NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - Off Season

[-Jrabbit]

In the NFL, a contract is not a contract. Examples are myriad.

[SlowwHand]

I wasn't just talking about Brady either.

NFL minimum salaries, per Wiki:

In 2008, $295k

In 2009, $310k

In 2010, $325k

In 2011, $340k

In 2012, $355k

The NFL Players Union and the NFL owner's usually construct a new "minimum salary" deal every 4 or 5 years.

Minimum. A bench warmer. I'm sorry that I'm less than wholly sympathetic.

[Al B. Sure!]

From the Onion:

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/video/ultrarealistic-madden-to-simulate-games-debilitati,19290/

[flash9286]

Draft predictions? Panthers & Cowboys both interested in Newton, but I doubt either will draft him. Seems like a pretty weak draft class this year.

[SlowwHand]

I'd rather the Cowboys take Blaine Gabbert if they go with a QB, but I don't think they will. They might though.

[flash9286]

I would be highly surprised if the boys took a qb in the first couple rounds. Romo is better than most Dallas fans give him credit for and they have Mcgee, who they are still developing. Boys will probably shore up the defense (definitely need some better CBs) and O-line. But Jerry loves skill position players, so who knows.

[Al B. Sure!]

No way would the Cowboys draft Newton. Jerry Jones would have officially gone off the deep end if they draft a first round QB. Romo is one of the best QB's in the league and is only 30. It'll be another 2-3 seasons before they even have to think about the future at that position.

Meanwhile the Panthers just drafted Jimmy Clausen in the second round. While he has struggled the entire Panthers team struggled mightily. I don't think there is much precedence to a team drafting a QB in the 2nd round one year then another in the first round the next. The closest I can think of are the Dolphins who drafted Beck and Henne in back to back years in the second round. That is much more likely, I think, but with a first-year head coach, it is possible that Rivera will try to start his era with a bang and he has no ties to Clausen. However, Carolina ownership seem to be on a money-saving kick right now (their selection of Rivera seemed predicated on him being cheaper than some of the high-profile names out there) and they seem to want to shore up their defense.

Having the first pick is tough, however, since Carolina would probably be best served with a mid-round pick and going for a corner, defensive tackle, or maybe even a tight end. Having the first pick forces a sexier pick. That's the thing. There has never been a corner drafted with the first overall pick and a DT hasn't been drafted there since 1994 with Dan Wilkinson.

I guess Carolina being the one to pick Cam Newton would make some sense but only out of draft position circumstance.

[Al B. Sure!]

The other first ten teams who could use a QB are Buffalo, Cincinnati, Arizona, San Fran, Tennessee, and Washington. Some of those teams will be picking up McNabb, Young, and possibly Kolb though.

I can't see AZ or TEN drafting Newton if he fell to them but they might be interested in Gabbert or Locker, though. If everyone passes on him, I can definitely see Cam Newton as a Redskin. I don't know if he would fit Shanahan's system, though.

But drafting a bust, especially out of Auburn, would seem par for the course for Washington.

[flash9286]

Well Jerry Jones has made some suspect moves the past years, so maybe he has gone of the deep end. But again, those were just preliminarily reports, and I don't think Carolina or the Cowboys will draft Cam. Carolina should pick up Young and let him start, but they won't. If Carson had been traded, then Newton probably would have gone to the Cincinnati. I think Tenn or Washington are the most likely spots he will end up.

[flash9286]

Having the first pick is tough, however, since Carolina would probably be best served with a mid-round pick and going for a corner, defensive tackle, or maybe even a tight end. Having the first pick forces a sexier pick. That's the thing. There has never been a corner drafted with the first overall pick and a DT hasn't been drafted there since 1994 with Dan Wilkinson.

Panthers need a DT, they will probably take Fairley. If not him, then probably Bowers.

[Al B. Sure!]

Well Jerry Jones has made some suspect moves the past years, so maybe he has gone of the deep end. But again, those were just preliminarily reports, and I don't think Carolina or the Cowboys will draft Cam. Carolina should pick up Young and let him start, but they won't. If Carson had been traded, then Newton probably would have gone to the Cincinnati. I think Tenn or Washington are the most likely spots he will end up.

Nah I don't see TEN bringing in Newton after Vince Young. I know they're different guys and I can't speak on Newton's maturity, but they're too similar physically and their playing styles are too similar that I can't see them wanting to go down that same road.

