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02-13-2001, 11:26 PM
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Defense Wins Championships Dynasty
Preface
This challenge is dedicated to a theory that has been proposed and confirmed for years across several sports... offense wins games, but defense wins championships. I will attempt to prove that this holds true in FOF2001 as well, across several seasons. The challenge will not be quite as restricting as I could make it, as I still want to have fun with it. For example, though it would be challenging indeed to restrict my offense to a small % of my salary cap, I don't know if the game would be very enjoyable to me. *Note - This thread will still contain as good an offense as I can field, but it will probably not be stellar due to the rules of the challenge. __________________________________________________________ Challenge Rules I'm going to "borrow" liberally from the rules of the WLC, as they are a solid base to start from. Additional rules as follows: 1. 1st-round pick must always be a defensive player (multiple 1st-round picks included). 2. No free agents may play for the offense (exception of 1-year FAs to fill the roster). 3. Trades may only be accepted if proposed by the CPU, and may not "benefit" the offense. Draft picks acquired in a trade must be used on a defensive player. 4. Coach must have "defensive play calling" rating greater than or equal to "offensive play calling" rating. That should limit it sufficiently without going "overboard". The team will start "empty cupboard" in 2002, for as Quik has said before, I prefer to start with a team without the "baggage" the current NFL players bring with them. Here's hoping this dynasty/challenge works out, and here's hoping someone is interested enough to read it.  Please feel free to interject with any suggestions, comments, or additional summaries/stats you'd like to see. Herb scores: 40/54/83/71/61 [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-18-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-14-2001, 11:25 AM
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#2 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Raleigh Big Angry - (2002)
The NFL welcomes the newest expansion franchise to Raleigh, the "Big Angry" (thanks to Subby for the idea, and FishFan for the idea for the idea). GM The Mike has stated that the "Big Angry" franchise will be a defensive force for years to come. Time will tell. __________________________________________________________ 2002 Expansion Draft The 1st selection, and 1st player to pull a Big Angry jersey over his shoulders.... 3rd-year safety Rogers Beckett I wanted to start with defense, and I have no idea how this promising safety made it into the draft pool. I also like the fact that he's not a "known NFL guy". The rest of the draft produced the following roster... Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd I was very pleased with the talent available to me in this expansion draft. The LB pool was deep, and I grabbed a couple of promising safeties. We'll try to solidify the defense in FA and the draft, and hope the offense is good enough to stay on the field a little bit. __________________________________________________________ 2002 Free Agency S Lawyer Milloy signs with the Big Angry, and will be the impact player (so far)... Milloy has some of the best #s for a safety I've seen. He signs in week 6 to a 4-year, 13 million dollar deal. DE Xavier Page, CB Austin Easley and DT Clarence Hartings join the team in weeks 11-20 - all of whom will provide solid play, probably immediately. Here's the roster with the FAs. Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd Does it concern me that I do not have even one QB on the roster yet, and will probably start a horrible rookie? Sure, but that's part of this challenge's early stages - I have to hope I can find a QB worthy in the late rounds of the draft. __________________________________________________________ 2002 Amateur Draft With the first pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, the Raleigh Big Angry select... LB Brett Eaves (Duke) A behemoth of a player, standing at all of 5'10" and weighing in at a monster 205... his nickname will officially be "Rudy" (except he's from Duke, we can pretend). This guy is a beast ratings-wise, presuming he doesn't bust. His ratings are 44/90 54/100 50/100 51/100 78. If these ratings hold, I have a perennial All-Pro in the fold. Wow. I address the QB issue with the 2nd pick - with a guy who should be solid if unspectacular. The rest of the draft was completed with the hope that I could field some sort of offense. Amateur Draft Report: Rounds 5-7 were red-line chances, hopefully I'll have a guy improve. __________________________________________________________ 2002 Training Camp No breakouts, but no busts either. Here's the roster heading into the season. Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd A solid group for a first-year team... we'll surely have our growing pains, but I'm cautiously optimistic. __________________________________________________________ 2002 Regular Season Defensive settings are as follows: Expectancies 1st down: 75/70/50/40 2nd down: 75/50/50/30 3rd down: 60/20/15/15 4th down: 70/25/15/20 4-3: 100 3-4: 0 Tendencies Goal Line Package: 50 Nickel Package: 70 Dime Package: 50 Prevent Package: 50 Gamble Tendencies: 50 Tendency to Blitz: 70 Blitz Multiple: 60 Blitz % 20/30/0/20/5/5/10/10 Pass Coverage 25/20/15/25/15 (Going for balance here - this is the setting most likely to change with time) We will use something similar to a 75 offense, not that I expect it to produce, but it will be our best chance to chew some clock. The preseason is a time when I rest my key players (place them on the inactive list), so there's not much point detailing that part of the season... the Big Angry went 2-2, including a nice 23-7 ending win over New England, and a few guys are injured. Shouldn't be a huge problem. Raleigh (1-0) 34, Miami (0-1) 31 1st game and an overtime win. Not quite the defensive battle I've been hoping for, but in the 1st year of the team I'll take what I can get. WR Na Brown was the MVP, with 7 receptions for 142 yards. S and 1st expansion pick Rogers Beckett headed the defensive charge with 9 tackles and 2 assists. The "D" produced 1 sack, and 2 INTs. Jacksonville (1-1) 31, Raleigh (1-1) 28 Another 30+ points given up, though as I've said before - this is a first year team with several holes, even in the "D". DT will be a definite priority next season. Jacksonville won with 20 seconds left on a TD, so we were