NFL - Random Opinions

I mean that one just got swapped recently. It was the first change to be set for sure. So Not Jimmy G meant a QB that wasn't him that was the starter this year.

 

Ok. I get it now.

 

Crazy how multiple 11-5 teams could miss the playoffs in the NFC and who they would be is pretty impossible to predict at this point.

 

Then again, there could be multiple 9-7 teams making the playoffs in the NFC when it is all said and done.

 

Flacco has 28.75M in dead money on his deal. They could always go the June 1st option but they would still have to carry the 28.75M through free agency. I think it's a near lock he's a Raven in 2018.

 

Financially there is no difference between a trade and a release. He has no guaranteed money left on his deal. The dead money is all based on previous signing bonuses from which there is no escape. From a team perspective it's certainly possible that they could get some compensation. A guy like Arians runs the perfect offense for Joe's skillset if he even wants to play anymore. His base salaries over the next two seasons are certainly manageable:

2018 - 12M
2019 - 18.5M

The question is does he even want it anymore? He's had his fair share of injuries. He and his wife have had 4 children in 5 years. He bragged prior to his first major contract in 2013 that he had never touched the 8M in bonuses he received on his rookie deal so presumably he has a healthy portion of his 136M in career earnings. Does he want to play?

 

I'm obviously late to the party so if this is answered later in the thread I apologize. Yes, it would only be 12.75M in 2018 and then 16M in 2019. And as RR points out the full 28.75M has to be carried until June 2nd.

 

Only further underscores my point. Could have ended his career - YOUR words. Too stupid to wear a helmet. Needed to spend a 1st round pick in the worst way.

 

Agreed. Play-calling has been awful. But NOBODY gets a pass. Defense is letting up 30+ a game in Sean Lee's absence; offense is scoring 7 points a game with no 'Zeke, no Tyron Smith. And let's face it - as good as the o-line can be when healthy, w/out Smith you're talking about having only TWO returning linemen from last year (Frederick and Martin, and martin missed half of the Chargers game with a concussion).

 

Tyron Smith missed a couple weeks and is still not 100%. Zach Martin missed the second half of the Thanksgiving game. Le'al Collins is out for this week. There's a LOT of talent there - across the board, first rounders all (or WOULD have been, in Collins' case). They needed to work two guys into new positions this year (Jonathan Cooper and Le'al Collins); they struggles a bit early, but were starting to play well together before Elliott's suspension.

 

The durability issue is probably the biggest factor to consider when making huge money offers with multiple years. It can hamstring a roster off of one pulled hamstring.

I'm not sure that what Pittsburgh does will work in every situation, and we have yet to see what will happen with Tomlin once the Steelers start life without Ben. They could continue to be a high level team or they could struggle for years while they look for the next franchise passer.

Tyrod might make a nice stopgap quarterback for a team, but my concerns on him have been the same throughout his career and they are not the type that typically improve. I think his career after Buffalo will continue to be the same.

 

He could end up being the quarterback to play all of 2018 as the starter, but that would probably mean that the Cardinals whiffed with their selection of a passer in the draft.

If they can somehow get a deal done with Coleman that doesn't wrap up insane cash between two running backs we may have to revisit this with a different outlook. As of right now, it's hard not to argue that they are overspending on Freeman to a degree.

That might be the entirety of his career in 2017, but if the Bills move on from Taylor we will probably see an open competition in the fall between Nathan and whatever quarterback they draft. Unless they pay big money for a free agent passer the door will probably still be open for Peterman, even if it's only a slim glimmer of light with a boot stuck in its path.

I think a shakeup with offensive coordinators may be in order. Sticking with Rivera as the head coach but changing up the style on offense may be just what the doctor ordered.

I can understand that line of thinking, but firing Fox would send a clear message to the rest of the staff and the players that the product on the field right now is simply unacceptable.

At some point the law of averages will kick in and the Browns will get it right at head coach. Considering the talent they are starting to amass, the age of that talent and the amount of cash they have to spend in free agency, I'm on board with them making another change at coach so long as the front office remains intact and they add a proper football mind into the mix at team president. Someone needs to sit in the throne, delegate to Podesta/Sashi and make the final call when it comes to pulling the trigger on talent.

 

This is probably the year to do it. Right now, and it's early in the process, this would probably be the best fit for Josh Allen of Wyoming to come in and learn on the job for a few weeks before getting an opportunity to sling the ball around to finish out the season.

The line is banged up, but play-calling 5 step drops when your blindside is exposed goes back to the original point of your post. Garrett should be leaning on the ground game more now because of the issues with the line instead of going away from it.

Dak is going to grow from the fire he's being put through now but, like you mention at the end, it will probably cost Dallas a chance at the post-season because it's not giving them their best chance to win.

 

Indy definitely has some issues across the board, but firing Chuck Pagano could cure some of what ails them. He's the one glaring constant in the Colts continued fall.

I comped Bortles to Kerry Collins prior to the draft. I just don't see the upside that some people have seen in him. Eli to the Jaguars makes so much sense that I'm ready to pencil him in already. It would likely make them favorites to win the South next season and an odds on favorite for a deep playoff run.

 

You and I have similar thoughts on how it might shake out next season with quarterback changes. It's one of the bigger reasons why I think a lot of quarterbacks will come out for the draft and a lot of quarterbacks will go in the top 3 rounds.

 

I keep a notebook on my desk that is indexed by team. When I flipped to the Ravens I had Flacco's name with a $4mil note regarding his trade for this off-season. When I glance at it, I was thinking that would be the dead cap money if he were to be traded but it's actually in reference to how much more they would owe on top of his contract if he were to be traded at the end of this season(prior to June 1).

I always mention how great it would be to have a full time copy editor, but it helps when I know what my own notes mean.

 

All the more reason to run the football, press play-action with movement from the pocket and avoid straight drop backs.

 

I noticed on D. Kizer, he had a puked emoji lol. Well, he really should've stayed at ND for one more season and he's on the Browns (no offense to Browns Nation). I needs a little more seasoning in 2018, so give the kid a chance. Is he Watson of Houston, no. Can he be a decent QB in the NFL? I hope so.

 

With Tyron Smith back (hopefully getting healthier), they SHOULD be more diligent in the run game.

What's killing 'em is that the defense seems to fall apart in the second half, and it's taking the running game out of their quiver. Against the Falcons, it was 10-7 Atlanta at the half, Dallas lost 27-7; against Philly, Dallas led 9-7 at the half, lost 37-7; against the Chargers, it 3-0 LA at the half; Dallas lost 28-6.

First half: outscored 20-16 - low-scoring, but competitive.

Second half: outscored 72-6.

 

I didn't really look into the breakdown of Dallas' scoring by halves. Other teams are making adjustments on them. It really does beg the question, "What are the coordinators and head coach doing at halftime?"