The Paul W. "Bear" Bryant Challenge

[Ben E Lou]

Well, I was very close to ready to pick my original Bear Bryant Challenge thread up again, but alas, GA deleted everything. Therefore, I will begin anew. The rules to this Challenge are few:

1. My team will only have SEC players.
2. Computer signs all draft picks.
3. Renegotiations only in the last year of a players' contract, and all must take place after the playoffs start.
4. Firing option is ON.
5. Franchise player option only can be used on 10+ year veterans, and can't be used 2 straight seasons.

For those that remember the first Bear Bryant Challenge, I used the Falcons' roster as a starting point and traded away all their talent for SEC players (including trading Chandler and 2 2nd-round picks for Peyton Manning.) I played through the end of 2038 before other things distracted me. My team was very successful, with a regular season record of 411-226-3, 30 playoff appearances in 40 seasons, 9 Front Office Bowl appearances and 6 Championships. This time, I'm going to use the Falcons again, but I'm going to start by RELEASING all non-SEC players on the Falcons' orginal roster. Starting out this way should give me a pretty good chance of getting fired before I can get this team off of the ground. I LOVE this challenge, as the restricted player pool forces me to root around for players, trade up or down in the draft according to player availability and it causes me to get genuinely excited when I draft a near-maxed-out-ratings stud on my team, since that doesn't happen nearly as often doing it this way.

[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-22-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

PRELIMINARIES

Lead Scout: Quentin McWilliams
Age: 61
QB: G
RB: G
WR: VG
OL: G
K: VG
DL: VG
LB: G
DB: VG
Young Talent: E

Head Coach: Lincoln Wallace
QB: G
RB: VG
WR: E
OL: G
DL: E
LB: E
DB: E
K: G
Young Talent: VG
Mot: F
Dis: F
Off: G
Def: E
Inj: G

Well, I start off with outstanding coaching and scouting personnel. With the way I expect to lose in my first few seasons, I suppose these guys will get signed away, but they're good to have for now.

Initial Roster
After unloading all non-SEC players, I am left with a whopping total of FIVE players. A brief overview of each (Current/Future Ratings after name):

TE Reginald Kelly 48/74--This rookie from Mississippi State should be a solid starter. Only rating of concern is a big fat 2 in carrying. Everything else looks good if not spectactular. 94 future potential in catch frequency.

C Todd McClure 16/35--A rookie from LSU, his future potential blocking ratings are 40 and 37, so not terrible. However he has a 16 in endurance, so he needs to be a backup.

DE Chuck Smith 62/60--8th year man from Tennessee is the only 1998 Falcon starter on my squad.

LB Ben Talley 6/8--4th year former Volunteer was a roster filler, and hopefully he'll be no better than same after I pick up some players. Ugh. Highest rating is 6/9 in pass rush.

CB Elijah Williams 13/18--2nd-year Gator is only useful as a kick returner (57).

Because I have to pick up SO many guys, I won't bore you with the details. I'll just post the starting roster in my next post.



[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-21-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

1999 Starting Roster

Other than the Isle of Misfit Toys Challenge and a Primer career, this is the worst FOF2 roster I've ever seen...

QB Corey Pringley 10/12
RB Harold Green 44/41
FB Stanley Pritchett 23/30
TE Reginald Kelly 48/74
WR Roell Preston 36/37
WR Brian Kinchen 33/38
C Todd McClure 16/35
G Will Wolford 72/70
G Anthony Redmond 39/42
T Richard Cooper 54/54
T Jason Laymon 45/51
P Tom Hutton 34/35
K Joel Morrison 11/14
DE Chuck Smith 62/60
DE Leonard Little 8/23
DT Shane Bonham 14/10
DT Leroy Emarlos 9/18
LB James Willis 42/36
LB Steve Conley 31/42
LB James Williams 24/24
CB Elijah Williams 13/18
CB Raymond Austin 11/14
S Melvin Johnson 23/22
S John Mangum 10/10

I had to make a handful of position switches and trade late-round picks for scrubs to fill out my roster. At least I look to have a half-decent offensive line and running back. Maybe Green and the O-line can keep the defense off the field and we won't get our doors blown off too many times.

[Ben E Lou]

EXHIBITION SEASON REPORT

We went 1-3 in the exhibition season. The bright spot is definitely RB Harold Green. He had 51 carries for 278 yards for 5.5 ypc. The passing game is anemic, so we'll try to grind it out and win a few ball games.

[Ben E Lou]

1999 MID-SEASON REPORT

Record: 2-6
Division Leader: St. Louis 5-2

We haven't been as bad as I though we would. Undrafted rookie QB Pringle has been surprisingly solid, and Green has rushed for over 500 yards.

[Ben E Lou]

1999 END OF REGULAR SEASON REPORT

Record: 5-11
Division Winner: San Francisco 9-7

Top Skill Position Performances
QB Corey Pringley--282 for 489 (57.6%) 19TD's, 19 INT's, 72.0 QB Rtg

RB Harold Green--313 carries for 1329 yards, 4.2ypc, 3 TD's.

WR Brian Kinchen--72 catches for 810 yards, 4 TD's

Renegotiations
Well, since I only had 5 guys who I didn't sign this year, nothing to report here.

Playoff Recap
Dallas beat SD 34-12 to win the Front Office Bowl.

