Ozoneranger wrote:

Love this move with TuTu. The offense needed a player who could stretch the defense. And he won’t cost $10 mil like last time.

As an aside, I haven’t been here in a couple of years (selling my home and moving to a new area). I cannot find a new post button. Can someone give this old man some some pointers?

Thanks in advance.
Oz

There is no New Post button. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page, and you will find a box just sitting there, waiting for you to create a new post.

Welcome back. I was wondering what you were up to.

Zooey wrote:

Simpson is capable of turning a loss into a gain. He’s not, however, going to take off like the elite running QBs, but that’s probably good. Those guys – Cunningham, Murray, Vick – all got themselves in trouble by relying too much on their legs, and I don’t think Simpson is likely to fall into that trap.

To expand on that – I don’t think my thinking behind this was clear – I think Simpson has a lower ceiling as a scrambler than those other guys. He isn’t gifted enough to turn a sack into a broken field, whirling dervish 48-yard run…so I don’t think he will do that. So far he has played “within himself.” Looks like he’s agile and quick enough to take a chunk of what the defense leaves in front of him, but I don’t expect him to get himself kilt trying to be a hero.

Also, I’m still pretty pissed off that the 9ers got Purdy with the last freaking pick in the draft. I wanted them to suffer for years for the Trey Lance disaster, but Shanahan just straight up went out and fixed that problem.

The Rams better win that first game. My preference is that they win it convincingly, like 27-9.

zn wrote:

he’s an improviser. I can’t think of the last Rams qb where a broken play can be less of a disaster and more of an opportunity.

I don’t think the Rams have ever had a QB like this. I’ve spent decades frustrated by opposing QBs escaping a collapsing pocket and turning it into a strong gain. Simpson is capable of turning a loss into a gain. He’s not, however, going to take off like the elite running QBs, but that’s probably good. Those guys – Cunningham, Murray, Vick – all got themselves in trouble by relying too much on their legs, and I don’t think Simpson is likely to fall into that trap.

His similarity to Purdy was mentioned by Rams insiders as a reason they drafted him. There was no Matthew Stafford available at 13, and Purdy is plenty good enough to keep the offense moving forward. Simpson looks more agile than Purdy, but it’s the decision-processing and accuracy that are crucial.

He looks more controlled and poised than any other Rams rookie QB I can remember, including Goff, Bradford, and Banks. I was out of the country Everett’s rookie year, so I dunno, but Simpson looks like he belongs out there. I’d like to see some deep throws from him, though. Can he thread a needle 30 yards downfield? And can he nail a sideline pass or a fade?

I’m leaning into buying Simpson stock. It’s a small sample against vanilla defenses and generally lesser talent, but that was a strong preseason. And, to be fair, he’s playing a vanilla offense with generally lesser talent. The complexity of the task ahead is a bigger challenge, but he aced all the tests in round one.

Yeah, I don’t think they brought him in to be the #3. He wasn’t the #3 last year, so why would he be that guy this year?

His job is to come in and stretch the defense vertically. He wasn’t worth that at $10m, but he’s worth it for $1m.

And there’s just really no spot for Hunter that can’t be filled by the PS guys.

Ranking NFL divisions: NFC West, NFC North battle for supremacy, clear choice for worst
The loaded NFC West takes the top spot behind the Rams, 49ers and reigning champion Seahawks, while all four NFC North contenders look to maintain last year’s winning pace

By Zachary Pereles

Last year, an 8-9 record was enough for the Panthers to win the NFC South.

It would have been the worst record in the NFC North, which became just the second division post-1970 AFL-NFL merger to have four teams with a winning record.

Such is life in the NFL, where the power can swing wildly over the years. Yes, the NFC North was historically strong one through four last year, but in 2021, it only had one team over .500.

It can also swing unexpectedly year to year. In 2024, the AFC South had just one team with a winning record and had two of the five worst teams in the NFL. In 2025, two teams — the Texans (13-4) and the Jaguars (12-5) were two of the best teams in the NFL, and the Colts might have been, too, had Daniel Jones stayed healthy.

So how will the conferences shake out this year? We’ve ranked them 1-8, with several tough calls up and down the rankings.

1. NFC West
The NFC West went 29-15 against non-division opponents last year, the best mark in the NFL, and it went 4-1 against the NFC North, including playoffs. So, yes, while the Cardinals won’t be very good this year, there might be three NFC West teams better than the best NFC North team.

