The Santa Ana Star
Yes I stole this idea from Ballerstorm. What's he gonna do, permaban me?
The pride of Santa Ana, the Orange County Otters showed all the promise in the league last season but were unable to reach the Ultimus Cup game and bring home the championship. There's really no hiding the reason, either. Despite the league's most productive offense in yardage the team struggled with turnovers and scoring, turning into some games in which the Otters had an overwhelming advantage in possession but still lost. The good news for the team is that they proved they have a working blueprint, it just needed a few offseason tweaks. Much to everyone's surprise the Otters didn't even complete the full draft, opting instead to beef up the Offensive Line and sit on their hands. What may be even more surprising is they doubled down on Mike Boss, who like a depth chart Dracula seems to be immune to benching despite leading the league in interceptions last season. At this point the team would have to pursue a FA/Waiver QB or trade for somebody to push Boss, so it seems highly likely that their verbal support for him is genuine. What's possibly even more surprising than that is the team didn't add a third Wide Receiver or a Tight End to replace Josh Davidson. Admittedly the options were fairly limited by the 9th round when the Otters forfeited their picks, but nothing is better than something, right?
Let's break down the Otters offensive roster and see if we can't find some answers within. Many people think the Otters will win the ASFC this year, so these apparent offensive woes must have a bright side to match them. I will italicize new players.
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Quarterback
Roster: Mike Boss
Summary: Boss is the man in Orange County, getting a chance with the Otters that he probably wouldn't have with the rest of the league. So far this preseason he has weathered the storm, throwing 4 touchdowns versus 3 interceptions in some difficult away games. Boss has smarts and accuracy, but aggressive secondaries seem to get under his skin and unlike Ethan Hunt he can't exactly scamper off for a few yards when the pressure's on. Boss will have to show pocket presence and leadership to take the reins of this offense, but on an Otters team that would rather run than pass, all he has to do is not screw up.
Runningback
Roster: Leroy Jenkins, Vick Bowers Jr.
Summary: The RBs played a fun little game of musical chairs this offseason. It began with the departure of Omar Wright, then the arrival of Vick Bowers Jr, the drafting of Ardie Savea, and finally the departure of Ardie Savea. The remaining two are Jenkins and Bowers, both former Pro-Bowlers in the ASFC. This is where the team hopes to shine, both backs proved last year that they can be standalone runners for a franchise, but now they find themselves in a committee of sorts. Bowers' speed and pass catching ability perfectly complements Jenkins' straight line power. With the league's best run blocking in front of them, you can expect these two to be the bread and butter of O.C.'s offense.
Fullback
Roster: None
Summary: The Fullback position has no full time occupant at the moment, it seems to be run by the best available blocker not otherwise in use at the time. Last season that was Jenkins, but if you expect his role at RB to increase you may think the team is looking for a replacement. Despite George Wright Jr.'s assertion that he is a Fullback, don't expect him to take many snaps there in the near future. This could be a good fit for Marcus Boyd if the team feels he is otherwise not getting put to good use.
Wide Receiver
Roster: Bradley Westfield, Robert Phelps
Summary: While most of the league is enjoying 3 or even 4 WRs, the Otters are perfectly content with just the 2. Apparently nobody reminded them that the 1960s was a long time ago. Westfield and Phelps were the league's most productive couple last season, with Phelps hauling in the most receptions and Westfield the most touchdowns. The slot receiver will likely be whichever one of the RBs isn't in the backfield that play, or maybe Josh Davidson. This is a position that could improve in depth, it's likely just a matter of how much the Otters want to spend on that, and the answer seems to be store brand prices if they get to double their coupon. It would be a big surprise if the Otters repeated their top receiving performance, but if they did it would be because Westfield and Phelps had another impressive season.
Tight End
Roster: George Wright Jr., Josh Davidson
Summary: The Tight End position around the league seems to be like an oversized Wide Receiver, but George Wright Jr. behaves much more like a small Offensive Lineman. Wright cracked the top 20 in receiving last year but where he really shined was in blocking, accumulating the most pancakes for a non-OL position. Wright and the Otters seem to be a perfect fit for each other, as Wright is the only Blocking TE in the league and the Otters are the only team that seem to be interested in having one. So far this preseason Wright has shown some improvement as a receiver but struggled mightily to put up good blocking numbers, accumulating just 2 pancakes in 3 games while coughing up a sack and 2 penalties. A strong finish against the Yetis would do him good before the regular season kicks off. Josh Davidson doesn't bring much to the table, but is an occasional red zone target.