Season Awards
G Wolford--1st Team--35 KRB in 97 chances, gave up 4 sacks.

LB James Willis--2nd Team--90 tackes, 24 assists, 3 INT's, 1 sack

Herb's Assessment
Team Performance: 0
Franchise Value: 57
Profit/Loss: 82
Difficulty: 82

YEAR-END SCORE: 52

Well, at least my profit was good and will buy me some time to build this team into a winner.

[Ben E Lou]

2000 BEGINNING OF SEASON REPORT

Retirements
None.

Ticket Price Changes
None. That's my other restriction. I only allow price increases after playoff seasons, and my prices can never be above the highest AI GM.

Scout/Coach Changes
None. They are both still solid.

Draft Choice Position
I'll have the 1st pick in the draft. This doesn't mean as much in this challenge, since if there's not an SEC stud out there, I can't be helped.

On to free agency......

[Ben E Lou]

2000 FREE AGENCY PERIOD

I could use help pretty much everywhere. I sign the following players:

S Greg Jackson (LSU)--3yrs, $3.9M--solid starter
LB Lemanski Hall ('Bama)--3 yrs, $2.25M--I look for him to be a solid backup when I get a "real" set of LB's.
G Anthony Redmond (Auburn)--3 yrs, $6.5M (re-signed)
WR Ernie Mills (Florida)--4yrs, $13.5M--He had 1,000 yards received for Dallas last year.
K Todd Peterson (UGA--Go Dawgs!!)--3 yrs, $3.15M--nice upgrade here.
WR Brian Kinchen (LSU)--3yrs, $7.25M (re-signed)
DT Lionel Strong (LSU)--3yrs, $1.8M--Good young guy with solid future potential.
DT Kelvin Pritchett (Ole Miss)--3yrs, $4M--Solid starter.
T James Dexter (USC)--3yrs, $2.7M--Could start. T Jason Layman gave up 11 sacks last year and only had an 18.1 KRBP.
CB Dale Carter (Tennessee)--4yrs, $16M--2nd-Team All-Pro last year. Nice!
C Jeff Smith (Tennessee)--3yrs, $2.4M--Scout has him at near-maxed-out potential ratings.

Also of significance is that G Will Wolford left to sign with playoff team Green Bay.

Overall, I am pleased to get some real players.

[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-22-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

2000 AMATEUR DRAFT

Well, I have the #1 pick, but there's no #1-worthy player from the SEC. I'll trade down.

I move down to #13, trading with Indianapolis. In addition to the 13th pick in this year's draft, I get their #1 next year, G Tom Myslinski and LB Karl Kennicott. Here's who I end up drafting:

1(13): DT Mickey Allen, Alabama (4.0/6.5). Not a superstar, but a solid-starter type guy. Will start immediately.
2(1): T Ed Rivera, Vandy (2.4/6.6). Rivera's potential blocking ratings are 55 and 68. Will probably be a starter, at least in the next few years while things are lean.
3(1): S Darryl Holiday, Arkansas (3.0/4.4)--Its tough to find decent safeties in this challenge, so I go ahead and grab this mediocre one.
4(1): K Harris McDaniel, Vandy (5.0/7.3). Best kicker in the draft is from the SEC and I don't have a 5th round pick. I thought it wise to snap him up here.
6(1): CB Winfred Emmons, Auburn (2.3/4.3)--Could actually be a decent corner. Run and pass defense potential ratings are both over 50, and 63 interception rating.

Overall, there wasn't much SEC talent this year. Nonetheless, as many as 3 position players (plus the kicker), could be first stringers this year.


[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-22-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

2000 POST-DRAFT SIGNINGS
QB Junior Tsoi, Arkansas--He has better future potential than any QB on my roster.
FB Bernard Gardner, Florida--He will be my likely starter.
C Thurman Reeves, Florida--Pretty decent ratings (30/40,35/52,65). Should be a strong backup (at least for 7 years!)
G Troy Duesenberg, LSU--Decent backup.
WR CARL PICKENS, Tennesee---YESSSSS!!! He was Cincinnati's Franchise Player, and they didn't have the cap room to sign him. Great to have a big-time WR on the team.

[Ben E Lou]

2000 PROJECTED STARTING 24

*--Denotes first-time starter for the Falcons.
(Rookies in parenthesis.)

QB Corey Pringley 3/8
RB Harold Green 38/40
*(FB Bernard Gardner 32/39)
TE Reginald Kelly 56/65
*WR Carl Pickens 67/62
*WR Ernie Mills 54/56
*C Jeff Smith 71/91
*G Tom Myslinski 56/56
G Anthony Redmond 31/29
T Richard Cooper 54/57
*T James Dexter 40/51
P Tom Hutton 37/37
*(K Harris McDaniel 52/72)
DE Chuck Smith 58/59
*DE Steve White 22/31
*DT Kelvin Pritchett 56/56
*(DT Micky Allen 49/70)
LB James Willis 38/38
*LB Karl Kennicott 51/71
*LB Jeff Brady 36/30
*CB Dale Carter 70/69
*(CB Winfred Emmons 34/58)
*S Greg Jackson 68/69
*(S Darryl Holiday 38/49)

5 rookie starters and 16 total. Talk about turnover!

