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07-02-2003, 08:37 PM
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#1 | ||
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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FOF4 1.04c - Lake Erie Monsters
Lake Erie Monsters – a FOF4 post-patch career
I’m playing FOF4 again, this time with a very abbreviated set of house rules and hopes that the latest rounds of enhancement will have made this game a bit tougher overall. I will follow my favorite restrictions—no renegotiating, no contract extensions, and no unrealistic FA offers. I also do not expect to make any trades in this career – but I don’t know how rigid to be about that yet. I’m starting out in my fictionalized football league (with relocated and renamed franchises) with a one-player universe, and sim the first season without any care at all. My scout-filled team actually goes 10-6, and we might have a few of those guys to consider for next season, when my team really starts in earnest. On with the show. |
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07-02-2003, 08:37 PM
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#2 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2003
I make an effort to lure away the title-winning coach Wes Carbajal, but he takes less money to stay with Memphis. I end up coming to terms with 36 year old Bucky Gardner – he is solid all around, and a decent play caller. We should be okay for a while under him, I suspect. I stick with our initial scout, as the pickings are very slim in the open market. Free agency is a non-event, with no older players seeking a new team. I will focus on the rookie crop for my new player additions, and then fill in as needed with undrafted rookies and perhaps some holdovers from our initial squad. We have pick #26 in the draft, so I don’t expect a shocking talent for us – I will go with best player available, with an eye toward the obvious things that may have changed in the game from the patch. When our first pick comes up, most of the titanic defensive front men are gone, and I’m considering several candidates. WR Ike Dodge looks very solid, but I don’t know that it’s the position I’d want to start off with. I like LB Donnie Hopkins, but his liability in pass coverage has me gun shy. I wouldn’t mind starting off with a QB, but I don’t see “the guy” in this lot. Unable to decide here, I make a trade – I send my #1 pick to Norfolk to get their #2, #3, and #6 picks in this draft, which should help us with quantity, if not top-level quality. I go defense with my two early picks, and fill in after that. My initial impression is that there seem to be a lot fewer standout player in the draft – but this may be a function of my eyes being “trained” for the pre-patch giveaways. Code:
For the first time in quite some time, I have practically no idea what to expect from my rookie class. They look crappy to me – but I don’t yet have any good frame of reference. I don’t really think that Jose Johnson is the answer at QB – but he merits a decent pick here on is current ability, and we’ll watch closely to see how he progresses (or doesn’t). I do like the two young corners we get here – both are well-suited to the man-up coverage that we’ll likely be running. I fill in the rest of the roster with undrafted rookies, deciding against using the players carried over from our initial season. I’d rather go with guys I selected myself. Code:
**sigh** it appears that the “truncated first character” problem with printing to a text file was either unsolved by the patch, or is a function of Windows XT rather than FOF4. Alas, I was hoping this would be better, as this really undermines my ability to detail my dynasty report here. We have a pretty predictable “growing pains” type of season – getting a few wins along the way, but generally pretty weak. The league is growing itself, but we took a step back by filling up completely with rookies. Too soon to make many judgments. Code:
There are a few things noteworthy about this unusual season. First, our QB had a completely disastrous effort, worse than I’m used to seeing, even for a rookie. A 6/27 ratio is upside down in the worst way, I’d say. We did pass a lot – but that’s pretty rough. We’ll need to work on the line for certain, but maybe Johnson needs a close look as well. On defense – undrafted safety Antonio Parrish was billed as a big hitter, and he certainly delivered. 89 tackles, okay, but 8 sacks?!? Wow. I may have to revisit my defensive settings – I don’t know whether that is a good or bad thing, really. The good news ahead is that we’ll have one of the top three picks in next year’s rookie draft! Woo hoo! Code:
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07-02-2003, 08:51 PM
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#3 | |
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Strategy Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: North Carolina
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QS, you get my vote for oach of the year
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Quote:
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07-02-2003, 09:14 PM
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#4 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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uck you, Corey.
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07-02-2003, 09:41 PM
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#5 | |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Connecticut
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Quote:
QuikSand, I didn't have a problem with this before the patch. I haven't tried post patch yet. I am running Windows 98SE so maybe it is XT rather than the game itself. Just an idea.
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GM of the Milwaukee Muscle Men of the ZFL. The 1st team in ZFL history to have a perfect losing season. I am on a quest to show that the Dolphins can win the Super Bowl. Or should I say Front Office Bowl, with FOF2K7. The revival of an old favorite, FOFC Wrestling Dynasty |
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07-02-2003, 10:28 PM
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#6 |
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The boy who cried Trout
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: TX
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I just printed a roster to a file, and opened it in notepad. All characters are there. Looks like it's XP?
Anyway, nice to see that breakout rookies are hard to identify again (for now!!) |
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07-03-2003, 06:14 AM
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#7 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fairfax, VA
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I have XP and don't have the problem.
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07-03-2003, 06:41 AM
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#8 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2004
I start the season by luring away a successful scout, Nick Arnold. He ought to provide a serious upgrade for us – he’s rated “good” with young players, which is the best among the scouts available. He is particularly good with linebackers and quarterbacks – not a bad pairing overall. We again zip through the free agency period, and get to the draft. I’m excited about the prospects of our pick at #2 overall – I am hoping to get a defensive impact player here. However, I have to confess – RB Spencer Bauer might be good enough to lure me off that plan, and to get me to reconfigure the offense entirely. He looks that good. If he goes at #1, which I would expect, then I might trade down a bit – there are a number of solid players here, and I couldn’t miss even at #6 or even #10 or so. Fort Wayne takes a wide receiver with the first pick, and I don’t think I have much choice. As many good-looking players as there are, I don’t see how we can look past the mighty Spencer Bauer, stellar tailback out of Northeastern. Code:
With the uber-back in the fold, we pick up a serious pass-rushing LB next, and then go BPA. I’m hoping that Shifflett can shift over ot play corner, where he’d be a perfect fit for our defense. FB Miaialovich might move to tight end, where he could be helpful in the passing game – otherwise, he’ll be part of an outstanding backfield. I again fill up with rookies, after re-signing a number of our returning players. Some get two year extensions, some only one. The rookies all get one year deals. We will again be a young, inexperienced team – but at least now we will have a star player to center around. Here’s the roster we carry out of training camp and into the season: Code:
We’re starting to fill in the roster – the offensive line still looks pretty sad, and the defensive front is makeshift at best. Over the next season or two, our focus needs to be to add some beef to this team. We jump into the season, and I decide to stick with our fairly pass-heavy offense. RB Bauer is going to get his carries, I have little doubt, but I think this is probably wisest for us right now – with no line to speak of. In our second game, Bauer runs for 168 and a TD, leading us to a nice win. I think this investment is paying dividends already. We end up a much improved team overall, and push our 4-12 record immediately up to 10-6, earning a playoff berth for the trouble. Code:
Okay, it’s pretty clear that we’re not getting everything we had hoped out of Bauer – but we also have the most productive running game (ini ypc) in the league. Next season, we probably have to commit to him more, in the pursuit of a more productive overall offense. He looks like the real thing – over 6 yards per carry! I really thought TE Miailovich would have a bigger year than this, but our passing game is just not that prolific. We need to get our pieces in place before we’re going to se truly big numbers there. On defense, after a proper reallocation of our blitzing strategy, we get a great season from OLB Shea – who certainly merits all-pro recognition for this season. Rookie LB Terry put up decent numbers, but I think he may end up being a relative disappointment. DT Specter played a huge role on the inside of our defensive line – 67+29 tackles is a huge total for a defensive tackle, quite a year there, too. Defensively, we are average at best – but I’ll continue to focus there, especially up front. Lake Erie 27, Fort Know 16 We have to go on the road to play the 8-8 Glitters, but we get the win regardless. Spencer Bauer catches two of Johnson’s three TD passes, and our offense clicks nicely to get the solid win here. We head to Wheeling, who is the top seed and a very tough out. Wheeling 23, Lake Erie 8 The Dealers run the ball right at us, carrying it 44 times for 163 yards – and dominating the possession by keeping the ball in hand. They didn’t look spectacular, but took advantage where they could, and kept our offense totally in check. Good win for them, they look tough. But…it’s Nashua, who went 9-7 in the regular season, who pulls off two more upsets and gets the top prized this year. Code:
No props for Bauer – certainly due to my insistence on throwing the ball. Next year, we’ll be aiming for the league’s top honors for him – he’s that kind of talent. |
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07-03-2003, 08:34 AM
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#9 | |
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H.S. Freshman Team
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC
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Quote:
I'm not sure this is clear at all. As a rookie he puts up close to 1400 yards of offense with seven touchdowns, playing with a cadaver at QB and a high school cheerleading squad for his O-line. Considering that you ended up running the ball less than every other team in the league and that your intent was to remain more of a passing team while Bauer develops, what would you have considered "getting everything you hoped"??? |
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07-03-2003, 08:51 AM
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#10 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fairfax, VA
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I took the statement by QS to mean that Bauer hadn't been used effectively, not that Bauer hadn't produced when he was given the chance. Earlier QS had said something about not changing the pass heavy offense, but still expecting Bauer to get his carries. This didn't seem to really come off as well as I think was probably expecting because Bauer didn't get the touches that was hoped for. I think that's why we didn't really get everything out of Bauer we had hoped (due to no fault of Bauer). At least, that's the way I read it.
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07-03-2003, 10:43 AM
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#11 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Yes, Bee, I spoke poorly. Even with his surroundings, it' clear that Bauer is by far our best weapon, and that he should have gotten 250 carries rather than 170. I have no complaints about his production when used, of course.
I expect his numbers to improve this year, as I plan to set most of my R/P playcalling splits to 50 or 55 instead of 33. |
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07-03-2003, 10:46 AM
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#12 |
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Resident Curmudgeon
Join Date: Oct 2002
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50-50 splits instead of 33-67?? That's blasphemy.
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07-03-2003, 11:18 AM
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#13 |
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Manchester, CT
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I think the answer is 2/3rds
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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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07-03-2003, 11:35 AM
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#14 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
Obviously, so do I, generally. However, given the specific situation, I'm wavering a bit... the 2005 season will help tell whether it's the right thing to do. |
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07-03-2003, 11:35 AM
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#15 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2005
I stick with my front office, and move directly to the FA process. The pre-season is mostly a formality in this developing league. Now, with a few third-year players worth looking at, I actually get active in free agency. I pick up a number of new players here: QB Amos Hulbert was Manhattan’s starter in 2003 – our #2 and a dark horse for the top job LB Sammie Shepherd will probably become our third starter at LB, playing the weak side LB Philip Garrett has potential, and we hope to bring some of it out of him DE Gino Cossell is a potentially solid DE for us, had 14.5 sacks in 2003, hurt last year C Marty Hartman immediately becomes the starter for us inside, should be a solid upgrade CB Paul Vance will be a pretty cheap and decent reserve corner, with modest skills We’re back down in the draft order – picking at #23. So, no major impact player here, it doesn’t seem. RB Vernon Rand, who should go #1, might be even better than Spencer Bauer – this might be a rivalry over the years. My previously stated goal is to get bigger here – I’d like to draft for the DL and OL, preferably in that order. However, I am underwhelmed by the prospects left at my pick. I end up taking a pretty deeply flawed tackler Rufus Coffey with my top selection, mostly because I don’t believe in any of the second-tier DL available at #23. Code:
Coffey probably slots in as our starting left tackle – even if he’s less than perfect, he should be an improvement. John King looks mistake-prone, but talented – he ought to be a favorite target in a little time. DT Catlett might be a starter down the road, though perhaps at DE rather than DT. Kidman – a stab in the dark, he might have the goods to contend for the starting job here. Rest are fill-ins, who knows. I fill in with a few more rookies, and re-sign a few more returning veterans – and we are in business. I suspect that we might have a little competition at the QB spot this season, as the newcomer Amos Hulbert has a nice training camp and makes his bid for playing time. The rookie, Ricardo Kidman, projects to be a shade better than either of them – so that adds some intrigue as well. Code:
So, we are using about half of our salary cap, and are fielding a young and ragtag roster. Over the next couple of seasons, though, we should be filling in a bit more – and the team will really take shape. After making a postseason berth ahead of schedule last year, I’m not expecting a great advancement – but I do hope that our more conservative offensive style will suit our talents and will take some pressure off the defense – which I hope to see improve. In our opener, at home, we lose to Louisville and watch Bauer get hurt. He ought to be okay – but he’s clearly the franchise right now, and we don’t want to see that happen. Through four games, we are back up to 2-2, with Spencer Bauer finding his groove. He’s got 253 yards through four games, and has scored six TDs total – very nice. Jose Johnson is plugging along, but clearly has no real upside – it might be time to look around the roster for the starting QB slot. A 6-3 loss, with Johnson throwing 3 picks, clinched the deal – we should go to a less error-prone guy, and I think Hulbert is that guy for us, right now. He is rated 51/87 in avoiding interceptions by my scout – his top feature. With a newly configured run-heavy attack, that makes a ton of sense. Hand it off to Spencer Bauer, and don’t f*ck it up. Hulbert’s career record of 13-4-1 suggests that he understand this role just fine. After a thumping by Little Rock, we get things straightened out – Amos Hulbert connects for 4 TDs leading us over Ocean City, 28-16. OC’s Vernon Rand, their superstar rookie RB, gained 104 yards to Bauer’s 74, but we get the upper hand with the win. In 32 seconds, we turn a 17-14 lead into a 24-17 loss against Fort Worth, and end up 3-5 at the midpoint of the season thus far. Bauer is down to 4.10 yards per carry, and I’m now openly wondering what we ought to do here – should we open up the offense more? Is Bauer better suited to running in the open field? I don’t know. Our defense continues to put up awful number, though we have been savaged by terrible DL injuries (what’s new) and have lost our FA LB acquisition for the year, it seems. At 4-7, it’s clear that this season isn’t going anywhere. Hulbert has been okay, but not anything special. With a few games to play, we decide to let the rookie QB have a shot, so we install Ricardo Kidman into the starting job – and we’ll see what he can do. In Kidman’s first game, the only TD scored all day is off an interception he threw- and we lose, 10-3. But he really wasn’t awful. Kidman is very sharp in the next game, throwing 2 TDs and leading us to a 31-16 win over Ypsilanti. We end up 7-9 on the season, with a final stretch of 3-2 under the rookie signal caller. Looking ahead, this probably means he’s our guy going forward, unless we make a big gain through an acquisition. Code:
Well, the numbers on the QB situation suggest that Hulbert may have been the more effective guy, but Kidman’s potential to develop and improve probably put to rest any doubts I might have had. Nobody was good this year – Kidman is the one who might have better skills down the road. Bauer gave us a solid year, but perhaps slightly disappointing. He got his carries, and he got his yards (nearly 1,800 combined) and there’s little to fret about. We need to improve on the cheerleading squad blocking for him – our need areas remain all-beef. Veteran C Marty Hartman was the best among our OL this year, but Rufus Coffey learned on the job, and I think he will be all right after all. Defensively, we had so many injuries, hardly anyone got a full year in. DE Cossel had a solid effort, with 10 sacks and 26 hurries. CB Shifflett is turning into the star of our secondary – his 14 passes defensed is a really good sign. OLB Shea had another good season rushing the passer, though I’m rather worried about his run support (which is poor). Overall, stopping the run is our biggest need for improvement – a monster DT would help (Clements missed nearly the whole year with a knee injury – his return will help). A path lies ahead – I knew this wasn’t really a serious contending team. Next year, we get a decent draft pick, and a chance to keep filling in more gaps. Death Valley beats Niagara Falls in the title game, making it four different champions in four seaons. Code:
Of course, Vernon Rand gets offensive rookie of the year, a prize that eluded Spencer Bauer. I will still endeavor to keep my guy ahead in the head-to-head race that obviously sets up for those two. My lousy team’s only rep on the all-pro team is our skilled punter – who gets plenty of practice, obviously. |
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07-03-2003, 12:04 PM
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#16 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fairfax, VA
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It seems that you may not be finding the "steals" late in the draft and from the URFAs that we normally find (especially early on with a OPU career where the rookies get so much playing time breakouts are revealed quicker than a normal career).
