NFL Thread

[mojoween]

It’s artificial.  You fair kick a kickoff at the ten, and it comes out to the 25?  That’s crap.

I mean, free kicks aren’t that frequent and fair-catching kickoffs isn’t either, but I still hate it.

[Carey]

I was reading the 5th choice, and was about to hate that more than the 7th until I reread it again.  I actually don't have too much of a problem with #5.  It's only five yards.  I would have hated it if they changed the rule to allow a fair catch off of a punt make the move to the 25-yard line.  That would have totally been worse than #7.

Which isn't too bad.  It's not good, but it's annoying since it wrecks teams that figured out how to force the receiving team from getting to the 25 and beyond.  Though, the kicking team might benefit if their PK can't get it out into the endzone.  It decreases the chance of a kickoff return for a touchdown

[JTMacc99]

18 hours ago, Carey said:

it's annoying since it wrecks teams that figured out how to force the receiving team from getting to the 25 and beyond. 

Yep. That's exactly what this rule is doing. It's one more step towards doing away with the kickoff entirely, which is what they're trying to do. 

The kickoff is a dangerous play as far as player safety goes. If this rule passes, it's pretty much only in existence so that teams can still attempt an onside kick and if the returning team wants to take a crack at running one back. Of course, most kickers can kick the ball deep into the end zone, so returns will become few and far between. 

[Carey]

Speaking of dangerous...and to continue with my trend toward getting things, or predictions correct, I think the future of the NFL Schedule will definitely make mojoween very, very happy.

On a related note, here's PFT Mike Florio's take on what may be ahead in 2023 & his change of opinion on a comment Mark Cuban made some time back.

Quick advice: Make sure you have a contingency plan.  IOW, schedule TWO days off in mid/late December & early January: One on the Monday after, and one on the Friday before

[JTMacc99]

Flexing games into Thursdays is an ugly idea.  

[scriggle]

Re: flexing Thursday night game

Nice to know they're so concerned about player safety by making them play twice on short rest. /sarcasm

[cambridgeguy]

Good thing the fans have their back and will just refuse to watch.  No point in having a game if no one shows up, right?

[mojoween]

3 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Good thing the fans have their back and will just refuse to watch.  No point in having a game if no one shows up, right?

Empty stations all over the place!  “Hell no we won’t go (to Thursday Night games.  Sundays are fine).”

[Lamb18]

Going to the 25-yard line for a free catch anywhere seems wussy to me. If a ball seems to be going deep all you have to do is signal free catch.

[bluegirl147]

If I was a Ravens, Packers or Jets fan I would be sick and tired of Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers playing the game of Will they stay or will they go now.  As a Steeler fan I would be thrilled to see Lamar out of our division.

Edited March 28, 2023 by bluegirl147

[JTMacc99]

So Giants owner John Mara was particularly animated in his hate for the idea of flexing games to Thursday night. The owners did shoot it down, but he said the vote was close (which he couldn't believe it was even close), and that they're going to talk about it again in May.

They also voted down the punt touchback moving from the 20 to the 25 and they tabled the proposed kickoff fair catch change to discuss again later. 

The most interesting change is that players will now be allowed to wear number zero. When the league allowed more players to wear single digit numbers, the demand was high. So they figured it would be fine to add in the additional single digit number zero. 

[Carey]

Well, while the TNF Flex being voted down is good news, it's still bad news that the one-game TNF limit is being done away with.  IOW, a weekday flex is definitely happening at some point

[Chit Chat]

On 3/28/2023 at 8:47 AM, bluegirl147 said:

If I was a Ravens, Packers or Jets fan I would be sick and tired of Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers playing the game of Will they stay or will they go now. 

That's why I'm glad that Tom Brady announced his decision when he did.  The media could finally move on to another player's dilemma and the Bucs can move forward and regroup without all of the hoopla.  :)

[DrSpaceman73]

1 hour ago, ChitChat said:

That's why I'm glad that Tom Brady announced his decision when he did.  The media could finally move on to another player's dilemma and the Bucs can move forward and regroup without all of the hoopla.  :)

But what if brady heads to rodgers dark cave hole and changes his mind?

