National Football League

[Oldermanish]

Tom Brady was thrown out of park by a Tampa recreation worker

Mayor Jane Castor says the Bucs quarterback was working out in a closed park.

www.tampabay.com

You think Rohan Dennis reads this and cries about everyone being down on him?
it's nice to be king..
When the Bucs put a team on the field the stands will be full..season tickets will be gold

The ticket resale rate will be high. Florida is full of people trolling the beaches now because of a Mayor's desire to get people back out and exercising.
I lived in Tampa awhile back. Exercise and developed social consideration were not the strongest characteristics I noted.

 

[movingtarget]

I'm not too surprised Gronk is coming back. Throughout history athletes have almost always had to be shown the door, that they completely didn't have it anymore, with few retiring in their prime before it was obvious (Barry Sanders). Gronk (and Brady) are following suit. Having said that, I can easily see a healthy Gronk have a very good season in TB.

Love that Pat McAfee clip.

As to Mel Kiper, that guy is so laughably bad, a random wheel of fortune can pick almost as good as his "expert" analysis. Lots of links and videos to all the terrible picks he suggested. I could make a list, but I don't have a few hours or days to bother.

Some pundits are already talking of Tampa Bay for the SB.............we will see..........as for Mel Kiper, somehow he has positioned himself as the draft guru but like you said, the man on the street would probably be more successful with his picks ! One thing Kiper probably did do over the years is ramp up the annual televised draft to almost hysterical levels. And the NFL ran with it so to speak.

 

[Oldermanish]

Some pundits are already talking of Tampa Bay for the SB.............we will see..........as for Mel Kiper, somehow he has positioned himself as the draft guru but like you said, the man on the street would probably be more successful with his picks ! One thing Kiper probably did do over the years is ramp up the annual televised draft to almost hysterical levels. And the NFL ran with it so to speak.

The NFL is never short of a marketing opportunity. Staff meeting: "how can we up jersey sales during a shutdown? No one has money and there are no games or new rookies. Obvious answer: "change the jersey design". Screw any tradition; just trademark another version. Surprising it took them years after Baseball figured it out.

 

[Koronin]

So we now have 3 QBs drafted in the first 6 picks.

 

[Koronin]

You have to love Goodell having the fans on the screen behind him while making the picks. That's awesome.

 

[jmdirt]

No surprises in the top 20 for me.
SEA no pick yet...EDIT: an OLB? I was hoping for an OL!
BSU South (DAL): Lamb is exactly what Dak needs!

 

[Koronin]

Interesting pick by Green Bay. -- QB Utah Jordan Love.

 

[jmdirt]

Interesting pick by Green Bay. -- QB Utah Jordan Love.

I thought that Love would go higher than 26. Is he the ER replacement?

 

[Koronin]

I thought that Love would go higher than 26. Is he the ER replacement?

That would be my guess. Give him 2 or so years to sit on the bench and learn. I can't see Rodgers having more than about 2-4 years left.

I thought he had a chance to go earlier as well.

 

[movingtarget]

No surprises in the top 20 for me.
SEA no pick yet...EDIT: an OLB? I was hoping for an OL!
BSU South (DAL): Lamb is exactly what Dak needs!

Not many surprises in the entire round one. Some 49ers fans were peeved by them not taking a WR at 13. Raiders got Ruggs at 12 but I'm not convinced that Shanahan wanted Ruggs. He got a good one anyway plus Kinlaw at 14 so it's still a pretty good first round at least on paper. Tua's injuries had no effect on his draft position which surprised me a little. Lots of the rebuilding teams picked defense which makes perfect sense and the Cowboys got a good WR when I thought they would have gone with defense especially after paying Cooper so much at WR. The one RB in the first round looks like a gun pick for Kansas as if they didn't already have a formidable offense ! One QB that split's opinions seems to be Herbert. Will be interesting to see how he goes.

