2015-2016 NFL thread

[Fahrenheit]

Good for Patrick Willis. He had to have made 30+ million in his short career, will leave at or near the top of game and will retire with his health still mostly intact. More guys should pull a "Barry Sanders" like this and walk away earlier.

[xskarma]

Good for Patrick Willis. He had to have made 30+ million in his short career, will leave at or near the top of game and will retire with his health still mostly intact. More guys should pull a "Barry Sanders" like this and walk away earlier.

He's apparently doing it after some religeous awakening. Can you show me 1 decent front office that lets the leader of their defense walk away after a religeous experience like this?

Decent front office/coach would have been able to harness this and keep him playing football outside of his new found interests. Have him use it as some platform or whatever bullcrap. You do not let a team captain and leader walk away healthy when he is in his prime. Period.

Good luck to the guy, but this is just another front office failing in San Fran, in my opinion.

[theostrichsays]

I agree also it is good for him also. To be able to walk away with your health intact and not suffer losing seasons after losing seasons is a plus.

- - - Updated - - -

Also with MMichael Sam and maybe Tim Tebow, going to the vet combine, any other guesses on who will be drug out for the circus?

[The Cheat]

I read sort of past this post earlier cause I was posting about McCourty and reading, but Justin Houston is franchise tagged. He may want a HUGE Suh like extension, but he's in KC for this season unless he holds out for some reason (which would be kinda silly given the size of the contract tag he's gotten).

He may not like that he's still in KC, but he needs to put on his big boy pants and realise he's getting paid top dollar AND is guaranteed a big extension from KC OR free agency status next year. Either way the dude should know he's getting paid, regardless of what happens this season.

The franchise tag is non-exclusive, and Houston seems to think he's capable of getting some team (desperate or otherwise) to make him an offer sheet the Chiefs won't match while also being willing to part with two first-round picks. I could see a team like the Raiders doing this due to how much money they need to spend to be within bounds in two to three years when the salary floor is checked, but I agree the chances of this happening with any team aren't high.

The posturing from Houston's camp is out of control already though. Before Suh's deal, everyone thought he'd be looking for Watt-type money, and now local writers feel he may be looking for even more. It just blows my mind that he and the team could be so far apart on this after so long.

[WskyDK]

Pats declined Revis' option.
Hope we can resign him

[draynay]

He's apparently doing it after some religeous awakening. Can you show me 1 decent front office that lets the leader of their defense walk away after a religeous experience like this?

His cap hit is huge with very little of it guaranteed, they already have Bowman and Borland at his position, there was talk of him getting released. Now he walks away and the 49ers aren't the bad guys. A Patriots fan talking about decent front offices not letting players go is also amusing.

The franchise tag is non-exclusive, and Houston seems to think he's capable of getting some team (desperate or otherwise) to make him an offer sheet the Chiefs won't match while also being willing to part with two first-round picks. I could see a team like the Raiders doing this due to how much money they need to spend to be within bounds in two to three years when the salary floor is checked, but I agree the chances of this happening with any team aren't high.

First round picks are rather valuable when you pick in the top 10 every year, it is absurd to think the Raiders could part with them.

[Northern Goblin]

Looks like Oakland have tied up Knighton and Odrick is off to the Jags.

[theostrichsays]

Most important info of the day, Steelers have cut Brett Keisel.
I know he got hurt last year, at the end of the season and is on the wrong end of his thirties, but he was a hell of a player for over a decade.

[The Cheat]

First round picks are rather valuable when you pick in the top 10 every year, it is absurd to think the Raiders could part with them.

Oakland has been trash for awhile and very few of their moves are coordinated enough to get them in to contention. I'm not sure why some would think it's a stretch that a bad franchise could be capable of making more bad decisions.

Given, I'll give them credit for this offseason a little...but they overpaid for Rodney Hudson no doubt.

Keep in mind that a franchise giving up two first-round picks probably wouldn't be viewing it that way. They would view it as "picking" the trade target with the current year's pick and only giving up next year's pick. While Houston's cost would be high, in another cheaper situation the concept works since the team gets a player in or about to enter their prime instead of a rookie draft pick that may or may not be immediately ready for the league. (That being said, the fact this rarely happens shows how low the chances always are.)

