If available, would you trade for Deshaun Watson?

[Sunstroke]

Who was Ali employed by???

Allah

[Pappy13]

Starting to think there might be more to these trade rumors then I imagined. If players are saying this, then I can't imagine that Flores/Grier are dead set with him being the starter next year. They might be saying that just to avoid negatively influencing possible trades.

https://amp.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article248464745.html?__twitter_impression=true

[Tenshot13]

Starting to think there might be more to these trade rumors then I imagined. If players are saying this, then I can't imagine that Flores/Grier are dead set with him being the starter next year. They might be saying that just to avoid negatively influencing possible trades.

https://amp.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article248464745.html?__twitter_impression=true

By Armando Salguero

...all I needed to see

[Pappy13]

By Armando Salguero

...all I needed to see

Well this is not really an opinion piece, Armando is just reporting that he's talked to some players off the record and what they said. I don't think he's going to lie about that. Now when it comes to his opinion, then that's a whole different thing.

[Tenshot13]

I'm always iffy about unnamed sources, it could be some jobbers from the practice squad for all we know.

[CF DolFan]

According to Joe Rose unnamed sources typically refers to agents saying their client said this or that. Joe said agents are where reporters get most of their information. He also stated since it is coming from them it could be bad or exaggerated just being second hand already or it could be someone with an agenda. Either way it's hard to get too excited about unnamed sources.

[fyo]

According to Joe Rose unnamed sources typically refers to agents saying their client said this or that. Joe said agents are who reporters get most of their information. He also stated since it is coming from them it could be bad or exaggerated just being second hand already or it could be someone with an agenda. Either way it's hard to get too excited about unnamed sources.

It's not like we have the surrounding interview anyway, or even just the question. If you look at the actual quotes and presumably-near-quotes, it would be pretty easy to ask the question in a way in what that was a completely sane answer by Tua's greatest fan.

[Pappy13]

Ya'll can spin it if you want, but that's not want Armando said. He didn't say it was unnamed sources and he didn't say it was agents. He said players talked to the Herald. He just didn't say which players. Yes it could be someone from the practice squad although that's still pretty damning in my opinion.

[Spider-Dan]

I don't understand the supposed confusion by the players over the "Tua is the starter but every position is a competition" statement.  Are these same players confused as to whether X will be starting at CB next year?

[CF DolFan]

Ya'll can spin it if you want, but that's not want Armando said. He didn't say it was unnamed sources and he didn't say it was agents. He said players talked to the Herald. He just didn't say which players. Yes it could be someone from the practice squad although that's still pretty damning in my opinion.

Pappy ... LOL ... if you don't think Joe Rose, who has been a part of the team for 40+ years, flies with the team, hangs out at the facility during practices when the media isn't even aloud, doesn't know what he is talking about when it comes to players, agents, and writers then you are nuts. He also plays tennis (his big hobby) with both writers and agents. How many times has a writer said "agents told me this or that"? They don't. They say "unnamed" players said this or that because that's what their agents said or hinted at.

For the record I don't know that Joe Rose is sold on Tua either but he did blow off his friend Armando's story. 

[Pappy13]

Pappy ... LOL ... if you don't think Joe Rose, who has been a part of the team for 40+ years, flies with the team, hangs out at the facility during practices when the media isn't even aloud, doesn't know what he is talking about when it comes to players, agents, and writers then you are nuts. He also plays tennis (his big hobby) with both writers and agents. How many times has a writer said "agents told me this or that"? They don't. They say "unnamed" players said this or that because that's what their agents said or hinted at.

For the record I don't know that Joe Rose is sold on Tua either but he did blow off his friend Armando's story.  

That's not what I said. What Joe Rose said according to you is that "unnamed sources" means agents. Well that's not what Amarndo wrote. He wrote players. Now maybe Joe Rose meant when writers write players they really mean agents, but I'm not sure that's accurate for either that's what he said or that's what he meant. I think it's a stretch that in all cases when a writer writes players they really mean agents. Are you saying that Armando NEVER talks to a player, only his agent? I don't think so. Joe Rose has players on his show, I'm sure that Armando talks to players as well as agents. I don't think he would have wrote players if he really talked to agents of players. Maybe he would, but I think that's a stretch. It's more likely he would have wrote sources perhaps even unnamed sources, but that's not what he wrote.

