NFL (since 2016)

[crystal falace]

"Free agency started last night and was pretty crazy some huge money being spent. Osweiler getting £18m a year for the Texans, leaving the Broncos without a QB, Giants have spent a fortune on good but not great players, Oliver Vernon has more guaranteed money than JJ Watt. lots more deals but cant be bothered to list them all."

[Far Cough]

"southbank, not really, he started very well then his production tailed off and the view of many was the trade was better for the Cowgirls than it was for the Vikes"

[ironsofcanada]

"Far Cough 12:27 Wed Oct 30 Helped make the great Cowboy teams, I hear. A little before my actual NFL time, I do, however, remember Dreadlock Ditka trading everyone of his picks that year for the right to draft Ricky Williams. And then Williams ends up in the CFL for a year."

[southbankbornnbred]

"That worked out really well for the Vikes! Dallas, on the other hand, used it to build an era-defining team of multi-gabillionnaires using Jones' cash and Johnson's superb coaching: but only after they purposefully tanked the first season to get the top pick (Aikman)."

[crystal falace]

"One trade which happened yesterday which did seem very odd to me. Talib was traded to the dolphins for a 7th round pick, but the Rams also gave the Fins a 5th round pick. Essentially buying a draft pick to take the salary cap hit on him."

[Far Cough]

Anyone remember the Herschel Walker trade? One of the biggest if not the biggest trade in NFL history?

[southbankbornnbred]

"Irons - yep, it was never going to last, that league. Especially when Donald Trump got involved!"

[ironsofcanada]

southbankbornnbred 12:23 Wed Oct 30 The league had to collapse for him to come back though.

[ironsofcanada]

"Bo Jackson was huge and did go play baseball, if I remember correctly. Then the Raiders let him do both. But Tampa Bay lied to him and said that flying him somewhere on a private jet was not a violation of NCAA rules but it was and it ended his college baseball career. He said publicly he would not play for them and they still drafted him. The hype around him was incredible but the commercials still hold up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaSdlW1W9yU I also remember Brian Bosworth in a similar time. The days of reading Sports Illustrated and going to practice at 6:30 in the morning."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Jim Kelly's 1983 NFL rights were always held by the Bills. They drafted him in the first round that year. He wasn't sure about playing in Buffalo's cold weather, so fecked off to the rival USFL for two seasons and played in Houston. But he returned to the Bills in 1986 and became a local legend. By losing so many superbowls! ;-)"

[southbankbornnbred]

"""Better things"" in the sense that Montana began to perform better at the 49ers. He was not a better QB than Elway. For me, Elway is the GOAT. Sorry, Patsies, it's just the way it is."

[crystal falace]

Think the manning debacle kind of worked out for everyone. Chargers had a young QB who they thought might be too small and injury prone to play for them so shipped him off to New Orleans once they acquired Rivers

[southbankbornnbred]

"Yeah, they are the two big examples - but they date back to 2005 and 1983. I remember when I was in the States speaking to a sports journalist about the draft process. He said what usually happens at pre-draft/interview stage is the young QB and his representatives would make it clear if they had no intention of joining a specific team - and explain why. That way, most teams sniffing around that player would get a feel for whether there is going to be a problem before the draft. In the case of Elway, which goes back to 1983, the pre-draft process was not as advanced as now, and the Colts were just unwilling to bend on the best player in the draft (yes, sorry all fans of Marino, Kelly, O'Brien and Blackledge!). They wanted the best young player in the game no matter what - and I don't blame them. So they ended up trading picks, a back-up quarterback and linemen for Elway. Technically speaking, Elway was actually drafted by the Colts - and then traded away to Denver. Eli Manning was a similar situation: he'd made it clear he was never going to play for the chargers, so the west coast outfit cut a deal with the Giants and took Philip Rivers instead. Here's a bit of trivia for you, though: as part of the pre-trade discussions over Elway, the Colts discussed taking an under-performing existing NFL starter in exchange for Elway and some picks. That under-performing NFL starter was Joe Montana from the 49ers. The deal never came off and Joe kinda' went on to better things..."

