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London enters a challenging season with a new look roster.

Retirements:
WR William Ortiz - the Monarchs last lottery pick surprised management by retiring at just age 31. Ortiz blasted into the league in 2032 and was an immediate gamebreaking receiver. However, his receiving prowess mysteriously declined in 2037, and he became a much more pedestrian receiver, but still showed occasional flashes of his past glory. The top receiver in the franchise's London years, Ortiz retires third on the all time list with 404 receptions, 5796 yards and 48 receiving touchdowns (3 additional rushing TDs). Ortiz's retirement forced management to change their philosophy entering free agency and the 2041 draft.

LG David Bond - another 2032 draftee hangs up his cleats. Originally drafted as a tight end, Bond was quickly converted to an offensive lineman, and spent most of his career as a backup center before shifting over to guard. The strongman performed admirably whenever he played, and still had a chance to show off his catching prowess as an emergency tight end, recording three big man touchdowns in his career.

Coaching changes:
None

Free agency:
London's seemingly never ending quest to build an elite level offensive line once again came up mostly empty. While missing out on a few of the highest level free agents to hit the market, GM Nigel Worthington IV found a few quality players and gambles on some low cost long shots, hoping to find a lottery ticket.

TE John David - the veteran tight end comes aboard, after spending the last three seasons with the Thrashers. With late season injuries to TEs George Payne and John Roman hindering the offense in 2040, management felt it was imperative to add more depth at the position. David may also be called on to play fullback with his receiving and run blocking skills.

WR Steven Calle - William Ortiz's retirement started the search for more receivers, with management settling on the 31 year old Calle. A short term solution, Calle makes up for his lack of speed with excellent route running and had 28 catches for 207 yards and two TDs for the XTreme last season.

RG Derek Rhyne - a low cost flyer, Rhyne has quality blocking prowess that masks his lack of strength. Out of the league since last playing for Atlanta in 2039, the twenty five year old is unlikely to make the final roster.

RT Dwayne Lane - Another offensive line dart throw. Lane appeared in all sixteen games for the world champion Shadow Dancers in 2040, but is only a pass blocking specialist with no run blocking skills whatsoever. If Coach David Kirby can figure out how to use him properly, he has a chance to be a sneaky addition.

LT Robert Hernandez - The Monarchs went against their longtime philosophy, outbidding several teams for the 34 year old veteran. After playing the last two seasons for Brooklyn, management is hoping Hernandez can provide more protection against the elite pass rushing teams on London's schedule this season.

QB Eric Dunlap - While posing no threat to starter Preston Jones, the 33 year old Dunlap was brought in as a cheap challenger to backup QB Bret Crosby. Only one of the two will make the final roster.

LDE Minh Rawls - Rawls continues his career with the Monarchs, re-signing for two more seasons. Mostly playing as a backup on the defensive line, Rawls recorded four sacks and a fumble recovery touchdown in 2040.

FB Washington Cole - the 2037 seventh round pick returns to London. Cole has never impressed as a rusher, but is a good dump off receiver out of the backfield, recording 41 receptions last season. With no better fullbacks available in free agency, Cole will continue to see the field often.

With a number of important players all looking towards free agency, management decides to dole out contract extensions galore. RDE Chris Thompson, RG Tim Simpson, QB Preston Jones, WR Jon Horton, WLB Marlon Brown and 2040 first round picks RB Tony Vinson and WLB Ricky Shaw all signed contract extensions with the club in the preseason. Keeping all of those players under club control tied management's hands in offering max contracts to premium free agents, but hopefully keeping the band together will continue the Monarchs recent run of success.

Without a first round draft pick in 2041, management will look to see what diamonds in the rough are still available on the draft board. Trading draft picks for proven veteran players is also a possibility, as London looks to claim their third AFC South division title in the last four seasons. Check back for an update following the draft.

2041 draft:

Monarchs receivers coach John Thompson has some explaining to do, as a WR heavy draft looking to replace retired William Ortiz fails to live up to expectations.

