|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 14:13:46 GMT -5
Our previews have ended! Here are some of the career stats that could be broken this year: Passing - QB Aaron Morrow - he's actually 271 yards away from #2 all-time in Dan Jackson. Now, they're not going to use Morrow a lot, but he's right there.
- QB Bill Lang, Jr. - He's 461 yards away from #2 all-time in Dan Jackson, and then however much he may need behind Morrow. This seems less likely.
- QB David Greywacz - He's 1,239 yards away from #2 all-time in Dan Jackson, and this one seems like a formality. Actually, Greywacz is 5,835 behind Brice Pennington and #1 all-time, so he could actually be at a spot where he could take that one in 2022.
- QB Jason Stackhouse is 1,087 yards away from 30K in his career
- OS Quaeavion Greene is 4 TD passes away from 100 in his career.
Rushing - Royce Buchanan is 644 yards from #2 all-time (Grayson Norman). Barring injury, seems like a formality.
- Leon Taylor is 178 from 10K in his career
Receiving
- Darren Silverstein is 104 catches away from being #6 to hit 1,000 (Mockobee, Fly, Street, Garbinsky, Stern)
- Vernon Tyler is 323 yards away from 10K, and 4 TD away from 200
- Darius Mockobee is 9 TD away from being #3 to 300
Sacks
- Elliott Eades is 37 away from #2 all-time
- Eades is 166 away from #1 all-time, so he's going to probably have to settle for #2
- Rod Lemont is 4 away from 100
Interceptions - Cindric Coyne is 7 away from 60 picks, tied for 9th all-time
Kicking - Jamie Cabrera is 114 from being the third kicker to 2K points (Peach, Phelps)
- David Wolstenholm is 21 points from 1K
- Landes Horton will be the 120th kicker to score points in OIFL history
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 14:27:55 GMT -5
RICHMOND REVOLUTION
OFFENSE - Last year's Denver roster was poor, and this one has improved. Weird what an active owner does, even if some of the moves have been strange. Bendrick Allinson will get the start, and he's proven a capable OIFL quarterback. The star of the offense is RB Michael D. Brake, though Allinson has a reasonable receiving corps, albeit getting VERY long in the tooth (save OS Khadarious Conner). Pavel Sokol and Joe Kenney combined for 27 touchdown catches last year, and Richmond's going to need some more of that. What we don't know is the types of systems they'll be running, so I can't make a great observation here. Rookie WRDB Larry Dimick will get some show as well here, as this Richmond team has the capability to catch teams off guard. The line is not strong, so Brake may not play like the strong back that he generally is.
DEFENSE - Kenney's the star of the show, as he's been a number of times in his career. But, there's a few holes. Chances are new acquisition Chuck Riffert is going to start, but he was a late trade. What we know is that the roster right now will not be the roster in Week 16. John Gary's management has proven that in a short time. Richmond's going to give up a lot of yards on the ground as currently constructed; the line depth is not good enough in today's OIFL though Kieran Gibbs in Year #11 gets to say he's the best lineman on his team for the first time.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Tony Maloloyon hasn't developed as quickly as had been hoped when he started with the St. Louis Rush, but he's good enough. Conner or Dimick will return kicks, a role neither has done a whole lot of.
SCHEDULE - It's a more standardized schedule this year (each East team plays its division twice, the other 8 East teams once, and then two teams from the West; and vice-versa). But, placement of games matters. Richmond opens with a winnable game with the Indianapolis Racers, and then a road trip to a still-building Florida squad, so that's fairly favorable. The three-game homestand Weeks 5-6-7 with Delmarva, New York, and Washington...not as favorable. A three game road trip to end the season, maybe also not as nice, but the last one's at least with Indianapolis. And that Delmarva homestand is a week after the road game in Chicago. Not an easy schedule.
OUTLOOK - Sure, this roster played last year in Denver. Just call it an expansion team, though. It is, basically. The outlook is OK - there are some good young players to build around...but a lot of the key players are not young. THe key guys for the future are guys like Conner, Dimick, RB Harry Black, OLDL Alex Semryck, even OLDL Antoine Barber. There's not as many as maybe would be hoped, but they are there.
