1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Monday “NFL-QB Carousel–Who Changed–Why?”

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“Why They Left–Where They Went”

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A record 133-players have changed teams in the first 5-days of NFL free agency.

Virtually all the big names have moved, for a wide variety of reasons.

A close up look at the scorecard at the most important position QB:

PHILIP RIVERS….A perfect fit to sign with the Indianapolis Colts, in what will be a 1-year experiment.  Rivers said the most important things to him were ‘communications, trust, comfort.’  He got all that by deciding to play for head coach Frank Reich and coordinator Nick Sirianni, both former assistants when they were together in San Diego.  Rivers inherits what he never had recently with the Chargers, an offensive line anchored by high draft pick OG-Quentin Nelson, incumbent LT-Anthony Costonzo and C-Ryan Kelly.  He inherits a heavy duty RB-Marlon Mack, WR-TY Hilton and Devin Funchess and star TE-Jack Doyle.  He leaves behind the wreckage of a changing and oft injured Chargers offensive front line, a trimmed down running back group with the Melvin Gordon defection, and a coach in Anthony Lynn, who lost faith in him.  We should all become Colts fans this yer.

TOM BRADY…He goes to Tampa to work for a mad scientist.  Look at what Bruce Arians did in Pittsburgh, then did with Carson Palmer and Kurt Warner in Arizona.  He even turned Jameis Winston into a 5,000-yard passer.  He can throw to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Breshad Perriman at wide out.  OJ Howard and Cam Brate are excellent tight ends and the OL will grow.  In the rear view mirror, a collapsing group of skill people in New England, a negligible run game, and the dark moods of coach Bill Belicheck.  Brady didn’t go to the Suncoast for just a payday, but maybe more so for the people he will work with.

TEDDY BRIDGWATER….Walks into Carolina and will run a read-option offense designed by new coach Matt Rhule after the Panthers let go of Cam Newton.  He does have Christian McCaffrey but this looks like a total offensive rebuild in Charlotte.

MARCUS MARIOTA….He goes to learn under the master coach Jon Gruden, and work behind Derek Carr as a backup. Carrying the Tennessee Titans was too much of a burden.  Too many off games, too many injuries, not enough big days in Nashville.  Will wait to see if he grows in Las Vegas.

CAM NEWTON…This doesn’t look good, the one superstar season in Carolina, the injuries, the two surgeries, the constant coaching change around him, then the pink slip.  Coming back from Lis’franc foot surgery is not a guarantee.  Neither are his erratic mechanics,  often flawed, and his running days are likely over too.  Somebody takes a run at him, but what are they getting?

JAMEIS WINSTON….Has talent, throws for yards and touchdowns, but takes sacks, fumbles and throws picks.  Get this career line in Tampa Bay…72-games….121TDs….111-turnovers….169-sacks….and a QB-rating (86).  Will see if he goes somewhere with a coach who can fix his flaws.  Bruce Arians gave up on him and he is a guru-QB-coach.  Might be a star, but might be the next Jeff George.

RYAN TANNEHILL…Tennessee turned disaster into accomplishment, signing the QB to an extension, then franchise tagging Derrick Henry, who might be the first star player not ‘angry’ about being franchise tagged.  Now we see if Tannehill continues his growth, or reverting back to what he was in Miami, up and down, good and bad.

JOE FLACCO….Super Bowl star out in the street, released in Denver after a (2-8) season of injury with the Broncos.  Someone picks him up as he moves into the twilight of his career.

ANDY DALTON…Stranded in Cincinnati.  Played as well as he could as the organization fell apart around him.  He is on the trading block and could help someone out somewhere, but not sure where, since the trade rumors to New England have died down.

NICK FOLES….So which is the real NFL-QB, the guy who had a great season with the Eagles, or the guy who has bounced around now to five different teams and has also been hurt.  Sure looks like potential lifetime backup, unless he supplants Mitch Trubisky and becomes a star in Chicago.  Don’t know if he can recapture the magic.

DREW BREES-TAYSOM HILL….The Saints retain the star, and have their future both on the roster at this point.  Brees plays at least one more year, and Hill becomes the QB going forward whenever Brees steps downs.

CASE KEENUM….Heads to Cleveland as backup QB.  Becoming a team a year guy, but at least people still respect his work.

COLT MC COY….Send his luggage to the NY Giants to backup the kid first round pick Daniel Jones on the roster.  Hey everybody has to have a 2nd and 3rd string QB on the roster.

WAITING FOR A CALL ON SPEED DIAL…Robert Griffin III…Geno Smith…Cardale Jones…Paxton Lynch….Mike Glennon….Brian Hoyer…Josh Rosen…Blake Bortels…DeShone Kizer….All who had glitter once upon a time around them, now just journeyman and unemployed.

