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Oh boy, where to start? A frenetic off-season hits England's capital.

Retirements:
RB Von Popa - the first domino to fall in the Monarchs' busy start to the 2043 season. London's lead running back retires at age 30 after spending his final three seasons in Blue and Gold. After being acquired from the Shadow Dancers before the 2040 season, Popa became an effective rusher and pass receiver out of the backfield, and stands fifth all time on the Monarchs career rushing list with 2836 yards and 14 touchdowns, including 959 yards and 2 touchdowns in his final campaign. His loss pushed 4th year RB Tony Vinson to the top of the RB depth chart - for a little while.

RB Derrick Henry - A first round pick of the OrangeCrush in 2033, Henry spent the majority of his career with the Shadow Dancers, before signing for his final season in London where he rushed for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding a receiving touchdown in limited work. The loss of a pair of running backs made adding backfield depth a priority heading into free agency.

Coaching changes:
More of a carousel than in most off-seasons, head coach David Kirby had to make a number of changes to his support staff heading into the 2043 campaign. Quarterbacks coach Robert Hanna retired, after serving at his post through the Monarchs' renaissance since 2032. Hanna led the way for solid passing attacks by former QB Matthew Avila as well as current starter Preston Jones, and always kept London in contention for a postseason berth. Hanna was replaced by former Del Fuego Phoenix/Golden Dragon head coach Joshua Singh, who was fired by Los Angeles after the 2042 season.

The next coaching change came on the defensive side, where linebackers coach Arthur Ellis was hired away by the crosstown Ravens to serve as their new defensive coordinator. Ellis had been the Monarchs LB coach since 2034, in charge of what traditionally has been the strongest part of the team's defense. Ellis was initially replaced by former Blizzard LB coach Richard Cunningham. But under murky circumstances, allegedly connected to an argument about London pubs not being as good as an establishment called Arnold's Diner in his native Wisconsin, Cunningham was fired before ever coaching a game. The Monarchs were able to outbid several other teams to sign former Barbarians head coach Joe Henson instead, to hopefully continue guiding London's deep linebacking squad.

Hoping to prevent any further coaching staff shakeups, defensive line coach John Gay and tight ends coach Grant Ledbetter were both signed to contract extensions to stay with the team they both joined in 2034.

Free Agency:
GM Nigel Worthington IV burns up the phone lines looking for talented players wherever he can find them.
Trades:
CB Casey Timmons: the first move comes via a need by the Dildozers to free up salary cap space under new ownership. After an expensive start to free agency, Brawndo needed to dump salaries. London was happy to swoop in and trade for third year CB Timmons, who has great speed, acceleration and intelligence, and room to continue improving his pass coverage. London was willing to trade their second and fifth round picks in a lower quality 2042 draft to get a more proven defender, as well as the Dildozers's 2045 third round pick.

RB Raymond Gamble - however, London didn't hold onto that Dildozers pick very long. Presumed lead RB Tony Vinson suffered a serious leg injury in preseason game two against the Devils, which is expected to keep him out until close to midseason. Unwilling to go through a large chunk of the season without enough depth at the important position, the Monarchs reach out to their favorite RB factory - the Rapid Valley Shadow Dancers. London sends the Brawndo pick to acquire Gamble, further down Rapid Valley's depth chart, but who has shown flashes as an above average rusher and pass catcher, especially in the Shadow Dancers' 2042 march to their second Super Bowl title in three years against the AFC team London can never defeat - the Brooklyn Tigers.

Both Timmons and Gamble signed team friendly six year contracts after their trades to keep the youngsters in London's long term plans.

Signings:
P Robert Little - management had expected the 35 year old to retire after last season, but when he didn't, he was immediately re-signed for his sixth season in London.

K Brandon Shah - another unexpected non-retiree, London had to overpay to outbid the Rocky Mountain Bronx and OrangeCrush to retain the only kicker the team has used since 2031.

CB Ryan Bennett - always looking to improve their defensive backfield, London signs the 31 year old cornerback from the Roswell Invaders for a two year deal. Bennett recorded 70 tackles, 22 passes defended and 3 INTs for Roswell in 2042, and the Monarchs hope he can be as successful during his games with London.

LDE James "Bucky" Barnes - Barnes lands on his fourth team in the Moguls league, but is coming off a strong year for the Oakland Panthers in their last season before relocating to Birmingham. Barnes recorded 36 tackles and 14 sacks for the Panthers in 2042, and after recording another sack in London's preseason opener he may strong-arm his way into more playing time along the defensive line.

