2037 Off-Season and Early Free Agency

Retirements: C Timothy Johnson

Free Agent Losses: T Cecil McWilliams, G Javier Webster

There wasn't any major turnover in the off-season. QB John Spartan and DE Michael Cherrito have both returned to their final contract year. Although retirement could be realized at the end of this season, they will no longer be rostered with the Thrashers come 2038. "These decisions have not come lightly," noted Owner Timothy Thompson, "but that is our current reality, in any case."

Early Free Agency

The Thrasher's front office created some interesting moves, beginning with the trade for LB Ken Webb for what amounts to a 2037 3rd Round Pick. Webb has excellent speed, tackling, and man coverage skills. Instantly, the linebacking group got deeper and faster.

Then, to move another 2037 pick, it was coupled with a round 4 for 2038 for Detroit's 3rd round pick in 2038. Arkansas had already traded off its 3rd round pick, so now, it gained it back (and potentially moved up higher in order).

C Archie Armstrong was signed in early free agency to add some depth at Center behind Matt Hooper. Armstrong will primarily be used in passing down situations.

QB Calvin Hahn was traded to the Thrashers from the Invaders for 2037 2nd, 4th, and a 2039 3rd round pick. Hahn is expected to take over the mantle from John Spartan at some point. If not this season, next season. Hahn will be a stop-gap of sorts but the team has no plans to draft a QB this season. Contract negotiations are on-going.

Long-time Punter Mike Walker is simultaneously flirting with retirement and requesting a $15million dollar bonus to re-sign with the Thrashers. The team signed David Martinez to a 6 year contract and could cut Walker before the end of preseason, depending on Martinez' development.

Finally, on day three of Early Free Agency, the team added some offensive line depth with the signing of Tackle David Trudeau. He is primarily expected to help in run blocking.

2037 Draft

(1:29) Peter Venkman, CB/FS Minnesota, 5'11" 205 lbs
The Thrashers selected Venkman as a pure need to get faster and younger in the secondary, but the cover man is not a guaranteed starter with Alonzo Harris and Nat Romanov holding those outside corners. However, Venkman has potential to grow into the role; the rookie is currently the only player on the secondary roster younger than 28 years old. He should slim up moving to CB, and if he has a good camp, Venkman will be a stalwart in the secondary for the next 8-10 years.

(2.12) Raymond Stantz, G/T West Virginia. 6'2" 320lbs.
Stantz will provide some heft and speed to the offensive line. He's set to contribute immediately on passing downs, either at guard or tackle, but he might be able to hold his own in a pinch on some running plays.

(4.12) Winston Zeddemore, TE/FB Michigan State. 6'4" 241lbs.
Winston Zeddemore immediately improves the tight end corps of the Thrashers, especially with his blocking potential. TE John W. Creasy is coming into his age 29 season and will still serve as the primary receiving threat, but Zeddemore should easily step into TE2 and should make TEs, Michael Johnson and Julio Cole consider their futures with the team.

(4.15) Egon Spengler, LB Mississippi Valley State. 6'1" 265 lbs.
Spengler has a lot of raw tools in the way of speed and strength for a 4th round linebacker, but lacks quality potential in most necessary skills, like tackling and pass rushing. However, with a good camp, he could be a decent run defender and hold his own in man coverage. Luckily, the team doesn't need him to start at Mike position, so he could be a special team player and rotational support.

2037 Late Free Agency

T Robert Levine (from CIN) was signed off waivers to a 6-year contract. He is a disciplined, intelligent run-blocker, so look for him to be used in the "heavy" sets. This move puts T David Trudeau on the hot seat to make the roster.

QB Craig Hahn came to terms with the organization which we assume will be to take over the QB1 position from John Spartan. Hahn signed a 3-year $67million contract, so the team has made no fuss of it. Spartan disappointed, is still committed to the team and will be an invaluable locker room presence and mentor. In essence, he's a coach in uniform. This unfortunately does not bode well for QB3 Milton Surette, a nearly guaranteed roster cut.

2037 Rookie Training Camp

The "Ghostbusters" Rookie Class entered into Training Camp full of vim and vigor and only one truly disappointed: FB WInston Zeddemore had a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man-sized collapse, losing -9 points off his default rating. He has the raw strength but no other factor redeems this fourth round bust. Unfortunately, the team views him as a loose end and will part with him sooner rather later.

First round pick, CB Peter Venkman (+3) had the best camp and should be a team contributor for a long time. His Man Coverage skills are taking a while to develop, but he has a great floor to build on. Although it seems likely to be an heir apparent to cornerback crew, Venkman could potentially slide to Full Safety if needed.

Ray Stantz (-3) failed to live up to his draft position, but he still will play plenty of snaps on passing downs. The tackle brings a combination of speed, strength, intelligence, and discipline that will be useful for the team, and as the line continues to age. Stantz won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Egon Spengler (+2) lacks a lot of the tools to be an every down starter, but he fits best playing against the run. His got decent speed and great strength and his man coverage skills are not good but good enough as they say.

