NFL 2015

[Midwest Spy]

28 will get us to the playoffs this year, and dare I say, an outside shot at the Super Bowl.

Oh man. You just don't learn.

There's always next year, honey.

I did that for your enjoyment.

lol

[Duchess]

I would like to have a season that isn't filled with my head in my hands muttering like a crazy woman.

The most fun I ever had watching a game should have been when we shut out those filthy New York Giants but it wasn't. It was when we played Detroit at home in the snow. Out of all the games I've watched, that is my favorite one so far.

I have this autographed. It's one of my prized possessions -

[Midwest Spy]

We have just one more season as Vikings fans to see an outdoor game, as our new $1B stadium will open for 2016.

So, I'm taking my little guy to the Seahawks game on December 6^th (I think). It'll be cold and hopefully, snowy.

[Cutz]

Sweet. I'm going to the bird's game against Washington on Dec 26^th because I'll be back in Philly for Christmas. Managed to buy tickets when they went on sale, so they were a decent price (Eagles tickets sell out in minutes and are then sold for 150-200% on secondary sites.)

As far as AP goes... I don't know if he'll give 100% on the field. He's a competitor and will want to run hard, mostly. He won't be as pumped to run for Minny as he would for Dallas I'd think. Still, he won't play any less than 90% effort, and AD at 90% is better than most at 100%. He's that good. When DJax was doggin it, he wasn't good enough to not see a dip in quality. All Day can have a mediocre year and still be a top 5 back in the league.

[Duchess]

Eagles open training camp dates have been announced. Oh happy day!

[Midwest Spy]

98 days until season opener in New England.

[HairOfTheDog]

I haven't followed sports press until the last year or so. I've got a couple of people in my life who are growing into football fans and I wanna know more and understand when they're enthusiastic talking about local teams and such.

So, today I'm reading at ESPN and wondering if this "grading system" and the predictions stemming from it are generally bullshit or if they bear true more often than not.

The reality is the current 49ers championship run is over. Pro Football Focus recently published 32 depth charts with ratings for each player. The 49ers lost one elite player (Willis), three high-quality players (Lee, Chris Borland and Chris Culliver), three good players (Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis and Justin Smith) and four players with average ratings (Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Dan Skuta and Perrish Cox).

If you give an elite player five points, a high-quality one three, a good player two and an average player one, the 49ers' roster lost 24 points. The 49ers added wide receiver Torrey Smith (good grade) and Reggie Bush (average grade). That takes the net loss to 21.

Using the same grading system, the 49ers have 43 points returning, 16^th in the league. Instead of expecting 11 to 13 wins each season, the 49ers look more likely to repeat last year's 8-8 campaign.

^ That was in an article regarding the possibility that Kaepernick could be traded. Would the 49ers really trade him now for a couple of other "good" players to fill in our weakened line-up, and then pray to pick up a winning QB in draft?

[Cutz]

No. Kap wouldn't get traded for linemen. You never want to pray to find an NFL-caliber QB, and Blaine Gabbert ain't winning shit. You can get lineman in the 5^th and 6^th rounds who become Pro Bowlers more often than QBs. The only way I'd see Kap getting traded is if he doesn't fit the new coach's system and he wants to sell high on his most valuable player.

PFF ratings are generally bullshit to me, but it's one of the few measures people have for Moneyballing football. Personally I follow FootballOutsider's statistics more than PFF. Regardless tho, it doesn't take a genius to realize the 9ers have lost a plethora of talented starters this offseason, and they're more likely to be average or bad than NFC Champions. They're particularly thin at linebacker and OL. Boone is reportedly unhappy with his contract (something my team is also experiencing), and with Davis' retirement at such a young age, it's a wonder whether Kap will have any protection this year. Willis wasn't expected to play forever, but Borland was a big surprise, and with Bowman (PSU graduate like myself) coming off such major injury, there's real concern about the ILB position.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks so much Cutz. That makes a lot of sense.

I think it would be a bad move for the 49ers to trade Kap, but I'm pretty ignorant in regards to the business of football and team-building/re-config.

I like Kaepernick and hope you're right.

