NFL Thread

[shoregirl]

Why?!? Chip kelly I've been going with the flow this off season but seriously? How is Tebow apart of the plan?

[merylinkid]

Technically he signs the deal tomorrow.    He could just be a training camp body.   But yeah, the media circus will be in full swing however long he lasts.

 

Chip Kelly has done lost his mind.

[xaxat]

 

With Tim Tebow, the Eagles will have 3 of the 5 worst QBs in total QBR over the last 5 years.

[Moose135]

As a Giant fan, I'm OK with that QB line up for the Eagles.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Moose135

[Danny Franks]

Unless Tim Tebow has learned how to be a quarterback in the last two years, I don't think he's going to stick around very long. And given that Tim Tebow had twenty five years to learn how to be a quarterback and didn't, I can't see this time off as having produced some miracle (no matter how much he may believe in them).

 

Still, now I know to avoid any NFL media until the draft. Because, holy hell, am I not interested in hearing the pre-designed segments where one guy says Tebow can't play in the league while the other extols his wondrous, virtuous qualities, along with the ever present, "all he does is win!" nonsense.

[Ohwell]

I'm happy that Tebow is back in the media spotlight.  Come next season the talk will be about him and not the Redskins changing their name or RGII or the inevitable quarterback controversy.   

[Magog]

Is anybody even remotely excited about the 2015 NFL Schedule being aired tonight? I may like watching the NFL, but I'm not going to waste 2 hrs watching that when the first game of the season is 5 months away. I can't get very excited when Tom Brady & Peyton Manning will meet (once again) or Tom Brady & Andrew Luck playing against each other in the 2015 season. Besides, I'm still on my vacation from the NFL till Labor Day.

 

Since ESPN will be airing it for 2 hrs & First Take is still talking about stuff about the NFL in April (some of it is very stupid & meaningless), its making me wonder what is the point of the existence of the NFL Network.

[FuriousStyles]

As a Giant fan, I'm OK with that QB line up for the Eagles.

I'm good with it too.  The Redskins are still a mess, I don't know what the Eagles are doing, and if the Vikings don't deal AP to the Cowboys, I can see the Giants getting back up to the top of the division.

[Minneapple]

what is the point of the existence of the NFL Network.

You mean, other than to make buckets of money for the NFL?

 

I swear Chip Kelly's plan is to do crazy things to make the radio hosts and callers here lose their minds. Everyone has been melting down since the Tebow news came out on Sunday.

 

Normally I love NFL draft talk, but this year I've been pulling my hair out over it. The blather just seems stupider than usual with all the plots about Mariota (today Tampa said they'd be open to a trade, which creates eight million theories about what Chip Kelly can do to swing a trade -- CAN HE SOMEHOW TRADE RYAN HOWARD TO THE BUCCANEERS?) and now Winston being sued. The Vikings are trading AD. Or not. The Cowboys want AD. BUT THEY DON'T. The Titans are happy with Mettenberger at quarterback. OR ARE THEY? Argh! I'm still excited for the draft, but the pre-draft talk is too much.

[mojoween]

CAN HE SOMEHOW TRADE RYAN HOWARD TO THE BUCCANEERS?

I cannot even articulate how much I love every single word in this sentence. Brilliant.

The only draft stuff I'm thinking of right now is wishing the Giants could trade up to get Cooper without sacrificing Cruz or buckets of cash.

[Moose135]

Normally I love NFL draft talk, but this year I've been pulling my hair out over it. The blather just seems stupider than usual...

I'm still excited for the draft, but the pre-draft talk is too much.

 

Part of the problem is there are 8,742 24/7 TV and radio stations devoted to sports.  It's no different to the way news shows beat a subject into submission. Have to fill all that air time somehow.

[ketchuplover]

Packers host on turkey day for first time since 1923.  

[basiltherat]

Yes, and they will be hosting the Chicago Bears, the designated turkey (at least last season!)  Yes I am from Chicago.

