NFL: Super Bowl, offseason and quarterback musical chairs

[Kalbear]

1 minute ago, Nictarion said:

Staying with Marvin Lewis too long is absolutely fair criticism, as is being cheap in FA, but we’ve actually drafted fairly well at times. 

Sure, though a lot of those people were basically entirely wasted for their whole career due to the rest of it, or were used suboptimally. 

I guess if you think you're going to be great, you want to go to a place where the ownership has your back and has shown it's willing to do what it takes to win, and I don't think that's a reasonable statement about Cinci on any level. I admit that's not a reasonable statement about MOST teams, mind you, and if you're getting picked first chances are good that's a shitty NFL program, but Cinci has shown this for, like, what - 20 years now? 

[DanteGabriel]

1 minute ago, DMC said:

Yeah I saw that a few hours ago.  Thought of posting it here based on the current discussion, but figured that'd just be cruel to Bengal fans.

Carson Palmer complimenting the Cardinals blew my mind, but then the Cardinals have actually had a playoff run in living memory.

[Nictarion]

4 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

Fair enough on the more recent link with comments from Burrow's mom.

I think you're right that Carson Palmer's the reason this story has gained more traction. Pretty stunning when a guy says he thought the Cardinals were more devoted to winning than the Bengals were. Solomon Wilcots also chimed in to agree with Palmer, and I think his comments were just a week or so ago.

Yeah, otoh TJ Houshmandzadeh who is working with Burrow came out and said he’s not going to bash the Bengals to Burrow.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2020/02/03/houshmandzadeh-wont-criticize-bengals-joe-burrow-during-training/4648612002/

Haven’t heard a peep out of former LSU alumni Andrew Whitworth either. Who could very easily have a chip on his shoulder. Also just saw an interview with the Honey Badger saying he can’t see Burrow pulling anything either. Thinks Joe believes in himself too much, and is too competitive for that. 

[Nictarion]

5 minutes ago, DMC said:

Yeah I saw that a few hours ago.  Thought of posting it here based on the current discussion, but figured that'd just be cruel to Bengal fans.

It’s been nonstop here anyway. I’m not really worried about it tbh. 

He really doesn’t have great leverage. He’s already 23, and our owner is stubborn as a mule, he’s not going to trade him or the pick. If Burrow doesn’t play here he’ll have to sit out an entire year (not ideal at his age), and re-enter the draft next year with both Lawrence and Fields coming out. 

[DMC]

33 minutes ago, Nictarion said:

He really doesn’t have great leverage. He’s already 23, and our owner is stubborn as a mule, he’s not going to trade him or the pick.

I don't see how his age really matters, but yeah I don't see him being able to force a trade.  It's not like he's a Manning.

[Nictarion]

1 minute ago, DMC said:

I don't see how his age really matters, but yeah I don't see him being able to force a trade.  It's not like he's a Manning.

His age matters because he was a 5 year college player whose already older than most QB’s coming out. Lamar is still younger than Burrow for example. I don’t think he wants to be almost 25 when he enters the NFL. 

[DMC]

16 minutes ago, Nictarion said:

I don’t think he wants to be almost 25 when he enters the NFL.

Sure, I just don't think waiting another year is a credible threat regardless of age.  That'd be really stupid to do.

[Mexal]

1 hour ago, DanteGabriel said:

Fair enough on the more recent link with comments from Burrow's mom.

I think you're right that Carson Palmer's the reason this story has gained more traction. Pretty stunning when a guy says he thought the Cardinals were more devoted to winning than the Bengals were. Solomon Wilcots also chimed in to agree with Palmer, and I think his comments were just a week or so ago.

Kind of funny that the minute Palmer leaves, Bengals go to the playoffs five straight years, including with a 2nd round rookie. I get Palmer has some issues with the way the Bengals treated him with the shoulder injury in 2008 but I give about as much fucks about what he says as a door knob. The guy was the reason we ended up with some washed up WRs in 2010 (see TO) and he was fucking terrible.

1 hour ago, Kalbear said:

Sure, though a lot of those people were basically entirely wasted for their whole career due to the rest of it, or were used suboptimally. 

I guess if you think you're going to be great, you want to go to a place where the ownership has your back and has shown it's willing to do what it takes to win, and I don't think that's a reasonable statement about Cinci on any level. I admit that's not a reasonable statement about MOST teams, mind you, and if you're getting picked first chances are good that's a shitty NFL program, but Cinci has shown this for, like, what - 20 years now? 

They haven't won a playoff game but they've competed and they've competed in a division that's not the AFC East or South, in a division that has strong teams year in and year out and the fucking Browns, who keep getting #1 picks yet don't get nearly the same amount of shit as the Bengals. And even during that time, they've gone to the playoffs 5 times over the last 9 years. I get they don't spend a lot of money in FA and that's a massive issue with their team but they've drafted decently and have paid their own talent consistently. The last few years have been massively rough on injuries and coaching and now they're rebuilding for the future. But even next year, if Burrow comes to the Bengals, includes AJ Green, Joe Mixon, Gio Bernard, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross. We're not talking the worst skill players in the league here. Is the OL an issue? Sure, but they get their first round pick LT back next year and have a shot at improving the OL in FA where there are some good guards (whether they do or not is a question). Point is, the offense isn't far off from being good, it just needs a QB who can maneuver in a messy pocket and accurately throw the ball. Sounds like Burrow.

