As I really liked the idea of making my mock protection list as one was done before, i am giving it a go myself too. Sadly by the time of doing the first four teams I realized I just wasn't able to finish it in time before the protection lists are due. So I had to cut down the content after the first 4 teams. I am deeply sorry, normally I don't like to deliver subpar stuff in terms of quality, but what is the point of releasing a mock protection list after the publication of the protections.
It is the first time for me to really get to know how the expansion works. The last time, when Honolulu and Sarasota were added to the ISFL i just created my player and I just wasn't ready to learn about the mechanism of an expansion draft and so on. For quite a time i didn't even realize, that the players, who were picked in the expansion draft by Sarasota and Honolulu were originally playing at other teams.
I get that there are players who like the idea of spending their carreer with different teams, but there are also players who just want to play for the same team throughout their whole carreer. If you then don't get the luxury of being on the protection list, you run in danger of maybe landing on a team you don't really want to be with.
However, i don't want to ramble too much about the draft, so here is my mock protection list.
- ARIZONA OUTLAWS -
1. GM: Unicorn - CB Desmond Scarlett - S20 - 993 TPE
1. GM: xQCFamous - S Benoit Blanco - S23 - 385 TPE
2. Opera Phantom - QB Jay Cue - S18 - 1393 TPE
3. Moosecop - LB Galf Wilf - S20 - 890 TPE
4. BRNXB0MBERS - DT Pete "Plop" Miller - S21 - 863 TPE
5. retrospace111 - CB Zamir Kehla - S22 - 699 TPE
6. Thor - TE Heath Evans - S22 - 721 TPE
7. StamkosFan - WR Thomas Passman - S22 - 678 TPE
8. Jo3fish5 - RB Joseph Petrongolo - S23 - 525 TPE
Player drafted: hotdog - S DB Jadakiss - S23 - 516 TPE
Player protected: s4ndr0p - DE Sandro Ryeu - S22 - 663 TPE
Player drafted: 24redcrayons - OL Julio Jones - S23 - 495 TPE
First the Outlaws protect their 2 GM players and their Quarterback. This was obvious. Jay Cue is at the top of his game and has a few years left in his tank to take Arizona to the big game. They absolutely have to protect him. After him I had to think about, what would be the best decision here going forward. The first two players are Galf Wilf and Pete Miller. They are the backbone of the defense and as they are still a few seasons away from regression they will stay in the league for a long time still. Zamir Kehla is also a valuable piece to the defense and one of the better earners in the huge S22 draft class. But keeping in mind that Cue's window is closing in a few seasons I thought of not only going defense on the protection list. They need to support their quarterback in giving him the weapons he needs to eventually make a run in the playoffs. Saba Donut is in his second year of regression by the time of the expansion, so i don't think the Outlaws will protect him. Even if they lost him to a expansion team which i would doubt a bit, they still are looking pretty good with Thomas Passmann as the main receiver. The other two players who i would have troubles with risking getting drafted are Heath Evans and Joseph Petrongolo. Evans and Petrongolo are earning good and are still young. These are the players that can really support Cue in his attempt to win his first Ultimus.
Losing a player like Jadakiss is a bit hurtfull, as he is just starting to get hot in the league. After that I think the best would be to further stabilize their defense in protecting their young DE Sandro Ryeu. Offensive Line is no option there as they have three OL on the roster and are fully able to sustain an eventual loss at this position. This loss i think will be Julio Jones, their youngest OL on the team. All in all the loss of DB Jadakiss will hurt them the most as he is their only player with high TPE at Safety.
- AUSTIN COPPERHEADS -
1. GM: JKortesi81 - QB Easton Cole - S16 - 1043 TPE
1. GM: Mooty99- RB Mako Mendonca - S16 - 925 TPE
2. Kyle - DE Carolinabbq Isbest - S20 - 811 TPE
3. QuirkyTurtle - WR Eddie Jeeta - S22 - 715 TPE
4. Troen - DE Troen Egghands - S22 - 711 TPE
5. iStegosauruz - CB Colt Mendoza - S22 - 686 TPE
6. AsylumParty - LB Griffin Porter - S23 - 484 TPE
7. ValorX77 - WR Videl San - S23 - 541 TPE
8. AdamS - S Awkward Sexjoke - S20 - 691 TPE
Player drafted: Shiznit19 - DE Slinky Claxton - S22 - 612 TPE
Player protected: howsour - RB Kichwa Jones - S22 - 545 TPE
Player drafted: UpperNet - WR Net Gaines - S18 - 919 TPE
The Austin Copperheads don't have to worry about protecting their QB as he is GM, as well as their number 1 running back in Mako Mendonca. They both are in regression, though should be able to compete for one, maybe two seasons. With that in mind Easton Cole will need all the weapons he can get to maybe make a last push for the title. So it is pretty clear that the Copperheads want to secure their two future stars at wide receiver. Eddie Jeeta and Videl San are very good earners and will be a focal point in their offense going forward. I was not sure about Net Gaines. I know he is a star and at his peak, but next year regression will hit and their up and coming WR have decent stats already. I didn't put Kichwa Jones as well on the first protection list as Mako Mendonca should be good for another 2 seasons and running backs are normally taking foot pretty fast in the ISFL. The main concern of Austin has to be protecting their starters on defense. They have all around very high potential going on there as the core of them is fairly young and still in development. Their duo at DE in Kyle and Troen will reak havoc in opposing offenses. By having Awkward Seyjoke and Colt Mendoza leading their passing defense they also should be feeling pretty confident at that position. The only position where i can sense a weakness would be linebacker. Griffin Porter is a very young player still and needs a bit more time to rise to the levels of the ISFL but Honda Edmond created in season 17 and is going into his second year of regression. So i see just a limited value in protecting him.
