NFL Off-Season Thread

[Los216]

So, why not just sign a two year deal or keep playing under the Franchise tag. At that point you can then tell the Texans to trade you or literally sit out. That forces their hand more to get shit straight or move on.
Watson is legit trapped now. He has the right to request or demand a trade, but it still doesn’t mean he will get it.

Because the contract that he did sign secures more money for him long term and gives him a no trade clause. Why would he pass that up just to be franchise tagged and sent to a team that he doesn't want to go to and then have to negotiate a new contract?

You have to take off your ownership hat and put yourself in the players shoes.

 

[AZ_]

Because the contract that he did sign secures more money for him long term and gives him a no trade clause. Why would he pass that up just to be franchise tagged and sent to a team that he doesn't want to go to and then have to negotiate a new contract?

You have to take off your ownership hat and put yourself in the players shoes.

If he signed a one-year deal or two-year deal, he'd be in the same position he is now, just with less money.

I have no idea why anyone would recommend that?

You sign the best deal you can to maximize your value, which is what Watson did after going above and beyond to mend his relationship with the franchise.

This thread is a prime example of where we're still defending Watson, when its the organization that appears to be in complete fucking shambles.


Which pretty well sums up how fucked up the status quo is.

 

[Los216]

If he signed a one-year deal or two-year deal, he'd be in the same position he is now, just with less money.

I have no idea why anyone would recommend that?

You sign the best deal you can to maximize your value, which is what Watson did after going above and beyond to mend his relationship with the franchise.

This thread is a prime example of where we're still defending Watson, when its the organization that appears to be in complete fucking shambles.


Which pretty well sums up how fucked up the status quo is.

Anybody who questions why Deshaun Watson would sign that deal when he did can look right at Dak Prescott. Imagine if Deshaun gets hurt behind that line on a franchise tag. It's actually a miracle that he didn't get hurt and put up the numbers that he did.

 

[JDailey23]

If he signed a one-year deal or two-year deal, he'd be in the same position he is now, just with less money.

I have no idea why anyone would recommend that?

You sign the best deal you can to maximize your value, which is what Watson did after going above and beyond to mend his relationship with the franchise.

This thread is a prime example of where we're still defending Watson, when its the organization that appears to be in complete fucking shambles.


Which pretty well sums up how fucked up the status quo is.

I mean, id sign the long term deal too, but either way he’s stuck in Houston. I was just pointing out the options he had.
Does it sick that he’ll be stuck there for a long time, yes, unfortunately, it’s been that way for a very long time.
I mean, look at Joe Thomas. I’m shocked he never asked for a trade, was paid handsomely too.
I don’t know. It’s a bad situation for Watson, but there’s not much he can do and sitting out won’t help him unless he does it after the first four games or after missing the first 12.
I just hope he tries and actually meets with the new people and all indications are he won’t and hasn’t.

 

[Los216]

 

[cavsLTU]

I just dont understand how a player who signed a 150 million!! contract by himself five months ago, becomes a victim now. Some of you are really ridiculous.

 

[Los216]

I just dont understand how a player who signed a 150 million!! contract by himself five months ago, becomes a victim now. Some of you are really ridiculous.

What does him signing that contract have to do with anything?

 

[AZ_]

I mean, id sign the long term deal too, but either way he’s stuck in Houston. I was just pointing out the options he had.
Does it sick that he’ll be stuck there for a long time, yes, unfortunately, it’s been that way for a very long time.
I mean, look at Joe Thomas. I’m shocked he never asked for a trade, was paid handsomely too.
I don’t know. It’s a bad situation for Watson, but there’s not much he can do and sitting out won’t help him unless he does it after the first four games or after missing the first 12.
I just hope he tries and actually meets with the new people and all indications are he won’t and hasn’t.

He’s made his demands clear, he’s under no obligation to do anything other than facilitate a potential trade. Unless the organization wants to come to him and make things right, he’s likely just going to keep being elite.

