Getting Lucky

[Shaka23]

Hey all,

I decided to create a thread dedicated to some of your luckiest moments in NFL Head Coach. It can be gameplay, strategy, drafting, etc.

The inspiration to do this came to me last night while playing a franchise with the Buffalo Bills. I feel I couldn't have gotten much luckier to be honest.

Following a frustrating 8-8 season using the Michigan Spread offense in went into the coaching hire phase with the mindset that I would never quit and restart(something I am ashamed to say I once did)... and so I dove into the process by letting go of my entire staff to build my own.

It started off terribly when there wasn't a single quality GM available. In hopes that someone would fire their GM in the postseason I decided to not hire one, a big risk. Then, somehow, I managed to land the Offensive Coordinator of all Offensive Coordinators for my philosophy... Gary Hammermill.

That lifted my spirits. Following Hammermill I was able to snag Mike Singletary as a DC, Staymates as a STC, Miraldi at QB, AJ Bishop at RB, Chad Merriam at WR, Bill Liveroni at OL, Tim Spangler at DL, Hardy Nickerson(bias) at LB and Chipper Duncan at CB... A pretty solid starting staff, especially with the OC I built my philosophy after.

That's when it happened... The giants fired Gary Mease and sent him to Buffalo. It was one of those moments that you feel it couldn't go any better haha. By waiting and not taking one of the 22OVR GM's I took a chance and cashed in on the Conference Championship fire.

Now I see myself with two of the best Coordinators in the game, a darn good GM and the prospect of throwing all over my competition.... all by luck pretty much.

Thanks Head Coach gods.

[Wheeler Dealer]

Re: Getting Lucky

I got first round pick for Jason Taylor who was on injured reserve, getting old and in the last year of his contract!

[Conanbryan]

Re: Getting Lucky

I played as the Denver Broncos and had Keith Rivers fall to me at the 12th selection. Then, in the same draft, had Kenny Phillips fall to me at the 33rd pick. Then it was just trying to find young talent in the draft.

[Mike3207]

Re: Getting Lucky

I managed to get both OC Mike Heimerdinger and LBC Gary Gibbs on my staff the first year. Both have good personalities and high ceilings on the developmental skills

[Shaka23]

Re: Getting Lucky

I got first round pick for Jason Taylor who was on injured reserve, getting old and in the last year of his contract!

You have got to love the Computer transactions sometimes haha. Anytime you put a rental player on the block and someone offers a 2nd pick or more for him it's like a mini-christmas.

When the Dolphins gave me a 2nd round pick for Ryan Denney.. I laughed all the way to the bank.

[globespanner]

Re: Getting Lucky

I had K. Alexis Serna in his RFA year. I really like his leg strength and accuracy and did not want to lose him. i put a level 3-first draft choice on him. Some team snapped him up and I got a #12 first rounder for him. Thank you very much.

[Demonolith]

Re: Getting Lucky

I had K. Alexis Serna in his RFA year. I really like his leg strength and accuracy and did not want to lose him. i put a level 3-first draft choice on him. Some team snapped him up and I got a #12 first rounder for him. Thank you very much.

Now THAT is a steal, LOL! I'd love to have somebody give me a first for my kicker

[redbird294]

Re: Getting Lucky

The Colts offered up the #2 pick in the draft for my backup QB. I was shocked. Granted, the QB was Jake Scott, and I just bought Motivator for my squad, so he maxed out at 98.

My starting QB was Jordan Taylor, who was an absolute beast at QB once I got Motivator. 99 SPD and AGI, 99 AWR, THP and THA. Pretty much 99's in everything. Plus a really high trucking ability too--high 90's. He was like English and Zazzali rolled into one. So, even though Scott was a beast too, he was in the last year of his deal, and I didn't have the cash to keep them both since I knew he'd want a max contract. Since my offense was a custom shotgun spread system with several QB runs, I decided to keep the mobile Taylor instead of the pocket-passing Scott.

I took the pick. Luckily Dungy had retired (another rarity in the game) and most of his staff was gone, so there was little to no chance of me running into them and the ugly Tampa 2 at some point. Since all my starters had OVR's in the mid-to-upper 90's and were locked up in long term deals (with plenty of cap room!), I didn't really need the #2 pick, so I parlayed that into several picks in the next 2 drafts, mainly to fill out the roster.

Oh, and Jake Scott? He's a backup for the Colts now, holding the clipboard behind Cooper Reno. Thanks, Indy.

I don't know what I was the most surprised about: That the Colts would trade the #2 pick for a backup QB, or that they would take that backup QB....and make him THEIR backup QB.

[Shaka23]

Re: Getting Lucky

The Colts offered up the #2 pick in the draft for my backup QB. I was shocked. Granted, the QB was Jake Scott, and I just bought Motivator for my squad, so he maxed out at 98.

My starting QB was Jordan Taylor, who was an absolute beast at QB once I got Motivator. 99 SPD and AGI, 99 AWR, THP and THA. Pretty much 99's in everything. Plus a really high trucking ability too--high 90's. He was like English and Zazzali rolled into one. So, even though Scott was a beast too, he was in the last year of his deal, and I didn't have the cash to keep them both since I knew he'd want a max contract. Since my offense was a custom shotgun spread system with several QB runs, I decided to keep the mobile Taylor instead of the pocket-passing Scott.

