2019 NFL offseason thread

[The Human Q-Tip]

More jobs

That doesn't do anything for the players who are voting for the contract because they already have jobs. It only benefits guys who aren't yet in the league, and why should current players essentially want to hand part of their paychecks to other guys?

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I really think the NFL is over thinking this one. I know they want more games, but its not safe, and if 2 of the games don't have your best players yet they are healthy, then that is just defacto pre-season anyways.

I agree, although it would be a weird preseason where the games could actually affect who makes the playoffs. Terrible idea. The only real argument to make the season longer is to make more money, but between having to buy off the union and diluting their brand, it may not be worth the fight. Of course, as someone else mentioned earlier, this may just be a bargaining chip the owners are willing to give up in exchange for something else, or to get the players' to drop one of their demands

 

[col63onel]

That doesn't do anything for the players who are voting for the contract because they already have jobs. It only benefits guys who aren't yet in the league, and why should current players essentially want to hand part of their paychecks to other guys?

I am saying the cap will go up so that no current player takes a pay cut and there’s enough to pay for an expanded roster.

Right now average nfl salary is 2.7 mil with a 53 man roster. I am saying increase the roster to 60 or so, but also increase the cap so that the average is still 2.7

 

[Jordan]

This article is exactly why people should subscribe to The Athletic. I'm sharing the Baker section, but it is truly outstanding.

2019 Quarterback Tiers: Fifty-five coaches and executives rank the NFL starters

NFL coaches and executives place veteran starting QBs into one of five tiers and offer insights into their thinking.

theathletic.com

Voters are betting on Mayfield even more enthusiastically than they bet on Watson and Jimmy Garoppolo one year ago, when those quarterbacks made their QB Tiers debuts after starting less than one full season. Voters think Mayfield has what it takes to reach the top tier.

“I put on the tape and watched his whole season, and I’m like: ‘OK, this guy is special. I see what all the fuss is about,’” an offensive coach said. “He can do everything — no limitations at all schematically. For him to take the next step, he has to be a little bit smarter with the football, which comes with experience. I think he will get there.”

No voters placed Mayfield in the top tier.

“He will be a 1, if not this coming season, the season after,” a coach with AFC North ties said. “His mentality is like the 1s. He can handle his s—. He can direct the traffic. He can handle personalities. It is not too big for him. He doesn’t have to overcome anything in the intangible area to play. It is just a matter of the timing and the footwork and those things to catch up to what he already is mentally, which is great.”

Mayfield got 30 votes in the second tier and 21 in the third. The four fourth-tier votes for Mayfield came from voters who thought there wasn’t enough information yet.

“I think Baker is a 2 with an arrow going up,” a coordinator said. “There is just not enough evidence right now to say he’ll be a 1 because I think he is going to be a high-risk, high-reward guy. If you look at their games, Freddie (Kitchens) did a good job, but they were both playing with house money. It’ll be interesting when people see him and prepare. It will be a different deal, but I really like him.”

Multiple voters were skeptical of the Browns, pointing to other “dream team” scenarios that failed to produce the desired results. But they liked Mayfield a lot.

“I like his moxie, and on tape, when we played him, he made some throws where I took notice,” a defensive coach said. “He made a throw in the back of the end zone — I think it was against Oakland — and I was like, ‘For a rookie, for him to even see that and have the confidence to make that throw, that was a good throw.’”

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I am saying the cap will go up so that no current player takes a pay cut and there’s enough to pay for an expanded roster.

Right now average nfl salary is 2.7 mil with a 53 man roster. I am saying increase the roster to 60 or so, but also increase the cap so that the average is still 2.7

Right -- you're saying players won't take a cut, but that still doesn't give current players any affirmative benefit to ratifying an 18 game schedule. If they just lifted the cap but didn't increase roster size, the average salary for current players would climb from $2.7M/year to more than $3M/year.

So why wouldn't they push for keeping rosters the same size, raising the cap, and making over $3M/year, as opposed to keeping average salaries the same, raising the cap, and only make $2.7M/year.

It doesn't make any sense from the perspective of the individual players.

 

[col63onel]

Right -- you're saying players won't take a cut, but that still doesn't give current players any affirmative benefit to ratifying an 18 game schedule. If they just lifted the cap but didn't increase roster size, the average salary for current players would climb from $2.7M/year to more than $3M/year.

So why wouldn't they push for keeping rosters the same size, raising the cap, and making over $3M/year, as opposed to keeping average salaries the same, raising the cap, and only make $2.7M/year.

It doesn't make any sense from the perspective of the individual players.

The whole reason the owners offered their solution is the injury risk that 18 games brings. I think a good way to offset that is expand the rosters so you have a deeper bench and players have less snaps a game.

If that’s not the solution, the owners have to make some sort of concession that limits injuries. If they can’t, I don’t see how the players accept it. More money is nice, but I don’t see how that gets it done.

I mean if they expand rosters AND bump up the average salary, players might go for it.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

The whole reason the owners offered their solution is the injury risk that 18 games brings. I think a good way to offset that is expand the rosters so you have a deeper bench and players have less snaps a game.

