WLC Richmond Rockets

[andy m]

2017 - Richmond Rockets

Expansion Draft

policy was to sign cheap guys with a little potential and save money for now. $5m was spent on C Claude Gearhart, and $3.4 on G Stan Favret, in an attempt to get a solid offensive line for the first few years.

Free Agency

we make a play for RB Jessie Reynolds, the man we want to rush the ball behind our O-Line whilst we develop a passing game. he signs as our one pickup in the first ten rounds for $31m over 3 years. we still have $115m to play with.

then we acquire a QB to run the ship, Randal Nelson, $25.4m over 2 years. Nelson has been in the league 4 seasons, but only passed in one of them. he has great ratings. we finish our signings with WR Frankie Craig ($21m for 3 years) and S Marlon Douglas ($12.3m for 3 years). both are 5 year veterans.

Draft

going into the draft, the needs are obviously everywhere. but passing up the opportunity to take moster G, Henry Richardson (100's across the board), would be very stupid. Richardson becomes the first player to be selected as a Richmond Rocket, and fingers crossed he won't bust! he jumps on board for a mammoth contract.

we come out of the draft with 36 players signed, and $82m under the cap. at this stage, we fill roster holes and head to training camp. we go into training camp with 66 guys on the roster, 4 below the first year limit of 70.

Pre-Season

we come out of camp breathing a huge sigh of relief. Henry Richardson still has his 100 potentials on the board. he'll have 7 years of being our key guard, injuries permitting of course.

64,300 season tickets are sold of the 77,600 possible. not too shabby.

the roster is trimmed down, and we head to pre-season.

we make it through exhibtion 2-2, and without any injury worries, so lets roll!

Regular Season

the Rockets get off to a great start to life with a 17-7 victory over the Vikes. star RB Reynolds was shut down, but strong quarterbacking from Nelson and rookie Kneilling (a combined 17 of 28 for 197 yards) kept the Vikes D off balance. but it was the defense where the damage was done, S Roman Phillips picked off 3 passes and returned 1 for a 72 yard touchdown.

the following week a narrow win over the Pats puts the record at 2-0.

the Rockets struggle greatly after this unexpected start to the season, and suffer a series of injuries at G. at the half-way point, the record stands at 3-5, putting the team at 5th in the NFC East. Arizona are in the basement at 0-7.

the biggest blows come after a week 8 defeat. QB Nelson is out for the season, as is WR Frankie Craig. this gives rookie Levon Kneilling the ideal opportunity to step up at QB and show what he may be able to do a few years down the line.

despite struggling in his first couple of games, the Rockets then put together a 4 game winning streak before losing the final game to the Redskins and winding up at 7-9, a commendable performance. the streak included a 24-20 win over expansion rivals, Greensboro (who finished 4-12).

the superbowl finishes with Philadelphia winning 34-17 over San Diego.

end of season summary

rookie Levon Kneiling ended up faring much better than expensive veteran, Randal Nelson. Kneiling threw for 1680 yards, 10 TD's and 8 interceptions. Nelson had 1192, 3 TD's and 5 intereceptions. RB Jessie Reynolds was the stand out, he had 1294 yards and 7 TD's, at 4.1 ypc. no receivers broke out, 2nd round draft pick Earners Doering led the team with 697 yards on 45 catches as the team emphasised the running game.

K Edgar Hatchett was 24 of 28 on FG, whilst Curt Copeland punted 111 times.

JJ Webb led the team in tackles with 94, Toby Westfall had a surprising 13 sacks, and Roman Phillips could only add 3 more picks to the 3 he had on opening day to end the season with 6 in total.

nobody collected an award.

WLC STATS
Regular Season Record: 7-9
Post Season Record: 0-0
Points Scored - Points Allowed: 248 - 370
Herb Scores - 27,28,54,70 - 39

[This message has been edited by andy m (edited 01-21-2001).]

[andy m]

2018

Off-Season Summary

no retirements, not surprising really with such a youthful roster! no coaching / scouting changes are made, as the scouts we pursue all sign to other teams, and the coaches don't have the combination of abilities that we are after. ticket prices stay the same: (70,70,90,130,1600,200000).

entering the hall of fame: Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Sammy Knight, Jevon Kearse.

C Claude Gearhart gets the franchise tag for the one time in his career.

