NFL 2012 Season

[Axl4Prez2004]

I don't think I could be any more consistent picking games...CONSISTENTLY BAD!  HA!  It's a damn good thing I don't gamble. 

[Sober_times]

One good thing that came out of this Raven super bowl win; Every time the Ravens have won a super bowl, the Patriots have won the Superbowl that followed. 100% of the time. Book it! Championship! 

[tim_m]

One good thing that came out of this Raven super bowl win; Every time the Ravens have won a super bowl, the Patriots have won the Superbowl that followed. 100% of the time. Book it! Championship! 

LOL impossible to put much weight behind that since the Ravens only won their second ever last night.

[Drew]

Here's to looking forward to the 2013 season, a better Super Bowl, and better musical artist. 

P.S. Glad the clown and clown's dance is finally over with. I've never heard a more selfish player use the word "I" so many times. Good riddance!

[faldor]

Tom Brady's facebook page after restructuring his deal to free up cap space for the Pats over the next 2 seasons.  I know I don't need to point out how good a player he is, but he's arguably an even better teammate.

Tom Brady

Every part of what I do depends on the group of guys I play with.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=511925982181890&set=a.233362006704957.53331.214003275307497&type=1&theater

[tim_m]

Joe Flacco is now the highest paid player in NFL history. He and the Ravens have agreed to a 6 yr 120.6 million dollar contract.

[Bodhi]

Joe Flacco is now the highest paid player in NFL history. He and the Ravens have agreed to a 6 yr 120.6 million dollar contract.

Which is why Tom Brady will continue to bring his teams to AFC Title Games and Super Bowls on a regular basis and Joe Flacco will not.  That is not a knock on Joe, he more than outplayed his previous contract, but sinking that kind of money into him will hurt the Ravens.   Flacco got his ring, now its time to get paid, good for him.

[tim_m]

I agree, he deserved to get paid well but highest ever well? No way.

[AxlsMainMan]

Some tough decisions coming soon for my Steelers

[faldor]

Joe Flacco is now the highest paid player in NFL history. He and the Ravens have agreed to a 6 yr 120.6 million dollar contract.

Which is why Tom Brady will continue to bring his teams to AFC Title Games and Super Bowls on a regular basis and Joe Flacco will not.  That is not a knock on Joe, he more than outplayed his previous contract, but sinking that kind of money into him will hurt the Ravens.   Flacco got his ring, now its time to get paid, good for him.

Talk about cashing in at the right time.  Earlier this season lots were speculating if he'd even be with the Ravens next season.  Now, he's the highest paid player in the game.  The cap hit for the final year of his deal is ridiculous, so they'll have to deal with that down the line.  Imagine they'll restructure and defer some of that money on the back end of an extension, similar to what Brady and other QB's are doing. 

[Sober_times]

I think its crazy to make that kind of commitment to Joe Flacco. I haven't seen very much over the course of his career to suggest he is on the same level as brees, rogers, manning and brady. He played well in the play-offs..well decent. He was decent against the colts, had to thank denver for horrible pass coverage and faced one of the worst defenses in the league in the afc championship game. He was a victim of circumstance and these circumstances made him look a lot better than he actually is. That Raven defense is changing and won't be as good next year and beyond. Is Flacco really good enough to be the focus of that team? Can he put them on his shoulders while they rebuild that defense and still compete for championships? I don't think so. Maybe I am putting him down too much, I just don't see how he suddenly goes from possibly not even being a raven anymore to the highest paid player in the NFL. I don't think he's worth it and honestly feel there are a lot better qbs in this league than Joe Flacco.

[Sober_times]

Seahawks apparently are giving a 2013 first round pick and some other picks for Percy Harvin. On top of that, rumor has it his contract will be in the 10million/year range.

I like Harvin, but I can't understand how a team can give up that much and than pay him that much. That is crazy.

I'm always looking at these free agency deals or big trades and thanking Belichick for never doing crazy shit like that.

[AxlsMainMan]

Seeking salary-cap relief, the Baltimore Ravens desperately wanted Anquan Boldin to accept a $2 million reduction in pay for the 2013 season. A man of principle, Boldin stuck to his guns about playing under the contract he originally signed.

With both sides at a standstill, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome came up with a solution that could strengthen a fierce competitor while leaving his team worse off in the long run. NFL.com's Albert Breer reported Monday, citing a Ravens source, that Boldin will be traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2013 sixth-round draft pick. A 49ers source told Breer that the deal is done.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000149401/article/anquan-boldin-to-be-traded-to-san-francisco-49ers

[faldor]

Big coup for the 9ers.  Boldin for a 6th rounder?  That's crazy!  Free agent madness kicks off tomorrow, so things might get even crazier.

