2015 NFL Football Thread

[phan52]

I think it's time to put last season behind us and look forward.

Today is the day teams must decide on the franchise tag. It appears that the #1 FA after today will be Ndamukong Suh , as the Detroit Lions won't pull the trigger on the tag.

Franchise Tag Tracker:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000475744/article/franchise-tag-tracker

[Shindig]

The AFL season hasn't even begun yet and we're already thinking of the 2015 NFL season? I'm as eager as anyone to see Bruce Arians holding the Lombardi, but I recognize that there are steps in between. Meanwhile, the KISS have their home opener during Masters weekend, so I probably will go a different week.

[phan52]

The AFL season hasn't even begun yet and we're already thinking of the 2015 NFL season? I'm as eager as anyone to see Bruce Arians holding the Lombardi, but I recognize that there are steps in between.

Meanwhile, the KISS have their home opener during Masters weekend, so I probably will go a different week.

People are still posting in the 2014 thread, so apparently there is decided interest. But what happens today with the franchise tags impacts 2015, not 2014.

If you want to discuss the Arena Football League, feel free to start another thread.

[Shindig]

I understand; the NFL doesn't really have an off-season anyway, since this is really what they call the "non-playing season." I'd also agree franchise tag (and free agent signings, etc) should go in a thread for 2015.

[boogielicious]

I think it's time to put last season behind us and look forward.

Today is the day teams must decide on the franchise tag. It appears that the #1 FA after today will be Ndamukong Suh, as the Detroit Lions won't pull the trigger on the tag.

Franchise Tag Tracker:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000475744/article/franchise-tag-tracker

Thanks for starting the thread.

[phan52]

Wow, Chip Kelly is really determined to overhaul the Eagles roster. The defense in particular will probably have a minimum of 4 new starters but the trade of Shady McCoy is getting all the ink in Philly.

I have no problem with the trade. The Eagles got a LB who has been compared to Luke Kuechly, who is arguably the best LB in the NFL. Plus McCoy isn't my kind of RB, I would prefer somebody who hits the line of scrimmage with authority. McCoy can make dynamic plays but he also has his share of negative plays and 2nd and 14 usually doesn't fare well in the NFL, and he is a liability in the red zone. And then there is the money, and the Eagles are saving over $8 million on the salary cap with this trade. With the other cuts (Trent Cole and Cary Williams) the Eagles will be something like $50 million under the cap.

Next up in Philly, will Chip go all in to try and get Marcus Mariota? I think he will try, but the 20th pick in the draft is a tough spot to get it done.

[boogielicious]

Wow, Chip Kelly is really determined to overhaul the Eagles roster. The defense in particular will probably have a minimum of 4 new starters but the trade of Shady McCoy is getting all the ink in Philly.

I have no problem with the trade. The Eagles got a LB who has been compared to Luke Kuechly, who is arguably the best LB in the NFL. Plus McCoy isn't my kind of RB, I would prefer somebody who hits the line of scrimmage with authority. McCoy can make dynamic plays but he also has his share of negative plays and 2nd and 14 usually doesn't fare well in the NFL, and he is a liability in the red zone. And then there is the money, and the Eagles are saving over $8 million on the salary cap with this trade. With the other cuts (Trent Cole and Cary Williams) the Eagles will be something like $50 million under the cap.

Next up in Philly, will Chip go all in to try and get Marcus Mariota? I think he will try, but the 20th pick in the draft is a tough spot to get it done.

I wanted to ask an Eagles fan if they wanted this.  He certainly know the system.  He had a rough championship game, but he seemed to be running for his life a lot.

[onthehunt526]

I wanted to ask an Eagles fan if they wanted this.  He certainly know the system.  He had a rough championship game, but he seemed to be running for his life a lot.

Mariota does know the system, Maybe The Eagles, will attempt some sort of trade to move up to the top-10, to try and get the pick from a team who really doesn't need a QB, though Philly has Foles... Mariota would be an awesome pick for Philly and a great perceived fit... In other news, Manning takes $4 million pay-cut, New England doesn't exercise option on Wilfork... and Damn there is a lot to follow...

[Shindig]

In other news, Manning takes $4 million pay-cut, New England doesn't exercise option on Wilfork... and Damn there is a lot to follow...

Darnell Dockett got let go... and got picked up by the 49ers :cry: Bills allegedly worked out a deal to trade for Matt Cassel who, with all due respect to Matt Kuchar, was in the best shoe commercial of all time.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by onthehunt526

In other news, Manning takes $4 million pay-cut, New England doesn't exercise option on Wilfork... and Damn there is a lot to follow...

Darnell Dockett got let go... and got picked up by the 49ers

Bills allegedly worked out a deal to trade for Matt Cassel who, with all due respect to Matt Kuchar, was in the best shoe commercial of all time.

[turtleback]

Wow, Chip Kelly is really determined to overhaul the Eagles roster. The defense in particular will probably have a minimum of 4 new starters but the trade of Shady McCoy is getting all the ink in Philly.

I have no problem with the trade. The Eagles got a LB who has been compared to Luke Kuechly, who is arguably the best LB in the NFL. Plus McCoy isn't my kind of RB, I would prefer somebody who hits the line of scrimmage with authority. McCoy can make dynamic plays but he also has his share of negative plays and 2nd and 14 usually doesn't fare well in the NFL, and he is a liability in the red zone. And then there is the money, and the Eagles are saving over $8 million on the salary cap with this trade. With the other cuts (Trent Cole and Cary Williams) the Eagles will be something like $50 million under the cap.

Next up in Philly, will Chip go all in to try and get Marcus Mariota? I think he will try, but the 20th pick in the draft is a tough spot to get it done.

