30) Reflect on the two expansion teams. How did their first seasons go? What were their key strengths and weaknesses, and how are they poised to improve in seasons to come?
I think that while both expansion teams had admirable seasons for their first forays into the league, that the New York Silverbacks were far and away the better of the two this past season. In my opinion, New York seemed to go for a much less aggressive style - more of a "build for the future" mindset - that was centered around acquiring good users and building that cohesive locker room environment. Berlin, on the other hand, filled the other void that expansion teams must do and went for a more aggressive style, swapping Nick Kaepercolin to QB and attempting to build a team around him. Although the total TPE of the two teams is comparable, I think from a roster construction perspective than the Fire Salamanders were building with the hope of contending this season. On the contrary, they went 3-13 while the Silverbacks - with a younger, developing core in important positions (i.e. Quarterback) went 4-12. The trades that the Silverbacks pulled off in the first round of their first ISFL draft paid dividends, allowing them to secure a top user at a position of need - that also benefits from being a TPE position - in Hank Winchester at Linebacker. Although Swantavius Jones at Cornerback was still an outstanding pick, you have to look at the value each team acquiring in their first round pick, and the ability to move around the board and still secure a top prospect while using that movement to grab their QB of the future. That type of strategy has set the Silverbacks up for a brighter future on paper than the Fire Salamanders have, and in all honesty a bright present since they finished with a better record.
28) Select any player who was drafted in the back half of a DSFL or ISFL draft. Show how that player has outperformed their draft position, or how they will soon do so. You cannot write about your own player.
The Austin Copperheads took Connor Quigley at 60th overall in the Season 25 ISFL Draft. Although Quigley spent another season in the DSFL with the Kansas City Coyotes he is poised to come up and join the Copperheads for Season 26 and anchor the Austin offensive line for the future. Quigley currently has 273 TPE, enough to outperform a 550 TPE bot offensive lineman by quite a good bit. Thats par for the course of players taken around his draft position - although the previous pick by the Philadelphia Liberty, kicker Jake Fencik, is quite a bit ahead. The value of that TPE for Quigley, however, is higher than some of the other players taken around him who have similar numbers because of the position he plays. He was 5th in the DSFL this past season with 52 pancakes, however he was the only member of the top 5 that surrendered 0 sacks. In fact he was one of the only human offensive lineman in the DSFL to not surrender a sack at all. He had an all around outstanding season for the Kansas City Coyotes and is still earning, still locker room active, a great guy and prepared to dominate at the next level for seasons to come.
9) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?
I did this task last season. In it I wrote about how the Austin Copperheads had a lot of potential over the course of the next few seasons but should be expecting a down year in Season 25 and Season 26. Although the Copperheads did have a down season in Season 25, going 7-9 and finishing 5th in the ASFC, that potential I wrote about last season is still there. In fact, they might've even improved their odds of being better in Season 26 through some savvy moves and acquisitions.
The first of those moves and acquisitions was Brach Thomaslacher from the Yellowknife Wraiths. Although he cost the Copperheads a Season 27 1st round pick, thats a small price to pay for an active, max-earning Linebacker and outstanding user. The trade is aided by the fact that the Copperheads' weakest position group in Season 25 was the Linebacker core - where they started 2 inactive players. The Season 27 draft is already shaping up to potentially be a smaller draft, so mortgaging a pick in a smaller draft with less big fish seems like a savvy move for a team who wants to acquire players that all fit their specific timeline.
The rest of the Copperheads roster has all improved based off last season as well, excluding the departure of franchise legend Dermot Lavelle Jr. to the Baltimore Hawks and the continued regression of quarterback Easton Cole. Future quarterback Jackie Daytona is fresh off a DSFL MVP and still has another season to develop in the DSFL, where he will end up arriving in the ISFL with close to 600 TPE. The San Jose Sabercats have shown the ISFL that a team can win with a lower TPE quarterback with a bit of luck and a roster that compensates that hole. The Copperheads should have two 1000 TPE wide receivers by the time Daytona arrives in the ISFL in Eddie Jeeta and Videl-San. Zoe Watts is a "Speed Back" running back, meaning she caps out her critical build at right around 600 TPE. She's currently at 636. The offensive line will be much improved with the addition of Connor Quigley to anchor the left side of the line.
The defense continues to earn. Although Dermot Lavelle Jr. did leave in Free Agency, Colt Mendoza and Lesean Paris Crooks can step in and fill the void left behind. The linebacker core and defensive line position group are all young, active earners who will only continue to improve. The safety group is the same way, with standout rookie Maverick Bowie looking to build upon a record setting rookie season.
If the moral of the story is that this team should contend with a 600 TPE quarterback in Season 27 - which it should - they can definitely contend in Easton Cole's last season.
