Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images Giants perspective on Philadelphia’s offseason edge rusher addition. The Philadelphia Eagles signed one free agent this offseason who qualified for a contract that counts against their compensatory pick formula: Azeez Ojulari. In other words, he’s their biggest veteran free agent investment. Let’s learn more about the 24-year-old edge rusher by getting a New York Giants perspective on him. Here’s what Ed Valentine of Big Blue View had to say about Ojulari through answers to my questions. 1 – Can you recap his time with the Giants? Had a really promising rookie season with 8.0 sacks, though his supporting numbers — like pressure rate and win percentage weren’t fantastic. Only played in 29 of 51 regular season games his last three seasons as injuries were a constant problem. Productive pass rusher who just hasn’t been able to stay on the field. 2 – Why was he available for so cheap and are you annoyed that the Giants didn’t retain him for a low cost? Injuries. The Giants have waited … and waited … and waited for him to be healthy. I think they could have easily matched/exceeded one year, $4 million but have gotten tired of being teased. 3 – What are his strengths? Simply put, he’s a good pass rusher when he can stay healthy. 4 – What are his weaknesses? Health, as you might expect. It’s been one soft-tissue or lower body injury after another for Ojulari. Plus, he’s really a one-trick pony. He is a pass rusher. He is not a good run defender. 5 – Anything to know about him off the field? Arizona Cardinals OLB B.J.Ojulari is his younger brother. BLG’s take: I agree with BGN’s Jonny Page that the Ojulari signing was a no-brainer addition. It’s a low-risk signing that comes with good upside. That he was available for so cheap does raise some “buyer beware” red flags. And after watching some of his film from last year at a Fran Duffy PHLY film review event, I wasn’t overly impressed. But the Eagles needed help at edge rusher and I think Ojulari can ideally be a top three player at that position for them, assuming he’s able to put the injury bug behind him. The expectation here is that he’ll be more solid than a total revelation for the defense.
5 questions and answers about Azeez Ojulari
Joe Burrow says Jermaine Burton ‘has matured’
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images “He’s been working hard, which is exciting to see.” There were a lot of things that went wrong for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024. The defense was a shadow of its former self. There were sporadic issues on special teams and missed opportunities early in the season on offense. Rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton’s struggle kind of got lost in the storm unless you were paying close attention. He struggled on the field and had several issues off the field. When he fell to the Bengals in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft with well-known character concerns, the hope was veterans Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins could help mold the young wide receiver. Unfortunately, at least in 2024, nothing seemed to take. However, quarterback Joe Burrow recently heaped praise upon Burton, saying the young receiver entering his second year in the league has matured. “I think he’s stepped up this year so far, has taken it very seriously, and has matured, it seems like,” Burrow told reporters during a recent OTA session. “That’s exciting to see. Based on the conversations we’ve had, he’s in a good spot mentally and physically. “And he’s been working hard, which is exciting to see.” The Bengals locked up Chase and Higgins for the next few years this offseason, but there’s still room for a WR3 to emerge. Andrei Iosivas has been the most productive receiver on the roster not named Higgins or Chase, but he doesn’t have a stranglehold on the WR3 spot. Though the position is far from one of need on the Bengals’ roster, having another capable and talented wide receiver on the roster, especially on a rookie salary, can do nothing but help. Hopefully, what Burrow has seen so far this summer continues on into the regular season and beyond.
News: Cole becomes highest-paid punter with contract extension
AJ Cole | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Three-time Pro Bowler gets a raise heading into the season The Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to a contract extension with AJ Cole, making him the highest-paid punter in the NFL. According to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, Cole’s new contract is for four years and $15 million, with $11 million guaranteed. raider nation for life !!!!! https://t.co/13tTDLsntl — AJ Cole (@AJCole90) May 26, 2025 According to Over The Cap, Michael Dickson of the Seattle Seahawks was previously the league’s highest-paid punter at four years, about $14.7 million. Cole was entering the final year of a four-year, $12 million deal that he signed in 2021. So, the extension keeps him in the Silver and Black for the foreseeable future. He’s already spent six seasons in Las Vegas, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl bids from 2021 to 2023 and has been a first-team All-Pro twice, in ‘21 and ‘23. Last season, Cole ranked third with 50.8 yards per punt, fifth with a net average of 43.8 yards and had 27 of his 67 punts land inside the 20-yard line. He also serves as the team’s holder on field goal and PAT attempts. By extending Cole, the Raiders have locked down one of the most consistent players on the roster and don’t have to worry about adding anyone at the position the coaching staff hopes never sees the field; punter.
