2020 NFL Offseason Thread?

[Brian Swartz]

No such thing.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

And are we sure that Burrow is a can't miss?

No such thing!

Dolphins would be silly to trade them 3 picks for this pick IMO. The 1st round this year is loaded.

The QB this year I feel is so overrated is Justin Hebert. He was just never that impressive to me watching them late night Pac-12 games.

[QuikSand]

I'm a Dolphins fan from childhood, and have run a minimum of 100 online mock drafts for them leading up to this draft. They are insane if they do this for Burrow. I'm #TeamTua and am willing to deal up to get him, but not to 1.1 for Burrow. No sale.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

And are we sure that Burrow is a can't miss?

Way too many college QB studs that couldn't make the transition to the pros.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Remember, though, this is the team that took Akili Smith instead of the Saint's whole draft.

I see it this way as a lifelong Bengals fan...

1) Bengals keep Burrow he becomes A. Smith, Klingler, etc
2) Bengal trade first pick he becomes Brady and their first round picks become John Ross, Andre Smith, Darqueze Dennard...

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by panerd

I see it this way as a lifelong Bengals fan...

1) Bengals keep Burrow he becomes A. Smith, Klingler, etc
2) Bengal trade first pick he becomes Brady and their first round picks become John Ross, Andre Smith, Darqueze Dennard...

Absolutely. That's why you can't get too worked up about anything they do. Until Mike Brown isn't running the team, they'll be a disaster with occasional glimpses of hope followed by a return to horrible.

[albionmoonlight]

Bengals just signed Vonn Bell from the Saints.

Good pickup for y'all.

He's not a ballhawk (only 1 career INT), so he does not get the media attention. But he's a sneaky good blitzer, very good in run support, always healthy, smart, and works hard.

He's not Ed Reed, but you plug him in at SS, and you've almost certainly improved your team.

I'm sad to see him go.

[JPhillips]

They've really gone after tacklers in the secondary. Both CBs they signed are excellent tacklers.

[stevew]

Hey so I’m wondering if there’s also going to be a huge supplemental draft this year. A guy like Etienne for example went back to school. It’s possible that CFB might not even happen. Would talented guys suddenly declare? I’m assuming a lot of familial economic situations will also be affected

[albionmoonlight]

Eric Reid calls for probe, revote over post-ballot changes to CBA

I don't know labor law, but it seems like changing the agreement after the players vote on it would invalidate it.

That said, wouldn't the simple answer be to simply enforce the agreement that the players agreed to instead of throwing the whole thing out?

[albionmoonlight]

dola: I say this as someone whose personal interest is in the NFL not being locked out, so I would hope there is a way to salvage a CBA (either the one that exists or the one they approved) out of this.

[bhlloy]

Playoffs expanded to 14 with an extra wildcard game and the #2 seed no longer getting a first round bye. Might seem counterintuitive to add regular season games and make them less meaningful but hey, if you can get away with one cash grab might as well go the whole hog and make another.

[Arles]

Pretty savage...

April Fools! pic.twitter.com/j7KDX9YvCa

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) April 1, 2020

[NobodyHere]

2020 NFL Draft will proceed in fully virtual format - NFL.com

I'm glad they're still holding it.

[albionmoonlight]

The Saints’ owner bought the old Jax Brewery a few years ago, so the Saints will conduct the draft from there. Big ass building with space for everyone to stay well the hell apart from each other.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

The Saints’ owner bought the old Jax Brewery a few years ago, so the Saints will conduct the draft from there. Big ass building with space for everyone to stay well the hell apart from each other.

Never mind. Apparently the NFL order prevents teams from doing anything convenient, so the Saints will not be using the Jax building.

[Atocep]

Texans trade a 2nd to the Rams for Cooks.

[bhlloy]

They traded Hopkins because he wanted more money, took on a worse contract and then actively traded the equivalent of the best thing they got in the Hopkins deal for another terrible contract.

At this point it's hard to conclude that O'Brien isn't actively trying to destroy the Texans for years to come.

[QuikSand]

LOL Texans

I honestly felt like that franchise was ready to explode in a good way, once it became clear they had a real, young, QB.

Now they're just ready to explode, period. Awful scene.

[Thomkal]

O'Brien is leading in early voting for Best GM of the Year.

[stevew]

So what’s up with Cooks. Hard to deal with?

[Warhammer]

Rams needed to create cap space as well as concussion concerns. Reynolds their old #4 receiver is certainly a viable #2.

[albionmoonlight]

Draft Prospect Update: #Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa reportedly failed two team’s pre-draft physicals, per The Athletic’s @mlombardiNFL.

