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01-06-2001, 06:39 PM
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#1 | ||
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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UDFA QB challenge
I saw a couple of people mention how having a great QB seems to be the best way to be successful in FOF2K1, so I thought I would try out a set of house rules designed to make the coach win some other way.
House rules: Can't use a QB who has been drafted - all QBs on roster must have originally been UDFAs. Can't sign non-rookie free agents at any time (except own free agents) Maximum four-year deal for rookie free agents (with salary increasing by at least 50% in each year of contract) Can't propose trades (must release any drafted QB acquired in trades immediately) Can't use franchise tag Can't change coach/scout during contract, or after a non-losing or playoff season Ticket prices no higher than nearest franchise (assumed to be Denver at this point) Apologies to Quiksand for nicking most of the rules he's using for the House Arrest challenge, but these seem to be a solid set of rules for limiting the quality of the human-controlled roster. One thing I expect with these rules is that I'll be building almost solely through the draft (apart from any breakout UDFAs I manage to pick up). I reserve the right to make changes to these rules if I really struggle to get anywhere - I'm starting with an expansion team, so I expect to really struggle in the first couple of years until I start getting a reasonable squad together. The expansion team I took over is the Reno Rush (a name which sounds like it belongs in the XFL, but I can't think of anything better for a team in Reno offhand, and it fits in pretty well with the challenge, as I expect to be using a run-based offence coupled with a solid defence (after a few years - when I have a decent team!) This is the roster straight after the expansion draft:
My thinking with the expansion draft was to pick up some reasonable veterans who would fill out the roster for a couple of seasons before I get enough players through the draft to put out a reasonable team. Coghill and McElmurry aren't particularly good players, but I couldn't help myself picking up a couple of players with Claymores connections (especially Coghill), as the Scottish Claymores are my local team. A trade with Atlanta gave me a decent CB in Bradford, as well as a 3rd round pick. Amateur Draft Report: Rnd 1 - Robbie Austin, DE, Missouri Rnd 2 - Bo Ostroski, RB, Illinois Rnd 3 - Leonard Riley, TE, San Diego State Rnd 3 - Duane Russ, LB, Maryland Rnd 4 - Ryan Givens, RB, Austin Peay Rnd 5 - Orlando Cahill, S, St. Mary's, Cal. Rnd 6 - Bo McIntyre, FB, Oregon State Rnd 7 - Damon Wilson, DT, Baylor My thinking with the top pick was to get an impact player, and Austin will fit the bill if he doesn't bust (current 43/48/91, potential 99/100). Ostroski should carry the load early on, and Givens gives me solid backup at RB. The two third-rounders have a good bit of potential, but I'll need them to start straight off. After filling up with rookie free agents (unfortunately, I didn't see any obvious redliners), the Reno Rush's roster for their first training camp is:
Looking at the roster, the Rush are going to struggle in 2002 - not many starting-quality players, and poor depth, especially at tackle (no decent UDFAs). It's going to be an achievement to win a game this season... Martin PS As well as the dodgy franchise nickname, I could do with a better name for the challenge (as you might be able to tell, imagination isn't my strong point...) |
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01-06-2001, 08:05 PM
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#2 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Martin, good luck with the challenge. I suspect you'll find it to be fairly tough. No apologies are necessary or appropriate for the use of "my" rules-- everything is shared here for exactly that purpose.
As for the name of your challenge, I'm scratching my head a bit. The defining feature of the challenge is a major limitation for your QB-- your on-field leader cannot be a man of great stature, if you follow me... How about the "Napoleon Challenge?" No obligations, of course, just a thought. Have fun. |
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01-07-2001, 06:04 AM
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#3 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
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No offense QuikSand, but Napoleon conquered Europe with the French army!
I guess calling Napoleon not being a man of great stature is not appropriate. However, looking to his size. Still, I guess you were reffering to Animal Farm in the first place.
__________________
* 2005 Golden Scribe winner for best FOF Dynasty about IHOF's Maassluis Merchantmen * Former GM of GEFL's Houston Oilers and WOOF's Curacao Cocktail |
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01-07-2001, 09:04 AM
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#4 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I was referring to the real life Napoleon, Matthijs, for exactly the reason you describe. The goal of the challenge is to have great success with the strengths of your total army... and not necessarily based on the "stature" of your single leader. I think you see my point.
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01-07-2001, 10:24 AM
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#5 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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Quiksand,
Yes, I'm expecting to find things difficult - the aim is to get consistent winning seasons (which I'm expecting will take a few years if things go well). I ran a very successful passing offence in my previous career, but didn't have much luck with a more balanced offence - this challenge gives me a chance to try things out. Martin |
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01-08-2001, 04:34 PM
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#6 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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FOF crashed on me just after my last post, so I had to go back to before the draft - I managed to draft the same players, and pick up most of the same free agents (a couple had been drafted, though, so I picked the best replacement available)
This is the squad listing after camp (reduced to 53)
Obviously, there are a lot of holes in this roster, but I see the offensive line being a big problem, and teams should be able to walk all over this defence. Preseason Miami 25-21 Reno Reno 24-29 Jacksonville New Orleans 20-0 Reno New York Jets 28-34 Reno The first three games went pretty well as expected, although it was a surprise that the offence did as well in the first two. New Orleans were NFC West champions in 2001, so being shut out didn't come as a big surprise. The last game was not expected at all - the Jets missed the playoffs in 2001, but finished with an 8-8 record. Three TD runs from Ostroski (two from long distance) set up the win - now all I have to do is repeat this when it matters! No big injuries in preseason (it helps having a coach with Excellent in Avoid Injury...) The only player who'll miss any time is DE Barnes (questionable for week 1, but he's being rested for a couple of weeks) |
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01-08-2001, 04:36 PM
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#7 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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Week 1 - Reno 17-24 Miami
A much closer game than I expected - the Rush jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, but the Dolphins came back, breaking a 17-17 score late in the game to take the win. A solid offensive performance saw Ostroski pick up 134 yards on 22 carries and Fiedler have a solid day (14-22-136-1TD-0INT). Week 2 Jacksonville (1-0) 17-21 Reno (0-1) The first win in franchise history comes on the back of a huge rushing day (218 yards on the ground out of 324 total yards). Ostroski had the majority of it, ending with 26 carries for 203 yards and the 3 Rush TDs (from 56, 5 and 21 yards), with G Diaz picking up 7 KRBs. Maybe things won't be as bad as I thought... Week 3 - Reno (1-1) 10-41 San Diego (1-1) Maybe things will be as bad as I thought after all! The passing game was the problem, with Fiedler having an awful game (6-21-40-0TD-2INT), and the Chargers picking up 9 yards per pass on the way to 263 yards for the game. 163 yards on the ground for the Rush and 4 sacks (1.5 for rookie Austin) were the only bright spots. Week 4 - Seattle (0-3) 34-9 Reno (1-2) A solid first half saw the Rush go in 9-7 ahead, but the Seahawks came up with the half-time adjustments to ease to victory in the second half. Seattle managed to put a stop to the run, with my offence only managing 87 yards on 35 carries. Week 5 - Minnesota (2-1-1) 10-24 Reno (1-3) A good week for the offence, with 224 yards on the ground, but this was overshadowed by a great defensive effort - the Vikings were held to under 200 yards and 11 first downs (with quite a bit of this coming in garbage time). Backup RB Ryan Givens was the star, with 177 yards and 1 TD (although he had 39 carries to get this) - Ostroski was a little banged up, but he'll be able to play through it. I'm not happy with the performance of Jay Fiedler so far this season - OK, he's not got much to aim at, but I expect better than 56-103-512-2TD-6INT through 5 games in this offence. Leslie Gillespie gets the start against division rivals Kansas City - this is a development year, so I'm as well to see what sort of rookie QBs I have. Week 6 - Kansas City (2-2) 23-13 Reno (2-3) The Chiefs were able to take advantage of my weak secondary, racking up 257 yards passing in a comfortable win. QB Gillespie had a bad start, throwing a pick which was returned for a TD, but didn't have too bad a game apart from that (10-26-99-1TD-1INT - not great, but decent for a rookie). Week 7 - Oakland (4-2) 31-10 Reno (2-4) The expected shellacking at the hands of the division leaders, with Oakland racking up over 450 yards of total offence. Gillespie again did a reasonable job (16-37-160-0TD-1INT) given that the Rush tried to chase the game in the second half (only 20 rushes in this game - not a good idea when the ground game is what makes the team tick!) S Scott Shields picked off a couple of passes, but the Raiders were simply too strong for this to make a difference. Week 8 - San Diego (4-3) 21-24 Reno (2-5) The last game of a five-game home stand saw the Rush win from behind (this team isn't supposed to be able to do that!) San Diego led 21-10 at the half, but 14 unanswered points (incliding the game-winning TD with 3 seconds left) made an unlikely comeback. Jay Fiedler came off the bench in the second quarter to have a solid game (13-20-173-2TD-0INT), and Ostroski and Givens combined for 187 yards rushing. I can't promise regular updates, as I don't get a lot of free time for playing FOF (especially through the week), but I'll try to post more as I play it. Martin |
