MIAMI KILLER WHALES [GM JUSTIN]

[GM Gates]

Thanks Bobby. Always a pleasure.

—————

Selina, we're almost there. Can you get Meadow Campanelli back on the line?

—————

Thanks for taking my call again. I wanted to reconvene about SS Edward Sparks. I'd like to offer him a revised contract offer.

3 year deal worth $2 million in S17 with a $1 million signing bonus, and then $3 million salary in S18 and S19 

[Talon]

Now that's more like it!  Consider it done and Forget about it!

[GM Gates]

Fantastic. Glad we could keep him around.

What about CB Mikel Moore? I'd like to offer a 2 year deal worth $1.5 million a season.

[Talon]

 

He's seeking a starting job and starting pay, so we're miles apart.

[GM Gates]

That's fair. I hope he finds it.

One more I want to discuss is FS Jannet Fields. I'd like to bring her in predominantly to return kicks and punts, but I'd also like to try converting her to wide receiver and have her play out of there as opposed to safety.

If this is something we can agree on, I'd like to offer her a 3 year deal worth $1.25 million in S17 and then $2 million in S18 and S19.

In addition, an incentive where if she returns one or more kicks or punts for a touchdown, she will gain an additional $500K which we will pay out in the off season.

[Talon]

DEAL

[GM Gates]

Selina, Wander Worldwide please.

—————

Wander, how's it going? I wanted to talk to you about the possibility of your client, CB Shehu Akin coming to Miami. I'd be offering a 1 year deal worth $2 million for him to do so.

[Talon]

 

Dale!

[GM Gates]

Many thanks, Wander. Take care.

—————

Selina, I believe that gives us a full roster. I'm going to work on the final details here. Thanks for all your help during this offseason.

[GM Gates]

1. "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up)" by Fall Out Boy
(https://youtu.be/LkIWmsP3c_s?si=-fn8d8YnGNgVxqkf)
This will play prior to the start of the second half. Also, the chorus will play after big defensive stands.

2. "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
(https://youtu.be/2zNSgSzhBfM?si=LtcydlYVV9_p4LYg)
This song will play prior to kickoff as the players come out onto the field.

Lock In

[Talon]

 

Hola GM Gates!  Time to make a Splash!

[GM Gates]

1. Welcome back, what was the most challenging part of the off-season, and where do you think you did the best as GM of this club?

The most challenging part of the off season, of any off season, is keeping that competitive window open. Making the moves that need to be made so that we can still compete for the Impact Bowl. Retirements and expiring contracts sometimes put a wrench into the plan, so having to get back to where we were team wise can be a challenge. But that's what we get paid to do, and I feel like I've been able to do a good job with that this year. We had some retirements and some guys leave who we couldn't bring back within our budget, but we managed to bring in players who have helped us behold ourselves back up to the top. My best move this off season, was probably bringing Aaron Kitchen in as our starting quarterback. The retirement of The General left us with a hole, and we were able to bring in one of the top QBs in the league. He was able to do great things during his time in St Paul, and now he will have more weapons at his disposal. I can't wait to see how well this offence performs this season.

2. After a long off-season, the regular season is within reach.  What is your view of pre-season?  Valuable or Pointless?

The pre-season can be valuable if you're in a spot where you want to get some in game looks at certain players to see who should start. The win/loss result is pretty pointless in preseason, but it does allow for some further looks at certain players.

3. Will you completely sit any of your players for the pre-season, or is it all hands on deck in the traditional pre-season limited capacity?'

The coaching staff and I will discuss the steps we take in that regard.

4. Having just met with your boss, the team's owner; what do you think about their expectations for you this season?

Their expectations are right in line with my own. When I came to Miami, it was to win and that hasn't changed with Mr. Biggs as the owner. If anything it's heightened it because he is as passionate about winning and bringing another title to Miami as I am. He made his goals clear at the end of last season and to start this year, and I agree with them. He and I are on the same page.

5. The fans are clamoring, what should they expect this season from a record stand point?  Are you thinking this is a rebuilding season?  Is this a season where you will be middle of the pack and near .500?  Is this a club that should win 10+ games?  Is this team a lock to win the division, or is this team simply a real-deal Impact Bowl Contender and everything else is trivial?

