2012 NFL Offseason thread

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

Confirmed.

Terrell Suggs of Baltimore Ravens tears Achilles tendon - ESPN

As a Steeler fan, I'm used to Suggs killing us every game - but I'd rather beat Baltimore at their best. So to any Ratbirds fans out there, I'm sorry to hear about this.

As a Steeler fan, I'm not. I feel for the player, not an injury that I ever want to experience or wish on anyone, but I don't feel bad for the team at all.

[Young Drachma]

Alex Tanney, YouTube QB sensation*lands invite to Buffalo Bills camp - NFL - SI.com

A five-minute YouTube video was enough to make quarterback Alex Tanney an overnight sensation for displaying his uncanny accuracy.
Tanney created a big buzz last year in the self-titled "Trick Shot Quarterback" video by showing he can hit a receiver in a moving vehicle and throw footballs from across the court and swish them into basketball nets. He even banged a pass off the crossbar of an upright from 50 yards out - from his knees.

Now the Division III Monmouth College (Ill.) product will provide the Buffalo Bills a firsthand look to see whether he has a future in the NFL. After being passed up in the draft last weekend, Tanney has accepted an invitation to take part in the Bills' three-day rookie minicamp that opens May 11.

"I'm from a small school, and the only thing I've ever really wanted was an opportunity to get into a camp," the 23-year-old said by phone this week. "And now I have that in Buffalo, so I'm anxious to get out there and compete for a spot."
Turns out, the Bills weren't the only team interested in the 6-foot-4, 220-pound quarterback who set an NCAA record with 157 touchdown passes over a five-year career with the Fighting Scots.

Tanney initially agreed to attend the Pittsburgh Steelers' rookie camp, but changed his mind after Buffalo extended an invite.
He made the switch because he felt Buffalo was a better fit. Noting that Bills were among the first teams to contact him this offseason, Tanney added that he's spoken to Buffalo's new quarterback coach David Lee on several occasions.

He's also aware that the team's No. 3 position is unfilled behind starter Ryan Fitzpatrick and backup Tyler Thigpen.
If one thing's for certain, Tanner's accuracy shouldn't be an issue.

In the video, Tanney bounces a pass off the floor into a trash barrel. He even threads a pass blind from the floor of the gymnasium up through a hallway and into a trash barrel on the floor of the school's adjacent running track.
The video has received more than 1.1 million hits since Tanney and his friends posted it in February 2011, and led to him attracting national attention.
Tanney showed off his throwing ability while featured on an episode of "Stan Lee's Superhumans" on the History Channel. It also led to numerous television interviews, including ones in Japan, Israel, Argentina and Chile.
Tanney would rather play down his YouTube popularity and instead focus on what he did on the field.
"The success and the numbers I put up speak for themselves rather than the YouTube video," he said. "But obviously, that's what people are going to talk about."

In 47 games, he completed 68.6 percent of his passes going 1,205 for 1,756 with only 30 interceptions. He threw for 300 yards 32 times and finished with a Division III record 14,249 yards passing. Add it up, by NFL standards, Tanney finished with a 115.8 passer rating.
And yet, he accepts his instant celebrity.

"We really didn't expect it to take off like it did. It kind of blew up," Tanney said. "We had fun with it. It was a good experience. But I kind of think that's past me. I'm just looking forward to getting my shot in the NFL."

The son of a longtime football coach, Tanney has been a quarterback since he started playing. He figures he was overlooked by Division I programs because he played for a tiny high school that had only 170 students.

And though he was hoping to be drafted, Tanney understood the possibility was unlikely.
That makes him even more driven to succeed.
"I've had a chip on my shoulder basically throughout high school, college, coming from small schools and wanting to prove to people what I have," Tanney said. "I'm anxious to get out to Buffalo and see what I can do there."

[Young Drachma]

Tanney actually replaced his brother who spent four years as the QB before him and they always said he was better. The brother got a tryout and played Arena for a bit, so the talent is in the bloodlines and Monmouth football has pretty much never been better than it was over the past four years.