WHAT WOULD I DO? I'd probably not cut guys like Dave Kreis, but as an expansion roster build is going, there's not much else to do differently. There's perhaps too much "OS-type" stuff there (as happens a few places), though Mike Sumner is a traditional RB and could give them a two back look. I'm glad to see an active owner here.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 14:38:09 GMT -5
INDIANAPOLIS RACERS
OFFENSE - I don't love the idea of a slow QB with a two back offense. But, here we are. Petr Kopfstein is a fine QB, though Stephen Weeks may be a better fit (though do you want a 14th year QB taking those hits and running that much?). Raynor Baz and Lawrence Tiernan were the backs last year, but rookie Bartell Roberts may take some snaps. Alfred Stone is back after being a pretty awful E1-4 pick last year, and he's at least a guy who can play a bit...but that's never going to be a good pick, sorry. The receiving corps is OK, though unremarkable and a bit small (and not as big a deal if you go two back) - Ralph Deitrich is probably the star of the group. Where the Racers have improved heavily is on the line; the line is now strong enough to be useful as a two-back power run set.
DEFENSE - There will be 8 guys playing every defensive snap, I can promise you that. The line is actually pretty OK, and has good depth. Baz is a very good linebacker. The defensive backfield is passable at the top, but the quality drops quickly. Depth will be a concern, which is probably another good reason to stick with the two back set (and with guys like Tiernan and even Ojasafey Hrimnajh, you have defensive backs at RB there). The offense will have to control the tempo so the defense doesn't get lit up like they're playing the old Corpus Christi Riptide or Mobile Seamen every week.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Joe Sourati is back for his third season in Indy, and he's adequate. In case of disaster, 16th-year K Albert Phelps is there. Deitrich was fine as a kick returner last year, and returns in that role, though they may use backup OS Chris Cooper there to keep him from getting winded.
SCHEDULE - Likewise, they get a winnable opener in Richmond (and a winnable closer against Richmond). Likewise, an ugly early three-game homestand with Ohio, Baltimore, and London, and the two Chicago games are weeks 7 and 10 (with the second Ohio game in between). Indy got a little help with their nonconference games @portland and vsVancouver Island, but it's still a tough schedule.
OUTLOOK - The rebuild isn't over, though the signs of it ending are showing up. The line is pretty strong, and it's also pretty young in a lot of those spots. Good combo. Indy's going to use as much misdirection as they can; it would have been nice if Dan Nair improved better in camp, but alas. Racers fans are hoping for a little more light at the end of the tunnel, but it's probably early to expect too much.
WHAT WOULD I DO? I think you have to hold the fort. Maybe let's not trade our star players (whoever they are), unless you can get something helpful for the rebuild out of a Renato Gentili or, I guess I'd even listen to something on Raynor Baz. Indy hasn't always had the best track record scouting talent (see: Stone, Alfred), so it's tough to want to get too aggressive there.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 14:47:24 GMT -5
LINCOLN LIGHTNING
OFFENSE - Look, we're still more "late term Capitols" than "early term Lightning" with this group's management. Just how it is. But, the outlook's a hair better. Ronnie Marshall is on the wrong side of the hill, but he's probably still the best choice for QB here (though J'Mar Rickerson will get some play). What's unclear is if Lincoln will go two back some with Isidoro de Orta and Jessie Shepherd; Shepherd is a strong rookie, and they need strong young players. Marshall will have one of those to throw to in Irv Lambert, plus some veterans who have been around the block. Depth is better this year, even on the line, though the Lightning line depth is not up to the level of other OIFL teams. But, there's youth there to develop. There will be games where this team struggles to score points, but it won't be as bad as last year.
DEFENSE - Backfield depth is much improved. Everyone has a competent enough backup in the backfield. LB, not as much, as de Orta is the blitzer, and Shepherd is mostly underdeveloped a bit there. But, not all is lost. It's still a building year. A team like Fort Worth (Oregon-type quick snapping consistently) will be a nightmare matchup, and hey...there's a game with them...but Lincoln doesn't have as many "oh this offense is going to blow us to bits" matchups this year.
SPECIAL TEAMS - John Ferguson has been given every shot to win the kicker job, but 9th year veteran Billy Babcock is going to go in and take it, it seems. Bobby Gates will return kicks for the Lightning.
SCHEDULE - That aforementioned nightmare matchup is Week 7 in Lincoln. The Lightning get that one in the middle of a four game homestand (VAN FM FW FLA), which is as favorable as you can get in the league these days. The worst part of the schedule is probably the first quarter, as they get Los Angeles Week 1 and Texas Week 4. It's not too awful a schedule for the Lightning, but can they take advantage?
OUTLOOK - This probably isn't the season, but the outlook's better than it was. They CAN win games. They may not be favored to win a lot, but they CAN win them.
