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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 18:41:33 GMT
Which old witch?
AL DAVIS (1929-2011)
That old witch.
At its heart the NFL is the world’s most expensive game of follow the leader; innovation is frowned upon and seen almost exclusively as the realm of losers – got a horrible team only likely to muster a win if one is offered in a raffle? Maybe you have Joey Harrington at QB. Go ahead and experiment all you like. Otherwise, it’s pretty much as you were.
However, when someone finds a new way to do things, (or a rediscovers an old way), the stampede to follow suit is energetic to say the least. For the past decade the person most likely to be at the front of the NFL conga line and therefore the only person with a view of something other than someone else’s back is Bill Belichick.
Beyond the reinvigoration of the 34 defence, new scouting styles and attempts to create a flatter talent curve within the confines of his team, another Belichick gem was about to gain further homage, though perhaps an unexpected one.
When Belichick landed his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991 he gathered his players in a meeting room at the Browns’ team facilities strode to the lectern and delivered a special message for his players.
“Men.” He started. “I have worked too long and too hard to get here to allow you to fuck it up for me.”
He snapped his book shut and left.
The room I walked into had 23 players in it, slightly less than half the number that made up a regular NFL roster, slightly less than half of which were any good. Such was the legacy of the Wicked Witch of the (AFC) West.
They were sitting around various desks, the player’s unnatural size making the simple straight-legged, plastic-covered furniture look like it had been lifted directly from an infant school.
I walked to the slightly raised dais at the head of the room, dropped my laptop onto it and flicked on the overhead projector. A PowerPoint slide flickered into view.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
4-12 5-11 4-12 2-14 4-12 6-10 5-11 9-7 7-9 46 – 98 (.319)
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
I realise that irony isn’t a strong suit for Americans and maybe even less so for football players, but I hoped I didn’t need to make the team’s record zoom in from the right with a stock “whoosh” sound to get the point across.
There was some faint murmuring around the room, most notably from “star” Quarterback JP Losman, (another Al Davis moment of clarity), who sat in the front with an Oakland cap on backwards like an outcast from a boy band.
I waited until I had everyone’s attention.
“Welcome to hell.”
It was a favourite saying of the rabid and frankly frightening fans who inhabited The Black Hole behind on end zone in Oakland’s Coliseum stadium, but should adequately cover what I was about to do to the team and the roster.
“We have a long road in front of us to rescue this franchise from the aimless lunatic who has been in the driver’s seat to this point. Some of you will not be making this journey with us. Some of you will be left by the roadside. Some of you, the lucky ones will be going somewhere else, in someone else’s car.”
I looked at Losman. “Some of you will be pushed from the car at high speeds.”
I paused to let my motivational speech sink in and imagined Losman tumbling along a dusty road having been levered out the back door at 50 miles per hour, his stupid baseball cap spinning off into the gutter. I then backed my imaginary station wagon over his face.
“By the time we fix this mess, most of you will either be elsewhere or retired. There’s no glory here except for the quiet internal satisfaction that comes from being here at the start of the rescue mission.”
“I’m here to rescue the Raiders. Right now I don’t know why any of you are here. Just don’t fuck things up for me.”
