2017-2018 NFL thread

[xskarma]

Patriots have signed former Bengal RB Rex Burkhead. All those not surprised at ALL by this raise their hands.

*raises his hand*

3 cone drill baby

[Grube]

Lacy could have put on another 50ish more pounds and played LT for Denver instead, he missed out.

You think thats bad, look at the Saints 2014 draft.

That is pretty awful too, at least Cooks was there instead of Montee Ball.

Patriots have signed former Bengal RB Rex Burkhead. All those not surprised at ALL by this raise their hands.

*raises his hand*

3 cone drill baby

Phh 3 cone drill, white guy skill position player is the better fit.

[Darth Belichick]

Haha, I thought the same thing with the white RB. People are gonna say it. But we traded for Cooks!

[draynay]

But we traded for Cooks!

Wonder what happens when its time to extend him...

[Darth Belichick]

Oh Cooks will totally be gone, but that's a money thing.

[draynay]

Oh Cooks will totally be gone, but that's a money thing.

Yep, they don't want to pony up and sign these guys when there are white free agents to get!

[xskarma]

Dont'a Hightower left the Steelers building, and apparently if he boards a plane the deal they offered him is off the table. He's stuck in Pittsburgh for a bit though cause of the snowstorm. If I understood correctly he's flying out of there in 4 hours.

Tick tock.

Jets have the most money on the table, Pittsburgh had a positive vibe around him when he visited and the Patriots are still in the drivers seat, cause it seems like he will still give them every opportunity to match whatever deal he gets elsewhere.

I think the general sentiment is that if he flies out of Pittburgh without signing there that he's signing with the Patriots again.

[Skayaq]

Dont'a Hightower left the Steelers building, and apparently if he boards a plane the deal they offered him is off the table. He's stuck in Pittsburgh for a bit though cause of the snowstorm. If I understood correctly he's flying out of there in 4 hours.

Tick tock.

Jets have the most money on the table, Pittsburgh had a positive vibe around him when he visited and the Patriots are still in the drivers seat, cause it seems like he will still give them every opportunity to match whatever deal he gets elsewhere.

I think the general sentiment is that if he flies out of Pittburgh without signing there that he's signing with the Patriots again.

Yeah the last thing I want is Hightower signing with the Steelers.

[xskarma]

Yeah the last thing I want is Hightower signing with the Steelers.

Ditto. On the Jets at least he can't do much damage. On the Steelers they might actually put him to good use.



Something else though. Is it just me, or do there seem to be a ridiculous amount of 1 year contracts being signed this year? I thought players went for the big contracts usually when they could get them, but it seems everyone and their mother are signing 1 year deals now, and not even all of them are players that need to rebuild their value after an injury or bad year.

It's really strange that in a time where there's more money than ever to sign players that players seem to be taking smaller deals than before.

[THE Bigzoman]

Also, I'd totally let Zeke pull down my shirt.

PFTTTT.

On topic: Patriots signed Rex Burkhead.

Ehhhemm @xskarma, I CALLED IT!

Congratulations Pats fans. You just got a steal. I wanted Burkhead over Hill all year last season and he showed why in our home season finale.

Fucking Marvin....

[draynay]

In theory, the Saints gave up offensive talent in order to get picks to repair the defense, so in an nfl.com mock they take McCaffrey at #11 and Trubisky at #32

derpderpderpderpderp

That said, I wouldn't be against taking Watson at #11, but I don't see anything in Trubisky.

[Vetali]

Jared Cook left Seattle without a deal. Not too surprising. Visiting the Vikings then the Raiders next.

[draynay]

Jarvis Jones signed with the Cards, maybe he will have a little bit more luck rushing the passer with that secondary behind him.

[Grapefruitsnz]

As someone who has struggled with weight in the past, I wish Lacy all the best, but just saw this posted after he signed with Seattle.

http://i.imgur.com/k0S5QPB.jpg

At least he got a private flight there.

[Grube]

In theory, the Saints gave up offensive talent in order to get picks to repair the defense, so in an nfl.com mock they take McCaffrey at #11 and Trubisky at #32

derpderpderpderpderp

That said, I wouldn't be against taking Watson at #11, but I don't see anything in Trubisky.

They do enough mock drafts that they end up having each team take most positions. No idea why anyone would take a QB early in this draft, especially a team that doesn't need one right now.

[draynay]

They do enough mock drafts that they end up having each team take most positions. No idea why anyone would take a QB early in this draft, especially a team that doesn't need one right now.

The only teams that should be taking QBs early are the teams that don't need them to start this year, nobody is ready to.

[xskarma]

The only teams that should be taking QBs early are the teams that don't need them to start this year, nobody is ready to.

Yeah, but you know how it goes. There's still going to be one taken top 5 and 2 of them top 10 and there's still going to be one that beats out the shitty veteran in front of him and start the year. It always happens. Watson and Trubinsky are not EJ Manuel/Geno Smith level bad, I think.

[draynay]

Last year all the rookies would've started the year on the bench if not for the Bridgewater and Romo injuries, I expect teams to plan similarly this year, but of course things could change. Nobody should be planning their year around a rookie starting week 1 is all I'm saying. They should still make their move to get a QB early though, demand being how it is.

[xskarma]

Last year all the rookies would've started the year on the bench if not for the Bridgewater and Romo injuries, I expect teams to plan similarly this year, but of course things could change. Nobody should be planning their year around a rookie starting week 1 is all I'm saying. They should still make their move to get a QB early though, demand being how it is.

Yeah, I don't think any teams will go into the draft going "We need a week 1 QB" but by the time training camp ends and September rolls around there's a LOT of time for a "situation" to happen that will put one on the field.

I had too much time on my hands a week or 2 back, and had this hunch that most of the (succesful) QB's in the league had actually sat on the bench for much of their starting year. I stopped about 1/3rd in cause I found that actually, most of them HAD started much of their first year and quite a few straight from week 1 and not all of those guys had actually turned out bad QB's.

I tried various angles, about that it was more the recent QB's that started (it wasn't Alex Smith and Big Ben started most of their first year) or that the ones that had sat on the bench had had better success later (also not true, see Big Ben again and the likes of Cam Newton and Russel Wilson).

In the end I had to draw the conclusion that none of it actually mattered much, what mattered most was if these guys could actually play. That's the guys that lasted (or will last) and their starting point didn't actually matter that much. Same thing will probably hold true for this crop of QB's. If they can play, they'll succeed, regardless of when they start.

For this particular class, IF they have to start early, you kind of hope they are more the Marcus Mariota (shitty spread offense back ground but quick learner and growth even on a shitty team, eventually turning into a quality starter that you can build around) then the Alex Smith route ( shitty background in college and slow adaptation to the pros, having a hand in some really shitty teams before finding success).


Like you I suspect Watson will likely turn into an actual starter more so than Trubinsky btw, draynay.

[draynay]

It is interesting, there is not a real pattern to be found.

Guys like Carr, Harrington, and Couch played right away, took beatings, and got into bad habits, but then guys like JaMarcus sat for a year and still were awful. Many top QBs like Brees, Rodger, or Rivers started on the bench, while plenty more, Roethlisberger, Ryan, and Wilson were starting big games as rookies.

Top 2 all time passers Manning & Favre, same deal, one of them a rookie starter and the other a backup.
Brady was a 6th round pick, Warner was a grocery store clerk, you never know.