2017-2018 NFL thread

[xskarma]

I curse thee to lose Hightower!

Relax. You guys can slide La'el Collins to RT. He was a OT prospect anyway. Kind of a waste to keep him at guard.

[Crissi]

Relax. You guys can slide La'el Collins to RT. He was a OT prospect anyway. Kind of a waste to keep him at guard.

I know, was pulling your leg

Just need to find s person to replace Leary then since he started over Leary until he got hurt this year

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Also I really think we should just release Romo. Jerry is playing chicken, and it'll lead to a lot of negative PR if the Texans don't bite. Romo deserves better and if he is being treated this way, I can't imagine any future QB wanting to be here.

[apepi]

Master gave Dougy a sock. Dougy is Free now!

I laughed too hard.

[Grube]

Denver signed DTs Domata Peko and Zack Kerr. Kerr sounds questionable just because the Colts defense was ass, and Peko is older, but he is durable at least.

Also I really think we should just release Romo. Jerry is playing chicken, and it'll lead to a lot of negative PR if the Texans don't bite. Romo deserves better and if he is being treated this way, I can't imagine any future QB wanting to be here.

It feels like he was trying to create a bidding war between Denver and Houston, which obviously has not worked out if that was his intention. Pretty much everything out of Denver's real inside guys has been they are fine with Siemian and Lynch unless the price is right for someone else, so not exactly sure that even makes sense.

Unless Houston thinks Savage can stay healthy or Weeden can be good enough they will probably bite eventually unless they go for Cutler instead. Not sure who else is actually available with the Redskins mess and Pats rumored asking price.

[draynay]

@gyrados

"Getting a bunch of texts from scouts at UW & it sounds like Sidney Jones suffered a significant lower leg injury. Feel terrible for him."

https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/st...55952424529920


Well that sucks. One of the top corners in the draft.

It would be really terrible if that injury caused him to fall all the way to the 32nd pick, really terrible.

[xskarma]

It would be really terrible if that injury caused him to fall all the way to the 32nd pick, really terrible.

Achilles tear means he's probably not playing this season. I doubt he goes first round and I doubt Saints want an important defensive piece to redshirt the year. They need help NOW, not later.

[gyrados]

@gyrados

"Getting a bunch of texts from scouts at UW & it sounds like Sidney Jones suffered a significant lower leg injury. Feel terrible for him."

https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/st...55952424529920


Well that sucks. One of the top corners in the draft.

yeah i heard that but im sure he will still get drafted who knows might fall to eagles in later rounds which would be a steal i know its unlikely but maybe eagles will draft lattimore in first lol :P

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Packers sign another TE, Lance Kendricks.

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I wish lacy would come back for another year on the cheap. With a Ty as a changeup/3rd down back that could be a good combo. Couple that with better TE play and a healthy Jordy, offense looks to be in good shape. Otherwise they might have to draft a RB.

Defense is going to need a lot of work. They really need to sign a CB or two.

u aint kidding about needing a good secondary i feel bad for packers and rodgers i mean rodgers is an amazing qb carrying that team on his back and the d lets em down everytime

[Vetali]

TJ Lang watch: He followed the Seahawks twitter account.

Thats about it. Its ridiculous how tight lipped the Seahawks are about their work. I'd say its a pretty good shot he gets signed here. John Schneider drafted him after all.

[xskarma]

It's pretty amazing. 24 teams in the league still have 15M in caps space or more (up to 100M) and yet pretty much all the big ticket free agents with the the big ticket contracts already have signed their contracts. With the amount of capspace there's left teams are going to have room left over even if they sign a bunch of midlevel and cheap free agents.


I also had a thought earlier (and I'm glad Hightower isn't signed yet or this might have sounded like sour grapes): Linebackers (non-edge defender ones, so not the Von Millers of the world) are basically as unwanted as RB's are these days. If you look at the past 10 years, they've been more and more phased out of defenses (much like RB's the players they are technically supposed to take care of) and the demand for them has gotten lower and lower. Much like big back RB's that mostly run the ball they've become a replacable commodity. PLenty of players ont he market to fill the role, and you can get enough production out of even fairly mediocre linebackers that it's almost impossible to get paid the big bucks.

Like RB's the really REALLY good ones still get paid top dollar, but the number of them keeps getting smaller and the draft position teams look at the position (on average) is getting lower as well. Teams are also increasingly not willing to pay for the position unless you can have a role in the passing game, and it's the RB's and Linebackers that can make a difference in the passing game that get paid.

Instead it's more and more smaller, faster RB's that can catch the ball and smaller, faster linebackers (or should you say safeties?) that can cover that teams want.


With that in mind, just look at the current free agents and look at how many linebackers have signed deals and how many RB's have signed deals. It's practically none. They're after thoughts and teams are perfectly content to pick up whatever they can get on the cheap once they have taken care of the important positions on the team and can assess how much cap space they will have left.

I'm kind of wondering if it hasn't gone through Belichick's mind that maybe he can replace Hightower for about 1/3rd of what he wants and not actually have much of a drop in on field production.

Sure, he'd lose his field general and a locker room beacon, but there's still quite a few core guys on both sides of the ball in the locker room, and it;s not crazy to think that someone else could step up to be the extension of the coaches on the field.

It kind of HAS to have gone through BB's mind and I wonder if that's why this Hightower contract is taking so long, with Hightower finding out that there's not actually a hot market for him and that he may have to settle for dealing with BB on his terms.

[Vetali]

The only "true" mLBs that get paid are ones that can defend against pass and run. Anybody that can defend a pass and is above average gets paid. Even safeties now are getting paid big bucks.

This was a funny exchange about Lang:

[xskarma]

This was a funny exchange about Lang:

lol He has a point. Clearly what you;ve been doing so far isn;t working so maybe change of philosophy is in order.

Oooooor, Lang is just a universally good lineman who fits most systems.

[Skayaq]

Damn, too bad about Sidney Jones, he was a player I hoped the Ravens would draft at 16.

[THE Bigzoman]

Domata peko to Denver.


Man this offseason is depressing. I loved peko more than I did whitworth. I'll never forget when peko trucked polomalu (another steeler I hate)

Truly the end of an era. I'm not going to recognize this team anymore. Who will be our leader on d now, vontaze?

[WskyDK]

Who will be our leader on d now, vontaze?

God help you

[Grube]

Donald Stephenson restructured his contract to basically get what his dead cap hit would have been guaranteed, then 2 mill if he makes the 53 man roster. Kind of makes sense to do that in case a real o-line coach can help him rather than just cutting him when it will cost the same. Still kind of a bad thought to have one of the people that can't even play RT (currently have 3 of those) end up playing LT.

[Vetali]

Luke Joeckel's guaranteed money is 7m... that explains why TJ Lang is going to the Lions with a 3 year deal.

[MAGAmobile]

Wilson's going to die this season.

[Vetali]

Wilson's going to die this season.

I'm starting to think that FA o-line don't want to sign or be traded here. Can't say I blame them either.

[xskarma]

"Jets and Pats appear to be leading the pack to sign LB Dont'a Hightower but several others monitoring closely as well"

LaCanfora


Hightower, pls. Anything but the Jets

[xskarma]

I'm starting to think that FA o-line don't want to sign or be traded here. Can't say I blame them either.

Orrrrrrrrr

"The #Lions deal for former #Packers G TJ Lang: $9.5M average for 3 years with $19M fully guaranteed, source said."

Rapoport


Orrrrrrrrr, it's cause other teams are shelling out crazy money on contracts for O-linemen.

I suspect it's that and not any unwillingness to come to a championship caliber team.