All posts by rmaccallum

AFC, NFL, San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers: Phillip Rivers Staying Put For Awhile

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One of the big rumors of the 2015 NFL offseason revolved around Phillip Rivers. The 33-year old Chargers quarterback was said to be on the trade block leading up to the NFL draft. While his future was in question, Rivers finally decided his future Saturday night, as he signed a 4-year $83 million extension, with $65 million guaranteed. The contract makes it likely Rivers will retire a Charger. Despite rumors of the team moving to Los Angeles, Rivers decided this team is built to be a Super Bowl contender during the rest of his career, and he won’t have to move his family. In case you didn’t know, Rivers is the anti-Antonio Cromartie, as he has seven kids with his one wife.

As is the norm when a quarterback signs a new contract, everybody freaks out when they see the numbers. The same thing happened with Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, the list goes on. This is a simple supply and demand problem. The supply of capable quarterbacks in the National Football League is limited, while the demand is through the roof. If you can get a good quarterback, you’ve rebuilt your team. The Bills and Texans have great rosters, but they don’t have quarterbacks, and therefore they can’t make the playoffs. The Colts and Patriots have more limited rosters, but they have Tom Brady and Andrew Luck, so they’re contenders every year.

And if you’re really concerned about how much Phillip Rivers is going to make, let’s look at his standing amongst other NFL quarterbacks. Time for a quick tier ranking.

Tier 1 (Can Carry a Weak Roster to the Super Bowl): In no particular order, this tier consists of Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, and Tom Brady

Tier 2 (Can Win a Super Bowl With a Decent Roster, Can Win Games With Bad Teams): Mostly In order, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Rivers, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, and Drew Brees. Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, and Cam Newton might be there, but they have more to prove.

So there you go, Rivers is in a pretty elite class of quarterbacks. It’s hard to argue he’s not at least a top ten quarterback. And by the way, because I know everyone’s going to be outraged by this, Peyton Manning can’t win a Super Bowl anymore. You could see it in the playoff loss last year. His body is too beaten down to play at an elite level for an entire season, and in cold weather he doesn’t have a prayer.

The Chargers could be a sleeper this year. They’re talented offensively, and have a decent defense as well. In a division where the Broncos have taken some hits this offseason, they are a legitimate threat to win the AFC West. The team had a chance to throw it in. They could’ve traded Rivers for a high pick and taken Marcus Mariota and announced to the world they were rebuilding. But they didn’t. And now they’ve signed Rivers for the next four years, and told everybody that they are in it to win it for the next few years.

AFC, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, NFL

Peyton Manning Speaks About Tom Brady

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Tom Brady. Peyton Manning. The two have been linked for seemingly their entire careers. Not only are they the two best quarterbacks of their generation, they’re likely the two best of all time (sorry Joe Montana). It’s been a fun debate. How often do you have the two best at their position playing at the same time? They’re the same age (Manning is 39, Brady 38), and they meet just about every season. The only other time it’s happened in sports is in the NBA, when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson battled it out for an NBA championship every year.

Everybody debates which quarterback is better, it’s an American pastime. Add Tom Brady to those who are a part o the debate. When Brady and the NFLPA filed suit against the NFL for their ruling in deflategate, some of the documents filed were some of Brady’s personal emails. One of the emails leaked was between Brady and a personal friend during the week of the Patriot’s matchup with the Broncos. They were discussing the same thing every football fan loves to debate, Brady vs. Manning. Tom said the difference is going to be that, “[Brady’s] got another 7 or 8 years. [Manning] has 2. That’s the final chapter.”

Yesterday Peyton Manning spoke about it for the first time at Broncos training camp. Manning said, “Hey, Tom sent me an apology text that was unnecessary. The fact his emails got revealed, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.” Manning went on to say, “No harm, no foul, I didn’t think a lot of it. Somebody said I was roasted, I’ve been roasted before and that is not roasted. I haven’t been on a Comedy Central roast, but I’ve been to a couple private dinners and banquets where I didn’t know it was going to turn into a roast of me, but it did. I can promise you that email was amateur night compared to some of the things that were said about me.”

