2025 NFL Discussion

[GAME05]

Did anyone like the Jaguars' draft? Seems crazy to give up your 1st next year which could very well be a Top-10 pick. They'd have still gotten a good player where they were. I get it for a QB, but extremely few WRs or CBs have ever been so game-changing to give up that much for. And it's not like Hunter will end up playing all that much of both positions.

[JosephC]

4 hours ago, GAME05 said:

Did anyone like the Jaguars' draft? Seems crazy to give up your 1st next year which could very well be a Top-10 pick. They'd have still gotten a good player where they were. I get it for a QB, but extremely few WRs or CBs have ever been so game-changing to give up that much for. And it's not like Hunter will end up playing all that much of both positions.

I didn't mind the move.  I think it was about time for the Jaguars to try something big.  Lawrence was supposed to fix that franchise and he has not.  I thought Hunter was the best player in the draft and was a reasonable candidate to make the big move.

The Jaguars were in a position to do this.  After the trade, they ended up without a second round pick, but still ended up with two third round picks and two fourth round picks.  In total, they ended up picking 9 players in this draft, and 5 of them were within the first 107 picks.  Next year they will be without a first but they still will have a bunch of picks.  Tankathon have them with 11 picks currently, no first but 3 third rounders and 7 picks in the first 5 rounds.

While I didn't mind the trade, I'm not so hot on the players they ended up with.  Ransaw and Tuten are plus-plus athletes but have questionable "football profiles."  Milum seemed too slow and heavy footed to ever survive at tackle, but sounds like they are sticking him at guard and he might be a pretty good player inside.  Kiser is a pretty good linebacker who worked out better than expected, I could see him as being a solid, steady type player that may not grab headlines but gets the job done.  The later round picks didn't do anything for me.  It was surprising to see that they didn't take any defensive linemen, because that seemed to be a need area, especially when picking 2 linebackers and 2 running backs.

Even though Cleveland should have been the real beneficiaries of this move, I like what Jacksonville ended up with much more than what Cleveland ended up with.  I could swear, that while messing around with mock draft simulators back in February, that the Browns were up to 12 picks.  So they make this move down which should result in even more picks, so they can fill holes all over the field because almost every position was considered a need area.  They also needed bodies all over to make up for all the cap space wasted on the pitiful Deshaun Watson contract.  And when all is said and done, the Browns ended up getting 7 players out of this draft.  And of those 7 players, 2 quarterbacks and 2 running backs.  What the hell?  But when you trade a pick for Kenny Pickett, then draft Dillon Gabriel, then use two more picks to trade up and draft Sanders...that's 4 picks right there on just quarterbacks.

[HarryDoyle]

On 5/20/2025 at 3:35 PM, GAME05 said:

Did anyone like the Jaguars' draft? Seems crazy to give up your 1st next year which could very well be a Top-10 pick. They'd have still gotten a good player where they were. I get it for a QB, but extremely few WRs or CBs have ever been so game-changing to give up that much for. And it's not like Hunter will end up playing all that much of both positions.

They will win their division so their pick would be somewhere in the 20s. 

[BrewerFan]

2 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

They will win their division so their pick would be somewhere in the 20s. 

Likely? I don't think they're as good as Houston...despite their awful OL and the Colts are talented. 

I hated that trade for the Jags. If they win the division it's because it's just a weak division, but they're not a good team. 

Hunter is really good, but I don't like trading up unless you're close to being a contender or it's for a REALLY good QB. The Browns are probably as likely to be picking atop the draft next year, so...fine, DT, OL, +1st and they got other picks as well.

The only WR I'd consider moving up for like that would be Smith from OSU and he's not coming out until '27. But with 2 1sts, they can keep adding picks for future years and assuming they're picking 1st next year....which I would not count out, they could have enough to actually make a move when Arch and Smith come out in '27(assuming Manning is A-Good enough and B-Actually stays at UT for 2 more years). 

It at least appears as though they have a plan to build something. 

[CheezWizHed]

It will be interesting to see Ben Johnson's impact on Detroit and Chicago...  Will success follow Johnson to Chicago and Detroit turns into a pumpkin?  Will Detroit move on and Chicago continue to flop? 

Or the best scenario... the genius leaves with Johnson, but the HC responsibilities in the blowhard city overwhelms him and they both flop. 😂

[LouisEly]

Detroit center Frank Ragnow, Pro Bowl each of the last three seasons and 2nd team All-Pro the last two seasons, retired today.

I'm assuming that the Lions weren't expecting this as they didn't draft a center.  Second-round pick Tate Ratledge, who played RG at Georgia, was likely drafted to replace RG Kevin Zeitler who left via free agency.  Now he's taking snaps at center in minicamp.

So, the Lions have now lost their starting center and starting RG.  Tell me, how have the Lions gotten better?

[JosephC]

Graham Glasgow is also taking snaps at center and has plenty of NFL experience at that position.  Either he or Ratledge is a step down, but I don't think this will be a major problem for the Lions.  Between Glasgow, Ratledge, Christian Mahogany and 5th round pick Miles Frazier, they still look pretty solid in the interior offensive line.

[homer]

14 hours ago, LouisEly said:

Detroit center Frank Ragnow, Pro Bowl each of the last three seasons and 2nd team All-Pro the last two seasons, retired today.

I'm assuming that the Lions weren't expecting this as they didn't draft a center.  Second-round pick Tate Ratledge, who played RG at Georgia, was likely drafted to replace RG Kevin Zeitler who left via free agency.  Now he's taking snaps at center in minicamp.

