Carolina On My Mind, Part II 2020-

[FishFan]

2020 Draft Results
DE Quentin Mueller, Morehead St. (17/81)
G Vernon Shelton, Boston College (21/82)
FB Vince O'Donnell, San Jose St. (15/35)
TE Fred Dupree, Clemson (27/54)
RB Mark Boone, Illinois (26/26)
S Ty Harding, Duke (13/13)

Both Mueller and Shelton can blossom into stars with development. The rest are roster fillers and hopeful diamonds in the rough.


Following the draft I sign FA LB Ian Fisk to a 3 year, 10.35 mil deal. He becomes my best run-stopping LB and will probably start in the middle. Forbes and Springer will be the other starters as my young rookies develop.

I released rookie S Ty Harding after he did not learn anything in training camp. All the other rookies stayed about the same or had slight improvement.

I then sign the following players:

QB Marlon Watson (1 year - 1.59 mil)
DT Quinn Wyoming (1 year - 1.20 mil)
CB Ellis Huffman (1 year - 1.95 mil)
WR Alvin Paradis (league min) - brother of WR Geoff Paradis
P Percy Drake (1 year - 1.06 mil)

[FishFan]

Projected 2020 Starting Lineups
QB Claude Clary
RB Korey Molina
FB Donovan Rasmussen
TE Vince Tatum
WR Geoff Paradis
WR Tito McLean
LT Brant Koplitz
LG Wally Reichard
C Willie Foley
RG Norbert Akamine
RT Oliver Burks

K Jesse Sexton
P Pecry Drake
KR Korey Molina

DE Vincent Drexler
DT Deion Glenn
DT Quinn Wyoming
DE Brenden Prescott
LB Matt Forbes
LB Ian Fisk
LB Adam Springer
CB Richard Ahrens
CB Alex Shepard
FS Sedrick Oquendo
SS Nolan Houston

FB Rasmussen, TE Tatum, and RT Burks are the new starters on offense. DT Wyoming and LB Fisk are newcomers on defense. We are also changing our offense a little to cater to Clary's strengths and weaknesses. He throws short and medium passes better than screens, so don't expect many screen passes this year.

[FishFan]

To highlight a couple of things from preseason, S Sedrick Oquendo return three picks for TDs. He always seems to play better in games that don't mean anything. QB Marlon Watson actually outplayed Claude Clary, but Clary will get the nod anyway. I'll keep an eye on him, though. If he slips, Watson will get a chance.

Week 1 vs San Francisco(L17-34, 0-1)
Week 2 at Arizona(W28-18, 1-1)
Week 3 vs St. Louis(L10-13, 1-2)
Week 4 at Austin(L10-17, 1-3)
Week 5 vs Atlanta(W14-13, 2-3)
Week 6 vs Dallas(W31-21, 3-3)
Week 7 vs Pittsburgh(W24-17, 4-3)
Week 8 at Atlanta(L13-35, 4-4)
Week 9 at New Orleans(W34-3, 5-4)
Week 11 at Detroit(W16-10, 6-4)
Week 12 vs Cleveland(W31-7, 7-4)
Week 13 at Baltimore(W21-0, 8-4)
Week 14 vs New Orleans(W24-21, 9-4)
Week 15 at San Francisco(L13-28, 9-5)
Week 16 at St. Louis(W26-16, 10-5)
Week 17 vs Austin(W34-17, 11-5)
Wild Card Game vs Austin(W34-10, 12-5)
Divisional Playoff at Tampa Bay(L17-20, 12-6)

We can not win a season opener to save our lives. We lose 34-17 to the woeful 49ers to start the season. We rebound with a 28-18 win at Arizona, but lose to the Rams the following week to fall to 0-2 in the division. I am having my first thoughts of leaving this team and heading elsewhere after this season. I've never thought about leaving a team because I have become so frustrated with them. Not in FOF or FOF2.

LB Ian Fisk tears up his knee - he's done for the year. Plus LB Harold Sell is on the shelf forthe first three months. I sign LB Erik Becker to take his place. He'll step into the starting role. Fisk's injury diminishes his ratings greatly. There's 11 million I can't get back.

I bench Clary after a 17-10 loss to Austin in week 4. You can't blame the defense anymore. Watson leads the team to straight wins - 14-13 over Atlanta and 31-21 over Dallas. He does not particulary throw the ball well, but a win is a win. Korey Molina has picked up his play.

I tweak the gameplan a bit and start Clary in week 7. He responds to his benching by putting up great numbers - 27-35-0-261 2TDs - and claiming gmae MVP honors in a 24-17 win over the Steelers. We split the next two and head into the bye week with a 5-4 record and with our playoff hopes on the line.

We come out of the bye week on fire, winning our first three, including a 21-0 win over 8-3 Baltimore. We find ourselves tied with the Rams for the division lead. Our four remaining games are all division games with a visit to St. Louis in week 16.

We split our next to and stand at 9-5 with Austin and St. Louis left. They are both a game behind the Panthers and Falcons. We get past the Rams 26-16 and then clobber the Bush 34-17 to close out the season at 11-5. Atlanta loses to the Vikins in the finale, giving us the division championship. We don't get the first round bye, however, and must play Austin again in the Wild Card Round. The bad news - we lose RB Korey Molina to a torn thumb ligament and DE Loui Snyder to a torn knee. Both are done for the year.

In almost an exact replica of the last game, the Panthers rout the Bush, 34-10. Carolina got out to a 17-3 halftime lead and never looked back. Claude Clary hit Tito McLean and Carlos Starks on 1st half TDs and S Rico Woodson iced it with an 85 yd interception return for TD in the 4th quarter. Without Molina, the Panther RBs run for 117 yards on 28 carries. Horste and Boone split the time at RB in this one. Clary finished a respectable 19-28-1-251 with two scores. Tampa Bay is up next for the Panthers.

The Buccaneers get out to an early 10-0 lead, led by RB Derrick Foreman's 41 yd TD scamper in the 1st quarter. The Panthers tack on a 24 yd Jess Sexton FG to go into halftime down 10-3. Midway through the 3rd quarter, Carolina RB Hugh Horste breaks through the Buccaneer DL and rumbles 70 yds to tie the game at 10. On their next drive, Clary finds Tito McLean on a 25 yd scoring strike and the Panthers are up 17-10 after three quarters of play. After a rather boring 9 minutes of play in the 4th quarter, the Buccaneers get the ball back with just over 4 minutes to play. QB Lawrence Rainey engineers a three minute drive that culminates in a 37 yd TD pass to Tracy Clemons. The EP is good, we are tied at 17 with 1:11 left. The Panthers could not get past midfield on their next possession and we go to overtime.

Carolina wins the toss, but we go three-and-out. The Bucs go right down the field on their drive, highlighted by a 31 yd Rainey pass. They get all the way down to the CAR02, but miss the game winning 19 yd FG wide right. Wow. New life for the Panthers. Again the Tampa Bay defense holds the Panthers in check and we punt away again in overtime. This time Tampa only gets to the CAR25, but Michalske hits the 42 yd FG to win the game for the Bucs, 20-17. We had some opportunities, but could not convert. There is hope for next year, however.

Arizona and Seattle meet in Super Bowl XXI. The Seahawks have quietly put together a 14-2 regualr season record and are the heavy favorite this year with their stingy defense. Of course, Super Bowl XXI turns into a shootout, but the Seahawks still prevail, 38-35 on a last second FG. Seattle RB Jorge Denson claims MVP honors with his 163 yd, 2 TD performance.

Key 2020 Season Stats
QB Claude Clary 242-408-13-3100 14 TDs 81.3 rtg
RB Korey Molins 322-1487 15 TDs
WR Geoff Paradis 85-1327 6 TDs
WR Carlos Starks 60-831 4 TDs
WR Tito McLean 32-426 5 TDs
K Jesse Sexton 23-35 FG 56 Lng
P Percy Drake 42.2 Avg 34 In20
DE Brenden Prescott 37 T 13.0 Sacks 7 Hurr
DE Vincent Drexler 35 T 9.5 Sacks 4 Blk 7 Hurr
DT Deion Glenn 34 T 8.0 Sacks
LB Adam Springer 73 T 35 A
LB Erik Becker 68 T 4.0 Sacks
LB Matt Forbes 65 T 5 Dfns
S Nolan Houston 70 T 5 INTs
S Sedrick Oquendo 69 T 25 A 8 INTs 4 Dfns 40.2 PDQ
CB Richard Ahrens 6 Dfns
G Wally Reichard 38.2 BPct 4 SkA
G Norbert Akamine 35.0 BPct 2 SkA

2020 Awards

NFL MVP: Andy Lanning, TB (3rd Striaght)
OFF POY: Andy Lanning, TB
DEF POY: Jumbo Baxter, TB
OFF ROY: Mel Fritchman, DEN
DEF ROY: Herb Reeves, DET

RB Korey Molina All-Pro 2nd Team

[FishFan]

As expected, 20 year veteran, K Jesse Sexton, has retired from the league. The career leader in field goals played three years in Jacksonville before wearing a Panther uniform from 2004-2007. The Jets then signed him in free agency in 2008. He played in New York through 2012 before returning to Carolina where he played his final eight seasons. As stated, his 550 field goal is a career record and his longest kick made is 57 yards. With 701 attempts, he has a career percentage of roughly 79%. Sexton has been called on to punt 20 times over the course of his career and has averaged 34.0 yards per kick and landed 9 inside the 20. This guy will be tough to replace.

There is no big news to report from the scout/coach hiring period. My guys are still the highest paid in the league - I wonder if that's a good or bad thing.

Free Agents:

Unrestricted
S Kenneth Rehberg
DE Vincent Drexler
G Norbert Akamine
DT Deion Glenn
DE Louie Snyder
QB Marlon Watson
FB Dennis Rasmussen
WR Sedrick Horn
P Percy Drake
DT Quinn Wyoming
LB Erik Becker
CB Ellis Huffman

Restricted
QB Dustin Campbell
C Jeremy Bruener
S Rick Woodson
T Pete Leathers
DT Andres Wendell

This FA Period might be my most important one ever. I have four highly paid veterans that I will probably not resign: Rehberg, Drexler, Akamine, and Glenn. I will hit the free agent market ot find replacements for these guys and general improvements at other areas. I also have some fast developing rookies that I can bring into the starting lineup.

