NFL 2017: 3000 Miles to Jaceland

[DireWolfSpirit]

Wow, they just said on the MNF game that Eagles Defensive Lineman Chris Long (Howies kid), is donating his entire season salary to charity, the whole thing!

Thats the most impressive thing ive heard on the entire telecast, way to go C.Long your a righteous spirit. Tis the Season an all.

[Fiddler]

4 minutes ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

Wow, they just said on the MNF game that Eagles Defensive Lineman Chris Long (Howies kid), is donating his entire season salary to charity, the whole thing!

Thats the most impressive thing ive heard on the entire telecast, way to go C.Long your a righteous spirit. Tis the Season an all.

Yeah, he started out donating the first 3 or 4 I believe, then said he was doing the rest also.  While the bad things that these football players do seems to be reported the loudest, the good the majority do is wonderful.  Story about Malcolm Jenkins putting together baskets of food and toys for families in need and then delivery some himself is another one they told tonight.

[Jace, Extat]

57 minutes ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

Wow, they just said on the MNF game that Eagles Defensive Lineman Chris Long (Howies kid), is donating his entire season salary to charity, the whole thing!

Thats the most impressive thing ive heard on the entire telecast, way to go C.Long your a righteous spirit. Tis the Season an all.

 

50 minutes ago, Fiddler said:

Yeah, he started out donating the first 3 or 4 I believe, then said he was doing the rest also.  While the bad things that these football players do seems to be reported the loudest, the good the majority do is wonderful.  Story about Malcolm Jenkins putting together baskets of food and toys for families in need and then delivery some himself is another one they told tonight.

Long isn't just giving it away, he's giving it away to combat racial inequality. He was the first white player to kneel, and he seems like a genuinely good dude.

Other individual charity acts that come to mind include Andre Johnson's annual Christmas spree for kids (if memory serves, he always gave up the Christmas week game check, but I may be misremembering), and just this week Jags fans sent Jadaveon Clowney trash cans in response to him calling Blake Bortles 'trash' after the Jags beat the shit out of the Texans last week.

In response Clowney sent out a tweet explaining and showing that he was inspired to fill all of the trash cans and a dump truck with toys to donate to charity. Which is so fucking awesome that I can no longer properly sportshate the young man.

It's nice to celebrate the good things. A friend of mine used to say 'hunt the good stuff' and it's never felt like better advice than in this time of national crises.

[Quijote Light]

As far as I know, Long hasn’t knelt due to his personal beliefs. But he has place his arm around Malcolm Jenkins shoulders since the preseason to show his support for the protest and for racial equality. I highly recommend that everyone read the things Long has had to say on the subject. He’s pretty fucking awesome. I believe that the check donations were in response to Charlottesville, since he attended the University of Virginia. He’s a pretty righteous dude. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

What the hell happened to Derek Carr and the Raiders O-Line? They’ve regressed so much since his injury.

Also, Niners fans, are you happy about this win streak? On the one hand it’s good to know you got your franchise QB, but on the other you went from the number two pick to late in the top ten.

[Rhom]

2 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

What the hell happened to Derek Carr and the Raiders O-Line? They’ve regressed so much since his injury.

Also, Niners fans, are you happy about this win streak? On the one hand it’s good to know you got your franchise QB, but on the other you went from the number two pick to late in the top ten.

If you don’t need a QB, probably don’t necessarily have to be drafting in the top 5.  However, I did have dreams of trading for a boatload of picks.  

I think if you close the season out on a winning streak it does two things:  1) Reinvigorates the fan base.  2). Makes it easier to pull in free agents.

So in the end, I think it’s a net positive.

[Jace, Extat]

Jace thinks Rhom is right, proof of skillz and hope is worth more than blind hope and a good pick.

If they were edging out the Broncos and Colts and Browns every one of these wins it would be different, but Garappolo has the team actually playing GOOD against good competition

[DMC]

4 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Also, Niners fans, are you happy about this win streak? On the one hand it’s good to know you got your franchise QB, but on the other you went from the number two pick to late in the top ten.

 

2 hours ago, Rhom said:

If you don’t need a QB, probably don’t necessarily have to be drafting in the top 5.  However, I did have dreams of trading for a boatload of picks.  

I think if you close the season out on a winning streak it does two things:  1) Reinvigorates the fan base.  2). Makes it easier to pull in free agents.

Yep, exactly what I was gonna say.  It would have been nice to get a bunch of picks for some team desperate for a QB, but the "enthusiasm change" - while not measurable - not only increases the confidence of the current players but should go a long way in helping them actually attract free agents.  They had a ton of money last year, but who wanted to sign with them?  Now, they do - and that excitement was already there before they beat the Jags:

Actually, the biggest downside for me in moving down (up?) in the draft is they're gonna miss out on Saquon Barkley.

[Week]

I meant to post right after the release that this would happen ... alas, you'll all just have to take my word for it:

 

Quote

 

Patriots signed OLB James Harrison, formerly of the Steelers.

Mothballed by the Steelers, 39-year-old Harrison arrives in New England having played all of 40 snaps this season. He did manage a sack in his brief time on the field. Although the Patriots are tied for 12th in sacks (38), their pass rush hasn't come close to matching that number. It's a unit that could really use some extra juice. Harrison is a zero-risk flier with upside who could obviously provide intel on a team the Patriots have a good chance of facing in the AFC Championship Game.

