2020 NFL Thread v. Tom Brady aging better than Mila Kunis

[TheCountOfNYC]

Chargers unveiled their new uniforms.



Best uniforms in the league just got even better. I absolutely LOVE the return of the numbers on the helmets, and they did a great job of fusing the classic look with the modern style. Hoping more Bolts games get air on national television this season so this New Yorker can see these unis in action more.

[DragonAttack]

I can absolutely do without the all blue ones, but the others nail it.  Oops, just looked closer.  They should have numbers on the sleeves (I've never liked shoulder numbers with a shoulder stripe).  New England just did the same.  Guess the Nike logo is more important

[pg1067]

Chargers unveiled their new uniforms.



Best uniforms in the league just got even better. I absolutely LOVE the return of the numbers on the helmets, and they did a great job of fusing the classic look with the modern style. Hoping more Bolts games get air on national television this season so this New Yorker can see these unis in action more.

So is that supposed to be Natrone Means?




Not sure why they'd need six different uniforms.  From left to right, #1 and #4 are ok.  I don't care for the yellow pants (#2 and #3) and really don't like #5.  #6 is ok only because it's black, but why a black uniform (or is that dark navy)?

[Stadler]

There's a protocol for the uniforms but for the life of me I can't remember what it is.  I think unlike baseball - which is traditionally "white" for home, "gray" for the road - there's a home blue, away blue, home white, and away white.  I am an old man - get off my lawn! - so I can only assume the two blues are home/away for the Thursday night spectacle (I take #6 as dark navy).

Generally, though, I love those uniforms.  They're top three or four in the league if you ask me.

[El Barto]

Wow, who could have seen this coming.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2887811-report-rob-gronkowski-told-patriots-he-wants-trade-to-bucs-tom-brady-reunion

A fourth round pick? Really? NE had so much leverage here. They couldn't have gotten a good receiver out of this deal? Or at least a number two?

[KevShmev]

I could see a swap where NE gets OJ Howard, who still has a lot of potential, but seems to have worn out his welcome in TB.

[El Barto]

I could see a swap where NE gets OJ Howard, who still has a lot of potential, but seems to have worn out his welcome in TB.

That's the obvious move, but I figure Brady is pretty keen to have two solid TEs. Still, this just seems like a charity move on NE's part.

[KevShmev]

Looks like the deal is all but done.

Belichick just got a 4th round pick for a retired player who is currently a title-holder in the WWE.

[King Postwhore]

[El Barto]

The only way this makes sense is if the Bucks are looking to move Brate instead of Howard. Brate will cost 7m against the cap, and Tampa is barely in a better position than NE to pay that.  Even then you should still be able to work out a better deal. I understand NE wanted to do right by Gronk, though I'm not entirely sure he deserves it, but I think they had a lot more leverage against Tampa than they figured. If they demanded a No. 2 for Gronk would Brady toe the "he's not worth it" corporate line? Would Licht tell TB12 to StFU and play quarterback?

[King Postwhore]

Gronkowski has to be looked at as damaged goods, with a year off, lost weight.  I can't think of anything else.

[Stadler]

I dunno; I think there's "message" in what New England did.  We can just debate what that message is.   In any event, they traded up a 7th for a 4th.  Gronk was never going to play for New England, so there's no loss "on the field".  I don't know if as a retiree there are any cap implications for New England.

And the message is either:
- No hard feelings, boys, this is best for all of us; we're here when you DO retire for good, and we have a cap waiting for when you get inducted in Canton; or
- You fucking idiots aren't gum on the bottom of my shoe.  You're only WORTH a fourth rounder.  Let's see how all that Masked Singer, beer cruising and wrestling prepared you for a non-New England system, you moron.    Or something to that effect.

[hunnus2000]

I'm surprised he came out of retirement. I saw an interview recently where he said he retired because of concussion induced symptoms. Headaches, depression. He said it took him a year after he retired to feel back to normal.

I just hope we have a season.

[El Barto]

At the end of the day this is certainly a win for NE. Like Kev said, they got a 4 for a retired wrestler. I can't help but see a great deal of lost opportunity cost. I just can't imagine that a 4 is as much as Brady/Tampa would be willing to part with. The reports are that NE simply had no leverage. I think they had no leverage against anybody but Tampa.

