Saturday, October 26, 2013
AJ Stuart keeps on the read option, and runs in for go ahead Touchdown.
Week two of the NFL and Australian rookie quarterback AJ Stuart helps team to second straight victory, sealing a win away versus the Raiders late with a run into the endzone.
Stuart had appeared to be ready to carry on where he left off in week one, showing great poise in the first quarter as he and Maurice Jones-Drew drove the Jaguars down the field twice for two scores to the star half back. The Jaguars jumped out to an early 14 - 0 lead on the back of this performance and looked poised to win another comfortable one.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars the running game took a hit when Jones-Drew went down with a serious injury to his shoulder. Losing Jones-Drew had an adverse impact on Stuart who appeared to lose confidence in the pocket as the Raiders defence honed in on pass defence with the running game threat seriously diminished.
Turnovers by the Jaguars helped the Raiders back into the game as they scored 10 poins in the second quarter and went into the half trailing by a touchdown. Darren McFadden who would be recognised as player of the game, was running amok, averaging over five yards per carry, and presenting as a thread in the passing game as well. He would finish with two touchdowns, as the Raiders drew even going into the final quarter. In total the Raiders turned over Stuart's passing a total of three times and knocked the ball lose on an attempt Stuart made to avoid a sack for a fumble recovery.
The Raiders took the lead midway through the fourth with a field goal to Janikowski and it looked like they had put themselves into the best position to win the game.
It was at this point that Stuart stepped up and engineered a drive down the field that put the Jaguars within scoring range in the last two minutes. Perhaps sensing the young quarterbacks nerves in the passing game, the offensive co-ordinator called for a read-option play seven yards out from the end zone.
Stuart made the right call in deciding to keep the ball and ran unabated into the endzone to put his team up. It was a nervous minute waiting to see if his defence would hold on, but they did and Stuart was relieved. Many lessons about NFL level secondary players were learned, and yet his team had managed to squeak by in a close one.
Asked how he felt about the running touchdown after the game, Stuart had this to say, "I was just lucky that the opposition was honed in on Forsett. Relieved is another feeling that comes to mind. After nearly throwing the game away, relief is definitely a major feeling."
The big down side for the Jaguars being the injury to Maurice Jones-Drew, who it was later revealed as having broken his collar bone. Jones-Drew won't be expected until at least week nine. While this opens up opportunities for Justin Forsett, it is only going to add to the challenges this side must face with a rookie quarterback at the helm.
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders | |||||
| Sep 15, 2013 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0 ) | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Oakland Raiders (0-1) | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
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Stuart drops back and is about to hit receiver for first career passing TD
It was a debut for the ages, at least that was how Jacksonville fans felt after rookie quarterback AJ Stuart started his career by leading a dual pronged attack that upset the Kansas City Chiefs. Stuart had an incredible passer rating of 140.2 on his way to a four touchdown debut.
Stuart benefitted from the Jaguars defense picking off Alex Smith three times, allowing the Jaguars to have excellent field position for most of the game. Maurice Jones-Drew slashing apart the Chiefs defense on his way to 160 yards also helped settle the nerves of the young quarterback. While Drew didn't score, his 5.8 yards per carry helped remove pressure from Stuart who didn't have to face too many 3rd and long conversion attempts.
It was clear the Australian was built for the occasion on his way to being honored as player of the game. Stuart was a non discriminate passer, hitting seven different receivers during the game. He read the defense well, picking it apart with excellent accuracy on the day.
Asked after the game he felt about his debut, Stuart had this to say, "I'm honestly still quite stunned at how comfortable I felt out there. I have to thank my team mates for putting me in as a comfortable a position as possible though. Without them it may have been a different result." Stuart will no doubt receive some appreciation from his team mates for the solid head on his shoulders.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid had this to say about the young quarterback, "He did an excellent job out there, he handled the pressure well, but he will have a long way to go as teams get more film on him. I know that there will be different looks we will throw at him next time we meet. That said, great game by the kid today."
Could it be that the Jaguars have a franchise quarterback on their hands? Obviously there is a long way to go for Stuart to prove this, but he certainly started out on the right foot in week one.
| Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars | |||||
| Sep 8, 2013 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Kansas City Chiefs (0-0) | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0) | 13 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 40 |
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Stuart earns role, Gabbert conspiciously absent
The Jacksonville Jaguars 2013 preseason certainly wasn't auspicious, and left little to cheer about as incumbent Blaine Gabbert was held back, not getting to throw a single pass while rookie AJ Stuart and long time pro Chad Henne fought it out for the starting position at quarterback.
Stuart didn't get too much play time either, appearing to be the preferred starter, rested early to ensure no risk of injury. While clearly shaken early in pre-season by the pace of the NFL, Stuart began to show signs of life in the later two games, the final game a high scoring win.
There is plenty for Stuart to work on though, accuracy will be a concern for the young quarterback, and the much talked about confidence in the pocket appeared to be missing, but he still held his own, in what was a terrible pre season for the teams defence.
