NFL/NCAAF Thread

[HoboJak]

Woodson released from the Packers. Freeney released from the Colts.

Most Saints fans are saying we should kick the tires on either one and see if they can help.

Woodson is too slow. Freeney most likely wants more money than he's worth at this point, and he didn't exactly have a career year in Indy. I'd pass on both, but maybe my standards are too high.

Though I'm not a St.Louis fan I had to say St.Louis picked up Titus Young from the Lions and just released him and they only had him for a few days :P

Yes, I found that quite entertaining. Knew he'd be released again, it was just a matter of time. The dude needs help, and he won't take it. *shrug*
EDIT: Then again, granted you aren't worried about having players/staff sucker punched and/or threatened, or getting penalties because one of your players feels like being a potato face - I'd definitely sign him. He is one of the top WR's in the league, and certainly better than that Calvin Johnson guy, after all, and his stats clearly reflect that.

and Nick Foles from the Eagles is likely to be traded due to Kelly saying hes not right for his style of offense and apparently they want a 1st or 2nd Round pick for him O_o.

Good luck with that. And I realise Chip Kelly is new to this whole NFL HC thing, but saying you don't want a player doesn't help his trade value.

[Pikachu Fan Number Nine]

I just couldn't let this thread die.

Several days ago, Alex Smith was traded to Kansas City. I wanted him on the Browns, but there's always Tebow.

[Sid87]

That is one of the worst trades in NFL history. A 2nd rounder plus a conditonal that could be as high as another second for ALEX SMITH? This is why you suck, Kansas City. You trade too much for garbage quarterbacks. Alex Smith was pedestrian at his absolute best until SF brought in Harbaugh and beefed up their line and defense. He has never been the kind of QB that can improve a bad team by himself.

The 49ers just robbed the Chiefs blind.

[HoboJak]

That is one of the worst trades in NFL history. A 2nd rounder plus a conditonal that could be as high as another second for ALEX SMITH? This is why you suck, Kansas City. You trade too much for garbage quarterbacks. Alex Smith was pedestrian at his absolute best until SF brought in Harbaugh and beefed up their line and defense. He has never been the kind of QB that can improve a bad team by himself.

The 49ers just robbed the Chiefs blind.

The Chiefs should've kept their picks and gone for a QB next year, improve the rest of the team this year. The QB class is horrible this year, but I don't think that should elevate Smith far enough to be worth so much. It was a pretty boneheaded trade overall, but it's nowhere near as boneheaded as Flacco's contract lmao. :P

[Sid87]

Matt Cassel to Alex Smith is a lateral move at best.

Seattle traded a first and seventh this year and a mid-rounder next year for Percy Harvin. I'm really torn on this. Harvin's TALENT is worth it, and it gives Wilson another weapon at receiver with definitive NFL talent. But he's somewhat injury prone and wants a new contract (the deal hinges on Harvin coming to terms on a new deal with Seattle) that might overpay him. But then again, he's young (he'll be 25 when the season starts). I'll be honest... I'd rather Seattle have just gone after Mike Wallace. They could have had him without trading whatsoever.

By the way... Mike Wallace is officially out of Pittsburgh, and I love it. The Steelers are going to have no offense at all next season. Their receiving corps is going to be one of the worst in the NFL AND they have no running game AND they have little cap space to try to repair this.

[munchlaxguy]

Matt Cassel to Alex Smith is a lateral move at best.

Seattle traded a first and seventh this year and a mid-rounder next year for Percy Harvin. I'm really torn on this. Harvin's TALENT is worth it, and it gives Wilson another weapon at receiver with definitive NFL talent. But he's somewhat injury prone and wants a new contract (the deal hinges on Harvin coming to terms on a new deal with Seattle) that might overpay him. But then again, he's young (he'll be 25 when the season starts). I'll be honest... I'd rather Seattle have just gone after Mike Wallace. They could have had him without trading whatsoever.

By the way... Mike Wallace is officially out of Pittsburgh, and I love it. The Steelers are going to have no offense at all next season. Their receiving corps is going to be one of the worst in the NFL AND they have no running game AND they have little cap space to try to repair this.