[Ben E Lou]

2000 EXHIBITION REPORT

Stadium: 18
Roster Strength: 1
Support: 22
Economy: 57
Cohension: 50,55,57,49
Season Tickets Sold: 30,600
Exhibition Record: 1-3

Exhibition Performances of Note
Carl Pickens caught 26 passes in 4 games.

Key Injuries Going into Regular Season

CB Dale Carter--out 3-5 weeks with hip pointer
T Richard Cooper--out 3-5 weeks with sprained back

[Ben E Lou]

2000 REGULAR SEASON FIRST QUARTER REPORT

(Home team in Caps.)

Carolina 38 ATLANTA 10 (0-1)
Ugh. Miserable game. Pringley was 9 for 28 with 6 interceptions, and backup Shane Matthews threw one as well. We also lost a fumble. Chuck Smith was the only bright spot, with 2.5 sacks. Overall, the defense wasn't that bad, giving up 16 first downs and 303 total yards, but its hard to recover from 8 turnovers.

SEATTLE 38 Atlanta 10 (0-2)
This time Pringley threw 4 INT's and we fumbled it away once. Carl Pickens caught 10 passes for 79 yards. As good as Pringley looked last year, he is looking far worse so far. His QB Rating is 19.0!!! I'm going to give rookie QB Junior Tsoi the start next week.

ATLANTA 9 St. Louis 6 (1-2)
Yay! Harris McDaniel went 3 for 3 in field goals, all in the first half, and the defense hung on for the win. Tsoi was 15 for 27, 103 yds and 2 INT's. Shane Matthews is disgruntled over lack of playing time. Might as well let him start. He can't do any worse. S Greg Jackson picked off 3 passes

CHICAGO 33 Atlanta 0 (1-3)
So much for the "squeaky wheel getting the grease." Matthews was 10 for 20 for 83 yards and 5 INT's. Our offense only managed 154 total yards. I'll give Pringley a week or two to show me something of his 1999 form, otherwise, rookie Tsoi will get the ball the rest of the way.

[Ben E Lou]

2000 REGULAR SEASON SECOND QUARTER REPORT

Note: LB Kennicott got injured in the Chicago game and is out 2-3 months. Also, [b]S Carter and T Cooper will both be ready for game 5.

(Home team in Caps.)

Denver 31 ATLANTA 3 (1-4)
Pringley went 21 for 33 for 145 yards and 3 INT's. Only bright spots were backup RB Terry Jackson (7 carries for 74 yards) and Smith (3 sacks). Jackson has a 5.9 ypc average as a backup and Green hasn't done much. I'll give Jackson the nod next game.

NEW ORLEANS 26 Atlanta 9 (1-5)
I hate it when I do that. Forgot to put Jackson in. Oh well. Pringley was 14 for 35 for a meager 121 yards, but no interceptions for a change. Smith got 2 more sacks, giving him 8.5 on the year, only one off the lead. S Darryl Holiday will be out 3-5 weeks with a sprained ankle.

Minnesota 23 ATLANTA 21 (1-6)
I give my 4th QB, Stanley Willis, a shot at the helm. He fares a little better than the others, going 14 for 35 for 172 yards, 3 TD's and 1 INT. Jackson gets 10 carries for 37 yards, and Green, demoted to backup, has 5 for 51. Smith sacks Randall Cunningham 3.5 times to take over the league lead with 12.

SAN FRANCISCO 34 Atlanta 11 (1-7)
Our QB's got sacked 9 times. Willis was 10 for 24 for 113 yards and 2 INT's before getting knocked out. Neither Tsoi nor Matthews fared any better. Green again outgained Jackson, so Green gets his starting position back. G Anthony Redmond goes down to a hip pointer for 3-5 weeks. Smith gets 1.5 more sacks.

[Ben E Lou]

2000 REGULAR SEASON THIRD QUARTER REPORT

(Home team in Caps.)

ST. LOUIS 22 Atlanta 10 (1-8)
Willis was 9 for 23 for 71 yards. S Greg Jackson broke his ankle and is out for the season.

Philadelphia 24 ATLANTA 9 (1-9)
Willis is showing no signs of improvement, so I'll give the ball to rookie Tsoi the rest of the way. He has the highest potential rating of any of my QB stiffs. TE Reginald Kelly pulls his groin and is out 3-5 weeks.

Oakland 27 ATLANTA 24 (1-10)
It takes a field goal as time expires for the 8-2 Raiders to beat us. Green had 11 carries for 133 yards, including an 80-yard TD romp. Tsoi was 13 for 24, 120 yards, 2 TD's and 1 INT. (Note: Derrick Thomas is now running away in sacks. He has 20. Smith has 15.)

New Orleans 10 ATLANTA 7 (1-11)
Not much to report. Offense was anemic, defense pretty good. I'm just playing out the string now.

[Ben E Lou]

2000 REGULAR SEASON FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

(Home team in Caps.)

KANSAS CITY 30, Atlanta 20 (1-12)
Nothing noteworthy....Kennicott is now healthy again and back in the lineup for next game.

SAN FRANCISCO 13 Atlanta 10 (1-13)
Green runs for 128 yards.

CAROLINA 26 Atlanta 7 (1-14)
Tsoi throws 6 interceptions and we clinch the #1 pick in next year's draft. Indianapolis, with whom we traded last year, is 4-10, so we'll get another fairly high pick as well. Hope there are a couple of SEC studs!

