04-12-2006, 08:39 AM | #201 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
I'm always happy to take other teams' scraps. |
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04-12-2006, 08:44 AM | #202 | |
General Manager
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Town of Flower Mound
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Quote:
You should see how many scraps I picked up this morning...
__________________
UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO |
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04-12-2006, 09:07 AM | #203 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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The CFL Draft
We have traded away several of our picks for this year, leaving us with only four lower-round picks: 4.28, 5.21, 5.28 and 7.28. Unfortunately, this draft is probably the deepest in terms of top-end talent that the CFL has ever seen, especially with quarterbacks. So trading out of the top few rounds this year hurt my efforts to possibly land a long-term replacement for Hogan.
But the lack of high picks this year won't stop me from trading up to get a guy I want, which is exactly what I just did. I traded this year's 4.28, along with my 3rd rounder next year and my 2nd rounder in 2012 to Albany for their 2.7 pick this year. With that pick I selected QB Kent Goodwin, whose 21/54 consensus rating is nothing to drool over. However, he was a combine monster (47 Solecismic, 18 reps and a 7.30 agility) and has a relatively high volatility (80), making him a decent bet to break out. I have to hope he does, because I just gave up a fair amount to get an otherwise average backup QB. It is a gamble to be sure, but one I felt comfortable making. *crosses fingers* |
04-12-2006, 10:39 AM | #204 |
College Starter
Join Date: Dec 2002
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I also tried to trade up to 2.7 to get Goodwin. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, back in Awesome school, Fonzie and I used to finish each other's
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04-12-2006, 10:41 AM | #205 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
...pudding. I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw some value in Goodwin. At least that way when he busts I can say that you were just as much of an idiot as me. Last edited by Fonzie : 04-12-2006 at 10:41 AM. |
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04-12-2006, 02:07 PM | #206 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
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Goodwin looked good to me as well, but I'm set at QB.
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04-12-2006, 04:15 PM | #207 |
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Louisiana
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I was suprised when Goodwin fell out of the first round. If I didn't already have a starter at QB and some solid backups I would have gone after him. I think he'll turn out to be a solid starter.
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04-12-2006, 04:17 PM | #208 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Many thanks for the reassurances, fellas. I'm hopeful that he'll work out. If he doesn't I'll send each of you one of his appendages.
Last edited by Fonzie : 04-12-2006 at 11:51 PM. |
04-13-2006, 08:41 AM | #209 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Positive Early Returns on Goodwin
Our risky move to get 2nd round QB Kent Goodwin appears like it might pay off. He's now on our roster, and our coaching staff thinks Goodwin already has more potential than was generally thought heading into the draft. His potential has risen from 54 to 58. While this is certainly no guarantee that he'll be the next Ronnie Tu, it is a promising start.
w00t |
04-13-2006, 01:31 PM | #210 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Another Few Moves
Because we're already at 56 players and getting up against our cap, I've decided to make a few moves to clear some space.
We traded our 5.28 pick this year to Fargo for their 5th rounder in 2012, and we traded our backup QB Daryl Cassidy to Denver for their 5th rounder in 2011. Cassidy at that price is a decent value, but I needed to make room for Goodwin. I still think Cassidy will develop past his current potential with some decent playing time, but that's not likely to happen in Denver. They've already got 2-time CFL Bowl MVP Marcus Garibaldi under center, who is only a 6-year vet and unlikely to go anywhere soon. Sorry Daryl! |
04-14-2006, 07:39 PM | #211 |
Head Coach
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Whittier
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Good Luck with the team Fonzie...
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04-14-2006, 11:08 PM | #212 |
College Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Thunderdome
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And here with all the QB's in the Draft this year, I thought I could have nabbed Goodwin at the end of the second round. However, the value of QB Carlton Burgess was too great to pass on at 2.3. Goodwin was the guy I had targeted. It will be interesting to see how all these QB's pan out over the seasons. Burgess will be holding the clipboard for a couple of seasons before he sees the field. One of the reasons I was OK going with a less developed guy is that Hartman is only in his 8th season.