The two are nothing but respectful of each other. Both are ultra-competitive, and you can see here that includes individual competition. If someone were to go into Peyton Manning’s private emails, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to find something similar. That’s not the main takeaway from this instance. The main story is that this should never go public. That’s why people settle cases. When the NFL and NFLPA were first negotiating a settlement, Brady said while he wouldn’t accept any suspension, he would consider accepting a fine. Why would Brady accept a fine if he believed he wasn’t guilty? Isn’t accepting a fine an admittance of guilt? This is why. Paying a fine is getting rid of a headache. It’s getting rid of a long court case. It’s protecting your own privacy.

Here’s the other takeaway most Patriot haters will never admit and don’t want to hear. This is why you destroy your cell phone. What person that’s paid attention to how Roger Goodell has handled his business in recent years would trust the NFL with their private cell phone? Does it look bad that Brady destroyed it? Yes. Is it really an obstruction of evidence? Not really. Brady and his attorneys provided Ted Wells and the NFL with all of the necessary cell phone records. Can you blame him for not wanting his private cell phone to end up in the NFL’s hands? The NFL, who has manipulated the entire deflategate controversy with leaks at calculated times, in order to shape public opinion. While Tom Brady’s personal opinion of Peyton Manning, the real story is the release of personal information, and helps explain some of the actions taken by Brady in his appeal.

AFC, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL: Ted Wells Under Fire Again

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Ted Wells, the “independent” investigator who has become famous/infamous for his report which led to star quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension, is under fire from another former member of the AFC East. Former Miami Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner is suing Wells over his report done on the Dolphin’s bullying scandal a year ago. The report eventually led to Turner being fired.

The scandal occurred mainly between guard Richie Incognito and tackle Jonathan Martin. Incognito was accused of bullying/harassing Martin constantly in the locker room. Turner claims that Wells falsely accused him of creating an environment that allowed bullying and harassment to occur even though Wells knew this was false. Turner also alleges that the NFL hired Wells and his law firm to essentially find a few individuals to blame, while they were well-paid and well-positioned for future NFL cases, as has become evident with Well’s role in Deflategate.

Richie Incognito came out hard against Wells recently as well, saying, “I just think it’s bogus, the whole system in how it’s set up with Roger and the complete, absolute power he has. He has so much power and he hires independent investigators who are obviously not independent. They come in with an agenda and they come in looking to find facts to back up their argument. All the facts are slanted in their favor. Ted Wells came in with a mission against me. Ted Wells came in slanted against me and everything in his report was slanted against me. There were some things in there that would have helped my cause that were left out, [like] teammate testimony, stuff like that. You see that in Brady’s case. There’s a lot of stuff that got left out. There’s a lot of misinformation.”

It’s certainly understandable why Incognito would be so outspoken. The guard was suspended the final eight games of the 2013 season after the bullying scandal, and was a free agent for the entire 2014 season before the Buffalo Bills signed him in February. Turner was fired by the Dolphins in the wake of Well’s report on the issue, and has been unable to find another job in the NFL since. He believes the report has negatively and unfairly affected his reputation and ability to find work since, and possibly forever.

This is now the second instance where a federal lawsuit calls into question whether or not Ted Wells truly worked as an independent investigator for Roger Goodell and the NFL. This is also a big portion of Tom Brady’s lawsuit against the NFL involving Deflategate. As the old saying goes, once is an accident, twice is a trend, three times is a problem. While this is only the second time, it certainly reflects badly on both Ted Wells and the NFL.

NFL

New England Patriots: Pats Make a Series of Roster Moves

Jimmy G at 2015 Training Camp
Jimmy G at 2015 Training Camp

The New England Patriots made a series of roster moves today. They signed two rookie free agents, running back Tony Creecy out of North Carolina State and tight end Logan Stokes out of LSU. In order to make room, they cut tight end Mason Brodine and linebacker Chris White.