No need to meet with anyone, it doesn’t suck for him, he has an immense amount of leverage, and will likely be in a position where the team can come to him, or attempt to win without him.

Good luck to the Texans on that, but I don’t operate under the false pretense that he’s not in a very advantageous position.


The remarkably dumb cliches about “selfishness,” “shut up and play,” and the other tropes we don’t assign to Carson Wentz are going to persist regardless.

 

[Ohio]

Exactly why players should exercise their power to request trades and refuse to play for teams who shouldn't get their shit together.

Given that, by your own admission, his only other option is still playing for the franchise that can't get its shit together, but playing without the contractual security he deserves as an elite player after his rookie contract.


Why should the reality of the situation "suck for him?"

It also sucks for players is signing contracts, getting hurt, and then getting sent to the street by a team that is under no obligation to live up to the contract terms that they signed.

Describing that the situation sucks either way for players is not making the argument you think it is.

I'm not sure what you mean by the bolded.

As for the rest - I think what this all really boils down to is the franchise tag. As a fan of the sport, and a fan of a small market team, I like it. I think it helps with the parity of the league significantly and provides small market franchises a chance to compete. These are good things. With that said, there are flaws to the franchise tag (as I've touched on) that I'd like to see changed. The players should get more financial protections when tagged than they currently do. And I genuinely hope that does change in the future.

But, until then, the rules are what they are. It sucks for Watson but I'm not willing to let the NFL become a California/Texas/Florida only league like the NBA just for the sake of a player in his position. The league is bigger than the individual. I do sympathize with his situation though.

 

[Ohio]

Not exactly.

Had Deshaun Watson not signed that contract in 2020 he would've been hit with the franchise tag in 2021. Then a team would've had to give up 2 1st round picks to get him. If HOU wouldn't have wanted to trade him they would've for sure hit him with the tag again in 2022. Draft compensation would've still been that high to trade for him.

So basically nothing would be different if Deshaun Watson would not have signed that contract in 2020 except for one thing.

That one thing is this. If Deshaun Watson doesn't sign that contract in 2020 and he suffered a major injury like Dak did then he's fucked. And now people are saying he's stupid for nit signing that huge contract for security.

Basically there is no reasoning that makes it look bad for Deshaun Watson to sign that deal in 2020. Regardless if he wanted to stay in HOU or not.

He was never going to have a say in where he wanted to go without signing a contract and having a no trade clause.

I mean, Watson is threatening to sit out games, right? He could have done the same thing after being tagged. And honestly he'd have more leverage - because he's not committed long term in that scenario like he is now. And, again, you can only tag someone so many times.

 

[AZ_]

I'm not sure what you mean by the bolded.

As for the rest - I think what this all really boils down to is the franchise tag. As a fan of the sport, and a fan of a small market team, I like it. I think it helps with the parity of the league significantly and provides small market franchises a chance to compete. These are good things. With that said, there are flaws to the franchise tag (as I've touched on) that I'd like to see changed. The players should get more financial protections when tagged than they currently do. And I genuinely hope that does change in the future.

But, until then, the rules are what they are. It sucks for Watson but I'm not willing to let the NFL become a California/Texas/Florida only league like the NBA just for the sake of a player in his position. The league is bigger than the individual. I do sympathize with his situation though.

Wait, what?

Watson is trying to LEAVE Texas, which is the opposite of your point.

This has nothing to do with parity, players should be able to choose where to play after their contract expires, the team should have no right to force them into a contract beyond their rookie contract.

There is a salary cap, and a salary floor. THAT is the parity.

This isn’t the NBA or MLB, there is zero problem with parity or a chance to compete, the NFL is probably the last professional sports league on Earth in which the chance to compete is dependent on your ability to draft, develop and build a culture that players want to play for.

That’s why Green Bay has had two quarterbacks in the last 35 years or so.

