• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

National Football League

Page 784 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
I can imagine mumbles Belicheck talking to college players struggling to stay awake, as they wonder if he's going to bring his hot gf to practice some day.
Head coaching at the FBS level is all about recruiting (the coordinators & position coaches do all the heavy lifting with team preparation). Can you imagine the cantankerous Bilichick visiting the home of a 4 or 5-star recruit trying to convince the parents on why their kid should go to UNC. The parents are going to be like WTH is this guy mumbling about. Lol
 
Here's your guy:
Looks like the best player ever, with exception to Brady being accurate, and Vick being mobile. Raiders should win 5 or more Super Bowls with him, easy. And if they don't, it won't be his fault. His father will let the world know about that.

Numbers only mean so much. Remember Timmy Chang? Graham Harrell? Andre Ware? Colt Brennan? Landry Jones. Ty Detmer. Case Keenum had an okay career after throwing for a zillion yards in college.

I'm curious what happens with Hunter in the draft, and NFL. I don't see an NFL team playing him at both WR and CB, which is a big part of his hype in college. I'm guessing it will be CB. But he lacks the time spent as a full time starter at either position. So, one can be amazed all they want by this guy playing on both sides of the ball, but that's highly unlikely to happen in the NFL. So, what are teams going to do?
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
The 49ers are finished. 6-8, and a knack for losing close games, or games the could have, should have won. At this point I expect them to finish in the cellar. If you look at their roster and salary situation, they may in for a difficult reboot.

Rams could ruin someone's day in the playoffs. Final game of the year, hosting Seattle, looms large.
It’s a tough scenario for Seattle from here. Aside from having to play the Packers and Vikings the next two weeks, even if the Hawks are a game up on the Rams going into that finale, they still will have to win it to win the division, since losing would mean Rams have the tiebreaker. That OT loss to the Rams really looms larger now than it did at the time.
 
Numbers only mean so much. Remember Timmy Chang? Graham Harrell? Andre Ware? Colt Brennan? Landry Jones. Ty Detmer. Case Keenum had an okay career after throwing for a zillion yards in college.

I'm curious what happens with Hunter in the draft, and NFL. I don't see an NFL team playing him at both WR and CB, which is a big part of his hype in college. I'm guessing it will be CB. But he lacks the time spent as a full time starter at either position. So, one can be amazed all they want by this guy playing on both sides of the ball, but that's highly unlikely to happen in the NFL. So, what are teams going to do?
I understand numbers only mean so much but they're a metric that's used as part of the evaluation process. Nix threw over 15,000 yds in his college career (AUB/ORE) , Mayfield over 14,000 yds at Oklahoma and the Gunslinger threw for over 11,000 yds in just 3 seasons at TT. I'm not saying because Sanders threw for an incredible amount of yardage in his college career, that he's going to have Mahomes type success in the pros, but what I'm stating he's a prolific passer who threw 40-45 times a game at the Power-5 level. And the NFL is a pass-orientated league.

On Hunter, I agree that he probably won't play both ways. The problem is he's equally as good at both WR & CB. Aside from winning the AP College Player Of The Year award & the Lott Trophy award for best defensive player, he's a Fred Biletnikoff award winner - given to the most outstanding receiver every year (he was CU's leading receiver with 92 receptions & 6th in the nation). He's also a finalist for the Heisman. Hunter is got it all. He's a real generational talent. He's a day one impact player that could improve a team's offense or defense significantly. A sure top 3 pick:

 
Last edited:
The 49ers are finished. 6-8, and a knack for losing close games, or games the could have, should have won. At this point I expect them to finish in the cellar. If you look at their roster and salary situation, they may in for a difficult reboot.
Do you think they fire Shanahan if they don't make the playoffs & finish last in the division? (I recall reading somewhere where Lynch was pretty pissed off at what he perceived as a lack of effort by the team).

Granted they lost CMC for basically the entire season, plus injuries here & there to other key players, but unless it's the starting QB that goes down, injuries are not an excuse a coach can hide behind (that's why they carry 53 guys on a roster - "next man up" philosophy).

You got to admit this team has done a complete 180 going from 12-5, division title & losing a close one to KC in the SB last year to no playoffs & possibly last place in the division. A totally crap season in the making. Not a 49er standard.
 
Do you think they fire Shanahan if they don't make the playoffs & finish last in the division? (I recall reading somewhere where Lynch was pretty pissed off at what he perceived as a lack of effort by the team).

