FlocksGottaFeed

The Art of Trading Players
Why It's Becoming the Crowning Achievement in this FO Chess Match

Article Warning: Ngata does truly look ridiculous in that light-blue, still.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2403865-why-has-the-nfl-finally-started-embracing-the-art-of-trading-players

According to NFL insiders they're expecting one of the most exciting trade free-falls ever before this Trade Deadline. As players are cut and/or injured during training camp and are ultimately replaced, we'll most likely see a frenzy of activity from all of AFCN FOs.

For example: I believe it's a possible reason that bubble players like Gino haven't been traded or cut yet. It is a part of this strategy. Gino showed improvement as the year whined-down when he was used in 2013. That increased his trade value even though we improved line play without him last season. Many teams may need a back-up or starting center before the trade deadline and we'll be able to pick-up a needed position to strengthen our overall line-up with his trade. It may not be for another center, but a complimentary CB or TE. Whatever is the need at that time. 

The Steelers, Browns and Bengals have similar decisions to make if those insiders are right.

Ngata was a knight that had to sacrificed to stay in the game. Gino is more like a castle that can get us a much needed bishop (if needed).

edit - typos

A very interesting thing to think about, the Bengal will be getting a comp pick in this year's draft for losing Michael Johnson while he will actually be playing for them this year.

Seems like a great chess move (although alittle questionable). There should be some kind of rule about that when it's not for a 'One Day Contract' like we've done for Mason's retirement.

How did they get that by?

Current NFL Network's during FA Ranks AFCN Teams:

• 7th - Steelers
• 12th - Bengals
• 13th - Ravens
• 29th - Browns

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000479557/article/nfl-power-rankings-seahawks-sit-above-super-bowl-champs

Note: This may most likely change as the offseason continues with late FA pickups and the draft. With priority and depth positions still needing to be addresses by each team, it's going to get more intense going forward. Example: Canty resigning.

Another point of interest is that there are currently 3 NFCW in the top 20 currently with Seahawks ranking #1 and 2 AFCW in the top 10. The chess match continues.

Bengals seem to beturning the corner on getting and resigning FAs and they hired 2professional chefs to assist.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-daugherty/2015/03/16/michael-johnson-cincinnati-bengals-tampa-bay-buccaneers/24859453/

"There's stability here,'' said John Thornton. "These guys feel like a family. If you see one of 'em out, you see four or five. It takes a while to build that culture.''

Interesting read. The article reads as if they are trying to establish a Ravens-like FO strategy.

Steelers making moves and meetings to beef-up CB situation.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/12868/pittsburgh-steelers-to-meet-with-another-free-agent-cornerback

Ravens reduce their cap with Webb restructure negotiations. Great move.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-restructure-cornerback-lardarius-webbs-contract-sources-say-20150317-story.html

The Browns sure-up their defense today. Not much activity coming from the rest of the division.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000479287/article/browns-add-randy-starks-tramon-williams

Bowes visits Cleveland as well. It's getting interesting.

at the moment nobody. steelers have done nothing but extend roethlisberger to an absurd contract that he will not be able to live up to due to constant injuries and age. bengals have done literally nothing as far as i know. browns are just being jerks and trying to hold hostage players that dont wanna be on scrub teams. and the ravens made out like thieves on the ngata trade and a majority of the NFL world doesnt even realize it.

 

we'll have a better idea once the draft is over. 

 

althought if i absolutely had to give the edge, id give it to the ravens for free'ing up 8.5mil in desperately needed cap space, being able to restructure sizzle, and the extra 4th and 5th rounder we got from detroit could prove to be HUGE, all while staying patient and sticking to the comp pick formula, once we sign jennings(i can feel it coming) i think the ravens will already be saying checkmate.

That was huge! Steelers addressing Bell's imminent 2 game suspension with Hall was a good move, but that was huge.

If we are excluding the draft, I mean its hard to tell. I think the Bengals have been quiet in the same way just like the Ravens. They have made some good signings though. Steelers are always competitive and the browns are the browns. 

