NFL 2020: Offseason

jowner wrote:
Enix wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Yeah, Funch is a big body. I wouldn't be overly excited either ...

Whatever your expectations are, dial them back about three notches. He's very much a tweener as a pass-catcher -- too slow to get separation (or get yards after catch), and too small to be a TE (which he played in college, weirdly enough). Against the Lions in 2018, he sealed his fate with Carolina by dropping *five* passes. It was the goddamdest thing I'd seen, and I had watch Kelvin Benjamin mishandle everything every-which-way but a turkey sandwich with extra gravy.

I'm honestly not sure what GB is thinking? He's big and cheap? Um, OK, I guess.

I dunno.

Only thing I can think of is he can be cut with next to no damage to cap space?

Considering how mediocre the WRs last year were. I think it's just a cheap flier to add competition.

This is making assumptions though. If the Packers don't add any more offensive FAs and don't draft some near the top of the board. Yikes.

Yep. He might just be a camp body. Or maybe he'll start catching stuff and y'all will look smart as hell. Who's to say?

Top_Shelf wrote:

Even then, in what world are stadiums filling back up?

They might not this year. They won't need to.

Ticket revenue is a drop in the bucket compared to TV revenue.

Getting the product on TV will be the NFL's overwhelming #1 priority. Having anyone in person to see it is a distant second, and not a prerequisite to conducting the season.

I guarantee you right now, the league and TV partners are discussing ideas on how to do broadcasts with empty stadiums without losing all of the energy.

jowner wrote:
Top_Shelf wrote:

Even then, in what world are stadiums filling back up?

That's a whole other question.

Of all the league's though to put their players health at risk. Pretty sure the NFL will find a way to convince them to play. From a actual people perspective it's the worst one just because the actual amount of people involved on each team.

Can't disagree. Younger players may very well say the risk for a $300k+ reward is worth it.

I don't know that fans are going to pack the stadiums though, especially when those seats are held by older fans with the resources to afford them. Last ad data I had access to (~2014) showed average age of hardcore NFL fan was age 48+, college educated, lots of disposable income. This bears out in what ads we see during games (ED, insurance, etc). Those guys who are now in their 50s are really going to throw caution to the wind and go party it up in parking lots and stadiums?

I don't think YOLO Gen Yers are going to be dropping $300 (will they have that kind of cashola during a recession?) on game day this fall in huge numbers, either.

I would be completely and utterly shocked if a single NFL game is played this year.

Top_Shelf wrote:

Even then, in what world are stadiums filling back up?

Time for CBS and FOX to both do Sunday doubleheaders. Maximize that TV commercial revenue because revenue is not happening at stadiums.

If they can get their contracts amended in time. Have to get the crews to all those extra televised games and whatever is currently in place to protect the TV company that gets the double header to adjust and do 2 (or 3!) games a day.

And if that is where the sport is headed near-term, what will it be like watching mostly empty stadiums (fans that do show up are going to sit 2-3 seats apart?)? Will it be eerily quiet at the Superdome and we'll hear coaches shouting and players calling out coverages?

And forget about college football. That stuff is DONE. No students at the universities but the players are going to come in? For free?

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I would be completely and utterly shocked if a single NFL game is played this year.

I'll take that bet.

I'd be shocked if the entire season was shut down, but also think it'll only be delayed a few games at best (probably two preseason games).

Top_Shelf wrote:

And if that is where the sport is headed near-term, what will it be like watching mostly empty stadiums (fans that do show up are going to sit 2-3 seats apart?)? Will it be eerily quiet at the Superdome and we'll hear coaches shouting and players calling out coverages?

My guess right now, as odd as it sounds, is piped-in crowd noise. Teams do it at practices, the Falcons were caught doing it at games, and certain other teams have been suspected and accused of it.

And forget about college football. That stuff is DONE. No students at the universities but the players are going to come in? For free?

Agreed. The odds of an NCAA season happening are a tiny fraction of the odds of an NFL season.

They can go the Nascar route and air a full season of virtual NFL games.

karmajay wrote:

They can go the Nascar route and air a full season of virtual NFL games.

That would require someone making a football simulation that's actually a simulation.

It would be kinda funny to have the public at large come face to face with just how terrible Madden is at resembling actual football, especially at high competition levels of play.

*Legion* wrote:
Top_Shelf wrote:

And if that is where the sport is headed near-term, what will it be like watching mostly empty stadiums (fans that do show up are going to sit 2-3 seats apart?)? Will it be eerily quiet at the Superdome and we'll hear coaches shouting and players calling out coverages?

