NFL Off-season 2019 (1 Viewer)

[Jeffrey D]

It’s a lock that Rosen will be traded, and I think the Dolphins should be interested. If it’s true that Miami is “tanking” to get a QB next year, that’s trying the patience of whatever fans they have left. Suppose Stinky Fitz has a reasonable year, and they win 7 games. That tanking strategy will have blown up in their faces.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The Raiders really appeared to reach with their first rounder, who gets high marks for character but low ones for athletic ability. Many people had their choice listed as a 2nd rounder. The Gruden / Mayock show looks to be off to a "memorable" start.

The football guys that I respect have Ferrell drafted in the first round. I thought Ferrell would be drafted between 15-25 and not #4 by the Raiders. However, after sleeping for about 2-3 hours, my criticism for this pick has lessen a bit because Ferrell is a really good football player, he just doesn't have the ceiling as some other guys drafted behind him. What he does have is the ability to rush the QB, but also he's very good against the run which is something some of those other edge rushers in the draft haven't done. He's going to start right way for the Raiders and be a productive player for them. I really like their other 2 first round picks. IMO, the Raiders drafted three starting players in their first round picks.

Ferrell was a reach, but it's not a Daniel Jones type reach like the Giants did last night. I previously defended Gettleman on this board. I won't do that again. What an arrogant prick based on his comments from last night and earlier this week. The media and fan base can't run him out of town fast enough. The clock is ticking for Gettleman as his future as the Giants GM is definitely tied to Daniel Jones. He won't get a second chance to pick another QB for this team. On second thought, we're talking about John Mara as the owner so that could definitely happen based of Mara's previous managerial decisions. Nothing can destroy a sports organization like a terrible owner. Currently, the Giants have terrible ownership. I blame the fans for some of this as they should be cancelling their PSLs in droves.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Couldn’t agree more, Robert- nothing can destroy a sports organization like a terrible owner. I live in Bengals country, so we know this only too well

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Couldn’t agree more, Robert- nothing can destroy a sports organization like a terrible owner. I live in Bengals country, so we know this only too well

As someone who's lived in the metro Detroit area his entire life, I can also attest to this. I have personally witnessed it firsthand for over a half century -- and the Ford family has been screwing up the franchise for over 60 years. The Detroit Lions: Rebuilding since 1957!

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Hey, I'm no draft expert, but the two teams I root for made very questionable first picks. Talk about reaching, they both reached big time. Again, I have zero faith in Gruden or Gettleman in building a playoff team so I'm not a happy camper right now. Damn, I'm glad I didn't watch this draft and was instead at the movies watching "Endgame".

On watching the first round, yes, you made the right choice, it was a dull first round. Also, wow, I think the ESPN draft coverage is miserable to watch. NFL Network does a better job now. ESPN seems to have really gone downhill with their coverage of things. They basically murdered Monday Night Football and turned it into something to avoid. I'd like to see that go to another network.

On the Raiders draft so far, I like it. Yes, they reached a little at 4 maybe but the kid they picked is supposed to be a pure pass rusher with a good motor and big upside. I'm a big fan of Josh Allen and I thought they would take him but at least they took a big D-linemen in Ferrell and that's what they needed. Plus they added the best RB in the draft so their offense should be quite a bit more dynamic in 2019. I mean I would give them an A for what they have done based on potential. They swapped Amari Cooper for Mr. Big Chest...that's a huge upgrade. They lost Mack and Ferrell is not Mack but they addressed the need. Plus they got rid of Lynch and brought in the best young RB prospect in the draft...upgrade. They added a safety at the end there that also is supposed to be a smart football player. Also they pick third today and most of the good CB talent is still available so they could add a good corner prospect today. That would be a good haul and moving in the right direction.

In terms of what the Giants did...well...yes, I think the 6th pick was way too high for Jones. I honestly thought Gettleman would be Gettleman and take a defensive lineman there, particularly with Josh Allen still being on the board. Obviously, the Dolphins and Redskins spooked him into taking Jones early and the truth is, I don't think either of those teams wanted Jones. In fact I don't think anybody in the first round would have taken Jones except the Giants. They probably could have let him drop into Round 2 and got him there or got him at that 30 pick they traded up for. Obviously, they really did love the kid because they took him at the top of the draft with lots of far better talent on the board.