2-28 FS Harvey Wilson +7/+1 now 47/75 - without a first round pick due to last season's trade for RB Von Popa, London has to wait until day two to make their first selection. Looking to shore up a pass defense that ranked dead last in the league in passing yards allowed per game, the Monarchs fortify the secondary with speedy FS Harvey Wilson. Wilson possesses elite speed and excellent M2M skills, which make up for poor ratings in other areas. With longtime Monarch Malcolm DeVry signing with the Duckies as a free agent, finding a quality replacement was a top priority.

2-31 WR Tony Sargent +2/-2 now 47/73 - let the wheeling and dealing begin! London ships picks 3-8 and 3-28 to the Battle Creek Barbarians to snag the last sure wide receiver off the draft board. Sargent possesses good speed, but his receiving skills appear to be just average. Sargent will get eased into the London offense, but is expected to assume a larger role in 2042 with some older WRs likely to retire.

4-16 WR Andre Riley +2/-1 now 47/69 - GM Nigel Worthington IV might have snuck off to the pub in the 4th round, as more receivers enter the fold. Riley is another receiver possessing good speed but questionable ball catching skills, and coaches are even considering a switch to another position to take advantage of Riley's plus strength.

4-28 WR Terence Davis +2/-3 now 44/71 - One more fast receiver who may not be able to catch a cold in rainy London joins the squad. While being able to fight for contested catches, Davis doesn't appear to have a bright future in Moguls football.

5-28 CB Eric Stephens +5/+0 now 45/69 - Back to the defensive backfield well with better results. Davis possesses decent speed and M2M skills, and may get a lot of work in the preseason to see how much he can contribute while his tackling and other defensive skills hopefully continue to improve.

6-28 FS CJ Fontaine +9/+0 now 47/65 - While he's a little bit slow, Fontaine has excellent acceleration and decent coverage skills. Fontaine is also likely to be placed higher up in the depth chart during the preseason to see if he has enough talent to make the final roster.

7-28 WR Willie Hincliff +3/+1 now 44/67 - One more swing for a wide receiver home run. Hincliff did pop at camp, but despite the improvement appears to just be a fast kick returner. With little else to offer, he's likely to be cut when other options show up on the waiver wire.

The Monarchs also made another minor roster move, cutting FS Roger Tomlin after one season with the club to add veteran DT James Swick. Swick recorded 27 tackles and 4 sacks for the Irvine Anteaters last season, and was brought in for his excellent tackling and pass rush techniques. Swick's cheap two year contract is easy to cut if his lack of speed at age 34 proves too big of an obstacle to overcome.

With the subpar returns in the draft, management will now explore trades to address other areas of need, and may even be willing to cut rookies with guaranteed bonuses to field the best possible team in 2041. Check back for an update following the preseason, which kicks off with the defending Super Bowl champion Rapid Valley Shadow Dancers visiting Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

2041 preseason wrapup:

Who wants to go small? GM Nigel Worthington IV throws a Hail Mary pass to finish up a 3-1 preseason, when an opportunity presents itself in a notoriously trade averse Moguls league. The new owner of the Atlanta Falcons put his entire 53 man roster on the trade block, and presents Worthington a rare chance to shore up the Monarchs annually shaky offensive line. While being too slow to make an offer on 2040's #1 overall pick LT Ronald Ligon who was shipped to Detroit, the Monarchs GM pushes his chips to the center of the table before week 1 of the regular season. London trades Tasmania's first round pick in 2042, as well as their own first round picks in 2043 and 2044 and a 2044 second round pick to Atlanta to acquire LG Willard Bennett and LT Thomas Sorensen. With neither lineman older than age 25, the thought process was they will be able to remain cornerstones on the offensive line for the next 6-7 seasons and provide an upgrade as both run and pass blockers. Bennett has proven to be a quality blocker already, while Sorensen did surrender 18 sacks in 2040 which may have been connected to poor playcalling in Atlanta. However, Sorensen does have room to continue growing as a blocker and London offensive line coach Jay Martinson will be charged with helping him reach his full potential before he becomes a full time starter. While paying a steep price in draft picks, Worthington still has more pieces to trade to upgrade other areas of need on the roster.