Idk Alex Smith is better then Matt Cassel by far and they needed a QB this year and maybe Smith will improve on a different team then the 49ers.Also,i'm glad that my Seahawks traded for him he wanted out of Minnesota anyway and he played with Rice who always gets injured sometimes.Oh and Joe Flacco's contract angers me since there are WAY better players that played football he doesn't deserve that much after only one ring especially since Baltimore is losing good players and won't repeat.

[NintendoFan82]

Not this Saturday but the Saturday after this upcoming Saturday I will be traveling to Ann Arbor to watch the 2013 Michigan Wolverines Spring Game thats free to the Public. I am stoked for Football season this year! I can't wait for the NFL Draft as well.

[Golden_Latias]

Heh, I'm in college, so I can't do that. Hope you have fun.

I'm interested in seeing how the Lions draft this year. Their FO has surprisingly shown some competence, and I like what they did during FA. I'm assuming all the offseason drama was a major contributor to their decline in 2012, and except for Amari Spievey (and who cares about him? He's not starting over Glover Quin or Delmas), nobody's done anything stupid in the offseason. A solid draft and a comeback from Stafford could get them back in the playoffs.

I'm assuming they'll probably take Ezekiel Ansah or Dee Miliner, since Joeckel and Fisher will both probably be gone before the Lions get to pick. Of those two, I'd rather they take Ansah, because Miliner's not worth that high of a draft pick.

[HoboJak]

Not this Saturday but the Saturday after this upcoming Saturday I will be traveling to Ann Arbor to watch the 2013 Michigan Wolverines Spring Game thats free to the Public. I am stoked for Football season this year! I can't wait for the NFL Draft as well.

Cool. Have fun.

Heh, I'm in college, so I can't do that. Hope you have fun.

I'm interested in seeing how the Lions draft this year. Their FO has surprisingly shown some competence, and I like what they did during FA. I'm assuming all the offseason drama was a major contributor to their decline in 2012, and except for Amari Spievey (and who cares about him? He's not starting over Glover Quin or Delmas), nobody's done anything stupid in the offseason. A solid draft and a comeback from Stafford could get them back in the playoffs.

I'm assuming they'll probably take Ezekiel Ansah or Dee Miliner, since Joeckel and Fisher will both probably be gone before the Lions get to pick. Of those two, I'd rather they take Ansah, because Miliner's not worth that high of a draft pick.

Eh, either Joeckel or Fisher would be very good picks if they fell to the Lions. (And it's not like it's a far way to fall.) It's a really deep draft for OL, there's always a chance a couple teams think it'd be safe to pass them up, as they can still get very good lineman later on in the draft. Plus, once teams start reaching for needs everyting gets screwed up. I don't know if any of the top teams are really going to try to do that, though. *shrug*

The Bears have done really really well in free agency so far, leaving no really immediate needs, in my opinion. The general consensus seems to be we should trade down in the draft and pick up a second or third. I tend to agree with that, as we only have 5 picks at the moment, and unless there is some spectacular player that managed to fall all the way down to 20, I'd rather have 2 good players than one.

Looks like high hopes for this season all around, with most homers Bears' fans putting us second in the division, and on the verge of passing the Packers, citing either we aren't rebuilding, or that teams can rebuild in one year now. (The only example ever given is the Colts, and that wasn't much of a rebuild.)
I'd be happy with 5+ wins this year, honestly. I don't expect to be back in the playoffs until next year, as there is still a lot of work to do on the team, and I'm not sure how well Trestman will do. I'd be ecstatic if we did make it this year, though.

[Golden_Latias]

Oh yeah, if Joeckel or Fisher fell to the Lions, I'd take either of them over Ansah or Miliner any day. I think Lions fans also want to trade back to get Miliner, though.
But yeah. Especially since Jeff Backus retired, they need OT badly.

What did the Bears do, out of curiosity?

Lions signed Reggie Bush, of course, as well as Jason Jones and Glover Quin. They also resigned the two free agents I was hoping they'd resign (Delmas and Houston) and some other guys and got rid of the players I hoped they'd get rid of (Vanden Bosch, Peterman, Avril). There were a few players I would have liked for them to keep (like Sammie Lee Hill), but eh. Can't have everything you want.

