f13.net

Vick and Eagles sticking together for 2013/2014 season. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/301009585211334656)

Probably the best solution for the Eagles AND Vick.

I wonder what kind of pay cut he took. Also, I'm shocked they didn't just move on to something else. He's never going to last all season.

They don't really have many options that would be any better.

I don't know.. he might last in Chip's system if it works out correctly.

I don't believe anymore in his ability to not do something stupid and get injured. He's missed a total of 20+ games in his career due to injuries. He's played 16 games once in his career. He hasn't played more than 13 games in a season since going to prison.

On average Vick has been injured for 16% of his career when he was eligible. Throw in the time he missed for jail sentences, and Vick hasn't been able to play 31% of his possible career. Now he's 32, and all his numbers have been in steady decline since 2010, while he's fumbled more times in 2 years than he has in his last 4 seasons in Atlanta.

But, again, what are their options at this point? There's really not going to be any free agents worth picking up that would be a better shot than Vick.

I don't see a whole lotta interest in teams drafting Geno Smith... they might be able to grab him and have him watch what not to do for a year. No?

I think Alex Smith would be cheaper and better.

We don't know the details on the deal with Vick, which is a restructured deal for one year, so that's possible to go either way.

I'm hearing $10M as an early rumor.

Which would put him right around the same pricetag as Smith's current contract is going to be. Though, contract shit gets stupid, of course.

But, if we just look at it from the standpoint of rebuilding and moving towards the future, why move from Vick to Smith and spend around the same amount of money, just to look towards the future with a new QB? Why NOT just stick with Vick?

Because Smith has a better passer rating and has managed to post a 16 game season in the last 2 years?

This. Unless they've pretty much given up on the season or think that Nick Foles really is there guy, I'd have gone with Smith. Or fucking Matt Flynn. Or a block of wood on wheels with stickem on it, since that's the only way they won't turn the ball over 2-4 times a game. And if the contract IS $10 million? Vick ain't sitting on the bench unless he REALLY blows in camp.

Just as an FYI Harbaugh is currently talking like they want to keep Smith, so all that early talk about the 49ers granting him his release might have been premature.

But neither Smith nor Flynn are free agents, so the Eagles would have to give up draft picks to acquire either one.  Since I doubt anyone in the Eagles organization is under the illusion they can compete for the Super Bowl this year, they're probably taking a longer view and expect they can do better than Smith/Flynn/Vick/Foles in '14.

Fake Edit: the 49ers don't want to keep Smith, that's all just bluster to get a better draft pick for him in a trade.

Local wishful thinking sports wharrgarbl is that we will trade him for Revis.  :why_so_serious: (Or rather cut his salary to afford Revis, or whatever the complicated scenario with the 2 of them getting cut or not cut or whatever ends up being. In other words, nothing will happen.)

Okay, I'm not endorsing Vick as a better player, but my point was what made more sense for the Eagles AND Vick at this point in both their careers.

As for Smith is going to get traded if he's not going to be on the Niners roster in 13/14. He has enough value that the Niners can get at least a draft pick out of him.

Personally, I think Smith is a Niner for another year.


Last time Broncos and Niners were in the same trade/signing talks, who won?  :why_so_serious:

So instead of releasing Smith and using that $8M to upgrade their weapons for the real QB, they are intent on having the NFC West set records for MOST EXPENSE BACKUPS EVAAAAAAR!

Sorry, what's the downside in cutting him? You get nothing? You were $8M in the hole. The obsession with organizations trying to get something for guys we all know they are dumping drives me bananas. It's stupid sunk cost thinking, and the Eagles just doubled down with it.

Hey, I'm not saying it's necessarily the best option to not dump Smith, I just am not sure they are 100% sold on Kaep just yet, so why not keep Smith one more year, just in case? I would expect a restructuring to keep him there, and I think Smith does it.

What's the advantage for him to restructure? There are 10 teams right now that have QBs who were total disasters, and Philly is on that list. Jacksonville, Tennessee, the Jets, Kansas City, Minnesota, Cleveland, Buffalo, Philly, Arizona, and Oakland.

With the draft the way it is, there is no reason whatsoever for Alex Smith to take any sort of deal from the 49ers. He's not going to start unless Kap breaks something. There is such a market for mediocre QB's right now, not to mention QB's like Smith who might not light up the stage but at least won't turn the ball over. San Fran would be FOOLS not to trade him (same goes for Flynn in Seattle) because they would get at least 1 decent draft pick out of the deal, if not more. Sitting him for a year as a backup? His value would be seriously diminished after that and he'd then be competing against what might be a better draft class at the position.

Philly may not be the place to. They've obviously pissed away a lot of money the last two years and aren't close to playoff ready. Smith wouldn't take them over that hump, IMO. Hell, of that list Paelos had, I'm not sure any of those would be playoff contenders with Smith other than Minnesota (and then only because of AP).

Smith likes the Niners organization, from everything I can tell. If the Niners are showing any signs of not totally trusting Kaep jsut yet, and you have a chance to beat him in the offseason, why wouldn't you stay in SF than any of those listed?

Plus even backup QBs get rings. :D

Well for one thing, it makes no business sense.

For another thing, Jim Harbaugh is a fucking tool who threw him out with the garbage at the first good opportunity. Why would you want to deal with that nonsense? It's just another waiting game even if you do happen to beat out Colin.

You'd think Smith would walk if he could.  Getting replaced like that had to sting to a professional and like you said, there;s a lot of teams that would love to get him.

I've lost all faith in Vick.  Maybe with Reid gone he'll magically turn around, but I'm not betting on it.  I really liked him when he was playing for the Falcons.  So fun to watch.

KC's in a weak division with sooooo much offensive potential. Jamaal Charles is a great RB that nobody notices because he's on a shit team. Dwayne Bowe is a fantastic receiver. Dexter McCluster is a great young talent that needs a good QB to look at him. They have weapons. They have ability without a QB that works.

They lack a defense. They have possibility the worst defensive line that took the field last year. They can't sack people, they can't stop the run, and they can't pressure. Their secondary might as well be playing two hand touch. Opposing passer rating was a 99.9 against them last year. That's one of the top 5 worst passing defenses of the last 3 years.

Dwayne Bowe is a free agent and, if I remember correctly, has repeatedly said he wants out of KC.  Tennessee or Minnesota would probably be the best places for him to land if the idea is to get into the playoffs immediately.

Kansas City is the traditional destination for ex-49ers QBs, so there's that to consider as well.  :why_so_serious:

I don't see the Titans in the playoffs this year. They have weapons but they still kinda suck.  :heartbreak:

But it would still be his best chance at a ring. Financial, probably would make more sense to go elsewhere, but I really don't know given the situation he was involved with in SF if he's going to get a lot of interest. Maybe I just like the kid enough to not want him in KC, okay?

Especially if Flacco doesn't get franchise-tagged.

which, of course, probably won't happen. The Ravens will make a deal with Flacco.

So the NFL is considering widening the field by about 35 feet, up to CFL standards.  I'm not going to post a link.  I don't like the idea, mainly because I think it leans everything even more to the offensive side than it already is. 

Should make red zone offense a bit more interesting, if nothing else.

I would think it would just make it too easy.  Defenders already have a hard enough time defending the flat and the corners in the Red Zone as it is.  Not only will there be more space to create separation, but with all that extra space defenses will be forced to play softer to avoid giving up the huge plays all the time. 

Hmm, my feeling is that offense tends to dry up between the 15 and the 3 or so. I wouldn't be surprised if this is supposed to stop that.

I can see why you say that, I just feel that offense is already too easy.  This will open it up both in the red zone AND the rest of the field, so presumably there will be more TD scoring plays (and big plays in general) from every spot on the field, not just the RZ.  Points would go way up, and I think they are getting too high already. 

This is a terrible idea. I don't want college basketball scores to become the norm in the NFL.

With the injury protection issues and recent changes to kick-offs or hits on defenseless receivers this will not happen in the NFL. The speed of players (especially wide outs and DBs) with extra field width will increase the number of injuries.

The thought is that it would reduce injuries. Per, Polian, at least, there are less injury collisions in the CFL. (http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-nfl-wider-field-20130212,0,1748854.story)

I could see the arguments go either way on the risk of injuries, but I generally feel increasing the field size by what appears to be about 20% would make collisions less likely. However, I think it will fall flat, especially for now. It seems to me this would change the sidelines dramatically and a lot of stadiums may have to do some remodeling, I would think.

Vick is done.  Too many young QB's entering the league worth a risk and without the baggage. 

If I were the Eagles, I'd cut my losses and cut Vick. 

And start who?

You know how you reduce injuries? Draconian drug testing measures on the players.

The average size of a linebacker on the BC Lions is about 224 pounds, and they had the most wins in the league. The average LB for the Broncos weighs 238 pounds, and in the case of a few of them they can run a sub 4.7 40 yard dash.

A guy like Sean Weatherspoon is 244 pounds, and ran a 4.68 at the combine. That's insane.  

The amount of momentum Involved in a guy that heavy going at that kind of speed must be insane. No wonder people are getting hurt trying to stop them. And it must put a lot of strain on his skeleton to boot.

They could also force places like this:

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/WashingtonPost/Content/Blogs/dc-sports-bog/Images/Washington_Redskins--FedEx_Field_-FedEx%20Field.JPEG-01448.jpg?uuid=0TW7Hh9eEeGY1cmCFdeM9w)

To not be so...painful.

Well if that is the goal, narrow the middle of the field if you widen the red zone.  Make the field look like and hourglass on its side! YEAH!

Vick was good in 2011 when his O-line was healthy.  Last year, they lost 3 starters.  Worth giving him another shot.  Foles is not up to it yet.

Anyone.  The Eagles aren't going to be a Super Bowl contender for at least 6 years anyway. 

There were varying factors to that, not just the line. Most of Vick's good games came in the latter half of the season, when A - they played no teams that would make the playoffs, and B - They had no shot at making the playoffs.

Neither of those really mean anything when the discussion is simply about the quality of his play.

He's not out there in a vacuum.

Well, exactly. No one does, so you can't just discredit any good play based on something like the reasons given. If he played well, he played well, regardless of the perceived quality of the opponent. I still am not quite sure what the fact that the Eagles were not going to go to the playoffs muddies is good play. I can somewhat buy point A, but not point B.

Tebow.

The Eagles don't have Tebow.

Also Tebow is not better.

Is the field size thing like a legitimate possibility, or just the league spit-balling random shit?


That would be fucking weird, wide field without the extra dude.

I like how serious you are.

The one they should really widen is the NBA.

You don't fucking joke about Tebow with a Broncos fan.

I WILL CUT YOU.

Look at it this way - can he be any worse than Vic?

 :heart:

Send in Kobe.

Yes.

Of course, the Philly fans would likely lynch his ass 3 games into the season.

Philly fans take all the fun out of watching them be miserable because they are always miserable.

No, it's still enjoyable.  :grin:

So, speaking of miserable failures, Titus Young was waived by the Rams after 9 days.

 :awesome_for_real:

Holy fuck. He didn't even make it to fucking OTA's?

I can't believe I ever thought that guy was going to be good. What a fucking idiot.

According to Jeff Fisher, they got him so they could do some more background checks and interviews on him. They got him because they wanted to spend some extended time with him. After that, they decided he was "not the best option."

What kind of walking fucking trashcan fire do you have to be to get shitcanned before you even get out of the interview process?

Especially with his obvious talent.

Josh Brent should be fucking executed just for this.  What a turdball. 

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/8972120/josh-brent-drove-least-110-mph-time-crash-killed-jerry-brown-according-report (http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/8972120/josh-brent-drove-least-110-mph-time-crash-killed-jerry-brown-according-report)

T'eo runs a 4.82 in the 40.   :awesome_for_real:

Seriously, anybody that drafts this clown may be in for a big surprise.

You'd think watching him absolutely struggle against the only team with NFL caliber linemen would have been the first tipping point.

Then it turns out he's a gullible idiot or possible lying closet case.

Then he's slow.

I'm going to put the over/under draft position at 70. He's a third round guy in my mind.

There is nothing in his stats to make up for the potential personal disaster. He won't be a third round gem so just let someone else take him.  He probably slips to triple digits.

So you're going over then. I'm thinking under. Too many people are in need of linebacking talent to let him get too far into the third.

He looked small and lost in that national title game.  That's all I really needed to see.  Jon Harbaugh's reaction to his running was priceless.

I still think someone takes a shot on him late round one or early round 2.   I hope they're not dumb enough to give him a green room spot.

I'd say the Raiders if it wasn't for the 40 time.

Al Davis isn't drafting anymore so speed might not be an issue.  :why_so_serious:

He is pretty fast himself these days what with the wings and everything.

He's slow and small. Maybe if he puts on weight (and doesn't get even slower) he can play on rushing downs as a middle linebacker on a 3-4 defense. How many teams have need at that position?

Keep an eye on Terron Armstead. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8_1n6Y4l74)

A 300 lb guy running a sub 4.7s 40yd.  That's insane. 

Alex Smith traded to the Chiefs for 2nd round pick and conditional mid-round pick in 2014.

And tradition is maintained.

I think this was an excellent deal for the Chiefs, particularly if they can draft a quality WR. 

You know the Chiefs will draft a QB and make it a competition, and then Alex Smith will fucking snap.

If they draft Matt Scott, you will be able to hear my cackling from outer space.

And minutes later "Matt Cassel on the Cardinals' radar"

Good, he's total fail. That will fit in nicely with the culture they are breeding over there.

Cassel is going to be a backup no matter where he goes. His stock has just fallen off the fucking cliff. Two years ago, the notion that you'd be replaced by Alex Smith at QB anywhere would have been laughable. Andy Reid may be one of the few guys that could utilize him effectively even without the level of talent he had in San Fran. KC has offensive talent (not as much as San Fran) even if they don't keep Bowe. The Cardinals might sign him but if they do, it'll be because they've decided to go with Kolb at starter. I'm not convinced they'll do that. Of course, they NEED to draft the shit out of some O-line that can actually play, because that's been one of their biggest problems going back to the Dennis Green days.

I don't know that Alex will succeed in KC. They may lose Bowe unless they franchise him and then that will probably just make him all pissy.
Also Alex wont have the benefit of the QB whisperer that he had in San Fran.

I kinda hope he succeeds, because he seems like a nice guy.  But I don't think he will.  I don't think that team is good enough for a QB who is essentially no better than a game manager.  I think they need a gunslinger type QB, something to blow some damn life into them.  KC seems to be cursed lately.

Denver seemed to do pretty well with a game manager.  Granted, it was an exceptional one. 

I think that Alex can do well if they build a decent team.  He'll just have to carry more weight now that he's not being backed up by one of the best defenses in the league.

I hope Smith does well, and don't think it's as grim on the offensive side as it may seem. Their starting o-line is not that bad, they were just injured last year and their backups did not play well (I'd say middle of the pack even with injuries). They have a good #1 if Bowe gets the sand out of his vag. They have a phenominal running back in Charles, who is arguably the second best back in the league right now behind AP (based on what he had to work with).

Their defense on the other hand is awful. For comparison, they giving up almost as many yards as Atl while allowing roughly 10 more ppg. KC had a combined 13 takeaways with a -24 differential in turnovers.

Smith had a good season in 2011-12 and I was never able to figure out why he just seemed to click that year.  He will quickly disappear into the crowded world of bitter back-up QBs.

Smith does one thing that Cassel could not do this past year - he protects the football. I mean, his combined INT totals from the last two years (10) were less than Cassel's from this past year (12) and Cassel didn't even play a full season. He was a fucking trainwreck. Just cutting down on the turnovers will make the KC defense better for having fewer short fields to work with.

It would be a good start, definitely, but it was not just the short field being an issue. The KC defense gave up way too many yards on too few of plays (3rd fewest) ending up tied for 4th worst in yards per play given up even with their short fields. Them being 8th worst in points allowed speaks a lot of the short fields, but the yards per play should have been lowered if that was the bigger issue.


To their credit, their defense is pretty disciplined (or stopped giving a fuck a long time ago, which is quite likely) being the 3rd least penalized.

http://deadspin.com/5989287/im-better-at-life-than-you-richard-sherman-craps-all-over-skip-bayless-on-first-take?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

If everyone shit on Skip Bayless like that I might actually watch ESPN again.

ESPN beyond just watching games has become totally worthless to me. If there's a game? Great, but I don't even watch Sportscenter anymore since all they do is try to promote their own shit.

Sportscenter isn't watchable outside of football season.  It's just beyond bad right now.

Oh and watching college ball has become a game of russian roulette that I might draw Dicky V in a matchup I care about, at which point I am forced to turn it off.

Are you SERWIOUS!?!  :awesome_for_real:

God I so hate Skip Bayless. He is such a fucking dickbag.

I don't understand the passion over Bayless.  He clearly just says outrageous things to drum up interest and drama to boost ratings.  Apparently it is working.

It's beyond that because I really try to avoid him whenever possible. The stuff he says is just so PATENTLY idiotic that he makes Steven R. Smith look sane and intelligent. In a rational world, that should never fucking happen.

https://twitter.com/JayGlazer/status/311160128743280640


And like that, Seattle gets STRONGER.

