[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen release cornerback Courtney Blackwell
The verdict is out, cornerback Courtney Blackwell was the final cut for the Maassluis Merchantmen to meet the regular season limit of 53 players signed. It had been hanging in the air, as Merchantmen management was open about the concern about Blackwell's fumblitis and he got this pre-season to prove them wrong. Blackwell fumbled twice in four pre-season games.

A fifth round pick in the 2084 draft, the Merchantmen initially saw Blackwell as a future prospect and backup plan to punt return specialist Gabe Broady (who the Merchantmen claim was the best punt returner to ever play in the IHOF for any team). But Blackwell's zine defense ability and interception skills also made him a worthy nickel or dime option. After spending his rookie season inactive in all but one game, he got the nickelback role in his second season and grew into the nickelback role in his fourth season. The Merchantmen recognized Blackwell's punt returning skills to be phenomenal, but with the best guy in the league in front of him, his time would have to come later. In 2087 Blackwell got that part too and averaged 14.3 yards per return, while scoring his only touchdown for the Merchantmen.

With 2 fumbles in his first 9 returns in earlier seasons, there was a fumbling concern already, but in his breakout season, he fumbled 4 times in 48 returns. The problems continued in 2088, when Blackwell fumbled 4 times on 37 returns and last season a couple of two-fumble games already made the team take him off punt return duties and hand the role over to running back Reggie Thongchanh.

The arrival of cornerback Jackie Richardson as a free agent, combined with the improvement of Ted Frias and the faith the team has in undrafted rookie Adam Harmon, it piled on and lead to this decision. Blackwell played in 81 regular season games and 7 playoffs games for the Merchantmen, making 4 interceptions (excluding the one in the lost 2085 AOC Championship game), 26 defended passes in regular season games and averaging for 12.0 yards per punt return (but also 15 fumbles in 126 returns).