Forum Replies Created
-
The ink is barely dry on Chip Kelly’s new contract with the San Francisco 49ers and already the intrigue over the moves the new head coach will make with the team begins. While it was widely assumed that Kelly was brought in to rejuvenate the once great Colin Kapernick’s career, ESPN analyst Joe Banner is presenting an alternate scenario with Chip’s former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.
On the surface, this would seem to be a ludicrous move on the part of Kelly and San Francisco GM Trent Baalke. While the often injured Bradford did manage to remain relatively healthy all season — minus a shoulder scare and concussion that kept him out of two games this past year — Sam doesn’t seem to fit the mold of the type of quarterback needed to run Chip’s up-tempo system. Whereas Colin Kapernick, he has the speed and durability that seems like a perfect fit.
“The ‘Chip Kelly Offense’ is all about up-tempo offense, and he likes to use a running quarterback. While at Oregon, Kelly had Marcus Mariota, whose skill set is similar to Kapernick’s; Strong arm, capable thrower, and dangerous with his legs. Kaepernick isn’t a great quarterback. Great quarterbacks can maintain their play regardless of who they have around them. But when he has help, Kaepernick is capable of being a very good quarterback.”
Which makes the rumor of a Kapernick for Bradford swap all the more surprising.
Of course, anything to do with Chip Kelly isn’t a surprise to those around him. In his three seasons in Philadelphia, Chip dismantled the once talented roster, preferring to bring in guys he thought were best suited to his system. That meant jettisoning Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy in favor of free agent acquisition DeMarco Murray, a move that was highly questioned before the season even began and was ultimately proven to be a mistake.
Another move, or in this case non-move, was to let Jeremy Maclin walk to none other than the Andy Reid lead Kansas City Chiefs. Devoid of the same talent Kelly enjoyed in his first two seasons, the Eagles failed to reach the post season in an otherwise decrepit NFC East that saw 9-7 Washington eventually assume the crown in the division.
It also made Kelly’s immediate hiring in San Francisco a bit surprising considering Chip’s reputation among players started to erode as the season wore on. Of course, the 49ers went from Super Bowl contenders to also-rans in just one season after a front office battle with former head coach Jim Harbaugh resulted in the Harbaugh bolting to Michigan. This made ownership desperate to land an innovative thinker who could turn the club around after coach Jim Tomsula was let go after the season ended.
According to many pundits, the gamble is worth the risk, as USA Today points out.
“Kelly’s talent is worth saving, too. His missteps in Philly don’t erase the reality he’s a brilliant, innovative coach. And Kaepernick is a far better fit for Kelly’s up-tempo offense than anybody Kelly had with the Eagles, who won 10 games each of his first two seasons.”
What do yo think? Should Chip Kelly and the San Francisco 49ers ditch Colin Kapernick in favor of Sam Bradford?
AgamemnonIs Chip Kelly still interested in Bradford?
Chip Kelly said Wednesday that he wanted both Sam Bradford and Nick Foles on the Eagles, but that he could not acquire Bradford with only draft picks. He needed to surrender Foles to acquire the Rams quarterback in the March 10 trade.
http://articles.philly.com/2015-03-27/sports/60520919_1_sam-bradford-chip-kelly-marcus-mariota
Maybe we could trade Foles back to him?
AgamemnonI think they can keep the D together. We will find that out before the draft.
Neither Foles nor Keenum is the franchise QB you want. Maybe Mannion isn’t either.
This is a good draft to roll the dice on a QB and there is a lot of positional depth in the draft to help other areas. imo
There are different ways to improve the Rams and they could all work out. That is what will make this process interesting. It will be more interesting if they do it my way. 😉
AgamemnonSt Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) » Article details, “Are Stallions in Barn? Kroenke Confident on Bid…”
Newspaper article St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)
Are Stallions in Barn? Kroenke Confident on Bid for NFL Team
By Jim Thomas Of the Post-Dispatch
Read preview
Article excerptHere we go again. For the second time in five weeks, St. Louis’ expansion team hopes are up for a vote by the National Football League.
At least one observer likes the chances of the St. Louis Stallions taking shape, but he’s hardly neutral.
“I feel more confident than I did last time,” said E. Stanley Kroenke, head of the Gateway Football Partnership. “I’ve got to be honest with you, I feel really good about it. I think if the different cities are judged strictly on their merits, St. Louis will win going away.”
The 28 NFL owners will meet today in Chicago to decide among St. Louis, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Fla., and Memphis, Tenn. It takes 21 votes to get a franchise.
“It’s wide open, the whole thing’s wide open,” said Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman. “I don’t know how this thing is going to work out. I would not make a wager.”
In what has become almost standard operating procedure for St. Louis, officials worked on the city’s bid right down to the wire Monday night. Negotiations on the domed stadium lease broke down when Gateway rejected the latest offer from Jerry Clinton, a local beer distributor who controls 30 percent of the lease.
