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2021 Year in Review
We did okay.
2022 Off Season Report
Retirements
T Artie Kramer (10th year) - Kramer was a member our excellent draft class of 2012 (5th round) and a key contributer to both of our championship teams. Artie boomed in TC not once, but twice for us, picking up +11 potential his rookie year and then another +9 in his 8th year. For most of his career he was stuck playing out of position at left tackle, earning two All-League nods in the process and retiring as our team leader in Key Run Blocks.
DE Randy Bryant (10th year) - It is fitting that Bryant and Kramer retire at the same time. Picked one round after Kramer, Bryant also boomed his rookie camp (+18) and became a fixture of our defense for a decade. Bryant was a pass rusher who oddly enough did most of his damage playing RDE in a 3-4 defense (next to rather than across from the team's primary pass rusher, the WLB). Bryant racked up 20.5 sacks 2019 but in terms of pass rush percentage this was only his 3rd most productive year.
Free Agent Departures
LB Todd Hameleers (10th year) - One more member of the class of 2012 gone. In his prime Todd routinely made Gretta's list of "hardest hitters" but it was his coverage abilities which we most valued in Camden. He led the team in tackles in 2016 and became a full time starter at SILB the next year but even before that he was key piece of our nickel and dime heavy defenses. Hameleers landed in Los Alamos this off season, fittingly enough the same team that drafted, but did not sign him in 2011.
Free Agent Additions
WR Emmitt Hall (9th year) - We got a good look at Hall last year in the title game, to the tune of 6 catches for 106 yards (most of any Anchorage receiver). Hall isn't a flashy big play guy, but he's got good hands and should fit well in our short to medium passing game. He's also a versatile return man who can return punts and kicks, taking up Deron Wohlman's job as the primary backup for both of those roles.
Rookie Draft
1.32 - Traded last year for the rights to draft LDE Patrick Fulcher
2.32 FB Stan Grier (45/61) - With our aging secondary and wide receiver corps as well as key retirements on both the offensive and defensive lines, fullback seems like a bizarre pick for our choice of the draft. But this is a run oriented team and our two other FB combined for 422 yards rushing at 4.63 ypc, 607 yards receiving at 6.97 ypt and 5 touchdowns last year.
3.32 S Toby Cooper (27/38) - Likely my best pick of the draft, which is kind of sad. I moved Cooper from CB to safety because I thought his size suited the position better. He went +4 in camp, but because of the move I could not tell if that was a result of the position change or if he is a creeper. Should'a moved him a sim earlier.
4.32 TE Melvin Revel (22/40) - An uninspired pick with an an uninspired training camp (+4/-1). Revel is just good enough to make the team this year, but not good enough to even beat out free agent scrub Lamont Lake to earn a place as our #3 TE.
5.32 S Earnest Ohalete (19/46) - Ohalete dropped -4 in camp, making me glad I moved Cooper over. He could still make the team long term, but likely only for his Punt Return and Special Teams abilities.
6.32 LB Rodney Kelly (24/40) - Bad pick. Bad, bad pick. Kelly bombed -8 in TC. Luckily we're a good enough team that we can handle a 6th round pick not panning out. Unluckily we're an old enough team that we really can't afford too many more picks like this.
7.03 LB Luke Northcutt (20/48) - Another TC dropper, -4 in this case. Northcutt looked just enough better than Kelly to make the team, where as the previous was sent packing before pre season even started.
7.21 CB Rob Lilly (21/37) - Our biggest need coming into this draft was CB, so I picked one in the 7th round. He didn't pan out.
7.32 QB Tedd Terry (14/36) - Mr. Irrelevant! Already he's a disappointment compared to our last Mr. Irrelevant pick (G Lamont Tanner who picked up +16 his rookie TC and later made All-League), but he did just well enough in training camp (+0) to knock out long time clip board holder Max Drake as our #3 QB.
Training Camp Notes
LB Trent Woodfield 38/38 (-14/-14) - Age is catching up with our former Defensive Player of the Year in a major way. Terry Dunlap will likely move in as the starter at WLB for us this season, but Trent is still good enough (and the rest of our LBs bad enough) that he'll find his way back onto the field.