Free Agency

well, 29 players are signed and we are $83m under the cap. the majority of our restricted free agents are after silly money already, so we'll let them sit on the roster for now.

our 10 step signing is Preston Bishop, DE. he becomes a Rocket to the tune of $30m over 3 seasons.

in the next 10, we acquire T Rod Dillon, $5.18m over 3 years. and then WR Donovan Kumerow for $22.27m over 3 seasons also. our final acquisition is DT Leonard Money, $9.33 for 2 years. we then ink up a few of our restricted free-agencies and finish up.

do we head to the draft with 39 players under contract and $44m to spend. not a huge amount.

Draft

we pick 12th in the first round. and our selection is Mary Cassidy, a CB with great run defense skills, and an already maxed out 100 for interceptions. we then grab LB Stan Brennan, who fills a need. nothing much to note after that.

after the draft we are offered a 2nd round pick for T Brant Phillips. Phillips is mediocre, but with solid potential. the extra pick will be nice for next year though.

we have 45 players signed at present, and $37m free. we need 8 more to go into camp. due to the severe number of restricted free agents from the year before, we can only go into the camp with 50 signings, and will have to fill out the roster after camp.

Pre-Season

we get a couple of interesting trade offers. Manchester offer us TE Marty Dunlap and a 5th round pick for LB Monty Klemm. accepted. the Buffalo BIlls offer us Bart Malone and a 6th round pick for TE Jared Myers. accepted.

we sell 65,000 season tickets.

roster is filled out to the required 53 with 1st year free agents.

we go 1-3 in pre-season, and RB Jessie Reynolds is out for 2-3 months. i am frustrated.

Regular Season

it's not looking good when we get off to an 0-3 start. QB Randal Nelson has been out since week 1, giving us pretty much no offense.

we finally break our duck to move to 1-6 with a 44-28 humbling of the Redskins, Nelson was on form at last. i breathe an audible sigh of relief. RB Reynolds is back soon. we follow it with a 44-14 win over the Giants.

things don't really get much better, and we face some tought teams in the run in, losing narrowly each time (losing by 4 or less to 3 playoff contenders to finish the season).

the Philadelphia Eagles win the superbowl for the second straight year, 34-6 over the Colts.

end of season summary

it was an injury hit year, and maybe the 7-9 record last season somewhat flattered us.

QB Randal Nelson was solid, 3158 yards, 13 TD, 13 Ints. Levon Kneiling struggled when replacing him and posted a 63.8 rating. Kneiling is a free agent now, and will walk. looks like we have a ready made replacement for RB Jessie Reynolds. Reynolds had only 13 carries all season, and 5th round draft pick Junior Kolb stepped into the breach. Kolb had 945 yards, a 4.1 ypc, and 12 TD's. colour me impressed. his ratings look good too. free agent WR Donovan Kumerow did all that was asked of him and more. he had 1280 yards receiving and 80 catches. Earnest Doering, our 2nd round pick last year, had 69 catches and 897 yards, and led the team with 7 receiving TD's. Frankie Craig had 784 yards.

K Edgar Hatchett was 20 of 25, but missed 3 PAT's. Copeland punted less this year.

LB Kahil Vanderclute led the team in tackles, he notched 86. free agent pickup Preson Bishop led the way with 13.5 sacks and had 11 hurries too. 3 guys had 3 interceptions.

Donovan Kumerow was 2nd team WR. we had no other awards.

regular season record: 5-11
post season record: 0-0
points scored - points allowed: 347 - 381
herb scores: 9,42,52,69 : 39

[andy m]

2019

Off-Season Summary

we've got to be hoping for at least a wild card this year, as most other teams in this challenge seem to make a big stride forward in the 3rd year! i think we're capable of challenging, but will be relying on a healthy team.

we get a new headcoach, Kenyon Phenix ($6.84m for 3 years). he's never coached in the NFL before. and a new scout in Tim Rice ($900k for 5 years). ticket prices are raised, but kept below the Redskins.

nobody is worth the franchise tag this season.

Mike Vanderjagt and Sam Madison enter the Hall of Fame.