Late last week, Clinton was asking for $3 million and 15 percent of the would-be team in return for his share of the lease. Gateway offered $3 million and 5 percent.
Monday afternoon, Clinton made a revised offer to Kroenke.
“I can’t give you the details of the letter, but I can tell you. . . . I have made some major concessions in order to unify this lease,” Clinton said.
Sources said Clinton had lowered part of his asking price to $3 million and about 10 percent of the team. Gateway turned down the offer.
“Our people have looked at that proposal, and it’s just not workable,” Kroenke said. “We do have several suggestions that we’re going to make to the league (today) on the lease. We still feel very upbeat about it.”
Will the lease issue pose a problem for St. Louis?
“I don’t think so,” Kroenke said. “I think the NFL is really familiar with what’s going on in St. Louis, and I think they’re impressed with the way things have been handled. I don’t see it hurting us.”
Nonetheless, one league insider, who asked to remain unidentified cautioned, “Anything you can do to remove the guesswork and remove any doubt about a particular application is to that city’s benefit. …
Article details
Publication: St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)
Publication date: November 3, 1993
Contributors:Jim Thomas Of the Post-Dispatch
https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-32842046/are-stallions-in-barn-kroenke-confident-on-bid-forNot much on the internet from that time.
AgamemnonI heard this on the radio. kroenke was the reason St. Louis didn’t get an expansion team. He wouldn’t pay the guy who had the stadium lease what he wanted. StL stalls and the Jags are born. I am not sure who was right. But that was bad on somebody. All I remembered was StL blew it.
That’s interesting.
That could be true only if Kroenke had exclusive rights to own the expansion team, or exclusive rights to negotiate the stadium lease. And I can’t see either one of those things being factual.
So I am going to say No Sale on that one. I don’t believe it.
You are not obliged to believe anything. 😉
AgamemnonI don’t like kroenke and I don’t think he is a good owner, but I think he will be a better owner in LA than anywhere else.
AgamemnonI heard this on the radio. kroenke was the reason St. Louis didn’t get an expansion team. He wouldn’t pay the guy who had the stadium lease what he wanted. StL stalls and the Jags are born. I am not sure who was right. But that was bad on somebody. All I remembered was StL blew it.
AgamemnonAnd here it is. 😉
Focus Draft: Round 1As first seen on our NBC Draft Show, the PFF takes a new approach, mocking the draft with the use of our unique College Football Focus data.
PFF Analysis Team | 9 months ago
Focus-Draft-Rd1Focus-Draft-Rd1
A mock draft unlike any other. What would PFF do? We are not trying to predict anything, but rather putting ourselves into the position of each team and using our college data to make what we feel is the best decision for each franchise.
This process went through many iterations for us internally, and here’s what we came up with for the first ever Focus Draft.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
While his 2014 was more of a roller coaster than you’d like to see from a top pick, the potential he showed in 2013 is just too much to pass up.
2. Tennessee Titans – Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
The Titans will likely be fielding offers from teams looking to snag Mariota, and he’ll be too enticing to pass up for Tennessee if they stay on their spot. Just be sure to play to his strengths once he gets to the NFL.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Vic Beasley, Edge, Clemson
Beasley does his best work rushing off the edge and he’ll fit in nicely in the Jaguars’ scheme.
4. Oakland Raiders – Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
The most productive wide receiver in the draft, and perhaps its best overall player, Cooper can win a variety of ways and he’ll be a weapon for quarterback Derek Carr from Day 1.
5. Washington Redskins – Dante Fowler JR, Edge, Florida
A versatile player at Florida, Fowler provides a balanced presence as an edge rusher in Washington’s 3-4 scheme. He’s capable of holding up against the run while providing a strong pass rush.
6. New York Jets – Randy Gregory, Edge, Nebraska
Off-field concerns aside, Gregory may have the most upside of any of the draft’s edge rushers. If he can gain and hold weight, he could develop into a much-needed edge rushing presence in the Jets’ front-7.
7. Chicago Bears – Leonard Williams, Defensive Interior, USC
This may be viewed as a “fall” by some, but Williams slots in nicely at this point in the draft. He can play the run while getting after the quarterback at a reasonable rate, and the Bears would be thrilled to get a defensive talent with his potential at this point.
mock-ray8. Atlanta Falcons – Shane Ray, Edge, Missouri
The edge rush run continues as Atlanta adds Ray to their porous pass rush. He was as productive as any pass rusher in college football last season, though concerns about his athleticism have his projections all over the board.
9. New York Giants – La’el Collins, OT, LSU
A powerful run blocker, Collins is capable of sliding inside to guard for the Giants while providing a long-term backup plan to replace left tackle Will Beatty.
10. St. Louis Rams – DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
Extremely productive in his limited time last season, Parker is shifty for a big man and he knows how to make plays down the field despite his inability to run away from many cornerbacks.
