12. Choose a team or player to write about that isn’t your own. What did they do well in the last season? Have they shown any drastic improvements from previous years? What could they do better?
One of the descriptions for this season should have been "The Arrival of Borgo San Lorenzo", the third year tight end exploded into the national spotlight this season as he led all tight ends in receiving yards and touchdowns while not relying on excessive volume to get there. San Lorenzo completed the S30 campaign with 90 catches, just good enough for second in the league, but the capitalized on all of those touches, being the only tight end to hit 1000 yards and a 1.1 yard average increase over second and third (Angler and DiNozzo). The former University of Cincinnati Bearcat workhorse proved this season that he could be a force for any offense in the league at this point, as he surpassed and finally dumped the "project player" label that had been slapped on him since Philadelphia drafted him in S27, and he seems primed for a long career of production like this.
San Lorenzo thrived in the new workhorse role, allowing young quarterback Ryan Negs numerous get out of jail free cards with his 5.6 catches per game, but also maintaining his good ball security as he earned 44 first downs, almost half his catches, and only fumbled once. In addition to this, San Lorenzo's athleticism afforded him a number of big play opportunities where he racked up 10 catches of over 20 yards, where he was almost good for one of them a game. Beyond that, he played well in protection where he allowed just one sack.
San Lorenzo was a sleeper fantasy pick going into this season as well, and that quickly changed as he quickly became a hotly contested waiver pickup on his way to an astounding 151.8 fantasy points, a full 38% ahead of second place Rechs - the biggest gap between top fantasy players at the same position this season. The Ohioan will absolutely be the first TE of the board in most leagues this upcoming season, and for good reason.
Moving forward, there isn't much more to ask of Borgo San Lorenzo, critics will say he lacks the open field agility to make big plays more frequently, but that's a big ask of a tight end and an unfair one to expect. San Lorenzo already excels at shedding tackles and doesn't need to improve with the ball in his hands. I would however like to see him become the true rock of an offense that he's close to achieving, and that comes with reducing those last few drops. Five drops isn't many, but it's the one aspect of his game that will keep him from being seen as one of the all time greats.
441 words
14. Describe your player and/or team’s journey through this latest season. What were the highlights? What were the lower points? What might you have done differently? What are your expectations for next season?
It's a tale as old as time at this point, Madison Hayes continues to impress but at the end is let down by her size and opportunity. After an elite rookie campaign where she rocked the football world with her athleticism and explosiveness with the ball in her hands, Hayes found little improvement for a second straight year. Her efficiency has improved on the ground - her 4.4 yards per carry is good bordering on great at this point, and she once again eclipsed the 1500 total yard mark with another season of 800 yards in the air, but she's still lacking that ability to take over games that Chicago was likely hoping for.
Hayes once again found herself in a spot where she lived up to the hype when she actually had the ball in her hands, but that dried up a bit. With the plan to utilize her in the passing game more, Hayes found her rushing touches limited and struggled to produce as anticipated this season through the air, dropping twice as many with the slight increase in volume, as well as finding the endzone less, converting fewer first downs, and not gaining as much per catch for a second straight season. Part of this can be attributed to the Chicago offense, where transition is occurring, but Luca Scabbia has continued to put up the same numbers that have been expected of him at this point, shifting a lot of the blame back to the consistency and overall play of the rugby convert.
While her utilization might not be ideal, Hayes continues to not help the situation. Outside of her control, her build and ability don't lend themselves well to the idea of her being a three down workhorse back, and for the good of everyone involved that hasn't been attempted. However, her ability to do most offensive positions at a competent level is far from what Chicago really needs at this point. The aging O'Donnell, last in QB rating this past season, needs true weapons that make the defense adapt and commit to stopping them, and Hayes isn't that piece for the Butchers in the way that a Danny King Jr., Zoe Watts, or Tatsu Nakamura has been for their respective teams. Hayes needs to become a weapon in her own right, not relying on aging quarterbacks and WR1s to draw attention from her, if she wants to hit the bar that's been set for her.
