2019 preseason
The 2018 season was a pleasant surprise, where we were top contenders. I had felt that perhaps a major overhaul was in store for this team – perhaps I was mistaken. We’ll endeavor to try to keep things on track for the coming season, though I sense cap pressures might make this a much tougher season. The players we have on the “seeking new contract” list this year is pretty staggering.
Transitions and League Observations
We have one retirement – long-time LT starter Bennie Heinlein, to nobody’s surprise. 13 seasons as a starter, over 30% success on key running blocks, and a career sacks allowed rating of only 0.8% of pass plays. Excellent and stable performer for us – he’ll be missed.
QB Kim Roux has also retired – he was the “other half” of the league’s most prolific QB tandem, along with Jacques Cheatham. He’ll be headed for the HOF, for certain.
Front Office Decisions
We re-hire our veteran defensive coordinator, for a fairly affordable deal:
Defensive Coordinator Ted Keith, 64
16 years, 181-97-1, 2 championshsips
EX: DL
VG: LB,DB
AV: PK, Young Talent
Roster Review
We decide to use the franchise tag on RB Gus Stewart, to no major surprise. I will hope to work out a long term deal with him, but for now the objective is just to keep him around.
Code:
Players Under Contract: 34
Salary Cap: $75,000,000
Cap Room: $29,790,000
Maximum for New Player: $27,720,000
Cap Room Lost (to old contracts): $2,670,000
It won’t be a picnic.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
Treadwell, Mo 14 QB 2018 2020 7 $1,280,000 $960,000
Wright, Cary 10 QB 2017 2020 3 $550,000 $470,000
Brock, Deion 2 QB 2013 UFA 7 $0 $0
Deion Brock is looking for s deal around $20 million for three years – I might be able to do that, though I’d much prefer to keep that an affordable spot on the roster. We’ll see – I may try my usual approach of riding out my players until they eventually relent.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
Stewart, Gus 39 RB 2014 2019 6 $5,380,000 $5,380,000
Westbrook, Gerald 33 RB 2018 2019 2 $300,000 $300,000
Baker, Joe 36 RB 2015 UFA 5 $0 $0
Barker, Terrance 44 RB 2018 UFA 5 $0 $0
Stewart is the key, of course – he’s thinking $10 million a year, and rightly so. I will make a real effort to re-up with him, and work out a long term deal. I was also pleased with Barker’s work as our reserve last year, and we’ll try to bring him back as well.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
McConnell, Joseph 38 FB 2018 UFA 9 $0 $0
Brandon, Dean 45 FB 2015 UFA 5 $0 $0
Sellers, Karl 80 TE 2016 2019 4 $2,030,000 $1,430,000
Chambliss, Todd 85 TE 2014 UFA 6 $0 $0
Sellers is established, and I’d actually like to return this whole group. Chambliss is looking for real money – he is versatile, as a long snapper and gunner for us on special teams.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
**Newsome, Joey 87 FL 2016 UFA 8 $0 $0
Maxwell, Walter 88 FL 2018 UFA 7 $0 $0
Tilton, Cornelius 83 FL 2013 UFA 7 $0 $0
Pritchett, Don 89 SE 2018 2023 2 $3,640,000 $1,040,000
Burroughs, Stanley 84 SE 2017 2019 7 $730,000 $700,000
Pendleton, Ted 82 SE 2017 2019 3 $670,000 $500,000
Haass, Austin 81 SE 2017 ---- 3 $0 $0
Pritchett is clearly the centerpiece going forward, but who should play this year? I loved what we got from Austin Haass, and assuming he can be re-signed, I like him to start at the flanker spot this season. (Haass is looking for big money, though, and miht not work out) We may re-up with Tilton, another favorite, and a possible starter at flanker if Haass departs. Burroughs is depleted following his big injury last year, and may not make the team at that price.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
Pond, Ellis 57 C 2011 2019 9 $1,000,000 $750,000
Rowell, Jeff 51 C 2017 2019 6 $800,000 $600,000
Nunley, Monty 54 C 2015 UFA 9 $0 $0
