2013 NFL Off-Season Thread

[The_Admiral]

Just wanna say how great it is that the Orioles are cockblocking the Ravens and not moving their game to make way for Great Big NFL Kickoff Extravaganza. Angelos generally does one good thing for every 99 bad things, and this is that.

[dfwabel]

Santa Clara might have to be the leader to host Super Bowl L and Houston to host Super Bowl LI over Miami as Santa Clara agreed to the NFL's financial demands (tax free lodging, car rentals, and cheap stadium/convention center rent) today while Miami refused to meet the request last week.

Also, the NFL is spending $150M+ in a joint partnership with a private equity firm to "private sports and entertainment-related media and technology companies. If they make money, it will be tax free since the NFL is setup as a 501c6.

[Cosmic]

Santa Clara might have to be the leader to host Super Bowl L and Houston to host Super Bowl LI over Miami as Santa Clara agreed to the NFL's financial demands (tax free lodging, car rentals, and cheap stadium/convention center rent) today while Miami refused to meet the request last week.

Also, the NFL is spending $150M+ in a joint partnership with a private equity firm to "private sports and entertainment-related media and technology companies. If they make money, it will be tax free since the NFL is setup as a 501c6.

The tax-free lodging thing is such a scam. Bed taxes can be crazy. I am looking for a hotel in Anaheim and between the city taxes and resort district taxes, it's 17% extra and I'm sure there are worse places. I thought maybe the NFL was looking out for all the tourists coming in for the game and making sure they don't get gouged on these taxes. Nope, the tax-free deal is only for NFL employees and the teams traveling. What a joke! With all of the money flowing during Super Bowl week, the NFL can't pay the 9.5% tax on rooms for its employees?

[FiddySicks]

I do kinda wish plays like this were a bit more common in the Pro Bowl, just for the sake of the game seeming like an actual football game.

RIP Sean.

I was at that game, about ten rows up from that hit. It's still the biggest hit I've ever seen live. You could literally feel the shockwave.

[OnWis97]

NFL considering major changes to the Pro Bowl including having the captains select the teams and a few other things:

===

The source said that the NFL is considering breaking up the compensation structure for the game by halves, or even by quarters, in order to ratchet up the in-game intensity. The league is also considering adding two-minute warnings to end of the first and third quarters, to create games within the game to create tangible rewards in making every play more important. Rewards for big plays are also a possibility.

===

And here I thought pay-for-performance wasn't allowed.

I am a rare person that does not want the Pro Bowl to go away...there is something I like about seeing the different helmets out there. But I'd rather it just go away than do this. The captain draft is the worst thing to happen to all star games. You don't really know who is on what team and your team may have guys on each side. AFC/NFC is fine...then again I think east/west is just fine in the NHL.

[drdougfresh]

I'd like to hear from Lions fans and Raiders fans since I don't feel like we do much around here. It was really refreshing for me to hear what Rams fans had to say about their franchise, and I think a "State of the ____" from around the league would be a nifty idea if some of you fans are willing to throw in a couple pennies.

I'll oblige, and it'll probably involve some venting (but how can you not with this :censored:ing team?).

I crafted a post on my old blog in 2010 that broke down every single draft pick Millen whiffed on. Here's the graphic I put together for it:

The 47 on the right are players that were no longer on the Lions, the 4 on the left are: Calvin Johnson, Drew Stanton, Jeff Backus, and Dominic Raiola. Updated to today, that makes TWO players in total that were drafted by Millen between 2001 and 2008 that remain on this roster. 51 selections, 2 players that turned into "franchise" guys. And sadly, Calvin Johnson was a hotly contested selection because Millen had stupidly burnt picks on Rogers, R. Williams, and M. Williams in prior years. CJ had to be THAT obvious for Millen to make that selection.

Fast forward to today's team (because when Millen left, Mayhew flushed out that toilet of a roster), and things get a little more odd. Mayhew has undoubtedly relied on the draft to put solid guys in the right places, and that's taking a little more time than most are comfortable with to formulate. Guys like Pettigrew, Delmas, Reiff, Levy, and Fairley are taking a little bit longer to cement themselves as solid #1's (Delmas is definitely the best in that group), but they're progressing slowly. Mayhew's draft strategy of taking the BPA has added some depth that's currently covering our asses (DT, DE, and OT come to mind) as we've lost some key guys. I don't think the draft is our problem anymore. Mayhew's a solid draft guy. It may not always be the sexy picks, but he's produced a hell of a lot more than Millen has so far in the 5 years he's been there.

