Ok, we're going to do a Madden style, new franchise, four team fantasy draft. The four of us are going to draft every position, both offense and defense, one at a time, snake style draft. You have to explain your pick and maybe eventually I'll organize all the picks somewhere. Now this is a new franchise so age and salaries matter. We'll use a $127 Million salary cap. For each pick give the name, position, age, and salary (the cap #). Then explain your pick. You also need to come up with a team name. Yes, each of these teams will be loaded (kind of like 4 Pro-Bowl teams instead of two). Royce is up first, then MP, then Aaron, then Scott.
Also, in between picks, everyone is allowed to chime in with his or her own comment.
ReplyDeleteIn the interest of full disclosure, I never gave two shits about salary in Madden. Brandon was always the financial whiz and I was the big thinker. We won like 8 straight Super Bowls but had to trade and/or cur the core of the roster in Year 9. Oops.
ReplyDeleteWell the big help is to take two or three young, cheap stars initially...something like 25 year old Antonio Gates rated 98 making $400k. It really helps your team when you want to pay $5 million for a defensive tackle later in the draft. I always ended up with DeAngelo Hall on my teams. Madden always thought he was better than he actually was.
ReplyDeleteAdrian Peterson, RB, age and salary to be looked up in a few moments
ReplyDeleteHe's 24 and makes $2.43 Million. Man you're slow today.
ReplyDeletePhsa! AP - be original for once!
ReplyDeletePS I'm also in MP's boat - no clue about current salaries, so my team's gonna be all over the place...please tell me we're only drafting starters. If you want full teams, I quit after the 22nd round; my starters will just play full games.
ReplyDeleteDo you want a backup running back, quarterback, fullback, 3rd wide receiver, nickel corner, punt returner? I'm not honestly not expecting to go 53 deep, but I think we can get into the high 20's. You know, as soon as we get the second pick out of the way.
ReplyDeleteActually Scott, that's a good point. Since we're probably not going the full 53, we probably don't need to worry about the actual salary info.
ReplyDeleteWho the hell is picking second? Hurry up already! (wry smile)
ReplyDeletePeterson only makes $2.43 million?!!? That is a steal for me
At what point can I draft JaMarcus Russell as my team's mascot
ReplyDeleteScratch that - I'm putting him on the cheer squad so he can throw wrapped up t-shirts into the crowd during timeouts. I bet he can out throw a t-shirt gun by 10 yards
ReplyDeleteJaMarcus Russell couldn't hit a crowd = He can't hit the broad side of a barn.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha well said - should it be "he couldn't hit a crowd with a t-shirt gun" or some variaton of that line?
ReplyDeleteHe's so inaccurate, he couldn't throw a t-shirt to the crowd.
ReplyDeleteThere it is, well done
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part of htis draft is where to value the top quarterbacks. Are there only 4 teams? Cause obviously a Peyton or Brady or Brees is key, but on the other hand they get paid a ton, they are old, and I just listed three guys which all would be fine starters for a league of 4 teams. So really relative scarcity is another consideration here too.
Relative scarcity? Are you serious? There's only 4 teams!!! You want Peyton as your starter and Brady as your backup, go ahead...I'll have Philip Rivers or Aaron Rodgers or Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco or Ben Roethlisberger. There's easily at least 9 guys you could make a case for starting a franchise around.
ReplyDeleteRelative Scarcity?!?!?! AARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
Well, now that salary is out of the picture...(exhales).
ReplyDeleteWith the 2nd Pick in the Crazy-Ass FIWK Draft, Unitas Vs. Einstein selects, from the University of East Carolina...
RB CHRIS JOHNSON, AGE 24.
wait wait wait - we've got to work in salary somehow...and how the hell are we going to judge the successes of our respective drafts? I'm super inclined to go all legit pro-bowlers right now cause...well...EFF YOU to longevity! This baby's over in 3 days, and I'm gonna win the first game with Favre!
