Big Blue Huddle

The NFL pre-draft process is overflowing with subjective analysis and opinions on prospects. The NFL Scouting Combine cuts through all of that and spits out objective numbers, which is why the combine is awesome. We now have have over 20 years of comprehensive combine data, and player workouts from the event will easily be compared to prospects in the past. Hundreds of NFL scouting department employees and media members will dot the streets in Indianapolis for football's athleticism evaluation convention.

Here are some of the storylines to follow and everything that you need to know for the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine:

https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2023-nfl-scouting-combine-primer-bryce-youngs-size-anthony-richardson-vs-will-levis-biggest-storylines/?

Who had the better year? Who had the better supporting cast?

Jackson had another season of injuries where he lost games. He had more passing TD's in those games but more Ints.

At the same price, who would you rather have as the Giants' QB?

By Category.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-every-qb-to-throw-a-pass-during-2022-nfl-season-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-headlines-list-of-82/?

"Not too long ago, Jones was viewed as a bust and turnover machine, and his fifth-year option was declined last offseason. The amount of $45 million is still eyebrow-raising even after he crushed the turnover narrative in 2022 and led the Giants to their first playoff win since 2011.

However, there's four reasons why Jones commanding $45 million per year isn't that crazy."...

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-free-agency-four-reasons-why-giants-daniel-jones-seeking-45-million-per-year-isnt-that-crazy/?

https://youtu.be/hHs7X4jsmlM

Tell me how that's going to work out?

The Giants have about $43 million in Cap Space. Signing their Draft Class will cost them $10 Million. Tagging Jones will cost them $32 Million.

They may be able to save $20 Million by cutting Golladay and reworking Leo.

They want to sign Barkley and that will be a minimum of $10 Million.

That gives them about $10 Million in realistic Cap Space to sign or replace the rest of their other Free Agents.

Please explain how they would be able to accomplish this and improve the team around Jones. Keep in mind any draft pick from 5-7 is not likely to be a starter and the 4th Round has a 50-50 chance.

"People in big-league front offices used it. Even people inside the commissioner's office seemed to drop it way more casually than you'd expect. And why is that?

Because every one of baseball's dramatic new rule changes — shift bans! ... pitch clocks! ... pickoff limits! ... larger bases that shrink the distance between first and second! — will be in effect from Day One of spring training. Not March 1. Not March 15. Not Opening Day. Not April 15. It all starts on Day One of spring training.

And what's the logic behind that? To get "the s— show" over with as early as possible. That's what I was told, and more than once. And if you think it through, that makes sense.

At some point, somewhere over the horizon, there is widespread confidence that these rules are going to transform baseball into a more watchable, more entertaining sport in many important ways. But between now and whenever that point arrives, there is going to be a period of ... OK, let's just use the word "adjustment."

Hitters ... pitchers ... umpires ... managers ... even you and your family, sitting in the upper deck ... you're all going to need to reprogram your brains once these rules enter your lives. And won't that make for an entertaining baseball experience?

So what's that going to entail? I've been asking managers, front-office personnel and baseball officials that question for the past few weeks. Now, based on their input, I'm ready to answer your most burning questions on ... the s— show that's about to bust out this spring training."

Athletic Article

https://theathletic.com/4194101/2023/02/14/mlb-rule-changes-spring-training/

If it happened to the Giants, we would all be BS over it.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid022dTJbTQiGUB4MqxJN1oMFqSugxjnGCXekAgaYotNV7w1Z763WU7rZVAXUQZsoDerl&id=100063697535975&mibextid=l066kq

https://www.si.com/nfl/giants/big-blue-plus/pff-named-this-giants-secret-superstar-2022?

Source- Giants.com

January 29: AFC and NFC Championship Games.
February 5: Pro Bowl
February 12: Super Bowl LVII, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.
February 21: Beginning this date through 4:00 p.m., New York time on March 7 clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players.
February 28 - March 6: NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
March 7: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
College Pro Days Begin. Workouts of a school's Pro Day-eligible players with players outside of the scheduled Pro Day activities are prohibited. Private dinners, meetings, interviews are permitted.
March 7 - April 19: Draft-Eligible Facility Visits Begin. Clubs permitted 30 non-local players for physical exams/visits; no on- field workouts.
March 7 - April 26: Video or telephone interviews with draft-eligible players begin. Three video or telephone interviews per player; no longer than one hour in length.
March 13-15: During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2022 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 15.
During the above two-day negotiating period, a prospective UFA who is not represented by an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor is permitted to communicate directly with a new club's front office officials (excluding the head coach and other members of the club's coaching staff) regarding contract negotiations.
No prospective unrestricted free agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 15.
March 15: The 2023 League Year and Free Agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
The first day of the 2023 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 15. Clubs will receive a Personnel Notice that will include all transactions submitted to the League office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 15.
Trading period for 2023 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2022 contracts.
March 26-29: Annual League Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona.
April 3: Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2022 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
April 17: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.
April 19: Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview or conduct a physical examination with a draft- eligible player at its club facility.
April 21: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 26: Deadline for prior club to exercise Right of First Refusal to restricted free agents.
April 27: Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls) or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location.
April 27-29: NFL Draft, Kansas City, Missouri.
May 1: Deadline for Clubs to exercise Fifth-Year Option for players selected in the first round of the 2020 Draft.
May 5-8 or May 12-15: Clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday on one of the two weekends following the Draft.
May 15: Rookie Football Development Programs begin.
May 22-24: Spring League Meeting.

