Other Teams In Division News 2014

[pbmax]

Lions defend Suh for not being at OTAs.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/21/coach-teammates-defend-suh-for-his-no-shows/

Is it a Woodson situation (veteran accommodation), tantrum, message about his contract/renogiation or is it just Suh being Suh?

[pbmax]

Two years ago, I blasted Pete Carroll for continually playing up Russell Wilson's chances of starting as a rookie. My bad, though I think that credit should go to the defense for keeping the team afloat for half the season.

Now we have news of the opposite approach.

Chris B. Brown @smartfootball 11m
Pettine believes rookies start at bottom MT @AlbertBreer In CLE, Hoyer getting 1st team reps with Browns O. Thingpen, 2nd, Manziel is 3rd.


If that continues, could be just as dumb. Not sure if they have the defense to pull that off, though it is a good one.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Lots of folks think the queens hit a home run moving back into the 1st to get Bridgewater. What is your consensus on this pick for them?

He may have to be. There's rumors that AP may get traded after this season. If it's another stinker season as Cassel tanks and Bridgewater has to learn on the job, AP's contract (14.4M), age, and injury history (3 surgeries in 3 yrs) starts looking worse and worse. Add in that Norv Turner likes to use a 2 back system and I just don't think the Vikes can justify paying him what they do, even if he still is the best RB in the game. So that is going to put a lot of pressure on Bridgewater to be the man.

[run pMc]

IIRC reports were that the Browns really like Hoyer, so I'm not surprised he's running with the 1's. I'd have expected Manziel to be #2 though. Pettine is either making Manziel put in the work and earn it, which I'm ok with, or he's dumb and inflexible. I guess we'll find out.

[Guiness]

Lots of folks think the queens hit a home run moving back into the 1st to get Bridgewater. What is your consensus on this pick for them?

They gave up a 4th, which isn't bad (although I don't like anything that gives Seattle picks at this point). Moves into the end of the first round were widely predicted, as a bit of an insurance policy - it allows teams to lock that player in for a 5th year, so that was a smart thing by the Vikings brass.

As far as whether or not Bridgewater was a good pick? No strong opinion. AP should keep the pressure off him and give him a good chance to develop. The reports on him were so mixed, and his eventual huge fall told us all that the people who mattered never thought as highly of him as Kipper and the boys did.

[Brandon494]

Two years ago, I blasted Pete Carroll for continually playing up Russell Wilson's chances of starting as a rookie. My bad, though I think that credit should go to the defense for keeping the team afloat for half the season.

Now we have news of the opposite approach.

Chris B. Brown @smartfootball 11m
Pettine believes rookies start at bottom MT @AlbertBreer In CLE, Hoyer getting 1st team reps with Browns O. Thingpen, 2nd, Manziel is 3rd.


If that continues, could be just as dumb. Not sure if they have the defense to pull that off, though it is a good one.

No the credit should go to Wilson for clearly being the best QB on the roster.

Browns are just trying to keep Manziel's ego in check, he'll be the starter by week 4.

[mraynrand]

Manzier is keeping his own ego in check. He originally stated that he had no expectations and had to earn his position on the team. Still, passing up Thigpen on a depth chart is about as hard as getting past granny in her smart car on the way to church.

[Fritz]

FAIRLEY OUT OF OTAS AFTER UNDISCLOSED “PROCEDURE”


They are putting scare quote tattoos on his legs.

Not a great start for poor Jim Caldwell. Suh's contract - or lack of a renegotiated contract - has become a distraction in Detroit, along with his absence at earlier voluntary workouts.

Fairley has been fairly disappointing, but the procedure was supposedly minor and not football-related, whatever it was.

The brass has definitely put lots of pressure on Caldwell - they've been explicit that it's a win-now expectation, and that's not just words for the fans, like it was when
MM got here years ago and TT and MM said they expected not to rebuild. We all knew better.

In Detroit, they mean it.

