🏈🏈 The American Football Discussion Thread 🏈🏈

[DireWolfM14]

I think it should be the Titans, Colts, or Jaguars, lol.  Any team in the league would be happy to have him, the guy is an absolute beast.  I'm not sure if the Steelers or the Packers have a need at that position, but I imagine those are his top choices.

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[bbc.reporter]

The Las Vegas Raiders will be looking for a star quarterback again to be ready for the fans in their new stadium. There are also NFL articles that say Texans’ Deshaun Watson is unhappy with his team. Other articles are saying that the Raiders wants Russell Wilson. However, Russell Wilson does not want to leave. Deshaun Watson might be the pick? Who are the star quarterbacks available as free agents or unhappy with their teams?

[South Park]

Since it has become a bit quiet here I would like to ask you what your guesses about JJ Watts new team are.
I like his tweets with his "hints" because people really play through all possible scenarios.

Would love to see him at the steelers with his two brothers but it is very unlikely..  

It depends, I really think he can still get paid so if that is his goal then there are many teams that may want him, however there are rumours the Browns have made an offer to JJ Watt, this makes sense, the Browns have a terrible secondary but they have a good defensive line, if they add Watt then they may try to pull off something similar to what we saw TB doing on the SB against the Chiefs as they are the favourites right now to go to the SB once again, a move like that, assuming they can remain competitive, could give them an edge over the Ravens and the Steelers as well so I think it makes sense.

The Las Vegas Raiders will be looking for a star quarterback again to be ready for the fans in their new stadium. There are also NFL articles that say Texans’ Deshaun Watson is unhappy with his team. Other articles are saying that the Raiders wants Russell Wilson. However, Russell Wilson does not want to leave. Deshaun Watson might be the pick? Who are the star quarterbacks available as free agents or unhappy with their teams?

The truth is that there is not a single star QB available, all of them have long term contracts and the teams that have them do not want to let them go, Wilson has some problems with how many times he has been hit during his career and it makes sense, but Seattle has tried to go cheap on the OL since they relied on his mobility to escape away, they could try to get a better and more expensive OL to protect Wilson but he better score 40 points per game as he will have no defence to bail him out.

The case of Watson is completely different, he wants out and I get it, the Texans are an awful organization but he is playing with fire, he says that he is willing to hold out but will he actually do it? They can fine him for every single game that he misses and the fines cannot be waived so he could lose most of his salary that way and then they could sue him for his signing bonus for breaching his contract, he may have a lot of money but most of it comes from his latest contract so the Texans could ruin him, also he cannot fake an injury or he will lose his signing bonus as well, so it seems to me his only option if he is not traded is to present himself and play but throw 5 INT per game until he is benched.


Edit: JJ Watt has signed a two year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30985209/jj-watt-announces-signing-arizona-cardinals

[bbc.reporter]

I predict that the Patriots’ new quarterback will be

Jimmy Garoppolo hehehe.

He was groomed to be Tom Brady’s replacement already, however, he was traded to San Francisco. Will Bill Belichick finish what he has started with Garopollo?

 

[South Park]

I predict that the Patriots’ new quarterback will be

Jimmy Garoppolo hehehe.

He was groomed to be Tom Brady’s replacement already, however, he was traded to San Francisco. Will Bill Belichick finish what he has started with Garopollo?

 

For that to happen SF will have to release him, the dead cap hit they will suffer is very low so it is a possibility, but before that they need a replacement, according to rumours SF has shown some interest in Bridgewater and I suppose they have enquired about Deshaun Watson as well but the Texans seem to still refuse to accept calls regarding any trade for him.

So right now the chances of that seem low, which lead us to the next question who will be the starting QB for NE next season? Despite the huge cap space NE has we know you need a QB in this league more than ever but NE does not have the draft capital to go for a big veteran QB and with the 15th overall pick NE will have to trade up to get one of the top QB prospects of this year, something which is very uncommon for Belichick or they could remain at that spot and draft Jones or Lance, the strongest possibility right now seems like Cam could return for a second season to the dismay of NE fans or if the WFT actually releases Alex Smith then NE could bring him until they find a more long term solution at the QB position.

