NFL Offseason Thread Topic

Posted by bistiza on 3/21/2013 3:07:00 PM (view original):
So, Flacco, how's that big bag of money looking, knowing you have very little shot at seeing a Super Bowl repeat?
really, very little shot. that is funny.  Baltimore is still easily the best team in the AFC North.
3/21/2013 4:07 PM
8 of 22 starters gone.    That's a pretty big obstacle.
3/21/2013 4:11 PM
Posted by MikeT23 on 3/21/2013 4:11:00 PM (view original):
8 of 22 starters gone.    That's a pretty big obstacle.
Yeah, but a lot of that is skewed.  I mean Ellerbe started just 7 of 13 regular season games and Kruger started just 5 of 15 and Lewis was 6 of 6.  On the other side of that Jameel McClain started 13 of 13,  Albert McCellan started 12 of 14, Courtney Upshaw 9 of 16.  Put those 3 with Suggs and you basically return your starting LB's for much of the year (I also wouldn't be totally surprised to see a guy like Dansby or Urlacher brought in). 

Kemoeatu (most likely gone) is replaced by Canty and Pernell McPhee looks like he is ready to take the other line spot with of course Ngata (I also expect Arthur Jones back who along with new signee Spears should provide good line depth). 

Webb coming back from injury easily replaces Williams as the #1 CB (it was after all Webb before he got hurt) while Corey Graham and Jimmy Smith will start and play nickel (Chykie Brown is also back as the dime back).  Reed and Pollard are big losses (Ihedigbo is basically the only good safety on the team right now and how good he is up for debate) and the team will obviously miss Lewis' leadership, but those three players have all aged dramatically over the last couple of years. 

Matt Birk is the biggest loss on the team and if they do lose McKinnie that will be a big loss as well.  Boldin is obviously a great possession receiver, but Pitta and Dickson should be able to fill much of that role, so I'm not worried there at all. 

The death of the Baltimore Ravens has been greatly exaggerated.  Now granted I am a fan and have that fan bias, but I truly believe they are still the best team in the AFC North and a contender to once again go to the Super Bowl.

3/21/2013 4:50 PM
Posted by moranis on 3/21/2013 4:07:00 PM (view original):
Posted by bistiza on 3/21/2013 3:07:00 PM (view original):
So, Flacco, how's that big bag of money looking, knowing you have very little shot at seeing a Super Bowl repeat?
really, very little shot. that is funny.  Baltimore is still easily the best team in the AFC North.
I wouldn't say easily.  Especially since they tied for first this year.

With Denver (and Houston?) getting better, it's going to be tougher this year, even if you had the same team.
3/21/2013 4:54 PM
While they may or may not be the best team in their division, let's not pretend they were the 16-0 Patriots.   They were a few plays from missing the playoffs and one fluke play from beating Denver. 
3/21/2013 5:51 PM
Posted by moranis on 3/21/2013 4:07:00 PM (view original):
Posted by bistiza on 3/21/2013 3:07:00 PM (view original):
So, Flacco, how's that big bag of money looking, knowing you have very little shot at seeing a Super Bowl repeat?
really, very little shot. that is funny.  Baltimore is still easily the best team in the AFC North.
Whoa, hey there. Easily the best? It was a toss-up between Pitt, Bal, and Cincy even before Bal lost those guys.

Also, even you want to say Baltimore has replacements for the guys they lost, you need to acknowledge that their depth has been crushed.
3/21/2013 6:28 PM
In the parity-driven NFL, it's not difficult to tumble quickly.    As a Raiders fan, I saw my team go from Super Bowl to suckitude overnight.    Eight starters are a lot to replace. 
3/21/2013 6:45 PM
really, very little shot. that is funny.  Baltimore is still easily the best team in the AFC North.

Maybe and maybe not. Even if they are, that doesn't mean they'll win the Super Bowl.

When you consider they never should have won this Super Bowl (miracles can happen, can happen to you...if you play for the Ravens and DBs completely blow the coverage like they're in high school) and this team was much better than what they've got left, they'd be lucky to win the division.


3/22/2013 9:25 AM
Posted by MikeT23 on 3/21/2013 6:45:00 PM (view original):
In the parity-driven NFL, it's not difficult to tumble quickly.    As a Raiders fan, I saw my team go from Super Bowl to suckitude overnight.    Eight starters are a lot to replace. 
The Ravens are not the Raiders.  Would I be totally surprised if Baltimore didn't win the division, absolutely not, but they are imo the best team in their division still, which means a home playoff game and Baltimore almost never loses games at home.

