2011 NFL Offseason Thread

[IceCap]

2007 vs. Patriots - Rivers played on a torn ligament. It's a miracle the game was that close considering Rivers' injury. Again, I can't blame him for that loss, in fact, I'm still impressed that he played.

If he had a torn ligament, was he really helping the team by being out there? I get the tough guy thing, and that it's admirable, but wouldn't a 100% backup (don't know who it was) be better than a starter with a torn ligament? I don't know the specifics of this situation, but that would seem the case to me.

Rivers DID blow chunks that game.

[Lights Out]

But Volek or Whitehurst would have been worse.

[dfwabel]

Is that a sign coaches don't expect Sparano to have a long term future in Miami and/or that the Dolphins aren't expected to do well for a few years, being in with the Jets and Patriots.

I think it's more the case of Stephen Ross wanting Harbaugh and failing to get him. In panic mode, Sparano was then signed to an extension (through 2013-14 season), OC Dan Henning retires, and the need to change the offensive staff was still a priority. Even in a possible lockout year, Sparano does equate to some stability. Later in January, GM Jeff Ireland received and extension as well.

[IceCap]

But Volek or Whitehurst would have been worse.

Truth be told the years of Chargers playoff disappointments have blended together. Was this the year that Rivers got injured in the game against Indy, which they won, which propelled them into the AFC title game against the Patriots?

If it was then I have to disagree. From what I recall Volek entered the Indy game with the outcome still very much in doubt and pulled out the win.

[Lights Out]

Yes, you've got it right, but Indy wasn't even in the same stratosphere as New England that year. Remember, the Pats were 17-0 going into that AFC title game. I certainly wouldn't be trusting my backup QB to deliver the win against an opponent like them.

Also, 2006 excluded, the Colts have a penchant for choking. I was not at all surprised when they gagged against the Chargers even with Volek in.

[rams80]

Yes, you've got it right, but Indy wasn't even in the same stratosphere as New England that year. Remember, the Pats were 17-0 going into that AFC title game. I certainly wouldn't be trusting my backup QB to deliver the win against an opponent like them.

I would based on him actually having two functional knees.

[Sport]

Bengals fire OC Bob Bratkowski. Finally. He should've been fired in 2006. The man is the worst play caller in the NFL and I'll be glad to see someone else behind the O.

[dfwabel]

Bengals fire OC Bob Bratkowski. Finally. He should've been fired in 2006. The man is the worst play caller in the NFL and I'll be glad to see someone else behind the O.

Meanwhile, your QB (and his brother) wants to leave.

[dfwabel]

In terms of the CBA, the NFLPA faces another issue.

Arbitrator sides with NFL in terms of current player health care.

From the story (Credit: Bloomberg):

National Football League teams don?t have to pay players? health insurance costs after their collective bargaining agreement expires in March.

A Philadelphia arbitrator denied a grievance filed by the NFL Players Association that sought to force the 32 teams in the U.S.?s most-watched television sport to continue to pay for such benefits after the deal ends, according to a copy of the decision sent by the NFL.

The labor accord says ?these benefits ?are guaranteed during the term of this agreement,?? arbitrator Shyam Das wrote in the decision. ?They are not guaranteed after the CBA ends.?

The NFL has said that clubs won?t pay health care costs after the labor agreement expires on March 3. Players have a right to continue their existing coverage at their own, or the union?s, expense, Das wrote.

The league will provide long-term care, funded by teams, for about 2,500 retired players between the ages of 50 and 75, underwritten by Aegon NA?s Transamerica Life Insurance Company, said Jeff Pash, the NFL?s chief negotiator in the labor talks.

?It?s something we were urged to do by a number of retired player groups,? Pash said in a news conference on labor issues. ?We hope this will be one more program that will be of some value to our retirees.?

If the collective bargaining agreement expires without a new deal in place, the NFL won?t make any change in retiree benefits, including pensions and disability, Pash said.

[NJTank]

Eagles promote OFFENSIVE LINE coach Juan Castillo to DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR.

I don't know anything about coaching, but first reaction is WTF? He would have succeeded Morningwheg as OC if he got a head coaching job, so maybe they were afraid of losing him and wanted to keep him locked up on staff? But DC???

