Preview: (Posted before the 2015 Draft)
The three time champion has been in the top two in overall points every season for the past half decade- but has now come up short in the playoffs two of the past three years. The bar is set high for the Uprising; Expectations are a championship or bust. The League's only dynasty will look to make it three straight years as points leader in 2015, and hope that is enough to secure a fourth Larkspur Bowl trophy and a fifth League Championship in nine years.
Final Record:
Nine Wins, Four Losses (2,555.86 points; 196.6 avg - 2nd)
Playoffs:
Secured a Bye through the Larkspur Bowl Quarterfinals
Lost to Pawnee Pride in Larkspur Bowl Semifinals 246.84 - 216.78
Defeated New York's Finest in 3rd Place Game 179.26 - 163.84
Synopsis:
For the sixth year in a row Phoenix was in the top two in overall points, and the top three in the standings. But to their own standards it was as bad a year as they have had in that stretch finishing second in points and third in the standings. They've now only won half of the Larkspur Bowls in that time, and been denied the silver chalice two years in a row. ALAS! The Uprising did a ton of wheeling and dealing this year, making eleven swaps- a single season record that pushes their franchise total to forty-two in the past seven years. Not all of those moves proved wholly beneficial, but the team rarely suffered with five All-Larkspur Team members plying their trade in the Orange and Gold. Four were drafted (Watt in round one, Gronk in round two, Jones in round seven, and Smith in round 20) while the fifth, Devonta Freeman, was pulled off the waiver wire after week two and immediately blossomed into the year's best pickup- a lucky mishap for the Carousel. Their best trade ended up pairing him with Lamar Miller, creating a sort of anti-carousel. Ultimately, the team's failings came down to the WR position, where Keenan Allen's midseason injury and Dez Bryant's diminished form kept the team from achieving its goals.
Draft Analysis:
VALUABLE ; TRADED ; DROPPED; RECYCLED; INJURED
At the backend of the draft, taking advantage of positional inefficiencies can mask a dearth of top end point getters- Gronk was 30th in overall points, while Watt was 64th, but each was tops at their position. Lots of trades color the team from start to finish- not all of them worked out fortuitously, but none hurt the team either. Reshad Jones and Telvin Smith were two great IDP picks that also lent positional dominance. Charles Johnson, Bishop Sankey, and Tevin Coleman were all misses, while Alfred Blue and Denagelo Williams went on to value elsewhere, but riding the carousel was as productive as ever for Phoenix who ended up with two top six RBs in Dev Freeman and Lamar Miller.
Projected Points by Position versus League Average Projections (POST DRAFT)
PHX: A GRADE
Strength: TE & Defense
Weakness: RB
The Uprising drafted the two biggest positional advantages in Watt and the Gronk. Without any elite RBs, they'll be riding their patented Carousel of Doom early in 2015.
Trade Review: (Listing each player's point total following the trade)
- SEP 1 traded RB DeAngelo Williams (247.2) to PAW for WR Mohamed Sanu (82.55)
This funny little trade did nothing for Phoenix who dumped Sanu before the season started. He was a depth option for a team that had no bench options to start the year. Williams had a huge season, albeit in two parts- he was a quality part of Pawnee's offense for a few weeks before being demoted- when injury called his number again, he returned with a vengeance... but for Deputy. Funny Game, Football.
- SEP 15 traded RB Frank Gore (205.1), WR Michael Crabtree (198.3), LB Jamie Collins (153.75), and CB Casey Hayward (83.) to NYF for WR Jordan Matthews (194.7), RB Darren McFadden (220.28), and CB Aaron Colvin (112.5)
This blockbuster did not hurt Phoenix greatly, but it did not help them a ton either; They failed to make the most of McFadden's breakout (never even getting him in the lineup) and Matthews had far too many drops to elevate himself to WR1 status. Flipside, Crabtree was better than Matthews in a complimentary role and Frank Gore was more immediately helpful than McFadden. Jamie Collins had nine difference making games in eleven efforts, but missed a month in the middle of the season with a murky illness diagnosis. Cornerbacks! Pfeh!
- OCT 1 traded WR Donte Moncrief (106.1) and RB David Johnson (200.9) to LHT for RB Lamar Miller (214.1) and WR Victor Cruz (0.)
Phoenix can hang it's hat on this deal, selling high on competent Moncrief while buying low on Lamar Miller- who would finish the year as the number six RB in the league after a slow start. The team took on Victor Cruz and his constant setbacks, but was able to flip him less than a week later. David Johnson's numbers make this trade look far less impressive- but Johnson was mostly a series of lightning strikes until late in the season, when he finally became a primary weapon in the final month of the season for Toronto.
- OCT 7 traded WR Vincent Jackson (43.7), WR Victor Cruz (0.), and LB Derrick Johnson (145.15) to SAV for WR Dez Bryant (76.1) and RB Isaiah Crowell (119.5
This move had the potential to really set up Phoenix down the stretch: Dez Bryant being a bonafide elite WR with playmaking skills and the volume and game plan to get him the damn ball; It did not really work out that way though. Dez alternated between bad and good games for the eight he played at the back half of the year, but was never fully healthy, nor in the high octane situation he had previously known. The trade still played out better for Phoenix than Savannah: Vincent Jackson couldn't stay healthy and Victor Cruz was never healthy. Derrick Johnson came on strong, especially late in the year to help the Petes win a few games, (and gain a measure of respectability) but he was not a huge loss for the Opportunistic Uprising. Crowell had a good game as a bye week plugin before being shipped out of town.
