The Birth of the Treefrogs (the first Desktop Dynasties dynasty)

[GoldenCrest Games]

The first ever dynasty for Desktop Dynasties: Pro Football!

We're kicking off Development Season 1, and the allocation draft pool has been released. (attached in txt and excel format)

The draft order has also been set:

1. Slates
2. Olives
3. Swarm
4. Yellows
5. Silvers
6. Cyans
7. Oranges
8. Avocados
9. Reds
10. Pinks
11. T-Pain
12. Maroons
13. Blues
14. Rainbows
15. Grays
16. Eggshells
17. Browns
18. Purples
19. Treefrogs
20. Twisters

Getting the 19th pick isn't exactly starting the league off on a great foot, but we'll make do. It's going to be interesting to see how the fan favorite teams, the Swarm and the Twisters, manage with their picks at the opposite ends of the draft.

We haven't settled on a draft strategy yet, but there are some clear targets.
There are 3 clear franchise players at the top of the draft, but they are all on the OL/DL. Not sexy for your top-5 pick. There are a few legit WR and RB prospects near the top, too. At #19 I'm going to be at the mercy of whoever falls to us, I guess.

One item of note: Exhibition Season superstar kick returner Kenneth Urquhart makes his regular season entrance at around the 80th rated player overall. He hasn't used the offseason to develop any other skills, and has regressed significantly in everything but KR. (99) His other best positions are RB (38) and S (39).

ouch

That being said, you know I'm going to try and get him in green

[GoldenCrest Games]

The Treefrogs are going to be built for power. We intend on dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

On offense, the coach likes to run the Gator package. This starts 4 OL, 1 RB, and 2 WR. Our current Gator playbook is pretty run-heavy with a few designed RB pass plays. There's another one that's more QB run heavy, but we're opting for the more traditional style.

On defense we compliment the offense by running the Golem package. Golem is a 3 DL, 1 LB, 2 CB, 2 S style that relies on the d-line to provide all the pressure. We rarely blitz the LB, but rely on him a lot in zone coverage and to track down RBs out of the backfield. We really need a good LB if this is going to work.

Looking at the draft pool, it's not going to be easy to build an effective roster on both sides of the ball. There's a lot of talent, but also a lot of 1-way players. Offensively, I absolutely need to get a legit OL and a RB I can count on. I can skimp on WR and probably do ok until the next offseason. OL and RB is my top priority for offense.

On defense, I need a couple good DL and a great LB. In the secondary I could either go CB or S, but I don't need to do both right now. If I can find stud CBs, I'll run more man defense. If I fall into some good safeties, I'll play a conservative deep zone defense and load up at the line. I'd prefer to find CBs, though. I can't come out of this draft without DL and LB, though.

For special teams, I'll need a kicker. I can see a lot of FG situations, and I hate leaving points on the field. I'm going to risk not loading up on special teams coverage, and address that in future drafts. If I can find a great KR, I'll take it. I'm not going to prioritize it, though.

Overall priority:
OL
RB
LB
DL
K
Everything else

Overall it's going to be important to get 2-way players early. The CPU teams always grab them and I always end up taking 1-way players and have huge holes in my roster. This time, I'm really going to do it! (for real!)

[GoldenCrest Games]

Draft is just about to start, and the top-20 are waiting in the green room. (Not to be confused with "The Greens' room" )

In a dream scenario, I would love to get a shot at OL/DL Westover or Fulks. I really doubt either of them falls to #19, though.

Out of the rest, I'd also be happy with OL/DL Lackey. WR/CB Avila, WR/CB Gilkey, and WR/CB Lively aren't bad options either. I'm not intending to be a passing team, so I'm hoping they get picked and leave more of the linemen to me.

I really don't want to burn our first two picks on players over the age of 30, since this is for the long haul. I have a feeling I might get forced into it.

It's almost go time!

[GoldenCrest Games]

In a bit of a shocker, the Swarm are able to grab #1 overall player WR/CB/K Armbruster!

As expected, every player we wanted out of the top 20 are off the board.

Luckily, there a talented 27 year old OL (98)/DL (77) that's a slightly weaker version of Lackey. No special teams skills, but I can always kick the ball out of bound.

That's our top pick. OL/DL Lowell Eddy

Twisters go back to back with WR/CB and WR/S. Yikes! But good for me.

On the quick turnaround we go after a raw talent and grab a 20 year old WR (67) / LB (69) Hugh Poston with 93 speed.

