2015 nfl off season notes,trades,cuts etc !

[StarDust Bum]

Titans tell Pollard he will be released

March 2, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Veteran safety Bernard Pollard wanted out of Tennessee in his chase for another Super Bowl ring.

The Titans are letting him leave so he can do just that, according to a person familiar with the team's decision.

The Titans have informed Pollard he will be released, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity Monday night because the team has not announced the move yet. The nine-year veteran asked for the move after the season ended, and releasing the safety will free up the $3.1 million salary he was due in 2015.

The Tennessean first reported the move.

''Nashville it's been so much fun,'' Pollard wrote on Twitter. ''Thank you to all the fans and people I've been blessed meet. Great city, fans and food! (hash)31 is out ...''

Pollard came to Tennessee in 2013 after winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. He signed a two-year deal with the Titans after making a career-high 142 tackles for Tennessee in 2013 for the second-most tackles by a safety for the franchise since 1990.

But Pollard, who turned 30 in December, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury Oct. 5 that limited him to five games last season.

The safety, who also has played for Houston and Kansas City, already is doing his best to show he's fully recovered. He tweeted out a short video of himself working out in a gym three days ago.

''Just another grind day... 4 1/2 months out of surgery and ready to hit somebody! Where will I be... Need another Ring,'' Pollard wrote.

With Pollard out most of the season, the Titans ranked 27th in total defense and tied for 29th in allowing 27.3 points per game. Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt already has convinced Dick LeBeau to take over his defense and work with coordinator Ray Horton. Now they will need more help at safety when free agency opens March 10.

[StarDust Bum]

Chiefs place franchise tag on Houston

March 2, 2015

The Kansas City Chiefs signaled they have no intention of parting ways with Justin Houston on Monday, moving swiftly to place the franchise tag on their All-Pro pass rusher.

The Chiefs made the decision to use the non-exclusive designation well ahead of the afternoon deadline, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce the move.

The 26-year-old Houston set a franchise-record with 22 sacks last season, just a half-sack short of the NFL record. He also made 68 tackles while playing the final year of his rookie deal.

The Chiefs and Houston's representatives began discussions on a long-term contract last offseason but made little progress. Those discussions resumed this past season, as Houston's value skyrocketed amid his record-setting sacks pace. But after discussions planned for last week's NFL scouting combine failed to produce much progress, the franchise tag became inevitable.

Houston would make about $13 million on a one-year contract if he signs the tender, though that's no guarantee. The two sides still have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal, and it is possible that the fifth-year pro will hold out until training camp or beyond.

''I think Justin Houston is a fine football player,'' Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said at the combine. ''What he did this year, I mean, he did a wonderful job. Everybody, we applaud him for that. ... I've had ongoing discussions with his representative.''

Now, though, Houston may also negotiate with other teams. The Chiefs retain the right to match the terms of an offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation.

One battle that could be looming is over Houston's position. He is considered an outside linebacker in the Chiefs' base defense, but could be considered a defensive end. If he were to be classified in that position, the franchise tag is expected to be about $14 million.

Regardless of what happens with Houston, the cash-strapped Chiefs will need to make some additional roster moves soon to free up salary cap space for his contract.

They have already parted ways with several backups, including tight end Anthony Fasano, and could begin restructuring contracts or cutting outright some of their most notable players. Among them are wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and linebacker Tamba Hali, both of whom are signed to long-term deals that carry massive salary cap numbers.

Bowe in particular has become the subject of plenty of criticism. Not only does he carry a $14 million salary cap hit, his skillset appears to be on the decline. He failed to catch a touchdown pass last season, along with the rest of the wide receiving corps.

''It's hard to play in the National Football League,'' Dorsey said. ''(Bowe) will probably tell you himself that he did not live up to his high standards, but now we have 2015 to come back.''

[baseball_ nut]

can't believe all this activity......what's going on lol

[BettorsChat]

can't believe all this activity......what's going on lol

Football teams scrambling to shore up their weakness's

[StarDust Bum]

2015 SuperContest open!

July 1, 2015

The World’s Ultimate Pro Football Handicapping Contest otherwise known as “The SuperContest” returns this fall and another big turnout is expected.

The contest is held within the SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Nevada and entries for the 2015 SuperContest will be accepted as early as Wednesday, July 1, 2105.