If that’s not the solution, the owners have to make some sort of concession that limits injuries. If they can’t, I don’t see how the players accept it. More money is nice, but I don’t see how that gets it done.

But if they're limiting the number of games in which players can play to just 16 anyway...doesn't that address the injury issue?

 

[Juice is Loose]

This article is exactly why people should subscribe to The Athletic. I'm sharing the Baker section, but it is truly outstanding.

2019 Quarterback Tiers: Fifty-five coaches and executives rank the NFL starters

NFL coaches and executives place veteran starting QBs into one of five tiers and offer insights into their thinking.

theathletic.com

Two of this boards favorite words were used in that article. Tier and Moxie. I’m sold on the Athletic

 

[col63onel]

But if they're limiting the number of games in which players can play to just 16 anyway...doesn't that address the injury issue?

Yes

That solution is also really stupid and I don’t think anyone wants it. Like the tv networks will kill that before the players would ok it.

 

[Cavsfan1985]

Yes

That solution is also really stupid and I don’t think anyone wants it. Like the tv networks will kill that before the players would ok it.

I agree not sure how you regulate who takes what games off, and it also would benifit teams in weaker divisions as you can plan to have your QB take games off vs weaker teams.

If you want more games, why not expand playoffs? Shorten the presseason, add a 2nd bye week, and add a round to the playoffs. The league would make up so much money on the extra playoff weekend then 2 more weeks of regular season.

I sort of like the ideas of two bye weeks anyway, add another week to the regular season, gives more rest. You could do something like half the league is off thanksgiving weekend, the other half off Christmas or the week after.

 

[col63onel]

I agree not sure how you regulate who takes what games off, and it also would benifit teams in weaker divisions as you can plan to have your QB take games off vs weaker teams.

If you want more games, why not expand playoffs? Shorten the presseason, add a 2nd bye week, and add a round to the playoffs. The league would make up so much money on the extra playoff weekend then 2 more weeks of regular season.

I sort of like the ideas of two bye weeks anyway, add another week to the regular season, gives more rest. You could do something like half the league is off thanksgiving weekend, the other half off Christmas or the week after.

Problem with that is start the season earlier, which means regular season games in August, which means potentially dangerous temperatures in the south.

 

[Norm]

I agree not sure how you regulate who takes what games off, and it also would benifit teams in weaker divisions as you can plan to have your QB take games off vs weaker teams.

If you want more games, why not expand playoffs? Shorten the presseason, add a 2nd bye week, and add a round to the playoffs. The league would make up so much money on the extra playoff weekend then 2 more weeks of regular season.

I sort of like the ideas of two bye weeks anyway, add another week to the regular season, gives more rest. You could do something like half the league is off thanksgiving weekend, the other half off Christmas or the week after.

Why not just eliminate the preseason altogether? Most vets hate it anyway.

Eliminate preseason. Add the 2 regular season games. Increasing roster total to 63, all allowed to dress on gameday (existing is 53 total, 48 dress (?)). Everyone plays to some extent the first 3-4 games (1 series, 1 quarter, 1 half, etc, ) . Double the size of practice squads. All practice squad players become eligible to be inserted during a game due to injury as long as injured players (multiple?) are ruled out for rest of game.

Playoff seeding staying the same. Tiebreakers should come down to a extra playoff game or games between opponents. All 4 division winners for each conference get a bye week, not just top 2. Gives the teams who finish with better records than some division winners a chance to make playoffs

All teams should get a bye b4 their Thursday night football game as well as another bye down the line (or b4 depending on schedule). If unable to work out a bye for some teams, make it a Saturday night game.

As far as salary cap? If the owners and Goodell want more games, they better increase it. The players? I believe they still only get game checks for majority of their salary (outside of bonuses)? They get paid a few weeks sooner.

Throwing out ideas if you're reading this Goodell or the NFLPA..........

Ps: i want my cut for being part of the think tank if you use any of my ideas

 

[TopGun]

Right -- you're saying players won't take a cut, but that still doesn't give current players any affirmative benefit to ratifying an 18 game schedule. If they just lifted the cap but didn't increase roster size, the average salary for current players would climb from $2.7M/year to more than $3M/year.

So why wouldn't they push for keeping rosters the same size, raising the cap, and making over $3M/year, as opposed to keeping average salaries the same, raising the cap, and only make $2.7M/year.

It doesn't make any sense from the perspective of the individual players.

I think it makes a lot of sense for all the players. Firstly, just because the total average salary stays the same, doesn't mean that the distribution will be spread evenly.

If the current salary cap of $188,200,000 for 53 players goes to $213,056,000 for 60 players, the average stays at $3.5 million per player. The additional 7 players at the end of the roster are likely going to be making the minimum salary of roughly $0.5 million. That means there is an additional $21.356,000 to be spread among the original 53 players.

Also, the players on the fringes of current rosters, basically anybody not solidified as a starter or potential future starter, will gain added job security with the addition of a bunch of new spots on rosters.

I read that part of the proposal was that the QB/LS/K/P positions are exempt from the 16 game limit, so that should help as well.

 

[UDcleveland]

Jalen Ramsey out here inspiring eye rolls left and right.


Cringeworthy.

 

[MGMT]

absolutely ridiculous but sadly hilarious