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NFL 2013 Off Season - cap hits, franchise tags, draft prep


MantaRay

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Admittedly, I don't get this at all.  Just don't see what the upside could possibly be.  BB, how about worrying about fixing the defense first...you know, while you still have a QB that makes you look good?

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Jet fans hoping for Tebowmania to destroy the New England franchise from within can keep hoping. It aint’ gonna happen. However, likewise.. Pats fans praying for the next Danny Woodhead storyline should get a hobby.. because that’s not happening here either.
 

I keep trying to make sense in this signing, but I just can’t. It screams of desperation from NE, and that’s just sad. Ryan Mallett is a 24 year old QB, who is a fine #2.. and head & shoulders better than Tebow. I doubt the Pats are dumb enough to release him (but hey, I’d gladly take him if they are) so why take practice reps away from him, to give them to Tebow? The role of a Tebow as a backup makes absolutely no sense.

Then there’s this notion he’ll play another position. I find that hard to swallow because; *A. Tebow has shown such an unwillingness to play anywhere else. *B. NE has reportedly already said he’ll just be a QB.. and *C. Where else is he going to play? :noclue:  He lacks speed & route running abilities to play WR, and as a RB\TE, he offers far less than players like Washington, Gronk, Hernandez, etc. The role of playing another position makes absolutely no sense.

Finally the 3rd scenario.. a Utility\Wildcat player. I’m not going to spend too much time on this one, because I don’t have to. Good teams with all-world quarterbacks don’t do the wildcat, because.. well, they don’t have to. If BB is that crazy\spiteful just to try to prove a point, I am all for it! Tom Brady is the best QB in the league. Anything and everything that takes him off the field (even for 1 play) I 100% endorse. The role of a Utility\Wildcat player makes absolutely no sense.
 

The only bit of (small) logic I can find in this, other than Jets obsession, is the Pats signed Tebow for practice to help their defense prepare the read option when they play other “wildcat” teams. –but even that, is a gigantic stretch.


 

I call bull$hit on this one, and say that TT doesn’t even make the final 53.

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Beez, you think every move the Pats make reeks of desperation. 

 

That being said, no matter how I look at this, I don't see how this is going to benefit the Pats in any way...IF he's still on the team by Week 1.  I don't worry about the Pats ever being ripped apart by the nonsense that is "Tebowmania" (as long as Brady is there, it's his team), but even if the Patriots are as well-equipped to deal with a potential distraction/headache as anyone, why even bother for a guy who won't improve the on-field product?  A guy like Randy Moss in his prime, sure, take his baggage and hope it can work out.  But for a guy who is almost definitely going to be a 3rd-string QB? 

 

The ONLY angle I haven't seen explored is the long-term project concept...that after Brady retires (he'll be 36 by the start of this upcoming season), maybe Mallett won't be the guy, and the Pats envision 2-3 years of having Tebow do nothing but refine his game, away from actual NFL games.  But even that angle doesn't really fly, because nothing is a secret with Tebow...for some reason (the Jesus this and Jesus that thing), this guy just attracts attention and press.  So there will be damned near DAILY updates on Tebow's progress, if there's any actually worth discussing.  This guy has a solid bowel movement and it's a friggin' headline!

 

But after all of these words, I'm still at a loss.  I have no idea what the thinking is here.

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I know there were rumors about this before the offseason really got into full gear, but think this move signifies we see a Mallet to Cleveland deal in the near future?

 

I don't think so, though one wonders how much longer it makes sense to have a guy who was considered to have first-round talent just sitting around.  By the end of this coming year, he'll finish his third NFL season, and will be 26 by the start of what will be his fourth season of the NFL...with almost no playing time.  Pats didn't take him until the 3rd round, so it's not like they'll have wasted a first-rounder if he doesn't ever play for them, but how many more years should a guy like Mallett be expected to wait?  If Brady has at least two more good years in him, that means Mallett waits five years (minimum) from the time he was drafted to the time he was actually given a shot to play for the Patriots; meanwhile, he sees guys like Tebow and Sanchez and some others have gotten significant playing time as starters, and has to be thinking to himself "I don't have a chance to play better than THOSE guys?!" 

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I know there were rumors about this before the offseason really got into full gear, but think this move signifies we see a Mallet to Cleveland deal in the near future?

I don't think so, though one wonders how much longer it makes sense to have a guy who was considered to have first-round talent just sitting around. By the end of this coming year, he'll finish his third NFL season, and will be 26 by the start of what will be his fourth season of the NFL...with almost no playing time. Pats didn't take him until the 3rd round, so it's not like they'll have wasted a first-rounder if he doesn't ever play for them, but how many more years should a guy like Mallett be expected to wait? If Brady has at least two more good years in him, that means Mallett waits five years (minimum) from the time he was drafted to the time he was actually given a shot to play for the Patriots; meanwhile, he sees guys like Tebow and Sanchez and some others have gotten significant playing time as starters, and has to be thinking to himself "I don't have a chance to play better than THOSE guys?!"