Billy Belichick would be proud.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 18:42:01 GMT
OAKLAND RAIDERS ROSTER Player # Pos Start OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Asomugha, Nnamdi 47 LCB 2003 2013 10 $12,270,000 $10,180,000 Losman, JP 11 QB 2009 2013 9 $11,580,000 $9,500,000 Freeney, Dwight 95 LDE 2009 2012 11 $10,630,000 $8,500,000 McFadden, Darren 46 RB 2008 2013 5 $7,740,000 $3,810,000 Curry, Ronald 80 FL 2003 2014 10 $6,640,000 $5,510,000 Morrison, Kirk 90 MLB 2005 2012 8 $5,690,000 $4,240,000 Huff, Michael 37 SS 2006 2012 7 $4,700,000 $3,410,000 Baer, Xavier 18 QB 2009 2013 4 $4,620,000 $2,470,000 Hill, Herb 87 SE 2010 2014 3 $4,320,000 $2,040,000 Patton, Malcolm 85 SE 2011 2014 2 $3,210,000 $1,680,000 Bush, Michael 44 RB 2007 2013 6 $2,990,000 $2,120,000 Klaff, Leo 88 FL 2009 2012 4 $2,240,000 $1,520,000 Fairweather, Amos 65 LT 2010 2013 3 $2,020,000 $1,270,000 Doyle, Mack 14 QB 2011 2014 2 $1,470,000 $790,000 Lechler, Shane 16 P 2000 2013 13 $1,200,000 $1,030,000 Janikowski, Sebastian 13 K 2000 2012 13 $1,170,000 $1,030,000 Nelms, Corwin 57 C 2010 2013 3 $1,140,000 $820,000 Hartman, Darrin 42 FB 2009 2012 4 $1,120,000 $980,000 Keith, Kenny 4 TE 2010 2013 3 $1,070,000 $850,000 Fafinski, Phillip 36 FB 2011 2014 2 $970,000 $660,000 Dole, Oscar 1 P 2010 2012 3 $860,000 $820,000 Richardson, Carlos 77 RG 2011 2014 2 $810,000 $660,000 Giles, Hunter 61 LG 2011 2013 2 $730,000 $660,000 Perez, Eddie 15 K 2011 2013 2 $660,000 $660,000
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 18:42:27 GMT
For a number of years, being GM of the Oakland Raiders was a lot like being the Canadian Minister for Defence. It sounded like a good job, you probably had a very nice desk and could afford very nice suits. But ultimately you did absolutely nothing because of who was next door.
Since 1972 the Oakland Raiders had been a one-man band, the exclusive fiefdom of the Emperor Darth Davis and as the years went on so his transformation from franchise saviour to dark lord became complete. To be even about things the man was a legend in the AFL and NFL because of what he had done and what he had meant, but that legendary status rang louder in Davis' own mind than anywhere else because he still lived in the 1970s.
Convinced that a team could still win with a big armed quarterback, fleet receivers and an ugly defence Davis would meddle in affairs constantly, putting people in a position of power and the instantly undermining them. Casting about for new faces who could get his beloved team the victories he very clearly wanted, then making those victories impossible by refusing to let go.
Of course, he had now finally let go in the most final fashion possible. Like Elvis, Al passed away on the toilet and like the King of Rock and Roll there were many people who didn't believe the King of Oakland was really dead. Although perhaps for different reasons.
One final real gift from Davis was that he had gone before the draft. The new board had taken over and appointed a new GM with real, actual power. Amusingly, they'd handed that power to a man with zero real, actual experience.
But Oakland was funny like that. Just down the road, the Oakland Athletics baseball club consistently had the second lowest payroll in the Major Leagues and they consistently were among the winningest teams, almost entirely because they stopped using baseball guys to run their baseball team, moving instead to a collection of geeks with laptop computers and connections to the internet.
Now the Raiders would try to catch that lightning in a bottle with a guy who had, (I checked my watch), roughly four days and six hours experience now of running a football team.
Ironically, the first thing I had done in my effort to replace the despot was to act like one. I called the coaching staff into my office and fired them all. The Head Coach, the Offensive Co-ordinator, the Defensive Co-ordinator, the scouts. Everyone
Yes, the last thing I needed as someone with zero experience, was old football people standing around shaking their heads at my laptop full of stats, undermining my authority. What I needed to replace the collection of ventriloquist's dummies that had worked under Davis was someone who know how to do two things : 1) Say 'Yes sir!' and 2) Shut up.
The king is dead. Long live the king.
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Post by DC on Oct 8, 2008 19:11:08 GMT
Nice team. No WR, but at least you have 2 QB's so you can play a reverse Wildcat formation.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 19:24:04 GMT
There are four wide receivers on the list Dave. You had another half a drink for your birthday?
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Post by Moo on Oct 8, 2008 19:30:36 GMT
Al is one ugly fucker.
The NFL GM meeting won't know any different.
KUTGW!
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 20:44:46 GMT
Getting the staff right and getting them in place as soon as possible was key. A staffing hire would move the press focus away from the GM and onto the man who would be shouting into a headset for the season. If I could turn into the man behind the curtain I would be very happy.