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Friday “NFL Players–Big Plays-Big Money-Big Risks”

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“Life in the NFL–Big Days..Big Paydays…Big Risks”

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NFL players will tell you, it is part of their life.  They say it so randomly, that it no longer phases them.

“You are 1-play away from the end of your career”.

And so a knee injury has eradicated the career of what might have been a Pro Football Hall of Fame career.

Damaging to the player, destructive to his team.

The LA Rams have reached the end of the road with promising superstar Todd Gurley, done in by arthritis to a knee, from an injury he suffered six years ago while at Georgia.

A year after reinjurying the knee, he has been released by the team that gave him a 43M-contract extension.

Todd Gurley was the complete back.  Big, physical, fast, the ability to cut on a dime, make people miss, run over people, and catch the ball out of the backfield.  A bigger version of the last great Rams running back Marshall Faulk, and as powerful as the legendary back from back in the day, Eric Dickerson.

In a 5-year window he had (7,495Y) yards rushing and receiving.  And when they could not catch or tackle him, he wound up scoring 70-touchdowns in that span.

But the knee injury at Georgia in 2014, repaired by surgery, resurfaced in 2018, followed by an arthritic condition that put him out of business in a years time.

The Rams tried to nurse him back to health with a ‘load management plan’ last season.  He was no longer explosive.  He once averaged 5.8-yards per carry, last year it was 3.8 as a par time player.  He could hardly practice.

He leaves with the admiration of so many, for what he once was, and what he tried to be in the last year.

But as he leaves the Rams, they are caught in a horrible mess.  They take a (20M) cap hit for the huge upgraded contract they gave him.  That is (20M) in dead money they won’t have to sign players, or re-sign their own key players.

It’s been a brutal week for the Rams, with 3-key linebackers and a rock solid defensive end, and a cornerback all leaving in free agency, for better paydays, because LA could not give them pay raises.

On Thursday morning I wrote about  about the demise of the defense, with seven veteran players having exited this off season.  Now you have lost the powder keg running back who made Jared Goff’s passing game go.

It’s common place in the history of the NFL.  Players robbed of great years and great careers by devastating knee injuries:

..Gayle Sayers-Bears (9,345APY-56TD) in 5-seasons.
..William Andrews-Atlanta (8,633APY) in 5-falls.
..Billy Sims-Lions (5,106-42TD) in 4-seasons
..Garrison Hearst-Arizona (7,966APY) in 6-seasons.
..Terrelle Davis-Denver (8,887APY) in 6-years.

You do remember the greatness of Jim Brown or Earl Campbell.  You remember the potential of Bo Jackson.  You have witnessed the short star-lit career of Todd Gurley.

NFL players know the risks, accept the handoffs, take home the money, and understand the statement “1-play away from the end of your career”.

Todd Gurley’s name now goes to that list too.

NFL….Not For Long….especially if you get hurt.

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Thursday “Chargers-Rams-Free Agency-Be Prepared for Different”

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“Chargers-Rams–Wheeling-Dealing”

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The NFL hung a sign outside its Park Avenue offices in New York…”Open for Business”….all this while the country was shutting down and moving into the Social Distancing era in the midst of the horror of the Virus-Crisis.

The first 3-days of free agency have seen 81-players change teams, and the execution of 6-off season trades so far.

The shelves have been picked clean, much like those in your supermarkets.  There will be a few more name signings, but not many key players are left.  At last glance only 9-of the top 75-free agents are still on the board, some franchise tagged, the large majority of rest having signed with new teams.

The Rams and Chargers will be different for sure once training camps open and free agency and the draft close.

At first glance, the Rams are paying a price now, for paying the price they paid the last couple of years to get good, get to the Super Bowl.

Up against the salary cap, starting free agency with just 15M in cap space and 7-key players on the open market, they have taken a hit.

The Rams have lost LB-Dante Fowler, DT-Michael Brockers, LB-Corey Littleton, CB-Nikell Robey-Coleman and S-Eric Weddle.

Gone too was legendary Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips.

GM-Les Snead and Coach Sean McVay had to go thru gruesome meetings to try and configured how to deal with the cap crisis.  End result, they didn’t get it done.

Rumors they tried to trade RB-Todd Gurley and his 63M-contract, and couldn’t.  If they had been able to find a way to get players like Jared Goff, Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, and Aaron Donald to give back money, maybe there would not be this blood letting now.

They signed just one free agent, ex-Chicago Bears disappointing first round pick Leonard Floyd.  He surely cannot replace what they lost.

The exit of Brockers, Fowler and Littleton devastates the teams big play capabilities.  There are so many holes on the defense now, you wonder if they can be considered a division winner any longer.

