American Football

[Martino Knockavelli]

Looking like Murray to Iggles.......

 

[Anon]

If the Murray deal happened then looking at it in conjunction with the McCoy/Alonso trade; Murray would be cheaper than McCoy's 2015 packet, assuming he fills McCoy's 2014 role Murray gets a much lighter workload, and the Eagles have potentially got a big upgrade in defence.

Kelly will have done really well there...

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Yup.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

5 years, $42m, $21m guaranteed per Schefter.

Would really rather not have lost him within the division, but I'm glad it's not the Cowboys paying him that much.

Cheerio.

 

[Renegade]

Ryan Mathews must be ecstatic right now. Can't really understand why the Eagles have gone for both backs, are they only going to use Mathews for short yardage? Seems like a massive waste of his talent running between the tackles, but Murray can do everything he can (and more) as well as being incredible in the screen game (along with Sproles). Also, Chris Polk proved how good he is in short yardage last year.

All that said, amazing replacement for McCoy.

 

[kieran_vale]

That is one loaded backfield the Eagles have now. They still look very lacking in terms of the receiver position, Jordan Matthews is good but at this point he is hardly a WR1. Would also question the wisdom of having so much money invested in that area, the Panthers did something similar a couple of years ago (granted the Eagles talent is far better).

Got to hand it to Jerry though, would have been real easy for him to get suckered into paying DeMarco but Dallas stood their ground. He's definitely changed as a GM in the last couple of years going back to when they cut ties with Ware. With that offensive line it should not be a problem replacing that production.

Browner now a Saint, good move from them. He did an excellent job for us however he needs a top CB opposite him to be effective I feel such as Sherman or Revis who have been with him. I think he may get exposed a bit otherwise.

 

[RavenBish]

The weird dude who writes for Bengals.com claims we're at our spending limit. We had $30m cap room and have signed one outside free agent at $1.25m per year

It's like we operate with a lower cap than everyone else. Fuck Mike Brown.

 

[.V.]

Apologies for not holding my phone the right way up, but here are some videos from the two games I went to in November.

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCLZiQLJeKVZKuIjjzxivFhQ

 

[kieran_vale]

See Schefter has reported that Tim Tebow has worked out for Philly today. I know it will likely lead to nothing but just on the off chance please please let this happen. Just to see him and Sanchez reunite the band.

Meanwhile Stevie Johnson looks like he will be joining the Pats. Was a bit of a Revis-killer in his time in Buffalo. I think he would complement our Offense very nicely.

 

[Bobbin']

Dameshek thinks the Texans will be one of the 3-4 best teams in AFC next season.

Hope he's right, some good additions in free agency and tying Kareem Jackson to a 4 year contract gives the defence a good look.

Still no QB though.

 

[RavenBish]

Being one of the best 3/4 teams in the AFC won't be difficult - it's basically Pats & Colts and then....

D should be alright for obvious reasons despite a poor secondary but it's hard to take anyone with that QB situation seriously. In the same way the Bengals & Bills have rosters that match up well with anybody's but no-one will, rightfully, take them seriously once it gets to crunch time because of the dude hurling it 30-40 times a game.

 

[Anon]

The most positive thing you could say is that it's not yet clear how good Mallett is... but even then, even if there's an half-decent QB in there the WR core won't be as good with Johnson now departed.

Still, a decent team who took good strides forward last season.

 

[Bobbin']

Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting this Texans side to win any SuperBowls but as Jimbob says, they made forward strides last season, to just make the post-season would be another.

On the QB situation, I see Matt Schaub has been released by Oakland, maybe we should have left Hoyer alone and brought in Schaub to try and rekindle those 'glory' years!

 

[Anon]

Plus they did well given it was the HC's first season, and nothing from Clowney; which from what I read, his injury and the surgery needed might see him never play a down of football ever again.

Chris Borland retires. The biggest sign yet that players not even in the prime of what could have been a very promising career are looking at things long-term and the bigger picture. With Worilds (though he didn't state a reason) and Willis gone too, this will surely become even more common.

Only way to reduce the risk is to get rid of the current helmets...

 

[RavenBish]

It's almost impossible to use helmets to reduce concussions. The only thing they can really do is diagnose 'mild concussions' properly. It's tough though, especially with concussions between o-line and the front 7 as that's usually not related to technique or anything. I like to think the NFL try and sweep it under the rug as they know there's not a lot they can do without drastically changing the game, rather than them just not caring.

As for some people calling it a problem, neh. There will always be kids who want to become millionaires/famous sports stars by taking a few health risks even if lots of players start retiring or deciding in college to give it up.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Depends on how you define "problem". The sport is not going go away any time soon, but youth participation is already declining. The many (many, many) people in Texas who get their jollies on Fridays instead of Sundays would call that a problem, or will start to do so very soon, to pick an example. There's also the more hidden, creeping problem of the next JJ Watt/Russell Wilson ending up playing centre back/point guard/short stop instead. Baseball is already dealing with that problem, even as it continues to generate billions.

