(S4) - PT #4 - Free Agent Review

[HalfEatenOnionBagel]

This offseason, the Philadelphia Liberty attempted to bring in superstar linebacker Jaylon Lee. Lee had made it clear that he wanted out of Arizona towards the end of the season but it wasn't until a surprise announcement by Lee that anyone knew Philadelphia was his top destination. The Liberty almost immediately offered Lee a great contract and everything seemed to be going well. That is until the Outlaws threw down the RFA tag on Lee. It was clear that the price to acquire Lee was just going to be far too much for the Liberty to pay. What's even more unfortunate is the Liberty had just made a deal trading away rising star William Ridley for Kevin Cushing in the wake of O'Sullivan's retirement. Cushing rounded out the best secondary in the league, but without Lee the Philadelphia Front 7 now had a gaping hole. With the changes to OL and the introduction of the new boots, the Liberty were lucky to have Kamaka and Hendrix to transition to NT and LB to fill in where the defense needed them most. Although the defense is much improved this season, the addition of Lee would have made it much more impressive. His leadership and natural talent at LB would have been a big boost and allowed Hendrix to fill another need as well. Hendrix may eventually be able to play at Lee's level at the position, but to this point in the season this defense has not lived up to the hype created for it and a lot of it falls on a lack of experience in the front 7.

[ErMurazor]

One of the biggest signings in this year’s period of free agency was star wide receiver Josh Garden. The move was controversial for a variety of reasons. The Outlaws were a smash mouth team built on defense. The league had been dominated by the team protecting the football on the legs of Reg Mackworthy and trusting their defense to make stops, give them field position, and get the ball back. How did Josh Garden fit in that scheme? How could he claim any legacy joining a dynasty in the middle of their run?

As people have seen, the NSFL is an ever-evolving beast. The ferocious pass rushes from previous seasons are gone with an increase in offensive line talent and the Garden signing is an indicator that the Outlaws are ready to rely on their offense to win them an Ultimus Trophy. Bronko has been slinging it with the best of them and the Outlaws offense is still putting up big numbers, without the field position and constant turnovers generated by the defense. Sure, the Outlaws one before Garden, but his signing to the Outlaws marks a new era of football in Arizona. If the Outlaws are able to win another Ultimus, or three, it will be based on the offensive system that was made possible with the Garden signing. Garden helped the Outlaws build an offense-oriented team that can keep pace with the best of them, that will be the Josh Garden legacy in Arizona.

[Roly]

The S3 offseason in the NSFL saw some big names move around, some monster money being handed out, and some players decided to stay in the same town as always. To recap: it was a free agency. One of the biggest splashes was the huge amount of money that dragged Josh Garden out of the Yellowknife Wraiths and into the arms of the Arizona Outlaws. That pretty move paid out $23 million in the first year: suppose Garden went with the old adage, “I’ll play anywhere, provided that your town has banks.” Garden has of course lit it up with his new team, owning 7 TDs and the most for any NSFL wide receiver. Moving into his stead with the Yellowknife Wraiths was the player formerly known as Ethan Hunt, now Gosh Jarden, who has not had the same success as his shoe he’s attempting to fill. He’s managed 53 yards a game and 2 TDs on the whole season to date. Staying put was Mike Boss, the true boss in Orange County with their popular Otters squad. He’s started off right where he left off, showing that Orange County was right to continue to put the keys of the Ottermobile in his hands: 1898 yards, 61 percent passing completion, 14 TDs and only 3 interceptions for a sizzling 94.2 rating.

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[Admin]

The Arizona Outlaws and the Kansas City Chiefs share many similarities. The Arizona Outlaws spent the first three seasons as a team who won because of a dominant defense. They had one of the best pass rushes in the league and a secondary that thrived on turnovers. By comparison the Kansas City Chiefs over the last 10 years or so have been a team that lived on their strong defense which was led by a great pass rush. The Arizona Outlaws have King Bronko, who early in his career was a game manager who was asked to avoid turnovers and hand the ball off to a strong running game. The Kansas City Chiefs have Alex Smith who was historically a game manager who was asked to avoid turnovers and hand the ball off to a strong running game. This current season things changed for both teams. The Arizona Outlaws made a huge splash in free agency by signing big play receiver Josh Garden and transitioning into a high flying offense. The current season for the Kansas City Chiefs had a similar change recently, turning into a team led by their offense and big plays, many of which go to their explosive wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The Arizona Outlaws made a strong statement by signing Josh Garden in free agency. The statement said they wanted to adapt to the changes the league was making and become an offense first team. They have let King Bronko sling the ball around and make big plays to his new shiny free agent wide receiver.