WHAT WOULD I DO? Probably have to hold fort here. Trade value for the older guys isn't enough. Marshall is the OIFLCup pedigree QB, but Rickerson is a lot younger and may be more the future (and may not, maybe it's Eddie Bridges). All three should probably get work. If the season goes south, then you put Jessie Shepherd in at RB to just start, and see if you don't have the second coming of Morris Wallace (who also started in Lincoln). Maybe you do that anyways...
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 15:00:05 GMT -5
VERMONT STORM
OFFENSE - It's been still an adjustment for me to go from the Dumont/Stackhouse chuck-it Sno-Dog offenses to this much much much more methodical Storm offense, but that's what we have. Bob Maino returns at QB, and hopefully can stay healthier. Michael Pouliout had a strong year at RB, and the Storm will use their other backs. Maino doesn't have an elite receiving corps, but it's not awful. Four OS is probably a waste of roster space, though I guess Karlos Folger could play LB in a pinch. The line is not strong, but Vermont worked around that last year with quite a bit of misdirection and such. It will take more of that this year.
DEFENSE - That line's going to get run on, especially if Colton/Hillitzer/Metz get hurt. Pouliout is a good linebacker, but not elite. LB depth is iffy, with Albano or (I guess?) Folger. The defensive backfield is not particularly deep, either. The methodical misdirection offense will help this defense out. If Ja'Mario Reese or Jan Barnhill get hurt, that backfield is in trouble.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Norbert Schopf has developed well as a young kicker, who will be called on for some important kicks for the Storm. DuQuavion BrownLee returned kicks some last year, and is probably going to do it this year.
SCHEDULE - London's probably still in a building phase, but they will throw it a bunch. That's your start. Then they travel to Fort Worth, which isn't an ideal matchup. The first-half run of @oh @ny CHI is not necessarily kind. It's a rough schedule with bad timing in places. The last five games that include Houston, Delmarva, Baltimore, and New York...that's rough for anyone, even if four of them are in the friendly confines.
OUTLOOK - Next year's probably the year to aim for here. There's a lot of young players who will be the key - this is different from the Sno-Dogs' beginning (11-5, second round exit in Memphis) because the OIFL was awful in 2003, and a guy like Joe Wall could go run for 1,000 yards...this OIFL doesn't allow that sort of possibility. So, a slow build it is.
WHAT WOULD I DO? I'm playing all the young guys. Sure, Salim Hughes and DuTell Shadden are the better WRDBs to start. I'm still playing Van Stelten more than he ever should, and maybe even Ernie Huber (a little harder to call), even B Fortney. When Tyrell Baran gets off the injured list, it will help. Pouliout has years left so he can play, but Morris Winberg is probably coming in some when Huber's on the field. It won't help wins, but...that doesn't mean it's not the right call. Vermont's also in an unenviable spot in that they don't have much of any "old stuff" that is tradeable. Ja'Mario Reese and...can you get an E3 for Shadden? So, play the young guys and when the team gets good, those guys will have played a lot of snaps.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 17:47:21 GMT -5
PORTLAND PIONEERS
OFFENSE - John Berger returns for his fifth season in charge, though 17th year long-time Pioneer Aaron Morrow is still sitting back to help. Berger is a multi threat type QB, but he's not received a pass in his career. Keanon Lowe returns behind him (in a few weeks), while Berger has some weapons to work with. Rookie OS Elijah Neighbors may be the next high-flying OS in Pioneers history. The receiving corps may not be the deepest in the league, but it's got experience; Michale LeFlores is #2 in Pioneers history in receiving (and it's a long history; this is their 19th OIFL season). The line has always been Portland's strength, and maybe it's not as strong this year, but there's still five deep of starter-level guys. Portland has been in a deep rebuild for years now, but this offense may be their best in a spell.
DEFENSE - Perhaps at the expense of the defense. Unless Brad Ross is going to play two-way some...and he can do so "OK," Portland's four best defensive backs are all DS, which is a problem when you only play two of those. The defensive line also goes five deep. Lowe has played a fair bit of OS because WRLB Robert Taylor is not a defensive back by any stretch. Basically, as good as the offense may be, the defense doesn't fit as well together. So, you go full Rob Cole and try to outscore everyone. The defense isn't bad per se, but putting it in its best position may make the offense suffer too much.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Brent Matthews enters his tenth OIFL season, and he's been very solid for the Pioneers. A strong scoring season could put him ahead of long-time Portland K Pablo Puerte on their all-time list. Brian Clothier, Jr. has been their kick returner and may keep that, but Neighbors may steal that job, too.