Man...that IS kinda strange. I can't recall having seen anything like that happen before in NFL coaching ranks. Who knows..maybe the guy does know some defense. At the very least, maybe he could give the D-linemen inside pointers on how to handle/beat their opponents on the other side of the line...I guess???

But yeah-peculiar move there.

It is not that weird. I do not want to upset Tnak, but in the Miami Herald blogslast week, beat writer Armando Salguero released facts about the new Dolphins offensive braintrust.

From the blog:

Quarterback coach Karl Dorrell has never been a quarterback coach before on any level.

Fact is running back coach Jeff Nixon has never been a running backs coach in the NFL.

Fact is tight end coach Dan Campbell has never been a position coach at any level before.

Fact is wide receivers coach Steve Bush has never filled that job at any level.

Fact is wide receiver assistant Ike Hilliard has never coached in the NFL at all.

Fact is five of the six new hires the Dolphins just made to coach offense will be new to their jobs either because they never coached the position before, never held an assistant's job for that position in the NFL before, or never coached in the NFL.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll Miami's most experienced new hire. Daboll has two years experience as an NFL offensive coordinator as he was the Cleveland Browns OC in 2009 and 2010.

The Dolphins are going to be a :censored:ing Disaster next year. I guess I can look forward to Andrew Luck in 2012.

[dfwabel]

Eagles promote OFFENSIVE LINE coach Juan Castillo to DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR.

I don't know anything about coaching, but first reaction is WTF? He would have succeeded Morningwheg as OC if he got a head coaching job, so maybe they were afraid of losing him and wanted to keep him locked up on staff? But DC???

Man...that IS kinda strange. I can't recall having seen anything like that happen before in NFL coaching ranks. Who knows..maybe the guy does know some defense. At the very least, maybe he could give the D-linemen inside pointers on how to handle/beat their opponents on the other side of the line...I guess???

But yeah-peculiar move there.

It is not that weird. I do not want to upset Tnak, but in the Miami Herald blogslast week, beat writer Armando Salguero released facts about the new Dolphins offensive braintrust.

From the blog:

Quarterback coach Karl Dorrell has never been a quarterback coach before on any level.

Fact is running back coach Jeff Nixon has never been a running backs coach in the NFL.

Fact is tight end coach Dan Campbell has never been a position coach at any level before.

Fact is wide receivers coach Steve Bush has never filled that job at any level.

Fact is wide receiver assistant Ike Hilliard has never coached in the NFL at all.

Fact is five of the six new hires the Dolphins just made to coach offense will be new to their jobs either because they never coached the position before, never held an assistant's job for that position in the NFL before, or never coached in the NFL.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll Miami's most experienced new hire. Daboll has two years experience as an NFL offensive coordinator as he was the Cleveland Browns OC in 2009 and 2010.

The Dolphins are going to be a :censored:ing Disaster next year. I guess I can look forward to Andrew Luck in 2012.

On the bright side, there may not be a 2011-12 season.

[Drakonius26]

In terms of the CBA, the NFLPA faces another issue.

Arbitrator sides with NFL in terms of current player health care.

From the story (Credit: Bloomberg):

National Football League teams don?t have to pay players? health insurance costs after their collective bargaining agreement expires in March.

A Philadelphia arbitrator denied a grievance filed by the NFL Players Association that sought to force the 32 teams in the U.S.?s most-watched television sport to continue to pay for such benefits after the deal ends, according to a copy of the decision sent by the NFL.

The labor accord says ?these benefits ?are guaranteed during the term of this agreement,?? arbitrator Shyam Das wrote in the decision. ?They are not guaranteed after the CBA ends.?

The NFL has said that clubs won?t pay health care costs after the labor agreement expires on March 3. Players have a right to continue their existing coverage at their own, or the union?s, expense, Das wrote.

The league will provide long-term care, funded by teams, for about 2,500 retired players between the ages of 50 and 75, underwritten by Aegon NA?s Transamerica Life Insurance Company, said Jeff Pash, the NFL?s chief negotiator in the labor talks.

?It?s something we were urged to do by a number of retired player groups,? Pash said in a news conference on labor issues. ?We hope this will be one more program that will be of some value to our retirees.?