It would be only a a year or two longer before Rodgers got a shot.

If someone wants to give you a high second round pick for him, that's one thing. But otherwise, it's worth it to hang on to a talented back up if you're not going to get much else.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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“For me personaly, having Tim Tebow on this team, he’s someone who believes in spirituality, he’s very competitive, works hard and has a great attitude,” Kraft said at a charity event at Gillette Stadium honoring his late wife.

 

“He’s a winner, and the fact that spirituality is so important to him is very appealing to me,” Kraft continued.

Kraft also labeled Tebow’s openly religious nature “an added dimension” that helped convince the Patriots to sign him to a two-year deal (with no guaranteed money) after five weeks on the NFL unemployment line.

Kraft even echoed the infamous comment by Jets owner Woody Johnson last summer that “you can never have enough Tebow” -- a comment Johnson came to regret after the Jets barely used Tebow during the regular season and then released him in April.

“You can’t have enough good people around you, and [Tebow] has the added dimension of spirituality being so important to him, and that personally appeals to me a lot,” Kraft said.

 

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/tebow_spirituality_big_reason_why_TSUiLnqBe0DXS8cucxk2sJ

 

huh?

 

Sounds like Kraft is starting to lose it. These are very bizarre comments. 

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I'm an atheist, so I'll be the first to admit when I hear stuff like this, the person saying it might as well be talking about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. 

 

Kraft's comments are a bit exclusionary in my opinion...not everyone is "spiritual", and Kraft should realize that, for every spiritual guy he might have in uniform or working for the franchise, there's also likely a fair number who think spirituality is a silly and dated concept, and don't believe in the idea of "God".  And I also don't like the idea that "spiritual" automatically equals "good" in eyes of guys who think like Kraft does.  There's good and bad people, both spiritual and non. 

 

What's annoying about Tebow is that, if not for his Jesus this and Jesus that, and Denver's defense playing terrific ball for most of Tebow's wins, he'd be seen for what he is...a seemingly nice guy who works hard but has a limited skill set that doesn't appear to translate to the NFL very well.   

 

I just wish guys like Kraft kept this stuff to themselves.  If you think Tebow can somehow help the team ON THE FIELD (I don't see how Tebow can possibly do that), great.  If you share his love of God, fine...go to church with him.  But keep the church stuff away from the team...especially since not everyone on it is interested in sharing in the exhaultation.

 

This is already looking like a major mistake.   

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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I think even Bill underestimated the 'Tebow factor'.  Eventually he might be able to quell it with enough no comments and stock answers, but Kraft saying what he did doesn't exactly help.

 

I agree.  I think he's so arrogant these days that he thinks he can make anything work (you'd think the fact that his Ds have been a joke in recent years would've humbled him a little).  But I don't think he realized that Tebow attracts religious zealots who know almost nothing about football and wouldn't even follow the sport otherwise, but love Tebow for his spirituality and follow every move he makes, and think he should be playing no matter what because, well, by virtue of his spirituality, he's a "winner", case closed.

 

I really hope he doesn't make the team...he's so unworthy of the distraction he creates.   

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I didn’t say anything 4 days ago when reports said Hernandez was “uncooperative” with law enforcement. –Because really, that can mean anything. If you say that you don’t want to talk to police until your lawyer is present (which that is your right) that can be viewed as not being cooperative.

I didn’t say anything 2 days ago when ESPN said; Hernandez has “not been ruled out as a suspect” –because (again conjecture) that sounds alot like; “Aaron Hernandez is a suspect” which just wasn’t true at the time.

 

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9409826/police-issue-arrest-warrant-aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-reports-abc-news

 

Now I’m saying something..

..what a tragic, tragic story. Someone is dead, having been murdered for God only knows what.. and a 23 year old kid has (not only) thrown away his career, but very well may have thrown away his life too. Whether it’s obstruction of justice, covering up a homicide, or if he was the trigger-man himself, one thing’s for sure..  AH is about to walk the plank for something. Hopefully his outcome over the next few months will be a wake-up call for young professional athletes to appreciate what it is that they have. (although, I doubt it)

Edited by Beezer34
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The facts still have to come out, but suffice it to say this looks REALLY bad for Hernandez.  It's impossible to ignore that. 

