SAN JUAN HURRICANES [GM LUCAS]

[Talon]

That definitely makes the most since.  We'll work on keeping guys disciplined.  Where I see teams struggle with Marshall is when they go all out to sack him and then he squirts free and has room to run.  If guys stay in their lanes and gaps and don't get greedy, we'll smother him.

[GM Dazz]

That sounds sensible and listening to you there perhaps the wide 9 concept would allow too much space for him to escape. I've been doing a lot of reading on spy concepts that create traps by funnelling the QB into escaping the pocket in a particular direction and using the spy to meet him as he thinks he's escaped. Very interesting but probably not something to introduce just before a game in the middle of a season.

I think we should use a more traditional spy though. I had thought that Brock would suit the role well but I don't want to leave too much space down field. Which of our starting LBs would have the speed to shadow Marshall best?

[Talon]

 

Its a tough question because Marshall is so fast in general, like he's as fast as a guy like Smoke, Finnegan, or Crawford, but not as fast as guys like PJ and Edwards.

Our linebackers aren't gifted in the speed department, Wright is our fastest and at 31 he's slowing down from what he used to be.  After him its a drop off to Spellman and Woodard who are similar to each otehr along with George.

[Talon]

We've got about 12 hours or so until we autolock, boss.

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 6

1. Discuss your week 6 results (if you won, who deserves a game ball for their efforts?)

Another very good result and performance from the lads this week. Milwaukee have struggled playing against the run this year and we took advantage of that to great effect. 54 attempts and 306 yards on the ground is ridiculous but when it's working why stop doing it? The offensive line put on another clinic this week and created the space for our running backs to do what they do best. Hudgins and the WRs didn't get involved too much this week but it shows great focus for them to still be able to link up well and keep the chains moving when they're not building their rhythm through the game. Defensively we were excellent again against another high scoring offence. The dual threat QBs have been getting a lot of press this season but, bar one big run, the defence managed to keep Marshall contained really well. We showed this week that the best running backs are still the proper running backs and Tank gets the game ball from me for helping underline that point.

2. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.

I'm very pleased to see Charles get Defensive Player of the Week this week and proud of the effort he put in. We moved his position a couple of weeks back to try and take advantage of his fantastic tackling technique and it seems to be working out well. He has great attributes for a young CB and will develop into a special player but he also has the physical traits of a safety so he's perfect for the big nickel role we've been trying to develop here and that was a huge help against the dual threat of Marshall this week. I was thrilled to see him score a TD as well this week. Just an excellent performance all round and well deserving of his award.

I suppose you want me to talk about Hollywood Experience but I'm not touching that one. I guess you're innocent until proven guilty but I'm glad I'm not having to make any decisions about that.

Frosty Murdoch leaving Louisville was something of a shock this week. i get that the owners want to give the new GM, whoever that ends up being, a blank slate to work from but if that person doesn't immediately re-hire Murdoch they're probably making a mistake.

3. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is your biggest advantage in this contest?

We host Seattle this week in what will be a tough game, as they always are against a GM Gooch team. They had their own big win this week against Louisville so they'll be full of confidence, just as we are. They're another high scoring team, like we are, and they run the ball very well, like we do. The main difference between the teams is that they tend to allow a lot of points as well whereas we've been restricting teams to below 21 points per game so far. I think this game will come down to whether our defence can restrict them better than theirs can restrict us and that's probably where we have the advantage. That and injuries. We've managed to stay relatively healthy so far, touch wood, and they've got a few issues including missing their superstar QB. There should be plenty of points being scored this week so well worth watching this one.

---------

Coach, apologies for going awol last week. Won't happen again. Thank you for taking care of things in my absence and well bloody done on that result and performance. Excellent stuff on both sides of the ball. It really feels like this team is getting better each week. I don't really want to change anything while things are going well, particularly when it looks like the changes we did make a couple of weeks ago have already made a big difference. More of the same this week would be nice.   

[Talon]

 

Absolutely agree, we're in a good place right now. 5th ranked offense, 2nd ranked defense.  That's how you win games, divisions, and championships.

