American Football

[RavenBish]

Bish just repeats what he heard on Neil Reynolds' podcast, tbf.

Inside the huddle is the only place for hot-takes and great knowledge from my boys Neil and JEFF REINEBOLD WHO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU'RE TAKING THE SAINTS OR FALCONS IN TONIGHTS MATCHUP GUYS.

Seriously, when are Sky going to find someone better than Reynolds? I swear to God, if he's involved in the draft coverage...

 

[RavenBish]

Meanwhile...Bengals have $31m in cap room and Marvin Lewis is taking a nap after a long day of fishing.

 

[Renegade]

The cap doesn't even matter any more it's so high! Unless you're the Steelers. Seahawks are going all in whilst their dynasty window of opportunity is open, I like the deal, Russell Wilson finally has a red zone weapon. Probably the second best in the game.

Remember the Hawks secondary and Jimmy Graham going at it in the playoffs two seasons ago? That should be fun...

At least the off-season isn't a barren wasteland for once.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Fuck yeah - Ngata!!! for a 4th and 5th round pick with a 7th from the Ravens, take that any day. Re-sign Fairley and Mosley, add a Malcolm Brown type in the draft and suddenly losing Suh ain't all bad.
I honestly thought they'd overpay Knighton rather than looking elsewhere, so pretty happy. Hoping they can make a run at a CB. Also rumours abound the Lions will look at a RB in free agency, hope they don't and just get one in the 3rd round of the draft, but CJ Spiller has been mentioned.

The other trades - I can only imagine Saints shopping Graham is cap issue, they are in a world of pain right now and clearly no one they currently have is willing to re-negotiate.

The QB swap is odd - Maybe Sam Bradford has managed to convince the Eagles he isn't full stop broken but not the Rams. The other factor in this is Jake Locker retiring. I'm still not convinced the Titans are all in on Mettenberger, I take them to draft Mariota and the Eagles now not moving up as they now have Bradford.

 

[Anon]

I know the Lions having a gaping hole at DT, but giving up a 4th and 5th for a 31 year old off a season where he wasn't as good? A really short-term move if you ask me.

Conflicting reports on the picks involved on Bradford/Foles.

 

[kieran_vale]

Looks like Buffalo may be joining the Revis sweepstakes now alongside the Pats and Jets. Reportedly he is after $40m guaranteed over 3 years, personally for the #1 CB in the game I don't think that is too bad at all.

We may also be one of the potential landing spots for Percy Harvin (no thanks). Would rather see us bring in AJ.

 

[Kim Mitten]

I know the Lions having a gaping hole at DT, but giving up a 4th and 5th for a 31 year old off a season where he wasn't as good? A really short-term move if you ask me.

Conflicting reports on the picks involved on Bradford/Foles.

I like the move as there isn't anyone better out there, plus he teams up with his old coach. The Lions are likely to draft another DT who might well turn out to be a caliber of a Ngata, plus they have just saved a hell of a lot of money. The NFL is all about short term, Suh might be another Haynesworth, Ngata might end up playing at a high level till he's 36, we just won't know - they both might get career ending injuries next season.
But whatever I look forward to him giving Rodgers a few fits next season.

We should both be happy btw - The Bears are sticking with Cutler, great news for everyone else in the NFC North.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Frank Gore to the Colts - more evidence Trent Richardson's career is even more in the toilet.

With regards to the Saints and their cap issue, Rapoport tweeted this: Heard so many times #Saints made everyone on their roster available. Assumed that meant Junior Galette. Can’t believe it meant Jimmy Graham.

 

[Aberstone]

The cap doesn't even matter any more it's so high! Unless you're the Steelers. Seahawks are going all in whilst their dynasty window of opportunity is open, I like the deal, Russell Wilson finally has a red zone weapon. Probably the second best in the game.

Remember the Hawks secondary and Jimmy Graham going at it in the playoffs two seasons ago? That should be fun...

At least the off-season isn't a barren wasteland for once.

For once, the Steelers cap issues aren't too severe this off-season, IIRC we had $12 million to play with and the team will get an extra $6 million later on the year as Troy Polamalu will be a post June 1st cut.

Haloti Ngata gone from the Ravens, as well as Torrey Smith. Excuse me one moment....

 

[Anon]

I like the move as there isn't anyone better out there, plus he teams up with his old coach. The Lions are likely to draft another DT who might well turn out to be a caliber of a Ngata, plus they have just saved a hell of a lot of money. The NFL is all about short term, Suh might be another Haynesworth, Ngata might end up playing at a high level till he's 36, we just won't know - they both might get career ending injuries next season.
But whatever I look forward to him giving Rodgers a few fits next season.

We should both be happy btw - The Bears are sticking with Cutler, great news for everyone else in the NFC North.