definitely in the game. The "D" had 1 INT and 3 sacks, still no big game by the MLB Eaves. Kansas City (2-1) 27, Raleigh (1-2) 17 We have some big holes in the secondary to fill, my guess would be a shutdown CB is in need. We gave up 406 yards passing this game, and that's not going to cut it. Raleigh 23 (2-2), Denver (1-3) 18 Another big win for the new franchise. We shut Denver out until their 18-point 4th quarter, something I never quite understood about this game (the 4th quarter scoring frequency). S Lawyer Milloy earned his pay earning game MVP honors on the strength of 7 tackles, 2 assists, a sack and an INT. LB Eaves (aka "Rudy") showed some game with 8 tackles, 2 assists and a sack. Denver was held to 38 yards rushing and 127 yards in the air. Minnesota (3-2) 9, Raleigh (2-3) 7 This is the kind of score I expect, hopefully next time we'll be on the other side of it. Minnesota took this one on a last-second field goal, and this team could just as well be 4-1. Minnesota and Randy Moss were held to 63 yards rushing and 137 yards passing, another solid outing. Not much in the way of individual performances, but a solid team effort. Raleigh (3-3) 17, San Diego (2-3) 7 The defense has really found its form the past few games. "Rudy" takes the MVP honors, the first of what will certainly be many. SD rushed for 129 yards but only threw for 146, with 3 INTs and 4 sacks taken. The Big Angry take no prisoners! "Rudy" had 6 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack and 1 INT. Milloy was the leading tackler with 10, and added an INT. Raleigh (4-3) 27, Seattle (0-7) 14 I'm relieved that we weren't the victim of Seattle's first win - and exceptionally pleased that we are above .500! The ball-control offense is doing what I'd hoped, and S Lawyer Milloy again takes honors with 2 INTs, one returned for a TD. Raleigh (5-3) 20, Kansas City (5-3) 15 Ah, the sweet taste of revenge. Kansas City had beaten us only a few weeks ago, and with this win we pull into a mid-season record that would make even an established team proud. LB Brett Eaves again takes MVP honors, with 11 tackles and 2 assists. The kid can play - I can hardly wait until he develops. Only 2 players injured heading into the bye week - things are looking up for the expansion Big Angry. Raleigh (6-3) 29, Denver (2-7) 10 A season sweep of Denver does well for our standing in the division, and never in my wildest dreams did I think it would matter (in the first year, that is). K John Hall was the game MVP with 5 FGs, and the Big Angry defense produced 4 sacks, 4 INTs and 3 fumble recoveries. S Milloy keeps racking up the INTs, and "Rudy" keeps posting darn solid rookie #s. Tampa Bay (3-7) 16, Raleigh (6-4) 7 I'm pleased with the defensive output in this game, and expected some games to be lost due to lack of offense. This is one of those games. We did not allow an offensive TD, and held TB to 52 yards rushing, and 113 passing. "Rudy" had 10 more tackles (4 assists) and another sack. Oakland (8-3) 30, Raleigh (6-5) 6 Oakland is the division leader and one of the best in the league this year. We will avenge this loss, but we just need a little time to develop. Oakland out-played us on both sides of the ball. Eaves continued his rookie tear with 11 tackles, 4 assists. Raleigh (7-5) 28, Seattle (1-11) 20 I get very nervous when playing a team with so few wins, but we managed to sweep the lowly Seahawks. Eaves and Milloy were again phenominal, combining for 19 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack and 1 INT. I'd hate to face the middle of my defense, and next year the sides will improve. Oakland (10-3) 23, Raleigh (7-6) 7 Again, Oakland was just too tough. I could probably simulate this game 100 times and win 2. Oakland just moves the ball at will against this defense, and no other team has done that. I smell a rivalry brewing... Raleigh (8-6) 20, Chicago (5-8-1) 17 The Big Angry have so much fight in them, they refuse to fold near the end of the season - and have guaranteed themselves a .500 record. I couldn't be more proud of this team right now. Another OT win, and another Eaves/Milloy show. I can't wait to get these guys some help and see what they can do. Baltimore (7-8) 24, Raleigh (8-7) 21 Baltimore rushed for 136 yards, more than they passed for. We almost came back in the 4th quarter, but too little too late. Not much else to speak of, stat-related. San Diego (7-9) 20, Raleigh (8-8) 13 Not the way I hoped to end the season, but 3rd in the division and a .500 record with not even a developed "D" makes me quite proud of this team. If nothing else, the last few games improved our draft position, where we will almost certainly peg a DT or CB. Green Bay defeated New England in the Super Bowl, 31-21. 2002 Awards/Stats Brett Eaves (LB): Defensive Rookie of the Year, All-Pro (1st Team) (1) Lawyer Milloy (S): All-Pro (1st Team) (1) Brian DeMarco (G): All-Pro (2nd Team) (1) Quinn Cote (QB): 2204 yards, 51.4%, 13/16 TD/INT, 64.1 rating. Respectable for an average rookie 2nd-round pick. Lawyer Milloy (S): 110/20 tackles, 1 sack, 9 INTs (2 TDs). Brett Eaves (LB): 98/40 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 INTs. 304 points for, 312 points against. Again, with all of the holes still on the young defense, 19.5 points allowed/game is not that bad. A nice first season, with definite promise for the future of this franchise. We will enter the 2003 season with high hopes, a more experienced defense, and more skill with some new faces. [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-15-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-14-2001, 11:35 AM
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#3 |
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Manchester, CT
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Question:
I thought you were going empty cupboard, and without the use of NFL players. If so, why did you take Lawyer Milloy? Thanks, and good luck to you. I will be a regular reader. Marmel
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81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions." |
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02-14-2001, 11:50 AM
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#4 |
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n00b
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Looking out at Mt. Rainier
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This could be a great test, and one I've also given some thought to. We seem to understand fairly well how to win on offense, but winning with defense is open to a lot more artistic interpretation.