These moves aren’t going to raise a lot of eyebrows. Creecy had just over 1200 yards rushing for his entire career at NC State, and Stokes was a blocking tight end at LSU. Stokes was originally signed by the Pats back on June 11, but they cut him a week later. Brodine was a guy who bounced around a lot since coming out of Nebraska-Kearney in 2011, and has spent time with both the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams in addition to the Patriots. He’s played in two NFL games in his career. White was a sixth round draft pick by the Bills out of Mississippi State in 2011, and also spent time with the Lions before coming to New England last year. He was mainly a special teams player, suiting up for 13 games and all three playoff games last season.

The move that will grab people’s attention was at quarterback. The Patriot’s cut Matt Flynn while also signing former Cardinal’s quarterback Ryan Lindley. New England signed Flynn back in June, a move that seemed to be a little extra insurance for Jimmy Garoppolo assuming Tom Brady’s four-game suspension is upheld. Flynn hadn’t passed his physical, as a hamstring injury was holding him back, and Bill Belichick was growing impatient, with the preseason opener on Thursday. As is tradition for the Patriots, Tom Brady is not expected to play at all in the game, and if he does it will be very little. While there’s a chance Flynn could return in the future, Belichick said, “We don’t have forever here; the train is moving.”

Ryan Lindley is most famous for being forced into playing time for an egregious quarterback situation for the Arizona Cardinals after both Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton went down with injuries. Lindley had been drafted by the Cardinals out of San Diego State, but was cut and went to San Diego. The Cardinals resigned him after Palmer went down, and Lindley got the nod over rookie Logan Thomas after Stanton went down. He struggled mightily in relief of Stanton against St. Louis and then the next week against the Seahawks as the starter. The Cardinals looked to start Thomas in Week 17, but a shaky week of practice gave Lindley another shot. He played fairly well in the last regular season contest, but was extremely underwhelming in Carolina for Arizona’s playoff loss.

NFC, NFL, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks: Wilson Finally Agrees to New Deal

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Image from buzzpo.com
Image from buzzpo.com

The Seahawks finally secured their star quarterback today. Russell Wilson signed a 4-year extension worth around $87 million, including $60 million guaranteed. Wilson will now be one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL based on annual salary, and along with Cam Newton, has the third most guaranteed money amongst current quarterback contracts.

Wilson is entering his fourth year in the National Football League. In his three years, he’s taken the Seahawks to the Divisional playoffs, a Super Bowl Championship, and came within one play of winning another Super Bowl. Wilson has won a total of 36 games in his three seasons, all as a starter, which are the most by any quarterback in his first three years in the Super Bowl era.

This has been a busy offseason for the Seahawks as they attempt to keep their young core together. They’ve already locked up Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Doug Baldwin. While Wilson was certainly their primary focus, linebacker Bobby Wagner is entering the last year of his rookie deal as well, and Kam Chancellor is holding out of camp, as he’s unhappy with his current deal. Pass rusher Michael Bennett has also said he’d like a new contract, despite signing a 4-year $28 million at the end of the 2013 season.

There’s one position in this league that is more valuable than any other, and that’s quarterback. A lot of people are bothered by the amount Russell Wilson is going to make compared to other quarterbacks in the league. It doesn’t matter. The Seahawks have to pay him. People need to get over the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship. Wilson played terribly in the NFC Championship. Everybody has a bad game, and he was still able to rally in the second half to pull off the miracle. In the Super Bowl, Wilson wasn’t exceptional, but he played fine, yet people get hung up on the interception that won the game for the Patriots. It wasn’t a bad throw. Malcolm Butler made a great play. Not every interception is the quarterback’s fault. Russell Wilson threw a pass that was in a good spot, but Butler knew what play was coming and jumped the route.

