6) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
As time has passed, the ISFL has resembled a real pro football league more and more. From a league that was once 6 teams playing 14 games, we're now a 14 team league playing 16 games with a developmental system that somewhat resembles a combination of college football and developmental leagues like the AAF. There are two final frontiers, in my opinion: contracts (which are honestly a symptom of the league economy more generally) and free agency. After a gradual increase in the number of free agents the last few offseasons, this offseason free agency exploded.
A sceptic might claim that we saw a somewhat unique implosion within the Philadelphia Liberty franchise, and that's why there's so many top-level free agents. It's true that Philadelphia's Sam Torenson, Captain Rogers, Randy Vuxta, Dorothy Zbornak and my own player Brandon Booker left the team in free agency. However, there were enough high-level free agents from other teams that I think there's a general trend emerging. Zamir Kehla, Julio Jones and Heath Evans left Arizona, Givussafare Rubbe left New Orleans, Rotticus Scott left Colorado, Derred de Ville left Baltimore, Dermot Lavelle Jr. left Austin and many more players are currently available on the open market.
I believe the primary reason for this is the league's growth and expansion. When there were six teams, there was a maximum of five teams you might rather play for. Maybe two or more of these teams have a culture you don't like, or users you don't get along well with, etc. Maybe there's actually only one or two teams you'd rather play for, and you're happy enough where you are so there's no itch to leave. The league was a small place, and maybe the thought of falling out with your old team if you left in free agency made you uneasy as it might lead to fewer landing spots should you reach free agency again or recreate.
Now, you look around and there are thirteen other teams. The growth of the league might mean there are as many as twenty, thirty or forty users you'd like to play with who you've never played with. When there are so many other teams, and so many people that you get along with, it's much easier to imagine that the grass is greener somewhere else.
This, finally, brings me to the point of my response to this task. I think that teams who lose players in free agency should receive compensatory picks, à la the NFL. Some of the league don't follow the NFL closely, so I'll briefly explain what a compensatory pick is. At the end of each round of the draft, from the 3rd round onwards, teams who have been awarded compensatory picks make selections. In the 2020 NFL draft, there were ten compensatory third round selections, eight compensatory fourth round selections, two compensatory fifth round selections, etc. The formula isn't public, but losing more free agents, and more free agents who signed large contracts, increases your team's score in this regard and the teams that have lost the most to free agency receive additional draft picks. The number and contract value of free agents you sign is offset against this, so if I lose a CB who is paid $10m a season but sign a new CB who is paid $10m a season this is offset. I think this offseason the league's free agents have the ability to dramatically affect parity in the league. Thankfully it hasn't happened and it doesn't look like it will, but what if the six to eight players at or around 1000 TPE had decided to join the same team? Worse still, what if the team they'd decided to join was already good, like Colorado or Orange County?
There is a positive case for introducing compensatory picks too, not just a negative one. First, it provides insurance against teams who experience an exodus due to poor team management. Philadelphia lost several players, including one GM, and the other GM stepped down. Pat, Philadelphia's new GM, and his new co-GM (who, to be clear, I have complete faith in) will find it difficult to turn the team around having lost four or five starters to free agency and a sixth to retirement. The situation is not their fault, and they can do nothing about it. If Philadelphia was to receive compensatory picks to reflect the fact that they lost a 900 TPE CB, an 800 TPE WR, and two young, promising S24 players then Philadelphia would be in a better position to rebuild and in a better position to rebuild faster. This would increase the chances that their existing players choose to remain with the team, and reduce the chances that available free agents or upcoming prospects would be put off by the idea of playing for Philadelphia.
Or, to use Arizona, who lost three players as an example: Arizona has haemorrhaged free agents for a few seasons without attracting new ones. Z-Whiz and Crunk have the potential to be fantastic GMs but have been handicapped by the fact that as the S22 draft class enters their prime, the Outlaws are without Heath Evans, Tyler Oles Jr., and Zamir Kehla. In a competitive environment, even slight edges can be enough to give you a significant advantage over your opponent. It's easy to see how a team like Philadelphia or Arizona could be confined to ceilings of finishing 9-7 for long periods if they continually lose good players to free agency, even if they make up for it with good drafting, scouting, testing and creating a good locker room environment.
