American Sports Thread

[gallsman]

LeBron. f**king hell.

Superb score.
Play Offs were made for him

The block was definitely a goaltend though lol

[LooseCannon]

Well kids, draft round 1 tonight. What do we reckon? If I was the Browns GM, unless I was absolutely taken with one of the top 4 QBs, I'd go Barkley first, and QB in 4th.  If that happens, I think the first 4 spots will stay the same. If the Browns go QB at #1, Barkley will surely be gone by #4, so maybe the Browns will trade down and let maybe the Cardinals or Patriots come up for someone like Rosen, Allen or Mayfield. Allen's stock has risen, but from looking at some of the clips of him last season, his accuracy looks to be a real problem. He threw a country mile at the Combine, but that's not the same as trying to keep your eyes down the field when a 6' 7'' DE is looking to take your head off.

The word is Rosen may slip because people are worried about his 'love' for the game and the fact that he challenges his coaches and needs everything right. Might be me, but I would think a perfectionist like that might fit in with the Patriot way.

For the Cardinals, I'd like them to be in play for Rosen or Mayfield. I don't like Allen's accuracy issues, nor do I like Darnolds USCness. Mason Rudolph might end up being the best QB in the draft, and if he falls, don't be surprised if the Patriots pick him up.  Lamar Jackson is intriguing but he'll only fit certain offences, and he might end up in the second round.

There's other good players at all positions. Bradley Chubb at DE is likely to be a big success, and teams with a pass rush need would love him, but it may be that the Browns take him at 4 if they go QB 1. Calvin Ridley is probably the best receiver in a middling receivers class. Offensive line is probably above average, two good Notre Dame linemen likely to go in round 1, along with a couple of others from Alabama and Georgia. DL strong too. DBs and Linebackers are also strong, and the Alabama safety/db Minkah Fitzpatrick will be coveted. Darrius Guice, the LSU running back might get into the top round as well, but if he doesn't he should be a bargain in round 2.


Here's the current draft order, which can of course change if trades are made.


Round 1

1 CLEVELAND BROWNS
2 NEW YORK GIANTS
3 NEW YORK JETS
4 CLEVELAND BROWNS
5 DENVER BRONCOS
6 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
7 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
8 CHICAGO BEARS
9 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
10 OAKLAND RAIDERS
11 MIAMI DOLPHINS
12 BUFFALO BILLS
13 WASHINGTON REDSKINS
14 GREEN BAY PACKERS
15 ARIZONA CARDINALS
16 BALTIMORE RAVENS
17 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
18 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
19 DALLAS COWBOYS
20 DETROIT LIONS
21 CINCINNATI BENGALS
22 BUFFALO BILLS
23 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
24 CAROLINA PANTHERS
25 TENNESSEE TITANS
26 ATLANTA FALCONS
27 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
28 PITTSBURGH STEELERS
29 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
30 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
31 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
32 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

No Picks currently (barring trades) in round 1 for : LOS ANGELES RAMS, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS and HOUSTON TEXANS


This is the latest mock draft from Mike Mayock, note he has some trades predicted. Also worth noting the most accurate draft prediction last year got 11 correct, so treat with caution

