2020 preseason
It’s good to be the king.
We won it all last year, to everyone’s surprise, and now sit atop the league, once again. This year, we will make a hard push toward keeping the team fairly intact, and we will make every effort to push for a repeat championship. The salary cap will prove to be our greatest nemesis in this regard, I am certain.
Transitions and League Observations
I’m used to seeing the “one-and-out” phenomenon with this game – players who get their first title and call it quits. This year, we have nobody – not a single retirement on the team. Interesting.
Safety Thurman Jacobs, got played his first four seasons with us, has retired after 15 years in the league. He might be a borderline HOF guy – 44 interceptions, 7 touchdowns, and 1,079 tackles over those many years, plus one league championship. He was an undrafted free agent I picked up in my first season, who developed into a very solid player, needless to say.
Front Office Decisions
My Offensive Coordinator, Earnest Carlisle, is up for a contract. I want to keep him, despite his advancing age of 65. We also have a renewal offer in for Scout Kim Donaldson. After winning it all, we have little choice but to return our triumphant staff.
Both return under our initial terms – it seems nobody out there really is interested in champions like these guys. Okay, then.
Roster Review
[/code]Players Under Contract: 35
Salary Cap: $75,000,000
Cap Room: $17,200,000
Maximum for New Player: $13,980,000
Cap Room Lost (to old contracts): $540,000
[/code]
Not a whole lot of room to spare here, it seems. $14 million? Ouch.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Goodwin, Tyrell 17 QB 11 56 57 2 yrs
Brock, Deion 2 QB 8 55 55 3 yrs
Treadwell, Mo 14 QB 8 46 48 1 yr.
Donaldson, Kerry 13 QB 2 24 47 2 yrs
Deion Brock does not have stellar ratings. In fact, 4 out of 6 of his ratings for pass types are below 35. However, he has a strong set of ratings including a 95 in avoiding interceptions, and good numbers in accuracy, timing, sensing the rush, and reading defenses. That seems to be what makes him tick – and he has been outstanding. His career passer rating is 100.5 – making him perhaps the most efficient QB in this league’s history, overall. A 108/27 TD-to-Int ration is the foundation there – he is effective in the red zone, and doesn’t make a whole lot of mistakes. Great player, despite the mixed bag of red bars.
I’m fine with Goodwin as our #2, but do ignore the fact that my scout rate him ahead of Brock – he is clearly the #2 here.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Stewart, Gus 39 RB 7 83 83 3 yrs
Barker, Terrance 44 RB 6 58 58 2 yrs
Baker, Joe 36 RB 6 45 51 2 yrs
Sims, Daryl 37 RB 2 27 37 2 yrs
We are set here – maybe even too heavy. Knock wood, Gus Stewart seems to be an iron man, and hasn’t missed a start in five seasons. We’ll hope that trend continues.
Daryl Sims is working his way into a solid utility role – he might be our #2 this season, and he’ll probably be in to return kickoffs as well. He has good receiving skills, and might get some work as a reserve receiver if we need him there. Barker and Baker are fine, but not that exciting. We’re well-stocked here – might even cut someone (Baker?) if I need the cap space.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Brandon, Dean 45 FB 6 54 64 1 yr.
McConnell, Joseph 38 FB 10 47 47 2 yrs
Sellers, Karl 80 TE 5 81 81 1 yr.
Nichols, Ernest 85 TE 10 48 48 ---
We’re solid here, but mostly because I decided to put the franchise tag onto TE Karl Sellers, which pins him at $3.2 million for this year. I can afford that, and we will at least try to work out a long term deal that makes sense for us.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Tilton, Cornelius 83 FL 8 39 39 2 yrs
Colaianne, Arnie 84 FL 2 23 41 1 yr.
Pritchett, Don 89 SE 3 64 64 4 yrs
Harmon, Van 86 SE 10 52 52 2 yrs
Pendleton, Ted 82 SE 4 41 48 ---
Don Pritchett is clearly the main man, though he’s not quite the topped-out superstar that some teams try to force feed. He is very solid, and I expect him to keep developing – this ought to be the year we finally break the 1,000-yard mark. Tilton and Harmon are solid offsetting receivers – Harmon actually posted about 700 yards last season. I’ll expect to use both guys this season.
