Topic: 🏈🏈 The American Football Discussion Thread 🏈🏈 - page 198. (Read 57664 times)

I doubt it.  I'm even doubting that the Jets will draft a QB at #2, they have Sam Darnold, who's young and looks like he'll have a promising career.  It wouldn't make financial sense for the Jets to have two high-draft QBs on their roster.  If I was in the Jets position I would trade down and grab as many bargains as I can.  Build up the offensive line and add some depth.  If the Jets don't trade down I suspect Robert Salah will draft a break-out WR or TE.  That would be the smart thing to do.

Matt Ryan is aging, and I can see the Falcons wanting to plan for the future QB, so they may take a QB at #4.  But again, I think they have other pressing needs like an entire pass-defense, lol.

There are so many good QBs in this year's draft some are bound to fall to the lower first round, and many will be bargains in the latter rounds.  That's another reason I believe the 9ers have Wilson in mind with the trade they made.  It really wouldn't make sense for any of the others, including Lawrence, in my opinion.

Historically and statistically speaking a QB is the worst player to draft with the first over-all pick, or any high draft pick.  Tom Brady just put the nail in the coffin for first-round QB draftees.  It'll be decades before anyone can match his accomplishments and it's no guarantee that the one who does will have been a high draft-pick, or even a first-rounder.  The position requires so many intangible attributes to be successful.  Speed, athleticism, and intelligence are the easy metrics to assess, which is why more highly drafted wide receivers enjoy successful NFL careers than highly drafted QBs.  There's so much more that goes into being a good QB, and many of those attributes have yet to be defined, let alone metered.  

Think about the best QBs in the league right now; Aaron Rodgers should have been picked fist by the 49ers, but that fumbling dumbass Mike Nolan chose Alex Smith instead.  Brady was a sixth round pick, selected to carry water for the practice squad.  Mahomes was passed up by nine teams before KC chose him, and Trubisky was selected before him.  There's no rhyme or reason for it.  If you take (arguably) the two best QBs to ever play the game; Montana and Brady try to mimic what Walsh and Belichick did to make those choices...  Where would you start?  Both coaches reputedly said that it was dumb luck.

Agreed, to pay such a high price they need to be quite sure about who they are going to get and in my opinion such a high price can only be commanded by Wilson, I understand why Lawrence will be the first pick on the draft but just like last year to me it seemed as if Herbert was better than Burrow but Burrow was the pick, and something similar could happen in this draft as well.

Also the fact Wilson comes from BYU a college with a good story of QBs on the league and the same college where Steve Young came from, which has obvious ties with SF makes this and even more obvious choice for them, but at the end they will depend on what the NYJ do with their pick but I could see them picking Fields instead of Wilson and everyone walks away happy with their QB.

Do you think we will see 4 QBs picked with the first 4 draft picks? Atlanta is picking fourth and Matt Ryan is the most expensive QB this year and they are going through a rebuild anyway so it could be a good time to pick his replacement.

I don't know about that.  There's been plenty of talk of trading him, so I doubt that's the case.

Assuming the 49ers really are going to draft a QB I would keep Garoppolo until his contract expires after the 2022 season.  Draft a rookie and let him play under Garoppolo, next year maybe he competes for the starting job.  The 9ers' salary cap space is in decent shape, so there's no financial need to get rid of Garoppolo. He's been a good QB when he's healthy, and I really don't see a better option on the market.  A bird in hand.


I don't see the Patriots pursuing Garoppolo, not right now.  Things may change before the season begins, and wouldn't count out a late off-season trade.  But if things remain as they are today I think the Pats are better off drafting a prospect and keeping an affordable veteran on the roster for the next couple of years.

If I remember correctly, Jimmy G as a no-trade clause in his current contract with the 49ers.

This 3rd pick makes things really more interesting as before, Mac Jones really impressed me on the pro day in Alabama and could be a good choice for them since Trevor Lawrence should be picked by the Jags.

The 49ers might not trade Jimmy Garoppolo because they might not get Deshaun Watson after his lawsuits.

@morvillz7z. 49ers might pick someone like Justin Fields and if Garoppolo gets injured again and put Fields, they might discover their own Deshaun Watson hehehe.

Actually, I'm thinking it might be Zack Wilson.  Robert Salah (our former DC) has the number 2 pick with his new team, the Jets. Maybe ShanaLynch have some inside knowledge about Salah's plans.  That was an expensive trade, so I'm sure they're eying a quarterback.  If the Jets do take Wilson at #2, I like Lance but I HIGHLY doubt that Shanahan and Lynch would make such an expensive trade for anyone south of Wilson.