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2023-free-agent-rankings-free-agency

12. RB SAQUON BARKLEY, NEW YORK GIANTS
Contract Projection: One year, $10.09 million; fully guaranteed

When healthy, there is no question Barkley is a difference-maker on the ground and through the air. That may be understating things, as he was a significant chunk of the Giants' offense in the 2022 regular season. Barkley accounted for nearly 30% of New York's total yards on offense in 2022. His usage appeared to have caught up with him at times, but that illustrates how much he did for the team in every conceivable way.

While we're a few years and injuries removed from Barkley's historic rookie campaign in 2018, during which he racked up more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and a staggering 91 receptions, Barkley will be just 26 for the 2023 season and has a very high floor wherever he ends up. His 32 explosive rushes this season tied for the fifth most among running backs, and while the upside of him breaking off a big gain is where a lot of his value lies, it's also notable that he dropped his rate of stuffed runs down to 6.8% in 2022 compared to 9.2% over his three healthy seasons when he tried to bounce too many runs outside instead of trusting his blocking.

13. QB DANIEL JONES, NEW YORK GIANTS
Contract Projection: Four years, $160 million ($40M per year); $115 million total guaranteed

The new Giants regime declined Jones' fifth-year option for 2023 last offseason, and it ultimately may have been the best thing that could have happened to him. Now entering this offseason fresh off a breakout campaign as more of a dual-threat quarterback in head coach Brian Daboll's scheme, Jones could cash in big time, especially because the Giants have a predicament on their hands with just one franchise tag at their disposal for either Jones or running back Saquon Barkley.

Jones finished the year strong before a rough finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, with his 78.8 passing grade from Week 10 (following the Giants' bye week) through the wild-card round ranking seventh among quarterbacks and his 84.0% adjusted completion percentage placing first. All of that said, Jones did not have much production downfield, but an injury-decimated wide receiver corps is partially to blame. We still have major reservations about Jones as a true franchise quarterback, but the Giants brass doesn't seem to.

Coggs- 8th
rodney27- 12th
DesG89- Desmond- 15th
DumpsterDan- Dan- 16th
UMassGrad- Carl- 19th
Gman329- 22nd
mikeDevil77- Mike- 24th
Chiller99- Sean- 25th

Happy Birthday! 

https://sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/joseph-ossais-hit-on-patrick-mahomes-goes-down-in-bengals-infamy-but-he-didnt-face-scrutiny-alone-061108543.html

Where do you see them winding up? I can see the Jets having an interest in Brady. What about Derek Carr who may not be back in Vegas? I wonder why Webb is not on this list. Jimmy G has a price tag in the same ballpark DJ may command. 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/ufa/quarterback/available/

So how many wins do you figure they can get against this schedule?

They break it down also by FA Positions.

Team   Cap Space   Effective Cap Space*
Bears   $92,033,199   $82,452,399
Falcons   $56,614,855   $51,485,457
Giants   $54,247,461   $42,843,422
Bengals   $43,919,058   $33,794,387
Texans   $40,429,053   $27,726,836
Patriots   $32,836,047   $28,618,728
Seahawks   $31,240,644   $19,349,776
Ravens   $27,217,479   $23,951,062
Raiders   $22,280,338   $11,834,618
49ers   $16,598,516   $3,550,787
Cardinals   $15,667,205   $6,102,124
Lions   $15,050,618   $3,710,141
Chiefs   $14,197,884   ($611,032)
Colts   $13,271,832   $5,714,059
Broncos   $9,406,724   $6,826,153
Commanders   $7,349,246   $3,818,441
Eagles   $4,655,666   ($825,378)
Steelers   $1,488,747   ($2,886,195)
Cowboys   ($223,002)   ($9,139,623)
Jets   ($2,593,498)   ($6,618,393)
Bills   ($8,492,236)   ($20,286,985)
Panthers   ($8,548,728)   ($14,047,960)
Jaguars   ($13,967,686)   ($23,867,736)
Rams   ($13,994,570)   ($15,745,998)
Browns   ($14,445,606)   ($16,193,171)
Dolphins   ($16,253,222)   ($22,680,176)
Packers   ($16,283,743)   ($20,170,125)
Chargers   ($19,931,524)   ($22,981,642)
Titans   ($23,348,634)   ($27,733,129)
Vikings   ($24,551,507)   ($27,033,810)
Buccaneers   ($54,643,921)   ($57,838,825)
Saints   ($58,146,996)   ($61,267,104)


https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-salary-cap-tracker-2023-offseason-free-agency-all-32-nfl-teams-ranked-cap-space?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=january_23_2023&utm_content=newsletter

Everyone knew that the Eagles were a very talented team. I didn't expect a win. I did however expect them to come and play with energy. They had none and they seemed to be playing on sand and a half second slower to react.

I'm not saying they came in with a defeatist attitude or mailed it in because that's not the makeup of this team. I'm not looking at any defining point of the game which tipped momentum or changed the course of the game.

They played as if they were spend, like a worn out racehorse or they played as though they reverted back to the team that we saw the earlier in the season dealing with injuries that killed any continuity.

Was it the short practice week and traveling a day early? The shower incident that disrupted their day? Overconfidence after crushing a weak Vikings team and then the reality of facing a good team and unable to step up to the competition?

How did the backups put up a better showing against almost the same team that had a 50% Hurts and missing their RT?

Good run and something to build off of.

https://youtu.be/QoQZ0qmf-mk

Any hope for Trevor Lawrence and the Jags?

Coach Brian Daboll, Mike Kafka and Don Wink Martindale have played a huge roll in turning around the NY Football Giants but the position coaches and staff are not nearly getting enough credit. These are the men and women working with the team and the individual Players to make them better each week to understand their assignments and the intricacies of their positions. Coach Daboll of course gets enormous credit for putting together such a fine staff. 

Let's start off with Laura Young, Director of Coaching Operations and Angela Baker, Quality Control Coach. Working behind-the-scenes in coordination and film breakdown.

Mike Groh, WR Coach really had a challenge this year with all the injuries and replacements to the starting three. He's done a nice job working with Slayton to excel at more routes than he was utilized for since he's been here. James has done an outstanding job taking over the Slot position and creating separation for yards after the catch. Groh was able to get Hodgins and Johnson up to speed quickly. The starting WR group going into the season was Shepard, Golladay, Toney and Robinson, all of which are not on the existing Roster.

Andy Bischoff developed Bellinger, Cager and Vanett in a position that looked to be the weakest among the Offense. These players have stepped up in Receiving and Blocking. Pass and Run Blocking has been a TE liability for many years.

Shea Tierney had to have had a hand in the development of Daniel Jones, taking baby steps each week to get him to where he is today. DJ has finally become a well-rounded QB who can read defensive coverages, look off a LB or Safety, move within and outside the pocket away from pressure and run only when there are no better options downfield. The emergence of Daniel Jones the last 5 games is certainly a testimonial to the player but credit is due to his support staff.

Bobby Johnson lost two rookies to injury and has had to deal with starter injuries, while developing Feliciano at Center, Gates who came back from injury with relatively little experience and a Rookie RT in Evan Neal. They have become one of the better run-blocking units in the league and have gelled to become a decent pass-blocking group.

Who did more with less than Jerome Henderson, the DB Coach. Working with Wink Martindale to adapt to different schemes of coverage among a group of Rookies and FA's. Wink was able to flip the switch from Man Coverage and Blitzing to Zone Cover-2 and Quarters Coverage overnight. 

Andre Patterson took Dexter Lawrence to an elite level of play and was so disruptive that even with Kurt Cousin's finest game of the season, the Vikings QB was unable to step up in the pocket to complete passes in critical situations.

Not last or least is Drew Wilkins. Kayvon Thibodeaux has taken nice strides to become not only an effective Pass Rusher but be alert enough to chase down ball carriers and improve in setting the edge. Jhad Ward is having a career year and Ximinez has found a role in this Defense. Also improved is Azeez OJulari in Run Defense.

 

https://www.covid.gov/tests?fbclid=IwAR32tp7sdKeF_GN6JqQMkaktJcf_y9EV1NTjm_5UUlzcR08BN1yCWDG68vE&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Attack that soft underbelly of the Giants. Covering the TE is a Giants weakness.

https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/platform/amp/2023/1/16/23557154/eagles-news-dallas-goedert-poised-damage-against-giants-fantasy-football-nfl-playoffs-preview

Putting it all together as they peak at the end of the season.

Zippiti do da! Zippiti A!

Nice team win!

