NFL 2020 - Off-season, Rumors, Draft etc

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

2 hours ago, '7' said:

Have to say Belichick does a better job than anybody at slowing down and frustrating a Reid offense. But the Patriots quarterbacking was at a level of ugly they are not used to seeing.

NE also gashed them for 185 yards on the ground. The Chiefs are far from invincible. You can run on them all day. 

That was the shame of it...Pats held them to six points for much of the game, but couldn’t bank nearly enough points during that time...once KC’s offense finally figured things out, there was no way the Pats were going to keep up.

I had the Pats topping out at 10 wins with Newton as their QB...that clearly goes out the window with Hoyer and Stidham having to play now.  I’m definitely going with Stidham.  I don’t know what Stidham’s got.  But I know Hoyer has nothing. 

['7']

On 10/6/2020 at 10:25 PM, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

That was the shame of it...Pats held them to six points for much of the game, but couldn’t bank nearly enough points during that time...once KC’s offense finally figured things out, there was no way the Pats were going to keep up.

I had the Pats topping out at 10 wins with Newton as their QB...that clearly goes out the window with Hoyer and Stidham having to play now.  I’m definitely going with Stidham.  I don’t know what Stidham’s got.  But I know Hoyer has nothing. 

See that kind of surprises me. Who is Belichick to ever pick up a player who he doesn't trust to throw in there. Hoyer was a guy he drafted, he's been in his system for a while. He's had bits and pieces of success in this league. Maybe that was an anomaly. He's a backup but I always saw him as one of the better ones

Edited October 8, 2020 by '7'

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Oh man that Dak injury...yikes...

[MadDog2020]

Best Dolphins game in years. Smacked up the NFC Champs. It was fvcking fantastic. 

17 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Oh man that Dak injury...yikes...

Yeah man that was rough. I feel for Dak. Hope he can recover and get back on the field at some point. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

BB did what many GMs try to do when a run is on its last legs...Band-Aid an aging or borderline non-existent core with the hope of trying to stay relevant.  Cam Newton is simply not the answer...I have no issue with BB taking the one-year flyer on him, and if he wants to keep going with Cam as long as Cam is healthy for this wacky season, so be it.  But no more Band-Aiding.  Don’t try to squeeze nine wins out of this team...tear it down and rebuild.

The Pats have earned the right to have a few tough seasons.  The players needed on offense just aren’t there.  Amazing how different Josh McDaniels looks without Brady around.

[MadDog2020]

A little late with this, but it’s Tua time starting next Sunday. Surprised Flores made the move now with the team winning the last two, but I’m good with it. Can’t wait to see this kid take the field for us, finally. 

[NJDevs4978]

The way they did it was really clumsy though, Fitz found out by a frigging Schefter Tweet.  It's a good thing for them Fitz is a salt of the earth guy, if he was another kind of guy this could get ugly.

I legit feel bad for Carson Wentz, probably the only team with worse weapons than the Eagles right now is the Jets and he doesn't have a great line either but he'll still get shat on because he's not Nick Foles.

Edited October 23, 2020 by NJDevs4978

[NJDevs4978]

Guess I spoke too soon, my dream of the Eagles winning the NFC Gong Show with 6 wins and a tie is alive and well.

[MadDog2020]

20 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

The way they did it was really clumsy though, Fitz found out by a frigging Schefter Tweet.  It's a good thing for them Fitz is a salt of the earth guy, if he was another kind of guy this could get ugly.

 

I think you may have gotten some fake news there Has. Fitz said in his press conference that he found out when Flores called him into his office and told him. He said he was shocked by the timing of the move, and that he was heartbroken by the decision, which I can understand. But I think it may have been the plan all along to play Tua after the bye, and it just so happens the bye got moved up to this week because of the schedule re-shuffling (it was supposed to be in week 11 originally), and it pushed the timeline forward. There were reports some players were surprised, but everyone knew this was coming eventually. It shouldn’t come as much of a shock to anyone really. 

Edited October 24, 2020 by MadDog2020

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Speaking of Fitz...it’s amazing how some guys are just able to stick around and keep surviving.  Since the start of the 2008 season, he’s made 142 starts and thrown 216 TD passes, and will turn 38 years old next month.  Guy clearly has limitations, but he’s managed to play longer than many others who were more talented.  Something to be said for that kind of perseverance.  His record is obviously not good, but the guys who last the longest aren’t always the flashiest or the best at their craft.  He can look back and say “Back in the day no one ever had me still playing in the NFL at 38 years old.”