So if nothing else, the kid knew how to win. And Buffalo already has D3 Fred Jackson hanging out on their roster, not to mention that Ivy QB, so seems like they're probably a good fit for him over his initial shot in Pittsburgh.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Alex Tanney, YouTube QB sensation*lands invite to Buffalo Bills camp - NFL - SI.com

Eh, he has nothing on Johnny McEntee

[mckerney]

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I just read that RG3's girlfriend bought a new Bentley.

Wouldn't it be great if she signed the papers herself & he dumps her before she starts blowing his money? I don't think you can just return a Bentley.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

I just read that RG3's girlfriend bought a new Bentley.

Wouldn't it be great if she signed the papers herself & he dumps her before she starts blowing his money? I don't think you can just return a Bentley.

You could sell it even if you would be taking a hit from it.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Matthean

You could sell it even if you would be taking a hit from it.

Right but if you assume the old 10% when you drive it of the lot line, can she fork out $45,000?

[Passacaglia]

Wouldn't it be even greater if they had a loving relationship that lasted the rest of their lives?

[Julio Riddols]

Sounds like that woman comes with a shovel. Before he has even signed the contract? I hope he doesn't get her pregnant any time soon.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Wouldn't it be even greater if they had a loving relationship that lasted the rest of their lives?

Bull hockey!

[Matthean]

[tarcone]

Awesome!

[molson]

Eli didn't get as strong caliber material to work with as peyton but I thought he was just as funny.

[JonInMiddleGA]

This is rather odd. Apparently Vilma has decided to get into a minor Tweet skirmish with an AJC writer/blogger.

Jonathan Vilma and I go back and forth on Twitter | Jeff Schultz

Seriously? When will athletes figure out that social media has a tendency to make them appear stupid more often than anything else?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by molson

Eli didn't get as strong calibwer material to work with as peyton but I thought he was just as funny.

agreed.

The first half was really good but the second half was pretty meh. Mostly because of the writing. I thught Eli was a good sport and pretty funny.

[mckerney]

A bill to finance a new Viking stadium passed the Minnesota house and senate, expected to be signed by the governor today and will then just need to be approved by the Minneapolis city council.

[cartman]

The USFL is coming back.

USFL relaunching, ex-Raider Fred Biletnikoff involved - San Jose Mercury News

[flounder]

More football is always a good thing. I remember watching the New Orleans Breakers in the Superdome when I was 10.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by cartman

The USFL is coming back.

USFL relaunching, ex-Raider Fred Biletnikoff involved - San Jose Mercury News

Wow, I am quite thrilled to hear of this news. But getting a league running in a year? sounds like a bit much to hope for. I'd expect them to be ready maybe spring 2014, but hey stranger things have happened.

[Ksyrup]

14 week season starting in March, using ex-NFL players and undrafted college guys? I expect week 7-9 or so to be interesting when the NFL draft is over and you've suddenly got a bunch of guys who just played college ball available to join your team. I wonder if having the USFL as an option to prove yourself would sway a potential UDFA NFL signee to wait it out and play in the USFL as an audition to NFL summer camp? Or if marginal late round picks would go ahead and play in the USFL starting in March, hoping to get picked in the draft and then leave when they get a UDFA NFL offer the day after the draft?

[flounder]

Another question would be if they will allow 18 year olds to play.

[cartman]

I'm convinced that if the original USFL had stuck to their spring schedule, they would still be around.

[stevew]

This is an UFL(pronounced phonetically) idea

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by flounder

Another question would be if they will allow 18 year olds to play.

This I think is a key. It almost seems like they are trying to strike while the iron is hot and maybe emerge as a minor league for the NFL.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by flounder

Another question would be if they will allow 18 year olds to play.

Or breastfeed.

[korme]

Joe Vitt: "Darren Sproles will still be able to make someone miss a tackle when he's 75 years old" ..... In a word, no

[bhlloy]

I dunno, some of the tackling form you see from old ladies in those nursing homes is pretty bad

[gstelmack]

I still want to know if the NFL will be using the players' relucatance to improved pad requirements as evidence in all the concussion lawsuits they are facing...

[cuervo72]

I don't see why the pads are such a big deal. Directly, no they may not prevent that many concussions. HTH hits will still happen, and if you get a knee to the head (which I had happen in HS) you can still get your bell rung.

