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Posted

Every team coming to the same conclusion that a player is not worth the hassle is not collusion.  I can see GMs talking among themselves saying that they wouldn't want him on their team, but not the NFL telling teams NOT to draft him.  There is a marked difference. 

Posted
21 hours ago, H2o said:

I guess it wouldn't be the first time that the NFL colluded, but I don't know if I buy this one. If a guy is a potential Franchise QB, a guy who changes the course of your organization, then they would tell the League Office to kick rocks. 

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/eric-dickerson-claims-nfl-teams-were-told-not-to-draft-shedeur-sanders

 

Reminds me a lot of the Michael Vick situation from when he got released from Prison. He had it narrowed down to either the Bills or Bengals and Goodell steered him towards the Eagles. Still a bizarre situation. Bleacher report did a fantastic article on it. 
 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/810721-why-did-roger-goodell-and-nfl-steer-michael-vick-away-from-the-buffalo-bills

Posted

The right QB changes the course of an entire organization. Bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars to the team, and NFL. Teams won't turn their backs on that to make a point. 32 teams don't think Sanders projects as a franchise QB. That simple. 

Posted
16 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Exactly. It wouldn’t be the first time a QB has dropped drastically. Still makes you wonder how EJ Manuel went in the 1st round and Sanders went in the 5th.

EJ had a lot of the other things you wanted in a Franchise QB. He had enough ability to warrant a high draft pick, even if he was probably picked too early 

Posted (edited)
On 8/22/2025 at 12:22 PM, Logic said:

 


From the posted article:

"Consider this. Sanders fell (we were told after the draft) because he viewed the pre-draft process as he was being recruited, not as he was being interviewed. He was essentially pushing back against the “honor and a privilege” nonsense. If his approach had been ratified by a high selection in the draft, others may have done the same.


And the NFL does not want the cyborgs to become self-aware.


So it’s not crazy. In the hidden (until it wasn’t) collusion ruling, the arbitrator found that the NFL’s Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged teams as a result of the Watson contract to resist fully-guaranteed contracts. Would it be nuts to think that the league, which has made the draft into a massive offseason tentpole event by perpetuating the notion that it’s a Harry Potter sorting-hat ceremony, will react negatively to any player who doesn’t play along?


“It’s a job interview.” We hear it every year. Players get poked and prodded and interrogated and scrutinized. For the system to work, the players need to submit. If they ever realize the power that comes from saying, “It’s an honor and a privilege for you to be able to employ us,” the whole thing could fall apart.


It’s all about power. It’s all about showing those who don’t have the power that there are consequences to not yielding to the power."

Well said.  Spoken like man who sees the world as it really is. 

 

During the drought we talked about rose colored glasses a lot.  In 2025, on the richest country in the world, to many see the world through rose colored glasses. 

.

 

Edited by TBBills Fan
Posted
9 minutes ago, Captain Hindsight said:

EJ had a lot of the other things you wanted in a Franchise QB. He had enough ability to warrant a high draft pick, even if he was probably picked too early 

Sanders certainly looked like a better prospect to me. Even before EJ played a down, I thought his college tape looked stiff & robotic. The only thing he had over Sanders was size and possibly arm strength, but that’s debatable. 

Posted
Just now, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Sanders certainly looked like a better prospect to me. Even before EJ played a down, I thought his college tape looked stiff & robotic. The only thing he had over Sanders was size and possibly arm strength, but that’s debatable. 

Oh absolutely. Sanders can play, even if he doesn’t have any “elite” trait. I never saw the high first round potential myself. I liked Dart more. The question appears to be his character

  • Agree 1
Posted
Just now, Captain Hindsight said:

Oh absolutely. Sanders can play, even if he doesn’t have any “elite” trait. I never saw the high first round potential myself. I liked Dart more. The question appears to be his character

Which is odd to me because he seems very well liked by his teammates. 

Posted
On 8/22/2025 at 12:22 PM, Logic said:

 


From the posted article:

"Consider this. Sanders fell (we were told after the draft) because he viewed the pre-draft process as he was being recruited, not as he was being interviewed. He was essentially pushing back against the “honor and a privilege” nonsense. If his approach had been ratified by a high selection in the draft, others may have done the same.


And the NFL does not want the cyborgs to become self-aware.


So it’s not crazy. In the hidden (until it wasn’t) collusion ruling, the arbitrator found that the NFL’s Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged teams as a result of the Watson contract to resist fully-guaranteed contracts. Would it be nuts to think that the league, which has made the draft into a massive offseason tentpole event by perpetuating the notion that it’s a Harry Potter sorting-hat ceremony, will react negatively to any player who doesn’t play along?