In offseasons past, players surprise-opting-out of their contracts and joining a new team have been hot topics. Plenty of bad words have been exchanged and bridges have been burned in particular after rookies have opted out and joined a new team after just one season with the team that drafted them. Even more so when the player in question has been drafted within the first two rounds as was the case with Bex and Oles. What if this wasn't so damaging to the team that drafted them? I'm sure that some of the vitriol and toxicity could be avoided if when a young player opted out early in their contract and joined a new team, the team that drafted them received a compensatory pick the next offseason. The user would feel less guilty about leaving, and the team left behind would be less likely to hold a grudge.
Further, the addition of compensatory picks might also encourage free agency to become (even) more active. With the threat of losing a player for nothing no longer quite so real, teams might be more open to allowing their players to test free agency. Users with an interest in testing free agency might feel less like they're betraying their team or letting them down by doing so.
The compensatory pick system isn't perfect, and we'd have to come up with our own formula given that far more players take salary discounts to help their team in the ISFL than in the NFL, but I think that introducing something similar could improve parity, help rebuilding teams and help to de-toxify some of the darker aspects of free agency. (1211 words)
As time has passed, the ISFL has resembled a real pro football league more and more. From a league that was once 6 teams playing 14 games, we're now a 14 team league playing 16 games with a developmental system that somewhat resembles a combination of college football and developmental leagues like the AAF. There are two final frontiers, in my opinion: contracts (which are honestly a symptom of the league economy more generally) and free agency. After a gradual increase in the number of free agents the last few offseasons, this offseason free agency exploded.
A sceptic might claim that we saw a somewhat unique implosion within the Philadelphia Liberty franchise, and that's why there's so many top-level free agents. It's true that Philadelphia's Sam Torenson, Captain Rogers, Randy Vuxta, Dorothy Zbornak and my own player Brandon Booker left the team in free agency. However, there were enough high-level free agents from other teams that I think there's a general trend emerging. Zamir Kehla, Julio Jones and Heath Evans left Arizona, Givussafare Rubbe left New Orleans, Rotticus Scott left Colorado, Derred de Ville left Baltimore, Dermot Lavelle Jr. left Austin and many more players are currently available on the open market.
I believe the primary reason for this is the league's growth and expansion. When there were six teams, there was a maximum of five teams you might rather play for. Maybe two or more of these teams have a culture you don't like, or users you don't get along well with, etc. Maybe there's actually only one or two teams you'd rather play for, and you're happy enough where you are so there's no itch to leave. The league was a small place, and maybe the thought of falling out with your old team if you left in free agency made you uneasy as it might lead to fewer landing spots should you reach free agency again or recreate.
Now, you look around and there are thirteen other teams. The growth of the league might mean there are as many as twenty, thirty or forty users you'd like to play with who you've never played with. When there are so many other teams, and so many people that you get along with, it's much easier to imagine that the grass is greener somewhere else.
This, finally, brings me to the point of my response to this task. I think that teams who lose players in free agency should receive compensatory picks, à la the NFL. Some of the league don't follow the NFL closely, so I'll briefly explain what a compensatory pick is. At the end of each round of the draft, from the 3rd round onwards, teams who have been awarded compensatory picks make selections. In the 2020 NFL draft, there were ten compensatory third round selections, eight compensatory fourth round selections, two compensatory fifth round selections, etc. The formula isn't public, but losing more free agents, and more free agents who signed large contracts, increases your team's score in this regard and the teams that have lost the most to free agency receive additional draft picks. The number and contract value of free agents you sign is offset against this, so if I lose a CB who is paid $10m a season but sign a new CB who is paid $10m a season this is offset. I think this offseason the league's free agents have the ability to dramatically affect parity in the league. Thankfully it hasn't happened and it doesn't look like it will, but what if the six to eight players at or around 1000 TPE had decided to join the same team? Worse still, what if the team they'd decided to join was already good, like Colorado or Orange County?
There is a positive case for introducing compensatory picks too, not just a negative one. First, it provides insurance against teams who experience an exodus due to poor team management. Philadelphia lost several players, including one GM, and the other GM stepped down. Pat, Philadelphia's new GM, and his new co-GM (who, to be clear, I have complete faith in) will find it difficult to turn the team around having lost four or five starters to free agency and a sixth to retirement. The situation is not their fault, and they can do nothing about it. If Philadelphia was to receive compensatory picks to reflect the fact that they lost a 900 TPE CB, an 800 TPE WR, and two young, promising S24 players then Philadelphia would be in a better position to rebuild and in a better position to rebuild faster. This would increase the chances that their existing players choose to remain with the team, and reduce the chances that available free agents or upcoming prospects would be put off by the idea of playing for Philadelphia.