[GM Dazz]

Let's keep doing what we're doing then. Thanks Coach.
--------

Harley, could you ask Coaches Hall and Kidwell to see me please?
--------

Great win this week. Truly exceptional stuff. You've both been doing a fantastic job, along with Coach Dos Santos, so I thought you deserved some recognition for it. Keep up the great work.

[Talon]

BOTH COORDINATORS PROUDLY ACCEPT YOUR PRAISE AND THANK YOU.

[GM Dazz]

Keep up the great work. Cheers guys.
------

Harley, could I see Tank Mixon please?
------

Tank, fantastic job out there this week. It was great to see you playing at your best again. I know you're not getting the touches you'd ideally like to but it's a credit to you and a great example to the others that you're performing like that when you do get your opportunities. You and Crawford must be having a lot of fun playing behind this offensive line.

[Talon]

 

I am having the best season of my career from an averages stand point and it's been a lot of fun being on a team that is winning as well, so I'm really pleased with my role right now boss; I'd love the chance to start again one day, but right now being a part of this power house run game I'm very happy.

[GM Dazz]

I'm very glad to hear it. I'll let you get back to practice. Cheers.
-------

Harley, could I speak to Charles Finnegan please?
-------

Charles, congratulations on winning defensive player of the week. I'm sure there are plenty more of those coming your way across your career. You really seem to be thriving in your role these past few weeks. It's great to see.

[Talon]

Appreciate the love boss, I got more in my bag, I'm still looking to turn it over more and break up more passes, I'm not settling on where I'm at.

[GM Dazz]

That's a great attitude and it'll get you a long way in this league. I'm impressed that you've thought about the areas you need to improve on as well. TJ is a great example to follow in that he worked hard on the areas he needed to and made huge gains over the off-season. Keep doing what you're doing and I'm sure the accolades will continue to follow. Cheers Charles. I'll let you get back to practice.
--------

Harley, could you ask Peter Cruz to come and see me please?
--------

Peter, I just wanted a quick word with you as the Captain on the o-line. The whole unit is doing a fantastic job and I'd like you to pass on my appreciation to the rest of the lads. There's still a long way to go in the season and we'll need you all to keep digging deep every week but I wanted to give credit where it is due after some excellent performances over the past couple of weeks.

[Talon]

 

Thanks Jefe, it feels good to be playing good football!

[GM Dazz]

We're able to do that because of the effort you lads and the coaches are putting in. Long may it continue. Thanks Peter.
------

Harley, please send the following to the coaches for me:
Playing time: Mostly Starters
Tempo: Fast
Run: Pass ratio: 60 :40
Strategy changes: None

lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 7

1. Discuss your weeks results (if you won, who deserves a game ball for their efforts?)

This was an important win this week against a very good Seattle team. It puts us top of the division and it was a bit of an eye opener as well with the way they almost clawed it back in the second half. We've had some great defensive performances lately and kept some top offensive teams very quiet but if there was any complacency creeping in I'm sure that second half must have put a stop to that. What impressed me most about this performance was the resilience of the players and the ability for our playmakers to step up and move the momentum back in our favour when things started looking a bit shaky. If I have to give the game ball to one player, though I hate singling people out, it would be Finnegan for setting the standard for the team with his first play pick six.

2. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.

Charles talking about Finny Island brought a smile to my face. I love the confidence and I don't doubt his ability to deliver on his words. He's developing into a very good player already.

I'm confused by the proposed trade for Pierce. Gooch already had a great team there and all they need to help them really challenge is a few injured players back. What has surprised me most about it is that he's a very good GM and not one prone to trading at deadline for the sake of it. I'm sure he has his reasons but in his position I'd be patient and trust the lads coming back from injury to make the difference.

You can tell it's trade season because players are coming out and saying ridiculous things about coaches and teams as they look for a trade to a better team to try and win something now. For the most part I'll strike those players off my list because that's not the kind of attitude you want in your locker room. There might be one or two names that may be worth following up on though...

3. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is your biggest advantage in this contest?