I offer TE Les Poston, DT Brent Arnold, and CB Kendrick Bullock contracts to begin the FA period. Poston resigns with Philly in week 3 and DT Deion Glenn has been offered a 4 year, 45 mil deal by the Jets. I probably won;t compete with that. I also offer K Shaun Lowe a three year deal in week 3. I nail down Lowe to replace Jesse Sexton at PK in week 5. Arnold accepts my offer of 22.73 over three years in week 6, while Deion Glenn inks with the Jets.

A busy week 7 finds S Kenneth Rehberg as a Buffalo Bill, QB Marlon Watson as a Raider, and FB Donovan Rasmussen as an Eagle. My early CB target, Kendrick Bullock signed a two year deal with the Steelers. The market is thin this year and I have a ton of cash to spend. I will try to save as much as I can and try to nail down more next season. Right now, there is just nothing worth spending a lot of cap room on. G Norbert Akamine signs a three year deal with Philly in week 10 and DE Vincent Drexler signs with Cincy. I return P Percy Drake in week 11 with a 3 year deal.

Draft Results
DT Rick Richard, Miami(FL) (9/70)
QB Hardy Kelly, Ohio St. (29/79)
DE Eddie Barker, UNLV (12/48)
C Gino Fuller, Purdue (30/57)
G Myron Taxin, Marshall (41/46)
FB Jorge Humphrey, Virginia (26/55)

C Gino Fuller proved to be a draft bust, but all other came through training camp a-okay. 2nd year DE Quentin Mueller improved greatly. He could be a force on the defensive line.

Following training camp, I released C Riddick Musso and WR Bryce Abrams and signed the following players:

S Travis Stokely (1 year - 1.13 mil)
QB Mercury Taller (1 year - 510K)
C Ron Terry (1 year -510K)
T Stephen Upshaw (league min)
DE Leroy Manning (league min)
DT Luther Durant (league min)
CB Brandon Bateman (league min)
S Bennie Eppright (league min)
WR Cornelius Boyer (league min)

I still have 14 mil under the cap and should free up even more room next season. Maybe I can really attack the FA market next year and find those one or two studs that can take me to the next level.

In a bit of bad news, Korey Molina never fully recoverd from last season's injury and may never return to the level he played at before the injury. This season will be a test for him.

[FishFan]

Projected 2021 Starting Lineups:

QB Claude Clary
RB Korey Molina
FB Vince O'Donnell
TE Vince Tatum
WR Geoff Paradis
WR Tito McLean
LT Brant Koplitz
LG Wally Reichard
C Willie Foley
RG Vernon Shelton
RT Oliver Burks

K Shaun Lowe
P Percy Drake
KR Cornelius Boyer

DE Quentin Mueller
DT Brent Arnold
DT John Fisk
DE Brenden Prescott
LB Matt Forbes
LB Erik Becker
LB Adam Springer
CB Richard Ahrens
CB Alan Shepard
FS Sedrick Oquendo
SS Nolan Houston

FB O'Donnell and G Shelton are the only newcomers on offense, besides the K Lowe, of course. On defense, we welcome DE Mueller and DT Arnold. With 9 of my 11 defensive starter ranking above 50 in run defense, I expect to play the RBs tough this year.

[FishFan]

2021 Season Results

Week 1 vs Oakland(W34-10, 1-0)
Week 2 at St. Louis(W24-10, 2-0)
Week 3 vs New Orleans(W28-20, 3-0)
Week 4 vs Atlanta(W31-10, 4-0)
Week 5 vs Denver(L24-31, 4-1)
Week 6 at New Orleans(W38-23, 5-1)
Week 7 at Chicago(W34-20, 6-1)
Week 9 vs St. Louis(W35-10, 7-1)
Week 10 at San Francisco(W13-10, 8-1)
Week 11 at Seattle(W24-21, 9-1)
Week 12 at Atlanta(L13-17, 9-2)
Week 13 at Austin(L23-24, 9-3)
Week 14 vs San Francisco(W20-16, 10-3)
Week 15 at Arizona(L10-19, 10-4)
Week 16 vs Tampa Bay(L13-24, 10-5)
Week 17 vs Austin(W25-22, 11-5)
Wild Card vs St. Louis(W31-14, 12-5)
Divisional Playoff at Washington(L3-23, 12-6)

The Panthers begin their 2021 campaign in good fashion with a 34-10 win over Oakland. Clary throws for three TDs, Molina runs for one, and Nolan Houston picks off two passes in the win.

Two more wins and the Panthers are 3-0 for the first time in about 7-8 years. The difference? A revived Clary - he has 8 TDs in three games. Molina has not declined as much as we thought he may have - he has about 250 yards in the three games. The secondary is getting their hands on some balls - we have six picks in three games.
We are also third in the league in run defense!

We use that same formula to beat up on previously unbeaten Atlanta to improve to 4-0. After a 31-24 setback vs Denver, we rebound with two straight wins to head into the bye week at 6-1. S Sedrick Oquendo and QB Claude Clary are having MVP years. Clary is 119-189-1-1469 with 12 TDs while Oquendo has been da man with 36 T 14 A and 5 INTs. We win our next two after the bye week and stand at 8-1 and three games ahead in the division. Tampa Bay, however, is 9-0.

We get hit by injuries and lose two of the next three to fall to 10-3. Tampa Bay has also struggled. They stand at 11-1 right now. In week 14, Claude Clary went down with a torn thumb ligament. He will be out the remainder of the year. That is a big blow, as Clary was enjoying his best year since 2015. Rookie Hardy Kelly will fill in and the team signed TJ Terrell to take his spot on the roster. The loss of Clary led to two straight losses and a 10-5 record. If we win our finale, we still claim the division. What a turn of events - another great start spoiled.

We squeak out a 25-22 win over cellar dwelling Austin and will face the Rams in the Wild Card round. The NFC West sent four teams to the playoffs: the Panthers, Falcons, Saints, and Rams.

In the opening roun dof the playoffs, the Panthers tried to beat the Rams for the third time this year. St. Louis scored on their opening drive - a huge 70 yd bomb from Patrick Olive to Levon Burke. The Panthers countered on their 1st possesion in a long drive that culminated in a Korey Molina 3 yd run. The 7-7 scored stood until the 3rd quarter - a quarter owned by Hardy Kelly. The rookie QB threw two TDs, one to Molina and one to Geoff Paradis as the Panthers built a 21-7 lead. After a Shaun Lowe FG, Olive threw another 65 yd bomb - this one to Adam Jenner - to cut the lead to 24-14. With the Rams driving late in the 4th, Travis Stokely stepped in front of an Olive pass and returned it 49 yards to ice the game, 31-14. The Panthers go on to face the 'Skins in the divisional playoff.

The Redskins, led by RB Glenn Dinkins, proved to be too much for the Panthers. Dinkins ran for two 2nd quarter TDs and the 'Skins defense held the Panthers in check all the way to a 23-3 final. Kelly threw two interceptions to help throw the game away for Carolina.

Tampa Bay then beat the Skins to face the Steelers in Super Bowl XXII. The Buccaneer defense brought home a 20-3 win and the championship. RB Andy Lanning claimed Super Bowl MVP honors and won his fourth straight NFL MVP award. HE is quickly becoming the best RB to ever play the game.

2021 Key Season Stats
QB Claude Clary 242-394-6-2941 19 TDs 94.0 rtg
RB Korey Molina 324-1481 15 TDs
WR Tito McLean 75-944 2 TDs
WR Geoff Paradis 59-823 8 TDs
WR Carlos Starks 37-618 7 TDs
K Shaun Lowe 28-35 FG 53 Lng
P Percy Drake 40.2 Avg 35 In20
DE Quentin Mueller 41 T 4.0 Sacks 6 Hurr
DE Brenden Prescott 8.5 Sacks 4 Blk 4 Hurr
DT Brent Arnold 38 T 15 A
LB Erik Becker 88 T 8 Dfns
LB Matt Forbes 75 T
CB Alex Shepard 8 Dfns
CB Travis Stokely 6 Dfns
S Sedrick Oquendo 70 T 31 A 8 INTs 7 Dfns 44.4 DPQ
S Nolan Houston 12 Dfns 39.s PDQ
T Brant Koplitz 30 KRB 50.0 BPct
T Oliver Burks 38.0 BPct 4 SkA

2021 Awards

NFL MVP: Andy Lanning, TB (4th Straight)
OFF POY: Andy Lanning, TB
DEF POY: Monty Mickey, OAK
OFF ROY: Glenn Dinkins, WAS
DEF ROY: Joey Montgomery, NYG

RB Korey Molina All-Pro 2nd Team
S Sedrick Oquendo All-Pro 2nd Team

Hopefully, Clary will not be affected longterm by his latest injury. He lloked to be coming into his own last year. If we can continue our solid play throughout one whole season, we might be a pretty good football team.

[FishFan]

No retirements this year, but quite a few free agents and a heft 42 mil under the cap. I will try to land a top notch CB this year and maybe another DT or DE to really solidify my defense. Offensively, I think I am fine.

I rehired scout Jim Roberson and coach Chuck Reddy to five year extensions. Roberson for 1.3 mil a year and Reddy for 11.0 mil a year.

Free Agents:

Unrestricted
G Wally Reichard
WR Carlos Starks
RB Alex Alexander
T Stan McCarthy
LB Adam Srpringer
DE Brended Prescott
DT John Fisk
S Travis Stokely
LB Derek Wolf
LB HArold Sell
CB Mike McElroy

Restricted
G Cornell Dishman
RB Mark Boone
P Vernon Poel
QB TJ Terrell
QB Mercury Terrell
C Ron Terry

This season, I will try to find better replacements for Prescott and Fisk. I would like to retain Stokely but might command too much for a thirs safety. I will franchise Springer and try to retain one of the other LBs(Sell or Wolf). Starks is gone after being a reliable third WR and spot starter. He will command too much cash. Out of the RFAs, I'll keep Dishman.

I trade LB Ian Fisk and some draft picks(two 2nd's and a 3rd) to Los Angeles for their 2nd overall pick this season. This is the highest pick I have had in franchie history.

