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04-18-2006, 01:59 PM
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#1 | ||
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Savin' the Ravens
Savin’ the Ravens
In this FOF career, my goal is to give a new start to a terrible franchise. It’s 2011, and the Baltimore Ravens have been a league joke – only 8 wins in the last two years combined. I have arrived to clean house completely, start fresh, and whip the team into shape. I plan to use some tough house rules here – the main goal will be to keep this interesting through the building years, and hopefully beyond. My problem tends to be that once the team no longer has glaring weaknesses, I tend to lose interest. So, I will remain open to adding tougher rules as we go – but for now: Tentative List of Challenge Rules “Empty Cupboard” beginning… empty roster, no players from before our first draft Any FA contracts offered bust be exactly what the player seeks. No contract renegotiations ever, no franchise tag. No initiating player trades, only may accept offered trades that pass the “fairness test” Trades of picks allowed within the current year’s draft only |
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04-18-2006, 01:59 PM
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#2 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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The Plan
Rather than building the gameplan around the talent available, I am going to try to do the reverse here. In fact, I’m going to use my current gameplan from the FOFL in this career, in an effort to explore how well that system can work (especially on offense). So, we will be looking in particular for players who fit with this system: --Lots of 2TE formations on offense, and a fairly conservative passing game --4-3 defensive front with primarily bump coverage |
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04-18-2006, 02:00 PM
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#3 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2011 offseason
Okay – we go out and obtain some decent front office staff, getting all guys with no coaching/scouting experience with anyone else. Seems like a decent way to restrain myself there. It’s a quick jump to the first draft, since we can’t play in free agency until after wards, and even then only with the overlooked rookies. Ahhh, the joys of the empty cupboard. We hold pick #7 in the draft, and will have a chance to select an impact player there – or to drop down and perhaps pick up some extra middle round picks to try to start off with a handful of decent players. I usually choose the former, and will be prepared to take my chances with a roster mostly composed of URFAs for the first couple of seasons. There are four standout defensive tackles in this draft, and I am hopeful that we will land one of them to build the defense around – that would work for me just fine. Two are gone in the first six picks, so we get to choose between two studs. That seems like an opportunity to drop a slot or two in the draft, if the price is right – we deal out 1,4, and 6 picks to get New England’s 1 and 2, and move down two slots in the first round. One DT gets taken at 1.8, so at 1.9, we land DT Erik Gunn, a powerful pass rusher who ought to be very solid for us there. Code:
In round two, we land two more defensive key players, both well suited to our projected scheme. I’m not sure that LB Dodrill will be a superior run stopper, and the combination with Gunn (also a passrusher first) might be troubling – but overall, it was a pretty easy choice on overall talent. CB Sorensen was the best cover man available, and might be a solid starter for a long time, though probably not a star. With our 3rd round pick lost to a previous cap violation (apparently) we are basically filling in from there, with just a couple scrap picks. Our entire offense will be after-draft rookies this year, it seems. I passed up a star-caliber tight end in round two to take the two defenders… with our offense, that might have been unwise, but I find that passable tight ends are fairly easy to come by, so I want to target to more scarce positions early here. A decent corner will be tougher to grab in the undrafted rookie free agent market, I think. We go through a fairly straightforward training camp, and emerge with a first–year roster: Code:
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04-18-2006, 02:00 PM
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#4 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2011 season
So, this team ought to be dreadful – and we’ll get the usual results from a first-year empty cupboard team. Maybe 2-3 wins, a horrible season, some development from young players who prove their worth, and perhaps some defensive accolades for the few decent guys who are out there to make a ton of tackles. I’d guess that LB Bryan Dodrill will be a solid candidate for defensive rookie of the year, even though his current run defense ratings is a paltry 7 (or 63). Learn on the job, kid. We have almost no faith in anyone on the offense, with the possible exception of RB Melaragni, whom the scouting staff has already benched. We’ll see, but I expect very little. Code:
I am at a total loss to see how we started the season 3-3, but in the end, 3-13 makes some sense. We were outgunned all year – just look at the underlying stats – but managed to grit out a couple victories along the way. QB Jackie Hall, on this team, managed more TDs than interceptions – a shocking feat for a rookie QB even under better circumstances. That probably gives him a real shot to be the starter next year, despite my overall lack of enthusiasm for his prospects long term. LB Junior Gentile got the start at the strong-side linebacker job, and he may indeed be the DROY after all. I like him, despite his similarly weak run defense rating (currently 9/18) and we’ll give him a look into next season in the role. DT Erik Gunn looks like he will do okay, but with a visisble run defense rating of only 16/48, I don’t know that he’s the right guy for my usual philosophy. Getting some pass pressure up the middle is fine, but I really like to clamp down on the running game first – and Gunn, along with my two promising LBs behind him, is actually a liability in that department. This might call for some unusual gameplanning for me. CB Dennis Brennan played great, and looks like a keeper for us, from a 5th round draft pick. The secondary was young overall, but Brennan and Sorensen might be good enough to let us focus elsewhere for the next couple of years. So, heading into next season, it’s fairly clear that we have work to do. Nearly everyone is up for a new contract, so we’ll have decisions to make all over the place, and the offense needs a lot of attention, pronto. No surprises in season one, really. |
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04-18-2006, 03:59 PM
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#5 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2012 offseason
So, our 3-13 effort yields us the #1 pick in the draft, and an opportunity to actually bring aboard a player who’s a good fit for my intentions here. My ideal top rookie would probably be a superstar caliber wide receiver, as I think this offense would work really well with one solid downfield threat. Alas- no dice – WR is a weak position in this draft, and I’m guessing we’ll end up with an offensive tackle with our top pick, unless we make a big move down. Not so bad, really. My best guess is that we will move down to pick up some extra selections, and still take a tackle after a deal or two. There’s a star RB in this draft, but I’m not so sure that makes the most sense for us with this sort of team. Okay, on further reflection, the two superstar players in this draft are really the RB and a DT – a guy much more to my liking. I think my best play is probably to trade down as long as I can guarantee getting one of those two players, and go from there. The gains from doing so ought to be significant. Detroit, god love ‘em, takes the top CB, so the “big two” remain available for us at pick 1(2), and we now hold the Lions’ top four picks. We deal down to pick 1(3), and grab Oakland’s 1st rounder next year for the privilege (I’m not generally dealing with future picks, and won’t do so in a way that exploits them, but this is the only trade value that makes sense for us here). The Raiders take the RB, and we are left with the stud DT with pick three, which I decide is just fine – he ought to help out right away in the run-stopping department, my biggest fear so far. Code:
