National Football League

[Oldermanish]

Defenders diving at his feet/legs could end up leading to an injury.

True but they seem to get more often stomped than not. When he runs he occasionally will run at a tackler, particularly someone that may have complicated his passing game. He looks for that contact.
There's a run against Minnesota this season demonstrating his seriousness and the fear it puts into the Vikings' Sullivan and others. It looked like they were avoiding hitting him....

 

[Oldermanish]

Daniel Snyder refuses to allow Jeff Bezos to bid on his team! Wonder what kind of dirt he has on the other billionasses that keep them from stripping him and selling to the lowest bidder. Bezos could be the best advocate the NFL might have compared to Snyder.

Looks like the source for the rumor may have been Snyder himself:

That story is being refuted by A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports in a new story this morning. Perez's sources say Bezos is still in the running for the purchase of the team. Snyder leaking the Bezos block story was a likely attempt to drive up the price, because he isn't getting the high bids that were expected.

NFL owners have grown increasingly concerned over the pace of the Washington Commanders sale, fueled by reports that owner Dan Snyder won’t allow Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bid for the franchise.
Bezos, however, remains in the mix for the Commanders, two sources with knowledge of the situation told Front Office Sports. One of those sources said that news that Snyder wouldn’t sell to Bezos amounts to a ploy to get a high bid out of the Amazon founder.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Defenders diving at his feet/legs could end up leading to an injury.

that’s how they took Gronk out

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

True about Gronk. In fact, that year he was hurt, Tony Gonzalez even commented on it saying the notion that defenders didn't want to hit Gronk in the head, so they went for his legs was nonsense, it was an excuse because they couldn't tackle him.

C'mon man...Stroud doesn't look a 2nd or 3rd rounder- that's absurd. Have you really looked at film on him especially in the big game against Georgia in the playoff?

I watched the entire game when it happened. I also watched most all the highlights of it again before I wrote my post. I saw the same as I do now. He often throws from a very clean pocket. Often with a hefty amount of time to see all over the field, set his feet, and throw the ball, with no one really in his face. He threw to the best receiving corps in the entire NCAA. A lot of his throws were to guys who were fairly open. He did make two good pressure throws in that game, which I posted before. But I also watched other games, and looked up stats on him. Not like completion percentage. I looked up how well he did under pressure, vs. no pressure, and there's a big drop off.

If you're comparing him to Mahomes I think that is a far bigger reach than me comparing him to Jones. I also said at worst, he could be like that. Mahomes is the biggest creator in the NFL, one of the biggest ever. He also is incredible under pressure. Time and again teams that have tried to blitz him have been burned, as he can and will move just enough to buy a half second to find the one guy who is partly open, and make an accurate throw on the run for a completion. I saw very little of that from CJ, if any.

In fact, that's a big factor that makes QBs stand out in the NFL. The ability to move quickly through progressions, move under pressure in the pocket using their feet, and find someone open. Can CJ do this? I have no idea, other than to say I haven't seen him do it, or at least not with any consistency.

Can he adapt? Especially as he's going to be expected to start in week 1? You seem to think so. I'm not so sure.

Respect to Stoud, Levis, and Richardson for throwing at the Combine this coming week. Richardson is also going to do some of the drills.

All Bryce Young is going to do is apparently give interviews, leaving everything for his pro day. I've never liked it when players did this, including Andrew Luck, and I don't like it now. With Young, it may also be an issue of seeing a guy smaller than Doug Flutie, and maybe a tiny bit taller, standing up next to guys who look like NFL quarterbacks.

Will LV try to grab JW?

I see almost zero chance of that happening. I'm presuming you mean Jamis Winston.

A lot of Raider fans shorten Josh McDaniels to JMD, skipping the "c".

You mention Jamal Adams. I'm curious what Seattle is going to do with him. Ryan Neal had a very good season, playing a more trad safety. But Adams has one more year on his contract before they have an option to move on. But assuming he's healthy, I'd think they've got to see exactly what he has to offer before cutting bait, considering they gave up a lot to get him.

