TEH OFFICIAL 2014 NFL SEASON Thread

[KidFlash]

Basically it sounds like Jacobs might be the frontrunner, at least according to the Buffalo News yesterday.

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-news/2014/4/6/5586984/jeremy-jacobs-donald-trump-buffalo-bills-ownership-western-ny

[RVR II]

Basically it sounds like Jacobs might be the frontrunner, at least according to the Buffalo News yesterday.

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-news/2014/4/6/5586984/jeremy-jacobs-donald-trump-buffalo-bills-ownership-western-ny

Interesting

[RVR II]

I wish I could buy them.. I'd be a great owner..
That's my Doug Flutie jersey by the way

[RVR II]

Uh oh.. What's up with this Bob??

Rams GM Les Snead in talks with teams about trading No. 2 pick
NFL
April 7, 2014 11:18 am ET


The Rams, because they traded away the right to draft No. 2 overall in the 2012 draft so the Redskins could take Robert Griffin III, have the No. 2 overall and the No. 13 overall picks in this year's draft.

Aside from the Texans at No. 1 overall, the Rams might have the most leverage or power of any squad in the draft, mostly because they don't need a franchise quarterback and they have a pretty decent left tackle in Jake Long (so they wouldn't necessarily need to draft Auburn tackle Greg Robinson, as four of the five CBSSports.com mock drafters are predicting-- unless they wanted to place him on the right side of the line). Jadeveon Clowney would be a strong pick, but St. Louis already has one of the best pass-rushers, Robert Quinn, on its team.

So, why not think about a trade? That seems to be the thought process of Rams general manager Les Snead, who told theMMQB.com's Greg Bedard that St. Louis has been talking to teams.

"We have had some conversations with multiple teams," Snead said. "They're more flirtatious calls than anything. We have numbers 2 and 13, but Houston has No. 1. Nobody can really seriously chat with us until they are happy with at least two players. I think what might happen as we get closer to the draft, maybe it comes to fruition what Houston is going to do, maybe it doesn't, you have more serious talks probably the week of the draft going, 'Hey, if our player is there at 2, this is what we're going to offer.' I think it will get more serious."

Making matters even better for Rams are the depth of this year's draft and the notion that a number of players could fit into the top-2 taken (Clowney, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, Robinson, Teddy Bridgewater, maybe even Khalil Mack all are legitimate players that could be grabbed at either No. 1 or No. 2).

"I actually think there's more than one player that people would want to move up for. I just don't know what they'd want to give to move up," Snead said. "At the top maybe there's four or five players who were one step or one notch ahead of the very good, and sometimes a team might say we need to get that guy. You don't know the value of what people would be willing to give. The fact that there could be multiple teams eyeing one of those guys could drive up the price a little bit."

Much of it, of course, might depend on what the Texans do with their pick. Though a selection like Clowney or one of the quarterbacks would make sense for Houston, it's been reported that the team also wouldn't mind trading down.

"Maybe we'll trade down and still get a quarterback that can do the job and get an outstanding defensive player," Texans owner Bob McNair said in January. "It's an exciting time. Everything's a moving target. Lot of different pieces."

And lots of different teams who might want to take a crack at either the No. 1 or No. 2 selections. For now, we wait, because by this time next week, a team's thought process might have changed completely.

[Bob]

It is, we want to thank the Redskins for making that dumb trade a couple of years ago and giving us the number two pick in the draft this year.  And yes other teams, we will talk to you all about trades.

Just heat up the BBQ, cool the beer, and watch the cards fall!

I love this.

[RVR II]

Petition seeks to ban Vick from camp
April, 7, 2014
ESPN

When he signed with the New York Jets, quarterback Michael Vick said he appreciates the fans who "accept me for who I am and what I've become, not for what I've done. I think right now my past is irrelevant." Not to everyone, apparently.

Vick's past -- specifically, his ties to an illegal dog-fighting ring -- has sparked a Change.org petition that wants him banned from the team's training camp in Cortland, N.Y. The petition, addressed to SUNY Cortland president Eric J. Bitterbaum, had more than 1,500 signatures as of Monday night.

In 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge and served 19 months in prison.

