Super Bowl LII

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:38 am

Jaymann wrote:Who's gonna be desperate enough to take Kaepernick?

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:04 pm

Jaymann wrote:Who's gonna be desperate enough to take Kaepernick?

Miami shying away from Kaepernick makes sense. They only need a 1-year stopgap (at most). If they had signed Kaep and he did well, they'd have a full-blown QB controversy for next year when they are already committed to Tannehill for the foreseeable future.

Kaep makes much more sense in an unsettled situation where he could become the guy (again) with the right coach and team around him.

Honestly, the teams who should take a shot on him are the Cowboys (if something happens to Dak, or he regresses) and the Texans (Put some pressure on Watson to become the guy, and give him some time to grow). Cleveland and Arizona make a lot of sense too (as would SF, however...).

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:07 pm

But the reason I came in was to post this story about how a life of football has left one of its all time greats:

He rises from a chair next to his Heisman Trophy in a room stuffed with dozens of silver and gold keepsakes that recognize a remarkable sports legacy. At 6-foot-3, Jim Plunkett still commands a room.

But underneath the tanned exterior anxiety grows over an uncertain future.

“My life sucks,” said Plunkett, 69. “It’s no fun being in this body right now. Everything hurts.”...

...Overall, researchers found evidence of the brain disease in 87 percent of the 202 donated cadavers of former players at all levels.

Plunkett doesn’t need studies to understand what might lie ahead. It’s all around him.

One of his Raiders teammates, Kenny Stabler, suffered from Stage 3 CTE, an autopsy revealed two years ago. In March, another Raiders teammate, Mickey Marvin, died at age 61. A month later, Oakland teammate Derrick Jensen was dead at age 60. Both suffered from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, that also afflicts 49ers great Dwight Clark.

“ALS and they were gone in a few years,” Plunkett said quietly.

Dogstar · Post by **Dogstar** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:18 pm

Elliott gets a six-game suspension.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:03 pm

The Bills traded Sammy Watkins to the Rams for a CB (Gaines). They also swapped a 2018 6th round pick for a 2018 2nd rounder from the Rams.

Dogstar · Post by **Dogstar** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:14 pm

And they got back WR Jordan Matthews and a 3rd round back from the Philadelphia Eagles for CB Ronald Darby.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:39 pm

I guess they got carried away with the Jets clearly tanking and felt like it would be easier to catch the Jets than the Pats. I hate this team so much.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 2:08 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:I guess they got carried away with the Jets clearly tanking and felt like it would be easier to catch the Jets than the Pats. I hate this team so much.

Aaron Schatz wrote:

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:30 pm

Tannehill out for the year in Miami with ACL surgery.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:07 pm

Bucs just cut Aguayo.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:51 am

Wow - and the Bears claimed him off waivers. That's nuts.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:53 am

And...Jordan Matthews is already hurt. Fractured his sternum in the first 15 minutes of his first practice with the Bills. Awesome.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:03 pm

They are calling it a chipped sternum. Egads that sounds painful. Reason #962 why I don't play.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:16 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:And...Jordan Matthews is already hurt. Fractured his sternum in the first 15 minutes of his first practice with the Bills. Awesome.

Sounds like your pre-season "talk myself into the Bills" efforts are going poorly this year.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 4:33 pm

stessier wrote:They are calling it a chipped sternum. Egads that sounds painful. Reason #962 why I don't play.

Yeah, it's a chip fracture. Somewhere between painful and really painful. He finished practice with it so maybe not too intensely painful. I dunno.

F this team.

Every goddamn year they pull some move that seems completely stupid. Every. Year.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 4:45 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:And...Jordan Matthews is already hurt. Fractured his sternum in the first 15 minutes of his first practice with the Bills. Awesome.

Wonder if this means that Sammy Watkins isn't that fragile and will stay healthy for the Rams...

AKA the Bills are cursed. I really don't know what Buffalo did to deserve this (besides RM9 being a fan, of course).

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:03 pm

And...Anquan Boldin retired after spending 12 days in this dumpster fire.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:12 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:And...Anquan Boldin retired after spending 12 days in this dumpster fire.