I know 2011 was an outlier, not gonna lie. Flipping the record like that takes a lot more than talent — and I think that's exactly what went wrong last year. Stood pat, thought the talent would do it, and found out really quickly that lack of depth will fold a team really fast. Best not playing at all, Leshoure hurt on and off, and soon enough, we're relying on Joique Bell and Kevin Smith to carry the rock. As much as I admire Smith's work ethic, he's not a feature back.

2012 was also a fun year for injuries. CJ gets hurt, Burleson loses a leg, Broyles and the ACL, Titus Young is a waste of a roster spot, and... wow. No one to throw to. We started Kris Durham last year. That's right, Matt Stafford's college roommate got to start across from CJ the same week he was brought up. Pettigrew still has Jermichael Finley syndrome, so thank god for Scheffler. He's chronically underused, which leads to my next point.

Coaching? Maybe more of an issue. And maybe that's because we've moved past the "foundation" portion of building a franchise and into the more intricate stuff. Jim Schwartz has flipped this team upside down and changed the attitude. And that's the part I like about him -- he's not taking any . He's also breeding this arrogant culture (from what I and other fans can tell) that seems to have permeated certain players in the locker room. Thankfully, a lot of them are gone (Avril, Young, Cherilus mostly), but it's worrisome to see our head coach throwing tantrums on the sideline, and then watching the players follow suit. Not how you run a team. That, combined with the exponentially-growing list of "whoops, should've though of that" scenarios are exactly why the other half of me doesn't like the guy. Gunther Cunningham is fine, he gets the benefit of the doubt from me. He's done well with what he's been given, for sure. Secondary is suspect, but that's what happens when you go BPA so many years. But Scott Linehan? Lawd Jesus.

I think the only reason Scotty keeps his job is because he's putting "high powered" offenses on the field. Simple logic tells you that all of these 4th quarter comebacks are in garbage time, and the numbers are drastically inflated because of that. Apparently no one in the Lions organization realizes that. We're a heavy passing team because Linehan refuses to run the ball effectively. Just to give those who haven't been so fortunate as to watch his beautiful play calling an idea:

1st: Quick Pass to Pettigrew (dropped)

2nd: Dive Right to Kevin Smith (gain of 1)

3rd: Outside Handoff to Stefan Logan (loss of 2)

4th: Punt (likely returned for TD)

Wrong personnel, wrong down, wrong pretty much everything. If we didn't have the likes of Best (in his limited PT) and Megatron, I'm fairly certain Linehan would be out of a job right now. I'm not exaggerating, and I know a lot of Lions (and Rams) fans will agree with me on his offensive play calling. It's atrocious. A guy with the tools we have on offense should have no issue getting a lead and keeping one. But the offense is on and off the field so quickly (scoring or not) that we can't keep leads. The running game needs SERIOUS help.

This offseason, I like that needs have been addressed. Bush is a solid pickup because he creates an issue with coverage. Right now, the Lions probably see 6 guys in the box because we're usually shotgun with 2WR + TE or 3WR + TE. Johnson almost always accounts for two, so Bush will help balance the coverage. Whether or not Linehan can exploit that... well. Glover Quin, I'll be honest, I like only because of how much everyone has been saying about him (haven't had time to review tapes). And now with Delmas back, I feel a lot safer on the back end if he goes down (again) because Quin will likely still be healthy. Jason Jones is a solid DT/DE, so I'll take it. Anyone who has more than a speed rush (looking at you, Cliff Avril) is an upgrade to me. The fact that the Lions are showing interest in Osi Umenyiora is also encouraging.

Overall, I think we're trending upwards. It feels like any year can be "the" year at this point, it's just hoping that all the pieces fall in the right places. This draft will be huge for the future of this franchise.

