NFL - NEWS & NOTES

LOL, then they would still need a LT and would have (3) Pro Bowl caliber guards...how exactly is that better than getting a hopeful shutdown CB to help the defense with players like Antonio Brown and AJ Green?

The Browns are trying to get the best 5 linemen on the field at the same time...However, Bitonio is on record as stating he is more comfortable at guard and the offensive line coach is on record stating that just because Bitonio is a pro bowl caliber guard doesn't mean he can play LT, which is why there was no plan to move him there.

Joe Thomas did what he had to do to preserve his quality of life and I for one will NEVER hold that against the man that gave so much to this team. The timing though, couldn't have been worse.

1) Free agency only held one player that has shown a capability to play LT, Nate Solder would never be confused with Joe Thomas, but he is capable to play the position... that capability netted him 4YR/$62,000,000 contract...for being about the 15th best LT in the NFL, Joe Thomas was scheduled to make $13.5M in 2018 after a raise...

2) There were no highly regarded LT candidates in the 2018 NFL draft...so, let's A) draft a guard instead, even though we already employ (2) TOP 5 guards, or B) draft a LT anyway so that we can add to the Browns list of first round busts....

OR

See what we have in the players that we already have and hope one can keep the QB upright for one year, limp into the 2019 off season, where hopefully there will be some better candidates to man that spot.

 

He was a train wreck. He doesn't care enough about football to ever succeed in this league. If you check back on my pre-draft comments, it is exactly how I had him evaluated, as around the 6th WR and wouldn't take him before day 3. Now that he isn't a Brown, I can roll my eyes and admit I was right.

 

If you are shopping and that's the best offer, then it's take your 7th round pick or cut him and get nothing at all. If he hasn't even improved in practice in year 3, then you pretty much have to take what ever is offered..They are lucky anything was offered.

What does he care, he was paid over $11M to suck. He didn't care about football, he cared about the money and so he won.

 

Rumor is that he broke his hand stuffing his carry on bag in the overhead compartment on the flight to Buffalo this morning.

 

I didn't say they should have taken Nelson. I said when discussing who the Browns might take at #4 Nelson's name came up. When people pointed to the fact that they already had Bitonio and Zeitler it was suggested that maybe you kick Bitonio out to left tackle, his college position. I think Ward is the best CB in the draft. It was just pre-draft discussion.

 

It's trending that way. Only time will tell.

 

My issue is the timing. If you're really done with him put him out in the first preseason game and throw him the football. He has natural ability and he's under contract for two years. Maybe he has a big game and the 7th becomes a 5th. What was the rush?

*Unless there was some real problems in the locker room which I've already said.

 

Giants reportedly offer OBJ less than $16 million per year...

The Giants and Odell Beckham Jr. have begun contract negotiations. The negotiations may not last very long.

Josina Anderson of ESPN reports that the Giants have offered Beckham less than $16 million per year.

If that’s the new-money average, it would put him out of the top five at the position, led by Steelers receiver Antonio Brown at $17 million per year. Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans comes in second at $16.5 million, Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins makes $16.2 million, as does Rams receiver Brandin Cooks. Fifth on the list is Chiefs receiver Sammy Watkins.

It’s unclear whether that’s the Giants’ final position. It’s possible that it’s an opener or something close to it, and that Beckham’s camp views it as an insult — and has opted to leak the number to the media in order to put pressure on the team to do better.

Chances are it’s the latter; that the Giants have room to move but that Beckham and his agent believe that there’s no way the Giants will get to where they need to be if they’re starting south of $16 million annually. Last year, Beckham said he wants to be the highest-paid player in the game, a bar that now sits at $30 million in annual new money.

The Giants will never give him that much. They may not even get close to $20 million. And Beckham, who decided not to hold out in order to force the issue to a head now, will have to decide whether to take the best long-term offer the Giants put on the table or go year-to-year, hitting the open market after his option year at $8.5 million and two years of the franchise tag. (PFT)

 

HEADLINES...

Eagles QB Foles dealing with upper-body soreness

Ex-Eagles, Browns GM Tom Heckert dies at age 51

Injuries: Lions activate Ansah (knee) from PUP list

 

this is opinion, not fact.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...anks-to-terrell-owens/?utm_term=.550edec6061c

NFL HOF pondering adopting new rule to counter the next TO that boycotts appearing for enshrinement that if you're inducting, you must appear for HOF Enshrinement. Like the article points out, it's against their bylaws to do that. Peter King makes a great point. The NFL would actually make the semi-finalist sign a document stating they will appear. if they don't sign it, they don't go to the final round of HOF voting. WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF COMMUNISM IS THAT ? Holy shit NFL HOF ? And I thought the MLB HOF was bad with how they're handling Pete Rose. Wow.

