NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - 2010 Offseason

[OzzyKP]

This is not a fantasy football discussion thread.

Fixed.

[Al B. Sure!]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5386899

The NFL suspended Green Bay Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly without pay for the upcoming season and perhaps beyond for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Jolly is facing drug charges in Houston after his July 2008 arrest outside a club for possession of at least 200 grams of codeine. If convicted, Jolly faces up to 20 years in prison.

Jolly was arrested after 1 a.m. on July 8, 2008, in the parking lot of a Houston club known for drug and gun use.

A police gang unit pulled his car over because of excessive noise coming from amplified bass music. Jolly was arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance after police "smelled the strong odor of codeine" in cups in the vehicle, according to the police report. Lab tests subsequently confirmed the codeine.

Yet another codeine case! 20 years seems much though. Doubt he'd get that much but looks like he's done.

Sizzurp strikes again!

[SlowwHand]

There has to be more to this codeine thing than meets the eye. It has to be used in conjunction with something else. Wouldn't you think?

[Al B. Sure!]

In other news...

The Rams and representatives for Sam Bradford kicked off their negotiations Friday in St. Louis as they attempt to get the quarterback under contract in time for training camp.

A deal is unlikely to be struck Friday, a league source said, but both the Rams and Bradford's reps are expected to lay the groundwork for what will be the richest contract in NFL history.

The guaranteed money in the deal is expected to be between $45 million and $50 million, the source said.

Last year the Detroit Lions gave No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford a six-year deal that included $41.7 million in guaranteed money.

Both sides are aiming to finalize a deal by the time the Rams open training camp to their rookies on July 28. Bradford was the draft's No. 1 pick out of Oklahoma.

It's never really news that a #1 pick QB gets crazy money that is not deserved but this is ridiculous! The rookie salary inflation is absurd and outpaces salary inflation for veterans.

I know there's no info on Bradford's base salary but check out what some of the vets are slated to make this season:
Pierre Garcon, WR IND: $470,000
Chris Johnson, RB TEN: $550,000
Steve Smith, WR NYG: $766,000
Lamarr Woodley, OLB PIT: $816,000
Desean Jackson, WR PHI: $1.1 million

Something's clearly flawed in a system where Chris Johnson rushes for 2000 yards and his salary this year is 1% of Bradford's guaranteed money

[Al B. Sure!]

There has to be more to this codeine thing than meets the eye. It has to be used in conjunction with something else. Wouldn't you think?

You're from Houston, Sloww. I know you're not hanging around the hoods but it originates from your city. You should know better than anyone else.

All I know is what people in Philly do and what has been popularized in Southern rap songs... you mix it with alcohol or soda and you get extra drunk/high.

[SlowwHand]

I have cousins in Houston and I never go see them. I went around Houston one time to get to Galveston. That's it. I'm in Dallas and I'd rather be in Abilene.

[Al B. Sure!]

That's right. You're a damn Cowgirls fan.

[SlowwHand]

Staubach! Lilly and Doomsday!

[Al B. Sure!]

Anyway, I have a theory that might seem very 'duh' but NFL GM's, coaches, and owners don't seem to believe it...

You take a crappy team with nothing going for it... defenses that give up 20 points a game, shoddy offensive lines, a desolate receiver corps... worst team in the league with the #1 pick and you grab a QB. Pay him so much money that you are unable to make any real FA moves and have like 20% of the salary cap tied up in one guy for the next 5-7 years... throw in the miserable success rate of top first round rookie QB's... and, somehow, GM's seem to think this a recipe for Super Bowl wins!

Last year, over and over again, I said Stafford will be a bust and Sanchez will be a pro bowler. It didn't matter what either QB had going for them. I knew the outcome just based on what teams drafted them and how much they were getting paid. Sanchez doing well was obvious since he got to play his rookie year behind a great offensive line, a great running game, solid receivers, and an absurdly good defense... now, you give him Santonio Holmes to throw to and Sanchez is on the fast-track of good development a la Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning. I say again, Stafford will flame out.

