[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: A new season, welcome to 2100!
2100... 2100... 2100! Wow.

Man down, ladies and gentelmen. Guard Caleb Turnbull called it a game after 12 seasons in the IHOF, the last three of those as the sixth lineman of the Maassluis Merchantmen. Primarily a run blocker - what else to expect from an offensife guard? - we were fond of his experience and his willingness to mentor our starters Nickolas Toler and Roger Staigvil.

With Turnbull out, we're down to 47 players signed, 2 restricted free agents and 3 unrestricted free agents. We're currently $112M over the salary cap. Yeah, I'll have to do our traditional magic, with cap outs and creative renegotiations. We'll manage, but it'll be tricky to leave some room for extensions to players that are in the final year and room to bring back some of those 5 free agents. We'll probably have to think of what to do in the draft as well here. All in all, we're basically going to sit at $121M after rookies are signed and we don't do anything else. That's not an option.

The restricted free agents are second year tight end Riley Bridges and left tackle Johnathan Van Pelt, both requesting minimum salary. The unrestricted free agents are more of a concern. Defensive tackle Jerome Shumate is a part of our run defense and pass rush rotation. We didn't have enough remaining cap space to lock him up. We made a desperate attempt on running back Ronnie Vanden Bosch, but failed. He RVDB actually sat out the 2099 season, but I'm still willing to give him another shot, even after his 2.12 ypc 2098 campaign.

Harris Gerhardt has been a loyal special teamer, I'd like to bring him back too, but his demands were a bit too high last off-season and I was actually surprised to see him decide to continue to the IHOF for a 12th season, the 4th with us. You've got to respect a man that once was a workhorse running back, then declined after a knee injury, but is still willing to put on the shoulder pads and helmet to be the nestor of a special teams unit. And mentoring our young running backs, like Ken Torphy, Dashawn McIntyre and before them RVDB.

The staff draft has finished as well. We decided to replace head coach Kyle Elliott after 22 seasons of service. Wow. 22 seasons of the same head coach. We replaced him with Troy Lynch, 16 years younger and previously with the Orlando Talons, where he went 8-8 in his first and only season as head coach. He was a defensive coordinator in Rochester for 4 season and before that spent 2 seasons in Bordeaux and 1 season in Paris as the assistent coach. Elliott was hired by the Colorado Cutthroats, the team that was far and beyond the worst of the league last season. We also hired a new assistent coach, bringing in Jeremy Crane for Bart Guthrie. Our former safety moved on to Arizona.

Speaking of Arizona, they have our first and second round picks, picks #15 and #46 overall in the upcoming draft. They also held the #8, #19, #29, #50 and #61 overall picks. Held, as they traded that #8, #19 and our 1st round pick in 2101 to Colorado for the #1 overall pick, to select top wide receiver prospect Tommy Bracken. Our draft will begin at pick 3.17, or #81 overall if you wish, by that time Arizona will also have had a chance to do something with their 3rd round pick...

One more thing to note: we extended the contract of our offensive coordinator Clarence Byrd. Some owners in the league advised us to switch to a coordinator with a different view on football, but his style made him a success with the Tucker Tigers. In two seasons they reached the bowl twice, won it once. He then found out he isn't suited for a head coach role, winning just 12.5 games in 4 seasons in San Antonio. We were more than happy to pick him up in the 2097 staff draft. But so far, the connection with Earnest Ashley isn't just there yet. We'll give it another chance in 2100. Because, he's proved he can do it, it might all be on me not wanting to put more depth in our game plan. Fourth time the charm?