The first player that is drafted in my opinion then would be Slinky Claxton. I didn't put him on the protection list, as Austin already has 2 very good players there. I think the right thing to do would be to protect their future main running back. I was going back and forth about protecting Kichwa Jones or Net Gaines, or maybe even Dermot Lavelle Jr. Dermot is too old in my opinion to protect in being created in S16. Therefore i don't think an expansion GM will even decide to pick him. Net Gaines was hard for me also, as they have two future monsters at WR. He will inevitably be picked as the second player.
- Honolulu Hahalua -
1. GM: gucci - RB Keʻokeʻo Kāne-Maikaʻi - S22 - 657 TPE
2. Baron1898 - K/P Venus Powers - S20 - 1003 TPE
3. KC15 - WR Jed Podolak - S19 - 906 TPE
4. Number 82 - S Shawn Dawkins - S22 - 700 TPE
5. muse316 - QB Luke Skywalker - S22 - 647 TPE
6. siddhus - CB Jim Waters - S22 - 629 TPE
7. gbfn - LB Heinrich Kackpoo - S23 - 580 TPE
8. Jason - CB Ray-Ray Jackson - S23 - 466 TPE
Player drafted: TheRocheLimit - LB Jack Banks - S22 - 544 TPE
Player protected: morsy - WR William Alexander - S22 - 594 TPE
Player drafted: Faded - RB Nicholas Ayers - S23 - 469 TPE
This one is tough to get right. You just don't know what to do. The most players in Honolulu are simply not ready still to be able to compete for the top spots in the league. You have to plan for the future but also think about being able to at least be able to win a few games and not be dead last in the conference for a few seasons.
First, the GMs gucci is protected as he is GM, with that the spot for the running back is secured for the future. The second GM raven recreated so no need for that. The first player to protect is the kicker. Who would not decide the same. He is the best earner of his draft class and an absolute beast at his position. Honolulu should have a completely dependable K/P for the future in him.
They should also consider to salvage the main parts of their offense. I know it isn't that great yet to begin with, but always better than to start all over trying to rebuild it. Luke Skywalker is just playing his rookie season and has to earn quite a bit to get more consistent and he definitely need all the help he can get. So i also protected his number 1 receiver Jed Podolak. Sadly that is all the help he will get for sure, as the focus of protection has to lay on the defense. WR William Alexander just didn't make the list.
On defense I made sure to get a bit of everything protected. The best linebacker of the Hahalua TPE-wise Mack Arianlacher went inactive for a while now and is losing ground to the other LB on the team. Heinrich Kackpoo is earning good and is already playing his second season, so i think he deserves to be on the protection list as well. The thing Honolulu is really good at this season so far is the defense against the pass. Shawn Dawkins and Jim Waters are playing their hearts out and also will be defining the future of the team. Thei are earning fast, especially Dawkins so there is no way around them. The last one I have on the protection list was hard for me. I could either take a second Linebacker in Jack Banks or go with the CB Ray-Ray Jackson. I decided to go with Jackson because the defensive backs are the heart and soul of the team this year and kept them in the game a lot.
The first player they will lose to the expansion will therefore be Jack Banks. He is a young player still and has played a few years in the league, so he will definitely be able to help a new team. The player who will be protected then will be the second WR in William Alexander. He will be needed to give Skywalker another target in his second seson. That means Honolulu will lose an important piece of their offense. The up and coming running back Nicholas Ayers. He already showed great performances this year and will also do that for the team that picks him.
- New Orleans Second Line -
1. GM: TomHanks - RB Forrest Gump - S15 - 852 TPE
1. GM: ddrector - CB David Rector - S18 - 1361 TPE
2. bex - RB Marcella Toriki - S18 - 1296 TPE
3. Wombat - WR Ed Barker - S21 - 758 TPE
4. slothfacekilla - QB Ben Slothlisberger - S22 - 705 TPE
5. Jay_Doctor - S Mason Blaylock - S19 - 1169 TPE
6. mithrandir - CB Andrew Witten - S22 - 709 TPE
7. Tesla - DT Magnus Rikiya - S22 - 712 TPE
Player drafted: JPach - S LiterallyJust A. Hexagon - S22 - 533 TPE
Player protected: Nokazoa - TE Austin McCormick - S19 - 986 TPE
Player drafted: caltroit_red_flames - OL Givussafare Rubbe - S18 - 1251 TPE
The new Orleans Second Line will hit the draft pretty hard. They have so many high TPE players on their roster, that it really isn't easy to decide on who to protect. The obvious picks are of course the two GMs in Forrest Gump and David Rector. In doing so they can protect the player with the second highest TPE in the league. Of course they also are going to protect their franchise Quarterback in Ben Slothlisberger. The other players on offense i would also protect are Ed Barker who is no getting better and better every year and lot can be expected from him in the future. He should be a great target to throw to for Slothlisberger. I was not sure if I should put Marcella Toriki on the list as she is entering regression but she is just to good to not protect her, especially when considering that Forrest Gump may be playing his last season, or not... Who knows? That leaves Austin McCormick of the list. It's a bit of a shame, I know, but there also has to be looked at the defense. Ther i decided to go with Mason Blaylock right away. He is a beast entering his prime. He has to get protected. Then I had a bit of a trouble but I think going with Andrew Witten at CB and Magnus Rikiya at Defensive Tackle would be the best decision. Hexagon has a bit too little TPE for my taste and also plays Safety, just as Blaylock. So i left him unprotected.