[run pMc]

I'm torn on Bridgewater. his numbers in college were pretty good -- accurate, didn't throw many picks, etc. and from the highlights it looks like he could make a play out of nothing and guys seem to enjoy playing with him.
From what I hear his pro day was historically bad, but if you look at the tape he's a good player. I haven't looked at what kind of teams he played against, so maybe it was easy pickings.

Turner is being pitched as a QB whisperer, and supposedly Teddy passed a private pre-draft workout with the Vikes with flying colors, so who knows.
He might be Brad Johnson II or Brian Brohm II. I honestly have no idea, but I don't see him as a Top 5 QB. They'll give Cassel a chance to win a few games before putting Teddy in there. Having AP will take a ton of pressure of him, and having guys like GJ and Corderelle to throw to will be nice, but if he's got a thin build, small hands and so-so arm, I wonder how he'll hold up especially when December rolls around.

[Guiness]

He may have to be. There's rumors that AP may get traded after this season. If it's another stinker season as Cassel tanks and Bridgewater has to learn on the job, AP's contract (14.4M), age, and injury history (3 surgeries in 3 yrs) starts looking worse and worse. Add in that Norv Turner likes to use a 2 back system and I just don't think the Vikes can justify paying him what they do, even if he still is the best RB in the game. So that is going to put a lot of pressure on Bridgewater to be the man.

The Vikings had horrible timing with his contract. They locked up a premier player for the long term, and a year or so later the bottom fell out of the market. His cap hit is $5M more than the #2 RB, and his $11.75M base is double that of any RB other than McCoy, and triple the #6 paid RB.

OTOH dead money would be less than $5M this year.

[Guiness]

No the credit should go to Wilson for clearly being the best QB on the roster.

Browns are just trying to keep Manziel's ego in check, he'll be the starter by week 4.

Methinks they're going a little overboard and are going to absolutely ruin his confidence before he even steps on the field!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/21/ray-farmer-hoyer-is-better-than-manziel-by-a-substantial-margin/

They certainly seem to be approaching him with the idea that he needs to be taken down a peg or 3. If they see him as this big of a problem, why draft him??? Unless Haslam forced them into it? Nah.....

[woodbuck27]

Two years ago, I blasted Pete Carroll for continually playing up Russell Wilson's chances of starting as a rookie. My bad, though I think that credit should go to the defense for keeping the team afloat for half the season.

Now we have news of the opposite approach.

Chris B. Brown @smartfootball 11m
Pettine believes rookies start at bottom MT @AlbertBreer In CLE, Hoyer getting 1st team reps with Browns O. Thingpen, 2nd, Manziel is 3rd.


If that continues, could be just as dumb. Not sure if they have the defense to pull that off, though it is a good one.

Manziel has to be estatic. Actually I hope he's reality based and sitting to learn.

It's best to bring him along slowly. Throwing him to the sharks need not be an option.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000352223/article/teddy-bridgewater-minnesota-vikings-strike-contract

Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings strike contract

By Chris Wesseling ... Around the League Writer

Published: May 20, 2014 at 11:18 a.m. ... Updated: May 21, 2014 at 10:08 a.m.

" Coach Mike Zimmer has made it clear that Bridgewater will compete with Matt Cassel for the starting job, and the organization obviously hopes the rookie will win out.

We have debated on the "Around The League Podcast" and in print whether Bridgewater or Matt Cassel is the favorite to start the season opener. " Fr. LINK

[pbmax]

IIRC reports were that the Browns really like Hoyer, so I'm not surprised he's running with the 1's. I'd have expected Manziel to be #2 though. Pettine is either making Manziel put in the work and earn it, which I'm ok with, or he's dumb and inflexible. I guess we'll find out.

I have read that Michael Lombhardi loved Hoyer and was pushing him from inside the building as the player who should be starting.

[pbmax]

No the credit should go to Wilson for clearly being the best QB on the roster.

.

That's a pretty relative standard. At one point, Paul McDonald and Randy Wright were thought to be the best QBs on their teams.

Defense won them games early in Wilson's first season.