2021 NFL Free Agency/Trade News & Discussion: March Edition

[Rob0729]

Same here. I’ll fire a client for being awful in a hot second.

If you have a contract where you can fire a disrespectful client, then you can do it. Watson's contract states that the Texans owns his football services and only can terminate the contract. Watson legally cannot fire the Texans. He can quit the NFL. He has that right. He cannot force them to give up his rights and allow him to play elsewhere unless they are willing to do it.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Duggar, uche, winovich and 3 first rounders for Watson!

 

[JetFan79]

Being a poorly run organization and making stupid personal decisions is not disrespecting the player.

I sure hope not. Otherwise all Jet players would have an excuse to leave.

 

[Rob0729]

Who cares if it's "disrespect"? It's a situation no true competitor would want to be in. Maybe he just wants to win a ring. He was stupid to sign a megadeal with a dead end team, but the fact remains that it's a dead end team.

Sure. But it sucks for him. He signed the contract. He has no choice but to play for the Texans or sit out unless they want to trade him. Seriously, just because your team sucks doesn't give you the right to decide that they should trade you.

And the Texans have not been a good team for their entire existence barring a few years. It isn't like this is a new thing.

 

[Uptown]

I like Poona.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

If you have a contract where you can fire a disrespectful client, then you can do it. Watson's contract states that the Texans owns his football services and only can terminate the contract. Watson legally cannot fire the Texans. He can quit the NFL. He has that right. He cannot force them to give up his rights and allow him to play elsewhere unless they are willing to do it.

Technically all true yes in a frictionless, black and white scenario. But as I mentioned earlier to someone else...2021 is a different world for players and their power. Realistically he probably doesn’t need the money...if he really feels convicted about not playing for the Texans again, I don’t believe for one second they keep him and watch him sit just to prove a point vs getting a nice haul of picks/players. If you believe the relationship can’t be repaired as the GM, you get what you can and move on.

 

[Ring 6]

I mean he was on board with the franchise even with McNair’s dubious history, so he had a sense of patience. It was clear something went way deeper in him understanding how the organization is being run. I think he realized what he’s caught in the middle of right now.

This is a different level of corruption and incompetence. Andre Johnson called it out, and he’s normally dead silent.

He wanted to pick the GM.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

I wonder what made Shelton fail the physical? If it can heal I would take him back as a space eater

 

[Rob0729]

Technically all true yes in a frictionless, black and white scenario. But as I mentioned earlier to someone else...2021 is a different world for players and their power. Realistically he probably doesn’t need the money...if he really feels convicted about not playing for the Texans again, I don’t believe for one second they keep him and watch him sit just to prove a point vs getting a nice haul of picks/players. If you believe the relationship can’t be repaired as the GM, you get what you can and move on.

First, because if you give into Watson, you risk every player not happy shooting their way out of town. That is why few teams give into players shooting their way out of town.

Second, we have seen in the past, no many how many high first round picks you have, you can go decades without ever finding a true franchise QB capable of carrying your team to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Look at our division and how many QBs the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets have gone through in the Brady era trying to find their franchise QB. And even today, only one of those teams have found him. And the Jets have drafted two QBs in the top ten during that time. The Bills have drafted I think three QBs in the top ten during that time.

Third, how do we really know the relationship can't be repaired. If comes training camp and Watson isn't traded, he may just bite the bullet and report and realize he likes Caserio and Culley.

 

[Deus Irae]

However, it's absolutely the right thing to do to provide players the same amount of power as teams, and won't make the on-field product any worse.

No, it's not.

and

Yes, it does.

 

[MoreBellhorn]

I understand why people might not like seeing players get that level of agency because it's not the way things have been historically and it takes time to adjust to change. However, it's absolutely the right thing to do to provide players the same amount of power as teams, and won't make the on-field product any worse. It would just give a new set of technicalities to the roster management side of things, but there would still be strategy and resource management required.

Players should not have the same power as teams. That is a really wild take.

 

[Deus Irae]

I hear you but what matters is if WATSON feels disrespected...not if a fan thinks so.

Come on, that's not remotely true.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Sanders signs with the Bills, this is not good. Diggs, Sanders damn.

 

[Deus Irae]

perfect combo of having cap space, less competition from other teams due to the overall cap limit coming down , places to fill holes and possibly thinking of the balooning cap space in the coming yrs with the new tv deal.

a/k/a "It's different when we do it!"

 

[Deus Irae]

 

[mgteich]

OK Cousin, Just spitballin' here.
Is there an actual means to the end with BB picking up younger talent in FA and most deals are 3 years?
Could that mean than the Pats are "prepping" for a lack of Draft picks to fill the roster void in the near future?
It's gonna cost big time to get say.........a Watson. I think the Texans need to move him asap. We have the money but would have to infuse the Texans with picks and talent to get Nick to say........"well maybe".
So would three #1 picks plus our second rounder and add Chung (just filling in his narrative) and Gilmore cause the Texans to say uncle?
This give the Texans arrows in their quiver to go for one of the kids in the Draft. Plus ammon for the next few years.
DW Toys

Certainly, Belichick is preparing to be able to trade at least the first two picks for a QB. As has often been the case, the draft will likely be used for OL's. After all, Belichick has done pretty well with this strategy (I still expect us to sign a veteran OL).

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Players should not have the same power as teams. That is a really wild take.

Not really. Collectively, the players should have equal power. Especially in a field where a large portion of former employees end up literally disabled as a direct result of said employment. I’m all for a strong player’s union for that reason. 17th game nonsense is a great example of how the owners DO NOT have player interests in mind when making decisions. BUT...players cave more often than not. Why? It’s hard at 25 to think about your life at 45 and turn down $$.

 

[MoreBellhorn]

So are we now back to being scared of other teams when a division team adds a 33 year old receiver? Yep, we’re back.

 

[Patsgofor4]

Sanders signs with the Bills, this is not good. Diggs, Sanders damn.

Is it 2016 again? No, we good then.

 

[Deus Irae]

Not really. Collectively, the players should have equal power. Especially in a field where a large portion of former employees end up literally disabled as a direct result of said employment. I’m all for a strong player’s union for that reason. 17th game nonsense is a great example of how the owners DO NOT have player interests in mind when making decisions. BUT...players cave more often than not. Why? It’s hard at 25 to think about your life at 45 and turn down $$.

Players have been saying no to the 17th game for a long time, and they are around enough ex-players that the current players know and see the possible effects from playing the game. They just got too greedy. It's not that the owners didn't have the players' interests in mind. It's the the players were more interested in an extra game check than in any potential issues down the road.