Can you include your defensive settings? I realize that much will evolve over time with the team, but at least the high levels. 4-3 vs. 3-4? Blitzing percentages? Man to Man vs. Zone? What did you emphasize during camp? Good luck! ------------------ The city of Houston was named after Sam, not Dean.
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I am still alive -- I've just got a honeydo list longer than this board allows. |
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02-14-2001, 02:46 PM
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#5 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Keep an eye on that Marmel fellow. Turn your back for one minute, and POW he'll be out there with his face painted Carolina Panther silver, and he'll be screaming heretical things like "pass that ball, offense!" and "touchdown, touchdown, we want a touchdown!" He can't be trusted.
[This message has been edited by QuikSand (edited 02-14-2001).] |
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02-14-2001, 02:51 PM
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#6 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
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He also thinks Hal Sutton is a first round draft bust. Sheesh.
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02-14-2001, 03:41 PM
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#7 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Quote:
I was going to do that by way of the 2017 expansion, but wasn't that patient... so I figured I'd take as many "non-NFLers" as possible - Milloy was just a temporary fix... I guess it's pseudo empty cupboard, as I don't want to be fired before I can get going. Never fear, though, my roster rating is only 2, even with him.  Thanks for reading!
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-14-2001, 03:47 PM
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#8 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Quote:
I'll include the defensive settings before each season (if they change)... the expectancies will probably stay the same, as I have a set that put me near the best defense in the WLC (before "the incident"). It will be a 4-3 defense, with a high nickel %, high blitz %, and above average blitz multiple. The MLB will probably be the main guy. Pass coverage will emphasize man-to-man. I'll post the exact #s when I decide on them. In camp the 1st season I "maxed" 4-3 and nickel, and forgot to do man-to-man. Doh. The rest were scout recommendations, I think. I'll pay more attention and post it next season. [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-14-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-18-2001, 10:03 AM
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#9 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Raleigh Big Angry - Season Two (2003)
This season, the Big Angry welcome head coach Bernie Divine to the franchise. Coach Divine has guided the Falcons to the playoffs twice, and is a fine defensive mind. Scout Roger Pilgrim is lured away from the Cardinals with a 3-year, 500k contract. Pilgrim is a fine judge of talent all-around. 2003 Free Agency The Raleigh Big Angry sign DE Rich Owens in week 6 to a 3-year, 11.5 million dollar contract. Owens will start immediately at DE. LB Jeff Kelly joins the squad in week 14. The talent pool is thin this year, and as much as we need help - no other FAs will be pursued. 2003 Amateur Draft The Big Angry hold the 15th selection in the 2003 draft. We'll aim for a DT or CB that can make an impact. There was a Big 10 flavor to this draft, and with a severe lack of depth I took several chances on "red-line" players. We'll see soon how it pans out. Amateur Draft Report: Side note for GB fans - a measure passed allowing the team to move from the land of cheese to the land of gumbo - the Packers are moving to Baton Rouge in 2008. 2003 Training Camp In training camp I will "max" 4-3 and nickel, and also give good attention to man coverage. None of my "risk picks" really panned out, but my 1st two picks, Scott and Stockton, should be solid contributers. Here's the new roster: Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd Our lack of depth is a bit disturbing, but something that over a few years will surely improve. Our roster rating has improved from last season's 2 to a "fair" 25. 2003 Regular Season Raleigh was an impressive 0-4 in the off-season, and I don't remember if we even scored a point. Ah well, injuries aren't too bad, if I want to dig for something positive. New England (1-0) 31, Raleigh (0-1) 14 Tough draw for the 1st game of the season. Nothing much to say about this game, save the rushing "D" was good. Passing, on the other hand... New Orleans (1-1) 34, Raleigh (0-2) 27 Our passing defense burned us again, and the secondary (specifically CB) will again need to be addressed in next year's draft... the positive thing is that so far we're on pace for the #1 pick! Raleigh (1-2) 24, Atlanta (1-2) 23 Our first win of the season comes at home against Coach Devine's former team. We'll probably be accused of stealing plays.  We held Atlanta to 4 rushing yards on 23 attempts, our pass defense was a bit weak. "Rudy" was all over the field, with 10 tackles and 7 assists. Rookie CB Stockton had 2 INTs.Seattle (2-2) 34, Raleigh (1-3) 10 The defense can't stop people if they're on the field constantly. Strange that Seattle rushed all over us, but only passed for 80 yards. This game is odd sometimes. It is not helping that my lousy starting QB has been hurt for a few weeks. Kansas City (5-1) 34, Raleigh (1-4) 22 1st place KC had no mercy for the Big Angry. KC rushed and passed all over us, and injuries are really hurting this 2nd year team. Raleigh (2-4) 16, Denver (2-5) 12 The defense finally holds in a big win for the Big Angry. Denver was held to 70 yards rushing and 125 yards in the air. Eaves is leading the defense nearly every game, and added 9 tackles in this one. Division foe Oakland, whom we have become the whipping post for, is up next. Oakland (5-2) 24, Raleigh (2-5) 17 Well, we're