Mystic Stylez posted:

As I said a few pages ago, it's frustrating. Ravens are hosed, there's Stanley, Humphrey, Brown and Andrews incoming and that's counting Judon as gone. Then Lamar. And Tunsil and Ramsey's deals didn't exactly help.

quote:

The Athletic’s NFC confidential: What the scouts are saying


It’s hard to get straight answers in the NFL. People inside the league are tight-lipped about even the most mundane information, fearful of giving up state secrets or providing bulletin-board material to the opposition. But by using our nationwide network of writers — and offering the protection of anonymity — we polled personnel people from around the league for their unvarnished thoughts as we head into the 2020 season. Welcome to The Athletic’s NFL confidential.

(Editor’s note: Quotes might be composites from multiple sources.)

North
Chicago Bears: “Their defense is really good but, again, it goes back to the quarterback. Do they have a quarterback who can compete and play winning football?” … “Mitch Trubisky didn’t have a great year, but the Bears didn’t have a great year. He took a lot of blame. I think that was a little bit unfair. It didn’t all fall on him.” … “Khalil Mack is going to be fine. With them adding another guy on the other end of him, that will help him get freed up, and people just can’t slide to his side.” … “If they play smart ball and Nagy doesn’t feel like he’s got to be the smartest guy in the division and say, ‘OK, I’m going to throw the ball regardless,’ then they have a chance. If he decides I’m going to show everybody ‘I’m the smartest man in the division,’ then guess what? They’re not going to have a chance.”

Detroit Lions: “Really, what has Matthew Stafford done? What has he really done in the league? Has he taken them far in the playoffs? Not that he’s a bad leader, it’s just some of the things with intangibles that didn’t really match with his arm talent and everything else.” … “Detroit lacked pass rush, and they are banking on Jeff Okudah at cornerback. They lost Snacks Harrison but picked up Danny Shelton and Nick Williams. They have some run stuffers. Trey Flowers hasn’t done much. They are average up front.” … “I don’t think they like the coach. I’m not saying they’re going to sabotage the season and lay down, because they are professionals at the end of the day. But from what I’ve heard, I just heard that the players don’t like playing for him.”

Green Bay Packers: “For me, the best quarterback in that division is Aaron Rodgers. Because they have the best quarterback, they have the best chance of winning the division again.” … “There hasn’t been any fall-off with Rodgers. If he stays healthy, I think they win the division again. I love their rookie running back A.J. Dillon. They’ll run the ball better. In November and December, Dillon will make Rodgers look better. If healthy, Rodgers is a beast. His arm is still strong, his intellect is good. The biggest problem might be if he can get along with his coaches and teammates.” … “The defense surprised a lot of people, but with the NFL, once you get on tape, people get a chance to study you for a year. We’ll see if they’ll be able to duplicate that, but I still think they will because they have guys who seem like they play with a high motor, especially those two outside guys (Preston and Za’Darius Smith).”

Minnesota Vikings: “They have a good running system in place. They’re a physical team. When you can run the ball, which they do and they do it well, they’re not making Kirk Cousins be the guy where he has to win the game.” … “Mike Zimmer is always going to have them playing good defense. Kirk Cousins, if everything is perfect for him, he’s going to light you up. Just don’t change the picture on him, because then he’ll panic like he always does.” … “Minnesota has two good edge rushers now. With Danielle Hunter and Yannick Ngakoue, they have the best edge rushers in the division. If Hunter is healthy, it’s going to be a problem. Linval Joseph a big loss, but they feel good about Jaleel Johnson inside, and Shamar Stephen is a monster.”

South
Atlanta Falcons: “Julio Jones is probably the best receiver in the game right now. He does it all. Calvin Ridley’s really good. Hayden Hurst is a good player — a very explosive guy, just straight line. It’s a matter of them getting the run game going to open up that play action for Matt Ryan.” … “Gurley’s a big addition, but it’s not scary. It’s not Alvin Kamara. It’s not Christian McCaffrey. He’s still a three-down-capable running back, still big, runs hard.” … “Every time we play them, the game is going to be close and they’ve got Julio, and who knows what can happen in the game, but their defense has just been struggling so much, and you don’t see anything special they did on defense to counter that.” … “They were very middle-of-the-road defensively last year. I thought they lacked some size and depth up front on the defensive side.”

