The Official ES 2020 Free Agency Thread /Tracker... Kendall Fuller,OG Schweitzer, KP Louis, Thomas Davis, McKissic, TE Logan Thomas, OT Lucas, QB Kyle Allen (trd 5th Rd pick), RB P. Barber, LB Davis, Ronald Darby

[Mr. Sinister]

I'd rather have a stud lineman than a stud rb right now (Kamara)

[PartyPosse]

5 hours ago, Jericho said:

 

I suppose this is all moot now with Fournette going unclaimed, but the big issue with anyone claiming him is/was salary. You claim him and you pay him over $4 million. No one in the league thinks he worth that. Now anyone can sign him for the league minimum if Fournette is willing. Certainly he'll sign for far less than $4 million. I'd also point out that the 5th year option is long gone. Jacksonville declined the fifth-year team option back in May (which was a ridiculous $10,189,000) and that can't be undone. Fournette also has a lengthy injury history and is generally viewed as a malcontent. All those reasons help explain Fournette's low value

He is absolutely worth 4 million. That’s a million less than Gio Bernard. Problem is no team needs a workhorse RB now. 

[FootballZombie]

I gotta imagine we wait for the cuts coming this week if we are going to make a move of any import.

 

We might be able to plug a hole in a couple of days w/o giving up real capital. We have been pretty patient so far. I'd imagine that does not change now. 

[Est.1974]

Seems like the plan is to evaluate what we have, retain cap space, build from there next year. Potential cap space issues around the league next year might make it a wise move to preserve our own strong cap position for this year.

 

Edit, just picked up that we flipped late picks for OT depth/cover/competition.

[carex]

11 hours ago, PartyPosse said:

With Mcissac and Gibson there already no reason to keep AP or Barber. Love is the only one who could still remain but what for?

 

that's like saying when we had Ricky Ervins there was no need to keep Ernest Byner or Gerald Riggs

[Burgundy Yoda]

11 hours ago, PartyPosse said:

With Mcissac and Gibson there already no reason to keep AP or Barber. Love is the only one who could still remain but what for?

I don't even think Fournette is better than a 35 year old Peterson. Peterson breaks more tackles and has much better vision, he's also about the same speed, maybe a tad slower. Fournette doesn't have the mindset you want in an NFL RB and is basically where he is because he has rare speed for his size. To me, he's the offensive version of Clowney. 

[carex]

the trade for Sharpe is curious, since all our potential LTs were also potential swing tackles and he's apparently an RT.  We're not keeping five tackles.  So one of our 3 potential starting LTs isn't even making the team.  Will Charles go to IR?  If he does he's done for the year.  Perhaps we're going to let our tackles focus on a side to try to maximize their work on each side, and our multi-position backups will be at C/G

[OVCChairman]

1 hour ago, carex said:

the trade for Sharpe is curious, since all our potential LTs were also potential swing tackles and he's apparently an RT.  We're not keeping five tackles.  So one of our 3 potential starting LTs isn't even making the team.  Will Charles go to IR?  If he does he's done for the year.  Perhaps we're going to let our tackles focus on a side to try to maximize their work on each side, and our multi-position backups will be at C/G

 

 

 

If Charles hits IR i dont think he's done for the year.  He would be eligible to bring back

 

The other option is the modified practice squad that allows you to protect 4 players each week.  We could put him down there and block him until he's able to play at 100%

[carex]

17 minutes ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

 

If Charles hits IR i dont think he's done for the year.  He would be eligible to bring back

 

The other option is the modified practice squad that allows you to protect 4 players each week.  We could put him down there and block him until he's able to play at 100%

 

Okay, to start I have tried to keep up to date on the rule changes due to COVID-19, but I am not sure I managed to  catch everything.  However to my knowledge you still have to make the final 53 to go to IR and be eligible for activation, and you have to clear waivers to go to the PS

[justice98]

13 hours ago, Jericho said:

 

I suppose this is all moot now with Fournette going unclaimed, but the big issue with anyone claiming him is/was salary. You claim him and you pay him over $4 million. No one in the league thinks he worth that. Now anyone can sign him for the league minimum if Fournette is willing. Certainly he'll sign for far less than $4 million. I'd also point out that the 5th year option is long gone. Jacksonville declined the fifth-year team option back in May (which was a ridiculous $10,189,000) and that can't be undone. Fournette also has a lengthy injury history and is generally viewed as a malcontent. All those reasons help explain Fournette's low value

 

The backs making $3.5-4-5m in 2020 are Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, Mark Ingram, and Tevin Coleman.  He's a steal at $4 mil.  Even on the open market next year, he's walking off with more than $4mil.

