4_9_E_R_S!!!!! ESPN Refugee BS Thread

[Bemular]

It was called back for holding, but I don't think he was inbounds anyways, nonetheless a spectacular play.

Oh definitely an awesome catch. I was asking about the ruling because it does look like his foot was oob.

 

[BINGO]

Top 200 players on the rise
Best yet to come from Stafford, Newton, Miller and more
Originally Published: August 23, 2012
By Matt Williamson | ESPN Insider

Going up: Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton and Von Miller should get even better in 2012.

As comprehensive as our evaluations are for the Top 200 player rankings we submitted with the 2012 NFL Big Book, the one thing they lack is a context of motion. Simply put: Who are the players on the upswing of their talent curve and whose careers are tapering off?

The following are the players I think will improve during the 2012 season and will see their Top 200 and position rankings appreciate this time next year. We'll take a look at the downside for Friday. But first, let's look at some players with promising futures, starting with a talented pair of signal-callers.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
Stafford and Newton are next in line to join the highest tier of NFL quarterbacks. Stafford might not attempt 663 passes again as he did in 2011, but he doesn't turn 25 until February and already has 29 NFL games under his belt, despite appearing in only three in 2010. The Lions have equipped Stafford with a bevy of receiving options and this year finally began to address their offensive line. The arrow points up in Detroit.

There isn't a physical comparison at the quarterback position to Newton. While he cooled off dramatically during the second half of his rookie season, what he accomplished as a runner and especially as a passer was truly remarkable. At this time next year, with some further development, Stafford and Newton will be on the threshold of elite QB status, knocking on the door. Loudly.

Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers
Talent and opportunity: Mathews has both commodities in spades. I will concede that Mathews is hard to trust, but I love his ability, and there is no one resembling competition on the San Diego roster to cut into Mathews' playing time. Not only that, but Mathews now is an accomplished receiver, and Norv Turner has a great history of feeding his stud running back. I don't love San Diego's offensive line, but Turner sure can scheme up offense. Injury setbacks aside, I think Mathews is in store for a monster season. One more note: Although he is a rookie and not eligible for our Top 200, expect Cleveland Browns RB Trent Richardson to be ranked very high this time next year as well.

A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Green will soon rival Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson as the best wide receiver in the NFL. He has it all, including remarkable height and length, and great long speed. But what might set him apart is his ridiculous body control and ability to contort himself to grab the football with his big, soft hands. Cincy QB Andy Dalton might not have the best deep arm in the NFL to truly use Green's gifts, but the Bengals still are sure to feed their stud wideout over and over in 2012. Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones also fits this mold as a second-year wide receiver on the rise, but I think he is a slightly lesser prospect than Green. Green is special -- and I rarely use that word.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Maclin will have a monstrous season. If you are into fantasy football, make sure you get him on your team. Yeah, I am worried about Michael Vick's durability, but I am also really excited to see what Vick can do with an entire offseason of preparation with head coach Andy Reid. And while DeSean Jackson is an explosive deep threat who can change a game at any time, Maclin is the more complete receiver who can attack a defense at all levels -- and now he's healthy and ready for the definition of a giant breakout season in 2012.

Maurkice Pouncey, C, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Iupati, OG, San Francisco 49ers
This is the next generation of great interior offensive linemen. Pouncey has a strong cast around him on Pittsburgh's line, but he is the best player of the bunch with a great combination of quickness off the ball, hand usage, leverage and movement skills. He just needs to stay healthy.

Iupati was more of a work-in-progress than Pouncey was entering the league in the 2010 draft from a technique standpoint, especially his hand usage. But Iupati is massive -- and he plays big with great power and aggression. Iupati is about to come into his own and become a perennial Pro Bowl guard.

Luc Leclerc/US PRESSWIRE
Marcell Dareus should shine in 2012.

Marcell Dareus, DT, Buffalo Bills
J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Although Dareus and Watt have a lot of position flexibility and do everything well, these second-year defensive linemen are perfect fits for the respective schemes their teams employ. Moving to a pure 4-3 should help Dareus as much as any Bills defender. Lining him up next to the persistent and tenacious Kyle Williams at defensive tackle should allow Dareus to attack gaps with his initial quickness, great leverage and power.

Watt should compete with Calais Campbell and Justin Smith to hold the honor as the NFL's best 3-4 defensive end in the near future. Watt has fantastic athletic ability for someone of his dimensions, and he has the great competitiveness to get the most from his gifts in Wade Phillips' attacking version of the 3-4.


Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
Miller is my preseason selection for 2012 Defensive Player of the Year. The 2011 draft was loaded with great talent, and many of those players are on my Risers List, but Miller is my favorite, along with A.J. Green. Even as a rookie, Miller had no discernible weakness, with the ability to play the run in front of him or as a pursuit player. He also was a dynamic edge pass-rusher. Miller's coverage skills also were not a liability, and that is an area in which he is sure to improve. And with Peyton Manning in Denver, Miller should get many more opportunities to do what he does best -- terrorize opposing quarterbacks. San Francisco's Aldon Smith also should be considered in the same vein as Miller, but I prefer Miller's all-around game to Smith's.

Daryl Washington, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Sean Lee, LB, Dallas Cowboys
Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Falcons
These three are big-time playmakers and very much on the rise as all-around linebackers. In today's NFL, it might be more important to be excellent in coverage on the second level against talented tight ends and running backs than it is to be able to come downhill in the running game, defeat a guard's block and make a play in the backfield. This group epitomizes what the league has gone to at this position -- but they aren't slouches against the run, either.

