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+---- Thread: *North to South #3 – S3 Reflections/Road Ahead (/showthread.php?tid=5170)
*North to South #3 – S3 Reflections/Road Ahead - SwagSloth - 10-12-2017
It’s been a little while since I’ve written a follow-up and a lot has happened this season. In that time, many of our fans have reached out with questions and I wanted to take some time at the end of the season to answer those questions.
Q: The season is effectively over for the Wraiths, who finished 7-7 and will be missing the play-offs this year. How is the team handling it?
If I said it didn’t suck, I’d be lying. We’re disappointed with the circumstances. We put a lot of hard work in this season and it just didn’t seem to matter on game day. When you go out there and play with your heart and soul and come up short, it never feels good. And, for us, it’s been that way all season. As one teammate put it at one point, we didn’t win a single game that anyone expected us to lose, but we lost a lot games people expected us to win. I don’t think we struggled in any particular area of the game, but some things just didn’t seem to mesh together. We’re a talented team that came into the season with a high level of energy and, for whatever reason, it just didn’t seem to produce the results we wanted.
Personally, I think that maybe we came into this season too strong. We had a great season last year and were primed for another big breakout. However, several teams had the odds stacked against them and being the underdog can bring a lot out of a team. The Yeti had their Quarterback suspended and had no choice but to fight against the odds. The Liberty and the Sabercats were written off by the experts early on and were looking to prove their doubters wrong. Even the Legion outperformed their expectations. These teams played a lot harder than anyone gave them credit for going into the season. And, for once, we weren’t the underdog. I think there’s something intangible there that can’t be measured easily. For all our hard work and talent, success was expected out of us while other teams were expected to underachieve. And maybe things have a way of balancing themselves out. Maybe that’s what the real story of this season. I don’t blame the experts for shortcomings, but perhaps there was a feeling that this year’s results were already set in stone and that narrative awakened something in the other teams.
That said, I also believe we had a strong end to the season. For whatever reason, whatever was holding us back early on became less of an issue in these final few games. I think you saw a glimpse of things to come and that we’re due to rebound in Season 4. And that’s a common sentiment in our locker room.
Q: The season ended with a win in enemy territory as the Wraiths defeated the Otters 32 to 17 in Orange County. What was the team’s mindset going into this match and what do you feel played the biggest part in the victory?
I’m especially proud of our recent win against the Otters, on their homefield no less. They’re a team that has performed exceptionally this season. They’re locked into a play-off spot and we went into that game statistically eliminated, so by many accounts, there was nothing on the line. We could have phoned it in and no would have judged us for it, but that’s just not the team we are. For us, this was our last chance to step on the field this year. Win or lose, that means something significant. People often get so caught up in the competitive side of things that they forget that we, the players, do this because we love it. As nice as it is to get that break into the off-season, from the day we step away from the field, there’s a part of us yearning to get back to it. And to us, we knew that if we weren’t going to the play-offs, then we wanted to make that game count as much as we could… even if it didn’t matter to everyone else. Call it playing for pride, I guess, we owed it to our teammates and our fans to go out there and give them one more great moment.
On top of that, we’re talking about a 6-7 record. That game, for us, was the difference between breaking even and a losing season. And we worked way too hard for this to be a losing season. Even if it wasn’t the result we wanted, we can at least say that we won as many games as we lost. Personally, I feel better today about the season because we can say that. I give all the credit in the world to the Otters because they made us work for it and I wish them well in the play-offs, but for one night, we got to feel the thrill of victory again. And I just hope that means as much to our fans as it meant to the boys in the locker room.
Q: How do you feel that you, as a player, have improved compared to last year?
It’s been well-documented that there was a learning curve for me last year. The Fullback role was a big improvement for me this year. I also challenged myself to get more involved in the passing game and the results have been beyond my expectations. I went from 19 catches to 41 and still stayed in the same range at 5.3 yards per carry. Unfortunately, I’m still not seeing the type of success I want in the running game, which is the next key step for me.
Q: Why do you feel that you’ve stagnated in the running game?
Obviously, with so much of my focus on the receiving side of things, I haven’t been as dedicated to pure rushing as I was in season 2. So, I’m looking forward to getting back to basics. I made a lot of improvements in agility and mobility this season, which I think has started to pay off toward the end of the season.