The first player that the second line will lose is LiterallyJust A. Hexagon. I guess that the expansion teams will make sure to get defensive players first, as they tend to be harder to get via the draft. That means New Orleans can protect their TE Austin McCormick and securing another weapon for the young quarterback. The scond player that will be chosen then i think will be Givussafare Rubbe. I mean, honestly... He is just too good to pass on him. I know, that maybe this is a bit odd, but i think there is a team that will gladly take him.
- Orange County Otters -
1. GM: Laser - CB Korrin Abernathy - S18 - 1357 TPE
1. GM: jeffie43 - S Prince Vegeta - S21 - 955 TPE
2. Lemon - WR Future Trunks - S21 - 782 TPE
3. qWest - RB Tatsu Nakamura - S22 - 727 TPE
4. Revolution5- S Tyrone Biggums - S18 - 1247 TPE
5. DrunkenTeddy - TE Jeffrey Phillips - S22 - 700 TPE
6. Forty Jordy - LB Deshun Jones - S22 - 689 TPE
7. scorycory - CB Lord Beerus - S19 - 1011 TPE
Player drafted: rapideagle - DT Rapid Eagle - S21 - 699 TPE
Player protected: Nokazoa - WR Garfield Despacito Jr - S22 - 689 TPE
Player drafted: LGMForever - DT Carl Wheezer - S23 - 440 TPE
This will maybe surprise a few. But i think that Franklin Armstrong is either playing has last or second to least season. So i think that the Otters won't protect him and also that there is no interest in him anyway d ue to the fact that he is S15 and is hit badly by regression.
The core of the team will still be intact, first and foremost their impressive defensive backs will be protected. A bit hard for them will be the loss of two defensive tackles.
- San Jose Sabercats -
1. GM: ckroyal - DE Water Chestnut - S23 - 456 TPE
1. GM: Rradum - QB Monterrey "Monty" Jack - S22 - 723 TPE
2. KoltClassic - DT Otis Allen- S21 - 916 TPE
3. AW13- WR Deondre Thomas-Fox - S19 - 792 TPE
4. Vorshayla - CB HeHateMe PickSix - S21 - 746 TPE
5. BenDover - RB Jamar Lackson - S22 - 739 TPE
6. Matty7478 - K/P Matthew McDairmid - S22 - 719 TPE
7. RussDrivesTheBus - LB Lawrence Bass - S22 - 699 TPE
Player drafted: Tylus - WR Tychondrius Hood - S23 - 569 TPE
Player protected: IHateBobNutting - S Philip Stein - S23 - 511 TPE
Player drafted: GoonerBear - RB Rando Cardrissian - S21 - 694 TPE
San Jose has a lot to lose in this expansion. Their team is stacked with young talent. Of course their GMS are protected. With that they don't have to spend another protection slot for QB. They will keep the most of their young offense, but will lose their second running back. The loss of Tychondrius Hood will be painful, as he is earning really good and is among the best earners, but I also think, that they need to look a bit to preserve their defense.
- Baltimore Hawks -
1. GM: Huskies311 - S CJ Riley - S23 - 397 TPE
2. Ry_ - RB Darrel Williams - S20 - 996 TPE
3. Jackets28 - QB Chika Fujiwara - S21 - 838 TPE
4. RansackTheUniverse - CB Eldrick Avery - S22 - 733 TPE
5. Highhaschdi - WR Nick Kaepercolin - S22 - 722 TPE
6. Rabidsponge21 - K/P Datsum PhastBawls - S23 - 421 TPE
7. Exilizer - LB Derred de Ville - S22 - 699 TPE
Player drafted: benstackinpaper - CB Ben Stackinpaper - S22 - 628 TPE
Player protected: The_Kidd - CB LeSean Paris Crooks - S23 - 533 TPE
Player drafted: Dagumpa - LB Dex Kennedy - S22 - 614 TPE
As we now know DeWalt is getting his expansion franchise. I don't quite know what that means for the Baltimore Hawks and their protection list. So i continued and left him off the list. The Hawks are losing two fantastic players on defense in Stackinpaper and Kennedy. On the plus side they can keep two of the most promising corners. As well the rookie QB Fujiwara got lucky to be keeping all receivers on offense.
- Chicago Butchers -
1. GM: BayleyIsland - OL Benson Bayley Jr. - S22 - 634 TPE
1. GM: Muford - DT John "Tripod" Smirh - S21 - 777 TPE
2. Leafer - QB George O'Donnel - S21 - 818 TPE
3. Blueline - WR Sean O'Leary - S19 - 1136 TPE
4. HalfEatenOnionBagel - CB Osiris Firestorm-Fjord - S21 - 906
5. SwagSloth - RB Baby Yoda - S21 - 849 TPE
6. Evok - K/P Sam Sidekick - S22 - 517 TPE
7. Oles - CB Tyler Oles JR - S22 - 714 TPE
Player drafted: Ithica Hawk - S Hamish MacAndrew - S22 - 645 TPE
Player protected: Jangorhino - DE Mario VonPebbles - S22 - 646 TPE
Player drafted: enigmatic - WR Luca Scabbia - S23 - 534 TPE
The Chicago Butchers had great drafts in the last seasons. Many of the players they chose performed outstanding. They have great potential going forward. Seeing losing 2 valuable players to the expansion teams really hurts them. On the plus side - they have many outstanding talents on the roster, so the remaining players will get more chances in the future. Nonetheless they are losing significant talent in Hamish MacAndrew and Luca Scabbia. Their roster should stay competitive though.