[Axl4Prez2004]

It looks like the Bucs are favorites to land Revis Island.
btw, I'm glad my Vikes didn't land Mike Wallace.  The Dolphins can have him.

[Drew]

Good moves for Harvin and Boldin. The Ravens have been literally raped of talent to my happiness lol. I have mixed emotions about Tony Gonzalez returing to the Falcons after he fizzled away last season. I wish they would've gone after a better tight end in the draft or free agency.

[GeorgeSteele]

Welker to Broncos.  2 yrs $12M.

[faldor]

Welker to Broncos.  2 yrs $12M.

Shocking!  At least the terms of the deal.  I was figuring he'd get 7-9 mil a year, and at least 3 or 4 years.  2 for 12?  Say what?  And the fact the Patriots were only willing to offer 2 for 10?  Huh? 

Listen, I can completely get behind them wanting to go in a different direction.  Hell, they were ready to do that last year until Aaron Hernandez got injured in their home opener.  Welker was non-existent in the first 2 games last season as they were beginning to phase him out of the offense.  But injuries forced him to the forefront again and he was the primary target BY FAR.  And I am completely willing for them to dedicate money to the defensive side of the ball for once even if it means taking a few steps back on offense.  BUT, 2 years and 12 million dollars?  Was that really going to prevent them from shoring up the defense?  Seems hard to believe.  So again, it would seem to me they were just ready to move on without him.  But why have Bob Kraft come out and say how much he loves the guy and how he'd love him to retire as a Patriot like Brady and then give him an embarrassingly lowball offer?  Doesn't seem like good business to me.  Although the business world isn't a friendly place.  And the Patriots have proven that once again.

It seems as if Danny Amendola is high on their list to replace Welker.  He's a younger, cheaper, albeit more injury prone version of Welker.  I'd find it hard to believe he'll replace the production Wes gave them.  That'd be asking a lot.  They could re-sign Edelman too and before today it sounded like they were going to part ways with Brandon Lloyd.  Not sure if that changes now that Welker has left.  In a sense though, I'd have to think they knew losing Welker was a strong possibility, so if they had planned on letting Lloyd go too, I'd assume they'll stick to that plan.  I'll freely admit that Lloyd wasn't quite what I expected him to be.  But he still caught over 70 balls for over 900 yards.  Nothing to sneeze at really.  And it doesn't seem their way of doing business to go and throw money at a WR such as Greg Jennings.  Of course an offense with Gronkowski, Hernandez, Ridley, and maybe Edelman and Amendola will still be formidable.  BUT, they need to improve defensively.  I've said that for the last 7 years at least, so hopefully they're finally ready to go in that direction.  We'll see.

Edit - Looks like the Pats have signed Amendola to a 5 year 31 million dollar deal with 10 mil guaranteed.

[tim_m]

Seems like kinda a series of puzzling moves to me by the Pats.

[Sober_times]

This is apparently what happened with Welker, Amendola and the New England Patriots: http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9050742/2013-nfl-free-agency-new-england-patriots-quickly-shifted-wes-welker-danny-amendola


How Wes Welker, Patriots parted
When team sensed stalemate, it quickly moved on to Danny Amendola

By Mike Reiss | ESPNBoston.com

The stunning events that led to receiver Wes Welker signing with the Denver Broncos on Wednesday, and the New England Patriots filling the void with Danny Amendola, came down quickly behind the scenes, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The breaking point came Tuesday in the mid-afternoon before the official start of free agency, when the Patriots and Welker's representatives halted contract talks. The team's offer, a two-year, $10 million pact with incentives that could have pushed it as high as $16 million but in the eyes of Welker would be extremely difficult to reach, wasn't accepted.

At that point, Welker and his representatives intensified their pursuit of other offers, and it helped that some groundwork had previously been laid with the Broncos. Likewise, the Patriots turned their attention to Amendola, who was their top choice if things didn't work out with Welker (and in the eyes of some on the other side of the negotiating table their top choice all along).

Things came together quickly with the Patriots and Amendola on a five-year, $31 million deal with $10 million guaranteed, and at that point, there was no looking back for the team. While the Patriots would have been pleased if Welker accepted their proposal -- owner Robert Kraft said Monday that he hoped Welker would retire as a Patriot -- the possibility of losing him and Amendola was deemed too risky, so they moved close to locking in the deal with Amendola not long after free agency began Tuesday.

After almost a year of on-and-off talks, had the Patriots felt they were closer to a possible agreement with Welker, perhaps they wouldn't have pushed so hard for Amendola at that point. But it was a stalemate that the club felt showed no signs of resolving itself -- the Patriots ready to move on, and Welker slowly but not completely becoming more comfortable envisioning himself catching passes from Peyton Manning instead of Tom Brady.