At end of the day, where is he going to go? Skins? Lions? Dolphins? I guess he can go to the Panthers, a team that's about to push their #1 overall pick out or the Chargers who've been fine but not exceptional over the past 20 years. We're not exactly talking the pillar of franchises here. I get the media obsession with the Bengals being terrible but this is the way the NFL works. The team with the worst record gets a shot at the top pick and with that comes the hope that the top pick (when a QB) will turn them around and give them a shot in the future. Burrow can be a legend in his hometown state, playing for a young coaching staff that are trying to change the culture of complacency that previously infected the team after years of Lewis. We'll see whether that's enough but until Burrow actually talks to the coaches, the media knows fuck all and is just manufacturing a clickbait story, constantly fueling the self perpetuating cycle where they ask him a question, he repeats their words and they write a story about it (see the "leverage" question).

Also, as an aside, neither Burrow nor his family has said they don't want to play in Cinci, in fact, they've said the opposite, that it would be fun to play in Ohio. So whatever.

[James Arryn]

21 hours ago, Chad Vader said:

Good luck, my wife has had 3 C-sections. She’s gonna need you while she’s healing up. 

Cheers! Both girls doing great, aside from not eating much. Loooong night, but we’re getting there. Might have to stay in hospital until ~ Friday.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

7 minutes ago, James Arryn said:

Cheers! Both girls doing great, aside from not eating much. Loooong night, but we’re getting there. Might have to stay in hospital until ~ Friday.

Now I can finally say congratulations. Us Jews are superstitious when it comes to births.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

22 hours ago, Nictarion said:

That’s the thing though, nobody really has doubts anymore. Not after a record setting regular season in the SEC, and absolutely torching two playoff teams, one of which being the defending champs with the #1 defense and a QB who hadn’t lost since high school. 

I do think most of the doubt was eliminated after the college playoffs. But I just don't think he's that can't miss causing you to not hear any offers. 

[Jaime L]

This shit infuriates me. Baseball's looking to do the same thing. The NBA regular season is already almost totally irrelevant.

It's a feverish race across all the major sports league who can devalue their regular season the most. Had this applied last year the Steelers and Rams would've made the playoffs and there would've been zero drama in December because every halfway decent team would've made the playoffs. 

The best thing about the NFL is its regular season makes every game matter. If this passes? Not so much. It's a naked money grab except they never seem to realize that if you degrade the product, you do long term damage to interest in your sport.  

[briantw]

[Maithanet]

17 hours ago, Jaime L said:

This shit infuriates me. Baseball's looking to do the same thing. The NBA regular season is already almost totally irrelevant.

The best thing about the NFL is its regular season makes every game matter. If this passes? Not so much. It's a naked money grab except they never seem to realize that if you degrade the product, you do long term damage to interest in your sport.  

I think that the current NFL schedule is great, it has nice symmetry with the scheduling year to year being so predictable.  Back when I cared, I could calculate just off the top of my head when the Redskins would next play the Raiders (my college roommate's team).  That's cool.

Letting more teams into the playoffs is bad.  Teams that are bad in the regular season should not be in the postseason.  And while postseason blowouts happen sometimes no matter what, they're gonna be a helluva lot less fun if it's a 13-3 #2 seed crushing a helpless 8-8 squad that never should be have been there in the first place. 

Both ideas are bad, but the 17 game season is worse, since it exposes the players to more punishment and injury, and for what?  So that teams will be even more injured come playoff time? 

[Jaime L]

4 hours ago, Maithanet said:

Both ideas are bad, but the 17 game season is worse, since it exposes the players to more punishment and injury, and for what?  So that teams will be even more injured come playoff time? 

On that:

Good news players. You'll be risking your health with another game but what's exciting is many of you will be paid less for that game.

It's kinda like if you make $20/hour but then your boss makes you work OT, everyone know that for OT you only will make $15/hour.  I mean sure it would be great if OT paid more for your additional hardship, but we all know OT always pays less. That's just how it be 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Lol, if Mahomes gets a contract with an AAV of $40m, he'd take like a 90% pay cut for the final game. Screw that.

Have they made public the projected increase in revenues that would result from these shenanigans? 

[BigFatCoward]

5 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Lol, if Mahomes gets a contract with an AAV of $40m, he'd take like a 90% pay cut for the final game. Screw that.

Have they made public the projected increase in revenues that would result from these shenanigans? 

Imagine the hardship. What a load of nonsense. 

[BigFatCoward]

Nvm

[mcbigski]

Clearly the owners want 18 games and are going incremental.  Otherwise they could just add a second bye week and some Wednesday games.  More broadcasts more recovery time but not anymore gate. 

 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

9 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

Imagine the hardship. What a load of nonsense. 

Would you work OT at 90% reduced pay.

Yeah I thought not, because nobody would unless they were deeply impoverished.