- Colorado Yeti -
1. GM: Sylphreni - S Greedy Sly - S23 - 590 TPE
2. nunccoepi - DE Immanuel Blackstone - S21 - 915 TPE
3. RotticusScott - CB Rotticus Scott - S21 - 778 TPE
4. Modern_Duke - CB Louisiana Purchase - S18 - 1200 TPE
5. IsaStarcrossed - LB Adélie de Pengu S23 - 562 TPE
6. golden_apricot - K/P Silver Banana - S20 - 568 TPE
7. yonggarius - WR William Lim - S22 - 718 TPE
Player drafted: FleshBagSoup - TE Earl Sauce - S18 - 1035 TPE
Player protected: SwankyPants31 - RB Richard Gilbert - S22 - 642 TPE
Player drafted: Ephenstaa - LB Warren Stephens - S20 - 725 TPE
The problem for the Yeti is, that they have high TPE guys on their roster, that will enter regression or already are, for example Earl Sauce or Ashley Owens or Louisiana Purchase. They just can't save everybody of them, without thinking about the future. However they will decide to avoid losing their stars on defense. On the other side they are going to lose a High TPE player either way. I guess that they will lose Earl Sauce and Warren Stephens. They both are ready to help any team that is willing to go for them.
- Philadelphia Liberty -
1. GM: Memento Mori - CB Brandon Booker - S22 - 738 TPE
1. GM: roastfuego - WR Randy Vuxta - S20 - 801 TPE
2. Leafs4ever - QB Brock Phoenix - S19 - 1086 TPE
3. J0EB - S Matt "Son of Havoc" Cross - S22 - 741 TPE
4. Lightnoir - S Wesley Eriksen - S22 - 650 TPE
5. Simo_393 - K/P Karmichael Hunt - S23 - 415 TPE
6. Nhamlet - S Eugene Smoothie - S23 - 544 TPE
7. juniped - WR Flash Panda - S21 - 768 TPE
Player drafted: goodfortunecoffee - RB Fuzzy Dotson - S18 - 814 TPE
Player protected: iamslm22 - TE Avon Blocksdale Jr. - S19 - 724 TPE
Player drafted: Briedaqueduc - OL Simon Tremblay - S21 - 538 TPE
For Philadelphia the goal has to be: protect defense, they are lacking TPE across the whole defensive roster and especially this year the problems they are having show really good. At the time of this article they are last in points allowed. They need one or two seasons to be able to stabilize their defense. With that aspect they will lose a bit of quality on the offensive side of the ball in Fuzzy Dotson and Simon Tremblay.
- Sarasota Sailfish -
1. GM: Frostbite - RB Raphtalia Chan - S21 - 945 TPE
1. GM: sakrosankt - WR Michael Witheblock - S22 - 726 TPE
2. TropicaliaCC - QB Dexter Banks - S17 - 1075 TPE
3. Drizzy - CB Jamie Nkiah - S20 - 867 TPE
4. Billybolo53 - DT Cuco Clemente - S22 - 736 TPE
5. furiousPanda - LB Haha Mango-Panda - S22 - 712 TPE
6. RainDelay - WR Rayne Gordon - S19 - 1069 TPE
7. tMuse - TE James Angler - S22 - 699 TPE
Player drafted: Naosu - DE Son Goku - S23 - 570 TPE
Player protected: bjkman - K/P Jacob Small - S22 - 508 TPE
Player drafted: enforcer - LB Fawn Dillmiballs - S22 - 651 TPE
Sarasota has a problem here. Dexter Banks is playing out of his mind this season. He is throwing the ball all over the place. Ok, there are a few interceptions, but in terms of yardage, nobody is coming close to him. The sailfish will try to preserve the weapons around him, so they will lose talent on the defense I think. I think that they will lose one of the best earners in Son Goku, this will hurt, especially as with the second player they will lose Fawn Dillmiballs. But if Banks in his third season as a QB can sustain the performance he is showing this year, they should be good on offense.
- Yellowknife Wraiths -
1. GM: flyeaglesfly29 - QB Colby Jack - S22 - 760 TPE
1. GM: PMoney - DT Patrick Money - S22 - 713 TPE
2. BaconBrother - LB Maurice Virtanen - S18 - 1199 TPE
3. CLG Rampage - RB Mathias Hanyadi - S18 - 1192 TPE
4. cho1325 - DE James Cho - S22 - 728 TPE
5. Colabear - S Johnny Hellzapoppin - S22 - 720 TPE
6. DarknessRising - WR Kai Sakura - S23 - 578 TPE
7. iseedoug - K/P Dougie Smalls - S21 - 684 TPE
Player drafted: HENDRIX 2.0 - LB Douglas Quaid - S21 - 910 TPE
Player protected: Skyline - RB Acura Skyline - S22 - 738 TPE
Player drafted: KamiCommie - S Magnus Valdyr - S22 - 538 TPE
The Wraiths are another team that will have to take a painfull loss. The bulk of the players who are landing on the protection list from Yellowknife will be their key players. They just have to keep Hanyadi, as he is a legend there. The same goes for Virtanen. Sadly they will have to let go of one of the best future LB of the league in Douglas Quaid and Magnus Valdyr. On the positive side, they will be able to kepp the successor of Hanyadi in Acura Skyline.
I guess it won't be possible to keep each and everybody and have to take a loss or two.
In conclusion it was really challenging and interesting for me to go through the team rosters and decide who should stay and who will leave the team. I wished i had a bit more time to explain on why i chose the players that i did, but unfortunately as i stated at the beginning, i just won't find the time to do more.