But, I hear players complain that they don't like the pads because it slows them down - going without helps them keep up with the speed of the game. But isn't the increased speed of today's game cited as a contributing factor to injury? Wouldn't slowing things down help, even if ever-so-slightly?

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

I don't see why the pads are such a big deal. Directly, no they may not prevent that many concussions. HTH hits will still happen, and if you get a knee to the head (which I had happen in HS) you can still get your bell rung.

But, I hear players complain that they don't like the pads because it slows them down - going without helps them keep up with the speed of the game. But isn't the increased speed of today's game cited as a contributing factor to injury? Wouldn't slowing things down help, even if ever-so-slightly?

Also, getting kneed in the head isn't an unheard-of way to get a concussion, so padding the point of the knee couldn't hurt.

[gstelmack]

My main issue is the players whine about the extra pads, they whine about fines for hits, they whine about not being able to lead with the head, and then sue for injuries. I find them very hypocritical on the topic of player safety.

That isn't to say the NFL isn't hypocritical as well, cashing in on photos of big hits that they fine players for, for example.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

Also, getting kneed in the head isn't an unheard-of way to get a concussion, so padding the point of the knee couldn't hurt.

I agree that it couldn't hurt. Probably won't prevent most of them, but couldn't hurt.

[Passacaglia]

Who's on Lathum watch?

[Bad-example]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Who's on Lathum watch?

Micky Mouse?

[johnnyshaka]

Tell me Nicks didn't do anything stupid like set off a concealed gun and shatter his foot?

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

Tell me Nicks didn't do anything stupid like set off a concealed gun and shatter his foot?

Not unless they allow guns on the Giants practice field.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Not unless they allow guns on the Giants practice field.

They don't allow guns in NYC night clubs but...

[molson]

The players are suing over collusion again too. I guess they thought it was fishy that teams were being penalized for exceeding the salary cap in a year that didn't have a salary cap.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by molson

The players are suing over collusion again too. I guess they thought it was fishy that teams were being penalized for exceeding the salary cap in a year that didn't have a salary cap.

Next time they should make sure their appointed leaders don't sign something saying they won't sue over anything that happened in the past.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Logan

Next time they should make sure their appointed leaders don't sign something saying they won't sue over anything that happened in the past.

Ideally, but you can always sue over whether that applies or not. The NFL and its players are definitely doing their part to help the struggling legal industry.

[stevew]

Hey, if the players want to get 80% of a new 5B league, good luck to them.

[Lathum]

ugh

12 weeks, should be back for the end of camp.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

My main issue is the players whine about the extra pads, they whine about fines for hits, they whine about not being able to lead with the head, and then sue for injuries. I find them very hypocritical on the topic of player safety.

That isn't to say the NFL isn't hypocritical as well, cashing in on photos of big hits that they fine players for, for example.

The players are whining about the the extra pads because they don't make them look good. Got to look good for the highlight films.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by korme

Joe Vitt: "Darren Sproles will still be able to make someone miss a tackle when he's 75 years old" ..... In a word, no

In the future: The 2058 season is coming to its conclusion and a group of old friends and family are gathered to watch the super bowl at the Sproles residence.

With 11 seconds left, the Las Vegas Raiders have one final play left to try and steal the game away from the D.C. Native Americans. QB Bobby Young, grandson of Vince, rolls to his left and throws a dart to his slot receiver on an out route. He makes the catch, turns up field and-

"HEY WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY DIAPERS!!!" Grandpa Darren screams out suddenly, drowning out the sounds of the game and distracting the viewers in the house. Slowly everyone realizes that they missed the final play of the game, where the Native Americans safety had just made a great shoestring tackle to stop the receiver inches from paydirt and save the Super Bowl for D.C.. In the confusion, his grandson Jimmy missed the play.

In his grave, the corpse of Joe Vitt smiles, his statement from 51 years prior coming true. Validation.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by molson

The players are suing over collusion again too. I guess they thought it was fishy that teams were being penalized for exceeding the salary cap in a year that didn't have a salary cap.

