Thomas’ performances the past season and physical attributes present a mix of promising advantages. I’d break it down as follows Size and Athleticism - at 6'4, Thomas has the ideal size for an NFL wide receiver ALONG with his with fluid athleticism that makes him a versatile threat. Vertical Threat and Separation - his acceleration, top speed, and ability to win at the line of scrimmage makes vertical threat. His ability to get separation will make him capable of operating effectively both outside and from the slot. Open Field - he is a fluid mover with an above-average ability to navigate the open field. Ball Tracking and Catching - possibly the most underrated aspect of being a WR, he demonstrates an above-average ability to track and catch the ball making him a reliable thread. Route Running Tree - yes Thomas is raw in having only played football for a few years but showed snappy route-running, especially on one-cut routes - it’s not perfect but he already has a great tree. Improvements? Despite his size, needs to continue to learn better to fight through contact. Contested Catches - he’s been inconsistent in this respect while at LSU. His size, speed, athleticism makes him a potential impact player. The amount of growth he has shown in a short period of time shows that this is only the beginning.
Ridiculous.. not wanting Evans or even Barkley is fine. But OLine is the one place you really want to spend??? How has that worked out for us so far? Who? Who do you want to spend on? Please come with names of upgrades. I’m so tired of hearing “we need to fix OLine” with no actual suggestions..
Texans FO aren't likely to spend big on Oline this off-season unless they let someone go and replace him with someone they do like. They probably keep what they have and maybe attempt to bolster it with a good blocking TE. Two names I like here are Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
It looks like the draft will take a back seat shortly and the dominant conversation will turn to FA again. First, the oxymoronic legal tampering and then the official end of the 2023 season and Real player movement. It looks like it gets rolling about a week after that if last year guides this year. It will be interesting to see how close the estimates are to actual contracts. Maybe we can get away from precise speculation on dollar amounts which would actually be tampering if true other than those rare cases the existing club permits it either directly or indirectly through a formal tag. Sequon to receive $12.3M 3 years is BS. That can only be speculation by his agent talking with other agents unencumbered with the concept of fiscal sanity. That's along the same line as Caleb Williams demanding 10% of the team who drafts him. There is about an extra Billion Dollars spread around the 32 teams from the increase in the Cap, but it just made some teams solvent who would not have been. Still, demand (either in the reduction of forced sale or extension into the future or cash to spend) will be greater which might drive prices up. But it is not normally wise to spend above market just because you can afford it. And players should not base their expectations on teams ability to pay above market. I'd rather work out an arrangement where Sequon gets $9 and Singletary gets $3.3 on the assumption they will split the workload if I'm spending $12.3M on RB.
I, and this is just me, don't think you have a ******* clue what you're talking about, not even the meanings of the words and phrases your're using. Fun to read, though.
The feeling is mutual. If you can afford a new Mercedes, then you can afford a new Chevrolet Trax. But would you pay$50K for a Trax because you can afford it?
Just an illustration for those they immediately jump to AFFORDABILITY when a player tells them what he WANTS.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/in...est-buzz-news-rumors-free-agency-draft-trades •Graziano: The Vikings are trying to get a contract extension done with star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and they've also made an effort to re-sign edge rusher Danielle Hunter. Jefferson is likely to set the top of the receiver market whenever he signs, and his deal is certain to pay him more than $30 million per year. The question is how much more. Hunter, who had 16.5 sacks last season and 27 total over the past two years, could be the top edge rusher on the market and would likely generate interest from multiple teams. The Vikings' attention has been focused on finding out whether they can keep Cousins, but he's not the only significant piece of business they have to address. Fowler: Yeah, not as many numbers floated around Indy as usual, but it's safe to say teams are expecting Hunter to be in -- or at least searching for -- a pretty massive price range, something well north of $20 million per year. And the production might just justify it: Hunter has averaged 14 sacks over his past four healthy seasons. •Graziano: A lot of people in Indy seemed to think the reason the Bengals franchised Tee Higgins as early as they did was so they could trade him. With a Ja'Marr Chase extension likely coming this offseason or next, Cincinnati might not be able to keep the band together around Joe Burrow much longer. And then there is Tampa Bay's Mike Evans, who will be 31 years old when the season starts -- but his game isn't speed-dependent. The Bucs would like to have him back and haven't given up hope, but the belief is that Evans will at least test the market during the negotiating period to see what else is out there. The Lions and Amon-Ra St. Brown have been working on an extension that some think could land in the range of $26-28 million per year. The 49ers would like to get Brandon Aiyuk's contract extended, but he's also a trade candidate if they can't get something done. And finally, the Dolphins and Eagles have decisions coming up on Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, both of whom are extension-eligible for the first time and have big-money receiver teammates in Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown, respectively. •Fowler: Yup, good money will be spent on guards this offseason. So many teams need them and have targeted the position, and Detroit's Jonah Jackson, Miami's Robert Hunt, New England's Mike Onwenu and the Los Angeles Rams' Kevin Dotson are among the top options. Don't be surprised if some or all from this group command $16 million or more. Will there be enough seats in the musical chairs for all of them to get paid? It's very possible. Consider all of the teams that really need guard help, including the Giants, Jets, Panthers and Jaguars. •Fowler: Cornerback was a popular position of discussion in Indy, most notably for the trade market. We know the Chiefs are working on a potential tag-and-trade with L'Jarius Sneed, and multiple teams are believed to be in the mix there. The word out of Indy is that Detroit is pretty set on adding a high-end corner, so the Lions are one to watch. Miami is worth keeping an eye on, too. Several teams believe Saints corner Marshon Lattimore -- whose base salary is a paltry $1.2 million due to a restructure -- is also available via a trade, and there's intrigue on Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis III. •Fowler: While Miami's stance is that all options are on the table for defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, several league sources say he probably won't be franchise-tagged. That would put a big-time tackle who had 63 tackles and nine sacks in 2023 on the market. Houston is intriguing here. The Texans have ample cap space, a quarterback early on a rookie deal and a playoff roster. There would be several teams in the mix, though. The Browns are always good for a splash or two, for instance. Would they strengthen an already stout defense with the versatile DT? •Fowler: What will the Chargers do with four marquee players with huge cap hits? Defensive ends Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams comprise more than half the team's salary cap, and releasing all four would save $80.8 million in space. Doing that would obviously be shocking, but all four returning in their current contractual state would be a surprise, too. I'm leaving Indianapolis optimistic about Allen returning, possibly on a new or reworked deal. A few teams asked me about Mack as a trade option, and it seems there's some interest there. Williams is coming off an ACL tear and is in the final year of his deal, which is why some are wondering whether Los Angeles will release him outright, but he's also an immense talent. And it feels anything is possible with Bosa, who's a premier player but hasn't stayed healthy.