I put out the following offers to begin the FA period:

FB Sedrick Braun 6.4 mil - 3 years
TE Brock Vaughn 13.5 mil - 3 years
DE Christian Felton 33.00 mil - 4 years
DT John Fisk 28.00 mil - 3 years

I'll keep my eye on some of my other UFAs in the first few weeks. Felton resigns with the Bucs in week 3. His desire to play for a winner was too great, I guess. Brock Vaughn signed with Atlanta in week 4 and John Fisk resigns with the Panthers for four more seasons. I offer Prescott a two year deal - if he accepts, I'll re-evaluate his performance then. It doesn't matter, though. He takes a three yaer deal with Miami. I also lose the bidding war for Braun as he signs with Denver. I still have 38 mil and nobody to spend it on. I offer 15 year vet, Wally Reichard a 4 mil, one year deal with no bonus. He accepts, but may not be around when we start the season. Miami also picks up Panther LB Harold Sell. I offer LB Derek Wolf 14.0 mil for three years - less than what Chicago offered for two years. He takes my offer, much to my surprise. I am down to 30 mil now. I ink Adam Springer to a three year deal worth approx 4.5 mil a year.

I make a draft day trade involving nothing but draft picks. My first of this kind. I trade my 2nd pick overall and my 6th round pick to San Diego for their 8th overall pick and their 2nd and 3rd round picks. The guy I wanted at #2 went 1st, so I wanted to move down a little. I have my eye on a certain CB now and I drafted right in front of a couple of teams whose biggest need is a CB. I cross my fingers, hoping he will fall. I also trade G Wally Reichard and a couple of late round picks to New Orleans for their 2nd round pick.

I get my man at #8, CB Junior Wagoner.

Draft Results
CB Junior Wagoner, Bowling Green (44/79)
DE Neil Poole, Washington (14/84)
G Justin Hawkins, Maryland (36/48)
S Monty Carona, UCLA (31/60)
LB Neal Wallace, Harvard (16/54)
WR Victor Hentrich, Virginia (17/53)
FB Lee Dillon, NC St. (34/57)

Following the draft I released CB Alex Shepard, freeing up 7.5 mil in cap room. I also released FB Vince O'Donnell. I then signed veteran QB Darrin Kelly to backup Claude Clary. Kelly led the Miami Dolphins to much success, including a couple of trips to Super Bowls.

Also signed:

RB Cary Spillman (league min)
RB Justin Evans (league min)
C Jumbo Grant (league min)
CB Bo Fletcher (league min)
DE Bart Dillon (2.13 mil - 1 year)

Then, in a surprise move, WR Carlos Starks resigned with the Panthers for another year(3.3 mil). The WR was livid and would not resign during the FA period, but found no other suitors. He finally settled for a one year deal, just to get back out on the football field. He'll remain the Panthers #3 WR.

[FishFan]

Projected 2022 Starting Lineups

QB Claude Clary
RB Korey Molina
FB Jorge Humphrey
TE Vince Tatum
WR Geoff Paradis
WR Tito McLean
LT Brant Koplitz
LG Vernon Shelton
C Willie Foley
RG Cornell Dishman
RT Oliver Burks

K Shaun Lowe
P Percy Drake
KR Cornelius Boyer

DE Bart Dillon
DT Brent Arnold
DT John Fisk
DE Quentin Mueller
LB Matt Forbes
LB Erik Becker
LB Adam Springer
CB Richard Ahrens
CB Junior Wagoner
FS Sedrick Oquendo
SS Nolan Houston

DE Dillon and CB Wagoner are new starters on defense this year. If a young DE steps up, he will replace Dillon, though. On offense, FB Humphrey and G Dishman join the returning starters.

[FishFan]

We go 4-0 in preseason, hopefully as sign of things to come. More importantly, maybe, we made it through withour any injuries.

2022 Season Results

Week 1 at New Orleans(W27-20, 1-0)
Week 2 vs Minnesota(W24-14, 2-0)
Week 3 vs Austin(W31-10, 3-0)
Week 5 vs San Francisco(W31-28, 4-0)
Week 6 at St. Louis(L10-23, 4-1)
Week 7 vs New Orleans(L9-34, 4-2)
Week 8 at Atlanta(W13-3, 5-2)
Week 9 vs Buffalo(W23-3, 6-2)
Week 10 at San Francisco(W31-29, 7-2)
Week 11 at Austin(W30-13, 8-2)
Week 12 at NY Jets(W27-7, 9-2)
Week 13 at Tampa Bay(L9-34, 9-3)
Week 14 vs Atlanta(L14-16, 9-4)
Week 15 vs St. Louis(L18-24, 9-5)
Week 16 vs Washington(L20-27, 9-6)
Week 17 at Miami(L6-13, 9-7)

We lose DT Brent Arnold, but win the game in our season opener, 27-20 over New Orleans. Arnold will miss 2-3 months with a broken hand. In week 2 we lose two more players, TE Dupree and G Shelton. We battle through these injuries to win our first four games of the season.

In week 6, we lose more players. Arnold is back, but G Dishman goes down leaving our guard situation very shady. WR Geoff Paradis also breaks an arm. We are hurtin'. We lose two straight but rebound with a win at Atlanta to move us into a tie with the Falcons for the division lead at 5-2. In week 7, all four of my guards had some sort of injury. That sums up this season, injury-wise.

We put together a four game win streak leading up to week 11. We are 8-2 and one game ahead of the Falcons and Rams for the NFC West lead. We beat the 8-2 Jets in week 12 to push the win streak to five games. A humbling 34-9 loss at Tampa Bay brings us back to earth and a tie with the Falcons. Of course, the Falcons are next on our schedule. We lose to them, too, and fall to 9-4 and we're back on our heels again. We just can't finish a season. Our third straight loss, a 24-18 beating at the hands of the Rams, means we do not deserve to be in the playoffs.

We end the season with five straight losses to end 9-7 after a 9-2 start. We miss the playoffs. I'm done with this team. Nothing but a bunch of gutless, no chest hair having, chicken shit so-called football players. Screw'em.

Houston meets St. Louis in Super Bowl XXIII. The Lone Stars nail a 36 yd FG at the gun to edge the Rams, 24-21. RB Ernest Taylor claims MVP honors.

2022 Key Season Stats
QB Claude Clary 262-454-16-2838 17 TDs 74.0 rtg
RB Korey Molina 366-1605 12 TDs
WR Tito McLean 67-834 5 TDs
WR Carlos Starks 48-626 2 TDs
WR Geoff Paradis 21-292 1 TD
WR Alvin Paradis 44-429 5 TDs (younger, less talented brother shows up the star Geoff - what a chump)
K Shaun Lowe 28-36 FG 50 Lng
P Percy Drake 39.5 Avg 33 In20
DT Brant Arnold 35 T
DE Quentin Mueller 34 T 12.0 Sacks 3 Blk 8 Hurr
DE Bart Dillon 6.5 Sacks
DT John Fisk 33 T
LB Erik Becker 91 T 35 A 3.5 Sacks
S Sedrick Oquendo 68 T 34 A 8 INTs 7 Dfns 45.3 PDQ
CB Junior Wagoner 4 INTs
S Nolan Houston 15 Dfns 34.6 PDQ
CB Richard Ahrens 10Dfns

2022 Awards

NFL MVP: Tracy Chilton, MIN
OFF POY: Tracy Chilton, MIN
DEF POY: Lenny Quimby, KCY
OFF ROY: Edgar Dellenbach, AUS
DEF ROY: Randal Heimulu, PIT

T Brant Koplitz All-Pro 1st Team

Yep, I am finished with this bunch. I will review the different teams that will talk to me and select one in financial ruin and no success in recent years. Maybe I'll have more success gutting a team and basically starting from scratch. I'll miss FS Sedrick Oquendo, though. He was the only defensive player that showed he cared about the game and came to play everyday. DE Quentin Mueller also showed promise. Maybe I'll try to lure those guys to me new destination. We'll see...

[This message has been edited by FishFan (edited 11-25-2000).]

[FishFan]

After ruling out all teams that would not talk to me, all teams with a Super Bowl Champpionship in it's history, and all teams with five or more playoff appearances, I am left with the following teams:

Los Angeles Gold Rush
Champaign Corks
Iowa City Caucus
San Francisco 49ers
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New York Giants
Kansas City Chiefs
San Diego Chargers

Of these teams, the Vikings, Patriots, Giants, and Chargers all finished .500 or better in 2022. They are ruled out. That leaves:

Los Angeles Gold Rush
Champaign Corks
Iowa City Caucus
San Francisco 49ers
Kansas City Chiefs

Out of these five, the 49ers have a roster rated 84 out of 100 - I won't take them. The Chiefs have a fairly new stadium - I won't take them. That leaves:

Los Angeles Gold Rush
Champaign Corks
Iowa City Caucus

Examining these roster before the FA period:

The LA Gold Rush have 29 players signed and are 16 mil under the cap - intriguing.

The Iowa City Caucus have 24 players and are 42 mil under the cap - too much cash to spend.

The Champaign Corks have 29 players signed and are 6 mil OVER the cap - a no brainer!

I'm going with the Corks!

[FishFan]

With a 33-63 record in franchise history, the Corks are looking for some changes. They have never been to the playoffs and struggle to stay under the cap every year. This will be a challenge.

Looking through our roster, I find 16 players making 5 mil or more. I think the Panthers had around 8-10 every year. Time to cut some fat. Before the FA period, I release the following players:

RB Jerald Dole
RB Vinny Ruiz
DE Marty Seifert
DT Shane Davidson
T Nathan Malone
G Vinny Meier
DE Charles Rhett
RB Vernon Corbitt

I would have also trashed my old friend, CB Kerry Victor, but we would have endured a 5+ mil hit on the cap next year. All the guys I released were in their final year of their contracts.

I've got a bum scout and a bum coach. I'll trash them as soon as we get through this first, rough season.

I make my first trade, sending QB Tito Wiggins and a 5th round pick to Seattle for a 1st and 3rd round pick. I am down to 20 signed players, but have opened up about 60 mil in cap room.

I then release the following players:

DT Howard Foster
G Phil Kennedy

I will go after players based on performance, not necessarily their ratings since my scout pretty much sucks.

