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."

[southbankbornnbred]

Zeb - there's no way the Fish could afford all of those players in free agency if you traded for Watson. That would be the grim reality of doing a deal like this. It would tie the buyer to paying over the odds in free agency for average players. The better players would take you well beyond your salary cap and you'd most likely have to start asking established starters to take a pay cut to stay and win with Watson - or they'd start to leave. It's a really delicate situation. Even the Bears deal for Jay Cutler in 2008 affected them that way. And Watson is a significantly better QB with a much higher likely price.

[southbankbornnbred]

"The one thing I've learned about our lot in Gotham, is that you never know with the Jets. We have a mad ownership who don't have a clue what they are doing and they may like the idea of a marquee megadeal... ...but...that said...I can't see our lot going all-in for Watson. Our GM and new coach will rate him very highly (who won't?), but Saleh is a brand new HC with a house full of high draft picks and, for probably the only time in his coaching life, has the chance to build a team and roster his way. Likewise, our GM Joe Douglas is relatively new to the job and, incredibly for a Jets GM under this ownership, appears to be well-respected by our boisterous and cynical fans. Believe me, that is an unusual situation. We've tended to be very sceptical about past GMs, because they were either useless or seen as an extension of the poor ownership (or both). Douglas seems to be grounded in the realities of the NFL and, touch wood, appears to be somebody we can trust to scout properly and make sound judgement calls in the draft and free agency process (not least because he actually talks to his coaches). I'm not sure that either the GM or new HC will want to risk everything on a megadeal that gives away a shed-load of high draft picks and ties the franchise's entire short and medium-term future to one man: albeit a very fine player. Given how quickly our fans have turned on past coaches and GMs, and given the constant discontent with the ownership, it would be a huge risk for a franchise to take. That said, our owners know little about the NFL and they might just think that going all-in on a megadeal for a very good QB is the way to catapult the franchise forward - and deal with some likely crippling consequences later. Don't forget, giving away so many draft picks - whichever team does it - doesn't just mean that you lose those picks for several years. It also means you are forced to use free agency to bring in additional talent. And the price of any player in free agency is generally much higher than a top, good draft pick. So any Watson deal would be a triple hit: on your draft picks, on your immediate salary cap and on your future salary cap even after you've signed him. He's an exciting player. I was amazed when the Jets passed on him in the 2017 draft, when we desperately needed a QB. But this price tag now seems too high. I'd let the Fish take the financial hit and then go after him with a proper Saleh defense!"

[Joe C]

"From my Fins mate on Watson: ""He won't come to us. We're all in on Tua. Even if there was a thought process to bring him in, what it would cost to get him pick wise would be pointless as we'd spunk all our picks to build the team and all the salary cap... which would go against the rebuild we've bought into over the last 2 years.... I'd be very surprised if it happened.""ù"

[crystal falace]

No chance the texans trade him inside the division to the colts. In sure they'd rather trade him to the NFC if they can but the jets and fins may trump any other offer. But Watson does have a no trade clause so he can essentially veto any move he doesnt like.

[Joe C]

"The Colts have to go in for someone. Rivers was a reasonable stop gap after Luck's retirement leaving them fucked for the previous season - but he's retired himself now, so they have to go in somewhere. Hack (remember him) reckons they'll try and get Stafford."

[zebthecat]

"I think it makes sense for the Dolphins. Last year's free agency finished building a solid defence. Do a smiliar job this year to sort some proper receiving support for Devante Parker - The likes of Chris Godwin, Kevin Golladay, Will Fuller (Hi DeShaun) and Juju Smith-Schuster could be up for grabs and a top class RB (Aaron Jones please) and Watson will have plenty of weapons.."

[Takashi Miike]

"we've got o-linemen on better money for the 2021 season, his deal for the first year is peanuts. it's all about the picks, not the contract"

[Hermit Road]

"Watson is brilliant and would make a good team a SB contender no doubt. What Southbank says is right though, with the money he is on and the fact that he signed it last year, his behaviour recently should put off any team. For that money, at the position, you are paying for someone to lead the team, not throw a bomb in it."

[crystal falace]

I do think its between the fins and jets as they have the most draft capital. Dolphins ironically would be trading back the picks the Texans gave them for the left tackle Tunsil a few years back and could probably throw Tua into the deal as well.

