[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: No more excuses
The 2105 team is set, almost.

With new contracts for LB Abraham Desimone (to make some cap room available) and DE Damian Fletcher, the 2105 roster isn't just set, but also locked up for 2106. We're projected $96M over the cap that off-season, but we'll figure that out then. From here on, the focus is on 2105. Last season was an 11-5 conference semi finals campaign. We should demand improvement from this team, no excuses, this team should be ready for it. So, let's take a look at the team for 2105 and how good we are comparted to last season in week 1.

Quarterbacks
50/50 Evan Drake
40/40 Drake Bishop (also kick holder)
25/50 Randy Walters
New: Bishop
Left: Ashley, Manning
Evan Drake is slowly declining, but being a 2nd season on team should somewhat compensate for it. Bishop replaced both Ashley (who was overall more talented) and kick holder Manning. Walters improved this off-season, but will need to improve to ever become ready to be a starter in this league. But basically we're all in on Drake to make the offense do the things he made it do last season.

Running Backs
50/50 Broderick Levine
35/35 FB Randy Julian (and special teamer)
40/40 Bennett Holmes
40/40 Van Goodwin (and special teamer)
35/35 Rondell Robertson (and backup punt returner)
New: Levine
Left: FB Wanamaker, RB Shackelford
Levine should be an improvement over Goodwin as a short yardage and pass catching back, while Holmes remains as our speedy RB2. Robertson is a valid alternative for Holmes, if needed, but he will have to live with a spot lower on the depth chart. Julian improved to the fullback role, he's better suited for what we expect from that position than the declining Wanamaker could have been.

Tight ends
60/60 Garrett Alcala
45/45 Wesley Martin (and special teamer)
35/40 Darnell McKie (and special teamer)
40/55 Nicholas Heath
New: none
Left: none
The same group means they all improved and will improve cohesion. Alcala is more solidly our third best receiver now. It's likely he'll even take over the third down and goal line targets from McKie. Martin is still ahead of Heath, although the latter is catching up. If Alcala indeed successfully takes over McKie's clutch catches role, it's possible I'll put Heath on the active roster and McKie goes to the inactive seven.

Wide Receivers
80/80 Calvin Maxwell (and kick off returner and special teamer)
60/60 Vinny Buysse
40/40 Ed Schulz
30/30 Rick Emerson (and special teamer)
15/30 Herman Jeffries (and special teamer and third kickoff returner)
30/35 Teddy Butler
New: Jeffries, Butler
Left: Hancock, Greer
The same top 3 guys, with Buysse some decline. Butler is promising, but his lack of special teams skills will put him behind Jeffries and Emerson for now.

Offensive Line
80/80 C Elija Cyr
60/70 RT Ivan Dole
65/65 G Brett Stickney
45/45 C Lincoln Stonge (starting RG)
45/45 LT Harold Gruenwalder
40/40 LT Carson McCormick
35/35 G Corwin Driver
30/30 G Kenyon Helm
New: Helm
Left: RT Blair
Something can be said for both Gruenwalder and McCormick to play the LT role. McCormick is the better run blocker, Gruenwalder the pass blocker. The decline of Driver and Helm forces Stonge into the RG role, which I'm confident he can play. It should be an improvement over LT McCormick playing LG. More importantly, all starters are returning players (cohesion!).

Defensive Line
80/80 DT Gabriel Morris (and special teamer)
65/65 DT Ben Courcy (and special teamer)
55/55 DE Damian Fletcher
50/50 DE Andres Holmes (and special teamer)
40/40 DT Mitch Potchynok (and special teamer)
35/35 DE Robbie Dobreski
35/35 DE Deon Rosas
25/40 DE Aiden Preston
New: Fletcher, Holmes
Left: DE Crawford
Morris and Courcy can now focus fully on plugging the middle, while we have Harmon to boost the run defense up and Fletcher to improve the pass rush. Dobreski, Rosas and Potchynok will get their playing time in the pass rushing roles they are familiar with. Preston will have to wait in the wings for another season, as will 2104 revelation LB Stephen Rhodes.

Linebackers
75/75 Gus Coleman
55/55 Abraham Desimone
50/50 Tony Burks
40/40 Mo Fausel (and special teamer)
40/40 Cody Ross (and special teamer)
20/20 Stephen Rhodes
New: Ross
Left: Halvorson, Thompson
We anticipated the departure of Halvorson by signing DE Harmon. The trade for DE Fletcher means Rhodes will drop hard on the depth chart after a fine rookie campaign. Ross is our new special teamer to fill the gap of retired Thompson. Fausel has declined, but continues to be a prominent special teamer.

Secondary
55/55 CB Otis Hane (and special teamer)
55/55 CB Logan Wallace
45/45 S Craig Clancy (and special teamer)
45/45 S Daniel Shapiro (and special teamer)
35/35 S Pete Weaver
40/40 CB Eduardo Cowdrick (and special teamer)
40/40 CB Wesley Cabrera (and backup kickoff returner and special teamer)
25/40 CB Dennis Finley (and punt returner)
30/45 S Lincoln Taylor
New: S Shapiro, CB Hane
Left: S Wright, CB Dogins
Shapiro should be on par with Wright, being more talented, but brand new which means no cohesive value. Somewhat the same applies to Hane over Dogins, except that Hane is a better man to man defender. Taylor isn't quite ready yet, which means he's our 46th man for now and I might make him sit inactive if I feel that activating a player at another position is more important. Finley for now gets the punt returning skills over RB Robertson. As I writing this, I'm actually second guessing it: Finley is more talented, but Robertson was elite last season and deserves credits for it.

Special Teamers
90/90 K Oscar Harrington
50/50 P Dana Louis
50/55 P Mack Nelson
20/20 LS Bennett Brock
Harrington is the best in business. Brock is elite. Louis or Nelson will be a game day decision for opening day. Releasing either of them is a negative cap result, so for now I will stick with two punters, with the second one inactive. This can't last a full season, I presume, for now I have to trust in Louis after a fine 2105 season and Nelson having been a pre-season disappointment.

With little cap room left now, we can't lock up LT Harold Gruenwalder anymore. It means he'll likely be the only unrestricted free agent next off-season. Unless I re-do WR Calvin Maxwell's contract into something even less flexible next off-season, which is a bad idea. So, that's where we stand in that regard. Undrafted rookie wide receivers Butler and Jeffries will be restricted free agents next off-season.

And with that, again, the focus goes to the 2105 season now. Coming up first: a road game at the Bordeaux Vineyards. It's the 2104 European champions visiting the 2103 European champions. Bordeaux is so much better than their 4-12 record from last season assumes. And starting on the road, we can't take anything for granted. But we won there last season, kept our offense together and improved our defense. I'm optimistic about our chances and think we're supposed to defend the division title successfully.