[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: 2082, also not our season
One and done. For the 21st time, putting us back on top of that hill once again.

No words can describe how disappointed I am in our defense this season. We've got the talent to be a top12 defense, yet, this sorry ass bunch could do no better than 30th best in the regular season in total yards allowed. It's not just our inability to keep offenses from gaining yardage (32nd with 300 passing yards per game), but the completion percentage (25th with 60.8%), yards per attempt (27th with 7.23 ypa) and sack percentage (23rd with 4.9%) have been downright unacceptable.

Back to the drawing board? No such thing either. We've actually reverted to an old game plan in recent games, to save face, but it was to no avail. We still gave up 38 points against the Atlanta Vipers, against a quarterback that we should have put under pressure all night long (he was pressured once and sacked twice in 36 pass plays. unbelievable).

It didn't help that our turnover antics have carried over into the playoffs. With 3 lost fumbles, it was near impossible to fight back from behind. Ellis McAlister completed 21 of 28 passes for 321 yards and 2 touchdowns, being a mistake free solid team leader. He's getting the hang of finding Theodore Bondy, although he was kept to 6 catches for 124 yards and 1 touchdown.

Well, on to 2083 then? The staff is convinced Bondy is now the best wide receiver in the league and they claim he's the best wide receiver to put on the orange-white-and-blue jersey ever. Better than Alfredo Bass, Gabe Springer, Terry Thomason, J.T. Pritt, Terry Haskell, Riddick Stanley, R.J. Mills and Brody Stevens. Ok, then.

But that defense... Kirk Hitchcock, best cornerback in the league, second best in franchise history to Randall Allen and already scouted ahead of Peter Tucker. Craig McCorkle is mentioned amongst the likes of Cody Cluff, Oliver Drake, R.J. Knight, Fred McCorkle, Wesley Devine, Daniel "Double D" Duncan, Edward Ross and Antonio Battle.

Or maybe it's time to admit that we still have some work to do. Maurice Harkleroad and Rex McIndoe have been fine safeties, Emmitt Miller is likely a bust, maybe, just maybe, we have to get over that hump at safety and get somebody really good at that position.

Glen Stiegler and Chandler Posante have been good to very good, but are no Charles Gomez or Shaun Hartman. It's no secret that we tried to sign the amazing Morris Holliday last off-season.

Defensive tackle and safety. Those are the points of attention in the off-season.

One way to improve our roster is through the draft. Acquiring the Outer Banks Osprey's first round pick has resulted in us having the #9 overall pick in the 2083 draft. Additionally, we swapped our own first round pick (#23 overall) to the Chesapeake Chitterlings for their second round pick, which will be the #44 overall, while we still hold our own second round pick (#55 overall). Our third and fourth round picks are also in Pretty Yellow hands, but we have their fifth rounder to compensate.

There's always next season? No, it will be next season. We can do this, Merchantmen!