1971 Free Agency Part 1

All eyes were on the running back market with two of the league’s best RBs over the past decade available, Max Tracy and Jimmy Golden. Tracy garnered the most attention as he was only 29, as compared to the 33-year-old Golden, and certainly had more fuel left in the tank. Tracy was looking for a contender to land with, so the list of teams that were in on acquiring the superstar was limited to the Indiana Victors and the Pittsburgh Blacksmiths. Max Tracy would have several discussions with both teams over a new contract, but in the end, he would take a 3-year deal with the Blacksmiths, giving him $34,500 a season. Tracy chose Pittsburgh as there were a few familiar faces on the roster like former Steelhead teammates, TE Jesse Butler and QB Leif Christiansen, as well as a former college teammate in QB Louis Vaughn. Tracy and Vaughn played together at U of New England during Vaughn’s sophomore year and the two had a lot of respect for each other, both itching to get that ever-elusive McCallister Cup. With the signing, Pittsburgh was getting into some cap trouble, so they would make a quick trade with Montreal, sending RB Raymond Green over to Montreal along with a 4th Round Pick (70th) to get some cap relief and a 5th Round Pick (77th) back. 

After whiffing on Tracy, Indiana would turn to Golden to fix their RB problem. They would ink Jimmy Golden to a 1-year deal that pays him $28,000 a season. Golden has seen quite a decline over the last couple of seasons, which led to his benching in Buffalo last season, so many are not exactly sure if Golden is really going to be the big fix Indiana needs in the backfield. However, it is a big name and will certainly still get eyes on the team.

With the two big-name RBs off the board, the other options would find new landing places. The young RB and former Victor, Shannon West, would head north of the border to Toronto. RB George Seahorse would look for a starting role, with a new 2-year deal in Halifax. Seeing most of the market fizzling, RB Hugo Hughes would ultimately return to Minnesota on a cheaper deal. Other former starters would find some backup roles with RB Tresean Jones replacing George Seahorse in Providence and RB Carter Roy heading to Boston. 

Every offseason the hottest topic is usually the QB market. This season there were several teams looking for new signal callers. Toronto seemed to be the most desperate of the bunch as they felt there was a very slim chance they could get a QB in the draft. They would sign former 10th overall pick, QB David Simmons to a 2-year deal. Simmons started his career in Louisville and struggled during the team’s winless season in 1969, coming in for the injured QB Buck Murphy. He then landed in Long Island last season and had to show up for the McCallister Cup after QB Ivan Sanchez went down. Simmons played well enough to help the Raiders secure the victory, certainly getting some eyes on him as a potential starter since he is still only 26. Overall, Toronto will be gambling a bit on the young QB, who has yet to prove if he can be the franchise guy.

The London Tigers would land QB Tyrion Gainsborough to fill the shoes left by all 3 QBs from last season. Gainsborough has a very strong resume, leading the Royals to a 10-2 season in 1968, the lone season where he was the starting option. While many felt the undrafted QB coasted off of a strong defence, there are many signs showing that Gainsborough can be a very sturdy option for a team looking for some solid and stable QB play. The Calgary Predators were also on the prowl for QBs, especially ones that loved to run the ball. They ended up nabbing former Tigers’ QB Emmitt Jackson. While Jackson had some injury troubles last season, he should be a good fit in the Predators’ Wild West Offence, which seems to excel when the team has a QB that can move the ball with his feet. Jackson will likely be competing with QB Jesse Essex for the starting job next season. 

Finally, the Regina Wheat Kings were open to many options at QB. They would land a couple of options in QB Stanley Evans, who is originally from Saskatchewan, and QB Matt Fletcher. Evans arrives from Vancouver where, just like David Simmons, he had to come in for the Wolves’ starting QB in the big game. Fletcher, on the other hand, has never really been given a chance after the Raiders took him 7th overall in the 1963 draft. He has only 1 start under his belt from his time in Toronto, and he hopes Regina can finally be an opportunity to get on the field. Both QBs should be improvements over QB Rusty Lamb, but the team expects all 3 to be in the running for the job.