With the extra picks this year, we contemplate moving up – but sit tight and get WR Kirk Fox, the guy I wanted, and our immediate starter at split end. OT has been badly depleted, so we come right back with another skill position player in RB Martin Riley, who looks like he can be a quality straight-ahead runner for us. For a roster with a lot of holes, I think we did well – we should see almost everyone in this draft step right into a starting job, and get a chance to show his stuff. Watch out for CB Staat from the 7th round – this is a guy who might have some upside. After the draft, we do the pretty predictable thing – and bring back most of our decent players from last year, on the exact offers they are seeking. LB Junior Gentile must be reading this thread, because for him, that means a huge 6 year deal, cashing in on my lack of flexibility. After training camp, here’s the roster: Code:
So, here we are. A roster is coming together, and there’s reason to be optimistic about a number of things. This year’s rookie class looks okay – a few weak links in the middle there, but the guy on top looks like he will be spectacular in the end. We’ll slide up Jackie hall at QB, and hope that he and his new complement of skill players can get us somewhere this season. We usually make some slight gains here playing empty cupboard – I’d expect maybe 4-5 wins this year. |
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04-18-2006, 03:59 PM
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#6 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2012 season
Code:
Well, we were right on track for my predicted 5-11 finish, when the team oddly caught fire late in the season, and won its last five to finish at .500. Look at the season-long stats, and it’s hard to find a .500 team here, though – below average in most meaningful categories on the season. The only thing we did reliably well, oddly enough, was pass the ball – young QB Jackie Hall is now looking like a pretty serious part of this team’s planning, as he has posted another really solid season, boosting his YPA by over a full point and his passer rating by nearly ten. I’m not sure Kirk Fox is a game-breaking major talent, but he looked very sharp in the offense this year by default, and hauled in some big totals. (Having low-skill tight ends in the game all the time probably artificially boosts his touches, too) On defense, the same trio of linebackers again put up pretty good stats – MLB Dodrill is developing into a pretty competent tackler in the middle, and Gentile looks like he might still have some more upside (Run D up to 17/21, a decent improvement in a year). And just as I (sort of) called it, CB Joey Staat had a nice season playing as the nickel corner – and posting 6 passes defensed and 4 interceptions, as probably our most effective DB. Well, it looks like the team has come together reasonably well. Now, we need to find out if we’re ready to take another step forward. I guess we have to think that QB Jackie Hall is our future, so the question is – what else does he need around him? Perhaps an offensive line? |
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04-18-2006, 03:59 PM
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#7 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2013 offseason
Probably have to decide here, whether this is going to be a team built completely from within, or whether we will include free agent signings in our building. If the latter, it makes things a lot easier, which may not be what I want. Maybe the best compromise is that no player can have played for any other team – so a free agent is fine, as long as he hasn’t actually suited up elsewhere. That will keep us out of the market for genuine players, but we might find a 2nd or 3rd year addition from time to time- guys who were drafted then cut, or the like. So, we zip past the free agency period, and right to the draft. We have two first rounders, at #12 and #19. The OL is the most obvious target area, and replacing the deadbeats (no talent guys who are doing surprisingly well) at DE on the list as well. Our first pick is a no brainer, the last quality DE left in the draft, rated 31/75. G Toby Rayburn is next, a dominant overall lineman who should immediately upgrade our interior dramatically. Code:
I pass up on a really good-looking TE in round two to take another cover man (and watch the TE go with the very next pick), and end up with a far lesser prospect in round four – regretting the decision already. The usual riffraff longshots in the later rounds. After training camp, here’s where we stand: Code:
We are offered a 1st round draft pick by Pittsburgh… for QB Jackie Hall. I don’t see how we can do it – he’s not really my style of guy, but after two years of solid play with nothing around him, the fans would have my head if we dealt him away, right? Pittsburgh went 5-11 last year, so that might end up being a top pick, too… and it even passes the fairness test, so it’s a legit offer. Ouch. Okay, no deal. |
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04-18-2006, 04:00 PM
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#8 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2013 season
QB Jackie Hall gets injured in preseason, and will miss at least a couple games early. I actually think Isaac Poole has potential to be as good as Hall in ratings, but I don’t know if he can produce like Hall does. SO, we’ll get Poole in early, and hopefully Hall back after a few games. I don’t think we were really an 8-win team last season, so I don’t have our sights set on much more – maybe 8-9 wins this year? Perhaps we’ll have an offensive boost once again as rookie WR Alfred Banks seems like an improvement, but overall, we are still a developing team – I don’t think we’re rightfully a serious playoff threat right now. Code:
Well, by the numbers we were seemingly a much better team – we ran more effectively, we stopped the run very well, and that’s good to see. The 6-10 record is a bit disappointing, but probably a function of flukiness and turnovers more than anything else. We also lost a lot of our OL down the stretch, and that had to upset our progress a bit too. Rookie G Toby Rayburn blew out a knee, and may never be back. CB Joey Staat has taken the starting job away from Brennan, and now is pretty clearly the best corner we have, after being an afterthought 7th round pick for us in year two. I wish I could offer him the 6 year contract he is asking for as a renegotiation, because after this season, his demands are going to rocket up. With 17 passes defensed, he has become our most trusted coverage defender. Dodrill is assuming his leadership role on the defense, right in the center as planned. Our rookie LB Owens is probably going to be pushing for playing time with Gentile, who continues to slowly progress, but who remains sub-par for the position. Straw, another 7th round pick, has firmly entrenched himself at the weak side, as his main skills are now very solid. The DL looks okay, but maybe not what we would want from such early draft pick investments. DT Brett Bridges looks like a monster, and the stats are coming. DT Gunn looks like a pass rusher, and is starting to perhaps show some injury proneness. DE Thornton has great upside, but progressed very slowly this season, to my dismay. Maybe next year we’ll see things shape up – but for now, the production has been good, not great. Incidentally, after Oakland spent a first rounder to move up and take the stud RB a couple of years ago – I’d say they’re happy. He was a 1,500 yard back this year, helping lead them to a championship in his second season. Not so bad, after all. |
