NFL Off-season and crimewave update thread

Has a horrible attitude apparently, was with the Bengals last off-season but I think he was thrown overboard in the first round of cuts. Having someone who’s going to piss and moan through another losing season could be worse than the talent he brings to the table, even though he is literally the ideal player for Hue Jackson’s offense.

kenako · 2017-03-01T20:19:51.235Z

They definitely won’t be the only team, but this is pretty disappointing, especially from an organisation who seem to say the right things at times

twitter.com

Chris Burke (ChrisBurkeNFL)

Lions GM Bob Quinn's full comment on Joe Mixon not being invited to the combine: https://t.co/Fd94stkKAc

3:09 PM - 1 Mar 2017

Steved · 2017-03-01T20:40:01.738Z

Takes a certain sort of bellend to watch that video and think “well, there are probably two sides to this altercation”.

Some properly classless team is going to take him in the 2nd round and he’ll probably get around 1500 yards from scrimmage. Pundits will marvel at what a bargain he was without ever acknowledging why.

Aggpass · 2017-03-01T20:49:54.398Z

^this
he’ll then give her a massive out of court settlement or lawyer and smear her into silence and it will never be mentioned again

Steved · 2017-03-02T18:21:34.268Z

CRIME UPDATE!!

First Raven arrested, Matt Elam banged up in Florida (why is it always Florida?) for a whole load of serious drug charges. Sounds like the team will cut bait, he hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype and he’s at the end of his rookie deal.

kenako · 2017-03-08T14:17:17.797Z

Free Agency nearly upon us - I really enjoy FA, fun watching some teams lose their head and finance away the next 2 years of flexibility, seeing some teams make canny moves, and hopefully seeing your team address a couple of needs - not necessarily solving them, but at least improving them to give you more flexibility in the draft.

hip_young_gunslinger · 2017-03-08T14:48:00.114Z

I’m really disappointed in Quinn and the Lions becoming the spokespeople for Mixon’s second chance, especially after what Quinn has previously said (even when he’s said one thing and done another before).

In general, I do think that things like criminal behaviour should be dealt with by courts and not by corporation like the NFL, and I also believe it’s right that criminals who are repentant and rehabilitated are able to have a second chance… but seriously, fuck Joe Mixon.

hip_young_gunslinger · 2017-03-08T14:54:55.135Z

In other news, Brandon Marshall has signed a two-year deal with the Giants. Seems like a good pick up, Giants will be pretty tasty if Eli has an up year (and they get a running back). Apparently Marshall holds the current record for most games played without a playoff appearance, which is mad.

The_Excession · 2017-03-08T15:28:04.665Z

Absolutely this, for all your second para. I go backwards and forwards on the issue of criminals getting to play in the NFL (and the wider professional sporting world). It’s like, do I believe in the process of paying your dues and moving on, or should people be punished forever? Should the NFL act as judge and jury by not allowing them to play? The answer to all that is… maybe. I know I sure as hell don’t want to actually watch them play, but I don’t necessarily think it’s right that they might not be allowed to.

I think my position can be summarised as: I feel they ought to have the opportunity to play, but I’d prefer they didn’t actually play, and for teams to just… not draft them on moral grounds without the need for banning them.

Funnily enough, I reckon this is pretty close to the NFL’s policy too, and it works about as well as you’d expect. I can see it’s doomed just typing it out.

hip_young_gunslinger · 2017-03-08T15:45:06.937Z

It complicated isn’t it? One of things I struggle with is saying “Well they shouldn’t be allowed to play football because they’ll make millions and be role models for kids”. But what should they be allowed to do then, regardless of the fact that football is their only marketable skill? Are we saying it’s okay for rapists / abusers to be lorry drivers - that’s a suitable social caste for them to end up in? As soon as say they shouldn’t be allowed in a particular job, I don’t know how you argue they should be allowed any job - and yet cutting them out of society entirely is obviously not the answer. It’s easy to say “I don’t want my team to employ him”, but that extrapolates out indefinitely. If you’re comfortable with one place rejecting him, you’re comfortable with everyone rejecting him, and then where do we end up?

The_Excession · 2017-03-08T16:04:37.453Z

It is complicated, and the “appropriate job” thing definitely ends up being in play. But for every person who sees it as complicated there’s plenty of others who are more than happy to set aside any moral issues and go “yeah, but he’s fucking fast, innit” and draft him in the second round. The the ones who take a stand get punished, and the less morally well-adjusted do better.

And to be honest, I don’t even really blame them that much. If your job is so results-dependent, there’s not going to be much consolation when say Mixon, for example, blows you away in a divisional game, meaning you miss the playoffs, meaning you get fired, and all you can say to yourself is “well we could have drafted him but he’s a bad person, so I feel better”.

We get a tiny fraction of that in fantasy. I know if it’s good value I will draft, say, Tyreek Hill, and I’ll feel a bit bad watching him, but if I win, great! Can I reasonably expect much better from those with way, WAY more at stake? (Obviously what I do in fantasy has literally no effect on anything or anyone concerned with the players, it’s just an interesting* comparison).

*debatable.

kenako · 2017-03-08T16:25:37.327Z

Contrition is a huge factor for me - hence why I have a particular loathing towards Big Ben and Jameis. If someone does something horrendous, and shows no regret or willingness to admit fault and try to change, then freeze them out until they can. The fact that these guys don’t even show lip service is disgusting to me.