem like the team is in a position to make a Superbowl push, the actual quality of the team is a lot more... well, mediocre.
The 2022 Vikings ranked 19th in offensive EPA per play, 25th in defensive EPA per play, 27th in Overall DVOA, and 15th in Pythagorean Wins (with 8.4 expected wins). Kevin O'Connell always preached the performance of the team in priority situations. The team finished 12th in 3rd down conversion rate and 8th in red zone conversion rate. And the team led the league -- by far -- in the number of 4th quarter comebacks and game winning drives. When it was time to put up or shut up, the team put up hard. Except for in the playoffs.

2023 Offseason

All of that made the future of the Vikings tough to read. But Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the rest of the front office told us what they thought of the team with their free agency moves. In a league where teams are trading the farm for Hall of Fame QBs and giving $20M/Year deals to nose tackles and guards, the Vikings' big free agent splash were a one year deal on an injury-prone DE and a good-not-great corner that doesn't even crack the top 20 highest AAVs at the position. Concurrently, the team parted ways with half of the team's 2022 captains to try to get under the cap. All of this while the team is not done with transactions -- Dalvin Cook still presents as a cut candidate due to his age and contract structure.
Notable Departures:

• WR Adam Thielen ($6.4 Saved / $13.5 Dead)
• LB Eric Kendricks ($9.5 Saved / $1.93 Dead)
• CB Patrick Peterson (Unrestricted Free Agent)
• DT Dalvin Tomlinson (Unrestricted Free Agent)

Notable Arrivals:

• CB Byron Murphy (2Y / $17.5TOT / $8.1GTD)
• EDGE Marcus Davenport (1Y / $13TOT / $10GTD)
• TE Josh Oliver (3Y / $21TOT / $8.2GTD)
• DT Dean Lowry (2Y / $8.5TOT / $4.2GTD)
• EDGE Za'Darius Smith (Post-draft trade)

Other Notable Transactions:

• Re-Signed C Garrett Bradbury (3Y / $15.75TOT / $5.15GTD)
• Re-Signed RB Alexander Mattison (2Y / $7TOT / $6.35GTD)
• Re-Signed FB CJ Ham (3Y / $5.6TOT / $3.3GTD)
• Re-Signed All-Pro LS Andrew DePaola (3Y / $4.025TOT / $1.515GTD)

The other major change that influenced how the team addresses the draft was the shift from Ed Donatell's Cover 2 shell defense to Brian Flores's aggressive man defense. Compared to the 2022 Vikings, Flores's 2021 Dolphins blitzed over twice as often and played with light boxes at roughly half the rate. On top of the front seven, one of the biggest changes in scheme is the Cover 2 alignment, which Donatell employed on nearly half of all defensive snaps compared to just 12% for Flores's 2021 Miami team. With one crop of rookies and free agents brought in to play in a Fangio style scheme, the defense would have to undergo a massive shift to succeed in a scheme that can only be described as the complete opposite of what was run in 2022.

Draft Needs

Cornerback - Arguably the Vikings' biggest need, the team was without a true CB1. Byron Murphy comes aboard as the most experienced player. Pegged a slot-only player through his first three years, Murphy spent most of his time in 2022 outside and had a career year. After that, the team looked to rely on improvements from their 2022 draft class with Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans, two players that combined for fewer than 300 defensive snaps last season primarily due to injury. You can see how KAM and crew, confident in their scouting ability, are betting on health to affect the secondary for the better. But taking another bet on a young player is a smart move at a position where depth is always a good thing.
Interior Defensive Line - The loss of Dalvin Tomlinson -- who played 551 snaps last year and compiled 14 pressures -- leaves issues next to Harrison Phillips. Jonathan Bullard was third on the IDL with 319 snaps last season and returns on a one year deal. Tonga and Lynch had some flashes, and the team brought in Lowry. The rotation (optimistically) can get to competent. But finding a true winner on the inside of the line was viewed by many as a priority.
Wide Receiver - The Vikings starting personnel at WR heading in to the draft was Justin Jefferson (stud), KJ Osborn (decent), and... Jalen Nailor? Brandon Powell? Oh dear Lord don't tell me it's Jalen Reagor. The loss of Adam Thielen was expected, but nevertheless leaves a gaping hole next to JJ and KJ in the lineup. Keenan McCardell is arguably the best WR coach in the league, and playing with Jefferson would give one-on-one opportunities for any receiver. But having somebody that can actually win those one-on-ones remains a question.
Inside Linebacker - Eric Kendricks's jersey change marks the true end of an era at LB. Kendricks struggled in Donatell's scheme last season, as did most players. But he was a longtime leader on the defense and a valued community member. Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah, and Troy Reeder sit atop the depth chart. Hicks can be solid and Asamoah had flashes, but counting on this group as every down players is a risk to say the least.
Offensive Guard - Ed Ingram was one of the worst starting guards in the league last season. But he's a rookie. Maybe he gets better in year 2. Maybe he stays terrible. Even if you're optimistic there, Ezra Cleveland is entering a contract year at left guard. Adding interior offensive line depth is always smart.
Quarterback - This offseason, reports surfaced that the team and QB Kirk Cousins could not finalize a contract extension. That means for the first time in his Vikings tenure, Cousins is entering a contract year. Cousins has been an above average QB during his time in Minnesota. Last year saw him finish 4th in yards, but he was painfully mediocre at efficiency stats like TD percent (17th), ANY/A (18th), and ADOT (20th). Entering his age-35 season, it would be wise to look for a successor even if the team plans on retaining Cousins past 2023.

