The Swamp

I just drafted a fantasy team and I think it might be a really bad one.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:59 pm I just drafted a fantasy team and I think it might be a really bad one.

No way! That is an unreasonable take!

Last day of staycation and I'm just going for it.

Kinda disagree about on time. It's on time because the receivers are expecting the ball or moving defenders to open a window for the ball to come out into a space. After the initial play you've just got guys running around. Of course they work on it and presumably have secondary routes or understanding after the QB runs but there's an efficiency to having wideouts know when to look for the ball. All that said I base a lot of what I said on the last few times the pats have played the Packers. Tons of dbs and coverage instead of pressure and it seems like Rodgers was not impressive.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:43 pm Am I wrong to be outraged that the Browns cut Kendricks the day it comes out that he made cash off insider trading - yet the same team kept Manziel on the team after he had smacked his girlfriend around a couple of times (plus drunk driving)?

What a bunch of fucking hypocrites. How much money did Haslam make in nefarious ways?

I read that the team knew about Kendricks' situation before they signed him, but apparently he made it sound like he was the victim instead of the culprit. My guess is the team didn't like being lied to and cut him as a result.

Here's a tweet from the Cleveland sports AP writer that has a statement from John Dorsey about why they cut Kendricks.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:12 pm All that said I base a lot of what I said on the last few times the pats have played the Packers. Tons of dbs and coverage instead of pressure and it seems like Rodgers was not impressive.

Rodgers has only played the Pats once in his career. He threw for 368 yards, 2 TDS, 0 INTs and the Packers won the game.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 3:59 pm Can't wait until the Bengals lose the AFC title game on a quadruple personal foul.

They will be up for four TDs. The late quadruple personal foul won't even matter.

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:04 pm

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:12 pm All that said I base a lot of what I said on the last few times the pats have played the Packers. Tons of dbs and coverage instead of pressure and it seems like Rodgers was not impressive.

Rodgers has only played the Pats once in his career. He threw for 368 yards, 2 TDS, 0 INTs and the Packers won the game.

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:04 pm Rodgers has only played the Pats once in his career.

Peter King weeps.

Can't see videos but it's not a secret that Rodgers holds the ball too long. It's part of what makes him great but it also makes life hard on linemen and wideouts.

Yeah, he's held it "too long", particularly in his younger days, but when you have all day to throw, what is "too long"? It's different for every QB and every team. 2015 Tom Brady playing in Denver had to get it out immediately. 2017 Tom Brady often had all day.

When Brady plays the Steelers and their umbrella coverages, he'll often hold the ball for long periods of time. If the Patriots just dropped a bunch of DBs back against GB and brought little pressure, then how is life all that hard on the OL that only have to block a few guys? Rodgers has plenty of plays where he gets the ball and the ball comes out. If he had to do that exclusively, he's probably going to be able to. In many of these plays, GB linemen are just doubling edge guys and barely breaking a sweat.

If he couldn't process things and get the ball out quick, teams would blitz him relentlessly. I mean, you cited Brett Favre as an example of a guy who depended on athleticism to play QB and he had his best season at age 40.

Basically, doing something because you can and doing something because you have to are different things. Ben Roethlisberger didn't turn into a QB capable of making quick reads until he had to. He's still not elite at it but he's a guy who everybody said would be done when the athleticism goes, but that athleticism has been gone for 5 years now and he's still doing well.

Agree with pretty much all of that. So you say the guy doesnt need his wheels to be the top 5 QB? Ive just wondered why he defaults to rolling and scramble drill type plays. Usually its to hide a weakness but no doubt weve seen him stand in and deliver on time. The question is ability to evolve and change his game to fit his abilities. And yeah he has already done that and will continue. Just can he be the same guy without what makes him who he is.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:43 pm Am I wrong to be outraged that the Browns cut Kendricks the day it comes out that he made cash off insider trading - yet the same team kept Manziel on the team after he had smacked his girlfriend around a couple of times (plus drunk driving)?