[Chit Chat]

1 minute ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

But what if brady heads to rodgers dark cave hole and changes his mind?

It won't concern me anymore!!  If it doesn't pertain to the Bucs, then I can ignore it!  I'm appreciative of what he did to help the Bucs, but that ship has sailed for TB and the Bucs.  I wish him well, but if he goes to another team (which I doubt), then I'll root against him if we play him. 

[emma675]

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

That's why I'm glad that Tom Brady announced his decision when he did.  The media could finally move on to another player's dilemma and the Bucs can move forward and regroup without all of the hoopla.  :)

Do you mean the first time he announced his retirement or the second time? 😉

[Chit Chat]

12 minutes ago, emma675 said:

Do you mean the first time he announced his retirement or the second time?

The second time!  It would've been okay the first time, but after the second time, just go, please!  

[DrSpaceman73]

37 minutes ago, emma675 said:

Do you mean the first time he announced his retirement or the second time? 😉

The first time he announced it the second time.  

[Irlandesa]

On 3/28/2023 at 8:47 AM, bluegirl147 said:

If I was a Ravens, Packers or Jets fan I would be sick and tired of Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers playing the game of Will they stay or will they go now.

As a Packers fan, there's many reasons to be annoyed by the Rodgers situation but doubt really isn't one of them.  He's going to get traded.  It's just a matter of when vs. if.

[Lamb18]

I'm seeing rumors about Kirk Cousins getting traded. I am so puzzled why Vikings would do that, we don't have anyone to replace him. I don't think there's a draft pick that can just step in and give us an 11-6 season.

There is one headline that says he's being traded to San Francisco, or it's being considered. I's be OK with it if we got Purdy.

[JTMacc99]

57 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

There is one headline that says he's being traded to San Francisco, or it's being considered.

That's like an annual discussion that has to happen for the Vikings fans because a few years ago Shanahan publicly stated that Cousins is the perfect QB for what he wants to do, and he thought they would have won with him had Jimmy G not come along.

San Francisco has no available cap space for such a trade and they brought in Darnold to be the veteran QB to challenge Lance while they wait for Purdy to get healthy.

Cousins is on the last year of his deal, so I would think that the only way he gets traded would be mid-season if the Vikings somehow start the season like 0-7 and some other really good team just lost their QB for the season.

[mojoween]

The Ravens.  Bleh.

[merylinkid]

Not sure how I feel about the OBJ signing.   It's a LOT of money that could have been used to keep the QB.    He hasn't played in a while and there is a reason he is on his 4th team on a very large 1 year prove it deal.   On the other hand, Lamar (if they keep him) needs targets so he doesn't have to do all the work himself.  

[JTMacc99]

I'm assuming that the Beckham deal has a component of Jackson strategy involved.

At this point, best guess is that the Ravens are assuming that Jackson has no intention of signing any deal the team offers, and therefore he's playing this year for $32M under the franchise tag.*  So by bringing Beckham aboard, it's a strong incentive for Jackson to not hold out for the first 10 weeks, but to instead show up and play. It sounds like Beckham and Jackson have spoken before this deal, so maybe they're both thinking "We kill it in 2023 playing together on one year deals, and then we either get the Ravens to pay us next year, or we go somewhere else together."

* The franchise tag is, in my opinion, the entire reason Jackson doesn't have a deal done. The tag is a real thing in the CBA that the teams have the option to use. Part of EVERY negotiation with players who could be tagged is them weighing the money they could get now versus how much they would get with one or two tags and then becoming a true free agent.

For whatever reason, it would appear that Jackson seems to be thinking that playing for $32M this year and possibly $40M next year and then going into free agency is more palatable than taking something like 4-5 years for $45-$50M average salary with $160-$170M guaranteed. It's a big risk in the NFL to choose to not get paid today in exchange for a chance to get more two years from now. Most players don't take that chance.

