Strafford

Or the AFL should pour money and "Promotional salary cap concessions" our way for the good of the game. Not sure about extra draft picks as our player development hasn't been the best, so good established players please. Or is that too cynical of me lol

Are we that desperate?....hmmmm possibly lol

I am now counting down with big red x's on my calender until the start of the new NFL season...Man this sucks...

True enough how can you hate a team that has introduced us to the butt fumble lol I guess the Jets could surprise, but I think they have gone into rebuild mode with the trade of Revis island. With a new GM it is probably unlikely Rex gets his contract renewed. Three months...an eternity lol

A great defensive unit and good running game probably concealed the fact that Sanchez was just an average QB. Although Sanchez does seem to have grown an arm and a leg during the playoffs. Perhaps his main problem has been motivation...who knows? His confidence seems shot now, tough for a QB to come back from that. To me it looks like they had a locker room implosion, coupled with Rex not seeing eye to eye with his offensive co-ordinator in 2011. I don't think Santonio Holmes being made one of the team captains went down well. Tomlinson who continues to pot the team also doesn't seem to have coped with a reduced role after his good first seaon there in 2010. Thus I think you had a heap of guys running to the media telling tales. They probably really only had one good season and that was 2010. They backed into the 2009 playoffs after the last two teams they came up against played dead. Including my Bengals, we lost to them 0-37, but still lost to them in the playoffs as well. Thanks Marvin resting the players for the playoffs really worked lol.

Perhaps Geno and Rex can establish a bond over how unfair life is. Geno should have been a number one pick and Rex declared the Jets were superbowl bound in 2011 lol

I didn't even mention the season we had nine players either arrested and/or suspended by the NFL for off-field incidents. Or the player that was thrown off the team by the coaching staff, but was then reinstated by Mike Brown. Ah the memories...good times...not lol.The Browns have been pretty bad since they were reactivated, but with the opposite affliction that we have, they seem to fire their coaches and admin every couple of years. A few other teams have pretty bad streaks going, Bills, Raiders? I was pretty happy with our draft and really rate some of the players we took. That could be a bad thing as I'm certainly not a scout lol. I liked the Packers draft as well as I mentioned earlier, especially the running backs. Yep totally agree on the NFL scouting problems. There are a number of corrupting influences in the college cultures that ruin many of the young guys. The way the game is played at college level also doesn't help in projecting how guys will go in the NFL.

I certainly agree with and sympathise with the first part of your original post mate, but I will have to respectfully disagree with this bit. As a fan of a team unfortunately, but with just cause nicknamed the bungles, a good organisation, making good decisions is just as important in the NFL as it is in the AFL. We have gone 22 seasons without a playoff win. We went 13/12 seasons without making the playoffs. We still don't have our own indoor training facility, for years had only one scout, when the successful teams had four or five, thus our history until recently of failed draftees. We were the poster child of any anti stability argument, due to our owner Mike Brown overseeing the whole sorry period as owner/CEO and his propensity to keep coaches who obviously weren't up to it for years. There is a site out there called MikeBrownSucks.com. Half the fan base literally hate him. He is also someone who probably has the first dollar he ever made still in his wallet lol. He also has in common with a couple of posters on the main board, the idea that it was all so much better when I was a boy and modern generations are soft. Being the son of a legend seems to have stuck him in a time warp. Thus the organisations failure to move with the times until fairly recently. The new rule to force teams to pay up to a certain percentage of the cap has certainly helped, as he was one of those who just pocketed the cash rather than invest in the team, but it also seems Mike Brown has given more powers to those around him. Thus more scouts,better drafting etc etc, but for all that, we still need a playoff win, even better a sustained playoff run. I still dream of a Melbourne flag as well by the way, we just have to get the structures right, hopefully before I kick the bucket.

I agree DemonDave, Lattimore was a great get for the Niners and probably the best landing spot for him due to the reasons you mentioned. I totally agree bring on the NFL, although we are able to contemplate where all our newly drafted stars fit in until seasons start... But I have a dream...beating the Niners in a superbowl. Bloody 80s lol.

I don't know much about those two mate, but the lineman Jones could be a brilliant get. Very versatile and potential leader. Just needs a bit more time in the weight room and less in the medical room. Every time I have seen him I have been really impressed.

Haha. Love the RB combo you guys have picked up. Neither are perfect, but as a pair lookout.

Ha, yep a snake pit alright. Although the diva act on day one of the draft and the big statement after he was drafted probably indicates he will fit right in lol

I think Floyd fell due to the non ideal arm length. His tape is great. The corner should be a good replacement for Whitfield. Patterson is the really interesting guy. He has all the attributes, but is a bit raw, so patience is the word, because you don't want to ruin him. At the very least in his early career he should do well in the return game. If he realises his potential you could have a taller version of Percy on your hands Cowboy.

