NFL 2024-25

[unclevlad]

6 QBs, 7 WRs, 8 OTs and 1 center.  4 edge rushers, 1 DT, 1 DE, and 3 CBs.  And 1 TE...guess who did this one.  (Prisco gave it a C.)

 

The strangest single move to me...Atlanta.  Penix?  After signing Cousins to a megadeal that basically runs the entire period of Penix' rookie deal?

 

Yeah, it's only 1 draft, and factors exist like depth at some positions (CB in particular)...but it does suggest the broad priorities around the league.  QB of course...Prisco dinged Denver because he thought Nix might be available later.  WRs...never enough.  Pass blocking...never enough.  So I kinda get it, but yeah...it's a big shift to the offensive side of the ball.

 

Or maybe the thinking is, other than the impact rusher...good players can be had later, and they can be fit into a decent scheme.  

 

 

[Pariah]

And Bo Nix might very well have been available later ... but after watching five quarterbacks go in the first 11 picks - including the aforementioned Michael Penix Jr. - if that's the guy you want, can you really take that chance? 

 

I don't know how much draft day grades really mean. Ask me again this time next year. 

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

And Bo Nix might very well have been available later ... but after watching five quarterbacks go in the first 11 picks - including the aforementioned Michael Penix Jr. - if that's the guy you want, can you really take that chance?

 

Nope, I guarantee Vegas would have taken Nix if Denver hadn't.   Because...

 

2 hours ago, unclevlad said:

6 QBs, 7 WRs, 8 OTs and 1 center.  4 edge rushers, 1 DT, 1 DE, and 3 CBs.  And 1 TE...guess who did this one.  (Prisco gave it a C.)

 

...they obviously had no plan for both Nix and Penix being unavailable, so they panicked and drafted a third TE.  With the 13th overall pick.  My Raiders do not disappoint!

 

What they should have done was flip the script and picked up one of the elite defensive players that were still on the board as a result of the QB run.  If you have to go into 2024 with AOC under center, build around Maxx Crosby and make a truly fearsome defense.  If we can't score, no one will!  Oh well, missed opportunities.

 

 

Quote

 

The strangest single move to me...Atlanta.  Penix?  After signing Cousins to a megadeal that basically runs the entire period of Penix' rookie deal?

 

I actually kind of understand this after a season of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.  Problem is with both Cousins and Penix on the roster they won't be able to afford any other players.

[Pariah]

5 hours ago, Old Man said:

What they should have done was flip the script and picked up one of the elite defensive players that were still on the board as a result of the QB run.  If you have to go into 2024 with AOC under center, build around Maxx Crosby and make a truly fearsome defense.  If we can't score, no one will!  Oh well, missed opportunities.

 

I'll confess that when I read this my first thought was "The Raiders QB room is so FUBAR that they're starting a Congresswoman from New York?" But hey, I'm not here to judge.

 

Of course, the Broncos QB room now sounds like a personal injury law firm. "Did you or any of your loved ones watch Broncos football between 2016 and 2023? You may be entitled to financial compensation! Call the law firm of Stidham, Wilson, DiNucci and Nix for your free consultation today!" 

 

 

Edited April 26 by Pariah

[unclevlad]

6 hours ago, Old Man said:

I actually kind of understand this after a season of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.  Problem is with both Cousins and Penix on the roster they won't be able to afford any other players.

 

First round draft picks get paid by the slot they're drafted.  

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-how-much-money-the-top-2024-nfl-draft-picks-will-earn-on-their-rookie-contracts-ff3edc7d

 

This is why it's so foolish, and why the rookie contract years for a QB represent a special window of opportunity.  

 

What it means is, they basically had no first round pick in this draft.  Oh, and they never told Cousins about this, so reports are, HE isn't happy either.  The look is...ok, we'll groom Penix for 2 years, then boot Cousins once the guaranteed money's paid out, according to CBS Sports.

[slikmar]

10 hours ago, unclevlad said:

The strangest single move to me...Atlanta.  Penix?  After signing Cousins to a megadeal that basically runs the entire period of Penix' rookie deal?

I wonder if they don't already have a trade with someone else almost but not quite completed, so what they were really drafting is a QB for another team, maybe who drafts later, that has a couple players they want.

[unclevlad]

3 minutes ago, slikmar said:

I wonder if they don't already have a trade with someone else almost but not quite completed, so what they were really drafting is a QB for another team, maybe who drafts later, that has a couple players they want.

