NFL 2020 Off season

Happy New Year, everyone.

We have our first coaching hire of the off season, and the regular season only ended a few days ago. The 'Skins just tabbed Ron Rivera as the New Boss. At least someone isn't wasting any time getting down to business. Meanwhile someone at the Cowboys' HQ reportedly heard The Clash playing at a low volume repeatedly from Jason Garrett's office....

Speculation is strong that Rivera might pull Jack Del Rio out of the broadcast booth to be his DC.

TBC, tell me you heard the introduction given by Snyder?

Some people say that the densest, most ill-spoken person in our nation's capitol is the fellow currently occupying the White House. Others insist that it's the Speaker of the House or a certain Freshman Democratic Rep. from NYC with a hyphenated surname. They are all wrong.

That was horrible. It was harder to watch than the Pro Bowl.

The Carolina Panthers have hired Matt Rhule as their new Head Coach. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001095095/article/panthers-to-hire-baylors-matt-rhule-as-head-coach
Some of you may know, Rhule brought two college teams back to fruition (Temple Owls and the Baylor Bears).

On another front...The New York "football" Giants have decided to hire Joe Judge as their new Head Coach. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001095117/article/giants-hiring-patriots-asst-joe-judge-as-head-coach Peggy Sawyer maybe the only person who knows who Judge is. He was the "Special Teams" coach, along with the "WRs" coach of the New England Patriots.

Is Jarrett Stidham (or Cody Kessler) ready to take over under center for the Patriots? I think so. The Pats have had solid #2 QBs since BB got there. Brady was a #2 himself for a perennial Pro Bowler, the modern day Wally Pipp, Drew Bledsoe. Matt Cassel looked good for a while, and even made a ProBowl himself one year while with the Chiefs. Jimmy G has had great success with the 49ers.

I think we all know that Teddy Bridgewater is ready to be a starter. He has so far said publicly that he's enjoyed his time playing behind Drew Brees, but Steve Young said the same thing about Joe Montana, and Aaron Rodgers about Brett Favre. I don't think Taysom Hill is a real danger to become a starter anywhere next year, but it's possible if Bridgewater takes an opening somewhere else and then Drew decides to hang up his cleats.

My personal prediction is that NE and NO sign their guys to one-year deals. I bet Brady will take a slight pay cut, maybe something without a massive signing bonus but with high performance incentives that'll pay him between $17M and $20M. I think Brees will get an arrangement with a slightly higher guaranteed rate but a slightly lower top end that'll pay $18M or $19M. The Saints have some cap space to work with but need both help in the running game and another deep threat receiver, and will also to looking to make an upgrade at DE and/or LB (although if they can find a strong side safety with range and impact, they might take that instead).

I don't think Stidham is ready to take over for Brady; if Brady re-signs for a couple more years, everyone will know that it will be with an eye to grooming Stidham to be his successor. That's the best-case scenario, and I believe it will happen. Brady still has another SB run in him, but he needs weapons. Intrigue him with some quality players and he may yet take a hometown discount. I don't see enough teams out there with such dire QB needs as to offer the moon for one of his age.

Joe Judge is (was) our receivers/ST coach. He's another example of "anyone from the Belichick tree" line of coaching hires. I don't exactly foresee a major turnaround for the Giants under him.

Brees prediction: one more year, then Bridgewater takes over.

I'm not sure that Bledsoe was a "Wally Pipp" in the sense that most mean it. I don't think Wally Pipp himself was. Both had careers with other teams after their benchings, and played pretty well for them. Bledsoe's main problem was his stiffness--an absolute statue behind center. He got the Pats to the SB in '96, though, and is well-spoken in retirement.

Nice to see Jimmy G take the 49ers to the NFC Championship, btw. I'm glad we stuck with Brady and hope we continue to, but JG is a good example of how young QBs can develop under the GOAT. Let's get Tommy signed, end his career in style, and set up the future all at once.

Bledsoe was a typical Wazzu QB: A "Big Arm" guy. He played in Mike Price's spread offense, operating out of the shotgun with two WRs to the short side of the field and three to the wide side. Just about every QB out of Pullman has been like that. Ryan Leaf, Mark Rypien, even Gardiner Minshew, although he was only there a year after coming in as a graduate transfer from East Carolina.

