NFL Offseason '18: Our American Cousins

[DMC]

11 hours ago, Rhom said:

The Niners are scheduled to talk to Richard Sherman.  

What the hell is this?!!? I don’t even know what to say here.

I was working on a Trump hiring Hillary analogy, but decided none of them are appropriate.

So in all seriousness, this must be how Cowboys fans felt at first when they talked to TO.

They're working on a 3 year deal according to, well, Sherman.  If Crabtree was still around, this would be weird.  But really not much of anybody from those teams is left.  Staley, Kilgore, and..that's about it.  The fans are freaking out though, there's mass confusion going on at Niners Nation.  It's like some perverse version of the five stages of grief.

ETA:  Aaand, Schefter's reporting it's a done deal.

[Jace, Extat]

He's a real good CB (top 10ish) that seems like a good get. His style is also one that lends itself to a longer career.

Meanwhile, I won't have this degrading of the Browns' latest moves. Yes, they are the answer to the century old question posed by Betthman-Hollweg.

That does not mean they can't occasionally make a move worthy of the Chancellor's indemnity, specifically as relates the organizational chaos inherent in oligarchic -and let us not delude ourselves into suggesting it is anything but Plutocratic- institutions.

Yes, a generation of football fans have grown to adulthood knowing only Cleveland as a vessel of humiliation. This does not preclude that old and noble franchise from the ranks of optimistic speculation, to suggest such is to ignore the very lessons of history.

No, Cleveland cannot be blamed for trading mid round picks for capable starters. They've drafted some 30 players in the last two years. Eventually you run out of roster room. This is Cleveland's right, as an independent and self-determinate entity. It must be praised, not met with derision. It is a celebration that Cleveland's trades should prompt, never skepticism. With this statement I hope I have lain to rest any disturbed Cleveland fans' hearts about their acquisitions, or indeed squelched the routine condemnation that is so often expected of an attempt to improve their fortunes.

That said, they'll fuck it up because it's Cleveland and somehow Hue Jackson is still there despite being an eye-popping 1-31 over two years.

That's a winning percentage of 1-31.

[Jace, Extat]

Well, it's officially Sherman in San Fran.

3 years 39 mil is WAAAAAY too much

[DMC]

5 minutes ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

3 years 39 mil is WAAAAAY too much

I'll reserve judgment until we know how much is guaranteed.  $5 million signing bonus sounds reasonable.

[DMC]

Sounds like Sherman is betting on himself.  I'll take it.

[Rhom]

10 hours ago, dmc515 said:

Sounds like Sherman is betting on himself.  I'll take it.

Still weird.

[Jace, Extat]

31 minutes ago, Rhom said:

Still weird.

Looks like he got Okung'd

I approve this signing.

Meanwhile, somewhat startlingly all of the talking heads seem to approve of Tygod to the Browns. A sure sign that the motion is doomed, but it's good to know that... whatever. I still think T-Mobile is a fine QB. He's not good, he's not bad, he's fine. Like a Chad Pennington or better Joe Flacco (who is bad). He's fine. Leave him alone. He doesn't turn the ball over, and he brings a dynamic talent. With Pennington it was accuracy, with Culpepper it was that goddamn cannon at the end of his arm, Jeff Garcia was totally Jeffing all over the place.

There is value to these guys. Just because they're not going to drive your team to the front of the playoff chase every year like their ass is on fire does not mean they're bad football players. Nick Fucking Foles just won a SB, people. I think the league is remembering that complete teams can win (a fact obscured by Brady/Manning and the confusion about whether Flacco was somehow 'elite' by dint of special teams), and while there's always going to be a premium on passers I expect to see a lot more teams settle down and stop chasing the QB.

Buffalo has enough picks to completely restock their team and plug literally half a dozen holes. But they're going to trade all of that potential to move up for a guy who may or may not be what they need. Instead of maximizing their chances at improvement, they've decided to divert the abundance of resources they have towards appeasing their racist fans by hunting a 'Buffalo Guy'. Whatever the fuck that means. I hope they don't take Baker Mayfield, because I dig this kid. And he cares about crazy things like 'the planet', which makes him unpalatable to those animals.

Anyways. Tyrod is fine. I struggle to see him deliver less than four or five wins if he plays absent of a significant injury, which would be fucking herculean considering 1-31. He'll be cut in 2 years by the 2nd post-Jackson regime, but the Jets will never really appreciate the good service he gives them through the Second Recession.

[Iskaral Pust]

It does look like QBs are overpaid relative to the salary cap budget.  Stafford got a huge contract despite getting the large majority of his wins against teams below .500.  Foles, Flacco, Keenum, past-it Peyton, Eli, have all shown us that well rounded teams can go a long way with indifferent QBs.  And others, especially Wilson, early Kaepernick, have shown that a cheap rookie contract QB (or Rodgers’ first extension contract, well below market) allows you to keep a well balanced team even with a good or great QB, but only for a limited window.  

