NFL 2014

[Cyrrex]

I sorta feel bad for Sidney Rice, because he seemed to have potential for a lot more than what he showed in his career.  He was probably never as good as that one Favre year he had, but still.

From a pure team POV, however, yeah, not sad to see him leave.  Not sure how he would have fit it anyway, because Kearse and Baldwin were already going to be better options than him.

[HaemishM]

2 games? Fuck me. What did Brandon Marshall get for choking a bitch? Shit, they might as well not even have bothered.

In other dumbass news, Justin Blackmon arrested FUCKING AGAIN. Of course, it's for possession of pot (which shouldn't be illegal but it is so STOP PUTTING IT IN YOUR CAR!). Money don't buy you sense.

[Rasix]

"Here's 50 million dollars.  All you have to do is play football and not do get caught doing or carrying drugs.  Deal?" "WHERE DO I SIGN?!?!?!?!?!"

[Shannow]

Fuck the NFL. I hope Roger Goodell chokes on a chip next time he is in England.

[WayAbvPar]

Does chip mean 'owner's cock'? Because I am pretty sure that is happening as we speak.

[shiznitz]

I sorta feel bad for Sidney Rice, because he seemed to have potential for a lot more than what he showed in his career.  He was probably never as good as that one Favre year he had, but still.

Does anyone believe he might be just taking a year off to get healthy? I imagine if he threw his name in free agency next spring, there would be interested teams aplenty.  It is hard to get healthy and stay during the season.

[Cyrrex]

Maybe?  It doesn't seem like a particularly smart strategy.  If it were me, I'd probably just claim to still be hurt and stay on the defending champ's payroll instead of taking some kind of sabbatical.  Plenty of NFL guys somehow find themselves completely out of work, despite themselves believing to have a value. 

[WayAbvPar]

His knees are shot. He went to Europe last summer to get treatment, then played and got another concussion and another knee injury. I would be amazed if he tried to make a comeback.

[Paelos]

First preseason game is this Sunday. Giants v. Bills. More games start on Thursday thru Saturday after that weekend.

It's almost here. Now is the time I get excited about football.

[Tannhauser]

It's not football season until I see Shannon Sharpe, mouth full of marbles, on camera. 

[01101010]

Do we have to suffer through another season of Phil Simms? Someone tell me no please...

[Mithas]

It's not football season until I see Shannon Sharpe, mouth full of marbles, on camera.  

Didn't CBS let him go?

[Nebu]

Do we have to suffer through another season of Phil Simms? Someone tell me no please...

Get rid of Simms and take Ron Jaworski with you as well. 

[Rasix]

Jaworski used to be great.  Then ESPN got their hooks into him.  He should bring pom-poms with him where ever he goes.

[Mithas]

Not really an analyst, but I hate Chris Berman more than I've ever hated another human being. BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK

[Tannhauser]

It's not football season until I see Shannon Sharpe, mouth full of marbles, on camera.  

Didn't CBS let him go?

No, this, this can't be happening.  IT CAN'T!  Dan Marino too?  And we get Tony frickin' Gonzalez?  And they kept Boomer (Can't pick worth a shit) Esiason?

Am I going to have to go to Fox with Terry Bradshaw?  I can't.  I WON'T. 

Jesus it's like Game of Thrones where my favorite characters die and the shitheels thrive.

[Bunk]

Not really an analyst, but I hate Chris Berman more than I've ever hated another human being. BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK

I usually give Berman a pass because he's the only guy associated with the NFL that can actually name a CFL player. I get that the CFL gets zero interest in the States, why should it, but I always appreciated when he'd mention who won the Grey Cup, or make note of something like Anthony Calvillo setting the all-time Football passing record.

And before anyone says it, yes the CFL is a different game that is more pass friendly, but 79,816 yards is still a hell of a feat.
While I'm on this topic, this page is pretty fascinating if you like stats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gridiron_football_quarterbacks_passing_statistics

Calvillo would be fourth on that list in TD vs INT ration, behind Brady, Brees, and Payton.

[Paelos]

Jesus it's like Game of Thrones where my favorite characters die and the shitheels thrive.

If you want justice, you've come to the wrong place.

[Ingmar]

I'm a little worried about what Levi Stadium might do to my ability to move around where I live on Sundays. Apparently they're shutting down the farmer's market right next to where I live because it happens in a light rail parking area and they're expecting people to park there for the game and take the train over to the game. I thought I was going to be outside the blast radius. 