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01-10-2001, 01:26 PM
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#8 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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2002 season part 2
Week 9 - Bye Week 10 - Reno (3-5) 24-23 Seattle (3-5) Another close game with the Rush scoring the game-winning points deep into the fourth quarter - Gillespie to Matheny from 10 yards out with 41 ticks left to sneak it by a point. Ostroski chipped in with a 63-yard TD run in his 21-135-1TD, while Gillespie had a solid game (13-26-180-2TD-0INT). DE Austin chipped in with his customary sack (10 in 9 games for the season). Week 11 - Reno (4-5) 27-37 Chicago (6-3) The Bears always had this one under control, but I can't complain about my expansion team losing a game to what should be a playoff-bound team. The shock here was the Rush passing offence - 340 yards net (or about what the team has been getting in three games!), with Gillespie completing 17 of 33 with 3TDs and 1 pick. Week 12 - Reno (4-6) 13-15 Denver (4-5-1) A missed two-point play halfway through the fourth quarter was the difference in this one, as there wasn't a lot between the teams. Denver led 12-0 at the half, but Ostroski and Givens ran in TDs to make it close at the end. This week saw the first big injury of the year, as DT Wilson looks like he's out until next year - this isn't a big loss, but it leaves the team a bit short of depth at DT. Week 13 - Reno (4-7) 0-31 Oakland (7-4) The expected thrashing at the hands of the division leaders - no offence, no run defence, no hope. The passing offence was non-existent, hovering in negative territory for most of the game before a late surge saw it reach the heady heights of 18 yards. Ostroski and Givens were the only offensive bright spot, combining for 150 yards on 30 carries. Austin picked up his usual sack, while DE Linkous is quietly having a solid season, with another sack in this game taking him to 5 for the year in limited action. Week 14 - Denver (6-5-1) 12-6 Reno (4-8) A defensive struggle, with neither team able to find the endzone (or any offence, for that matter). Four Elam field goals to two from Edinger sums up the scoring. Ostroski was the only high point offensively, finishing with the majority of the Rush yardage (95 yards out of 163). Week 15 - Reno (4-9) 10-20 Tampa Bay (7-6) Another defensive struggle, with the Bucs wearing down the Reno defence to the tune of 20 second half points. No spectacular performances from the Rush, although Gillespie seems to be settling in as the starting QB - a reasonable performance in this one, despite two picks (8-16-130). Week 16 - Baltimore (6-8) 38-31 Reno (4-10) This game looked in the bag at 24-3 going into the fourth quarter, but five Ravens TDs in a little over five minutes turned the game on its head. This took the gloss of an otherwise solid performance from the Rush, with the offence moving the ball well. Well, I suppose this improves the team's draft position for next season... S George Coghill picked up a bad injury in this game, and is out until well into next season, by the look of things - rookie S Heise will see his first pro action in the last game of the year. Week 17 - Reno (4-11) 3-20 Kansas City (5-10) The Chiefs ran out deserving winners in the season finale, holding the Rush to 122 total yards. The Rush defence played it tight as well, but neither offence or defence could come up with the big play to turn the game towards Reno. Detroit beat New England 27-11 in the Super Bowl to round off the season. Season stats QB Gillespie: 11 starts, 116-251-1377-7TD-10INT QB Fiedler: 5 starts, 69-123-685-4-6 RB Ostroski: 321-1583-9TD (4.9 ypc) RB Givens: 139-679-4TD (4.8 ypc) WR Rogers: 31-468-1TD (15.0 ypc) WR Matheny: 34-465-4TD (13.6 ypc) LB Novotny: 88 tackles, 27 assists, 1.0 sack LB Russ: 84 tackles, 25 assists, 0.5 sacks DE Austin: 51 tackles, 20 assists, 14.0 sacks CB Pettigrew: 3 INT (1 returned for TD) Season awards: Ostroski picked up the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and made the All-Pro 2nd team (behind Curtis Martin, NFL MVP). The big shock was that Robbie Austin missed out on Defensive Rookie of the Year, despite being picked for the AP 1st team at DE. C Pilgrim and G Diaz also made the AP 1st team. I'll be starting the second season of this career at the weekend, so there's probably not going to be an update until then. Martin |
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01-11-2001, 04:20 PM
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#9 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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House rules update
There were a few things I didn't specify very well in my initial house rules, so here are some clarifications: No use of franchise tag No contract renegotiations (addition) No backloaded contracts (addition) Rookie free agents must be signed to either one-year deals or four-year deals with a minimum of 50% salary increase each year (clarification) I had a long think about the contract negotiations - I was originally planning to allow these in the last year of contracts - but I also thought it's easier to ease up house rules than tighten them (accusations of 'you did that with the team you built under the old rules'...) No renegotiations means that I'll have to be careful with the players I resign - too many means I get nailed by the cap, too few means I don't have a competitive team. At the moment, I'll probably only be signing players who are vital to the team, and filling in around this foundation. 2002 review Not a bad first season for an expansion team - yes, there were a couple of games which got away, but there were also a couple I had no business winning. The offence was surprisingly good, especially on the ground - the line consisted of three guys from the expansion draft (the best has ratings around mid-30s for pass and run block) and five from the rookie free agent pool, one of whom got a little boost in camp (current ratings 16/27/86). I can't wait to see what happens when I get a decent run-blocking line for these backs... The QB situation is still up in the air - Fiedler is not the long-term answer, and the two other QBs I've got don't have great potential (although Gillespie looks to be a reasonable stopgap). Improvments on the line and at WR are high on the list for draft needs - this will help whatever klutz I have at QB not lose the game for me! On the other side of the ball, I feel I have a couple of long-term starters in Austin and Russ, and Cahill will be a capable starter at safety unless I use a couple of high picks there. Adding in a few more capable players around these guys will set up a solid defence, although I have a feeling I'll need to use some early picks on CBs to get reasonable players. So, draft needs are: 1) Offensive line 2) Cornerback 3) Wide receiver 4) Best player available... Of course, I'll have to see what's available when the draft comes around (and what trades (if any) I'm offered), as you can't take what's not there... Financially, things went pretty well in the first year of the franchise - a profit of $11m on revenues of $127.5m. Of course, I didn't have much in the way of salaries to pay (I ended the season about $30m under the cap of ~$75m), so this is a bit of a false position. 2003 offseason The cap is up to just under $80m (as if I'll have to worry about that!). I have a few free agents among the expansion draft guys, but I don't plan on resigning any of them unless they're still around after the draft. An introduction to the Rush staff: Scout Mercury Boyd is getting towards retirement (age 72), but still has a good eye for most players, but struggles on WRs and DBs. Coach Sean Dixon isn't much further away from his pension (age 64), but is a solid coach (Ex in Avoid injury, Motivation, OL and RB, VG in LB and offensive calls). His main drawback is in coaching the defensive linemen, and he's not great with QBs or DBs either - in this challenge, I really need a good QB coach, but I'm not changing this early with two years left on both contracts (at reasonable money) A quick hike of ticket prices (the Broncos had higher prices last year, but I didn't get around to changing mine), and a quick run through free agency later, we're looking at the draft. The Rush pick first, and have only the seven picks (no trades made). There are a few real impact players at the top of the draft - a top-notch S (100 on interceptions, current of 70-odd in run defence and man-to-man and good endurance) is the obvious standout, but safety isn't really where you look at the top of the draft. The other choice would be a G wtih 90+ potentials on blocking and high endurance. It's a tough choice, but I can't pass up a safety this good (he stands to make a few picks with the pass rush from Austin up front). This looks a good decision when I have a look at the players going in the second round - a solid T has dropped out of the first round (I would have happily taken this guy around 15 in the first round - 36/76, 40/81, 87 - doesn't look like a bust (famous last words...)) If he doesn't bust, this guy looks to be the anchor of the O-line for the next few years. Full draft listing: Rnd 1 - Donnie Wooden, S, Nebraska Rnd 2 - Wesley Clayton, T, Florida State Rnd 3 - Darryl Rickard, WR, Southern Mississippi (maybe picked him a bit high, but there wasn't much to choose from at this point) Rnd 4 - Ralph Wolf, CB, Miami, Florida (solid corner for this far down - immediate starter) Rnd 5 - Vernon Kramer, WR, Syracuse (real burner - all I need is a QB who can get the ball to him!) Rnd 6 - Jon Tubbs, C, Michigan State (probable starter this year) Rnd 7 - Rickey Walunas, LB, Texas (possible redliner - rated high for a 7th rounder on the board) Roster after camp:
I've still got a lot of holes to fill (especially after losing a good few expansion draft veterans), but this team appears to be headed in the right direction. Martin |
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01-13-2001, 08:19 AM
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#10 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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FOF crashed on me again just as I was quick-simming the playoffs after a 6-10 season (real Jekyll and Hyde - 0-7 start, followed by 6 wins in the last 9), so here goes for the 2003 season, take 2...