Working in that spread offense you don't move. You stand there, run through your reads, and throw the ball within 3 seconds. It helps to be tall, have a strong, accurate arm and a quick release.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

I don't think Stidham is ready to take over for Brady; if Brady re-signs for a couple more years, everyone will know that it will be with an eye to grooming Stidham to be his successor. That's the best-case scenario, and I believe it will happen. Brady still has another SB run in him, but he needs weapons. Intrigue him with some quality players and he may yet take a hometown discount. I don't see enough teams out there with such dire QB needs as to offer the moon for one of his age.

Joe Judge is (was) our receivers/ST coach. He's another example of "anyone from the Belichick tree" line of coaching hires. I don't exactly foresee a major turnaround for the Giants under him.

Brees prediction: one more year, then Bridgewater takes over.

I'm not sure that Bledsoe was a "Wally Pipp" in the sense that most mean it. I don't think Wally Pipp himself was. Both had careers with other teams after their benchings, and played pretty well for them. Bledsoe's main problem was his stiffness--an absolute statue behind center. He got the Pats to the SB in '96, though, and is well-spoken in retirement.

Nice to see Jimmy G take the 49ers to the NFC Championship, btw. I'm glad we stuck with Brady and hope we continue to, but JG is a good example of how young QBs can develop under the GOAT. Let's get Tommy signed, end his career in style, and set up the future all at once.

TBC wrote:

Bledsoe was a typical Wazzu QB: A "Big Arm" guy. He played in Mike Price's spread offense, operating out of the shotgun with two WRs to the short side of the field and three to the wide side. Just about every QB out of Pullman has been like that. Ryan Leaf, Mark Rypien, even Gardiner Minshew, although he was only there a year after coming in as a graduate transfer from East Carolina.

Working in that spread offense you don't move. You stand there, run through your reads, and throw the ball within 3 seconds. It helps to be tall, have a strong, accurate arm and a quick release.  

I think Peggy's predictions are spot on, and only a New Englander could properly misunderstand the Pipp-istic qualities of Bledsoe.

Gehrig > Brady? It's the proverbial apples and oranges. Yankees x championships, Patriots y championships, yadda yadda yadda

I'm convinced Josh McDaniels has been promised the keys to the kingdom once Belichick decides to hang it up.
He's interviewed for several jobs over the last couple of seasons, but has taken one.
Peggy, how much longer do you expect Bill to coach?

Five or so more years, Hodge. And word is, he did some maneuvering to limit Josh M's chance of getting hired elsewhere this year. Is this a sign he wants Brady to remain? Josh is a Brady favorite. Hm.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Five or so more years, Hodge. And word is, he did some maneuvering to limit Josh M's chance of getting hired elsewhere this year. Is this a sign he wants Brady to remain? Josh is a Brady favorite. Hm.

Well, if Josh was promised the HC job, he needs to find Brady's replacement ASAP.
If they convince TB12 to come back, they'll have him for a couple more years, and that's according to Brady himself.

Luke Kuechly retires after seven NFL seasons, all with the Panthers, at the age of 28. I guess you know that it's time to hang 'em up when the number of days the bear gets you are getting even with the number of days that you get the bear.

I'd let him buy him me a good sarsparilla.

TBC wrote:

Luke Kuechly retires after seven NFL seasons, all with the Panthers, at the age of 28. I guess you know that it's time to hang 'em up when the number of days the bear gets you are getting even with the number of days that you get the bear.  

This is the wave of the future in the NFL.
First, these massive contracts allow players to walk away from the game. Look at Luck. His contract made it easy for him to look at his health instead of his pocketbook.
Also, this isn't a good look for the League. These early retirements makes you realize, this is a tough sport to play. Year-after-year!

I think it's good for the league in the long haul. Talented athletes who choose football are taking a much higher risk than those who choose almost any other popular sport in the American continents, and when a talented position player walks away financially secure after 8 solid years, i think it will help bring a consistently higher talent pool into the league. A pro who puts his mental and bodily healths on the line in a sport that brings in the kind of profits that the NFL has, shouldn't need to make the Hall in Canton to have his needs taken care of for the rest of his life.