11. Minnesota Vikings – Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
A different receiver from Parker, White is explosive in and out of breaks and he may just be scratching the surface on his potential. He adds an intermediate and deep presence to the Vikings passing game.
12. Cleveland Browns – Danny Shelton, Defensive Interior, Washington
Perhaps a best-case scenario for the Browns, the 350-pound Shelton is more than just a run clogger, as he can move all over the line and even get after the quarterback.
13. New Orleans Saints – Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
Often overlooked in a deep wide receiver class, Agholor adds open-field shiftiness and strong route running to the Saints’ offense. He could be extremely productive with Brees throwing him the ball.
14. Miami Dolphins – Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
The run on wide receivers continues as the Dolphins add Strong’s ability to go up and make contested catches against opposing defensive backs.
15. San Francisco 49ers – Henry Anderson, Defensive Interior, Stanford
A CFF favorite, Anderson may have been the most difficult interior defensive lineman to block in the entire nation. Equally proficient against the run as he is rushing the passer, he’ll provide a strong every-down presence to a suddenly thin 49ers defensive line.
mock-gurley16. Houston Texans – Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
With Arian Foster getting up there in age and Gurley coming off injury, this could be a perfect fit for the Texans. Head Coach Bill O’Brien runs a variety of run concepts and Gurley is versatile enough to be productive in both gap and zone schemes.
17. San Diego Chargers – Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
As runners, we have Gurley and Gordon as 1a and 1b, so the Chargers won’t feel too bad about losing out on Gurley. Gordon can step right in to pair with third down back Danny Woodhead to re-vamp the Chargers running attack.
18. Kansas City Chiefs – Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
With former top overall pick Eric Fisher’s early-career struggles, the Chiefs go back to the offensive tackle well to snag Peat.
19. Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo Bills) – Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
While Smith often looks like he’s playing at a different speed from everyone else, he’s more than just a run-by-the-defense type of player. He’s shown more than capable of making difficult catches down the field, and underrated part of becoming a true deep threat.
20. Philadelphia Eagles – Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
Off-field concerns aside, Green-Beckham brings a physical downfield presence to an offense that creates as many deep ball opportunities as any in the league.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Trey Flowers, Edge, Arkansas
The draft’s best run-stopping edge defender, Flowers brings some sneaky pass rush ability as well. Even though he’s not explosive off the edge, he finds his way to the quarterback and he was extremely productive in the SEC last season.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers – Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
With Troy Polamalu retiring, this is one of the draft’s great first round fits. Collins can play in and around the line of scrimmage against the run while covering tight ends and playing some deep safety when necessary.
23. Detroit Lions – Grady Jarrett, Defensive Interior, Clemson
One of the nation’s most disruptive defensive interior players a year ago, Jarrett brought it as a pass rusher and against the run. He’ll fill a major void for the Lions while bringing the ability to play either 1 or 3-technique.
mock-kikaha24. Arizona Cardinals – Hau’oli Kikaha, Edge, Washington
One of the nation’s most productive edge rushers, Kikaha’s relentless style is a good fit for the Cardinals defense that needs a player capable of winning one-on-one battles.
25. Carolina Panthers – Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
A powerful run blocker when he gets his hands on defenders and an adept pass protector for the Hurricanes last season. Didn’t surrender a sack last season and only three hits all season long.
26. Baltimore Ravens – Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
A victim of some sub-standard passing for UCF, Perriman exploded onto the scene with his 40 time at his pro day but he flashes an ability to make plays down the field and showed well getting off press coverage. If he can keep his drops under control has a chance to replace and improve upon Torrey Smith’s production down the field.
27. Dallas Cowboys – Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
Only 10 starts at LSU during his career but some impressive performances this season and stands out in a deep corner class that lacks the top players for what he can do rather than necessarily what he has done consistently. Missing 10 tackles in limited playing time is a concern he’ll need to address.
28. Denver Broncos – Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa
Widely viewed as a player who needs to slide inside from tackle to guard, Scherff struggled in his senior season as a pass protector but displayed power as a run blocker that should translate well to the guard position in the NFL.
29. Indianapolis Colts – Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Peters’ game is all about physicality and at this point to a fault. Physical corner play is in vogue right now and he brings that, but needs to control the contact down the field if he isn’t to be a penalty magnet when he gets onto an NFL field.
30. Green Bay Packers – Jordan Phillips, Defensive Interior, Oklahoma
The Packers have brought back B.J. Raji for another season but Phillips could be their long term answer at nose tackle. A long, powerful player, Phillips consistently controls blockers, holding linemen at the line of scrimmage to keep his linebackers clean. If he can learn to shed more consistently Phillips could become a dominant player in the NFL.
