NFL News, Rumors and Musings

[Bucky]

Definitely a lot of no names being signed @Leonardfan .

@Johnny Tightlips let's hope Bryan is given a chance as a full time starter. If he is, I'll predict 50+ tkls and at least 5 sacks.

 

[dwid]

 

[Claimjumper]

Derek Wolfe signs a 1 year / 3 million dollar contract with the Ravens. If this is all the market was offering for this lunch pal-er, I shudder to think what the Broncos “hometown discount” deal would have been

 

[Quiet Speed]

I too do not know anyone having this coronavirus. There is sad news to report, the Cajun Cannon's, Bobby Hebert, dad has passed away from covid-19.

 

[Quiet Speed]

I too do not know anyone having this coronavirus. There is sad news to report, the Cajun Cannon's, Bobby Hebert, dad has passed away from covid-19.

Sorry, this was meant for the coronavirus thread.

 

[Bucky]

Derek Wolfe signs a 1 year / 3 million dollar contract with the Ravens. If this is all the market was offering for this lunch pal-er, I shudder to think what the Broncos “hometown discount” deal would have been

No kidding low ball deal for Wolfe. Steal for Baltimore. Guess holding his injury history(aside from being White) against him.

**Wolfe can make another 3mil in incentives so that bumps his 1yr deal up to about 6mil.

 

[Shadowlight]

Jaguars sign Tyler Eifert. They also signed Joe Schobert earlier but there's still not much to root for on that team. Now if they start Andrew Wingard at free safety they might not be as horrible as usual, especially if they continue to develop Minshew at QB. Wingard looked more than capable in limited playing time last year as an undrafted free agent, but a prolonged racial apprenticeship may be in the cards if he ever gets any opportunity at all as he's still mostly envisioned as a WSTD.

In my mind the Jags easily have been of the least interesting teams for years now. The signing of LB Schobert however is huge. Never fully appreciated in Cleveland where the psychotic Myles Garrett stole all the defensive headlines this new landing spot affords Joe the opportunity to become a team leader. Schobert stood out in Cleveland as a consummate pro among a bunch of black screw ups and malcontents. The Jags are a vanilla team that desperately needs a star like Schobert to liven things up.

Last season Truthteller mentioned we should give HC Doug Marrone a chance since they got rid of caste ogre Tom Coughlin during the season. And there have been some minor moves in the right direction. For instance they called up return specialist rookie Michael Walker from the practice squad mid way during the season and promptly handed him return duties. Although I can't say for certain his job is safe he performed decently enough and didn't make big mistakes.

If they can whiten up a touch more on defense via the draft then the stench of Coughlin will continue to wane.

This is a team that has played in London the most over the past several years and that means a whiter audience. So some more significant white faces on the team should bolster their popularity over there in my opinion.

 

[Shadowlight]

Gutenkunt is purging GB of its pale faces.

He should legally change his name to the one above. It fits like a glove.

I am glad Fackrell has moved on from the Packers. They threw him under the bus last season. Whether the Giants will set him free remains to be seen? Same thing with versatile FB Dan Vitale now with the Pats. Blake Martinez though was a settled starter so you don't like to see players like that get moved and it is rare to get two linebackers from the same team but they know how to play off one another and as mentioned above the Giants are suddenly becoming more likeable. I think we all here are big fans of their ace athletic QB Daniel Jones. GM Gettleman has been less caste than previous Giants management. Didn't he draft CM when he was in Carolina? And he took big time heat for picking Jones early in the 2019 draft.

Gutenkunt though is scary schizoid. Mainly caste he should have been fired by now with his penchant for drafting "upside" black receivers who couldn't run a proper route if their life depended on it.

But he did draft lively TE Jace Sternberger who barely played late due to an injury. Sternberger is a deep seam threat something the Pack lacked last year with turtle Jimmy Graham. I think Graham could beat a turtle in a foot race but it would be close.

And they also nabbed LB Ty Summers who was relegated to special teams. There are few if any linebackers in the NFL who have the athletic ability, fluidity and speed of Summers but are they grooming him to play defense this season?

Another team to watch closely come draft time.

 

[Bucky]

No idea what Packers plan on doing at LB. Definitely looking to get more Affletic. They signed oft injured Kirksey and only have above mentioned Summers and undersized Curtis Bolton .

It'll be interesting to see what they do with their 10 picks in The Draft.

Jacksonville, another new team of interest also has 12 picks.

