Post by Washington Insiders on Apr 27, 2023 21:20:12 GMT -5
I thought I'd share my thoughts on the Dispersal Draft team-by-team now that it's wrapped up. Feel free to comment with your thoughts also!
BALTIMORE - Selected: WRDB Balon Arryn
I like this pick for them, Arryn feels like a Breakers player to me with his skillset and how it compares to their other WRDBs. Playing time could be tough to come by in a loaded Baltimore locker room, but he'll make the most of the chances he gets I'm sure.
CHICAGO - Selected: DS JaQuan Lippmann
An interesting pick for the Blues in my view, since they had a pretty good and sizable group of DS players before adding Lippmann here. That said, a few of them are close to aging so this move low keys makes sense to build young depth behind their starters.
COLUMBUS - Selected: RBDB Clark Staley, Jr.
Staley looks primed to come in and become the starter at RBDB for the recently rebranded Hunters. Not a guy they can build around long-term but they already have some guys to develop on the roster so nothing wrong with getting the guy to play now at all. Columbus surprised after last season's fire sale, so getting ready to make a new run makes sense.
DALLAS - Selected: OLDL Jack Kelly, OLDL John Daviault, OLDL Claude Halbert, DS Leigh Duggan, QB JacQuan Fitzgibbons
The Dragons turned a sleeper shot into Daviault, which for a team just building its roster is a strong move. Him and Kelly are two young studs they can build their line around long term. Halbert will need some work but the vets on the roster give them time to build him up. I like Fitzgibbons as a guy to develop at QB, and Duggan has potential at DS but will need some work in camp. Luckily DS are one of the easier positions to build up.
DELMARVA - Selected: None
They dealt their 24th pick to Dallas for a sleeper shot, so we'll see if it works out. I assume the calculus was that whoever they picked wouldn't help much, and this trade gets them a better sleeper shot than just passing on the pick, so it makes sense if I have that figured right.
EUGENE - Selected: QB Petr Kopfstein
This pick surprised me since they have Lamb and Austin Rodgers as a veteran backup, but Kopfstein could come in if needed and the team wouldn't miss a beat which is a plus for a team that will be well in the thick of it for the playoffs. He was also arguably the top player on the board by then, and the Knights don't have many glaring weaknesses that the draft could have addressed. Unexpected for me, but I like it.
FLORIDA - Selected: DS Jan Barnhill, OLDL Dale Harding
The Tuskers procured two picks in the Top 10 of this draft and used it on their line and defense. Harding is interesting in that he has at least a couple of years, but should be a playable 11/11 guy after camp. It's not often to get that type of guy in a dispersal but they managed to do so. Barnhill is in a similar position, and while he may not become a starter for them he sures up their depth and gives them 4 solid DS players so that none of the two-way players have to play in the role.
FORT McMURRAY - Selected: OLDL Ronn Hillitzer
The Fatmen are in a window to win it all, so they go with the vet who is ready to play with the best today. Based on the current roster I'd guess Hillitzer starts Week 1, depending on camp of course. A good pick to build up an area that needed some help.
HOUSTON - Selected: None
Houston traded the pick to Philadelphia in exchange for RBDB Don Sochowicz and RBLB Bernie Burke. Houston in the past used a more wide open system, so this may signal a shift, or it was just a chance to get two strong players for the price of one. Look forward to seeing how they use Sochowicz.
INDIANAPOLIS - Selected: None
The Racers had the 3rd pick, but sent it to Washington. In return they received WRDBs Tomlinson and Aramayo, OS Moss, $3 million, Washington's 2nd rounder and a conditional pick in the future. Indianapolis needed depth (had no backups at WR going into the drafts) so in my mind this move with these three and the future assets will help more than any one player would have. OS Moss can step in and start, letting them use WRLB Dietrich in a two-way role. Tomlinson and Aramayo are both able to step into the lineup with the players they're joining. Tomlinson will give some veteran leadership while Aramayo is a younger guy who can continue to be trained up for years. The conditional pick will get them a solid contributor down the road as well.
LONDON - Selected: None
London sent their pick to Florida, but in return they got RBLB Jean Denham, who was one of their best players last year. The Monarchs typically use a RBDB, so I wonder if this signals a shift in strategy or just a case of getting the best players they can and figure out how to use them afterward. Denham is a guy to build a team around in my opinion, and you can never really argue against a move that gets you one of those.