[OVCChairman]

12 minutes ago, carex said:

 

Okay, to start I have tried to keep up to date on the rule changes due to COVID-19, but I am not sure I managed to  catch everything.  However to my knowledge you still have to make the final 53 to go to IR and be eligible for activation, and you have to clear waivers to go to the PS

 

 

I can't find the article i read but I BELIEVE i read that the teams will be able to 'protect' 4 players, and will be able to elevate and return 2 players PER WEEK that would not be susceptible to waivers.  

 

Edit: Here is some of it

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/07/18/clarifying-the-2020-injured-reserve-covid-19-rules/

 

The procedures previously explained actually would apply to injured reserve generally. Every team would have the ability to return an unlimited number of players to the active roster following placement on injured reserve or the non-football injury/illness list.

The 2020-only rules, which become effective after 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6, will allow the team to remove any player with a football or non-football injury from the roster for three weeks. After three weeks, the player will be eligible to return to practice. Once he returns to practice, the team will have 21 days to place him back on the active roster.

This applies to all injuries, football or non-football. The unprecedented flexibility to park players on IR/NFI and to bring them back after only three games comes from a broader desire to ensure that the maximum number of players are available to play this season, in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

 

So IR can be as short as 3 weeks and you're not limited to the number of reactivations

 

 

As far as the 53, yes i believe they would have to make the final 53, then on Sunday at 4pm (24 hours AFTER cut down) he could be moved. 

[oraphus]

10 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

The backs making $3.5-4-5m in 2020 are Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, Mark Ingram, and Tevin Coleman.  He's a steal at $4 mil.  Even on the open market next year, he's walking off with more than $4mil.

If he was truly a steal at 4mill, some team would have put in a claim. The reality is that he is an average, inj prone rb with no catching ability. There are many such options in the NFL

[justice98]

2 hours ago, Burgundy Yoda said:

I don't even think Fournette is better than a 35 year old Peterson. Peterson breaks more tackles and has much better vision, he's also about the same speed, maybe a tad slower. Fournette doesn't have the mindset you want in an NFL RB and is basically where he is because he has rare speed for his size. To me, he's the offensive version of Clowney. 

 

Fournette caught 76 balls last year.  AP hasn't had 76 receptions in the last 4 years combined.

 

And you know they track everything now.  Fournette had 24 broken tackles in 2019, AP had 13.  And Fournette had more yards after contact per attempt than AP.

 

It really doesn't make sense to continue with a 35 year old RB over a 25 year old RB, if they're close.  And whether you think AP is better than Fournette, they're close either way.  And that's mainly due to AP just being a physical freak.  But at this age, when he starts showing his age, it'll come quick.

[carex]

 

1 minute ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

I can't find the article i read but I BELIEVE i read that the teams will be able to 'protect' 4 players, and will be able to elevate and return 2 players PER WEEK that would not be susceptible to waivers.  

 

that's in season.  He would have to be waived from the training camp roster, now, to be signed to the practice squad for the regular season, for those other rules to kick in

[OVCChairman]

Just now, carex said:

 

 

that's in season.  He would have to be waived from the training camp roster, now, to be signed to the practice squad for the regular season, for those other rules to kick in

 

 

yeah, IR is more likely with the article I added.  You're not limited to the number of reactivations, and he can be brought back as quickly as 3 weeks. 

[carex]

1 minute ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

yeah, IR is more likely with the article I added.  You're not limited to the number of reactivations, and he can be brought back as quickly as 3 weeks. 

