2017-18 NFL Thread - Eagles Defeat the Evil Empire
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ChickenStu
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2017 10:36 pm    Post subject:

While Lynch abused Pace with that move from 2 to 3 and while moving up to get Foster at 31 was outstanding, I was pretty underwhelmed with the rest of what the 49ers did. Beathard had something like a 7th round grade, and they moved up to the 3rd round to pick him? Makes no sense at all. Nothing about him stands out, other than perhaps being a smart person. Everything else looked thoroughly poor IMO. And Witherspoon is a contact-averse cornerback, and they took him high in the 3rd and I thought there were far better prospects available. So while their first 2 picks were home runs, I think they could've done better from that point on and didn't.

As for Whaley, apparently the writing had been on the wall for some time. In looking at their picks, they were very un-Whaley like, who usually swung for the fences. In moving down from 10 to 27 and picking a no-nonsense CB like White, it had all the fingerprints of new coach McDermott, who is apparently now running the show there.
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PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2017 6:11 am    Post subject:

I just read Tom Brady will be 40 when the season starts.

Dude is trying to pull a football version of Kobe.
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PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2017 7:22 am    Post subject:

The Grind wrote:
rwongega wrote:
Conor McDermott goes to the Patsies and Jayon Brown goes to the Titans. A few other Bruins showing up on UDFA signings for Denver, Houston, Jacksonville, Rams.

The Grind wrote:
rwongega wrote:
Finally got an OG and it's a pretty good one. Godchaux was someone I thought would go in the 3rd so getting him in the 6th is nice value. Interesting that both DT picks list their favorite DT as Ndamukong Suh...


Gotta keep Ryan healthy and open up them lanes for Big Jay.


Yep. I don't know if Ajayi can sustain his level of performance because he is due for an injury soon. But it shouldn't be the OL's fault here.


Ajayi will be OK as long as Gase keeps his carries at a reasonable rate. Kenyan Drake needs way more touches this year. He is Reggie Bush like.



I liked Ajayi a helluva lot during his draft, but then I figured he'd have a shooting star career, even by RB standards.

I thought Kenyan Drake would be an interesting weapon. Maybe he'll see more snaps this season.

Conor McDermott has a nice size for an OT, but he is what he is as a seventh round pick. He's a year away from being an NFL OT, and that's if he can make the transition. It's uncertain if he'll ever have the strength in his base and core to anchor, even if he cleans up his technique to get better balance and leverage.
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PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2017 7:37 am    Post subject:

My one regret is that I liked the strong safeties in this draft class, it looked like a bumper crop. I really like Marcus Maye and Josh Jones, and even the over-hyped Obi Melifonwu and Jabrill Peppers have very high ceilings. I was hoping one of them would slip to New England, but no such luck. It looks like another season where Chung will likely show some decline, and I doubt draft-mistake Jordan Richards will pick up the slack.

The other player I liked was Pat Elflein, a C out of Ohio State. It looks like another season of David Andrews for the Patriots, who has meh functional strength.
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PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2017 8:58 am    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
venturalakersfan wrote:
Good draft by my Saints. Got the top rated O lineman and the top rated pass rusher. And also Adrian Peterson.


The top-rated pass rusher? Also, although Ramczyk has upside, there was no clear consensus as to which guy was the best OL.


They were both rated tops analytically by Pro Football Focus. That site is tops for football, I have subscribed for several years.
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PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2017 12:46 pm    Post subject:

venturalakersfan wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
venturalakersfan wrote:
Good draft by my Saints. Got the top rated O lineman and the top rated pass rusher. And also Adrian Peterson.


The top-rated pass rusher? Also, although Ramczyk has upside, there was no clear consensus as to which guy was the best OL.


They were both rated tops analytically by Pro Football Focus. That site is tops for football, I have subscribed for several years.


They didn't get a pass rusher until they got Trey Hendrickson in the 3rd. Did PFF have him rated as having the best pass-rush grades from college last season? I suppose that's possible, although we have to keep in mind the competition and that certainly doesn't mean he was the best pro prospect.
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PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2017 12:41 pm    Post subject:

Jay Cutler retires and joins the broadcast booth. Surprised he didn't land on any of the QB needy teams. As mistake-prone as he is, he's still a better passer than a lot of them.
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PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2017 2:08 pm    Post subject:

Go Steelers!
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PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2017 3:01 pm    Post subject:

rwongega wrote:
Jay Cutler retires and joins the broadcast booth. Surprised he didn't land on any of the QB needy teams. As mistake-prone as he is, he's still a better passer than a lot of them.