From a cap standpoint this is problematic for Tampa, and has no repercussions against NE. Here's something I'm curious about, though. From what I gather if Gronk had announced his unretirement before departing the team, NE would have suddenly been ~9 in the hole. I have to wonder if the team has some sort of out for such a situation "hey, the fucker retired!" or if they're stuck with it. I also have to wonder if that ever came up in the negotiations. It's not inconceivable that Gronk had a massive amount of leverage going to NE and demanding a trade: "Either ship me off or I stay here and wreck your cap."

[TAC]

I'm surprised he came out of retirement. I saw an interview recently where he said he retired because of concussion induced symptoms. Headaches, depression. He said it took him a year after he retired to feel back to normal.

I just hope we have a season.

Nah, there's no surprise. He couldn't come out and state he didn't want to play for Belichick.

I do think Gronk needed a mental and physical break, and I was kind of surprised he played the last year that he did.

The fact that Gronk was going to join Brady wherever Brady went, was it me, a fait accompli.

[El Barto]

I'm surprised he came out of retirement. I saw an interview recently where he said he retired because of concussion induced symptoms. Headaches, depression. He said it took him a year after he retired to feel back to normal.

I just hope we have a season.

Nah, there's no surprise. He couldn't come out and state he didn't want to play for Belichick.

I do think Gronk needed a mental and physical break, and I was kind of surprised he played the last year that he did.

The fact that Gronk was going to join Brady wherever Brady went, was it me, a fait accompli.

That to me is the biggest part of it, and it's obvious that's what his problem was. Personally, it makes me question his character. He seems to be of the Cassius Marsh frame of mind.

[King Postwhore]

He did allude to it over and over.  Just didn't bold face come out and say it at the time.

[TAC]

I'll have to google Cassius March, but yes, he had basically been saying informally it for a couple of years before he quit.

[KevShmev]

At the end of the day this is certainly a win for NE. Like Kev said, they got a 4 for a retired wrestler. I can't help but see a great deal of lost opportunity cost. I just can't imagine that a 4 is as much as Brady/Tampa would be willing to part with. The reports are that NE simply had no leverage. I think they had no leverage against anybody but Tampa.

From a cap standpoint this is problematic for Tampa, and has no repercussions against NE. Here's something I'm curious about, though. From what I gather if Gronk had announced his unretirement before departing the team, NE would have suddenly been ~9 in the hole. I have to wonder if the team has some sort of out for such a situation "hey, the fucker retired!" or if they're stuck with it. I also have to wonder if that ever came up in the negotiations. It's not inconceivable that Gronk had a massive amount of leverage going to NE and demanding a trade: "Either ship me off or I stay here and wreck your cap."

From what I read, Gronk did NE a favor.  Supposedly, once a player lets the league know in official terms that he is returning from retirement, his team has 48 hours to activate him. The Patriots wouldn't have been able to activate him without freeing up $8 million plus in additional cap space, which they don't have, meaning they would have had to release him and would have got nothing for him.

[Cool Chris]

I follow the Seahawks and I had to google him.

[Stadler]

On an unrelated note, I notice "Cassius Marsh" is trending on Google. 

[King Postwhore]

At the end of the day this is certainly a win for NE. Like Kev said, they got a 4 for a retired wrestler. I can't help but see a great deal of lost opportunity cost. I just can't imagine that a 4 is as much as Brady/Tampa would be willing to part with. The reports are that NE simply had no leverage. I think they had no leverage against anybody but Tampa.

From a cap standpoint this is problematic for Tampa, and has no repercussions against NE. Here's something I'm curious about, though. From what I gather if Gronk had announced his unretirement before departing the team, NE would have suddenly been ~9 in the hole. I have to wonder if the team has some sort of out for such a situation "hey, the fucker retired!" or if they're stuck with it. I also have to wonder if that ever came up in the negotiations. It's not inconceivable that Gronk had a massive amount of leverage going to NE and demanding a trade: "Either ship me off or I stay here and wreck your cap."

From what I read, Gronk did NE a favor.  Supposedly, once a player lets the league know in official terms that he is returning from retirement, his team has 48 hours to activate him. The Patriots wouldn't have been able to activate him without freeing up $8 million plus in additional cap space, which they don't have, meaning they would have had to release him and would have got nothing for him.

And teams know that so a 4th round is reasonable with that short of time to work with.

Not surprised that the players and their agents know this as well to force the issue.

[El Barto]

At the end of the day this is certainly a win for NE. Like Kev said, they got a 4 for a retired wrestler. I can't help but see a great deal of lost opportunity cost. I just can't imagine that a 4 is as much as Brady/Tampa would be willing to part with. The reports are that NE simply had no leverage. I think they had no leverage against anybody but Tampa.