MJD and Stuart will have a lot to carry on their shoulders if Jacksonville will come close to beating their season mark of two wins in 2012. When asked about the possibility of leading a team struggling defensively Stuart said, "I have faith in our guys to do the job that needs to be done. We're all just learning here on offense and defense, don't write us off yet. We will continue to work hard and go from there."
Passing comparison from pre-season:
| Jaguars Pre-season Stats - 2013 | ||||||||
| Passing | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | YDS/G | LONG | TD | INT | RAT |
| AJ Stuart | 11/22 | 277 | 12.6 | 69.3 | 80 | 2 | 1 | 107.1 |
| Chad Henne | 49/144 | 535 | 3.7 | 133.8 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 37.2 |
Monday, October 21, 2013
Jags select Australian out of UNLV
Jacksonville, Fla: With the Jaguars looking to find someone to support Maurice Jones-Drew and compete with Blaine Gabbert for the starting position at Quarterback, they took an interesting leap in selecting 20 year-old AJ Stuart out of UNLV.
Stuart, a native of Launceston, Australia had been part of the Rebel's program for two years, earning a starting position half way into his sophomore year where he impressed with impressive leg speed and and inate ability to escape the pocket when pressured and complete get-out-of-jail passes.
The first Australian Quarterback drafted, and should he start he will be the first Australian to lead an NFL team. A team that struggled to a 2 win season in 2012, so while expectations may be low, you cannot help but feel internally the Jags will be hoping that their risk taking in the draft will pay off.
Stuart himself doesn't appear too phased by the attention heaped on him as an NFL draftee, with his focus purely on learning the offense and getting to know his new team mates. Although he did joke in an interview with an Australian newspaper that his being drafted might help with NFL popularity in his home country, much like the drafting of Andrew Bogut by the Milwaukee Bucks shot the NBA back into the Australian spotlight.
NFL.com reports that sales of the Jaguar's #8 Jersey has already increased sales of the teams product dramtically in the international market, so Stuart may well be on to something. The added media exposure will increase interest in the team, so you can bet the Jags front office will be pressuring the coaching staff to ensure Stuart has every chance of earning the starting role.
One thing is for sure, many Australian's will look on in anticipation of what they hope to be the beginning of something special for their countryman.
CFM Specs:
All Pro - with slightly tweaked RG3MVP slider set
10 Minute quarters
Clock - run off to 15 seconds.
Gameflow play calling (I am merely the QB afterall).
Normal game speed.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Why yes, yes I did... for I am SPASTASTIC.
I am now going to go have a brief cry and consider what I will do for my new Dynasty, cause creating THAT many players, some with real life attributes, took hours and I was just about to get into the real meat and fun of it all
<---- kind of how I feel right now.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
The Cowboys shockingly went 1 - 3 in the pre-season, with week one producing the boilover as the defence ran rampant against an Oakland Raiders team that must have underestimated the job the Cowboys coaching staff, lead by Jason Garrett would do with the new players. With three interceptions and four sacks the defence helped lead the way as the offence gained confidence and momentum to steam roll the Raiders 34 to 11.
Sam Davison get's his first career pick.
Claiborne, Webb and Davison were the players to pick off passes from the Raiders QB's, while unheralded Defensive Tackle Leon Vance out of Wheaton started his NFL career off strongly with two sacks. Vance impressed with his aggression and desire to reach the quarterback at the open tryouts held in Austin, and there could be big things to come for this young man as he looked to stake a claim to start for the Cowboys.
On the offensive side of the ball 29 year old Keirnan Dorney got the starting nod ahead of Kyle Rhodes, and while he only threw for 38 yards in the first quarter before being rested, he showed some poise throwing 4/5 to help move the ball for his team. Rhodes was given three quarters to show his worth, throwing for 11/16, 1 TD, 1INT and 132 yards. Rhodes biggest surprise was his speed at escaping the pocket when plays broke down, he scrambled for a touchdown to pair with the passing TD.
The biggest surprise was how the offensive line managed to provide some solid blocking for the runners. Rookie Joseph Randle made the most of this with his 10 carries netting 53 yards and two touchdowns. Former Hawthorn player from the Australian Football League Cyril Rioli ran 11 times for 81 yards, but the 81 yards bely the fact that speed is all this young man appears to have at this stage. Most runs were busted for one or two yards if not a loss, it was just two lucky runs where he was able to escape into the open field that helped him net the decent yardage.
Defensive Tackle Ryan Royal who was pencilled in to become a starter broke his collarbone during the first quarter of the match up, and remains on the injury list at the end of preseason.
The subsequent three games for the Cowboys went a lot more according to script, with regards to all predictions surrounding the team. The Cowboys travelled to Arizona and struggled to contain the Cardinals in a 3 - 28 defeat. Making matters worse the Cowboys losta seond Defensive Tackle in Ben Bass to a broken collarbone in this game as well, he remains on the injury list heading into week one.
