NFL 2020 - Off-Season Player News & General Discussion

[A11dAtP0w3R]

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports there's "a lot of buzz" about Tampa Bay being a possible landing spot for Philip Rivers.
Rivers recently packed up his home in San Diego and moved cross country to Florida to be closer to his family (in Alabama). That doesn't necessarily make the Bucs his first choice, but the declining 38-year-old impending free agent will undoubtedly have fewer options than past years following his fewest touchdowns thrown (23) since 2007. Rivers isn't the worst one-year stopgap if Tampa Bay fails to iron out a deal with Jameis Winston. Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota and Teddy Bridgewater will also likely crop up at some point as potential fill-ins under center.
RELATED:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SOURCE: Jason La Canfora on Twitter
Jan 20, 2020, 1:32 PM ET

Hope Phil isnt done, would be fun to watch he and Arians work together.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Surely Winston worth another year. Bigger risk with declining Rivers. Be surprised if this happens. Maybe a year at Jacksonville for Phil

 

[Exe Gesis]

Maybe a year at Jacksonville for Phil

ideal

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Surely Winston worth another year. Bigger risk with declining Rivers. Be surprised if this happens. Maybe a year at Jacksonville for Phil

Maybe Miami if they want to draft Tua and red shirt him also.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

The issue with Winston is that his contract is up and if the Bucs want to commit to him on a multi year contract , no way he signs on for a one year deal.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

The issue with Winston is that his contract is up and if the Bucs want to commit to him on a multi year contract , no way he signs on for a one year deal.

Will there be any teams willing to commit too much guaranteed money though?

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Will there be any teams willing to commit too much guaranteed money though?

There will be someone convinced they can make him a player and give him a multi-year deal I reckon if the Bucs don't.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Colts or NE maybe.

 

[aussiedude]

Colts or NE maybe.

BB to take a gamble on him to prove he can win without Brady.

 

[Shade]

Why wouldnt the bucs just franchise or transition tag him.

if he doesnt sign the franchise tag then cya later.

 

[rumply]

All-22 Film Review: Bucs QB Jameis Winston's 30 INTs | Pewter Report

PewterReport.com's Trevor Sikkema reviews the film on all of Jameis Winston's 30 interceptions in 2019 and assesses the proper blame.

www.pewterreport.com

 

[Brasher]

All-22 Film Review: Bucs QB Jameis Winston's 30 INTs | Pewter Report

PewterReport.com's Trevor Sikkema reviews the film on all of Jameis Winston's 30 interceptions in 2019 and assesses the proper blame.

www.pewterreport.com

Well I'm on the record of saying Joe Namath shouldn't be in the HoF.

Reminds me of the Kaepernick/Newton discussion of a few years back...comparable stats all around yet one was seen as an MVP and the other as Charles Manson reincarnate.

 

[drd23]

All-22 Film Review: Bucs QB Jameis Winston's 30 INTs | Pewter Report

PewterReport.com's Trevor Sikkema reviews the film on all of Jameis Winston's 30 interceptions in 2019 and assesses the proper blame.

www.pewterreport.com

Talk about finding the lowest bar possible to clear.

The only reason Broadway Joe is in the HoF is because of his "guarantee" before SBIII. Its certainly not because of his ability/numbers

 

[Sven]

Here's PFF's list of the top free agent QBs for 2020. An intriguing list:

Quarterbacks

1. Tom Brady. It was an unfamiliar feeling in New England this season as the Patriots offense struggled and Brady finally shown signs of regression. When combined with a subpar group of playmakers, the Patriots offense trudged through the 2019 season and their marriage with Brady is entering uncharted territory. He’ll hit the open market for at least a minute in March and questions abound about whether his best fit is back in New England or is Brady ready for a fresh start as he heads into his age-43 season? He finished the year with a 79.0 overall grade and the second half of the season was a struggle as Brady ranked just 27th in positively graded throws. That’s a number that can increase with an improved supporting cast, and Brady’s No. 12 ranking shows that he’s still capable of quality production, but he appears to be past the point of elevating any group of playmakers to one of the best offenses in the league.