I disagree - the more teams that see the NFL as "all about short term" and give up cheap rookie payscale and possible long-term improvements for players past their peak and costing far more money, leaving them with less money to improve elsewhere, the better for teams like the Packers. I do get why some GMs give up the future for the now if their job is on the line, and obviously giving up 7ths isn't much at all and is pretty much undrafted level, but 5ths and especially 4ths can provide starters for your team at a fraction of the cost. Get younger = cheaper = more likely to have the $$$ to keep your stars when their big contracts arrive.

Waiting on confirmation Bulaga is staying. Looking at some of the numbers floating around for OTs, if it's like the reported under $7m per season, that's a relative steal.

 

[RavenBish]

NICK FAIRLEY VISITING TOMORROW.

I WANT.

 

[Anon]

Hawk signs for the Bengals. Great pro, won't be any trouble, a year removed from a great 2013, iffy vs the run but ok in coverage. Wish him all the best, surely no more than decent backup though.

 

[RavenBish]

Hawk signs for the Bengals. Great pro, won't be any trouble, a year removed from a great 2013, iffy vs the run but ok in coverage. Wish him all the best, surely no more than decent backup though.

Literally everything I've read says he's good against the run and bad in coverage lol...

He'll be SLB so yeah, they play about 30% of snaps in our D I think and that changes up if Burfict comes back healthy (which is looking a bit too iffy for my liking hence why we've kept Maualuga and signed Hawk) because then you've got 4 LBs for 3 spots and I'm guessing he'd then compete with Lamur and Maualuga for snaps depending on situation. An SLB in our 43 is certainly less demanding than what he was asked to do in Packers' 34 D so his deficiencies will be masked a bit.

Fully expecting Fairley to visit and leave but we need a DT BADLY, so it'd be a great signing with a ton of upside if we did. Opens things up in the draft too and allows us to go DE/OL with our first two picks...unleeessss Bucs cut Michael Johnson and we can bring him home. Plz.

 

[kieran_vale]

Revis gone back to the Jets then. 5/$70m with $39m guaranteed. Wow that's big. Very disappointing but this is his last big contract (until he sits out like his previous annual tradition in NY) so you have to take the money. Sad thing is for the first couple of years he'll be worth every dollar he's that good.

Puts the Pats in a bind, we were lucky last year when we lost Talib an upgrade fell into our laps. Clearly that is not going to happen this time as there are no CB's of note to grab. Guess we either really load up on pass rush which was an area of weakness last year or throw everything at Offense and let TFB put on the pyrotechnics like in 2007 all over again, I could live with either.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Clearly that is not going to happen this time as there are no CB's of note to grab.

Mo Claiborne. Just sayin'.

 

[Anon]

The Revis contract - as in, the guaranteed money and reported breakdown - is pretty fair all things considered, with the guarantees split over the first three years after which he'll be 32. Can't imagine his ability falling off a massive cliff at least in the first two years, so all in all with the salary cap rise etc that's a good deal for both sides.

With Browner gone as well, Buffalo making moves, and Suh @ the Fins, certainly the AFC East is looking very interesting already...

Literally everything I've read says he's good against the run and bad in coverage lol...

Although Brad Jones was certainly the weaker of the two season-starting ILBs, we needed Matthews to come inside and then Barrington to emerge to get us to an 'ok' ability to help limit the run. Get the feeling his athleticism isn't great but gets by on football smarts. Never realised he was an Ohio boy either.

---

Suddenly our corners might be a problem if Williams doesn't return from the Saints. House was quite expensive given his decent but unremarkable form, and not sure on his college tape but Hayward's only ever really played slot corner for us. ILB and corner now our biggest areas of need...

 

[Renegade]

The Revis contract - as in, the guaranteed money and reported breakdown - is pretty fair all things considered, with the guarantees split over the first three years after which he'll be 32. Can't imagine his ability falling off a massive cliff at least in the first two years, so all in all with the salary cap rise etc that's a good deal for both sides.

With Browner gone as well, Buffalo making moves, and Suh @ the Fins, certainly the AFC East is looking very interesting already...

The Pats will finish 12-4, nailed on.

As intimidating as the rivals defences look, none of them have a dependable quarterback or an above average offence. One day, when Brady retires, we might have an interesting division. If the Pats get Percy Harvin, I can see them turning him into a Pro Bowl player, he would suit their short passing game incredibly well (could replace Vereen) and also offers a legitimate deep threat. They would also have Edelman and Harvin returning kicks...obscene.

That said, I'm really looking forward to watching the Bills offence next year.

 

[kieran_vale]

The one very minor consolation in all this is we should get an extra third rounder compensatory draft pick in 2016. Should go nicely with the one we have for Talib in this draft. Of course we could end up with something else if Goodell is willing to actually follow up on the tampering complaint we made during the season. I believe the previous punishment dished out for this (Chicago and someone) was they swapped draft positions in one of the rounds. Given the league has sent a memo to all teams about this years tampering period rules being pretty much ignored by the likes of Miami maybe the Jets could be made an example of as it was pretty blatant from Woody Johnson. Be a pleasant surprise if they did clamp down on them now.