Until he sits out half the season with migraines.

James "the Hitman" Harrison (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9034415/james-harrison-released-pittsburgh-steelers) is looking for a new home.

The tears in this town are soooo satisfying.  :awesome_for_real:

Also bet Golden Tate is going to turn into pure cancer off of this. He was just looking for an excuse because he is a complete shithead. Yes I know him personally and this has nothing to do with the fact that fuck Notre Dame.

I was really hoping Minnesota wouldn't trade Harvin because they'll probably replace him with someone who can be on the field for 16 games.  :why_so_serious:

That Seattle team is looking pretty scary good now. How the fuck did the NFC West become a division worth watching?

EDIT: Also yes Golden Tate is going to be a whiney bitchnugget for the next season. Not like he has enough talent to care if he gets benched.

Yep- he has already been quoted about Harvin joining the team and sounded like a total douche. Not a shocker.

I wonder if Harvin will take a bit less money from Seattle to live somewhere with legal pot?

Wouldn't it still be a banned substance in the NFL regardless of whether it's legal or not in Washington?

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/311208271400812544


a SIXTH. Wow.

Apparently the NFC West is forming some sort of WR Voltron today.

I... what... the... fuck??????  :ye_gods:

Jesus Christ. I know Boldin didn't want to back off his salary number but a fucking sixth rounder? Jesus Christ. You just made the Super Bowl loser into the strongest goddamn team in the NFC and you got FUCKALL for it. With all the picks the 49ers have, the Ravens could only finagle a 6th rounder? Is the Ravens' GM some kind of complete idiot? First they give Flacco the highest paid contract in the league, then trade away one of the best possession receivers in the game?

He is older than dirt.

Age 32. Same age as Greg Jennings without Jennings recent injury history. Oh and his salary is only $6 million or so this year. It's a goddamn steal since the Niners still have 14 draft picks with which to build depth.

You seriously think that's a bad trade for the Niners?  Someone call the Baltimore PD, because the Ravens just got swindled.

They were going to cut him. They're lucky to get anything at all. Baltimore was not "swindled" - they got something when a few hours ago they were going to get nothing - and I have real questions about whether the improvement we get from Boldin at this age is really going to be worth 6 million dollars of cap space.

Well, he's only signed for this year I think so it won't cost them that much if it doesn't work out. I don't even expect improvement, I expect his numbers to go down because he'll have 2 other receivers (Davis and Crabtree) to take touches away. He'll be an improvement over Randy Moss and it cost the Niners almost nothing.

Dude had 145 yards and a TD against the Colts last year.  He has 35 receptions for 571 yards and four touchdowns in eight career post-season games.

TAKE THE GIFT.

Getting Bouldin will help but it'll take somebody like Revis (assuming he's recovered from his injury) to really upgrade the Niners.

I hope Revis doesn't go to the 49ers. Not so much that he will make them better (although he probably would), but Revis and Sherman will NEVER. SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. if they have to play each other at least twice a year.

When the fuck were the NFC west teams allowed to be real teams again? I thought 2012 was a fluke, but this is setting up some long term competition here.

Jennings is only 29. Still ridiculous for a 6th rounder.

Boldin is a monster.  That was highway robbery.

And Percy Harvin is one of the most talented and dangerous guys in the NFL.  Even if you only get 12 games out of him, he's probably going to be worth the price.  It is too bad Tate is such a douchebucket, because he is sort of a poor man's Percy Harvin, and the two of them together could pose nightmares for defenses.

No, it really, really wasn't. They were going to cut him anyway. The 49ers just paid a little price for the privilege of not having to bid against other clubs.

Ingmar pretty much nailed it.  Q  was going to be cut and the Ravens would have gotten nothing. Don't get me wrong, it sucks to lose him - he was a very large reason why the Ravens got through the playoffs, let alone winning a ring, but the Ravens are seriously hurting under the salary cap (just wait for the screams of anguish when Ed Reed signs with another team this year).

Oh damn, Ed Reed may be going to the 49ers as well.


As dangerous and talented as the double-edged locker-room poison named Percy Harvin is, getting half a season worth of games out of him is not worth Vincent Jackson or Dwayne Bowe level of money with his $10-13million per year expense. I feel kind of dirty agreeing with Chris Carter, but when the Vikings are 5-2 without Harvin in the last 7 games of the season and now can build some depth with 3 picks, they are probably better off. Especially if they can snag Wallace out from under Miami while also getting 3 picks.

You are right, I picked the wrong words.  My disbelief probably more stems from the fact that they were going to cut him in the first place.  Fucking why?  You have cap issues and your solution is to make Joe Flacco the richest man in the league while releasing Boldin?  This team becomes noticeably worse without Boldin on the roster.  He is a stud.

As far as Ed Reed goes, I don't think he has much left in him, but we'll see.  I'd love to see the 49ers take him if it somehow meant they couldn't also get Revis (no idea if that would be the case).

Niners don't have a lot of room, I don't know how likely it's going to be that they would get Revis. The whole reason they would be interested in Reed is because they're ver likely losing Goldson.

They could fit Revis in if they didn't give him a new contract (i.e. it would be a one year thing). Given how temperamental he is, though, he's unlikely to play very well without one.

Revis is going to come in the mid tens for contract. The Niners have next to no cap room currently.

Falcons are pitching Tony Gonzalez to come back for like $7M, because the Falcons are stupid and don't want a defense that works.

Exactly but his 2013 price is $6 million under his current contract. Once the Smith deal goes through the Niners should have enough for Revis even with the Boldin acquisition.

Edit: reworded

Revis is not signing a one year $6 million dollar deal. He wants a big payday, and will likely get it. (Somewhere in the $15m/year.) Alex Smith with save $7m for the 2013 cap.

He can't void his contract until 2014. If he's traded the other team doesn't have to give him a new contract. If he doesn't get a new contract the choices are then either to sit out the season or play for his 2013 contract price of $6 million.

Yes, I understand that, but I'm hinging on the fact that he doesn't want a one year contract. He wants a big contract. Both sides have to sign that contract. It's not going to be a one and done, considering the picks traded will be higher than a 6th.

So they got a penny instead of nothing. BRA-VO.

Also, heard a fun stat this morning. Flacco's completion percentage when throwing to Boldin - 62%. Completion percentage when throwing to EVERY OTHER RECEIVER on the team - 48%.

Holy God but Ravens' fans are going to be screaming about Flacco's big-money contract next year and I'm going to be loving it.

Vikings just released Winfield. (https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/311543275796443136)

So, that should eliminate some possible suitors for Revis.

That penny is more like a scratch-off lotto ticket, and is still better than nothing. Additionally, it keeps Q out of the division. Though yes, the big issue here is Flacco's contract and whether or not he's worth it considering everything they have to give up for keeping him.

..and now Nnamdi Asomugha released (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/311561457483542528).

Winfield surprised me. Asomugha didn't. He made way too much money for the production he gave Philly. He'll get picked up and overpaid somewhere else, but he better hope it's a system that fits him.

Out of nowhere, my Broncos get some much needed help on the OL and steal Vasquez from the Chargers (https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/311578315150467072). Strengthen your team while weakening a divisional rival? SOLD.

Apparently the Ravens don't have any LBs anymore. (https://twitter.com/RavensInsider/status/311595454632714241)

It's ok. They have Flacco.  :ye_gods:

The Ravens won a Superbowl with old assets. If you thought they weren't going to immediately cut bait with contracts to pay their bloated QB gamble/blunder contract, you were crazy.

Very good point. All three teams could have room for him.

Yes, but it doesn't mean you can't look at it and go "lol". Christ.

and the shopping spree by Miami today has it's first victim. Karlos Dansby. Good money on him ending up in Baltimore, I imagine.

Oh I agree it's stupid, but the cap limit as it stands right now is stupid. $123M for the most popular sport in the US for 53 guys? It's absurd. The cap has barely moved while the NFL has been raking in new revenues.

Yes, they are headed towards labor problems if they don't account for their new revenue sources in the cap *soon*.

Miami and Cleveland both seem to be backing up the Brinks truck to M&T Stadium today.  30+ Million dollars a piece for a situational pass rusher (Kruger) and a linebacker with durability issues (Ellerbe) is pretty  :uhrr:

Indeed. Not sure we are in disagreement.

I'm still laughing at the contract Flacco got.   (http://www.theonion.com/articles/value-of-us-dollar-plummets-after-joe-flacco-signs,31571/)

LOL Onion


and

Ravens continue to bleed, losing Bernard Pollard. (https://twitter.com/Crushboy31/status/311844036031946753)

Holy fuck. The Ravens appear to be completely dismantling what won them the Super Bowl in the first place. I mean, I expected them to lose some pieces but shit. They have like 2 linebackers left, they haven't signed Ed Red and are releasing their other safety, got rid of their best receiver by a mile. It really is rebuilding time in Baltimore. Maybe they think this draft really is stocked with defensive talent, but I don't think they have enough draft picks to make up for it.

With the Steelers crumbling under age, injury and cap pressure and the Ravens apparently doing the same thing, does that make Cinci-fucking-nnatti the favorite to win that division? I mean... CLEVELAND could be good this year with 6 games against teams that are probably at best mediocre now. Has the AFC North become the new NFC West?

Miami has spent but they got specific pieces that could help them a lot. Wallace gives them a credible deep threat receiver to augment Hartline over the middle, they got pass rush with the linebackers and their defense was already decent. The loss of Reggie Bush may be a concern but with the Jets guaranteed to suck and Buffalo's crappy D and INT-happy QB, they may certainly be in for a wild card this year.

I think Baltimore is an indictator of what life will be like under the new cap. The second you win a Super Bowl, the QB gets paid, and the rest of the team gets dismantled to start over. The idea of "dynasties" occuring in a tight salary cap league anymore is laughable. The last dynasty we saw was the 2001-2004 Patriots. The reason was that the salary cap moved from $67m at the beginning of that dynasty to $80m at it's conclusion. That's over 16% in those 4 years.

You know how much the cap has moved since 2009?

0%

The salary cap seems like it's a poison pill the owners inserted in the CBA to get salaries down, only they forgot to tell themselves. The amount of cap juggling that is being done is getting ridiculous.

Ryan Fitzpatrick released by the Bills (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000150173/article/ryan-fitzpatrick-it-stinks-to-be-cut-by-buffalo-bills).

Ok, so he was a turnover machine (22 in all). And he was WAY overpaid on the basis of a good first half of the 2011 season. But their next best option which they re-signed is TAVARIS FUCKING JACKSON. Really? That's not even a sidegrade, that's a complete downgrade. And they want to hold an open competition for QB. So the Jets and Bills have pretty much ceded the East to the Pats and Dolphins then. All righty. Maybe they'll trade for Matt Flynn because that seems like the only option out there worth exploring. With no rookie QB can't miss prospect out there, you likely aren't getting a starter there. With all the money they pissed away on defense last year, they kind of have to give it a go this year but I don't see how they are going to be that competitive.

Yeah, Bal is seemingly fucked. They have Smith and Jones left for WR. I mostly like both of them, but they are not enough to carry Flacco or make his salary seem less dumb. They did pick up Chris Canty, and that is okay but it is a piece of tape on a broken damn.
Mia is spending, a little too much for the talent imo, but they are doing something in free agency they haven't done in a while - guaranteeing they land some long overdue talent.
The Browns are improving their defense (beyond just Kruger), and may lose Cribbs. If NE picks up Cribbs, that would either drive down Welker's price if he really wants to stay, or he could become the top free agent immediately. His news has been quiet while trying to work with NE, from what I can tell, but that could change fast.
The Titans may get a bit better. Improved inner O-line, lost Cook but gained Walker, and may pick up Shonne Greene for a good second option to CJ. Though, that last addition could provide some lulz too. The need
The Raiders have done nothing but get worse, SD is getting worse, while KC improved. As expected, they picked up A. Smith, but also Daniels from NO as a backup. Will be sad if Smith loses the starting gig...again. They also may be picking up a #2 in Avery from the Colts. Still, not anywhere near enough to come close to Den who will actually be improving with or without Dumerville.
GB could improve at RB if they can get S Jackson cheap, and also may retain Jennings. Any news on them for the defensive side?
I don't think I'm allowed to be excited yet, but Chi picking up a TE and O-lineman? I need time for that reality to sink in.
The Colts are doing well on both sides of the ball, with the possibility of losing Avery being the only thing going wrong for them so far.

Re: Fitzpatrick.
There can be some openings besides TJax though who is just giving them time to find someone while not carrying Fitz's cap of $3mil which was due about now if they didn't cut him. Cassel and Flynn are their best options at this point imo. Though, they could also make a run for Kolb on the cheap if Ari can dump him, or Jason Campbell. I'm not saying they're the great options, but I think they shoud be considered. Which really is sad.

re: Ravens.

I think this almost gaurantees Ed Reed sticks in Baltimore.

Crazy thing is - this isn't even all on Joe. For all the talk of $120 Million, his salary cap impact for this season is only 6 million.  The Pollard release is probably the most shocking.  I had expected the Ravens to lose Reed, but keep Pollard back there. Receiver wise, losing Boldin hurts, but his regular season production was mediocre (and completely eclipsed by his amazing post season), but after Smith and Jones, their depth chart is fairly mediocre with maybe 4 catches.

But yah, this feels like the Ravens decided it was time for some significant rebuilding.

I get the feeling GB won't do a damn thing in free agency. I'd love Jackson but I don't think they are willing to spend the kind of money he turned down in St. Louis so unless he takes a pay cut, that ain't happening. On the defensive side, they looked at Canty but obviously weren't that impressed. They let Walden go to the Colts ($16 MILLION... REALLY????) but I don't count that as much of a loss, especially if Nick Perry comes back healthy. I think they'll do most of their work on draft day. I'm ambivalent about Jennings - he could stay or go and I'd be ok so long as he doesn't go to a team in the division. I'd rather they work on extending Matthews and Rodgers with what salary cap they have left if they don't go after Jackson.

I forgot about Jason Campbell. He'd be an upgrade over Tavaris Jackson in Buffalo but not as sexy a pick as Flynn.

Yeah, at this point I just think Buf will need to find a good backup who's being wasted in a depth chart. Flynn is likely staying in Sea.

I think Jackson would take a paycut for a contender, which is why I think there is good reason to believe that GB has a shot. That, and it is the one piece on the offensive side they need. I forgot about Walden, and also Woodson was cut.

On a different note, and the plus side, someone just send me a link to ESPN's tracker, which is awesome. Enjoy all: http://espn.go.com/nfl/freeagency/?year=2013

I get the feeling the Falcons are going to try to fix their defense in the draft. They have no pass rushing at all.

Bush to the Lions. That might make them slightly more likely to convert on 3rd down at least. Bush will be the 2nd leading receiver pretty easily.

If the Browns buy into the 3-4 and they get a compliment to Haden on the opposite corner, they will be pretty scary on the defensive side of the coin. Not sure anything on the offensive side will make teams pause, but that is another issue. As for Cribbs... fuck him. Glorified return guy that is mediocre at best when placed into the slot. I was on the side that thought he should just get released after all that contract crying he did. Either way, they still need a legit no.1 receiver at some point of else they'll just keep sitting in the top ten draft pick slot year after year.

Mendenhall snatched up by Arizona before he could get to Denver. WOO!

Hopefully now we can focus on SJAX.

Edit:

Per Schefter, Broncos hammering out deal with Welker. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/311910867946057728) Yes, please. Thomas and Decker with Welker in the slot? Yes.

Now, go get Dansby and/or SJAX and plunge towards the Draft.

Dashon Goldson to the bucs, 5 yrs and for a pile of money that is more than I'll make in a lifetime so I stopped reading

Niners snag Dorsey.  (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/311919507700596737)

Welker, Decker AND Thomas with Manning throwing to them, a good running game and defense? Shit. And oh yeah, in a shitty division with only the Chiefs having shown any signs of life.

Dolphins aren't really concerned with letting Bush go since they're really high on Lamar Miller.  The AFC in general is looking pretty wide open.  Denver should be far and away the favorites but after that it's a whole lot of meh.  Even the Patriots won't look so good on paper if they let Welker defect.

Dynasties can still happen as long as your QB is married to a supermodel who makes way more money than he ever could so doesn't need the money and is willing to sign a long term contract for way under market value.

Wes Welker has agreed to terms with Denver Broncos. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/311942538036662273)

Oh shit son. :Mother of God.gif:

Yeah, that's all I got at this point.....holy hell. :ye_gods:

I am freaking the fuck out.

If you had told me two years ago that Peyton Manning would be our QB and Wes Welker would be a WR I would have called you a drunk.

Edit: Deal is 2 years/$12 Million. GREAT.

This will get lost, but props to Brandon Stokely for being a true class act about this (http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2013/03/13/brandon-stokley-on-broncos-pursuit-of-wes-welker-it-would-be-a-great-move/18860/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter).

And oh yeah, Den is also making a play for Nmandi, and still could end up with Dwight Freeney.

Edit by Trippy: fixed your messed up tags.

yeah, Stokley is just a fantastic guy.

