NFL News

[Futureshock]

Carson Wentz out indefinitely with foot injury

Posted by Michael David Smith on July 30, 2021, 12:45 PM EDT

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The Colts do not yet know how serious quarterback Carson Wentz‘s foot injury is, but it’s starting to look like a concern.

Wentz missed practice today and now is out indefinitely as he continues to get testing on the foot, according to Adam Schefter and Mike Wells of ESPN.

The Colts traded for Wentz, a favorite of coach Frank Reich, with the idea that they could get him back on track after a disastrous 2020 season in Philadelphia. They’d like to see him get as much work in with the Colts’ offense as he can in training camp.

But for now Wentz is out, and 2020 fourth-round pick Jacob Eason and 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ellinger are the next two quarterbacks on the depth chart.

[The King]

Not to mention they are actually paying HUGE money to Wentz. I think they gave Rivers $20 million last year. So this Ballard clown is willing to pay QB, it’s just that he ends up with total scrubs.

[Fraquar]

The ironic thing about Bill Belichick is that he himself came from the Bill Parcells coaching tree, but Parcells himself never won anything of note whenever Belichick wasn't his defensive coordinator.

When you look at it, it's not Belichick or Parcells that was the genius of the Giants.
It was Lawrence Taylor.

The Giants had been a staunch 4-3 defense. Parcells was brought on board to be the DC - and he changed them to a 3-4. The SAME year Lawrence Taylor was drafted. The rest is history. That was a team built on defense, with arguably one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Simms getting hurt meant they had to endure 2 years of Brunner - which as awesome as LT was - he was powerless to stop his OWN QB.....

Belichick learned the defense as a LB coach (he was a mere 29 years old) - then took advantage of that when he became DC 5 years later.

If anything can be said about Parcells, it's that the game probably passed him by. Pretty sure Belichick learned much from that as well as he saw his mentor in his latter years.

[Tom]

I thought Indy would be a better situation for Stafford. Too bad the Colts didn’t make a serious move for him.

[dpatnod]

I thought Indy would be good for him too. But I think I was expecting it to be the 49-ers.

[jaadam4]

Potential bad foot injury for Wentz. That dude is trash. I can’t believe he was Indy’s plan at QB.

That’s what happens when you get stingy with those draft picks. That was such a good situation for Stafford, I thought for sure he was going there.

[Futureshock]

That’s what happens when you get stingy with those draft picks. That was such a good situation for Stafford, I thought for sure he was going there.

Yup. And that will be their Achilles heel. Maybe they still can win with having a "lesser" QB there. If so, they'll need an even better team around him.

Ballard. What makes him good, makes him not good too.

[Futureshock]

Bruce Arians: Bucs will be 92 percent vaccinated by August 13, close to 100 percent by season

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 1, 2021, 2:34 PM EDT

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Bruce Arians has no doubt that the Buccaneers will get their players vaccinated by the time the season starts.

Arians said the Bucs will be at 92 percent fully vaccinated by August 13. That suggests that a significant number of Buccaneers players got their second shots yesterday, and that by August 13 they’ll have hit the two weeks after their second shots that makes a person fully vaccinated. Arians indicated that more players are planning to get vaccinated after that.

“It’s all personal decisions and education. By August 13th we’ll be 92 percent,” he said. “We will be close to 100 percent, at least 98 percent.”

Of course, players who are on the roster bubble have to worry that they’ll get cut if they don’t get vaccinated. One way teams can get close to 100 percent vaccinated is to cut close to 100 percent of their unvaccinated players. Arians is right that it’s ultimately the players’ personal decision, but players have to understand that if they want to make a roster, getting vaccinated is the decision to make.

[Futureshock]

Report: Austin is a possible destination, real or threatened, for Bills

Posted by Mike Florio on August 1, 2021, 2:07 PM EDT

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Maybe they’re negotiating. But in any negotiation, the negotiators need to be willing to act in order to have any credibility.

As to the negotiation between the Bills and Buffalo that has begun with the Bills wanting taxpayer funding to pay the full price of a new stadium, an impasse could lead the Bills threatening to move — and potentially moving — elsewhere.

Citing an unnamed ownership source, Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com reports that Austin is a possible destination — or threat — as one of the cities to which Bills ownership was referring when telling government negotiators that “there are other cities elsewhere that desire an NFL franchise and would pay handsomely for it.”

San Antonio was one of the leverage destinations for the Raiders before they moved to Las Vegas, and the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans weren’t believed to be thrilled about the possibility of a third team coming to Texas. Presumably, they wouldn’t want a team in Austin, either.

Regardless, it’s not about moving at this point. It’s about making the politicians in New York think a move could happen. Until they do, they won’t open up the public coffers.

[Futureshock]

Bills want new stadium to be completely funded by taxpayer money

Posted by Mike Florio on August 1, 2021, 11:03 AM EDT

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For most new stadiums funded by public money, taxpayers don’t foot the full bill. In Buffalo, that’s what the Bills want the citizens to do.