 

[Leonardfan]

No idea what Packers plan on doing at LB. Definitely looking to get more Affletic. They signed oft injured Kirksey and only have above mentioned Summers and undersized Curtis Bolton .

It'll be interesting to see what they do with their 10 picks in The Draft.

Jacksonville, another new team of interest also has 12 picks.

Unfortunately this draft is looking to rival the 2015 draft so both teams could be looking at double digit black draft picks. Hopefully not but from what I am projecting their won't be many white OL that are drafted/TEs are pretty split and on defense perhaps 10-15 white players total get drafted. The Packers have really gone right down the toilet since Guntencuck took over. At least Summers was drafted under the current regime so hopefully he gets a chance on defense. The Jaguars may also draft another QB as well. I personally wish they kept Foles as a number 2.


I also found this laughable article on BSPN about how the 2019 draft picks faired and projections for their future. Just going to compare Murray to Jones. Murray's Offensive Rookie of the Year award was a gift. He faded down the stretch. Jones was bashed last year during the draft and is still getting minimal respect after performing well on the field as a rookie.

1. Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

Analysis: Murray lived up to the hype and expectations by winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. His numbers weren't jaw-dropping (3,722 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions), but he steadily improved. What stood out most was Murray's ability to learn and adapt. Instead of taking unnecessary sacks, he started to throw the ball away. When he was losing unnecessary yards, he just sat down. He showed a maturity beyond his years. Next season, Murray is expected to take the proverbial Year 2 leap. He'll have an even better command of the offense and how to handle the rigors of an NFL season. That could prove dangerous for the competition.

Rating: He's a star. -- Josh Weinfuss


6. New York Giants
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke

Analysis: Here's what we know with certainty about Jones: He is at least an average starter. That is something considering that draft busts at quarterback, even in the first round, aren't uncommon. Jones flashed enough to provide hope he can become much more than an average starter. He threw 24 touchdown passes with 12 interceptions in 12 starts. It's simply a matter of whether Jones can cut down on the turnovers (23). Some of that can be attributed to rookie mistakes, but there are NFL talent evaluators who believe it's an innate trait and his weakness. He should only get better in Year 2.

Rating: He's a starter. -- Jordan Raanan

 

[Bucky]

Ya it's going to be a sumo centric 1st Rd along with all these hyped up WRs. I guess NFL Teams have already forgotten how many early Rd WRs turn into busts. Based off XFL and College, it seems this Sumo trend is here to stay..

Arizona is quickly becoming a team I hate. Can't stand their below average coach and The Murray hype is expected but still sickening. I highly doubt Murray or The Cardinals take a step forward. They remind me a lot of The Cleveland Brown's hype last year, think they will make a huge jump because they got a fancy new WR but rest of team still stinks. Bad luck for Isabella, Hopkins trade and another year of old man Fitzgerald ensure his racial apprenticeship. Unleash the speedster.

 

[Sean89]

Daniel Jones's big improvement has to be fumbles. With the right tools, he should be very good for a number of years. The Andy Isabella one makes my stomach sick, he's shown any chance he got (minute to say the least) that he is a player. Someone grow a pair and offer the cards a 2nd or 3rd pick.

Tom Brady to Tampa, has me hoping that Miller will build on a solid start to his career.

 

[greyghost]

Reckon Brady is ****** in Tampa ...the rest of the team the center exempt is average ...Evans overrated ..Brady will regret ever moving

 

[greyghost]

Now the patriots can start looking once again to the future ..and actually start a running game ...

 

[Shadowlight]

Daniel Jones's big improvement has to be fumbles. With the right tools, he should be very good for a number of years. The Andy Isabella one makes my stomach sick, he's shown any chance he got (minute to say the least) that he is a player. Someone grow a pair and offer the cards a 2nd or 3rd pick.

Tom Brady to Tampa, has me hoping that Miller will build on a solid start to his career.

Tom Brady is notoriously hard to please so for Scott Miller and Justin Watson they have their work cut out for them. For now both wide receivers are listed right below Evans and Godwin on the depth chart which means they both could and should get plenty of snaps. What a golden opportunity for Watson and Miller. The hope is they develop a rapport with Tom and blossom. I think they will but their head coach Arians worries me. Yes Arians "appears" to have put a few brakes on his long held caste ways but this off season they unloaded solid edge player Carl Nassib and in general things haven't truly turned around in Tampa Bay at least not yet. If Miller and Watson can emerge then an only then can I say Arians has become more racially fair. Tampa Bay also needs to draft a reliable running back. If they draft a wide receiver I will spit nails.

