2014 NFL Season

[troutman]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

Michigan offers Jim Harbaugh 6yr 48million contract - report

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...llion-contract

And tuition for a law student is $25,000

http://www.ro.umich.edu/tuition/tuition-fees.php

[Sylvanfan]

I think the Bears are playing Jimmy Clausen to let everyone know how much worse the QB situation could be.

I'm no fan of Cutler, but if they let him go, the other options were also bad. Josh McCown who is 35 years old, and had a couple good games last year, but has done little this year. This week we will find out how bad Jimmy Clausen really is. It's like when the Chiefs thought Brady Quinn could replace Matt Cassel...both were bad, but Matt Cassel was a less bad option. Thankfully they were able to cut both guys and find a better medicore guy in Alex Smith....even if it cost them a lot of 2nd round picks.

[Sylvanfan]

Tonight is why the idea of Thursday night football every week featuring every team at some point in the season is not a good idea. Or at least recognize who will likely not be very good and get those games played in weeks 2-4.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by troutman

And tuition for a law student is $25,000

http://www.ro.umich.edu/tuition/tuition-fees.php

But how much money does a successful football program bring in to an institution like that?

[Spuds_Buckley]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Tonight is why the idea of Thursday night football every week featuring every team at some point in the season is not a good idea. Or at least recognize who will likely not be very good and get those games played in weeks 2-4.

It blows my mind how the Titans won in KC way back in week 1.

They are atrocious... at least the Jags seem to have found a future QB they can build around.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I think the Bears are playing Jimmy Clausen to let everyone know how much worse the QB situation could be.

I'm no fan of Cutler, but if they let him go, the other options were also bad. Josh McCown who is 35 years old, and had a couple good games last year, but has done little this year. This week we will find out how bad Jimmy Clausen really is. It's like when the Chiefs thought Brady Quinn could replace Matt Cassel...both were bad, but Matt Cassel was a less bad option. Thankfully they were able to cut both guys and find a better medicore guy in Alex Smith....even if it cost them a lot of 2nd round picks.

The Bears will probably get the 7th pick in the draft. Any QBs out there not named Winston or Marriota?

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The Bears will probably get the 7th pick in the draft. Any QBs out there not named Winston or Marriota?

Hundley and Bryce Petty for sure, Dak Prescott perhaps. I'm sure there are a couple I'm forgetting and there's always a late riser or two. 5 first round QBs this year wouldn't be a stretch at all.

[corporatejay]

No way Dak Prescott goes that early.

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

No way Dak Prescott goes that early.

Just throwing out names. He may have an insane combine and suddenly everyone loves him. I'd be ecstatic for Hundley or Petty to be available when Philly picks.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Cutler's contract is really bad so trading him isn't going to net much. I can't imagine anyone offers above a 4th round pick. Can't cut him or the Bears eat a staggering $20 million in dead cap space. Of course Trestman is likely gone so perhaps the new coach will think he can save Jay.

[DropIt]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The Bears will probably get the 7th pick in the draft. Any QBs out there not named Winston or Marriota?

Not without reaching, and to be honest, Cutler isnt going anywhere whether Chicago likes it or not. They would be wise spending that top ten pick to improve their defense-of which should be extremely thankful to Cutler, Kromer and Trestman for taking all of the attention off of their, once again, bottom of the league defense (30th or worse in pass yards allowed, points against and yards allowed).

[ForeverFlameFan]

Tonight's game is the battle for 1st round pick.

[Cheerio]

If you're the Texans do you trade your first rounder for Cutler? They would have to at least consider it, if they had a QB they would be in the playoffs and probably would have won the AFC South

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

If you're the Texans do you trade your first rounder for Cutler? They would have to at least consider it, if they had a QB they would be in the playoffs and probably would have won the AFC South

A first rounder? No way. They could maybe trade a mid to late rounder if that contract could be restructured to make sense somehow. Even then, I'm not sure Cutler would be very high on O'Brien's list.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

A first rounder? No way. They could maybe trade a mid to late rounder if that contract could be restructured to make sense somehow. Even then, I'm not sure Cutler would be very high on O'Brien's list.

Yeah, the last Bellichick tree coach who met Cutler was intent on getting him out of town in short order.