While people focus on those two games, let’s look at the rest of Wilson’s career, which is what the quarterback got paid for. He’s had a completion percentage over 63% every year as a pro. He’s thrown for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns every year. After throwing 10 interceptions his rookie year, that number has gone down each year. Wilson is also a dynamic runner. He averaged over five yards a carry his first two seasons, and over seven yards a carry last season.

Will this contract make it more difficult for the Seahawks to resign those three key defensive players mentioned earlier? Of course. But Seattle should let Chancellor and Wagner pout. They can win games without a good linebacker, and with just one great safety instead of two. But they’re not going to win a lot of games with Tavaris Jackson at quarterback. A lot of fans and media members have labeled Wilson as an average quarterback who benefits from a great roster. He does have a great team around him. But anyone who acts like the Seahawks can put any clown at quarterback and win Super Bowls, think of this. The Buffalo Bills are very similar to the Seahawks. They have a tenacious defense, with Pro Bowlers all over the place. They have a solid running game, and better receivers than Seattle. But anyone who looks at the Bills as a Super Bowl contender with what they have at quarterback is delusional. The Seahawks, on the other hand, are a Super Bowl favorite every year. People don’t want to hear it, but Russell Wilson just got paid, and he absolutely deserves it.

AFC, New York Jets, NFL

New York Jets: More Drama for Richardson

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(NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) in action against the on December 21, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Patriots defeated the Jets 17-16.
(NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) in action against the on December 21, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Patriots defeated the Jets 17-16.

Jet’s defensive end Sheldon Richardson put in a great case for a 2015 Darwin award. Or maybe, instead of calling him an idiot, it’s more fitting to call him immature and irresponsible. The star defensive end was charged with resisting arrest, after a July 14 incident. Wait until you hear what the incident was.

Richardson was drag racing near his home in St. Louis. He was caught going 143 MPH, a fully loaded semi-automatic shotgun was found in his car, the car reportedly reeked of marijuana, and to top it all off, there was a 12-year old child in the car. Oh yeah, and this came twelve days after Richardson was slapped with a four-game PED suspension. The Jets found out about this the same way you and I did, by way of media reports on Thursday. Apparently, “just a speeding ticket,” was not the best way to tell the people who sign his paychecks.

Police say they saw two cars speeding at, “exceedingly high rates of speed,” and suspected a road race. Richardson sped away in his Bentley, out of the sight of police, and hid in the driveway of a random home, turning all of his lights out. The police spotted his brake lights, which had been left on.

Richardson will have to appear in court on October 27. Resisting arrest is a serious crime. It is a Class A misdemeanor in St. Charles County (where the incident occurred), and could be up to a $1,000 fine along with up to a year in prison.

Well-respected ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick had some harsh words for Richardson on Twitter, saying, “DUMB, unappreciative & taking NFL life for granted. Drag Racing. 140+MPH. Weed. 12 yr old kid in car. You deserve to be MORE than suspended.” Jet’s coach Todd Bowles was quoted as saying that the organization will help him, “get help for his problem…It’ll be a good lesson for him. I’m sure his parents are more disappointed than anybody, and he had to stand that. His actions will speak louder than his words going forward.”

The Jet’s first round pick, Leonard Williams, has already replaced Richardson on the first team. This certainly is one of the most troubling cases of the NFL offseason as training camp begins. The situation likely couldn’t have been worse for Richardson, as so many things were wrong with the picture. We’ve seen teams handle these things in different ways. The Patriots tend to cut anyone who steps out of line, regardless of their capabilities on the field. The Jets have chosen to support Richardson, but at the same time make him understand the seriousness of his actions. The NFL has yet to act on this, but it would make sense for Richardson to be given an indefinite suspension until his arraignment October 27. If Sheldon Richardson isn’t a part of the 2015 NFL season and is not a part of Madden 16, at least he’ll have a chance to be a part of GTA VI.

AFC, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL News Dump: Bell’s Suspension Reduced at Same Time Brady’s is Not

Over the last hour, the NFL pulled off perhaps the most impressive news dump. As they announced they were upholding the four-game suspension of legendary quarterback Tom Brady, they slipped in another story about Steeler’s running back Le’Veon Bell.

