NFL News, Rumors and Musings

Shadowlight

Master
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
3,882
Before I get to my last team mini write up I can hear people on late Saturday afternoon cursing my name as some of my "predictions" prove false. In truth as so often happens not every thing will follow form. I just hope that when I am wrong it favors a white player. I relied on some sources that could very well be misleading. That is the nature of predicting rosters. When I started this project I thought members would jump in on some teams but as I got rolling I just plowed ahead and here we are 32 teams later. I kind of liked the experience and as you can tell I like to insert comedic elements when I see a chance.

Just a reminder, the 53 man roster deadline is 4:00 PM EST Saturday. I am sure members here will fill us in on all the details.

And the big change this year is on game day teams will suit up 55 players as practice squad teams have been expanded to 16 players. Which means two special team players will be called up every week. This might help some of the fringe white players get their feet wet. Time will tell.

I am not sure many here know this but the Browns new HC Kevin Stefanski was the Vikings offensive coordinator who installed a constipated game plan that moved away from letting QB Kirk Cousins let it rip preferring instead a dry two yards and a cloud of dust approach. That experiment failed miserably as stars like WR Adam Thielen were ignored.

Deja vu time as we have yet another team featuring stud tight ends. Austin Hooper was picked up from Atlanta and is a proven play maker. Rookie Harrison Bryant is an explosive athlete busting at the seams.

The only other big news I could find is DE Porter Gustin has been tearing it up at training camp so his odds of making the squad have gone up.

Hope you enjoyed the show. Let's hope for the best on Saturday. There are more than a few nail biting scenarios.
 

Leonardfan

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
24,363
Thanks for all the mini team previews @Shadowlight I won't be home for the annual purge this weekend so I'll check here as much as possible and post via my phone when I can.

The Dan Chisena news is somewhat encouraging as long as he is given a chance to develop. I believe practice squads are expanded this year so hopefully more of our guys stick around.
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
31,416
Location
Pennsylvania
This is very good news for Renfro, as the other two likely starters are both rookies. Hunter could get a ton of targets this season:

Raiders placed WR Tyrell Williams on injured reserve with a torn labrum, ending his season.
It was never likely that Williams would be able to play through one of the most serious shoulder injuries a football player can suffer. He will undergo surgery and not be a candidate for return. Overpaid in last year's free agency period, injuries have rendered Williams a total Raider dud. He was plagued by foot issues in 2019 before this summer's shoulder woes. In his absence, Henry Ruggs, Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards should comprise three-receiver sets, though the Raiders have also hyped Nelson Agholor and Zay Jones. Five months shy of his 29th birthday, Williams will be a strong candidate for release next year.
 

Leonardfan

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
24,363
Leonard Fournette cleared waivers - sounds like he was a locker room cancer from the reports I have seen. The fact he went unclaimed is pretty telling. Another prime example of a hyped up black player not living up to the billing.
 

Leonardfan

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
24,363
The Dolphins are in the process of developing new faces of the franchise and I think TE Mike Gesicki and LB Andrew Van Ginkel are excellent candidates.

They smartly brought in vastly underrated S Clayton Fejedelem. Maybe he can start for a change?

So far flop QB Josh Rosen will land the 3rd QB spot.

The following three players are likely not to make the team as far as I can tell:

S Nate Holley

LB Calvin Munson

FB Chandler Cox

It is unclear what the Dolphins plan to do with them as far as the practice squad.

And there is that small matter of RB Patrick Laird. I am cautiously optimistic they will keep the versatile back. Clear sailing right? Not exactly. If they pick up a RB like Fournette it could screw everything up for Laird but for now things are looking good so I'll keep annoying thoughts at arm's length for the time being.

I am curious to see what happens with Rosen. I can put his politics aside as his development in the league is more important when it comes to the QB position. @Tannehill17 can probably provide more insight but I have heard some good things about Rosen in training camp. I felt he was far from a polished product when he declared. UCLA was a mess during his tenure but he remained competitive. It also sounds like he has gained some humility which is always an admirable trait. To the DWF all they see is a white QB - he has seen hugely hyped up non-white QBs drafted in front of him in back to back years.
 

Bucky

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Messages
10,028
There will be headhunters for sure! But at least Eifert has some balls!!
 

Rocky B

Master
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
2,205
I was listening to the Fan, Pittsburgh sports talk, they said Ryan Switzer was no longer on the team.....As if there were personal issues or something...
 