Preseason Reno 7-41 Buffalo Pittsburgh 24-31 Reno Reno 21-26 Dallas Reno 8-31 Miami The big story for the Rush in preseason was the big injury to LB Novotny - he'll be out until around week 6, and isn't going to be the same player when he returns. Week 1 - Buffalo 30-7 Reno The Rush were never in this one - the Bills got out in front early, and this Reno team isn't set up to pull off the big comeback. The passing game did come up with a couple of big plays, but also came up with too many turnovers as well... Week 2 - Reno (0-1) 7-31 Pittsburgh (1-0) The Steelers had too much in this one, especially on the ground (222 yards) - this is likely to be a problem with Novotny out for the early part of the year. Ostroski and Givens did a good job running the ball, but didn't get enough touches to make a difference. RB Mario Scarborough is done for the year after picking up a 2-3 month injury (he'd probably be OK for the last couple of games, but I didn't think it was worth it. Rookie FA Hunter Ringo was picked up as a replacement. Week 3 - Seattle (1-1) 14-30 Reno (0-2) This game is a good example of how the Rush will win games - 259 yards on the ground, putting points on the board when the opportunity presents itself, and solid defence. Ostroski led the way with 192 yards and 3 TDs on 27 carries, and the defence came up with a TD and good field position all game. Week 4 - Reno (1-2) 3-28 Denver (1-2) The Broncos put on a good defensive show, and did enough on the other side of the ball to make this game fairly comfortable. Both Ostroski and Givens struggled to get consistent yardage, and the passing game was non-existent as usual. DE Robbie Austin keeps on playing hard - another 1.5 sacks in this game takes him to 4.5 for the season so far. Week 5 - Reno (1-3) 21-27 San Francisco (3-1) A more solid offensive performance got the Rush close to the win, but the 49ers got enough big plays to take the win. Leslie Gillespie had his best day so far in the pros, ending with 13-22-255-2-2, with WR Donaldson catching 5 for 150 yards and a TD. Carnage on the injury front after this game, with two players (C Mahoney and CB Bradford) out for the year and several others looking to miss a few weeks. Week 6 - Reno (1-4) 10-27 Kansas City (3-1) This was a close game most of the way, but the Rush's lack of offensive production finally caught up with them in the fourth quarter as KC pulled away. The Reno running game, in particular, went nowhere - only 30 yards on 27 carries, asking too much of the rest of the team to compensate. Robbie Austin picked up a broken hand in this game, and will miss at least a couple of weeks. Week 7 - Reno (1-5) 3-34 San Diego (1-5) Not much offence from either team in this one, but the Chargers made a few big plays (including a long punt return for TD) to get a lot of points from not much yardage. Week 8 - Reno (1-6) 22-27 Seattle (1-6) The Seahawks jumped out to a 24-0 lead by the middle of the third quarter, but the Rush almost managed to claw back the deficit, coming up with three late TDs from Gillespie (partly making up for his six earlier interceptions). CB Pearson marked his first start with his first interception. Week 9 - Bye Week 10 - Denver (6-2) 16-20 Reno (1-7) A Ryan Givens TD run with 38 seconds left sealed the win for the Rush. CB Hitchcock also added a TD on an 81-yard interception return right on the gun at the end of the first half. The offence had a solid game, with both Ostroski and Givens picking up good yardage, and QB Gillespie having a solid outing. Week 11 - Carolina (2-7) 7-19 Reno (2-7) A very close game, with four Barbosa field goals being the backbone of the Reno scoring. Robbie Austin was the star of the game, with 2.5 sacks, as the offence struggled to move the ball. Week 12 - Oakland (4-6) 33-7 Reno (3-7) 19 fourth quarter points for the Raiders made this one look more lopsided than it was - there wasn't much in this game for a long time. Nothing spectacular about this Reno performance, although DE Linkous came up with a couple of sacks. Week 13 - San Diego (3-8) 19-20 Reno (3-8) The Chargers jumped out in front early, but 10 fourth quarter points, including the game-winning field goal from Barbosa with 26 seconds left, earned the Rush the win. The offence played well, with Givens (28-140-1) and Gillespie (14-18-182-1-1) putting in good performances. Week 14 - Reno (4-8) 14-51 Oakland (6-6) A pretty solid beating, as Oakland racked up almost 600 yards of total offence (including over 300 on the ground). Week 15 - New Orleans (4-9) 24-17 Reno (4-9) The Saints got all their points in the fourth quarter as the Rush threw away a 17-3 lead with 9 minutes to play. New Orleans managed to keep the Reno offence in check all day, with only big plays keeping the Rush ahead - top rookie Wooden came up with 2 picks, one returned for a score. Week 16 - Reno (4-10) 20-21 Baltimore (8-6) Baltimore put the go-ahead points on the board with 81 seconds left of a close game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Bo Ostroski was the star for the Rush with 164 yards and a TD on 28 carries, bringing up his 1000 yards for the season. Week 17 - Kansas City (7-8) 22-14 Reno (4-11) A decent performance from the Rush, but the Chiefs played better. RB Givens picked up 149 yards on 34 carries plus a TD reception, while QB Gillespie had a decent day with 2 TD passes. Standings:
No real move forward this season, but there is light at the end of the tunnel... Stats: QB Gillespie: 135-287-1573-13TD-17INT (54.5) - improved as the season went on. RB Ostroski: 261-1055-6 (4.0ypc) RB Givens: 241-970-4 (4.0ypc) WR Donaldson: 20-388-3 (19.4ypc) - two others (TE Riley (25), WR Rickard (22)) had more receptions. K Barbosa: 17 of 18 on field goals, long 56 DE Austin: 23 tackles, 10 assists, 10.0 sacks (missed some time with injury) LB Russ: 91 tackles, 30 assists S Wooden: 82 tackles, 29 assists, 4 interceptions No rookie awards this year, but the guys who do the All-Pro voting must think a lot of my offensive tackles - Xavier Caldwell and rookie Wesley Clayton made the 1st team, while backup T Scott Gragg (who played most of the season at guard) made the 2nd team. Financially, this was a reasonably successful year - $15.6m profit on $128.6 revenue, although I'm slightly worried that gate receipts have dropped despite the increase in ticket prices. There are still a lot of areas needing attention next offseason, but I'm happy with the progress of this team - the offence isn't as bad as I thought it might be (it does get shut down completely on the odd occasion, but can move the ball reasonably well most of the time), while the defence is playing well above expectations (especially given I only have 3 starting-quality players, two of whom missed a fair bit of time last season). Martin |
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01-13-2001, 08:20 AM
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#11 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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2004 offseason
No change again at coach or scout, although I would expect to be making changes next year, as both contracts run out then. I have a couple of free agents I wouldn't mind signing (T Gragg and LB Novotny), but I'm not too worried about them moving on. A couple of interesting trade offers: the Patriots offered a 2nd rounder and a reasonable WR for Ostroski, but I don't want to trade a solid RB (especially as the backup is out of contract). Backup QB Bryce Strong was sent to Detroit for a 5th rounder. Draft: Picking 2nd this year (behind 2-14 Carolina), there are a few players who catch the eye at the top of the draft - a pair of good WRs, either of whom would be a good fit, or a high-quality LB (who, unfortunately, looks a potential bust). The Panthers take one of the WRs, so I follow up by taking the other. A tough choice in the second round - several useful defensive players at DT and LB, mostly guys who would step straight into the starting lineup. I need a starter most at DT, so the best current DT it is. Rnd 1 - Cory Casher, WR, Texas Tech Rnd 2 - Toby Hudson, DT, Virginia Rnd 3 - Donovan Connor, G, Auburn - upgrades the weakest position on the O-line Rnd 4 - Grady Kaske, LB, Michigan State - more a cover man, but a solid player with some potential. Rnd 5 - Robert Saxon, TE, Brigham Young - decent backup to Riley Rnd 5 - Carlton Torres, WR, Indiana - solid return man, with a bit of deep speed as well. Rnd 6 - Joe Delgado, C, Boise State - I don't need a center, but this guy was too good to pass up in round 6 (36/38/57 current, with a little potential) Rnd 7 - Kerry Burns, FB, Missouri - surprised he lasted as long - good current with a fair bit of potential - I've drafted FBs like this in the second round before. I resigned one of my own free agents and an unsigned player after the draft: LB Novotny ($5.6m over 2 years) and RB Givens ($13m over 3 years). I wouldn't normally sign a backup RB to this sort of contract, but I have a lot of cap space at the moment ($39m of an $85m cap), so it shouldn't be a problem. After picking up some rookie free agents and cutting to 53, the post-camp roster is:
I managed to pick up quite a few starters in this draft - there seemed to be a lot of players with good current ratings available at my picks. I also kept a few lower rated players who produced last year (like LB Dave Bonneau, who ended up with 70-odd tackles). I think this team should be able to improve on the four wins it's had in the last two seasons, but we'll have to wait and see. Martin |
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01-13-2001, 06:50 PM
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#12 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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2004 preseason
New York Jets 19-20 Reno Reno 3-34 Tennessee Green Bay 17-18 Reno Indianapolis 13-26 Reno A solid preseason, ending up at 3-1, but S Cahill and WR Torres will miss a few weeks through injury. Week 1 - Reno 6-31 New York Jets The Jets get revenge for the preseason loss when it matters, by moving the ball solidly on offence and holding the Reno offence in check all game. Week 2 - Tennessee (0-1) 35-10 Reno (0-1) Nothing happening on the offensive side of the ball at all, and the defence hasn't been able to pick up the slack so far. WR Casher picked up his first receiving TD, but there wasn't much else which went right for the Rush in this one. Week 3 - Reno (0-2) 20-24 San Diego (0-2) The offence finally showed up, but too late for this game - the Chargers led 17-0 at the half, and never really looked like being caught. Ostroski finally got on track with 141 yards, and Casher picked up another TD, one of two thrown by Gillespie, who seems to have benefitted from having a good WR to aim at. Week 4 - Denver (2-1) 30-32 Reno (0-3) A bit of a shootout, with some quick-fire scoring - three TDs inside a minute in the second quarter, and TDs for each team from their own half. Ostroski had a huge day, with 37 carries for 229 yards and 2 TDs, and Casher seems to be developing into Gillespie's favourite target - 5 catches and another TD for the rookie WR. On the other side of the ball, Austin had 3 sacks and Wooden 2 picks. Week 5 - New York Giants (2-2) 9-34 Reno (1-3) This game was all about defence and special teams - Wilcox took a kickoff back 102 yards for a TD, Austin came up with another 3 sacks, and Wooden picked off 3 passes, returning one for a score. S Cahill is out for a couple of months with a hip pointer, so I did a bit of roster shuffling, releasing backup RB Streck and picking up rookie free agent S Troy Summers. Week 6 - Seattle (2-2) 27-14 Reno (2-3) Not a particularly good performance, with the offence being shut down almost completely until late on, and the Seahawks moving the ball almost at will against the Reno defence. Backup S Hutton was the star on defence, making 11 tackles and picking off a pass, with TE Riley and WR Casher picking up the TDs. Week 7 - Kansas City (4-2) 7-20 Reno (2-4) Another good all-round showing, with the running game going well under Ostroski (30-119), Casher making his customary TD catch, and Austin (2 sacks) and Wooden (2 interceptions) coming up with the goods on defence. Week 8 - San Diego (3-4) 24-19 Reno (3-4) The Chargers took a 17-0 lead into the half, and the Rush weren't able to pull it back, although Bo Ostroski almost pulled off the comeback single-handedly - 107 yards rushing and 2 catches, both for TDs, for 124 yards (apparently with only 37 yards after the catch - I didn't think Gillespie had that kind of arm!) DE Robbie Austin continues his push towards the sack record, picking up another 3 in this game. WR Cory Casher's rookie season came to an abrupt halt with this game, as he picked up a season-ending injury - he was starting to establish himself as the go-to guy for Leslie Gillespie, so this is a huge loss. Week 9 - Bye Week 10 - Reno (3-5) 7-10 Denver (3-5) No offence, but the defence almost did enough to pull off the win. Robbie Austin was once again the star, ending the day with 5 sacks and a fumble return for a TD (off one of his sacks) - that's some players' career stats, and he's done that in one game! Week 11 - Reno (3-6) 33-27 Arizona (4-5) QB Cedric Stokes came off the bench to throw the game-tying TD with 26 seconds left, then threw the game-winner in OT. Wooden came up with another couple of interceptions to continue his great season. Week 12 - Reno (4-6) 20-14 Oakland (8-2) The Rush shocked the division-leading Raiders with a solid all-round performance. Ostroski laid the foundations with 166 yards and a TD on 30 carries, while backup LB Howard recovered an Oakland punt blocked by DT Hudson in the endzone. Week 13 - Reno (5-6) 14-20 Kansas City (6-5) KC's passing game proved to be too much for the Rush, despite Ostroski's one-man show (170 yards rushing on 29 carries, plus 6 catches). Two missed field goals by Barbosa ended up being the difference in the game. LB Duane Russ, the team's leading tackler, was put on IR after this game after suffering a broken arm. Week 14 - Oakland (8-4) 16-6 Reno (5-7) The Raiders avenged their defeat two weeks earlier with a comfortable win. Neither team was able to move the ball well, but Oakland were better able to take their scoring opportunities. LB Novotny coped well with the loss of Russ, ending the game with 14 tackles and a sack. DE Austin also picked up a sack, taking him to 20 for the year in 13 games. Week 15 - Reno (5-8) 17-7 Dallas (6-7) A stifling defensive performance was the key for the Rush in this game - the Cowboys TD came with a little over 2 minutes left. Ostroski was the offence once again, scoring both Rush TDs on his way to 265 yards on a punishing 47 carries. Week 16 - Jacksonville (7-7) 21-37 Reno (6-8) The Bo Ostroski show made its last appearance of the season in Reno in this game, as the Rush RB carried 45 times for 262 yards and a league record-tying 5 TDs. Supporting acts Wooden and Hutton both made interceptions, Wooden's being his 10th of the season. Week 17 - Reno (7-8) - Seattle (10-5) The Rush came into the last week of the regular season with a chance (although a very small one) of taking a wild card, despite being last in the AFC West. The Seahawks put paid to any chance of postseason play with an aerial bombardment of the Reno secondary, ending up with 295 passing yards. Bo Ostroski finished off a great season with 151 yards and a TD, while Robbie Austin sacked his way into the record books, his 2.5 sacks on the day giving him a season total of 22.5. Final standings:
The Rush appear to be headed in the right direction, and might even have made the playoffs with a bit of luck (or not getting injuries to key players Casher and Russ through the year). A good offseason should see this team in playoff contention next year. Statistics: QB Gillespie: 157-307-1789-12-13 (64.3 QBR) RB Ostroski: 436-1989-12 (4.5 ypc) WR Rickard: 32-432-1 (13.5 ypc) - stepped up after Casher was lost for the year. WR Casher: 8 games, 20-326-5 (16.3 ypc) P Sawyer: 117 punts at an average of 41.5, 35 inside the 20 DE Austin: 46 tackles, 23 assists, 22.5 sacks, 3 blocks, 11 hurries LB Novotny: 82 tackles, 16 assists, 3.5 sacks (justifying the big contract) LB Russ: 12 games, 72 tackles, 27 assists, 1.5 sacks LB Kaske: 65 tackles, 28 assists (solid rookie year) S Wooden: 71 tackles, 24 assists, 10 interceptions (3 TDs) O-line: ~31-32% KRB, 15 sacks allowed (T Clayton 48 of 129 (37.2%), 3 sacks allowed) Several players had very good years - obviously Bo Ostroski, Robbie Austin and Donnie Wooden had career years, but there were solid performances from all three starting LBs, from the offensive line, and from QB Leslie Gillespie (which gives me a bit of a problem, as his contract runs out after next year - do I stay with him, or look for someone better, who might take a couple of years to develop?) WR Casher made a big difference to the passing game in the first half of the season, and should come back a better player (even after the injury) next year. Team stats Run: Offence 4.1/Defence 3.4/League 3.8 Pass: Offence 5.8/Defence 7.3/League 6.9 This indicates that the biggest weakness at the moment is in the secondary (I certainly can't complain about the pass rush!), and that the passing game has improved, but needs a bit more work - I'll be looking into these in the offseason. Awards Lots of awards this year, mainly to RB Ostroski - NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and 1st team RB. DE Austin missed out on Defensive Player of the Year, but was a 1st team selection. T Clayton and C Tubbs were 1st team selections on the offensive line, with G Brannan making the 2nd team. S Wooden rounded out the Rush players selected, being selected to the 1st team. I think the offensive line awards are a bit suspect, as it appears that a lot of KRBs and low sacks allowed are the criteria - my offence, which uses the run about 2/3 of the time sets up perfectly to get offensive linemen into the All-Pro teams. The other three players are there on merit, though - if they can keep this level of play up while I fit more good players around them, this team could go a long way... Martin |
