NFL 2015-2016

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swooshboy said:
Exactly this.

I saw this on twitter:

Where Aaron Hernandez will spend the rest of his life top left. Gillette Stadium bottom right.

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There hasn't even been any explanation or motive given as to why he chose to throw his life away.
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It's because he was obsessed on trying to be 'Gangster' that he ended up taking it to the extremes to try and prove it, Absolute idiot of the highest order.
 
@Eboue you're probably as good as any one to ask this - how easy (or not) is it to get a decent spiral on a full sized ball?

If I was going to get one just to chuck around in the park with a few mates do you reckon a slightly smaller one would be better? If they had them in stores I could go have a look/feel but it's obviously gonna have to be an online purchase so could do with some idea.
 
Rado_N said:
@Eboue you're probably as good as any one to ask this - how easy (or not) is it to get a decent spiral on a full sized ball?

If I was going to get one just to chuck around in the park with a few mates do you reckon a slightly smaller one would be better? If they had them in stores I could go have a look/feel but it's obviously gonna have to be an online purchase so could do with some idea.
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I honestly throw a football once or twice a year so I'm probably not the best person to ask but I would recommend a smaller than normal one too. They are heavier than you think they are. You don't need to throw a spiral really. I mean, that's ideal but if you are just throwing it around you might get a good spiral half the time. You'll appreciate how good those guys are to throw 50 yard bombs with JJ Watt trying to tackle you and pinpoint accuracy. Just try not to look like this.

 
Eboue said:
I honestly throw a football once or twice a year so I'm probably not the best person to ask but I would recommend a smaller than normal one too. They are heavier than you think they are. You don't need to throw a spiral really. I mean, that's ideal but if you are just throwing it around you might get a good spiral half the time. You'll appreciate how good those guys are to throw 50 yard bombs with JJ Watt trying to tackle you and pinpoint accuracy. Just try not to look like this.

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:lol: I'll do my best!

Cheers, I thought a smaller one would probably make sense.
 
Pats visiting Obama today. No Brady but Revis will be there. I'm sure he and Bill will exchange pleasantries.
 
Rado_N said:
@Eboue you're probably as good as any one to ask this - how easy (or not) is it to get a decent spiral on a full sized ball?

If I was going to get one just to chuck around in the park with a few mates do you reckon a slightly smaller one would be better? If they had them in stores I could go have a look/feel but it's obviously gonna have to be an online purchase so could do with some idea.
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The other thing to think about is the material of the ball - whether you go for leather or synthetic. I guess this is harder to ascertain online!

I have a couple of these form a few years ago - easily the best ball for chucking around with mates!

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Unfortunately it seems like it's not available anymore, but this ball just stuck to your hands and really helped with the spiral.
 
@swooshboy thanks, I had noticed there were different material options. I found a Wilson junior sized synthetic one online for pretty cheap that I think I'll be going for.
 
Rado_N said:
how easy (or not) is it to get a decent spiral on a full sized ball?

If I was going to get one just to chuck around in the park with a few mates do you reckon a slightly smaller one would be better? If they had them in stores I could go have a look/feel but it's obviously gonna have to be an online purchase so could do with some idea.
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The NFL pigskin is much easier to get a great spiral and distance throw versus the very the odd-shaped NCAA version. The NCAA version is like a hybrid of NFL and rugby. High school versions are similar to NCAA, or may be identical but I'd have to research that. It's supposedly easier to kick the NCAA version.
 
Anyone watching the draft Thursday night? If so, any particular hopes/dreams for your team's selection?

Hoping Marcus Peters falls to the Steelers at 22 although I don't know whether they'd take the chance on him. If I had to put money on it I think they'll take Kevin Johnson but who knows. That's the beauty of it though, despite the four million "expert" mock drafts published I don't think anyone in the world predicted that they'd take Shazier last year!!
 
