NFL - Random Opinions

Not sure where your going with that statement. You make it sound like I took issue with you, I didnt and wont. I usually say what I mean and mean what I say. I really dont give 2 shits what goes on in the political threads.

Im done commenting on this or anything else that doesnt pertain to a dignified, classy, non-abusive conversation. Take things for what they are worth, consider your blessed that you have the freedom of choice to choose what you read and how you react to it. Im always going to take the high road and ignore the shit that disturbs me. Im personally disturbed enough with life in general, so the last thing Im going to do do is get bent out of shape because someone on this site or anywhere on this planet has an opinion opposite of mine.

over and out

 

Whatever goes on in that political thread, stays in that political thread or I'll fucking nuke it and continue deleting posts on the main board.

I'm not interested in any of that bullshit popping up anywhere else on this site.

 

Anyone have some thoughts on free agency thus far?

I have some, but I would be interested in reading some others.

 

I am somewhat shocked Copper Kupp didnt seek a contender like the Ravens, Lions, or even Bills. Also somewhat shocked the Packers didn’t try to throw him a bag.

Still laughing at Myles Garrett.

Geniunely shocked the Cowboys took the route of basically doing nothing. Or at least nothing good or noteworthy.

If the Vikings either can’t develop McCarthy or can’t figure out another solution at QB Kwesi is toast in two seasons. They made good moves but if the QB position regresses, and Darnold plays well in Seattle, that’s a terrible look.

Really like what the Commanders are building. That’s a hungry team coming off a good season looking to do even better.

I can’t think of the last time the first round of the draft was such a mystery. Usually free agency gives you a good idea of where a lot of teams are going and I just don’t feel that way this year:

 

I really liked what the Commanders did, but especially the Bears. The Bears nailed this period with a center and a couple of guards in front of Williams and made the defense a bit more stout up front with good additions at Edge and Tackle.

I like what the Vikings did to solidify the trenches on both sides and addressed the defensive backfield... but as mentioned the QB situation is really weird and nerve-racking for me.

Patriots didnt do too bad as they shored up the defense, but they could have helped Maye a little more, I think.

One of my favorite aggressive movers and doers was by the Chargers. I just really like the Harris pickup at RB... loosing Bosa was a tough one, but he has to stay healthy, which reminds of the Bills who did well also.

Houston, Cleveland and Atlanta thought FA season started in April.

What are the 49ers doing is my question... they blew the place up, lost 10 key players from their SB win.

Another thought I had was some of these contracts seem to be jacked up money including guaranteed money, but shorter in length.

Really surprised at some of the desperado teams didnt really do much to improve themselves at all.

I have other thoughts, but at the moment their all mixed up in my head. It would look like alphabet soup if i went any farther.

 

And here i've been waiting patiently for some learned writings on all the QB moves from you! Guess i'll go first heh.


- Suppose i should start with the most polarising QB here. Congrats Sam Darnold, you finally got paid! I would love to know what his options were tho cos this feels like a move that could easily not work out. Did he just take the biggest $? Cos he surely didnt take the best situation. Darnold has gone from one of the best QB situations in the league to.....the Seahawks. They had enough work to do just with the O-Line, now they've downgraded the WR corps and there's no QB whisperer HC to lean on either.

JSN became the catch machine i envisaged last season but after that you've gone from Metcalf & Lockett to Cooper Kupp. Kupp is the wrong side of 30 and the missed games are racking up in recent years. Also he's too similar to JSN. Where is the speed at WR? Where is classical big body X out wide? Tyler Booker felt nailed on if he lasted to the Seahawks, now do they have to take T McMillan? The Seahawks do at least have four 2nd & 3rd round picks, they're gonna have to land a lot of them and with an emphasis on Offense imo otherwise what was the point of paying Darnold?

My hunch is we're gonna find out just how much Darnold has evolved as a QB next season. Without more help there is potential for him to throw a lot of picks. I won't be surprised if his numbers underperform compared to Geno's but it'll be interesting to see either way.


- I find it hard to say much about Geno Smith. The move itself doesn't do much for me. Chip Kelly is a wild card. Bowers is great but they need more playmakers.

The Raiders have been screwing up this position for so long its a joke. Garropolo was an expensive disaster. They didn't commit to trading for Fields then got beat to the punch by the Falcons in the draft. Now Geno's gonna make it right? The West could be a meat grinder next season, i'm not betting on his chances. I've seen plenty of talk that the Raiders aren't taken by Sanders so it looks like there's no other option.


- Justin Fields is a guy im really pulling for. I don't blame him at all for walking away from Pittsburgh after they screwed him over last season. Fields has never truly proven himself tho and the Jets are just a continual dumpster fire so on paper this doesnt look promising. I'm prob being overly optimistic here, but there are reasons this could under the radar work. The Jets have a good OL when healthy and they have a great back in Hall. Their OC is someone not many have heard of but he is rated by Ben Johnson as a creative mind, and he's gonna have a very versatile QB to work with. Also Fields and Garrett go back to their college days.

