The Weird, Wacky and Awesome World of the NFL - General Banter thread V3

paulie21

George Pickens being traded to the Cowboys

eagle eye

Sometimes I just don't get these trades. Cowboys get Pickens and a sixth, Steelers get a 3rd and a 5th for an outstanding wide receiver who is only 24.

I'd be looking for a 1st round pick for him or at the very minimum a 2nd and 3rd.

Pickens has only one 1k season but put up 800 as a rookie and 900 last year and he's played with crap QBs all three seasons in a run first team.

The_Honeybadger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426131#Comment_123426131

Pickens is a head case. He quits on plays, sulks when he doesn’t gets targets, misses meetings and isn’t liked in the locker room by all accounts.

I’d agree with what you’re saying about his talent and potential but I think this is just a case of the team needing him gone.

They were trying to trade him during the draft but apparently the best offer they got was a fourth.

Shedite27

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426131#Comment_123426131

Yeah feels like compensation is a lot more impacted by contracts rather than talent. A player like Mingo who's far less talented but has more years left on a rookie deal can be nearly as valuable as Pickens who's closer to finishing his deal.

One of the unintended consequences of free agency

el Fenomeno

Steelers have a good record of knowing when to move on from their receivers.

Antonio Brown, JuJu, Martavis Bryant, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Mike Wallace, Santonio Holmes....

All played by far their best football at Pittsburgh. Granted, most (not all) moved to worse situations on their new teams.

But if Pittsburgh are going out and spending a 2nd round pick and however many millions in contract money they did on a 27 year old DK Metcalf and letting a just turned 24 year old George Pickens walk for a third, I think they know what they're doing.

Blut2

Mike Tomlin also has a very good reputation at managing the egos of problem players. If he couldn't handle Pickens I'd be very suspect of anyone else doing so.

Pickens might maybe be motivated enough to keep the crazy under control this year since hes playing for his first big contract at least I guess. But after that he'll go back to crazy.

al87987

TB12 on the late late show tonight for anyone interested.

el Fenomeno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123432570#Comment_123432570

There's a sentence I never thought I'd hear.

What's he selling?

Itssoeasy

Derek Carr has announced his retirement from the NFL.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123431675#Comment_123431675

Mike Tomlim has been a great coach for a long time but he's been making questionable decisions for a while now.

Why would you get rid of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to bring in a worse QB? Why let Najee Harris walk? Harris had over 1k yards every season there.

Blut2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123436376#Comment_123436376

His long tenure at the Steelers has the 12th highest win rate of any NFL coach in history, the 2nd highest of any active coach in the NFL currently. With the team making the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons under him, including the last two years. And hes still only 53 years old.

So the data would suggest he has some idea of what hes doing.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123437541#Comment_123437541

I'm talking about a few signings and released players very recently.

I said he's been a great coach for a long time.

I'll stand by what I said though. Fields and Wilson are currently better QBs than Aaron Rodgers. Maybe he can get a tune out of Rodgers but I doubt it.

Letting Najee Harris go, with four consecutive 1k yard seasons, seems like a bad move to me.

And they've had serious QB problems since Roethlisberger fell off. That's like 6 years ago or thereabouts.

ArmaniJeanss

Should be a steady release of games over the next 48 hours.

Cowboys at Eagles confirmed for the season opener.

The_Honeybadger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123438796#Comment_123438796

Speaking as a Steelers fan and as someone who has watched every snap of Najees career I’m glad he is gone. Yes he had four 1000 yards seasons but in a 17 game season that’s an average of 60 yards a game. Given the sheer volume of carries he got it’s not really that impressive. He lacks explosiveness and vision and just wasn’t a great fit in the offence they are trying to run, and wasn’t worth paying. His durability is by far his best trait, he doesn’t miss games.

They have drafted Kaleb Johnson from Iowa and they still have Jaylen Warren under contract so I expect they will be fine at RB.

I agree on Rodgers. I’d have preferred to keep Fields and give him an opportunity to start for a year. They are in QB limbo at the minute and have no continuity year to year. Not sure that can be laid at Tomlins door entirely but assuming Rodgers signs after minicamp we will see how it works out.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123440654#Comment_123440654

There's been opportunities to get a QB. Cousins last year and I'm sure if they tried this year they'd have got him.

Baker Mayfield impressed with the Rams in a couple of games and was available very cheaply but they never made a move then either.

They could have moved up in the draft last year to get a QB. They could have spent a third or fourth to get one of the higher rated QBs in this years draft class.

There really seems to be a lack of interest in solving the QB issue.

Najee did what he was expected to do while sharing time with Warren. Warren is good as a no.2 but he'll fail as a 1. I think it was a big mistake letting him go but we'll see.

