MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

By the way... this is a comment from left field.

I never understood the hype and desire over Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones... OVERRATTED!

Hell, im throwing Lamar Jackson in there too.

 

About 95% of NFL QBs are overrated.

 

Yes well pieced together ahead of time Tim, bravo.

 

I guess Jackson can still shop around...

 

I've long been a big Watson fan on the field. I really don't believe he belongs anywhere near this conversation. At least before the run ins anyway. Last season was always likely to be a poor one for him, he was playing on a new team and for the first time in forever. This coming season will be a better barometer for what he is these days.

Even with last season his career QB rating is still over 100. 3 pro bowls his first 4 years i think. The dude was a top5 QB in 2020 imo. I remember a game from that season, the Texans played in Chicago. Watson spent the entire day running for his absolute life. No one else did their job that day, there were missed blocks, dropped passes, Watson took a beating. The Texans lost of course, they got blown out like 40-7. Watson only threw for like 200-something yards, but missed on like 1 throw all day, 0 picks, and came out with a 100+QBR. Legit one of the best 100QBR's i ever saw.

 

I wonder how many teams will call on Lamar Jackson... all ive seen is 2 teams that were 'considering' QB's said they wernt interested.

Hope he's thick skinned! Might get his feeling hurt, lol.

Im just busting his balls... cuz I can.

Seems to me an awkward situation for him and his mates and the Ravens front office, but maybe since the NFL is a business, this is just the norm. Im not privy to this sorta things. I would like my QB to be satisfied and comfortable in and out of the locker room.

 

Watson contract was just ridiculously stupid, no defense. Baker probably shouldn't even be lumped into this group. C talent with AAA ego.

Daniel Jones IMO is being paid about where he should be. First of all it's probably closer to 35M per without the incentives. Takes him well out of Top Ten salaries. When Burrow, Herbert and Hurts sign their deals whomever is last (which will be interesting in itself) they are likely approaching 55M.

So the Giants will have their starter, a guy who has proven can operate in Daboll's system with very little help around him locked up for 4 years at around 20M below the top of the market with a cap that is projected to rise to 256M, 284M, 306M.

I think the Giants did well. They have their B quarterback, it allowed them to retain their AA running back and they can now put some pieces around Jones and see if he can get even better.

Oh and they have an out after year two if it doesn't work.

 

I don't believe there will be an offer and then all the collusion talk will start because no one will be able to comprehend that Lamar isn't worth 250M guaranteed and (2) 1sts.

 

Thats cool. Im still not sold on him yet, but the proof is in the pudding and he will have a full season with the Browns coming up.

Im really curious as to how well he does and will be tuned in every opportunity I cant wait to see what he has and how well he performs. I will admit that his off-field endeavors have me a bit perplexed and critical of him, but if he performs well or lives up to the hype, I will be the first to admit he's a good QB, but untill then, Ima wait and see.

 

This is something else that I mused on earlier in the process. Both the idea of the talk happening because the fanbase and those that believe it's all collusion to begin with will salivate over the opportunity to bring it up, and also because there is a possibility that owners have basically looked at the Browns deal for Deshaun and said "no more of this fucking bullshit".

 

Bingo. Nobody is at the moment.

I hope so. Its insane the way QB contracts are trending these days. It really is setting the bar too high and will eventually get to a point where teams/owners will be forced to say; enough is enough. Why Cleveland did what they did is way over my head. I never understood the contract or the desire or the hype or the reasoning behind all the cash money (guaranteed), but i guess the owners made that bed and are now realizing, that sleeping in it isnt so comfortable afterall.

 

Report: Jets group returns from Aaron Rodgers visit Wednesday morning



The Jets sent a contingent to meet with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday and any further discussions of a possible trade that would land him in New Jersey will reportedly have to take place from a distance.

Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN reports that the Jets group is expected to fly home on Wednesday morning after spending the afternoon and evening with Rodgers. The group reportedly included Jets owner Woody Johnson, General Manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh, and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.


Martin reports that a “getting-to-know-you session was the immediate focus” of the meeting and that it’s seen as a “first step” in the process of working toward a trade. Rodgers knows Hackett well from their time together in Green Bay, however, and the looming start of free agency would seem to call for things to pick up steam fairly quickly so both teams can move forward with the knowledge of who their 2023 quarterback is going to be.

As of now, though, there’s no sign of when we’ll learn what Rodgers will be doing this season.

UPDATE 9:16 a.m. ET: Rob Demovsky of ESPN reports that the flight back from California landed on Wednesday morning.

