NFL 2021 Regular Season Thread

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Maybe someone is doing the math on what type of comp picks some of these guys can eventually convert to and/or they could consider doing a sell-off for drat picks shortly after they peak. I'm interested to see how this plays out long-term, but I feel like there are ways it could work if fans/ownership allow for a tremendous amount of player/identity turnover.

Like if the Steelers went all-in this year, presuming it is Ben's last, they could probably recoup some high picks for guys like TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and some of their skills guys.

Doesn't it require teams to be willing to buy at high prices on the other end? Otherwise, you're paying, say a 2nd and 3rd round pick for 2 players for 1 season and then selling them for a 4th and a 5th, right?

SI

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Doesn't it require teams to be willing to buy at high prices on the other end? Otherwise, you're paying, say a 2nd and 3rd round pick for 2 players for 1 season and then selling them for a 4th and a 5th, right?

SI

I'd like to think that every team has a handful of guys that are worth some 1st - 4th rounders. I don't know these guys contract lengths and who knows how well they will age and/or further develop, but say the Rams compete for a title the next 2-3 years, can they get something back for a then 30-year old Jalen Ramsey, 33-year old Aaron Donald, 31-year old Cooper Kupp, 30-year old Darious Williams, or maybe Stafford (who will be 36) + whatever else you manage to uncover and develop in that time period? If they do end up winning, I think a tough part would be parting with legendary, franchise players.

I'm not sure of the answer, but I would like to see.

I know the Steelers roster better and could envision TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Najee Harris, Pat Friermuth, and Chase Claypool all being 30 or under in 2-3 years and being worth some 2s or 3s to people if they keep on their current trajectory. It would have been interesting to see the Steelers go all-in and pick up a few offensive linemen this past off-season and go for it.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Twitter saying Ruggs is OK. I really hope he wasn't going 120 or something stupid

The invincibility of the youth.

[RainMaker]

It is an interesting discussion. I think it has been a buyers market for a long time now and it is interesting to see the Rams use it to their advantage. Really am surprised more teams don't do it, even if it is just to add some depth during a long season.

Would the complexity of the salary cap be an issue with why we don't see more trades? Signing bonuses spread out over years, etc might make it trickier than we think.

[Jstraub]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It is an interesting discussion. I think it has been a buyers market for a long time now and it is interesting to see the Rams use it to their advantage. Really am surprised more teams don't do it, even if it is just to add some depth during a long season.

Would the complexity of the salary cap be an issue with why we don't see more trades? Signing bonuses spread out over years, etc might make it trickier than we think.

The other thing is teams (at least most teams) dont trade or release capable players very often. Therefore, when someone is available for a trade it suggests the team trading him sees something they dont like. There are exceptions (J. Ramsey and M. Fitzpatrick) but generally if a player is good at something, they stay with that team, at least through their contract. Other reasons to leave usually are related to disgruntlement but then your potentially brining a cancer into your locker room.

To be clear, the rams are getting 32 year old Von Miller, not 25 year old Miller. He had 8 sacks in 15 games last year and 4.5 in 7 this year. That has got to be close to replacement level numbers, maybe slightly better.

I'm just not surprised more teams don't do this. The allure of draft capital and a healthy salary cap can keep you relevant for a longer time than going "all in" like this.

Of course, in the end the only thing that really matters is do you have a capable QB. The rams currently do, so it makes everything else seem better.

[Swaggs]

The Raiders released Ruggs. It seems like it usually takes a little more time for teams to assess the situation (I assume get their legal ducks in a row), but either Mark Davis is not playing around or the evidence must be really clear with this situation.

[miami_fan]

The decision seems like an easy one, especially when dealing with a non-QB.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

The Raiders released Ruggs. It seems like it usually takes a little more time for teams to assess the situation (I assume get their legal ducks in a row), but either Mark Davis is not playing around or the evidence must be really clear with this situation.

There are videos of the crash scene. Looks pretty clear cut what happened. Obviously can’t see that he was intoxicated or driving around 100 MPH before the crash but that is all easy enough to prove.

[miami_fan]

New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas out for season after setback in ankle recovery

Not surprising.

[spleen1015]

Rogers out this week after testing positive for COVID. He's not vaxxed.

[Kodos]

NFL should make simple rule: Not vaccinated? You don't play.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

The Raiders released Ruggs. It seems like it usually takes a little more time for teams to assess the situation (I assume get their legal ducks in a row), but either Mark Davis is not playing around or the evidence must be really clear with this situation.

I'm thinking the latter. Everyone's innocent until proven guilty, but unfortunately what I've read so far indicates there's not a whole lot of room for likely reasonable doubt here.

[molson]

He said earlier that he was "immunized", which is apparently not the same thing as "vaccinated", because reports are now that he was not vaxxed. But, he also was not following the unvaccinated player protocols.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Rogers out this week after testing positive for COVID. He's not vaxxed.

Why couldn't this have happened last week? Though given how well backups have done so far this season, whoever is the GB backup is, probably would have thrown for 500 yards.