Frankly, already finding my long-term starter at LB is a relief. Those guys are hard to come by.

[GoldenCrest Games]

It looks like the Swarm used the next 2 picks to load up on defense. They grab a star LB and a nice WR/S.

There's been kind of a run on speed and RBs, so I better address the position with one of my next couple picks. The problem here is that there aren't any 2-way RBs left. I really can't afford to miss out on the last speedy RB on the board so we take 22 year old RB(70)/WR(73)/KR(92) Tyree Faulkner who is rocking a 92 speed!

That pick might mean that Urquhart doesn't make the roster.

I really want to take an OL here in the 4th, but I can't find one worth the pick. They are all 1-way players now. I'm not looking for WR help, but I have to start 2 WRs so I need a little talent there. I'm going to get 2-way talent 21 year old Tristan Buckles WR(73)/S(76) with 84 speed.

The Twisters keep loading up on an explosive passing game. They got another great WR and a top OL. Looks like the defense is starting to fall behind a bit.

We're looking good on offense so far. Got both starting WRs and my starting RB. 1 of my 4 starting OL.
On defense it's not great, but ok. 1 of 3 starting DL, my LB, and 1 of 2 starting S.
I only have my KR on special teams. Nobody else is good enough to be considered a legit player.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Now the Swarm seem to be rounding out their roster. They grab a nice DL and an OL. (not the same guy)

That OL I was looking at is still on the board. I'm not going to risk missing out on having a pair of ELITE tackles. I grab 25 year old Roscoe Mathew OL(98) with 91 strength. He doesn't have a single Def or ST rating above 35

Wouldn't you know it. The only decent 2-way player left is a RB. grrrr.....
My defense looks terrible right now, so I'm going to grab a some position flexibility in 25 year old Genaro Michel LB(58)/CB(85)/S(68) with 86 speed.

Again, he has no special teams ability at all. My kick coverage/blocking is going to be brutal.

I just took a loot at the Twisters to see what they are doing, and their special teams are looking legit! They already have 4 guys I'd call ST stars, and another guy who would also be my #1. yikes.

[GoldenCrest Games]

The Swarm are clearly finding opportunities to get defensive talent. Every player they've picked so far is a stud at a defensive starter slot.

This is a tough pick for the Treefrogs. I really want to start loading up on defense, but I also know that you can't win without a QB in this game. Even though I don't expect to throw a ton, you just can't win without a passing game. I suck it up and take my QB. 22 year old Kory Luna QB(83). And guess what, no special teams.

For the 8th rounder, I'm getting antsy about my o-line. I grab 25 year old Sydney Cerda OL(78) with 96 strength....but no special teams.

The Twisters used the last 2 picks on defense. They are looking pretty balanced right now.

[GoldenCrest Games]

We're getting down to slim pickings. Everyone with any talent right now is extremely 1-dimensional.

I need DL desperately, so I grab 25 year old Donnell Keil. Slow as molasses, weak, and no other skills whatsoever, but he's got decent DL skill (84).

For the 10th rounder, it feels like the right time to take a kicker. Luckily, there is a bomber left on the board. He just can't do anything else. K(97) Merlin Clair

Coming back to the 11th rounder, we grab our 4th OL Wilford Russell. He's terrible, but he won't get blown up at the line.

I just noticed that my 2nd starting safety is currently rated (2). Seriously, that's how my depth chart breaks down right now. I'll use my last pick on a slightly less terrible S. 25 year old Theon Spear S(41) with 51 speed.

I'll do a quick roster analysis and post the media's initial power rankings next!

[GoldenCrest Games]

This just in: Urquhart goes to the Rainbows in the 7th.

[GoldenCrest Games]

The preseason power rankings have been released, and the Yellows take the top spot. The Yellows probably have the best 2 OL and are also going to be dominant on special teams. Outside of that, they seem beatable.

The Treefrogs and Twisters come in next. The Treefrogs have some nice balance on both sides of the ball (if you don't look at special teams). The Twisters have an elite group of WRs, a nice defense, and a truly legit special teams squad.

Looking through the rankings and rosters, the top 15 are all pretty closely bunched. Nobody really stands out between them.

On the other hand, the Maroons are a terribly constructed team. On offense, they totally screwed up and doubled up on star RBs, even though they run a 1-back style. They aren't hopeless, though. On defense they run 2 elite CBs and a star S.

