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+---- Thread: Predicting Philly’s First Team (/showthread.php?tid=2105)
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Predicting Philly’s First Team - Oles - 07-12-2017
With the Expansion Draft soon and the rookie draft just a week away, I take a look at the expansion team that hasn’t been very active. I take a look at the team taking a more conventional approach to building a team, the Philadelphia Liberty. Unlike their partner in the west, the Las Vegas Legion, they have not traded anything and everything in order to acquire a foundation, instead they have made very little moves and look to build the team through drafting the pieces they need. They have 12 selections in the expansion draft, and they have 11 picks in the rookie draft to produce a team capable of playing in the league and contending for the Ultimus Trophy.
First let us take a look at the team’s first three players, Omar Wright, Lincoln Jefferson, and Stephen Harris.
Omar Wright (RB): At 155 total TPE, Omar Wright is a young stud looking to break out and become the best running back in the league. He looks to escape his tacklers and speed by his opponents on his way to leading the league.
Lincoln Jefferson(WR): Primed to be their number one option once the season begins, at 186 TPE he his prime material to lead the receiver core. He will be the undisputed number 1 target once the season starts for whoever is the QB. Whoever throws the ball will be happy with him, as he has good hands and speed, a reliable burner who will make defenses pay
Stephen Harris(K/P): At 174 TPE and with no real competition Liberty made the right call trading for this kicker. With a good leg he is able to be a reliable point getter when the offense can’t finish drives, and he should make every extra point that is asked of him by the team. He should be kicking for the team for the foreseeable future.
Next, we look at the Expansion Draft, each team can protect 12 players, so there will also be some predictions at who will be protected, as the lists are not out and when they are available the teams can start drafting immediately.
This was a tough decision, as I’m sure Vegas will be going with a QB first, specifically Josh Bercovici, who will be the best one that isn’t protected, as drama follows wherever he goes, the Liberty will most like go best available.
2nd Overall: Stanislaw Maddox, 128 TPE, CB for the Orange County Otters. Pretty easy pick, with my projected protection lists he comes out to the best player on the board besides Bercovici. He will provide the Liberty with a starting CB, but time will tell if he stays a starter.
3rd Overall: Vinny Cox, 114 TPE, DT for the Colorado Yeti. They stick with defense and best player available again, a solid addition to anchor the line, although he may not be a long-term solution.
6th Overall: Daniel Robicheaux, 81 TPE, OL for the Baltimore Hawks. They get their first piece of the offensive line, with most of the standouts gone he is one of the better prospects, and when building a team from scratch they will take whatever is available.
7th Overall: Romeo Devitt, 98 TPE, DT for the Orange County Otters. They take another piece of the Otters defense here, putting together a solid interior defensive line and pairing him with Vinny Cox. While not the most overpowering duo, it is one that should be a good duo and focus point of a 4-3 defense.
10th Overall: Jonathan Shaloiko, 93 TPE, WR for the Colorado Yeti. Taking another Yet with the 10th overall, they get someone to pair Lincoln Jefferson. While it isn’t the best pairing in the league, it’s a solid receiving core for their first QB, who will be happy to have them two.
11th Overall: Mike McNoodle, 81 TPE, S for the Colorado Yeti. The Yeti provide another piece to the puzzle that is the Liberty. McNoodle will serve as a solid safety patrolling the backlines for the defensive backfield in Philly. While he isn’t anything to write home about, he has potential and could be upgraded when the draft comes.
14th Overall: Rolf Lasendorf, 67 TPE, TE for the Yellowknife Wraiths. The draft is starting to get thin, and they get another target for their future QB here. While not the most alluring player, he will serve as their number 1 tight end for a short while. They will be looking to upgrade the position when the rookie draft comes along.
15th Overall: Henri Rivere, 50 TPE, CB for the Yellowknife Wraiths. Depth move here, they will be looking to the draft for a starter. With the expansion draft running dry on talent they are now just drafting for depth and players they believe will help the team.
18th Overall: Devin Speed, 56 TPE, S for the Baltimore Hawks. Another depth move, they get a backup safety in case something bad happens.
19th Overall: Barrick Acolyte, 50 TPE, LB for the Colorado Yeti. Another addition from the Yeti’s roster, and another piece of the puzzle that will change fast.
22nd Overall: Cliff Hamilton, 50 TPE, OL for the Orange County Otters. It was hard finding someone that they could take besides the next guy on my list, really both guys could flip. The OL is going to change and Cliff isn’t going to see it through.
23rd Overall: Jameis Christ, 118 TPE, QB for the San Jose SaberCats. With their last selection they take their QB, figuring that the Legion already have their QB they don’t have to worry about the next best option going anywhere until they take him. He may not be a long-term solution but he is the best QB available at the moment.
Now that the core of the team has been determined we need to look at positions of need and figure out where their rookie draft picks would be best served. OL is an immediate concern for me, no top OL was left unprotected as they are a hot commodity right now, so the draft will be where they look to improve with the young talent of the rookie class. LB, DE, S, these are all other positions of immediate concern. They will look to these positions and hope that a diamond in the rough appears and helps them out. Now to the Rookie Draft.
Round 1, Pick 7: Due to legal bindings, they will take Fox North, WR. Capable young WR, he can be a star for the Liberty, while he isn’t my pick, I understand why he has to be taken with this pick.
Round 2, Pick 10: Kevin Cushing, LB. Promising young LB who has shot up out of nowhere finds himself ringing the bells in Philly. He can come in and start for the team right away and solidify the position.