[HaemishM]

Surprised no one commented on Andy Dalton being handed a $115 million contract. It would be funny if it was any team that gave a guy who has choked so hard in 3 straight playoffs 3 straight years this kind of money. What makes it MORE funny than Sanchize's big ass contract was that it was the Bengals who gave it to him, a team notorious for being run by a cheapskate asshole.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Dalton is not even Joe Flacco level of quality. Since he's come in the league, he's had a really good defense, a really good offensive line, a good run game and one of the top 5 or 6 wideout threats in the game. Flacco has never had the kind of offensive weapon that A.J. Green is and he's won playoff games and a Super Bowl, aided of course by a great running game and good defense.

[Hoax]

The contract isn't that bad. He may not amount to much but you can't just let him walk and the market is what it is so that was probably a good/smart contract from the front office perspective. The $115 report from Scheffter was just typical espn headline grabbing.

A closer look at Dalton's contract suggests the Bengals paid him like a second-tier quarterback, which, frankly, is exactly what he is. The deal includes a $12 million signing bonus and $17 million guaranteed.

As CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora noted, all of the fully guaranteed money comes in the first year of the deal. Dalton will make $18 million guaranteed this season and $22 million by February.

Beyond that, the contract is essentially pay as you go. The team will have protections from a cap and cash standpoint should they choose to move on after a few years. In the meantime, Dalton gets a life-altering chunk of money within the first 6-7 months of signing the deal.

Only Kaepernick is getting less guaranteed per year than Dalton and only Kap, Alex Smith and Carson Palmer are getting less total guaranteed money from their contracts than Dalton and everybody knows that Kap signed a rediculously team-friendly deal that probably impacted the Dalton deal and will impact everyone below the 100%-elite QB level for the next few years.

His average per year is being quoted as being under Romo, Cutler and Stafford who are all similar seeming good enough or close to it guys who haven't done shit in huge games, I fail to see how this was an awful job by the Bengal's front office.

He is being paid more than Tom Brady, who took a retardedly sweet heart deal for New England to try to get more rings and some other big name guys who will be signing new contracts in the next year or two (big ben, Rivers, Alex Smith, Bradford). But you can't blame the Bengals for that.

More data on the actual contract (fuck espn):
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24649195/look-andy-daltons-new-contract-rightly-pays-him-like-2nd-tier-qb
http://overthecap.com/top-player-salaries.php?Position=QB
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/qb

[Hoax]

fucking first time I've done that, quoted instead of edited.

Also re: AJ Green, the kid is amazing but reality is he has had some very very bad drops especially in the San Diego game that could have changed things. Dalton's deep balls are atrocious at times and you wonder what kind of ridiculous numbers AJ could put up with a QB who could consistently hit his marks deep but...

Playoff game 1: Dalton throws a pick-6 INT as the first half expires that basically breaks their back but it was JJ Watt making an insane play that not many people could have made. That just crushed them and from there the team didn't do much as a whole and it all went downhill fast in the second half. 60% you put this on the qb.

Playoff game 2: This is the huge "fucking Dalton" game. The defense did its job but Dalton and the offense were just putrid. Awful game. 100% you put this on the qb.

Playoff game 3: Dalton finally gets a td. He throws a great deep strike. The bengals are going to go up 14-7 and on the goalline Gio Bernard fumbles it and here we go again. But no, this one was at home and then Dalton has a really goofy, really stupid fumble while scrambling and going down untouched which of course flies right to a defender. Then he throws a bad pick. Then he throws a pick. Then AJ drops what probably is a td or at least is a first and goal on a good enough bomb from Dalton. 75% you put this on the qb.

[Paelos]

He may not amount to much but you can't just let him walk

There will come a day when a smart GM realizes you can just let a guy go. You CAN just let mediocre QBs walk and replace them with a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick, especially if you have the ability to spend good money on proven line players, better secondary, runningbacks in their prime, and good receivers.

There's nothing about Andy Dalton that I think is any different than an AJ McCarron or an Aaron Murray, other than more reps in the NFL. He's a 2nd round pick out of a second-tier school, and he's done nothing to deserve a hefty contract except play well in the first 8 games of the season, then steadily crap out as things get tougher.

[WayAbvPar]

You can't just let a starting QB from a playoff team go and replace him with a rookie. You have a limited window with the team built as it is, and replacing a QB sets you back a year or two. If your window is closing, team is aging/getting too expensive, etc and there will be significant roster turnover, then it is a different story. If you replace Dalton with a top quality veteran (like Denver did bringing in Manning), then you can probably get away with it too. But starting over with a rookie is going to piss off your team, your fan base, and your owner, and will get you fired more often than not.