The Draft

*Indicates measure is taken from Pro Day
1.23 WR Jordan Addison, USC
Profile: Jr 5'11 173lbs 31.5 Arm\ 8.75 Hand 75.125 Wing* 4.49 40 1.57 10 34 VJ 10'2 BJ 4.19 SS* 7.05 3c 5.95 RAS*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 59 Rec 875 Yds 8 TD 2 Drops
Steve Smith Sr: "Addison has one of the highest ceilings among WRs in this draft due to his blend of route running chops and his all around athleticism. He is a three level route runner: intermediate, deep, and short... The way he can get in and out of his breaks is so natural. He uses leverage. And he manipulates the DB consistently"
Addison -- a Biletnikoff Award winner during his Pitt days -- is one of the highest floor players in the class. He is a route running technician with proven dominance playing inside and outside. He had more than 3 yards per route run in two different offenses. He understands how to marry his athleticism and quickness with the breaks in his routes. He finds the DB's blind spot and forces them to lose. Addison is a bit on the small side, but not abnormally so given this draft class. He does have some concerns with his hands -- his drop rates as a freshman and sophomore were 14% and 10%, respectively -- but he showed improvement in this as a junior.
The need here is clear. As mentioned earlier, the WR depth past JJ and KJ is abysmal. Even with Thielen and Osborn on the roster in 2022, the Vikings needed juice in the WR room. The 2022 Vikings had one top 5 WR in yards per route run (Jefferson). There was no other receiver in the top 100. Teams were not worried about Thielen or Osborn. Teams could put two or three defenders on Jefferson without any fear of what anyone else might do to their defense. Hockenson fixed this a bit down the stretch, but an outside playmaker was still needed.
The real question here is why the team opted not to go for CB Joey Porter Jr, who filled what many considered to be the team's biggest need and was a higher ranked prospect for Lance Zierlein, PFF, Danny Kelly, Matt Miller, and Dane Brugler. The answer here -- if I can take a guess and stretch my logic a bit -- is that the need at WR2 was greater than the need at CB. Patrick Peterson was the biggest loss in the secondary, and the team brought in Byron Murphy to try to fill that role. On offense, Minnesota had not brought in a replacement for Adam Thielen. The depth chart past Jefferson and Osborn was filled with bodies that might not make a 53-man roster on a lot of teams.
Trade: MIN gives 3.87 to MIN for 3.102, 5.164, 7.222

	Jimmy Johnson	Rich Hill	Fitzgerald-Spielberger	Harvard
Total give	155	48	737	115
Total get	117.7	45	1334	197
Absolute Diff	-37.3	-3	+597	+82
Percent Diff	-24%	-6%	+81%	+71%

The biggest thing to consider when evaluating this trade is that the Vikings came into the draft with 5 picks, only two of which were in the top 100. In my biased opinion, this was a home run trade, even if the traditional charts disagree. To take three swings at the bat instead of one is a humble and wise strategy, especially for a team with limited draft capital. The move looks even better in hindsight because there were no CBs taken between 87 and 102.
3.102 CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC
Profile: 6Sr 5'11" 178lbs 31" Arm 9.25" Hand 74.625" Wing 4.47 40 1.47 10 36 VJ 10'5" BJ 11 Bench 7.44 RAS
2022 Stats: 14 Gm 66 TKL 2 TFL 1 FF 15 PD 3 INT
Brett Kollman: "Feisty, physical press corner who definitely has to play more under control in the NFL to avoid flags, but he has all the competitiveness you want to see from a potential CB1 at the next level. Never backs down from anyone. Has easy gas to stay in control of a route from top down, even against true burners. Legit 4.4 speed and gets up to it quickly. Outstanding ball production... Held up extremely well despite being targeted often. Battle tested, aggressive, and confident... Very similar to Desmond Trufant."
An unrecruited high school positionless player out of high school that signed with JuCo San Mateo, Blackmon followed up four seasons at Colorado with a breakout 2022 campaign as one of the best defenders on the USC defense. The Trojans played a man-heavy scheme, which let Blackmon shine. He has great anticipation and instincts. His production this year says as much. He plays bigger than his size, and he has inside-outside versatility. He will have to clean up some of his physicality to avoid flags at the next level. He will also have to refine his technique to stay with the more complex routes he'll see. But he is a strong culture and scheme fit for what Brian Flores is bringing to the defense.
The need at CB was obvious even before hiring Flores. The Vikings ranked 31st in passing yards allowed, 26th in Passing DVOA, and 24th in EPA allowed per pass attempt. Bringing in Byron Murphy helps. So do the healthy returns of Booth and Evans. But Murphy has not yet shown that he can be a consistently great player (or at least not markedly better than what we got out of Patrick Peterson last year). And Booth and Evans are unproven. Blackmon -- taken with the last pick on Day 2 -- is not expected to come in and be Jalen Ramsey or Sauce Gardner. But in a shift to a more aggressive man-coverage defense with a thin CB room, Blackmon is an upside player that will have every chance to take a starting spot on a porous defense.
Trade: MIN gives 4.119 to KC for 4.134, 2024 5th\*

	Jimmy Johnson	Rich Hill	Fitzgerald-Spielberger	Harvard
Total give	56	24	578	88
Total get	58.4	24	898	133
Absolute Diff	+2.4	0	+320	+45
Percent Diff	+4%	0%	+36%	+34%