Free Agency

we have 33 players signed, and are only $36m under the cap, so some of the longer term contracts are starting to eat into our available money. we also negotiate a number of contracts due to expire next year, that costs another $3m. so here goes...

we are desperate for a star LB and Jesse Grant fits the bill. he signs in week one for $22.6m over 3 seasons, and looks like an absolute monster.

after week 10, we get another LB, Dennis Muston - $13.44m over 4 years. nobody else is worth picking up.

Draft

we pick 5th in the draft. we want QB Marcus Vaughn. will he fall? nope, he goes in the 2nd pick. so instead we get another line anchor in Kerry Madison, a T from Iowa State. we then get DT Rico Tyler in the 2nd, and P Preston Duffy, a need selection. and the rest fall into place as required...

after the draft we have 45 players signed, and $10m to get the 8 we need, and head to training camp.

Pre-Season

well, G Henry Richardson has matured in his 3rd season. he has maxed out as a 97,97,95 guard. scary. he gave up only 3 sacks last year.

58100 season tickets are sold, quite a decline. hopefully the fans will come back during the season!

we go 3-1, and suffer a few injuries, though none to any big names.

Regular Season

all the expectation goes out the window with an opening day 35-10 defeat at the hands of the Cards. and it's not till we face 0-3 Dallas in week 4 that we get something in the win column. a 2-6 record at the half way point points to the sorry state of a reasonably talented team, unable to win. we stun the 10-2 Rams 31-26 in week 14, but fade away and fall to a miserable 5-11 again.

the Eagles make it to the superbowl for the 3rd straight year, but get beat by the Steelers, 27-14.

end of season summary

so what went wrong? i can sum it up in two words: Randal Nelson. he had an absolutely diabolical season. he threw 21 interceptions and only 10 touchdowns, and passed for only 2786 yards, whilst starting all 16 games. depressing. RB Junior Kolb and Jessie Reynolds combined for 1400+ yards and 12 TD's, Kolb at 4.5 yards a clip. Donny Kumerow had a fine year at WR with 795 yards, especially considering our short comings at QB.

Stan Brennan (2nd year LB) led the team in tackles. Preston Bishop had 14.5 sacks. 6th round draft pick, Shannon Mora (CB) had 7 interceptions.

awards went to G Henry Richardson (30 KRB, 3 sacks allowed all season), DE Preston Bishop. CB Shannon Mora was 2nd team CB.

regular season record: 5-11
post season record: 0-0
points scored - points allowed: 252-387
herb scores: 12,35,31,69 : 31

[andy m]

2020

Off-Season Summary

surely we can break .500 this year? please?

entering the hall are John Ogden, Tony Parrish, Jerald Hobgood-Chittick (class name!) and Marlon Lee.

we release RB Jessie Reynolds, and don't bother with a franchise tag this year. again.

Free Agency

we have 37 players signed, and just $28m to play with. better make it count! big salaries on the team:

QB: Randal Nelson, a waste at $17m.
WR: Donovan Kumerow - $11m - a superstar
G: Henry Richardson - $9.9m - a future HOF if he keeps this up
DE: Preston Bishop - $9.3m - sack machine

we can't get any of the bigger names we chase in free agency, so after step 11 we opt for S Robbie Dodge (2 years at $3.58m), T Billy Joe Lincoln (2 years, $2.93m), and DT Wendell Lloyd ($4.8m, 2 years).

Draft

we pick 6th this year. a one place improvement on last years #5 anyway

to shore up the D, we go with the neatly named Randal Randle, a S from NW Missouri St, in the first round. G Joseph Sinclair is our 2nd pick, and should control the middle of the line with Richardson for years to come. those are the key picks.

the roster is filled to 53, and we go to camp, $7m under the cap still.

Pre-Season

54,000 season tickets sold.

through the exhibition season we go an impressive 4-0, with a number of injuries on the negative side.

we must go .500 this season. we must!