According to Tom Precious of the Buffalo News, Pegula Sports and Entertainment has made a $1.5 billion proposal for a new Bills stadium and renovation costs for the arena in which the Buffalo Sabres play hockey. Per the report, the proposal asks for the full cost of the new Bills stadium to be covered by public funds.

Per the report, that’s a “non-starter.”

And here’s the kicker from the article, the thing that will be met with a loud and hostile reaction from any Bills fans in Buffalo who refuse to acknowledge the reality that football is business: “The team has made no overt threats, sources say, to leave Buffalo if it doesn’t get the full funding request, but it has made clear to government negotiators that there are other cities elsewhere that desire an NFL franchise and would pay handsomely for it.”

Here’s the basic reality when it comes to stadium politics. Owners ask for free money to keep the team where it is. If that money isn’t available, they look to other cities that would be willing to foot the bill — either as leverage or as a true and genuine alternative.

That’s why the Raiders left Oakland. They couldn’t get much (or any) public money to stay where they were. They got a huge amount of it to move to Las Vegas. So they did.

And if a team will be paying for its own stadium (Bills co-owner Kim Pegula previously has said they can’t afford to do that), it makes sense to pay for that stadium in a larger market and/or one that will allow the venue to host as many other events as possible.

That’s why the Rams left St. Louis. Stan Kroenke, who could have gotten significant public money in St. Louis, decided to write the check for his own place because he believes that it will pay for itself and then some.

In Buffalo, it’s too early to suspect that the Bills may move. However, the Pegulas may need to persuade state and local officials that they’re willing to move the team in order to get the kind of public money they want.

It’s also entirely possible that the 100-percent proposal is merely an opener, and that the Bills are willing to partially fund the stadium with Pegula money or PSLs. Regardless, the bottom line surely falls somewhere between 100 percent and zero; the fact that they want it all to be covered by taxpayer money suggests that the drop-dead amount is closer to 100 than zero.

We’ll see where it goes from here. The Pegulas reportedly want a quick resolution. The current lease expires in 2023. So the clock is ticking, and the battle lines are beginning to come into focus. At a time when Bills fans have a reason to be excited about their team, they soon may have to begin worrying about its potential exit.

[Cody_Russell]

Smith’s ability to stay healthy was his big question during draft season and well… off to a rocky start.

Yup. And that will be their Achilles heel. Maybe they still can win with having a "lesser" QB there. If so, they'll need an even better team around him.

Ballard. What makes him good, makes him not good too.

Sounds like Scott Pioli’s issue as GM of the Chiefs.
Pioli was decent at everything but finding a QB. It led to his eventual downfall.

[edindetroit]

Report: Austin is a possible destination, real or threatened, for Bills

Posted by Mike Florio on August 1, 2021, 2:07 PM EDT

Getty Images

Maybe they’re negotiating. But in any negotiation, the negotiators need to be willing to act in order to have any credibility.

As to the negotiation between the Bills and Buffalo that has begun with the Bills wanting taxpayer funding to pay the full price of a new stadium, an impasse could lead the Bills threatening to move — and potentially moving — elsewhere.

Citing an unnamed ownership source, Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com reports that Austin is a possible destination — or threat — as one of the cities to which Bills ownership was referring when telling government negotiators that “there are other cities elsewhere that desire an NFL franchise and would pay handsomely for it.”

San Antonio was one of the leverage destinations for the Raiders before they moved to Las Vegas, and the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans weren’t believed to be thrilled about the possibility of a third team coming to Texas. Presumably, they wouldn’t want a team in Austin, either.

Regardless, it’s not about moving at this point. It’s about making the politicians in New York think a move could happen. Until they do, they won’t open up the public coffers.

Texas already has 2 football teams they don't need another. Move them to Grand Rapids Michigan and give the Ford family some real competition for fans in this state.

[Fraquar]

Texas already has 2 football teams they don't need another. Move them to Grand Rapids Michigan and give the Ford family some real competition for fans in this state.

Well, Ohio has 2 and you can fit like 6 Ohio's in Texas. Same with Pennsylvania.
Needs got nothing to do with it - just the almighty dollah.

[chemiclord]

Grand Rapids has actually come up a couple times in regards to a pro sports franchise, and the answer has largely been the same. The city is not willing to play ball, and the big money that is here is more than content to own franchises elsewhere (see also, DeVos and the Orlando Magic).

The area is happy with their smattering of minor league franchises and has no desire to upgrade. Give it another twenty years and that might change... but people were saying THAT twenty years ago.

[Futureshock]

Smith’s ability to stay healthy was his big question during draft season and well… off to a rocky start.




Sounds like Scott Pioli’s issue as GM of the Chiefs.
Pioli was decent at everything but finding a QB. It led to his eventual downfall.

Every GM has a weak spot. Ravens - QB and WRs. Pitt - WRs. NE - WRs ETC...