Category Archives: NFC

NFC, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles: Tim Tebow Will Make the Eagle’s Roster, Probably

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A Philadelphia Eagle’s team source said that as long as quarterback Tim Tebow doesn’t make any major errors, he will make the team. A Christian singer named Matt Redman wrote a song that said:

Shout it out, let the people hear

Something so powerful it shakes the whole wide world

Make it loud make it louder still

Savior we’re singing now to celebrate your beautiful news

 

So everyone, I call you all together, to shout it out, scare the dog, wake your neighbors as we all say it together, “TEEEEEEEEBBBBBBOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!” As long as our favorite quarterback doesn’t screw up too badly, he will be on an NFL team for the 2015 season. Yes, there is a God. This is why you don’t question what He does, because He’ll come through in the end.

Not only does it look like Tebow will make the Eagle’s roster, Chip Kelly seems to be a fan of the former Florida quarterback as well. Kelly said that he’s impressed with Tebow’s running skill, and although he’s not perfect, he’s improved throwing the football. In the Eagle’s preseason game against the Colts on Sunday, Tebow completed six of twelve passes for 69 yards while also running four times for 15 yards and a touchdown.

Tebow was one of the most decorated college football players of all time. While at Florida, he won two National Championships, was the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy, and won 35 games in three years as a starter. He was also the recipient of numerous awards as well as the holder of many records both passing and rushing. However, an elongated throwing motion and a lack of accuracy on his throws kept Tebow from being a top prospect coming out of school. The Denver Broncos surprised many by taking Tebow late in the first round of the draft.

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Tebow backed up Kyle Orton his rookie year, but after the season went into the toilet he started the last three games of the year, actually winning a game against the Houston Texans. In that game, Tebow rallied the Broncos from a 17-0 deficit and threw for over 300 yards in the win. 2011 looked like it would be Tebow’s year, but he started the season just as he had the year before, as Kyle Orton’s back up. With the team on their way to a 1-4 start, head coach John Fox put Tebow in to play the second half against the San Diego Chargers. He was far from perfect, but Tebow nearly led a comeback and earned the starting job for the rest of the season. What followed was a series of miraculous wins. It became routine for Tebow and the Bronco’s offense to slug through the first three quarters of games, and then pull off a crazy comeback in the fourth quarter to win. It culminated in the Wild Card round. Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demariyus Thomas on the first play of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Tebow magic ended after that. Tom Brady and the Patriots laid the hammer down on the Bronco’s the next week. After the season the Broncos signed Peyton Manning and traded Tebow to the Jets. Tebow never started with the Jets, was signed by the Patriots the next season, didn’t make the team, and hasn’t played since.

Now it looks like Tebow will be back in the NFL again. The last time we saw him as a starting quarterback, it was in the playoffs. Tebow won’t be starting for the Eagles. But with the injury-prone Sam Bradford set to lead Chip Kelly’s offense, and the roller coaster of a career with more downs than ups that is Mark Sanchez the only other quarterback likely to make the team, it’s very plausible that Tebow will play a major role at some point in the 2015 Eagle’s season, and at this point, that’s all us Tebow fans can ask for.

AFC, NFC, NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans

NFL: Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota preseason debut breakdown

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Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, quarterbacks taken first and second in the 2015 NFL Draft debuted for their respective teams in their preseason openers.

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Jameis Winston, drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had his debut on Aug. 15, and struggled in the game against the Minnesota Vikings.  Winston finished the day throwing 9-for-19 for 131 yards. He also threw an interception. Winston’s day was off to a bad start, as he kept missing receivers, usually overthrowing them, or throwing too high, like his interception.  He also got hit often and sacked twice. Jameis also fumbled a snap. Though there were many negatives, Jameis did show off his talent and why the Bucs chose him first. He led two scoring drives, one ending in a field goal, one ending with a touchdown. His touchdown drive was impressive, as on the nine-play 76 yard drive, he completed five straight passes. He then capped it off by running in a touchdown from eight yards out.

Though Winston had a shaky and troubling debut, there should not be anything to worry about. It was the first preseason game, and there’s three more to go. Even though Winston has lots of expectations, he is a rookie and will have speed bumps. He has the talent to be great, and should progress through the preseason.