Dorney once again held his own, while not managing a scoring touchdown for the second week in a row, threw for 61 yards on 3 of 6 attempts without throwing an interception. Kyle Rhodes threw 3 interceptions on his way to 165 yards and a 46.8 QB Rating.
B.W. Webb obtained his second interception of the pre-season and Leon Vance his third sack in this game.
Third game of the pre-season the Cowboys hosted the Bengals and while managing a little more offensive production, fell 14 - 24. Garrett also showed how wide open the race was for many positions in the team, by switching the depth chart around. Kyle Rhodes started and went 3/3 for 20 yards and no picks, as the focus was on running in the first; although young full back Kieran Lansdell fumbled after completing a catch for a first down, which proved a costly turnover for the Cowboys who had looked like sustaining a drive.
One of the exciting things for the Cowboys to see was the progress of former Melbourne Demon highflyer Jeremy Howe, renowned for taking spectactular catches on the shoulders of opponents. Howe held 5 pass for 94 yards and a touchdown, his superior hands clearly shining through. He may have cemented himself a starting spot with the display.
Joseph Randle also looked to cement his spot as the starting running back, 14 runs for 55 yards was significant given that Cyril Rioli ran for 3 total yards on 4 attempts. Fan favourite Fred Hunter surprised with a wildcat run for 10 yards and a touchdown, what he lacks in physical ability he definitely makes up for with heart.
Defensive Stalwarts Sean Lee and Anthony Spencer both notched their first pre-season sacks, having seen additional time on the field, Lee added 3 tackles for loss to his total also, proving a very strong presence.
Newcomer Sedrick Ellis who was signed ahead of week three to play Defensive Tackle laid 4 tackles, including one in the backfield. Cowboys felt they needed to bring in another big lineman following the injuries to Royal and Bass. Thankfully for the Cowboys there were no significant injuries in third game.
New tight end Lance Franklin lucky not to be seriously injured in this play.
The Cowboys went down to the Texans 21-27 in the final game of the pre-season in spite of some special plays made by former Adelaide Crows speedster Patrick Dangerfield. The first play was a 35 yard catch thrown by Dorney, his second TD of the pre-season, and the big play a 97 yard kick return for touchdown in the last minute of the game, to make the score look more respectable. Dangerfield has big speed and great potential, he may yet become a great addition to the Cowboys.
Defensively the Cowboys secondary got back on the board after being shut out in the third week, with Claiborne adding his second interception of the pe-season and Deion Smith another unheralded college player from Central Arkansas nabbing two picks in the game in an attempt to keep his team in the contest. While he lacks a little speed to go with the faster receivers, Smith certainly looks capable of holding his own with more reps and work on his understanding of what the offense is doing.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys they may find themselves going shopping for another corner back with Rookie B.W. Webb breaking some ribs in a contest during the second quarter, adding to a growing injury list for the Cowboys.
| 2013 Pre-Season | ||
| Pos | Player | Injury Note |
| DT | Ryan Royal | Broken Collarbone - return estimate 2 weeks |
| DT | Ben Bass | Broken Collarbone - return estimate 3 weeks |
| CB | B.W. Webb | Broken Ribs - return estimate 3 weeks |
It will be interesting to see what Garrett and the Cowboys do for week one of the real deal, with so many positions still up for grabs.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
New roster for the Dallas Cowboys includes a majority of created players, some based on real people from Australian Rules Football, Rugby League, and the Australian Gridiron Team, as well as some randoms created.
| 2013 Dallas Cowboys Roster | ||||||