There is a wealth of young second-level defenders in the NFL right now. Don't overlook the Niners' NaVorro Bowman, the Rams' James Laurinaitis and the Steelers' Lawrence Timmons -- all of whom could similarly skyrocket up our list.


Earl Thomas, S, Seattle Seahawks
Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs
It won't be long before Thomas and Berry are talked about like elder statesmen safeties Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu -- revered as the best safeties in football in recent years. Thomas somewhat quietly leads what might be the best defensive backfield in the NFL. Not only is he fantastic as a deep center fielder, Thomas is an explosive downhill player who can deliver a huge hit. Berry couldn't hone his craft in 2011 because of a knee injury, but all indications are that he is back to full health. Berry can do it all -- and do it all very well -- including handling the deep middle, the deep half field, play man coverage against a slot receiver, blitz the quarterback or spend a lot of time near the line of scrimmage tangling with offensive players much bigger than he is.

Patrick Peterson, CB, Cardinals
Peterson is a great return man, but I am putting him on this Risers list due to his prowess as a shutdown cover man. Peterson improved dramatically as his rookie season went along, and the Cardinals put more and more responsibility on his plate, often matching him on an island against the opponent's best wide receiver. Peterson was up to that challenge, but the best is yet to come for one of the most naturally gifted players at any position in the NFL.

 

[MHSL82]

[YOUTUBE]_I-MdkXMw1s[/YOUTUBE]

 

[MHSL82]

Didn't know where to put this, so here it is. Here are the tweets Harbaugh used to do two years ago before he thought it was a fad:

More than a fad: The tweets of Jim Harbaugh | The Big Event | an SFGate.com blog

 

[MHSL82]

I must say I love having this board over other boards. The Niner.com board is stuck in an argument over the botched snap and who's fault it was... I know it's preseason and there's little to talk about, but c'mon! Talk about who was cut or something. I don't even want to see what the ESPN board is talking about. I already know and don't care to visit.

 

[NinerSickness]

I don't even want to see what the ESPN board is talking about. I already know and don't care to visit.

I haven't checked the BSPN forum since about a week after I joined the Hoop. That board is dead to me.

 

[mem49er]

I haven't checked the BSPN forum since about a week after I joined the Hoop. That board is dead to me.

This.

 

[NinerSickness]

This was a good reminder to delete the old forum from my favourites. Had that link up there for like 12 years.

 

[MHSL82]

Not really BS, but not football related. I liked it.

[YOUTUBE]L2AP5G-SwLo[/YOUTUBE]

 

[MHSL82]

Pretty cool if you know how the images are taken from a single 2D photograph, where a lot of what is there in the animation is not there in the picture. Works now at Dreamworks Animation. I have seen rip offs where they do the reverse, they take a character (cookie-cutter) and place it over a background (where they have the background image already) - or where they take two photos and merge them (copy and paste the background to missing places). The way it's done here must take a long time to complete and render.

 

[MHSL82]

Samsung Pays Apple $1 Billion Sending 30 Trucks Full of 5 Cents Coins - Paperblog

Mathematically, it is obviously a hoax, but would be funny if it were true. The cost of all the trucks, the time it would take to get all the nickels, etc. wouldn't make it worth it. It would take 634 years for one person to count that much (one per second).

 

[MHSL82]

Nowhere else to put it without dredging up an old post or starting a meaningless new one.

NFL Videos: Football Freakonomics: Good stats gone bad

 

[MHSL82]

Not posting this for the political content. Doesn't the anchor look like he's from Saturday Night Live? I was waiting for this to be a Comedy Central spoof. Someone's got to know who I'm talking about (not Ed Helms). He looks too comical to be a serious anchor.

Did Clint Eastwood's Speech Overshadow Mitt Romney? | Video - ABC News

 

[NinerSickness]

Did Clint Eastwood's Speech Overshadow Mitt Romney? | Video - ABC News

Speaking of Clint Eastwood, his retort in this scene (4starting at 4:27) has to be one of the all time greats.

 

[MHSL82]

 

[MHSL82]

NFL.com| Footballogy

 

[MHSL82]

Aaron Rodgers' leadership called out by Finley's agent - NFL.com

This is BS, right? Not saying that he's the best leader in the world, but it's not something I would have called out.

 

[mem49er]

Aaron Rodgers' leadership called out by Finley's agent - NFL.com

This is BS, right? Not saying that he's the best leader in the world, but it's not something I would have called out.

Douchery by the agent.

 

[TheNinerMind]

I logged into the ESPN Board just now for the first time in several months. Maybe over a year. Anyway, I couldn't believe it's still the same Cazic BS. Alex Smith is on the cover of the NFL page which is touting the 49ers as the best team in football, and the message board is still bickering like we're in 2009. It should be a renaissance. Sad. I visited that page daily for 12 years.

 

[mem49er]

I logged into the ESPN Board just now for the first time in several months. Maybe over a year. Anyway, I couldn't believe it's still the same Cazic BS. Alex Smith is on the cover of the NFL page which is touting the 49ers as the best team in football, and the message board is still bickering like we're in 2009. It should be a renaissance. Sad. I visited that page daily for 12 years.