[Ksyrup]

I believe immunization is distinct from being immune. You can get some sort of immunity from having Covid, but if you say you got immunized, I believe that technically means immunity from a vaccine. So the fucker straight-up lied, I guess. He probably had Covid before and he was using word salad to say he had immunity because he had Covid when he knew people would (mis)understand it as him having gotten the vaccine.

I still don't get the public's affection for Rodgers. He's been an ass since the whole Ryan Braun thing.

[Lathum]

Ruggs was going 156 MPH, blood alcohol twice the legal limit, with a loaded gun in the car.

I'm no lawyer but I suspect he is looking at a lengthy and well earned prison sentence.

[molson]

Wouldn't the Packers have known his vaccination status, unless he bought one of those forged vaccination cards or something? And they were OK with him not following the league guidelines for unvaccinated players?

Edit: Rogers also "petitioned the NFL to have an alternate treatment that he underwent before he returned to the Packers that would allow him to be considered the same as someone who received one of the approved vaccinations". But the league denied it. I wonder what kind of "alternative treatment" Rogers felt was equivalent to a vaccine. Some type of equine semen? He is such a tool

Feels like this should be a big deal, but won't be because the NFL and its teams are good at making things go away.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I believe immunization is distinct from being immune. You can get some sort of immunity from having Covid, but if you say you got immunized, I believe that technically means immunity from a vaccine. So the fucker straight-up lied, I guess. He probably had Covid before and he was using word salad to say he had immunity because he had Covid when he knew people would (mis)understand it as him having gotten the vaccine.

I still don't get the public's affection for Rodgers. He's been an ass since the whole Ryan Braun thing.

I've generally liked Rodgers over the years, but I'm starting to come around to the "he's an ass" side of things. Guess I'll have to google the Braun thing, as I'm not familiar with it.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Ruggs was going 156 MPH, blood alcohol twice the legal limit, with a loaded gun in the car.

I'm no lawyer but I suspect he is looking at a lengthy and well earned prison sentence.

I have 4-6 years in the pool.

[Swaggs]

I guess I'm just thinking of past offenses and hopefully the precedent has changed. In the past, I think teams were so afraid of somehow getting in trouble with the players' associations or having to pay contracts.

I looked up Rae Carruth and Ray Rice. Rice was was only initially suspended after that video aired in February and didn't get released until September (after Goodell came down harder due to outside pressure). Carruth had his pregnant girlfriend killed in broad daylight on Nov. 16, hid from the police when she died, and the Panthers didn't release him until a month later.

More recently, the Felipe Vazquez and Trevor Bauer stuff took place in the MLB. Vazquez got arrested in 2019 for statutory sexual assault of a 16 year old across state lines, has been in detention since, was convicted on 15 related counts in May 2021, and I'm pretty sure that he is still on the Pirates non-injured list. And the Bauer stuff is still not resolved, I guess.

[Kodos]

Can you explain the Braun thing? It looks like Braun lied to Rodgers, Rodgers aggressively defended him in public based on that lie, and then Braun got caught in the lie. Rodgers may have been a bit of an ass in the way he defended Braun, but I think many of us would go to bat for a close friend like that in a similar situation.

[Ksyrup]

For me, it's that by the time the Braun thing came out, we'd gone through this multiple times with other players and we all knew he was lying. Yet he and Rodgers wrecked some innocent dude's life over it. I don't care if he's your bestie, all of those guys were lying, we all knew it, and it's not a defense in my book that he lied to him because it was obvious to everyone he was lying.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Ruggs was going 156 MPH, blood alcohol twice the legal limit, with a loaded gun in the car.

I'm no lawyer but I suspect he is looking at a lengthy and well earned prison sentence.

How in the world did he survive?

[Ksyrup]

And his passenger survived, too.

[JPhillips]

I thought they were making everyone on Jeopardy be vaccinated.

[molson]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I thought they were making everyone on Jeopardy be vaccinated.

The vaccine was not quite yet available when he taped those shows in February.

This has to hurt his chances of hosting in the future though.

[Ksyrup]

Blake Bortles was on the 8th hole when he got the call to fly to Green Bay.

[Kodos]

Jason Mendoza: "Bortles!"

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Jason Mendoza: "Bortles!"

"Fine, then I'll be Jake--"
"Don't say Jortles"
"Jortles!"

SI

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I have 4-6 years in the pool.

From an ESPN article

Probation is not an option in Nevada for a conviction on a charge of DUI causing death, which carries a possible sentence of two to 20 years in state prison. The possible sentence for reckless driving is one to six years in prison, with probation available.

Based on that and some of the other details, he is getting double digits for sure. I do leave open the possibility that the jury may decide that he has the freedom to drink and drive and does not have any responsibility in protecting anyone else on the road.

[Lathum]

It isn't like he was going 5 MPH over and barely blew above the level. Maybe Molson would know but I assume the mitigating factors, speed, blood alcohol, etc...would make the sentence harsher.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

From an ESPN article



Based on that and some of the other details, he is getting double digits for sure. I do leave open the possibility that the jury may decide that he has the freedom to drink and drive and does not have any responsibility in protecting anyone else on the road.

