⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Abbreviated and intentionally as opaque as it was, the Purple's preseason finale provided 38 names secure for the 53-man roster. Add to that the punter, kicker & long-snapper and the firmament reaches 41. 49 players for 12 spots, a lot of pressure.
Some of the inactives Saturday afternoon could have been due to nagging maladies but even five would keep it as a narrow wire to walk.
One of the roster questions that remains is whether they will stick with Cousins & Nick Mullens or protect Jaren Hall from the other 31 franchises by keeping him on the roster. Curiously, the team had him go for all four quarters in the finale and he acquitted himself quite nicely given the circumstances. In the event that they don't want to take from another position for a season-long reserve, Jordan Ta'amu has a jump on learning the playbook & would almost certainly remain with the club. If they didn't need him as an insurance policy for the practice squad then he wouldn't be here.
As for the rest, the roster will be announced and then will change almost immediately as other teams make their cuts. If there is an advantage given between the two sides of the 50, it should be on defense but whether that would be up front or in the DB group is harder to say.
A few more days and the answers will be known.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It didn't take until Tuesday for Trey Lance to be moved after being named the third quarterback for San Francisco as Dallas secured him for a fourth round pick. A fresh start will take some of the stigma away for his draft position relative to production but with Dak Prescott affixed as the starter he won't get much more experience this season. It may prove to be a pretty brilliant chess move by the Jones' as they have an out from the final three year's of Prescott's contract after this season. Getting on the field may not be the only issue that Marshall's Finest will have to overcome to succeed but until he does he will remain one of the League's premier enigmas.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The week also brought a proposal about Lance's college field with a potential $131,000,000 facelift to the Dome being announced.
Would it make it a better venue, yes.
But I'm not convinced that it's a better idea to pour that much into the structure that is versus replacing it with a modern piece of architectural excellence. That would take the identification & development of a new footprint but you don't have to go far in North Fargo to find spaces big enough for a 30,000 seat gem that could include all the same elements that want to be added plus more.
Yes, the price tag would be 4x as much or more, which makes me queasy - so I can only imagine what less progressive types in the area would think of it - but Fargo as a whole has been undergoing a renaissance over the last 10 years or so, so it would fall in line with the rest of the community while immediately becoming a signature element for the State's national reputation.
It's not going to happen but with the proposal it was fun to think about again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
From the prep level, North Dakota's football season hit full go this week and included a top-five showdown on the highest level between Davies & Mandan.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was also a big week overseas for Minnesota's stars as Anthony Edwards & Karl Towns lead their national teams to wins at the World Championship. They will need to maintain that to advance out of group play but the success is always good experience. Rudy Gobert wasn't able to match his fellow stars as France was eliminated from contention in two games.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
But even as Fall & Winter sports continue to ramp-up, Summer's action isn't done yet. Locally, the Redhawks continue to be mired below .500 and their chance of defending the Association title is fading faster than light during night.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The same isn't true from the Central-Leading club from Minneapolis as Cleveland continues to wave the white flag while the T's go back & forth between the win & loss columns. With 31 games left before test time comes, they could all-but-secure the Division by Wednesday eve as the Indians go for three more losses beginning Monday.
9 up with 28 to go would be a very good place to be as they look to end the miserable postseason streak.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another shining week for the Fargo area sports scene!