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04-18-2006, 08:51 PM
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#9 | |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Hey Qwik, it's always good to see a dynasty from you, I like your format and style, even if it always ends up the same after around 7 or 8 years. So.... I lay down a gauntlet
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Sure, he's a bit deluded, but aren't they all? And besides, it is his money you're spending.  Of course, you don't have to 'accept' this if you will, it is your dynasty. But I know that it some of your previous dynasties you pondered perhaps some extra-game source seting targets and goals, why not the good people of FOFC? |
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04-19-2006, 11:34 AM
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#10 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I don't mind working to meet such a challenge, but the trouble with this one in particular is that it won't really cause me to do anything differently than I already am doing. I'm not sure that I want to get into the sort of thing that was mentioned in my "holy grail" thread (where the possible commands are more arbitrary and random) but maybe there's a middle ground somewhere.
In any event, it's not like I was planning to sandbag for one more top draft pick before really trying to win... the 6-10 season was just a hiccup on the way to glory, I hope. We'll be trying "all out" to win under my rules. (Actually, it's basically these rules that create the main problem with a command like this -- if the dictum was that I had to win at all costs this season, I'd probably go out and sign 3-4 impact free agent players... but my hosue rules prevent me from doing so... thus the conundrum.) |
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04-19-2006, 04:24 PM
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#11 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2014 offseason
With no retirements still, and all my players still 4th year or less, early free agency is a blur, as we just skip past it all. We have our full complement of picks from the #9 slot, and should once again have a shot to make a meaningful improvement with our top pick. The ideal pickup would either be at left tackle or defensive end, but I remain open to any player who can make a real difference for this team that is starting to come together. Looking at the draft class, I think we’ll be disappointed on both fronts, as both the DE and OT groups are pretty weak. Safety Harvey Waldorf would be very nice, though… Code:
Safety, safety with our top two picks – not really what I originally had in mind, but I like both guys, and expect that they might become long term starters for us. That would be okay. DE Reggie Fletcher (converted from DT) looks like he might be a find for us – decent pass rusher, and might have some upside. That would be a sweet addition. In late free agency, we have our moment of truth with QB Jackie Hall. A five year deal, worth about $22 million – and that’s as low as he’s going to go. We have no choice, really – we offer him his fat contract and lock him up. Our other fat contract will go to MLB Bryan Dodrill, our second player we drafted. He has turned into a solid all-around linebacker, easily our most talented guy there, and a 5yr, $36m deal comes his way for the effort. That marries us to him as a central player, as well, I reckon. C Quentin McKnight is a decent player, who gets a solid deal here for lack of options. Same goes for LT Kevin Wyckoff, another guy I keep intending to replace, but never do. CB Levin Sorensen, for whatever reason, is dirt cheap to re-sign, which helps a bit. As is Dennis Brennan, giving us pretty cheap and solid depth at the CB position. I think Joey Staat is now our premier player at the CB position, but it’s good to have several able-bodies contributors on hand. Here’s the post-camp roster: Code:
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04-19-2006, 04:25 PM
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#12 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2014 season
So, we remain well below the salary cap for at least another year or two, and we are hopefully poised to make some noise. QB Jackie Hall is a solid young star (and his backup Poole looks like the real thing too), and we’re hoping that WR Kirk Fox can post another all-pro type season as his top weapon. On defense, our defensive line ought to take another step forward, and we might step up the pass rush as the DE position is getting deeper with talent than ever. Our veteran LB group ought to remain solid, and our DBs could become a top-tier bunch this season, I hope. Starting off the season, our roster rating is a very modest 42 overall – suggesting that we are a ways away from really being an impact team. I’m hoping we can outperform that, and perhaps post a winning season this year. Otherwise, it might be my head. Our defense looks pretty shaky early on – and that’s a bit disconcerting, as I was hoping for some real progress there. We really can’t manage to get them back on track, and had hoped for a better effort from that side of the ball this season. However, when we get a win to go 9-6 and secure our first winning season, we manage to wash away our grave worries about the offense, and we’ll just focus on the best season we’ve had to date. And in the season finale, we upset division champs Cleveland to seemingly grab a playoff berth for the first time – only to find out that we lose a three-way tie for the two wild cards, and will sit out again. Code:
Our defense actually locked down the final few weeks, and rescued our season numbers a good deal – we were heading for about 20th place against both the run and pass, but things got better in those last four games. DT Bridges had a monster season, and is rapidly becoming our best player on the team, period. LB Bryan Dodrill remains the big tackle guy on the team, but he’s getting help in more spots now. On offense, we were a bit better than average on both sides of things, with QB Hall being effective, but mistake-prone (as his ratings admittedly suggest). The 25 picks is tough to overcome, but we managed to get by okay. WR Kirk Fox had injury problems – he only started 11 games – and only that kept him from having another huge year. All told – the team is showing progress, certainly. We’re not that consistent, though, which is frustrating – but comes with the territory with a fairly young team that isn’t all that deep in real talent. Next season, though, we will hope to add a few more pieces to the puzzle, and see what we can bring together here. Oakland wins a second title, and their RB Andre George is the second team all-pro. Meanwhile, DT Brett Bridges gets a second team nomination of his own this year, so we can hardly complain about the trade-down either. |
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04-19-2006, 06:30 PM
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#13 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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I'm more interested in this dynasty than some of your other recent ones, for some reason. I think if you stick with it for at least 3-4 more years it could get very, very interesting where re-signing players becomes far from automatic.