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01-16-2001, 02:38 PM
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#13 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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2005 preseason
Reno 16-34 Miami Pittsburgh 21-0 Reno Reno 7-33 St. Louis Reno 24-20 New York Jets Not the greatest preseason, but no major injuries - rookie DT Nichols will miss a few weeks, but only a couple of minor knocks for the rest of the team. Week 1 - Miami 35-34 Reno The Dolphins scored the winning TD with 12 seconds left in a very close game. The Reno offence had a solid game (Ostroski leading the way with 174 yards on 26 carries), but Miami shredded the Rush secondary to the tune of 372 passing yards and 4 TDs. Week 2 - Reno (0-1) 10-13 Pittsburgh (0-1) A late field goal for the Steelers was the difference in this game. Pittsburgh had more possession, but the Rush played mistake-free football. Ostroski was the star for Reno once again, finishing with 130 yards on 21 carries and 2 catches, including the Rush TD. Week 3 - Kansas City (1-1) 10-44 Reno (0-2) After two last-minute defeats to start the season, the Rush made sure this one wouldn't go down to the wire with a complete performance. The offence gained over 200 yards both on the ground and through the air, and the defence held the Chiefs to under 200 yards. Ostroski led the way on the ground with 152 yards and a TD, while TE Riley caught 5 passes for 130 yards and a TD. Rookie CB Stuart came up with 2 picks, while DE Austin recorded 3 sacks. Week 4 - Reno (1-2) 10-17 San Diego (1-2) A defensive TD was the difference between the teams, with the Chargers picking up a fumble and returning it 35 yards for the score. Backup QB Johnston saw his first pro action, and had a solid game, ending 12-18-140-1-0. Ryan Givens had a poor outing - over 100 yards, but an average of only 3.3 ypc and 3 fumbles. Week 5 - Reno (1-3) 10-17 Detroit (4-0) The first really poor offensive showing from the Rush was punished by the unbeaten Lions. Ostroski had a solid outing, but didn't see enough of the ball (21 carries for 85 yards and a TD), while Gillespie played below his best (7-18-82-0-1). The defence was solid as always, with Wooden and Kaske leading the way with 9 tackles each, and 2 more sacks for Austin. Injuries kicked in this week, with TE Riley out for the year and RB Ostroski looking to miss about a month. Week 6 - Reno (1-4) 17-19 Denver (2-2) Another close loss, with a fumble by RB Burch in the last minute when the Rush were in field goal range ending any hopes of a victory. Ryan Givens was the Rush star, ending with 32 carries for 175 yards and 2 TDs, but his 3 fumbles, along with the one from Burch, were too many to overcome. The TE injury crisis continues, with Saxon going down for the year in this game. Week 7 - Reno (1-5) 17-24 Oakland (4-2) The offence struggled in this one (held to 151 total yards), but the defence almost managed to pull the game off anyway. A blocked punt returned for a TD by LB Hernandez wasn't enough to make up for five turnovers (3 Gillespie interceptions plus two fumbles). Injuries continue to ravage the Rush, with two more starters going down in week 7 - C Tubbs is out for the year, while LB Novotny will miss a month to 6 weeks. Week 8 - Reno (1-6) 21-52 Kansas City (4-3) The Chiefs had a huge first quarter, and just kept on going in the same vein all game long. KC RB Billy Malecki had a huge game, with 271 yards rushing (including 3 long-distance TDs) plus 5 catches for 142 yards and 2 more TDs. RB Burch had a reasonable game with 94 yards and a TD on 15 carries, but the QBs had a tough time, throwing 4 interceptions between them. Week 9 - Bye (finally - a chance to rest up!) Week 10 - San Diego (4-4) 10-31 Reno (1-7) Bo Ostroski made his return from injury, and proceeded to have a huge day - 35 carries for 325 yards and 4 TDs. The defence also stepped up, with 3.5 sacks from Austin, 1.5 from rookie Hochstetler and interceptions from Wooden and Russ. Week 11 - Tampa Bay (7-2) 28-30 Reno (2-7) The Rush finally managed to come out on top in a close one, with Floyd Barbosa slotting a 32-yard field goal with 16 seconds left to clinch the win. Once again, the running of Ostroski was a big part of the Reno performance (32-164-1), with WR Casher having a solid day - 4 catches for 83 yards and a TD. Week 12 - Seattle (5-4-1) 15-23 Reno (3-7) The defence carried the team in this one - the Seahawks passed for almost 300 yards, but threw up 4 picks (Cahill 2, Novotny and Wooden with 1 each), with Ruth and Austin picking up sacks. Ostroski picked up his usual 100 yards, while Gillespie avoided interceptions (for a change) while throwing a couple of TDs. Safety Donnie Wooden became the latest addition to the casualty list, but might be back for the last couple of regular season games. Week 13 - Oakland (7-4) 42-14 Reno (4-7) The Raiders were simply too good in this one - they started with a couple of quick TDs, and just kept going from there. The Rush defensive backfield was exposed without star S Wooden, and Oakland took full advantage. Reno's offence played a solid game, with both Ostroski and Burch finishing with 80-odd yards. Week 14 - Reno (4-8) 20-23 Seattle (5-6-1) The Seahawks put in a big offensive showing with over 500 yards and held Reno under 200, but the Rush almost came back in the fourth quarter to pinch it. CB Pearson didn't play much, but made one huge play, a 96-yard interception return for a TD. QB Gillespie picked up some bruised ribs in this game, so backup Johnston will see some playing time in the remaining weeks of the season. Week 15 - Chicago (8-5) 6-3 Reno (4-9) A tight defensive game, with neither team looking like scoring a TD. The enforced change at QB hurt the Rush, as Johnston finished 8-20-86-0-1, but Ostroski continued his solid form (27-119-0). Week 16 - Reno (4-10) 13-23 Jacksonville (4-10) The Jags pressured QBs Houston and Johnston all day, finishing up with 8 sacks, as they took control of this game late on. Ostroski kept up his MVP form with 22-181-1, while DEs Austin and Hochstetler picked up a sack apiece. Week 17 - Denver (9-6) 20-15 Reno (4-11) The Broncos just had too much for the Rush, with two fourth quarter field goals being the difference between the teams. RB Burch filled in well for the injured Ostroski, finishing with 31-132-0, while QB Gillespie returned from injury to have a reasonable game (12-23-150-0-1). Standings:
Just as 7-9 was about as good as the Rush could have done last year, 4-12 was about as poor a record as I could have finished with this season - a lot of the losses were by a TD or less (as the points difference of -42 would suggest). Statistics: QB Gillespie: 14 starts, 130-239-1550-9-17 (57.3 qbr) RB Ostroski: 13 games, 286-1626-9 (5.6 ypc) RB Burch: 112-525-2 (4.6 ypc) RB Givens: 8 games, 124-514-5 (4.1 ypc), 7 fumbles WR Casher: 49-729-3 (14.8 ypc), 48.5 catch %, 5 drops DE Austin: 33 tackles, 11 assists, 17.0 sacks, 5 blocks, 12 hurries LB Russ: 78 tackles, 32 assists LB Kaske: 63 tackles, 17 assists S Wooden: 75 tackles, 22 assists, 2 interceptions O-line: ~35% KRB, 26 sacks allowed Only one award this year - T Wesley Clayton made the All-Pro 1st team for the third straight year. Not the best year, but the Rush were a bit unlucky in quite a few games, and gave a few away as well. Things should be a lot better next year... Martin |
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01-20-2001, 06:21 AM
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#14 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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I forgot to post this before the 2005 season...