SCHEDULE - The Eugene game opens and closes the season, which is always a nice little rivalry down Route 99. Portland doesn't have a death stretch of games (though FW SEA RUI HOU in the first half is close, and LA TEX LA is also very close). Portland's got a tough schedule as does everyone, but they got fairly lucky with Delmarva and Indianapolis as their east opponents. But only fairly.
OUTLOOK - I didn't love the "youth" returned in the Mansaur trade, but it's not like he's a spring chicken, and heck Portland does get three possible starters out of it, even if Cruz is a dropoff. Chicago may miss Randall Ledbetter this year a lot, too. This is probably the best Pioneers squad in a number of years, but in such a tough OIFL top to bottom it may not matter.
WHAT WOULD I DO? It's hard to tell. There are finally some good young guys on this roster to go with the aging core. I think step one, though - you score however and however quickly you can each and every drive, and see if the defense can get a stop or two. Portland has eight guys who can "legitimately" throw passes, and only three are QBs. Lowe has 46 career passes (23/46 with 7 TD), Bert Marovich has about that many preseason passes. Clothier's thrown a few balls. LeFlores and Taylor, too. It's a bit NFL Blitz, sure, but why not? 7/12 make the playoffs, so why not try to steal one of them?
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 18:00:17 GMT -5
FLORIDA TUSKERS
OFFENSE - QB Austin Rodgers enters his 11th OIFL season as the clear leader here, with his likely replacement on the roster now in rookie QB Gene Dugger. Rodgers leads an offense that is probably not going to light up the scoreboard. Second year RB Jean Denham was a revelation last year, and enters as the clear starter and probable star on this group. Florida has always run a multiple look set, and we may see more of that in the form of rookie RB Statler Grayline playing OS and as a second RB. Or, we'll see Rodgers throwing it to receivers like George Peck and Krydell Anthony. Former Iowa star RB Raul dos Santos is still there, and can help them in spots. The line probably needs a couple more bodies, though Grayline can play there, too. One change I've been interested in; this is the first real sustained run Colin has ever used with rookies and young players. The old Georgia Rhinos or Los Angeles Barracudas, they were built on veterans and won with veterans. This team is going to have those in a couple years...but all home grown.
DEFENSE - Jedidiah Greene and Lynwood Credille are two of the "two back" RBs that can play defensive back, though neither are as good at it as Peck or a Del Kautz. It's a better defense than last year's, but a couple timely injuries will wreck things again. If Florida goes two back, we're going to see more OS/RB type work, as they need the better defensive backs. Reverend Terrell McTell is a star level DS (finally), and he will be a key guy there. Again, the health is key, there's not enough depth to keep things going if guys get hurt.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Stanley Farson enters his 13th year kicking in the league, and will be called upon often to hit timely kicks. Florida will need all the points. Martin Frank may return kicks as he did last year, but this job may be up for grabs.
SCHEDULE - Yeah, being the "other team" in the division with Delmarva, Baltimore, and Washington wasn't kind. They'd have been more than happy to trade with Richmond (as Richmond would make a very very compact division), except then they'd have to play Chicago and Ohio. Anyways, Florida starts with Ohio, and almost avoids a death schedule stretch, but their second half schedule goes CHI WAS DMV MXC BAL IND NY DMV. May have to get a lot of those wins in the first half.
OUTLOOK - The build is going fine. There's young guys who will make plays now, and guys to develop for the future of this team. It may be a rocky season this year, but this team is poised to make a long run once guys get seasoned well. Hitting on picks like Denham and potentially this year's rookie J'Lon Polanco...will make that process easier.
WHAT WOULD I DO? There's enough there to try and push for a good run here now. Not sure it can be done. Once things start to get out of hand, it's time to play the young guys, of which there are plenty. Not sure I'd throw Gene Dugger to the wolves too much now, but even QB can be the young guy. There's a lot of young guys here to be excited about, but the pieces aren't all together yet.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 18:15:42 GMT -5
VANCOUVER ISLAND BLITZ
OFFENSE - Speed. I am speed. The Blitz may not have a lot, but they're going to be fairly fast, even with someone like OL Joe Niewiek. Royce Buchanan enters Season #10 as the key leader of this team. Where he goes, the Blitz go...and he goes well. But, now QB James Bordain has a little more to work with. John McHugh is in Year #3, they have receivers like Paul Goodwin and Danny Darrington, and even rookie WR Walter Coy. The line is deeper than it has been. It's been a painful rebuild for a Blitz team that traditionally likes to just score at will and all the time, but we may start to reap some of the rewards of this. They will score points, they will have some flash, but sometimes they'll just run Royce Buchanan down a team's throat. And it'll be fun.
