1964 Re-Sign Stage

QUESTIONS ARISING OUT OF TORONTO FOLLOWING THEIR CONTRACT DECISIONS
Following the Steelheads’ selecting of players from the OFU, they had to get all of the players signed to NAAF deals to stick around. It certainly is not an easy task and the Steelheads would have to figure out who they felt was going to be best. In the end, it seemed like there was a lot of favourability towards former Lakers. This was evident with the former Lakers being offered contracts first and with higher salaries. The Steelheads were starting to find that they might have a bit of cap crunch so they had to let some guys go. The most notable being WR Marshall Leonard, who was especially displeased as he was often looked at as the best WR in the OFU. They would also drop several veterans in LB John MacDonald, LB Terry Long, QB Robert Humphrey, and OL Alen Williams. The other player that was surprisingly dropped was RB Austin Andrews, however, that may mean the Steelheads are targeting one of the top RBs in the draft. 

LYLE PAINTER SIGNS TO STAY IN INDIANA
There were plenty of expectations following the trade that sent Painter to the Victors that the former 1st overall pick would be headed to free agency following the season. The one exception to this would be the Victors committing to him as the starter. While Indiana hasn’t confirmed anything yet, the 2-year, $25,000 contract looks a lot like the team is committing to the QB for the time being. Painter was alright with Indiana last season and the team is hoping that in his second season with the team he can start to become comfortable and can finally get the Victors into the playoffs. 

JEAN MATIEAU IS NOT DONE YET
A major injury took the 3-time MVP out of the 1963 season, and there were many questioning if the QB would ever see the field again. At 38-years-old, Matieau doesn’t have a lot of time left, and the major injury took a little extra time away. Since the injury, Matieau has been working hard to recover and get back to full health. He felt that he could not close out his career with the injury and at the very least wants to step on the field in front of the Royals crowd, one last time. He would take a fairly cheap 1-year deal at only $18,000. It is expected Matieau will start the season, but both QB Lee Rogers and QB Landon Ross will be itching to get a shot. 

NEVILLE LOCKS IN FOR 5 MORE YEARS IN PROVIDENCE
One of the biggest young stars had a big decision to make this offseason. DB Neville Falkner has only been in the league for 3 seasons and he already has 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards. He has been one of the best young DB’s in the league’s history and his rookie deal has finally ended. It was a tough situation for the Gold Stars to handle, as there have not been that many players with the level of success that Falkner has gained in his first 3 seasons. It was quite a process, but Falkner ended up signing on to a 5-year deal at $34,000 a season. Falkner has enjoyed playing for the Providence fans and is hoping that the team will be able to finally get over the top during his time with the team. 

HALIFAX COMMITS TO ONE MORE SEASON OF A BATTLE BETWEEN THEIR YOUNG QBs
The Mariners have two young QBs in Michael Benedict and Buck Murphy. In their first few seasons, they have both been given some opportunities to show what they got. In the end, the Mariners decided to give both guys another shot this season to prove who is their guy for the future. Benedict still has his rookie deal, but Murphy would need a new deal and would end up on a 1-year $15,000 deal for this season. It should be an interesting QB battle heading into this season. 

MAJOR CONTRACTS SIGNED
WR Ellis Lindholm BOS - 1Y, $31,000
LB Konrad Aust BOS - 2Y, $29,000
DB Dean Hawkins BUF - 2Y, $18,000
S Wesley Jones BUF - 3Y, $19,750
LB Terrence Patton IND - 5Y, $22,000
DL Fred Webster IND - 3Y, $18,000
OL Ward Briscoe HFX - 3Y, $22,000
RB Stavros Black HFX - 2Y, $21,000
DB Jackson Miles LDN - 4Y, $26,000
DL Richard Blunt LDN - 4Y, $22,500
DL Pionk Bjorkkstrand LI - 2Y, $17,500
LB Gene Bensen LI - 2Y, $26,500
DL Bjorn Sigmarsson LOU - 4Y, 22,500
S Johnny Berger LOU - 3Y, $33,500
WR Taylor Karis MTL - 5Y, $20,000
DL Lucas Kipling MTL - 2Y, $15,500
WR Carter Henderson OTT - 3Y, $17,500
DL Howard Grant OTT - 3Y, $14,000
RB Rashed Smith PRO - 2Y, $17,000
DL Calias McDonough PRO - 1Y, $24,000

Free Agent Preview
Looking into free agency, a lot of eyes will be on the top prize of DB Alexander Bradley. The Thunder dealt with being right up against the cap last season and did not feel like Bradley would be worth bringing back at his asking price. The question will be if Bradley will want to shoot for the most money on a middle to lower-end team or if he will want to take less to be on a competitor. Regardless, he will be the top target this free agency period.

