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Some respect to Shedeur for acting like an adult, and accepting his apology.

Regarding NIL, I wonder if in we reach a point where the NCAA allows players who didn't make it in the NFL - with some stipulation like they didn't graduate college or play four full years to return - to NCAA football, as long as they are enrolled as a student, not making money from the NFL, or something controted like this. The money seems there.

I don't see someone like Ehlinger returning, but let's say Ewers gets cut by Miami, or even pushed to the practice squad, and he then negotiates his release so he could return to the NCAA, while the NFL that drafted him has first dibs on him if he improves. The NFL already uses the NCAA like a developmental league. And there's a hell of a lot more money in NCAA football than the UFL, or any other league (Arena, etc.).
 
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It wouldn't surprise me that the NFL & NCAA would work out some type of an agreement where the drafted player who declared early could return to the NCAA & play out his remaining year(s) of eligibility under NIL money.

The NIL situation is redefining collegiate athletics like never seen before (and not for the best, IMO). Student-athletes have become like "free agents" able to use the transfer portal to negotiate NIL money with other schools. And now...brace yourself...there's the first "holdout" of a player who wanted to renegotiate his NIL contract from the school that recruited him. Look up Tennessee QB NIco lamaleava, a 4-star recruit, who held out from spring practice to renegotiate his contract. Unable to reach a new deal, he now has transferred to UCLA. Mindboggling if you ask me (the NIL transfer portal is the main reason why Nick Saban retired & wants nothing to do with coaching anymore).

And not only has FBS become a developmental league for the NFL, but also a marketing avenue for their top prospects - mainly QBs. For example, the hype placed on some of these top FBS QBs every year is absolutely ridiculous. And some of these players are just 19 or 20 yr old kids that have played only a year or two of college ball. Look at the hype with Arch Manning - already touted as the #1 OA pick in next year's draft! And he's only a soph that has started only 2 games in his college career! Lol

 
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Presuming Arch doesn't stay another year at Texas (or go where someone pays him even more in college).

"Experts" grading NFL teams drafts is almost as pointless as their mock drafts. For example, the Athletic/NYT graded the Panthers with an "A" but the Raiders with a "D". While NFL.com's "final analysis" gave the Panthers a "B-", and the Raiders an "A". I'm reminded how ESPN doesn't care how wrong Mel Kiper is, or Fox how many times Colin Cowherd changes his mind or makes stuff up, as long as people pay attention. Even Kiper himself has acknowledged this in the past, admitting he has nowhere near the resources of NFL teams with all their scouts and access to players, data, film, etc, but he knows he's paid for his opinion, his guesswork, so he gives it. His meltdown over Shedeur got a lot of eyeballs, and that's a win for them.

Kenny Pickett recently said he fully expects to be QB1 and the starter in Cleveland. Well, the Browns decided to not pick up his 5th year option. I'm predicting right now another difficult season for the Browns, maybe not 3-14, but it could be 6-11, again in last place. They should have an outstanding defense, but a carousel of QBs trying to lead their offense will doom them, especially in that division.
 
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The issue with the Giants is they also have Jameis Winston. So there are two buffers before Drabol has to throw Dart out there if the team struggles.
I think it's safe to say that Winston is a bust. 10 yrs in the league with 3 different teams & a 36-51 record & no playoffs. This is a "#1 OA" pick by TB that was supposed to lead them to the promised land. And it was so bad last year at Cleveland that he was benched in favor of Thompson-Robinson (remember the Denver game where he kept throwing TD passes to the wrong colored jerseys. Lol).If Cleveland thought he was their guy they wouldn't have released him. If the Giants thought that he was their guy, they wouldn't have traded their 2nd & 3rd rd pick & next year's 3rd rd pick for Houston's 1st rd pick to take Dart at #25. It's a bold move that spells absolutely no confidence with either Wilson or Winston (journeyman backups is their calling).