Other Notables from Camp

CB Raymond Hopper (-3) and T Chris Williams (-4) had terrible camps, mostly attributed to losing a step due to age. Both are in the final year of contract, and it might come down to a numbers game when roster cuts need to happen.

QB Milton Surette was the first major cut made by the organization. The team will carry the veteran leadership of John Spartan as the back up to Craig Hahn. There's not much quarterback controversy leading up to this moment. Hahn earned the gig in camp. Although both QBs were incredibly accurate, Hahn ultimately made better decisions under pressure. The scheme doesn't require Spartan's (still) stronger arm, so Coach Terry Caskey had no worries tasking Spartan with holding the clipboard.

QB John Spartan to Start Final Preseason Game

The organization and fans are a-buzz to see that John Spartan will start the final pre-season game for the Arkansas Thrashers. Whether or not the honor is ceremonial, remains to be seen. Craig Hahn has been efficient through 3 games as the starter, throwing 50/74 for 394 yards but only managed 1 TD and 2 INTs. In addition, the Thrashers agreed to a 3-year $67 million contract with Hahn, so the writing is on the wall for Spartan. Spartan on the other hand has barely completed 50% of his passes but has 2 TDs to 1 INT in the same stretch. It makes one wonder if Spartan could start a game or two to pad his future Hall of Fame career. Spartan lacks 120 completions reaching 5000 total. He's only missing 11 TDs to reach 375 regular season TDs. Could he pull a Brian Roberts in the playoffs for one last hurrah? Who knows, really. One thing is for sure: you never know in Football Moguls. Never say never.

2037 Pre-Season Report

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'."
--Bob Dylan

The John Spartan era is officially over. The depth chart report lists Calvin Hahn as the Week 1 starter against the 2036 Champion Brawndo Corp. Dildozers, and the Thrasher organization feels good about their current station. The computer even has the Thrashers as the top team in the league, currently.

The team was already undergoing a transformation last season to become more run-heavy (towards balanced, in any case) on offense and execute a man-defense scheme. That transition has been fully employed now. To what end is always the question. I guess, we will find out very soon.

Here are some musings from the preseason:

Pass attempt distance is way down, by one-third. Spartan's career yards per attempt in the preseason was 7.09. The combined averaged YPA for Thrasher QBs was 4.46 this preseason.

Sacks are way up against the Thrasher O-Line. Doubled from last preseason, but this seems to be league-wide. Hahn and Spartan are pocket-passers, not scramblers. Could this be problematic across the regular season?

Rushing is the new Passing. Average yards per carry are quite tasty for the team. H. Boudreaux, Infernus, and Donnie-boy are averaging over 5.0 ypc. Infernus, although injured for a couple of more weeks, was averaging an unsustainable 9.2 ypc before the injury.

The QBs continue to spread the love around, and TE John W. Creasy snagged more ***** this preseason than is typical. This could have been game-scheme, but it'll be interesting to see where he ends up at the end of the season.

On the defense, sacks are up big-time. The team could have double-digit sackers for the first time in multiple years...if they can stay healthy. The team is so injured RDE Scott Meyer was signed from Free Agency put another body on the field. If the front four can get healthy, look out!

No major changes were made in the linebacking and secondary. CB Peter Venkman is still finding his way, and his man-coverage skills are developing slow. The team will throw him into FS situations as well, but he's going to be a vital part of the team's future.

P Mike Walker wound up re-upping with the team for three more years, and T'Challa King signed a shiny new 6 year contract.

2037 Q1 Report

Current Record: 4-0

The Thrashers have been dominant through the first quarter of the 2037 season, ranking in the top 10 offensively and defensively in pretty much every significant category. Through the first four games, the team outscored opponents 103-21, and the defense has only yield a single touchdown, which came in Game 4 versus division rival, Independence Pirates.

Offensively, QB Craig Hahn is faring well but isn't electric. Many pundits wonder if John Spartan could produce the same if not better, but the die has been cast, so to speak, so we won't dwell on this matter. Hahn has thrown for as many TDs and he has INTs, but the passing game has looked pretty good for the most part. Hahn matriculates the team down the field and into scoring position more often than not.

The running game is solid under Henri Boudreaux and Ignatius Infernus, a true thunder and lightning combo. Boudreaux pounds the interior, wearing down the defensive line for nearly 17 carries per game while Infernus blazes on the outside at six yards per clip. Boudreaux is also the team's most consistent receiver as well, snagging 28 passes over the first four games.

The receiving threat of S. Pentecost, M. Boudreaux, and G. Crume has been adequate. Pentecost leads the team in receiving yards and TDs (2) while Crume leads in depth of field over 20 yards per catch. Muhammad Boudreaux has been reliable as a possession receiver.

