The Swamp

One thing is for sure. No matter which way the Pats go, it was the right move.

EdRomero wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 12:20 pm edit: maybe my memory is sugar coating things, but AB seems to be in a worse place than Dillon and Moss were. Gordon seems like he's always been a good teammate and worker with a drug problem, so it's not as comparable for me.

I tend to agree with your memory. Dillon was sick of playing with a shitty franchise with a shittier owner, and Moss, while he quit on the Raiders, at least part of that was because the Raiders were a clown show. Moss was always game smart; Brady himself called him the smartest teammate he ever had.

Brown is just doing some crazy shit right now. The fucking frozen feet, man.

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2019 11:34 am The best thing from last night is knowing that Trubisky hasn't received a contract extension.

But, hey, they traded up to take him in the same draft where Mahomes and DeShaun Watson went in the next ten picks.

I missed this post.

Wow!

Also regarding Antonio Browns, Bills fans are buzzing right now. Have a feeling he could beat out Zay Jones.

The blonde mustache is everything.

ETA

Before your push notifications.

ETA

The Pats. Lolz. Everyone was right on this one.

Hey guys, maybe this is what sinks them.

So I know nothing.

Wow!

the fuck AB

Oh shit. This is hilarious.



ETA

2 days ago...

LFG = Lets Finger Gisele

rass wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 11:34 am

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 11:33 am Every twitter theorist has AB going to the Pats. They have $11 million in cap space, so they definitely have room for a "one year, no bonus, veteran's minimum, cut you any time" contract.

Ugh

I completely understand bringing him in. I just don't understand the money. $10 million this year eats up almost all of their cap space.

They're the one team in the league who could have went to Rosenhaus with a one-year non-guaranteed league minimum deal ($930K salary, $645K cap hit) and said, "Does he wanna come in, be on his best behavior, and win a ring? If so, just know we will cut him if he acts up at any point." There is talk about how they'll just walk away from Brady if his play slips instead of keeping him on board out of sentimentality, so why not play hard ball with Brown when his value is low?

Instead, they just gave him almost all of their remaining cap space. I understand a good faith gesture to start off the relationship positively, but common thought is they're gonna walk to the division title, playoff bye, and have a pretty good shot to make the Super Bowl without him.

Wonder how this affects a potential Gronkowski return when he "gets that itch after the season starts" that so many unnamed sources have talked about for months.

Maybe because he’s a top WR and probably needs money now that he’s likely out a “guaranteed” $40(?)MM you don’t take the risk?

I agree and would have bet they would have made a lowball offer but the timing says something to me. Got that done in no moe than 8 hours. Guess they wanted to close the deal.

Maybe they were bidding against another team? Patriots usually like to have some cap space going into the season so they have flexibility to make moves during the season, so that could burn them later.

mister d wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 5:15 pm LFG = Lets Finger Gisele

Little Fingered GOAT

Everyone on the Raiders should be fired.

Has Roethlisberger reacted yet? Because I bet I’d like his reaction.

mister d wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:12 pm Has Roethlisberger reacted yet? Because I bet I’d like his reaction.

It's too bad Brown won;t be playing tomorrow night.

EdRomero wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 6:27 pm Maybe they were bidding against another team? Patriots usually like to have some cap space going into the season so they have flexibility to make moves during the season, so that could burn them later.

Who else would be interested in him right now? I would expect teams in the bottom half of the league wouldn't want to bother with the headaches because he's not going to make them a true contender (and they're probably not appealing to Brown since he got himself booted off a perennial contender and signed with another). Many others don't have that much space. Teams with space who have question marks at QB (Colts, Titans, 49ers) probably would lack appeal for either Brown or the team. Dallas has space, but needs to deal with Prescott and possibly Cooper. Browns, Eagles, and Bears probably feel comfortable with their WRs already. I would guess Houston, Seattle, and Carolina seem like the teams with significant space that jump up the list of contenders if they added him.

How weak is the players union that guaranteed means not really guaranteed at all. All this talk about guaranteed money and thats all you can count... but really you cant count any at all. Can MLB teams do this? Hoops?

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 8:01 pm How weak is the players union that guaranteed means not really guaranteed at all. All this talk about guaranteed money and thats all you can count... but really you cant count any at all. Can MLB teams do this? Hoops?

When the first fine (the $50K-ish one where Brown put the letter on Instagram) was issued, someone tweeted/wrote (who can keep up?) that it was a common practice for teams to give the player the letter about fining them, but not actually collect the money for the fine (to keep a positive relationship with the player). A bigger reason for the letter was that it enabled the team to potentially void the contract by being able to suspend the player for "conduct detrimental to the team", thereby enabling the ability to avoid paying certain bonuses, etc. by issuing the suspension prior to the date those bonuses are due.

Closest I can think of is the Kings and Mike Richards.

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:49 pm

EdRomero wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 6:27 pm Maybe they were bidding against another team? Patriots usually like to have some cap space going into the season so they have flexibility to make moves during the season, so that could burn them later.