 

That would explain it, but they had several hours last night after the pick.  You'd think, the trade would have to be VERY close...and thus, get announced last night...before they'd risk wasting the 8th pick.

 

Also:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/falcons-gm-explains-shocking-selection-of-michael-penix-jr-that-left-kirk-cousins-disappointed/

 

So, doesn't look to be the case.

[Cancer]

8 hours ago, Old Man said:

 

Nope, I guarantee Vegas would have taken Nix if Denver hadn't.   Because...

 

 

...they obviously had no plan for both Nix and Penix being unavailable, so they panicked and drafted a third TE.  With the 13th overall pick.  My Raiders do not disappoint!

 

What they should have done was flip the script and picked up one of the elite defensive players that were still on the board as a result of the QB run.  If you have to go into 2024 with AOC under center, build around Maxx Crosby and make a truly fearsome defense.  If we can't score, no one will!  Oh well, missed opportunities.

 

 

 

I actually kind of understand this after a season of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.  Problem is with both Cousins and Penix on the roster they won't be able to afford any other players.

 

Turns out that there is a wishful-thinking sort of scenario where Atlanta saves money, assuming they deal Cousins promptly.  I find it more than a little implausible, but it's there.

[Old Man]

8 minutes ago, Cancer said:

 

Turns out that there is a wishful-thinking sort of scenario where Atlanta saves money, assuming they deal Cousins promptly.  I find it more than a little implausible, but it's there.

 

That article doesn't even make sense.  Best case scenario is they pay Cousins $50M and take a $50M cap hit, and that's if he doesn't play a single snap.  And it doesn't even mention what Penix costs.

 

From what I read, Falcons fandom is less than thrilled with the pick--why draft a QB with that injury history to back up another QB with an injury history? 

[unclevlad]

For the next 4 years, Penix's total cost is about $22M.  Not per year...that's the total for all 4 years.

 

The most likely scenario there is trading or, more likely, releasing Cousins after 2 years.

 

Not saying it's likely, as overall...it's still moronic IMO to sign him to a contract like this, then immediately go all-in, essentially, on a kid.  An OLD kid, at that, push come to shove...Penix's 24th birthday is 2 weeks away.

 

Plus...that article was written by a Penix fanboy, cuz he's the local.  When's the last time UW had a QB make it in the NFL?  Say...start at least 50 games?  Jake Locker had 23 starts in 4 years, and wasn't signed to his 5th year...nope.  Marques Tuiasosopo only played in 13 games, with only 2 starts, in 6 years.  Brock Huard had less.  Damon Huard...started 27 but was bypassed several times/was a 3rd stringer.

 

Mark Brunell...well, OK, he had a real career.  151 starts.  But Brunell's last college season was 1992.

 

So I basically tune it out.  Written by someone looking for ANY excuse to make sense of it.  And what's worse to me?  It STILL makes no real sense, because Cousins is there, and he's basically untouchable for 2 years.  Insurance?  You don't draft at #8 for insurance purposes...especially when you're a bad team, as Atlanta is.  They were 7-10...that doesn't look horrible, but that was in the AWFUL NFC South.  They played against the AFC South, with 3 weak teams.  Those 10 games gave em 5 wins.  The Charmin-soft schedule is why they only ended up with the 8th pick;  it easily could've been 5th or 6th.

 

Of course I'm biased here too.  That franchise has made multiple blunders since the SB run, so IMO it's MUCH!!! easier to ascribe incompetence...particularly given that they didn't even TELL Cousins in advance...than to believe they have some secret master plan.

 

 

[Pariah]

From the Purple FTW! Podcast:

"Kurt Cousins and the Vikings are like a couple who divorced (over money issues), then the Vikings moved on quickly with a 21-year old blonde while Kurt's new team is already cheating on him."

[Cancer]

Quote

[Seahawks 3rd round draftee offensive guard] Haynes did say, “I can play anything they need me to play.” I can’t wait to see what he provides as an auxiliary free safety.

 

Edited April 27 by Cancer

[Pariah]

Looking at draft evaluations this morning is entertaining. CBS Sports gave the Broncos a B+ for their draft, saying that other than reaching for Bo Nix in the first round they did a solid job. Yahoo Sports, on the other hand, gave the Broncos a D, the second lowest grade in the NFL—ahead of only the Falcons.

