2025 NFL Offseason/Free Agency/Draft thread

[Lathum]

Jesus they gave up a lot

[Lathum]

Has to be Dart

[Lathum]

I'm OK with it. Let him sit behind Russ for a year or two and practice with Nabors while they get more young talent.

Just glad it wasn't Sanders

[RainMaker]

Great QB name

[bhlloy]

Holy fuck, the Falcons just said hold my beer. That’s an absolute ton to get back to 26.

[CrimsonFox]

The surprise of the night for me was during Pittsburgh's pick when they said "Wilson's gone, Justin FIelds is gone." Holy shit where did they go? When did that happen? heh

Best pick of the night was that announcer/commentator that picked up the buffalo wing and dipped it in macaroni and cheese sauce. Also that whole fucking cheese/brat tray looked amazing.

[GrantDawg]

How can you tell if a GM feels like this might be his last year? Asking for a fanbaae.

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

How can you tell if a GM feels like this might be his last year? Asking for a fanbaae.

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

hey man you finally got some defense

[GrantDawg]

We definitely needed it, for sure. I am hopeful. It does seem like the GM is moving aggressively mostly out of fear.

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

[Ksyrup]

Not sure what to think about Denver going CB at 20, but our D should be pretty stout. I'm hoping for an aggressive move for either (or both) a RB and TE today.

[flere-imsaho]

Complete organizational malpractice by the Giants. And it's all on the owner.

First, Mara comes out last year and says that "maybe he fired people too quickly" in the past, when asked about Daboll and Schoen.

OK, so he wants to give those two a chance to succeed. Fine.

Come the end of the season you have no QB and a poor QB class, and the feeling is that next year's class is a lot better. The obvious solution is to gut it through another losing season so that you have a high pick to spend on one of those QBs and re-start. You can use your #3 to build up other parts of the squad in anticipation of that.

But you let Schoen go out and sign Wilson & Winston. They're not getting you to the playoffs, especially in that division, but probably winning enough games that you've now lessened your chances on getting that blue chip QB.

That was all bad enough.

But now you've given up capital to pick up a 1st round rookie QB who is absolutely not ready to start on Day One, and who most commentators think is a long shot to become a starting NFL QB, never mind a good one.

So what are you going to do now? Play Dart in December when you're out of the playoffs anyway and hope that he's transcendent? If he's not, pick another QB next year and flush all you spent on Dart down the toilet? Or, stick with Dart and finish ~.500 for the next few years, eventually and inevitably firing Schoen & Daboll anyway?

An Owner's job should be to set up the organizational structure for success and on every level Mara has failed. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[CrimsonFox]

So like is Sanders the Make A Wish player of the draft?

[RainMaker]

Was there anyone else remotely considering taking Dart that high? I just don't understand giving up that much to trade up for him.

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

So like is Sanders the Make A Wish player of the draft?

Seems like treating the draft process like a joke and acting like he was above it didn't pay off. Almost like teams don't want to invest in a QB who isn't taking anything seriously and seems to be a shitty teammate.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

So like is Sanders the Make A Wish player of the draft?

equating an entitled athlete to a program for kids with cancer isn't funny.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Was there anyone else remotely considering taking Dart that high? I just don't understand giving up that much to trade up for him.



Seems like treating the draft process like a joke and acting like he was above it didn't pay off. Almost like teams don't want to invest in a QB who isn't taking anything seriously and seems to be a shitty teammate.

There was a lot of smoke around him. As a Giants fan I am good with it.

Regarding Sanders, I heard one organization claimed his interview was the worst one they have ever had.

I don't think any GM is going to touch him, when he goes I think it will be an owner insisting he gets taken. He is the kind of guy who gets coaches and GMs fired.

[albionmoonlight]

I'd love it if even one NFL team took Sanders off their board b/c of the insane and tone-deaf decision to put him in the Colorado ring of honor.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Was there anyone else remotely considering taking Dart that high? I just don't understand giving up that much to trade up for him.

There was a fair amount of speculation that the Saints might jump up for him. No idea how much was just smoke/speculation, but the word was out there.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Complete organizational malpractice by the Giants. And it's all on the owner.