Will be interesting to see where he ends up on Draft Day.

— NFL Latest (@UpToDate1NFL) April 9, 2020

Talk about risk/reward if he falls past the middle of the First round.

I have to imagine that it is hurting him that he can't go through the normal battery of team visits to get extra physicals, etc.

[AlexB]

I’ve never seen the kid play, but as a Dolphins fan I’m extremely concerned about his injury history as we’re one of the favourites to target him.

Because I’ve not fallen in love with his play, it looks like a huge red flag to me.

[bhlloy]

RIP Pass Interference review. I think that's a good call given the shitshow it was last season, but I am surprised to see they aren't considering adding the ref in the booth given how well received it was in the XFL.

With regards to Tua, I think if healthy he's as close to a sure thing NFL QB as you can get (or at least have got since Luck). I'd still snap him up in the first 5 picks. I'm also hilariously wrong on almost every draft QB evaluation I've ever done on this site.

[RendeR]

I don't see Tua having a career in the NFL, he was beaten and battered in College, whats a real solid NFL Defense going to do to the kid?

No thank you.


As a Bengals fan I'm torn on the "take the QG, trade down" issue. We have a lot of holes to fill on defense, though they worked on that in FA.

If someone offers us the house w/pool then maybe trade back and take the kid from Oregon, but it had better be a huge frakkin deal.

[QuikSand]

Weird upside to "all this," I have become more immersed into this upcoming NFL draft than ever before. Somehow am applying mental blinders to any context at all, and am fully geeked out on who's doing what, who's moving up and down, and all that jazz. It's fantastic.

QB1 is basically set. QB 2-3-4 are all swirling with massive uncertainty, and the interested teams are blowing even more smoke than usual. Great draft for OT and WR. Always other intriguing prospects. The consensus top two interior DL are passing one another like ships in the night as they move in opposite directions. The safety position is fascinating, as the menu of the top half dozen guys is very malleable and might be scheme dependent. Some teams with gaping needs (like interior OL, TE, maybe LB, and arguably RB) will face major opportunity cost if they stick to that priority.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Weird upside to "all this," I have become more immersed into this upcoming NFL draft than ever before. Somehow am applying mental blinders to any context at all, and am fully geeked out on who's doing what, who's moving up and down, and all that jazz. It's fantastic.

QB1 is basically set. QB 2-3-4 are all swirling with massive uncertainty, and the interested teams are blowing even more smoke than usual. Great draft for OT and WR. Always other intriguing prospects. The consensus top two interior DL are passing one another like ships in the night as they move in opposite directions. The safety position is fascinating, as the menu of the top half dozen guys is very malleable and might be scheme dependent. Some teams with gaping needs (like interior OL, TE, maybe LB, and arguably RB) will face major opportunity cost if they stick to that priority.

I've definitely read way too many mock drafts this year. Before the Colts traded their pick, I couldn't skip any links with the words "Mock Draft" in the title.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

I've definitely read way too many mock drafts this year. Before the Colts traded their pick, I couldn't skip any links with the words "Mock Draft" in the title.

Felling you there. I'm a Dolphins/Ravens fan, so this year with Miami just gushing with picks, it's been super-easy to jump in and mock for them on any of a few websites, and just slobber over rebuilding the roster around my vision.

Of late, I have taken to deliberately whiffing the Miami pick at 1.26 (just taking the next best QB available) as a proxy for moving up to take Tua at 1.2 or 1.3. No idea if the injury whispers adjust that thinking. That is, incidentally, an awful lot to give in this draft... could be WR Denzel Mims, S Grant Delpit, maybe their choice of the running backs. (I really love Mims, but don't see an easy way for Miami to get him this year...not sure he lasts until pick 26 if they still have it, and it feels like LT is so pressing they almost HAVE to take the best left tackle available once their second pick comes up, whenever that is. So, Jones (Houston) or Jackson (USC) I guess.

[NobodyHere]

Colts sign fullback Roosevelt Nix to one-year deal - NFL.com

What's a fullback?

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

Colts sign fullback Roosevelt Nix to one-year deal - NFL.com

What's a fullback?

Well, i can absolutely explain what a fullback is. For one it is a scholarship drain.

[miami_fan]

Everyone is caught with the virus’s it is not surprising that nobody posted about it. However, is Christian McCaffrey the exception to the rule of never ever paying running backs big money?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Everyone is caught with the virus’s it is not surprising that nobody posted about it. However, is Christian McCaffrey the exception to the rule of never ever paying running backs big money?

maybe, just because he so versatile. Still a risk, but probably worth taking.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Everyone is caught with the virus’s it is not surprising that nobody posted about it. However, is Christian McCaffrey the exception to the rule of never ever paying running backs big money?