Unless Dart has a disastrous preseason, I see him as the backup going into the start of the season (where Winston goes...who knows. Maybe he can beat out DeVito for the 3rd spot?). There will be tremendous pressure on Wilson to perform flawlessly & win right out of the gate. Remember last year Penix Jr was supposed to sit the bench for a year or two & learn under the great Kirk Cousins - who was supposed to lead them to the promised land? Well at 7-7 & leading the league in picks, he was benched with Penix starting the last 3 games. Now Penix is #1 on the depth chart with Cousins on the outside looking in. So much for learning under Cousins. Lol. The future for Atlanta is now in full swing with Penix.

Wilson is past his prime with 36 yr old legs. He couldn't even win a playoff game last year with Pittsburgh (when was the last time he won a playoff game?). Dart is a dual-threat with a strong arm and 21 yr old legs (rushed for over 1500 yds in 3 seasons at Ole Miss). He played a lot like Bo Nix did in college (spread RPO scheme). And we saw the damage Nix did last year as an effective runner showing his skills as a dual-threat/mobile pocket passer.
 
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I seriously doubt Carr lied about his injury, or tried to hide anything. He's simply not that kind of person. I think his real fear however is he could be cut right now and the Saints have an out. It would require them to eat a huge cap hit, but they could do it. As is, his contract is back loaded to paying him a huge amount in 2026 when he'll be 35. The age number isn't the issue, it's the wear and tear from numerous injuries. So, being more injured, makes it easier for the Saints to cut bait and just move on from him. The issue becomes when, and how to handle that cost.

With three young QBs on the bench behind him, this becomes increasingly easy to stomach the idea of. Plus none of those QBs are on big contracts.

Carr is basically inches from being in a same position as QBs like Garoppolo, Mariota, Wentz, Winston, Dalton, etc.
 
Dad apparently desperately wanted, "prayed" for Shedeur to be drafted by the Giants. The one team he didn't want? Cleveland.

How messy is the potential situation in Cleveland? Predictions all over the place. A few think he won't even make the team, and be cut. Some say he'll only make the practice squad. But I not only think he will make the team, I think once they start losing , or considering they are all defense - their offense sputters, I can see him starting at some point in the season. But I don't think the decision will be from coach Kevin Stefanski. I think it will come from owner Jimmy Halsem. So Haslem will make sure Shedeur not only makes the team, but starts. Most owners are impatient, CEO types, but Haslem has a reputation of being one of the most meddling owners in the NFL. GM Andrew Barry denied Haslem had anything to do with them drafting Shedeur, but I seriously question that.
 
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Anyone who still doesn't believe dual-threat QBs are the direction football is headed need to watch these highlights. DC came into this game with arguably the best defense in the UFL, and Michigan QB Bryce Perkins just thrashed them with his legs and his arm. There was almost nothing DC could do to stop him. Rams fans may remember Perkins being their backup QB a couple years back and playing a bit.

 
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I watched most of that game before heading out for my Sunday workout (I've been catching one game to watch in it's entirety - usually the Sunday AM game on ESPN). I see that the Panthers play at Ford Field - looked like a decent crowd today.

I'm familiar with Perkins - I watched him at Virginia when he played for Bronco Mendanhall. Perkins was absolutely on fire his senior year passing & running for over 4300 yds of total O leading the Cavaliers to a bowl game.

Seeing that he went undrafted, cut by the Rams & playing in the UFL, I thought there might issues with his arm strength (this is the situation with Max Duggan where he has great running ability but below-average arm strength thus unable to make it in the NFL). However, the scouting reports on Perkins state he has "adequate arm strength & a very sudden release." So, why he's not a backup somewhere in the NFL is surprising.
 
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Presuming Arch doesn't stay another year at Texas (or go where someone pays him even more in college).

