The Utah Bees Report

[Aston]

Bees sign two

The Utah Bees entered 2020 feeling so good about its roster that it has made zero changes since the season began - not even noticing bad moves such as cutting CB Richie Ingram, until he helped Gainesville to a victory against his former team.

Utah's history with cornerbacks has been flat-out awful. And now, with rookie Kirk Marsh out for the year and Columbus looming, Utah finally acknowledges that its roster is poorly equipped to win.

Coach! Why no moves before now?

A: Well, when you start off a season 9-2, you generally feel pretty good about where you're at. We've contemplated some moves in the past. The last three losses in a row have been tough, and the injury really forced the issue.

You released third-year Bee Walt Rushe, who's always been a solid backup and a 'great locker room presence', your own words. Why?

A: It isn't that we didn't like Walt. We just felt we really needed to shore up one area of the roster, 'far as numbers go. It was a tough call, but he was the unfortunate casualty.

Tell as about rookie cornerbacks Benjamin Chmelik and Jason Tapp. You really expect them to be ready for gametime after neither worked in any team's training camp?

A: Not really, no.

Do you think, Coach, that they have some star potential about them?

A: Whaaat? That's a stretch at this point.

Then why sign two cornerbacks, instead of just one? Surely you had to feel pretty strongly about them, to release a locker room favorite such as -

A: OUR CORNERBACKS SUCK, ALRIGHT?!

And there you have it. Back to you, in the studio...

[Guest]

"Tell as about rookie cornerbacks Benjamin Chmelik and Jason Tapp. You really expect them to be ready for gametime after neither worked in any team's training camp?

A: Not really, no."

I never really noticed how often coaches say "Not really, no." on TV until just now.

[Aston]

Really? Yeah.



(I actually haven't noticed this)

I actually would not mind having Dietz back right now, interestingly enough. He is not as horrible as I thought he'd be. The story of my failed 2nd round picks could fill several books, I expect.

[Guest]

Really? Yeah.



(I actually haven't noticed this)

I actually would not mind having Dietz back right now, interestingly enough. He is not as horrible as I thought he'd be. The story of my failed 2nd round picks could fill several books, I expect.

I probably would've brought him back but I found a better second stringer and I keep a better kick holder at my 3rd string.

[Aston]

I'm probably about half an hour away from doing the export - getting this one in a little bit late.

COME AND GET IT, COLUMBUS! COME AND GET IT!

we're gon' get raped...

Week 16 - Utah 38, Columbus 13

I spent all this time making these pretty tables, so I wanted to find a thread where it can be preserved. For infamy!<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="padding:5px;border:1px solid #eee"><tr style="font-weight:bold;"><th><b>UTAH CBs</b></th><th><b>RAT</b></th><th><b>EXP</b></th><th><b>RPLAY</b></th><th><b>PPLAY</b></th><th><b>NOTES</b></th></tr>
<tr style="background:#fff"><td>Chuck Horton</td> <td>27/27</td><td>2</td> <td>27</td> <td>31</td><td>-</td></tr><tr style="background:#eee"><td>Robert Chapman</td><td> 45/45</td> <td>10</td> <td>20</td> <td>30</td><td>-</td></tr><tr style="background:#fff"><td>Kevin Cate</td> <td>22/30</td><td>2</td><td>28</td> <td>27 </td> <td>Questionable Groin Injury ('Good' level, moderate risk)</td></tr><tr style="background:#eee"><td>Jason Tapp</td><td> 19/30</td><td>R</td><td>17</td><td>7</td> <td>Quite a Bit of Rust, just signed </td></tr>
<tr style="background:#fff"><td>Joseph Testa</td><td> 36/36</td><td>9</td><td>6</td><td>9</td><td>-</td></tr><tr style="background:#eee"><td>Benjamin Chmelik</td><td>20/32</td><td>R</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>Extreme Rust, just signed</td></tr></table>
And what they did to one of the best QBs in the game today --
<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="padding:5px;border:1px solid #eee"><tr style="color:#900"><th><b>Columbus</b></th><th><b>COM</b></th><th><b>ATT</b></th><th><b>%</b></th><th><b>Yards</b></th><th><b>YPA</b></th><th><b>TD</b></th><th><b>INT</b></th><th><b>Rating</b></th></tr>
<tr style="background-color: #fee"><td style="width: 200px;">Bobby "The Truth" Tubbs</td><td>13</td><td>36</td><td>36.1%</td><td>130</td><td>3.61</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>33.3</td></tr></table>
Shannon Rudzinski - 77/77 - 9 targets - 1 catch - 10 yards

