[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Welcome to 2121!

Just before the finals of the 2120 season, we signed 6 players that will be restricted free agents in the off-season. Four of them should be familiar names.

QB Orlando Garrett already spent his rookie season inactive (2118) and a full season active as our kick holder (2119), but kept him unsigned in the 2120 off-season. Maybe he can return as our kick holder and help K Jeffery DeGroot return to perfection.

RB Corey Ward was our final cut before opening day 2120 and I think he's still got enough upside to get a new shot at making our team. He lacks the endurance to carry the ball more than 10 times, so it's still a longshot.

FB Rusty Garrison was a training camp cut in 2119 after jumping on as an undrafted rookie. He sat out the 2119 and 2120 seasons unsigned, until we gave him the call.

DE Gage Bensen was a 6th round pick for us, but failed to make our pre-season roster. He's still a promising pass rusher, hence, we think he deserves a second chance.

DE B.J. Shellhaas is a former first round pick from the Chesapeake Chitterlings. In his first pre-season he looked night and day different from the player they had scouted and as a rookie he didn't even make their 2119 roster. He was signed in the post-season by Chesapeake, failed to get a contract in 2120 anywhere and now we will give him another look as a potential gunner.

LB Luther Goffee failed to get a contract anywhere in his rookie season (2120), until we offer him the future contract in the post-season. He's potentially an excellent special teamer, so could be interesting for our unit.

We also offered such a contract to CB Todd Weaver, but he demanded a signing bonus, didn't get it an now he's retired after 1 season in the IHOF, as he spent the 2119 season on our team as a nickel/dime.


Fresh into the new season, two players announced their retirement.

CB Byron Sokol said goodbye to the IHOF after 12 seasons on our team. An undrafted rookie signing, him jumped onto our active roster right away and didn't miss a game in the first 11 seasons, tallying up to 176 regular season and 7 playoffs games. With 26 interceptions and 74 defended passes, he's made his fair share of plays on the defense. Sokol's man-to-man coverage skills, combined with his interception skills, made him a valuable member to the defense, until we picked CB Andre McAninch last season.

TE Arnie Huffman called it a game after 9 seasons with us. Despite begin an undrafted rookie signing, he never missed a game for us ever since his arrival, adding up to 144 regular season and 7 playoffs games. With 29 touchdowns scored, he got his fair share of time in the spotlights, specializing in getting the short yardage targets near the end zone, while the big name receivers were used as a diversion. Another typical role player.


Our coaching staff saw one change as our assistent coach Randy Holliday was picked by the Snapfinger Jazz as their new offensive coordinator. We chose 46-year old unexperienced Caden Hoffman as the replacement.


Other news around the league with Merchantmen ties saw some other retirements. T Edwin Northcutt played in 2116 with us, underwhelmingly so, forcing me to even bench him, but he bounced back with 55 key run blocks the season after. He retired after 13 seasons in the league, adding up to 410 key run blocks in 188 regular season games. LS Wayne Brewer spent his first four seasons with us, he retires after 10 seasons in the league.