2024 NFL General Season News and Notes
- Thread starter Ed Hillel
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Weren't people pissed when Cunningham was claimed? Looks like no one can figure out if he's a QB.
Weren't people pissed when Cunningham was claimed? Looks like no one can figure out if he's a QB.
Nerd fans LOVE gadget players, and hope springs eternal.
Turning an ex-QB turn into a Pro Bowl receiver was one of the greatest highlights of BB's tenure, and Edelman's parlayed his dirt dog jockness into a successful retirement career. Fans want to see more guys like him. The trouble is that Cunningham can't throw accurately to an NFL standard, and while he's a pretty good runner, teams know how to deal with all-run QBs. So then he's a receiver, but as a receiver, his route running was suspect.
Was it nerd fans? I feel like Cunningham was a darling of the most casual of fans who thing "QB who can run" equals Lamar. Nerd fans thought he had no role as a QB in the NFL because he sucks, and the sooner he gave up and tried to be a WR or KR the better off he'd be.
I think all Pats fans were just desperate for anything to hang onto last year that could take away the pain of watching Mac and Zappe. That plus one laser throw in the preseason was enough to turn our lonely hearts to Cunningham. He was never a serious option. Maybe one of the minor leagues (CFL, XFL) would be good for him. He needs live reps, in any case.
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This is a cool article about Irish Gaelic Football players trying to become NFL kickers.
https://theathletic.com/5402844/2024/04/11/charlie-smyth-saints-irish-gaelic-football-nfl-kickers/
They are getting chances to learn and show what they can do.
1. The International Player Pathway program:
https://theathletic.com/5402844/2024/04/11/charlie-smyth-saints-irish-gaelic-football-nfl-kickers/
They are getting chances to learn and show what they can do.
2 reasons why some of these guys may get chances in the league:
1. The International Player Pathway program:
2. The new kickoff rules. Having a good tackling kicker could be more helpful than ever. “We’re not just some wee fragile kickers.”
Seems like it would be smart to add one of these guys to the practice squad with the IPP spot. The Saints did that, adding Smyth, the youngest of the Irish kickers in the article.
That other driver better hope Ray Lewis wasn’t too strong of an influence on Suggs.…
They wont necessarily need to get rid of AJ Brown. Best part about this deal is they get his 4th season rookie cap hit and 5th year option cost. There are also 4 voidable years on the back end.
EDIT: Via the link, it looks like the extension added 1.7m to his 2024 cap and took 8m away from his 2025 cap. Howie really worked some magic here.
https://overthecap.com/player/devonta-smith/9474
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Anyone worried about Daniels being too skinny needs to go back and look at all the concerns people raised about Smith. "Nobody under X body fat", "Nobody under X weight"...
Seems a lot different to me. DeVonta has always had an ability to protect himself that I don’t see in JD and he isnt playing running back (in a way that a mobile qb does).
It’s apples and oranges though.
Daniels has a history of taking brutal hits in college and doesn’t seem to have the awareness or willingness to run with self preservation in mind
QB’s generally are going to take more hits from bigger defenders (front 7 guys) than a WR will.
QB’s, especially mobile QB, are going to take more contact than a WR who catches 6 balls a game. They touch the ball every play so the risk is far greater of contact
But I think more importantly, the risk to the team is not the same. If Smith gets hurt, you’ve lost your #2 WR which sucks because he’s great but it’s nowhere near the loss if your QB goes down. Daniels is reckless, more likely to take hits - often from bigger opponents than Smith and plays a far more valuable position where there is unlikely to be any quality depth behind him if he misses games. It’s just nowhere near the same situation.
For reference, in his 2 years at LSU, Daniels rushed and was sacked a combined 386 times in 25 games. Smith in 55 games has 269 touches. The rate of exposure is nowhere near the same.
Also, obvious counterpoint - Tyquan Thornton. Also very narrow in stature injured in his first camp on a hit where a thicker framed guy might have not gotten injured.
