dave mcbride

Yeah, Parcells guys don't really tank. They take control of teams that have already tanked instead. If Denver goes 3-14, he's more likely to be fired than oversee a 2025 team with a great cap situation and multiple good draft picks -- especially if Russell Wilson has a decent, winning season in Pittsburgh.

Since Daboll starred running the show, the Bills have been a “windows” offense with regard to the passing game. The last thing they want is the next N’Keal Harry, Kelvin Benjamin, or late-career DeVonte Parker — contested catch guys that can’t separate. When they signed Emmanuel Sanders, he was coming off two seasons in a row where, he, along with Diggs, achieved the best separation rates in the league. In fact, the Bills really wanted to add Sanders in 2020 via trade, but it was not meant to be. Anyway, that trait is what Allen thrives on and what the Bills prioritize. Also, let’s face it — it’s a little bit harder to come down with contested catches in the worst-weather stadium in the league where the QB is the highest-velocity thrower in league history.

https://sportsnaut.com/jermaine-burton-nfl-draft-concern/ 6 schools in 8 years. No thanks.

Here it is, and it’s good: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39955777/how-patriots-legend-bill-belichick-end-nfl-job

Other than Josh Allen, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

No offense, but this looks like a Patriots draft. Get a stud!

Thomas Jones might win this competition. 7th overall pick, total bust for Arizona (3.5 ypc over three seasons), and yet rushes for over 10,000 yards lifetime and 71 total TDs: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneTh00.htm.

Jimmy Smith was an early second round pick (36th) for Dallas and did zilch for them. He then went to Jax and put up a HOF-caliber career. Tony Casillas (#1 overall pick for Atlanta) was a very good player for Dallas in the Jimmy Johnson era.

Fascinating. I had no idea. Assuming this is true, there is no way I’d spend 28 on him. Too much of a wild card.

Yup. Chase will be next.

Going back to 2014 (a ten year period), the Patriots have had more than seven picks in 9 out of the 10 seasons (usually between 9 and 11). Yet it really didn't help them all that much: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nwe/draft.htm. There is a handful of very good players here, but overall it's pretty much a vast wasteland.

I dunno … Randy Mueller knows far more than you or I do. He literally has 35 years of NFL experience in draft rooms. You and I are just message board dorks whose knowledge is all second or third hand.

But he played lights out in the second half vs Detroit and won the game for them. Honestly, if SF stops a fourth and 2-3 on their own side of the field in OT, he’s the SB hero. He’s better than you give him credit for.

If this article is to be trusted, high school football participation had a big increase last year (although since it's post-pandemic the numbers are going to be skewed): https://www.nfhs.org/articles/high-school-sports-participation-continues-rebound-toward-pre-pandemic-levels/. I think participation in most team sports has declined. A lot of it is a function of kids only playing sport as opposed to multiple ones, like in the past.

It appears that despite the numbers being thrown around, no WR is getting close to $30 million per, at least yet. From Florio, who is good on this sort of issue (althoug certainly not every type of issue): https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/top-receiver-deals-definitely-arent-what-they-seem-to-be.

All of the smoke signals we've seen are pointing this way, to be fair.

Exactly. Maybe Harbaugh has views on a bunch of big ten players that are different from the league consensus, for instance.

I get your point, sort of, but Mueller is not what I'd call a draftnik. He worked as an NFL personnel person / exec for 35 years, from Seattle (16 years) to NO to Miami to the Chargers.

Some interesting quotes from anonymous GMs in here: https://wapo.st/3TXKgyG (I made this a gift article and it should be accessible to all). 'Brandon Aiyuk/Deebo Samuel (49ers) “One of them won’t be back there,” the GM said. The exec said: “Personally, I’d be shocked if they don’t move one. When you study the model of how they roster build and structure their contracts, and with the quarterback being up in a year, I don’t think they will pay them both. … And if Deebo was the guy to go, I think he’d already be gone.” Another GM opined that he believes Aiyuk would have already secured his new contract if it was going to come from San Francisco. “I think Aiyuk is the one to watch,” that GM, also sniffing around on wide receivers, said. Another exec said: “I don’t think they’re going to get everything they’ll want for him [Aiyuk] because of what you’re going to have to pay him. But they have to listen.”'

I thought this comment was interesting. The Bills have five picks before 150 and five after that threshold. ”After several classes overflowing with talented prospects (mainly due to the extra year of eligibility granted because of the pandemic), with as many as 350 names filling NFL teams’ draft boards, teams could struggle to get 150 names on their boards this year. This is dangerous for two reasons: The top players will disappear quickly, and teams will have to guard against the risk of overdrafting players in the later rounds. It might be a good opportunity for some teams to trade picks, maybe to move up into the first four rounds, or for a veteran player who brings more certainty. For that reason, there will be a lot of trade talk over the next couple of weeks.” https://theathletic.com/5412463/2024/04/15/nfl-draft-randy-mueller-top-10/

Trade down again!

My hope (not based on any evidence) is that he's the next Eric Moulds. Moulds sucked his first two seasons because he was lost out there but blossomed to one of the best receivers in the league in his third season. Moulds was a physical specimen, and so is Elam.

Would you trade our very late 2nd and a 4th for Aiyuk? I would. It's sort of an equivalent trade factoring in that WRs now have a higher premium than they did in 2010. He was honestly one of my favorite players to watch. I always said that if the throw had been to Anquan Boldin instead of Lee Evans, there was no way Leigh Bodden was going to knock it out of his hands.

Thanks! See above re Alshon Jeffrey too, which I added. Re Boldin, the stats were always bound to decline a bit because they were a run-heavy team. But the postseason numbers were excellent.

Here's one that sort of fits: the Ravens gave up a pretty fair amount to AZ for Anquan Boldin (3rd and 4th round picks) and promptly handed him a big-money extension. He was absolutely money for them in 2012, especially in the postseason that year: 22 receptions for 380 yards and 4 TDs (and 104 yards plus a TD in the Super Bowl). He should be in the HOF, in my opinion -- his lifetime stats are crazy good. The Eagles gave Alshon Jeffrey a one-year $14 million contract after he came off the franchise tag in Chicago, and he was one of the highest paid receivers in the league in 2017. He signed a 4-year extension for $52 million before that season ended too (in early December 2017). He had a pretty big postseason that year and scored a TD in the SB.