•Fowler: OK, time for some sleepers -- free agents who aren't household names but should do pretty well this month. •Jacoby Brissett: He's considered a top backup QB or 1A option after spending 2023 in Washington. •Mike Danna: As a versatile lineman who can play inside or out, he had 6.5 sacks for Kansas City last season. •Darnell Mooney: The Chicago wideout is much better than his 2023 stat line of 31 catches for 414 yards and 5 TDs suggests. The Chiefs or Titans could be players here. •Colby Parkinson: Sure, he played behind Noah Fant in Seattle, but he has field-stretching ability. The free agent and draft tight end classes aren't deep, so keep an eye on Parkinson. •Graham Glasgow: Guard-needy teams that don't want to spend top dollar will still allot quality money to the next tier. Glasgow started 15 games for Detroit and held his own, and he can play all three OL spots. (The Chiefs' Nick Allegretti and the Seahawks' Damien Lewis are two more guards to watch.) •Lloyd Cushenberry: One of the best centers available after playing solid in Denver, he could hit the $10 million-per-year mark. •Dorance Armstrong: This key Dallas defensive lineman has plenty of interest. He most likely won't be back with the Cowboys; new Commanders coach Dan Quinn could try to snag him in Washington. •Blake Cashman/Azeez Al-Shaair: These two do-it-all linebackers for Houston and Tennessee, respectively, have caught teams' attention. •Darnell Savage: Enough teams will like his first-round traits to give him a chance on a nice deal after he spent the past five seasons in Green Bay. •Graziano: •It's a near certainty the Panthers will use the franchise tag on edge rusher Brian Burns while trying to get a long-term deal done with him. I would expect the Jaguars to do the same with edge rusher Josh Allen if they can't get an extension done with him by the start of the league year next week. •Houston edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who turns 27 in May and had 12.5 sacks last season, could be a popular player on the free agent market if the Texans don't franchise-tag or sign him before the market opens. The Texans seem to be focused on upgrading their defense in a few key spots, but the biggest for them might be defensive tackle. I'd expect them to be major players if someone like Miami's Christian Wilkins or Baltimore's Justin Madubuike were to hit the market. •Who, if any, among the star free agent running backs will get paid? Some sources I talked to think the Giants' Saquon Barkley is the one with the best chance to clear the $10 million-per-year mark. Obviously Barkley is looking for more than that, and it's possible he could get closer to what he's looking for. But the RB market is flooded with talent, and all of the factors that frustrated top backs like Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Austin Ekeler a year ago are still present. Jacobs, still just 26 years old, is another one to watch if any of these guys are going to get nice deals, but it could be rough out there again for the position. •Fowler: •Will Chris Jones escape Kansas City? Most around the league do not expect it, but they also don't expect the talented free agent defensive tackle to take a discount. The feeling is if Kansas City can reach the range of $27 million to $28 million per year, that should help close the deal. But the Chiefs have work to do. Jones could probably surpass those numbers if he hits the market. As one AFC scout told me, he is the blue-chip player of the entire free agent class, age be damned (he turns 30 this summer). The Chiefs made clear from the combine they will do everything possible. But remember that Kansas City typically doesn't pay premium salaries to its own defensive players. It did it for Jones four years ago, but the list isn't long. •The Jaguars very much want to re-sign receiver Calvin Ridley, who had a good experience in Jacksonville, but they know that will be tough if he reaches the negotiating period starting March 11. The expectation is he will put up a rather gaudy number on a per-year average. Teams see elite ability there. •Michael Thomas' contract with the Saints is set to void, making him a free agent. A few scouts pointed out Baltimore as a good fit. The Ravens likely won't re-sign Odell Beckham Jr., and they value established veterans at the receiver position. But a reunion with former New Orleans coach Sean Payton in Denver also makes sense. "When he's out there and healthy, he affects the game," an NFC scout said. •Dalton Schultz didn't get his big payday last year due to a deep tight end class, but it should come this time after a good season with the Texans. Enough teams expect him to clear $10 million per year. New England is one to watch here potentially, as is a return to Houston. The Seahawks' Noah Fant will also do well.