| # | OFFENSE | POS | AGE | HT | WT | COLLEGE |
| 9 | Kyle Rhodes (CP) (R) (73) | QB | 23 | 6'2" | 205 | Butler |
| 11 | Kiernan Dorney (RP) (R) (72) | QB | 29 | 6'3" | 200 | Sydney Uni Lions |
| 33 | Cyril Rioli (RP) (R) (69) | HB | 24 | 5'10" | 175 | Hawthorn Hawks |
| 21 | Joseph Randle (R) (69) | HB | 21 | 6'0" | 198 | Oklahoma State |
| 28 | Fred Hunter (CP) (R) (57) | HB | 24 | 5'11" | 200 | Western Ontario |
| 39 | Kieren Lansdell (RP) (R) (71) | FB | 26 | 5'7" | 210 | Rockingham Vipers |
| 81 | Patrick Dangerfield (RP) (R) (75) | WR | 23 | 6'1" | 200 | Adelaide Crows |
| 80 | Jeremy Howe (RP) (R) (75) | WR | 23 | 6'3" | 190 | Melbourne Demons |
| 83 | Terrance Williams (R) (73) | WR | 23 | 6'2" | 200 | Baylor |
| 85 | Kane Dartson (CP) (R) (67) | WR | 23 | 6'2" | 205 | Carroll College |
| 17 | Charles Jaeger (CP) | WR | 20 | 6'2" | 180 | Beloit College |
| 23 | Lance Franklin (RP) (R) (77) | TE | 26 | 6'5" | 225 | Sydney Swans |
| 89 | Gavin Escobar (R) (72) | TE | 22 | 6'6" | 249 | S.D. State |
| 77 | Tyron Smith (89) | LT | 22 | 6'5" | 308 | USC |
| 68 | Joe Benton (CP) (R) (69) | LT | 24 | 6'6" | 295 | Valdosta St. |
| 76 | Danny Watters (CP) (R) (70) | LG | 22 | 6'5" | 280 | Western Wash. |
| 69 | Christian O'Dea (RP) (R) (67) | LG | 27 | 6'0" | 260 | Sunshine Coast Spartans |
| 72 | Travis Frederick (R) (75) | C | 22 | 6'3" | 311 | Wisconsin |
| 63 | Ryan Cook (72) | C | 30 | 6'6" | 328 | New Mexico |
| 64 | Vandrell Carter (CP) (R) (68) | C | 22 | 6'5" | 300 | Arkansas P.B. |
| 75 | Martin Nelson (CP) (R) (73) | RG | 25 | 6'6" | 300 | Eastern Michigan |
| 71 | Aaron Carbury (RP) (R) (67) | RG | 26 | 6'5" | 290 | Sydney Uni Lions |
| 67 | Evan Strauss (CP) (R) (73) | RT | 22 | 6'4" | 310 | Youngstown St. |
| 74 | Adam Gotsis (RP) (R) (68) | RT | 21 | 6'5" | 265 | Monash Warriors |
| # | DEFENSE | POS | AGE | HT | WT | COLLEGE |
| 93 | Anthony Spencer (89) | LE | 29 | 6'3" | 250 | Purdue |
| 59 | Leon Latulipe (RP) (R) (75) | LE | 26 | 6'2" | 260 | Western Sydney Pirates |
| 98 | Tyrone Crawford (72) | LE | 23 | 6'4" | 282 | Boise State |
| 55 | AJ Rider (CP) (R) (79) | RE | 23 | 6'6" | 255 | Air Force |
| 95 | Caesar Rayford (R) (67) | RE | 27 | 6'7" | 267 | Washington |
| 90 | Leon Vance (CP) (R) (74) | DT | 20 | 6'7" | 275 | Wheaton |
| 97 | Kelvin Howsan (RP) (73) | DT | 38 | 6'2" | 280 | Kenmore Bears |
| 94 | Ryan Royal (CP) (R) (73) | DT | 21 | 6'4" | 290 | T A&M K'Ville |
| 79 | Ben Bass (66) | DT | 24 | 6'5" | 294 | Texas A&M |
| 53 | Karmichael Hunt (RP) (R) (74) | LOLB | 27 | 6'1" | 205 | Gold Coast Suns |
| 57 | Devonte Holloman (R) (67) | LOLB | 22 | 6'1" | 242 | South Carolina |
| 50 | Sean Lee (90) | MLB | 27 | 6'2" | 234 | Penn State |
| 52 | Darius Dredd (CP) (R) (75) | MLB | 21 | 6'3" | 255 | Cal-Bakersfield |
| 56 | Sonny Bill Wiliiams (RP) (R) (78) | ROLB | 28 | 6'4" | 240 | Sydney City Roosters |
| 58 | Marcus Grayson (CP) (R) (70) | ROLB | 24 | 6'4" | 245 | Florida State |
| 24 | Morris Claiborne (79) | CB | 23 | 5'11" | 190 | LSU |
| 29 | Deion Smith (CP) (R) (76) | CB | 22 | 6'0" | 190 | Central Arkansas |
| 31 | Brent Tyler (CP) (R) (74) | CB | 28 | 6'0" | 195 | St. Augustine |
| 20 | B.W. Webb (R) (69) | CB | 23 | 5'11" | 178 | William & Mary |
| 35 | Sam Davison (CP) (R) (66) | CB | 23 | 5'11" | 195 | Trinity |
| 26 | Josh Gibson (RP) (R) (84) | FS | 29 | 6'2" | 205 | Hawthorn Hawks |
| 37 | Matt Johnson (71) | FS | 24 | 6'1" | 212 | Eastern. Wash |
| 38 | Jeff Heath (R) (68) | FS | 22 | 6'1" | 209 | Saginaw Valley |
| 27 | J.J. Wilcox (R) (71) | SS | 23 | 6'0" | 217 | Ga. Southern |
| # | SPECIAL TEAMS | POS | AGE | HT | WT | COLLEGE |
| 19 | Jack Gunston (RP) (R) (85) | K | 22 | 6'4" | 185 | Hawthorn Hawks |
| 13 | Taylor Walker (RP) (R) (77) | P | 23 | 6'3" | 190 | Adelaide Crows |
http://youtu.be/uhAozRcir78
Highlight of new recruit Josh Gibson showing his dedication to the cause for his AFL Side Hawthorn, going back with the flight of the ball and attempting a spoil, landing awkwardly, only to come back on to the ground five minutes later!
