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Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Since it's a new month, I changed the subject line. Hard to believe it's May already.

 

Reggie Wayne has joined the Colts as a volunteer assistant receiver coach. That will help the team immensely. The new players will learn a lot from Wayne.  He will  be inducted into the Colts Ring of Honor in November. 

 

I can understand why the Coilts were #30 in power ratings. They had a good draft, but everything surrounds Andrew Luck's health. Until everyone knows exactly what is going on, there is no reason to rate the team higher. When Luck does return, there is a chance that he'll be rusty. He should have better protection if things go according to plan. 

 

The Saints were criticized for moving so far up the draft to get a defensive. All the analysts thought that it would be a QB. Some articles give NO a lpw score because of that; others go high. 

"The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog."

Mark Twain
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Dang! May snuck up on me! 

 

Teams can't have too many coaches this time of year. With the rosters at ninety players you need almost double the normal staff to maintain the same coach/player ratio you have with a 53 man roster. If you don't have enough coaches the players tend to regress rather than progress. Instead of learning they tend to cluster together, chat and lose focus. Teams will bring in college coaches, former players, and aspiring NFL coaches to help fill the void this time of year. You really don't have much time with the players any more and you need to take advantage of every minute of it.

 

If Andrew Luck is healthy, and that's a big if, the Colts would be around twelfth in my ratings. Even without Luck I wouldn't put them at 30. I like Jacoby Brissett a fair amount and I think that's a better QB situation than a lot of teams have. I might  have them around 24 without Luck. I'd have the Browns and Jets at the very bottom of the rankings. Hue Jackson has a 1-33 record over the last two years. I'm not sure Denver fixed their quarterback problem. The Dolphins might also have some QB issues.

 

That draft day trade by the Saints earned them a lot of well-deserved criticism. They gave up two first round picks (this year's and next year's) to get the kid. Marcus Davenport is unlikely to be a bust based on his physical traits alone, but is he worth two first round picks? That's a very high price to pay for a kid from a small school who hasn't played top level competition. It might pay off for them, but it's a gamble. Was there that big of a difference between him and Harold Landry who was the next defensive end taken at pick 41? 

 

One of the weird things about the draft is that while teams all have a lot of shared data, what they don't share is what happens in the interviews and private workouts. Catch a kid on a really good day for the private workout and you might think he's a diamond in the rough and you'll do anything to get him. "Why doesn't everyone else see what a stud this guy is?" Catch the same guy on a bad day and you might say, "Seriously? They think this guy is worth a first round pick? What are they seeing?" I'm guessing the Saints caught Marcus Davenport on a really, really good day. To them, he's a stud and worth whatever it took to move up and get him. The rest of the league, that didn't see him on a really, really good day stood around and said, "What?" We'll see how it plays out over the next few years, but those first round picks are pretty valuable to give up. 

 

I don't think most evaluators felt Marcus Davenport was a "one-of-a-kind" type player. You don't generally give up two first round picks for a guy unless he is a "one-of-a-kind" type player. I kind of feel sorry for the kid. Every defensive end coming into the league has a tough first year or two. They've never dealt with offensive linemen like what they'll see in the NFL. Guys like a Jason Peters who's 6'-4", 330+ lbs., runs like a deer, and can bench press small buildings, aren't all that common in college. The things these college defensive ends did that worked against college linemen get them flattened in the pro game. NFL tight ends are comparable to the tackles who blocked them in college. The kids come in with high expectations and then get shoved all over the field and bullied by NFL linemen. A really good rookie season might end with four or five sacks, (most of which they'll luck into as they're blocked, but the QB runs their way and ends up meeting them) but they start to learn and grow. From year two and three on, you start to really see what you've got.

 

Saints fans will expect the kid to be a combination of Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White since the Saints gave up two first round picks for him. I'm pretty sure that's not what they'll get. At least not for a few years. He may eventually become a very good football player, but the growing pains will be there this first season. One of the criticisms of the kid is that he doesn't have great burst and needs a few strides to build speed. NFL offensive linemen won't give him the space to build speed. They'll come after him and knock him around before he can get that speed up. He's fast, but not quick. If you watch him over the forty he starts slower and ends faster than other guys. That's not bad if you're a safety or corner where you're running down the field, but in close confines, quickness is better. You've got a couple of yards (at most) to come up to speed and if you don't, you're in the hands of an NFL offensive lineman who won't let you go.

