Techbert Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 (edited) 2021: 2-14 Franchise: 3-29 You guys tend to like naming coaches. Zaps name Brian Daboll as HFC, with whomever he brings with him as assistants. Zaps have the following draft choices: 1-1 2-33 3-65 4-107 via trade 5-144 6-180 6-202 via trade Also 5(23) (Sea via Pit) Predraft Pre-FA Roster (to be edited up to draft day): QB Trevor Lawrence JAX, Kyle Allen HOU, Feleipe Franks ATL RB James Robinson JAX, Ronald Jones KC, Cordarrelle Patterson ATL, Duke Johnson BUF, Eno Benjamin AZ, JaMycal Hasty SF, Nathan Cottrell JAX WR Amari Cooper CLE, Tee Higgins CIN, Elijah Moore NYJ, Rashad Higgens CAR, Chris Conley HOU, Antonio Gandy-Golden WAS TE Ricky Seals-Jones NYG, Jack Stoll PHI, Sammis Reyes WAS, Jared Pinkney DET OT Jedrick Wills CLE, Terence Steele DAL, Stone Forsythe SEA OG Trey Smith KC, Rodger Saffold BUF, Josh Jones AZ, Calvin Throckmorton NO C Bradley Bozeman Car, Lloyd Cushenberry DEN, John Feliciano NYG DE Trey Hendrickson CIN, Bryce Huff NYJ, Elerson Smith NYG DT Neville Gallimore DAL, Al Woods SEA, James Lynch MIN, Bobby Brown LAR, Marvin Wilson PHI LB Uchenna Nwosu SEA, Christian Kirksey HOU, Kamu Gruiger-Hill HOU, Jalen Reeves-Maybin HOU,Jabril Cox DAL, Charles Snowden CHI, Joe Bachie PHI CB Casey Hayward ATL, Desmond King HOU, Anthony Averett LV, Terrance Mitchell NE, Robert Rochell LAR, Ifeatu Melifonwu DET S Xavier Woods CAR, Tyree Gillespie LV, Myles Dorn MIN, Jovante Moffatt CLE, Jared Mayden SF, Zayne Anderson KC, A'rdarius Washington BAL, James Wiggins AZ, Tyler Coyle DAL PK Tyler Bass BUF P DS Ross Matiscik JAX Edited April 26, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 The Zaps, with oodles of cap space available and a complete disregard for covid vaccination statuses, trade for Amari Cooper wr Cle Zaps trade 5(22) and 6(22) for Cooper and 6(22)CLE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted March 15, 2022 Author Share Posted March 15, 2022 Zaps sign Rodger Saffold og Buf 1 year about 9 mil. Other signing announcements will come Weds at earliest due to league rules. Rodger was waived by Ten, so he could be signed immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted March 18, 2022 Author Share Posted March 18, 2022 (edited) Free agent Summary: QB I try to be realistic about these simulations. If something does not make sense for the other teams I don't trade and if it does not make sense for the other players I don't sign them. So I want to re-sign Mitch Trubisky but IRL Mitch goes to a much better situation In Pittsburg no matter what. I have Trevor Lawrence, so no one with starter aspirations comes here unless they exhaust all their options, like Mitch did last year. So I get Kyle Allen qb Hou 1yr/2.5m. I can identify better quarterbacks to sign. I just can't convince them to sign, and it is not the money. RB I have carries and catches available, because James Robinson can only do so much, but no takers. I had JD McKissic in the house, but he went back to Wash. So watch this space. It will be edited later in the week. Re-signed Cordarrelle Patterson rb Atl 2yr/10.5. Signed Duke Johnson rb Buf 1yr. Signed Ronald Jones rb KC 1yr/5m. WR The Amari Cooper wr Cle trade was my big splash. I also convinced Rashad Higgins wr Car 1yr to sign. Amari becomes my route guy. Tee Higgins is my big guy. Elijah Moore is my slot/gadget guy. Rashad becomes my wild card guy. I also re-signed Chris Conley wr Hou 1yr/2.0m with some guaranteed, but that will not stop me from picking a wr in the draft if I want, particularly a special teams capable guy. TE I have some catches available here, as my te room now has a bunch of blockers in it. Coach Dabol talked me out of Evan Engram, which was not hard despite the upcoming Lawrence to Engram thing, and convinced me to go with Ricky Seals-Jones te NYG 1yr. OL I don't think Rodger Saffold og Buf is worth $9m anymore, but I wanted some stability on the interior line so I signed him. I also am not sure if Lloyd Cushenberry will get along with the new Denver run schemes so I wanted insurance if he lost his job and a backup c if he kept it. Dabol got me Jon Feliciano c NYG 1yr. I will still likely go with Terence Steele at rt this year, and he was not bad last year. Signed Bradley Bozeman c Car 1yr. Overall Offense: League average and a slight improvement from last year, even if I draft no one, and I don't have to. But if Trevor Lawrence goes down early I pick first again next year. DL Re-signed Al Woods dt Sea 2yr/9m. Signed Uchenna Nwosu edge Sea 2yr/20m. What does this mean? Nwosu is a standup guy. So we will have odd fronts a lot of the time, particularly in passing downs. Not my first choice but sokay. The personnel can support it. So why did I sign Nwosu if I like even fronts? It allows me to not have to pick an edge with my first round pick. I still might, but I don't have to. And if I pick an edge