The Portland Pythons added a lot - who didn't in the DSFL, really, as it was an absolutely ridiculous draft class. The draft went 271 picks. At 8 teams, that's over 33 players per team. So the Pythons added a bunch. Many of those players drafted won't ever make the team though. So what matters is the ones that you actually added. The ones who see the field. And the Pythons made some big adds. I mean, literally big. The Pythons brought in some big ol' offensive linemen. Byron Dolls, Tommy Sacamano, Joey McCabe. That's a lot of beef added for their veteran QB O'Donnell, and a nice support for fellow draft addition Nakamura at running back. They also added TE Daniel George, another big presence for the offense. They also added a whole bunch of talent on defense. DBs Oles Jr, Hamilton II, Kehla, Dawkins. Collins at LB and Claxton on the line. Those are the bigger standouts. They've also added Steel to the DLine, Marksman at TE. They haven't shown as much promise but are still talented additions. It hasn't worked out to a win yet for the Pythons who started 2 games on the road, but there's been some strong performances. Nakamura has looked excellent in a committee backfield, Dawkins had an interception, and Dolls has 14 pancakes in 2 games (league leading). It's only a matter of time for the rest of the guys to make their mark.
Easy TPE cause Myrtle Beach Buccs had the sharpest draft class possible in DSFL or NSFL history. So i'll have no trouble writing about some of the elite talent we've brought on board including myself. To start we got J.B Apollo in at running back. We're a run heavy team so even though he was behind my boy frost he still put up 100 yards and a tuddy in his FIRST official DSFL game. Defense is really where the stars shine for this squad, not that the O is any slouch. But boy, oh boy they are scary, and the new crop makes me think we got the best D in the league if not here then on the way. Brandon Booker at Corner has been deadly in his first few games, racking up some tackles and pass deflections. Last but not least we got Mark Radson at LB. Dude lead the team in tackles his first night out, and forced turnover with a fumble. The game, after the Pyhtons recovered an onside kick to give their trash time run some meaning. Radson sacked the QB and ended the game with that very play. Its tough to say if he will keep this up but, if he does. It's gonna be a hell of a career.
This season the Wraiths needed help in several places and looked to both their draftees and free agency to help fill the holes left in the roster by some recent retirees and regression. With the loss of a major wide receiver the Wraiths smartly brought in veteran wideout Bender to help fill the holes left. Although still with only three wideouts left on the roster they would be no doubt in a terrible spot without him. Along with the addition of wide receiver the Wraiths looked to the draft to add some young talent in some places they historically had struggled. One of those places was at kicker. The Wraiths have not had an active kicker in a very long time and by securing one in the second round they were able to have a starter this season at a historically weak spot while also adding a great locker room personality into the mix. Now besides all that we still had a defense that needed some work so we looked to our DSFL send downs from prior drafts to add them into the mix and secure a strong foundation on the defensive side of the ball in order to help get the offense off the bench and out there scoring points.
Hank Winchester (S25 - Current) - Scrub
Angus Winchester (S1-S12) - 4x Ultimus Champ - #2 Career Sacks - Hall of Fame
Cooter Bigsby (S14-S23) - S23 Ultimus Champ - #4 Career Yards - #4 Career TDs - 2x MVP - Hall of Fame
Chicago has taken some flak for how they have handled their draft picks, including in this most recent draft. While I don't think we're necessarily competing this season, I do think that regardless of outside perception we are taking some steps in the right direction to be successful including in who we brought in during the draft to help bud for the next few seasons. Obviously we brought in my payer Osiris who isn't going to single handedly turn this thing around but I'll be a solid contributor. We also nabbed Jerome Davis who I think is an extremely underrated weapon and gives us flexibility in how to build the offense going forward, as well as my boy Perry Tucker Jr who will be a leader on our defense in short time and should be a playmaker all over the field. There are some other pieces that we added as well that could make an impact given enough time but our top three picks are really the highlight of the team building that was done this off-season. While it would have been nice to have more picks in such a deep draft, the picks that were made are absolutely top quality. While we didn't secure the free agents we had been eyeing and there is still work to be done, there's no way to look at our off-season moves as anything but a net positive. I'm hopeful for the direction the team appears to be heading in.
This season, the Liberty mostly spent their draft picks with an eye on the future seasons, and not so much this one. They were able to get Flash Panda and some others, but most will either not be called up this season, or won't make a huge impact until the team peaks with Brock Phoenix in a few seasons. Some newer players like Randy Vuxta and company are already making their contributions felt on the team with another season under their belt. Brock Phoenix is already showing why he can be one of the best QBs in the league in no time at all, and a key piece of that will be the development of players like Vuxta. Fuzzy Dotson has also really come into his own this season, dominating defenses from the flex position by being a threat both out of backfield as well as running the ball. Philly will have to rely on these players for future offense, as players like Varga, Hank, and Torensen eventually begin to regress over the next several seasons. Thankfully the pieces seem to be in place due to some savvy drafting and the ability to retain players in free agency. Time will tell if their plans work out.
Being one of two expansion franchises in the DSFL this season, Dallas has a tough road ahead of them. One of the more difficult things the team had to overcome was finding veteran leadership. This would not be an easy task, as there had not been an expansion draft. A golden opportunity presented itself late in the season twenty one DSFL rookie draft. With their fifth pick in the twenty first round, the birddogs traded. In the trade Dallas received a host of later picks and veteran quarterback Gimmy Jarapollo.
Jarapollo has been in the league for several seasons, and has established himself as the go to journeyman. Formerly on the Portland Pythons, Gimmy should enjoy the warmer weather in the south. The thirty something year old brings with him a wisdom that few in the DSFL can challenge.
It will be interesting to see what skills Mr. Jarapollo will lay on the table. On a team with so much young talent, he will be faced with a unique challenge. Will he be more focused on the future star quarterback Monty Jack? Or will he perhaps spend time with his go to wideouts. After quickly being granted captain status. Gimmy is looking to prove he is more than just a player