NFL Off-season Thread

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:39 pm

post all draft, FA analysis/speculation, and homer related items here.

peanut butter wrote:Oakland Raiders cheerleaders file suit against team
Former and current members of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad are suing the team claiming theft of wages and other unfair employment practices.

According to the class action lawsuit filed on Wednesday in California, the Raiderettes say that the team withheld all pay until the end of the season, doesn’t pay for all hours worked and alleges that they had to pay for many of their own business expenses.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the team also fines the members of the squad who fail to bring the right pom-poms or a yoga mat to practice. Any member who gains five pounds from her weight at the start of the season, or who appears “too soft” to the squad’s director, was benched for the next home game.

The filing also says that the Raiderettes are paid $1,250 per season, and broken down between the time spent rehearsing, performing and appearing at events, amount to the squad being paid around $5 per hour.
http://tracking.si.com/2014/01/22/oakla" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... inst-team/

Young Mark out here keepin bitches broke tho

PEACE

alpha · Post by **alpha** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:38 pm

Finally, the best part of the season for Raiders fans.

Joe Pesci · Post by **Joe Pesci** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:43 pm

alpha wrote:Finally, the best part of the season for Raiders fans.

ric · Post by **ric** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:48 pm

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:05 am

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:09 pm

Bridgewater is viewed by many as a potential No. 1 overall pick, but one AFC college director told NFL Media reporter Albert Breer that Bridgewater is “a second-rounder. Shorter and smallish in size, but he has solid arm strength, he’s a good athlete, solid accuracy. Not dynamic or a special talent, but he has NFL starter-caliber skills, and he’s a good kid with all the intangibles.” Another AFC scouting director said Bridgewater has a lot going for him: “He’s accurate, poised, smart, productive.” But the scouting director also has issues with Bridgewater. “The body type is the concern,” he said. “You’re going to have to see him at the combine. He looks small and skinny to me. But he gets rid of the ball so quick and makes such good decisions, maybe you can live with that.”

peanut butter · Post by **peanut butter** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:15 pm

Does this mean we get to tear down all the posters off the wall, and start rearranging the furniture in the war room so that we can make space for the draft board?

PEACE

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:18 pm

peanut butter wrote:Does this mean we get to tear down all the posters off the wall, and start rearranging the furniture in the war room so that we can make space for the draft board?

i think the scout works for Oakland and he is trying to send smoke signals so he drops to #5

peanut butter · Post by **peanut butter** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:23 pm

capable_keL wrote:
peanut butter wrote:Does this mean we get to tear down all the posters off the wall, and start rearranging the furniture in the war room so that we can make space for the draft board?
i think the scout works for Oakland and he is trying to send smoke signals so he drops to #5

I feel you but we're pretty much just speculating and hypothesizing until GUCCI comes in here with his trained eye and starts breaking down gametape on Theodore's pocket presence and ability to work through progressions

PEACE

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:02 pm

scout.com top 100 prospects
http://profootball.scout.com/a.z?s=127& ... d=124&rc=4

DLG · Post by **DLG** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:46 pm

HaHa is the best name ever

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:48 pm

Ben Roethlisberger Trade Market Rumors
Published Jan. 24, 2013
By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

Like last year, this draft doesn't feature an elite quarterback prospect such as Andrew Luck, Cam Newton or Matthew Stafford. Thus, some of the quarterback-needy teams at the top of draft are considering the veteran quarterback market for a solution to their problem. The turnaround success of the Chiefs after trading for Alex Smith last season serves as an example of what a veteran quarterback can do for a team.

One quarterback to keep an eye on for a potential trade market is Steelers veteran Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger turns 32 in March and is entering the final year of his contract. Sources have told WalterFootball.com that there is some reluctance of the Rooney family to give Roethlisberger another big contract. Pittsburgh has had a history of letting pricey veterans leave when they hit the later years of their career, and Roethlisberger's off-the-field issues haven't been forgotten by ownership. At 32 years old, this is Pittsburgh's last shot at having quality trade value for him. The Steelers also have an aging defense that needs to be rebuilt, and they could decide to start a youth movement in Pittsburgh.

