2017 ROSTER SHAPING
BEGINNING CAP SITUATION
SALARY CAP: $181.3M
ROOM UNDER CAP: $3.72M
MAX FOR NEW PLAYER: ($3.42M)
INJURY UPDATES FROM LAST SEASON
LT Pete Wayne dropped all the way down to 32/32, but none of the other injured players suffer a significant ratings drop. SE Sammie Farrell (Repetitive Concussion Syndrome) will miss all of this year.
FRANCHISE PLAYER
LCB Spencer Carlton gets the tag this year.
KEY FREE AGENTS/RESTRICTED PLAYERS FROM MY TEAM
FB Darnell Keys--Last year's third-round pick was a FB. Keys will probably be allowed to go elsewhere without a fight.
RG Shaun McCormick--Started all 16 games and in an RFA. Likely to be re-signed.
LCB Harvey Hallock and LCB Marcus Woodson--Even if neither is re-signed, I'd be let with three good CB's in Bauer, Carlton and Withers. Hallock is likely to be re-signed as a backup/nickel/dime guy, as he'll be much cheaper than Woodson, who will command top dollar.
FREE AGENCY
POSITIONS TO FILL OR UPGRADE: I don't have a lot of cap room to do much this year, but with Farrell missing this year, a third solid WR would be very nice to have. Another position of concern is LT, with Pete Wayne having taken a big ratings hit.
CUTS OF NOTE
LT Pete Wayne--His days as a starter are over.
RG Nick Weber--Costing $7M in cap room, and projected as a backup this year.
LDE Cornelius Laney--Another backup who can be replaced with someone cheaper.
RB Mark Womble--5th-round draft choice 2 years ago who hasn't amounted to much.
SIGNINGS
I resigned LCB Harvey Hallock and RG Shaun McCormick.
WHERE OUR KEY GUYS WENT
LCB Marcus Woodson signed a big, fat 6-year, $110.75M contract with Arizona.
FB Darnell Keys signed a 2-year deal with Indianapolis.
Also, QB Lorenzo Putnam, the only 60+ QB to become a FA this year, re-signed with Tennessee, so none of the marquee QB's change teams this year.
AMATEUR DRAFT
PICKS
I have the 30th pick in rounds 1-7.
NEEDS
In addition to the desires listed above to improve at LT and WR3, I could stand youngsters at LDT, L/RCB, SS and FS.
I couldn't put together the right deal to trade up, and there was no one I wanted to pick at 1(30), so I traded down to 2(17) with GB, and picked up a 3rd-round pick in 2019 in the process. I also make a trade up in the 3rd round. Here's my draft in its entirety:
POS
| NAME
| CUR
| FUT
| VOL
| SOL
| 40
| BP
| AGI
| COMMENTS
| Cur2 | Fut2 | Cur3
| Fut3
|
| 2(17) | RT Roy Adderley | 18 | 57 | 81 | 19 | 5.48 | 35 | 7.71 | If he doesn't drop too many points, he'll start at LT. | 18 | 54 | 19 | 47 |
| 2(30) | FL Tony Davison | 24 | 47 | 9 | 24 | 4.41 | 14 | 7.14 | Should be WR3 this year. Very good speed. | 24 | 42 | 26 | 37 |
| 3(14) | RCB Bennie Cobb | 22 | 47 | 22 | 25 | 4.42 | 22 | 7.02 | This little guy (5'6, 175) is fast, strong, agile. Nice! | 23 | 51 | 28 | 58 |
| 3(30) | SS Ryan Baxter | 22 | 41 | 64 | 39 | 4.54 | 17 | 7.25 | Could be better than advertised. | 21 | 41 | 23 | 41 |
| 4(30) | SLB Deon Matthews | 22 | 34 | 69 | 36 | 4.63 | 31 | 7.40 | Great combine. Could get moved to DE. | 22 | 36 | 25 | 41 |
| 6(7) | FL Mickey Devine | 18 | 38 | 76 | 29 | 4.49 | 17 | 7.23 | I like his numbers, so I traded back in to get him. | 17 | 38 | 33 | 59 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Because of drafting Cobb, I trade CB Tim Bauer away. Arizona gives up a third-rounder next year in exchange for 2 late-round picks and Bauer.
DRAFT GRADE: B-
With all of the draft pick trading, I was able to free up some cap room in late free agency--enough to sign a mediocre left tackle. LT Kendall Lindsay (49/51) signs a modest 2-year deal. He's a 6th-year man who has played for New England and Denver. With Roy Adderley not looking that impressive coming out of camp, it looks like Lindsay will start at LT for us.
Heh. 2nd-round pick FL Tony Davison isn't likely to make the team, while 6th-round pick FL Mickey Devine gets the big boost and will be our 3rd wide receiver. Also of note after camp is that it looks like Hardy Tamm's mentoring has cost him a job. Randall Barker is now 50/50, and Malcolm Rasberry is 47/58.