I see the Lions finishing closer to .500 this season, but I don't see them making the playoffs maybe until 2014, when they can get rid of a few more bad contracts and free up more cap space. They really don't have a lot of room to work with. I also think Schwartz is gone after this season, because I think he's gone if they miss the playoffs.

[HoboJak]

Oh yeah, if Joeckel or Fisher fell to the Lions, I'd take either of them over Ansah or Miliner any day. I think Lions fans also want to trade back to get Miliner, though.
But yeah. Especially since Jeff Backus retired, they need OT badly.

What did the Bears do, out of curiosity?

Lions signed Reggie Bush, of course, as well as Jason Jones and Glover Quin. They also resigned the two free agents I was hoping they'd resign (Delmas and Houston) and some other guys and got rid of the players I hoped they'd get rid of (Vanden Bosch, Peterman, Avril). There were a few players I would have liked for them to keep (like Sammie Lee Hill), but eh. Can't have everything you want.

I see the Lions finishing closer to .500 this season, but I don't see them making the playoffs maybe until 2014, when they can get rid of a few more bad contracts and free up more cap space. They really don't have a lot of room to work with. I also think Schwartz is gone after this season, because I think he's gone if they miss the playoffs.

The Bears' two "big" signings were Martellus Bennett, and Jermon Bushrod. I've only really heard good things about Bennett, and what I've heard of Bushrod is a bit mixed. They also signed D.J. Williams, and James Anderson, both look like adequate replacements for Urlacher and Roach. Signed Steve Maneri, who will probably just be a backup to Bennett this year. Picked up Tom Zbikowski and Turk Mcbride. Zbikowski I'm assuming is just a depth signing, as our two current safeties are very good, don't know much about Mcbride honestly. They also (second time I've said that.) signed Matt Slauson, who should be good enough to fill in as a guard, perhaps with Carimi as the other one. (Stupid first round tackle who's better as a guard! D: )

Now, on to re-signing! Probably missed a few people but meh. We used the franchise tag on Melton, who will hopefully get a long-term deal done soon. We re-signed Josh Mccown (I don't even remember if he was on the roster at the end of the season, but we've signed him several times now, so I'll just count it as a re-signing.) We also re-signed Zack Bowman, and Jonathon Scott. Both will be decent depth players.

They cut Kellen Davis (Thank god, the guy was terrible. Have fun with him, Browns! XD), and Matt Spaeth. (Another horrible TE.... big surprise.) They let Roach and Lance Louis walk, not a big fan of those moves, but I suppose I can live with it. Let Jason Campbell walk too. (Have fun with him too, Browns. ) Urlacher has yet to be signed by anyone, but it seems like he won't be coming back. Johnny Knox looks like he's sadly done with football. I can't really think of many others off the top of my head at the moment.

The Bears have holes to fill everywhere, but it seems like we have at the very least our starters locked in now. (From what I've heard, people want a speedy WR, a Guard, or a MLB in the first. Out of those we're only really missing a speedster, and wasting a 1st round pick on a 3/4th WR seems a bit silly to me.)

If the Bears miss the playoffs people will be whining all over the place. They expect to finish with 10+ wins again.

[GrizzlyB]

Oh yeah, if Joeckel or Fisher fell to the Lions, I'd take either of them over Ansah or Miliner any day. I think Lions fans also want to trade back to get Miliner, though.

One of them "falling" doesn't seem very far-fetched to me at all. Barring a trade-up, I don't see how one or the other doesn't drop to #5. None of the Jaguars, Raiders, or Eagles really need a LT (unless the Eagles aren't confident in Jason Peters coming back, but I don't see them just giving up on an All-Pro like that). Also, I hope that's just Lions fans being dumb about Milliner; I wouldn't imagine that the Browns would just pass him up like that. Ziggy would be great if Fisher/Joeckel doesn't last that long, though.

