NFL Football 2011

[Aggie87]

Ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

Well, today's been an interesting day in the NFL. Today's the first day teams can sign their own free agents, or draft picks, cut players, or trade players. So there's been a flurry of activity all over the place.

The Cowboys have cut Roy Williams, Marion Barber, and Leonard Davis, all of whom had subpar years last year (and in Williams' case a subpar Cowboys career, based on at least Jones' expectations). They act like they want to try to acquire corner Nnamdi Asomugha, but he may out of their price range.

I also see that the Redskins have traded Donovan McNabb apparently to the Vikings. Dunno if he'll be the starter for a year until Ponder is ready, or if they'll throw Ponder to the wolves and have McNabb back him up.

Former Vike Tarvaris Jackson is now a Seahawk, and could be their starter this year. Matt Leinart is also a Seahawk, rejoining his former USC coach, Pete Carroll. Maybe he'll be the starter instead. Neither excite me too much.

What has your team done so far?

The Hall of Fame Game was cancelled, but the rest of the preseason games are on as scheduled, starting 11 August! That's only 16 days away!

[Chuck Nessa]

bunch of big guys miss training camp and a bunch of other stuff. They have millions at stake. I only have hundreds at stake. Why should I care or watch?

[Aggie87]

You bring up good points Chuck. I don't have the answer. Hard to have much sympathy for their millionaire/billionaire squabbles.

I just like watching football games.

[Shawn]

I don't even know who I'm "supposed" to root for now. San Diego? Frisco? Oakland?

How can a metropolitan area with 17 million people NOT have a damn football team. LOL. Nostalgia has me leaning toward SF, but reality and proximity tell me that the "Superchargers" would make more sense.

I usually root for the Seahawks, but those QB choices are terrible and I'm thus far unimpressed with Carroll and the moves he's made in signing players.

[MartyJazz]

As a 40+ year Jet season ticket holder (currently living in Florida), I unfortunately live and die with this team during football season (especially here in antagonistic Dolphin country), heart holding sway over mind. Anyway, love big mouth Rex but am very concerned now about the possibility of losing quite a few free agents, most especially Santonio Holmes who proved last year to all Jet fans what a fabulous playmaker he is. Redskins want him and Dan Snyder has signed many very good players away from us over the years (see Randy Thomas, Laverneus Coles, etc.) so I know that Jets will have to break the bank to keep Holmes. OTOH, common sense also tells me that Holmes should be reluctant to go to a team such as the Skins whose QB situation is very iffy, but money always seems to rule the day. Would also like to hold on to Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith as well, but that's somewhat unrealistic. We'll see.

Edited July 27, 2011 by MartyJazz

[Chalupa]

ESPN is reporting the Jets just signed* Asomugha. Asomugha and Revis together?? Holy smokes.

* I mean "reached an agreement with"

Edited July 27, 2011 by J.H. Deeley

[Dan Gould]

I was holding out hope that football would really destroy itself; as it is I'll do my best to ignore everything other than the occasional game on Sundays until the end of October or whenever the Red Sox are eliminated.

Then I might check in on where the Bears and Pats stand.

Then I'll (mostly) concentrate on the glorious day known as "Pitchers & Catchers".

[Dave James]

Eagle fan here. Hoping the proposed trade of Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals for Dominique Rogers Cromartie and (hopefully) a first round pick, goes through soon. Now that Asomugha looks to be off the board, the deal for Kolb takes on even greater significance. I just hope the Eagles are smart enough not to push too hard on the draft pick piece of this deal. The last thing you want to do is chase away a potential suitor by trying to get blood out of a turnip. Philly desperately needs a cornerback to complement Assante Samuel and DRC seems to be as good a fit as they're likely to find. As to a back-up QB to replace Kolb, I'm thinking Vince Young --- assuming Brett Farve truly is not in the mix.

If the Jets have signed Asomugha, it would seem like their ability to retain Holmes, Edwards or Smith or anyone else for that matter will be severely compromised. His asking price was somewhere in the $20 million range. That'll eat up a lot of crucial capital in one fell swoop. I agree, though, having him and Revis on the edges is a very scary thought. Where are folks going to throw?

[Shawn]

I was holding out hope that football would really destroy itself; as it is I'll do my best to ignore everything other than the occasional game on Sundays until the end of October or whenever the Red Sox are eliminated.

Then I might check in on where the Bears and Pats stand.

Then I'll (mostly) concentrate on the glorious day known as "Pitchers & Catchers".

Baseball is like watching grass grow on TV. I'll stick with Football.

[papsrus]

Count me among those who, for purely selfish reasons, was hoping they would take a year off.

[alocispepraluger102]

it is difficult to understand how the players union head, firebrand demaurice smith, about one month ago, chameleoned from a snarling pitbull into a slobbering bassett hound.

did some serious money change hands somewhere?

[Sundog]

did some serious money change hands somewhere?

Yeah-- 10 years worth!

[alocispepraluger102]

did some serious money change hands somewhere?

Yeah-- 10 years worth!

me wonders what secret fees are to come for thee and me.

nfl pay-to-view on the old telly can't be far away.

i'm thinkin' pay per head in bars might be close.

Edited July 28, 2011 by alocispepraluger102

[Larry Kart]

I think Smith's main problem was that so many of his constituents, i.e. the players, were saying all over the place (on Twitter, in interviews, etc.) that all they wanted to do was get back on the field and play. You can't negotiate when your side has given away almost all its leverage, and the other side knows it.

[Stefan Wood]

bunch of big guys miss training camp and a bunch of other stuff. They have millions at stake. I only have hundreds at stake. Why should I care or watch?