I hope it is Wilson, I link him better than Trevor Lawrence.  That would make up for the last 16 years of bitterness for not drafting Rodgers.

17-game regular season is a go:

"NFL Reportedly to Announce 17-Game Regular-Season Schedule 'This Week'"
source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2938564-nfl-reportedly-to-announce-17-game-regular-season-schedule-this-week

Some key takeaways from the article:


In a nutshell, more money for the owners, casual fans will certainly approve of the added game, and for me an extra week of football to bet on.

I don't think players would dig the change as much, extra game they can get injured, especially tough for teams poised for deep playoff runs trying to keep their rosters healthy.

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@DireWolfM14 

Which QB will the 49ers draft at No. 3? Do you have any preference between Justin Fields, Mac Jones, or maybe even Trey Lance?... and what are you doing to do with Garoppolo, trade him to the Patriots? 

Yeah they are very blessed to have the NFL cooperating with them like this. I really hope that the league will be a success and we might even see several European teams following to the league.
You're right, fortunately it's becoming more and more popular here in Germany and is finding more and more people interested.
But you can thank "ran Football", which has been broadcasting selected NFL games on free TV for a few years now. And its growing year by year.

The commissioner of the new league, Patrick Esume, has also always done a lot for it. He has, for example, hosted many games on ran Football and always looked for competent reinforcement.
For example, the former DE of the Colts, Björn Werner, followed him and has since been commentating on NFL games alongside Patrick Esume and, since last season, also on college football.
Really nice to see, especially since the first round of 2013 had to end his career way too early due to injuries.

That's very interesting.  Most of those teams share names with teams from the defunct NFL Europa.


I imagine there's some connection to the old league, the NFL is usually pretty stingy about naming rights.  Also interesting that six of the eight teams are from Germany, which is also reflective of the old NFL Europe league.  I know football is popular there, so maybe this league has a chance to succeed.

Some news for the upcoming debut-season of the European League of Football.
The last few days there have been many announcements via social media. Many commitments and announcements of teams that already existed at the time of NFL Europe.

These are the eight teams for the first season that have been official announced:
Frankfurt Galaxy
Hamburg Sea Devils
Stuttgart Scorpions
Barcelona Dragons
Wroclaw Panthers
Berlin Thunder
Cologne Centurions

The Hamburg Sea Devils, for example, have signed Kasim Edebali, one of the few German NFL players who has unfortunately been out of action for the last two years.
The new head coach could also prove himself in the NFL: Ted Daisher, Ex-Special Teams Coordinator for the Eagles, Browns and Raiders.

I think we can expect some interesting announcements in the next few days. If the interest exists I can gladly keep you up to date 
Most of the info I could find is unfortunately only on german social media channels, but it looks like the official website is already under construction. You can find it here: europeanleague.football

Will Bill Belicheck’s new players improve the team if Cam Newton is the quarterback? I am skeptical.

Also, who would trade for Deshaun Watson with 14 lawsuits? He is trapped with the Texans and he will be very thankful for playing for the Texans. He might also retire a Texan hehehehe.


The numbers keep increasing for Deshaun Watson, as his camp remains silent.

Lawyer Tony Buzbee told FOX 26 in Houston on Monday night that the total number of assault lawsuits against the Texans quarterback has reached 14, with 24 total claims now under consideration by Buzbee’s firm.

Source https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/03/23/deshaun-watson-lawsuits-up-to-14-with-24-accusers/

The skeptical me is thinking that there is a conspiracy against Deshaun Watson to pressure him and force him to stay with the Texans hehe.

I predict the lawsuits will be dropped then Watson announces that he is very happy to stay with the Texans.

The Deshaun Watson situation has gotten a lot more complex, he is being accused in two civil lawsuits of civil assault and emotional distress and two more cases are coming, in a nutshell he is accused of behaving inappropriately when receiving massages by two different woman on events that allegedly happened on March 2020 and August 2020.