Jay Kornegay, Vice President of Race & Sports at the Westgate SuperBook, is excited for the upcoming season and expects more growth in the contest again and is hoping to produce more record numbers.

He said, “We’ve showed great growth the past few seasons and I think this year’s field will fall between 1,700 and 1,800 entries but a key number would be 1,905 entries, which means the first-place winner would walk away with $1 million dollars.”

Entering the contest is fairly simple. Individuals must be at least 21-years-old and pay an entry fee of $1,500 to be deemed eligible. Prize money is based on the total number of entries and in the past, the top 30 individuals would cash.

However, according to Kornegay that number is going to increase this season.

“Due to the increasing number of entries, we’ve decided that the Top 50 entries will win cash prizes with the top overall winner still taking home 35% of the purse,” Kornegay said.

Each week, contestants must select five pro football games against the spread each week. The contest spread comes out on Wednesday and those numbers do not change during the week, regardless of injuries, suspensions, etc.

Weekly selections must be made each week by 11:00 a.m. PT on Saturday or earlier if you plan on using the Thursday night game as one of your five selections.

All selections must be made by the individual who owns the entry or a proxy, which has become a big component for increasing the size of the SuperContest and something Kornegay wishes more people outside of Las Vegas are aware of.

Kornegay said, “One of the biggest challenges for us is letting people know that you don’t need to live in Las Vegas to participate in this contest. You need to come one time to sign up and then can have a proxy submit your picks over the 17-week contest.”

“The GamblinoApp and its corresponding contests gave the SuperContest more buzz in the football offseason over the last few months and we’re happy that three individuals received free entries to this year’s event.”

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook is giving away six more $1,500 entries in August at their SuperContest Weekend, which begins Friday Aug. 28 and concludes Saturday Aug. 29.

One entry will be given away on Friday night at the Handicapping Seminar while another will be given away at the golf event on Saturday afternoon. The final four will be raffled off in Saturday’s reception at the Westgate Resort.

Raffle tickets are given to all individuals who attend and extra raffle tickets can be earned this summer at the SuperBook when placing wagers on football futures, baseball parlays and pari-mutuel betting as well.

The final deadline for admittance into the SuperContest is Saturday Sept. 12 at 11:00 a.m. PT but those who sign up before Sept. 7 (Labor Day) will also be eligible for the mini-contest at the end of the season which rewards $15,000 to the top entry who selects the most winners over the final three weeks of the regular season.

This season, entries will be able to enter their weekly selections at a Kiosk instead of standing in line at the betting counter and filling out a card similar to the parlay format. Each entry will be given a SuperContest players card and all you have to do is swipe the card, confirm access with a pin and enter your selections where you’ll be given a printed confirmation.

The Kiosk setup is one small addition to the many new renovations taking place at the SuperBook this summer. Along with a new look and feel, the Westgate is planning to have an online system in place this fall so users can wager from their mobile devices.

More information on the SuperContest can be viewed at the Westgate Las Vegas website.

Past Winners

As Kornegay mentioned above, he expects the SuperContest to grow but doubts will see a performance again like we did last season.

CH Ballers, a group of four friends from Los Angeles, set the standard as the best entry ever in the SuperContest with a record of 64-20-1 (76%) in the 2014 SuperContest.

Kornegay added, “Those guys crushed it last season and with more entries, my guess is that the winning entry for the 2015 SuperContest will have to connect on 68-69 percent of their selections. And if you’re looking to cash in the Top 50 this season, you’ll likely have to post at least 50-60 wins throughout the 17 weeks.”

Most average bettors don’t believe hitting 60 percent is that difficult but each season this contest certainly humbles all pundits.

Kelly Stewart, otherwise known as KellyinVegas, captured last year’s mini contest and $15,000 with a 14-1 record and is ready to defend her title.

“This will be my third year playing in the SuperBook contest and I’m certainly hoping that I can be in the mix for the top overall prize. If not, the mini-contest is a nice consolation and it gives entries a great incentive to win just as much as others who have performed better throughout the entire season,” said Stewart.

Kelly’s advice to new entries in the SuperContest is similar to what others preach -- avoid the 1-4 and 0-5 weeks but don't get discouraged if they happen and they do.