Over-spending on star QBs is risky enough to overall team quality, but spending record amounts on only above-average QBs with little success against top caliber opponents basically sets a likely ceiling in the divisional round.  There will be too many flaws elsewhere in the roster.  

I know there are cautionary tales of teams being outside the play-offs for long, long periods for want of a decent QB.  But perhaps they should pick a safe but unspectacular QB acting as back-up elsewhere (don’t keep drafting at the top in hope) and build the rest of the team.  Tactics make the QB role pivotal, so try changing the tactics — which I know is tough because football is one of the most rigid and conservative sports, defying tactical revolution. 

[Jace, Extat]

2 minutes ago, Iskaral Pust said:

It does look like QBs are overpaid relative to the salary cap budget.  Stafford got a huge contract despite getting the large majority of his wins against teams below .500.  Foles, Flacco, Keenum, past-it Peyton, Eli, have all shown us that well rounded teams can go a long way with indifferent QBs.  And others, especially Wilson, early Kaepernick, have shown that a cheap rookie contract QB (or Rodgers’ first extension contract, well below market) allows you to keep a well balanced team even with a good or great QB, but only for a limited window.  

Over-spending on star QBs is risky enough to overall team quality, but spending record amounts on only above-average QBs with little success against top caliber opponents basically sets a likely ceiling in the divisional round.  There will be too many flaws elsewhere in the roster.  

I know there are cautionary tales of teams being outside the play-offs for long, long periods for want of a decent QB.  But perhaps they should pick a safe but unspectacular QB acting as back-up elsewhere (don’t keep drafting at the top in hope) and build the rest of the team.  Tactics make the QB role pivotal, so try changing the tactics — which I know is tough because football is one of the most rigid and conservative sports, defying tactical revolution. 

Piggybacking, I would add that because of the regressive hiring practice (it's all about who you know) is the reason you see teams go all-in on a QB or suffer inconsistency. It's because not many NFL figures actually know what the fuck they're doing. They know what dad did, and they know what the Billionaire born with a silver spoon in their mouth wants.

So if they hit on a QB it's job security, and since most of them don't know how to actually organize a team they either find that QB or they're out. It's inexcusable that the Packers have such a shit team. Or that the Saints swooned for almost a decade. You can't overpay a franchise QB.

I'll say that again.

You CANNOT OVERPAY a franchise QB.

The problem is that there's only like three or four of those guys at a time, we're coming off a bit of a golden age where there were arguably 5-6 sometimes, and teams rushed to overpay the likes of Joe Flacco and busted the market. It was not that long ago that Peyton Manning was making 18 mil a year and that was a blockbuster contract. (he actually signed essentially the same 5 year deal two years in a row, once with the Colts and again with the Broncos)

If Aaron Rodgers wants 50 mil a year, the Packers better PONY UP that shit and pay him. Because they've proven beyond a reasonable doubt an inability to formulate a cohesive team around him and thereby given him all of the power.

Kirk Cousins. He's not worth 30 a year. But that's where the market is shaking out. So if you HAVE that to spend on him I can't fault a team that pays market value for a reasonably good QB. That being said, the infinitely preferable option is to get a Case Keenum or Tyrod Taylor for more in the 15 range (Taylor makes 16 this year) and take that 14 mil in savings to get yourself a nice guard and interior D lineman to add to your rotation.

Again though, these franchises aren't run by the best football minds or whatever. I'm just a fan and the shit I wrote above is far more lengthy an examination of the problem than most GM's are willing to devote.

[briantw]

3 hours ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

Meanwhile, somewhat startlingly all of the talking heads seem to approve of Tygod to the Browns. A sure sign that the motion is doomed, but it's good to know that... whatever. I still think T-Mobile is a fine QB. He's not good, he's not bad, he's fine. Like a Chad Pennington or better Joe Flacco (who is bad). He's fine. Leave him alone. He doesn't turn the ball over, and he brings a dynamic talent. With Pennington it was accuracy, with Culpepper it was that goddamn cannon at the end of his arm, Jeff Garcia was totally Jeffing all over the place.

He strikes me as a perfect bridge QB.  Good character guy.  Manages games.  He's got a decent arm, too, so if Josh Gordon doesn't smoke himself out of the league again, that could be a fun pairing.   

He also leaves Hue Jackson without any excuses.  The Browns have more than enough talent to win games this year.  If they don't, it gives the front office every opportunity to blame Hue for it and get rid of his backstabbing ass.

[Jace, Extat]

2 minutes ago, briantw said:

He strikes me as a perfect bridge QB.  Good character guy.  Manages games.  He's got a decent arm, too, so if Josh Gordon doesn't smoke himself out of the league again, that could be a fun pairing.   