1 - Cleveland Browns : Sam Darnold, QB, USC
2 - New York Giants : Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3 - New York Jets : Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
4 - Cleveland Browns : Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
5 - Denver Broncos: Quenton Nelson, OT, Notre Dame
6 - Buffalo Bills *PREDICTS TRADE WITH COLTS*: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
7 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers : Derwin James, S, Florida State
8 - Chicago Bears : Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
9 - San Francisco 49ers : Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
10 - Oakland Raiders : Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
11 - Miami Dolphins : Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
12 - Indianapolis Colts *PREDICTS TRADE WITH BILLS*: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama
13 - Washington Redskins : Vita Vea, DT, Washington
14 - Green Bay Packers : Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
15 - Arizona Cardinals  : Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
16 - Baltimore Ravens - Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
17 - Los Angeles Chargers - Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
18 - Seattle Seahawks - Marcus Davenport, DE, UT San Antonio
19 - Dallas Cowboys - Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
20 - Detroit Lions - Harold Landry, DE, Boston College
21 - Cincinnati Bengals - Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas
22 - Indianapolis Colts *PREDICTS TRADE WITH BILL*: Isiah Wynn, OT, Georgia
23 - New England Patriots : Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
24 - Carolina Panthers : Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
25 - Tennessee Titans : Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
26 - Atlanta Falcons : Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
27 - New Orleans Saints : D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
28 - Pittsburgh Steelers : Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
29 - Jacksonville Jaguars : Hayden Hurst , TE, South Carolina
30 - Minnesota Vikings : Will Hernandez, OG, UT El Paso
31 - New England Patriots : James Daniels, C, Iowa
32 - Philadephia Eagles : Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

No Picks in Round 1

What time does this throw in at, or is it on tv?
You know yourself, I'm a typical bogman.

[magpie seanie]

I just wonder if the Browns will pick a RB so high in the draft after the Trent Richardson debacle. He was massively hyped coming out of college. I know Barkley looks awesome but I think top 10 is too high for any RB person. I also can't see Lamar Jackson slipping to the second round. I know there are doubts but his athleticism is amazing and I personally think his deficiencies have been overstated.

[screenexile]

LeBron. f**king hell.

Superb score.
Play Offs were made for him

The block was definitely a goaltend though lol

Was it? It's so difficult to tell if the ball hit the backboard first or Lebron hit it off the backboard.

2 absolutely ridiculous clutch plays though in the last 10 seconds!!

[gallsman]

LeBron. f**king hell.

Superb score.
Play Offs were made for him

The block was definitely a goaltend though lol

Was it? It's so difficult to tell if the ball hit the backboard first or Lebron hit it off the backboard.

2 absolutely ridiculous clutch plays though in the last 10 seconds!!

The overhead angle clearly showed it hit the glass first.

[Minder]

I just wonder if the Browns will pick a RB so high in the draft after the Trent Richardson debacle. He was massively hyped coming out of college. I know Barkley looks awesome but I think top 10 is too high for any RB person. I also can't see Lamar Jackson slipping to the second round. I know there are doubts but his athleticism is amazing and I personally think his deficiencies have been overstated.

I can't see it, depends how they view the QBs though, don't think there is one they totally love but I think it will be Darnold #1 & Chubb #4 for the Browns

[TabClear]

I just wonder if the Browns will pick a RB so high in the draft after the Trent Richardson debacle. He was massively hyped coming out of college. I know Barkley looks awesome but I think top 10 is too high for any RB person. I also can't see Lamar Jackson slipping to the second round. I know there are doubts but his athleticism is amazing and I personally think his deficiencies have been overstated.

I can't see it, depends how they view the QBs though, don't think there is one they totally love but I think it will be Darnold #1 & Chubb #4 for the Browns

I like the draft concept, especially the way it is designed to try to level the playing field, something soccer would do well to take note off. You guys who watch a lot of US sports, does it impact on the competitiveness of "dead rubber"  matches at the back end of the previous campaign? the cynic in me thinks that if you are sitting at 1-14 going into the last game of the season with one other team on the same record and  there is a massively hyped QB in the draft the following year, is there much incentive to win your final game?

[thewobbler]

Just from what I've seen in past few years watching gridiron closely. There's only 32 NFL teams, and if you're not with one of those, you're nobody. And rosters change as quickly as they're drawn up. So in every match in a season, on an individual level, there's contract renewal concerns and free agency concerns everywhere. Every tackle, catch, interception, fumble is recorded against each player individually and nobody wants black marks against their name. While it doesn't entirely negate the potential for dead rubbers, it certainly helps.

So it's not so much the draft system that pushes this so much as the small number of elite clubs. I doubt soccer will ever enjoy such an elite.

