On May 13 2014 02:41 QuanticHawk wrote: So what's the deal with Lattimore? I assume that the niners taking a rb early means he isn't 100% yet.
I saw a post from a Niners beat writer a couple months ago stating that he saw Lattimore walking around with a limp still. No one has said that Lattimore is ready to play, so I think that Hyde was probably a necessary pick in the event that Lattimore isn't ready to go. Gore is probably close to being done, if he's not done already. Hard to feature a power rushing attack without a power rusher.
On May 13 2014 02:26 red_ wrote: Sam gets picked(after numerous predictions he would go undrafted) and that's still not good enough for the media. Tons of bitching about how he fell to the late 7th and how it's obviously because the NFL is still immature and bigoted and homophobic as a whole entity, apparently even the Rams who waited til the final moment to grab him.
If he turns into a powerhouse pass rusher, great. It just isn't likely to happen, which is why many thought that he'd go undrafted. But that's all besides the point.
The fact that he's gay and openly came out creates publicity issues that no one really wants to deal with. There are lots of other marginal players that the Rams could have taken that wouldn't have carried the same baggage that Sam brings with him. And frankly, the problem isn't really whatever homophobic sentiments that may be out there. The problem is that GLBT advocacy groups are going to be shining a spotlight up the Rams' ass for the foreseeable future and simply won't be able to keep their mouths shut.
Drafting him is less of a problem than having to cut him, imo. It's harder for low picks to actually make the team. And whoever has him will take a lot of crap on the chance that they have to cut him.
St. Louis is near where he played college ball so the people there would be more accepting of him as a football player. However, they are also deep at his position. He might have been better off going undrafted and signing with a more needy team.
On May 13 2014 02:26 red_ wrote: Sam gets picked(after numerous predictions he would go undrafted) and that's still not good enough for the media. Tons of bitching about how he fell to the late 7th and how it's obviously because the NFL is still immature and bigoted and homophobic as a whole entity, apparently even the Rams who waited til the final moment to grab him.
If he turns into a powerhouse pass rusher, great. It just isn't likely to happen, which is why many thought that he'd go undrafted. But that's all besides the point.
The fact that he's gay and openly came out creates publicity issues that no one really wants to deal with. There are lots of other marginal players that the Rams could have taken that wouldn't have carried the same baggage that Sam brings with him. And frankly, the problem isn't really whatever homophobic sentiments that may be out there. The problem is that GLBT advocacy groups are going to be shining a spotlight up the Rams' ass for the foreseeable future and simply won't be able to keep their mouths shut.
I totally get that, and teams may have been 'evaluating' that aspect of drafting him much in the same way they view red flags on other borderline draft players, where it's a give and take on whether he's enough better than other players to merit the potential for bad things to happen(in Sam's case, picketing outside your facility because you cut him, or masses of reporters asking your players questions every single day about what it's like to play with a gay teammate and whatnot). Still though, before he came out, he was pegged as a 5th-6th rounder, and then he had a mediocre to shitty combine performance, this isn't even close to being entirely about his sexuality.
On May 17 2014 01:02 xDaunt wrote: So now Michael Sam is going to have a reality show. I feel bad for the Rams. This isn't going to end well.
i know very little about the CFL and the NFL. But, i look at Sam's size and speed and the fact that he was drafted in the 7th round.
This guy is perfect for the Canadian Football League and its much larger field.
Is Oprah going to be filming Michael Sam in Regina in November freezing his ass off? i doubt it. She was no where to be found when every black quarterback had to play in the CFL and the CFL had QBs that were just as good as an NFL starter. And NFL starters would come to Canada and get crushed.
interesting article, but I still don't get why NFL 'experts' insist that Joe Namath was the best player in Jets history. most important? yes, definitely. Best? absolutely not. Joe Klecko, Don Maynard, Mark Gastineau, Curtis Martin, were all much better players for the Jets.
Also, I'm not sure how Marcus Allen didn't even get mentioned...
Well, the Niners showed Kaepernick the money. Six years @ $110 million with $61 million guaranteed. We're going to find out real fast whether he's worth it. This year, Kaepernick may have the best receiving corp that he'll ever have.
