Washington Bombers- 2035

[Delandis]

Decided to post a little something here to help keep myself engaged in this league. Take these random (p)reviews of the team with a grain of salt because I'm not too well versed in football. Don't get me wrong, I've watched the Bears all of my life but I can't say I follow football as much as basketball or soccer.

This initial post will start with the draft that just finished. As I stated in another thread, I'm very happy with who we picked up. Most of our selections are high risk, high reward picks so we this draft could up being very, very good or extremely horrible.

1.9 WR Ryder "Like a Horse" Sheldon
6'1, 202 LB, Maryland
33/65
-According to our scouts, Shelton has the biggest upside of all of the receivers in the draft. He posted a 4.46, 40 and a sizzling 6.98 in the agility drill at the combines. He's projected to have great hands, respectable route running and is reported to be fearless when running routes across the middle of the field. To add to that Shelton is also expected to a dangerous kick returner in both facets of the return game. However, Ryder is not without question marks. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, and is very raw (14% developed) which I have been told is a huge red flag when it comes to which way a player may trend after training camp. However, we are still looking forward to see where he goes from here.

2.8 FS Zion Dobler
5'11, 208 lbs- Oregon
18/55
-Zion was slotted to be our second round pick from the start of the draft. As another boom/bust guy, Zion's projected ability to play in the zone will make him a shoe-in for our Cover 2 defense. He ran a 4.48, 40 which should allow him to keep up with most receivers in blitz situations and with Glenn "Gimme" Shelton entering his 10th season, the gates will likely open for Zion, sooner than later.

3.7 CB Daryl Boyce
5'10, 187 lbs- Marist
22/50
-A bit shorter than I like to have my corners, Boyce was drafted to be our nickel back with his good man to man and bump and run coverage ratings. Boyce will also see some time as returner, something that this team has lacked since I took over.

4.11 LG Ellis Bolling
6'2, 306 lbs, - Penn State
24/55
-This former Nittany Lion is another high volatility (96) player. Bolling did well on the Solecismic Test, which is promising, and has the potential to be a very good run blocker. Not the most agile lineman you'll find, Bolling does use his strength well and should be an asset to a downhill runner like Ogden.

5.10 SE Kennedy Clancy
5'11, 185 lbs - Army
30/40
-We picked up Clancy to be our designated deep threat. His hands aren't the greatest and he probably won't run great routes, but how hard is it to run a go route correctly? Kennedy posted a 4.39, 40-time which had to be one of the fastest times at the combine and will definitely come into TC as the fastest man on the field.

6.9 DE Collin Humphries
6'4, 279 lbs, Colorado
12/41
-Quite frankly, of all of our picks, I'm thinking Collin is going to have to show the most to remain on the roster. He's got a decent motor and shows the potential to do an adequate job against both the run and the pass but he's very raw. Add to that his high volatility (77), Collin has a tough road ahead of him.

7. LG Connor England
6'6', 316lbs, Fresno State
21/37
-Again, we picked a guy with a good motor and projected to have decent strength as an offensive lineup. Connor doesn't project well as a run blocker but if we tinker the offense to become a bit more pass oriented, with a little hard work Connor may find himself a backup in the OSFL with us for at least a couple of years.

[Matt]

Good draft! I love building through the draft. All though to be fair my WR's are from trades/FA, my RB is from a trade, and my TE is from FA. My D though is heavy with draft picks, especially my two stud LBs! And Sage is the best pick I ever made.

This year we got nothing but an OL.

[Guest]

It truly is a new era in Washington as not a single QB was drafted.

[Aston]

That 6th round DE, Humphries, is actually my favorite of your later round picks. I didn't realize I hadn't pasted the Analyzer Dump yet in the 7th round and thought I'd have to change plans and draft him. When I tried to I finally saw he wasn't available.

I think you did quite well in Round 1 & Round 2.

[Guest]

that's a pretty sweet draft you had there!
5 potential starters
good job!

[Delandis]

Thoughts after TC:

1.9 WR Ryder "Like a Horse" Sheldon
6'1, 202 LB, Maryland
33/65==>38/65 (+5/0)

Ryder came into camp and showed that he is going to be everything we expected. He is well on his way to eventually be our new #1 WR as the kid is FEARLESS and has a true desire to make the big catch in 3rd down situations in TC scrimmages. He also he possesses a great motor that should allow him to play every down and his ability to be a real threat in the KR game. I am very excited to see what this kid can do in live action.