"Experts" grading NFL teams drafts is almost as pointless as their mock drafts. For example, the Athletic/NYT graded the Panthers with an "A" but the Raiders with a "D". While NFL.com's "final analysis" gave the Panthers a "B-", and the Raiders an "A". I'm reminded how ESPN doesn't care how wrong Mel Kiper is, or Fox how many times Colin Cowherd changes his mind or makes stuff up, as long as people pay attention. Even Kiper himself has acknowledged this in the past, admitting he has nowhere near the resources of NFL teams with all their scouts and access to players, data, film, etc, but he knows he's paid for his opinion, his guesswork, so he gives it. His meltdown over Shedeur got a lot of eyeballs, and that's a win for them.

Kenny Pickett recently said he fully expects to be QB1 and the starter in Cleveland. Well, the Browns decided to not pick up his 5th year option. I'm predicting right now another difficult season for the Browns, maybe not 3-14, but it could be 6-11, again in last place. They should have an outstanding defense, but a carousel of QBs trying to lead their offense will doom them, especially in that division.
Is Mel Kiper a Remco fan? Seems like similar responses to disappointing events.
 
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I have dabbled in the Sanders saga, I just can't figure out why multiple things can't be true at once..
Wearing headphones, slide sandals, loose fitting track suits, ball caps, large jewelry, doing video chats and texting during job interviews are all things that are acceptable, often praised in Sanders circles.
Those behaviors, manners of dress and overall attitude are things generally initially unwanted for NFL coaches and owners, and they are unwilling to make financial commitments, short and long term. Everyone can have their own ideas and standards and folks like Clevelanders can meet in the middle.. Hybrid happiness. In the end, as holds true, if Sanders is given a chance and he capitalizes on it..otherwise he can go golfing or clubbing w Ryan Leaf or Brian Bosworth,
 
I'm beginning to think Sanders' drop to the 5th has less to due with his attitude & behavior and more with his limited mobility and rushing ability severely restricting his offensive flexibility. He was sacked 94 times in 2 seasons at CU, the most in FBS during that span. And he has a grand total of 29 rushing yds in 4 seasons of college ball (2 at CU & 2 at Jackson St). He's simply not a dual-threat QB.

Conversely, Jaxson Dart rushed for over 1500 yds in 3 seasons & was hardly sacked at Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin had designed run plays for Dart. Effectively running the ball was an important component of Dart's game. I read a article where Daboll said they watched a ton of film on Dart, had a private workouts with him & conferred a lot with Kiffin. And low & behold, the Giants trade up taking Dart 25th OA.

And who did Cleveland select as their first QB off the board - Dillion Gabriel. Though severely undersized in both height & weight, and with limited arm strength, Gabriel was taken in the 3rd rd just 2 spots under Milroe! (he was the only QB under 6 ft to get drafted). But Gabriel has top-tier pocket mobility with dual-threat potential (rushed for 373 yes & 12 TDs in his Jr season at Oklahoma).

The new frontier in the NFL is mobile pocket passers/dual-threat QBs. Having great arm talent & being able to throw the snot out of the ball isn't going to cut it anymore with prospects. In this draft, we clearly saw the QBs with excellent arm talent & impressive passing stats but lack of mobility & dual-threat capability drop to lower round picks (Sanders, Ewers, McCord, Mertz, etc).
 
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I'm beginning to think Sanders' drop to the 5th has less to due with his attitude & behavior and more with his limited mobility and rushing ability severely restricting his offensive flexibility. He was sacked 94 times in 2 seasons at CU, the most in FBS during that span. And he has a grand total of 29 rushing yds in 4 seasons of college ball (2 at CU & 2 at Jackson St). He's simply not a dual-threat QB.
I posted similar a bit back. Noting how he rushed for something like -50 yards his senior year, and -77 his junior (granted, they don't calculate runs in college like the NFL), and took some bad sacks. But compare this to Dart, Milroe, or any number of QBs in FBS last year, or the last couple years.

To your credit, you're one of the people who convinced me that dual-threat and/or highly mobile QBs are not the future in football, they are the present! As I posted before, even the least mobile QBs in the UFL (Perez ,Cookus, Mond) are asked to move more than ever before. And it's the dual threat guys like Perkins - who is the 8th leading rusher in the league (despite missing one game, and limited playing in another) and Duggan who is 11th, even though he's only started 2 of six games(!) that are showing the way. Last year the league's leading rusher was Birmingham QB Adrien Martinez (now 3rd string QB on the Jets). AJ McCarron was not resigned by St. Louis, despite having maybe the best arm in the league. Why? He's a total statue. A relic.