Been thinking about this, too. I confess I have not dug into advanced metrics of his performance, which in gross terms has been astounding, especially in 2019.

I guess the devil's advocate argument, on top of the standard "does he break down while still getting fat loot?" is the question of whether consolidating all the RB roles into one guy who does them all well really add that much value to your offense? If a standard team has a 1st and 10 guy, a 1st and goal guy, and a 3rd and 7 guy (to abbreviate), Carolina gets to just have one guy for all that. Sounds great. But if you lump together the production you get from a $3m free agent, a 3rd year guy on a 2nd round rookie contract, and a rookie guy on a 4th round contract... do you end up with something close to what CMC gives you? I doubt it, but what is the delta? If you spend $14m on CMC instead of $3m on that free agent, that obviously squeezes the rest of your salcap. And what subtle gains do your get from having a RB on the field who doesn't top off the defense what you are likely to do?

I feel like there's a blender of stuff there. CMC is a tricky case...he's not just a RB who appears to be able to carry a big load with some plus production, he is obviously a true do-everything guy. Just hard to measure how much better it is to have CMC catch that 6 yard pass rather than having Cam Akers do it.

[thesloppy]

Hearing rumors of this OBj to Vikings for a 2nd & a 5th, and I don't even know how to evaluate this dude anymore. Is that great value or horrible value? In hindsight the Browns may not have been as talent-loaded as we thought they were last year, but it was still about the friendliest situation there could be for OBj, and it resulted in nothing but disappointment for everybody involved.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

maybe, just because he so versatile. Still a risk, but probably worth taking.

I am wondering about Henry in Tennessee. I know he has miles on the thread like Earl Campbell but man he is a physical freak and seems to get the best of defenders when the hits happen. They tagged him which seems smart and if they can get him to play on it while they figure out a reasonable contract he might be an exception too. I mean what other choice do they have on offense. I think they will regret paying Tannahill $26 million a season for what others got in FA.

[albionmoonlight]

Interesting.

You could make an argument that McCaffrey is a "better" player than Henry, but that Henry is actually more deserving of a big contract because he brings a unique skill set to the table that cannot be replicated by a platoon of other backs like McCaffrey can (based on Q's argument above).

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Been thinking about this, too. I confess I have not dug into advanced metrics of his performance, which in gross terms has been astounding, especially in 2019.

I guess the devil's advocate argument, on top of the standard "does he break down while still getting fat loot?" is the question of whether consolidating all the RB roles into one guy who does them all well really add that much value to your offense? If a standard team has a 1st and 10 guy, a 1st and goal guy, and a 3rd and 7 guy (to abbreviate), Carolina gets to just have one guy for all that. Sounds great. But if you lump together the production you get from a $3m free agent, a 3rd year guy on a 2nd round rookie contract, and a rookie guy on a 4th round contract... do you end up with something close to what CMC gives you? I doubt it, but what is the delta? If you spend $14m on CMC instead of $3m on that free agent, that obviously squeezes the rest of your salcap. And what subtle gains do your get from having a RB on the field who doesn't top off the defense what you are likely to do?

I feel like there's a blender of stuff there. CMC is a tricky case...he's not just a RB who appears to be able to carry a big load with some plus production, he is obviously a true do-everything guy. Just hard to measure how much better it is to have CMC catch that 6 yard pass rather than having Cam Akers do it.

The evidence I've seen suggests those 6 yard passes don't really do much to impact a RB's mileage. I think the better question may be how much better it is to have McCaffrey taking those 3rd and 1 runs rather than that $3m free agent? 287 carries is a lot use for a running back in today's NFL, but if you're paying him $16 mil per right now then you probably don't care if he breaks down at 28.

[Warhammer]

The advantage of a guy who is great at everything is you cannot use that player as a clue to what the offense plans to do. When you put a short yardage back in the game, chances are it will be a run. If you put the 3rd down back in the game, chances are it will be a pass. If McCaffrey is in the game, who knows what is coming.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

The advantage of a guy who is great at everything is you cannot use that player as a clue to what the offense plans to do. When you put a short yardage back in the game, chances are it will be a run. If you put the 3rd down back in the game, chances are it will be a pass. If McCaffrey is in the game, who knows what is coming.

McCaffrey is awful in short yardage situations (Panthers ranked 32nd in power success) while Henry offers absolutely nothing as a receiver (72 targets in 4 years).

Both have their weaknesses, but Henry is an oversized RB with a weakness that will likely prevent him from extending his career. Those guys don't age well and Henry is already 26. Eddie George was done as a top tier RB by then and Bettis only had 1 good season after 26.