Offensive Line
Roster: Angus Winchester, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Shjon Finkenlarkin, Cliff Hamilton, Greg Clegane, Macus Boyd
Summary: This is the part of the article you really wanted to read, am I right? The Otters had a monster OL last season, leading the league in run blocking and (tying) pass blocking. They didn't give up on their trench first philosophy in the offseason, drafting Greg Clegane and Shjon Finkenlarkin and trading for Ferguson. With league MVP Angus Winchester anchoring the left side and the bruising Clegane on the right, the Otters will be challenging defenses in the run game. The truly interesting addition to this line is the Swede Shjon Finkenlarkin. At 6'8" he is slated to be a career Left Tackle, but he will have to get Winchester out of that spot first. Finkenlarkin is a talented blocker, and brings some highly valued pass blocking to the Otters line, but he will need to work on his strength and footwork to deliver the heavy hits and pancakes that the team looks for. His 8 pancakes so far this preseason are promising for a rookie, but he also gave up a sack. Ferguson and Hamilton are both journeymen at Guard, but Ferguson has some more talent and upside so you can expect the team to search for a replacement for Cliff Hamilton if they can find a waiver pick they like.
---
The short version of it all is that the Otters will continue S2 with their low-gear run first offense that worked pretty well last season. Their additions to OL will only improve that objective, and a plethora of committed veterans means the coaches won't have to deal with too many question marks when the regular season arrives. Look for the Otters to continue their focus on ball control and try to give their solid defense the easiest path to some low-scoring wins.
Player Mentions:
@JBLAZE_THE_BOSS - Mike Boss
@Jiggly_333 - Leroy Jenkins
@Bengals1Fan - Vick Bowers Jr.
@Professorpayne69 - Marcus Boyd
@Bwestfield - Bradley Westfield
@DrunkenTeddy - Robert Phelps
Myself - George Wright Jr.
@zerxiez - Josh Davidson
@timeconsumer - Angus Winchester
@mjdharder - D'Brickashaw Ferguson
@Big Country - Shjon Finkenlarkin
@breakingthe4THWALL - Cliff Hamilton
@automatic - Greg Clegane
GRADED
Yes I stole this idea from Ballerstorm. What's he gonna do, permaban me?
The pride of Santa Ana, the Orange County Otters showed all the promise in the league last season but were unable to reach the Ultimus Cup game and bring home the championship. There's really no hiding the reason, either. Despite the league's most productive offense in yardage the team struggled with turnovers and scoring, turning into some games in which the Otters had an overwhelming advantage in possession but still lost. The good news for the team is that they proved they have a working blueprint, it just needed a few offseason tweaks. Much to everyone's surprise the Otters didn't even complete the full draft, opting instead to beef up the Offensive Line and sit on their hands. What may be even more surprising is they doubled down on Mike Boss, who like a depth chart Dracula seems to be immune to benching despite leading the league in interceptions last season. At this point the team would have to pursue a FA/Waiver QB or trade for somebody to push Boss, so it seems highly likely that their verbal support for him is genuine. What's possibly even more surprising than that is the team didn't add a third Wide Receiver or a Tight End to replace Josh Davidson. Admittedly the options were fairly limited by the 9th round when the Otters forfeited their picks, but nothing is better than something, right?
Let's break down the Otters offensive roster and see if we can't find some answers within. Many people think the Otters will win the ASFC this year, so these apparent offensive woes must have a bright side to match them. I will italicize new players.
---
Quarterback
Roster: Mike Boss
Summary: Boss is the man in Orange County, getting a chance with the Otters that he probably wouldn't have with the rest of the league. So far this preseason he has weathered the storm, throwing 4 touchdowns versus 3 interceptions in some difficult away games. Boss has smarts and accuracy, but aggressive secondaries seem to get under his skin and unlike Ethan Hunt he can't exactly scamper off for a few yards when the pressure's on. Boss will have to show pocket presence and leadership to take the reins of this offense, but on an Otters team that would rather run than pass, all he has to do is not screw up.
Runningback
Roster: Leroy Jenkins, Vick Bowers Jr.