---

TL;DR - Millen was garbage. Mayhew's better (think v. 2.0). Talent's there, coaching and player development isn't quite. 2013 offseason has been pretty solid, this is a big year for the Lions' future.

[zpqmaowl]

[rams80]

2007-2011 was 15-65 for the Rams. And yes, I believe that's the worst stretch in league history.

Keep in mind that that included one "exciting" year in which the Rams managed to go 7-9. So in the other 4 years combined, they were 8-56. Ugly.

Speaking of terrible drafting, Bernie Miklasz pointed out the other day that the Rams drafted 80 players from the 2004 draft through the present. That draft included Steven Jackson and of those 80, he is the ONE and only Pro Bowler.

The Rams appear to have drafted decent to well in 2012, and Chris Long has been on the brink of a Pro Bowl selection the past couple of seasons, so at some point that streak breaks. But still, that's crazy. (And Miklasz's point was how wasted Jackson's time was in STL by poor management.)

It's actually worse than I realized. The lack of drafting a Pro Bowl player goes back to 1999. Holy hell.

Including the 2004 class that brought Jackson to STL, the Rams drafted 80 players during his term here. Only one of the 80 made a Pro Bowl: Steven Jackson, who got there three times.

To underline the point: the Rams tabbed Holt with the sixth overall choice in the 1999 draft. Holt, one of the top wideouts of his era, was honored with seven Pro Bowl selections.

The Rams have drafted 121 players since making the Holt pick. Of the 121, only Jackson made it to the Pro Bowl as a Ram. (Cornerback Dre Bly was voted to two Pro Bowls after leaving the Rams to sign as a free agent with the Detroit Lions.)

http://www.stltoday....9663e472a6.html

ing up entire drafts has been a time-honored tradition for this franchise during it's St. Louis tenure. My favorite stat is that of the 10 (5 in the first 3 rounds!) players selected in the 1996 Draft (AKA the Lawrence Phillips Draft), only 3 were on the 1999 roster-and 2 of those left after that season. Only Ernie Conwell stuck around. It's like the Rams keep a shinto poverty god in the war room or something. (Or worse yet, made it head of scouting.)

[HedleyLamarr]

2012 was also a fun year for injuries. CJ gets hurt, Burleson loses a leg, Broyles and the ACL, Titus Young is a waste of a roster spot, and... wow. No one to throw to. We started Kris Durham last year. That's right, Matt Stafford's college roommate got to start across from CJ the same week he was brought up. Pettigrew still has Jermichael Finley syndrome, so thank god for Scheffler. He's chronically underused, which leads to my next point.

Granted, I have a little bias, but I always thought Kris Durham was a decent-enough receiver. Was a little shocked that he was drafted in the 4th-round (thought he'd possibly be a 6th-rounder at best), and that Seattle gave up on him so quickly. Don't remember him dropping many balls at Georgia. Kind of like Stafford's version of Welker at Georgia.

[drdougfresh]

2012 was also a fun year for injuries. CJ gets hurt, Burleson loses a leg, Broyles and the ACL, Titus Young is a waste of a roster spot, and... wow. No one to throw to. We started Kris Durham last year. That's right, Matt Stafford's college roommate got to start across from CJ the same week he was brought up. Pettigrew still has Jermichael Finley syndrome, so thank god for Scheffler. He's chronically underused, which leads to my next point.

Granted, I have a little bias, but I always thought Kris Durham was a decent-enough receiver. Was a little shocked that he was drafted in the 4th-round (thought he'd possibly be a 6th-rounder at best), and that Seattle gave up on him so quickly. Don't remember him dropping many balls at Georgia. Kind of like Stafford's version of Welker at Georgia.

No doubt. I thought he actually filled in pretty well given the circumstances. But I don't think he was better than any of the other WRs on our roster, and he started the week we brought him up -- which is mostly what I was getting a.

[illwauk]

I'd like to hear from Lions fans and Raiders fans since I don't feel like we do much around here. It was really refreshing for me to hear what Rams fans had to say about their franchise, and I think a "State of the ____" from around the league would be a nifty idea if some of you fans are willing to throw in a couple pennies.

I'll oblige, and it'll probably involve some venting (but how can you not with this :censored:ing team?).