getting closer to the mighty Raiders. They won the game on the strength of a 14-point 4th quarter, which makes me suddenly wish the game had more balanced scoring across the quarters. New York Jets (5-3) 23, Raleigh (2-6) 17 The defense has just decided to not show up this season. I'll need to really address this before 2004 - but my lack of depth on the team as a whole is really showing. We'll regroup and try to put some momentum together for next season. Seattle (3-6) 16, Raleigh (2-7) 10 When we lose two games to doormat (well, former doormat Seattle, things are bad. And things are bad. Injuries have crushed us this season, and we aren't deep enough to recover. We'll hope we can keep the injuries from becoming too serious, and go from there. San Diego (5-5) 34, Raleigh (2-8) 3 Well, there was a great defense in this game, but it wasn't ours! Ryan (ahem) Leaf made our defense look silly, and we're becoming the league joke. Let's hope, for the love of all things, the Big Slightly Aggravated can regroup for next year. Raleigh (3-8) 33, Tennessee (7-4) 14 Not sure where this performance comes from, but we'll take it! The schedule this season has been brutal, and Tennesse was (7-3) heading into this game. The defense played solid, although no individual really stood out (as it should be). St. Louis (7-5) 26, Raleigh (3-9) 14 Another strong opponent (we can't catch a break), another loss for the Big Happy. Again a bad defensive performance, with nothing much to speak of. Raleigh (4-9) 21, San Diego (5-8) 10 The Big Angry avenge an earlier loss to the Chargers by showing who has more heart. Both teams are out of the playoffs, and Raleigh just wanted it more. LB Kelly is really eating at Eaves' statistics, and will probably cost him an award. In a season like this, a good individual performance is possibly what the team needs - but we're just not getting it. Both safeties had 2 INTs in this game. Denver (5-9) 26, Raleigh (4-10) 0 The "defensive" team gets shut out. Not surprising, I suppose, as the offense is horrible, but we're just allowing far too many points. No special performances by ANYONE in this game. Kansas City (11-4) 24, Raleigh (4-11) 19 I will probably push this season to the back of my memory as soon as possible. The lowly Big Angry can hang with the top team in the division, but can't close the deal. Here's hoping we lose the last game, so we at least have a shot at a top three pick .Raleigh (5-11) 33, Oakland (9-7) 11 This game really summed up what was a truly odd season. We finally beat Oakland, but in a game we really didn't need to win, and a game they really needed. I guess it shows the potential of the Raleigh squad, though it seems we're still trying to find an identity. We held them to 6 rushing yards, though Oakland gained nearly 400 through the air. Pittsburgh defeated New Orleans in the Super Bowl, 44-23. 2003 Awards/Stats No awards. Lawyer Milloy (S): 92/31 tackles, 6 INTs. Brett Eaves (LB): 89/46 tackles, 4 sacks. Rich Owens (DE): 41/16 tackles, 9.5 sacks. Well, it can only get better from here, I think. The team should be much stronger next season, providing I draft well. We shall see what 2004 holds for the Big Angry. For those keeping score, Herb says: 5/56/62/70/47 [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-18-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-18-2001, 11:28 AM
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#10 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Raleigh Big Angry - Season 3 (2004)
No ticket changes (people aren't coming as it is ).No staff changes, yet. 2004 Free Agency DE Vonnie Holliday is quick to sign in week 2, giving the Big Angry probably the best pair of DEs in the NFL. P John Jett joins in week 12, and that will be all for FA. __________________________________________________________ 2004 Amateur Draft With the 3rd overall selection, the Raleigh Big Angry select former child of a hotel tycoon turned NFL LB, Billy Madison. What a great name. Billy will add to what has probably become the strongest LB corps. in the league. Raleigh is rounding out nicely on defense, now we'll hope for some offensive breakouts. Doh! Forgot to print the draft list. I'll post the roster after TC, we'll take it from there. __________________________________________________________ 2004 Training Camp Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd Training camp produced no busts or breakouts, and we head into the season with a much stronger defense than last year, and what should be a stronger offense. __________________________________________________________ 2004 Regular Season A 1-3 preseason, not that it matters much. Let's hope we have a better regular season ahead... Raleigh (1-0) 20, Indianapolis (0-1) 17 A good start to the season for the Big Angry, defeating a team that is usually (in my experience) perenially strong. The defense held Edgerrin James to 34 yards rushing, and produced 5 sacks and an INT. LB Brett Eaves (aka "Rudy") earned game MVP honors with 5 tackles, 6 assists and 1.5 sacks. LB Billy Madison (makes me laugh every time I see it) also debuted strong with 6 tackles, 1 assist and 1.5 sacks. Raleigh (2-0) 22, Jacksonville (1-1) 14 Another big win for the Big Angry, as we were plastered by this team in the preseason to the tune of allowing 51 points (I think). S Lawyer Milloy takes the honors on the strength of 7 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack and an INT. Raleigh (3-0) 23, Seattle (0-3) 6 This is exactly the type of performance I expected and hoped for, and a little earlier than I thought it would arrive. Seattle was held to 44 yards rushing and 2 FGs. DE Rich Owens earned game MVP - 3 different defensive players in the first 3 games. Super LBs Eaves and Madison were all over the field in this strong team effort. Raleigh (4-0) 34, San Diego (2-2) 13 Another big division win for the Big Angry, and another strong defensive effort. Top CB Stockton has sprained his neck and will be out 3-5 weeks, and that could really hurt. "Rudy" takes the honors again with 9 tackles, 2 assists