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The third-year running back was charged with a DUI and marijuana possession in August of last year. The NFL suspended Bell for three games, and Bell appealed. The league finally ruled on Bell’s appeal today, reducing the suspension from three games to two. Bell’s attorneys argued that he was being suspended based on the new drug policy, when the infraction occurred during the old one.

The suspension ensures that Bell will miss opening night in New England and week 2 against San Francisco. Also absent week 1 will be Tom Brady, as it stands, making for an interesting opening night of the NFL season.

Bell will be a central part of what could be the best offense in the NFL this season. The running back burst onto the scene last year, amassing 1361 yards on the ground and another 854 as a receiver. Bell, along with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receivers Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, and tight end Heath Miller, make up perhaps the most impressive band of skill position players in the league.

With Bell’s suspension looming, the Steelers signed D’Angelo Williams to add depth to their backfield. Thank goodness the team had more time to come up with a backup plan this year, as they failed miserably last year. Le’Veon Bell was injured in the final regular season game a year ago, and that forced him to miss Pittsburgh’s playoff game against the Ravens. The Steelers panicked and signed free agent running back Ben Tate during the week leading up to the game. Tate combined with Josh Harris and Dri Archer to form a far from formidable Steelers backfield, and those three combined for a measly 43 yards on just 15 carries.

The St. Louis Rams are the big losers in this, as they face off against the Steelers in week 3. Bell goes into the season as arguably the best running back in the NFL, both as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield.

Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, NFL

NFL News Dump: League Hands Down Multiple Suspensions

Today was suspension Friday in the NFL, as Roger Goodell handed down three different suspensions. Chief’s cornerback Sean Smith, Bronco’s defensive end Derek Wolfe, and Viking’s cornerback Jabari Price were all given some sort of suspension today.

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) covers Denver Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer (14) as the ball falls incomplete during the second quarter on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/TNS)
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) covers Denver Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer (14) as the ball falls incomplete during the second quarter on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/TNS)

Sean Smith was suspended three games for a DUI, which he pled guilty to in April. Smith is a first time offender, which is designated for a two-game suspension by the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, but the policy does leave some wiggle room for special circumstances like property damage. Smith struck and broke a light pole, which is what led to him getting caught, and added an extra game to the suspension. Smith is just one of many cornerbacks the Chiefs have, and it should not be a huge blow to the team.

during a 2015 AFC Divisional Playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 11, 2015 in Denver, Colorado.
during a 2015 AFC Divisional Playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 11, 2015 in Denver, Colorado.

Derek Wolfe was suspended four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Wolfe, a former second round pick, gave the standard player-suspended-for-PED-use answer, saying he didn’t realize what he was taking was on the banned substance list, ho hum. Wolfe is one of three defensive ends that looked to be in the Broncos rotation as they transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4, along with Vance Walker and Malik Jackson. Of course, the Broncos have plenty of pass rushers at outside linebacker, such as Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and first round draft pick Shane Ray.

<> at Ford Field on December 14, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan.
<> at Ford Field on December 14, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan.

Jabari Price, much like Smith, was suspended two games after pleading guilty to a DWI in April. Price is entering his second year in the NFL, and was a seventh round draft pick in 2014. He is primarily a special teams player.

Adam Schefter reported all three suspensions on Twitter today, in three separate tweets. In the last two, he also mentioned that on suspension Friday, there was still no Brady news. It shows you what NFL fans are looking for right now. The NFL can dump all theses irrelevant suspensions right now, and no one will care. Famous Boston sports fan Bill Simmons put everything into perspective on Twitter, saying, “AFC Title Game: 1/18, Wells Report: 5/6, Brady Suspension: 5/11, NFLPA Appeal: 5/14, Brady/Goodell meeting: 6/23, Today’s date: 7/24 27 WEEKS.” You can see why the NFL is king; they know how to control their news. They don’t want a bunch of suspensions to be a big deal, so they’ve dragged deflategate out for 27 weeks, giving them a 27-week news dump period.