<rest of post edited>

I think one of the Lions' biggest misfortunes is that they play in what is probably the toughest division in the NFL and always end up looking much worse than they are, which I think feeds into a lot of the "team culture" problems people see in Detroit. If the Lions played in the NFC South they'd be contenders for the division title every year.

[illwauk]

NFL considering major changes to the Pro Bowl including having the captains select the teams and a few other things:

===

The source said that the NFL is considering breaking up the compensation structure for the game by halves, or even by quarters, in order to ratchet up the in-game intensity. The league is also considering adding two-minute warnings to end of the first and third quarters, to create games within the game to create tangible rewards in making every play more important. Rewards for big plays are also a possibility.

===

And here I thought pay-for-performance wasn't allowed.

That's capitalism for ya... those with money get to hold everyone else to standards they'd never hold themselves to.

[The_Admiral]

Are you saying that the Bears and Vikings provide such unforgiving opposition that Lions players have no recourse but to act out? The Bills have gotten their crap pushed in for over a decade in the AFC East and have yet to resort to widespread goonery and head-stomping. I think Schwartz would be a big bag of small dicks in any division, though I agree they'd have won the NFC South. They should be in the NFC South anyway; it's simply unconscionable to make Detroit be in a division with three teams on Central Time.

[illwauk]

"State of the ____" from around the league would be a nifty idea if some of you fans are willing to throw in a couple pennies.

This is probably going to be the Packers toughest season in a long time. Not only have all three other NFC North teams gotten significant upgrades, but their non-divisional road schedule includes the 49ers, Giants, Cowboys, Ravens and Bengals. On the other hand, the Packers seem to play better when they're not expected to do well, as evidenced by their surprise Super Bowl run in 2010 and subsequent inability to get deep in the playoffs in either of the past two seasons.

The biggest question mark offensively is the running game. DaJuan Harris showed flashes of brilliance towards the end of last year, but it remains to be seen if he can be a true feature back through an entire season. This is crucial because opposing defensive coordinators have gotten wise to the Packers passing schemes. The Packers can still move the ball through the air because Aaron Rodgers is a freak of nature whose been blessed with a receiving corps deep enough to make a guy like Greg Jennings expendable, but the big plays that were such a huge part of the offense in 2010 and 2011 have tapered off significantly. If Harris can indeed be a feature back and force opposing defenses to play more aggressively, expect the big passing plays to return. Though the Packers' young offensive line had its growing pains last year, I would expect them to come back stronger in 2013. Still, an o-linesman or two in the draft wouldn't hurt.

The defense doesn't have many question marks, but the ones it does have are doozies. Dom Capers was embarrassed in San Francisco last year for his lack of an answer for the read option, and frankly, I'm not sure it was the right decision for him to be brought back this year, but it is what it is. One of the reasons Capers' scheme doesn't seem to be working as well as it did in the past is the lack of a true inside presence on the defensive line, which the Packers have lacked since Cullen Jenkins. This has allowed opposing offensive linesmen to double up on BJ Raji, forcing Capers to use Clay Matthews as a pass rusher. The Packers are expecting Nick Perry to return healthy and able to step into the pass rushing role, but don't be surprised to see them take a defensive linesman or another linebacker in the first round of the draft.

The biggest weakness on special teams, and possibly the entire team is Mason Crosby. Much like Dom Capers, the teams decision to keep him around has many a Cheesehead scratching their head. Jeremy Ross showed towards the end of last season that he's capable of stepping into Randall Cobb's old role as return man as Cobb becomes a more integral part of the Packers offense. Though Ross suffered a crucial, game-changing muff at the divisional playoff in San Francisco, one good preseason of returning kicks and punts is likely all of the preparation he needs.

The Packers are a relatively young team, and will likely remain so for the forseeable future, as Ted Thompson prefers building through the draft over free agency, but they're still built to win now and... despite the grueling road schedule and what's shaping up to be an even tougher NFC North than last year... anything less than a Super Bowl victory will be considered a disappointment in Packerland. Though the 49ers have emerged as the class of the NFC, the Packers tend to do better when flying under the radar and feeling they have something to prove... both which will come into play in San Francisco and New York. Both games, though difficult, are winnable; and will likely determine the fate of the Packers 2013 season.