2. Drew Brees. The season ended in disappointing fashion for the Saints, and Brees played his worst football over the last three weeks of the season. He still finished with a 90.6 overall grade and the lowest percentage of negatively graded throws in the league, both signs that there’s more left in the tank for Brees. However, the downfield passing attack struggled, as Brees ranked just 31th in big-time throw percentage and he had seven turnover-worthy plays in his last three games, including the Wild Card loss to the Vikings. The Saints have built a strong roster around Brees dating back to 2017, and it’s still likely worth another shot with the Hall of Famer, but like the Patriots, New Orleans must have contingency in mind as Brees heads into his age-41 season.

3. Dak Prescott. Prescott’s contract status was one of the biggest questions of the offseason, and he paired with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to produce his most efficient season as a passer and one of the league’s best passing attacks. He finished with the No. 11 overall grade in the league at 80.3, his best mark since his rookie season, and Prescott ranked sixth in the league in positively graded throws. It’s not hindsight to ask if the increase in production should be attributed more to Prescott or Moore, as it’s a question I posed at the start of the season. Given Prescott’s PFF rankings of eighth, 18th, 19th, and now 11th, it’s fair to place him in the middle tier of NFL quarterbacks who can have valuable seasons in the right ecosystem (playmakers, play calling, and some luck). That’s exactly where Prescott landed this season and with a strong supporting cast, Prescott is capable of leading a high-end offense.

4. Philip Rivers. Despite periods in Rivers’ career where it looks like his arm is shot and the shotput motion no longer throws with zip, he’s still been one of the league’s most productive quarterbacks over the last few years. He did post the fifth-highest percentage of turnover-worthy plays this year while dropping to 18th in positives, but there’s enough left in the tank to remain productive, especially if he can play behind an offensive line that will provide pass protection that ranks better than the bottom-five units he’s had in each of the last three seasons. Look for Rivers to land in a win-now situation, where he’s capable of attacking the short and intermediate level effectively.

5. Ryan Tannehill. In one of the biggest outlier seasons in the PFF era, Tannehill finished with the top overall grade during the regular season after taking over as the Titans starter in Week 6. He more than doubled his percentage of positively graded throws on his way to leading the league in that category, a sign that the scheme and supporting cast meshed well with Tannehill in 2019. The question is duplication, as Tannehill had never graded above 80.4 in a season, generally hovering in the high 60s or low 70s (2018 was an outlier as well as he graded at a miserable 45.3). It’s likely worth one more roll of the dice for the Titans, especially since they can ensure a level of stability in an attempt to maintain Tannehill’s high-end performance, but a backup plan should also be in the works as it’s difficult to see Tannehill settling in as a 90-plus graded quarterback after seven years of mediocrity.

6. Teddy Bridgewater. After two encouraging seasons to start his career, Bridgewater appeared to be on his way to the Alex Smithian spectrum of game mangers who can take care of the ball and put teams in position to win. A 2016 knee injury robbed Bridgewater of nearly two years of his career, and 2019 was the first time we saw him for an extended period. He filled in admirably for Brees, winning all five starts while grading at 73.0 overall to go with a passer rating of 99.1. Bridgewater got more comfortable every week, attacking down the field and showing signs of his early-career self. At the very least, Bridgewater has put himself back in the conversation for a starting job with the understanding that he’s likely going to limit the turnover-worthy plays (2.1% was seventh-lowest in 2019) to go with a low percentage of big-time throws (2.9% ranked 28th), but that skillset could play in a situation with a strong defense and surrounding talent.

7. Marcus Mariota. We’re just five years removed from debating Mariota and Winston at the top of the 2015 draft, and now both quarterbacks are ready for a reset on the open market. Mariota has shown flashes of solid play throughout his career, but he’s taken far too many sacks (sacked on 35.2% of pressured dropbacks in 2019, highest in the league). On the bright side, the copycat NFL will look to teammate Tannehill’s random breakout and hope to extract the same from Mariota as both quarterbacks possess a similar skillset of intermediate accuracy, obliviousness to pressure, and a revolving door of playmakers and play callers throughout their respective careers.