Ha. If only, absolutely no excuses lol

Haha. Yeah I did mean EJ for the first bit and Geno for the tatoo lol I think someone needs to do a concussion test on me, someone has obviously thumped me as the cognitive functioning is even worse than usual.

Yeah probably. Also Manuel is the best suited to the read option, or whatever you want to call it, so I guess if thats the way you are going with your offensive concepts then he was probably your man. Wonder if Rex will get another tatoo, but with EJ's number?

Seems like they need a seperate locker room just for the QB's lol

The pundits are loving the Ram's draft so far mate. There are still a few very solid backs left. Probably the most intriguing is Lattimore who has had major knee problems. If he hadn't had the knee surgeries he would probably have been a first round pick. He was an absolute beast of a back and just a brilliant kid off-field. Just loved playing against my Georgia Bulldogs...sigh. Unfortunately he seems to be the American version of Geelongs Menzel. If he ticks the medical boxes for some team he could be a steal. Fingers crossed for him.

Pretty happy with the Bengals draft so far. Eifert for reasons I ironically discussed with Cowboy on the previous page, pairing him with Rudolph, also works with us and Gresham. Eifert doesn't seem to be the greatest with yac, but man the hands. Also a much improved blocker. Giovanni Bernard, Gio. Can catch, good but not great speed, but can find the holes and make people miss. Great returner. Not the greatest blocker, but if we can work on that he could end up a three down back. Hunt the DE great athlete, but as you would expect due to his background has a lot to learn about football. Another great special teamer. I think it indicates we have accepted that we will lose one of our two talented DE's, Dunlap and MJ, at the end of next season. With Peko already and big contracts coming up for Atkins, Dunlap and MJ, we just can't afford to invest so much cap space in our defensive line. Which for us is a shame. Williams the safety. Another Georgia bulldog we have a few lol The opposite of a few of the safeties we have now who are tall athletes. Williams has great football instincts, but isn't the greatest athlete. If we could just put Williams brain in Mays body we would have a great SS. Another worry for us is that at times Georgia were really awful at stopping the run. To me that also applies to all the teams taking members of that star studded Georgia defensive unit. Our special teams co-ordinator will be very happy. As they are learning the ropes of their primary positions Gio and Hunt will be huge in special teams. With the re-signing of Smith we seem to have covered our needs. Fingers crossed that their faith in our current linebackers is justified. Rey at mlb struggled at times.

Interesting to see Allen went middle of the third. On tape both looked like first rounders. Just goes to show the impact that the combine and pro days can have. Austin flew up the boards and Allen dropped like a stone, but looks like good value if healthy. Given our interesting convo on the Vikings, I just can't undertand how I crossed my wires. Frankly it is a bit of a worry lol

Thanks mate, It was pretty idiotic of me. I think because I had been talking with Condemned for a few days about his Rams, that I thought I was still talking to him rather than Cowboy. Still doesn't explain me confusing the details of the Vikings trade or committing the unforgivable sin of confusing who divisional rivals support lol. I was just imagining if someone labeled me a Raven, Brown or Steeler....

Don't mind me senile. At least I got the right division lol. Somehow I even mucked up who condemned supported. Honestly can't explain it. Even confused what I thought the Vikings gave the Pats. Somehow I thought the Vikings gave up 2 2nds a 3rd and a 4th. Wasn't on the grog or on any illicit substances, despite seemingly evidence to the contrary. The Bengals did take Eifert though, I didn't imagine that in my twilight zone did I? I'll try again. My most surprising pick was Manuel to the Bills. Surely he wasn't that better than the other QB's to take him that high. I really can't see anyone else who would have taken him before the seond round.

Don't worry mate a number of the mild surprises turn out pretty well.

I didn't mind the move mate. Just keep him away from the nasty Seahawks secondary lol. What probably did surprise me was Macca's mob giving up so much to get Patterson. Pretty happy with the Bengals pick. Possibly because I'm biased and love the thought of two tight end sets. To me it really helps if you have a QB with questionable arm strength as we do. I may change my view on this if we don't pick up a safety, rb and right tackle with our two 2nd round and our 3rd round pick lol Scratch the tackle if we can re-sign our own big boy.

As funny as it sounds, I actually prefer playing in our division facing the Ravens and Steelers right now. The Niners and Seahawks look tough. That comment will now come back to bite me as we will now go 0-4 against them lol. Can't wait for the draft. IQ ready to go.