ReplyDelete...and how did I get 4th - screw you Agte for putting me 4th.
ReplyDeletePPPPPPPSSSSSPPSPSPPSPS
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna take a day between my 4th and 5th picks just to mess with Royce's head...
With the 3rd pick of the 2009 (that's right, we're doing it again next year...maybe) Crazy-Ass FIWK draft, I'll take Maurice Jones-Drew (formerly Maurice Drew) from UCLA.
ReplyDeleteand let the run on running backs begin (and probably end soon)... if MP took a QB, I would also have taken a QB, because there are two QBs I'm targeting and I'm betting on Scott only taking one QB.
"Now that's a great pick right there. MJD has the agility and quickness to make guys miss in the open field, the pure speed to take it to the house, and the strength to punch it in on the goal line. He may be a little shorter than your Adrian Petersons or Brandon Jacobs's's, but I say that's another advantage. He can hide behind the tall offensive linemen and explode through the hole before the linebackers even see him.
Now if Scott was smart in this he would probably wait to take a running back, because the three of us probably aren't taking a second one anytime soon.
Also, since all our readers (*cough* Royce *cough*) may not know the names of offensive linemen, and I continually harp on the importance of the offensive line, I propose that we simply rank the best offensive linemen 1-4 at each position (instead of trying to get people to realize that Joe Staley is a better young left tackle than Marcus McNeil). If you want to take an O-lineman, just say that you are drafting Right Guard #1.
So - we should draft our linemen last then since we're not placing any importance on their relative skill sets?
ReplyDeleteNo...I'm still pretty sure I'll take a lineman before any of you.
ReplyDeleteWait - are you saying "Right Guard #1" implies best right guard in the team, or top right guard on your team (e.g. depth chart)?
ReplyDeleteummm - I'm retarded; I meant: "...best right guard in the league, or..."
ReplyDeleteRight Guard #1 is the best right guard in the league. So whoever takes a right guard after you gets the second best right guard in the league (Right Guard #2)
ReplyDeleteRight Guard is also a deodorant.
Then I'm drafting a lefty QB (Mike Vick baby!) so I can take the top right tackle later than you all have to pick your top left tackle.
ReplyDeleteNote: this does not constitute my actual pick...
I prefer Old Spice.
I'm not suckered in by the (awesome) slick marketing campaign... I prefer the actual product.
ReplyDeleteOh my Lord have you picked 4th yet??
ReplyDeleteAaron I meant relative scarcity in the sense that there is NO relative scarcity, as you say, meaning QBs don't actually matter. Like I said, if you take Peyton or Brees or Brady and there is Rivers or whomever left, so what? So I might as well wait on the QB and pick the player I think is most scarce. WRs are interesting cause you can get 2 starters and potentially pair Fitz and Wayne or something... and I dunno how you're gonna judge O-Lines since we're each going to have an All-Pro O-Line.
And Scott...as for not including salary, if you only plan on picking 22-30 guys, you will easily come in under the salary cap. Once you decided not to go the full 53, then keeping track of salaries became moot.
ReplyDeleteWe could easily put in our own salary cap (half the normal, or whatever); oh well...on to my 4th pick!
ReplyDeleteWithout further ado, the winners of the 2009 Crazy-Ass FIWK draft select Steven Jackson, running back from THE Oregon State Universtiy Beavers (26 years young).
Peanut Gallery: GREAT PICK! If Jackson can rack up over 1K yards year after year against a 20-man box, imagine what he can with a QB on the field with him!
That's actually a great pick for a very overlooked but productive do-everything running back... well, at least, i overlooked him.
ReplyDeleteWith the 5th pick in the Crazy-Ass FIWK draft, The Winners select Aaron Rodgers, quarter back from California (again, 26 years young).
ReplyDeletePeanut Gallery: Wow - this kid's on a ROLL! What another fantastic pick! If Rodgers can toss up a 104 QB rating from his arse, imagine what he can do with an O-Line on the field with him!