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04-14-2006, 11:12 PM | #213 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Adios Bug! I'm bummed to see a long-time rival leave, but you must do what you think is best. (For those of you not avidly reading the CFL forums, MrBug has recently resigned from the league). |
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04-14-2006, 11:17 PM | #214 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
I harbored a brief, and clearly delusional, fantasy that with all of those QBs floating around in the draft pool that Goodwin might somehow slip into my hands in the 4th round. Ha! This year may end up being the 1983 QB Draft of the CFL. Wells, Keading, Palmer, and (I suspect) Burgess will all turn into very good quarterbacks. But they won't be as good as Goodwin. |
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04-15-2006, 01:23 AM | #215 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Whittier
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Quote:
Eh, some of the owners seemed to have a personal vendetta against me. That's their business I guess. My version of fun vastly differs from theres. I do hope Tu makes his recovery as I think he has another good run in him. |
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04-15-2006, 11:22 AM | #216 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Oh, and FYI - TurfToe and I have both rejected your offer to resign, meaning that a majority of the Ring of Fire owners (condors still hasn't voted) have decided that you'll stay on the job. Get back to work, Bug! |
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04-16-2006, 10:53 PM | #217 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Our Two Other Draft Picks
After all the wheeling and dealing was completed, we were left with just two other picks in this draft: 5.21, and 7.28. Here's what we got with those picks:
5.21: TE Colin Chandler - this Mississippi State product appears to be an excellent blocking prospect, with some more modest skills in the pasing game. He'll be able to contribute immediately on special teams too. Initial evaluation: 27/47 7.28: G Joel DeVries - DeVries hails from Tulsa, and looks to be a strong run blocker who will be just average or so in the passing game. Blocking strength is a concern. Initial evaluation: 17/46. So, between these two and Stanford grad Kent Goodwin we went all-offense in the draft this year. Next up: booms/busts analyses! |
04-17-2006, 05:58 AM | #218 | |
College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Quote:
i vote to stay! i enjoy all the owners in ring of fire |
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04-17-2006, 11:21 PM | #219 | |
n00b
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Quote:
Autographed by Ah Yat of course. I just wanted to add my 2¢: Goodwin ain't no Burgess and both of them ain't no Palmer. Rowdy Roddy will be terrorizing the ROF in a few years...or he'll fall flat on his face. I haven't decided which yet. What I do know is that there's no replacing the 'Wants Winner: 100' and the 'Two-Minute Offense' ability of the declining Olsen. Ah, memories. BTW, I had to come over and figure out my FOFC password before I am politically exorcised from the CFL. I am an FOFC'er once again. I'm rambling again, aren't I? w00t - Go Rounders! I got two 1st rounders and Fonzie didn't get one...cuz he's on welfare...he's gonna lose twice to Jackpot...and he's gonna like it... I hope Goodwin is ready sooner rather than later as I just issued Zachery, Ah Yat, and Weaver some new shoes sent by Shreveport's RavenHawk. They are all right-footed of course but they say "The Colonel is my biatch" on each and everyone of them. They're going to murderlize him, like all serious and stuff, with snot bubbles, grass in the helmet...I know, rambling again - good night. |
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04-18-2006, 11:11 PM | #220 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
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04-19-2006, 10:45 PM | #221 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Booms...busts...or neither
We've moved on to the late FA, which means we get our first glimpse at possible booms and busts. We only have three draft picks this year, and so the chances of us landing either is remote. My biggest hope was for Goodwin to boom, but neither he, nor our other two picks, boomed. Fortunately, nobody busted either.
This year's big winner in the boom/bust lottery was thater's Albany Crows. They had not one, not two, but three picks boom, including 4th round pick QB Quentin Larrabee, who went from an 8/59 prospect to 17/76. And just FYI, Albany also got the biggest boom in last year's draft, 3th round pick Archie Chasser, who is now a 62/73 RB. Thater must be livin' right. Sheesh. |
04-20-2006, 09:11 AM | #222 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
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We hate Thater.
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04-20-2006, 10:15 AM | #223 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Ownership Shakeup
MrBug, in a somewhat controversial move, has resigned from the CFL. His ownership has transferred to SkyDog, who has already renamed the team. This new Honolulu squad name is "Bloodthirsty Beagles." Think Snoopy and you'll get where he's coming from. The team name was suggested by a fellow RoF'er, TurfToe. Good job, TT!