Suppose we'll now be going back to playing Cover-2. BB favours it but I just don't think you can get away with that exclusively in the NFL any more, you need to be able to play a mixture but we don't have the personnel for man-coverage anymore with Browner released (and possibly joining the Saints by the sound of it). Back to lots of nervy moments on third and long again.

 

[Anon]

Oh don't get me wrong, there's no way I'd bet on any of the others to win the AFC East despite their moves

Yeah teams like the Packers and Patriots treasure those compensatory picks and rightly so. It'll easily be a 3rd for Revis in 2016, and I'd imagine we might get a couple of 5ths at best for Dietrich-Smith and James Jones from last year. Crucial to squad building on the cheap which then means you're in a better position to keep your best players.

Eagles likely to sign Ryan Mathews it seems. Questionable injury history aside, since the RB role they need to fill isn't a premier money position, makes sense for someone like Mathews to fill it given it'll be less carries = not as much grind needed.

Still trying to get my head around the Bradford/Foles trade and the picks/scenarios involved. Might have to take a season to revisit that...

 

[RavenBish]

I have no idea what Chip Kelly is doing.

 

[Anon]

I have no idea what Chip Kelly is doing.

Kelly absolutely does though, and the Eagles owners signed up for it when they appointed him HC and then gave him GM powers too. After all, why appoint the guy if you don't want him to bring his ideas and have the team playing his way. If it falls flat, then that's a roster that will take a while to catch up again. If it works - and in the two seasons it's hard to argue against what he's done so far- then he's potentially made other owners and GMs re-evaluate value for types of players going forward.

Gonna be really interesting to see what happens.

 

[RavenBish]

I'm not entirely sure what he has supposedly done - they were a decent enough team when he arrived, certainly a team with a lot of assets (assets which he's basically offloaded in their entirety for not a lot in return). He's not got some sort of masterplan that's worked out in the past that shows he's got an overarching strategy. He's a very good OC, I don't think that's up for debate at all - I doubt there's a team in the league that wouldn't hire him on the spot to run their offense but in terms of HC decisions as well as his GM-like powers...hmmmm.

 

[Anon]

Given his view of McCoy's role seems to be - at least on the basis of 2014 alone - a good committee back, then I guess he's thinking why pay $10m-odd a season for one. With Jackson, if he can get the same production from someone half the cost, then best to allocate the money elsewhere. Certainly when you see their moves in FA this off-season, it seems he's adding good players - some at a cost - on defence, and maybe then relying more on his scheme for offense that he reckons can work just as well with cheaper players. Surely as a term of the trade Bradford won't be picking up anything like the $13m-odd either, so seems he's shifting a lot of resource to the other side of the ball.

 

[RavenBish]

Michael Johnson cut by Bucs and Fairley still in Cincy.

Go on lads, balls out, sign both.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Fairley is going to Cincy - been reported Lions haven't even offered him a contract. Looks like they are going to try and keep hold of Mosley and go after another FA on the D-Line, and you'd think draft there as well. Appears they are going after a corner as well, which is a little surprising, maybe the money they now have is burning a hole in their pocket. Browner would be an amazing grab, but seemingly Antonio Cromartie might be more realistic.

 

[Anon]

Didn't the Bucs 'win' free agency last year? Just shows how easy it is to slip up in free agency, and the bad deals tend to really outweigh the good when all is said and done.

I can see why the Lions chose not to pick up the extra year on Fairley as a motivational tool... but they must be kicking themselves for that non-move now.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Didn't the Bucs 'win' free agency last year? Just shows how easy it is to slip up in free agency, and the bad deals tend to really outweigh the good when all is said and done.

I can see why the Lions chose not to pick up the extra year on Fairley as a motivational tool... but they must be kicking themselves for that non-move now.

I just don't know with Fairley. Suppose again it depends if anyone else is picked up FA or who they draft. But Fairley's issues are well known and the lack of an offer from Detroit probably just shows they have had enough. He could be the best DT in the game, thats no over-statement, Suh said Fairley had 100% more talent than him. But sadly for Nick he can't keep his weight stable and he just can't concentrate. Even in games he'd go from best D-player on the field to worst in one half. I think the magnitude of his injury was most likely the breaking point.
I wish him all the best and hope he can get it together mentally more than anything.

Finnegan retired, one of my favourite non-Lions players of the last decade - and a great parting shot at Andre Johnson from him!

 

[Anon]

Yeah, benefit of hindsight and all that. If wherever he goes he slips back again while sitting on a fat contract (since 43 DLs like him don;t exactly grow on trees), can understand Lions moving on and not wanting that risk.

Predictably no news for us yet, but keeping Cobb and Bulaga were huge pluses.

 

[Renegade]

Not much of a parting shot to Andre Johnson, he was about to kick his ass after Finnegan was being a bellend. He had 9 catches and a touchdown on the guy before getting kicked out of the game. He spelt bitch wrong too.

Man his career tail-spinned at the end, he was woeful the last few seasons.

 

[Craig]

We've signed a WR and he looks decent.