Its much cheaper to deal with a rookie
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PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2017 3:01 pm    Post subject:

I thought this was rather interesting and I don't really care for Deadspin

http://deadspin.com/its-been-20-years-since-peyton-manning-the-jets-and-t-1794742180

Quote:

It's Been 20 Years Since Peyton Manning, The Jets, And The Draft That Might Have Been


Twenty years ago, the NFL draft was marked by one of the most fateful quarterback choices in league history: Peyton Manning’s decision to stay at the University of Tennessee for his senior year. The Jets, who had the No. 1 pick in 1997, are still reeling from the aftershocks. And it all may have been because Bill Parcells couldn’t commit to what practically everyone else thought was a sure thing.

Manning’s prolific NFL career can be summed up thusly: He’s one of the greatest passers in history. The end. But what set Manning apart back as far back as his college days was his status as a fail-safe prospect, a franchise savior. His 17-year career with the Colts and Broncos played out largely the way most observers and fans anticipated it would. But then, as now, quarterbacks were a scarce commodity. Then, as now, front offices thirsty for quarterbacks would panic themselves into believing any old chump at the top of the prospect heap could be molded into Joe Montana or Tom Brady. But Peyton Manning was different. He was that rarest of gems. He had that generational pedigree.

Now consider what could have been had he elected to declare for the draft after his junior season at Tennessee: The Jets, whose franchise history has more or less been a fruitless 40-year search for Joe Namath’s replacement, were up first. In the spring of ’97, the Jets were coming off a 1-15 nightmare that had shoved head coach Rich Kotite into permanent exile somewhere on Staten Island. But they had just hired Bill Parcells, whose handiwork to date included swift, massive construction projects with both the Giants and Patriots. Parcells had just taken the Pats to the Super Bowl, and the Jets had to compensate the Patriots for taking him away. There was some jousting, but in the end that compensation did not include the No. 1 pick in the draft. A Manning-Parcells pairing seemed to be inevitable.

If only it had been that simple.

David Cutcliffe told me he was “convinced” Manning would leave for the NFL after Manning’s junior season. Now the head coach at Duke, Cutcliffe was Manning’s offensive coordinator at Tennessee. He was so sure Manning was a goner that he had begun making preparations for a complete re-do of the Volunteers’ offense.

On the night before Manning held a press conference to announce his decision, Cutcliffe said he was in Atlanta with a few other coaches to meet with Dan Reeves, then the head coach of the Falcons. Cutcliffe was there learn a few new offensive concepts from Reeves. But then the phone at his hotel rang around 1 a.m. It was Manning calling. Cutcliffe described Manning as a “practical joker” who gave off every indication he would be leaving school. So Cutcliffe initially wasn’t sure whether to believe him when Manning said he was staying. Manning soon let him know this was no gag.

“We went back to Knoxville right then,” Cutcliffe told me.


Peyton Manning (right) and his father Archie after a Tennessee game in 1997. (Photo credit: Wade Payne/AP)
Rich Cimini has covered the Jets—without hazard pay—since 1985, first with Newsday, then with the New York Daily News, now with ESPN.com. He was at the Daily News at the time of Manning’s decision, and he wrote a story the morning of Manning’s press-conference announcement that said Manning was staying in school. Cimini got the info from what he thought was a rock-solid source. But, as Cimini wrote last year:

My heart sank when I got off the plane in Knoxville and saw the front page of the local paper. It screamed with the headline that none of its readership wanted to see: Their favorite son was leaning toward the NFL.

I feared an embarrassing faux pas. My story was wrong; surely, the locals had the inside scoop.
The headline Cimini saw splashed across page Page A-1 of the Knoxville News-Sentinel on March 5, 1997, read: “Manning’s moment; Grid decision: Insiders expect him to go pro.” But the actual story was more nuanced; it cited separate sources saying two different things. As Cutcliffe’s story demonstrates, it was clear Manning had kept his true feelings close to the vest. Manning even set up his announcement by delivering what Cimini described as “a 30-second preamble in which he made it sound like he was leaving school” before he finally said he was staying. Manning’s stated rationale was that he only got to be a college kid once, and he wanted to milk the experience for all it was worth—a not unreasonable stance, even for a guy who risked sacrificing millions in the event of a catastrophic injury.



