NFL - Discussion Thread

You beat me to it. Pittsburgh will still be contenders this season, and he gets to play with his brothers. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

I still think it's unlikely but if he'll take a substantial paycut we could maybe make it work. With our departing free agents and a restructure of Ben's contract and the generally competent front office it can happen. I think it would be smarter to go after some linebackers or Corners with Dupree, Sutton, and Mike Hilton all departing while we've still got Heyward, Tuitt, and Alualu on the line.

It doesn't make much sense to me positionally but whatever. It would be cool to have all 3 players on one team and by all accounts he's still a great player and great locker room guy.

I would think you would want the Watt Bros. ;)

I have heard Steelers, Browns, Bills, Titans, Chiefs and Bucs. I think the Steelers are the favorites, but I have a feeling it will be the Chiefs, Bucs, Rams or Steelers.

I really like JJ as a player and person but if signing him means we lose out on getting other players at positions of much greater need I would rather pass. D line is maybe the one position the Steelers don't really need help at.

I personally think he's gonna sign with the Bucs.

« Last edited by steelersrock01 on Feb 13th 2021 »

I'm wondering how long he'll wait to sign with a team. I'm pretty sure he can sign immediately since he was released, can't imagine him waiting all that long. I'd have to think he'll be signed way before Free Agency begins just so his new team knows his contract in terms of their salary cap.

Bucs make the most sense because of Salary Cap space compared to other contenders, but he'll have to come cheap. Pretty sure most of their impeding free agents will sign for cheap for at least one year since they just won the Super Bowl. I have a feeling Brady will also take a pay cut. He did it for years with the Pats.

Tom's already signed for this coming year at 25m, but I'm sure they could work some magic to spread the bonus over the next couple of years. The Bucs have a lot of guys needing a deal, Barrett, David, Gronk, Godwin, Suh, AB, Fournette. At least Barrett, David, and Godwin are going to want to get paid. Fournette and AB are going to want deals too, but I can see them letting them both go. Gronk and Suh I imagine will sign for cheap. The only RB they've got on the roster is Ronald Jones now.

I think they might all come back for cheap, especially if Brady takes a pay cut. He can easily persuade them to put off the big payday for just a year so they can try to go back to back.

If anyone can do that it's Brady. The older guys, probably. A guy like Godwin hasn't really gotten his payday yet and if I was him I'd need to secure that over everything else.

Steelers are currently the betting favorites to land Watt. Bucs are a close second. Drops significantly after that.

Sounds about right.

New reports have said the Eagles have actually yet to receive a 1st Round Pick offer. Apparently, the Bears and Colts have only been offering second and third rounders (and multiple of each). If true, looks like both organizations are not panicking. Good. Eagles do not deserve a 1st for him and that contract.

Have the Carolina management lost their heads, they are offering three first rounders, Christian McCafffery and Teddy Bridgewater for Deshaun Watson. If the Texans don't take that offer there is something happening behind the scenes we don't know about. Carolina can literally build a new team with all those picks and players, they could even use those picks to move up and get Trevor Lawrence if they wanted to and pair him with McCaffery.

I actually think the Panthers are offering what is expected. If the Panthers want one of the Top QBs, they will likely have to jump to #3. This will cost a number of picks anyway, so why not just use those picks and get Watson? Losing McCaffery would stink, but lets remember he is just a running back. They are a dime a dozen; you can get a quality running back in rounds 2-4.

I think it would be a good deal for both teams. Panthers would get their franchise QB. Texans get a bridge QB, a superstar RB, and three 1st, one of which they might be able to use (#8 overall) to draft their future QB. Texans could even flip McCaffery for more 1sts. Win/win.

Yeah I think that's a pretty good deal for Carolina. It would take at least the #8 pick and another first to jump to #3, if not 3 first round picks. So if you look at it as trading Mccaffery (who is good but has injury issues and his contract is going to be terrible) and Bridgewater (who has a nice story but is really a high tier backup) for Watson who's already signed to an extension it really is a good deal.

3 first rounders are not enough to trade up for Lawrence when you would assume that getting Lawrence will make them a much better team and decrease the value of those future picks.