On top of entering the weekend with a mere 5 draft picks in the current year, the Vikings also entered with a mere 5 draft picks in the 2024 class (3rd rounder traded for Hockenson, 5th rounder traded for Reagor). Dropping 15 picks in a relatively flat part of the draft while adding a mid-Day 3 pick is good business given this team's lack of capital.
*Here we assume a future pick in round n is valued at the middle pick of round n+1, not accounting for compensatory picks. In this case, a 2024 5th is equated to pick 176.
4.134 S Jay Ward, LSU
Profile: Sr 6'0.5" 188lbs 32.5" Arm 8.25" Hand 76.875" Wing 4.55 40 1.54 10 34.5 VJ 11' BJ 4.35 Shuttle\ 7.31 3c 16 Bench 6.70 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 60 TKL 2.5 TFL 5 PD 1 INT 2 FR TD
Nate Tice: "A ton of fun. I just like this fit because of Brian Flores's defense. Just picture all of those mixture guys that the Patriots have used over the years... Jay Ward can be that"
A three year starter with reps at safety, slot, and outside CB, Ward is one of the most versatile players in the class. He possesses excellent length and movement skills. His experience at CB make him a fluid player in coverage. In the run game, Ward's size is a concern. His 188lbs Combine weight puts him in just the second percentile for safeties. This translates to issues with taking on blocks. He is a very aggressive player, beelining to the ball as soon as it's out. But his size coupled with his impatient playstyle lead to a lot of missed tackles. He was also flagged seven times last season.
In his final season in Miami, Flores was extremely creative with how he employed his safeties. Jevon Holland had the 2nd most blitzes in the league at the position. The number 1 player? His teammate Brandon Jones. With the defense taking on Flores's amoeba identity, an aggressive player with experience at multiple positions has the potential to find a role early on. The defense will look to utilize him similar to how Jevon Holland was used as a rookie. And with Harrison Smith well into the twilight of his career, Ward is a timely pick as the team attempts to thread the needle in their competitive rebuild.
Trade: MIN gives 5.158, 6.211 to IND for 5.141

	Jimmy Johnson	Rich Hill	Fitzgerald-Spielberger	Harvard
Total give	32.4	13	722	103
Total get	36	15	492	74
Absolute Diff	+4	+2	-230	-29
Percent Diff	+10%	+13%	-47%	-39%

It's a bit strange to see Adofo-Mensah move away from the analytics charts in favor of the traditional ones, but the value swap here is not absurd. The real question with this trade will be if Roy ends up being a true contributor.
5.141 NT Jaquelin Roy, LSU
Profile: Jr 6'3" 305lbs 32.75" Arm 10.125" Hand 78.125" Wing 5.13 40\ 1.82 10* 26" VJ* 8'5" BJ* 5.00 Shuttle 8.01 3c 30 Bench 3.72 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 49 TKL 3.5 TFL 0.5 SCK
Lance Zierlein: " The more you watch, the more you like the way Roy plays the game... Despite limited starting experience at LSU, he already displays signs of a rush plan and the athletic talent to execute it. Roy is an ascending talent with the potential to become a quality starter. "
After a 30 tackle, 1.5 sack campaign as a rotational player in 2021, Roy shifted from a penetrating 3T position to more of a traditional nose tackle under new HC Brian Kelly. This transition let Roy shine as a run stuffer. He eats space and is incredibly tough to move from his spot. He averaged almost 52 snaps a game in 2022 and his motor never let up. He has some work to do if he wants to be a three down player, particularly as a pass rusher. His bend and balance in this front are especially lacking.
The Vikings' front office seems to be a lot more comfortable with the current IDL room than I am. Harrison Phillips is a plus starter. Past that, the roster is filled with unproven youth or proven subpar players. As a 5th round pick, Roy has an uphill battle to separate himself from that group. But he's a good lottery ticket at this price. His positional versatility ensures that the defense can simply put their best players on the field.
5.164 QB Jaren Hall, BYU
Profile: RSr 6'0" 207lbs 39.75" Arm 9.5" Hand 71.875" Wing 4.63 40\ 1.59 10* 4.19 Shuttle* 7.06 3c* 7.96 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 248 Comp 376 Att 66% Comp 3171 Yds 31 TD 6 INT 86 Rush 789 Rush Yds 9 RUsh TD
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah: "We added a really talented player that has a ton of upside... The ability to make decisions, throw the football accuracy, deal with conflict when it comes his way, and sometimes try to make a play outside the framework of the playcall. He does all those things at a really great level... That's an outstanding young man. I'd like to see him lead my team or any organization I'm a part of."
Despite being the third oldest prospect in the QB class, Hall only has 24 starts under his belt due to two years on religious mission and one year with a hip injury. But when Hall took over for Zach Wilson in 2021, he hit the ground running. BYU went 10-3 in that first year with Hall compiling a 4:1 TD:INT ratio. He is a two time team captain, and all reports of his character are off the charts.
Hall is a poised pocket passer capable of extending plays and picking up yardage on the ground. He was only sacked 12 times in 2022, which is a testament to both BYU's offensive line and Hall's ability to create under pressure. There are conflicting opinions on Hall's upside and arm strength, with Lance Zierlein calling his arm "unimpressive" while Kyle Crabbs claiming that hall has a "live arm with the ability to throw with juice off platform". Where there was near-universal agreement was in his understanding of the scheme, as Hall operated BYU's RPO-heavy offense like a machine. He has a clean release and quickly gets into a rhythm. His largest universal concerns are his age (he turned 25 in March) and his injury history (missed 20 games in the last 4 years). He also has ball security issues with 13 fumbles over his career.
I expected the Vikings to draft a QB in this class. The only question was if it would have been via a trade up on Day 1 or a flyer on Day 3 (or a falling Will Levis). With his age, size, and injury history, there are plenty of questions about what Hall can be. He will have a year in practice to put together his audition tape to be Kirk Cousins's replacement -- it's certainly a viable path for this team to take a RiddeHowell/Mills-esque year to evaluate Hall while they continue retooling the defense. But the more likely path is that Hall becomes a long-term backup for the team. Cousins has been the model of health, but that doesn't mean that QB2 is an unimportant position. Sean Mannion, Kellen Mond, and Nick Mullens have manned that position to various degrees over the past few years. None has shown that they can be a competent plug-in player if needed. There is some hope that Hall -- who operated the BYU offense with a mechanic efficiency -- can be that player.
7.222 RB DeWayne McBride, UAB
Profile: Jr 5'10" 209lbs 30.625" Arms 9.5" Hands 73.125" Wing 20 Bench\*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 233 Att 1713 Yds 19 TD 7.4 Y/A 2 Rec 10 Rec Yds
Dane Brugler: "Overall, McBride is unproven as a pass catcher and blocker, which might restrict his NFL role, but his contact balance, vision and lateral agility are among the best this running back draft class has to offer"
In an era of advanced metrics and Combine showmanship, perhaps the trait that has gone underappreciated more than any other in RB scouting is balance. McBride may have the best balance in the entire RB class outside of Bijan Robinson. He comes from a heavy outside zone scheme at UAB, where he led the FBS in yards per game and set school records for single-game and single-season rushing. McBride absorbs contact like a sponge. His short area burst is strong, and he makes defenders miss with power and finesse. McBride has ideal size and toughness. His concerns are simple. He was not utilized as a receiver in college, and he had more career fumbles than catches in that time. McBride profiles as a two-down player at the next level. Although Adofo-Mensah has voiced his belief that McBride's passing game usage was a product of scheme rather than ability, McBride still has to prove that he is more than just a short yardage runner in the NFL.
After spending a pick in back to back years on RB and re-signing Mattison to a modest contract, RB was a bit of an unexpected pick for this regime. Dalvin Cook still seems to be movable (a likely cut candidate at this point), which would make this pick more logical. Chandler struggled with injuries as a rookie, but both he and Nwangwu profile more as speedy scatbacks than true between-the-tackle runners like Mattison. Even Mattison has never been a true three-down back. McBride plays much more similarly to Mattison than the other backs on the team. He will try to carve out a role behind him as the future thunder to the lightning provided by Chandler and Nwangwu.

