* S2 San Jose SaberCats: The Good, Bad and Future

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Welcome to the Season Two NSFL in Review series! There will be 8 parts to this, one for each team in record/elimination order. @kckolbe and I will be looking at the good things, the bad things, and the future scope of each team.

So far in this season’s series:

8. S2 Las Vegas Legion: The Good, Bad and Future

Next up are the San Jose SaberCats, who finished 3rd place in the American Simulation Football Conference this season, which did not allow them to qualify for the playoffs.

San Jose SaberCats
4-10
Third in ASFC


The Good

I know I said this last season, but despite a 4-10 record, there is still enough good to write about. It is just fitting that I find myself writing about the San Jose SaberCats, who I was a member of when this season began.

Number One: The pass-catchers. With or without Bailey Cook, the San Jose SaberCats boast an incredibly formidable duo of receivers, in Shane Weston and the newly acquired Darren Smallwood. Weston hit the 1000 yard mark this season, solidifying himself as a legit number one option, but the even more surprising name may be Smallwood. He was a bright prospect in the Yellowknife Wraiths organization but was buried behind a few targets. The trade to San Jose allows him to be the guy and the ‘Cats faithful will be expecting him to flourish.

Number Two: The new locker-room culture. Speaking of Darren Smallwood, the former Wraiths receiver has seemingly instilled a new sense of camaraderie into the once “dead” San Jose SaberCats locker room, something that they needed. I cannot, and therefore shall not speak for what I cannot see behind the confines of their locker room, but from what members of the team have outwardly spoken about, it seems like the team is headed in a new active direction. It may have been too little too late for this season, but the shift in culture has to be perceived as a “good” from this season.
Number Three: The safety duo. At least the SaberCats have one position they don’t have to worry about finding anyone for. As long as Ja Brill and Clee Hardrool continue to update, which all signs point to them doing, the Cats are set in the back half of their secondary. Talented safeties are often hard to come by, especially in this league, but they have two dedicated earners. Hardrool had three interceptions on the season, one for a touchdown, to go with a pair of sacks and over 70 tackles. Ja Brill quietly had a nice season as well, as these two were kept busy by other teams’ receivers who often burned the San Jose corners.


The Bad

As Kevin said when he wrote about the Las Vegas Legion, there is too much bad. But since I’m getting paid by the word, I may as well continue.

Number One: Defense as a whole. A.C. Hackett is just one player, but losing him from an already week defensive unit was a crushing blow. This team gave up the most points in the league, and while a lot of that is from their crushing 65-0 loss to the Arizona Outlaws in Week 12, points are indeed points. And even though that came in one game, they still had to allow all those points in said game. How did they do that? For one, except for Dan Miller, the defensive line play was borderline nonexistent. Third-round pick Enchilada Charlton can already be seen as a major bust from that draft, highlighting the team’s inability to select defensive ends in early rounds (see: S1 Draft, Greg Taylor). While Chidubem Okonkwo has shown a commitment to updating, his performance has not yet caught up.

Number Two: Members “leaving temporarily”. Tomen, CubsFan, BenLongshaw and NJParker. These guys all “left temporarily” and none of them have been back yet. I understand temporarily is a vague term, but when its been months without contact from some of these guys, it may be time to start thinking about Plan B, C and D when it comes to these positions. Longshaw was even sitting inactively in the Co-GM spot for all too long, before CkRoyal smartly replaced him with Dan Miller, which could be seen as a fourth “good” point from this season. Apparently internet had to be switched at the latter two’s apartment complex. I’m not sure how long that should usually take, but over a month seems a bit like overkill. Now, with this, you can’t blame the management, and it’s quite unfortunate that three high draft picks have been essentially wasted on guys that just up and left. Traditional SJ bad luck, I guess.

Number Three: A running back problem. Jack Durden has been a pretty solid acquisition for what he was worth, but I’d be hard pressed to believe that he is the long term answer at the position. The bright spot was supposed to be S2 draftee Denzel Diaz, who looked like he would soon evolve into a full time starter despite his size, but his training has seriously slowed. Running back is not a big depth position at this upcoming draft, so they may be a bit stuck when it comes to upgrading the backfield. As defenses get better and these two remain virtually stagnant, it will be an arduous task to compensate.


The Future
If it’s any consolation, this team doesn’t have as long a way to go as the Las Vegas Legion. A few pieces to build around are certainly present. The two receivers, the two safeties and Dan Miller are an excellent place to start. It is also worth mentioning that quarterback Ethan Hunt who was once hell bent on opting out has decided to stick around, so he will continue to anchor the offense until projected future starter Christian Adams is ready, whenever that may be. San Jose fans hope that it is sooner rather than later, since nobody is sure exactly how long Hunt will stick around. The draft this season will be interesting as they will have two first round picks which they will be looking to hit on in order to get future cornerstone pieces of the franchise. With new blood added to the changed locker room culture, the team may still be bad, but there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for the San Jose SaberCats.