[suchmoon]

if the WFT actually releases Alex Smith then NE could bring him until they find a more long term solution at the QB position.

Do you think he's healthy enough to play as a starter for the whole season? I mean... his recovery was quite remarkable but in the Eagles game he looked fragile.

[bbc.reporter]

@ South Park. Bringing in Alex Smith while looking for a longterm replacement might be a worse decision than letting Cam Newton continue. The Patriots also have an excuse for his low passing performance. Covid hehehe. He had it beginning of the season. You might be right.

[seek3r]

@ South Park. Bringing in Alex Smith while looking for a longterm replacement might be a worse decision than letting Cam Newton continue. The Patriots also have an excuse for his low passing performance. Covid hehehe. He had it beginning of the season. You might be right.

According to different rumors and recent reports I think they will sign Newton again for a short-term deal. Looks like Belichik is a bigger fan of Newton than expected.
Dont know what do think of it and not very happy if this scenario will happen but Cam got atleast a full offseason to prove that he still has his skills he had in Carolina.
Also expecting a QB drafted in the first round.

[South Park]

if the WFT actually releases Alex Smith then NE could bring him until they find a more long term solution at the QB position.

Do you think he's healthy enough to play as a starter for the whole season? I mean... his recovery was quite remarkable but in the Eagles game he looked fragile.

Good question and I honestly do not know, Alex Smith could decide to retire since he already proved what he wanted to prove with his return to the league, if we wants to continue his durability will be an issue but I think the next months could help him to recover even further and have a chance of playing a full season.

According to different rumors and recent reports I think they will sign Newton again for a short-term deal. Looks like Belichik is a bigger fan of Newton than expected.
Dont know what do think of it and not very happy if this scenario will happen but Cam got atleast a full offseason to prove that he still has his skills he had in Carolina.
Also expecting a QB drafted in the first round.

Not very happy about this either, while I think Belichick overachieved with that roster and I think we cannot blame Cam for everything that went wrong with the offence, as the skill position players of NE were the worst around the league, NE needs a long term solution at QB and Cam does not seem to be the right person for the job, I wonder if Belichick is waiting until the beginning of the new year to make any big movements as there are still 9 teams over the cap which need to go below it, which means they will need to cut some good players and maybe he is trying to get them for cheap.

[DireWolfM14]

The official NFL year 2021 starts on March 17th, 10 days away.  As has happened every year prior, the rumor mill is getting up to full steam.

Here's a Yahoo Sports article suggesting that the Patriots top priority this off season is to lure Garoppolo from the 9ers.

The 49ers's John Lynch and Coach Shanahan, have been adamant that Garoppolo is their guy.  There can be a lot of talk this time of year to prop up a guy to enhance his trade value but realistically, I believe them.  Who else do they have to work with?  Neither Mullins nor Beathard have been able to win as consistently as a healthy Garoppolo.  The only way I can see it happening is if the 9ers can swing a high draft pick and a veteran QB.  I think the value of keeping Garoppolo is higher than anything another team would offer in trade.

This one seems far more plausible; a CBS Sports article claiming Khalil Mack gets traded for Russell Wilson.  As much as I would like to see Russell Wilson out of the NFC West, I'm afraid this might be one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments.

[bbc.reporter]

@DireWolfM14. That rumor might be very true. Belichick was preparing Jimmy to be his replacement for Tom Brady already before maybe an unplanned decision to extend Tom Brady with the Patriots? I do not know the story hehe.

I speculate Deshaun Watson will go to San Francsico as a replacement.

[South Park]

Here's a Yahoo Sports article suggesting that the Patriots top priority this off season is to lure Garoppolo from the 9ers.