LOS ANGELES - Selected: WRDB B Fortney
Fortney gives the Matadors a fairly young (2.5) receiver to spell their vets and help them transition as some of their starters cross the aging threshold. He's not just young though, he can play. He's not quite the blocker that the other receivers are but he can pick that up over time. Between this pick and signing Baran in FAFFA their situation now looks much different than it did before FAFFA.
MEXICO CITY - Selected: DS Henson Meier
The Aztecs sought to improve their defense with the #4 pick, and Meier helps to do that. I would expect he'll slot into the lineup next to Curtis Johnson which will allow him to play more on both sides of the ball. As their fastest and most skilled DS in coverage I would expect him to man up against opponents #1 receivers when in Man coverage. He's a decent tackler, enough that he won't be a liability if a ballcarrier gets to his area in zone coverage, and he should be able to lock his zones down well against the pass. A good pick here.
NEW YORK - Selected: OLDL Robert Stockdale, WRDB Willie Carr, OLDL Mister Metz, TEDL David Morris
The Mean Machine were wheeling and dealing up to and during the draft in the effort to reshape their roster and came away with a few guys to potentially build their line
PHILADELPHIA - Selected: OLDL Rick Smith, OLDL Ted Trowbridge
The Founders strengthened their foundation... get it... with these two picks. Trowbridge needs to grow some more to get on the field by choice, but Smith should step right in and contribute for a team looking to take the next step this season.
PORTLAND - Selected: RBDB Jessie Shepherd
The Pioneers knew Shepherd was too good to pass up, so even though they haven't used RBDBs much in past years they made him the top pick, and then drafted a RBDB in the entry as well, making this pick truly transformative for the team. Shepherd can do it all, so he may or may not play his native role all the time (we'll see come Week 1 I suppose), but he'll excel however he's used.
RICHMOND - Selected: OLDL Hugh McCarron
The Revolution were surely excited to grab McCarron with the #2 pick. He'll instantly be their best OLDL and this year's entry picks aside, is also their youngest. If they sink some good TC into him they can have an elite player for a long, long time.
RUIDOSO - Selected: OLDL Antoine Barber
The Kids kept their pick and used it to pick a player who could possibly start now, and will surely be a starter in the future as his best years are still ahead. Nice pick for a team who needed this type of talent on their line.
SEATTLE - Selected: QB Mark Kingseed
Seattle is a team that stayed put in the draft, and got a quality quarterback who will greatly fit their system. He won't be a starter here except for injury- Poole is a star with a long future ahead- but his mobility, and a demonstrated ability to catch the ball will give them a backup who can play the type of ball they're used to from a QB, and allow for some of the trick plays they were in the past well known for.
TEXAS - Selected: None
Texas traded out during the Mean Machine fire sale, and their pick was but one piece of a monster deal which brought in WRDBs Miquel Simpson and John Barba, OS Vernon Tyler, and OLDLs Harry Tomlinson and Drew Early. This deal gave Texas' bench a whole new look and keeps them squarely in the championship hunt, so long term this trade will be judged largely on how successful their season is.
VANCOUVER ISLAND - Selected: WRLB Ernie Huber
Huber is a good long term pick for the Blitz, who stayed in their spot to take him. Under 1 year of aging, and 10's across all the important skills including leadership. Focus on him and he could be a star in a few years.
WASHINGTON - Selected: WRDB Howard Hanson
After trading out of the dispersal draft, the Insiders traded back in to take who was generally considered the top WRDB on the board. Hanson brings speed which will help them keep up with some of the faster teams in the league and solidifies their WRDB bench. Picking him cost them 2 WRDBs, an OS, multiple picks and $3 million, so they must hope he is a long term player for them.
"AVAILABLE TEAM 2" - Selected: OLDL Lloyd Booth, WRDB David Hansen, WRDB Tom Blevins, DS Antonio Ruscio, WRDB Duvon Edwards, OS Gary Minnich
"AVAILABLE TEAM 3" - Selected: OLDL Jyron Shamburger, RBLB Michael Pouliout, OLDL Antwaan Jackson, OLDL Jeff Mackey
Both of these teams got several guys who can help fill out their rosters, and some will likely play this season depending on what happens when they get their owners lined up.
