#10 Deputy Year-In-Review

Preview: (Posted before the 2015 Draft)
The chrome domed nomadic tribe that conquered Indiana with their victory over Pawnee in 2014 has taken up a new host city again, Ajay's third in four years. Deputy will be home to a team that has never finished with a losing record- and The Van Halens should have a good chance to build on that premise in 2015.

Final Record:
Five Wins, Eight Lossess (2,144.65 points; 164.97 avg - 11th)

Playoffs:
Defeated HCM City in Consolation Quarterfinal 180.12 - 148.66
Lost to Hill Valley McFlys in Consolation Semifinal 247.30 - 179.79
Lost to Manitoba MooseCrew in 9th Place Game 196.36 - 163.38

Synopsis:
It was a brutally disappointing year for the Van Halens, the first season under .500% in the franchise's four year history. Their plans were undermined from the start, when WR Kelvin Benjamin went down in the preseason and the team was forced to scramble to make up depth- downgrading from DT and Watkins to Hilton and Maclin. They might have overcome that but for CJ Anderson's bust season- and the worst middle of the draft of any team in the league. Even giving them a pass on ASJ in the seventh, the team added almost no value from there on out: even mainstays like Dan Bailey and Calais Campbell were drafted too early. STILL, the team inexplicably managed to tread water at 4-5 through nine weeks, and with a huge final month had a chance at a playoff spot; hitting the waiver lottery on Deangelo Williams and mortgaging their depth for a top caliber wide receiver in Julian Edelman, his unfortunate injury in week 10 ended that dream, as the team got smushed three times in a row by the Canadian triumvirate. None of their losses were even close this year- in fact, outside of a week three victory over LHT, their other dozen games were all definitive results. 'They are who we thought they were:' terrifically volatile from week to week, dependent upon huge individual efforts, spinning the wheel on defense week in and week out, and not getting enough hits to be a real factor. The best feather in their cap for 2015 is that they beat each of the participants in the Larkspur Bowl.. more lucky than good.

Draft Analysis:

VALUABLE ; TRADED ; DROPPED; RECYCLED; INJURED

The VH suffered from a veritable bust in the second round (CJ Anderson) as any player in your top six picks needs to contribute, so dropping one of them is a real bad sign. Losing Kelvin Benjamin to injury before week one put this team behind the 8 ball, forcing them to trade their other top WRs to restock the cupboard. A couple of wasted picks in the mid rounds (notbaly RG3, Jacquian Williams, and Ray Rice) really cost this team the depth they would need, and ASJ's huge week one followed by a long injury stole a roster spot the team could have used. Most of the other IDP picks were fine- rolling over anything but the highest tier of talent is preferable.

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

DVH: C- GRADE
Strength: WR
Weakness: RB

They fixed their needs at LB post draft, but there's no surplus of RBs, and all of theirs have something to prove.The tradition of QB controversy continues in Deputy.

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

• SEP 9 traded WR Demaryius Thomas (247.8), WR Sammy Watkins (222.2), and RB Matt Jones (131.8) to HVM for WR TY Hilton (207.5), WR Jeremy Maclin (226.3), TE Owen Daniels (103.8), and WR Brandon Coleman (80.)

The typically stubborn DVH franchise (two trades in 2014, two in 2013, none in 2012) were open for business in 2015- initially out of necessity. In an effort to help restock the coffee with talent following the loss of WR Kelvin Benjamin, the team slightly downgraded its top two remaining WRs and added TE Owen Daniels and Brandon Coleman. The impact there was slightly mitigated by the fact that Daniels never played a down with Deputy, and after Coleman had a reasonable week one he trailed off into obscurity. Matt Jones ended up outproducing them both in a maddeningly unpredictable way that may have been a headache better avoided.

• OCT 28 traded WR Jeremy Maclin (134.5) to PHX for WR Brandon LaFell (80.2), WR Kamar Aiken (130.7), and RB Darren McFadden (154.3)

The Van Halens cashed in Maclin coming off injury- they gained two assets that would establish themselves as high caliber pieces the rest of the way; Though not the two they expected. Kamar Aiken was a last second throw in on the deal and ended up being paramount to Maclin the rest of the season. Brandon LaFell was a reasonable flex option returning from injury, with a trio of double digit performances- McFadden had a fine week in Deputy Red and Black before he was flipped again.

• NOV 5 traded RB Darren McFadden (136.6), RB Ronnie Hillman (98.5), and WR Leonard Hankerson (12.5) to OAK for WR Julian Edelman (21.85)

McFadden's mercurial history has made him an oft-traded hot potato, nobody wanting to get stuck with him for very long. This season though he came into his own, improving throughout the year. Still, he became expendable when Deputy scored cream of the crop waiver claim Deangelo Williams. With their sights set on an elite WR and Oakwood suddenly without their marquee RB Le'veon Bell, it was a match made in heaven, and should have been the masterstroke that set the Van Halens up for the stretch run. Alas, after one glorious week (week nine over the Petes) Edelman was shot, and so was the Deputy.

Player of the Week Awards:

• WK06 PUotW: CB Bashaud Breeland (25.85pts)
• WK09 PUotW: RB DeAngelo Williams (45.2pts)
• CBQF OPotW: WR Ted Ginn (31.20pts)

All Larkspur Bowl Players:

• Running Back: DeAngelo Williams (247.2 pts)

Depth Chart:

• QB: Phil Rivers
• RB: TJ Yeldon, Deangelo Williams, Buck Allen, Cam Artis-Payne
• WR: Julian Edelman, TY Hilton, Kamar Aiken, Ted Ginn, Brandon LaFell, Brandon Coleman, Kelvin Bejamin
• TE: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Crockett Gilmore
• K: Dan Bailey
• DL: Calais Campbell
• LB: Devon Kennard, Nigel Bradham, Wesley Woodyard, OBrien Schofield, James Anderson, Elvis Dumervil, Chad Greenway, Brandon Graham Shea McClellin
• CB: Logan Ryan, Tramon Williams, Bashaud Breeland, DJ Hayden
• S: Landon Collins, Corey Graham, Jaquiski Tartt