2022 NFL Draft Thread

[Doomsday]

Too bad he didn’t sign with a division rival. He coulda finally helped to win us a game or two

Did we know about his back surgery? We the fans I mean.

 

[Scot]

Yes

That’s why he sat out the preseason and didn’t kick until game 1

Where he missed 3 kicks

And cost us the game

Against the Super Bowl champs

Which was only the first time

And wouldn’t be the last time

He would cost us a game

 

[Doomsday]

Yes

That’s why he sat out the preseason and didn’t kick until game 1

Where he missed 3 kicks

And cost us the game

Against the Super Bowl champs

Which was only the first time

And wouldn’t be the last time

He would cost us a game

Relying on a gimp kicker cost the games. That ain't the kicker, it's the fatass slob HC.

You think Jimmy or either Bill would ignore this issue? No fucken way.

 

[Scot]

Relying on a gimp kicker cost the games. That ain't the kicker, it's the fatass slob HC.

You think Jimmy or either Bill would ignore this issue? No fucken way.

Relying on a kicker to win a game has happened multiple times by multiple teams every week of the NFL season for decades

It’s part of the game! Many Super Bowls have been won or lost by kickers.

 

[dbair1967]

 

[Doomsday]

Relying on a kicker to win a game has happened multiple times by multiple teams every week of the NFL season for decades

I guess you missed what I said.

Coach knows about the back surgery.
Knows kicker had it. Sees flaky kicker in practice.
Still relies on same kicker over and over. Even after misses.
The known gimp kicker.

You think this happens with Jimmy or any of the three great Bills? No fucken way.

It's the fatass slob HC. Not the injured kicker.

 

[Scot]

I guess you missed what I said.

Coach knows about the back surgery.
Knows kicker had it. Sees flaky kicker in practice.
Still relies on same kicker over and over. Even after misses.
The known gimp kicker.

You think this happens with Jimmy or any of the three great Bills? No fucken way.

It's the fatass slob HC. Not the injured kicker.

The situation was actually worse than that

He didn’t even start to practice until the very end of preseason

He was given the job without having to earn it. So it’s not like he was performing shitty and they still elected to go with him.

He was given the job regardless of anything and everything else. He never had to perform or even attempt to earn the job.

And yes, that is 1000% percent on the coaches and front office.

It’s a fucking kicker, those winey little bitches get all up in their feeling and lose confidence for any and every reason. I get they didn’t want to hurt his feeeewings by making him actually compete for the job. Wouldn’t want him to get butt hurt and throw off his confidence

 

[Dodger12]

Dodger, I don't like your tone here.

I've already had to remind you about how many fistfights I have been in. Do you need me to also give you the details about how I single handedly took down a horde of Jihadi's as well? Or that time I challenged Putin to a judo match and he hung his head in shame and refused to respond?

After seeing what happened last night on the Oscars, I'd hope that you'd walk this one back a bit. I expected more from the Covid Czar.

P.S. I'm not gonna lie, I don't think I could have taken the punch/slap as well as Chris Rock. I like that dude even more now.....

 

[Dodger12]

I guess you missed what I said.

Coach knows about the back surgery.
Knows kicker had it. Sees flaky kicker in practice.
Still relies on same kicker over and over. Even after misses.
The known gimp kicker.

You think this happens with Jimmy or any of the three great Bills? No fucken way.

It's the fatass slob HC. Not the injured kicker.

I don't disagree with this. My only caveat is that we don't know how Jerry/Stephen influence those decisions. These dolts could just as well have said we're paying him "x" amount and we're not cutting him leaving both the coach and team in a bind.

 

[Scot]

I don't disagree with this. My only caveat is that we don't know how Jerry/Stephen influence those decisions. These dolts could just as well have said we're paying him "x" amount and we're not cutting him leaving both the coach and team in a bind.

He’s a kicker

They don’t get paid shit

We just resigned Anger and made him the third highest paid punter in the league at $3M a year. I thought that sounded crazy until I heard the salary numbers. We are only paying him $1M more than the lowest paid kicker in the league.

So who cares. That amount falls out of Jerry’s pocket into the couch cushions all the time.

The money probably doesn’t influence anything at that low levels.

 

[Dodger12]

He’s a kicker

They don’t get paid shit

We just resigned Anger and made him the third highest paid punter in the league at $3M a year. I thought that sounded crazy until I heard the salary numbers. We are only paying him $1M more than the lowest paid kicker in the league.

So who cares. That amount falls out of Jerry’s pocket into the couch cushions all the time.

The money probably doesn’t influence anything at that low levels.

You obviously don't understand how Jerry's mind works. The Cowboys signed Zuerlein to a 3 year, 7.5 million dollar deal in 2020. So Jerry and company cut him in 2021? If we've learned anything after all these years, it's the the HC has very little sway over the game day roster.

 

[dbair1967]

The situation was actually worse than that

He didn’t even start to practice until the very end of preseason

He was given the job without having to earn it. So it’s not like he was performing shitty and they still elected to go with him.