I can't bet on the Jets cos its the Jets. But after they served their deserved penance for being idiots and giving the Packers draft picks, i'd kinda like to see them put it together next season. Of course, the way Fields career has gone they'll prob draft Sanders and he'll be screwed over once again.


- So it turns out i called the wrong Vikings QB to go to Indy. There are times I really think Daniel Jones is charmed. First the guy got over-drafted, then outrageously paid off the back of 1 playoff game. Now, despite not deserving to be anywhere near a starting job ever again he finds himself with nearly $14mil gtd and a legit shot to start in what is a pretty great QB situation all things told.

FA created a big hole in the middle of the Colts OL which they are going have to address(i think they will), but other than that there are a LOT of pieces in place for success. If the Colts could ever figure out the QB position they could make a lot of noise.

I am no kind of believer in Richardson so there is a legit chance Jones could win this job imo, and in fact, not look horrible while doing it if his bone headedness can be controlled. And herein lies the immense peril for the Colts. A competent looking Daniel Jones could really set them back if they then decide to pay him a year from now. In terms of extracting money, Jones is like a Kirk Cousins lite, just without the actual production. I could really see this being the one that finally gets Ballard fired. Of the QBs listed here Jones def has the best situation imo, but Buyer Beware!


Over to you @Campbell

 

We'll get into whether or not Purdy should be in the top 16, the Falcons were right to draft Penix, and the Geno money mistake later in the offseason.

 

Errr, where did that come from lol? Did you think i was taking a shot at you with that statement? No idea why you would bring up previous convos that have nothing to do with what you yourself asked for. I'd been waiting to see what you thought about the recent moves, most of which happened like a week ago, and finally added my own.

If you want to rehash former topics we can, tho i have no earthly idea why you'd want to do so re Purdy. Letting that one slide for the last year was me doing a major courtesy lol.


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You're reading way too much into it.

It's three topics that I think are going to be interesting for us to look at again this season when it comes to quarterbacks, which is what you led off with.

Besides, I've already told you the Geno thing is something you nailed, and I was way off on.
And with all that, I 'liked' your post, which would be an odd thing to do if I thought you were firing a shot.

 

Oh, ok mate. Pennix will be interesting to pick up on as things go along. Very limited rookie sample but the eye test looked encouraging.

But get some thoughts out about these QB, and others, moves in FA. I ran out of time re Garrett and others

 

I believe the Vikings were offering somewhere in the mid 20s a season, less guaranteed cash and only two years. Their focus will be on getting McCarthy up to speed, and I have a feeling they weren't shy with Sam about what the plan was.

I think Seattle probably could have come in a bit lower with an offer, but they basically set the market at a point where Darnold could view it as definite starters money with 3 years to work towards another deal. There was no reason for him to look at any other situation with the offer and the guaranteed playing time he is getting from the Seahawks.

I'm with you on the Kupp signing. Not because I believe he can no longer be a highly productive player (injuries not withstanding), but because of how his playing style really relies on a quarterback to be on schedule when he separates. There's not a lot of wiggle room to be had with ball placement to maximize Kupp's effectiveness. That really isn't Sam's strength, so it's one of those signings that look good on paper but may struggle to look good on game day.

As for the big WR on the perimeter, they are probably going to go with Bobo and add in the draft. However, the Metcalf thing had run its course in Seattle, IMO. He wanted out and there was no reason for the Seahawks to view him as the kind of payday that PIT did. To go one farther on that - The deal the Steelers made is not one that I agree with.

With regards to whether or not he ends up with better numbers than Geno - Are we talking 2022 or 2024 Geno?




I'll come back to more of your post when I have a few more minutes...

 

Las Vegas could look to add a passer in the second round. There's talk of Dart going in the first, even as high as #9 (according to Mel Kiper), but there's a possibility he is still available for the Raiders in round 2. Shough or Howard in that second round might not be a bad move.

It's not an instant fix, but the addition of Geno and a rookie could provide some stability while they go through the start of Pete's time in Vegas.

The third-round price tag for the trade is acceptable, IMO. Geno likely won't take a pay cut for more years, so this could be a one-year rental on a starter.

So long as the Raiders don't extend him with a bigger payday, I don't see this as a bad move. It's not going to fix all of their woes, but it gives them something to try and build an offense within Carroll's first year.

I gotta see how they put together the offense, but they have a complimentary quarterback situation now with Fields and Travis, so I'm hopeful that it involves a lot of moving the quarterback. Get some play-action bootlegs, shotgun rollouts and naked bootlegs that forces defenses to respect the quarterbacks scrambling ability while creating some downfield looks that make it simpler to have quick decisions for the passer would be ideal in getting the most out of both Justin and Jordan.

I think the Jets could be a sneaky team this season. I think you'll see less Lazard and more Malachi Corley and Xavier Gipson. The defense could quickly become one of the better groups in the AFC, so if the offense can be something of a clock burner, the chance to keep games close enough to steal some wins will become a theme.

