NFL - NEWS & NOTES

The draft capital is definitely a consideration as well. Someone is going to make a move to get ahead of the Giants. I keep looking at the Jets at 3, thinking about them having to move up to take their guy last year and now having a chance to recoup some of those lost assets... Trading down to 7 and picking up some additional picks and very likely still having whomever they have rated as the top OL on the board has to be appealing. I personally would have a tough time trading out of the top 3 in this years class but for them it might make a ton of sense. They have a lot of building to do around Sam. The Giants and the Jets also don't really tend to do football business with one another...

I also don't expect the cards to make a move here. I think Rosen is going to look VASTLY improved in Kingsberry's offense, trading Rosen nets 4 million lost off your cap due to prorated bonus coming due all at once and GM that selected him is still in place. It makes no sense unless they really believe Rosen is garbage *and* Murray is worth it.

 

The point isn't saving money... WHAT TEAM wouldn't love to pay $20M for a franchise worthy QB?

The point is, if the Cardinals have buyers remorse on Rosen, they might have an out.

Rosen would certainly fit better in New York than my example of Jacksonville. But, even on the Giants with all those weapons, ball placement when you have a wide open window vs. accuracy under pressure are two different animals. I don't trust Rosen to be any more than a perennial 58% comp., 3,500 yard, 25TD/17INT QB. Certainly better than average, but not good enough to press for Super Bowls yearly. I didn't think he had it pre-draft. I won't make any comments based on his rookie year, he had a lot going against him imho. But, I don't think he will ever be an All Pro QB.

 

Totally fine. I have only been breaking down QB's for 3 years. On my rankings I have Maholmes as #1 and Rosen as #2 of the guys I reviewed. I REALLY liked his film. But I haven't been doing this as long as most of the guys around these parts. I actually expect to learn a ton about my process based on how Rosen and Josh Allen perform over time. I loved Rosen and hated Allen. If Allen evolves into Elway and Rosen is the next Case Keenum well at least I learned something from the experience...

But that said I am still high on Rosen. I pulled some cut ups of games in Arizona and I still see all the things I loved about his game. It's just he doesn't have a chance to execute because EVERYTHING around him is going to shit on every play. He is taking immediate pressure at a ridiculous rate and is forced to throw into tight windows more than any other QB because his targets are not creating separation. In one game I saw him throw two perfect passes anticipating where the WR was going to be only to have the WR strait up stop running, cut off the route, and it get picked -- once for a TD. I have seen enough from Rosen to believe he has the goods I thought he did he is just trying to bail water from a sinking ship.

Besides we have been riding with Eli for 15 years and I am old enough to remember how bad he looked in his rookie season. He makes Rosen look like Tom freaking Brady.

 

The issue with Rosen is his game depends on really good protection. When he has it he can pick you apart...when he doesn't he's gonna be erratic. He's not mobile and doesn't throw well on the run.

Getting traded to a team that can protect him might save his career.

 

Murray is intriguing as hell, but he's just so damn...little. And a good bit beyond Russ or Baker little, it looks to me. I'll be interested to see his real measurements. I'd consider taking him later in the first round, but only if he has re-paid his bonus money to the A's. If he's still waffling I might take him Day 2. If he's really intent on trying to do both, I wouldn't touch him until later on Day 3. No way am I taking a runt who may not be totally committed to playing QB at #1 when there are blue-chip-in-any-draft prospects like N. Bosa and Q. Williams available, no matter how good his arm talent is, and especially when I just drafted a QB in the top 10 the year before.

 

His bonus is contingent on him NOT playing in the NFL. So if he declares this weekend, he will be forced to pay it back at that time.

Now, that doesn't mean he won't try to do both... But the bonus was for an exclusive baseball career.

If he tries to do both, I wouldn't touch him. There is a major difference in a player playing outfield and CB or outfield and RB..If you want to succeed as a NFL QB, you must dedicate 100% of your career to being the best QB you possibly can be. There is no room for outside distraction in that position.

 

Without seeing the actual contract language I won't speculate on when he would be required to pay back the bonus. The only confirmation I've seen was that it contains a clause requiring him to repay a large portion of it if he "opts to play in the NFL." That may not exclude him from entering the draft and seeing what happens. Having his name in the draft pool and "opting to play in the NFL" may not necessarily be the same thing. That's why I'm only going by the re-payment actually occurring...at that point I would know for sure he was fully committed to playing football and not straddling the fence or trying to figure out a way to play both.

 

Absolutely.

 

how tall is Drew Brees ?

 

6'0"

Russell Wilson - 5'11"

Baker Mayfield - 6'1"

Kyler Murray listed at 5'11", but reports are he is actually 5'10"

 

And 195 lbs.

Brees is around 210, Wilson and Mayfield 215.