“I’m having an incredible experience as a student-athlete at Tennessee,’’ Manning said that day. “But if I’m good enough to play in the NFL, as many experts say I am, then I can only be better after one more season.”

As obvious as it seems now, in hindsight, that Parcells was going to take Manning and place the Jets on a path to prosperity, Parcells never articulated his intentions to Manning’s camp—and that reticence may have influenced Manning into staying.

Because Manning had not declared for the draft, NFL teams were prohibited from having contact with him. There was nothing, of course, to stop Parcells from talking to Manning’s father, Archie, a former NFL quarterback, or to keep Parcells from denying any such contact took place. In an interview last year with Gary Myers of the New York Daily News, Parcells even said the league office was watching the Jets “like hawks” for any possible tampering with Manning.

But just before the draft, a few weeks after Manning announced he was staying in school, his mother, Olivia, told the New York Times:

“I think Peyton kept waiting for something to hit him, and when it didn’t happen, he wanted to return to school.”

She said that no one from the Jets made direct or indirect overtures.

“Peyton wanted to get it all done by April 4, when college practice started,” she said when asked whether the Jets might have been able to get him if they had tried. “He kept waiting.”
Myers reported that Archie had even called Parcells twice prior to Manning’s announcement—at Peyton’s request. More Myers:

He wanted to play for Parcells, he wanted to play for the Jets, he wanted to play in New York, but he didn’t want to declare for the draft and then be concerned that Parcells would trade the pick.

[...]

Archie told Parcells he thought there was a good chance Peyton would stay in school. That was an adjustment in Manning’s thinking because throughout his junior year he later said he was pretty intent on leaving. Around the NFL at the time, the consensus seemed to be if Parcells committed to Manning, he would leave Tennessee.

“I’m telling you, he’s pretty torn,” Archie told Parcells.

Parcells didn’t tell Archie his plan.

“If Bill had come out and said, ‘Peyton, you’re my guy, I’m going to pick you,’ it may have made it a little bit harder,” Archie said. “But I swear he wanted to be a senior.”
That last part squares with what Cutcliffe told me. Manning, according to Cutcliffe, had consulted with future NBA star Tim Duncan before making his decision. A year earlier, Duncan had chosen to stay for his senior year at Wake Forest rather than declare early for the NBA draft. “Peyton’s an unusual individual,” Cutcliffe said. “He kept saying he only had one chance to be a senior. It was all true.”


Peyton Manning poses for photos after the Indianapolis Colts drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998. (Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Allsport)
One matter Cutcliffe insisted did not influence Manning’s decision was the sexual harassment and employment discrimination lawsuit against the University of Tennessee that had been filed in the summer of 1996 by one of the school’s athletic trainers. Manning was among the athletes accused in the case, for which the trainer was paid a settlement in August 1997. The trainer later sued Manning for defamation, a case that ended in 2003 with an undisclosed settlement.

Article preview thumbnail
How Tennessee’s Sexual Harassment Allegations Caught Up With Peyton Manning 20 Years Later
In 1996, the summer before Peyton Manning’s junior season at the University of Tennessee, with his…
Read more
Parcells, for his part, told Myers he “knew” Manning would stay in school. And in a conversation three years ago with Cimini, Parcells hedged a bit more:

The Hall of Fame coach hasn’t revealed too much over the years about that chapter—some believe he would’ve traded the pick to accumulate extra draft choices—but he strongly hinted he would’ve selected Manning.

“Obviously, we had an interest in a quarterback, so, had he been available, I’m certain he would’ve been very, very strongly in the mix,” said Parcells, claiming he always had a “gut feeling” that Manning would stay at Tennessee.
Why might Parcells have been hesitant about picking Manning, given Manning’s bona fides? The Jets’ quarterback at the time was Neil O’Donnell, who was just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance with the Steelers. Parcells also might have been tempted to trade down for additional picks because of how barren the Jets’ roster was. After Manning decided to stay in school, Parcells wound up trading down twice. The Rams ended up with the No. 1 pick and selected offensive tackle Orlando Pace, a future Hall of Famer. The Jets, at No. 8, picked linebacker James Farrior, whose rather solid career was spent mostly with the Steelers.