Meh, DB quality is really bad in the draft, and Peters wasn't all that at Washington. He had a lot of help with the front 7, and as a prospect Desmond Trufant was much better. Honestly they should just go BPA on pass rush in the first round. Worilds is gone and Harrison, Moats, Jones combined for just 11 sacks. Luckily this is a very strong class of DEs and OLBs so someone like Dupree or Ray or Odighizuwa might fall into their lap at 22. If you need corners or safeties, better wait one year. Hargreaves III, Ramsey, Fuller, Sutton, Sanchez are all better than Peters, and draft eligible in 2016. And Su'a Cravens can be Polamalu's long term successor.
 
Invictus said:
Meh, DB quality is really bad in the draft, and Peters wasn't all that at Washington. He had a lot of help with the front 7, and as a prospect Desmond Trufant was much better. Honestly they should just go BPA on pass rush in the first round. Worilds is gone and Harrison, Moats, Jones combined for just 11 sacks. Luckily this is a very strong class of DEs and OLBs so someone like Dupree or Ray or Odighizuwa might fall into their lap at 22. If you need corners or safeties, better wait one year. Hargreaves III, Ramsey, Fuller, Sutton, Sanchez are all better than Peters, and draft eligible in 2016. And Su'a Cravens can be Polamalu's long term successor.
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I'd love it if one of the top LBs fell to us but the only one I can see being available is Odighizuwa. I'd be happy with him though.
I think the fact that it's a strong class for for DEs & OLBs means they'll wait until the second/third (someone like Hunter) unless someone falls & pick DB in the first despite what you said.
Any chance they surprise us & pick something other than an LB or DB?
 
Dr Baltar said:
I'd love it if one of the top LBs fell to us but the only one I can see being available is Odighizuwa. I'd be happy with him though.
I think the fact that it's a strong class for for DEs & OLBs means they'll wait until the second/third (someone like Hunter) unless someone falls & pick DB in the first despite what you said.
Any chance they surprise us & pick something other than an LB or DB?
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You never know man, someone like Gregory might fall because of substance abuse concerns, maybe even Ray because of poor workouts and foot injury. Happens almost every year when Top 10 prospects slide because of off-field or fitness issues. That would be ideal for the Steelers. And IMO while the pass rush depth is good, there's a massive talent differential between the top 5-6 guys and someone like Flowers or Kikaha or Hunter in the 2nd or 3rd.

Hunter is especially scary because while he has impressive physical tools, it doesn't translate on the field. Unlike Orchard or Kikaha he doesn't have a nasty edge to his game and can't rush the passer - produced just 1.5 sacks while playing in 78 % of LSU's defensive snaps. Conversely, the difference between Peters or Collins in the 1st, and Darby or Williams in the 2nd is less discernible. Forcing a need in a weak class will hurt them long term, especially when you can draft top quality DBs in 2016.

As for surprises I dunno to be honest. There aren't a lot of glaring weak spots apart from LB and secondary. They might be forced into picking Collins but he is more of a Mark Barron type box safety and quite poor in coverage. Maybe Preston Smith for DL depending on Tuitt's progress to date ? Nothing stands out really.
 
Rado_N said:
Any good QB's up for grabs?
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Yep, but probably not for the Broncos. All of them (outside of Winston and Mariota) have severe flaws. Elway could maybe take a flier on Grayson or Petty come day 2, but barring some unforeseen development they won't be viable replacements for Manning. A lot of teams including Denver might end up regretting the decision to pass on Bridgewater as the long term starter. Roby played well in his rookie season to be fair, but they already had Talib and Harris at cornerback.
 
Invictus said:
Yep, but probably not for the Broncos. All of them (outside of Winston and Mariota) have severe flaws. Elway could maybe take a flier on Grayson or Petty come day 2, but barring some unforeseen development they won't be viable replacements for Manning. A lot of teams including Denver might end up regretting the decision to pass on Bridgewater as the long term starter. Roby played well in his rookie season to be fair, but they already had Talib and Harris at cornerback.
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What do you reckon they'll do to replace him? Look to trade someone?
 