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04-20-2006, 10:25 AM | #224 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Honolulu gets aggressive
SkyDog didn't wait long to make his mark on his new team! He just traded his 2011 2nd round pick to the New Orleans Raging Horde for QB Randolph Kranz. Kranz is a 16-year veteran with a solid resume. My scouts think he can still get it done (75/78), and he'll be the replacement for still-recovering Ronnie Tu. A 2nd rounder might not seem like much for a very talented QB, but New Orleans will benefit by having $7.2 million in cap space wiped clean.
My take: this is a shrewd move by SkyDog, but Kranz likely will only be able to help them the Beagles this year and, if he's lucky, next. He'll still need to acquire a long-term starter (assuming Tu doesn't return to form). Side note: why do the EFC teams keep trading their top QB talent into the Ring of Fire? First Detroit trades Matthias to Arizona and now New Orleans trades Kranz to Honolulu. What's next, is Charleston going to trade Landon Hurst to Las Vegas? Sheesh. Memo to the EFC: keep your damn quarterbacks to yourself and leave my division alone, okay? It's tough enough to win over here without y'all meddling with the distribution of QB talent. |
04-20-2006, 10:49 AM | #225 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Yes. Yes we do. |
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04-20-2006, 02:28 PM | #226 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sunny South of France
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Quote:
Actually, I think I envy him more than I hate him...
__________________
Detroit Vampires (CFL) : Ve 're coming for your blood! Camargue Flamingos (WOOF): pretty in Pink |
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04-20-2006, 02:38 PM | #227 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Why choose? We can both hate and envy him! |
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04-20-2006, 03:29 PM | #228 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
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Isn't Tu getting up there in age anyway? My point being that Honolulu's going to need to get more long-term @ QB in 1-2 seasons anyway....
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04-20-2006, 03:47 PM | #229 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Yup - he's in his 13th year, so Honolulu would need a long-term answer at QB no matter what. |
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04-21-2006, 11:51 AM | #230 | |
College Prospect
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Nebraska
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Quote:
I never see that happening anytime soon BTW, Hurst is going to retire a Monitor not a flaming Las Vegan...
__________________
JJ Smitty Owner of the TheC.F.L. - Come by and check us out. Last edited by A-Husker-4-Life : 04-21-2006 at 11:52 AM. |
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04-21-2006, 09:13 PM | #231 | |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Thank you for doing your part to keep the RoF free of EFC quarterback litter. |
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04-21-2006, 10:38 PM | #232 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Precamp Overview
We added quite a few undrafted free agents to the roster after the draft, and went into Training Camp with a full 70 player squad. I tweaked the training camp schedule a wee bit to get our new QB Kent Goodwin more playbook study time, but otherwise left the rest of it alone.
Important players we'll be keeping an eye on in camp: QB Goodwin - He's going to be the player everyone keeps an eye on during camp - things have looked good for him since the draft (+4 future potential), and we're hopeful that we'll continue to see good things from him. His draft evaluation put him as a 21/54 player. He's now 21/58, and we're hoping for another nice bump. QB Artie Wenke - Artie is one of those guys who just keeps getting better despite my constant neglect. He has shown improvement at every single developlment opportunity, growing from a 11/45 undrafted rookie FA to a 24/52 4th-year pro. He and Goodwin will be battling for the backup spot in camp. C Casey Reeves - We're putting a lot of our O-line eggs in this guy's basket, as we've handed him the starting job the moment we traded for him. He's a 41/61 player, and he'll need to be a bit better than that to keep Hogan upright. Hopefully he'll have a good camp and develop rapidly (mentor C Hart should help there). TE Colin Chandler - Our 5th round pick shows some promise (27/48) and we've had good luck developing TEs. We hope he'll continue that tradition. FS Mike Mirer - Last year's 1st round pick will need to improve substantially if he is to unseat Kenneth Hartung. He still shows great promise and we think he'll be our long-term solution at free safety, but he might not get there this year. LB Joseph Watford - Our scouts somehow noticed that Watford seemed to be aging a bit after the draft - which is curious, as Watford was nowhere near the team's facilities at the time they made their assessments. Regardless, they were able to determine that he's slowing down, and they dropped their rating of him from 75/80 to 67/72. Hopefully his slide will stop there, but I'm bracing for the worst. Last edited by Fonzie : 04-21-2006 at 10:38 PM. |
