2022 NFL Thread

[utee94]

[MikeDeTiger]

Yesterday I finally got to watch the Bengals/Ravens wildcard game.  We don't get many Bengals games and when we do, I usually won't watch because it makes me sad to see a QB I like have his career shortened with each possession as he is obliterated over and over.  

This brings up a noticeable difference I see in his game now from his time in college.  I see a lot of the same skill sets, which doesn't surprise me, because the things that made him successful in college I thought would probably translate well to NFL.  One thing that is not the same is his maneuverability/escapability in the pocket.  Anytime a rusher gets through the line (which is often when I watch) they pummel him.  In college I was used to him routinely nimbly sidestepping a rusher and buying time to pull something out of his butt.  It wasn't an irregular fluke, it happened a lot.  Most of the time, I'd say.  Unless he was planning on throwing at the last second, in which case he got waylaid a lot, but it was his decision to take the hit and trade that for making the throw.  I don't see this with the Bengals.  Everybody that gets to him gets him down.  It's not just the step up in competition.  I see a lot of NFL QBs evade pressure in the pocket at least some of the time.  Either he's not the same after the ACL or else he just doesn't have that factor to his game at the NFL level.  Whatever the case, it makes him way less effective imo.  Especially behind that line, you better have some survival skills.  

That was one of his most dangerous assets in college.  Not sure what to expect from his career if he can't avoid rushers here and there.  

[rook119]

playing on a bad knee was the beginning of the end for RG3. 

IMO Lamar wants out. The Ravens have arguably the worst WR corp in the league. They've drafted bad at the position, and they can't sign anyone because even when they offer much better money FA WRs aren't going anywhere near that Ravens offense. Not to mention w/ Lamar's next contract they aren't signing anyone let alone a WR. There is just no one besides Andrews to throw to. Its affected Lamar, and even Huntley was a much better player w/ Brown last year. 



  

[MrNubbz]

Ya the knee can't be helping also collectively - as a whole everyone moves much quicker in the League.So he appears to be slowing down even if not by much

[rook119]

Lamar is good enough that anyone who really wants him would pay 2 1st round picks. I also don't think he's not worried about playing on the franchise tag (which is 1 year 45M and about 52M if you are franchised again in 2024). Being franchised sucks for every other position, but for QBs who can have careers into the mid 30s its great for the player.  

There was talk about Miami making a run at him. Lamar is better than Tua, and would only cost about 8-10M more/year than Tua would.  

[FearlessF]

Tua is good enough that I wouldn't spend too much trying to get a better QB, but Tua might not play for long with the concussion issue

[Mdot21]

Tua is good enough that I wouldn't spend too much trying to get a better QB, but Tua might not play for long with the concussion issue

yeah gonna have to disagree. Tua is pretty good. Lamar is a leauge MVP winning QB- and a once in a generation type talent at QB. He's Mike Vick 2.0. Taller and faster straight line than Vick, a little bit more accurate, and from all accounts is a stand up guy- aka doubt he's running a dog fighting ring. Guys like Lamar come around once every 10-20 years, if that.

Lamar has been stuck in a dogsh*t out-dated boring ass Harbaugh brother offense with zero pass game for his entire short career and the Ravens have given him zero weapons at WR his entire career. Miami's cupboards are full of weapons right now with Waddle & Hill. Mike McDaniel calling the plays with those WRs and Lamar pulling the trigger? SIGN me up. I'd actually consider buying season tickets to Dolphins and going to the games if they got Lamar somehow.

[Mdot21]

I'd LOVE for Detroit to get him even more btw. Especially if Ben Johnson was all-in on tailoring an offense around Lamar.

[ELA]

I'd LOVE for Detroit to get him even more btw. Especially if Ben Johnson was all-in on tailoring an offense around Lamar.

Could they straight up afford him?

Maybe a trade right now involving Goff (to get that off the books) and their own 1st round pick, with an under the table deal already worked out?

[Mdot21]

Could they straight up afford him?