Rado_N said:
What do you reckon they'll do to replace him? Look to trade someone?
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The problem with trading for even an above average starting QB is that the Brancos will not be the only franchise looking for one.Almost half of the league doesn't have that caliber of a player. So even with a bit of competition, the trade value will end up getting inflated to unreasonable levels. eg. Jay Cutler got traded from the Broncos to the Bears for Orton, 2 first round picks in 2009 and 2010, and a 2009 3rd round pick. Totally not worth it for Chicago.

Elway should have learnt from the mistakes of past teams that lost great quarterbacks to age or injury and drafted one in advance, especially one as good as Bridgewater. Because Manning was always going to decline sharply once his body refused to keep up, he has had multiple surgeries down the years and is almost 40. The whole Steelers dynasty collapsed in no small part due to Terry Bradshaw's elbow injury in 1983. Ironically they had a chance to take Pittsburgh native Dan Marino in the previous draft but passed on him. Green Bay played it perfectly IMO, got Rodgers and sat him behind Favre for 3 seasons and now they're reaping the benefits of astute future planning.

Good news for Denver is that there are a couple of solid options in 2016 FA just like in 2012 when they signed Peyton - provided the QBs aren't franchise tagged.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/2016/quarterback/

Rivers is reportedly stirring in San Diego because he 'doesn't want to move to LA'. He would be an immense signing all things considered. From a division rival, Top 10 type of quarterback, experienced, can play for about 4-5 seasons still. Kubiak is renowned for his ZBS running and Rivers never had a good running game with the Chargers after LaDainian Tomlinson retired. He could do a lot of damage with the Broncos. Also Eli, who still doesn't have a new deal with the Giants. If he isn't tagged then getting him would make a lot of sense. Maybe he could go on another fluke run and win them a Superbowl.
 
Stopped watching the draft when they switched to this multi-night format. Now granted I usually only watched the first round and then would check in from time to time on the later rounds, but there really is no reason for this spreading out of the draft so much. Now all I do is check on the internet every hour or two and see the updates.
 
Invictus said:
The problem with trading for even an above average starting QB is that the Brancos will not be the only franchise looking for one.Almost half of the league doesn't have that caliber of a player. So even with a bit of competition, the trade value will end up getting inflated to unreasonable levels. eg. Jay Cutler got traded from the Broncos to the Bears for Orton, 2 first round picks in 2009 and 2010, and a 2009 3rd round pick. Totally not worth it for Chicago.

Elway should have learnt from the mistakes of past teams that lost great quarterbacks to age or injury and drafted one in advance, especially one as good as Bridgewater. Because Manning was always going to decline sharply once his body refused to keep up, he has had multiple surgeries down the years and is almost 40. The whole Steelers dynasty collapsed in no small part due to Terry Bradshaw's elbow injury in 1983. Ironically they had a chance to take Pittsburgh native Dan Marino in the previous draft but passed on him. Green Bay played it perfectly IMO, got Rodgers and sat him behind Favre for 3 seasons and now they're reaping the benefits of astute future planning.

Good news for Denver is that there are a couple of solid options in 2016 FA just like in 2012 when they signed Peyton - provided the QBs aren't franchise tagged.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/2016/quarterback/

Rivers is reportedly stirring in San Diego because he 'doesn't want to move to LA'. He would be an immense signing all things considered. From a division rival, Top 10 type of quarterback, experienced, can play for about 4-5 seasons still. Kubiak is renowned for his ZBS running and Rivers never had a good running game with the Chargers after LaDainian Tomlinson retired. He could do a lot of damage with the Broncos. Also Eli, who still doesn't have a new deal with the Giants. If he isn't tagged then getting him would make a lot of sense. Maybe he could go on another fluke run and win them a Superbowl.
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Very informative post - thanks
 
Jim White is going to the draft for SSN. Will definitely not be watching that.

Patriots could use some help on defense, especially at corner. Every year I hope we draft/sign a deep-threat WR, we've not done too bad without one but could use more depth at the position.

Also apparently the DeflateGate report will be released 'soon'. Given the lack of publicity and interest in it, I doubt we'll see anything more than a fine.
 