BALTIMORE - Selected: WRDB Balon Arryn
I like this pick for them, Arryn feels like a Breakers player to me with his skillset and how it compares to their other WRDBs. Playing time could be tough to come by in a loaded Baltimore locker room, but he'll make the most of the chances he gets I'm sure.
CHICAGO - Selected: DS JaQuan Lippmann
An interesting pick for the Blues in my view, since they had a pretty good and sizable group of DS players before adding Lippmann here. That said, a few of them are close to aging so this move low keys makes sense to build young depth behind their starters.
COLUMBUS - Selected: RBDB Clark Staley, Jr.
Staley looks primed to come in and become the starter at RBDB for the recently rebranded Hunters. Not a guy they can build around long-term but they already have some guys to develop on the roster so nothing wrong with getting the guy to play now at all. Columbus surprised after last season's fire sale, so getting ready to make a new run makes sense.
DALLAS - Selected: OLDL Jack Kelly, OLDL John Daviault, OLDL Claude Halbert, DS Leigh Duggan, QB JacQuan Fitzgibbons
The Dragons turned a sleeper shot into Daviault, which for a team just building its roster is a strong move. Him and Kelly are two young studs they can build their line around long term. Halbert will need some work but the vets on the roster give them time to build him up. I like Fitzgibbons as a guy to develop at QB, and Duggan has potential at DS but will need some work in camp. Luckily DS are one of the easier positions to build up.
DELMARVA - Selected: None
They dealt their 24th pick to Dallas for a sleeper shot, so we'll see if it works out. I assume the calculus was that whoever they picked wouldn't help much, and this trade gets them a better sleeper shot than just passing on the pick, so it makes sense if I have that figured right.
EUGENE - Selected: QB Petr Kopfstein
This pick surprised me since they have Lamb and Austin Rodgers as a veteran backup, but Kopfstein could come in if needed and the team wouldn't miss a beat which is a plus for a team that will be well in the thick of it for the playoffs. He was also arguably the top player on the board by then, and the Knights don't have many glaring weaknesses that the draft could have addressed. Unexpected for me, but I like it.
FLORIDA - Selected: DS Jan Barnhill, OLDL Dale Harding
The Tuskers procured two picks in the Top 10 of this draft and used it on their line and defense. Harding is interesting in that he has at least a couple of years, but should be a playable 11/11 guy after camp. It's not often to get that type of guy in a dispersal but they managed to do so. Barnhill is in a similar position, and while he may not become a starter for them he sures up their depth and gives them 4 solid DS players so that none of the two-way players have to play in the role.
FORT McMURRAY - Selected: OLDL Ronn Hillitzer
The Fatmen are in a window to win it all, so they go with the vet who is ready to play with the best today. Based on the current roster I'd guess Hillitzer starts Week 1, depending on camp of course. A good pick to build up an area that needed some help.
HOUSTON - Selected: None
Houston traded the pick to Philadelphia in exchange for RBDB Don Sochowicz and RBLB Bernie Burke. Houston in the past used a more wide open system, so this may signal a shift, or it was just a chance to get two strong players for the price of one. Look forward to seeing how they use Sochowicz.
INDIANAPOLIS - Selected: None
The Racers had the 3rd pick, but sent it to Washington. In return they received WRDBs Tomlinson and Aramayo, OS Moss, $3 million, Washington's 2nd rounder and a conditional pick in the future. Indianapolis needed depth (had no backups at WR going into the drafts) so in my mind this move with these three and the future assets will help more than any one player would have. OS Moss can step in and start, letting them use WRLB Dietrich in a two-way role. Tomlinson and Aramayo are both able to step into the lineup with the players they're joining. Tomlinson will give some veteran leadership while Aramayo is a younger guy who can continue to be trained up for years. The conditional pick will get them a solid contributor down the road as well.
LONDON - Selected: None
London sent their pick to Florida, but in return they got RBLB Jean Denham, who was one of their best players last year. The Monarchs typically use a RBDB, so I wonder if this signals a shift in strategy or just a case of getting the best players they can and figure out how to use them afterward. Denham is a guy to build a team around in my opinion, and you can never really argue against a move that gets you one of those.