I sign the following players prior to the draft:

DT Jerald Jeffries 27.73 - 3 years
RB Troy Kerbis 19.73 - 3 years
QB Curtis Dimcheff 56.25 - 5 years
FB Gene Fulcher 3.78 - 3 years
WR Bernard Montanez 16.00 - 3 years
LB Clyde Andrews 13.69 - 3 years

2023 Draft Results
QB Jack Kipp, Syracuse
CB Jon Buss, Tennessee St.
RB Mickey Packard, Purdue
C Kenny Bemont, Brown
G Moe Biggs, Sam Houston St.
S Edward Rossini, Washington St.
LB Lincoln Powell, Maryland
TE Brenden Marshall, Elon College

G Chuck Reilly 1.26 - 1 year
S Tracy Weaver 1.27 - 1 year
LB Paul Burks 1.73 - 1 year
C Arnie Carr 1.27 - 1 year
WR Warren Gardner 3.67 - 1 year
RB RJ Barton (league min)
WR Carl Sibal (league min)
RB BJ Rellford (league min)
FB Casey Thompson (league min)
WR Levon Small (league min)
WR Christian Tribble (league min)
G Harry Hamby (league min)
G Joseph Ameche (league min)
T Freddie Sanders (league min)
T Preston Patton (league min)
DE Grant Branch (league min)
DT Norm Patton (league min)
CB Chester Kim (league min)
CB Aaron Brookins (league min)
S Luke Francis (league min)

Projected 2023 Starters

QB Curtis Dimcheff
RB Troy Kerbis
FB Casey Thompson
TE Bob Adams
WR Bernard Montanez
WR Warren Gardner
LT Jimmie Walton
LG Chuck Reilly
C Arnie Carr
RG Moe Biggs
RT Korey McLean

K Rusty Wolfe
P Brady England
KR Carl Sibal

DE Grant Branch
DT Alex Gustin
DT Jerald Jeffries
DE Toby Ogden
LB Paul Burks
LB Vincent Horner
LB Nolan Dodge
CB Kerry Victor
CB Ralph Ledbetter
FS Tracy Weaver
SS Irving Owens

Should be a fun year.

[FishFan]

2023 Season Results

Week 1 at Minnesota(L0-10, 0-1)
Week 2 vs Detroit(W21-15, 1-1)
Week 3 at Tampa Bay(L3-43, 1-2)
Week 4 vs Chicago(L22-38, 1-3)
Week 5 at Green Bay(L6-10, 1-4)
Week 6 vs Tampa Bay(L14-24, 1-5)
Week 7 at Chicago(L17-30, 1-6)
Week 8 vs Kansas City(L3-16, 1-7)
Week 10 at Seattle(L10-16, 1-8)
Week 11 vs Green Bay(L6-19, 1-9)
Week 12 at Detroit(L0-42, 1-10)
Week 13 vs Minnesota(L0-28, 1-11)
Week 14 vs Los Angeles(W42-14, 2-11)
Week 15 at Oakland(L17-24, 2-12)
Week 16 vs New Orleans(L0-6, 2-13)
Week 17 at San Francisco(L17-24, 2-14)

As expected, Champaign goes nowhere through the first eight games and into the bye week. We won our 2nd game of the year to go 1-1, but have lost our last six games to fall to 1-7. Our bright spot comes in week 14 - a 42-14 win over the Gold Rush. We finish the year 2-14. No surprise.

Cincinnati upset Philadelphia to win Super Bowl XIV, 28-27. RB Matthew Sawyer was named MVP for Cincy. Carolina finished the year 8-8, fourth in the NFC West.

Key Stats
QB Jack Kipp 184-337-8-2123 8 TDs
RB BJ Rellford 291-920 6 TDs
WR Percy Gardner 75-828 4 TDs
WR Carl Sibal 73-798 3 TDs
LB Nolan Dodge 117 T
LB Lincoln Powell 100 T
DT Alex Gustin 12.5 Sacks
DE Norbert Samuels 11.0 Sacks
CB Jon Buss 5 INTs

2023 Awards

NFL MVP: Jeffrey Lynch, CIN
OFF POY: Jeffrey Lynch, CIN
DEF POY: Oscar Stewart, IND
OFF ROY: Matthew Sawyer, CIN
DEF ROY: Jon Buss, CHM

CB Jon Buss, of the Champaign Corks, won the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. He led rookie CBs with 5 interceptions.

CB Jon Buss All-Pro 1st Team
DT Alex Gustin All-Pro 2nd Team

[sjshaw]

Now that you have changed teams, is the topic title, "Carolina on my Mind" still appropriate?



BTW, of all those players you released, did you consider trading any of them? I always look to trade before I cut, even if I don't get much for them.

[FishFan]

sjshaw - I'll change the title of the thread after another 10 years. Any suggestions?

Also, I shopped a few of them and did not get any interest. The computer GM really did a lousy of job of evaluating talent. I think when I replace my scout, I will have a better idea of my current talent level.

[FishFan]

After a little hiatus, I have decided to resume this career. I had been busy with "real life" issues and haven't had much time to play FOF.

Champaign sufferef their first retirement under the FishFan regime as WR Percy Gardner retired after spending 11 years in the NFL. Gardner, a fulltime starter with Cincinnati early in his career, played his final seven years in a Cork uniform. Gardner battled injuries during his tenure in Champaign and struggled to find his spot in the starting lineup. He still managed to catch 671 balls and collect 7972 yards through the air. He hit paydirt 50 times. In 2015 with Cincy, Gardner had a career year with 111 catches, 1370 yards, and 11 TDs while being named All-Pro 2nd Team.

During the coach/scout hiring period, I put a couple offers on the table to scout Kelvin Jeffries and coach Tommie Lewis. Jeffires has two years of experience with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Tommie Lewis is looking for his first NFL gig. I raise Jeffries' offer to 1.35 mil for 5 years after the Steelers counter while Lewis' remains at 10 mil for five years. Lewis accepts his deal in the third week, but Jeffires is still undecided. I up his offer to 1.5 mil. He does not hesitate on this one as I manage to steal him from Pittsburgh.

Free Agent Situation:

Unrestricted
CB Kerry Victor
TE Bob Adams
WR Warren Gardner
G Chuck Reilly
P Brady England
C Arnie Carr
LB Paul Burks
S Tracy Weaver

Restricted
K Rusty Wolfe
TE Donny Barone

I franchise G Chuck Reilly and will attempt to resign S Tracy Weaver. All the others are expendable and I have roughly 42 mil to spend. Champaign should be active in the free agent period!

The team was in the red again in 2023, but not as much in 2022. We lost about 148 mil last season. That's gotta change. Fortunately, the previous owner had just built a new stadium which included VR Boxes. Hello profit!

I get an interesting offer from the Titans. They want to send me their 15th overall pick and 4th year WR Tito Greene for my backup QB Curtis Dimcheff. Dimcheff is more talented than my younger starting QB, but the potential is not there. I need a WR, so I accept the offer. I also trade T Korey McLean to Oakland for a 2nd round pick. Those two moves increased my cap room to 60 mil.

[FishFan]

I began the FA period by extending the following contracts:

T Jermaine Sims 38.00 mil/4 years
LB Emmitt Bratton 20.25/3 years
LB Stephen Holcomb 31.25/4 years
CB Richard Ahrens 40.25/4 years
S Cris Sapolu 28.50 mil/4 years
S Tracy Weaver 14.07/2 years

Ahrens played in Carolina and was one of the few CBs that could make plays. He would make a fine upgrade over Kerry Victor, who I will lose to free agency this year. Unfortunately, none of these players saddle up with me in week 1. I up my offers to LB Holcomb and LB Bratton signed with Cincy. I also increased T Sims' offer. I cannot lure Ahrens to Champaign, as he resigns with Carolina. I have also fallen out of the lead to land Sims. LB Tyrus Monroe looks like a decent LB and I throw 14.75 mil over two years his way, but he resigns with Detroit for less. In a surprise, Jermaine Sims agrees to my contract, which was less than four other teams' bid. LB Stephen Holcomb also became a Cork in week 6. In week 7, I picked up S Weaver and upped my ante for S Sapolu. Sapolu, my last target, accepts my offer in week 9. After the dust had cleared, I was left with 45 signed players and 32 mil left to spend. Looks like my cap situation will be pretty good heading into next year, as well.

Draft Results


RB Jesse Hill, UNLV (70/70)
DE Jeff Beattle, Temple (28/79)
WR Bobby McCrory, Maryland (30/76)
C Jerry Newman, Florida St. (57/77)
FB Robbie Williford, North Carolina (41/75)
K Neil Price, Ohio St. (39/92)
TE Horace Gray, Washington (23/23)
LB Kris McCulloch, Iowa (23/23)
QB Deion Mohr, Florida (16/58)

Hill, barring a drop off in training camp, can be a huge contributor in his first season. The tools are in place, if we can develop them. Following the draft, I released FB Gene Fulcher and Luke Francis and signed P Dexter Fleming to a one year deal. I also signed DE Lamont Cook to a 1 year, 2.6 mil contract.

[FishFan]

Starting Lineups
QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Casey Thompson
TE Brenden Marshall
WR Bernard Montanez
WR Tito Greene
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C Jerry Newman
RG Moe Biggs
RT Jimmie Walton

K Neil Price
P Dexter Fleming
KR Carl Sibal

DE Toby Ogden
DT Alex Gustin
DT Jerald Jeffries
DE Lamont Cook
LB Nolan Dodge
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Clyde Andrews
CB Ralph Ledbetter
CB Jon Buss
FS Cris Sapolu
SS Tracy Weaver

A 4-0 preseason raises expectations in Champaign. The four game win streak included a sweet 27-21 win OT win over the Carolina Panthers! We also open the season against my former team.