Although old Bud Adams does seem partial to Black QB's. Take that as you may.

[Al B. Sure!]

Panthers need a DT, they will probably take Fairley. If not him, then probably Bowers.

Oh I agree. CB and DT are the positions for them to look for. The issue is would they go DT with the 1st overall pick? It's been a very long time since a team in that position went DT. If Carolina won a few more games and had the 5th pick, it would be a no-brainer but the circumstances of a 1st pick complicates matters. Teams usually seem to feel forced to make a bang with the first pick.

[Al B. Sure!]

Well Ron Rivera does seem enamored by Newton but this might be misdirection:

New coach Ron Rivera spoke at the NFL scouting combine Thursday, and made multiple references to fixing the quarterback position.

"We need to identify a franchise quarterback, most certainly," Rivera said.

The remarks were in response to questions about Auburn's Cam Newton. Rivera said Newton would be brought in for a pre-draft visit, but also said other quarterbacks would be part of the "seven to 10" players the Panthers were considering with the top pick in the draft.

"A few of them," Rivera replied with a grin when asked how many quarterbacks they'd study in consideration of the top pick. "No, not just one. There's a group of guys we have to explore and go through that process and decide who is the guy who's going to benefit us.

"It's going to come down to who we believe is going to help us the most, regardless of position."

Rivera made a number of references to other positions of need, and that there were players in the upper reaches of this draft who fit those needs. A high-quality group of defensive linemen is tempting, but the questions kept coming back to quarterback.

The Panthers ranked last in the league in offense last season, and Jimmy Clausen, chosen with the Panthers' first pick a year ago, No. 48 overall, was the league's lowest-rated passer.

Would using the team's top pick on another quarterback be hard to justify?

"Well, if that's where we go, no; I don't think it is," Rivera said. "It goes back down to picking who you think is going to help your team the most."

Rivera knows the NFC South is a challenge because it's full of name-brand passers (New Orleans' Drew Brees, Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman).

"Look at all three of those teams and they all three have franchise-style quarterbacks," Rivera said. "I think… we have to identify that and come up with our own."

Rivera raved about Newton's poise, his stature and his arm – an important consideration given the Panthers' desire to be a vertical-passing offense.

"As far as skill set goes, the young man has a tremendous talent," Rivera said of Newton. "He has natural size and can run and has a tremendous arm. He's got a good pocket presence already. I think he's well on his way."

Horror stories about quarterback busts are prevalent, but there is increasing evidence young quarterbacks can succeed in the proper context.

"Look at the type of quarterbacks that have been drafted," Rivera said. "Look at the size of these guys. They are all big men. Look at Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco. Cam has got those types of physical attributes.…

"He might be the best athlete of all of them "And he's a winner. Go back to junior college and his college days and you can't pass that up, either."

The Panthers haven't drafted a quarterback in the first round since Kerry Collins in 1995, and general manager Marty Hurney has long advocated finding one in other ways. His apprenticeship days in Washington saw the Redskins win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.

Hurney's mentor, Bobby Beathard, had his legacy tarnished by drafting Ryan Leaf.

Hurney found Jake Delhomme, an underrated winner who shepherded the Panthers to two NFC championship games, a Super Bowl and a 59-41 record. He was released before last season after unraveling in 2009.

Rivera said he and Hurney discussed finding a quarterback when Rivera interviewed.

"In our conversations, we feel we've got to make sure we have the guy that can be our franchise quarterback," Rivera said. "Whether he's on our current roster, he's in the draft or free agency…

"Look at it throughout the league and franchise quarterbacks are what's happening in this league in terms of it becoming a passing league.

"I come from a place, having been in San Diego, you've got Philip Rivers, a tremendous quarterback, and we've got to find a situation like that again."

[-Jrabbit]

As expected, the Bears have extended Lovie Smith through 2013 -- the same end date as GM Angelo and finance guy Ted Phillips (contracts/cap).

It's officially a 2-year window for this organization to get it done.

[Demonbinder]

Yeah, there was no real need to do it, but I'm OK with it. He finally had a good set of assistants and they had a very good season. So hopefully they can do well in draft and free agency and plug some holes, like WR and both lines. There does seem to be some depth in this draft on lineman so even drafting low they should be fine.