It wasn't that teams exceeded the salary cap, it was that they front-loaded contracts that year to gain an advantage in later years when they expected a cap to be back. A contract like:

$30m Bonus
$8m
$10m
$12m

wasn't the issue, it was things like:

$20m Bonus
$18m
$10m
$12m

that got the league going. Basically using year 1 to bury extra bonus money so it wasn't spread out over the rest of the contract when they knew there'd be a cap.

[BillJasper]

You wonder why the NFL would even bring attention to this? A bunch of teams working together under an assumed set of rules that had yet to be negotiated with the union would seem to be collusion to me.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

In the future: The 2058 season is coming to its conclusion and a group of old friends and family are gathered to watch the super bowl at the Sproles residence.

With 11 seconds left, the Las Vegas Raiders have one final play left to try and steal the game away from the D.C. Native Americans. QB Bobby Young, grandson of Vince, rolls to his left and throws a dart to his slot receiver on an out route. He makes the catch, turns up field and-

"HEY WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY DIAPERS!!!" Grandpa Darren screams out suddenly, drowning out the sounds of the game and distracting the viewers in the house. Slowly everyone realizes that they missed the final play of the game, where the Native Americans safety had just made a great shoestring tackle to stop the receiver inches from paydirt and save the Super Bowl for D.C.. In the confusion, his grandson Jimmy missed the play.

In his grave, the corpse of Joe Vitt smiles, his statement from 51 years prior coming true. Validation.

A lot of effort, nice work there.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

It wasn't that teams exceeded the salary cap, it was that they front-loaded contracts that year to gain an advantage in later years when they expected a cap to be back. A contract like:

$30m Bonus
$8m
$10m
$12m

wasn't the issue, it was things like:

$20m Bonus
$18m
$10m
$12m

that got the league going. Basically using year 1 to bury extra bonus money so it wasn't spread out over the rest of the contract when they knew there'd be a cap.

This is it, but let's use real numbers. There's no evidence that there was a secret cap. However, teams were told that if the next CBA had a cap and teams shifted money into the uncapped year in an attempt to gain an advantage in future cap years, they'd be in trouble. Dallas and Washington did this, big-time, and that's why they got slapped. If they had offered a player a 1 year, $50m contract in the uncapped year, that wouldn't have been fined at all because that wouldn't impact future (capped years).

Let's take Miles Austin's contract. It was extended during the uncapped year - a year in which he was to make $3m. Instead, they front loaded it like such.

Year 1: $17.078m - all in GUARANTEED SALARY, so it hits all during the uncapped year.
Year 2: $1.15m
Year 3: $6.732m
Year 4: $5.5m
Year 5: $6.888m
Year 6: $11.38m

Austin's uncapped year hit is still $4m above his hit for the next 3 years combined. That's a clear attempt to avoid a cap in future years and that's why Dallas was bitch-slapped because of it. Everyone expected a cap going forward, which is why this was put as policy in the first place.

The union has little chance of prevailing on this issue. Not only is this not the same thing as a "secret cap", they also signed in the CBA language that they couldn't even sue for any collusion in 2010. So they're going to have a hard time getting this to court in the first place. Even if the NFLPA shows there was collusion, they still have to prove that there was damages incurred and that's going to be very tough to do. Was anyone player paid less money because of the NFL's rule that you couldn't front load contracts to avoid any probable future caps? The NFL could easily argue that players were paid the same amount, but have it spread out via a signing bonus (as is done now) and the NFLPA has to try to find some way to refute that. That's going to be tough when many teams took it upon themselves to make more money by not spending anything during the uncapped year, meaning that there wasn't as much competition for the services of top players anyway.

Those are a lot of hurdles to get over in court and frankly, I don't think the NFLPA will even get their opportunity with the existing CBA language.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

There's no evidence that there was a secret cap. However, teams were told that if the next CBA had a cap and teams shifted money into the uncapped year in an attempt to gain an advantage in future cap years, they'd be in trouble.

The biggest hole in this argument is the assumption that the next CBA would have a cap. You can't make that assumption, because the players could have decided to draw a line in the sand and still be holding out for no cap. You can't make that assumption at the time, before the CBA had been bargained, without it being a de facto secret cap - basically, the NFL told teams to treat that season just like all the other (capped) years. I don't see how this isn't a catch-22 for the league.