We’re somehow suggesting it’s important that we prevent free agents from leaving because of some myth about “market size?”

That doesn’t make any sense.

 

[Ohio]

Wait, what?

Watson is trying to LEAVE Texas, which is the opposite of your point.

This has nothing to do with parity, players should be able to choose where to play after their contract expires, the team should have no right to force them into a contract beyond their rookie contract.

There is a salary cap, and a salary floor. THAT is the parity.

This isn’t the NBA or MLB, there is zero problem with parity or a chance to compete, the NFL is probably the last professional sports league on Earth in which the chance to compete is dependent on your ability to draft, develop and build a culture that players want to play for.

That’s why Green Bay has had two quarterbacks in the last 35 years or so.

We’re somehow suggesting it’s important that we prevent free agents from leaving because of some myth about “market size?”

That doesn’t make any sense.

Trying to leave Texas and go to....Miami

It has everything to do with parity. For me at least. And yes, the franchise tag plays a part in that parity, undoubtedly. Or else franchises like Green Bay would never have only 2 Quarterbacks in a span of 35 years. Regardless of their ability to draft, develop and build a culture. Many (most?) franchise players would all be flocking down South without the franchise tag.

 

[AZ_]

Trying to leave Texas and go to....Miami

It has everything to do with parity. For me at least. And yes, the franchise tag plays a part in that parity, undoubtedly. Or else franchises like Green Bay would never have only 2 Quarterbacks in a span of 35 years. Regardless of their ability to draft, develop and build a culture. Many (most?) franchise players would all be flocking down South without the franchise tag.

MVP Mahomes just signed for $500M in Kansas City and bought a chunk of the fucking Royals ...

Rodgers, nor Favre ever had the franchise tag (correct me if im wrong).

What you’re saying doesn’t make sense in an NFL context, though it kills me that it’s this way in MLB.


Thats the point of the salary cap, franchise players almost certainly cannot flock to a location to create a super team. They’d be playing around a shit load of rookie deals and nobody else. They either need to take less, or go elsewhere.

Fans who demand players stay in the city that drafted them isn’t about parity, it’s about control.

It’s the one working system in all of pro sports, and people want to blow it up because they can’t emotionally handle their favorite players potentially moving teams.

Wild

 

[Ohio]

MVP Mahomes just signed for $500M in Kansas City and bought a chunk of the fucking Royals ...

Rodgers, nor Favre ever had the franchise tag (correct me if im wrong).

What you’re saying doesn’t make sense in an NFL context, though it kills me that it’s this way in MLB.

The NFL context is that those players would not stay with those teams without the threat of the franchise tag. I mean, what you and @Los216 are arguing is that Watson signed that contract because he didn't want to play on the franchise tag, right? So...if you remove the franchise tag, Watson almost certainly never signs that contract, and he leaves for Miami and Houston is left with nothing.

Fans who demand players stay in the city that drafted them isn’t about parity, it’s about control.

It’s the one working system in all of pro sports, and people want to blow it up because they can’t emotionally handle their favorite players potentially moving teams.

Wild

You've lost me on this one. I'm the one making the argument to keep the system as it is...

As for the bolded - will just have to agree to disagree.

 

[macbdog]

DeShaun Watson had the same power as a superstar QB to demand out back before the contract as he does now. So acting like he was trapped is silly. Hell, he would have had leverage since the club had recently dealt his mentor and best weapon.

DeShaun has a valid reason to demand out but the flip side is also right, if Houston was so disfunctional and awful, why did he sign? Oh right bc money talks. I disagree that just bc he signed doesn't mean he cant demand out, but I'm also not going to pretend that DeShaun isn't being a little disingenuous by signing then suddenly acting like he realized the Texans were a dumpster fire. He could have easily gotten the same contract in his next destination, hell it would have been easier for him to pick his destination had he only been a rookie contract to trade. He chose safety 6 months ago and yes he deserves to be held to some standard here.