In speaking to Roethlisberger's camp, their priority is for him to re-sign with the Steelers and they want him to finish his career in Pittsburgh. However, they also want a big pay day. They want Roethlisberger to be paid like the other top quarterbacks in the NFL, and they know that this is his last shot at a big contract in Roethlisberger's career. If the Steelers aren't willing to pay it, they would be willing to look elsewhere for it.

Teams that WalterFootball.com has heard could be interested in trading for Roethlisberger include the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals. The Texans selection at the top of the second round and a 2015 conditional pick could mimic what the Chiefs gave for Alex Smith last year. Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians coached Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and Arizona could use Roethlisberger to put the Cardinals over the top to get into the postseason in the NFL's toughest division.

VideoKilledThe · Post by **VideoKilledThe** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 2:18 am

Clit n dicks is a good name?

Kid That's Lifeless · Post by **Kid That's Lifeless** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 2:21 am

I like it.

ric · Post by **ric** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 6:05 pm

hope rothels goes to arizona. the option game is about as steeler football as shit can get. fuck this todd haley bullshit. these are the top 10 teams in rush atts. denver is #11

1 Buffalo Bills (going places)
2 Seattle Seahawks (obv)
3 San Francisco 49ers (obv)
4 Philadelphia Eagles (obv going places)
5 New York Jets (improving??)
6 San Diego Chargers (improving??)
7 Carolina Panthers (going places)
8 Cincinnati Bengals (improving??)
9 New England Patriots (obv)
10 Tennessee Titans (ugh)

VideoKilledThe wrote:Clit n dicks is a good name?

hahahaha...clit n dicks...good one

naturalborn103 · Post by **naturalborn103** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:51 pm

Just looking at rushing attempts is little misleading. When teams get a lead they will natural run more and when teams fall behind big they will pass more.

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:37 pm

I watched a few snaps of the pro bowl. They need to just eliminate this game and these have to be the worst uniforms ever used in the history of jerseys

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 4:17 pm

http://msn.foxsports.com/south/story/nf ... -20-012714

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 4:22 pm

#splits

peanut butter · Post by **peanut butter** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:28 pm

I would be weary of taking those Manziel deepball #splits at face value. I think Mike Evans covered up a lot of warts he may have had, especially on long passes.

PEACE

Ramen · Post by **Ramen** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:57 pm

ric · Post by **ric** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 1:05 am

peanut butter wrote:I would be weary of taking those Manziel deepball #splits at face value. I think Mike Evans covered up a lot of warts he may have had, especially on long passes.
PEACE

those tamu wrs are a good unit

@kel
sweet graph though

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:05 pm

Prospect Profile: Johnny Manziel

By Russ Lande

When you watch a football game on television, it is usually easy to get an impression as to whether a quarterback has the tools to play in the NFL. With Manziel, however, it takes a lot more time studying film and breaking him down to determine what his NFL future holds. I have spoken with numerous respected NFL scouts about him, and it's an understatement to say that opinions are split. A few have told me they feel he is the best quarterback in the draft, which is high praise indeed. But on the other hand, others have actually said they would not draft him. Needless to say, opinions split that drastically on a player are rare.

The first thing that grabbed my attention is that Manziel definitely has what scouts call a "plus arm," which means he can make every NFL throw with ease. While he often looks like he is playing schoolyard football, he has consistently shown quickness in getting rid of the ball and can make throws to lead receivers that few other passers can. Both in the pocket and on the move, Manziel's ability to throw accurately 16-plus yards downfield is outstanding, and you can see from watching film that he has spent a lot of time working with his receivers, as their timing on back-shoulder throws is remarkable. Although some of his moves to escape sacks will get him killed in the NFL, he does possess a rare ability to avoid pressure and sacks to buy himself a second chance that can extend plays longer than any quarterback I have ever evaluated.

Having to throw as many passes as he did, it's also impressive that Manziel throws few, if any, passes that defenders can get their hands on. Of the top five quarterbacks I have evaluated so far (Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, Bridgewater, Zach Mettenberger and Manziel), he has the lowest error/interception rate of any of them. Not only does Manziel have the passing skills to succeed in the NFL, but his ability to lead his team and carry them on his back to comebacks consistently has been incredible.

