2015 NFL Season

[Lineker]

Pro Bowl time.

[Lint]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry @VerbalRick

[The Buscher]

47 minutes ago, Dan said:

If he is retiring that sucks for Detroit and sucks for the NFL. He should have had a HoF career but currently his stats/achievements probably don't warrant it.

It's going to be a fascinating argument.  Most people have Hines Ward penciled in to an eventual spot in Canton.  Johnson played 5 fewer seasons yet is retiring only 2 TD and around 400 yards shy of Ward's marks.  The main argument with him is going to be that it stands to reason he would have had 100% no-doubt numbers had he played another year or two, and also that he was just flat out dominant all 9 years.  I'd be hard pressed to say he's not one of the best receivers I've seen play, and that's what the HOF is really about.

My guess is he goes in.  He probably won't join Woodson and, presumably, Peyton in the class of 2021 because there is a huge WR logjam but I can see him going in after a couple of years on the ballot.

[HC]

Can't say I'm sad to see him go as a division rival. Supremely talented player. Matt Forte and AD are similarly welcome to do the same. 

[VerbalPuke]

I'd love to see him hang around for another year or two.

But...if he's really hurting that bad I want him to retire. A rumor going around was that we were going to work out a deal so that he would play Sunday, then be off until Wednesday if he plays another year. Thing is...if he has to do that because he is in pain then it's not worth his health, in my eyes anyway.

There is a silver lining though. Calvin Johnson has a HUGE cap hit. If he retires that is a lot of freed up money, on top of the fact of us having a lot of money available. We're essentially out of the cap hell Mayhew put us in with Suh, Calvin, and Stafford (well, his hit by comparison to others isn't so bad now). So the biggest issue is replacing Calvin, do we perhaps take a shot at Alshon Jeffrey? Or do we draft somebody? I personally think they should still get the best defensive or offensive line talent with their first pick. From there, go best player available (probably not QB or RB).

But uh, yeah. He's probably one of my all-time favorites, after Barry Sanders of course. Very much a similar story between the two of them. Transcendent talent that could do things nobody else could do at their position, retiring at an early age while still likely able to play a few years, just short of setting milestones for all-time stats. And both were humble, classy players. Weird. Oh and both endured shitty season on a shitty Detroit franchise.

[DFF]

7 hours ago, VerbalRick said:

I'd love to see him hang around for another year or two.

But...if he's really hurting that bad I want him to retire. A rumor going around was that we were going to work out a deal so that he would play Sunday, then be off until Wednesday if he plays another year. Thing is...if he has to do that because he is in pain then it's not worth his health, in my eyes anyway.

There is a silver lining though. Calvin Johnson has a HUGE cap hit. If he retires that is a lot of freed up money, on top of the fact of us having a lot of money available. We're essentially out of the cap hell Mayhew put us in with Suh, Calvin, and Stafford (well, his hit by comparison to others isn't so bad now). So the biggest issue is replacing Calvin, do we perhaps take a shot at Alshon Jeffrey? Or do we draft somebody? I personally think they should still get the best defensive or offensive line talent with their first pick. From there, go best player available (probably not QB or RB).

But uh, yeah. He's probably one of my all-time favorites, after Barry Sanders of course. Very much a similar story between the two of them. Transcendent talent that could do things nobody else could do at their position, retiring at an early age while still likely able to play a few years, just short of setting milestones for all-time stats. And both were humble, classy players. Weird. Oh and both endured shitty season on a shitty Detroit franchise.

I have a feeling the Beats will franchise tag Jeffrey, if anyone. If he becomes available though, yeah I'd hope we'd have a go at signing him. Of the other WRs out of contract, Travis Benjamin could be a good shout, though I doubt the Browns let him go. I don't think there are any others I'd potentially want on #1 WR money. Saying that, Tate was very good in 2014 when he was de facto #1 due to all of Megatrons injuries.

[VerbalPuke]

Yeah, I agree that Tate can be our 1. Between Tate, Ebron, Riddick, and hopefully an emerging TJ Jones we'll be alright. I anticipate we make a move for a wide out with a similar skillset to Calvin though. I just hope they dont neglect the lines in favor of replacing CJ early in tbe draft. 

[DFF]

6 minutes ago, VerbalRick said:

Yeah, I agree that Tate can be our 1. Between Tate, Ebron, Riddick, and hopefully an emerging TJ Jones we'll be alright. I anticipate we make a move for a wide out with a similar skillset to Calvin though. I just hope they dont neglect the lines in favor of replacing CJ early in tbe draft. 

Agreed. I think we should be choosing the best available OT/DT players available for the first couple of rounds at least.

[Meacon Keaton]

7 hours ago, VerbalRick said:

Yeah, I agree that Tate can be our 1. Between Tate, Ebron, Riddick, and hopefully an emerging TJ Jones we'll be alright. I anticipate we make a move for a wide out with a similar skillset to Calvin though. I just hope they dont neglect the lines in favor of replacing CJ early in tbe draft. 

How does it feel, you scum Michigan fan, to know that the majority of your offense relies on them boys from ND?

[VerbalPuke]

My loyalty is to the Lions before anybody else. 

So...pretty good if they win us games.

[Thrilla]

Doesn't look like anyone correctly predicted the Superbowl teams in our start of the year prediction game.

[Meacon Keaton]

Predicting Denver would have been one thing, but I doubt very many people in the world thought Carolina would've done what they did this year. 

That's what makes football so great though. Besides Cleveland and Jacksonville, the parity in this league can't be matched.

[LL!]

I actually called a Panthers SB run at the end of the Broncos/Seahawks Super Bowl. Panthers just decided to do it one season later. 

[Schlitzbrille]

Packers/Ravens seems farcical in retrospect.

[Lineker]

Justin Tuck has announced his retirement.

[The Buscher]

I wasn't here at the start of the season to post my predictions but I had Packers/Chargers as the SB matchup.  LOL me, I guess.

[Meacon Keaton]

...the Chargers? lol you indeed!

And so long, Justin Tuck. Another ND-alum. Darn good career. Two Super Bowl wins, if I'm remembering correctly.

[thatshortguy]

Tuck is the perfect example of why you need two strong defensive ends.  For nearly a decade, the Giants' d-line had two people that you had to accommodate for.

[Lineker]

Quote

SAN FRANCISCO -- Super Bowl Week is off to a rocky start for the Denver Broncos.

NFL Media's Jeff Darlington reported that a pair of team buses were involved in a minor accident on Monday while carrying Broncos players back to their hotel after practice.

Team spokesman Patrick Smyth later announced that "no injuries were sustained" in the accident, which Broncos pass rusher DeMarcus Ware chronicled on Twitter:

The Broncos are safe, but they aren't out of the woods yet, with Denver's players and coaches set to face the media at Monday's Opening Night event.

[Meacon Keaton]

That's a great sign.