The 49ers's John Lynch and Coach Shanahan, have been adamant that Garoppolo is their guy.  There can be a lot of talk this time of year to prop up a guy to enhance his trade value but realistically, I believe them.  Who else do they have to work with?  Neither Mullins nor Beathard have been able to win as consistently as a healthy Garoppolo.  The only way I can see it happening is if the 9ers can swing a high draft pick and a veteran QB.  I think the value of keeping Garoppolo is higher than anything another team would offer in trade.

Shanahan and Lynch are not dumb, even if they would like to get an upgrade at the QB position they are not going to let go of Jimmy until they get their QB upgrade, also Belichick has always been the kind of GM that likes to take bargains, blockbuster trades are not his specialty so I doubt he is making any kind of offer that could appeal SF to send Jimmy back to NE, like always Belichick will wait and will get some veterans below market value as the reduction of the cap will suppress salaries all around the league.

This one seems far more plausible; a CBS Sports article claiming Khalil Mack gets traded for Russell Wilson.  As much as I would like to see Russell Wilson out of the NFC West, I'm afraid this might be one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments.

I have also seen reports the Bears are pushing the hardest to try to get Deshaun Watson out of Houston, if true then this means the Bears are really doing everything they can to finally get themselves a QB but I do not know how possible the idea really is, because even if we know you need a QB to become a contender the Bears do not really have the draft capital, the players or even the cap space as they are 7 millions over the cap.


Also the window to use the franchise tag and the transition tag is closing on March 9th and some teams are about to lose some of their most valuable players, a notable case are the Cowboys which do not have the cap space to tag Dak, so unless they make one or two big cuts the Cowboys will have to let go of Dak.

[Hueristic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wmh0RWCANo

[South Park]

After 2 years of drama, or was it 3 years I do not remember anymore, Dak and Dallas have finally come to an agreement, 160 millions for four years and 126 millions in guaranteed money which makes him the second best paid player only behind Mahomes, for those which dislike the Cowboys this should be good news as there is no way they can remain competitive by overpaying their QB, they weren’t competitive but you know what I mean, this is basically the same scenario the Vikings are experimenting with Kirk Cousins and I expect the same results.


Sources: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-free-agency-2021-dak-prescott-cowboys-agree-to-terms-on-contract-extension-with-record-126m-guaranteed/
https://overthecap.com/dak-prescott-and-cowboys-agree-to-160-million-contract/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wmh0RWCANo

Pretty accurate if you ask me, I laughed and then I was like that is pretty much what it is happening anyway.



Edit: The NE Patriots have resigned Cam Newton for a one year deal 5 million base salary with 9 million on incentives, not happy but it is what it is.

Both Brady and Mahomes have restructured their contracts to save cap space, 19 and 17 millions respectively, and Brady got a one year extension.

And the most interesting of all is what the Chiefs are doing with their OL, they cut both of their tackles and they are letting their Center to go on FA, while both tackles were injured and did not play on the SB this is interesting as it takes time for the OL to develop the needed chemistry, so it is definitely a risk and most likely the Chiefs will have to draft an OL at 31st.

Sources: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cam-newton-re-signing-with-patriots-quarterback-to-return-on-a-one-year-deal-per-report/
https://www.nfl.com/news/tom-brady-buccaneers-agree-to-terms-on-one-year-extension
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31052482/sources-kansas-city-chiefs-restructure-qb-patrick-mahomes-contract-save-17m-salary-cap
https://kckingdom.com/2021/03/12/kc-chiefs-offensive-line-completely-different-2021/

[bbc.reporter]

@South Park. However, it was also mentioned by other news articles that Bill Belichick still is looking for a quarterback despite extending Cam Newton for another year. Jimmy Garoppolo was also mentioned to be wanted by the Patriots.

This is disappointing. I was speculating that Cam would transfer to the Redskins to be with Ron Rivera again and Garoppolo to be with Belichick again.