The Bears' two "big" signings were Martellus Bennett, and Jermon Bushrod. I've only really heard good things about Bennett, and what I've heard of Bushrod is a bit mixed. They also signed D.J. Williams, and James Anderson, both look like adequate replacements for Urlacher and Roach. Signed Steve Maneri, who will probably just be a backup to Bennett this year. Picked up Tom Zbikowski and Turk Mcbride. Zbikowski I'm assuming is just a depth signing, as our two current safeties are very good, don't know much about Mcbride honestly. They also (second time I've said that.) signed Matt Slauson, who should be good enough to fill in as a guard, perhaps with Carimi as the other one. (Stupid first round tackle who's better as a guard! D: )



The Bears have holes to fill everywhere, but it seems like we have at the very least our starters locked in now. (From what I've heard, people want a speedy WR, a Guard, or a MLB in the first. Out of those we're only really missing a speedster, and wasting a 1st round pick on a 3/4th WR seems a bit silly to me.)

About D.J. Williams... are Bears fans really expecting him to fill in for Urlacher? That seems really stupid, to me. If he were that capable of a MLB, the Broncos would have kept him (I mean, maybe he'd fit a Tampa 2 better, but it's still not a great fit imo). He doesn't have any leadership or brains to make on-field adjustments or reads. He's assignment-sound and good in coverage, but iirc, he's not very good at getting off blocks to make plays. He's a natural WLB, and I think putting him in the middle is a mistake. A good signing if he forgets about living the dyme lyfe for a while, but not a good fit if he's not on the outside.

And a speedster, guard, or MLB? I don't think any of the MLBs would be worth #20 (maybe Te'O if they can trade back to late-1st/early-2nd), but are you thinking along the lines of Jonathan Cooper or Tavon Austin? I'm not too well-versed on what the Bears' offensive holes are, but I think both of those would be good picks, assuming they last that long. I've also seen D.J. Fluker mocked to them a lot, but that seems like a pretty moronic pick to me.

Anywho, my Broncos made some really great free agency signings, too, even though they lost Elvis Dumervil (who can honestly suck it as far as I'm concerned). Wes Welker, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, and Louis Vasquez outweigh losing him by a lot, though (plus a couple more good value signings). Not sure who I'm really hoping for in the draft... maybe Cornellius Carradine or Desmond Trufant, even though I keep seeing mocks that have them taking Eddie Lacy, Manti Te'O, or a strong safety, each of which would be poor value, imo.

[Golden_Latias]

I know the Lions said they didn't want to use the franchise tag this year, and they didn't. Which is probably for the best, considering they don't have a lot of cap room.

Obviously, Reggie Bush was the highlight of the Lions FA period. I didn't like the idea at first, but I warmed up to it, and I like it now, especially since $16M over four years isn't bad at all. And I've heard nothing but good things about Jason Jones and Glover Quin, too, though I hope Sid87 could tell me what he thinks about Jones.

Yeah, the general consensus seems to be that the Chiefs will probably take Joeckel, but I could see Fisher falling to the Lions. Guess the fans I see do fear that someone is going to trade up to take Fisher or something. *shrug* I don't know.

That's true about Cleveland, though, I can't see the Lions trading back just for that. Who's the next best CB in the draft then?

In other news, Jason Hanson just announced his retirement. Which is sad, but what can you do? It had to happen sometime.

[HoboJak]

About D.J. Williams... are Bears fans really expecting him to fill in for Urlacher? That seems really stupid, to me. If he were that capable of a MLB, the Broncos would have kept him (I mean, maybe he'd fit a Tampa 2 better, but it's still not a great fit imo). He doesn't have any leadership or brains to make on-field adjustments or reads. He's assignment-sound and good in coverage, but iirc, he's not very good at getting off blocks to make plays. He's a natural WLB, and I think putting him in the middle is a mistake. A good signing if he forgets about living the dyme lyfe for a while, but not a good fit if he's not on the outside.

I think most Bears fans (including myself) are mostly going off stats, as we don't really know much about him. Urlacher's play last year wasn't very good, his leadership and intelligence/experience are the only thing we're most likely going to lose, even if D.J turns out to be as bad as you say. Though, that is quite a lot to lose. My only worry is D.J. gets suspended again, that'd pretty much kill our season. We got him at a good price though, no guaranteed money, and he counts around 1.75M against the cap, if I remember correctly. I'd prefer Lach had stayed and groomed his successor, but as I said that looks unlikely.