If you don't want to believe the story because Joe Rose said so then don't but don't try to tell me that Joe Rose knows everything. Unless he can somehow show that he knows that Armando didn't talk to any players or that they didn't say that then he's just another guy with an opinion. I'm not giving Armando too much credit, you're giving Joe Rose too much credit. Maybe the very reason these players didn't talk to Joe Rose is because he flies with them on the plane? That might get back to Tua or Flores or someone else that could get them in a some hot water. Talking to Armando off the record might be safer and they would be more forthcoming.

[CF DolFan]

That's not what I said. What Joe Rose said according to you is that "unnamed sources" means agents. Well that's not what Amarndo wrote. He wrote players. Now maybe Joe Rose meant when writers write players they really mean agents, but I'm not sure that's accurate for either that's what he said or that's what he meant. I think it's a stretch that in all cases when a writer writes players they really mean agents. Are you saying that Armando NEVER talks to a player, only his agent? I don't think so. Joe Rose has players on his show, I'm sure that Armando talks to players as well as agents. I don't think he would have wrote players if he really talked to agents of players. Maybe he would, but I think that's a stretch. It's more likely he would have wrote sources perhaps even unnamed sources, but that's not what he wrote.

If you don't want to believe the story because Joe Rose said so then don't but don't try to tell me that Joe Rose knows everything. Unless he can somehow show that he knows that Armando didn't talk to any players or that they didn't say that then he's just another guy with an opinion. I'm not giving Armando too much credit, you're giving Joe Rose too much credit. Maybe the very reason these players didn't talk to Joe Rose is because he flies with them on the plane? That might get back to Tua or Flores or someone else that could get them in a some hot water. Talking to Armando off the record might be safer and they would be more forthcoming.

I get what you are saying and it makes sense to me looking in from the outside but I will say this. Joe Rose said that writers have very few players' numbers and if they do it's probably a retired player. He said players do not give out their numbers and tell reporters and others to contact them through their agents or the team. Typically players do not trust reporters. Think about it ... would you give anonymous comments to a person who could then hold it over your head for future favors? Players are coached by the team, the league, and their agents on dealing with the media and that's why agents do most of the leaking. that or a crazy wife ... hahaha.  I've heard Armando on Joe's show probably over a hundred times and I would take Joe's word before I would take Armando's article. In fact I don't even know that Armando's personal opinion and his articles always line up. Of course I'd say the same about Omar, Barry Jackson and so on. They have to sell papers.

[Pappy13]

I get what you are saying and it makes sense to me looking in from the outside but I will say this. Joe Rose said that writers have very few players' numbers and if they do it's probably a retired player. He said players do not give out their numbers and tell reporters and others to contact them through their agents or the team. Typically players do not trust reporters. Think about it ... would you give anonymous comments to a person who could then hold it over your head for future favors? Players are coached by the team, the league, and their agents on dealing with the media and that's why agents do most of the leaking. that or a crazy wife ... hahaha.  I've heard Armando on Joe's show probably over a hundred times and I would take Joe's word before I would take Armando's article. In fact I don't even know that Armando's personal opinion and his articles always line up. Of course I'd say the same about Omar, Barry Jackson and so on. They have to sell papers.

Reporters don't reveal their sources. Ever. You do that and you're out of the business, simple as that. Players know this as well as the reporters, especially the veteran players. If they say off the record to a reporter then it's off the record, end of story. Players can say whatever they want to a reporter off the record, it's not getting back to anyone, it would mean the reporters job.

Now for as to how they talked to them well it's not like they live on different planets. They live in the same state. They frequent the same places. A good reporter knows where the players hang out and can easily "run into" a player, they don't have to call them up to ask a couple questions. Hell a reporter can buy them a beer and ask them a couple questions. It's not like he asked to do an interview with them. This could be just some casual conversation over a beer, off the record of course. In Texas they have a radio station called the ticket which is a sports only talk show and they know the players personally. They are friends with most of them. They talk regularly with them, not for the show but just because they know each other. Now I don't really know if reporters and players have that same type of relationship as players and Sports talk show hosts, but I bet it's pretty similar. A reporter can do just as much for a player as the player can do for the reporter. Player gives a little information to the reporter and reporter writes a nice story about said player. That's how the game is played. This is well known. Reporters can't afford to get on the bad side of players, it means too much to their careers.

[bsmooth]

No. Let someone else trade away the franchise for Watson.

[ArtieChokePhin]

No. Let someone else trade away the franchise for Watson.

I wouldn't exactly call the #18 and #36 pick plus Tua "the franchise".  That's what I would offer Houston for Watson, take it or leave it.  We can then draft a franchise left tackle to protect Watson at #3 or trade back and recoup some of the picks we gave up to get Watson, and land a home run receiver at the same time.