Manning returned to Tennessee and threw for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior. He was the SEC player of the year and a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. The Vols finished 11-2 and ranked seventh in the final AP poll, and Manning’s status as the prize of the draft was not affected by a blowout loss to co-national champion Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The Colts drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998.

As it turned out, the ’97 Jets improved to 9-7, with O’Donnell making 14 starts. But they lost three of their last four and missed the playoffs. And O’Donnell wound up in Parcells’s dog house. In June 1998, Parcells cut O’Donnell after he refused to rework his contract. Vinny Testaverde, then 34 years old, was signed on as a replacement soon afterward and guided the Jets to the 1998 AFC Championship Game.

The Jets were a popular preseason Super Bowl pick in ’99 (seriously), but that optimism evaporated when Testaverde tore his Achilles in Week 1. Parcells quit after that season, and Bill Belichick lasted one day as his “HC of the NYJ” replacement before resigning abruptly to torture the Jets (and the rest of the NFL) from New England. Chad Pennington, Brett Favre, and Mark Sanchez provided the Jets with some fleeting rays of sunshine in the years that followed, but Jets quarterbacks in this century have mostly been shadowed by black clouds. The same Colts that drafted Manning, meanwhile, had Andrew Luck—another sure-thing quarterback—fall into their laps when again they had the No. 1 pick in 2012. An aging Manning finished out his career in 2015 by winning the Super Bowl—his second—with the Broncos.

There’s no telling what might have actually happened had Manning jumped to the NFL a year early, but it’s difficult not to imagine some kind of bright future for the Jets. The piercing reality is the Jets are tied with the Broncos and 49ers for most quarterbacks drafted (11) since 1999, though unlike the Broncos and 49ers, they haven’t made the Super Bowl in all that time. The Jets are forever mentoring quarterbacks. And after not drafting one last week, they are about to enter 2017 with Josh McCown, Bryce Petty, and Christian Hackenberg as their passing options. How’s that for scarcity?
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PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 8:38 am    Post subject:

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/05/07/peyton-manning-helped-sell-miami-dolphins-on-julius-thomas/

Quote:
Peyton Manning helped sell Miami Dolphins on Julius Thomas


Julius Thomas, who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015-16, makes a touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

When the Miami Dolphins were considering acquiring tight end Julius Thomas, offensive coordinator Clyde Christiansen reached out to a former pupil, retired quarterback Peyton Manning.

Christensen was Manning’s offensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts in 2009 and 2010. And Thomas caught 24 touchdowns from Manning when they played together for the Denver Broncos in 2013 and 2014.

So Christensen trusts Manning’s evaluation, and it was overwhelmingly positive.

“That (Thomas) figured it out,” Christensen explained of Manning’s report. “(Thomas’) figure-it-out factor was high. That’s what you look for. There’s a guy who came in and probably didn’t know a whole bunch about football, or played very little. His experience was very minimal, and then (he) came in and figured it out and then worked. (Manning) talked a lot about (Thomas asking), ‘Would you stay out and help me with this? Take me through this. Would you watch a little tape with me? Would you explain what you want on this?’ And he still does the same thing. I’ll see him in (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase’s office and his questions are right. His questions and his process are right, which as a coach, (is what) you’re looking for.”

Manning helped Thomas reach unforeseen heights after the tight end was a fourth-round draft choice out of Portland State.

After signing a big contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, Thomas had only nine touchdowns in two injury-marred seasons.

Christensen believes Miami is more likely to see the Broncos version of Thomas in 2017.

“There’s no guarantee on any of them,” Christensen said. “It’s on film. I’ve seen it. Hearing Peyton (Manning) talk about him and what he meant to the offense. (Head Coach Adam) Gase knows him inside out. Gase knows exactly what he’s getting and knows how to use him. (Gase) used him extremely well out there in Denver. I have great confidence that we will get that. It’s not a speculation. There’s some – as you like to say – empirical data. There’s data we can see, see him do it (and) see the things we need him to do. That always is encouraging.”

Gase was quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in Denver, so he too was involved in Thomas’ previous success. The Dolphins were in no way flying blind as to what they were getting with Thomas.