If the collective bargaining agreement expires without a new deal in place, the NFL won?t make any change in retiree benefits, including pensions and disability, Pash said.

With this news, and players like Antonio Cromartie, along with others complaining about the senior leadership of the NFLPA... I have a feeling that not only will the NFL win, but the players themselves are going to fold under the pressure and probably settle for a much lesser deal, much like what the NHLPA did.

[Saintsfan]

I just don't think it's that easy. The Chargers have done pretty well over the last, what, decade? Really bad coaching and bad drafting doesn't achieve those results (go ask Lions fans about that).

We've been going downhill ever since Norv was hired. We won one less playoff game every year from 2007-2009, and then failed to make the playoffs or even win the division this year. What's next - the basement of the AFC West?

The Lions' situation is not comparable to the Chargers' situation. The reason why the Bolts are still "good" is because of smart drafting by John Butler and then by AJ during the Schottenheimer era. We still have plenty of talented holdovers from that time period. But the drafts have been getting worse and worse since Norv was hired, leaving not a lot of young talent to replace the older guys. I mean, Buster Davis? Larry English? Really? And Ryan Mathews was benched by Norv the second he made a rookie mistake this season. How's he supposed to get better? It's just lunacy in San Diego.

And just on player leadership, is Rivers really a leader? Good QB possibly, but is he a leader in the way Brady, Manning or Brees for instance are?

Maybe not on the level of Brady/Manning/Brees, but Rivers does have a reputation of leadership. The players and local media praise his leadership often.

He doesn't have the playoff record that would suggest he does?

Let's take a look at those playoff losses, though:

2006 vs. Patriots - Marlon McCree inexcusably fumbles the interception that would have iced the game for the Chargers. Reche Caldwell returns the fumble for a Patriots touchdown. On the Chargers' final drive, Rivers gets them down to the 36-yard line, but Kaeding misses the game-winning field goal. I don't see how you can blame Rivers for that loss.

2007 vs. Patriots - Rivers played on a torn ligament. It's a miracle the game was that close considering Rivers' injury. Again, I can't blame him for that loss, in fact, I'm still impressed that he played.

2008 vs. Steelers - The Chargers didn't touch the ball for the entire third quarter. That's the fault of the defense and special teams, not the offense.

2009 vs. Jets - Kaeding misses THREE easy field goals. If he makes even two of them, the Chargers win. Again, not Rivers' fault.

Rivers has actually performed well in the playoffs, but every single year he's made it there, it's inevitably spoiled by either Kaeding or injuries. Just goes to show that playoff performance doesn't always determine leadership ability.

But they all highlight the lack of player leadership in one way or another at crucial times in games. And if you can't blame Rivers for those defeats, how can you blame Turner or management?

[dfwabel]

In terms of the CBA, the NFLPA faces another issue.

Arbitrator sides with NFL in terms of current player health care.

From the story (Credit: Bloomberg):

National Football League teams don?t have to pay players? health insurance costs after their collective bargaining agreement expires in March.

A Philadelphia arbitrator denied a grievance filed by the NFL Players Association that sought to force the 32 teams in the U.S.?s most-watched television sport to continue to pay for such benefits after the deal ends, according to a copy of the decision sent by the NFL.

The labor accord says ?these benefits ?are guaranteed during the term of this agreement,?? arbitrator Shyam Das wrote in the decision. ?They are not guaranteed after the CBA ends.?

The NFL has said that clubs won?t pay health care costs after the labor agreement expires on March 3. Players have a right to continue their existing coverage at their own, or the union?s, expense, Das wrote.

The league will provide long-term care, funded by teams, for about 2,500 retired players between the ages of 50 and 75, underwritten by Aegon NA?s Transamerica Life Insurance Company, said Jeff Pash, the NFL?s chief negotiator in the labor talks.

?It?s something we were urged to do by a number of retired player groups,? Pash said in a news conference on labor issues. ?We hope this will be one more program that will be of some value to our retirees.?

If the collective bargaining agreement expires without a new deal in place, the NFL won?t make any change in retiree benefits, including pensions and disability, Pash said.