Also, want to throw in that no dynasty would be better than a new FM chronicle from you, QuikSand.
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Quis custodiets ipsos custodes? |
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04-20-2006, 03:29 PM
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#14 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2015 offseason
We have our first meaningful early free agency this year – as I have to contend with competition to try to re-sign my 5th year players. With my rules, I have no way to outbid an enthusiastic suitor for anyone – so we don’t completely control things here. My biggest worry is not this year – nobody this year is likely to be a hot property – but soon, we’re bound to just start losing quality players this way. No losses of any import in the early stages, and we’ll angle for some cheap re-ups after the draft. For a non-playoff team to be saddled with the #28 pick in the draft belies common sense to me, but here we are. Ideally, we’d love to improve at LT and WR in this draft – but drafting late, we’ll likely have to play the hand we’re dealt. I’m even disappointed with the top TE being gone by the time we come onto the clock (#28, come on!?!?!) and I’m really not thrilled with any of our options here. We target our top needs with picks one and two – but I’m not sure we really solved any problems with either guy. Code:
In round three, we simply must take the QB Quentin Bernard -- I nearly took him as a BPA pick in round one, and he’s still there for us at the end of round three. QB is too important to overlook, and our current backup Isaac Poole is looking for some real money too. We do some fishing for future starters at defensive tackle, and come up with a Trout in round five – I just couldn’t help myself. Interestingly, we grab his college teammate with our next selection. WR Alfred Banks announces a holdout – which puts me in a bind, I think. With a rule against renegotiations, I think I just have to wait him out. That opens the door for the rookie Bradley to perhaps start right away for us at the flanker slot. But past that, we get everyone locked up under new deals, and are still very comfortable cap-wise. Here’s the post-camp roster: Code:
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04-20-2006, 03:30 PM
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#15 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2015 season
Our roster rating remains paltry – 37 this year – so we’re not supposed to be that competitive. But we will try to make the playoffs this season, hopefully powered by a rejuvenated defense to go with our still-solid offense. Ten wins last year wasn’t enough – how about 11 this year? After injuries in preseason, we will have rookie starting at both tackle slots – that might prove troublesome. But off we go – hoping to earn our first postseason berth here in Baltimore, in year five of this reign (and the contract year for our whole front office staff). Code:
So, we slide to 8-8 … how did this happen? I thought we’d be slated to arrive ready to roll – instead, we’re a shadow of our former selves. The defense was better for most of the year – but what happened to the offense? Nothing, really – indeed, the offense was efficient as always. Maybe a –5 turnover margin hurt us? Odd. On the flip side – while last year we were left out of the playoffs at 10-6, this year we actually sneak in at 8-8, winning a tiebreaker this time. So, QB Jackie Hall had his best season yet (89.5 rating) and topped 4,000 yards for the first time. Kirk Fox again failed to stay healthy, and wasn’t even out top target this year – so we end up with rookie TE Daryl Chapman gathering a fair share of the spotlight, and deservedly so. RB Martin Riley continues to churn out yards, though he remains disappointing in terms of efficiency. On defense, DT Bridges remains a centerpiece, and CB Corwin Troy emerged as a solid starter for us, edging out veteran Levon Sorensen for that left-side job. S Waldorf looks like a star in the making, and had a great season as well. Postseason Summary Wild Card Week: Baltimore (8-8) at Tennessee (11-5) – We lose a tough one here, 20-17, despite having a huge list of injured starters. Solid showing, but we can’t pull off the upset – we were cursed with a 7 point lead with 5 minutes to play, so we were doomed from that point. We have three all-pro selections, all second teamers: FB Brandon Flynn, C Quentin McKnight, and SLB Ricky Owens. McKnight was an undrafted free agent from our original season, and developed after claiming the starting job right away. This year, 35/117 in KRBs and only one sack allowed was his ticket in. LB Owens was a 3rd rounder who panned out, overcame the previous starter on the strong side, and now has a great season under his belt with 89 tackles and 6.5 sacks. |
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04-20-2006, 03:55 PM
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#16 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the yo'
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Quote:
Go cousin Harvey! |
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04-21-2006, 02:28 PM
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#17 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2016 offseason
Year six – another look at our front office staff, and just about the right time for an “empty cupboard” team to start really taking shape. Our roster is pretty solid in most places (we do still have needs) and the team has started winning a fair number of games – we can now shift our staff focus toward on-field effort, where that makes sense. It appears that my scout has retired, so we will need a change there. My new scout has a “poor” rating with young talent (an anomaly for me) but is pretty good most everywhere else – so I’ll probably be inclined to trust his ratings for veteran players a bit more than the last guy. The rest of our front office staff remain in place. This year, we have a fair number of players on the open market: Code:
From this lot, the most important guys to return are, I think: WR Kirk Fox – injuries have held him back, but great talent LB Heath Straw - longtime starter, great skills for the weak side, should be cheap FB Brandon Flynn – used heavily in this offense, solid skills RG J.J. Boone – ratings are lousy, but 5 year starter/leader adds cohesion and stability I am definitely letting DT Erik Gunn walk – he was our first player, but never a perfect fit, and lately has not been able to stay healthy. We’re better against the run without him, and we’ll do okay moving on, letting our first draft pick ever walk off. LB Ricky Owens is also up for a new deal (following his all pro season) but he’s restricted, so we can wait him out and get him done after his demands drop a bit, without fear of losing him. Anticipating that we will eventually need to be economizing, I wait some players out – hoping they won’t attract attention in the free market. A guy like J.J. Boone seems obvious for this, as his ratings wouldn’t suggest he’s worth a damn to anyone but us. But WR Fox wants to sign in week two, so I have his demands offered right away, and hope we don’t get outbid. WR Kirk Fox signs with us right away, for 5 yrs, $26m – he will be expensive down the road for us. FB Brandon Flynn is the other big name we lock up quickly, and he will be pricey for a fullback. We see DT Gunn get a deal, and same for our punter… but suffer no serious losses as we advance through the early 20 stages. That’s according to plan. To the draft, where we sit on the pick at #19 in all seven rounds. Our officially listed needs are at G, CB, and T – and I agree that the OL would be a nice place to improve, or perhaps a good run-stopper at DT. I contemplate a move up to get the OT I like best, but he goes off the board at pick 1.9, about two steps earlier than I would have pounced, I think. We do work out a deal with Oakland, and move up to #14 to get the next best offensive tackle, and address a top target position there. Code:
After never pulling the trigger on a tight end when we had the chance, I finally do here – right after we had a breakthrough rookie last season. I’m an idiot, I guess – but we do run the 2TE formation a lot, so there’s room for multiple contributors there. We grab two centers and slide them to play guard in the middle rounds – Chism might work out, Tanner I doubt it. Last two are reach picks looking for breakouts – early returns on LB Holliday look favorable. We get a trade offer for CB Corwin Troy, a 2nd round pick from San Diego. Troy is a pretty good player but in the final year of his contract – judging by his reneg demands, he might get pricey next season. I don’t see much value in a 2nd round pick, so I pass it up. We work out our final deals, and head to camp with 58 players in tow. Here’s the post-camp roster, through the eyes of a new scout: Code:
We still have 15 players from the original roster, which isn’t too bad. We’re up into the upper half in every cohesion category, and #1 with our defensive front. |
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04-21-2006, 02:28 PM
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#18 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2016 season
I suspect this is again a playoff team, and we’ll hope to see things take good shape this year. Second year man Tom McIntyre is slated to start at DT, where he might help stop the run, but he’s not a high quality player, I don’t think. I expect a huge year from DT Brett Bridges, as he will be the main man in the middle for us. I am hopeful that we can continue to develop the OL and keep the offense on track while doing so. We hope for a pretty big year from Jackie Hall, as his supporting cast is the best we have given him, overall. 10-6 seems like a fair target, and this time we’d expect to get into the playoffs with that mark. After a tough loss to Cleveland in the opener, we run off three impressive wins to look like we are finally clicking right along. Is this a team ready to become a truly elite, power franchise in this league? Code:
We finish dead on with the target, at 10-6 and in the playoffs. Nothing wrong with that, though the early start did give us a whiff of what might someday be. Jackie Hall delivered his best season by far – a 35/10 TD/Int ratio is the stuff of superstardom, and his 103 passer rating is the stuff of MVP ballots. Our passing game is among the more feared in the league, even while TE Chapman was again the top target on the whole team. WR Fox gave us his usual 12 starts amidst various nicks and dents, and was productive. Our running game was again rather suspect – Riley just is not capable of even 4 yards per carry, and I just can’t see why unless it’s the shaky line play. But the stats from the OL are pretty decent – McKnight and company converted quite a lot of KRBs, so there’s no easy excuse. We might need to get past the red bars and let someone else get a look back there. On defense – the run defense was very troubling, allowing a preposterous 4.24 yards per carry – absolutely unacceptable. We may need to target a run-stopping DT for next year, as that seems to be our biggest roster weakness right now. The rest of the defense put up the stats we wanted – solid pass pressure from our three star DL, god all-around effort from the three backers, and Waldorf leads a very capable DB group who have become tough to throw against. Not bad – we just need some beef up the middle. Postseason Summary Wild Card Round – Baltimore (10-6) at Miami (9-7) – After letting Miami march for a TD on its first possession, we take control and just punish the Dolphins on their home field, 34-7. Hall works the underneath passing game beautifully, hitting three TDs to the FB/TE group. Solid win. Divisional Playoff – Baltimore (11-6) at Kansas City (11-5) – KC returns the favor, though, as they take complete control in this one to win 23-8. They run for 209 yards, exploiting our run D weakness and just pounding us mercilessly. Tip of the cap – and on they go. Can’t really complain about this season – pretty much what I had hoped for. Now, while we still have some cap space, we will have to make some tough calls on re-signings, and hope to take the next big step forward in season #7. |
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04-22-2006, 02:25 PM
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#19 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2017 offseason
Season number seven – ought to be a big year for us. We look like a playoff team, but we have the champions in our division, after the Browns rolled from 13-3 to the title. So that will keep things tough for us. No retirements, no front office changes, we’re ready to go. Here’s the lot who are up for open free agency this year: Code:
DT Brett Bridges is the guy we will unload the bank truck to retain. DE Arnold Thornton will probably want big DE money, and I don’t see how we can afford it. This is surely going to be the year we run out of cap flexibility, after all. CB Corwin Troy will probably be looking for big money, and he will be a tough call if so. QB Poole probably will walk, as we can’t afford to pay him, and we have a promising youngster to use as a solid #2. RB Riley is a guy I have thought about letting walk – if he wants real money, it will come to pass. As we start out the FA process, we have almost $25m in cap space. But any big contract we sign is going to escalate a lot from this year to next, so I must be careful with what we lock up. DT Brett Bridges re-signs with us immediately – 4 yrs, $35 million, damn. He will soon be a $10m player, more than 12% of our salary cap. RB Martin Riley has an offer from Kansas City, and he’s all but gone. No way we can pay big bucks for a 3.7 ypc back any more. Gone. DE Arnold Thornton gets a huge deal from New England, and he’s gone now too. This is going to be tough to keep a defensive line around, as anyone who plays wants pretty big money in my experience. We’ll need to draft accordingly, knowing that guys are going to play through their first contract and probably split. CB Corwin Troy is surprisingly cheap, and also unwanted – so he will be back with us, I’m glad to report. I’m sitting back on my three free agent linemen – C McKnight, G Boone, and T Preston, as I don’t think they will attract much attention, and I want to lock them all up cheaply. Stability helps on the OL, and all three guys play well for us – why not keep them all around? We head to the draft with the three OL all sitting out there, as well as DE Reggie Fletcher. Could be more work to do later. In the draft, we want to see some immediate help, and will trade up from $24 if that’s what it takes. The defensive line is the obvious gaping hole on the roster right now, so that would be my preference for the first round, at the very least. No dice in trading up – the very top DL prospects are gone early, and I decide to sit tight and take the best guy who drops. That’s run-stopper Leon McElroy, who we hope can retain his apparent skills, though I am not that confident. Code:
Lots of the usual reaches and risks down the line – neither of the top DL looks great to me, but it’s a position of immediate need, I fear. In late free agency, I move to re-sign two defensive ends – Isaac Gillum and Benjamin Nager – to new one year deals. I suspect these two may well be our starters this season, with the rookies mixed in for good measure around them. In week 7 of the late stages, all three offensive linemen accept our offers, and return for at least the next two seasons together. So – 4th year man Reggie Fletcher, coming off an 11 sack season, is looking for a deal worth $13m for four years – I think we have to offer it, plain and simple. He’ll be our best DE, and I’m not wild about our other options – so I make the offer, and lock him up. We may be paying down the road for this spending, but we need to field a team this year, too. And so, it happens. We get a trade offer for backup QB Quentin Bernard, right after training camp. A 1st round pick from the Redskins – how fitting. It passes the test, and I think I have to take it. That leaves us with undrafted rookie Artie Cook as our backup, but we’ll get by – I don’t think the team goes anywhere without Hall anyway, so whether we’d fall to 4-12 or 7-9 isn’t a big difference. Last season, Washington went 5-11, so this could end up being a pretty good pick, too. Have to grab it. Here’s the roster as we exit camp, after the Bernard trade. We’re ready for another season now: Code:
We carry about $10m in cap space, but with so many escalating contracts, I know next year will be awfully tight. We’ll see how it goes from here – but this might be “the year.” |
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04-22-2006, 02:25 PM
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#20 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2017 season
After a 10-win season and a playoff win, now we have to set our sight higher. Overtake Cleveland for the division, and try to be a serious title threat – that has to be the goal. We come out sharp at 3-0, but then manage to drop three close games to fall to an even 3-3 – not good at all. Now we host Cleveland in the biggest game of the year, but instead of being 5-1 and right in the hunt, we are struggling to even stay close. Fortunately, the Browns are also 3-3, so the race may come to us. We crush the Browns, 40-13, behind a great defensive effort, and take the lead in the division, along with Cinti. From there, we play well enough to tear off another winning streak, and finish at 11-5 – on top of the division at last. Code:
So – we lost TE Daryl Chapman to a serious injury pretty early into the season, but Jackie Hall spread it around and found plenty of targets. Hall was a little reckless this season, but our offense remained pretty effective and the defense covered over some of the rough patches. WR Fox was again the top man, but he’s just the chairman of the committee at this point – his days of all pro tours are over. RB Melarangi waited a long time to be the #1 guy here – and he was pretty solid, with 4.36 ypc better than what he had grown used to. LB Dodrill was his usual solid self, and the defense put up its usual effort. The run defense was solid, and the pass defense was spectacular. DE Reggie Fletcher makes me happy about his new contract with a great season, and our DB complement played very well together once again. Postseason Summary Wild Card Round – Cincinnati (10-6) at Baltimore (11-5) – We get a narrow win in a close game, 17-10, and get to advance once again. DT Brett Bridges is the game MVP with 8 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the day, in a defense-driven victory. Divisional Playoff – Baltimore (12-5) at Kansas City (12-4) – KC is now led by RB Martin Riley, who had a 1,300 yard season for them. Him and a QB with a 21/1 TD/Int ratio, and a totally unreal 111.6 passer rating. They are the favorites, but we put a licking on them 31-7 – with Melaragni even outgaining Riley head to head. Big win, again carried by a great defensive showing, and we are into the conference title game. Conference Championship – Baltimore (13-5) at New England (13-4) – We are without WR Kirk Fox, but that’s not too unusual for him anyway. It’s reserve WR Leon Stuart, however, who catches the game-winning 28 yard TD as time expires for us to beat the Pats, 21-18. Huge win, and we earn our first SB berth. Superbowl – Baltimore (14-5) at Carolina (12-6) – We are made 3 point favorites in the big game, mostly on the strength of our defense. And the defense again carries us – Jackie Hall gets the MVP in the 38-11 blowout, but once again we didn’t let the other team do much of anything. Melaragni gets 100 yards, WR Banks has 99 yards and two TDs, and we have this game well in hand at halftime. Congratulations, Ravens! Linebackers Dodrill and Owens will both get a trip to Hawai’i for their pro bowl appearances, both on the second team. Interestingly, a 6th year undrafted QB who is playing for his 3rd team already was named league MVP – Trevor Clawson had it all come together in Miami, and had a whale of a season. Intriguing. Listen – if the clock runs out in Foxboro, and Jackie Hall’s desperation pass ends up on the ground instead of in Leon Stuart’s hands – we’d look back and say we accomplished our goals for the season. We won the division, we were right there in the thick of it for a Superbowl berth, and we’re a top team in the league now. Mission accomplished, basically. As it is – well, we actually sealed the deal somehow, instead. Well, if the goal of the career was to “save” this dreadful franchise, it seems we have accomplished the goal. For now, I remain interested enough to keep going and see how things pan out as the cap hits harder and harder. |
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05-01-2006, 08:52 AM
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#21 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2018 offseason