[morvillz7z]

Why does NE fans hate or disapprove so much of Cam being re-signed? Is Garoppolo the answer to everything? I mean he is not the second coming of Jesus, he will not magically bring you back to SB, at that price you are better off with Newton and a bunch of cap space left to work with, just my opinion.

Patriots finished last season with 7-9 record, not that bad considering everything that happened to them.
Cam in a new system coming off a significant injury with no weapons on offense, and basically their entire defense not reporting because of covid, they had like 8-9 opt-outs.

I could see Patriots make the playoffs with their defense back this season and maybe a few additions at key positions.

[suchmoon]

I'm not a Patriots fan but I can imagine that the last Super Bowl might have something to do with the dislike for Belichick's decisions. Granted it would all be forgiven if they beat Tampa Bay in the next SB but I kinda doubt that will happen.

[DireWolfM14]

I think the Patriots' fans are clinging to the past, wishing for Garoppolo's return out of nostalgia.  When he stepped in it was as if TB12 never stepped out.  They saw the future of the franchise's most valuable position under development.  They want that back.

It's not all misplaced, Garoppolo has been good when healthy, and the Pats have a great track record for keeping their QB healthy.  But the Patriots' woes go far beyond the QB position.  Belichick knows that, which why he signed Cam to another season.  I've never been a fan of Cam Newton, but I don't think that was a bad idea anyway.  There's nothing in the contract granting Cam the starting job, and it pays like a backup QB with incentives to earn the starting job.  There's also the possibility of trading him before the deadline in September.  It's an insurance policy, and a relatively cheap one.

As for the Patriots making it to the SB this year, I wouldn't count them out.  I think Belichick would love nothing more than to prove he can win a super bowl with an aging QB who's mostly built his career on his ability to run, but is now losing that edge.  I do think he would take advantage of a better option, if one becomes available.  Nonetheless, it's a tit-for-tat. Tom Brady proved he can win a super bowl with another coach, now Belichick needs to prove he can win a super bowl with another QB.

[morvillz7z]

source: https://twitter.com/AnnieAgar/status/1371537476364406786

"Signed
- Jonnu Smith 4yr/$50M
- Davon Godchaux 2yr/$16M
- Matt Judon 4yr/$56M
- Jalen Mills 4yr/$24M
- Nelson Agholor 2yr/$26M
- Kendrick Bourne 3yr/$22.5M"
source: https://twitter.com/KeaganStiefel/status/1371598437498621955

Belichick is not playing around, Jonnu Smith is an amazing addition imo, outside of Kelce and Kittle he is probably the best TE out there, close to 500 yards last season and 8 TD catches.
The odds for Patriots winning the AFC East look great at 5.14 (dropped a little throughout the day and will likely go down further).

[DireWolfM14]

"Signed
- Jonnu Smith 4yr/$50M
- Davon Godchaux 2yr/$16M
- Matt Judon 4yr/$56M
- Jalen Mills 4yr/$24M
- Nelson Agholor 2yr/$26M
- Kendrick Bourne 3yr/$22.5M"
source: https://twitter.com/KeaganStiefel/status/1371598437498621955

Belichick is not playing around, Jonnu Smith is an amazing addition imo, outside of Kelce and Kittle he is probably the best TE out there, close to 500 yards last season and 8 TD catches.
The odds for Patriots winning the AFC East look great at 5.14 (dropped a little throughout the day and will likely go down further).

Jonnu Smit is a great addition, a top notch TE was glaringly missing from the Pats offense last year.  Matt Judon is another great addition, and with the rest of the defense back in action, they're going to be a force.  Agholor and Bourne are both decent receivers, but I think Belichick still needs a stand-out at the position.  Galladay is still unsigned, but I expect the Lions to franchise-tag him if they can't come to a long-term agreement.

I'm hoping the Niners can sign Trent Williams to long term deal, otherwise I expect they'll use their tag on him.