[xskarma]

A Patriots fan talking about decent front offices not letting players go is also amusing.

Hey, that's the case where we don't want a player at his current price and ship him off somewhere else for a draft pick and possibly a younger, talented player.

In this case I assumed the 49'ers still wanted him there, and would actually be mad that he walked away. If they indeed were thinking about getting rid of him that changes things.

It's hard to imagine though that you'd let a multi year all-pro linebacker, a team captain and leader, walk away when he has gas left in the tank, but I won't hold on to the thought this is the fornt office screwing up then.

[Northern Goblin]

Oakland will have to over pay to attract talent in their prime

With the amount they need to spend, this isn't necessarily an issue. Though again, people need to stop talking about the Al Davis era of Oakland and judge them now off what they do, which for 3 years has been ripping out two decades of mismanagement and poor culture and rebuilding from nothing. Look at the roster from when Oakland finished 8-8 to the one now, there's barely any survivors.

Fortunately the AFC west just went to shit again, so Oakland picked a great time to reinvent itself.


EDIT: Furthermore what would they do with Houston? Play him out of position in MLB? The Raiders have their outside Linebackers and can grab a solid MLB without giving up picks for it. Would be a stupid deal to take.

[xskarma]

EDIT: Furthermore what would they do with Houston? Play him out of position in MLB? The Raiders have their outside Linebackers and can grab a solid MLB without giving up picks for it. Would be a stupid deal to take.

You know who WOULD be a good fit? Atlanta Falcons.

They were drooling over Clowney last year, even though they were in an almost impossible position to make a play on him and they are still in pretty desperate need of a passrusher.

Not sure if they'd be willing to pay the price of 2 first rounders, but it has to be on their mind. And they have been known to make a big splash when they feel like someone is their guy (like with Julio Jones).

[Northern Goblin]

The Falcons seem to be going in heavy for Kraken, there's talk of Raider interest but MD has always been vocal on his anti domestic violence stance, and I can see that being the grounds for the Raiders to pass on him.

Can't be mad at that if they do, some principles matter more than football.

[Deleted]

Is it me or is this seasons trades ALOT more exciting than usual? Usually there's some names you follow but this year seems borderline chaotic =S

[Denkou]

49'ers went straight from 3 NFC championship games, to 8-8, to blowing the entire thing up and starting over. Kinda scary to see a franchise implode like that, cause you know with the wrong people around this might happen to any franchise, even yours.

I think more than anything that just shows the bad chemistry between Harbaugh and the ownership. He almost singlehandedly turned the franchise around and had 3 amazing years (despite not winning the Super Bowl) before going 8-8, which is bad but could be a lot worse. If you look at his track record it was a stupid idea not to keep him around, but there's more to this than wins and losses.

[theostrichsays]

Vince Young, was not accepted to the Veteran Combine. I am actually surprised, since he would bring some exposure to the event (which is why I think both Tebow and Sam have been linked to it.)
The main 3 teams, I've read related to Greg Hardy is Dolphins, Colts and Bengals. I kind of hope that the Dolphins convince Chip Kelly to take Dion Jordan back and sign him. Would be fun to watch Wake and Hardy get rotated out with Vernon, and Suh + Starks, chasing Quarterbacks all over the field. Poor Manuel and Geno Smith, wouldn't know what to do.

Side note, Stephen A. Smith to me is an awful on air personality, and I can't stand him. But damned if that man doesn't know how to pull in viewers.

Bleacher Report, just put up an article saying Julius Thomas, expected to sign with the Jaguars, for 9 million a year.

[Vetali]

Thats interesting. Seattle was hard after Julius Thomas, offering a healthy contract too.

w/e. Manning system product.

[Northern Goblin]

Reports coming in that Raiders are signing Gresham, details to be finalised within the hour.

Not really jumping for joy on this one, he's far too inconsistent for my liking.

[Deleted]

Eagles secures OLB Brandon Graham @ $26M with $14 in guarantees.

Probably the best edge defender in the league but is he worth the huge costs?

[Vetali]

Reports coming in that Raiders are signing Gresham, details to be finalised within the hour.

Not really jumping for joy on this one, he's far too inconsistent for my liking.

There goes Seattle's number 2 TE target lol.