2.8 FS Zion Dobler
5'11, 208 lbs- Oregon
18/55==> 26/56 (+8/+1)

-Zion also had a very good camp. He is your prototypical "center fielder" type safety. Now that's not to say that Zion can't cover in M2M, because he can, but he looks like eventually he can be one of the best safeties in the league if put in the right scheme. If Zion keeps working hard, adding him with 4th year corner, Dion Lee, and 7th year corner, Edgar Bradley will give us a very intimidating set of defensive backs. It is also nice to see that he comes out of Duck territory with just a little bit of "nasty" (53/53 PH) that all good safeties need to have.

3.7 CB Daryl Boyce
5'10, 187 lbs- Marist
22/50==>24/40 (+2/-10)

-Daryl doesn't look like the corner that we drafted, but should still serve us well as a nickel and/or dime back in the future. He can cover well in M2M situations and uses his hands well enough in B&R coverages. He also has some quality as kick returner so I can see Boyce carving out a career in the OSFL for a while, starting with Washington.


4.11 LG Ellis Bolling
6'2, 306 lbs, - Penn State
24/55==>27/51 (+3/-4)

-Again, Ellis isn't likely to be as good as we initially projected, but he's got a great head on his shoulders and should eventually be a force as a decent run blocker and may even be the kind of guy to lead the locker room.

5.10 SE Kennedy Clancy
5'11, 185 lbs - Army
30/40==>31/40 (+1/0)

-So far it looks like the coaching staff are confident on their projections for our receivers and Kennedy is no exception. Just your typical speed guy, I'm not sure Clancy will stick around, but we're willing to see what that 4.39, 40 time can do in game.

6.9 DE Collin Humphries
6'4, 279 lbs, Colorado
12/41==>16/37 (+4/-4)

-As it stands, I don't see Collin breaking into the lineup as a starter anytime soon, but he looks like he may have an all-around skill set that gives him backup value. Its nice to have a young guy who has the potential to do ok in case of injury.

7. LG Connor England
6'6', 316lbs, Fresno State
21/37==> 23/36 (+2/-1)

-Connor pretty much is who he is. He's big and strong with not too much skill. Still though, that size and strength should have some (albeit small) value when some of the starters need a breather.

Outside of our draftees, we picked up two undrafted free agents. First we got punter, Ezekiel Stevens, who probably just made a quick 200K on us because he's not the punter that we thought he'd be. We'll likely invite another punter or two to pre-season and let the best man win.

We also invited undrafted rookie, Joshua Saga to TC and we are fairly impressed with Joshua. At 6'0, 221 pounds, he's probably one of those in-between guys that is too small to play linebacker but really to big (and slow) to play safety. Nonetheless, we are impressed with his tenacity against the run and on the blitz. He's not too bad of a defender in B&R coverage, but would be useless if we ran a zone. He also has limited endurance which I'm not fond of for any player, let alone a linebacker. We'll give a chance though.

Finally, the most impressive showing in TC (from a GM point of view) came from our starting quarterback, Clay "Vodka N." Granberry. From our coaches eyes, he picked up a lot in TC (48/78==>56/78), including adding another formation to his arsenal. Granberry had a solid year in 2034 racking up the 3rd most passing yards in a season in team history in just his 2nd season and with the addition of weapons like Sheldon and Clancy, we are hoping that he can make that jump to elite status this season and help raise this franchise back up to it's former times of greatness.

[Aston]

Hm, here's a question for you guys. Ex2 is the "big reveal" stage now, but you can still see some significant movement in potential during training camp, for rookies. What is that?

[Guest]

Yeah, people move, but I don't think I've ever seen a -10 at TC.

I've also seen (minor) movement at TC that goes the other way after EX2.

[Delandis]

Party poopers.

[Delandis]

So just a brief recap of how last season's draftees progressed. before we take note of our new crop this year.

1.9 WR Ryder "Like a Horse" Sheldon
6'1, 202 LB, Maryland
Then: 33/65
Now: 56/56
-Coaches feel that Ryder is pretty much the player we expected and at full potential. He caught 100 balls last year getting over 1000 yards receiving and 4 100 yard games in his rookie season. However, they do believe he still can work on his hands because he did have 11 drops (50/85) and route running (48/71). If he makes it, I believe we will have our true #1 and #2 with Bryant Snyder (WR) to match up with Granberry (QB).

