NFL Discussion (Offseason Edition)

[Hoss]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

This play by the Texans isn't gonna get them anywhere near a Super Bowl. I'm just saying.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

they blew their wad to early....

but dammit why do the NYG have to look so good with so little chance to get to the playoffs...i wish Detroit didn't blow so much

 

[Hidden Blaze]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

Come on Falcons, don't lose this damn game.

 

[Hoss]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

Well come on KC and Miami.. I need yall to pull off the impossible and beat NE and Denver...

On a side note, Cinci and Seattle are looking red hot going into the playoffs.

 

[Petty]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

who dey baby!

 

[Doom]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

One of my favorite defensive players of all time calls it a career.

Thank you #52 for the intensity you've brought to the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of this season, closing one of the greatest careers in NFL history.

Lewis said, "It is time for me to create a new legacy" after 17 NFL seasons.

He intends to play for the first time since tearing his triceps two months ago when the Ravens host the Colts in Sunday's wild-card game, saying: "There is no reason for me to not play," according to The Baltimore Sun.

Sunday likely will be Lewis' final game in Baltimore even if the Ravens win because of their No. 4 seed entering the playoffs.

"I talked to my team today," Lewis said Wednesday. "I talked to them about life in general. And everything that starts has an end. For me, today, I told my team that this will be my last ride."

ESPN

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

As a Steelers fan I can say I've had more than my fair share of negative things to say about Ray Lewis over the years, but I wish him all the best in his retirement. I can also safely say that he's one of the best defensive players I've ever seen and an absolute lock for the HoF.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

Coming soon to a TV set I am sure. Maybe Monday Night Football with Tirico and Grude hah

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

Coming soon to a TV set I am sure. Maybe Monday Night Football with Tirico and Grude hah

Well, you called that one buddy!

Ray Lewis told his teammates this week that he's on his “final ride” and will retire after the season, and on Thursday, Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch reported that the Ravens linebacker has his next job already lined up.

According to Deitsch, Lewis is close to signing a multiyear contract with ESPN that would showcase Lewis on the network's Monday Night Football programming and other media outlets.

 

[Petty]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

I've also made my jokes of Ray Lewis as a Bengals fan. After watching his ESPN 30 for 30 though I always had a respect for him as a player and human being. And he had a great run.

 

[Doom]

Re: 2012 NFL Discussion Thread

News from the coaching carousel:

The Kansas City Chiefs are on the verge of a deal to make Andy Reid their next head coach, according to league sources.

As the two sides continue to negotiate details of organizational structure, salary and coaching budgets, league sources said the nine hours of meetings Wednesday were necessary for Reid to meet with various key members of the organization -- owner Clark Hunt, general manager Scott Pioli, executive Ryan Petkoff, president Mark Donovan, and Ted Crews, the vice president of communications for the AFC West franchise.

ESPN

The article was too long, so I wanted to keep the news short.

As for the hiring, even though it's not official, I think it should be a good one, since Reid coached the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

Ugh I have no idea why they want him. He is an awful coach who calls terrible plays. Jamaal Charles is gonna get McCoyed next season. What a mess.

 

[Wang Chung]

The cards are also interviewing Todd Haley.

 

[Wang Chung]

Re: NFL Discussion Thread

So Andy Reid becomes Head Coach of the Chiefs and Pioli is out at GM:

Andy Reid has reached an agreement to become the next coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, according to league sources. The contract is now being reviewed by attorneys and is expected to be finalized Friday.

Reid's deal comes shortly after the Chiefs and general manager Scott Pioli mutually agreed to part ways after four seasons.

The Chiefs held a meeting with the coaching staff Friday morning, presumably to talk about Kansas City's job search and ongoing talks with Reid, according to sources.

Reid spent 1999-2012 as Philadelphia's coach, leading the Eagles to the playoffs nine times during that period. He won 130 regular-season games and 10 playoff games. The Chiefs, meanwhile, had 98 wins, three postseason appearances and no postseason wins under five different head coaches, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Reid Was Eagles' Best

Since Andy Reid's arrival in Philadelphia in 1999 the Eagles have 130 regular-season wins, the NFL's sixth-highest total in that span. Philadelphia also have 10 postseason wins, third-most since 1999, and six division titles, also third-most, under their former coach.
Most Wins By Eagles Coach
Coach W-L
Andy Reid 130-93-1
Greasy Neale 63-43-5
Dick Vermeil 54-47
Buddy Ryan 43-35-1
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Pioli, 47, joined the Chiefs in 2009 after nine seasons with the Patriots, where he helped to build New England's dynasty. But he failed to turn around the Chiefs, who were 23-39 in his four seasons, including a woeful 2-14 in 2012 under Romeo Crennel, who was hired to replace Todd Haley during the 2011 season. Crennel was fired Monday.

"I would like to thank Norma, Clark and the Hunt family for the opportunity that they gave me four years ago," Pioli said. "I'd also like to thank the players, coaches, scouts and countless other employees, throughout the organization and at Arrowhead Stadium that have worked so hard during my time here. I would also like to genuinely thank Chiefs fans.

"The bottom line is that I did not accomplish all of what I set out to do. To the Hunt family  to the great fans of the Kansas City Chiefs  to the players, all employees and alumni, I truly apologize for not getting the job done."

The Chiefs' season was marred by a tragic murder-suicide -- linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, and then took his own life in the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium after thanking Pioli and Crennel for everything they had done for him.

