VANCOUVER WOLFPACK [GM DAZZ]

[GM Dazz]

Alright, not ideal but I can work with it. You have a deal. Cheers.

While I have you, I'm in need of a couple of DTs. I'd quite like to reunite with Ryan Peacock. Would he do 2 years at $2MM?

[Talon]

   

Make it $3MM and we'll do the 2 years, if you want $2MM then its just for this year.

[GM Dazz]

We'll take the 1 year deal. Thanks.
--------

Could you get Mike Maker for me please Anna?
--------

You were probably expecting this call, Mike. I'd like to sign King Carmazzi. If you can get him a starting job in the PFL i think that could be great for his career. If that isn't an option he's always got a space on one of my teams. I can offer $1MM per year for however many years he'd like.

[Talon]

DEAL

[GM Dazz]

Cheers.
------

Anna, could you get the Campanellis for me please?
------

I'd like to bring your client, Raymond Gough, to Vancouver to punt for us. I'm offering 3 years at $1.5MM per year.

[Talon]

 

   

Forget about it, you've got a deal, Mr. Dazz

[GM Dazz]

A pleasure doing business with you.
------

Anna, could I speak to Scott Forest again please?
-----

Mr Forest, I'm looking for a young DE to back up our starters and I saw Jurrell Johnson is still available. I've worked with him before and I'd like to take a closer look at how he's developed in the seasons since. Would he join us in Vancouver for 2 years at $2MM per season?

[Talon]

   

Deal.

[GM Dazz]

Brilliant, cheers for that.
-------

Anna, could I speak to Eli Harris please?
-------

Mr Harris, I'm looking to sign a TE and I see Wayne Burden is still available. Would he sign for 2 years for $1.5MM per season?

[Talon]

 

   

We'd do two years at $3MM per season.

[GM Dazz]

I thought that might be your counter. As long as I can split that $2.5MM salary and $0.5MM bonus that works for me.

[Talon]

 

   

Deal.

[GM Dazz]

Cheers, I appreciate it.
-------

Anna, could you get Steve Rosenhaus for me please?
-------

Mr Rosenhaus, I'm in need of a DT or two and I'm interested in your client William Coleman. I don't really have a nailed on starter at the position so I'd like to give William the opportunity to compete this season for a potential long-term starting spot. The contract I'm offering now is a 1 year deal at $1MM but there's the potential to earn a bigger contract if he wins the starting job.

[Talon]

 

   

Deal.

[GM Dazz]

That's filed with the League Office. Thank you.
--------

Anna, could I speak to the Campanellis please?
--------

I'm looking to add some depth at WR. Would your client Steven Matos come to Vancouver for a year at $1MM?

[Talon]

 

   

Forget about it, you have a deal.

[GM Dazz]

A pleasure doing business with you again.
--------

Anna, could you put me in touch with Amber Molina please?
--------

Ms Molina, my notes show your client James Gonzales is sill available. I need a reliable CB to compete for the nickel position so I would like to bring James to Vancouver. Would 2 years at $2MM be sufficient?

[Talon]

 

   

We can do that!

[GM Dazz]

Excellent. Always great doing business with you. I'm looking forward to working with James again.

While I have you, would your client Raymond Tibbs come play C for us for a year at $1MM? He looked good in college so it was a shame he didn't get much of a chance to prove himself last season. I'd like to get a closer look and see if he can develop into a starter.

[Talon]

 

   

Absolutely.

[GM Dazz]

Great, thank you.
--------

Anna, I hope you take a good break when we get to camp. You will definitely have earned it. Before that though, can you get Steve Rosenhaus for me again please?
--------

Mr Rosenhaus, I'm interested in bringing in two more of your players. The first is Roger Hardwick. He did a good job covering at G for me for a couple of years in Sydney and I'd like to have him do the same here in Vancouver. I can offer $1MM for 1 year.

The other player is your WR client Clifford Hanson and I'd be offering the same 1 year, $1MM deal.