[unclevlad]

With the Broncos, a lot of the draft grade is what you think of Nix.  

 

I remember seeing a site that aggregated ALL the draft grades, which was actually very interesting.  The grades run all over the place, quite often...with exceptions.  I've yet to see anyone give the Falcons a decent grade.  Flip side, Washington's new front office got consistently high grades.

 

Can't find anything like that right now.  

[Old Man]

15 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

I remember seeing a site that aggregated ALL the draft grades, which was actually very interesting.  The grades run all over the place, quite often...with exceptions.  I've yet to see anyone give the Falcons a decent grade.  Flip side, Washington's new front office got consistently high grades.

 

Can't find anything like that right now.  

 

Football Outsiders used to do this, but they were destroyed.  I haven't found anyone else doing it despite an intense thirty second google search.

[Old Man]

Still can't find a grading-the-draft-graders article.  But after reading a bunch, the Raiders' draft grades mostly depend on what the reviewer thought of their reaching for a talented tight end they didn't need.  I suppose the plan is to give AOC/Minshew a great short-range weapon, but those two were the most inaccurate passers in the league last year. 

 

Of the NGD teams, the Jags and Vikings seem to have come away with the most consistent decent grades--the former for buying Trevor a line, and the latter for doing what was necessary to acquire a quarterback.

 

The most consistent poor grade goes to the Falcons, for creating an expensive quarterback controversy when they didn't need one.

[Pariah]

One social media wit said "The Falcons put together the most unpopular draft since Vietnam." 

[Cancer]

Already begun is the long parade of UDFA signings and invitations to camp.

[Cancer]

Seahawks-Broncos trade history under Seattle GM John Schneider

 

Very complete if terse summary: Ouchie.

[Pariah]

Someone's poking the bear....

 

Houston Cougars to Add Blue Uni Despite NFL’s Cease-and-Desist Letter

 

 

[unclevlad]

Poke away!  The point of prior use in the area feels like it's worth trying.  Trademark law is funky;  the Titans can't push their right to the color that far.  I'm not a fan of asserting overly broad trademarks, so I'll root for UH here.

[Pariah]

In UFL action, the Arlington Renegades kicked a field goal with just under a minute left to take a 27-25 lead, setting them up to win a game for the first time this season.

 

Then they gave up a long kick return with a face mask penalty on the tackle, giving the Michigan Panthers excellent field position. Michigan ran a couple of plays to set up the game-winning field goal attempt with two seconds left.

 

The Michigan kicker shanked it left ... but the play had already been called dead because Arlington had 12 players on the field. So the 47-yard attempt became a 42-yard attempt, and the Panthers kicker nailed it as time expired.

 

Michigan Panthers 28, Arlington Renegades 27. Arlington, last year's surprise XFL champions, now sit at 0-6.

 

The late game features the San Antonio Brahmas (wearing yellow jerseys with anthracite helmets and pants) at the DC Defenders (wearing white helmets with red jerseys and pants). Yep, it's a ketchup vs. mustard game.

 

 

Edited May 5 by Pariah

[unclevlad]

2 hours ago, Pariah said:

The late game features the San Antonio Brahmas (wearing yellow jerseys with anthracite helmets and pants) at the DC Defenders (wearing white helmets with red jerseys and pants). Yep, it's a ketchup vs. mustard game.

 

Clearly, the NFL needs to figure out something to occupy the attention of football fans for the period between the draft and the start of training camps, as this proves Mr. P is suffering from Football Withdrawal Syndrome....

[Old Man]

I'm not sure how he does it.  Every year I watch the Superb Owl with a sense of relief, that I can stop following football for a while.

 

Then by August I'm like hurry up start the season already

[unclevlad]

8 minutes ago, Old Man said:

I'm not sure how he does it.  Every year I watch the Superb Owl with a sense of relief, that I can stop following football for a while.

 

Then by August I'm like hurry up start the season already

 

Well, he already knows watching baseball is a lost cause....

 

I hear ya tho.  Football supersaturation is real.  And the WORST time for it is preseason, when there's nothing real to talk about...but the bloviators are in overdrive!  Because there's no hype like preseason hype.  After a few weeks, reality has started to seep in.

 

Unless, of course, you're a Cowboy fan.  Then every regular-season win exaggerates your Jonesian-induced dementia, and it'll only get punctured in the playoffs.