Carolina Panthers: “Matt Rhule’s gonna build it the right way, he’s not gonna look for the quick fix. He’s gonna do it his way and build a foundation first of good players, hard-nosed players and they’re gonna play hard for him.” … “Teddy Bridgewater’s a good player. McCaffrey’s not just a running back. He’s just as good of a slot receiver as he is a running back. In today’s game, the versatility he brings, I just think it’s invaluable.” … “Derrick Brown, he’s one of those guys you put the tape on and he’s a grown man in the college game. He stood out. He imposed his size and strength, very explosive.” … “That’s a thin roster. There’s a couple of pieces on offense, but after that, when you look at their offensive line, it’s not a deep roster — particularly on defense.”

New Orleans Saints: “They’re gonna be good. Any time you get Drew Brees and Payton together, they’re so in sync.” … “They’re really good up front, and the ball comes out so quick, so it’s hard to get pressure on those guys.” … “Seeing them sign Emmanuel Sanders, he’s probably the best No. 2 receiver they’ve had in quite a while, especially down there on the turf. He’s a great route runner, his legs are still there, so he’s going to be able to stretch the field and win a lot underneath, too.” … “Defensively, I think they need Marcus Davenport to step up and have a good year. He’s long, explosive, just a little stiff and kind of raw. Cameron Jordan’s a good player, but can you trust (the secondary)?”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: “Why are people so high on them? Is this going to be like Jordan with the Wizards? It’s intriguing. (Tom Brady) will play in an ideal climate; he’ll play two games in a dome and then home games in warm weather. For an old person, that does wonders for your body.” … “You’ve got a ton of weapons on the outside. They’ve gotta protect Brady, that’s the biggest thing. He’s older now. He’s gonna get the ball out of his hands. But still, he doesn’t want to take hits. You can see pressure gets to him more often.” … “They do have a decent front seven, and they’ve got a good defensive scheme. The question with them would be more their secondary. … Is their secondary going to be strong enough?”

East
Dallas Cowboys: “You know, it’s gonna be kind of interesting to see how the power comes together with a new coaching staff. Mike McCarthy is an offensive guy, but he’s not calling the plays.” … “Defensively, Mike Nolan has always been a 3-4 guy, and they have the personnel for a 4-3. That’s probably not a big deal for a veteran coach, especially with all those pass rushers. It’s just a matter of kind of putting it all together and getting all those of personalities working together.” … “I just don’t get the hype on them overall. Were they good last year? Is Mike McCarthy some kind of innovator?”

New York Giants: “Saquon Barkley is great. He’s top-level talent.” … “The quarterback will be an interesting one. People killed them last year for taking Daniel Jones, and to be honest, I thought he was the most ready (of the rookie quarterbacks) to play. They don’t have great receiving threats to help him. So that’s the interesting thing is how his development goes.”

Philadelphia Eagles: “Obviously, the strength is their defensive line. It’s as good as any around the league. Right now, the Eagles are kind of the standard for defensive line play. It’s gonna be interesting for them with that secondary. Strong front seven but not as heavy in the back end.” … “They’ve had some injuries, obviously, the last couple years, but how the secondary plays is probably their biggest question for me, along with their receivers. They also got killed by injuries there.”

Washington Football Team: “There is not much weaponry outside Terry McLaurin. They have an average to below-average offensive line. It’s a little similar to the situation Daniel Jones was in last year with the Giants, a highly drafted quarterback going to a bad team. You’ve gotta live through that. The guy has to survive it. What I’d like to know is, can (Dwayne Haskins) lead a franchise? Is he mature enough or is he the guy who, in a win, was not on the field kneeling on the ball at the end of a win because he is back taking selfies?” … “They have a good front seven, but you use three straight first-round picks on your front seven, and it should be.” … “There could be a new owner in 6-8 months.”

West
Arizona Cardinals: “It’s going to be really interesting to see how they use Isaiah Simmons because he is a run-and-hit guy with great range, (but) his instincts were just OK. He kept moving closer to the line of scrimmage every year at Clemson. He’s an athletic freak, but I don’t know how he’s going to fit in, you know? I would not think he’s an inside ’backer. So Isaiah — not a huge fan at all, not a huge fan at all. Athletic? Yes.” … “The Leki Fotu kid from Utah is really powerful and he really has some explosiveness. He’s got a chance to be a really good player. And then Rashard Lawrence they drafted out of LSU, he’s more of a plugger.”

Los Angeles Rams: “Defensively, I think losing Cory Littleton is going to hurt ’em, but Troy Hill, I think, is underrated. Obviously, they’ve got Jalen Ramsey, and Leonard Floyd and Aaron Donald are going to be — whew — that’s not going to be fun for anyone to deal with. Inside ’backer, I think, is an issue for them. But when you have the horses up front, you can plug guys in.”

