Marc Spector has played out his entire rookie contract that he signed when he was drafted by the Otters. He overtook Anthony Petrakis on the depth chart part way though his second season with the team and in his third season, he had more interceptions than he had in his first two seasons combined. There seems to be no sign that his skill is gonna diminish and he is definitely a talent that is going to be an asset to whatever team signs him this off season. But before anyone fields offers to him, here is what he is looking at when he diagnoses each team.
Yellowknife Wraiths
Positives:
Marc thinks that Yellowknife is the future team to beat and the creme de la creme of the NSFC for the foreseeable future. It was no mistake they were in the finals this season and are trending upwards moving forward. They're proven winners and despite not having any championships, they're still one of the strongest teams in the league and it is only a matter of time before they hoist an Ultimus of their own.
Negatives:
Marc wants to continue being the #1 CB for a team, and the Wraiths have Dermot Lavelle and he's going to be their #1 CB if he is there next season. It has kind of been a low key thing for Marc to compare himself to Dermot because he was the #1 CB picked in his draft class and he uses him as his measuring tape of how good he should be. If he becomes the #2 CB in Canada, he's basically saying he's always playing second fiddle to him.
Philadelphia Liberty
Positives:
A team on the rise. They made playoffs for the first time this season and they seem to be competing with Baltimore as that second best team in the NSFL. They're only a strong offseason away from really challenging Yellowknife for the top seat. They have a lot of great players and a great management.
Negatives:
Tyler Oles. He is the same story as Dermot Lavelle in Yellowknife. Oles has been rather outward with his contention that he's the top CB in the NSFL and rightfully so. He's dominant. But Marc's personal quest is to be the best. Not be beside the best. He's never been a fan of the "Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em" philosophy. So, unless Oles leaves Philly in free agency, he doesn't seem to be interested in being second to him. This is a matter of respect for Oles and not a disrespect for Philadelphia as a whole.
Baltimore Hawks
Positives:
Baltimore was the top dog for the prior 2 seasons before giving up the throne to Yellowknife. It's a setback for sure but the team is definitely still in the mix for the playoffs and can get there with a good draft and off season. It is another positive that WR Trey Willie and Defensive tackle Ricardo Sandoval play there. He has a tremendous respect for them from their days playing for the Otters.
Negatives:
Like with Philly and Yellowknife, the Hawks have a top flight CB that he might have to play second fiddle to. Darnell Turner is a beast of a defensive back and yet another big CB from Marc's draft class. It would seem as if there are a lot of great CBs to come out of the S2 draft. Marc has great respect for Turner, but playing next to him doesn't appeal.
Colorado Yeti
Positives:
Colorado is in dire straights. They're easily the worst team in the NSFL after getting only one win all of season four. But this means they're a team in rebuild and need multiple positions. This is something that appeals greatly to Spector. Having Alex Hayden as a team mate wouldn't be terrible and would give a solid 1-2 CB tandem. Spector does view Alex as a slightly weaker CB to himself, and would demand the #1 CB spot if he signed there. But, he would like Alex to know that it's not by very much that he is ahead of his fellow CB.
Negatives:
One big detraction would be the transition from a team with a winning atmosphere to one that is in a complete rebuild. Spector has made playoffs every season with Orange County, and expects a winning atmosphere wherever he goes. But a winning atmosphere doesn't necessarily mean wins weekly, but a team who, through thick or thin, has a thirst for wins, a desire to better themselves and an insatiable hunger to get that Ultimus.
Orange County Otters
Positives:
This has been his home for his first 3 seasons. He knows the team, the management and loves being in Orange County. He's voiced his desire to be an Otter in the future. It is now in the hands of the front office. He won a championship with this team and he'd love to be instrumental in getting them a second.
Negatives:
Spector has expressed in the locker room his desire to remain with the team but as of now, no contract has been signed or extension granted. This is the whole reason for this statement being made. Marc fears that the Otters might be conserving their funds for a new Running Back and a couple Defensive Tackles in this free agency, which might make Spector expendable in the long run.
San Jose Sabercats
Positives:
The Sabercats have made the biggest changes in the last 2 off seasons and look very strong moving forward. Adding any piece could put them in the same echelon as the Otters and Outlaws. Being a part of a growing organization pleases Spector and San Jose has really been quite a growth as of late.
Negatives:
John Canton and Benson Bayley. This is already a very dynamic CB duo. In fact it is the best in the NSFL. So there's no room for Spector to join a team which has no need for a man of his talents. Marc doesn't seem too keen on a position change at this stage of his career so the idea of signing him and transitioning him to WR or Safety looks to be off the table at this juncture.