The next position of note will be at wide receiver with several strong options becoming available. WR Chester Bennett is wanting to still try and compete as the Royals head into a rebuild. WR Sammy Moss and WR Ben Roland are aiming for money and bigger roles, however, it may be hard to find. WR Darryl Duke will also be looking for a competitive team. The most interesting could be WR Marshall Leonard, who is quite good at only 26-years-old. 

After those main positions, there are going to be a couple of top-end LBs available with Harrison Bennett and longtime Boston #3 LB Marco Price. There is also Rusty McVee looking for a home for what is likely his final professional season. There are also a plethora of RBs and QBs that certainly will be hoping for a starting opportunity, if not a strong backup position. 

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - DB Alexander Bradley LOU
2 - WR Chester Bennett OTT
3 - WR Sammy Moss PRO
4 - WR Ben Roland LOU
5 - LB Harrison Bennett IND
6 - LB Marco Price BOS
7 - QB Stanislav Ovechkin LOU
8 - WR Darryl Duke MTL
9 - WR Benedict Spencer PRO
10 - WR Marshall Leonard HAM*
11 - RB Eddie Thompson LDN
12 - RB Don Gregson IND
13 - LB Rusty McVee PRO
14 - OL Ulysses Fairgrove PRO
15 - QB Robert Humphrey HAM*
16 - LB Terry Long HAM*
17 - QB Terry Bourbon LI
18 - OL Alen Williams HAM*
19 - LB Killian Reed OTT
20 - DB Jacques Gaul BUF
21 - S Cal Clemmons IND
22 - RB Austin Andrews KCH*
23 - DB William Quincy HAM*
24 - DB Elvin Waters HFX
25 - WR Moe Schafer BUF

Rusty will end it with a pilgrimage home? Love that story. I hope he is a hometown, fan favorite. My favoritism has made me a fan of the expansion team, at least. Goodbye Providence, thank you for the frustrating years.

The Gains Report - 1964 Draft Preview
The 1964 draft is shaping up to be a pretty average draft, however, there are still some next-level players that could help teams take a big step forward. The first is RB Max Tracy, who is electrifyingly quick and has good size making him a very tough back to stop. Behind is S Ernie Osborne, who has lots of potential at the safety position. The big question will be if he slides at all due to the lack of spots available at the position. QB Tom Applewhite is the top gunslinger in the draft. He’s got a big arm and some decent running abilities, but much like the safety position, there could be a lack of opportunities available early on. 

A major player to watch could be DL Winfield Winchester. He’s the only DL that looks to be a top 25 prospect, and with a few teams needing some help on the line, there could be several offers coming into the teams holding the top 3 picks. As the draft carries on, there will be several WRs and OLs available for teams to build up their offence as well as a couple of RBs that could go in the 2nd round in George Seahorse and Robert Jack. 

Top 25 Prospects
1 - RB Max Tracy - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
2 - S Ernie Osborne - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
3 - QB Tom Applewhite - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
4 - DL Winfield Winchester - Timmy Bjarnathan - NoE38
5 - DB Jerome Caldwell - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
6 - WR Yahui Sun - Jimmy Yamamoto - QCS
7 - OL Gary Bies - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
8 - LB Randall Lambert - James Herr-O’Nark - JamHeronArk
9 - WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
10 - DB Bobby Bastian - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
11 - S Paul Christopher - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
12 - TE Jesse Butler - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
13 - S Ezekiel Locke - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
14 - RB George Seahorse - Ronald Wilke - ThisIsFine
15 - RB Robert Jack - Mark Houston - H-Town1141
16 - WR Doug Piva - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
17 - OL Mathieu Roy - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
18 - WR Colby Bancana - Dick Dingleberry - Stickman
19 - OL Clancy Harrison - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
20 - QB Leif Christiansen - Ronald Wilke - ThisIsFine
21 - QB Jace Beleren - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
22 - OL Keith Barker - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
23 - LB Ed Krzano - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
24 - OL Randall Graham - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
25 - OL Harrold Kera - James Herr-O’Nark - JamHeronArk
----------------
45 - OL Harvey Stephenson - Dean Musky - ANDY!
51 - RB Kevin Terrell - Joonas Van Dijk - Osctheg
54 - S Chris Crosswell - Travis Ronnigen - ProsecutorMilesEdgeworth

