Draft 7 News:
Sonrises continues to strengthen the The Grizzlies backroom staff which now consists of Jeffery, McCants and Mr. Axzekele Lazyskimmer who has been hired as Legal & Operations Manager for the Praag franchise. He has been acting in his new role since the very start of this draft. It could be that this is the most important part of the Draft for the powerhouse Grizzlies.
Pick Recap:
Pick recap 1. @muaddib gets the cage breaker most of the league are looking for but is he more suited to breaking down a looser style of offense? His frame and athletic ability will see him dubbed the next vampire of DLE and he’ll be drinking the blood of his victims as soon as the league gets back into action. This is a great player and say what you might about Leonard Williams, there’s no wrong answer by picking either of the two at the top of this draft. Now the Sharks need to build around this guy so he can be free to wreak havoc. Great pick
Pick recap 2. @The_Murker sweeps up the left overs as Leonard Williams is staring him in the face. This behemoth just adds another huge hitter to the unicorns who spent all of season six keeping those types of bodies warm while throwing anyone else to the wolves. Again, Williams has ability to get into tough spots and comes with a more physical style than the all rounder picked before him. The toss up between finesse and force. Unicorns fans will be so pleased to get over the hump of the restructures and down seasons and will pin their hopes on Williams leading the way in season 7. Unquestionably the best pick in this position
Pick Recap 3. @misterlonestar gets his mits on yet another brawny yet mobile Blitzer (that’s three in the top three, thinking there’s a theme here). Ivanov is the first of the DLE7s players to get drafted and departed coach, Danish Dan of the Wolfenburg Wolfcubs did a great job bringing Valentin along. Kudos to him and MLS will be thanking him too. Valentin wowed scouts at the DLE7s combine, running a 4.61 forty yard dash and jumping out the gym (30″ at his weight of 263 lbs is super impressive). He is COMPLETELY healthy with a perfect 100% health score and graded out as one of the top defenders in the draft (80%). He also showed above average ability in blocking, catching and carrying but needs work on one of these areas to really specialise. Valentin will be a true terror on the field for the Foxes and will easily replace the hole left by Youngblood, what we will not find out right away is who will be plugging the gap for Joey Iosefa, the lineman that Marienburg dumped in order to get back to back top 5 picks in this draft. I’m on the edge of my seat and I might sell the rest of it as I won’t need it any time soon!
Pick recap 4. @misterlonestar follows up his first of two back to back picks with another big body. Many say this game is won in the trenches and lineman play can easily be the differentiator between a play off squad and a superbowl squad. If anything, this is, at minimum, an effort to keep up with the current strength walls in the big KFC teams. Brown is incomplete but has great potential compared to the Foxes outgoing Iosefa. He may take some developing but once he rounds out, he’ll offer more than just the brute strength advertised by scouts around the league. This is the first pick that perhaps could have gone a different way (Qvarnstrom) but the Foxes have a tight knit corps of blitzers and adding another would be wasteful. Brown is the stand out lineman in this draft and the Foxes will give him a home in a very competitive division, hoping to push on to more play off victories with this refresh of the roster gambit they have successfully pulled off
Pick recap 5. @chimp2010 Alf Qvarnstrom Blitzer +ST/Frenzy
Is there any more a Matt Dolan pick than a reckless, win at all costs guy with a name we cannot pronounce? “Q”, as he likes to be known as, has the bully not approach that you might expect to see on the Patriots or Eagles all while potentially still adding another string to the bow of the Marauders lengthy one turn touchdown play book. The long athletic freak hails from our vaunted DLE7S college programme and left @kummo ‘s Barboza Sailors outfit only to be enlisted by the conference rival of his professional team. A college stand out, Alf didn’t fair well at the combine, and doctors had concerns over the mileage he had racked up in Barboza but a medical recheck by Marauders staff obviously passed him out overlooked this for his raw talent. He will need to work on the finer points of the 11 a side game and adjusting from the more open 7s environment isn’t a straight forward as it might seem to the common fan but he should help complete the turn around in Los Cabos.
Pick recap 6. @ttorvatn Valery Voronin Jr. Lineman +ST/Stand Firm/Guard
Another Sevens graduate off the board early making myself (as commissioner) and @Danish_Dan (coach) very proud. This one is other gem needing some polish but shone at the college level, scoring 5 touchdowns as a lineman. Valery was a work out warrior at the combine, clocking a top linemen 40 of 4.61s and benching 225lbs 30 times, this dude will enjoy lining up for the Cascade as they work their way back to the top. Valery’s skill set will lend some beef and sturdiness to the team almost acting as a second ogre (but with more brains). One keen scout has made mention of the fact that he seemed to be a better blocker in college and it seems the weight he has put on (263 lbs) in order to compete and be able to anchor in DLE has hampered that skill set. The coaching at CCC better be good enough to beat that lesson back into him!