He won’t ever be remembered as much more than an inconsistent journeyman who could throw 3 TDs and 3 INTs in the same game, but good for him for stubbornly forging a long career in the NFL for himself.

[NJDevs4978]

10 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

I think you may have gotten some fake news there Has. Fitz said in his press conference that he found out when Flores called him into his office and told him. He said he was shocked by the timing of the move, and that he was heartbroken by the decision, which I can understand. But I think it may have been the plan all along to play Tua after the bye, and it just so happens the bye got moved up to this week because of the schedule re-shuffling (it was supposed to be in week 11 originally), and it pushed the timeline forward. There were reports some players were surprised, but everyone knew this was coming eventually. It shouldn’t come as much of a shock to anyone really. 

Yeah I must have heard it wrong, it was actually the 'rest' of the team that found out on social media.  Which is bad enough.  Good thing he did get to Fitz before it got out, but man someone's gotta get their ass on a pike for leaking it before he could address the team.

9 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Speaking of Fitz...it’s amazing how some guys are just able to stick around and keep surviving.  Since the start of the 2008 season, he’s made 142 starts and thrown 216 TD passes, and will turn 38 years old next month.  Guy clearly has limitations, but he’s managed to play longer than many others who were more talented.  Something to be said for that kind of perseverance.  His record is obviously not good, but the guys who last the longest aren’t always the flashiest or the best at their craft.  He can look back and say “Back in the day no one ever had me still playing in the NFL at 38 years old.”

He won’t ever be remembered as much more than an inconsistent journeyman who could throw 3 TDs and 3 INTs in the same game, but good for him for stubbornly forging a long career in the NFL for himself.

I felt bad for him especially when he said he was wondering if he'd played his last NFL game.  I seriously doubt it though, he can still play and if Josh McCown can play a playoff game at age 40, Fitz can find his way in the lineup somewhere a couple years younger.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

3 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Yeah I must have heard it wrong, it was actually the 'rest' of the team that found out on social media.  Which is bad enough.  Good thing he did get to Fitz before it got out, but man someone's gotta get their ass on a pike for leaking it before he could address the team.

I felt bad for him especially when he said he was wondering if he'd played his last NFL game.  I seriously doubt it though, he can still play and if Josh McCown can play a playoff game at age 40, Fitz can find his way in the lineup somewhere a couple years younger.

I know he’ll always be prone to costly turnovers, but depending on the Pats’ QB situation next year, I’d consider signing him for one season.  I can see a scenario where NONE of the current QBs on the Pats’ roster are with the team next year.  If BB drafts a guy who he truly believes can be the future but might need to sit and learn, you could do worse than Fitz on a one-year flier.

[NJDevs4978]

I somehow don't see Fitz as a Bill QB, then again Bill did wonders for Vinny Testaverde in Cleveland when he was just talent with a turnover touch in Tampa.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

47 minutes ago, NJDevs4978 said:

I somehow don't see Fitz as a Bill QB, then again Bill did wonders for Vinny Testaverde in Cleveland when he was just talent with a turnover touch in Tampa.

He’d strictly be a stopgap.  I don’t think BB thinks of any of his current QBs as being here long-term.  Cam is only there because his price dropped so much that it made sense to take a flier on him.  But he’s not a guy you build around.  Hoyer is Hoyer.  I’m guessing BB has no faith in Stidham (he doesn’t bring in Cam otherwise).

Not saying that it will happen, but Fitz as a one-year signing to the Pats isn’t that farfetched, given their current situation (not to mention an offense that needs a lot of new pieces).

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Enough of Cam.  

[NJDevs4978]

Truth be told I didn't think Cam was a Bill QB either, but it seemed to work for the first couple games.  Maybe he still hasn't fully recovered from the COVID?

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Truth be told I didn't think Cam was a Bill QB either, but it seemed to work for the first couple games.  Maybe he still hasn't fully recovered from the COVID?

Who knows, but he’s not the future in NE, and he’s not being paid a fortune...so he can be benched.  Yeah, he was a pleasant surprise early on, but it feels like there’s not much more to milk there.  

I roll with Stidham at this point.  Maybe he doesn’t have much going on, and with the lack of receiving weapons on the Pats, it’s not like he’s going to get tons of help.  But there’s no Band-Aiding that can be done here...this game is the latest nail in the “It’s Over” coffin...it’s not the end of the world if a young QB like Stidham gets a look and doesn’t appear to have a future.

