The Autumn Wind: A GML Scratchpad

[MalcPow]

We're in the 2121 offseason over in the GML. It might feel like summer, but there's a light breeze in here. Almost fall-like. And we might as well do some pillaging just for fun.

We're taking over the Raiders.

I'm a huge fan of Quik's long-running musings on his Ravens (and now sister Skins), and I'm going to take a little bit of a run at keeping a few notes as well. I think it will help with, um, bringing some rhythm to my play.

We have an interesting roster:

Front Office Football Eight
Oakland Raiders Roster, Scout Overview
   
  Player                #   Pos   Start Exp  Current Estimate Future Estimate  Cntrct 
Fitzgerald, Dashawn     112 QB          4    22               48               1 yr.  
Perkins, Emmett         118 QB          9    37               37               ---    
Wong Jr., Bradley       103 QB          5    30               35               1 yr.  
Burton, Deon            230 RB          6    57               57               2 yrs. 
Zimmerman, Dominic      238 RB          3    51               51               2 yrs. 
Strickland, Cristian    226 RB          2    39               46               3 yrs. 
Hawkins, Frank          488 TE          9    39               39               ---    
Lutes, Artie            443 TE          2    33               37               3 yrs. 
Duran, Vernon           485 TE          3    30               34               ---    
Skeen, Gerald           514 FL          2    37               52               3 yrs. 
Klepfer, Mickey         582 FL          13   51               51               1 yr.  
Poston, Lester          516 FL          3    50               50               2 yrs. 
Upshaw, Victor          580 FL          6    13               13               2 yrs. 
Gibson, Sammie          519 SE          4    43               43               1 yr.  
Greene, Carlton         517 SE          5    31               31               ---    
Albee, Julio            653 C           9    59               59               3 yrs. 
Bergstrom, Craig        659 C           4    41               50               1 yr.  
Rivera, Brayden         767 LG          6    55               55               3 yrs. 
Lang, Amos              769 LG          3    32               46               ---    
Winters, Claude         763 RG          11   63               63               2 yrs. 
Downs, Jonathan         766 RG          3    61               61               2 yrs. 
Fletcher, Harris        860 LT          5    56               56               1 yr.  
Staigvil, Russell       861 LT          6    52               52               1 yr.  
George, Earl            872 RT          13   49               49               1 yr.  
Hoedemaker, Joseph      907 P           12   68               68               1 yr.  
Brusca, Charlie         1004K           13   69               69               1 yr.  
Pitt, Grant             1175LDE         4    43               50               ---    
Abrams, Landon          1173LDE         7    48               48               2 yrs. 
Snyder, Mitchell        1196RDE         3    77               95               2 yrs. 
Hardy, Jeff             1199RDE         5    54               54               ---    
Thomas, Ronnie          1279LDT         2    39               58               3 yrs. 
Covington, Avery        1277LDT         7    33               33               1 yr.  
Lawhorn, Drew           1298RDT         9    68               68               2 yrs. 
Fruth, Rick             1357WILB        3    42               47               ---    
Cooley, Nicholas        1352MLB         5    70               70               4 yrs. 
Conley, Lee             1397MLB         6    64               64               1 yr.  
Applin, Alexis          1455SLB         2    50               60               3 yrs. 
Long, Steven            1450WLB         6    50               50               ---    
Megorden, Tanner        1490WLB         3    48               48               2 yrs. 
Battle, Jordan          1493WLB         5    44               44               3 yrs. 
Boyd, Ernest            1522LCB         2    53               64               3 yrs. 
Parker, Daryl           1546LCB         8    49               49               2 yrs. 
Jeffries, Brayden       1528RCB         7    57               57               1 yr.  
Munroe, Colton          1525RCB         5    43               43               ---    
Clinton, Darryl         1541RCB         8    40               40               ---    
Booker, Pedro           1524RCB         3    36               40               ---    
Basinger, Marty         1539RCB         10   39               39               2 yrs. 
Reynolds, Branden       1644SS          10   64               64               2 yrs. 
Farrell, Grayson        1629FS          6    71               71               3 yrs. 
Preston, Ernie          1623FS          9    42               42               1 yr.  
Chandler, Micah         658 LS          9    17               17               1 yr.  
   
$$ - player is suspended, ## - player is inactive,  
** = player is injured, %% - player is on IR.  
   