What a way to end a career.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:17 pm

ESPN

In a statement to ESPN, Boldin said he retired to make "the larger fight for human rights a priority." He added Monday that he was influenced by the protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month.

"For me, I'm uncomfortable with how divided we are as a country," Boldin said.
...
"[It was about] what happened in Charlottesville, not what happened in Buffalo," Boldin said. "For me, I didn't come to Buffalo just to play with Sammy Watkins. I feel like we still had it on the offensive side of the ball, as well as the team overall, to get the job done.

"I think Tyrod is a fine quarterback, and I think he'll be just great. I have all the confidence in the world in Tyrod. I played in this league for 14 years, and I don't think [you can see] how a season is gonna go based off of one preseason game."

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:15 am

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Edleman appears to have torn his ACL.

I HATE THE PRESEASON!!

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 9:32 am

Brandon Cooks in the first round of every fantasy football draft!

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:56 am

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:Brandon Cooks in the first round of every fantasy football draft!

Gronk

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:25 am

It's being reported (not confirmed) that Cameron Meredith also died of torn ACL yesterday. It did not look good when they dragged his carcass off the field. He was the Bears top receiver last year and was probably slated as a starter in any fantasy league that already held it's draft (fortunately, he wasn't on my team).

rshetts2 · Post by **rshetts2** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:18 pm

Jeff V wrote:It's being reported (not confirmed) that Cameron Meredith also died of torn ACL yesterday. .

Thats one tragic ACL injury there.

Its been reported that 24 players have gone down to ligament injuries this season before the first regular game has been played. http://thecomeback.com/nfl/24-nfl-playe ... eason.html

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 11:49 am

Wow, did Stafford do well.

1. $50 million signing bonus.

2. $1 million 2017 base salary, fully guaranteed.

3. $6.5 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2018 league year. The bonus is guaranteed for injury at signing, and it become fully-guaranteed on the third day of the 2018 league year.

4. $9.5 million 2018 base salary, fully guaranteed at signing.

5. $5.5 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2019 league year. The bonus is guaranteed for injury at signing, and it becomes fully-guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2018 (not 2019) league year.

6. $13.5 million 2019 base salary, guaranteed for injury at signing. It becomes fully-guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2018 (not 2019) league year.

7. $6 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2020 league year. The bonus is guaranteed for injury at signing, and it becomes fully-guaranteed in the 2019 league year.

8. $15 million 2020 base salary.

9. $10 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2021 league year.

10. $9.5 million 2021 base salary.

11. $10 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2022 league year.

12. $12.5 million 2022 base salary.

13. $500,000 workout bonuses in 2018 through 2022.

And no offset language!

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 11:56 am

Given today's market that doesn't seem unreasonable.

I'm no huge fan of Stafford but last year was really a year of maturity for him. Last year he was the team spirit and team leader and he did an adequate job with a less than stellar team until his finger got FUBARed.

I, personally, would have spent the last few years looking for a better QB, as I was Stafford antagonist until last year but now I'm willing to give him benefit of the doubt. I hate to give him a five year contract, but what are you going to do? Quinn has now tied his wagon to Stafford, I guess we'll see where it takes us. I don't think it will take us to a superbowl but a division championship or winning playoff game or two would go a long way toward future interest in the franchise and I think the last year's Stafford can do that with the right team around him.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:01 pm

LordMortis wrote:he did an adequate job

Give that man a truckload of money!!

I understand it. There are so few good QBs that teams are forced to pay king's ransoms to adequate QBs. Kirk Cousins will almost certainly break the $30M per year barrier next year.

Kirk Cousins.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:26 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:
LordMortis wrote:he did an adequate job
Give that man a truckload of money!!

I understand it. There are so few good QBs that teams are forced to pay king's ransoms to adequate QBs. Kirk Cousins will almost certainly break the $30M per year barrier next year.

Kirk Cousins.

You like that?!

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:33 pm

Brady's base salary is $1 mil this year with a cap hit of $14 mil. Not bad for a 40 year old.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:37 pm

At least you're talking about QBs with some experience.