From a cap standpoint this is problematic for Tampa, and has no repercussions against NE. Here's something I'm curious about, though. From what I gather if Gronk had announced his unretirement before departing the team, NE would have suddenly been ~9 in the hole. I have to wonder if the team has some sort of out for such a situation "hey, the fucker retired!" or if they're stuck with it. I also have to wonder if that ever came up in the negotiations. It's not inconceivable that Gronk had a massive amount of leverage going to NE and demanding a trade: "Either ship me off or I stay here and wreck your cap."

From what I read, Gronk did NE a favor.  Supposedly, once a player lets the league know in official terms that he is returning from retirement, his team has 48 hours to activate him. The Patriots wouldn't have been able to activate him without freeing up $8 million plus in additional cap space, which they don't have, meaning they would have had to release him and would have got nothing for him.

That seems woefully unbalanced to me. If you're the one to put your contract on hold by retiring then you shouldn't be able to use that contract to get your team by the balls a year later. You say he did NE a favor. If he let the team know that he would be doing this I'd call that a A++ sandbagging.

[hunnus2000]

I'd love to know MMs thoughts on all the goings on with New England.

[dparrott]

I love the whole Chargers new look, logos, smileys, etc.  Not a fan of the color rush unis but love the rest.  Now we await the Rams uniform disaster.

[eric42434224]

Pleased with the Fins draft.  If Tua can stay healthy.

[T-ski]

Packer fans are rioting after the pick of Jordan Love.

[hunnus2000]

Packer fans are rioting after the pick of Jordan Love.

I'm curious, what was the Packers fans reaction when they took Aaron Rodgers with Brett Favre still on the team?

[KevShmev]

Packer fans are rioting after the pick of Jordan Love.

Colin Cowherd has been predicting that pick for the last two months.  He is going to be a little smug today.

I loved the Jerry Jeudy pick by the Broncos.  All reports say he is a great route runner, which is always a good thing with a WR.

[Stadler]

Packer fans are rioting after the pick of Jordan Love.

At least Aaron Rogers is adult and pragmatic enough to understand it's a necessity, and won't likely pout like a child as a result. 

(And I'm a fan of the man; but he has a thin skin.)

[T-ski]

Packer fans are rioting after the pick of Jordan Love.

I'm curious, what was the Packers fans reaction when they took Aaron Rodgers with Brett Favre still on the team?

It’s easy to compare, but it isn’t the same.

Favre was already starting his “I don’t know how much longer I’ll play” routine at this point. Rodgers fell in the draft (was talked about going first overall). Packers didn’t trade up to get Rodgers, which they did for Love. Rodgers had a much better collegiate career. Love’s ceiling “may” be high, but his floor is much lower than Rodgers would have ever been.

For a team that was a game away from the Super Bowl and have obvious needs on defense and WR, it’s a mind boggling decision for sure.

[Stadler]

There was a decent amount of talk here that the Pats would take Love, but instead they traded out of the round.  That's a pretty big tell, if you ask me.

Also, anyone catch Goodell's sign off ("keep those boo's coming!").   It could have been a great, tongue-in-cheek, self-awareness moment, but in my opinion, sounded bitter and dry.  But that's me; I'm not a huge Goodell fan.

[El Barto]

Packer fans are rioting after the pick of Jordan Love.

At least Aaron Rogers is adult and pragmatic enough to understand it's a necessity, and won't likely pout like a child as a result. 

Indeed. Now being unable to get him a decent weapon isn't going to sit well with him at all. On top of that, I can't imagine he's going to be any more helpful in getting Love ready to play than Favre was with him.

[DragonAttack]

Baltimore drafts Patrick Queen.  Geaux, Ravens!

My wife and I will have to get a jersey to go with our Queen tee shirts.  I'll assume he won't be wearing #8 here as he did at LSU

GODell is an axle.

[bosk1]

Packer fans are rioting after the pick of Jordan Love.

I'm curious, what was the Packers fans reaction when they took Aaron Rodgers with Brett Favre still on the team?

It’s easy to compare, but it isn’t the same.

Favre was already starting his “I don’t know how much longer I’ll play” routine at this point. Rodgers fell in the draft (was talked about going first overall). Packers didn’t trade up to get Rodgers, which they did for Love. Rodgers had a much better collegiate career. Love’s ceiling “may” be high, but his floor is much lower than Rodgers would have ever been.

For a team that was a game away from the Super Bowl and have obvious needs on defense and WR, it’s a mind boggling decision for sure.

Yeah, I thought that was really odd.