Don't ask me how it happened. If I knew, I would've done something to stop the past three quarterbacks I faced from doing this:
<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="padding:5px;border:1px solid #eee"><tr style="color:#009"><th><b>MOR/PC/GAI/PHO</b></th><th><b>COM</b></th><th><b>ATT</b></th><th><b>%</b></th><th><b>Yards</b></th><th><b>YPA</b></th><th><b>TD</b></th><th><b>INT</b></th><th><b>Utah W/L</b></th></tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cdf"><td style="width: 200px;">Various Artists</td><td>133</td><td>174</td><td>77.0%</td><td>1552</td><td>8.92</td><td>7</td><td>2</td><td>1-3</td></tr></table>

Randy Boone caps a most spectacular second season of starting. It is a pity to see him go down in the second to last game of the season, but nonetheless, his 14-and-a-half game run was extraordinary.
<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="padding:5px;border:1px solid #eee"><tr style="color:#150"><th><b>Utah</b></th><th><b>COM</b></th><th><b>ATT</b></th><th><b>%</b></th><th><b>Yards</b></th><th><b>YPA</b></th><th><b>TD</b></th><th><b>INT</b></th><th><b>20+</b></th><th><b>SCK</b></th><th><b>Long</b></th><th><b>300+</b></th><th><b>Rating</b></th></tr>
<tr style="background-color: #efe"><td style="width: 200px;">Randy Boone</td><td>281</td><td>465</td><td>60.4%</td><td>3581</td><td>7.70</td><td>32</td><td>4</td><td>63</td><td>23</td><td>80</td><td>1</td><td>103.9</td></tr></table>

Well, got to enjoy something while I can, right? With Boone out for 4 weeks, our hopes this season are mostly crushed.

This was by far, the finest game that my Bees have ever played. We took mighty Columbus to the 'shed, and we did it with our backup QB forced into service for more than the final 28 minutes of the game. Not totally sure how everything went our way today, but

[Guest]

AC west son thats how we roll out here! west SIDE!!! LOL

[Guest]

all kiddign aside you guys did a number on rudinski but the real miracle is foley 6 catches for 161! what did you do shoot Monty Mier in the leg? monty is a animal and foley went bat shit crazy today?

[Aston]

A magician never reveals his secrets!

...

OK, so I'm not a magician and it's not much of a secret. Look at my depth chart.

I stuck Foley on the other guy

[Aston]

The Bees are in the playoffs, but it looks like another one-and-done. The third time since 2016.

Randy Boone is out still, of course, but now Nate Barlow is, too. This is tough. He's only out for one week, but I have to drop someone else or IR him. Does not look like I am going to go far in the playoffs.

[Aston]

Playoff Preview: 2020 AC Wild Card, Utah at Motor City

With the release of DE Joseph Mallow and ILB Luther Shepherd - two players who might retire next year, anyway - the Bees have become even younger than they already were.

The Bees have no players with more than four years of experience on their defensive line. We started the year with 5 defensive ends and are now down to three - all of them 2nd-year players. While the OL and secondary are 'veteran' units - with an important distinction to be drawn between 'veteran' and 'good' - the overall team age averages at 26.2, third youngest in the league.

Motor City is not far ahead at 26.8.

It's going to be sunny and calm, but ice cold. Will these battered and bruised Bees, coming off a humiliating defeat to Denver and without the services of Randy Boone and Nate Barlow, be able to pluck a playoff victory in this rematch of a Week 5 regular season tilt?

