2025-2026 NFL Season Thread

[StereoMike]

Peyton Hillis won't be tagged

Throughout the past season, Hillis has wavered about whether he wants to continue playing football, and even considered joining the CIA, according to team sources.

Hillis told Browns coaches as recently as the end of the season that he was contemplating retirement, though it now looks as if he will continue playing, the sources said.

[StereoMike]

Originally Posted by Adam Shefter

Eagles place franchise tag on WR DeSean Jackson.

https://twitter.com/#!/AdamSchefter/...29674426191872

[Moviefan1203]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Thats just like retiring for a WR

Not if you trade for that #2 pick and get Griffin!

[fatediesel]

The Raiders are franchising safety Tyvon Branch.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...franchise-tag/

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by Prof. Farnsworth

Knock offs

For $25 when they look exactly like the $180 ones @ Lambeau Field in their pro shop….i could care less!!

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Moviefan1203

Not if you trade for that #2 pick and get Griffin!

lol you don't really believe that the QB trend will continue.

So far we've had:

Newton
Bradford
Stafford
Ryan

We're bound to see more Lockers and Russell's in the future.

[StereoMike]

If Drew Brees gets franchise tag, Saints doomed

As of Thursday, the sides remain roughly $5 million a year apart on a new contract. The Saints are making moves to free up salary-cap money, such as a guaranteed deal for defensive end Will Smith that should free at least $5 million. That move will put the Saints at roughly $19 million under the salary cap, assuming the cap remains close to $120 million.

The Saints have a bevy of other moves they can make for more cap room (cutting linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis would save the team roughly $11 million).

Regardless, if a deal with Brees isn’t done by Monday, the team will have to use the franchise tag on him. The ripple effect of that is significant because the Saints also have wide receiver Marques Colston and guard Carl Nicks coming up as free agents. If the Saints are forced to franchise Brees, there is a strong chance they will lose both Colston and Nicks, each of whom are looking for about $9 million per year.

[Moviefan1203]

Originally Posted by supersix4

lol you don't really believe that the QB trend will continue.

So far we've had:

Newton
Bradford
Stafford
Ryan

We're bound to see more Lockers and Russell's in the future.

I think Luck is a slam dunk franchise quarterback, an the future should be bright for Griffin. But like you said, you never know.

[ChadFL]

I can't believe Josh Robinson had a 4.33 (best of any player at the combine) 40-time. I watch all of UCF's games and while he's talented I never considered him a great NFL prospect. When he announced he was leaving school for the draft early I thought he was insane and might not even get drafted. Now his combine performance is shooting him up the draft boards and I'm hearing 3rd or 4th round.

[Navster]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I can't believe Josh Robinson had a 4.33 (best of any player at the combine) 40-time. I watch all of UCF's games and while he's talented I never considered him a great NFL prospect. When he announced he was leaving school for the draft early I thought he was insane and might not even get drafted. Now his combine performance is shooting him up the draft boards and I'm hearing 3rd or 4th round.

Na, with Al Davis being gone all the speed players probably wont get selected until 6th or 7th round now

[StereoMike]

Interesting, the fact that the Dolphins won the coin toss for the 8th overall pick has the same value as a late 4th round pick.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by supersix4

lol you don't really believe that the QB trend will continue.

So far we've had:

Newton
Bradford
Stafford
Ryan

We're bound to see more Lockers and Russell's in the future.

I'd say it's a little early to put Locker in Russell's category. Last year he looked decent when he played but he didn't get a lot of opportunities because they had an established veteran in Matt Hasselbeck. There's a good chance he won't play a lot this season either but this should be Hasselbeck's last season in Tennessee (and likely in the NFL) and Locker should be well-prepared after 2 seasons learning behind a veteran.

[Batman1980]

I'm glad to hear Finnegan won't get franchised but I'd actually rather draft a corner so we can spend less and get a much younger player.

[ChadFL]

I can't believe how badly the Saints are handling Brees. Management actually referred to him as merely a "very good" QB. Wrong. He's a franchise QB, future HOF'er, led a formerly deadbeat franchise to a championship and rejuvenated the city post-Katrina. He's also a pillar of the city and won the Walter Payton man of the year award. If the Saints don't reward him with a big contract it'll be their worst mistake ever. He has plenty of good years left.

[Batman1980]

Adam Schefter ‏ @AdamSchefter Close

When Falcons franchised CB Brent Grimes, it marked the first time Atlanta has used franchise tag. Seattle has used it an NFL high 10 times.

Source - Twitter
Oh and Brees is one of the top 3 QBs in the NFL.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I can't believe how badly the Saints are handling Brees. Management actually referred to him as merely a "very good" QB. Wrong. He's a franchise QB, future HOF'er, led a formerly deadbeat franchise to a championship and rejuvenated the city post-Katrina. He's also a pillar of the city and won the Walter Payton man of the year award. If the Saints don't reward him with a big contract it'll be their worst mistake ever. He has plenty of good years left.

A deal will get done but I agree the Saints have managed this very poorly and in reality should have gotten a new deal done during the prior season. Brees is a great leader and the Saints can't afford for him to hold out, which he won't want to do but will be forced to do if a long-term deal can't be reached. There's added pressure on the Saints to get a deal done because the Super Bowl is in New Orleans and the Saints chances of getting to the game will depend on how well Brees plays and the team will be hurt if he misses most of the offseason.

[SleeperAgent]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I can't believe how badly the Saints are handling Brees. Management actually referred to him as merely a "very good" QB. Wrong. He's a franchise QB, future HOF'er, led a formerly deadbeat franchise to a championship and rejuvenated the city post-Katrina. He's also a pillar of the city and won the Walter Payton man of the year award. If the Saints don't reward him with a big contract it'll be their worst mistake ever. He has plenty of good years left.

In other words, the Saints GM is a moron.

Top 3 QB without a doubt. They tag him this year and I bet he walks next year. He's done everything they could have asked for and more since arriving.

That is all alongside the fact that he's probably the nicest QB around. He's always smiling and helping people around New Orleans.

[dcowboy7]

"CBSSports.com's Larry Holder reports Drew Brees rejected an offer prior to the 2011 season that would have made him the highest-paid player in the NFL."


So if he did its kinda Brees fault too.

Maybe he still deals with short person syndrone.

Who did that song ?

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by dcowboy7

"CBSSports.com's Larry Holder reports Drew Brees rejected an offer prior to the 2011 season that would have made him the highest-paid player in the NFL."


So if he did its kinda Brees fault too.

Maybe he still deals with short person syndrone.

Who did that song ?

Randy Newman sang Short People.
Edit: The short person song you were referring to also could have been I Wish by Skee-Lo.

One thing I'll say is that a blanket statement that he rejected a deal that would have made him the highest-paid player in the NFL could be misleading. The structure of the deal and truly guaranteed money are what really matter and it's possible that the deal the Saints offered didn't give a lot of long-term security. Regardless, a deal will get done eventually, and likely within the next couple months because I can't see this dragging on into camp.

I'll also say that Drew Brees should be the highest-paid player in the league. He's younger than Brady and Manning and since Aaron Rodgers signed a long-term deal in 2008 before he became an MVP it's logical that Brees would make the most money.

[StereoMike]

I wish I could put this in my sig:





Alongside this...





Hey Nav, I made you one!