The Official 2023 NFL Off-Season Thread

[acmillis]

Why?

#1 signing a player and then trading them opens yourself up to take massive dead cap hits. Let's assume a team signs Lamar to a 5 year $225mil deal with a $70mil signing bonus and Baltimore matches. Trading him would mean they eat that entire $70mil signing bonus up front. That's $70mil in dead money. It wouldn't happen. Additionally any other bonuses tied to the deal, Baltimore's salary cap would be on the hook for. Fiscally it would not be realistic.


Edit: Close to what @Snake said. They wouldn't eat all guarantee money but they would eat all bonus money as it's paid out up front and prorated.

So you were lying when you said they can’t do it.

[CantonJester]

Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Vegas, and Washington are all out on Jackson. This was always about tossing a cold bucket of water on his fully guaranteed demands.

It’s totally collusion, but good luck proving it.

[Grahamburn]

Wow.

[BucsNBills]

Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Vegas, and Washington are all out on Jackson. This was always about tossing a cold bucket of water on his fully guaranteed demands.

It’s totally collusion, but good luck proving it.

If true, this presents a unique opportunity for the Bucs.

[Phantom]

Yeah I think No one want to pay him the ridiculous huge guarantee money

[Bootz]

Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Vegas, and Washington are all out on Jackson. This was always about tossing a cold bucket of water on his fully guaranteed demands.

It’s totally collusion, but good luck proving it.

Miami has their QB.

Vegas doesn't want to continue shelling out draft picks so I get that.

But the other 3?? Tell your fanbase you have no intentions of winning at all. Not sure I'd say collusion just yet.

[Bootz]

Wait a minute! Why would all of those teams announce that they don't plan to pursue him all at once??? That is odd.

[BucsNBills]

I wonder what consequences there would be if collusion was happening and provable.

[Phantom]

Should 49ers try trade for Jackson?

[Snake]

Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Vegas, and Washington are all out on Jackson. This was always about tossing a cold bucket of water on his fully guaranteed demands.

It’s totally collusion, but good luck proving it.

This is fascinating at hell.

Remember, owners were pisssssed at the Haslam’s!

[Phantom]

Falcons fans in Atlanta are weird. They’re happy that the Falcons are out of Jackson sweepstakes because they don’t want to give up lot of draft pick and can’t afford him. Spend money on defense

[Naismith]

I want the Bucs to trade for 2024 picks and take the financial pain from past decisions, but I'd throw that plan in the trash for a shot at Lamar. Two firsts and a huge contract is a tiny amount for a 26 year old MVP QB.

[GreatTimes]

Wait a minute! Why would all of those teams announce that they don't plan to pursue him all at once??? That is odd.

It is not odd when you factor in that the Ravens just announced that they were placing Jackson on the non exclusive tag.

[BucsNBills]

It's pretty obvious collusion, which is fucked up. Guess we'll see if the Glazers are in on the fix as well soon enough.

If not, and they show they have some balls, we could land an elite QB that can help continue the winning ways in Tampa.

I'm not sure about any of you, but I'd rather not go back to being the punching bag of the league for the next 20 years until we win another Super Bowl.

[Bootz]

All these teams were lining up for Deshaun Watson, an inferior player with a a major scandal looming along with clear mental problems and a very high trade price but not 1 wants a former league MVP? Yea I was wrong, that's definitely collusion.

[Snake]

How serious was Lamar’s injury?

Anyways, I’m reading some takes about the lack of interest (with respect to the cost):

“He’s been unavailable for two playoffs pushes, straight.”

“Hasn’t won a playoff game since 2020.”

“Was an MVP 3 seasons ago. Not last season.”

“1-4 playoff record, injury prone, QBs dependent on athleticism can fall off overnight.”

[Doctor]

Watch Snyder offers him the deal, sealing the precedent from here forward, right as they are kicking him out. Ha!

[Snake]

Watch Snyder offers him the deal, sealing the precedent from here forward, right as they are kicking him out. Ha!

I can only get so erect.

I’ll contact you if it’s there after 3 hours.

[Doctor]

[CantonJester]

Came here to post this tweet.

[Cheb]

My guess:

A - Lamar wants the most guaranteed money in NFL history, and that's off-putting for a player who relys on his athleticism to make plays.
B - They don't want to give him fully guaranteed money on principle because it reinforces a bad precedent for future contracts from a team perspective (thank Deshaun Watson for being the first to do that).
C - Lamar went 15-9 the last two years and couldn't finish either season due to injury.
D - There are reports out there that Lamar could have played last season in the playoffs but chose not to, and regardless of the truth of those rumors they could plant seeds of doubt.
E - Teams don't want to pay two first rounders for the privilege of signing him, which is all the more complicated by A though D above.

Take your pick.

[Snake]

People tend to forget Cousins’s fully guaranteed 3 year deal that made him the highest paid player in NFL history.