04-21-2006, 11:04 PM | #233 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Training Camp
Some players made substantial gains during training camp, although I was disappointed to see that almost all of our rookie free agents turned out to be duds. Some key results:
QB Kent Goodwin - I think we're onto something with this kid. He had a great camp and our scouts now rate him as a 25/62 player. That's a total of +4/+8 since the draft. He also picked up a new formation, and now knows a total of 13. I'm very happy. QB Artie Weinke - Not to be outdone, Weinke improved +3 to a 27/53 player and also learned a new formation (he knows 13 as well). It'll be interesting to see him and Goodwin duke it out in the exhibition season. C Casey Reeves - Reeves did everything we asked of him in camp and picked up 4 current points to be a 45/61 rated center. He's one of the few starters we'll consider trotting out there in the preseason, just to get him the game experience. Hart should continue to help his development, and we're optimistic that he'll realize his full potential by the end of the regular season. TE Colin Chandler - Chandler also looks promising. His solid camp (+4/+1) leaves him rated as a 31/49 tight end. That's pretty good, but he'll end up stuck as our #3. I'm optimistic about his future. FS Mike Mirer - Mike did about all he could in camp (+5 to current ratings), but he'll still come up short in the battle with Hartung. He's now 39/66, but he still needs to work on playing the run and some types of coverage. LB Joseph Watford - No further deterioration from Watford. That's good. Summary: I'm happy with our progress in camp. I'm especially thrilled with Goodwin - he looks to be our long-term solution when Hogan retires. Reeves also made critical progress, and none of our veterans suffered any substantial deterioration during camp. Good stuff. Last edited by Fonzie : 04-24-2006 at 07:54 PM. |
04-23-2006, 10:45 PM | #234 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Positional Overviews
Exhibition season has begun (yawn), and so this seems a good time to review our roster. Many of the players listed below are meat shields, and will clearly not make it past the final roster cutdowns.
Quarterback Code:
Hogan is back for his 12th year, and his skills have not yet begun to diminish. That's a good sign, as we'll need everything he's got to make it back to the postseason. We'll also need him to stay healthy, which he was mostly able to do last year (except for that whole missing the playoffs thing - that was a downer). Goodwin and Weinke will be battling for the backup spot, but my money is on Goodwin. They're both green, and Weinke is more experienced, but I'm guessing the rookie wants to prove that he's the true heir to Hogan's dynasty. However, if either of them see significant playing time during the season we'll likely be out of the running right quick. Ramsey is meat. Next up: running backs. |
04-23-2006, 10:46 PM | #235 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Positional Overviews
Running Backs
Code:
Drew Holliday is The Man. In just four seasons he is already in 15th place in CFL history for rushing yards and in 4th place for rushing TDs. He's in the last year of his contract and his demands are pretty reasonable, so he'll get an extension later in the season provided he stays healthy. Daryl "The Secret Weapon" Bradley returns for his 7th year, and with him comes the peace-of-mind that can only be provided by having two starting-quality running backs on the roster. He's also a superb punt returner, and he's dirt cheap. I turned down a multi-pick trade in the offseason (including a 1st & 2nd) for him (although I did have some second thoughts on that). Robbins remains a servicable 3rd-stringer. Sweeney is meat. Corwin Jeffries returns as our starting FB, and is both a good lead blocker and a great pass catcher out of the backfield. Brown is our position leader, but may well get the axe as nobody likes him and our new QB of the future hates him. Next up: receivers. |
04-23-2006, 10:46 PM | #236 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Positional Overviews
Receivers
Code:
Our offseason change in the scouting department allowed us to get a better read on our receivers, and nowhere was that clarity more noticable than in the evaluation of TE Anthony Torres. He was already highly regarded by our previous scout (rated 66/66), but our new scout apparently thinks Torres is even better than that. Not bad for a late 4th rounder. Joyner is his backup, and at 50/54 I'd say he was a great undrafted free agent pickup. Chandler is the most recent addition to the TE corps, and also looks to have a promising future. He won't see the field much this year, except perhaps on special teams. Armitage and Higginbotham return as our starters, although our new scout slightly downgraded our ratings of both of them. I still expect them to produce at a high level, and have especially high expectations for Armitage now that he's had a year in our system. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't at least top 900 yards (read between those lines, Sydney!). Playing opposite of Armitage, Higginbotham caught an amazing 68% of the balls thrown his way last year for a 14.5 average - pretty damn good for a player our scouts think has limited talent. He's also our positional leader and a WR mentor. Our backup receivers are all fairly comparable in terms of overall assessments, but each has somewhat differing skill sets. Garcia is a bit of a busted 1st round pick, but has decent punt (51/57) and kickoff (28/36) return skills, so he'll stick around. Hodges was an offseason pickup, and was brought in primarily for his kickoff return skills (57/64) and his 3rd down receiving abilities (61/75). Housley and Ramirez might be fighting for our final receiver slot. Housley crushed Ramirez in their battle during the last exhibition season, but then fell flat during the regular season. Housley is a good 3rd-down receiver, but Ramirez has better hands and Route Running abilities. This should be a good preseason battle (again). Next up: offensive line. Last edited by Fonzie : 04-24-2006 at 07:54 PM. |
04-23-2006, 10:59 PM | #237 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Positional Overviews
Offensive Line
Code:
Only one of last year's starters didn't return, and that exit was by design. Steven Odum left for greener pastures in Fargo, and that was alright with me since he was getting old and nobody liked him as a positional leader. We replaced him with young Casey Reeves, who had a solid camp and will be our starter. He's not fully developed yet, so he's the one starter who will be playing in the preseason games. Buckley remains a viable backup and is an especially good run blocker (52/70). Hart was brought on board to mentor both Buckley and Reeves. Poplawski and Connell return as our starting guards, and Eaddy will continue on in his role as primary backup and mentor. Connell had a great year in 2009, but Poplawski was riddled with injuries and never really got going. We'll need him to come into his own this year, as I doubt we'll be able to coax another great performance out of Eaddy in his place again (he made 14 of 38 KRBs with just a 0.7 sack %). DeVries was our 7th round pick this year, and may end up not sucking. We hear there's a technical institute named in his honor. Good for him. Our situation at tackle is both good and bad. It is bad in that our starting LT is rated as a fairly average player, and he's also in his 14th season. He could fall apart at any moment, and the depth behind him isn't very...deep. However, the depth that is present will be very good with time. Both Puente and Lyle have shown the potential for growth beyond our current scout expectations, so we may already have Franck's long-term replacement on hand. I just hope we don't need to replace him this year. Pitman is awesome, but is the only true RT on the roster. Clement Stott was brought in solely to be our positional leader. Next up: the specialists. Last edited by Fonzie : 04-24-2006 at 07:47 PM. |
04-24-2006, 09:37 PM | #238 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Specialists
Code:
Winters blossomed nicely last year on the heels of his offseason boom. His development made our other boom punter Mark Gilmore expendable. Winters' average improved substantially to ~42 last year, and he's good at nailing the coffin corner kicks. Should be a good one for a while. Castorena's troubles were well documented last year, and only a string of several good games to end the season saved his job. He'll be on a short leash from here on out - if he struggles again this year, he'll be replaced next offseason. He's got a great leg, but only seems to show it on field goals. His kickoffs are historically subpar, and have almost no hang time. An upgrade here would be nice. |
04-24-2006, 09:52 PM | #239 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Defensive Line
Code:
On one end of our D-line we have 7-year veteran Howie Grier. Howie was a 1st round choice for us and has done very well for himself. He's a great run stopper, and last year topped double-digits in sacks for the first time in his career. He's never missed a game due to injury. On the other side we'll be rotating a few players, including Ted Bernard and Albert Horn. Bernard is more of a run-stuffer, and Horn is better rushing the passer. Carl Smith is a versatile backup who could start if called upon, and Ryan Talley was brought in to be a pass rush project (he won't see much PT this year). Poor Lance Crane was once one of our best defensive linemen, but an injury left his knee ligaments about as functional as a bowl of boiling spaghetti. He'll likely be cut. In the middle we have The