And a speedster, guard, or MLB? I don't think any of the MLBs would be worth #20 (maybe Te'O if they can trade back to late-1st/early-2nd), but are you thinking along the lines of Jonathan Cooper or Tavon Austin? I'm not too well-versed on what the Bears' offensive holes are, but I think both of those would be good picks, assuming they last that long. I've also seen D.J. Fluker mocked to them a lot, but that seems like a pretty moronic pick to me.

Yeah, Austin and Cooper are the two people seem to want most. I've seen a lot of mocks with Austin going way before we pick, though, so I wouldn't hold my breath. And I think we can get a good G if we trade down still, so I don't see a need to draft Cooper. I haven't seen much love for Fluker, and almost nobody wants Te'o.

[NintendoFan82]

Jason Hanson retired today after being with the Lions for 21 seasons. That is what you call team loyalty.

Thanks guys I can't wait for the Michigan Spring game! It's gonna be weird not seeing Denard Robinson out on the field at all though....

[yuoke]

I'm an eagles fan....right now hoping chip kelly knows what he is doing with the qb situation. I hope they don't end up drafting geno smith like a lot are saying.

[Golden_Latias]

Jason Hanson retired today after being with the Lions for 21 seasons. That is what you call team loyalty.

Thanks guys I can't wait for the Michigan Spring game! It's gonna be weird not seeing Denard Robinson out on the field at all though....

That's true about both him and Backus.

And as much as I like Denard, Michigan's probably better off without him. Al Borges will probably have an easier time scheming with Devin Gardner and (hopefully later) Shane Morris.

[GrizzlyB]

I know the Lions said they didn't want to use the franchise tag this year, and they didn't. Which is probably for the best, considering they don't have a lot of cap room.

Obviously, Reggie Bush was the highlight of the Lions FA period. I didn't like the idea at first, but I warmed up to it, and I like it now, especially since $16M over four years isn't bad at all. And I've heard nothing but good things about Jason Jones and Glover Quin, too, though I hope Sid87 could tell me what he thinks about Jones.

Yeah, the general consensus seems to be that the Chiefs will probably take Joeckel, but I could see Fisher falling to the Lions. Guess the fans I see do fear that someone is going to trade up to take Fisher or something. *shrug* I don't know.

That's true about Cleveland, though, I can't see the Lions trading back just for that. Who's the next best CB in the draft then?

In other news, Jason Hanson just announced his retirement. Which is sad, but what can you do? It had to happen sometime.

I think getting Reggie Bush was a good signing, too, especially given how good of a receiver he is. I don't know much about the Lions' receivers besides Calvin Johnson, but having Bush as a checkdown option so that Stafford doesn't have to be staring down Megatron every play sure can't hurt the team. And of course, he's a better runner than... whoever you guys had last year.

Yeah, somebody leapfrogging for Fisher is definitely a possibility (probably the Cardinals, mayyyybe the Chargers), but until that happens, it's likely that Fisher will not only be available, but also the best player.

And I think the consensus #2 CB is Xavier Rhodes, who I was hoping the Broncos could get until the combine, when his stock went up and Johnthan Banks' went way down. After that, it's probably Desmond Trufant (though apparently some have it as D.J. Hayden, while others have him going in rounds 5 or 6... weird guy). After that, it's probably Johnthan Banks again, but by then we're in round 2. Anywho, Xavier Rhodes looks likely to be taken by the Dolphins/Buccaneers at #12/13, so it couldn't be a big trade down if he were the target.

And wasn't Jason Hanson the longest-tenured player in the league? That's too bad.

I think most Bears fans (including myself) are mostly going off stats, as we don't really know much about him. Urlacher's play last year wasn't very good, his leadership and intelligence/experience are the only thing we're most likely going to lose, even if D.J turns out to be as bad as you say. Though, that is quite a lot to lose. My only worry is D.J. gets suspended again, that'd pretty much kill our season. We got him at a good price though, no guaranteed money, and he counts around 1.75M against the cap, if I remember correctly. I'd prefer Lach had stayed and groomed his successor, but as I said that looks unlikely.