I'm going to keep an eye on them when the trade window opens. They should be the kind of team that is really active in the market.

[SirBlurton]

Ouch - based on your description I was hoping for big things for the Swarm. Hopefully we just loaded up on defense, suck this year and get a high draft pick to run the offense next year!

Trust the process!

[GoldenCrest Games]

The Swarm offense is going to be terrible. There's no other way to describe it. They loaded up heavily on defense and special teams, though.

The defense should be elite. They have the #1 CB and probably the #1 LB. They also have a great DE and high-end starters at CB2, CB3, and S1. Only the S2 position looks to be a weakness.

They also have 99 speed at KR and a top 3 K, so they could make some money on special teams.

Overall, it's the offense that will bring the Swarm down this season. QB and OL are going to be a huge problem. I could see them being active in the trade market, without giving up picks. I could see them putting the CB2 or CB3 on the block to try and get more talent at the QB or OL position. Moving the CB3 for an equal OL or QB would be a huge win for the Swarm.

I'll get a team shot of the Swarm and Twisters up soon so you can see the full roster.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Here are the Swarm. They start off with $212 in salary, so they have some room to deal. (against a cap of $225)

[GoldenCrest Games]

Twisters start off with only $176 in salary. They are going to be big-time players in trades and FA.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Everyone's favorite Treefrogs start the season over the cap at $231.

According to current salary cap rules, I can't negotiate extensions with anyone or gain salary in any trades until I get below the cap. That's going to be a problem because everyone on my team is on a 1 year contract. (allocation draft players all start with a 1 year contract)

Just looking through the teams a little more, I can see that I need to tighten up the player evaluation AI. I'll make sure that's done before the trade window opens.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Our week 1 opponent are the similar-looking Avocados. It's going to be nice when the Treefrogs or Avocados make the championship so one of us can earn a better uniform...

The Avocados run the Shark offense (2RB / 2WR) and the same Golem defense we do (3DE 1LB 2CB 2S). They have an elite WR who is also the KR, a decent OL, but nothing special after that on offense or defense. They just seem to be pretty average, except for the special teams. They should be among the top units on ST.

(Developer note: Seems like the CPU teams overvalues ST when picking players. We'll see how that plays out and let them adjust in the offseasons, if needed.)

Some notable games on the Treefrogs schedule:
Week 3: T-Pain
Week 7: Swarm
Week 10: Twisters

It doesn't look like the Twisters meet the Swarm in the regular season this year.

[rjolley]

Congrats on getting the game this far. Following along.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Just squashing a couple last second bugs that popped up when I transferred the build over to my gaming rig. It looks like Week 1 should kick off tomorrow!

I'm anticipating that the trade window opens Week 2. I really hope a few of these teams go shopping for a QB.

[jct32]

Yeah, the Twisters need a QB. It was nice to see them pick up some offensive talent because I wanted them to be an offense heavy system. However, the lack of QB is a little baffling. Maybe, I'll be proven wrong but I'm really looking forward to this.

Thanks for giving an in-depth update on our teams as well.

[GoldenCrest Games]

As I was bug squashing, I took a tour around the depth charts. As it turn out, only 4 teams don't have a real starting QB. It just happened that 3 of the 4 are the Swarm, Twisters, and T-Pain.

What are the odds??

[GoldenCrest Games]

Week 1 is done! After a ton of annoying little bug squashing, we finally got a full week done with no errors!

I also uploaded the game video for the Treefrogs-Avocados game. I was going to cut it up into highlights, but I think the full video is going to be useful as I get back into refining the player AI. Besides, it's going to be a nice archive to look back on as we start making leaps forward

Desktop Dynasties: DevSeason1 Week1 - YouTube

The Treefrogs game was total domination. Our special teams held its own for the most part, but the bad guys got loose for a TD. WR/LB Poston had a pretty nice game on special teams. He got the tackle more often than not.

Our offensive line was playing at a completely different level than the Avocados d-line. In the video you can see the domination pretty clearly on running plays. I could have run it every play and probably run the score up even more, but I'm still testing all the new plays. (there are a few that are totally jacked up!)

In other news, the T-Pain unexpectedly destroyed the blues! 182 yards rushing for Dillon?? It's also a little funny to see Urquhart lining up at WR. His ratings were pretty bad...

I have a nice list of improvements for week 2, so we're probably looking at Saturday for the next batch of games.