We should find ourselves at the top of the division and battling it out for the Impact Bowl. Plain and simple. This team is built for that and we are positioned for another great season and a deep run. The fans should expect another season of thrilling games and, if things go our way, an Impact Bowl trophy at the end of it.

6. What's the biggest position competition you're looking forward to with your team's pre-season games?

We have a few areas where we've got some competitions going on, but the one that's caught my eye is at strong safety between Jaime Marquez and Edward Sparks. Edward really worked hard during camp and opened some eyes. So it will be nice to see if he can translate that to in game action. Either way, I can see scenarios where both Jaime and Edward get time on the field during the season, it just might come down to who gets more of it.   

7. Look across the league, which team from the opposite conference do you think will be competing for the Impact Bowl when it's all said and done?

There are a lot of tough teams out west, but I'll go with Winnipeg. They have been a staple deep in the playoffs and have a team that could go back to the Impact Bowl.

8. Make a bold prediction about this season:

Aaron Kitchen will win the league MVP.

[Talon]

Expectations are high, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

[GM Gates]

Couldn't agree more Coach. If anything, I do better when the expectations are high.

Outside of the Daniel Darby issue, the team looks focused on the season, and I'm excited for what they can do out there. Seems like every season we have a more complete team than the season before.

I wanted to follow up on something Coach Spud said in the training camp report. He wants to give Kidwell more opportunities...how would it go over if we made him the primary receiver? We leave him at WR2 so he can take advantage of, ideally, lesser protection than Little, but we make him the first option.

[Talon]

 

I think we have a respected enough coaching staff and front office that those types of decisions aren't going to rock any boats.  We've established that we know what we are doing.

[GM Gates]

Excellent, glad to hear it.

Now before I speak with Darby, I wanted to get your thoughts on pre-season. Do you want to just let everyone play and sub in as you see or are there some guys who you think we could rest during pre season to keep them healthy for the season?

[Talon]

 

I don't mind playing everyone a little bit.  Anything to try to get everyone clicking right into week 1 instead of worrying about a slow start.

[GM Gates]

Excellent. I agree that everyone playing will help us start on the right foot. Then we won't sit anyone and have our back ups come in as you see fit.

For now I will let you head out and get things ready. I will send along the depth chart as soon as I can.

—————

Selina, can you please ask Daniel Darby to come to my office please?

—————

Daniel, take a seat please. I heard what you had to say to the media and while I can't say I was pleased by that, I'd like to talk about it face to face to make sure there was no misunderstanding or anything.

[Talon]

 

I just don't think women have a place on the HIFL field,  They are going to get hurt bad and bro, I'm built like a freaking TANK. 250 lbs, 6'3"  and I can run the ball... Why would you want a 5-foot nothing 150 pound string bean running it when you can give it to Double D?

[GM Gates]

So you're saying that Maria Crews, who has rushed for more yards and touchdowns and received more yards and touchdowns than you in the past four season, has no place on an HIFL field?

Interesting.

When I signed you, I had hoped that you could provide us with some depth that could continue to run the ball when your number was called. To help us achieve the goal of winning the Impact Bowl as a team. And I especially figured that after the season you had last season, you would want a chance to rebuild some of your value in a situation where you could succeed.

But I was never planning to name you the starting running back. RB2, yeah sure, but you wouldn't have been starting ahead of Maria. Maybe there was some misunderstanding in our meeting during free agency where you thought that was a possibility.

So if it comes down to you not wanting to play behind or with Maria, who has shown her durability and worth, who has won an Impact Bowl, then I will do my best to find you a new home.

[Talon]

 

Whoa Whoa, All the hostilities man. 26DD hasn't requested a trade, I'm just making my case for the starting job.  Maria has done her thing, I give you that, but  Britni Fierce keeps coming for me in practice and I'm not losing my role to her, she's my real problem.

[GM Gates]

That is true, you did not come in here to request a trade. You came in here saying that women had no place on the football field, after telling the media that playing behind Crews was a joke and that you should be the starter.