PFT

 

UPDATE 9:24... screw Rodgers!

 

That's just it. Lamar has made it pretty clear what his expectations are, the Ravens have made it publicly clear they will match any reasonable offer. What team wants to waste their time even having their name thrown around for him? It's an exercise in futility. The only thing that could come out of this as a team is driving the price up slightly. When you are talking the difference between $42M and $45M per year, it really isn't worth the risk of the Ravens not matching, then you are stuck with a $45M per year QB that will more likely than not play 12 or less games per season AND you automatically lose two first round draft picks.

 

Despite him getting the non-exclusive tag, I believe teams still need to wait until next Monday to start negotiations.

 

Bobby Slowik: We’re going through a process at QB, Jimmy Garoppolo a part of that

Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik worked as the 49ers passing game coordinator last season and that gave him a lot of insight into a player who is set to hit the open market as a free agent next week.

Jimmy Garoppolo has been mentioned as a possible target for the Texans once teams can start negotiating with players from other teams. On Wednesday, Slowik said at a press conference that the team is discussing free agent options and that Garoppolo is one of the names that will be on the table.


“We have a process that we go through, Jimmy is obviously a part of that process,” Slowik said, via Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle.

Whether they sign a veteran or not, the Texans also have the second overall pick of the draft and are expected to use it on a quarterback. Slowik was asked about a rookie quarterback being able to run his offense and referenced another 49ers quarterback. Brock Purdy handled the job well enough last season and Slowik said “how you structure the entire thing” is the key to making things work for a rookie.

PFT
_____________
__________________________

Jimmy G in Houston would be nice.

 

Dolphins reportedly make decision on Tua Tagovailoa amid rumors

It sounds like the Miami Dolphins are ready to run it back with Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback for another year.

Shortly after the Baltimore Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag on star signal-caller Lamar Jackson, ESPN NFL insider Jeff Darlington reported that the Dolphins "will not be pursuing" Jackson "or any other starting QBs this offseason."

Darlington added that Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel "fully believes Tua is the perfect fit for his system."

McDaniel generated headlines during the NFL combine when he told reporters the Dolphins haven't made a decision about the fifth-year option attached to Tagovailoa's rookie contract.

While Tagovailoa produced his best pro season, to date, under the first-year coach, the often-injured 25-year-old also suffered at least two concussions during the campaign and missed Miami's final three games including the playoffs while in the concussion protocol.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier admitted last week he has some concerns about Tagovailoa's durability. Grier also suggested such worries may not prevent him from signing the 2020 first-round draft pick to an extension this spring or summer.

Even before the Ravens used their franchise tag on Jackson, the Dolphins were repeatedly linked in stories and rumors with the Most Valuable Player for the 2019 regular season who grew up not too far from Miami.


Ahead of this past weekend, CBS NFL insider Josina Anderson said that the Dolphins could explore "potentially moving in a different direction from" Tagovailoa this offseason.

NFL Network's Rich Eisen then generated headlines when he said Monday that he heard during the combine that the Dolphins could be a landing spot for none other than recently re-retired quarterback Tom Brady, in part due to questions related to Tagovailoa's health.

In-the-know individuals continue to offer reasons for why they think Brady could play in 2023. Assuming Darlington is correct, it seems the seven-time Super Bowl champion won't be an option for McDaniel and Grier unless something changes regarding Tagovailoa's status sooner than later.

YARDBARKER

 

Troubling report emerges about Matthew Stafford



Matthew Stafford has said publicly that he has not considered retirement, but there are apparently some people who are not convinced he will be back on the field next season.

Stafford dealt with a shoulder injury last offseason. His reps were carefully managed during training camp and the preseason, and he never seemed right once the year began. The Rams eventually shut Stafford down for the final eight games of the season after he suffered a neck injury and landed in concussion protocol on two separate occasions.

Matthew Berry of NBC Sports asked around about Stafford at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. One source told him that the 35-year-old “could barely throw last year” and that “retirement is still not out of the question.”

Stafford has a reputation for being one of the toughest players in the NFL. He has missed very little time during his 14-year career despite dealing with numerous significant injuries. His most recent injury had to do with his spinal cord, and at least one doctor wondered if it could be career-threatening.

After he had an MVP-caliber season and led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl win in 2021, Stafford was ineffective through nine games last year. He threw for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Rams had some glaring issues on offense, but Stafford’s health certainly seemed like a factor. That is something that will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks.

