Wednesday, September 30, 2015

TRADE 06: Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hyde

Savannah and Manitoba linked up for a trade. It was the Moosecrew's first of the season (third all time) and Savannah's third of the season (twenty-seventh all time) and both teams addressed some needs:

MANITOBA ACQUIRES:
RB CARLOS HYDE

 SAVANNAH ACQUIRES:
RB RASHAD JENNINGS
WR TAVON AUSTIN



Hyde was a decisive beast in week one, taking home OPotW honors and helping the Petes score their first and only victory to date. But game flow has really hindered his ability to contribute meaningful numbers in subsequent weeks. With the Moosecrew, Hyde will be the secondary back to All Day Adrian Peterson, giving him some week to week leeway.

For Savannah, Jennings is the utility back they coveted, a guy they hope can be matchup proof; With double digit touches in all three weeks, and double digit scores in two of three weeks, he doesn't possess the raw talent that Hyde does, but should be able to replicate the meaningful output more consistently. Tavon Austin has spent his LFL career on the fringes, a gadget player who is used creatively: On the season, his 16 touches are evenly split between catches and carries, despite his WR designation. A playmaking home run threat that also returns kicks (one TD already this year) he's being given the opportunity to capitalize on his pedigree and excel in the flex for a Petes team that doesn't have any real game breakers at WR past DeAndre Hopkins, and shelved superstar Dez Bryant, who still lacks a concrete timetable in recovery.
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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

WEEK THREE: Recap

Third week is in the books, giving the standings some shapeliness. The two teams that played in last year's Larkspur Bowl championship are the last two remaining unbeaten, as Phoenix and New York keep rolling. Two other teams remain winless on the season: the forever luckless Lead Farmers, and accursed Head Trauma.




Week 3 Matchups



In the first matchup of undefeated teams, the Islanders (2-1) saw Randall Cobb put up some great numbers in garbage time... but the game was already out of reach, as the Uprising (3-0) had maxed out the scoreboard: Keenan Allen has bookended a miserable week two with elite results, and Devonta Freeman put up an unreal point total on his way to being named the PUotW for week three.

The Sasquatch (2-1) have rebounded nicely from a week one loss, and are the overall points leader through three weeks. But for their deficiency at tight end, Saskatoon has a deep, well rounded roster that has the look of a contender; After two terrible years, this is a team that has a definitive chip on their shoulder. HCM City (0-3) is sinking into the same hole they did last year: losing close, but losing nonetheless.

New York (3-0) had their way with Pawnee (2-1) in the other bout of previously unblemished records. The Pride just had no defense: Alec Ogletree and Aqib Talib showed up to play, and the other five roster spots combined for nineteen points. The finest went over 200 points for the second week in a row, despite receiving goose eggs from Davante Adams and Tyler Eifert. Both are expected to play big roles for the defending champs this season, who have to hope the poor efforts are temporary setbacks instead of a sign of things to come.

South Park (2-1) looked poised to win last week before losing late... This week there would be no such issue, as they staked themselves to an insurmountable lead. The McFlys (1-2) are the season's early disappointments, as they struggled to field a competent team each week, despite a bench stocked with upside. Hill Valley will look to even the score in a rematch of the 2012 Larkspur Bowl next week against the Islanders.

Woeful Deputy (1-2) managed to top moribund Liberal (0-3) in the fourth quarter of a sloppy game. OPotW AJ Green was the Alpha and Omega for the HT franchise, who hoped to grind out the win with Eddie Lacy and Travis Kelce late. But the rest of the team was a flesh pile of setbacks and disappointment, allowing Jeremy Maclin to score the game winner in the final seconds. Neither team should feel emboldened through three weeks, though the Van Halens get a win, and Liberal might have Arian Foster back soon. Somebody said it ain't over til it's over. That person is dead, but that doesn't undermine the factual aspect of the statement.

