John Clayton looks at the NFL offseason - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Displaced Flames fan · 02-10-2007, 10:36 AM

Great read for the NFL fan and gives you an idea of what teams have a shot at making a big splash in the offseason.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...t&lid=tab2pos2

transplant99 · 02-10-2007, 11:00 AM

Much to the chagrin of many posters on this site, this is exactly why Brett Favre is coming back to play one, or maybe two, more years.

Quote:

Green Bay Packers
Cap room: $24.1 million

They have enough cap room to make a move and they don't have many re-signing issues. They have eight unrestricted free agents, and they will try to re-sign Ahman Green and backup tight end David Martin . The rest of the free agents are backups

The offensive line made a positive turn despite having as many as three rookie starters. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver form a good receiver tandem

They should be a whole lot better if the right pieces (2 or 3)are added.

I still shake my head at the suggestions the only reason he was coming back was to break more records.

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transplant99

Much to the chagrin of many posters on this site, this is exactly why Brett Favre is coming back to play one, or maybe two, more years.

They should be a whole lot better if the right pieces (2 or 3)are added.

I still shake my head at the suggestions the only reason he was coming back was to break more records.

Pretty much everyone 'should' be a whole lot better.

transplant99 · 02-10-2007, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Pretty much everyone 'should' be a whole lot better.

Ummmm...no they shouldn't.

Not everyone has 20 million in cap room.

Zoom!!

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 12:06 PM

cap room is just one variable, and a small one at that. Teams win because they develop their own players, not because they pick up a FA or two.

Everyone thinks their young players are going to turn their team around. Think about how Indy, NE and Pittsburgh became champions, because they had some cap room and picked up an overpriced FA?

But your right, not every team has 20M of room. Just a dozen. By this logic the Browns and 49ers should be in XLII.

transplant99 · 02-10-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Teams win because they develop their own players,

No kidding.

Which is why i quoted this part of the story...

Quote:

The offensive line made a positive turn despite having as many as three rookie starters. Greg Jennings (also a rookie last year) and Donald Driver form a good receiver tandem

Quote:

By this logic the Browns and 49ers should be in XLII.

Yeah.....thats what I said allright.

Good grief.

Displaced Flames fan · 02-10-2007, 12:18 PM

I hope the Packers when the freaking Super Bowl at this point. Some of the stuff I have read on the Favre subject is absolutely hilarious.

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 12:20 PM

You differentiated your team based on their cap space ... POST #4. You go down one path of logic (remember cap space ... post #4 ... zoom!) shown how silly it is (49ers and browns have tons of space) then say good greif to me??? yikes. It was your logic dude.

Good for Jennings and Driver ... they are decent recievers (although Driver is probably on the wrong side of the development curve) but everyone has a few guys. So what? My original point stands that almost everyone is optimistic that next year will be a better year. (remember, this is the part where you respond by saying you have tons of cap room ... see post #4)

To me the best thing GB has going for them is that they have 4 easy wins at the start of the year because they have a soft division, other than that, they are average at best, and will put of solving their long term QB problem for yet another year.

Good grief.

flames_1987 · 02-10-2007, 12:49 PM

There's been some rumours of Freeny maybe going into FA but the Colts have already said they will franchise him if they can't come to a long term deal. He's a lock to stay in Indy. Once again the Colts won't be big in FA, not enough cap space, the draft will be big for them this year.

I'm very intrested to see what the Patriots do this offseason. Will they finally give Brady that big time WR? If SF can have a strong draft and maybe add a few free agents, the playoffs are a definitley within reach.

transplant99 · 02-10-2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

You differentiated your team based on their cap space ... POST #4.

Yup...they have a ton of cap space, which will help them plug some holes...not sure why this is such an issue with you. Pretty self-explanatory in fact.

Add that to the fact they had 3 rookie dmen last year, that have made terrific progress, and a rookie in Jennings, there is lots of reason to believe they will be better.

So what i am saying is quite simple...and the point of my original post.

With Favre coming back, the progress of the O-line, the receiving core, and the improvement on defense from a year earlier (albeit not as much as it needs to be) the Packers look to be in pretty good shape whilst coming off an 8-8 season.

Thats why Favre decided to return....not for something as selfish as breaking records as some have suggested.

There are other teams looking like they have a good shot at improving as well because of similar factors, the Titans, 49ers and Cardinals spring to mind immediately. None of them have # 4 though.

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transplant99

Yup...they have a ton of cap space, which will help them plug some holes...not sure why this is such an issue with you. Pretty self-explanatory in fact.

