The Official NFL Off-Season Thread - Tony Gonzalez traded to the Falcons

[airuphere23]

Originally Posted by krey1231

Eagles fans school me on L.J. Smith I think the Falcons are about to sign him.

Showed potential to be one of the best pass-catching TEs in the league after the Eagles 2004 Super Bowl season, but has been too inconsistent and is injury prone. Not a great blocker, but has good hands. If healthy, he can be a very productive receiver for Matt Ryan. Also, for you being a Falcons fan, Lawyer Milloy just about murdered L.J.

Yeah L.J. has good hands but he runs like a clumsy ox out there on the field. The guy is too slow and runs like he has a load of crap in his pantsand personally I think the Eagles are better without him. Brent Celek IMO is alot better than Smith.

The Falcons can have L.J.

 

[nyrapisback]

Matt Jones released.

 

[misterp0315]

Originally Posted by NyRapisBack

Matt Jones released.

Only a matter of time...

 

[dmxfury]

Cutler just seems like a crybaby. I don't like Rivers and how he acts but he may be right about Jay

 

[gunna get it]

Originally Posted by MisterP0315

Originally Posted by NyRapisBack

Matt Jones released.

Only a matter of time...

exactly.

New NFL Union Boss, no one commenting on that ?

 

[N41D]

How about Julius Peppers to the Patriots for the second rounder they got from the Chiefs?

 

[mr fizzy womack]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Originally Posted by MisterP0315

Originally Posted by NyRapisBack

Matt Jones released.

Only a matter of time...

exactly.

New NFL Union Boss, no one commenting on that ?

I did see that... voted in a DC lawyer w/ no previous ties to the NFL.

Player reps seemed to like him more than T. Vincent even though Troy been down for a good while now.

It struck me as odd, but I know very little about the Player's Union.

How about Julius Peppers to the Patriots for the second rounder they got from the Chiefs?

Don't get me started... Jets boards are going crazy between theCutler fiasco and this Peppers rumor.

The gap in the league would be the size of the Grand Canyon.

 

[bkmac]

Mr Fizzy Womack, how you feel about the Cutler rumors? One of my teachers is sold on the idea, and thinks he will be a Jet very soon. He's so pumped

, but I feel indifferent at the moment.

 

[d0nt w0rry about it]

uh-oh.

from KFFL:

Patriots | Looking to acquire Peppers?
Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:24:05 -0700

Vic Carucci, of NFL.com, reports the New England Patriots are talking with the Carolina Panthers about acquiring DE Julius Peppers from the Panthers for the 34th overall pick, according to league sources. The two teams hope to complete the trade before the 2009 NFL Draft.
and the article from NFL.com [source: http://www.nfl.com/news/s...th-comments&confirm=true]:

[h1]Patriots appear primed to make a deal with Panthers for Peppers[/h1] [table][tr][td]

[/td] [td]�[/td] [td]By Vic Carucci��|��NFL.com
Senior Columnist
[/td] [/tr][/table]
The trade that sent Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs appears to be only the first phase of some major wheeling and dealing by the New England Patriots this offseason.

The second phase, NFL sources say, is likely to involve a trade that would send Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers to the Patriots in exchange for the second-round pick (34th overall) they received from the Chiefs on Feb. 28.

Patriots' offseason moves

Acquired:
TE Chris Baker
LB Tully Banta-Cain
CB Leigh Bodden
WR Joey Galloway
LS Nathan Hodel
WR Greg Lewis
CB Shawn Springs
RB Fred Taylor

Retained:
LB Eric Alexander
P Chris Hanson
G Russ Hochstein
S James Sanders

Departed:
QB Matt Cassel
FB Heath Evans
WR Jabar Gaffney
LB Larry Izzo
WR C.J. Jones
RB LaMont Jordan
LS Lonie Paxton
LB Darrell Robertson
LB Mike Vrabel

» Free-agency tracker

According to league sources, the Patriots and Panthers are hoping to complete the deal at some point between the March 22-25 NFL owners meetings and the start of the draft on April 25.

Peppers, on whom the Panthers have placed a franchise tag that assures him of a one-year contract worth $16.68 million, would be converted to outside linebacker in New England's 3-4 defense.

The Patriots already were looking ahead to the possibility of acquiring Peppers when they shipped Cassel and Vrabel to Kansas City, NFL sources say, because they wanted to clear the salary-cap space necessary to sign Peppers to a new contract that would put him among the higher-paid defensive players in the league. After signing Cassel to a one-year, franchise-tag tender contract worth $14.65 million, New England had nearly $30 million in cap money devoted to two quarterbacks (including $14.62 million for Tom Brady).

Once the Patriots were convinced that Brady would be fully recovered from the season-ending knee injury he suffered last year, they were comfortable with trading his replacement to the Chiefs and putting the wheels in motion to bolster a defense that has gotten particularly old at linebacker. Vrabel and fellow linebacker Tedy Bruschi are well into the twilight of their respective careers.