It's not an existential problem, but it's more than a stubbed toe.

Anyways. I came here to say: Greg Hardy. Welp.

 

[Anon]

Free Agency thoughts for your team thus far?

Resigned Bulaga and Cobb on relatively good deals, both would have got more elsewhere. Really happy to keep Guion and Raji both on 1 year deals as well. Tolzien is staying, showed some promise in 2013 but we'll probably move on from Flynn and draft/bring in a project QB (we hosted/will host Petty apparently). Only one remaining I'd like to stay and is yet to sign is Barclay who's on a tender.

House and Williams are decent players but with the nature of FA got overpaid elsewhere, fair play to them. Big holes at ILB though and backup corners - can see this being a defensive-heavy draft for us.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Hardy - Well, yeah. As good a pass rusher as they could have hoped to get in free agency, filling a big need. Team friendly contract. Very likely to be suspended for at least a handful of games. A less than edifying chap to root for. Commence murky discussion about rehabilitation and second chances: NOW!
McClain - Glad they got him back. Cheap and only 1 year again. Means they can move Sean Lee to weak side. If (biggest If since Lindsay Anderson) they can both stay healthy that should be a very nice pairing.
McFadden - peanuts cheap hedge against a run on RBs between their first and second picks, and/or Randle shoplifting some sellotape and washing up liquid.
Bryant - Little bit frustrating they couldn't get a proper deal done, but still.
Free, Beasley & Hayden - Sensible re-ups.

No real complaints about any of the departures. Would rather Murray and Harris hadn't gone to divisional rivals, but they can have em at the prices. Thought they'd bring Sterling Moore back, but they obviously felt different since they didn't even offer him.

Ethical objections aside it's sensible business all round for the 2nd off-season in a row.

 

[.V.]

I hate the sensible Jerry Jones/Cowboys

 

[Anon]

...although wasn't there another Romo restructure? A percentage of the old Jerry is still there

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Forgot to mention the other notable: Efe Obada of the mighty London Warriors (with an assist to Aden Durde). A whopping 5 games of football played in his life, but some pretty eye watering measurables. Billeted for the d-line and a very long shot to ever crack a game day roster, but another example of the trend of looking overseas for players.

 

[Kim Mitten]

FA for the Lions. Well the biggest move in the NFL was Suh to the Dolphins. I'm glad the Lions didn't offer the contract the Phins did, not that I don't think Suh is worth it, he's the best D-Lineman in the NFL, but financially it would have crippled the team, not just this season but for 5 years to come.
Ngata and Smith come in on the line that also lost Fairley - is the line worse? of course it is, Suh isn't there. But I still think it will be competitive and the Lions will be the one of the better D's in the league, due to the other quality at LB and SS, Darius Slay's continued improvement and the coaching. Plus of course the draft will add other pieces, most expecting a starting DT to come from it.

CJ Moseley remains an interesting one, not one team has offered him a contract, including the Lions. Maybe everyone sees his production over the last couple of seasons due to the Suh factor, or they are put off by his drugs issues.
Somehow got draft picks for George Johnson after a trade, he basically had one good season in his career (last season) and the Bucs have offered him a contract the Lions were never going to match for a rotational player.

Lots of people re-signed, Matt Prater probably being one of the most important. I also am interested to see what Philip Hunt does, he's been bought in from the CFL, and another factor in letting George Johnson go, been very very good in the CFL at defensive end. I think Cameron Wake has set the bar for players out of the CFL, if he can be even 10% as good it'll be a good move.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

 

[Stagat]

I remember reading an interesting (and long) article in a copy of Rolling Stone I found poolside in Thailand last year about the background to the Hernandez case.

Just Googled it, found it, but also found counterclaims to what they'd written. Still worth a read though I think for those who don't know much about it - The Gangster in the Huddle

 

[Renegade]

 

[Aberstone]

Is that Maurkice Pouncey?

Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor have both announced their retirement, sad to see the former call it a day but it was the right time, he'd lost this acceleration and was too much of a liability. Ike Taylor might very well be a nice guy but he has been horrific in coverage these past couple of seasons, plus he can't generate turnovers.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Peterson back with the Vikings today. How do we all think that will play out? He clearly doesn't want to be there, the team seem determined to keep him.
Lots of speculation about some blockbuster trade to the Cardinals, but to counter that no one seems to think the Cardinals will pay him anywhere near the money he wants. Will he take a pay cut just to get out of Minnesota, will he play hard if he is stuck there?
Who knows, for me, getting him out of the NFC North would be a bonus, he's a key piece to keeping Bridgewater more upright than he was last season.

 

[Craig]

My personal disappointment that Dwayne Bowe was released has been alleviated by my confidence that he will receive for at least 10 TD's from Manziel next season but at the same time compounded by the fact he is now a Cleveland Brown.

 

[.V.]

http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/201...argers-trade-philip-rivers-for-marcus-mariota

I hate the thought of it, but does make some sense.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Chip Kelly has really gone and done it this time.