After evaluating film, I was shocked by how good Manziel is as a passer, but that's often not what people associate with him when his name comes up. Despite the media reports, nearly everything I have been able to dig up on Manziel's character has been positive. (Having worked for two NFL teams, I completely understand that scouts lie to media all the time to deceive and hide intentions, but I have tremendous confidence in my sources on this subject.) No one I spoke to will deny that Manziel can act like a spoiled kid who is still maturing as a young man, but none expressed great concern about his true character, with the consensus being that football is very important to Manziel and that he consistently does more than is asked to make sure he is successful.

Manziel is viewed within the program as a rare competitor who will do anything to succeed, and this shows in his willingness to play through pain and confront teammates when needed as leaders must do. One thing that shocked me when speaking to scouts is that prior to practice and games, Manziel actually goes through the process of making tough throws from awkward positions when he cannot set his feet and this shows up in his ability to make great throws despite terrible positioning. Not that his raw footwork is good when he has a clean pocket or time and space to reset feet, but it clearly pays dividends when outside the pocket.

Apart from positive character reports, scouts definitely expressed some real concerns that he must address in order to be as successful in the NFL as he was in college. High on that list is Manziel's tendency to overstride when trying to put extra zip on the ball, which leads to passes sailing on him. When he goes through progressions in the pocket and tries to make short (5 to 15 yard) throws quickly, his accuracy is inconsistent and too often his passes dip in front of the receiver. One issue that I found very concerning on film and addressed with NFL people is Manziel's tendency to vacate the pocket out the back, which rarely works in the NFL and can lead to major errors. He will need to become much more consistent stepping up in the pocket to avoid deep pressure if he hopes to become a successful NFL passer.

The last thing scouts raised as an issue is that Manziel is not especially large for a quarterback and needs to learn to get down or out of bounds when running with the ball. Otherwise, he will expose himself to too many violent hits, which will cause his body to break down if he does not learn to better protect himself. (Russell Wilson is a great example of a player who gains yards scrambling with the ball, but is so smart that he rarely takes a hard hit.)

Despite all of the analysis and my thorough charting out of Manziel, the debate about his likelihood for success in the NFL will likely continue until he proves himself or fails. Whatever team drafts him better have a smart offensive coordinator whose ego is not so big that he will force Manziel to fit his system. He will need to be willing to tailor an offense around Manziel's very unique skill set in order for them both to be successful.

Prospect Profile: Anthony Barr

By Russ Lande

With only two years of experience playing on defense, Anthony Barr's development into one of the premier defenders in the nation is remarkable.

After evaluating six games from the 2013 season, I emerged both tantalized by his raw physical talent, yet frustrated by his inconsistent production during each game. A quick-twitch athlete, Barr flashes a rare first step off the ball to get to the corner before the offensive tackle can set up. When he maintains knee bend, he can turn the corner sharply and close on the quarterback in a flash once he clears the blocker. Uncommon for a pass rusher with so little game experience, Barr can be outstanding using his hands to chop the pass blocker's hands away so that he can stay free. Although he usually is facing an offensive tackle that outweighs him by 50-plus pounds, when he maintains leverage and rushes the passer aggressively, he shows surprising ability to jolt and drive his man backwards into the quarterback's lap.

This natural strength also enables him to anchor and maintain contain responsibility against offensive line run blocks when he plays with leverage and uses his hands well. When he does this, he flashes the ability to shed blocks and make tackles on runs to his side of the field. Even more impressive, when he lines up a little off the line, he has the ability to burst up the field, avoid run blocks and make tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Although his technique dealing with low/cut blocks and working through traffic needs work, he has elite playing speed chasing after ball carriers in pursuit and the rare closing burst to finish plays most linebackers have no chance to make.

While Barr has shown the physical skills to be a dominant defensive playmaker, scouts definitely have concerns about his play. His lack of experience on defense is readily apparent in many areas, but none more so than his pass-rush repertoire. Relying heavily on his explosiveness off the ball and speed to out-race blockers around the corner, he has no real variety of pass-rush moves. Scouts confirmed to me that for a top pass rusher too often he gets high when rushing the passer and needs to be more consistent maintaining bend/leverage, because when he does he is drastically more effective. Scouts have seen him pass rush aggressively and with leverage, so they want to figure out if his inconsistencies in this area are due to his lack of experience or effort.

