Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Went back and watched the Senior Bowl again...was reminiscing about last year's Senior Bowl when a young CB from a small college showed the kind of speed and playmaking ability that makes you sit up and say wow.
This year I had that feeling about a handful of players...as they say "the cream always rises"...and there are just some players who make it impossible for you not to notice them.
QB Pat White. Named the captain by his South teammates...there is simply something special about this kid...every time he is in the game it seems good things happen, thanks to his impeccable poise and cat-quick reactions. He read the plays well, threw a TD bomb to perfection to a streaking Mississippi WR Mike Wallace...and each time a play broke down he scooted for positive yards. They say the great players make everyone around them better and this is the case with White.
The thing is...you look at him he looks like a small scrawny kid, but then you look at how he handles himself and how fearless he plays and you just shake your head and say wow.
It will be very interesting to see where he goes and to whom he goes in this draft, especially now that the Wildcat formation is in vogue...because White can contribute in that role immediately and could very well also be used as a kickoff returner and slot WR.
The only way the Cardinals take him, IMO, and, I really believe they would knowing how much Whiz loves to utililize specialty players, particularly in the red zone, is if the Cardinals acquire extra picks in a Boldin trade. My guess is that White will be taken somewhere in the 85-100 range...which may seem early to some, but not for those who see the competitive advantage of having a specialist QB on the roster.
QB John Parker Wilson of Alabama. Nifty feet. Lacks a big arm but managed the game well and is farily accurate on his throws. Good athlete. Seems like 5th to 6th rounder, and could develop well in the right system.
The other QBs in this game looked small and didn't show nearly as much promise. Rhett Bomar has ability but he's very inconsistent. Graham Harrell has a quick release, but very little arm strength. Nathan Brown of Central Arkansas is a shade over 6 feet and throws sidearm...but did move the ball when he was in there.
QB Conclusion: If the Cardinals acquire a second 3rd rounder, and Pat White is sitting there at #95...he would be tempting. Can't see him still available at #131. If John Parker Wilson is available in the 6th round (#204), he'd be a consideration.
RB. This may surprise you but the guy I liked the most for the Cardinals was Jeremiah Johnson of Oregon. He has the quickest feet of the bunch and showed success at every type of run in this game. On a 4th in one he darted off-tackle for 12 yards...on the third and goal from the 3 yard line he took a pitch left, showed great speed and made a textbook inside-out move that enabled him to beat the speedy CB Alphonso Smith to the pylon. In my assessment, Johnson would be a perfect replacement for J.J. Arrington, and would be even better.
I liked Kory Sheets of Purdue, liked his feet and burst...wasn't as balanced on his feet as Johnson...but is a similar player and a very good return man.
Andre Brown of NC St. is the most impressive physically...and he runs well, a little upright, which may cause some of his injuries...but he's the kind of player who seems to get up limping after every hit and wants a breather. His talent is unmistakable...but he just seems like RB who has all the ability but doesn't really love the game, especially the physical aspects of it.
I like RBs who take a hit and bounce right up...and for me that guy in this game was Cedric Peerman of Virginia. Peerman ran hard and well, but he carries the ball up near his chin like another Virginia grad, Tikki Barber...and was easily stripped up the middle in traffic when Rey Maualuga simply poked at the ball. But Peerman will fight for every last inch of a run and will break some tackles. The small hands and fumbling issue are concerns.
Rashad Jennings of Liberty has pretty good speed to go with a rugged body...but he seems to lack the balance and center of gravity that good big backs need. Essenmtially he's a big back who plays like a scat back.
James Davis of Clemson doesn't run hard enough for my liking. Like Andre Brown, he doesn't seem to relish the game.
RB Conclusion: Cedric Perrman would have value at #131, but would be reach at #95. But the RB I would want more than any other is Jeremiah Johnson and, while I would hope to get him or Kory Sheets at #167, I have a feeling that #131 is where he should be taken because I don't see him lasting beyond the #150 range.
OL: This game had me drooling at the OL prospects. The first guy that jumped out at me was LT Michael Oher of Mississippi. Great feet and balance...looked alot to me like Jason Peters...and he totally dominated DEs Larry English and Cody Brown in the game.
