2024 NFL Season Thread

[Senator Clay Davis]

Well that's it, right? Purdy is their get out of jail for free card on drafting Lance. Still a catastrophically bad trade, but instead of being a franchise altering mistake it's just embarrassing, but ignored.

[Erick Estrada]

I really do think that Jones was really hoping Lance could be the answer to replace Prescott. I don't know how the Cowboys are going to be able to pay Dak, Parsons, and Lamb as they are all amongst the highest paid positions. Lamb and Parsons will want to be the highest paid at their position and Dak close. They couldn't win in the playoffs when they weren't getting paid so I'm not sure how they will be better paying these guys and dealing with the fallout of having to shed depth contributors.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I really do think that Jones was really hoping Lance could be the answer to replace Prescott. I don't know how the Cowboys are going to be able to pay Dak, Parsons, and Lamb as they are all amongst the highest paid positions. Lamb and Parsons will want to be the highest paid at their position and Dak close. They couldn't win in the playoffs when they weren't getting paid so I'm not sure how they will be better paying these guys and dealing with the fallout of having to shed depth contributors.

The Cowboys also procrastate on paying these guys. Other teams tend to spread this out to get the cap hit down. So the Eagles or Niners keep several top end talents at the same time. But dem Boys always run themselves up against it.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

The Cowboys also procrastate on paying these guys. Other teams tend to spread this out to get the cap hit down. So the Eagles or Niners keep several top end talents at the same time. But dem Boys always run themselves up against it.

He should have gave Dak a long term deal when his rookie contract expired as that contract today would have been a bargain. You can't kick the can down the road at the QB position.

[Sainters7]

Granted it's just preseason, but I've been impressed with Spencer Rattler. He needs the Jordan Love treatment for a couple seasons while he develops, but pretty impressive play from a rookie 5th round QB.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He should have gave Dak a long term deal when his rookie contract expired as that contract today would have been a bargain. You can't kick the can down the road at the QB position.

He probably would have held out to get his contract redone.

[Sylvanfan]

Ceedee Lamb gets 136 over 4 years with a 38 million dollar signing bonus and 100 of it guaranteed.

[Erick Estrada]

It's interesting to see teams pay huge money for WR's at a time when the Chiefs are winning Super Bowls with bargain bin WR's.

[savardandjokinen]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's interesting to see teams pay huge money for WR's at a time when the Chiefs are winning Super Bowls with bargain bin WR's.

It’s interesting because the Chiefs won the Super Bowl with one good receiver last year and now I’d argue they have 3 (Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy). I hope they don’t win again but Mahomes has double the quality weapons now (those 3 plus Kelce rather than just Kelce and Rice last year)

As for Ceedees contract, I think it makes sense in that he’s the second highest paid WR, and he’s definitely a top 5 WR in the league (whichever order of Jettas, Tyreek, Ceedee, Chase and maybe Davante)

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's interesting to see teams pay huge money for WR's at a time when the Chiefs are winning Super Bowls with bargain bin WR's.

NFL is in a weird spot and I'm not sure you can really mimick the way the Chiefs win.

Overall I think you can almost argue you shouldn't be overpaying any skill players unless you have one of two things:

- A top 5 QB
- A top 5 defense

Unless you're a top defensive team or have a top 5 QB you're in really tough to win a championship. Dallas is a good team...but they don't have a top 5 QB, and have a borderline top 5 defense, so them winning the Super Bowl is unlikely whether they sign Lamb or not. But if their defense can be a consistent top 5 defense then Lamb makes Dak better so you have to sign him.

Really the big problem for other teams is that last year by points allowed the Chiefs were the second best defense, and they have Mahomes. So unless their defense takes a big step back then they probably are in the AFC championship game again at the worst (Ravens probably best shot to dethrone them), and their offense is probably actually better this year.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by savardandjokinen

It’s interesting because the Chiefs won the Super Bowl with one good receiver last year and now I’d argue they have 3 (Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy). I hope they don’t win again but Mahomes has double the quality weapons now (those 3 plus Kelce rather than just Kelce and Rice last year)

Well Rice's legal situation is still unknown. Worthy is an undersized unproven rookie, and Hollywood is on a one year deal to try and suck someone else into making him the next Ju-ju Smith Schuster. So I'm not sure it's better, it's just different.

Elite QB's who get paid, need to make these guys look better than they really are. Once the QB is making top dollar you really can't afford a top end wideout and a top end QB for more than a season.

A top end WR can help a QB throw for yards and score points. But he usually can't make the one play Superbowl bound teams need to win playoff games. It's usually a QB who has to make that play.

I'll be interested to see what the Bengals do with Chase. Burrow is a QB who should elevate receivers. But if they don't get better protection for him, he doesn't do them a lot of good watching games while he's injured.

[Erick Estrada]

Kelce is likely going to take another step back this season so they will need some of the WR's to step up.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

NFL is in a weird spot and I'm not sure you can really mimick the way the Chiefs win.