409 words
One of the descriptions for this season should have been "The Arrival of Borgo San Lorenzo", the third year tight end exploded into the national spotlight this season as he led all tight ends in receiving yards and touchdowns while not relying on excessive volume to get there. San Lorenzo completed the S30 campaign with 90 catches, just good enough for second in the league, but the capitalized on all of those touches, being the only tight end to hit 1000 yards and a 1.1 yard average increase over second and third (Angler and DiNozzo). The former University of Cincinnati Bearcat workhorse proved this season that he could be a force for any offense in the league at this point, as he surpassed and finally dumped the "project player" label that had been slapped on him since Philadelphia drafted him in S27, and he seems primed for a long career of production like this.
San Lorenzo thrived in the new workhorse role, allowing young quarterback Ryan Negs numerous get out of jail free cards with his 5.6 catches per game, but also maintaining his good ball security as he earned 44 first downs, almost half his catches, and only fumbled once. In addition to this, San Lorenzo's athleticism afforded him a number of big play opportunities where he racked up 10 catches of over 20 yards, where he was almost good for one of them a game. Beyond that, he played well in protection where he allowed just one sack.
San Lorenzo was a sleeper fantasy pick going into this season as well, and that quickly changed as he quickly became a hotly contested waiver pickup on his way to an astounding 151.8 fantasy points, a full 38% ahead of second place Rechs - the biggest gap between top fantasy players at the same position this season. The Ohioan will absolutely be the first TE of the board in most leagues this upcoming season, and for good reason.
Moving forward, there isn't much more to ask of Borgo San Lorenzo, critics will say he lacks the open field agility to make big plays more frequently, but that's a big ask of a tight end and an unfair one to expect. San Lorenzo already excels at shedding tackles and doesn't need to improve with the ball in his hands. I would however like to see him become the true rock of an offense that he's close to achieving, and that comes with reducing those last few drops. Five drops isn't many, but it's the one aspect of his game that will keep him from being seen as one of the all time greats.
441 words
14. Describe your player and/or team’s journey through this latest season. What were the highlights? What were the lower points? What might you have done differently? What are your expectations for next season?
It's a tale as old as time at this point, Madison Hayes continues to impress but at the end is let down by her size and opportunity. After an elite rookie campaign where she rocked the football world with her athleticism and explosiveness with the ball in her hands, Hayes found little improvement for a second straight year. Her efficiency has improved on the ground - her 4.4 yards per carry is good bordering on great at this point, and she once again eclipsed the 1500 total yard mark with another season of 800 yards in the air, but she's still lacking that ability to take over games that Chicago was likely hoping for.
Hayes once again found herself in a spot where she lived up to the hype when she actually had the ball in her hands, but that dried up a bit. With the plan to utilize her in the passing game more, Hayes found her rushing touches limited and struggled to produce as anticipated this season through the air, dropping twice as many with the slight increase in volume, as well as finding the endzone less, converting fewer first downs, and not gaining as much per catch for a second straight season. Part of this can be attributed to the Chicago offense, where transition is occurring, but Luca Scabbia has continued to put up the same numbers that have been expected of him at this point, shifting a lot of the blame back to the consistency and overall play of the rugby convert.
While her utilization might not be ideal, Hayes continues to not help the situation. Outside of her control, her build and ability don't lend themselves well to the idea of her being a three down workhorse back, and for the good of everyone involved that hasn't been attempted. However, her ability to do most offensive positions at a competent level is far from what Chicago really needs at this point. The aging O'Donnell, last in QB rating this past season, needs true weapons that make the defense adapt and commit to stopping them, and Hayes isn't that piece for the Butchers in the way that a Danny King Jr., Zoe Watts, or Tatsu Nakamura has been for their respective teams. Hayes needs to become a weapon in her own right, not relying on aging quarterbacks and WR1s to draw attention from her, if she wants to hit the bar that's been set for her.
409 words