NFL sources say the Panthers would welcome the chance to unload Peppers for a second-round draft pick, even though it would be well below his market value, because it would be less costly than signing a first-rounder. The Panthers already have made some belt-tightening financial moves within their front office.

This, in part, could help answer the lingering question of why the Patriots were willing to take only a second-round pick for Cassel and Vrabel rather than possibly go for a higher choice as part of a three-way deal involving the Denver Broncos, who were ready to give up Jay Cutler for Cassel. Without an additional second-round pick, the Patriots might not be able to pursue Peppers.

League sources also point out that the Panthers don't have a first-round choice after trading it to the Philadelphia Eagles and aren't scheduled to draft until 59th overall (near the bottom of the second round). The 34th spot would give Carolina the second pick of the second round and a chance to land a player with a first-round rating who was pushed down to that spot for whatever reason.

Also, according to NFL sources, there is a third phase to the Patriots' offseason strategy. They would like to further beef up their linebacking corps by adding an inside linebacker in the draft. They are known to believe that USC's Rey Maualuga would be a great fit for their scheme, especially when paired with Jerod Mayo, their 2008 first-round pick who was the NFL's top defensive rookie. However, some early projections suggest it might be a long shot for Maualuga to be available for the Patriots with the 23rd overall pick.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is known for making excellent decisions when it comes to acquiring players, but at least one NFL player-personnel evaluator questions whether Peppers would be a good fit in New England.

"This is a guy who totally went on strike two years ago because he wasn't happy with his contract," said the player personnel source, who requested anonymity. "He's also very long (in the torso), which is not ideal for a 3-4 outside linebacker. And he can't drop into coverage. He's very stiff.

"But one of the things (the Patriots) are looking at is the fact that, in passing situations, they can have Peppers up front with (Richard) Seymour and (Jarvis) Green. That makes it easier for them to take (nose tackle Vince) Wilfork out of the game in (passing situations) and just play him on running downs."

 

[gunna get it]

Its Over. all they need is Brady to be 80%

 

[N41D]

Wait Wait Wait... How did the Patriots get Tully Banta-Cain back? You mean to tell me the 49ers let their budding superstar acquisition from a couple years agoleave the Bay Area?

 

[eagle 0n]

If that happens.

Wow.

 

[chico cummings]

Patriots are making some scary moves man...

 

[mr fizzy womack]

Originally Posted by bkmac

Mr Fizzy Womack, how you feel about the Cutler rumors? One of my teachers is sold on the idea, and thinks he will be a Jet very soon. He's so pumped

, but I feel indifferent at the moment.

We don't have the pieces to get Cutler unless Denver lets him go for cheap... which they aren't.

They gonna pay that man kid. They have to.

McDaniels doesn't want draft picks; he doesn't want another project; he wanted his guy Cassel, period.

 

[DeadsetAce]

at the peppers speculation...if that goes through, damn.


kraft and co need to buy the bruins asap...

 

[infyrno23]

Damn the Patriots going for the win for real!

Im Loving It!!!!!!

 

[N41D]

That team is gonna be scary...

Brady, Fred T., Moss, Welker, Galloway, Watson...

Warren, Wilfork, Seymour, Adalius Thomas, Mayo, Bruschi, Peppers ...

And they'll still have damn near all their draft picks...

 

[acidicality]

Peppers would be a nice addition, but I mean, Tully Banta-Cain is putting them over the top.

 

[CP1708]

Why the ^@#@ do teams still trade with the Patriots?

Jesus Christ.

Wilfork, Seymour, Peppers..........

 

[DeadsetAce]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Why the ^@#@ do teams still trade with the Patriots?

Jesus Christ.

Wilfork, Seymour, Peppers..........

Originally Posted by acidicality

Peppers would be a nice addition, but I mean, Tully Banta-Cain is putting them over the top.

 

[CP1708]

Well.........at least Carolina isn't throwing Smitty in the deal as well. Guess I should thank em for that.

I swear NE was preying on Car. They know Caro don't have a first rounder, they get that #34 which is close enough, Carolina prolly sees a kid in the draftthey like, hell, prolly even hyped up kid at that by none other then the Patriots, and bam, they pounce.

So transparent.

 

[DeadsetAce]

^ watch us draft the kid they want with our first pick

 

[651akathepaul]

Glad NE isn't in the NFC.

 

[swyftdahoe]

Man.. Cutler is such a little baby.. It's a business and Cutler's just taken it way too personally.. especially for someone who hasn't provenanything of real value..

 

[dmxfury]

I said when Cassell was originally traded that the Pats always know what they are doing. People said he was let go for way to little, etc. Well looks like thePats win again. Man I'm glad that my favorite team can just somewhat keep up.