ATLANTA 19 New York 14 (2-14)
Unbelievably, we win our final game. Green rushed for 100 yards. Pringley came in for Tsoi when the latter got hurt and finally showed something like 1999. He was 9 for 16 with 1 TD and no INT's, and led us to the winning TD in the 4th quarter.

[Ben E Lou]

2000 END OF REGULAR SEASON REPORT

Record: 2-14
Division Winner: St. Louis 11-5

Top Skill Position Performances
QB no one deserves even being mentioned. Highest rating of any of the four was 44.4

RB Harold Green--197 carries for 877 yards, 4.4ypc, 1 TD.

WR Carl Pickens--75 catches for 734 yards, 3 TD's

Renegotiations
The only guy who I want to re-sign Chuck Smith, is asking for a 1-year contract and I can't afford the cap room to get him to accept a 2 or 3 year deal, so he'll test free agency.

Postseason Recap
Green Bay beat Cleveland 34-3 to win the Front Office Bowl. Chris Chandler is quarterbacking Cleveland after having been dropped by me in 1999 pre-season.

Season Awards
DE Smith--1st Team---20.5 sacks. (Thomas finished with 22.5)
P Hutton--2nd Team--had LOTS of practice
DT Mickey Allen--2nd Team--69 tackles, 16 assists, 5 sacks, VERY nice rookie year.

Herb's Assessment
Team Performance: 0
Franchise Value: 55
Profit/Loss: 76
Difficulty: 81

YEAR-END SCORE: 50

Well, still doing ok financially. I REALLY would like to see a stud SEC QB in next year's draft!

[Ben E Lou]

2001 BEGINNING OF SEASON REPORT

Retirements
None.

Ticket Price Changes
None. Gotta make the playoffs first.

Scout/Coach Update

Well, lead scout Quentin McWilliams was hired away by the Redskins. No scout who is currently employed is amenable to working for the Franchise that has had the #1 pick 2 years in a row, so I hire the best of the leftovers:

Lead Scout: Austin Yardley
Age: 61
QB: VG
RB: F
WR: G
OL: F
K: F
DL: F
LB: F
DB: G
Young Talent: VG

Head Coach: Lincoln Wallace
Age: 56
QB: G
RB: VG
WR: VG (down from E)
OL: F (down from G)
DL: E
LB: E
DB: E
K: G
Young Talent: VG
Mot: F
Dis: F
Off: F (down from G)
Def: E
Inj: G

Draft Choice Position
I'll have the 1st pick in the draft. I also have the 4th pick in round 1.

Franchise Player
Chuck Smith is in his 10th year. I franchise him.

On to free agency......

[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-22-2000).]

[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-22-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

2001 FREE AGENCY PERIOD

I'm only set at these positions: TE,WR,C,G,DE,DT,DT,CB,S,K. I'll take real starters in any of the other 14 slots. I have over $32M available under the cap and I only need a little over $6M for the draft, so I've got some cash to work with, plus I've got lots of stiffs I can cut if I need more money. Here are the offers I make:

QB Danny Weurffel (Florida)--3yrs, $6.0M--not great, but does have a 92 3rd-down passing rating, and he looks a lot better than what I've got
RB Duce Staley (USC)--4 yrs, $18.5M--Green is getting old.
FB Tony Richardson (Auburn)--3 yrs, $2.25M--nice blocker
G Chris Gray (Florida)--3yrs, $3.3M--Not great, but would start for me.
T Brent Smith (Miss St.)--3 yrs, $2.4M--27 in run blocking, 100 in pass blocking. If he signs, I'll put him at LT and never run behind him.
[i]DE Kevin Henry[i] (Miss St.)--3yrs, $6.0M--not great, but would start for me.
CB Calvin Jackson (Auburn)--4yrs, $10.0M--68 run defense, 74 pass.

LB Jeff Brady wants $1.92M to re-sign for 1 year, and I tender such an offer.

Week 1
Gray, Henry and Richardson all sign. Philly offers Staley 4 yrs for $20.39M., so I up my offer to $21.5M for 4 years.

Week 2
Weurffel signs, and Brady re-signs. I'm still leading $$$ offer for Staley, Smith and Jackson.

Weeks 3-4
no changes

Week 5
Jackson signs.

Week 6-7
no changes

Week 8
T Smith signs.

Weeks 9-10
no changes

Week 11
Staley signs with Arizona for only $12.79M over four years. Very strange. His play for winner rating is only 26. His loyalty rating is 56 so I would have thought if he didn't go for the money from us he'd sign with Philly even though they went 7-9 last year before Arizona (10-6).

Well, overall I am pleased, but not thrilled. I continue to put solid players in place, but still no real star-quality players. I'm hoping for a strong SEC-filled draft.

