2013-2014 NFL Thread

[cabiness42]

NFL looks likely this offseason to expand postseason, adding 1 more team and 1 more game per conference (only the #1 seed would get a bye week presumably).

 

I'm indifferent about adding two more playoff teams. Here is something I would like to see, though it's far too radical to have a chance of ever happening:

 

Convert one preseason game to a regular season game. Make the extra regular season game at a neutral site for all teams (London, Toronto, LA, college stadiums, etc.)

 

Push the start of the regular season back to the 3rd Sunday in September. Have the first 15 weeks of the season, with each team having 1 bye. Then everybody has 2 weeks off the last Sunday in December and the first Sunday in January. Then have the last three weeks of the regular season. Playoff schedule picks up from there, with the Super Bowl the first week in March.

 

Get rid of the Thursday games, except for the opening week and Thanksgiving. Have 3 Saturday games each of the last three weeks of the season.

[LittleHurt05]

NFL looks likely this offseason to expand postseason, adding 1 more team and 1 more game per conference (only the #1 seed would get a bye week presumably).

 

Not a fan. As the playoffs become more and more of a crapshoot, and the margin between winning & losing get smaller, I hate to see the regular season get devalued even more.

[pettie4sox]

I'm indifferent about adding two more playoff teams. Here is something I would like to see, though it's far too radical to have a chance of ever happening:

 

Convert one preseason game to a regular season game. Make the extra regular season game at a neutral site for all teams (London, Toronto, LA, college stadiums, etc.)

 

Push the start of the regular season back to the 3rd Sunday in September. Have the first 15 weeks of the season, with each team having 1 bye. Then everybody has 2 weeks off the last Sunday in December and the first Sunday in January. Then have the last three weeks of the regular season. Playoff schedule picks up from there, with the Super Bowl the first week in March.

 

Get rid of the Thursday games, except for the opening week and Thanksgiving. Have 3 Saturday games each of the last three weeks of the season.

 

Why?

 

[GoSox05]

So you would take a good yet unspectacular pass rushing defensive end over the best safety in the game. Smart.

 

Best safety in the game! Damn.

 

 

 

[cabiness42]

Why?

 

Less overlap with the college season = more weekends with football. Would make February suck a lot less.

[witesoxfan]

Best safety in the game! Damn.

 

I honestly have no doubt about it. I honestly think the only thing you'd want more out of him is for him to hit harder and tackle better. He still does that pretty well.

 

I think the number I saw was that, in 11 games, he was still PFF's #4 safety this year (which is a counting stat), and that was with him adjusting and learning a new defense on the fly. The Bills have cap room (and will have $3 mill more when they release Erik Pears), so they should absolutely throw a ton of money at him.

[Boogua]

So you would take a good yet unspectacular pass rushing defensive end over the best safety in the game. Smart.

I think it really depends on the price. DL are much more valuable than safeties on the field though.

[DukeNukeEm]

Aaron Hernandez was just served a search warrant for his suspected involvement in a 2012 double homicide.

[witesoxfan]

I think it really depends on the price. DL are much more valuable than safeties on the field though.

 

I thought that was obvious. It also depends on how you run the defense too.

[Kyyle23]

Aaron Hernandez was just served a search warrant for his suspected involvement in a 2012 double homicide.

 

lol, how does that work? They go to jail and tell him "we are serving you a search warrant for your house we are already searching as a crime scene"?

 

 

[witesoxfan]

lol, how does that work? They go to jail and tell him "we are serving you a search warrant for your house we are already searching as a crime scene"?

http://deadspin.com/warrant-aaron-hernande...2-dr-1497027015

 

Just have to advise him that you are further searching his property.

[Boogua]

I thought that was obvious. It also depends on how you run the defense too.

Then why ask the question? You can't just say who would you rather have on your team without taking money into consideration. The answer should still probably be Bennett, whether you think it's smart or not.

 

I'm also having trouble thinking of a defense where a safety is more important than DL. Maybe Pitt's defense? But even then they've had good guys in the trenches.

 

Not many people thought the Bears safety duo was bad last year when the Bears were generating pressure with Peppers and Melton. Football outsiders even said before the season "Major Wright and Chris Conte form one of the better young safety combos in the game..." I'm sure Byrd benefits a bit from having Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcell Darius on the DL.

 

E: I just looked at PFF scores for the Bills front 7. Sweet Jesus.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Boogua

[witesoxfan]

Then why ask the question? You can't just say who would you rather have on your team without taking money into consideration. The answer should still probably be Bennett, whether you think it's smart or not.

