NFL 2013 [American Football]

[R_of_G]

Schedules were released yesterday.

Here's the Bucs' schedule.

I suspect SVL/NWB and I will have some fun the week of Nov. 3rd.


Sep. 8 at New York Jets 1 p.m.
Sep. 15 vs. New Orleans Saints 1:05 p.m.
Sep. 22 at New England Patriots 1 p.m/
Sep. 29 vs. Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m.
BYE
Oct. 13 vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.
Oct. 20 at Atlanta Falcons 1 p.m.
Oct. 24 vs. Carolina Panthers 8:25 p.m.
Nov. 3 at Seattle Seahawks 1:05 p.m.
Nov. 11 vs. Miami Dolphins 8:40 p.m.
Nov. 17 vs. Atlanta Falcons 1 p.m.
Nov. 24 at Detroit Lions 1 p.m.
Dec. 1 at Carolina Panthers 1 p.m.
Dec. 8 vs. Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.
Dec. 15 vs. San Francisco 49ers 1 p.m.
Dec. 22 at St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.
Dec. 29 at New Orleans Saints 1 p.m.

 

[R_of_G]

For a couple of months now I have avoided commenting on or even reading too much on any of the Revis speculation until there was actual news. Today there is actual news.

The Bucs have acquired CB Darrelle Revis from the Jets. I almost can't believe I just typed that sentence.

The Jets will receive the Bucs' 2013 1st round pick (#13 overall) and a conditional pick in 2014 (which in all likelihood will be a 3rd round pick). Revis, who was scheduled to be a free agent after this season (prompting the trade to begin with) has agreed to a new deal to remain in Tampa for six years at a total of $96 million.

All of this is contingent upon Revis passing a physical from the Bucs' staff, particularly his surgically repaired ACL.

Needless to say as a Bucs' fan and a recovering Jets' fan, I am thrilled about this trade. If he's healthy, I expect him to have a tremendous impact on this defense.

 

[marnold]

Talk about high risk/high reward. If Revis comes back at his full ability, it's a good deal for the Bucs. Actually, it's way better than anything the Jets had a right to expect. If Revis is not himself, that's a lot of money and a some high picks to be out.

Another question is this: is any CB, even the best in the league, worth $16 million/per in today's NFL where all the rules favor the offense? I guess it all depends on the details of the contract, especially how much of that money is guaranteed.

Update: According to ESPN, not one red cent of that contract is guaranteed. I'm surprised that Revis' agents would make a deal like that. That certainly eliminates a lot of the risk for the Bucs. The big question is, if Tampa Bay got him to sign a contract like that, why couldn't the Jets when he wanted to stay?

 

[R_of_G]

Another question is this: is any CB, even the best in the league, worth $16 million/per in today's NFL where all the rules favor the offense? I guess it all depends on the details of the contract, especially how much of that money is guaranteed.

Not a penny of the contract is guaranteed. That to me is the ultimate statement about Darrelle Revis. It's become fashionable among NFL fans to call him greedy. There's nothing greedy about a player with a surgically-repaired knee showing that he'll prove on the field he's worth the money.

It also makes it a bit less risky an investment at least financially. If he's clearly not himself, it only costs them $16 mil for this season. Obviously they'd still lose the picks which is bad.

 

[R_of_G]

Talk about high risk/high reward.

Wanna revisit high risk/high reward with the Lions' drafting of Ezekiel Ansah last night? oke

Mike Mayock said of Ansah "in three years he'll be an All-Pro or he'll be on the street." You know I was a big believer in Jason Pierre-Paul having seen him play here at my alma mater. There's no reason to think Ansah can't be coached up to make the transition as well. I'm rooting for him.

Last night was enjoyable to watch as it wasn't as predictable as many recent first rounds have been. Also, the Bucs didn't have a pick last night having traded their pick as part of the Revis deal. Most enjoyable though was that this year I watched the draft on NFL Network instead of ESPN so I could avoid any of Chris Berman's schtick, Adam Schefter's "scoops" and Jon Gruden's "Every Prospect is a First Ballot Hall of Famer" approach to draft coverage.

The Bucs have two picks tonight, the first being the 43rd overall (11th pick in 2nd round). I would be quite pleased to see them take Jonathan Banks (CB, Mississippi State). Even with the addition of Revis, it's a position at which I think the Bucs need more depth. This is a division where they play Drew Brees and Matt Ryan twice. No such thing as too many good DBs for that situation.

That said, at some point today they may well take a pass-rusher to replace Michael Bennett who was last season's team sack leader. The Dominik/Schiano administration has shown it can find solid talent down the draft, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with this time around.

 

[marnold]

Wanna revisit high risk/high reward with the Lions' drafting of Ezekiel Ansah last night? oke

No kidding. Figures they get a high draft pick in a draft which is deep but light at the top end. They wanted one of the OTs, but they were gone. I read they tried to trade down, but they couldn't get anyone to bite. I learned years ago that I know nothing about the draft so it doesn't pay to be too happy or too sad. With Suh and Fairley the stress will not be on him. Obviously he's a physical specimen but who knows if he's a workout warrior or not.