UDFA

FB Zach Ojile, Minnesota Duluth
Profile: 6Sr 6'0" 241lbs 31.5" Arms 8.5" Hands 75.5" Wing 4.78 40\ 1.79 10* 31" VJ* 9'1" BJ* 4.40 Shuttle* 31 Bench* 4.15 RAS*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 12 Rush 53 Rush Yds 3 Rush TD 25 Rec 289 Rec Yds 5 Rec TD
A Twin Cities native, Ojile was a late addition to the roster, joining after a May rookie minicamp tryout. Ojile played LB, QB, FS, and RB in high school but found a role as an H-Back at UMD. He served as a team captain the past two seasons and finishes his collegiate career with over 1100 total yards and 24 total TDs. He was an All-Conference player for the DII NSIC Bulldogs. Whether Ojile participates at FB or TE, he'll need to prove his versatility to beat out the veterans on the depth chart. Working in his favor is Kevin O'Connell's shift to a more base-heavy offense in 2023.
WR Cephus Johnson, Southeastern Louisiana
Profile: 6Sr 6'4" 223lbs 33.25" Arm\ 8.5" Hand* 78.625" WIng* 4.57 40* 1.59 10* 36.5" VJ* 10'1" BJ* 4.39 Shuttle* 7.25 3c* 18 Bench* 9.48 RAS*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 184 Pass Att 65% Comp 1354 Pass Yds 10 Pass TD 5 INT 89 Rush 488 Rush Yds 5 Rush TD
Johnson is making the fulltime switch from QB to WR as he attempts to latch on to an NFL practice squad. He earned the starting role for South Alabama as a redshirt junior before transferring to SE Louisiana, where he took some snaps at WR in spring games. Johnson's stats were unimpressive as a starting QB, notching just 1354 yards and a 2:1 TD:INT ratio in 11 starts. He has good size and instincts as a runner, but he has basically no experience playing WR.
WR Lucky Jackson, W Kentucky / XFL DC Defenders
Profile: RSr 6'0" 179lbs 9.624" Hand\ 32.25" Arm* 75.875" Wing**
2023 Stats: 10 Gm 36 Rec 572 Yds 5 TD 1 Fmb
Jackson last put on a college uniform before the pandemic for Western Kentucky, where his 2019 season saw him put up over 1100 yards on 94 receptions. Following his college days, Jackson spent time in the CFL and the Spring League before joining the XFL's DC Defenders and becoming an All-XFL receiver.
WR Malik Knowles, Kansas St
Profile: RSr 6'2" 196lbs 32.25" Arm 8.75" Hand 77.625" Wing
2022 Stats: 14 Gm 48 Rec 725 YDs 2 TD 8 Rush 164 Rush Yds 3 Rush TD 23 KR 592 KR Yds
Knowles is a vertical threat with good size and length. He offers value as a kick returner and leaves Kansas State with a top 5 rank in all-purpose yards. Knowles is an undeveloped route runner that struggles with quick change-of-direction. He also has trouble with press coverage. He'll need to prove his value on special teams, where he has plenty of collegiate experience as a kick returner.
WR Grant Maag, North Dakota
Profile: 5Sr 6'4" 206lbs 9.25" Hand\ 31.875" Arm* 77.625" Wing* 4.49 40YD* 1.60 10YS* 40.5" VJ* 10'5" BJ* 4.34 Shuttle* 6.90 3c* 8.50 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 41 Rec 540 Yds 5 TDs
Maag was brought in following the announcement of Ben Ellefson's retirement. He is an Inver Grove Heights native and a graduate of St Croix Lutheran in St Paul. He leaves North Dakota with over 2000 yards over his five years and served as a team captain the past two seasons. His size gives him an advantage with a shorter WR group ahead of him, but Maag is a far cry from a roster lock.
WR Thayer Thomas, NC State
Profile: 6Sr 6'0" 198lbs 9" Hand\ 30.125" Arm* 73.5" Wing 4.56 40* 1.63 10* 37" VJ* 10' BJ* 4.03 Shuttle* 6.93 3c* 15 Bench* 7.85 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 57 Rec 642 Yds 4 TDs 2 Rush Att 44 Rush Yds 1 Rush TD 17 PR 128 PR Yds
A multisport athlete that was drafted by the Red Sox in 2019, Thomas walked onto the Wolfpack football team and got onto the field any way he could. In 2018, he saw work as a receiver, punt returner, and passer. Thomas has good hands (a career drop rate of 4%) and a high work ethic, but he is an undeveloped route runner that struggles to create much after the catch. He will need to prove his worth on special teams if he wants to make the roster.
TE Ben Sims, Baylor
Profile: RSr 6'4" 250lbs 33.125" Arm\ 9.5" Hand* 80.125" Wing* 4.58 40YD* 1.56 10YS 36" Vert* 10'2" Broad* 4.41 Shuttle* 7.46 3c* 15 Bench* 8.40 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 31 Rec 255 Yds 3 TDs 2 Drops 1 Rush TD
Sims projects as a blocking tight end with limited ability as a receiver. He's a patient run blocker with good balance and toughness, but he is still cleaning up some technique. He isn't a creator with the ball in his hands and his tape fails to demonstrate the explosiveness that his testing suggests.
OL Alan Ali, TCU
Profile: RSr 6'4" 301lbs 32.875" Arm 9.5" Hand 77.625" Wing 5.23 40\ 1.89 10* 26.5" VJ 8'5" BJ* 4.91 Shuttle* 7.94 3c* 3.80 RAS*
A 5 year starter for TCU and SMU, Ali is a fundamentally sound center prospect with good body control and core strength. He has experience playing at all 5 OL positions but spent most of the past 4 years at center. His lack of athleticism and length are likely the reason he went undrafted.
OT Jacky Chen, Pace
Profile: RSr 6'5 1/4" 299lbs 10" Hand\ 34.5" Arm* 80.75" Wing* 5.41 40* 1.81 10* 29" VJ* 8'10" BJ* 4.74 Shuttle* 7.90 3c* 24 Bench* 5.39 RAS*
It's hard to find very much information on an undrafted lineman from a DII school whose toughest opponent was the University of New Haven. Chen is an OT prospect that is viewed as a ball of clay. Chen's 40 yard dash and 3 cone were underwhelming to say the least, but he was an above average tester in burst and explosiveness drills. That combined with his length make him an interesting project.
EDGE Andre Carter II, Army
Profile: Sr 6'6.5" 256lbs 9.375" Hand 33.275" Arm 81 Wing 4.91 40\ 1.65 10* 30" VJ 9'1" BJ 4.36 Shuttle 6.97 3c* 11 Bench 6.29 RAS*
2022 Stats: 10 Gm 41 TKL 7 TFL 3.5 SCK 2 PD
The highest profile UDFA signing of the class, Carter was getting 1st round buzz this time last year. At that time, Carter was coming off an 18.5 TFL / 15.5 sack season. However, Carter struggled to repeat his production as a senior, notching just 3.5 sacks. Carter finished out the draft cycle with lackluster testing, failing to run under a 4.90 in the 40 yard dash and weighing in at a mere 256 lbs -- a big concern given his 81 inch wingspan and towering stature. Carter has a ton of upside, but he doesn't have the frame to be a real NFL player right now. After 4 years training to be an officer in the US Army, he will need at least one season (maybe more) in an NFL weight room where he can focus on building muscle mass. He'll look to follow the mold of fellow Army player Alejandro Villanueva, who added 43 lbs to his 277 lbs frame entering the league before becoming a 7-year starter. Luckily, he joined the team with one of the best training facilities in the league.