Round 3, Pick 17: Jordan Yates, OL. While not one of the best OLs in the draft, he could be the biggest steal of the draft. A promising OL and one who could end up higher than I am projecting, he can start on the line immediately.
Round 3, Pick 21: Scott Timlin, OL. Does this pick feel familiar? Another OL to the team that was unable to find good OL in the expansion draft. He could be a good OL and will help the team out. After the rush on OL in the first round, these Timlin and Yates go to Philly and help the team protect Jameis Christ.
Round 3, Pick 23: Drew Davidson, DE. If it wasn’t for the North pick I would have them taking Blaster Blade at 7, now they settle for the next best DE. The talent at end is weak after Blade, but Davidson provides the most upside among the rest.
Round 4, Pick 26: Torque Lewith, QB. After the emphasis on Christ, it would be weird to see them take a QB right? Not to me, I think Torque ends up the backup plan to Christ, and causes a QB competition in Philadelphia.
Round 5, Pick 33: Isaiah Mcginn, S. While he isn’t the best prospect on the board, he is the best left available at the safety position. Another position where it’s hard to determine the value right now, he provides the most upside.
Round 5, Pick 37: Kristoffer O’Sullivan, CB. Just missing out on Tyler Oles, they worry that O’Sullivan, a CB I like, goes off the board earlier than projected. A young rookie who has a lot of upside, time will tell whether this was a reach or a steal.
Round 6, Pick 42: Denzel Diaz, RB. Now that they feel like they have a good core, they can go ahead and get a backup for Wright, their star RB. They hope to develop a two-headed beast of the two RBS, and I like the young back as a change of pace guy.
Round 7, Pick 49: Luke Chunk, LB. Another young rookie, Chunk could turn out well with Cushing by his side. I like the pairing of the two rookies, although I’d think they may go through a rough patch with 2 rookie LBs learning on the job.
Round 9, Pick 65: Jesse Sanderson, TE. All the good TEs are gone, and they are just looking for depth at the position at this point.
Round 10, Pick 74: Braden Sharp, OL. They use this pick to help fill the line, although Sharp will probably not populate the line for very long.
Round 11, Pick 81: Matthew Vincent, WR. Another pick working towards depth, he will be the 4th string WR and probably won’t see much playing time. Not a lot of hope for Vincent to get playing time with the current crew in Philly.
So how do I feel about this team I have built? Not good honestly, there are some young stars in the making but a group of misfits and rookies are going to have a hard time building a championship caliber team in their first year. This is fine though, they shouldn’t be expected to join the league, on a team that has not existed before this season, and expect to click on every level and take the league by storm. Right now they’re building a foundation in Philly, and a good foundation leads to a good team. Do I think this team could win the Ultimus trophy in a few years? Yes, I believe the team I have built could contend a few years down the road. I expect this team to get a few wins, but there is no expectation that Christ will be able to lead this team to the playoffs (to no fault of his own).
The team can also improve in a few different ways that I have not looked at. They could make a blockbuster trade after the expansion draft that helps fill their needs, they could add a few free agents that I have not looked at. I believe the front office in Philly will do what is best for the team, and will try their hardest to build a team that is able to contend. I do believe the team could have a good offense, which would be a good starting point for the team. Having a team identity will help determine that team’s place in the rankings, and having a top tier offense will elevate the team. Philadelphia will also need a good front office presence, as I have already stated they will try their best to build the best team they can, but I also hope that they clearly communicate their intents with the team. If they predict that they won’t be contenders they should communicate that to their team, give them a reason for motivation. I also hope they are able to foster a good locker room and a family setting, as a close group of guys off the field makes for better players on the field.
While I do not expect to be completely right with my predictions, I expect the Liberty to have a good draft, no matter what I say. I hope that they are able to build the best team they can and that they help their players be the best they can be in their pursuit of the Ultimus Trophy. Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
(ready for grading, 2065 words)
Predicting Philly’s First Team - 124715 - 07-13-2017
Great job!
Predicting Philly’s First Team - Kristy95 - 07-13-2017
Fantastic article, very well written. Even if I am a little miffed at round 5 and saying that is actually even early. Yikes, I guess I have to readjust my expectations!
Predicting Philly’s First Team - timeconsumer - 07-13-2017
Good stuff
Predicting Philly’s First Team - Darnellthebeast - 07-13-2017
Great in depth article!
Predicting Philly’s First Team - kckolbe - 07-13-2017
(07-13-2017, 04:34 AM)Kristy95 Wrote:Fantastic article, very well written. Even if I am a little miffed at round 5 and saying that is actually even early. Yikes, I guess I have to readjust my expectations!
You don't have to much. Get active, look for every TPE opportunity in point tasks and let the teams you are interested in know that you are doing them.
Activity is huge in this league. I only joined 5 days ago and gone from another 4th or 5th rounder to an easy second. You can jump up a bit too
Predicting Philly’s First Team - Oles - 07-13-2017
(07-13-2017, 06:34 AM)Kristy95 Wrote:Fantastic article, very well written. Even if I am a little miffed at round 5 and saying that is actually even early. Yikes, I guess I have to readjust my expectations!
Half of my rookie draft predictions are probably completely wrong, since I don't know how every team is planning on drafting and where they are valuing players.
Predicting Philly’s First Team - Silver Fox - 07-13-2017
I like it. I gotta tell ya, going through the just the expansion draft was terrifying enough. The S2 draft is going to be INSANE!
Predicting Philly’s First Team - ElMachoNacho - 07-13-2017
Great write up my man.
Predicting Philly’s First Team - Blaster - 07-13-2017
Good Read. Great Article