#1 South Park Year-In-Review

Preview: (Posted before the 2015 Draft)
After two years splitting duties in Toronto, "Co-Manager Mike" chose to go it alone in 2014- and set a record for expansion team victories in year one, pulling double digits right off the first whistle. After securing the #2 seed and a bye, the Cows went down to the Finest 'team of destiny' in the second round, before rallying to take the bronze. An immediate contender looking to take it to the next level in 2015- winning it all.

Final Record:
Seven Wins, Six Losses (2,403.23 points; 194.86 avg - 4th)

Playoffs:
Defeated Revis Islanders in Larkspur Bowl Quarterfinals 183.20 - 160.51
Defeated New York's Finest in Larkspur Bowl Semifinals 216.61 - 214.11
Defeated Pawnee Pride in Larkspur Bowl VII 224.98 - 136.36

Synopsis:
After their inaugural season had a dominant regular season followed by a one and done playoff run, the Cows had a different odyssey in store for 2015: They scraped through the regular season, surviving a midseason avalanche where Pawnee, New York, and Deputy combined to pile 686.77 points on them in back to back to back blowouts. They recovered and secured a playoff spot in final week of the season, defeating old friend Toronto in a must win, and then defeating the Islanders in a slugfest. In the semifinals they had a chance to flip the script with New York: in 2014, the Finest surged into the semifinal to knock off the sacred Cows- now it was SPC's turn to drop the top dog. Brandin Cooks was legendary in the fourth quarter, a showcase of WR depth that quietly rivaled their opponent's; Cooks, Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry, and John Brown got vertical early and often this year. The RB situation was fluid through the season, and the team nearly lost Carson Palmer, risking him on the wire before getting him back unscathed; Tight End was never a highlight for the Cows, but they had guys chip in points when it counted. The defense was elite at ballhawking: Reggie Nelson's eight picks led the league, while Ron Parker and Dave Amerson gave the team value on the edges that other teams could not match. The unit was anchored by 23rd round pick Aaron Donald who bullrushed his way into the position's top three. It was a perfect storm the team rode expertly to its conclusion, ticker tape parade raining down upon their silver chalice. Two seasons in, the Cows have been to the top of the mountain, and know what it takes to get there: when their title defense begins next August, they'll be well regarded as favorites.

Draft Analysis:

VALUABLE ; TRADED ; DROPPED; RECYCLED; INJURED

The champs had a very good draft- the best pick was probably their last, Aaron Donald, who was nearly JJ Watt, except 303 picks later. It's pretty impressive that the team picked three RBs in the first five rounds, and all of them disappointed pretty thoroughly. Jeremy Hill really struggled midseason and never really made good on his first round pedigree. Andre Ellington and Ameer Abdullah both bottomed out and were dropped outright. 14th round selection Duke Johnson was a nice contributor, though he could hardly be mistaken for elite. The Cows had a great WR corps, cashed in on waiting for a QB, made a shrewd grab at TE, cultivated a defense, and just got by at RB, on their way to winning the trophy. Might be the blueprint for 2016!

Projected Points by Position versus League Average Projections (POST DRAFT)

SPC: B GRADE
Strength: Weapons & Defense
Weakness: QB & TE

The Cows have a deep arsenal of high upside weapons, but will rely on two injury prone QBs (Palmer & Bradford) to get them the ball. This is a stellar all around defense.

Trade Review: (Listing each player's point total following the trade)

• NOV 12 traded LB Bobby Wagner (86.6) to PHX for RB Jeremy Langford (106.3) and LB Kevin Minter (48.5)

The Cows have expertly navigated the draft and wire, mining it for talent in their two very successful seasons. However, until November 12th, they had not utilized the trading block for upgrades. On the day of the deadline, they received an off they could not refuse: A much needed bellcow running back. Jeremy Langford South Park debut was monstrous, and after that he provided a stability the team could rely on to not lose games for them, as the aerial assault had its way with defenses. The downgrade from Wagner to Minter was substantial, but again: Minter gave the team a floor to function as a launching pad. Obviously things worked out for the green and white.

Player of the Week Awards:

• WK10 OPotW: RB Jeremy Langford (39.8pts)
• WK12 PUotW: RB Spencer Ware (21.7pts)
• WK14 DPotW: DT Aaron Donald (18.0pts)
• WK16 OPotW: WR Julio Jones (24.1pts)
• WK16 DPotW: LB Denzel Perryman (15.0pts)

All Larkspur Bowl Players:

• Wide Receiver Julio Jones (357.50pts)

Depth Chart:

• QB: Carson Palmer, Marcus Mariota
• RB: Jeremy Hill, Duke Johnson, Jeremy Langford, Mike Gillislee, Andre Ellington, Spencer Ware
• WR: Julio Jones, Brandin Cooks, Jarvis Landry, John Brown, Philly Brown
• TE: Richard Rodgers, Vernon Davis, Will Tye
• K: Chandler Catanzaro
• DL: Aaron Donald
• LB: Ryan Shazier, Kevin Minter, Kwon Alexander, Denzel Perryman, Zach Brown, Kiko Alonso
• CB: Ron Parker, Dave Amerson, Brandon Browner, Xavier Rhodes
• S: Reggie Nelson, James Ihedigbo, Michael Griffin