After dropping the preseason opener to the Shadow Dancers, the Monarchs won their final three preseason contests against the Panthers, Hound Dogs and Falcons, where second year RB Tony Vinson rolled up an astounding 286 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 99 yard score. Vinson has been slotted as the #2 running back on the depth chart behind starter Von Popa, with veteran RB Obafemi Ayanbedejo still in the mix as well.

London made a number of expensive roster cuts to get down to the 53 man limit:

WR Raymond Williams - a waiver claim in the preseason, Williams didn't show enough promise to remain on the roster.

DT James Swick - the slow veteran played sparingly in the preseason, and despite some injuries on the defensive line would not have played much once the regulars returned.

RG Derek Rhyne - after being given a shot to prove himself as a pass blocker, surrendering two sacks in the preseason signed his ticket out of London.

WR Andre Riley - the 4th round rookie only made one catch in the preseason. Meanwhile, fellow 4th rounder Terence Davis, who experts assumed was more likely to be cut, surprised with three catches and two touchdowns, including a 76 yard score against Rapid Valley and will remain on the roster for now.

RB Judd Garrett - the second year RB appeared slow and failed to impress coaches, allowing veteran Victor X. Ebubedike to maintain his grip on the final spot in the Monarchs backfield.

FS Dedrick Dodge - another victim of the roster crunch. Dodge's speed wasn't enough to overcome his poor coverage skills, and rookie FS Harvey Wilson seems to have cemented his spot as the future starter at the position.

QB Bret Crosby - Crosby did not appear in the preseason, as veteran QB Eric Dunlap showed enough flashes to nail down the backup quarterback position for London.

RG Willie Hornsby and RT Dwayne Lane were also released after the trade with Atlanta for Bennett and Sorensen. CB Ronnie Herrera was claimed off waivers from the Panthers after the Monarchs 29-19 week 1 win over the South Brisbane Raiders, leading to the release of CB David Carver after one season in London.

Opening the season with seven straight games against 2040 playoff teams is a stiff challenge for the Royal Blue and Gold, who hope to remain in the mix for a playoff spot in the always challenging AFC. Look for an update later in the season.

Midseason report:
Record: 6-3 2nd place in AFC South

There's a good chance the Monarchs aren't even the best team in London anymore.

The Monarchs battled through a brutal early schedule facing seven straight playoff teams from 2040. After opening the year 2-0, a pair of humiliating losses to the Lions and Tigers by a combined score of 63-6 sent fans of the blue and gold into a panic. After another discouraging loss in week six to the Thrashers by a score of 34-17, London's 3-3 record was a major cause of concern. The culprit has been easy to target: the Monarchs' historically bad pass defense. After finishing 2040 with the #32 ranked pass defense, the squad has been infinitely worse this season. With London's offense struggling against some of the top defenses in the Moguls league, there was no way to hide the struggling secondary. Some defensive changes and depth chart shuffling has led to slightly better results during the team's current three game winning streak against the Bears, Devils and Blizzard, but rumbles are growing that defensive coordinator Jason Smith is likely to be replaced after the season. While unsuccessfully trying to trade for better defensive backs, management may decide that Smith makes an easy scapegoat.

The Monarchs are still working to find an identity on both sides of the ball. The passing game has been hit or miss, with the exception of WR Jon Horton, who currently leads the league with 9 touchdown receptions and third in the league with 591 yards receiving. With the Ravens surprising the league under new management with the combo of QB Barry Lopez and WR Christopher Gonzalez leading the league in their respective categories, fans looking for offensive fireworks may have better luck at the Rookery than at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With London's defensive struggles already highlighted, there have been a few individual standouts. MLB Danny Lockett leads the team with 63 tackles and 3 INTs, while LDE Tom Dovo has 8 sacks so far and is on pace for a new career high, surpassing the thirteen he has notched in each of his first three years in the league. While more experimenting is required this season to patch up the crew formerly known as the Tough Blokes, a major overhaul appears likely in 2042.