[GoldenCrest Games]

As part of the trade block AI, I wrote some stuff that will compare your team roster value against what a new depth chart would be if you removed a player. The idea is to get a number that represents the loss of a player.

As it turns out, my favorite player on the Treefrogs (franchise RB/KR Faulkner) has the same roster value difference as my #4 OL.

ouch.

However, my most valuable players are my two starting tackles. Eddy and Mathew. Nice.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Trade block AI is tuned a bit more, and overall player value has been adjusted a bit. Here's what the Swarm trade block looks like. The Swarm are definitely looking to be active in the trade market.

I took a look around the league, and there are at least 4 legit QBs on the block. It looks like there were a few teams that grabbed more than their share of QB talent, because of the players' defensive and ST ability. Those extra QBs are now hitting the trade market.

It's going to be interesting to see if any of the sponsored teams make a play for them.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Here's the Twisters trade block.

I haven't decided what to do with the Treefrogs. I need to drop about $15 in salary before the trade window closes or I'm in big trouble.

It's actually pretty rare for a team to go over the cap in the allocation draft, but the consequences can be devastating. If I can't get down to the cap, I won't be able to negotiate extensions and I'll lose every player to FA because they are all on 1 year contracts!

[GoldenCrest Games]

Just for fun, I ran the trade offer AI before refinements......

The Swarm wanted to make 71 trade offers.

The Twisters only 21.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Getting everything ready to kick off week 2, and the trade window is open.

Trade offers are out for review, and there are some interesting ones.

The Swarm have contacted the Treefrogs proposing a Sydney Cerda for Carl Lawless swap. Not a bad offer. The Swarm would grab a OL1 while helping the Treefrogs get a CB2. In fact, the Swarm a really going hard after a top-end OL by sending out several offers to teams. They've probably figured that improves their team more than anything right now. I wonder if they will go after a QB after landing the OL....

The Twisters are also going after some OL help, but they also have an offer out to the Blues for an 83 rated starting QB.... interesting.

Incoming offers for the Treefrogs all seem to revolve around me giving up my OL3 for special teams help.

yeah yeah, I get it. My ST sucks.

Trade offers should get reviewed and accepted/declined after week 2 games are played. Then the trade blocks will be updated with the new needs/offers.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Week 2 is in the books (with no errors!!)

The gameplay video is available here: Desktop Dynasties: DevSeason1 Week2 - YouTube

First, the quick developer notes:

• Zone defense still isn't working exactly as intended. It's closer, but not there yet. In the video, you'll see me destroy a CB in zone defense for a TD, and then start experimenting with various zone plays to get some game-tape for later.
• QB accuracy needs some fine tuning. Average-to-Poor QBs need a little boost.

Now on to the results!
When I played the Avocados, I had a feeling they were a below average team, and that's why the Treefrogs were running all over them. The Swarm aren't exactly a run-first offense, but they demolished the Avocados on the ground. Yikes! I think this is a case of the Swarm coach working with what he has right now. In a pass-first offense with no QB, you better shift to the run.

Nice shutout, too!

The Twisters had another tough one. I'm just going to assume Urquhart ran all over them. Seriously, though. The Rainbows are legit.

I'm just making sure nothing is broken for trade review right now, and that the game actually tells me what trades were accepted (correctly). I should have the post-Week2 trades processed and posted today.

*crossing fingers for the Swarm and Twisters*

[GoldenCrest Games]

Only 3 completed trades this week:

• The Pinks have traded Bernie Link to the Silvers for Marlon Dejesus
• The Eggshells have traded Donnell Lasalle to the Slates for Everett Alaniz
• The Olives have traded Luigi Chung to the Oranges for Ezequiel Eastwood

It took longer than expected to process trades, because the Swarm coach kept getting ripped off in trades for OL!! It was a good thing that we have some sponsored teams, or I wouldn't have noticed it and dug for a pretty horrendous bug in the offer AI.

Looks like the AI is working correctly again.

For week 3, the Swarm have 7 active trade offers to review, and the Twisters have only 1 (for the Swarm) I can't see the Swarm accepting the offer. (Twisters want to flip Rainey for Lawless)

Week 3 is coming up after a few more interface updates.

[GoldenCrest Games]

I think we're going to experiment a bit with the sponsored teams. Let's set the Swarm, Twisters, and T-Pain coaches to completely ignore any positions that don't fit their play style.

I don't know if it's going to make a difference, but it's a good way to see exactly how coach preference is driving player value. I have a sneaky suspicion that coaches are valuing a balanced roster slightly more than running their system.