 

Why am I supposed to assume money means anything? Read the original quote.

 

My argument against that, and it might be a silly one, but in 2012 the Bears had the same 2 safeties they did this year and they finished with a top 5 D. I'm not saying they don't need an upgrade, they do, but I don't think getting "superstars" there will fix the D more than adding "superstars" to the DL will. If Michael Bennett and Jarius Byrd both hit the market I'd want Bennett. If Melton isn't resigned and the Bears are looking at HaHa or Nix/Tuit/Hageman I'd take one of the lineman....Safeties are usually the "last line of defense", I think the Bears need to fix the "first line of defense" first.

 

Improved DL helps every level of the defense. Safety? Not so much.

 

There is absolutely no mention of money. Of course if money is considered, it makes a huge difference.

 

I'm also having trouble thinking of a defense where a safety is more important than DL. Maybe Pitt's defense? But even then they've had good guys in the trenches.

 

I don't disagree with this, but, again, you are talking about the importance and roles of safeties within a defense. Rarely will the safety be the most important position, but a great safety (duo) will help you shut down the passing game in the middle while helping to stop the run and occasionally rush the passer. A great safety will typically make a bad defense mediocre, a mediocre defense good, a good defense great, etc, etc, etc. If they Bears had a half decent safety duo this year, the defense certainly would not have been as bad as it was, would you not agree?

 

Not many people thought the Bears safety duo was bad last year when the Bears were generating pressure with Peppers and Melton.

 

You don't read this board during Bears games very often, do you? Nobody was happy with Conte nor Wright pretty much all year.

 

Football outsiders even said before the season "Major Wright and Chris Conte form one of the better young safety combos in the game..."

 

Cool story. That turned out to be wrong. You don't have to get rid of them, but you have to upgrade.

 

I'm sure Byrd benefits a bit from having Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcell Darius on the DL.

 

I'm sure he does. He was also producing when he had Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay and Marcus Stroud and Dwan Edwards and name a dude. He's been a stud his whole career in 3 very different schemes. He's a fantastic safety and would be a great player in any defense.

[witesoxfan]

E: I just looked at PFF scores for the Bills front 7. Sweet Jesus.

 

Not sure if that's good or bad, but they were gashed this year on the ground. The Bears had a historically bad run defense, but the Bills were an open gate too. They also rushed the passer and forced a lot of turnovers too. Still, it was not pretty.

 

[bmags]

I think Byrd is great, but I really would like Bears to try and hit on safety in draft to not overpay that position. I could be wrong, but my gut reaction is a lot of the big time FA safety signings have been busts. Doesn't mean all should be avoided, but it just seems like a position you should be able to address as long as you take it seriously in draft and not keep drafting 5th rounders and starting them.

[witesoxfan]

I think Byrd is great, but I really would like Bears to try and hit on safety in draft to not overpay that position. I could be wrong, but my gut reaction is a lot of the big time FA safety signings have been busts. Doesn't mean all should be avoided, but it just seems like a position you should be able to address as long as you take it seriously in draft and not keep drafting 5th rounders and starting them.

 

I don't know that I'd say that, but I completely understand. Then again, I think, especially with a Cover 2, you can find effective safeties for much cheaper too. Frankly, Cover 2 safeties - if they run a Cover 2 again - primarily just have to play deep zones and tackle. You can find a lot of guys who can do that.

[bmags]

I don't know that I'd say that, but I completely understand. Then again, I think, especially with a Cover 2, you can find effective safeties for much cheaper too. Frankly, Cover 2 safeties - if they run a Cover 2 again - primarily just have to play deep zones and tackle. You can find a lot of guys who can do that.

You would certainly think so!

[southsider2k5]

I don't know that I'd say that, but I completely understand. Then again, I think, especially with a Cover 2, you can find effective safeties for much cheaper too. Frankly, Cover 2 safeties - if they run a Cover 2 again - primarily just have to play deep zones and tackle. You can find a lot of guys who can do that.

 

The problem is that the scheme doesn't work unless your front guys are getting some pressure. The Bears didn't do that this year.

[Boogua]

Not sure if that's good or bad, but they were gashed this year on the ground. The Bears had a historically bad run defense, but the Bills were an open gate too. They also rushed the passer and forced a lot of turnovers too. Still, it was not pretty.

They had a ridiculous pass rush and were second in the NFL in sacks. The LBs weren't very good against the run and Jim Leonhard was absolutely awful with 11 missed tackles in 634 snaps. The DL graded out well against the run though.