Needs and Picks
1 - Toronto Steelheads - RB, LB, WR, DB
Picks: 1, 12, 23, 34, 45
2 - Halifax Mariners - DB, DL, LB, WR, RB
Picks: 2, 13, 24, 35, 38, 46
3 - Indiana Victors - DL, LB, DB, QB, RB, WR
Picks: 3, 14, 25, 32, 47
4 - Buffalo Blue Wings - OL, DL, LB
Picks: 4, 15, 26, 28, 37, 48
5 - Long Island Raiders - DL, OL, LB, QB
Picks: 5, 16, 20, 27, 36, 49
6 - Montreal Rouge - OL, DL, WR, LB
Picks: 6, 17, 39
7 - Louisville Thunder - WR, DL, LB
Picks: 7, 18, 29, 40, 51
8 - Ottawa Royals - OL, WR, DL, LB, DB, S
Picks: 8, 19, 30, 31, 44, 52
9 - Boston Independents - OL, DL, LB, WR
Picks: 9, 42, 50, 53
10 - Providence Gold Stars - S, DL, OL, LB, WR
Picks: 10, 21, 43, 54
11 - London Tigers - DL, LB, DB, OL
Picks: 11, 22, 33, 55

Feel free to drop any mock drafts below!

Last edited by Wallflower (6/30/2021 11:55 pm)

1964 NAAF Draft
This first round ended up being quite crazy and is quite a long write-up, I'll have to look into making it just a little shorter in the future I think. Still, I hope everyone enjoys the first round of the draft!

1 - Toronto Steelheads - RB Max Tracy - New York City, NY
To very little surprise the Toronto Steelheads would take RB Max Tracy with the first overall pick in the draft. The team has an aging RB core, and they could not pass up the opportunity to grab a potential franchise RB. 

Brad Cumberland’s Scouting Report
Tracy has unreal speed which is mixed with a bit of power to make him a very difficult player to bring down. He draws a lot of comparisons to RB Élisée Marchal, the legendary Montreal RB, with his playstyle. He can be a bit reckless, taking a few too many risks and looking for holes when there aren’t any, however, if he can learn some patience, he could be lethal on the field. 

TRADE ALERT
There were plenty of teams needing a top DL, and there was only one guy that would likely be an immediate help. That player was Winfield Winchester. Halifax, who had drafted DL Pat Butler and DL Wayne Baxton in the first round in the last two years, were willing to part ways with the second overall selection. 

Several teams inquired about the pick (Boston, Ottawa, Long Island, Louisville, Providence), but the deal came down to just Ottawa, Long Island, and Louisville. Seeing the potential bidding war to get more Halifax would decide to try and get more value and ask for a little more. At this point, Ottawa, who was potentially giving up legendary DL Olaf Viktorsson for the trade, decided to step out leaving Long Island and Louisville. The two teams had similar deals with a 1st rounder, a 2nd rounder, and a depth player or later pick. GM Anthony Vigneault of the Mariners would still push both teams to add either another piece or a better piece. Eventually, Thunder GM Calvin Carpenter would give in and make the trade work. 

The final trade would send the 2nd and 35th overall selections to the Thunder in exchange for the 7th overall pick, the 18th overall pick, and 24-year-old DL Jordan-Eugene White. In the end, Halifax gets a young DL with the potential to become a strong depth piece on the line, while the Thunder are able to grab a top-end DL for the future. 

2 - Louisville Thunder (from Halifax) - DL Winfield Winchester - Ottawa, ON
The Thunder were in desperate need of a younger DL to pair up with DL Bjorn Sigmarsson, and they likely got him here. Winchester should be an immediate impact for the Thunder who are looking to make up for some of the losses they have suffered this offseason.

Timmy Bjarnathan’s Scouting Report
A smart and big DL is often looked at as a great DL. Well, Winchester possesses this and a little bit of speed. He could be a very scary problem for a lot of QBs and RBs. He is quite humble off the field, but he really gets into the game, which can sometimes lead to frustration if things aren’t going his way, which leads to a few mistakes. 

3 - Indiana Victors - QB Tom Applewhite - New Haven, CT
Following Louisville’s pick, the Victors would gamble on taking a new direction. While they have signed QB Lyle Painter for two years, it seems like GM Everett Henderson is looking to take the chance on bringing a potential long-term solution at the QB position with Tom Applewhite.

Dewey Thomas’ Scouting Report
Applewhite’s big strength is his big arm. It’s one of the strongest the league has seen, right up there with Gene Bishop and Lee Rogers. He also has quite the instinct to run with the ball, and he’s pretty good at it. Applewhite could be a great dynamic QB for the future of the Victors. 

TRADE ALERT
Ahead of the 4th overall selection, the Blue Wings were looking for an OL, but they felt that they might be able to get their guy a little later and opened up the floor to trades. They didn’t get the same volume of offers that the Mariners did at 2, but they would come to an agreement with the Ottawa Royals on a deal they were happy with. 

