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Ready to be graded (2514 words)
Draft article (double media payout)
The DSFL season might have ended early for the San Antonio Marshals, but the team’s rookies are just getting started. The NSFL draft is fast approaching, and many of the Marshals squad are being hailed as top-tier prospects. This article seeks to examine some of the Marshals player in more detail, and to guess which jersey that player might be wearing in season 15. This article is pure speculation, and the only basis for each of these claims is the information I was able to find, and the conclusions I was able to draw from that information. With that in mind, I present to you my official guesses:
Nero Alexander, DE (@shadyshoelace)
As far as stats go, Alexander has had a decent rookie season. He’s sixth in tackles for loss (12) and third in sacks (8), and is one of only three players to have recorded a safety this season. Those aren’t the best numbers, especially when you consider he only recorded forty-one tackles across fourteen games (which, in his defense, is still first among all DEs) . But stats aren’t everything, and there’s so much more to Alexander than what you see in the index. Currently, Alexander has 235 TPE, which (according to @Eco’s handy dandy TPE tracker!) is the most of any rookie DE. He’s also been incredibly active on both the forums and the Discord servers: he’s been creating graphics, making media posts, commenting on other player’s posts. He’s even a member of the DSFL Pro Bowl Committee, indicating he’s willing to take league jobs and get more involved with the community. Basically, if you go by stats alone, you’re going to miss out on a fantastic player.
So where could this big beefy boy end up? Yellowknife currently has a single DE (Zach Skinner), and although that contract is expiring, I wouldn’t be surprised if they re-signed Skinner and drafted Alexander to play alongside him. However, Arizona has the first overall pick in this year’s draft, and four of their five DEs are inactive. For a team freshly off the tank, Alexander could be the foundation of their defensive line going forward. Colorado traded away one of their DEs and their other two are inactive; they might be looking to rework a defense that allowed the most points this season. At the end of the day, though, only one team can draft this stud.
My Prediction: Arizona
My Outrageous Prediction: Alexander is the first overall pick.
Mo Berry, LB (@Frick_Nasty)
Linebacker is one of the most versatile positions on defense, and Mo Berry has excelled in his role with the Marshals. He can force turnovers (1 forced fumble and 2 interceptions), lay the hammer on a quarterback (6 sacks), and defend the pass and the run equally well (8 passes defended; 88 tackles, with 3 tackles for loss). While not dominating a single statistical category, Berry has made his mark in most of the defensive categories, proving that he’s flexible enough to succeed in any defensive system. And if there’s one thing NSFL GMs value, it’s flexibility. The ability to be dropped in any defensive scheme and to make an impact is incredibly important, and Berry is certainly talented in that regard. He’s also an active user, and has been earning TPE at an impressive rate (he’s currently sitting at 220).
There are quite a few teams that could use Berry’s skill set. The one that immediately jumps out is New Orleans; they don’t have a single active linebacker on roster, and Berry could provide them with some stability as they seek to find a defensive strategy that works for them. The only other teams that could immediately put Berry to work are the expansion teams, but neither of them pick before New Orleans. If Berry (somehow) gets by New Orleans, I would expect him to get snapped up by one of the expansion teams; defense wins championships, after all, and Berry could be a fundamental piece of a top-tier defense. But I wouldn’t put money on him being on the board that long.
My Prediction: New Orleans
My Outrageous Prediction: Berry plays next season at SS.
Mister Big Chest, WR (@feral squirrel)
Mister Big Chest (MBC if you’re nasty) is the first player I’ve talked about who’s currently inactive. It’s a shame, too: with Cooter Bigsby throwing him the ball, he could’ve put up some impressive numbers if he had stayed active and kept earning TPE. Even at 82 TPE, he showed flashes of talent. He averaged 11.8 yards per catch and found the endzone three times during the season, matching league veteran Devon Baxter’s performance on ten fewer catches. These numbers raise eyebrows even further when you consider that San Antonio was a run-heavy offense: in an offense that favored the passing game, he might have put up even better numbers. But in this league, activity level is what GMs look at first and foremost. And MBC just doesn’t check that box.