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Marcus Mariota, drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans, debuted on Aug 14. against the Atlanta Falcons. Overall, Mariota played great in his debut, even though he  struggled and got off to a bad start. His first two possessions ended in turnovers, one being an interception, and one being a fumble returned for a touchdown. When his first ever NFL play led to being sacked, Mariota threw an interception after he failed to see Falcons linebacker Justin Durant sprinting to make a play and stopping the screen. On the fumble, guard Chance Warmack blew the protection, letting Jonathan Babineaux strip the ball as Maritota stepped up to pass. However, after those two mishaps, it was smooth sailing as we saw Mariota show off his talent and accuracy we had been accustomed to seeing when he was an Oregon Duck.  Mariota led a scoring drive where he threw for four straight completions, and was capped off by a Dexter McCluster rushing touchdown. At the end of the night, Mariota finished seven-for-eight for 94 yards, with the interception being his lone incompletion.

Even with Mariota heading out of the gate struggling, he surged and finished strong. Marcus looked comfortable in Ken Whisenhunt’s offense, silencing some questions on whether he would be able to adjust to an pro-style offense. However, Mariota did seem more comfortable taking snaps from shotgun instead of under center.

Both Winston and Mariota had bad starts, but showed their toughness and mentality by being able to power through and finish strong. Though it is only one preseason game and that we should take this with a grain of salt, the future looks bright for the Buccaneers and Titans, and their franchise quarterbacks.

AFC, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFC, NFL

New England Patriots: Thoughts from the Packers game and Moving Forward

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Often times, we rush to conclusions after a loss and think Armageddon is coming and how this is going to be a bad year. To remember that so many people didn’t play against Green Bay, especially starters, is key. We have to take it for what it was and go forward. With New Orleans coming up, here are some things to watch for.

via boston.cbslocal.com
via boston.cbslocal.com

Jimmy Garrapolo had a decent 2nd half after he settled down and was better. I think he showed more good than bad. He wasn’t helped by his WR corps and offensive line (that in a minute), but he showed poise and made some great throws. He has a lot of work to do, but if he has to play, I’m sure McDaniels will do enough to get him ready. Seeing how he plays against an aggressive blitzing package that Rob Ryan likes to employ should see if he learned from the Packers game.

csnne.com
csnne.com

To say that Josh Boyce’s game was a nightmare is an understatement. He seemed disconnected and didn’t fight for any balls. It’s a mild surprise he hasn’t been released yet, but his deep speed might keep him around for a few more weeks. Chris Harper and Jonathan Krause were by far the most impressive WR’s in the game and along with Brandon Gibson, will be vying for that 5th WR spot on the roster behind Edelman, LaFell, Amendola and Dobson. Either way, their presense on the practice squad is almost assured.

The offensive line was a sieve, allowing 7 sacks and countless pressures. Moving Chris Barker to LT made little sense as he was consistently dominated. Like Garrapolo’s play, you can’t judge the whole line by its backups. Shaq Mason had a great block on a pull that sprung Jonas Gray’s 55 yard TD run, but he struggled in pass blocking. David Andrews was surprisingly solid at C and G and could be a keeper going forward. I remember when Ryan Wendell was stuck on the inactive list/practice squad for a few years before he was ready to contribute. Andrews could be a similar story.

Even with the injuries to Rufus Johnson and Trey Flowers being unknown at this point, their play is indicative of how the defense will be this year. They are taking a similar modus operandi of the Giants and having an incredibly aggressive pass rush to make up for an average secondary. Even though the secondary played very well at times, there is a lot of inexperience there. Knowing that Belichick and Patricia will coach them up eases the worry.

The negative of the defense was their run defense, but seeing that Branch and Siliga didn’t play in the middle might be responsible for that. But the missed tackles, especially by Cameron Gordon on the edge was frustrating. Jonathan Freeny had a rough first quarter but seemed to settle down. Seeing how well the DT’s and the LB’s hold up against the new aggressive Saints O Line and running attack could be indicative of how well the Pats can be run on. In spite of all the questions, this defense will be much more aggressive this year than last year and that could be a very good thing.

To remember that the preseason are glorified practices is very important. This is the team figuring out roster moves and experimenting with different plays on both sides of the ball. The game showed that the Pats are going to be chippy and aggressive and won’t back down from a fight. With most people signaling the end of the Pats dominance of the AFC East with the moves the Jets, Bills and Dolphins made, this shows that they aren’t going down without a fight.