The Rams are the Super Bowl favorites. They finished one possession short of a trip to the big game last year, and since then, all they’ve done is add one of the best defensive players of all time in Myles Garrett and overhaul their worst position group, trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson. On paper, it’s as talented as any team in recent memory.

The Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champs, and yet they’ve been under-appreciated from the moment they lifted the Lombardi Trophy. With Mike Macdonald calling the shots, the star-studded defense should be among the NFL’s best. The 49ers, meanwhile, just won 11 games while being obliterated by injuries all year. They have Fred Warner and Nick Bosa back on defense. They added Mike Evans, who is a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy.

Simply put, if you asked every team which division they’d least like to be in, most would say the NFC West. Sorry, Cardinals, that you’re indeed in it in real life.

2. NFC North
First off, let me get this out in the open for the fans of NFC North teams who won’t like this (still very high) ranking: The NFC North is awesome. It is incredible that four teams, all with clear flaws, posted winning records last year. And it could be awesome again.

But, when comparing it to the only division ahead, I see more clear flaws from its legitimate playoff contenders. The Bears’ defense was bad last year but forced a lot of turnovers; history says turnovers are finicky year to year. Sure, the offense could be so good that the defense doesn’t doom them, but it’s still a weakness. The Lions’ defense could be without both of its star safeties — Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph — for most if not all of the year, and there are glaring holes at cornerback and pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

The Vikings finished 9-8 despite horrible quarterback play last year. Kyler Murray should be an upgrade, but there’s uncertainty there. We know his floor, historically, is much better. How high is his ceiling? In Green Bay, there will be no Micah Parsons for the first month (at least), and there are questions on the offensive line and in the secondary.

It’s easier to finish third in the NFC West than it is in the NFC North. But it’s also easier to win the NFC North.

3. AFC West
Someone other than the Chiefs finally won this division last year, with the Broncos ending Kansas City’s nine-year run. With the Chargers also making the playoffs, the AFC West had two playoff teams for the fourth time in the last five years.

Expect that to become five times in six years. The Broncos aren’t being talked about enough, probably because their offseason was relatively quiet. This is a team that went 14-3, was the AFC’s No. 1 seed and addressed its most glaring need — explosiveness — by trading for Jaylen Waddle. The offensive line is still excellent. The defense is arguably even better and loaded with standouts up front and in the secondary.

The Chargers are hoping the addition of Mike McDaniel and healthy tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt supercharges the offense. I’m bullish there, and it seems like all Jim Harbaugh does is win. The Chiefs could be the hinge team here. If they’re a playoff team again, this division is loaded. If they’re not, this ranking is probably too high. I’m willing to take my chances on Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo.

4. AFC North
Last year was an uncharacteristic one for the AFC North, which the Steelers won at 10-7. In five of the previous six years, at least one AFC North team had won 12+ games. The 2025 season was also the first time since 2019 that the division didn’t produce multiple playoff teams.

Injuries to Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow were clear culprits for the Ravens and the Bengals, respectively, but there’s reason to believe both will bounce back. Jackson has won MVP every time he’s had a new offensive coordinator, and new coach Jesse Minter should fix a leaky pass defense. The Bengals finally made major investments on defense in Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook.

The Steelers are running it back with the formula that’s kept them over .500 but not really a threat to do much more for the past half-dozen years or so. Aaron Rodgers is fine, and the defense is good. Expect more of the same. If that’s the third-best team in the division, it’s a pretty good division.

The Browns are starting Deshaun Watson. We’ll leave it at that.

5. NFC East
The difference between the NFC East and the next two divisions below was minuscule. DraftKings likes the NFC East much more in terms of win totals, but I’m not so sure.

The Cowboys are coming off consecutive seven-win seasons, but their win total is at 9.5. It’s easy to understand why. There have been across-the-board defensive improvements. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a rising star. Dallas has Quinnen Williams for an entire season. There are several upgrades in the secondary, led by first-round pick Caleb Downs. If Dak Prescott is healthy, this has the look of a team that could make a playoff run, though how long have we been saying that for? Prescott hasn’t played full seasons in consecutive years since 2018-19. Still, Dallas’ ceiling and floor have both been raised.

The Eagles’ defense could be a top-five unit. A healthy Jalen Carter is a game changer, and Riq Woolen was an excellent under-the-radar signing. On offense, there’s still plenty of talent, even after A.J. Brown’s departure. Jalen Hurts is adapting to a new system, this one far different than anything he’s done before. There will be some bumps, but this roster is still loaded, and I’ll bet on that every time. Philly has made the playoffs five straight years.