First, Mara comes out last year and says that "maybe he fired people too quickly" in the past, when asked about Daboll and Schoen.

OK, so he wants to give those two a chance to succeed. Fine.

Come the end of the season you have no QB and a poor QB class, and the feeling is that next year's class is a lot better. The obvious solution is to gut it through another losing season so that you have a high pick to spend on one of those QBs and re-start. You can use your #3 to build up other parts of the squad in anticipation of that.

But you let Schoen go out and sign Wilson & Winston. They're not getting you to the playoffs, especially in that division, but probably winning enough games that you've now lessened your chances on getting that blue chip QB.

That was all bad enough.

But now you've given up capital to pick up a 1st round rookie QB who is absolutely not ready to start on Day One, and who most commentators think is a long shot to become a starting NFL QB, never mind a good one.

So what are you going to do now? Play Dart in December when you're out of the playoffs anyway and hope that he's transcendent? If he's not, pick another QB next year and flush all you spent on Dart down the toilet? Or, stick with Dart and finish ~.500 for the next few years, eventually and inevitably firing Schoen & Daboll anyway?

An Owner's job should be to set up the organizational structure for success and on every level Mara has failed. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Thing is, didn't we just had this big debate on this board that the only thing that matters is finding the QB of the future, and so if you don't have a QB then even a mid round first is worth a dart throw?

There's a lot of differing opinions on Dart, and more than one comp I've seen that he's Jalen Hurts. Now obviously it's somewhere between possible and probable he's not, but still. If he's obviously terrible and you take another QB next year, isn't that what everyone is basically saying the NFL is in a state that you should do?

We've also got a lot of history on seeing generational draft classes not pan out that way and players turn into late round picks the next year. Right now it looks like a very strong QB class next year, half of those players on the list could stink or get hurt and the Giants could win enough games to pick 5th and all the good QB's go in the top 4. Outright tanking in the NFL almost never works.

I'm not arguing the Giants are a well run organization, but equally I think it's oversimplistic to say that just throwing this year in the trash with the expectation that they just need to get into the top 5 next year and a franchise QB will be sitting there waiting for them is a solid plan too.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Regarding Sanders, I heard one organization claimed his interview was the worst one they have ever had.

Yup, read a few anonymous quotes that said the same. I was wondering if that was just noise being put out there by a team who wanted him to drop or to get back into the second half of the first to take him, but from what you can read it's totally believable and I guess at this point we take it as fact.

Somebody will take him at the top of the second I'm sure, but equally I can believe there are lots of teams that have taken him totally off the board. I wouldn't want my team to put up with that circus, he's not that talented you could overlook all the other stuff.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Yup, read a few anonymous quotes that said the same. I was wondering if that was just noise being put out there by a team who wanted him to drop or to get back into the second half of the first to take him, but from what you can read it's totally believable and I guess at this point we take it as fact.

Somebody will take him at the top of the second I'm sure, but equally I can believe there are lots of teams that have taken him totally off the board. I wouldn't want my team to put up with that circus, he's not that talented you could overlook all the other stuff.

Yeah, he'll go in the 2nd but there are red flags. His behavior toward his teammates last season was particularly bad and I can see how that wouldn't fly in the NFL. It's also a sharp contrast from Dart who all you hear is rave reviews about how much his teammates like him.

[CrimsonFox]

I see sanders one word quote about himself "Legendery" and the chain pendant he wore. reminded me too ot some of the other people in the draft wearing ridiculous looking sparkly words on chains like Adbul did

[Arles]

Sanders being mocked in the top 5 this fall/winter did him no favors. It gave him a sense of entitlement through the process when the reality was very few (if any) teams considered him a first round pick. For the non-elite QB prospects, a lot of it comes down to who needs a QB and are they interested in you. If Denver doesn't take Bo Nix, he may have slid into the 2nd last year. Combine that with a lot of the "bad" teams getting QBs in the past few seasons (Bears, Pats, Panthers, Raiders, Falcons, etc) - it really came down to if the Giants, Browns and Saints liked him. If they didn't, he could easily fall into round 2.