I'm sure GM Wayne and Coach Blitzer won't like me saying this but, it's a team offensively similar to the Milwaukee one we had a couple of weeks ago this time with the visit of Cleveland. The big difference, of course, is the superior quality of the Cleveland defence so we're certainly not going into this one thinking it'll be easy, far from it. I'm probably one of the few GMs who doesn't have an issue with Wayne and I have a lot of respect for what he's built in Cleveland. He is the first one to follow me there who hasn't just worked off the back of what I built and, while it's not gone well all the time I think they're getting the rewards for that now. I mean, he's still using the HC I hired but you'd have to be mad to replace Blitzer in Cleveland. They're a tough team and this will require us to be at our best to get the result we want. If we do it sets us up very nicely for the second half of the year. I guess the advantage we have is that they're having to throw their rookie QB in the deep end against our defence but there isn't much tape for us to go on when preparing. It'll be interesting but I'm confident in my lads.
----------

Coach, it seems the injury bug is starting to bite not long before our bye week. The only one that particularly concerns me is TJ. If he's not fit to play do we move everyone up a step or mix things up a bit? For the nickel package I would be tempted to go Camp at CB2 and Charles in the nickel because I like what he brings from that position. What do you think?

[Talon]

 

Against a team like Cleveland where they can run the ball a lot with the QB, I think having Charles in the nickel is wise because he can help contain the run too.

[GM Dazz]

Agreed. That's what we'll do then. My next question is about Smith's injury. Looks like it's not quite a season ender but near enough. I could put him on the IR and look to bring in a replacement but we have Walker who might be able to step up and contribute. I'm tempted to give him his chance to showcase his abilities and earn a new deal during this period but only if you think there's something there and he deserves the shot. What do you think of him?

[Talon]

 

Walker's value per snap this year is off the charts, even though he hasn't played much at all, he has two sacks on only 11 plays, and his rating even without making stats is looking strong, I think he has earned a chance to prove himself.

[GM Dazz]

Definitely deserves his shot then so I won't go to the market for a replacement DE. Let's give him Smith's place in the DE rotation. Are there any other players grading well on limited snaps who perhaps deserve a bit more time on the field?

[Talon]

That was definitely the biggest standout in that type of perspective.

[GM Dazz]

Thanks Coach.

I've watched some of the college tape on the Cleveland rookie to get some idea of what we might be facing this week. He seems mobile but not Ortega or Fields mobile so I'm not overly concerned. I think his longest run was something like 23 yards and the majority were much shorter so he's not someone I'm worried is going to break out a big 70 yard run like Marshall. He seems to be a decent passer so I think focusing on stopping him running would be a mistake. I don't think we do anything different to account for him and just stress defensive discipline again this week to keep him contained. I'll let you get back to practice. Could you ask Walker to come and see me when you get down there?
---------

Alex, take a seat. I've just been talking to Coach Dos Santos about you and he's been impressed with how you've been performing in limited time on the field. I'm sure, like me, you were very disappointed to see Smith suffer a season threatening injury but we're going to need you to set that disappointment aside and prepare yourself to step into the DE starting rotation in the position he was occupying previously. I want you to look at this as an opportunity to really showcase your abilities and to stake a claim for an even bigger role on the line going forwards. If you keep putting in the effort that's impressed the coaches so far and really grasp the opportunity presented to you I think you can make a big difference for this team. I've no doubt you'll prove Coach right in his opinion about you.

[Talon]

 

Thanks boss, I'm excited to get my chance.

[GM Dazz]

Great stuff. Go show the world what you can do. Cheers.
----------

Harley, before I send down the week's lock in sheet I wanted to get something set up for the bye week next week. I don't really like giving players time off in the season because it can lead to a sluggish re-start the following few weeks but I think they've earned some rest and I want to make sure we clear some of the injuries starting to build. At the same time, though, I want to put that down time to good use in building the brand and our relationship with the community. I would like to arrange some photo op/community outreach activities for a couple of days next week. Interacting with the wildlife at a local zoo or doing some conservation work with the indigenous people or something like that. You don't happen to have a list of options at a low, medium and high price bracket do you?