EDGE Junior Aho, SMU
Profile: 6'2" 260lbs 9" Hand 33.875" Arm 79.875" Wing 4.58 40\ 1.66 10* 33.5" VJ* 10'3" BJ* 4.90 Shuttle* 7.38 3c* 9.38 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 23 TKL 2 TFL 2 SCK 1 FF
Quite simply, Aho is an athletic freak that should find his way onto the team thanks to the International Player Pathway roster spot. He takes pride in his speed and athleticism, but he also understands the limitations to his game. Aho was a solid rotational player for SMU. He will look to follow in the footsteps of other International Pathway players like Efe Obada and Jordan Mailata.
DT Calvin Avery, Illinois
Profile: RSr 6'1" 343 lbs 10" Hand\ 32.5" Arm 81.87" Wing 5.37 40* 1.84 10* 30.5" VJ* 8'5" BJ* 8.01 3c* 31 Bench* 3.12 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 23 TKL 2 TFL 1 PD
Avery is a former four star recruit out of Texas, earning snaps in 12 games as a true freshman. He started 12 games in 2022, primarily at nose tackle. He has a wide, large frame that makes him hard to move. However, he is an underwhelming athlete to say the least, and his statistical production is nearly non-existent.
LB Abraham Beauplan, Marshall
Profile: RSr 5'11" 241 lbs 9.25" Hand 31.75" Arm 77 1/4" Wing 4.62 Shuttle 35.5" VJ 9'9" BJ 7.33 3c 22 Bench 4.52 RAS
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 66 TKL 6.5 TFL 1 SCK 3 PD
Beauplan started the draft process by making an appearance on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List, reportedly squatting as much as 565 lbs and benching as much as 285. The few reports that exist on Beauplan suggest he's an urgent, downhill run defender that will look to carve out a role on special teams early on.
LB Wilson Huber, Cincinnati
Profile: 6Sr 6'4" 241lbs 9.75" Hand 32.375" Arm\ 80" Wing* 4.70 40* 1.66 10* 35" VJ* 10'4" BJ* 4.45 Shuttle* 6.91 3c* 18 Bench* 8.34 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 54 TKL 6.5 TFL 1 SCK 1 PD
A 3 star recruit out of Indiana, Huber started his career at Cincinnati as a TE. He played a hybrid role in his first 2 non-redshirt seasons, earning snaps on offense, defense, and special teams. He made a full role switch to the defensive side of the ball in 2020 and eventually earned the team captain moniker in 2022. Huber had some solid testing despite profiling as more of a thumper.
LB Ivan Pace Jr, Cincinnati
Profile: Sr 5'10.5" 231lbs 30.25" Arm 9.5" Hand 72" Wing 4.59 40\ 1.70 10* 35" VJ 9'8" BJ* 4.40 Shuttle * 7.18 3c* 22 Bench* 5.71 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 137 TKL 21.5 TFL 10 SCK 3 FF 4 PD
Ranked the 11th best LB for Daniel Jeremiah, 9th for Dane Brugler, and 7th for PFF, many thought Pace could have gone as early as Round 3. Pace was a one year starter for the Bearcats after transferring from Miami (Ohio), and he hit the ground running. He led the AAC in tackles and TFLs. He is a smaller player (although not abnormally so in today's game) that plays with his hair on fire. He gives tremendous effort on every play and is always around the ball. Pace is a super tough player that loves to tackle. His size is a concern; he gets washed out of plays too easily. He is also lacking in coverage skills, struggling to stay connected in man coverage. Still, it's incredible that Pace went undrafted. He's an easy special teams projection as a rookie with the upside to be put in position to win under Flores.
CB CJ Coldon, Oklahoma
Profile: 6Sr 5'10" 186lbs\ 8.375" Hand* 31.125" Arm* 75.125" Wing* 4.60 40* 1.58 10* 37 1/2" VJ* 10'5" BJ* 4.24 Shuttle* 7.31 3c* 3.92 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 42 TKL 2 TFL 4 INT 6 PBU
Coldon is an instinctual football player that relies on his feel to create ball production. He spent 5 years at Wyoming before transferring to Oklahoma and leading the team in INTs and PBUs. In zone, Coldon watches the QB and looks for the right cue to understand when and where the ball is headed.
CB NaJee Thompson, Georgia Southern
Profile: 5'10" 200lbs 9.125" Hand 32.75" Arm 76.625" Wing 4.57 40\ 1.63 10* 32" VJ* 9'8" BJ* 4.56 Shuttle* 7.40 3c* 13 Bench* 1.59 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 37 TKL 1 TFL 11 PD 1 INT
Thompson's love for the game is undeniable. After struggling to latch onto the Georgia Southern WR room, Thompson approached his head coach asking to be exclusively a special teams player. He relishes being a gunner on punts. He eventually got moved to CB in 2021, logging 557 snaps at the position in 2022. He's undeveloped at the position, but his special teams prowess gives him a good shot at the roster.
CB Jaylin Williams, Indiana
Profile: RSr 5'9" 184lbs 9.125" Hand 29.875" Arm 71.75" Wing 4.43 40\ 1.58 10* 34.5" BJ* 9'11" BJ* 4.20 Shuttle* 7.01 3c* 13 Bench* 5.54 RAS*
2022 Stats: 10 Gm 40 TKL 2.5 TFL 7 PD 1 FR 1 BLK
A longtime role player for the Hoosiers before becoming a fulltime starter in 2019, Williams's 6 career INTs were the most amongst active players on the team last season. He earned second team All-Confernece honors in 2020 and was an honorable mention in 2021.
K Jack Podlesny, Georgia
Profile: RSr 6'0" 195lbs 29.25" Arms 9" Hands 74.75" Wing
2022 Stats: 31 Att 26 Made 50 Long 109 Kickoff 72 Touchbacks 74 PAT Att 73 PAT Made
Ranked as Dane Brugler's 4th kicker and Lance Zierlein's 3rd kicker, Podlesny enters Vikings camp following a career that saw him walk on to Georgia's football team and finish with an 82% hit rate. He hit all but one extra point last season for the national champion Bulldogs. A concern with Podlesny is his leg strength. His accuracy beyond 40 yards falls to just 54%. His clutchness may also come into question as he missed two kicks in the national championship semifinals against Ohio State.
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Projected Depth Chart

