NFL 2018 Superb Owl Edition: Is There A Way To Tell If Gronk Is Concussed?

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, aceluby said:

From my experience Vikings fans pretty much always expect each season to be a building year and get surprised when they make the playoffs.  The only seasons I remember this not being the case were '99 after the 15-1 season and Favre's second season.  But I'm pretty sure Vikings fans are masochists 

I'd also include the few year stretch where Culpepper looked like he could be an elite QB. And then his knee exploded. So Vikings! 

2 hours ago, dmc515 said:

Never thought I'd be so happy with the niners signing the highest paid player in the league after seven starts.

I can't believe a guy who only started seven games is now the highest paid player in the league. To put that in it's proper context, that's almost $20m per start, $11.5m per TD thrown and $1 per romantic swoon. 

This contract is going to seriously distort the market. Looks like Cousins will be getting $35m-$40m per season. Enjoy him, Jets fans. 

[l2 0 5 5]

2 hours ago, dmc515 said:

Never thought I'd be so happy with the niners signing the highest paid player in the league after seven starts.

It was interesting canvassing Steeler fans who they were rooting for.  Always been surprised by the intensity of the hatred between Pitt and Philly fans.

For me, the only Philly team I hate is the Flyers. A ton of unlikable players for them over the years. We're divisional rivals and have a ton of battles over the years, too. Plenty of memorable playoff series. 

In regards to the other sports, there's no Philly team I dislike. The Eagles aren't in our conference, Phillies are not in the Pirates division, and we don't have a basketball team so I don't care about the 76ers. 

I work with a couple people from Philly and talking sports with them is painful. Every team outside Philly sucks, excuses for Philly when they lose, etc. Having said that, I considered them the lesser of two evils in the SB, and were pulling for them, as it's their fans I can't stand, not the Eagles.

[DanteGabriel]

43 minutes ago, dmc515 said:

Thanks - and yeah I wanted to know if they could frontload the contract because it'd be the smart thing to do with all that space.  Sounds like that's what they're doing, sweet.

If I understand the cap correctly, the signing bonus gets prorated over the life of the contract, and I saw a figure that $74 million is guaranteed, so the minimum cap hit per year is probably around $15 million. Then, as discussed, they probably gave him a big 2018 salary to front load it.

[DMC]

2 minutes ago, l2 0 5 5 said:

In regards to the other sports, there's no Philly team I dislike. The Eagles aren't in our conference, Phillies are not in the Pirates division, and we don't have a basketball team so I don't care about the 76ers. 

I work with a couple people from Philly and talking sports with them is painful. Every team outside Philly sucks, excuses for Philly when they lose, etc. Having said that, I considered them the lesser of two evils in the SB, and were pulling for them, as it's their fans I can't stand, not the Eagles.

Yeah that seems to be what I've gathered from my 3 and a half years in Pittsburgh.  Other than the Flyers, there's not much in terms of rivalry, it's just antipathy between the fandoms.  

[DMC]

3 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

If I understand the cap correctly, the signing bonus gets prorated over the life of the contract.

Good to know, thanks.

[Fiddler]

14 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

I'd also include the few year stretch where Culpepper looked like he could be an elite QB. And then his knee exploded. So Vikings! 

I can't believe a guy who only started seven games is now the highest paid player in the league. To put that in it's proper context, that's almost $20m per start, $11.5m per TD thrown and $1 per romantic swoon. 

This contract is going to seriously distort the market. Looks like Cousins will be getting $35m-$40m per season. Enjoy him, Jets fans. 

That's not the way to look at it.  It's the same as when Carr and then Stafford signed the largest contract.  Next QB up will top it.  It's just the nature of the NFL right now.  If you are a QB in that 25-30 range and considered a franchise type of QB, you are going to get a monster contract.  Cousins should be the next one up.  Expect him to break 5 year 140 million.  Then the next QB after him, I'm not sure who that would be, will break that.