To everyone who feels bad about not beeing on my protection list: Don't be too hard on me.
It is the first time for me to really get to know how the expansion works. The last time, when Honolulu and Sarasota were added to the ISFL i just created my player and I just wasn't ready to learn about the mechanism of an expansion draft and so on. For quite a time i didn't even realize, that the players, who were picked in the expansion draft by Sarasota and Honolulu were originally playing at other teams.
I get that there are players who like the idea of spending their carreer with different teams, but there are also players who just want to play for the same team throughout their whole carreer. If you then don't get the luxury of being on the protection list, you run in danger of maybe landing on a team you don't really want to be with.
However, i don't want to ramble too much about the draft, so here is my mock protection list.
- ARIZONA OUTLAWS - 1. GM: Unicorn - CB Desmond Scarlett - S20 - 993 TPE
1. GM: xQCFamous - S Benoit Blanco - S23 - 385 TPE
2. Opera Phantom - QB Jay Cue - S18 - 1393 TPE
3. Moosecop - LB Galf Wilf - S20 - 890 TPE
4. BRNXB0MBERS - DT Pete "Plop" Miller - S21 - 863 TPE
5. retrospace111 - CB Zamir Kehla - S22 - 699 TPE
6. Thor - TE Heath Evans - S22 - 721 TPE
7. StamkosFan - WR Thomas Passman - S22 - 678 TPE
8. Jo3fish5 - RB Joseph Petrongolo - S23 - 525 TPE
Player drafted: hotdog - S DB Jadakiss - S23 - 516 TPE
Player protected: s4ndr0p - DE Sandro Ryeu - S22 - 663 TPE
Player drafted: 24redcrayons - OL Julio Jones - S23 - 495 TPE
First the Outlaws protect their 2 GM players and their Quarterback. This was obvious. Jay Cue is at the top of his game and has a few years left in his tank to take Arizona to the big game. They absolutely have to protect him. After him I had to think about, what would be the best decision here going forward. The first two players are Galf Wilf and Pete Miller. They are the backbone of the defense and as they are still a few seasons away from regression they will stay in the league for a long time still. Zamir Kehla is also a valuable piece to the defense and one of the better earners in the huge S22 draft class. But keeping in mind that Cue's window is closing in a few seasons I thought of not only going defense on the protection list. They need to support their quarterback in giving him the weapons he needs to eventually make a run in the playoffs. Saba Donut is in his second year of regression by the time of the expansion, so i don't think the Outlaws will protect him. Even if they lost him to a expansion team which i would doubt a bit, they still are looking pretty good with Thomas Passmann as the main receiver. The other two players who i would have troubles with risking getting drafted are Heath Evans and Joseph Petrongolo. Evans and Petrongolo are earning good and are still young. These are the players that can really support Cue in his attempt to win his first Ultimus.
Losing a player like Jadakiss is a bit hurtfull, as he is just starting to get hot in the league. After that I think the best would be to further stabilize their defense in protecting their young DE Sandro Ryeu. Offensive Line is no option there as they have three OL on the roster and are fully able to sustain an eventual loss at this position. This loss i think will be Julio Jones, their youngest OL on the team. All in all the loss of DB Jadakiss will hurt them the most as he is their only player with high TPE at Safety.
- AUSTIN COPPERHEADS - 1. GM: JKortesi81 - QB Easton Cole - S16 - 1043 TPE
1. GM: Mooty99- RB Mako Mendonca - S16 - 925 TPE
2. Kyle - DE Carolinabbq Isbest - S20 - 811 TPE
3. QuirkyTurtle - WR Eddie Jeeta - S22 - 715 TPE
4. Troen - DE Troen Egghands - S22 - 711 TPE
5. iStegosauruz - CB Colt Mendoza - S22 - 686 TPE
6. AsylumParty - LB Griffin Porter - S23 - 484 TPE
7. ValorX77 - WR Videl San - S23 - 541 TPE
8. AdamS - S Awkward Sexjoke - S20 - 691 TPE
Player drafted: Shiznit19 - DE Slinky Claxton - S22 - 612 TPE
Player protected: howsour - RB Kichwa Jones - S22 - 545 TPE
Player drafted: UpperNet - WR Net Gaines - S18 - 919 TPE
The Austin Copperheads don't have to worry about protecting their QB as he is GM, as well as their number 1 running back in Mako Mendonca. They both are in regression, though should be able to compete for one, maybe two seasons. With that in mind Easton Cole will need all the weapons he can get to maybe make a last push for the title. So it is pretty clear that the Copperheads want to secure their two future stars at wide receiver. Eddie Jeeta and Videl San are very good earners and will be a focal point in their offense going forward. I was not sure about Net Gaines. I know he is a star and at his peak, but next year regression will hit and their up and coming WR have decent stats already. I didn't put Kichwa Jones as well on the first protection list as Mako Mendonca should be good for another 2 seasons and running backs are normally taking foot pretty fast in the ISFL. The main concern of Austin has to be protecting their starters on defense. They have all around very high potential going on there as the core of them is fairly young and still in development. Their duo at DE in Kyle and Troen will reak havoc in opposing offenses. By having Awkward Seyjoke and Colt Mendoza leading their passing defense they also should be feeling pretty confident at that position. The only position where i can sense a weakness would be linebacker. Griffin Porter is a very young player still and needs a bit more time to rise to the levels of the ISFL but Honda Edmond created in season 17 and is going into his second year of regression. So i see just a limited value in protecting him.