Dual international Sonny Bill Williams will bring some big hitting to the Cowboys cause as the highlight below shows.
http://youtu.be/QXVUlrTX414
Lance "Buddy" Franklin shocks the AFL Community leaving Hawthorn for Sydney, and then decides, heck why not give this NFL business a go. Cowboys hope some of his strength and athleticism shines through.
http://youtu.be/wl9QGNPt-Vg
(aka I am in the middle of creating my Australian and American unknowns to join team).
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Breaking news out of Texas with confirmation that Jerry Jones has sold the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2013 Pre-Season. While you take a moment to digest that first piece of news we will proceed to give you some further words to consider, the new owner of America's Team is an Australian mining magnate. That's right Jerry Jones after years of finding way after way of leaving Cowboys fans dissatisfied with on-field and off-field decisions and the lack of success has added to his history of befuddling decisions (extending a 32 year old Romo for 6 years anyone?) by selling to an Australian, granted with the approval of the NFL and the other owners of course.
What exactly does this mean for Tony Romo and the Cowboys? Nobody is too certain yet as it appears that this Australian AJ Stuart may just yet have some surprises up his sleeve as this newsletter from Australia dated March 2013 would indicate below:
Could he really try and bring in a bucket load of Australian's to take up spots in an NFL team? Is there really that much talent floating around in Australia? Sure we have seen some solid Australian Punters in the NFL the likes of Mat McBriar, himself a former Dallas Cowboy, Saverio Rocca who is currently with the Redskins and Darren Bennett a former San Diego Charger, but could an Australian really hold down an other position?
That Australian team mentioned in the news letter above finished eighth out of eight teams in those 2011 World Championships, not even scoring against two opponents, including the United States, which fielded college players, they certainly didnt win a game. We can only sincerely hope that AJ Stuart has no intention of ripping apart the fabric of a team loved by many, although we can imagine the glee members of the NFC East may feel about this revelation.
Stay tuned for more information as details leek about the new ownership in Dallas and what it means for the NFL as we know it.
Stop the presses!!!
Major news coming out of the NFL offices this morning, with Roger Goodell announcing that due to an overwhelming player backlash at the new ownership of the Dallas Cowboys special measures that had been agreed upon by all owners including the new Cowboys owner would be implemented.
The Dallas Cowboys playing list will be dissolved, without cap penalties, as a result the Dallas Cowboys will be allowed to sign 2 players from the original list ahead of a mini draft!!! With the exception of the rookies, who were made aware of the pending ownership transition when drafted, all other players on the list will be open to being drafted by another NFL team, or potentially even the Cowboys.
From our understanding the draft order will in fact be based on regular season finishing position last season and when the Cowboys pick at 18, they can also pick two additional players for a total of 3 (should they choose so) before the draft continues. NFL teams can decline to use their pick should they consider it of no use to them, any un-signed players after this draft will be released into free agency.
Meanwhile AJ Stuart and the Dallas Cowboys will be scrambling to put a team together ahead of pre-season.
Below is the draft order:
| NFL Draft - Round 1 Recap | |||||
| Pick | Team | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt |
| 1. | Chiefs | ||||
| 2. | Jaguars | ||||
| 3. | Eagles | ||||
| 4. | Raiders | ||||
| 5. | Lions | ||||
| 6. | Browns | ||||
| 7. | Cardinals | ||||
| 8. | Titans | ||||
| 9. | Jets | ||||
| 10. | Bills | ||||
| 11. | Buccaneers | ||||
| 12. | Chargers | ||||
| 13. | Saints | ||||
| 14. | Dolphins | ||||
| 15. | Panthers | ||||
| 16. | Rams | ||||
| 17. | Steelers | ||||
| 18. | Cowboys | ||||
| 19. | Giants | ||||
| 20. | Redskins | ||||
| 21. | Vikings | ||||
| 22. | Bengals | ||||
| 23. | Bears | ||||
| 24. | Ravens | ||||
| 25. | Seahawks | ||||
| 26. | Colts | ||||
| 27. | Packers | ||||
| 28. | 49ers | ||||
| 29. | Patriots | ||||
| 30. | Texans | ||||
| 31. | Broncos | ||||
| 32. | Falcons | ||||
It is believed the Cowboys have come to terms with Sean Lee and Tyron Smith, as well as all their rookies.