Toronto (1-2) wasted a DPotW performance from the Honey Badger in this one, as Manitoba (2-1) leaned on veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald once again. Adrian Peterson is back to being the workhorse he always has been, and the MooseCrew's experienced team looks capable of going big this year, especially if they can get adequate at QB and find a way to involve Andre Johnson. Toronto has quality depth, but not a lot of it- they'll need to play the matchups shrewdly each week to stay relevant.

Oakwood (1-2) worked out the kinks in this one, as their top pick Le'veon Bell took the field for the first stop in his anticipated tour de force. After a triumphant week one, Savannah (1-2) has looked terribly uneven, ravaged by injury as they are. They'll need to tread water and wait for their stars to come back, or they'll need to make tactical moves to restore some consistency. The Drivers 195.61 point total is actually the second highest score in franchise history- they have only broken 200 points once, when they scored 201 in week 13 of 2013.



OPotW: WR AJ Green, Liberal Head Trauma (48.8pts)
AJ Green caught ten balls for 227 yards, seven first downs and two touchdowns. Deputy could not stop him, but they managed to stop like, everybody else, ever. Yes, AJ Green accounted for more than a third of Head Trauma's total output on the day. Without AJ Green, the team would have scored 86 points.

DPotW: FS Ty Mathieu, Toronto Les Tres Petites (35.0pts)
The Honey Badger picked off two passes, taking one all the way back for a score. He defended two other passes, and made five tackles, one behind the line of scrimmage. Watch it run in slow motion, it's pretty badass. Tyrann Mathieu is just crazy. He's the most fearless. Honey Badger don't care, Honey Badger just takes what it wants.

PUotW: RB Devonta Freeman, Phoenix Uprising (42.8pts)
After bad mouthing Freeman all season, the Uprising were forced to claim him to replace Telvin Coleman, suffering from a cracked rib. Freeman ended up having a career best game, going for 193 total yards on thirty carries and five catches. He made ten first downs, and scored three touchdowns. Uh, take back what you said little girl.
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Thursday, September 24, 2015

TRADE 05: Give me your tired, your poor, your suspended, your questionable

Pawnee and Savannah made a move in the eleventh hour last night, an intriguing three for three deal that augments both rosters and addresses needs.

SAVANNAH ACQUIRES:
RB ISAIAH CROWELL
WR CECIL SHORTS III
TE DWAYNE ALLEN

PAWNEE ACQUIRES:
WR JAMES JONES
TE ANTONIO GATES
TE LADARIUS GREEN




The Petes clear their glut of tight ends- they've moved on from all three of their draft picks now over the course of two trades, and will move forward with Kyle Rudolph (currently healthy) and blocking specialist Dwayne Allen, who remains kinetic in the red zone.  The more interesting gets are RB Isaiah Crowell, who gives Savannah another plowhorse, with Carlos Hyde gimpy. WR Cecil Shorts is an okay flex option that also offers some insurance, should Deandre Hopkins miss time.

The Pride now have four TEs on their roster (three Chargers!) and will have to wait another two weeks to see what Antonio Gates has left. At his best, Gates is a difference maker at the position, a top five option at a position that lacks week to week security. Ladarius Green has been anointed Gates' successor for several years now, but has yet to really take command of the role- his first two weeks have shown promise, but now he's injured and questionable. WR James Jones, week one's PUotW gets shopped out after three scores in two weeks. He won't keep that up, and the veteran's role will probably diminish as younger, fresher talents gain their feet, but he's not going to fade away easy.



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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

WEEK TWO: Recap

Week Two, and we're seeing some separation in the hierarchy. Four teams are undefeated (including all three active former champions) while four have yet to crack the W column. Six are teetering on the edge, a precarious 1-1 with week three on the verge of crashing upon us. Let's take a look at this week's recaps:





Week 2 Matchups



The Cows were sitting pretty late Sunday, but waiver wire treasure Donte Moncrief came through in a big way for the Uprising, who saw last week's G.O.A.T turn into the goat, as Keenan Allen's output dropped from 28.5 in week one, to just .4 in week two. Ryan Shazier was ridiculous for the Cows, along with unstoppable Julio Jones and the return of Carson Palmer. But it was simply not enough.