Monster , Harold Stoltzfus. Not much more need be said about him - he's a great all-around DT with no holes in his game (except a slight injury history - but none serious). Pairing with him to clog the running lanes is Kenneth Neubauer, who is also great against the run. His performance dropped off a bit last year after signing his fat contract, and then he screwed up his shoulder and missed the playoffs. We'll need him in peak condition this year, and it would be nice if he actually played up to his contract, dammit. Stansell is a wonderful backup who could start for many teams, and Cochrane is last year's still-developing 2nd round pick (a bust in the making, I fear). Dennis was brought in last year to replace Neubauer, and has some potential as a run stuffer. He'll have a tough time making our final roster, though. Next up: linebackers. |
04-24-2006, 10:18 PM | #240 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Linebackers
Code:
All of our starters from last year return, and boy are they getting old. Most significant was the aging process of SLB Joseph Watford, whose scout evaluations dropped by about 10% in the offseason. He's still a very good 'backer, but we won't be able to count on him like we have in the past. Grant Wash has also been in a slow decline over the last few seasons, but should continue to be good enough over the middle. Trujillo, our positional leader, will likely grab the weak-side spot, with King providing a versatile backup to all three positions. Jarrard provides some solid depth, Richardson is a long-term project, and Denehey is a meat shield. Next up: the secondary. |
04-24-2006, 10:54 PM | #241 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Secondary
Code:
We'll be returning Biggs and Rosenberry to their positions out on the islands, and hopefully they'll manage to stay healthy this year (they missed a combined six games last year - and an amazing twenty-five the year before). Minahan is our elite nickel back, a guy who could start for many teams - and he's a nice security blanket in case either starter gets hurt. Bennett is a long-term project, and Sinclair is on the roster for depth. Mitchel Enoch is our dependable quarterback in the secondary, missing just 2 games in the last 3 years. He's grabbed 9 INTs in the last three years, and has racked up 100+ tackles each year in that period as well. His partner in center field will be Kenneth Hartung, who is keeping the FS position warm for last year's 1st round pick, Mike Mirer. Ellsworth was brought in to be a dimeback, and Austin Mason is on the roster to be a kick returner. He'll need to be really good to make the final roster. That concludes our tour of the Toros 2010 training camp roster (complete with roster hopefuls). I believe our team is stronger this year, but I don't know that it'll be enough to successfully defend our division title. Arizona looks to be improved, Las Vegas is always dangerous, and Honolulu is no longer the doormat we all expected. Unfortunately, we need to wait another week and a half before the regular season starts, and so we won't know how good we really are for some time. At least we'll get some exhibition results tomorrow, so my appetite for football will be mildly whetted soon. |
04-25-2006, 08:17 AM | #242 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
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04-26-2006, 11:22 PM | #243 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Let The (Irrelevant and Boring) Games Begin!
Today we have our first exhibition game, which is exciting only because it will be our first chance to see Kent Goodwin play in a real game. Goodwin is set to be our starter, so I hope he gets lots of PT. I'll be keeping an eye on a few other players as well, most notably our new center Casey Reeves. I'd like to see both fellas demonstrate some improvement.
Enough words. On to the "action": Code:
Well, that was a bit of a disappointment. We lost the game by a point, not that anybody cares. More frustrating was the extraordinarily quick hook the coach had on Goodwin, who was playing decently when he got pulled. Weinke came in and did a good job, but unfortunately neither player appeared to improve as a result of this game. Reeves did show some improvement, however, so this week's Exercise In Injury Avoidance (i.e., exhibition game) wasn't a complete waste. Our biggest preseason positional battle will be at wide receiver, where Ramirez, Housley, and Hodges are fighting for our last two slots. Ramirez and Housley did well today. Hodges was slotted as our primary kick returner, but somehow didn't return any kicks. In fact, one of our starting cornerbacks who is not listed on our return depth chart got a kickoff return. Whatever. So Hodges remains an unknown commodity, for now. Oh, and our punter looked good. That's nice. |
04-27-2006, 09:13 AM | #244 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Exhibition Week 3
Our next opponent is Tampa Bay, whom I expect will field a squad of backups. Backups vs. backups: catch the preseason fever!