[Talon]

 

   

We'll take both of those deals.

[GM Dazz]

Perfect, thank you.
------

Nearly there I think. Anna, could I speak to Eli Harris please?
------

Mr Harris, I'd like to bring your client Reynaldo Baumgartner to Vancouver. I can initially offer a 1 year deal at $1MM but there's definitely competition at LB this season for a long term starting spot so if he impresses there's a potential long term deal at the end of the year for him.

[Talon]

 

   

We'll take that and prove he's worth more in the future.

[GM Dazz]

I'm sure he will and genuinely hope that he does. Thank you.
-------

Anna, can I speak to the Campanellis again please?
-------

I would like to bring Joseph Blocker to Vancouver to play CB for us for a year. Would $1MM suffice?

[Talon]

 

   

It's not what he was looking for, but he'll take it for this year.

[GM Dazz]

I understand and I appreciate that. Thank you.
-------

Anna, I think we're down to 2 final players to sign if my spreadsheets are right. Could I speak to Eli Harris and then James T. Crain please?
-------

Mr Harris, I'm looking to add some depth to my DT group. I can offer your client John Taylor a 1 year deal at $1MM.
-------

Mr Crain, would your TE client Robert Coffman come to Vancouver for a year at $1MM?

[Talon]

BOTH ACCEPT

[GM Dazz]

MUSICAL LICENSES

1. (Wolf Totem) (The Hu) (https://youtu.be/sv29DzgiXZA?si=61zDgl9yPy8TXayA)
To be used at the start of the game as the players come out of the tunnel. The chanting section to be used before every opposition 3rd down.


2. (Hungry Like the Wolf) (Duran Duran) (https://youtu.be/oJL-lCzEXgI?si=-IuiBgMnUhJX7HZC)
At the end of the game and the chorus to be played before each kick-off during the game.

[Talon]

Oh man!  It's time! It's Time! It's Time!!! WOLFPACKINDAHOUSE!!!!

[GM Dazz]

S17 - TRAINING CAMP PRESS CONFERENCE

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?

Thank you. I think we had a very good off-season overall and I'm happy with the team and coaching staff we've put together here in Vancouver. The most challenging part was coming into a team set up by a GM who plays a very different style to how I like to play and trying to re-balance the squad to suit that change. It's going to take more than one season to achieve that but I think we've taken a very good first step already. What I did best is hard to judge at the moment considering I'm so new into the role but the coaches seem pretty impressed with how quickly Aldrich has looked like a HIFL Guard during camp so I'll go with making the right 1st round pick... though picking our new franchise QB we're going to be able to rely on for years to come... rebuilding a LB corps that looks to be developing into an impressive unit already... identifying players on the cusp of breaking out for a big season (and I think we have a few)... these are probably close behind.

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

Very valuable this year. We've had a lot of turnover this off-season and while a lot of the new additions are lads I know well there are plenty I don't and we need to see how they're going to gel together. We have a very tough opening to the season so we need to be up to speed quickly so these games are going to be vital to building some chemistry.

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?'

No, nobody will be sitting in pre-season. Obviously we'll be managing the time everyone plays carefully but we need to build some understanding between the players and there are plenty competing for starting jobs so it's important we get a look at everyone for at least a few snaps.

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

I wouldn't want to work for an owner who isn't aiming for their team to be the best it can be. I always set high expectations for myself and my players so I'd not want any less from the owner. A word of caution though, we have some elite players on this team but I don't think we've quite got the balance right at the moment. 

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're aiming to win the division and I think that's very achievable. The finances aren't quite as balanced as I would like them but that just meant we had to get creative in the off-season and I think we found some players with exceptional potential who haven't quite had that breakout season yet. I think I probably agree with the pundits to a point. If 3 or 4 of those lads step up to that next level then we can easily be a 10+ win team and a division crown is well within our reach but if we don't see that development then I still expect us to be competitive but we might find things a bit tougher. I expect .500 to be our floor but our ceiling is pretty exciting to think about. This is a transition season in the truest sense but I do those differently to most so the fans should still be looking forward to a good season.