 

It says they are 'pondering', its not etched in stone yet. Im kinda leaning on the side of the Hall here. What TO did was make a mockery of the system, which I admit is not perfect, but he ought to be thankful he's in and long before he's old and dead.

 

Patriots to release wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell...

The New England Patriots continue to churn their receiver corps.

The team will release Malcolm Mitchell on Monday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources informed of the decision.

Mitchell spent some time on the conditioning fields during training camp practices after undergoing a knee procedure last month. There was some hope over the weekend he could return after being seen at practice in pads -- he did not participate with the team. Alas, the injury-plagued receiver isn't healthy enough at this stage.

Mitchell's release has been weeks in the making. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported before the start of camp that the Patriots attempted to shop him in a trade. The knee issue made trading Mitchell a nonstarter.

The 26-year-old flashed as a fourth-round rookie in 2016, compiling four touchdowns on 32 receptions with 401 receiving yards. He was a key catalyst in the Patriots epic come-from-behind Super Bowl victory over the Atlanta Falcons, earning six receptions for 70 yards.

Mitchell hasn't played a meaningful game since then. He missed all of the 2017 season with a knee injury.

Despite offseason optimism he was trending in the right direction, missing training camp with the lingering knee issue was the death knell for his Patriots future. Given that a team still searching for answers at receiver wasn't willing to wait out the latest knee issue isn't a good sign for his near future.

Mitchell's release comes after the Patriots added veteran receiver Eric Decker to its wideout corps. New England is still dealing with depth issues with Julian Edelman's looming four-game suspension, cutting Mitchell, releasing Jordan Matthews (hamstring) and Kenny Britt's lingering hamstring injury. The current depth chart includes Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, Riley McCarron, Braxton Berrios, Devin Lucien and Paul Turner.

How the Patriots receiver corps shakes out remains to be seen as we press towards the preseason. It would be a very Belichickian move for New England to add yet another veteran before Week 1. (NFL.com)

 

Unlike communism, its the Hall of Fame's right to set entry requirements at what ever level they so choose. Truth be known, unless you're a stats geek, how many people on the planet do you think knew of TO's on field numbers vs how many knew of TO because of his off field bullshit?

Missing in this whole topic is that TO was voted into the HoF and proceeded to thumb his nose at them thus delaying the enshrinement of some other player who would have gladly showed up. The irony in this that is precisely what TO's beef was . . . Having to wait his turn. He's nothing more than a loud mouth diva.

 

the voters should publicly apologize for making him wait 3 yrs while lesser WRs with worse stats than TO got in on their first or second ballots. the voters ignored his stats and made it personal. that's NOT how the HOF vote works, so TO called them out on it and didn't go. The voters should think about voting with their hearts next time and personal feelings versus an obvious first round selection. moss is no saint either and didn't wait 3 yrs. that alone is a slap in the face to TO.

 

Then what are the voters researching then to vote? just his name on a ballot with a check box ? or what they saw or heard of on ESPN and then said "fuck him im not voting for him?" how asinine is it to NOT do your due diligence and research the player to get your vote ? personal feelings over stats for a HOF based on performance based on stats is pretty freaking important to research isn't it ?

 

His on field performance gets him into the conversation. It may even get him through the preliminary rounds of voting. BUT . . . if he ultimately gets voted in and then immediately tells them he should have been voted in on his 1st year of eligibility and because he wasn't he's not going to show up for the induction ceremony, at that point in time the HoF should have said, "Fine. We are retracting our invitation and will put your loud mouth primadonna ass on the ballot next year!"

Bottom line is this. He's not bigger than the game itself.

 

Moss was just as bad. Michael Irving's drug rap sheet is worse than what TO and Moss did combined ! How long did they wait? They didn't wait as long as TO ! So the HOF voters really need to look in the mirror at themselves for letting a drug addict like Irving in and kept TO out based on his reputation and antics.

 

I don't think it's fair to say they made it personal. TO had a documented history of being a bad teammate and I don't think it's unfair to consider what kind of teammate someone was when considering them for the Hall of Fame. Maybe some made it personal. Neither one of us could know that but I have heard voters talk about the kind of teammate he was and I don't see what's so wrong with that.

 

Michael Irvin is a bad comp here. Randy Moss is fair but Moss finished strong playing in New England and rehabilitated his image.