2026 NFL Thread (non-Leos)

[Motor City Sonics]

Hi.  We're post-draft now and free agent period now (at leas the initial part).  It's the 2026 season!

 

Hearing that that the Patriots have a contingency plan if Vrabel resigns. 

My issue is.   Why should he resign?      Because he's a terrible husband?    Well, I got news for the world (and I know most of you would probably agree) that the league is stacked with horrible husbands from every level - Coaches, Players, Execs, Media.    This is a violent game with violent people and a lot of them are just plain bad people.     Who cares if he's a bad husband?   Was he breaking the law?   Was he a danger to society?    No?   Then who cares.    This hasn't proven to be enough of distraction to the team.  He took a team that was terrible in 2024 to the Super Bowl the next year.     I would imagine that there are a lot of elements that are LESS distracting now that it's out in the open.  

If this starts effecting his coaching, then that's another thing, but I would expect a natural decline for the Patriots this year with a tougher schedule and higher expectations.    The Jets are going to shock the world and win that division anyway, right?   Aaron Glenn is going to do what Dan Campbell did and turn this ship around in year 2.   Oh, wait, Geno Smith is their QB?      Well, okay, the Bills are going to win this division in their shiny new digs.  

[Motown Bombers]

I don't know, Russini has a lot of insider contacts. Was she feeding him insider info about rivals? Was she trying to manipulate free agents in favor of the Patriots with her insider sources? I don't think the affair would matter if it was with a random woman vs the press. 

[Motor City Sonics]

COACH HOT SEAT RANKINGS.   Pre-Preseason edition. 

 

 

1.  Aaron Glenn,  Jets.   I hate to rank him #1 because I like him and  I think he deserves 3 years no matter what, inheriting that disaster, but patience is not a thing in the NFL these days and the Jets are are moronic organization.  Robert Saleh should have never been fired.   

2.  Zac Taylor, Bengals.    They had that nice run a few years ago, but Burrow can't stay healthy and he's Mr. Everything to them. 

3. Shane Steichen, Colts.   That collapose last year was brutal.    They were in the driver's seat at 7-1 and finished 8-9.  Any Lions fan around here over the age of 35 knows how that feels.   And it wasn't just Indiana Jones' injury.

4. Kevin O'Connell, Vikings.   There are expectations here.   I don't think Kyler Murray will help him 

5. Todd Bowles, Buccanneers.   Not a great coach, not a bad coach, but the Buccs may just need a fresh perspective.   Anyone of the four teams in the NFC South could win it, including the Saints who may have found their next QB 

6. Klint Kubiak, Raiders.   Any coach on the Raiders automatically goes on this list.  I think Tom Brady will be the Head Coach within 3 years.  He's going to let Kubiak take the bullets for Mendoza's rookieness.  

 

Dan Campbell is nowhere near this list right now.   

 

[Jason_R]

11 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

I don't know, Russini has a lot of insider contacts. Was she feeding him insider info about rivals? Was she trying to manipulate free agents in favor of the Patriots with her insider sources? I don't think the affair would matter if it was with a random woman vs the press. 

Yes, it seems clear they were using each other to support the Patriots. It is one thing to deflate footballs or to spy on a practice, it is totally different to have an “NFL Insider”™️ put out stories that advance your team’s interests. Kraft may have to sacrifice Vrabel to avoid a major problem with the other owners. 

[MichiganCardinal]

Can’t wait for a Lions-Packers game to decide the division to be moved from Ford Field to Moscow

[Motown Bombers]

If there is going to be a game in Moscow, the Commanders, aka Commies, are a slam dunk for that game. 

[Tigeraholic1]

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Sports_Freak]

NFL needs to suspend Jacobs.

[RedRamage]

3 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

NFL needs to suspend Jacobs.

Given it's the off season especially there's really no reason not to put a suspension in place now.

During the season I think there's more room for the argument of innocent until proven guilty and suspending for all the details are known could adversely hurt a team when the player might be guilty of much less than he was accused of or even innocent all together. But during the off season there isn't that same danger.

[GalagaGuy]

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Motown Bombers]

And no, the Lions didn't have 90+ million to spend on pass rushers. 

[Jason_R]

Wow. 

[MichiganCardinal]

This isn't an awful deal for either side. Garrett will be 31 and has cap hits north of $55MM scheduled for his league age 34 and 35 seasons. Maybe he'll be a freak of nature like Julius Peppers into his mid- to late-30s, but it's far from a guarantee. Meanwhile, Verse is very unlikely to ever be a player of Garrett's caliber, but he's a very good player already and only 25.

This is the ultimate all-in move for the Rams, who have one, maybe two years left with all their chips. And it's knowing what you have for the Browns, who are still at least a year or two from contention, even if one of their several young QBs works out.

I'm not upset we won't see the Rams until at least the playoffs though.

[Hongbit]

3 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

And no, the Lions didn't have 90+ million to spend on pass rushers. 

They wouldn’t have had to in this same scenario for the Lions, Hutch would’ve replaced Verse.    

[MichiganCardinal]

1 minute ago, Hongbit said:

They wouldn’t have had to in this same scenario for the Lions, Hutch would’ve replaced Verse.    

I think Tyleik would be the closest comparable. Young defensive lineman on a rookie deal. But Tyleik's value is nowhere near Verse's right now.

[Hongbit]

Just now, MichiganCardinal said:

This isn't an awful deal for either side. Garrett will be 31 and has cap hits north of $55MM scheduled for his league age 34 and 35 seasons. Maybe he'll be a freak of nature like Julius Peppers into his mid- to late-30s, but it's far from a guarantee. Meanwhile, Verse is very unlikely to ever be a player of Garrett's caliber, but he's a very good player already and only 25.

This is the ultimate all-in move for the Rams, who have one, maybe two years left with all their chips. And it's knowing what you have for the Browns, who are still at least a year or two from contention, even if one of their several young QBs works out.

I'm not upset we won't see the Rams until at least the playoffs though.

Your first paragraph doesn’t matter to the Rams and you’ve figured out what does in your 2nd.  This isn’t about 3 years from now.  It’s about taking their best shot to win 1 and maybe both of the next 2 Super Bowls.   They see the window right now and are going for it.   

[MichiganCardinal]

6 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

Your first paragraph doesn’t matter to the Rams and you’ve figured out what does in your 2nd.  This isn’t about 3 years from now.  It’s about taking their best shot to win 1 and maybe both of the next 2 Super Bowls.   They see the window right now and are going for it.   

I agree, and I’m sure their fans are also all in on the idea.

Will it work out for them? I hope not. But I‘m also not going to pretend like Garrett isn’t likely to be significantly better than Verse in 2026.

At the same time, Micah Parsons is exhibit 1 for why one player doesn’t and can’t make a team, and how easy it is for going all in to lead to flaming out in the wildcard round. Really, going all in probably hasn’t worked for a team since the Rams last did it.

[romad1]

Cowboys and Packers trade last year comes to mind. 

[MichiganCardinal]