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[Vikain]

[JuOSu]

Chris Orosz was one of the many Quarterback changes in the offseason. He went from the Yellowknife Wraiths to the San Jose Sabercats and many saw it as a step down for him. Joining the Sabercats meant joining a division with the Arizona Outlaws and the Orange County Otters, two teams that have been dominant so far, and so many saw this move as one that would make playoff appearances very tough for him.

After six week, success is proving Orosz correct though. Even if they might end up outside the playoffs, they are giving the two dominant teams a run for their money. Orosz has lead the Sabercats to a 4-2 record after six weeks, tied for the division league with both other teams. The Outlaws are surprisingly struggling so far and so there could be a possibility to sneak into the playoffs for him.

One has to also admit, the Wraiths also are on their way into the playoffs. Still, it is obvious that the move was a good one for Orosz. With the Wraiths losing Garden in the offseason, it also seems that Orosz has a better receiving corps now, with Maryan Jackson and Sean Weston. The Sabercats have scored about 30 points more so far as well.

[RedCydranth]

The season 4 offseason was one of the strangest and hardest to follow. A lot of players were coming off of their Season 1 rookie contract and looking to make some extra dosh by signing with another team, or even dipping their toes in the water to see what others would pay, only to return back to the security of their original franchise. But then there's a different case. Jaylon Lee. He was an Outlaws Restricted Free Agent. The Liberty, in a bold move, offered a 10 million dollar contract to the sturdy linebacker. The Outlaws had some time to think it over and made the move to keep him, and match that offer. But within hours of making that move, they traded him to division rival San Jose Sabercats. Since joining the Sabercats, Lee has been decent. Not stellar but a quality contributor. It is arguable, given his average stat line, that his thick contract, in addition to the second round pick they traded for him, he should be playing better, but it's only been 6 games and maybe after an adjustment period and he gets more comfortable in the scheme, he'll go back to the numbers he had last season.

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[timeconsumer]

Mike Boss made the right decision this offseason. And so did the Otters. It cost $33 million for three seasons. It took weeks of negotiations. But they got it done, and it couldn't have turned out better for either party. Mike Boss is currently leading the league in pass yards, touchdowns, passer rating, and accuracy. He is lighting the league up yet again and proving that the best passing attack in the league is in Orange County.

It wasn't easy to get here though. As the main one engaged in discussions with Boss I know all too well how hard it was for both sides to come to an agreement. Boss wants a championship. He needed to see that Orange County was the place to do it. It took a lot of convincing and watching the pieces fall into place around free agency to see that it could be done, but we didn't want to do it without him. But no matter how difficult the process was I wouldn't have it any other way. I think Boss and the Otters have a really great understanding of where each other stand now, and have a unified vision of the future in this league. The start of this season was a bit bumpy, but the arrow is pointing up in Orange County, in no small part because El Jefe is here for another three seasons.

[CDub2]

There were a some super stars that hit free agency this past off season. Names like Josh Garden commanded massive attention and massive dollars during the free agency period. So while we saw some already strong teams become stronger and create more imbalance in the league, some teams decided to do things a little differently. One team that intrigued was the Baltimore Hawks. They made no notable signings, but the moves they made have had a huge impact. Avon Blocksdale switched to QB from offensive lineman. So far so good for Blocksdale. Currently 4th in the league in passing yards and 3rd in the league for passer rating. While it all hasn't been smooth sailing, it is a improvement over last season and the Hawks finally have much more dynamic pieces on offence. The other notable move from the Hawks was Owen Taylor switching to RB from defense. He currently has 7 TDs in 6 games and is only trailing the league leader in rushing by 40 yards (but has 49 less carries). Both these moves have paid huge dividends for the now 5-1 Hawks. A team that once relied heavily on defense now has a league leading offense to pair with a still dangerous defense.

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[jaskins811]

This past offseason, former Yellowknife star Josh Garden decided to test feee agency, and eventually reached an enormous contract with the powerhouse of the league, the Arizona Outlaws. This was a stab in the heart for many Yellowknife fans as Josh Garden was a fan favorite, and he was going to be sorely missed. In Arizona, Garden is killing it, accumulating the most receptions in the league so far for a WR, and is really opening up the Outlaws offense. However, this didn't stop the Wraiths from getting a new face in free agency.

To appease their fans, they brought in a Garden replica, who goes by the name Gosh Jarden. He was brought in to help replace the missing Garden, and Jarden changed positions and names during the offseason to help replicate his predecessor. In Yellowknife, Gosh Jarden has been having a great season, being an integral part of the offense, really opening up the field for first year quarterback Mat Akselsen. Having a replica of Garden has been a great replacement for the Wraiths and their fans this year, and is part of why they have had great success so far this year! It will be interesting to see how Jarden finishes off his first season as WR!