After our first championship season, I always fear some one-and-done retirements, but with nobody over 8th year on this team, I don’t expect any. RT Donovan Preston surprises me, and he is outta here, but he has already been replaced in the depth chart, so it’s not a major loss. We don’t make any changes in the front office (really!?!) and are quickly into free agency. Code:
That’s the list of free agents, both unrestricted and restricted. Top targets for re-signing are CB Staat and S Gonzalez, who have both been very productive in our top-rated defense. RB Melaragni is solid, but if he wants big money he won’t be back. QB Artie Cook has vast potential, and we hope he won’t be too pricey. We have pretty narrow cap space available – max contract is only $4.5 million (with only 31 players signed). So, we might have to do some actual pruning, a first for this team. I knew this was coming, but we had to make our run last year. A tougher offseason, as expected. I decide not to run out with bids to anyone, and to sit back instead. We simply don’t have the luxury of overpaying. I am quickly boxed into a big offer for S Gonzalez, but we still may not get him back, as Cinti is pushing pretty hard. We do lose LB Gentile (an early starter for this team, who just finished up a big-dollar contract from long ago) and DE Nager, both guys I would have preferred to keep around. S Robert Gonzalez takes an offer from Minnesota, and we lose out there as well. Now, with a few guys gone, I’m no longer worried about just the cap – I’m worried about the roster we’ll have this year. Cleveland is bidding for RB Melaragni, and we absolutely cannot match that, either. Cinti steps in and wins the bidding for Melaragni, but it doesn’t matter – he way way past our budget. Minnesota surprisingly jumps right in and grabs CB Joey Staat, also – so now we have a serious loss at DB. Staat was dislodged last season by 5th year man Floyd Clark, and since we have a decent young guy in Dennis Clemons ready to contribute, I didn’t feel I could pay Staat big money – but I was hopeful he’d re-sign late for less. Alas, down the tubes with that plan as well. In the last stages of early free agency, DE Isaac Gillum also gets signed away – another guy I was hoping might stick around cheaply. I’m just hemorrhaging players here, but I don’t want to commit to long term overpriced deals just to keep certain guys around. This is tough. Lonely feeling as we head toward the draft… In the draft, I’m looking for help in several places – safety, RB, maybe the DL still. We lost our #3 linebacker, too, and could use some depth there for certain. We have Oakland’s pick at #8, so we have some extra to work with on top of the round-enders befitting the champs. I work out a quick deal to move up to pick 1.5 – there’s a monstrous defensive lineman I can’t believe fell this far, and last year’s picks be damned, this is our guy. Code:
So, we’re looking for S Russell to become an immediate starter for us at safety, and the rest are the usual fill-ins and longshots. We’ll see if we get anything from the late picks, other than cheap contracts. We love Sullivan, though. Tough call to decide whether he belongs at DT or DE, but I decide to place him on the left end. We fill out the roster as best we can – this year we will go in with only 49 players, and right up against the salary cap. Best we can do under the circumstances. Code:
This will be a very different roster than we are used to fielding. No depth at all. We are tops in cohesion in four areas… and oddly enough, we are rated with an 83 in cohesion with our secondary. So that ought to work in our favor. |
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05-01-2006, 08:53 AM
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#22 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2018 season
We have no choice but to set thee dials for “repeat” – a bye week would be nice, though. Code:
A 12-4 season is just fine, but it’s not good enough to earn the week off – we lose a tiebreaker and are the #3 seed. I have piloted dominant power teams before – this is not one of them. Solid, capable of beating anyone, but also certainly capable of dropping a game at any point here, too. Offensively, this team played really, really well. 4,000 yards for the QB is a good sign, and having both a RB and WR over 1,000 is solid. We were solid and efficient with the ball, and while I’m not pleased with a –5 turnover margin, we overcame it for the most part. Defensively – I hate being weak against the run, and this year we were, for certain – dead last. Using Sullivan as a DT might have been the right way to go after all. The usual characters were there for our otherwise pretty steady defense – Dodrill, Owens, Bridges. DE Fletcher had a superior year, under the surface – 41 hurries is about as good as I am used to ever seeing (2nd in the whole league) and his 10.9 PRPct is downright stellar. I can’t believe I thought he might be overpaid at $4m per year. DT Bridges is hurt, listed as out for 4 weeks – that played a role in our wilting run defense, I’m sure – would be great to get him back for the playoff run, but it looks like we need to get a win or two first. WR Kirk Fox is also out – no hope of seeing him in this postseason at all. Postseason Summary Wild Card Round – Houston (9-7) at Baltimore (12-4) – We get a 24-0 lead, and look completely in command. The Texans strike twice in the fourth quarter, but come up short, and we get our win, 24-16. 146 yards rushing from Claude Heath tops off a very nice season from him. Divisional Playoff – Baltimore (13-4) at Tennessee (12-4) – The Titans are 6 point favorites here over the defending champs – doesn’t seem quite right, even if we are more injured than they are. DT Brett Bridges will go, I’ll cross my fingers. It’s the Titans defense, though, that wins the day – they shut us down pretty well, and take a solid 23-10 win to move on. St. Louis beats the Jets in the Superbowl – no really familiar faces there. LBs Dodrill and Owens again claim second team slots for the all-pro team awards. Not a bad season – anything short of repeating would be a disappointment, but the team didn’t really fall apart or anything. The cap situation is just going to get tougher and tougher from here, though. Jackie Hall leads a solid class of free agents for next season, so we must be prepared to take even more losses. |
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05-01-2006, 03:01 PM
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#23 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oakdale, New York
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One of my house rules I like to play during Free Agency is to only be allowed to have one offer at a time on a player from another team. I do however allow myself to make offers to players that were with my team the past season. I do what you do as well, no renegotiations. I like to also play the injury setting at 115, I find it a challenge. With a high setting it forces me to consider having depth at positions because you are sure to have injuries that effect starters.