8. Jameis Winston. We went into detail regarding Winston and the roller coaster of emotions he elicits, and it doesn’t take advanced numbers to tell the story of his 2019 season and career. He finished with over 5,000 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions, all perfect descriptors of Winston’s game that moves the chains as well as any quarterback in the league while also putting the ball into the defense’s hands more than any signal-caller in the NFL. The bottom line with Winston is that he may never change as he annually ranks near the top of the league in both positively and negatively graded throws, but that high-end volatility could lead to a wide range of outcomes from high-end starter with some interception luck to benchwarmer if the ball bounces the other way. A team with strong offensive weapons and a good coverage unit may want to see if they can extract the high-end season out of Winston, as he’s capable of putting points on the board in the right situation.

9. Eli Manning. At this point in Manning’s career, and with the solid state of NFL quarterbacks around the league, it’s unlikely that a starting job will be available this offseason. Manning may latch on as a backup and he’s certainly a fringe top-32 quarterback in the world, but it’s hard to envision any team viewing him as more than a stopgap.

10. Case Keenum. The epitome of a bridge starter, Keenum was the bridge to Jared Goff with the Rams before putting together a career-year in 2017 for the Vikings that bridged to Kirk Cousins before heading to Denver to hold the fort for Joe Flacco and Drew Lock, which brings us to 2019 where Keenum kept the seat warm for Dwayne Haskins to eventually take over in Washington. Keenum is one of the best backups in the league as he’s just aggressive enough to string together good outings, and he’s the bridgiest of quarterbacks because he’s simply not a top-32 quarterback in today’s NFL.

I can't recall a list t anything like this in previous years. Quite a few will be signed before free agency starts, but my guess is that up to 6 of them could make it to free agency. The roll off on talent starts at 7 or 8 IMO (depends how you rate Mariota)

The big question is at the Saints with Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater both free agents and Taysom Hill a restricted free agent. There's no way they can afford all three....

 

[rumply]

surely the point is that at this stage of his career, the numbers aren't that horrible.

I'm no fan by any means, the guy comes across as a flog of the highest order. But he can play a bit so someone will pay him if the Bucs don't.

 

[drd23]

The big question is at the Saints with Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater both free agents and Taysom Hill a restricted free agent. There's no way they can afford all three....

Will be hilarious if someone overpays Hill based on that 50 yard pass in the WC game.

He's a 29 yo with shot knees who went 3/6 for 50 yards for the entirety of the regular season. I'm not even sure he's worth a second round RFA tender

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

surely the point is that at this stage of his career, the numbers aren't that horrible.

I'm no fan by any means, the guy comes across as a flog of the highest order. But he can play a bit so someone will pay him if the Bucs don't.

Did throw some very nice passes this season. Arians is a very vertical type of guy so probably more higher risk throws than other QBs.

 

[quotemokc]

So about that list... Winston is way way wayyyyyy better than Mariota

 

[Sven]

So about that list... Winston is way way wayyyyyy better than Mariota

I view them as 3a and 3b....

 

[Exe Gesis]

That Detroit Tigers vs Detroit Lions QB draft stat led to this...

The KC Royals drafted Jon Elway and Dan Marino in 1979, so have the Royals drafted more SB QBs than the Chiefs?

No, because the Chiefs drafted Roger Staubach in 1965.

 

[drd23]

AB at it again

 

[Exe Gesis]

hes full blown now, this is far worse than the mental illness of tre mason

 

[Exe Gesis]

Duke Tobin on Andy Dalton: We won't do something willy-nilly

The Bengals have been answering questions about their plans for the first overall pick of this year's draft at the Senior Bowl this week and most people expect they'll be taking a quarterback who will displace Andy Dalton as the team's starter.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

 

[Exe Gesis]

Bengals executive Duke Tobin disputes ESPN's report about No. 1 pick

Duke Tobin, the Bengals' director of player personnel, said ESPN's report that Cincinnati won't trade the No. 1 pick no matter what is "news to me."

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

 

[Brasher]

AB has gone like full Falling Down.