AFC, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL

Preseason LIVE from Nix’s Mate in Boston

Image: Packers.com
Image: Packers.com

After talk of deflated footballs and TB12 being generally aware of something that may or may not have happened seven months ago, the time for football is finally upon us.  The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, kick off their 2015 preseason tonight at Gillette Stadium. Even though there will be no Tom Brady, we’ll get our first glimpse of the rookie class, veterans trying to make the roster, and Jimmy G running the first team offense. A few things to watch for

  • Can the patch work offensive line give Jimmy Garoppolo enough time to throw?
  • How will the rookie class react to their first game on the big stage?
  • Will guys like Josh Boyce and Tavon Wilson prove they deserve a roster spot?

Goalline Gazette will be writing content with analysis at the completion of each quarter. Mike Procopio will be broadcasting live from Nix’s Mate in downtown Boston in conjunction with Frankie Says Relax, MVP, Boston Brothers, JM & ODogg.

NFC, NFL, San Francisco 49ers

The Downward Spiral That is the San Francisco 49ers

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Oh how the mighty have fallen. Just a few years ago, the San Francisco 49ers were atop the National Football Conference (NFC), and one of the premier teams in the National Football League (NFL). But one off-season later, they are not the power house they used to be, but a mess. After making the NFC Championship Game for three straight years and having an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII (in which they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31), the 49ers went 8-8. The downhill spiral began at that point.

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 20: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers addresses the team in the locker room, for the last time, following the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi Stadium on December 28, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jim Harbaugh
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 20: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers addresses the team in the locker room, for the last time, following the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi Stadium on December 28, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jim Harbaugh

The organization had already had a falling out with head coach Jim Harbaugh, and had fired him, hiring Jim Tomsula to take his place. Not only that, but former offensive coordinator Greg Roman jumped ship to become the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, and then the team fired defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. However, that was not all. Several key players on the 49ers roster chose to retire, or find greener pastures in free agency.

ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 13: Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers fires up the team on the field prior to the game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on October 13, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. The 49ers defeated the Rams 31-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Willis
ST. LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 13: Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers fires up the team on the field prior to the game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on October 13, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. The 49ers defeated the Rams 31-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Willis

Veteran defensive cogs Patrick Willis (Linebacker), Justin Smith (Defensive End), and key offensive lineman Anthony Davis chose to retire. Even the young, (coming off his rookie year) linebacker Chris Borland decided to retire for health reasons. Then came free agency, where even more talented players like Chris Culliver, Mike Iupati, Michael Crabtree, Frank Gore, and Stevie Johnson left the team. To make matters worse, Aldon Smith, who was to be the defensive anchor after all the changes, got arrested again, and was released from the team.

Now what is left is a team in disarray, and in a new era of coaching. All hope is lost, the 49ers are sure to be a bottom feeder team in the NFL, nothing can save them now, right? Not so fast, this team can still play.

Even with the amount of blows this team took, they can still be a competitive team. They still have Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who though had his worst season statistically, has shown growth through a week of training camp. Not only that, but he still has weapons in the form of wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith and tight end Vernon Davis. The offense also has stalwart defenders in the offensive line in the form of Joe Staley and Alex Boone. The 49ers defense is not in shambles, as they still have linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who is coming off injury, and hopefully can stay healthy in the coming season, and he will also have veterans Darnell Dockett and Glenn Dorsey to assist. The defense also has great potential in rookie Arik Armstead from Oregon.

Even with the young potential and returning veterans, the San Francisco 49ers are far from being able to compete for the Super Bowl. The 49ers play in the toughest division in all of the NFL, the NFC West, consisting of the Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, and Arizona Cardinals, who each have been busy in the off-season, improving their teams for a playoff push.

The Seahawks are a juggernaut of a team looking to make it back to a third straight Super Bowl,  the Cardinals have stability at quarterback with Carson Palmer and can return to the playoffs again, and the Rams have upgraded and are on the rise to the point where they can compete for a playoff spot. That leaves with the 49ers having to fight through a gauntlet just to make the playoffs. Yes, the 49ers will win some key games, but they won’t top 10 wins, they wont have the chance to win that 6th playoff spot. Year one of the Tomsula era will be tough for the 49ers and 49er faithful to swallow because of this downward spiral nightmare.