I think we are all concerned about the Andy Isabella situation in Arizona. That punk head coach Kingsbury has yet to disprove two things. That he is a down the line caste hole and that he is a terrible coach. Andy is still listed as a "second string" backup but this will be a crucial season for him. He is either going to get a fairer shake or he will continue to be ignored.

Unfortunately this draft is looking to rival the 2015 draft so both teams could be looking at double digit black draft picks. Hopefully not but from what I am projecting their won't be many white OL that are drafted/TEs are pretty split and on defense perhaps 10-15 white players total get drafted.

A sobering but good point. Unlike last year's draft it will be truly hard for teams to break out of their caste mode due to the slim pickings. In 2019 I figured teams had ample opportunities to beef up, to a certain extent, white skill players on their rosters. This go around things are too sparse for us to see any significant improvement away from the iron clad caste outlook. We will have to settle for smaller prizes. But there are at least a dozen or so white players that are of great interest to me as to where they end up.

Most inexplicable move this offseason? How about the Cowboys unloading their best defensive back Jeff Heath to the Raiders? What? Of course a great pick up for the Raiders who are quickly becoming one of my favorite teams but a sorry move by Dallas. Meanwhile they resigned WR Amari Cooper to a big contract and while he had big moments last season I still feel he is an overrated player who has never come through when the most is on the line. In fact when he played with Jordy it was Nelson not Cooper who looked like the number one receiver. The Gruden group quickly unloaded him just like Khalil Mack and guess what? The Raiders are better off now than they were with those two media heroes.

At least the Cowboys were smart enough to resign LB Sean Lee and whereas the media thinks Cooper is their "key" player the health of sterling MLB Leighton Vander Esch, the de facto best player on the team, is more important.

 

[Shadowlight]

Carolina has been taking a hit here see above posts. First Luke Kuechly, one of the all time greatest linebackers to have ever played retired early and the dumping of S Colin Jones to go long with the hiring of suspicious Matt Rhule things appear to be sliding into a more caste direction.

But a little bit of small news which I hope can blossom into bigger news. 27 year old Princeton man TE Seth DeValve has just signed with the Panthers. While his career stats seem anemic he did catch 33 passes for Cleveland in 2017 as a back up. Seen as a back up TE and special teams player one does wonder why this exceptional athletic talent hasn't been given a bigger role?

Drafted in the fourth round by Cleveland in 2016 DeValve, like fellow Princeton TE Jesper Horsted for the Bears, played wide receiver in college. He has way better than average speed for an NFL TE and is an overall terrific athlete. How about a 40 inch vertical? How about a 4.18 20 yard shuttle? For comparisons media hero D. K. Metcalf ran a 4.5 shuttle. And incoming media hero WR Jerry Jeudy ran a 4.53 shuttle.

Much like Seattle's Luke Wilson, DeValve has the athletic talent to really stand out but for whatever reasons has never gotten the proper chance to strut his stuff.

Will that change in Carolina? Probably not but DeValve is still young enough to forge a career as a very solid athletic tight end. With all timer Greg Olsen off to Seattle I would hope this new regime will give Seth the big role that he deserves. As long as CM is with the Panthers I won't abandon them but it would help if they fortify things with some more white skill players.

 

[Shadowlight]

Everything now feels disconnected because of the virus. We don't know what the future holds and at the same time teams are sitting incomplete.

I find the lineups.com better than ourlads.com. I have never much liked ourlads ( they always seemed dated) when I used to look up their college football team depth charts. Lineups has 2020 depth charts but there is one major hole. It is all pre draft which could dramatically change after the draft. For instance Trey Quinn is listed as a starter for the Redskins but with the so called bevy of black WR talent up for grabs this draft I doubt that Quinn will remain as a starter.

Wither Troy Apke? They just got rid of S Nicholson who was nothing but trouble. They brought in a Steelers S Sean Davis that the media is raving about but the whole time he was with the Steelers their secondary was their weakest link. Black DBs are like cats. They have nine lives and more than any other position they are the most consistently overrated. But my best guess is they will keep Apke on the roster because they like his special teams play. Will he eventually get back in the lineup? The local media resistance against Apke is off the charts despite his solid play at the back end when he got a chance last season so I wouldn't hold your breath.