31. New Orleans Saints (from Seattle Seahawks) – Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
The Saints supplemented their receiving corps with Jimmy Graham’s production at tight end in recent seasons and Maxx Williams would be a different kind of tight end to replace those numbers. Not the athletic freak that Graham is, Williams is a more adept blocker while still being able to contribute in the passing game.
mock-hill32. New England Patriots – Troy Hill, CB, Oregon
The Patriots have lost a number of corners through free agency and should look to address that need here. There is an emphasis on what corners can do in this draft but Hill is consistently in good position in coverage and with the ability to make plays on the ball for pass defenses, notching 11 during his final season with the Ducks.
AgamemnonMock Draft 2.0: Cowboys, 49ers each draft elite wide receivers
Steve Palazzolo uses both college and NFL data to bring you PFF’s second mock for 2016 NFL draft.
We’re back for our second mock draft of the season, this time with a revised draft order that is still in the process of changing. While our initial film study is done and the grades are in, the PFF team is constantly re-evaluating prospects with an eye toward NFL projection.
It’s important to keep in mind that what separates our mock draft from others is that our main focus is on what we would do at each pick, rather than what the teams project to do. The other dynamic at play for this mock draft is the uncertainty among many coaching staffs across the league, so as head coaching jobs get finalized and we have a better idea which schemes they will run, the landscape of the draft is sure to change.
Tennessee Titans: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
No change at the top as the best player on the board is still the top option for the Titans, even with question marks about coaching staff and scheme. Bosa posted the top pass rushing grade among edge defenders last season (+56.6) and ranked second this season at +43.5. He also had the top grade against the run this year at +28.5, and with his ability to win up and down the line, Bosa is a scheme-versatile playmaker.
Cleveland Browns: Jared Goff, QB, Cal
The draft is not deep in surefire first-round quarterbacks, but Goff is the best of the bunch. He topped all QBs with a +53.8 overall grade, a year removed from ranking eighth at +27.7. He elevated an overmatched Cal team to a difficult weekly matchup in a deep Pac-12, and he handles pressure and the blitz well while throwing with accuracy to the deep and intermediate levels.
San Diego Chargers: DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
The first three picks all stay intact from last month’s mock draft as Buckner and the Chargers make one of the draft’s best matches. San Diego is extremely weak on the defensive interior and Buckner provides the best combination of pass rushing and run-stopping ability. At six-foot-seven, he’ll likely garner some Calais Campbell comparisons along the way and projecting similar production is not out of the question.
Dallas Cowboys: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
Dallas could have their eye on Jalen Ramsey here, but they go with Treadwell to pair with Dez Bryant, a player Treadwell has gotten compared to in the past. Treadwell can make plays down the field or after the catch (forced 17 missed tackles), and stocking up on playmakers is one way to get the Cowboys back to the top of the NFC East.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State
Help is needed in the Jacksonville secondary and Ramsey is well-equipped to upgrade a number of areas, it’s just a matter of how they want to use him. He’s played free safety and cornerback at Florida State, with plenty of experience in the slot. From a production standpoint, he can provide a Tyrann Mathieu-like presence to a secondary, and he’ll maximize his potential if that versatility is featured in the defensive scheme. Over the last two years, Ramsey has graded at +21.0 in coverage, +13.4 against the run, and +10.1 as a pass rusher.
Baltimore Ravens: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE/OLB, Oklahoma State
The Ravens’ defense was a different unit with departed free agent Pernell McPhee off to Chicago and an early-season injury to Terrell Suggs. A limited pass rush put even more pressure on a hurting secondary, and while the Ravens would love to get a cornerback (perhaps a move up to get Ramsey is in the cards?), they upgrade the pass rush instead with no strong cornerback option on the board. Ogbah’s +40.9 grade ranked third in the nation among edge defenders.
San Francisco 49ers: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
.
The quarterback class is filled with question marks beyond Goff, so it doesn’t make sense for the 49ers to reach at this point. Instead, the future franchise QB gets one of the draft’s top playmakers in Doctson who has the body control to make spectacular catches and route running to create separation. He was the nation’s top-graded WR at +26.9 before going down to injury in Week 11.Miami Dolphins: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
Though his 2015 season was not nearly as strong as 2014, Hargreaves has already shown that he’s capable of mirroring opposing receivers while playing fundamentally sound football as a bonus. His +22.3 coverage grade in 2014 is the best we’ve had in two years and while deep speed and size may come into question during the draft process, his upside as a natural cover man is too much to pass up.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
Aside from a couple positions, the entire defense needs an influx of talent and Calhoun gives the Bucs the pass rushing defensive end they’ve been looking for. He topped our pass rush grades among edge defenders at +45.3, picking up 11 sacks, 17 QB hits, and 48 hurries on the season.
New York Giants: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
While the new regime may look to immediately upgrade at linebacker, the defensive line needs an injection of youth as well, and Lawson has earned first round status after his breakout season. His +39.5 overall grade ranked 10th among edge defenders, showing well both as a pass rusher (+22.8) and against the run (+20.3).