But...the G/C quartet of Alex Mack, Eric Wood, Max Unger and Antoine Caldwell is probably the best in ages. I like all four of them...I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Wood and Unger seem the strongest at the point of attack, while Mack and Caldwell are very sharp fundamentally. Their versatility is particularly appealing, as all of them split time between guard and center, and all of them handled both positions well.
Herman Johnson of LSU is maybe the biggest football player coming out of college I have seen in a long time, maybe ever. Not sure if he has the feet to play RT...and similarly, I question how he would manage the footwork it takes to be a good NFL guard. If he were more aggressive I would wonder what he would like like at DT...he's 6-8, 390 pounds for crying out loud.
The guard prospects in this game were impressive as well. Kraig Urbik of Wisconsin is a mauler. Andy Levitre of Oregon St. plays with good leverege and instincts. Tyronne Green of Auburn has great intitial pop, but needs to sustain his blocks longer. And Trevor Canfield of Cincinnati looked solid as well.
T Phil Loadholt of Oklahoma and Troy Kropog of Tulane have decent skills and strength, but seemed vulnerable at times on the edge.
OL Conclusion: I found myself thinking the Cardinals have to find a way to pick one of the C/G quartet of Mack, Wood, Unger and Caldwell...and one of them might be still on the board at #63, probably Unger or Caldwell. The #63 pick, however, will be perhaps the most tantalizing of all the Cardinals' picks because of their need for pass rushing linebackers...and the last of the good ones will be there at #63. So, as tempting as it may be to take a C/G at #63, I think the Cardinals will wait and take a player like G Tyronne Green later on.
TE: I watched Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma St. every play, and must say, I was extremely disappointed. He was no factor in the game whatsoever. He got beat a couple of times badly in pass protection, as one time DE Kyle Moore of USC blew right past him to sack the QB. His routes were not crisp, he was rounding them off, and basically the kid did nothing to command the ball. His ability is evident, but his lackluster play was disconcerting. Honestly, if you didn't know how highly regarded he is and you saw him in this game, you would not even remotely consider him a first rounder.
There was a TE, however, that caught my eye and that was Connor Barwin of Cincinnati. Not only is he speedy, his downblocks on running plays to his side were excellent...he blew one DE five yards down the line of scrimmage.
TE Conclusion: Pettigrew did not look worthy of the #31 pick.
WR: Mike Wallace of Mississippi is a burner, but not a good underneath route runner. Brian Robiskie of Ohio St. plays with great size and uses his body well to shield his CB from the ball, but he's not as strong as he should be getting his feet down or running for yards after the catch.
WR Concusion: Wallace might be a good 6th-7th round pick due to his speed.
Impressions of the Defensive Players:
DT Jeria Perry, Kansas. Love this kid. Disruptive, strong and quick. Looks like a late first rounder for sure.
DT Mitch King, Iowa. What a motor this kid has, even though he's not a tall or heavy as you'd like. He's a great tackler, plays with excellent pad level so that's he's ready to burst into the RB or QB at any time. Never takes a play off. This kid is a winner and I think is made to order as a 34 DE.
DT Corvey Irvin, Georgia. Flashes real good ability. reminds me a little of a sightly smaller Alan Branch (looks like him facially as well). Has the physical attributes, but plays in spurts and needs technique work. Made a nice sack with Ayers in the end zone to cause a fumble for a TD.
DT Conclusion: This is what's crazy about evaluating talent...if given the choice between the more physically gifted Irvin or the more aggressive and fundamental King, and both were sitting there on the board at #131 or #167, I would give the nod to King.
DE/OLB Larry English: lined up in a three point stance two yards from the neutral zone (unlike any of the other DEs), why? Got off the ball decently but either was steered way too wide of the pocket on his outside moves, or he crashed on a straight line down the line of scrimmage on run plays (reminded me of the Cardinal DEs like LaBoy---which drives me crazy), thus losing contain...and one time left a gaping cutback hole which Rashad Jennings used for an 18 yard gain. English battled hard and one time he made a nice spin move that got him the closest he came all day to the QB...but he was basically dominated by Michael Oher.
What we don't know is how well English will take to switching to OLB. He looks more than ahtletic enough. And it would be interesting to know how well he would have rushed the edge from a wider angle and out of a two point stance. But, it appears clear to me that as of right now English would not be the immediate DE pass rushing threat in the 4 lineman nickel and dime packages that the Cardinals need.