“It’s a job interview.” We hear it every year. Players get poked and prodded and interrogated and scrutinized. For the system to work, the players need to submit. If they ever realize the power that comes from saying, “It’s an honor and a privilege for you to be able to employ us,” the whole thing could fall apart.


It’s all about power. It’s all about showing those who don’t have the power that there are consequences to not yielding to the power."


I can see that being 100% true.    The players COULD really hurt the owners if they band together in a big way.   All the other leagues show it, either you have the best talent or you don’t have much of anything.  If players get it in their heads they are the show, the owners are going to have to give up more money, they don’t want to do that.

Posted

I won't out collusion of some kind beyond anyone in the NFL, but I don't think this (or kap) is a case of a vast conspiracy.

 

No matter what shenanigans may have happened behind the scenes, all players are evaluated on a cost benefit basis.  What's the player cost, in terms of money and picks and all the B's he brings, and what benefits does he bring to a team, which is 95% scheme fit and talent.

 

Sanders just doesn't have the benefits to beat out his costs IMO.  He looks a bit like a less feeble Josh Rosen to me.  Skilled, polished, knows his craft, but just lacks any elite traits to deliver high level play.  I could be wrong, and he might be another brady or kurt warner, but he's not fast, big, strong, or a rocket armed guy.  

 

So I don't think the NFL are perfect or even good in most things at all, but in this case I think Occam's razor tells me that sanders wrote checks his talent couldn't cash 

Posted
On 8/22/2025 at 12:22 PM, Logic said:

 


From the posted article:

"Consider this. Sanders fell (we were told after the draft) because he viewed the pre-draft process as he was being recruited, not as he was being interviewed. He was essentially pushing back against the “honor and a privilege” nonsense. If his approach had been ratified by a high selection in the draft, others may have done the same.


And the NFL does not want the cyborgs to become self-aware.


So it’s not crazy. In the hidden (until it wasn’t) collusion ruling, the arbitrator found that the NFL’s Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged teams as a result of the Watson contract to resist fully-guaranteed contracts. Would it be nuts to think that the league, which has made the draft into a massive offseason tentpole event by perpetuating the notion that it’s a Harry Potter sorting-hat ceremony, will react negatively to any player who doesn’t play along?


“It’s a job interview.” We hear it every year. Players get poked and prodded and interrogated and scrutinized. For the system to work, the players need to submit. If they ever realize the power that comes from saying, “It’s an honor and a privilege for you to be able to employ us,” the whole thing could fall apart.


It’s all about power. It’s all about showing those who don’t have the power that there are consequences to not yielding to the power."

Huh?

Posted
On 8/22/2025 at 9:08 AM, H2o said:

I guess it wouldn't be the first time that the NFL colluded, but I don't know if I buy this one. If a guy is a potential Franchise QB, a guy who changes the course of your organization, then they would tell the League Office to kick rocks. 

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/eric-dickerson-claims-nfl-teams-were-told-not-to-draft-shedeur-sanders

 

Seems like good advice…

Posted
On 8/23/2025 at 1:58 PM, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Which is odd to me because he seems very well liked by his teammates. 

Football character is important. He has only ever been coached by dad, can he take hard coaching? That remains to be seen 

  • Like (+1) 1
Posted
On 8/23/2025 at 12:30 AM, Heavy Kevi said:

 

 

The difference here, as opposed to traditional labor unions is that there is not an alternative option for the players.

 

If there was another big time, high paying league who could take these players, then it would really be ON.

 

So if teams really take it seriously and "make an example" out of players who won't "submit", those players would be SOL and have to take a traditional career route or play a different sport.

 

Even the first and second round guys need it more than the league needs them. Yes, there is scarcity in high end talent, but there is far more scarcity of jobs in this sector nationwide. So the teams will always have the power.

I remember the NFL/AFL days.  That wasn't good for football, and the merger took care of that.  The AFC was formed around the AFL teams mostly.  Lots of folks here don't recall that mess.  The Bills were in the middle of it.  They lost Pete Gogolak (kicker) to the Giants which started the bidding war.  The bills went after Mike Ditka, the all pro TE from the Bears, then.  It was brutal and teams and money was big for those poached. (not by todays standards, though)  I don't have any desire to see another big time league form.  But, with all the money out there chasing football, I would not rule it out.  Maybe the Saudi's will bankroll a new league, ala the golf situation.  That would be interesting to watch.  Of course, you could argue that College football has become the alternate pro league.

As for Sanders, the young man has a tough road, who knows how it will play out.  But, if he can play, he can succeed. (see Kurt Warner)

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

How funny would it be if either Dickerson heard wrong and got it backwards or someone misquoted him and got it backwards?

 

Like Sanders telling teams not to draft him if they had a QB already 

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