[Ben E Lou]

2001 AMATEUR DRAFT

I have the #1 and #4 picks. There is a DT I want from Kentucky, but he is the 3rd-best DT on the list (strong overall draft this year). I make a trade with the Redskins which brings me former Georgia Bulldog Champ Bailey! I give up the #1 pick and a #3 in 2002 and a #4 in 2003 for Bailey and the 1(10) pick this year. Bailey gives me my first superstar-rating type player, plus I still can make some solid draft picks. There are several solid SEC players in this draft, so I also pick up the 2(5) pick from Dallas for DT Kelvin Pritchett and a 4th rounder next year (since I'm going to have a rookie DT starting). Here's who I grab this year:

1(4): DT Clarence Deshell, Kentucky(3.4/7.1). Will start immediately. His ratings are 50/91, 53/100, 80.
1(10): G Bryan Hammond, LSU (2.4/7.4). Ratings are 45/100, 27/77, 83. Should be a great run blocker at guard.
2(1): LB Bernard McKenzie, LSU(3.4/7.3)--Immediate starter with near-maxed-out future potentials--36/84, 39/94, 38/95, 92. Yes!
2(5): FB Brent Meadows, Vandy (3.6/6.1). Solid all-around FB with a 100 rating in 3rd down running.
4(1): LB Andy Moore, USC (2.0/6.2)--93 potential in pass rush, mediocre elsewhere. Still probably good enough to start on this team.
5(1): RB Wayne Glover, Auburn (2.3,3.9)--Actually a half-decent looking RB for a 5th-rounder. Has a 52 breakaway rating, and nearly all potentials in 40's, 50's or 60's.

Overall, I'm thrilled with this draft, plus the acquistion of Champ Bailey. I should have one of the best defenses in the league within a couple of years with all the defensive talent I've picked up the last two years.

[Ben E Lou]

2001 POST-DRAFT SIGNINGS

QB Calvin Hayes LSU--He could actually be a pretty solid backup.
T Adam Meadows UGA--Yes! Indianapolis franchised and let him go. Absolutely unbelievable luck that two years in a row I got an SEC player this way!!! He'll anchor the offensive line.

[Ben E Lou]

2001 PROJECTED STARTING 24

*--Denotes first-time starter for the Falcons.
(Rookies in parenthesis.)

*QB Danny Wuerffel 40/47
RB Harold Green 43/41
*(FB Brent Meadows 46/63)
TE Reginald Kelly 72/76
WR Carl Pickens 62/50
WR Ernie Mills 50/50
C Jeff Smith 77/98
G Tom Myslinski 63/74
*(G Bryan Hammond 46/90)
*T Adam Meadows 73/67
*T Ed Rivera 52/56
P Tom Hutton 36/20
K Harris McDaniel 68/68
DE Chuck Smith 60/48
*DE Kevin Henry 33/29
*(DT Clarence Deshell 46/89)
DT Micky Allen 54/57
*(LB Bernard McKenzie 52/100)
LB Karl Kennicott 61/70
*LB Steve Conley 43/50
CB Dale Carter 66/64
*CB Champ Bailey 87/92
S Greg Jackson 60/61
S Darryl Holiday 39/53

10 new starters, 4 of them rookies, but the difference is this time I have ten *talented* new starters. Maybe I'm dreaming, but I think I've got a shot at winning 8 games this year.

[Ben E Lou]

2001 EXHIBITION REPORT

Stadium: 16
Roster Strength: 2
Support: 15
Economy: 65
Cohension: 57,59,43,51
Season Tickets Sold: 28,300
Exhibition Record: 2-2

Exhibition Performances of Note
Wuerffel looked very good, 44 for 69, 644 yards, 6 TD's and 2 INT's.
Glover, starting at RB to get some experience, also looked great, carrying 42 times for 264 yards (6.3ypc). He'll start the opener.

Injuries Going into Regular Season

Adam Meadows, T - Bruised Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
James Willis, LB - Deep Thigh Bruise, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Champ Bailey, CB - Sprained Neck, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Todd McClure, C - Turf Toe, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Thurman Reeves, C - Hip Pointer, full strength in 0-2 Weeks

Bailey's injury occured in the very last preseason game, too. Dang! If Wuerrfel can perform through the season like he did in the preseason, this team will at least give .500 a scare.

[Ben E Lou]

2001 REGULAR SEASON FIRST QUARTER REPORT

(Home team in Caps.)

ATLANTA 17, Dallas 14 (1-0)
Wuerffel went 23-41 for 235 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT's. Not great, but a whole lot better than last year and enough to win. Dale Carter picked off a pass and ran it back 32 yards for a TD. Chuck Smith sacked Aikman twice, and the defense held Dallas to 198 total yards.

ATLANTA 30, New Orleans 6 (2-0)
We flex our fledgling muscles here. The defense leads the way again, holding the Ain'ts to 147 total yards! We had 5 sacks (Smith led the way with 2.) Carter had 2 more INT's. For the 2nd game in a row, Glover was unimpressive at RB. Preseason ain't the regular season. I'll give the ball back to Green at RB. Wuerffel was 16 for 29, 229 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.

Brice Hunter, WR - Sprained Neck, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Jeff Smith, C - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 3-5 Weeks

SAN FRANCISCO 10, Atlanta 6 (2-1)
The defense continues to be strong, only having allowed 30 points in our first 3 games. Smith got 2 more sacks, but our offense just couldn't get much going. CB Champ Bailey returns next week.

NEW YORK 20, Atlanta 17 (2-2)
Wuerffel throws 3 INT's and gets knocked out of the game.

Injury Report After Game 4
Danny Wuerffel, QB - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Brice Hunter, WR - Sprained Neck, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Jeff Smith, C - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Todd McClure, C - Broken Nose, full strength in 0-2 Weeks

[Ben E Lou]

2001 REGULAR SEASON SECOND QUARTER REPORT

(Home team in Caps.)