 

If I had to take an early stab at what Arizona will look to do, I think they are going to try and trade out of that pick with an out of conference team and go after offensive line repeatedly in the next couple of drafts to protect their franchise quarterback for this very reason -

It's something that stood out in his profile and it's a dead accurate assessment, IMO.

Rosen has some very good arm talent and scored high in all four phases of accuracy, but it's his decision making that becomes extremely questionable when the pressure comes. It's most likely due to his injury/concussion history, which is something that should have been taken into consideration by any team drafting him. If you believe in the guy, which I think is perfectly reasonable considering his ability, then do the necessary work of putting assets into protecting him and weapons that he can get the ball to quickly. The idea that this team had both David Johnson and Chase Edmonds but couldn't find ways to run the ball effectively to protect their rookie passer says a lot about both the state of the offensive line and the coaches tasked with maximizing their talent.

He is extremely situation dependent but I think he can be better than those numbers. He has the potential to be a Matt Ryan kind of passer if his circumstances improve before he becomes gun shy.

This is pretty much where I am with Josh, but the reference to Eli's early years is something worth repeating.

You might have to correct me if I have this wrong, but didn't the Giants make some sizable changes with the line-up in the offensive line between 2004 and 2005? They had some of the same personnel but reconfigured the group and it clicked pretty early in the '05 season, if I remember correctly.

If Josh can get a line in front of him to protect him anywhere near the level of protection that Manning had in '05 than Rosen is going to take a huge step forward in 2019.

 

Wilson weighed in at 204 at the combine. Brees weighed in at 213 and you have Mayfield right at 215.

The comparison here is definitely going to be with Wilson, for multiple reasons, and I expect the talking heads to definitely shift to that once Murray is locked into the draft.

 

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the general consensus on Murray settles on this line of thinking.

 

Re: Wilson - how is his body type compared to Murray? Does Murray have the type of physique that projects to being able to easily add (and keep) 10-15 lbs or so of additional armor?

 

It's not just the height with Murray, though. Like I said before I'll reserve final judgment until (if) he gets measured at the combine, but he does not look like his listed height/weight to me, and his frame doesn't really look like he could add another 10 pounds of muscle after he gets into the league like Russ did, either (Russ has big hands, too, which helps him, IMO).

 

Did ya see him standing next to Haskins at the Heismann presentation? I was waitin for Dwayne to give him a congratulatory noogie.

 

Giants had a winning record in 04 when they made the switch to Eli (5-4 but had lost 2 games back to back). The 2004 line had two rookies on the right side. 2nd round pick Chris Snee at RG and 5th round pick David Diehl at RT. Sean O'Hara was a newly signed FA solid center and they had 1999 1st round pick Luke Petitgout at LT. A guy who was a decent LT but good for at least a false start and a hold every game... The line was ok but had two rookies. They could run and block screens for Tiki Barber all day long but struggled in pass protection. Snee was a beast right out of the gates and only got better. Diehl was adequate but certainly not anything to write home about. He moved to LG in 2005. Three of the 2004 Starters were still starting in the 2007 Superbowl -- four of the 2005 starters were. Three of the starters in 2005 were still starting come the 2011 Super Bowl -- including Diehl now at LT. The Giants line at the time was a lunch pail group who built themselves up by playing together as a unit first and foremost. Nothing spectacular just solid O-line play. Solder, Hernandez and Halapio give off a similar vibe. Resign Jamon Brown and add a RT (draft or FA) and I think the Giants will be pretty happy with what they have.

To be honest the 2004 offense is set up quite a bit like the current Giants are. They had a great pass catching RB who was also a very good runner (Tiki Barber -- 2004 pro bowler) A great pass catching TE (Jeremy Shockey) and a solid receiving corps. (Honestly the current version with OBJ and Sheppard is far superior to Toomer and Ike Hillard but they were a really solid duo at the time). If the Giants were to add a RT in FA and a QB you are looking at a strikingly similar situation to what Eli had in 2005 his first full season as a starter.

 

@TopDawg , lol, it was a striking difference.

@AxeMurderer I don't think Murray would need to add a full 10 to 15, but 5 or 6 pounds would be adequate if he comes in at 5'10", maybe a couple more pounds if he's closer to 5'11" but I'd be comfortable with him playing a full season at 5'10 1/2", 201 pounds.

@Underdog , it was said early on that he has larger hands than his frame would indicate, but that could mean anything from Goff hands to Druckenmiller so it's tough to get anything out of a simple rumor. I would be surprised if his hands measure under 9 1/4" though because of how easily he can turn his wrist over and deliver the ball with some pop. If he had smaller mitts his windup would most likely be more pronounced.

 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/athleti... (Mobile)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

"According to a source, Murray declaring for the draft is not considered to be contractually significant."