I get it, you have confidence in yourself to be great. Awesome. Prove it every time you get the chance to run the football. But we are also a team, and if you can't work with the team, then we have a problem. And while you didn't ask for a trade, I go back to what I said. If being on the depth chart behind Crews and playing on the same football team as women is going to be a problem for you, I will find you a better situation for yourself. I don't need this distraction hanging over the team.

The choice is yours.

[Talon]

 

Well shit, I guess I'll pack my bags just in case.

[GM Gates]

Honestly, I hope it doesn't come to that. I don't want to trade you, I want this to work and to have you be a part of this team. So if you can make it work, and if you're fine with the way things are, and fighting to keep your spot ahead of others, then I don't see our issue getting worse. Like I said, you should get your opportunities, so you're not going to rot on the bench. And if at any point you feel like the situation is not working for you, just let me know. But let me know, not Joe Schmoe in the media.

Sound good to you?

[Talon]

 

We don't get any media coaching, so when people ask me a question I feel like i should answer, but if you're telling me not to, I'll try to avoid it. Yeah.

[GM Gates]

Alright I will let you get back to practicing, Daniel.

——————

Selina, I'm in the process of working on the depth chart and should have it finalized shortly.

[Talon]

Yeet

[GM Gates]

Alright Selina, this should be it. Could you please send this along to the coaches?

—————

DEPTH CHART:

QB1: Aaron Kitchen
QB2: Michael Givens
QB3: Benjamin Coon

RB1: Maria Crews
RB2: Daniel Darby
RB3: Britni Fierce
RB4: Anthony Soto

FB: John Peyton

TE1: Elliott Williams
TE2: Brent Hardy

WR1: Jayson Little
WR1b/WR4: James Van Driver

WR2: Clyde Kidwell
WR2b/WR5: Jannet Fields

WR3: Hunter McDonald
WR3b: Cedric Hill

LT1: Gary Fenton
LT2: David Brill
LT3: Earl Hathaway
LT4: Michael Seals

LG1: William Bender
LG2: Thomas Moya

C1: Fernando Marler
C2: Hipolito Donaldson

RG1: Thomas Moya
RG2: Trevor Rohr

RT1: David Brill
RT2: Earl Hathaway
RT3: Michael Seals

DT1: Noah York
DT2: Michael Ocasio
DT3: James Kaplan
DT4: Jamie Brown

LDE1: David Freese
LDE2: Pat Bryant

RDE1: Lawrence Lash
RDE2: Glenn Everson

ROLB1: Samuel Chow
ROLB2: Jose Garrido

MLB1: Bryce Brito
MLB2: Jon Luis
MLB2: Christopher Nichols

LOLB1: Herbert Peters
LOLB2: Jose Garrido
LOLB3: Jon Luis

CB1: Rodney Greenwood
CB1b/CB5: Daniel Coleman
CB7: Shehu Akin

CB2: Daniel Coleman
CB2b/CB6: William Gray
CB8: Greg Juarez

CB3: Willian Gray
CB3b: Greg Juarez
CB9: Clarence Fenner

CB4: Shehu Akin
CB4b: Leonard Hollis

FS1: Francisco Berlin
FS2: Tyson Head
FS3: Kevin Hughes

SS1: Jaime Marquez
SS2: Edward Sparks

K: Brent Skipper

P: Eugene Buckingham

KR1: James Van Driver
KR2: Jannet Fields
KR3: Leonard Hollis
KR4: Britni Fierce

PR1: James Van Driver
PR2: Jannet Fields
PR3: Leonard Hollis

Lock In

[GM Gates]

1. What did you take away from this slate of pre-season games?

What I took away is that we have a deep team with a lot of players who are capable of pitching in. We were getting worthy performances from the third or fourth guys on the depth chart in some cases, and seeing that is always good. You never know when an injury could come and take a player out, so to know you've got capable players filling in behind them is great.

2. Which player stood out the most to you from your team?

Linebacker Jose Garrido really stood out to me. He was with us last year for a few weeks so we knew what he could do, and he showed it in game action this pre-season. Jannet Fields also stood out. We converted her to a wide receiver before camp, so to see her take to the position so quickly was great to see. She has speed so her presence on the field would give us another speedy receiver. That's not to say they were the only ones.