He is supposed to be a "Manning clone" to some degree and they like him because he was coached by David Cutcliffe the guy that coached both Peyton and Eli. He does not have the best arm but he's very smart. I think the worry about Jones is he may be right now as good as he'll ever be. Which is good for a college QB but he has never played against the kind of speed he will see in the NFL and he does not have the arm to zip balls into tight windows. He's a timing thrower and so if he is allowed to stand back there and read the field he could be pretty good. Otherwise, could be an issue. Obviously, having Barkley they feel will help him a lot.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

On watching the first round, yes, you made the right choice, it was a dull first round. Also, wow, I think the ESPN draft coverage is miserable to watch. NFL Network does a better job now. ESPN seems to have really gone downhill with their coverage of things. They basically murdered Monday Night Football and turned it into something to avoid. I'd like to see that go to another network.

This is the first year I watched absolutely zero draft day coverage for the first round -- in past years I would at least flip the channel a couple of times to see the crawl of picks at the bottom on the screen. This year, though, I kept the TV tuned to the NHL playoff games once I got home from opening evening of my golf league. I just checked the list of drafted players on the NFL website. I had to go to a fantasy football site I use for player research to find out what Pittsburgh traded away to move up 10 spots in the first round, though. The NFL website didn't make any mention of the trade at all, except showing the Steelers in the 10th spot taking Bush and Denver then in Pittsburgh's previous #20 spot. The NFL's draft website sucked this year -- probably on purpose to try and get people to tune in the TV coverage.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

It’s a lock that Rosen will be traded, and I think the Dolphins should be interested. If it’s true that Miami is “tanking” to get a QB next year, that’s trying the patience of whatever fans they have left. Suppose Stinky Fitz has a reasonable year, and they win 7 games. That tanking strategy will have blown up in their faces.

Yes, I don't know if Miami wants Rosen. Supposedly, just before the draft started last night both the Redskins and Giants called the Cardinals and said if you take Murray call us first before you talk to anybody else. So, it seemed like the two most likely teams that could use Rosen were interested. But then the Giants immediately took Jones, a guy they have claimed to love for some time, and the Redskins saw Haskins, their favorite QB in this draft falling down the board to them. Once the Bengals passed on Haskins (the only QB in this class they scouted) well, the Redskins knew they had a clear shot at him. So, they took him over trading for Rosen.

Personally, I wanted to see Haskins go to the Bengals but I can't blame the Bengals for going defense, just too much talent where they were picking to take one of these QBs.

Right now, I feel a little bad for Rosen because he is a better prospect than all the QBs in this draft, the Cardinals traded up to get him and gave up on him after one season on a horrid team. However, if somebody like the Patriots makes the move to get him he moves to a much better situation...so in the end he wins. The Patriots are totally screwed if Brady goes down, they have nothing on the roster behind him. So, they should grab Rosen, that would be a great move. Or if the Packers or Chargers go after him, also good for Rosen. Both of those teams are also looking for prospect QBs.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

If it’s true that Miami is “tanking” to get a QB next year, that’s trying the patience of whatever fans they have left.

Odd to say, but if I were a Dolphins fan I would be rooting for them to lose every game in 2019. There are stellar QB prospects in the 2020 draft but you will need to be at the top to get one. You obviously are not supposed to intentionally tank but with the horrible run of QBs Miami has had since Marino left...well...boy, would I want to tank this season to get a shot at getting a great one in next years draft. Plus the Dolphins are obviously not a playoff team this year. They are rebuilding so not like they have a shot at winning the division. The Jets and Bills will probably be better than the Dolphins this year.

So, yes, Fitzstinko better not go on some kind of crazy winning streak. The Dolphins will want to be picking no lower than two and preferably at 1 to get first choice. I also think Elway wants to get a QB in next years draft. Denver is not as set-up to tank as Miami is though. So, the Dolphins should be in the running for top of the draft. I expect the Cardinals to stink this season too though and then probably this could be a tough year for the Bengals as well. They look set to stink.