$6 million a year for Welker and the fucking Pats wouldn't match that? Or better it? The fuck? That is NOTHING unless the team has cap issues, especially not for the amount of production he's likely to bring.

And they don't have an issue. that's what Brady's whole deal was about.

Then I am completely flummoxed. I can't see one reason they wouldn't want to resign Welker for at least a 2-3 year contract. Hell, the Packers are STACKED at wideout even without Jennings and I'd have taken him in a heartbeat. I think he may be the best possession receiver the NFL has ever had.

Wow, that may be the steal of the year imo as it will be tough to find a better deal. NE's is now left holding a ticket in the Danny Amendola lottery. I like Amendola, but not more than I would have liked to have paid Welker $6-8mil or more to keep him with Brady/Hernandez/Gronk

Icing. (http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/257925/report-brady-beyond-enraged-at-welker-deal)

They are bringing back Randy Moss :why_so_serious:

Early last season it seemed Belichick was trying to phase Welker out of the offense until the injury bug hit the Patriots, and Welker seemed to take some shots at him because of it.  My guess is the Patriots low balled Wellker due to bad blood.

I had seen his decreased production and heard rumors about them wanting to phase him out and even then I thought it was utterly retarded. He showed he can still catch the fuck out of the ball. If they truly offered him $10m for 2 years, that IS a goddamn insult. Welker's been one of my favorite wideouts since he was with the Dolphins even though I've hated the teams he's been on. I so hope Denver knocks New England out of the playoffs this year.

Titans signed Shonn Greene for 3yr/$10m. So now they'll have two overpaid running backs!

I think I may have a new avatar.

(http://seeingred.sltrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/srELWAY.jpg)

Welker didn't play by the "Patriot Way." So now he's gone.

Yeah, this puts things in perspective really nicely.

Apparently the entire contract is all guaranteed, though.

You've got to wonder how much politics are involved.  It seems like the relationship with Welker and the Patriots has been strained over the last year or so and maybe they just decided to let him go.  Goodness knows the Patriots have let good players go before and ended up fine on the other end.

Apparently Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie is in Denver at the moment too.  :drill:

 Patriots gave former Rams WR Danny Amendola's a five-year, $31 million deal that includes $10 million guaranteed. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/311983665901076481)

 :why_so_serious:

Well if that doesn't tell you it all you need to know about Welker and the Patriot Way, nothing will.

Well, he is 4 years younger and similar in many ways. We'll see just how much of it was the system soon enough.

Amendola to Pats. There went any drop off from losing Welker. That kid is a talent.

I'd say there's a dropoff in talent and in durability. I like Amendola, but he is not Welker. The good thing for the Pats though - Amendola is a good slot receiver who is now going to be there as long as they have Brady as both now have 5 years on their contracts left.

And yeah, Den just got even better, and more classy. So, Rodgers-Cromartie is a Bronco now and The Boss asked Manning if he was okay grabbing Welker since that would mean cutting his friend Stokley

Broncos reached agreement on a one-year deal with former Eagles CB Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/312031329237737472)

 :drill:

And Sea keeps getting better, Avril to the Seahawks.

P. Manning should be a first round fantasy pick this fall.  He is going to have time in the pocket, 3 great targets and shitty division rivals.  He will have a 30+ TD season easily. 

Just to make sure, you know he had 37 this last year, right?

Chiefs released QB Matt Cassel. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/312210485833502720)

Inevitable, of course.

Delicious.

It does lower the value of my fantasy stud keeper Demaryius this year though.

Eh. It has much more impact on Decker and the TEs, really. Or TE rather, who needs a two TE set with those three.

Amendola gets 5-years and $31 million with $10 guaranteed and they couldn't resign Welker? Holy shit, that's bad GMing right there. How many games has Amedonla missed over the last 3 years? 20 games. How many has Welker missed? 1. While I do think Welker is going to miss more games in the future as he's older, he's not THAT much older. I think that's a really fucking stupid decision. I'd rather have Welker personally. While Amendola will be better for a few more years, I think Welker's going to have more production. Also, Denver is just a better fucking team. Their defense is light years ahead of the Pats. The Pats Way can go fuck itself and I hope they don't win another championship with Hobo Bill.

Denver's only problem is their offensive coordinator not letting Peyton be Peyton for 60 minutes a game. Other than that, I see them sailing into the playoffs barring big-time injury issues.

The Seahawks defense is going to be monstrous next year with Avril. Fuck. That's going to be a team you do not want to face down the stretch or in the playoffs. Indy upgraded their defense with Landry. They are looking pretty strong as well. It's kind of refreshing that this draft doesn't have a lot of big-name skill position players sucking up all the spotlight. Seeing O lineman and defensive guys going in the first round is going to create a different feel. I'm actually getting excited for the draft.

That was my exact thought.  In the right system Amendola will shine.  The fact that he's younger makes him a good investment for the future.

No knock against Amendola, but I can't agree.  Welker is pure money, and Amendola will probably only be a shadow of what Wes gave them.  Welker is an HOFer in my opinion.  Amendola hasn't really proved much other than that he is fragile as all hell.

More importantly, how pissed do you think Tom Brady is right now?  Probably mentioned up in the thread somewhere, but didn't he give up millions for the exact reason of keeping guys like Welker around?  It might not have any long term impact on his performance, but who the hell knows.

Yes it was. Yes he was. Yes he did. And yes it will.

Really good free agency transaction summary as of last night: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/42765/310/nfl-hot-stove-day-3

As for Cassel, his best spots are what, Buf, TB, and maybe Minn? He'd improve any of those teams (arguable for TB but still likely), with Minn being the best available for him if they can grab Jennings from GB as well.

With Laron Landry to the Colts, them talking with Ricky Jean-Francois today, and they've already improved their O-line as well, they may be my favorites for the AFC South (if they get RJF). More so if they can grab a RB to help take even more pressure off of Luck. Plenty of cheap RB improvements available, but getting in on the SJAX bidding would be good. Also, plenty of cheaper WR with lots of upside left if they don't want to draft one of the taller prospects to develop under Wayne in the draft (someone like Danario Alexander, Domenik Hixon, Edelman, DHB, etc. would be cheap investments who are young enough to improve quite a bit with mentoring and a good QB).

Brady actually got more money by a couple of million, but less of a hit to the cap by more than what Amendola is receiving. Think the reduction in Brady's cap number was something like $6.3mil

$8.2M (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/1163/tom-brady)

Or that number, thanks. Point being it was more than enough to keep his favorite target happy and it's understandable he's a bit upset at what has happened. Especially since Welker went right to the top contender in the AFC

Oh, I wasn't disagreeing with you. Brady has every reason to be pissed. And his tears are delicious.

Almost as delicious as the hidden tears from Tennessee (http://larrybrownsports.com/football/wes-welker-turned-down-money-broncos/179111). Reminder, we beat them out for Manning last year (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1106798-breaking-down-tennessee-titans-contract-for-life-offer-to-peyton-manning).

Didn't believe we were disagreeing, I was just restating my point in a more clear way and thanking you for the more accurate number. The Tenn thing is sad because that is (what seems like) a class-act organization, trying to do well for the team and city, but keeps getting left behind. Though, it's funny because the misery happened to someone else....repeatedly now :why_so_serious:

So that we agree that we agree. Good to go.  ;D

Tuck rule change proposal. (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000150828/article/nfl-proposes-to-change-tuck-rule)

The hits keep on rolling - Colts signed RJF, meanwhile the Chiefs picked up both Sean Smith and Dunta Robinson giving them one of the best defensive backfields. KC has been somewhat quiet due to all the other news, or well... due to all the Denver news anyways, but their acquisitions are piling up fast which will go nicely with their high draft picks if they use them wisely. I can honestly see them fighting for a wild card if they stay healthy after improving just about all of their areas of concern while the AFC North and East end up only sending one team to the post-season

Cassel to the Vikings.

Along with the Tuck rule, there are some others like preventing runners from dipping their helmets into tacklers.
Edit: also, the anticipated change to the challenge rule so if a play is supposed to undergo an automatic challenge, no matter what it will still be reviewed even if a red flag is thrown when unneeded.

How little confidence does your team have to have in Christian Ponder to hire MATT CASSELL? As a Packers fan, I wholeheartedly endorse this transaction.

SJax to the FALCONS. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/312294597638385664)

Did not see that coming, but good move by SJAX too.

They have better retirement homes in Atlanta or something?

Fuck. I was hoping Green Bay would sign him but I don't think they wanted to spend the money he was looking for. Oh well. At least we didn't sign Shonn Greene.

Welp. Cary Williams from the Ravens to the Eagles. 3-year, $17 million. 75 tackles, 4 INTs, 17 passes defensed.

Going to be mighty hard sledding to create a defense from fucking scratch.

The Eagles also signed Kenny Phillips, Safety from the Giants with injury issues.

Yeah, well, I guess all the good news meant this was going to happen.

Broncos safety Quinton Carter facing Vegas cheating case (http://Broncos safety Quinton Carter facing Vegas cheating case)  :ye_gods:

Hartline working in a drive-through durign the offseason, and conducts an interview while doing so. (http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pattisonave/Dolphins-receiver-conducts-interview-from-job-at-drive-thru.html)  :drill:

(http://i.imgur.com/yBBKln3.jpg)

:awesome_for_real:

Eagles also picked up Barwin from Hou. I didn't see it mentioned in all the Baltimore purging, but Eagles also grabbed Cary Williams

Sea loses Leon Washington, but oh hey look you get Michael Bennett.

That dude just got major respect from me.

(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1739972/web-images/respek-knuckles.gif)

Kevin Kolb released by the Cardinals rather than pay a $2 million roster bonus (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9055995/kevin-kolb-released-arizona-cardinals).

They also apparently signed Drew Stanton, who has been out of football for 2 years, probably for a Necco Wafer and some bus fare. ESPN bobbleheads are thinking the Jets will bring him in even after they brought in Garrard.

It's amazing to me how many NFL organizations are just floundering for QBs.

While I dig it that Hartline is a store owner and works in the offseason, I still prefer a similar story from a few weeks back about Terrance Ganaway making sandwhiches at Jimmy John's (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/22/terrance-ganaway-making-sandwiches-while-rams-are-off/)

He's okay financially, but says he's doing it to stay out of trouble and keeps him from spending money while filling his offseason time

That looks about right.

Elvis Dumervil agreed to salary reduction, smartly. Remains in Denver. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/312647327120773120)


 :drill: :drill: :drill:

Oh jesus. Agent didn't fax the paperwork in time... salary cap issues, chance for other teams to jump on him.

Edit: Dove Valely didn't get the paperwork until 1:59, and had to protect themselves from the $12M hit and released Dumervil. Colossal "mistake" on the part of the agent.

Wow fucking paperwork fail. That's gloriously bad from a front office.

It is NOT the front office.

The situation was on the shoulders of the agent.

This is why no one likes mountain time, seriously, fuck mountain time. Though, considering the horseshoe the Broncos' front office has up their ass, I think they'll be fine and likely still be able to get him back somehow. If not, how awful of a situation are you in when your back up choices are Abraham or Freeney.

On the other hand, based on how free agency has been this week, Sea may have another pass rusher soon :why_so_serious:

The problem is that we eat the $5M dead money hit now.

Basically, there was a $4,869,000 dead money hit associated with Dumervil for 2013's cap. The restructure was going to push that money into later years as Guaranteed Money.

However, to protect themselves from the $12M pay hit, and going over the cap, the broncos had to cut Dumervil at the deadline.

So, to get back to where they SHOULD have been with the deal, they would have to sign Dumervil at 3,131,000, and then Dumervil (assuming he had no involvement and wants back on the Broncos) would sue the agent or collect some inuserance that agents are mandated to carry by the NFLPA.

Yeah, which sucks but considering he was willing to take a huge paycut to stay with Den I am guessing some magic of him taking even less (like $3mil) with promise of making some of that up later may be possible when other top talent pass rushers are signing for $5-8/yr. Depends how badly he wants to stay in Den of course, and how much his new agent will want when he finds one  :why_so_serious:

Though, admittedly and obviously, I'm not completely up to par on the inner workings of caps and then the liklihood of him wanting to take that much less than what he's worth isn't likely.

It sounds like a bit of both, tbh. The agent is at fault at the very end, but they both strung this thing out to the last minute.

No. The Broncos gave them the deadline of 1PM mountain. The Broncos began to look at new options seriously as that deadline passed. At 1:25 broncos heard that there was a verbal agreement, and sent the new contract to the agent. Agent did not get it back to them until 1:59. There is a window between 1:25 and 1:59, but broncos had set that deadline of 1PM. This is on the agent. Broncos did not drag their feat when this all unfolded. They were preparing for Life After Dumervil.

Edit: Mind you, if we look at the bigger picture, both could have sorted this out, I think. But Broncos set a firm "Accept it or walk" offer with a deadline.

Things went on for a week.  :oh_i_see:

That's what the edit on my post above is for. There is an allowance that there is room for 2 months that they could have hopefully worked something out.  Both sides had moved closer over the last week. Broncos finally yesterday said "here it is. this is it" and set the deadline at 1pm. The agent came back AFTER that, but at that point the broncos moved fast, from everything we know. If they had wanted to cut him and move on, they could have just done that and be where they are now.

You said up there that ultimately it is on the agent, I am just emphasizing that part of it and relating the info, being the one following along with it.

Edit: NFL.com reporting a faulty fax machine possibly involved. (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000151159/article/elvis-dumervil-released-by-denver-broncos-after-fax-blunder?campaign=Facebook_writers_darlington) I think we can agree here though.. WHY ARE WE STILL USING FAXES.

Edit 2: And of course, lots of he said she said/hearsay going on now. Andrew Brandt: Talked to another team exec who talked to agent, who says Denver didn't send to new contract to him until 8 mins before deadline. (https://twitter.com/adbrandt/status/312684678832324608)

Jennings now a Viking. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/312703333683056640)

In a case of he said, she said, a sports agent has just as much credibility as a convicted murderer.

Jennings to the Viking is probably the worst case scenario of losing Jennings. I guess he wants to show the Packers what they were missing, though I think he's going to hate life about mid-season if Ponder doesn't improve his consistency. It's a good move for the Vikings, but I'm not so sure how the Metrodome is going to be on his legs. I was prepared to live life without Jennings as our next 3 receivers on the depth chart have All-Pro talent, IMO. I just didn't want him going to a division rival.

That's another good player who's giving the finger to the Pack by wearing the purple. Doesn't come off well for the organization or the players.

Not really. I think most players know the deal with the Packers. They aren't going to pay huge salaries to most non-QB's. They are going to build young talent through the draft. You play for the Pack, you have a chance at yearly trips to the playoffs and maybe a Super Bowl, after which you can cash in at the place that will overpay you but you might never win again. It's not like they are Hobo Bill'ing people.

i mean, the packers relied SO MUCH on Jennings this year.... oh wait...

I guess he's tired of having to actually catch a pass. Ponder is awful.

Ponder is young and inexperienced.  I think the kid has potential.  That's different from Fitzpatrick and Tebow who ARE awful. 

I think Ponder can be a good QB with some weapons. He seems to have a certain calm in the pocket when he's getting rushed. He needs to cut down on the INT's, up the completion percentage and be more consistent, but it's not like he's Blaine Gabbert level of fail. Not yet anyway.

In case you missed it, the Niners now have 15 picks in this draft (http://blog.sfgate.com/49ers/2013/03/18/the-picks-are-in-49ers-receive-3-compensatory-selections/).

... and 10 of them will either be cut or placed on the practice squad.

I imagine they might do some horse trading at the draft. And let's face it, if they do use all 15 and only 5 of them make the roster, that's still a pretty good percentage. I read an article analyzing the Packers' draft of 2009 and of them, only 3 were still on the roster for last year - but 2 of those 3 were Clay Matthews and BJ Raji, pro bowlers and Super Bowl vets winners now. I imagine if the Niners got that level of quality out of their draft, they'd be happy.

That article begs the question.  When the 49ers got that 7th round pick this year from the Bengals in 2011, did they know what number in the 7th round it was?  Did the Bengals 2012 record impact the draft pick's placement?  Or is there so much horsetrading with draft picks that the answer isn't worth the time to understand?

In the 7th round, it's usually not going to matter much anyway. 7th rounders are usually practice squad depth picks at best.

But we could find the next Ryan Fitzpatrick.  :why_so_serious:

I didn't think turnovers were that hard to find.  :why_so_serious:

When you trade for future picks you are taking the pick that the team earns with its record that year in the future. Its like that in all American sports as far as I can think of.

Decent link the lists seem ok if you wan't to catch up on things:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/freeagents19-ha970pa-198866041.html

But Harvard! Also sexy beard!

So, Carson Palmer is an Arizona Cardinal now and Matt Flynn is the Raiders new starting QB.

Does anyone remember an offseason that has seen so much of a QB carousel like ever? It's crazy how many QB's have been shuffled around. As for these trades, this just shows how bad the original Palmer to the Raiders trade was (and how wrong I was about it). The Raiders mortgaged their future on a guy who should have been able to take them to the playoffs that year but didn't. Now they can barely get a sixth rounder and a conditional for him. Of course, he instantly made Arizona a better team because holy fuck was that a greasefire of a QB situation last year. I feel bad for Matt Flynn as he's got NO ONE to throw to. He had better be as good as advertised because he could end up being a huge disaster on a team with this little talent at wideout.