 

[R_of_G]

Obviously he's a physical specimen but who knows if he's a workout warrior or not.

My understanding is that he's more like Jason Pierre-Paul, someone who is freakishly athletic but relatively new to the sport of football than a workout warrior like Vernon Gholston who looks fantastic in the gym or the practice field but can't play a lick of football come game time. Ansah was impressive in the Senior Bowl against offensive linemen of the quality he will see in the pros.

Like you said, with the other components of the Lions' defensive line he won't be under as much pressure to deliver instantly.

 

[marnold]

If he gets close to JPP, I'd be more than happy.

 

[R_of_G]

If he gets close to JPP, I'd be more than happy.

Certainly the best pro USF has produced to date.

 

[R_of_G]

The Bucs have two picks tonight, the first being the 43rd overall (11th pick in 2nd round). I would be quite pleased to see them take Jonathan Banks (CB, Mississippi State). Even with the addition of Revis, it's a position at which I think the Bucs need more depth. This is a division where they play Drew Brees and Matt Ryan twice. No such thing as too many good DBs for that situation.

And with the 43rd pick the Bucs did take Banks. I'm very happy.

 

[R_of_G]

And with their other pick last night (#73 overall) the Bucs selected Mike Glennon (QB-NCSt).

I'm not sure how to feel about that pick. I'm not entirely against the idea of having a developmental QB in the system. I watched very little ACC ball last season and know virtually nothing about Glennon except that he's very tall (6'7"). There were at least three or four QBs ahead of him on most prospect rating charts I'd seen, but that means almost nothing.

Nothing against the kid but ultimately I still hope Josh Freeman continues to develop into the franchise QB I believe he can be. Then I won't have to learn anything about Glennon except that he's the really tall dude with the clipboard.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I have been watching the Seahawks picks, and have generally, on the surface, been pleased. Will look a little closer and report back on what I think upon further analysis later this weekend.

 

[R_of_G]

I'm pleased overall with the Bucs' draft. Time will tell whether or not these guys make good pros, but the team addressed the positions I thought were in need of adding depth and competition. Now I put my hopes in the coaching staff to prepare these guys for the transition and the players themselves to put in the work.

One note on another fretters' team... I thought the Eagles had a pretty strong draft, though that will be one circus-like QB situation to watch unfold. Besides, Chip Kelly's offense may be the second chance Vick needs to get the starting role back but new offense or not, nobody is delusional enough to think Vick is playing 16 games. They need a strong backup.

 

[piebaldpython]

One note on another fretters' team... I thought the Eagles had a pretty strong draft, though that will be one circus-like QB situation to watch unfold. Besides, Chip Kelly's offense may be the second chance Vick needs to get the starting role back but new offense or not, nobody is delusional enough to think Vick is playing 16 games. They need a strong backup.

hehe.....We got a big OT from Oklahoma in the first round...that made sense. Why they took QB Barkley from USC is beyond me? We have Vick and Foules and some other guy. What we need is big OL guys, because without them, we might go through a QB a week. We're trying to give Chip Kelly some slack.......but a pick like Barkley gets us to wonderin'....if he's as dopey as the guy he replaced. Speaking of Andy Reid, the Iggles play the Chiefs in the 3rd week of the season.

I admit that I don't follow the draft and all of that stuff.....what I find out is just by chance.

 

[R_of_G]

hehe.....We got a big OT from Oklahoma in the first round...that made sense. Why they took QB Barkley from USC is beyond me? We have Vick and Foules and some other guy. What we need is big OL guys, because without them, we might go through a QB a week. We're trying to give Chip Kelly some slack.......but a pick like Barkley gets us to wonderin'....if he's as dopey as the guy he replaced. Speaking of Andy Reid, the Iggles play the Chiefs in the 3rd week of the season.

I admit that I don't follow the draft and all of that stuff.....what I find out is just by chance.

On the contrary, the Barkley pick should show you that Kelly knows what he's doing. He knows very well Vick is not at all durable and not getting any younger. Kelly didn't draft Foles so there's no reason to expect him to have any faith in him at all. Barkley on the other hand is someone Kelly recruited for Oregon and then faced for four years. With a new coach and offense, the time to start a developmental QB is now. They weren't going to find a better one than Barkley with that pick. Of all the QB picks in this draft, that was one of the few that actually made sense.

 

[piebaldpython]

On the contrary, the Barkley pick should show you that Kelly knows what he's doing. He knows very well Vick is not at all durable and not getting any younger. Kelly didn't draft Foles so there's no reason to expect him to have any faith in him at all. Barkley on the other hand is someone Kelly recruited for Oregon and then faced for four years. With a new coach and offense, the time to start a developmental QB is now. They weren't going to find a better one than Barkley with that pick. Of all the QB picks in this draft, that was one of the few that actually made sense.

OK....I see your point here....maybe he does know what he's doing. lol That said, Foules performed pretty well last season under pressure in the NFL. So at the very least he's battle-tested and ought to be given an edge over Barkley at the outset.