 

[jmdirt]

Not many surprises in the entire round one. Some 49ers fans were peeved by them not taking a WR at 13. Raiders got Ruggs at 12 but I'm not convinced that Shanahan wanted Ruggs. He got a good one anyway plus Kinlaw at 14 so it's still a pretty good first round at least on paper. Tua's injuries had no effect on his draft position which surprised me a little. Lots of the rebuilding teams picked defense which makes perfect sense and the Cowboys got a good WR when I thought they would have gone with defense especially after paying Cooper so much at WR. The one RB in the first round looks like a gun pick for Kansas as if they didn't already have a formidable offense ! One QB that split's opinions seems to be Herbert. Will be interesting to see how he goes.

To your last point: I think Herbert will be a great QB over his career, but we can't expect HoF this season (not that it can't happen).

 

[Nomad]

Agree...not many surprises at all. Just about every mock draft had the top 5 spot on. Barring a disastrous preseason, I can see Burrows starting day-1...going 2-14 last year what do they have to lose? And #1 OA QBs usually start day-1 these days or at the very least by the 3rd or 4th game. I can see Tua competing for the starting job against Fitzpatrick and Herbert also competing against Taylor for the starting job. And even if they don't start, they won't be on the bench for too long as we've recently seen high first-round drafted QBs usually starting by mid-season, particularly if the team isn't winning.

Broncos looking good with Jeudy who will complement Sutton, Hamilton & Fant. Add in Melvin Gordon, who catches the ball very well, and Lock has got some decent weapons to work with.

I think Denver can be the second best team in the West and a legitimate playoff contender this year. Lock went 4-1 as a starter last year and completely changed the complexity of the offense with his strong arm and mobility - attributes not seen since the Elway days. And he seems to be adjusting to Elway's "more under center" style of offense. He got's potential but needs to stay healthy - he was put on IR last year for the fractured thumb sustained in preseason.

 

[Nomad]

That would be my guess. Give him 2 or so years to sit on the bench and learn. I can't see Rodgers having more than about 2-4 years left.

I thought he had a chance to go earlier as well.

I don't know about that - they traded up to get him and the GM didn't even let Rodgers know he was going to draft a QB in the 1st round. Rodgers has got to be a tad bit ticked off since he probably feels that he runs the show at GB. Lol. (The Packers hadn't drafted an offensive skill-position player in the first round since they took Rodgers in 2005).

IMO, ownership is blaming him for the loss against SF in the championship game and want to move on (albeit quickly) with a more mobile and strong-armed QB (Love has been referred to as "Mahomes 2.0"). Why else would they make this shocking move? Teams don't sit 1st round QBs very long these days anyway. And if Rodgers has 2-4 good years left, you don't draft a QB in the 1st round (again..in this new era) to play backup for 2-4 years. I see this as the KC blueprint with Mahomes/Smith. Love will sit a year learning from Rodgers, and barring winning the SB, he's out of there and it's Jordan Love for the future. And things could even change in that first year - Rodgers could get hurt or the team could be losing and out of playoff contention precipitating a change. The pressure is all on Rodgers now.

And just to show you how fast things can unravel look at Denver last year. Lock is only drafted in the 2nd round. Elway makes a statement that Lock will not be competing for the starting job and will learn under the tutelage of Flacco for the next 2-3 years. Lock gets hurt in the preseason and goes on IR. Flacco gets hurt mid-season and is done for the year. Free agent Brandon Allen gets signed and starts 3 games disappointing Elway by only going 1-2. Lock is cleared from IR and starts the remainder of the season going 4-1. Flacco is given the boot and Lock is the franchise QB moving forward (I questioned last year the signing of Flacco with his injury history and decline in performance prompting Baltimore to take Jackson in the 1st round).

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I thought there was always a chance he would come back after some rest for a year or so but after he signed with Fox and WWE.