The Titans have already started offloading veterans. Think Tannehill will be gone soon.

I think in my last post I thought Dobbs may be the guy they go with as they sort of rebuild. Unless someone falls to them in the draft, or they nail a FA signing. I likened Dobbs to Stidham in Vegas. Great? No. But played fairly well, even if didn't win. Need to see more to see if he has it.

Josh Allen...

You mention him running at guys. It may have been last season, but he took off on a run and during an attempted tackle while he was coming at full speed his knee hit the guy trying to tackle him in the body somewhere and he just blasted the guy over, pancaking him. I wish I could find the play. Allen is roughly the same size as George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Travis Kelce. But he comes at guys like a RB, who has gotten into the open field with a full head of steam. Consider this, he's a couple inches taller, but the same weight as Derrick Henry. Heavier than Chubb, Barkley, Fournette, Josh Jacobs, or Rashad Penny. He's got 25lbs on some of them, and those guys aren't little.

 

[jmdirt]

You mention Jamal Adams. I'm curious what Seattle is going to do with him. Ryan Neal had a very good season, playing a more trad safety. But Adams has one more year on his contract before they have an option to move on. But assuming he's healthy, I'd think they've got to see exactly what he has to offer before cutting bait, considering they gave up a lot to get him.

I too wonder. First, he has to actually come back. I see them using him more as a (small) OLB, and less as a coverage strong safety. Do you remember in the '80s when some D coaches used the term monster safety? That type of player. Its kind of what he did anyway a lot of the time.

 

[Oldermanish]

I too wonder. First, he has to actually come back. I see them using him more as a (small) OLB, and less as a coverage strong safety. Do you remember in the '80s when some D coaches used the term monster safety? That type of player. Its kind of what he did anyway a lot of the time.

Bring back Bobby W in the middle? They both rush well, too.

 

[movingtarget]

Hopefully RTP doesn’t go like PI being reviewable.

If their review of 80 hits only resulted in two being marginal in their opinion, its unlikely the rule is going to change by the sounds of it.

 

[movingtarget]

Would any team sign Wentz at the moment ?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q14zMRvP5uw

 

[jmdirt]

Bring back Bobby W in the middle? They both rush well, too.

Can't afford BW and the rest.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I think Wagner is going to be too expensive. At least this year. It was thought he may have been slowing a little when he went to LA, but had yet another very good year. Someone will pay him more than Seattle can afford.

Wentz is going to sit until after the draft, maybe even until August. Teams are not going to want to pay him (much) to sit in camp, if they think they are going to cut him. That's what younger, unproven guys are for. He could even end up somewhere just above the league minimum when someone else gets hurt. As in a back-up to the star on some team gets hurt. He won't be replacing a starter. That's how far his stock has fallen.

If the NFL wants to see how to do replay, and officiating, they need to watch XFL games. The way the refs are mic'd up, Dean Blandino as the Sky Judge (and he's mic'd up). They allow challenges, of all sorts, and the system they have keeps things moving along without the painful, agonizingly slow "under the hood" replay nonsense of the NFL. Plus, having them all mic'd up keeps things honest. I've watched a few games, extended highlights of every game, and I've only see maybe two calls where I disagreed with Dean, maybe. But neither were major, neither changed the outcome of the game at all.

Do you remember in the '80s when some D coaches used the term monster safety? That type of player. Its kind of what he did anyway a lot of the time.

Jeff Fuller. Doug Plank. Dennis Smith. Probably a few more that I don't remember. Smith still holds the Broncos all time record for tackles to this day.

Looks like Bryce Young will at least get on a scale at the combine. I'm sure he's going to eat heaps of heavy food, take a couple imodium pills the morning of, and drink a gallon of gatorade while holding his bladder before he gets on that scale. Anything to hit that magic number of 200lbs.

 

[jmdirt]

Anything to hit that magic number of 200lbs.