Wide receiver isn’t a pressing need for a lot of NSFL teams, so I’d expect MBC to fall pretty far in this draft. I’d also expect to see him in the DSFL next season, regardless of if he ends up with an expansion team or not. Speaking of expansion teams, Austin might roll the dice on him in one of the later rounds. Kazimir Oles will be joining the Louisville/Chicago expansion team, and MBC could join him as a second- or third-string wide receiver. On the other end of the spectrum, a team like Baltimore or Arizona could draft him, even though they’re both set at WR, and simply stick him in the DSFL until they’re ready to call him up (or use him as a trade piece). And all of this is based on the assumption that MBC is truly inactive, and remains that way for the rest of his career. As it stands, he’ll probably stay in the DSFL or bounce from team to team on inactive contracts. If he comes back and starts earning TPE again, however, he might end up with a more significant role on an NSFL roster. At the moment, though, MBC will finish his career as a “what-if.”
My Prediction: Baltimore
My Outrageous Prediction: MBC stays in the DSFL the next three seasons.
Cale Clay, DT (@Claymore)
Claymore joined the site well after the large Reddit recruitment class. He was picked up on waivers, and didn’t see action until Week 8. Because of this, his stats are incredibly lackluster: he recorded 7 tackles all season, and nothing else. But this isn’t something teams should be worried about. It makes sense that a player who joined late, and is well behind the TPE curve, struggled to succeed, especially when you consider that this draft is filled with active users and high TPE earners. He’s been fairly active since joining the site (although that activity is confined to activity checks and updates), and has earning TPE at a steady pace.
Being a defensive tackle is going to help him immensely: defensive linemen are always en vogue, and several teams could use Clay on their line. Colorado’s only DT, Omar Wong, is inactive. Yellowknife has three DTs--Zach Foster, Ramadan Steve, and Pecker Cox--who are all inactive (Foster’s contract is worth $1,000,000). Both of San Jose’s DTs are on expiring contracts, so that front office might look to re-sign those players and add Clay to bolster their line. Or, perhaps, Clay spends another season in the DSFL, which isn’t a bad idea. That would give him plenty of time to make up the TPE gap, with no pressure to perform right away. In that case, an expansion team might be smart to take him. Only time will tell, but I think Clay will be a solid player within the next few seasons.
My Prediction: Austin
My Outrageous Prediction: Clay hits the 250 TPE cap by the time he plays in the NSFL.
Walt Green, S (@Duilio05)
Walt Green is one half of a Marshals secondary that gave opposing quarterbacks nightmares. The DSFL record for interceptions in a season is eight. Green, as a true rookie, had seven. That’s good for second best in the league, behind fellow Marshal (and veteran send down) Vander Jones. He also forced two fumbles (recovering one) and recorded 66 tackles. Green forced turnovers at a pace that would be impressive for a veteran, and is astonishing for a rookie. He’s also been incredibly active since joining the site, and has earned 220 TPE, which is the most by a rookie safety. To sum it up, Green has demonstrated that he has what it takes to defend at an NSFL level. If he continues to play and earn TPE at his current rate (and there’s no reason to suspect he won’t), he could dominate the league for quite a few seasons.
What will hurt Green the most is the fact that most NSFL don’t have a pressing need at safety. Austin or Louisville/Chicago could obviously use someone of his talents, and I’m sure Green would relish another opportunity to break the DSFL interception record. New Orleans has an inactive with a $2,000,000 contract that’s expiring, so they might look at giving that contract to the more deserving Green. Out of Yellowknife’s three safeties, only one is inactive. They might draft Green and stash him in the DSFL until next season, at which point they could call him up to play alongside Knurt Knurtsson. I think Green has full control of his destiny: he has the ability to play in the NSFL right away, but he might elect to stay in the DSFL and bide his time. Whatever the case, he’s going to make the team that drafts him extremely happy.
