The American football offseason thread

[Thermofusion]

Yeah we need a 12th. Whatever happened to SWV? I remember him playing in the league that first go-round. Hope he's ok.

[DCDave]

I keep on getting a "you cannot view this page since you are not in this league" error

[FreddyKnuckles]

Yeah the link doesn't work . If you search for the league and put in the pass you should be set

[Thermofusion]

BUMP

Draft day predictions/comments?

The same three or four prospects of interest keep popping up from "sources well-connected" to the Panthers. I get the impression the Panthers would much rather trade their #1 pick down for some later picks (they have no picks in the second round) than actually have to bite the bullet and take a chance on a Cam Newton. The Panthers' problems are a lot bigger than one man, and I'd rather see them use the draft to shore up their O and D lines. If they still have the #1 pick at 8pm, I'd love to see them take Patrick Peterson.

Everyone says they'll take Cam Newton. I'd be shocked if they actually took Cam Newton. They just drafted a QB last year, and they really didn't give him a chance to develop, or any decent targets to throw to (Steve Smith's role last season was mainly to draw double coverage), or a decent O line to hide behind. Give Clausen one more year to develop, and if should he end up playing that bad again, then hey we'll probably have the #1 pick again next year and we can just draft Andrew Luck.

That said, after reading a fair amount of barely-veiled racist comments about Newton on Panthers sites, I'd actually kind of like it if they did draft Newton, if only to piss off the good-ol-boy segment of the Panthers fanbase who apparently can't deal with the notion of Carolina having a black QB. The actual football value of Newton seems pretty suspect, and I imagine any excitement he might bring to the franchise would dissipate quickly after two or three consecutive losses to start the season.

[dumbfish]

Draft the best available lineman, suck for another year, get Luck.
Newton is Tebow with less experience.

[dieblucasdie]

They should probably trade down with the Bengals and get a couple lineman, yeah.  I do think Newton will probably do well in the NFL eventually, but if they try to give him starts this year, yikes.

[Thermofusion]

Agreed with you both. Luck probably stayed at Stanford another year primarily to avoid being drafted by the Panthers, so I'd definitely lol if we "earn" first pick in 2012. Hopefully Jimmy shapes up, though. Also I don't foresee any scenario in which Cam doesn't end up with the Bengals tonight.

[Thermofusion]

Man. Risky pick, and one that doesn't make any sense to me, but here's hoping for the best. I wish they'd taken Peterson, Dareus or Von Miller.

So far the best thing about this draft is the way the Radio City crowd is mercilessly booing Roger Goodell every time he takes the podium

[dumbfish]

I thought of another comparison for Newton. I still think Tebow is the best fit, but Daunte Culpepper works OK-- massively strong athlete, a "winner," but with limited exposure to pro-style offense. Granted, Culpepper looked a lot better with two Hall of Fame WRs than without, but I guarantee the Panthers would be happy with some Vikings-era Culpepper production. I'm not optimistic, but I'll be rooting for him.
I'd be so bummed if my name were Clausen right now.

[El_Josharino]

So how do you feel if you're an offensive lineman who has to play against Detroit within the next couple years? Me, I'd be a little nervous.

[dumbfish]

Dug the Suh Chrysler commercial. Was this the debut?

[dieblucasdie]

Yeah, uh, good luck with that, Thermo. 

edit:  Also, now that the Cubs are using Samardzija on the regular, Josh, can we get a house rule where I get spotted the fantasy baseball points he earns during the football/baseball overlap?  TSKS should be in favor in this.

[Ignatius]

Do you get to count Zbikowski's boxing stats too?

[dumbfish]

Blucas, clearly what you need to do is just start over and get an undergrad degree from a real football school.
A school that kills opponents, not their own practice-field cameramen.

[dieblucasdie]

Blucas, clearly what you need to do is just start over and get an undergrad degree from a real football school.

Like I would last a day in the South

[El_Josharino]

Yeah, uh, good luck with that, Thermo. 

edit:  Also, now that the Cubs are using Samardzija on the regular, Josh, can we get a house rule where I get spotted the fantasy baseball points he earns during the football/baseball overlap?  TSKS should be in favor in this.

I'm in favor of this, but what format of baseball are we talking? In a standard 5x5 format, a relief pitcher who doesn't rack up saves and/or strikeouts isn't worth a whole lot.

[mountmccabe]

So how do you feel if you're an offensive lineman who has to play against Detroit within the next couple years? Me, I'd be a little nervous.

Like.

[dieblucasdie]

Yeah, uh, good luck with that, Thermo. 

edit:  Also, now that the Cubs are using Samardzija on the regular, Josh, can we get a house rule where I get spotted the fantasy baseball points he earns during the football/baseball overlap?  TSKS should be in favor in this.

I'm in favor of this, but what format of baseball are we talking? In a standard 5x5 format, a relief pitcher who doesn't rack up saves and/or strikeouts isn't worth a whole lot.

Well, a player who added >0.0 points would still up my stock

[Thermofusion]

Just caught up on some NFL shit been happening. Ocho a Patriot? Hasselbeck to TN and Tavaris Jackson to Seattle? Philadelphia calling themselves "The Dream Team"?

Most amusing to me: Derek Anderson is in Carolina training camp, and it's looking like they might sign him. That's how little faith they have in Jimmy Clausen.

[YojimboMonkey]

I got to meet Dan Hampton (#99, Chicago Bears defensive lineman '79-'90, Pro Football Hall of Fame class 2002) briefly yesterday. My mom is friends with his in-laws and he shows up to their class reunions occasionally.

[YojimboMonkey]

and yes I am wearing the VIKINGSHARK t-shirt

[El_Josharino]

Well since Jim bumped this thread, might as well get to talkin' fantasy. Are you chumps up for the LPTJ league again? We should probably start figuring out draft times, if we're adjusting scoring, etc. Should I just send out a mass invite to everyone who was in last year? Is anyone definitely out who was in last year? Is anyone in who was out last year?

[dumbfish]

Just let me know when I need to show up and dominate, ok?

[distance]

i'm definitely in.  i may just come up with a team name this year.

[El_Josharino]

Okay dudes, I just renewed the league and it should have sent everyone an email. Draft time is tentative. Scoring is all the same as last year for now. If anyone who wasn't in last year wants to be in this year then the league is here:
http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1/373186

password is "smellherhair"