The Cowboys list did look like this:
| Dallas Cowboys Roster | ||||||
| # | OFFENSE | POS | AGE | HT | WT | COLLEGE |
| 9 | Tony Romo (91) | QB | 33 | 6'2" | 228 | E.Illinois |
| 18 | Kyle Orton (77) | QB | 30 | 6'4" | 225 | Purdue |
| 7 | Alex Tanney (65) | QB | 25 | 6'4" | 220 | Monmouth |
| 29 | Demarco Murray (86) | HB | 25 | 6'0" | 215 | Oklahoma |
| 25 | Lance Dunbar (72) | HB | 23 | 5'8" | 188 | North Texas |
| 21 | Joseph Randle (R) (69) | HB | 21 | 6'0" | 198 | Oklahoma St. |
| 34 | Phillip Tanner (68) | HB | 25 | 6'0" | 218 | Mid Tenn St. |
| 84 | James Hanna (63) | FB | 24 | 6'4" | 250 | Oklahoma |
| 88 | Dez Bryant (95) | WR | 24 | 6'2" | 222 | Oklahoma St. |
| 19 | Miles Austin (83) | WR | 29 | 6'2" | 216 | Monmouth |
| 83 | Terrance Williams (R) (73) | WR | 23 | 6'2" | 200 | Baylor |
| 17 | Dwayne Harris (72) | WR | 25 | 5'10" | 207 | East Carolina |
| 11 | Cole Beasley (67) | WR | 24 | 5'8" | 187 | SMU |
| 16 | Tim Benford (60) | WR | 23 | 5'11" | 193 | Tenn. Tech |
| 86 | Jamar Newsome (60) | WR | 25 | 6'1" | 201 | UCF |
| 82 | Jason Witten (95) | TE | 31 | 6'6" | 261 | Tennessee |
| 89 | Gavin Escobar (R) (72) | TE | 22 | 6'6" | 249 | S.D. State |
| 87 | Andre Smith (68) | TE | 24 | 6'5" | 267 | Virginia Tech |
| 91 | L.P. Ladouceur (52) | TE | 32 | 6'5" | 260 | California |
| 77 | Tyron Smith (89) | LT | 22 | 6'5 | 308 | USC |
| 75 | Darrion Weems (66) | LT | 24 | 6'5" | 320 | Oregon |
| 65 | Ronld Leary (71) | LG | 24 | 6'3" | 318 | Memphis |
| 62 | David Arkin (69) | LG | 25 | 6'5" | 310 | Missouri State |
| 66 | Ray Dominguez (64) | LG | 25 | 6'4" | 334 | Arkansas |
| 72 | Travis Frederick (R) (75) | C | 22 | 6'3" | 311 | Wisconsin |
| 67 | Phil Costa (74) | C | 26 | 6'3" | 302 | Maryland |
| 63 | Ryan Cook (72) | C | 30 | 6'6" | 328 | New Mexico |
| 64 | Brian Waters (87) | RG | 35 | 6'3" | 320 | North Texas |
| 73 | Mackenzy Bernadeau (76) | RG | 27 | 6'4" | 333 | Bentley College |
| 68 | Doug Free (82) | RT | 29 | 6'6" | 325 | N. Illinois |
| 78 | Jermey Parnell (78) | RT | 27 | 6'6" | 311 | Ole Miss |
| # | DEFENSE | POS | AGE | HT | WT | COLLEGE |
| 93 | Anthony Spencer (89) | LE | 29 | 6'3" | 250 | Purdue |
| 99 | George Selvie (73) | LE | 26 | 6'4" | 270 | USF |
| 98 | Tyrone Crawford (72) | LE | 23 | 6'4" | 282 | Boise State |
| 55 | Edgar Jones (70) | LE | 28 | 6'3" | 262 | SE Missouri St. |
| 94 | Demarcus Ware (96) | RE | 31 | 6'4" | 254 | Troy |
| 70 | Drake Nevis (73) | RE | 24 | 6'1" | 310 | LSU |
| 51 | Kyle Wilber (70) | RE | 24 | 6'4" | 246 | Wake Forest |
| 95 | Caesar Rayford (R) (67) | RE | 27 | 6'7" | 267 | Washington |
| 97 | Jason Hatcher (89) | DT | 31 | 6'6" | 299 | Grambling St. |
| 90 | Jay Ratliff (84) | DT | 32 | 6'4" | 303 | Auburn |
| 92 | David Carter (71) | DT | 25 | 6'5" | 300 | UCLA |
| 96 | Nick Hayden (68) | DT | 26 | 6'4" | 301 | Wisconsin |
| 79 | Ben Bass (66) | DT | 24 | 6'5" | 294 | Texas A&M |
| 52 | Justin Durant (82) | LOLB | 27 | 6'1" | 228 | Hampton |
| 57 | Devonte Holloman (R) (67) | LOLB | 22 | 6'1" | 242 | South Carolina |
| 50 | Sean Lee (90) | MLB | 27 | 6'2" | 234 | Penn State |
| 58 | Kyle Bosworth (62) | MLB | 26 | 6'1" | 236 | UCLA |
| 54 | Bruce Carter (80) | ROLB | 25 | 6'2" | 246 | North Carolina |
| 59 | Ernie Sims (71) | ROLB | 28 | 6'0" | 233 | Florida State |
| 39 | Brandon Carr (89) | CB | 27 | 6'0" | 206 | Grand Valley St. |
| 24 | Morris Claiborne (79) | CB | 23 | 5'11" | 190 | LSU |
| 32 | Orlando Scandrick (77) | CB | 26 | 5'10" | 191 | Boise State |
| 20 | B.W. Webb (R) (69) | CB | 23 | 5'11" | 178 | William & Mary |
| 33 | Chris Greenwood (66) | CB | 24 | 6'1" | 193 | Albion College |
| 31 | Micah Pellerin (60) | CB | 24 | 6'0" | 202 | Hampton |
| 42 | Barry Church (79) | FS | 25 | 6'2" | 218 | Toledo |
| 37 | Matt Johnson (71) | FS | 24 | 6'1" | 212 | Eastern Wash. |
| 38 | Jeff Heath (R) (68) | FS | 22 | 6'1" | 209 | Saginaw Valley |
| 40 | Danny McCray (67) | FS | 25 | 6'1" | 222 | LSU |
| 27 | J.J. Wilcox (R) (71) | SS | 23 | 6'0" | 217 | Ga. Southern |
| # | SPECIAL TEAMS | POS | AGE | HT | WT | COLLEGE |
| 5 | Dan Bailey (86) | K | 25 | 6'0" | 188 | Oklahoma St. |
| 6 | Chris Jones (65) | P | 24 | 6'0" | 197 | Carson-Newman |
INTERACTIVE OPPORTUNITY:
You may draft for the teams in the list above the Cowboys, anybody listed on the list (starting with rosters as of last roster update) apart from rookies and Sean Lee and Tyron Smith. Please consider team need and contract, although if I can edit contract terms when assigning these players before officially starting the CFM I will make them more reasonable on the basis these players have received payouts. If you wish to interact please nominate if you wish to do one pick, or all the picks until my turn at 18 (when I may pick up to 3 of the players left), or the picks remaining after my pick/picks at 18.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
| NBA Draft - Round 1 Recap | |||||
| Pick | Team | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt |
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Derrick Williams | SF/PF | 6'8" | 248 |
| 2 | Indiana Pacers | Kyrie Irving | PG | 6'2" | 180 |
| 3 | Charlotte Bobcats | Enes Kanter | C | 6'11" | 262 |
| 4 | Toronto Raptors | Kemba Walker | PG | 6'1" | 172 |
| 5 | Washington Wizards | Jordan Hamilton | SF | 6'7" | 220 |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Brandon Knight | PG | 6'3" | 185 |
| 7 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kawhi Leonard | SF | 6'8" | 225 |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Alec Burks | SG | 6'6" | 185 |
| 9 | Golden State Warriors | Tobias Harris | SF | 6'8" | 226 |
| 10 | Houston Rockets | Jan Vesely | PF | 6'11" | 240 |
I picked Derrick Williams, because it's what the Wolves did in real life... from here I can just enjoy rejigging the team in an effort to make it past the first round of the playoffs.
Other Draftees:
First Round Pick #27: Cory Joseph 6'3" 185lbs PG/SG
Second Round Pick #33: Malcolm Lee 6'5" 200lbs PG/SG (because he is another real life draftee)
Second Round Pick #40: Lucas Nogueira 7'0" 225lbs C
Despite gaining the 2nd seed and being healthy... the Wolves lost 2 - 4 in the FIRST ROUND to Portland. Oh well... it will provide the Wolves with a taste of what to strive for going into year two of the franchise.
Lebron James was named MVP. John Wall ROY. Marcus Thornton 6th Man of the Year. Eric Spoelstra Coach of the Year. Ben Wallace Defensive player of the year.
Wesley Johnson and Eric Bledsoe made the All Rookie 2nd team.
The Heat defeated the Mavs 4 - 1 in the NBA Finals. Bring on the Draft Lottery, lets see what that Nets pick gets me
| Minnesota Timberwolves Stats - Year 1 | |||||||||
| Player | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FPG |
| Michael Beasley | 41 | 1076 | 12.3 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Eric Bledsoe | 54 | 930 | 12.5 | 0.9 | 7.0 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Joey Dorsey | 50 | 336 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| Michael Finley | 7 | 134 | 12.4 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Wes Johnson | 49 | 991 | 10.1 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| Deandre Jordan | 47 | 905 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Kevin Love | 35 | 928 | 13.7 | 5.9 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.2 |
| Rashad McCants | 31 | 178 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Anthony Morrow | 58 | 811 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| Nikola Pekovic | 51 | 602 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| Anhtony Randolph | 56 | 1392 | 10.8 | 6.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| Isaiah Rider | 56 | 1473 | 22.2 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Sebastian Telfair | 54 | 458 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 5.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Brandon Wright | 58 | 386 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
Upcoming Free Agents from Wolves team
Michael Finley (37) Small Forward
Finley has proven a useful stop gap and veteran leadership for this team, however we expect he will retire at the end of the season. If he doesn't depending on how the draft goes we may look to sign him to another one year contract.
Joey Dorsey (27) Power Forward
While Dorsey has been serviceable, the glut of talented forwards on the roster and the desire for additional height will see us allow him to enter the free agent market.
Rashad McCants (26) Shooting Guard
McCants has provided some needed three point shooting off the bench, but we expect not to offer him a new contract at the end of the year.
Sebastian Telfair (25) Point Guard
Telfair's position with this team may depend on his attitude, if he does not wish to return we won't pursue him, but otherwise he may be signed to a new contract to provide leadership for Bledsoe and any young point guard we find in the draft.