I'm not at all surprised he didn't stick with WWE. I don't follow pro wrestling, but do know the WWE has some financial problems, which seem to stem from upper management problems. Vince has gone through a few C-Suite execs and other managers in recent years, with a revolving door of staff as well (WWE is in my home state, word gets around a little more here) as their product has struggled to find a balance between true kayfabe (tricking fans into wondering what's real, and what's "character"), and reality TV entertainment. Also, pro-wrestlers get far more banged up than people realize. Look into it more and you will find a huge list of guys with broken bodies. So it's fine for Gronk to have some fun, similar to the way Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman did (and did well!) in WWE years ago, for a short period of time. But full time? New career? I can't possibly see it.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

As for Mel Kiper, somehow he has positioned himself as the draft guru but like you said, the man on the street would probably be more successful with his picks ! One thing Kiper probably did do over the years is ramp up the annual televised draft to almost hysterical levels.

Ferdinand Demara was known as The Great Imposter. He was a very intelligent man, had a near photographic memory, and a way of seeing things outside the box. He once listed the real key to his success as follows:

"In any organization there is always a lot of loose, unused power lying about which can be picked up without alienating anyone. The second rule is, if you want power and want to expand, never encroach on anyone else's domain; open up new ones."

This is, in a sense, what Mel Kiper has done. He's not the genius Demara was, but he saw a vacuum, and expanded into it. To his credit he busted his tail writing those huge volumes of potential draft picks, and is likely an extrovert who loves hearing the sound of his own voice. Sure enough, enough people liked to listen, and read, and he filled the void. Are there better experts? Of course there are, but he is the one who created his own brand if you will, and he's found a name doing so.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Lots of good posts from you guys, and I don't disagree with any of you. My general thoughts are that I really wasn't surprised by any pick, or any team. Maybe that the Packers took Love. This one tells me two things. First, Love fell too far in the draft in most people's eyes, and Rodgers body may slowly be starting to decay more than we realize and GB knows it. Now, as Nomad clearly pointed out, usually guys taken in the 1st round don't sit for 2-3 years. So it's a gamble for GB to take him. But he does have all the tools and making of a pro QB. We'll see...

Sticking with the QB's, I like Miami taking Tua that early. He was on his way to being the #1 pick before he got hurt, and Burrow had a sensational second half of the season, and playoff, to cap a very solid college career. The 'Fins also took OT Austin Jackson with the 18th pick, showing they are committed to the offense, and Tua.

There's every indication Justin Herbert has what it needs to be an NFL starter. Talk was he lacks a certain poise to jump in and start right away. Well, with only Tyrod Taylor ahead of him, one would think since he was taken 6th, it can't be more than a handful of games until they expect Herbert to start for the Chargers. So they see something in him pundits to. I think it really is a great pick for LA in my mind. The Chargers should also get All Pro center Mike Pouncy back after his neck surgery, which will really help.

The Raiders get Henry Ruggs, the guy Gruden wanted. The Browns get Jedrick Wills, the OT they apparently wanted, the Jets get Mekhi Becton, who they need to help protect Darnold. The Broncos got Jeudy, without having to trade up like rumored. The Cowboys get Lamb, right after signing Dak to an extended deal.

Notice that Tampa traded to get Tristan Wirfs, an OT to help keep Brady safe? The Buccaneers are obviously ALL In for 2020 and 2021. Now or never. I still see one problem for them though: The Saints are quite possibly just as good as they ever were. Also, Atlanta really is a team loaded with talent, who grossly underperformed the last two years. It's not likely they'll lose as many games they should have won this year, is it? But boy, the NFC South should be fun to watch!

 

[Oldermanish]

No surprises in the top 20 for me.
SEA no pick yet...EDIT: an OLB? I was hoping for an OL!
BSU South (DAL): Lamb is exactly what Dak needs!

Seattle is backing up KJ Wright or they have plans for their pick. The guy is big and fast and underschooled.

 

[jmdirt]

Seattle is backing up KJ Wright or they have plans for their pick. The guy is big and fast and underschooled.

