dave mcbride

Not saying the eagles’ D wasn’t good, but this doesn't account for change over time. The ravens’ D was the best D in the league in second half of the season.

Ramsey is not overrated. Ramsey is still good (by the numbers) and Fitzpatrick was terrible last season (by the numbers). And the Steeler pass D was terrible in the final third of last season (including the playoffs).

But he is paid like one, and that matters vis a vis the definition.

Hmm. I think the Steelers got a lot better. Rodgers isn’t who he was 5 years ago, but he was a genuinely pretty good qb most of the second half of last season, and he is FAR better than what the Steelers have been trotting out since Roethlisberger went into decline. Pickens is good, but he’s no Metcalf, and I’ll take Ramsey any day over Fitzpatrick, who was objectively bad last season at a lower value position. Ramsey was not bad last year and actually picked off Josh (not Josh’s fault, of course, but Ramsey was close enough to the Coleman error to make the play).

This is all about Pitt trying to put it together for a run in a brutal division with two elite QBs whose teams are also all in. They're all in, collecting stud boundary athletes like Metcalf and Ramsey so that they can a) actually play man with conviction on D and b) win regularly on the outside on offense with a near-impossible-to-cover-completely specimen. Ramsey basically forced his way out, and the Dolphins took what they could get, which wasn't much.

Which he apparently did not do last year while in Pittsburgh.

Weird how many folks here think a safety (Fitzpatrick) is more valuable than an elite boundary corner. If people watch other games not involving Josh Allen, they might recognize that Ramsey is very good. Most league personnel certainly think that way. Fitzpatrick hasn't been that great the last couple of seasons, btw. Opposing QBs' passer rating against in in 2024 was 127.6. That's not a misprint. Anyway, an elite-level (talent-wise) boundary corner is more valuable than a safety, and in six of their last seven games last season including the playoffs, the Steelers D was basically shredded by Philly, Cincy x2, Baltimore x2, and KC. The lone good game they had late in the season was against the Browns, who didn't have capable quarterback.

Also, Zay Jones played essentially in the backyard of the Panthers (East Carolina U is 100 miles from Charlotte). As I understand it, they had their eye on him.

Excellent point. Note the following: In 21 postseason games, his teams are 17-4 against top competition. He has 46 passing TDs, 10 INTs, 8.2 YPA, 67.7% completion rate, a 105.4 rating and 7 rushing TDs. No other QB compares. Plus he didn't just win 3 SBs; he has 3 SB MVPs. And this past season, his postseason QB rating was 101.4.

LaDainian Tomlinson: https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=1858275. His production from 2004-2009 (the extension covered these 6 years) suggests he was absolutely worth it: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TomlLa00.htm. He was all-pro four times and won an MVP. The only down year was the last one. The other five were all good to great.

Re: the bolded, that's an interesting question. One could argue that Antowain Smith on the Pats was a better, more reliable player than the fumble-prone Henry, but Smith (along with all the other Bills backs from that era - Linton, Bryson, etc.) was a solid 3..7 ypc guy for the Bills. Plus he had turf toe in 2000 and looked like he was running in quicksand as a consequence that year. More generally, I think a lot of the poor RB production in that era was the line, which wasn't very talented at all. Regardless, with NE Smith had two very good Super Bowls, and I value postseason play. He rushed for over 200 yards in the postseason in 2001 and 2003 with zero fumbles. Against TN for the Bills in 1999, he had 14 carries for 79 yards and 2 TDs. He was a postseason gamer for the most part. Marshawn Lynch is going the HOF, but it could be argued that Jackson achieved the same production. Lynch was the better player, to be sure, but maybe it just wasn't ever going to happen in Buffalo for him. But generally speaking, you're right. Hell, the last good year OJ ever had was in Buffalo.

He played decently the second half of last season (albeit not in the Bills game): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6409964/2025/06/09/aaron-rodgers-film-review-pittsburgh-steelers/

I forgot that he started all 16 games for Washington in 2020, when they won the division with a 7-9 record and finished second overall on defense. They had no QB.

Hoecht can certainly read: https://brownbears.com/sports/football/roster/michael-hoecht/9698

Keep on believin’. Also, check out @BADOLBILZ ‘s post above.