MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

And, for the Baker part of it - That move reeks of Rhule begging to save his job by bringing in something that may move the needle at passer, even if it's a wild swing.

For those same reasons, I don't think the Panthers move on Mayfield unless they can get him for less than a third with almost all of his contract being ate by Cleveland. Ownership in Carolina has to be aware that Rhule could be gone by the end of 2023, which makes giving up future assets for Mayfield (along with the cash) a virtual non-starter.

One more thing to add - I had a conversation with a member regarding Mayfield and my thoughts on him from pre-draft until now. I welcome anyone to go back and look at my thoughts and compare them to the current situation. If you do so with an unbiased eye, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that I have been dead on, with the future still to be seen...

 

Another conversation that I have rolling right now is around Lamar Jackson and what the Ravens need to do to win a Super bowl once his contract actually becomes a reality.

I don't think it's much different than what they have been doing around Lamar up until this point. The problem that I see as being possibly the biggest obstacle in the way of continued success is Baltimore's inability to develop wide receivers. At some point, there has to be an acceptance of a lacking in that department. Baltimore should simply avoid looking in that direction in the draft, build out the roster properly in every other area, and sign quality free agents to catch passes.

Anything else makes zero sense, considering the history and reality of what the passing game is for the Ravens.

 

I wonder if he (Mayfield) will ever get a gig anytime soon... just a gut feeling, but I just have a hunch he's virtually blackballed, so to speak, because of the inconsistency and the attitude with injuries.

 

Justin Fields will be a success story in the NFL, whether it is in Chicago or not, is another question...

I believe the Bears will eventually sign Fields to a long term contract with the understanding that the talent is there to be a premier passer in the NFL. It doesn't;t have to happen for a couple seasons, but in that time there will be little to change the perception that Fields can be the answer, IMO.

The requisite tool set is there, the player has star potential and the Bears fanbase's want for a star quarterback should all but lock him in as the passer of the franchise for the next 10 years.

 

Curious as to how much of this, if any, is on Jackson? Maybe not so much the WR's, but the play or direction/execution by Lamar.

 

I think some of that definitely comes into play but, pre-draft, one of the concerns I had was with his ball placement. It has continued to be an issue at the pro level, even when he is playing well.

Now that it's on tape at the pro level, coaches and managers have that information to work from.

 

I think if you look back at the history in Baltimore, it's very hard to blame the lack of development on Lamar.

The Ravens, to put it in undignified terms, fucking suck at developing talent at wideout. lol

 

Another conversation I have rolling is about the Steelers situation at quarterback.

I'm still on an island with this one, as I see Mason Rudolph as the better option out of the three passers available.

For the record, I was probably higher on Olodakun than most going into the draft. Kevin Colbert is one of three GMs in the NFL that seem to agree with me when it comes to player evaluation. I could go into a deep dive here, but for those that pay attention to my pre-draft evaluations, it's not hard to see where the Steelers have aligned with my personal projections on draft day.

Rudolph would represent the highest pre-draft score, Mitch the second and Pickett a long third.

And, just to keep this in perspective, there has been reporting that Mason has been the most consistent passer this summer for Pittsburgh.

Read that how you will, but I believe they are dead serious when they say they view this as an open competition.

 

Another conversation I have rolling is around Daniel Jones.

This one appears to have been exactly as I predicted. Jones was a player I viewed as a long term project. The idea of him starting early was something I was dead set against.

And, for the record, I believe Jordan Ta'amu would have had more success in the same situation.

Disagree? We can have that debate...

 

Justin Herbert says he loves football so much that he doesn’t like time off in the summer



With minicamps coming to an end and training camps opening in six weeks, NFL players are getting some time off. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert doesn’t need it.

“I think the great thing about football, for me, is I need football,” Herbert said. “I love waking up and going to work and lifting, running, throwing and watching film. I think too much off time can kind of be a burden to me sometimes, so I always look forward to having stuff to do, whether that’s watching film or us throwing or being out here for OTAs. I think that’s kind of what I look forward to.”


Asked if he takes a vacation, Herbert said that to him, his job feels like a vacation.

“I feel like I’m kind of on vacation right now,” he said. “I think that if you’re taking a vacation, you’re trying to get away from something. I always look forward to coming to this place and working and doing all of these fun things. Going home, I’ll do the same thing, trying to have as much fun as I can with my family and things like that, but it is work and getting ready for the season.”

Herbert likes to do something football-related every single day.

“I feel like I just get bored sometimes without football, he said. “Saturdays and Sundays are nice, but at the same time, I’d rather be playing and having something to do because I hate hanging around my house and not doing anything or accomplishing anything.”

PFT

 

Lamar Jackson says he discussed contract with Ravens, expects to remain in Baltimore



Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is heading into the fifth and final season of his rookie contract, and when he skipped voluntary Organized Team Activities, questions were raised about whether he and the team were not on the same page.