Leonardfan

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
24,363
I was listening to the Fan, Pittsburgh sports talk, they said Ryan Switzer was no longer on the team.....As if there were personal issues or something...

I just checked his twitter, news stories on him and the roster - he is listed everywhere. Hopefully it's just delusional drunk white sports talk.
 

jacque

Guru
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
454
Someone said jordan kunaszyk is mixed race, I’ve seen his parents, both white
 

jacque

Guru
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
454
With Fournette gone that makes cottrells path to the roster easier. I’ve heard he’s been doing good, he’s FAST. 4.3 if I remember. Easily a special teaser to start
 

Leonardfan

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
24,363
With Fournette gone that makes cottrells path to the roster easier. I’ve heard he’s been doing good, he’s FAST. 4.3 if I remember. Easily a special teaser to start

I forgot about Cotrell. Thanks for bringing him up and good to see you posting!
 

Shadowlight

Master
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
3,882
With Fournette gone that makes cottrells path to the roster easier. I’ve heard he’s been doing good, he’s FAST. 4.3 if I remember. Easily a special teaser to start

Here I was busy patting myself on the back saying good job on the mini 53 man roster previews and then it turns out I missed out on a key player Nathan Cottrell. I knew I would miss a few like some deep depth chart TEs I skipped on purpose but no excuses for skipping a RB. Very embarrassing especially in light of the fact I was the first person here to mention Cottrell when he was in high school no less. During his biggest moment in his career I completely forget about him. Plus I highly doubt anyone has mentioned him here as much as me and I even did a full blooded scouting report on him before the draft. His versatility and blinding speed screams 53 man roster.

As far as making the Jaguars 53 man roster I think it is a long shot but not impossible. His odds did increase with Fournette being released and I understand he had a very good camp but it seems like a black RB has passed him. We will find out on Saturday. If he isn't kept then we will have to watch the practice squad list and since he is a special teams player too chances are good he could get called up during the season if he lands on the practice squad.

Might as well mention a couple of other UDFAs. I have not heard too much on the Chargers WR Dalton Schoen but I have heard some buzz about the Bucs WR John Hurst. But one thing white wide receivers must avoid at all cost is getting banged up and injured. It often costs them a job. Hard to do I know but how many times have we seen teams ditch a white receiver after an injury? The 49ers dumped Chris Finke not because of his play but because during his physical they noticed his hammy hadn't fully healed.

Well Hurst was having a great camp before spraining his ankle. This instantly puts him in jeopardy. Before the injury, which I hope is mild, Hurst was being penciled in on the practice squad. And as mentioned above Ryan Switzer hurt his foot on the heels of having a great camp.

About practice squads. Again they have been expanded up to 16 players this year. And selections for practice squads begin on Monday at 1:00 EST. I am not sure they pick everyone at once or the process is carried out over a few days? So two dates and times to watch are Saturday at 4:00 EST for the 53 man roster and Monday at 1:00 EST for the beginning of practice squad selections.

In perspective I have done worse things. When I was younger it was pretty much in the bag I was going to get laid by a buxom blonde. Don't ask but somehow I mucked it up. Just call me clutch. These are the incidents men never forget. Ha.
 
Last edited:

Freethinker

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
7,569
Location
Suffolk County, NY
Thanks Shadowlight for all the great roster analysis! Your post regarding the Giants especially peaked my interest. As a recovered Giants DWF, I haven’t been able to support them in any capacity in a decade at least. This year, they’ll be a team worth rooting for especially if Sills (at least) makes the team.

There seems to be more “interesting” teams this year than usual. We still have the hold overs like the Vikings, Patriots, Rams and Packers who employ enough White talent to remain on our radar. Then there are teams like the Buccaneers, Raiders, Giants, Bills and maybe even the Jets who have upgraded in the offseason. I’m pretty hopeful for White players this season but attempting to watch them with all of the over-the-top Marxist, black power BS is going to be a slog.
 

Shadowlight

Master
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
3,882
Good timing Freethinker and thanks for the compliment. I just read a very detailed breakdown of what is going on in the 53 man roster position battles for the Giants. I hope this dude is right because he has both Sills and Coughlin making the roster and Bachman for the practice squad. But I'm greedy and I want all three on board. See below his take on the Giants, one of the most if not the most anticipated team to watch come Saturday afternoon!

https://www.nj.com/giants/2020/09/a...ae-crowder-tj-brunson-or-carter-coughlin.html
 

Shadowlight

Master
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
3,882
Another cliffhanger situation is WR Ryan Switzer of the Steelers. I just read an article about his main competition being Ray-Ray Mccloud, a WR/KR they snuck in by free agency just week or so ago. Another attempt to knee cap a white WR it seems.

