2013 NFL Season Thread

[PatDaMan]

Eagles restructured Vick's contract, he'll be sticking around for another year.

Fuuuuuuuuuucccccccckkkkkkkkkk.

[Szumi]

It's actually a good deal for the Eagles. The 10 million is incentive based and they have no one else - with no real prospects in the draft or free agency either - who will fit Kelly's offense. It is a pure stopgap for now, but it's the best they can do. I remain optimistic that if the O-Line stays healthy/improves, the Eagles could reach the playoffs.

[PatDaMan]

It should be $1 mil with $9 million in bonuses if he starts all 16 games. Maybe that will keep him on the field for once.

[Maxx]

Great signing!

[GhostMachine]

I'm more than happy that the Eagles have held onto one of the most goddamned overrated QBs of all time.

And I think the Jags could benefit from a move, but NOT to L.A.

Edited February 11, 2013 by GhostMachine

[syck]

In terms of the Texans, they really haven't been embraced by the fans in Houston but I do believe it's still fairly steady because nobody is Houston will ever root for Dallas. The Texans really don't have a Bum Phillips-like personality on their team that was completely loved by everyone in the town. But then again, I'm only from Texas and don't live there.

[mikevandam]

Regarding the Texans:
At first i liked the fact that a team not named Indianapolis were running things in the AFC south. Then the whole "All your AFC belongs to us" b.s began and thats where i thought "well, up theirs" and laughed hard when they blew the #1 seed.

Looking at the unofficial free agent list on NFL.com
http://www.nfl.com/freeagency/story/0ap1000000138649/article/2013-nfl-free-agency-unofficial-list-of-2013-nfl-free-agents

Should be fun times up in New England and in Baltimore.

Does anyone know what Percy did to piss off the Vikings, since they appear to be shopping him?

[Maxx]

He;d been clashing with management during the season, I'm not sure of the specifics though. I expect the Eagles to make a push for him.

[gunnar hendershow]

The difference in that free agent list is that Baltimore doesn't have any room to work whereas New England has millions of free cap space to bring some guys back. Off the top of my head I know Vonta Leach is getting cut and they'll go much cheaper at FB next year since Bernard Pierce can handle a lot of the heavy lifting while being the lone man in the backfield. Boldin gets named as someone who might get cut by the media, but I highly expect them to restructure with him. He's a very hard target to replace. There will probably be some other cuts, but none really high-profile. Birk is probably retiring, but if he doesn't they might try and restructure with him. They have Gradkowski waiting in the wings and certainly planned on Birk only playing one more year when they resigned him.

Reed will be just like Lewis in 08. They'll let him go out, see how much other teams are offering, and then respond with their best offer. I could see someone really overspending on him based on his reputation, and he does bring a lot of leadership and respect to a locker room, but I have a feeling like with Lewis if the offers are close he'll take a little less to stay with the Ravens.

Ellerbe will get attention from a lot of teams, but the Ravens will make an offer to him as they will to a number of other MLB on the market.

Cary Williams is going to get stunningly overpaid by someone. He's not bad, but he's not elite. He makes a good number 2 CB but he's not worth the money he's expecting this offseason.

Paul Kruger is gone, they planned on this long before the season started when they drafted Upshaw. His breakout year didn't make much a difference, they didn't plan on resigning him.

Bryant McKinnie will probably get very little money no matter where he goes, but I have doubts that the Ravens will be offering up any money when they can draft a late-round LT for much less money. They might have seen what happened in the playoffs and make an effort though. It's easy to see Oher doesn't work at LT but he is really good at RT. That then lets them put Osemele in at Guard where he is great, and Yanda is a Pro Bowler. It leaves Reid as odd man out and I know the plan is for him to work into the line somewhere, but Oher is gone after next season so they will be planning for the future of the line with both tackle positions possibly in flux.

I expect all of the RFA's except Brandon Reed to be back. Pitta will probably ink a long-term extension with the team at some point soon.

And finally, Joe Flacco is staying. He's making a ton of money. He'll structure it to be cap-friendly. And, contrary to what a Skins fan told me the other day, they won't be better off saving money and signing Matt Cassell since he could have done the same (he couldn't).

[DJ Ice]

REPORT: Packers will release CB Charles Woodson who failed a physical due to lingering third degree burns from the 49ers game

The Green Bay Packers will release eight-time Pro Bowl defensive back Charles Woodson, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports.