Overall I think you can almost argue you shouldn't be overpaying any skill players unless you have one of two things:

- A top 5 QB
- A top 5 defense

Unless you're a top defensive team or have a top 5 QB you're in really tough to win a championship. Dallas is a good team...but they don't have a top 5 QB, and have a borderline top 5 defense, so them winning the Super Bowl is unlikely whether they sign Lamb or not. But if their defense can be a consistent top 5 defense then Lamb makes Dak better so you have to sign him.

Really the big problem for other teams is that last year by points allowed the Chiefs were the second best defense, and they have Mahomes. So unless their defense takes a big step back then they probably are in the AFC championship game again at the worst (Ravens probably best shot to dethrone them), and their offense is probably actually better this year.

Until Andy Reid retires it's going to be tough for other teams to dethrone the Chiefs. Steve Spagnuolo is extremely underrated as a coach as he did a fantastic job getting all those young players on defense playing at high levels and the Chiefs are fortunate that he's not viewed as head coach material so they are set at OC and DC while other teams see their top coordinators poached on a yearly basis. This is also a big reason the Chiefs can just keep rolling year after year as their coaching staff isn't nearly as fluid as other organizations.

[MRCboicgy]

Speaking of Juju
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...smith-schuster

[transplant99]

Its still funny to me how almost everyone concentrates on the Chief offense....and yes Mahomes is the best QB playing right now. and is the single best player at any position IMO.

KC didnt win the SB last season because of offense or Mahomes doing his thing...their defense was freaking lights out. Full stop.

Maybe it changes this year as the NFL tends to do, but that was a complete "team" last year. And it was damn impressive.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Its still funny to me how almost everyone concentrates on the Chief offense....and yes Mahomes is the best QB playing right now. and is the single best player at any position IMO.

KC didnt win the SB last season because of offense or Mahomes doing his thing...their defense was freaking lights out. Full stop.

Maybe it changes this year as the NFL tends to do, but that was a complete "team" last year. And it was damn impressive.

They went defence heavy in a couple of drafts and got some good players. They'll miss Sneed a fair bit as him and McDuffie were a really good tandem. Spags does a good job being creative with the scheme and they found versatile defensive backs that allow him to do a fair bit with their cover skills and ability to blitz.

It's not that different than what New England did. You have the QB. Make sure your lines are both good. The HC excels at one aspect of the game. Make it so your QB only needs 20 points to win a game against other playoff teams. Trade off some guys for more draft capital when they need to get paid and keep it going as long as you can. You do need some luck, and eventually it catches up but it's worth it. Even the Patriots went like 10 years between Superbowls from 04 to 14 even though they were probably the top team in the NFL during that time frame.

[KelVarnsen]

With the season a week away anyone have predictions for the season?

NFC North
Lions
Packers
Vikings
Da Bears

NFC East
Eagles
Cowboys
Commies
Giants

NFC South
Falcons
Buccaneers
Saints
Panthers

NFC West
49ers
Seahawks
Rams
Cardinals

NFC Wildcards
Packers
Seahawks
Buccaneers

AFC North
Ravens
Bengals
Browns
Steelers

AFC East
Dolphins
Bills
Jets
Patriots

AFC South
Jaguars
Texans
Colts
Titans

AFC West
Chefs
Chargers
Broncos
Raiders

AFC Wildcards
Bills
Bengals
Texans

[Paulie Walnuts]

NFC North
Lions
Packers
Bears
Vikings

NFC East
Eagles
Commanders
Cowboys
Giants

NFC South
Falcons
Buccaneers
Saints
Panthers

NFC West
49ers
Rams
Sehahawks
Cardinals

NFC Wildcards
Packers
Rams
Buccaneers

AFC North
Ravens
Bengals
Steelers
Browns

AFC East
Dolphins
Bills
Jets
Patriots

AFC South
Texans
Jaguars
Colts
Titans

AFC West
Chefs
Chargers
Broncos
Raiders

AFC Wildcards
Bills
Bengals
Jaguars

Chiefs win Super Bowl. Mahomes and Chiefs going to pull the reverse Jim Kelly and Bills.

[Spuds_Buckley]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's interesting to see teams pay huge money for WR's at a time when the Chiefs are winning Super Bowls with bargain bin WR's.

Great coaching masked the issues they had with limited top tier talent IMO.

edit: and as was mentioned their D was stellar

[rubecube]

NFC North
Packers
Bears
Lions
Vikings

NFC South
I'm cancelling the entire NFC South this year. Just an absolute dumpster fire of a division. Whichever 8-9 team "wins" the division is gonna get creamed on Wild Card weekend, unless they play the Eagles.

NFC East
Eagles
Cowboys
Commanders
Giants

NFC West
Niners
Rams
Cards
Seahawks

WC: Bears, Lions, Cowboys

AFC North
Bengals
Ravens
Browns
Steelers

AFC South
Colts
Texans
Jags
Titans

AFC East
Jets
Dolphins
Bills
Pats

AFC West
Chiefs
Broncos
Chargers
Raiders

WCs: Ravens, Browns, Texans, Dolphins