The Bengals need a QB too and did not go with one yet in the draft but probably a good move because if they are terrible they also could get their QB of the future in 2020. Problem is the Steelers look and sound like they may be heading in a downwards direction. They could potentially blow a bunch of division games this season. If the Browns really play up to their talent level and the Ravens (last seasons division winner) did not make a mistake going with Jackson. The Steelers look to be a very beatable team that is now going to struggle. If Dalton goes on one of his good streaks against the Steelers, and the Browns and Ravens have improved...look out, the Steelers could be looking at an 8-8 kind of season. Which is not far off from where they ended up in 2018.

The Saints probably won't stink in 2019 but they also need to get their QB of the future.

Then there is a team like the 49ers, could stink, could be decent...we don't really know yet if Garoppolo is the real deal or a fluke and this could be the season where they decide on that. You can bet they would draft another QB if they think Jimmy is not the answer.

 

[Malcolm R]

Then there is a team like the 49ers, could stink, could be decent...we don't really know yet if Garoppolo is the real deal or a fluke and this could be the season where they decide on that. You can bet they would draft another QB if they think Jimmy is not the answer.

Most Brady backups (and other position players) that move on to other teams have not performed very well outside NE. More evidence that the success in New England is more a product of the coaching than the players, I think. When Belichick retires or moves on will be a day of mourning for NE fans.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Most Brady backups (and other position players) that move on to other teams have not performed very well outside NE. More evidence that the success in New England is more a product of the coaching than the players, I think. When Belichick retires or moves on will be a day of mourning for NE fans.

That's true. The thing I would say about Jimmy is he sure has the arm, the quick release, and seems to read the field well. Those three things typically are things you really want in a starting QB. The issues are we have not seen enough of him and he seems a bit on the fragile side as he tends to play a few games and then get injured. Plus, the injuries tend to be because he makes a boneheaded decision to run and not slide or get the hell out of bounds.

I would be worried about the fragile thing because he's no good to you if he is not on the field. So, the goal for Jimmy this season should be to play the whole damn season. Also, learn to slide or get out of bounds. An extra two yards is a loss if you get injured and are done for the season.

The other knock on Jimmy is he has small hands for an NFL QB. Typically, this is something that can lead to more fumbles and is a disadvantage in bad weather games...rain, snow, or cold. However, since the guy plays in San Francisco and never has played a full season...we have no idea if this is an issue for him.

 

[Malcolm R]

Broadcast of the NFL Draft on ABC was the 3rd most-watched show on network TV last night, behind only CBS's The Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon. It actually seemed to pull viewers from other shows, as well, since several of them including CBS's sitcoms, above, posted new ratings lows.

Haven't heard what the combined rating is from ABC/ESPN/NFL all together.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Detroit did a very Lions-like thing and drafted yet another tight end with a high pick. Very few tight ends go in the first round, and yet this is the third time in recent memory where the Lions used a fairly high pick on one -- Pettigrew and Ebron being the others (neither of which ended up being good picks). This franchise will never learn.

I kind of like this one. Patricia is trying to be Patriots NFC North. The Patriots love their TEs and so the Lions grabbed one. Supposedly the best in the draft and probably the top offensive player in this draft. He's both a good blocker and a good receiver...Stafford should love him. He was expected to go in the top ten and no later than 12 so I thought this pick was alright.

I saw the Cardinals ended up taking Murray first overall. I'm not sure who they will get to take Rosen off their hands, though, as both the Giants and Redskins used first round picks on QBs, while the Dolphins appear intent on tanking for a better QB in next year's draft.

The Cardinals took Murray for their new head coach. He was the guy that really wanted him. I think if Kingsbury was not their coach, Rosen would still be their QB. Probably the worst thing Kingsbury has done so far as head coach was to let every freaking person on the planet know he was so badly lusting after Murray. This pretty much killed any trade value for Rosen. Every team knew they needed to dump Rosen so nobody wants to give up anything to get him. The bad part of this is that for Rosen this can't be good for his confidence. The good part is that Murray got the best possible situation because he went to a team and coach that are going to completely build around him. The Cardinals look fairly stupid for trading up last year to get Rosen, giving him $17 million upfront and now they are going to get very little for him in return. If the Murray project fails and Rosen goes on to be a good QB somewhere else...thank Kliff Kingsbury.