The petition shows a picture of a maimed dog and provides graphic detail of the crimes committed by the Bad Newz Kennels, bankrolled by Vick. It claims Vick is a "sociopath," adding, "We MUST send the message that we won't be party to the torture of animals by conveniently forgetting what he has done. If we welcome Vick onto our campus, we are complicit in his crimes."

The Jets declined to comment on the petition, referring to previous statements by Vick and owner Woody Johnson.

"We welcome Michael Vick to our team," Johnson said recently. "We fully understand the gravity of some of his past actions, believe that he has paid his debt to society and taken advantage of his second chance."

Technically, the Jets haven't announced their plans to return to Cortland, although Johnson indicated at the Super Bowl that the team probably will train there for the fifth time. Vick signed a one-year, $4 million contract to compete with Geno Smith for the starting job.

[RVR II]

Confirmed! The Bills are coming to town for the first pre-season game!!
Fri.-Sun. Aug. 8-10    
BUFFALO BILLS vs PANTHERS
@ Bank of America Stadium
Time: TBD
I think I might have to go to that game 

[Bob]

And root for who???

[RVR II]

And root for who???

Both.. Proly the Bills 

There's a Bills Backers club at the Towne Tavern in Fort Mill, SC just a few miles from my locale, and last time the Bills came to town, they had tickets for sale that included a charter bus to take us from the Town Tavern to the Panthers stadium and back. We had nose-bleed seats but still it was a really cool setup
Pretty sure they will do that again for this game (I hope)

[RVR II]

Colin Kaepernick Investigated for Possible Sexual Assault in Miami

Apr 10, 2014


Colin Kaepernick Investigated for Possible Sexual Assault in Miami

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is under investigation for a potential sexual assault incident.

According to TMZ law enforcement sources, the incident allegedly occurred this month at the Viceroy Hotel in Miami.

Also under investigation are 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton and Seahawks wideout Ricardo Lockette (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee):

Barrows had more on the incident surrounding Kaepernick, Patton and Lockette:

    According to the report, the incident occurred April 1 when a woman went to Lockette's apartment in Miami at 9 p.m. Kaepernick and Patton were there, and the woman made drinks and served shots to the players. She was also told "to drink the shots she had to 'hit' the bong which contained marijuana," the report said.

    The report continues to say that the woman felt light headed and went to a bedroom where she was later joined by Kaepernick, 26, with whom she had a sexual relationship in the past. Kaepernick then left the bedroom. The two did not have sex, she said in the report. The report says that Patton, 23, and Lockette, 27, peeked inside the bedroom and that the woman yelled at them to get out.

    According to the report, the woman does not remember anything about the night after that. She woke up in a hospital bed the following morning not knowing how she got there. The woman, whose name is redacted, reported the incident to police on April 3.

San Francisco GM Trent Baalke commented on the allegations (via TMZ): "The 49ers organization is aware of the recent media report regarding Colin Kaepernick and is in the process of gathering the pertinent facts."

After leading the Niners to the Super Bowl two seasons ago and the NFC Championship Game this past season, there is no question that Kaepernick is one of the league's fastest-rising stars.

He is a major dual-threat player who is still coming into his own as a quarterback, and he could potentially be rewarded with a big contract in the near future.

According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, Baalke revealed the organization's intention to strike a long-term deal with Kaepernick last month.

"We're going to work extremely hard, very diligently in trying to get something done prior to training camp. That's the objective right now, as it stands," Baalke said.

Some are skeptical about whether Kaepernick is deserving of a big contract from an on-field perspective, but John McMullen shot that down on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco:

Even though Kap still needs to add some polish to his game, it is difficult to argue with the results that the 26-year-old gunslinger has produced thus far.

Of course, the contract status could be impacted by the sexual assault investigation, depending upon how things progress. It's impossible to speculate on whether this smoke will lead to fire, but it definitely raises some red flags.

One can only assume that the 49ers will do their own due diligence regarding these charges before they decide on Kaepernick's long-term future with the team.

Kaepernick has seemingly been a model citizen throughout his NFL career, so this investigation doesn't appear to fit his profile. Kaepernick definitely finds himself in hot water, though, and 49ers fans will unquestionably have their fingers on the pulse of this situation moving forward.   

[Bob]

NFL draft in 28 days!