LOS ANGELES - Selected: WRDB B Fortney
Fortney gives the Matadors a fairly young (2.5) receiver to spell their vets and help them transition as some of their starters cross the aging threshold. He's not just young though, he can play. He's not quite the blocker that the other receivers are but he can pick that up over time. Between this pick and signing Baran in FAFFA their situation now looks much different than it did before FAFFA.
MEXICO CITY - Selected: DS Henson Meier
The Aztecs sought to improve their defense with the #4 pick, and Meier helps to do that. I would expect he'll slot into the lineup next to Curtis Johnson which will allow him to play more on both sides of the ball. As their fastest and most skilled DS in coverage I would expect him to man up against opponents #1 receivers when in Man coverage. He's a decent tackler, enough that he won't be a liability if a ballcarrier gets to his area in zone coverage, and he should be able to lock his zones down well against the pass. A good pick here.
NEW YORK - Selected: OLDL Robert Stockdale, WRDB Willie Carr, OLDL Mister Metz, TEDL David Morris
The Mean Machine were wheeling and dealing up to and during the draft in the effort to reshape their roster and came away with a few guys to potentially build their line
PHILADELPHIA - Selected: OLDL Rick Smith, OLDL Ted Trowbridge
The Founders strengthened their foundation... get it... with these two picks. Trowbridge needs to grow some more to get on the field by choice, but Smith should step right in and contribute for a team looking to take the next step this season.
PORTLAND - Selected: RBDB Jessie Shepherd
The Pioneers knew Shepherd was too good to pass up, so even though they haven't used RBDBs much in past years they made him the top pick, and then drafted a RBDB in the entry as well, making this pick truly transformative for the team. Shepherd can do it all, so he may or may not play his native role all the time (we'll see come Week 1 I suppose), but he'll excel however he's used.
RICHMOND - Selected: OLDL Hugh McCarron
The Revolution were surely excited to grab McCarron with the #2 pick. He'll instantly be their best OLDL and this year's entry picks aside, is also their youngest. If they sink some good TC into him they can have an elite player for a long, long time.
RUIDOSO - Selected: OLDL Antoine Barber
The Kids kept their pick and used it to pick a player who could possibly start now, and will surely be a starter in the future as his best years are still ahead. Nice pick for a team who needed this type of talent on their line.
SEATTLE - Selected: QB Mark Kingseed
Seattle is a team that stayed put in the draft, and got a quality quarterback who will greatly fit their system. He won't be a starter here except for injury- Poole is a star with a long future ahead- but his mobility, and a demonstrated ability to catch the ball will give them a backup who can play the type of ball they're used to from a QB, and allow for some of the trick plays they were in the past well known for.
TEXAS - Selected: None
Texas traded out during the Mean Machine fire sale, and their pick was but one piece of a monster deal which brought in WRDBs Miquel Simpson and John Barba, OS Vernon Tyler, and OLDLs Harry Tomlinson and Drew Early. This deal gave Texas' bench a whole new look and keeps them squarely in the championship hunt, so long term this trade will be judged largely on how successful their season is.
VANCOUVER ISLAND - Selected: WRLB Ernie Huber
Huber is a good long term pick for the Blitz, who stayed in their spot to take him. Under 1 year of aging, and 10's across all the important skills including leadership. Focus on him and he could be a star in a few years.
WASHINGTON - Selected: WRDB Howard Hanson
After trading out of the dispersal draft, the Insiders traded back in to take who was generally considered the top WRDB on the board. Hanson brings speed which will help them keep up with some of the faster teams in the league and solidifies their WRDB bench. Picking him cost them 2 WRDBs, an OS, multiple picks and $3 million, so they must hope he is a long term player for them.
"AVAILABLE TEAM 2" - Selected: OLDL Lloyd Booth, WRDB David Hansen, WRDB Tom Blevins, DS Antonio Ruscio, WRDB Duvon Edwards, OS Gary Minnich
"AVAILABLE TEAM 3" - Selected: OLDL Jyron Shamburger, RBLB Michael Pouliout, OLDL Antwaan Jackson, OLDL Jeff Mackey
Both of these teams got several guys who can help fill out their rosters, and some will likely play this season depending on what happens when they get their owners lined up.