And yet, somehow the Jags, who have possibly the worst QB situation of all the teams (even worse than Arizona did I think), have done nothing on the QB front of note. Gabbert, Henne and whoever they draft will compete to get plastered non-stop because no one will be fucking open.

Of all the shuffled QB's, I actually think Alex Smith has the best chance to be good this year. Low INT's, O line is not a complete disaster, they have some offensive weapons and a coach who has a history of getting absolute fucking streetwalkers to catch passes from competent QB's (Freddie Mitchell, James Thrash, Todd Pinkston anyone?).

One day people will stop betting the franchise on a USC quarterback. Until then, I will scoff at any GM that doesn't learn from the past. They are a QB fail factory.

Now we get to see somebody make a stupid decision on Matt Barkley. My bet is the Vikings draft him in the late first round, because their QB situation is a complete mess.

I'm still not convinced Christian Ponder is a mess. He may be Sanchez level of inconsistency but if he can smooth out the performances, he might be decent. A lot of that will depend on how healthy Jennings can be.

Free agency has been insane this year, so no I don't remember another year like this with the swapping of QBs. I said the same thing about KC before - they are not far from being a good team, and they [imo] fixed pretty much all of their gaping problems if they can stay healthy.

I think Ponder can become decent, he's not being fed bullshit and requiring ego-boosts like Failchez.

Also, just because it's a great story, Brian Banks is a Falcon (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/03/brian-banks-credits-his-mom-on-his-first-day-as-a-falcon/).

Glad to see Banks get a shot. He tried out in Seattle last year and I was rooting for him.

He's an interception machine. He had 58 yards passing against Arizona with 2 picks. Twice he's had QB ratings in the 30s. In 9 games he's had less than 200 yards passing, 3 of which were less than 100 yards. WHAT?

They've turned him into a checkdown Charlie to increase he completions, but he's still throwing picks. They were the 31st passing offense in the league, BEHIND THE JETS. The worst part is that he had time to throw. He only got sacked 32 times (his protection is 10th ranked in the league)

He's ass. Cut bait now before he goes UFA, and save yourself a 3M cap hit.

Cecil Shorts was my best fantasy free agent pickup.  He was playing really well until he started getting those concussions.  Almost 1,000 yards receiving and 7 TDs and I don't think he was even starting until after their week 6 bye.

One thing to remember about Ponder though is after game 9, he had no receivers. Once Harvin went out, they were so shit-scared of the absolutely terrible set of receivers they just started handing the ball off to Peterson all game and only throwing when necessary. Yes, he has bad numbers, but when Harvin was in, those numbers were good.

That said, it's year 3. We all know if he doesn't improve by week 6, his backup will get the nod.

Yeah, but with Shorts the problem was you never knew which Jac (if any) WR was going to have a decent day. It kept switching between him and Robinson


The "interception machine" would be part of the inconsistency even though he still was not all that bad for TD:Int of a 2nd year player without a lot of WR to throw to for a lot of the season. The other part of that imo is him being the guy who gives AP the ball and gets the fuck out of the way. Overall, he still had a respectable throwing yardage number around 3,000, and he really can show some decent consistency (see weeks 1-5 2012). Additionally, and this is important imo, his worst games were during AP's best games, but Ponder's best games where he picked up his game were when AP was not doing that great (during AP's 6 sub-100 yard games for instance). That is why he's workable, whereas Sanchez never really was imo. Although it is completely obvious that he is not a franchie QB without some MAJOR improvements, he isn't really someone you just dumb on a 2012 season unless Minn can pick up Palmer or Flynn for cheap.

As for stats and what not - Ponder did have 2 games in the 30's for QBR, and 4 games under 60, he's also had 4 games over 100 with one of them being 120+. Now to give credit where due - 3 out of 4 of those sub 60 QBR were against top defenses (Sea, Chi, Hou) and the Cardinals passing defense for a lot of the season was not that bad at all and finished with the 2nd most picks, and either the 4th or 5th least passing yards given up. Ponder's +100 QBR games were against Jac, Ind, Det and GB. with his best performance against a good team be in the 90s against SF.

I disagree.  For a non-top tier receiver he was pretty consistent when he was starting.


I'm not saying he the second coming of Calvin Johnson or even Wes Welker, but he seems pretty productive to me (when healthy, of course).

Oops I said Robinson, but meant Blackmon and even that was way off as my reasoning is just not right. The ups and downs were still a problem, just not because of other WR. Yes, he was red-hot during the midseason after the bye, and he only had 1 "bad" game with week 9 in that stretch, but he still had a lot of playtime early in the season (I think he even started once or twice). That is where the highs and lows are from.

I'm not saying he was bad or anything, in fact he got me through some mid-season weeks when a number of my WRs and Flex options were on bye weeks, just that it wasn't always easy trusting him with the early highs and lows

Seems like this is going to be a trainwreck of an NFL draft if Geno Smith and Matt Barkley are chosen in the first round. 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9179704/legendary-broadcaster-pat-summerall-dies-82

John Madden's partner in crime, Pat Summerall, passes away. I grew up with him and Madden explaining the sport to me... They were the Laurel and Hardy of the NFL broadcast boost.

Now that is a damn shame.  :cry:

Aw shit, I too grew up with Pat Summerall!  I can hear his voice in my head right now.  I bet I heard his games more than all others of his era combined.

Broadcasting legend indeed.

Well shit, that sucks :cry:

He's certainly one of the sports voices of my childhood. He had a good run into his 80s. I have fond memories of his game calls.

So what do you think, does Vince Young deserve a look see by some team or not? 

When I look at his stats, he's marginal, at best, but he does provide the intangibles.  But then again he's been a clusterfuck both off the field and on with his mental status. 

I still can't help thinking that he would be a better choice than Fitzpatrick or Ponder or maybe even Bradford.  There are a lot of chuckleheads in the NFL playing QB, and with the transformation into a spread option league seemingly becoming more of a reality, could VY be worth a look for some team? 

The only worse option is Jamarcus Russell.

But.....if he's pulled his shit together there is certainly some talent there.  I'm actually surprised that some of the idiots that play QB in the NFL can retain a job yet VY can't even hold a clipboard.

VY has proven to be a total liability.  The chance he goes and does something to earn the team negative press means I wouldn't even take him as a backup if he agreed to play for free.

Has he?  I think Jeff Fisher was as much to blame for the Tennessee Fiasco.  Not that VY was blameless in the situation, but Fisher was a complete cunt.  And it's not like he was out killing dogs.  Vince made a few bad choices (not really bad, just questionable) and acted like a 2 year old a couple of times.  He seems to be willing to put in the work now. 

So convince me that he's not a better choice than:

1.  Christian Ponder
2.  Matt Cassel
3.  Mark Sanchez
4.  Chad Henne
5.  Brandon Weeden
6.  Jake Locker
7.  Ryan Tannehill
8.  Blaine Gabbert
9.  Mike Vick
10.  Nick Foles
11.  Any clipboard carrier

Hell, if nothing else you'd gain a shitton of UT fans pulling for your team in Tebow-esque fashion.  I don't think Young is a risk to do anything really stupid, like shoot someone or molest a dog.

He's shown that when adversity strikes, he acts like a goddamn baby and pouts. His passing numbers aren't much better than Tebow's. I'd take him over Tebow if based just on numbers, but I'd be wary of his locker room presence. For a team looking for a QB, even of the backup variety, he's just not "the answer."

Now listing Weeden there might be pushing things a bit. He only has one year under his belt and, more importantly, he plays for the Browns.

Many of his former teammates have come out to support him in the past.  That issue where he basically quit a game for the Titans will haunt him, for sure.  I dunno, man, if he interviewed well and showed reasonable work ethic I think (If I were a GM) that I'd rather take a chance on him than any of the chucklefucks available in this year's draft.

Addendum-  Goddam his mechanics and footwork are awful.   :uhrr:

VY "highlights" are tough to watch.

Another thing....when reviewing his stats (from college and pro) he really only had one spectacular year-  his third year at UT.  Otherwise he has been a 50/50 interception to TD guy with a running game. 

VY is Michael Vick with a worse arm. But at least he loves dogs.  :why_so_serious:

Quarterback is a putrid fucking position in the NFL. 

He's had his chance and shown he cannot at all hack it. Not only does he not hack it he makes it very difficult for the rest of the team to function like professionals thanks to his bullshit drama. If he wants to be in the league he should fuck off to Canada and show that even outside his comfort zone he can play football and be a professional.

VY is a good QB and had good stats with the Titans at first, but I'm sorry to say he's a head case.  I was really pulling for him, but he just couldn't hack it.

A cautionary tale to Cam Newton.

Vince Young a better choice than Ryan Tannehill? Really?  :uhrr:

Why replace a mediocre QB with another mediocre QB with a reputation for losing his shit when things go bad?  Its not like Vince Young is going to turn a franchise around, so why bother?

I was wondering that too, Tannehill isn't a lights-out QB, but he's solid and I'd give him decent odds to take Miami to the playoffs this year.

Also his wife is SMOKIN hot.

Teeth too large for face.  Calves too muscular.  WNB.

 :uhrr:

Her butt and legs look pretty flabby.  I'm not particularly interested, TBH. 

2/10

A picture of a woman, better critique every little thing and let my peers on the internet know whether or not I would bang her.

So, as I said:  :uhrr:

Have you frequented the internet before?   :awesome_for_real:

You have more than 6000 posts here, come on man.  You didn't just fall into the sarchasm, you strapped a Wile Coyote sized rocked to your back and launched yourself into it at Mach 47.

To much time spent on reddit where people mean this sort of thing I guess.

Would anyone care to comment on how sharp her knees are?

She's got really big feet.  :psyduck:

Clearly she's some kind of deformed troll.  :oh_i_see:

Eric Fisher over Luke Joekel seems like a bit of a reach.

First round seems to be about half reaches, half solid picks.

All linemen all the time.

Is Isaiah Thomas drafting for the Bills?   :why_so_serious:


And to make the stupid seem all that much worse, Jarvis Jones is taken with the next pick by Pittsburgh.  And that would explain eh Pittsburgh is a good team and the Bills are not.

Most bizarre draft I have ever watched... (well first round anyway). It was the first time I recall that there were no sure things in the draft that got all the headlines prior to the first pick - and I am talking about the flashy positions. We heard a lot about Fisher and Joeckel, but the tackle position is just not a highlight position. Only 1 QB taken? No RBs taken? Other than Lacy, who are the other RBs in the draft? Just odd. At least the Browns didn't fuck things up too bad and take Geno... made a bet with my friend in Chicago that if that happened, I would be forced to buy a Steeler's jersey and wear it throughout the season. Mingo though? Really figured they grab any of the CBs there to compliment Haden. How about Hayden?  :awesome_for_real:

But Mingo is coming from my Tigers so I can't complain - he'll be an outside linebacker most likely given his size is a bit small for end.

Still shocked Miami moved up to take the Oregon kid... and the Bills going with Manuel? Do they not watch FSU games up in Buffalo? And who the hell is Travis Fredrick?

Very weird draft so far...

I think the Bills took Manuel because they have fallen in love with THE PISTOL (i.e. Wildcat 2.0). Gruden practically fell all over himself talking about mobile QB's. I suppose after years of coaching Brad Johnson, you'd be thrilled to see a QB that could get out of the way of a horse-drawn buggy. The Miami pick was very puzzling. Sounds like that LB is an iffy, potential upside but little data type of player. When they need a left tackle and there was supposedly a good one available, why get a LB?

I like the Packers' pick of Dontae Jones. A versatile pass rushing DE. In the highlight reel they showed of him, he looked really good. I'm still hoping they take Montee Ball in the 2nd round and not Lacey. Lacey's potential injury issues are likely why he fell out of the first round (well, that and RB not being a glamour position on 90% of the teams anymore).

Geno Smith was the obvious choice over Manuel though.

BUT THE PISTOL!!!!!!

I'm really surprised that Jarvis Jones went so low. 

Skinny spines have no place in the NFL! Hope he does well though. The Steelers will put training wheels on him this year at least, as not to rush him into anything.

This draft shows that no matter how much ESPN hypes their boys like Teo and Barkley, NFL guys are not buying.

Miami management heard that Jordan was being compared to Jason Taylor so they couldn't get out of the way of their own boners to not take him.  He's supposedly not even going to be healthy for training camp so we'll see how that goes.  :awesome_for_real:

Also, I hate the new Dolphins logo.  In an era of being mindful of concussions, they go and take off the helmet!

They need to fill up 24 hours a day with sports news.  It is no wonder they have to make up compelling stories.

Teo going to the chargers in round 2. I think it's one they will regret, but time will tell in the afc west.

Round two goes by and still no Barkley pick. Could it be that NFL gms are finally learning that Usc qbs are a total disaster?

I've never understood that.  The helmet has a dolphin with a 'M' on his helmet.  Shouldn't he also have a dolphin on his?  Dolphins all the way down! Or did I just blow your MIIIINNNNNDDDD.

Yeah weird draft. 

The NY Jets now officially have 5 backup QBs.

That strategy ended up working out in Seattle.

What is Jerry jones trying to achieve here exactly?

Best i can tell he's just taking whatever guy he believes is best on the board, position be damned

Except he's using his senile mind to decide instead of you know, professionals and scouts and stuff.

So business as usual for the Great Jones.

The Jets waived Tebow. I actually feel sorry for the chap; most players who are complete busts seem to be both mediocre to terrible players and complete arseholes, whereas Tim seemed to have a great work ethic and athleticism by all account, he was let down by his lack of a throwing arm and the horrific mismanagement of his career by pretty much everyone around him.

Buzzfeed has a list of 11 lowlights of his season as a Jet (http://www.buzzfeed.com/ktlincoln/the-11-lowlights-of-tim-tebows-terrible-season-as-a-new-york), it's more sad than funny.

I hope that Matt Barkley enjoyed his senior year at USC.  May this be a lesson to all idiots that think staying in school is a good idea when you're a projected top 5 pick.

Matt Barkley's $10 million year at USC (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/-nfl-draft/news/20130429/nfl-draft-peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback/?sct=uk_t11_a3#all).

Hindsight and all that...

Gambling is a hell of a drug to some people.

Unless you're Tyrann Mathieu, in which case marijuana is a great drug.

I feel bad for Tebow too. If it hadn't been for ALL THE ASSHOLES on the sidelines who continually hyped him over and over (Skip Bayless please choke on Tebowcock now), he'd have been able to fail and disappear into obscurity by now. But no, we have to keep talking about how he's a winner and how he's a Christian and a great young man and BLAH DE FUCKING BLAH. Meanwhile, even a no-name backup and Mark Fucking Sanchez get picked over him to play. It was an idiotic trade for the Jets to make in the first place, made more ridiculous by the absolute trainwreck they made of any attempt to use him in a role that would actually suit him. Denver really should have turned him into a tight end/fullback/tailback wildcard type.

I blame Josh McDaniels. May he rot in hell Foxboro carrying Belichek's jockstrap.

The problem with that is the 'consensus' is frequently wrong.  Who's to say he'd really have even been a first round pick last year?  The 'consensus' was that Geno Smith and Eddie Lacy were 1st round picks this year and we see how that worked out.

It also seems pretty probable that money wasn't the only factor involved in his decision.

He wouldn't have gone in the top ten last year. There were already Luck and Griffin in that draft, along with Tannehill and Weeden and Russell Wilson. Oh, and Nick Foles and Kirk Cousins.

Going by yardage and ratings, I can say the only guy he would likely been drafted ahead of would be Cousins for sure. The rest all have better statistical years in 2011 than Barkley in either yards, rating, or both.

That being said, nobody wants to see a QB take a step back in their final year. They want to see them improving across all years, and that's the risk you run. It's why a guy like Aaron Murray made a HUGE mistake in my mind, because he got information that he wasn't a first rounder. Hey dipshit, almost nobody was a first rounder in this draft, but I think he was a solid second round choice. If UGA does what I think they will do this season (get demoilshed by this absurd schedule early in the year), nobody will pay any attention to him.

As a UT fan, I am genetically unable to like any Gators, but well said. 

The only place I can see him being useful as a QB would be within 10 yards of the end zone.  He's pretty good at running at that yardage and he can throw some decent short passes.  Other than that, he's a non-factor in the NFL.  I also like how people are saying he might end up in the CFL, which is much more of a passing league than the NFL.

The Jets announced they had a trade for Tebow IF he was a tight end, and Tebow refused... So basically fuck him, and his football career should end so his religious huckster one can begin.

You know why Antwon Randle-El was able to play for 8 seasons and make over $10M? Because he wasn't a stubborn guy who tried to shoehorn himself into a QB spot, even though that's what he played in high school and some of college. He switched to WR and had a great career in the league with a Super Bowl ring.

I hope that Tebow likes arenas... or Canada.