How are you "analyzing" draft picks and URFA signings? Are you finding yourself giving more weight to future potential (green) than pre-patch or still basing your decisions on current ratings? |
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07-03-2003, 12:33 PM
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#17 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
So far, I have had VERY little luck identifying breakout players from among the draft class. That's good news overall, in my opinion. The potential downside is that there may be a depreciation of the draft in the game, which may not be a good thing (especially if it makes late round draft picks valueless). How am I "analyzing" picks? Just simple gut instinct - trying to look out for the things that I usually doo (too much parallel in the ratings, too high a green/red ratiothat sort of thing) - but it's demonstrably less precise than in any version of the game to this point. (At least in this early going, that seems so) |
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07-03-2003, 12:50 PM
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#18 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: North Carolina
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How is the draft talent overall. Is the overall skill level available about the same, even if it is harder to judge individual players?
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07-03-2003, 12:53 PM
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#19 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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what does rb-bruce dixon look like he keeps showing up for end of season awards?
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07-03-2003, 01:43 PM
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#20 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
Overall, it looks to me like the talent pool is lower - there are many fewer quality players around. Hard to tall, though, how muchof that is a function of my OPU start, and how much is the player generation mechanism. I'll try to do more detailing later... once I have a body of players out there. |
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07-03-2003, 01:49 PM
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#21 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
My scout rates him as the 8th best RB based on ratings (when I search), which doesn't include my own guy Bauer. He has pretty good (but not spectacular) ratings, in order: 88 67 64 41/51 28 46 51/56 56/59 58 49 70 40/43 (PR) 0 (KR) 46 Not a monster in ratings, but he must be a perfect fit for the Fort Wayne team, as he churns out MVP awards on an annual basis, with just about 5,000 total yards in his three seasons. I don't see anythign lese about Fort Wayne that helps to explain this - his line looks okay, but not amazing, for instance. Who knows? |
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07-03-2003, 09:44 PM
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#22 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2006
We work out a new deal with Bucky Gardner, our young but fairly promising coach. I toyed with the idea of pursuing another guy, but decided to stay with Bucky – outpacing Ypslianti in their efforts to steal him away. We’ve got work to do – and I’m hoping to spend a little more money in free agency this season to help fill gaps. I’m okay taking on mediocre veteran players, if they are a real upgrade over the talent level that I can get in the middle rounds of the draft – which is proving to generally be the case. (A change from previous iterations of this game, I think – and a potentially meaningful one) As we begin the FA process, the word is out that we’re going young at QB – and I get a trade offer. Amos Hulbert fetches us a 5th round pick and a decent veteran offensive lineman from Providence. The lineman goes (he’s from the original player pool) but the pick isn’t too bad – something for nothing, as I have all but given up on Hulbert. In free agency, I find modest additions – that’s all. WR Jimmy Carter will be a passable reserve, and T Deon Geason might compete for the RT spot. LBs Tim Farley and Drew Torrance are both cheap, and should compete for jobs in the #4-6 slots. Not any impact players here, unfortunately. We should be well positioned for next season, though, in terms of the salary cap. Into the draft, we have the #8 pick. That should be good enough for an impact player, I suspect. There are pretty solid number of interior linemen ranked highly in this draft. While I might not be inclined to take one at #8, it might be a fair spot to trade down to about #15 or so, and extract another pick from someone for the move up. DT Maurice Lehman is the guy I’d really covet, but I fully expect him to go in the first pick or two. If not, I may be tempted to try to move up to get him. Code:
No real gripe with any of these picks, but my guys is still there. I make offers to Texarkana (at #4) but they are tough. I decide to wait another pick or two, but my fever to get DT Lehman is running pretty high. Code:
Dang. Texarkana liked him, too – so my chances were nil. I decide that my best play here is to move down—I will probably take an offensive lineman here, but cannot select from the three or four guys I like now. I get Manhattan’s second round pick to drop to #16, but have to throw in the pick I grabbed from Providence earlier. Well, I am making a pure “upside” pick here, as CB Scott Gaines just looks like a standout. He doesn’t look really ready to play yet, but if he developed anywhere near his apparent potential, he’d be a serious star. I decide to roll the dice, and hope to fill in with my beef later. (I know, I know) Code:
Well, this is the most “risky” draft I have had, in terms of players who might fit a “bust” profile. Actually, the top four guys all could come far short of their apparent potential. I tried to get solid contributors with the later picks, but there are bound to be some disappointments in this lot, I fear. Code:
Well, we have a fairly solid group returning – we need to get RB Bauer into good health, and we should be fine. The defense is getting a little deeper, and we might have taken a real step forward with our secondary if CB Scott Gaines and S Antonio Boyer work out. A run of good health and a little good luck – and we could be contenders again. RB Spencer Bauer has to sit out our opener, but we get a 9-7 win anyway behind a good defensive effort. He’s healthy and ready to go the next week, and we hope to come out rumbling. In week 2, hosting Athens, we win 48-14, putting up 165 yards rushing to the Argos’ 25. We’re not a power team, but we’re off to a good start. Our 2-0 start fades to 2-2, but we rebound with a nice win over Napa Valley, 28-6. We are, however, allowing far too many sacks – 7 more in this game, despite the win. We get to our midway point at 4-4, and the good news is just about even with the bad. Our defense has improved by leaps and bounds – we are well above average suddenly, helped out immeasurably by good health. Our offense remains a trouble area – Kidman is doing okay at QB, but certainly is not winning any games by himself. We muddle through the season around .500, but a loss in our finale keeps us from finishing at that mark. Instead, it’s 7-9 this year – and a bystander again as the top teams face off in the playoffs. Code:
Bauer suffered from injuries that caused him to miss three games, and it showed up in his totals. Our passing game continues to be anemic – we need some help there, it’s clear. LT Rufus Coffey is working out all right, and our line is starting to take shape, I think. I think it’s the skill positions that really need the help the most now. On defense, MLB Terry gave us a very solid season, and our starting duo at DT stayed healthy and managed to really anchor the nice run defense – vaulting to #1 in the league in yard per carry allowed. Rookie CB Gaines had a really good effort – with 9 interceptions, and showed signs of developing well. He might pan out after all, despite my initial reservations. Niagara Falls wins it all this year, avenging their title game loss from last season. Code:
Well, my supposed riovalry with Spencer Bauer and Vernon Rand isn’t materializing, as Bauer failed to crack 1,000 yards this season while Rand topped 2,000 yards from scrimmage and earned league MVP honors. We do get recognition for DT Kevin Specter, who is very effective when he stays healthy. |
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07-04-2003, 08:17 AM
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#23 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2007
My scout has declined, though he’s only 62 – I will look for another guy before renewing with Nick Arnold. We bring aboard Deon Bridges, with a career record of 51-37, and better skill with young players. He also doesn’t have any ratings below average. As we start this season, I now feel like the team-building process is getting serious. I need to be focused about what we’re doing – we have a lot of cap room to use, and ought to be putting some money on the table this season. Here are our top roster priorities: QB and WR – our passing game remains a liability, and we simply need better talent here. A high quality receiver would certainly help, but a better passer is probably the real need for this team. I have the money to pursue either via free agency. Right side OL – our performers on the OL are getting better, but the two on the right side remain pretty shaky. A serious upgrade would be very useful. Top grade LB – we’re doing okay with the group we have, but we lack a serious star-caliber linebacker. Add a star here, and he’d clean up with stats, I think. In free agency, there are a few players who fit our needs rather nicely, I think. This is the first year that I have 5th year players to see – so this is the first truly open free agency period for us (up to now, we only saw players who had actually been released, not RFAs). There are two solid star-caliber receivers in this draft, and two very good linebackers. My goal here is to get one of each, and make improvements at two key areas by shelling out big FA money. I’m using the “GroupThink” rule for FA bids – for any FA requesting a bonus, it has to be at least as big as the largest year’s salary. Since I don’t renegotiate, that means I have to be serious about any player I pursue – there’s the potential for a lot of dead cap space if we screw up. QB Amos Hulbert is here in the FA market, and might be the best veteran out there. I’m not interested (especially at his asking price), but I will try to keep an eye peeled. My initial offers are to MLB Jay Kley and WR Todd Martin, and each guy gets an identical offer: 5 yrs, $48 million ($8m across). I also put in low level bids for C Marcus Gardner and FB Tom Lane, looking for quality depth. WR Todd Morton signs immediately with us, so we have one all-star wrapped up – and a huge upgrade to our receiving corps. LB Kley has several offers on the table, and we are going to need to do better if we want to land him, it seems. He has several deals worth over $10, a year – I decide to try the “shorter deal” approach, and put up $40m over 3 years. It works – in week two, he is signed with us. Great. FB Tom Lane debates for a few weeks, and ends up taking an offer from Memphis. So, I end up with three out of four of my early pursuits – not too bad. At week seven, my DE Robbie Rhoden, asking for a fortune, is still awaiting an offer. So is QB Amos Hulbert. I decide to put in a bid for DE Marvin Magniafico. If I’m going to lose Rhoden (very likely), this is a fair way to fill the hole – he’s a journeyman DE, but seems to get 8-9 sacks a year and plays okay against the run, too. Plus, he’s only seeking $4m a year or so. I am moved to put in an offer for Sedrick Shea, my incumbent strong-side linebacker, of $2m per season. I had intended to let him walk, but for some reason (after seeing him get an offer) now I want to hold on to him. I also put in a new offer for CB-turned-safety Steve Hamilton (he has been a bust in terms of ratings, but now gives us some cheap veteran leadership in the secondary). Late in the FA process, I put in cheap bids for S Ryan Manusky and G Tim Garrison. That wraps up our efforts – I’m not sold on any of these cheap guys as real difference-makers, but the big two fish we landed ought to make us the most improved team from this offseason. I’ve got my eyes on several guys with my pick at #9. The best DT, K.C. Taylor, is again atop my list of hopes, but there are plenty of guys who would help a lot. QB Roy Planish is a guy I’d have to take as well- he looks like he’s got a lot of potential. Plus, there are OL and DL prospects aplenty- I will get a potential impact player at a key position here, no doubt about it. Code:
Well, with my top picks taken ahead of my selection, I am left with my hand fairly guided. I can go for the last star WR left, or take one of the standout offensive linemen. However, I do like DE Ken Barnes, and am always a sucker for a pass rusher. He looks like my guy – I will hope to see one of these solid OL slip to me in round two (though it’s not that likely, I am finding). Code:
Barnes is an enticing prospect for our DL, and after that we have guesses. Hogenkamp has a mic of abilities, but might end up being a pretty good run stopper for our LB rotation. The two OL are guys I’m hoping can help us with interior depth, but neither projects to be a real star. Rusty Hamilton might fight for a starting job at FB, and the other two are just depth providers – I have no real dreams about QB Tommy George. We go to training camp, hoping that some of our young players will show strides and secure their future with the club. As we come out, here’s what we have on hand: Code:
Well, we managed to use up practcically all of our remaining camp room, but in doing so we targeted need areas and made big upgrades. That’s how it’s supposed to work, right? We’ll have to see whether the upgrade at WR will be enough to help out our anemic passing game. I will stick with the fairly run-heavy gameplan, but as long as he’s healthy, I don’t see why we shouldn’t throw at least 120 passes or so toward Todd Morton, who ought to be able to do something with them, I’d think. We’re in relatively good health coming out of the exhibition games. DT Jumbo Clements is depressed, but we’ll try to get past that. Our roster rates a 5th-best 52/100, with Wheeling the dominant 100/69 on the list. Our team cohesion rates a 95/80/94/88 – with that 80 being near the bottom of the league (young league, recall). The “power ratings” put us second best in the AFC behind Wheeling, but I don’t know why (I have never paid any attention to this). In our opener, Ocaen City and Vernon Rand rumble right past us, winning 28-10. It’s pretty clear, there is simply no comparing my guy to Rand, who is a total house on fire. I still have hopes that Spencer Bauer can be a productive player for us–even our offensive star—but he’s already far behind Vernon Rand. Our promising season-to-be starts out 0-3, and things look pretty bleak. It’s looking like another lost season with a no-talent at the QB helm, and we simply don’t have any good options there. We tumble to 0-5, and now I have to wonder what we ought to be doing. It’s tough to just hang this on QB Kidman, but I don’t know what else I can try to change. We finally get a win – and a good one. We beat Key West 38-18, and Bauer is well over 100 yards rushing, Morton is over 100 and a TD receiving, and things look better. True, Kidman threw three picks, but we played well enough to still dominate. Later in the season, we get our first “winning streak” as we beat Ocean City 23-6, but they are without Vernon Rand, who blew out a knee and will moss the rest of this year. We hope he’s okay for down the road, but are glad to face them weakened here. Our winning streak continues, and we have risen from 1-6 to 5-6, and are on the fringes of being a contender. Wheeling is 9-2 and has the division all but locked, but if we keep winning we could get somewhere into the wild card race, I suppose. Well- our winning streak does continue, and stretches to 7 games, placing us at 8-6 on the year, and right into the playoff hunt. With two games to go, we are the #7 team in the AFC – need to catch just one 9-5 club to get our spot. However, our final two games are tough- we lose to Death Valley before beating Wheeling, but the 9-7 mark is just short of getting us into the postseason this year. At least we can take some solace in the mighty rally we made from 1-6 to 9-7 on the year, though it’s hard to just write off such a terrible start. Code:
Offensively, QB Kidman recovered from a ghastly start to get his TD/Int ratio positive, if only slightly. Bauer played pretty well overall, getting more involved in the passing game and topping 1,800 total yards. WR Morton missed two games to injury, but I just cannot believe that we threw as many passes to Moulktrie as we did to Morton – what gives there? Morton admittedly caught fewer than half the passes sent his way – that has to get better, period. LT Rufus Coffey is working out pretty well, but LG Devin Barton is not looking like a top-grade player. C Marcus Gardner stepped in and played well- and might have won the starting C job from the injured Marty Hartman, whose contract is now up. Despite staying pretty healthy most of the year, we failed to maintain our dominant ratings on defense, where we slipped all the way down below average against both the run and pass. That’s very disappointing – I felt like our personnel actually improved, but we moved backwards. We did get a good season from our new MLB Kley, but our pass rush really dropped off to only 36 sacks – and that, I’m sure, made a big difference. The DE tandem of Mangiafico and Barnes, new faces at the LDE spot, simply didn’t make up for our losses there. Wheeling makes it to the title game, but gets upset by Sault Ste. Marie, and has to settle for runnerup this year. Code:
So, we get a few kudos for a season that could have been a good deal better, had we not stumbled out of the gate. Three mentions on the all-pro list is a high, I think – things are looking up here in Monsterland. |
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07-04-2003, 12:46 PM
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#24 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2008
As we prepare for the 2008 season, we are poised to make another move forward. I’m hoping that our defense will be improved this year without much additional work, and my main focus is the offense. Young QB Kidman has been okay, but certainly not a team leader – if we can improve that position, I’d like very much to do so. I am not flush with cash any longer, but we’ll be willing to commit to a real free agent if there’s one who can really help us. As we begin the FA process, we have a number of our own players up for new deals. S Antonio Parrish has been a starter since the get-go—he is not a great talent, but adds some stability and does help defend the run a good deal. If he’s reasonable, we’ll bring him back. DE Gino Cossel was a fairly cheap signee, who has played pretty well for us. But as he is looking for $8m+ per year, it’s very unlikely we’ll see him coming back. RT Deon Geason has been a disappointment, and we won’t pursue him unless we’re strapped. I’m pursuing two guys via free agency – both fairly affordable. T Trevor Devine would be the answer for us at right tackle, and I’m seeking to lock him up for a three year deal. DE Dan Louchiey looks like a potential contributor at DE, and if we get him, we can help patch over the impending loss of Cossel for a lot less money. I also put in a three year offer for QB J.R. Newhart, a backup from Athens who looks to me like he might be pretty decent. Not great upside, but a guy I could toss into a game – and possibly toss into a battle for the starting job here with our Monsters. He’s also looking for a pretty reasonable deal. QB Newhart quickly takes my deal, and DE Louchiey is right behind. T Devine eventually accepts, and this leaves my own safety Parrish as the last one to respond. If he leaves, we will be fine – he’s not a star by any means. But he signs in week 7, and we are done. Fairly cheap, but we got good value, I believe. Looking into the rookie draft, we pick in the middle of the pack at #19. We won’t be seeing top-tier talent, but can certainly look to fill needs. QB remains a wish item, and perhaps another legitimate WR target. I’d also be moved by a top-tier player almost anywhere on defense. I’m flexible. As my pick approaches, I love safety Deon Henderson, but I fail to move up and he goes at #17. Future star, I’m certain of it. I’m used to seeing strong WRs here, but this season I am nonplussed by the lot of them. I take the best OL left, and then trade out of round two when I cannot locate a gut I like there. I’m unhappy with this draft – but I pick up an extra first rounder from Key West for next year. Code:
Rodney Houuston ought to be the guy we want at LG, while FB Fridlund should become a top-level all-around fullback. We’ll see about the rest – but P Westbrook ought to be very good. Following the draft, we receive an intriguing trade offer. Bermuda wants LB Kenyon Terry, who has recently been moved to the outside on our scheme, and is in his final contract year. They are offering a solid safety in T.J. Lap (who is a confirmed ballhawker) and a 3rd round pick. Not a bad deal, really. This would move Sammie Shepherd into a starting role, which is fine. I decide to take the deal, and hope that T.J. Lap turns out to be as productive for me as he was playing in Texarkana a few short years ago. Here’s our roster, as we gear up for the exhibition season: Code:
One interesting note right off the top here – coming out of training camp, our staff believes that our FA acquisition QB J.R. Newhart is a better starter for us than the younger Ricardo Kidman. I may let the preseason decide it, but it’s an open competition from this point. In the preseason, we get a lot from Newhart at QB, and Kidman doesn’t show us any reason not to go with the older guy here. So, we will start the season with a new face at QB – hoping that J.R. Newhart can give this offense some “new heart.” (heh) Week 1: Louisville at Lake Erie In our opener against Louisville, we roll to a decent 27-17 win. Bauer runs for 148 yards, while we totally shut their running game down – that’s still our easiest path to victory. T Coffey was 5 for 5 with key blocks – that’s a great game right there. Week 2: Lake Erie (1-0) at Norfolk (1-0) We lose a shootout, 35-30, despite a strong second half rally. We gave up a 28-6 lead in the first half, and couldn’t overcome those mistakes. A long fumble return TD was the backbreaker. Newhart, so far, is getting almost 8 yards per attempt – our passing game simply has much more confidence with him at the helm. Week 3: Lake Erie (1-1) at Nashua (1-1) J.R. Newhart again plays pretty well, but an interception returned 75 yards for a TD is a huge play as we get stung, 21-17. Week 4: Fort Knox (1-2) at Lake Erie (1-2) Fort Know has been a power team, but seems to be in a rut – and we help keep them there. Our run defense is great, and we keep control the whole way to a 26-3 win. Week 5: Lake Erie (2-2) at Pensacola (2-2) A road win here would get us back above .500 and perhaps feeling like a contender. However, our road woes continue, as we tumble 27-19. Newhart throws three interceptions, including two that go back for TDs – undermining a pretty darned good defensive game, once again. Newhart seems to be a double-edged sword for our team, as he will clearly make the big mistake just as much as make the great play. Week 6: Lake Erie (2-3) at little Rock (2-2) We get our road win here, as Bauer goes over 100 yards both rushing and receiving, and leads the way for a very productive day on offense. Week 7: ocean City (3-3) at Lake Erie (3-3) We get rolled again by Ocean City, watching Vernon Rand – nicely recovered from his injury last year – roll up 159 yards against us. He’s 4th in league rushing, a few slots ahead of Bauer. I still have hopes (after last year0 that Bauer can emerge as a truly elite player- once we get his surrounded well. Week 8: Fort Wayne (5-2) at Lake Erie (3-4) We skid to our midpoint with a loss at home, it’s not even close. 26-9 is the tally, and we aren’t even in the game, and looks to just be a mediocre team despite my efforts. We actually outgain them, but cannot play consistently well on either side – and giving up a kickoff return TD is a bad move in any game. Oddly enough, at the midpoint of the season, QB J.R. Newhart leads the league in passing yards with 2,078 – but his 13/3 ratio is certainly not the stuff of legends. RB Spencer Bauer actually leads the team in receiving yards – as Todd Morton has again gotten hurt and looks like he simply isn’t a great fit for our system. Week 9: Lake Erie (3-5) at Wheeling (4-4) Wheeling certainly isn’t rolling like they did last year, and the division is up for grabs. They beat us 27-20 despite the fact we outgained them by nearly 100 yards: we turned the ball over 2 to their 1, but they were just more efficient with their chances. But now RB Bauer will miss a few games – and we are in need of a turnaround anyway. I go back to our 33-based offense (yes, that is 2/3 passing, would you expect anything else?) and hope that this works out for us – as Todd Morton returns. Week 11: Lake Erie (3-6) at Louisville (5-4) Despite Newhart’s 376 yards passing, we end up only tied 13-13 at the end of regulation. CB Scott Gaines makes the big play in overtime, getting a pick and taking it in for the win. Morton makes a good return, with 154 yards and a score on the day – he should be the big beneficiary from a more aggressive passing attack. Week 12: Lake Erie (4-6) at Hawk Mountain (3-7) We stick with the up-tempo attack, even though RB Bauer returns this week while listed as probable. We put a hurting on the Sharpies, 41-13, as Morton hauls in another 150 yards and two scores. This uptick in offense seems promising – but let’s not get carried away. Week 13: Cheyenne (6-5) at Lake Erie (5-6) We get our third win under the new approach, with a narrow 29-24 edge. Bauer ends up with 95 rushing and 108 receiving, while Morton has his third straight 100-yard game. Newhart is 25 of 36 for over 300 with no picks – a great effort all around. Week 14: Providence (8-4) at Lake Erie (6-6) We get a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and then hold on the rest of the way to take it, 14-10. DT Jumbo Clements leads the defensive charge with 4 sacks, and gets the game ball. Week 15: Wheeling (5-8) at Lake Erie (7-6) We are starting to look like the old Wayne Fontes Lions – crummy to start out, and very tough down the stretch. Two years running, we’ve had a late season run like this – probably when it was already too late. We get up to a 9-6 win by way of winning the field goal battle. We overcome 3 picks to get it, but it’s our fifth straight win since the bye week adjustments. Week 16: Texarkana (8-6) at Lake Erie (8-6) Coming in, we sit in the #5 slot, tied with Cheyenne at 8-6. A playoff spot is our to lose, but there are five teams with 7 wins waiting to pounce. We’re basically outplayed here, but get four interceptions and a kickoff return TD to pull out a nice 23-20 win. Lucky over good this time, I guess. Week 17: lake Erie (9-6) at ocean City (11-4) Well, we are prepared to square off against Vernon Rand, whose 1,058 yards came in only 13 games so far. Bauer needs 36 yards in this game to make 1,000 for the season – these two are not exactly towering over the league like I had imagined. We still need this game for our playoff chances – OC has the division crown already locked up, and is fighting for their bye week. The Thrashers thrash us pretty well, getting a 45-16 win, and leaving our future in some doubt… But the 9-7 mark is good enough this year, as we sneak in as the #6 seed to face Key West in the playoff opener. Code:
God, I hate this stupid truncation problem… Code:
Offensively, it’s obvious that the pickup in our passing game is the main ingredient – even Bauer remained very effective, tallying up over 1,800 yards again. Newhart is a much more polished passer than we have had – and it’s a different team under his leadership. Do I want 24 interceptions? Of course not. But it’s a different and better look for us to be moving the ball by these means, I think. We’ll hope that the numbers get better over time. Morton becomes the franchise’s first 1,000-yard receiver, but it’s bittersweet. This was still a bit disappointing, compared to his efforts prior to playing with us. He’s a two-time first team all-pro, and I’d like to see some numbers good enough to get him back. he was brilliant for that three-game stretch, but is just prone to disappearing too often. Defensively, we got our sack totals up a bit, but not enough, I don’t think. We improved against the run, getting back to the upper tier – but I would like to get even better there. I’m undecided about safety T.J. Lap, our addition who got four picks, but might not be the best guy in coverage. CB Donny Shifflet remains a top-grade cover man, not a great interception guru, but he defends a lot of passes and consistently get rated over 20 in the PDPCt rating. DT Clement had a freak year with QB sacks – not really his specialty. The LB corps was solid, and Marshall Hogenkamp has proven to be a perfectly solid starter on the rise for us, a nice surprise to a point. On to the postseason… [i]Wild Card Round: Lake Erie (9-7) at Key West (9-7)[/b] Spencer Bauer is our workhorse, predictably, as we churn out a big game form him: 99 yards on the ground, 123 in the air, and a TD each way. KW knots it up at 23 with under a minute to go, so we sail into overtime. We get the big drive, and kick the winning FG at 9:59 to take the 26-23 margin and advance. [i]Divisional Playoffs: Lake Erie (10-7) at Fort Knox (11-5)[/b] WR Todd Morton is hurt but playing – we will need him in this tough matchup. We actually strom out strong here, scoring on our first two drives and going up 14-0 in the first quarter. A FG makes the halftime score 17-0, and we are looking good. Fort Knox scores on a fumble recovery, and then makes their run – getting it down to 27-21 early in the fourth quarter. but we put on the brakes – and hold them off the rest of the way, gaining entrée into the conference championship game with a 27-21 win on the road. [i]AFC Championship: Lake Erie (11-7) at Ocean City (13-4)[/b] OC is rolling, and Vernon Rand is at the helm. He’s healthy and has then all geared up for a shot at the top spot. Spencer Bauer, however, is out of this game – he is very hurt and simply cannot go. So much for the showdown matchup we wanted – we’ll have to pass this one around to win it. We stop them on their first possession, and just march right down the field for a TD pass to Moultrie. OC responds, and drives, but we get it back on an end zone interception by Gaines, to stay up 7-0 with the ball. OC gets the ball back, connects on a long pass to get into position, and punched Rand in for the tying score. Early in the second quarter, it’s 7-7. The second half is back and forth, with no more scoring – it’s a 7-7 tie at the half way point. We commit our first turnover, a Newhart interception, but manage to avoid trouble as OC misses their FG attempt. We actually get going on the ground on our next possession, and it is a pair of runs by Claussen and Fridlund (both rookies) that get us in for the go-ahead score. OC respond with a drive for a FG, staying within 14-10. However, we sense blood, and strike quickly – Newhart hits for a 35 yard strike to Morton, and then follows with a 22 yard TD pass to Moultrie, for the 21-10 lead. The first seconds of the fourth quarter are by, and we lead by 11 points. It starts to get silly, as OC get stuffed, and then we roll on again – Newhart hits Fox for this score, and we lead 28-10. The celebrations might be too soon, though, as OC gets a responding TD and makes it 28-18 after the two-pointer. However, we get a good possession, eat some clock, and kick a FG to lead 31-18 with 4:31 left. The final mark is 31-18, and out of the blue we go from just squeaking into the postseason… now we’re rolling all the way to the Superbowl. Superbowl: Athens (14-4) vs. Lake Erie (12-7) Athens takes the ball first, and we again stuff them right off the bat, sending our message nicely. Unfortunately, on third and long, they connect for a 62-yard TD pass.. and we train 6-0. As we are driving into position to respond, they rush heavily, get around Coffey, and sack Newhart. He coughs up the ball, and it’s recovered by Athens. They go on to march in for a TD, and take a 13-0 lead. I hope my players aren’t as pissed off and confused as I am right now. At the end of the first quarter, the Argos get in again and it’s 20-0. Things don’t seem to be going our way here. In the second quarter, we slow the bleeding, but it’s 27-0 at the half. It doesn’t get much better – we end up on the dark side of the most lopsided finals game in this league’s history, 30-0. Hey, it was a better run than we had any right to expect – now we have a real rivalry feel with Ocean City going, and the burden of heightened expectations. Code:
Good season, certainly room for hope, and perhaps a sense that we have figured out the right thing to be doing with this team (back to pass more, work to overcome our miscues). |
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07-04-2003, 02:13 PM
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#25 |
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The boy who cried Trout
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: TX
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Way to go, Monsters! Maybe if Bauer had been in the game...
