[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Five more rookies
Because there were a couple of holes to be filled.

We continued the exciting 2099 draft with five more picks. None as sexy as those two picks at #3 and #6 overall, of course. So, what did we add?

At the 4.3 pick, we went for linebacker Doug Stephens, a kid we interviewed and liked as a prospect to possibly be an all around good linebacker. I anticipated that we'd need a new guy here, so, there you go.

At picks 4.22 and 5.3 we added a couple of defensive ends. By no means an error, we have only 2 on roster and thus decided to pick both Spencer Crawford and James Shapiro. At pick 6.3 we added punter John Fletcher and at 7.3 we selected tackle Zane Humphries.

In the meantime, we signed two free agents and released our veteran punter Shaun Barlow. Maybe more on him later?

The free agent signings are quarterback Terry Hutton, a minimum contract, we needed a somewhat half-decent option ahead of our kick holder after Efrain Batcheck signed with the Chesapeake Chitterlings. More splashing was the signing of defensive end J.C. McPike, one of the fastest defensive linemen in the league. He's coming over from the Gothenburg Giants, where he didn't record a lot of sacks, surprisingly.

And as the draft unfolded, we learned that linebacker Preston Bradford, reasonably, wants to no longer play on a minimum salary. The sad part is that I'm not sure I'll find the cap room for him. Unless we release Brandon Brady... But that would be silly. We do need him to sign a much cheaper contract to be able to lock up guard Nickolas Toler. To be continued?