New design for Atlanta stadium. Build it!
The Occulus or the Solarium? (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/falcons-stadium-ideas-don-t-just-push-envelope-123901552.html)

I just cannot fucking believe they are spending a BILLION dollars to replace a stadium that's barely 20 years old. Blank must have gotten real jealous of Jerry Jones.

I am hoping there will be a lot of moving parts involved.

holy shit, called it!
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/01/falcons-stadium-ideas-move-in-new-directions/related/

edit: just saw this story pop up on PFT.

Most of the city with a lick of financial sense is pretty pissed off about it.

aka everyone but the actual politicians who will end up approving it.

They've already approved it. They are just trying to hash out the site, and exactly how many kickbacks/welfare programs they have to give to the county to get it done.

They are building these things in an era where the NFL is becoming more and more popular at home. I don't get it. There's no way the economics support this.

That 'Oculus' design looks like it was planned by aliens as an effective way to collect and process human meat.

 :uhrr:

That aside, the Oculus design is pretty sweet. Shame you don't need it.

Does it include Eregos?

Titus Young, professional dumbass.  (http://tracking.si.com/2013/05/07/fomer-lions-receiver-titus-young-arrested-twice-in-15-hours/)

He's no Cliff Harris... :oh_i_see:

Titus Young and Calvin Johnson could be the best receiver tandem in the NFL if Titus wasn't such an idiot. They are both just ridiculously talented.

I knew he had to be a complete fucking muppet when he got released by the Rams only days after signing without ever seeing one practice. This just confirms the level of dumbassitude.

Trifecta. (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000168932/article/titus-young-arrested-for-third-time-within-week)

Seriously, any NFL team that gives this catastraphuck money should have their team seized by the NFL and sold off to the lowest fucking bidder. What a goddamn dumpster fire.

That guy's going from being a wide receiver in the NFL to being one in prison.

Just put him in jail already. This is only going to get worse if he's this stupid.

Titus has a mental disorder. (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9273307/titus-young-disorder-needs-help-dad-says)

You don't say?  :oh_i_see:

He's certainly crazy.

Crazy has some benefit in Football.

(http://sinfl.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/desmond-bryant.jpg?w=618&h=309)

 :awesome_for_real:

Irvin gets 4 games for banned substances (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9287069/bruce-irvin-seattle-seahawks-suspended-four-games)

What?? A high school dropout with a lengthy arrest record (who also happens to be grossly undersized for his playing position) decided to do something stupid? Stop, the room is spinning  :oh_i_see:

This is all on Pete "The Retard Whisperer" Carroll.

So, Dee Milliner and Geno Smith have both fired their agents after being drafted by the Jets, just saying  :why_so_serious:

Wouldn't you?

Probably

I tried to craft a joke, but the Jets already did that last season for me.

In the airless void of Jets's space, there is no humor. Only the sound of $20 million of guaranteed money being drained into Mark Sanchez's wallet.

He's making over $1M per touchdown, or $20M per butt fumble.

So far.

Crabtree out for the year with a torn Achilles. Gee, that is really too bad. I really like him and his coach.

Single tear from the Seattle fans I see.  :awesome_for_real:

Maybe Dez will get away from his handlers this year so I won't have to watch him.

Jenkins better be able to step up this year.

Not a big fan of Crabtree.  Torn Achilles is nothing to sneeze at.  

Why am I thinking hGH or steroids here.....  :oh_i_see:

He did gain 24 pounds from the beginning of college to the NFL, but I'm not sure you can count that as anything but training.

I'm sure he did none of that in college.   :awesome_for_real:

NFL still considering expanding the playoffs and moving to 18 games (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9301274/expanded-playoffs-18-games-mulled-roger-goodell). 

Am I the only one that thinks this is a bad idea?  The injury rate will undoubtedly go up as will the resultant use of PEDs. 

No, it is an awful idea.

Agreed. It's really annoying how they always bring up 'fans want this because they want to cut the preseason games in favor of games that matter' ..which I'm pretty sure is bullshit. Does anybody really want a longer regular season?

They've been pushing this for years, and they still don't seem to understand that this will make their product less popular. The NBA regular season is ignored because it's too long and the regular season doesn't matter. The NHL is ignored because the regular season is too long and doesn't matter.

Yet in a time when you are competing for dollars inside stadiums v. free TV, you want to add more meaningless games to the schedule AND water down the regular season importance? Why would I bother picking up season tickets to something that doesn't matter and I can watch for free? Why would I pay a PSL? Why would anybody show up to games or watch games when your team has clinched a playoff spot in Week 12 of 18?

The NFL is like WoW. The only thing that can take it down is it's own stupid decisions and possible lawsuits. Oh, and don't think that them pushing for 2 more games in light of the concussions thing isn't a potential disaster for their case. The obvious solution is to just drop the 2 stupid preseason games and keep everything the same, but nooooooooooooo. There's profit to be had in those bullshit games.

The owners, FOX, CBS, and NBC.

Aka the only people that matter.

I'm still shocked that people pay much attention to the regular MLB season.  I'm convinced it's mostly type A stat crunchers, like yourself.

You'd be wrong. There are way too many people going to/watching these games for that to be what's in play.

Relax Francis....I was just poking him the ribs.   :awesome_for_real: 

Still, MLB stadiums are rarely full in the regular season though, hovering somewhere between 50 and 80%, depending on the team.  Cut the season by 25% and they would probably be almost full all the time.

The empty seats tend to be cheaper ones, though. Filling up the stadium at the cost of fewer games sold to more expensive seats is a losing proposition.

Awful idea.  Keep it like it is right now, I think it's really balanced with play week and amount of teams.  Two more games mean I ignore two more early season weeks.

Baseball runs mostly unopposed. That's why it does well, because it doesn't need one fan there every night. It needs 1,000,000 people to show up 2-3 times a season, and then watch the product on TV when they are at home at night. Also, summer TV for the most part blows, which makes watching baseball that much easier.

The NFL dominates the Fall unless it hamstrings itself, but there are competitors for your time during that period. You have college, you have NBA, you have NHL, you have vacations and holidays, and you have Fall TV programming.

Baseball, to me, is much more fun to see in person than on TV.  Football is the reverse.  I like to see instant replays and take a nap at halftime.  Plus listen to Shannon Sharpe stumble over words.  "JB..."

Dodgers and Giants are each already over a million home fans for the season (I think today's game takes the Giants over.) For the Giants that's sellouts, for the Dodgers that's 75% of capacity. Good luck talking the Giants into a plan that loses them home games. Same thing with football teams.

Oh, it will never happen.  It's an academic point, but it's likely that the quality of play would improve with fewer games as players would be less likely to get hurt and be more likely to give a shit. 

No, you are not alone. It's a terrible terrible fucking idea, especially in light of the all the bullshit Goddell has been burdening the game with in the name of player safety the last few years. I'm all for shitcanning 2-3 of the preseason games since they are dreadful to watch. But adding 2 more games and more playoff teams? Fuck that. We had a 7-9 team get to the playoffs a few years ago. That is not to be encouraged. At least they won their game (BEAST MODE!!!) but still. You ought to at least be at .500 to make the playoffs.

And you would get some 8-8 teams in the playoffs if they expanded. You don't want it to turn into bowl games.

Draft moves to May in 2014 (http://nflcommunications.com/2013/05/28/2014-nfl-draft-to-be-held-may-8-10-at-radio-city-music-hall-in-new-york/)

The press release reflects a "scheduling conflict at Radio City", but the chatter seems to indicate that it's a "test". Besides, it's the NFL, who the fuck is conflicting with them, the President?

They must have some sorta contract with Radio City Music Hall. NYC has a ton of venues this can be carried out at. Hell, rotate it every year like the Super Bowl. Meh... now we'll be in the draft season even fucking longer.

It's the NFL trying to bridge the lull between draft and training camp.

Its probably partially a result of the Rush Limbaugh school of conservative talk radio driving off advertisers and listeners, so radio stations, who are losing money carrying them, are moving increasingly towards sports radio in order to make some money. Unfortunately that demands more sports to cover to meet the demand.

I'm not actually trying to drag this into politics. But its an affect thats been noted through the entire radio industry due to the structure of advertisements and whatnot. You can read more here. mediamatters.org/blog/2013/01/01/rush-limbaugh-still-toxic-for-advertisers-one/192865 (http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/01/01/rush-limbaugh-still-toxic-for-advertisers-one/192865)

Also http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2012/02/14/Research-and-Ratings/Sports-radio.aspx

I've noticed a huge push in sports radio here in Atlanta.

4 years ago we had two stations, 680 the Fan, and 790 the Zone. Both of these were on AM radio, and the signals were shitty depending on the part of town.

Fast forward to 2013. We now have 4 stations, and 3 of them are simulcast on FM radio. So in that short amount of time, sports talk has gone from niche AM side to controlling 3 stations on the FM dial.

We now have 3 in Seattle. Figures- the market expands just after I quit listening. I used to listen to sports radio constantly. I can't stand it any more. Ignorant hosts and even more ignorant callers just drive me insane.

One of the things I don't like about sports radio is that they seem to always shout everything, always have music on in the background, etc.  Everyone just needs to take it down a level.

I thought this was pretty cool over on PFT, voting for a Mount Rushmore for each team (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/search/rushmore). Basically, football nerds debat the best 4 players/coaches/owners for a team. Good luck on picking 4 players for teams like the Bears, Packers, Giants, Cowboys, etc.

It is about halfway done, but still fun for those eagerly awaiting September 5th.

Troy, Emmitt, Staubach, Landry would be my picks for the boys.

Jim Brown, Art Modell (part of me died saying that, but still...), Ozzie Newsome, Otto Graham - Cleveland.

The Packers are pretty simple.

Bart Starr, Vince Lombardi, Brett Favre and Reggie White.

I mean, give it a decade and we may see Rodgers eclipsing Favre (though since he revitalized the franchise, I doubt it) but the others? Easy. Misses some great running backs and others in their history but it's not like you can take Lombardi or Starr off. And I'll cut the man who says Reggie White wouldn't deserve to get enshrined that way. Great football player but even more he seemed like a really great human being.

Art? Really? There isn't a player you'd stick in there instead?

Art did a shit ton for the game and for the Browns prior to him taking his ball(team) and leaving. Maybe I'd swap him out for Paul Brown, but I think he'd be better on Cinci's Rushmore.

I did the same but had a really hard time putting Aikman ahead of Dorsett. Aikman was great and has 3 rings, but he had a lot of weapons to do it with. Dorsett had one ring but with a lot less to work with. It was basically Dorsett as a Rookie, Starbauch, and Drew Pearson.


I love Reggie White and voted for him on the Eagles Mt Rushmore, but I can't put him ahead of Curly Lambeau, Lombardi, Starr, or Favre for the Packers. I absolutely agree about Rodgers passing Favre, but just not yet as he needs a lot under his belt before people think of him instead of #4 when they think Packers

Detroit Lions-Alex Karras, Barry Sanders and two kickers.  :awesome_for_real:

The Patriots are signing QB Tim Tebow and expect him to be in minicamp tomorrow (https://twitter.com/Edwerderespn/status/344198177118908416)

 :drill:

I can not wait for Brady of all people to have one bad game this season.

That's actually the one place he could go, and nobody would bother saying he should start.

I think you vastly underrate the idiocy of Tebow fans.

If there's anyone that could find a decent use for Tebow it would be Belichik.  He might even be able to convince him to play TE.

Ok not nobody. Nobody serious about football, and certainly not enough to cost a coach his job for not listening.

I think the Pats is a great place for him. There will be no pressure on him to compete for a starting job, no urgent need to make use of him to justify his existence, and Bill Belichek has a history of working with atypical prospects and making something of them. I can't see the Pats needing three QBs though, so perhaps this is a way for Bill to pull Tebow aside and convince him on the merits of playing a WR or TE.

Also, with Gronk and Hernandez both looking questionable for the season start, he could have a good shot at starting as a TE, rather than spending his life carrying clipboards.

What about Belichek somehow means he'll go to TE?

McDaniels drafted him to be a QB. He apparently pushed hard to get on the Pats. I'm not sure where this means he'll magically become a WR/TE.

The word on twitter from people 'in the know' is that he'll be doing a lot of reps at TE in training camp. Take this with a pinch of salt obviously, but it seems a better use for him than as backup QB. I haven't seen much of Ryan Mallett, but he seems no worse than Tebow, and not particularly in need of some competition. *shrug*

Like WHO. I haven't seen a lick of "reps at TE". I'm not saying you're wrong, I just have not seen anything like that.

Morte seems to think he'll be a QB, at least. (https://twitter.com/mortreport/status/344208627093102592)

Mike Freeman is on the TE train (https://twitter.com/realfreemancbs); obviously everything at this point is speculation though. It just seems that he'd make a more natural fit at TE than as a backup QB. Maybe a 3rd string QB, but do the Pats really need that roster weight? All passing aside, everyone knows that Tebow can run the ball with the best of them; he has the tools to be a TE, and that's driving the speculation I figure.

It ALWAYS has been. The TE talk is not new at all.

Where did I ever say it was? I'm really not sure what you're getting worked up about.

I'm not worked up at all. As a Broncos fan, I can't wait to see the hilarity.

I just don't understand what's changed now that makes it anymore possible. I don't know why we give any credit to someone saying "He should play TE!" like it's some grand revelation.

edit: I love you Onion. Patriots Sign New Long Snapper (http://www.theonion.com/articles/patriots-sign-new-long-snapper,32773/)

Josh McDaniels is the biggest nuthugger idiot in the league. He is absolutely worthless to have in an organization. If he pushed for Tebow, I hope Belicheat eventually pushes him off a cliff.

Rob Gronkowski is probably finished, sadly. So why not try out some more people for TE?

Why do we think he is suddenly willing to change positions when he hasn't been before?

Cause nobody wanted him at QB so he had no choice unless he was willing to retire?

Didn't Bill basically say in a presser he would only consider Tebow as a TE?

Well that's why we're speculating that, but I thought actually-involved people who know something were being cited, and I haven't seen a link.

Did they fire Mallet? Because he would be a better backup QB anyway. It makes no sense to have another SEC guy in the wings just cause.

I think you undervalue his ego.

Also, nobody wanted him because of the circus. There have been coaches/owners who wouldve been happy to take him as a clipboard-holder, but the circus is a nightmare.

Bill said he didn't want him, most recently, per a "source". So who the fuck knows when it comes to "insiders" anymore.

Plus the Patriots week-to-week injury report is full of crap.


Also, there's no reason to believe he'll actually be on the roster come September.

I don't think anybody official has said anything yet. We may not know until he reports.

Also I scrolled past Freeman apparently. Seems sketchy.

That'd be a real shame, he's a phenomenal athlete. Maybe he can sit out on IR for a while and get fit.


Everything I saw after the Jets cut him was that teams were willing to look at him, but only as a TE; nobody wanted him as a QB, not even as a 3rd stringer. That's where his ego got in the way and he didn't try out for anyone. So either the Pats are willing to take him on a as a long-term development prospect, or he swallowed his pride and is willing to take a shot at TE on a team which knows how to use them well, and which would offer him cover to develop. Until some reports come out of camps we're not going to be able to say really.

I expect that the Patriots will have him throw the ball some and run some. 

As much as I hate to say it, if there is anyone that can get something useful out of Tebow, it is Bill.  He may also be the one person who can convince Tebow to play TE.  I wouldn't be surprised if by this time next year we were talking about 5+ touchdown-catching TE Tebow.  That's not a prediction, it just wouldn't surprise me.

That's the most likely scenario to me.  Jason Witten is revered in Dallas, why not Tebow in NE?

They released Mike Kafka and kept Ryan Mallet. Currently, Tebow is #3 on the depth chart

I must admit, I preferred slow/no NFL news to having so many stories about someone so irrelevant. Congrats to the most talked about practice squad QB, he seriously landed a sweet gig. He is a practice tool for teams to learn how to defend against mobile QBs but he's on a team which will only face 1 mobile QB this season. I'm fairly certain that my place kicker in Super Tecmo Bowl 3 will get more field time then Tebow gets practice time this year  

I just wanted this repeated because fuck Josh McDaniels. He is a twat of the highest order and he's still getting the joke on us with Tebow stories in the news how many years later?

Tebow would be a great weapon as a TE/WR/HB decoy who could take a snap directly and be something of a danger to throw or just run the ball. I think he'd be a great pass catcher in the flats. The fact that no coach has sat the kid down and said "You are a dumpster fire as a QB and if you don't accept this role I have for you, you can go back to preaching to elementary school kids about the virtues of abstinence in some podunk shithole for the rest of your fucking life" and then actually backed it up is a tragedy. Assholes like Skip Bayless who continually fellate him and make him think he can play QB in the NFL should be forced to pay his fucking salary.

Timmy's deal has no guaranteed money. Unless something magical happens (including him finding it in himself to convert to TE), I bet he doesn't even make the roster.

They don't really have any use for him as a scout guy because I don't think they play many teams with mobile QBs. I doubt he'll take the field for more than 10 plays if he does make the roster.

I bet he will, even if it's just for the fan draw.

Yeah the Patriots are having a tough time getting people to pay attention to them.