Most concerning to scouts is Barr's inconsistent production on running plays at him. No one doubts that he has the talent to play strong at the point of attack, shed blocks and make plays, but more often he takes on run blocks high, is slow to shed and gets ridden out of the play.
Working in Barr's favor is his outstanding character, work ethic and leadership. When combined with the improvement he has made since he switched to defense in 2012, the future looks very bright. However, he will need to impress during the interview process when teams grill him on defensive schemes and adjustments, as this will be his chance to prove he has a complete grasp of what his responsibilities will be, despite his lack of experience playing defense.

After all the evaluating, Barr will almost assuredly be a top-10 pick in the 2014 draft. Right now he would be a good pass-rushing outside linebacker, and if he becomes more consistent in the areas scouts have concerns about, he could become a great player who changes games like Lawrence Taylor did from his outside linebacker alignment. When you look at his combination of elite athleticism, great character, work ethic and leadership, I'm confident that he will improve enough to become a top NFL player.

Prospect Profile: Khalil Mack

By Russ Lande

Mack showed that he had the goods right off the bat when he dominated Ohio State's offensive tackles in Buffalo's season opener. Thick and powerfully built, it was routine for Mack to jolt run blockers upright with excellent hand use and hold ground because of his strength and ability to maintain proper base/leverage. Once he stood up run blockers it was surprising how easily he could shed and make the tackle on running plays despite having to defeat an offensive lineman who out-weighed him by at least 50 pounds. Not only effective making plays on runs directly at him, Mack's playing speed and explosive closing burst allowed him to track down fast ball carriers in backside pursuit. This is not to say everything was easy for Mack as he definitely struggled moving through traffic and would occasionally get bounced around. While Mack was consistent as a run defender, his impact as a pass rusher tended to come in bunches.

For a player that has consistently shown the ability to close on quarterbacks/ball-carriers explosively, Mack's first step off the ball was not as quick as expected when I reviewed video. In games evaluated he was only the first pass rusher moving 35% of the time, which is lower than most other elite college players. But Mack was a dominant and disruptive pass rusher when he was aggressive. Unlike many college defensemen who rely solely on speed and athleticism, Mack is surprisingly polished, especially for a player who was lightly recruited out of high school and played in the MAC. That refinement showed up in his ability to defeat offensive tackles with a bull rush, slap and arm over move, rip move and a nasty change of direction move back underneath/inside. Once he defeated pass blocks, he did not pause like many others, but rather closed on the quarterback with the aggressive, elite closing burst the top pass rushers naturally possess.

Although there is no doubt in my mind that Mack will end up being a top 10 pick in the 2014 NFL draft, there are definitely some concerns that I have, many of which have been expressed by NFL scouts. He made a dynamic interception and returned it for a touchdown against Ohio State and had another interception against Kent State, so many might assume NFL teams are comfortable with Mack's play in coverage, but that is not the case. I've spoken with a number of scouts who expressed to me concerns over Mack's instincts in that area and his movement skills out in space. When he drops off the ball into coverage, he has the tendency to get upright and straight-legged, which limits his ability to flip hips and change directions as quickly and smoothly. Additionally, while he reads the quarterback well, he does not always move with confidence when it comes to his zone responsibility and does not always feel/sense receivers within his area. While choosing not to participate in the Senior Bowl (his decision was due to choice, not injury) shouldn't hurt his draft stock, it definitely makes the Combine and his Pro Day more important as he still has things to prove.

Although Buffalo is a FBS football program, it is in the MAC and NFL teams will watch closely at the Combine to see how Mack works out. While many in the media will put a lot of focus on his timing/testing numbers, teams will be much more focused on how he compares to the other top pass rushers and linebackers in the positional drills. In addition to that, Mack will need to shine in team interviews so that teams feel comfortable with his ability to handle the more complex defenses he will be forced to learn and play against in the NFL. For the record, I'm not as concerned about this last point because the variety of places he lined up in Buffalo's defense that I saw on film point to his possessing excellent football intelligence.