Code:
That's more like it. Goodwin got some substantial playing time, and acquitted himself well. Our personnel squad thinks he's improving (26/62). That's good. Weinke, on the other hand, hasn't shown much improvement over the two preseason games (still 27/53). That's bad. While this match was played against the Torpedoes' backups, it is worth noting that Grant Robbins had the best game of his professional career. That won't get him anywhere with Holliday and Bradley above him on the depth chart, but it will cement him as our #3 RB. A final note: we finally got to see Hodges in action, and he showed us a very mixed picture of his abilities. He got the start at SE today and had the ball thrown his way just twice. He came away with no catches and one drop. On the other hand, he returned two kickoffs for a 31.5 yd average. We'll need to see more from this kid to make a final determination, but my initial inclination is to keep him around for his kickoff return abilities (which was a weakness of our team last year). Oh, and we won the game. Good job, fellas! |
04-27-2006, 09:26 AM | #245 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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A Mentor for Goodwin
Santa Cruz quite unexpectedly cut their backup QB Vince Paz. This was unexpected because Paz is a mentor and Santa Cruz has two young QBs who could've used his services (most notably 4th round boom Quentin Larrabee). A bit of a head-scratcher, especially considering that mentors can justifiably be traded for draft picks (one owner wanted a 2nd rounder from me for their mentor - which I refused to pay).
We opted to pounce on him and offered him a large bonus anticipating that other teams would try to sign him. Fortunately, nobody else even made a bid for his services. Unfortunately, that means we needlessly paid an extra $1.3 million in bonus for him. Oh well, at least Goodwin will now be able to improve even while sitting on the bench this year, and that's worth the expense to me. Last edited by Fonzie : 04-27-2006 at 02:16 PM. |
04-28-2006, 02:41 PM | #246 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sunny South of France
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Just for info, current going rate for QB mentors seems to be a 4th round pick.
So you got yourself quite a steal with Paz, I think. I must admit he flew completely under my rader...
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04-30-2006, 12:25 AM | #247 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Exhibition Week 4
Our next preseason opponent is none other than the most talented team in the CFL (according to the in-game roster evaluation): the Hartford Attack. We play at their place, and I fully expect to lose. The main reason why I expect to lose? Their backup QB, Don Martinez is currently better (57/57) than our backup QB Kent Goodwin (26/62). I expect they'll both be starting today, and when you consider that everybody else on the playing field will be a 2nd- or 3rd-teamer, this game is going to come down to the QBs.
Not that anybody cares about the outcome. I just want to see my players develop. Code:
That was certainly a forgettable effort - we lost in just about every measurable aspect of this game (except, amazingly, turnovers). Of course, I couldn't care less about the outcome - all I want to see is development. We got some of that today, with Goodwin improving to 27/62. Weinke still hasn't budged from his 27/53 evaluation, which is a bit surprising given that he's gotten some decent playing time this preseason. Goodwin certainly is in the driver's seat for the backup QB job. A few other players have shown some slight improvements. The most notable players to show improvement today include our backup C Luther Buckley, who is now rated 40/49, and backup safety Mike Mirer, now rated 40/66. An observation from the last few games: I've not been able to get my preferred kick returners much experience in that role, as one of my backup CBs (Rosenberry) is inexplicably getting the bulk of the return opportunities. This is inexplicable because: 1) he is not listed as a kickoff returner on the depth chart; and 2) he has a "0" for kickoff return skill. I hate that shit - if I want a guy to return kicks, why can't I have him return kicks? And if I DON'T want a guy to return kicks, why can't I stop him from doing so? *grumble* We suffered two injuries of note in this game. We lost backup TE Marlon Joyner for 5 weeks with a separated shoulder, and safety Waylon Ellsworth is now doubtful with a hyperextended knee. He should be back in 3 weeks. Last week Daryl Bradley suffered a sprained neck, and is probable for the next 2 weeks. Our final preseason game is at home vs. Durham. And then we (finally) begin the regular season. Last edited by Fonzie : 04-30-2006 at 12:26 AM. |
05-01-2006, 11:09 PM | #248 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Exhibition Week 5
Finally. The last damned exhibition game. Versus Durham.