[mojoween]

Did you guys hear the joke President Obama told?

"I usually like to tell jokes when the New England Patriots are in town but 11 out of 12 of them fall flat."

Personally, I LOVE it.

[Carey]

Probably not a "ha-ha" joke, but a very good joke indeed (and IMO).  Actually deserved a respective laugh. Although some in the Pats community might not have thought the same, I've heard of jokes at the expense of some of my favorite teams, and had to laugh. It is what it is

[loriro]

I'm a big Pats fan... I thought it was pretty funny. 

 

Even better was this from John Legend last nite re: the White House Correspondents' Dinner... 

 

And Russell Wilson couldn't help himself either. LOL 

 

(and in an amusing twist of fate, Wilson and Belichick were seated at the same table at the dinner)

Edited April 26, 2015 by loriro

[Danny Franks]

If the president making fun of them is the worst punishment they receive for it, then they should be thrilled. They've still got the Super Bowl (not that using legal balls would have made that less likely. Against the Colts, at least) and they still get their rings in a few months.

 

And now it's less than a week to the draft, and I find myself simultaneously excited (because I love watching the draft) and annoyed because the clearly manufactured 'storylines' about teams supposedly trading up to get Mariota, or possibly not taking Winston #1 (yeah, right) are tiresome. I'm looking forward to Mike Mayock just shutting down all the gossipy chatter during the coverage. He's so entertaining when he does that.

 

Seriously though, they do seem to be really struggling for drama this year. No fake girlfriends, no Johnny Rehab, no idiot trading up for Tebow. What are they going to talk about once Winston goes #1 and Mariota goes at about #6?

[Bastet]

I'm looking forward to Mike Mayock just shutting down all the gossipy chatter during the coverage. He's so entertaining when he does that.

 

My favorite part of the draft, and why I watch on NFL Network.  The year he lost his voice before day one even got started was a real bummer.

[Fukui San]

If someone makes a big trade to #2 to get Mariota, that'll be the prevailing storyline.  San Diego (with Rivers going the other way) and Philadelphia have been rumored.

[mojoween]

Just something nice to break up the doldrums...MJD signed a one day contract today so he can retire as a Jag.

[merylinkid]

Ya'all have no idea how giddy I am about the draft being only 2 days away.   Yeah it is hype and a lot of hoopla about reading a name off a card.   I DON'T CARE.    It's the NFL and it is about the halfway point of the offseason.   It gives us something to talk about until training camps open.

[topanga]

 

Just something nice to break up the doldrums...MJD signed a one day contract today so he can retire as a Jag.

I didn't know he was retiring. It's kinda sad that he was never on a good team. It seems like a waste of great talent. ala Barry Sanders. I wonder if MJD ever wanted to be traded or shopped around during his free agency periods (going from the Jags to the Raiders was not a free agency move, IMO).

[Minneapple]

Well it's Draft Day and the rumors are flying fast and furious! The Titans are entertaining offers for the No. 2 pick that include your firstborn. The Browns are going to make an idiotic move. Chip Kelly is going to make some dramatic trade that will leave everyone scratching their heads and saying, "He MUST have a plan right? Tell us he has a Master Plan."

[bosawks]

I hope Chip does something nutty to have the pundits losing their minds.

[Rick Kitchen]

Any wagers on how long it takes Jameis Winston to have his first personal meltdown?

[merylinkid]

Minicamp.   

 

Honestly, I cannot believe the Bucs actually put out the word they were looking for something to be concerned about but didn't find it.   You don't risk the first pick on someone you can't trust to not be a moron.    "Oh well the coaches said he was fine."   Of course they did.   They have a vested interest in having their players taken high in the draft so they can recruit more high quality players.    The coaches also covered up a lot that Aaron Hernandez did.   Look how well that turned out.

[mojoween]

So that picture of Jameis celebrating with some free crab legs, was that photoshopped? Because if not, what was he thinking?