I don't mean to imply that D.J. is bad, sorry about that. He's a very good player on the field, and was one of the only good players on Josh McDaniels' defenses for the Broncos (along with Champ Bailey and Elvis Dumervil). In fact, it's very strange that he's never made it to a Pro Bowl. It's just that putting him in the middle is so out of place when he's such a good outside linebacker, that I can't get my head around signing him for the purpose of playing MLB. I mean, he did play ILB for a couple of years and got a crapload of tackles, but that was in a 3-4. They were also rarely close to the line of scrimmage (granted, he had an awful line in front of him, but it's also because he couldn't get off blocks). Honestly, you guys got him for a very good deal and he'd be a good addition to just about any linebacking corps, it's just that not putting him on the outside is wasting his talent, and I hope that's where he is when the season starts.

Yeah, Austin and Cooper are the two people seem to want most. I've seen a lot of mocks with Austin going way before we pick, though, so I wouldn't hold my breath. And I think we can get a good G if we trade down still, so I don't see a need to draft Cooper. I haven't seen much love for Fluker, and almost nobody wants Te'o.

Yeah, Austin is one of those guys that's anywhere between #10 and #30. I honestly have no idea where he'll go, though I doubt he'd make it past the last few teams in the first round. Cooper could easily go to the Rams or Cowboys from what I've read, too, but the next-best guard, Justin Pugh, probably wouldn't last to your #50 pick, so he'd have to be grabbed with a late-1st/early-2nd, so I think that in terms of value/need, it would be a mistake not to draft Cooper if he's available at #20. But then again, I don't really know much about the Bears O-line other than it is/was bad. Still, Cooper is one of the best linemen in this draft, and nobody found later is likely to be comparable.

I can certainly appreciate not wanting Te'O, though. Still, I read about something from some draft expert (Kiper, maybe?) about how Te'O would be taken in the NFC North, either by the Bears or the Vikings. Of course, he also suggested that Minnesota would look at trading up to jump Chicago, so maybe he just lost his mind.

I'm an eagles fan....right now hoping chip kelly knows what he is doing with the qb situation. I hope they don't end up drafting geno smith like a lot are saying.

I hope they don't, too. From what I understand in about their new offense, E.J. Manuel in the second would be the best fit in the draft. Or just sticking with who's already on the roster.

[Golden_Latias]

I think getting Reggie Bush was a good signing, too, especially given how good of a receiver he is. I don't know much about the Lions' receivers besides Calvin Johnson, but having Bush as a checkdown option so that Stafford doesn't have to be staring down Megatron every play sure can't hurt the team. And of course, he's a better runner than... whoever you guys had last year.

Yeah, somebody leapfrogging for Fisher is definitely a possibility (probably the Cardinals, mayyyybe the Chargers), but until that happens, it's likely that Fisher will not only be available, but also the best player.

And I think the consensus #2 CB is Xavier Rhodes, who I was hoping the Broncos could get until the combine, when his stock went up and Johnthan Banks' went way down. After that, it's probably Desmond Trufant (though apparently some have it as D.J. Hayden, while others have him going in rounds 5 or 6... weird guy). After that, it's probably Johnthan Banks again, but by then we're in round 2. Anywho, Xavier Rhodes looks likely to be taken by the Dolphins/Buccaneers at #12/13, so it couldn't be a big trade down if he were the target.

And wasn't Jason Hanson the longest-tenured player in the league? That's too bad.

Reggie Bush is a running back, something the Lions needed even more than receivers. xD I was mostly hesitant on the deal, because I was afraid he would cost the Lions too much. But $16M over four years is a good deal, so I'm fine with it.
Mikel Leshoure was the Lions running back, but I don't think he's bad. He was pretty much a rookie coming off an Achilles injury, so I didn't expect him to be amazing. I do think he'll improve next season. He's just not an every down type of back, is all.

And the Lions draft BPA, so if he's available, there's a good chance the Lions will take him.

Okay, thanks.