Peanut Gallery #2: Interesting pick; it appears as though Scott is looking to dominate this league a couple years out by not taking Brees/Brady/Manning. I like this pick.
Now I'm looking for a QB who is young and has proven that he can win big games. A guy who can come from behind late in the game and give confidence to the fans that the game is not over. I'm going to exclude Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco because I don't quite know how well they will do when the game is on their shoulders.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to eliminate Manning (33) and Brady (32) because of age and I'm looking for closer to 15 years of production. Brees is close at 30, but I haven't seen the super confident come from behind winner to make up for his age. I've narrowed it down to Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers...
and with the 6th pick of the Crazy-Ass FIWK draft Team WWJD (what would Jones-Drew) goes the complete homer route and takes Philip Rivers.
Mel Kiper Jr. AKA The Hair: "With all the QBs to choose from this is definitely a high-risk, high-reward pick. He has that quirky throwing motion, but despite that has shown great accuracy and the ability to throw the deep ball. One of the better predictors of NFL success is the number of college starts and this guy set the NCAA record there. He is a fiery, passionate leader of the clubhouse and while he may not be the ideal guy to set passing records, he is the kind of guy who can play well under pressure."
Now I have to make sure to get an O-line to protect him. It's not that he's completely immobile (a la Byron Leftwich), it's just that he looks so damn goofy when he runs I don't want to force our fans to watch it.
Rivers and Roethlisberger are both 27.
ReplyDeleteAny idea what our salary cap should be? 60% of the total? What percentage of a team's cap goes to it's 22-25 starters?
I bet 80% of its cap goes to them
ReplyDeleteWe have a trade to announce...
ReplyDeleteEinstein vs. Unitas will be giving their name to the garbage can in exchange for the name of Drew's Birthmark. And, without further ado, Drew's Birthmark selects...
...from the University of Purdue...age 30...gunslinger extraordinaire...
ANDREW CHRISTOPHER BREES. (Wild eruption of whoops & cheers from the fan section)
Oh man... the media is going to go crazy when Rivers and Brees meet in the FIWK Bowl. They may actually go crazy if they meet in the Super Bowl also. Not as crazy as Brett Favre vs. Green Bay... but still pretty crazy.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, from a media perspective, what matchup in the Super Bowl would cause the most craziness... and please try to keep it somewhat reasonable for this year (so AFC vs. NFC and you can't include teams like the Browns)
I'd nominate Jay Cutler vs. the Broncos, but that seems unlikely... so I'll go with Saints-Chargers (Brees vs. Rivers and Tomlinson, Reggie Bush from San Diego). After that, Eli vs. Peyton or Philip Rivers
Saints-Colts both standing at 18-0...
ReplyDeletewow...that's so much better, I don't know how I missed that.
ReplyDeleteI am taking P-E-Y with my 2nd pick, and Left Tackle #1 with my 3rd pick
ReplyDeleteFavre vs. Green Bay would be the second craziest Super Bowl matchup in terms of frenzy behind the top matchup of undefeated Saints-Colts, but I think it would only be a close second... the reason is that SO many people would love to talk about how much they hate Favre and the Favre coverage that it would easily double the frenzy
Peanut Gallery: clearly Team 109mph is building an offensive juggernaut with the balance of a tight rope walker and the power of, well, Adrian Peterson teamed with Peyton Manning. With the top lineman in the draft they will be unstoppable. Also Royce is awesome.
ReplyDeletedoes mean the run on LTs will be coming?
ReplyDeleteWe won't know until MP makes his next pick, sometime in the next ten to ninety days
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm still trying to figure out how Brett Favre (NFC Team) could meet the Packers (NFC Team) in the Super Bowl.
ReplyDeleteI'm making this pick for four reasons:
1) It'll end the "every team takes the same position in the same round" streak.
2) It'll break Aaron's heart.
3) He can catch balls from Drew and block for Chris.