DEFENSE - Best Blitz defense in awhile, but this team's strength is still offensive. Even in the Matt Sauk days, he did wild things because he HAD TO. Royce Buchanan (barring injury) will run for 1600 yards and 40 TD because he HAS TO. Depth is an issue here, though not quite as much as in the past. Outside of Buchanan, the linebackers they may have to play can't cover well (though rookie Rollance Coxwell is pretty blatantly Buchanan's heir apparent). The DB group is better than it has been, though a couple timely injuries wrecks things. One nice thing; there's no obvious target for opposing offenses to exploit. The defense is at least passable from the jump. It's been a very slow burn, and I know Bill's had issues sticking with it, but the benefits are starting to be apparent. And yes, still the league's highest average fumble rating. That will win them a game somewhere.
SPECIAL TEAMS - McHugh or Buchanan will return kicks, though maybe even someone like Coy could. Patrick Dignan hasn't kicked a lot, but he's going to be the Blitz kicker this year.
SCHEDULE - Well, the opener with Texas is at least in Nanaimo. They're going to be happy to be in the division they are, though the Canadian games with Fort Mac are never easy. There's no long stretch of rough games, though getting Washington from the east was a rough one. It's not a bad schedule.
OUTLOOK - The future has finally brightened a bit. You want to make a run sometime before Royce Buchanan gets old; he's in his 10th year now. This isn't the year; if they get in they won't improve on their franchise 1-6 playoff record...but after the few years they've had, a run to the dance would just be nice.
WHAT WOULD I DO? The team's not winning the OIFLCup, I feel comfortable saying that. That said, if you think you can ride Buchanan to beat Grayson Norman's 2003 rushing record (1,999 yards. Yes, 1,999), why not? He's hit 1,812 before. If they can ride Rolls Royce to the first 2,000 yard rushing season in OIFL history, they might just ride this thing into the playoffs (and Royce would be #2 all-time behind Morris Wallace for rushing yards if they did). Sure, the team is better around, but come on...you know where the bread is buttered. If the Blitz get to say 6-6 into Week 13 (@ Fort Worth), you can bet money they're going to try and neutralize that United attack by giving Royce 40 carries. Not a record, Timmy North did 46 once for Tampa Bay, but they know what they have to do.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 18:30:49 GMT -5
EUGENE KNIGHTS
OFFENSE - Last year's 5-11 felt like an aberration, and it seems they're approaching it as such. Nigel Lamb returns for his seventh year, and he's got weapons. Rod Young takes over as the full-time RB, though J'Quan Bieniek will get plenty of work, and John Jackson has been Eugene's Mr. Versatile back there, too. Eugene scores points, and the receivers they have are back to do more of that, including OS Darius Mockobee. Mockobee actually leads the OIFL all-time in receptions, though he trails Marse Fly, Jr. and Kelvin Street in yards and touchdowns. A quiet all-time great career, if I say so myself. Eugene found a diamond in the draft last year in WRDB Odis Hogan, and they hope he takes another step forward. The Knights expect to score points by the bushel; they could use to get another lineman or so, as a poorly timed injury may wreck things for them.
DEFENSE - Eugene hasn't been known for stellar defense. This may be their best one. All starters are adequate, and the defensive line does go 8 deep when healthy. The defensive backfield is pretty deep, as each guy has a backup. Eugene has had a couple seasons not to their standard; the defense may be good enough to keep them from having a third. It may not be a top-10 defense, but Eugene's is probably good enough to win a lot of games.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Dominic Cottle returns for his 12th year in the league. Cottle has always been solid, if unspectacular. Mockobee will return kicks, though OS DeQuan Crowell may get a few just to keep Mockobee fresh.
SCHEDULE - Eugene opens in the Route 99 rivalry down the way with Portland. Of course, they also have two games with the "other" Route 99 rivalry in Seattle, and I guess two with the other (?) one in Los Angeles...noting of course that 99 hasn't connected those four cities in decades. Anyways, regardless. Eugene's schedule is a tough one. They have a SEA MXC WAS HOU string in the second half, and a TEX RUI SEA LA string in the first half. Eugene will earn a playoff spot if they can get it.
OUTLOOK - This one should look more like Eugene Knights teams you have historically seen. Fast paced offense, and yes a defense that probably gives up more than they'd like. Probably partially because of the fast offense. Nigel Lamb can be a top-5 QB in the league, and he has the weapons to do it. I don't know if this roster can make a deep playoff run, but it's not completely out of the question. They absolutely should be expecting a berth back in the dance.