She did mention one tidbit to her weekly approach. She said, “Regardless of the matchup, I always stay away from the games played on Thursday because a lot can happen between then and the Saturday deadline and if you’re selecting that game, you have to enter your four other weekly selections at that time too. I’d rather use the extra 36 hours to handicap and wait for the latest injury report.”

Proxy Services

Individuals that don’t live in Las Vegas have the ability to enter the contest through proxy services, which continues to help expand the number of entries in the SuperContest.

Matty Simo, co-owner of www.footballcontestproxy.com, has been a proxy in Las Vegas for the past 10 years and is looking forward to the 2015 contest.

“Last year, we submitted picks for nearly a third of the record field in the SuperContest (454 of 1,403 entries), and we expect that number to continue to rise this season due to the growing popularity of the contest and our ongoing mission to educate people about the possibility of using a proxy. We again did not make any mistakes for our contestants last season, and we’re proud to say that 14 of our clients’ entries placed in the Top 30 prize pool in 2014, including four individuals placing in the Top 10 for the second year in a row,” said Simo.

In 2013, Simo’s top client was David Frohardt-Lane, who captured the overall first place prize.

Another quality proxy outfit in Las Vegas that provides this service is www.proxybet.com, who is an independent company that is focusing their efforts on customer service and attention to details.

It’s a family run business that has been successful in other ventures and believes its value is with their pricing and guarantee. Plus, they’re also offering discounts to new customers and individuals who sign up in July.

Lastly, new users that are in need of a proxy and want to rub elbows with a SuperContest winner can do so this season with the aforementioned Kelly Stewart.

[StarDust Bum]

Books make Winston ROY favorite

June 30, 2015

Sportsbook.ag is already prepared for the upcoming NFL season, posting future odds and propositions.

The latest available wager from the major offshore sportsbook is odds to win the 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Last year, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. of the N.Y. Giants ran away with the award as he posted incredible numbers in his debut season.

Bettors taking advantage of this prop last year could’ve taken 8/1 odds on Beckham.

Including Beckham, wide receivers have only won the award twice the past 10 years. Quarterbacks have taken the honor five times while running backs won three times.

This year, the top betting choice is Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston (11/2). In the past 10 years, the top overall pick has only won the award twice.

Past Winners (2005-2014)
2014 WR Odell Beckham New York Giants
2013 RB Eddie Lacy Green Bay Packers
2012 QB Robert Griffin Washington Redskins
2011 QB Cam Newton Carolina Panthers (No. 1 Pick)
2010 QB Sam Bradford St. Louis Rams (No. 1 Pick)
2009 WR Percy Harvin Minnesota Vikings
2008 QB Matt Ryan Atlanta Falcons
2007 RB Adrian Peterson Minnesota Vikings
2006 QB Vince Young Tennessee Titans
2005 RB Cadillac Williams Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Listed below are the latest odds to win the top rookie honors for the 2015 season.

Odds to win 2015 NFL Regular Season Offensive Rookie of the Year - per Sportsbook.ag
Jameis Winston 11/2
Melvin Gordon 13/2
Amari Cooper 8/1
Todd Gurley 10/1
Marcus Mariota 12/1
Nelson Agholor 12/1
Kevin White 15/1
TJ Yeldon 15/1
Tevin Coleman 15/1
DeVante Parker 18/1
Ameer Abdullah 20/1
Breshad Perriman 20/1
Phillip Dorsett 20/1
Devin Funchess 25/1
Devin Smith 25/1
Dorial Green-Beckham 25/1
David Johnson 30/1
Jaelen Strong 30/1
Maxx Williams 30/1
Tyler Lockett 30/1
Chris Conley 40/1
Duke Johnson 40/1
David Cobb 45/1
Andrus Peat 75/1
Clive Walford 75/1
Jay Ajayi 75/1
Sammie Coates 75/1
Lael Collins 100/1
Brandon Scherff 125/1
Bryce Petty 125/1
Cameron Artis-Payne 125/1
DJ Humphries 125/1
Ereck Flowers 125/1
TJ Clemmings 125/1
Ty Montgomery 125/1

How to read the Odds:
Bet $100 on Jameis Winston (11/2) to win $550
Bet $100 on Breshad Perriman (20/1) to win $2,000

Odds Subject to Change - Updated 6.30.15