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07-05-2003, 01:47 PM
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#26 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2009
We’re right in the heart of the prime “window” in this game – where my top young players have not yet ended their initial contracts, and I have many quality players on the team for under budget. I’m getting good a little later than usual, in part due to my dawdling moves at QB, and also in part due to the changes in the game (generally making this tougher than before, I’d say). We have two retirements this year – S Antonio Parrish, and WR Bryant Fox. Both had moved from being top contributors to marginal players – and both departures are on friendly terms. Fine, good luck fellas. My coach Bucky Gardner is up for new contract. Well, we got to the Superbowl last season, so I suppose we ought to be thankful for that. He gets $8.5m a year for his new three year deal. Pensacola is interested in QB J.R. Newhart, but I don’t see how we can let him go anywhere. He’s been the most obvious tonic for our sputtering offense, and while he may not be ideal, he’s certainly our main man for now. A second round pick and a player or two won’t get him away from us. Our free agent list includes the odd case of Mercury Moultrie. We grabbed him as an undrafted roster filler back in 2004, and he played a bit here and there for his first season. We let him go, but re-signed him after we suffered an injury at WR in 2005, and he played sporadically that year as well. A marginal talent but demanding only very little pay, we inked him to a three-year deal for 2006-08, and his playing time kept growing. Partially, this is because he’s our only guy listed at split end, and we know what that means for the depth-charting process (which I only override selectively). So, he has started the last two seasons, and last year approached 1,000 yards – consistently catching 2/3 of the balls thrown his way, despite his very modest ratings (nothing at all over 44). He is still only seeking about $2m a year – I don’t see how we can not re-sign him and keep him around, as he continues to overperform. CB Steve Hamilton never became the star I had hoped for when I made him our first draft pick, but he has stuck around as a decent reserve DB and solid kick returner. However, now he wants pretty big money – that will be a problem. I may try to wait him out – I cannot pay $2.5m a year for my 4th cornerback. C Marcus Gardner has assumed the starting center job, and looks good. He wants titanic money, though, and I don’t think we’ll have it to spend. C is always an easy position to fill – we’ll be looking for a more modestly priced free agent (like Gardner was for us originally) for that spot, I fear. On the open market, WR Henry Penrice is available, coming off a season where he was named league MVP. A wideout getting this honor is pretty rare, but his 1,695 yard season certainly made the case. He has made the all-pro team in each of his 5 seasons, and has gained 6,759 yards in that time – he’s a positively dominant player, it’s basically unbelievable that he’s out here like this. Death Valley couldn’t lock him up, and he’s looking to strike gold here – and I think he will. I look around, preferring to focus on more affordable target players. I put in a bid for WR Harvey West, who has done pretty well as a reserve with Tulsa and Tijuana. T Brett Davis is solid, and a two year deal would give me some nice, cheap OL insurance. WR George Blades is a shade more pricey than West and my guy Moultrie, but he is more accomplished – I put in a three year offer for him in an effort to put out a solid squad of wideouts around Todd Morton. After making my “budget” deals, I still have money left over – eve if all these guys sign. Probably not a full $10 million needed to ink one of the top star players out there – but enough to do something. Maybe I could re-sign C Gardner? I’ll wait him out, and watch the position. After one week, all my offers are pending, but C Gardner has a 4yr, $30m offer from Manhattan. WR Henry Penrice, to my shock, doesn’t have a single suitor yet. I decide that I have to at least make an effort to get him – and I put up a 4yr, $45m offer which counts $8m this year. We’ll see – I can’t imagine that nobody will put up more, but if this is a possibility, I need to jump on it. Free agent QB Eric Beeston signs with Bermuda, and probably makes them into a contender right away – he’s very solid. And at $18m a year, he’d better be. WR Harvey West and Mercury Moultrie, hearing about my interest in Penrice, both quickly snap up their offers from us. So, that might help anyway – but we could end up with an embarrassment of riches if Penrice does sign. In week 3, Hawk Mountain swoops in, offers Henry Penrice $84m over 7 years, and he’s gone. That makes much more sense – but it was exciting to think about landing him here. After week 6, all my targets have signed with us (except Penrice of course) and C Gardner has signed with Manhattan. Most of our decisions are now done. But we still have $10 million or so to spend – I have the luxury of looking through the relative values remaining in the FA pool. S Kenny Reeves has not gotten much playing time with Manhattan, but looks very good to us. It will take around $4-5m per year, but he’d become an impact player, I suspect. DE Chris Raymond has several bidders, but about $4m a year would lock him in – and he’s good enough to press for a starting job with us. We have several options – I decide to sit back and wait them out a bit longer. After week 10, I put in an offer for S Kenny Reeves, 4yrs, $19.5m. He just seems to be the obvious fit for our team – so I decide to pay the freight. I also put in an offer to RG Frank Smith – who I see stepping right in to start for us. And a three year offer to C Calvin Robertson might give us a solid man in the middle for a while. All three offers are accepted in a few weeks, and it looks like we have done a fairly good job in free agency this season. I like the upgrade at safety (cools the burn over losing the star safety in last year’s draft) and I think the line will be fine, if not improved with the depth we have added. As we head to the draft, I am prepared to use my two first round picks (we have Key West’s from last year’s trade) to move up if there’s a particular target player worth pursuing. We have picks at #26 and #31- I wouldn’t mind using both to move up to mid-round and grab a falling value player. DT Prestoin Picchietti would be a nice possibility, if we got lucky and he slipped to #15 or so. Regrettably, DT Picchietti goes at pick #5, and there’s nobody who intrigues me enough to move up to get mid-round. We are really without gaping holes on this team, which is nice, admittedly. LB is probably our most obvious need area – a developable young player would be helpful there. I’m not too keen on this draft, so I trade my #26 pick and next year’s third rounder to Kitty Hawk for next year’s first rounder from them. They picked at #5 this year – so I can hold out hope that I will land a real impact player with that selection – rather than the dullard I’d get here. Code:
An interesting draft. DT Sawyer might be very good, if he develops over time. I filled a couple of need spots, and picked up versatile TE Chandler (who originally was slotted at FB). QB Teal was intriguing in round two, a must in round four – he has great upside, which may never materialize, I understand. LB Kim Bauer might actually be a good fit for us, and we need help at LB. The newest trade offer for QB Newhart is up to a 1st round pick, plus a decent player. Still not one I want to do, but it’s nice to have the phone ring. Filling in the roster from here is tough. I want to re-sign DB Steve Hamilton, but his demands are just unreasonable. I can pay the $2.5m this year – but he demands a three year deal, and for a 4th or 5th corner and decent KR, that’s just too much. If he doesn’t get signed, I may ink him for one year after training camp – but will lose his cohesion benefits then. But then, even as I type that, I decide that it doesn’t really ring true to me – and I decide to go ahead and give him the three year deal after all. I work him down under $6m for the term – so it’s not that bad after all. We bid farewell to QB Jose Johnson – the first guy we tried out at the position, who has hung around as a reserve, dropping like a depth charge to the lowest ranks of our depth chart. Now, he’s free to make his own deal, if he can (doubtful). Code:
We get through the exhibition season, and get a couple decent showings from rookie QB Ricardo Teal. Will he be good down the line? Don’t know, but this is a decent first step. We do have bad news – DT Kevin Specter is lost for the year already, putting new pressure onto the remaining players up there. We sign a rookie DT to help fill in, but this is a real loss to our defense. WR Todd Morton is also banged up, but should be able to play within a week or two – veteran Mercury Moultrie slides into the starting lineup to ensure that Newhart has a familiar target. Week 1: Lake Erie at Wheeling We double up the Dealers 20-10, despite being outgained. Three interceptions helped our cause, as we get off to a good start. Week 2: Thunder Bay (1-0) at Lake Erie (1-0) We rallied in the fourth quarter to tie this one up at 28, but they kick the game-winning FG as time expires, and take it 31-28. George Blades and Mercury Moultrie play well, but we need our game breaker in there to get the offense ignited. WR Todd Morton should be back for next week’s game. Week 3: Manhattan (1-1) at Lake Erie (1-1) Not a terribly exciting game, but we win 23-20 on two fourth quarter field goals. Newhart connects with eight different receivers to keep the offense moving well. We get an early bye, and hope to gear up the offense for better results soon. Week 5: Cheyenne (2-1) at Lake Erie (2-1) We get our wish, after falling behind early, the offense tunes up and rolls. We win 38-22, as Newhart gets 3 TD passes, and we get a long interception return TD by none other than Steve Hamilton, my “bubble” veteran leader. Week 6: Napa Valley (1-4) at Lake Erie (3-1) We are big favorites, and come through, winning 52-16. Our offense is electric – Morton has his second big game with 165 yards and two scores. Week 7: Lake Erie (4-1) at Tijuana (3-2) A good road win, though the final margin of 30-28 doesn’t seem too great. Newhart is solid – 33 of 50 for 3 TDs and no picks. Mortos is over 100 yards for his third straight game. Week 8: Lake Erie (5-1) at Tulsa (5-1) Tulsa bolts out to a 24-0 lead just before halftime, and we try to come back, but fall short and lose this one 24-21. We are again being outrushed, and it looks like we are simply not using the running game much – not just this week, but generally. Newhart’s 3 picks added to the early frustrations, and our defense couldn’t prevent capitalizing. Week 9: Ocean City (2-6) at Lake Erie (5-2) Too bad the rivalry loses its luster quickly, but we heap more trouble onto the Thrashers, handing them a 23-17 loss and dropping them even lower into the muck. Halfway through our schedule, we are obviously a prolific passing team, and are ranked #1 in total scoring offense. We’re in the middle with defensive efficiency, one of my supposed strengths for this team. Newhart, however, has throws 21 TDs to only 9 picks – a much improved ration compared to last year, and that is the key element to our winning, I believe. Week 10: Wheeling (6-2) at Lake Erie (6-2) A big divisional game, we step up and club the Dealers, 21-0. That puts us a game up in the division, and we have them head to head also. It’s ours to lose this year. Week 11: Louisville (3-6) at Lake Erie (7-2) We get another solid effort here, but our running game is dropping badly. Bauer’s halfhearted effort today is worth 10 carries for 19 yards – not exactly star numbers on either side. Now Bauer will sit out a week or two to get over a knee injury. Week 12: Lake Erie (8-2) at Champaign (7-3) We get a tough road win here, pulling away in the fourth quarter after an even contest to that point. WRs Morton and blades both go over 100 yards and each get a TD catch in the effort. Week 13: Lake Erie (9-2) at Pensacola (3-8) We have a surprisingly close game here, and only manage a win with a late FG, to get to 24-23. RB Clausen and RB Fridlund actually carry the ball well, as we gain 147 yards on the ground in total. And suddenly, Spencer Bauer’s knee is feeling better, and he’ll be able to play. Week 14: Lake Erie (10-2) at Ypsilanti (3-8-1) We are already in the playoffs, and are now just battling Fort Knox for the top seeding. We also remain only one game ahead of Wheeling, so even the division is potentially tough. Meanwhile, to my chagrin, Kitty Hawk is 7-5, ruining my chances for a top-tier draft pick next season (I traded for their first selection). A 34-9 road win looks good, as Newhart is very sharp, hitting for three first half TDs, and staying unblemished by picks all day. This former benchwarmer for Athens is now looking like our top player, and if he can stay consistently away from the interceptions, he’ll really be going places. Week 15: Lake Erie (11-2) at Ocean City (5-8) We stay consistent, and get another solid win here. The great defense is led by Marshall Hogenkamp, whose 14+1 tackles and 3 sacks earn him the game ball, needless to say. Week 16: Sault Ste. Marie (3-10-1) at Lake Erie (12-2) We get a 37-20 win, keyed by an early fake FG where our kicker tosses a short TD pass to WR George Blades. Nice – we roll on from there. Week 17: Lake Erie (13-2) at Louisville (6-9) We round out a very strong season with a nice division road win, and get to 14-2 on the year. We now have taken the next big step, and look every bit like the power team that we showed flashes of in each of the last two seasons. Code:
So, we sit atop the division, and will face all comers from home this year. Code:
On offense, the pass-happy plan works well for us, as predicted. I had expected that the key factor would be having our defense help us overcome our many turnovers, but Newhart cut down on the picks, and we only turned it over 1.6 times a game – not nearly as bad as I had expected. And though he didn’t make it directly, the one pass thrown by my kicker is evident by the margin between Newhart and the team totals. Kudos to K Harry Turner. RB Spencer Bauer didn’t have a great season, but it’s still clear that there is a big difference between what he can do with his 155 carries and what our backup (Clausen) can do. No comparison, really. And Morton, in his contract year, certainly earned his kudos – he remains the main threat in this offense, despite our efforts to diversify. WR George Blades played pretty well, too – staying healthy and topping 1,000 yards for the third time in his career. Defensively, I am shocked to see Hogenkamp get more tackles than Kley, but he is certainly developing into a fine player. His move to the strong side was a boom for him – and I think he will get all-pro honors this season, which is a pleasant surprise. DE Ken Barnes is developing fairly well – overcoming some initial skepticism of mine. A fill-in player, DT Ken Gruttadauria, had a very nice season in reserve, but is not truly the run stopper than I crave for my middle defense. Rookie LB Rich Finneran played pretty well in a mostly-starting capacity— I am hoping that he continues to play well. Overall, the defense played well in the second half – and we got going pretty well. If they play that well through the postseason, we will be very tough to handle. Into the postseason: Divisional Playoff: Wheeling (11-6) at Lake Erie (14-2) A good draw for us, unless you buy that “hard to beat a team three times in a season” theory, which I don’t. We seem to match up well with Wheeling, and we’ll look to do our usual number on them. Well, it was hard to do. Down 10 points with 7 minutes to go, we rally to score a TD, and then get in for a tying field goal, and force overtime. Our momentum carries over, and so we stop them, and quickly march in for the winning score, taking the game 33-27. not at all easy, but we advance. Big efforts by big players: Bauer gets 127 on the ground and 101 receiving, while Morton has 191 and a TD receiving. Great game – one for the books. Conference Championship: Fort Knox (13-4) at Lake Erie (15-2) J.R. Newhart comes out slinging, and we roll to a quick 21-0 lead behind three first half TD passes. Fort Knox gets a FG just before the half, and then comes out hot in the third quarter, getting it to 21-17 early in the fourth. With 25 seconds on the clock, Fort Knox connects for a short TD pass, and they gain the final 24-21 edge, moving on to the championship game. Ouch. Fort Knox beats Norfolk 29-24 for their first championship. Tough loss for us, but we’ll try to suffer through and get back to that spot next season. Code:
Newhart easily outpaces the league in passing yards, and his 89.9 rating is good enough to give him the all-pro nod, and league MVP honors (slightly surprising to me). RB J.C. Reeves, a free agent acquisition by Norfolk, was a complete jackpot for them. He signed for about $4-5m per year for five seasons, and he exploded for a monster year here – seems a lot like Priest Holmes to me. Todd Morton misses out on the all-pro team, probably getting 5th place for only four spots. WR Henry Penrice gets a spot, though – he tops 1,500 yards for Hawk Mountain. LBs Hogenkamp and Kley both get all-pro honors, which is nice to see. I’ll hope to retain Kley past this year, trying to keep this pair together on the field. |
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07-05-2003, 01:49 PM
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#27 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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And thus marks the end of my "window" - I have several big dollar players coming up for new contracts this season: RB Bauer, LB Kley, CB Shifflet, S Boyer, and a few more. This will be the first offseaosn where we have to let quality guys go.
Not that we cannot keep winning, but the time period without that kind of loss is over. And after next season, we'll be looking at a new contract for QB Newhart, which is going to cost us at leats $10 million more than he costs me now. |
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07-05-2003, 04:18 PM
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#28 | |
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Quarterback
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: London, England
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Quote:
I assume you use the "Generic / Text Only" printer driver to print to a file. Have you tried deleting and reinstalling the printer? |
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07-05-2003, 07:58 PM
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#29 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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I must admit, I'm following the progress of the whole team pretty closely, but one player to catch my eye is CB Scottie Gaines (your 1st rounder 3 years ago).
Has he developed as you'd expected? He seems to be a hot-shot player - can he also shut guys down? With that flashy name and stat total, I'd be interested to find out... ~rpi-fan
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Quis custodiets ipsos custodes? |
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07-05-2003, 09:32 PM
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#30 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Excellent.
QS.
Excellent as usual. I am thouroughly enjoying this latest dynasty. Good luck in the transition years. Regards, Chas
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07-06-2003, 07:52 AM
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#31 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
Yes, I have done so a couple of times... to no avail. It's always happened on this computer (a fairly new laptop running Windows XT). Primelord reported the same problem, also running XT - that's the only affirmation that I have seen). SOL, I guess. |
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07-06-2003, 07:57 AM
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#32 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
When I picked Gaines, I thought he was a pretty likely bust, but took him because he had potential to be an across-the-board star at CB -- and with a mid-to-late fiorst round pick, it was too good a value to pass up. To my modest surprise but great delight, he actually deveoped to those potentials, and is now a bona fide star player. Actually, his 52 in MTM coverage is one of his lower ratings, but he gets about 90 in the other coverages, 71 in run defense, 91 in play diagnosis, and 93/97 in interceptions. He's a serious top-level guy. Over four years, his PDPct is 20.5 - and I usually consider anything over 20 to be a very good rating. He has 25 interceptions in that time - also pretty solid for a corner. Donny Shifflett, my other starter at CB (converted from safety right after we drafted him) is not as good an overall talent, but seems to be slightly better in pure coverage. But together, I love these two - they are very good overall, just what I like to have back at the corners. |
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07-06-2003, 09:40 AM
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#33 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2010
This will be our first serious “year of decisions.” The initial phases of building a team from scratch in FOF are threefold. There’s the “one piece at a time” phase, as we have many needs and are looking for help everywhere. Then there’s the “window of opportunity” time where you have many of those initial players starting to peak, and not yet coming due for new contracts for big money. Then, finally, there’s a leveling off period – where you start to basically resemble a real-live football team, rather than something that was just built. I’m now entering that third phase. Safety T.J. Lap has retired. he lost his job last season when we brought in top-dollar safety Kenny Reeves, and now he’s decided to hang ‘em up for good. Fine. We decide to re-hire Deon Bridges, our lead scout. His new deal is actually less than his old one – despite our team’s success under him. Okay, then. We have a flood of players without contracts – and a good sum to sign them. Yes, the good news is that we have $43m in cap space. The bad news is that the players I’d like to re-sign (all else equal) and the approximate sum they desire are: DT Kevin Specter, $2m/yr (coming off big injury reduced his demands) DT Jumbo Clements, $2m LB Jay Kley, $13m LB Sedrick Shea, $2m RB Spencer Bauer, $9m TE Dwayne Miailovich, $4m DT Lee Gruttadauria, $5m CB Donnie Shifflett, $8m S Antonio Boyer, $6m FB Rusty Hamilton, $2m P Courtney Westbrook, $2m We simply will not be able to bring everyone back (especially if some of these prices go us) – and things are going to get tighter next season, too. So – we will have to start making tough choices. My first thinking is that we try to lock up LB Kley, RB Bauer, and CB Shifflett, and then see where we are. I’m split on S Boyer – he’s been solid, but I think it’s a pretty replaceable position, and I don’t think he’s enough of a star to pay big money for long term. I think we can grab a few of the lower-priced guys, and come away from this year pretty unscathed. That is, assuming we don’t have to overreach to hold on to Kley in particular. I start off the FA period with bids in to those big three, and also my two longtime defensive tackles. I’d like to return that trio intact- but Gruttadauria has decided that he’s worth a ton of cash, so he won’t return. We find a few cheap outside free agents to pursue – a couple fill-in offensive linemen, and a reserve corner, all cheap. DE brad Turk, in particular, could be a very handy addition for the veteran minimum. And QB Matthew Kennedy might be another nice reclamation project off the bench from Louisville, where he was never able to take a single snap. DE Jamie Perry will no doubt be the big pursuit of this FA period (in addition to the two star RBs, including Bauer) – as he posted 23.5 sacks last year. Who wouldn’t want a guy with 64.5 sacks in five seasons? I put in a simple 3yr, $36m offer for him – not expecting to see him, but I figure that I’ll make the room if we somehow get him. After the first week of free agency, I am shocked. RB Bauer is locked in with us, and CB Shifflett is also done. So are DT Specter and C Quinn (a cheap guy). But, to my shock, so is DE Jamie Perry – who took our simple offer, and now occupies a $12 million cap space. I will need to do some work to make this come out right. And the big issue is this: can we still afford Jay Kley’s $13m contract? Here’s where we are: I have 39 players signed, and have 7 draft picks coming. So, I have about $5.5m to spend on free agents here. To get up to sign Kley, it’s going to cost me at least $8-9m, even if it’s a fairly backloaded deal. I need to make room – but I don’t see an easy way to do it. The easiest thing to do would be to release one or both of my decent defensive ends Mangiafico and Louchiey – each are making about $3m and have just become reserves. If we land the free agent Turk, he can be our #3 and we can draft a #4 guy and be okay. That frees up something like $5 million – which certainly would help. Okay – at this point, I think the only thing we can do is pull our offer to Jay Kley, and hope that he goes unpursued. Then, we might be able to clear out some space, and try to get him back more cheaply later in the FA process. I start out by making some cuts. WR Harvey West couldn’t stay healthy last year, and is our clear #4 guy – we save about $1.2m by releasing him. We save $1m cutting longtime LB Ty Foland, who is now a marginal reserve at best. G Deon Myers is an easy cut for $850,000. Those cuts get us up to about $8.5m in usable space – better, but still not enough. I pull the offer sheet to LB Kley, but hope to get back to the table with him soon. Two weeks later, it’s decision time. Kley has an offer – from division rivals Louisville, too. It’s 6 years, $90 million. That’s an awful lot for a linebacker, no matter how good he might be. I look around, and see that a pretty darned good MLB from Fort Knox, bob Cummings, is asking for $8m a year and not getting a nibble. It might be time to let Kley go, and look for another guy to fill the spot. In week six, MLB Jay Kley signs with Louisville, and my TE Miailovich signs with Memphis. I’m going to wait out the MLB crop, and sign someone later in the FA process- there are two guys I think I can get to step right and in and start for us. As we’re into the middle FA stages, S Antonio Boyer gets a new deal from Bermuda, and he’s gone. The MLB from Niagara Falls just signed with Louisville – as they are clearly trying to make a serious push with their defense. So, we put in our offer for Bob Cummings – a very solid player who has spent his last two seasons in the middle of the defense for Fort Knox. His deal is for 5 yrs, $32 million – solid, but not a budget-buster, really. He accepts right away – and I think we have a reconfigured defensive front pretty well ready to go. We also are very desperately out of cash. So, going into the draft, we need to get all our need areas filled with these seven picks. We definitely need a safety and a fullback – just to get our roster filled out. Actually, getting a quality FB or TE in here would be good – usually there are decent players around in the middle rounds. Early on, a standout safety would be nice, or perhaps a future star-caliber linebacker, who could play on the weak side. We also are in need of a fourth wide receiver, so that’s another place we could look fairly early. With picks at #26 and #30, I am again looking at the middle of the first round – and if something jumps up, I may be inclined to go and get it, using both first rounders if need be. After 14 guys are off the board, S Tom Austin looks like he’d be an ideal pick for us – very ready to play, and projects to be an excellent all-around player. But move up to #15 to get a safety? Really? I wait a couple more picks – he’s still there at #20. I decide now is the time to make a move. For our fourth rounder, we move up from #26 to #20, and grab the safety that I want here in Tom Austin. We also make a swap for next year as part of the deal, which may work out for us down the road. I trade my own first rounder to Sacramento, to get their first rounder for next year—I have to throw in some extra picks, but it might work out to be a good selection, plus it ought to save us some cap space this year – which I need badly, as we know. Code:
In the end of round two, I get a WR I really like – DJ Solwold will return punts and work his way into the picture in time, I suspect. The later picks are for need – RB Robertson might be a nice utility back for us, as a good receiver out of the backfield. We get an intriguing trade offer – a 1st round pick next year for RT Trevor Devine. He is playing well, but is in his last year and I absolutely cannot re-sign him, I’m sure of that. I don’t have to think too long about this one – that gives us three first rounders next year, where we ought to be able to do some damage. At the end of the line, we get a complete roster, and the last move we make is to re-sign FB Rusty Hamilton for a five year deal. We’re left with $170,000 in cap space – not enough to do a damned thing mid-season if we need to. Code:
So, we head into the pre-season hoping that the reshuffling has been for the good, on balance. Landing DE Parry caused a shockwave through our whole roster – but I think he ought to be a great addition for us. As we prepare for the season, we have the 100 roster rating (Wheeling and Ocean City are next highest =t 76 – our division is stacked, it seems). Cohesion is at a modest level of 90-70-87-78 – none of these gets us near the top of the league. We have the top power rating in the league, at 72 (Wheeling has 68). So – we will see how this plays out. I will be very interested to see what Louisvile does with their two new stars in their LB corps--will they start both MLBs, or will then bench one after signing him to a huge contract? Week 1: Ocean City at Lake Erie OC remains a team focused on its all-around star RB, Vernon Rand. We have evolved past that (we think) but they still like to pound Rand as their main weapon on offense. This game goes back and forth – we end up tying it late with a FG to send it into overtime, and then we win it on our first OT drive. Each side got a special teams TD, and neither offense played all that crisply. Bauer outgained Rand 46 to 17 – ho-hum, what a showdown, eh? Week 2: Lake Erie (1-0) at Athens (0-1) We get back on track with a solid 44-17 win, as our offense clicks the way it ought to – we gain 497 yards and everyone plays pretty well. Backup QB Ricardo Kidman comes in for the second half, and even under him we keep rolling along. Newhart is fine for next week, just got dinged a bit. Week 3: Lake Erie (2-0) at Tulsa (1-1) We get beat here the old fashioned way – they ran the ball, and stopped our running game. When we passed to catch up, they were ready. Good 17-9 win by the Drillers, and we slip off the early pace for the division. Week 4: Lake Erie (2-1) at Niagara Falls (1-2) Things start working for us again, as Spencer Bauer scored three times and we get a solid 30-10 win. In the early going, our new MLB Tom Cummings is fitting like a hand in a glove—he has 36 tackles in four games, and actually is proving to be the solid run-stopper that we really needed inside there. DE Parry has 2.5 sacks, but our promising youngster on the other side Barnes has 4.5, and the defensive line is playing well despite several minor injuries. Week 5: Wheeling (2-2) at Lake Erie (3-1) Here’s our chance to make some distance in the division. Our defense stands tall, and the only points Wheeling gets are off an interception return: we win 24-7 and look very good along the way, even as Newhart throws four interceptions. This game is the model for how I thought we’d be winning by now—I though we’d be mistake prone, but good enough on defense to keep in the game despite our miscues. We now have to see whether last year was the new expectation, or was it a fluke? (Finger pointed firmly at Newhart, who currently has a TD/Int ratio of 7/10) Week 6: Key West (1-4) at Lake Erie (4-1) In a game where we ought to clean up, we collapse instead. They run well, we don’t we throw four more picks, and they win 31-14. Ouch. Week 7: Manattan (3-3) at Lake Erie (4-2) Spencer Bauer is dinged up, but it doesn’t show here – he posts his first 100 yard game in some time, and looks sharp as we roll, 34-7. Mercury Moultrie, getting a start in place of the injured George Blades, shows a flash of his former self with two TDs in the game. A good effort all around, even though Newhart continues to throw picks (three more today). Week 8: Lake Erie (5-2) at Nashua (6-1) These are sometimes the games that measure a season – on the road against a tough opponent. We play well here, overcome two more Newhart picks, and get Spencer Bauer into the end zone in overtime for his second TD to seal it away, 22-16. That’s our midway point – where are we? J.R. Newhart again leads the league in passing yards, but his ration of 11/19 is terrible. Interestingly, one of the QBs chasing the top of the league is Amos Hulbert, who has really caught on with Providence the last few years since he left us. Our offense overall is great at generating yards – 2nd in yards per rush, 1st in total passing. But our 21 turnovers are second worst in the league, and our ratio of –10 is also. That’s just tough to overcome. The defense is doing well – in the top 10 in both rushing and passing efficiency (yards per play). CB Scottie Gaines is having a fine season with five interceptions – he and Shifflett are playing well in the secondary for us, once again. Week 9: Lake Erie (6-2) at Ocean City (4-3) Nobody knows why Vernon Rand is playing so poorly this season, but he’s only getting 3.3 yards per carry and actually trails Bauer in the rushing department. Things don’t get better this week – we beat the Thrashers 30-13, and Rand runs 9 for 56 on the day. Mercury Moultrie has a 100-yard day, and I think will stay in the starting lineup for a while. Week 11: Louisville (4-5) at Lake Erie (7-2) So, Louisville paid a new contract of 6 years, $45 million or so for MLB Ian Hutton – a guy who could make a huge difference for them this year and beyond. And where is he now? Sitting on the bench behind Jay Kley, watching two stiff play OLB every week. Great – I know this is supposed to be improved, but this is wrong on so many levels. Without Todd Morton (out for a week or two with an elbow), we don’t have our usual fire on offense, but manage to eke out a 19-14 win here. S Kenny Reeves keys the big play with a 67 yard interception return, which really makes it better as Louisville tries to recover. Week 12: Mazatlan (5-5) at Lake Erie (8-2) A 42-14 thumping – just what a power team ought to do here. Newhart keeps slinging it around – this time it’s 4 TDs to only 2 interceptions – I guess we’ll take that. Week 13: Fort Knox (8-2-1) at Lake Erie (9-2) Big game, against the defending champions and the team who knocked us out last season at our place. Nashua is also in the picture, but this game might end up determining home field advantage this season in our conference. A kind of crazy game – we battle back and forth, end up in overtime, and they again get us in the end, 33-27. Newhart completed 27 of 57 passes, but no TDs and no picks. Weird game – we played fairly close to the vest, and it didn’t really pay off. Week 14: Lake Erie (9-3) at Kitty Hawk (1-11) Ought to be a romp, but on the road you never know. Bauer gets 100 yards, Newhart avoids throwing a pick for his second straight game, and we win it 24-10. Week 15: Lake Erie (10-3) at Louisville (7-6) We need every second to win this one 34-31, as we get the game-winning FG at the buzzer. With Bauer out injured, we actually run the ball a little more than usual (weird) but Claussen and company do okay in his absence. Newhart again avoids the interception – but late in the game, he gets hit hard from the side, and the X-rays reveal a broken arm. We have a crisis, as he is listed out for five weeks. Week 16: Bermuda (7-7) at Lake Erie (11-3) With Newhart out, we have to go back to Ricardo Kidman – who barely made it through the roster slashing earlier this offseason. Now, we call on him to keep the engines going. We get a 26-21 win over Bermuda here, as Kidman plays fairly well. It’s a late interception TD by Scottie Gaines that seals the deal, though – our defense clearly needs to “step up” here. With a bye week looking like a big deal for us, we really need to keep winning – right now we stand as the #3 seed, not good enough. Week 17: Lake Erie (12-3) at Wheeling (6-9) Well, the expected challenge from Wheeling never materialized this year. But we are very dinged up all over – especially our skill positions, and this game is no gimme. We get a clutch 20-17 win, and even more importantly, Fort knox chokes in their last game – giving us the #2 seed behind Nashua. We get a very welcome week off, and will hope to lick some of our wounds to get ready for the postseason. Code:
A lucky break at the end of the season, as the conference’s three-way race worked out fine for us. I don’t mind traveling for the conference championship – it’s the bye week that we desperately needed (with an influenza bout hitting us in week 17 – awful timing). Code:
Newhart rediscovered his interceptions this year, but was getting it back together at the end of the season when he got hurt. He’s still list ad out for three weeks – I don’t know what he’ll be able to do for us down the stretch here. Kidman played well in his short stint, and we’ll call on him again. Another solid season for RB Spencer Bauer, and another solid season for WR Todd Morton. Neither one set the world on fire, but both were effective. Mercury Moultrie was very good when he got to play – he may have battled George Blades out of a starting job. (He’s very resilient, it seems) The offensive line played pretty well, with RG Frank Smith being really the only weak link. LG Rodney Houston might be in line for some post-season honors, with 27 key run blocks ion 61 attempts. On defense, Tom Cummings cooled from his super-hot start, but was very effective for us all year. Defensive ends Parry and Barnes both were effective giving us the best 1-2 punch in pass rushing that we have ever had – exactly what we had hoped for. DE Dan Louichey, weighing 291 pounds, filled in well at DT, and gave us a solid season there, too. Overall, the defense gave us an excellent year – the pass defense broke down a little bit in the second half, but overall, I am pleased. Divisional Playoff: Fort Knox (13-3-1) at Lake Erie (13-3) Fort Knox, of course, gets their win and advances to face us – just what we knew would happen. J.R. Newhart is at least a week away from returning, so we will go with Ricardo Kidman, and will keep the playbook intact. WR Todd Morton is out (maybe long term) with an injury, so our passing game will be a bit shaky. We’ll be looking for Spencer Bauer all day, in the running game and in underneath passing routes. It’s a defensive game, and we lead 10-3 in the late third quarter. Fort Knox gets a drive to tie it up, and after we take over, there’s pressure on. Kidman throws an unfortunate interception, which is run back 89 yards for a TD, and we are in trouble. We get a FG later in the fourth, but never can close the gap – and Fort Knox kicks us ouut again, 17-13. They just seem to have our number. Fort Knox makes it to the championship game, but loses there to Hawk Mountain, foiling their attempt to become the league’s first back-to-back winners. Code:
It wasn’t as much of a transition year as I had imagined. Actually, had we not picked up DE Parry, things would have been pretty smooth. The year ahead might be tougher- QB Newhart’s contract is up, as are a few other big dollar players. And, we have WR Todd Morton leaving this year with a potentially serious injury – that might be a big, dead, unbmovable contract if he cannot recover. We’ll see how it pans out – but this year ahead might be one where we end up shifting toward youth (with three first round draft picks) and away from some of the veteran players who got us this far. |
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07-06-2003, 10:37 AM
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#34 | |
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Morgado's Favorite Forum Fascist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Greensboro, NC
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Quote:
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The media don't understand the kinds of problems and pressures 54 million come wit'! |
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07-06-2003, 02:49 PM
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#35 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Ack, I misstated above - my system is running Windows 2000, not Windows XP. Sorry for any confusion...