Regular Season

it's bad. after winning the opening game of the season, we quickly slump to 1-4. we switch QB's and move to Mueller. it pays instant dividends with a 26-18 win over struggling Atlanta, but star WR Donovan Kumerow dislocates his elbow and is done for 3 months. we inch up to 3-5 at the half way mark.

we at last pull to .500 with a 27-13 win over the Redskins, evening our record at 6-6. and then go to 7-6 in a win over the Lions next week. before cruel fate strikes again. Trevor Mueller, the substiute QB who had guided us to a 6-2 record since replacing Nelson, breaks a thumb and is done for the year. he goes on injured reserve.

but Nelson is getting the job done, and pulls out an enormous 15-13 win over the 11-3 Bills. this puts us in a wild card spot with a game to go. we face the 8-6-1 Giants with that wild card spot on the line. Donovan Kumerow has broken his arm, and his ratings now look positively mediocre. that's a cruel blow, as we're paying him $m over two years, but only $4m in bonuses, so i think he'll get cut, juts 2 years removed from his 89 catch, 1280 yard season. he was offensive rookie of the year in 2012 too, so misses out on what should have been a hall of fame career. he goes on IR. exciting young WR, Earnest Doering, requires shoulder surgery and his future looks shakey too. he also goes on IR.

well, the Giants beat us 27-7, and we fall out of the playoffs agonisingly. the Giants don't even make the playoffs themselves in the end.

Indianapolis wind up as the bowl winners, 15-12 over St. Louis.

end of season summary

a much better year. Mueller and Nelson had half a year each at QB, and both did reasonably well. Mueller passed for 1529 yards, and Nelson for 1626, but proved more interception prone. RB Junior KOlb struggled to move the ball, but went over 1000 yards on 292 carries. 3rd round pick in 2018, Raymond Nickel, led the team in receiving yards, chalking up 916 in his first year as a starter. Doering had 717 yards before requiring surgery.

monster LB, Jesse Grant, dominated at his position for 110 tackles. Bishop had his 3rd straight great season at DE, with 14.5 sacks. 3rd year CB Marty Cassidy had a break out year with 7 interceptions, doing a great job.

Henry Richardson was 1st team G again, expect to read this every year from now on. he had 39 KRB and gave up 5 sacks. nobody else was awarded.

regular season record: 9-7
post season record: 0-0
points scored - points allowed: 301-318
herb scores: 51,37,36,74 : 42

[This message has been edited by andy m (edited 01-21-2001).]

[Upstate_New_York]

Andy, I picked up Nelson as well in the draft... for his ratings, amazing he fell to the second tier. However, don't feel too bad about his injuries the first year... I had him healthy throughout the first season and he didn't do too well... about 15 TDs and 15 INTs, or something similar. Granted, I had no wide receivers...

[andy m]

he hasn't done well in any of the 4 seasons yet! check out the end of season summary for 2019

i hope you aren't in for the world of hurt he has brought me so far

[andy m]

2021

Off-Season Summary

wow, seems like an age since the weekend and the first 4 years in the history of the Richmond Rockets! the team was just beginning to emerge in the 4th season with a 9-7 record, but with the situation at QB more than a little dubious, the franchise still can't be sure which direction is headed in. onward!

there is a genius headcoach available, Brad Lemmon, but he is 62. he has never coached in the NFL, guess he was a college guru who fancied one final shot at the bigtime. i submit him a short-term 2 year contract offer. but he fancies the look of 5 years in Cleveland more. so we keep the same staff...

we are getting solid attendance, but losing money, so we up ticket prices. (85,85,110,150,2600,250000,250000) - Washington are charging 360,000 for box seats.

we opt to release QB Randal Nelson and his $18m contract at this stage. his contract expires at the end of the season, and he will only count $2.3m against the cap in bonuses. so we give the franchise tag to QB Trevor Mueller, to see if he can build on his 6-2 run as starter last year. he isn't obscenely talented, but can get the job done.

Free Agency

we have 37 guys signed, and are $38m under the cap. we negotiate a couple of deals for guys in the final year, and release LB Brent Forte (a former first round pick that we picked up as a free agent the year after he was drafted - he never developed), and CB Dana Caldwell, a guy who had been with us since the expansion draft i think. a free restricted free agents are re-signed, including building blocks at WR (Raymond Nickel) and CB (Shannon Mora). both are draftees that we had to throw big money at, but they will be worth it (fingers crossed!). need to save a touch of money to get the QB signed by the franchise tag! he is currently after $15m for the season! ouch.

after all that, we are now $21.6m under the cap, with 38 players signed.

we submit a blockbuster deal to a hot looking QB called Walt Johnston. Johnston has the ability, but has yet to really turn it on in 7 years with the JaxJags. he bolts to the Pack for $20m a year.

in the end, we decide to skimp on free agency this year, and make sure we can get our QB signed, and some draft picks too. we get Mueller to go for a 3 year, $52m deal. this will make or break the franchise i think.