Tebow fans are more trouble than they're worth, too.

Yeah, such a small market team. I mean, how many games do they get televised a year? Maybe 1?

Don't underestimate the power of God.   :oh_i_see:

The Bills when EJ takes the reins and leads Canamerica's team to the top!

Rememeber, Broncos fan here. I remember.

I'm sure you're "Tebowing" right now.   :why_so_serious:

Okay, maybe Tebow WILL end up at TE just out of attrition. (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/19/report-hernandez-not-ruled-out-as-suspect-in-murder-case/)

Hernandex to be arrested. (http://www.csnne.com/blog/patriots-talk/report-hernandez-be-arrested)

Tebow works in mysterious ways.

That TE depth charter is looking preeeeetty shallow at the moment.

What the fuck.   :oh_i_see:

I am going to amend my "Tim Tebow, 5 TDs" semi-prediction from a page or two ago.  Clearly now he can catch 10 TDs.

With this Hernandez thing and Gronk's injury problems likely ruining his career...I mean, it seems pretty clear to me that God must also be a Tebow fan. 

Look Tebow, god killed a man to open up a spot for you at tight end.  Do His will. 

Via Adam Schefter on twitter:

Update: Police have prepared arrest warrant for Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez for obstruction of justice, per ABC News.
 (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/348098424308109312)

And then.. lawl...

Should Aaron Hernandez be unable to start season, Patriots could open 2013 with their 5 leading receivers from 2012 not in lineup.
 (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/348111710667812864)

Fuck the Patriots. Let Tommy Goodhair throw TD's to the practice squad.

And knowing how "plug and play" works for the Patriots, that'll be somehow 55 TDs this season.

What I really want is for Brady to suffer a season-ending vagina sprain, have their backup get injured as well so that they are forced to start Tebow at QB.

I've given up hating Brady. He's not winning another Super Bowl any time soon, so it's not worth my time. That team has abandoned defense for so long, I don't really think they have a chance again short of cheating.

Honestly, I don't hate Brady. But I'm damn sick of Hobo Bill.

I hope Tebow smites him with his sword of righteousness!

Aaron Hernandez released. (https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/349896432918077441)

(He was also lead from his house in handcuffs today.)

He's going to prison. The case looks really REALLY bad on paper, and several sources coming out of Florida that are good friends with the local radio hacks here said in the past, "They were hoping this guy left Florida before he exploded. He is not a good dude."

Damn!  :ye_gods: When this story first broke, I was kind of  :headscratch: but now it's starting to sound like dude is just a fucking trainwreck that finally happened.  :uhrr:

To paraphrase someone on Twitter- I can't wait until he pins this on his buddies, finds God, and start starts doing annoying fucking dances when he is introduced at home games.  :oh_i_see:


Pats obviously know something everyone else doesn't yet to release him though. I would be very surprised if they would have dumped him over an obstruction arraignment.

Yeah, the Pats aren't going to release a guy who can still play unless he fucking killed a dude.

Hobo Bill must know a thing or two about strangling homeless dudes near the railroad tracks. He can probably spot a killer a mile away.

Or just maybe they are a slightly classier organization than the Ravens

Sure.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_National_Football_League_videotaping_controversy)  :oh_i_see:

No, that's not it.

Wheee...


http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/browns/2013/06/26/ausar-walcott-attempted-murder-punch-club/2459295/

edit: hit the wrong button before adding the quote... DOH!

Attempted murder... does not seem to fit that situation? At least based on that one bit of news, it doesn't.

Well if you punch somebody in the head and he ends in the hospital in critical condition that seems more serious than assault.

Attempted Murder usually includes something about... attempt. Like I said, with just this bit of news it doesn't seem like it would fit. I mean, maybe it comes out that he screamed "I'M GOING TO PUNCH THIS FUCKER TO DEATH", then sure.

Yes, because Hernandez potentially actually killing someone is exactly the same as Lewis  lying and being charged with obstruction of justice.

 :oh_i_see:

The arrest warrant was for obstruction of justice for Hernandez last I heard.

So, technically, right now, the stories are very similar.

Mind you, in the manner in which he was arrested seems to indicate very bad news for him.

 :why_so_serious: :why_so_serious: :why_so_serious:

Murder was the case that they gave him. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/349962007585366016)

He won't be a tight end for long.  :why_so_serious:


I SO couldn't help myself.

I am about to pop a blood vessel listening to all the sports shitheads call this a tragedy. No, the tragedy occurred last week when a man was murdered. This is the beginning of justice, you assholes.

 :grin:

He'll have to learn a new position: wide receiver.

Shakespeare writes tragedy, this is a reckoning.

I think you misunderstand. The tragedy about it is more headlines for Tebow.

I was just saying the same thing.  You're spot on.


I bet this dude skates.  The evidence seems pretty circumstantial, now that he's destroyed it all. 

I don't think you can really use reasonable doubt if it's known that you destroyed the evidence, and they have tape of you wandering around with a gun before you destroyed the evidence on the same day as the murder.

Well, I don't either, but I just have this feeling that a jury is going to like him. 

The cops took their time with this one. I would be shocked if they went forward on murder charges with anything but a slam dunk in a case with this high a profile.

That's true.  Still, when a jury and a sports star are involved, anything can happen.  Just ask OJ. 

Relevant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMumMeljP9s)

Mass. jury and a guy named Hernandez? They should start fitting him for the jumpsuit now.

Plus, innocent people typically don't try to destroy their phone, surveillance, and top to bottom clean their house professionally all in the same day.

He's guilty about something.

(http://i.imgur.com/9ZfCSV3.jpg)

I wonder how often he'll go deep?

These prison sex jokes are getting tiresome.  Let's pack it in.

Well of course he is.  But will a jury see it that way?  That's the important part.

If he was still in Florida he'd have a much better chance. Their conviction rate is extremely low.

In Massachusetts? He's probably screwed.

Probably, yes.  But it isn't over until it's over. 

Seriously though, the guy is guilty as hell.  And a major thug.

Hey look, more murder charges may be incoming.  :oh_i_see:

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/22702430/2013/06/27/source-hernandez-investigated-in-boston-double-killing

Holy shit.  That's big.  If true, this guy is a major dick. 

You don't know many NFL players personally, do you?  Those that aren't assholes are the exception.  (Ok... that or they're kickers/punters!  :why_so_serious: )

Chris Kluwe being the perfect example of this. That guy is all kinds of awesome.

The Onion cuts a little close to reality, once again.  (http://www.theonion.com/articles/tim-tebows-former-teammate-charged-with-murder,32976/)

No.  Is that because they're thugs or because they're all roided out?

A big part of it is when everyone tells you how amazing you are for your whole life, a lot of the time you end up believing it. You see the same thing in any talent-based job.

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/263797/police-have-possible-motive-in-hernandez-case

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/06/27/former-patriots-player-aaron-hernandez-probed-two-more-murders-law-enforcement-officials-say/6PSjR68RBpguwcxmlXe2oM/story.html

He's already going to prison for life if he did it, so pinning more bodies on the kid only provides motive. Unless there's some sort of federal charge they can up the ante on by serial killing?

The motive is the point, hence the update.

It's just an ironic situation that you have to find two more bodies before you even get to the motive of another murder. Murder begets murder indeed.

I'm sure that's part of it.  However, I've been around lots of different groups with gigantic egos (surgeons) that didn't typically run around capping people. 

You don't need to bee beefed up on steroids to be a surgeon

The Surgeons are just smart enough to not get caught.  :why_so_serious:

Only some of them. "surgeon murderer" turns up a lot of hits on Google! And only some of them are related to Surgeon Simulator 2013.

You don't here too many stories of NHL players getting in shit with the law (MLB players don't seem to get into too much trouble, either) but why are seemingly inundated with criminal acts from the NFL and NBA on a regular basis?

Well, they should probably be arresting at least a couple hockey players per game for battery.

This guy is all kinds of dumb.

(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jmarko579/Aaron-Hernandez-Glock-Gun-Selfie.jpg) (http://s1094.photobucket.com/user/jmarko579/media/Aaron-Hernandez-Glock-Gun-Selfie.jpg.html)

Harold Shipman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shipman)

Wow.  You showed me an incident of a surgeon that killed someone!  Awesome.   :awesome_for_real:

I didn't think you could do it.

Well, he's only the most prolific serial killer in known history

Well, the press finally found a way to tie Tebow into all of this. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/gators/os-tim-tebow-aaron-hernandez-bar-fight-07022013,0,6747621.story)

Even Tebow couldn't lay hands on him and heal his rage. He is forever lost to humanity.

So he sucker punched a bouncer near Tebow in college?

Proof that he's always been a douchepunk I guess. Hernandez that is.

If I had Hernandez's haircut, I'd be angry too.

Maybe, but at least you'd have hair amirite.

Hair fears the heads of powerful men!  :awesome_for_real:

(http://i.imgur.com/Ykba6W7.jpg)

Low brow... but I don't give a shit   :awesome_for_real:

Patriots cheat, steal, and now we can add kill to the list.

Does that put them even with the Ravens?

The AFC is a bunch of goons.  :awesome_for_real:

Deceased fan asked for Browns pallbearers so they can “let him down one more time” (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/08/deceased-fan-asked-for-browns-pallbearers-so-they-could-let-him-down-one-more-time/)

 :drill:

Yeah... thanks.  :oh_i_see:

Pure awesome lol :awesome_for_real:

That is so wrong.  :why_so_serious:

I am totally doing this when I die before the Seahawks win a title.

You all will rue the day... RUE THE DAY! DO YOU HEAR ME!

 :heartbreak:

Well at least they made the news...

Leaf fans should consider it, too. :awesome_for_real:

So they are basically the Lannisters now, right?

So apparently Robert Kraft has said he feels "duped" by Aaron Hernandez "if the accusations are true."

And EA has removed Hernandez from both Madden 25 and NCAA 14. You can still unlock him in NCAA 14's Ultimate Team (because that was already done before he ganked a dude) but if you unlock him, you really get Alex Smith instead.

Dude. You got replaced by ALEX SMITH.

Said no one ev.....wait, wtf. This is a new and confusing sentence to me :why_so_serious:

I'd take Alex Smith over Romo right now. He understands how to actually protect the football. Throwing for 4,000 yards in the NFL doesn't matter to me if you don't win.

Last night Jaws stated that Romo has the highest 4th quarter QB rating in the NFL.  Is this true?  My beef with Romo is that he is wildly inconsistent.  He shows flashes of brilliance one day and plays like a rook the next.  It's a shame.  The guy has some genuine talent.

I'd say that if I was the 49ers (or another team with a passable/good defense and running game) then I'd take Smith, if I was the Cowboys then I'd pick Romo. Almost 5,000 yards with 28:19 td:Int ratio is not all that bad when the defense knows you're not running the ball. While he averages just over 1 int per game, the big problem were mostly within 3 games (5 picks against Chicago, 4 against NYG, and the most critical were 3 against WAS in Week 17)
. Though, look at 2011 when Romo had 5 picks in the first 5 games with their shit rushing game and then see Murray own the field which helped Romo only throwing 5 picks over the next 11 games.


I thought it was like 7th or 8th so I had to look this one up - but yeah apparently he has the 5th highest QB Rating at 95.6 and the 6th highest yards per pass at 7.9 for NFL All-Time leaders.

Yeah when you're 28th in first half offense, it's not shocking that Tony's 4th quarter numbers are good. That didn't translate to wins.

No, that doesn't translate to wins. However, outside of 3 games it didn't translate to their losses either. I'd placea that blame on defense and a lack of a running game/play selection. That, and I'm more concerned about his final 2-minutes of a half than his first half stats which has been bad for what, 5 years now consistently versus one single season with bad first-half play.

Alex Smith was a great college QB.  :awesome_for_real:

A 49er / KC superbowl would be so poetic this year...  :why_so_serious:

If it happened, I'm sure Vegas would be paying 1000:1 to anyone brave enough to predict it in the preseason.  :why_so_serious:

I'm interested to see how Kaepernick does for a full year of action. I'm not a believer in the highly mobile QB as a long term NFL plan, but it's fun to watch it play out. Were I planning a defense, I want to key on the SF run game and make him throw the ball 30 times. They ended up grinding down the Falcons because the birds couldn't stop Gore. That opened up the TE, and rest was just watching a team bleed to death.

Also, I think it would be extremely tough for SF to get back to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl for the 3rd year in a row. Not to say they can't, but the NFL shifts/turnover usually doesn't allow that anymore unless your division is a complete pinata (Patriots).

I'm with you on the mobile QB thing, though I'm warming up to it as they protect themselves more (Wilson did great at protecting himself and I saw enough throws to be sold on him longterm, but I'll be giving RG3 one more year to be completely sold as I want to make sure he has truly learned to protect himself).


I was thinking I may take those odds and throw $10 down, but then I remembered P Manning is in the AFC West (and I'm someone who believes KC will not be shit this year).

Last I heard, KC was 60/1 and SF was 6/1.  That'd be 360 to 1 that both make it. 

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/4/30/4286942/2013-super-bowl-odds-49ers-broncos

:awesome_for_real:

Only if he's throwing to himself.

If I'm power ranking the NFC East I'd say it's DAL, WAS, NYG, PHL. That being said, I don't think anybody in the East is "really good." 10 wins could easily take this division again.

I think the Giants will be forced to rely on the passing game more than ever with the loss of Bradshaw, and that can be good and bad. It's good because I think Eli can handle the pressure. It's bad because I think outside of Cruz they have receiver questions. Also, I think the Giants schedule is easier this year in their games outside the division. The question for them is the defense. They lost Osi, and they may or may not have JPP healthy off a back problem. The defense was flat awful in 2012, and now you throw even more questions in the mix. It doesn't look great.

Philly is facing a new coach with a QB controversy, and on top of that their defense gave up almost 4 TDs a game. It's damn hard to overcome that deficit even with the best offense in the league, and they don't have that. What makes it worse for Philly is that their schedule is front-end loaded with good passing QBs. Their defense will have to stop RG3, Rivers, Eli, and Peyton all in the first 5 weeks. They could very likely have a 2-3 record or worse right out of the gate. Also, I'm not entirely sure that their new head coach even knows what a real defense looks like.

Washington faces three major issues. The first issue is how rush happy they are. While being #1 in the league in rushing yards, Alfred Morris is going to sneak up on nobody this year. People will be game planning to stop him at all costs and shore up the rushing lanes to make RG3 throw. The second issue is RG3's health. If he has any issues with injury that take him out for more than 3 games? Their season is likely over. The last issue is the defense. The Redskins have a large amount of rookie DBs, a guy in Orakpo coming off the IR in a contract year, and you have a battle of previously injured players in Carriker and Jenkins. Who the hell knows if this defense was bad because of just injuries, or if it simply going to be bad because the personnel was overrated? My guess is that it looks like a good year to throw on the Redskins.

The Cowboys for the first time in a while have the fewest issues. They have a franchise QB with no controversy and a long term deal. They have one of the best receiving trios in the league with Austin, Bryant, and Witten which may only be rivaled by Atlanta and New Orleans. What they don't have is a consistent running game. They lack a tough rusher since Murray has been dealing with leg problems early in his career, and Felix Jones has left the building. That leaves the job in the hands of Murray and possibly Dunbar, neither of which excites fans. The good news on defense is that with the hiring of Monte Kiffin, the Cowboys are likely to get smaller and faster on D to stop the pass. The goal will be for Dallas to force teams to run on first down, and get an advantage by making teams do things that are against their nature. This will work well against a lot of pass-happy teams on the schedule. It also means they will likely lose both games against Washington, since they love to run the ball. The question is will the other wins make up for the head-to-head battle with the Skins?

David Wilson has the potential to be very good for the Giants.  He's the main reason they let Bradshaw go.  Well, plus Bradshaw seem to have foot problems every year.

He does, much in the same way that Dunbar has an upside for the Cowboys. However, with the physical nature of the league now it's hard to say how any RB will fare over 16 games without a track record.

This is wrong and you should be ashamed for thinking it. The only one who is consistently good in that list is Witten. Both Austin and Bryant can be world-beaters when they feel like it, but have never played to their potential consistently. I think Green Bay has a better receiving corps even without Jennings. I also think New Orleans receiving corps is overrated mostly because of how good Brees is.

Also, I really think Washington's defense was as bad as it was last year because of injuries. Carriker is really good.

That said, I predict the NFC East will be trash this year, and that Washington takes it.

Seattle has quietly put together a fearsome receiving corps..if they can get on the field (and stay healthy) together. Rice, Harvin, Baldwin, Tate, and Miller...quite a few playmakers in there. Even Jermaine Kearse can do some things if he can get his concentration problems solved. He should have been the best WR in UW history but was wildly inconsistent.

Statistically, you are simply not correct. Check the receptions and yardage of all trios in the league, you'll see which teams have 3 receivers in the top 25.

I've heard nothing buy love from the GB fans that their receiving corp is underrated. It's not underrated. They get a lot of TDs because the Pack has zero running game, and because Rodgers is the best QB in the league spreading it around. The best example is OMG JAMES JONES LOOK AT THE TDS! Yeah 9 of them in 4 games, 5 in the other 12, only 1 in 2 playoff games. He's a good long option, but he's not a game to game dominator like other receivers in the top 25.