I took the pick. Luckily Dungy had retired (another rarity in the game) and most of his staff was gone, so there was little to no chance of me running into them and the ugly Tampa 2 at some point. Since all my starters had OVR's in the mid-to-upper 90's and were locked up in long term deals (with plenty of cap room!), I didn't really need the #2 pick, so I parlayed that into several picks in the next 2 drafts, mainly to fill out the roster.

Oh, and Jake Scott? He's a backup for the Colts now, holding the clipboard behind Cooper Reno. Thanks, Indy.

I don't know what I was the most surprised about: That the Colts would trade the #2 pick for a backup QB, or that they would take that backup QB....and make him THEIR backup QB.

Hey... maybe the Head Coach universe you play in caught wind of the Peyton Manning fiasco and the Colts knew what was good for him. Seems in your franchise those Colts weren't going to make that mistake haha.

The real question is... how did the Colts get the #2 pick? Don't tell me the Raiders traded it to them for the 32nd pick(someone who they likely drafted a 67 potential player at) a year prior.

[Mike3207]

Re: Getting Lucky

Hey... maybe the Head Coach universe you play in caught wind of the Peyton Manning fiasco and the Colts knew what was good for him. Seems in your franchise those Colts weren't going to make that mistake haha.

The real question is... how did the Colts get the #2 pick? Don't tell me the Raiders traded it to them for the 32nd pick(someone who they likely drafted a 67 potential player at) a year prior.

Most likely the team went downhill after Manning retired. I know the Patriots went 8-8 in my last year and missed the playoffs. Player retirements of key personnel, a history of bad drafting, and the departure or retirement of good coaches will turn the best team into a loser.

[Shaka23]

Re: Getting Lucky

Most likely the team went downhill after Manning retired. I know the Patriots went 8-8 in my last year and missed the playoffs. Player retirements of key personnel, a history of bad drafting, and the departure or retirement of good coaches will turn the best team into a loser.

They must have got real bad real quick to have Reno in Indianapolis. You would figure Reno and the accumulation in Indianapolis to start the game would ever see the team be 2nd overall. I almost have to imagine a trade the year before causing that 2nd pick. Who knows. I've gone 15 years a few times and the Colts rarely have won less than 10 games haha.

[AndyKisBoss]

Re: Getting Lucky

Snagged McFadden with the 8th overall pick in the draft!! what a steal

[karatemanchan37]

Re: Getting Lucky

I have so many playthroughs and gotten so lucky in drafts and trades (and even games!) that it's impossible to pick just one. Here are my best ones:

In one of my Seahawks franchises, I lost my starting QB Matt Hasselbeck on the bye week in the Super Bowl so I had to start my third string QB, Charlie Frye, against the Indianapolis Colts.

And we won 26-9, because Peyton Manning threw 4 picks! 4!

Three years later on the same franchise, I fleeced the Colts by giving up only a 3rd round and 6th round pick for the one and only, Ozzie Jones

In my Ravens career, I had the 2nd pick in the Zazzali draft. I wanted to trade up to 1st so I can get Zazzali, but Miami accepted my offer of a 4th round pick, Ray Lewis and Marques Douglas for the 1st Overall Pick! And then I drafted Zazzali and Waddle consecutively! An absolutely amazing draft.

Snagged McFadden with the 8th overall pick in the draft!! what a steal

Got him at 12th.

[Shaka23]

Re: Getting Lucky

I have so many playthroughs and gotten so lucky in drafts and trades (and even games!) that it's impossible to pick just one. Here are my best ones:

In one of my Seahawks franchises, I lost my starting QB Matt Hasselbeck on the bye week in the Super Bowl so I had to start my third string QB, Charlie Frye, against the Indianapolis Colts.

And we won 26-9, because Peyton Manning threw 4 picks! 4!

Three years later on the same franchise, I fleeced the Colts by giving up only a 3rd round and 6th round pick for the one and only, Ozzie Jones

In my Ravens career, I had the 2nd pick in the Zazzali draft. I wanted to trade up to 1st so I can get Zazzali, but Miami accepted my offer of a 4th round pick, Ray Lewis and Marques Douglas for the 1st Overall Pick! And then I drafted Zazzali and Waddle consecutively! An absolutely amazing draft.




Got him at 12th.

How did the Colts have Ozzie Jones in the first place and how did you fleece them like that? Was Ozzie playing FB? haha.

[karatemanchan37]

Re: Getting Lucky

How did the Colts have Ozzie Jones in the first place and how did you fleece them like that? Was Ozzie playing FB? haha.

Nah, they drafted Ozzie at like 30th overall in the 2009 draft, but they kept sitting him behind Joseph Addai, so while his durability was solid, his overall ratings and potential kinda lowered without any playing time (Not that the Colts run much). And so I traded for him! (I think they wanted a 2nd and a 7th, but I lowered it down to a 3rd and a 6th)