2024 NFL Thread

[FearlessF]

I'm not perfect

[Mdot21]

hard to say he made a mistake leaving early for the NFL as he had just went 28-1 as a starter in college, won a Natty and was a top 10 pick, but JJ stays for his SR year he's probably playing in the cfb playoffs and in the hunt for another Natty and he's probably the #1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.


https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1874542555502661833

[FearlessF]

he also could have been injured 

[ELA]

I don't see how playing in Kirk Campbell's offense would have helped him

[MikeDeTiger]

I suppose it;s in his best interest to be traded if the Vikings don't think he can beat out Darnold.  No sense in him sitting on the bench there if he's starter quality.  

[ELA]

I suppose it;s in his best interest to be traded if the Vikings don't think he can beat out Darnold.  No sense in him sitting on the bench there if he's starter quality. 

Well, it's not just that.  Darnold will get mid-starter money, either from Minnesota or elsewhere.  A 1st round QB on a rookie contract is a valuable commodity.  You either need to let Darnold walk, and use that money to put more dudes around McCarthy, or trade JJ while he still has value

[Mdot21]

personally I'd roll with JJ and let Darnold walk. I ain't paying Darnold $40 or $50 million a year. Yeah, no thanks. Dude had a career year- but even Scott Mitchell had one of those. Blind squirrel finds a nut, as they say. Darnold has been mostly ass for his entire career. Just because he struck gold one year on a team with a loaded skill talent core and a head coach that is a QB guy and demon play-caller doesn't mean he's all that and a bag of chips. Odds are very high that Darnold is going to regress back to the mean and this was just a fluke imo.

[ELA]

It's certainly a good/shitty situation.  The fact that the whole locker room is behind Darnold makes it tougher.  I just hope whatever they decide is wrong

[Mdot21]

It's certainly a good/shitty situation.  The fact that the whole locker room is behind Darnold makes it tougher.  I just hope whatever they decide is wrong

Darnold probably never plays a down this year if JJ doesn't tear his meniscus in the pre-season. JJ was going to be their starter until he got injured. JJ is going to be 22 by the time the next season starts and is on a team friendly 4-year rookie deal with a 5th year team option that all in will cost them under $40 million for the entire 5 years. Darnold is going to be 28 by the time the next season starts and they are going to have to pay him $40 to $50 million a year to keep him. 

JJ has serious upside, he was far from a finished product at Michigan. He's a very fluid twitched up athlete for QB and he's got high end arm talent- he can make every throw puts lot of rpm/zip on the ball and he throws darts on the run very well. JJ with a coach like O'Connell in that system has the chance to really flourish and take off. O'Connell rejuvenated Kirk Cousins career and he just took Sam Darnold who was one of the biggest QB draft busts in recent memory and made him a real life QB. 

I'd take the younger, cheaper, more athletic option over paying $40 to $50 million a year to the older option who by the way could wind up being a one year fluke, but hey that's just me.

[ELA]

I don't disagree with you, and listening to the Athletic and Ringer podcast they didn't either, until the past couple weeks.  But they have flipped to, if you win the #1 seed, and do something in the postseason, you lose the entire locker room if you don't bring him back.

I think if you can flip him to SF for another 1st round pick, you do it

[FearlessF]

yup, Darnold certainly wasn't proven a few months ago but.......

if he takes the Vikes to the super bowl, he's proven and the team is proven the way it sits

JJ has a ton of upside, but wasn't the top QB taken, not a lock, and has proven only that he can be injured so far

[Mdot21]

yup, Darnold certainly wasn't proven a few months ago but.......

if he takes the Vikes to the super bowl, he's proven and the team is proven the way it sits

JJ has a ton of upside, but wasn't the top QB taken, not a lock, and has proven only that he can be injured so far

All good points. 

Vikings make the Super Bowl with Darnold they almost have to keep him. Idk how you move on from a dude that took you to the promised land. 

JJ is still on such a cheap deal they can pay Darnold a ransom and develop JJ. But if San Fran offers you a top 5-10 pick and some other goodies for JJ- would be really hard to turn that down. 

[FearlessF]

All good points.

Vikings make the Super Bowl with Darnold they almost have to keep him. Idk how you move on from a dude that took you to the promised land.

JJ is still on such a cheap deal they can pay Darnold a ransom and develop JJ. But if San Fran offers you a top 5-10 pick and some other goodies for JJ- would be really hard to turn that down.

Ed Zachery
kick the can down the road one season by keeping both - heck Darnold could get injured next season
but, if someone makes you an offer you can't refuse - thinking even a better chance at winning the SB next season, take it.

[ELA]

SF should offer all the picks they can.  Its amazing how good they are, despite trading up for Trey Lance, and then wasted a 3rd round pick on a kicker.  They are better at acquiring talent through other means