[Takashi Miike]

"considering his talent, I think his terms are very reasonable. it's the extra demands that will rule many teams out, we gave up 3 1sts & 1 2nd just to move up in the draft for Rg3, so I think they'll want more than that and they can fuck off. the dolphins/patriots are welcome to him, the colts makes the most sense financially but like us don't have a high pick"

[southbankbornnbred]

"Remember, the Jay Cutler deal in 2008 and the Herschel Walker deal in the 80s did not end well for either player. Admittedly, Watson is significantly better than Jay Cutler (the last starting QB to hit the market in his absolute prime). Watson is a proper franchise QB, no doubt. But these megadeals rarely work out for both parties. I'd also be worried that Watson seems to be trying to run the Houston franchise. They gave him the Earth, wages-wise last year, and he's still not happy. If you're a GM elsewhere, that should ring alarm bells. Is that the sort of player you want to spend your entire future on?"

[southbankbornnbred]

"I think Watson is an excellent QB, but I fear he'd be making a bit of a mistake if he left (it's not guaranteed, even at this stage). The pressure he would heap upon himself would be gigantic, even by the standards of a high-class NFL QB. He's already on the second biggest deal in NFL history in Houston. So not only is any buyer going to have to cough up a LOT of current and future draft picks, they're also going to have to give away most of their salary cap space: limiting the weapons they can put around him. And the buying team is going to absolutely expect play-off appearances - no excuses for him at any point. He's a very good player, so he maybe won't be too worried about that. But the pressure will be huge. The likely starting price for the trade is at least two first-round picks (most likely three), at least one second rounder and most likely two thirds. That's six of the top-100 college players. You could build a proper team with that. PLUS an effective guarantee that the trade will take Watson to his new side on an identical or almost-identical huge wage deal: $156m over four years. There are few franchises which can afford that bill, even if the Texans have covered his big payment for this winter. It's off the scale, which is why you don't see franchise QBs in the prime hit the market very often. Watson has a ""no trade"" agreement with the Texans, which effectively means he can choose where he goes (the team can't), so that gives him an unusual amount of control over this process by NFL standards. But I still think it's a risk - for him. The buying team is going to have to give up everything for him and he will need to walk in there and deliver from day one. The moment he doesn't, the trade becomes problematic because there will be no other wriggle room for whichever franchise takes him. If I was a GM, I'd look away. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't be a buyer in that market. It would be like the Jets spending everything they had on a space shuttle - and having to park it inside an out-of-town trailer park."

[zebthecat]

crystal falace 5:54 Thu Jan 28 I still think the Dolphins have the best chance to pull this off. The Jets perhaps?

[crystal falace]

Desean Watson has officially requested a trade from the Texans. Could end up being the biggest trade since the infamous herschel walker deal. Would take at least 3 first round picks you'd imagine

[Mr. Burns]

"Josh Jacobs got done drink driving as well, nice gash on his forehead."

[El Scorchio]

He'll be with the cowboys next season then.

[crystal falace]

Seahawks releasing an Olineman after he attempted to kill his girlfriend and then ate dinner and seemed very surprised when she came back down still alive.

[Mr. Burns]

That linebacker the Bucs have got Devin White is absolutely mustard. Best player on the team I reckon.

[kylay]

"El Scorchio 12:55 Mon Jan 25 Come on mate, they didn't finish above .500 last season in a shit NFC south division. I don't think many, except for maybe Brady's most ardent fans, had the bucs making a super bowl run at the beginning of the season or even as a wild card at the beginning of the playoffs."

[southbankbornnbred]

"I swear, the way to beat Brady is to keep rushing him. He will pick you off some of the time and score points, because he is that good, but if you get to him two or three times, you are eventually going to slow down his decision-making and possibly even injure him. He's 43 and not as quick around the pocket as he was. But the 46 defense has fallen out of favour, because of quick-release QBs, so too few sides actually rush Brady with more than a couple of token blitzers these days - which he reads too easily. He's superb, as is Mahomes. But they are both human. And Brady is a 43 year-old human with a wonky knee. I'm going all Mike Singletary on that."

[Lee Trundle]

Any see the interview with Rodgers after the game? Felt pretty sorry for the bloke.

[southbankbornnbred]

"One thing is for sure: Reid and his DC, Spagnuolo, won't make the sort of call Pettine made which cost the Packers hugely before half-time. Couldn't believe it when Pettine call a high-press cover, with the extra safety in the middle of the field, when the Buccs had no timeouts left and were midfield with just a few seconds left in the half. Brady had no option but to throw long and to the outside. So Pettine calls a defensive play with just man-on-man coverage on the outside for both corners. I'd have shot him."

[Lee Trundle]

... but I'd still be wrong with that.

[Lee Trundle]

"southbankbornnbred 3:59 Mon Jan 25 Sorry, I meant defend it."

[RBshorty]

Brady's TENTH.! Super Bowl. Like him or not. You got to doff your'e cap to the guy. The greatest of all time. Versus. The Great Pretender. Hopefully it's a classic.