St. Louis 14, ATLANTA 6 (2-3)
Same story. Strong defense, weak offense.

NEW JERSEY 23, Atlanta 7 (2-4)
Wuerffel throws 6 INT's. Ouch!

Atlanta 20, NEW ORLEANS 17 (3-4)
I let Junior Tsoi start at QB to give Wuerffel a chance to fully recover from the bruised ribs. We rush for 161 yards and Tsoi contributes 14 for 27, 184 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. DT Mickey Allen suffers a broken hand and is doubtful for next week.

Minnesota 12 ATLANTA 3 (3-5)
Weird game. We had 370 yards and 21 first downs and only one turnover. You'd think we could have put more than 3 points on the board.

[Ben E Lou]

2001 REGULAR SEASON THIRD QUARTER REPORT

(Home team in Caps.)

ST. LOUIS 42, Atlanta 13 (3-6)
No bright spots here.

TAMPA BAY 24 Atlanta 21 (3-7)
This one wasn't as close as the score indicates. We scored a late FG, TD and 2-point conversion.

Miami 37 ATLANTA 34 (3-8)
Green has 13 carries for 140 yards, and Wuerffel throws for 284 yards, but our 485 yards in total offense isn't enough.

[b]Carolina 24, ATLANTA 20 [b] (3-9)
Nothing significant to report.

[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-23-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

2001 REGULAR SEASON FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

(Home team in Caps.)

San Francisco 20 ATLANTA 17 (3-10)
Another week. Another loss. I put Micky Allen back in when he got to probable, and now he's out for the rest of the season.

BUFFALO 34, Atlanta 7 (3-11)
Things are now officially getting ugly.

CAROLINA 27 Atlanta 14 (3-12)
Only consolation is one more loss and I clinch my third straight #1 pick. Ugh.

ATLANTA 13 Indianapolis 10 (4-12)
Wuerffel gets knocked out early and Tsoi "leads" us to win. Defense gets five sacks.

[Ben E Lou]

2001 END OF REGULAR SEASON REPORT
Record: 4-12
Division Winner: St. Louis 11-5

Top Skill Position Performances
QB Danny Wuerffel 202 for 409, 2491 yards, 7 TD's, 19 INT's, 54.9 rating.

RB Harold Green--199 carries for 866 yards, 4.3ypc, 5 TD.

WR Carl Pickens--81 catches for 989 yards, 4 TD's

Team Stats

OFFENSE
Rushing: 1754 yards (18th), 4.3ypc (11th)
Passing: 3373 yards (22nd), 6.1ypp (29th)

DEFENSE
Rushing: 1970 yards (20th), 4.0ypc (13th)
Passing: 3512 yards (15th), 6.2ypp (1st)

Postseason Recap
Miami beat St. Louis 24-7 to win the Front Office Bowl.

Season Awards
LB McKenzie--Defensive Rookie of the Year--94 tackles, 32 assists, 2.0 sacks.
DE Chuck Smith--2nd Team--37 tackles, 12 assists, 17.5 sacks.

Herb's Assessment
Team Performance: 2
Franchise Value: 52
Profit/Loss: 65
Difficulty: 78

YEAR-END SCORE: 46

A little improvement, but I need a legitimate RB and/or QB to take it to make this team a winner.

[Ben E Lou]

2002 BEGINNING OF SEASON REPORT

Retirements
G Anthony Redmond--A backup.

Ticket Price Changes
None. Gotta make the playoffs first.

Scout/Coach Update

Well, lead scout Austin Yardley is getting old. No scout who is currently employed is amenable to working for me, but I grab a pretty good one from the leftovers:

Lead Scout: Donny Ellison
Age: 53
QB: E
RB: G
WR: F
OL: E
K: F
DL: VG
LB: G
DB: F
Young Talent: E

Head Coach: Lincoln Wallace
Age: 57
QB: G
RB: VG
WR: E (up from VG)
OL: F (down from G)
DL: E
LB: E
DB: VG (down from E)
K: G
Young Talent: VG
Mot: F
Dis: F
Off: F
Def: E
Inj: G

Draft Choice Position
I'll have the 2nd pick in the draft.

Franchise Player
None.

On to free agency......

[Ben E Lou]

2002 FREE AGENCY PERIOD

Computer lists my priorities as starting RB, S and LB in that order. I also put QB and DE high on the list and a good WR would be nice too since Pickens and Mills are aging. I have $23M cap dollars to sign FA's. Here are my offers:

WR Eric Moulds (Buffalo)--4 yrs, $22M--The 7th-year man out of Mississippi state would be a nice addition to my receiving corps.
DE Duane Tayer (Carolina)--2 yrs, $1.5M--2nd-year man from Ole Miss, Taylor has 57 run defense potential and 62 pass rush potential and isn't wanting much money.
LB Jamie Duncan (Tampa Bay)--4 yrs, $15.5M--5th-year guy from Vandy has rock-solid ratings and over 75 tackles each of the last 3 seasons.
S Ralph Staten (Tampa Bay)--3 yrs, $8.25M--Not great, but better than what I've got. Would start for me.


Week 1
DE Tayer signs, and I'm highest offer for Duncan, Moulds and Staten.

Week 2
Duncan and Moulds sign.