[FishFan]

2024 Season Results

Week 1 at Carolina(W31-6, 1-0)
Week 2 at Buffalo(L17-20, 1-1)
Week 3 at Tampa Bay(W45-10, 2-1)
Week 4 vs Green Bay(L35-45, 2-2)
Week 5 at Chicago(L12-17, 2-3)
Week 6 at Los Angeles(L14-17, 2-4)
Week 7 at Green Bay(W16-15, 3-4)
Week 8 vs New England(L12-24, 3-5)
Week 9 at Detroit(L13-16, 3-6)
Week 11 vs Tampa Bay(W24-6, 4-6)
Week 12 vs Minnesota(W20-7, 5-6)
Week 13 vs Detroit(W40-22, 6-6)
Week 14 vs Austin(W23-7, 7-6)
Week 15 at Minnesota(W20-14, 8-6)
Week 16 vs NY Jets(L3-16, 8-7)
Week 17 vs Chicago(W28-6, 9-7)
Divisional Playoff vs Philadelphia(W19-18, 10-7)
NFC Championship at Atlanta(L20-49, 10-8)

RB Jesse Hill debuts with a 161 yard, 2 TD performance to lead the Corks to a 31-6 win over my former team, the Carolina Panthers. Revenge is sweet. A loss at the gun in Buffalo drops us to 1-1. Young QB Jack Kipp had engineered a late comeback as the Corks were down 17-3 with 11:55 to play. We finish up a seasin-opening three game road trip with a 45-10 win in Tampa. Jesse Hill set a new rookie standard with 211 yards rushing and four scores. He looks to be the real deal. The Corks drop their next two to fall to 2-3, but Hill continues to impress with 574 yards rushing and 8 TDs in five games. Champaign manages a 16-15 win at Green Bay in week 7 despite losing Hill to a broken foot and Kipp throwing 5 interceptions.

Without Hill, the offense comes up with 25 points in the last two games heading into the bye week. The Corks stand 3-5, but only two games out of the division. They should have Hill returning, which could help a late run. Despite missing two games, Hill is second in the league in rushing and leads in rush TDs with 12. Barring another injury, he should have OFF ROY honors all but locked up. The team has also improved to 5-6 after his return.

The franchise wins it's biggest game to date, defeating division leading Detroit, 40-22, to move within one game of the division lead. A fourth straight win finds Champaign leading the division in a three-way tie at 7-6. A win over Minnesota in week 15 puts Champaign in first place all by themselves. What a difference a running back makes.

We suffer a disappointing 16-3 loss to the Jets in week 16 and lose out top LB Stephen Holcomb for the year with a banged up knee. But, in week 17, the team rebounds to defeat the Bears, 28-6, and claim the NFC Central Championship a year after finishing 2-14. Surprisingly, their 9-7 record earns them a first round bye.

Philadelphia defeated the Giants to advance to the 2nd round and will face my Corks in a Divisional Playoff. Philly got out of the gate quickly, putting up 10 quick points. Champaign countered with a 5 yd scoring pass from Jack Kipp to Bernard Montanez and a pair of Neil Price field goals to take a 13-10 lead. After a Philly FG and a TD(failed conversion), the Eagles led 18-13. Interestingly, they went for two when the XP would have given them a six point lead. With less than 7:00 to play, the Corks rallied to a 37 yd FG with 6:53 left and another 30 yd FG with :33 left to edge the Eagles, 19-18, and advance to face the Falcons in the NFC Championship.

Atlanta, who would go on to win Super Bowl XV, jumped out to a 28-7 halftime lead and used a 21-10 4th quarter advantage to squash the Corks, 49-20. Jesse Hill was effective on the ground with 168 yards and 2 scores, but the team did not get the job done defensively.

The Falcons beat the Titans in the Championship, 34-14, to finish the year 17-2.

Key 2024 Stats

QB Jack Kipp 256-441-19-2652 18 TDs 71.1 rtg
RB Jesse Hill 291-1403 14 TDs
WR Bernard Montanez 65-683 4 TDs
WR Tito Greene 51-647 3 TDs
WR Bobby McCrory 39-547 4 TDs
K Neil Price 25-30 FG 55 Lg
P Dexter Fleming 41.4 Avg 34 In20
DE Lamont Cook 35 T 18 A 12.5 Sacks 3 Blk 9 Hurr
DT Jerald Jeffries 41 T 13 A 5.5 Sacks
DT Alex Gustin 39 T 15 A 5.0 Sacks 7 Hurr
LB Stephen Holcomb 87 T 25 A
LB Nolan Dodge 79 T 26 A 6.5 Sacks 5 Dfns
CB Jon Buss 53 T 3 INTs 5 Dfns
CB Ralph Ledbetter 36 T
FS Cris Sapolu 94 T 28 A 6 INTs(3TDs) 11 Dfns
SS Tracy Weaver 73 T 29 A 3 INTs 6 Dfns 42.1 PDQ
LT Jermaine Sims 44.1 BPct
C Jerry Newman 34.7 BPct 4 SkA
RG Moe Biggs 32.8 BPct 5 SkA
RT Jimmie Walton 3 SkA

2024 Awards

NFL MVP: Claude Clary, CAR
OFF POY: Teddy Frase, JAX
DEF POY: Oscar Stewart, IND
OFF ROY: Jesse Hill, CHM
DEF ROY: Moe Devine, SF

Interestingly, Panther QB Claude Clary won his first MVP award with a 22 TD, 4 INT, 89.9 Rtg performance while leading Carolina to a 12-4 record. My rookie RB, Jesse Hill, won the Offense ROY Award, as expected.

RB Jesse Hill OFF ROY & All-Pro 2nd Team
FS Cris Sapolu All-Pro 2nd Team

[FishFan]

The Corks did not suffer any retirements which was not a surprise considering the youthfulness of this team. I did, however, put in a modest offer to a new scout. I don't like changing scouts this often, but this guy is much better than the current guy, and he's new to the league. It did not matter, as he signed with St. Louis anyway.

Free Agent situation

Unrestricted
LB Nolan Dodge
LB Vincent Horner
P Dexter Fleming
DE Lamont Cook
WR Tito Greene

Restricted
DE Toby Ogden
LB Carlton Blackburn
TE Brenden Marshall

I quickly franchised Lamont Cook to retain his services and then made a couple of moves to clear up some more cap room. I traded RB Troy Kerbis and his 7.9 mil contract to Cleveland for a 3rd round choice. I shopped QB Jack LaChance, but no one was interested at this point. I'll try him again later. He will be released if no interest at the end of FA period. I will concentrate on three areas in free agency and the draft: WR, CB, LB. I head into the period with 27 mil to spend.

I begin by offering CB Shane Lynch a huge 42 mil, 4 year deal. He would make Ledbetter expendable and give me a great CB duo along with youngster Jon Buss. I also offered LB Josh Hampton 30.98 mil over 4 years. A 14-year veteran WR, Lester Smith, is available and still performing on the field. He is cheap as far as WR go and would make an excellent addition to help young QB Jack Kipp develop. I will see what offers he receives in week 1 before I make a decision. Lynch spurns me and resigns with Detroit in week 2. I put in a 23 mil offer sheet to Lester Smith. The team that he had played for 14 seasons has not yeat offered him a dime. I also offer TE Ralph Bligh a three year deal. Smith signed with Denver in week 3, but the Corks landed LB Josh Hampton. He will replace Nolan Dodge in the lineup, most likely. Bligh signed with Philly in week 4. I offer S Joey Montgomery a four year deal in week 7. He accepts my deal in week 10 and makes a pretty good secondary very good. With three capable safeties, I may play one at CB. Following the FA period, I relesaed QB Jack LaChance and sign DE Lamont Cook to a 29 mil, 4 year deal.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

CB Ron Ramsey, Rice (33/68)
LB Myron Widell, Louisiana St. (14/54)
DE Benjamin Powers, Austin Peay (14/66)
P Lawrence Jewell, Kansas (36/68)
QB Brandon Porter, Oregon (36/46)
LB Melvin Devoe, Vanderbilt (36/49)
TE Tommie Allen, Northwestern (31/54)

Following the draft I resign WR Tito Greene to a one year deal worth over 4 mil and released CB Aaron Brookins.

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Casey Thompson
TE Tommie Allen
WR Bernard Montanez
WR Bobby McCrory
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C Jerry Newman
RG Moe Biggs
RT Jimmie Walton

K Neil Price
P Lawrence Jewell
KR Carl Sibal

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Alex Gustin
DT Jerald Jeffries
DE Lamont Cook
LB Josh Hampton
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Clyde Andrews
CB Jon Buss
CB Joey Montgomery
FS Cris Sapolu
SS Tracy Weaver

[FishFan]

2025 Season Results

Week 1 at Tennessee(W31-28, 1-0)
Week 2 at Green Bay(L16-29, 1-1)
Week 3 at Tampa Bay(L10-35, 1-2)
Week 4 vs Cincinnati(L7-14, 1-3)
Week 5 vs Chicago(W30-17, 2-3)
Week 6 at Minnesota(L3-15, 2-4)
Week 8 at Chicago(W24-16, 3-4)
Week 9 at Detroit(W41-14, 4-4)
Week 10 at NY Giants(L10-24, 4-5)
Week 11 vs Green Bay(W42-10, 5-5)
Week 12 vs Tampa Bay(W31-24, 6-5)
Week 13 at Atlanta(L19-23, 6-6)
Week 14 vs Detroit(W42-9, 7-6)
Week 15 vs Philadelphia(W25-19, 8-6)
Week 16 vs Baltimore(W17-10, 9-6)
Week 17 vs Minnesota(W39-6, 10-6)
Wild Card Game at Atlanta(W20-10, 11-6)
Divisional Playoff at Carolina(L9-31, 11-7)

The Corks get off on the wrong foot by dropping three of their first four before rebounding with a 30-17 win against Chicago. A loss at Minnesota sends Champaign into the bye week at a dismal 2-4. The offense has not been as effective and the defense has struggled early.

Back-toback road wins even the Corks' record at 4-4 and with six of the last eight games at home, look for Champaign to make a run. After a loss at New York, the Corks reel off two straght wins, including a 31-24 victory over then 9-1 Tampa Bay. Another road loss at Atlanta preceeds three straight home wins highlighted by a 25-19 OT win over 10-3 Tampa Bay. Going into the seaosn finale, the Corks are 9-6 and need a win to make the playoffs. A convincing 39-6 win over the Vikings earns them a trip to Atlanta for a Wild Card game.

With last year's playoff loss on their minds, the Corks jump out to a 13-7 lead midway through the third quarter. A 26 yd Atlanta FG pulls them within three, but Jesse Hill responds with a 34 yd TD run that puts the Corks up 20-10, which would prove to be the final margin. The win means a trip to Carolina in a Divisional Playoff.