3. Did anyone surprise you and earn a starting job?

We didn't really have too many position battles going into pre season but there might have been one or two situations that seemed to clear up. Someone like the aforementioned Garrido definitely showed he was capable of starting.  But whether they win a job or not, it's like I said before, knowing you have that kind of depth of having starter quality guys waiting in line, that's a good thing.

4. Does the pre-season change your feeling about your teams potential this season?

It doesn't change my feelings on what this team is capable of. Pre-season is what it is - a time to evaluate and get back into the swing after the off season. It didn't change my feelings or expectations.

5. Talk about your opponent for week 1, and what it will take to win.

We travel to Sydney to take on the Stingrays. They had a fair bit of turnover, but still have a lot of quality player makers on that team. It's going to take a complete team effort to start the season off with a win, and I know we are more than capable of that. We just have to play a complete game of football, and we should be on the right foot to start the season.

[Talon]

 

Well, a lot of people flashed.  Seeing Fields and Fierce have moments and also seeing that big game from Darby, all good things.

[GM Gates]

For sure coach. There were a lot of good things to see. I also liked seeing Everson and Head have some nice performances as well.

I did have a few questions...nothing crazy but just things I saw that I was wondering about.

First up would be our return game. I noticed Crews was doing a fair bit of returning instead of the people I put in the depth chart. Was that just something someone overlooked or was there a reason for it? With the speed Fields and Van Driver have, and to a lesser extent Hollis, I don't think we need to be deploying Crews in the return game.

[Talon]

 

She likes doing it, and was listed as our 6th KR option (3rd string KR2)  with the pre-season rotation she got a lot of reps, wont be a factor in the regular season.

[GM Gates]

Makes sense.

I'm assuming that's the same reason for my next question. Anthony Soto didn't rush the ball but a lot of our depth receivers did. I assume now that it was just pre season rotation and nothing more?

[Talon]

 

We run a lot of jet sweeps, when the rotation of receivers is that high its going to make for some funny numbers.

[GM Gates]

That's good to know. That was the other possibility that we are incorporating more jet sweeps into our offence because I don't really remember many last year.

[Talon]

We did add some along with some empty back sets to get the defense spread out.  We can also remove them if we have to.

[GM Gates]

I have no issue with them being in there. Just caught me off guard is all.

Last question for you. Going into camp I set our running backs as Maria being the lead back. There were some mentions of easing off her work load a bit. Do you think a committee approach works better for us this season on that regard? Both Darby and Fierce seem capable of running the ball so it's not like we hav to rely on Maria to do it all, I just wanted to get your thoughts on it.

[Talon]

 

I am still suspect of what our depth can do against fully schemed defenses, we can look at a committee approach early and re-evaluate if we dont get off to hte start we want, but I think the best thing for the team this season is for Maria to be our primary ball carrier.   

Long term, the best might be to lower her work load, but she's head and shoulders above the rest of the RB room.

[GM Gates]

That's good to know, coach.

Other than placing newly acquired back up QB Hoak at QB3 for right now, I'm going to leave things as they were exiting camp. Which means leaving Maria as the lead back, and as the season goes on, we can work at reducing her work load and getting others involved. Start out with a bang and let her do her thing early.

[Talon]

 

Sounds good, boss.  We're good to go.

[GM Gates]

Then let's go out and get our first win of the season.

——————

Strategy/Depth Chart Changes:

QB Danny Hoak to QB3

SS Kevin White to SS3

Lock In

[GM Gates]

1. Talk us through opening week, what went as expected?  Where did you exceed expectations, and where did you fall short?

That might have been one of the worst games I've witnessed since coming to Miami. And it's not even about the loss. We've had our clunkers here and there but at times it seemed as if the team was just meeting for the first time. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but it didn't look like a team that had a training camp and some pre season games. And like I said, it's not about the loss. Sydney has a good team over there, we just didn't look like the Miami Killer Whales I know we can be.

