2019 NFL off-season thread

Maybe.

But Dallas and the Joneses have shown little signs of making picks and signings count. The folks here are correct in that Zeke has massive leverage.

The Steelers, for better or worse, were prepared for Bell's actions. Jerrah was not and is not ready for Zeke to hold out.

 

9 of their last 12 first-round draft picks have been Pro Bowlers and a total of eight first-team all-pro selections. One of the other three is about to enter his eighth year as a starter. That seems pretty good.

 

Gotta do better than merely getting first-round picks correctly. That's the baseline.

Get some mid-round picks. A few lower-round picks. Some free agents that weren't splash signings.

Yes, those first-round picks do count. So do all the other ones, too.

 

The big ones are:

2010
1 Dez Bryant
2 Sean Lee

2011
1 Tyron Smith
2 Bruce Carter
3. DeMarco Murray

2012
1 Morris Claiborne
No 2nd round pick
3. Tyrone Crawford
4. James Hanna

2013
1 Travis Frederick
3 Terrance Williams
3 J.J. Wilcox
4 B.W Webb

2014
1 Zach Martin
2 Demarcus Lawrence
Didn’t have 3rd round pick
4 Anthony Hitchens

2015
1 Byron Jones
4 Damien Wilson
7 Geoff Swaim

2016
1 Ezekeiel Elliott
2 Jaylon Smith
3 Maliek Collins
4 Dak Prescott
6 Anthony Brown

2017
2 Chidobe Awuzie
6 Xavier Woods

2018
1 Leighton Vander Esch
2 Connor Williams
3 Michael Gallup


They have made 72 picks this decade, not counting 2019. 51 of them were in the league, either on a roster or a practice squad, last season.

Of the 72, 51 of them played in at least 10 games. 45 of them played at least a full season’s worth of a career – 16 games. 61 of those who could play at least two seasons worth of games, 33 have.

 

I think you are overrating what anybody knew about the Steelers' running back position entering the 2018 season. I saw quite a bit of Conner in college, too. He was good his final year at Pitt, but not the same player he had been before the tearing his ACL and winning his fight with cancer. Conner hadn't shown the same burst since his battle with cancer, though he finally looked like that back last season. He also struggled in the passing game as a rookie. He didn't catch a pass and he had trouble picking up blitzes, two areas in which he improved dramatically last season. Samuels can catch, but he hadn't been a primary back ever in his career, not even in high school, and he isn't a good blocker. He could end up No. 3 in Pittsburgh this season behind Conner and Snell. Yes, the Steelers had some faith in Conner and Samuels, but they were far from sure things and they still ended up 31st in the league in rushing last season.

I agree that they had a better Plan B in the sense that Conner had upside and Morris has none of that, but that isn't the only significant difference. The contract situation is a big variable. Bell had been franchise tagged, so he wasn't under contract. Until somebody finally informed Bell and his agent that he didn't have to play at all last season to escape being tagged at the same number again, he was going to come back for part of the season. Once he realized he could be a free agent by sitting out all year, he did so. Elliott has two years left on his deal. If he sits out all season, he's still going to have two years left on his deal.

 

I agree with Della that the Cowboys' drafting record is better than you'd think. Jerry / whoever he delegates that to, they're pretty good at it. I think their cap management has been more of an issue over the years, along with giving up a lot in trades. (Cooper obviously helped them down the stretch last year, but it still seemed like they gave up a crazy amount to get a distressed asset.) For that reason, I think they eventually come to an agreement with Elliott - Jerry loves stars! - even if it hurts the back end of the team.

 

So the Jags released a list of its best players.
Tony Boselli is No. 1 and Fred Taylor is No. 2.
Taylor did not take it well.

Fred Taylor: It’s “a joke” that Tony Boselli was chosen best Jaguar ever over me

 

If Dallas thinks this is *the year* then get a deal done.

A Super Bowl is a Super Bowl. It’s been 23 years.

 

Don't forget that way back in 1993 Emmitt Smith held out into the regular season. Cowboys started 0-2. Deal done by the following Wednesday.

 

If I were his wife, the next thing I sign after the discharge papers are divorce papers. What a total dick.

 

Of all the hires, I think Gase is the shakiest. It's not like he "made" Manning, didn't do anything with Tannehill and now he's supposed to take Darnold to the next level? Also, weren't there whispers he lost the locker room in Miami? Figured a year away would have been a good idea for him. He craps out in NY and he's done.