It's just the nature of the NFL and the money out there.  Whether it works or not, we will see.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

11 minutes ago, Fiddler said:

That's not the way to look at it.  It's the same as when Carr and then Stafford signed the largest contract.  Next QB up will top it.  It's just the nature of the NFL right now.  If you are a QB in that 25-30 range and considered a franchise type of QB, you are going to get a monster contract.  Cousins should be the next one up.  Expect him to break 5 year 140 million.  Then the next QB after him, I'm not sure who that would be, will break that.

It's just the nature of the NFL and the money out there.  Whether it works or not, we will see.

That's not how you do and....win. Stafford is good, but not great. On a cheap contract you can build around him and win. Paying him like they did guarantees the Lions won't do anything with him. It's even more damning for Carr and even more damning for Cousins. There are only a handful of QBs that you can give monster contracts to and win. Otherwise you need to be like Seattle and win while your QB and/or core is cheap. It's no surprise that they're falling now that they have to pay everyone. There's no money left to sure up the rest of the team. This is why I worry that the Vikings window with this defense is two, maybe three years tops unless they find value at QB. That's why I want us to get Jackson if we can. We can afford the contracts for all our stars on D and our great skill position players if we have a good QB on his rookie deal. Otherwise we're going to have to let some Pro Bowl caliber players go. 

Again, to win in the NFL, you don't just need talent, but talent at value. One of the most under covered aspects of the Pats' dynasty is that they almost never overpay people, and when they do, it's for a short period and then they trade that player or cut them. It's cut throat, but smart. 

[Fiddler]

7 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

That's not how you do and....win. Stafford is good, but not great. On a cheap contract you can build around him and win. Paying him like they did guarantees the Lions won't do anything with him. It's even more damning for Carr and even more damning for Cousins. There are only a handful of QBs that you can give monster contracts to and win. Otherwise you need to be like Seattle and win while your QB and/or core is cheap. It's no surprise that they're falling now that they have to pay everyone. There's no money left to sure up the rest of the team. This is why I worry that the Vikings window with this defense is two, maybe three years tops unless they find value at QB. That's why I want us to get Jackson if we can. We can afford the contracts for all our stars on D and our great skill position players if we have a good QB on his rookie deal. Otherwise we're going to have to let some Pro Bowl caliber players go. 

Again, to win in the NFL, you don't just need talent, but talent at value. One of the most under covered aspects of the Pats' dynasty is that they almost never overpay people, and when they do, it's for a short period and then they trade that player or cut them. It's cut throat, but smart. 

I'm not saying it's the correct way to go about it or it's a winning strategy.  It's just the way the NFL is going.  Cousins is next up and I believe Rogers is after him.

Like you said, the best way is to win while you have younger players, especially QB, under their first contract.  Or you get a player like Brady who takes less to help the team.  Hopefully the Vikings can get the QB situation figured out this season because they have a window with that defense and the running game going, just need a young cheap QB who can make a few plays (love Jackson with that team). 

Now, as a Lions fan, I hope the Vikings break the bank to keep Keenum or Bradford or Bridgewater that way that defense can slowly fall apart. 

[Jace, Extat]

4 hours ago, dmc515 said:

Thanks - and yeah I wanted to know if they could frontload the contract because it'd be the smart thing to do with all that space.  Sounds like that's what they're doing, sweet.

NP, sugs.

You got that experience in the Poly thread. Jace knows her feetbolls.

If I wanted to open myself up to potential correction I would say that the 49'ers probably put a VAST majority of the non-salary monies on this years' cap because they can take advantage of the 2017 rollover to absorb a bigger hit.

Presumably with Garrappolo and a few 1st or 2nd tier FA's there isn't going to be a lot of carrying over from year to year for a while.

And there's probably not a lot in there for incentives if I had to guess. If you're trying to avoid a future financial squeeze you want to be charging as much as possible as soon as possible.

But Lynch is a rookie GM who never owned a car dealership.

[Rhom]

9 hours ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

NP, sugs.

You got that experience in the Poly thread. Jace knows her feetbolls.

If I wanted to open myself up to potential correction I would say that the 49'ers probably put a VAST majority of the non-salary monies on this years' cap because they can take advantage of the 2017 rollover to absorb a bigger hit.

