NFL updates/news

[Neazy]

No games = no football. The who signed who stuff is interesting for like 3 seconds but the games are the only thing that matter.

[xskarma]

No games = no football. The who signed who stuff is interesting for like 3 seconds but the games are the only thing that matter.

Fair enough.

To be honest my love for football is for a large part because the turnover of personnel, drafting new players from college ranks that might be awesome or might be totally balls and the short season mean that the stuff outside of the actual games matters MUCH more. Bad drafting matters, bad position depth matters, inuries matter. The whole personnel circus is such a large part, and transfers of players between clubs, cutting players create such a lot of change that it's much more interesting to me then other (european) sports.

When Madden was still a PC game I spent weeks doing nothing else but playing manager on it, creating teams, drafting players, building championship caliber teams that would win the Superbowl without me actually playing the game. I loved that. Too bad it's only for console now and I'm bereft of this pleasure.

[Elbren]

Rumors around Baltimore are that Flacco's deal is basically done and should be signed by Monday. Not sure on the years, but numbers floated on the radio were $19.5 Mil. a year, around $60 Mil. guaranteed.

[xskarma]

Rumors around Baltimore are that Flacco's deal is basically done and should be signed by Monday. Not sure on the years, but numbers floated on the radio were $19.5 Mil. a year, around $60 Mil. guaranteed.

Pretty much the same what Brees got then. I read earlier today that Brees got 100M for 5 years with 60M guaranteed. You'd expect the money to be better then a contract a few years old, but with a worse economy and the new CBA I guess this is what is currently the going rate.

---------- Post added 2013-03-02 at 02:17 AM ----------

NFL.com reports 6 year deal worth 120M, so Baltimore news was pretty spot on.

[Logonov]

[/COLOR]NFL.com reports 6 year deal worth 120M, so Baltimore news was pretty spot on.

i have to admit flacco was deserving of a big fat contract, but a contract that trumps brady, brees, and manning? I get its gonna be worded with lots of outs and such and he'll probably only make......... half, but i just cant justify 120 mil to Flacco, it seems like the ravens are genuinely shooting themselves in the foot with this.

[Jibjabb]

The NFL remains the dumbest sports when it comes to evaluating their players, in this case quarterbacks. You win a Super Bowl you immediately are great, if you dont win you aren't that good. Nevermind the fact there are tons of other positions that also play, more than any other sport.

[Deleted]

The NFL remains the dumbest sports when it comes to evaluating their players, in this case quarterbacks. You win a Super Bowl you immediately are great, if you dont win you aren't that good. Nevermind the fact there are tons of other positions that also play, more than any other sport.

Well you can't deny the fact that teams with better qb's usually have a winning ratio. But you could argue that a QB is only as good as his O-line (hey chicago/philly!).
Either way Flacco ain't worth 20 mill a year. I think Baltimore would take brees/brady/manning any day over flacco for the same money.

[Jibjabb]

I have no problem with Rodgers, Brady, Brees and such getting big money. But when Eli, Big Ben, and now Flacco get treated like they are greats because they win a Super Bowl is where I feel there is too much infatuation with QBs who end up winning it, vs the guys who actually day in and day out are the best player on the field. No other position gets as much credit/blame for winning championships. Peterson and Tomlinson will both go down as great RBs of our era and Id imagine most people could care less that they never won a Super Bowl let alone even got to one. I wish QBs were judged the same way, you get credit for being consistently great, not for being on a team that wins.

[Skarsguard]

I don't think he is worth 20 million but man he had probably one of the best post season's ever. What 20mil is really going to do is hurt the Ravens just because of cap space and whatnot that is a ton of money for one player.

[Neazy]

I don't think Flacco would have got 20 mill a year if he won the SB last year and this year was his contract year. 11 TDs to 0 INTs with almost 9 yards an attempt is basically a perfect postseason, and he just happened to play that well in a contract year. It's less about his play earning him that money and more about his timing.

[Northern Goblin]

No games = no football. The who signed who stuff is interesting for like 3 seconds but the games are the only thing that matter.

Speak for yourself, we haven't actually had a draft for two seasons. I've missed this.

[Elbren]

The NFL remains the dumbest sports when it comes to evaluating their players, in this case quarterbacks. You win a Super Bowl you immediately are great, if you dont win you aren't that good. Nevermind the fact there are tons of other positions that also play, more than any other sport.

It's because no other position on the field, both offensive or defensive, has the type of effect that a good QB does. You can win without an elite pass rusher, or a ballhawk in your secondary or a HoF LBer. You can win without a top RB, a #1 WR and hell, half the league has shown that you down even need a FB to have a decent running game.

You can't push through the playoffs and win the SB without an at least above average QB. It's been 12 years since the last time the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Look at those SB winning teams and see which QB's stick out. Dilfer and Brad Johnson are the only guys that look like they don't belong. Johnson's team was powered by a top defense and Dilfer's D was even better. Unfortunately, you can't win like that anymore with all of the rule changes favoring the offensive side of the ball.

It's why a team like Houston can't get over the hump or why a team like the Vikings couldn't go deep this year despite having an absolutely ridiculous Adrian Peterson running the ball. When is the last time a team won the SB by running the ball? Pretty sure it was the Ravens 12 years ago.

i have to admit flacco was deserving of a big fat contract, but a contract that trumps brady, brees, and manning? I get its gonna be worded with lots of outs and such and he'll probably only make......... half, but i just cant justify 120 mil to Flacco, it seems like the ravens are genuinely shooting themselves in the foot with this.

You have to remember this is the NFL, not MLB.

The only thing that matters is the guaranteed money. You could sign a guy to a 20 year, $500 Mil. contract and it wouldn't matter. If you only guaranteed him $1 Mil., you could cut him an hour later and only be on the hook for $1 Mil.

