NFL (since 2016)

[crystal falace]

"Free agency started last night and was pretty crazy some huge money being spent. Osweiler getting £18m a year for the Texans, leaving the Broncos without a QB, Giants have spent a fortune on good but not great players, Oliver Vernon has more guaranteed money than JJ Watt. lots more deals but cant be bothered to list them all."

[Grumpster]

"I'll take that bet Mr Burns. Fairly confident we'll both finish about the Seahawks which is joy enough, but we'll be winning the division!!!"

[Mr. Burns]

"Cooks to the Rams after Suh as well. 49ers got no chance, we'll blow them away."

[Hermit Road]

"All sorts of uproar regarding Beckham recently. All the talk was about them trading him last week. He's a piece of work. Still think the Eagles will win the division, ""òwe' are just too strong with an offensive line that is getting even stronger despite losing some players. With Sproles, Peters and Wentz returning, I can't see many teams getting much change. Wentz' arm and Jeffrey, Ertz, Agholor, and now Mike Wallace running routes is a frightening proposition. Makes the mouth water does that."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Hermit - the best thing the Giants could do in the draft is take Barkley at #2. Much as I would loathe them for it, it would make them immediately competitive in the NFC East again. Manning (even at 37/38 years old), Barkley (best offensive player in the draft) and Beckham (immense) would be quite a handful - even for the superbowl champs."

[Hermit Road]

"The Giants could produce some great football last year look at their two games against the Eagles where they lost yet pushed them all the way particularly the first which was only won by a walk off field goal, the longest in Eagles history. That being said, they could also be woeful at times when local bragging rights weren't on the line. That is a horrible division and if they improve in the right areas, they coupd push the Birds all the way before the playoffs even begin."

[southbankbornnbred]

"FC - Cousins is likely to be a good acquisition for the Vikes. He's a decent QB, and ready to deliver straight away. I think Minnesota has overpaid for him (after the Jets' initial bid, which was higher but contained fewer guarantees). But the Vikes could afford to do that, and they will expect to win that division on the back of this. Going to be quite a shoot-out in the NFC North now with Rodgers, Stafford and Cousins. Vikes defence should see them through. I wanted the Jets to land Cousins, so we could have no hesitation in taking Barkley in the draft if he was still on the board. But even though the Jets have huge cap space, they have so many other pressing needs that they had a limit to what they could spend on a QB. The Vikes are in a position to challenge for the superbowl next season, while the Jets are way, way off that. Cousins made the right choice. RBS - I hope you're wrong and that the Jets at least have the choice of taking Barkley. He's the best college running back in any draft for a long time. I'd hate to see him go to the Giants! ;-)"

[Takashi Miike]

I think Barkley's the best offensive player in draft

[RBshorty]

Giants taking a QB is a smokescreen. They will take Barkley or trade down. The GM there feels they can win now. And Eli still has a couple of years left in the tank. And Davis Webb is a good enough backup

[Far Cough]

"southbank's Jets get Teddy from my Vikes and my Vikes get Cousins from Mike's Skins, a bit musical chairs"

[southbankbornnbred]

"I'm quite sure Bridgewater was signed simply to give the Jets the option of taking Barkley if he's still on the board at #3. He is the best offensive player in the draft, but we have such a pressing need at QB. It will be a tough decision. Have had a better look at Baker Mayfield over the past week, due to the Jets' interest in him. I have to say I reckon I under-valued him initially, and I can see what some of the fuss is about now. His footwork is far better than Allen's - and perhaps even Darnold and Rosen (who are both strong in this area). Ans his accuracy on the move is excellent. He's also got that little bit of clutch magic that every good NFL QB needs. Looks a bit like his hero Drew Brees. On revision, I'd say Mayfield is probably in the top three QBs in the draft - ahead of Allen's potential (huge arm, less accuracy: only completed 58% of passes in college career - compared with Mayfield's 68%). Top three QBs for me would be Darnold, Rosen, Mayfield - and then Allen. But it's close. They will all go in the top ten picks - possibly even the top six. I'd be quite happy if the Jets took Mayfield, having now watched a lot more of him facing tough situations. But Barkley is just so good at half-back that he'd be hard to ignore. Hence the punt on Bridgewater's dodgy knee. He hasn't played properly for two years. Personally, I think he's done (a huge shame) - but I hope for his sake that he's not. He was a very talented kid coming out of college. Big assessment of Teddy's current fitness and form coming up at the Jets before the draft. Can see the top three picks being... 1. Cleveland - Darnold 2. Giants - Rosen 3. Jets - Mayfield or Barkley"

[Takashi Miike]

never realised you'd signed Bridgewater. Barkley will be a certainty

[southbankbornnbred]