The first hire was the easiest. Defensive Co-ordinator Carl Shawwa was earning $6,400,000 a year and I use the term "earning" in its weakest sense - he had to go.
Baltimore's Daniel Herron had led the Raven's to the 7th best defence in the league for 66% of Sawwa's salary and when the Ravens failed to seal his contract quickly I threw $4,500,000 at him. Sawwa was first from the metaphorical car.
Then Herron followed him, as he got cold feet about signing a deal and with time running out I was forced to snap up Roy Branch, erstwhile Linebackers coach at the Dallas Cowboys.
Next out was Head Coach Benjamin Blackmon, in favour of former New Orleans Saints' Offensive Co-ordinator, Harvey Castillo.
Finally, Offensive Co-ordinator Darrin Baniewicz was brought in from the unemployment line in favour of a coach I fired so quickly that I don't even recall his name.
I grabbed my laptop my print outs of the roster, then gathered the new coaches and went to inform them of what they thought of our roster.
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Post by Boony on Oct 8, 2008 21:25:20 GMT
I've heard of Losman, Freeney and Janikowski, and I know the last two are quite good. If a little old. You've got two punters and two kickers, which seems like a bit of overkill when you've only got four defenders.
Is Janikowski any good at nose tackle?
Good luck here, fella, I think you'll need it.
Will you be play-calling, or setting settings, or just letting the guys with the headsets sort it all out?
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 21:40:39 GMT
QUARTERBACK Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Losman, JP 11 QB 2009 2013 9 $11,580,000 $9,500,000 Baer, Xavier 18 QB 2009 2013 4 $4,620,000 $2,470,000 Doyle, Mack 14 QB 2011 2014 2 $1,470,000 $790,000 If there was one thing I wasn't going to be shaken on, it was that JP Losman was gone. When I handed the sheets out to the coaches his name was already lined out in thick black ink. No one questioned. Baer would most likely start next year and could hold the fort well enough that we could avoid chasing a Quarterback in this year's draft. He had a decent deep ball and his timing with the receivers was good, but his accuracy wasn't so hot and he struggled when the pressure was on with two minutes to play. But he'd have to do. Mack Doyle was a lunatic in the pocket with itchy feet and a tendency to run before he was even half way through his reads. TIGHT END Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Keith, Kenny 4 TE 2010 2013 3 $1,070,000 $850,000 There was no way we were letting Kenny go - he was the best Tight End on the team. RECEIVERS Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Curry, Ronald 80 FL 2003 2014 10 $6,640,000 $5,510,000 Klaff, Leo 88 FL 2009 2012 4 $2,240,000 $1,520,000 Hill, Herb 87 SE 2010 2014 3 $4,320,000 $2,040,000 Patton, Malcolm 85 SE 2011 2014 2 $3,210,000 $1,680,000 Curry was the dangerous man here - a quick veteran who wasn't afraid to go over the middle. Herb Hill should be a slot receiver, but we didn't have anyone else to play in front of him. He was quick, but had the build of St Francis of Assisi, as shown in his eleven dropped passes last year, most of which came on contact. Malcolm Patton had the build of St Francis of Assisi's skinny chicken but was tougher than Hill and liked to play special teams. Leo Klaff had a more prototypical receiver build, but gt nicked up a lot and was dumb as a bag of hammers. OFFENSIVE LINE Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Nelms, Corwin 57 C 2010 2013 3 $1,140,000 $820,000 Giles, Hunter 61 LG 2011 2013 2 $730,000 $660,000 Richardson, Carlos 77 RG 2011 2014 2 $810,000 $660,000 Fairweather, Amos 65 LT 2010 2013 3 $2,020,000 $1,270,000 Everyone here was cheap, which meant they'd almost all certainly survive, even if just as depth. KICKERS Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Lechler, Shane 16 P 2000 2013 13 $1,200,000 $1,030,000 Dole, Oscar 1 P 2010 2012 3 $860,000 $820,000 Janikowski, Sebastian 13 K 2000 2012 13 $1,170,000 $1,030,000 Perez, Eddie 15 K 2011 2013 2 $660,000 $660,000 Two kickers and two punters. Nice work Al. Lechler had been one of the elite punters in the game, some time in the previous decade. He would go and be followed by "Seabass", again for age reasons. This would mean we'd probably have to negotiate a new contract with a punter - Oscar Dole - which sounded like a very sordid thing to do. Couldn't we just find new ones for free? DEFENSIVE LINE Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Freeney, Dwight 95 LDE 2009 2012 11 $10,630,000 $8,500,000 Dwight Freeney's contract may have been the last moment of madness for big Al. Back loaded and with a huge guaranteed bonus it was a deal bigger than any player could possibly stand up to. Dwight had tried his very best though, rewarding the team with 38 sacks over the past three seasons. In a 22-3 win over the New York Giants in 2009, Freeney registered no sacks, but he hurried Giants Quarterback Eli Manning eight times and knocked him to the ground on six of those. in 2010 he registered four games with at least two sacks and in Week 17 of 2011, aged 33, he pounded Chicago Bears Quarterback Dean Van DeWege into the ground with three sacks and four knockdowns. It was one of only three Chicago losses that regular season. While romantic notions of loyalty to players had no place in this brave new world, Freeney could stay, if only because he only had one season left on his contract and then we could release him back into the wild for free. LINEBACKER Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Morrison, Kirk 90 MLB 2005 2012 8 $5,690,000 $4,240,000 Kirk Morrison is a quality interior defender and leader, so it's a real shame there's no one around for him to lead. DEFENSIVE BACKS Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut Asomugha, Nnamdi 47 LCB 2003 2013 10 $12,270,000 $10,180,000 Huff, Michael 37 SS 2006 2012 7 $4,700,000 $3,410,000 Asomugha is a very high-level cover corner, as he should be considering we're paying him ten million dollars this year. I'll consider moving him on if I can find someone dumb enough to take his contract on and get value in return. RUNNINGBACKS Player # Pos OnTm EndCnt Exp Cap Cost Save if Cut McFadden, Darren 46 RB 2008 2013 5 $7,740,000 $3,810,000 Bush, Michael 44 RB 2007 2013 6 $2,990,000 $2,120,000 Hartman, Darrin 42 FB 2009 2012 4 $1,120,000 $980,000 Fafinski, Phillip 36 FB 2011 2014 2 $970,000 $660,000 The runningbacks appear last, out of order, because of Darren McFadden. One of, if not the premier back in the league and hello.... trade bait. New OC Darrin Baniewicz had a semi just looking at posters of McFadden, but the kid was in the last year of his controlled contract and would be a UFA next season and would no doubt demand my first born child, a pile of cash large enough to fill the Coliseum and a magic pony to re-sign. Darrin looked like he was going to cry, but I'd made my mind up. Michael Bush was making precisely no one think about namesake Reggie, unless you were the type to ponder "I wonder what someone would look like if they ate Reggie Bush." At 6'1" and 245lbs Bush had very specialised skills and would probably be ok provided you didn't ask him to do anything outside those, like outrun the hotdog vendor over 40 yards. Bush outweighs both of our Fullbacks combined and so Philip Fafinski would probably see a personal-best number of carries. Admittedly, one carry would shatter his personal best.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 21:43:51 GMT
I've heard of Losman, Freeney and Janikowski, and I know the last two are quite good. If a little old. You've got two punters and two kickers, which seems like a bit of overkill when you've only got four defenders. Is Janikowski any good at nose tackle? Good luck here, fella, I think you'll need it. Will you be play-calling, or setting settings, or just letting the guys with the headsets sort it all out? I shall attempt to play this hands off, controlling personnel and staff and then letting one ruin the other, while I cry a bit. I might be forced to get my hands dirty once or twice though, if only with the cheerleaders.