2.8 FS Zion Dobler
5'11, 208 lbs- Oregon
Then: 18/55
Now: 38/56
-Zion has been pretty much as scouted and learned quite a bit his rookie year. He's actually a great safety in our cover 2. He stops the run well and is projected to be able to cover the deep zone at an All-Pro level (62/90). Very happy with his progress so far.

3.7 CB Daryl Boyce
5'10, 187 lbs- Marist
Then: 22/50
Now: 29/33

-Scouts got this one wrong although I think Boyce still has a bit of ability as a spare nickel/dime back. He took a huge hit and just isn't the player we expected. But still, Boyce has some talent and his contribution to special teams as a backup returner is nice to have in case of injury.


4.11 LG Ellis Bolling
6'2, 306 lbs, - Penn State
Then:24/55
Now: 25/34

-I expected this to happen or else I'd be getting way too lucky. Hopefully the next guard we selected in the 4th round (again) will fair better.

5.10 SE Kennedy Clancy
5'11, 185 lbs - Army
Then: 30/40
Now: 35/48

-Hell. I'm happy about this draft just because of Clancy. He didn't catch a touchdown last year but our coaches have obviously noticed some improvement in practice, raising his ceiling significantly. He's definitely a deep threat and according to our coaches he's already at his potential there (89/89) and at YAC (54/54). May have found a real steal here.

6.9 DE Collin Humphries
6'4, 279 lbs, Colorado
Then: 12/41
Now: 16/32

-Pretty much what I expected with Colin although to be fair he didn't really get a chance to see much action to help his development. I doubt Collin is on the team much longer, especially if we happen to find an undrafted FA or two that can contribute at his level or better.

7. LG Connor England
6'6', 316lbs, Fresno State
Then: 21/37
Now: 23/24

-7th round guy. Didn't expect to much. He'll probably hang around a bit until I find a better guy in FA.

[Delandis]

2036 Draftee Recap

1.9 LT Charlie Hartley, Wisconson
Pre TC: 34/63
-We picked up Charlie in a hurry although we hadn't scouted anyone to this point in game. We loved his combines and figured that since we already have two stud tackles so if necessary we could move somebody for talent at another position of need. After an eventual post pick scouting session, Hartley came back as "hard to read." The most likely scenario will find Charlie moved to left guard and paired
next to former first round pick, Tyson Kendall (who I ironically drafted as a guard and moved to tackle) to potentially make a very fearsome left offensive side of the line for us in the coming years.

1.20 WR Justin Freeman, Hawaii
Pre TC: 27/54
-Moved up to get Justin and although he's not as good as we'd hoped, he's got a good skill set for the receiver position. The kid has above average hands and a very good ability to gain yards after the catch. Not "blazing" fast, Justin was able to run a respectable 4.47 in the 40. Couple that with great conditioning and the ability to make the big catch on third down, I think Justin will make a great 3rd receiver to go along with the current receiving corp.


2.14 RB Roderick Pearson, Purdue
Pre TC: 36/36
-Our scouts ranted and raved about how good this kid could end up being. As we mentioned earlier, our scouts believe he's got elite power to hit the hole, speed to the outside, amazing breakaway speed and can stay in the pocket and pick up the blitz. With all of those elite level attributes you would think he'd be better than 36/36 coming in, right? However the good thing is he may have a lot of untapped potential and with a little work, Roderick may just surprise a lot of people in the league.

3.13 LB Chris Olds, Duquesne
Pre TC: 23/57
-Chris Olds didn't have a combine to use as a reference point for his selection at this point in the draft, but we seem to scout defensive players better than on the offensive side of the ball. Our scouts liked him. In college, Chris showed the ability to pursue the ballcarrier well, rush the passer, and could even drop back in the zone well defensively. Unfortunately, we aren't enamored with his lack of endurance and with his size, he doesn't really "lay the lumber" when he finds the ball carrier. Chris will likely slide over the weak side of the defense, play behind and learn from 11th year veteran linebacker (and mentor), Cris Darusmont who signed a 2-year deal with Washington this off-season.