"Scorch - if you're right, mate, and you might well be, then the Giants will likely pick Rosen or Allen (I'm sure Darnold will go to #1 to Cleveland). Either would learn a huge amount from Eli. One of the best QBs in the draft sitting behind a double super bowl winning talent: that would be a dangerous situation for the rest of the NFC East. (Sorry, skins fans!). That whole situation would leave the traditionally draft-useless Jets with a huge dilemma: take the best player in the entire draft (Barkley) with #3 or try yet again to take a franchise QB when the two best in that position are already off the board. Much as we desperately need a franchise QB, I'd have to give serious consideration to taking Barkley. The kid is immense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0VALn4r8mg"

[arsene york-hunt]

"Is it true that there are a lot of gays in Green Bay? If so, they could change their name to Green Bay Fudge Packers."

[El Scorchio]

"SBBB- Difference here is that both Darnold and Rosen actually want to play for the Giants, and why wouldn't they? They aren't going to be a 3-13 team very often. Both will probably be happy to go number 2 rather than being stuck in Cleveland, unless they are finally going to break the habit of being shit every season. It's the perfect scenario to sit behind an established QB and learn how to play in the NFL. Most are forced to start before they are ready because they are drafted by shitty teams with no QB, rather than shitty teams with a good one :) The Chargers picked Eli knowing all along that they were going to trade him away for as much as they could get."

[Tomsdad]

Go Braves!

[Takashi Miike]

"southbank, i know how our unofficial GM's brain works and I wouldn't be shocked if he signs Alabama WR Ridley for Smith, even though i think we have more than enough now we've signed Richardson"

[southbankbornnbred]

"Payne looks like a really good player, doesn't he? The dire offensive needs for all of the teams at the top of the draft means that there has been much less focus on the defensive side of the ball ahead of the picks in April. Which will make for some defensive 'bargains' lower down Rounds 1 and 2. Arguably the two best players in this draft are a RB and OL: two relatively un-glamorous positions these days. The dire QB needs of Cleveland, Giants, Jets, Buffalo et al are pushing play-callers to the top of the tree. Again."

[Takashi Miike]

"just had another look at the draft profiles and still Alabama's DT Payne is the signing we should make. apart from Barkley, the other decent running backs all have injuries on their record. Payne would link up well with his old captain Jonathan Allen. for that reason alone, our cunts won't sign him and waste the pick :.)"

[Takashi Miike]

I need to have a look at the RBs as we may have a look there in the first round though I'd rather another d-lineman

[southbankbornnbred]

"TM - I'm quite sure Darnold is going to Cleveland as the #1 pick. He'll likely be off the board, even for the Giants. Cleveland have to take a QB at #1 because they are so bad. The Giants will pick Barkley, Rosen or Allen. The Jets will pick one of the remaining two."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Scorch - you're right...up to a point. The Giants know better than most how a rising star QB can throw the 'rules' of the draft out of kilter if they don't want to play for a team or won't play second fiddle for too long. In 2004, Eli said before the draft that he wouldn't play for the Chargers (#1). So San Diego traded him (plus other picks) for the #2 slot from the Giants (and then picked Rivers). Elway did the same to the Colts in '83. I don't see any of this draft crop having the same profile or expectations, though, so you're probably right. There is an irony in the comparisons with 2004, though. In that draft, the Chargers and Giants played out a dance over Eli and Rivers. But sitting behind both of them in the draft was Ben Roethlisbeger - who was raw but had the most potential of the lot. I sort of feel that Josh Allen is the Roethlisberger of this upcoming draft. He doesn't look as polished as Darnold or Rosen, but he has a huge arm and enormous potential. It's all going to get interesting."

[Takashi Miike]

"Allen has good long term potential, that would be a good pick if you are holding on to Manning for two more seasons"

[El Scorchio]

Do you think Barkley if Rosen and Darnold are both gone?

[Takashi Miike]

If I was Giants GM I'd take Darnold and have him work behind Manning for a year and then trade Eli to Jacksonville or Buffalo

[El Scorchio]

"Doesn't matter whether they'd be prepared to sit behind Eli. They wouldn't have a choice if they were drafted, and it didn't do Aaron Rodgers any harm. You don't have to ditch the incumbent QB just because a new one is coming along. In their position I think they'd be mad to not draft a quarterback who could potentially be there the next 15 years, especially with Eli being right at the end of his career. They don't find themselves picking in the top 5 very often. Of course you never know what will happen, but IMO they'd be mad or incredibly short sighted to go anything other than QB unless Darnold is gone and they have concerns over Rosen's injury history. In which case surely you'd trade the pick to someone who really does want Rosen. Take Chubb or Nelson or Fitzpatrick and the extra picks. I suppose all the guessing is what makes it so exciting each year."