It's about every FO aspect - "cap space, releases, trades, draft strategies and FO personnel restructuring..." Sometimes just following FA, trades, etc. also gives a very good indication of what a FO's draft strategy is.For example: It we get another possession receiver FA who's not a speed merchant - how would other teams in our division respond while looking at their current roster needs and what cap they have available? That makes it more interesting to me.

As an opponent, I like that the Steelers gave Roethlisberger 60 mil guaranteed over 5 years. When he inevitably declines due to the myriad of hits he takes and injuries that occur as a result, he will be difficult to cut. 

Agreed. Not wishing an injury on any player, but the history is there and also the risk factor..

I have to disagree with those 2 statements.

If one was to look back over the division winners the past 6 yrs (or more), the 2 division titles didn't exactly have the FO & team reigning supreme over Pittsburgh or Cincinnati. So the question is, can we keep pace with our division rivals in the off-season and on the field? 

AND

Big Ben's new contract will be far more affordable to Pittsburgh next year that Joe's is to Baltimore. We will definitely be cap-strapped again next year with the players we have hitting FA & the money we'll need to spend to keep them; Flacco not included.

You make great points. I agree that this post is only to reflect on the "pace with division rivals in the off-season" and that it's possible that we will be cap-strapped again next season, but that does not necessarily mean that the Ravens haven't "Reign Supreme" so far in this division historically. The term has been used by NFL insiders for years now regarding not just the AFCN, but the entire league. I didn't make that up.

I also mentioned that FO expertise doesn't necessarily guarantee championships, etc. However, assessing FOs sometimes has more to do with what they are able to do with what they have to work with. This off-season is a great illustration of resource management so far. With the unplanned cap hits that the Ravens took into this off-season it will take exceptional moves and strategies to keep pace with the Browns, Steelers and Bengals. That said, I agree with the majority of insiders that say that the Ravens have the FO to do that consistently.

Here we can follow the process in real-time, but we'll only know who wins this chess match by the end of the off-season. The question was 'whose winning (currently). It can change day to day. imho - All the teams in the AFCN have made and will continue to make good and questionable moves this off-season and have taken the temporary lead in this chess match at some point. That is why we are one of the most competitive divisions in the league.

And yes, I stil believe that the Big Ben Deal (although it had to happen) may come back to haunt the Steelers just because of his injury riddled career and past legal problems considering this newly over-reactive NFL culture. No other franchise QB in the league is dealing with those 2 situations at the same time currently (maybe ever). They could be only one incident and/or injury away from a franchise QB contract plagued with dead money. It may not happen, but that is a risk that should be considered.

You just made good ,strong and factual points I just kinda hope he can turn it around but I dont want him on the team just cause we spent a 1st round draft pick on him if we have guys in training camp that out play him in camp and pre-season he needs to pack his S---!!! and leave...I just dont want them to keep him around like they did Doss...

There is absolutely no way they keep him if he doesn't do well. The Doss situation was very different from this one.

Is Elam a bust? We'll know before the season begins. This off-season will answer the question.

I still can't help to wonder if we would be asking this question right now if Elam would have come-in with veteran leadership, continuity and a strong supporting cast in place in the defensive backfield. He's never had that so I don't know.

I hope that our coaches can salvage his career thus far if not to simply improve his ranking to a respectable level inorder to justify his 1st round pick. It's our only chance of redemption in this case.

The Steeler are in a pretty bad cap situation and the Browns aren't looking too hot as of now. Bengals have made a couple good signings in Micheal Johnson and Aj Hawk. I think we are currently ahead with a steal in Forsett and an underrated signing with Kendrick Lewis. 

Agreed. In addition, I think the new Big Ben contract will have future cap implications for the Steelers while we are getting healthier for our future cap.

I wouldn't be surprised if we snagged 2 cb's, and 2 wr's before Sept... this, along with a play-maker at TE would set us up nicely

Absolutely. We excel in late FA signings.

I think you have to wait until after the upcoming draft before you can really make a good educated guess. There are also a few good free agents left and possible trades yet to be made, so I think this poll could be a little early.

Yes I completely agreed that to determine a 'clear' winner now is too early. The poll is really just to gage as the process happens. Simply: At this point in the match.

When looking at the current line-ups if the season began today - you can really gage the importance of having a great FO.

