The Autumn Wind: A GML Scratchpad

[MalcPow]

We're in the 2121 offseason over in the GML. It might feel like summer, but there's a light breeze in here. Almost fall-like. And we might as well do some pillaging just for fun.

We're taking over the Raiders.

I'm a huge fan of Quik's long-running musings on his Ravens (https://forums.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=93792) (and now sister Skins), and I'm going to take a little bit of a run at keeping a few notes as well. I think it will help with, um, bringing some rhythm to my play.

We have an interesting roster (http://gml.fof-belco.com/teampageroster.php?teamid=20):

Front Office Football Eight
Oakland Raiders Roster, Scout Overview

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Fitzgerald, Dashawn 112 QB 4 22 48 1 yr.
Perkins, Emmett 118 QB 9 37 37 ---
Wong Jr., Bradley 103 QB 5 30 35 1 yr.
Burton, Deon 230 RB 6 57 57 2 yrs.
Zimmerman, Dominic 238 RB 3 51 51 2 yrs.
Strickland, Cristian 226 RB 2 39 46 3 yrs.
Hawkins, Frank 488 TE 9 39 39 ---
Lutes, Artie 443 TE 2 33 37 3 yrs.
Duran, Vernon 485 TE 3 30 34 ---
Skeen, Gerald 514 FL 2 37 52 3 yrs.
Klepfer, Mickey 582 FL 13 51 51 1 yr.
Poston, Lester 516 FL 3 50 50 2 yrs.
Upshaw, Victor 580 FL 6 13 13 2 yrs.
Gibson, Sammie 519 SE 4 43 43 1 yr.
Greene, Carlton 517 SE 5 31 31 ---
Albee, Julio 653 C 9 59 59 3 yrs.
Bergstrom, Craig 659 C 4 41 50 1 yr.
Rivera, Brayden 767 LG 6 55 55 3 yrs.
Lang, Amos 769 LG 3 32 46 ---
Winters, Claude 763 RG 11 63 63 2 yrs.
Downs, Jonathan 766 RG 3 61 61 2 yrs.
Fletcher, Harris 860 LT 5 56 56 1 yr.
Staigvil, Russell 861 LT 6 52 52 1 yr.
George, Earl 872 RT 13 49 49 1 yr.
Hoedemaker, Joseph 907 P 12 68 68 1 yr.
Brusca, Charlie 1004K 13 69 69 1 yr.
Pitt, Grant 1175LDE 4 43 50 ---
Abrams, Landon 1173LDE 7 48 48 2 yrs.
Snyder, Mitchell 1196RDE 3 77 95 2 yrs.
Hardy, Jeff 1199RDE 5 54 54 ---
Thomas, Ronnie 1279LDT 2 39 58 3 yrs.
Covington, Avery 1277LDT 7 33 33 1 yr.
Lawhorn, Drew 1298RDT 9 68 68 2 yrs.
Fruth, Rick 1357WILB 3 42 47 ---
Cooley, Nicholas 1352MLB 5 70 70 4 yrs.
Conley, Lee 1397MLB 6 64 64 1 yr.
Applin, Alexis 1455SLB 2 50 60 3 yrs.
Long, Steven 1450WLB 6 50 50 ---
Megorden, Tanner 1490WLB 3 48 48 2 yrs.
Battle, Jordan 1493WLB 5 44 44 3 yrs.
Boyd, Ernest 1522LCB 2 53 64 3 yrs.
Parker, Daryl 1546LCB 8 49 49 2 yrs.
Jeffries, Brayden 1528RCB 7 57 57 1 yr.
Munroe, Colton 1525RCB 5 43 43 ---
Clinton, Darryl 1541RCB 8 40 40 ---
Booker, Pedro 1524RCB 3 36 40 ---
Basinger, Marty 1539RCB 10 39 39 2 yrs.
Reynolds, Branden 1644SS 10 64 64 2 yrs.
Farrell, Grayson 1629FS 6 71 71 3 yrs.
Preston, Ernie 1623FS 9 42 42 1 yr.
Chandler, Micah 658 LS 9 17 17 1 yr.

$$ - player is suspended, ## - player is inactive,
** = player is injured, %% - player is on IR.

