*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - Printable Version

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - Printable Version

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*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - Thiath - 03-25-2020

I’m sure by now most if not all of you are well acquainted with the tragedy that is, the Chicago Butchers. Story after story of misery and failure and terrible, terrible roster management. Chicago is in what I truly consider the worst possible situation they could be in without deliberately trying to be terrible. I know some of you disagree with me on this, but I truly think their roster moves this season will quite possibly go down as the worst in NSFL history.

Now, before we can get into how Chicago might be able to get out of this hole they’ve found themselves in, let’s first establish where they are. After week eight, the butchers are fourth in their division at 3-5. While there is still an outside chance they can make the playoffs, three of their next 5 games are away. The two that aren’t are against Austin and New Orleans. Even without the tough schedule, for Chicago to make the playoffs they’d have to win at least three of their next five games.

There’s also Chicago’s abysmal draft capital this year. Their only possible top 25 draft pick in this year’s draft is the one they got from a trade with Philly earlier in the season. As such, they have no real control over where they end up in the third. Unless Philadelphia is the worst team in the league, Chicago might not have a top 25 pick at all. On top of this, that one pick in the third round is their only pick inside the top 50. Outside of the third round, Chicago has two picks in the sixth, and one in the seventh, eighth, and tenth. In what is clearly the largest draft class the league has ever seen this is remarkably bad.

Another massive issue for Chicago, they have less cap space over the next three seasons than anyone else. Having only $250,000 this year. $1,500,000 next season. The season after that $10,500,000. Baltimore has $16,500,000 in cap space next season alone.

Perhaps Chicago’s biggest issue however, is the unwillingness to change. It seems that from the beginning Chicago’s entire strategy has been a backwards “win now” mentality. From it’s very inceptions Chicago has made a multitude of questionable moves in an effort to win. In this process they’ve sacrificed any semblance of credibility, respect, or success. The Butchers are notorious for having a non existent locker room, due in part to the fact that they consistently trade away valuable picks for inactives, or players with no intention of ever playing there. For a full list of Chicago’s remarkably terrible drafting history, I highly suggest taking a read of Gucci’s “Why your team sucks” on them, found here.

So, how do you fix a team that has dug themselves into a hole of failure, misery, and ineptitude? Step one, abandon this false Ideal of winning. If you don’t have players to enjoy the wins with, did you even win at all? What point is there in sacrificing everything about your franchise for two extra wins a year? If you can accept losing, you are already on your way to being a great franchise.

The next thing that will need to be done, is getting some better picks in this year's draft. Now, there are a few ways they could go about doing this. Arguably the easiest, is something Chicago shouldn’t have any issue doing, they trade a first next year for a second or third this year. Preferably a second of course, but it might be unlikely they get many offers like that with how stacked the class is. The other options are much less likely, but if a gm actually cares about Chicago, they’re the kind of moves that will need to be made to ensure the future of the franchise. I’ll start with the one I think is least likely, and also makes me sound like some kind of mad man. Trade Rose Jenkins. Lower your pitchforks, hear me out on this one. Now, I understand what you’re all rightfully thinking, who would take that trade? Well, the only real shot Chicago has at gaining anything from this trade is an expansion franchise. Given that Raven’s franchise will have Corvo Harvan, that leaves Frost’s expansion. Of course this opens a whole line of new questions. Even if Frost’s felt his team could be competitive, would he opt for a regressing quarterback? In all likelihood, probably not, but depending on how the expansion draft goes, perhaps trading a fourth or fifth round pick for a QB with one or two years left wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

This would then lead into probably the most important question for a trade like this. Would Jiggly let it happen in the first place? This is where I’m led to believe this trade is unlikely, because while I don’t think Frost would be too keen to make it. I could see a scenario where he might see at least some value in it. However this will remain the least likely scenario.

The next possibility lies in the fact that Valor aka Ryan Leaf Jr wants to be traded. This is another very, very complicated situation. Behind quarterback, running back is probably one of the positions teams need the least. However, if Valor was willing to position switch, there may be a team that sees value. Do I expect someone to give up a high draft pick for him? No. Even if it’s a fourth round pick, Chicago should take the trade regardless. Though of course another question arises that makes this all the more difficult. Would Valor be willing to switch? If he wants out of Chicago as much as he claims he does, I’d expect him to do whatever was necessary.

There are, albeit very few, assets Chicago could look to move. Sean O’Leary comes to mind, but with such a heavy contract, his value takes quite a dip. Even if there were a team interested I find it unlikely Chicago would be willing to move on. Osiris Fjord is another one some have mentioned, though being drafted only this year, he is in my opinion the only player the butchers should hold on to.

There are of course some trades available involving future draft picks other than a first round. Though if Chicago wants to seriously begin a rebuild, there’s only so much capital they can realistically spare right now. So let’s run through this one last time, the most important thing for the future of the Chicago Butcher’s relies on whether or not they can get more picks inside the top 50.

Is it possible? Yes. Is Chicago willing to go against its long established methodology? Is Chicago finally willing to allow themselves to be terrible for the sake of their own future? Will they finally be willing to try something new and begin the long process of reshaping the franchise? I understand full well that what I’ve proposed is the furthest from a guaranteed path to recreating the Butchers. Though I can’t help but feel that no one has really offered much in the way of an actual plan to create something that earns the same respect as OCO or NOLA. There are no doubt other options here that I’m not seeing, but none of that means anything if Chicago is unwilling to abandon the system they’ve put themselves in over the last six seasons.