“He knows the system,” Christensen said. “He came up through the ranks. He has a great story. You guys will hear it when you talk to him, but (he is) a guy that hadn’t played a ton of football and (was) learning how to be a pro, learning how to practice, learning how detailed this thing is and figuring it out. So, his story and what he’ll bring to that locker room I think is really good. He’s a pleasant guy. He’s a pro. He asks the right questions. He stays with it until he knows the answer. He’s going to come in, in the evening if he has questions. He’s going to do whatever it takes to find a way to play good football. That’s what we’re looking for. That’s what we need throughout the thing – a detailed, professional guy.”

After the trade, Thomas downplayed the long-term effect of injuries to his back, ankle and finger, and explained how important it was for him to re-unite with Gase.

“I definitely have high expectations for myself,” Thomas said. “As far as numbers, that fluctuates and I don’t really know how that’s going to go; but I definitely expect to go out there and help make big plays for this offense. Whatever aspect that I have to do – whether that’s picking up an extra block in the run game, pull someone on the back side, coming out of a speed route or making sure that I’m there open in the middle of the field for Ryan (Tannehill) – I really take pride in what I do and going out there and playing football and helping my team win. That’s probably the biggest thing that I expect to do is to just be an asset to the offense and do what I can to make this an explosive unit.”

Gase has pointed out several times that he expects Thomas to create mismatch problems for opposing defenses.

“I think any time you have a tight end that can really cause issues in the passing game, especially down the middle of the field, it benefits the run game and the other players on the field,” Gase said. “Any time you can single a guy up and there’s a matchup problem there, whether it’s a safety or linebacker on him, now you’ve got man-to-man and if he can win, there are some big-time issues. We had a lot of success doing that and teams quit doing it against us. The next thing you know they’re playing Cover 2 or some kind of quarters and then we start running the ball and then the next thing you know, you’ve got a 1,100-yard back that nobody thinks can run the ball.”

By all accounts, Thomas has committed himself to improving his physical conditioning and has a desire to show his accomplishments in Denver were not a fluke. And were not simply a product of playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback.

It just so happens that Manning is still in Thomas’ corner.

“I would speak of Peyton as almost coach-ish, especially at that point in his career,” Christensen said. “He goes to people (and asks), ‘How do we want to do this? How do I do this? Is this exactly what you want, or is it different?’ Those are the right questions to be asking. (Thomas) has been terrific in the short time he has been here, and it doesn’t take long to see he enjoys football, he likes football, which is the other attribute we’ve been looking for, and guys that enjoy being in the building. He’s a pleasant guy. He has a good demeanor. He has got a smile on his face when he comes to work. That’s good stuff. A lot of times when you go get a free agent – a high-profile free agent – you don’t know what you’re going to get. It’s a reach, and all you can go on is second hand. This one, we had the advantage of Coach Gase (and) people knew him, and he has been exactly that.”
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PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 12:10 pm    Post subject:

Basketball Fan wrote:
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/05/07/peyton-manning-helped-sell-miami-dolphins-on-julius-thomas/

Quote:
Peyton Manning helped sell Miami Dolphins on Julius Thomas


Julius Thomas, who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015-16, makes a touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

When the Miami Dolphins were considering acquiring tight end Julius Thomas, offensive coordinator Clyde Christiansen reached out to a former pupil, retired quarterback Peyton Manning.

Christensen was Manning’s offensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts in 2009 and 2010. And Thomas caught 24 touchdowns from Manning when they played together for the Denver Broncos in 2013 and 2014.

So Christensen trusts Manning’s evaluation, and it was overwhelmingly positive.

“That (Thomas) figured it out,” Christensen explained of Manning’s report. “(Thomas’) figure-it-out factor was high. That’s what you look for. There’s a guy who came in and probably didn’t know a whole bunch about football, or played very little. His experience was very minimal, and then (he) came in and figured it out and then worked. (Manning) talked a lot about (Thomas asking), ‘Would you stay out and help me with this? Take me through this. Would you watch a little tape with me? Would you explain what you want on this?’ And he still does the same thing. I’ll see him in (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase’s office and his questions are right. His questions and his process are right, which as a coach, (is what) you’re looking for.”

Manning helped Thomas reach unforeseen heights after the tight end was a fourth-round draft choice out of Portland State.

After signing a big contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, Thomas had only nine touchdowns in two injury-marred seasons.

Christensen believes Miami is more likely to see the Broncos version of Thomas in 2017.

