NFL 2018 Season Thread

[-Jrabbit]

Minnesota traded Harvin a year before his rookie contract ran out. Seattle jumped at the chance and gave him a huge extension. That was 2 seasons ago.

A high price tag, a bit of a diva attitude, a couple injuries, unpredictable migraines that cost games, and oh yeah, tested positive for pot at the combine... Drafted in 2009, but has only played 16 games once. Has started 8 games or fewer the past 3 years. His TD total over 5 NFL seasons is 32 - and only 3 since leaving the Vikings. Six of those TDs are KO returns, something that's very unpredictable, and increasingly unlikely with each passing year.

Not the kind of resume - or production - that inspires confidence in GMs and coaches. That's why the Jets essentially traded Harvin and a 5th rounder for an older but more reliable - and somewhat cheaper - Brandon Marshall.

Gotta say, job well done by whoever pulled the trigger in Minnesota. They got a 1st, a 3rd, and a 7th rounder for him.

[Zopperoni]

Except they used part of that bounty to get another useless WR in Cordarelle Patterson.

The first-round pick was spent on Xavier Rhodes who's been alright.

[Berzerker]

Bring back the dark ages for the Niners I say.

The Cowboys?

SF really rose and fell quickly.

they're in a tough division, all 4 teams have solid defenses and not so great offenses

[-Jrabbit]

Except they used part of that bounty to get another useless WR in Cordarelle Patterson.

The first-round pick was spent on Xavier Rhodes who's been alright.

Well, to be fair, that was the #29 overall pick (from NE) they spent on Cordarrelle, and it was their 3RD 1st-round selection that year (2013). They took DT Sharif Floyd (considered a bust) with their own #23 pick, then Rhodes #25 (via Seattle), then Patterson.

When you draft a speedy gadget guy like that in the first round, sometimes it's Percy Harvin, but usually it's Tavon Austin (who the Rams took at #8 overall in that same draft).

Fun fact: Green Bay got their gadget guy, Randall Cobb, in the second round (#64) in 2011. Now THAT is some nice drafting.

[ColdWizard]

Murray to sign 5/$42m ($21m guaranteed) with the Eagles. ESPN/NFL.

[-Jrabbit]

If Sam Bradford is a top-15 QB and both he and Alonzo are healthy, Chip Kelly could end up looking like a freaking genius.

Jerry Jones must be fuming.

[rah]

Now will Adrian become a Cowboy?

[ColdWizard]

It's fine. No need to worry. The Cowboys have found a suitable replacement.

Jerry Jones' squad agreed to a two-year deal with Darren McFadden worth up to $5.85 million, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source.

[Zopperoni]

Harvin to BUF. Clearly, he likes mediocrity and futility.

[Donegeal]

That or nobody wanted his baggage.

[-Jrabbit]

The only reason for a quality receiver to go to a QB-challenged team is guaranteed money.

Also, the Cowboys must be planning to draft their RB or sign another one, cuz Run DMC hasn't been healthy or above 3.5 ypc since about 2011.

[Zopperoni]

Harvin's deal is only for one year, so there are few guarantees.

Maybe McFadden will do better running behind the Cowboys O-Line. Either way, it's a decent "safety net" signing in the event that the RBs they want don't fall to them in the draft. Plus, Adrian Peterson might still be in play (the Mike Wallace trade the Vikings made puts a bit more of a squeeze on their cap).

[SlowwHand]

Peterson is 2 years older than Murray. The Cowboys aren't going to throw money at him, even if they could.
Good point about OL. They can make McFadden look a lot better. I also expect a RB in the draft.

[ColdWizard]

Chris Borland does not think the rewards of playing professional football outweigh the risk it poses to his future health as a human being.

As such, the San Francisco 49ers linebacker delivered some shocking news on ESPN's "Outside the Lines": He's retiring at age 24 after playing just one year in the league. Borland had 107 tackles and one sack after starting in eight games and held huge promise as a future star in the NFL.

But none of it was enough to keep him from ignoring the evidence that head trauma is having an adverse and even deadly effect on the men who play the sport. Borland is the fourth player in the last week to retire at age 30 or younger.

"I just honestly want to do what's best for my health," Borland said on the news program Monday night. "From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk."

Borland was drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft after a decorated college career at the University of Wisconsin. He earned $420,000 for his first year of play, collected a $617,000 signing bonus and figured to earn millions more as an anchor for San Francisco's linebacking corps, particularly after Patrick Willis retired last week due to injury concerns.

While Borland's decision will affect the 49ers greatly after their tumultuous offseason, the news will likely have an even bigger impact on the sport. A healthy and young player walking away and saying all the fame and money isn't worth the risk of head trauma? That's been unheard of up until this point.

Borland, who says he's had two diagnosed concussions, acknowledged to "OTL" that he could have rolled the dice and hoped to steer clear of head injuries for at least a few years. But he also expressed a desire to be "proactive" and to "live a long healthy life."

"I thought about what I could accomplish in football, but for me personally, when you read about Mike Webster and Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling [all players who died early deaths and whose autopsies revealed brain disease], you read all these stories and to be the type of player I want to be in football, I think I'd have to take on some risks that as a person I don't want to take on," Borland said.

Borland said he thought about the dangers of playing football all season after suffering what he believed to be a concussion during training camp.

"I just thought to myself, 'What am I doing?'" Borland said. "Is this how I'm going to live my adult life, banging my head, especially with what I've learned and knew about the dangers?"

Willis (age 30), Pittsburgh linebacker Jason Worilds (27) and Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker (25) all retired in the last week, though none mentioned concussion concerns as a reason for stopping play.

San Francisco GM Trent Baalke said the team was caught off guard by the announcement.

"While unexpected, we certainly respect Chris' decision," Baalke told NFL Network insider Ian Rapaport. "It was evident he put a great deal of thought into this."

Link

[-Jrabbit]

Wow, that's a first.
Good on him.

And the disastrous SF offseason continues to roll...