NFL 2013 Off-Season Discussion

[Use of Time]

Like most fans, my team didn't make it. I now fall into that category of fans who are trying to figure out what pieces can be added to contend. With that in mind let's kick off the NFL off-season. We have the draft and free agency to help prepare us for next season.

Discuss!

[SmoothieX]

I'm a Pats fan, so my concerns mainly revolve around them.

They need a speedy deep threat at receiver, a pass rush, and a corner who can shut down the other team's top WR and hopefully lay some hard hits now and again.

They finally realized that it's ok to use 1st and 2nd round picks the last couple years, so hopefully they won't revert to trading down their high picks for a used practice jersey and a turkey sandwich. There are some good free agents out there too.

The real tough call is resigning Welker. He's a first down machine that catches 115 balls every year. I watch every week, he's sure handed, his drops are overhyped as they tend to come in big games. Along with Gronk, just differently, he's Brady's biggest weapon. But he's in his 30s and takes a beating. The franchise number is a bloated 11+M number, and they are I'm sure hesitant to sign him up for long term guaranteed numbers when he could be derailed by injury over time.

[Use of Time]

I really feel that Baltimore won't be as good next year. Ray Lewis wasn't as physical as he used to be this past season but he was like having a Defensive Coordinator directing traffic on the middle of the field. Baltimore's defense did not play well without him last year. If Reed leaves too then they are definitely going to have major holes.

I'm a Cowboys fan so all I ask is that they finally address the offensive line issues. Carr and Claiborne were big upgrades to the corner position last year but the Cowboys are still very weak as far as Safety's go. Should be able to take care of those issues with the draft picks available. Of course this is the year we eat our $10M salary cap snafu issued by Goodell.

[JohnChod]

I'm a Buffalo fan. At least I used to be. Now I'm basically a semi-interested observer.

Anyway, with the Bills, what don't they need? They have a new coaching staff with the head coach and many key assistants with college experience but little NFL experience. Picking up the Jets' defensive coordinator should help a defensive line that under-achieved all year. Actually, anyone would have had to be an improvement over Wannestedt who is at least twenty years behind the times.

Other than that, they need a quarterback, a couple of receivers, an impact tight end, linebackers, corners and safeties. They're only about 6 years away from a winning record.

[Garak]

St Louis snatched Titus Young off of waivers, wow.

Everyone gets a 2nd chance in this league I guess.

[tighr]

Indianapolis just needs to get older. They're ridiculously young everywhere, a consequence of shedding nearly every veteran they've got.

As far as Denver, who I pay closer attention to now that Peyton's there? Get a real running back. One that can reliably take the ball and get 10+ yards when you need him to. Peyton could use a break from carrying the team on his shoulders. Coaching can fix the secondary issues, but coaching can't make running backs have more natural talent (although it can fix pass blocking, which was sorely lacking in the Ravens game).

[Use of Time]

McGahee is good but often injured. Moreno just never played out like people thought he would.

[Danny99]

The Lions need to mature, from head coach Schwartz down. They are close to be a perennial threat, but they are constantly hurt by bone-headed decisions.

[ThankQ]

If Dallas can gets its defense going, generate a few turnovers and hold opponents to fewer than 30 points, it should take a huge weight off Romo. He wouldn't walk into every game with the knowledge that he has to score 4 touchdowns just to HOPE to have a CHANCE going into the 4th. This would give him a chance to return to his 2009/2011 form.

It really all comes down to the offensive line. Can they get any kind of a running game going? In the passing game, Romo makes the line look better (imagine what that would mean if Drew Bledsoe had his anvil-feet planted back there) with his Houdini acts. If he could actually plant, scan and deliver without fear more often, it could come together for Dallas.

[Use of Time]

ThankQ wrote:

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If Dallas can gets its defense going, generate a few turnovers and hold opponents to fewer than 30 points, it should take a huge weight off Romo. He wouldn't walk into every game with the knowledge that he has to score 4 touchdowns just to HOPE to have a CHANCE going into the 4th. This would give him a chance to return to his 2009/2011 form.

