Sports

[gardenman]

Pro Football Talk says Rodgers is deciding between the Packers, Broncos, Steelers, and Titans. Titans? They have Ryan Tannehill and he's a $38.6 million cap hit this year, but he'd also have $57.4 million in a dead cap if they tried to dump him. Who's going to pay Tannehill $38.6 million? They'd probably have to pay a team to take Tannehill, but after trading for Rodgers, what would they have to trade?

[gardenman]

Georgia's defensive lineman Jordan Davis is unreal. He's 6'-6"+, weighs 341 lbs., and ran a 4.82 forty. What? How? Some of the tight ends who weighed a hundred pounds less ran slower. If you run a wide nine defense and are looking for a speed rusher, he just made your eyes pop out of your head. Every o-lineman in the league just aged a few years. Technically he's a DT, but with that kind of speed/athleticism, teams will be looking to shift him outside fairly often. Put him in a wide nine set and get those 341 lbs charging at the OT with that speed, and pretty much every OT in the league will end up in the QB's lap. That weight is the weight of a big fridge. That speed is around twenty-ish miles per hour. Imagine a big refrigerator coming at you at twenty miles per hour and you get some idea of how disruptive he could be in the right setting.

[teganslaw]

This could make Jordan Davis a first rounder. The coaches and scouts at the combine must have taken notice. 

It seems that half of the defensive linemen are Georgia Bulldogs. I can't recall seeing so many prospects from the same school. 

[Spurt]

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@teganslaw wrote:

This could make Jordan Davis a first rounder. The coaches and scouts at the combine must have taken notice. 

It seems that half of the defensive linemen are Georgia Bulldogs. I can't recall seeing so many prospects from the same school. 

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@teganslaw 

There were quite a few from Alabama Friday Night too....

[gardenman]

Jordan Davis' forty time just got more impressive. The 4.82 was unofficial. The official time was 4.78. That's faster than Patrick Mahomes was in the forty. For a 341 pound, 6'-6" defensive tackle. Yikes! There's no real limit on how good that kid can be if he wants to be great. He's a physical freak. If his head is in the right place and he gets the right coaching, the sky's the limit.

Aaron Rodgers will reportedly make his decision known on Tuesday as to where he wants to play. Which brings up the interesting question of, "Then what?" No trade talks have taken place. If Rodgers says, "I want to play in Denver." What happens? Green Bay calls Denver and asks for what for Rodgers? Three firsts?  Denver counters with a $5 gift card to Starbucks. Do the Packers say, "Well, it's better than nothing," and take the deal? Any leverage the Packers have is pretty much gone once Rodgers says where he wants to go. The new team's GM can make pretty much any offer he/she wants and the Packers pretty much have to take it.

GMs try to get along though so the team he wants to go to will likely make a better offer than a $5 gift card, but it won't be as much as the Packers could get if Rodgers was available in a bidding war.

I'm guessing Rodgers' inbox and texts are filled with guys on teams needing a QB begging him to pick their team. (Probably some from guys warning him away from their team also.) I'm pretty sure coaches and GMs with guys on their roster who know Rodgers have been begging them to use backchannels to try and convince Rodgers to go there. 

With free agency looming, the backchannels of the NFL communication network have been buzzing with players trying to recruit free agents and some warning guys away from certain teams/situations. Darius Slay has been an active recruiter for the Eagles since arriving. He even used his Pro Bowl appearance to try and recruit some guys to come to Philly. They might as well give Slay an assistant to the GM title.

It's going to be a busy week. Franchise tags need to be assigned by Wednesday. I don't expect huge surprises there. Davante Adams will get tagged by the Packers. Even if teams know they can't sign a guy, they'll try to tag and trade them. They won't let them wander off in free agency unless they must. Most of the upper-tier guys will get tagged.