He was given the job regardless of anything and everything else. He never had to perform or even attempt to earn the job.

And yes, that is 1000% percent on the coaches and front office.

It’s a fucking kicker, those winey little bitches get all up in their feeling and lose confidence for any and every reason. I get they didn’t want to hurt his feeeewings by making him actually compete for the job. Wouldn’t want him to get butt hurt and throw off his confidence

Once they saw he was struggling they should have done something about it.

But almost no team makes a veteran kicker "earn it" year in and year out UNTIL they start having problems. Zuerlien obviously had a lot of skins on the wall with the ST coach and I am sure he was saying everything was fine physically (obviously it wasnt)

 

[dbair1967]

Apparently they tried to get Zuerlien to stay but at a considerably less salary.

If true, pretty stupid, I don't care what the new salary was. Being a bargain and losing games because of it is still losing games. If they told him he was going to get a pay-cut AND have to compete for his spot that might be why he left.

 

[dbair1967]

2022 NFL Draft: 'Trust The Tape' prospects who shouldn't be overlooked despite lacking elite athletic traits​

These prospects don't possess elite measurables or freaky athleticism, but have the polished games to eventually be stars​

[IMG alt=" Chris Trapasso
"]https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2017/08/31/f80fbac6-4bb6-41a7-b401-7494ba9af1ec/thumbnail/80x80/0985ffa4b8d50d7ecd14d953872b3ade/chris-trapasso-500.png[/IMG]

By Chris Trapasso

4 hrs ago6 min read

getty images
The ideal NFL draft prospect had tremendous production in college and boasts jaw-dropping athletic traits. Of course, many don't check both boxes. But sometimes you have to trust a prospect's physical capabilities even if he's not a great football player yet.
This is the second in a two-part series that will examine a pair of unique subsets of every draft class. You can check out the first, my #TrustTheTraits prospects, here. Now we're heading to the other end of the spectrum with #TrustTheTape prospects, NFL hopefuls who don't have requisite physical traits or maybe didn't crush their combine/pro day workouts yet I still really like and believe in as prospects. They can be good at the NFL level, I'm telling you!
These are my 'Trust The Tape' prospects in the 2022 class.

Drake London, WR, LSU​

London won't run for scouts and GMs until April 5, essentially making himself the last pro day workout of the 2022 circuit. So we don't technically know how athletic London is in a timed and measured setting just yet. But I won't be surprised if he runs closer to 4.60 than 4.40 and if he's not a 41-inch vertical, 11-foot broad jump type.
On the field he's fast and wins down the field like someone ready to compete in the NBA's dunk contest on All-Star Weekend. No wideout had more contested-catch wins in football than London in 2021, and he only played in eight games. Importantly too, he's bendy enough to get open with decent regularity. Maybe most importantly of all, given the shift in today's NFL game, London is an absolute menace after the catch, a runaway train in the open field. He forced 22 missed tackles on 88 receptions last season with a dizzying array of power and deceptive elusiveness.


I don't care if London runs 4.61 with a 36-inch vertical and a broad jump barely over 10 feet. He's an incredibly well-rounded and intimidating receiver prospect.

Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia​

We won't ever know how fast Dean is on a stopwatch, because he didn't work out at the combine or the super-hyped Georgia Pro Day. And there's been some rumblings of him going later in Round 1 because he's not intimidatingly big. I do not care about Dean not working out or him being 5-foot-11 and 229 pounds. In fact, I want my linebacker smaller in today's NFL.
Dean should be the first linebacker off the board in late April. He's a smooth, impactful coverage defender, blitzes like he's 6-3/250 and plays faster than he should because of how quickly he diagnoses play designs. His game is reminiscent of another Georgia linebacker, Roquan Smith, who was just under 6-1 and 236 pounds at the 2018 combine and has become one of the best coverage linebackers in football. Draft Dean in Round 1 and prosper.

Marquis Hayes, IOL, Oklahoma​

Hayes' workout web on Mockdraftable web won't excite you -- a vertical in the 7th percentile, and a 40-yard dash in the 49th percentile among interior offensive linemen. And on film, he can't be misinterpreted for a lateral speed, zone-blocking specialist. But all dude does is block everything in front of him, especially on pass plays. You can have your highlight reel pancake blocks on run plays, I'll take the boring guard who rocks in pass protection.
I'm cheating a little here including Hayes because there is one distinct trait that acts as a trump card for him on the field -- his length. Hayes' wingspan is in the 98th percentile at his position. Watch game film of Hayes and you'll see how well he uses those never-ending limbs. No one gets into his frame. Hayes controls everyone at what feels like an acceptable social distance. He never gets driven backward into the quarterback either. He won't need to get significantly stronger once he's playing on Sundays, as opposed to what is the case for the vast majority of youthful offensive linemen.

Zonovan Knight, RB, NC State​

Knight is the most underrated back in this class. Point blank, period. As an underclassmen who, of course, wasn't involved in any of the postseason all-star contests and ran 4.58 at the combine, there's essentially no buzz for him with a month to go until the draft.