My Prediction: New Orleans
My Outrageous Prediction: Green is the first defensive back taken in the draft.
Timmy Hoss, TE (@smaxx77)
I’ll try to be as unbiased as I can about my man Hoss, but no promises. Not only did we play together on the Marshals, we were teammates in the Prospect Bowl (Grizzly Gang!). In fact, he’s the only other Grizzly on the Marshals roster, meaning I’ve played with him my whole career. I’m disappointed we probably won’t be sharing a locker room much longer, but I know he’ll have a great NSFL career. Hoss fell a bit in the DSFL draft, but ended up (in my totally unbiased opinion) as a steal for San Antonio. Among all TEs, he was second in touchdowns (with 3), but scoring isn’t all he can do. He’s top three in pancake blocks for tight ends (with 21), but allowed fewer sacks than the other TEs--in fact, he didn’t allow a single sack all season. He’s been earning TPE at a good clip: his 186 TPE is good for third among rookie tight ends. Per the man himself, he’s been busy recently, so I would expect his activity level to pick up in the near future.
Sometimes history repeats itself. With Hoss, that means he might fall in the draft, but for the team that does take he’ll be a diamond in the rough. Colorado acquired a star in Balthazar Crindy, but their other tight end is inactive, so Hoss might be a solid replacement. However, there is another team that could use Hoss’ services more urgently. Philadelphia’s lone tight end, Ladarius Ansong, is inactive. Hoss would be an immediate upgrade over Ansong, who only has 50 TPE. When you’re an Ultimus-caliber team like Philadelphia, every little advantage helps, and Hoss could definitely provide an edge in another playoff push. Don’t overlook Hoss just because he hasn’t made a lot of noise yet: more often than not, it’s the quiet ones who are the most dangerous.
My Prediction: Philadelphia
My Outrageous Prediction: Hoss is a finalist for next season’s Tight End of the Year award.
Morgan Marshall, RB (@`EnfysNest`)
You never expect a fourth overall pick to exceed expectations, but Morgan Marshall found a way to do just that. He’s the top TPE earning running back in this draft class (with 236), and is damn near everywhere on the forums and Discord. Beyond just his activity level, though, are his phenomenal stats from his rookie season. He picked up a phenomenal 1513 rushing yards, almost 300 more than the second-place rusher. He’s a scoring machine, too: he rushed for 13 touchdowns, which puts him second. But he also caught six touchdown passes, which is also good for second place. You read that right: Marshall caught more touchdown passes than most wide receivers did. The man found the endzone nineteen times this season. If you want to score points, you give the ball to Morgan Marshall. End of story.
So which team will be lucky enough to draft a player so good they renamed a DSFL team after him? Well, it’s tough to say. Marshall has already stated publicly that he refuses to play anything but RB, so you have to look at which teams have a big need at that position. But that’s the problem: with one notable exception, most teams are already set at running back. Marshall is an incredible all-around talent, but this year is definitely not the best year to be a running back. “But terriblehippo,” you say, “you just said there’s one exception to that statement. Won’t they just take Marshall?” It warms my heart to know you’re paying attention, dear reader, and yes, there is a team that could desperately use Marshall. Yellowknife currently has Dick Wizardry at running back, but that won’t be the case for much longer, as he’s departing to help establish the Austin franchise. The Wraiths’ other running back is a 177 TPE inactive--that is, not someone you want to build a ground game around. The other aspect of Yellowknife that makes me confident that they’ll be taking Marshall is a man by the name of Cooter Bigsby (AKA timeconsumer). He’ll more than likely be called up to the big leagues next season, after having shared a locker room with Marshall all season long. Between Yellowknife’s obvious need at running back and TC’s personal knowledge of Marshall, I feel very comfortable saying that he’ll be wearing a Wraiths jersey next season.
My Prediction: Yellowknife
My Outrageous Prediction: Marshall is next season’s Rookie of the Year.
Within the next few days, I'll post an article looking at potential landing spots for other, non-Marshal rookies, so be on the lookout for that!