NFL offseason thread

Maybe Shanahan will now decide it's to work him extra-hard.

 

Interested in the discussion of adding games (either playoff or reg. season). I don't know why the NFL feels it needs to add value for the sake of network dollars. Seems like fewer games means greater ratings intensity and higher ad rates.
Also - the 16 game sked is perfectly balanced between 6 division games, 4 out of conference, 4 out of division and two conference games against the other teams that finished in their same "place" the previous year. Unless the last two weeks were "flexed" so games were against other teams vying for playoff position and/or the top pick, I don't understand how you do it.
And adding playoff teams/games would all but take away the drive for a first-round bye that keeps the top teams playing hard to the end. Instead, with a division title locked up and no bye to shoot for, or even worse, an advantage gained by losing, the last weeks would be worse than the final preseason games.

 

Denver's Demaryius Thomas had a similar injury in February of 2011. It took him seven months just to be ready for practice, although his return to game action was subsequently delayed by a broken finger. By that timeline, Crabtree could practice in mid-December. The 49ers could place him on the physically-unable-to-perform list, but he would have to return to practice somewhere between Week 6 and Week 9; if he doesn't, he stays on the PUP list and is done for the year. Recallable injured reserve is an option, but each team is only allowed to place one player there per season.

Crabtree won't be the same for a long time. Thomas said he wasn't 100 percent until the last preseason week ... in 2012, nearly 19 months after he was injured.

 

That depends on how one estimates the value of Elvis Dumervil. The advanced-stats crowd (in which I admit to lingering) doesn't think highly of his worth because he pads his sack total in garbage time and is a liability against the run. If you think Dumervil is elite, the Broncos took a step back. If you don't, then Dumervil out and Wes Welker/Louis Vasquez/Shaun Phillips in makes the Broncos better overall -- on paper, at least.

 

I think the AFC is going to be pretty wide open this season, while the NFC seems to be a three or four team race. The Niners are still in that group, but I can't imagine that losing their top receiver doesn't put them clearly behind Seattle at this point.

I agree that losing Dumervil is a huge loss for the Broncos. How many times in the last several years have we heard about how much better the Patriots are going to be? I've fallen for it more than once, but I don't see it this year.

The Broncos are going to be all-in, probably more than any other team in the league because one would figure they have a 1 or 2 year window to win with Peyton. I could see Houston getting into the mix as well.

 

Manning being so old would make me nervous about calling them a favorite. Plus, he has not been a frequent flyer to the Super Bowl over his career.

 

Seattle has, though!

 

I think he has a better team in Denver than he ever had in Indy. Granted, he's not the same player as he was on some of those Indy teams, not that he's bad, mind you, but it's hard to imagine that he could remain at the level he was at last season for more than 1 or 2 or maybe 3 years... I hope he stays healthy and does great, I want him to get Favre's records, but I don't think that's going to happen.

 

I think Wilson was a freshman at NC State the last time Manning's team won a playoff game.

 

Awfully early, but I still like Atlanta in the NFC. They seem to be the most complete team with the fewest big weaknesses. Of course, one injury changes everything.

I think the entire NFC East will be mediocre. 10-6 would probably win the division.

 

and a white QB

 

Steelers OL Mike Adams stabbed last night.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Steelers-Offensive-Tackle-Mike-Adams-Recovering-From-Stabbing-Incident/55611104-805a-4082-bc9d-ee8d5ca6a1d6