“There’s no guarantee on any of them,” Christensen said. “It’s on film. I’ve seen it. Hearing Peyton (Manning) talk about him and what he meant to the offense. (Head Coach Adam) Gase knows him inside out. Gase knows exactly what he’s getting and knows how to use him. (Gase) used him extremely well out there in Denver. I have great confidence that we will get that. It’s not a speculation. There’s some – as you like to say – empirical data. There’s data we can see, see him do it (and) see the things we need him to do. That always is encouraging.”

Gase was quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in Denver, so he too was involved in Thomas’ previous success. The Dolphins were in no way flying blind as to what they were getting with Thomas.

“He knows the system,” Christensen said. “He came up through the ranks. He has a great story. You guys will hear it when you talk to him, but (he is) a guy that hadn’t played a ton of football and (was) learning how to be a pro, learning how to practice, learning how detailed this thing is and figuring it out. So, his story and what he’ll bring to that locker room I think is really good. He’s a pleasant guy. He’s a pro. He asks the right questions. He stays with it until he knows the answer. He’s going to come in, in the evening if he has questions. He’s going to do whatever it takes to find a way to play good football. That’s what we’re looking for. That’s what we need throughout the thing – a detailed, professional guy.”

After the trade, Thomas downplayed the long-term effect of injuries to his back, ankle and finger, and explained how important it was for him to re-unite with Gase.

“I definitely have high expectations for myself,” Thomas said. “As far as numbers, that fluctuates and I don’t really know how that’s going to go; but I definitely expect to go out there and help make big plays for this offense. Whatever aspect that I have to do – whether that’s picking up an extra block in the run game, pull someone on the back side, coming out of a speed route or making sure that I’m there open in the middle of the field for Ryan (Tannehill) – I really take pride in what I do and going out there and playing football and helping my team win. That’s probably the biggest thing that I expect to do is to just be an asset to the offense and do what I can to make this an explosive unit.”

Gase has pointed out several times that he expects Thomas to create mismatch problems for opposing defenses.

“I think any time you have a tight end that can really cause issues in the passing game, especially down the middle of the field, it benefits the run game and the other players on the field,” Gase said. “Any time you can single a guy up and there’s a matchup problem there, whether it’s a safety or linebacker on him, now you’ve got man-to-man and if he can win, there are some big-time issues. We had a lot of success doing that and teams quit doing it against us. The next thing you know they’re playing Cover 2 or some kind of quarters and then we start running the ball and then the next thing you know, you’ve got a 1,100-yard back that nobody thinks can run the ball.”

By all accounts, Thomas has committed himself to improving his physical conditioning and has a desire to show his accomplishments in Denver were not a fluke. And were not simply a product of playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback.

It just so happens that Manning is still in Thomas’ corner.

“I would speak of Peyton as almost coach-ish, especially at that point in his career,” Christensen said. “He goes to people (and asks), ‘How do we want to do this? How do I do this? Is this exactly what you want, or is it different?’ Those are the right questions to be asking. (Thomas) has been terrific in the short time he has been here, and it doesn’t take long to see he enjoys football, he likes football, which is the other attribute we’ve been looking for, and guys that enjoy being in the building. He’s a pleasant guy. He has a good demeanor. He has got a smile on his face when he comes to work. That’s good stuff. A lot of times when you go get a free agent – a high-profile free agent – you don’t know what you’re going to get. It’s a reach, and all you can go on is second hand. This one, we had the advantage of Coach Gase (and) people knew him, and he has been exactly that.”


Thomas was an absolute dud with the Jagoffs even accounting for a scattershot (bleep) QB like Bortles. But then again, most players when they don that uniform slack off big (Branden Albert hasn't even reported to the team yet). I would've rather we'd have drafted someone like OJ Howard or David Njoku than someone expensive like Thomas.
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PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 1:15 pm    Post subject:

^^
I think that trade was basically one salary dump (Thomas) for another (Albert).
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PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2017 4:15 pm    Post subject:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/05/10/fox-hires-tony-gonzalez/

Quote:
FOX hires Tony Gonzalez


After future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez left CBS, he said he hoped to find a broadcasting job in the Los Angeles area. He has.

Via SportsBusiness Daily, FOX has hired Gonzalez. He’ll appear on FOX NFL Kickoff, the pre-pregame show that airs from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET.