Presumably with Garrappolo and a few 1st or 2nd tier FA's there isn't going to be a lot of carrying over from year to year for a while.

And there's probably not a lot in there for incentives if I had to guess. If you're trying to avoid a future financial squeeze you want to be charging as much as possible as soon as possible.

But Lynch is a rookie GM who never owned a car dealership.

Jace Polian bringing the wisdom right now.

[Jace, Extat]

5 minutes ago, Rhom said:

Jace Polian bringing the wisdom right now.

You shut your FUCKIN' MOUTH! AIN'T NO JACE LET EDGE WALK AND PAY THAT LIP SACK O' BONES FIVE MILL A YEAR TO GO ON IR!!!!!!

[aceluby]

14 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

That's not how you do and....win. Stafford is good, but not great. On a cheap contract you can build around him and win. Paying him like they did guarantees the Lions won't do anything with him. It's even more damning for Carr and even more damning for Cousins. There are only a handful of QBs that you can give monster contracts to and win. Otherwise you need to be like Seattle and win while your QB and/or core is cheap. It's no surprise that they're falling now that they have to pay everyone. There's no money left to sure up the rest of the team. This is why I worry that the Vikings window with this defense is two, maybe three years tops unless they find value at QB. That's why I want us to get Jackson if we can. We can afford the contracts for all our stars on D and our great skill position players if we have a good QB on his rookie deal. Otherwise we're going to have to let some Pro Bowl caliber players go. 

Again, to win in the NFL, you don't just need talent, but talent at value. One of the most under covered aspects of the Pats' dynasty is that they almost never overpay people, and when they do, it's for a short period and then they trade that player or cut them. It's cut throat, but smart. 

It drives me CRAZY when people think we have the cap room to get Cousins.  Sure, for a year or two we do, but what about after that?  Then we have an overpaid average quarterback with no weapons around him and.... shit we turn into the skins for the next decade.

Hopefully the queens are smart about this and get someone to carry the torch for 10-15 mil a year while shoring up a few solid backups at OL, DL, DB, and LB.  Do that and keep room to pay the guys who will want it, and deserve it in 3 years and you have the foundations of a dynasty.  Blow your wad now on an expensive quarterback and we might have a year or two of success, followed by 5 years of typical vikings mediocrity.

[DanteGabriel]

This morning, the Boston Herald, the paper which published and then retracted a 2008 story that the Patriots had filmed a Rams practice before SB36, published and then quickly retracted a story about Brady intending to hold out if he didn't get Handsome Jimmy money.

The reporter behind the story, Ron Borges, got punked very easily by some random guy pretending to be Brady's agent. The hoaxster suggested that Adam Schefter would have it next week, so Borges rushed out this portentous story that opened with two single-sentence paragraphs. He did no follow up or verification before running with a story based on some text messages. Nor did sourcing this from one texter prevent him from using the "sources say" phrasing to back his story.

Borges has won awards here, he's one of the big sportswriters in Boston, but he has a... checkered journalistic history. He got canned from the Globe in 2007 for plagiarism, which is why he's at the Herald.

What a chump.

https://deadspin.com/boston-radio-dopes-claim-boston-newspaper-dope-was-tric-1822864161

 

[Rhom]

5 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

This morning, the Boston Herald, the paper which published and then retracted a 2008 story that the Patriots had filmed a Rams practice before SB36, published and then quickly retracted a story about Brady intending to hold out if he didn't get Handsome Jimmy money.

The reporter behind the story, Ron Borges, got punked very easily by some random guy pretending to be Brady's agent. The hoaxster suggested that Adam Schefter would have it next week, so Borges rushed out this portentous story that opened with two single-sentence paragraphs. He did no follow up or verification before running with a story based on some text messages. 

Borgeshas won awards here, he's one of the big sportswriters in Boston, but he has a... checkered journalistic history. He got canned from the Globe in 2007 for plagiarism, which is why he's at the Herald.