Players Under Contract: 39
Inactive: 0
On Active Roster: 39
   
Salary Cap: $704,500,000
Cap Room: $35,470,000
Maximum for New Player: $2,490,000
Cap Room Lost (to old contracts): $32,030,000
   
Cap Room Lost Next Year (to old contracts): $0
Cap Room Required Next Year: $440,780,000

Mitchell Snyder, the 3rd year DE, looks like one of the absolute best defensive players in the league. We generally look like we've got more talent on that side of the ball. We have some pieces at all levels. On the offensive side, we're quite a bit lighter.

[MalcPow]

I hate going into a draft feeling like I have to chase offensive talent. We ended up with the 10th pick. And it's a particularly uncertain place to feel like you really need to add offense to the group. The QBs, and let's be honest there's usually just one, go at the very top. The WRs go really quickly after that and you're probably chasing a little if you get into the middle of the 1st and think you've got a 65+ difference maker staring at you.

I feel great at 10 if I just need a very good player. There will be a lineman or a TE or undoubtedly a nice warm and cuddly high end linebacker.

The board went pretty chalky early, but we spent some time on this class last night and I'd ultimately narrowed our hopes to a QB and a WR I thought had a chance to get to us, with some good supplemental position types as fallbacks.

There was a 1.1 type QB (Shaun Sallee) up top and he went there. Same story with some clear stud WRs. QB McKnight and the WR Johnstone looked like the best of the next tier type of premium position offensive guys, with enough flaws to scrape through to us.

We ended up with McKnight and Johnstone went off the board at 1.17. I waffled for a second when they both made it to us.





I think the money play is probably a receiver almost every time. There are retread QBs floating out into the market regularly, but you really never get a chance to just nab a 65 WR without paying big in draft picks and an extension. They're a critical part of almost every successful offense. You're better off with great receivers and an ok QB than you are with a great QB and ok receivers.

Blah blah blah.

McKnight looks really intriguing to me. I think the passing bars are real. A lot of his components look very strong. The sense rush is a major red flag for a lot of people and I think it's why he'll be at the center of our little thread here for the next 15 seasons or so instead of chucking it for somebody else. He's a 60+ QB by my eyes, and there's some chance he's a very good runner. I don't know exactly what to do with that but I think it's a fun wrinkle.

If he's not a fumbler, we've got a dynamic franchise guy, even with some sacks. If he's a fumbler, cue the Job Bluth gifs.

[MalcPow]

We'll see what comes with the rest of our draft. There's a third QB in the class I think has good starter stuff in there. We'll probably look offense again if we can, but it doesn't look like a particularly monstrous class. We'll check in at the end.

And lurking at the bottom of that roster snapshot is a look at our cap situation. We're right up against it. I'm not totally sure what those cuts will have to be yet. The numbers in 2121 in this universe are still a little eye-popping for me as I acclimate to them. These teams are small country GDP operations at this point.

[MalcPow]

We got a Center in round 2 and a DL in round 3, scurrying back to our big bars and comfort position groups.

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1

Both of these guys should play quite a bit this year. We're going to put in some cuts to try to clear a little FA2 space as well. Not a whole lot of action yet, but we'll see where it goes. I am thinking the rest of our class is not likely to be very sexy.

[MalcPow]

LT in the 4th. RB in the 5th.

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1

GML Front Office Football Conscriptor version 2.6.1

I think we're going to be pretty balanced in the offense we run. McKnight should have some real strengths, but I think that sense rush bar is a pretty good cue we shouldn't go all tzach attack on this one and chuck it 70 times a game. The LT can run block, the back looks like a very respectable hole rec type.. I think we'll need as many of those as we can mix in.