Forgot to post the link to the article I quoted, here it is:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/130314...on-mailbag

[Cutz]

Ah right, Iupati leaving in FA was another piece of the OL trouble. I'm surprised the article/PFF calls Frank Gore an average/good player, he's probably the biggest 9er loss to me. In 2013 Kendal Hunter was supposed to usurp Gore as the starter, but Gore still kept the gig. Last year, it was Carlos Hyde that was the next big runner, but Gore was still the man. Gore got tough first downs, and without him I think the 9ers rushing attack suffers. Add the OL trouble to that, and Kap and the offense might have a bad year.

The article is suggesting they'd trade Kap for draft picks, but you wouldn't want to trade him before/during this season for draft picks next year. That's like putting your money in the bank and paying them interest. First it hurts your team, second it helps your trade partner, making the pick they traded you worth less because they probably do better and pick lower. So I guess he's saying after the season, a QB needy team might trade for Kap. But then why wouldn't the QB needy team just draft the young stud the 9ers would look for in the draft? Cook and Hackenberg are traditional pocket passers, Cardale Jones and Dak Prescott have the mobility factor, it'll depend which of them have a good season this year in college, but I'll hold off on thinking Kap gets traded for picks just yet. Way too early to make that claim.

[Duchess]

Sports writers are the bane of my existence. That's only slightly exaggerated.

[Blindgreed1]

I haven't followed sports press until the last year or so. I've got a couple of people in my life who are growing into football fans and I wanna know more and understand when they're enthusiastic talking about local teams and such.

So, today I'm reading at ESPN and wondering if this "grading system" and the predictions stemming from it are generally bullshit or if they bear true more often than not.

The reality is the current 49ers championship run is over. Pro Football Focus recently published 32 depth charts with ratings for each player. The 49ers lost one elite player (Willis), three high-quality players (Lee, Chris Borland and Chris Culliver), three good players (Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis and Justin Smith) and four players with average ratings (Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Dan Skuta and Perrish Cox).

If you give an elite player five points, a high-quality one three, a good player two and an average player one, the 49ers' roster lost 24 points. The 49ers added wide receiver Torrey Smith (good grade) and Reggie Bush (average grade). That takes the net loss to 21.

Using the same grading system, the 49ers have 43 points returning, 16^th in the league. Instead of expecting 11 to 13 wins each season, the 49ers look more likely to repeat last year's 8-8 campaign.

^ That was in an article regarding the possibility that Kaepernick could be traded. Would the 49ers really trade him now for a couple of other "good" players to fill in our weakened line-up, and then pray to pick up a winning QB in draft?

Complete bullshit.

[Cutz]

It's been widely reported that the Eagles released Mathis, yet the official website says nothing about it. They're so chickenshit sometimes.

Hopefully it means they're trying a last second trade.

[Blindgreed1]

It's been widely reported that the Eagles released Mathis, yet the official website says nothing about it. They're so chickenshit sometimes.

Hopefully it means they're trying a last second trade.

It's official. And there's no trade involved. Mathis has been available for trade for the last 2 years, but nobody wanted to pony up the cash. If you look at our stats before and after his injury last year, our running game was better wihout him. He held out on OTA's and chipper sent him packin.

[Cutz]

You can't "hold out" from voluntary practices.

[Midwest Spy]

You can't "hold out" from voluntary practices.

I didn't think Organized Team Activities were optional.

[Blindgreed1]

You can't "hold out" from voluntary practices.

I didn't think Organized Team Activities were optional.

Some are some aren't.

[Blindgreed1]

You can't "hold out" from voluntary practices.

Okay so he didn't show up and chipper sent him packin. Feel better now?

[Cutz]

Not really. When Chip traded Shady he said "You have to give up something to get something," but he doesn't seem to believe that you have to get something when you give up something. I'm trying to come to terms with the reality that he'll just dump someone he doesn't think fits his scheme or culture, but I still find it difficult. It's really the only problem I have with Chip. It doesn't outweigh his skills in other areas, but he's really hamstrung his leverage in future negotiation.

[Duchess]

I can't really give much thought at all to some of the decisions he's made or I will become frantic with concern.