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07-06-2003, 06:37 PM
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#36 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2011 offseason
Here is a summary of our efforts so far – just for synopsis value: Code:
While our final result has slid a round each of the last three years, I think it’s tough to say that our team is declining. I think the 2009 team was our best so far, but we weren’t too far from that mark last season. We don’t have any retirements this year – we’ll come back nearly intact. The one guy who is not coming back intact is WR Todd Morton, who blew out his achilles tendon late last season, and while he is nearly healthy, he is simply not the same player he once was. His $9.6 million contract is looking like a huge burden – we need to get rid of him. However, since he’s technically still injured (probable) we cannot cut him – ouch. We start the FA process with 28 players signed, and $27m in cap room (with about $15m spendable on free agents). This is going to be tight – much tighter than last season, for certain. On our roster, here are the key free agent players, and their demands: QB J.R. Newhart - $15m/yr LT Rufus Coffey - $12m/yr LB Marshall Hogenkamp - $8m/yr Those three alone would cost far more than I have, period. And that’s before I even consider the many other decent contributors who are without a deal – players like WR Mercury Moultrie, DE Dan Louichey, G Frank Smith, and several more. We’ve got a mess here – we sure could use the $8m in cap space that we’d get by cutting WR Morton. Double ouch! My first decision here is that we have to pursue QB J.R. Newhart. Yes, he throws interceptions, but he is the guy who pulled it all together for us. I don’t see how we can expect to stay at the top of the league without him. It won’t be easy to replace the other guys, but that’s exactly what we need to try to do. I put in an offer for Newhart: a simple three years, $48 million. The big payoff is in year three, meaning it only costs us about $13m this season and next. Even if this works out, we’re going to be very strapped elsewhere on the roster – and can totally say goodbye to keeping either of the other two “big name” players here. I put in a few cheap bids, including two offensive linemen (who could help fill holes we’ll have after free agency) and a QB Matthew Kennedy – a guy I wanted to sign last year, but ran out of cash then. That’s all we put on the table as we head into the first week of this huge free agency process. After week two of the process, we get news. Memphis has blown away QB J.R. Newhart, and he has quickly agreed to their terms – it’s $44 million over four years, but it’s apparently got an opt-out, making it potentially much more lucrative. And so – Newhart takes the offer from the Kings, and we’re left without our quarterback. Time for Plan B. I’ve also lost out on the OG I was pursuing, so I only have two bids in. But it’s time to spend some money – now that Newhart is off the board. I put in a bid for LT Brett Davis, who has been our backup – he might well have to take on the starting LT duties, assuming Coffey leaves. But that’s not necessarily a done deal at this point. Coffey has yet to get any big offers, so we might yet find a way to bring him back, which would be nice. We also need to worry about QB. Ricardo Kidman is also without a deal, and I think bringing him back as the default starter is the wisest thing to do here. An offer is in for two years. And, I plan to wait out LB Hogenkamp, but would like very much to re-sign him as his price hopefully drops a bit more. Bottom line – I expect to spend our modest cap room to grab a number of contributors, and this will likely mean that we still lose our big two guys out there, in addition to losing Newhart already. Okay, after week four, LT Rufus Coffey has been signed away by Norfolk. That’s two down from my trio of “big name” players. But the next week, we ink deals with both QBs, and it looks like Ricardo Kidman and Matthew Kennedy will get a shot in training camp to take over our once high-flying offense. We get T Roman Tyler, who will move in and have a shot to compete for the starting LT job – but will be starting somewhere on the OL this season. He ought to be solid, and is locked up for three seasons now. DT Doug Roush is another decent pickup, and should help with our newly weakened defensive front. He’s much cheaper than Mangiafico or Louchiey, who are presumably departing (though neither has a taker at their request level). I still cannot work out an acceptable deal for LB Hogenkamp, and his return is looking less and less likely. We make a two year offer to WR Mercury Moultrie, and he quickly accepts. With Morton in trouble (if not on his way out totally), Moultrie has a shot to become a critical starter for us this season – and despite his modest ratings, he really has never failed to be productive for us. Why not pay him? I’ve got $5.4m left to spend on free agents, but only have 34 players signed. When we add in nine draftees, that’s still short by at least 3 players – so that really means we have about $4m to spend on one player at this point. That player probably ought to be LB Hogenkamp, but how to get him into the fold? I finally put together a 3yr, $22m offer, which he finds acceptable. I hope this is enough to get him back with us – at least for the next couple of years. He takes the deal, and our offseason is pretty well done. Not pretty, but it’s done. For this year’s amateur draft, it’s all paying off. We have been pushing back early draft picks, in an effort to have a season like this one. We’ve got picks #3, #18, and #20 in round one – and are hoping to land a few impact players. I’m open to using the lower two pick to move up to grab a potential superstar, if I feel that such a guy is looming in this draft. My top three guys overall (considering our team needs) are LB Austin Middleton, WR Cornell Grigsby, and QB Edgar Beyer. I’m awfully nervous about taking a QB with that early pick, but Beyer has some immediate skills and looks like he might develop into a serious star. Very tempting. A good thing is that this seems to be a very RB-heavy draft, so it’s possible that other teams will let these guys slide a ways to my selections. That would be very nice. All three guys are there for my pick at #3. I am paralyzed – I want to take Beyer, but I also feel like I might be able to get him at around pick #6-10, rather than take him here at #3. It’s tough. The most intriguing thing is that Thunder Bay has two first rounders, at #7 and #12. If we get lucky, we might get two stars with those picks. I offer them #3 and #20 for the pair of picks, and they accept it. So, we sit at #7, and now we hope that we end up with two of my target players with my top two selections. Code:
We’re fine now – we lost out on the standout receiver in this draft, but I think I would have taken the QB ahead of him anyway. I think Beyer has a shot to be the real thing… though what do I know about forecasting players? Unfortunately, LB Middleton get taken at #10, foiling my hopes to grab two of my top three players here. We manage to get things we need – but a shade down from my highest hopes: Code:
DT Gilmore might be a stalwart for us on the front, if he develops as he appears he can. LB Godfrey doesn’t seem to be as solid a bet as Middleton was, but if he pans out, he’ll be every bit as solid. The rest are potential contributors – WR Riley is a playmaker, and might complement our various possession guys pretty well. I head into training camp with about $1 million in cap space. We will watch players like DE Mangiafico, DE Louchiey, LB Drew Torrance, and FB Malcolm Fridlund walk, all because we cannot afford to re-up. Perhaps once WR Mortomn gets healthy, we can make something work. I decide that it’s within the spirit of my rules to extend the contract of WR Todd Morton here. He has been hurt, he’s clearly not a $9m player any longer, and he’s looking for a deal at around $4 million a year. We work it out – and I think that’s fair. Plus, it frees up some cap space right now – perhaps letting me land one more helpful guy. We re-up with DE Martin Mangiafico for one more year – he ought to help give us one more usable body along the defensive line, which is always important. We also sign a veteran tight end Zach Dobler, who won’t be much of a factor in the passing game, but should help in blocking. Code:
It’s another tight budget year – and obviously a year of real change. We’ve got two guys competing for the QB job right now, but we also have an exciting rookie who looks over that position with a long, dark shadow. If Edgar Beyer takes the job, he may never let it go. Beyer had a pretty good training camp, too – so we’ll be watching him closely this preseason. |
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07-08-2003, 09:23 AM
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#37 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2011 season
Into the preseason, we bring our mighty troops. I put rookie Beyer into the starting QB position for the preseason, with newfound free agent Kennedy in the backup role. I intend to start Kidman, but these two will be in the mix as well—the starting job is a pretty close call, actually, by all appearances. Here’s what we get from the two QBs in the preseason: Code:
In Edgar Beyer, I think there’s a good deal of Newhart—he’s a bit of a gunslinger, but at the moment, he is a little raw. He can clearly get the ball in the air, and I am optimistic that down the road, he will emerge as the guy we hope he can be. For now, these two will sit and back up Ricardo Kidman, whose late-season play last year earned him this shot. For now, Beyer will be the #2… and gaining. We enter the season without Spencer Bauer, who hurt his shoulder in preseason and will skip the first month or so. Easing in a new QB is tough enough – doing so without our star tailback is worse by far. Week 1: Louisville at Lake Erie Three of the four TDs in this game are scored by the defenses, and our wins out as we take a 24-19 win. LB Bob Cummings and CB Donny Shifflett each returned picks for scores, helping take some pressure off the offense. Our offense played terribly – we managed only 24 yards rushing, and Kidman looked positively lost out there. Week 2: Sacramento (1-0) at Lake Erie (1-0) Our offense plays a bit better here, as we insert rookie RB Adrian Willis into the lineup – but our defense cannot get this one, ad we yield a tying, then winning FG to blow it 29-26. Week 3: Lake Erie (1-1) at Tijuana (1-1) We eke out another win, as Kidman throws this third TD pass with over 2 minutes left, and we secure a 27-24 victory. This definitely isn’t going to be easy. Week 4: Fort Know (2-1) at Lake Erie (2-1) We head into this big game without DE Jamie Parry, who will be out for a few weeks – just what we need, our best players on offense and defense both gone. However, we come out like gangbusters, converting early and often – and getting three short TD passes from Kidman in the first quarter. We barely hold on, though, to take the 36-31 win. Our defense has been a little shaky this season, especially against the pass. Cause for some concern. However, after getting our big lead, we did get a mighty 140 yards rushing from undrafted rookie RB Adrian Willis – a nice surprise. Week 5: Lake Erie (3-1) at Pensacola (2-2) We return Bauer to the lineup, but drop back Kidman a silly 54 times en route to a 20-13 win. Moultrie, getting his first start of the year, posts a solid 99 yards and a TD to lead the receiving corps. Week 6: Lake Erie (4-1) at Little Rock (1-3) And now that we’ve battled the titans, we get slayed by the mouse. A 24-17 loss here, as we come out flat and are unable to do much at all on offense. Weird. Week 7: Lake Erie (4-2) at Ocean City (1-5) Kidman throws 54 times again, but this time it’s for the good, as we get a ncie 30-6 win over the struggling Thrashers. My TE Sacratini has 8 catches for 75 yards and two score in the effort – and he’s not really even there to catch the football. Week 8: Fort Wayne (3-4) at Lake Erie (5-2) RB Spencer Bauer is still hobbled, but playing – now by shin splints, which may never go away. With our anemic offense, we lose here by the unlikely score of 13-5. Kidman is downright awful – completing only 13 of 41 for 185 yards and a pick. Ouch. And now, right on cue, Kidman is hurt—he has a pulled groin, and will miss a week or two. At our midpoint we are 5-3 -- but I think we’re lucky to be that well off. Our offense has really dropped off thus far (no major surprise after losing our QB) and our defense is just climbing back up to being average. Kidman has been okay, but not prolific – he has by far the most attempts passing, but is only 6th in passing yardage. On defense, with Parry playing only sporadically, we aren’t getting big numbers in sacks – only Barnes is poised for double digit sacks this year. Overall, this is disappointing. We will be giving rookie Edgar Beyer his first start this week, and probably another one next week. I don’t have a plan after that – we’ll see who is producing best on the field. But if he proves to be a spark, I don’t mind going with the youngster. Week 9: Wheeling (6-2) at Lake Erie (5-3) A big game against the top division rival may not be the perfect time to audition a rookie quarterback… but here we are. Edgar Beyer plays a pretty solid game – 22 of 39, 266 yards, 3 TDs and 2 Int. Our defense doesn’t help the cause much, and we lose the game 27-21. Week 11: Lake Erie (5-4) at Louisville (3-6) This is a big game for us, and young Edger Beyer will be back in the saddle. A loss drops us to 5-5, and probably out of the division race. A win keeps us in the hunt, I think. We put it all together, and rout Louisville, 38-0. Edgar Beyer is very solid, throwing for 275 yards and 3 scores, with only one pick. He links up wit George Blades for 89 yards and a TD, while Spencer Bauer looks somewhat rejuvenated with 81 yards on the ground. Good effort, and the defense played great—holding them to 253 yards and causing 5 turnovers. Week 12: Memphis (4-6) at Lake Erie (6-4) Our euphoria takes a bit of a nosedive here, as J.R. Newhart and his gang rip us up, 28-6. Actually, it’s RB Brent Simmons who does most of the ripping, but it’s a tough loss nonetheless. Our running game is gone, and our QBs throw three picks with no scores. bad game, and 6-5 just isn’t what we were looking for at this point. Newhart had some injury troubles early in the season, but has bounced back to do okay for the Kings. He won’t be an all-star, but he’s got them in the playoff hunt. Week 13: Nashua (6-5) at Lake Erie (6-5) Another very big game, and we have Kidman healthy and activated. He’ll start, with Beyer back in as the #2 man. We slip behind early, but rally back to get close, but still take a 27-24 loss. RB Bauer is probably out for the year, DE Parry is injured again, and we are in real trouble. Week 14: Lake Erie (6-6) at Puget Sound (5-7) We remain totally unable to run the ball, and our season seems pretty well sealed after we boot this one, 20-10. And now at 6-7, that probably wraps up the season. Ouch. Week 15: Lake Erie (6-7) at Wheeling (8-5) Tough call – if we win this game, we technically have an outside shot at taking the division. I’m not playing to lose, but I am putting Edgar Beyer back in to start. We give up two defensive TDs in the first quarter, and cannot recover. We lose 28-16, and our season is basically over. Week 16: Lake Erie (6-8) at Death Valley (6-8) We limp home, suffering a 27-6 loss here, and dropping to only 6-9 for the season—easily our worst effort in years. We’ve got work to do, but I am hopeful that we have found the right guy to do it with in young QB Edgar Beyer. Week 17: Ocean City (5-10) at Lake Erie (6-9) With our morale shot, we post an ugly 6-3 win over the Thrashers to get to 7-9 for the season. Not very impressive at all. Code:
Not a very inspiring year. After a few seasons as major contenders for a title, we slip and find ourselves squarely in the mediocre. Code:
Offensively, the dropoff at QB was obviously a very big deal. Kidman was okay, but 6.1 yards per attempt is just not moving the ball all that effectively. Beyer made more mistakes, but we at least see the potential to keep the offense going. On the receiving end, without Morton at his best, we have just a bunch of guys out there – Solwold is coming along and surprised with his first 1,000-yard season, but he admittedly has a limited upside. Moultrie is solid, but won’t ever be great, I don’t think. Riley is coming along, but needs to develop more to get into the starting lineup. On defense, LB Cummings proves that he is actually an excellent fit for our defense – things worked out very nicely for us with him. Hogenkamp has another good season, rewarding us for our belief in him. Young Kennedy Godfrey is coming along, and I think he will be ready to start next year, and hopefully step in to complement those two. 33 sacks and 23 picks? We are just not making things happen with our defense. DE Jamie Parry was able to play in 12 games this season, but only managed 3 sacks in 409 pass plays. That’s just not getting it done – we made huge sacrifices to bring him here. Overall, a pretty disappointing season. We’ll have some tough contract decisions ahead – CB Scott Gaines and DE Ken Barnes atop the list. Plus, we’ll have to decide what to do with some of our aging player – like Todd Morton, and maybe one of our backup quarterbacks. A few decisions lie ahead… In the postseason, Wheeling rolls all the way to the title game, where they lose to Champaign, 24-21. Code:
As has become a fitting tradition, when we’re down, our only honoree is our punter – who again got lots of work this season. Big work and big decisions lie ahead for this squad. |
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07-08-2003, 09:29 AM
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#38 |
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Morgado's Favorite Forum Fascist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Greensboro, NC
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Quik:
How are you getting those preseason stats to output? Have I missed something?
__________________
The media don't understand the kinds of problems and pressures 54 million come wit'! |
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07-08-2003, 09:38 AM
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#39 |
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The boy who cried Trout
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: TX
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Dump Morton. He's done.