The_Honeybadger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123441940#Comment_123441940

They still had hopes for Pickett when Mayfield signed with Tampa and they were never going to match Atlantas offer for Cousins. They could and probably should have moved up last year but they had their eye on OT as they want to fix that line once and for all. I expect them to make a big swing in next years draft if there is a decent QB class

Warren and Johnson will be sharing carries so I don’t see them trying to miscast Warren as a workhorse. We will see

I liked Najee but like I said, no burst or vision. He ended up signing a modest deal with the Chargers who went on to draft a running back in round 1 so they obviously don’t see him as their long term back either.

Penn

Sounds like the proposed Tush Push ban didn't get enough votes.

Sure, it's not a fun, interesting or entertaining play. But can't ban it just because one team is really good at it.

Guffy

Always liked the tush push, put it to defences to figure out a way to stop it. Recently heard a point being made that has changed my opinion on it though, if a player can't be pushed back (forward progress) they shouldn't be permitted to be pushed forward.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123471993#Comment_123471993

I've never agreed with the forward progress rule, the ball should be spotted where the player is downed

eagle eye

It's basically an advanced version of the QB sneak. Nobody ever had an issue with that so they shouldn't have with this.

And it's been done enough times that every coach in the league knows how it's done. It's not that hard to copy or even improve.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123473418#Comment_123473418

It's worked so well for the Eagles because the Eagles worked so hard at it, and they have the right combination of O-Line and QB with the right power, weight and strength for it.

The Bills had reasonable success with it last season too, but they voted for the ban yesterday.

Maybe since it wasn't banned, more teams will try developing their own way of doing it, and likewise will probably start developing better defense against it.

ArmaniJeanss

Interesting seeing the teams who voted against the ban, though not sure what you can read into it.
Proposal to ban tush push in NFL fails by two votes, sources say - ESPN

The other three NFC East teams voted for the ban, so clearly fed up facing it twice a season.

On the other hand whilst the Bills voted for the ban despite as said above being reasonably successful with the play, the other three AFC East teams voted to keep it. Will that be something they end up regretting?

In the NFC as a whole, only the Saints and Lions stood with the Eagles. The Lions may be down to Dan Campbell bravado, the Saints may be a last favour from Kellen Moore to the Eagles. Or maybe Moore sees it as something he can incorporate.

AFC was much more unconcerned, coming down just 9-7 in favour of the ban.

ArmaniJeanss

Jim Irsay (Colts owner) died overnight aged just 65. Lots of history of rehab, substance abuse and a near fatal overdose a few years ago, just going to show that inheriting astronomical wealth may not be the key to happiness.
Survived by 3 daughters who will inherit the team. RIP.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123474141#Comment_123474141

Yea, a troubled guy.

Had to deal with the legacy of his father moving the team out of Baltimore in the dead of night also, something that is still talked about.

A great man for collecting.

Has multiple pieces of rock n' roll memorabilia, pop culture stuff including the original scroll that Jack Kerouac typed "On the road" on.

castletownman

The latest Rodgers pre-season show rambles on. What is taking him so long to make a decision? Its not like he has a pile of offers on the table, it always has to be about him doesn't it?

Has there ever been such a high profile move that has been so protracted?

Realt Dearg Sec

He's a complete liability at this stage anyway, bringing his circus to town is the last thing I'd want my team doing at this stage. Not clear to me at all what he brings to the table now other than a big ego, drama ,and massive disruption.

Blut2

Its basically the crazy/hot matrix for dating, but with athletic talent.

Rodgers for years was good enough that it was worth ignoring the crazy and ego, he was above the line. But as his talent has dipped with age hes now below the line, its not worth putting up with his drama for what he brings to the table.

eagle eye

Yeah, I can't believe they didn't use an early pick to draft a QB.

Letting go of Wilson and Fields was stupid. I think they should have held onto Wilson and drafted a QB early. That would leave them with an experienced man to start the season and an excellent mentor for a rookie.

Rodgers will never be a mentor, he's all about himself. And I think he's done, I think he was done before he left Green Bay and being out for a year as you turn 40 is the end of a career as you'll never get back to where you were at.

I think they'd be better off to look to trade for Cooper Rush, Jameis Winston or even gamble on Mac Jones or Trey Lance.

Rush is a solid QB and you'd probably get him for a 7th or at worst a 6th round pick.

It's unlikely that Howard works out but you'd never know and he definitely needs to sit at the beginning and have a good mentor.

The_Honeybadger

Rodgers is loving the media attention and staying in the news cycle. I think there is actually a good chance he retires at the end of this circus.

As a Steelers fan I dont really want him and would prefer to play the season out with Mason Rudolph at this stage, or trade for Cousins

2025 is probably a wash and they will take another swing in the draft next year. The roster is decent enough and a rookie QB should have a pretty good landing spot.

Itssoeasy

Rodgers will sign a one year deal with the steeler according to Adam schefter and others.