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Post by DC on Oct 8, 2008 22:14:25 GMT
There are four wide receivers on the list Dave. You had another half a drink for your birthday? Looking for WR, not FL :cab:
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 8, 2008 23:31:36 GMT
The free agency period was eventful, not the least because in a dark throwback to the previous administration, the ownership went behind my back and signed four players, including Free Agent Punter Oliver McDougal, meaning I now have three punters. I could feel Al laughing, from the other side. Still, Free Agency would make me feel better. Like a Frenchman who lives next door to a brothel, I had a feeling I'd be spending much of my time looking over my neighbours fence to see what sort of talent was about - the particular neighbour being to the east in the shape of the Arizona Cardinals, who had a cap space reading of $0.00, despite only having 36 players signed. What followed however was the sort of mad free for all that old people engage in at church rummage sales as everyone that fell off of Arizona's roster was squabbled over, driving the price way beyond my interest. Tackle Bryant McKinnie wanted a one year deal for $7,000,000 when he hit the free agent market and ended up going back to the Vikings, with whom he started his NFL career, for the bargain price of $32,460,000 over two years. I did manage to snaffle one former birdie though, as I grabbed portly runningback LenDale White. White isn't exactly going to be a change of pace from fatty Michael Bush, but I figure I alternate running the two of them very quickly into defensive brick walls. Coups included signing three players from division rivals - Lee Small and Bernard Pollard from the Chiefs and Boss Bailey from the Broncos, under the ever-popular premise that these were actually two players. The one I now had and then one they had to replace. The coaches were happy to see Branch, Bailey, and Pollard on board, but didn't seem convinced when I snaffled receiver Tedd Ginn Junior. Which is a coincidence, because I wasn't convinced when the Dolphins took him in round one in 2007. One person everyone was convinced in was Antonio Gates. There's no doubt that Gates' best days are behind him, but while his physical skills have degraded, he can still catch like no one else at the position and will offer a nice safety valve to whoever takes the snaps next year. LenDale White ARI HB 1yr, $950,000
Tedd Ginn Jnr MIA WR 1yr, $1.06m Antonio Gates NYG TE 1yr, $950,000 Zach Miller FA TE 1yr, $970,000
Jessie McCarthy FA C 1yr, $550,000 Steve Justice MIN C 1yr, $1m Rich Dresslar FA T 1yr, $1.17m
Drew Malone NYJ DT 1yr, $780,000 Curtis Hinchcliffe FA DT 1yr, $800,000 Rob Jackson WAS DE 1yr, $700,000 Lee Small KC DE 1yr, $770,000
Karlos Dansby FA LB 1yr, $1.26m Bo Ruud FA LB 1yr, $750,000 Boss Bailey DEN LB 1yr, $1.1m
Tyvon Branch FA CB 4yrs, $16.56m Bernard Pollard KC S 1yr, $1m Robbie McWilliams FA S 1yr, $450,000 Robbie McWilliams was signed purely so I could imagine it was actually Robbie Williams and then enjoy watching him being pummeled every day. On the down side, I had receiver exactly none offers for Darren McFadden and Nnamdi Asomugha and might end up having to pay both of them.
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Post by Moo on Oct 9, 2008 7:48:30 GMT
*Takes notes*
Good stuff here, fella. I like the way you went into detail about your kicking/puting team and then went and got another one anyway. It's that sort of forward thinking that wouldn't be out of place in a Bill Belichick biography.
KUTGW! :thumb:
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Post by coffers on Oct 9, 2008 8:45:30 GMT
An excellent pre-amble, obviously I don't know what you are talking about, but it looks funny anyway. KUTGW! :thumb:
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Post by hornet on Oct 9, 2008 9:48:05 GMT
I've always had a soft spot for Kirk Morrison, largely because that the name King Mob's novelist alter-ego used in The Invisibles. The cover blurb for Pro Football Prospectus 08 had a good line, too. "Nnamdi Asomugha, translation - Throw To The Other Side."
So your starting receivers are Ronald Curry and Tedd Ginn Jr. Are you planning on throwing any passes this year of less than 20 yards?
Great start, anyway. KUTRTDT (Return To Dracula's Tomb)W! :thumb:
Great start, anyway. KUT
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Post by elth on Oct 9, 2008 9:50:09 GMT
I read it. It was good. Continue.
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Post by Boony on Oct 9, 2008 9:53:52 GMT
Great start, anyway. KUTRTDT (Return To Dracula's Tomb)W! Great start, anyway. KUT Repeat and fade! Horn's been listening to too much dodgy rock music again...
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Post by hornet on Oct 9, 2008 10:01:41 GMT
Always. Bon Jovi 4 Life!