 

He'll be a fun story to watch over the next three or four years. I'm pretty sure the Saints thought a lot more of him than most teams. They'll either be proven right, or wrong. I could see them trading two first round picks for a Bradley Chubb (who will likely struggle his rookie season also) but making the trade for Marcus Davenport is more of a risk.

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Hmmm....I thought having six quarterbacks on the Eagles' roster was excessive, and they're now signing a seventh. Joe Callahan, formerly with Green Bay is now joining the very crowded quarterback room of the Eagles. Our quarterbacks are getting close to outnumbering our wide receivers. Interesting. Why? Danged if I know.

 

Last year we signed every offensive lineman we could find to get the best group we could get, but unless I'm missing something, we don't need another quarterback, let alone four more. I've got to think we'll start thinning the herd of quarterbacks in a week or two. How do you practice with seven of them? You can't. Do we keep Wentz, Foles, and Sudfeld off the field in the OTA's and minicamps? Maybe. I'm pretty sure few teams in the league have seven quarterbacks on the roster.

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Re: NFL News for May 2018!!

[ Edited ]

@teganslaw @gardenman

 

That's great about Reggie Wayne....I always liked him....

 

Hey Marcus Davenport is my hometown boy.....and he stayed home and went to local college here he was a UTSA Roadrunner........Why OF COURSE He was worth trading up! Woman Very Happy....

 

He is talented but raw, but has great potential.....but even I was shocked how much the Saints gave up to get him....I think the Saints are trying to win it all this year, and think they just need one more player to boost their defense .... Drew Brees is getting older too so their window is closing.............

 

With the Redskins having so many Alabama players on the roster, John Keim joked, The Redskins are in a position to win the SEC!!!! Woman LOL Woman LOL

 

@gardenman  I think the Eagles have so many QBs on their roster they are auditioning for a decent backup when Wentz is back and teams come calling for Foles, that means Sudfeld will probably move to 2nd QB spot and they are looking for a new 3rd.backup.  And they probably wont play Foles in camp or pre-season,  Wentz probably won't be ready so they need these extra QBs for camp and pre-season thats my guess........

 

Jason Witten hasn't given the Cowboys his formal retirement notice yet.....but one of the local sportscasters here said that's not because the Cowboys are trying to convince him to continue to play......In fact there was a quote by Stephen Jones put on the TV screen saying the Cowboys are not trying to talk him out of retirement, it was Jason's decision tomake. The sports guy said there hasnt been a definite announcement because Witten is trying to make a decision whether to take the ESPN offer as a MNF analyst, or be an analyst for Fox.........and that's why there's a delay in the formalretirement announcement.

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Witten's retirement will hurt the Cowboys in a big way. He's a team leader, a top receiver, and JJ just extended him five more years in 2017, so all that deferred bonus money comes out of the salary cap in one year instead of five. Oops!

 

I think you might be right about the Eagles trading a quarterback. It could be Sudfeld who gets moved though. The Colts tried to sign him last year and with Frank Reich now the Colts head coach he might be coveting an Eagles quarterback. If Andrew Luck isn't ready by camp, I wouldn't be shocked to see the Colts make a move. If Foles or Sudfeld get moved, the Eagles could use a spare guy. Seven seems a bit much, but sort them out and find the best.

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Jason Witten has now officially retired. The Cowboys spent the last week trying to talk him out of it, but Witten's heading to Monday Night Football. That will hurt the Cowboy's cap situation a bit. One thing's for sure, without Dez and Witten, teams will go heavy in the box to stop Ezekiel Elliott and take away the short passing game. Dak Prescott is going to have a ton of pressure on him this year. He's going to have to carry the team and I'm not sure he's capable.

