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."

"Far Cough. I wish! The days of the sack exchange are nowhere close. At one point, just after we drafted Len Williams, we had a front line that read Richardson, Williams, Wilkerson. The potential was incredible. But Richardson has not been the same player since his doping ban (read into that what you like) and Wilkerson became less effective the day he signed his mega-deal and has now been released. Len Williams - who is superb - now carries the entire D-line on his very broad shoulders. He's great, but he can't do it on his own."

"I wanted the Jets to land Cousins in free agency, and then trade up for Barkley at RB. That would have opened up a steady passing game, and spectacular run game. But the Vikes' offer to Cousins - those guarantees - meant the Jets wisely backed away. My only concern is that the Jets back office then panicked and over-spent in the draft to trade up to #3. Vikes have gone all or nothing on Kirk. He's a good game manager, so I expect that they will not be very strong. Reluctantly, I'd say he's a better fit for the Vikes."

"RBS - don't worry, mate. It happens - the off-season is in full swing with free agency and things are moving fast now. TM - yes, I think you're right: Allen probably has the biggest potential of all the QBs in the sense that IF he can adjust to the NFL and improve his reads beyond his designated receiver, then he could throw regularly for 400 yards. His arm strength is off the chart. But he's not quick to take a good 'second option' or improvise - and professional defenses will crawl over that. Realistically, that leaves Darnold, Rosen and Mayfield. Darnold will most likely go at #1 to Cleveland, although I'm not convinced by him. Mayfield is a mini Allen in that he has excellent arm strength, but is perhaps less spectacular. Which leaves Rosen. He looks 'game manager' ready. His reads are perhaps the best of the crop (although Darnold is strong here, too), and he makes sensible offloads under pressure. Of all the draft crop, he looks the best bet right now to be a NFL starter. But his capacity/potential is perhaps not as high. If Rosen gets it right, he's Alex Smith. Because he's Alex Smith already. If Darnold gets it right, he's Eli. But he's nowhere near that right now. If Allen gets it right, he's Big Ben. But he's nowhere near that right now. Yet Rosen is currently the best of the three in my book."

Forget the last part. Didn't read the rest of the page.* *Note to myself. Must keep up with current events.!

It's a good deal for all. Cousins get to play for a playoff ready team. The Vikings get a QB capable of getting them over the line. And the players union get a contract that will be standard for a lot of players in the future. In other news. Interesting to see the Jets swap with the Colts for the 3rd overall pick in the draft. Now means the Browns have to take a QB at no1.?

"as I said before. great bloke, very dedicated and professional but elite level? not for me, but you may only need a good game manager with your current roster and Kirk is that"

"On March 15, 2018, Cousins signed a three-year deal with the Vikings worth $84 million fully guaranteed, making him the highest paid player in NFL history. FMOBs"

"Rosen or Mayfield will be a good pick for your team, Allen's a bit too erratic and may need more time"

"sbbb, no New York Sack Exchange then?"

"Btw, for the record, I think the Jets will have to take Rosen at #3 in the draft. Darnold will likely be off the board - Cleveland will probably take him at #1. Giants seem to like the look of Allen at #2 if they need a QB. Failing that, if they think they can squeeze another two years out of Eli, they'll take Barkley at #2. That'll leave the Jets with a choice of Allen, Rosen or Mayfield. Rosen looks the most NFL-ready of these. He controls the ball well and has the best reads. But his arm strength is not as good as the other two. Looks like an Alex Smith-type."

"I see the Jets' annual balls-up has begun in earnest. Lost out to the Vikes in the race to land Cousins. So have over-spent by trading away three second round draft picks (two this year, one next) to the Colts in in order to move up three (yes, that's all) places in the draft: from 6th to 3rd. Clearly, losing out on Cousins (Vikes have probably over-spent, but they have got a decent QB) means Gang Green now has to take a QB at No.3 - and therefore we miss out on the guy we really should be taking: Barkley (best running back in any draft for years), who happens to be a Jets fan. This franchise cannot get anything right. The comparisons with West Ham continue! The draft is not exactly awash with QB talent. There is no outstanding play-caller in the same way that there was with Luck or Newton in the recent past. Instead, there is a wide pool of talented-but-raw, and all slightly flawed, high-pick college QBs. Darnold, Rosen, Allen, Mayfield etc. Picking the right, NFL-compatible QB from this group will be tricky. None of them are outstanding prospects right now. All of them have potential. Some of this pool will develop into good quality NFL players - but some of the pool will also fade into obscurity. Guess which group the Jets' draft choice will likely fall into? You can see another butt-fumbling bust like Sanchez coming..."

"Drew Brees staying with Saints, 2 years, 50 mill."

"Free Agency about to start. Would be nice to see the Niners sign Dion Lewis Running back and Allen Robinson giving us a true #1 receiver. Then draft pass rush, Oline and a Tight end....... Championship!"

"Didn't realise we'd signed that arsehole sherman. He's our arsehole now and we've got a pretty good defence now. Role on playing the Seahawks filth, can't wait for September."

"Yeah Mike thanks, that's what I'm hearing"

"cough, nothing confirmed yet. he's in a powerful position with at least three teams after him, if he has ambition he'd go with your mob"

"Shame that, I really liked old Tom Landry :-)"

"Suh leaving the Fins is a bit of a shock, massive clear out there with Landry as well."

Is the Cousins move to the Vikes on then?

"Will be strange seeing him in our jersey, but there's a bunch of synergies, as NBC would say... ""Sherman is returning to his California roots: a native of Compton, Calif. in Los Angeles County, and played collegiately at Stanford. He will also be playing for someone he's familiar with: 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was a Seahawks' defensive quality control coach during Sherman's first three seasons in the NFL. The three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, who is coming back from a torn Achilles suffered in the ninth game of last season, will turn 30-years-old at the end of this month.""ù"

I guess that signals the end of the legion of boom.

"Watch the Jets either draft a bust, or massively over-reach, in free agency and the draft. They need a decent starter QB like Cousins. But in trying to land him, they risk over-paying in a market that is not exactly awash with QB talent."

I think that's a good move for Sherman and the 49ers. Surprising. But he's still a good cornerback and he'll be highly motivated to do well in that division.

shirt lifters? cowboys?

Sherman to the Shirt lifters is a surprise move.