Gonzalez spent three seasons with CBS. Phil Simms crash landed in the seat after being booted from the broadcast booth for Tony Romo.

In theory, Gonzalez could eventually graduate to the official pregame show, depending on when/if more tenured members of the desk like Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson decide to move on. Likewise, Michael Strahan eventually could decide to ditch the cross-country travel in light of his position at Good Morning America.
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PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2017 5:45 pm    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
^^
I think that trade was basically one salary dump (Thomas) for another (Albert).


It was but I was certain we could've gotten something more for Albert.
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PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2017 10:24 pm    Post subject:

rwongega wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
^^
I think that trade was basically one salary dump (Thomas) for another (Albert).


It was but I was certain we could've gotten something more for Albert.


I think Albert's reputation around the league is hanging on by a thread at this point, with declining play, more injuries, and increased baggage with the diva attitude. From what those around the Jaguars are saying, they may give rookie Cam Robinson every chance to start over Albert at left tackle.
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PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2017 8:23 pm    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
rwongega wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
^^
I think that trade was basically one salary dump (Thomas) for another (Albert).


It was but I was certain we could've gotten something more for Albert.


I think Albert's reputation around the league is hanging on by a thread at this point, with declining play, more injuries, and increased baggage with the diva attitude. From what those around the Jaguars are saying, they may give rookie Cam Robinson every chance to start over Albert at left tackle.


Maybe. But he was still solid in limited play last year and had no issues being big brother to Laremy Tunsil. The diva attitude came after the trade.
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PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2017 6:53 am    Post subject:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/05/19/bucs-bernard-reedy-says-hell-never-quit-his-11-an-hour-side-job/

Quote:
Bucs’ Bernard Reedy says he’ll never quit his $11 an hour side job


Buccaneers receiver Bernard Reedy hasn’t made much money in the NFL. He’s never played in a regular-season game, and his two weeks on the 53-man roster at the end of last season were his only two weeks even being on an NFL roster. But that’s OK, because he has another job.

Reedy also has an $11 an hour job driving a van for a company that gives rides to people in wheelchairs. He told ESPN that he finds that job rewarding enough that he plans to keep doing it in the offseasons even if he one day lands himself a big-time NFL contract.

“All my other teammates that I know that I personally talk to, they all caked up — they all got money, a whole lot of money,” Reedy said. “When I get to that tax bracket with them, I’m going to continue to work here during the offseason. . . . You always want to be grateful.”

Reedy played his college football at Toledo, signed as an undrafted rookie with the Falcons in 2015, got cut at the end of the preseason and then moved back in with his parents. That’s when he took the driving job, which he liked at first because the hours were conducive to his workout schedule as he continued to try to get back in the NFL. He now says the job is rewarding enough that he’ll do it even when, he hopes, his NFL career has reached the point where he doesn’t need another job.

“A lot of people . . . you may think you’re sacrificing a lot until you hear somebody else’s story,” Reedy said. “And when you pick up the same people every week, you get attached to them.”
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PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2017 3:47 pm    Post subject:

The NFL is allowing TD celebrations again--this is a good thing in my opinion.

One my favorites was the Redskins fun bunch. And who could forget the Ickey Shuffle?!


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 5:37 pm    Post subject:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/06/05/rex-rob-ryan-in-a-minor-nashville-scuffle/

Quote:
Rex, Rob Ryan in a minor Nashville scuffle

Posted by Mike Florio on June 5, 2017, 6:01 AM EDT

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Among the many Nashville Predators bandwagon fans are former NFL coaches Rex and Rob Ryan, who were smashing the Penguins car on Saturday night while wearing very large yellow hockey jerseys.

They also did a little smashing the next day.

A Twitter account in the name of Cooper Stefaniak posted a pair of videos that show the Ryan twins in a scuffle at a Nashville establishment, apparently on Sunday. The first begins with Rex engaged in some sort of physical altercation with another man (who seems to be roughly the size of Jesse Pinkman, which justifies the photo selection), and Rob intervenes with a left hand to the throat of the non-Ryan combatant. Rob’s hand is pushed away, and the guy returns to pester Rex.

The second video begins with Rex breaking away from the guy, who exits the scene, which appears to end the altercation.

Several websites have posted the videos by saying that it “appears” to be the Ryans. Appears? Surely there aren’t two of that duo.