Chicago Bears: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
While most mock drafts have Tunsil as a lock top-10 pick, a limited sample size in our grading — as well as my own personal de-valuing of the left tackle position — have him dropping to No. 11. The Bears were one of the worst pass-blocking units in the league last year and Tunsil allowed only five pressures on 225 attempts while showing good athleticism in the run game (+12.1).
New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Day, DT, Notre Dame
One of the worst interior pass rushes gets an instant upgrade from Day, who finished fourth among interior defensive linemen with a +31.4 pass rush grade and ninth against the run at +28.7. Any help along the defensive front will help mitigate one of the worst pass defenses in the league.
Philadelphia Eagles: Su’a Cravens, S/LB, USC
The scheme is still up for debate in Philadelphia, but given the struggles their linebackers had in coverage, Cravens will be useful regardless of the defensive system. He played a hybrid linebacker/safety role at USC and projects to do the same in the NFL after posting impressive two-year marks of +23.4 against the run and +20.9 in coverage.
Oakland Raiders: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
Despite missing most of the season due to injury, Jack is still in the first-round mix and he’ll be a part of the Raiders’ defensive re-build, adding much-needed talent at linebacker. Jack was our top coverage linebacker in the nation in 2014 at +15.0, while grading at +11.9 against the run the last two years.
Los Angeles Rams: Jonathan Bullard, DE/DT, Florida
With Chris Long possibly out of the mix and William Hayes a free agent, the Rams’ deep defensive line could suddenly look thin. Enter Bullard who posted the top grade against the run among interior defensive linemen at +50.5 while improving as a pass rusher this season to +7.7. He can play early-down defensive end while kicking inside as a pass rusher in sub packages, adding versatility to any defensive front.
Detroit Lions: Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
While the offensive line could certainly be addressed, the Lions swing for the fences with Nkemdiche who could become one of the best interior pass rushers in the draft. Like Bullard, he can play defensive end on early downs, while rushing against guards in sub packages. He graded at +23.4 as a pass rusher this season, good for seventh in the nation, but it was his improved play against the run (+11.8) that put him in the first round mix.
Atlanta Falcons: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
Not much has changed with this pick since December as the Falcons look to upgrade their Julio Jones-centric passing attack with another option on the outside. Coleman had a breakout season with 20 receiving touchdowns and 3.86 yard/ route, good for third in the nation.
Indianapolis Colts: Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State
The Colts’ defensive rebuild starts in the trenches, and it may have started last season with third rounder Henry Anderson. Jones is going to be a hot name this offseason once the film is watched closely as he broke out this season with a +52.5 overall grade, including a +34.7 mark as a pass rusher. The former top recruit ranked right behind Buckner since week four, and in 1,053 snaps over the last two seasons, he’s posted an impressive +65.9 overall grade.
Buffalo Bills: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
Another pick that remains the same, Conklin fits the mauling, run-blocking profile that head coach Rex Ryan his looking for. He’s ranked fourth as a run blocker each of the last two years and he finished 2015 with only 11 pressures surrendered on 416 attempts.
New York Jets: Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
The Jets were rotating their 300-pound defensive lineman on the edge last season, and while they had success, finding a true edge player is still an offseason goal. Floyd dabbled at traditional linebacker this season, only adding to his versatility, but it’s his pass rushing that makes him a first-rounder (+28.8, 13th in the nation). He was strong against the run as well at +17.0, and while an Anthony Barr-like NFL transition may be unlikely, he does bring a movable chess piece to a blitz-heavy defensive front.
Washington Redskins: Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
Ragland was one of a number of standouts in Alabama’s front-7, strong against both the run (+13.2) and in coverage (+9.8) while successfully blitzing and rushing off the edge at times (+7.7). With one of the worst inside linebacker situations in the NFL, Washington will be watching all of the linebacker prospects very closely.
Houston Texans: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
The nation’s best all-around running back, Elliott brings the total package. He exhibits the sharp cutting necessary for a zone blocking running system, but he’s equally adept at getting downhill and running through contact as he was often asked to do at Ohio State. He’s a good fit for Houston’s diverse running attack and when you add in his +13.0 blocking grade that led the nation, as well as a +3.1 grade in the pass game, Elliott brings many dimensions to an NFL offense.
Minnesota Vikings: Leontee Carroo, WR, Rutgers
Just as was the case in Mock Draft 1.0, the Vikings look to aid in QB Teddy Bridgewater’s development by adding Carroo who is adept at getting open on vertical routes. He averaged 4.11 yards per route this season while grading at +15.0 in only eight games.