LDE Lucas Wurster - another veteran defensive lineman, Wurster comes to London after spending his entire career with the Real Kayfabe. Wurster notched 33 tackles and 4 sacks for the Kayfabe last season, and made a huge splash in his Monarchs debut with his first career defensive touchdown on a rumbling twenty-six-yard interception return against the Demons in a wild 55-10 win in preseason week one. While not expecting fireworks like that on a regular basis, Wurster appears to be a quality vet who can play across the defensive line.

RG Quentin Welborn - looking to add some depth to the offensive line, London signs the backup guard, who's played sparingly for the Memphis/Salt Lake City franchise. The 30 year old was signed to a cheap two year contract, and will have to impress coaches to make the final roster.

C Jason Stevens - Stevens comes to London on a minimum salary one year deal after starting four games for the Terror in 2042. Looking to be primarily a backup and special teams lineman, he makes up for poor speed with slightly above average strength and excellent blocking technique.

WR Paul Gray - another Shadow Dancer postseason hero, the 2036 first round pick moves to the capital city. Gray recorded 33 catches for 408 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, but shined in the Super Bowl with 4 catches for 98 yards and a TD. The 29 year old has a knack for big catches, and hopefully will help London's passing attack stretch the field, and may even see some work on the return team, after disgruntled return man Sean Foster spurned London's contract offers and signed with the Dildozers.

QB Eric Dunlap - another player who decided it wasn't time to hang up his cleats yet, the 35 year old Dunlap signed another minimum contract to return for his third year in London. While no real threat to established starter Preston Jones, Dunlap has exploded in the preseason of what is expected to be his final campaign.

RB Henri Boudreaux - even before Vinson's preseason injury, London was looking to shore up their backfield depth. The Monarchs sign the former Thrasher Boudreaux, who had an impressive 2042 season with 1049 rushing yards and 4 TDs. London got to see firsthand what the 31 year old had left in the tank with a 75 yard touchdown run in the Monarchs' 24-16 win over Arkansas in last year's wild card round.

RB Victor X. Ebubedike - London re-signs another one of their own free agents after the draft, bringing back the 29 year old Ebubedike. While not playing often in the last few seasons, he has scored a touchdown in each of London's first two preseason games this year and may be able to hang on as an emergency RB.

In other salary cap related moves, second-year WR Toderick Malone, fourth-year offensive lineman John Mazzotta and 2037 second round pick CB Corris Ervin were all signed to contract extensions to remain with the Monarchs.

2043 draft:
After shipping off two picks to the Dildozers to acquire the young CB Timmons London has less to work with, but still picks up some potentially useful youngsters after a solid training camp.

2-23 DT Shelton Thompson (+6/+5 now 48/79) - London has to wait until day two to make their first selection, picking up the fast, strong defensive lineman. While rated better as a run stopper, Thompson has already recorded a sack in the preseason and will likely be the eventual replacement for longtime DT Cameron Couch who is nearing retirement at age 33.

4-26 TE Michael Titley (+11/+3 now 58/72) - once again looking towards the future, the Monarchs pick up a tight end with excellent speed and strength, but who needs more improvement in his mediocre receiving skills. With exceptional route running and courage, coaches are hoping he can bring down some contested catches and be a useful contributor.

7-18 WLB Steve Moss (+5/+3 now 40/68) - originally drafted as a safety, the speedy Moss switched to LB and has impressed coaches with five tackles and a sack in his first two preseason games. With better pass defensive skills than his ratings would indicate, Moss has a chance to snatch a roster spot from one of London's older backup linebackers.

7-26 LG William Wolf (+3/+1 now 40/65) - London's final draft pick had solid speed and exceptional strength, but with no improvement in his poor pass blocking skills, Wolf was cut following the draft to free up roster space for other signees.

RB Ronnie Copley (+3/+0 now 41/70) - drafted by the Wraiths in the fifth round as a quarterback, London viewed him before the draft as a better running back prospect. After getting cut by Las Vegas, Copley started off with a bang, running for 53 yards and a touchdown against the Demons, and while probably never becoming a great pass catcher could use his excellent speed bursting out of the backfield.

RB Gerald Morgan (+1/+3 now 33/63) - another rookie QB to RB convert, the sixth-round pick of the Pirates was less impressive in his two preseason games and was waived prior to game three for other waiver wire pickups to get a shot at making the Monarchs.

Waiver claims:
RT James Passmore - after getting signed and released by the Bangles in the preseason, the former Wraith comes over to London. With poor speed and strength, but excellent blocking skills, Passmore hasn't had many opportunities to play so far, but recovered a fumble against the Demons and may be able to hang on as a backup.