Summary: The RBs played a fun little game of musical chairs this offseason. It began with the departure of Omar Wright, then the arrival of Vick Bowers Jr, the drafting of Ardie Savea, and finally the departure of Ardie Savea. The remaining two are Jenkins and Bowers, both former Pro-Bowlers in the ASFC. This is where the team hopes to shine, both backs proved last year that they can be standalone runners for a franchise, but now they find themselves in a committee of sorts. Bowers' speed and pass catching ability perfectly complements Jenkins' straight line power. With the league's best run blocking in front of them, you can expect these two to be the bread and butter of O.C.'s offense.
Fullback
Roster: None
Summary: The Fullback position has no full time occupant at the moment, it seems to be run by the best available blocker not otherwise in use at the time. Last season that was Jenkins, but if you expect his role at RB to increase you may think the team is looking for a replacement. Despite George Wright Jr.'s assertion that he is a Fullback, don't expect him to take many snaps there in the near future. This could be a good fit for Marcus Boyd if the team feels he is otherwise not getting put to good use.
Wide Receiver
Roster: Bradley Westfield, Robert Phelps
Summary: While most of the league is enjoying 3 or even 4 WRs, the Otters are perfectly content with just the 2. Apparently nobody reminded them that the 1960s was a long time ago. Westfield and Phelps were the league's most productive couple last season, with Phelps hauling in the most receptions and Westfield the most touchdowns. The slot receiver will likely be whichever one of the RBs isn't in the backfield that play, or maybe Josh Davidson. This is a position that could improve in depth, it's likely just a matter of how much the Otters want to spend on that, and the answer seems to be store brand prices if they get to double their coupon. It would be a big surprise if the Otters repeated their top receiving performance, but if they did it would be because Westfield and Phelps had another impressive season.
Tight End
Roster: George Wright Jr., Josh Davidson
Summary: The Tight End position around the league seems to be like an oversized Wide Receiver, but George Wright Jr. behaves much more like a small Offensive Lineman. Wright cracked the top 20 in receiving last year but where he really shined was in blocking, accumulating the most pancakes for a non-OL position. Wright and the Otters seem to be a perfect fit for each other, as Wright is the only Blocking TE in the league and the Otters are the only team that seem to be interested in having one. So far this preseason Wright has shown some improvement as a receiver but struggled mightily to put up good blocking numbers, accumulating just 2 pancakes in 3 games while coughing up a sack and 2 penalties. A strong finish against the Yetis would do him good before the regular season kicks off. Josh Davidson doesn't bring much to the table, but is an occasional red zone target.
Offensive Line
Roster: Angus Winchester, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Shjon Finkenlarkin, Cliff Hamilton, Greg Clegane, Macus Boyd
Summary: This is the part of the article you really wanted to read, am I right? The Otters had a monster OL last season, leading the league in run blocking and (tying) pass blocking. They didn't give up on their trench first philosophy in the offseason, drafting Greg Clegane and Shjon Finkenlarkin and trading for Ferguson. With league MVP Angus Winchester anchoring the left side and the bruising Clegane on the right, the Otters will be challenging defenses in the run game. The truly interesting addition to this line is the Swede Shjon Finkenlarkin. At 6'8" he is slated to be a career Left Tackle, but he will have to get Winchester out of that spot first. Finkenlarkin is a talented blocker, and brings some highly valued pass blocking to the Otters line, but he will need to work on his strength and footwork to deliver the heavy hits and pancakes that the team looks for. His 8 pancakes so far this preseason are promising for a rookie, but he also gave up a sack. Ferguson and Hamilton are both journeymen at Guard, but Ferguson has some more talent and upside so you can expect the team to search for a replacement for Cliff Hamilton if they can find a waiver pick they like.
---
The short version of it all is that the Otters will continue S2 with their low-gear run first offense that worked pretty well last season. Their additions to OL will only improve that objective, and a plethora of committed veterans means the coaches won't have to deal with too many question marks when the regular season arrives. Look for the Otters to continue their focus on ball control and try to give their solid defense the easiest path to some low-scoring wins.
Code:
Word Count: 1294Player Mentions:
@JBLAZE_THE_BOSS - Mike Boss
@Jiggly_333 - Leroy Jenkins
@Bengals1Fan - Vick Bowers Jr.
@Professorpayne69 - Marcus Boyd
@Bwestfield - Bradley Westfield
@DrunkenTeddy - Robert Phelps
Myself - George Wright Jr.
@zerxiez - Josh Davidson
@timeconsumer - Angus Winchester
@mjdharder - D'Brickashaw Ferguson
@Big Country - Shjon Finkenlarkin
@breakingthe4THWALL - Cliff Hamilton
@automatic - Greg Clegane
GRADED