Shit. I just happened to have mentioned Anthony Carter in one of these threads. Does anybody else remember that guy off the top of your heads? He was unquestionably one of the most athletically gifted wide receivers to ever play the position, but his pro career was cut extremely short by a catastrophic spinal cord injury during an NFL game, as he made a catch. I may have certain feeling about a certain NFL team from the land of 1,000 lakes, but i'll NEVER talk shit about Anthony Carter.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I think it's good for the league in the long haul. Talented athletes who choose football are taking a much higher risk than those who choose almost any other popular sport in the American continents, and when a talented position player walks away financially secure after 8 solid years, i think it will help bring a consistently higher talent pool into the league. A pro who puts his mental and bodily healths on the line in a sport that brings in the kind of profits that the NFL has, shouldn't need to make the Hall in Canton to have his needs taken care of for the rest of his life...

I applaud the League for what its doing when it comes to players safety.
What they've done with helmet safety alone deserves a round of applause.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...Shit. I just happened to have mentioned Anthony Carter in one of these threads. Does anybody else remember that guy off the top of your heads? He was unquestionably one of the most athletically gifted wide receivers to ever play the position, but his pro career was cut extremely short by a catastrophic spinal cord injury during an NFL game, as he made a catch. I may have certain feeling about a certain NFL team from the land of 1,000 lakes, but i'll NEVER talk shit about Anthony Carter.

I remember AC distinctly!
I even remember his college career at Michigan.


Wanted to talk about something else.
The Pro Bowl is this Sunday. I can't remember when I've watched one. I can't even remember when I've "wanted" to watch one.
My question...How would you fix if?

I think the main thing in terms of getting the teams to be more willing to send their players would be to remove as much danger as possible. Sort of like how the NBA All-Star Game has traditionally been mostly non-competitive, more like a fun pick-up game. Make it two-hand touch, with significant fines for any hard hits.

I think the other way to incentivize players and teams to participate is financial. If both the teams and players are well compensated for participation, i think a lot more of the top talent will show up and play.

The third thing is timing. Having it the week before the Superbowl is convenient in a lot of ways, but it degrades the likely quality of the game itself, not that that's generally been a concern for the League, because often many Pro Bowl selections are headed to the Superbowl and therefore will NOT be appearing.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I think the main thing in terms of getting the teams to be more willing to send their players would be to remove as much danger as possible. Sort of like how the NBA All-Star Game has traditionally been mostly non-competitive, more like a fun pick-up game. Make it two-hand touch, with significant fines for any hard hits...

If I'm not mistaken, Defenses aren't allowed to blitz? I also think, "D's" are only allowed to play man-to-man, only zone. Maybe it's the other way around.    

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...The third thing is timing. Having it the week before the Superbowl is convenient in a lot of ways, but it degrades the likely quality of the game itself, not that that's generally been a concern for the League, because often many Pro Bowl selections are headed to the Superbowl and therefore will NOT be appearing.

I have on idea what to do about timing. The week before the Super Bowl makes perfect sense.

Wanted to start thinking about next weeks Combine (Feb. 27 - March 1).
Not sure what the 'Boys need, because "Free Agency" is waiting in the wings.

That's a good question. Looking at this past year's roster, it's hard to understand how they finished up where they did.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

That's a good question. Looking at this past year's roster, it's hard to understand how they finished up where they did.

We've got some FA who I hope Jerry tries to sign:

1. Amari Cooper (WR)
2. Randall Cobb (WR)
3. Tavon Austin (WR)
4. Byron Jones (CB)
5. Anthony Brown (CB)
6. Jason Witten (TE)
7. Xavier Su'a-Filo (G)
8. Robert Quinn (DE)
9. Michael Bennett (DE)
and of course...Dak Prescott

NFL looking to add two more teams, one from each conference, to the wild-card round of the playoffs. And so the watering-down of the league proceeds. Now an even greater chance of an average team upsetting a strong one, as there will be only one bye to a conference. The players are on board with this, because Mediocrity Is Motivation, just as (in the owners' case), is greed. Look for the baseballing of football to begin in the upcoming season.

The owners are trying to shoehorn in a 17 game regular season into the new CBA too, or at least they were.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

NFL looking to add two more teams, one from each conference, to the wild-card round of the playoffs. And so the watering-down of the league proceeds. Now an even greater chance of an average team upsetting a strong one, as there will be only one bye to a conference. The players are on board with this, because Mediocrity Is Motivation, just as (in the owners' case), is greed. Look for the baseballing of football to begin in the upcoming season.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

The owners are trying to shoehorn in a 17 game regular season into the new CBA too, or at least they were.