 

we'd just have to have someone we'd be willing to risk that we could cut on cutdown day so we could put him on IR on Sunday afternoon

[justice98]

9 minutes ago, oraphus said:

If he was truly a steal at 4mill, some team would have put in a claim. The reality is that he is an average, inj prone rb with no catching ability. There are many such options in the NFL

 

He caught 76 balls out of the backfield last year, what are you talking about?

 

There's something going on that we don't know about, but it's not that he's not a talented player.  It's probably more personal or behavioral than anything.  He's missed games due to suspension a few times, beefed with the coaches and front office, etc.  If that's the argument not to sign him, that's one thing, but this notion that he's essentially a JAG is nonsense.  He's easily the best RB on the free agent market right now. 

[OVCChairman]

1 minute ago, carex said:

 

we'd just have to have someone we'd be willing to risk that we could cut on cutdown day so we could put him on IR on Sunday afternoon

 

 

yeah.  O-line is deep with 'meh' so if we were to expose Lucas, i not only dont see him getting snatched up, but i wouldn't be heartbroken if he got snagged. 

[Conn]

1 hour ago, justice98 said:

 

The backs making $3.5-4-5m in 2020 are Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, Mark Ingram, and Tevin Coleman.  He's a steal at $4 mil.  Even on the open market next year, he's walking off with more than $4mil.

Nah. If this was true he (and his contract) would have been claimed yesterday by at least one team. Instead none of them did. Why, because one of them wants to pay him more next year on the open market? I don’t think so.

[PartyPosse]

4 hours ago, carex said:

 

that's like saying when we had Ricky Ervins there was no need to keep Ernest Byner or Gerald Riggs

IF we were competing for a championship it's a different story. We're not anywhere close and having a malcontent here for one season at the risk of finding a slightly lesser talent with a greater chance of being part of the long-term blueprint serves no purpose. Even if Fournette stuck around, that would mean he had a good season and he'd be asking for 10 mil up. With everyone else here due big contracts coming up, it makes absolutely no sense to sign him long term. If the mindset is bring him in, hope he goes off and then get the comp pick, well then you're just blowing an opportunity to evaluate not just a couple of pieces but the offense as a whole if you make him a focal point. 

[primetime441]

1 hour ago, oraphus said:

If he was truly a steal at 4mill, some team would have put in a claim. The reality is that he is an average, inj prone rb with no catching ability. There are many such options in the NFL

It's far more likely that he went unclaimed because he wants a long term deal and would not play under the current contract.

[Conn]

49 minutes ago, primetime441 said:

It's far more likely that he went unclaimed because he wants a long term deal and would not play under the current contract.

There’s been no whispers of that at all, right now it’s rumored that he’s negotiating a 1-year “prove it” deal with the Bills or Pats. So if you’re correct then he lost himself $4M, but I don’t think that’s the case. 

[wit33]

1 minute ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

There’s been no whispers of that at all, right now it’s rumored that he’s negotiating a 1-year “prove it” deal with the Bills or Pats. So if you’re correct then he lost himself $4M, but I don’t think that’s the case. 

Jags did him wrong by releasing him this late in the off season. His value couldn’t be any lower than it is now. 

[PartyPosse]

I highly doubt Jax shopped him around and I also feel like Fournette asked for his release. Simple as that. There’s no option for 2021 and I don’t blame him for not wanting his prove it year for his only big contract to come on the worst team in football.

[Conn]

35 minutes ago, wit33 said:

Jags did him wrong by releasing him this late in the off season. His value couldn’t be any lower than it is now. 

Sounds like his teammates are the ones who were the final straw in wanting him gone, so I’d assume he brought it on himself. 

15 minutes ago, PartyPosse said:

I highly doubt Jax shopped him around and I also feel like Fournette asked for his release. Simple as that. There’s no option for 2021 and I don’t blame him for not wanting his prove it year for his only big contract to come on the worst team in football.

Jacksonville shopped him all offseason, according to them. Why lie about that? They would have wanted to profit from his exit if at all possible. They literally said they couldn’t even get a late round pick, and then no one even picked up his contract on waivers. It’s very clear that he’s not though of very highly around the league.