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

There are position battles right across the team so it's hard to pick one out. I just want to get to know the team better and to work out who I can rely on and who needs a bit more development at this stage so I'll be watching everyone very carefully.

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?

When you look at how the two conferences have performed against each other for the past few seasons I don't think there's much to get excited about in the East. London is probably the team I most expect to see make it and I hope they do considering I come from that side of the Pond.

8. Make a bold prediction about this season:

The peace with the PFL won't last but I'll be sure to make the most of the fallout when it comes.

[Talon]

 

Alright, time to really get to work.  We put in the time during training camp now we see how it shakes out.

[GM Dazz]

It looks like the hard work really paid off for a few of the players. Great job on developing lads and putting this coaching team together. There are plenty of players on the fringes that I think could push for starting spots which is always good for pushing everyone to give their all. Some really exciting young players as well. I don't really agree with the analysts about having a weakness at T but I get it based on the star ratings. This is why I place more faith in the stats. Zook has been top 30 for pancakes and hasn't allowed more than 5 sacks in both of the past 2 years and Edwards was a key piece of a very good o-line unit last season so I think we'll surprise a lot of people. I do agree with the assessment at DE though but it's exciting to hear just how promising JJ is as an athlete and I can't wait to see him in pre-season. Is it worth getting Juaqin or Jaquizz to mentor him to help develop his football IQ and/or technique? Maybe some position training for him as well?

[Talon]

 

Jaoquin would be a good mentor.  Shack not so much.   I'll speak to him about taking him under his wing a bit; the biggest need for future off-seasons with JJ would be conditioning, he is going to need to focus on preparing to stay on the field as he gets more playing time.

[GM Dazz]

That's really helpful, thank you.

The coach reports were very detailed so I don't think there's much to talk about before preseason other than Ross Baker. I'm not going to risk a rift in the QB room becoming a rift in the wider locker room. There are plenty of players and coaches on this team that have played for me before so how long before his moaning inspires someone else to cry favourites when Peacock or Gonzales or Pope or any of the others is starting ahead of them? I want to nip this in the bud immediately so he's going to be cut. I just wanted to make sure I let you know before I do it in case you had any strong objection.

[Talon]

 

Sends the message loud and clear in my mind.  Thanks for the heads up though, I appreciate that line of communication.

[GM Dazz]

Hopefully you'll find I approach things very differently from how GM Lucas did. Due to how the cap rules work we'll sit Baker through pre-season and then officially cut him come week 1 but consider him gone already. I'll be working on identifying a replacement in the meantime.

Focusing back on pre-season, I'd like to get a very good look at the backups at RB, WR and LB in particular.  When I set out the depth chart do I set it as if it were week 1 and leave the usage adjustments to you or do I need to highlight players I want to see get extra gametime? The way I currently assume it works is that players at the bottom will play more in pre-season but if I put someone like Villanueva there because I want to see more of him it'd piss him off.

[Talon]

 

It won't make anyone mad.  This is our first pre-season, so its hard to know exactly the right method, but the starters will play less than anyone else, so like at RB, I would expect RB2 or RB3 to get the most reps.

[GM Dazz]

Thanks for the input. I will keep that in mind when I put the depth chart together. I'll let you get down to practice. Cheers Coach.
------

Anna, could I speak to Coach Joseph please?
------

Great report on the defence. I'm already working on the QB pressure issue but I was excited to hear Anthony Stephens talking about JJ in such glowing terms. I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops. What I wanted to talk about though is LBs. We have a really good group here and it's looking like Laney, Pope and Nakamura as the starters. What I wanted to know is whether any of them are better suited to playing in the middle or a particular side based on what you saw in camp.

[Talon]

I like the line up of going with Pope in the middle, Nak at the LOLB, and Laney on the Right side.