I think that Brooks can be a great pick, but that won't help protect RW. Can you find a gem in the second/third round? Maybe? SEA did grab three or four (?) OL in free agency, but they also lost Fant and Ifedi. Maybe they are happy with those guys and feel like they can get OL depth in the later rounds.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I'm not at all surprised he didn't stick with WWE. I don't follow pro wrestling, but do know the WWE has some financial problems, which seem to stem from upper management problems. Vince has gone through a few C-Suite execs and other managers in recent years, with a revolving door of staff as well (WWE is in my home state, word gets around a little more here) as their product has struggled to find a balance between true kayfabe (tricking fans into wondering what's real, and what's "character"), and reality TV entertainment. Also, pro-wrestlers get far more banged up than people realize. Look into it more and you will find a huge list of guys with broken bodies. So it's fine for Gronk to have some fun, similar to the way Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman did (and did well!) in WWE years ago, for a short period of time. But full time? New career? I can't possibly see it.

I didn't think he would wrestle full time but part like they have others do and commentate.

I know, wrestlers taie insane amount of punishment for people to call it fake and they don't get hurt.

 

[jmdirt]

I didn't think he would wrestle full time but part like they have others do and commentate.

I know, wrestlers taie insane amount of punishment for people to call it fake and they don't get hurt.

I have never been a fan of the WWF/WWE, but back in the late '80s when I was stationed at Ft. Knock, KY, the Ultimate Warrior came to Louisville to defend his title so a big group of us went to the party. I was shocked by how much more fake it is live than on TV, but I was also amazed and impressed at the skill of 250 lb men flying across the ring, flipping off of the top rope, and slamming into the mat over and over (heavily padded and sprung but still...). It didn't make me a fan, but I had a huge level of respect for these athletes.

Is anybody watching the 2nd round of the draft tonight? I doubt that I'll watch unless I can catch specific picks, but I'll track it online here and there.

 

[Oldermanish]

I think that Brooks can be a great pick, but that won't help protect RW. Can you find a gem in the second/third round? Maybe? SEA did grab three or four (?) OL in free agency, but they also lost Fant and Ifedi. Maybe they are happy with those guys and feel like they can get OL depth in the later rounds.

We never know what Scheider has in mind until it happens. Brooks could get traded for another player and a boatload of 2nd and 3rd round picks.
That Green Bay pick made my Wife perk up. "What's with that? Aaron Rodgers is still great."

 

[SHAD0W93]

I have never been a fan of the WWF/WWE, but back in the late '80s when I was stationed at Ft. Knock, KY, the Ultimate Warrior came to Louisville to defend his title so a big group of us went to the party. I was shocked by how much more fake it is live than on TV, but I was also amazed and impressed at the skill of 250 lb men flying across the ring, flipping off of the top rope, and slamming into the mat over and over (heavily padded and sprung but still...). It didn't make me a fan, but I had a huge level of respect for these athletes.

Is anybody watching the 2nd round of the draft tonight? I doubt that I'll watch unless I can catch specific picks, but I'll track it online here and there.

Even crazier when they're jumping off ladders, through tables, etc. People always harp on that and cycling not being painful without actually knowing

 

[Koronin]

RB D'Andre Swift to Detroit. This makes sense to me. Also think this is a quality pick at the top of the 2nd round.

 

[jmdirt]

Hurts to PHI is a good IMO!
Dobbins to BAL! WTH?! They are going to have 1,000 yards per game!
SEA: Taylor could be good. Lewis? I don't know enough yet.
BSU: Ezra Cleveland goes to MIN. He has potential to be a 10 year stud.

 

[Unchained]

As a man who carries a backpack of regret as personal burden..can't believe that there is a financial formula for Gronkowski..he has cash..he said his thinking and memory..his daily process was inhibited from having repeated years of skull slam while wearing obvious inferior head protection.
can't imagine the disgust I could feel for praising today's decision if he ends up like some of my favorites..Junior Seau included..I believed the Gronk initially when he said that there was a profound toll that savage contact and tackling took from him..
I will watch nervously..always hoping both of us are wrong