[AimingforYoko]

When you no longer have to force feed yourself for your job:

Russell Okung's playing weight was 310 lbs.

[Moose135]

Josh Harris group nears deal to buy Commanders from Daniel Snyder

Quote

An investment group led by Josh Harris is on the verge of an agreement to purchase the Washington Commanders from owner Daniel Snyder, according to a person with direct knowledge of the sale process.

Harris’s group is “nearing a deal” but it is “not yet final,” according to that person, adding that an agreement still must be finalized and submitted to the NFL. The group’s bid is for about $6 billion, another person with direct knowledge of the process previously said. 

The deal would have to be ratified by the NFL’s team owners, who are scheduled to meet in Minneapolis in May. If it is approved, the sale would end Snyder’s tempestuous ownership of the franchise he bought in 1999 from the Jack Kent Cooke estate for $800 million.

Harris is the owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, co-founder of Apollo Global Management and a general partner of the English Premier League’s Crystal Palace Football Club. Forbes estimates his net worth of $5.9 billion. He is also a limited partner in the Steelers and will have to sell that to buy the Commanders. 

[mojoween]

Last week I was told that Magic Johnson was buying the Commies.

[merylinkid]

I don't care who is buying the team.    All I care about is SNYDER is gone baby gone.

[Black Knight]

On 4/13/2023 at 11:15 AM, mojoween said:

Last week I was told that Magic Johnson was buying the Commies.

Magic Johnson is part of Josh Harris's group. So he will be one of the owners if the deal goes through as expected.

[Carey]

Here's the info on Jalen Hurts record-breaking contract extension

[JTMacc99]

15 hours ago, Carey said:

Here's the info on Jalen Hurts record-breaking contract extension

The Eagles are all-in with using dead years to spread out cap hits. Looking at what Schefter tweeted, his cap hits are:

• 2023: $6.15M
• 2024: $13.56M
• 2025: $21.77M
• 2026: $31.77M

So what that means is that there is still like $190M of the $255M let to hit the cap in 2027-2028.  Heh. They'll convert a ton of that into either dead years or a future contract extension. 

Basically Howie Roseman is, and has been for a few years now, kicking huge amounts of current cap hits down the road using signing bonuses and dead years. If the Eagles continue to have success, he can just keep doing this to maintain the team at a high level. If things go poorly, he'll get replaced and all of his cap shenanigans are the next guy's problem.

ETA:  I'm just spit-balling here based on what we know so far. Once Over the Cap gets the full information on the deal, we can have an actual idea of what the Eagles did.

[merylinkid]

Damar Hamlin has been cleared to resume football activities.   He is with the team today.   

 

[Crashcourse]

If I were a player on the other team, I'd be afraid to tackle him.   I know I won't be watching him play.

[Carey]

30 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

If I were a player on the other team, I'd be afraid to tackle him.   I know I won't be watching him play.

That's fine, but a situation where one would have to tackle him would be rather rare as he plays defense.  The physicality is still there regardless, but if Damar were a receiver, then that would be a pretty major hinderance

[Crashcourse]

17 hours ago, Carey said:

The physicality is still there regardless,

Well, I guess that's my point.  I won't be watching.

[merylinkid]

What happened to Damar is a freak accident.   There is a chance it could happen again, but it is statistically unlikely.   He has more chance of it happening than the average person, but the actual event is not related to playing football.   You could be in a car accident and the air bag hits at the wrong moment and it could happen.   Or playing with your kids and one of them hits you at the wrong moment.   

the Bills are also taking a very open minded approach.   If it is game time and Hamlin says "nope can't go out there coach, can't do it" then he doesn't have to go out.   

Everyone is going to gasp when he is first tackled.   but after that, I don't think anyone will think of it.   Alex Smith with his surgically repaired leg had more of a chance of reinjury that Hamlin does.   