Bears are starting someone called Mike Glennon. Doesn't ring a bell? He actually played in half a game last year passing for 75 yards and 1 TD. This was a massive improvement over 2015, when he recorded no stats at all.

How much was this obvious phenom worth? $15M per year, 3 yr/$45M contract. Cutler at least had experience to go with the $19M contract everyone bitched about.

And since the QB the Bears drafted so far looks not to suck, Glennon is probably one piss-poor start away from being a very expensive clipboard holder.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:38 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:
LordMortis wrote:he did an adequate job
Give that man a truckload of money!!

I understand it. There are so few good QBs that teams are forced to pay king's ransoms to adequate QBs. Kirk Cousins will almost certainly break the $30M per year barrier next year.

Kirk Cousins.

How much do you think a proven great QB will get on a less than stellar team after the cap has been raised? I bet Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan command north of 32 when they sign, and that's still having to pay their high other high value assets.

And there are too many inadequate QBs out there not praise being adequate. I'm a little surprised. It's hard to believe there are only like 15 people out of everyone who trains to be a QB that you could really consider adequate material for NFL QB.

geezer · Post by **geezer** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 5:57 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:
LordMortis wrote:he did an adequate job
Give that man a truckload of money!!

I understand it. There are so few good QBs that teams are forced to pay king's ransoms to adequate QBs. Kirk Cousins will almost certainly break the $30M per year barrier next year.

Kirk Cousins.

You still doubt? He's not Rodgers, sure, but it's not like he's Rob Johnson or JP Losman or Tyrod Taylor or something.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:31 pm

Yes, I still doubt. Along with his team apparently.

I get that he will get paid, and I get why. It's just ludicrous.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 9:57 am

Elliott has filed a petition to void the arbitration hearing.

If what they claim is true, he makes some really compelling arguments. I have no idea if they are sound legally, but it's nice to see that the NFL continues to operate kangaroo courts and it wasn't anything personal against the Patriots.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 2:24 pm

I'm starting to wish I didn't ditch Elliot as my keeper. Why can't they do this earlier in the year instead of waiting right before football starts.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 3:21 pm

Seattle has apparently decided that if they can't haven an offensive line, they're going to have to just make sure the other team doesn't score any points.

Adam Schefter‏Verified account @AdamSchefter 17m17 minutes ago
More
Seattle now has picked up former 1st round picks -- Sheldon Richardson (Jets), Dion Jordan (Dolphins) and Marcus Smith (Eagles).

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:52 pm

The NFL stats that matter most

You've heard the (perhaps apocryphal) quote from Bill Parcells before. "You are what your record says you are," has some element of truth behind it, yet the phrase fails to tell the entire story. If records were the best measure of future performance, we wouldn't see upsets like the 7-9 Seahawks stunning the 11-5 Saints during the 2010 playoffs.

In many cases, the simplest or most traditional statistic tells either an imperfect story or a fraction of the bigger picture. In trying to break down football games and understand which elements of performance correlate best with winning, I've come to rely on a toolbox of statistics and concepts that give me a better sense of what's actually happening on the field. Let's go through them and understand why they work (and where they come up short), starting with broader team metrics.

Semaj · Post by **Semaj** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 6:36 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:
stessier wrote:They are calling it a chipped sternum. Egads that sounds painful. Reason #962 why I don't play.
Yeah, it's a chip fracture. Somewhere between painful and really painful. He finished practice with it so maybe not too intensely painful. I dunno.

F this team.

Every goddamn year they pull some move that seems completely stupid. Every. Year.

I live in Buffalo... I swear, you sound like everyone at my place of work....

It warms my heart a little

If it makes you feel any better, I'm actually a giants fan and for 6 months I argued vehmenently against the hiring of Rex Ryan... While many Bills fans said it was a good signing.

This is the first year the entire city has come to terms with how much they will suck... so they'll probably do better than expected and have a 10th or 14th pick in the first round.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:02 pm

They look positively miserable. Bad enough that I'm. It sure if they can beat the Jets next week. The Jets!

I was at the Jets / Eagles game last night and they are barely an NFL team. And I don't know if my stupid team can beat them.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:09 pm

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2697 ... =editorial