The first tent pole event of the NFL offseason has officially arrived as it will eventually become NFL Combine Week. All we had to do was sink our teeth into something new two weeks after the Super Bowl.
Part of the exciting thing about Combine Week is bringing notes and sounds from senior NFL officials, which will help us understand the roster decisions that will be made in the coming weeks. Obviously, the key is to get information about the actual outlook, but this is really a window into the time something goes.
The fun is about to begin. Here Skinny Post We, Michael Peterson and RJ ochoa, make sure you don't miss it.
The hypothetical Matthew Stafford trade feels like it's useless to anyone
RJ:
Just as last weekend began, the Los Angeles Rams are essentially I said They were OK with Matthew Stafford, who was looking for potential trade. This felt a bit inevitable.
Stafford is one of the biggest dominos who could fall into this offseason in his quarterback position (probably Kirk Cousins on the other side? Aaron Rodgers?). He is undoubtedly extremely talented. The Rams benefited greatly from trading for themselves by parlaying it into the Super Bowl in their first season together…but 2025 is 17 years for Matthew Stafford. Please read it again. That's insane.
Consider that Payton Manning played a total of 17 seasons (he missed the entire 2011 season, so it's a bit of asterisk needed). We believe he played forever, and for some reason, Stafford, who has been confronted with irony at the injury question early in his career, has no similar reputation.
As far as we go, Stafford is certainly still a capable player. But to refer to Manning once more… he suffered a serious drop-off in play in that 17th season, even if the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl at the end.
Rams Moving Stafford leaves a big question mark at the most important positions of the game, and anyone who hypothetically trades for him will take a big gamble to say the least.
This feels strange.
Michael:
High-quality quarterback play is really unusual, so 37-year-old Matthew Stafford will actually be in charge of over $50 million on his next contract, whether it's with the Rams or elsewhere. Maybe it is? yes.
Like you said, he's still a capable quarterback, but Stafford took the same Payton Manning-esque step in 2024. This is the lowest total in any season of his career where he has played at least 15 games. His 3,764 passing yards are also the lowest total within these parameters.
In a league where players pay for what they just did, not what they expect of the future, but that teams will be kicking out that much of that money, hoping that 2024 will be an exception to the norm. It doesn't seem to be correct.
Yes, this feels very strange.
Is the NFL doing the right thing by continuing to fine-tune the kickoff structure?
Michael:
I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed this new dynamic kickoff of this past season. I was a fan of them in the XFL, but I liked them even more in the NFL. It is currently reported that more changes may be in time for the 2025 campaign.
First, the NFL is bullying by placing the ball on the 35-yard line rather than 30 touchbacks. The kickoff ball starts again at 5 yards. This clearly drives more returns, as teams are less likely to fire the ball from behind the end zone.
NFL Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay said on Sunday that the team would try to convert fourth and 20 from his 20-yard line (suggested by the Eagles a year ago) returned this offseason. He said that it might come.
Honestly, I think this will be another great change. Let the team put the biscuits a little more at risk. Let the game become more confusing towards the end.
That's what we all want, right?
RJ:
I sound very old here and it's okay… I hate all of this.
To be clear, my main attitude is that whatever is safest and safest for an NFL player, I am the most in favor. That should be the number one priority.
But do we have enough data to reach a legitimate conclusion, long enough for the new form that was said to be for this clear purpose? Or are we bored and trying to mess around?
Kick-off is very meaningless so I just need to eliminate it. Start your team at their respective yardlines, as if this was overtime in college football.
That's it.
Do NFL combinations have to stay in Indianapolis or move around like a draft?
RJ:
This subject comes up every year and I think it's important to say that I personally have never been to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. For context.
I've been to an NFL event there as I saw the Dallas Cowboys visit the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 and have had an absolute best time (although the cowboys were badly lost, This was still true). Indy is the perfect city for events, about how it was designed with tunnel systems and all its jazz and more… I love the NFL tradition.
It's really cool that the NFL Draft is moving around and that other cities and fanbase have the opportunity to show off who the world is, but something cool about how the combine looks like There is everytime In Indy.
Keep it there. Stop making changes. I spoke.
Michael:
I honestly agree, so I don't really need to add to this.
The combine remains in Indianapolis for many logistical reasons. The location centers around local hotels, restaurants and other points of interest in the city. I don't think it's usually worth the effort and potential risk to abandon the event's Prim Feng Shui to host other cities as much as I believe change is a good thing.
Just keep this unbreakable thing very broken.
Why will your favorite position group in the NFL combine become an offensive/defensive lineman?
Michael:
I plant a flag on this hill and am ready to hold it as my life depends on it.
Fans want to see the fastest speed and the farthest jump, so all skill positions are the most attention, but while carrying around 80 of 80, we see the biggest humans on the planet do the same training I don't know what's more exciting than that. Weight: 100 pounds. Watching a giant man fly across the field and soaring from the air never ages.
Certainly, it's cool to have a 175-pound wide receiver running 4.32 on a 40-yard dash, but how about a 310-pound offensive tackle running 4.80? Or will the 285 pound defender record a sub 4.6 and jump over 35 inches vertically?
Take all the dance bears. In my opinion, it's a must-see TV.
RJ:
My answer is a bit cheat.
I don't have any particular drills I like more than the others, but when they play with it by imposing a different 40 yard dash from each other, I really get a kick.
The NFL combines the issues and don't get me wrong. But this is a glory test and data collection.
Michael is not alone, as linemen can vote for me if I have to vote.