They managed to re-sign OT-Andrew Whitworth and OG-Austin Blythe and the offense will still be strong.  The other side of the ball, doubtful.

And by the way, they’ve traded away a ton of future first round draft picks and still have a mega money deal they must work on, if they want to retain Jalen Ramsey in a year or so.

They paid a price to get good, but I always wondered when the
‘true bill’ came due, how bad it would be, and this is bad..

On the other side of what will be So Fi Stadium, the Chargers are going thru transition.

Philip Rivers is an Indianapolis Colt, Russell Okung wil wear Carolina Panthers colors, Melvin Gordon will sign somewhere else.  Veteran DT-Brandon Mebane and LB-Thomas Davis are gone too as is FB-Derek Watt.

The Bolts have made deals, short term rentals if you will.

Bryan Bulaga, a warrior type OT-comes from Green Bay, but brings a history of being hurt.  OG-Trai Turner came in the Okung trade from Carolina, his resume showing him a so-called 5-time Pro Bowler, but he was ranked the 69th best guard in the NFL last year.

Somehow the Vikings axed massive DT-Linval Joseph, a run stuff tough guy inside, who could be a steal of the offseason.  Longtime CB-Chris Harris exited Denver and signed with the Chargers, and gives the team another proven solid fixture in what shapes up as a great secondary.

But without Rivers, and with the likely Gordon exit, it will not be the same offense.  Tyrod Taylor can manage games, but he is just (23-21) as a starter in this league.  The run game will have Austin Ekeler and the power back in Justin Jackson.  The wide receiver group seems shallow alongside retaining TE-Hunter Henry.

If they had kept Okung to pair with Bulaga, it would have been rock solid bookend offensive tackles, to go with all the kids they are trying to develop.  Tell me you have a trustworthy left tackle this morning, and I will tell you you are lying to me.  But there is time to add.

1-thing for certain, the Chargers personality will be different.  You better be prepared to get hit, because that is what Bulaga, Joseph and Harris do, punish people.

The draft will bring them the QB of the future, likely Justin Herbert of Oregon, and likely more with the other high picks they get in rounds 2-3-4.

As we sit here right now, the Rams will be a much weaker team than they have been in the past.  The Chargers will take on the image of a street fighter rather than a pretty boy come opening day.

For one it might be bad in LA, for the other it might be better in LA.  But neither play an opening day game for months.

The Rams and Chargers, it sure looks, feels different right now.  Check with me after the draft and I will tell you if it is better or worse.

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Wednesday “Tom Brady–End of Era–Patriots-Era Over?”

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“Tom Brady–The Best–Bolts”

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A farewell to arms is the way to describe it.
Parting such bitter sorrow.
End of an era.
Pick any literary description and it probably fits in New England.

Tom Brady has departed the Patriots, ending a fabulous 20-year run under Bill Belicheck.

Others with accolades have left.  Joe Montana traded to Kansas City. Peyton Manning signing in Denver.  Brett Favre to the Jets.

This is probably the greatest era any QB has had dating back to the 1950s, Otto Graham-Paul Brown, in a very different era on pro football.

Brady’s legacy forever written in the hearts and minds of those in the ‘state’ of New England.

20-years….6-Super Bowl Rings…(6-3) record on Super Bowl Sunday…(219-64) carrear regular season record…(30-11) post season record….(614-TD)…(214-Int)….QB-rating (97.5).

It was a day of press releases coming out of Boston.

Brady, in a 6-sentence statement said he was ‘ready for a new stage of his career’.  He profusely praised the Patriots ‘thankful for their committment to winning’.  And for someone, who was an afterthought in the draft, a 6th rounder, he praised his coaches ‘allowing me to maximize my talents’.

Owner Robert Kraft raved about the player and person, ‘overwhelmingly appreciative of his 20-years…6-rings..9-AFC titles…14-Pro Bowls…17-Divisional titles and 3-MVP awards.  The owner called him ‘a son forever’.

A non emotional Bill Belicheck lavished comments never-ever heard before from him, ‘Tom created our program, he lived our culture, he set the tone for our team, he always raised the bar with his relentless approach.’  And Belicheck, normally terse with the media, closed his release with words like ‘love-admiration-respect-privledge to coach.’

You may dislike the New England way, despise the coach, or boo the quarterback, but you have to respect the accomplishments.  The 400-yard games, the come from behind wins, the post-season awards.

It is hard to believe Brady left Gillette Stadium, but his exit meeting with Belicheck did not go well.  A letdown of a season, a team ravaged by injuries to skill players, others who underachieved, a QB rating of just 88, and an exit from the playoffs, was the final chapter in his New England book.  He wanted to know what the braintrust was going to do to put better people around him.

And as free agency began, New England has yet to sign anyone 48-hours into the process.

For Brady, despite a 30M-offer from ownership last season, he wanted the team to do a better job, not just pay him.

It must have been an emotional sit-down on Monday night in Kraft’s Brookline mansion.  Kraft admitted there was sadness on both sides in that dining room table discussion.

Belicheck, who has always been in ‘move on mode’ was not part of the meeting.  Maybe his hardline approach to moving veterans out a ‘year early than a year too late’ was part of the equation.

The defining moments are everywhere.  When he replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe years ago and led the Bill Parcells-built Pats to wins.  The snow ridded Tuck Rule game with the Raiders.  Coming back from a (28-3) deficit to beat the Falcons in the Super Bowl.  The Deflategate win over Seattle that Super Bowl Sunday.  Outdueling the kid, Patrick Mahomes to win an AFC title shootout in Kansas City.  A 40-year old guy throwing for (4,577-32TD) just a year back.  You could go on and on.  It won’t ever happen again

Hard to imagine him wearing someone else’s colors next season.  You wonder what Patriots football will be like with Auburn’s Jarret Stidman as the starter, or an Andy Dalton like acquisition.

As all the dominos are falling in the QB-race, Philip Rivers to the Colts, Drew Bree’s re-signing with the Saints, along with his backup Taysom Hill…Teddy Bridgewater to Carolina…more and more it appears Brady is going to the Suncoast to play for Bruce Arians and Tampa Bay.

He will have a gifted group of receivers and tight ends, led by Mike Evans and OJ Howard.  He will have a strong offensive line.  He may have a reported (3Y-102M) deal with 68M-guaranteed.  He will have a unique head coach, who cares for him.

As the hours passed once free agency opened, it looked as if the Chargers had a real chance with a (2Y-68M) offer, all guaranteed.  But as the Bolts started to shed some players, Brady must have written them off.  Play for a coach who wants to run the ball (Anthony Lynn), vs play for a mad scientist (Arians) wanting to throw it, like made a difference.  Knowing what Kurt Warner accomplished in a second life with Arians, had to influence him too.  Playing before sellouts (Tampa Bay) rather than empty seats (Los Angeles).

We will see what Wednesday brings us in the free agent market, but the best has bolted, and it does not appear Tom Brady is coming to the Lightning Bolts.

Hard to think of New England, without Plymouth Rock.  Hard to think of the Patriots without Tom Brady.

And now he is gone.

Brady & Buccaneers-that’s what it seems to feel like.
It may feel bad in the Chargers front office.. if they failed to get him.
It definitely has a different feel, a sad one too in Foxboro-forever more.

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Tuesday “USA Shutdown–NFL Business As Usual”

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US-Closing Down—NFL-Open for Business”

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Our country is virtually in lock-down mode as the Virus-Crisis spreads.  The scorecard reads 4800 ill as of Monday night, some 80-deaths, and a stock market that lost nearly 3,000-points in one day.

Self isolation, stay at home to work, shutdown of restaurants, bars, workout gyms, schools, colleges and more.

America is paralyzed right now, everywhere but the NFL.

The NFL decided to open the free agent market, as had been scheduled on Monday.

There were 3-blockbuter trades and 23-players had signed contracts to change teams in the first 7-hours of bidding.

But there is controversy swirling around what the NFL has allowed to happen.

Owners are upset that this is a ‘bad optic’.  People ill, deaths climbing, illness everywhere, shelves empty in supermarkets, gas prices up, and people about to be laid off.

All this while players were signing contracts of 30-to-52M dollars, while society is overwhelmed with its problems.

Where is Tom Brady going?  Who will Philip Rivers sign with?  How many LA Rams will jump ship?  Can the Cowboys keep Amari Cooper?  What happens with Jadaveon Clowney?

How about that blockbuster Arizona-Houston Texans DeAndre Hopkins trade?  Why did the 49ers do that deal with the Colts shipping out DeForest Buckner?

This would be a wild day on sports-talk radio, if people were not scared by what was happening outside their front door.  The Union Tribune sports section was down to a page and a half on Monday.  ESPN and FS1-cancelled their talking head shows.

I guess you can buy into the theory that the NFL wheeling and dealing gives us something else to talk about aside from the Coronavirus outbreak.  Maybe a welcome distraction.

Everything else in our sports world has been crippled, and yet the NFL is going forward, because it is their off season, and they don’t have games to be played yet.

But it raises huge questions because the NFL history is all about making money, and that’s what teams are doing, and players too.  But this stings of being very offensive, very selfish, very irresponsible.

Shall be interesting what happens between now and Friday with all the other marquee players still out there.

Interesting too to see if there is any flashback across America that these billionaires and millionaires are doing business this day, when so many people are suffering.

Asking NFL fans, are you offended by all this?

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