If I'm right, the sponsored coaches should start looking for specific types of players, and will give up talent they don't need in order to get them. This should lead to better on-field play, and the good guys should start to separate themselves from the rest of the league through the trading period and the offseason.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Well, it happened! The T-Pain and Maroons got together on the first blockbuster deal.

The Maroons sent Botello to the T-Pain for Crabtree. I cut up some screenshots to show the deal. Now the T-Pain have an elite running threat at both RB and QB...just in time to play the Treefrogs. I have some roster analysis running on every trade offer now, to make sure nothing weird happens. This is one of those rare trades where both teams got significantly (and equally) better at the same time.

No other trade this week. We're adjusting the trading schedule to make the gameplay feel right. Now it goes like this: Games Played -> Trade Blocks Updated -> Trade Offers Sent Out -> Trades Reviewed -> Next Games

The human player gets to update trade blocks and review/offer trades before the next batch of games, which makes gameplay a lot more fun. It's kind of a pain waiting until after games to accept offers.

[jct32]

18 points scored is not how I viewed my high powered offense lol

[GoldenCrest Games]

Week 3 in the books.

The Treefrogs vs T-Pain was as explosive as advertised. Our special teams coverage was exposed, and my run defense was pretty sad. On the other hand, the T-Pain's defense didn't even show up. (video: Desktop Dynasties: DevSeason1 Week3 - YouTube )


Frankly, the defense in that game was embarrassing. I think it's going to help to have it all on tape when I start adjusting the player AI again.

It's still a week early, but I got a sneak peek at the MVP race. It looks like our RB/WR/KR Faulkner has a slim lead over the T-Pain newest RB Botello and the Olive's WR/CB/KR Dale.

Also, I'm surprised at the Swarm for hanging in there at 2-1. They might be making the case for defensive focused rosters. (I'd previously thought a defense-only team had no chance)

The Twisters fans have to be frustrated. Their roster is stacked with talent and they should be putting up win after win. I think the lack of a functional QB is just killing them. They keep putting offers out to try and land one, it just hasn't worked out yet. Let's hope they stay aggressive on the market.



Developer Notes:
Trade AI is looking pretty good now, so I can start moving on to some other things I have on the list. The interface is really starting to grate on me, so that's pretty high on the list. It's becoming a chore for me to try and manage my team. Way too much clicking.

The trade window doesn't close for quite a few weeks, so I don't need to have the contract extension AI working yet. Maybe this is a good time to tackle that crappy interface.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Originally Posted by jct32

18 points scored is not how I viewed my high powered offense lol

No kidding! The QB position is killing the Twisters.

Luckily, they seem to be the most aggressive team in the trade market when it comes to QB offers.

[GoldenCrest Games]

It might seem like Week 4 is taking forever, but it's worth it!

I just couldn't keep posting screens that looked like they were drawn by a drunk toddler with a fat crayon.

Here's the new standings and leaders screen.

A big week for the Falkner and Botello put them #1 and #2 for the MVP race. Week 4 is coming soon!

[GoldenCrest Games]

Week 5 done. Here are the results:

Swarm get edged by the T-Pain, but they put up a respectable number of points. I'm impressed with how the offense is doing, considering how little talent they put there.

...

.

Sorry Twisters.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Standings and leaders going into Week 5: (I noticed the bug in return yards leaders, too. I'm on it!)

[yeah826]

Wow this is looking nice you put a lot of effort into this.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Originally Posted by yeah826

Wow this is looking nice you put a lot of effort into this.

Thanks! I got some inspiration over the last week and had to step my game up.

[jct32]

10 ppg not looking good. #QBNow!

[GoldenCrest Games]

Week 5:

Some good games this week!

The Swarm dominate the Blues for a 21-0 win. Nice to see that defense is still keeping them in the race.

The Twisters pull out their first win by downing the Browns.

The Maroons, Oranges, and Rainbows all keep winning to remain undefeated.

That means the Treefrogs have fallen from the elite tier of teams.

We got handled by our old arch nemesis Purples. They run a QB rushing style offense that we had no answer for. Our defense is pretty limited in run stopping, if the d-line can't get it done. Since we only have 1 LB, and our safeties are almost exclusively used in deep coverage, we just couldn't stop anything run to the right. Eventually, that's exclusively where the Purples ran.

On offense, we tried out the Rhino power running playbook. (2 RB with the extra 4th OL) Not bad, but it's hard to come back when you're trailing by running the ball.