Maybe because it was only 3 years

[Doctor]

Yes, but it's a MARKET. It's about SHOPPING.
Maybe Lamar does want that but no one wants to give it to him, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't want to give him SOMETHING. Some offer. 90%, 80%, 70% gauranteed. If you have any interest in the guy, and they ALL should have interest, you at least talk to the guy. Why announce you're out? Especially in such a coordinated fashion?

[Bootz]

People tend to forget Cousins’s fully guaranteed 3 year deal that made him the highest paid player in NFL history.

Maybe because it was only 3 years

But he was way better than Lamar.....

[Snake]

Yes, but it's a MARKET. It's about SHOPPING.
Maybe Lamar does want that but no one wants to give it to him, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't want to give him SOMETHING. Some offer. 90%, 80%, 70% gauranteed. If you have any interest in the guy, and they ALL should have interest, you at least talk to the guy. Why announce you're out? Especially in such a coordinated fashion?

Does any team benefit from saying they’re in on Lamar?

Deny deny deny!

[CantonJester]

Yes, but it's a MARKET. It's about SHOPPING.
Maybe Lamar does want that but no one wants to give it to him, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't want to give him SOMETHING. Some offer. 90%, 80%, 70% gauranteed. If you have any interest in the guy, and they ALL should have interest, you at least talk to the guy. Why announce you're out? Especially in such a coordinated fashion?

Ever since the NFLPA began circling around agent-less Lamar Jackson, the rumors of a guaranteed contract swirled.

This is the owners collaborative (COUGH-collusive-COUGH) effort to clap back a the NFLPA.

[Bootz]

Yes, but it's a MARKET. It's about SHOPPING.
Maybe Lamar does want that but no one wants to give it to him, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't want to give him SOMETHING. Some offer. 90%, 80%, 70% gauranteed. If you have any interest in the guy, and they ALL should have interest, you at least talk to the guy. Why announce you're out? Especially in such a coordinated fashion?

Does any team benefit from saying they’re in on Lamar?

Deny deny deny!

They don't benefit from announcing they are out on him either. Especially when no one asked

[Doctor]

Exactly. No news would makes sense.

But hey, if all these teams want out go for it. Once the league year starts things will start to shift. Heck, if all these teams are still out I would gladly jump in. I'm sure plenty of players would restructure to bring in Lamar. I mean we really only need 5 dudes to play ball, Evans, Shaq, Godwin, Vea, CD3.

[_MB_]

Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Vegas, and Washington are all out on Jackson. This was always about tossing a cold bucket of water on his fully guaranteed demands.

It’s totally collusion, but good luck proving it.

Maybe this isn't true at all.

[Bootz]

Exactly. No news would makes sense.

But hey, if all these teams want out go for it. Once the league year starts things will start to shift. Heck, if all these teams are still out I would gladly jump in. I'm sure plenty of players would restructure to bring in Lamar. I mean we really only need 5 dudes to play ball, Evans, Shaq, Godwin, Vea, CD3.

Deshaun Watson's cap hit for 2022 was just over $9mil. If we could pull this thing off, boy oh boy. I'm just glad we weren't one of those teams who bowed out without being asked a thing.

[Phantom]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers


The Buccaneers might be at the start of life without Tom Brady and should probably try and tank for USC’s Caleb Williams next year.

But wouldn’t it be really fun to see Jackson play in Western Florida? Wouldn’t be it pretty sweet to see him launch dimes to Chris Godwin and (maybe) Mike Evans? It’s not like the Buccaneers are cash-strapped. They have over $58 million in cap space, and they need a quarterback.

Getting Jackson would be bold but certainly not out of the ordinary for GM Jason Licht.

[Snake]

Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Vegas, and Washington are all out on Jackson. This was always about tossing a cold bucket of water on his fully guaranteed demands.

It’s totally collusion, but good luck proving it.

Maybe this isn't true at all.

Yeah, It’s not like teams are releasing PR statements on this. It’s “team sources say” type of stuff.

[_MB_]

Maybe this isn't true at all.

Yeah, It’s not like teams are releasing PR statements on this. It’s “team sources say” type of stuff.

It's more likely to me than half the NFC South kicking the tires on a league MVP QB and saying "nah". Especially after watching the Bucs do it and win it all.

[Cheb]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers


The Buccaneers might be at the start of life without Tom Brady and should probably try and tank for USC’s Caleb Williams next year.

But wouldn’t it be really fun to see Jackson play in Western Florida? Wouldn’t be it pretty sweet to see him launch dimes to Chris Godwin and (maybe) Mike Evans? It’s not like the Buccaneers are cash-strapped. They have over $58 million in cap space, and they need a quarterback.

Getting Jackson would be bold but certainly not out of the ordinary for GM Jason Licht.

Such bad journalism. Apparently that's from USA Today? For shame.

[Phantom]

Such bad journalism. Apparently that's from USA Today? For shame.

Yup