2023 NFL Discussion

[dgambill]

21 hours ago, 13th&Jackson said:

Here's a fun stat. Season point differential:

Buffalo +194

NE +159

KC +116

Colts +86

Cinci +84

Tenn +65

Pitt -55

LV -65

There are no moral victories....a close loss is still a L....and lose enough of those and you will be sitting at home in the playoffs.

[dgambill]

18 hours ago, OGIUAndy said:

Seems like he (Flores) was butting heads with everyone though. Coaching is only part of the equation, if you can't get along with others, nobody will want to coach or play for you. I think of all the openings, the Bears will be the most interesting to watch. 

I didn't see any players not want to play for him....actually seems like his players played VERY HARD for him. I get what you are saying but the GM and front office was undermining his team by floating all these rumors about getting rid of your starting QB all season....the front office sewed the seeds of division and Flores overcame them imo.....but I don't own the Dophins...imo Flores is very similar to Tomlin....I think players like him and respect him....difference is Pittsburgh backs their coach and Dolphins don't.

[3Ballin]

10 hours ago, KoB2011 said:

Pretty sure the Colts have top 10 salary cap space, and if they cut Wentz it would be like top 5. 

If the Colts cut Wentz, they would have to LOVE what they have with Ellinger (sp?) because I dont think you can get rid of him without having THE guy locked up and unless Aaron Rogers is comming to Indy Im not sure if there is going to be anyone available better than what the Colts have already in Wentz.....which is part of the problem. 

[OGIUAndy]

10 minutes ago, dgambill said:

I didn't see any players not want to play for him....actually seems like his players played VERY HARD for him. I get what you are saying but the GM and front office was undermining his team by floating all these rumors about getting rid of your starting QB all season....the front office sewed the seeds of division and Flores overcame them imo.....but I don't own the Dophins...imo Flores is very similar to Tomlin....I think players like him and respect him....difference is Pittsburgh backs their coach and Dolphins don't.

He also didn’t get along with Tua. I’m just saying what’s been reported. 

[btownqb]

24 minutes ago, dgambill said:

There are no moral victories....a close loss is still a L....and lose enough of those and you will be sitting at home in the playoffs.

Colts have fans that thought we were winning the SB this year. OL plays that poorly, it's irrelevant who QB1 is. 

[FritzIam4IU]

So far the Bears have requested to interview for head coach:

Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay DC)

Brian Daboll (Bills OC)

Leslie Frazier (Bills DC)

Nathaniel Hackett Packers OC)

Bryon Leftwich (Tampa Bay OC)

Doug Pederson

Matt Eberflus (Colts DC)

Brian Flores

Dan Quinn (Cowboys DC)

GM Candidates:

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Browns VP)

Morocco Brown (Colts director of scouting)

Glenn Cook (Browns VP)

Rick Smith (former Texans GM)

Jeff Ireland (Assistant GM/College scouting director for Saints)

Ed Dodds (Colts VP)

Ran Carthon (49ers Director of player personnel)

Joe Schoen (Bills assistant GM)

Omar Khan (Steelers VP)

Eliot Wolf (Patriots Director of Scouting)

I personally am excited to see Rick Smith on that list as he would be my #1 pick, with the caveat that I would gladly take Ireland if it meant Harbaugh as head coach (some reports suggest he is the GM most likely to lure Harbaugh to Bears). I like Dodds as well.

For head coach, I really want them to interview Flores and obviously Harbaugh.

Edited January 12, 2022 by FritzIam4IU

[13th&Jackson]

26 minutes ago, dgambill said:

There are no moral victories....a close loss is still a L....and lose enough of those and you will be sitting at home in the playoffs.

Exactly. TN got the top seed by being only +65, versus Colts (out of playoffs) at +86. TN also did that without Derrick Henry, plus lots of other injuries (saw that they played a league high 86 players this year), but Vrabel is a better coach than Reich. 

[rico]

The "old" Bear fan in me yearns for Harbaugh.

[rico]

1 minute ago, 13th&Jackson said:

Exactly. TN got the top seed by being only +65, versus Colts (out of playoffs) at +86. TN also did that without Derrick Henry, plus lots of other injuries (saw that they played a league high 86 players this year), but Vrabel is a better coach than Reich. 

Good/great teams find a way to win.  That is all that matters.

[dgambill]

47 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Colts have fans that thought we were winning the SB this year. OL plays that poorly, it's irrelevant who QB1 is. 