And you're trying to tell me that Austin or Bryant are?

No.

I mostly agree with Paelos, but it is definitely worth the note that Wilson does have a major potential upside thuogh he is unproven.

For WAS, if RG3 goes down then them having Cousins will keep their season afloat. It will also bring some pressure off of Morris since there will be a lot less QB runs to worry about as they try to improve coverage against WRs. It's more a matter of if their WRs can stay healthy imo.

Philly is definitely the bottom rank here, but they'll likely be better than last year if the differences in preseason build up is any indicator - even with a QB controversy and a new coach the team is staying out of trouble and out of the news for dumb shit and may even be working together :why_so_serious:

And yeah, Dal's biggest issue now is the question of whether Murray stays healthy or not and if not how good will Joseph Randle be (as Dunbar and Tanner haven't set a very high bar for him to beat for the backup role). Murray being healthy (or any run game) will keep Romo's ints down if previous years are any indicator. Their defense should be better under Kiffin and especially if Lee can stay healthy. Though, I have to put a big question mark next to their defensive line at this point as they convert to the 4-3 they may not have the depth of the NYG a few years ago, or Chi, or the ability to transition between 4-3 and 3-4 easily like Sea.



Brant rookie year? No. Bryant second half of last year? Yes. Austin is great if his hamstring isn't screwed, and Witten is a freak of nature after the shit he played through last year and with that number of catches.

Thomas, Welker, and Decker would like a word with you.  All 3 WR are ranked in the top 25 for 2013.  That's tough for any team to match.

Dez Bryant has the talent to be Top 25 (Top 5, probably). It remains to be seen if he can keep from pimpslapping his family members long enough to put together a full season.

Yes, they are. Dez Bryant averages 15 yards a catch man. Hate him if you must, but you're ignoring facts. He had 12 TDs with 10 of them coming in the latter half of the season. He went 100+ 5 times with one game over 200 yards against the Saints.

Austin averages about 14 yards a catch. They were both getting first downs almost every time they touched the ball, 100 times in a season. Add in the TE and you have over 156 first downs for those 3 guys on the team. Jones, Cobb, and Nelson combined for 126. That's massively game changing over a season when you have that kind of trio.

That's a good point from the AFC side. I don't really watch them as much because we don't get many AFC broadcasts.

This. Yes, Bryant has talent. But he has yet to show me he can actually be in the zone consistently game after game. He will disappear for entire halves, pop up for one catch, and then it's off to next week. There's a reason Witten gets so many catches - he's the only one that's consistently open.

Miles Austin is VASTLY overrated.

Austin, Bryant, and Romo are all wildly inconsistent.  That's the issue in a nutshell.  Welker is the model of consistency and his stats reflect it.  Same goes for Rogers.  Steady production is valued in the NFL and the marquis players are mostly valued for their consistent play.

The stats don't back that opinion up, sorry. A TD catch by Miles Austin is the reason Cowboys won game 1 against the Giants. Miles Austin is the reason the Cowboys beat the Panthers in Game 6. Without him, it's very likely the Cowboys go 1-7 to open that season. He makes game-changing plays for the Cowboys, and he's a top 25 guy in receiving yards.

The don't, so here: He was 25th in total yards and 29th in times targetted, 25th in 20+ yard receptions, 32nd in average. I'd say him being a top 25 WR is an appropriate estimate but maybe 1-2 spots high which is a farcry from being "vastly overrated." IMO, Austin's inconsistencies come from an injured hamstring and being the #3 target behind Bryant and Witten (the 8th and 14th/15th most targeted receivers in 2012). The place he needs to improve imo is the YAC and reception percentage which is a combination of play calling and work with Romo

As for Dez Bryant, he was more inconsistent in the beginning of the season (especially when he had only 1 target of 20+ yards.....wtf) but the 2nd half of last year he was nothing but consistent and solid enough to bring him to be a top 5 or 6 WR for the season (I believe top 3 for the 2nd half of the season). Over the entire season he had almost 70% reception percentage, which was roughly equal to Wes Welker, Andre Johnson, Jason Witten, Demarius Thomas - that is some good company to be in. Then, compare him to Rhoddy White (as they have the exact same receptions and are both #1s) and Bryant comes out ahead with a higher reception per target average, higher yards per completion, almost double the touchdowns and more yards after the catch with the exact same number of receptions). Then remember that he is playing with an 'inconsistent' QB :why_so_serious:

Oh, and we have yet to hear about him being in trouble since the end of last season. He's kept alow profile since he had his unofficial yet official guardian/mentor/big brother/whatever, so I see no reason to not believe he'll be building off of last season.

When he's on his game (talking about Austin here). When he's not, he disappears and Romo disappears with him (or throws INTs). Rodgers got sacked 51 times last year, Romo 36. Yet somehow Romo threw 18 INT's to Rodgers' 8, AND Rodgers threw 39 TD's to Romo's 28 - and Romo had a lower YDS/A even with more YDS/G.

Just by sacks alone (and the fact that Green Bay took that many sacks yet had MORE rushing yards than Dallas) tells me that Romo is not able to target anyone consistently. Which means his receivers aren't getting open as consistently as the Packers' receivers are.

Cobb had 104 targets to Austin's 118 yet he had more receptions (80-66) and that's Randall Cobb who was at no point the #1 wideout for the Packers or #2. Bryant had better stats than all of them but again - he disappeared first half of the season in most games. The Cowboys wideouts are overrated as that whole team has been for years. They aren't consistent enough to get the press and praise they have been getting.

Witten, however, cannot be praised enough. That motherfucker is a beast and I'd love to have him on the Packers. And yes, I'd take Denver's 3 wideouts over Dallas any day as well.

Everything there just sounds more like Rodgers is better than Romo - there is no argument there. Rodgers puts the ball exactly where it needs to be just about every single time even when his WRs are covered without them getting open. Romo does have a a pretty good consistency (better than people around here give him credit for) but with no running game, a shit defense, and playing from behind most games he is going to throw more picks as he tries forcing throws than someone who is already slated as a future hall of famer that is playing with a lead and has/is a much better playcaller.

Additionally, if you look at the top 10 QBs by attempts or yards, only 2 had less than 10 ints (Rodgers and Brady). They are the outliers with Peyton Manning fresh off 4 neck surgeries on a brand new team with 11.



Though, perfect agreement about Witten being a beast and Den's trio being better than Dal's. Fuck you if Witten (or anyone like Witten to fill in for TE) goes to GB :mob:

edit: with Austin though - I really do think that is more play calling than anything. He is targetted in coverage and heavy traffic that he doesn't have much room, and his YAC reflects that. Him being on his game or not imo still comes back to the lack of a rushing game for Dal. Their offense is built to run a mix of pass and rush while GB adjusts properly to not having a running game and builds up yards while they have a nice lead running down the clock. Look at Romo over the last 5 years when the running game was better (not great, but much better) and his ints drop to 50% or 33% of what his 2012 picks were and Austin's stats are much better (outside of the Hamstring injury)

Haemish just hates the boys because he's a dirty packer fan.

Must be tough having the best QB in a league. Boohoohoo  :why_so_serious:

I liked the Pack to go the distance last year but they need to l2p some defense.

Both of these things is true. Still doesn't make me think the wideouts aren't overrated.

I'll put it this way. The WR situation and TE situation is one of the last things I'm worried about this year as a Cowboys fan.

You could be a lot worse off at the position, I'll give you that. You could be the Jags, Raiders or Jets. Now THEY have fuckall for wideouts.

 :why_so_serious:

The fact the Patriots get to play in that greasefire of a division is almost criminal.

You know, Miami might be good this year. The Bills may even be competitive. The Jets though... no. Just... no.

(http://profootballmock.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DALLAS-COWBOYS-TRAINING-CAMP-CHART.png)

I don't see how following the Cowboys has been bandwagon since the 90s, but then again people are still butthurt over that dynasty.  :why_so_serious:

JJ is the quintessential rich douche bag. I don't think ripping on him and anything associated with him will ever cease to be entertaining.

It could only be better if Trump owned and NFL club.  (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130509/usfl-tim-tebow/)

This off season sucks.

Broncos LB Von Miller is facing 4-game suspension for violating NFL policy, per ESPN sources. Case currently in appeals process. (https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/359329491958513664)

Edit: at least it's not PEDs, but pot + mdma/molly.

Summer of Drugs.

As far as OH GOD DRUGS go, I am so beyond not worried about pot and mdma, but the biggest sign of this is sheer stupidity, given it's right in the period of time when the NFL regularly test for recreational drugs.

Losing Dumervil, two executives popped for DUIs, now this. Just ugh.

Denver has an image problem atm.

Apparently the positive test was from his rookie season back in 2011?  If that's true the league certainly took its time in suspending him.

Weed sure... but X? That has such a short half-life and at most would be in your system 5 days. You have to be able to know some kinda testing is coming up so why chance it that close to the testing windows? I don't even.... :uhrr:

Athletes are dumb. Next question.  :why_so_serious:

I think that's being misunderstood. I think the report is coming out that he tested positive in 2011 ALSO, which would make, at least, his second offense, which would trigger the 4 game suspension.

The first is usually treatment/fine.

Pot should be ignored, especially in WA and CO where it is legal. I would be willing to bet it gets written out of the next CBA.

Not unless it becomes legal at the federal level.

I want to get on board with this, but not sure if I can.  Can your employers in those states still legally hold it against you if it comes up in a piss test?  Sure, it is no longer criminal, but your employer can usually set higher standards than the law allows. 

I think Employee contracts have to be rewritten as they stand on 'higher standards' now still.

Sorry, I don't want my players smoking dope so much that they can't stop for 5 days for a drug test. I don't care about all the hippy bullshit about what it does and doesn't cause, it's done nothing but exacerbate every guy I know who smoked it religiously into a lazy fuck-up. Even worse, you want these guys are peak performance and smoking in general isn't going to help that at all.

I'm not saying people can't smoke it recreationally, but that's not what I would expect of million dollar athletes who supposedly look for every edge to stay fit.

Well, if it was legal, and allowed there wouldn't be need for a test.

The NFL could still restrict whatever substance they deem to be improper to the job. Any job has drug or alcohol policies, legal or otherwise.

I don't care about marijuana smoking, tbh, other than the fact that it is still illegal in some places and could actually (and shockingly so) land someone in jail in the wrong spot.  It's entertainment.  If they can be fried out of their gourd and still catch a football (Randy Moss, ahem) then so be it.

Did you read where I said "and allowed"? You said "Sorry, I don't want my players smoking dope so much that they can't stop for 5 days for a drug test.", which is what I responded to. If it were legal and allowed, there would be no need for tests. That was my only clarification.

The larger point from that is that there could easily be a similar policy as there is to alcohol under the NFL. If the player smokes too much and it affects his play, that's on him. In addition to that, you have counseling issues just as you do with alcohol. Which isn't any different really as it is now on that end of it.

You know, if the NFL banned alcohol and instated pot instead it would probably help with their off the field violence issues.   :why_so_serious:

No I didn't see that. My mistake.

My point about smoking doesn't really have to do with the drug test. If you smoke daily, I'm not sure I want that guy on a pro team. Nor do I want the guy who drinks every day. They are punishing their bodies enough on the field without the off the field poisons that will screw with your healing.

What are you expecting to happen if pot is legal, or what do you think a normal person drinks in a day?

If pot is legal I expect some NFL players will have problems with their newfound freedom in terms of making commitments. It's a multi-billion dollar business, and these guys are unfortunately mostly uneducated labor. Giving people that lack the tools to make good decisions even fewer restrictions isn't going to lead to the best behavior. That's why guys with alcohol problems on NFL teams right now usually get baby sitters. And when they don't you end up with situations like Josh Brent on the Cowboys.

That's fine, but that shows there is a need for education rather than outlawing it. There's plenty of people that smoke and drink that have no problem controlling that. The people that have control issues likely already do, and would have problems with something else besides pot if it didn't theoretically exist. That's largely my point, alcohol is not banned, why would it be bad if pot wasn't banned. It just seems you fear something apocalyptic if it was suddenly legal. The dudes that would have issues with it are already smoking it.

(http://i.imgur.com/FKFT1oE.jpg)

As a Browns fan, I hate Jimmy Harrison and the Steelers. However, this picture is causing me some kinda of warped cognitive dissonance.

You are confusing two things. I have no real problems with pot being legal. I have problems with NFL players using it and pretending it doesn't affect them or their play. Everything you put in your body affects the way you live. Right now it's just one thing they can do in the NFL to regulate their players. Believe me, if the NFL could outlaw booze amongst their guys, they would.

It seems like that would be a self-correcting problem, though.  If a player's performance is impacted on the field, he'll be replaced by someone who performs better.

Possibly, but in a cap league if you find that out mid-season, you're boned for the year. Also, who's to say teams would bother replacing them? What if they sign a big deal and then hit the bong hard getting lazy and fat? Would other guys get a shot? What about dead money? Right now my understanding is if you volatile the substance abuse policy of the NFL enough, a team can void your guarantees.

Tossing one more thing into the mix for NFL players to have out in the open without any fear of consequence doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's not logical, but I barely trust them to be functional members of society even with the stuff we have legalized.

Well except for the possibility of voiding a contract, you don't need pot for any of that stuff.  Nothing is stopping a player from getting fat and lazy after signing a big contract already, other than losing his job to someone who's not fat and lazy.  Look at Chris Johnson, who's been terrible once he signed that big contract after holding out.  Yes, they gave another player a shot at his job but Javon Ringer turned out to be not much better than lazy Chris Johnson.  Point is, this is the NFL and players who perform poorly for whatever reason (pot or not) don't last long.

I am not confusing anything, my point is as Nevermore is illustrating as well, is that the pot isn't the real problem in that context. There's a reason why it takes the NFL three strikes to punish pot before suspension. As Tom Nalen (former broncos center) said this week, "the NFL wouldn't be able to field any teams if they suspended players for 1st time weed offense."

Pot use isn't going to affect anything, or rather, will affect just as much as alcohol does. While the perception is that there is a MAJOR PROBLEM, in reality, it's still a very small portion of the player base that is getting in trouble.

I'm just not sure why we would expect players suddenly to fall into REEFER MADNESS.

I'm not sure why you're giving them the benefit of the doubt on anything. NFL players aren't responsible citizens as a whole. Replacing them with other irresponsible people isn't going to make the league better.

It's not about reefer madness. In a metaphorical sense, it's the difference between looking the other way when your kids drink, and throwing a party for them in your house. There are unintended consequences to those decisions, and I don't think it would make the NFL look better or play better.

Well, they already look the other way on a lot of stuff.  This seems like a small issue. 

Probably old, but made me chuckle.

(https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6809517824/hA4FABA36/)

Because pot is available now, and the NFL is actually quote lenient on pot, and it isn't happening now. Nothing about it being legal is suddenly going to cause all of the players to say "SHIT ITS LEGAL, SON? TIME TO BLAZE 24/7!". There are people that would do that, but guess what, those are the same people that can't control themselves NOW.

You're belittling an entire group of people based on the actions of a few.  They won't be able to help themselves! They can't protect themselves from the dangers of the deadly Mareejahjuana. It is an incredibly small issue. Especially over pot, of all things.

This is going in circles. I'll put it this way, NFL people hate distractions. That's like the one thing they try constantly to keep out of their teams, in whatever form. If I was running a club, I wouldn't want legal pot as another added distraction. I don't really care if it's being done illegally, I'd still want people that are dumb enough to overuse it and get busted by a test to be punished.

I don't believe you can have it both ways saying it's belittling the actions of a few, when in the previous statement you quoted a guy saying that the NFL wouldn't have a single player if they banned on a first pot offense.

Overall it doesn't really matter because neither of us actually runs an NFL team.

Nalen's quote and my stance reinforce each other. Pot exists now and does not cause an overwhelming problem, other than getting caught, and then it's only because it is in fact banned.

If it's being smoked, and not a problem besides the people who smoke themselves stupid (which is a very small percentage), why is it banned?  And if it's being smoked currently, and it's not causing enough of a distraction to warrant anything stricter than treatment/fines for the first threee offenses, what would suddenly happen if it's legal? Problem nothing other than a lack of stories.

But it is going in circles, I just see absolutely no evidence that it causes a problem in general. I also think we just have very different feelings on pot in general.

Sounds like the Chip Kelley show may have more than just the opposing defenses (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9521983/refs-force-chip-kelly-philadelphia-eagles-slow-down) against him. 


I think this is going to be a raging dumpster fire of a disaster for Philly. 

The Patriots already run a version of what he does. He consulted with them to put it in. I doubt the refs will cause a huge stink for him, but Philly loves to get their hurf in a durf because I think they all suspect this will be a disaster. You need a good QB to run that style, and a QB that can read things on a fly. That's not exactly the strong suit of any QB on that roster.

The reason this works in college is because college defenses in the PAC-12 are mostly dumb or terrible. In the NFL? Even the bad defenses are good.