At this stage Rosen makes sense going to one of the teams with an aging superstar QB. The Patriots, Packers, Chargers, or Saints would all be good landing spots. Even the Buccs could bring him in as they could use somebody to push Winston...who I think may be a bust.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I seriously doubt any team would give a 1st round pick for Hill, considering his problems.

Well, I doubt they will be trading him now that there is audio out of Hill discussing the matter and admitting as well that one of the things he does to punish his three year old son is to tell him to stick his arms out and he then punches him in the chest. This guy is a lowlife.

Sad thing is if/when the Chiefs release him another team will sign him just like the Browns signed Hunt. I would expect he's got a suspension coming from the NFL and I hope it is indefinite.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I kind of like this one. Patricia is trying to be Patriots NFC North. The Patriots love their TEs and so the Lions grabbed one. Supposedly the best in the draft and probably the top offensive player in this draft. He's both a good blocker and a good receiver...Stafford should love him. He was expected to go in the top ten and no later than 12 so I thought this pick was alright.

Maybe so, but even the Pats did not use a first round pick on Gronk, let alone a top 10 pick. The Chiefs used a 3rd round pick on Kelce, the Eagles used a 2nd round pick on Zack Ertz, and Jimmy Graham was a 3rd rounder. The top tight ends this league has seen over the past couple of decades were rarely first round picks -- Tony Gonzales is the only one I can think of. Antonio Gates was an undrafted free agent. Teams using a first round pick on a tight end are wasting a pick that could be better utilized elsewhere.

You know the only other team to use multiple first round picks on a tight end over the past decade -- the Bengals! So Detroit and Cincy are the only teams to do this. That should tell you all you need to know.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Well, I doubt they will be trading him now that there is audio out of Hill discussing the matter and admitting as well that one of the things he does to punish his three year old son is to tell him to stick his arms out and he then punches him in the chest. This guy is a lowlife.

Sad thing is if/when the Chiefs release him another team will sign him just like the Browns signed Hunt. I would expect he's got a suspension coming from the NFL and I hope it is indefinite.

With audio evidence of Hill’s admitting to punching his child, I don’t see how the NFL will let him play in 2019. The next time we’ll see him on a football field is 2020, and most likely not wearing KC colors.

 

[Malcolm R]

We'll see. Adrian Peterson was convicted of reckless assault on his 4-year-old and I think was only suspended a few months by the NFL. And as recently as November 2018, Peterson admitted he still whips his kid with a belt.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25342741

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Well, the Cardinals were able to get rid of Rosen, obtaining a 2nd round pick this year and a future later round pick from Miami. Considering that Arizona gave up assets to move up and draft Rosen last season, the Cardinals really come out on the losing end of this deal.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I figured the Dolphins would make a move for him- it just wouldn’t have smelled right to play Fitz, and not try to improve at that position this year. The Dolphins seemed to have done well here- just a 2nd and a lower round pick for a young QB who could be their future. Even if Rosen doesn’t amount to much, the Dolphins wouldn’t have given away the farm for him, so- good move.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Broadcast of the NFL Draft on ABC was the 3rd most-watched show on network TV last night, behind only CBS's The Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon. It actually seemed to pull viewers from other shows, as well, since several of them including CBS's sitcoms, above, posted new ratings lows.

Haven't heard what the combined rating is from ABC/ESPN/NFL all together.

ESPN generated an average audience of 4.864 million viewers. ABC finished with 4.539 million. NFL Network finished well behind with 1.698 million, or 15.1 percent of the total draft audience.

The total audience of 11.101 million represents a decline from last year’s 11.337 million.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/04/27/first-round-ratings-drop-by-two-percent/

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I was part of that decline in viewership. I think this is the first year where I didn't watch any coverage at all -- not even a quick channel flip to see the crawl of picks at the bottom of the screen. My wife actually watched more coverage than me -- she came downstairs complaining that she had flipped to ABC to watch Grey's Anatomy and the draft had pre-empted her show.