The new Utah signees are 3rd-year TE Cary Ross, to fill the void at the position, and rookie linebacker Charles Jamison, whom I admit I did not foresee as being a conflict with my new defensive leader. It may have been poor planning on my part, but what's done is done. The LBs are thin, and we'll need someone who can come in in a pinch should Norbert Slaten's groin fail him this week. Er, what? There's a moderate risk of that happening.

Time to see which defense is going to show up to battle. The one that bullied Tubbs & the Superfriends, or the ones that got torched by every no-name QB out there.

Bring it home, Mr. Longhenry. Win this one and you get Barlow back. And then win just two more, and you can take a seat to watch Boone lift the trophy!

[Aston]

A very deflating performance for the Bees. I actually felt I had a chance of it, depending on if I could get smart QB play out of WL and a good running game from Boulware. Unfortunately, didn't get either. Boulware didn't get his first carry until the second half.

It's too bad Nate Barlow didn't go on IR last week, because he's healthy again but with no games to play.

Boone will go on IR this week, and we could be seeing a couple more releases out of this Utah team as they look to the future and try to pick up the pieces. We had a good year going for a while, but it all fell apart in a big way, starting with the defense.

[Aston]

Utah 2020 Post-Mortem: 10-6, one-and-done

The Bees had a very eventful pre-2020, entering the year with mixed, but high hopes, and a strong core of returning players from a 10-6 2019 campaign. The Bees proceeded to auction off a large part of their talent, hoping to be able to win anyway while keeping their future resources stocked.

Did it pay off? Arguably. The two DL trades are now extremely questionable in retrospect, but Boone got hurt in the end and it would not have mattered. A deflating end to the season after a blistering start, but a Week 16 for the ages. We were lucky to back into the playoffs on a triple-tiebreaker, but got a prompt and decisive early exit. MTC and Clay just took us to school.

Adieu, 2020; you were good.

The Trades

Utah added receiver Hunter Vandersommen from Portland, but traded away the following players:

DE Tito Terrell to Camden. Oops. DE became a liability at times this year.
NT Don Ilardi to Kalispel. NT was definitely a liability this year.
WR Zach Owens to Punxsutawney. Had to (conflict? IIRC). Was promising. Replaced him with Vandersommen, in effect. V underperformed this year but I have hopes for him in the future.
DT Ryan Bryant to Punxsutawney. I guess I had to. Would have been the strongest run defender on my DL, though.
SLB Lonnie Boone to Punxsutawney. Looks like a good WILB, which is what I would have wanted him as. Tough call. I decided to go with Vance at WILB, and could only keep one of them, thanks to a LBs leader that does not appear to have done much good and was eventually cut anyway. But between Vance and Boone, I do not know yet.
DT Leroy Burroughs to Dakota. Hot prospect, just no room. We'll see if he keeps up his arc or not.
OG Phil Vang to Morgantown. Seems like he did OK in Morgantown, but my guards did OK too. Got to keep my OL leader out of this deal, so a plus. Felt OG was a liability early on, but now I have some more faith in the rookie, Forbes.
TE Dennis Hawley to Los Alamos. Not sure. Went 1-1 vs Los Alamos, and got Orbik in exchange. Jury's very much out on Orbik.

I am not the best at evaluating when to trade a player and when not. Frequently trade players I probably shouldn't for picks I eventually blow away. A learning process!

The Grades

QB Randy Boone broke out something crazy this season. After worries from a slow 2019, Boone put the entire league on notice with a 103.9 QBR. Very pleased!

QB Wendall Longhenry. I thought this guy would be a great locker room presence, and a useful backup in a pinch. Oops. He sucked. SUCKED. An unmitigated failure. 7 picks in two starts. I hate this guy forever.

RB Darrel Boulware and the Utah RBs. "-4 yards and a cloud of dust against prevent personnel." Good thing I had a passing attack this year. I have wanted to rage-trade every single one of my RBs at one point or another this year. I just rage-cut Leo Felts.