[bosawks]

So that picture of Jameis celebrating with some free crab legs, was that photoshopped? Because if not, what was he thinking?

Thinking doesn't appear to be his strong suit.....

[merylinkid]

Sadly, both PFT and the NFLN are reporting on the picture as if it were real.    Still could be photoshop, the lady in the back looks a little off in perspective than Winston.    But if it is, it shows a stunning lack of self-awareness.   Basically he said "hahahahaha fuck you, all those 'character' concerns don't matter, I got my payday."

 

And you wonder why the Bucs have never given a second contract to a QB they drafted.

[Minneapple]

The photo is real and Jameis is an idiot. But we knew that already.

Good luck, Tampa.

[Fukui San]

I briefly watched some of the coverage on nfl.com, which has to be different than the NFL Network proper.  It felt like I fell into the world of Idiocracy.

 

There's a bland white guy anchor apparently called "Money", Bill Simmons' pal Dave Dameshek is posted on the floor to talk to the crowd with Maurice Jones-Drew, and every 10 minutes they throw to a sports bunny who stands at a TV screen with a map of America where she points out where people are tweeting about this or that draft pick.

 

Meanwhile twitter was ahead of the draft announcements by three picks at the end. What a mess. At least Roger Goodell got booed at every opportunity.

[mojoween]

Mike & Mike were in Chicago the last two days and every time they introduced a guest to the set the crowd would clap and cheer.

This morning Goodell was on set and the crowd didn't make a peep. I don't know if that was producer-driven or a conscious choice by the crowd but I found it amusing regardless.

[merylinkid]

Jamesis was told to delete the photo by the Bucs.   Yeah, hope the Bucs are happy with yet again swinging and missing on drafting a franchise QB.   If you have an issue with your brand new draft pick in the first 24 hours, that does not bode well for a long term future.

 

What's the pool on when he gets arrested because he thinks no one can touch him?   I am betting before the 8th game.

[mojoween]

Ed Werder tweeted -

@Edwerderespn: #Bucs deny they encouraged, ordered, advised, demanded, suggested or otherwise influenced Jameis Winston to delete crab-leg Twitter photo.

Ed then went on to say that his personal issue with the photo is that Jameis's cap was on far too high to be stylish which made me laugh.

Edited May 1, 2015 by mojoween

[merylinkid]

Good lord Cowboys, have you not learned?   Lie to Jerry and tell him what name he wants is what you are putting on the card.   Then actually write what you want and put that in.    Otherwise, you get Jerry making picks.   And he SUCKS at it.

[Fukui San]

The Cowboys can construct an addition to their stadium where they can house their players who are unable to interact with society unsupervised can reside under 24 hour watch like Hannibal Lecter. 

[Danny Franks]

Mike Mayock has gone off in the last fifteen minutes. First, his grumpy refusal to tweet, which I love him for. 'I don't need a platform, I can tell my friends the things I want to say', and now shutting down all Eisen's meandering thoughts about how to pronounce 'jaguars' (by the way, it's JAG-yoo-ars) with that killer pause and then, "I'm just thinking that maybe Tennessee took Deiontrez Mount a couple of minutes ago, and he's an interesting situational passrusher..."

 

Love Mayock.

 

This has been a satisfyingly low-key draft, in terms of drama. Jerry Jerrying it up by picking a guy who some scouts fear is a little touched in the head and can't stay off the weed, but not much else. Hell, Eisen even resorted to trying to drum up some drama over the Packers picking up a late round backup QB. 'What does this mean for Aaron Rodgers?' Nothing, Rich. It means nothing for Aaron Rodgers. He's still going to be the starter for Green Bay for the next eight years.