I have no knowledge of Nevada laws. I pulled my guess from what I have seen others in the same type situation get.

[sovereignstar v2]

Latest details I've read say that the victim's car travelled the length of two football fields (this seems unbelievable actually) after it was plowed into by Ruggs. Her vehicle started on fire, she was trapped, and she died alive crying for help along with her dog.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

Latest details I've read say that the victim's car travelled the length of two football fields (this seems unbelievable actually) after it was plowed into by Ruggs. Her vehicle started on fire, she was trapped, and she died alive crying for help along with her dog.

jfc

[Lathum]

Unfathomable. I worked years in insurance. Never once did I see a car catch fire from a collision and I saw some horrific shit.t I just doesn't happen like we see in the movies. When cars do go up it happens FAST but it is usually arson or a mechanical failure. To burn to death pinned in your car is an absolutely dreadful way to go. I hope he gets the max on all charges.

[molson]

I'm always disappointed with how light sentences are in DUI fatality cases here (often just a year or two or even probation), but I've never seen one like this. I think I read he was reaching that speed on a 45 mph street? And being in a big city I think is an aggravator where there's just so many options to be driven around. I think here he'd get 10 fixed to where he's eligible for parole, and then 10 years indeterminate after that, but then I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being something like 5+5 instead. We'll see if his defense can dig up any dirt on the victim, maybe she was at a bar or something. Though that's a tough sell with that speed in that type of area.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Unfathomable. I worked years in insurance. Never once did I see a car catch fire from a collision and I saw some horrific shit.t I just doesn't happen like we see in the movies. When cars do go up it happens FAST but it is usually arson or a mechanical failure. To burn to death pinned in your car is an absolutely dreadful way to go. I hope he gets the max on all charges.

Year before my older daughter graduated, there was a senior swimmer who appeared to have been distracted driving (texting) and hit a guardrail head-on on a curve on a 55mph road. Car immediately went up in flames and people couldn't get to her to get her out. I can't even imagine.

[GrantDawg]

Dany Heatley only got probation for killing his teammate. He was doing 100+ on a 35 mph street. He had been drinking but was below the legal limit.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[RainMaker]

I have a friend who got a DUI few years back and it was pretty tough punishment considering he didn't hit or hurt anyone in it. Big fine, lost license for a year, had to do a bunch of community service and take classes. Not saying it wasn't warranted, but they can be tough on DUI when they want to be.

This is a different situation obviously. But Riggs has money and that seemed to be the biggest difference in people getting a slap on the wrist or the book thrown at them.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I have a friend who got a DUI few years back and it was pretty tough punishment considering he didn't hit or hurt anyone in it. Big fine, lost license for a year, had to do a bunch of community service and take classes. Not saying it wasn't warranted, but they can be tough on DUI when they want to be.

This is a different situation obviously. But Riggs has money and that seemed to be the biggest difference in people getting a slap on the wrist or the book thrown at them.

Yeah, imagine if the common folk got pulled over with big wads of cash, random pills, and failing a field test like Jim Irsay did. Most folk would spend years in jail and have the money seized by civil asset forfeiture.

[Carman Bulldog]

Y'all forget Donté Stallworth already?

[bhlloy]

Yeah, expensive lawyers are great. I’d be amazed if he serves more than the absolute minimum sentence.

[albionmoonlight]

Buzz has it that the League is so pissed at the way the Packers handled the Rodgers situation that they are looking for another AFC coach to fire.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

Y'all forget Donté Stallworth already?

Yes I did

[frnk55]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Rogers out this week after testing positive for COVID. He's not vaxxed.

And the stupid fucker lied about it.

[RainMaker]

He tried to get a waiver from the league saying that eating clay was just as good as getting vaccinated.

[Brian Swartz]

Didn't see it mentioned unless I missed it; apparently per prosecutor Eric Bauman the airbag computers say Ruggs vehicle was traveling at 156 mph. It slowed down to 127 by impact.

Originally Posted by ESPN

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure said he was troubled by his initial review of the case against Ruggs, adding that in 16 years on the bench he had never heard of a crash involving a vehicle traveling so fast.

That's ... moving along.

Edit: Nvm, just saw that Lathum posted the speed earlier.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

Y'all forget Donté Stallworth already?

While there are some obvious similarities I think they are pretty different situations. Not to mention we live in a different time. Ruggs also had the loaded gun.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by Lathum

While there are some obvious similarities I think they are pretty different situations. Not to mention we live in a different time. Ruggs also had the loaded gun.

After refreshing my memory on the Stallworth incident, he was doing 50 in a 40 zone, Ruggs 156 in a 50 zone. They’re very different from those facts alone.

[miami_fan]

May we all have a friend/teammate like Derek Carr.

EDIT: May I also have the ability to be a friend/teammate like Derek Carr when needed.