Right now, it’s a case of BB being able to come to grips with the reality of his team’s lack of talent (especially on offense), and to plan accordingly.  There’s enough holes now that this is going to take time to build back up.  

Edited October 25, 2020 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

And Kudos to Brady for showing that he still has something left, after being iffy for a number of games last season, and starting slowly this year.  He still has something left.

No second-guessing here though, mostly because I think BB and TB coexisted for as long as humanly possible.  I think they’ve been plenty sick of each other for a number of years, but that later run of SB appearances and wins was enough for them to put aside their issues with each other, and to focus on the big prizes.  It was simply time for both of them to go their separate ways...they could no longer work together.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Goddamn...Andy Dalton takes about as dirty of a shot that you’ll ever see and gets concussed, and his teammates do...NOTHING.  They don’t go after the guilty party (Jon Bostic), no pushing and shoving...not a damn thing.  Even McCarthy called them out on the lack of retaliation...yikes.

[NJDevs4978]

It may finally be the end of the road for the Patriots.  Brady probably masked that offense's issues more than they masked him last year, and a sh!t ton of their D opting out of the season didn't help either.

Yeah good god the last two weeks for Dallas has been as openly toxic as any locker room I've seen, even worse than the Jets the one year under Bowles when Brandon Marshall and Sheldon Richardson were going at it in the locker room (or the previous year when Geno got punched out).  And it doesn't help they're down to their third-stringer with no D.  Even in a horrible division they're taking a standing eight count.  My prediction of Philly winning it at 6-9-1 is looking good now lol

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

8 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

It may finally be the end of the road for the Patriots.  Brady probably masked that offense's issues more than they masked him last year, and a sh!t ton of their D opting out of the season didn't help either.

Yeah good god the last two weeks for Dallas has been as openly toxic as any locker room I've seen, even worse than the Jets the one year under Bowles when Brandon Marshall and Sheldon Richardson were going at it in the locker room (or the previous year when Geno got punched out).  And it doesn't help they're down to their third-stringer with no D.  Even in a horrible division they're taking a standing eight count.  My prediction of Philly winning it at 6-9-1 is looking good now lol

Re:  the bolded, it most definitely is.  If Brady had stuck around, they're more respectable, but along with needing to break away from BB, I think TB saw that there was no smoke-and-mirroring their way to another AFC East title and a possible Super Bowl run.  The horses just weren't there, and they still aren't.  But like I've said about Lou's final years, even the best GMs and franchises eventually find their way here (especially if they refuse to blow things up).  And as we've seen, sometimes they stay here for quite a while...of course, it's too early to know if the Pats are going to be bad in the short term or for longer.  

And yeah, Brady made a whole lot of people look good up there for many years.  BB did have success with the Giants previously, and as the Pats' HC did find ways to win games when Brady was out of the lineup...yeah, Brady did cover up for a lot of rotten BB defenses for a while, but if BB ever became available to coach another team, he'd have suitors all over the place...especially Big Blue.

The guy who might now get exposed is McDaniels.  He was a trainwreck in his prior HC gig.  He has a lot to prove now that he doesn't have one of the best QBs ever to lean on.  

[Nicomo]

On 10/22/2020 at 10:05 PM, MadDog2020 said:

A little late with this, but it’s Tua time starting next Sunday. Surprised Flores made the move now with the team winning the last two, but I’m good with it. Can’t wait to see this kid take the field for us, finally. 

Burrow and Herbert have both been fantastic so far, if Tua can stay healthy this could end up being a hell of a QB class. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

McDaniels should thank Brady for just about any success he’s enjoyed in the NFL.  Because he sure looks a lot more meh without him (and always has).  

Edited November 1, 2020 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

Yeah I think the secret is out on McDaniels considering he's only gotten one real job offer since going back to NE.  Then again the way he backed out of Indy probably blackballed him from ever getting another coaching job.

As much as I'm glad the Pats are finally hitting a wall I did kinda feel for Cam with the way that game ended.  

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I just think Cam and NE aren’t meant to be...even when it looks like it’s starting to click a little, something happens.

I’m still heavily in favor of Stidham getting a look...Cam probably gives the Pats the best chance to win right now, but I just don’t ever see him as the future in NE.  Stidham probably isn’t either, but I just don’t get the bling commitment to Cam.  He just hasn’t been good for most of the season.