4) Only in a draft with the lowest possible consequences could it be feasible to draft a TE this early.
ANTONIO GATES, motherf*uckas.
You know what I meant, for a trip to the Super Bowl... ... ... (...is it too conspicuous if I delete the comment at this point...?)
ReplyDeleteDonning my Mel Kiper hair...
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutely the wrong choice there! You see a draft is all about VALUE. Even if Gates is the best tight end and relatively young, the difference between him and the second best tight end is not big enough to warrant a second round pick. You want to target difference makers, but you want to target players and positions that you won't be able to get similar value in later rounds.
The type of difference maker you can get at this point in the draft is...
Darelle Revis! This young corner has already shown the ability to shut down the likes of Andre Johnson and Randy Moss and can only get better as he gains more experience. In the third round this guy is a steal!
ReplyDeleteCorners are fickle and in he'll probably be pulling a DeAngelo Hall within three years
ReplyDeleteWe'll keep it simple here:
ReplyDeleteRound 3: PW-52
Reasoning: At 24, Patrick Willis is already one of the top-3 MLB in the league, and will be the anchor of the winning D for years to come.
Round 4: Nick Mangold
Reasoning: At 25, he's a top-tier Center, who will only become smarter and more experienced as he's anchoring my line over the coming years.
To determine who wins, I say we put out teams into Madden and play out 10 seasons...
ReplyDeleteI volunteer Aaron to run the simulation
ReplyDelete10 years? How about five? What's the appropriate timeframe here?
Aaron Kiper, Jr. et al,
ReplyDeleteMy atrocious 2nd-round pick put up 167 yards receiving today. Woot.
Kind Regards,
MP, GM, D's BM
hmmm.... I haven't bought a new Madden in a few years... maybe I can get the next version and write it off as a business expense. Unfortunately, through my real job, I know I can only write off as much as I earn... so what's 1/4th of our current revenue?
ReplyDeleteApproximately $0.16 per year
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side, we'll be able to buy Madden 2056 if we pool our money and find it on sale
With their 4th pick in the Crazy-Ass FIWK draft, WWJD selects Nnamdi Asomugha! (age 28)
ReplyDeleteWow! What a bold move! WWJD has gone and locked up the two best young corners in the NFL. While they still have glaring needs at other positions, WWJD has already established they are going to have the best secondary among all FIWK teams. Good luck passing on these guys.
Umm...yeah - good luck with your plan - I see a horrible future for you.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry I'll have AP and my devastating front line truck you over
ReplyDeletePS - 28 years old qualifies for "best young corner in the NFL"??
ReplyDeleteActually, I should have phrased it as the best two corners in the league...who are also young. The drop off between those two and the third best corner is significant (and by significant, I mean slightly noticeable...which is all you can really ask for when looking at the top five players at any position in the NFL).
ReplyDeletePass interference/illegal contact rules over the years have made "lock-down corners" as anachronistic as "Brett Favre's loyalty"
ReplyDeleteGates is going to eat Nshghghgomnognigi Ashamjouahmouah for breakfast and have the leftovers for lunch and dinner.
Oh, by the way, I'm eschewing defense (and the line on either side of the ball) and taking Larry "Smiles" Fitzgerald with my 4th pick.
ReplyDeleteHe's 26 and is going to battle the brothers-but-not-brothers Johnson for the title of Best Receiver in the Game for several years.
With the last pick of the 4th round, I am selecting... Center #2!
ReplyDelete... it's really anti-climactic when we don't even give them names. How sad.
You had the opportunity to join my homer-ism and take Nick Hardwick... what happened there?
ReplyDeleteIs he better than the other Center #2 option? If so he's mine.
ReplyDeleteWith the first pick of the 5th round, Team 109mph selects... Calvin Johnson! I'll beat Aaron Kiper, Jr. to the punch and point out that this young stud is already one of the top receivers in the NFL - with the LIONS QBS THROWING TO HIM!! God help the corners of this league with Peyton slinging him the rock.
