[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen News
The season is over, but preperation for 2006 has begun. Negotiations with Alvin Causey and Lincoln Gilmore failed. It means Causey will become a free agent next season (though the franchise tag is sitting ready for him). It also means Gilmore will not be given an extension until the 2007 season. We might want to negotiate with Gilmore again.

Also, a big number of players were put on our list of available players for trade:
QB Antoine Shepard (third quarterback)
RB Jonathan Smith (backup running back, too expensive to keep)
FB Vincent Lopez (too good to be a backup with us)
TE Jerry Aubrey (too good to be a backup with us)
C Tom Schwartz (unneeded run block specialist)
LG Alvin Causey (available if we keep Russell Malave)
RG Devin McDaniel (unneeded and complaining)
RT Russell Malave (available if we keep Alvin Causey)
DE Deon Chapa (complaining, underachieving, problems with Bernardo)
DT John Bryant (expensive, but has better stats then expected)
ILB Matt Sellers (unlucky to have Cody Cluff ahead, could play in 3-4)
WLB Sam Sasa (unlucky with Kershner ahead and our desire to hire better)
SLB Britt Silvan (available if there is interest)
SS Wiley McGhee (seems to be just as good as Lincoln Gilmore)
FS Percy Francis (lost the battle with Richard Muller, deserves better)

Further more, the IHOF league commishioner announced the 2006 schedule and it appears to be different then anticipated:
vs Bordeaux
@ San Luis Obispo (underachieving team)
vs Orlando (Dutch Bowl II)
open
@ Syracuse (Joe Teeters and Brant Peterman)
vs Rochester (Futility Bowl III)
vs Boston (strong team, unlucky in a strong division)
vs Paris
@ North Plainfield (two time division champs)
@ Bordeaux
@ Gothenburg
vs Anaheim (decent team in progress)
@ Fort Worth (8-8, we beat them in 2005)
vs Fairbanks (2004 champs, 15-1 in 2005)
@ Paris
@ Boulder (1-15 in 2005)
vs Gothenburg

This schedule means five games against playoff teams, nine games against winning teams and ten against teams at .500 percent or higher. Early expectations are that we should be able to win 3 in the division, 2 against the AOC division we play, 2 or 3 against the NAC division we play and 1 or 2 against equally ranked teams. That said, the goal for next season will be to become a winning team. Additionally we open the exhibition season with a road game at Fairbanks (15-1) and a home game against Ann Arbor (13-3). Last but not least, against the same opponents from the 2005 season, we went 3-6, only beating Orlando, Fort Worth and Paris once.