Finally, maybe there truly is no way to save Chicago. Perhaps the grim reality is that Chicago has doomed itself for failure. In their constant strive for greatness, they avoided the most important part of the team. They abandoned all sense of community, they put wins above all else, and it has clearly taken its toll. Chicago has the highest GM turnover of any team that has ever existed in the NSFL. With the amount of hate I’ve seen directed at this franchise in my short time here, the most shocking thing to me is that it is even still around.

Maybe someone holds a special place in their heart for it. There could very well be someone out there, holding the thought that maybe one day the Butchers will be the top of the league. That blind optimism, the idea that there is a light at the end of this very long tunnel. As if all it takes is one move to finally get things to go right.

The future of the Chicago Butchers is dark and uncertain. I for one truly do believe there is just the slightest bit of hope. Though the larger, more reasonable part of me is led to believe it’s time to let that flame burn out in the night.

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - Raven - 03-25-2020

Great read, however Valor used his position switch this last off-season, so he won't be able to do that anymore.

Bet NOLA goes undefeated this season besides a bizar loss to Chicago

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - Bayley - 03-25-2020

I thought about making an article continuing on a series I did back before Season 3... if I were GM, but I will lay some of the plans that I'd have here..

1. Look to move Thorian Skarsgard - he has some value as a near maxed out dline. You should be able to get some picks to rebuild or maybe even get a young player. Either way, he should be looked to move. Plus @MrStennett sucks.

2. Move Rose Jenkins. I just think you have to go full in if you want to rebuild. There should be a market for a QB, especially a near max one. I think Rose would have a good market, so go out and trade her to a team.

3. Trade Rambo, Leaf, Ridley, and Hank.

4. Keep Fjord, Beat, O'Leary, Hockhertz, Ahri

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - MrStennett - 03-25-2020

(03-25-2020, 08:33 AM)BayleyIsland Wrote:1. Look to move Thorian Skarsgard - he has some value as a near maxed out dline. You should be able to get some picks to rebuild or maybe even get a young player. Either way, he should be looked to move. Plus @MrStennett sucks.

Listen, just tell everyone how much you love me and get it over with.

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - Opera_Phantom - 03-25-2020

Please, save Zona instead!

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - gucci - 03-25-2020

Sad that it’s come to this, but they will have to tear it all down. If the goal is to sneak into the playoffs (idk why you’d sacrifice the future of a team for that), then go for it. However, waiting until the offseason to unload old players for picks will see the value that you’re offered in return decrease.

Interesting write up though. Some really good ideas in here.

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - nunccoepi - 03-25-2020

Yeah I'm sure you'll get an earful from some people about this one. But I do think these are some good ideas for an unfortunate situation.

Even still, a few claims are a little too bold for my taste:

"Even without the tough schedule, for Chicago to make the playoffs they’d have to win at least three of their next five games."
-not necessarily. this division is incredibly tight, and even two wins might do it.

"If you can accept losing, you are already on your way to being a great franchise."
-hard pass on this one.

"Another massive issue for Chicago, they have less cap space over the next three seasons than anyone else."
-cap space is such a finnicky thing. Teams just keep their future seasons budgets in various states of updated-ness. So some teams might have their OL on their already just to plan while others factor that in at the end. Plus the cap could get moved depending on the expansion. When I was an expansion GM the caps were raised (in my opinion even a little too high) which allowed us to have maxed out OL and one of the best teams the league has ever seen (in my humble opinion). So I wouldn't get hung up on cap space. A team can lower their OL tier for even a couple of guys and get that extra 6M or whatever it is. Cap space is a bigger headache when you want to make moves in-season.

"Chicago has the highest GM turnover of any team that has ever existed in the NSFL."
-I'd love to see if this passes a fact check. because it seems crazy to me just at first blush, but maybe its legit. But some teams have had a lot of turnover. Colorado and Philly come to mind, i think.

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - nunccoepi - 03-25-2020

(03-25-2020, 01:01 PM)nunccoepi Wrote:"Chicago has the highest GM turnover of any team that has ever existed in the NSFL."
-I'd love to see if this passes a fact check. because it seems crazy to me just at first blush, but maybe its legit. But some teams have had a lot of turnover. Colorado and Philly come to mind, i think.

Ok so for those interested, I decided to check it out myself by looking at the wiki. Dermot should be proud.

Here's the totals (caveat, the list only included head GMs, but it prob doesn't change all that much)(also another caveat I only looked at NSFL teams, I think DSFL GMs would have a much higher turnover rate):

SJS- 1 new GM every 21 seasons (they've only had 1 GM which is insane, but also I thought ckroyal stepped down for like a season and someone else maybe Brad or AndrewWarren13 was GM...maybe around S12? I don't know)

BAL- 1 new Gm every 4.2 seasons

YKW- 1 new GM every 4.2 seasons

OCO- 1 new GM every 4.2 seasons

NOLA- 1 new GM every 4 seasons

ARI- 1 new GM for 3.5 seasons

AUS- 1 new GM every 3 seasons

COL- 1 new GM every 2.6 seasons

PHI- 1 new GM every 2.5 seasons

CHI- 1 new GM every 1.5 seasons

So my gut was right that COL and PHI had relatively high turnover rate. But ultimately I didn't realize how many GMs CHI has already had. That being said, since the post mentioned any team that has ever existed I thought it only fair to include the Las Vegas Legion who changed GMs 3 times in 4 seasons for a total of 1 every 1.3 seasons, slightly more frequent than Chicago.

That's all. Carry on.

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - ValorX77 - 03-25-2020

The team is basically in grave condition in an emergency room and on life support and an ICU.

- Valor

*How to (Maybe) Save Chicago - run_CMC - 03-25-2020