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Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:43 am
by dead_poet
@AdamSchefter Dolphins officially hired Chris Grier as their GM.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:33 pm
by dead_poet
Titans announced they will not renew GM Ruston Webster's contract.

Tennessee also removed the interim tag from CEO Steve Underwood, who will lead the search for a new general manager and perhaps new coach. The decision not to retain Webster helps explain why the Titans have yet to reach out to coaching candidates, although there is still a slim possibility interim coach Mike Mularkey lands the permanent job. With Marcus Mariota, talent of defense and the No. 1 pick, Tennessee will be an attractive destination for GM candidates

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 12:05 pm
by dead_poet
Browns named former Mets vice president of player development and scouting Paul DePodesta executive vice president.

That is not a typo. The Browns are bringing in a baseball executive who is perhaps most famous for his time with the Athletics which was chronicled in the book Moneyball. DePodesta also was the Dodgers GM for two seasons in the mid-2000s and had been with the Mets since 2010. DePodesta will be above executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown on the flowchart, who himself is a former lawyer. Cleveland is going all in on analytics in an attempt to turn the franchise around.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 12:11 pm
by Mothman
dead_poet wrote:Browns named former Mets vice president of player development and scouting Paul DePodesta executive vice president.

That is not a typo. The Browns are bringing in a baseball executive who is perhaps most famous for his time with the Athletics which was chronicled in the book Moneyball. DePodesta also was the Dodgers GM for two seasons in the mid-2000s and had been with the Mets since 2010. DePodesta will be above executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown on the flowchart, who himself is a former lawyer. Cleveland is going all in on analytics in an attempt to turn the franchise around.
Wow, that's an interesting development! Thanks for the news. It will be interesting to see how this works out.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:45 pm
by Crax

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 6:47 am
by Mothman
Crax wrote:Tampa Bay fires Lovie Smith.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ovie-smith
Wow, that's surprising!

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 9:41 am
by Mothman
Dead_poet, you might find this article at PFT's site interesting:

Brian Billick: You can’t do Moneyball in the NFL

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:12 am
by DK Sweets
Mothman wrote: Wow, that's surprising!
Honestly, I think Lovie getting fired is less surprising than Lovie getting hired.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:16 pm
by PurpleMustReign
Mothman wrote: Wow, that's surprising!
It is a mild surprise only becaise Tampa Bay was having a decent season up until December.
Still Lovie and Leslie's times of running an effective defense are clearly over. Good move for Tampa.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 6:46 pm
by Mothman
PurpleMustReign wrote: It is a mild surprise only becaise Tampa Bay was having a decent season up until December.
Still Lovie and Leslie's times of running an effective defense are clearly over. Good move for Tampa.
Their defense finished in the top 10. They didn't fare as well in scoring defense but they seemed to be making progress and they do play in a division with some teams that can really score.

I think they have an impatient ownership group that's going to turn them into the NFC South version of the Browns or Raiders if they're not careful. The Bucs have no gone through 3 head coaches in 7 years.

I'm not a huge Lovie Smith fan but he's not a bad coach and that team was making progress. You have to give a coach some time to turn a bad team around.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:50 pm
by Demi
While Dirk Koetter's offense showed plenty of promise with Winston as the centerpiece, Smith's defense wasn't any better than the 2-14 unit he presided over in 2014. Smith released Darrelle Revis, traded former first-round safety Mark Barron, hand-picked his own secondary and oversaw the two worst pass defenses in franchise history.
:rofl:
Good ole Frazier.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:58 pm
by Rieux
Crax wrote:Tampa Bay fires Lovie Smith.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ovie-smith
Various commentators seem to think that Smith was pushed out to make room for elevating current Bucs OC/quarterback whisperer Dirk Koetter, who is otherwise in danger of being lured away to Tennessee or Miami or somewhere.

Presuming that's right, what's the over/under on the number of websites and periodicals that will headline their stories on the HC hiring with "WELCOME BACK, KOETTER"?

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:02 pm
by DK Sweets
Rieux wrote: Various commentators seem to think that Smith was pushed out to make room for elevating current Bucs OC/quarterback whisperer Dirk Koetter, who is otherwise in danger of being lured away to Tennessee or Miami or somewhere.

Presuming that's right, what's the over/under on the number of websites and periodicals that will headline their stories on the HC hiring with "WELCOME BACK, KOETTER"?
I had to google that to understand the reference.

You must be old.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 12:20 am
by Rieux
DK Sweets wrote:You must be old.
:shock: Ouch!

I don't know if I'm proving you right or wrong by telling you that I was born during the run of that show. I'm, uh, younger than Matt Hasselbeck....

I sure thought "Welcome Back, Kotter" was, and remains, a common pop-cultural reference. In any case, sportswriters tend to be either (1) old enough and/or (2) pop-culture savvy enough to be familiar with the show. Or at least it seems that way to me.

Re: Notable 2016 Offseason Moves

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 12:36 am
by Raptorman
Mothman wrote: Wow, that's an interesting development! Thanks for the news. It will be interesting to see how this works out.
Guess we find out if Moneyball works in the NFL. :whistle: