2024 NFL Season Thread

[albionmoonlight]

This photo does nothing to disprove the theory that every picture of Jay Cutler looks better if you photoshop in a cigarette.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I'll take the win but damn the Saints suck.

I'm generally not a fan of mid-season coach firing. It's a lost season anyway, and the interim isn't going to change much. Just wait until the end of the season.

But, damn, when a team so obviously quits by week 6, I don't know how the owner/FO can just do nothing for the next 12 weeks.

[albionmoonlight]

And I don't know the cap implications, but there has to be some contending team that would benefit from Kamara, right? I'd love the Saints to trade him for a mid round pick.

He's too good to be wasting one of his last two or three years on this team.

[PilotMan]

The Browns are moving to a dome in the burbs? So much for that aura of frozen that Cleveland had going for it. That sucks.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I'm generally not a fan of mid-season coach firing. It's a lost season anyway, and the interim isn't going to change much. Just wait until the end of the season.

But, damn, when a team so obviously quits by week 6, I don't know how the owner/FO can just do nothing for the next 12 weeks.

I just heard someone on the radio talking about this. Consensus is that Doug Peterson is going to get fired when the Jags get back from London, regardless of whether they beat the Pats or not on Sunday. And Dennis Allen is getting fired at the end of the season, but there really is no reason to fire him now. A new coach isn't going to magically heal all the injured players.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

The Browns are moving to a dome in the burbs? So much for that aura of frozen that Cleveland had going for it. That sucks.

They have a long way to go before this could happen. Cleveland could fight it. And if the Browns want a lot of public money, it's a hard case to make that putting a $2.4 billion domed mini-city in the middle of nowhere next to a mid-sized airport is going to bring in convention money. They'd get the obligatory Super Bowl, but perhaps reluctantly.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I just heard someone on the radio talking about this. Consensus is that Doug Peterson is going to get fired when the Jags get back from London, regardless of whether they beat the Pats or not on Sunday. And Dennis Allen is getting fired at the end of the season, but there really is no reason to fire him now. A new coach isn't going to magically heal all the injured players.

Jim: have you ever run numbers or seen numbers on whether injuries are consistent among teams over the long to medium term? Or are there some teams/training staffs that seem to consistently be better at keeping players healthy?

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

They have a long way to go before this could happen. Cleveland could fight it. And if the Browns want a lot of public money, it's a hard case to make that putting a $2.4 billion domed mini-city in the middle of nowhere next to a mid-sized airport is going to bring in convention money. They'd get the obligatory Super Bowl, but perhaps reluctantly.

Any chance a future version of FOF can let you customize whether each stadium is outdoor or indoor? I'm starting a dynasty in 1966, and I'm stuck with starting a bunch of games and choosing the load with the least domes.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

And I don't know the cap implications, but there has to be some contending team that would benefit from Kamara, right? I'd love the Saints to trade him for a mid round pick.

He's too good to be wasting one of his last two or three years on this team.

Apparently - according to amateur lip-readers - after last night's game, Kamara told Payton "come get me" in their post-game interaction.

[RainMaker]

I don't know what his contract is like but I feel like he'd be a really good fit on the Chiefs.

[JonInMiddleGA]

At an 18.5m cap number, only 8 teams could take on his hit without other moves.

49ers, Browns, Pats, Lions, Commanders, Cowboys, Raiders & Cardinals.

[RainMaker]

Can the team trading agree to pay a part of the remaining salary for the season? None of those teams really make sense outside maybe the 49ers if McCaffrey isn't going to be healthy or I guess the Commanders if they think they can make a run.

[stevew]

I think he’d cost something like 2/3 of about 11-12m to a team acquiring him via trade. I believe they can restructure and add void years as part of the trade as well. 6-7m of his hit is restructure/signing bonus that wouldn’t move via trade. Plus he’s gotten 6 game checks this season.

[albionmoonlight]

Excited about Lions-Vikings. Legit #1 seed potential here. Minnesota fascinates me. They pass the eye test. They pass the numbers test. But who among us does not have the 10% of their brain whispering "But come on. It's Darnold" to them?

FWIW, I hope it is legit. The league is more interesting when the Mayfields, Genos, and Darnolds of the world become legit + starters.

Maybe the real lesson is just to keep an eye out for the highly drafted QBs that the Browns and Jets were too incompetent to use properly.

Is Zach Wilson next?

[bronconick]

Dan Campbell does so many fake punts that they're now starting to become predictable.