I have significant concerns about the Commanders (offensive line, overall roster talent) and the Giants (Jaxson Dart, offensive ecosystem). If the bottom falls out on both, this ranking is too high. If one or both can be middle of the pack, though, this ranking will look prudent.

6. AFC South
The AFC South occupied a spot nearer the bottom of these rankings for a long time. This still might be a little bit too low. It’s really a game of “What’s Real?” regarding three quarterbacks.

Was Trevor Lawrence’s outstanding second half of the 2025 season real? Or is he somewhere between that and his up-and-down first half of the season?
Was Daniel Jones’ outstanding first half of the 2025 season real? Or is he somewhere between that and the mediocre, injured player he’s been much of his career?
Was C.J. Stroud’s miserable postseason real? Or is he still the guy who looked excellent as a rookie and has since been held back by a brutal offensive line and running game, both of which Houston addressed this offseason?
A quick guess here: Lawrence is still good, but the Jaguars take a step back; Stroud plays better, and that defense is excellent; and Jones is OK, but the roster as a whole isn’t quite good enough. This division has two playoff teams at best. The Titans are still far away from contending.

7. AFC East
The call between the AFC South and the AFC East was an agonizingly close one. Ultimately, the AFC South got the nod, because the bottom doesn’t fall out quite so quickly.

The Bills and the Patriots are both bonafide Super Bowl contenders, but after that, the Jets figure to be a team picking in the top 10, and the Dolphins might be in line for the worst record in the league. If you add up all four AFC East teams’ wins totals, via DraftKings, it comes out to 30. The AFC South is at 32.

8. NFC South
For the third time in four years, the NFC South winner had single-digit wins. The division has combined for one playoff win in the past four seasons.

This, of course, is a measure of 2026, not the past. But it doesn’t look especially promising.

The Panthers finally unseated the Buccaneers atop the division, and Carolina made big moves (Jaelan Phillips, Devin Lloyd) in free agency to try to solidify their status. Still, Bryce Young has been a below-average quarterback at best his entire career, and injuries to OT Taylor Moton, OT Ikem Ekwonu, EDGE Nic Scourton, DL Tershawn Wharton and WR Chris Brazzell III are concerns.

The Buccaneers haven’t exactly had the smoothest training camp, and the Saints have already lost DL Bryan Bresee for the entire season and No. 8 overall pick Jordyn Tyson for a significant part of it. The Falcons are having a decidedly underwhelming quarterback battle between Tua Tagovailoa, who has failed to impress, and Michael Penix Jr., who is just now starting to participate in 11-on-11 drills.

Long story short, there’s not a single Super Bowl contender here. As of right now, it’d be a surprise if an NFC South team wins a playoff game.

zn wrote:

Daniels
Edwards
Mumpfield
Presley
Smith
Whittington

I have seen nothing that suggests Smith’s job as returner is an open competition.

They have to keep Edwards. A guy who wins contested catches has a job. It doesn’t matter if he can’t always separate if he catches the ball anyway. Sometimes you need 6 yards.

It’s even different from 2000 and 2001 when we were thinking they might do a mini-dynasty, but we knew they had some holes. Then, turned out, they drafted badly, and had injuries, and that was that.

This team has looked like the team to beat since the McDuffie trade. The Watson signing and the Garrett trade just put a cherry on top.

And Aaron Donald is coming back, too, so there’s that.

zn wrote:

Well, based on the little bits that we know now, how do you rate the 3 big NFC West teams in comparison to each other? The Rams, the Searocks, and the SF Substationers? I’m honestly asking.

…

Rams: +100
Seahawks: +205
49ers: +305
Cardinals: +10000

This seems right to me. I don’t hold any unconventional views, I’m afraid.

I think that the Rams and Seahawks were even last year. During the offseason, the Seahawks maintained their core, and stay about the same. Maybe a slight tick back with the loss of Walker. The Rams, meanwhile, got appreciably better in their weak spots: CB and ST.

The 9ers have Warner and Bosa returning, and added Evans.

All 3 teams have concerns: The Rams have questions about OL and WR depth. I think they’re okay there, but compared to every other position (except QB), they haven’t proven themselves. They also have the most brutal schedule I’ve ever seen, considering strength of schedule, kickoff times, and travel mileage. And if Stafford and/or Nacua miss time, they’re going to take on water. I’ve been thinking, though, that the Rams’ Defense could end up being the story of the season anyway. This defense looks like they could etch their legacy next to the all-time great defenses, so a dip in offensive production just might not matter. The Rams are better (on paper) than they were last year, and may be the best Rams team we’ve ever seen, and potentially one of the all-time great teams if health allows them to play it through.