Ravens current line-up: http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Early-2015-Depth-Chart-Projection/e968c6a1-85d3-449f-abb7-ae3301183aa3

Considering recent FO moves of the Steelers, Bengals and Browns (Big Ben Contract, DeAngelo Signing, Browns QB situation, Bengals slow activity, etc.), who will field the better team based-on strategy and/or availability?

It seems to me that the Ravens can do more with less than all the AFCN combined.

The Ravens' front office has been consistently called one of the NFL's 'Elite' for over a decade, now. As a result of this, other AFCN opponents have been overshadowed and/or totally dismissed from league consideration. Bengals' fans and media outlets have been asking for the promotion of Marvin Lewis to GM and hiring another coach for years now although they've been consistently competitive in recent years. Steelers' fans and ex-Steelers have been openly critical of some of their FO moves even though they've remained competitive, as well. And the Browns...well there's just to much fan mistrust to mention.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/22243529/ranking-the-best-front-offices-among-the-nfls-top-tier-of-teams

This off-season serves as such a great barometer for me simply because of the cap space, releases, trades, draft strategies and FO personnel restructuring that are taking place currently and/or will be happening before the season begins. Although front office brilliance doesn't exclusively lead to championships and Super Bowls, there's very little argument that these off-season moves do play a huge factor in it.

Who will win this AFCN chess match this off-season? Which fans are showing the most trust and/or enthusiasm for their FO moves? Can we still trust Ozzie and the gang to reign 'Supreme' in the AFCN?

Just a great signing and will go a long way to solidifying our D backfield. Another Lewis in Purple & Black works for me.

Ozzie plays chess not checkers and nobody plays it better.

'White Bird in a Blizzard' was a pretty good showing. Snow days give it more intensity. Shailene Woodley reminded me of a younger version of Jennifer Connelly in 'Requiem for a Dream'. She's coming into her own.

Both good movies if you like avant-garde.

what does that matter if those wr's north of 32 are better than ou 25 year olds....talent is talent

Agreed. The guy is leader and true professional with more left in the tank than a lot expect. He could be an asset for 1-2 years. I see him more like a T.O., Moss or Erving in their last 3 years - still productive and SB driving factors. It could work.

Rashaan showed some pretty good moments when he got the opportunity. The last game was a problem, but not just for him. The entire 'mix-and-match' defensive backfield got exposed. That was expected though not accepted. That's the upside. Ithink he can be asset for us in the future. I would love to see him play with more continuity in DB.

I think he could be a surprising find.

The NFL PR department is basically a combination of high-priced corporate and past political lawyers, Goodell's closest friends from the media and an contracturally obligated workforce who would face civil actions if they said anything remotely damaging towards the league. There will be no findings that establish any truth expect - Goodell works for the owners and the owners just want to continue to make record profits. Cure the perception and nothing else. The perception will be cured without addressing anything with morality and/or actuality.

Nothing will change until NFL leadership changes.

We have to start looking at games like a high form of 'Reality' TV - knowing it's scripted and really not 'reality' at all. Sad, but true. If you're still unconvinced just try to google the bio/profiles of any of their PR Executives. They've all been 'PR'ed'. There's nothing there.

For anyone interested, this is a very insightful interview with Ben Hartsock on radio row referencing his time when he tried out with the Patriots at the beginning of the season. It really confirmed my thoughts about "the Patriot way" and how Belicheck controls that organization.  Imho, that place must be an awful environment to play in.

 

P.S. He shares some thoughts about Steve Smith when he played with him too, lol.

 

Audio interview:  http://bit.ly/1tJ3tF8

Great interview. Thanks for posting. I agreed that the 'Patriots Way' and culture must be like being a Borg. Resistance is futile.

Just one of the absolutely most scientific articles explaining how the Patriots have been getting away with cheating for years.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/01/ballghazi_the_new_england_patriots_lose_an_insanely_low_number_of_fumbles.html?wpsrc=sh_all_mob_em_top

Since 2007, the Patriots have managed to out perform every team in NFL history in fumbles lost by an unexplainable amount. This was right after lobbying to change the 'bring your own footballs' rules. There's no doubt that they deserve an (*) from 2007 to now, but will the league just ignore the science and good-old common-sense?