2022- 9-7-1, 364-371 -6.  TBD
2016- 11-5,  310-284 +26. LOST WC
2011- 9-7,  394-400 -6.  WON SB
2008- 12-4,  427-294 +133 LOST DIV
2007- 10-6,  373-351 +22. WON SB
2006- 8-8,  355-362 -7.  LOST WC
2005- 11-5,  422-314 +108 LOST WC
2002- 10-6,  320-279 +41  LOST WC
2000- 12-4,  328-246 +82  LOST SB

Among considerations,
Competition and how they played they following year

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-playoffs-new-postseason-overtime-rules-means-its-better-to-give-than-receive/?

There has been some discussion in the Daniel Jones thread about positional spending and assumptions made on what the Giants need to do to improve their Offense. What is missing in that discussion is how teams manage their cap in terms of collective positional allocation.

There is no science as to how positional spending can be connected with the success or failure of a GM to produce a winning team or a potent Offense for that matter. It's the decisions they make on the players they sign, what they decide to pay them, and how well these players contribute to their squads and the team as a whole.

I'm attaching four screenshots of the 2022 and projected 2023 positional spending by each team. I have broken it down into 16 team segments for it to be more easily readable. The link is Spotrac's positional breakdown. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/positional/breakdown/2022/  At the bottom of each year is the average spending of all teams by position.

Take note that teams spend the least amounts of their cap on Special Teams and then the TE and RB positions are close in spending to each other and the next least positions.

The highest positional spending is on the Offensive and Defensive Lines and then the Defensive Back positions. The QB and WR positions would be next but it's worth noting that the QB position is in most cases the highest per player.

I've set the order based on the WR position. If you examine the Offense, you will find that teams with the highest positional spending on the WR position do not necessarily equate to a successful team. Take the Giants for example. In 2022 they are the 7th highest in WR spending. Golladay's salary throws that figure off as well as the need to replace injured players and players who have been cut. They are also in the mean of teams devoting cap to their Offensive Line and slightly above the average.

The Giant's Oline, Dline, and DBs will certainly command the highest % and amounts spent towards their Salary Cap.

All these percentages and numbers will change based on how individual contracts are allocated by year. For example, the AZ Cardinals are spending only $3.7 million on the QB position in 2022. 47% of their cap was spent on Offense and 34% on Defense. In 2023 the Offense jumps to 60% and just 25% on Defense. That's because their combined QB and WR percentage soar from 20% of the total to 36% of the total.

A contract for an expensive player often is escalated over the term of the contract. Initially, it will be manageable but near its end years, it becomes an obstacle.

The fallacy that successful teams spend a high amount of Cap on the WR position is exposed when looking at the success of those teams in some cases because the allocation of dollars hurt other positions. When it comes down to success over time, there is a careful balancing act between positions each season and decisions need to be made with players based on how teams are locked into other players.

If you note the Chiefs, they allocated their Money in the investment of their QB, and the WR position lost a key component in Tyreek Hill while committing to their All-Pro TE, Travis Kelce.

The Giants may be able to afford to pay an elite WR they pick up via trade or in FA for a season while the initial contract of Daniel Jones escalates but they won't be able to maintain that cap % as they need to pay elite players on the Oline, Dline and Edge Rushers and as Jones' salary peaks.

The balancing act gets re-evaluated each year but it's evaluated in consideration of the next two seasons at a minimum. As some have noted, building a team is easier on a rookie QB's salary. Still, the consideration of other key positions and how their cap hits the books by season will determine whether to pay or lose a valuable player. That decision is going to come to a head with Saquon Barkley this next year.

It's best to leave the Cap figuring to the experts who have intimate knowledge of how the direction of the team is being managed. And... the best teams pick the best players in the draft and build their teams through replenishment.   

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/new-york-giants//

Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce
Another runner in the night

A misheard song lyric is called a "mondegreen."
If you've confused "Takin' Care of Business" with "Makin' Carrot Biscuits" or "Bennie and the Jets" with "Betty in a Dress," you've been tricked by a mondegreen. As Merriam-Webster explains, this phenomenon occurs when a word or phrase "results from a mishearing of something said or sung." You can thank American writer Sylvia Wright for the term, which she coined in a 1954 Harper's essay. When Wright was a child, her mother read to her from the book Reliques of Ancient English Poetry. A favorite entry featured the line, "And laid him on the green," which Wright misheard as "And Lady Mondegreen."

A mondegreen occurs when there's a communication hiccup between the syllables you hear and the meaning your brain assigns to them. Mondegreens are especially common when you hear music but cannot see the singer's face, like when listening to the radio. (For example, when you interpret "Our Lips Are Sealed" as "Alex the Seal.") They're also more likely to happen when the singer has an accent. But although mondegreens are perhaps most famously associated with song lyrics, they can also happen when everyday words and phrases are misheard.

Occasionally, a misconstrued phrase is so common that it enters our lexicon. Such was the case with "spitting image," which originated as "spit and image" ("spit" once meant "a perfect likeness"), and "nickname," which began life as "an ekename" ("also-name").
   
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