My god.

It's not an issue with me. I said that the cap space is no big deal, and then you went sideways.

Pack fans remind me of leaf fans.

Absolutely nothing to be optimistic about but all the fans drink the Koolaid and know that this is their year.

If I was a Farve fan, which I kinda am, I'm happy that he's back, but if I was a pack fan, it isn't nessesarily good news that he keeps returning. Just another year of stagnation.

He's good for a great game, but he's not good for a great season, he'll shoot the lights out one week (IE MNF vs the Raiders) then look like Rex Grossman the next.

The fact is, that Brett would be great on a team where they were not dependant on a deep arm, put him in Denver, or Seattle or SD and he'd be more effective. But in GB he will be avg at best. I know there are other things that factor in, but if you have that bad a QB rating, you must at least start to ask questions.

Pagal4321 · 02-10-2007, 03:32 PM

I like John Clayton...but I can't take that article seriously after seeing the glaring error in cap space room for the Vikings....the number is supposed to be around the 30 million dollar range.

I hope the Packers improve themselves beacuse then it will just make the NFCN a better division. I'm sick of that division being the worst in the NFC.

With Favre back they will be able to lure some FAs there because if he retired, i couldn't see any player WANTING to play for the Pack sans Favre.

transplant99 · 02-10-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Pack fans remind me of leaf fans

Absolutely nothing to be optimistic about but all the fans drink the Koolaid and know that this is their year.

.

Hilarious.

Confirms my suspicion on your ability to analyze.

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transplant99

.

Hilarious.

Confirms my suspicion on your ability to analyze.

Pack is 50/1 right now. And they are apptly named as they are in the middle of the pack as it relates to 07 Futures.

Better take your supreme NFL knowledge (don't forget to pack your Koolaid) to Vegas and make you millions.

http://www.bodog.com/sports-betting/...ll-futures.jsp

transplant99 · 02-10-2007, 03:39 PM

Koolaid huh?

My call at the beginning of last season was the Packers would go 5-11.

Yup...really am drinking the poison allright!!

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 03:48 PM

Who's talking about 06?

You said: they'd be a whole lot better right?

Well, Vegas has them as about the 22nd best team in the NFL right now. Who to believe ... Vegas oddsmakers or transplant ... hmmm, I'll have to get back to you on that one. Because clearly you are the NFL analyst to end all analysts. Doesn't Vegas know that that pack has lots of cap room?

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transplant99

.

Hilarious.

Confirms my suspicion on your ability to analyze.

A summary of analysis on this thread:

TP says that the pack should be a whole lot better next year
FI07 says that almost every team thinks they will be a whole lot better next year.

TP says as response to the fact that many teams will be better that GB has lots of cap room for 07
FI07 points out that cap room, and therefore pickups of UFA's don't really define successful teams ... TP then tries to divert attention from the fact that his rationale is silly ... note post 4 and second half of post 6

FI07 says the pack doesn't have much to be optimistic about
TP says that FI doesn't know how to analyze the NFL
FI07 points out that Vegas has the pack in the bottom third as it relates to 07 futures ... either Vegas or TP is off their rocker.

hmmm, and I don't know much about the NFL???

Displaced Flames fan · 02-10-2007, 04:03 PM

sumarry of this thread

link to article on espn.com by respected insider outlining all 32 teams situations.

tranny posts his opinions on his team

flames in 07 goes on another mission to prove he's the smartest man in the universe.

Thanks for ruining the thread.

Flames in 07 · 02-10-2007, 04:07 PM

Well you two have one thing in common,

You provide weak rationale and insult the other person at the same time.

I'm still curious to hear how vegas is wrong. Look, TP thinks the pack is ready for big things next year. I think they are avg at best, largely because of the division they are in. Why can't it just be left at that without starting the insult war.

transplant99 · 02-10-2007, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Who's talking about 06?

You said: they'd be a whole lot better right?

Well, Vegas has them as about the 22nd best team in the NFL right now. Who to believe ... Vegas oddsmakers or transplant ... hmmm, I'll have to get back to you on that one. Because clearly you are the NFL analyst to end all analysts. Doesn't Vegas know that that pack has lots of cap room?

Nope I sure didn't.

I said they should be based on the development of the o-line and the fact they have 24 million in cap room to plug a couple holes elsewhere on defense.

What were the Vegas odds on N.O. last year at this time...you can get back to me on that one.

I know that the Saints sure didn't use free agents to get better...oh wait.