It's only a matter of time before the NFL completely figures this out. Well, they are! And that as much as anything is why Shedeur dropped.
 
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I didn't know Martinez led the league in rushing...very impressive. I'm sure his overall performance as MVP, winning the UFL title game & dual-threat capacity are the reasons the Jets signed him. That would really be something if he could beat Tyrod Taylor out for the backup job.

Both Gruden & Big Ben think Will Howard was the steal of the draft. It was Big Ben's comments that caught my attention more because I don't recall him ever endorsing & showing this much enthusiasm when they drafted Pickett.


 
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The "Tush Push Terminator"! Over 130lbs heavier than Refrigerator Perry. That's a full 38% more body mass!!! Let's see li'l Cam Jurgans at a puny 303 lbs move this guy out of the way! o_O

As to Tom Brady giving thumbs up to Cam Miller, I posted about Cam before, a dual-threat, modern prototypical QB, he just went to a small school. He is zero threat to Geno Smith's job, and likely close to no threat to Aiden O'Connell, but my guess is he bumps Carter Bradley off the roster to take QB3/Practice. Pete is no dummy and has to know the more mobile the QB, the better their chances in the future. In fact, my crystal ball says in just a few years a QB like Geno (who's fairly mobile) will be the least mobile QB we see starting in the NFL. Whether Cam replaces Geno in 3+ years however remains to be seen, and is unlikely.
 
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Steelers sending George Pickens to Cowboys for future picks.

Pickens will be on a one-year deal, basically a hired gun. To me this trade also says two things about the Cowboys: Jerry knows he's getting old, and time is running out. The "future" is now to build for at his age. Also that the Cowboys are banking on their culture, both their players like Dak and CeeDee, but also HC Brian Schottenheimer, and new OC Klayton Adams to make Perkins fit into their system. Something the Steelers seemingly couldn't do.

Another guess is this though: Perkins was kind of his own guy in Pittsburgh. Sort of did his own thing, and a bit of a free spirit. He and Kenny Pickett (who is kind of quirky) seemed to get along well. But Aaron Rodgers is a real stickler with being in total sync with his receivers to precision. That's the opposite of how Pickett to Perkins seemed to work. This makes me think Rodgers is closed to being signed, and maybe told the Steelers he'd be fine with Perkins being traded. But I might have thought the Steelers would have tried to get someone like Jonathan Mingo or Jalen Brooks in return. Two young guys who played sparingly for Dallas last year.
 
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He is zero threat to Geno Smith's job, and likely close to no threat to Aiden O'Connell, but my guess is he bumps Carter Bradley off the roster to take QB3/Practice. Pete is no dummy and has to know the more mobile the QB, the better their chances in the future. In fact, my crystal ball says in just a few years a QB like Geno (who's fairly mobile) will be the least mobile QB we see starting in the NFL. Whether Cam replaces Geno in 3+ years however remains to be seen, and is unlikely.
If Miller is not to compete against O'Connell for the backup spot, then why did Carroll draft him in the first place? If he was just drafted to "bump" Carter Bradley out of the QB3 spot, that seems like a complete waste of a draft pick. And consider there were two good players left on the board at that time; a DT from UCLA (Toia) & a OT from Wisconsin (Nelson), that Dallas & Atlanta drafted right after the Raider's pick.

If Carroll just wanted some QB to compete with Bradley for QB3, he could have signed one of FAs still out there at a much cheaper price (e.g, Huntley, Wentz, Beathard, etc). But to waste a precious 6th rd pick (and $4m) on a QB that you have no intentions of being your backup is a stupid move by Carroll (I agree I don't think Miller is anything close to franchise material, but QBs drafted in the latter rounds are usually for upgrading a team's backup role).
 
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