# NFL Offseason - Free Agency through Minicamps **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 4, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162 "2015-03-04T01:35:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/181 "2015-04-08T17:32:40Z")
Jabaal Sheard was a _very_ nice pickup at LB, though. Chimdi Chekwa is no Revis at DB, but he’s a good addition too. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/182 "2015-04-09T18:34:11Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Jabaal Sheard was a _very_ nice pickup at LB, though. Chimdi Chekwa is no Revis at DB, but he’s a good addition too. I did forget those guys, thanks. Chekwa is a special teams player with a hint of potential. Sheard is a good pick-up and seems to be a good fit for the Pats scheme. Belichick likes those versatile guys and is creative using them. They’ll need him to get to the QB quick with this secondary. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/183 "2015-04-10T01:25:32Z")
They kept Devin McCourty as well. Glad the Giants didn’t get him. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/184 "2015-04-10T16:57:15Z")
[Troy Polamalu’s hanging up his helmet](http://www.heraldstandard.com/new_today/polamalu-retires-from-football/article_6883f09f-9eef-5486-85c4-755197faf308.html). I can’t decide if that really changes anything, other than taking a high-visibility player off the field and out of the media. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/185 "2015-04-10T17:15:17Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > [Troy Polamalu’s hanging up his helmet](http://www.heraldstandard.com/new_today/polamalu-retires-from-football/article_6883f09f-9eef-5486-85c4-755197faf308.html). > > I can’t decide if that really changes anything, other than taking a high-visibility player off the field and out of the media. He went from a top 5 Safety to an average player pretty quickly. I think it’s great he decided to hang them up rather than deteriorating as a player. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/186 "2015-04-16T19:30:09Z")
Not much going on, so I’ll post this [tidbit about Rex Ryan](http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/14/rex-ryan-responds-to-jace-amaro-rex-ryan-style/), the most over-rated, underachieving coach in the NFL. To sum up, a player from his previous Jets team, TE Jace Amaro, said that "guys just weren’t accountable last year as much as they could be.” Ryan’s response is "“He’s full of shit, and I’ll remind him of that when we play him … We’ll see how happy he is when I play against him.” As usual, his response is schoolyard bluster, the equivalent of “Oh yeah? Well I’m gonna kick his ass!” That’s great, Rex. Even if you do, that doesn’t mean he’s not right about last season. This particular article eats it up and goes on to apologize for Rex “not being Rex” for the last couple of seasons in NY. I’ve posted this before, but I just don’t get why people think Rex Ryan is a good coach. In my view, he’s a joke. He’s all talk and no action, all bluster and no delivery. His tenure with the Jets was mostly a failure that had a clear downward trend - his most successful seasons came from a good team that he inherited. And yet every season he’s up there guaranteeing Super Bowls when everyone knows his team is going to be 7-9 at best. Confidence is one thing, but it just makes him look like an idiot to me. Any Jets fans want to set me straight? Are Buffalo fans in love with Rex? (I’d much rather have kept Doug Marrone). Why is this dillweed not laughed out of the locker room? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/187 "2015-04-16T21:21:35Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > I’ve posted this before, but I just don’t get why people think Rex Ryan is a good coach. He was defensive coordinator of some truly fantastic defenses in Baltimore, and helped turn an average Jets defense into one of the best in the league. He took an OK team with a shitty rookie QB to the AFC Championship two years straight. With those kinds of results, I think it’s clear he’s not a “joke”. But he’s not a great coach either. While I put a great deal of his more recent troubles down to some horrible decisions in the front office (Sanchez and Geno?, Braylon?), at least part of the problem lies with Rex’s inability to put together a good offense and to keep up a solid defense with less than stellar players. I don’t think he’s a very good NFL head coach, but he does know defense, so I don’t think he’s a “joke”. He’s certainly over-rated, arrogant, and delusional, but I think he may actually find some success in Buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/188 "2015-04-16T23:46:09Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > his most successful seasons came from a good team that he inherited. There are many words this secondary Jets fan can use to describe the Mangini-era Jets. “Good team” doesn’t make the list. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/189 "2015-04-17T15:19:35Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > There are many words this secondary Jets fan can use to describe the Mangini-era Jets. “Good team” doesn’t make the list. OK, fair enough. He took over a “winning team,” anyway. As I was looking up the stats, I noticed that Ryan actually ended up with the exact same winning percentage as Mangini over twice as many games. So he’s definitely at least as good as Mangini 😉 [QUOTE=Hamlet] He was defensive coordinator of some truly fantastic defenses in Baltimore, and helped turn an average Jets defense into one of the best in the league. He took an OK team with a shitty rookie QB to the AFC Championship two years straight. With those kinds of results, I think it’s clear he’s not a “joke”. [/QUOTE] Also fair. I think he actually is a good defensive coordinator, so I should have qualified my original post to refer to his abilities as a head coach. I wonder if that’s it - people (particularly the sports media) still slobber over him because of those Ravens defenses while ignoring his obvious mediocrity as a head coach. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/190 "2015-04-18T00:26:14Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > I wonder if that’s it - people (particularly the sports media) still slobber over him because of those Ravens defenses while ignoring his obvious mediocrity as a head coach. It’s more about how his great defense miracle’d the craptastic Mark Sanchez into the AFC Championship Game two years in a row. He was a huge step down from the mediocre Chad Pennington. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/191 "2015-04-19T23:35:30Z")
So Tim Tebow has apparently signed with the Eagles. In case anyone cares. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/192 "2015-04-20T00:16:53Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So Tim Tebow has apparently signed with the Eagles. > > In case anyone cares. C’mon, it’s been a month or so since Chip Kelly grabbed a headline. He needs his fix. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/193 "2015-04-20T00:42:04Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So Tim Tebow has apparently signed with the Eagles. > > In case anyone cares. Somewhere, Mark Sanchez sits, crying, wondering how he could have ended up competing for a spot against Tebow AGAIN. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/194 "2015-04-20T00:45:17Z")
Homeless, need help. Will hyperbole for new team. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/195 "2015-04-20T01:45:46Z")
> [@Jules\_Andre](#): > > Homeless, need help. Will hyperbole for new team. The Ravens have a really good management team. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/196 "2015-04-20T01:49:28Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So Tim Tebow has apparently signed with the Eagles. > > In case anyone cares. Ooooh, according to ESPN, if Kelley can trade Matt Barkley for Geno Smith or Chad Henne, he’ll have four of the worst five quaterbacks over the last five years (min. 30 games). ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/197 "2015-04-20T16:07:48Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So Tim Tebow has apparently signed with the Eagles. > > In case anyone cares. Sam Bradford must look _really_ bad. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/198 "2015-04-20T22:47:01Z")
I’m tempted to sneak into my gym as well as the work breakroom and block ESPN for the next 3 months. I don’t think I can stand months of talk about a backup quarterback. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2015, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/199 "2015-04-23T13:20:36Z")
So the NFL suspended Greg Hardy for [10 games](http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/12742740/greg-hardy-dallas-cowboys-suspended-10-games-nfl). Even as a Cowboy fan who was luke-warm on the signing, I’m not too upset at the length of the suspension itself, but it really doesn’t seem like Goodell has any sort of policy in place but is just reading the public’s opinion and hoping to get a good response. The original policy was 2 days, then after Ray Rice they upped it to 6 days but for some reason Hardy gets 10 days…it’s like at the beginning of the season a false start is 5 yards, then 10 yards after Thanksgiving and then 15 yards in the playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162/200 "2015-04-23T13:39:50Z")
Goodell reportedly suspended Aaron Hernandez for four games following his murder conviction. Oh, wait, that was a _joke_? You’re sure? The draft is just a few weeks away. If the Colts are going to be docked a pick for Deflategate, it has to happen soon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-free-agency-through-minicamps/714162.md?page=11)