Pos (Projected 2023 Rostered Count / 2022 Rostered Count): Starter, Rookie, Cuts
QB (2/2): Kirk Cousins, Jaren Hall, Nick Mullens
RB (4/4): Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu, Ty Chandler, DeWayne McBride, Dalvin Cook
FB (1/1): CJ Ham, Zach Ojile
WR (5/5): Justin Jefferson, KJ Osborn, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson, Jalen Reagor, Blake Proehl, Thayer Thomas, Cephus Johnson, Malik Knowles, Lucky Jackson, Garrett Maag
TE (3/3): TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, Ben Sims
OL (9/10): Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, Brian O'Neill, Chris Reed, Austin Schlottman, Oli Udoh, Blake Brandel, Josh Sokol, Vederian Lowe, Alan Ali, Jacky Chen, Sam Schlueter
DT (7/6): Harrison Phillips, Dean Lowry, Jonathan Bullard, James Lynch, Esezi Otomewo, Jaquelin Roy, Khyiris Tonga, Ross Blacklock, Sheldon Day, TJ Smith, Calvin Avery
EDGE (4/5): Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport, Pat Jones II, DJ Wonnum, Luiji Vilain, Curtis Weaver, Benton Whitley, Kenny Willekes, Andre Carter II, Junior Aho
ILB (4/4): Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah, Troy Reeder, Ivan Pace Jr, Troy Dye, William Kwenkeu, Abraham Beauplan, Wilson Huber
CB (5/6): Byron Murphy, Andrew Booth, Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blakmon, Joejuan Williams, Kalon Barnes, Tay Gowan, John Reid, CJ Coldon, Najee Thompson, Jaylin Williams
S (5/4): Harrison Smith, Lewis Cine, Jay Ward, Josh Metellus, Camryn Bynum, Theo Jackson
K (1/1): Greg Joseph, Jack Podlesny
P (1/1): Ryan Wright
LS (1/1): Andrew DePaola
KR: Kene Nwangwu
PR: Brandon Powell