And the play that got DeVonta injured last year was when Sirianni/Johnson made an awful decision to use him as a lead blocker on a screen pass to Gainwell, which was basically a give-up play on 3rd and long.
Daniels' size wouldn't be an issue if he had a different play style, but considering his response to pressure is so often running full speed ahead (sometimes straight into linebackers), I'd be very concerned. Lamar is a slight guy who protects himself a whole lot better than Daniels in the open field and he's been injured multiple times inside the pocket. If you ask Devonta Smith to run shallow cross 15 times a game he won't last 5 weeks, but he plays in a manner and is utilized in a role that minimizes big contact.
Late on this post (too), & I don't have access to the full article so not sure if it mentions it, but one thing about Gaelic football is that it is strictly amateur. So the opportunity to make some coin as a professional athlete in the NFL could explain the (at least, extra) motivation to make it into the league.
Let's say you pick Daniels but "all" you get is Lamar's career to this point, and nothing more. Six years career, 2 MVPs, 3 Pro Bowls, 2 all-pros, the team makes the playoffs 5 of the 6 seasons but only makes it to one AFCCG and zero Super Bowl appearances, never mind Lombardis. But then his career is over.
Would that be worth picking him with #3?
It'd be worth giving up multiple first round picks to take him at #1 if you're getting what Lamar has been so far as a player. If the team results are included then no, he's not even worth a 7th. Why would I draft a guy that will guarantee I don't win a title for the next six years?
100% and twice on Sunday.
The fear is that what you get instead is RG3's career.
Good question. I'd answer that it's because there's more to the NFL than Lombardis, I suppose?
Yeah including the team results is weird because it gives you scenarios like preferring to draft Eli Manning over Dan Marino. On a talent basis that would be absurd but if you “know” one guy will deliver 2 Lombardi’s, obviously that’s the guy you take even if it’s the less talented guy
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I’d argue for anyone making the actual draft picks, there isn’t.
For fans, perhaps but even then I think there’s a lot of Lions fans (e.g.) who would trade all of their Barry Sanders memories for a less interesting RB and a Lombardi trophy
The journey is a huge part of the experience but if you “know” it won’t result in a title, as with this Jackson example, it’s a lot less interesting/compelling. The hope of a title, or that this year will provide promise of a title in the future (as in watching a rebuilding team of young developing players) is what makes the experience worthwhile to many people.
I think a fairly small minority of fans would get invested in a team if they knew there was absolutely no hope of a title.
How many college football fans pack football stadiums knowing that their team has no hope of a title? A lot. There's joy to be had in supporting your team and watching amazing athletes do their thing. And the Ravens, of course, have won a LOT under Lamar. So you go to the stadium knowing there's electric football to be played and your team is highly likely to win the game you attend.
I get what you guys are saying though.
Huh? So you take Daniels knowing you won't win a SB? Give me the hypothetical where we win a SB every time. I really don't get this at all.
Yes.
Now it's a fundamentally dumb hypo because it supposes team success as part of it, but......
If you get Lamar level performance and don't win or go to a SB.... that's not Lamar's fault, and you wouldn't have gone to or won a SB with a different QB.
But it's still a dumb hypo.
On a more reasonable level... if I knew I was only getting Daniels for 5 years would I take him top 5... NO, because I don't think he has any chance of being as good as Lamar, and while I think you can Jalen Hurts him to a good team on his rookie deal, I think there is more value in either a different QB, or in stocking up and looking for your next QB elsewhere (mid-rounds... next draft, FA, etc.).
The NFL has hired 5 new officials. Because Walt Anderson’s son has been hired, he will no longer be the supervisor of officials.
https://www.footballzebras.com/2024/04/nfl-hires-5-officials-and-announces-walt-andersons-new-role-in-officiating/
https://www.footballzebras.com/2024/04/nfl-hires-5-officials-and-announces-walt-andersons-new-role-in-officiating/
Sure... might as well, they aren't getting a higher ceiling QB in this draft. Maybe they find something there.