Draft

we pick 21st in the first round, and acquire a fancy looking RB named Graham Barlow. nice potential, nice skills. he should step right up. CB Thomas McCormick is 2nd round selection.

after the draft, we have 45 players signed, and just $1.1m cap room. hmm. cuts? C Claude Gearhart gets the boot, saving us $5m. eventually we get the 53 guys on the roster, with $1.4m to spare...

and so to pre-season. 52,400 season tickets sold.

Pre-Season

disappointing pre-season, we went 1-3. and have lost CB Weathers for the season, LB Maxfield for 3 months, and WR Nickel for 5 weeks.

Regular Season

and as if to rub salt into the wounds, we had to open the season against the mighty Eagles. but we shocked them! and myself for that matter. a 21-13 triumph.

unfortunately, it's a false dawn and we are down at 2-6 by the halfway stage of the season.

we stage a minor recovery but with an injury list like this:

Preston Bishop, DE - Dislocated Shoulder, full strength in 2022
Jesse Grant, LB - Broken Arm, full strength in 2022
Henry Richardson, G - Pulled Groin, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Raymond Nickel, WR - Broken Foot, full strength in 2022
Robbie Dodge, S - Sprained Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Ed Howe, G - Concussion, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Morris Sanchez, DE - Torn Thumb Ligament, full strength in 2022
Joseph Sinclair, G - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Ron Irving, DE - Bruised Sternum, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Graham Barlow, RB - Deep Thigh Bruise, full strength in 2022
Austin Kerr, DE - Bruised Sternum, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Wayne Noyes, CB - Stretched Knee Ligament, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
J.R. Weathers, CB - Shoulder Surgery, full strength in 2022

at the end of the year, it's going to be hard to do much. we fall to 5-11.

Indianapolis win the superbowl 21-17 over the Rams.

end of season summary

QB Mueller had nothing. he was, to be blunt, awful. 2246 passing yards on 412 attempts. 11 TD's vs 15 Int's. RB Junior Kolb was explosive when he got the ball, but that wasn't often enough. he had 1140 yards, and 7 touchdowns. rookie Barlow spelled him for 445 yards. WR Kumerow proved he wasn't yet finished with 79 catches and 859 yards. P Preston Duffy had 129 yards. ouch. on the D, Stan Brennan had 110 tackles. we had sacks, Bishop, Irving and Tyler had 9, 9 and 8. Shannon Mora picked up 4 interceptions.

regular season record: 5-11
post season record: 0-0
points scored - points allowed: 245-332
herb scores: 7,33,38,73 : 31

2022

Off-Season Summary

well, what can we do? the franchise is in dire straights. we're no better off than we were 5 years ago really, we haven't built much of a foundation, barring one or two excellent draftees, such as the magnificent G, Henry Richardson.

WR Kumerow retired...

coach Kenyon Phenix contract is up. we won't be in a hurry to bring him back after a 19-29 record in 3 seasons. and we replace him with Amos Cribbs, a 39 year old. he takes a 3 year, $7.8m deal. hopefully he can grow with the team.

DT Rico Tyler is franchised.

we are then offered DE Jumbo Wicks in exchange for Junior Kolb. with young Barlow in the wings, we jump at this one and take the trade with the Seahawks.

Free Agency

at this stage, we have 31 palyers signed and are $39m under the cap.

we pick up one free agent, Donald Ross, a S, for $22.61m over 3 years. renogitations and re-signings are made too, as ever. nothing much to report.

Draft

picking 5th, it's hard to turn down 'da mad skillz' of DT Johnnie Gil. Gil looks a beast, and will partner franchise player, DT Rico Tyler, in the middle of the front 4. WR Erik Blackburn is the round 2 pick.

we come out of the draft with 42 players signed, and 5 million to spend. hmm. once again, someone is gonna have to get cut. FB Ted Brooks is one victim, WR Curtis Musso is another.

Pre-Season

under 50,000 season tickets sold. the franchise is in trouble. we might have to bury a lot of the current talent and start from scratch the way things are going. ween out whatever has gone wrong and figure out how to fix it? or be mediocre forever...

oh boy. QB Mueller breaks his ribs in pre-season. i am pounding my head on the desk in frustration. what can ya do? just what can you do.