We'll have to do some regrouping on defense. That was eye opening.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Now the standings and leaders

It looks like Faulkner isn't going to hold on to the top spot in the MVP race. Our last game exposed him for being just an above-average back, but not elite. I expect him to fade off the the charts in another couple weeks.

Same with QB Luna. I've been so impressed with the running QBs I've played recently that I'm thinking about moving Luna for some defensive help and starting CB Michel at QB. He's not the worst passer in the league (42) but we don't pass much. He fast (86) and has some scrambling ability (63).

Plus, he's the 2nd highest salary I have ($34) and he only plays defense.

If I can get a little better on defense, a power running QB/RB tandem might work great.

[SirBlurton]

Really liking these new screens!

[jct32]

Twisters, nobody on the stats leaders. This is looking like a rough season for us.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Originally Posted by jct32

Twisters, nobody on the stats leaders. This is looking like a rough season for us.

It's going to be a long season for the Twisters.

[GoldenCrest Games]

The trade window is almost ready to close, and the contract extension period will open. That means things are getting serious for us teams (only me) that are above the cap. We can't go into the first resigning period over the cap or we'll lose everyone to FA after the season.

It's desperation time.... I need to drop $6 from the roster fast. I have this week's and next week's trade review period to get an AI team to bite on something. Developer note: I might change this next season. It's a little annoying for the player to wait for the review of all trades in a bunch. On the other hand, this format allows for multiplayer. idk....

Things have gotten so desperate, I approached the Twisters with a trade package.

We'll see if anyone bites.

[GoldenCrest Games]

I think this is the best offer I could muster up for Luna.

Being a 1-way player, he's not getting much love on the market. The Eggshells are the only other team with reasonable interest. If the Twisters or Eggshells don't bite this week, I may have to ship off someone more valuable in a lopsided deal next week.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Trades this week:

• The Swarm have traded Carl Lawless to the Yellows for Otha Moody
• The Treefrogs have traded Kory Luna and Wilford Russell to the Twisters for Aldo Belk and Edgardo Riley
• The Silvers have traded Marty Hanlon to the T-Pain for Weston Charron

It's a huge relief that the Twisters pulled the trigger on our Luna offer. We can officially transition to the "run first - run only" offense. The more important thing is that we get below the cap. Now we are eligible to offer contract extensions when the window opens. I guess the word got out that the Twisters were making a move because both of the other sponsored teams made moves.

The Swarm trade their CB4 for a starting QB(77) Moody. Wow! That could be big.

The T-Pain swap elite WR talent for elite CB talent.

It's going to be interesting to see who's deadline deal makes the biggest impact over the remaining 9 games.

[jct32]

That is interesting. I hope we can muster something useful now that we have a legit QB. My luck is that my coach will play him at OL since he is an 81 lol.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Guess who's offense just woke up.

In other news, the Treefrogs roll against the Yellows. With a legit option at all 3 DL positions, we can run a pretty conservative zone defense. That made all the difference. Once we got out of man defense, we did a pretty good job holding the opponents to small gains.

Our offense suffered quite a bit with no passing game, but we're still getting use to the grind-it-out offense.

Surprisingly, the Swarm fell to the hated Purples. Now the purples have beaten both the Treefrogs and Swarm in consecutive weeks. Not cool, bro. I haven't look at any stats yet, but I guarantee it was that running QB.

How about the Blues and Silvers getting into a shootout, but ending in a tie?? Something to fix for next season.

Also, the Oranges finally lose one. Nice job T-Pain!

Standings, leaders, and the last week of trades coming next...

[GoldenCrest Games]

RB Falkner is still hanging in there for the MVP race! He needs to start stepping his return game up if he wants to win this thing. He's been sort of a bummer on kick returns. (probably because of my atrocious special teams blocking)

I can't wait to see if the Twisters keep up the offensive output with Luna. His talent was wasted on my team.

Looking through the latest trade offers, it looks like the Twisters and Swarm are both trying to shore up the d-line by moving players that are currently buried on the depth chart. The Swarm are dangling their CB3 to grab a DL1 while the Twisters are trying to move their OL3 for a DL1. Both moves would be big upgrades. (for all teams involved)

The T-Pain are offering all kinds of crazy trades. I have no idea what they are doing.

The Treefrogs have a few guys at the end of the bench on the block, but I don't see any meaningful offers yet.