Do they make lead infused underwear?

 

[Nomad]

I watched the entire game when it happened. I also watched most all the highlights of it again before I wrote my post. I saw the same as I do now. He often throws from a very clean pocket. Often with a hefty amount of time to see all over the field, set his feet, and throw the ball, with no one really in his face. He threw to the best receiving corps in the entire NCAA. A lot of his throws were to guys who were fairly open. He did make two good pressure throws in that game, which I posted before. But I also watched other games, and looked up stats on him. Not like completion percentage. I looked up how well he did under pressure, vs. no pressure, and there's a big drop off.

If you're comparing him to Mahomes I think that is a far bigger reach than me comparing him to Jones. I also said at worst, he could be like that. Mahomes is the biggest creator in the NFL, one of the biggest ever. He also is incredible under pressure. Time and again teams that have tried to blitz him have been burned, as he can and will move just enough to buy a half second to find the one guy who is partly open, and make an accurate throw on the run for a completion. I saw very little of that from CJ, if any.

Are you sure you watched the same game that I did? OSU vs Georgia in the Peach Bowl semi-final playoff game? The game where Stroud shredded thee #1 defense for 350 yds & 4 TDs (no picks) hanging 41 pts on that stud D? A Georgia defense that will have a record 6 players drafted with 3 anticipated to be selected in the 1st rd! (A Power-5 school is lucky to have just one defensive player selected in the 1st rd let alone 3).

So, Stroud threw to the "best receiving corps in the entire NCAA?" Hmmm...I don't know about "the best" but certainly one of the best. But FFS, Young had the best RB in the NCAA! (imagine that...another great RB coming out of Running Back U. Lol). The freakish Jahmyr Gibbs (projected 1st rounder) pumped in 926 yds rushing, 9 scores & was also BAMA's leading receiver with 44 catches! So, defenses had to respect Bama's nasty running game (nothing new there) which opened up the passing game for Young. And most of the throws to Gibbs were dump offs & crossing routes where a ton of yardage was made after the catch. And BAMA has also been producing top receiver talent the last several yrs with a bunch of 1st & 2nd rounders currently playing on teams (you probably could name them all & cite their stats. Lol).

The comparison to Mahomes I alluded to is Stroud's agility, quickness & athleticism not necessarily throwing capacity. He doesn't have the arm strength nor velocity that Mahomes has. But neither does Young. Now Stroud has good size at 6-3, 215 & probably could bulk up some to 220 or 225. OTOH, I've read some reports where Young is around 5-11 & a buck 85 or so! If he plays at that weight he's going to get massacred! Can you imagine the likes of a Micah Parsons, a Devin White or the Bosas drilling him? That could be painful to watch.

Let me sum up this debate with my closing argument: I'm not saying that Stroud will be drafted ahead of Young, or is better than Young. Very few mocks show that. I'm saying he's a top 5 - top 10 OA pick & the 2nd QB to be drafted. However, things could change between now & the draft, and someone like Richardson, a standout dual-threat QB with a cannon of an arm & speed like a RB, could be taken ahead of him. But still Stroud is a 1st round pick & will probably be given the car keys ending up starting sometime during his rookie year for whatever team he ends up with (same for Young who may actually start day one if he goes to a lousy club like Houston where ownership will expect him to start).

2023 NFL Draft: Comparing CJ Stroud vs. Bryce Young

With Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud being the likely top two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, we compare them to decide who should go first.

www.google.com

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Are you sure you watched the same game that I did? OSU vs Georgia in the Peach Bowl semi-final playoff game?

Same game. The one where the OSU offensive line gave him fantastic pass protection, a very clean pocket, often with several seconds to look for one of those great receivers, and find them.

Let me sum up this debate with my closing argument: I'm not saying that Stroud will be drafted ahead of Young, or is better than Young. Very few mocks show that. I'm saying he's a top 5 - top 10 OA pick & the 2nd QB to be drafted...