Peggy, is there any specifics about the "new" playoff scenario?
Will wk#1 playoff game be between these two "new" conference wild-card teams?
Will all the Division champions now get a week off?

When they initially proposed this "17th" game, all the players were up-in-arms. The League is giving them a few extra dollars and they bend like a yoga instructor.

Yep, and we'll know by Friday just how far they'll go. Owners have agreed, and rumor is that there will be two new wild-card teams (six games to be played wild-card weekend), only the top seeds in each conference getting byes, and a 17-game season overall. Not to my liking, but I sense it's going through. Poo.

If the NFLPA is getting expanded safety rules and better compensation packages for players whose careers are cut short by injury as part of better overall care for former players in general, it's worth it in my opinion. If the PA isn't still going after those goals, they're shooting their own sport in the kneecap. NFL careers are statistically shorter than other pro sports, ex-players die younger and have a lower quality of life between retirement and death, and many other pro sport leagues pay a lot better too, largely to keep the best players, or least most of them, here in the US.

I have to wonder how they fit in a 17th regular season game. Eliminating the bye week seems like an option, or eliminating a pre-season game (not a great option at this point tbh), eliminating the Probowl is probably off the table...

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Yep, and we'll know by Friday just how far they'll go. Owners have agreed, and rumor is that there will be two new wild-card teams (six games to be played wild-card weekend), only the top seeds in each conference getting byes, and a 17-game season overall. Not to my liking, but I sense it's going through. Poo.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

If the NFLPA is getting expanded safety rules and better compensation packages for players whose careers are cut short by injury as part of better overall care for former players in general, it's worth it in my opinion. If the PA isn't still going after those goals, they're shooting their own sport in the kneecap. NFL careers are statistically shorter than other pro sports, ex-players die younger and have a lower quality of life between retirement and death, and many other pro sport leagues pay a lot better too, largely to keep the best players, or least most of them, here in the US...

I've read some figures regarding  the compensation.
$3Bil if the 17th game is put to rest. $5Bil if its ratified.

This just in...NFLPA votes against

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...I have to wonder how they fit in a 17th regular season game. Eliminating the bye week seems like an option, or eliminating a pre-season game (not a great option at this point tbh), eliminating the Probowl is probably off the table...

The owners want to eliminate 1 pre-season game.
They're also proposing an increase in team rosters both completely and game-time.

Got a chance to watch this kid from Clemson at the Combine.
He's 6'4"/238lbs. He's a hybrid. He played both Safety and LB at Clemson.
Oh, and here's his 40-yrd. time.

Here's something I can't believe. I can only imagine how Spidey is feeling about this.

The Houston Texans trade DeAndre Hopkins to the Cards. They also send a 4th-round pick to the Cards for RB, David Johnson. A second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-rounder.

That was a BAD trade.

Will Brady stay or go to Tampa? Will there be a season?

The Niners traded DeForest Bruckner to Indy for a 1st Round pick. Bruckner just signed a contract and is set to make $21M guaranteed this season. The Colts' pick is #12 overall.

My comment in the Hawks vs Niners Trash Talk FB page was "Bitches be shittin themselves and the stores are all out of toilet paper."

davidalan wrote:

Will Brady stay or go to Tampa? Will there be a season?

Until I see him in another jersey, he's staying.

TBC wrote:

The Niners traded DeForest Bruckner to Indy for a 1st Round pick. Bruckner just signed a contract and is set to make $21M guaranteed this season. The Colts' pick is #12 overall...

Yeah, he was going to be hard to keep in San Fran. Although, I didn't know he was going to get that kind of $. Damn!

HRD, your Saints are loosing their backup QB to the Carolina Panthers. Teddy Bridgewater will replace Cam Newton as the QB.
On the same subject, the Panthers have given Cam permission to find another team.

Hodgepodge wrote:

davidalan wrote:

Will Brady stay or go to Tampa? Will there be a season?

Until I see him in another jersey, he's staying.

Well, albeit emotionally, Brady has left. But so far he has no destination. I heard through at least one news report that Tampa was the place. Now it so far looks like nowhere. Stay tuned...