The Seahawks have the post-SB letdown to deal with, and I think that’s a real thing. Maybe McDonald can coach them through that, and maybe the fact that the Rams are getting 90% of the media attention will keep them mentally razor sharp. I think Sam Darnold is “real,” but I think they’ll miss Walker. I think they took slight downgrades at RB, OLB, and S, and did not upgrade anywhere. I think they’re basically the same team. They took some steps back, but not the kind of dropoff that can’t be recovered through development of younger players assuming more responsibility.

The 49ers main concern is the substation, obviously. Bosa, McCaffrey, and Kittle have had compound injuries, and they’re getting up there in age. Trent Williams enters the season at 38. Evans is past his prime. This is a talented, but older team. Shanahan may be the best coach in the league, though. He’s a guy that makes Kendrick Bourne look like an All-Pro. He’s 11-7 against McVay, btw. And he won some of those games when the 9ers were reeling with injuries. Their secondary is below average, and their DL isn’t good enough to negate that weakness (though it’s good). With that problem, and the likelihood that McCaffrey and/or Kittle blows out a tire…I think they fall short. I expect them to make the playoffs, though, and I don’t like playing them Week One in Australia.

What do you think?

zn wrote:

The aforementioned list is just a handful of the offseason storylines surrounding San Francisco.

No, it isn’t. It’s the entire goddam list. And while it’s an impressive string of headlines, the only thing in there that really matters is that Pearsall is out for the season. This writer is… uh… overly dramatic.

zn wrote:

LAFB Network@LAFBNetwork
Two preseason games, two wins and ZERO touchdowns allowed by the Rams defense.

And that’s the B and C squads.

Lots of depth on defense this year.

wv wrote:

49ers Owner was arrested and plead no-contest to something or other involving ‘criminal tools’ and prostitution. You can google it.

w
v

The “criminal tools” is the only point of interest in this story for me, and this is all I have found so far (The Athletic):

Cleveland-based attorney Marisa Darden described “criminal tools” as a “fairly nebulous, broad statute” that criminalizes possession of any instrument, substance, device or article designed or adapted for criminal use. She said she has rarely seen it used in situations relating to prostitution and suggested that, in this case, it could have related to the use of an electronic device or a response to an online advertisement. “But that would be a little bit of an aggressive charging posture,” she added.

zn wrote:

Okay.

I just think WB (Bailey) will make it.

I hope he does. From what I’ve read. I hope Lampkin makes it, too. I just don’t think either are a lock.

49 locks means 4 jobs up for grabs. I think there is one more WR (Daniels?), and one more RB (Hunter?). That leaves room for Bailey and Lampkin, and that’s it.

Murchison, Dolac, and Thomas are goners, and everybody else. Some obviously go to the PS, but some end up on the Seahawks and 9ers, and other teams like that which are short-handed on talent.

zn wrote:

TurfShowTimes@TurfShowTimes
38 players seemingly getting the McVay protection treatment, likely on roster

Rams 0 snaps pw2:
QB-MS
RB-KW, BC, RR
WR-PN, DA, JW, KM, X
TE-TH, CP, TF, DA
OL-AJ, SA, CS, KD, WM, DQ, BL
DL-KT, PF, BF, TD, TH
EDGE-MG, BY, JS, DJ
CB-TM, JW, QL, JW2, EF, ZM
S-KC, KK, JM

.

Players not getting McVay protection treatment, likely on roster:

QB-SB, TS
OL-JD, KT, AA
TE-MK
LB-NL,OS, GS
K-HM
P-EE

So that’s 49.

zn wrote:

wv wrote:

Well if he turns out to be a ‘deep threat’ that would be great. But he’s a 4.63 guy. (He seems a little clunky to me)

40 time doesn’t matter if he’s 6’5 with a big catch radius, which means catching them over his head.

I don;t know about klunky. He looked fairly smooth for 250 lbs to me.

My eyeballs told me he was pretty agile and quite tall. zn brought all the numbers in his initial response, and that sort of lines up for me. I didn’t know he averaged 21/yds a reception, but I knew he made some explosive plays.

Tyler Higbee’s 40 time was 4.77, and you can bet it’s slower than that after everything his knees have been through.