NFL Week 16 Thread

They added Gates.

They could have rolled out Brees, LT, Gates and Fitz every week on offense for a few seasons. Of the Saints, Steelers, Giants and Chargers, they are the only team in the QB class and the fallout without a SB appearance or a ring, and two of those teams won two.

Maybe Brees should not be on this list, but justifying how the Chargers played their choices defending them does not make sense to me. They had a HOF QB on their roster and the potential to draft a HOF receiver. They wiffed. Sure, Rivers is very good, but he is not as good as what they could have had.

 

That is some interesting hindsight you have there. Unfortunately, it ignores facts about which you have already been reminded on this very thread.

Brees had played badly his two seasons in the NFL to that point. More importantly, as I already explained, it was NOT a choice of Rivers or Fitzgerald. It was a choice of Rivers and three more draft picks, including a first rounder in 2005, or Fitzgerald. To take the other pieces they got out of the deal with the Giants out of the discussion is to unfairly misrepresent the choice they made.

 

As far as defensive players who were given up on and then went on to earn HOF status, I'd put Charles Woodson on there. His first term in Oakland did not end well -- he missed 13 games in his final two years and was generally regarded as a malcontent -- and he stayed on the FA market until late April, just before the draft. He was closing in on his 30th birthday and hadn't put together anything close to a HOF profile. Nine years later he's a former DPOY, three-time first-team All-Pro (only one of those in his first Raiders career) and the only player in NFL history with 50 interceptions and 20 sacks.

 

It's kind of hard to say the Rams left Bettis for dead. I think the Steelers gave up a second and fourth rounders for Bettis and a third-rounder. A bargain for the Steelers obviously, but it was less than the Seahawks gave up for Lynch and similar to what the Rams gave up to get Faulk from the Colts (second and fifth-rounders).

 

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BettJe00.htm

If you look at his attempts per game, it seems to me they were writing him out of their offense.

 

There was more to it. They had a new coach who wanted to throw more. I don't think any back would have fared very well going from Chuck Knox to Rich Brooks. I think he may have held out at some point as well...

 

I still take Fitz. I don't care what draft picks the Giants were giving up. They had the best RB in the game, the best TE and could have added potentially the best WR. You cannot defend that.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/637388.html

 

They got the 4th overall pick, next years first and a couple other picks. Damn rights you can defend it. Even if they kept Brees you make that trade all day.

 

They had the best TE? Gates entered the 2004 season with 24 career receptions. He turned out to be great, but no one knew at the time what the Chargers had. Stop with the nonsensical hindsight, Debil.

 

They should have known what they had. He was at their practices every day.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GateAn00/gamelog//

He was their starting TE at the end of 2003 and doing pretty well.

And the drafted Brees with the 32nd overall pick a few years prior. It's not like he was sixth rounder trying to play NFL QB.

 

Bart Hubbuch is cute when he gets goes on a Twitter rant.

 

Cutler's back! Can't keep a good man down.