NFL 2016 off season

[Martin Alvito]

Do you think this combined draft-new QB strategy is better or worse than the Browns approach (taking RG3 and a bunch of draft picks)?

It depends on where your organization is at with the roster and contracts.

The Browns have the right strategy if you're in the basement already. Maximize picks, get a QB on the cheap where there's reason to believe that he might outperform expectations, and try to build towards the next few years.

If you already have a roster and you're missing a key piece, there's nothing to do but roll the dice.

Where you want to get is where the Patriots (and to a lesser extent, the Colts) got to in the last decade - you have a roster that can win and you can afford to repeatedly trade down to maximize the chances of picking up future pieces that will permit you to let major contributors go in free agency rather than overpay for them. You're much more likely to get there by following the Browns' path, but if you find yourself in the Rams' position then it makes sense to bet the farm the way the Falcons did on Julio Jones. That didn't translate into a championship, but it's probably safe to say that they couldn't have contended for one without a legit #1 and Jones is certainly that.

 

[caketastydelish]

I've never bet before and I'm wanting to make a bet. Is there any (safe, legal) betting sites where you can bet on one team to play (not necessarily win) the superbowl next year? I'm wanting to bet on the Steelers.

Draft picks are on a logarithmic scale, roughly speaking. There are various charts around. The difference between picks near #1 is very sharp. If you apply the values on the charts the Eagles did a tad better than the Rams, but both the deals are reasonable.

J

I'm not sure I agree with this. First, people are saying Goff is the better guy. (That said, I won't lie and say I watch college football. Also, it's too early to tell how either of them will perform in the NFL).

The second and much more important reason why I'm unimpressed with the Eagles trading up is they already have a QB and he already takes up a lot of salary cap space.

The Rams just need a decent QB to be a contending team, and the Eagles need all sorts of other help. I won't go as far to call Sam Bradford a Franchise QB. But he's at least ok. Ok enough to be acceptable. The Eagles are such a weak team overall that you certainly couldn't say Bradford is particularly holding the team back. Save that for things like last year's Texans.

The only way the Eagles trade even remotely makes sense is if they're planning for the future. They're basically guaranteeing they'll have a crap season this upcoming year, but whenever Sam Bradford's contract runs dry and Wentz has been bred for a while, he'll be "that guy". That said, that's huge risk they're playing that Wentz will be "that guy". Not as much of a risk the Texans are playing that Osweiller will be "that guy" but a big risk nonetheless.

Fair enough, if there was no other way to get a high draft pick or if they expected the QB options to be depleted by, say, the 3rd or 4th overall pick.

Do you think this combined draft-new QB strategy is better or worse than the Browns approach (taking RG3 and a bunch of draft picks)?

I see the Browns position like this: Their overall team will improve a lot. As for RG3? There are only two possibilities: he improves in Cleveland so they will keep him, or he doesn't improve so they draft someone else. It's not like trading one bad player (even a QB) means he's permanently bound to your team. On the other hand, they're getting a lot of other quality players out of this.

edit: I seem to have changed my heart on this issue, as can be seen down below. When you get the top draft picks you're going to improve your team pretty much no matter what. It's too early to truly tell at any rate. But for now, I'm going to have to say Wentz>RGIII.

 

[caketastydelish]

And... reports say RGIII is sucking in training camp.

The browns just can't seem to catch a break. As the article says, maybe if they have a horrible enough season this year they can snag Watson in the next draft.

God, it's been a weird draft. The eagles drafted Wentz when they definitely didn't need to, and the browns gave away a top QB draft pick when a QB is exactly what they needed. To be fair, they didn't know RGIII would continue to suck, and maybe he'll eventually get better.

The Rams trading up I can understand since they genuinely needed a QB, and the Titans already have Mariota who at least had a decent first year.

The eagles/browns trade just does not make since. Bradford isn't particularly impressive but he is at least acceptable, and he will continue taking up a lot of salary cap space until his contract expires. The Browns don't even have an acceptable QB and their QB position is the number one problem of the entire franchise (not that they don't have other problems). I can understand getting rid of Jonny Manziel, but you can at least replace him with someone who isn't just as bad.

 

[vivalamexico]

I mean, I don't see that we have to designate RG3 and the Browns's whole season a failure just because he doesn't look great in camp

 

[caketastydelish]

No, of course not. I'm just saying RGIII didn't have a good history behind to begin with. This isn't like a player you just drafted out of college. RGIII already has years of NFL experience, and when he continues to suck in camp things are not exactly off to a good start... especially when Wentz and Goff (which they should have drafted) have supposedly been looking good.

The season hasn't started yet, but for now, the Browns should be kicking themselves.

The browns have too much work across the board for any one player (even the QB) to fix the team. Even if Aaron Rodgers became their QB this would not be a superbowl winning team. All I'm saying is as of right now, it's looking like they could have got more improvement if they had just drafted Wentz of Goff, as opposed to trading for a known failure (RGIII). And that the Eagles could have really used more picks to improve their team across the board, instead they drafted another QB when they already had one, and sacrificed picks for it when they shouldn't have.

