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NFL/NCAAF Thread: We don't huddle anymore in our society.

Det. Viper

That’s Detective Viper to you
The NFL Draft starts Aril 25th. Hopefully the Lions draft smart. Their primary concerns need to be offensive line and defense. We shall see how this goes. With their prior drafting history, I wouldn't be surprised if they waste their first round pick on somebody pointless.....
We’re also in need of a better offensive line for the Vikings. Cousins was the most pressured quarterback this past season and that needs to be remedied. I’m hoping to see them get back to the playoffs this year. Also, I feel your pain on the first round pointless picks... (see Laquon Treadwell)
 

GrizzlyB

Confused and Dazed
The NFL Draft starts Aril 25th. Hopefully the Lions draft smart. Their primary concerns need to be offensive line and defense. We shall see how this goes. With their prior drafting history, I wouldn't be surprised if they waste their first round pick on somebody pointless.....

I don't know what the Lions' needs really were, but it's kind of funny that they didn't take one OL. I'm also pissed that they took Hockenson, who was reported to be the Broncos' choice if he was there at #10. They should've taken Devin Bush instead, because then he could stay in-state, and they wouldn't have to embarrass themselves by taking Jahlani Tavai at #43. I'm not sure what he actually does well, and I had him well into day 3 range. Hockenson is a probable All-Pro though.

Other Lions picks I watched:
-Austin Bryant, didn't like him. Has long arms, but doesn't have the quicks to be an effective rusher, either getting off the snap or turning the corner. Has tweener size, too, so I pegged him as a strongside DE in a 4-3, which I understand the Lions run, but he's not as good holding up against the run as you'd hope.
-Amani Oruwariye, one of my favorite CBs in the draft (though it was a terrible group), probably a big steal. He probably doesn't have elite man skills, but he moves pretty well for 6'2" and makes plays on the ball, so if they're smart about how they deploy him he'll probably be a starter sooner rather than later.
-Travis Fulgham, he's a weird one. Big WR who's a good blocker (against really low competition, though) and doesn't run fast, but he's also got really good body control and might surprise as a route runner. Iffy hands, I think.
-Isaac Nauta, eh. Undersized receiving TE. People said he ran slower than expected, but he never looked that fast in the first place, and he'll probably play faster than he timed. Good routes coming out, and I never saw him drop anything, but I think it'll be hard to get him on the field when he's not a great inline blocker and not as good a receiver as a real slot WR. Worse ways to spend a 7th, but I think Caleb Wilson at least has a higher ceiling as a receiver.

We’re also in need of a better offensive line for the Vikings. Cousins was the most pressured quarterback this past season and that needs to be remedied. I’m hoping to see them get back to the playoffs this year. Also, I feel your pain on the first round pointless picks... (see Laquon Treadwell)

Supposedly they were really locked in on Bradbury the whole time, which I don't get. He's got the best movement skills on reach/scoop blocks that maybe I've ever seen, and they're switching to a predominantly stretch-zone scheme, but he's a cut below the other top centers in pass pro, which is kind of a big deal when you're taking one of the most undervalued positions with a top 20 pick. I thought for sure he'd go later, but what do I know. Anyway, because I watched almost 200 prospects, here are my unsolicited opinions on the guys I watched who the Vikings drafted:

-Irv Smith Jr., basically the better version of Isaac Nauta. Not really a true TE, more of an H-back who can run and catch well, and can handle LBs or DBs in blocking, but I wouldn't man him up on a DE. I didn't love him, but if they've got a role in mind for him, he could be good (Kubiak kept an H-back for multiple years in James Casey... but he never did much, imo).
-Cameron Smith, true MIKE without a lot of range. I think he's underrated in coverage, as long as he's limited to zone and not chasing RBs down the field. Really lacking in athleticism beyond his big frame, but I think he's one of those LBs who just finds his way to the ball.
-Armon Watts, I actually liked a lot in the later rounds or UDFA. He's inconsistent because sometimes he'll jump off the snap and knife through the LOS, but other times he just stands up, turns sideways, and lets blockers have their way with him. I also hate 4-point stances. I think coaching will be key with him if he can develop or not.
-Oli Udoh, pure upside. Sometimes he looks like a generic FCS slappy, and sometimes he looks like Jason Peters. You rarely see guys with his size and his speed. I think this was a bad team for him to be drafted to tbh, because I don't love his fit in a stretch scheme and I don't think Dennison has a good track record on the OL.
-Kris Boyd, another weird evaluation. He has to get his hands on WRs, for sure. In space, he tends to waste steps and can't close quickly if the pass is coming his way and there's any separation between him and the WR. I'm stuck between thinking he would be good in a cover 3 and thinking he should move to safety, but I like him a lot as a 7th round pick.
-Dillon Mitchell, I just wrote "no". Good speed, bad hands. He probably should have gone back to school. Maybe he can be a plus STer, but I didn't like him as a prospect.
-I didn't watch Alexander Mattison, Marcus Epps, Olabisi Johnson, or Austin Cutting, but drafting four guys from the Mountain West is super-weird, and proof to me that Kubiak had an outsized influence on this draft (he loves that conference, and CSU in particular, for some reason).
 

Hunter Zolomon

Into the Shadows
Staff member
Moderator
The NFL preseason just started up. When it comes to the Detroit Lions I never have much hope for them for obvious reasons. Hopefully they have a decent season at least.

I look forward to seeing how the Browns do with that revamped team. They should be good.

College Football is almost here as well.
 

Pikachu Fan Number Nine

Don't Mess wit Texas
I hope that this year is a coming-out party for Northern college football.

