[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: And then came that moment between pre-season week 2 and 3
shivers...

Pre-season 2103 is here and we played our first couple of games. But IHOF owners/general managers can barely be bothered to look at the results and stats of those games, all we care for is what our staff thinks of our players after the pre-season week 2 games. I'm obviously one of them and, there was some (not completely unexpected) bad news. So, here we go with the pre-season re-evaluation of the team.

Quarterbacks
55/55 QB Earnest Ashley (+1/+1)
55/55 QB Winfred England (-10/-10)
25/35 QB/KH Malachi Manning (+1/-1)
10/50 QB Randy Walters (+1/-6)

Something inspired Ashley to improve, while the new arrivals fell. England's drop wasn't completely unexpected, but a bummer nevertheless. I don't really know what to say here, but for now have no doubts that the plan is to go with England to start the season. One thing to keep in mind here is that Ashley will be signed through 2104, which means we can't afford to let him become upset over playing time, if we want to be able to extend his contract in that off-season. Ashley thinks he's worthy of a $90M cap figure this season and $102M next season. England is more modest, requesting a 3-year deal worth $41M this season and $47M and $48M in the next two seasons. Walters will be on the bubble to make the opening day roster, I should probably just keep faith here and let him ride the bench for the first two or three seasons. Manning is undisputed. It's really a decision on whether we think going with 4 QBs on roster won't hurt us elsewhere...

Backfield
35/40 RB Bennett Holmes (-1/-6)
35/40 RB/ST Van Goodwin
35/35 FB Damian Wanamaker (-8/-8)
35/35 RB/KR Morris Pritchard
35/35 RB/PR Rondell Robertson (nc/-1)
30/35 FB/ST Randy Julian (+1/-3)
15/15 ST Owen Johnston (-6/-6)

Ouch, ouch, ouch. Or not? Holmes played somewhat okay in the two pre-season games (3.8 yards per carry), but got a bit too little action to make a clear observation on him. Goodwin got a lot more carriers and floated around 2.4 yards per carry, but did score our only 2 offensive touchdowns as a receiving target for Winfred England. The decisions to make here: Julian or Johnston and will we keep Pritchard as a 4th RB.

Tight ends
45/60 TE Garrett Alcala
45/45 TE/ST Wesley Martin
30/45 TE Darnell McKie (+1/nc)
35/35 TE/ST Bryan Goldade (-5/-5)

Alcala made 0 catches on 5 targets in pre-season action. That's discouraging. Otherwise, this unit seems to be set.

Wide receivers
80/80 WR/KR/ST Calvin Maxwell (+1/+1)
70/70 WR Vinny Buysse
45/45 WR Ed Schulz
35/35 WR/ST Calvin Hancock (+2/+1)
30/35 WR/ST Rick Emerson (+1/nc)
15/25 WR/ST Gage Greer (-1/-1)

Only one decision to make here: do we have the roster spot for a 6th WR? Aside from that, what's not to like here?

Offensive Line
60/60 C Tevin Bratsch (-4/-4)
45/65 G Brett Stickney
50/50 C Lincoln Stonge
40/45 LT Harold Gruenwalder (+1/+1)
35/50 G Floyd Graham (+1/+1)
40/40 G Corwin Driver
40/40 G Bruce Strong (-2/-2)
30/45 LT Carson McCormick (-1/-3)
35/35 LT Adam Blair (-2/-2)

The tough decision is at guard as Graham, Driver and Strong are extremely close. I think we'll have to release one of them and one of them will be the starting right guard. Bratsch will likely start ahead of Stonge, although I seriously consider playing Bratsch at right guard. The tackle slots are clear (Gruenwalder and McCormick).

Special teamers
85/85 K Oscar Harrington (+2/+2)
50/50 P Manuel Szymanski (+2/+2)
20/20 LS Bennett Brock

Nothing to report here, other than that we're in okay to good shape.

Defensive Line
65/65 DT/ST Ben Courcy (-2/-2)
50/80 DT Gabriel Morris (+3/-1)
45/45 DT Alexander May
45/45 DT Jacob Buckey (-1/-1)
45/45 DE Robbie Dobreski (-6/-6)
40/40 DT Harold Gough (-4/-4)
40/40 DT/ST Mitch Potchynok
40/40 DE Warren Mendelssohn (-7/-7)
35/35 DE Deon Rosas
35/35 DE/ST Spencer Crawford

Crowded group and one decision I have already made: Mendelssohn will be released. Dobreski and Rosas are quite similar in talent, younger and longer on team (cohesion!). It's a waste of the $7,5M signing bonus that we gave Mendelssohn in free agency, but that's the risk we took. I'm undecided at the moment between May, Buckey and Potchynok as the odd man out at defensive tackle. It might even be two casualties as the likes of Courcy and Morris have the endurance to play a lot.

Linebackers
35/75 MLB Gus Coleman (+2/-4)
55/55 MLB Albert Desimone (+2/+2)
50/50 SLB Micah Halvorson (-2/-2)
45/50 SLB Tony Burks (+1/+1)
35/35 WLB/ST Luke Thompson (-8/-8)
35/40 SLB Marco Nichols
30/35 MLB/ST Mo Fausel (+2/nc)

Th worst news here was the sudden decline of Coleman's endurance. We hope he improves on it, but that would suggest he can't be an all downs linebacker. We are somewhat deep of course, we could throw Desimone, Halvorson or Burks out there on passing downs rather than Coleman. Nichols won't make the team, that's for sure.

Secondary
45/55 CB Logan Wallace (+2/+3)
40/40 SS Blaine Wright
40/40 S Pete Weaver (-5/-5)
30/30 CB/ST Zachery Weisz (-10/-10)
35/40 CB Wesley Cabrera (-1/-2)
35/40 S Wesley Centers (-2/+1)
35/35 CB Donnie Dogins (+1/+1)
35/40 CB Eduardo Cowdrick (nc/+3)
25/25 S Devon Farrell (-7/-7)
_5/_5 CB/ST Eric McCool (-4/-4)

Note that I mistyped on Wallace after training camp, he was "45/50" then. That aside, he's clearly our passing downs shutdown guy. Weaver turned into a typical veteran free agent signing, showing up out of shape at his new team. He will maker the team though, probably. Farrell is far from what he used to be, but his cohesion value will be so crucial and will boost him up from not being the worst guy of this group. Weaver, Cabrera and Centers are the bubble guys. McCool should make the team as a mentoring special teamer.