I think that while both expansion teams had admirable seasons for their first forays into the league, that the New York Silverbacks were far and away the better of the two this past season. In my opinion, New York seemed to go for a much less aggressive style - more of a "build for the future" mindset - that was centered around acquiring good users and building that cohesive locker room environment. Berlin, on the other hand, filled the other void that expansion teams must do and went for a more aggressive style, swapping Nick Kaepercolin to QB and attempting to build a team around him. Although the total TPE of the two teams is comparable, I think from a roster construction perspective than the Fire Salamanders were building with the hope of contending this season. On the contrary, they went 3-13 while the Silverbacks - with a younger, developing core in important positions (i.e. Quarterback) went 4-12. The trades that the Silverbacks pulled off in the first round of their first ISFL draft paid dividends, allowing them to secure a top user at a position of need - that also benefits from being a TPE position - in Hank Winchester at Linebacker. Although Swantavius Jones at Cornerback was still an outstanding pick, you have to look at the value each team acquiring in their first round pick, and the ability to move around the board and still secure a top prospect while using that movement to grab their QB of the future. That type of strategy has set the Silverbacks up for a brighter future on paper than the Fire Salamanders have, and in all honesty a bright present since they finished with a better record.
28) Select any player who was drafted in the back half of a DSFL or ISFL draft. Show how that player has outperformed their draft position, or how they will soon do so. You cannot write about your own player.
The Austin Copperheads took Connor Quigley at 60th overall in the Season 25 ISFL Draft. Although Quigley spent another season in the DSFL with the Kansas City Coyotes he is poised to come up and join the Copperheads for Season 26 and anchor the Austin offensive line for the future. Quigley currently has 273 TPE, enough to outperform a 550 TPE bot offensive lineman by quite a good bit. Thats par for the course of players taken around his draft position - although the previous pick by the Philadelphia Liberty, kicker Jake Fencik, is quite a bit ahead. The value of that TPE for Quigley, however, is higher than some of the other players taken around him who have similar numbers because of the position he plays. He was 5th in the DSFL this past season with 52 pancakes, however he was the only member of the top 5 that surrendered 0 sacks. In fact he was one of the only human offensive lineman in the DSFL to not surrender a sack at all. He had an all around outstanding season for the Kansas City Coyotes and is still earning, still locker room active, a great guy and prepared to dominate at the next level for seasons to come.
9) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?
I did this task last season. In it I wrote about how the Austin Copperheads had a lot of potential over the course of the next few seasons but should be expecting a down year in Season 25 and Season 26. Although the Copperheads did have a down season in Season 25, going 7-9 and finishing 5th in the ASFC, that potential I wrote about last season is still there. In fact, they might've even improved their odds of being better in Season 26 through some savvy moves and acquisitions.
The first of those moves and acquisitions was Brach Thomaslacher from the Yellowknife Wraiths. Although he cost the Copperheads a Season 27 1st round pick, thats a small price to pay for an active, max-earning Linebacker and outstanding user. The trade is aided by the fact that the Copperheads' weakest position group in Season 25 was the Linebacker core - where they started 2 inactive players. The Season 27 draft is already shaping up to potentially be a smaller draft, so mortgaging a pick in a smaller draft with less big fish seems like a savvy move for a team who wants to acquire players that all fit their specific timeline.
The rest of the Copperheads roster has all improved based off last season as well, excluding the departure of franchise legend Dermot Lavelle Jr. to the Baltimore Hawks and the continued regression of quarterback Easton Cole. Future quarterback Jackie Daytona is fresh off a DSFL MVP and still has another season to develop in the DSFL, where he will end up arriving in the ISFL with close to 600 TPE. The San Jose Sabercats have shown the ISFL that a team can win with a lower TPE quarterback with a bit of luck and a roster that compensates that hole. The Copperheads should have two 1000 TPE wide receivers by the time Daytona arrives in the ISFL in Eddie Jeeta and Videl-San. Zoe Watts is a "Speed Back" running back, meaning she caps out her critical build at right around 600 TPE. She's currently at 636. The offensive line will be much improved with the addition of Connor Quigley to anchor the left side of the line.
The defense continues to earn. Although Dermot Lavelle Jr. did leave in Free Agency, Colt Mendoza and Lesean Paris Crooks can step in and fill the void left behind. The linebacker core and defensive line position group are all young, active earners who will only continue to improve. The safety group is the same way, with standout rookie Maverick Bowie looking to build upon a record setting rookie season.
If the moral of the story is that this team should contend with a 600 TPE quarterback in Season 27 - which it should - they can definitely contend in Easton Cole's last season.
![[Image: bZJ57LU.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/bZJ57LU.gif)
