NFL 2014

[Phildo]

So the Patriots let Talib go and pick up Revis for one year.  Is this that big of an upgrade, or did they not want to give Talib a longterm deal?

[Cyrrex]

I'm not sure it is an upgrade at all.  Revis is a totally different kind of player, and considering his recent injuries it is fair to speculate that he might be on the wane.  Still, that might a bit nit-picky...they are both impact players, regardless.  I would have kept the known quantity, were it me.  Besides, their competition in the AFC is the Broncos.  Revis doesn't change the equation against the Broncos much, because he just takes out one guy.  With all those weapons, I would rather have Talib roaming the secondary.

[Cyrrex]

Oh, and Sprole to the Eagles?  If it was the Sproles of a year or two ago, that would be pants-shitting news.  Now I'm not too sure.

Eric Decker to the Jets.  Way to turn yourself from a star into a nobody, dumbshit.

Tate to the Lions.  Fuck, I don't like that at all as a Seattle fan.  He's a poor man's Percy Harvin, and was still improving.  Nice upgrade for the Lions, I think.

[Paelos]

Decker is seeing the writing on the wall. The NFL is making moves towards younger and cheaper, and they are willing to sacrifice talent in the middle to hit their cap. Stars are always going to get paid, but if you aren't a number one receiver? Absolutely go to whatever team will cut you the big guaranteed deal.

EDIT: Also Tate is a shithead. The Seahawks were probably tired of his brand of assholery. I hope he busts out of the league.

[Shannow]

Suddenly Talib is as good as Revis? Oh boy.

Talib wanted a lot of money, the Broncos were willing to give him a lot, a contract most agree is fairly insane (maybe not for 1-2 years but for the length and the money, its insane). He has injury problems and potential off-field issues (though he did fine in NE). Revis is still one of the best if not the best CB in the league. Plus he will be playing for a contract while Talib won't be.

[Phildo]

So in answer to my question, Revis is a big upgrade and Talib wanted a longterm deal that the Patriots weren't interested in giving him?

[HaemishM]

The Pats don't give anybody already on their roster not named Brady a big-time deal. See both Edelman and Welker getting run out of town. It's a good deal for them but if they don't sort out their receiver issues, it won't fucking matter. Signing Revis at least keeps their defense on par with last year's especially with some of the injuries they had last year returning.

Decker to the Jets makes sense for both parties. I think he's very much a Welker type of talent - maybe not as good, but he's certainly going to be the best receiver on that team by FAR. He may be the best they've had since Holmes first got there. Will he make that team a winner? Only if Geno Smith can remember to throw to him and that's still an unsettled question.

Sproles to Philly ought to make ANYBODY shit their pants. He's still an impact player and the idea of he and Shady McCoy being in the same backfield on an offensive unit that blew people away last year is scary. If that defense even becomes remotely competent (which they showed signs of towards the end of the year), they will absolutely destroy that weak ass NFC East.

[Cyrrex]

Suddenly Talib is as good as Revis? Oh boy.

Talib wanted a lot of money, the Broncos were willing to give him a lot, a contract most agree is fairly insane (maybe not for 1-2 years but for the length and the money, its insane). He has injury problems and potential off-field issues (though he did fine in NE). Revis is still one of the best if not the best CB in the league. Plus he will be playing for a contract while Talib won't be.

I don't at all mean that Talib is as good as Revis, though I could see where I may have given that impression.  What I am saying is that NE's only real competition in the AFC is Denver, and what they need against Denver is a really dangerous safety that can play centerfield against all those weapons.  All Revis gives them against Denver is one weapon taken out of the game, which will not even change the course of a game against Peyton Manning and all those other weapons he has.  The Seahawks didn't beat Denver like red-headed step children because of what Sherman did...they beat them by what was happening in the middle of the field.

So to summarize, Revis is better than Talib.  But I think they would be better off with a Talib-like talent. 

[WayAbvPar]

Having Sherman basically eliminate whoever he is covering gives the safeties the freedom to raise hell in the middle of the field.

[HaemishM]

Sproles to the Eagles for a 5th-round pick. 

A nothing pick for a guy that is going to make a really good offensive team that much better. The Saints get worse on both offense and special teams, even though he was only on 33% of their snaps last year.

Also, the Panthers cut Steve Smith, which should surprise no one.

I really think in about 2-3 years, you are going to see the teams with $20+ million QB's made up of over 50% of guys with less than 3 years of NFL experience because they won't be able to afford to keep vets.