NFC, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles: Tim Tebow Possibly Starting a QB Controversy in Philly

Imagine for a second that we lived in an alternative universe where every NFL coach would welcome HBO’s Hard Knocks series behind their closed curtains and give them all-access to the team’s daily ins and outs. Now, in that world, is there a single team you want on Hard Knocks more than the 2015 Eagles? After having the most interesting offseason in years, the team has not one, but four interesting quarterbacks on their roster. The presumed starter, former Heisman-trophy winner Sam Bradford, who’s missed the last two seasons with injuries. The likely backup (though possible starter), the beautiful Mark Sanchez, who had a once-promising career thrown down the toilet by Rex Ryan, then showed signs of rejuvenation when taking over for injured Nick Foles in Philly last season. Then you have Matt Barkley, who probably would’ve been the number one pick in the draft had he left USC after his junior year, but instead had a shaky senior year and plummeted to fourth round where he looks to never be a starting quarterback. And finally, you have one of the most pulverizing figures in the history of football: Tim Tebow.

during a game at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
during a game at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The initial momentum for Tebow has all but died since his career went down the drain with the Jets. But two days ago, inquistir.com reported that Tebow could be at the heart of a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia. Seriously, you can read the story here: http://www.inquisitr.com/2273993/philadelphia-eagles-rumors-tim-tebow-could-be-poised-to-become-the-breakout-star-of-training-camp/ The article suggests that Tebow could not only beat out Barkley for the third string job, but may challenge for legitimate playing time.

I was and am as big of a Tebow fan as any. I’ve always liked college football just a little more than the NFL, and Tebowmania in 2011 was the closest the NFL ever felt like to college for me. Whether you supported him or hated him, the one thing you have to admit about the 2011 Tim Tebow ride is this: it was fun. I also think that Chip Kelly was smart to sign Tebow, and I think Kelly is the most innovative mind in the NFL. But Chip Kelly didn’t sign Tim Tebow to be his starting quarterback.

Generated by IJG JPEG Library
Generated by IJG JPEG Library

There’s a place for Tebow in this league, but it’s as a situational specialist. On 3rd and goal from the 3, I’d love to have a 6’3 bowling ball that has quarterback skills behind center. But using him as a short-yardage specialist is different than building your team around him. Bill Belichick has used guys because they do one thing really well all the time. Shane Vereen only caught passes out of the backfield. He uses guys like LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray against teams with a bad run defense (the Colts) and then locks them in a closet for the rest of the season. Chip Kelly is an offensive genius and can certainly find a place for a player of Tebow’s skill set in his system. Maybe Tebow’s improved. I hope he has, I’m rooting for him. But the only quarterback controversy in Philadelphia right now is whether or not Bradford can make it through the entire season healthy.

AFC, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, NFC, NFL

NFL Stars Ink New Deals

Generated by IJG JPEG Library
Generated by IJG JPEG Library

Wednesday  was the deadline for all player’s given the franchise tag to sign a long-term deal.

The deadline came and went yesterday, and when the dust settled all major players aside from Jason Pierre-Paul signed. Justin Houston, a pass rusher for the Kansas City Chiefs, signed a six-year $101 million deal, the biggest contract for a linebacker in NFL history.

The two deals that everyone is more interested in are for the two wide receivers, Dallas’s Dez Bryant and Denver’s Demariyus Thomas. Both signed nearly identical five-year $70 million deals, Bryant’s with $45 million guaranteed, Thomas’s with $43.5 million guaranteed. There were four observations I had from what went down wednesday.

The first observation I had is this: I told you so. Here’s something I wrote on Monday after Dez Bryant threatened to sit out games: https://goallinegazette.com/2015/07/13/dallas-cowboys-dez-bryant-threatens-to-sit-out-games/

Bryant’s threat proved to be empty. The Cowboys were able to sign him for $2 million less a year than Calvin Johnson, even though Bryant had better production last season. Like I said Monday, deadlines have a way of making both sides more reasonable, and that’s just what happened today. The Cowboys have their top receiver locked up for his prime years now.