WHAT WOULD I DO? I mean, I guess trading for McPherson makes sense just in case. And Anthony Torres was fine...the Harris side was a waste of everyone's time as he was a free cut. As it is, there's a good young core sitting there, and the QB has plenty of years left, so this team is set for a long sustained run of success if current trajectory continues. Not much I'd do right now.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 18:39:48 GMT -5
LONDON MONARCHS
OFFENSE - The Monarchs are in that weird "rebuild?" limbo. Are they? Are they done with it? QB Kidd Gunn returns for his 11th season with the Monarchs. Evedarious McCarty seems to be his RB, though Wally Ryan may actually have the job. Gunn has some weapons to work with, including Roger Friedman, Ike Chavayda, and Andrew Crocchio. Rookie Knoxwell Chamberlain may steal playing time as well (perhaps at OS). London's line is about as good as they've had, though a couple injuries create some depth concerns. London will score points. You don't have Kidd Gunn throwing and not score points.
DEFENSE - It's not an elite defense, but it's better than what London's had in awhile. It's also fairly young, which Steve Lamb has always prided himself on developing guys. Gordon Langford has forced the issue of getting playing time at DL, though he's not a top OL. Linebacker is a question, though Wally Ryan is the best there...which may be why he eventually is the full time RBLB. The defensive backfield finally has some depth, though it's not elite depth. Kidd Gunn scores quickly; London's defense will be on the field a fair bit. Just how it is in England.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Werner Brielmeyer was a nice young guy acquisition when London did the biggest part of their rebuild. The kick returner is unclear, though Don Herr may do that as his only real job.
SCHEDULE - It opens with a couple soft road games in Vermont and Richmond. But, there's also road games in Baltimore, Chicago, and New York. It isn't what you'd call an "easy" schedule. The worst of it is a three-game run with OH WAS NY. Ending with Indianapolis and Philadelphia helps if London's in a spot to get a playoff berth.
OUTLOOK - Better than the last couple years. Their old core got old, and now they had to revitalize it. They did. The playoffs this year may be difficult to get to; the league is just strong everywhere. But it's definitely not out of the question.
WHAT WOULD I DO? I'm standing pat here. If things get out of hand, then maybe you bring in more young guys than you otherwise would, but I don't think things are going to get that out of hand.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 18:54:16 GMT -5
FORT McMURRAY FATMEN
OFFENSE - QB Calvin Clothier was a revelation last year, but once he got hurt and others did, the revelation didn't last forever. Fort Mac returns him and some weapons. WRDB Renny Taylor has become a star WRDB for Fort McMurray, while the Fatmen also have receivers to use in Jim Osbon, Demonha Brigham, and Dwight Stewart. RB Gubb Karter may be supplanted some by rookie Civic Slape; Slape may be a superstar for a long time. Fort Mac uses the Houston substitution system in that OS/DS are generally linemen; though they can go more traditional. WR Stefan Cavaluz forced them to do that some last year, and he looks to continue that. If Clothier stays healthy, he's proven that the Fatmen are going to score points in bushels.
DEFENSE - And they may need to. The defensive backfield has some very good players, such as the aforementioned Taylor. It also has severe depth issues that could be exploited heavily by better teams. It may be why Karter stays in a two-way capacity, because he's one of their better DBs. The defensive line goes six deep at a high level, and DS Blake Blast is one of the best in the OIFL. While Clothier was the headliner last year for a battered Fatmen team, this defense is where injuries will cripple their progress.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Joe McMahon has been a guy the Fatmen have never really loved, but here he is kicking again. Cavaluz will return kicks, as he's had some success there in the past.
SCHEDULE - Week 1 at home with Ruidoso...it's premature to call that a must-win for the division here...but it kind of is. The return trip to New Mexico is the opener in a four week death run for the Fatmen (RUI HOU TEX LA), and Fort Mac ends with four at home and three on the road in a row. Week 16 at Vancouver Island might be a huge game for both. If it is, it'd "finally" be a game befitting of the alleged rivalry between the two Canadian teams.
OUTLOOK - Depth may keep them from being a contender, but this Fatmen team will be fun. And at Bob's Car Repairs Stadium, it's always tough. There's no Gary Boddy on the D-Line, but this team will give teams fits, and will shock someone at home. Outside the division, they host Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, London, and Portland.