It really all comes down to the offensive line. Can they get any kind of a running game going? In the passing game, Romo makes the line look better (imagine what that would mean if Drew Bledsoe had his anvil-feet planted back there) with his Houdini acts. If he could actually plant, scan and deliver without fear more often, it could come together for Dallas.

Yeah, I take a beating from fellow Cowboys fans about Romo. I'm willing to move on to another guy but I don't want to get rid of him unless he can be replaced with someone as good or better. I'm all for resigning him. In my opinion there are only a handful of QB's that could survive in Dallas with that line. That team literally lives and dies by Romo and you will rarely see some other player or coaches do anything to take some of the responsibility off his plate.

His receivers constantly run the wrong routes and he is throwing the ball 50 to 60 times a game. Nobody can win like that and I don't think people realize that the Cowboys overachieved a little this season to be in the spot they were in thanks to him. He's got this choke artist label but that is more of a media driven thing as he actually has been ok in the post season just not enough to win. He was actually pretty reliable in the 4th quarter this year with several game winning or tying drives.

If the defense can stay somewhat healthy then they can possibly contend but I still see something like an 8-8 or 9-7 finish if they don't fix the glaring issues.

[Danny99]

Romo is a decent quarterback, but he can't seem to win the big game when it matters. However, people have been saying that about Joe Flacco for years and look where he is now.

[Use of Time]

Danny99 wrote:

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Romo is a decent quarterback, but he can't seem to win the big game when it matters. However, people have been saying that about Joe Flacco for years and look where he is now.

Yeah, I 'm not really a believer in the whole clutch thing. The problem is that the media over the last decade has somehow got it into their heads that football games are just QB vs QB. Tom Brady has won Super Bowls but he just threw two fourth quarter picks against the Ravens that dashed any comeback hopes they had. That would not be considered clutch. The bottom line is teams win football games when all aspects of the game together. There is also the factor that the ball just bounces a certain way and some calls get made that determine the direction of the game. The Dallas Cowboys are woefully undisciplined and have the tendency to shoot themselves in the foot at times.

Romo is going to win some of those fourth quarter drives like he has done the last few years and he is going to throw a pick or two that loses games sometimes. For some reason the media acts like he is the only QB in the history of the NFL to do this. That comes with the star on the helmet. Hell Big Ben is considered elite and he threw away the Steelers playoff chances in Dallas. Eli Manning is the defending Super Bowl champ and he got away scott free from any criticsim in a season where he really struggled at times and didn't make the playoffs.

I try not to let the media steer me away from what my own eyes are telling me. At the end of the day I can live with Romo for a few more years if that is what they want to do and he does give the boys the best chance to win. I remember the QB carousel after Aikman left and I am in no hurry to spend another 8 years trying to find that guy.

[gblews]

The Raiders have a new offensive coordinator. The old one managed to make one of the best running backs in the league (Darren McFadden), look ordinary. We also are in possession of the 3rd pick in the draft which needs to be used on a defensive lineman. I would like one those big fat bellied, low to the ground, run stuffing, animals.

I'm also not surprised to see that we did manage to retain one of our 1st round picks after the Carson Palmer deal, either by protecting it or holding onto it. This is something I recall arguing about with a few folks here in the NFL thread season before this most recent one.

[Spider]

The Texans will do the same thing for the 3rd year in a row. Win the AFC South and bow out of the playoffs before the AFC Championship game. We are cursed with a mere above average coach and that's the team we have. The problem is, there aren't a lot of head coachs avaliable out there that will do a better job than Kubiak right now. My prediction for the AFC South next year:

Texans
Colts
Titans
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Jaggies

[Aragorn]

Random story of the day... During the 2011 lockout, Vince Young -- who apparently had squandered most of his money already -- took out a $300,000 loan so he could throw himself a birthday party.

Young is challenging a $1.7 million judgment obtained against him in New York in July by Pro Player. The sum represents the balance of $1.9 million borrowed at 20 percent interest in the former Texas college standout's name in 2011.