461349044-demaryius-thomas-of-the-denver-broncos-wait-gettyimagesThe second observation was the fact that the two deals for Dez and Demariyus were nearly identical. Both teams were in similar situations. They had two top talents at the wide receiver position. They wanted to sign both to long-term deals. They also both wanted to be cautious about how much they paid each, because both have young talent that they want to be able to sign down the line. The Cowboys want to keep their young offensive line together, particularly second-year guard Zack Martin, who was a Pro Bowler in his rookie season. The Broncos’ top pass rusher, Von Miller, is entering a contract year, and will likely be given the franchise tag at the end of next year. Neither team wanted to let deals made with these receivers affect their ability to resign their other young players down the road.

Also remember that earlier this week, there were reports of collusion between the Broncos and Cowboys. Notice that these deals were exactly the same, yet they were signed within about an hour of each other. The NFLPA said on Monday that if the two players didn’t sign long-term deals by today, they would move forward with the collusion charges. However, the similarity of these contracts shows that there was likely collusion not only between the two teams, but likely between the two agencies that represent each player. And by the way, this isn’t a bad thing, as it creates a fair market value for two players who are at almost equal levels at this point in their careers.

The third observation I had comes from a unique perspective I have of each player. I live in Denver, and I go to school in Dallas, so I see how each fan base view these respective players. Dez Bryant and Demariyus Thomas are essentially the same player. They were both drafted in 2010, Thomas 22nd overall, Dez 24th. Demariyus has played 69 regular season games in his career, and has compiled 351 receptions for 5,317 yards and 41 touchdowns in five seasons. Bryant has 381 catches for 5,424 yards and 56 touchdowns in 75 career games. Each has played a full 16 games over the last three seasons. Thomas is 6’3 229; Bryant is 6’2 220. They’re both big, physical receivers who are excellent at using their unique combination of size and speed.

However, Bronco fans are nowhere near as supportive of Demariyus Thomas as Cowboy fans are of Dez Bryant. Bronco fans are extremely hesitant to put Demariyus in the same class as Bryant and Calvin Johnson. They will never hesitate to bring up the fact that Thomas didn’t seem to give 100% effort against the Colts in a playoff loss last year. The best explanation I can give for why is this: Cowboy fans have another scapegoat in Tony Romo, whereas Bronco fans worship at the feet of Peyton Manning, and need to find another scapegoat when things go wrong. Both have given almost identical production throughout their careers, and Bryant has definitely had more off-the field/immaturity issues than Thomas has; yet Cowboy fans appreciate Dez as a top-of-the-line receiver, and Bronco fans like to criticize Demariyus. The explanation that makes the most sense is that the Cowboys have Tony Romo, Jerry Jones, and a terrible defense to point the finger at for any failures, while Bronco fans would rather kill a family member than blame Peyton Manning or John Elway for anything, even after a horrible performance by Manning against the Colts in the postseason last year. It’s a lot easier for Bronco fans to blame John Fox, or Demariyus Thomas for their shortcomings.

The last observation I have is not only because of these three deals, but also for the big contracts that have been signed over the last few years. If you can play quarterback at a high level, if you can protect the quarterback, if you can tackle the quarterback, or if you can catch the football thrown by the quarterback, you can make a lot of money in the National Football League. Teams have made it clear, that quarterbacks, receivers, left tackles, and pass rushers are the most valuable positions in this league. The Dolphins and Bengals gave fat contracts to their quarterbacks who have all kinds of question marks, yet the Patriots refused to overpay cornerback Darrelle Revis, despite being a vital piece to their Super Bowl run, and the Seahawks traded away one of the best centers in the league for a tight end coming off a bad year. There are four positions where the money is in football, and today’s deals reflected that in a big way.

Note: All stats are courtesy of ESPN