Old Man Posted March 7 Report Share Posted March 7 22 minutes ago, unclevlad said: That really bites for them. What you did there: I see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 8 Report Share Posted March 8 Let the bloodletting begin in earnest! Broncos release Justin Simmons: Denver saves $14.5M in cap space by cutting All-Pro safety It's gonna get worse before it gets better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 8 Author Report Share Posted March 8 Yep. This is what happens when you blow through the cap. Look at the Bills' cuts. Believe the Cowboys have had to do these too, to a degree, and so did the Seahawks when they had to try to pay Wilson (post-rookie contract) and the Legion of Boom. It's a BIG!! factor why the 5 years of a QB's rookie contract are viewed as an important window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 And now the Broncos have traded former #15 overall pick Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland for two late (5th and 6th round) picks. No word yet on whether the Browns also threw in a bag of magic beans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 9 Author Report Share Posted March 9 Salary cap clearance, pure and simple. $13M guaranteed money this year. On the one hand...we can assume no one offered more, so the league doesn't seem to be valuing him *at his price tag* and the fact this is his option year. CBS Sports and USA Today give the Browns very high marks, but...is this really a cheap flyer? OTOH, tho...bailing on a young player who's done OK, and getting nothing in return....beyond the cap space, I'm kinda wondering if he had no support from Sean Payton, and this is about getting rid of those who don't fit in...according to Payton. On the flip side, I'm thinking this gives Jeudy a chance to live up to his draft position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 14 minutes ago, unclevlad said: Salary cap clearance, pure and simple. $13M guaranteed money this year. On the one hand...we can assume no one offered more, so the league doesn't seem to be valuing him *at his price tag* and the fact this is his option year. CBS Sports and USA Today give the Browns very high marks, but...is this really a cheap flyer? OTOH, tho...bailing on a young player who's done OK, and getting nothing in return....beyond the cap space, I'm kinda wondering if he had no support from Sean Payton, and this is about getting rid of those who don't fit in...according to Payton. On the flip side, I'm thinking this gives Jeudy a chance to live up to his draft position. Jeudy was hounded by rumors of (lack of) effort level even before Payton. Seems like the kind of situation where a change of scenery might be best for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Courtland Sutton had a perfect reaction to Broncos' roster moves Old Man 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 And the Pats jettison Mac Jones now. From Field Yates: Quote There were 5 QBs taken in the first 15 picks of the 2021 NFL Draft. 2 have already been traded - Trey Lance and Mac Jones - while 2 more could be this offseason - Justin Field and Zach Wilson. The fifth was #1 pick Trevor Lawrence, who's doing fine...but yeah, overall that track record's pretty bad. And Jones is going to Jacksonville; reports are they're the only team to offer anything, and they're only shipping a 6th round pick in return. What does this mean? Jones is on the 4th and last base year of his rookie contract, so his salary is low...for NFL QBs. Not by any sane standards. '25 is his option year...and if picked up, it's $25M. Yes, well, barring injury to Lawrence? NO CHANCE it'll get picked up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 At least he didn't go to a division rival. Russell Wilsons signs with Steelers, will play against Broncos in 2024 He'll probably at his best game at Mile High next year. 🙄 Old Man 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 11 Author Report Share Posted March 11 You're assuming he'll actually play. Well, OK, I guess given the alternatives in Pittsburgh.......... EDIT: headline from The Athletic... Kaboly: Russell Wilson could set the Steelers back years, so they better win now The point being, it sure sounds like it's a rejection of their existing QBs...and if so, then if Wilson doesn't work, OR if he walks in '25...it's only a 1 year deal...you've burned the bridges to Rudolph and Pickett, most likely. So...back to drafting another QB. A potential counter is, after Williams, Maye, and Daniels, many draft opinionators don't think there's another true first-round caliber option, and we know, QBs get snapped up in the desperate search for one. Steelers' first pick is 20. Signing Wilson says, we're not going QB...but a 1 year deal *might* be saying, we'll wait for next year. The (admittedly massively premature) opinion is the '25 draft will have more at QB. Still...the Steelers aren't the type to trade up. They're probably not going to get a much better draft position next year, so "the next Elway" is gonna be long gone, so I'm not sure this is viable. Tossing Pickett to the side...'24 is the 3rd year of his rookie contract, but they have to decide on the 5th year option next May. But given that Pickett was capable of playing late in the year...and the Steelers still used Rudolph and Tomlin...it's quite likely they've given up on him anyway. So, it's back to square one...and the consideration that they can't get a franchise QB in the draft makes a bridge season with a QB that costs basically nothing, not a terrible idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 Wow. BIG day on the free agent front. Barkley bails the Giants to.....the Eagles. Which might well be just what they need. In Dallas, Tony Pollard is gone, to Tennessee. He's only 26, and doesn't have that much mileage. So clearly they expect Prescott to carry the load. I'm sorry. Here, take your time to get control back and get up off the floor. Accept my apologies for making you laugh that hard, with no warning....... And I'm sure His Fuzziness is all-over tangles now. Kirk Cousins heads south to Atlanta...on another pretty darn ridiculous contract, IMO. 4 years, $180M; $50M signing bonus, $90M guaranteed for the '24 and '25 seasons. This smacks of desperation and another case of grossly overpaying...Cousins turns 36 in August, not 30. And coming off a torn ACL? Conversely, the NFC South has been a weak division for a couple years. If your intent is just to make the playoffs, well, this might work...but a deep run? Atlanta? Cousins? I don't see either part of this equation being anywhere close. Several other RBs apparently got paid pretty good too, but Barkley and Pollard were the standouts for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 ...and now most of the free agents quarterbacks the Donkeys were rumored to be looking at have signed elsewhere. So who's still available? Here are the highlights: Jimmy Garoppolo Ryan Tannehill Mason Rudolph Zach Wilson Justin Fields Drew Lock We're doomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 42 minutes ago, Pariah said: We're doomed. That's a given. Team made a bad move with Wilson, then it blows up more spectacularly than an explosion at a fireworks factory. They're basically trying to compete with one arm tied behind their back. Reports are, they restructured 2 more contracts, so technically they're $43M *under* the cap...but that doesn't include whatever the dead money cap charge for Wilson will be. Story in Mile High Report discusses the latest restructure, and posits that perhaps they're setting up to take the big Wilson cap hit *this* year, and a much smaller one next year. The contract restructuring involves converting salary to signing bonuses...which get prorated. But that means they become cap charges down the line, but then, the Wilson cap hit will be off the books. Actually found some early win total bets...Broncos are at 8.5, somehow. Well, we'll see how this changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 13 Author Report Share Posted March 13 And...here we go again... The #1 attention queen is at it again. Aaron Rodgers (and Jesse Ventura) sits atop RFK Jr's choice for VP, as an independent. Rodgers is going...hmm, yeah, I'd be interested. So much for focusing on the Jets, should he do it....even considering no independent has a snowball's chance of winning. Elsewhere...Raiders make it official, Jimmy G. is gone. And the Chargers have to cut Mike Williams, a good big-play wideout, to fit under the cap. All teams have to be under the cap at this point, so today's moves are likely the last subtractions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 Cam Newton reacts to Kirk Cousins' $180 million contract with Falcons: 'Definitely alarming to see' Oh, but that's not even the most entertaining part. Quote He also alluded to a different option the Falcons didn't consider. "I can't make it about me, but if I were to make it about me ... I'm in Atlanta," Newton added. Denial. It's not just a river in Egypt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 I can actually see his points. He's certainly not the only one thinking it's too much. Not making waves is *not* a bad thing...being reliable to do your job is a very good thing. But yeah, he's definitely in denial about where he fits in. Hey, dude, you were on top of the football universe...but you lost your mojo in that game 3 against the Vikes in '16...and were never the same afterward. The flake act usually wears thin fairly quickly when the performance isn't there...unless you're Aaron Rodgers. Pariah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 (edited) From a fanblog, arguably the best news to come this entire offseason for Seattle: Spoiler Quote Seahawks get huge offseason boost, Aaron Donald retires Quote Roughly 15 percent of Donald’s 117 career regular + postseason sacks occurred versus the Seahawks. Edited March 15 by Cancer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 That's pretty seismic...Donald's only 32. But 10 years of double teams is reason enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 In my mind, the beginning of the end for Cam Newton was that second strip sack in Super Bowl 50, a/k/a/ the "business decision". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 2 hours ago, Pariah said: In my mind, the beginning of the end for Cam Newton was that second strip sack in Super Bowl 50, a/k/a/ the "business decision". The Minnesota game was only 3 games into the next season, so...not a big difference. IIRC, I've heard both. MVP season then a very poor SB after 3 dominating halves in the playoffs...then 18/41. And it's probably worth noting, talking about the strip sack...Newton was sacked 185 times in those first 5 years, plus however many hits he had to absorb while running the ball...600 rushes in those 5 years. Then the 6 sacks in SB 50, and 8 in week 3? You can't dismiss the notion that he took permanent damage. If he hadn't flaked out as much as he did, tho...even after those last 3, bad seasons, I suspect he might've gotten backup jobs...if he'd accept them. The comment you highlighted suggests he wouldn't, tho, and put the two together? Bet his agent heard numerous variants of "don't call us, we'll call you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted March 16 Report Share Posted March 16 Today's trivia question: Which Hall of Fame quarterback went to college at a school named for his great great great grandfather? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slikmar Posted March 16 Report Share Posted March 16 Steve Young? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 16 Author Report Share Posted March 16 Yep. Of course, and no offense...the fact that it's a Mr. P trivia question tends to narrow down the answer pool considerably........ Pariah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted March 17 Author Report Share Posted March 17 Steelers pick up Justin Fields, and only send back a 6th round pick...in other words, basically nothing. NFL.com counts this as a win for Fields, but I'm not so sure. It's complex; if Wilson plays decently, then Fields spends his 4th year...his pre-option year...on the bench. And it's a clear statement that no one wants Fields as a clear starter. OTOH, it also suggests that Wilson had better not take his starting role as a given. Both Wilson and Fields are essentially playing on 1 year contracts, and it's wildly unlikely they'll both get big money in '25. The losers for sure are the Bears, and all 3 of the current Steeler QBs. NFL.com also notes the Jets are losers, as...if Fields can only deliver a 6th round pick, then Zach Wilson's value as a backup is.............a 6th round pick in 2027? Steelers fans still have to be really nervous, as it's not at all hard to imagine BOTH of their new QBs failing miserably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted March 17 Report Share Posted March 17 It might have been a win for Fields if the Steelers hadn't picked Arthur Smith to be their coordinator. That guy does not know what he's doing. Otherwise it's a win for the Steelers, holding out until Fields' market dried up and then picking him up for a bag of footballs. He's at least a midrange starting QB just based on athletic ability. The problem for the Bears is that everyone knew they had to move on from Fields, so they were just waiting for him to get cut. Draft in 5 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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