WHAT WOULD I DO? I don't know if there's much you can do without really risking the future. The team probably isn't "one piece away" from an OIFLCup Game, though when you have superstars (and someone like Clothier seems to be), it could do things for you. The key players for the next five years, many of them are here now. Now, you just develop them and build it.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 19:02:13 GMT -5
PHILADELPHIA FOUNDERS
OFFENSE - Stan Kirby has been pretty solid at QB for the Founders, and he has some weapons to work with. RB Rich Braskett is very good, and receivers such as Ken Wortman and Michael Killawa are also elite. 13th year veteran Herb Hoffman returns for another run for the Founders, and he's going to catch some passes. Depth is going to be Philadelphia's problem, as they are lacking in a lot of spots. The line is OK, but two injuries and things turn bad in a hurry. This could be true everywhere, though young RB Edem Barnes at least gives a little hope if Braskett goes down.
DEFENSE - Depth is a big concern here as well, but the starters are good. The DS combo of Dennis Lee and Ryan Potter are both pretty good. The DL is in trouble against a bruising offensive front. Hoffman has lost a step defensively most notably, but is still good enough to play. Maybe not good enough to start anymore, as Howard Hanson is sitting there ready. Philly will have to do their damage offensively; this defense is probably just average.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Jeff Daugherty won the job, so Dan Nickels was expendable...so save some cash and get a sleeper shot for him. And keep a backup QB (Bruce Rodriguez) around. Michael Killawa will probably return kicks, though new acquisition OS Felix Porter has done so in the past.
SCHEDULE - It's fairly favorable, though it opens with WAS NY CHI. The nonconference games are Lincoln and Seattle, which is not bad. And the season ends with RIC VT LON, so if they're in a spot to make the playoffs late, they may have a favorable path there.
OUTLOOK - I mean ideally, they need an owner. Mike Lewis is not a guarantee to never come back, so let's keep the seat warm, I guess. But they need someone to caretake this team...it's actually fairly close to doing something really good.
WHAT WOULD I DO? There are tradeable pieces for future stuff if things go south. It's a hold firm right now situation, but there are guys who can be dealt if things go south. Which, in this league, they might.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 19:12:17 GMT -5
MEXICO CITY AZTECS
OFFENSE - Sure, they finished fourth in the Southwest Division. But you go 9-1 outside the division, you still make the playoffs. And they did. This offense is quirky - Mexico City can, and will, show multiple looks. Santiago Guerrero never did get to play QBLB in his career; Guerrero did, though, get his first shot as a true starter and led his team to the playoffs. Can he do it again? Amaro Zilanawala will line up at RB/OS, though Wayne Pirlot and Jywaun Elken will both get plenty of playing time. Rookie Arthur Lee may as well. The Aztecs also have weapons to throw to, including Zach Welker, David Dunavin, Kyle English, and youngster Lewis Browning who is up and coming. Curtis Allen is also there. What Mexico City has this year that they lacked last year is depth. Even on the line, with Carlos Fernandez leading a group that now goes 7 deep in truly playable pieces.
DEFENSE - The depth is mostly offensive. Sure, Allen and Browning will play. They will also be targeted when they do play. Zilanawala forces them to use RB/OS because he's not an OIFL-level starting defender. Pirlot and Elken are both better defensively, but at the expense of Zilanawala's offensive strength. The defensive line is not quite as strong as the offensive side, but they go deep enough. Angelo Quintero will lead that side of it. Linebacker is a potential concern, though DS Curtis Johnson probably plays LB/S for them.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Rookie Landes Horton got the job. There may be a couple games where they regret that decision for now, but he's going to be a good kicker for a long time here. Piedmont Moss or maybe Hyacinthe Lord will return kicks, though Lewis Browning could also take that job.
SCHEDULE - That's a rough division still. At least it's not open and close with all 3, but it does open in Fort Worth. Then a home game with Baltimore. The Aztecs have an early four game stretch that reads LA HOU SEA TEX, which is nasty. They do close with three home games, but the last two are Texas and Houston. At least Fort Worth is Week 10?
OUTLOOK - They have a tough road to get back to where they were last year, though everyone in the Southwest Division has that tough road. Such is a problem in the OIFL's toughest division, where last year the AVERAGE team was 8-2 outside the division. Insane.
WHAT WOULD I DO? Not much to do. There's a LOT of youth to build around, at every position on the roster. This has been John-Mark's best build job (and he's had a few in this league), but it may not show better than 9-7 again this year. This one may be built for next year.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 19:28:16 GMT -5
OHIO COMMANDERS
OFFENSE - The OIFL's oldest team is one of its most prolific offenses, as Chris Berkstead returns for Year #9 in command. William Lee behind him is one of the star RBs of the league, and Berkstead has weapons. WR Cornell Sarvas, Norm Whittington, and Verner Bloom create a potent offensive attach. Ohio has a very deep line...however, it's probably "too" deep. If any of those skill position guys get hurt, it may not matter that James "Snacks" Jones has two legitimate backups, as do the other two starting OL. Injuries will wreck this roster if they hit.