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 9, 2008 20:35:55 GMT
We're into round two of the college draft and it seems likely that I'm going to have pulled out all of my hair before we hit the third round.
Aside from the perennial booing from Jets fans on hand, the draft appears fairly serene from the outside; the clock counts down, Mel Kiper's hair defies gravity and eventually a man who no one outside of his own team knows walks to the front and hands the Commissioner a small piece of paper.
Behind the scenes, things are rather more frantic.
We started the day off with a bombshell that was still rippling around the room and along the bottom of ESPN's screens as we announced the trade of Halfback Darren McFadden to the Arizona Cardinals for their 1st (25) and 2nd (56) picks, giving us four selections inside the first 56 choices.
McFadden would have been the feature of our offence this year and it would have been no hardship to keep him, but next year he was unrestricted and could have left us with nothing but a dirty jersey.
Sending him to Arizona was a win/win too as we wouldn't have to face him next season and we knew the Cardinals were in terrible cap trouble - immediately after signing McFadden they released back JJ Arrington, giving us an emergency option if the draft didn't provide Darren's replacement.
And it looked like it wouldn't.
With our 13th pick we'd tried our best to fill the holes in our defensive front by signing Karl Brooks from the Tennessee Volunteers. Brooks was a run stuffer with an engine that would run all day and, importantly, he showed promising pass rush technique despite being a little undersized. Coming on board with the skill and not the muscle was far better than the other way around.
We then had to just sit and watch as our two targets at halfback Kent Stiltner and Darnell Riley went right before the pick we'd grabbed from Arizona. Tampa Bay had followed expectations and taken Heisman Winner Jaime Cheyne with the first overall pick and there were no other backs we liked.
Instead we went for someone who could clear the way for the tubby fuckers in our backfield and picked Center Howard Foote. Foote would be a Center for about five minutes after he got to Oakland, before we moved him to Guard. At 6'4" and 315lbs, his blocking could consist entirely of just making people run around him and he'd be effective.
Now we were halfway through the second round and were stuck. There wasn't anyone who shouted "pick me!" which left us to consider a large number of players across the large number of positions at which we had a need. After rapid fire conversations around the room, our choice had narrowed to Ohio State Quarterback Jonathan Collier and Louisiana-Monroe Guard Andre Mayes.
Collier had shown a lot of promise with the Buckeyes and head scout Earnest Barker kept reminding me every ten seconds or so that Collier had scored the highest on the position drills of any player in the draft - a 96. However, I kept reminding me that he was also thought of as one of the least developed players in the draft - he did a few things very well, but would need to have everything else coached into him and I didn't yet know how well my coaches would handle developing our new kids.
On the other side was Mayes. The squat 6'0", 293lb Guard was one of the smartest linemen available, but he came with attitude problems, as shown by the fact that he'd refused to work out for anyone at the combine, claiming we had "four years of tape" to watch of him playing.
The coaching staff pushed Mayes as the better player, but they also figured, of the pair, he'd be the one most likely to still be there in 12 picks time when we had another go. The three teams immediately following us were Celveland, Buffalo and Jacksonville and my constant polling of the phones and other GMs suggested that two, the Browns and the Bills, were in the market for a passer.
We could take Collier and possibly get Mayes or we could take the safer bet with Mayes and almost certainly not get Collier.
With the clock running down I checked out the list of Free Agent Quarterbacks...
Colt Brennan - undersized with a gimpy action, but put up crazy numbers with Hawaii's unfancied team.
AJ Feeley... AJ Feeley?! When AJ Feeley is shown as the second best Quarterback available, it's time to give up. Further down the list I saw Byron Leftwich and Matt Hasselbech, both of whom are older than God and then there was JP Losman. I saw Losman listed after Feeley and laughed. That was cold.
"We're taking Collier."
I could almost hear the swearing from down the hall in the Cleveland Browns room. Right behind us, they take Quarterback Richie Gunn from Washington, who has a good name for a QB, but hopefully little else.
11 picks later the spotlight drops on us again and Andre Mayes is still there.
After two rounds there are 8 Quarterbacks off the board, 7 Halfbacks and 11 Linebackers. Least picked outside of the kickers are Fullback and Guard positions with one and two selections respectively.