and 1.5 of the "D"'s 7 sacks. Raleigh (5-0) 22, Arizona (4-1) 6 I really thought CB Stockton's injury would affect the defensive performance, but we were able to upset(?) the 4-0 Cardinals. LB Billy Madison sprained his knee, and the injuries are really adding up. The defense had 8 sacks, 2 INTs and forced 4 fumbles, recovering one. "Rudy" was strong again, with 5 tackles, 1 assist and 4 sacks. Raleigh (6-0) 20, Denver (2-3) 16 We host Denver with a multitude of injury problems, but were glad to be back home. S John Wooden was defensive star du jour, earning MVP honors. Another good team defensive game. Oakland (5-2) 22, Raleigh (6-1) 7 Ah, the Raiders get us again. We just can't seem to beat this team (except for when we don't want to ). We really didn't perform badly on defense, but Oakland was the better team this time. We are still hanging on to 1st in the division, but Oakland helped their cause with this big win.Raleigh (7-1) 9, Seattle (1-7) 7 Well, nothing like Seattle for a quick "pick-me-up" after a loss. The low scoring game that I envisioned when thinking of this challenge, the defense played tough despite loads of injuries. That bye week will be awfully nice next week. The defensive stats for this game really weren't that outstanding, but the team came together again and got the job done. Raleigh (8-1) 42, San Diego (2-7) 21 The bye week helped a bit, though we still came into this game with several injuries. Despite scoring 42 points, S Lawyer Milloy was still the game MVP - and he wasn't even the leading tackler. The team is really showing what a good, solid defense can accomplish, let's hope it continues through the 2nd half of the season. New York Giants (3-7) 20, Raleigh (8-2) 10 Losing to a previously 2-7 team hurts, but fortunately Oakland lost to bottom-feeder Seattle. DT Dixon Scott was lost for the season, and that could hurt badly, as he has held the middle together all season. The defense is resiliant, though, and should be okay. Kansas City (7-4) 9, Raleigh (8-3) 7 Well, again I'd rather be on the other side of this - but I can't blame the defense. Injuries are killing this team, hopefully we can pull together for a playoff run. Oakland (9-3) 23, Raleigh (8-4) 17 We can't beat Oakland. Plain and simple. I am looking forward to 2-3 years down the road when I have some solid draftees that have evolved. Again, we were dominated in every sense of the word. We need a couple of wins here, or the playoffs won't come. Raleigh (9-4) 17, Kansas City (7-6) 6 A huge win for Raleigh - Kansas City could have tied us for 2nd in the division with a win. The Big Angry continue their dominance at home with 7 sacks. "Rudy" was at the front of the charge once again with 7 tackles, 3 assists and a sack. Oakland lost, and though they've beaten us twice we could still take the division. Philadelphia (13-1) 21, Raleigh (9-5) 10 Yikes. We pulled a non-conference game with the toughest NFC team, and paid for it. Injuries are bad, and we seem to have lost the momentum we had in the 1st half of the season. Baltimore is next, we need a win badly. Raleigh (10-5) 24, Baltimore (3-12) 6 Despite both of our top DTs being on the pine, we pull out a huge win in Raleigh. Baltimore didn't know what hit them as they were nailed with 4 sacks and 3 INTs. K John Hall is out for the year, but it shouldn't matter much. Denver (7-9) 14, Raleigh (10-6) 9 So maybe losing the kicker did matter, eh? Raleigh finishes behind (11-5) Oakland for 2nd in the division and a WC playoff birth against the Tennessee Titans. __________________________________________________________ 2004 Playoffs AFC Wild Card Round Raleigh (11-6) 24, Tennessee (10-7) 20 The 3rd-year franchise gets their 1st playoff win in their 1st playoff appearance, and have RB Eddie Cox to thank for it. Yeah, it's a defensive challenge, but I couldn't win if I didn't score. Rookie Cox ran for 120 yards and 3 scores, single handedly marching Raleigh into the AFC Divisional playoff. AFC Divisional Playoff Raleigh (12-6) 15, Pittsburgh (12-5) 13 The Big Angry have gone on the road and "upset" AFC power Pittsburgh to earn a trip to the AFC Championship!! Appropriately, we will be meeting rival Oakland for the AFC title, and if nothing else after losing two we have the law of averages on our side. This game was a solid defensive team effort, with no one player really standing out. Off to Oakland, for a game that will probably make me really mad. AFC Championship Game Oakland (13-5) 27, Raleigh (12-7) 7 I'm not as mad as I expected to be, but that's only because I know we can't beat this damn team. Again, I won't bore you with any statistics, because Oakland has dominated us once more, making us the Raleigh "Oakland's Bitches". Philadelphia, the other team to whoop us this year, defeated Oakland in the Super Bowl, 35-24. __________________________________________________________ 2004 Awards/Stats Before I go into these, I would just like to say how pleased I am that this team was able to make it to the AFC Championship, especially with what amounts to a non-existant offense. The future is bright in Raleigh! Brett Eaves (LB): Defensive Player of the Year (1), All-Pro (1st Team) (2) Eddie Cox (RB): Offensive Rookie of the Year Lawyer Milloy (S): All-Pro (1st Team) (2) Quinn Cote (QB): Solid if unspectacular. 2105 yards, 56.4%, 15/7 TD/INT, 86.0 rating. Eddie Cox (RB): 991 yards (4.0 avg), 10 TDs. Brett Eaves (LB): 119 tackles, 42 assists, 14 sacks. Lawyer Milloy (S): 100 tackles, 34 assists, 2 sacks, 5 INTs. Rich Owens (DE): 31 tackles, 19 assists, 13 sacks. Vonnie Holliday (DE): 29 tackles, 13 assists, 10 sacks. Perhaps there is something to the DE position after all? They really picked up after the star DT went down for the year. Just something to chew on. Points For/Allowed: 293/221 Points Allowed/Game: 13.8125 NFL Ranking: 1st __________________________________________________________ Herb Scores 66/62/63/72/64 [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-19-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-19-2001, 10:32 AM