Pick recap 7. @captainrhino Marcus Mariota Thrower +MA/+AG/Dodge
The most experienced player in this draft lands in Irrana after what might only be described as the oddest jumble of trades, speculation and rumour that we will see for a long time. With so much pick manoeuvring, teams trying to trade into and then out of a pick within 24 hours on two occasions already, Mariota will be happy to put it all to bed and get down to business with the Avalanche. He brings with him a ready to go skill set and is extremely coachable from what people familiar with him tell me. Good, speed, good arm talent and A+ elusiveness. Just needs to work on his ability to withstand hits in the DLE. He’s the cleanest Thrower prospect since Andrew Luck or Russell Wilson and upgrades an already competitive Avs roster. He’s pegged to share reps with Bryce Petty, a similarly fast and accurate thrower but I’m not sure that situation is finished just yet. Petty may see himself on the outside of things very quickly!
Pick recap 8. @KnutOlavaines T.J. Clemmings Lineman Block/Guard/Mighty Blow
When you can’t wait to develop these raw monsters, you take the sure thing and T.J. is definitely a sure thing. His ability to affect the long scoring drives and threaten your players is as key as his durability and teamwork skills. You’ll always find him looking for someone else to block, piledrive to the dirt, racking up another pancake or guarding his team’s scoring players as they do their thing. Clemmings will be in the weight room early and the film room late, honing his skills. He’ll have to rely on them though, as he is probably already at his peak of his talents and his ceiling is limited. He joins the Wreckers who are in the midst of a teardown and rebuild and it seems that someone with his violent nature fits perfectly with the team approach. I can’t wait for him to get started
Pick recap 9. @Sharkrudi Tyeler Davison Lineman +ST/Break Tackle
Joining the River Bandits is exactly the opposite of the previous pick by the Wreckers. Two teams seperated by just a single draft pick seemingly taking diammetrically opposed draft policies at this point of the draft. One gambling on a physical beast developing and the other taking the guaranteed skilled player who may never develop. It is a discussion that will kick about draft rooms for the ages and all I can say is that there really is no right answer, only a right situation! The River Bandits will be hoping that their situation is just exactly that, bringing Tyeler’s brutish mobility to a team that will look to fill the hole left by some key deaths and injuries in season 6. He spells the last of the non Ogre “BIGS”, will we see a burst of AGility any time soon?
pick recap 10. @chimp2010
Jamil Douglas Lineman Block/Dodge/Guard
Douglas is one of those linemen who you draft, pat yourself firmly between the shoulder blades, sit back and enjoy them have a successful multi year career. Strong enough to chip away at opponents, and nimble enough to outwit them when he needs to. The right set of skills that land you a top ten DLE contract and a spot on the roster in Los Cabos are exactly what the Marauders need as they are in process of a root and branch reimagining of the roster, having availed of a restructure this season. Add this guy to “Q” and you have yourself a merry little duo that will be roughing it up side by side as soon as the whistle blows for season 7. This spells the real beginning of the run on the more capable linemen and continues a year on year upwards trend of Guard Linemen value, getting selected higher and higher each year. Might this year be the one that really exposes this bubble market? Might it ever burst?
pick recap 11. @YishWaagh
Francis Harkin Blitzer +AG/+AG/Dodge/Pass Block
This guy is an absolute gem of a player, I have watched him blossom from a rookie at his college in Los Cabos in the DLE7s league where he racked up 8 Touchdowns and 10 Completed passes on a perennial contender. I am somewhat suprised that the Marauders didn’t bring the almost uncapturable Blitzer home but veered away from the sexier pick. Coach Yish however, couldn’t keep his paws off this nightmarish uber Elf who is ready to frustrate any scrum or potential scramble situation. His super agility showed up at the combine with a top 10 3 cone drill and 10yd split in the 40 (although his top speed hampered his full 40). So quick over those first 5-10 yards allows him to escape opponents and his natural talent helped him impress for his position in all the ball handling drills. Will he be able to do it all himself? He’ll need some coaching (rerolls) and some supporting cast but this guy will be like a tide who raises all ships in Templehof, even if it is land locked!
pick recap 12 @bghandras
David Johnson Catcher +AG/+ST
There was a murmur around the league when the announcement went out that the Patriots had moved up at the last moment to snag a player this early! Surely not? A player outside the top 7? If so, it must be a talent that can retain value, be fed touchdowns and have a very obvious career development path? Oh David Johnson is still on the board? Well ok then….