Or, to use Arizona, who lost three players as an example: Arizona has haemorrhaged free agents for a few seasons without attracting new ones. Z-Whiz and Crunk have the potential to be fantastic GMs but have been handicapped by the fact that as the S22 draft class enters their prime, the Outlaws are without Heath Evans, Tyler Oles Jr., and Zamir Kehla. In a competitive environment, even slight edges can be enough to give you a significant advantage over your opponent. It's easy to see how a team like Philadelphia or Arizona could be confined to ceilings of finishing 9-7 for long periods if they continually lose good players to free agency, even if they make up for it with good drafting, scouting, testing and creating a good locker room environment.
In offseasons past, players surprise-opting-out of their contracts and joining a new team have been hot topics. Plenty of bad words have been exchanged and bridges have been burned in particular after rookies have opted out and joined a new team after just one season with the team that drafted them. Even more so when the player in question has been drafted within the first two rounds as was the case with Bex and Oles. What if this wasn't so damaging to the team that drafted them? I'm sure that some of the vitriol and toxicity could be avoided if when a young player opted out early in their contract and joined a new team, the team that drafted them received a compensatory pick the next offseason. The user would feel less guilty about leaving, and the team left behind would be less likely to hold a grudge.
Further, the addition of compensatory picks might also encourage free agency to become (even) more active. With the threat of losing a player for nothing no longer quite so real, teams might be more open to allowing their players to test free agency. Users with an interest in testing free agency might feel less like they're betraying their team or letting them down by doing so.
The compensatory pick system isn't perfect, and we'd have to come up with our own formula given that far more players take salary discounts to help their team in the ISFL than in the NFL, but I think that introducing something similar could improve parity, help rebuilding teams and help to de-toxify some of the darker aspects of free agency. (1211 words)
[OPTION]S24 (PHI): 16 GP, 73 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 FF, 3 sacks, 5 INTs, 10 PDs, 2 TDs
[OPTION]S25 (PHI): 16 GP, 67 tackles, 4 INTs, 13 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]S26 (OCO): 16 GP, 68 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 10 PDs
[OPTION]S27 (OCO): 16 GP, 116 tackles, 4 INTs, 23 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]S28 (OCO): 16 GP, 84 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 INTs, 20 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]S29 (OCO): 16 GP, 99 tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR, 5 INTs, 23 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]=============================================================
[OPTION]ISFL Playoff Stats:
[OPTION]S23 (PHI): 1 GP, 2 tackles
[OPTION]S26 (OCO): 1 GP, 5 tackles, 2 PDs
[OPTION]=============================================================
[OPTION]Trophies and Achievements:
[OPTION]Drafted 35th Overall by Myrtle Beach in the S21 DSFL Draft
[OPTION]S21 Ultimini Champion
[OPTION]S21 DSFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S21 DSFL Defensive Back of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]Drafted 4th Overall by Philadelphia in the S22 ISFL Draft
[OPTION]S23 ISFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S23 ISFL Cornerback of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S23 ISFL Defensive Performance of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S24 ISFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S24 ISFL Cornerback of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S25 (PHI): 16 GP, 67 tackles, 4 INTs, 13 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]S26 (OCO): 16 GP, 68 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 10 PDs
[OPTION]S27 (OCO): 16 GP, 116 tackles, 4 INTs, 23 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]S28 (OCO): 16 GP, 84 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 INTs, 20 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]S29 (OCO): 16 GP, 99 tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR, 5 INTs, 23 PDs, 1 TD
[OPTION]=============================================================
[OPTION]ISFL Playoff Stats:
[OPTION]S23 (PHI): 1 GP, 2 tackles
[OPTION]S26 (OCO): 1 GP, 5 tackles, 2 PDs
[OPTION]=============================================================
[OPTION]Trophies and Achievements:
[OPTION]Drafted 35th Overall by Myrtle Beach in the S21 DSFL Draft
[OPTION]S21 Ultimini Champion
[OPTION]S21 DSFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S21 DSFL Defensive Back of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]Drafted 4th Overall by Philadelphia in the S22 ISFL Draft
[OPTION]S23 ISFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S23 ISFL Cornerback of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S23 ISFL Defensive Performance of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S24 ISFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S24 ISFL Cornerback of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S26 ISFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S26 ISFL Returner of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S29 ISFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S29 ISFL Cornerback of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]=============================================================
Player | Update | Wiki | Twitter
[OPTION]S26 ISFL Returner of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]S29 ISFL Pro Bowl Selection
[OPTION]S29 ISFL Cornerback of the Year Nominee
[OPTION]=============================================================
Player | Update | Wiki | Twitter