So, the Lions have now lost their starting center and starting RG.  Tell me, how have the Lions gotten better?

Their window has closed significantly.  IMO, they need to win it all this year or next.

[HarryDoyle]

Sounds like the Aaron Roders to the Steelers saga is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Personally, I don't think Rodgers will sign with them until all the mandatory minicamps are over. 

[OldHeidelberg]

2 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

Sounds like the Aaron Roders to the Steelers saga is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Personally, I don't think Rodgers will sign with them until all the mandatory minicamps are over. 

$20 million is less than some of the numbers that were thrown around in March. Not that expensive a roll of the dice for Steelers. I am still sort of surprised the Vikings didn’t do that at that price. 

[JosephC]

Can we start up the Romeo Doubs to Pittsburgh rumors again?  Rodgers and Doubs played together in 2022.

[Brian]

Should the Packers wear a new airbrushed 1950 helmet? The helmet is to be painted to look like a leather helmet. They did the throwback jerseys already.

Probably only for a game. 

[endaround]

16 hours ago, OldHeidelberg said:

$20 million is less than some of the numbers that were thrown around in March. Not that expensive a roll of the dice for Steelers. I am still sort of surprised the Vikings didn’t do that at that price. 

The issue is that you have to turn back time to 2021 for the last time Rodgers was good. You can come up with reasons why he wasn't good in following years (the Packer receiver core wasn't great in 2022, 2023 was a lost year, 2024 was overcoming injury and Jets stuff). But a 41 year old who hasn't been good the last 3 seasons with other "challenges" lets say; is maybe not a guy you want to count on. 

[CheezWizHed]

16 hours ago, OldHeidelberg said:

$20 million is less than some of the numbers that were thrown around in March. Not that expensive a roll of the dice for Steelers. I am still sort of surprised the Vikings didn’t do that at that price. 

Sadly, I think the Vikings are too smart for that. I can imagine the conversation: "So, are you willing to get to work right away and get to know the team? Nah, just get the WRs ready for me to come in during TC... I'll be in my darkness hut"

Just the fact that he is signing so late with a new team screams red flag to me.  Dude just doesn't understand team building and that winning a SB requires every advantage you can get. 

12 hours ago, JosephC said:

Can we start up the Romeo Doubs to Pittsburgh rumors again?  Rodgers and Doubs played together in 2022.

I doubt it, but Pittsburgh doesn't have much beyond Metcalf. 

2 hours ago, Brian said:

Should the Packers wear a new airbrushed 1950 helmet? The helmet is to be painted to look like a leather helmet. They did the throwback jerseys already.

Probably only for a game. 

I think pairing this with their throw-back blue uniforms would look awesome.  And I'm not one for the throwbacks... but I do like this. 

[igor67]

The pattern is clear at this point about Rodgers not putting in the time to get on the same page as his receivers. And every reason to believe that even his last few years with us he left some wins on the table as a result. 

[HarryDoyle]

Gees, not even Steelers fans want him, and the best quarterback on their roster is Mason Rudolpf.

[OldHeidelberg]

21 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

Sadly, I think the Vikings are too smart for that. I can imagine the conversation: "So, are you willing to get to work right away and get to know the team? Nah, just get the WRs ready for me to come in during TC... I'll be in my darkness hut"

Just the fact that he is signing so late with a new team screams red flag to me.  Dude just doesn't understand team building and that winning a SB requires every advantage you can get. 

 

I think he understands but just like Favre he doesn't think he needs the offseason work. He tried pretty hard to keep building with the Jets but that franchise is a crap show. He can still make the throws and the Vikes have the tackles to protect him, they spent 12 million on Darnold for 1 year and he worked out fine with those weapons. I don't know how good McCarthy will be, they believe in him so who am I to second guess. Rodgers is motivated, the question is really can his body hold up. I do get not wanting the circus he brings. 

[CheezWizHed]

On 6/7/2025 at 7:19 AM, OldHeidelberg said:

I think he understands but just like Favre he doesn't think he needs the offseason work. He tried pretty hard to keep building with the Jets but that franchise is a crap show. He can still make the throws and the Vikes have the tackles to protect him, they spent 12 million on Darnold for 1 year and he worked out fine with those weapons. I don't know how good McCarthy will be, they believe in him so who am I to second guess. Rodgers is motivated, the question is really can his body hold up. I do get not wanting the circus he brings. 

If he was alreayd on a team and knew the WR, you can give an older guy some latitude.  But a new team, new offense, new WRs... you really have to be there. 

[HarryDoyle]

Dolphins trading CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith to Steelers in exchange for S Minkah Fitzpatrick, pick swap

[HarryDoyle]

Will Levis is out for the year so Cam Ward will be QB1 in Tennessee. 

[LouisEly]

Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike also out for the season with a torn ACL.

[Brian]

NFL Preseason kicks off July 31, and Mil temp today to hit 90.  Just doesn't seem right even though I love the NFL. 

[GAME05]

Yeah, the season starts way too soon. And it ends with cold but two months of just hockey. NFL would be good to push everything back a month.

[BrewerFan]

On 7/21/2025 at 5:20 PM, LouisEly said:

Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike also out for the season with a torn ACL.

Lions injury luck is... not getting better.

Someone asked how have the Lions improved and I just thought about Hutchinson and McNiel and... so many guys they have who were hurt last year. 

 

[OldHeidelberg]

Jaire missing practice after some knee “treatment”, also had his knee drained in July. Supposedly should be back by week 1 but someone should probably tell Harbough that Jaire doesn’t play at less than 100%. Packers may have dodged a bullet here.