4.12 G Benjamin Patton, Illinois
Pre TC: 13/53
-Ben is going to have to work hard to reach his potential as force in the run game. If I remember correctly, I believe Patton had a really good combine and that was the main reason he was selected. A big guy at 6'4, 314, Patton continues the trend where we are looking for a lot of smart guys to play on our squad because I absolutely HATE penalties, especially false starts and holding.

6.8 C Robbie Nichols, Virginia Military Academy
Pre TC: 21/56
-Not sure if we should be excited or scared with this pick. Robbie had been on our radar for a while and we just kept hoping and praying that he would continue to fall past the 5th round (since we traded our pick to SF). Robbie is very smart kid and at just 279, he's able to run a 5.22 40 which is pretty darn good for man his size. We'll probably see if we can get him to gain a few pounds of muscle but we are happy to get a guy with the projected strength and ability to make an impact in the run game at this point in the draft.

6.10 LB, Alfred Cote, Washington State
Pre TC: 25/49
-Alfred worries me in the fact that he's got a 97 in volatility. Alfred shows the potential to be at least average in almost every category except pass rush strength. Cote will likely move to the middle linebacker position and learn from former Utah Bee, Timothy Flynn. Plus, there is reason to believe this change could increase the player's ratings level.

7.7 WR Drew Ackerman, Baylor
Pre TC: 17/43
-Drew is one of those guys that I wish I went another way with. We don't expect much, although he is projected to run routes well and have the courage to take those great routes across the middle of the field. He's got some ability as a kick returner as well which is always a valuable commodity and at 6'2, Drew provides a big target for Granberry. Drew was the 3rd best WR drafted (according to projected potential) according to our scouts but there will be a lot of competition at the WR position this year so he'll have to work hard to stick around.

7.9 QB Taylor Banks, Marshall
Pre TC: 5/39
-Unless we see some MAJOR improvement by Taylor, he won't make it through camp. Very interesting because our scouts do not appear to believe Taylor is this bad but obviously, scouts can be wrong.

[Guest]

Please don't kill that tackle by moving him inside. If you ever want to move him back to T he'll likely lose ratings.

I'd play him inside right now, but start him at T in a couple seasons.

Of course, if his rating drop in the next couple of years then move him inside for a ratings boost (if you play him at G he should be fully experienced by then), but I wouldn't recommend doing it in his first year.

[Guest]

Drew was the 3rd best WR drafted (according to projected potential) according to our scouts but there will be a lot of competition at the WR position this year so he'll have to work hard to stick around.

It's waaaaaaay too early to look at any ratings right now. Half the people will drop, 40% will stay more or less the same and 10% will rise.

That's nowhere near the real breakdown of risers and fallers, but it's probably a good way to look at your picks right after the draft.

Ratings will update after preseason week 3 (2???) and whatever happens then will give you some indication of where they'll end up. Or be a complete lie. FOF7 is a pain because it now takes up to three seasons to know where someone will end up. Lots of players drop their first season and then move up in ratings. Or go up then down. And all sorts of combinations of up and down.

[Delandis]

Please don't kill that tackle by moving him inside. If you ever want to move him back to T he'll likely lose ratings.

I'd play him inside right now, but start him at T in a couple seasons.

Of course, if his rating drop in the next couple of years then move him inside for a ratings boost (if you play him at G he should be fully experienced by then), but I wouldn't recommend doing it in his first year.

That's kind of counter intuitive that he can't play tackle later in his career because I "moved" his position. But I'll defer to the experts on this. I'm just trying to do what would make sense. [emoji56]

[Aston]

I think that 2nd round RB pick could be a pretty solid one! The guard, Patton, and the LB Olds were also names I recognize for being on my radar. I ended up waiting and had to pick another guard (there were a lot this draft I liked!) and never really got around to the LBs.

As garion mentioned, moving T->G in their rookie years should be fine. But G->T usually comes with a big % loss of ratings. Depends on weight, though. You can guess what % that is by signing a 327-lb OG in a SP game to test it out, it'll probably be the same. After rookie seasons, any position switches start to get much more costly. At least I think that's how it works.

One thing you could do is play Mikkor at RG for the rest of his career. OTs will ask for more money than they would as OGs (since it's usually regarded as a more important position), so that's something to maybe consider too. I guess you could wait til after Ex2 in the preseason and take a look at the situation then.

In general, if a guy can get to 9 EXP at another position, I'd be fine with just playing him there without officially moving his position.