Who else would be interested in him right now? I would expect teams in the bottom half of the league wouldn't want to bother with the headaches because he's not going to make them a true contender (and they're probably not appealing to Brown since he got himself booted off a perennial contender and signed with another). Many others don't have that much space. Teams with space who have question marks at QB (Colts, Titans, 49ers) probably would lack appeal for either Brown or the team. Dallas has space, but needs to deal with Prescott and possibly Cooper. Browns, Eagles, and Bears probably feel comfortable with their WRs already. I would guess Houston, Seattle, and Carolina seem like the teams with significant space that jump up the list of contenders if they added him.

In that case, I'd go with your first thought about going with a good faith gesture to try start off the relationship positively, which means they have high expectations for him and really wanted him (they did try to get him from the Steelers when the Raider trade was happening). On your point about Gronk, I don't think he's coming back -- and you know how good my Patriots predictions are.

Also, with Houston being so aggressive trying to improve the offense lately, I wouldn't be surprised if they went after him too.

But seriously..the pats went from an underwhelming receiving corps to potentially a top 3 unit in like seven days. Fuck it all. Brady makes scrubs look like heroes now he has brown and Gordon. Fucknit all.

👀

Odell must be feeling like a real nitwit right now

Rex wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 9:34 pm Odell must be feeling like a real nitwit right now

Screw it. If there is anyone crazy enough to beat the pats in the afc championship it’s baker dam mayfield. Fucking dangerous!

I know it’s not all about me but my AB/CMU mancrush makes this weird for me.

brian wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 9:57 pm I know it’s not all about me but my AB/CMU mancrush makes this weird for me.

Clearly all Cmu grads have brain issues based on empirical evidence.

I was honestly "ehhhhhh" on the prospect of AB going to the Pats. I was worried for Gordon that AB would be a negative influence and fuck up his recovery.

Then he signs and I'm like "OK, fine. I trust in Belichick."

But if this is the case for real...



...then what. The feet thing. The helmet thing. The Mayock thing. The blonde mustache. All a ploy to get to the Patriots? Uh, ok.

However, if this whole charade even intimates conspiracy theory talk? Good. I'm happy about that.

So, does Johnnie trying to foreclose me saying it mean I can't say it?

This thing was clearly orchestrated.

Originating sometime this past week? Maybe?

tennbengal wrote: ↑Sun Sep 08, 2019 8:43 am So, does Johnnie trying to foreclose me saying it mean I can't say it?

This thing was clearly orchestrated.

Admittedly I don't follow NFL offseason moves or salary cap tuff very closely, but it sure looks orchestrated, other than Brown taking a big haircut on guaranteed money. If it's not orchestrated, then I'm firmly in the "Brown is having brain injury and/or mental health issues" camp.

Hey, if it was this wildly orchestrated ploy, then good. Everyone hates the Pats and their fans anyway.

I might as well just accept it and whatever consequences come of the ensuing investigation by the NFL.

It's not like he'll be suspended the entire season or playoffs. And what's going to happen to Belichick and Kraft? Fines? Ok, cool.

Brady was suspended the first 4 games of the season. Super Bowl MVP. Edelman was suspended the first 4 games of the season. Super Bowl MVP. So, whatever.

(I am kinda bummed that in this thread Joe K, Mister D, and myself are clearly NOT the bros we are in the politics threads. BUT, Super Bowl 54 is Sunday February 2nd and the Iowa caucuses are Monday, February 3rd. Soo there's that!)

Step back from your fandom to consider the fraud the Patriots are suspected of having orchestrated against the sport.

The Patriots offered Pitt a 1st and a 3rd for him, so it wasn't a big secret they wanted him. According to Mortensen (I know, grain of salt), the Browns and Seahawks were going after him too. Maybe his agent confirms with the Pats if they're still interested, but I don't think Brown needed much confirmation to know a team would be going after him if he forced his way out of Oakland.

I’d be happier if some team did that with Mel-Gord since it would leave the player with a lot more money. Go tampering!

EdRomero wrote: ↑Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:58 am The Patriots offered Pitt a 1st and a 3rd for him, so it wasn't a big secret they wanted him. According to Mortensen (I know, grain of salt), the Browns and Seahawks were going after him too. Maybe his agent confirms with the Pats if they're still interested, but I don't think Brown needed much confirmation to know a team would be going after him if he forced his way out of Oakland.

There’s just a certain ugliness to it all when players, without guaranteed $ are made to feign crazy to get out of a contract to land where they want. I mean, fuck the NFL anyways (and I truly mean this), but your allusion to plausible deniability is precisely why the Patriots did what they did, and the former (guaranteed $$) is why the NFL doesn’t give a crap about finding out what happened.

It’s one thing when this goes on in the NBA, because you’re dealing with players who are getting paid anyway. It’s just something else when the NFL player is the bad actor when they’re really involved in a bad faith arrangement perpetrated by the NFL owner in the first place.

Soon they’ll be dragging (oops, unfolding) the American flag across the football field to get us thinking about ‘MURICA! Instead of this type of crap.


ETA: I'll be watching football all damn day, just the same.