Granted they lost CMC for basically the entire season, plus injuries here & there to other key players, but unless it's the starting QB that goes down, injuries are not an excuse a coach can hide behind (that's why they carry 53 guys on a roster - "next man up" philosophy).

You got to admit this team has done a complete 180 going from 12-5, division title & losing a close one to KC in the SB last year to no playoffs & possibly last place in the division. A totally crap season in the making. Not a 49er standard.
Shanahan hired lynch not the other way around. He's going nowhere. Two SB appearances and 4 NFC Title appearances in 8 years. Lynch laughed last week about Shanahan being dumped and the owner still seems to support him. This season they had the most pro bowlers on the injured list and the second most injured players on IR. I think he gets two more seasons to right the ship unless next year is also a disaster, then there might be rumblings.
 


Wait what?
When Greenlaw returned he went to the sideline, when Greenlaw came out in the third quarter after banging his knee, Campbell was asked to go in and he refused and walked off. Shanahan said it's the only time he's seen it happen in his entire career................he was on a one year contract and knew he was there to temporarily replace Greenlaw..........GB fans warned the 49ers fans about Campbell when he was signed........seems he's never been much of a team player.
 
Shanahan hired lynch not the other way around. He's going nowhere. Two SB appearances and 4 NFC Title appearances in 8 years. Lynch laughed last week about Shanahan being dumped and the owner still seems to support him. This season they had the most pro bowlers on the injured list and the second most injured players on IR. I think he gets two more seasons to right the ship unless next year is also a disaster, then there might be rumblings.
Really? What makes Mike's kid so special? He's had 2 tries at winning a SB & came up empty handed (at least his dad won a couple of SBs). Now the team is probably going to finish below .500 & at the bottom of the division. Lol. Is that how ownership feels? Nonetheless, it's a turd organization now no different than that crap house out in Dallas. LMAO.
 
I'd honestly be as upset about the way they lost the SB last year as much as the season's overall failure. But if I were a GM or owner I'd still be unhappy with this season too. But not enough to up and fire Shanahan. Remember this: Before you up and fire your head coach, you better have a pretty good idea who you'll replace him with, and why that's going to work better. As an example of what doesn't work, I present the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, who have a long habit of firing coach after coach, with little plan. Just hitting that reset button over and over, expecting a different result, like they will magically find someone.

Just because SF had "pro bowler" players hurt doesn't mean much. The Raiders starting QB was in the pro bowl last year, and he's hurt. Is that why the Raiders are 2-10? No. He was pretty bad when he was on the field. The pro bowl is not anywhere near the same as all pro. People routinely collapse the two.

So, does Hunter play WR, or CB in the NFL? And is he the best player in the draft at the position he will be playing? Because that's what's going to happen, with this "generational talent".

I think the Jets need to sign Campbell. He'd fit right in there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
I'd honestly be as upset about the way they lost the SB last year as much as the season's overall failure. But if I were a GM or owner I'd still be unhappy with this season too. But not enough to up and fire Shanahan. Remember this: Before you up and fire your head coach, you better have a pretty good idea who you'll replace him with, and why that's going to work better. As an example of what doesn't work, I present the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, who have a long habit of firing coach after coach, with little plan. Just hitting that reset button over and over, expecting a different result, like they will magically find someone.

Just because SF had "pro bowler" players hurt doesn't mean much. The Raiders starting QB was in the pro bowl last year, and he's hurt. Is that why the Raiders are 2-10? No. He was pretty bad when he was on the field. The pro bowl is not anywhere near the same as all pro. People routinely collapse the two.

So, does Hunter play WR, or CB in the NFL? And is he the best player in the draft at the position he will be playing? Because that's what's going to happen, with this "generational talent".

I think the Jets need to sign Campbell. He'd fit right in there.
Be surprised if anyone signed Campbell. Might be UFL time. So far they are 1-4 in the division , last season they were 5-1 before that they were 6-0. Rams were even worse after they won the SB, they went 5-12 the following season.

Lot of teams had injury problems but the 49ers don't have the depth they have had previously and will have to do well in the next two drafts. Next season will be a mini clean out, they missed their chance to trade Deebo when he was worth something,. But he might be cut if the money works out re the cap. Chaotic season, changes are obvious, just a matter of how many. Special teams coach and DC will also probably be gone. The Purdy contract will be their next big decision. Don't see him getting Dak money but who knows, it worked for Lawrence and Dak.
 