That soft rebuild will be more difficult with the loss of three first-round draft picks to Atlanta for LG Willard Bennett and LT Thomas Sorensen in a deal that in retrospect appears to be a bad misfire. While Bennett has started every game for London and Sorensen is a high-quality backup and future starter, having the draft picks to acquire younger defensive talent would have been the correct move. While trailing the Roswell Invaders by just one game in the division standings with a much softer second half schedule, the Monarchs appear more likely to be battling for a wild card berth in a crowded AFC conference. Check back for an update later in the season.

Midseason MVPs:
Offense: WR Jon Horton 34 receptions 591 yards receiving (3rd in league) 9 TDs (1st)
Defense: MLB Danny Lockett 62 tackles 3 INTs 7 passes defended

2041 final report:
Regular season record: 13-3 (AFC South Champion, #2 playoff seed)
Playoff record: 2-1 (lost in Conference Championship game)

Excuse me, but is this 2039 or 2040 or 2041? For the second straight season the London Monarchs end the regular season on a ten game winning streak to claim back to back AFC South division crowns with identical 13-3 records, only to lose a heartbreaking playoff game to the most dominant team in recent Football Moguls history, the three time defending AFC Champion Brooklyn Tigers.

After a week six loss to the Thrashers dropped London's record to 3-3, the Blue and Gold rattled off ten straight wins that allowed them to hold off the Roswell Invaders for the division title, thanks to a regular season sweep that left both teams with matching 13-3 records. That allowed London to open the playoffs at home, hosting an opponent from a number of hard fought postseason battles in the last decade, the Wilmington Argonauts. London beat Wilmington 37-10 in week five, a much different affair than their last playoff matchup, a thrilling 24-21 overtime win by London in the 2039 wild card round. A first quarter TD run by RB Tony Vinson helped the Monarchs post a 10-0 lead at halftime, but a touchdown run by backup RB Joshua Shepherd in the third trimmed the lead back to three, raising the tension in a sellout crowd of 62,303. However, London's run heavy game plan finally breaks through in the final quarter with scores on three straight possessions. RB Von Popa scores on a goal line plunge to put London back up by ten at 17-7, and a one yard touchdown pass from QB Preston Jones to TE George Payne and a field goal turn the tight game into a blowout as London wins 24-7. The Monarchs break off long runs all game against Wilmington, and finish with 312 yards on the ground, led by Popa's 128 yards and Vinson's 89 yards with one touchdown apiece. However, the Monarchs lose their regular season rushing leader Vinson to an ankle injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the playoff run, which will factor into the team's postseason destiny.

The win sets up a rematch with the perennial playoff powerhouse Arkansas Thrashers in the divisional round. After the Thrashers 34-17 win in week six, fans were rightfully concerned that the high scoring visitors would end their playoff dreams. Hosting the latest home game in franchise history (who knew that Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had a retractable roof?), London once again leaned into their ground attack to keep the ball away from Arkansas, but a missed field goal by K Brandon Shah kept the game scoreless at halftime. London's pass defense which has been a major liability all season played brilliantly to keep Thrashers QB Thomas Carlisle under wraps all day, limiting him to only 100 net yards passing. The tide finally turns in the third quarter, when Monarchs MLB Danny Lockett intercepts Carlisle at the London 44. The defensive stand sets up London for a one yard touchdown run by RB Obafemi Ayanbedejo late in the period for a 7-0 lead. The defense and running game hold the line in the fourth quarter, and the fans celebrate London's second straight playoff squeaker against the Thrashers with the 7-0 win (6-3 win at Arkansas in 2039 divisional round). For the second straight week the Monarchs lose a key offensive playmaker, as RB Von Popa suffers a leg injury that will sideline him for the AFC Championship game against Brooklyn, who cruised to a 27-7 divisional round win against Roswell, the team that ruined their dreams of a perfect season with a 20-14 upset win in week 16.