What I’d really like to do is re-sign WR Austin Haass, who played with Dallas last season, but I’m convinced he can be very productive. I’ll keep an eye out for him on the open free agent market this season.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Nunley, Monty 54 C 10 80 80 ---
Pond, Ellis 57 C 10 60 64 ---
Rowell, Jeff 51 C 7 54 58 ---
Banks, Arnold 73 LG 7 68 68 1 yr.
Thornton, Mickey 53 LG 10 40 40 2 yrs
Gruber, Lincoln 63 RG 16 38 38 ---
Cunningham, Ted 56 RG 2 26 52 2 yrs
Craig, Conrad 72 LT 7 61 63 1 yr.
Glaspie, Nathan 78 RT 8 38 38 2 yrs
Gardner, Hugh 65 RT 3 25 52 ---
Okay, we have some issues here – we need to decide what to do at center. All three of my current guys are looking for pretty big paydays, so this might be the year to land a new guy and ride him. I’d like to return Lincoln Gruber, but if he demands $1.5 million and not a cent less, he may walk after 16 years with us.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Burnette, Lance 3 P 3 49 49 1 yr.
Crain, Mo 15 K 7 93 93 ---
My usual struggle with K Mo Crain – he is excellent, and demands to be paid commensurately. I’d rather lock him up long term, but I end up just re-signing him for a one year deal each year. Doubtful that I can afford $2.5m+ for a kicker this season, I fear.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Hartman, Seth 67 LDE 8 83 85 ---
Quinn, Kim 71 LDE 6 54 54 2 yrs
Clements, Dexter 69 LDE 9 42 42 1 yr.
Lane, Blake 70 LDE 6 29 29 ---
Fox, Jimmy 93 LDE 14 28 31 ---
Jaramillo, Jerome 95 RDE 7 45 45 ---
Pearson, Adam 64 RDE 6 43 45 1 yr.
Allen, Tommy 99 RDT 7 53 53 1 yr.
James, Marty 75 RDT 3 24 45 ---
Farquhar, Omar 98 RDT 4 22 27 ---
Rogers, Donald 90 NT 8 53 53 1 yr.
Okay – lots of work to do here, lots. Who can start this year from what we have now? Quinn is solid against the run, Clements is injury prone but okay. DT Allen and NT Rogers are both sold – so we have a theoretical starting four. DE Jimmy Fox has been with us forever, and I’d like to bring him back for continuity. But we need to add a quality player or three in here, I think.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Wallace, Andrew 55 MLB 9 55 55 2 yrs
Upshaw, Jonathan 50 MLB 10 53 53 ---
Patterson, Emmanuel 96 MLB 2 23 44 2 yrs
Dodge, Kurt 91 SLB 10 51 51 2 yrs
Upshaw, Allen 52 SLB 9 49 49 ---
Sinclair, Curtis 94 SLB 7 35 48 ---
Regalado, Darrin 58 WLB 12 40 40 2 yrs
Okay, Wallace and Dodge can start for us again. We’ll watch Jonathan Upshaw – I’d like to brig him back, but he might be too pricey. Allen Upshaw might end up starting on the weak side. Curtis Sinclair has been underused, but could end up getting a real role this season, - he’s a decent run stopper, which I value.
Ideally, we’d add one solid, affordable veteran to step into our starting lineup – and keep the role players in their roles.
Code:
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Enochs, Ty 28 LCB 6 49 49 1 yr.
Cottle, Bucky 40 LCB 12 39 39 2 yrs
Caston, Adam 46 RCB 15 35 35 1 yr.
Whiting, Edgar 49 RCB 2 16 30 2 yrs
Weed, Kirk 24 SS 12 48 48 ---
Flannery, Ricky 21 SS 14 41 41 ---
Eskridge, Kenneth 20 FS 9 70 70 2 yrs
Helmuth, Pat 35 FS 3 21 51 ---
CB Ty Enochs had a nice season last year for us, and is locked in as a starter. CB Adam Caston was okay, and the other job is his to lose. Kenneth Eskridge had a monster year last season, and now occupies a monster salary cap number of $9.6 million. Kirk Weed is an 11-year starter, and a guy I’d really like to return. Ideally, we could keep Weed and maybe add one more playable guy at CB – but money is the issue there.
My initial free agent offers are:
S Kirk Weed (3yrs, $3.6m)
LB Curtis Sinclair (2yrs, $1.6m)
DE Blake Lane (3yrs, $2.2m)
Not all that much money, really. So, we ought to be able to make a move elsewhere.