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#11 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Raleigh Big Angry - Season 4 (2005)
No staff changes for this season. Ticket prices will rise about 10%, this is the first increase ever for the franchise. __________________________________________________________ 2005 Free Agancy The Big Angry officially corner the NFL LB market by signing LB Brian Urlacher to a 4-year, 15 million dollar deal. This gives the Raleigh defense 3 of the best, if not the best LBs in the league. Urlacher will join "Rudy" and Billy Madison in the starting lineup. No other FAs will be pursued this season. __________________________________________________________ 2005 Amateur Draft Ideally, the Big Angry will target a cover CB with the 1st pick, but we'll see what is available. The 1st pick (24th overall) is used on CB Jimmy Wagner (Butler). Jimmy will immediately start, and has the highest current ability of the CB pool (looks as if he may "break-out" as well). Amateur Draft Report: The first two rounds were solely to shore up the still shaky secondary... and it should do just that. This draft was solid, and if 1-2 guys "break out" it could become a draft to remember. __________________________________________________________ 2005 Training Camp No busts, maybe a small breakout with the tackle. Here's the roster for the 2005 season. Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd The defense is looking better and better. We just need to avoid the injuries that hurt us last season. __________________________________________________________ 2005 Regular Season Once again the mighty preseason squad goes 1-3. Worse yet, we open the season against rival Oakland, and without a starting DE. LB Eaves is also questionable. Raleigh (1-0) 17, Oakland (0-1) 10 Raleigh has done it!!!!!!!! The Big Angry waltz into Oak-Town and take the season opener! Oakland was starting to take this game for granted, and it stung them. Oakland gained a bit of yardage, but was sacked 6 times and fumbled 4 (lost 1). Urlacher took game MVP honors with 2 sacks, making up for the absense of "Rudy" and DE Owens. Raleigh (2-0) 22, San Diego (0-2) 3 The Big Angry produce their best defensive point total in franchise history, holding the up-and-down Chargers to a field goal. 5 sacks, 3 INTs and 3 fumbles caused (2 recovered) paved the way for the defense. San Diego was held to 24 yards rushing in a fine team effort by the "D". Raleigh (3-0) 23, Miami (1-2) 17 The defense bent the most it has all season, but held enough to give us our 3rd win of the season. We've got about 15 players injured at this point - hopefully we can recover with a well-timed bye week. Raleigh (4-0) 28, Green Bay (2-2) 20 I wish we would allow fewer points as the weeks go on, but wins are wins. I'd like to say the injury situation has improved, but we just lost our center for the year. Surprisingly, RB Eddie Cox rushed for 213 yards and 4 TDs this game. That and a solid defensive effort paved the way to a win. Raleigh (5-0) 41, Denver (2-3) 7 Wow. Nice, nice win over division opponent Denver. If this season hadn't turned into Injury Management 101, I would be so very pleased with everything so far. Denver was held to 37 yards rushing and 144 yards passing. The defense added a sack and 2 INTs. Hope that bye week will be here soon - we really have some injuries to tend to. Raleigh (6-0) 35, Kansas City (3-2) 17 This was a huge win, as KC was the 2nd place team. This gives us a little breathing room to take care of some of the many, many injuries. RB Cox again shines (this guy really wants me to re-sign him) with 227 yards and 2 TDs. The defense was solid, but not spectacular. Raleigh (7-0) 27, Seattle (1-6) 13 I hate playing Seattle when I'm on a hot streak, because my teams have a bad habit of losing to people they shouldn't. Fortunately (knock on wood) that hasn't happened yet in this dynasty. FB Henderson (our main run blocking machine) becomes the 2nd player out for the season. 4th-5th string LB Arnswaldt earns the game MVP, and that shows that not only the players on the defense are good, but the system is sound. No bye week yet, and I can't wait for it. Raleigh (8-0) 22, Indianapolis (1-6) 10 Another solid defensive performance, and remember this team is 8-0 without ANY "star" calibur offensive players. Indy was held to 20 rushing yards and 180 passing yards. Eaves is finally healthy, hopefully we'll even improve on what has impressed me so far. Raleigh (9-0) 21, Minnesota (4-4) 14 Minnesota and their potent passing offense were held in check, and the Big Angry have made it to a much needed bye week. With the heart of the defense healthy again, we look to make a strong finish and earn a playoff bye. Denver (4-6) 13, Raleigh (9-1) 3 Well, we certainly can't blame the defense. Denver played tough and handed us our traditional "after the bye week loss". A defensive battle, we turned the ball over more - and that made the difference. Time to regroup and get win #10. San Diego (4-7) 27, Raleigh (9-2) 21 Our worst defensive effort yet, looks like we have once again lost our momentum. DE Owens is finally healthy again, which means trouble for the next 5 opponents. Raleigh (10-2) 13, Seattle (3-9) 10 Whew. Close one in Seattle. A very solid team effort kept us in the game long enough for Hall to win on a last-second FG. The boys are in good shape for the division win, but have Oakland looming on the schedule, and they just plastered San Diego. Raleigh (11-2) 20, Chicago (8-5) 3 The injuries have returned, and Oakland is up next... the Big Angry took it to the Bears, who were having a pretty good year. The Bears were held to 187 yards rushing/passing and were sacked 7 times. Urlacher is quietly putting together an All-Pro type year, after holding down the 1st half of the season with the absence of Eaves. Oakland (8-6) 27, Raleigh (11-3) 13 I rested most of my injured players, and thus expected fully to lose this game. Raleigh has already clinched the division, as Oakland is the 2nd place team. I just don't want to play them in the playoffs. Kansas City (7-8) 38, Raleigh (11-4) 29 Again we rested most of the key injuries for the playoffs. One more win would be nice, but we want to be healthy. This game will only hurt my scoring defense totals, which was to this point even better than last season's. Raleigh (12-4) 17, Tampa Bay (9-7) 7 This is a huge win as we were again resting the big guns. We have earned the playoff bye, which will help tremendously. We expect to go into the playoffs NEARLY injury-free (save the season-enders). Urlacher took MVP honors, and finished a stellar year. Good FA pick up there. 