[Talon]

Certainly Mista D!  I'll have that ready for you in a jiffy.

[GM Dazz]

Excellent, I knew I could count on you. As soon as that is sorted I'll get things closed out here for the week.

[Talon]

SO!   Here is what I've got mapped out!


$250K -  We can have players chaperone local elementary schools to their nearest zoo, and afterwards we donate $50K to each school's sports education program, for a total of 5 schools.


$500K - We can have the players do the same zoo event, but also do some ocean clean up operations that would include some scuba diving on the great barrier reef to help collect trash and litter from the area to better the ocean's eco system, along with another generous donation from our organization to one of the many Australian ocean conservation foundations.


$1.5MM - We have the players and young indigenous citizens go through a demilitarized version of a visual tracking course for the week. It will be rigorous, but it will help restore visual tracking in the aborigines community while helping our players form a bond with the youths and amongst themselves; plus it's a pretty freaking cool tracking school!

[GM Dazz]

They all sound like good options. Thank you for getting those together. I think we'll go with the tracking course though. Should be a great team building exercise as well as helping to broaden the team's appeal and doing some good for the community. Just pass on a message to keep Kilpatrick away from kangaroos.

Please send the following lock in information to the coaches.

Playing time: Mostly Starters
Tempo: Fast
Run: Pass ratio: 60 :40
Strategy changes: Walker replaces Smith in the DE rotation
If TJ Edwards isn't able to play:
4-3
CB1 - Johnson
CB2 - Finnegan

Nickel and Dime packages
CB1 - Johnson
CB2 - Camp
Nickel - Finnegan
Dime - Paulson

Lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 8

1. Discuss your weeks results (if you won, who deserves a game ball for their efforts?)

This was another great win against a really good team so I'm delighted with the performance and result. We got out to an early lead and controlled the game from there before putting the gloss on it in the 4th quarter. Any time you manage to score 40 points on a Blitzer defence you've got to be happy with that. Crawford will get all of the headlines, and deservedly so, but I though Hudgins had a good game and showed that he can continue to make key passes when we need him to. His yardage stats might look a little low but he throws a lot of TDs and looks after the ball really well. Defensively we were really good again with Johnson and Finnegan making big plays for us and Alex Walker coming in and really grabbing his opportunity to showcase his talents. I was really impressed with Walker and look forward to seeing more over the coming weeks. I think Crawford probably deserves the game ball but you could give it to any of the players I've named, and a few I haven't, and they'd all deserve it.

2. Discuss any news that interested you, also what are some of the stats and/or stat leaders that have surprised you at the mid-point of the season?

Crawford being top of the rushing charts doesn't surprise me but certainly caught my eye this week. Him being on track to break the record is extremely impressive as well. He has a great understanding with the o-line and a very effective partnership with Tank which is great for us as a team. We're very happy to have him here in Sydney and he seems very happy to be playing here too, as you can see from his performances.

I can't say I'm particularly surprised by much in the stats so far as the league leaders go, though i suppose a few of the familiar names are perhaps missing from the lists. Meek leading in passing yards is probably the standout to me. I've never really seen him as a big arm kind of QB up there with the Smoaks, Ibrahimovics or Daleys but I guess injuries catching up with two of those helps and then when you look at the number of passes he's throwing it starts to make sense.

Going beyond the individual leader stats, what has surprised me is that we rank just outside the bottom 10 for tackles but I believe we rank #1 for points allowed per game. I think I understand what's going on but I'll leave you lot to scratch your heads over that one.

3. (if you have a bye week, discuss what you hope to achieve this week)

It's important to go into the bye week in good form because it allows the lads to relax properly and to focus on the future instead of dwelling on what might have been the week before. We started the season 0-2 but after a 6 game winning streak we sit comfortably on top of the division heading into our week off. That will give us a lot of confidence going into the second half of the season and we'll need that with the majority of our division games coming up after the break. I almost wish we didn't have this week off when we're on such a good run because I would like to keep the form going but it's worked out quite well for us as it gives us a chance to clear some of the injuries that have been building. I normally work the lads during a bye week but I've decided to reward the good form with a team building exercise which will allow them to connect with the wider community here in Australia and help improve the lives of some of the locals. It should be a great experience for all of them.