YARDBARKER
_______________
_________________________

Thats a big picture so @IrishDawg42 can see it on his phone.

 

Appreciated!!

 

A year of success has earned Daniel Jones a pay raise and some job security.

The former first-round pick has cleared the first hurdle of his career. He knows he must now live up to the expectations that come with a four-year, $160 million deal.

"I've always felt that responsibility," Jones said Wednesday, less than 24 hours after agreeing to the new contract with New York. "Playing this position, especially for a team like the New York Giants and this city, you have that responsibility. I take that very seriously.

"It certainly doesn't change. I certainly do feel that and it's my goal to earn that every day and in the offseason while we're preparing for the season, and then when we get to the season, you know, doing my best and preparing this team to win games and me to put us in a position to that. So, yeah -- I take that responsibility very seriously."

Jones was atop New York's list of priorities prior to the start of the new league year, which was a stark shift in focus compared to a year ago, when the Giants declined to pick up the Duke product's fifth-year option and left the quarterback's fate in his hands with only one year remaining on his rookie contract. Jones answered the call in 2022, posting a career-best 3,205 passing yards, a 15-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and finishing with 708 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, the most in his four-year tenure with the Giants. With Jones leading the way, New York surprised the NFL world, finishing 9-7-1 and reaching the playoffs, where the Giants upset the Minnesota Vikings with a win on Super Wild Card Weekend before falling to the eventual NFC champion Eagles in the Divisional Round.

2022 was a resounding success, and it convinced New York to keep Jones for the long haul.

"Yeah, I would say if I thought I was going to be here a year ago, I would've done the fifth-year option," general manager Joe Schoen said on Wednesday. "You know, but, again, I knew from doing work on Daniel coming out in the draft that the type of person he was. From everybody in the building, the type of person he was. His work ethic, he has all the physical tools, he's athletic, he can make all the throws. Just the situation he was in, I do think you have to look into that, like year two and three, what he went through. The talent that was around him, the injuries. There was a lot that went into it.

"But being around Daniel for the last 13 months and seeing to him play and the fourth-quarter comebacks and winning a playoff game on the road, there's a lot of positives that a 25-year-old young man just displayed throughout the season. The upside, I got a lot of belief in our staff and Daniel's work ethic and their relationship that, you know, will continue to grow and Daniel can get to the better. If he's just at his floor right now, I'm real excited about what his ceiling's gonna be."

The four-year deal cemented Jones' role in the Giants' future, and allowed New York to turn to its other priorities -- namely, running back Saquon Barkley -- just before the franchise tag deadline passed at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Barkley received the franchise tag, which will keep him in New York for 2023 and buys the Giants time to continue to work on a long-term deal with the running back who enjoyed a resurgent season in 2022 and gave the club reason to believe he can stand alongside Jones as a key part of the team's future.

"In a situation like this you're trying to do what's best for you and your family while also balancing being part of a team, understanding the goals and the vision that we have as a team and as an organization," Jones said of the negotiation process and how it pertained to Barkley's future. "That was certainly important to me throughout the deal and I think we found a way to do both those things and do it the right way for both sides. Saquon -- he means a ton to me as a teammate and as a friend and means a tone to us as a player. I won't talk about his business, but that was a piece of it, too."

The Giants are keeping two young players coming off career years, and after enduring a cap-strapped 2022 season (which included the release of cornerback James Bradberry, solely out of financial necessity), Schoen has New York in a better position. With a decent amount of cap space to work with, Schoen has room to breathe while attempting to improve the roster. Such a process should include a close look at receiver (such as a potential release of Kenny Golladay) and parts of the defense (both in adding new pieces and extending Dexter Lawrence), and could include a longer deal for Barkley than the one year guaranteed by the tag.

"Yeah, I'm going to talk to Saquon today. I talked to him yesterday before, you know, we put the franchise tag on him," Schoen said. "So, again, we've had deals out, whether it's the bye week or recently and we're going to continue to negotiate. We love Saquon. He's a good teammate. He's a captain. He's a helluva player, so right now, he's under the franchise tag and you know, as we build the team and continue with our offseason plan, we'll do what's best for the team and we're still mapping that out."


The work has only just begun for Schoen. Fortunately, he's shored up his most important position.

NFL.com
__________
____________________

I guess if you call 3-5-1 down the stretch a success, good for you. The Giants will pay... and Jones will eat, but im not sold he's a top QB in the NFL. $82M in guaranteed cash is ridiculous.

Ive been bitching a lot lately... Im in a mood. QB contracts are to blame.