Exactly. You're our resident Browns fan, I think you got a good one here. He's such a massive upgrade, I'm struggling to think of a recent memory example of a better Cleveland QB. I'd take Taylor over McCown, Delhomme, Derek Anderson... Fuck, and those are the BEST your boys have had for a really long time.

Doesn't mean he shouldn't be viewed as a potential replacement candidate, but he really is an item worth having on a team that is desperate for relevance.

[briantw]

12 minutes ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

Exactly. You're our resident Browns fan, I think you got a good one here. He's such a massive upgrade, I'm struggling to think of a recent memory example of a better Cleveland QB. I'd take Taylor over McCown, Delhomme, Derek Anderson... Fuck, and those are the BEST your boys have had for a really long time.

Doesn't mean he shouldn't be viewed as a potential replacement candidate, but he really is an item worth having on a team that is desperate for relevance.

I think one of the main issues for the Browns the past twenty years has been that, any time they've had a halfway decent QB, they've either had an abysmal line, awful offensive weapons, or both.  

This year, they've got a solid, middle of the pack NFL QB, a good line, and some actual good receiving weapons.  I assume they'll either end up with Barkley (if he falls to four) or take a RB with one of their second rounder picks to pair up with Duke, which should give them a quality run game as well.

The real question is how Hue Jackson fucks it all up.  

[James Arryn]

Richard Sherman sign with the 9ers. Between this and Trump, the end is nigh. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Multiple sources are reporting that there’s a leaked photo of Jace holding a brown cigarette next to a white powdery substance with an Instagram model. We’ll update the story when more details are confirmable.

[Jace, Extat]

2 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Multiple sources are reporting that there’s a leaked photo of Jace holding a brown cigarette next to a white powdery substance with an Instagram model. We’ll update the story when more details are confirmable.

Blatant lies. He was a YouTube celebrity.

The Miami Heat are expected to release Ndomikong Suh.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

2 hours ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

Blatant lies. He was a YouTube celebrity.

The Miami Heat are expected to release Ndomikong Suh.

Clearly that was you with the substances!

[Bronn Stone]

On 3/10/2018 at 9:25 AM, sperry said:

Dear lord this new Browns organization is about as dumb as you would expect from one proclaiming to be "old school." Now trading Danny Shelton for "conditional pick" from the Patriots. So, their first move as an organization have been to trade quality draft picks for players that their old teams didn't want, and then to make a trade with the organization known for consistently fleecing trading partners. Just brilliant.

You are really swimming against the tide here, and against all logic.

Taylor is an above average backup QB and had he hit the Free Agent market, there very easily could have been a bidding war that let him dictate the terms of the contract.  The 65th pick is a small price to pay for that.  If it turns out their rookie QB is ready earlier than expected, a team that suffers an injury is very likely to give them that much down the road.  This is also about marketing themselves to free agents - nobody wants to sign with a train wreck and a train wreck was what they had last year.

The Shelton deal makes sense if you don't think he'd play for you - and he played less than half time last year.  And it seems now that the original report was not correct - the pick is a 3rd in 2019 for Shelton and a 5th this year.  They got a pretty good pick AND made room for Ogunjobi, whom they like a lot more. 

Cleveland has a plan.  Whether it is a good one will have to wait for the next two seasons.  But I like the moves.

PS: New England does find diamonds in the rough.  But they also make bad trades just like anyone else.  Part of their success is that they cut bait on their mistakes quickly.  We'll see if Shelton in one of them.

Edited to add:  The Browns will draft Barkley first and take a QB at #4.  You read it here first (unless you read it the last time I said it).  Barkley seems to be head and shoulders ahead of the other options, whereas an argument can be made for 4 or 5 of the quarterbacks.
 

[Jace, Extat]

3 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Clearly that was you with the substances!

Well yeah. I thought that was a given.

And before anyone spreads fake news, that wasn't coke.

It was some nice ground up Hydrocodone. I'm not a fucking frat boy or investment banker. Give me a little credit for fuck's sake.

[briantw]

1 hour ago, Bronn Stone said:

PS: New England does find diamonds in the rough.  But they also make bad trades just like anyone else.  Part of their success is that they cut bait on their mistakes quickly.  We'll see if Shelton in one of them.

I think Shelton will be fine there, and he's probably a better fit there too.  However, he is who he is.  He's not a pass rusher and he never will be.  He's a guy you play on rushing downs but can't play on passing downs, which is why he was available.  Also, the Browns had other capable players at the same position, and very well may add more through the draft.  If he weren't in a contract year they probably would have held on to him, but given that he never lived up to his draft pedigree and will be looking for money next spring, I can see why they were fine with moving on.  

Also worth noting that, since they don't need more draft picks this year, they did add another pick next year, and I am always for teams stacking draft capital for the future.

[Jace, Extat]

Bengals get Cordy Glen (LT) from the Bills. We don't know details.