San Francisco 49ers: “I think they’ve done a great job of getting the type of players that fit Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. Jordan Reed could potentially be a really big factor for them. Obviously, George Kittle is the best tight end in the league and was a mismatch problem to begin with. So now you have two of those guys? Then you have Deebo Samuel, who kind of handles the — I don’t want to say he’s the possession guy, he’s better than that — but he’s so physical after the catch and is great with the ball in his hands. And Brandon Aiyuk, we felt, could be a complete vertical receiver, short to intermediate and run after the catch. He’s got some strength to him. Offensively, I think they’re really solid. And Kyle just makes it even better. His play calling is phenomenal. Offensively, I don’t think there will be any drop-off. The quarterback’s a good point guard, and he’s got playmakers around him. So it’s just, ‘Don’t mess it up.'”

Seattle Seahawks: “Everyone says Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league, but it’s tough between Russell Wilson and Mahomes for me. Wilson is so much more experienced in the nuances — the hard counts, the two-minute.” … “Wilson is kind of Deshaun Watson before Deshaun Watson. He runs when he has to. It is almost like he wills his team to victory, because when you look at them, they don’t scare you. It doesn’t matter whether their defense is retooling, whether their offense is retooling. When they didn’t have an offensive line, they still won.” … “Jamal Adams is a good player. I’m not enamored with in-the-box safeties anymore. They used him as a nickel linebacker and talk about all the things he did. He will help them as a good tackler on an eight-man front team. There’s no question he’s a good fit.” … “Who is going to rush the passer? They have a lot of guys that fit their scheme but not that impact guy.”

SKULL.GIF posted:

West on fire, no longer part of the NFC

ghosthorse posted:

The only thing football officials and some fans will take away from that was that he wasn't playing football, and not that a 20 year old athlete loving died from covid. I seriously think the nfl is only going to debate stopping this season when around week 5 someone like Mahomes or Brady tests positive. If that doesn't happen I doubt the ownership cares about anyone from the third line back straight up dying.

AndrewP posted:

Holy loving poo poo that is serious money for a DB.

also let's recap -

Rams gave up two firsts and a fourth rounder for Ramsey and are paying him 5/105.

Ravens gave up one fifth rounder for Marcus Peters and signed him for 3/42.

I wouldn't suggest that Marcus Peters is just as good as Jalen Ramsey, but in terms of the resources committed I feel a lot better about what the Ravens have done.

(that being said, Marlon Humphrey)

wandler20 posted:

Good Athletic article:

axeil posted:

I feel extremely conflicted about this season and I'm still not even sure if I'm going to watch.

wandler20 posted:

Can we take a minute to appreciate Gio Bernard's mustache.

fartknocker posted:

Same. See ya in the GDT on Sunday!

kalensc posted:

There's a few fun jabs in there, and naturally many nonsense/awful comments:

quote:

Houston Texans: “All indications say they should take a step back, but never underestimate a good coach like Bill O’Brien.”

ASAPRockySituation posted:

That is surprising given the Raiders and Chargers are pretty good and the Broncos lack at the most important position in football

Chinatown posted:

Remember this from JJ? lol. Just massive, almost career ending ownage that Andy has never recovered from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk-9XtSgi-I

Better Than You posted:

yes drew lock is bad

Kalli posted:

He looks like 12 year old pitcher that dominates every Little League World Series.

Grittybeard posted:

Ha, from the AFC version of this article:

Mega64 posted:

Anyone mind posting the AFC section?

quote:

North
Baltimore Ravens: “Lamar Jackson is better than a lot of people thought he was. No duh, right? So what’s scary is not only that he has fundamental quarterback things that he’s going to do better as time goes on — and already does better than some are willing to credit him for — but he’s not the MVP without his offensive coordinator. Greg Roman is an MVP coordinator.” … “To me, the defensive success starts with Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. Those guys are so good that everything else they want to do with the blitzes or shading a certain side, it’s all open.” … “I can’t pick him to win rookie of the year because I’m not sure how many touches there are going to be for him, but J.K. Dobbins is the perfect fit for that offense.”

Cincinnati Bengals: “I’m not saying he’s Russell Wilson, but I think Joe Burrow has Russell Wilson traits. He’s super smart. He’s pretty mobile, and his accuracy on the college tape is outstanding.” … “I think Jonah Williams is a good player, and I know that offensive line needs him after the last few years, but is he a left tackle? I didn’t grade him as one. He has short arms, and in this division, he’s gonna have to stay in front of some grade-A pass rushers.” … “The Bengals have an unproven coach. They’ve had a bad offensive line. There’s pretty good talent around Burrow, but there’s a long way to go, I think, as far as being good enough to really be a contender.”