With this news, and players like Antonio Cromartie, along with others complaining about the senior leadership of the NFLPA... I have a feeling that not only will the NFL win, but the players themselves are going to fold under the pressure and probably settle for a much lesser deal, much like what the NHLPA did.

While I somewhat agree with the owners, via your statement, you have little idea on the current CBA and what the players currently receive or the terms of how revenue is split less determined.

[dfwabel]

I just don't think it's that easy. The Chargers have done pretty well over the last, what, decade? Really bad coaching and bad drafting doesn't achieve those results (go ask Lions fans about that).

We've been going downhill ever since Norv was hired. We won one less playoff game every year from 2007-2009, and then failed to make the playoffs or even win the division this year. What's next - the basement of the AFC West?

The Lions' situation is not comparable to the Chargers' situation. The reason why the Bolts are still "good" is because of smart drafting by John Butler and then by AJ during the Schottenheimer era. We still have plenty of talented holdovers from that time period. But the drafts have been getting worse and worse since Norv was hired, leaving not a lot of young talent to replace the older guys. I mean, Buster Davis? Larry English? Really? And Ryan Mathews was benched by Norv the second he made a rookie mistake this season. How's he supposed to get better? It's just lunacy in San Diego.

And just on player leadership, is Rivers really a leader? Good QB possibly, but is he a leader in the way Brady, Manning or Brees for instance are?

Maybe not on the level of Brady/Manning/Brees, but Rivers does have a reputation of leadership. The players and local media praise his leadership often.

He doesn't have the playoff record that would suggest he does?

Let's take a look at those playoff losses, though:

2006 vs. Patriots - Marlon McCree inexcusably fumbles the interception that would have iced the game for the Chargers. Reche Caldwell returns the fumble for a Patriots touchdown. On the Chargers' final drive, Rivers gets them down to the 36-yard line, but Kaeding misses the game-winning field goal. I don't see how you can blame Rivers for that loss.

2007 vs. Patriots - Rivers played on a torn ligament. It's a miracle the game was that close considering Rivers' injury. Again, I can't blame him for that loss, in fact, I'm still impressed that he played.

2008 vs. Steelers - The Chargers didn't touch the ball for the entire third quarter. That's the fault of the defense and special teams, not the offense.

2009 vs. Jets - Kaeding misses THREE easy field goals. If he makes even two of them, the Chargers win. Again, not Rivers' fault.

Rivers has actually performed well in the playoffs, but every single year he's made it there, it's inevitably spoiled by either Kaeding or injuries. Just goes to show that playoff performance doesn't always determine leadership ability.

Your reliance on a kicker illustrates that close winning close games is not a skill learned by a team, but RANDOM. The skill, which NFL teams generally fail to possess in the playoffs, is to beat a team by more than one score. Plus, 'Lights Out', also read this,

[IceCap]

Brett Farve voted the most hated player in the NFL.

[Sport]

Bengals fire OC Bob Bratkowski. Finally. He should've been fired in 2006. The man is the worst play caller in the NFL and I'll be glad to see someone else behind the O.

Meanwhile, your QB (and his brother) wants to leave.

He does?!?!?! According to who? I demand to know the source! This can't be true.

[BBTV]

[dfwabel]

List of invitees to the combine

[Lights Out]

But they all highlight the lack of player leadership in one way or another at crucial times in games. And if you can't blame Rivers for those defeats, how can you blame Turner or management?

I don't blame Turner entirely for the playoff losses. I do blame him for playcalling so safe that we're constantly relying on field goals and winning the special teams battle, and I do blame him for creating an accountability-free environment where it's okay to lose, as long as he thinks you've tried hard. That spills over into the playoffs, so he does shoulder some blame.

I blame management for some horrendous drafts the past couple of years, and for failing to bring in a few veterans in free agency to provide some much-needed extra leadership.

I don't blame Rivers because, aside from when he played hurt against the Pats, he's put up respectable playoff numbers, especially against the Colts. Despite his best attempts to keep the team under control, there's not much he can do when Kaeding once again cracks under pressure and loses his accuracy, or when Vincent Jackson decides to kick challenge flags and act stupidly in the heat of the moment. Take Rivers out of the equation, though, and the Chargers wouldn't even come close to the playoffs ever this past decade.