My guess right now, as odd as it sounds, is piped-in crowd noise. Teams do it at practices, the Falcons were caught doing it at games, and certain other teams have been suspected and accused of it.

And forget about college football. That stuff is DONE. No students at the universities but the players are going to come in? For free?

Agreed. The odds of an NCAA season happening are a tiny fraction of the odds of an NFL season.

Certain other teams? What do you mean?

Not to turn this into another COVID thread, but my belief the NFL will not happen this year comes from what I'm expecting the long-term impact of that to be, and the body count being so high people aren't want to get together and breathe on each other. Now, if there's some effective testing methodologies to show if people have COVID antibodies in their system so they've already been exposed and developed immunity, I can imagine some bizarre, freakish "immune to COVID" season where literally requirement #1 is you've already developed immunity before you step on the field.

Real NFL? Nope.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Not to turn this into another COVID thread, but my belief the NFL will not happen this year comes from what I'm expecting the long-term impact of that to be, and the body count being so high people aren't want to get together and breathe on each other. Now, if there's some effective testing methodologies to show if people have COVID antibodies in their system so they've already been exposed and developed immunity, I can imagine some bizarre, freakish "immune to COVID" season where literally requirement #1 is you've already developed immunity before you step on the field.

Real NFL? Nope.

No fans this year.

Unless you are in Texas. All bets of anything Texas.

Other topic,
Where's Cam ending up?

I'm very happy it doesn't look like Chicago.
I'm assuming NE isn't viable because cap reasons.
SF because everyone is trying to murder Jimmy G?

I think he's got lots left and was curious where he would end up even last year when he went down.

I think my choice then was Steelers could make lots of sense. But don't know how they could get 38 year old big Ben to step aside.

I think Jameis Winston winds up in Pittsburgh; big arm, functional mobility, serial rapist. He fits with the current Steelers QB easily.

Nobody trusts Cam's health, and nobody can currently put him through the physicals needed for him to prove otherwise.

I think Cam is going to end up on the Teddy Bridgewater career path. He's going to sign as a backup somewhere behind a QB who is rock solid as a starter. He's going to practice and show he's healthy and play 2020 as an insurance policy that lets that team contend if their starting QB goes down for a lengthy time.

Then he'll hit free agency again in 2021.

So Cam to KC?

Started a thread to see if we can get some folks jonesing for sports to maybe play in an online league or tourney is a sport you like.

https://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/...

Similar style to Mahommes. Excellent team, atmosphere, coach, and overall support structure. If healthy enough to play would offer the Chiefs good opportunities to rest Mahommes without as much a drop-off in talent as usual. No pressure. Honestly would be a very good fit.

Jayhawker wrote:

So Cam to KC?

Not with their cap, not after throwing guaranteed money at Henne. (What kind of stupid-ass football team would ever let Chad Henne play for them, anyway?)

I can see Cam getting a chance to play in Pitt if Rapistburger isn't quite as healthy as he's saying.

*Legion* wrote:
Jayhawker wrote:

So Cam to KC?

Not with their cap, not after throwing guaranteed money at Henne. (What kind of stupid-ass football team would ever let Chad Henne play for them, anyway?)

Yeah, the cap is the biggest roadblock.

Also not sure he is ready to make that move, to sign as a back-up in the hopes of reviving his career.

Jayhawker wrote:

Also not sure he is ready to make that move, to sign as a back-up in the hopes of reviving his career.

In March? He's definitely not.

In August? Might be a different story.

A lot of veterans have to sit unsigned in free agency for a while before they come to terms with their new reality.

Brockers fails his physical. Headed back to Rams.

The Ravens are good at the whole "Oops, we paid you too much" thing.

garion333 wrote:

The Ravens are good at the whole "Oops, we paid you too much" thing.

Apparently not under EDC. As embarrassing as it is to send someone back, he did it rather than be saddled with a pig in a poke.

I was watching a YouTube video that was showing a crappy clip from an old game, and what struck me most was a couple names in the crawl that appeared right after each other...

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/IMejVbV.jpg)

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/SrNKtoA.jpg)

Larry Fitzgerald is football Vince Cater, and vice-versa.

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EUYFbiNXgAEwOS_?format=jpg&name=large)

They couldn't get two Eagles or two 49ers? Way to ruin the theme, Desean and Deebo.