[AlexB]

Devon Achane is wearing the Guardian cap in game - I’ve never seen that before

[Ksyrup]

Someone wore one last week. Can't remember who.

[henry296]

James Daniels a lineman for the Steelers was wearing it but he is now out for the year with an Achilles injury,

[cougarfreak]

Watson just tore his achilles from the looks of it.


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[PilotMan]

Deshaun Watson just blew his achillies. So much for his season. It's gruesome.

[bhlloy]

Oof… that didn’t look good. Has any team ever been so happy to see a serious injury to their starting QB than the Browns right now?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

Watson just tore his achilles from the looks of it.


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Someone on twitter said "He’s just happy at all the physical therapy coming his way." I'm probably going to hell for how hard I laughed at that.

[Solecismic]

It's interesting that Jameis Winston is inactive for the first time this season, though he has not appeared on an injury report.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson was pretty bad as a rookie. And the Browns are stuck with Watson's contract anyway.

Just a bad situation all-around. Haslam's decision to trade for Watson at any cost pretty much ended Cleveland's Super Bowl hopes for quite a while - and they have a defense that could have gotten them there.

While this solves one problem, in that Stefanski is spared the decision of benching a guy who has been unarguably terrible this season, I don't think there's any real cap relief for a contract that's guaranteed in case of injury. They might be able to spread it differently if they choose to release Watson, but that's still a cap hit that would force them to dismantle their entire roster.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

, I don't think there's any real cap relief for a contract that's guaranteed in case of injury. They might be able to spread it differently if they choose to release Watson, but that's still a cap hit that would force them to dismantle their entire roster.

What if he retires?

[JonInMiddleGA]

And, with 3 quarters played and zero targets combined for Hill & Waddle, I really have to think everything above the player level is deserving of being fired in Miami.

[dubb93]

Anthony Richardson is not a NFL QB right now. I wonder if he would benefit from watching Flacco. I know I would.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Anthony Richardson is not a NFL QB right now. I wonder if he would benefit from watching Flacco. I know I would.

Yeah, but he's big! You can't teach size!

[stevew]

I was just looking at the Browns cap space and they have about $48 million left this year. Can’t they just roll that over and give Watson a post June 1 designation? They would be taking a humongous dead money hit next year and $72 million the following year but whatever advances to 2025 would be about the same dollar amount they have to roll over.(48m)

[stevew]

My conspiracy theory is that Watson is faking this injury.

[stevew]

Hypothetically, browns call you on June 1 2025 and offer you Watson and their 2026 #1. How much money are you willing to eat? Is 40 too high or too low?

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And, with 3 quarters played and zero targets combined for Hill & Waddle, I really have to think everything above the player level is deserving of being fired in Miami.

As a Dolphins fan, I’ve been thinking McDaniel is a bit Emperor’s New Clothes for a while….

He’s created a scheme that is unproven at best, at worst doesn’t work against good teams, or in bad weather, and relies on one, oft-injured QB.

If a scheme is that complicated that the backup QBs simply can’t run it, and your starting QB is fragile, it’s not a great long term strategy

[NobodyHere]

I see Minnesota tried to exploit the illegal formation bug.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

I see Minnesota tried to exploit the illegal formation bug.

I thought that it would be a 10-second runoff, but according to the network rules guy, illegal formation is not a 10-second runoff penalty.

[albionmoonlight]

So you are the Lions. You just won a big game against a very good team.

Do you still make a move for a pass rusher?

[stevew]

Originally Posted by AlexB

As a Dolphins fan, I’ve been thinking McDaniel is a bit Emperor’s New Clothes for a while….

He’s created a scheme that is unproven at best, at worst doesn’t work against good teams, or in bad weather, and relies on one, oft-injured QB.

If a scheme is that complicated that the backup QBs simply can’t run it, and your starting QB is fragile, it’s not a great long term strategy

This was my Dick Lebeau beef. If you have to have multiple HOF players and an all world MLB to be an effective defense, your scheme is kinda trash.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

So you are the Lions. You just won a big game against a very good team.

Do you still make a move for a pass rusher?

Always be trading

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I thought that it would be a 10-second runoff, but according to the network rules guy, illegal formation is not a 10-second runoff penalty.

From the way they explained it, if the play had worked there would have been a run off. But as the ball hit the ground, the clock stopped, and so that was why there was no run off.

So yeah, seemingly you can spike the ball regardless of formation for just 5 yards and no run off

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by stevew

Hypothetically, browns call you on June 1 2025 and offer you Watson and their 2026 #1. How much money are you willing to eat? Is 40 too high or too low?