2024 Needs

Starters Needed: QB, OG, EDGE, DT -- Whether due to expiring contracts (Cousins, Cleveland, Davenport, Hunter) or overall suckitude (Ingram, Lowry), we need to find new starters at this positions in 2024. Could we go on with average-level free agents? Maybe. Should we? Maybe not.
We'll see how the group plays: CB, LB, RB -- These are positions where the front office is counting on young players (Booth, Evans, Asamoah) to fill the roles of departed starters. If those players take that step up, these positions drop on the needs list. Otherwise, we're in for a rough season.
Depth needed: WR -- The depth after Jefferson, Osborn, and Addison is not great. And Osborn is entering a contract year. Unless Keenan McCardell works some magic with Jalen Nailor or Trishton Jackson or Thayer Thomas, this should be a position we add to next year.

Final Thoughts

Versatility. When we look at this Vikings draft class, that's the first word that comes to mind, and it comes in big bold letters. Addison has inside-outside versatility. So does Mekhi Blackmon. Jay Ward is the most versatile of the group, capable of playing every DB position plus some spot snaps at LB. Roy has been productive everywhere from 0T to 4i. And the team has talked about how much they believe McBride can contribute as a pass catcher on top of his bruiser mindset as a between-the-tackles runner.
On offense, this shift seems to stem from a philosophical change following the TJ Hockenson acquisition last year. O'Connell's unit went from trying to copy-paste Sean McVay's outside zone scheme (largely a 3WR offense) to Kyle Shanahan's outside zone scheme (largely a TE-FB offense). And in that mold, O'Connell was looking for players he could use to create the illusion of complexity. That is, how can we employ versatile players to present defenses the threat of multiplicity?
On defense, the answer is a lot simpler. By bringing over Brian Flores, the team is hoping for a jolt in tenacity and an overall move to a hybrid amoeba scheme. You can look historically at how Bill Belichick has utilized flexibility in his defenses to maximize his gameplan for whatever offensive scheme is next on the menu. You can look at players on the line of scrimmage that have experience in both 43 and 34 schemes (Hunter, Phillips, Lynch, Bullard). And in the secondary, look no further than the selection of Jay Ward as an attempt to clone players like Jevon Holland and Kyle Dugger.
As Adofo-Mensah has repeatedly said, he approaches his job with humility. He listens to those around him and he finds the point where stories marry data to make informed decisions. And in O'Connell, he found someone who shares that mentality. With the emphasis on versatility, that mindset can now be applied on a weekly (and play-by-play) basis to opponents. We'll see how successful that strategy is as the team continues to straddle the line between competitive and rebuilder, but there is certainly an energy around the fanbase with the continued success of the offense and the addition of Brian Flores.

Hello folks,
I'm thinking of getting my first ever Mustang. I currently drive a civic touring. So this will be a major shift. My primary concern is winter driving in GTA Ontario. I will definitely be getting a good set of winter tires. Also, how much does after sales/maintaining the car cost?
Second, how good is the revalue on Mustangs. I plan to get the S550, not the new 2024. Since this is probably the last of its kinds, is there a probability this might increase in value?
I plan to get the GT with the V8. Always wanted an American muscle and been a dream! I'm also having a hard time finding one in stock. But, fingers crossed!