[Ingmar]

See also: the NBA. This is what salary caps do. The NBA mitigates it by capping individual player deals (which means that guys like LeBron actually end up underpaid) but it still squeezes the guys in the middle skill-wise.

[Paelos]

The problem is the QB market is completely inflated, and nobody has the balls to let a QB hit the market.

[K9]

The Jags seem to be quietly building up a really solid team while everyone else is frothing over pretty much everything else.

[01101010]

The Jags seem to be quietly building up a really solid team while everyone else is frothing over pretty much everything else.

No one will take them seriously until they finish painting those dumbass helmets.   

[Cyrrex]

Says the Browns fan.

[01101010]

Says the Browns fan.

Browns have 1001 problems, but their helmet ain't one of them. 

[WayAbvPar]

The Jags seem to be quietly building up a really solid team while everyone else is frothing over pretty much everything else.

I am rooting for them and Gus Bradley (even if he is stealing anyone who played for him in Seattle that he can get his hands on, the bastard).

[shiznitz]

Sproles to Philly! I like it. Imagine a Sproles/McCoy split in the backfield?

[01101010]

http://nfl.si.com/2014/03/15/julius-peppers-signs-green-bay-packers/

Peppers to the Packers. 

[Chimpy]

That has to be false, the Packers don't sign free agent defensive linemen. Free agency is where they let their defensive linemen go somewhere else.

[K9]

They're keeping Raji too; it's not like the Pack. I think they got Peppers at a decent price, the guy can still make plays, he just wasn't worth the $17M or whatever the Bears were going to owe him.

[HaemishM]

The Pack had like $30 million or more in cap space. There was no way they were going to rebuild that defense with the draft alone. Peppers is a good signing, even if he's only a 20% of the snaps kind of guy. He still managed 7.5 sacks last season on a REALLY shitty Bears defensive unit, which is more than anyone else on the Packers' d-line managed. Adding Raji back to that unit is a good thing, they just need to let him do a bit more pass rushing like he did during their Super Bowl run.

Now if they could just have signed a decent fucking safety because their safety play last year sucked all kinds of balls.

[K9]

Good night sweet prince; may you find greener pastures elsewhere.

[Paelos]

There will never be another play that will so aptly sum up a guy's career.

[Cyrrex]

Honestly, it probably is the greatest NFL play ever.

Wonder how soon we'll see Vick taking live snaps, or if he's simply done as a starter.

[Malakili]

There will never be another play that will so aptly sum up a guy's career.

I forgot it was against the Patriots.  Just puts the gravy on top.

[HaemishM]

Vick will probably get a few starts this season, and you know he will get some action on a day when Geno Smith tosses 3 pick sixes or some shit. He won't be able to do shit with it, but I'm sure he'll get a start or two.

[Malakili]

Vick will probably get a few starts this season, and you know he will get some action on a day when Geno Smith tosses 3 pick sixes or some shit. He won't be able to do shit with it, but I'm sure he'll get a start or two.

All he needs to do is show a few flashes of brilliance, which he probably still has left in the tank, to fuel that sweet sweet New York QB controversy.

[Paelos]

There's talk this morning on sports radio about bringing the buttfumble to Atlanta as a backup. That will never happen and if it did, the GM should be flogged.

[shiznitz]

I still cannot comprehend how any capable human being - let alone a professional athlete - could have been starred in that play.  There was no reason for the collision.

[Bunk]

So Ralph Wilson died. Creating some stir on Toronto sports radio, as the family has already said they would sell the Bills when he died.

[Rasix]

Ray Rice 

[01101010]

Philadelphia Eagles . . .    

Good luck Mark Sanchez....

[HaemishM]

Philadelphia Eagles . . .    

Good luck Mark Sanchez....

Eagles fans better pray to whatever gods they believe in that Foles doesn't get hurt. I'm not even Chip Kelly can get big numbers out of the Sanchize, but who the fuck knows?

Also, love how the Ravens are sticking with Ray Rice after he beat the shit out of his woman. Of course, she's stayed with him, but her stupidity isn't at issue here. I hope the NFL at least suspends his ass.

[Paelos]

How can the NFL suspend him if the victim is pulling complaints? I believe she's unwilling to let the case move forward, which means all they have is a video.

He's a dirtbag, and if that video of him actually hitting her ever sees the light of day, he's getting suspended. I doubt the lawyers will ever let that happen.