[GM Dazz]

We'll do that then. Thank you.
-------

Anna, could I speak to Bobby Shapiro please?
-------

Mr Shapiro, I'm looking to sign a backup QB who isn't going to complain about favouritism before a single snap has been played. Would Eugene Dewitt be interested in a 1 year deal at $1million?

[Talon]

BOBBY INDICATES THAT DeWITT WOULD GLADLY SIGN WITHOUT COMPLAINING ONE BIT

[Talon]

 

Planning on just setting the best line ups and getting to it, need to know if you have any specifics ASAP

[GM Dazz]

I can't seem to get into the system reliably to confirm depth charts. Hackers who don't like our trade for Obaje I bet. I'm about ready to launch this laptop out of the window so please set the depth chart as you see fit and I'll set an updated one for week 1 once we've seen the lads in preseason.

lock in

[GM Dazz]

S17 - PRESEASON GAMES PRESS CONFERENCE

[if you have team specific news, address it as well.]

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

We had a really good pre-season and while results aren't the most important part it was still good to see us win all of our games. It helps build confidence in each other and the team and lets the lads know we're moving in the right direction. We have a lot of strength in depth, which you need as the season goes on and injuries take their toll. We scored a lot of points, moved the ball really well on the ground and were very difficult to score on. All great signs for a season ahead, even if the majority of that was without the starters on the field. It was particularly useful for me, being new to the team, to learn about our players and learn which ones I can rely on to step up if needed. The injuries to some key players were disappointing but none of them are too serious so we've come out better than some.

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

Larry Villanueva really stood out as having a fantastic preseason. He and Papadimitriou seemed to have a great partnership that our opponents found very hard to deal with. I knew Villanueva was a good player when I came to the team but it was great to see him making the most of his opportunity to shine. We have 3 really talented players at RB which will help us keep them all fresh and is going to be a nightmare for everyone else. I'm excited after what I saw.

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

Moody and Jordan have both made good cases for being the guy who covers for Laney in week 1 if Carl isn't cleared to play but when it comes to permanent starting job I think Jeffrey Vance has given himself a very good chance of being that guy. He didn't get loads of tackles but he was able to have an impact through hurries and KDs and I was generally impressed with how he played. DT is one of those position battles where it was all to play for and he certainly didn't hurt his chances.

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

I think bringing in Obaje to add extra threat from DE changed my feeling about the team's potential for this season but our performances in these games has only increased my expectations further. A lot has been made of our difficult early run of fixtures but I don't think many of those teams will be looking forward to playing us. Hopefully the fans are feeling more confident after those displays as well. We should be quite exciting to watch at least.

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

Starting the season on the road to DC is going to be tough but I have a lot of confidence in these lads to give a good performance and to start off on the right foot. Things have changed a lot since I was there so it'll be interesting to see that in person. At this stage in the season it's very difficult to know just what you're getting from any team so we'll be focusing on our own performance and looking to impose ourselves on the game. If we can run the ball as well as we have in preseason and play hard defensively I think we'll be more than capable of starting with a win.

6. Talk about your team news.

During preseason King Carmazzi played really well, which I think more than vindicates my decision to bring him to Vancouver with me. Carmazzi was accurate, he looked after the ball, he threw for most of our TDs and ran for one as well. He's a player that doesn't get the credit he deserves and one I know I can rely on when he's needed. That's why he's in the team while Baker is complaining from his Lay-Z-Boy at home. It was disappointing to see Baker still moaning in the press but not exactly unsurprising. You need a team to all be pulling together in the same direction to be successful in this league... and I should know about success after the decade I've had in this league. It was clear from his public comments that Baker was more interested in himself and was willing to throw teammates under the bus. That sort of cancer needs to be cut out quickly before it spreads.

[Talon]

I agree with you about the performance evaluations.  A lot to like in the pre-season.     Baker being gone was good for the locker room, nobody is listening to him.