TE Nate "The Great" Barlow. I should have started this guy last year. 837 yards, 10.59 ypt, 7 TDs, 18+ 20C. Did not know he had it in him!

WR Marvin Daluiso. Well done! Left for dead at the start of the season, he earned his way back into the starting lineup early on and had a very solid year. A strong part of the passing game this year.

WR Colin Fletcher / NT Lance Orbik / CB Kirk Marsh 1-2-4 picks from the draft. All on the Green Page this season. All underwhelmed. Marsh started every game until his injury, but he was not good. Orbik will get there eventually, but this season sucked. I think he's a Europe candidate, got to get developed in a hurry.

WLB Ian Subramanian Disappointingly finished slower than he did last year. Still - 13 sacks, 35 hurries. Stud. Love this guy. I believe I have his heir apparent in Colin Bauer, too. Maybe.

WR Alvin Foley. Breaks out in year 4 to do all kinds of damage. Foley was a "starter" before; he is a "weapon" now. Utah sees its first 1000-yard campaign from a receiver since the Viola/Quinteros days. Imagine if I wasn't stupid at trading and kept Paul Marchion.

The Utah Secondary Forgot how to intercept passes. Very sad. 7 picks on the year. Two seasons ago, ONE GUY on our team had eight interceptions. Where have you gone, Michael Lyon?

SS Blaine Johnston Transplant strong safety starter is plugged in and registers 100 tackles and 9 passes defensed, with one interception.

Stats of Interest

Utah was 1st in the league in fewest turnovers given away, and still managed 22st in turnover margin.

Utah was only in the Top 15 in Passing Yards, YPA, and YPC on offense, but 9th in points scored.

Utah was 32nd in pass defense, and I suspect it wasn't close. Opposing QBs completed 64% of their passes against us, with a 3:1 TD:INT ratio.

Number of plays remaining on roster from draft classes of...

'18 - 2
'17 - 2
'16 - 3
'15 - 2 (+1 UDFA)
'14 - 1

I really must do better. The same numbers for the previous two:

'20 - 8
'19 - 7 (+2 UDFA)

Hopefully these guys stick, and I am more patient with some. Richie Ingram (CB) was one I let get away...

Average Age:

Backfield - 24.8 (1st)
OL - 27.0 (10th)
DF7 - 25.3 (2nd)
Secondary - 27.1 (16th)
Overall - 25.9 (3rd)

Cohesion

Passing - 49; OL - 70; - DF7 - 58; DBs - 53

[Aston]

RESET! 2021

The Bees begin their offseason with an extension for lead scout Calvin Myers (aged 49) and the hiring o Alfred Johnstone (aged 52) as the new defensive coordinator. The previous longtime DC of the Bees was let go after a disastrous season that probably was more the fault of the front office than him...but somebody had to take the fall.

Now the Bees have more draft picks than they know what to do with, and a lot of players on the roster already. Look for some moving-the-pieces around, in both draft assets and players.

A staggering percentage of the Bees' core is up for renegotiation this year. In their contract years:

* QB Randy Boone
* RB Darrell Boulware
* TE Nate Barlow
* C Stephen Wells
* C Ray Owens
* OG Michael Huffman
* LT Willie Sidharta
* K Warren Robbins
* DE Robbie Kerr (could go RFA)
* NT Britt Fisher
* SS Blaine Johnston
* FS Chester Foster

I can think of a couple pieces here that I would rather trade off now than renegotiate...

[Guest]

What's Boone asking, just out of curiosity...

[Aston]

Boone's asking for $46.23m/5 years:

$13.72 bonus
*$1.24m (5.89 cap)
*6.15m (8.89 cap)
*7.29m (10.03 cap)
*8.33m (11.07 cap)
*9.5m (12.24 cap)

I think if he had played his rookie year or if his overall rating were higher than 52/52 these demands would be more through the roof. I am fairly lucky that he is creeping. But it isn't too out of line I guess, it's not like he's going to end up a 70/70 QB or anything like that. Probably low 60s.