The Pride outlast the Lead Farmers in a real slobberknocker that went wire to wire. Pawnee may have rated in the preseason as the league's best WR corps, but HCM's trio of Allen Robinson, Anquan Boldin, and Doug Baldwin were even better than Odell Beckham and Emmanuel Sanders. Didn't matter: Blast from the past Deangelo Williams was unstoppable, making up for double goose eggs from Mike Evans and Dwayne Allen. One of those 'lucky is better than good' things, I guess.

Trauma had the lead through to the two minute warning, when New York's Finest did their defending champion thing, and blew the game up. New addition Jamie Collins outshined the marquee name Frank Gore, and Michael Crabtree looked like a capable replacement to the departed Jordan Matthews... which is good, because WR Eric Decker may be on the shelf awhile. Liberal CB Marcus Peters is this week's DPotW in a losing effort, defening four passes, and picking off another and taking it to the house.

Deputy is just over 300 points through two games, easily the worst mark in the league. They lose here to the second worst mark, Hill Valley, as the two teams compared the pieces they exchanged at the end of training camp: DT and Watkins came up big against their old squad, while Hilton, Maclin and Coleman were pedestrian in their efforts. Both teams will need to progress to survive.

The Islanders surge to 2-0, and the veritable 1A at the top of the leader board. Just .05 points behind the Uprising, they'll see Phoenix in week three, in what is the first month's biggest matchup. Oakwood was not bad at all, they just weren't good enough against one of the league's better franchises. Rod White and Roob Randle did nothing and next to nothing for the Drivers, while the Islanders saw Big Ben cowboy up until it was over.

Saskatoon put up the biggest number this week, sort of out of nowhere. Antonio Brown can do that. The entire offense was in gear, and there wasn't a slouch on defense either, as the entire team met of exceeded their projection (basically) leaving their northern brethren the MooseCrew out in the cold. Manitoba was good, but perhaps worse than the loss on their record, is the loss of their quarterback Tony Romo. The team will have to turn to the least interesting man in the world, Joe Flacco, for week three and beyond.

The third Canadian team to be listed, but the first to gain residency in the Larkspur Bowl, Les Tres Petites evened their record with a competitive, but decisive victory over Savannah. Travis Benjamin had the game of his life, a tremendous singular effort that will be one of the biggest days by any player all year. Savannah got a lot of good efforts, but no great ones, so that was the difference between victory and defeat this time around.




OPotW: Antonio Brown, Saskatoon Sasquatch (40.50pts)
By rights, this should be Travis Benjamin, but the PUotW award is a higher measure or managerial prowess, so we're going to bump first round pick Antonio Brown into this slot for week two. Not that he is undeserving: nine catches for over two fields worth of total yardage, seven first downs, a touchdown, and a two point conversion would be a good month for a WR3. Brown continues to show why he is the top WR in the game.

DPotW: CB Marcus Peters, Liberal HT (32.75pts)
The rookie has been a whirlwind of disruption through two games, defending seven passes, picking off two, and scoring the aforementioned TD. Oh yeah, he also has 12 combined tackles. It's early, and QB's won't think they can pick on him anymore, but he's the real deal and he could be a difference makers for a Head Trauma team looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

PUotW: Travis Benjamin, Toronto LTP (42.45pts)
The overall points leader in week two, Benjamin found the end zone thrice: Twice via the bomb and once on a return. His low volume passed him through waivers, and remains a concern for his overall output- but when he puts up numbers like this, he is only going to see more looks coming his way in the future. On the season: Six catches, four total TDs. Straight cash homey. Put it through the exchange rate, it's still good.
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Tuesday, September 15, 2015

TRADE 04: Shake Up at the Top

We've got a big move between the two teams that played in 2014 Larkspur Bowl: Both are coming off season opening W's, but each saw an opportunity to upgrade their rosters here in a 'need for need' trade.

