West Ham Online

"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."

"BIG day tomorrow. Obviously, the West Ham semi-final sits above everything else. But it is also NFL Draft day, and the Jets have 4 of the first 38 picks. Given our draft history, it's all touch and go as to whether Joe Douglas and Rob Saleh make the right calls. If they do, it could be the start of a bright new era. If they fail (which, let's face it, is a high risk in Gotham), they'll be out the door in January 2023! Thankfully, I'll be half-pissed and too focused on West Ham to get too distracted."

"The big beneficiaries in the draft this year will be NFL sides who already have a good quality starting QB and are looking to put size and strength on their lines to protect QBs and pressure opponents. Looks, at first glance, like a 'big man' year - many potentially good DLs/edges and OLs. The downside to that is that the same elite-level QBs will thrive next season. Depth in protection just augments the quality passers already in the league."

"TM - yeah, at a glance, it looks like the draft is awash with solid defensive talent this year. Probably only a few stand-outs, but many others who are good quality Rnd 1s and 2s. I think sides will still be getting good defensive value in Rnd3 and even Rnd4 in some positions. Same with OLs. Some decent-looking receivers, too. Again, probably no immediate stand-outs. But depth. The only thing lacking this year is depth at QB. Couple of decent passers who could become NFL starters, but it won't be a great year."

"SB, the first five or so edge rushers in this draft are very good but Hutchinson & Thibodeaux are the stand outs. Looks like the jags will take Hutchinson, but Kayvon's a great pick too Regarding Samuel, and I don't know this for sure but the way Shanahan's used him (and I like Kyle) often as a running back, maybe he's worried about his longevity in the league? who knows, it may be more than just money"

Can't blame Samuel for wanting to leave the perennial losers the 49ers. That and the fact he doesn't want to see Nick Scott again.

"Finally, the draft gods have worked in Rob Saleh's favour since he took over. He wanted to focus on offense last year, and landed Wilson, Carter and some very good young linemen in a draft slanted towards offense. This year, Jets have prioritised defense, and the draft looks like it favours big defensive prospects this time around. We desperately need an edge-rusher, a prime-time safety (useless since Adams left) and options at linebacker. Mind you, as our interest in Samuel shows, we still haven't got a primary receiver. In fact, our roster is still generally weak! Can we have 40 picks this year?"

Trunds - that might be why Samuel is off!

"Jets likely sizing up Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon's DL/linebacker, as the #4 overall pick. A couple of months ago, this kid was the shoo-in #1 pick in the draft, but some strange media narrative about his commitment (which he hardly lacks when you see him play!) has seen him drop down prediction boards - largely because he only performed certain workouts at the combine. Reckon the Jets might pick up a man who, IF he does remain committed to the NFL, was the best player in college football last year. And we do need a pass-rusher. For the Sack Exchange, we habven't put much pressure on QBs for two seasons. People on here will know more than me about the draft this year - I haven't had the usual time to go through the main prospects: is there a good (rather than made-up pre-draft media column filler narrative) reason why Jets should be worried about Thibodeaux?"

Big loss for the Niners. And we still haven't shifted Jimmy G.

"TM - yep, going to be a lot of sides in for him. I generally don't like these players who hold their sides to ransom. But it's a shrewd move by Samuel - he knows the market for players like is big at the moment. Proven talent and with a lot of WR-needy sides out there. Jets will probably sniff around, and we have the picks to trade, but he'll get offers from better sides than us. My guess is that he wants a team that is an immediate super bowl contender (why else leave Frisco?). Could see Rodgers forcing the Packers to go for him. Or the Chiefs if they decide to replace Hill with a big name."

"deebo samuel contract negotiations not gone well, apparently he may be seeking a trade"

Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins killed after being hit by a car. 25. RIP

"Bobby Wagner to the Rams on a long contract. Looks like creative accounting of the Saracens kind to put that current Rams roster together. Shame it's to the Rams, would have preferred the Ravens as the destination for obvious NFC West reasons."

"If it weren't for the fact that the Jets went all-in on Wilson, I'd be looking to bring Mayfield to New York at his current price. He's not going to tear up the league, but I think he has a bit of that New York attitude and 'fuck you-edness'. Some players (especially QBs) are just good fits with certain franchises due to their attitude and characteristics. I think Mayfield is probably a big-city QB. Not necessarily a big team QB. He wouldn't be cowed by playing in Gotham and in front of hard-bitten fans. With the right coach, he'd probably up his game - he's got that street-fighter mentality."

"There's now talk of Mayfield heading to the Steelers. That would be some move, given the rivalry with the Browns. But I've got a sneaky feeling it's what the Steelers need now that Roethlisberger has retired. Mayfield is a relatively 'cheap' option. Browns don't seem to want a first-rounder in any trade, so a second-rounder for the former #1 pick who's still 26 seems OK to me. It's not going to break the bank for anybody and if it doesn't work out, then no harm done. But I think he'd be an upgrade for about 25% of teams. If I were the Steelers, Seahawks, Texans, Giants and Panthers (those with biggest QB needs), I'd certainly be taking a look."

"Rivera loves his old Panther players & staff, but it was good to see Efe Obada sign with us. If we can beat the Chiefs to MLB Jermaine Carter, we'll be set and pressure free for the draft"

"On the QB merry-go-round, not convinced Baker Mayfield will end up in Seattle. He's not cheap and if Pete Carroll really wanted him, he's doing a Moyes and leaving him to late in the day. Lot of talk about trying to get Malik Willis in the draft. And the bizarre news that Kaep is training with Tyler Lockett etc. That's a non-starter, right?"

OccupyGreenStreet 8:09 Wed Mar 23 What!!!! I only hope this is the beginning of an 'all in' approach for a lombardi within the next 2 years. No point in this signing unless you also build a wall around Tua...

"the best coach for him would be Kyle Shanahan, I just don't see them giving up on Trey Lance this early"

"Apparently, the Browns DON'T want a 1st rounder in any trade deal for Baker Mayfield, according to ESPN. If true, that makes him a snip. He hasn't lived up to his #1 pick status, but there's a decent QB in there somewhere and he's still just 26 years old. He may not have been a #1, but had he been taken at #12+ few would have quibbled. The right coach could pick up a bargain - he was never properly coached at Cleveland. The Seahawks are lurking."

Lee Trundle 9:48 Wed Mar 23 They haven't been quite the same since they let Sammy Watkins go. Only Mecole Hardman left of the track team 3.

Wow. Never saw that coming. You don't want to be letting go players like him when you're in the AFC West.

With Hill and Terron Armstead signed it really is make or break for Tua this season.

OccupyGreenStreet 8:09 Wed Mar 23 What!!!!

Any trade news for the Vikings?