The first player that is drafted in my opinion then would be Slinky Claxton. I didn't put him on the protection list, as Austin already has 2 very good players there. I think the right thing to do would be to protect their future main running back. I was going back and forth about protecting Kichwa Jones or Net Gaines, or maybe even Dermot Lavelle Jr. Dermot is too old in my opinion to protect in being created in S16. Therefore i don't think an expansion GM will even decide to pick him. Net Gaines was hard for me also, as they have two future monsters at WR. He will inevitably be picked as the second player.
- Honolulu Hahalua - 1. GM: gucci - RB Keʻokeʻo Kāne-Maikaʻi - S22 - 657 TPE
2. Baron1898 - K/P Venus Powers - S20 - 1003 TPE
3. KC15 - WR Jed Podolak - S19 - 906 TPE
4. Number 82 - S Shawn Dawkins - S22 - 700 TPE
5. muse316 - QB Luke Skywalker - S22 - 647 TPE
6. siddhus - CB Jim Waters - S22 - 629 TPE
7. gbfn - LB Heinrich Kackpoo - S23 - 580 TPE
8. Jason - CB Ray-Ray Jackson - S23 - 466 TPE
Player drafted: TheRocheLimit - LB Jack Banks - S22 - 544 TPE
Player protected: morsy - WR William Alexander - S22 - 594 TPE
Player drafted: Faded - RB Nicholas Ayers - S23 - 469 TPE
This one is tough to get right. You just don't know what to do. The most players in Honolulu are simply not ready still to be able to compete for the top spots in the league. You have to plan for the future but also think about being able to at least be able to win a few games and not be dead last in the conference for a few seasons.
First, the GMs gucci is protected as he is GM, with that the spot for the running back is secured for the future. The second GM raven recreated so no need for that. The first player to protect is the kicker. Who would not decide the same. He is the best earner of his draft class and an absolute beast at his position. Honolulu should have a completely dependable K/P for the future in him.
They should also consider to salvage the main parts of their offense. I know it isn't that great yet to begin with, but always better than to start all over trying to rebuild it. Luke Skywalker is just playing his rookie season and has to earn quite a bit to get more consistent and he definitely need all the help he can get. So i also protected his number 1 receiver Jed Podolak. Sadly that is all the help he will get for sure, as the focus of protection has to lay on the defense. WR William Alexander just didn't make the list.
On defense I made sure to get a bit of everything protected. The best linebacker of the Hahalua TPE-wise Mack Arianlacher went inactive for a while now and is losing ground to the other LB on the team. Heinrich Kackpoo is earning good and is already playing his second season, so i think he deserves to be on the protection list as well. The thing Honolulu is really good at this season so far is the defense against the pass. Shawn Dawkins and Jim Waters are playing their hearts out and also will be defining the future of the team. Thei are earning fast, especially Dawkins so there is no way around them. The last one I have on the protection list was hard for me. I could either take a second Linebacker in Jack Banks or go with the CB Ray-Ray Jackson. I decided to go with Jackson because the defensive backs are the heart and soul of the team this year and kept them in the game a lot.
The first player they will lose to the expansion will therefore be Jack Banks. He is a young player still and has played a few years in the league, so he will definitely be able to help a new team. The player who will be protected then will be the second WR in William Alexander. He will be needed to give Skywalker another target in his second seson. That means Honolulu will lose an important piece of their offense. The up and coming running back Nicholas Ayers. He already showed great performances this year and will also do that for the team that picks him.
- New Orleans Second Line - 1. GM: TomHanks - RB Forrest Gump - S15 - 852 TPE
1. GM: ddrector - CB David Rector - S18 - 1361 TPE
2. bex - RB Marcella Toriki - S18 - 1296 TPE
3. Wombat - WR Ed Barker - S21 - 758 TPE
4. slothfacekilla - QB Ben Slothlisberger - S22 - 705 TPE
5. Jay_Doctor - S Mason Blaylock - S19 - 1169 TPE
6. mithrandir - CB Andrew Witten - S22 - 709 TPE
7. Tesla - DT Magnus Rikiya - S22 - 712 TPE
Player drafted: JPach - S LiterallyJust A. Hexagon - S22 - 533 TPE
Player protected: Nokazoa - TE Austin McCormick - S19 - 986 TPE
Player drafted: caltroit_red_flames - OL Givussafare Rubbe - S18 - 1251 TPE
The new Orleans Second Line will hit the draft pretty hard. They have so many high TPE players on their roster, that it really isn't easy to decide on who to protect. The obvious picks are of course the two GMs in Forrest Gump and David Rector. In doing so they can protect the player with the second highest TPE in the league. Of course they also are going to protect their franchise Quarterback in Ben Slothlisberger. The other players on offense i would also protect are Ed Barker who is no getting better and better every year and lot can be expected from him in the future. He should be a great target to throw to for Slothlisberger. I was not sure if I should put Marcella Toriki on the list as she is entering regression but she is just to good to not protect her, especially when considering that Forrest Gump may be playing his last season, or not... Who knows? That leaves Austin McCormick of the list. It's a bit of a shame, I know, but there also has to be looked at the defense. Ther i decided to go with Mason Blaylock right away. He is a beast entering his prime. He has to get protected. Then I had a bit of a trouble but I think going with Andrew Witten at CB and Magnus Rikiya at Defensive Tackle would be the best decision. Hexagon has a bit too little TPE for my taste and also plays Safety, just as Blaylock. So i left him unprotected.