Only five more rounds of lunacy to go. :cab:
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 9, 2008 22:14:19 GMT
When the dust settles on two days in New York I feel like we've done ok. On the third day I become not so sure, as the various sports reporters around the league collaborate to give our draft a C+ rating.
Minnesota finish bottom with a C- rating, while New England are top with an A-, despite picking last as the reigning NFL champions.
Thanks, Bill. Make us all look bad, eh?
My mood doesn't improve over time as both of our first round picks, Karl Brooks and Howard Foote, turn up their noses at our contract offers and we head through the spring and into summer with them unsigned.
Thankfully everyone else puts pen to paper, which is good or I'd have broken their arms.
In the draft, the number of players picked per position are :
QB - 16 RB - 15 FB - 3 WR - 21 TE - 12 C - 4 G - 20 T - 14 P - 4 K - 3 DE - 23 DT - 15 ILB - 10 OLB - 22 CB - 21 S - 21
And we end up with : 13. Oakland Brooks Karl DT 34/69 25. Oakland Foote Howard C 46/83 44. Oakland Collier Jonathan QB 13/47 56. Oakland Mayes Andre G 31/62 78. Oakland Davis Peter DE 21/57 109. Oakland Walker Kris C 26/62 140. Oakland Stepnoski Ethan CB 13/50 174. Oakland Birney Neal RB 28/32 205. Oakland Siglar Brock DE 19/34
Hopefully we can get Foote and Brooks signed as it looks like they could make an impact this season. That's provided they still look the part when it comes to training camp, that is.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 10, 2008 3:30:27 GMT
It took a while, but our final two draft picks finally signed, Center Howard Foote being last aboard after a hold out that annoyingly lasted through training camp. After joining the team Center Howard Foote became Guard Howard Foote, where his 315lbs will be better put to use.
Without Mr Foote Training camp went through without a hitch and was very pleasing. Defensive Tackle and first pick Karl Brooks improved in the scouts' eyes from a 34/69 to a 40/69. He looks exceptionally fit and will absolutely destroy people who try to run by him. Hopefully his pass rush skills will see him crush some quarterbacks too.
At Center, attention turn from Foote to Walker and the fourth rounder got a big pop from 26/62 to 37/66.
Most disappointing of camp was Quarterback Jonathan Collier who looked every part the undeveloped player we were warned about, as he dipped from a 13/47 projection to an 8/20.
After camp it seems the Cleveland Browns aren't happy with their rookie QB either, as they offer a cheeky trade for our starter Xavier Baer, waving their second round draft choice next year. It's nowhere near enough so I don't even dignify the offer with a response. I need more QBs, not less.
I wonder if we still have JP Losman's number?
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 10, 2008 3:47:35 GMT
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Baer, Xavier 18 QB QB 4 45 45 2 Doyle, Mack 14 QB 2 21 38 3 Collier, Jonathan 11 QB 1 8 20 3
Xavier Bael is our man under Center to lead the team, with his solid mid-range game, although he struggles with touch on his short passes and doesn't have the arm for the deep game that would have kept the old owner happy. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Sewell, Nolan 46 RB RB 4 50 50 1 Bush, Michael 44 RB 6 32 32 2 White, LenDale 28 RB 7 49 49 1 Birney, Neal 25 RB 1 31 33 3 Fafinski, Phillip 36 FB FB 2 46 47 3 Hartman, Darrin 42 FB 4 37 37 1
We have three flavours of running back - the fat and slow Nolan Sewell, LenDale White, who's fat and slow and then Michael Bush who's... wait... we have one flavour of running back. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Miller, Zach 82 TE TE 6 56 56 1 Gates, Antonio 86 TE 10 53 53 1 Keith, Kenny 4 TE 3 38 38 2 Curry, Ronald 80 FL FL 10 60 60 3 Ginn Jr., Tedd 89 FL 6 53 53 1 Klaff, Leo 88 FL 4 43 43 1 Hill, Herb 87 SE SE 3 68 68 3 Patton, Malcolm 85 SE 2 47 50 3