Run the ball with Hall, work play-action, burn the clock and stay aggressive on defense - If that's the recipe, then the Jets could become competitive in an East that will be up for grabs, after Buffalo.

Basically, you have two athletically gifted wildcards at quarterback. Richardson has the higher ceiling but also the lower floor, while Jones has a lower ceiling with a higher floor, but not high enough to keep him from being on his third team in his 7th season.

This probably isn't the quarterback battle Indy fans were hoping for...

I'm starting to have some questions about the coaching staff for the Colts. On paper, that roster should be extremely competitive in that division, but does anyone really expect them to have a chance at finishing ahead of Houston? I have more faith in a Jaguars team that constantly finds ways to trip itself.

Your point about Jones looking good enough to start again after a season in Indy is a good one. What if? What kind of contract could you possibly justify for him?

Ideally, for Ballard, Richardson wins the job, holds onto it for the season, and the question is rendered moot.

 

Oh out of the two '24, absolutely. If Darnold surpasses Geno's '22 numbers i would be highly impressed. IMO that would say way more than what he achieved with the Vikings(itself impressive) and would go a looooong way to justifying the kind of faith you have always had in him.

As well as everything else, Geno threw 30 TD passes that year, exactly half of which went to his top2 targets who are no longer on the team. Thats gonna take some replacing. He also just played great ball. He also had Dave Canales as his QB coach who clearly had a big impact since that one season together Geno's numbers/performance were far above his carer mean(more than like 3games played in a season).

Btw we've never really taken the time to give props to Canales in our QB chats but look at his last 3 seasons in the league. '22, Geno's best season by far. '23, 1 year with Baker in TB which was something of a breakout for him/got him paid. '24, raises the Titanic/makes Bryce Young look good(!!!). 3 different QB's in 3 different locations. 2 of em got paid after 1 year with him. I dunno how much of that you would proscribe to co-incidence if any, but to me that's gotta mean something.

Bringing it back to Darnold tho, there will be no Canales and no KOC. There will be Klint Kubiak, who hilariously just a month ago when he was hired was talking about how working with Geno Smith and DK Metcalf were huge draws to the job Woops.

Mike Macdonald: New Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak had 'best vision' for DK Metcalf in hiring process; answers on Tyler Lockett to come.

I dunno. I happened to see quite a lot of Seahawks games last season and Geno has having to play under duress/carry the Offense A LOT. He threw a lot of picks(actually only 3 more than Darnold) and some of them were ugly, but there were a lot that just screamed forced mistakes. Just trying to do too much knowing he wouldn't get the help/blocking/whatever. I'm just saying unless the Seahawks can make some v good draft moves Darnold will be in that situation next season. There will no be playing with leads nearly every week meaning no PA D's are biting all over in 2nd halfs. I think Darnold will have to carry the load a lot more. I think it'll be tough. Its what they're paying him for i guess so we'll see.

Be v interesting how it pans out. If Darnold throws less picks than '24 Geno while matching his other numbers i think he'll have done pretty well.

 

If the Raiders were a smart organization, and let's all agree they aren't, getting Geno would be a good thing because the two years of stability he gives you allows you to fix the rest of the roster and then get a new QB in two years and put him in a better situation. Or, as Tim mentioned above, you draft someone now and sit them behind Geno for a year or two.

But that being said the Raiders are massive idiots and Crosby wasting away there is sad.

 

This is the last year of Geno's deal, so it's a 'one and done' for a third, at the moment.

The idea of getting someone in this draft should be top of mind, considering they already have all the necessary information to make an informed decision on Aidan.

The Raiders still have a full complement of picks in this draft and they are close enough to the top that making a move that involves giving up a pair of future firsts is not out of the question. The could feasible move all the way up to #1 overall if the Titans are willing to take a couple years' worth of firsts and some change in this and next year's draft.

Do the Raiders view Ward as a player worth all that draft capital? It might be a tough sell to some, but when you look at the quarterbacks in that division, you know immediately that Geno is not going to be the answer.

 

I'm not sure that's a reasonable bar to set, or maybe it's more of a confusing one, and here's why:

They both threw for just over 4,300 yards last season, but Geno only had 21 TDs to 15 INTs while Sam had 35 TDs and 12 INTs.

2022 Geno had 30 TDs and 11 INTs, so you're basically saying Sam needs to be 2022 Geno, unless I'm misunderstanding your post.


I think all Darnold needs to do in his first year with Seattle is not to revert to his first year at Carolina, or the seasons prior. His second season with the Panthers was when he started to turn the corner.

If he ends his first year as the 'Hawks starter with a stat line of over 3,500 yards and a TD/INT ratio of 2:1 or better, I think that should be considered successful, considering all of the changes that are happening in Seattle this season.

IMO, the real determination on the value of this contract will come in year 2, and we'll have to see what kind of surroundings he has and what this coaching staff has done in 2025 before knowing what kind of output we should reasonably expect from that offense.