The first player that the second line will lose is LiterallyJust A. Hexagon. I guess that the expansion teams will make sure to get defensive players first, as they tend to be harder to get via the draft. That means New Orleans can protect their TE Austin McCormick and securing another weapon for the young quarterback. The scond player that will be chosen then i think will be Givussafare Rubbe. I mean, honestly... He is just too good to pass on him. I know, that maybe this is a bit odd, but i think there is a team that will gladly take him.
- Orange County Otters - 1. GM: Laser - CB Korrin Abernathy - S18 - 1357 TPE
1. GM: jeffie43 - S Prince Vegeta - S21 - 955 TPE
2. Lemon - WR Future Trunks - S21 - 782 TPE
3. qWest - RB Tatsu Nakamura - S22 - 727 TPE
4. Revolution5- S Tyrone Biggums - S18 - 1247 TPE
5. DrunkenTeddy - TE Jeffrey Phillips - S22 - 700 TPE
6. Forty Jordy - LB Deshun Jones - S22 - 689 TPE
7. scorycory - CB Lord Beerus - S19 - 1011 TPE
Player drafted: rapideagle - DT Rapid Eagle - S21 - 699 TPE
Player protected: Nokazoa - WR Garfield Despacito Jr - S22 - 689 TPE
Player drafted: LGMForever - DT Carl Wheezer - S23 - 440 TPE
This will maybe surprise a few. But i think that Franklin Armstrong is either playing has last or second to least season. So i think that the Otters won't protect him and also that there is no interest in him anyway d ue to the fact that he is S15 and is hit badly by regression.
The core of the team will still be intact, first and foremost their impressive defensive backs will be protected. A bit hard for them will be the loss of two defensive tackles.
- San Jose Sabercats - 1. GM: ckroyal - DE Water Chestnut - S23 - 456 TPE
1. GM: Rradum - QB Monterrey "Monty" Jack - S22 - 723 TPE
2. KoltClassic - DT Otis Allen- S21 - 916 TPE
3. AW13- WR Deondre Thomas-Fox - S19 - 792 TPE
4. Vorshayla - CB HeHateMe PickSix - S21 - 746 TPE
5. BenDover - RB Jamar Lackson - S22 - 739 TPE
6. Matty7478 - K/P Matthew McDairmid - S22 - 719 TPE
7. RussDrivesTheBus - LB Lawrence Bass - S22 - 699 TPE
Player drafted: Tylus - WR Tychondrius Hood - S23 - 569 TPE
Player protected: IHateBobNutting - S Philip Stein - S23 - 511 TPE
Player drafted: GoonerBear - RB Rando Cardrissian - S21 - 694 TPE
San Jose has a lot to lose in this expansion. Their team is stacked with young talent. Of course their GMS are protected. With that they don't have to spend another protection slot for QB. They will keep the most of their young offense, but will lose their second running back. The loss of Tychondrius Hood will be painful, as he is earning really good and is among the best earners, but I also think, that they need to look a bit to preserve their defense.
- Baltimore Hawks - 1. GM: Huskies311 - S CJ Riley - S23 - 397 TPE
2. Ry_ - RB Darrel Williams - S20 - 996 TPE
3. Jackets28 - QB Chika Fujiwara - S21 - 838 TPE
4. RansackTheUniverse - CB Eldrick Avery - S22 - 733 TPE
5. Highhaschdi - WR Nick Kaepercolin - S22 - 722 TPE
6. Rabidsponge21 - K/P Datsum PhastBawls - S23 - 421 TPE
7. Exilizer - LB Derred de Ville - S22 - 699 TPE
Player drafted: benstackinpaper - CB Ben Stackinpaper - S22 - 628 TPE
Player protected: The_Kidd - CB LeSean Paris Crooks - S23 - 533 TPE
Player drafted: Dagumpa - LB Dex Kennedy - S22 - 614 TPE
As we now know DeWalt is getting his expansion franchise. I don't quite know what that means for the Baltimore Hawks and their protection list. So i continued and left him off the list. The Hawks are losing two fantastic players on defense in Stackinpaper and Kennedy. On the plus side they can keep two of the most promising corners. As well the rookie QB Fujiwara got lucky to be keeping all receivers on offense.
- Chicago Butchers - 1. GM: BayleyIsland - OL Benson Bayley Jr. - S22 - 634 TPE
1. GM: Muford - DT John "Tripod" Smirh - S21 - 777 TPE
2. Leafer - QB George O'Donnel - S21 - 818 TPE
3. Blueline - WR Sean O'Leary - S19 - 1136 TPE
4. HalfEatenOnionBagel - CB Osiris Firestorm-Fjord - S21 - 906
5. SwagSloth - RB Baby Yoda - S21 - 849 TPE
6. Evok - K/P Sam Sidekick - S22 - 517 TPE
7. Oles - CB Tyler Oles JR - S22 - 714 TPE
Player drafted: Ithica Hawk - S Hamish MacAndrew - S22 - 645 TPE
Player protected: Jangorhino - DE Mario VonPebbles - S22 - 646 TPE
Player drafted: enigmatic - WR Luca Scabbia - S23 - 534 TPE
The Chicago Butchers had great drafts in the last seasons. Many of the players they chose performed outstanding. They have great potential going forward. Seeing losing 2 valuable players to the expansion teams really hurts them. On the plus side - they have many outstanding talents on the roster, so the remaining players will get more chances in the future. Nonetheless they are losing significant talent in Hamish MacAndrew and Luca Scabbia. Their roster should stay competitive though.