I don't know if he was, but I know he's been the Lions kicker for about as long as I've been alive. xD

[Zenotwapal]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/schedule

2013 Schedule release anybody?
Thoughts on your teams season this year?

The cowboys have the packers and the broncos like you KIDDING me
other than that I'm quite content with the teams we play. Shouldn't be too hard to make the playoffs this year (but then hey we are talking the Cowboys)

[Golden_Latias]

Lions get Vikings, @Cardinals, @Redskins, Bears, @Packers, @Browns, Bengals, Cowboys, Bye, @Bears, @Steelers, Buccaneers, Packers (Thanksgiving), @Eagles, Ravens, Giants, @Vikings.

A difficult schedule, to be sure, but only because the NFC North is one of the strongest divisions in football. I like that they get their trip to Lambeau out of the way in October, and their trip to Soldier Field is pretty early, too. I wish they'd give us someone besides the Packers for Thanksgiving, though. There are other teams in the NFC besides them. -_- Also like where the Bye is.

I'm content with the schedule, difficulty aside. I see the Lions finishing closer to .500 this season. They had too much going against them in 2012 that I don' think will happen again (injuries, etc.).

[deathseer]

Not liking the Thursday games. Second year in a row the Saints get 49ers then @Falcons on Thursday

Other than that, should be an interesting season. With Payton back, I see them back into contention again.

[GrizzlyB]

Broncos schedule is pretty good imo. Though they've got two Thursday games (I mean what the hell), one is the season opener and the other is against the Chargers and follows a game against the Titans, with both being at home so they don't have to travel. And like the Lions, the BYE is smack-dab in the middle of the season, which is p. cool. Their schedule cools off a bit in the second half again, but there are away games against the Patriots and Texans, not to mention that, depending on how much they improve, going Chiefs-Patriots-Chiefs could be trouble.

Also, kinda BS imo that they gave the Thanksgiving game to the Raiders and not the Broncos. I mean, the Broncos still have 5 primetime games (and they'll air all their games here regardless), but which team would most people rather see televised nationally? Unless their goal is to give the Cowboys a much easier game, I dunno how that works.

Anyway, the draft is less than a week away now, and I've given up guessing who will be available when they pick and who I want them to take. Dudes are flying all up and down the boards; it's ridiculous.

[Zenotwapal]

Broncos schedule is pretty good imo. Though they've got two Thursday games (I mean what the hell), one is the season opener and the other is against the Chargers and follows a game against the Titans, with both being at home so they don't have to travel. And like the Lions, the BYE is smack-dab in the middle of the season, which is p. cool. Their schedule cools off a bit in the second half again, but there are away games against the Patriots and Texans, not to mention that, depending on how much they improve, going Chiefs-Patriots-Chiefs could be trouble.

Also, kinda BS imo that they gave the Thanksgiving game to the Raiders and not the Broncos. I mean, the Broncos still have 5 primetime games (and they'll air all their games here regardless), but which team would most people rather see televised nationally? Unless their goal is to give the Cowboys a much easier game, I dunno how that works.

Anyway, the draft is less than a week away now, and I've given up guessing who will be available when they pick and who I want them to take. Dudes are flying all up and down the boards; it's ridiculous.

The Cowboys and Lions always get Thanksgiving Day games at home. One will play a AFC foe and the other will play a NFC foe. This is so that CBS and Fox each get a Thanksgiving game to broadcast.
Plus people watch Turkey Day football no matter what teams are playing because hey, its a American tradition, right? Football is football to most people lol

They just recently started giving a random match-up on Thanksgiving on the NFLNetwork.

[GrizzlyB]

The Cowboys and Lions always get Thanksgiving Day games at home. One will play a AFC foe and the other will play a NFC foe. This is so that CBS and Fox each get a Thanksgiving game to broadcast.
Plus people watch Turkey Day football no matter what teams are playing because hey, its a American tradition, right? Football is football to most people lol

They just recently started giving a random match-up on Thanksgiving on the NFLNetwork.

Yeah, I know. A lot of places I was reading were kinda assuming that the Broncos would be the matchup just because the Raiders were the other option and seem a much worse one (plus, they had the game last time the Cowboys played the AFC West, I think). You have a point about probably the same number of people watching it, though. I know I will, and it's not likely the NFL cares about much more than ratings.

And I was wondering how they picked the third Thanksgiving game. Looks like they gave it to the Ravens, hosting the Steelers. Maybe this year it wasn't quite random, since they lost their home opener and all.