Currently, Rex is employed by ESPN. The contents of the video don’t seem to be nearly enough to jeopardize that, especially since only Rob is shown laying hands on the unidentified man who may or may not have been the aggressor.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:25 pm    Post subject:

Basketball Fan wrote:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/06/05/rex-rob-ryan-in-a-minor-nashville-scuffle/

Quote:
Rex, Rob Ryan in a minor Nashville scuffle

Posted by Mike Florio on June 5, 2017, 6:01 AM EDT

Getty Images
Among the many Nashville Predators bandwagon fans are former NFL coaches Rex and Rob Ryan, who were smashing the Penguins car on Saturday night while wearing very large yellow hockey jerseys.

They also did a little smashing the next day.

A Twitter account in the name of Cooper Stefaniak posted a pair of videos that show the Ryan twins in a scuffle at a Nashville establishment, apparently on Sunday. The first begins with Rex engaged in some sort of physical altercation with another man (who seems to be roughly the size of Jesse Pinkman, which justifies the photo selection), and Rob intervenes with a left hand to the throat of the non-Ryan combatant. Rob’s hand is pushed away, and the guy returns to pester Rex.

The second video begins with Rex breaking away from the guy, who exits the scene, which appears to end the altercation.

Several websites have posted the videos by saying that it “appears” to be the Ryans. Appears? Surely there aren’t two of that duo.

Currently, Rex is employed by ESPN. The contents of the video don’t seem to be nearly enough to jeopardize that, especially since only Rob is shown laying hands on the unidentified man who may or may not have been the aggressor.


That's more of a fight than either of their teams and defenses have ever put up lately.
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 11:27 am    Post subject:

After much ballyhoo, Seahawks go with Austin Davis over Krapernick.
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 2:24 pm    Post subject:

And the Jets are embracing the full-on tank for 2017. They release David Harris, and will trade or release Decker. I bet that Forte isn't too far behind; there's zero point in keeping him on that roster.

"With the 1st pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select...Sam Darnold, Quarterback, USC."
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 3:39 pm    Post subject:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/06/06/never-mind-uber-davon-house-hitches-a-ride-via-twitter/

Quote:
Never mind Uber, Davon House hitches a ride via Twitter

Packers cornerback Davon House was stuck in an airport and frustrated, so he did what many people do — he complained about it on Twitter.

But what he ended up was a Lyft to another city.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, some quick connections with some Twitter followers got House a ride home after he was stranded at the airport in Minneapolis.

When House landed in the Twin Cities around 11 p.m., he had missed his connection and was faced with the prospect of being late for OTAs in nine hours. But brothers Chad and Mike Johnson saw his electronic SOS and offered to drive him to Green Bay.

Ignoring the advice of every mom everywhere and accepting a ride from strangers, House began the four-hour jaunt across Wisconsin with two guys he only met through social media.

“I went to bed and I was scrolling through my Twitter and saw he needed a ride,” Chad Johnson said. “My brother lives in Hudson, [Wisconsin]; I’m in Eau Claire. I tweeted him that ‘I could come pick you up,’ and in the meantime I texted my brother that House needs a ride. My brother also tweeted him. He was closer so he swung up to the airport and picked him up, and I met him on Highway 29 so my brother and I could keep each other awake.”

Chad even brought a pillow so House could be well-rested for practice. When they arrived at the airport in Green Bay, they took House to his car, but he insisted on swinging them by Lambeau Field.

“It would’ve been cool just to get a picture with him there, but he was like, ‘Follow me to the stadium and I’ll sign some stuff for you,'” Chad Johnson said. “We told him he didn’t need to do that, and he insisted. He has OTAs at 7:30, and here he is at 3:30 in the morning doing this. So he brought us over there, we got to go in the locker room. He signed some shoes and some gloves and let us take pictures with the Super Bowl trophies.”

House also gave them $80 in gas money, which was literally gas money for him considering he has a $150,000 workout bonus.

But the Johnson brothers have a story to tell, which is even better than a good night’s sleep.
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 5:50 pm    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
And the Jets are embracing the full-on tank for 2017. They release David Harris, and will trade or release Decker. I bet that Forte isn't too far behind; there's zero point in keeping him on that roster.

"With the 1st pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select...Sam Darnold, Quarterback, USC."


Their last high pick U$C QB turned out quite well for them....
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