[ironsofcanada]

"And Jim Kelly And Bo ""Knows"" Jackson (Always the remember the fluorescent t-shirt I had with his slogan on it.) Some lesser know ones came over to us in the CFL years back but they have had an agreement with the NFL for a while now."

[crystal falace]

the 2 i remember reading about were Eli Manning refusing to go to San Diego when drafted because apparently his Dad told him to. And Elway refusing to join the colts and instead saying he'd go and play baseball if they selected him.

[southbankbornnbred]

"I guess you get a lot more of it once players are under contract and then hold out for more. Unfortunately, it's primarily about the money for many players in the NFL. Not all, but many. A major reason why so few players refuse to be drafted by specific teams at the actual draft is because a) they generally make that clear in pre-draft talks/interviews and b) rookie contracts are partially structured/capped to equalise the cash across the league by position. QB is an exception, obviously."

[Lee Trundle]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more players who have refused to play for a team they've been drafted to. (that makes sense!)

[southbankbornnbred]

"To round-up the aftermath of the Jets' absolute meltdown on trade deadline day... All three of the big names shopped around the NFL for high picks ended up staying: Jamal Adams (s), Robbie Anderson (wr) and Lev Bell (rb). Yet all three were clearly shopped around - Adams to the Cowboys, Bell to Chiefs and Anderson to Giants and others - by our incompetent, juvenile and frog-eyed head coach and his patsy GM. Adams, the team captain and talisman, was furious that he'd been shopped and said he had never wanted to leave. Then Gase's patsy GM, Joe Douglas, who has been as anonymous as Jack the Ripper since taking over, gave a press statement clearly stating that he was not shopping anybody around, including Adams. Which was patently untrue - the Cowboys had already revealed they were in talks about an Adams trade. So add bare-faced liars to Gase and Douglas's resume. Honestly, if you were purposefully trying to act in a way that lost you games, alientated your fan base and pissed off your key players - then the way Gase and Douglas have acted since taking over would be the blueprint for that in the NFL. But, incredibly, they are actually trying to win games and hearts. They are just deeply, massively, catastrophically out of their depth. Like a couple of over-excited teenagers who think that because they've played football manager they can coach a Premier League team. They have no talent, no management skills, no playbook, no business sense and no morals. Fucking kick these two time-wasters straight out the door and bring in some adults. At least the Fish are actually trying to tank. We're just incomprehensibly incompetent. Apart from that I've had a good week."

[Lee Trundle]

I'm surprised more players over the years haven't refused to play for a team they've been drafted to. I suppose money talks though.

[crystal falace]

"never seen anyone openly tanking to the level of the Fins, The colts the year Manning got injured was the last time a team properly tanked in the ""suck for Luck"" campaign, Just think it makes sense for teams who are going nowhere to try and get draft capital for some of the players who are nearing the ends of their contract and are not going to be extended. What would really make me laugh is if Tua refused to go to the dolphins when they take him number 1 overall"

[zebthecat]

As long they don't require a 2 point conversion

[southbankbornnbred]

Nonsense. The Fish would at least take the Monarchs into overtime. ;-)

[Grumpster]

"If we're being honest, the jets and fins dont actually need to throw any games as they couldnt even beat the london monarchs at the moment."

[southbankbornnbred]

"So here we go: eight weeks of utter horseshit, bile, vitriol, self-interest and false promises - and to no avail because it won't fully resolve the key issue. But enough about the Jets' failure to sack Gase - what about the UK's general election? Boom-tish! I thank you...I thank you...no, really...you guys...you're the best audience...I couldn't do it without you..."

[Hermit Road]

Seems like a better idea Irons. The encouragement to absolutely thank produces amusing results but surely it can't be what competitive sports are about.

[ironsofcanada]

"Hermit Road 10:27 Tue Oct 29 Why other North American sports have a draft lottery, with placing giving you weight but does not absolutely determine your place."