I must be out of touch with most Colts fans down here in Florida. I thought we had a great shot to win our division and make the playoffs but it was all going to come down to if Reich/Wentz could get back to old Philly Reich/Wentz. I didn't think we would be real SB contenders unless we just got hot in the playoffs or something. As good as our defense could be and as good as our running game is...it was going to come down to can we get Wentz to play at a high level or not. However, Wentz is like a mirror of our coach. Both can be really good but it seems when the big games/moments come along....decision making get's very questionable. Seems like the big moments I really don't feel comfortable with either at the helm. Now they are both still relatively young/new at their roles and they can get better...but like I said...you only get so many opportunities...there are no moral victories. There is no guarantee the roster will continue to get better or stay healthy at key positions like on the OL or with Taylor etc. So we need to make the most of the opportunities we have...and we just didn't do that this year.

[btownqb]

56 minutes ago, 13th&Jackson said:

Exactly. TN got the top seed by being only +65, versus Colts (out of playoffs) at +86. TN also did that without Derrick Henry, plus lots of other injuries (saw that they played a league high 86 players this year), but Vrabel is a better coach than Reich. 

I've never seen a luckier franchise, and in back to back years, at that. 

[Seeking6]

59 minutes ago, FritzIam4IU said:

So far the Bears have requested to interview for head coach:

Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay DC)

Brian Daboll (Bills OC)

Leslie Frazier (Bills DC)

Nathaniel Hackett Packers OC)

Bryon Leftwich (Tampa Bay OC)

Doug Pederson

Matt Eberflus (Colts DC)

GM Candidates:

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Browns VP)

Morocco Brown (Colts director of scouting)

Glenn Cook (Browns VP)

Rick Smith (former Texans GM)

Jeff Ireland (Assistant GM/College scouting director for Saints)

Ed Dodds (Colts VP)

 

I personally am excited to see Rick Smith on that list as he would be my #1 pick, with the caveat that I would gladly take Ireland if it meant Harbaugh as head coach (some reports suggest he is the GM most likely to lure Harbaugh to Bears). I like Dodds as well.

For head coach, I really want them to interview Flores and obviously Harbaugh.

Call me crazy but I think it would make sense to have the GM first who in turn hires the coach....but that's just me. 

This is why Pace and Nagy should have been fired a month ago so you can take a well thought approach. Not haphazzard and rushed. 

[FritzIam4IU]

11 minutes ago, Seeking6 said:

Call me crazy but I think it would make sense to have the GM first who in turn hires the coach....but that's just me. 

This is why Pace and Nagy should have been fired a month ago so you can take a well thought approach. Not haphazzard and rushed. 

They better not screw it up and hire a coach first unless they are hiring a Harbaugh.

I have read that they are interviewing as many as 12 GM candidates for the position. I'm assuming they are zooming with them for the first round of interviews, otherwise that is going to take forever.

You have any specific GM/coaches you are rooting for?

[Seeking6]

4 minutes ago, FritzIam4IU said:

They better not screw it up and hire a coach first unless they are hiring a Harbaugh.

I have read that they are interviewing as many as 12 GM candidates for the position. I'm assuming they are zooming with them for the first round of interviews, otherwise that is going to take forever.

You have any specific GM/coaches you are rooting for?

I'm a Louis Riddick guy personally. Otherwise if they want to cherry pick one of Ballard's guys from the Colts that would be fine with me too. Colts roster construction, picks who hit rate, and honestly cap space is something I'd love to have. Will have to catch up later. Need to go get my miles in and work off all the beer from last night! 

[KoB2011]

1 hour ago, 3Ballin said:

If the Colts cut Wentz, they would have to LOVE what they have with Ellinger (sp?) because I dont think you can get rid of him without having THE guy locked up and unless Aaron Rogers is comming to Indy Im not sure if there is going to be anyone available better than what the Colts have already in Wentz.....which is part of the problem. 

My post was about our ability to fix holes, I think most people would agree Wentz was a big hole. 

I don't see a scenario where they think Ellinger is an option, but they can go all in and get an elite option like the Rams did or they can keep farting around in no mans land. 

[KoB2011]

1 hour ago, btownqb said:

Colts have fans that thought we were winning the SB this year. OL plays that poorly, it's irrelevant who QB1 is. 

We had a top 3 o-line, one bad game doesn't change that. A QB1 that can't pass for 200 yards is detrimental to your health. 

I know you're the QB defender and always want to say it's anyone but the QBs fault, but Wentz was atrocious. There's no way around that. 

[KoB2011]

1 hour ago, rico said:

Good/great teams find a way to win.  That is all that matters.

And the Colts don't find ways to win. That goes back to two men - NE built a dynasty by having two men in those spots that just know how to win close games, and the Colts currently have two boys in those spots that have a track record of being losers in close games and when it matters. 