The one guy more than any other who looked like he could is Robert Ayers of Tennessee, who had a great week in Mobile and a very impressive game. I wished I had seen him matched up on Michael Oher, but they were on the same team. Ayers had his way with T Phil Loadholt. Ayers is more thickly built and looks significantly more stronger than English. But...and this is the thing...what we don't know about Ayers is how well he could operate in space as a 34 OLB...one would think he would be great at levereging the corner...but would likely be a liability in coverage. What also concerns me about Ayers is the lack of tackle and sack numbers he put up at Tennessee. With all his ability, why were they so low (23 tackles and 4 sacks as a Junior, 33 tackles and 3 sacks as a Senior)? In this game, he picked his spots...and the knock on him is he does just that...doesn't rush hard every down.
Cody Brown of Connecticut had 33 tackles and 11 sacks last year...but, like English, had a hard time even breathing on the QB in this game...looked a little on the small side as well, although he's a hustler on every play. Didn't seem like a first day pick to me.
Lawrence Sidbury of Richmond...had very good speed, but looks smaller than I thought he would and got knocked off his feet a lot. Looks like a 4th-5th rounder, IMO.
One guy I was much more impressed with was David Veikune of Hawaii...actually I was nicely surprised not only by how disruptive he is off the edge with his quickness, but by how powerful he is when he gets his hands under the T. he can out-quick the T and bullrush him. This kid is super aggressive at all times...really relishes the physical aspects of his position.
And the guy that really intrigues me most is Connor Barwin of Cincinnati. He played TE and DE in this game and played WELL at both! I already mentioned how well he blocked and ran at TE...but at DE he is cat quick off the edge and never quits on a play. One time he had the tackle scurrying to steer him wide of the pocket, and John Parker Wilson stepped up away from Barwin, and-in a flash-Barwin circled back to the ball and appeared to get a piece of it causing Wilson's pass to fall way short of its target.
34 OLB Conclusion: I came away thinking that the best and most tenacious athlete I saw for this position was Connor Barwin. I do think that English and Ayers are good choices...yet, for what the Cardinals ask their OLBers to do, Barwin was the best suited. And the thought of what John Lott would do for Barwin has me very excited, because with Barwin's superior feet, when he adds 12 more pounds of muscle, he is going to be special. The other player I want the Cardinals to take is David Veikune. This kid has a great motor and comeptitive verve.
Added note about Barwin: the last time I saw an intriguing versatile player like this coming out of college, he was a rover hybrid free safety for New Mexico named Brian Urlacher. Urlacher had that something special about him, even though no one was sure what position he would play. I think Barwin will be special...and I think he can play the WILB spot if Dansby leaves, as well as play the WOLB spot. It's his combination of good size, aggressiveness and sheer speed that make him special.
ILB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh won me over big-time. Great at sifting through traffic and getting to the ball. Made all the tackles he possibly could. Textbook tackler. Plays with the right pad level.
ILB Rey Maualuga, USC...Mayock said it best, when Maualuga gets his hands on you it's all over...the problem is he misses too much. But still, his physical prowess is impressive.
LB Brian Cushing...really struggled in this game...missed some tackles and wasn't getting to the ball the way he should.
ILB Conclusion: If McKillop is on the board at #95, he's a great pick there. Won't last to #131.
CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest. Might be the best player at the Senior Bowl. Has the total package...speed, ball skills (21 career ints an ACC record), quickness and speed.
DB Sherrod Martin. Fast as blazes, but not a good tackler. You can teach tackoing, but you can't teach speed and ball skills...this kid has both.
FS Derek Pegues. Tough, rangy and speedy. Closes on the ball with a bang. Love this kid. Very good return man too.
CB Ellis Lankster, West Virginia looks to me like one of the great sleepers in this draft. Excellent hard hitting tackler and played near perfect technique in coverage, once leading to a nice pick.
DB Conclusion: If the Cardinals truly are going to draft BPA and CB Alphonso Smith is sitting there at #31, he could well be the pick. He would be a major contributor as a CB and FS...and let's not forget McFadden was only signed for two years. I'd love to see the Cardinals draft Pegues or Martin. #63 might be a tad too early, but if they pick up an added third rounder, either of them would be a great choice there.