PHOENIX ACQUIRES:
WR JORDAN MATTHEWS
RB DARREN McFADDEN

NEW YORK ACQUIRES:
RB FRANK GORE
LB JAMIE COLLINS
CB CASEY HAYWARD
WR MICHAEL CRABTREE



The Defending Champions have a deep group of WRs and possess the number one waiver claim- one thing they didn't have was a second tailback they could rely on. Enter Frank Gore. Teamed with Matt Forte, the league's elder statesmen might have to answer durability questions over the long haul, but for now, both are healthy and a formidable one-two punch. The Finest have rookie Todd Gurley waiting in the wings: Once his knee is ready to go, we should see some Earth Wind & Fire. Beyond With Matthews gone, the receivers all slide up a slot: Steve Smith, Eric Decker, DaVante Adams, Michael Crabtree, and Jermaine Kearse all startable entities. The defense is immediately upgraded by elite assets Jamie Collins and Casey Hayward- both have the pedigree and projections to be every week starters.


Last year's silver medalists were pleasantly surprised by Keenan Allen's week one return to the elite strata. All of the other surprises were not happy: Vincent Jackson corralled only four of eleven targets, and Charles Johnson was barely more than a rumor. Adding Jordan Matthews gives the Uprising another target magnet, which should raise their floor and ceiling as a group. The move does remove the safety nets for the carousel of doom's running back group: They'll rely on rookie Tevin Coleman and sophomore Bishop Sankey in starting roles now, with Alfred Blue retaining some tangential relevance. They've doubled down on Cowboy lottery tickets, as Darren McFadden and Christine Michael are on the bench and in street clothes, respectively. If either get carries, they could be difference makers, but they're both far from them at the moment. There are four empty roster spots at the moment with waivers still to process. Might be an early alarm clock for Phoenix tomorrow!
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WEEK ONE: Recap

There are standings now! Half the league is celebrating, the other half recuperating after their initial match ups drew to resolution. Draft rankings and projections will see their significance fade, as players get their points on the board for 2015: Week one is in the books.





Week 1 Matchups


The Pride and Trauma came down to the wire, with Pawnee eventually outlasting Liberal. Saskatoon and Savannah were neck and neck until the fourth quarter, when Dr Jekyll turned into Mr Hyde and ran roughshod over the Sasquatch, en route to the highest point total on the week. The Pete's 223.12 is good, but still thirty points shy of the all time record, the 253.24 Phoenix dropped on Liberal in week 8 of 2014. Apologies to Oakwood, who despite their loss, look much better on the field than they did on paper, as competitive as any team in the league; They face the Islanders this week, the third of three teams to breach 200 in the first week. HCM started agonizingly slowly last year, losing five in a row and eight of their first nine; They have to get things going in a hurry if they are to avoid a similar hole. Hill Valley had three inactives in week one forcing them to a depleted bench, plus a goose egg in their lineup from trade acquisition Sammy Watkins. They'll look to rebound against fellow cellar dweller, blowout victim Deputy in week two.


OPotW: RB Carlos Hyde, Savannah Petes (36.40pts)
Hyde lasted until the 124th pick, a ninth rounder after a disappointing rookie season. Through one week, he's looking like the steal of the draft and a potential league MVP. Every week won't be like this: 182 total yards an two TDs is a lot, and in fact, THE Ohio State Buckeye might not reach such a lofty total again this year. But now it's etched in cement that he can, and the Petes have to consider him their premier plow horse going forward.

DPotW: DE JJ Watt, Phoenix Uprising (28.00pts)
Watt was picked in the first round because he can so thoroughly dominate: a game, and his position. He immediately did both, with nine tackles (six for a loss) and two sacks, outscoring the next closest defensive lineman (Aaron Donald, South Park's 23rd round pick) by 9.5 points. He did it purely via his brand of defense- if he gets involved in the offensive game plan again this year, watch out.

PUotW: WR James Jones, Savannah Petes (20.30pts)
James Jones had a weird off-season, spending camp with the Hill Valley McFlys before returning to old stomping grounds Savannah, where he paid immediate dividends, scoring two TDs right out of the gates to be named week one's PICKUP OF THE WEEK.