Unfortunately, the 13-3 Panthers were too much for the Corks. QB Claude Clary threw early and often in route to a 18-25-2-234 4 TD performance. The Panther defense also limited Champaign to 25 yards rushing. The loss ends the Corks' season two win shy of a trip to the Super Bowl.

Carolina went on to face the Iowa City Caucus in Super Bowl XVI. In a shootout, the Caucus prevail, 41-35, in overtime. Clary throws 3 TDs, but his counterpart, Nicky Brockman, throws 4 and claims MVP honors.

[This message has been edited by FishFan (edited 12-13-2000).]

[FishFan]

Champaign loses one player to retirement - CB Ralph Ledbetter. Ledbetter was an expansion draft pickup for the Corks and started every game until this past season when he was replaced by S Joey Montgomery. He was not an effective CB during his tenure, but a cheap fill-in for a team mired in salary cap issues. Although, for the first time since I've been in charge, the Corks made money during the course of the season, thanks to the virtual boxes installed by the last owner.

Free Agents

Unrestricted
WR Bernard Montanez
WR Tito Greene
S Irving Owens

Restricted
C Kenny Bemont
LB Lincoln Powell
S Edward Rossini
QB Deion Mohr
TE Horace Gray

I franchise Montanez for cohesion's sake. I need to rehaul my WR corps and he may be trade bait after the draft. I am not interested in Greene, unless he is around after the draft and wants another one-year deal. S Irving Owens is also gone. Out of the RFAs, I would like to keep Powell and Bemonts, but they are all essential replacable in the amateur draft. This should not be a very active FA period for the Corks. To free up some cap room, I traded S Tracy Weaver and a 2nd round pick to Austin for their 2nd round pick, which is the first of the round.

I made a couple of offers to start the FA period - WR Cary Tillery(4 years, 40.25 mil) and TE Jamal Gomez(3 years, 15.5 mil). I nail down Gomez right away in week 2 and I am the leading offer for Tillery's services. If I land him, my FA period will be a quick one. I lose out on Tillery in week 4 as he signs a two year deal with Philly. At least I gained a big time TE for the first time during my tenure with the Corks. There are also very little talent at WR in the Free Agent pool. Meanwhile, Tito Greene inks a three year deal with Dallas, ending his stint with Champaign at two years. Before the draft, I trade my 1st round pick and the #1 overall pick in the 2nd round to Detroit for their 1st round pick - 10th overall.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

WR Preston Stanton, Tusculum (54/81)
S CJ Thatcher, Mississippi St. (27/59)
RB Trent Flynn, Brigham Young (40/40)
C Roman Conrad, Louisiana St. (14/30)
QB Clarence Blades, Washington St. (40/47)
LB Heath Karau, Auburn (7/24)

Stanton, the WR, should step into a starting role quite nicely and compliment McCrory, another youngster. CB Chester Kim will probably start at CB while Joey Montgomery is move back to his natural position. Following the draft, I traded WR Bernard Montanez and a 3rd Round pick to Washington for their 2nd Round pick in next year's draft. I also traded RB Mickey Packard and a 7th round choice to the Bills for their 1st Round pick next season. Then, DT Jeff Withers was shipped to Oakland, along with a 4th round pick, for their 2nd Round pick.

Following the draft, I was hit with my first major bust. Stanton has turned into a regular Plaxico Burress. This is a huge blow, as I jumped the gun on trading Bernard Montanez. He'll stick around and probably play quite a bit, since he has a 6-year contract worth 15 mil in bonous dollars. Ouch.

After training camp, I signed the following players:

FB Perry Shea 1 year, 1.36 mil
WR Harry Ford league min
DT Jimmie Hartman league min
CB Ryan Stargell league min

Starting Lineups
QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Perry Shea
TE Jamal Gomez
WR Bobby McCrory
WR Harry Ford
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C Jerry Newman
RG Moe Biggs
RT Jimmie Walton

K Neil Price
P Lawrence Jewell
KR Carl Sibal

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Alex Gustin
DT Jerald Jeffries
DE Lamont Cook
LB Josh Hampton
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Clyde Andrews
CB Jon Buss
CB Chester Kim
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Cris Sapolu

A 3-1 preseason yielded just one injury - FB Perry Shea dislocated a shoulder and may miss the first couple of weeks. Through the four games, the defense allowed just 48 points.

[FishFan]

2026 Results

Week 1 at Green Bay(W31-13, 1-0)
Week 2 vs Chicago(L14-16, 1-1)
Week 3 at Detroit(L13-17, 1-2)
Week 4 vs Tampa Bay(W22-10, 2-2)
Week 5 at Minnesota(W35-28, 3-2)
Week 7 at Chicago(L10-42, 3-3)
Week 8 vs Minnesota(W14-6, 4-3)
Week 9 vs Detroit(W31-26, 5-3)
Week 10 at Carolina(W21-13, 6-3)
Week 11 vs Atlanta(W34-20, 7-3)
Week 12 at Tampa Bay(W23-10, 8-3)
Week 13 vs Green Bay(W35-34, 9-3)
Week 14 vs Houston(L10-15, 9-4)
Week 15 at Washington(W23-14, 10-4)
Week 16 at Oakland(W44-14, 11-4)
Week 17 vs Denver(W38-16, 12-4)
Wild Card Game vs New Orleans(L26-27, 12-5)

After a 31 point outburst in the season opener, the offense disappears during a two game losing skid. The Corks rebound for a 22-10 win over previously undefeated Tampa Bay to even their record at 2-2. Another win and the Corks head into the bye week at 3-2. Champaign loses one to the Bears before winning two straight to improve to 5-3. A couple of things to note...Jesse Hill and Jack Kipp seem to be having off-years, but the defense has really stepped up their play in a few wins this season. Hopefully, the team will finish strong again. Two more wins, against NFC West foes Atlanta and Carolina, push the record to 7-3 and 2nd place in the division behind 9-1 Tampa Bay. We move one game closer to Tampa Bay as we defeat them for the second time this season. Jesse Hill as really come on strong the last few games - He has now collected 1086 yards and 11 TDs.

Our win streak ends at six after a disappointing 15-10 loss to the Houston Lone Stars. We now stand at 9-4 and two games out of the division lead again. IN a big game against 10-3 Washington, the Corks prevail 23-14 to win their 10th game. The win clinches a playoff berth for the Corks. Champaign closes out the year with a couple of routs over AFC opponents as they finish 12-4, the best record in franchise history.

Our first playoff opponent, New Orleans, finished the year 10-6 and are led by QB Toby Fisher. I feel like I have a huge edge offensively and my defense should be able to prevail in this one. Things go as planned early in the 1st quarter as Kipp leads an offensive charge that results in 10 points on their first two drives. New Orleans is able to counter with a TD of their own late in the first, 10-7 Corks. The teams exchange TDs in the 2nd quarter as Champaign head into the loskerroom up 17-10. The Saints struck first in the 3rd with a 1 yd JB Ellard run, but the Corks countered with 10 straight points to take a 26-17 lead with less than 6:37 remaining. The Saints manage a FG with 3:59 left and get the ball back after the Corks go three and out. Amazingly, the Saints keep the ball on the ground and are able to get 31 yards up field to try a 40 yd FG. The kick is good and time runs out. The Saints win it, 27-26. A huge disappointment for this franchise. Tampa Bay should run away with the title this year.

Tampa Bay meets Jacksonville in Super Bowl XXVII. The Bucs ground out a 15-7 win, highlighted by 5 FGs. Stargell gains 107 yards on the ground and LB Alex Bloedorn takes home MVP honors with his 13 tackles and one sack.

2026 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 253-408-17-2991 23 TDs 85.7 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 375-1775 17 TDs (the real deal)
WR Bobby McCrory 59-773 10 TDs
WR Henry Ford 58-645 4 TDs
WR Preston Stanton 30-356 4 TDs
TE Jamal Gomez 38-522 3 TDs
K Neil Price 21-29 FG 54 Lg
P Lawrence Jewell 42.0 Avg 35 In20
DE Lamont Cook 26 T 16.5 Sacks 4 Blk 8 Hurr
DE Jeff Beattle 44 T 11.5 Sacks 3 Blk 6 Hurr
DT Jerald Jeffries 37 T 3 Blk 4 Hurr
DT Alex Gustin 7.0 Sacks
LB Stephen Holcomb 103 T 35 A 4 Dfns
LB Josh Hampton 60 T 25 A
LB Clyde Andrews 55 T 19 A 2 INTs 4 Dfns
CB Jon Buss 50 T 5 INTs(2TDs) 5 Dfns 35.1 PDQ
CB Chester Kim 33 T 2 INTs 9 Dfns 33.7 PDQ
FS Joey Montgomery 82 T 22 A 9 INTs(1TD) 6 Dfns 46.2 PDQ
SS Cris Sapolu 70 T 17 A 3 INTs
C Jerry NEwman 37.2 BPct 2 SkA
RG Moe Biggs 36.7 BPct
LT Jermaine Sims 33.3 BPct 5 SkA
LG Chuck Reilly 4 SkA
RT Jimmie Walton 4 SkA

2026 NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Travis Stargell, TBY
OFF POY: Travis Stargell, TBY
DEF POY: Josh Segui, ARI
OFF ROY: Keith Long, SF
DEF ROY: Eric Emmons, MIN

Wow, lots of white ink on the Award pages...

C Jerry Newman All-Pro 1st Team
DE Lamont Cook All-Pro 1st Team
CB Jon Buss All-Pro 1st Team
RB Jesse Hill All-Pro 2nd Team
LG Chuck Reilly All-Pro 2nd Team
LT Jermaine Sims All-Pro 2nd Team
DE Jeff Beattle All-Pro 2nd Team
FS Joey Montgomery All-Pro 2nd Team

Will I have enough cap room to keep all of these stars happy? I doubt it...

[FishFan]

No retirements to report, so I'll just get down to business. I decided to keep my scout and coach despite better ones available. I still feel funny firing a coach if I am not slumping. I have more free agents than usual this season and less cap room to spend(about 35 mil). Here they are:

Unrestricted
LB Clyde Andrews
DT Alex Gustin
FB Casey Thompson
FB PErry Shea
G Moe Biggs
G HArry Hamby
G Joseph Ameche
DT Norm Patton

Restricted
K Neil Price
C Jerry Newman
LB Jim McCulloch
WR Bobby McCrory
QB Brandon Porter

Out of the UFAs, I will franchise Gustin and make an attempt to resign LB Andrews, G Biggs, and FB Shea. Of the RFAs, I need to resign K Price, C Newman, and WR McCrory. I don't think I can do this in 35 mil and have some left over for an expensive draft year, so some decisions will have to be made.