My bad, the pick the Niners got from Indy was the 13th overall. What amuses me is that Lynch and the Bay Area sports media have convinced the 49er Faithful that they can get a like-for-like replacement for Bruckner with that pick. Granted, Bosa was a winner, but he was a picked lot higher and projected to be an "instant impact rookie". There isn't going to be anyone like that available by the time the Niners get to that 13th pick.

But these are the same delusional fans who believed their media when they were told that Jim Tomsula would be the perfect replacement for Harbaugh, don't worry, take a DL coach who has never had a Coordinator job and promote him two levels, it will be fine. They believed that Chip Kelly's college hurry-up offense, which had failed in Philly, would work with Kaepernick running it. Then they believed that Kaepernick was a "great QB" because he threw for a lot of yards, most of them with the team trailing by double-digits.

Sadz today. Bye, Tom, hope you go somewhere that deserves you.

TBC wrote:

My bad, the pick the Niners got from Indy was the 13th overall. What amuses me is that Lynch and the Bay Area sports media have convinced the 49er Faithful that they can get a like-for-like replacement for Bruckner with that pick. Granted, Bosa was a winner, but he was a picked lot higher and projected to be an "instant impact rookie". There isn't going to be anyone like that available by the time the Niners get to that 13th pick...

Yeah, I've got to agree with you TBC. Other than Chase Young, this crop of DL is small and unimpressive.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Sadz today. Bye, Tom, hope you go somewhere that deserves you.

Peggy's going to cry herself to sleep tonight.

So it looks like the starting Quarterbacks in the NFC South this year will be Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Matty "Ice" Ryan, and Tom Brady. Two guys over 40 years old, a Superbowl loser, and a guy who missed two years with an ACL tear - i can phrase it that way, but i can't feel it that way - every single one of them has HoF potential and two are already first-balloteers.

Bridgewater was injured in Minnesota after an 11-5 season (2015) in which he was selected to the Pro Bowl. It was a bad injury, and cost him almost all of two full seasons. The Saints did good to get him as a backup, he did the franchise very proud, and i'm glad to see that he'll be getting another chance to show his muster as a starter. I kinda wish it wasn't so close to home.

What really scares me, though, is the idea of Tom Brady and Bruce Ariens teaming up in Tampa.

I'm intrigued to see what Rivers can do in Indy, too.

Somebody has to want Cam Newton, right? I can't think of a single franchise that should be motivated to offer him a starting role much less big money... he's still under contract too even though there's no guaranteed money left on said contract, so a team would theoretically need to offer up some kind of talent to get him. I'm not sure Carolina gets any offers. They'd be stupid to try to keep him and stick a [strike[clipboard[/strike] tablet in his hands. If nobody offers anything they might have to cut him, which wouldn't actually cost them anything. But they wouldn't have to do it right away. In my opinion, if they want to do at all right by him, they should cut him by this weekend if they don't get any trade offers. Which they won't. Unless maybe... nah.

Lots of QB news. Goodell must be thrilled.

Once I get over Tom not being in New England, I might allow myself to be intrigued by what he and Arians can achieve together. It's hard to think of Tampa as anything but the NFL afterthought it has almost always been (barring one season), but they do have a couple of really good receivers, and in Arians a guy who just might get out of the way and let Brady run the offense. They will need to develop an underneath guy, because Tom is not the downfield type that the present offense is built on (Winston was an interception machine in that offense). Maybe if Edelman asks for his release...

Well, we'll see. For now, it's a downer. NE should have signed TB to two more years and rode into the sunset with him. We lost Van Noy and Collins, too. Meanwhile, Buffalo picks up Diggs and Miami signs Van Noy and has a big pick at QB in the draft next month. The Pats are walking backwards. It will be an interesting season, no doubt, but this is not the best way to wrap up a dynasty.

Tampa has a lot of depth in young Tight Ends (  ). I'm not personally familiar with any of their abilities particularly, but i'd be surprised if they couldn't come up with a sturdy guy to go underneath regularly (  ) for at least a season or two.

Speaking of Tight Ends, I can't wait to see what Greg Olson has left. Will Dissly is great, if he stays healthy, but it was a mistake letting the Steelers have Nick Vannett. Luke Willson, re-signed to be the third TE is still a crowd favorite but not the same guy who left on an FA contract to Detroit at the end of the 2017 season.