I know Alabama will probably make the playoff again but the rest of the field should be ND, Syracuse and a B1G team. The B1G has several contenders.
 

Bolt the Cat

Bringing the Thunder
I really like what the Ravens have done this offseason, DeCosta's made a lot of refreshing changes to the roster and some pretty savvy moves. He's really put an emphasis on surrounding Lamar Jackson with playmakers, especially at WR which has been a revolving door of veteran castoffs and late round picks. We haven't drafted a WR before the 4th round since 2015 despite it being a constant need and this year we drafted two of them. This offense may be the most exciting the Ravens have ever fielded.

Also, getting a 5th rounder for Kaare Vedvik only to have the Vikings cut him was a thing of beauty (although that really speaks more to the Vikings' incompetence but still, getting a 5th for basically nothing is pretty sweet). If only we could've put him back on the Practice Squad and traded him again LOL (sadly he signed with the Jets).
 

Nodqfan

Well-Known Member
Word is Antonio Brown is gonna be suspended by the Raiders after an altercation with GM Mike Mayock.

As a fan of the Raiders, I'm so done with the Antonio Brown drama, he's a talented player but he's not worth the headache.
 

bobjr

You ask too many questions
Staff member
Moderator
Vince McMahon spent 100 million to remake the XFL as some edgy NFL knockoff, and this Antonio Brown thing is impossible to top. It's great.
 

Pikachu Fan Number Nine

Don't Mess wit Texas
Nebraska is playing at Colorado today.

This used to be played on Black Friday during the Big 12 era.
 

Genos

The Indigo Disk
Rams season begins tomorrow. I hope we can repeat our last season but with a victory on the biggest game.

As for USC, I don't think we'll compete this year. I'm thinking our head coach will be fired before/after the game against ND.

EDIT: Trojans sure surprised me tonight. I sincerely hope this continues, I'm liking this new QB.
 
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Bolt the Cat

Bringing the Thunder
O__O

Wow. Just wow. That Ravens/Dolphins game was just unreal.

I know the Dolphins are terribad and this game was probably going to be a blowout, but I wasn't expecting us to beat them THAT badly. Or with a lot of deep bombs for TDs. Who are you and what have you done with the Ravens offense? I've never seen the offense play like that before, and apparently neither has anyone else considering we just broke our franchise record for most points in a game (59).

Like I said before, the Ravens invested a ton in the passing game, and not only does that seem to be paying off, but Lamar Jackson is trying to make a statement that he can throw the ball. And what a statement it is! Anyone want to try claiming he's not a QB now?

But yeah, obviously I don't expect them to score that much on a regular basis, but this offense looks downright scary all the same. I think we could be legitimate SB contenders this year (IDK if we'll win because on the flip side, we seem to have some question marks on defense with the lack of pass rush and losing two of our best CBs, but I think we might go pretty far).
 

Hunter Zolomon

Into the Shadows
Staff member
Moderator
Michigan beat Army in a nail biter. That was way closer than it should have been. Michigan had like 4 turnovers. I'll give Army credit they're a very diciplined team.

The Lions on the other hand tied with the Cardinals. Had they not called that timeout they would have won the game...I'm not thrilled one bit about that. That time out call was very idiotic....

But the Lions should have put the Cardinals away when they had the chance. The Lions are good at blowing leads.
 

ThePokemonmaster11

Well-Known Member
Can anyone explain why I'm a Michigan fan?

Don Brown really messed up by putting Josh Metellus on Hamler. I'm getting tired of losing close games as we let them slip from our fingers.
 

Swordsman4

Well-Known Member
I can't say I understood Harbaugh trying a 58 yard field goal.
 

Det. Viper

That’s Detective Viper to you
Has anybody noticed the huge roll the Minnesota Vikings are on? Four straight wins and the offense is on fire. I don’t think there is an offense that is firing on all cylinders right now like them.


Kirk Cousins. 10:1 TD-INT ratio in the last four weeks. He’s finally taking chances in throwing the ball and letting the receivers make the plays. The play action passes that he’s throwing are absolute gold.


Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. The best receiving duo in the league. Thielen somehow catches almost every pass that goes his way and makes it look easy. While Diggs is able to get a lot of yards after catch and make the play. Fumbles from Diggs have been a problem but they all been a result of a defender just punching the ball out. Overall the two of them are what makes the pass game so great.


Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. Cook leads the league in rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage right now. I see Cook and McCaffrey going back and forth fighting to stay the top rusher for the year. Cook truly makes some defenders look absolutely silly trying to tackle him because he just doesn’t go down. Mattison is an amazing back up who also can make some explosive plays.


Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. Rudolph is showing that he is more than the end-zone threat that we have come to know him as. He’s showing that he is a capable run blocker as well as great receiver that we’ve grown accustomed to. Smith was a steal of a TE that can both run block and receive. Some of the passes that he has caught are unbelievable and he’ll make a great TE1 once Rudolph is done. I see Smith as Viking for his entire career.


Bisi Johnson. This kid can catch. He shows everybody that someone picked in the 7th round can be just as good if not better than a receiver picked in the first. Some refining and he’ll be a great WR3 that Cousins can count on.


CJ Ham is doing what he always does: block for Cook while showing that he is a capable receiver and back as well. Also, Treadwell is showing that he’s not completely useless after all. I know he’s only caught a couple passes so far but I think he’s gonna have one play the second half of the season that will take everyone by surprise.


Here’s to the second half of the season.
 

Pikachu Fan Number Nine

Don't Mess wit Texas
November is almost here. Which means a lot of college football games up the Northern US will be played in chilly conditions.

That to me is real football weather. Teams like Alabama and Clemson need to experience this kind of weather more.
 
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