Invictus said:
You never know man, someone like Gregory might fall because of substance abuse concerns, maybe even Ray because of poor workouts and foot injury. Happens almost every year when Top 10 prospects slide because of off-field or fitness issues. That would be ideal for the Steelers. And IMO while the pass rush depth is good, there's a massive talent differential between the top 5-6 guys and someone like Flowers or Kikaha or Hunter in the 2nd or 3rd.

Hunter is especially scary because while he has impressive physical tools, it doesn't translate on the field. Unlike Orchard or Kikaha he doesn't have a nasty edge to his game and can't rush the passer - produced just 1.5 sacks while playing in 78 % of LSU's defensive snaps. Conversely, the difference between Peters or Collins in the 1st, and Darby or Williams in the 2nd is less discernible. Forcing a need in a weak class will hurt them long term, especially when you can draft top quality DBs in 2016.

As for surprises I dunno to be honest. There aren't a lot of glaring weak spots apart from LB and secondary. They might be forced into picking Collins but he is more of a Mark Barron type box safety and quite poor in coverage. Maybe Preston Smith for DL depending on Tuitt's progress to date ? Nothing stands out really.
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Cheers for the info. Fingers crossed someone drops then. Guess we've been lucky in the last couple of years with DeCastro & Jones dropping to us although Jones has yet to pan out. Think he'll step up at all this year? So glad we brought Harrison back! Maybe Moats can take a big step & hopefully Lemon or Howard Jones can surprise us but I think Deebo will still be the main man despite his age.
 
Dr Baltar said:
Anyone watching the draft Thursday night? If so, any particular hopes/dreams for your team's selection?
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I'm going to a gig tomorrow night so if I'm not totally pissed when I get home I might tune in to watch Belichick trade the Pats' 1st rounder for 2 2's and a 6th in the 2016 draft.
 
Plus it's always worth watching Mayock pretending he's not getting the upcoming picks fed into his ear before they're called so he can seem prescient after he predicts it.
 
Heard Browns want to trade two first round picks to get the 2nd overall pick to get Jameis Winston.
 
Im hoping for either Leonard Williams or Amari Cooper for the Raiders at no4.

Anyone know the best way for me to follow the first round in the uk? Is it on Radio or TV?
 
De Selby said:
Plus it's always worth watching Mayock pretending he's not getting the upcoming picks fed into his ear before they're called so he can seem prescient after he predicts it.
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Why do they do that? It drives me mad. Much prefer watching a stream of the US coverage to Sky's but this almost ruined it for me last year.
 
Do players have an idea of who will be drafting them in advance? Or do they literally find out as it unfolds?
 
Rado_N said:
Do players have an idea of who will be drafting them in advance? Or do they literally find out as it unfolds?
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Some of them are told prior to the draft "we will take you with this pick if you are still on the board" but that's never guaranteed. They are called about 30 seconds prior to the announcement so for the ones invited to be in the room you will see the calls where they hug their mom or fake a smile if they get drafted some place they don't want to go or whatever.
 
Rado_N said:
Do players have an idea of who will be drafting them in advance? Or do they literally find out as it unfolds?
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Some do, usually it's those going way up in the draft (like presumptive #1 or #2) and a consensus starts building wrt that pick from the teams' GM, HC, scouts and owners.

eg.
In 2011, Carolina's owner kind of informed Cam Newton that they would take him #1 overall.
Similarly in 2012, Indianapolis let Andrew Luck know he'd be joining them #1 overall a couple of days before the draft. Which in-turn meant Washington would take Robert Griffin #2 overall after trading with St. Louis.

Usually though, teams don't tell prospects of their decision till the phone rings. There's no inherent advantage to letting them know beforehand anyway, plus front offices always on the lookout for mega trade deals.

Aaron Rodgers for one watched the horror unfold in 2005. A lot of people thought he would be the #1 overall pick to the 49ers, especially since he was from California; maybe #5 to Tampa who worked him out with Jerry Rice. Fell all the way to Green Bay in the 20s.

 
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