Dappa Dan

Whoa @Gorgoroth As if Rams needed more help, they get Marcus Peters!

Yeah it's still not footy, but it was a world of improvement on last night.Partly the balls changing to yellow... but mostly because the demons actually went and had a crack on some level while everyone else did training drills. Not much to see here. Bugg has started aggressively, but is still blue collar. He'll play plenty of footy this year. Tracca was the most class we saw all night. Just needs more of the pill. He is unbelievable in the contest. Jetta didn't put a foot wrong. When does he. Fritsch was ok, popped up and showed the type of player he is. Will be very much in the running for the Hannan/Harmes roles and is right now a ways off. Very Cale Morton type physically. That will need to be fixed before we see 22 games. I'd have liked to have seen more from Stretch, TBH. Wagner is Wagner. What I like is that the early-mid age guys (21-23) are owning their space now. Regardless of the effort by the opposition, guys like Harmes and ANB create opportunities from nothing when the ball's in their area. Aggressive choices that ask questions of their opponents. That's what you want to see from players who are coming up to 50 games. And I don't reckon the type of game or the lack of fight by opposition dictates their results here. They're just good habits. Skills started poor but really surprised me by the end. Easily the most skilled side of all 6 teams. Easily deserved to win it.

Yeah totally. I wonder too how much the journeyman guys are told they've had a good year based moreso on team success. There's guys like Whitworth who change an entire offense... And then, say in Eagles, there's these corners that come in... very mediocre players who are talked about as the weakness in the team all year, and play really well... and then get lit up by Brady in the superbowl in embarrassing fashion. There's a reason they don't get press... They're not great. With Eagles fans, they love Mills, Robinson and others... but they're still a weakness.

If he can get hurt in an uncontested skills drill like we're seeing in this... then he can do a one at training just as likely.

Doesn't mean much. Its been the longest off season in recent memory, and I want to see the skills of the kids. Doesn't mean I care about the result.

I like that the AFL are doing things to vary the game and bring interest into it T20 style... From what I've seen though, I wouldn't be surprised if we never saw AFLX again once this is done.

Yeah nah. The players have to care for it to be interesting. I feel like it might be good to see some skilled players do their thing once we see red and blue. But that's not really footy either, just skill. You probably see more valuable things in any regular training session. And yeah, Toumps just looked a touch slow to the punch the whole time.

Now Cheney still in the AFL. This is all very odd.

Looked good Jack. As did Dom Barry with his speed. Toumps was Toumps.

I reckon Woods would be just about the only one anyone would know of outside of Rams fans. And yeah. I reckon Dougie was Robbed. But it doesn't really look to me like an award that you can quantify. A bit like how they give the Oscar to a film and the best director oscar to someone else, which has always seemed odd. Ditto for Brady being MVP but NOT offensive player of the year. I dunno that anyone minds really, cos Gurley is awesome. But it does make these awards seem a bit odd.

Doug was only in his second season. It's a bit debatable whether the being young part should have anything at all to do with it. A bit like winning an Oscar. It's an award given to the best performance within a year, not based on your age at the time. Also, the injuries Eagles copped was a big part. I reckon the big swing vote here was Howie Roseman. They hit on nearly every pick, trade and f/a guy they brought in in the off season. A lot of credit has gone to Howie in bringing in the depth... From memory McVay worked with what he had, besides a couple of pieces like Kupp, Whitworth and Watkins. Jimmy G will be great. @Macca and i were debating over the value of a Foles' trade in the coming months... I made the comparison that if Jimmy can get a mid second rounder in trade, Foles can get more as a superbowl MVP. What's clear now, especially with the money Garroppolo got paid, is that the 49ers got a bargain. A starting guy, franchise guy for a few years at least for a second rounder only. Everything gets easier when you have a franchise QB. Just look at Eagles.

I read that actually as the idea that behind closed doors, Bill's finally seen the end of the line and has given Kraft an ultimatum. I just got beaten by Nick Foles. Gronk's talking retirement. Brady will be done soon. I want out... Kraft says no, we need you, so they meet in the middle. Keep McDaniels and I'll wrap it up in either 12 or 24 months. No more Problems behind the scenes. This is it.

Almost as important as coach is O line. It's really amazing the difference it makes. His big first year he had Peters, Kelce Mathis and others. When he dropped off, everyone was hurt. Same thing with Dak and his protection issues this year, including his blocking RB, not being there.

Yeah. When he was run out of Philly by old Chipper, the narrative was that he was a god botherer, christian boy who didn't have the arrogance and confidence to do it in the big moments. Calling that play like that on 4th down to end the half... I don't know how you ask for a play like that when your name isn't Tom Brady. Is it De Filippo (I hope not, not an Eagle anymore)? Is it Doug?... I just can't figure it. Had a huge, spirited argument with a bunch of mates in fantasy who say Foles is nowhere near a first rounder, possibly is only worth a third. So it seems @Clintosaurus isn't alone. In the end some of them agreed that in a perfect world he COULD get a first, which is probably true... but that in the end he won't get one. Interestingly, this took place BEFORE Jimmy G got his record deal. The guy won 5 meaningless games to close out a losing season. Admittedly, with no help around him. Foles did that for a whole season in his first year, and he just went bang, bang, bang in playoffs... and these guys try to tell me that saying he's worth a first rounder is "emotional." How you can say that outrageous amount of money ISN'T emotional, but confidence in a player from winning a superbowl IS... Is a bit beyond me. Interestingly... I'll take him as a backup next year, sure. But I lean towards him being traded. Move on Foles and have them soak up all his cap. Let's low ball and say we get a couple of seconds or maybe a second and a third. We can move on Blount and Smith, maybe Celek retires... and then the guys we bring in aren't scrubs from round 7. And with enough money moved out, can even find a free agent to replace someone like Smith. Maybe a LB.