I agree with you, completely. In fact, I'd likely draft him before Young, who is just too small and too short to me. Here's what has me worried about Stroud, this I found from PFF, how he struggles under pressure.

"In a clean pocket, Stroud is arguably the best quarterback in the country. If he has time to throw, he’s going to dial in and pick apart a defense... Well, he is basically the polar opposite under pressure. The same could be said for most quarterbacks when facing pressure, but Stroud is particularly bad when the pocket collapses. He ranks 97th in PFF grade out of 144 qualifying QBs when under pressure."

They have him the 11th best overall player to be drafted. If I were a team with no QB, and the rest of my team looked okay, I'd take a chance at him, and see if I can also get an OL player in FA, and the draft. Then get my QB coach and OC to work on getting him to throw quick and deal with pressure. I'd also have a vet QB on my team, in case CJ isn't ready until a few games into the season, or if something goes wrong.

I would not take Richardson in the 1st round. Under pressure he just takes off and runs, like a HS quarterback. That won't work in the NFL. And unlike CJ, he doesn't have the accuracy on most plays across the field.

I'm sticking with what I said on Levis. Lots of small things I notice about him that pile up makes him a risk. If he's thrown into the NFL, I see a guy who throws a lot of interceptions. He's a guy that's going to need a lot of coaching.

I actually like the idea of any team that doesn't have a dedicated starter, and good steady backup, to draft some QB, somewhere in the mid or even later rounds, almost every single draft. Put another way, a team like KC or Cincy wouldn't need to bother. But about 20+ teams could certainly consider this. Atlanta, Miami, Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle, Chicago, Baltimore, LA Rams, etc. etc.

So many QBs taken high don't pan out, and there are plenty of surprises drafted in mid-round that turn out good. I say it can't hurt to take that chance. See if there's someone you like in round 3, 4, 7, depending on your other needs. Maybe your current starter won't have it much anymore, and this young guy, who will come cheap, will pan out.

 

[Nomad]

Exactly...so many top QBs drafted high don't pan out. And whether Stroud or Young end up at Indy, Houston, Washington, etc. there's going to be tremendous pressure from ownership to play these guys their rookie season whether they're ready or not. This sets them up for instant failure with such high expectations placed on them because of their draft status & the huge rookie contracts they're getting.

Lawrence, a #1 OA, was touted as the next "Peyton Manning." After having a less than stellar rookie season, some in the media & fans were already calling him a bust. Winning a playoff game last season has shut up some of the skeptics & created some optimism with the fans. But this season will come with enormous pressure to at least get to the AFC championship game. When you're being compared to a legend & getting paid huge $$$ - expectations run at an all-time high.

 

[movingtarget]

Buccaneers plan to release RB Leonard Fournette

 

[jmdirt]

Buccaneers plan to release RB Leonard Fournette

Probably good for both.

 

[Unchained]

‘Sodfather’ eviscerates NFL’s handling of Super Bowl field: ‘Didn’t do s–t’

George Toma, the longtime groundskeeper who led the preparation of every Super Bowl field, including the 2023 big game, slammed the NFL over field issues and said the grass was overwatered at State…

nypost.com

Dirt don't know if you do nicknames.. but Sodfather..really works

 

[jmdirt]

‘Sodfather’ eviscerates NFL’s handling of Super Bowl field: ‘Didn’t do s–t’

George Toma, the longtime groundskeeper who led the preparation of every Super Bowl field, including the 2023 big game, slammed the NFL over field issues and said the grass was overwatered at State…

nypost.com

Dirt don't know if you do nicknames.. but Sodfather..really works

I read that last night and after laughing about sodfather, got angry all over again about the crap playing surface.

 

[movingtarget]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAhqKniS4NU

 

[movingtarget]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQnN-yi7oAw

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Snyder is a total POS. And this doesn't even include the hostile atmosphere against women under his watch. The only reason he's not gone, as I see it, is he must have dirt on many owners, maybe Goodell also.