Woodson, 36, has been with the Packers since the 2006 season, was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and appeared in four straight Pro Bowls (2008-11) before missing out during an injury-plagued 2012 season. Woodson moved to safety last season and missed nine games due to a broken collarbone.

Woodson had two years and $20 million remaining on his current contract with the Packers. Woodson was scheduled to receive a $2.5 million roster bonus on the first day of this year's training camp and had a $6.5 million base salary for 2013. Additionally, Woodson had $1 million in "per game active" roster bonuses. By releasing Woodson, the Packers, who were around $5 million under the 2013 salary cap, will free up $10 million in cap space.

In seven seasons with the Packers, Woodson had 38 interceptions and 11.5 sacks, bringing his career totals to 55 interceptions and 17 sacks during a 15-year career that began with the Oakland Raiders, who selected the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner with the fourth overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft.

Once the release becomes official, Woodson will be a free agent and can sign with any team. Woodson has no plans to retire and his agent, Carl Poston, tells Rapoport that Woodson would like to play for a contender.

The recruitment process has already started as Seattle Seahawks All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman has suggested Woodson join the L.O.B. ("Legion of Boom") defensive backfield.

Prior to becoming the Seahawks general manager, John Schneider worked in the Packers' front office. Another connection is that Sherman agent's, Kevin Poston, is the brother of Woodson's agent, Carl Poston. The Poston's ran Professional Sports Planning, though within the last year, Kevin has branched off with his own agency called Deal.

Excuse the copy paste, but Woodson in Seattle? Yes please.

Edited February 15, 2013 by DJ Ice

[livid]

Me too. He didn't seem to do any good against the 49ers so might as well take advantage of that twice a year!

[DMN in the House]

Woodson can come home to Oakland.

[livid]

He said he wants to play for a contender though. :/

[gunnar hendershow]

The thing is most contenders are cash-strapped and won't pay extra for a costly veteran. Times have changed and teams being built like that is a thing of the past, youth is cheap and the reward is high. I'm assuming Woodson winds up somewhere, but he might be lowering his standards of contender. I know the intention of the new CBA was to make sure veterans got paid more money and less would go to unproven rookies. But I think the end result of that is that players who have set and very cheap salaries for the first 3-5 years of their careers are going to take preference over players 13-15 years in who will cost more and not have the chance to develop into a franchise cornerstone. Players coming in from college are equipped for the pros from day one. The talent level at college, and forcing players to stay there for 3 years, is a formula that sees talents like Luck, Griffin, and Wilson all be able to excel from their first game in the NFL.

I'm going beyond discussing Woodson here, but outside of some franchises with a lot of cap space and a very big hole in their secondary he isn't going to attract the same level of interest as a player in his situation would have 10 years ago. Those old Raiders from teams from 2000-2002 were constructed in that exact way, they built around mercenary veterans instead of bringing in youth that could stabilize a particular position for a generation. St. Louis as well is another example of a team that trusted in veteran stopgaps and is still trying to recover.

In related news, Dwight Freeney won't be a Colt next year. Good decision by them, saves them money and helps them bring in youth at DE. Yes there is the 2-14 season, but despite that Indianapolis appears to be following the philosophy of retool instead of rebuild.

[gunnar hendershow]

This latest Tim Tebow story is very unsettling. There's no way you'd speak at Robert Jeffress' church unless you agreed with his hate-filled venom.

By just agreeing I think it's safe for America to turn the page on Tebowmania. Everyone with a brain is now finished with him.

[Maxx]

I was quite annoyed to learn that the really cool looking building under construction in the middle of downtown Dallas is actually that jackass' new megachurch.

[Dan]

Whats the odds on Tebow getting on stage, saying "fuck the fags", Tebowing then rising up to Heaven?

[gunnar hendershow]

If it gets rid of him I'll almost accept the bigotry.

[PatDaMan]

Where do we think Dwight Freeney ends up? He's gone on record saying he prefers to play in a 4-3 system. Minnesota?

[Maxx]

Dallas obvs.

Also, Dragsy, I found a Bears logo that is more appropriate for you

Actually these are all quite awesome:

http://daveartlocker.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-if-all-nfl-logos-were-british.html?m=1