- Colorado Yeti - 1. GM: Sylphreni - S Greedy Sly - S23 - 590 TPE
2. nunccoepi - DE Immanuel Blackstone - S21 - 915 TPE
3. RotticusScott - CB Rotticus Scott - S21 - 778 TPE
4. Modern_Duke - CB Louisiana Purchase - S18 - 1200 TPE
5. IsaStarcrossed - LB Adélie de Pengu S23 - 562 TPE
6. golden_apricot - K/P Silver Banana - S20 - 568 TPE
7. yonggarius - WR William Lim - S22 - 718 TPE
Player drafted: FleshBagSoup - TE Earl Sauce - S18 - 1035 TPE
Player protected: SwankyPants31 - RB Richard Gilbert - S22 - 642 TPE
Player drafted: Ephenstaa - LB Warren Stephens - S20 - 725 TPE
The problem for the Yeti is, that they have high TPE guys on their roster, that will enter regression or already are, for example Earl Sauce or Ashley Owens or Louisiana Purchase. They just can't save everybody of them, without thinking about the future. However they will decide to avoid losing their stars on defense. On the other side they are going to lose a High TPE player either way. I guess that they will lose Earl Sauce and Warren Stephens. They both are ready to help any team that is willing to go for them.
- Philadelphia Liberty - 1. GM: Memento Mori - CB Brandon Booker - S22 - 738 TPE
1. GM: roastfuego - WR Randy Vuxta - S20 - 801 TPE
2. Leafs4ever - QB Brock Phoenix - S19 - 1086 TPE
3. J0EB - S Matt "Son of Havoc" Cross - S22 - 741 TPE
4. Lightnoir - S Wesley Eriksen - S22 - 650 TPE
5. Simo_393 - K/P Karmichael Hunt - S23 - 415 TPE
6. Nhamlet - S Eugene Smoothie - S23 - 544 TPE
7. juniped - WR Flash Panda - S21 - 768 TPE
Player drafted: goodfortunecoffee - RB Fuzzy Dotson - S18 - 814 TPE
Player protected: iamslm22 - TE Avon Blocksdale Jr. - S19 - 724 TPE
Player drafted: Briedaqueduc - OL Simon Tremblay - S21 - 538 TPE
For Philadelphia the goal has to be: protect defense, they are lacking TPE across the whole defensive roster and especially this year the problems they are having show really good. At the time of this article they are last in points allowed. They need one or two seasons to be able to stabilize their defense. With that aspect they will lose a bit of quality on the offensive side of the ball in Fuzzy Dotson and Simon Tremblay.
- Sarasota Sailfish - 1. GM: Frostbite - RB Raphtalia Chan - S21 - 945 TPE
1. GM: sakrosankt - WR Michael Witheblock - S22 - 726 TPE
2. TropicaliaCC - QB Dexter Banks - S17 - 1075 TPE
3. Drizzy - CB Jamie Nkiah - S20 - 867 TPE
4. Billybolo53 - DT Cuco Clemente - S22 - 736 TPE
5. furiousPanda - LB Haha Mango-Panda - S22 - 712 TPE
6. RainDelay - WR Rayne Gordon - S19 - 1069 TPE
7. tMuse - TE James Angler - S22 - 699 TPE
Player drafted: Naosu - DE Son Goku - S23 - 570 TPE
Player protected: bjkman - K/P Jacob Small - S22 - 508 TPE
Player drafted: enforcer - LB Fawn Dillmiballs - S22 - 651 TPE
Sarasota has a problem here. Dexter Banks is playing out of his mind this season. He is throwing the ball all over the place. Ok, there are a few interceptions, but in terms of yardage, nobody is coming close to him. The sailfish will try to preserve the weapons around him, so they will lose talent on the defense I think. I think that they will lose one of the best earners in Son Goku, this will hurt, especially as with the second player they will lose Fawn Dillmiballs. But if Banks in his third season as a QB can sustain the performance he is showing this year, they should be good on offense.
- Yellowknife Wraiths - 1. GM: flyeaglesfly29 - QB Colby Jack - S22 - 760 TPE
1. GM: PMoney - DT Patrick Money - S22 - 713 TPE
2. BaconBrother - LB Maurice Virtanen - S18 - 1199 TPE
3. CLG Rampage - RB Mathias Hanyadi - S18 - 1192 TPE
4. cho1325 - DE James Cho - S22 - 728 TPE
5. Colabear - S Johnny Hellzapoppin - S22 - 720 TPE
6. DarknessRising - WR Kai Sakura - S23 - 578 TPE
7. iseedoug - K/P Dougie Smalls - S21 - 684 TPE
Player drafted: HENDRIX 2.0 - LB Douglas Quaid - S21 - 910 TPE
Player protected: Skyline - RB Acura Skyline - S22 - 738 TPE
Player drafted: KamiCommie - S Magnus Valdyr - S22 - 538 TPE
The Wraiths are another team that will have to take a painfull loss. The bulk of the players who are landing on the protection list from Yellowknife will be their key players. They just have to keep Hanyadi, as he is a legend there. The same goes for Virtanen. Sadly they will have to let go of one of the best future LB of the league in Douglas Quaid and Magnus Valdyr. On the positive side, they will be able to kepp the successor of Hanyadi in Acura Skyline.
I guess it won't be possible to keep each and everybody and have to take a loss or two.
In conclusion it was really challenging and interesting for me to go through the team rosters and decide who should stay and who will leave the team. I wished i had a bit more time to explain on why i chose the players that i did, but unfortunately as i stated at the beginning, i just won't find the time to do more.
To everyone who feels bad about not beeing on my protection list: Don't be too hard on me.
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