This will be a disaster.  There is no way that he can expect to run a play every 12 seconds.  The Eagles' players are going to get demolished. 

Also, Eddie Lacey looks like he's put on a few

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BQXgp2DCMAAUMOE.jpg)

I'll credit Deadspin for this one:

Counterpoint: He's not fat by Wisconsin standards

He'll still fuck shit up.

Those pictures were really bad angles. If you look at other photos of him from camp, he looks fine.

Speaking of Deadspin, Counterpoint: Eddie Lacy Is Not Fat (http://deadspin.com/counterpoint-eddie-lacy-is-not-fat-954027200)

He looks like a lineman.   :oh_i_see:

He's a big guy though, even while at Bama.

He looks nothing like a lineman. He looks like a fullback, maybe.

In that photo he could very easily pass for a D-lineman.  That gut is enormous. 

He's certainly bigger than he was at Alabama. The Packers are already talking about him being a "Big Back" and going with him in power situations. That's not how he was used at Alabama. He was busting runs at 7 yards a carry.

He was always a big boy though.  And he's got quickness for that size that is atypical.  Even with added weight he'll be fine.

But, again, that photo is misleading. It's a bad angle.

It reminds me of the angle on "Fat Chipper" at the beginning of his final season.

So about that Percy Harvin trade... (http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp13/story/_/id/9522726/percy-harvin-seattle-seahawks-undergo-hip-surgery)  :awesome_for_real:

Sorry, Way. Your team traded for a fucking fruitcake and he probably won't make it on the field much this year if at all. But at least the team isn't necessarily going to rely on his presence or lack thereof.

So, about that Niner/Seahawk wide receiver 'arms race'...

I think both the Niners and Seahawks miss the playoffs. That division is going all RAMS BABY!  :why_so_serious:

Vernon Davis is apparently taking a bunch of snaps at WR in camp.

Seattle can't have nice things. That is pretty much what it boils down to. Our studly rookie catcher on the Mariners is currently broken too.

I am choosing to see it like they drafted a bust like Lawrence Jackson or James Carpenter in the first round...it is survivable. Just means Tate and Baldwin (and maybe Kearse) need to step it the fuck up. Maybe all of them if Rice's vaginal treatments in Europe don't work.

Russell Wilson is pretty damned good.  Don't discount that.  I think Seattle will still be damned tough at home and suck ass on the road, just like last year, even without Harvin.

Well yeah. I mean, the team DID almost win the division AND win a playoff game without Harvin. It wasn't like they NEEDED him, but he sure would have made that division tougher for the Niners with Crabtree missing.

They still have a terrifying D.

Riley Cooper is a gentleman and a scholar.  Fucking Florida.

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/82533/88-o.gif)

It's funny how you can really see into people's souls once they've got a few drinks in them. 

Hmm.  Apparently Alex Smith is the best quarterback in the NFL. (http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp13/story/_/id/9527876/alex-smith-kansas-city-chiefs-best-qb-doug-pederson-says)  Who knew?

I thought he got the shaft in SF, but will he succeed in KC? We'll find out. They have both a head coach and a QB that I think were "unfairly" treated in their respective prior teams.

I think he's probably decent, but best in the NFL is a stretch when you have the Mannings, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, etc. in front of you.  Being in the top 1/3 isn't bad though.  I could place him there tentatively.

He's not the best by a long shot. That's just a fluff statement. If you're picking QBs for your right now and you don't take Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees first, I'm looking at you funny.

Someone used the N word at a Kenny Chesney concert? Well I never... :oh_i_see:

Apparently Chesney doesn't want (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/01/kenny-chesney-hopes-his-fans-arent-judged-by-riley-cooper/) his fans all viewed the same as Cooper. I was just thinking how sad it is how similar an NFL player is to a Chesney fan :why_so_serious:

Also, lots of changes to the Pro Bowl (http://nflcommunications.com/2013/07/31/2014-pro-bowl-presented-by-mcdonalds-features-new-format-for-nfl-all-star-game/).

the tl;dr would be no more AFC vs NFC, teams are picked with the top two voted players of the year and 2 leading fantasy football players as captains and Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders will act as Alumni captains this year, lots of changes aimed at speeding up the pace of the game outside of the last 2 minutes of each quarter, no more kick returns, and defenses can play more than man to man and goalline schemes.

Still won't make me give a shit about the Pro Bowl.

I'll care about it when it's gone.  Then I'll happy.  Approximately 5 minutes later, I'll forget it ever existed.

What's the Pro Bowl? 

These changes will make it so I might be curious how they play out and watch this year. Most likely I'll continue not giving a fuck.

I'm always shocked they keep trying to make this matter.

They won't be giving up the Pro Bowl because of $$$.

I'm sure they'll eventually make the winner get home field advantage in the Super Bowl or something.  :why_so_serious:

Now what sport would be stupid enough to do that with an All Star game?

We're lucky that the Super Bowl is neutral, and planned a year in advance. Otherwise, they might be that stupid.

It's the NFL, they'd still mess that up and make millions by doing something like giving home field advantage to the conference of the player that sells the most pro bowl jerseys

Can we replace the Pro Bowl with the Lingerie Bowl?

I might watch that.

I like the All-Star home field thing in baseball. Haters!

And still meaningless and now with no conference pride on the line... who the hell is going to want to play this? Unless the game check goes up, I just don't see why players would even bother.

They are trying to turn it into some kind of backyard pickup game it sounds like.

Might as well take the pads off and break out the flags.  Linemen have to wear beer helmets.

They NEED to bring back the skills competition. Every other pro sport does it... IMHO, those are better than the game.

Yep I'd much rather watch a version of NFL punt, pass, and kick than the game.

Yeah.  The Home Run Derby is exhilarating. 

Yeah, pretty much. My thought is it's their attempt to tap further into the fantasy market by creating a live fantasy game. Also, new jerseys/helmets to sell to the people who buy up anything and everything about certain players.

Sadly, that jersey shit works. Those things sell, and every time I see them I want to punch the dude wearing it.

I try to think of it like this-r every stupid licensed jersey someone buys is that much more money toward keeping ticket prices down and (most) games on free broadcast TV.

You have no idea how eager I am to get a Tebow New England jersey. The amount of mad it'll generate will be truly prodigious.

Especially after he scores the winning touchdown in the playoffs to eliminate Denver from the SuperBowl.  :why_so_serious:

The new Pro Bowl format would be improved if all the players had to line up and the two captains got to take turns picking who played for them in front of the crowd. High-school physical education class all over again!

I wonder who'd get picked last.

The punters.

Riley Cooper will fight... (https://mobile.twitter.com/search?had_popular=true&q=RileyCooperwillfight)

They still have those in the newfangled Grudenbowl?

Packers' Bryan Bulaga tears ACL (http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp13/story/_/id/9540377/green-bay-packers-left-tackle-bryan-bulaga-season)

That is going to be pretty big if the other guys can't fill in adequately.

I can answer that questions already. The other guys? They can't fill in. Bulaga was the best tackle on that fucking team. The other guys were adequate at best when healthy and they haven't been that. The Packers better use some of that goddamn cap space and find a decent left tackle fucking somewhere, because if Rodgers is going to have to run for his fucking life again this year, they are going to cap out at a 1 and done playoff run.

You guys can have Joe Thomas for this year but only if you swap team names as well. /cry

Wow.  Vince Young signs with the Packers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp13/story/_/id/9541421/green-bay-packers-sign-vince-young-workout-source-says).  I'm baffled, but happy for the guy.  Watch Aaron Rodgers get an ACL now....

Is this just pure delusion or just bullshit to feed the press? You decide.

Vince might have been able to pull that off 10 years ago if he would have had his head screwed on straight.  Not much hope of that now.  In fact, there's not much hope of him making the final roster, IMO.

I really wish the goddamn Packers had spent the money they wasted on VY on a goddamn left tackle. I dread the day this fuckup gets into the Packers lineup.

I honestly think you'd be better throwing Randall Cobb in at quarterback, if it came to VY playing. 

Vince Young wasn't THAT bad.

But, the Pack has some cap room, but let me tell you, as a Broncos fan (we're having some issues there right now too), the O-Line market out there is REAAAAALLY thin.

Cobb is a badass.  He could pull it off, in a short term.  VY has been out of the game for too long.  He used to be good but who fucking knows now?  Seems like a big risk to me.

Well, look at it this way, the organization hired him for a REASON, which seems to indicate they don't have a lot of faith in the other QBs on the roster. Also, tangently, Cobb got injured today.

Also, it's only a "big risk" if the money is a lot. Otherwise it's just depth.

Fuck.  I love Cobb. 

What left tackle should they have spent money on?  The Dolphins spend an ungodly amount of money on free agents this off season and still couldn't find a left tackle.  There just isn't anything worthwhile out there.  Only way they could actually upgrade that position would be to swing some kind of trade, but good luck getting anyone decent without paying a hefty amount.

As much as I love all this recent Packer news (update: Nelson is out for the rest of camp now as well), their only option would be to try and pick up a decent right tackle who could switch sides. That is pretty unlikely with how thin the market is right now, and as Nevermore points out - even shitloads of money was making it difficult to land a decent to good LT (though his example using the Dolphins is flawed as money only goes so far in bringing in talent to the Dolphins :why_so_serious:).

As for VY, I'm not completely sold on the thought that the Pack picking up VY as a practice dummy against mobile QBs. I'm simply not sure he's up to par to even play the dummy role compared to the current lineup of mobile QBs (especially compared to the ones the Packers actually play with RG3 and Kaep in weeks 1 and 2 respectively and Vick if he's starting/not-injured later in the season).

edit: more on the O-line spoilered, mostly ramblings

The Manning Brothers have done a r&b video for DirecTV.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/08/peyton-manning-directv-commercial-eli-manning/

 :drill:

Philadelphia Fans Excited To Have One Of Their Own Playing For Eagles (http://www.theonion.com/articles/philadelphia-fans-excited-to-have-one-of-their-own,33386/) via The Onion.

I love it when The Onion goes trolling. :oh_i_see:

If you read Deadspin then this might be old news, but if you buy the Madden 25 Anniversary Edition for $100 you get a code to watch all NFL Sunday afternoon games on PC/tablet.  It is like getting DirecTv NFL Ticket for $40.  I do not own a console and have no intention of buying one, but I AM buying this game.  If anyone wants to buy the actual game from me after I use the code, let me know.

Use the f13.net Amazon link.

http://kotaku.com/the-cheapest-way-to-watch-the-nfl-this-year-1041559197

I'd be interested if it included playback on a console, but i'm not carting my computer to the living room.

Don't you have iPad or equivalent?

I have a PC in my living room, but I don't trust the "Only offered if DirecTV isn't available in your area" fine print.

They say:


Not sure if I want to gamble $100 on it.

An iPad is not my big screen TV.

No, but it's better than nothing.  Sounds like the fine print would fuck you anyway though.

Especially since I HAVE DirecTV.

Tell them you have a tree in your yard that blocks the satellite exposure. That is what they always tell me when I want to tell Comcast to get fucked :cry:

No, watching on the computer would be better. Larger screen, better sound.

I want to sit on my ass on sundays and drink beer in the comfy chair. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK, GHOST.

They make chainsaws.   :why_so_serious:

I used to be a big fan of Wes Welker, but now he just sounds like a whiney fuck (http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9548477/wes-welker-says-bill-belichick-chided-front-new-england-patriots-teammates).  


This is major douchebag type stuff.  The way he played his last couple of years in NE, particularly in crucial situations, he needed to be fucked with.

He would have been better off saying nothing.

Of course he would have.  He was trying to needle Belicheck, but came off sounding like a major wank. 

This. 

Waaaah my boss was mean to me while I was making a bajillion dollars waaaaah

I wonder what he's going to say when Peyton Manning tells him to eat a dick after he drops another wide open game winning touchdown pass?

Eh, the writer makes him sound more of a whiny bitch than what he is actually saying imo.

But yeah, keeping quiet will usually be the smart move

Exactly.  Peyton yells at you on the field with all the cameras on.  It's amusing.

When I heard those comments, I actually took it totally the other way. It was kind of nice to hear someone say what they felt. Essentially he just found a polite way of saying that Belichek's an asshole. Which I've always kind of had the impression is an accurate statement.

I'd rather hear that than the typical stock interview bullshit I expected we'd get. The interviewer asked him for his opinion, and he gave an honest one. That's refreshing in sports.

It would be one thing if it was some washout making these complaints, trying to put his failure on the coach. That's not the case here.

Another former NFL player dies young, brain damage identified during autopsy (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1732157-former-ravens-qb-cullen-finnertys-autopsy-reveals-cte)

This guy didn't even play that much, and didn't have much of a record of concussions. If someone like him can wind up with CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) then I dread to think what some of those players who are concussion magnets like RGII or Troy Polamalu are like.

I guess this is going to put more pressure on the NFL to look at head injuries.

(http://i.imgur.com/Zc83NRY.jpg) (http://imgur.com/Zc83NRY)

God, that works on so many levels.  :awesome_for_real:

Probably the biggest (at least almost) injuries just happened, with Tom Brady leaving practice after gripping his leg. The same that he injured back in 2008.

Please God, answer my prayers that New England starts Tim Tebow.

Doesn't seem taht bad since the report on ESPN said he jogged off the practice field after being given the rest of the day off. Probably scared everyone on the staff so bad that he'll not be back till last game of the preseason.

Any injury to knee/leg that you've injured previously is a scare. Like I said "at least almost", but yes, it seems okay so far.

Titus Young - Crazy or Concussed? (http://mmqb.si.com/2013/08/13/where-is-titus-young/)

Pretty good article about batshit crazy Titus Young and the break he suffered. Seems to think that all the hits the kid did in high school leading with his head as well as undiagnosed concussions from his rookie year in the NFL might have led to him being Fruit Loops.

Read that earlier today. It was actually kinda eery reading other's accounts of how he has changed. Wondering if there is any truth to the bit about finding a spot on his brain. Of course, there is also a good point in that schizophrenia generally appears at about his age which could explain things along with the head thing.

And seriously, watching that video link of him in high school... holy fuck I didn't know kids were allowed to flat out spear in high school ball.

Apparently JJ Watt wants to play on offense for the Texans  :drill:

My favorite wtf moment from this weekend.

(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3102585/cardinalsareterrible.gif)

That's hilariously awesome.

What a clusterfuck.  They should just shut Arizona down and fire the whole team.

Of course, SD fucked up a bit there too, which just makes this hilarious.

Full disclosure of course, Hillman did something similar, but the Seahawks ran it back 106.

The Bills are just fucked.  But they probably aren't fucked as badly as Rex Ryan seems to be.   :awesome_for_real:

Why they didn't just fire Rex after last season was beyond me. It's not like they are ever going to get better with the current format. Plus you wasted draft picks with him as the coach.

Because so long as you have a dumpster fire like Sanchez signed with guaranteed money through this year, why waste a perfectly good coach's first year dealing with a lame duck QB on a team that needs to get shitloads of draft picks? End of the year when the Jets and the Bills are done one-upping each other in the who sucks worst competition, they can fire Rex, get a real head coach and have some more high draft picks to replace Sanchez - they must also think Geno Smith can flourish under a real coach.

(http://sinfl.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/geno-smith-gif.gif?w=450&h=281)

Even if we don't get much of the Sanchize butt-fumble moments this year, I think Geno Smith will be able to provide his own humor.

edit: better image.  That slow-mo pause was wigging me out.

Geno Smith is going to be worse than Sanchez. 

Are you calling him a dirty Sanchez?  I think you are.

Looks like the Pats just clinched the AFC East.... again. Might as well put the x by their team name in the standings right now.

If you're saying that, just give them the Y.

Yeah, they do have Tebow so might as well.

I fully welcome Rex Ryan as the 2014 defensive coordinator for the Broncos, after Del Rio get's a headcoach job somewhere else.

Ryan isn't making personnel decisions though, is he?  I mean, I don't like him at all and don't think he's a very good coach, but I don't think Vince Lombardi could do anything with that 'talent'.

Rex Ryan is not really the problem for the Jets. He's a great fucking couch coach. There's a reason he's still actually there after the new GM and all. The new GM dude is one that helped rebuild Seattle, so we'll see how that goes.

I think Rex will be actually happy when he gets fired. Who the fuck would voluntarily want to coach in a city that hates it's own teams as much as NY.

The bolded part must be a Freudian slip.

Also, he's a great DEFENSIVE coach. As a head coach he's shit, no matter who is making personnel decisions. Though there have been some truly clueless fucking personnel decisions too.

I have to believe that the proof is in the pudding here.  He hasn't shown me a damned thing.

Oh man. What's really hilarious is that I was thinking of weaving a pun in there, and then backed out... only to put... something in there. I just got off on the wrong foot.

And yes, Defensive. Like I said, I totally will be happy with him being the Broncos 2014 DC. It will definitely give us a leg up on the competition.

Looks like Tebow survived cut number one....

God must be on his side.   :awesome_for_real:

There's value in a guy that's strong enough to carry two Gatorade containers at a time.

You have to wonder why he keeps bothering with this.  He would make so much money on the looney Christian talk circuit.