[Nebu]

You can't just let a starting QB from a playoff team go and replace him with a rookie. You have a limited window with the team built as it is, and replacing a QB sets you back a year or two. If your window is closing, team is aging/getting too expensive, etc and there will be significant roster turnover, then it is a different story. If you replace Dalton with a top quality veteran (like Denver did bringing in Manning), then you can probably get away with it too. But starting over with a rookie is going to piss off your team, your fan base, and your owner, and will get you fired more often than not.

That depends on two things: Leadership and the system the team plays under.  If your team recognizes that the QB isn't doing his job, a fresh start will be a huge morale boost.  I'm all for replacing tired old veterans with fresh faces in the need arises.  Players want to win and this often transcends loyalty.  They, more than anyone, know when a player is on the downward decline of their career. 

[Paelos]

Cincy's window is closed after this year in my mind with Dalton on the roster. They just don't know it yet, and what makes the deal stupid is that Dalton still had a year left on the deal. They limped into the playoffs twice in the wild card, then finally won when the Ravens completely shit the bed, and the Steelers realized they were old as fuck. Those two teams are going to get better by 2015, while Cincy will only get worse with this hack at the QB slot, average as grits RB help, and defensive players controlling the big money on their cap.

I don't see the point in signing him now at all. Worst case scenario you win a Super Bowl and have to make the Flacco deal. OH NOES! First world problems for a Bengals franchise that's never won a Super Bowl in the history of the franchise.

EDIT: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000374305/article/andy-dalton-contract-cincinnati-bengals-should-have-waited This sums up some of my feelings.

[HaemishM]

You can't just let a starting QB from a playoff team go and replace him with a rookie. You have a limited window with the team built as it is, and replacing a QB sets you back a year or two.

I can sort of agree with this, only I think they could have drafted a QB that might make a good starter and given him a lot of practice reps for this year as a hedge against Dalton completely shitting the bed. Especially since Dalton had another year on his contract. Get a rookie in there to push him, hell get a mid-tier veteran guy to push him (a Josh McCown or somebody who has just come off a good year).

Yes, ESPN really jumped all over that $115 million number - but I don't see a problem with that. Flacco's deal was $120 million and that's the only number most folks know, so the fan base isn't really that concerned about the details. All they know is this guy has a contract number that may be untradeable or kill us on cap in a year or two unless he actually plays up to the contract.

[Rasix]

Dalton's contract has a bunch of shit in it.  It doesn't have the guaranteed money that other people got and it has playoff incentives.

Here's the actual value (via PFT):

    $22 million guaranteed, all before April 2015
    $96 million in total base salary over six years from 2015-20 ($74 million in unguaranteed money)
    $19 million in playoff escalators (additional salary for making the divisional round and conference title game, and winning the Super Bowl)

It's a very team friendly contract and they can cut if he doesn't pan out.

[Paelos]

Odds of that happening are high by year 3.

[Ingmar]

I find my interest in the NFL at an all-time low this pre-season. Not sure why.

[HaemishM]

I find my interest in the NFL at an all-time low this pre-season. Not sure why.

Because you know this season is going to be a shit show of unclear, inconsistent officiating trying to enforce idiotic pass interference rules that favor high-powered offenses, something they will drop completely for the playoffs so teams like the Seahawks can play actual defense and win the Super Bowl again? 

[WayAbvPar]

I find my interest in the NFL at an all-time low this pre-season. Not sure why.

Because you know this season is going to be a shit show of unclear, inconsistent officiating trying to enforce idiotic pass interference rules that favor high-powered offenses, something they will drop completely for the playoffs so teams like the Seahawks can play actual defense and win the Super Bowl again? 

Works for me!

[Mithas]

Deadspin is doing the "Why Your Team Sucks" articles again.

http://deadspin.com/tag/why-your-team-sucks

I think some of them are hilarious. Only 3 out so far, but I think the Texans one is the best.

[Paelos]

The Bill O'Brien cleft chin hiding Narnia joke has me rolling.

[HaemishM]

Also surprised no one commented on the Deadspin story on Jerry Jones getting his freak on with two chicks in a restroom pictures. Of course, just thinking about it makes my Little Mr. Happy shrink back into my body like a frightened turtle so...