This year I had that feeling about a handful of players...as they say "the cream always rises"...and there are just some players who make it impossible for you not to notice them.
QB Pat White. Named the captain by his South teammates...there is simply something special about this kid...every time he is in the game it seems good things happen, thanks to his impeccable poise and cat-quick reactions. He read the plays well, threw a TD bomb to perfection to a streaking Mississippi WR Mike Wallace...and each time a play broke down he scooted for positive yards. They say the great players make everyone around them better and this is the case with White.
The thing is...you look at him he looks like a small scrawny kid, but then you look at how he handles himself and how fearless he plays and you just shake your head and say wow.
It will be very interesting to see where he goes and to whom he goes in this draft, especially now that the Wildcat formation is in vogue...because White can contribute in that role immediately and could very well also be used as a kickoff returner and slot WR.
The only way the Cardinals take him, IMO, and, I really believe they would knowing how much Whiz loves to utililize specialty players, particularly in the red zone, is if the Cardinals acquire extra picks in a Boldin trade. My guess is that White will be taken somewhere in the 85-100 range...which may seem early to some, but not for those who see the competitive advantage of having a specialist QB on the roster.
QB John Parker Wilson of Alabama. Nifty feet. Lacks a big arm but managed the game well and is farily accurate on his throws. Good athlete. Seems like 5th to 6th rounder, and could develop well in the right system.
The other QBs in this game looked small and didn't show nearly as much promise. Rhett Bomar has ability but he's very inconsistent. Graham Harrell has a quick release, but very little arm strength. Nathan Brown of Central Arkansas is a shade over 6 feet and throws sidearm...but did move the ball when he was in there.
QB Conclusion: If the Cardinals acquire a second 3rd rounder, and Pat White is sitting there at #95...he would be tempting. Can't see him still available at #131. If John Parker Wilson is available in the 6th round (#204), he'd be a consideration.
RB. This may surprise you but the guy I liked the most for the Cardinals was Jeremiah Johnson of Oregon. He has the quickest feet of the bunch and showed success at every type of run in this game. On a 4th in one he darted off-tackle for 12 yards...on the third and goal from the 3 yard line he took a pitch left, showed great speed and made a textbook inside-out move that enabled him to beat the speedy CB Alphonso Smith to the pylon. In my assessment, Johnson would be a perfect replacement for J.J. Arrington, and would be even better.
I liked Kory Sheets of Purdue, liked his feet and burst...wasn't as balanced on his feet as Johnson...but is a similar player and a very good return man.
Andre Brown of NC St. is the most impressive physically...and he runs well, a little upright, which may cause some of his injuries...but he's the kind of player who seems to get up limping after every hit and wants a breather. His talent is unmistakable...but he just seems like RB who has all the ability but doesn't really love the game, especially the physical aspects of it.
I like RBs who take a hit and bounce right up...and for me that guy in this game was Cedric Peerman of Virginia. Peerman ran hard and well, but he carries the ball up near his chin like another Virginia grad, Tikki Barber...and was easily stripped up the middle in traffic when Rey Maualuga simply poked at the ball. But Peerman will fight for every last inch of a run and will break some tackles. The small hands and fumbling issue are concerns.
Rashad Jennings of Liberty has pretty good speed to go with a rugged body...but he seems to lack the balance and center of gravity that good big backs need. Essenmtially he's a big back who plays like a scat back.
James Davis of Clemson doesn't run hard enough for my liking. Like Andre Brown, he doesn't seem to relish the game.
RB Conclusion: Cedric Perrman would have value at #131, but would be reach at #95. But the RB I would want more than any other is Jeremiah Johnson and, while I would hope to get him or Kory Sheets at #167, I have a feeling that #131 is where he should be taken because I don't see him lasting beyond the #150 range.
OL: This game had me drooling at the OL prospects. The first guy that jumped out at me was LT Michael Oher of Mississippi. Great feet and balance...looked alot to me like Jason Peters...and he totally dominated DEs Larry English and Cody Brown in the game.
