2020 NFL Draft/Offseason thread

[MarqHusker]

As a kid in Wisconsin during this draft, I was always indifferent towards the Packers but legitimately excited they looked like they were going to get Barry Sanders.   That was such a buzzkill watching that draft. 

As an aside,  my then 11 year old younger brother ordered Kipers draft guide before this draft.  Kiper clearly sells his mailing list and around this time we got some adult movie solicitations sent to the house.   I remember my Dad calling up Kipers order phone number to scold them about this.  Iirc it was his wife or girlfriend that helps Kiper and she was very apologetic and embarrassed about it.  Gee, dirty old men aren't the only ones ordering your guide Mel.

[OrangeAfroMan]

On a similar line, the commercials during this 89 Draft are insulting.  Copper-fit Energy socks and a weight-gaining pill.  FFS

[OrangeAfroMan]

Andre Rison and Louis Oliver dropping in the draft.  
This is amazing to watch.  Beano Cook is in the house, pre-liquidy-neck.  Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated is there.  Remember him?  

[Cincydawg]

Copper stuff is ridiculous, insane, ignorant.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Boy, what Dallas did in '89 was ODD.  Have the #1 pick, take their QB in Aikman.  Cool.  But then they go and draft QB Steve Walsh in the '89 Supplemental draft in June.  So they go 1-15 in Aikman's rookie year.  Great, we get the #1 pick again!  Nuh-uh.  You forfeit it when you drafted ANOTHER QB after taking a QB #1 overall.

What in the holy hell?!?

The funny thing is, if Dallas retained that #1 pick in 1990, they probably would have drafted Blair Thomas.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

Okay, smart move, lol.  Cowboys traded Walsh for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks.  They did what I suggested, albeit in a unique way.

[MrNubbz]

So YOU told the Cowboys to trade Walsh for what ended up being Russell Maryland and Erik Williams?Sure you did,of course how could i have missed that

[OrangeAfroMan]

Thanks for your contribution.  

[Mdot21]

Boy, what Dallas did in '89 was ODD.  Have the #1 pick, take their QB in Aikman.  Cool.  But then they go and draft QB Steve Walsh in the '89 Supplemental draft in June.  So they go 1-15 in Aikman's rookie year.  Great, we get the #1 pick again!  Nuh-uh.  You forfeit it when you drafted ANOTHER QB after taking a QB #1 overall.

What in the holy hell?!?

The funny thing is, if Dallas retained that #1 pick in 1990, they probably would have drafted Blair Thomas. 

It was a brilliant move because they traded a guy who really didn't have the talent to play at a high level in the NFL in Walsh for a package of high picks. They fleeced the Saints with that Walsh trade. That trade and the Herschel Walker trade where they fleeced the Vikings set the stage for Dallas to become arguably the best dynasty the NFL has ever seen. I still think those 90's Cowboys teams with Jimmy Johnson were the best football teams top to bottom that I have ever seen. Oh and the Charles Haley trade with the 49ers.

Drafting Aikman and making 3 trades turned the Cowboys into a dynasty.

[Mdot21]

As a kid in Wisconsin during this draft, I was always indifferent towards the Packers but legitimately excited they looked like they were going to get Barry Sanders.  That was such a buzzkill watching that draft.

As an aside,  my then 11 year old younger brother ordered Kipers draft guide before this draft.  Kiper clearly sells his mailing list and around this time we got some adult movie solicitations sent to the house.  I remember my Dad calling up Kipers order phone number to scold them about this.  Iirc it was his wife or girlfriend that helps Kiper and she was very apologetic and embarrassed about it.  Gee, dirty old men aren't the only ones ordering your guide Mel.

Selfishly I am glad that Barry played in Detroit and I got to witness him.

But I feel bad for the guy. He quit football because he was tired of the losing. He'd have had at least 1 ring with Favre, and probably 2 or 3 had the Packers taken him.

[MaximumSam]

I mean, that's an example of something, but in the end, that Super QB threw a pick down 10 with less than 12 minutes to go in the Super Bowl. And if that running game had been all that dominant and that Chiefs defense had been all that mediocre, then SF can probably grind out more than a first down on the two biggest possessions that could've sealed a title.

All pieces work in concert. A great QB certianly helps. But the Chiefs are a cut above in terms of thermonuclear offenses (and they have a lot of good pieces). It was but a few years ago that Old Manning edged a team with an MVP QB. And the year before that, Manning had put up the greatest QB season we'd seen, and it ended with 8 points in the Super Bowl.

A good QB remains super valuable, but it's not quite that be-all/end-all unless the QB has a mess of stupid good playmakers and a great coach and that last little burst he needs to close it out.

I just meant that both strategies get used in the NFL and both have worked.  It's probably easier to maintain a good team around one quarterback as opposed to trying to keep a group of guys, given the salary restrictions in the NFL.  Since 2001 there have been three Super Bowls that didn't include Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Ben Roethlisberger.

[Mdot21]

Since 2001 there have been three Super Bowls that didn't include Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Ben Roethlisberger.

That's insane.

[MaximumSam]

That's insane.

I know, and one was last year and that included Mahomes, who will probably be around for a while.

[ELA]

That's insane.

To be honest, I'm a little surprised it's not more.  I'm struggling to think of the other two times.

When you have three of the four best players, at the most important position in sports, playing the entire duration of that time in the same conference, and staying mostly healthy, I think it's at least mildly expected.  How many times since 1999 has the NBA Finals not included the Lakers, Spurs or Warriors?