[AZOffaly]

That's a good question. There was talk of tanking for high draft pick previously, but then you see the Arizona Cardinals winning 3 of their last 5 games and probably dropping 5 or 6 spots in the draft. Also coaches and players know their jobs depend on them performing. Fans in seats are a big driver for that, so unless you get the Owners/GM, and the Players and Fans all on board, it's hard to tank.

The Colts lucked out (no pun intended) when an injury to Peyton Manning, in exactly the right year, let them get Andrew Luck, but a lot of the time it doesn't work out like that.

[magpie seanie]

I just wonder if the Browns will pick a RB so high in the draft after the Trent Richardson debacle. He was massively hyped coming out of college. I know Barkley looks awesome but I think top 10 is too high for any RB person. I also can't see Lamar Jackson slipping to the second round. I know there are doubts but his athleticism is amazing and I personally think his deficiencies have been overstated.

I can't see it, depends how they view the QBs though, don't think there is one they totally love but I think it will be Darnold #1 & Chubb #4 for the Browns

I like the draft concept, especially the way it is designed to try to level the playing field, something soccer would do well to take note off. You guys who watch a lot of US sports, does it impact on the competitiveness of "dead rubber"  matches at the back end of the previous campaign? the cynic in me thinks that if you are sitting at 1-14 going into the last game of the season with one other team on the same record and  there is a massively hyped QB in the draft the following year, is there much incentive to win your final game?

It's amazingly short of dead rubbers. These guys are playing for their teams but are also playing for their futures. No use your team drafting a stud QB and you being cut because you were going through the motions. That goes for coaches too. Lack of effort really stands out and no one wants to get embarrassed. To get where they're got these guys have a lot about them and it's rare to see them take the foot off the pedal.

[TabClear]

Just from what I've seen in past few years watching gridiron closely. There's only 32 NFL teams, and if you're not with one of those, you're nobody. And rosters change as quickly as they're drawn up. So in every match in a season, on an individual level, there's contract renewal concerns and free agency concerns everywhere. Every tackle, catch, interception, fumble is recorded against each player individually and nobody wants black marks against their name. While it doesn't entirely negate the potential for dead rubbers, it certainly helps.

So it's not so much the draft system that pushes this so much as the small number of elite clubs. I doubt soccer will ever enjoy such an elite.

Agree on the soccer point. Drafts only really work in a country with limited external market outside that country at an elite level e.g. US Sports, Aussie Rules etc. However, the number of different Superbowl Champions (and Aussie Rules) over the last 10-15 years is definitely linked to the draft system and the salary cap. You look at the major soccerleagues in the world, apart from Leicester every winner for the past decade or more has come from an elite club and that gap is only widening. At the start over every season there are at least 10 teams with realistic Superbowl aspirations.

[AZOffaly]

Also a factor is that it's exceedingly dangerous to sacrifice a reasonable season for a stud pick. The draft history is littered with first round busts, and/or injuries. Even that Andrew Luck pick has been blighted by injury the past couple of seasons.

What you do see a little more now is in season trades if a team decides they have to tear it down and rebuild, you'll see high price contracts being traded for draft picks. That is basically tanking, but it's tanking with a reason...

[Minder]

Dont follow the NBA as closely but I think tanking is more prevalent there, NFL is not really a sport where you can go half arsed at it

[gallsman]

Dont follow the NBA as closely but I think tanking is more prevalent there, NFL is not really a sport where you can go half arsed at it

Tanking is extremely prevalent in the NBA. The 76ers might very well be the best team in the Eastern conference this year, but that's after a result of coordinated, strategic tanking that has got them a lottery pick each year for the last five or so.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

https://twitter.com/WillGav/status/989470907348418560

BREAKING: @Jaguars & @FulhamFC owner Shahid Khan set to buy Wembley in deal worth up to £1 billion!

Details below - what does this mean for England? what does this mean for @NFLUK fans? and what does it mean for the Jags?

Permanent NFL team ??