On film, he's a bouncy, naturally elusiveness grinder. At 5-11 and 209 pounds, he's plenty big enough to handle the between-the-tackles punishment at the NFL level. I saw Knight make something out of nothing more so than any other back in the class. Jump cuts are there, power through contact, vision, quick cuts through a crease, speed to turn the corner, Knight is incredibly talented.
He's fresh with only 419 career carries at North Carolina State and only turns 21 the second week of April. Knight has so much upside and is likely to be available well into Day 3.

Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State​

Ruckert was on his way to elevating his stock at the Senior Bowl due to strong showings early in the practice week, but a foot injury halted his possible ascension. The injury kept from participating at the combine or at the Ohio State Pro Day. I was sad.

Why? Because Ruckert graded as my No. 1 tight end based on his film. High-volume pass catcher? Hardly. But how could he have been with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and future first-rounder Jaxson Smith-Njigba at receiver?
No tight end possesses Ruckert's blend of blocking prowess, suddenness as a route runner, ball skills down the seam and YAC abilities. Ruckert has all the makings of being a much better, more productive professional than he was at Ohio State.

Cordale Flott, CB, LSU​

Flott is hovering at a nice cruising altitude under the radar as we head into April. At just under 6-1 and 175 pounds, the former LSU defensive back doesn't have a body normally found on the field on Sundays in the fall. Flott intercepted one pass and defended seven others over the past two seasons for the Tigers. Far from crazy production.

On film, Flott's stop-and-start skills pop. He covers like a blanket, not an easy feat in the slot. Skinny, with short arms and minimal collegiate production. I just adored the way Flott moved on the field and how consistently he played in coverage.

Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M​

Relative to an illustrious three-year career, in the SEC, for a marquee program, Spiller's hype is hardly registering. Seems crazy to me. He ran 4.63 at the mysteriously slow Texas A&M pro day -- almost all the Aggies were clocked like they were running in molasses.
The film demonstrated to me that Spiller is a upper-echelon running back talent. Contact balance, vision, lateral cuts, sharp breaks on zone plays, tremendous receiving ability, it's all there. Now, Spiller isn't a home-run hitter, and that's fine. The vast majority of running backs aren't at the NFL level.

Spiller can shoulder a full workload and flourish on inside runs, outside carries, and as a slot mismatch against linebackers or safeties. If Spiller doesn't go off the board until the third round, my word, he'll be a steal.

Lecitus Smith, IOL, Virginia Tech​

Smith's been the draft radar since the good old pre-pandemic days. He appeared in 44 games for the Hokies. And his film is so bland. Which is what you want at the guard spot. Methodical execution of his assignment over and over and over. Does Smith's athleticism shine? Not really.
His 40-yard dash time was in the 72nd percentile among interior offensive linemen at the combine the past 21 years. The rest of his workout was all below the 50th percentile. In terms of balance, Smith's always on his feet, and beyond playing with a "soft edge" at times, meaning interior rushers can work through his outside shoulder on occasion, it's legitimately difficult to find a clear flaw to Smith's game, even in pass protection.

 

[icup]

i saw a quote from jerry, not sure if it was on the radio or what, but jerry said that DAL is drafting OL in the 1st round unless lamb or parsons are there

im deducing that to they have a targeted position of need, but they will go BPA if its too good to pass up

i suppose that works, and there probably is a good deal of leg work behind the decision to focus on OL. youd have to figure they're doing a lot of homework on those late round guys like zion, lindenbaum, green, etc. if jordan davis or a LB or EDGE drops then why not pull the trigger

 

[dbair1967]

 

[dbair1967]

i saw a quote from jerry, not sure if it was on the radio or what, but jerry said that DAL is drafting OL in the 1st round unless lamb or parsons are there

im deducing that to they have a targeted position of need, but they will go BPA if its too good to pass up

i suppose that works, and there probably is a good deal of leg work behind the decision to focus on OL. youd have to figure they're doing a lot of homework on those late round guys like zion, lindenbaum, green, etc. if jordan davis or a LB or EDGE drops then why not pull the trigger

That's pretty much what he is saying. They are going to address OL unless a much higher ranked player that they just cant pass on falls in their lap.

And OL definitely DOES need addressing and upgrading. San Francisco game should be fresh on everyone's minds, and they totally dismantled our OL up front. And that wasn't the only game, but just a headliner.

 

[yimyammer]

P.S. I'm not gonna lie, I don't think I could have taken the punch/slap as well as Chris Rock. I like that dude even more now.....

me neither, thats one reason why part of me still wonders if it was fake, he rolled with it so well, impressive

 

[dbair1967]

 

[Dodger12]

me neither, thats one reason why part of me still wonders if it was fake, he rolled with it so well, impressive

That was my initial thought as well but after watching it a few times and hearing/seeing the unedited version, I don't think they faked it.

In any event, Will Smith is a punk and his kids response on Twitter are punks too. This dolt and his wife have an "open" relationship and let the whole world know and somehow he's overly offended about this joke?