I did not like this trade as a Giants fan because it seems to me that the Eagles give up a couple of years of declining production from a great player for a guy who has the potential of being a pro-bowl level LB for them for the next 10 years.  IF he is and can stay healthy.  That is the big gamble part of it.  BUT, the CAP hit difference between a guy in one of those out years of his contract where the numbers get really big and a guy who still has a couple of years to go on his rookie contract is huge, which works in the Eagles' favor.  It seems to me to be a petty smart gamble on Kelly's part.  Way more upside than downside, IMO.

Much as I hate to say it.

[phan52]

I wanted to ask an Eagles fan if they wanted this (going after Mariota).  He certainly know the system.  He had a rough championship game, but he seemed to be running for his life a lot.

By all indications, it appears that Kelly will go after Mariota if he is not picked by the Titans with the second pick. In fact there is talk that they may already have a deal in place with the Jets if Mariota drops to that spot (#6).

As an Eagles fan, I am torn. I wouldn't like giving up what is necessary to move from 20 to 6, but I like what I see in Mariota and I also want to see what Kelly could do with his guy in place. I guess I have to go all in with Kelly and hope he gets it right. The alternative is depressing.

Tuesday will be a big day for the Eagles and Kelly with all that cap money to spend, hopefully on defense. The draft feels like years away.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

I wanted to ask an Eagles fan if they wanted this (going after Mariota).  He certainly know the system.  He had a rough championship game, but he seemed to be running for his life a lot.

By all indications, it appears that Kelly will go after Mariota if he is not picked by the Titans with the second pick. In fact there is talk that they may already have a deal in place with the Jets if Mariota drops to that spot (#6).

As an Eagles fan, I am torn. I wouldn't like giving up what is necessary to move from 20 to 6, but I like what I see in Mariota and I also want to see what Kelly could do with his guy in place. I guess I have to go all in with Kelly and hope he gets it right. The alternative is depressing.

Tuesday will be a big day for the Eagles and Kelly with all that cap money to spend, hopefully on defense. The draft feels like years away.

This time of year is like a weird game of Monopoly for the NFL.  Everyone is buying and selling little properties and hoping to land on Boardwalk and Park Place with enough money to buy.

[saevel25]

This time of year is like a weird game of Monopoly for the NFL.  Everyone is buying and selling little properties and hoping to land on Boardwalk and Park Place with enough money to buy.

Trades are a crap shoot. Free Agency is usually a bust.

The best teams own the draft. You never trade up, always trade down.

If you want to dominate the NFL. Offensive line, Defensive Tackles, and Quarterback. The rest are all interchangeable. Look at NEP, they have a revolving door for skill players. They never trade up for picks in the draft because you usually end up with a gamble, and you have to give up multiple picks so you are losing depth. There isn't that big of a talent gap outside the top few picks who tend to be elite. You maybe have 15 picks that are clear 1st round material and the rest are just a bunch of players that need to develop. The teams that usually suffer year in and year out try to trade up for that QB or WR player and they end up not having depth at other positions and they go sub 0.500 again the next year.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

This time of year is like a weird game of Monopoly for the NFL.  Everyone is buying and selling little properties and hoping to land on Boardwalk and Park Place with enough money to buy.

Trades are a crap shoot. Free Agency is usually a bust.

The best teams own the draft. You never trade up, always trade down.

If you want to dominate the NFL. Offensive line, Defensive Tackles, and Quarterback. The rest are all interchangeable. Look at NEP, they have a revolving door for skill players. They never trade up for picks in the draft because you usually end up with a gamble, and you have to give up multiple picks so you are losing depth. There isn't that big of a talent gap outside the top few picks who tend to be elite. You maybe have 15 picks that are clear 1st round material and the rest are just a bunch of players that need to develop. The teams that usually suffer year in and year out try to trade up for that QB or WR player and they end up not having depth at other positions and they go sub 0.500 again the next year.

Agree.  Drafting a QB has got to give GMs more ulcers than any other position.  There is a lot of luck to it.  I also agree that the O and D lines are very important and vastly underrated for that importance, especially by the media.

[phan52]

Trades are a crap shoot. Free Agency is usually a bust.

The best teams own the draft. You never trade up, always trade down.

If you want to dominate the NFL. Offensive line, Defensive Tackles, and Quarterback. The rest are all interchangeable. Look at NEP, they have a revolving door for skill players. They never trade up for picks in the draft because you usually end up with a gamble, and you have to give up multiple picks so you are losing depth. There isn't that big of a talent gap outside the top few picks who tend to be elite. You maybe have 15 picks that are clear 1st round material and the rest are just a bunch of players that need to develop. The teams that usually suffer year in and year out try to trade up for that QB or WR player and they end up not having depth at other positions and they go sub 0.500 again the next year.

I don't like relying on free agency, and I don't like trading up in the draft either. But Kelly wants his QB and the rest be damned. If he is so intent on it, I wonder what he will do if he can't pull it off. Maybe back to college in 2016?

They have so much money to spend I have to wonder what the game-plan is on Tuesday. Definitely some DB's because three of the four starters are gone, not that any of them are irreplaceable. Probably offensive line as well, and Maclin is still out there.

[newtogolf]

Jets resigned David Harris to a 3 year deal and gave the Bears a 6th round pick for Brandon Marshall.  Harvin will most likely get cut which frees up $10M in cap space.  Rex is going to be upset since he was reportedly wanting to sign Harris to replace Kiko.

[phan52]

The Eagles will sign Frank Gore to replace McCoy (at less than half the cost) and will get a huge upgrade at CB with Byron Maxwell. They'll need him with Bryant, Beckham and Jackson in the division. They still need to get Maclin inked. Without him the WR position is ridiculously thin.