I make a couple of offers - FB Perry Shea(12.5 mil, 3 years) and G Duane Francis(20.37, 3 years). I figure I can save a little cash and not go after LB Andrews and G Biggs. I want to make sure I have enough cap room to resign QB Jack Kipp and RB Jesse Hill in the next couple of seasons. Plus, with five picks in the first two round of this year's draft, I should be able to replace some veterans with impact rookies. G Francis signs with us in week 5, which means Biggs is out. Shea, however, signs with Philly in week 6. Not a huge loss, but would have liked to have him back. I resigned FB Casey Thompson to a 4.09 mil, 3 year deal in week 8. Biggs signed with Green Bay in week 10. Follwoing the period, I lock up my franchise player, DT Alex Gustin, with a 3 year, 19.75 mil deal.

Before the draft, I released WR Christian Tribble.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

DT Shane McConnell, Florida (25/73)
WR Ernest Arpajian, Utah (22/72)
S Gus Murray, Grambling (26/60)
LB Lance Lowe, Stanford (10/70)
G Vernon Norton, North Carolina (11/50)
QB Albert Wilkins, Notre Dame (20/58)
G Chuck Meyer, Missouri (9/40)

After the draft, I resigned WR Bobby McCrory, C Jerry Newman, and K Neil Price. Rookie LB Lance Lowe improved a lot in his 1st training camp and should be a starter on this squad for years to come.

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Casey Thompson
TE Jamal Gomez
WR Bobby McCrory
WR Harry Ford
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C Jerry Newman
RG Duane Francis
RT Jimmie Walton

K Neil Price
P Lawrence Jewell
KR Carl Sibal

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Alex Gustin
DT Jerald Jeffries
DE Lamont Cook
LB Josh Hampton
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Lance Lowe
CB Jon Buss
CB Ron Ramsey
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Cris Sapolu

An offensive explosion led to a 4-0 preseason as the Corks scored an average of 35.8 points a game. However, the WR corps to another hit as my top rated WR, Bobby McCrory tore a knee up, diminishing his ratings and leaving him out for the better part of this year.

[FishFan]

2027 Season Results

Week 1 at Indianapolis(L17-20, 0-1)
Week 2 vs Chicago(W34-17, 1-1)
Week 4 at Detroit(W45-12, 2-1)
Week 5 at Green Bay(W9-6, 3-1)
Week 6 vs Arizona(W33-10, 4-1)
Week 7 vs St. Louis(W38-6, 5-1)
Week 8 at Tampa Bay(W24-17, 6-1)
Week 9 at Chicago(W20-10, 7-1)
Week 10 vs Miami(W37-10, 8-1)
Week 11 vs Detroit(W27-17, 9-1)
Week 12 at Minnesota(W29-18, 10-1)
Week 13 at Buffalo(L6-10, 10-2)
Week 14 vs Tampa Bay(L6-30, 10-3)
Week 15 at New Orleans(L3-31, 10-4)
Week 16 vs Minnesota(W36-35, 11-4)
Week 17 vs Green Bay(W31-6, 12-4)
Divisional Playoff vs Carolina(L7-14, 12-5)

After the 4-0 preseason, the Corks begin the regular season with a disappointing 20-17 loss to the Colts. Jesse Hill is the man. After the season opening loss, Hill as carried the team through two blowout wins. After 3 games, the stud has 545 yards rushing and 8 TDs! Amazing!

Hill added another impressive record to his resume in week 6, during a 33-10 thumping of Arizona. The RB set a single game record with 295 yards rushing, which also pushed his five game total to 908 yards. Unfortunately, in the same week, Jack Kipp broke his fibula and will miss the rest of the season. I sign QB Michael Ellison to take his roster spot. Hill followed up his 295 yard performance with 253 yards. This is the most dominating back I have ever seen. With Ellison at the helm, the Corks do not miss a beat with a 38-6 thrashing of the Rams in week 7. In week 8, Hill is brought back down to earth with 131 yards and 2 TDs on 21 carries. The team also beat Tampa Bay to take a two game lead in the division.

The Corks' win streak improves to 8 games with a 37-10 win over Miami. The team also maintains their 2 game lead in the division and are tied with the New Orleans Saints for the best record in the NFL. In week 11, a 27-17 win over Detroit, Jesse Hill's season comes to an early end. Broken ribs put him on the shelf, although he may be able to return for the playoffs. Nevertheless, through 10 games Hill collected and amazing 1478 yards and 16 TDs. Oh, what could have been. Truely disappointing.

So, without my starting QB and RB, I am doomed, right? Apparently not. The Corks cruise to a 29-18 win over Minnesota to improve to 10-1. They have not lost since their season opener. A 10-6 loss at Buffalo end our 10 game win streak, though.

Another loss to Tampa Bay an our lead over them in the NFC Central is down to one game. We still have a tough schedule left, as well. After a 31-3 loss to New Orleans drops us to 10-4, I realize we have not found the end zone in three games. Ouch.

We salvage our season with two wins in weeks 16 and 17. We finish 12-4, win the division and earn a first round bye. Our first playoff opponent will be 13-4 Carolina. Despite 163 yards from Jesse Hill, the team fails to produce points and we fall 14-7 in an uneventful game. Ellison threw 3 interecption to fuel the loss. Cincy defeats New Orleans in Super Bowl XXVIII.

The recent playoff failures indicate we may be ready for a coach to take us to the next level. We may shop around in the offseason.

2027 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 79-111-2-935 3 TDs 91.5 Rtg
QB Michael Ellison 143-282-11-1553 11 TDs 64.0 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 235-1478 16 TDs 6.2 Avg(10 games)
RB Trent Flynn 184-972 9 TDs 5.2 Avg(stepped in nicely)
WR Harry Ford 66-691 4 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 54-646 3 TDs
WR Bobby McCrory 24-261 1 TD
TE Jamal Gomez 39-531 3 TDs
K Neil Price 31-37 FG 51 Lg
P Lawrence Jewell 41.6 Avg 41 In20
DE Jeff Beattle 50 T 14 A 11.0 Sacks 2 Blk 7 Hurr
DE Lamont Cook 27 T 12 A 12.5 Sacks 4 Blk 6 Hurr
DT Alex Gustin 35 T 18 A 6.0 Sacks 3 Blk 6 Hurr
DT Jerald Jeffries 33 T 11 A 4.5 Sacks
LB Stephen Holcomb 96 T 33 A 7 Dfns
LB Josh Hampton 74 T 21 A 2.5 Sacks 2 Blk 8 Dfns
LB Lance Lowe 42 T 10 A 3 Dfns
CB Jon Buss 35 T 12 A 7 Dfns
CB Chester Kim 31 T 8 A
CB Ron Ramsey 26 T 13 A 4 INTs 6 Dfns 40.7 PDQ
FS Joey Montgomery 96 T 23 A 9 INts(1TD) 5 Dfns 42.2 DPQ
SS Cris Sapolu 49 T 20 A 4 INTs 9 Dfns 40.9 PDQ
LT Jermaine Sims 48 KRB 48.9 BPct 3 SkA
LG Chuck Reilly 33 KRB 36.2 BPct
C Jerry Newman 31.5 BPct 5 SkA
RG Duane Francis 34.1 BPct
RT Jimmie Walton 3 SkA

2027 NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Jeffrey Lynch, CIN
OFF POY: Gary Brennan, OAK
DEF POY: Joey Montgomery, CHM
OFF ROY: Bill Elliott, SD
DEF ROY: Orlando Givens, BAL

Again, lots of white ink for the Corks:

TE Jamal Gomez All-Pro 1st Team
LT Jermaine Sims All-Pro 1st Team
FS Joey Montgomery All-Pro 1st Team and Defensive Player of the Year
LG Chuck Reilly All-Pro 2nd Team
DE Jeff Beattle All-Pro 2nd Team

[FishFan]

Again, no retirements to report, so I'll just get down to business. I do not find a coach worthy enough to replace my current guy, but I still feel the need to make a change somewhere. I offer scout Ross Hepburn a contract worth 1.00 mil over five years. I bump that offer to 1.65 after San Diego offers 1.5 mil. Hepburn finally joins the Corks staff in the final week.

Here are this year's free agents:

Unrestricted
QB Jack Kipp
RB BJ Rellford
DE Grant Branch
QB Michael Ellison
FB Robbie Williford

Restricted
TE Tommie Allen
P Lawrence Jewell
LB Melvin Devoe
QB Clarence Blades
RB Trent Flynn
C Roman Conrad

Out of this group, I frnachise QB Kipp, of course, but all the rest are expendable. That's good becasue I only have a few million to spend. I am going to have to make some moves to fit everyone under the cap. I bit the bullet and released WR Preston Stanton, the huge bust a couple fo years ago. I'll take a cap hit next year, which will make things rough, but I think we have a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl this season. I also trade LB Lincoln Powell and my 2nd round pick to Los Angeles for their 1st Round pick.

I breeze through the FA period without any activity. Only one of my free agents jump ship - FB Robbie Williford in week 6 to Denver. I sign my franchise QB, Jack Kipp, to a 4 year, 41.5 mil contract.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

T Bennie BArrett, Louisiana St. (37/78)
WR Xavier Buchanan, Arizona (47/72)
RB Donald Van Pelt, Texas A&M (44/65)
FB Roger Becker, Colorado St. (26/42)
DE Hunter Friend, Appalachian St. (20/36)
QB Reggie Howe, Kansas (22/61)
TE Tyrus Graham, San Jose St. (28/57)

After the draft I sign the following players:

P Lawrnece Jewell 2 years, 2.62 mil
RB Randall Schindler league min
C Norman Coles league min
LB Reggie Wilcox league min

I also extended RB Jesse Hill's contract for three more years, which cost me a pretty penny(40 mil for 4 years).