Defensively, Michael Cherrito has once again worked his way to the top of the team's sack chart with 7 sacks, which means in his 13 season, the future Hall of Famer just secured his 100th sack--very rare air, indeed. Teammate Ronald Surface has notched 6 for himself as well. SS Ira Lewis leads the team in INTs with 3. Many wonder the striking absence of Alonzo Harris from the stat sheet, but we dug deeper to see that Harris really isn't being targeted at all. He's only allowed 3 catches all season but has appeared in over 90% of passing downs. QBs just don't throw his way.

Upcoming, the team faces a stretch of 3 of 4 away games, the first of which being against the Irvine Anteaters.

Check back later for the mid-season report.

2037 Breaking News!

QB Calvin Hahn was not available for practice today due to a non-injury and is not expected to start tomorrow's game. Reports from within the organization confirmed that is an illness but it is not COVID-related. Barring any major recovery, future Hall of Fame QB John Spartan will saddle up to ride one more time. The team only carries 2 QBs, so Hahn will be available in an emergency situation.

The team is not expected to make any long term adjustments as they sit comfortably at 6-1 and lead the division. Catching up with Coach Caskey only confirmed this: "Calvin is our quarterback. We're sure he'll be back the week after when we host the Kayfabe in Little Rock."

2037 Mid-Season Report

Current Record: 7-1

The Thrashers lead the AFC with the best record (7-1) in the toughest division in the conference as well. Currently, the AFC East is the only division in the Football Moguls that each team is sitting at .500 or better.

Best match: Roswell Invaders @ Arkansas Thrashers, Final Score 34-30, Arkansas Wins
In a game that Arkansas turned over the ball 4 times (Roswell, 3), The title could have read Stacker Pentecost vs Elliot Ali. Pentecost caught 12 passes for 160 yards and 1 TD while Elliot Ali ran for 139 yards and a TD and snagged 5 catches for 45 yards. The game came down to Calvin Hahn's TD pass to Stacker Pentecost with 1:17 left to play. Roswell was marching down the field when time expired.

Offensive MVP: Henri Boudreaux, RB
Boudreaux has been excellent and consist all season. He's averaging 5.0 yards per carry and is the only player close to 1,000 scrimmage yards and 5 total TDs. He's compiled 609 yards on the ground and caught 42 ***** for 362 yards and 2 TDs.

Defensive MVP: Ira Lewis, SS
Lewis has been with the team for four seasons, but he's (co-)leading the team in Interceptions with 3, while having 12 Knockdowns and 23 tackles. He's only allowing catches on 32% of throws his way. The 3 INTs are the most Lewis has ever managed in one season (and we're only 8 games in).

2037 3rd Quarter Report

Current Record: 11-1

Prediction Corner - Offense
Currently, Calvin Hahn ranks 1st in TDs thrown, 2nd in QB Rating (among qualifying QBs), and 3rd in Passing Yards. His current pace with 4 games remaining is 3,807 yards with 31 TDs and 15 INTs. Not bad for his first full year in a new system in the shadow of QB Legend John Spartan. However, with the level of competition coming Hahn's way, my prediction is 3,500 yards, 28 TD, and 18 INTs.

The running game has been excellent the entire season, but mid-season injuries have cropped up, causing the dynamic threat of Henri Boudreaux and Ignatius Infernus to both sit out in Week 12. Will the team produce a single 1,000 yard rusher? Possibly. H. Boudreaux has the most likely chance with 733 yards already accumulated. Unfortunately, the big back is already expected to sit Week 13, so his return won't be until at least Week 14. My prediction is that in spite of a run-dominated game, the Thrashers will not put up a 1000 yard rusher, but will have three rushers with over 500 yards a piece; the highest of which will be Henri Boudreaux with 850 yards.

On the receiving side of things, Stacker Pentecost has been the most dominant WR in the league through 12 games. He has nearly 150 yards and 4 more TDs over the next closest receiver. Pentecost is on pace for 1,400 yards and 16 TDs, but my prediction is that he'll cap out around 1200 yards and 14 TDs.

Prediction Corner-Defense

Does Ronald Surface get to 20+ sacks? That's the big question on fans' minds. The Thrashers haven't had a player with 20 or more sacks since Max Dicken did it (22) in 2022. My prediction is that Surface achieves this feat with 21 sacks and the team will finish with more than 40 total sacks.

Interceptions are far more fickle. No one player has exceeded over 5 interceptions, although Nat Romanov is close with four. Instead, I'll opt to just field a prediction for the team total, and that magic number is 23. Currently, the team sets at 16, so another 7 is ambitious but attainable.

Overall Standings Prediction
The Thrashers have been impressive this season to say the least, but the final stretch will decide their ultimate fate. All four remaining foes have a record of .500 or above, two of which are division rivals and the others lead their own divisions. This will not be faint for Thrasher fans' hearts. My final standings prediction is that the Thrashers finish up 13-3 and clench the division and first round bye.

Check back at the end of the regular season for the season wrap up.