The Linc – The NFL keeps coming for the Eagles
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 5/26/25. Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … NFL commish Roger Goodell questions ‘integrity’ of current salary cap system – Acme Packing CompanyThe recent success of the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that spent $115 million more in cash than the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 and is set to be a top-seven cash spender in the NFL again in 2025, almost certainly is an issue for some ownership groups. The Eagles’ mantra has been to extend players early on their rookie contracts, sometimes immediately after their third year in the league is over, and to consistently convert their salaries into signing bonuses to spread the cap payments over several years, by which point cap dollars will be more diluted. The timing of their contracts all escalate up to the 2029 season, which is when the NFL is expected to opt out of their current broadcast deals and sign a massive new set of contracts with streaming services. In the world the Eagles are operating in, it’s a legitimate strategy to be hyper-aggressive at the start of new broadcast contracts and then slowly make cap payments on those teams as you reach the end of the deal. That only works if owners are willing to pay that kind of big cash immediately, though, which we’ve seen teams like the Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals balk at over the last decade. The game is different when people are playing the game. The idea of the “hard cap” made sense up until Covid, but now teams are well aware of how salary conversions and void years can be used to manipulate the current cap system. If I were to guess as to what Goodell was referring to, the “integrity” question that league members are asking themselves is whether how the NFL treats the accounting of signing bonus and/or roster bonus dollars on the cap should be changed under the next collective bargaining agreement. Funnily enough, the biggest benefactor of this might be the Eagles, the team that has taken advantage of this strategy more than anyone. A change to the cap system will mean that teams will no longer be able to do what Philadelphia executed, all the way to a Super Bowl. Changes the NFL Could Consider with the Salary Cap and CBA – Over The Cap think when you look at loopholes in the cap there are also other things besides the void years that some may think are not in the spirit of the cap. The modification of contracts to allow for a post June 1 designation is something I could see the league considering removing. There are a few teams that have done this, with the Eagles being the first I can recall, and they have gotten around the NFL’s original rule prohibiting the renegotiation after the end of the regular season by reworking a deal the last week of the year. In general the June 1 designations could be a discussion point. Massive bogus void year salaries have allowed teams to get around rules surrounding renegotiations while also escaping certain salary cap treatments. Certain teams are tanking or finding ways to carry over massive amounts of cap room to increase the ability to spend the following year. Per game bonuses hidden as NLTBE incentives. Even insurance premiums could be a point of discussion. I think it is clear that as the NFL approaches their next CBA they have already identified areas that they may want to discuss tweaking to try to bring things back to how the NFL functioned and spent from 2011 to 2018. Some teams would certainly be strongly against these changes but many I think would support changing things if it means finding ways to reduce player compensation and bring costs down more in line to what the NFL owners felt was fair about a decade ago. 5 questions and answers about Azeez Ojulari – BGNThe Philadelphia Eagles signed one free agent this offseason who qualified for a contract that counts against their compensatory pick formula: Azeez Ojulari. In other words, he’s their biggest veteran free agent investment. Let’s learn more about the 24-year-old edge rusher by getting a New York Giants perspective on him. Here’s what Ed Valentine of Big Blue View had to say about Ojulari through answers to my questions. Eagles rally around Sirianni as coach signs extension – ESPNEagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown said he didn’t know how long Nick Sirianni’s new multiyear contract ran, but that didn’t stop him from synching his future with that of his head coach. “[Last week] I told him congrats, and I told him I’m done when he’s done,” Brown said. Player after player who took to the podium on Tuesday welcomed the news of Sirianni’s extension, a group that included Brown, quarterback Jalen Hurts and left tackle Jordan Mailata. That makes plenty of sense. Philadelphia is coming off a Super Bowl-winning campaign. Sirianni is 54-23 with the Eagles, including the postseason. His .701 win percentage is the fifth best by any coach in NFL history (minimum 75 games), per ESPN Research. He is the first head coach to earn four playoff appearances, two conference championships and a Super Bowl title in his first four seasons. But it’s been a more turbulent ride than the final results suggest. Love to Hate – Iggles BlitzI jokingly asked a couple of co-workers how excited they were by the news that the tush push wasn’t banned. Both of them responded they were actually disappointed. They also told me they had developed a hatred for the Eagles. This caught me off guard. One is a Broncos fan and the other a Panthers fan. Neither of those teams is a rival for the Eagles. I thought about their response for a bit and then it hit me. The Super Bowl champion Eagles are so good they are now worth hating. That’s actually quite a
Can these UDFAs “edge’ their way onto the Rams roster?