 

 

[Jace, Extat]

51 minutes ago, Week said:

I meant to post right after the release that this would happen ... alas, you'll all just have to take my word for it:

 

 

I got distracted from making an 'of course he signs with NE' post when the story broke.

[Rockroi]

While certainly not a game-changer, James Harrison has signed with the Patriots

This week the Pats beat an utterly outclassed Bills team.  Not much to talk about except over-blowing a "controversial" call where the refs overturned a TD when they probably shouldn't have (while we could argue Benjamin may NOT have had possession, I don't think the replay showed irrefutable evidence that required a reversal).  The Pats have one more game at home v. the Jets and if they win that they lock up home field throughout the playoffs and, ultimately, should make it to the Superbowl (though I am feeling as if its Pittsburgh's year).  

I feel like the regular season ended last week; we know who the favorites in the playoffs will be and who should be in the SB and who should be fired,  The most notable story this off season will be whether or not Jimmy G is for real or not.  I am having trouble caring a lot until the Divisional round.  

I think Harrison will be a good gap-filler and will be worthwhile for a handful of plays this post-season which may be worth it.  But he will not be an every-down player so this is not a huge move.  

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

@Rhom, @dmc515,

That's a good point. I hadn't considered the need to inject enthusiasm into the team and the fan base. Still, I think having a top 3 pick in a QB heavy draft may have had more long term value. The Niners' roster is so depleted. 

2 hours ago, dmc515 said:

 

Actually, the biggest downside for me in moving down (up?) in the draft is they're gonna miss out on Saquon Barkley.

The more common parlance is "moving back" in the draft.

1 hour ago, Week said:

I meant to post right after the release that this would happen ... alas, you'll all just have to take my word for it:

 

 

Feels like an information grab more than anything else. 

[unJon]

2 hours ago, Rockroi said:

While certainly not a game-changer, James Harrison has signed with the Patriots

This week the Pats beat an utterly outclassed Bills team.  Not much to talk about except over-blowing a "controversial" call where the refs overturned a TD when they probably shouldn't have (while we could argue Benjamin may NOT have had possession, I don't think the replay showed irrefutable evidence that required a reversal).  The Pats have one more game at home v. the Jets and if they win that they lock up home field throughout the playoffs and, ultimately, should make it to the Superbowl (though I am feeling as if its Pittsburgh's year).  

I feel like the regular season ended last week; we know who the favorites in the playoffs will be and who should be in the SB and who should be fired,  The most notable story this off season will be whether or not Jimmy G is for real or not.  I am having trouble caring a lot until the Divisional round.  

I think Harrison will be a good gap-filler and will be worthwhile for a handful of plays this post-season which may be worth it.  But he will not be an every-down player so this is not a huge move.  

Everyone in Pittsburgh expected this. It was pretty dumb for the Steelers to release him vs a few others on the roster, IMO. Harrison plays really well against the Chiefs LT so was worth the pickup just for that. Also, I’m sure the Evil Genius is picking Harrison’s brain for all sorts of Steelers intel on signals and play calls. At the least, it will cause the Steelers some disruption needing to switch things up if the end up facing the Pats in the AFC Championship game. Sigh. 

[Kalbear]

7 hours ago, Rockroi said:

I think Harrison will be a good gap-filler and will be worthwhile for a handful of plays this post-season which may be worth it.  But he will not be an every-down player so this is not a huge move.  

Somehow he's going to be like the 3rd best receiver the Pats have

[Jace, Extat]

How awesome would it be if the Browns fail to beat the Steelers backups to avoid 0-16 exactly a decade after failing to beat their backups to make the playoffs?

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Hot take time:

Alex Smith will be the starting QB for the Vikings in 2018

[Rhom]

4 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Hot take time:

Alex Smith will be the starting QB for the Vikings in 2018

Is there really talk that both Keenum and Teddy will be gone?

[Jace, Extat]

30 minutes ago, Rhom said:

Is there really talk that both Keenum and Teddy will be gone?

Unless Kase completely melts down, I don't know how you don't let him and Teddy come back on one year deals (if they're amenable) and duke it out for the QB1 job.

[Jace, Extat]

Jace thinks the Giants made the right call in hiring Gentleman, and I'm jealous. He has a track record of success and his introductory press conference should have been very encouraging for fans.

Clearly a guy who understands how to build a team, I'm just praying that he's picking at #3

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

2 hours ago, Rhom said:

Is there really talk that both Keenum and Teddy will be gone?

No, just a guess.

1 hour ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

Unless Kase completely melts down, I don't know how you don't let him and Teddy come back on one year deals (if they're amenable) and duke it out for the QB1 job.

Keenum is only coming back if the deal is cheap and/or we win the Owl. Bridgewater will want a chance to start else where I'm guessing. Bradford is obviously gone. Smith can be cut for a relatively small cap hit after the season, and the VIkings would be perfect for him. 

10 minutes ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

Clearly a guy who understands how to build a team, I'm just praying that he's picking at #3

Nope, your hapless ponies will be #3. They can beat the Texans and the Giants aren't beating anyone.