---------

Coach, Harlan's hamstring issue has highlighted a concern that I've had for a few weeks now. The drop off in talent from our starting Gs to the backups is massive and a serious injury to one of the starters could be a big problem. It's the only area of the roster I'm not happy with the depth in. Do we have anyone in the backup Cs or Ts that could play G to a decent level or do I need to go and find a solution externally in your view?

[Talon]

Keet and Salley can both play a little guard, but not as well as I'd like them to, as far as being confident at the position..  So I think going to a team like Louisville to get another guard would be smart; but if we can't make a deal, those two /could/ fill in an emergency.

[GM Dazz]

I'll have a look. I think the price tag Louisville has placed on their guards is a bit steep but I'll see what I can do. On the subject of Salley, what do you think of him? Has he got the potential to be a good starter in this league and the work ethic to get there?

[Talon]

 

  I do, he's got a great competitive nature.

[GM Dazz]

That's great to know. We've potentially got a concern at C after this season, which is a me problem rather than a you problem, but it helps knowing we have someone like that we can potentially develop. Speaking of developing, I'm particularly interested in Powers and Lam and how they've been doing in practice in the first half of the season. Are you seeing anything from either of them that suggests they'll be pushing for a starting spot by the end of the year and are there specific traits they could use some help with in camps next pre-season to get them there?

[Talon]

 

Powers is on track to move from our 6th best linebacker to our 5th best, passing up Rosenberg, but no way he's ready to start this season unless we fall out of playoff contention.

The same with Lam, he's a solid prospect, but no where near ready to push our guys.

[GM Dazz]

As long as the rookies are developing and working hard I'm happy enough. I won't try to rush any of them through.

Normally at this part of the season I would want to discuss how things are going and look for ways to make some improvements but I'm actually very happy with the way we've been performing so far. Keep it up. I'll let you head off for a few days to recharge while the lads are on the tracking course and hopefully we'll all come back focused and ready for the second half of the season. You may see one or two changes to personnel but I don't expect to do anything drastic. Cheers Coach.
--------

Harley, could I see Coach Kidwell please?
--------

Coach, things have been going very well so far so congratulations for that. Crawford being on track to break records and Hudgins being rated in the top 10 QBs by the media are great to see. Before I let you take a short break I wanted to catch up about a couple of our offensive rookies. At the start of the season Coach Dos Santos thought Chris Edwards might surpass Verde at RT. Now we're at the half-way point of the season is that something that you're seeing from him?

[Talon]

Edwards has been making gains, especially in his IQ.  He's not as strong as Verde, but technically speaking when it comes to his technique, he's surpassed Verde at this point and could unseat him if we wanted to make a change.

[GM Dazz]

I don't want to disrupt the offensive line while they're playing so well so I'm not looking to make a change for now but with Verde in a contract year it's good to know Edwards is about ready to step up. Hopefully by the start of next season he'll be good enough to be the clear choice at RT. I may still look to trade Verde before the deadline if I decide not to offer him a new deal though so, although I'm not saying it's likely, don't be too surprised if that happens.

I know I said I wanted to talk about rookies but I think I'm happy enough with my knowledge on the others so it's WRs I'd like to discuss now. Last season Smoke's problem was drops but he's not dropped a single pass so far this season and has a very impressive ypc at the moment. I like Gorham and Perry but is Smitty earning more time on the outside?

[Talon]

 

I think he's thriving in his role right now, his hands are continuing to be an improving part of his game, but right now I'd leave him where he is and enjoy the benefits.