Las Vegas Legion
Positives
This team has had a slew of problems and recently more have arisen. There's not a lot that is very alluring to Free Agents. However Marc knows he'd immediately be a veteran leader if he were to go the Las Vegas this off season. Plus even with their current cast of CBs, he'd be better than them both. If there's one theme this article has, it's that he wants to be a top CB. Las Vegas definitely affords him the opportunity to do so.
Negatives
After the most recent retiring of multiple active players in the Las Vegas locker room, he's not entirely sure there's much of a positive attitude in the locker room at this point. But I guess whatever members are left, want to be there, and they're out to prove that this team can be fruitful despite everything that has happened. Perhaps if he can be convinced that the locker room will be a winning atmosphere, he'd field offers.
Arizona Outlaws
Positives
Three Ultimus trophies speaks volumes. Despite rumors of multis and rigging of sims, it is firmly believed by Spector that this is those who are tired of seeing a franchise dominate creating controversy over nothing. He's a firm believer of innocence until proven guilty. The team definitely has a winning atmosphere and has no signs of slowing down their pursuit of their 4th Championship.
Negatives
Marc sees the Outlaws as his primary foes and it would be hard to stomach being on the team that he has seen as rivals since the first day he started playing in the NSFL. It would be tantamount for a player who has been on the Yankees his whole career up and fleeing to Boston. There's a level of disdain that would be very difficult for Marc to overcome if he would join that team. Of course the right amount of money can ease anyone's transgressions. What is that amount though? Well, it's likely to be higher than any of the other 7 on this list.
OVERALL
Marc wants to stay with the Otters. He wants to remain a part of that franchise because it is what he is familiar with. However, he must formulate a contingency plan on the event that he can not reach an agreement with the Otters to remain there. If he has to play second fiddle to a "better" Corner, he will if there's no other option. But he would definitely like to remain a top CB in that first position. Beggars can't be choosers though, you know? He has no qualms really with joining a team in rebuild as long as he's not the only man there with a true passion for winning. Atmosphere plays a key role in his decision to join a franchise. Maybe even more so than who his fellow DBs are.
It seems unlikely he will play for Arizona though. While his options are open, it would take a great amount of persuasion for him to join what he views as his rival team. Perhaps that's simply because he's spent his entire career in jealousy. Who knows, but his heart definitely isn't in the great state of Arizona.
[1568 Words]
GRADED
Yellowknife Wraiths
Positives:
Marc thinks that Yellowknife is the future team to beat and the creme de la creme of the NSFC for the foreseeable future. It was no mistake they were in the finals this season and are trending upwards moving forward. They're proven winners and despite not having any championships, they're still one of the strongest teams in the league and it is only a matter of time before they hoist an Ultimus of their own.
Negatives:
Marc wants to continue being the #1 CB for a team, and the Wraiths have Dermot Lavelle and he's going to be their #1 CB if he is there next season. It has kind of been a low key thing for Marc to compare himself to Dermot because he was the #1 CB picked in his draft class and he uses him as his measuring tape of how good he should be. If he becomes the #2 CB in Canada, he's basically saying he's always playing second fiddle to him.
Philadelphia Liberty
Positives:
A team on the rise. They made playoffs for the first time this season and they seem to be competing with Baltimore as that second best team in the NSFL. They're only a strong offseason away from really challenging Yellowknife for the top seat. They have a lot of great players and a great management.
Negatives:
Tyler Oles. He is the same story as Dermot Lavelle in Yellowknife. Oles has been rather outward with his contention that he's the top CB in the NSFL and rightfully so. He's dominant. But Marc's personal quest is to be the best. Not be beside the best. He's never been a fan of the "Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em" philosophy. So, unless Oles leaves Philly in free agency, he doesn't seem to be interested in being second to him. This is a matter of respect for Oles and not a disrespect for Philadelphia as a whole.
Baltimore Hawks
Positives:
Baltimore was the top dog for the prior 2 seasons before giving up the throne to Yellowknife. It's a setback for sure but the team is definitely still in the mix for the playoffs and can get there with a good draft and off season. It is another positive that WR Trey Willie and Defensive tackle Ricardo Sandoval play there. He has a tremendous respect for them from their days playing for the Otters.
Negatives:
Like with Philly and Yellowknife, the Hawks have a top flight CB that he might have to play second fiddle to. Darnell Turner is a beast of a defensive back and yet another big CB from Marc's draft class. It would seem as if there are a lot of great CBs to come out of the S2 draft. Marc has great respect for Turner, but playing next to him doesn't appeal.