One of Pioli's first significant moves in 2009 was trading for quarterback Matt Cassel, who'd been impressive as a fill-in for injured Patriots starter. Pioli proceeded to sign Cassel to a six-year, $63 million deal. Cassel didn't live up to his contract in Kansas City, however, and lost his starting job to Brady Quinn in 2012.

"After several productive conversations, we made the difficult decision to part ways with Scott Pioli and allow him to pursue other opportunities," Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. "Scott has been an invaluable member of the Chiefs family since joining us in 2009, and we sincerely appreciate his tremendous contributions over the last four years.

"I know that this was a difficult decision for Scott as well. He has a great deal of appreciation for the history of this franchise, for our players, coaches and employees, and especially our great fans."

The Chiefs haven't won a playoff game since 1993. This season was Kansas City's fifth losing season in six years.

What I mentioned earlier about Todd Haley:

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley has not yet agreed to interview for the Arizona Cardinals' head-coaching position because he wants to determine their level of interest and avoid putting his current job in jeopardy, according to sources familiar with Haley's thought process.

[+] EnlargeTodd Haley
AP Photo/Chaz PallaPittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley has yet to agree to an interview with the Arizona Cardinals, according to sources.

"He's taking it real slow," one source said. "He wants to make sure the Cardinals know what they want before he considers leaving one of the best jobs in the world."

Haley covets the Steelers because his of his father, Dick Haley, the team's long-time scouting director. Todd Haley was the Cardinals offensive coordinator when the team went to the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner as quarterback in the 2008 season. The Cardinals requested permission to interview Haley about his interest in returning to the franchise Thursday.

Despite criticism from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger over the team's offensive philosophy, Haley values the position he has and feels his partnership with head coach Mike Tomlin has been productive.

Although the Steelers missed the playoffs, Haley embraces the challenge and believes Pittsburgh is positioned to achieve success.

Haley left the Cardinals following the 2009 season for his first head-coaching job with the Kansas City Chiefs under GM Scott Pioli. He led the Chiefs to a 10-6 record and an AFC West title in his first year, the greatest single-season turnaround in franchise history.

And apparently Bill O Brien was interviewed by the Browns and is staying at Penn St:

Bill O'Brien will remain Penn State's coach next season, he said Thursday after turning away several NFL teams that were interested in talking to him for their coaching vacancies.

Four NFL teams were interested in O'Brien, and he interviewed with the Cleveland Browns this week, sources confirmed to ESPN.

O'Brien previously had said he would stay at Penn State after revitalizing the program in one year's time, following the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal and the death of Joe Paterno, but sources had told ESPN that both the Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles had him on their short list of candidates.

“

O'Brien I'm not a one-and-done guy. I made a commitment to these players at Penn State and that's what I am going to do. I'm not gonna cut and run after one year, that's for sure.
†-- Penn State coach Bill O'Brien
to pennlive.com

"I'm not a one-and-done guy," O'Brien told pennlive.com on Thursday night. "I made a commitment to these players at Penn State and that's what I am going to do. I'm not gonna cut and run after one year. That's for sure."

The Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported that O'Brien had talked to the Browns. CBS Sports reported that the Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers also were interested in O'Brien.

O'Brien, the former Patriots offensive coordinator, was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in his first season at Penn State. The Nittany Lions were 8-4 overall, 6-2 in Big Ten play.

"The heartstrings were too strong from last year for him to make any moves," said O'Brien's agent, Joe Linta. "He said, 'I asked the kids to make a commitment and they did, and I can't leave them.' "

Sources told ESPN last week that the NFL teams that have gauged his interest have been informed by a third-party representative that when O'Brien accepted the task of being Paterno's successor, he was told by school officials that the Sandusky scandal was a criminal matter, not an NCAA concern.

That proved to be bad information, as Penn State was dealt a four-year bowl ban and scholarship reductions as part of unprecedented sanctions handed down by the NCAA.

The sources emphasized O'Brien would not leave Penn State for just any NFL job. He bypassed an opportunity to interview for the Jacksonville Jaguars' opening last January.

The Browns also interviewed Syracuse coach Doug Marrone on Thursday, the Plain Dealer reported. ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen earlier reported that Marrone would be interviewed Thursday.

On Friday, the Browns will talk to Oregon coach Chip Kelly, who also has an interview scheduled with the Buffalo Bills, a day after the Ducks defeated Kansas State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, according to the Plain Dealer. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner are conducting the interviews.

Former Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt interviewed with the Browns on Wednesday in Arizona, league sources told ESPN. Whisenhunt, fired Monday by the Cardinals, also has interviewed with the Bills.

Haslam and Banner also interviewed Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton on Tuesday in Arizona.

Kelly has been courted by NFL teams in the past and came close to taking Tampa Bay's job last year. He has been deflecting questions about his future all week and did so again on Wednesday when asked if he expected to be contacted by NFL teams in the days ahead.

If the Ducks do lose Kelly to the NFL, Oregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich will be promoted to head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN. That decision was first reported by USA Today.

I have the utmost respect for BOB at this point staying at a School that can not play for a bowl game for another 3 years and with limited recuiting possibilities. He has done well this season with what was left of Joe Pa's players we will see what he can do when he starts playing with his own recruits.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

Reid won't turn the chiefs around. Haley could do alright in AZ all they need is a fuckin qb