2005 offseason Year-end rating: 26/67/76/74 - 60 The good profit rating came from an increase to $30.8m (on revenue of $147.1m) - a bit more success on the field led to good increases across the board on gate receipts. I haven't had to resign many free agents yet, though, so this is still a false position - figures in a couple of years will give a better indication of how the Rush are doing financially. Staff changes: Scout Mercury Boyd called it a day, and coach Sean Dixon is at the end of his contract, so I had a look at what was available. The house rules for this challenge make staff decisions a very big deal - you can't change until their contract is up, and you must try to resign the guy when his contract expires if you've made the playoffs or had an 8-8 record or better the previous season. Donovan Johnston (age 38, poor on DL, fair on receivers, G/VG otherwise) was my first choice for scout - reasonable reputation, and a reasonable price tag - first offer 3 years at $250k. Not winning my last game of the year makes a big difference here, as I can check out the market for coaches. Ideally I want a better QB coach (as Dixon was only Fair in this), but a good secondary coach would be more than acceptable as well. It goes without saying that a good reputation in Young Talent and Avoid Injury are pretty well vital. Again, I went for youth in Bryant Sankey (age 35, fair for QB and Discipline, G/VG the rest of the way) - first offer 3 years at $1.8m - there were better coaches available, but they would have cost a good bit more, and didn't have as good a reputation for what I wanted most. Donovan Johnston jumped at my offer at the first chance, but Sankey hung back to see if he'd get something better, then decided that the Rush was his best option. With the staff in place, the next stop was checking up on the roster. Free agents: CB Ronnie Bradford - 13 year vet, but the best corner on the roster at the moment. Unsigned: RB Bo Ostroski - no way I want to let this guy go! FB BO McIntyre - Good FB - would like to resign, but I have a decent backup if he wants too much money. TE Leonard Riley - Not the greatest blocker, but as good a receiving TE as there is - pretty well a must-resign guy DE Roderick Linkous - doesn't have great ratings, but has produced - I'll try to bring him back if the money's right. S Troy Summers - I should be able to find a better rookie FA S Orlando Cahill - will be the starter alongside Wooden, so I'll make sure he resigns. I won't be doing any signing too soon, even though there are players I really want back - waiting until after the free agency period is over (or even after the draft) is my preferred option for unsigned guys, and I'm not too worried about Bradford being picked up by another team. I received a trade offer for backup QB Cedric Stokes at the start of free agency - the Bucs offered a 6th rounder. I'm reasonably comfortable with last year's 3rd-stringer Marc Houston, so I took the trade. Two more trade offers during free agency were rejected - the players in question (CB Wolf and DT Hudson) are starters, so I won't be taking offers unless I get a starter (or a very high pick) in return. Intense signing talks took place at the end of the free agency period - the following contracts were agreed: RB Ostroski - 2 years, $8.68m FB McIntyre - 2 years, $3.40m TE Riley - 2 years, $4.43m S Cahill - 2 years, $5.25m DE Linkous was way over my price range (he wanted 5 years for $28.5m), so he won't be back unless there is nothing going at DE in this year's rookie class, while CB Bradford is looking for 3 years at around $3.5m per year - I'll leave this decision until after the draft. The Rush pick 10th in the 2005 draft - winning that last game would have dropped us about 6-8 spots with the logjam at 7-9/8-8. This draft appears to be good for defensive linemen at the top end, so I end up going for a solid DE - he won't be as good as Austin (not many people would!), but he'll fit in nicely as the starter on the other side (assuming he doesn't bust). The depth on the D-line means that a useful DT drops into the second round, and I snap him up without thinking twice - a need area (not the most pressing need, but still an area I wanted to strengthen). I do fill my big need area with my third round pick - a corner who's a bit raw, but projects to be a solid cover man in a couple of years. Full draft: Rnd 1 - Lance Hochstetler, DE, Pittsburgh Rnd 2 - Orlando Nichols, DT, Missouri Rnd 3 - J.R. Stuart, CB, Baylor Rnd 4 - Joey Burch, RB, Indiana - solid RB who would start on most teams Rnd 5 - Marlon Stephenson, FB, Indiana - too good to pass up this low - potentially better than McIntyre Rnd 6 - Clay Cote, DT, Auburn - potentially a solid run-stuffer (24/88, 15/34, 26) Rnd 6 - Ron Hernandez, LB, Kentucky - fill-in at a weak position - poor draft for LBs Rnd 7 - Tim Randle, CB, Texas Christian - possible redliner who'll do as a backup corner for a couple of years even if his ratings don't improve. The trawl through the rookie free agents saw the Rush pick up a fair number of reasonable backups (there was a useful-looking QB on the list who had unfortunately been drafted and released, which was a pain). A very large roster went to camp:
The camp held no unpleasant surprises, and a couple of minor breakouts from redliners Randle and Hernandez. After cutting to 53, the Rush roster shapes up like this:
Cohesion continues to improve (61/57/52/47), with the Rush not glued to the bottom of the chart in all categories (OK, they're still last in three, but a good bit closer than they were last year). A lot of players had great years last year on the way to a 7-9 record, so it's not easy to say if this year's team is better - it should be, but a lot of things went the way of the Rush last year. A good target for the year is a .500 record - anything beyond that would be a bonus. Martin |
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01-20-2001, 06:24 AM
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#15 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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2006 offseason
Year-end score: 10/62/73/73 - average 54 The Rush turned out a profit of $16.8m on revenue of $119.3m - the main reasons for the drop from $30.8m in 2004 were lower gate receipts (due to dropoff in team performance) and larger payouts on player contracts (having to resign veterans makes a big difference to the finances...) No changes at coach or scout due to the rules of the challenge - both guys are under contract, so no changes allowed. No changes to ticket prices - I don't feel I'm getting the punters in at the current prices, so it makes no sense to raise them. Free agency period: A lot of my rookie free agents from the first season are out of contract now, so there's a lot of players looking at UFA this year, and I won't be resigning all of them. Cap situation at start of period: 35 players signed, $40.8m of $97.3m cap free - I have a bit of leeway in terms of signing players, but I don't have enough room to go over the top on wages. Unrestricted free agents: QB Leslie Gillespie - would like to resign at the right money, but not essential. RB Mario Scarborough - not essential, as I have two decent backs at the moment. WR J.C. Donaldson - not required WR Curtis Marsh - would like to resign, but money likely to be a problem (RFA might be better value) G Walt Brannan - would be a useful backup, but not really needed. T Xavier Caldwell - would like to resign, especially if I don't get a T through the draft DE Ted Shepard - I should be able to get a comparable rookie free agent DE Wendell Compton - similar to Shepard - replacable DT Dustin Ruth - useful backup, but likely to be out of my desired price range LB Duane Russ - would like to resign, but not essential LB Kendall Novotny - again, not essential, but would be good to resign. CB Quentin Pearson - not required - CBs on roster are at least as good. Unsigned players: TEs Bradford, Saxon and Hassell - backups at best - not really needed WR Darryl Rickard - decent return man, but probably too expensive C Jon Tubbs - solid player, but might