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The facts still have to come out, but suffice it to say this looks REALLY bad for Hernandez.  It's impossible to ignore that.

incocent untill proven guilty, but the writing on thewall reeks like oj. this could drag into next year, so theres still a chance he plays this season
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I don't see how they can possibly let him play until this is cleared up and he is ruled out a suspect, but whether or not he can play is about as low as it can get on the scale of importance.  Each day as more comes out, this is looking worse and worse.

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incocent untill proven guilty, but the writing on thewall reeks like oj. this could drag into next year, so theres still a chance he plays this season

 

Regarding everything off the field, and our countries great judicial system, you are 100% correct. Until proven otherwise AH is an innocent man. However, with that said, let's be real here. The rent-a-car was in his name.. neighbors reportedly heard gunshots.. he's caught on video with the victim an hour before his death.. the body was found a mile from his house.. and 24 hours later, the guy destroys his home video surveillance, his cell phone, and hires a cleaning crew to scrub down his house. :glare:  Clearly he was involved some way in this crime. To what extent? --I have no idea.

Regarding everything on the field with NE.. (and obviously, in terms of priority(s), this is a secondary conversation to the crime) I'll quote Fat Mike; "the AFC East is now wide opened."

 

Even if Aaron is exonerated of anything & everything, the league will shut him down for the 2013 season. That’s what he agreed upon when he signed the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. Big Ben got off scott-free, with no charges brought up against him, and the NFL still slammed him with a 6 game suspension.

Gronk is expected to need between 12 to 14 weeks to heal. This surgery was different then the back operation he had 3 years ago. Microscopic lumbar discectomy removes part of the spine\disk(s). If the Patriots do right by him (which I expect them to do) and don't rush his recovery, he could be back playing by Week 4.. Week 5 at the latest. Again though, there's no way in predicting if he'll be 100%, or when he'll be. The downside for NE is they start their first 2 games of the year against divisional opponents, which could prove costly at the end of the season regarding tiebreakers. 

Granted they got Leon, Amendola, & Tebow this offseason. But it's a tough sell to convince me that those players are just going to step in at the start of the year for Wes Welker, Danny Woodhead, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, and Brandon Llyod without missing a beat. Tom Brady can cement his legacy if he takes this team to even a 10-6 record.

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Brady won three SB's with Deion Branch as his main receiver, he doesn't need anything to cement his legacy.

But yeah so far it's been a nightmare offseason for them. I'd still wait and see before assuming a suspension for Hernandez. Ray Lewis didn't get suspended for a similar situation, then again Sheriff Goodell wasn't around then either.

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Brady won three SB's with Deion Branch as his main receiver, he doesn't need anything to cement his legacy.

But yeah so far it's been a nightmare offseason for them. I'd still wait and see before assuming a suspension for Hernandez. Ray Lewis didn't get suspended for a similar situation, then again Sheriff Goodell wasn't around then either.

 

Beez is just being his usual stir-the-pot self, just doing it earlier this year.  Brady cemented his legacy a long time ago. 

 

Everything I've seen about Gronkowski states that doctors are optimistic that he may be able to play by Week 1 (though I'm not kidding myself that he'll be Gronk as we know him early on).  I'll believe it when I see it, that he won't be on the field until Week 4. 

 

Re:  Hernandez, it's impossible to tell how something like this affects a team until they take the field; that being said, I think Beez (not surprisingly) already has NE penciled in for losses against the Bills and the Jets.  LIke I said, I have no idea how Hernandez's situation (I don't know what else to call it yet) will affect the on-field product, but I can't say that I'm going to pick against Brady w/regards to two teams that each went 6-10 last season, and are loaded with question marks this season. 

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not to mentio that even if the pats do struggle buff and miami are much improved teams. even if the pats suck its not like the jets r just going to run away with the division.

That's exactly what I'm hoping for as a Jet fan!! --and why Francesa said it in the first place.

Going into the season, prior to the Patriots losing the players that they've lost on offense, winning the division wasn't even a thought. Because it would take 12-13 wins to do that. Now follow me.. if the Jets were a good football team, with NE being even slightly better, but say the Bills & Fish both sucked.. winning the division would STILL not be a thought for me. Because the Pats play those teams too. And even if the Jets won 4 of their divisional games, the Pats would win 5.. thus, you'd have 2 teams fighting for the AFC East, and one team would win it with 10-11 wins. However, if every team in the division is on somewhat of an equal level, it increases the chance of winning the AFC East with an 8-8.. 9-7 record. I'm hoping the Bills can split against New England.. or that Miami can sweep New England, because it creates parody. When Seattle won the division in 2010 with a 7-9 record, they won because of parody. The same can be said of Tim Tebow's Broncos two years ago.

As a fan obviously I want to see my team make the playoffs. If the Pats are mortal this year, the easier path to the post-season may be through the division, as opposed to the wildcard.

Edited by Beezer34
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