Fournette seems like the typical RB. Wear and tear. But he'll land somewhere.

That's more sad than anything regarding Carter. But also foolish. Hard to say right now how far his stock drops because of it. I can tell you right now he won't get drafted by the Raiders. Not after the Ruggs tragedy.

Combine schedule coming up:
Drills begins Thursday, March 2nd.

• Thursday, March 2nd, 3pm ET – Defensive Linemen and Linebackers
• Friday, March 3rd, 3pm ET – Defensive Backs
• Saturday, March 4th, 1pm ET – Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends.
• Sunday, March 5th, 1pm ET – Running Backs, Offensive Linemen.

 

[jmdirt]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAhqKniS4NU

This issue isn't important enough to me to spend time researching the details, but based on what I heard on sports radio on my drive to work, this won't affect his draft unless he will miss playing time to deal with the case. He wasn't in the car that crashed, he was in the car racing the car that crashed (misdemeanor charges), and wasn't honest with the police (also misdemeanor charges). If he gets a solid attorney, this will likely go away.

Even though I understand what you are saying Alpe, this really isn't even similar to the Ruggs case (IMO, IPO, or in the eyes of the law). What is the status of Ruggs' case now?

 

[Nomad]

Combine schedule coming up:
Drills begins Thursday, March 2nd.

• Thursday, March 2nd, 3pm ET – Defensive Linemen and Linebackers
• Friday, March 3rd, 3pm ET – Defensive Backs
• Saturday, March 4th, 1pm ET – Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends.
• Sunday, March 5th, 1pm ET – Running Backs, Offensive Linemen.

Looks very small for potential #1 QB selection. Haven't seen anything like this since Sir Francis Tarkenton (5-11/190). Even Murray weighed in at 207 and he's a muscular guy built more like a RB.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630975994805747733

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/APGroover/status/1630975994805747733/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1630975994805747733&currentTweetUser=APGroover

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

As I said before, to me, the guy is tiny. More and more NFL QBs are 6'3"and up, 220lbs and up. Just as an example, Patrick Mahomes looks a little smaller than average these days, though well built. He's 6'2" and 225lb. Mac Jones looks like he could use some muscle when you see him without pads. He's 6'3" and 215lbs. Then there's that pic of him without a shirt sticking his gut out. Yet he still has the size for the NFL.

Young was unquestionably a playmaker at Alabama, saw the whole field, and had a decent arm, certainly for his size. But people saying he can make it in the NFL because Murray, Wilson, and Brees did, I think are really, really reaching. All of those guys are probably taller than him, and all of them have a good 20lbs more pure muscle. Brees and Wilson were also known to be two of the very hardest working players in the SB era (at least until Russ married Ciara and he outgrew his britches). Murray it seems would rather play video games than study playbooks. Brees also played through injuries that the vast majority of players would have given up for. Young will get drafted, and he'll get put in a system that benefits him, and he's going to make some impressive plays, but I honestly think if Carolina or Indy trade with Chicago to get the #1 pick, they are doing so to take Stroud. Not Young.

I agree if Carter is open and transparent, pays his fines, he'll be okay come draft time. But there is no way the Raiders will take him, simply because of the horror associated to Ruggs and dangerous speeding. I only know about Ruggs is that his case keeps getting delayed. I'm certain he's going to spend many years in prison. I honestly can't say I have a lot of sympathy for the guy.

 

[Nomad]

At least Young is bigger than Doug Flutie, who I believe was the smallest starting QB in the modern era at 5-9ish & a buck 80. It was nothing short of miraculous how he lasted 8 or so seasons without being broken in half, and looks very fit & healthy in his 60s now.

Big QBs have been around for a long time. Remember the famous class of 83? Elway, Kelly, Merino, Eason, Blackledge, O'Brien - those studs were all 6-3+ & well over 215 lbs. Merino was a monster at 6-4/225 & as big as most TEs back in that day. You need good height at that position - not only to see over the lineman but for leadership qualities.