[GM Dazz]

Good. There's no point letting something like that grow into a problem. King certainly made it easier to justify with the way he played as well. Unless DC go and trade for one of Cancun's QBs I'd say he's probably better than whoever they're going to play this week so not a bad week for Mazza to potentially be missing I guess. On Mazza, although he didn't play a lot he looked exactly as advertised so I can't wait to see him perform in games that matter.

Looking at what the games might mean for changes going into week 1 I don't think we need to change much at all. I said I wanted to look at the backups at RB and they proved the committee approach is going to be the right one as far as I'm concerned. With our LBs I don't think there's a bad choice between Baumgartner, Moody or Jordan to cover for Laney if he can't play but I think Jordan just edged it with the performance against Orlando. At WR I'd say Neumann needs to be worked in for his homerun threat but Matos did enough to operate as our slot receiver, but I'd like your view on that. Is it worth putting a specific formation with Neumann at WR3?

[Talon]

I like using our weapons.  Guys can't get hot if they dont get reps, so I think its worth getting him on the field in some situations. He's our fastest receiver, he's got size, and he works hard.  I think getting him in as WR3 in either the Shotgun or spread sets, will split his reps with Matos fairly and if we feel one isnt getting enough attention we can revise it as we see how the splits play out.

[GM Dazz]

Sounds good to me. The only other change is that I want to use Vance in passing downs to bring some interior pressure and give him a chance to earn the starting role. It's the least he deserves after his performances in preseason but I want to see if he can do it against starters. So for me the only changes are:

Offence - all formations
QB2: King Carmazzi
QB3: Eugene Dewitt

Shotgun
WR3: Michael Neumann

Defence - 4-3
ROLB2: Jarod Jordan
MLB2: Reynaldo Baumgartner
LOLB2: Wesley Moody

Dime
DT1: Ryan Peacock
DT2: Jeffrey Vance

Lock in

[GM Dazz]

S17 - WEEK 1 POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE


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

Well I did tell you we'd be exciting to watch. I hated it, of course, but I'm sure to the neutral it was a great game and I hope our fans enjoyed the offensive display. I thought Mazza was excellent in his debut... near on perfect actually. He has great chemistry with the receivers already and I'm confident we chose the right man to be the face of the team. We ran the ball really well and scored enough points to win most games. Overall I was very happy with our offensive display. Defensively we were very very disappointing and I'm quite frankly embarrassed. Other than Obaje, who was great, nobody turned up. Considering the players we have there's no excusing a performance like that. The penalties were at an unacceptable level as well so you can be sure we'll be discussing discipline this week. I'm willing to write this one off as a one-off but there had better be significant improvement very quickly.

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

I thought it was incredibly disrespectful of GM Justin to pretend not to know who Tommy is considering the years he's spent in the league putting in performances just like that one. Either Justin genuinely doesn't know what he's talking about, which is a bad look for a GM, or he's just arrogant. Either way I'm not going to waste any more of our time talking about him or his players. My apologies to those players because there were some standout performances worthy of highlighting.

3.  TALK ABOUT A NEWS STORY THAT INTERESTS YOU

Speaking of disrespect, I get that Cancun want to create this outlaw image for themselves but there's no need for how they behaved at the end of their game in Alabama. You try to teach your kids about sportsmanship and then so-called professionals are doing things like that. It's just not cricket.

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

I thought I did but clearly something isn't right in the way we set up so we'll need to look at that. I'm not one to panic or make major changes off the back of one loss but there was plenty in that performance I didn't like so we might need to look at our aggression or how our different defensive units are supporting one another.

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

Portland had a really good win week one and they've got a great QB with a lot of potential still to discover. They played defensively how I want us to play and created plenty of pressure on the opposing QB and generated plenty of turnovers. I think we can handle that so it'll come down to how quickly our defence can bounce back after week 1. What I need to see is a major improvement from almost all of the lads on that side of the ball. I expect to see it as well. That wasn't a fair reflection of what we're capable of so I'm hoping we have enough pride to make up for that in front of our own fans. I have faith in my players and I'm sure we'll see a much better team playing this week.