I can use a rookie/Hendrickson/Nwosu rotation on the pass rush. Is that flexibility and depth worth an extra $10m a year? I think so. And I still have Huff and Elerson Smith to see what they turn into and I am only on the hook for 2 years for Woods and Nwosu, which is actually only one year. LB See Nwosu above, who I may try outside on even fronts on some sets. Re-signed Christian Kirksey lb Hou 2yr/10m. Good leader and teach, which matters, and good versus the pass. Underrated dude. Of course my instinct was to make a play for Myles Jack but he is in a better place and I am prolly better with Kirko. Playing next to him will probably be Jalen Reeves-Maybin lb Hou 2yr/7.5m if he can fight off Jabril Cox. Re-signed Kamu Gruiger-Hill lb Hou 1yr/4m also in the mix. CB Re-signed Desmond King db Hou 2yr/7m. Flexible player who will probably play mostly slot for me, but can help at safety and even outside cb. Signed Casey Hayward cb Atl 2yr/11m. He will probably start outside. Signed Terrance Mitchell cb NE 1yr/3m and Anthony Averett cb LV 1yr/4.5. Two scheme-diverse guys who will probably back up at their new homes but can start if the kids do not grow up. S Signed Xavier Woods s Car 3yr/15.54m. Watch this space for more. Overall Defense: Still weak, but I do get to draft to strengthen. Prolly sign one more safety, who I am trying to get to return my calls. Edited March 26, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted March 26, 2022 Author Share Posted March 26, 2022 Draft Positional Targets: QB: Would like a backup. Might pick one late. Might waste a pick on Ridder if he falls. RB: Would like a functional back. Don't see where I can use a pick for one. WR: Do not feel need. Might grab one of exceptional value. TE: Want one. Probably Day 3. OL: Want a top tackle or would sit this year out. Might grab one of exceptional value at the top of round 2, particularly if he is an Iowa pivot. DE: Want a top DE. DT: I have a rotation, but would improve the position on day 2 or 3. LB: Might pick one on day 2 AND 3. CB: Want at least 1 corner. S: Want one to four safeties. ST: Need a punter, and I always overdraft specialists. Round expectations: 1. DE, CB, S, OT 2. BPA, especially DE, DT, LB, CB, S 3. DT, LB, CB, S 4. P, LB, S, TE 5. LB, S, RB, TE 6. BPA with special teams emphasis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 26, 2022 Author Share Posted April 26, 2022 (edited) Reports out of Polanco suggest the Zaps have reduced their list of 1.1 draft choice possibilities from 25 to only 8. (Actually 2.) Edited April 27, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 28, 2022 Author Share Posted April 28, 2022 (edited) 1-1 Kayvon Thibodeaux de Ore 6-4 258 9.63 NYG There is an old movie An Officer and a Gentleman. It starred Richard Gere, a heart throb of his day as a recruit and Lou Gossett Jr as the sergeant trying to wash him out. Gere got what you could call hard coaching. There is a famous scene where Gossett said he was out and Gere said, "Don't you do it! Don't! You... I got nowhere else to go! I got nowhere else to g... I got nothin' else." Gere would not quit no matter what. This is what the league wants, desperate young men with no other options. They want to coach them hard and not get pushback. Kayvon is an odd duck (pun intended). I think he sees himself as a Renaissance Man, not to be limited to the inside of a box. He wants a collaborative effort with his position coach. When asked what style of coach he wanted, he answered that he wanted someone who evolves with the game as it changes. He talks about branding himself. You know who says the players should take care of their brand? All the colleges. You know who else? The NFL in their rookie seminars, etc. So half the league thinks KT will not work hard and will flame out. The other half just does not want to deal with the headache when they have their brand of player readily available. Me? I see a player filled with pride and very competitive. I doubt he loves football the way the NFL wants its players to love football, but I think he loves football in a different way. I think he will work hard. I think he will play hard and he wants to win. I don't mind that he is a nerd. Myles Garrett is also a nerd at edge, but in a more football-establishment-acceptable way. What are my concerns, if the main one of the league does not bother me? I think KT wants to be a team leader, but I don't think his NFL teammates will find him persuasive and will not line up to be led by him right away. I think his teammates will humor him for the most part, but they will want to do their fair share to help him shed his arrogance until he proves himself on Sundays. That may be rocky. I do not yet know where he will be drafted, and if the real life coach decides he is going to break KT's spirit then KT will never reach his potential. One of the rumors by those trying to justify not