What a bunch of fucking hypocrites. How much money did Haslam make in nefarious ways?

It's more amusing to me as in it's a typical Browns move. They knew he was part of the investigation when they signed him...they just thought he was a victim.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Thu Aug 30, 2018 8:36 am Agree with pretty much all of that. So you say the guy doesnt need his wheels to be the top 5 QB? Ive just wondered why he defaults to rolling and scramble drill type plays. Usually its to hide a weakness but no doubt weve seen him stand in and deliver on time. The question is ability to evolve and change his game to fit his abilities. And yeah he has already done that and will continue. Just can he be the same guy without what makes him who he is.

He needs legs, not wheels. He's not sprinting outside like Mike Vick.

With the news Khalil Mack is is heading to the Bears:

Pretty interesting the Bears are taking an "all-in" stance. Understandable to do so while having a QB on a rookie contract, but it is a little peculiar to do it while also having possibly the worst team in their division.

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:42 pm Pretty interesting the Bears are taking an "all-in" stance. Understandable to do so while having a QB on a rookie contract, but it is a little peculiar to do it while also having possibly the worst team in their division.

Was the defence as bad as the offence last year?

AJ McCarron a Bear.

So Bills fans have Peterman and a major project to look forward to this year.

When you factor in the money and the likely results on the field Gruden could end up being the worst coaching hire in NFL history. And that’s saying something.

I hope Aaron Donald doesn't hold out now that he's no longer the highest paid def player ever.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 3:56 pm

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:42 pm Pretty interesting the Bears are taking an "all-in" stance. Understandable to do so while having a QB on a rookie contract, but it is a little peculiar to do it while also having possibly the worst team in their division.

Was the defence as bad as the offence last year?

No, the defense was okay, but there was minimal playmaking. In addition to being below average on talent alone, the offense was basically playing handcuffed because John Fox is terrified of anything more aggressive than putting two ice cubes in a glass of water.

That said, they added a significant amount of offensive skill position talent (Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton, Anthony Miller in the draft) to give Trubisky weapons and made some minor defensive upgrades before today, along with the coaching staff overhaul. It's not necessarily a "this year or bust" move, but it's more "we're moving to get there in the next couple years". I don't know how reasonable a stance that is in a division with Minnesota and Green Bay.

One of the smarter thoughts I saw on the trade was that, should Trubisky not turn out to be as good as they hope, they will at least have surrounded him with enough talent to hopefully Bortles their way to the playoffs.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:20 pm AJ McCarron a Bear.

So Bills fans have Peterman and a major project to look forward to this year.

A Raider.

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:56 pm

Pruitt wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:20 pm AJ McCarron a Bear.

So Bills fans have Peterman and a major project to look forward to this year.

A Raider.

That is correct. The Bills just emailed out their 53-man roster.

I can;t even bear to open it.

You don't really need to rebuild in the NFL. Bottom quarter to top quarter in three years is a certainty for 2-3 teams a year.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:35 pm You don't really need to rebuild in the NFL. Bottom quarter to top quarter in three years is a certainty for 2-3 teams a year.

Excuse me while I drink some hemlock...

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:35 pm You don't really need to rebuild in the NFL. Bottom quarter to top quarter in three years is a certainty for 2-3 teams a year.

This is true.

I do wonder if any of this acceleration is due to the GM (Ryan Pace) being on his second coach and needing this one (and to a significant degree, Trubisky, due to the assets traded to get him) to work out to keep his job.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:35 pm You don't really need to rebuild in the NFL. Bottom quarter to top quarter in three years is a certainty for 2-3 teams a year.

Yet, many teams manage to defy the odds and continue suckitude over longer periods of time, eh Pruitt?

And, to Safe's point, a need for results blows up the rebuild process many a time (in all pro sports). But, with Jon Gruden having a ten-year contract and with the team moving to a new town soon, he can afford to write off the present more than most others.

It's that time of year again.