DEFENSE - The defense is solid, if unspectacular. Lee is an elite linebacker. Jones, with Jabyess Chapman and (probably) Quinton Schelleneger create a pretty good defensive line, and again ample depth. The DB corps with Oliver Quinn and Ja'Quan Diek with Sarvas and Whittington create a decent defensive backfield, though depth is again going to be a big question mark. Ohio has traditionally had too much of something - it used to be DS, now it appears to be linemen. The high flying offense may create a defense that gives up a bunch.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Reid Warrick is the last of the drop kicking kicker in this league, and hey he's great at it. Ohio's won at least one game because of it. Bloom has always been an elite kick returner.
SCHEDULE - It opens with three on the road, but Florida and Indianapolis are two of those three. The Chicago games are Weeks 5 and 16, and those are the bellwether. Chicago opens up a three-game stretch for Ohio that is CHI WAS NY. A quirk of their schedule is that the two Richmond games are Weeks 13 and 15...but around those are games with London, Delmarva, and that second Chicago game. It's not as bad as it could be, but it's not an easy schedule.
OUTLOOK - Now here's the concern for Commanders fans. Is this team a clear OIFLCup contender? No? They could be one, but it's not clear. It is, however, the single oldest team in the OIFL. That's not a great combo. So, the long-term outlook is iffy, though William Lee is going to be really good for a long time. There are young pieces, it's just not a young team.
WHAT WOULD I DO? You have to ride this out. Now, I'd sign some RB/WR players and cut back some of the excess linemen. But beyond that, what can you do? IF things go south, which is unlikely, then you think about trading every old piece for whatever youth and picks you can get, and blow it up quick. There's enough there that it could be a quick rebuild, though there's (always) luck involved.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jul 10, 2021 21:01:49 GMT -5
LOS ANGELES MATADORS
OFFENSE - The team whose run of elite success that won't die, Los Angeles comes back AGAIN with a team that's ready to make some noise. Last year was a bit of a down year, as the Jason Stackhouse experiment didn't start off the way the Matadors had hoped. Year two should be better. Ross Franklin lines up behind Stackhouse, and Stackhouse also has weapons at receiver in Donald Avery Hall, Gerald Poff, and Vernon Burkhead. The team has ample depth at all spots as well, including young guys like RB Nell Crain and rookie Avile Hayda (who you won't see much of). The line is not super loaded both ways, but the offensive line is quite deep. Los Angeles used to be a team that tried to slow games to a crawl to get out with a 38-35 win. They don't need to do that anymore.
DEFENSE - The defensive line starting is OK, with Devon Chill, Dane Efron, and Steven Craig leading the way. Depth here is not as strong, meaning the rest periods will probably be when the team's on offense. Can be tough to do in the quarter. The OIFL's longest-running DS tandem of Cindric Coyne and Raphael Urquijo returns, with Coyne finally showing signs of aging here. It's still strong, but not the "best in the league" level it's been. Depth on defense all over could be a concern, as guys like Ted Gervasi or Nell Crain are a fair drop from Franklin at LB as well. Unlike old Venice Waveriders teams, this LA team will be outscoring teams.
SPECIAL TEAMS - The Matadors franchise has been around since 2008 in the OIFL. LA kickers have 1,920 points all-time. Jamie Cabrera has 1,886 of them (Gary Hoffert and Alan Morre have the rest, both during times when Cabrera was hurt). To say he's a mainstay is probably understating it. Cabrera is #6 all-time in points, and with a good offensive season he will be #3 by years' end (Jose Cortez, Sergi Womack, Olin Cringle are all retired). Burkhead will continue to return kicks capably for the Matadors.
SCHEDULE - An opener in Lincoln is nice. The schedule actually doesn't have any long stretches of rough games, pending how teams are - if someone like a Eugene and Fort McMurray are greatly improved, then a run of HOU EUG NY FM TEX FW is actually fairly rough. But overall, it's not too bad. Seattle Week 16 could be a huge game.
OUTLOOK - I don't love the defense, but Los Angeles has been a perennial contender for pushing a decade now, and it's not changing.
WHAT WOULD I DO? Probably need to push for the defense here in next year's camp. Otherwise this team is ripe for getting popped by someone in the playoffs. Otherwise, it's mostly incremental change, and I guess if Stackhouse throws for 90 touchdowns it doesn't really matter as much...
|
|