drafting KT is that he smokes a lot of weed. I don't know how much week KT smokes, but I believe he smokes and I believe essentially every edge in the league smokes. My question is whether he will smoke his way out the door. I dunno, but I do not think so right now, and I feel strong enough that I am willing to draft him. There is the point that I rarely like 5 star athletes in HS. They are fawned over for their entire lives and I do not think they have any grasp of reality because of that. I prefer lesser stars that reach the same heights. Finally, I don't know KT's endgame. I doubt he plays until he is crippled physically and mentally, so shorter than max career length. I think he will start transitioning out of football on the investment side pretty fast. So how many millions will be enough for him? I think he will have a career length similar to Andrew Luck, which was seven years including a year lost to injury. I think he will work hard and get a great second contract because I expect that getting a juicy second contract will be a goal and will constitute what he will say is "winning." And he will play a lot or all of it out, health willing. The math of this uncertainty is interesting as far as his draft value today, not least because the value of the out years is not as great during this era of salary caps and free agency. Anyway, he is the player in my opinion that best helps the Zaps today, tomorrow, and in their upcoming glory years. He maximizes my flexibility for the rest of the draft. He gives me a bookend pass rush opposite Hendrickson plus what Nwosu can do plus what Elerson Smith and Bryce Huff can grow into. Opposing quarterbacks will not have much time to throw, which helps my young secondary, particularly if my tackles can penetrate. I think KT is fine against the run. I think he can stand up if you want him to, and can drop into coverage to keep OC's off balance. I do want him to get continuity in his coaching with a staff which will give him room but still motivate. Of the other players I considered, none gave me as much comfort and position value combined. If I did not go KT, I would have gone Sauce. Yeah, other edges had good athletic scores, but an RAS of 9.63 is plenty high, and I think KT is more athletic for edge than the others in ways that you can see but cannot easily measure. I have figured out that your goal is not to maximize RAS but get a good enough RAS so your player is not limited in their growth. I still reserve the right to trade down, but who expects that to happen tonight? The pick and comments are posted now so I do not have a time crunch later on, but are not official until I turn in the card. I may trade back into the back of the first round; we will see. Edited April 29, 2022 by Techbert 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 (edited) Evil Techbert has been my team advisor. I forgot to change the locks and he got into my office. "Pick Mike Singletary." Not eligible. "Okay. Pick Sam Mills." No. "Jesse Tuggle." No. "Fletcher London." "Okey. Whatever. Dude. I am working on a trade." Unless traded, and it will be, the Zapatas select 1-33 Breece Hall rb ISt TRADE!!! Zaps trade 2-33 and received 2-53 and 2-59. Edited April 29, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) The Zapatas select 2-53 Trey McBride te ColSt 6-4 246 8.19 AZ Edited April 30, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) Zaps select 2-59 Travis Jones dt Conn 6-4 325 9.37 BAL Edited April 30, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) Barring trade, as always 3-65 Leo Chenal lb Wis 6-3 250 9.99 KC Edited April 30, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) Techbert sits motionlessly with two cards in his hand, filled out. He sweats. There is no expression, but an internal conflict boils furiously. "Don't take Matt Araiza. But I need a punter. Yes, he's a punter. But he is a punt god. Still a punter. Punters are people too. So are employees at Starbucks but you don't draft him. I could come back later for a cornerback. Do not take him. He will probably be done before 5. I think he will be there and you can take him in 5. You promise I can? No. Not really. I'm taking Matt Araiza. Do not take Matt Araiza." "He's left footed, you know. Zyon McCollum has a RAS of 10. "You like high RAS, don't you? "I need a punter." Edited April 30, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) The Zaps draft... 4-107 Zyon McCollum cb Sam Houston St 6-2 199 10.00 TB Edited May 3, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) Now??? No. 5-144 Tycen Anderson db Tol 6-2 209 9.47 CIN Edited May 3, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techbert Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) 6-180 Matt Araiza p SD St BUF My Precious! Edited May 3, 2022 by Techbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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