(Substitute Nathan Peterman for EJ Manuel and Zay Jones for Stevie Johnson)

Kind of an anticlimactic end to Paxton Lynch’s career. At least until 30 QBs get hurt and he’s picked off the scrap heap ahead of Kaepernick.

brian wrote: ↑Mon Sep 03, 2018 1:52 am Kind of an anticlimactic end to Paxton Lynch’s career. At least until 30 QBs get hurt and he’s picked off the scrap heap ahead of Kaepernick.

Cut for Kevin Hogan... you'd think there's no coming back from that.

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:42 pm Pretty interesting the Bears are taking an "all-in" stance. Understandable to do so while having a QB on a rookie contract, but it is a little peculiar to do it while also having possibly the worst team in their division.

I don't think it's at all odd to jump at taking a Hall of Fame level talent pass rusher in his prime from a dumb team while you have the cap space to do it.

Here is a list of all the players the Bears have taken in the first round SINCE 1970 who have an argument of being better than Khalil Mack:

Walter Payton
Brian Urlacher

If you want to I guess you could argue for Dan Hampton.

That's it. What are they saving the cap space for anyway, to overpay the next Olivier Vernon?

As a fan of teams that have constantly blown their first round picks, Ive got to say if you can get a guy of Mack's caliber for 2 first rounders, you have to do it. Draft picks are only as good as the people making the picks.

I still can;t believe that Garoppolo went to the 49ers for a 2nd rounder.

Do great players win Superbowls? Even if he is the best defensive player in the NFC the next 3 years, there is a price you shouldn't pay because of the impact on salaries you can pay to the rest of the team. Between the contract and lack of rookie deals the danger is not being able to fill in with impossible combination of depth and quality.

If I did it right, the only super bowl winner since the 2nd Giants with a cap hit over $15MM was Peyton Manning in Denver.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Tue Sep 04, 2018 12:32 pm Do great players win Superbowls? Even if he is the best defensive player in the NFC the next 3 years, there is a price you shouldn't pay because of the impact on salaries you can pay to the rest of the team. Between the contract and lack of rookie deals the danger is not being able to fill in with impossible combination of depth and quality.

Great players don't win as many Super Bowls because New England wins all of them (though Brady and Gronkowski are great). Von Miller, the entire Seattle defense, the Steelers had loads of great players in 2008, Terrell Suggs, etc.


Who exactly are they saving this cap space for? Their QB makes peanuts for the next three years. This year alone, 14 teams have QB cap hits over $20,000,000 and they have not found it impossible to fill a roster.

You can spend it on Khalil Mack, or you can use it to sign Olivier Vernon and Janoris Jenkins.

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Sep 04, 2018 12:38 pm If I did it right, the only super bowl winner since the 2nd Giants with a cap hit over $15MM was Peyton Manning in Denver.

You should go by percentage of cap.

2011 Giants: Eli Manning made up 11.6% of the cap

2012 Ravens: Terrell Suggs made up 9.5% of the cap

2013 Seahawks: Zach Miller made up 8% of the cap (not as wtf but still, wtf)

2014 Patriots: Tom Brady made up 10.6%

2015 Broncos: Peyton Manning at 11.6%

2016 Patriots: Brady at 8.6%

2017 Eagles: Alshon Jeffrey at 6%

Donald's cap percentages:

2018: 4.9%

2019: 9%

2020: 13.37%

2021: 14.9%

2022: 11.9%

Some of those cap numbers are probably projections. But if this is a rule, they have two years to win.

In the late 90s, John Elway made up something like 20% of the Broncos salary cap.

Not like the money is guaranteed either. Like gunpowder alluded to, this is basically a three-year deal until Trubisky's rookie deal is done. The Rams essentially made the same/similar moves to win now during Goff's rookie deal and got lauded for it.

I'm not accusing anyone here of this mind you, so this is a highly generalized complaint but very few people who call themselves big NFL fans really understand anything about the CBA or how the contracts/cap actually work.