LDE Roscoe Petit - a second-round pick of the Demons as a WLB in 2042, Petit never appeared in a regular season game for San Francisco. The Monarchs are intrigued that his combination of speed and strength may make him a better defensive end, and will play him there for the rest of the preseason.

The game of musical chairs with the preseason trade for RB Gamble and other waiver claims meant there was no room left for declining CB Christopher Evans, who was released after playing the last four plus seasons for the Monarchs.

With all the wheeling and dealing, management and coaches will have a number of extremely difficult decisions to make to trim the current 60 man roster down to the final 53 man limit. Look for an update close to the regular season to see which players will help lead the Monarchs into battle in 2043.

2043 preseason wrapup:

Let's get ready to Rumble (Pony)! More front office chaos as London prepares to enter the regular season.

The Monarchs finish an up and down preseason with a 2-2 record. After exploding out of the gates with a pair of dominant showings in blowout wins over the Demons and Devils, London falls to a pair of NFC powerhouses. While playing the always dominant Los Angeles XTreme close, a furious fourth quarter comeback falls short with a failed two point conversion attempt with one minute remaining in the game leading to a 16-15 defeat. In the final preseason tuneup against the Super Bowl champion Rapid Valley Shadow Dancers, a crew of mostly backups don't put up much of a fight in an uninspired 24-3 loss. The Shadow Dancers record six sacks in the game, and a broken tackle 42 yard touchdown run by RB Valentine Hembree and a pair of touchdown passes by backup QB Jason Boykin provide more than enough offense for the world champs. Adding insult to injury, LDE Lucas Wurster suffers a serious neck injury in the loss. After debating putting the veteran lineman on the IR and losing him for the entire season, management decides to deactivate him and hope the rest of the roster has enough depth to withstand his loss until week 10 or later.

London coaches have some difficult roster cuts and drama getting down to the 53 man roster entering the regular season:

SLB Milton Whitener - the 32 year old had a solid preseason with 14 tackles and a sack, but after appearing in all sixteen games with two starts in 2042 Whitener wouldn't have been re-signed after this year and was deemed expendable.

TE George Payne - the Monarchs' first round pick in 2033, Payne moved further down the tight end depth chart after London picked speedy rookie TE Michael Titley in the 4th round this season. Payne's declining speed and pass catching skills made the difficult decision necessary, but he still finishes his London career with 354 catches 2979 yards and 14 TDs in ten seasons with the club.

RT James Passmore - after getting claimed off waivers from the Bangles in the preseason, Passmore didn't do enough to win over coaches, and giving up a pair of sacks to Rapid Valley in the preseason finale sealed his fate.

CB Larry Buckman - the veteran defensive back played sparingly for the Monarchs after getting signed in 2042, and recorded just 7 tackles and a sack in his lone season in London.

LDE Roscoe Petit - another preseason waiver claim, Petit had only two games to try to convince management he could make the switch from WLB to DE. With only one tackle and a QB hurry in his two appearances Petit failed to make his case and was released.

LT Seth Dittman - time to get into the drama. The sixth year pro had continued tumbling down the offensive line depth chart for years, as his suspect pass blocking skills got more and more exposed. The final straw appeared to be when he gave up two of his three preseason sacks against the Shadow Dancers. Management looked for a trade partner for the backup lineman, and surprisingly found one in the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. In what initially looked like an absolute miracle trade, Binghamton agreed to send the Salt Lake Templars 2045 second round pick to the Monarchs in return for Dittman. However, shortly after agreeing to the deal, the Rumble Ponies GM had his first cup of coffee for the day and realized he'd made a terrible mistake. London management put down their celebratory pints of Guinness and agreed to reverse the trade with Binghamton, taking back the disgruntled Dittman. With the lack of interest in his services blatantly obvious to all parties involved, Dittman was mercifully cut from the team that drafted him in the third round in 2038.

SLB/FS/RDE Kirk Hardy - the man without a position finds himself without a team after being London's final cut. Coaches could never figure out how to use the former first round pick in his season plus with the Monarchs. His preseason prowess as a pass defender never translated to the regular season, while appearing in all sixteen games for London last year. After a position switch to linebacker this year, Hardy was still unhappy with his lack of extended playing time, and the decision to not put DE Lucas Wurster on the IR to free up another roster spot meant there was no room to keep Hardy. Management is gambling that seventh round rookie WLB Steve Moss will be able to fill a spot as a backup LB.

The Monarchs now head into the regular season, where they start the year with four consecutive road games beginning at the Battle Creek Barbarians. London fans will have to wait until October to see the royal blue home uniforms against the always feisty Los Angeles The Red Dragon in week five. Look for an update later in the season.