By the same logic, watch Tebow become far better of a QB than Bradford.

Also, Bradford got hurt A LOT in college. Marc Bulger was basically anally raped the last three seasons in St. Louis behind that offensive line. What's the over/under on how many games before Bradford gets hurt?

God forbid they do the sensible thing and start AJ Feeley and let Bradford learn from the bench for a year like Rivers and Rodgers... Nope, can't do that when you're paying the guy $50 mil guaranteed!

[SlowwHand]

I don't agree at all that Stafford will be a bust, but I do agree that Bradford should sit a year.
The Tebow observation makes me think you got some of that codeine.

[Al B. Sure!]

I'm assuming that Josh McDaniels starts Orton or Quinn and lets Tebow sit out this year and maybe even next year while the Broncos make the right moves to keep their team young and talented (they have a number of aging players that need to be replaced and cause me to worry about their long-term prospects). Assuming that, there's no reason why Tebow won't be successful. Even if he starts this year, I can definitely imagine Tebow having Sanchez or Flacco level of success because the Broncos are a pretty good team, even though no Brandon Marshall hurts a bit. Granted, they're not '09 Jets good, but they're far and away better than the Rams.

My point is that honestly, the talent and skill-set of first round QB's is all about the same, as is their potential in the NFL. The difference lies in coaching, their offensive line, the weapons around them, and the resulting positive learning experiences they have (or, that they learn from the bench). David Carr doesn't suck because he himself is a bad or untalented QB. He just had the worst possible introduction into the NFL by playing for the Texans and getting torn up behind that offensive line. Rookie QB's who take over established near-playoff caliber teams or sit for a few years with the intention to eventually start, have had an immense amount of success.

Consider guys who sat out their rookie years or more like Palmer, Rivers, Rodgers, and, sort of, Romo or guys who started their rookie years with good teams like Roethlisberger, Flacco, and Sanchez. Then consider the start right away on crappy teams... Harrington, Carr, Leinart, Alex Smith, Russel...

Granted, it's not always true. Rex Grossman sat out a bit because of injury and he had a lot going for him (did lead the Bears to the Super Bowl remember), but he ultimately sucked. Brady Quinn got to sit but then was given an offense stripped of all play-makers.

[SlowwHand]

It's about the team philosophy. If Joe Montana had been drafted by Oakland and their throw up the field mentality, he'd have been cut before too long. I would think that a team would take that into consideration when drafting. Given that scenario, yes, they all start out the same. It's all in how they're utilized and supported.

[Al B. Sure!]

Yes... so Sanchez is let lose with possibly the best O-line in football between Nick Mangold, D'brickashaw Ferguson, and Alan Faneca... given Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and Shonne Greene to hand off to... Braylon Edwards and Jericho Cotchery to pass to... and only needs to score so many points a game because of a stifling defense that gives him good field position... Sanchez develops into a stud.

Stafford has Calvin Johnson and... void. Stafford goes the way of Joey Harrington in three years.

Now let's discuss Tebow's and Bradford's prospects...

[SlowwHand]

That's based on the assumption that nothing changes. The fact is, since they got rid of McMillan Detroit is starting to look like a team. We'll just have to wait 10 years and see how the QB's do.

[-Jrabbit]

Yes... so Sanchez is let lose with possibly the best O-line in football between Nick Mangold, D'brickashaw Ferguson, and Alan Faneca... given Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and Shonne Greene to hand off to... Braylon Edwards and Jericho Cotchery to pass to... and only needs to score so many points a game because of a stifling defense that gives him good field position... Sanchez develops into a stud.

Stafford has Calvin Johnson and... void. Stafford goes the way of Joey Harrington in three years.

Now let's discuss Tebow's and Bradford's prospects...

Thomas Jones is in Kansas City; Leon Washington's in Seattle.
Shonn Green will be sharing the ball with LaDainian Tomlinson for the Jets this year.

Try to keep up.