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07-08-2003, 09:45 AM
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#40 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Quik:
Great stuff! I'm reading closely. I might have missed this, but did you enable the "team chemistry" function? If so, do you look at it at all? Also, it seems like you are fairly immersed in this dynasty, and that it is turning out to be challenging, given your house rules. This correct? Are you having fun? Given your results, I'm thinking about firing up FOF4 for basically the first time. Lastly, do you think it's time for a new RB? Bauer is getting on in years. Do you have his career stats available? |
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07-08-2003, 01:54 PM
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#41 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I just pasted them in from each game's box scores. Limited time only - not something I plan to do very frequently. So, no - you're not missing anything, except a pain in the neck. |
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07-08-2003, 01:55 PM
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#42 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Your consultant fee is being processed - you should receive your check in two weeks. |
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07-08-2003, 02:01 PM
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#43 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
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Quote:
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07-08-2003, 02:03 PM
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#44 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
In order of apearance: -I have chemistry turned on, but just cannot bring myself to give a shit about it. -Yes, I am fairly immersed, and it is fairly challenging. Losing my QB (a function of my signing restrictions) was a doozy, but that's how it's supposed to be. You don't want my whole diatribe about "leakage" again, do you? I'm having a fair amount of fun... though there is a little voice in my head that keeps calling me away (hint: it pronounces itself "futbol"). -I think now is the time to get onto FOF4. I think it's a vastly improved game. My own half-hartednes is largely because I may have played this game as much as anyone... so I['m running something like my 150th or 200th season. Even though it's better - t stil largely looks and feels the same, which is tough to get past. -Here's where Bauer stands: 8 seasons 120 games, 122 starts 1,618 carries for 7,812 yards 4.8 yards per carry 432 receptions for 3,707 yards caught 66.8% of targeted passes In an offense that has not exactly been terribly favorable to a pure runner, Bauer has been pretty productive. His ratings are still very strong-- though not topped-oput like he once was. He's costing me $12.4m each of the next two years - and jumps by another $2m the next season. My guess is that he'll be our guy through 2013, and than I'll let him go. Last edited by QuikSand : 07-08-2003 at 03:30 PM. |
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07-08-2003, 02:28 PM
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#45 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Quik: Thanks for the answers!
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07-08-2003, 02:30 PM
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#46 |
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The boy who cried Trout
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: TX
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Cool! Sign Gains and have one of the better secondaries in the league.
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07-09-2003, 03:20 AM
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#47 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
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Presume the interface had been patched a little bit, the game would have looked "new" and you might have had less trouble in addapting to the "new" FOF4. |
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07-09-2003, 06:15 AM
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#48 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I don't really mean the interface exactly... but rather the type and nature of decision-making involved. I'm still dealing with the same kind of thing as in the previous versions of FOF4... my players' demands are predictable, the quality of free agents is pretty predictable, and my dilemmas about where to spend my cap space are pretty much the same. Those are the ways where this game is different from FOF 2001, for instance, but largely the same as FOF 4.0a, 4.0b, and 4.0c.
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07-09-2003, 07:48 PM
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#49 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2012 offseason
We’ll try to shake off the bad effort of 2011, and focus on the season ahead. Coach Bucky Gardner’s contract is up – and I give this some thought. He is pretty decent at most everything, a good game day coach (in playcalling, especially) but perhaps we can do better? I pore the available candidates – I am convinced, Bucky is the man to stick with. We lock him up for four more years, making him the third-highest paid coach in the league. As we head into free agency, here’s the skinny: 34 players signed, plus our initial set of 7 draft picks makes 41 spots filled. We have some $12 million to fill the remaining spots – not too bad, but not a huge sum, either. CB Scott Gaines is requesting about $15m per year – it just looks impossible to me that we could find any way to keep him. DE Ken Barnes seeks another $8m a year – that is possible, though it will be difficult. We’re going to take losses on the OL, but that’s an area where we have done well with fairly cheap free agent fill-ins. We’ll have to do so again, it seems. I start with a few affordable offers – two OL and a decent CB. CB Malcolm Shepard might be my starter this year if he accepts and we are unable to re-sign Gaines, which looks very likely. After week one, CB Scott Gaines has a monster offer on the table from Key West – for over $16m a year. There’s simply no way I will compete with that – he’s as good as gone. Just before week seven, we finally land CB Malcolm Shepard – Gaines has yet to sign with Key West or anyone, but I don’t expect that he’s in the picture for us. I still have $6.8m in cap space – and would like to go after DE Ken Barnes. But to do that, I need to trim some roster cap space. WR Todd Martin is the odd man out. He’s nowhere near the player he once was – we release him to free up $3.3m in cap space, which we need pretty badly. DT Jumbo Clements has lost most of his skill, and he is gone also. DT Vinny Sawyer never developed into the top player we thought he’d be – in his last year of his rookie contract, we give him his papers, too. CB Scott Gaines signs with Kitty Hawk for nearly $80 million – about $20m more than I could scrape together. Hope they’ll be happy – we hate to lose him. I find RB Brett Durham, a journeyman from Fort Worth who I think has some real potential to be a solid reserve. I think he’ll be better than our usual string of anonymous late-round draft picks. We ink him to a three year deal with a little more than minsal. I finally get in an offer to DE Ken Barnes – it’s a fairly affordable 4yrs, $26m deal. If he accepts, it will pretty much lock up our remaining money this year, but he’s been a good, solid player for us – and that ought to be rewarded, I think. He signs in week 13, and we are basically done. I have a few bucks to nibble around the edges, and do so. I grab a free agent tackle Austin Hansen, who will give us depth there as needed. DT David Hargett will be decent on the front line- maybe even a starter for us. CB K.C. Nelson – a star-level performer, is sitting there still awaiting a deal. He wants over $10m a year – less than Gaines, but still pretty pricey. It would be great to ink him, but I don’t see how we could get it done. I poke around, and end up unearthing a pretty good free agent tight end in Shaun Meyer. We release Greg Chandler, who has fallen apart after an injury. Now, with 38 players signed – we ought to be able to fill most of our remaining holes by way of the draft. Looking into the rookie draft, we have wants and needs. Top areas for impact players: CB, WR, LB, DE Areas where we need to fill in: FB, TE, WR, G, MLB, CB, CB So, it would be ideal if a top-tier corner fell to us at #13, but it might not happen. Bo Perkins from UVa is the guy I really covet – but I expect him to be top five material. And after him, I don’t see anyone worth taking this early. Tough draft for us. I’m guessing that we end up with a defensive lineman with our top pick (which is often my inclination, anyway). The picks ahead of us are, shall I say, ruthlessly efficient – I am left with none of the guys I had hoped would drop (and there were about eight of them). My top choices seem to be an OLB who should be a solid starter, and a WR with great potential but who is very, very raw (lousy reds, warning sign). I’m really torn. I decide to drop down a few slots, and probably still get one of my two guys. But, I can’t get anything back unless I slide down a good deal, and I’m not willing to do that. So, I bite the bullet – and draft for upside. We take WR Norm Shields of Notre Dame, who could turn out to be a serious impact player for us – that is, if he develops. (I’m thinking Yatil Green here) Code:
After the draft, we fill in as usual. We head to training camp, and are ready to head into the preseason games. Here’s a look at our roster following camp: Code:
And so, this officially becomes Edgar Beyer’s team. He has my vote to start at QB, and it looks like he will develop into a solid player. Not a topped-out superstar, but probably good enough to keep our offense moving, which is what we need. |
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07-10-2003, 04:37 AM
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#50 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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2012 season
We start off the season with a tough injury to work around – CB Donny Shifflett, my only reliable corner, is out for a few weeks. Time to reconsider what to do here. I decided to move S Tom Austin over to play corner for now – he’s got good man-up cover skills, and is a decent fit. Week 1: Lake Erie at Wheeling We get a rude awakening here, as the Dealers crush us at their place, 27-9. They ran the ball right at us, and that doesn’t bode too well – there’s the blueprint for kicking out butts all season. Their QB connected on 17 of 21 passes, too – not a good sign for our troubled secondary, either. Week 2: Norfolk (0-1) at Lake Erie (0-1) We bounce back from the dreadful opener with a great effort here. Edgar Beyer looks sensational, and we get a 31-3 victory at home. Ten different receivers haul in catches, as Beyer connects all over the field with 278 yards and 3 TDs. Week 3: Fort Knox (0-2) at Lake Erie (1-1) Fort Knox breaks out of their initial slump, unfortunately, against us – they win 17-3. We just couldn’t get much going offensively, and when we made progress, we couldn’t capitalize at all. Tough game – we look very inconsistent, needless to say. Week 5: Chayenne (1-2) at Lake Erie (1-2) We’re a bit banged up, so the bye comes at a good time for us. But the results here aren’t any better – we lose at home again, 31-28. Cheyenne gets the traditional 14-point fourth quarter to overcome our solid lead, but that’s just how it goes in FOF. WR D.J. Solwold scores all four of our TDs, including one on a reverse handoff. Week 6: Napa Valley (2-2-1) at Lake Erie (1-3) Our defense comes to play, and an early punt return TD by rookie WR Nolan Wingate is nearly enough for the win itself. We win 16-7, and inch closer to a respectable even mark on the year. Week 7: Lake Erie (2-3) at Tijuana (2-3) We’re going to have to get going again while on the road, after playing poorly on our recent home stretch. Once again, though, we get a team running the ball right at us for over 170 yards, and we end up in a shootout, losing 31-28 again. Week 8: Lake Erie (2-4) at Tulsa (2-4) Our defense plays great here, as we overcome 5 interceptions from young Edgar Beyer to still win 22-10. DE Parry gets three sacks – he might be motivated by his expiring contract (grrrr). Week 9: Lake Erie (3-4) at Ocean City (6-2) We sneak out a 24-21 win on the road, and get to our halfway point with an even record. Beyer throws the ball 58 times, and we have all but given up on our running game. Spencer Bauer as been playing hurt nearly all season – here he gives out and yields to our backup crew. Bauer has a broken fibula, and will miss most of the remaining season. Through the first half, here are some key team stats: Code:
Despite my occasional protests when we don’t pay well, this defense as been positively sterling. Basically, they have stepped up and just shot down opponents in three or sour games – giving us a chance to win, despite inconsistencies on offense. Now, we’ll probably get even more pass-happy, with Bauer out (though in the past, that hasn’t always been so). Week 10: Wheeling (3-5) at Lake Erie (4-4)[/b] Out 17-14 halftime lead dissolves, and we lose 29-17. A fourth quarter meltdown, and they took full advantage. Week 11: Lake Erie (4-5) at Louisville (4-5) Another bounce back, with a strong 27-7 win on the road. We are starting to relish our road games, especially our defense – who rack up 7 sacks in the win. DE Jamie Parry, though, is lost for the season to a broken ankle. We offer a deal to old friend Martin Mangiafico, who will help out on the d-line for the rest of the way. Week 12: Hawk Mountain (7-3) at Lake Erie (5-5) We cannot seem to crack the .500 barrier, and lose another close one at home, 24-20. Perennial all-pro WR Henry Penrice is a star, as they rip us up pretty well through the air. Week 13: Lake Erie (5-6) at Nashua (5-6) Things bounce our way again on the road, as we win 17-16 over the favored Pollsters. Defense is again our key – we win despite losing the turnover battle 3-0. Week 14: Lake Erie (6-6) at Providence (8-4) Our reputation precedes itself – we are just tough on the road. Our defense plays well again, and we sneak out a 17-13 win at Providence over the Quahogs. WR D.J. Solwold continues his solid year with another 100 yards game – he may well top the 1,000-yard mark again this year, after just missing last season. Week 15: Ocean City (7-6) at Lake Erie (7-6) After such a mediocre season, we are now above .500 and actually tied for the division lead. This is a huge game for us – too bad we are at home. However, we overcome our home field disadvantage, and take a nice 30-7 win over the Thrashers. We get to 8-6, and suddenly are in control of our own destiny – how about that. Week 16: Lake Erie (8-6) at Texarkana (6-8) Our roll continues, as we get a 38-16 win on the road here. Beyer throws for 5 TD passes, but also three interceptions – his ration is just barely over 1:1 on the year. However, we are among the top two or three passing offenses in total – so we are moving the ball, which is my top priority. RB Dixon Bertolini, subbed in as our starter the last few weeks, seems to be pretty effective in the role. Week 17: Louisville (7-8) at Lake Erie (9-6) Spencer Bauer eases back into the game plan here, but the defense makes it all moot – as we win it 34-3. Like several years ago, we started out very mediocre, but rallied late to enter the preseason on quite a roll. Code:
Quite a sea of mediocrity – he we won just one more game, we’d have been the #1 seed in the conference. As it is, we must play in the opening round on tiebreakers. Code:
Beyer’s 4,500-yard season is solid – mostly a function of our pass-happy offense, but certainly he’s go something to do with it. We need to get that interception total down, but we are built around surviving those big mistakes. The running game was pretty inept overall (Bertolini played fairly well) but that’s just not what we do. WR Solwold had his best year for us, and a mid-season switch to put rookie WR Shields in across from him seemed to help everyone. Once again, Moultrie got decent numbers, despite a strictly reserve role. Defensively, Tom Cummings had a positively standout year for us in the middle – he has become the real anchor to this defense – and to think, he was a fall-back decision for us when we couldn’t re-sign our own MLB for big money. DE Barnes and Parry were doing well, but both got hurt and had their seasons cut short. Barnes is back, Parry is out. CB Melvin Shepard, getting his first chance to start, was adequate – but is probably better suited to being a third corner. But overall, we cannot complain with this defense. Top five against the run and pass in efficiency – can’t ask for more than that. Postseason Wrap-up: Wild Card Round: Little Rock (10-6) at Lake Erie (10-6) Our two big drives get us TDs, theirs get them FGs, and we win it 14-6. Red zone play made the difference in this tight defensive struggle. Divisional Playoff: Lake Erie (11-6) at Manhattan (10-5-1) Spencer Bauer returns and is very effective, and we get into quite a struggle here. We kick a tying FG with 16 seconds left to send it into overtime, but Manhattan wins it with their own FG halfway through the extra period, and takes the win, 26-23. Manhattan beats Memphins to win the title, denying QB J.R. Newhart his ring once again. (He took us to the big game, only to lose there as well) Code:
We are very nearly shut out of the awards – LB Bob Cummings our only rep at all. We do tend to split the load a bit, and that’s the main issue here – not our overall team quality. |
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