Jests aside, a lot of teams around the league coveted Johnson as he started to tumble. Raw enough to not be versed in blocking but also very very coachable. Johnson can take the top off a defence but also be a monster to take down in the open field without help. Just another string to the bow for the Patriots who fell short in Season 6 to a division rival, who funnily enough, cannot ever find the time to actually field a catcher. We’ll see how this one pans out but Johnson should really bother the scorekeepers immediately in Broekwater
pick recap 13 @Arcayn
Igor Netto Thrower Block/Mighty Blow/ Piling On
Next to the podium to shake the commisioners hand is Igor Netto. Igor is yet another Sevens product who has benefitted from the live game experience in an environment which harnesses and encourages unique skillsets. “But Igor, you’re a thrower for Sigmar’s sake, stop dropping the elbow on rushing blocks” is exactly what his coaches used to preach until they actually looked into his metrics. Converting 7 of his blocks to potentially career ending injuries was only part of his reputation, as he mercilessly would redouble his efforts to hurt his opponents, eschewing his normal rolls of ball security and distribution. Now this bully from Wolfenburg will stride onto the field in Remas, ready to take on whatever the line of scrimmage in the KFC South will offer him. Lord help us all…
pick recap 14 @fischer
Denzel Perryman Lineman +MA/Block/Mighty Blow/Thick Skull
Another running theme of this draft will continue to be players that allow flexibility and perhaps even perform the task of another positional. We all know the DLE rules only permit four Blitzers on a roster but somehow Denzel has sneaked his registration form through the league offices as a “Lineman”. More like Lying Man to me but what the league misses, is Muckenhof’s gain. They can now either specialise at the Blitzer position and have Denzel fill that role, or just have 5 flat out killers ready to carve out a piece of the SHC in season 7. Denzel is ready to knock heads, cover ground and is even tough enough to take hits to the hit and keep going. Some might say he’s crazy, but who are we to judge? This “Lineman” will be lighting it up on the gridiron while we mere fans sit at home!
pick recap 15 @horekim
Dorial Green-Beckham Catcher +AG/+ST/+AV
DGB is quite possibly the most divisive prospect in this draft. I dont think anyone disagrees that he’s a first round calibre player but how exactly he is used and how high you should pick him are just two of a thousand questions each GM and scout were running over and over this offseason. I can guarantee every coach was battering down their door to convince them to draft him though! He’s the most physically gifted and absolutely hulking Catcher in this draft but at the same time, he has the potential for the most simple of tasks just going flat out wrong. He is like putty, ready to be molded into something but it will take time for him to round out his skills. This is why I think he falls to the Gunners here and doesn’t go higher. Other teams got scared of the investment of draft capital and the hope that while investing playing time in him will bring forth development. It took a bold coach and a bold team to typify the type of move it would take to draft this kid and they are all in on DGB in season 7. I think he won’t disappoint and when he is up and running, he’ll be a terror at whatever task the Gunners give him.
pick recap 16 @seventyone
Jordan Richards Catcher +ST/+AV/Block
As DGB flies off the board, so does a player who can offer more in one side of the game than the Gunners pick, and that is Jordan Richards. He’s just as brawny and sturdy as Green-Beckham but is more finessed and learned in the ways of Blood Bowl. This guy is destined to be an ironman type player who plays both ways on offense and on defense. Again, he’s not the finished product but he’s a magical piece to be able to trot out on the field. A true safety on defense with fast break ability and skill and on offense, someone who can chip in with touchdowns but also help with deceptive reverses and help sheperding the stars of the team to the endzone. The Thunderbolts picked Jordan, probably, as a reaction to the DGB pick but I bet they won’t be displeased with his impact on the field
pick recap 17 @Doofr
Amari Cooper Catcher +AG/+AV/Block/SideStep
Wow, can you say, run on Catchers? Three tough guys go back to back to back? Well Kislev grabs Amari here before he doesn’t have any options left. Amari, like Richards, exhibits similar qualities to that of DGB but in different and more refined ways. Amari is more the type of guy who will be on the end of scoring drives and with the injuries to the White Wolves receiving corps, this talent Catcher is exactly what the Doofr ordered. He’s not entirely monodimensional either, his persistance and resistance allows him to be a continued thorn in the side of stray attackers, buzzing around while they try to work their way free. Amari is an instant starter on a team of the calibre of the White Wolves and I think that is all you have to consider when you look back at this pick. I am also impressed that the years gone by tradition of holding back on drafting catchers in the first round has been broken. Talent is talent, draft it accordingly!