Well I won't post the article which is fresh off the press but the writer ultimately thinks Switzer will get the nod not on talent but because he is "friends" with Big Ben and knows the offense better. The writer is convinced Mccloud is the more dynamic player and makes Ryan out to be a marginal vanilla type.

He gets cute when he says Mccloud has superior short area quickness. Let's go the measurements. Both from the combine.

Their size and verticals are about the same.

40 yard dash:
Switzer 4.51
Mccloud4,53

Give them a draw

20 yard shuttle:
Switzer 4.00
Mccloud 4.32

Not even close and this is the best short area quickness test out there

Three cone:
Switzer 6.77
Mccloud 6.89

Again Switzer is faster

And my understanding is Ryan increased his speed in the off season. And before his injury he was having an outstanding camp.

To me a no brainer. Switzer is the man and one hopes the Steelers get a better understanding on how to utilize his talents beyond one yard dink and dunk pass plays.
 
Last edited:

white lightning

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 16, 2004
Messages
21,458
Excellent writeups by everyone. Especially shadowlight with alot of the nfl teams. So I guess it's safe to say that Cottrell isn't gonna send you any xmas cards. Lmao. :) It happens to the best of us bro. Your work as many other s on the college football teams is amazing. There is a group of 4 or 5 guys especially who I will take over espn any day of the week. Great work by all of you guys on the individual team writeups.

I will be pumped if Sills makes the Giants. I don't want to get too excited as the Bears released Nall 2 years in a row for no reason. He outplayed everyone and was healthy. Our guys do not get a fair shake. Never have in 5 or 6 decades and maybe never will. With most of these roster decisions logic doesn't come into play. It's just like all around the world it's all about getting whitey. We just can't have too many good white football players or fans might start to wake up?
 

Booth

Master
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
2,030
Tyrod Taylor was named starting quarterback for the Chargers today. He will start in front of Justin Herbert.
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
31,416
Location
Pennsylvania
Another cliffhanger situation is WR Ryan Switzer of the Steelers. I just read an article about his main competition being Ray-Ray Mccloud, a WR/KR they snuck in by free agency just week or so ago. Another attempt to knee cap a white WR it seems.

Well I won't post the article which is fresh off the press but the writer ultimately thinks Switzer will get the nod not on talent but because he is "friends" with Big Ben and knows the offense better. The writer is convinced Mccloud is the more dynamic player and makes Ryan out to be a marginal vanilla type.

He gets cute when he says Mccloud has superior short area quickness. Let's go the measurements. Both from the combine.

Their size and verticals are about the same.

40 yard dash:
Switzer 4.51
Mccloud4,53

Give them a draw

20 yard shuttle:
Switzer 4.00
Mccloud 4.32

Not even close and this is the best short area quickness test out there

Three cone:
Switzer 6.77
Mccloud 6.89

Again Switzer is faster

And my understanding is Ryan increased his speed in the off season. And before his injury he was having an outstanding camp.

To me a no brainer. Switzer is the man and one hopes the Steelers get a better understanding on how to utilize his talents beyond one yard dink and dunk pass plays.

Switzer's downfall in Pittsburgh, if he gets cut, will be his failure to have had a single big play in the return game over two seasons.

He returned 30 punts and also 30 kickoffs in 2018. His longest punt return was 23 yards and his longest kickoff return was just 35 yards. In 2019 he returned punts and kicks again until being phased out, finishing with 8 punt returns and 9 kickoff returns. His longest punt return was just 13 yards and his longest kickoff return was only 26 yards.

He needed to do significantly better than that to break out of his stereotyped receiver role as the recipient of three and five yard passes. Which, besides being White, is the reason Steelers DWFs were so quick to denigrate him as slow and useless as a receiver. And as with returning kicks, Switzer also had no big plays receiving. A few where he broke upfield and avoided some tacklers for big gains were needed but never happened.

And of course the Steelers DWFs are always down on White players other than instant superstars like T. J. Watt and perennial Pro Bowlers like guard David DeCastro. Even Big Ben was regularly crapped on for most of his career even as he all but single-handedly carried the team at times, especially when the team would bring the occasional "exciting" black QB to training camp who always turned out to be below average to terrible. Recent players like LBs Tyler Matakevich and Anthony Chickillo were also hated on even though both showed well in very limited playing time, so Switzer had/has his work cut out for him to turn things around.
 

white lightning

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 16, 2004
Messages
21,458
Tyrod Taylor was named starting quarterback for the Chargers today. He will start in front of Justin Herbert.