To be fair, though, I’m a power runner in a limited role. And one of the key elements that make power running successful is that it wears down defenses over the course of the game. You just keep pushing back and breaking tackles with attempt after attempt until they’re at your mercy. Speed rushing is a lot different. You slot in a quick runner, have them catch the defense off-guard with a big run, and then swap backs around before they even know what hit them. Last year, we had Burnsman as a free agent and that was his specialty, which worked great. But I’m known for my power, not my speed. I’ve tried to make improvements, but I’ve got to pack on a lot of muscle for blocking, so the increase is a lot smaller than it would have been if I were just able to focus on high-intensity cardio.
There are situations where my strength can be the difference-maker. I’m not as fast as Nuck, but I am a lot stronger and I think that’s where we complement each other. So, I’m still getting goal line carries and short-yardage opportunities, which makes sense. However, even with that, I’m only averaging 4-5 carries per game. And the power running style isn’t going to shine under those circumstances. That’s the style that made me a starter in college, but to be honest, I do question if the traits that made me a successful there are right for the Wraiths offense. And, if they can’t commit to a higher level of carries, then maybe what I bring to the table as a runner isn’t as helpful as it may have been elsewhere. So, there are marginal improvements that can make a difference, but I think that, as a runner, I need to re-evaluate a lot of what I’m doing on the ground. Ideally, I’d like to be able to not only increase my yards per carry from this season, but find a way to raise it to the level of a lot of the faster backs. I don’t know if that’s possible with the limited volume I’m operating in and I certainly don’t expect Nuck’s carries to go down by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe there’s something missing that we’ll be able to figure out in the off-season.
Q: What do you feel contributed the most to your increased receptions this year?
To be blunt, my catches doubled, which is incredible when you think about it. There was a lot of hard work in the off-season, shifting focus from running to receiving for me. My hands are just more comfortable in the air than they’ve probably ever been at this point. Some days, I almost felt like a wide receiver, which is an odd change of pace for me, but it’s all about finding ways to be a difference maker.
Spike Crown has been a big supporter and I think you saw his belief in me start to pay off this season. He took a chance on me when most people thought my best days were behind me and helped get my head where it needed to be. Season 2 was obviously difficult for me on a personal level, moving from a starter role in college to a back-up in the NSFL, but even when I had my struggles, he was there to provide guidance and support. He gave encouragement when I needed it and, when I needed someone to speak hard truths, he did that, too. I think I’ve become a much better player because of that.
I also credit two teammates in particular for helping me this season. Obviously, our quarterback Chris Orosz and I have connected in a big way this season. A big part of what happened on the field was him having the faith in me to keep sending the ball my way. I wouldn’t be getting those targets if he didn’t feel he could trust me to make the catch. We’ve had a lot of conversations off-the-field, just helping me to understand his mentality in the pocket and what I can do as a player to help make his job easier. I also give a lot of credit to Ricky Maddox because he gave me so much advice going into this season and has just been a real mentor. He’s dealing with a change of his own as he’s on defense now, but he knew going in that someone needed to help pick up the slack. And I appreciated him looking to me for that.
Of course, I’m no replacement for the “G.O.A.T. Tight End”, at least not yet, but we all had to work hard to fill the gap that he left behind and I’m happy to have helped be a part of that. We picked up a great young rookie, Joseph Askins, and he’s been phenomenal in his role as Tight End, but he’s still young and he’s dealing with a lot of the issues that I dealt with in my first season. He’ll probably make the same kind in his leap next season that I did in this one, but this season was his chance to learn the ropes and I think my part in the passing game was a way to allow him to integrate into the offense at the right pace. I don’t know that the same level of volume will be there for me next season. Maybe I was just in the right place at the right time, but I’m always looking to become a more well-rounded player and this season was an exciting part of that journey.
Q: Do you feel that you’ve earned a bigger role in the offense? What are you plans going forward?
As I said, there’s been some regression in my running style despite a lot of hard work on and off the field. Obviously, Bubba Nuck is a hard act to follow. The consensus seems to be that the starting role is his as long as he wants it and it’s hard to argue with that as long as he keeps playing the way he is. There’s a clear gap between us. I’ve made it my goal to try to bridge that gap, but he’s made some improvements himself these last two seasons. And, with Bubba performing as well as has these first few seasons, I can’t blame the team for giving him the bulk of the carries. He’s earned that. I’m very competitive, but I’m also very pragmatic. The Wraiths management needs to do what they feel is best for the team and, if they feel that that’s Nuck being the starter, then he needs to be in that spot.