As far as plans I have been doing what you did. I created a game plan, offensively and defensively that I want to play, and try to find the right players for it. Also, I need to do everything possible to operate at a profit. Wish I could have kept up my JETS Rewind Dynasty, but I found myself spending more time on posting, and only a fraction of the time playing the game. Keep it up I enjoy the read.
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VNFL Chargers VNFL AFC President NAFL Super Bowl Champions 2005 New York Jets |
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05-01-2006, 03:05 PM
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#24 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2019 offseason
So, we have clearly arrived as a league power. Now, the big issue is trying to stay in that mix, despite the continued contract pressures we are bound to face in the coming years. Here’s the record thus far: Code:
Fairly predictable “empty cupboard” pattern, but everyone gets to wear that ring, so it’s pretty good in total. No retirements, no front office turmoil, we move on. Here’s the entire cap and free agent situation: Code:
With 31 players signed, we have a solid starting point. But with only $19m in cap space, where do we go from here? Jackie Hall? Bryan Dodrill? Harvey Waldorf? These are all central players to what we want to do here… how do we get the team together for this season? I’m already looking at possible cuts, but this could get really, really tough quickly. The first big problem is Dodrill – he’s asking for a fortune, and that would be very tough to manage. I don’t expect he’ll get it from anyone else, though, so we might be able to wait him out. But he’s looking like a very possible walkaway. QB Jackie Hall also wants big money -- $10m a year, which would be very, very tough for us. As we head into week one of free agency, we have an uninspiring set of offers out there – cheap deals for RB Claude Heath, WR Harvey Bradley, and DT Tom McIntyre. None are irreplaceable, but all are cheap and fill needs. For now, no offers to any of our top tier talents. Right away, we get pressure on S Waldorf from Denver, and I decide to give chase – we submit his requested contract, about $4m per year. In week three, LB Bryan Dodrill gets his monster contract – 4 yrs, $42m from Arizona, and he’s officially gone. We expect to have Neal Blue as our only MLB signed going into this season – he may have to step into the starting role. 4th year man Joe Holliday is another option, but he too is looking for some real money – a problem there, too. It takes until week 6, but S Harvey Waldorf accepts our offer and re-signs. It will only hit us for about $3m this year, but jumps up to $5m next season. That’s it through the first 20 stages – we still have cap space, and will be talking to QB Jackie Hall in the late stages. But for now, we will be angling to make things better with our infusion of youth. With pick #28, we won’t get to call our own shots exactly – but we really need help along the offensive line, and at linebacker as well. Code:
It’s a good LB draft, and we get a solid player without moving up. I pass on a star-caliber TE, and wait too long to get him in round two (after contemplating a trade up). At the end of round two, I grab a great-looking FB, with immediate intentions of making him into a TE for us for this offense. I go back to LB and grab a guy who looks well suited to play on the weak side, where we may not be able to overpay Heath Straw forever. As we hit late free agency, we have 42 players signed (including all the rookies) and $11.7m in cap space. We still need to work out a deal with Jackie Hall, who will be a minimum of $6 million this year, and then we’ll have some tough calls to make. Or, we pass on Hall (gasp!) and have flexibility to re-sign anyone we want. The problem with Hall’s requested contract isn’t really the $6m this year – it’s the $14-15m in each of the next two seasons, which would be terribly burdensome. We cut deals with CB Levon Sorensen and TE Daryl Chapman, and at the end of late free agency, finally accept Jackie Hall’s terms. He will cost $4.5m this year, and then about 8-9 each of the next two seasons. I think we can swing it. We take 51 players into training camp – here’s how we emerge: Code:
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05-01-2006, 03:05 PM
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#25 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2019 season
We have the 4th-highest roster rating at 89, and have cohesion at 100-100-93-85, so we ought to be in pretty good shape for this season. Offense should be pretty primed, and the defense has been our solid point – hopefully staying so even without MLB Dodrill. We have to shoot for the top, as we ought to be contenders for a title this season. We have a tough stretch midseason without Jackie Hall, and slide to 5-4. A couple weeks later, he is hurt again, and I’m very worried – at 6-5, we don’t have much room for error. We drop two close games, and have to bring Hall back before he’s 100% out of desperation. We get two wins behind him, but we are eliminated from the playoffs before the last week, due to two 10-5 teams finishing strong from the West. Code:
Well, it’s tough to blame the offense for this season – Jackie Hall was very effective when healthy, and our top skill players had great seasons. Actually, by the numbers, it’s tough to determine what went wrong here – we were top ten in yards per play on all four fronts, that’s pretty solid. A –7 in turnovers is a culprit, largely attributable to Artie Cook’s dreadful effort as our backup QB. Former 6th round pick Joe Holliday has stepped nicely into the MLB role, beating out Neal Blue and playing very well. We got adequate pass rush, led by Bridges, Fletcher and Sullivan – our three shining lights on the DL. LB Straw, playing on the weak side, actually got in a great season – with 17 passes defensed, despite being the first one pulled when we drop into pass coverage. Will be hard to displace him at that rate. So… what do we take from this season? Probably wise that we signed Jackie Hall rather than turning things over to Artie Cook – but at the same time, we have a big investment now into a guy who looks injury prone. Cap will continue to chew on us in the upcoming years – will we get back to the top? Who can tell? |
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05-01-2006, 03:08 PM
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#26 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
Glad to hear. Though, I confess, I'm already wandering toward some new challenge idea. I'm thinking about how to institute one of those "seventh round only" deals in an empty cupboard setting. |
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