Players Under Contract: 39
Inactive: 0
On Active Roster: 39

Salary Cap: $704,500,000
Cap Room: $35,470,000
Maximum for New Player: $2,490,000
Cap Room Lost (to old contracts): $32,030,000

Cap Room Lost Next Year (to old contracts): $0
Cap Room Required Next Year: $440,780,000

Mitchell Snyder, the 3rd year DE, looks like one of the absolute best defensive players in the league. We generally look like we've got more talent on that side of the ball. We have some pieces at all levels. On the offensive side, we're quite a bit lighter.

[MalcPow]

I hate going into a draft feeling like I have to chase offensive talent. We ended up with the 10th pick. And it's a particularly uncertain place to feel like you really need to add offense to the group. The QBs, and let's be honest there's usually just one, go at the very top. The WRs go really quickly after that and you're probably chasing a little if you get into the middle of the 1st and think you've got a 65+ difference maker staring at you.

I feel great at 10 if I just need a very good player. There will be a lineman or a TE or undoubtedly a nice warm and cuddly high end linebacker.

The board went pretty chalky early, but we spent some time on this class last night and I'd ultimately narrowed our hopes to a QB (http://gml.fof-belco.com/draft/show_player.php?in_game_id=94983) and a WR (http://gml.fof-belco.com/draft/show_player.php?in_game_id=95205) I thought had a chance to get to us, with some good supplemental position types as fallbacks.

There was a 1.1 type QB (Shaun Sallee) up top and he went there. Same story with some clear stud WRs. QB McKnight and the WR Johnstone looked like the best of the next tier type of premium position offensive guys, with enough flaws to scrape through to us.

We ended up with McKnight and Johnstone went off the board at 1.17. I waffled for a second when they both made it to us.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iors5t4lkedbrf7/2121DraftWRBryantJohnstone.PNG?dl=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yrkudybiopccyu8/2121DraftQBHughMcKnight.PNG?dl=1

I think the money play is probably a receiver almost every time. There are retread QBs floating out into the market regularly, but you really never get a chance to just nab a 65 WR without paying big in draft picks and an extension. They're a critical part of almost every successful offense. You're better off with great receivers and an ok QB than you are with a great QB and ok receivers.

Blah blah blah.

McKnight looks really intriguing to me. I think the passing bars are real. A lot of his components look very strong. The sense rush is a major red flag for a lot of people and I think it's why he'll be at the center of our little thread here for the next 15 seasons or so instead of chucking it for somebody else. He's a 60+ QB by my eyes, and there's some chance he's a very good runner. I don't know exactly what to do with that but I think it's a fun wrinkle.

If he's not a fumbler, we've got a dynamic franchise guy, even with some sacks. If he's a fumbler, cue the Job Bluth gifs.

[MalcPow]

We'll see what comes with the rest of our draft. There's a third QB in the class I think has good starter stuff in there. We'll probably look offense again if we can, but it doesn't look like a particularly monstrous class. We'll check in at the end.

And lurking at the bottom of that roster snapshot is a look at our cap situation. We're right up against it. I'm not totally sure what those cuts will have to be yet. The numbers in 2121 in this universe are still a little eye-popping for me as I acclimate to them. These teams are small country GDP operations at this point.

[MalcPow]

We got a Center in round 2 and a DL in round 3, scurrying back to our big bars and comfort position groups.

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1 (http://gml.fof-belco.com/draft/show_player.php?in_game_id=95255)

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1 (http://gml.fof-belco.com/draft/show_player.php?in_game_id=95520)

Both of these guys should play quite a bit this year. We're going to put in some cuts to try to clear a little FA2 space as well. Not a whole lot of action yet, but we'll see where it goes. I am thinking the rest of our class is not likely to be very sexy.

[MalcPow]

LT in the 4th. RB in the 5th.

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1 (http://gml.fof-belco.com/draft/show_player.php?in_game_id=95338)

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1 (http://gml.fof-belco.com/draft/show_player.php?in_game_id=95021)

I think we're going to be pretty balanced in the offense we run. McKnight should have some real strengths, but I think that sense rush bar is a pretty good cue we shouldn't go all tzach attack on this one and chuck it 70 times a game. The LT can run block, the back looks like a very respectable hole rec type.. I think we'll need as many of those as we can mix in.