I'm pretty happy with this collection of receivers. The skills of Tight Ends Miller and Gatest might see me in the Single Back Tight End Pairs formation a lot. Curry and Hill can get deep and Tedd Ginn will be dangerous if we can get him the ball. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Justice, Steve 50 C C 5 49 61 1 Nelms, Corwin 57 C 3 51 51 2 McCarthy, Jessie 58 C 3 35 41 1 Walker, Kris 54 C 1 37 66 3 Mayes, Andre 64 LG LG 1 35 54 3 Peterman, Stephen 66 LG 9 34 34 1 Foote, Howard 55 RG RG 1 36 73 4 Richardson, Carlos 77 RG 2 32 43 3 Giles, Hunter 61 RG 2 23 32 2 Fairweather, Amos 65 LT LT 3 51 51 2 Dresslar, Rich 70 RT RT 5 48 48 1 Loper, Daniel 74 RT 8 30 30 1 Penn, Donald 72 RT 7 33 33 1
The line is solid at Center and pretty much terribly everywhere else - our second first round choice, Howard Foote, should mature into an excellent Guard, but the player he'll be in three years won't help Xavier Baer this season. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr McDougle, Oliver 6 P 5 47 52 1 Janikowski, Sebastian 13 K 13 71 71 1
I gleefully cut some of our punters. Let's see if the owners sign more. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Small, Lee 92 LDE LDE 5 40 43 1 Freeney, Dwight 95 LDE 11 39 39 1 Jackson, Rob 94 RDE RDE 5 36 46 1 Siglar, Brock 75 RDE 1 20 33 3 Davis, Peter 97 RDE 1 27 52 3 Brooks, Karl 71 LDT LDT 1 40 69 4 Malone, Drew 91 RDT RDT 5 40 53 1 Hinchliffe, Curtis 73 RDT 5 39 39 1 Sutter, Raymond 99 RDT 4 30 42 1 Maloney, Blaine 96 RDT 5 30 34 1
The defensive line isn't great yet, but the beginnings are there and at least we have depth. Rookie Peter Davis is an interesting one - he lost seven pounds before camp to drop from 261 to 254. He might get pushed around on the line, but he'll be a threat to the Quarterback and can drop to the outside backer role too. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Morrison, Kirk 90 MLB MLB 8 52 52 1 Dansby, Karlos 53 SLB SLB 9 46 46 1 Thompson, Chaun 56 SLB 10 37 37 1 Bailey, Boss 59 WLB WLB 10 52 52 1 Ruud, Bo 98 WLB 5 32 35 1
The linebacking is thin and I'm dreading any sort of injury here, especially to Morrison. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Asomugha, Nnamdi 47 LCB LCB 10 76 76 2 Branch, Tyvon 40 RCB RCB 5 70 70 4 Waddell, Michael 22 RCB 9 32 32 1 Stepnoski, Ethan 34 RCB 1 16 43 3
The story is the same with the corners, where we're really very good at starter and really not very good behind those starters. I told Stepnoski to spend the off-season in the weight room and he reported to camp having bulked up an impressive... two pounds. Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntr Pollard, Bernard 26 SS SS 7 58 58 1 Huff, Michael 37 FS FS 7 54 54 1 McWilliams, Robbie 31 FS 2 27 46 1
Pollard and Huff are good in run support, but may leave us a bit light over the top, as neither is fantastic covering in space. We'll be playing almost exclusively man to man under, two deep in the hope of protecting them some.
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Post by Moo on Oct 10, 2008 8:06:08 GMT
It's like you almost know what you're talking about, s1ut. I can only hope I know as much as you when I grow up, which I believe is on Sunday. KUTGW!
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Post by coffers on Oct 10, 2008 8:45:33 GMT
Nice write up so far. Is this FOF or something else? I feel I almost understand what is going on.
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Post by Boony on Oct 10, 2008 8:55:43 GMT
Nice roundup, s1ut. If you can rely on your corners to stop the pass, you may be able to load the box and attempt to stop the run too. Then you'd have a good defence.
I don't see much coming from your running game, though, and your line is young and inexperienced, so Baer might get splatted a few times as you attempt to pass more.
Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about?
KUTGW :thumb:
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