[RVR II]

WTF is up with the 49ers

Aldon Smith detained at airport
Updated: April 13, 2014, 7:59 PM ET
ESPN

   
Aldon Smith Detained At Airport
Adam Schefter details the latest on Aldon Smith, who was detained at Los Angeles International Airport for indicating he was in possession of a bomb.Tags: Aldon Smith, 49ers, Adam Schefter, Airport, Bomb

Los Angeles police detained San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday afternoon after he indicated he was in possession of a bomb.

The police did not identify the man they detained as Smith, but 49ers general manager Trent Baalke issued a statement that confirmed it, saying: "We are disappointed to learn of the incident today involving Aldon Smith. As this is a pending legal matter and we are still gathering the pertinent facts, we will have no further comment."

Aldon Smith
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesTroubled 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was detainedat Los Angeles International Airport.

According to Los Angeles police public information officer Karla Ortiz, the incident happened as the man later identified as Smith was going through Terminal 1 screening and was randomly selected for secondary screening.

Smith then became belligerent and uncooperative with the process and with the TSA agent, making a comment indicating that he was in possession of a bomb before proceeding toward the gate area, according to Ortiz.

Los Angeles Airport Police made contact with him at the gate and he then became uncooperative again and was detained and taken into custody by Airport Police.

Many people on the scene, including former Marine veteran Clayton Mullaly, captured the incident on video.

This incident is Smith's latest run-in with the law.

In November, Smith pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from an incident at a party at his home in 2012.

Smith also missed five games this past season while spending time in an alcohol treatment center. He entered treatment voluntarily three days after he was arrested for drunk driving for the second time since early 2012.

Despite the five-game absence, Smith finished with 12 sacks and 34 tackles over the course of the Niners' season, which ended in a NFC Championship Game loss to division rival Seattle.

Smith, 24, is facing charges for both the arrest for the incident at his home and the September arrest for drunk driving. This latest incident could trigger league discipline. The NFL did not suspended Smith after the September arrest. In October, commissioner Roger Goodell said the fact that Smith voluntarily sought treatment could play a role in him not getting a suspension.

[Bob]

Their coach is a little asshole, so it melts on the players

[RVR II]

Here you go Bob!

Rams offer $100K for nailing '14 slate
Updated: April 15, 2014, 9:37 AM ET
ESPN.com


EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It's not quite Warren Buffett and his billion dollar prize for a perfect NCAA tournament bracket, but the St. Louis Rams are offering a lucrative reward for a guessing game of their own.

The Rams announced Monday that any person who can guess their 2014 schedule with 100 percent accuracy will win $100,000. To win the prize, the participant must correctly hit on all facets of the schedule, including each week''s opponent, location, the exact date of the game and the date of the bye week.

The Rams are offering a $100,000 prize to anyone that can accurately predict the schedule for coach Jeff Fisher and his team.

In other words, it's not as simple as just guessing which team the Rams will play in a given week.

With so many moving parts, like predicting which games might fall on a Thursday or Monday night, the contest has better odds than something as extensive as the NCAA tournament, but still figures to offer longshot odds, at best.

In the even more unlikely event that more than one person accurately predicts the schedule, the Rams will hold a trivia contest as a tiebreaker. The contest is limited to those 18 or older with a limit of one entry per person. Those that want to participate can enter at the team's website, stlouisrams.com/guessourgames.

The Buffalo Bills created a contest of their own, with a prize of season tickets for life if a fan correctly guesses the team's schedule. The entry that correctly predicts the most games will win 2014 season tickets.

Although the NFL has yet to reveal when it will announce this year's regular-season schedule, it's expected to come sometime next week. The Rams set a deadline of April 21 at 5:59 p.m. ET for entries.

"In anticipation of the Rams 2014 regular season schedule release, we are excited to offer fans the unique opportunity to win $100,000," Rams vice president of marketing Brian Killingsworth said in a statement. "We challenge our fans to accurately predict all 17 weeks of the team's regular season schedule and win the cash prize."

[KidFlash]

$100k? The Bills are offering season tickets for life for anyone who nails the schedule. Outside of the reported Thanksgiving game in Detroit, the Thursday Night game and a rumored Monday Night appearance against the Packers, that might be tricky.