Rams sign USC edge Jamil Muhammad as a free agent | Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images Josh Pearcy and Jamil Muhammad have their work cut out At first glance, the Los Angeles Rams edge unit seems a position of strength. Of the main characters, Jared Verse looks to be a star on the rise, Byron Young has produced two solid seasons, and L.A. used a Round 3 pick in the 2025 draft to add Josiah Stewart, a highly-projected college edge. After the Top 3, there’s not a lot of clarity. Both Brennan Jackson and Nick Hampton battled injuries last season. Jackson got behind in camp with a soft tissue problem and lingering issues limited his rookie year to being active in only eight games. Hampton did special teams work until tearing a pectoral muscle and shutting down in Week 13. Keir Thomas enters his fourth season with the Rams and although not prototypical in size or athleticism, has the most on-field experience, playing in 17 games with 204 defensive snaps and 147 on special teams. In addition to drafting Stewart, L.A. brought in two undrafted free agents to compete. Let’s take a capsule look at them. Meet the candidates Jamil Muhammad – USC 6’ 1” 254 lb. 32 3/4” arms 10” hands Pro Day: 1.67/4.83 forty 7.18 shuttle 4.47 3cone 31” vert 9’ 6” broad 25 reps Fifth-year senior was a high school All-Region quarterback and originally signed with Vanderbilt. Muhammad did not suit up for the Commodores before moving to Georgia State for three seasons and switching to the defensive side. For the Panthers, he accrued 10 starts in 34 games with 70 tackles, 11 for loss, and 7.5 sacks. He transferred to USC for the 2023 and ‘24 seasons, starting 22 of 26 games and posting 73 tackles, 12 for loss, and 7.5 sacks. Muhammad’s frame is on the short/squatty side compared to NFL edge standards, but has adequate length and good upper body strength. He uses this natural low leverage to his advantage, whether on the bullrush or using a long arm move and spinning off of it. Although not a gifted athlete, he does have a loose body with short area agility, a good first step, and change of direction. I not sure if it means anything, but Muhammad lined up primarily on the short side of the field. He makes short drops into coverage smoothly and is a good tackler. He gets a lot of hustle/effort sacks, staying aware of where the ball goes and hustling to it in pursuit. As defensive ends go, Muhammad is still in the learning stage of the position and getting used to 40+ pounds he’s had to add. He’s bulked up to a similar frame as Rams Round 3 draftee, Josiah Stewart. Muhammad showed he could step up in class by having a strong first season at USC, but fell off a bit in stats and starts in Year 2. He checks off a lot of L.A.’s late-round boxes, smart, 100% effort, stepping up in class, and special teams experience. https://t.co/tgTkZuJuskJamil Muhammad (USC) is an Edge with an EDGE #ProOne — Tyler Mann (@Mann_Tyler) April 21, 2025 Josh Pearcy – Rice 6’ 2” 238 lb. 34 3/4” arms 9 1/4” hands Pro Day: 1.71/4.99 forty 7.43 shuttle 4.50 3cone 36” vert 10’ 2” broad 23 reps Sixth-year senior chose Rice for athletics and academics. After a four-game redshirt season, Pearcy went on to play in 54 total games for the Owls, chalking up 210 tackles, 33 for loss, 16 sacks, and defended three passes. He worked his way into starting role with hard work on special teams, being named a captain while playing on both coverage and return units. He was a distance sprinter in high school. Well put together frame with room for more, particularly with his long legs. Pearcy showed versatility in where lined up. Rice used a base 4-2-5 defense where he was on the edge, either upright or with a hand in the dirt. They also used a 3-3-5 stack package where he played as an off-ball linebacker. He’s a effort player that needs to improve his stack/shed ability. Hard to find extended film of Rice defense and he played as part of a rotation, his 2023 film looks more instinctive and active. Good in pursuit and tackling. Edge Players at Pearcy’s size and overall athleticism face an uphill battle in the NFL and the versatility to play off-ball linebacker could help greatly. Realistically, hIs path is to catch eyes with hustle and effort in practice and take advantage of special teams work in preseason games. Another hard-working, smart player with the developmental traits the Rams covet for the bottom half of their roster. Josh Pearcy is the 15th winner of the OJ Brigance Award.https://t.co/BMsFknTJrs — Rice Football (@RiceFootball) April 13, 2024 These candidates face long odds Unless injuries decimate the edge room, the likelihood of making the opening roster is nil. Since the Rams will could easily start the season with four edge players and three of those spots are locked in (Verse, Young, Stewart), a more realistic battle for these two prospects is for one practice squad slot. Both have the advantage of extended work on special teams and fit the Rams mold of smart, high-effort play. Muhammad has good film versus top competition, while Pearcy has two position versatility potential. To make it, both need to really flash in camp and/or preseason games.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Contract Delay, Vikings News, and NFL Updates
