NFL offseason thread

Marinelli did a great job this year. Dallas was supposed to be one of the worst defenses in the league and while they weren't good, they were respectable or at least good enough to win 12 games.

 

The one thing the Dallas defense did really well is create turnovers, which got them off the field and kept them from getting exposed more often than they did. Marinelli did a tremendous job making chicken salad this season.

 

Controlling the ball helped that defense as much as anything.

 

There's a lot of truth to that. But based on what people thought the Dallas defense was going to be and what it was, Marinelli deserves credit for that.

 

No question. Dallas' offense greatly limited the exposure of the defense -- the Cowboys' average TOP for their wins was barely under 34 minutes as opposed to 29:30 for their losses. But the defense was a lot better than expected when it was on the field, especially when it came to taking the ball away. Marinelli did an outstanding job with that defense.

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...nsive-coordinator-LeBeau/stories/201501130161

Steelers surprise no one by promoting linebackers coach Keith Butler to replace Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator. He had been talked about as LeBeau's eventual replacement for a while. Seems the Steelers are floating the idea that they asked for LeBeau's resignation because Butler's contract was up and they didn't want to lose him.

 

Bills hire Greg Roman as OC. Good hire. He will work wonders with EJ Manuel as he
did with Colin Kaepernick.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ills-hire-greg-roman-as-offensive-coordinator

 

Random thought: Given the nature of today's NFL, is Emmitt Smith's rushing record at all breakable? Is there a back currently in the league with a legit shot at it?

 

The only one who had a shot was Peterson. Unless there's a major shift backward, I can't imagine the top backs getting enough carries each year AND staying productive for a decade-plus.

 

Yeah. Peterson has to replicate 80% of what he's already done to catch Smith. That ain't happening. That record will stand for a good long while.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...know-who-tom-brady-is-because-of-a-tuck-rule/

 

Hottest take of the year, unlikely to be topped.