Veteran stars were the other hot topic during the free agency period. Mostly about where they would land. S Garet deVale would begin his championship-chasing quest by signing a 1-year deal with the defending champs in Long Island and DL Lucas Kipling would return to his college town in Louisville. OL Taylor Forbes would also join deVale in a move to Long Island. A few other veteran corners would make the shocking move out west. DB Oliver Langstrom would take a 1-year deal with the Calgary Predators, DB Lawrence Ralph was heading to Winnipeg, and DB Lauri Hayha was taking an opportunity with the Wheat Kings. 

Other notable moves saw the Gold Stars look to finally make major improvements on the O-line. They would sign 6-time All-Star, OL Emil Jennings, away from the Tigers. Jennings should provide All-Star-level protection for the Gold Stars with their young QB, Red King. The Tigers did lose out on their top O-lineman, but they would manage to land OL Shane Willis, a former 2nd-round pick to a 4-year deal to fill Jennings’ shoes while being 5 years younger. 

There was not really a top WR that was available this season, but a couple of solid pieces still changed teams. Toronto would add a pair of former Boston Independents in WR Felix Fontaine and WR Jimmy Franks to add some significant help to the passing game. The Tigers would make a sneaky signing in grabbing WR Alex Browne Sr. from the Rangers, a WR that was underutilized in the run-heavy offence. Boston would fill the hole left by Fontaine with WR Edward Webb, a player that has just not been able to prove himself since being drafted to Minnesota during the expansion draft in 1969. Indiana would get their WR Silas Peyton replacement in WR Leonard Green, while WR Justin Dubuque would fill the hole left by Green in Louisville. \


Top 25 Free Agents
1 - RB Max Tracy - TOR -> PIT - 3Y, $34,500 - NTC
2 - S Garet deVale - MTL -> LI - 1Y, $30,000 - NTC
3 - RB Jimmy Golden - BUF -> IND - 1Y, $28,000 - NTC
4 - OL Emil Jennings - LDN -> PRO - 2Y, $26,000 - NTC
5 - DB Oliver Langstrom - TOR -> CGY - 1Y, $28,000 - NTC
6 - DL Lucas Kipling - MTL -> LOU - 1Y, $29,000
7 - OL Shane Willis - MTL -> LDN - 4Y, $25,500
8 - QB David Simmons - LI -> TOR - 2Y, $23,000
9 - DB Lawrence Ralph - BOS -> WPG - 1Y, $25,000 - NTC
10 - QB Tyrion Gainsborough - OTT -> LDN - 2Y, $24,000
11 - QB Landon Ross - PRO -> PRO - 1Y, $19,500
12 - DB Corey Ross - MIN -> PRO - 2Y, $22,000
13 - S Mathieu Cazenave - BUF -> MTL - 3Y, $26,000
14 - OL Taylor Forbes - LOU -> LI - 1Y, $22,000
15 - OL Clifford Pratt - HFX -> MIN - 2Y, $21,000
16 - WR Alex Browne Sr. - EDM -> LDN - 2Y, $22,500
17 - RB Shannon West - IND -> TOR - 2Y, $18,000
18 - WR Edward Webb - PRO -> BOS - 2Y, $18,500
19 - QB Emmitt Jackson - LDN -> CGY - 2Y, $20,000
20 - RB Hugo Hughes - MIN -> MIN - 1Y, $20,000
21 - S Wesley Jones - BUF -> BUF - 1Y, $24,000 - NTC
22 - RB George Seahorse - PRO -> HFX - 2Y, $18,000
23 - DB Cameron Taylor - IND -> IND - 1Y, $14,000
24 - S Jay Shepherd - HFX
25 - LB Brian O’Flaherty - LOU
26* - WR Felix Fontaine - BOS -> TOR - 2Y, $25,000
Fontaine should have been in the top 25, but I guess I missed him. 