Cleveland Browns: “There were a lot of different opinions on Baker Mayfield back when he was coming out. I was never a huge fan, but he won me over a little his rookie year. I’m not close enough to know what really went wrong last year, but I’m not writing him off. Baker has a big arm. When he’s good, he’s extremely accurate. Everything I know about the offense Kevin Stefanski runs tells me it plays to Baker’s strengths.” … “If I recall correctly, good teams drafted Rashaad Penny and Sony Michel before the Browns drafted Nick Chubb. Even the good teams gently caress up.” … “A hell of a lot of weapons. We’ll see how it all comes together under the circumstances, but there’s real firepower there.”

Pittsburgh Steelers: “If Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, the offense will be fine. I’m not close enough to the team to know what they really think about the running back situation, but the line is always good, the receivers are always good, and every year Ben is healthy, the Steelers are usually pretty drat good.” … “I was wrong about T.J. Watt. He’s not just a try-hard guy. He’s a top-level rusher, and Bud Dupree has really improved on the other side. In the back they have Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joe Haden, who’s an older guy who’s still been playing like a younger guy. On paper and on names, I don’t think anybody sits there and says, ‘This is an elite defense.’ But they play like one.”


South
Houston Texans: “All indications say they should take a step back, but never underestimate a good coach like Bill O’Brien.” … “They’ve still got Deshaun Watson. They’ve still got him, and he’s a heck of a football player — accurate, athletic, keeps plays alive. They add Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb, you’ve Keke Coutee, Will Fuller, Kenny Stills — plenty of guys who can get open and catch the ball.” … “On defense, they’ve obviously got J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, and then you add Ross Blacklock — he’s a good football player. We liked him coming out. They add Jonathan Greenard. Brennan Scarlett is a good role player for them. Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney, that’s a really good tandem at linebacker. Justin Reid at safety, a really good football player. And then we’ll see.”

Indianapolis Colts: “Their offensive line is certainly the strength and identity of the team, and I think they have potential at receiver.” … “They’ve got two quality players in Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor. I’m sure they’re going to run the ball and protect Philip Rivers. He’s always been fairly immobile, but now he’s more immobile than ever.” … “I think he finds ways to make plays. He’s still savvy, still tough, still instinctive.” … “DeForest Buckner, he’s a problem — just a really good football player. He’s going to help that defense a lot. Justin Houston, I think his track record speaks for itself. I really like the young linebacking corps, and then Xavier Rhodes gives them a good, physical corner.”

Jacksonville Jaguars: “I think Gardner Minshew’s a high-level backup, low-level starter. He’s got moxie, he’s got instincts, he’s got some arm, but he’s short. His accuracy, if you pressure him, he’s off.” … “D.J. Chark’s got legitimate speed, ball skills. He’s tough. He’s got that alpha dog — ‘I want the ball.'” … “They’ve still got a lot of good football players on the team. I can’t speak to the locker room, I’ve never been in it, but I think they do have good players. They added some pieces on defense. They’ve got a fast defense, pass rushers in Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson from LSU, speed at linebacker with Joe Schobert and Myles Jack. And they’ve got playmakers on offense.”

Tennessee Titans: “I don’t think Ryan Tannehill’s as good as he was last year. That was a statistical anomaly. But I think that his physical skill set is pretty good. He’s a really good athlete. He’s got a strong arm. He’s mobile.” … “Derrick Henry’s been productive, really, since high school, going to Alabama, getting in the league. But his style is rugged. Takes a lot of hits.” … “Good scheme, versatile players, physical, sum greater than the parts — (Mike) Vrabel will cook some stuff up and scheme pressures. They’ll be sound.” … “I think Jadeveon Clowney would solve a hole. I don’t think Vic Beasley (does) — it was more of a flier, and it was an expensive one.”


East
Buffalo Bills: “They’re building something great, I think. But we all know once the quarterback takes the next step, it will take off. He has to take the right next step. And, well … you study the film just as much as I do. We’ll see.” … “Josh Allen is going to succeed in the NFL because he has rare football character. Josh Allen wants to be a great player, and he’s going to do everything he can to become a great player.” … “They need to feed Dawson Knox more. He’s got one of the best stiff arms in the NFL. He’s hard to wrap up in the open field. Teams want that ‘macho’ build out of their tight ends. Dawson has that. They have to develop him into a red zone threat.”