Weeks 3-7
no changes

Week 8
Staten re-signs with Tampa Bay for 2 yrs, $5.39M. No other safeties out there, and no one else piques my interest, so I'm done here.

Well, I have a solid developing OL and a good young defense that will be immediately bolstered by the addition of Duncan, and Tayer could help out as well. Pretty solid infrastructure in place if I can get a QB and/or RB in the draft to boost my offensive punch.



[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-23-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

2002 AMATEUR DRAFT

I only have 2 picks in this draft, 1(2) and 2(2). The good news is that there are only 2 guys I see that I want anyway, and they look like a high first and mid-round 2nd pick. Hopefully I can grab 'em both AND trade down in the 2nd round for some draft help next year. Here's how the draft goes.

1(2): DE Cornelius Thrash, Kentucky(3.8/7.9). Will start immediately. His ratings are 28/73, 50/100, 95. Has the ability to "Thrash" opposing QB's (yuk, yuk).

I then trade down to #18 in the 2nd round with Oakland. I include a 5th rounder next year and get a 4th rounder in return.

2(18)LB Devin Ramer, Alabama (2.4/6.3)--Ramer has potentials of 92, 70 and 84. Looks like a future solid starter.

I'm not TRYING to go after only defense, I just have to adhere to the "best available" philosophy. The best SEC QB's and RB's this year were 2.0,4.5 types. But hey, my defense should get better.

[Ben E Lou]

2002 POST-DRAFT SIGNINGS

None this year. No SEC franchisees released and no decent undrafted rookies.

[Ben E Lou]

2002 QUICK UPDATE
New England released RB Kevin Faulk in the preseason. I signed him to a one-year contract. He rushed for 1040 yards and 15 TD's last year. He will likely start.

2002 PROJECTED STARTING 24

*--Denotes first-time starter for the Falcons. Figures after name represent current value/future potential, experience.

QB Danny Wuerffel 46/58, 6yrs
*RB Kevin Faulk 58/59, 4yrs
FB Brent Meadows 66/75, 2yrs
TE Reginald Kelly 72/72, 4yrs
WR Carl Pickens 57/45, 11yrs
*WR Eric Moulds 66/61, 7yrs
C Jeff Smith 72/86, 7yrs
G Tom Myslinski 60/68,11yrs
G Bryan Hammond 80/92, 2yrs
T Adam Meadows 76/65, 6yrs
T Ed Rivera 56/64, 3yrs
P Tom Hutton 38/40, 8yrs
K Harris McDaniel 71/73, 3yrs
DE Chuck Smith 63/64, 11yrs
*DE Cornelius Thrash 42/81, R
DT Clarence Deshell 75/90, 2yrs
DT Micky Allen 60/74, 3yrs
LB Bernard McKenzie 56/90, 2yrs
LB Karl Kennicott 60/62, 4yrs
*LB Jamie Duncan 77/76, 5yrs
CB Dale Carter 66/58, 11yrs
CB Champ Bailey 82/78, 4yrs
S Greg Jackson 58/54, 14yrs
*S Brad Ware 50/53, 4yrs

Only five new starters this year, and look at all that youth on defense. 8 defensive starters in their 5th year or less. I hope to be a team on the rise.

[Ben E Lou]

2002 EXHIBITION REPORT

Stadium: 0
Roster Strength: 75 (Nice!)
Support: 9 (Can't say that I blame them.
Economy: 67
Cohension: 61,57,60,58
Season Tickets Sold: 25,700
Exhibition Record: 1-3

Exhibition Performances of Note
Kevin Faulk had 44 carries for 229 yards (5.2ypc). He'll start the season at RB.

Injuries Going into Regular Season

Adam Meadows, T - Turf Toe, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Tom Myslinski, G - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Brad Ware, S - Broken Finger, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Mickey Allen, DT - Sprained Neck, full strength in 0-2 Weeks

Well, I start the year with a slightly-banged-up offensive line and a little hope. Roster rating up to 75 is very encouraging.

2 things....

1. Is anyone reading this??? Please let me know.
2. If you are reading this, then please let me know if you prefer the game-by-game reports that I've been doing up to now, or the half-season and end-of-year recap like I'm going to do this season. Thanks!

Ben

[BishopMVP]

Yeah, I am reading it. I think I would prefer the mid and post season reports better. I have to admit I start to skim over the game-by-game report after a while. Keep it Coming!

[huve]

I personally would like to here more about the draft and hear how the rookies faired.In other words try to make the draft report deepers.

Huve

------------------
you smoke weed
with no seeds
i smoke weed
for my needs
whatever we
smoke the
same weed.

[ShagVT]

I'm reading, and I think it's just right.

[Original Prankster]

Count me as reading and done perfectly right now.

Do you know how to print the roster file to text? The way you're doing the roster reports with so much work makes me think you don't. If you'd like to know how, just gimme' a holler.

------------------
Go RPI!

[Ben E Lou]

2002 MID-SEASON REPORT

Record: 3-5
Divison Leader: St. Louis 7-2

Faulk has 510 rushing yards, and Smith has 10 sacks.

Wuerffel dislocated his elbow in game 6 and is out another 2-3 months. Backup Tsoi has a 91.7 rating in 2 starts.