Filed under: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Contract Delay, Vikings News, and NFL Updates As the NFL offseason heats up, Two Old Bloggers delivers the analysis and passion that make it a staple for Vikings fans. Whether you’re curious about Adofo-Mensah’s future, excited for McCarthy’s potential, or intrigued by Jefferson’s Olympic dreams, this episode has it all. Packed with expert commentary, fan engagement, and a nod to Memorial Day, it’s a perfect blend of news and community spirit. By May 26, 2025, 12:56pm CDT
Fantasy Football ADP Battle: Garrett Wilson vs. Marvin Harrison Jr.
Today’s matchup features New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as we evaluate the best option to kick off the third round. Fantasy Football ADP Battle: Garrett Wilson vs. Marvin Harrison Jr. 2T2D82D Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) runs during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Purdue, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) By Jonathon Macri Posted May 26, 2025 7:30 am EDT Garrett Wilson stands alone at the top of the New York Jets‘ wide receiver depth chart: With Davante Adams no longer in the picture, Wilson faces little competition for targets in 2025, setting the stage for another high-volume season. Marvin Harrison Jr. should be in for a breakout season in Year 2: The No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 draft dealt with one of the league’s worst rates of uncatchable targets as a rookie, but even modest regression to the mean could help him meet expectations in 2025. Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more! This fantasy football article series breaks down the toughest draft-day decisions facing fantasy managers, using Underdog’s average draft position (ADP) as a guide. Each installment compares similarly ranked players at the same position, using key stats from previous seasons and contextual factors — including team situation — to identify the better pick. Today’s matchup features New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as we evaluate the best option to kick off the third round. Let’s break it down. GARRETT WILSON (WR13) versus MARVIN HARRISON JR. (WR14) Wilson delivered his first WR1 season in 2024 after narrowly missing top-20 finishes in each of his first two years. Finishing as the PPR WR9, he produced at a high level with Aaron Rodgers — his first significant quarterback upgrade — and will look to do the same with Justin Fields under center in 2025. Expectations were high for Harrison Jr. heading into his rookie season. Touted as an elite wide receiver prospect and selected fourth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, he was projected to provide fringe WR1 production. Instead, he finished as the PPR WR33 through 17 weeks. Still, drafters remain optimistic about a breakout in 2025. INVOLVEMENT IN THE OFFENSE Wilson earned 152 targets in 2024, the third-most in the league, a major driver behind his WR1-level fantasy production. He was targeted at least 10 times in six games, including a Week 5 outing where he saw 21 targets, tied for the most in a single week by any player that season. Before Davante Adams arrived in Week 7, Wilson led the league with 65 targets through six weeks. Harrison didn’t finish as a top-20 fantasy wide receiver as a rookie, but he did rank inside the top 20 at the position with 114 total targets. However, as will be detailed shortly, he was hampered by a concerning lack of catchable passes. While he wasn’t consistently the top weekly target in Arizona, maintaining his 21.0% target share should typically be enough to support a top-24 fantasy finish over a full season. PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCE Wilson’s per-route efficiency in 2024 placed him just inside the top 50 wide receivers, suggesting his production stemmed more from sheer volume than elite output. Entering Year 4, his potential as a top-tier receiver still feels untapped. Greater efficiency with his many opportunities could elevate his ceiling, though his projected volume alone keeps that from being a necessity. For Harrison Jr., the most glaring number is his catchable target rate, which ranked in the eighth percentile among wide receivers, one of the worst marks in the league. With such poor accuracy on his targets, a significant amount of potential production went unrealized. This inefficiency, as detailed earlier, supports the case for positive regression in 2025 and offers a clear path to top-15 fantasy wide receiver status. HIGH-VALUE TARGET INVOLVEMENT