Anyway, here are my predictions for next season.

Spoiler :

1) The Steelers will show up in the Superbowl, and lose to the NFC champion.

2) The NFC Champion will be either the Panthers or the Seahawks. Cardinals and Green Bay are the runners up.

3)The Texas are moving up. I'm not saying they'll show up at the superbowl, but they will be a playoff team. There is no proof that Osweiller is great, but all he has to be is decent to be better than what the Texans worked with last year, and they still made the playoffs. Honestly the only AFC teams I think better than them would be the Patriots, Steelers, and Bengals.

4) NFC east will be a *much* tougher division. The Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants are all improving considerably. It's hard to only get to pick one as top of the division. I'd say either the Redskins or Giants.

5) The Saints are moving up. I don't think they'll beat the Panthers to be division leaders, but they will have a much better season.

6) The Dolphins, the Jaguars, and the Titans are also moving up. However, they won't be playoff teams- you can't improve that much in one season/draft.

7) 2016 playoff game between Bengals and Steelers will repeat. And it's a shame, because both of those teams will be loaded, but only one gets to go to advance (Steelers).

8) RGIII will suck, and the Browns will get the top QB in the next draft.

9) Seattle defense will be better than it was last year. Seattle offensive line will suck terribly in the first half of the season, and make modest improvements as the season continues. Whether that's enough to beat the Panthers (who will be less good this year than last year but still great), I do not know.

10) The Broncos will make a deal with Von Miller. The way I understand they basically sacrificed Osweiler to keep Miller, so they're definitely going to keep Miller. This will end similarly to the Kam Chancellor situation of last year.

Here's my prediction bracket for each division:

Spoiler :

AFC east champ: Patriots. Runners up: Dolphins

AFC north champ: Steelers. Runners up: Bengals

AFC south champ: Texans. Runners up: Colts

AFC west champ: Broncos. Runners up: Chargers.

NFC east champ: Redskins. Runners up: Giants.

NFC north champ: Packers. Runners up: Vikings

NFC south champ: Panthers. Runners up: Saints

NFC west champ: Seahawks. Runners up: Cardinals.

AFC wildcard teams: Bengals, Colts

NFC wildcard teams: Cardinals, Giants.

 

[Dachs]

No, of course not. I'm just saying RGIII didn't have a good history behind to begin with. This isn't like a player you just drafted out of college. RGIII already has years of NFL experience, and when he continues to suck in camp things are not exactly off to a good start... especially when Wentz and Goff (which they should have drafted) have supposedly been looking good.

The season hasn't started yet, but for now, the Browns should be kicking themselves.

so would you say that the Browns are not lofty-esque?

 

[caketastydelish]

Not only do the come from the city where the Cleveland Steamer is named after, but they are called the Browns. So...

 

[Dachs]

Not only do the come from the city where the Cleveland Steamer is named after, but they are called the Browns. So...

that's quite the nugget

but is it a LEGIT nugget

 

[Sommerswerd]

I definitely think that the name of the team has an impact on them sucking so hard... but then there's the city itself...

No one can blame the fans though, Cleveland fans are some of the best, most loyal of any city/teams fans... its sad really. My little brother (and alot of my Ohio relatives) is a long-suffering 30-year Browns fan... poor guy(s/gals).

At least they got Lebron back...

WARNING NSFW


Link to video.

 

[Dachs]

I definitely think that the name of the team has an impact on them sucking so hard... but then there's the city itself...

No one can blame the fans though, Cleveland fans are some of the best, most loyal of any city/teams fans... its sad really. My little brother (and alot of my Ohio relatives) is a long-suffering 30-year Browns fan... poor guy(s/gals).

At least they got Lebron back...

so you're saying that they lead the league in grit-itude? maybe?

 

[Sommerswerd]

so you're saying that they lead the league in grit-itude? maybe?

See, Beliveland - on Netflix, courtesy of ESPN "30 for 30" series. Its a documentary of the trials and Tribulations of Cleveland and its fans.

 

[Light Cleric]

I definitely think that the name of the team has an impact on them sucking so hard... but then there's the city itself...

No one can blame the fans though, Cleveland fans are some of the best, most loyal of any city/teams fans... its sad really. My little brother (and alot of my Ohio relatives) is a long-suffering 30-year Browns fan... poor guy(s/gals).

At least they got Lebron back...

See I used to feel the same way before I dealt with way too many obnoxious Cav/Lebron fans the past two years.

I kinda hope the Browns stay a dumpster fire so there's no spillover

 

[Serutan]

R.I.P. Dennis Green. Awful Announcing took his famous presser, and turned it into a nice eulogy

 

[ShogunGrumpyBea]

RIP Dennis Green.


Does anything think Denver will repeat?