NOTE:
Waivers process every Wednesday- all players that are claimed will be awarded on 9/16 this week. Players that are unclaimed will pass through waivers at 12:01 AM Pacific time- 3:01 AM Eastern time. Once unclaimed players go through the wire, they are available to all teams on an early bird basis, until 1:00 PM Eastern Time Sunday, concurrent with the start of the early games Sunday.
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Friday, September 11, 2015

TRADE 03: Loose Ends

Savannah and New York partnered for their eleventh trade all-time, as they swapped tight ends right on the cusp of tonight's season opening kickoff.

SAVANNAH ACQUIRES TE KYLE RUDOLPH
NEW YORK ACQUIRES TE JULIUS THOMAS


Savannah had three tight ends on their roster, non of whom were likely to be active this week: Antonio Gates is suspended, Julius Thomas has broken fingers, and Lardarius Green suffered a concussion in practice, necessitating this move. Rudolph has played single digit games in each of the past two seasons, so while his stat sheet isn't as gaudy as Julius over the past few seasons, a clean bill of health might make him the stronger bet in 2015: He's assured to play in this Sunday's game at least, barring the other reindeer laughing and calling him names.

Julius Thomas is something of an enigma this year: A new offense that has to consider him a focal point should guarantee him targets, but part of the reason he rose from obscurity was due to the weapons around him. Fingers are a tough injury for a receiver: If he can come back to health and showcase strong hands and develop a quick rapport despite a dearth of practice time, he will infringe upon the TE1 conversation. Running the gamut of results, New York's deep group of wide receivers should not necessitate a need for Thomas until week seven. If Eifert goes down on the first play of the season again, the Finest will rue the day this trade was made.


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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

TRADE 02: Blockbusting

Yeah baby, that's what I'm talking about!

On the Kickoff's Eve we got a big time swap of elite assets, as Hill Valley and Deputy hooked up for a doozie: A lot to unpack here, so lets get started:

HILL VALLEY ACQUIRES:
WR DEMARYIUS THOMAS
WR SAMMY WATKINS
RB MATT JONES

DEPUTY ACQUIRES:
WR TY HILTON
WR JEREMY MACLIN
TE OWEN DANIELS
WR BRANDON COLEMAN


The first big break of the season came when Deputy lost third round pick WR Kelvin Benjamin to a torn ACL in training camp. Well, the other shoe finally dropped, as the Van Halens traded their first overall pick to improve their depth across the board. WR Demaryius Thomas is the top get in the trade, a premier talent that should earn his 10th overall draft placement. But there's a lot of players here that have the skill set and the opportunies to equal him: WR TY Hilton is a big play wizard who should see plenty of volume, and WR Jeremy Maclin is a coming off a monster year- albeit in a different offense. However, his huge preseason has converted much of the mainstream media into believing that he could repeat. WR Sammy Watkins had a very good rookie year, even if he ended up outshined by some of the other stars in his draft class (the aforementioned Benjamin, Big Mike Evans, and the uncanny Odell Beckham) in round one. If he can grow into his role as a primary target, he is every bit the matchup nightmare that Demaryius is. There are questions about context and game flow, but not about the caliber of his talent.

Matt Jones is a complimentary handcuff- Hill Valley might be able to get away with a short bench at RB by keeping handcuffs for Jamaal and Alfred Morris around. It's an underutilized strategy in Larkspur Bowl history, but one that could really help the McFly's roster flexibility- their achilles heel in 2014.

Assuming the big four WRs are all WR1s and WR2s, (as they project to be) this trade's value might be determined in the back end of the VH haul: TE Owen Daniels has a very high floor due to context; It's rare for a player to have a breakout on the verge of turning 33, but he's never been in an offense with quite this much firepower. If he can handle it, he is a very nice hedge against sophomore TE ASJ, who has not yet proven himself worthy of starting. The other upside project is WR Brandon Coleman. Absolutely monstrous at 6-6, his potential this year runs the gamut from zero to hero. If he ends up being start worthy by mid season, he can eschew the common logic of getting the best player to win a trade: Three WR2s and a TE2 can certainly outearn a WR1 and a WR2, in a best case scenario.