Cincinnati Bengals: Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
Yet another carry-over pick, the Bengals have been in the market to upgrade at nose tackle where Domato Peko is moved off the point of attack far too often. Reed is stout against the run, ranking second overall at +38.9 and he showed better ability to affect the passing game at +5.8 while batting a total of 10 passes over the last two seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
With LT Kelvin Beachum a pending free agent, the Steelers pounce on Stanley who has been one of the nation’s better pass protectors at +10.1 and +9.7 the last two season.
Seattle Seahawks: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
The Seahawks would love to get an offensive lineman here, but there are no viable options on the board. Nose tackle Brandon Mebane hasn’t been the same player the last two years and he’s about the hit free agency. Billings could be the perfect replacement as he plays with great power that allows him to excel against the run (+47.1 last two seasons) while showing just as well as a pass rusher at +37.6.
Green Bay Packers: Austin Johnson, DT, Penn State
The big guys are coming off the board and that should be no surprise as the class of interior defensive linemen is a deep one. Johnson graded at +36.1 against the run, third in the nation, while tacking on seven sacks, two hits, and 14 hurries. Like Mebane in Seattle, nose B.J. Raji is set to hit free agency and Johnson adds a strong replacement in the middle.
Kansas City Chiefs: Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona
Seemingly always on the lookout for a complement to LB Derrick Johnson in the middle of the defense, Kansas City adds Wright who was one our No. 2 linebacker in the nation in 2014 (+50.6). Wright is coming off injury that limited him to only 174 snaps in 2015, but he’s quick to diagnose and excellent against the run, grading at +40.0 over the last two years.
Arizona Cardinals: Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas
One of the league’s best offenses gets even better with Henry who led all tight ends with a +10.6 receiving grade, a year removed from ranking fourth at +8.1. He can make plays down the field, a perfect fit for Arizona’s vertical passing game, and while the Cardinals ask a lot of their tight ends in the running game, Henry showed that ability as well with a +13.1 mark in 2014.
Denver Broncos: Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
Another case of replacing a potential free agent, Denver DE Malik Jackson is set to hit the market so what better way to make up for missing production than with a similar player in Allen. He led all interior rushers with 13 sacks to go with six hits and 16 hurries, and while he only played 39.5 percent of Alabama’s defensive snaps, Allen’s two-year grade of +55.3 on only 903 snaps is just too much to pass up for Denver.
Carolina Panthers: Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma
Carolina has invested in the wide receiver position in each of the last two drafts in Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess, but Shepard brings a different dynamic compared to the big guys on the outside. Shepard’s route running makes Carolina’s offense even more dangerous as he picked up 974 yards from the slot while ranking second in the nation with a +27.8 receiving grade.
This is interesting, although they appear to ignore potential and fit. I wonder what they would have had in previous drafts.
AgamemnonSegment 1 – Show Open (01/15/16)
Friday, January 15, 2016 7:06 AM
CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora joins on how stuff went down.Another view of the process. Starts @ ~27:00.
AgamemnonRoss & Andrew Brandt discuss the NFL owners meetings and the vote allowing the Rams to move back to Los Angeles!
Agamemnon<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>No doubt, Bidwill was a bad owner, but in those days selling tickets mattered and he wasn’t a rich guy. I think he needed a stadium. So, I never blamed him. He did bring Don Coryell to StL. That is just me. Nobody else has to think that.</span>
<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>A bunch of us got in a van and went to Dallas and New Orleans to see them play, plus old Busch Stadium. I went to the Rams once in StL and the noise, from the loud speakers was so bad, it actually hurt my ears and I am used to loud noise. I thought about buying PSLs before that, but not after.</span>
He’s also the guy that fired Don Coryell,
too, right?
w
vYeah, there is that. 😉
AgamemnonNo doubt, Bidwill was a bad owner, but in those days selling tickets mattered and he wasn’t a rich guy. I think he needed a stadium. So, I never blamed him. He did bring Don Coryell to StL. That is just me. Nobody else has to think that.
A bunch of us got in a van and went to Dallas and New Orleans to see them play, plus old Busch Stadium. I went to the Rams once in StL and the noise, from the loud speakers was so bad, it actually hurt my ears and I am used to loud noise. I thought about buying PSLs before that, but not after. You couldn’t talk to the person next to you.
-
This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by
.
-
This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by .
AgamemnonI dunno about the law, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it just got tossed out as “frivolous,” and never saw a courtroom.
Most likely, yes.
I mean, have you
ever heard of anyone suing over a team-move
and winning anything?The Lawyers for the plaintiffs
will milk it and make some money
and get a lot of pub in St.Louis though.Who knows though. It would be fun
to see a transcript of a deposition
of Stan Kronky. That would be very
inter esting. Doubt if it gets
that far though.w
vCleveland got an expansion franchise out it. But that was a different time and a different place.
AgamemnonSpanos and Davis got shafted big time, too. imo
I don’t see how they got shafted. They lost.
