It wasn’t really Vaaks or Blackwell, it was more likely Blackwell vs Stojakovic. Vaaks was already in the fold when the Blackwell talk was heating up, but Andrej was still deciding.
But on a 4-4 team.
My guess is that ATM overreacted to their kicking woes and last season and overpaid for one of the best out there. But in doing so, they had less money for other positions.
From an Illinois standpoint, we’ve fared no worse with our kicking situation. At least up to this point.
IANAD, but as I understand it, modern appendectomy procedures are not as invasive as they used to be. Tiny incision and they essentially suck out the appendix. I would think recovery time should be minimal.