But...the G/C quartet of Alex Mack, Eric Wood, Max Unger and Antoine Caldwell is probably the best in ages. I like all four of them...I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Wood and Unger seem the strongest at the point of attack, while Mack and Caldwell are very sharp fundamentally. Their versatility is particularly appealing, as all of them split time between guard and center, and all of them handled both positions well.
Herman Johnson of LSU is maybe the biggest football player coming out of college I have seen in a long time, maybe ever. Not sure if he has the feet to play RT...and similarly, I question how he would manage the footwork it takes to be a good NFL guard. If he were more aggressive I would wonder what he would like like at DT...he's 6-8, 390 pounds for crying out loud.
The guard prospects in this game were impressive as well. Kraig Urbik of Wisconsin is a mauler. Andy Levitre of Oregon St. plays with good leverege and instincts. Tyronne Green of Auburn has great intitial pop, but needs to sustain his blocks longer. And Trevor Canfield of Cincinnati looked solid as well.
T Phil Loadholt of Oklahoma and Troy Kropog of Tulane have decent skills and strength, but seemed vulnerable at times on the edge.
OL Conclusion: I found myself thinking the Cardinals have to find a way to pick one of the C/G quartet of Mack, Wood, Unger and Caldwell...and one of them might be still on the board at #63, probably Unger or Caldwell. The #63 pick, however, will be perhaps the most tantalizing of all the Cardinals' picks because of their need for pass rushing linebackers...and the last of the good ones will be there at #63. So, as tempting as it may be to take a C/G at #63, I think the Cardinals will wait and take a player like G Tyronne Green later on.
TE: I watched Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma St. every play, and must say, I was extremely disappointed. He was no factor in the game whatsoever. He got beat a couple of times badly in pass protection, as one time DE Kyle Moore of USC blew right past him to sack the QB. His routes were not crisp, he was rounding them off, and basically the kid did nothing to command the ball. His ability is evident, but his lackluster play was disconcerting. Honestly, if you didn't know how highly regarded he is and you saw him in this game, you would not even remotely consider him a first rounder.
There was a TE, however, that caught my eye and that was Connor Barwin of Cincinnati. Not only is he speedy, his downblocks on running plays to his side were excellent...he blew one DE five yards down the line of scrimmage.
TE Conclusion: Pettigrew did not look worthy of the #31 pick.
WR: Mike Wallace of Mississippi is a burner, but not a good underneath route runner. Brian Robiskie of Ohio St. plays with great size and uses his body well to shield his CB from the ball, but he's not as strong as he should be getting his feet down or running for yards after the catch.
WR Concusion: Wallace might be a good 6th-7th round pick due to his speed.
Impressions of the Defensive Players:
DT Jeria Perry, Kansas. Love this kid. Disruptive, strong and quick. Looks like a late first rounder for sure.
DT Mitch King, Iowa. What a motor this kid has, even though he's not a tall or heavy as you'd like. He's a great tackler, plays with excellent pad level so that's he's ready to burst into the RB or QB at any time. Never takes a play off. This kid is a winner and I think is made to order as a 34 DE.
DT Corvey Irvin, Georgia. Flashes real good ability. reminds me a little of a sightly smaller Alan Branch (looks like him facially as well). Has the physical attributes, but plays in spurts and needs technique work. Made a nice sack with Ayers in the end zone to cause a fumble for a TD.
DT Conclusion: This is what's crazy about evaluating talent...if given the choice between the more physically gifted Irvin or the more aggressive and fundamental King, and both were sitting there on the board at #131 or #167, I would give the nod to King.
DE/OLB Larry English: lined up in a three point stance two yards from the neutral zone (unlike any of the other DEs), why? Got off the ball decently but either was steered way too wide of the pocket on his outside moves, or he crashed on a straight line down the line of scrimmage on run plays (reminded me of the Cardinal DEs like LaBoy---which drives me crazy), thus losing contain...and one time left a gaping cutback hole which Rashad Jennings used for an 18 yard gain. English battled hard and one time he made a nice spin move that got him the closest he came all day to the QB...but he was basically dominated by Michael Oher.
What we don't know is how well English will take to switching to OLB. He looks more than ahtletic enough. And it would be interesting to know how well he would have rushed the edge from a wider angle and out of a two point stance. But, it appears clear to me that as of right now English would not be the immediate DE pass rushing threat in the 4 lineman nickel and dime packages that the Cardinals need.