 

The Cowboys are kind of melting away. They've been losing players to free agency and haven't had the cap space to replace them. They cut Dez. Witten's retiring. It's hard to argue they've gotten better. They really need some kids to step up in a big, big way.

 

The Eagles signed wide reciever Markus Wheaton. He's a low risk free agent. He's fast and was compared to Antonio Brown coming out of college, but has largely flopped as a pro. I'm guessing the Eagles' coaching staff hopes they can revive his career. It's worth a shot. If he bombs, eh, so what. If he finally becomes another Antonio Brown it's a homerun. He's not filling a position of need, but simply being given a chance. If he takes advantage of it, great for everyone. If he doesn't, too bad for him.

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WOW! Matt Ryan's new deal is five years at $150 million with $100 million guaranteed. Our first $30 million a year quarterback. That's not bad money. It's almost $2 million per game. Aaron Rodgers is up next.

 

Witten's retirement was more like a funeral. Come on people! He's not dying. He's getting a great new job that pays $4 million a year. It should be a celebration for him, not a dirge.

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Re: NFL News for May 2018!!

[ Edited ]

@gardenman

 

But GARDENMAN Witten is actually the face of the Cowboy's franchise......last of a breed....most beloved by the fans.....

 

Dak hasnt  yet lead them to the "promised land" the Super Bowl....and last year's performance was disappointing....

 

Compare Witten's off the field community service activities to Zeke Elliott's..off the field activities...............

 

Quick name someone on defense ......Sean Lee (he's always hurt)..............

 

So not only from an on field performance are the Cowboys going to hurt without Witten, from a marketing stand point, and fan likeability as a franchise too..........

 

The Cowboys lost a lot!!!  So a funeral is appropriate....while the fans of the other teams in the division smile.........

 

Animals are reliable, full of love, true in their affections, grateful. Difficult standards for people to live up to.”
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If Kurt Cousins got an $84 million deal and he hasn't gotten to a Super Bowl.....So yep, the QBs that have proven their worth should certainly merit more money....Yep, I can't wait to see what Rodgers gets............

 

 

Okay its my team and I will start this ....as you probably read the Redskin cheerleaders described inappropriate photos and other demeaning activities which occurred in 2013....Bruce Allen is investigating the matter, members of the squad from 2017 were interviewed and said there were no problems....Cheerleaders from the Dolphins and Saints had also come forward.  An attorney representing the cheerleaders, Sara Blackwell, said another 60 Cheerleaders have also shared their stories.....The NFL's only statement was that the NFL complies with policies to respect all employees........With allegations rocking the entertainment world, and women speaking out everywhere....I suspect that cheerleading squads will go the way of kickoffs in a few years....6 teams already dont have cheerleaders: Bills, Bears, Browns, Packers, Giants, and Steelers......  the time has come for the rest of the teams to get rid of their cheerleading squads.... 
 

Animals are reliable, full of love, true in their affections, grateful. Difficult standards for people to live up to.”
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@Spurt

 

Demarcus Lawrence will be the new face of the Cowboys defense, but he seems intent on following Kirk Cousins blueprint and force the Cowboys to tag him until he becomes too expensive to tag. It'll be interesting to see how JJ responds to that. 

 

Sean Lee was about the only guy doing any coaching for the defense in "All or Nothing." He just can't stay healthy. He's a smart player, but many of the rest of the players seemed a tad blank and uninterested.

 

 There's a cheerleader scandal every few years in the NFL. The Eagles had a scandal back in the Veterans Stadium days when it was discovered players had created a spyhole to view the cheerleaders dressing room. I doubt that this will end cheerleaders in the NFL. If anything the local Philly sports teams have gotten more sexy young women in front of the fans. The Sixers have their dancers, the Flyers have ice girls, the Phillies have ball girls. Sex sells and until it stops selling, you'll have cheerleaders.

 

Could Aaron Rodgers get $32 million a year? ($2 million a game.) I suppose so. If Carson Wentz has a big year this coming year, he could be getting close to $35 million a year. The mid-level guys will really benefit from these new contracts. They can play for the franchise tag and get rich despite not being top end talent.

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