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Casey Thompson
TE Jamal Gomez
WR Ernest Arpaijian
WR Xavier Buchanan
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C JErry Newman
RG Duane Francis
RT Jimmie Walton

K Neil Price
P Lawrence Jewell
KR Carl Sibal

DE Lamont Cook
DT Alex Gustin
DT Jerald Jeffires
DE Jeff Beattle
LB Josh Hampton
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Lance Lowe
CB Jon Buss
CB Ron Ramsey
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Cris Sapolu

The only change here is at WR where Xavier Buchanan and Ernest Arpaijian get the call to start.

[FishFan]

Week 1 vs Cincinnati(L6-21, 0-1)
Week 2 vs Minnesota(L13-23, 0-2)
Week 3 vs Chicago(W41-35, 1-2)
Week 4 at Baltimore(L13-25, 1-3)
Week 5 at Green Bay(W17-10, 2-3)
Week 6 vs Detroit(W27-21, 3-3)
Week 8 vs Green Bay(W17-14, 4-3)
Week 9 vs Tampa Bay(W31-24, 5-3)
Week 10 vs Washington(L24-34, 5-4)
Week 11 at Minnesota(W23-10, 6-4)
Week 12 at Chicago(L32-36, 6-5)
Week 13 vs New Orleans(W36-20, 7-5)
Week 14 at Tampa Bay(L10-23, 7-6)
Week 15 at Philadelphia(L10-23, 7-7)
Week 16 at Cleveland(W43-16, 8-7)
Week 17 at Detroit(W27-24, 9-7)
Wild Card Game at Tampa Bay(L10-17, 9-8)

I Jack Kipp in the season opener to a bruised rib cage. He sits out the next few games as the Corks stumble to a 1-3 start. We manage to win the next two and head into the bye week at 3-3. Kipp will return in week 8.

Kipp's return spaks the Corks to two straght wins before a 34-24 loss versus Washington. We now stand at 5-4 and two games out of the division lead. A 23-10 win over Minnesota moves us within one game of the lead. We split the next two and remain a game out of first at 7-5. Two straight losses drop us to .500(7-7). We need to win the last two and get some help to make the playoffs.

We win our last two and squeak into the playoff with a 9-7 record as Chicago and Detroit both stumbled down the stretch. We lose our first playoff game(again) in another uneventful, lame 17-10 contest in Tampa.

Washington and New England meet in Super Bowl XXIX, where the Redskins prevail 24-14.

2028 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 184-293-5-2311 13 TDs 94.9 Rtg
QB Albert Wilkins 128-225-10-1621 10 TDs 75.7 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 355-1594 13 TDs
WR Xavier Buchanan 84-1158 10 TDs
WR Bobby McCrory 50-660 4 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 31-502 2 TDs
TE Jamal Gomez 49-558 4 TDs
K Neil Price 28-39 FG 55 Lg
P Lawrence Jewell 42.1 Avg 18 In20
DE Jeff Beattle 42 T 10 A 5.5 Sacks 3 Hurr
DE Lamont Cook 18 T 4.0 Sacks 4 Blk 3 Hurr
DT Jerald Jeffries 33 T 13 A 7.5 Sacks
DT Alex Gustin 33 T 16 A 5.5 Sacks 3 Blk 5 Hurr
LB Stephen Holcomb 122 T 28 A 8 Dfns
LB Josh Hmapton 86 T 25 A 3 Dfns
LB Lance Lowe 51 T 19 A 8 Dfns
CB Ron Ramsey 36 T 12 A 2 INTs 7 Dfns 30.9 PDQ
CB Jon Buss 34 T 16 A 2 INTs
FS Joey Montgomery 81 T 33 A 6 INTs 5 Dfns 36.1 PDQ
SS Cris Sapolu 65 T 25 A 2 INTs 7 Dfns
LT Jermaine Sims 34.7 BPct
LG Chuck Reilly 40.4 BPct
C Jerry Newman 5 SkA
RG Duane Francis 3 SkA
RT Jimmie Walton 33.8 BPct 4 SkA

2028 NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Deon Pineda, NE
OFF POY: Deon Pineda, NE
DEF POY: Phillip Evans, CIN
OFF ROY: Kyle Sauceda, SF
DEF ROY: Clarence Rae, NYJ

FS Joey Montgomery All-Pro 2nd Team (6th appearance)

[FishFan]

2029

Following the disappointing 2028 campaign, the Corks decided not to renew the contract of head coach Tommie Lewis. We turned our attention to Leonard Gowins who we nabbed with a 18.5 mil offer. Tommie Lewis accepts an offer with Atlanta.

There were no team retirements to report, so here is the FA situation:

Unrestricted

WR Carl Sibal
T Preston Patton
K Neil Price
DE Jeff Beattle
DE Benjamin Powers
LB Myron Widell
CB Ron Ramsey

Restricted

LB Heath Karau
S CJ Hatcher
QB Albert Wilkins

I extend two offers, one to K Neil Price(6.25 mil, 3 years) and one to CB Ron Ramsey(34.00 mil, 3 years). Ramsey, however, jumps ship and signs a 3 year deal with Miami worth a reported 40.32 mil. Price accepts his deal in week 6. This ends all free agent activity for the Corks, besides inking franchise DE Jeff Beattle to a 4 year, 30.69 mil contract.

Draft Results

CB Kent Wick, Northwestern (54/83)
LB Mitchell West, Penn St. (23/68)
DE Albert Jefferies, Texas A&M (15/52)
S Lincoln Headley, Vanderbilt (28/54)
QB Skip Singleton, Mass.-Lowell (15/58)
WR Walt McElroy, Temple (26/38)
LB Kenny Davidson, Southern California (16/42)

Following the draft, Art Modell, Jr. continues his father's ways, pissing off the entire city of Baltimore by moving the franchise to Fort Wayne, Indiana. The move will take place in 2034.

[FishFan]

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Roger Becker
TE Jamal Gomez
WR Xavier Buchanan
WR Ernest Arpaijian
LT Jermain Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C Jerry Newman
RG Duane Francis
RT Jimmie Walton

K Neil Price
P Lawrence Jewell
KR Grady Huang

DE Lamont Cook
DT Alex Gustin
DT Jerald Jeffries
DE Jeff Beattle
LB Josh Hampton
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Lance Lowe
CB Jon Buss
CB Chester Kim
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Cris Sapolu

[FishFan]

2029 Season Results

Week 1 vs Detroit(L22-27, 0-1)
Week 2 vs Tampa Bay(L31-34, 0-2)
Week 3 vs San Francisco(L17-20, 0-3)
Week 5 vs Green Bay(W51-7, 1-3)
Week 6 at Houston(L24-31, 1-4)
Week 7 at Tampa Bay(W23-20, 2-4)
Week 8 at Kansas City(W23-20, 3-4)
Week 9 vs Seattle(L6-13, 3-5)
Week 10 at Chicago(W20-14, 4-5)
Week 11 at Green Bay(W17-13, 5-5)
Week 12 vs Chicago(W28-17, 6-5)
Week 13 vs Minnesota(W26-23, 7-5)
Week 14 at St. Louis(W37-16, 8-5)
Week 15 at Detroit(L10-17, 8-6)
Week 16 vs Los Angeles(L13-17, 8-7)
Week 17 at Minnesota(L10-13, 8-8)

The Corks, after a 3-1 preseason, start the regular season by dropping their first two ballgames, both at home. A third loss sends the team into the bye week 0-3, despite a strong showing from Jesse Hill. On the plus side, the team has had a chance tow in all three games. Champaign figures something out during the bye week and stomp Green Bay 51-7 in week 5.

Hill extends his streak of regular season games with 100+ rushing yards to eight as the Corks defeat previously 4-1 Tampa Bay to improve to 2-4. They split their next two games and stand at 3-5 at the halfway point.

Two straight wins get the team back to .500 and a strong seconf half will proppel us into the playoffs. We have the league's leading QB and RB at this point. We are underachieveing. However, two more wins and the Corks are 7-5 and only a game behind the Bucs for the division lead. After a 37-16 win over St. Louis in week 14, Jesse Hill stands 370 yards away from the season record of 1897 yards and only 473 away from the magical 2000 number.

Hill gains just 103 yards in the next two games as the team falls to 8-7. A win in the final week will send us to the playoffs. We lose to the Vikings 13-10 and miss out on the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. Ouch.

New Orleans and Houston meet in Super Bowl XXX. In a defensive battle, the Lone Stars prevail 13-12.

2029 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 230-394-9-3101 19 TDs 90.0 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 378-1658 15 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 65-859 4 TDs
WR Xavier Buchanan 60-752 1 TD
WR Bobby McCrory 46-629 6 TDs
TE Jamal Gomez 42-573 4 TDs
K Neil Price 26-36 FG 52 Lg
P Lawrence Jewell 43.2 Avg 40 In20
DE Jeff Beattle 52 T 10 A 10.0 Sacks 2 Blk 3 Hurr
DE Lamont Cook 34 T 11 A 8.5 Sacks 5 Blk 10 Hurr
DT Jerald Jeffries 37 T 18 A 3 Blk
DT Shane McConnell 31 T 14 A 4.0 Sacks 2 Hurr
LB Stephan Holcomb 122 T 28 A 8 Dfns
LB Lance Lowe 82 T 25 A 4 Dfns
LB Josh Hampton 69 T 26 A 5 Dfns
CB Chester Kim 31 T 17 A 2 INTs 5 Dfns
CB Jon Buss 28 T 8 A 2 INTs 5 Dfns
CB Kent Wick 23 T 5 A
FS Joey Montgomery 83 T 30 A 6 INTs 4 Dfns 32.2 PDQ
SS Cris Sapolu 82 T 23 A 4 INTs 6 Dfns
LT Jermaine Sims 38.0 BPct 6 SkA
LG Chuck Reilly 34.7 BPct 7 SkA
C Jerry Newman 31.4 BPct 4 SkA
RG Duane Francis 41.1 BPct 4 SkA
RT Jimmie Walton 30.9 BPct 9 SkA

2029 Season Awards

NFL MVP: Jumbo Nissly, NO
OFF POY: Mark Crutchfield, PIT
DEF POY: Ken Cooke, ATL
OFF ROY: Kenyon Bueno, NE
DEF ROY: Burt Bryant, IND

LT Jermaine Sims All-Pro 2nd Team
P Lawrence Jewell All-Pro 2nd Team
LB Stephen Holcomb All-Pro 2nd Team