FULL LIST OF SIGNINGS

Last edited by Wallflower (7/15/2023 2:51 pm)

What’s Halifax’s position as far as salary cap is concerned?  I’m curious since I saw it was mentioned for the Blacksmiths having to move some cap around to make room for Tracy.

1971 Draft Preview

1971 College Hybrid Football Results

Canada East Hybrid Conference
WEST
(1) Toronto Dukes
(5) UHamilton Howlers
London Foresters
St. George Maples
Dominion Knights
Sudbury Provincial Miners
Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial Beavers

EAST
(6) Majeure Montreal Insulaires
(10) Nova Scotia Armada
St-Laurent Cavaliers de Riviere
Montreal Provincial Panthers
Rideau Rams
UPNB Pirates
Mont-Bellevue Geais Bleus

CEHC Playoffs
(1) TORU - 24-14 - (5) UHAM
(6) MMTL - 17-22 - (10) UNS

CEHC Championship
(1) TORU - 34-14 - (10) UNS

For the 3rd season in a row, the Toronto Dukes owned the CEHC. Led by a stellar group of seniors, the Dukes rolled through the CEHC en route to winning their 3rd consecutive CEHC title. UHamilton had a respectable team being the second-highest ranked in the group, while London shocked a lot of people by finishing 3rd in the West Division. Out in the east, Majeure Montreal still kept their string of strong seasons going, taking the top spot in the division again. Nova Scotia would continue its rise to prominence with its second straight-ranked finish. 

In the playoffs, Toronto dominated by outscoring both of their opponents 58-28. Nova Scotia was able to come up with the upset in the East Division playoff but was no match for the Dukes in the championship.

America East Hybrid Conference
(2) Western New York Whitetails
(3) Haynes Colonials
(4) New England Cardinals
(7) Maine State Acadians
(8) Rhode Island State Bulldogs
(9) Cambridge of Boston Cubs
Upstate Bluebirds
Vermont Republic Mountaineers
West Mass State Rangers
Concord-Manchester Fighting Pike
Erie Sailors
WNY-Rochester Eagles

AEHC Playoffs
(2) WNY - 20-13 - (7) MSU
(3) HAY - 18-15 - (4) UNE

AEHC Championship
(2) WNY - 17-16 - (3) HAY

In the AEHC, Western New York would finish atop the conference for the 3rd time in 4 years. Haynes would follow close behind with a strong defensive team. New England would fall to 3rd in the conference for the first time since joining the AEHC. Maine State would jump RISU into third, also giving RISU their furthest drop since joining the conference. 

In the postseason, WNY would take care of Maine State, despite facing some strong defensive play. While Haynes would handle New England for the 2nd year in a row to make their 2nd straight AEHC Championship. However, Western New York was able to narrowly beat the Colonials after QB Whit Johnson made a clutch throw to TE Kairos Knight to secure a 3rd AEHC title.

Hybrid Football Championship
(1) TORU - 33-28 - (2) WNY

The Championship bout between a pair of QBs that almost share the same last name, as Toronto’s Henry Johnsson would defeat Western New York’s Whit Johnson to take home Toronto’s 2nd straight Hybrid Football Title. 