 

Also, I don't know how to properly respond to all the different quotes like you did, but I was just using the football outsiders thing as an example. Safety deficiencies can easily be covered up by a DL. Using game threads of our crazy fan base seems less credible to me than an objective outsider. We all knew that the Wright and Conte were bad, but they weren't nearly as bad when we had a good DL. Wright actually had a +5 score and Conte was only -2 last year. Objectively they weren't that bad last year.

 

I also think Byrd is a good player regardless of scheme or players, but I just don't know how much he'd help us without a good DL. There's only so much he can do. You say a great safety will make a bad defense mediocre, but when he had those bad guys up front in 2011 the Bills ranked 26th in yardage and 30th in PPG as a defense.

 

Again, I'm not trying to diminish Byrd and I think he's a heck of a player.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Boogua

[GoSox05]

Seems to be a lack of really good safeties in the league.

 

I still think Earl Thomas is the best, but you could argue for Byrd.

[witesoxfan]

They had a ridiculous pass rush and were second in the NFL in sacks. The LBs weren't very good against the run and Jim Leonhard was absolutely awful with 11 missed tackles in 634 snaps. The DL graded out well against the run though.

 

Also, I don't know how to properly respond to all the different quotes like you did, but I was just using the football outsiders thing as an example. Safety deficiencies can easily be covered up by a DL. Using game threads of our crazy fan base seems less credible to me than an objective outsider. We all knew that the Wright and Conte were bad, but they weren't nearly as bad when we had a good DL. Wright actually had a +5 score and Conte was only -2 last year. Objectively they weren't that bad last year.

 

I also think Byrd is a good player regardless of scheme or players, but I just don't know how much he'd help us without a good DL. There's only so much he can do. You say a great safety will make a bad defense mediocre, but when he had those bad guys up front in 2011 the Bills ranked 26th in yardage and 30th in PPG as a defense.

 

Again, I'm not trying to diminish Byrd and I think he's a heck of a player.

 

Right, and I didn't want to draw it out like that, but there were a lot of points I disagreed with, so..sorry about that.

 

Anyways, no, given the cost (a huge contract and 2 first round picks, because I see no way the Bills don't, at minimum, franchise Byrd again), I don't think Byrd is a good fit for the Bears. Drafting either HaHa or someone in the 2nd/3rd is a far better option.

[cabiness42]

Regardless of whether or not you run a Cover 2, being able to get pressure on the QB just rushing 4 is very important, given the level of sophistication of passing offenses. You need to be able to drop 7 in coverage most of the time. Robert Mathis singlehandedly covers up an absolutely terrible defense in Indy because he gets to the QB so much.

Edited January 8, 2014 by HickoryHuskers

[witesoxfan]

Regardless of whether or not you run a Cover 2, being able to get pressure on the QB just rushing 4 is very important, given the level of sophistication of passing offenses. You need to be able to drop 7 in coverage most of the time. Robert Mathis singlehandedly covers up an absolutely terrible defense in Indy because he gets to the QB so much.

 

To some extent, yes, but I think you can drop 6 and generally be OK.

 

I do think massive overload blitzes are pretty much a thing of the past.

[2nd_city_saint787]

I don't know that I'd say that, but I completely understand. Then again, I think, especially with a Cover 2, you can find effective safeties for much cheaper too. Frankly, Cover 2 safeties - if they run a Cover 2 again - primarily just have to play deep zones and tackle. You can find a lot of guys who can do that.

 

 

The problem is that the scheme doesn't work unless your front guys are getting some pressure. The Bears didn't do that this year.

 

 

This is my point with my original post on Bennett over Byrd.

 

They have to fix the DL first before they look into spending money on a top flight Safety.

 

At this point I think it's a lock that Peppers gets cut so they're going to need at least 1 starting DE, and depending on what they do with Melton they're going to need a starting DT as well. If I'm the Bears I'm getting those guys first before I think about spending big money on Byrd or Ward.....I do indeed think that is, as you put it, smart.

 

 

[witesoxfan]

This is my point with my original post on Bennett over Byrd.

 

They have to fix the DL first before they look into spending money on a top flight Safety.

 

At this point I think it's a lock that Peppers gets cut so they're going to need at least 1 starting DE, and depending on what they do with Melton they're going to need a starting DT as well. If I'm the Bears I'm getting those guys first before I think about spending big money on Byrd or Ward.....I do indeed think that is, as you put it, smart.

 

Losing Peppers will hurt, but he's a guy that can potentially be released and brought back. Plus their line looked a lot better late in the year too, though it could obviously be better.

 

Given the payday Bennett is probably looking at, I think aiming lower is the smart choice.