Jackson says everything is fine.


After attending mandatory minicamp today, Jackson told reporters that he had contract talks with the Ravens this week, and that he expects to play his entire career in Baltimore.

Jackson sounded like he was talking about a fairly casual discussion with the Ravens about both sides generally agreeing that they want to remain together, rather than a formal negotiation in which specific proposals were passed back and forth. So it may still be a while before a contract gets done.

Jackson is due a base salary of $23 million this year. If he doesn’t sign a contract extension with the Ravens by March, the team will almost certainly use the franchise tag rather than let him test unrestricted free agency, so it’s unlikely that he’s going to leave Baltimore any time soon even if he doesn’t reach a deal on a new contract.

PFT

 

Link?

 

Report: NFL to “probably” seek a one-year suspension for Deshaun Watson



When Major League Baseball suspended Trevor Bauer for two years due to allegations that, at their core, involve sexual consent and the violation of it, we asked whether this meant the NFL will suspend Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for a full year. Reportedly, the league will try to impose something along those lines.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that the NFL will argue that Watson should receive a “significant” suspension, and that the league “probably” will ask for a one-year banishment.


The Disciplinary Officer jointly hired and paid by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, retired federal judge Sue L. Robinson, would then determine whether she should impose a suspension of that magnitude, something less than that, or no suspension at all. If the end result is no discipline of any kind, the case ends. If any discipline is imposed, Commissioner Roger Goodell would have jurisdiction over an appeal by either or both sides. He could reduce it, or he could increase it.

Some think that the league will deliberately overshoot its preferred suspension, assuming that Judge Robinson will reduce whatever is imposed. Thus, if the league asks for a year, she could potentially cut it to eight or 10 games. If the ultimate goal is to have Watson suspended for a full year, the league may need to propose something more than that.

Per Maske, NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler has become involved in the case. The league reportedly is concerned that Kessler will push for no discipline at all.

Maske confirms our report that, in defending Watson, the NFLPA will point to the punishments imposed (or not) on Commanders owner Daniel Snyder, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to support the argument that Watson’s punishment, if any, should reflect the consequences those owners received — especially since the Personal Conduct Policy warns that owners are held to a higher standard than players.

Maske adds that the league would like to have the situation fully resolved before training camp opens, but that the approach taken by Watson and the NFLPA could delay the outcome. Don’t blame Watson if that happens, NFL. You’ve had months to investigate the situation and to make a decision. When the time comes for Watson and the NFLPA to present a defense, it should take whatever amount of time it needs to take. And that should have been factored into the timing of the initiation of the process.

Per Maske, the league could impose discipline against Watson based on currently available information, with the understanding that further discipline could be imposed if new information surfaces. That could get tricky for the league. If, for example, he’s suspended eight games and proceeds to lose any, some, or all of the 24 (soon to be 26) lawsuits pending against him, the NFL surely wouldn’t be able to suspend him again simply because juries believe the testimony of the plaintiffs and impose verdicts against Watson. There would have to be something truly new — new claims, new evidence. Something that the league didn’t already know or that it shouldn’t have known, through reasonable investigative steps.

Although Maske’s story doesn’t mention paid leave, that remains a viable alternative. First, that process doesn’t involve Judge Robinson. Second, it defers a final decision until all litigation ends. Third, it gives Watson a clear incentive to settle the cases pending against him.

Whatever happens, the clock keeps ticking more and more loudly. Presumably, a decision is coming soon. It should happen be no later than Friday, July 1 — the one-year anniversary of the epic, four-day weekend bad-news dump regarding the Commanders, a woefully inadequate (and sloppily enforced) penalty against Snyder, and a blatant effort by the league to hide the specific facts that, if disclosed, quite possibly would have made it untenable for Snyder to continue owning the team.

PFT

 

Your not exactly alone... IMO, Mason takes the QB1... nothing else seems viable.

 

@Tim

Also curious what you think of the Sam Dornald situation. Is he a legit starter?

 

It's gonna be Trubisky. Take it to the bank.

 

I’d say the odds are certainly in your favor.

 

If he gets another shot in Carolina, his success would save two careers.

His failure would seal the fate of both.

 

Won’t say anything is impossible before training camp, however Rudolph’s chances are not great. One of the consistent things Tomlin has pointed out about his next QB was mobility. Doesn’t necessarily mean running for gains, but more mobility within the pocket and able to extend plays. Rudolph is the least mobile of the QBs, and one of his biggest flaws is his pocket awareness. Only way Rudolph stays in the roster in my opinion is if there is an injury to one of the other QBs.

 

Its truly an open competition this year and one of the better and intriguing story-lines out there. Pickett might be the future, but i think this year, 2022, it will boil down to Mitchell vs Mason. Rudolph doesnt have great numbers, but he's just 26, room for improvement and knows the offense.

As they say - 'we will see'.