Cole Beasley wanting to be traded from the Bills is interesting. Does he want to join Brian Daboll on the Giants, or are his sights set on a return to Dallas and Dak? With nearly every receiver on the Cowboys either a free agent or a vet about to be cut, Beasley could be a valuable piece for the Cowboys. The only sure thing on the Cowboys roster at WR now is Ceedee Lamb. Beasley started out in Dallas. Does he want to go back? Guys on Super Bowl-caliber teams tend to not want to leave those teams, so Beasley asking for a trade is odd. Going to the Giants would be a possibility, but they don't really have a QB, o-line, or other high-end receiver. Beasley wanting out of Buffalo is a bit of a headscratcher. 

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

LOL---$5 gift card-----and an occasional appearance as the Jeopardy host---LOL.....

Maybe Beasley doesnt like playing in the cold Buffalo weather and living in a cold climate.....and maybe a wedge was created over his vaccine stand too....

Well it looks like Washington did NOT make an offer to the Vikings to try to get Kirk Cousins back.....LOL

[gardenman]

@Spurt 

The last I read, the Commanders' list of QB prospects had 42 names on it. If Cousins wasn't one of them, that would be something of a surprise. He's not great, but he's top 42-ish, easily. On his good days (rare as they may be) he's a top ten-ish QB. Overall, he'd be twenty-ish. You could do worse.

Beasley's a free agent in 2023. He's also getting up there a bit (32 years old, almost 33.) He's never won a Super Bowl. Most guys in that situation are looking to join a Super Bowl-caliber team, not flee one. He's the kind of guy a coach who knows would want to bring in to help establish a culture, so maybe Daboll wants him, and he wants to be with Daboll? He was also Dak's safety valve in Dallas. Maybe Dak wants him back and the Cowboys could look pretty barren at WR if they lose their free agents and cut Cooper.

Would anyone sane want to go to the Giants? And the Cowboys, well, they've got issues. They're the two teams that kind of jump out as those most likely to want him, but why does he want to go to them instead of Buffalo? This is probably his last year in the league as a valued player. Next year he'll be 34 and there aren't a lot of 34-year-old wide receivers starting in the league. It'll be interesting to see where he lands. If traded for, it'll be a late conditional pick, at best. He's a one-year rental. The Bills may have to just cut him loose if he doesn't want to be there.

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

Capt Kirk is what he is, stats look good, but when it comes time for step up in big games, he freezes.....Look how Thielen called out Cousins......Cousins doesn't have the mental toughness...not just me that's what many say...so if players criticize Wentz on his leadership....more so describes Cousins....he lacks the fire and mentality

Listened to Podcast and trust John Keim and the discussion with local media on the Washington QB hunt .....the big names are unlikely .....the team made an offer on Wilson since Pete Carroll is 70 how long will he coach.....more of a "make hay while the sun shines" and Seattle making a deal  which would give them something to show for their future.....Wilson's not getting younger, meanwhile Seattle's needs grow BUT this whole scenario of getting done highly unlikely......

With QB rookies having lots of question marks, they think a next level veteran QB and also draft a QB later, like Strong seems likely----Now the veteran whose name kept coming up was QB Mitch Trub...and use their 11th pick on an O lineman (since probability they lose Schreff) or CB, or a WR to pair with McLaurin....OR even trading out of the 11th spot and picking up some more picks....

Jimmy G coming off a shoulder injury isnt going to be a good choice, they think Carr will get a deal done and stay a Raider, Winston doesnt excite neither does Drew Lock, or Bridgewater---the Giants could trade Jones but Heinicke is probably better...and no trade to a rival......Is Mariota viable and really an upgrade????. With the type of investigation going on with Snyder, Watson conversation would be difficult with the organization to deal with....

[Spurt]

3 UTSA Roadrunners at the combine.....

Tariq had one of the two fastest times----WTG!

[teganslaw]

I saw Tariq Woolen's workout. Very impressive. 

One of the best names was Safety Smoke Monday from Auburn. 

I couldn't watch all of the combine, but saw enough. It was interesting, and I got to know more of the players for the 2022 draft. 

Next week is free agency frenzy. That should be fun.