Maybe a trade right now involving Goff (to get that off the books) and their own 1st round pick, with an under the table deal already worked out?

not sure, I'm not an NFL cap wizard lol. But IF the Ravens are willing to deal for Goff- who is a PRETTY GOOD NFL QB- and you can make it work with the cap, then I say go for it.

Amon-Ra, DJ Shark, and a healthy Jamo will easily be the best WR crew Lamar has ever had. Amon-Ra is already a budding star and Jamo is only going to be BIG TIME in the NFL imo. Detroit has a rock solid OL and pretty good backs, and you can always find more backs in the draft in the 3rd-5th rds- RB today is a dime a dozen position. 

Lions offense would be scary with Lamar running point and Ben Johnson calling plays.

[ELA]

And he's still young.  Goff's contract isn't bad for a starting QB, but I don't think you can fit two starting QB salaries under the cap.  Lions can afford to pay a QB because so much of their talent is still under their rookie contract, but once the bill comes due on those guys, doubt it.

So there's the question, do you feel good about letting a lot of these guys go, once you can't afford them, because you've paid your QB?  Or do you stick with Goff while these guys are cheap, and then get a young QB in line, for cheap, once you have to pay these guys?

That's the tough question.  You look at the Super Bowl champs.  Rodgers only has 1, and IIRC he was still on his rookie deal, so they could pay for that elite defense with Matthews, Woodson and Collins.  Russell Wilson, same thing, cheap QB, so you could pay the Legion of Boom.  Peyton Manning, the 2nd greatest QB of my life, needed an elite defense, on a lot of rookie deals, to win his second.

The two exceptions are the GOAT and Roethlisberger.  Brady won his first 3 on a rookie deal with an elite defense, same with Roethlisberger.  Then the Patriots were able to continuously remake the roster in different ways to make it work.  The Steelers kept hitting over and over and over on skill position players in the draft (look up their RB/WR drafting, during Ben's time, it's insane), then they'd let them go without paying them.  That's the greatest QB of all time, and a top 5-7 QB, and they both needed some good roster movement around them to make it work, because even the best QBs still just suck up so much cap space

[Mdot21]

And he's still young.  Goff's contract isn't bad for a starting QB, but I don't think you can fit two starting QB salaries under the cap.  Lions can afford to pay a QB because so much of their talent is still under their rookie contract, but once the bill comes due on those guys, doubt it.

So there's the question, do you feel good about letting a lot of these guys go, once you can't afford them, because you've paid your QB?  Or do you stick with Goff while these guys are cheap, and then get a young QB in line, for cheap, once you have to pay these guys?

That's the tough question.  You look at the Super Bowl champs.  Rodgers only has 1, and IIRC he was still on his rookie deal, so they could pay for that elite defense with Matthews, Woodson and Collins.  Russell Wilson, same thing, cheap QB, so you could pay the Legion of Boom.  Peyton Manning, the 2nd greatest QB of my life, needed an elite defense, on a lot of rookie deals, to win his second.

The two exceptions are the GOAT and Roethlisberger.  Brady won his first 3 on a rookie deal with an elite defense, same with Roethlisberger.  Then the Patriots were able to continuously remake the roster in different ways to make it work.  The Steelers kept hitting over and over and over on skill position players in the draft (look up their RB/WR drafting, during Ben's time, it's insane), then they'd let them go without paying them.  That's the greatest QB of all time, and a top 5-7 QB, and they both needed some good roster movement around them to make it work, because even the best QBs still just suck up so much cap space

yeah there are a lot of ways they can play this. I lean more towards take the sure thing, which to me is Lamar. But say if by some miracle Bears trade out and someone falls in love with Will Levis and he goes #1 overall and either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud fall to Detroit- then I wouldn't be mad at all taking one of those guys and giving them a "redshirt" year to learn under Goff and then take over in '24.

[Mdot21]

Cowboys kicker misses another extra point. Jesus. That’s what 5 in the last 2 games? At what point do you cut the guy?

[FearlessF]

and Dak throws another pic