The Royals would get the 4th overall pick in exchange for the 8th overall pick, the 31st overall pick and 25-year-old DB Michael Cornell III. The Royals had both picks 30 and 31 and were more than willing to give up one to move up. Cornell looks to be mainly a depth piece, but Buffalo saw that as a benefit for moving back.

4 - Ottawa Royals (from Buffalo) - DB Jerome Caldwell - Champaign, IL
With the pick, the Royals would aim to get their next big DB. With Uzzia Hayes retiring a couple of years ago and Mingan Oliver in his last season, the secondary was looking quite thin heading into the future. 

Wally Flowers’ Scouting Report
Caldwell is a bit of a coach’s dream. He has a strong set of fundamentals which he constantly works on, always looking to improve. He’s a great one-on-one defender that can be counted on to shut down a top receiver throughout the game. He does struggle in seeing the field develop when in zone schemes, which can lead to him being beaten that way.

5 - Long Island Raiders - OL Gary Bies - Bloomington, IN
The Raiders had missed their chance to trade up for Winchester. It left GM Wayne Tillman with a tough decision, but he would go for the safest bet and take an OL. Which certainly was not what Buffalo was hoping would happen.

George Stefanakis’ Scouting Report
Bies is an anchor on the line. He doesn’t move that much off the line, especially in one-on-one situations. However, he is not the most mobile, which means if he does get beat, it's not looking good in the backfield. Still, he is good at positioning himself and seeing where the attack is coming from and can make up for his lack of mobility. Also, he loves hot dogs. 

6 - Montreal Rouge - WR Yahui Sun - Hong Kong / Toronto, ON
The Rouge were quiet early on in the draft, and it seemed like they were quite confident in getting their guy at the 6th spot. Adding another young WR in Sun might give Montreal one of the deadliest passing attacks in NAAF history. 

Jimmy Yamamoto’s Scouting Report
Yahui Sun is a shifty and deceptive WR. He is able to create space with expert route running and quick direction changes. He has a great first step that can catch many DB’s off guard and give himself the advantage early. Originally born in Hong Kong, he does enter the sport as a bit of an outsider and can sometimes have trouble connecting with players, but when he does finally click, he is a fantastic weapon. 

7 - Halifax Mariners (from Louisville) - DB Bobby Bastian - Cincinnati, OH
The Mariners’ gamble to hopefully get Jerome Caldwell later on, did not pay off, but they were still able to grab DB Bobby Bastian with the 7th selection.

Sterling Brantley’s Scouting Report
Bastian is a little bit of a nuisance to the other team. Often getting into WRs heads with trash talk and various other methods. He is great when it comes to breaking up passes in one-on-one situations. 

8 - Buffalo Blue Wings (from Ottawa) - LB Randall Lambert - Indianapolis, IN
Buffalo’s gamble also did not pay off which led them to draft LB Randall Lambert at 8. The young LB should be able to provide support to the 1962 Rookie of the Year, LB Orion Carter. 

James Herr-O’Nark’s Scouting Report
Lambert is a quick LB that is great at finishing tackles. If he hits a ball carrier, the ball carrier will go no further. He is great against the run, however, his coverage abilities do need some work. 

9 - Boston Independents - S Ernie Osborne - Oshawa, ON
The Independents did consider the move up to grab Winchester, but they decided to be patient. In the end, it would pay off with Osborne slipping all the way down to them after being ranked #2 in the Gains Report

Brad Cumberland’s Scouting Report
Osborne is a pure ballhawk who always seems to be right in the play, using his speed to control the field. Osborne could be next among the greats at the safety position. 

10 - Providence Gold Stars - S Paul Christopher - Salem, MA
The Gold Stars were starting to hope and pray that Osborne would eventually fall to them, but in the end, they just missed out on getting a strong piece. However, they were still able to get the second-best safety available in Paul Christopher.

Ivan di Marco’s Scouting Report
Christopher doesn’t have the same raw talent that Osborne has, but he is still a strong prospect that can create some issues down the field for QBs. His specialty is being able to keep up with and interfere with the deep ball. 

TRADE ALERT
Ahead of the final pick of the first round, there was one last trade. The Mariners were looking for some more players higher up and decided to make the move up to pick at 11. They would send the 18th overall pick, which they got in the trade with Louisville earlier on, and WR Tony Albano to London for the 11th overall pick. London was fine with moving back, seeing their top targets already being taken.

11 - Halifax Mariners (from London) - WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence - Halifax, NS
The Mariners would be very excited to take a hometown talent in Murray-Lawrence to help build on the young WR core the team has been developing.

Vincent Desjardins' Scouting Report
Murray-Lawrence is a bit of a smaller WR, but he has solid speed that allows him to get into open space. He also is good at using his agility to create opportunities for more yards after the catch. 

Attaboy Winfield! Should be fun seeing him already on a decent team.