Kroenke is the one who made LA happen. For 35 years, various factions have tried to build a stadium in LA and have undermined each other politically, and failed to get it done. Kroenke did it. Without public money. Just went in with his billions, bought the land, and did it himself. It was the fact that Kroenke had the first REAL plan to build a stadium in LA that made Spanos get off his ass and desperately do something. That dude had as much time as Kroenke had to get his shit together, and he didn’t do it. Those guys didn’t get screwed. They just failed in their business maneuver.
We have different view points and opinions on this.
AgamemnonI wonder if they get a better schedule, better refs, all the teams before them pass on a QB? Well, probably not the last one. 😉
AgamemnonNFL takes aim at $25 billion, but at what price?
Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY Sports 1:42 p.m. EST February 5, 2014NEW YORK (Jan. 31) — Sunday’s Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., might be the most popular and expensive television program in U.S. history – about 110 million viewers watching a football game that commands nearly $4 million for a 30-second commercial.
Tickets at the 50-yard line cost about $10,000. A 20-ounce cup of Bud Light will cost $14.
“Nothing is really sacred anymore,” said John Vrooman, a sports economics professor at Vanderbilt University.
The future
CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN provide the NFL with a total of about $5 billion to $6 billion annually from contracts that run through 2021-22. By 2027, Navigate Research predicts such media rights revenues could reach $17 billion.
That ambitious projection assumes that live NFL games will continue to be a golden goose for networks and their advertisers for one major reason: NFL games are one of the few remaining programs that huge audiences want to watch live instead of recording to watch later – fast-forwarding through the commercials that companies pay millions to air.
“We are firm believers that there is nothing more valuable in the world of TV than the NFL – nothing,” said Michael Nathanson, a media analyst at MoffettNathanson, a stock research firm that specializes in the media and telecommunications industries. “Their ability to get to $25 billion is kind of predicated on the staying power of the product. I think they’re going to ask for whatever they need to from their broadcast partners, their cable partners.”
Vrooman, the Vanderbilt economist, says the NFL can get there primarily because it’s a monopoly – the richest sports league on the planet with a business plan built largely through the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which allows sports leagues to pool their television rights for sale to the highest bidder, protecting them from antitrust laws.
“The monopoly rule is to gouge half as many fans more than twice as much on everything,” he said. He also predicts the league will become “increasingly more exclusive with the same general formula of fewer fans having access at higher prices to generate more certain media, venue and gate revenues.”
The NFL disputes that, noting its commitment to broadcast some games on free over-the-air TV networks, which helps it reach bigger audiences. Even games on ESPN, for example, are available on free TV in local markets. But the league is not shy about its appetite for growth.
“We measure our business very simply: Is consumption going up, and is the economic pie growing?” said Brian Rolapp, the chief operating officer of NFL media.
Rolapp was involved in recent NFL deals with Verizon, Twitter, Microsoft and the television networks. He currently is involved in shopping a Thursday Night Football TV package and working on a new deal with DirecTV. He called the $25 billion goal an aspiration.
“In order to get to a number that lofty, it requires a lot of different things,” Rolapp told USA TODAY Sports. “It requires, clearly, hard work. It requires different thinking. We are relatively strong in our business. We’re strong as a league, but what we always say around here is complacency is our enemy.”
PHOTOS: ONE MEMORABLE SHOT FROM EVERY SUPER BOWL
Super Bowl I (Packers 35, Chiefs 10): Green Bay Packers wide receiver Max McGee makes a juggling touchdown catch during the first Super Bowl. Packers quarterback Bart Starr was named MVP. AP FileThe formula
For better or worse, the road to $25 billion probably requires some variation of the following, analysts told USA TODAY Sports.
More new and upgraded stadiums. This year’s Super Bowl is in chilly New Jersey, a reward for the Jets and Giants building the swanky MetLife Stadium, which opened in 2010. Yet it has been 11 years since the Super Bowl was in 70-degree San Diego, where the Chargers still play in outdated Qualcomm Stadium.
To keep revenue growing, the NFL needs stadiums that are big moneymakers, such as AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, where suites cost up to $500,000 per year and fans pay more than $80 for seats in the upper deck end zone. Levi’s Stadium, the new $1.3 billion home of the San Francisco 49ers, opens later this year and will host the Super Bowl in 2016. Later that year, the Minnesota Vikings will open their new stadium.
The risk for the NFL is that it might price out everyday, jersey-wearing fans, who might decide they’d rather watch games on high-definition TV anyway. Attendance accounts for only about about 25 percent of NFL revenue, and at times there have been signs of sagging demand. Three of the NFL’s four first-round playoff games this year struggled to sell out. Will fans keep going to games if the price keeps rising and the view is better on TV?
“That is a big concern,” Rolapp said. “It will always be an important part of the revenue …We still believe it’s still the best place to experience NFL football. I think it will be for some time, but we have to keep innovating so it remains that.”