No kneejerks on this one- the rare blockbuster that helped both teams without either team taking on a surplus of risk. 

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Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Training Camp: Slow Churn


We are just over fifty hours away from kickoff!



It's been a long (probably too long) time since we drafted over three weeks ago. In the mean time, we've made 69 roster moves, as of 5:00pm Tuesday September 8th. No, that's not a typo- the league has made the same amount of moves as Hill Valley did last year, when they were transaction kings. Lets highlight which move might be the most pivotal for each squad:

Phoenix Uprising - Wire Moves: 14 - Trades: 1
The Uprising win the award for most most churn; They average two moves for every three days since the draft. Despite that, there's not been very much roster turnover, as they ended up changing only four roster spots, despite all that turnover.
X-FACTOR: CB/S Ricardo Allen is a converted CB (read: CB eligible) who looks to be a starting Free Safety. If he can put up top 40 numbers at the position, he figures to be a very steady option at the league's most volatile position.

Liberal Head Trauma - Wire Moves: 9
HT has made some full scale changes on defense since the draft, not least of which is adding CB Ron Parker, who is in a very similar situation as Ricardo Allen. However, he is not LHT's most intriguing addition.
X-FACTOR: WR Dorial Green-Beckham is a monster athlete, who has been compared favorably to Megatron. While he's not expected to contribute right away, he has the right surname to explode onto the scene as a rookie of the year candidate.

Pawnee Pride - Wire Moves: 8 - Trades: 1
The Pride traded for RB DeAngelo Williams, who has some obvious and immediate value, and supplemented the big guns in their WR corps by adding Ty Montgomery and Harry Douglas.
X-FACTOR: RB Montee Ball has been added, dropped, and added again- with his situation in flux, his upside has yet to be determined. But it is believe he has the talent to succeed, if give the right opportunity.

Hill Valley McFlys - Wire Moves: 8
The McFlys have pursued WR depth following the draft, cycling through Jeff Janis and James Jones and adding options at the flex: Devin Funchess, Brandon Coleman, and Owen Daniels add to the Hill Valley's list of assets.
X-FACTOR: QB Carson Palmer is something of a dinosaur, but when healthy he has elite upside. With Cam Newton taking a step back in his development last year, and down his primary target, Palmer is an insurance policy worth taking.

Deputy Van Halens - Wire Moves: 5
The Van Halens grabbed a number of RBs to load onto their carousel this season, nabbing Ronnie Hillman, Matt Jones, and Benny Cunningham to compete for a backup role with Ray Rice and Jonas Gray- but both of whom are currently jobless.
X-FACTOR: WR Leonard Hankerson comes off the street and into the lineup, as the only flex option currently on the roster. The team is depending on him being a WR3 stat.

South Park Cows - Wire Moves: 4
The Cows are one of the bravest teams in the league, consistently overriding projections to blase their own trail, and being very successful at it. They dropped starting QB Carson Palmer to pair Blake Bortles with Sam Bradford, and they let go of incumbent tight end Jared Cook for sophomore bounce back candidate Eric Ebron.
X-FACTOR: S Eric Berry is recovering from lymphoma, but has made a full recovery and is an active participant in camp. After a brief visit with his former squad Phoenix, Berry ended up in South Park, where he's got top 5 upside at safety.

Revis Islanders - Wire Moves: 4
Dropping WR Devin Funchess might be their biggest move, as his stock rose sharply soon thereafter. They have made some procedural moves on defense, adding Chris Harris and Donte Whitner after Saskatoon cut them.
X-FACTOR: RB Dion Lewis has a role that has yet to be defined- but he has shown flashes of feature back potential. At the very least, he's a quality handcuff while Blount is suspended.

Saskatoon Sasquatch - Wire Moves: 4
Brandon Bolden might end up being a sleeper at RB, but it's far too soon, and he's connected to a game plan that makes no promises. Jacob Tamme briefly seemed like he could help solve the TE riddle- but then he got hurt.
X-FACTOR: TE Larry Donnell was not a reliable target last year, but he was an explosive one. If another year of seasoning helps him take a step forward, he could be a undrafted dynamo.