G Lamont Tanner 52/52 (-11/-11) - Volatility hit or just aging, can't decide. 8th year seems rather young for an offensive lineman to start seeing drops like this, but then again I've noticed these late round boom players don't seem to have as long of careers. Either way, it makes me glad I had another 50's rated guard waiting in the wings.
CB Rondel Hoover 50/50 (-8/-8) - Looks like I'm going to get one more year out of Hoover, which would be two more than I expecting to when I traded for him to be honest. He may not be the player he used to be, but he's still the best cover guy on our team.
WR Roy Garner 40/40 (-7/-7) - Roy's productivity dropped off sharply last year, and the red bars followed this year. He's still useful for our WR rotation, and will see plenty of duty as a punt returner (1st all time PR yards and TD).
WR Paul Marchion 54/54 (0/0) - The highlight of our training camp, not because he Marchion gained anything, but because after 13 years in the league he didn't lose anything. Paul led our team in receiving yards last year, despite only starting 9 games due to injury and currently ranks 1st all time in KR yards, 2nd all time in KR TD, and 2nd in all time in all purpose yardage. The best 3rd round pick I've ever traded.
Season Outlook
There really isn't much room for improvement over last year's 15-1 record, it's pretty well all downhill from here. We lost a boat load of talent in the form of retirements and training camp drops this off season. Last year, going into Week 1 the Franchise Values "Roster" column had us ranked 3nd, this year we're 12th. The trades we made over the last 5 years have brought impressive short term success (1 title and tied with Columbus for most regular season wins over that span) but we sold our future success to do it, and that future is now.
In our division Brooklyn already has the talent to contend, Boston is rebuilding in frightening fashion and South Maryland has a nightmare inducing front four. Outside our division Yuma is still stacked, Columbus and Dakota are aging but dangerous, and all across the conference I'm seeing match up problems on rosters of teams that a year ago would have seemed like gimmes.
The only consolation from the schedule seem to be that we play the AC south this year a conference which, apart from Port City, seems to be in rebuilding mode. Of course that just means the Boston, Brooklyn and South Maryland gets to play those teams as well.
Season Prediction
10-6 (Wild Card)
We did okay.
2022 Off Season Report
Retirements
T Artie Kramer (10th year) - Kramer was a member our excellent draft class of 2012 (5th round) and a key contributer to both of our championship teams. Artie boomed in TC not once, but twice for us, picking up +11 potential his rookie year and then another +9 in his 8th year. For most of his career he was stuck playing out of position at left tackle, earning two All-League nods in the process and retiring as our team leader in Key Run Blocks.
DE Randy Bryant (10th year) - It is fitting that Bryant and Kramer retire at the same time. Picked one round after Kramer, Bryant also boomed his rookie camp (+18) and became a fixture of our defense for a decade. Bryant was a pass rusher who oddly enough did most of his damage playing RDE in a 3-4 defense (next to rather than across from the team's primary pass rusher, the WLB). Bryant racked up 20.5 sacks 2019 but in terms of pass rush percentage this was only his 3rd most productive year.
Free Agent Departures
LB Todd Hameleers (10th year) - One more member of the class of 2012 gone. In his prime Todd routinely made Gretta's list of "hardest hitters" but it was his coverage abilities which we most valued in Camden. He led the team in tackles in 2016 and became a full time starter at SILB the next year but even before that he was key piece of our nickel and dime heavy defenses. Hameleers landed in Los Alamos this off season, fittingly enough the same team that drafted, but did not sign him in 2011.
Free Agent Additions
WR Emmitt Hall (9th year) - We got a good look at Hall last year in the title game, to the tune of 6 catches for 106 yards (most of any Anchorage receiver). Hall isn't a flashy big play guy, but he's got good hands and should fit well in our short to medium passing game. He's also a versatile return man who can return punts and kicks, taking up Deron Wohlman's job as the primary backup for both of those roles.
Rookie Draft
1.32 - Traded last year for the rights to draft LDE Patrick Fulcher
2.32 FB Stan Grier (45/61) - With our aging secondary and wide receiver corps as well as key retirements on both the offensive and defensive lines, fullback seems like a bizarre pick for our choice of the draft. But this is a run oriented team and our two other FB combined for 422 yards rushing at 4.63 ypc, 607 yards receiving at 6.97 ypt and 5 touchdowns last year.