No chance the Texans take that deal if only because they don't want to be the team that traded a superstar for a running back twice.

I would jump at that deal if I was Houston even with that stigma. I would then trade McCaffery since he does hold some value, especially for a team nearing the Super Bowl. Could you imagine McCaffery on the Bills? Yeah. lol

I wouldn't accept anything for Lawrence if I was the Jaguars. Maybe 15 first rounders, one for every year he's likely to play, but that's about it. No one would do that though.

How can Lawrence be worth more than DeShaun Watson, the guy hasn't proved himself in the NFL, he could easily be another Ryan Leaf. Look what happened to Darnold, he was supposed to be the best quarterback since Andrew Luck but if you go to a poor team with no protection your confidence goes pretty quick and you end up looking like a bust.

I think I'd keep my three number 1s than use them to get Watson, the guy has mileage and injury concerns. It's putting all your eggs into one basket, look what happened to the Redskins with Robert Griffin III.

It is all about his potential. He is right up there with Peyton and Luck coming out of college. Watson will never be Peyton, and the Jags cannot risk missing out on that level of talent. Imagine if the Colts had taken Leaf over Peyton. That is what it would be like if the Jags skip on Lawrence and he becomes as everyone expects.

If Carolina are actually offering three 1st round picks, McCaffery, and a competent bridge QB, Houston MUST take it. That is absolutely reckless by Carolina. Their draft would be ruined for 3 years, and they would have to try find another quality RB.

I'm still puzzled as to why people have stopped talking about NY Jets. They are the clear and logical favourites to get Watson, based on everything I have read and seen. He has said on record that his 2 preferred destinations are NY Jets and Miami in that order. Also the NY Jets coach is the guy that Watson wanted to coach Houston. They also have the #2 and #23 picks, as well as cap space.

I agree with you on both counts Matt, one player is not worth what Carolina is offering and talk about DeShaun Watson going to the Jets and Miami has cooled off. I've seen interviews with Tua about the trade, but he doesn't seem bothered, it's as if he has been reassured already Watson is not taking his job in Miami. The team I keep hearing about is the 49rs, I don't rate Garropollo, but I still think he will be the starter there. DeShaun Watson as a 49er. I personally think he will be sitting out the season, the Texans must begrudge having to get rid of their biggest asset bigtime, I can't see them doing it.

Nobody wants to give Philadelphia a 1st round pick for Wentz, looks like Dak Prescott will stay at the Cowboys. Washington want Mariota but so to does Belichick at New England. Darnold will probably end up at the Colts.

These rumours change daily, so we'll have to see what happens.

Matt: I don't necessarily agree. The Panthers know they need a QB if they want to have real progression, but they won't be picking as high as they are now with both Bridgewater and McCaffery. Unfortunately, as Mike and I alluded to, #8 Overall will likely see them missing out on one of the Top 4 QB Prospects at this point. If they want one of them, they will likely have to jump to #3, which would cost them multiple 1sts (as Mike said). I think it would be better getting a proven commodity than the third best QB in this draft. Sure, losing McCaffery would be a bummer, but it's much easier replacing a RB than most other position in today's NFL. Additionally, since they would only be losing three 1sts, they wouldn't be in too much trouble with future drafts since they would still have their 2nds-7ths. The Rams have proven you can go basically a decade without a 1st and still have quality drafts.

I think you guys are massively overestimating the value of first round picks - especially picks closer to the middle of the round. You might get a solid starter or get lucky and get a Pro Bowler, but you're more likely to draft a depth guy or a complete bust. If you have a chance to trade a few picks for a pretty sure thing in Watson and also get rid of Mccaffery's soon-to-be albatross contract you take that in a heartbeat. Go back and look at the last few drafts and you'll see that there's almost as many solid players taken in the 2nd and 3rd rounds as there are in the first.

Warrior - would be cool to see Mccaffery on a contender but with the cap going down to 180M I don't find it likely.

Another thing to consider is that Lawrence or any other rookie will be on a much smaller contract than an established star and with the salary cap decreasing this season that's really important for teams in cap trouble.