1-3 in pre-seaosn. get ready for a year of Barlow rushing the ball.

Regular Season

we shockingly win on opening day, mainly courtesy of a 60 yard interception return from Marty Cassidy, and a 72 yard pass from backup QB Craig to Rob Henderson.

we pull to 2-3, but Barlow breaks his nose against the Redskins and I want to cry. at least Mueller is back by this stage.

god knows how, but this ramshackle team is 4-4 at the half way stage. Mueller is at last showing some form. 938 yards in the last 6 games isn't much, but he has completed 60% of his passes, and has 6 TD's, rating at 89.5. the injured Barlow has scampered for 390 yards, and replacement Schwartz has 328 at 5 ypc.

we stagger a long, and with some fantastic shoot outs (back to back 30-27, and 30-29 wins) we are 7-7 with 2 games to go. this sees us a game out of playoff contention. unfortunately CB Shannon Mora joins the injured.

a 24-14 defeat at Chicago effectively eliminates us, and we go down 17-20 in the final week against the Bucs to miss out on .500. again.

New Orleans beat San Diego 43-3 in a one sided superbowl.

end of season summary

Mueller faded down the stretch but still had enough in the tank to pass for 2224 yards, and more TD's than IT's in this run oriented offense. Barlow had 269 carries and trundled for 1153 yards, Schwartz stepped in with 111 more rushes. WR Louie Grabowski was surprisingly the man this year, 61 catches and 830 yards. Nickel had injuries and didn't get much chance to impress. Jesse Grant led the way with 86 tackles, Rico Tyler had 8.5 sacks, and Marty Cassidy had 5 picks.

class G, Henry Richardson, picked up his 3rd 1st team G nomination in 4 years, no-one else got rewarded with anything at all.

regular season record: 7-9
post season record: 0-0
points scored - points allowed: 303-347
herb scores: 27,32,27,73 - 32

[andy m]

this is the worst team in the history of FOF2001. read on for more woe...

2023

Off-Season Summary

first move is to grab a new scout, Warren Harper joins for $1.5m a season for 5 years. a lot of money, but we need to start making better judgements on who are players are. so i hope it's worth it.

TE Marty Dunlap hangs his boots up. he was a solid player the past few seasons, but nothing remarkable.

we release DE Jumbo Wicks. he was acquired in a trade for RB Junior Kolb last year, and only played 6 games before injury. his ratings took a hit and we let him go.

LB Stan Brennan is tagged as our franchise player. he was our 2nd round pick back in 2018, and has 397 career tackles, 17 sacks, and 3 interceptions. he is super solid, and we could do with him coming back.

contracts are re-negged for guys with 2023 expiry dates, and we are left with 30 guys signed, and $33m to play with. not the best.

Free Agency

our major free agent signing, heh, is K Alonzo Flannery. this 13 year vet steps in as our new K for $5.04m over 2 years. Brennan re-signs for $20m over 3 years.

we then release QB Trevor Mueller and replace him with 17 year veteran Graham Covington, for $26m over 3 years. Covington is a 17 year veteran, and we hope to get 2 years of solid performance out of him whilst attempting to develop someone from within. Cov was a #1 pick overall in 2007, and has thrown for 38817 yards over his career, which never quite panned out as he hoped. 17 years with the Bengals, but he posted his best season of his life last year. fingers crossed on this one.

Draft

we pick 12th in the draft. there are no super-QB's available, so we look elsewhere, taking Ed Dressell, a WR from Hawaii who looks like he has clutch catching ability (rated high on 3rd downs). in the 2nd we take S Kevin Hopper. with regards to S Randal Randle that we drafted a couple of seasons back, he busted big time, and still has 2 years on his money eating contract remaining. ouch.

Pre-Season

we are offered a 2nd round pick for a former 3 round selection at DE, Herman Glen. we have solid reserves at this position, so take it. he goes to the Panthers.

50,100 season tickets are sold. still declining. but we turn in a respectable pre-season performance, going 3-1.

Regular Season

it's an emphatic start to the season with a 30-17 win over the Skins. Barlow rushed for 152 yards, and Covington passed for 3 TD's. gosh, an offense! 3 games later we stand at 2-2, after a 5 interception performance against the Cowboys from our D.

following that is an in-explicable 7 games losing streak. i really thought this team had the chance to improve, but this sort of nose dive doesn't help. the streak is snapped when QB Derke Miller takes over from Covington at QB. DT Rico Tyler breaks his foot with 4 games to go, after having 8.5 sacks in 12 games.

we wind up 4-12.