This guy is a journeyman. There is no reason to start him. With the Phillip Rivers Era being over with the Chargers, they should start Herbert from day one. Y0u rarely get better holding a clip board. Dumb move by San Diego.
 

Leonardfan

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
24,363
I expected Idler arm to get the nod. I really don’t have an issue with it - bring along Herbert slowly and let him develop. Taylor is a game manager with limited ability in the passing game. I am sure Herbert will be under center soon enough - just gives him a little more prep time which is essential for a young qb who is learning a new system (unlike new qbs who have their college system put into place for them).
 

Shadowlight

Master
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
3,882
Switzer's downfall in Pittsburgh, if he gets cut, will be his failure to have had a single big play in the return game over two seasons.

He returned 30 punts and also 30 kickoffs in 2018. His longest punt return was 23 yards and his longest kickoff return was just 35 yards. In 2019 he returned punts and kicks again until being phased out, finishing with 8 punt returns and 9 kickoff returns. His longest punt return was just 13 yards and his longest kickoff return was only 26 yards.

He needed to do significantly better than that to break out of his stereotyped receiver role as the recipient of three and five yard passes. Which, besides being White, is the reason Steelers DWFs were so quick to denigrate him as slow and useless as a receiver. And as with returning kicks, Switzer also had no big plays receiving. A few where he broke upfield and avoided some tacklers for big gains were needed but never happened.

And of course the Steelers DWFs are always down on White players other than instant superstars like T. J. Watt and perennial Pro Bowlers like guard David DeCastro. Even Big Ben was regularly crapped on for most of his career even as he all but single-handedly carried the team at times, especially when the team would bring the occasional "exciting" black QB to training camp who always turned out to be below average to terrible. Recent players like LBs Tyler Matakevich and Anthony Chickillo were also hated on even though both showed well in very limited playing time, so Switzer had/has his work cut out for him to turn things around.

I hear you and if I was the decision maker this is what I say to myself. First I would look at last year as an aberration and injuries mucked things up further. I am aware he has not established himself as a WR yet after three years but based on his explosive career at North Carolina I don't want to set sail yet.

But back to the special teams. in 2017 and 2018 he was middle of the pack in terms of yards per return. Solid enough. In kick off returns he was middle of the pack his second year but was 3rd in the league in 2017 with a 25 yard per return average. But it is the little and often overlooked important things Ryan brings to the return game that I like. Call it doing the white man's stuff. It never gets headlines but it helps the team. He is not a fumbler and he is extraordinary when it comes to fielding tough punts to establish field position and he knows which punts to not bother catching. These are important details often lost on stat geeks but I want a returner who isn't going to make mistakes first and foremost. At the end of the year that stuff adds up.

But if Ryan follows up this season with the type of production he had in 2019 then even I think it would be time to move on. He has to stay away from injuries. That goes without saying. Bottom line I believe he deserves another year. And he had a great camp.
 

Leonardfan

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
24,363
Rivera names Haskins the starter for the Redskins. Weenieworld does it's part to slander Kyle Allen ignoring how mediocre Haskins was last year.

Coach Ron Rivera announced Dwayne Haskins as Washington's Week 1 starter against the Eagles.
Not a surprise. Alex Smith and Kyle Allen were part of the competition, but neither had realistic shots for different reasons. Smith hasn't practiced enough off his gruesome broken leg, and Allen simply isn't talented enough at this level. Haskins was always the favorite and will hold the job for the foreseeable future, though there is a non-zero chance he's benched at some point in 2020. For fantasy purposes, Haskins is nothing more than a back-end QB2/3, and Terry McLaurin is the lone bankable pass-catching asset in this offense.
 

white lightning

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 16, 2004
Messages
21,458
I love how Kirk Cousins had stood up to the media. He is against masks overall and doesn't think they work. I couldn't agree more. He says he is going to stay in shape and if he dies, he dies. He is at peace and not worried about stupid covid. What can't
more people have the courage to fight the system. Well money has alot to do with it. Most players are afraid of being cut or not getting to play if they don't go along with the false narrative. I expect him to be punished by the NFL is some way as the media
has already been attacking. In the words of Greta, "How Dare You"? You must always do what your told and never question anything.
 
Top