[bhlloy]

If it was that easy to have a generic 3rd down back come in and have 1000 yards receiving wouldn't more teams have at least that in total from their RB's? I mean the Pats were pretty much the perfect storm of philosophy, talent, opportunity and RBs that fit the mold and barely got there last year. Outside of Ekeler and James White the next closest RB only got a little over 500 yards. Kamara and the Saints barely broke 750 yards as a team, and that's another coach and scheme famous for using the RB in the passing game.

Feels like there's some underestimating of the season he had and his talents in this thread. I'm not saying he's clearly worth the money, but he just put up the third highest season in terms of yards per scrimmage at age 23, I don't think there's any doubt about how far above replacement level he is if he stays healthy.

[BishopMVP]

There's also at least a slight bit where the Panthers need a guy to get fans to watch. It's a good football market, and the Panthers have much more of a fanbase than say, the Hornets, but there's still a lot of transplants with their hometown teams. Just moved on from Cam (and Riverboat Ron), Luuuuuuke retired, 3rd Leg Greg went to the Seahawks. They made the decision to sign Bridgewater instead of try to rebuild around a 1st round QB, and trading McCaffrey after that would've basically put them into full rebuild and really hurt the chances for the new coaching staff to succeed.

Seriously, outside of Bridgewater & their WR's, who's their next most prominent player? Joey Slye? Shaq Thompson? I guess Brian Burns?

[RendeR]

Bishop has a point here, they sold the farm, they had to start somewhere, CMC is that starting point. When you have shit, you get a great shovel, he is that shovel.

Carolina will be lucky to win 5 games this season. (if there is one)

[stevew]

So is the structure on CMC

2020-existing salary
2021-option
2022-25 4/64

Or is it
2020-23 4/64

Or is it
2020-existing
2021-24 4/64

[stevew]

Dola
I believe it’s A, which makes it approx a total 6 year 80 million dollar or so deal. I think you should keep your best players happy so it’s an acceptable gambit.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

If it was that easy to have a generic 3rd down back come in and have 1000 yards receiving wouldn't more teams have at least that in total from their RB's?

That's an interesting question, too... connected to CMC but broader.

Maybe the answer is - yes, NFL defenses will allow a credible offense to throw to the backs fairly at will, however (or because) their doing so is not a truly effective thing to do on the field.

I don't know... maybe having a rare talent like Roger Craig or CMC is such a gift that you just harness that guy and use the F out of him. That fits the decision, for sure. Will Miles Sanders get 140 targets next season? Maybe if the Eagles continue to feel their downfield options are not worthy of primary focus, yes he will.

[henry296]

Interesting note I saw from Football Outsiders that basically said that McCaffrey's receiving is considered above average when compared to running backs but below average if those same passes were caught by a WR.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by henry296

Interesting note I saw from Football Outsiders that basically said that McCaffrey's receiving is considered above average when compared to running backs but below average if those same passes were caught by a WR.

That would fit with my intuition. Good options are good. Overusing them and dwelling on the gross...not as much so.

I’m a CMC owner in a keeper fantasy league I care about, so... I’m in, and want the reckless workload to continue.

I just think he is a fascinating case for whether he’s worth the big money. Another guy who, in my opinion, will create and similarly fascinating case is Dalvin Cook. Cook, to me, seems like the classic case of a value added runner, who is acceptable but not special in other facets of the game. Is he a $12 million player?

See also Melvin Gordon, Joe Mixon.

Eventual debates over Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley, can wait for another day.

[albionmoonlight]

Probably not foremost on the Panthers' mind, but I wonder if Kamara being in the division had something to do with the timing of the signing.

They are very similar players, and one figures that whoever signs second is going to get a slight premium over the guy who signed first.

So, if you are the Panthers, and you decide to pay CMC, then it makes sense to go ahead and do it before the Saints make a Kamara deal because you have just made it that much more expensive for your rivals to keep a good player.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Hearing rumors of this OBj to Vikings for a 2nd & a 5th, and I don't even know how to evaluate this dude anymore. Is that great value or horrible value? In hindsight the Browns may not have been as talent-loaded as we thought they were last year, but it was still about the friendliest situation there could be for OBj, and it resulted in nothing but disappointment for everybody involved.

A much as I wouldnt mind seeing him on the Vikings. This has to be fake news.

The Vikings are cap poor and Zimmer has to pay for his defensive players. They lost 3 corners in the offseason. It just doesnt make sense if my head. They got rid of one diva(Diggs) to get a bigger diva?