I think the Falcons did a good job by acquiring TE Hayden Hurst after losing Austin Hooper. Hurst is a terrific all around athlete with great wheels so look for a breakout season for him. This may end up burning the Ravens because their multi tight end set is what freed up Lamar Jackson to do his thing.

The Patriots? I'm not jumping overboard yet. Hell Julian Edelman, who had 100 receptions last season playing with basically a broken rib, will return as a team leader along with special teams stalwart Matthew Slater. Expect an expanded role for quicksilver edge player Chase Winovich. And for now it looks like Jarret Stidham is the frontrunner to start at QB and RB Rex Burkhead I assume will be back. And return man Gunner Olszewski could return after his injuries and his role could expand who knows?

Factor in the draft where they may nab talented TE Cole Kmet and since they need linebacker help perhaps they pick up a white LB too. I even saw they were interested in S Tanner Muse. A few maneuvers in the right direction and all of a sudden the Pats are worth rooting for again whole hog.

So we are still in the wait and see mode and so are the media as they playoff BB and Tom Brady against each other to see who can survive best standing alone. Not a great test because Tom is past his prime and the answer is while BB is a great coach without Brady --do I need to finish the sentence? Ha.



Not only do we have to wade through the draft to see where things fall we have new/old head coaches like Rivera and McCarthy taking over big market teams. Both coaches have shown some racial fairness in the past but both are somewhat unreliable in that area too. Which way will they swerve?

 

[Shadowlight]

Saints head coach Sean Payton was on ESPN this morning and insinuated Taysom Hill will take over the starting QB job in 2021. So it boggles my mind to think Payton still plans to utilize Hill as utility player who will continue to line up at various spots on offense and continue to play on special teams. I can understand the former if used judiciously but special teams? Is it that necessary to have Hill continue to play coverage fetch on special teams? And on offense he often blocks. How many franchise quarterbacks to be are depended on to block. Sure it reveals Hill's superman traits but really you want your future QB blocking?

While I love watching Hill do his Swiss army knife thing one would think they would be a bit more cautious with him going forward. Seems to me Payton is playing fast and loose with a player who is being groomed to be their starter down the road? Payton admitted they will carry a third QB because of the risks associated with Hill utility role.

I still suspect that Hill will get somewhat significant snaps at QB filling in for a resting Brees. Either way you slice it though Taysom is arguably the most exciting player in the NFL and the hope here is if he gets to continue his Swiss army knife thing that he remains healthy.

 

[Quiet Speed]

Saints head coach Sean Payton was on ESPN this morning and insinuated Taysom Hill will take over the starting QB job in 2021. So it boggles my mind to think Payton still plans to utilize Hill as utility player who will continue to line up at various spots on offense and continue to play on special teams. I can understand the former if used judiciously but special teams? Is it that necessary to have Hill continue to play coverage fetch on special teams? And on offense he often blocks. How many franchise quarterbacks to be are depended on to block. Sure it reveals Hill's superman traits but really you want your future QB blocking?

While I love watching Hill do his Swiss army knife thing one would think they would be a bit more cautious with him going forward. Seems to me Payton is playing fast and loose with a player who is being groomed to be their starter down the road? Payton admitted they will carry a third QB because of the risks associated with Hill utility role.

I still suspect that Hill will get somewhat significant snaps at QB filling in for a resting Brees. Either way you slice it though Taysom is arguably the most exciting player in the NFL and the hope here is if he gets to continue his Swiss army knife thing that he remains healthy.

You would think Taysom Hill's days as a special teams player are over. It was reported several weeks back that Hill would get as much as 20 to 30% of the snaps at quarterback this upcoming season. I found that to be highly unlikely and crazy talk. But, let's see what develops.

I'm hoping the Saints draft Muse. That would be special. If LB Alex Anzalone can stay healthy, that would be a plus. In my opinion, Kiko Alonso was playing better than A.J. Klein at the end of the year. Unfortunately, Alonso tore up his knee in the playoff game against Minnesota. He is signed with the Saints on a restructured deal and rehabbing.

 

[Quiet Speed]

Michael Burton returned to Saints because they checked every box

The New Orleans Saints have always valued the fullback, which is a bit surprising given the position’s endangered species-status around the NFL in recent years. At a time when teams are throwing the ball more than ever and opting for less-crowded backfields in favor of wide-open pass sets, hard-nosed blockers like Michael Burton have generally had to take opportunities whenever they’ve come up.