 

The Ravens have had a pretty great draft though. If Perriman pans out like many say he can, that is.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Danny Franks

[Snowprince]

Rodgers ain't going nowhere. Hundley will have an excellent opportunity to watch and learn at the feet of one of the masters.....just like Aaron did.  Garrett Grayson will do the same thing in New Orleans.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Snowprince

[FuriousStyles]

But Aaron at least saw the end in sight in terms of the guy he was replacing actually retiring (same with the guy backing up Drew Brees who is 36 or 37 I think). I think Brett had already retired once before Rodgers even got to Green Bay. Aaron himself is still in his prime and barring some catastrophic injury will likely be playing for another 6 or 7 years at the very least. I dont care what kind of master you are, Im not spending all those years of MY prime as a backup if I truly believe Im good enough to be someone's franchise quarterback. Didnt watch Hundley in college but I saw him a couple of times on ESPN making the rounds pre-draft and he doesnt strike me as a guy willing to sit back and just collect a paycheck (especially 5th round paycheck) for the next couple of years, but you never know I guess.

[Snowprince]

Not everybody is Troy Aikman, the last (and arguably, only) franchise QB to come out of UCLA. Hundley may think he's a franchise QB but apparently nobody else in the NFL does. If they did, he'd have gone a lot sooner than Round 5. If he's wise, he'll stay in GB for a few years and carry the clipboard for Rodgers, learn and get the polishing he needs before demanding to go somewhere else. Or he can hold out, demand a trade go somewhere else and be the second coming of another UCLA QB with an over-inflated sense of his NFL readiness....Cade McNown.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Snowprince

[Danny Franks]

Hundley would have to be very foolish to try doing anything but sitting down, shutting up and learning. He dropped to the 5th round for a reason, and that's because he's patently unready to be an NFL quarterback. If he thinks otherwise, then he's only going to be fooling himself. Colleges do not teach their QBs to play in the NFL, they teach them to run options, double options, triple options, and trying to run those in the NFL is a good way to get your head taken off.

 

He won't be sitting back and earning a paycheque, he'll be learning how to play in the NFL. He'll be learning to read defenses and playbooks, to make playcalls, and he'll be refining his footwork, his passing technique, his pocket presence. Everything.

 

He wants to play now? The CFL or the Arena League would probably give him a shot.

[xaxat]

The Cowboys can construct an addition to their stadium where they can house their players who are unable to interact with society unsupervised can reside under 24 hour watch like Hannibal Lecter. 

 

You might get your wish. 

 

 

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, Nebraska edge rusher Randy Gregory and his agents asked teams that were considering drafting Gregory to provide him with a personal handler and security detail to follow him at all times.

[merylinkid]

Quite frankly, if an agent and the player are saying "this guy can't be trusted to make his own adult decisions" I am not wasting a draft pick on him, no matter how well he plays.    It's a sure sign the kid is not ready to play in the NFL and there are plenty of other players who are.   

 

Now, Gregory may have mental health issues that affect his ability to make adult decisions.   BUt, he doesn't seem to have taken any steps to address dealing with that.   Other than asking for a babysitter.   Go get yourself together, then ask to come play in the NFL.   Don't ask a team to pay you millions WHILE you get yourself together.

[Danny Franks]

Wow.

 

So the Cowboys decided to add him to Bryant and Hardy, and go for the Most Unstable Roster award this year? I hope they do build that creche to look after these guys. And that's not even taking into account the Cowboys player who killed a teammate in a drunk driving incident last year.

 

No wonder teams were passing on Gregory. I heard them talking on the NFL Network about how he was late for meetings with teams, and just no-showed the one with the Raiders, and that already had my head spinning. For an NFL prospect, there is no worse time to appear to be an unprofessional, selfish and lazy jerk than in the weeks prior to the draft. What a numbskull!

 

If he has an illness, then it should be dealt with before he ever deems himself ready to be an NFL player. Because if just being in college and being a prospect is too big for him, then being the heir apparent to DeMarcus Ware in Dallas is going to totally swamp him.

[FuriousStyles]

Im not dismissing the value of learning the fundamentals of the position and all that, but there is no better teacher than experience and nobody will be getting to get much of that sitting behind Aaron Rodgers.