Congratulations to RDE Chris Thompson for becoming the all time sack leader for the Indianapolis/London franchise. Thompson recorded his first two sacks of the season in the Monarchs 62-0 victory over the Ravens in week 9, and now stands at 70 career sacks, surpassing LDE Landon Sims (2017-2029) and DT Robert Appleton (2017-2032) tied for second place on the all time list with 69 sacks apiece. A fourth round pick in 2033, Thompson has been slowed by injuries the last few seasons, recording just 15 total sacks in 2041-43, after registering double digit sacks each season from 2037-2040. Despite his declining pass rush statistics Thompson has remained a valuable defensive player, and management is currently debating extending the 32 year old's contract that expires at the end of the year.

Look for a mid-season report on the 2043 Monarchs season shortly.

Midseason report:
Record: 9-1 1st place in AFC South

The season starts now.

They say the past is prologue, and that will be the case for the 2043 London Monarchs. After rolling to a surprising 9-1 record and a two game lead over the Roswell Invaders and rebounding Los Angeles The Red Dragon in the AFC South, the real work begins. Perhaps aided by rolling through their full non-conference schedule against the struggling NFC East, London has stormed through the early part of the season with a number of blowout wins. The Monarchs currently stand as the second highest scoring team in the league, trailing only the high flying Jackson County NJ Upside Down Sicilians. The only challenges to the Blue and Gold so far were a narrow three point overtime win against the Red Dragon in week five and a hard fought 26-21 loss against the AFC North leading South Brisbane Raiders in week seven for the squad's sole defeat. London's players may have taken the Raiders loss as a wakeup call, as they followed that game by demolishing their next three opponents by a combined score of 158-12. London's week nine victory over the crosstown Ravens was notable for a pair of reasons: the 62-0 win marked both the highest scoring game in Indianapolis/London franchise history, topping a 56-7 win over Jacksonville in 2018 week 9, as well as the biggest shutout win ever, besting a 51-0 win over Denver in 2039 week 4.

However, none of that matters heading into the final six games of the 2043 regular season. Every game remaining on the slate is against a high quality AFC opponent, and most could carry major postseason implications. The first hurdle is by far the most imposing, as the Monarchs travel to face their biggest nemesis - the four-time defending AFC champion, undefeated Brooklyn Tigers. The Tigers are currently riding a seven game winning streak against London going back to the 2039 AFC Championship game, and knocked the Monarchs out of the last four postseason tournaments. Despite all of London's success earlier this season, anything less than a competitive showing against the Brooklyn powerhouse may bring the team's pedigree into question. Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming game in Brooklyn, the Monarchs caught no breaks for their remaining schedule either. Home games with the second place Terre Haute Terror, AFC West leading Las Vegas Wraiths, as well as divisional rematches against the Red Dragon, Invaders and Rocky Mountain Bronx mean London's fate for this season is far from determined.

The Monarchs have been playing efficient mistake-free football on the offensive side of the ball, capitalizing on every opportunity presented by their defense. QB Preston Jones is having perhaps the finest season of his career, throwing for a modest 1665 yards, but making every throw count with 21 touchdown passes (3rd in league) and just 3 interceptions. The team's rushing attack has used the "next man up" approach due to injury, and keeps coming at opponents in waves. RB Obafemi Ayanbedejo leads the team with 647 yards (6th in league), while still searching for his first rushing touchdown of the season. Foot and leg injuries have limited presumed RB1 Tony Vinson to just three games this season, but veteran RB Henri Boudreaux (487 yards, 2 TDs) and Raymond Gamble (469 yards, 2 TDs) have helped pick up the slack. Preston Jones's favorite target remains the stellar WR Jon Horton, who continues his attack on the franchise receiving record book. Horton once again leads the team in receptions (37), yards (446 - 20th in league), and touchdown receptions (10 - tie 1st in league). Horton now also holds the record for most receiving TDs in team history, with his 60 scoring grabs surpassing the old record of 57 held by the team's first-ever draft pick WR Jonathan Baucom (2017-26). Third-year WR Tony Sargent appears to be finally coming into his own this season with a 21-352-3 receiving line, and may be ready to take over soon as the lead receiver with Horton inching closer to retirement.