One of Wilson's fave plays on one-deep is to go with two WRs and an extra OL, run play action but have the WRs go short routes and the TE go up the middle to split the MLB and the deep Safety. If Olson still has anything there are gonna be a lot of TDs coming out of that combo.

Wow, Pats release Stephen Gostkowski, adding to the losses of Van Noy, Collins, Shelton, Karras, Roberts, and a guy named Brady. Can you say rebuilding mode? The Bills team is going to pass Bill's team in the AFC East!

Gostkowski wasn't there for much of last season, as I recall. The kicking in New England was "Failure by Committee". Honestly, it looked like the Mariners' bullpen. Nick Folk. Mike Nugent. I am half surprised you didn't go sign Blair "Laces Out" Walsh.

I don't know about "rebuilding". Every other franchise in the AFC East is a joke operated by clueless morons. The only thing which has given them any incentive over the last two decades is that they have had the Patriots to chase.

The Bills could actually win the division next year. If i were a betting man, i'm sure i'd find better wagers, but still...

Wow. Gronk coming out of retirement to play for Brady and the Bucs. I was sad to see TB12 leave the Patriots, but his offense is absolutely stacked down in Tampa. If OJ Howard stays there (and he should be motivated to do so), they've got a double-whammy at both TE and WR now. Can't wait to start flicking between Bucs and Pats games; I have a feeling I'll be tuned more often to the Bucs.

I see you looking at me across the top of that last post, Peggy Sawyer. 

The NFC South is going to be... Very Fuckin Interesting.

Shit, let's start the smack talk now:

I'm not convinced Gronk will be an asset. There, i said it. He'll be re-retired by January IF the Bucs are even playoff contenders. 

Maybe Gronk is paying Brady back for Brady's compliments on Howard Stern.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Shit, let's start the smack talk now:

I'm not convinced Gronk will be an asset. There, i said it. He'll be re-retired by January IF the Bucs are even playoff contenders. 

Sounds like a Saints fan who's just watched Brees' last season go down the drain. Here's a prediction: Brady and Gronk will both have another ring by the time Brees calls his first SNF game...and that will be September 2021.

Looking at the NFC South...

The Panthers have done well in moving on from Newton, who has lost the script, Rivera, who has gotten complacent, and Coughlin, who never should have been re-hired by the team after his stint with the Giants ended. Bridgewater proved he still has starter stuff, McCaffery is a versatile weapon, and there are enough complementary tools in the offense that opposing DC's are going to have fits. On the other side of the ball the early retirement of Kuechly leaves a huge hole. My home Dawg Shaq Thompson is going to have to pick up the slack and lead the defense.

Matt Ryan has some nice tools to work with as well. They just picked up Laquon Treadwell from the Vikes. He had a down season last year, perhaps a new home will do him good. Don't say Ryan is getting old. Don't say Julio Jones is, either. Calvin Ridley was having a great second season before going out in week 14. Not sure that Todd Gurley is the man for the hour in the backfield though. They will have to limit his carries, use him as an alternative for, well, someone they don't have. Not with Devonte Freeman gone. The Falcons' defense looks even sketchier than the Panthers'. In this case it's the entire LB corps.

The Saints look to be the most complete team in the division. They even brought in Emmanuel Sanders on an FA contract.

As for the Buccs, you got to be smoking weapons-grade crack if you look at their roster and predict them finishing anywhere above dead last. And that is taking into account that Atlanta and Carolina are shaky on defense. The WR corps after Mike Evans and Chris Godwin is a bunch of nobodies. Worse, the entire stable of backs are nobodies. As in there is nobody with over 300 yards career rushing. The defense at least looks fairly sound on paper. But the greatest weakness is at the top. Tom Brady is used to having a stable bossman over on the sidelines. Bruce Ariens is the furthest thing from it. One of the things I miss the most about playing the Cardinals when he was the HC was all the pretty colors his face turns. I am certain there is some clinical psychologist using him as a basis from a ground-breaking doctoral dissertation in observed effects of advanced apoplexy. Our hypothetical academician should obtain plenty of data this season. With no ground game to speak off...or basically at all...and only three experienced pass-catchers the Tampa Bay offensive mantra for the season is going to be "Three and out".