One of Wilson’s primary advantages over Harrison Jr. in 2024 was his ability to separate, a key factor in securing more catchable targets. That edge wasn’t present for the rookie, who lagged behind most top wide receivers in that area. Wilson’s red-zone involvement also led to four of his seven receiving touchdowns, even while sharing targets with Aaron Rodgers’ preferred option near the goal line, Davante Adams. Harrison Jr. wasn’t the top red-zone target for his team either, with that role belonging to tight end Trey McBride, who surprisingly finished with just two touchdowns. Still, Harrison Jr. made the most of his chances, converting five touchdowns on 14 red-zone targets. TEAM PASSING/QUARTERBACK SITUATION Both wide receivers will catch passes from two of the league’s most mobile quarterbacks. Wilson will be working with the more mobile of the two in Justin Fields, though Fields also comes with the lower passing grade. While his success as a passer has been limited in the NFL, Fields did support a fantasy WR1 for a full season as recently as 2023 with D.J. Moore. Meanwhile, Murray had his best passing season since 2021, finishing among the top 12 quarterbacks in PFF passing grade. It was his first full healthy season in that stretch, and he should continue to trend upward. Although Murray’s chemistry with Harrison Jr. wasn’t fully developed in their first year together, that’s expected to improve significantly in 2025, a boost that would raise the fantasy outlook for both players. POTENTIAL 2025 TARGET COMPETITION After Davante Adams joined the team in Week 7, Wilson ranked as the PPR WR19 for the remainder of the fantasy season — a drop from WR7 before Adams’ arrival. With Adams now gone, the Jets’ target competition is significantly reduced. Allen Lazard is still on the roster as of now, but persistent offseason rumors suggest he could be traded or released, further consolidating the target share in Wilson’s favor for 2025. In
What was the most impactful move of the Rams’ offseason?
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Poona Ford may be the biggest difference maker new in 2025 The Los Angeles Rams were on the cusp away from hosting an NFC Championship last season. They hope the handful of tweaks they made this offseason will be enough to put them into Super Bowl considerations. What is the move that will make the single-most difference from 2024 to 2025? I’ll go with signing former Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford, who further solidifies an already aggressive line. Defensive lineman Poona Ford and the #Rams have agreed to terms on a three-year deal just under $30M with $17M guaranteed, per sources. Ford experienced a career rebirth in 2024, gets rewarded. Agent @Murphy_McGuire of @OctagonFootball negotiated the deal. pic.twitter.com/EieDppRNH7 — Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 10, 2025 The case for Ford The Rams clearly needed a run stuffer in the interior of the defensive front. Braden Fiske is a standout pass rusher but he can be a liability in terms of slowing down the ground game. Ford will replace the role held by Neville Gallimore and Bobby Brown a year ago and is a marked improvement over those players. Last season for the Chargers, Ford finished with a Pro Football Focus (PFF) run defense grade of 80.3. This was his second-best mark since his rookie season in 2018 with the Seattle Seahawks. But while Ford is best-known as a run stuffer, he can still play a big role in collapsing the pocket and rushing the quarterback. He notched 25 pressures this season on 384 snaps (6.5%), which was the third-best figure across his career. In 2020 he accumulated 28 pressures on 430 snaps (6.5%) and 33 on 427 (7.7%) in 2021. The Rams watched Saquon Barkley run through their defense for multiple long touchdowns last year. Signing Poona Ford is putting the foot down and doing what you can to prevent history from repeating. *Weekly Poona Ford wrecks a screen tweet* pic.twitter.com/OjtiJaEp52 — Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) December 21, 2024 The case against others Consider me skeptical for now about the Davante Adams signing. Shipping out Cooper Kupp for a similarly-aged receiver on the wrong side of 30 is a needle I wouldn’t want to thread. We’ve seen this movie before in Los Angeles with Odell Beckham, Jr. and Allen Robinson. Will Adams be the sole individual out of these three to make a consistent impact? If considering each draft pick for the most impactful move of the offseason, I think for 2025 alone I’d go with Jarquez Hunter. While Blake Corum is expected to be Kyren Williams’ direct backup, Hunter will probably see the field most often as a complimentary skillset to Williams. The rookie was brought in to be a playmaker for an offense devoid of explosive plays on the ground or on check downs and he will get plenty of opportunities to prove his worth in year one.