Houston needs to draft a QB. They would be better off trading up to draft one than trading a third round pick for Cutler.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Ryan Fitzpatrick has outplayed Cutler this year, so if anything the Bears should be willing to make a straight up trade, draft a QB and ride Fitz in the interim. Of course Houston will say no because of the contract. And Cutler's numbers have gotten ridiculously fat this year in garbage time or they'd be even worse. He's not the biggest reason for the Bears problems (the defense is), but his contract is mostly what makes him so awful. Bears have a big offseason ahead.

There’s not enough in that drop-off to bench Cutler; his raw interception and fumble totals are up because he’s stayed healthy this year for the first time since 2009, his debut season with the Bears. It’s fair to wonder whether the numbers are skewed by how frequently Cutler has been throwing against prevent defenses during the second halves of blowout losses. On Monday, for example, Cutler entered the fourth quarter 9-of-19 for 87 yards and three interceptions, only to finish with an 8-for-12 stretch for 107 yards and two touchdowns while his team was down multiple scores.

It’s fair to say Cutler’s numbers have been inflated by game situation. Arbitrarily defining garbage time to be any series in which a team is down by 14 points or more in the second half, the average starting quarterback in 2014 (minimum 200 attempts) has thrown 9.7 percent of his attempts and 9.9 percent of his passing yardage during garbage time. Cutler has thrown 17.1 percent of his attempts in those situations and gained 20.1 percent of his passing yards. He’s also posted a 102.7 passer rating in garbage time, up from the 87.5 figure Cutler’s hit during all other situations.

As I mentioned when I wrote about the possible 2015 quarterback trade market last week, Cutler’s deal is structured in such a way that precludes him from being released. His 2015 base salary of $15.5 million is already guaranteed, so if the Bears cut him by this March, they would pay $19.5 million in cap penalties, sinking their 2015 team in the process. If they don’t cut him before then, $10 million of his 2016 base salary will become guaranteed, leaving the Bears stuck even further into the future with Cutler as their quarterback.

If the Bears trade Cutler, the base salaries go to the new team. If they traded Cutler by March, the Bears would be responsible for only $4 million in dead money left because they restructured his deal this offseason. A possible trade partner might try to create cap space and force the Bears to eat more of the deal by insisting they turn part of Cutler’s guaranteed base salary into a signing bonus before making the swap, a move that would leave the Bears — not the opposition — on the hook for that amount of the deal.

If the Bears converted $8.5 million of Cutler’s 2015 base salary into a signing bonus, they would pay the actual cash up front and technically spread the bonus across the length of the deal, only for the deal to accelerate onto their cap next season if Cutler were traded elsewhere. That would leave the Bears on the hook for $11 million next season. The acquiring team, meanwhile, would see its cap obligation fall from $15.5 million to $7 million. That sort of move might net the Bears a better draft pick as part of a trade.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ch...ler-scapegoat/

[Flabbibulin]

Most teams will be willing to go to the draft for a quarterback, but some teams need a quarterback that can be inserted and play now- Buffalo is at the top of that list, which is why I think they are the best choice for Cutler... or possibly RG3 if Washington is prepared to go down that road. It would be a massive failure for the organization to trade RG3 without a huge return. I think he probably gets one more year to make it work in Washington.

I think St Louis will also give Bradford one more year to try and stay healthy. Cleveland should be looking for a play now qb, but they may actually try and bring in a 1 year vet again so that Manziel can have another year as back up, possibly getting the chance to take over the following year.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Just throwing out names. He may have an insane combine and suddenly everyone loves him. I'd be ecstatic for Hundley or Petty to be available when Philly picks.

I haven't really had a chance to look at this year's draft crop, but if the Eagles' needs at corner, safety, and linebacker are much bigger than at quarterback. Foles is still serviceable.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Obviously the only way the Eagles season can end, with a Sanchez pick. Cowboys are the Cowboys but even they can't blow this one right?

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I haven't really had a chance to look at this year's draft crop, but if the Eagles' needs at corner, safety, and linebacker are much bigger than at quarterback. Foles is still serviceable.

Ugh, Foles is a backup moonlighting as a starter. Unless you want to try and build the Ravens "win it all with D and a garbage QB" and pray Foles gets hot you need a real quarterback. That needs to be fixed first.