Miami Dolphins: “Tua Tagovailoa is the best player in Alabama history. He changed the culture down there, and that’s not easy to do. He could do the same in Miami.” … “It should only be a matter of years until Tua is known as the best quarterback in the division. He’s already the most talented, and his hip looks OK. Miami’s got a great situation with him under Ryan Fitzpatrick right now.” … “There couldn’t be a better teacher for Tua than Fitz. He embodies what you want in a veteran quarterback. Everything you hear about him is praise for his demeanor and ability to get attention from everybody in the room. If Tua is a willing student, he should blossom under Fitz.”

New England Patriots: “I believe a healthy Cam Newton helps the Patriots win the AFC East. Look at the quarterbacks in the AFC against New England’s defense. Remove Tom Brady and they still have to figure out how to score on New England’s defense. Cam won an MVP with his tight end being the best receiver on his team without anyone outside.” … “Cam is the real deal. A lot of teams are about to find out why he’s still elite. New England has some pieces — guys that are way better than his MVP-year targets.”

New York Jets: “This kind of feels like the Dolphins felt when Adam Gase was the head coach there. Similar storylines with different faces. Ultimately, that always starts at the top of an organization, but it’s a reflection of the head coach as well. Storylines just seem to fester there with the Jets, and they weigh you down.” … “Sam Darnold struggles to read the field. To me, that’s a must-have with the quarterback position. It’s really a problem for him. He seems puzzled out there a lot.” … “Frank Gore is an animal. He’s only a few years away from 40! He’s still capable of being effective in short-yardage situations.”

West
Denver Broncos: “It starts with Drew Lock, and I’m higher on him than most people are. I just think they have some things in place.” … “Vic Fangio is a mastermind defensively, but they are a little bit talent-deficient in some areas on defense, and I think you are rolling the dice with a young quarterback, which makes Denver an interesting situation to watch this year.” … “Getting Jurrell Casey helps. Noah Fant has a chance to go to the next level as a receiving tight end in the second year. Bradley Chubb can come back to what he was … and if Garett Bolles can cut his penalties on the offensive line, which he did late last year, there is enough on offense to have some success.”

Kansas City Chiefs: “The only concern I would have is how many games they get behind. They overcame it last year, but sometimes that catches up with you. I still would not trust their defense.” … “They have incredible weapons — the best tight end in the league; a really good, fast receiver in Tyreek Hill; they always have a back that can do it; and they have a complementary receiver, Sammy Watkins. And their line has been pretty good, although not as good now.” … “With Andy Reid, there is a very definitive thing that they are trying to accomplish with their scheme, how they are trying to attack people. And then Patrick Mahomes can improvise when he needs to. He does a good job of getting the checkdown, and he has an extraordinary arm. That helps.”

Las Vegas Raiders: “I think they have continuity. They did not change a whole lot, whereas Denver changed offensive coordinators and the Chargers have a new quarterback. I think that continuity with a veteran quarterback in Derek Carr and a run game will help Las Vegas be in the mix this year — the next team after Kansas City in that division.”

Los Angeles Chargers: “Being really good up front with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram helps a lot, but I think they take a step back because they lost a veteran quarterback. Tyrod Taylor is safe, and he can be a starting-caliber quarterback, but he is not going to carry it, and from a leadership standpoint, I don’t know if he can match the fire that Philip Rivers brought.” … “I know they open with Cincinnati, but I think they will find themselves in one of those 2-4 situations where they end up playing the young kid (Justin Herbert).”

Better Than You posted:

yes drew lock is bad

wandler20 posted:

a neat cape posted:

do these people realize Rivers was the biggest problem on the chargers last year or

a neat cape posted:

do these people realize Rivers was the biggest problem on the chargers last year or

quote:

And then Patrick Mahomes can improvise when he needs to. He does a good job of getting the checkdown, and he has an extraordinary arm. That helps.”

Metapod posted:

No that was melvin at the 1

wandler20 posted:

Jiminy Christmas! Shoes! posted:

Are these supposed to be scouts and FO people? These analyses are so terrible and ill-informed it's like an indictment of how dumb the NFL's brain trust is.

fsif posted:

Anyone that uses a vague prompt about a team's upcoming season to go out of their way to talk about Frank Gore almost certainly has a terminal case of NFL brain trust.

fsif posted:

Anyone that uses a vague prompt about a team's upcoming season to go out of their way to talk about Frank Gore almost certainly has a terminal case of NFL brain trust.

quote:

All indications say they should take a step back, but never underestimate a good coach like Bill O’Brien.

Phobeste posted:

I mean BOB is a good xs and os coach he just is a terrible gm and also his teams tend to be mentally weak

Phobeste posted:

I mean BOB is a good xs and os coach