Follow me on Twitter @MigiManziel

AFC, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL, San Francisco 49ers

Talent, Brains and Money can be an elusive package in the NFL

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Now former San Fransisco 49ers star linebacker Aldon Smith was yet again arrested, this time for a DUI, the third DUI he has gotten since entering the league. As I’m writing this I just got the alert on my phone that the 49ers have released Smith, this makes me question how dumb some of these NFL players and athletes could be in general. You have guys like Aldon Smith, Josh Gordon, Justin Blackmon and of course Aaron Hernandez who are throwing away millions of dollars because of the stupid decisions they’re making. These guys are living the dream, making millions of dollars to play football, what could possibly be better than that? Well apparently to some of these guys going out getting high, shooting people as well as other dumb things there doing, has a higher priority.

Makes you also question how these guys made it this far and if they were just kept being passed on because of their talent and never disciplined for issues before the NFL. Did everyone just turn their backs when these guys were in high school and let them do as they pleased because of their talent? Could some of these guys have been changed and not made the mistakes they did had they been punished and had tighter rules when they were younger? A good thought, but something we’ll never know.

via usatoday.com
via usatoday.com

Aldon Smith was the 7th overall pick and finished second in defensive rookie of the year voting, he looked like he was gonna be a pro bowler year after year and could have been a force in the league. He was then arrested for now three separate DUIs, and for joking about having a bomb at an airport, another just purely stupid move. After his second DUI, Smith entered a rehab facility which seems clear he didn’t take very seriously. When you’re given an opportunity to get help when you need it, you take it and hope you can not only save your career, but also save yourself from going down an even worse path. After his release from the 49ers, his career is almost sure to be over at the age of 25.

via cbssports.com
via cbssports.com

Another guy throwing his career away is Josh Gordon. Gordon bounced around college because of suspensions due to substance abuse problems and hardly played. Gordon was still selected by the Browns in the second round of the supplemental draft and ended up missing time in his rookie season because of his drug use in college. Gordon also missed time during his second season for a substance abuse violation, and again was suspended. When Gordon returned he went on to be the best receiver in the NFL even with missing 14 games. Entering his third season Gordon was suspended yet again for substance abuse, this time originally for the season, which ended up being reduced to 10 games. You think that maybe, just maybe, Gordon would learn from this, nope. Gordon was suspended for at least one year after testing positive for drinking alcohol, which he could not do after being placed in the leagues substance abuse program. Gordon was a complete stud during his very brief NFL career and is now in question if he will ever play again. I loved Gordon on the field and was pulling for him to change his ways off the field. Even with my fandom of Gordon I don’t feel bad for him at all, he could have changed his off-field ways, he was in the leagues substance abuse program after three different substance abuse incidents, and after constant suspensions he just didn’t learn. Apparently weed is more important than playing football and making millions to Gordon. Have fun selling cars again in Cleveland Josh, hope you were good at it because it looks like that is going to be your future, not the NFL.

via profootballtalk.com
via profootballtalk.com

Like Gordon, Justin Blackmon has faced many suspensions due to substance abuse problems. Blackmon was suspended 8 games in 2013 because of failed drug tests and after not learning was suspended the whole season in 2014 for substance abuse and currently faces an indefinite suspension. The Jaguars general manager recently said he doesn’t expect Blackmon to play in the NFL again. 25 years old, and out of the NFL because of weed, not talent which Blackmon had all the talent in the world, not injuries which tend to happen to players, but for smoking weed. Go back a few years and say Blackmon and Gordon would be among the top receivers in the NFL at this point in their careers and almost on one would disagree, tell someone the two would be out of the league and people would be shocked. I don’t feel bad for Blackmon just like I don’t feel bad for other players I mention, he didn’t love the game and rather would live the way he wanted, smoking weed and doing whatever else he wanted to do which didn’t involve football. The last that was seen of Blackmon he was not nearly in the playing shape he was and by the looks of it he has no desire to play in the NFL again.