But as Burton explained it, the Saints (as pass-happy as any team in the league) have a lot to offer to someone in his position. He spent the 2019 training camp competing with Zach Line for the starting gig, but had his hopes derailed by a late-summer injury. Now healthy, with Line retired and an open vacancy on top of the depth chart, Burton’s positive experience made the Saints a logical landing spot.

Burton spoke about his interest in the Saints and what led him back to New Orleans during a conference call with local media, saying, “Any given year, they’re top four in the league in fullback percentage usage and it just interests me too. I like the analytical side of football as well. I think maybe I want to be a coach or something like that.”

He also ran through a list of recent standout fullbacks the Saints have employed, proving he’s done his homework: “You look at Zach, the previous years, John Kuhn a few years ago, Austin Johnson, a few years ago, Jed Collins a few years ago, you have had a great fullback in place. That’s the goal to have the right guy.”

But it goes beyond a strong team culture and a playbook that creates plenty of opportunities for him to get on the field. The Saints coaching staff itself appealed to Burton. He first entered the NFL with the Detroit Lions, playing under then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi (now the Saints quarterbacks coach). And even earlier than that, he suited up at Rutgers with familiar faces on the Saints special teams staff like coordinator Darren Rizzi and assistant coach Phil Galiano drawing up his assignments.

Burton did the math, and reached an easy conclusion: the Saints matched up with what he wanted from just about every angle you could consider. Once the team gets to work, he should hit the ground running.

https://saintswire.usatoday.com/202...WZyh41p2H182m7eXS8_gIutKYjHtCRW8L29sXRLOAN-hE

 

[Don Wassall]

The Cowboys sign a criminal who hasn't played in the league in five years. Wonder if there'll be a team that signs Antonio Brown to play this season.

Cowboys signed LB Aldon Smith, formerly of the 49ers, to a one-year, $2 million contract.
Smith is still awaiting full reinstatement from the NFL, but the Cowboys are confident he will get yet another shot. Smith hasn't played a snap since 2015 because of a series of off-field issues that included multiple DUI arrests and a domestic abuse plea deal. Now reportedly sober, Smith, 30, will try to prove he can return to his early 2010s form when he was one of the NFL's best pass rushers. Smith's reinstatement would be evidence that the Commissioner will be more relaxed with player punishments under the newly-signed CBA.

 

[Red Raider]

I remember Aldon Smith was really damn good but he couldn’t lay off the alcohol at all. I doubt he is still as good now that he’s 30 and hasn’t played in 5 years. When was the last time the Cowboys had a white edge rusher? I remember they had Nick Hayden and Sean Lissemore at DT but I can’t remember them ever having a white pass rusher in the last 10 years.

 

[Shadowlight]

Dallas is the same team that has put up with DE Randy Gregory's suspension riddled career. Gregory is a fried bacon brained pot head who has never been worth putting up with yet they keep giving him chance after chance.

He is also prone to ill timed penalties and fans wonder why the Cowboys haven't gotten near a Super Bowl in ages?

As for Aldon Smith I am not a fan of the "blame the alcohol" theory. The alcohol didn't make him break the law. He did! Another player who should be shunned by NFL teams.

 

[Shadowlight]

resigned WR Amari Cooper to a big contract and while he had big moments last season I still feel he is an overrated player who has never come through when the most is on the line. In fact when he played with Jordy it was Nelson not Cooper who looked like the number one receiver.

Will ESPN fire Rex Ryan for voicing the truth? See below what all the commotion is about as Rex lays into Cooper this morning using an interesting word.

https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/rex-ryan-amari-cooper-turd-01e5000emrjc

 

[Red Raider]

Dallas is the same team that has put up with DE Randy Gregory's suspension riddled career. Gregory is a fried bacon brained pot head who has never been worth putting up with yet they keep giving him chance after chance.

He is also prone to ill timed penalties and fans wonder why the Cowboys haven't gotten near a Super Bowl in ages?

As for Aldon Smith I am not a fan of the "blame the alcohol" theory. The alcohol didn't make him break the law. He did! Another player who should be shunned by NFL teams.

Honestly I don’t think there’s anything wrong with pot, I’m sure a lot of the white players we root for use it regularly also. I think Randy Gregory is just an idiot lol! If you get arrested for pot you’re an idiot. Most of them just do it and keep quiet about it.