Savannah Petes - Wire Moves: 3
The Reggie Wayne gambit briefly looked ingenious, but now the hall of fame bound veteran looks more likely to retire. DL Jerry Hughes was a fine pickup, after the team failed to address the position in the draft.
X-FACTOR: RB Chris Johnson is over half a decade removed from his CJ2K days, but the veteran still has burst, speed, and vision that could make him a real home run threat. Far from a sure thing, but the opportunity is there for a comeback of sorts.

Oakwood Drivers - Wire Moves: 3
Despite a lot of noise on the trading block, the Drivers have not pulled the trigger on much so far; Rob Ninkovich and Adam Jones gave the defense a veteran presence.
X-FACTOR: RB Charles Sims has not proven to be a mover or shaker just yet, but along with Bobby Rainey, the Drivers are hedging their bets against Muscle Hamster's rejuvenation.

New York's Finest - Wire Moves: 2
Boom Herron just went down on IR, so this number is about to rise.
X-FACTOR: TE Kyle Rudolph has been waiting to breakout for awhile, but has been unable to stay healthy. Paired with TE Tyler Eifert, the duo has a lot of pedigree, but a short resume.

Manitoba MooseCrew - Wire Moves: 2
David Harris joined the team as a reserve linebacker, in one of the most boring moves of the off-season.
X-FACTOR: S Micah Hyde is an incredibly versatle defensive back, with the ability to play safety or corner. He also returns kicks. Paired with FS Devin McCourty, he solidifies the team's back line of defense.

HCM City Lead Farmers - Wire Moves: 2
Fred Jackson is a solid plan C, added by the commish while HCM is incapacitated.
X-FACTOR: WR Tyler Lockett has been a revelation in his first preseason- look for him to initially handle return duties, and develop offensively as a Percy Harvin like threat.

Toronto Les Tres Petites - Wire Move: 1
Following an "A" rated draft, Toronto only made a move to address Zach Ertz's injury status.
X-FACTOR: TE Jared Cook has historically oscillated between being a major factor and a complete non-factor from game to game. Toronto will hope they get "good" Jared Cook in week one.



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Thursday, September 3, 2015

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady & the Integrity of the Game

Toronto's QB Tom Brady had his suspension overturned today, meaning that along with Drew Brees, Les Tres Petites will have two elite QBs from the get go. Our prognostication hinges LTP's 2015 season upon what they can turn their excess signal caller into- a RB1 or WR1 could make them the legitimate favorite to win the Larkspur Bowl. The longer they wait to move a QB, the less actual value they'll receive- though they will have the benefit of selecting a target based on current performance. IT'S QUITE THE PRECARIOUS DANCE!


















The QB market is historically fickle- exacting proper value for an upper level QB can be tough. There have been a lot of QBs traded over the years, but they usually requires a team to be in dire need, or a component in a larger trade, or involve an exchange of QBs. Lets take a look at all of the QB oriented trades to go down in league history; Assuming Toronto wants to exact full value, and not take a QB back in the deal, we'll highlight deals that only involved a QB going in one direction, to try to gauge the level of talent coming back. Both Brees and Brady project to be top 5 QBs in 2015.

8/30/10 Ugly receives RB Michael Bush & QB Matt Ryan Phoenix receives RB Joseph Addai

9/28/10
Savannah receives QB Donovan McNabb & WR Louis Murphy
Hill Valley receives QB Carson Palmer & WR Brandon Marshall

10/9/10
Savannah receives QB Drew Brees & RB Steven Jackson
New York receives QB Donovan McNabb, RB Marshawn Lynch, & LB Paris Lenon

10/12/10
Pawnee receives QB Carson Palmer
Hill Valley receives RB Peyton Hillis

11/3/10
Orgrimmar receives QB Ryan Fitzpatrick & WR Percy Harvin
Liberal receives QB Ben Roethlisberger & WR Mike Sims-Walker

11/9/10
Ugly receives RB LaDanian Tomlinson & RB Mike Tolbert
Orgrimmar receives RB Darren McFadden & QB Mark Sanchez