This is how it often works in free agency, with timing of the essence. Patriots coach Bill Belichick regularly says that he makes decisions in the best interests of the team, and in the 27-year-old Amendola he saw a quick, sure-handed target who was five years younger than Welker and committing to a lengthy five-year term. If it couldn't be assured that Welker would be back at a contract the team was comfortable with, the Patriots were willing to move on at that point with a player whom offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had worked with in St. Louis in 2011.

Yet even after Welker received a two-year, $12 million offer from the Broncos on Wednesday, a call was made to the Patriots to see if the club would sweeten its offer. The Patriots did not have an immediate response, which led some in Welker's camp to believe a better offer was a possibility in part to keep him away from the Broncos, one of their top competitors in the AFC. Ultimately, the club informed Welker and his representatives that they had entered into another commitment, which Welker's camp assumed all along was Amendola.

So Welker called the Broncos -- who, according to a source, were initially concerned about insulting Welker with their offer because they already had made other financial commitments -- and told them he was on board. While not the offer he was hoping for at the start of free agency, it was easier for Welker to accept it from a team other than one that he'd produced at such a high level for over the past six seasons, the source said.

The initial response that Welker received from Manning, executive vice president of football operations John Elway and others in the organization has been "a great feeling" and given him greater comfort in making the move.

"Elway told him that he wants him to be himself and have fun doing it," the source said.

Welker, who agreed to the deal without visiting Broncos headquarters, is scheduled to travel to Denver on Thursday morning. He had interest from another AFC team offering two years and closer to $15 million, which was the top contract proposal Welker received in a market that didn't unfold the way he and his representatives envisioned, but he didn't pursue it because the club isn't viewed as a contender. The Broncos, who visit the Patriots in 2013, are one of the AFC's top contenders, which was important to Welker.

The turn of events was stunning when considering that the Patriots and Welker had been close on a three-year contract last summer. The gap was about $1 million at that time, according to one source, but neither side would budge.

Since that time, sources from both sides indicated that finding common ground was a challenge. On one side was the feeling that Welker's camp would only accept a three-year term at an average of $8 million per season. On the other side was a belief that the Patriots had basically made one offer and in recent weeks weren't willing to tweak the incentives to try to make them more reasonable to reach.

As for how Welker's departure has been received by quarterback Tom Brady, who last month restructured his contract in order to provide more salary cap flexibility to help the Patriots build a better team, a source who had direct contact with Brady said he is "bummed out." Welker hasn't just been Brady's go-to receiver, he's also one of his closest friends.

But Brady has been through this before, going back to 2003 when safety Lawyer Milloy, one of his closest friends on the team, stunningly was released about a week before the season opener. In 2006, Brady was stung by receiver Deion Branch being traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Brady has said in recent years that if he could make the personnel decisions, all of his friends would remain on the team.

But that's just not the way it works in New England, where Belichick has never been afraid of making an unpopular move, and his relative success in doing so -- and the franchise's consistent winning ways -- has earned him leeway with a passionate fan base that often refers to the motto "In Bill We Trust."

Yet moving away from the 31-year-old Welker, especially considering the surprisingly low financial terms, could put that to the test. Welker, whom Brady referred to as the "heart and soul" of the team in 2012, was one of the franchise's most beloved players.

So this qualifies as one of the riskier moves of Belichick's 13-year tenure, as he replaces a known commodity who was the epitome of reliable and durable with Amendola, a talented player with more long-term upside who has been limited to 12 games over the past two seasons because of injuries.

When it comes to X's and O's, part of Belichick's confidence in taking such a risk is the history of production with slot receivers in the team's offense. Before Welker, fan favorite Troy Brown also put up big numbers in the slot. It's no disrespect to Brown and Welker, two talented players, but Belichick has noted that part of the function of New England's offense sets that position up for big production.

Welker proved that, as no NFL receiver caught more passes over the past six seasons. Now he'll be catching them in Denver, a surprising turn of events that came down quickly with the door closing even as he gave the team one final chance to sweeten its offer.

By that point, the Patriots had moved on to Amendola, a decision that sent shockwaves throughout the region.



I'm upset that the Patriots couldn't go a little higher and get Welker and I am really disappointed he his no longer a Patriot. He will be difficult to replace. As Brady has said Welker is the heart and soul of the patriots. He was a great worker, leader and performer. I'm really disappointed he's no longer a patriot. More disappointed than when Lawyer Milloy was let go and that was pretty hard. I guess the only thing left to do is say good bye the simple cold way the WWE does, "I wish Wes Welker the best in all his future endeavors." But I actually mean it.