You can't trade cap space. $81 million is baked in due to signing bonus and void years added through restructuring. That accelerates into 2025 if he's cut now, but there are ways to move most of it into 2026 - injury settlement might be one way, another is that during the off-season, teams are allowed to defer two contract releases into the following year.

So that part is manageable. However, his salary of $46 million in each of the next two years is fully guaranteed. If he's traded, and that is the same thing as cutting him when it comes to bonus money, his new team takes on the full salary, guaranteed.

Teams can agree to pay part of a salary when trading a player. I do not know if they can agree to pay part of a fully-guaranteed salary for the following year. That might be uncharted territory.

However, you can trade someone who abuses women... if and only if he is a Pro-Bowl level player. No one would take Watson now. Not even if the Browns released him and he could be signed for the minimum.

As for faking his injury, seeing the replay, that looked real and very painful. I'd say his 2025 season may be in doubt - he's certainly not coming back this year.

I can't find it in me to cheer the injury. I don't root for him as a player, but that seems too much. I'd probably feel differently if I were a friend or relative of one of the women he abused.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

So you are the Lions. You just won a big game against a very good team.

Do you still make a move for a pass rusher?

Maybe not selling the farm for Maxx Crosby, but trading a day 3 for a ZaDarius Smith? Sure, more of a Davenport replacement since Aiden is a unicorn.

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by bronconick

Maybe not selling the farm for Maxx Crosby, but trading a day 3 for a ZaDarius Smith? Sure, more of a Davenport replacement since Aiden is a unicorn.

Agree and it doesn't feel like a Brad Holmes move to sell the farm to trade in one guy. The front office has repeated that they are trying to build a dynasty not chase one Superbowl.

I think D-line help is needed. There was very little pressure for most of the game. Great coverage (which is unusual for the lions) but Darnold had a lot of time back there.

[albionmoonlight]

It will be the question asked of Brown’s fans for years. Did you cheer harder when your team signed the creepy guy? Or when you watched a man tear his Achilles and possibly end his career?

I am getting some insight into why that owner wants to move as far away from those fans as possible.

[Thomkal]

I am so glad I got NFL Red Zone back so I'm not stuck watching the Panthers games all season long

[albionmoonlight]

Not able to watch the Sunday Night game. Is Wilson playing as poorly as his stats would indicate?

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

It will be the question asked of Brown’s fans for years. Did you cheer harder when your team signed the creepy guy? Or when you watched a man tear his Achilles and possibly end his career?

I am getting some insight into why that owner wants to move as far away from those fans as possible.

Haslam has lived in Knoxville most of his life and his brother is a former Tennessee governor. He also is part owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't think he has much of a connection to Ohio. If you mean moving to the airport, that's just about money or negotiations. The region has more than four million people - this will bring him closer to more fans in terms of access.

It was controversial here when Watson was signed. Surprising, as many thought he was headed to the Saints, but Cleveland simply offered so much in trade and Haslam was willing to guarantee the entire contract.

When I talk football with people here, they just want a Super Bowl. He's very unpopular now because he can't stay on the field and he hasn't been good (though the last few weeks he has taken that to a new level). I'm sensing a strong "don't care" about the injury so far. The season is lost. The price of the trade and all the lost cap room means the team can't compete. They will happily put all their energies into Ohio State, especially in November (sigh). They sense an end to that particular losing streak. They're almost certainly right.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

It was controversial here when Watson was signed. Surprising, as many thought he was headed to the Saints, but Cleveland simply offered so much in trade and Haslam was willing to guarantee the entire contract.

Saints wanted him bad. I was SO HAPPY that they didn't get him so I could immediately start pretending that they never wanted him.

[GrantDawg]

But it was the Falcons that he already agreed to a contract with. It was the delay while the Falcons shopped Ryan when the Browns swooped in with the fully guaranteed deal.

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[albionmoonlight]

Saints and Falcons fans don't agree on much, but we'll always be united as the Watson bullet dodgers.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I

I am getting some insight into why that owner wants to move as far away from those fans as possible.

Dudes company was a fraud factory that he rode to NFL ownership, then traded the farm for a known sex pest, they all deserve each other.

[Ksyrup]

Injury aside, i saw something last week that if they cut him before June 1 the cap hit would be something crazy like $170M. Which would make Denver cutting Russ look like cutting a minsal vet. Not that they would (or realistically could?) do that.

[albionmoonlight]

Didn't Quik used to do an empty cupboard challenge with the Browns? Take the $170 million hit, cut everyone else, and start the challenge.