Pittsburgh has lost a ton so they should be even worse than last year.  Cincinnati should be a pretty good team again, but aside from Green their offense scares no one, so they will once again need the defense, which has been a pretty darn healthy squad the last two years (which means they are due for the injury bug).  Cleveland should be better, but is no where near ready to challenge for division titles.

3/22/2013 10:45 AM
So Baltimore loses several key players, Cincy loses none to few, but Baltimore will still win the division easy, and you'd be totally surprised if they didn't?

Are you often surprised by things that happen in football? Teams fall apart/surprise with a great record often on a yearly basis.
3/22/2013 10:56 AM
I agree with burnsy.

There are surprise teams in the NFL every single year (thought I will grant the Browns are the least likely to do it if history is any judge).

3/22/2013 10:59 AM
Posted by burnsy483 on 3/22/2013 10:57:00 AM (view original):
So Baltimore loses several key players, Cincy loses none to few, but Baltimore will still win the division easy, and you'd be totally surprised if they didn't?

Are you often surprised by things that happen in football? Teams fall apart/surprise with a great record often on a yearly basis.
I'll be honest, I got the impression the Ravens played above their heads this year.  At one point they didn't look like a playoff team (granted there were injuries involved).  But their offense wasn't anything too special that screams "playoff quality" and I got the impression the defense was on a "our leader is retiring" high. With the 2 leaders on defense gone, and Flacco's most reliable weapon gone, right now, this looks like a 8-8 team to me.
3/22/2013 11:04 AM
Posted by bistiza on 3/14/2013 11:59:00 AM (view original):
Brady is apparently extremely ******.

He should be.

Brady has lost his number one target and the guy who has bailed him out and made him look far better than he is for many years now.

On top of that, Welker is going to the Broncos, where he'll get passes from Peyton Manning. It's quite likely both Manning and Welker will be even better for it, thereby showing how much talent and ability they both have. When Brady struggles compared with this season, it'll show how much others like Welker make him look good and he takes all the credit because he is the QB.

In short, it's perfect. Next year no one with even half a brain will dare to argue against me when I point out how over rated Brady is. Unless the Pats go out and get some major upgrades at receiver, the real Brady - an above average but far from great QB - will begin to show.

*grins and strums fingers like Mr. Burns*

Excellent...
Watch as Danny Amendola becomes the new Wes Welker. That was a GREAT signing for the Pats. Amendola is EXACTLY what Welker was when he came to the Pats.
3/22/2013 11:25 AM
LOL

Welker demonstrated a ton of key skills for slot receivers in Miami before he ever came to the Patriots. Amendola's no slouch, but he's not going to end up like Welker.

Amendola will get his chances, there is no doubt about that. Brady NEEDS to have someone whose main job is to get open in case he faces anything remotely resembling pressure, so he can dump the ball off, because he performs terribly under pressure. Amendola will no doubt have a shot to replace Welker in that role. If he does even a decent job, his numbers should increase, because anyone who serves the dump off role for Brady will get plenty of balls thrown his way.
3/22/2013 11:48 AM
Posted by burnsy483 on 3/22/2013 10:57:00 AM (view original):
So Baltimore loses several key players, Cincy loses none to few, but Baltimore will still win the division easy, and you'd be totally surprised if they didn't?

Are you often surprised by things that happen in football? Teams fall apart/surprise with a great record often on a yearly basis.
Cincinnati hasn't re-signed Newman, Clements, or Crocker and Pacman and Lawson are already gone.  Potential huge losses from the secondary (and Lawson at LB).  They still haven't re-signed Smith yet either or Tate who was the #2 WR and a starter.   So if they lose all of those players they would lose 5 starters as well as the #3 CB and #2 SS (the nickel and dime back, though Kirkpatrick has some of that role).  They still might bring some of those players back, but it isn't like Baltimore is done either (hence Baltimore's interest in Elvis Dumervil).

People just focus on Baltimore because they are the Superbowl champions and had some high profile players leave, but let's not act like this didn't happen with Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, or any other team in the NFL. 
3/22/2013 11:59 AM (edited)
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