News Sources :
https://www.nfl.com/news/texans-deshaun-watson-accused-of-indecent-conduct-in-civil-lawsuit-qb-denies-wro
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/texans/article/massage-therapist-deshaun-watson-lawsuit-buzbee-16032560.php

Lawsuits Sources :
https://www.scribd.com/document/499181353/Deshaun-Watson-lawsuit
https://www.scribd.com/document/499204637/Georgia-woman-s-lawsuit-vs-Deshaun-Watson

In addition to all of the Patriots' new signings, they also have one big departure to report. OLiner Joe Thuney moves to the Kansas City Chiefs and signs a 5 year contract.
Really exciting because both starting tackles were recently released and Thuney showed in the past, that he can also play as center or right guard in emergency situations.

And Gronk has signed a new 1-year contract. It really seems like the Bucs are doing everything they can to keep their SB team. As a Brady fanboy I like to see that.

Sources:
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31071220/kansas-city-chiefs-agree-5-year-deal-joe-thuney
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31071981/rob-gronkowski-returning-tampa-bay-buccaneers-says-agent

He better does, Cam is not going to be a solution for the long term, however assuming he can remain healthy he should play better after having a full year to learn the offence, but still it seems like the best option long term for Belichick is to draft a QB.

And in some other news, Drew Brees has finally retired, for a moment some speculated he could play for another year but now it is definitive, taking into account the salary cap issues of NO it seems they are about to enter a rebuild mode so this seems like the best moment for Brees to retire.

Source: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/drew-brees-retirement-breaking-down-the-saints-possible-replacements-for-legendary-qb/

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Cam only had one good season, when you see the rest he is average at best, he had several injuries on his throwing shoulder and tried to change his trowing mechanics but that is always hard to do so late on your career, but at that price he is not a bad sign.

Garoppolo fits NE system better since he already knows the offence very well so there will be no problems in that front, but as we know the biggest problem for NE last year was their skill position players, they had no talent there and it is something Belichick is addressing right now.

Agreed, he overachieved.

That is possible but it will be hard, the Bills and Dolphins improved last year and if they improve this year as well then even a wildcard spot will be difficult to achieve.

Jonnu Smit is a great addition, a top notch TE was glaringly missing from the Pats offense last year.  Matt Judon is another great addition, and with the rest of the defense back in action, they're going to be a force.  Agholor and Bourne are both decent receivers, but I think Belichick still needs a stand-out at the position.  Galladay is still unsigned, but I expect the Lions to franchise-tag him if they can't come to a long-term agreement.

I'm hoping the Niners can sign Trent Williams to long term deal, otherwise I expect they'll use their tag on him.

source: https://twitter.com/AnnieAgar/status/1371537476364406786

"Signed
- Jonnu Smith 4yr/$50M
- Davon Godchaux 2yr/$16M
- Matt Judon 4yr/$56M
- Jalen Mills 4yr/$24M
- Nelson Agholor 2yr/$26M
- Kendrick Bourne 3yr/$22.5M"
source: https://twitter.com/KeaganStiefel/status/1371598437498621955

Belichick is not playing around, Jonnu Smith is an amazing addition imo, outside of Kelce and Kittle he is probably the best TE out there, close to 500 yards last season and 8 TD catches.
The odds for Patriots winning the AFC East look great at 5.14 (dropped a little throughout the day and will likely go down further).

I think the Patriots' fans are clinging to the past, wishing for Garoppolo's return out of nostalgia.  When he stepped in it was as if TB12 never stepped out.  They saw the future of the franchise's most valuable position under development.  They want that back.

It's not all misplaced, Garoppolo has been good when healthy, and the Pats have a great track record for keeping their QB healthy.  But the Patriots' woes go far beyond the QB position.  Belichick knows that, which why he signed Cam to another season.  I've never been a fan of Cam Newton, but I don't think that was a bad idea anyway.  There's nothing in the contract granting Cam the starting job, and it pays like a backup QB with incentives to earn the starting job.  There's also the possibility of trading him before the deadline in September.  It's an insurance policy, and a relatively cheap one.

As for the Patriots making it to the SB this year, I wouldn't count them out.  I think Belichick would love nothing more than to prove he can win a super bowl with an aging QB who's mostly built his career on his ability to run, but is now losing that edge.  I do think he would take advantage of a better option, if one becomes available.  Nonetheless, it's a tit-for-tat. Tom Brady proved he can win a super bowl with another coach, now Belichick needs to prove he can win a super bowl with another QB.

I'm not a Patriots fan but I can imagine that the last Super Bowl might have something to do with the dislike for Belichick's decisions. Granted it would all be forgiven if they beat Tampa Bay in the next SB but I kinda doubt that will happen.