I don't think I can say anything really went as expected. I expected a close game that came down to the last few minutes, and instead got a game that was effectively over by the last few minutes of the first half. I will tip my hat to Kitchen and McDonald for connecting on that touchdown. Was nice to see Hunter score a touchdown in Australia.

We fell short in a lot of areas, and those will be areas we will be working on. I know this team isn't as bad as that game made us out to be. Even our play calling was a bit of a head scratcher at times, but that is something we can work on.

2. Which player stood out the most to you from your opponents team?

Novak. Whenever he caught the ball it seemed like he was open for days and went untouched for big gains.

3. [IF YOUR TEAM HAS NEWS, TAILOR THIS QUESTION TO ASK ABOUT YOUR NEWS -- IF NO NEWS, TALK ABOUT A NEWS STORY THAT INTERESTS YOU]

The Alabama-Cancun story caught my attention since they are in our division. Cancun are playing with house money this season so they want to have fun while doing it.

4. Do you feel like you put your team in the best position for success coming into this week 1 game?

I thought I had, but I wonder if there was more I could have done to prepare them better. I mean, they had three preseason games and you'd hope they'd hit the ground running week one.

5. Talk about your opponent for week 2 and what you will need to see from your team.

We take on Myrtle Beach. This isn't the same team we throttled two seasons ago, this is a team very much on the climb. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball and are going to be a threat in their division. For us to win this game we need to protect the ball and play better as a whole. Offense, defense, playcalling, everything. This is the game we need to rebound and in a strong way.

[Talon]

Dreadful start.  Chemistry has to be built and trust earned, Kitchen and the receivers will sync, I don't think there's reason to panic, but yeah.. I wasn't expecting to lay an egg.

[GM Gates]

I don't know if I'm panicked, but we are better then what we showed game 1. I did want to ask you though, how would you feel about putting the ball in Kitchens hands more?

We're set up to focus on the run, and have been since we got here, but I was wondering by what if we shifted that to a more balanced focus or focusing on the pass? With Kitchen being as dynamic as we know he is, I would love for him to get the opportunity more to show what he can do.

[Talon]

 

We absolutely have the tools to go that route, and I'm comfortable with it.

[GM Gates]

Fantastic. I will tweak some of the ratios as well to match the switch.

Moving on, Novak seemed to have a field day last week. Could that be attributed to Coleman going down? Or is he just that elusive we couldn't hold him down? Obviously it's going to be next man up for our corners, with Gray and Akin moving up.

[Talon]

 

Novak go the better of everyone a few times, he moved around the field, the guy looks pretty talented, hard to cover for long periods of time.

[GM Gates]

That is true he is pretty talented. I wonder if it would have been easier to swallow if we were doing something on offence ourselves to counter it. But that's in the past.

Looking ahead to Myrtle Beach, with our changes to focus on the pass on offence, do you think a change in attitude is needed or would you rather we stick with the conservative way we are working with now?

[Talon]

 

I am less excited about that, but we've been a team for a while now, so if you want us to make a shift, I can adjust.

[GM Gates]

I won't change the attitude just yet, let's start with the focus change and go from there.

I think that's all for this week coach. I'm ready to start our home schedule out with a bang.

—————

Strategy/Depth Chart Changes:
Offensive Focus: Pass
Passing Target Area: Outside
Primary Receiver: Clyde Kidwell

CB1 - Rodney Greenwood
CB2 - Willian Gray
CB3 - Shehu Akin
CB4 - Greg Juarez
CB5 - Leonard Hollis

Pass Percents:
1ST AND 10 - 75%
1ST AND SHORT - 40%
1ST AND MEDIUM - 60%
1ST AND LONG - 80%
2ND AND SHORT - 40%
2ND AND MEDIUM - 60%
2ND AND LONG - 75%
3RD AND SHORT - 45%
3RD AND MEDIUM - 75%
3RD AND LONG - 80%
4TH AND SHORT - 55%
4TH AND MEDIUM - 65%
4TH AND LONG - 100%
GOAL LINE - 50%
END OF GAME/HALF (WINNING) - 35%
END OF GAME/HALF (LOSING) - 95%

Lock In