Injury Report:

Dale Carter, CB - Torn Calf Muscle, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Eric Moulds, WR - Sprained Back, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Danny Wuerffel, QB - Dislocated Elbow, full strength in 2-3 Months
Lionel Strong, DT - Arthroscopic Knee Surgery, full strength in 2-3 Months
Darryl Holliday, S - Deep Thigh Bruise, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Clarence Deshell, DT - Broken Ribs, full strength in 2-3 Months

[Ben E Lou]

2002 END OF REGULAR SEASON REPORT
Record: 5-11
Division Winner: St. Louis 12-4

Top Skill Position Performances
QB Junior Tsoi 194 for 334, 2210 yards, 15 TD's, 14 INT's, 75.5 rating. (10 starts)

RB Kevin Faulk--227 carries for 1188 yards, 5.2ypc, 10 TD.

WR Carl Pickens--59 catches for 800 yards, 3 TD's

Team Stats

OFFENSE
Rushing: 1976 yards (11th), 4.4ypc (6th)
Passing: 3375 yards (23rd), 6.3ypp (28th)

DEFENSE
Rushing: 2220 yards (28th), 4.6ypc (28th)
Passing: 3524 yards (11th), 6.3ypp (3rd)

Postseason Recap
St. Louis beat Indianapolis 36-33 to win the Front Office Bowl.

Season Awards
C Jeff Smith--2nd team--34 Krb in 99 opps, 3 sacks allowed

Performance of Draftees

DE Cornelius Thrash--He had one start, 3.5 sacks, 1 block and 4 hurries for a 2.75 pass rush rating using jsap's compiler.
LB Devin Raymer--Didn't play much..only on the field for 33 pass plays all season.

Herb's Assessment
Team Performance: 8
Franchise Value: 53
Profit/Loss: 61
Difficulty: 78

YEAR-END SCORE: 47

Good to see Tsoi put up some decent numbers. Could he be a "diamond in the rough???"

[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-24-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

2003 BEGINNING OF SEASON REPORT

Retirements
S George Teague--A backup.

Ticket Price Changes
Still none.

Scout/Coach Update

No changes here.

Lead Scout: Donny Ellison
Age: 54
QB: VG (down from E)
RB: G
WR: F
OL: E
K: F
DL: VG
LB: G
DB: F
Young Talent: E

Head Coach: Lincoln Wallace
Age: 58
QB: G
RB: VG
WR: E
OL: G (up from F)
DL: E
LB: E
DB: VG
K: G
Young Talent: VG
Mot: F
Dis: F
Off: F
Def: E
Inj: G

Draft Choice Position
I'll have the 4th pick in the draft.

Franchise Player
None.

Expansion
The Salt Lake City Warriors join the league. They're not interested in anyone I expose to the expansion draft. Imagine that???

On to free agency......



[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 10-24-2000).]

[Ben E Lou]

2003 FREE AGENCY

Here's my "wish-list":
1. Re-sign RB Faulk. (Remember I picked him up after training camp and I only sign such pick-ups to 1-year contracts.)
2. A solid QB.
3. Improvement at S.

I have $15M in cap room to go after FA's. When I examine the list, there isn't a solid QB or a safety any better than my current crop. The only SEC stud out there is DE Kenny Mixon, and I feel great about Smith and Thrash, so I abstain there. I therefore focus on re-signing folks to help cohesion. Here's who I re-sign:

RB Faulk--3yrs, $19.5M
DT Lionel Strong--2yrs, $3.38M (backup)
S Brad Ware--1yrs, $2.44M--last year's starter--not great, but he helps cohesion
T Zach Pillar--4yrs, $4.86M--nice backup tackle
CB Fernando Bryant--3yrs, $7.5M--very good backup cornerback

Unless I get a safety or QB in the draft, I'll be putting basically the same team as last year on the field this year, which I'm not necessarily averse to doing.

[Ben E Lou]

2003 AMATEUR DRAFT

I start with 6 picks: 1(4), 2(4), 3(4), 4(15), 6(4) and 7(4). Of course, I'd like a QB and a S. I also would like decent backups at C and TE. I close my eyes, click on the ol' Draft Players option, and I see........a half decent QB (a 2nd or 3rd round type) and an 8.0 safety!!! Here's who I draft:

1(4):S Warren Richey (Miss. St, 5.0, 8.0)--He is 46/88 in run defense, 50/100 in pass defense, 94 in interceptions, 95 in endurance. Yes!
2(4):QB Barry McWilliams (Kentucky, 2.0,6.5)--Picked him earlier than I would have liked, but I couldn't make a good trade down, and I wanted to make SURE I didn't lose him. He has an 85 rating in 3rd down passing, and most of his potentials are in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Will be given a chance to start this year.
3(4):TE Todd Grady (South Carolina,2.8,4.1)--Solid-looking backup TE that I need.

No other SEC talent left, so I trade away the 4th, 6th and 7th rounders for a 3rd rounder next year. Overall, I can't help but be pleased with this year's draft.

NOTE: After the draft, the computer offered me a 2nd-round draft choice next year for Danny Wuerffel. He is in the last year of his contract, and with Tsoi's showing last year and the drafting of McWilliams, I was wondering how I was going to decide which of the THREE I would start this year. Wuerfell seems the least likely to be the long-term solution of the three, so I take the 2nd-rounder for him.

[WildcatLH]

Just to interject....

Just started to try and do this dynasty myself..... it's a good one. Throws a whole new angle into the game.