[Ghost Econ]

The titans could do the funniest thing and draft Sanders.

[Ksyrup]

I love that the Browns passed on Sanders three times already.

The reality is that Deion is Lavar Ball as a HoFer who can create way more issues for a team. And, his son's talent level is well below what he thinks it is.

[Danny]

I dont think its Deion. If Sanders interviewed well i thonk hes gone. He seemed to way overhype himself in his own mind. Now maybe this will humble him and actually be a good thing for him.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

My guys for the 2025 draft - players I really like, relative to their expected draft position...

TE Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
(91/85/58)
Okay, maybe it's me, but nobody is talking about this guy. TE is reputed as deep and I feel like there's a tout for everyone in the top 15 of this class, but nobody on Ferguson. Maybe no real forecast to be useful in-line, which I get, but so many teams use a TE as a big slot, I see him as value especially around pick 90-ish.

Earlier than I like him for value, but the Rams... oh yeah, awesome landing spot.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

My guys for the 2025 draft - players I really like, relative to their expected draft position...

G Tyler Booker, Alabama
(31/48/17)
Just watch this guy fall into the Ravens' laps, and then we bellyache for ten years about it. Non-premium position notwithstanding, in the right scheme, gold.

DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
(23/41/24)
Another guy I expect to slide into "value" territory in the late 1st or early 2nd, and be a quick and long term major contributor. Not a nose, but I think as a 3-tech he's a star.

DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
(43/41/67)
In the early 2nd I think he's fine, but NT/DT without a lot of pass rushing juice might slide, and if he ends up closer to Jeremiah's range in the late 2nd or early 3rd, I think that's a bingo for a team just needing the DL equivalent of an innings eater.

RB R.J. Harvey, UCF
(100/71/99)
Right in the range to go off the board at RB7-8-9-10 or so, and I like him for value as a do-it-all guy. Forcing missed tackles is a great indicator of good things forward, he's got stack of them.

TE Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
(91/85/58)
Okay, maybe it's me, but nobody is talking about this guy. TE is reputed as deep and I feel like there's a tout for everyone in the top 15 of this class, but nobody on Ferguson. Maybe no real forecast to be useful in-line, which I get, but so many teams use a TE as a big slot, I see him as value especially around pick 90-ish.

Well, so much for the "value" portions of the program. All these guys go well ahead of the consensus board (maybe Harmon right at that range, our board had him right at 21 to PIT). Like the players, but my various mock drafts with Ferguson in the 4th and Harvey in the 5th just seem silly in retrospect.

[Thomkal]

Man there must be a lot to not like about Sanders to have no one in this QB-happy league to not draft him or trade up for him yet.

[QuikSand]

RJ Harvey just had his stock as a fantasy asset SOAR, he can eat with Denver.

[JPhillips]

Jeez. Ravens add Malaki Starks and Mike Green?!?

[Ghost Econ]

Teams hate Sanders so much someone took a white wide receiver before him.

[miked]

Man, more TEs and RBs picked than QBs?

[Danny]

Says a lot that Raiders passed him up four times today with Brady having worked with him

[sovereignstar v2]

Anyone know who Mel Kipers best available is?

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

And, his son's talent level is well below what he thinks it is.

I think it is more of an issue that Shedeur's talent level is well below Deion's and the fact that he is Deion's son is leading people to look for other reasons he is sliding.

I can't say I crunched all the tape on all QBs but just looking at the top six QB (Ward, Sanders, Dart, Shough, Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe) draft profiles on NFL.com. There is not a whole lot that suggests that he should be off the board now if I am being honest. Here is Shedeur's draft profile.