I watch football while listening to jazz. Have my cake and eat it too!

[T.D.]

I think Smith's main problem was that so many of his constituents, i.e. the players, were saying all over the place (on Twitter, in interviews, etc.) that all they wanted to do was get back on the field and play. You can't negotiate when your side has given away almost all its leverage, and the other side knows it.

Owners have all the leverage in these pro sports strikes.

Over the years, I've drifted away from pro football, and now find it almost impossible to watch the games (granted, I don't watch TV at all any more). There's under 10 minutes (I read 9:45 somewhere) of actual play in a 3-1/2 hour broadcast, and I don't care for the way games are telecast (how many moronic beer and car commercials can one possibly stomach?). You all can have it. I do follow the NY Jints via print/Internet, though.

Used to live and die with the NHL, but after the big '04-'05 lockout I realized I could live without it.

Edited July 28, 2011 by T.D.

[PHILLYQ]

Good to see that I'm not the only one who thinks the players got hosed this time around. A ten year deal with no chance to terminate early, the same salary cap and one-way contracts and a smaller percentage of league revenues, the players left off the bow and the wrapping paper.

I got a good laugh with Mike Brown of the Bengals talking about Carson Palmer's trade request, blathering on about how Palmer's made a commitment for 4 years. The Bengals can cut Palmer at anytime, so where's their commitment?

[Tim McG]

I was holding out hope that football would really destroy itself; as it is I'll do my best to ignore everything other than the occasional game on Sundays until the end of October or whenever the Red Sox are eliminated.

Then I might check in on where the Bears and Pats stand.

Then I'll (mostly) concentrate on the glorious day known as "Pitchers & Catchers".

Baseball is like watching grass grow on TV. I'll stick with Football.

I can see your point....baseball does require thinking.

Edited July 28, 2011 by GoodSpeak

[Justin V]

I got a good laugh with Mike Brown of the Bengals talking about Carson Palmer's trade request, blathering on about how Palmer's made a commitment for 4 years. The Bengals can cut Palmer at anytime, so where's their commitment?

I'm torn on the Palmer issue. In December 2005, Palmer signed a contract extension that added 6 years to the 3 years that were already left on his contract. "Hopefully this is the last place I'll end up playing," Palmer said. "That's so rare in this league these days. It's so rare to see a person have a 5-, 8-, 10-, 12-year career in one place. And I feel very fortunate that it looks like that's going to be my future." Things can change over 5 years, which is why he shouldn't have signed such a long term contract.

On the other hand, Brown gets to choose between allowing Palmer to retire, or getting something in return for him. I think that Palmer is overrated, but that would work in the Bengals' favor. Having finished last in the division, they could use the pick(s) or player(s). However, with other teams rapidly snapping up quarterbacks, the market for Palmer's services is dwindling.

[Shawn]

I can see your point....baseball does require thinking.

GoodGrief would be a better handle I think.

[Tim McG]

I can see your point....baseball does require thinking.

GoodGrief would be a better handle I think.

Only if that was the name of my small business.

But it does have a nice Charlie Brown ring to it.

Edited July 28, 2011 by GoodSpeak

[PHILLYQ]

I got a good laugh with Mike Brown of the Bengals talking about Carson Palmer's trade request, blathering on about how Palmer's made a commitment for 4 years. The Bengals can cut Palmer at anytime, so where's their commitment?

On the other hand, Brown gets to choose between allowing Palmer to retire, or getting something in return for him. I think that Palmer is overrated, but that would work in the Bengals' favor. Having finished last in the division, they could use the pick(s) or player(s). However, with other teams rapidly snapping up quarterbacks, the market for Palmer's services is dwindling.

So Brown has a player who doesn't want to be there, a frenzied market where almost any QB is getting snapped up, and he...shoots himself in the foot by being a hardass and gets nothing for Palmer.

[Van Basten II]

Is there a rule here that you have to post in every thread even if you loathe the subject , they are plenty of interesting threads throughout this board so why waste time making snide comments about subjects that you don't care about ?

You don't care about NFL fine, so what the hell are you doing in this thread in the first place.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Van Basten II

[Chicago Expat]

Kyle Orton, for all his faults as a QB, being a locker room cancer ain't one of them. There aren't many better team guys than him.

Consider now... Denver clearly is looking for any reason to bench him/ship him out and start Tebow, but Orton still shows up for camp to lead the team, we don't hear any reports of grumbling in the locker room or on the sideline, no "anonymous source" "news reports" of Kyle making behind the scenes demands, none of it.

And this was no different than his time in Chicago. As a rookie, he was the QB for a team that made it to the playoffs for the first time in years. Now, granted, it was the defense that carried him (and the rest of the offense), but still, he was the QB and he got plenty of attention as the potential rookie of the year. Not soon after, he gets benched. Grossman is all the rage. Orton rides the bench, he keeps working out with second team, helps Grossman out however he can. And, again, no reports of grumbling or locker room problems, even though he'd have been justified, even if it would've been in his own mind, because here's a guy who get rookie of the year attention and helped bring the Bears into the playoffs. But not a peep.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that guy isn't under-throwing wide open receivers by ten yards for my team anymore. But for every criticism I can level at the guy for his play on the field, I've got nothing but good things to say about his character on and off the field.

I hope he continues to find some success in the NFL, whether it be with the Broncos or some other team.*

*As long as that success doesn't come at the Bears' expense, etc etc etc.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Chicago Expat

[Noj]

Sounds like what the Raiders had last season in Jason Campbell, ChitownExpat. Campbell's a standup guy, very classy. He just isn't all that good.