When May 8 arrives and the NFL draft kicks off, Mack should not have to wait long before hearing his named called. In today's pass-first NFL, elite pass rushers are the hardest players to find besides quarterbacks, so they always go high. He will be competing directly with Jadeveon Clowney and Anthony Barr to be the first defensive end/pass rusher selected, and if he performs well over the next three months, I believe he has a chance to be the first one selected.

Prospect Profile: Teddy Bridgewater

By Russ Lande

I'm always skeptical when evaluating players who have received a ton of hype, but I was pleasantly surprised by Bridgewater's overall game. Possessing a quick release and an underrated arm allows Bridgewater to easily make every NFL throw with zip and precision when his footwork is on. Out of the presumptive top five quarterbacks in the 2014 NFL draft (Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Zach Mettenberger), Bridgewater finished second in accuracy when I charted them out (although scouts do have one concern, which I'll delve into below). Excellent football intelligence helped him to be consistently productive against the blitz as he was able to identify where the rush was coming from, make the appropriate read and get rid of the ball quickly and on the mark to the correct receiver. Not only did his accuracy help him to make big plays, but it also made him be a much more efficient passer.

Bridgewater made few mistakes this season (31 touchdowns with only four interceptions) thanks to the aforementioned skills. Few college quarterbacks possess the athleticism to avoid sacks and buy second chances while also having a quick release and the ability to make good throws in nearly any situation. These traits are what allowed Bridgewater to consistently convert third downs into first downs to keep drives alive, something that's often overlooked. When you add up all the great things he does on film and combine that with his smarts, leadership and character, you have nearly the complete package -- which is why many expect the Texans to draft him with the first overall pick. However, there are still a few questions that have been raised.

The first relates to hand size. Scouts that have seen Bridgewater in person have told me that his right hand will measure less than nine inches -- the standard of measurement is from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinky on the throwing hand when the hand is pressed down and spread out on a table with a measuring tape on it -- which is basically the minimum that NFL teams consider acceptable. Small hands make it difficult to handle the ball in less than ideal weather conditions and often lead to accuracy and fumbling issues. As an underclassman who entered the draft early, Bridgewater has not been measured by combine scouts yet, which is why the question still persists. Even though some reports claim that NFL teams are also concerned about Bridgewater's general physique, numerous scouts I have spoken to are not worried about this and feel that he will add weight and fill out as most players do once they are in the NFL.

The question that cannot be answered by a quick measurement at the combine is about his inconsistent stride length. This may seem like a minor issue, but NFL teams always prefer quarterbacks who have stability in this area as it enables them to be a more predictably accurate passer. In the games I evaluated, Bridgewater showed a tendency to overstride at times, especially when he really had to get a lot of zip on the throw, which led to passes being high. While his overall accuracy was excellent, it could be that much better if his stride length were consistent on every throw for which he has the space. Scouts are interested to watch him throw at both the combine and his pro day to take a closer look at this.

The reality, though, is that when you're down to picking on a quarterback's hand size and stride length, it tells you that nearly everything they do on film is excellent. That, combined with his outstanding intangibles, means that Bridgewater has a good chance of being the first quarterback selected in the 2014 NFL draft.

Ramen · Post by **Ramen** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 11:00 pm

not that anyone cares but the Rams bought some land in L.A.

Ramen · Post by **Ramen** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:20 pm

Andre Reed gets in before Tim Brown??!?!? garbage

alpha · Post by **alpha** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:42 pm

Ramen wrote:Andre Reed gets in before Tim Brown??!?!? garbage

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:58 pm

Not offended by it, 4 super bowls versus a couple playoff games was the clincher

alpha · Post by **alpha** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:09 pm

a couple playoff games? wow, you're reaching here.

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:50 pm

Reed was a better receiver on teams that were in another class compared to what Tim brown played on, no offense to your beloved raiders but i would put marvin Harrison in before Tim Brown.
Hold your head high knowing you guys have a punter in the Hall now

unclebengi · Post by **unclebengi** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:59 pm

For sure, my man Marv got robbed. Stats blow Reed and Browns out of the water. No doubt he's getting penalized for aloofness and off the field trouble

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