pick recap 18 @SpecialOne
Jamelle Lucas Catcher +AG/+AG/Pass/Strong Arm
And we’ve now hit for the cycle, to use a Baseball analogy. 4 picks, 4 Catchers, all with slightly different skill sets and ultimately very different utilisations once they make their mark on their pro team. Jamelle is the first Catcher to be drafted out of the DLE7s league and this former Hilltopper used to take over games for the Fort Schippel outfit. His ability to gracefully retrieve loose balls in scramble situations, non chalantly break free and if needs be, float a perfect spiral down the field all in one effortless motion left teams in awe. This guy offers so much in quick scoring situations, it would be a sin to pass him up, especially with the Razorbacks big playmaker on the downward curve of his career. Replace Vann in Rotenbach will be difficult but I think Jamelle has the natural flair to excite fans. As a graduating Sevens player he too was invited to the Combine and hit a perfect 100% rating on his throwing drills to no one’s suprise. He also impressed while catching and carrying the ball. Will his 6ft1 frame be able to put on enough weight to withstand the hits of the DLE proper? It will be exciting to see him try
pick recap 19 @The_Murker
Marquez Pope Lineman +AV/Block/Side Step
We continue with college players as once walk on, Pope gets selected by the Unicorns as their second pick in the first round. Pope is a tough as nails prospect made of granite and grit, coming out of Muckenhof’s college program. The former Minotaur, exhibited the hard to break down, never give up attitude that has earned him this selection. Rated as one of the best defenders by scouts, he suprised those in attendance at the combine with a quicker than you’d think 4.75s 40 yard dash. Will his big frame be destined for the line of scrimmage? His manouevrability once his is in a scrum is very impressive and I would project that whether it is on the Line of Scrimmage or slightly offset as a personal protector, he’ll offer a lot to a team in Hargendorf that has definitely turned a corner this offseason.
pick recap 20 @Badpublicity
Terry Poole Lineman Block/Guard
The Universe grab hold of a team player before the well runs dry. “TP” will hold up well in the run game at the Universe which they will definitely need to commit more to with the shock retirement of Mike Evans. The offense will be more bread and butter than cake and caviar this season but that doesn’t have to mean it will be less effective. Coach Badp went all in recruiting and healing key lineman, Todd Nathanson, at midseason last year and immediately felt deaths cold fingers reaching out to claim him. Poole will come in and probably spend a lot of time shadowing the “Vamp” Nathanson, warding off opponents looking to knock him down a peg or two. Solid pick and once again we are looking at linemen getting paid and drafted early because of what they can offer for the team as a whole. Note to all the “superstars” out there, team work pays off, kids.
pick recap 21 @Spelledaren
Bud Dupree Jr Lineman +AG/Wrestle/Tackle/Dodge
Linemen flying off the board and here comes another one but definitely one cut from an entirely different cloth to those drafted already. This guy is the quinticessential Swiss Army knife. He comes equipped with so many varied skills that all work together to make a very impressive player. The only knock on Bud is that he doesn’t have the speed to cover the field with those options but don’t expect him to be shy with trying. His ability to reposition, get in behind, take down streaking players and even pop a ball loose are just some of his expected roles at the Vikings. One to mark for opposing coaches and always be aware of where he is around the ball. As I say, his only draw back is his ability to get moving and create separation after the impressive evasion. Hopefully the Vikings can time it perfectly with all the rest of their fancy pseudo elf new style of play.
pick recap 22 @KnutOlavaines
D.J. Alexander Lineman +MA/Block/Tackle/Dirty Player
The Wreckers were really disgruntled that Perryman came off the board a few picks earlier and were even tempted to turn in their draft card with Perryman’s name to see if the league might foul it up and award them their first choice but they eventually settled for a player just as fast with the ability to hurt players in a very different way to Perryman. Scouts were concerned about Alexander’s record of getting sent off and disobeying the rules of the sport which has seen him handed multiple warnings and ejections but the Wreckers see him as a key piece to build around. He’s the enforcer of the turf, as in, if you are on the turf, he’s coming for you with a serious run up! With above average speed, he can double as that cruel fouler and back stop. Don’t leave yourself in a position to let this Wrecker turn your roster into a mush of serious concussions, gouged eyes and smashed knees.
