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Otters S2 Roster Battles - Player1 - 07-24-2017
The Santa Ana Star
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Training Camp is an important time for every team and player in the league. Veterans on cushy contracts may feel they don't need to put their best into their offseason work but that's when the hungry rookies come biting at their heels. Depth charts are always shifting and shaking as players prove themselves in practice and drills, and for newly crowned Orange County General Manager Jay Bear the hope is that this will produce a team capable of making it to the championship game. For a team that was hotly talked about last season and slandered early in the offseason amid unsubstantiated claims of player tampering, the Otters have actually had a pretty quiet year so far. The draft did not deliver much, with the team even passing on several picks, but the coaching staff seems happy with what they have. The team's numerous position battles give a good picture of what the future holds for the Otters and whether they will be able to improve on last season's performance in a league that is suddenly that much more competitive.
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Offensive Line
The Otters had the league's best Offensive Line last season, and it wasn't particularly close unless you ask that guy from San Jose (which we didn't). Unfortunately for them, the secret is out that a good O-Line means a good offense, and several other teams went hard to build in the trenches through the draft and other means. For the Otters, they lost key starter Clegane over the offseason but managed to grab him back in the draft and added Finkenlarkin and Ferguson. This gives them six total linemen and means somebody will be riding the bench or riding the next train out of the O.C. The team also has to decide where everyone will line up, as that will affect the playbook come game time. Finkenlarkin is an interesting addition, as the Otters OL mostly focuses on mauling run blockers but he comes in as a technically proficient pass protector who will need to bulk up. Still, Mike Boss will love the added protection he brings.
Prediction: As much as it pains me to say it, Marcus Boyd's inactivity trumps his spectacular first season performance and he will either ride the bench as cheap depth or be traded to a team that is desperate for a starting OL and likes what he did last year despite the low ceiling.
Runningback
The RB position is the most important element in the Otter's run-happy offense, which makes it a little surprising that it went on such a wild ride this offseason. Starting with the trade of season 1 Pro-Bowler Omar Wright, the Otters appeared to be putting the future squarely on Leroy Jenkins' shoulders until they signed Vick Bowers Jr. to a two year deal. Things got even more confusing when they drafted Ardie Savea, leading some to believe that either a position change was in the works or the team would attempt to run a three-headed rushing game. Neither turned out to be true as Savea's brief tenure in the O.C. ended in the trade, with the team apparently admitting to its mistake and allowing Savea to pursue a career at RB. There's little doubt that the Otters will pursue the same committee system they used last year, it's just a question of how they will break down the carries.
Prediction: Bowers has a slight edge in speed, which won Omar Wright his touches last year. Don't be surprised if he picks up where Wright left off last year, taking the majority of the carries and allowing Jenkins to be the finishing punch for red zone duties.
Secondary
I won't break this down by position because it's quite the shit show. The expansion draft kicked off with Las Vegas selecting Stanislaw Maddox first overall, and ever since then there have been questions marks in the Otters defensive backfield. They struggled last season, with late season improvements by Dominic Verns showing promise for a turnaround. The Otters are built around getting a lead and using their run game and defense to eat away the clock, so the DBs don't need to be ball hawks but they do need to lock down the opposing receivers and prevent big plays.
Prediction: Petrakis and Verns have the veteran edge here, so you'd expect them to start at their respective positions. Beyond that, the players that build the most TPE will shake out the rest of the depth chart.
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Where do you see the Otters depth chart at these three position groups? Did I miss any key pre-season battles? How does your team stack up compared to O.C., are there more holes or do you feel like your depth chart is solid? Discuss!
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Otters S2 Roster Battles - Noble - 07-24-2017
Great article, looking forward to seeing how this works out for OCO!