Brandon Wright (23) Power Forward
Wright is an interesting prospect, but we expect to let him find a new home in the off season.
Deandre Jordan (22) Center
At this stage we are negotiating with Jordan in the hopes of having him re-sign with the team before the signing deadline, so that he won't reach the free agent market. We like the energy and defensive contribution off the bench and Jordan does appear happy in this role.
Remainder of the Roster
Nikola Pekovic (25) Contracted through 12/13
At this stage we expect Nikola to remain with us, as we hope to see continued improvement on the defensive end. Although if an appropriate trade is offered, we may consider trading Nikola.
Anthony Morrow (25) Contracted through 12/13
At this stage we are excited to have Morrow join our team, he presents as a strong possibility to take over Martell Webster's vacated 6th man role with his strong deep shooting ability.
Isaiah Rider (25) Contracted through 12/13
We expect Rider to continue to improve and categorically will NOT be traded any time soon. He is the building block of the future and works well in tandem with Beasley and Love.
Wes Johnson (23) Contracted through 11/12 (+2 Year team option)
We have been impressed with the agility and athleticism of Johnson and we expect his shooting to improve. Wes is a top young prospect for us. We consider him another candidate for 6th man behind Rider and Beasley.
Michael Beasley (22) Contracted through 11/12
We love Beasley's ability to hit clutch shots when necessary, although his injury proneness this season has been cause for concern. Relatively untouchable but may find himself traded should an excellent offer be put forward.
Kevin Love (22) Contracted through 11/12
Totally untouchable, absolute gun of a forward and we only expect him to grow as he is fed more touches. Hope he remains injury free in the future.
Eric Bledsoe (21) Contracted through 11/12 (+2 Year team option)
Bledsoe has handled himself exceptionally and at this stage we expect he will grow into being the starting point guard for this team. He has a big future ahead of him.
Anthony Randolph (21) Contracted through 11/12
Randolph is developing into a fantastic defensive center and with some work to bulk up in the off-season e expect him to only become stronger.
We expect to have a relatively high draft pick thanks to the trade with New Jersey and we may consider taking the BPA and just see what progresses from there. Targets will include Irving and Williams.
Monday, June 20, 2011
February 5th, 2011: Denver 112 @ Minnesota 115
Isaiah Rider: 33 MIN, 26 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO POG
Kevin Love: 28 MIN, 25 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 4 STL, 2 TO
Eric Bledsoe: 28 MIN, 12 PTS, 1 REB, 11AST, 2 STL, 3 TO
February 7th, 2011: Minnesota 103 @ New Orleans 94
Anthony Morrow: 27 MIN, 26 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 BLK, 1 TO POG
Michael Finley: 22 MIN, 19 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO
Eric Bledsoe: 26 MIN, 10 PTS, 13 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO
February 8th, 2011: Minnesota 117 @ Houston 101
Anthony Morrow: 24 MIN, 29 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL POG
Eric Bledsoe: 23 MIN, 10 PTS, 2 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO
Rashad McCants: 17 MIN, 21 PTS, 1 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL 8-13(FG) 5-9(3P)
February 11th, 2011: Minnesota 116 @ Indiana 123
Eric Bledsoe: 28 MIN, 18 PTS, 15 AST, 1 STL, 6 TO POG
Anthony Morrow: 26 MIN, 23 PTS, 2 TO 8-13(FG) 3-3(3P)
Anthony Randolph: 24 MIN, 10 PTS, 10 REB, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO
February 12th, 2011: Philadelphia 117 @ Minnesota 130
Anthony Morrow: 22 MIN, 23 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK 10-11(FG) POG
Isaiah Rider: 19 MIN, 24 PTS, 2 AST, 1 STL 10-12(FG) Playing Hurt
Sebastian Telfair: 24 MIN, 15 PTS, 15 AST, 3 TO
Eric Bledsoe was hurt in this game, still able to play, but cannot hit the side of a barn. Telfair and Morrow to share more of his minutes at point.
February 14th, 2011: Portland 94 @ Minnesota 106
Isaiah Rider: 30 MIN, 26 PTS, 4 AST, 2 STL, 2 TO POG
Michael Beasley: 29 MIN, 24 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL 10-12(FG)
Anthony Morrow: 20 MIN, 20 PTS, 1 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 1 TO
February 16th, 2011: Los Angeles Clippers 109 @ Minnesota 114
Isaiah Rider: 30 MIN, 35 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL POG
Anthony Randolph: 29 MIN, 15 PTS, 14 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO
Kevin Love: 32 MIN, 18 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK 2-2(3P)
This last game before the Allstar break proved to be frustrating with Michael Beasley having only just returned fully healed from injury suffering a 2 to 4 week ankle injury which will keep him out. Thankfully Bledsoe is now healed from his injury. The Timberwolves record is 42-14 as they enter the home stretch.
I'll update with stats leaders and standings sometime in the next few days. Still pretty busy atm.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
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