12-4 and feeling strong. Raleigh has a power rating of 92 - best in the NFL. Pittsburgh is coming to town, and have revenge from last season on their minds. __________________________________________________________ 2005 Playoffs AFC Divisional Playoff Raleigh (13-4) 41, Pittsburgh (10-8) 10 The Big Angry held the Steelers to 252 total yards, on the strength of 3 sacks, 3 INTs and a fumble recovery. RB Eddie Cox (the "Underdog") ran for 181 yards and a TD. With a 27-7 lead at half, Raleigh simply ate the clock and earned a repeat trip to the AFC Championship. Hopefully there will be a different result against Baltimore. AFC Championship Game Raleigh (14-4) 23, Baltimore (12-6) 6 Another stellar defensive performance by the Big Angry. RB Cox had 148 yards and 2 TDs, continuing his playoff success. The defense was again an all-around effort, with no player rising above the rest, really. Philadelphia will be the Super Bowl opponent, and Raleigh will try to prevent them from repeating. Super Bowl Philadelphia (16-3) 16, Raleigh (14-5) 3 Philadelphia gave us a taste of our own medicine, but hell - we made the Super Bowl in the 4th year! We threw four interceptions and still allowed only 16 points. Not too bad, all told. If only the offense could have produced even an average game. __________________________________________________________ 2005 Awards/Stats Vonnie Holliday (DE): All-Pro (2nd Team) (1) Brian Urlacher (LB): All-Pro (2nd Team) (1) Eaves was hurt for most of the season, or he would have certainly been All-Pro. Quinn Cote (QB): 2770 yards, 59.0%, 17/11 TD/INT, 83.5 rating. Eddie Cox (RB): 1283 yards (4.3 avg.), 13 TDs. Brian Urlacher (LB): 106 tackles, 32 assists, 4.5 sacks, 2 INTs. Points For/Against: 352/236 Points Against/Game: 14.75 NFL Ranking: 2nd (Philadelphia 1st - 12.8125) __________________________________________________________ Herb Scores 95/79/71/70/79 I'm very pleased with this season - and I still feel this team can improve in some areas (specifically DT). We'll try to add some depth in the off-season, resign our core, and add some young talent. The Big Angry hopes to make a 2nd consecutive Super Bowl run. [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-21-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-20-2001, 10:21 AM
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#12 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Raleigh Big Angry - Season 5 (2006)
Coach Devine and scout Pilgrim are both re-signed to 3-year deals. No ticket increase will be made, as fan loyalty has only now started rising significantly. __________________________________________________________ 2006 Free Agency No FAs will be offered this season. __________________________________________________________ 2006 Amateur Draft There doesn't seem to be anything exciting in this year's pool, and at pick #31 I don't expect it to be much of a draft. Amateur Draft Report: CB Peeples is a future starter, probably, but otherwise there wasn't much here. Hopefully TC will surprise me and we'll get a breakout, though I haven't had one in ages. __________________________________________________________ 2006 Training Camp We're still concentrating on the basic sets, 4-3, nickel, and man-to-man. Nothing has changed, as we've had good success. No surprises, here's the 2006 roster: Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd __________________________________________________________ 2006 Regular Season The backups go 2-2 in the preseason, and stay mostly injury-free. This should be a strong season, and the roster rating has hit 100. Oakland is the 1st opponent, another tough draw. Oakland (1-0) 22, Raleigh (0-1) 21 This is about as close as they come, I suppose. Rival Oakland took it to us again. Oakland had little trouble moving the ball against us, which surprises me a bit. No interesting stats of note. Raleigh (1-1) 34, Denver (1-1) 9 That's more like it. "Rudy" played huge as usual and earned MVP honors by way of 8 tackles, 2 assists and a sack. The defense played a strong team game, with no others really standing out. Raleigh (2-1) 17, St. Louis (0-3) 14 A defensive struggle that took a FG in overtime to win, the Big Angry win a big non-divisional game. LB Eaves again takes the MVP, this time with 10 tackles, 3 assists and 1.5 sacks. The guy is amazing. Next up is Carolina, and I don't think we've ever played them. Carolina (2-2) 29, Raleigh (2-2) 10 I'm not sure the problem this season, perhaps the defense is too predictable. Carolina took it to us, nothing much else to say. Going into the bye with a few injuries, we'll hope the Big Angry can regroup and make a run. Miami (3-2) 24, Raleigh (2-3) 20 Oh how the mighty have fallen. It's odd, as every time my roster rating reaches 100 my teams seem to underachieve. Miami had no trouble moving the ball, and starting DT Scott being injured doesn't help. Raleigh (3-3) 27, Kansas City (5-1) 9 A huge win over what was (5-0) KC - this helps the team's confidence and should set the pace for the rest of the season. Injuries could be worse, and DT Scott is back for the next game. KC would have had only 3 points were it not for a classic final second TD by the AI. A strong defensive effort paved the way, though no individual stood out. Raleigh (4-3) 48, San Diego (3-4) 7 DT Scott is injured again, and that will surely hurt the "D". CB Jimmy Maloney earned MVP with 2 INTs, and backup QB Temes threw for 5 TDs. Weird. Raleigh (5-3) 31, New England (3-5) 10 Usually I lose to NE, no matter the team or career, so I was