Last edited:
I'd honestly be as upset about the way they lost the SB last year as much as the season's overall failure. But if I were a GM or owner I'd still be unhappy with this season too. But not enough to up and fire Shanahan. Remember this: Before you up and fire your head coach, you better have a pretty good idea who you'll replace him with, and why that's going to work better. As an example of what doesn't work, I present the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, who have a long habit of firing coach after coach, with little plan. Just hitting that reset button over and over, expecting a different result, like they will magically find someone.

Just because SF had "pro bowler" players hurt doesn't mean much. The Raiders starting QB was in the pro bowl last year, and he's hurt. Is that why the Raiders are 2-10? No. He was pretty bad when he was on the field. The pro bowl is not anywhere near the same as all pro. People routinely collapse the two.

So, does Hunter play WR, or CB in the NFL? And is he the best player in the draft at the position he will be playing? Because that's what's going to happen, with this "generational talent".
C'mon now, Kraft fired Bilichick after just 2 back to back losing seasons literally running him out of the league where the guy has to coach college kids now to get his coaching fix. Lol. And we're talking about a 6xSB winning coach & 3xCoach of the Year recipient, and probably a top 3 all-time great. So, what makes Shanahan so protected? Like I said, it's a crap team now. You have players now walking off the field refusing to play. Lol. He's lost control of the team. Maybe the fans will start wearing the paper bags over their faces like they're doing in New York. Lol.

On Hunter, if you look at the top draft prospects for both WR & CB, he's not mentioned in either category but instead is listed as a #1 OA pick at "Athlete (ATH)." This means no one has any idea what position he plays or if he tries going both ways. At 185 on a 6-1 frame, I think he needs to put some weight on if he plays corner. Patrick Surtain II & Riley Moss, two of the best of the business, are 195-200 lbs at that frame. He's size is okay for a WR since he's a burner & he'll be spreading out defenses. Like I said, Worthy at a buck 65 is doing just fine as KC's 2nd leading receiver.
 
Last edited:
C'mon now, Kraft fired Bilichick after just 2 back to back losing seasons literally running him out of the league where the guy has to coach college kids now to get his coaching fix. Lol. And we're talking about a 6xSB winning coach & 3xCoach of the Year recipient, and probably a top 3 all-time great. So, what makes Shanahan so protected? Like I said, it's a crap team now. You have players now walking off the field refusing to play. Lol. He's lost control of the team. Maybe the fans will start wearing the paper bags over their faces like they're doing in New York. Lol.
Belichick is also losing head coach without Brady and his GM decisions were questionable for awhile. Not to mention the rumors about his attitude and behavior.
 
So, what makes Shanahan so protected? Like I said, it's a crap team now. You have players now walking off the field refusing to play. Lol. He's lost control of the team. Maybe the fans will start wearing the paper bags over their faces like they're doing in New York. Lol.
So they're going to fire him and hire...who exactly? And no, "anybody" isn't an answer. Who's out there? Robert Saleh? Josh McDaniels? Matt Eberfleus? Urban Meyer? Maybe just roll the dice, bring in some coordinator, expect magic to happen? Or just anyone young? Call it a "new direction".
 
All Pro, Pro Bowl, who cares! Starters are starters for a reason, they are the best that a team has at a given position. If a team has starters out, they won't b as good. Sometimes a team lucks out and a #2 ends up playing #1 level ball, but that is the exception not the rule.

Let's talk about exceptions for a second here: should Sam Darnold be in the MVP discussion? He was drafted as a QB 1, but has mostly played at a QB3 level until this year.

Let me rant a little more here. :) I'm vomit stricken with all of the talk of the red zone (and some who refer to it as the red area...get a dermatologist)! Yes, I'll be the first one to say: "they need to score more 6s than 3s", but the closer the O gets to the end zone, the easier it is to defend. O coordinators should be doing a better job of designing plays from the 20+.
 
All Pro, Pro Bowl, who cares! Starters are starters for a reason, they are the best that a team has at a given position. If a team has starters out, they won't b as good. Sometimes a team lucks out and a #2 ends up playing #1 level ball, but that is the exception not the rule.

Let's talk about exceptions for a second here: should Sam Darnold be in the MVP discussion? He was drafted as a QB 1, but has mostly played at a QB3 level until this year.