[emma675]

I'm going to watch his first game. I was watching when he went down on the field and I want to see him take the field again. Triumph over death, completing the circle, exorcising the demons, whatever you want to call it. Damar deserves the chance to play again if his doctors, family, teammates, and most importantly, he himself, wants to. 

I do feel for his parents; I imagine every hit from now on is going to be excruciating to watch after everything they went through. 

[grommit2]

I wonder...we were taught the tackling technique of "stick, wrap, drive".
Stick your shoulder into the ball carrier's belt buckle.
Wrap your arms around his waist.
Drive the ball carrier backward.

This was NOT what the tackler did. 
He hit him in the chest with his helmet.  
I know...no matter how often you practice technique (I still recall our defensive backs coach yelling about "technique, technique...get it right") it is often difficult to execute properly every time.  
Oh well. 

[mojoween]

The NFL continuing to suspend players for gambling while sleeping on mattresses of money from FanDuel and DraftKings is ludicrous.

[merylinkid]

The rules are pretty clear, you cannot bet on anything NFL related.   You also can't bet on anything from the team facility.  This isn't hard to understand.

 

Bet on basketball in your living room and you are fine.

[mojoween]

I get that, I do, but it still seems hypocritical.  Then again while I’m not necessarily anti-gambling, I do think it’s stupid because you are trying to make money by guessing.  I mean, the players obvs have a stake in it and can try to alter outcomes, but still.  Dumb.

[Irlandesa]

On 4/20/2023 at 6:35 PM, grommit2 said:

I wonder...we were taught the tackling technique of "stick, wrap, drive".
Stick your shoulder into the ball carrier's belt buckle.
Wrap your arms around his waist.
Drive the ball carrier backward.

This was NOT what the tackler did. 
He hit him in the chest with his helmet.  
I know...no matter how often you practice technique (I still recall our defensive backs coach yelling about "technique, technique...get it right") it is often difficult to execute properly every time.  
Oh well. 

Damar plays defense. He was the tackler.  And the guy he was tackling bent his helmet to prepare for the tackle. 

Damar's momentum led to that guy's helmet hitting Damar's chest at just the wrong moment in just the wrong place. It's not a technique issue. It's a series of flukes.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Irlandesa

[merylinkid]

20 hours ago, mojoween said:

I mean, the players obvs have a stake in it and can try to alter outcomes,

That's why I think the NFL rules are pretty reasonable.  Instead of no betting at all, which it used to be.   Tony Romo couldn't even have a fantasy football convention in hall connected to a casino in Vegas becase "GAMBLING."   Now, with the NFL making money off gambling they can't be that draconian anymore.  But, they also don't want allegations of game fixing, which will destroy 1) the betting on games which they get money from and 2) destroy the audience which will hurt the tv contracts.   So they compromised.   In a pretty sensible way -- don't bet on your own sport, and don't do it at all when you are part of the team (in the facility, while on road games).   Its not really hard to comply with these rules.  So for someone to get busted, it takes a real DGAF attitude.  Which is more of a problem than the gambling.

[bluegirl147]

How many of us have long had suspicions that players? refs? were influencing the outcomes of games? A dropped pass here. A ridiculous roughing the passer call. How many times does a team cover the spread with seconds left? When you hear something like this it does give credence to those suspicions.

[mojoween]

Our long national nightmare is over.

[Carey]

29 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Our long national nightmare is over.

One of several posts that show why you're the best, mojoween.  Even though I still went to the webpage, I 100% knew what you were talking about.  No, not even 1 percent of the other thing which is just a bad dream at worst

[AimingforYoko]

Ah yes, the Jordan Love era has begun.

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

Our long national nightmare is over.

You stole my line.  Lol

Our nightmare might be over but for Jets fans it's just starting.

[Fukui San]

Ever since Kyrie left, the New York sports scene was short one toxic asshole. Thank God Aaron is here to fill the void. 

[Lamb18]

Vikings' nightmare is over. And mine.

But it sure was fun to beat him whrn we did!

Curious to see @Lantern7's reaction. AFC East is going to be very interesting this fall!