(S22) - PT3 - Boom or Bust

[Vexatious]

I’m pretty new to the league so I don’t have a lot to go on. However I did hear about the train wreck that was Sweet James Jones, the WR drafted in the first round by the Chicago Butchers. I didn’t even know who he was, but his reputation preceded him. Not only was he defiant in terms of contract negotiations, he was banned from the league for slinging racial slurs and being belligerent. He wasn’t a bad player by any means, but after drafting another WR in the same round, the Butchers should’ve turned their attention elsewhere. No one knows how a player will truly progress, especially somebody who doesn’t have a track record of previous players, but the Butchers really got unlucky with Sweet James Jones. This just goes to show how important it is to try to get to know the players before the draft, because a lot of times situations like these can be avoided before any serious commitments are made. I feel terrible talking bad about another player when I myself went IA my second season (due to a global pandemic but still) but I need the TPE and I don’t think SJJ has any fans here. So he will have to do.

(208 words)

[iseedoug]

The first big bust that comes to mind for me has to be S12 TE Ronnie Williams. And he comes to mind as a bust because he is my IRL brother, who I recruited after successfully recruiting my wife @mabb two seasons earlier. So, I thought, hey I got my wife to join and make a super successful player and member of the community, and she doesn’t even play Madden with me like my brother does. So, I call up my brother, try to describe this crazy concept of simulation leagues, and he joins. I walk him through how to update and get TPE, etc. He gets his first update in. Cool, things are moving. Based on my thought that he would keep this up, @nunccoepi and I draft him pretty late in the S11 DSFL draft thinking we got a steal in a rare DSFL position at that time. If I remember correctly, he fell because he created sometime in the middle of the draft, or right before it started (can’t remember exactly), but no one had a chance to recruit him or talk to him. He does a few more updates, but always seems to need me to remind him about TPE chances, guide him through things, etc. I am thinking it has to stick soon. He gets to 124 TPE, works okay in the DSFL where everyone is low TPE. That season would become nunc and I’s first Ultimini loss after 3 seasons of winning it in a row. Ronnie would get 1 reception for 11 yards in the big game. Future Hawks All-Star and now future HOFer Maddox torched us as a member of the Pythons in that game.

Fast forward, the Sabercats go ahead and draft Ronnie in the S12 NSFL draft thinking, "hey he is iseedoug’s brother, let's take a shot" (and since I was in the war room, I also was saying I think he is going to become more active). And he never updated again. Turns out it's too tedious for him. Ronnie Williams ends up playing 1, maybe 2 seasons as a filler guy on SJS, then gets cut. And that is it. The big bust on my recruitment record.

Now, in both drafts he was picked pretty late, but man, still a bust.

(Nunc's story about Saul playing us was even a worse bust for us).

[Mooty99]

You want me me to talk about the biggest draft busts of all time well it can't be myself I was a steal at number 8 in one of the shallowest draught classes in recent times if I wanted to be funny knee-high would say Dermot but I can't do that because I bloody love that guy with that covered there are two that come to mind in recent NSFL history. This first would be my very good friend Marcella Toriki. She's a great player you say how is she a draught past well she can't have one of the biggest draft busts simply because she activated imutual option clause after only a single year at San Jose and so they watched the first round draught pick walk out door. On a similar vein I could mention Ashley Owens who lasted a couple of Seasons longer than Marcella but as he was picked first overall all it was shocking to see him leave after just his first contract. But neither of these compare to Sweet James Jones picked season 18 draught by the Chicago butchers he started by having a fight with the general manager and he ended only a season and a half Later by being thrown out the league in the end though I think they dodged a bullet and it was good riddance to bad rubbish.

WC 229

[Blueline]

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[PDXBaller]

A draft bust that’s near and dear to my heart has to be John Wachter from the Portland Pythons. He had a great season in Portland in season 4 and helped us win the Ultimini for the first time. I chose him to be my co-GM the next season after cosbornballboy was promoted to be the new Las Vegas Legion GM. I had high hopes for Wachter and he was well received by the league. It was a match made in heaven when he was drafted by the Baltimore Hawks in the season 5 draft, but unfortunately he went inactive at the start of the season. He had tons of potential being a real life Baltimore resident and seemed very excited and active in the league. He only stayed for a few weeks after the draft and I was left to GM the team on my own. It was sad to see him go and I had great hopes for him to succeed in the NSFL. I thought that Baltimore was a great place for him and having that receiver depth would have surely led them to the Ultimus a few times. I try to check up on him periodically but he’s not active on discord anymore. I’m sorry @HENDRIX 2.0.

[Troen]

PBE affiliate PT

[Lime]

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[HalfEatenOnionBagel]

When it comes to worst draft picks ever, it's hard not to talk about the first player ever drafted in the history of the league, defensive tackle JJ Reigns. There was just so much hype for this guy and the skillset he could bring into the league. In a draft littered with future pro bowlers and Hall of Famers, Reigns was seen as a surefire top 3 pick. He ended up going first overall to Orange County after rumors that Josh Garden might end up being a bit of a toxic player. Needless to say, Garden went on to have a ridiculous career while many players in the league may say "who?" if you were to ask them about Reigns. Of course, Orange County has had an incredible run in the league despite this pick so it may not be fair to call this the absolute worst pick of all time. But considering Reigns barely got above 200 TPE, it certainly wasn't one of the best first overall picks. I think that the pick is really more disappointing than simply bad. Shaka is an extremely successful sim league veteran, I've won championships in SBA with him myself. He seemed absolutely pumped to be a part of the NSFL and I think people simply expected that he would continue his history of success here. Makes you wonder what might have happened had Garden gone first overall as many expected. Hard to believe the Otters could have done any better considering whiffing on their first pick ever.

[YoungTB]

Justice Green was a definite bust, even if he was in the fifteenth round of the NSFL Draft, which I believe was the Season 22 draft. He did not update what so ever, and he never did anything productive for his team, Arizona Outlaws. He was a toxic teammate, and overall human being. He was headed by an incredibly stupid agent. Compared to Cassius Brown, who has an incredible agent leading him into the thunder as an incredible player. Cassius Brown is suited up to be one of the best wide receivers of all time, and he is incredibly dedicated, unlike one Justice Green. As the son of Marquise Brown, legendary running back, the greatest running back of all time, Cassius Brown has an incredibly strong head on his shoulders and will continue to work and fight to the best of his abilities, unlike Justice Green. Justice Green was a terrible player and a terrible bust. Cassius Brown won't even come close to the worst bust of all time, because he is going to be awesome, great, fantastic, he's going to run down the field, and he's going to score. Justice Green was a terrible player and I hope that none of the players are going to be like him again.

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