Any perceptions that Sanders is a product of Heisman Trophy-winner Travis Hunter’s greatness are slowly dispelled once you hit the tape. He’s seen mixed results under an intensely bright spotlight, but there are no signs his confidence has ever wavered. Sanders possesses a baseline of poise, savvy and accuracy, traits that are integral in becoming an NFL starter. He’s slow-twitch with standard arm talent and a longer release, but he worked around those limitations with anticipation and accuracy. He plays with decent command from the pocket and finds his rhythm when working on-time and on-platform; that said, he will pass on profits and look for the big play too often. Average velocity and slower rip times mean tighter windows against faster athletes, so throwing off-platform or trying to do more than his arm talent allows is ill-advised. He’s tough and willing to take the hit to complete the throw once he’s locked into his target. Sanders is pocket mobile and finds clean alternate launch points, but he often creates pressure and sacks with undisciplined pocket drops. The tape says he has the necessary qualities to become a solid game manager if he can operate with better discipline and play to his strengths

This profile is not the end all be all but that does not scream 1st or even 2nd round draft consideration IMO. In fact everything written after the first sentence does everything to make clear that Shedur WAS a product of Hunter's greatness. Add to that being the 14th ranked QB in terms of Athleticism Score when QB athleticism is more important than ever. I just looked at the Still Available at the start of the 3rd round. The last sentence talks about how Shedeur doesn't have elite size, arm strength or athleticism.

[RainMaker]

QBs who are not athletic and don't have big arms typically don't get drafted high.

[bronconick]

And James Milroe is the 4th QB taken. And Dillon Gabriel is #5.

[PilotMan]

I don't remember quite this disparity between team impressions and public, pre-draft scouting expectations with a player maybe ever.

[RainMaker]

He would have been better off staying another year. Probably would make a lot more money.

[Carman Bulldog]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I don't remember quite this disparity between team impressions and public, pre-draft scouting expectations with a player maybe ever.

It's really not that different than Malik Willis, except for the fact that he's Deion's son.

Willis was odds on favourite to go second overall in late March. Almost every final 2022 mock draft still had Willis going in the first round, some as high as #8-11 with many having him no lower than #20. He didn't go until late in the third.

If Sanders doesn't go on Day 3, it will be shocking. But until that happens, the reason this story is as big as it is, is because he's Deion's son.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My phone rang about 11p.

I thought sure I'd been drafted in the 3rd round.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by bronconick

And James Milroe is the 4th QB taken. And Dillon Gabriel is #5.

Gabriel at 5'11" is a better pick for the Browns than Sanders?

I mean, Sanders name would've looked great on that Browns QB jersey. Great fit. How bad is it that a sub 6 footer went first? I'd have major regret about putting myself out there. He should fire his agent like yesterday.

[Danny]

If you look at qbs drafted in round 2-7 historically, they almost never are starting qbs. So its possible teams like some of these guys as likely long term backups and dont see Sanders as someone fitting into that role.

[sovereignstar v2]

🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/346N3mHOey

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) April 26, 2025

[Danny]

I love the Raiders draft. One of the best overall players in the draft in Jeanty and traded down twice to address a lot of needs with solid value picks at WR, CB, OT and OG

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Danny

If you look at qbs drafted in round 2-7 historically, they almost never are starting qbs. So its possible teams like some of these guys as likely long term backups and dont see Sanders as someone fitting into that role.

Bingo. Teams have said that he's not an immediate starter which is probably right, and that the drama that will come with having him in the QB room and not starting just isn't worth it.

Gabriel has a basically 0% chance of turning into a good starter with his measurables, and Cleveland have decided that is better than the chance that Sanders comes in and is willing to sit a year or two and fulfill his promise without causing serious issues in the locker room.

[sovereignstar v2]

Chad Powers is the next QB selected

[RainMaker]

I don't know why but I kind of like Gabriel. He has a big arm and is really accurate. Everyone harps on the size but I never saw him have an issue with it and he plays taller. Not saying he will be a starter in the league but he's kind of one of the flyer QBs I actually think could be good.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I think there's a real possibility that this turns out to be one of the least productive offensive drafts in NFL history.

There's simply not much there, there.

[RainMaker]

Todd McShay deserves some credit. He didn't predict this but he's been banging the drum that there isn't a lot of interest in Sanders. He's been saying this information is out there and alluded to ESPN ignoring it because they really want him to be a focus of their draft coverage.