Banks, Arnold 73 LG 2018 2020 6 $1,400,000 $1,050,000
**Thornton, Mickey 53 LG 2011 UFA 9 $0 $0
Gruber, Lincoln 63 RG 2009 2019 15 $1,500,000 $1,140,000
Dawkins, Artie 77 RG 2018 2020 2 $460,000 $380,000
Craig, Conrad 72 LT 2018 2020 6 $1,400,000 $1,050,000
Gardner, Hugh 65 RT 2018 2019 2 $300,000 $300,000
Glaspie, Nathan 78 RT 2016 UFA 7 $0 $0
Doubtful we can re-sign Nunley, who has been excellent for us. G Thornton will moss this year – we may try to lock him up on a long cheap deal and hope for his recovery, but the OL crew of old is long gone, it seems. I’m comfortable with Banks starting there, a good pickup last season. I would prefer to re-sign RT Nathan Glaspie, but we need him to drop his demands just a bit.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
Burnette, Lance 3 P 2018 2020 2 $360,000 $360,000
Crain, Mo 15 K 2014 UFA 6 $0 $0
Mo Crain annually demands a huge deal – we won’t be able to afford it this season, I’m certain. We may have to go cheaper there, too bad.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
Fox, Jimmy 93 LDE 2007 2019 13 $1,380,000 $1,050,000
Lane, Blake 70 LDE 2015 2019 5 $1,180,000 $1,050,000
Hartman, Seth 67 LDE 2017 2019 7 $1,060,000 $800,000
Clements, Dexter 69 LDE 2018 2020 8 $850,000 $660,000
Jaramillo, Jerome 95 RDE 2017 2019 6 $1,100,000 $1,000,000
Pearson, Adam 64 RDE 2018 2020 5 $810,000 $750,000
Oliveira, Willie 76 LDT 2007 UFA 15 $0 $0
Ashford, Grady 92 LDT 2017 UFA 9 $0 $0
Farquhar, Omar 98 RDT 2017 2019 3 $990,000 $640,000
Allen, Tommy 99 RDT 2018 2020 6 $740,000 $720,000
James, Marty 75 RDT 2018 2019 2 $300,000 $300,000
Rogers, Donald 90 NT 2018 UFA 7 $0 $0
Need lots of bodies up front, and we have quantity. If we can get something from Dexter Clements this season, that will be another gamble paying off nicely. Seth Hartman might be ready for another spotty season with us, after trying to get in as much as he could last year (about nine games all told). Re-signing DT Grady Ashford would be good, but looks tough – we’ll try to wait for his demands to come down.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
Upshaw, Jonathan 50 MLB 2017 2019 9 $780,000 $750,000
Blackwell, C.J. 97 MLB 2016 UFA 8 $0 $0
Upshaw, Allen 52 SLB 2017 2019 8 $660,000 $660,000
Sinclair, Curtis 94 SLB 2014 2019 6 $650,000 $650,000
Dodge, Kurt 91 SLB 2015 UFA 9 $0 $0
DiGiacomo, Ricky 59 WLB 2017 2019 12 $790,000 $790,000
Regalado, Darrin 58 WLB 2018 UFA 11 $0 $0
Real pressure here. Jonathan Upshaw is a legit starter, but none of the other guys we have signed rally is. Re-signing Dodge and Blackwell would be priorities in an easier year – this season, I don’t know what we will be able to do.
Code:
Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Rls
Diaz, Monty 40 LCB 2015 2019 8 $1,150,000 $1,000,000
Helmuth, Pat 35 LCB 2018 2019 2 $300,000 $300,000
Caston, Adam 46 RCB 2016 2020 14 $1,200,000 $900,000
Callens, Zack 34 RCB 2014 UFA 16 $0 $0
Foreman, Thurman 26 RCB 2016 ---- 4 $0 $0
Weed, Kirk 24 SS 2009 2019 11 $3,200,000 $2,400,000
Arnold, Jason 47 SS 2016 UFA 8 $0 $0
Eskridge, Kenneth 20 FS 2012 2021 8 $3,600,000 $2,000,000
McAfee, Hardy 41 FS 2018 UFA 6 $0 $0
I wasn’t thrilled with Monty Diaz’s season last year, and he might not be back, if we can find a cheap alternative. I was not pleased with our secondary from last year, so we may look for a cheap infusion for this season. I have a trade offer in for Diaz (giving us a third round draft pick) and am inclined to accept it.
My top priorities:
Starting QB – hopefully settle with Deion Brock
Sort out starting LB situation, hopefully including Blackwell
Work out long term deal with RB Stewart
New starter at CB to replace Diaz
Starting WR situation, perhaps Haass?
Re-sign DT Grady Ashford
Re-sign RT Nathan Glaspie
Resolve FB and TE depth charts
Re-sign RB Terrance Barker to backup role