St. Louis win the bowl, 31-28 over Denver. Arizona went 15-1 in the NFC East, no other team was better than 8-8.

end of season summary

QB Covington was reasonable, 2127 yards, 13 TD's, 14 ints. Miller showed little, 771 yards, 2 TD's and 7 int's in 5 starts. Graham Barlow is the deal at RB, he had 1278 yards at 5.1 ypc, and notched 7 TD's. rookie WR Ed Dressell led the team in both yards and catches. 751 yards, 55 catches. 12 year veteran LB, Jesse Grant, racked up 126 tackles, Ron Irving had 9.5 sacks, Bishop had 9. Shannon Mora paced the team with 5 interceptions, 3 returned for touchdowns.

Jesse Grant was 1st team LB, Mora was 1st team CB...

regular season record: 4-12
post season record: 0-0
points scored - points allowed: 277-361
herb scores: 1,38,31,72: 29

2024

Off-Season Summary

LB Jesse Grant, now in his 13th year, gets the franchise tag. a former 1st round selection of Colorado, he has 1023 career tackles. QB Covington has retired.

we trade backup QB Chester Craig to the Raiders when they offer us the 5th pick in the 3rd round.

Free Agency

we chased a useful C, but all 3 of the top targets slipped through our fingers. we make do with TE Jeff Zordich in the end, he should solidify that position. LB Grant signs a 3 year deal to come back.

we come out with $21m to spend, and 35 players on the roster.

Draft

we pick 2nd in the draft. again, it's not a QB rich draft. the man we take with the #2 pick is LB Anthony Sasser from Oklahoma. he looks a monster and should clean up on run defense. in the 2nd round we get C Juan Hall, a need pick.

we release Randal Randle after the draft with 2 years left on his contract. we eat his bonuses.

Pre-Season

we are offered a 5th round draft pick for QB Derek Miller, and we snap it up. because there is a salary cap casualty available in free agency. 2nd year QB Brian Tolley (overall #27 pick last year) is signed. he threw 2 passes with the Chiefs last year. LB Dennis Musto is released too, and we pick up scrubs to get the roster to 53 men.

49,800 season tickets sold, i think the fans know this will be a tough year without a proper QB.

3-1 in pre-season again. hmm.

Regular Season

Tolley is off to a bad start and throws 5 picks in the first 3 games. he then gets injured. Marco Segura takes over. we are 0-3 btw.

standing at 3-9, Tolley is back and available. Marco Segura has thrown 1 TD and 9 picks in 8 starts.

and we can't get better than 5-11.

end of season summary

4 QB's used this season, combining for FOUR touchdown passes, and 23 interceptions. man. alive. Richie Farley did the best in the end. 5 starts, 728 yards, 2 TD's. Graham Barlow was a battering ram, 1433 yards on 344 yards, plus 15 TD passes. forget WR this year. S Don Ross led the team in tackles. Bishop and Tyler combined for 23.5 sacks. Mora and Cassidy had 8 picks.


regular season record: 4-12
post season record: 0-0
points scored - points allowed: 277-361

[andy m]

2025

Off-Season Summary

ooh, the owners are grumbling about my performance. i hope they put me out of my misery. i don't know how much more futility i can take! i think the endless procession of mediocre QB's is killing us, and i simply can't get my hands on one who can do the business...

we offer coach Cribbs a five year deal to come back. he hasn't done well so far, but he is still only 40 and i think he can build this team. crossed fingers

ace LB, Jesse Grant, has retired. and who can blame him?

ah, crap. i've let half my good players contracts expire on me by forgetting to renegotiate last season. DE Preston Bishop. S Donald Ross, G Henry Richardson, DT Rico Tyler, RB Graham Barlow, TE Robert Henderson, K Alonzo Flannery...

WR Erik Blackburn is offloaded in a trade with the Lions. they send us DT CJ Clayton and the #2 pick in the 2nd round.

oh well. we lose all our important free agents (the building block of the Rockets) to other teams who pay huge amounts. and my heart has gone out of this, i'm stepping down...