Let me rant a little more here. :) I'm vomit stricken with all of the talk of the red zone (and some who refer to it as the red area...get a dermatologist)! Yes, I'll be the first one to say: "they need to score more 6s than 3s", but the closer the O gets to the end zone, the easier it is to defend. O coordinators should be doing a better job of designing plays from the 20+.
I get nauseated whenever announcers, media, coaches get so fixated on a specific metric (20-yds, 100 pitches, etc) as though the number itself has real meaning but it’s just chosen because we happen to have 10 fingers. If coaches and pundits were as data-friendly as they say they are, they would know 20 yds (or 100 pitches), essentially a randomly chosen number, doesn’t fit equally for every team. Success from the 20, or from the 19-or 21-yd line, often requires getting another 1st down. If that 1st down is at the 8 or 9, that is a much tougher get for a running team than passing team. So if one insists on having the concept of a red zone, the distance should vary by the style of play. But they could also decide the red zone starts at the 30, or the 12, or whatever. I understand that the initial idea is to provide an easy “handle” to discuss something, but then to go on ad nauseum about that metric as though it is like a law of the physical universe shows how lazy (or sometimes inept) many announcers and media analysts are.
 
I'm curious what happens with Hunter in the draft, and NFL. I don't see an NFL team playing him at both WR and CB, which is a big part of his hype in college. I'm guessing it will be CB. But he lacks the time spent as a full time starter at either position. So, one can be amazed all they want by this guy playing on both sides of the ball, but that's highly unlikely to happen in the NFL. So, what are teams going to do?
Some highlights of Hunter this past season. He plays excellent coverage & has that 41" vertical jump that really shows out jumping receivers. And he hits low & hard. It might be full-time corner in the pros. He's very similar not only in size & speed but ability to Nate Wiggins, the Ravens 1st round pick this past draft. Wiggins is a top shutdown corner from Clemson who's in the rotation already having started 3 games for the Ravens. A good shutdown corner is worth their weight in gold these days.

View: https://youtu.be/XBLJOBnnkbc?si=d1fl99IEZChNZqRL
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Alpe d'Huez
Rex is going to be the Jets HC, Pete Carroll is Coach Emeritus in Seattle, and Marvin Lewis is 90 years old. If only they had been talking to Belicheck this entire time...
Be surprised if anyone signed Campbell. Might be UFL time.
No one in the UFL will sign him. The UFL is about opportunity. Most of the players are trying to get to the NFL, and a surprising amount did this last season. Those who aren't, are trying to really make something with their love of football. He'd never make it through camp in the UFL.
...but the closer the O gets to the end zone, the easier it is to defend.
The Tush Pushers have something to say about that.
O coordinators should be doing a better job of designing plays from the 20+.
Agree 100% here. More teams need to find ways to air it out. QBs have got to work on deep field accuracy, especially with QBs who have a strong arm. Whenever you get 1:1 coverage, especially on a safety, let it rip! Return to the days of the Greatest Show on Turf, or before that, the Mad Bomber, Daryle Lamonica! What happens if you throw an interception? It's 50 yards down field! Same as a punt!
Some highlights of Hunter this past season.
So, based on that, where would you draft him? #3 overall as a CB?

There are a lot of people certain Shedeur will go #1 overall, and Ward #2, and think both should. To me this would be very similar to the year Winston and Mariotta went 1 & 2 overall. Both guys had okay careers, that's about it. Or this should be like 2013 when EJ Manuel went #16 overall, and Geno Smith fell to the Jets at the top of the 2nd around.

If I had the #1 or #2 overall pick, and someone wanted to give up a haul of picks to get Shedeur or Ward, I'd absolutely listen and get ready to make a deal. Then draft one of the other QBs in rounds 2-4 (Ewers, Beck, Allar, Milroe if he declares, maybe even Gabriel), then have that guy sit at least a full season and learn. See if he really has what it takes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
The Tush Pushers have something to say about that.
Is PHI even in the top 10 of red zone efficiency? I would guess that BAL is at the top of that stat? Maybe BUF? The talking heads said that CIN was one of the best in the red zone during the game last week (I don't know if the meant it literally or figuratively). If they are near the top, it hasn't helped them win enough.

I agree with sciatic that that stat is way less meaningful than its made out to be.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alpe d'Huez