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Old 03-22-2015, 02:58 AM   #11
Rawhide
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Australia
1978 Pre-Season

We pick 31st overall in the staff draft, and KC Beckam is still available when we are selecting. He is the highest rated coach on the board, but has a strength in the area of tight ends, not really a position of priority at our club. There is another coach rated just two points less, and he has significantly higher ratings in scouting, interviewing and intelligence.

I decide to give Beckam a contract extension. He is locked up until the end of the 1981 season. At just 38 years of age, we are hoping he will grow into the role. We make a significant upgrade in the strength coach.

We have the seventh overall pick in the 1978 draft. Picking ahead of us are the Huskies, Dragons, Oilers, Eagles, Jets and Aztecs.

Before free agency starts, Green Bay offer us a trade. We accept. Tom Brennan (36/36) is traded away for fullback Barty Smith (39/39) and a fourth rounder. Smith has played just one snap in the last two seasons but would be a starter for us.

We have 13 offers for free agents available thanks to our 5-11 season. The rating cap is 44 for defense, 40 for offense.

We end up using just 10 of our offers before the draft, leaving some of our powder dry for the post-draft free agency.

One of our own players - LT Tom Drougas - rejects our offer and ends up joining the Lions.

Top 10 Players Changing Teams in 1978 (as per Grey Sheet):

RDE Ron Carpenter (73/73) - Cincinnati ---> Miami
LDE Bill Stanfill (65/65) - Miami ---> Washington
NT Mike McCoy (62/62) - Green Bay ---> Buffalo
QB Ron Jaworski (58/61) - Los Angeles ---> New York Giants
LDE Steve Baumgartner (55/57) - New Orleans ---> Washington
QB Joe Namath (43/43) - New York Jets ---> Kansas City
FL Ron Shanklin (49/49) - Chicago ---> Detroit
RDE Ernie Price (43/43) - Detroit ---> London
QB Steve Spurrier (40/40) - Tampa Bay ---> Los Angeles
FL Marlin Briscoe (43/43) - New England ---> Barcelona

Draft time. I'm hopeful we can get a useful addition to our offensive line or backfield, but will probably take the best player available.

1.01 - Toronto Huskies - WR James Lofton (42/63)
1.02 - Barcelona Dragons - QB Doug Williams (12/33)
1.03 - Washington Redskins (via Houston Oilers) - DT Henry Bradley (45/45)

I decide that if Earl Campbell gets past Philadelphia, I'm going to try and trade up from seven to five for him.

He doesn't get past the Eagles.

1.04 - Philadelphia Eagles - RB Earl Campbell (60/69)
1.05 - New York Jets - WR J.T. Smith (35/68)
1.06 - Mexico City Aztecs - CB Terry Jackson (29/58)

We take the best player on our draft board, who fills a need on our offensive line. He's a mild disappointment when we see his grading though.

1.07 - London Monarchs - LT Chris Ward (24/41)
1.08 - Atlanta Falcons - OLB Clay Matthews (32/60)
1.09 - New Orleans Saints - G Homer Elias (26/60)
1.10 - Detroit Lions - TE Todd Christensen (41/54)

With an extra pick, we aim to plug several holes in our roster.

2.06 - London Monarchs - MLB Sean Clancy (24/39)
3.05 - London Monarchs - LDE Barry Bennett (26/32)
4.10 - London Monarchs - TE Derrick Ramsey (22/33)
4.26 - London Monarchs - RB Walter Landers (15/18)
5.09 - London Monarchs - LT Frank Myers (8/32)
6.08 - London Monarchs - C Will Grant (18/27)
7.07 - London Monarchs - SE Danny Fulton (13/25)

Before the post-draft free agency begins, we have to deal with a trade offer and two holdouts.

QB Steve DeBerg (15/47) is traded away to the Bucs for a sixth rounder in 1979.

QB Gary Huff (32/38) begins a holdout and the random number gods reward him with a $9.7m contract over three years! Fiscal madness!

RDE Joe Owens (35/35) also has a holdout, and we try to trade him away. Nobody is interested, so we release him instead.

Two valuable additions to our defense - we'll have to do well on this side of the ball in the probable case of our offense sucking again.

Training Camp time:

LT Chris Ward (24/41) --> (27/41)
MLB Sean Clancy (24/39) --> (28/42)
LDE Barry Bennett (26/32) --> (29/33)
TE Derrick Ramsey (22/33) --> (25/33)
RB Walter Landers (15/18) --> (16/19)
LT Frank Myers (8/32) --> (11/31)
C Will Grant (18/27) --> (21/28)
SE Danny Fulton (13/25) --> (15/24)

Pre-Season Results:
Won 21-15 at Philadelphia
Won 24-16 v Atlanta
Lost 27-44 at Washington
Won 19-17 v Mexico City

It's little surprise that we are last in the pre-season power rankings. Eight of the top nine teams are from the AFC, with Dallas the only NFC representative. Pittsburgh are the clear favourites to win the Super Bowl
__________________
Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep, will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches ready to drop upon me, that, when I wak'd, I cried to dream again.

Last edited by Rawhide : 03-27-2015 at 07:44 AM.
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