[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Here we go, we're a week closer to the regular season!

Okay, our backups and youngsters are 1-2 this pre-season and it's tough to say we're doing great so far. Looking at the fumbling alone, that's probably the worst thing of it all: four fumbles in every single game. What the pre-season is mostly about is testing out some of our new players. Who are the new faces and what have they done so far?

QB Thad Pilkington
Thad is Thad. And Thad stands for fourth quarter comeback victories. Well, I wanted to test him and made him second stringer versus Frederick. Guess what? Our headcoach decided to give Justin McDavid a full game to play and Thad has yet to make a snap for our team.

RB Joseph Schoen
'The Shoe' is finally a Merchantmen player. Well, he's yet to be as we deactivated him so far. I'm interested to see him in action and with other injuries, the Shoe is going to be active at home against Miami.

RB Desmond Carlisle
Mr. Irrelevant of the 2006 draft has seen some action and it's easy to say he didn't impress so far. With 45 yards rushing on 18 carries, Carlisle hasn't been a running threat so far. And with one fumble in those carries, he didn't set himself up to make the final 53-men roster at all.

RB Kyle Montoya
The comeback kid. Kyle is back and determined to make the 53-men roster for the third time in four seasons. Montoya ran for 90 yards on 16 carries already. Sadly for him, the 2 fumbles are not making a case for him to be worth sticking around.

RB Scott Bagley
Mister kickoff return is trying to show he can contribute as a rookie. And with 2 total touchdowns, Bagley has been doing well so far. 117 yards rushing with a 4.3 yard per carry average ain't bad at all. His kickoff return skills didn't show up, but what did show up is a case of fumblitis. Bagley lost the ball four times in 33 ball carries. That can't be good...

C Heath Ferebee
We didn't really need a new backup center, but so far the pass protection expert is proving why he was a full time start so far in the IHOF. With 4 key run blocks and 1 sack allowed, Ferebee shows decent numbers and is a welcome addition to the pack of offensive linemen.

G Jasper Call
How often can you get a former All IHOF guard on the free agent market so easily? Well, Call has a pass protection problem, he can't do it. So far we saw nothing of that. Call didn't allow a sack and did show his run blocking with 6 run blocks.

DE Erwin Baranowski
Welcome to the team Erwin. We wanted Baranowski to be our new #3 defensive end and he's going to be that. Well, he should be as it seems we picked up competition recently. And Bara' has not been given the opportunity to show his trait yet.

DE Bubba Bush
Bubba wants Bara's job. And he's making a case for it so far. The free agent signing is well developed and with 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries in 2 games he's doing a decent pass rush job. Bush even recorded a defended pass and 6 tackles already.

LB Bernie Surry
Hello breakout rookie! Well, Surry will know it and the spotlights will be on him. In three games so far, Surry made 14 tackles and 8 assists. But more importantly, Surry couldn't help on the pass defense or pass rush so far. And with the play Ellsworth Thelen and Carl Meier are showing, Surry may be riding the bench at the season start.

CB Xavier Clyburn
3 games, 2 interceptions. Say "Hi!" to our new interception specialist people! Clyburn has yet to make a defended pass, but that's okay if he can make interceptions. It looks like Clyburn will be more than just a nickelback for us.

CB Sammie Kennedy
Here's a downer. Kennedy should develop into a zone defense specialist, but so far he's not producing the goods. Kennedy allowed 4 catches and didn't defend or intercept a pass yet. As a punt returner, Kennedy will have a shot to show his trick next game, but he's unlikely to become our #2 guy in that. And as a dimeback, we got Myron Stevens on the team, who had 1 interception and 4 defended passes already this pre-season.

FS Broderick Schultz
Oh boy, here's our new sidekick to Lincoln Gilmore. So far Schultz hasn't done anything special, while Emile William defended 3 passes. It looks like Schultz will be a backup against the Gothenburg Giants in week one.

Others
RB Arthur Curran, FB Luke Smelser, WR Alfredo Rhodes, LT Alfonso King were hired to be mentoring the youngsters. They've done their share and will likely be released on the 53-men roster cut day. Curran or Rhodes may survive, but Smelser and King are very unlikely to make it.

I think you're all up to date on what's going on so far in Maassluis. Injuries are no big concern so far either. DT Andrew Rasmussen will miss the season start, but he's got a backup role, as will RB Scott Bagley most likely, who was going to be a backup as well. Let's hope we get through the last pre-season game injury-free to defend our European title. Fingers crossed!