via bleacherreport.com
via bleacherreport.com

And of course the most well-known idiot on this list, Aaron Hernandez. All us Patriots fans as well as the rest of the country know his story and his legal trouble. Hernandez was convicted and given a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd and still faces a double homicide charge stemming from a 2012 incident. After news of Hernandez’ arrest in the Odin Lloyd incident, Hernandez was released by the Patriots and then other news and incidents from his past began to slowly come out. From him taking a selfie with a gun during his time at Florida, to bar fights, to gang related activities from his time in high school combined with drug use, Hernandez was a thug off the field with all his issues.  Hernandez had all the talent in the world on the field and had all the problems in the world off of it. After just having a baby and a new $40 million contract, you would think Hernandez would give up his old ways and change his life, apparently not. Hernandez is a sociopath and all he knew was his street mentality and was apparent he didn’t wanna change for anything and its who he was, giving up his family, football career, a $40 million contract at the age of 23 and his life.

via sportsonearth.com
via sportsonearth.com

No one will ever know the reasoning these guys have to do what they do, act how they act, and know whats important to them in life. The are all guys who were given many opportunities to change their lives and change who they are. Rehab through the league or separate rehab are and were all options to these guys. Johnny Manziel entered rehab after the end of last season because he knew his drinking and parting would have led to a quick end of his career. Johnny now seems to be on the right path, only focused on football and competing to be the Browns starting quarterback for the 2015 season. I hope Manziel has that all behind him and is focused solely on football, though I loved Johnny Football and the college party boy swagger he brought to the field being a college kid myself, I hope and would rather see Manziel as a successful NFL player.

These guys gave up the American dream, just about everyone including myself will never understand why and what is important to these guys, and they now have to live with their decisions which have changed all their lives for the worse.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL, Seattle Seahawks

The Super Bowl After Glow that Wasn’t

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Every New England Patriots fan can still remember THAT catch from Super Bowl 49.

I’m not talking about Malcolm Butler, I am referring to Jermaine Kearse. The Kearse catch took an improbable comeback story and nearly squashed it in the flukiest way possible. Why address a travesty that almost was? That Kearse catch is a perfect metaphor for every Pats fan’s 2015 offseason.

Jermaine Kearse caught a ball from Russell Wilson long after the Patriots assumed the play dead. It bobbled in the air, bounced off some limbs and seemed to place the Patriots in the losers column. After coming so close to sewing Super Bowl 49 up, New England now had to deal with this new unlikely circumstance.

Since 2007, all Patriots fans have heard from just about any fan of any NFL team was that the Patriots cheated, and that they were fans of “the Cheatriots.” The most commonly asked question seemed to be “Why haven’t you won since Spygate?” which bellowed from everyone who was quick to point out how the Patriots couldn’t get it done without cheating. The 2014-15 New England Patriots finally had an offense and defense that looked like it could get the job done. Despite a lackluster two and two start, the Pats abused the Bengals in week five and never looked back. The Patriots played exceptional football and gave hope to many that finally, the Patriots we’re ready to get their fourth ring.

After winning the AFC Championship, the Patriots were ready to squash their doubters and regain the respect of the league, then came the “Kearse catch” known as Deflategate. Suddenly, New England, who had spent the entire season showing everyone that Brady still had “it” and that they were ready to move forward from the tarnish of Spygate, had a new enemy. This enemy robbed New England fans of the offseason glory they dreamed about since their team had been flummoxed long ago with camera themed controversy.

during Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona.
To compound the lunacy of Deflategate, free agency was about to land a huge left hook to Patriots nation. Patriots fans were treated to the loss of their entire cornerback squad. The once lauded Darrelle Revis returned to the New York Jets, leaving Bellichick and company to quickly jettison Brandon Browner and not too long after Kyle Arrington. The loss of Revis cannot be understated as he is an exceptional athlete and possibly the best defensive back in the NFL. Browner and Arrington were complimentary pieces that no longer seemed to fit.

Things did not get better for Pats fans. Soon the Wells report was released, and it was followed by the most outrageous penalty in NFL history. In one fell swoop, the Patriots lost their 2016 first round draft pick, their 2017 fourth round draft pick, $1,000,000 and 4 time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady, for the first four games of the season.

As the new NFL season finally approaches, Pats fans are left with the same gnawing, aching feeling of thievery they received after Kearse made that clumsy catch. Patriots nation was so very close to the end of Spygate and all the negativity that came with it, only to have Deflategate bobble its way into the collective consciousness of the other 31 teams and their fan bases. Respect is bigger than any Super Bowl or any championship, it’s something that every team wants and every fan needs. The big question is, will the 2015-2016 season bring to Patriot fans the “Malcolm Butler interception” that they all crave?

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.

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
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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

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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