Does this close the door on the non- pick 1/1 QBs of the 2021 draft class? Wilson traded to Denver. Lance traded to Dallas. Fields traded to Steelers. Jones traded to Jags. Ok, Trask (2/64) is still with Tampa. Mills (3/67) is still with the Texans. Next QB I've never heard of (Ian booke) and is on his 4th team. Sam Ehrlinger (6/218) is still with the colts.
The whole QB class sucked except for Lawrence. Here's to hoping the 2024 class is more successful!
The whole QB class sucked except for Lawrence. Here's to hoping the 2024 class is more successful!
Every time I talk myself into Daniels/Maye, a note about that draft class comes up and I think, don't be foolish ... trade out and build a complete team
I do feel like, overall, folks on this board have been more positive about the guys graduating this year than in 2021. My recollection is that Wilson was sort of a LOL Jets pick, Lance was a "wow that's a lot to move up for a guy that's barely played" pick and folks were skeptical about Mac's ability to make throws. Folks seem overall more positive about Maye and Daniels, and... that other guy. Interesting to see if our scouts here are right.
well Daniels and Maye aren’t really like a lot of those 2021 QB’s, but you could just as easily be reminded of 2004 (Manning, Rivers, Roethlisberger) or 2020 (Burrow, Tua, Herbert, Love)
and building a complete team of course presumes those non-QB’s hit and you don’t end up Evan Neal and Treylon Burks. Or Jahan Dotson and Trevor Penning.
Why do people act like hitting on a top tier WR and a top tier LT cumulatively is somehow much easier than hitting on a top tier QB?
I don't know. But missing on a top-tier quarterback "seems" like a bigger deal.
yeah, WR and OT are "safer" in the sense that if you miss at LT maybe you get a backup LG, you miss on a WR you might get a #4 WR who plays. QB you need to hit a homerun, but the assumption that MHJ and say... Fautanu is going to be a stud WR and LT when it could just as easily by Corey Davis and Evan Neal or worse.
In all fairness to that Lawrence (who probably projects to have a lot more Derek Carr in him then savior franchise carrier they were hoping for) is the only one of those 1st rounders that didn't end up getting drafted into what ultimately ended up being a league worst type of development situation (i don't count Lance since he never even really got a chance to "fail" before losing his job due to injury and then the unforeseen emergence of Purdy). And all 3, who are still only 25 years old or less, have only now moved on the notably upgraded teams/situations. I don't think it's fair to close that book just yet.
Honestly if I am a Denver fan right now I'm wondering why this instead of being in on Fields? Especially if Zach starts.
You rarely get a chance to pick #3 without giving anything up. If all goes well, this is a middle of the pack team. MUCH easier to find a future PB at WR or OT with that pick, especially when 4-6 teams next year will be eyeing QBs. Trust your scouts to find the guy(s) next year or in 2-3 round. If the QB pans out, sweet! If not, you have your stud OT/WR until either find your QB or the staff is turned over and you’ve wasted Megatron or AJ Green’s career.
Isn't it also kind of as simple as QBs picked as high as 1 bust all the time, and top 10 WR/LT picks generally don't? I get that that logic goes out the window if you're trading all the way back to 11 and staying there, but history would suggest that MHJ is a much safer prospect than Drake Maye, no?
(Fwiw, I'm Maye>see if you can trade back to the Giants pick>Daniels>Vikings trade, but I don't think it's unreasonable to see the build up the team for the QB to come later argument if your number 1 goal is to not blow this specific pick.)
(Fwiw, I'm Maye>see if you can trade back to the Giants pick>Daniels>Vikings trade, but I don't think it's unreasonable to see the build up the team for the QB to come later argument if your number 1 goal is to not blow this specific pick.)
Weirdly my mind went to Akili Smith immediately. One year college wonder
Similiar build to Daniels
Sure. It's the difference between playing low stakes blackjack and high stakes poker. And we could have the #1 WR in the league and still have nothing to show for it. That guy is called Calvin Johnson.
You can get #1 stud WRs at other points in the draft. It's hard to get a stud QB anywhere, so if you're in a spot to take one, man, I think you gotta jump.