3.32 S Toby Cooper (27/38) - Likely my best pick of the draft, which is kind of sad. I moved Cooper from CB to safety because I thought his size suited the position better. He went +4 in camp, but because of the move I could not tell if that was a result of the position change or if he is a creeper. Should'a moved him a sim earlier.
4.32 TE Melvin Revel (22/40) - An uninspired pick with an an uninspired training camp (+4/-1). Revel is just good enough to make the team this year, but not good enough to even beat out free agent scrub Lamont Lake to earn a place as our #3 TE.
5.32 S Earnest Ohalete (19/46) - Ohalete dropped -4 in camp, making me glad I moved Cooper over. He could still make the team long term, but likely only for his Punt Return and Special Teams abilities.
6.32 LB Rodney Kelly (24/40) - Bad pick. Bad, bad pick. Kelly bombed -8 in TC. Luckily we're a good enough team that we can handle a 6th round pick not panning out. Unluckily we're an old enough team that we really can't afford too many more picks like this.
7.03 LB Luke Northcutt (20/48) - Another TC dropper, -4 in this case. Northcutt looked just enough better than Kelly to make the team, where as the previous was sent packing before pre season even started.
7.21 CB Rob Lilly (21/37) - Our biggest need coming into this draft was CB, so I picked one in the 7th round. He didn't pan out.
7.32 QB Tedd Terry (14/36) - Mr. Irrelevant! Already he's a disappointment compared to our last Mr. Irrelevant pick (G Lamont Tanner who picked up +16 his rookie TC and later made All-League), but he did just well enough in training camp (+0) to knock out long time clip board holder Max Drake as our #3 QB.
Training Camp Notes
LB Trent Woodfield 38/38 (-14/-14) - Age is catching up with our former Defensive Player of the Year in a major way. Terry Dunlap will likely move in as the starter at WLB for us this season, but Trent is still good enough (and the rest of our LBs bad enough) that he'll find his way back onto the field.
G Lamont Tanner 52/52 (-11/-11) - Volatility hit or just aging, can't decide. 8th year seems rather young for an offensive lineman to start seeing drops like this, but then again I've noticed these late round boom players don't seem to have as long of careers. Either way, it makes me glad I had another 50's rated guard waiting in the wings.
CB Rondel Hoover 50/50 (-8/-8) - Looks like I'm going to get one more year out of Hoover, which would be two more than I expecting to when I traded for him to be honest. He may not be the player he used to be, but he's still the best cover guy on our team.
WR Roy Garner 40/40 (-7/-7) - Roy's productivity dropped off sharply last year, and the red bars followed this year. He's still useful for our WR rotation, and will see plenty of duty as a punt returner (1st all time PR yards and TD).
WR Paul Marchion 54/54 (0/0) - The highlight of our training camp, not because he Marchion gained anything, but because after 13 years in the league he didn't lose anything. Paul led our team in receiving yards last year, despite only starting 9 games due to injury and currently ranks 1st all time in KR yards, 2nd all time in KR TD, and 2nd in all time in all purpose yardage. The best 3rd round pick I've ever traded.
Season Outlook
There really isn't much room for improvement over last year's 15-1 record, it's pretty well all downhill from here. We lost a boat load of talent in the form of retirements and training camp drops this off season. Last year, going into Week 1 the Franchise Values "Roster" column had us ranked 3nd, this year we're 12th. The trades we made over the last 5 years have brought impressive short term success (1 title and tied with Columbus for most regular season wins over that span) but we sold our future success to do it, and that future is now.
In our division Brooklyn already has the talent to contend, Boston is rebuilding in frightening fashion and South Maryland has a nightmare inducing front four. Outside our division Yuma is still stacked, Columbus and Dakota are aging but dangerous, and all across the conference I'm seeing match up problems on rosters of teams that a year ago would have seemed like gimmes.
The only consolation from the schedule seem to be that we play the AC south this year a conference which, apart from Port City, seems to be in rebuilding mode. Of course that just means the Boston, Brooklyn and South Maryland gets to play those teams as well.
Season Prediction
10-6 (Wild Card)
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