The revs keep going up and down, seemingly at random when the AC is off. However, it's guaranteed to happen when the AC is on. Even if I turn off the AC, the issue persists, though it seems to be less intense.
I plan to visit a mechanic next week to investigate, but I just wanted to know if this might be a serious problem. I understand that it's hard to diagnose without inspecting the car in person.
I've owned this car for a year now. The problem has occurred occasionally, but it never caused my engine to stall. This summer, the issue became more intense. The noise is particularly noticeable in 1st and 2nd gear - I can literally hear the revs going up and down. My concern increased when my car stalled while idling at a traffic light twice.
A while back, the 'check engine' light came on, so I took it to a mechanic. He told me there was nothing wrong and just turned off the light. I won't be going back to him next time.
I've done some research on Google and found some posts mentioning potential leaks in the vent or similar issues. I watched a few videos and it seems that with diesel engines, the problem might be related to the injectors, which sounds potentially expensive.
My main question is, if I continue to drive my car in its current condition, will it damage my engine? I understand it's hard to tell just from video :) but im just stressing over it.
vd

In Scotland. Throwaway account.
My partner works for a charity supporting various adults with a range of conditions, and as part of her role drives cars that the service users own and is on their insurance policies for the cars in question. Recently my partner's work has requested a copy of my partners car insurance policy for the car she uses to drive to the various locations where the support users are.
Now as the car insurance policy is a policy taken out in my name, with my partner on it as additional driver, the document that my partners workplace is looking for will contain personal details relating to myself, which for a variety of reasons, I do not want them to have/see.
What rights to I have in relation to my partners workplace to request that any pages that contain my personal information are removed or to push back on this request, without getting my partner in trouble or causing them any stress (if possible)?
Thanks in advance

Priced to sell. Whatever doesn't sell by Friday, June 9 (I'm shipping out on Saturday, June 10) will be donated locally.
All prices include shipping. I take PayPal F&F, or add 4% to the price if G&S:

• & Other Stories Paris Atelier Black/Gold Polka Dot Midi Dress (Size US 2 / EUR 34) $50 $40 $30 $25 $15 new no tags
• & Other Stories Stockholm Atelier Black Oversized Button-Up Shirt (Size US 2 / EUR 34) $25 $20 $15 $10 used in excellent condition
• Free People Earth Toned Floral Good Vibrations Blouse (Size US/UK S) $50 $30 $20 $15 very lightly used in excellent condition
• Injinji Toe Socks (Size US XS/S) purple pair never worn and teal/orange pair worn only once YOU GET BOTH PAIRS FREE WITH ANY ONE PURCHASE
• SPANX Black Velvet High Waist Lined Leggings (Size US S/P) $40 $30 $15 used 1-2x in excellent condition
• Vagabond Shoes in Black (Size US 5/EUR 36) $30 $25 $20 $15 used in excellent condition

OR TAKE EVERYTHING FOR $50!

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/iiWL9DD
The purge continues and I have for sale this stuff that I no longer need. I accept discreet payments via PayPal friends/family, Zelle, or VenMo. Please call dibs and then send me a PM.
1- Used Rainier Arms AR15 Ultramatch Billet upper receiver, small little nick on the front- $125 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/XWq7BBA
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2- AR15 Precision match grade BCG, Nickel Boron, along with Rainier Arms Avalanche ambi charging handle. These have seen ~500 rounds - $195 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/Y7N9nxR
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3- Used Steiner MPS red dot- in good condition. normal wear on battery cap. Comes in original box with all paperwork and tools. $335 shipped
https://imgur.com/lz8a5mHhttps://imgur.com/2Vf8lbl
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4- Swarovksi Z6i 1-6x scope. Used in excellent condition- $1900 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/KtUEnjp
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5- Used Surefire Warcomp 3-prong, 223/556, in great condition, complete with tool and shims- $110 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/MCNSPe7
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6- 2x Arisaka Offset mounts + plates for SRO/RMR, standard height. Mounted briefly and removed. $95 shipped EACHhttps://imgur.com/nprVlog

Hi!
I live in Boston and I'm expecting my first child in the fall. I'm currently driving a 2009 Subaru Forester with 150k miles on it. Before that we also had a 2009 ford focus around the same mileage, but we went down to only one car when my wife started working from home. City insurance is expensive.
I commute about 16 miles a day and am happy to do it by bicycle or train year-round when needed (days that my wife is in the office etc). So I think we're ok to stick to one car. But since the Forester is getting on in years, I want to get something new before it leaves us scrambling to get a car with a new baby to deal with. I've never had an issue running a car into the ground before, but the baby coming has changed all of that.
I've never bought a car before and I've never owned a car newer than 2009 or with less than 100k miles. I always inherited hand-me-downs. I prefer used cars for value but it seems like right now the value isn't there, so I'm open to a new car also assuming I could get it in the next 3 months.
I'm looking to spend something in the $20-30k range, though cheaper is better, new or used from the last 4-5 years with reasonable mileage. I'm leaning towards a small SUV like the Forester --back when snow existed it could get very snowy here. We drive around the Northeast fairly regularly in the winter. I have to haul bulky stuff a few times a year also. Considering CR-V, RAV4, Forester, etc, or something else with 4WD for the snow. But if the price was a huge difference I'd also be open to a reliable sedan.
My primary concerns are safety (man does having a baby on the way make you suddenly much more vigilant about that) and maintenance. I'm sick of surprise 4-digit repair bills twice a year. I'm fine with base models -- a backup camera would be a luxury to me. Something that can get more than 19 mpg would also be a huge upgrade. I guess I'd be looking for a recommendation for either a small SUV or a sedan.
Thank you for any thoughts or suggestions!