Nonetheless, it’s frustrating to be in that back-up position. My solution has been to try to stand out from the pack and find new ways to be of use to the team, but I miss being a pure running back. I’m not looking to question the situation I’m in because I do understand it, but that also doesn’t mean I have to like being in second place.
Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t sour grapes. I love the Wraiths. This whole team is like family to me. And Nuck, too. If anything, he’s been a hell of a mentor to me, but there are only so many starting spots out there and I don’t know that I’ll be happy spending my career as a blocker. When I started this blog, I said it was a way for me to speak to the fans without a filter. And the last thing I’m going to do on this blog is lie to my fans. This isn’t a press release. It’s an outlet for me to speak truth and the truth is that, right now, I don’t know what the future holds.
I’ve got a lot to think about this off-season and it’s weighing heavily. As a lot of people are aware, next year is a contract year for me, which means I’ve got to prove my worth. I think I found a way to do that this season, but that volume in the passing game isn’t something I can count on always being there. I’m a part of this team, no doubt, but they’ve got to justify whether or not I’m worth the money they’re paying me. From my perspective, I do think I am a starting running back and I think I deserve to be paid according to my talent, not my role… which means that I need a role on the field that warrants my talent. Otherwise, I’m not going to be able to be paid what I deserve. So, it’s me to find out where I fit in the long-term scheme of things.
I’ll go ahead and say it. I’m not looking to leave Yellowknife, but it’s also not a guarantee that I’ll stay. All I’m asking for a contract that’s worthy of the talent that I offer. What Spike Crown and the rest of the management have to figure is if they can afford to pay me according to the talent. I’m a fullback that can easily be a starting running back on many teams. That might sound arrogant, but when it comes to contract talks, you have to be honest about what you’re worth. I’m a three down back in every way. I can block, run, and catch. If the Wraiths can use Nuck and I in a way that justifies paying us both like starters, then I think we can reach a deal.
I don’t want people to get the impression that there’s heat between Nuck and I because it’s not about that. I’m not saying I should make what he makes because he deserves ever dollar he makes, but he also deserves to earn a lot more than the average starter. We’re talking about the Season 1 MVP here. It would be out of line to compare myself to him. However, I am comparing myself to other guys out there, a lot of whom came up in the same draft class that I did. They’ve gotten opportunities to showcase their skills in a brighter spotlight, but I’m one of the most well-rounded backs in the NSFL. And, if it doesn’t make sense for Yellowknife to pay me according to my level of talent, then I owe it to myself to look at all the offers on the table.
I apologize if this answer delved into territory that made anyone uncomfortable, but when I said I would be honest with my fans, I meant it. I’m not someone who likes to focus on money, but I learned a long time ago that others will place a value on you and that you have to place a value on yourself if you expect them to see you the way you want them to. For me, right now, my value is that of a starting running back. And, if I expect the owners to see me as one, I need to get paid like one. Just as I encourage any of my readers to view themselves that way. Whatever you view yourself as, whatever you feel you’re worth, makes sure that other people know. And never accept less than you know you deserve.
Ultimately, this all hinges on the impact that I make next season. So, there’s a lot of work ahead. This isn’t going to be a public negotiation. It’s going to happen behind closed doors as it should, but the results will end up in the public eye whether we want them to or not, so I’d rather be open about it going in. Officially, we haven’t started negotiations and I don’t know when they’ll begin. My focus right now is resting up for the next season, so that I can be ready to put in some serious work in training camp and start the season off right. However, with the possibility of me staying or leaving Yellowknife still up in the air, I think it’s better to be transparent at this point. I’ve greatly enjoyed my time in Yellowknife and look forward to playing for the Wraiths next year. Beyond that, well… As the saying goes…
The only thing that’s for sure is that nothing’s for sure.
3,061 Words
GRADED
*North to South #3 – S3 Reflections/Road Ahead - bovovovo - 10-12-2017
Very nicely written :cheers:
*North to South #3 – S3 Reflections/Road Ahead - Bzerkap - 10-13-2017
Wow, really good article here. Happy to have you in Yellowknife of course. Hope to feature you more this upcoming season.
*North to South #3 – S3 Reflections/Road Ahead - PDXBaller - 10-13-2017
Nice article and good reflection on your season.
*North to South #3 – S3 Reflections/Road Ahead - SwagSloth - 10-13-2017
Thanks everyone!