exceptionally pleased to pull this game out. LB Urlacher is out for 3-5 weeks, but we have enough depth at LB it shouldn't hurt us too badly. CB Stockton becomes the 4th-5th player on "D" to earn game MVP this season, and I like the balance. The Big Angry had 4 sacks, 3 INTs and forced 3 fumbles, and forced the QB to urinate on himself twice. Raleigh (6-3) 27, Denver (5-4) 10 We continue to dominate the Broncos, and this was an important win. LB Kelly is out for the regular season with a borken arm - and Urlacher is still injured. DE Rich Owens earns MVP, becoming I think the 6th different defensive player in 9 games. Atlanta (7-3) 24, Raleigh (6-4) 13 Yikes, everyone is hurt - and we're not at a good spot for that. We'll soon see how resiliant this defense is. Raleigh (7-4) 20, Seattle (5-6) 10 I've said it before, I'll say it again. Seattle is the cure for the common losing streak. I'm rather upset that CB Shawn Springs for Seattle earned game MVP despite the fact that they lost! Seattle was held to 60 yards rushing, and 59 yards passing. This is an amazing defense, I am quite pleased with the result. Next week is division leader Kansas City - an absolute must-win, as we're 2 games behind them. Kansas City (10-2) 32, Raleigh (7-5) 17 Apparently coach Divine didn't hear me when I said "must win". We can now only hope for a WC playoff birth. My teams always have to do it the hard way. Oakland remains on the schedule too, and that is not a good thing. Raleigh (8-5) 28, Seattle (6-7) 7 I love Seattle. I really, truly love them. Seattle rushed for 27 yards. This win was huge, and the "D" stepped up to save the lowly offense again. The injuries are still there, but are managable - and next opponent is Oakland. There will be much celebrating in Raleigh if we can pull off the big win. Raleigh (9-5) 34, Oakland (4-9-1) 6 Raleigh did it!!! The Big Angry finally gave to Oakland what they've given us for the first 4 years of the franchise! This is a sweet, sweet win that will improve our playoff hopes significantly. Oakland has shot to the bottom of the division, and it is a beautiful thing. The Big Angry sacked Gannon 5 times, intercepted him 4 times, caused 3 fumbles (recovering 2), and allowed only 68 rushing yards. Gannon said after the game, "Ouch." Raleigh (10-5) 37, San Francisco (9-6) 9 Another team we haven't played, but a different result. San Francisco had five rushing yards, and didn't do much better through the air with 160. Defense is a beautiful thing! This is the 9th game this season the Big Angry have allowed 10 points or less. We have an outside shot at a division tie with KC - they need to lose to (ahem) Seattle, and we need to beat San Diego. Raleigh (11-5) 31, San Diego (5-11) 14 Seattle didn't take care of KC, so we settle for second in the division and will have to face revenge-motivated Tennessee in the WC round. Rookie CB Lincoln Peebles took the MVP - and becomes one of several defensive players for the year to distinguish themselves. San Diego passed for 300+ yards, but only rushed for 48. Playoff time, where the Big Angry usually shine. __________________________________________________________ 2006 Playoffs AFC Wild Card Round Tennessee (11-6) 26, Raleigh (11-6) 14 I'm surprised that Tennessee bumped us, but another decent year altogether. Cleveland defeated Green Bay in the Super Bowl, 23-14. __________________________________________________________ Ever notice that the summaries of my losses are far shorter than the wins? Go figure. 2006 Awards/Stats Fred Drake (TE): All-Pro (1st Team) (1) Brett Eaves (LB): All-Pro (1st Team) (3) Henry Collier (C): All-Pro (2nd Team) (1) Lawyer Milloy (S): All-Pro (2nd Team) (1) (2 1st team recognitions) Quinn Cote (QB): 2878 yards, 55.7%, 21/13 TD/INT, 81.7 rating. Eddie Cox (RB): 1064 yards (4.7 avg.), 8 TDs. Kyle English (WR): 75 receptions, 959 yards (12.7 avg.), 12 TDs. Brett Eaves (LB): 92 tackles, 35 assists, 9 sacks. Lawyer Milloy (S): 92 tackles, 39 assists, 1 sack, 5 INTs. Points Scored/Allowed: 415/236 Points Allowed/Game: 14.75 NFL Ranking: 2nd (Kansas City 14.0) __________________________________________________________ Herb Score 72/64/62/74/66 [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-21-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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02-21-2001, 10:32 AM
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#13 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
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Raleigh Big Angry - Season 6 (2007)
No staff changes, small ticket increase. TE Fred Drake is slapped with the franchise tag, the guy just wouldn't sign a long-term contract, and was 1st Team All-Pro last season. __________________________________________________________ 2007 Free Agency No free agents will be pursued, the defense is solid and the $ would be better used for cohesion and the draft. There's a stud LB out there, but our group is solid enough. __________________________________________________________ 2007 Amateur Draft This draft will concentrate solely on the best available athlete. Amateur Draft Report: Fulcher will make an immediate impact and add depth to the S position. Kirsch and Tate were need picks, though neither are spectacular. Rounds 4-7 could produce some nice surprises, or could be completely average. __________________________________________________________ 2007 Training Camp If it ain't broke, don't fix it... we'll concentrate on what has worked. 4-3 maxed, nickel maxed, man-to-man higher than zone. Cohesion should not be all bad this season. Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd No surprises either way. Another solid roster for a playoff run... hopefully we play to our potential. __________________________________________________________ 2007 Regular Season [This message has been edited by The Mike (edited 02-23-2001).]
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"So shines a good deed in a weary world." --William Shakespeare, William Wonka |
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