NFL 2015

[Paelos]

If you have a remotely functional team at all outside your QB, you can win 25% of your games. It's a 4-12 record. That's basically what GB did, and they won a bad division at 8-7-1, before getting blown away in the playoffs.

From a financial standpoint, that's fine. But from a cap standpoint I'd rather concede that my chances are over if I lose my top 10 QB.

[Malakili]

I mean, you can call it getting blown away in the playoffs, but unless I'm losing my mind weren't they about 2 minutes from making it to the super bowl?

[Paelos]

I mean, you can call it getting blown away in the playoffs, but unless I'm losing my mind weren't they about 2 minutes from making it to the super bowl?

No that was this year. He's talking about 2013. They didn't really get blown away there they just lost in on a last second kick. I'm just being facetious.

Either way, I don't think it's a place to spend the money if $6M in cap money can get you an extra RB, or an extra WR, or an extra LB where you need rotations.

Once your starter is gone, unless you hated him and were planning the move anyway, you're fucked. Plain and simple. The chances of winning a playoff game drop immensely, and the chances of winning it all are next to zero.

[Rasix]

 

[01101010]

They went 2-5-1 and had they not had Flynn, they likely would have lost all of those games and missed the playoffs completely. The 5 games they did lose were with a shitty 2nd string QB and a 3rd string QB. The difference between a shitty backup and a good backup was 2 wins, 1 tie and a playoff berth. The loss in the playoffs doesn't matter that much - just getting to the playoffs is big dollars even for a perennial playoff contender like the Packers. Ask Jerry Jones if he'd taken a playoff berth and first round loss over missing the playoffs and I can guarantee you his answer will be to make the playoffs.

Now, again, I said a GOOD backup QB. McCown isn't that and any fuckhead who thinks his success in Chicago was due to his ability and not Trestman's systems... well, those fuckheads pay him $6 million in guaranteed money for 3 years. He still would have been better than that 3rd stringer whose name I keep forgetting in Arizona.

But really, if you are down to your 3rd string QB, you're done. Even down to your backup, you're probably done in the playoffs. There just aren't even 32 guys good enough to be competent starting QB's, how many can come off the bench for an injured QB and be half as good?

Well going by my Browns' standards... McCown is a step up to trash rather than sewage. He is a stop-gap and will probably be more veteran mentor to a young QB rather than a QB the team actually relies on. At this point, Browns fans have resolved themselves to never having a QB play for a full season anyway, so this is just another name under center. Someday maybe... someday.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, obviously they could have done worse. I guess their idea is he'll be a better mentor to Johnny Football than Hoyer or anyone else available?

[K9]

He seems like the mentoring type. A lot of the chat from Chicago over the past year or so has highlighted him as a team-first type of guy who helps to keep order in the locker room, and works well with his teammates. I don't think he's close to being the difference-maker in Cleveland, but if you want someone to watch over Manziel he might not be the worst option.

[TheWalrus]

Hey, Seattle has done pretty well with a backup QB! 

[Nevermore]

Eagles trade LeSean McCoy to the Bills for Kiko Alonso.

[Paelos]

Pre-cap.

[K9]

Eagles trade LeSean McCoy to the Bills for Kiko Alonso.

Uh, hmmm

I really can't figure out who benefits the most here.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, same here. The Eagles get about $10 million in cap space freed up I think, but I'm not sure what they've got is enough to make up for it.

[shiznitz]

Eagles have freed up close to $35MM with a combination of moves, including letting Trent Cole go. I don't see Chip spending it on the RB position and there are no QBs available beyond the draft, but I have to assume he has some kind of plan.

Otherwise 

[sickrubik]

And then today happens.

Bills announced they will acquire QB Matt Cassel from Vikings and an undisclosed draft choice in exchange for undisclosed draft choices.

[Paelos]

Loved that EJ Manuel pick. 

[shiznitz]

And then today happens.

Bills announced they will acquire QB Matt Cassel from Vikings and an undisclosed draft choice in exchange for undisclosed draft choices.

Hey I have an idea. You just bought a $10MM a year running back. How about an O-line?

[sickrubik]

To quote Mike Rodak on twitter:

What if I told you that the 2015 Bills would be coached by Rex Ryan and would have Matt Cassel and LeSean McCoy at QB and RB...

[Paelos]

Also the entirety of the Bills 2013 draft was a mistake apparently.

[HaemishM]

I don't know what the fuck Rex Ryan is on about with that Bills team. McCoy is not the back I would have gotten if I wanted a ground and pound type of offense. Not that he can't do it, but I think he's entering that part of his career where that type of running will end up with him spending as much time on the sidelines as on the field. Don't the Bills already have two good but injury-prone and breaking-down backs already?

EDIT: Also, the Matt Cassel trade is just  What better way to signal to EJ Manuel that he has no fucking shot to be the starter than to trade for a guy who has no business being starter and is also coming off a season-ending injury? Does Buffalo even have a high enough pick to have a realistic chance at Mariottta?

[shiznitz]

Bills do not even have a 1st round pick this year. Cleveland has theirs, 12th.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000407751/article/2015-nfl-draft-order-top-three-needs-for-all-32-teams

[Shannow]

The funniest thing about that list? How QB isn't listed as a top three need for Jacksonville or Cleveland.

[Nevermore]

Jacksonville might want to try getting some WRs, RBs and O-Linemen before giving up on Bortles, though.

[sickrubik]

Manning taking a $5 paycut, staying with Broncos.


 

I wanted Manning to return, but the pay was starting to loom a bit large given the drop off. This will help, with the cap increase, to make some signings. Hopefully we just let OJ walk.

[Chimpy]

Manning taking a $5 paycut, staying with Broncos.

How is 5 dollars going to make a difference? 

[sickrubik]

Hey, you can get a good amount of tacos from taco bell for that much.

[K9]

The funniest thing about that list? How QB isn't listed as a top three need for Jacksonville or Cleveland.

Like Nevermore said, they only drafted Bortles next year. He wasn't lights out but he wasn't fucking horrible either.

[Paelos]

Bortles can be absolutely amazing as a QB. Anybody that looks at his body type, throwing arm strength, and pocket awareness can see that.

The problem last season is they threw him to the wolves early, and he got really gun-shy late in the year. He was hearing footsteps and throwing the ball away a lot, plus he wasn't going downfield.

Unless he gets an O-line though? He's a casualty waiting to happen.

[Malakili]

Bortles can be absolutely amazing as a QB. Anybody that looks at his body type, throwing arm strength, and pocket awareness can see that.

The problem last season is they threw him to the wolves early, and he got really gun-shy late in the year. He was hearing footsteps and throwing the ball away a lot, plus he wasn't going downfield.

Unless he gets an O-line though? He's a casualty waiting to happen.

The David Carr effect.

[Paelos]

I'd take him on Dallas if Tony went down behind that line. Bortles, not Carr.

[sickrubik]

Brandon Marshall to the Chargers

Fake account. Move along.

[Mithas]

Cutler isn't going to like that move.

[sickrubik]

Cutler doesn't like anything.

[Mithas]

True. I guess what I was saying is that the Bears are obviously going into rebuild mode. I'm not sure anyone wants to take on Cutler's contract but if they get an opportunity they will trade him too.

[HaemishM]

After last year, NOBODY is going to touch Cutler with a ten-foot pole until the Bears release him. His contract is way too big. This is definitely a sign that the Bears don't expect to compete much this year.

[sickrubik]

Fake account. Disregard. Fucking twitter.

It DID generate this great moment: https://twitter.com/BMarshh54/status/573529222465122304

(For those that don't know, there is an LB named Brandon Marshall.... on the Broncos.)