11/11/10
Hill Valley receives WR Calvin Johnson
HCM City receives QB Tom Brady

9/13/11
Hill Valley receives QB Matt Schaub & WR Mario Manningham
Pawnee receives WR Wes Welker & WR Pierre Garcon      

9/25/11 Savannah receives RB Cedric Benson & WR Derrick Mason New York receives QB Matt Hasselbeck & S Quintin Mikell

10/4/11
Houston receives QB Cam Newton & WR Mike Williams
Vermont receives QB Sam Bradford & WR Larry Fitzgerald

10/8/11
Savannah receives QB Matt Hasselbeck & RB Mark Ingram
New York receives RB Cedric Benson & WR Randall Cobb 

10/14/11
Phoenix receives WR Miles Austin
Kent receives QB Tony Romo

10/18/11
Savannah receives QB Alex Smith
New York receives QB Matt Hasselbeck

11/16/11
Hill Valley receives QB Philip Rivers
Pawnee receives RB Marshawn Lynch & DE Jason Babin

9/3/12
Toronto receives WR Stevie Johnson
Savannah receives QB Jay Cutler

9/17/12
New York receives QB Jay Cutler, WR Alshon Jeffery, RB Marshawn Lynch, TE Jimmy Graham, RB DeAngelo Williams, QB Alex Smith
Savannah receives QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Cedric Benson, RB Ronnie Brown, RB Dexter McCluster, TE Jermichael Finley, WR James Jones     

10/2/12
Phoenix receives QB Andrew Luck & WR Santonio Holmes
Pawnee receives RB Ben Tate & WR Sidney Rice

10/20/12
Phoenix receives WR Demaryius Thomas
Liberal receives QB Philip Rivers, RB Fred Jackson, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

8/7/13
Oakwood receives QB Andy Dalton
Pawnee receives QB Matt Schaub

8/17/13
Phoenix receives QB Ben Roethlisberger & WR Dwayne Bowe
Flint receives QB Matthew Stafford & WR Kenbrell Thompkins

8/25/13
Oakwood receives QB Andrew Luck, TE Kyle Rudolph, & LB Anthony Spencer
Saskatoon receives QB Matt Ryan, RB Danny Woodhead, & TE Scott Chandler

8/27/13
Oakwood receives QB Russell Wilson & RB DeAngelo Williams
Pawnee receives QB Andrew Luck & WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

10/3/13
Phoenix acquires QB Philip Rivers
Flint acquires RB Ben Tate & RB Zac Stacy

10/10/13
Phoenix acquires QB Eli Manning & WR AJ Green
New York acquires QB Robert Griffin, WR Michael Floyd, & WR Dwayne Bowe

10/12/13
Savannah acquires QB Alex Smith
Liberal acquires WR Danny Amendola

11/6/13
Hill Valley acquires QB Nick Foles & WR Steve Smith
Deputy acquires WR Darrius Heyward-Bey & S Aaron Williams

11/12/13
Toronto acquires QB Case Keenum
Savannah acquires RB Andre Ellington & WR Anquan Boldin

10/7/14
Manitoba acquires QB Russell Wilson, TE Coby Fleener, & LB DeMeco Ryans
Liberal acquires QB Joe Flacco, TE Antonio Gates, & LB Brian Orakpo

10/7/14
Deputy acquires QB Cam Newton, RB Bishop Sankey, & WR Calvin Johnson
Pawnee acquires QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Montee Ball, & WR Andrew Hawkins

10/17/14
Saskatoon acquires RB Pierre Thomas & CB Kyle Fuller
Hill Valley acquires QB Eli Manning & RB Lamar Miller

11/11/14
Hill Valley acquires QB Cam Newton
Deputy acquires WR Cecil Shorts               
















It should be noted that Tom Brady was traded once- straight up for his current Toronto teammate, Calvin Johnson. Drew Brees was also traded once, with Steven Jackson for Donovan McNabb, Marshawn Lynch, and Paris Lenon. Both trades occurred five years ago, in 2010.
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