Silver Minings: Rich Eisen believes the ‘Raiders Being Good Is Good For The NFL’
Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images Rich Eisen gives his thoughts on the new Las Vegas Raiders regime and why them building a winner is good for the NFL The Las Vegas Raiders have a new regime in town with John Spytek and Pete Carroll. The tandem received rave reviews for their draft picks, and they hope the selections turn into consistent contributors. With the OTAs underway and the schedule out for fans to buy their away game tickets, the season is getting closer. As the season approaches, the Raiders’ upside for an improved season continues to grow. Rich Eisen from NFL Network has always been a supporter of the Raiders franchise’s turnaround. In one of his latest episodes, he explained why the Silver and Black winning games is good for the league. “The Raiders being good is good for the National Football League,” Eisen exclaimed. “You ought to win as a pirate, let’s go. I’m really fired up. The AFC West is going to be lit, and the Raiders being good is good for business, just good for business.” Raider Nation has heard this before, and the fanbase does travel well when they are winning. That just hasn’t been the case the past twenty-plus seasons, with losing seasons constantly piling up. Every Raiders fan wants to make the league better by watching this franchise become contenders on a regular basis. In other Raiders News: TDL film breakdown of new UDFA rookies: The guys at Tape Don’t Lie have a new breakdown featuring UDFA rookies CB Greedy Vance Jr. and IOL Jarrod Hufford. Jim Otto inspires the new Protector of the Year award: Jim Otto inspired the newest award, which will be given to the best offensive line. Mike Hilton could be the missing piece for the secondary: Moe Moton of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders should sign Mike Hilton to help add depth to the secondary.
Memorial Day 2025: Remembering those who gave their all
Every year, on Memorial Day, I ask you to take a minute to remember why we have this holiday. Each year, here on The Phinsider, I ask each of you to turn away from football for moment for a very special reason. Today marks the unofficial start of summer and features cookouts, friends, and the enjoying of a long weekend. But, this holiday comes with a heavy price tag, and I ask that we all remember why Memorial Day exists. As I say each year, there is nothing wrong with enjoying your friends and family today. The service members for whom this holiday exists want that. That is why they fought for the freedoms we all enjoy. But it is important that we remember the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen we have lost. Their sacrifice is what gives us this holiday and the freedom to enjoy the day, friends and family, football, and everything else we love. Over the years, Memorial Day has become a second Veterans Day, with the focus on the service member, but that is not the point of the day. While service members are never going to complain about receiving your thanks, that is not why we have today’s holiday. It is, instead, about those who cannot be with us. The ones who truly gave everything they had, including their own lives, so that we can continue to enjoy our way of life. It’s for the men and women buried in Arlington National Cemetery, veterans cemeteries all around the country – and world – and for the ones who may never come home. As the saying goes, “All gave some, some gave all.” Today is not about the all. Today is about the some. Friends and family members who left and did not come home. The service members who are remembered with crosses, Stars of David, crescents, and headstones. The service members that still lie on a battlefield somewhere in the world, and may never get the chance to be laid to rest with the rest of their family or comrades. Today, “Happy” is not the right sentiment for the holiday. Be happy, enjoy the day, enjoy your friends and family, but remember, saying “Happy Memorial Day” is a little off. Today is for Major Christopher Nogle, who I still do not understand how he is not here with us; I love you and miss you every day, Christopher. It is also for Sergeant Christopher Taylor, Specialist Russell Nahvi, Sergeant Arthur Mora, Specialist Jose Rosario, Captain Kevin Smith, Specialist Lex Nelson, Specialist Joseph Lucas, Sergeant First Class Jonathan Lowery, Sergeant Benjamin Portell, Captain Rowdy Inman, Staff Sergeant Bryant Mackey, Staff Sergeant Chad Caldwell, Specialist Alex Gonzalez, Sergeant Jose Regalado, Specialist Corey Shea, Corporal Andrew Wilfahrt, Private First Class Robert Friese, and Sergeant Dennis Lee. It is for so very many others. Today is a day to remember that freedom is not free. Today is a day to remember the service members who died while serving our country. Have fun today and tonight. Enjoy the unofficial start to summer. Hopefully you are grilling some great meat, crushing some amazing food, and enjoying great weather. Be smart if you are drinking, and don’t drive. But, at some point today, take a moment to remember why we have Memorial Day, and maybe teach someone else the importance of the day.