More weeknight games, anyone? The NFL has been shopping a Thursday night package to TV networks and could announce a buyer soon with possible simulcasting on the NFL Network, the league’s cable outlet. NFL games once were mass-delivered for television consumption on Sunday afternoons and Monday night.
NBC, for example, pays about $1 billion per year for its package of Sunday night games and playoff games.
More televised content. If there’s demand, create more supply. That’s why the league is considering expanding the playoffs, creating another product to sell to networks eager to capture big live audiences. The NFL also is turning the offseason into a moneymaker by televising the NFL Combine in February and the NFL Draft in the spring, which has expanded from one day to three days, including two nights in prime time.
New markets. The NFL has been priming London as a market, with two sold-out games there last year and three games on tap in 2013. Meanwhile, Los Angeles hasn’t had an NFL team since 1994. Moving existing teams from weak markets into bigger vacant markets might give team owners a better way to increase their shared revenue as opposed to adding more franchises to the 32-team league.
Conversely, Los Angeles has value to the NFL as a bargaining chip – the unstated threat of moving into that big, empty market can help existing franchises wring out taxpayer dollars for stadium upgrades and new construction.
Get ready for NFL teams to make “renewed threats of franchise relocation to leverage public money for private stadiums in the second venue revolution, just like the first (round of stadium upgrades) over the last two decades,” Vrooman said. “Monopoly power over TV rights and franchise location is what provides the real engine for the economic growth of the most powerful sports league in the world.”
VIDEO — SUPER BOWL QBs: PROFESSOR VS. APPRENTICE
Tom Pelissero, Rod Mackey, and Paul Silvi shine a magnifying glass at the QB match-up for the big game. Its old school vs new school Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Phones, Internet and new media. More consumers get their news and information from their smartphones –a trend the NFL recognized with its recent $250 million annual deal with Verizon to stream games onto phone screens. The NFL also recently made deals with Twitter and Microsoft’s Xbox, giving it new revenue streams in growing interactive and social media.
With more viewers consuming video content online instead of on cable, cable companies and cable channels could see subscription revenue plummet. Those channels – including ESPN and the NFL Network – can try to recoup that revenue through online content, but it might not be as lucrative.
“The established content suppliers – NFL, ESPN – are uneasy and so going very slowly,” said Roger Noll, emeritus economics professor at Stanford. “They see the potential for a huge payoff, but also for a huge bursting of the bubble, and want to keep control until they know where things are likely to go.”
Television. The NFL’s TV rights contracts soon will be worth about $7 billion per year combined, with most of them starting this year and lasting through 2022. What happens in 2023?
“It’s a new day after that,” Rolapp said. “We’ll just have to see. A lot of things we do digitally along the way are a great experiment for us to see what the world will look like. We will be prepared one way or the other to be able to shift to where the consumer is.”
To get to $25 billion, the NFL probably needs about $15-17 billion from networks.
If networks pay it, those costs likely will be passed down to the consumer. ESPN likely would ask for higher rates from advertisers and higher subscriber fees from cable distributors, and even viewers who don’t like football would pay more because cable channels are not offered a la carte.
“Everything else 10 years from now will be worth less relative to what the NFL is going to be worth,” said Nathanson, the stock analyst. “No other sport has that kind of national draw to it.”
As long as the NFL can bring big live audiences, it’ll be hard for the likes of ESPN to avoid paying up, but the growing risk is viewers who could decide to cancel their cable subscriptions and use other devices to watch what they want.
The NFL said it is committed to staying on free television, not just cable, where it has its own network and can reap cable subscription revenue in addition to advertising revenue.
“It would have been very easy years ago to migrate our games to cable,” Rolapp said. “In fact, we could have gotten more money in the short term, it could be argued, if we would have done that. But we really are committed to a reach model and free television.”
See the entire article here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super/2014/01/30/super-bowl-nfl-revenue-denver-broncos-seattle-seahawks/5061197/
Agamemnon2027: The year Goodell wants to reach $25B in annual revenue LA is a key component for future TV deals. Current deal expires in 2022.
— Alicia Jessop (@RulingSports) January 13, 2016
3 NFL teams in the media rich market of California is worth more in TV contract negotiations than 2 in CA & 1 in MO. Tough for St. Louis.
— Alicia Jessop (@RulingSports) January 13, 2016
JJ gets a good deal to sell the PSLs, Grubman gets a job with kroenke, Goodell get a ?Big Bonus, and TV gets ?money from advertisers. I don’t like kroenke, but he was led by Goodell, who was led by?. imo
AgamemnonI will do what I did when the Cardinals left. I liked Bidwill. I don’t like Kroenke, although it is his team. I will follow them for awhile and gradually lose interest.
AgamemnonJust an impression from the half, but, Coker reminds me of Foles.
Yeah. I thought the Alabama TE showed some athletic ability.
Agamemnon -
This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by