not be needed T Wesley Clayton - a must to resign - the anchor of the O-line LB Grady Kaske - need to resign (especially if Russ/Novotny leave) CB Ralph Wolf - the Rush's best cover corner => need to resign New Orleans offered a 5th round pick for QB Louie Johnston, which was accepted. The Broncos offered a 4th-rounder for FB Stevenson, which was turned down straight away - this guy is as good a FB as there is (after training camp, at least!) None of my free agents were picked up during the free agency period (as I hoped), so I started signing talks in the time before the draft. QB Gillespie wants top-notch starter money ($36m over 4 years), which is well over the odds for his talent level - it looks likely that he's not going to be back. Signed: T Clayton - 3 years, $13.64m LB Novotny - 2 years, $6.59m LB Russ - 3 years, $10.59m LB Kaske - 2 years, $6.74m CB Wolf - 2 years, $9.13m That gets most of the players I wanted signed, mostly at reasonable salary levels - the rest will have to wait until after the draft. The Rush pick 5th in the 2006 draft - I should be able to get an impact player in the first round, and hope to get a couple of starters lower down. My first impression on the players available is that this is a good draft for QBs (which will hopefully help me pick up a couple of decent rookie free agent QBs after the draft), and, sure enough, the first three players picked are QBs. I'm looking for a corner (especially after being burned a good few times last season), and there are a couple of very solid players available at 5. The guy I pick has solid ratings across the board, and is close to maxed out on potential - I'm not sure if he's kosher, but I feel it's worth the risk for a potential shut-down corner. A lot of good players fall into round 2, but I have a big need at T, even though I don't think any of the other players I like (a useful WR with good hands, a pure pass-rushing DE and a solid run-stuffing LB) will drop into the third round. The LB did drop into the third round - I'm not too badly off at LB, but this guy is a better run defender now than any of my other LBs, and has decent potential. Full draft listing: Rnd 1 - Andy Miklusicak, CB, Utah - immediate starter and potential great (if he doesn't bust) Rnd 2 - Ike Nwokome, T, Ohio State - good pass-blocker Rnd 3 - Nick Manning, LB, Texas A&M - solid run-stopper Rnd 4 - Casey Beyer, TE, Illinois - good receiving TE - will start from day 1 Rnd 5 - Roosevelt Ramsey, RB, Delaware State - too good a back to pass up here Rnd 5 - Don Lemmon, WR, UCLA - likely starter with reasonable hands and speed Rnd 6 - Leslie Logan, C, Kansas State - decent backup C with useful potential Rnd 7 - Lincoln Barker, S, Pittsburgh - solid backup S and redliner prospect The rookie FA pool is not good for quarterbacks, so I'm forced into resigning Gillespie ($35.6m over 4 years). A bit of roster-shuffling later, and I head to camp with 56 signed players and $13.6m of cap space left. Post-camp, and good news about the defensive backs drafted - CB Miklusicak kept his ratings (31/68, 50/100, 51/100, 94, 2, 2, 71), and S Barker was a redliner, and now has a lot more red (although not much green). The rest of my draft picks turned out OK as well. Roster after trimming to 53:
Roster strength on the franchise value page is up to 54 (which rates in the top 10 in the league), while cohesion is pretty awful (35/49/28/56), mainly because I changed up the backup defensive linemen in the offseason. Despite this, the Rush are out to improve on last season, with the target being to finish .500. Martin |
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01-20-2001, 06:28 AM
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#16 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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2006 preseason
New York Jets 16-10 Reno Reno 9-37 Jacksonville Arizona 37-14 Reno Miami 10-7 Reno Not a good preseason, and injuries just add to the trouble - Bo Ostroski picked up a serious injury against the Jets, and will miss most of the season, while the Arizona game saw TE Riley and DE Austin knocked out for a few months as well. I picked up a decent RB and a solid TE in the draft, but DE is very weak - there's little depth after Austin and Hochstetler. Week 1 - Reno 27-10 New York Jets What injury problems? The offence had a very productive day in New York, picking up over 200 yards both on the ground and through the air. Leslie Gillespie had his best day as the Rush QB (17-22-255-3-0), throwing two TDs to Casher, while Ramsay's first game as a pro saw him pick up 181 yards on 30 carries. Top draft pick Miklusicak marked his first game with an interception. Week 2 - Jacksonville (0-1) 24-19 Reno (1-0) A Wilcox kickoff return for a TD to open the game didn't spark the Rush into a good performance, as the Jaguars took control of the game. WRs Casher and Maine had solid games, finishing with 11 catches for 133 yards and a TD between them, while DE Foust had 2 sacks. Week 3 - Reno (1-1) 10-13 San Diego (0-2) The Rush just couldn't put the points on the board in this one, losing despite playing solid ball-control offence. RB Ramsay had another big day, finishing with 27 carries for 202 yards and an 85-yard TD. The defence came up with 5 sacks, with 1.5 each for Hochstetler and Nichols, and 1 for Russ and Foust. Week 4 - Denver (2-1) 23-26 Reno (1-2) (OT) The Broncos came back from 23-0 behind to send the game into overtime, but Barbosa, who hadn't been kicking well, made a 42-yarder to win it for the Rush. A solid offensive game saw Ramsay go over 100 yards again and Gillespie put in a solid performance (18-25-209-1-0). The defence came up with 5 sacks again, with Hochstetler leading the way with 2. Week 5 - New Orleans (2-2) 14-17 Reno (2-2) Barbosa kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired to win this defensive struggle. Burch picked up most of the yards for the Rush, ending with 114 on 26 carries, whle the defence contributed two interceptions. Week 6 - Seattle (3-1) 23-20 Reno (3-2) The Rush dropped back to .500 after losing to a last-second field goal. RB Ramsay played through injury, but was very productive, ending with 211 yards and a TD on 33 carries, while rookie LB Manning led the team with 7 tackles and DE Hochstetler picked up 2 sacks. Week 7 - Oakland (1-5) 20-9 Reno (3-3) A close game through three quarters, but the Raiders pulled away in the end as the Rush were penalised for not being able to score TDs in the red zone. The main culprit was the passing game, as the Rush QBs Gillespie and Houston combined for 3-18-31-0-2 (yes, 3 completions from 18 attempts!). DE Robbie Austin, fully recovered from his preseason operation, picked up a sack on his return. Week 8 - San Diego (3-4) 30-0 Reno (3-4) No offence for the Rush, and it showed as the Chargers rolled to an easy win. QB Houston had a reasonable game, but his one interception was returned for a score, and the Reno RBs couldn't get anywhere on the ground. The defence played a solid game, but couldn't do everything by themselves. Week 9 - Bye Week 10 - Reno (3-5) 15-21 Denver (5-3) Red zone problems again in this game, as the Broncos won with 3 TDs to 5 Rush field goals. Apart from this, the offence had a good game, with Ramsay again over 100 yards, and Houston being quietly effective at QB. The defence again played well, with the pass rush recording 5 sacks. Week 11 - Reno (3-6) 22-13 Carolina (3-5-1) A good game to win after a four-game losing streak. A Houston TD pass to Ramsay inside the last minute clinched the win, with the RB picking up 210 yards on the ground, 32 yards through the air, with TDs both ways. The Panthers were able to run, but the Reno pass rush stifled their passing attack. Week 12 - Reno (4-6) 10-9 Kansas City (6-4) FB McIntyre picked up the game's only TD midway through the fourth quarter to clinch victory in a tight, defensive struggle. QB Gillespie had a reasonable game on his return from injury, while RB Ramsay had another 100-yard game. S Wooden led the defensive effort, recording 9 tackles and picking off the Chiefs' QB. Week 13 - Reno (5-6) 14-13 Oakland (4-6-1) The season of last-minute scoring continued as Maine caught a TD pass from Gillespie with 2 seconds left to win the game for the Rush. The Raiders played solid run defence, but the passing game had one of its better days, while the defence (once again) played a solid game. Week 14 - Kansas City (6-6) 9-6 Reno (6-6) A game of field goals, with neither team really threatening the endzone. No real star performances, but the Rush need to take their chances better in the red zone. Week 15 - Reno (6-7) 24-7 San Francisco (2-11) A comfortable win over a poor team keeps the Rush's faint playoff hopes alive. Roosevelt Ramsay spearheaded the offensive effort with 146 yards and a TD, while the defence had a very solid game, ending with 5 sacks and 5 interceptions. Week 16 - Tennessee (7-7) 31-6 Reno (7-7) The Rush displayed their inability to come back from losing a couple of scores early on in this game - the Titans jumped out to a 17-0 lead at the half, and the Rush made no headway at all into the deficit. Week 17 - Reno (7-8) 9-45 Seattle (11-3-1) The Seahawks showed why they won the AFC West in this game, putting in a dominating performance. The Rush offence never got going, which is usually fatal (as in this case) to the team's chances of winning. Season standings:
Statistics: QB Gillespie - 13 games, 126-235-1523-7-11 (64.1 qbr) RB Ramsay - 417-1875-6 (4.4 ypc) RB Burch - 123-543-2 (4.4 ypc) WR Casher - 29-504-2 (17.3 ypc), 3 drops WR Maine - 31-374-4 (12.0 ypc), 6 drops DE Hochstetler - 13 games, 23 tackles, 13 assists, 9.5 sacks LB Manning - 78 tackles, 28 assists, 2.5 sacks S Wooden - 97 tackles, 23 assists, 1.0 sacks, 2 interceptions CB Miklusicak - 2 interceptions, 21 passes caught (406 plays) O-line - ~28% KRB, 15 sacks allowed It must have been a bad year for offensive lines in general, as three members of the Rush's underperforming unit were voted to the All-Pro 1st Team - C Joe Delgado, G Kelly Jarvis and T Wesley Clayton. The find of the draft, 5th-round pick Roosevelt Ramsay, was also selected to the 1st team, and picked up the Offensive Rookie of the Year award into the bargain. Team stats: Run - Offence 4.1/Defence 3.6/League 3.7 Pass - Offence 6.2/Defence 6.6/League 6.6 An already useful defence was greatly improved against the pass this year, while the offence appears to have had a decent season according to these figures (which goes to show that there are lies, damned lies and statistics!) Thoughts on 2006 season Not a bad season, especially with the injuries that the Rush had to play through - there were a few games where I had 2 fit defensive ends to choose from, and several key players missed a lot of time (notably Bo Ostroski and Robbie Austin, who only managed a few games at the end of the year). The offence struggled a lot, especially in the red zone (most of the reason for the low points scored), but the defence was solid throughout, especially considering the problems with the pass rush. This draft has to be considered a success, given that it produced starters at RB, T, CB, LB and S, but more needs to be done for the Rush to take the next step - to become a winning team. Martin |
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01-20-2001, 06:30 AM
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#17 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: East Lothian, Scotland
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2007 offseason
Score for 2006: 28/54/66/74 - average 53 The Rush were still in profit in 2006, but only by $10.9m (from revenues of $135.9m), down on 2005. This has a lot to do with increased player costs - 2006 was the first year where the Rush had to resign more than a couple of players, and it showed in the accounts. My coach and scout are still under contract, so no changes are allowed there. Unrestricted Free Agents: RB Bo Ostroski - looks to have slowed down after the big injury last year, so not a priority FB Bo McIntyre - not really a big need with Stephenson being a better player TE Leonard Riley - not the player he was, and we have a better TE WR Horace Wilcox - likely to be too expensive, but I don't want to lose a great returner G Adrian Perez - depends on if the team drafts a better G K Floyd Barbosa - solid kicker, but should be able to pick up a decent rookie free agent DE Robbie Austin - a must to resign, even after last year's injury problems S Orlando Cahill - won't be starting, so likely to be a luxury Unsigned: RB Pat Colacino - signed as an injury replacement, so won't be back TE Oscar Wheeler - as for Colacino WR Carlton Torres - mainly a return man, so will be too expensive C Joe Delgado - starting C, so need to resign G Donovan Connor - starting G, so need to resign DT Clay Cote - probably not needed, as I plan on using a 3-4 in the near future LB Ron Hernandez - a backup at best, so not needed CB Tim Randle - will never be anything more than a backup, so won't be back The team has 38 players signed, and $36.5m cap room (out of a cap of $106.9m), so I have a bit of room for manouvre with the free agents. My first move of the free agency period was to make an offer of $18.3m over 2 years to Robbie Austin - a lot of money, but he is the best DE in the league. This offer was accepted straight away, so I have my pass rush intact for the next two years (subject to injury, of course!) Bo McIntyre went to Pittsburgh in week 3, and Bo Ostroski to San Diego in week 4 - it will be interesting to see how he does with a division rival. TE Riley and K Barbosa were signed in week 10 by the Jets and Cowboys respectively, both to contracts too rich for me to want to have offered. None of my other free agents attracted any attention. As usual, I went to work on resigning players after the free agency period ended - the following players were resigned: C Joe Delgado - 2 years, $6.87m G Donovan Connor - 3 years, $11.09m The others were either not needed or wanted more money than their talent warrants (part of FOF2001, unfortunately - it doesn't seem right for a 2nd-year back who had 1 carry in his rookie year to be demanding $4m a year when minsal is around $500k...) Draft The Rush pick 11th (another win or two would have dropped the team a long way after the logjam around 8-8 last year), and have only their allocated pick each round (as no-one seems to want any of my players...) I see my main needs as offensive line, wide receiver, depth on the defensive side of the ball and returner (in roughly that order). There were a few decent linemen at the top of the draft, but the players left by my pick were a G who looked a bust (equal ratings) and a T (which I don't need), so I opted for a very solid LB who should be the best I have straight away (current ratings in 50s and 60s, with potentials mainly in 70s, but run defence at 100). My second pick should solidify the revolving door at G - a solid run blocker should fit perfectly in my ball-control system. Full draft: Rnd 1 - Curtis Forsythe, LB, Hillsdale Rnd 2 - Andy Gow, G, Mississippi State Rnd 3 - Omar George, CB, Ferris State - cover for losses next year Rnd 4 - Dixon Hargrave, S, Kansas - decent S with return skills Rnd 5 - Marco Leszynski, FB, Massachusetts - good run blocker with reasonable current skills Rnd 6 - Maurice Carter, RB, Cincinnati - best back available Rnd 7 - Dusty Porter, TE, Houston - decent backup Not the greatest draft, especially further down, but the players I picked up should contribute straight away. There was a decent undrafted QB in the free agent pool, who was quickly snapped up by the Rush, and a few other reasonable rookie free agents. Roster going into camp
Afer camp and cut to 53 (I changed punters after camp - there were a few guys who were better than the incumbent):
No busts, and a couple of nice surprises, especially CB Omar George - I thought he was a bit of a reach in the third round, but he'll be a solid backup this year, and should develop into a starter-quality corner in a couple of years. S Hargrave is likely to be a better DB than I thought as well. Martin [This message has been edited by MartinD (edited 01-20-2001).] |
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