Colorado Yeti
Positives:
Colorado is in dire straights. They're easily the worst team in the NSFL after getting only one win all of season four. But this means they're a team in rebuild and need multiple positions. This is something that appeals greatly to Spector. Having Alex Hayden as a team mate wouldn't be terrible and would give a solid 1-2 CB tandem. Spector does view Alex as a slightly weaker CB to himself, and would demand the #1 CB spot if he signed there. But, he would like Alex to know that it's not by very much that he is ahead of his fellow CB.
Negatives:
One big detraction would be the transition from a team with a winning atmosphere to one that is in a complete rebuild. Spector has made playoffs every season with Orange County, and expects a winning atmosphere wherever he goes. But a winning atmosphere doesn't necessarily mean wins weekly, but a team who, through thick or thin, has a thirst for wins, a desire to better themselves and an insatiable hunger to get that Ultimus.
Orange County Otters
Positives:
This has been his home for his first 3 seasons. He knows the team, the management and loves being in Orange County. He's voiced his desire to be an Otter in the future. It is now in the hands of the front office. He won a championship with this team and he'd love to be instrumental in getting them a second.
Negatives:
Spector has expressed in the locker room his desire to remain with the team but as of now, no contract has been signed or extension granted. This is the whole reason for this statement being made. Marc fears that the Otters might be conserving their funds for a new Running Back and a couple Defensive Tackles in this free agency, which might make Spector expendable in the long run.
San Jose Sabercats
Positives:
The Sabercats have made the biggest changes in the last 2 off seasons and look very strong moving forward. Adding any piece could put them in the same echelon as the Otters and Outlaws. Being a part of a growing organization pleases Spector and San Jose has really been quite a growth as of late.
Negatives:
John Canton and Benson Bayley. This is already a very dynamic CB duo. In fact it is the best in the NSFL. So there's no room for Spector to join a team which has no need for a man of his talents. Marc doesn't seem too keen on a position change at this stage of his career so the idea of signing him and transitioning him to WR or Safety looks to be off the table at this juncture.
Las Vegas Legion
Positives
This team has had a slew of problems and recently more have arisen. There's not a lot that is very alluring to Free Agents. However Marc knows he'd immediately be a veteran leader if he were to go the Las Vegas this off season. Plus even with their current cast of CBs, he'd be better than them both. If there's one theme this article has, it's that he wants to be a top CB. Las Vegas definitely affords him the opportunity to do so.
Negatives
After the most recent retiring of multiple active players in the Las Vegas locker room, he's not entirely sure there's much of a positive attitude in the locker room at this point. But I guess whatever members are left, want to be there, and they're out to prove that this team can be fruitful despite everything that has happened. Perhaps if he can be convinced that the locker room will be a winning atmosphere, he'd field offers.
Arizona Outlaws
Positives
Three Ultimus trophies speaks volumes. Despite rumors of multis and rigging of sims, it is firmly believed by Spector that this is those who are tired of seeing a franchise dominate creating controversy over nothing. He's a firm believer of innocence until proven guilty. The team definitely has a winning atmosphere and has no signs of slowing down their pursuit of their 4th Championship.
Negatives
Marc sees the Outlaws as his primary foes and it would be hard to stomach being on the team that he has seen as rivals since the first day he started playing in the NSFL. It would be tantamount for a player who has been on the Yankees his whole career up and fleeing to Boston. There's a level of disdain that would be very difficult for Marc to overcome if he would join that team. Of course the right amount of money can ease anyone's transgressions. What is that amount though? Well, it's likely to be higher than any of the other 7 on this list.
OVERALL
Marc wants to stay with the Otters. He wants to remain a part of that franchise because it is what he is familiar with. However, he must formulate a contingency plan on the event that he can not reach an agreement with the Otters to remain there. If he has to play second fiddle to a "better" Corner, he will if there's no other option. But he would definitely like to remain a top CB in that first position. Beggars can't be choosers though, you know? He has no qualms really with joining a team in rebuild as long as he's not the only man there with a true passion for winning. Atmosphere plays a key role in his decision to join a franchise. Maybe even more so than who his fellow DBs are.
It seems unlikely he will play for Arizona though. While his options are open, it would take a great amount of persuasion for him to join what he views as his rival team. Perhaps that's simply because he's spent his entire career in jealousy. Who knows, but his heart definitely isn't in the great state of Arizona.
[1568 Words]
GRADED
[div align=center]