And while I am in no way saying Hundley is the next Tom Brady or Russell Wilson, I personally dont think that where a player falls in the draft automatically equates to their skill level or potential. There are qbs chosen in the first round (and even 1st overall) who turn out to be busts and there are qbs chosen in the later rounds who turn out to be great players. Its really too early to tell which side of the coin this kid will fall on.

Im just saying he might never even get the opportunity if he gets lost sitting behind Aaron.

And yea Jamis Winston is an idiot and the Bucs are even more idiotic for drafting him. I'd say im not looking forward to the inevitable train wrrck, but I'd be lying.

Edited May 3, 2015 by FuriousStyles

[Danny Franks]

Yeah, but most of the early round QBs who end up being busts are that because they're thrown in before they're ready.

 

Look at Geno Smith or EJ Manuel, as two recent examples. Neither were ready, and the consensus before the draft was that they'd need a redshirt year, at the very least. Their teams start them, watch them get killed, and then dump them for some mediocre vet who is marginally more reliable at completing passes to his own team. That's the future that awaits Hundley if he steps onto an NFL field this year.

 

Even Tom Brady had a year of sitting and learning behind Drew Bledsoe (it would have been longer, given he was only a 6th round pick) before Bledsoe got hurt and he had to start. Without that year, Brady may never have made it at all. Without those years behind Favre, who knows what would have become of Aaron Rodgers? Alex Smith was the guy drafted ahead of him in 2005, and he started in San Francisco and struggled terribly.

 

I think the only shot a guy coming out of college has of being an immediate starter is if he's an amazing prospect, who has developed in a pro-style offense. Like Andrew Luck.

[merylinkid]

Aaron Rodgers gets dinged up each year.   Hundley will see the field.   He will get reps without having to bear the burden of carrying the team.   And look what happened to Rodgers last back up.   He got millions to start.   He wasn't starter material but just being Rodgers back up on the Packers was worth a huge contract.

[Minneapple]

Yeah, but most of the early round QBs who end up being busts are that because they're thrown in before they're ready.

I sort of disagree. I think to be an NFL quarterback, you either have it or you don't. I don't think sitting on the bench helps anybody much. It doesn't change their decision-making abilities or their cool in the pocket or the huddle. It doesn't help any of those intangibles an NFL quarterback needs.

 

I think the only shot a guy coming out of college has of being an immediate starter is if he's an amazing prospect, who has developed in a pro-style offense. Like Andrew Luck.

 

Drew Brees came from a spread offense at Purdue and he started in his rookie season.

[nowandlater]

Aaron Rodgers gets dinged up each year.   Hundley will see the field.   He will get reps without having to bear the burden of carrying the team.   And look what happened to Rodgers last back up.   He got millions to start.   He wasn't starter material but just being Rodgers back up on the Packers was worth a huge contract.

 

Rodgers backup got a huge contract from the Seahawks then the Raiders because in his 2 starts he 1) nearly beat the Patriots on Sunday Night Football and 2) threw 6 TDs vs. the Lions, a Packers record.

[Danny Franks]

Drew Brees came from a spread offense at Purdue and he started in his rookie season.

 

A fair few start their rookie seasons, but there aren't many who play college style offenses, then come into the NFL and start right away, and are successful. Brees, Michael Vick and Vince Young spring to mind. Many, many more bust out of the league, or end up as career backups. 

 

I agree that it takes a certain combination of personality and talent to be capable of being a starting QB in the NFL, and that you either have it or you don't. I just think that there are some guys who have it, but haven't been developed yet. Sometimes they'll get it by the end of their first Training Camp, sometimes it'll take longer. Joe Flacco wasn't really ready to start in his rookie year, but found himself on the field thanks to injuries to Kyle Boller and Troy Smith. Fortunately, he does have the right combination.

 

Brees himself is part of an example of another guy too. Philip Rivers spent two years sitting behind him in San Diego, before Brees was traded to the Saints.