On June 05 2014 05:46 xDaunt wrote: Well, the Niners showed Kaepernick the money. Six years @ $110 million with $61 million guaranteed. We're going to find out real fast whether he's worth it. This year, Kaepernick may have the best receiving corp that he'll ever have.
Too bad he's in a conference (let alone a division) with so many good teams. Seahawks, Packers, Saints, etc. I don't know if I would have paid a guy that much who doesn't progress pass the 2nd receiver anyway. (Not trying to take away from his athletic ability or escapability)
I mean he deserved to get paid, but I don't know if it was worth $110 million.
Well, I don't particularly like Kaepernick, and think his ceiling is in the 8th best QB range or so. I feel he's going to struggle with consistency in the near future, but I'm just some random Joe who has seen him play a couple of times. With all of that in mind, I actually think this isn't that bad of a deal.
Kaepernick is entering his 4th NFL season, and this 6 year deal (which, unless Spotrac is wrong, has bought out his last year of his rookie deal) will take him through his 9th season, which presumably will be his prime. Considering the recent rise in the salary cap and the increasing QB contracts we've been seeing in the past few seasons, is it possible that this deal will be a relatively cost controlled one, especially in the latter half of his deal? The Seahawks seem to be taking similar gambles with their secondary, banking that the cap will continue to climb. I think these moves are forward thinking and intelligent, is there any credence to that?
. I feel he's going to struggle with consistency in the near future,
I agree. He's shown (as I mentioned before) that if you take away his top receiver or two he's not nearly as reliable outside of his ability to run. Giving him 110 or 126 million dollars just seems like a huge roll of the dice on a guy that, in my opinion, hasn't proven much except that he can run the ball and lean on an excellent defense.
I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him struggle with consistency, and for the Niners to be kicking themselves for at least a couple of those 6 seasons.
. I feel he's going to struggle with consistency in the near future,
I agree. He's shown (as I mentioned before) that if you take away his top receiver or two he's not nearly as reliable outside of his ability to run. Giving him 110 or 126 million dollars just seems like a huge roll of the dice on a guy that, in my opinion, hasn't proven much except that he can run the ball and lean on an excellent defense.
I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him struggle with consistency, and for the Niners to be kicking themselves for at least a couple of those 6 seasons.
The reality is that someone was going to pay Kaepernick if the Niners didn't. I sure as shit don't want Blaine Gabbert as my QB.
Besides, I think Kaepernick is fairly close to being good enough now to warrant that kind of pay day given what franchise QBs are paid. He's being paid in the same ballpark as guys like Romo, Cutler, and Ryan. You can't really say that he doesn't belong in the conversation with those guys.
. I feel he's going to struggle with consistency in the near future,
I agree. He's shown (as I mentioned before) that if you take away his top receiver or two he's not nearly as reliable outside of his ability to run. Giving him 110 or 126 million dollars just seems like a huge roll of the dice on a guy that, in my opinion, hasn't proven much except that he can run the ball and lean on an excellent defense.
I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him struggle with consistency, and for the Niners to be kicking themselves for at least a couple of those 6 seasons.
The reality is that someone was going to pay Kaepernick if the Niners didn't. I sure as shit don't want Blaine Gabbert as my QB.
Besides, I think Kaepernick is fairly close to being good enough now to warrant that kind of pay day given what franchise QBs are paid. He's being paid in the same ballpark as guys like Romo, Cutler, and Ryan. You can't really say that he doesn't belong in the conversation with those guys.
To be honest, I would put him behind Romo but ahead of Cutler and Ryan. For as much flak as he gets, Romo has some pretty impressive stats, even late in the season when he seems to catch the most heat. Cutler and Ryan both seem to find ways to lose, despite having very very good teams. (Not just talented. Looking at you, Romo!)
That being said, most of those guys are overpaid for what they have done/shown. I don't agree with the idea of paying a guy more than/just as much as a Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, just because you think he "could" be great. A lot of guys "could" be something. They don't get 20 million a year for it.
Kaepernick is an OK QB. He's very athletic and a good runner, but not much of a pocket passer. He has the help of a fantastic defense, and decent O-Line. He is NOT an elite QB, and if it was me sitting in the Niner's chair, I wouldn't have taken the risk of paying him like one.
I do agree with not wanting Gabbert as the starter though. Unless you want 6-10, 8-8 back.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Aj7q2bk.gif)