TL;DR: DuJuan Harris needs to step up as a feature back, the Packers need more of a pass rush on defense, Mason Crosby needs to stop sucking.

[Island_Style]

I would draft a back over DuJuan Harris. He sucks.

[illwauk]

Are you saying that the Bears and Vikings provide such unforgiving opposition that Lions players have no recourse but to act out? The Bills have gotten their crap pushed in for over a decade in the AFC East and have yet to resort to widespread goonery and head-stomping. I think Schwartz would be a big bag of small dicks in any division, though I agree they'd have won the NFC South.

I was more referring to the leftover administrative dysfunction from the Matt Millen regime, but I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to think the on-field dysfunction is reflective of that.

They should be in the NFC South anyway; it's simply unconscionable to make Detroit be in a division with three teams on Central Time.

Nice!

I would draft a back over DuJuan Harris. He sucks.

He looked pretty sharp after he became the starter and averaged 4.3 YPC, and he's no more of a question mark than any running back the Packers have a realistic shot at drafting (unless another Aaron Rodgers falls into their laps).

[Lights Out]

I think a "State of the ____" from around the league would be a nifty idea if some of you fans are willing to throw in a couple pennies.

Thanks to AJ Smith's horrendous cap management, poor drafting, and years of hemmorhaging talent, this is likely to be another rebuilding year in San Diego. The aforementioned cap mismanagement has tied the Chargers' hands financially, leaving them unable to make a splash in free agency despite having numerous holes to fill, and forcing new GM Tom Telesco to build through the draft for the time being.

Derek Cox could either be a genius signing or a bust. Over a 12 game stretch from 2010-2011, Cox played like a beastly shutdown corner, giving up less catches and YPC than the likes of Lardarius Webb, Darrelle Revis, and Richard Sherman - but in 2009, he was graded as the NFL's worst CB in coverage by PFF (a dismal -16.4), and he has been injury-prone throughout his entire career. Ultimately, he needs to rediscover the magic he had over that 12-game stretch, or else this is a lateral move from Jammer and Cason (arguably the worst cornerback tandem in football last season).

I think Danny Woodhead will be the steal of free agency. PFF ranked him as the Patriots' best running back last season, and he's one of the most prolific third-down backs in the league. It's almost as if the Chargers got Sproles back.

The biggest concerns, however, are the offensive line and the quarterback position. PFF ranked the Chargers' O-line 28th in the league overall last season, 29th in pass blocking, and 24th in run blocking. To add insult to injury, the one half-decent player on the entire O-line, Louis Vasquez, defected to the Broncos. It is absolutely imperative that Telesco addresses this issue in the draft, even if it means trading up for the likes of Luke Joeckel or Eric Fisher. The hiring of former Bills coach Joe D'Allesandris - one of the best O-line coaches in the business - should also help improve the production of this unit.

Meanwhile, Philip Rivers had one of the worst seasons of his career last year. The offensive line's ineptitude and Norv Turner's insistence on calling his outdated seven-step drops and slow-developing plays didn't help much, but even with time to throw, Rivers' decision-making was abysmal, throwing 15 interceptions and forcing some absolutely horrendous passes throughout the season. PFF ranked him among the likes of Matt Cassell and Sanchez. Luckily, new offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt managed to turn Kurt Warner's career back around in Arizona after a similar mid-career run of bad seasons - perhaps he can do the same with Rivers.

The Chargers will most likely be a very bad team this season, but with Telesco and McCoy, there's finally a reason to have hope again.

[Rockstar Matt]

Thank god the NFL voted to get rid of the Tuck Rule. Now, if a QB is trying to bring the ball back into their body and they lose it or get stripped, it's a fumble. As it should have been all of this time.

[NEW.ERA]

I would love the Pack to grab Eddie Lacy for obvious reasons, but he's not worth a key first when we have big issues on the line (both sides). Maybe he's there in the second round, doubtful but he is one target I would like.

[Island_Style]

After hearing Jim Brown speak on it, I am fine with the new RB rule.