He has one of the best names in sport.
ReplyDeleteHe's only 25.
He was born in a town named Eclectic.
I need a big boy protecting The Birthmark's blind side.
For these reasons and many others, I use my 5th round pick on Left Guard #1, out of AUBURN, Mister Benjamin Gruuubbbbbbbbbs (Grubbs)!
I'm pretty impressed with you guys, taking offensive linemen. I mean you guys are showing a little more understanding of how football actually works. Are my rants getting through, or is it just to shut me up?
ReplyDeleteWith my 5th pick, I'll take Mario Williams, DE age 24. He's got the size, speed, and strength to fit in a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense, so I don't have to decide just yet. This is me making an awesome pick, yet being entirely non-committal.
Damn you Aaron!
ReplyDeleteDamn, Aaron, you are going to look so freaking stupid for taking him over Reggie Bush.
ReplyDeleteAnd I took a line guy because I ran out of offensive skill players.
...and his name sounds cool
ReplyDeletedon't kid yourself too much MP
With the 4th pick in the 5th round, The Winners select Andre Johnson, WR from The U (28).
ReplyDeleteNote: How Andre Johnson is the 3rd receiver taking in this draft boggles my mind; you 2 are fools for taking Fitz and CJ before AJ...
With the 1st pick in the 6th round, The Winners select DeMarcus Ware, LB from the University of Auburn (27).
Note: While some may chastise The Winners for not shoring up his OL, I look at this pick this way: with Ware on his team, the GM has taken the top pass-rushing threat in the league; that's one less player to account for when preparing a game plan.
When Andre is out of the league cause he's too old, Calvin will still be dominating. I have no regrets. I predict a Greg Jennings-like season for AJ, playing with Rodgers (aka a crappy one).
ReplyDeleteI kind of wanted DeMarcus Ware... oh well, I guess I'll have to take Haloti Ngata DT age 25. There just aren't that many great young defensive tackles capable of playing nose tackle in a 3-4 defense... in fact, I think Ngata is the only one under 27. And in a 4-3 defense, he would be simply dominant.
ReplyDeleteNooooo I wanted Ngata, you bastard!
ReplyDeleteWell you would have had him if Scott hadn't taken Ware... so it's actually Scott's fault.
ReplyDeleteYou'd have had Ware had I gotten Williams...so, essentially it's still your fault Aaron.
ReplyDeleteI blame Aaron and only Aaron
ReplyDeleteI'm taking Jason Brown, Center, Age 26, who appears to be the #1 Center even though Scotty gave that title to Nick Mangold in our Crazy-Ass FIWK Spreadsheet.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, I am going to focus on my Bruin Draft picks.
applying defribilators to this draft...
ReplyDeleteWith the final pick of the 6th round I will select... Troy Polamalu, Safety
defibrillator?
ReplyDeleteWith the first pick of the 7th round I select... Antonio Cromartie!
ReplyDeleteYou knew it was coming... the superathlete who is the star of "Royce's blogger profile pic" will anchor my secondary for years to come, providing a bulwark against Aaron's claims of "best DB in the league" for the forseeable future
Also, in between rounds, and as retribution for Aaron stealing Haloti Ngata from me, I am drafting Casey Hampton's headshot - you can draft the player if you want, but the comedy goldmine of the photo is all mine
ReplyDeleteI refuse to pick in our famous bruins draft until MP makes his next selection here...
ReplyDeletemuahahahaha
Just an FYI for our hardcore fans (... crickets ...) - if you check the scoreboard, I am dominating the fictional non-draft selections in all our drafts... I currently have Jack Bauer, Casy Hampton's headshot, and the promise to draft JaMarcusitis Russell as my t-shirt throwing mascot with a future pick.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see you fictionally outdraft THAT
Scott has Jackie Robinson...he wins.
ReplyDeleteWe still waiting for MP here? Are you all just conceding my win?
ReplyDeleteYes? Cool - thanks!