I have no problem with Rodgers, Brady, Brees and such getting big money. But when Eli, Big Ben, and now Flacco get treated like they are greats because they win a Super Bowl is where I feel there is too much infatuation with QBs who end up winning it, vs the guys who actually day in and day out are the best player on the field. No other position gets as much credit/blame for winning championships. Peterson and Tomlinson will both go down as great RBs of our era and Id imagine most people could care less that they never won a Super Bowl let alone even got to one. I wish QBs were judged the same way, you get credit for being consistently great, not for being on a team that wins.

But that's the mountain top everyone is trying to get to. That's the whole reason they play this game. I don't think you realize how hard it is just get to the SB, no less win it. Talking about the "best player on the field", it took Ray Lewis 12 years to get back to this game. Hell, Tony Gonzalez is possibly the best TE in history and he just won his first playoff game this year. When talking about Flacco, a lot of fans seem to think Tony Romo is better (no idea why), but the guy has one playoff win. Flacco has won at least one playoff game every year he's been in the league, has a SB win this year and had a SB appearance last year get derailed because Lee Evans can't hold on to a football.

Speak for yourself, we haven't actually had a draft for two seasons. I've missed this.

lol Fans with a good (or at least avg.) front office really don't appreciate this.

[Vetali]

Well, I only started following the NFL more than casually the past few years. Have QB's always hogged up a lot of cap space? If they have, this is nothing new. Any way you look at it the Ravens cap situation was in a realm of fuckery even without signing Flacco. May as well pay your man that will be hard to replace in the next few years and build around that.

Yes, I am on Flacco's and the Ravens side on this. Yes you can hang me.

[Badpaladin]

So long as QB's are worth top dollar, a guy who wins a superbowl can argue anything he wants and he deserves what he gets. Ravens franchise is worth much more money now.

Anyways, here's an interesting piece about The Sack is one of the most overrated statistics in the NFL.

[Robbyjawz]

Our favorite punter has sounded off about that incident at the combine that is causing a stir: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...bine-questions

I agree with him, why would you ask someone that question while they are already in a very nervous state? All I know is that if I was one of the players and asked that question by someone in the head office of a team, I wouldn't want to play for them.

[ambivalence]

Flacco getting his money was inevitable. Is he worth the $20 million per year? Perhaps, perhaps not. Will he get that $20 million a year because there are ZERO other viable options at the most important position on the team? Yes. It's not like the Ravens could go out and grab one of the rookie QB's from this class and have anywhere near the success they will with Flacco. There also aren't that many viable free agents/trade options. What are they going to grab Matt Cassel when the Chiefs release him?

As for the whole combine thing with the questions about girlfriends; I understand why a team would want to ask the question. I also understand why some people would be offended by it. If I were conducting the interviews I might have instead said something along the lines of "Do you have a significant other? Or someone else who might take up some of your time and could perhaps make you less prepared for training camp?" Need to sound a little more politically correct and have a believable reason for needing to know; even if the only reason you wanted to ask was to make sure you didn't draft a homosexual. Keep the illusion at least that you're not a few decades behind the times.

[Vetali]

As for the whole combine thing with the questions about girlfriends; I understand why a team would want to ask the question. I also understand why some people would be offended by it. If I were conducting the interviews I might have instead said something along the lines of "Do you have a significant other? Or someone else who might take up some of your time and could perhaps make you less prepared for training camp?" Need to sound a little more politically correct and have a believable reason for needing to know; even if the only reason you wanted to ask was to make sure you didn't draft a homosexual. Keep the illusion at least that you're not a few decades behind the times.

Yeah, well heres my 2 cents on the whole questions about girlfriends and homosexuality in the league:

The questions are very very unprofessional. I don't know what the guy said to them, but I would of said "no comment" or "not relevant" even being a straight male myself. There are laws against this sort of thing for everyday employers and it should be the same in professional sports.

As for the whole homosexuality thing that has really risen since the Kluwe letter, I really don't think that will change at all anytime soon unfortunately. Mainly because religion is so huge throughout football. While I don't think that is a cause or a good reason for it not to be, it effects the views on players by players regardless.

Its a shame, but thats how its going to be until the NFLPA does something. That wont happen until a player actually "comes out the closet."

[chadwix]

Ask them their favorite color and its not problem, ask them their fav car and its no problem. Another example of segregating themselves then asking for special treatment and making a stink.

If i were an nfl scout i would like to know everything about them, including their sexual preference. We saw with san francisco that gay people arent welcome in some locker rooms, its best to get it over with now instead of the middle of the season. This is a professional sports organization, your feelings dont matter as much as wins.

Nice to see flaco get paid, he has been a top qb for the past couple years against good teams, would of been in the super bowl just like alex smith last year if he teammates didnt choke. Hope they both continue their success

[Neazy]

Ask them their favorite color and its not problem, ask them their fav car and its no problem. Another example of segregating themselves then asking for special treatment and making a stink.

If i were an nfl scout i would like to know everything about them, including their sexual preference. We saw with san francisco that gay people arent welcome in some locker rooms, its best to get it over with now instead of the middle of the season. This is a professional sports organization, your feelings dont matter as much as wins.

Nice to see flaco get paid, he has been a top qb for the past couple years against good teams, would of been in the super bowl just like alex smith last year if he teammates didnt choke. Hope they both continue their success

"This is a cotton farming business, black people's feelings aren't as important as profits"

[Pendulous]

If i were an nfl scout i would like to know everything about them, including their sexual preference. We saw with san francisco that gay people arent welcome in some locker rooms, its best to get it over with now instead of the middle of the season. This is a professional sports organization, your feelings dont matter as much as wins.

It's illegal. This is an employer like any other, and they are to abide by discrimination laws.