Clearly in the role of David, London faces off against a Tigers team that ran roughshod over the league with a 15-1 record. Brooklyn features arguably the most dominant defense in Moguls history posting eight regular season shutouts, as well as five games allowing just single field goals (including a humiliating 29-3 Brooklyn victory in London's home opener in week 4). After Brooklyn demolished London 26-3 in the 2039 conference championship on the way to their first Super Bowl championship, fans of both teams are stunned in the early going of this game. After receiving the opening kickoff, London's depleted running back crew pulls a surprise, as WR Stephan Howard breaks a tackle on the fifth play from scrimmage and scampers 61 yards for a touchdown, silencing the near capacity crowd at Ebbets Field. On the team's second possession Tigers RB Ben Copeland fumbles at the Brooklyn 25, giving London a short field to work with. The offense takes advantage once again, as QB Preston Jones calls his own number on third and six from the Brooklyn 9 and runs in a touchdown for a shocking 14-0 first quarter lead. The dreams of one of the biggest upsets in Moguls playoff history begins to unravel in the second quarter. With injuries decimating London's rushing attack, backup RB Victor X. Ebubedike is pressed into service on the day, with disastrous results. Driving with the possibility of at least a field goal to go ahead by three scores, Tiger LB Omar Sitton gets the first of his two forced fumbles at the Brooklyn 34. That allows the Tigers to regain their footing, and cap a nine play scoring drive with a thirteen yard touchdown pass from QB Brandon Collins to TE Ralph Smythe just before the two minute warning to cut the lead in half at 14-7 at the break. Speaking of breaks, Brooklyn catches a major one midway through the third quarter. Facing a third and one at the London 10, Monarchs LDE Tom Dovo catches Copeland behind the line of scrimmage and forces a fumble. But the old saying about "that's how the ball bounces" holds true, as Copeland amazingly recovers his own fumble and streaks through traffic for an eleven yard touchdown that completes the comeback for Brooklyn and ties the game at 14-14 heading into the final fifteen minutes.

However disappointing it was to see the two touchdown lead evaporate, London punter Robert Little can't say he didn't do his part. Little pins Brooklyn back at their own 9 yard line late in the third quarter, but the Tigers offense, which can be just as dominant as their defense, will not stop their march for a third straight Super Bowl appearance. The Tigers move down the field seemingly at will and finally grab their first lead of the game, capping an eleven play ninety one yard drive with a fifteen yard touchdown pass from Collins to TE Mike Ditka for a 21-14 lead with 9:09 remaining. After a short drive ends, another Little punt puts the Tigers in the shadows of their own goalpost at the Brooklyn five with just over six minutes remaining. Any hopes of a stand by the tired Monarchs defense are crushed by the Tigers, with Copeland effectively slamming the door with a thirty two yard touchdown run ending an eight play ninety five yard scoring drive giving Brooklyn a comfortable 28-14 lead. Perhaps with their spirits broken after being dominated so throughly in the final ten minutes, RB Obafemi Ayanbedejo is stripped by LB Omar Sitton at the London 12, setting up Copeland for his third touchdown of the second half, a three yard score that makes the final score 34-14. The Tigers have now knocked the Monarchs out of the playoffs for the third straight year, and have won five straight games between the two squads overall, most of them in dominating fashion.

While being realistic that beating the Tigers without a full strength roster was a long shot, seeing the big lead wiped out and a complete defensive collapse in the fourth quarter is still disappointing. With a fairly talented defensive line and linebacking corps that could use some more depth and increased pressure on opposing quarterbacks, improving London's secondary is an absolute necessity in 2042. Rumbles continue that defensive coordinator Jason Smith is likely on his way out the door, especially with Brooklyn exploiting a blitz heavy defense in the Conference Championship game. Looking to improve the London passing offense beyond WR Jon Horton will be another priority in the coming season, when the Monarchs will look to play for the biggest crown, a Super Bowl title, in 2042.

Offensive MVP:
WR Jon Horton 55 receptions 924 yards (2nd in league) 10 touchdowns (1st in league)

Defensive MVP:
MLB Danny Lockett 106 tackles (led team) 2 sacks 4 INTs (led team) 1 forced fumble 1 fumble recovery