Let's get this over with. Code:
And so it finally ends. Our last exhibition game was yet another tight "thriller." Our run game looked pretty good today, and Grant Robbins has had a solid overall exhibition season. He was already locked in as our #3 RB, but it is good to know that he has the capacity for decent production. Kent Goodwin was pulled inexplicably early in this one, but still managed to improve slightly (28/62 overall now). His backup, Artie Weinke, wasn't in the game long before he was knocked out with a strained patellar tendon. His injury isn't serious, but gives us an opportunity to place him on the IR and save a roster spot. I'll have to think about that one. Still, Weinke yet again failed to demonstrate any improvement in his game (still 27/53). Thus, Goodwin has clearly cemented his status as Hogan's backup. Weinke will either be #3 or on IR. There were a few other minor injuries, but nothing to worry about. Bah. Enough talking. Time to move on to the roster cuts and play some games that matter. |
05-05-2006, 08:46 AM | #249 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Roster Cutdowns
The final roster is set. The last two or so cuts were extremely difficult, but I think we've got a solid groups of players here.
Code:
I decided to IR Artie Weinke so as to save a roster spot. He wasn't likely to see much playing time behind Goodwin this year anyway. As for the other positions, I feel pretty comfortable with our talent. I don't think we have any huge holes in this team (yet - I'm sure injuries will create some). I'd still like to secure better long-term prospects at LT, ILB and perhaps DE, but we've got enough at those positions to get by. Our first regular season game is against Las Vegas, coming up next. |
05-05-2006, 01:55 PM | #250 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 1: vs. Las Vegas
Our first regular season tilt is a tough draw: arch-rival Las Vegas. They've got a very talented team up and down the roster, and are led by 13-year veteran QB Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen. Lenny has been slowed a bit by injuries over the last two years, but I have a feeling that he has one more big year in him. With the improvement to the Roudners roster over the last two years they are poised to make a run this year. I fully expect the division battle to boil down to them and us, and so a win at home against them is crucial.
Code:
Holy crap. What an insane game. We dominated the Rounders statistically, but key turnovers deep in our territory allowed them to hang with us. A miraculous 17-point 4th quarter allowed Vegas to send the game into overtime, and when they returned the opening OT kickoff to their 42 I thought we had lost the game for certain. Fortunately, on their very first play in OT this happened: Code:
We recovered, marched down the field and Bradley ran in the winning TD. Turnovers played a HUGE role in this game (as they often do), and unfortunately for Vegas their only turnover of the day cost them the game. You may have noticed that Vegas' quarterback was not named "Olsen" in the above-snippet, but rather "Alston." This is because Olsen was knocked out of the game in the 4th quarter. Alston came on and led them to 10 more points to tie the game. Vegas might be okay with him starting, but I suspect it would be in their best long-term interests to start their rookie 1st round pick Roderick Palmer from here on out. They'd lose a lot, but they'd be in great shape for next year. Oh, and having Palmer ready for next year might be important because of the nature of Olsen's injury: a torn ACL. He'll be out for at least 5 months. One has to wonder if such a serious injury, at his advanced age (35) might spell the end of his storied career. If so, it is sad to see yet another of the illustrious RoF quarterbacks doomed because of a knee injury. First Ronnie Tu. Then (perhaps) Lenny Olsen. Who's next? Hogan was almost next, as he appeared to dodge a bullet in today's game: Code:
Fortunately, this message was immediately followed by: Code:
In fact, this appeared to be such a minor injury that our trainers didn't even note it after the game. But, for an excruciatingly long second while watching the game in 3ric's viewer, I thought our season was over. Hogan, in fact, had a terrific day in throwing for over 300 yards for the first time in a year and a half. The interception was costly, though. His receivers were also outstanding, with Higginbotham having his best performance since 2007 and Armitage setting a new career high (as a Toro) with 86 yards receiving. Our other main offensive stud was Drew Holliday, but he also had a very costly turnover. I must say that I admire his tenacity, though, as he even snuck onto the field for special teams to cover a kickoff (and got a tackle, to boot). Our defense did a great job of bending but not breaking, especially considering the awkward positions our offense put them in. They did great against both the run and the pass. The only downside was that our starting free safety, Kenneth Hartung, got hurt (yet again - he missed 5 games last year). He'll be out three weeks. Our next game: a road match vs. the always-tough New York Knights. Last edited by Fonzie : 05-05-2006 at 01:56 PM. |
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