- OCT 15 traded RB Isaiah Crowell (101.3) to PAW for TE Jordan Cameron (54.5)
Isaiah Crowell had a really solid season but rarely was able to crack the starting lineup of the many teams he played for; Phoenix utilized him to great effect in week five, when he scored his second best game of the year. They spun him off for the disappointing Jordan Cameron, who ostensibly lent depth to the position. He had an okay first game with Phoenix, but it turned out to be the high point of his season; he played two more forgettable games with the team, barely resembling the breakout star he was in 2013 with the Uprising.
- OCT 16 traded WR Michael Floyd (154.) and LB Thomas Davis (117.63) to HCM for RB Jonathan Stewart (155.1)
Stewart took awhile to get going, but once he joined Phoenix he was a reliable workhorse; But as the team already had Devonta Freeman and Lamar Miller, the depth probably hurt their upside a bit: Floyd recovered from a terrible start to be a weapon they would be looking for down the road. Thomas Davis wasn't missed much by a team that took advantage of the linebacker position, though he was a boost to HCM. It would have been a stronger trade for Phoenix if they could have moved Stewart for a WR upgrade later in the year.
- OCT 28 traded WR Brandon LaFell (80.2), WR Kamar Aiken (130.7), and RB Darren McFadden (154.3) to DVH for WR Jeremy Maclin (134.5)
This was a regrettable move for Phoenix. Maclin pulled himself out of a midseason slump to produce solid numbers, but the team would have been just as well off holding on to throw-in player Kamar Aiken, who was tacked onto the end of the deal and would inherit primary target responsibilities shortly thereafter. Darren McFadden was not trusted (moved four times in 2015) but should have been, as he was a high quality RB2 that could have netted the team a WR after a few weeks more weeks marinating in the role. Brandon LaFell was just okay: the Uprising moved him at the right time, it was the other two players they (unknowingly) sold low on.
- NOV 3 traded LB Paul Worrilow (66.05) to NYF for WR Stevie Johnson (41.5)
With number one wide receiver Keenan Allen placed on IR, Phoenix was able to acquire real life replacement Stevie Johnson for an able bodied linebacker in Worrilow. It was a good plan with a short shelf life: Johnson followed Allen to the infirmary in less than a month. Worrilow wasn't missed, as the team did a good job turning over linebackers all season. taking advantage of the market inefficiency.
- NOV 9 traded RB Jonathan Stewart (89.7) and WR Cecil Shorts (47.39) to LHT for RB Eddie Lacy (92.3)
The Uprising had three quality running backs headed into the trade deadline which left them with one more than they could use. Stewart took bronze behind Freeman and Miller and so he was the move: when the team failed to find a partner that would give them an upgrade at WR, they bundled him with waiver claim Cecil Shorts for busted first round pick Eddie Lacy instead. Fat Eddie had some huge weeks with Pheonix... and also saw himself benched in big spots. It was a gamble that was more risk than reward, and ultimately, Phoenix would have been better served finding a WR2 for Stewart.
- NOV 12 traded LB Danny Trevathan (76.95) to MMC for CB Patrick Peterson (30.47)
A need for need trade that ended up yielding (and costing) very little for Phoenix. The Uprising had a revolving door at cornerback all year, looking for big plays and getting very few of them: just two picks by CBs all season. Peterson did little in his only game with Phoenix, as most of his prowess is showcased off the stat sheet. Trevathan was an excess part steered away from playoff competitors, a meta conspiracy on deadline day.
- NOV 12 traded RB Jeremy Langford (106.3) and LB Kevin Minter (48.5) to SPC for LB Bobby Wagner (86.6)
A trade deadline trade if there ever was one, Phoenix spun off a promising young RB that was buried on their depth chart for a linebacker upgrade. Both Langford and Uprising addition Wagner were immediate Players of the Week. Langford was highly productive in South Park's playoff push, while Wagner was a difference maker three times and dependable four times in the team's final seven games- far better than replacement player Minter. Phoenix gambled that Langford would see his opportunities limited in the playoffs, and he was right- still, this was a deal that would not have been made earlier in the year: it became a win-win on deadline day, when need exceeds value.
Player of the Week Awards:
- WK01 DPotW: DE JJ Watt (28.00)
- WK03 PUotW: RB Devonta Freeman (42.80)
- WK04 OPotW: RB Devonta Freeman (37.60)
- WK05 OPotW: RB Devonta Freeman (35.00)
- WK07 OPotW: RB Lamar Miller (46.30)
- WK07 DPotW: LB Telvin Smith (36.80)
- WK10 DPotW: SS Reshad Jones (21.85)
- WK10 DPotW: LB Bobby Wagner (21.60)
- WK16 OPotW: WR Jordan Matthews (23.60)
- WK16 DPotW: FS Harrison Smith (22.25)
All Larkspur Bowl Players:
- Runningback Devonta Freeman (325.60)
- Defensive End JJ Watt (210.00)
- Tight End Rob Gronkowski (251.33)
- Linebacker Telvin Smith (192.30)
- Safety Reshad Jones (230.73)
Depth Chart:
- QB: Eli Manning
- RB: Devonta Freeman, Lamar Miller, Eddie Lacy, Denard Robinson
- WR: Keenan Allen, Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews, Stevie Johnson
- TE: Rob Gronkowski, Eric Ebron, Jordan Cameron
- K: Justin Tucker
- DL: JJ Watt
- LB: Telvin Smith, Vontaze Burfict, Bobby Wagner, Brian Cushing, Christian Jones
- CB: Patrick Peterson, Vontae Davis, Jason McCourty, Damarious Randall, Ricardo Allen
- S: Reshad Jones, Harrison Smith, Eric Berry