What a chump.

https://deadspin.com/boston-radio-dopes-claim-boston-newspaper-dope-was-tric-1822864161

 

This (among other things) is why people don't trust the news anymore.   

[mcbigski]

53 minutes ago, Rhom said:

This (among other things) is why people don't trust the news anymore.   

Nah that sort of thing only happens in sports reporting.

If Brady doesnt renegotiate then only more fuel for my 'Patriots are doing an end around on the salary cap' conspiracy theory.

[Maithanet]

15 minutes ago, mcbigski said:

If Brady doesnt renegotiate then only more fuel for my 'Patriots are doing an end around on the salary cap' conspiracy theory.

There's a much more logical explanation for Brady consistently taking under the market deals.  He does not equate salary with respect the way that most pro atheletes do.  He legit values winning over getting an extra 25% of salary every year.  And he has been rewarded for that, it's quite possible that many of Brady's best seasons would have been less successful if they'd had to pay him top dollar.  Between his paltry $18 million a year salary, his future earnings as the more or less unquestionable GOAT of the NFL, and Gisele's money (which is estimated to be $30-50 mil a year), he's doing just fine. 

[DanteGabriel]

2 minutes ago, Maithanet said:

There's a much more logical explanation for Brady consistently taking under the market deals.  He does not equate salary with respect the way that most pro atheletes does.  He legit values winning over getting an extra 25% of salary every year.  And he has been rewarded for that, it's quite possible that many of Brady's best seasons would have been less successful if they'd had to pay him top dollar.  Between his paltry $18 million a year salary, his future earnings as the more or less unquestionable GOAT of the NFL, and Gisele's money (which is estimated to be $30-50 mil a year), he's doing just fine. 

I'd actually be surprised if Brady did NOT have some kind of understanding with Kraft about future arrangements, a stake in the team, or something like that. Not to mention he gets to have his TB12 thing right there in Patriots Place (for which I am sure he pays market rate rent, cough cough).

[Maithanet]

6 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

I'd actually be surprised if Brady did NOT have some kind of understanding with Kraft about future arrangements, a stake in the team, or something like that. Not to mention he gets to have his TB12 thing right there in Patriots Place (for which I am sure he pays market rate rent, cough cough).

As long as those understandings are merely of the handshake variety rather than actually signed somewhere, I have trouble really caring.  This happens throughout sports, and sometimes it goes great, sometimes it blows up and everybody looks like an ass (see Michael Jordan and the Wizards).  Brady knows that any "agreement" based purely on trust can be broken in a second, and NFL owners have a long history of promising more than they deliver. 

I don't even know what TB12 thing you're talking about. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

3 hours ago, aceluby said:

It drives me CRAZY when people think we have the cap room to get Cousins.  Sure, for a year or two we do, but what about after that?  Then we have an overpaid average quarterback with no weapons around him and.... shit we turn into the skins for the next decade.

Hopefully the queens are smart about this and get someone to carry the torch for 10-15 mil a year while shoring up a few solid backups at OL, DL, DB, and LB.  Do that and keep room to pay the guys who will want it, and deserve it in 3 years and you have the foundations of a dynasty.  Blow your wad now on an expensive quarterback and we might have a year or two of success, followed by 5 years of typical vikings mediocrity.

100% agree. If the Vikings are smart, they’ll have a chance to set themselves up to be a top 5 team for the next five plus seasons, but if they’re not, we’ll have one or two more good years then go back to where we always are, floating somewhere in the middle.

6 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

I'd actually be surprised if Brady did NOT have some kind of understanding with Kraft about future arrangements, a stake in the team, or something like that. Not to mention he gets to have his TB12 thing right there in Patriots Place (for which I am sure he pays market rate rent, cough cough).

I’ve always assumed this was the case with elite players who spend their entire careers with one team while taking under market contracts. For example, I expect Wade and Dirk will be part owners of their respective teams a few years after their retirement.

[Rhom]

1 minute ago, Maithanet said:

 

I don't even know what TB12 thing you're talking about. 

Check the Wickersham article the week or so before the AFC title game.