Yeah. It's interesting. Where do you place him in comparison to some others around the league right now... Obviously not including guys like Brees Brady, Ben... they're nearing the end... But in terms of some other guys like Mariotta, Winston, Goff, Wentz Yet to get their first big payday. Every one of those has done more I reckon, besides maybe Winston. How will that shake out? Massive implications. Every blessed second. That's an all pro centre right there. Fantastic. How are you feeling as a Rams fan? I have been a bit distracted over the last weeks, but Coach, offensive AND Defensive player of the year. And almost every special teamer in the all pro was a Ram.

Yeah biggest ever. Sort of makes sense. They had the cap space, they couldn't franchise him cos it wouldn't show they were 100% invested. They can fiddle with the contract too and back end it. He's young. Doesn't lose. Why not.

Gotcha.

So you're saying he'll force a trade ASAP?

Totally. The longer it goes the more likely they talk to his management and let him know he can walk at the end of the season, name his price, and find himself an ongoing starter job he wants to stay in. Even if a starter at another team does a knee, unless it's one of the Brees/Rothlisberger/Rivers type dinosaurs, it won't make sense to Foles just to go to another club to backup for a handful of games and then be back where he started 12 months ago. One last factor... Eagles have one of the worst cap situations going round. They're 9 mil over for next year, so have to lose a bunch of guys. Foles could be considered a guy you cut, but he only saves a couple of million. If they want that money, then trade is the only option.

Just had a knock down debate with a mate of mine about this. We settled roughly where Macca and I did in the last few days. The simple fact is, if Bradford can get a first rounder, Foles can get way more. As discussed it's all about market value and teams driving players' prices up. There's about 6 first round QBs... maybe 4 if you don't think too much of the last two... and there's about 6 QB starved teams. Players are already slotting into vacant spots. Bortles has been announced as the starter for next year. So in the current market? Yeah. He won't get traded, but not because he's only worth a 2nd or 3rd. It's precisely because he's worth more. Both as early season starter and backup to a busted up Wentz AND because... if Bradford can get a first rounder. Foles can get a first rounder. Or, say, a trade up from 32 to 15 for Arizona, or whatever. But it's likely going to be theoretical all this, until someone does a knee early next season. I feel like that's the only two things that could happen. Either he's traded somewhere in the first 8 weeks when they have a better idea on Wentz and his health, along with Sudfeld's work... Or they let him choose his club as a free agent and keep him on the list since they would feel they're threatening next year. And the journeyman QB stuff just doesn't hold up anymore. It's now known Fisher was a disgrace of a QB coach. Foles first season starting he had a 119 passer rating. He broke a slew of records and didn't throw a pick... except one that wasn't his fault....throughout a superbowl winning run, where he beat Brady in a 500 yard game he dominated. It's all facts and decorations. Superbowl MVPs. The knocks on Foles are fading into the background. He's already achieved more than some of the big time serious names will ever achieve. I'm no massive fan of his... If you were to compare him to, say, Wilson in a trade offered tomorrow... Wilson would get THREE first rounders. So I don't think it's much to ask. And as I say... Bradford got a first rounder. Garroppolo got what could have been pick 33 or 34 in a mid season trade where he was gonna walk ANYWAY. And he had, at the time, won exactly 4 games. Foles has what Garroppolo MIGHT NEVER GET. But yeah. I feel like we may never know. I'll be interested to see the so called journalists sensationalise the trade offers tho. Mid season trade deadline comes, Foles stays, and then watch the trade offer articles flow in. Gonna be fireworks.

Wouldn't work in AFL I don't think. There's masses of umpires and video review going on in the NFL. It's a smaller ground and they have "plays"... it's not continuous. Putting it in use only for the most heinous things is also mostly a useless gesture. The Bugg thing for example, what difference would it make really... It's not like people miss these things. The Hogan one? Pretty bad too, but way behind the play and missed by everyone except the nearby fans and some dodgy camerawork. There are literally dozens of things the AFL could bring in, and are bringing in, before this one.

Pretty pathetic. I'm sure there'll be a statement or something saying he got lost in the crowd/was too devastated... bs...

Yeah. I love that he's this oddity now. He could go on to have a glittering career. And will always be loved by Philly fans. Weird.

Yeah. Also, as with the Garcia comparison... 6 months ago... hell, 6 weeks ago he was viewed as a backup and not worth anything at all in a trade. Trading partners will raise that fact as a way to drive the price down a tad.

Is it completely unprecedented? There have been backups do things like this in the past. I remember Eagles had a guy who backed up McNabb, Garcia, who got them to the playoffs and a Wild Card win. After the season was over, the Eagles just let him walk. He started at whatever club he went to, from memory, for a couple of years. So that sort of thing could happen again. But yeah, I guess superbowl MVPs.... whole different kettle of fish. I find this stuff super exciting... I actually find the AFL system a bit of a let down. We have first rounders everyone loves considering. Then second rounders people start yawning. Then after that no-one really cares until their club picks, and even then nobody knows who these kids are. NFL is great though. You can see picks being used up to 3 years after you see a player traded, making the implications reach potentially years into the future and past. Yet another thing they get right for the fans.