Wednesday Morning QB (Week 8)
There are few dates in every season for every league that bring the excitement to a new level without actually playing a game.
In every league, these are the dates where player movement takes the focus as teams look to build or tear down their teams.
Free agency is always a big one as teams get free range in singing some of the best players in the league.
The trade deadline is another date as it is the chance for fans and analysts to define who won on a day without a game.
Both of these dates are staples among almost every league in North America as they make for great debates.
Teams use them to either build a contender or add that extra piece they have been looking for to make a run.
Overall these days have been important ones on the calendars of leagues but in the NFL things have been different.
The biggest league in North America has never really been too dependant on either of the two big player movement dates.
For the last few years, the league has been based largely on the draft and develop model.
Teams look to the draft as the biggest time of year as many of the players taken in the first two rounds end up playing right away.
They can have an immediate impact on the team and the league with rookies often playing a big role in the NFL.
The draft has become the premier event while the other big dates go by without a lot of fanfare.
The free agency market can be active but more often than not there are only a few players good enough to really make noise.
In free agency, the NFL doesn’t see a lot of movement aside from a few good players here and there every year.
For the most part, the biggest players are the ones that teams keep around until they start to fall off.
There are always the surprise signings as teams take a chance on a player that used to be great but couldn’t keep it up only to come back with a change of scenery.
It isn’t the biggest time of year for the NFL though and when it comes to the trade deadline things get quieter.
Trades in the NFL are a difficult thing as there are rare moments where teams will give up after eight weeks in the season.
There are some with no shot at the playoffs but there are more teams still in the hunt and even then there is a chance the next year.
Rarely do teams in the NFL completely tear down and start over, usually, they are forced to after a key player retires or is injured or draft picks don’t work out.
Teams struggle to give up on their seasons and rarely give up on players that they have spent years in developing.
That leads to trade deadlines that are relatively quiet compared to the other leagues in the USA.
That seems to be changing though as this year’s trade deadline actually featured some key moves.
The Green Bay Packers, notorious for their draft-first mentality, were one of the more active teams trading Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Ty Montgomery and getting some draft picks.
The moves seemed more like getting rid of a player who was prepared to leave in free agency this year and another who made one decision that put the entire team against him.
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t had the hottest start and they got rid of a personality more than anything when they traded Dante Fowler to the Los Angeles Rams adding one more piece to the best line in the league.
The Texans got another weapon as well as Demaryius Thomas is headed to the Lonestar state with the Broncos getting a draft pick in return.
The constant theme among these deals is the fact that no team traded a player for a player like in so many other deals.
Although this was one of the more active trade deadlines it still highlighted the importance of the draft.
Some big-name players moved and they were all moved for other teams to stock up on draft picks for the future.
Fifth Quarter
Another Change
It hasn’t been a great start in Cleveland although it has been better than normal but it still hasn’t been great. For that reason, the Browns are once again on the search for a new head coach after announcing that they fired Hue Jackson. He didn’t have a great time in Cleveland and so after their fifth loss of the season, they have moved on from him and from Todd Haley who followed Jackson out the door. Gregg Williams will act as the head coach for the rest of the year but the search is officially on for a replacement. With so much momentum for a team that seems to finally be headed in the right direction the coaching decision will be a big one and they will get on it early to ensure they look at everyone that could help them get back to relevance.
Trouble Overseas
The Jacksonville Jaguars have almost become an unofficial London team with a number of games every season overseas. They regularly travel there and in the near future, they are going to continue to travel to the city and play more games there. They may be getting a little too comfortable though as this week before their latest game in London four players were arrested in a London bar. They had reportedly racked up a major bill but tried to leave without paying and when they were stopped by security they got into a physical altercation. It is the latest in what has been a tumultuous season in Jacksonville as a team that was supposed to be great is struggling on and off of the field.
Denver Owners
The ownership situation in Denver continues to get stranger as the Broncos are now involved in a court case. Pat Bowlen was removed from power over the team he owns due to his Alzheimer’s and the control of the team was put into the hands of a group of trustees. Those trustees are responsible for the management of the team and the search for new owners. Those new owners could be the children of Pat Bowlen if they wanted to take over the control of the team. According to Pat’s brother, the current trustees are making it their goal to avoid handing power to the children of Pat Bowlen. Bill Bowlen officially filed a lawsuit seeking the appointment of an independent group to oversee the team causing more issues than the Broncos need to deal with.
The Sport Addiction 