pick recap 23 @Matthueycamo
Ameer Abdullah Blitzer +AG/Dodge/Guard
“Phew” says Ameer’s agent as the Greenskins take the bull by the horns and break the no Blitzer streak. For some reason the position has been devalued this year, some say its a weak class, some say the league actually has a great roster of talented Blitzers and other even posit that drafting a Blitzer who isn’t a monster is just too expensive at this part of the draft and it’s almost as effective to hire a walk on who they can mold and develop into something more in line with what they want from a player. However, the Greenskins have taken advantage of all of these arguments and picked up one of the most jinky runners in the draft who also has the steel to help out all throughout the blocking game. He’ll be hard to bring down in the open field and will likely just palm you off as he moves to his next assignment. Coach Camo has suggested that this might spell the end for exclusive ball carrying for Legend Art Monk and Abdullah should be the benefit of the split carries, perhaps he’ll be the next Greenskins Legend.
pick recap 24 @datom
Tony Gonzales Blitzer +AV/Dodge/Side Step/Diving Tackle
DLE stands for what? DRAMA League Europe! Confusion in the league as a horrible incident at Barbosa causes the League protocol for a sliding pick to come into play, bringing the Sluggers to the top of the picking order. The Sluggers had just traded into this position and obviously had a target in mind as they snapped up Tony Gonzales, a real unique Blitzer out of the DLE7s program in Broekwater. This former Merchant is the durable game changing guy that the Scimitars drafted at about this point in Season 6 and we all know how that helped them to turn around their fortunes on their way to a first round bye in the playoffs. Gonzales himself is just the right level of annoying to be a threat but also not be the lone primary target of any nasty incoming hits. Will he be held back to be used in key moments, or will coach Datom use him from the get go to create jailbreak moments and harry teams on Blitzes, loose balls and screens? We will see but this guy has already proven his worth in Sevens and the Draft Combine, racking up a combined total of 10 casualties and touchdowns and grading out as the best defender at the event, suprising folks with an also impressive 30 reps of 225lbs at the benchpress. At 261lbs and 6ft3, he’ll be poking at your offenses all season and the rest of the league is not looking forward to it!
pick recap 25 @kummo
Mark Glowinski Lineman Guard/Mighty Blow
Drama abates fairly quickly in the DLE and thankfully the situation in Barbosa seems to have resolved in time for them to have only missed one slot. In kind league solidarity, the Sluggers offered to roll back their selection as they were not aware of the situation that led to the pick delay but Barbosa were happy to run to the platform to select Glowinski, an agressive lineman with a mean streak that will need to be reigned in until he gets more of the fundamentals of one on one blocking. Until then he’ll be sharpening his gauntlets and hoping that his brutality will win out over his somewhat accident prone blocking form. The Bruisers have a reputation to keep up and they are looking to build on a very strong season that saw them make the play offs, hopefully “Glow” will fit right in.
pick recap 26 @ProBowl Predictor
Uziel Gal Thrower +AG/Dodge/Hail Mary Pass/Leader
This was a tricky offseason for the Scimitars, having to plan for a season without key players who had left via injury, death or trade. Well laid plans were torn up almost as soon as the play offs had already begun and the deconstruction continued as they took a pasting from the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Classics. In that, they lost a founding player, Chad Pennington who died after tripping, trying to make a game changing play in the first half and I guess that moment leads directly to this. Instead of putting trust in Matt Scott, the incumbent thrower, the Scimitars had their hand forced to select Gal, a better passer than carrier, to partially replace Chad. Scimitars’ brass weren’t entirely impressed by their choices at 26 and had to revert to looking for value over potential team impact, perhaps we’ll see him touted on the market should he make it through this season. Agility throwers are rare enough and one who has the ability to “punt” a ball, gives the team to make coast to coast plays. Scimitars will select again in a few picks so it will be interesting to see how that goes seeing as they forced this pick…
pick recap 27 @Spelledaren
Naoto Tajima Catcher +AG/Pass/Block/Sure Hands
With Gal going, the choice of throwers dwindled mightily and the Vikings were forced to get creative with their draft plan. Tajima is yet another first round draft pick from the College ranks and one with 12 touchdowns and the fastest 40 yard dash this year. His ability to flex from receiving to passing is what has really grabbed the imagination of roster builders around the league and we’ve seen a lot of it already with Jamelle Lucas being selected. Will we see a move away from the slow 8 turn rushing attack to a more modern, high scoring game, trying in vain to break teams down on defense to avoid the horrible one turning? It’s definitely a plan with merit and the Vikings are hoping on that bandwagon with this guy who straddles that line. Questions of his durability will keep popping up and he wasn’t the most impressive thrower at the Combine but he surely will be able to improve most offences in the league and coach spelledaren will now work hard to create just such a playbook for his new dual threat player.