[dgambill]

1 hour ago, 3Ballin said:

If the Colts cut Wentz, they would have to LOVE what they have with Ellinger (sp?) because I dont think you can get rid of him without having THE guy locked up and unless Aaron Rogers is comming to Indy Im not sure if there is going to be anyone available better than what the Colts have already in Wentz.....which is part of the problem. 

Yeah the Colts won't have any cap space if they make a move for a big time free agent/trade for qb. I doubt they have the capital nor the stomach to do either. Wentz contract is basically non-guaranteed the rest of the way. He is locked in for the next several years if you like what you have...but the Colts have basically not cap penalty for cutting him if they find a better option in moving off him. At this point I think Reich/Wentz are tied at the waist. One goes they both go. I think next year will be the make it/break it for that duo in Indy.

[dgambill]

34 minutes ago, btownqb said:

I've never seen a luckier franchise, and in back to back years, at that. 

I think you make your own luck. It certainly wasn't lucky that Henry went down...but in an AFC that has a bunch of teams that have big highs and lows and is up and down....Tenn just is the model of consistency....they play hard and they typically don't beat themselves. I don't think they will have the fire power to win the AFC...but they are going to be a problem for the Colts in the future because they are going to be there and we are going to have be the thing we aren't...consistent to beat them.

[dwtaylor1055]

March 19th, this is an important date.  Wentz is due $7 mil bonus.  IF you are cutting ties, needs to be done before this date.  Otherwise your in greater debt if you move on from Wentz after March 19th.  

 

You only move on if you find a better guy at QB.  IF not, ride Wentz out one more year, load up with a top level WR(Allen Robinson moves the needle here just a suggestion) and a playmaking TE(Ertz maybe?) via free agency.  If Wentz still falters with an improved offensive supporting cast, you can cut ties after 2022 season with 0 dead cap.  

Edited January 11, 2022 by dwtaylor1055

[Steubenhoosier]

28 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

My post was about our ability to fix holes, I think most people would agree Wentz was a big hole. 

I don't see a scenario where they think Ellinger is an option, but they can go all in and get an elite option like the Rams did or they can keep farting around in no mans land. 

I am with you in my concern over Wentz. If Seattle lets Carroll go, I would make a hard run at Russ. Bring him here with Taylor and the offense improves immensely

[Billingsley99]

1 minute ago, Steubenhoosier said:

I am with you in my concern over Wentz. If Seattle lets Carroll go, I would make a hard run at Russ. Bring him here with Taylor and the offense improves immensely

I am with you but what capital do the Colts have to make it work. I just dont see a better option out there. I think it is Wentz or bust 

[rico]

4 minutes ago, Billingsley99 said:

I am with you but what capital do the Colts have to make it work. I just dont see a better option out there. I think it is Wentz or bust 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/what-is-carson-wentzs-future-with-the-colts-examining-the-qbs-contract-after-sour-end-to-2021/

[dwtaylor1055]

3 minutes ago, Billingsley99 said:

I am with you but what capital do the Colts have to make it work. I just dont see a better option out there. I think it is Wentz or bust 

Unless you intend to give up 3 1st rd picks and maybe include Wentz as a filler I don't see an upgrade that doesn't cost an arm and a leg(Watson/Rodgers/Wilson).  No Kirk Cousins isn't an upgrade either imo.  

[IUFLA]

2 hours ago, FritzIam4IU said:

So far the Bears have requested to interview for head coach:

Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay DC)

Brian Daboll (Bills OC)

Leslie Frazier (Bills DC)

Nathaniel Hackett Packers OC)

Bryon Leftwich (Tampa Bay OC)

Doug Pederson

Matt Eberflus (Colts DC)

GM Candidates:

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Browns VP)

Morocco Brown (Colts director of scouting)

Glenn Cook (Browns VP)

Rick Smith (former Texans GM)

Jeff Ireland (Assistant GM/College scouting director for Saints)

Ed Dodds (Colts VP)

 

I personally am excited to see Rick Smith on that list as he would be my #1 pick, with the caveat that I would gladly take Ireland if it meant Harbaugh as head coach (some reports suggest he is the GM most likely to lure Harbaugh to Bears). I like Dodds as well.

For head coach, I really want them to interview Flores and obviously Harbaugh.

My question for people who are more in tune with the NFL than I am, is, which of these candidates would be the best for Justin Fields growth as a QB? 

I'm not high on Harbaugh, and I know nothing about any of the GM candidates, so no comment their...

But, my money is on the McCaskeys screwing up both hires by going cheap, and another 4 years of mediocrity...