West Ham Online

"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."

"Jets signed a couple of hard-hitting players in free agency - a starting CB (Reed) from the Seahawks and a tough safety (Whitehead) from the Buccs. Both much-needed. Remains to be seen just how good they are. But our secondary was the worst in the league last season - and by quite some distance. So they should be an upgrade against the shite we had. Landing Reed means the Jets' first pick - with the #4th overall - might NOT now be the cornerback Stingley. Until now, almost all Jets fans and the informed pundits thought we'd opt for Stingley to shore up our open side at CB. But that's where Reed has played well for the Hawks. So maybe Saleh and Douglas are looking to bring in a lineman or a defensive edge rusher/linebacker. If so, I'm good with that providing they make the right pick. In the absence of a glittering array of QBs in this year's draft, there are a few potential busts, or at least over-promoted kids, hanging around at the top of many draft boards."

"The serious point about DeShaun Watson is that he is a superb QB...but I don't understand why anybody would spend a vast sum of money bringing him in (he's not going to discount his salary even with these cases hanging over him)...only to risk losing their investment if things go badly for him in (civil) court and he gets 'cancelled' (however right or wrong that is). Great player - massive potential liability. Why would a major team spend tens of millions bringing him in, training him with a new playbook and surrounding him with weapons, only to risk him getting a long NFL ban, being the centre of a potential campaign or becoming a complete pariah for sponsors? Call me old fashioned, but I'd probably wait. And the Jets are fucking desperate for any talent!"

"Scorch - I genuinely laughed at that! TM - with so many sides having gone WAY over the cap (which is entirely their own fault), you just know that 'we don't want any hassle' Goodell will cave in and cut them a lot of financial slack. If he does, it'll be disgraceful, because sides like the Jets have always worked hard to stay within the cap...by not having any decent players we have to pay enormous sums to! ;-)"

"Dallas, LA, Green Bay and the Patriots are four more who shouldn't have a lot to piss in, so wait to see if Roger allows the rules to be fucked I think the Colts are up there with the best situated franchises and could handle the Watson signing with ease, but when has a team ever dealt a star to a divisional rival?"

southbankbornnbred 6:25 Just as well he didn't kick a cat. Could have been a whole lot worse for him.

"the Saints are about $45m over the cap already. unless Goodell completely rips up the rule book, I don't see how they can add another 30m to the wage bill"

"Hugely talented though he is, I wouldn't not touch Watson with a shitty stick at the moment. Sure, the grand jury has declined to prosecute him over the ten criminal complaints. But he still faces civil lawsuits from 22 (twenty-two!) women. He is a long way from clearing his name, and his lawyers have now acknowledged that ""some sexual encounters"" took place during the alleged ""massages"". He's a very fine quarterback - and he won't got to jail now unless something dramatic changes. But he is a legal tinderbox and his mind will surely be on other things, because he potentially stands to lose millions if these cases against him stand up (ooh, er!). Say even half of the allegations get settled. There's a good risk that any sponsors etc will want well clear of him. If I were the Saints (his preferred destination) or Panthers (also talking to him this week), I'd have an almighty clause in the contract allowing the franchise to ditch him. To be blunt, I'm a little surprised anybody is going anywhere near him with what's hanging over him. So to speak."

What's the current take on the QB musical chairs? Watson to Panthers or Saints? Does that mean Sam Darnold to Hawks if the former? What a joy this off-season is. Pete Carroll/John Scheider better have a masterplan because this is looking a bit fubar already.

Obviously been told they are going to be spending big for one more run. He wouldn't be coming back otherwise. But the most egotistical me me me cսnt since Bret Favre can fuck right off and I hope they fall short again.

That means one less potential destination for Jimmy G. :-(

"I can only assume two things happened. Gronk has been on the phone to him constantly and they've promised him they have some star free agents lined up, like Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson"

Or maybe he wants to go out with his childhood team the 49ers.?

I can only thiink that he has come to the conclusion that the Bucs can win the big one next year. Have they got OBJ on another cheap contract? The moment they lost the in the playoffs this year was when the right tackle (can't remember the name) got injured. His protection vanished there.

"Brady unretires, he's back!"

"anyone who's watched the pat mcafee show on youtube (ex colts kicker), their owner has been on a few times - is very extrovert and very opinionated. I think he's also pretty popular amongst much of the media, so most have been sticking the boot in regards to wentz though there is one rare sane voice in colin cowherd. a pundit who rarely has a good word to say about us, but thinks this is a good signing and nothing to do with wentz character issues/personality problems being painted by toxic media talking heads, and more about jim irsay forcing his gm's hand as he becomes more & more impatient. remember wentz was their 5th qb in 5 years, maybe they need a new owner?"

"Wentz to the Washington Wingnuts (or whatever they're called these days) is not a bad move, TM. As you say, takes the pressure off you in the draft - not many great-looking QBs kicking around, although a few solid choices. I'm reading that the Colts may yet have a sniff around Mayfield at Cleveland (also wanted by the Buccs), or Carr at the Lost Venal Raiders. Looks like a QB merry-go-round. Yet Jimmy G can't buy a ticket out of Frisco. I tell you - he's going to go somewhere unexpected and do a half-decent job. Eventually!"

"As well as the short, simple passes which he used to be brilliant at with Ertz, he has an absolute cannon for an arm and can launch it downfield into the quickest receiver without their stride missing a beat. Must be very infuriating to coach though because he too often tries the spectacular and doesn't look after the ball well when he does. I think Indy were too quick to let him go. Had a terrible end but was solid the rest of the year and spectacular at times. If he matures and cuts out the needless errors, Washington have got a player on their hands. Good to have him back in the division, might try and get over to the Linc when he plays or maybe go to Washington when the Birds take that over."

Wentz was on fire at points last season. You are right TM most of his best plays were quick or play action bullets down the line. Give him time to think and he can be all over place. It is weird that he was so good at extending the play in the Eagles SB season.

"What's worried me when watching him in the past is trying to extend plays and getting in trouble, which has led to injuries. The more I think about it, the more I'm happy with the trade"

"On his day, Wentz has got an arm as good as anyone in the league and is a joy to watch. Off his day he wants 5 minutes to make a decision and a 10 yr old girl could force a fumble from him."

The list of destinations for Jimmy G gets fewer. :-(

no chance us ever getting him. It would be like sullivan trying to sell west ham to messi. wilson was clearly waiting for rodgers decision

"Some reports were saying that Washington's offer for Russell Wilson was better than Denver's, but Seattle/Wilson wouldn't trade to an NFC team? And Jets-bad would be horrendous, sbbb."

"....of course we wanted better, of course we wanted wilson/rodgers/watson but none of that was happening while we have that poisonous cսnt snyder in charge of the franchise. what's weird and a bit of a mystery is why the colts want him gone after a pretty decent year. allegedly (and I'm only hearing this from a fan channel) rivera's not drafting a QB now in the 1st round. It looks like ron's days are numbered if/when this doesn't work out"

"If he's happy to come, we're happy to have him. I'm sure we'll still draft a QB, but it now takes a bit of pressure off"