 

[R_of_G]

That said, Foules performed pretty well last season under pressure in the NFL. So at the very least he's battle-tested and ought to be given an edge over Barkley at the outset.

He performed pretty well in someone else's offense which pretty much levels the field again between he and Barkley. Unless they already plan on trading Foles (also not the worst idea in the world to do now while he has value) I suspect Kelly will give him a fair look in training camp to see exactly what they have in him.

Overall, I just think it's wise that the Eagles look to the post-Vick era sooner rather than later. He can barely sustain consistency for 12 games a season. It shows the team is thinking long term.

 

[R_of_G]

NOTE: We don't have to (nor should we probably) discuss the political aspects of this news item, but its existence is newsworthy with respect to the NFL (and certainly to my team.)

Yesterday, Senator John McCain introduced a bill dealing with "bundling" of cable broadcast services and such. In that bill is a provision that would ban television blackouts of professional sporting events which take place in stadiums that were built with public funding (federal, state, or local). As the Bucs are frequent victims of the blackout policy, and Raymond James Stadium was built primarily on funding from a one cent tax initiative, this story is one to follow for me.

 

[piebaldpython]

Without knowing anything about this stuff........it seems like a no-brainer of a bill and I hope it passes. I always hated that blackout crap.

 

[R_of_G]

Without knowing anything about this stuff........it seems like a no-brainer of a bill and I hope it passes. I always hated that blackout crap.

Alas, the blackout ban part is but one minor sub-section of the overall bill (that happens to be of interest to NFL fans). I'm first reading up now on the bulk of the proposed legislation to see what it's actually all about and what its chances are for passage. Of course, even if it should become law, there's no saying what the NFL legal department will do to challenge its application.

 

[R_of_G]

R.I.P. Deacon Jones

As you've probably read or heard by now, NFL legend Deacon Jones passed away yesterday.

I'm too young to have seen Jones play in his time, in fact, my first memory of Deacon Jones was when he guested on The Brady Bunch and told Peter that he wasn't a canary for being in the Glee Club. Then my dad explained to me who Deacon Jones was.

The film speaks for itself (though it speaks far better with the sound off because the music seems more suited for a training sequence in a Jean Claude Van Damme movie).

 

[marnold]

I'm just barely old enough to remember him playing. One of the best ever.

 

[piebaldpython]

I remember him seeing him play on TV lots of times in the 60s-early 70s. He was a great player, super quick for his size and he had this Head Slap move that he used very effectively on offensive linemen. IIRC, he would slap the helmet right at the ear hole and that would serve to disorient the opponent.

 

[R_of_G]

I remember him seeing him play on TV lots of times in the 60s-early 70s. He was a great player, super quick for his size and he had this Head Slap move that he used very effectively on offensive linemen. IIRC, he would slap the helmet right at the ear hole and that would serve to disorient the opponent.

Watching some of that tape, I'm surprised the head slap didn't separate the offensive linemen's heads from their shoulders.

 

[piebaldpython]

Yeah, well now you can see why that move was eventually banned as being too dangerous. The "pressure" generated by a forceful head slap over the earhole of the helmet could be damaging. I think the medical community did testing on just that issue and that in a large part is what got the move banned.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I remember that Brady Bunch episode. I was a little kid at the time, but I watched them in primetime. Also remember Namath being on. I don't recall actually watching him play, though I am sure I did watch a game at some point with my Dad or Grandfather.

 

[R_of_G]

Yeah, well now you can see why that move was eventually banned as being too dangerous. The "pressure" generated by a forceful head slap over the earhole of the helmet could be damaging. I think the medical community did testing on just that issue and that in a large part is what got the move banned.

Oh I can definitely see why they banned it. I'm still surprised some of those guys got back up.

I remember that Brady Bunch episode. I was a little kid at the time, but I watched them in primetime. Also remember Namath being on.

Which of course all led to this very valuable lesson about vapor lock...

I also remember Don Drysdale dropping by the Brady home to give someone advice on how to pitch (Greg maybe?) It sure was nice of those LA-based athletes to show up and boost the Brady kids' confidence.

 

[R_of_G]

Temporarily lifted my "No ESPN except for live sports" ban to see how NFL Live was remembering Deacon Jones and I got the perfect reminder of why I stopped watching ESPN except for live sports.

They were discussing the question of "most feared pass rusher" in the game today. Now, ignore for just a second how meaningless that question is to begin with, and let's pretend there actually is a way to uniformly quantify and measure fear.

The participants in the discussion were Cris Carter, Darren Woodson and Jason Taylor. Anyone see the problem I have yet?

If you said "none of them played QB or offensive line" you're correct.

I'm not sure why ESPN thinks a WR, a safety and a defensive end make for an authoritative panel on the subject. Why not ask a panel of kickers, punters and long snappers who's the toughest slot receiver to cover?

 

[Tig]

Tim Tebow to sign with New England Patriots, play QB
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000210586/article/tim-tebow-to-new-england-patriots

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I am pretty excited about how the Seahawks seem to be shaping up. I am just going to ignore all the Tebow noise. SF will be extremely tough in the Seahawks division. It will be interesting to see how it all goes.