[GM Dazz]

Thanks Coach. I don't see any reason to change anything else so I'll let you get back to things.
-------

Harley, could you please ask Cotter to come and see me when he's available?
-------

Cotter, it's great to see you again. I hope the flight here wasn't too bad. We're very happy to have The Cotter playing here in Sydney and I'm sure the fans are going to be very excited to see you on the field. I think The Cotter will be a great fit for this system and I'm sure you'll settle quickly. I hope you're looking forward to making the best defence in the league even better.

[Talon]

FIANLLY!!! The COTTER HAS COME BACK! .....TO SYDNEY.

That's right, Th cotter has been here before!  It was the summer of '08, The Cotter and his crew, the Cotter Crew, we hit the beaches, we nailed the bitches, and we pummeled some Kangaroos!  That's right!  The Cotter HAS fought a Kangaroo; He wiped his ass with a Walaby, and he piledrove a Kola! 

The Cotter has a new name now that he is a part of this Great Down Under Defense; the Cotter is now officially the TASMANIA DEVIL! 

BOOK IT!

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 9

1. (if you had a bye-week, discuss what piece of news was most surprising to you)

What surprised me was probably the same thing that surprised most people and that was GM Gooch being traded from Seattle. I had heard the rumours about the owner not being happy, and I guess managing the relationship with the owner is a big part of the job, but Gooch has a track record of being able to spot what's going wrong and fixing it during a season. We've seen it more than once during his career and I'd have been confident he could turn it around in Seattle too. I feel for him following Jon as well. There's always the pressure to be an immediate success when you take over a Jon team but what you inherit looks a lot better than it is. He always tended to have 3 or 4 superstars on huge contracts so the team looks elite but to pay for it the team is filled with backups playing at starter positions and the balance is horrible. It was true in DC for me and true in Seattle for Gooch. It was going to take time for Gooch to build something in his image there but that pressure to be an immediate success with those superstars seemed to have been too much in the end. They're probably looking at a long way back now.

2. Discuss any news that interested you, what do you make of the recent GM moves around the league? (Cover your news first; then move on)

Trading Spellman to Miami was not an easy decision because he's a quality player we paid a lot for and we were very happy with his contributions this year. I'm sure he's going to be great in Miami and I wish him all the best. However, when the opportunity to sign a player like The Cotter comes along, someone I know well from working with him before, I wasn't going to turn it down. As good as Spellman is, Cotter brings us attributes that our LB group was missing and I think he can help elevate what was already a great defensive unit. He's very good in coverage, has great speed, will bring a high volume of tackles and has a special talent in finding and terrorising QBs. I read the comments about him being a cancer in the Miami locker room but that doesn't reconcile to my experience working with him before so I'm not going to pay that too much attention. He's loud, confident and likes to make sure everyone knows how good he is but you need characters in the group and I'm sure the lads will embrace him for what he is. What he is going to be for us is like a Tasmanian Devil ripping through o-lines and QBs.

I saw that GM Cure finally got fired in Cancun. That probably surprised me almost as much as the Gooch trade. He's apparently a nice guy but it seems he's been fired for being too nice. We all have friends we'd like to help out but your job is to look out for the best interests of your team so you can't keep making bad trades and expect to keep your job. I'm sure he'll land on his feet with another job and I hope he's learned his lesson from this experience.

GM Lucas going all in is likely to have big ripple effects across the league this week. When a team can go so far over the cap when chasing a title I can see that sparking something of an arm's race. I already had to react by bringing in The Cotter but I have a longer term plan to pay for his salary going forwards. It'll be interesting to see if the gamble pays off in Vancouver, though obviously I'm hoping it doesn't considering they're in my conference and I'd quite like to win the title myself.

3. Rate your teams activity level this week when it comes to the Trade deadline, should fans have their notifications on for a big deal, or is it likely to be quiet?

I'm expecting to be pretty quiet to be honest. I know there's some talk about me going after help on the edge but I'm very happy with the pressure the players we already have are getting and Alex Walker has shown glimpses that he could be that player for us anyway. If another Cotter style opportunity presents itself I'll have to listen carefully but I'm pretty sure this roster you see here in Sydney is the one that will end the season here.

4. How safe do you feel you are right now, is your job secure?

Very safe and yes, I think it is.

5. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is your biggest advantage in this contest?

We have a chance at a bit of revenge against Oakland this week and I know the lads are eager to set the record straight this time. I thought we were the better team last time but unlucky not to get the result. I watched their game against Las Vegas last week and my views on how we match up haven't really changed much as a result. They struggled to defend against the run, and that's a particular strength of ours. What I did find interesting was the way Daley seemed to struggle to find his rhythm. I'm expecting he'll be back to his best against us, but when you've had as many issues with concussion in a season as he's had I do wonder how he'll handle getting hit. We have a very good pass rush that brings a lot of pressure so how he reacts to having defenders in his face will have a big impact on the game. It's going to be a tough game and an important one for the division but I think we just need to play our game our way and I'm confident we can do well here. They're a great team though so I take nothing for granted.
---------

Coach, I hope you're happy having Cotter on the team. I know he can be a handful to manage but he's got attributes I thought we were missing at LB, particularly in coverage and volume of tackles. We'll slot him straight in where Spellman was and not disrupt the team too much otherwise. What I wanted to ask you was how the team building course went. Have you seen much benefit from it when the lads got back or has it just ended up being an interesting way to kill the bye week?

[Talon]

 

  Our team's cohesion has definitely improved and morale saw a nice increase as everyone appreciated the change of pace and getting to take their minds off of football for a few days.  It was a good choice overall and I think it helped fortify the club before adding a strong personality to the locker room like Cotter. 

[GM Dazz]

I'm very glad to hear it went well. I also get what you're saying about Cotter but he's reliably excellent out on the field and I never had any off-field issues when I managed him in Cleveland. If he starts to become too much of a headache let me know. Speaking of players who are causing me headaches, Nate Clark needs to start turning pressure into sacks and I expect a lot more out of him in terms of tackles and against the run. Is the rotation a problem? He's a much better player than his performances so far.

[Talon]

 

I'm starting to question Nate's potential on the edge, I think he's better suited to play inside as a DT possibly.  He's strong but he's looked a step slow; and last week Walker played so much better that we gave him more snaps because of it.

[GM Dazz]

That could probably work considering his size. His performances last year suggested he can play better so what I'll do is swap him and Walker and let him have some snaps to show that he can be a DE for us going forwards. If he doesn't convince us we can look at moving him inside in the off-season and see if he can thrive at DT instead. Some interior pressure would be good to have if he can transition.

There are a couple of players I may look to trade if they won't sign new deals at a price I like and I have an eye on a couple of roster moves we might make but we won't be trading away any of our starters or key players so you can prepare for this next game as normal. It's a big one so I'll not take up any more of your time. Cheers Coach.
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Harley, I wasn't going to do it to you but with things as tight as they are I really can't hold back.

I have us at $0.195m in salary and $0.5m in bonus remaining. Is that what you have?

[Talon]

 

Exactly What I have Mista D!  YAY!

[GM Dazz]

So I can still count and do basic maths. Excellent. Could you get Eli Harris for me please?
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Mr Harris, it's GM Dazz. I'd like to talk to you about your client Alex Walker (DE). He's not had much playing time this season so far but I like what we've seen enough to want to extend his deal beyond this year. Would he play here for another 3 years at $6m per year, starting next season of course?

[Talon]

 

You've got a deal.

[GM Dazz]

Fantastic. I'm sure we'll speak again soon.
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Harley, could you please ask Coach dos Santos to come back and see me?
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Sorry for calling you back. I won't take up too much of your time. I just had a change of mind on how to deal with the DE rotation and thought I should do you the courtesy of discussing it before sending down the lock in sheet. I acquired Jeffery Lilley for you. He's been performing well as the only member of the milwaukee d-line so I figured he'd thrive here and add some teeth to our group. My plan is to put him into the rotation where Clark currently is, keep Walker getting the game time he's currently getting and then adding Clark into the DT depth chart and maybe giving him some time in the Dime formation to add a bit of a power rush up the middle on passing downs. How does that sound to you?

[Talon]

  I love it!