London's defense has been a cohesive team unit, with just a few standout individual performances. SLB Mike Renna (36 tackles 3 sacks 9 passes defended) and MLB Danny Lockett (32 tackles 2 INTs) continue London's tradition of strong linebackers, while LDE Tom Dovo (14 tackles, 4 sacks, 12 QB hurries 1 INT) remains the best the Monarchs have to offer from a somewhat disappointing pass rushing attack so far. If the Tough Blokes can keep their opponents in check and continue setting up the offense in good spots London's faithful fans should have more to cheer for in the final six games of the regular season.

On the business side of the ball, GM Nigel Worthington IV has made only some minor adjustments. Backup SS Reggie Holt was shipped to the Argonauts for Wilmington's 2045 third round and 2046 fourth round picks. Holt was no threat to unseat starting SS Dan Crossman, who still appears to have several more seasons of quality football remaining in his career. To fill the void from the Holt trade, the Monarchs signed former XTreme first round pick Mitchell Taylor to a one year minimum contract, and will reexamine the position heading into next season. A serious concussion to veteran starting C Jacob Brown led to another minimum contract for journeyman backup Jerry Mitchell, who has performed reasonably well in three starts - rookie RB Ronnie Copley was released to make room on the roster for Mitchell. Meanwhile, veteran CB/SS David Lynn was claimed off waivers from the Duckies prior to week 11 and has yet to make an appearance for London. Aging TE John David who has lost speed and strength and was passed on the depth chart by rookie TE Michael Titley was released from the final year of his contract, as he would not have been re-signed. Finally, as a reward for the team's impressive showing on offense this season, Offensive Coordinator Daniel Morin was rewarded with a five year contract extension, which will keep him in the position he's held since joining the team in 2038.

With a fairly deep roster holding up against a number of injuries on both sides of the ball, London appears primed to return to the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. As every remaining opponent on the schedule is in the hunt for an AFC playoff berth as well, not a single game can be taken for granted. Look for an update later in the season.

Midseason MVPs:
Offense co-MVPs:
QB Preston Jones 1665 yards passing (19th) 21 TDs (3rd) 3 INTs 6.80 YPA (7th) 113.05 QBR (1st)
RB Obafemi Ayanbedejo 647 yards rushing (6th) 5.6 YPC 7 catches 37 yards 1 TD
WR Jon Horton 37 catches 446 yards 10 TDs (tie-1st)
Defense: SLB Mike Renna 36 tackles (2nd on team) 3 sacks (2nd on team) 5 QB hurries (2nd on team) 9 passes defended (leads team)

2043 final report:
Regular season record: 14-2 (AFC South Champion, #2 playoff seed)
Playoff record: 2-1 (lost in AFC Championship game)

The Monarchs conclude one of the most successful seasons in franchise history.

London sets a new mark for most regular season wins in 2043 with a 14-2 mark, and the fourth straight AFC South division title - the team's fifth in the last six seasons. The Monarchs' fourteen wins tops the previous record of 13-3 posted five times in team history, most recently in 2040-41, 2038, the team's lone Super Bowl championship year of 2022, and the very first season of the Football Moguls league in 2017. However, London was able to avenge only one of those regular-season defeats in the playoffs.

After opening the playoffs with a 21-9 win over the Argonauts, London rolled to a stunning 48-0 shutout win over the South Brisbane Raiders, who defeated the Monarchs 26-21 in week 7. But the Cinderella season came to an all too familiar end in the AFC Championship game, as the Brooklyn Tigers punched their ticket to an astounding fifth consecutive Super Bowl appearance with an easy 27-13 win. Brooklyn runs their winning streak against London to nine straight games since 2039, including three times in the conference championship game (2039, 2041, 2043) and five consecutive playoff matchups overall. Brooklyn also notched a 34-14 win over London in week eleven on their way to a 16-0 regular season and looks to become the first undefeated Super Bowl champion in Moguls history when they face off in a rematch against the defending champion Rapid Valley Shadow Dancers. The Shadow Dancers are chasing some history of their own after knocking off the Tigers last year in Super Bowl 26 and are hoping to become just the third repeat champion in league history.

The future and the roster of the London Monarchs continue to be up in the air for 2044, but a winning culture and attitude will be the goal of the Blue and Gold moving forward.

Offensive MVP:
QB Preston Jones 2596 yards passing 31 TDs (4th in league) 7 INTs 104.74 QBR (led league in qualifying QBs)

Defensive MVP:
SLB Mike Renna 69 tackles (led team) 4 sacks 9 QB hurries 12 passes defended 2 forced fumbles (tied for team lead) 2 fumbles recovered (led team)

Please note: London management is dealing with non football related issues at the moment and will hopefully resume team coverage at a future date. Thank you.

Look for an updated newsletter from London's favorite sons coming soon!

Love the graphic!