The one guy more than any other who looked like he could is Robert Ayers of Tennessee, who had a great week in Mobile and a very impressive game. I wished I had seen him matched up on Michael Oher, but they were on the same team. Ayers had his way with T Phil Loadholt. Ayers is more thickly built and looks significantly more stronger than English. But...and this is the thing...what we don't know about Ayers is how well he could operate in space as a 34 OLB...one would think he would be great at levereging the corner...but would likely be a liability in coverage. What also concerns me about Ayers is the lack of tackle and sack numbers he put up at Tennessee. With all his ability, why were they so low (23 tackles and 4 sacks as a Junior, 33 tackles and 3 sacks as a Senior)? In this game, he picked his spots...and the knock on him is he does just that...doesn't rush hard every down.
Cody Brown of Connecticut had 33 tackles and 11 sacks last year...but, like English, had a hard time even breathing on the QB in this game...looked a little on the small side as well, although he's a hustler on every play. Didn't seem like a first day pick to me.
Lawrence Sidbury of Richmond...had very good speed, but looks smaller than I thought he would and got knocked off his feet a lot. Looks like a 4th-5th rounder, IMO.
One guy I was much more impressed with was David Veikune of Hawaii...actually I was nicely surprised not only by how disruptive he is off the edge with his quickness, but by how powerful he is when he gets his hands under the T. he can out-quick the T and bullrush him. This kid is super aggressive at all times...really relishes the physical aspects of his position.
And the guy that really intrigues me most is Connor Barwin of Cincinnati. He played TE and DE in this game and played WELL at both! I already mentioned how well he blocked and ran at TE...but at DE he is cat quick off the edge and never quits on a play. One time he had the tackle scurrying to steer him wide of the pocket, and John Parker Wilson stepped up away from Barwin, and-in a flash-Barwin circled back to the ball and appeared to get a piece of it causing Wilson's pass to fall way short of its target.
34 OLB Conclusion: I came away thinking that the best and most tenacious athlete I saw for this position was Connor Barwin. I do think that English and Ayers are good choices...yet, for what the Cardinals ask their OLBers to do, Barwin was the best suited. And the thought of what John Lott would do for Barwin has me very excited, because with Barwin's superior feet, when he adds 12 more pounds of muscle, he is going to be special. The other player I want the Cardinals to take is David Veikune. This kid has a great motor and comeptitive verve.
Added note about Barwin: the last time I saw an intriguing versatile player like this coming out of college, he was a rover hybrid free safety for New Mexico named Brian Urlacher. Urlacher had that something special about him, even though no one was sure what position he would play. I think Barwin will be special...and I think he can play the WILB spot if Dansby leaves, as well as play the WOLB spot. It's his combination of good size, aggressiveness and sheer speed that make him special.
ILB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh won me over big-time. Great at sifting through traffic and getting to the ball. Made all the tackles he possibly could. Textbook tackler. Plays with the right pad level.
ILB Rey Maualuga, USC...Mayock said it best, when Maualuga gets his hands on you it's all over...the problem is he misses too much. But still, his physical prowess is impressive.
LB Brian Cushing...really struggled in this game...missed some tackles and wasn't getting to the ball the way he should.
ILB Conclusion: If McKillop is on the board at #95, he's a great pick there. Won't last to #131.
CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest. Might be the best player at the Senior Bowl. Has the total package...speed, ball skills (21 career ints an ACC record), quickness and speed.
DB Sherrod Martin. Fast as blazes, but not a good tackler. You can teach tackoing, but you can't teach speed and ball skills...this kid has both.
FS Derek Pegues. Tough, rangy and speedy. Closes on the ball with a bang. Love this kid. Very good return man too.
CB Ellis Lankster, West Virginia looks to me like one of the great sleepers in this draft. Excellent hard hitting tackler and played near perfect technique in coverage, once leading to a nice pick.
DB Conclusion: If the Cardinals truly are going to draft BPA and CB Alphonso Smith is sitting there at #31, he could well be the pick. He would be a major contributor as a CB and FS...and let's not forget McFadden was only signed for two years. I'd love to see the Cardinals draft Pegues or Martin. #63 might be a tad too early, but if they pick up an added third rounder, either of them would be a great choice there.
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