The Prospects

The 1971 draft class is headlined by a pair of QBs. Rockefeller University’s Todd Sparrow, and Toronto University’s Henry Johnsson. Everyone knew that Johnsson would be a top pick in this year’s draft. His time at Toronto was great, as he was able to capture 2 Hybrid Championships and make 3 appearances in the big game. Johnsson has a cannon of an arm that should be right up there with some of the best in the NAAF. Not only is his arm great, but he hits his target down the field more than most. Johnsson could easily be compared to QB Riley Kiernan as quite a deep threat QB, however, he does have some shortcomings. He does have a tendency to force throws rather than just check it down to a safe route, even if he is under pressure. In college, Johnsson could get away with it, often making some great throws, but at the pro level that could bring a lot of risk if he is not careful. Johnsson was likely to be the consensus QB1 in the draft, however, Todd Sparrow’s decision to enter the NAAF changed that. Sparrow has been another QB on the rise in the Conference of the Midwest. Much like last season’s 2nd overall pick, QB Red King, Sparrow is ditching what would be his usual league, the GLFL, in favour of the NAAF. In fact, the loss of Sparrow stings that much more to the GLFL, as many news outlets around the league had pegged Sparrow as a franchise QB right out of high school. In terms of his play style, it is not that different from Johnsson’s. He’s got a solid arm, with good accuracy. However, his arm isn’t quite as big as Johnsson’s. He also tends to force throws, since he hates taking sacks, but he at least is open to hitting his check down instead of forcing it downfield. Overall, Johnsson is the more physically gifted, as he can get out of the pocket with his legs and he’s got a cannon for a right arm, but Sparrow is the smarter of the two, showing off his football IQ in reading defences better than any college QB in recent years. The only question left is going to be, who goes first, as both will be viable options for many teams in the league.  

Outside of the top 2 QBs, there are a few other names floating around. Western New York’s Whit Johnson, might be the best option after the top 2. Johnson is much more raw than the other two, but he’s got a solid foundation with a quick release from his throwing mechanics. However, he does often overthink his play, overcompensating for mistakes or hesitating when making a decision. After that, there’s a bit of a drop until we get to a pair of strong-arm QBs in Harold Bryant out of Upstate and Joe Weber out of Nova Scotia. Weber has an overall good base with accuracy and an arm but tends to hold the ball too long, and struggles to make the right decision outside of structure. Bryant on the other hand, has as good an arm as Henry Johnsson, if not better, however, he is often overthrowing his targets, especially in mid-range passes, making him quite a raw prospect. 

The last two are QB Josh Jailor out of Louisville State and QB Nathan Stauheim out of Saginaw State of DIV 2. Jailor is a wildcard. He’s a big guy that scrambles a lot. Might be a good fit as a running option in the offence, but he’s not so good at it that it makes up for his shortcomings in the passing game. Stauheim on the other hand, probably has a decent floor as a game-manager/pocket passer, as he is very smart about the plays he makes, however, he doesn’t take many risks and can hold the ball too long for his own good and takes sacks. He also wasn’t all that amazing in DIV 2, but solid enough to turn some heads.

Now beyond the QB position, there is plenty of talent at other positions. Toronto’s back-to-back championship-winning squad sports many key pieces. Primarily, S Vernon Redgate has a lot of similarities to Garet deVale in that he is very aggressive and can make some great plays that can change a game. LB Marcus McGhee is a sturdy player down the middle of the defence with a knack for open-field tackles. There are a couple more down the list in DL Morgan Kneller and OL Chris Masham. UHamilton still brought their A game in developing D-linemen with DL Butcher Callahan leading the charge as another potential top-tier rusher.

There will certainly be a plethora of weapons for teams to add to the offence. RB Bo Frazier is the top prize in this category. The young RB has dominated at Allegheny for the past 3 years. He is an absolute freight train on offence, almost always breaking a tackle on every run. If he does get free, he’s got enough speed to make you pay. Frazier’s ability to pick up big chunks of yardage makes him a great fit for 3 down ball, and could very likely be the first RB to be taken in the first round since RB Reggie Whitehead in 1966. WR Lew Wallendowski is one of those guys that always can win a one-on-one situation. He’s got great hands and can find a way to make it happen. He has to be good at winning tight battles, as he is not the best route runner and will likely always have a guy all over him, but there is no denying he has the best hands in the class. TE Kairos Knight made the tight end position valuable at Western New York. Knight could probably play WR with his athleticism and speed, but he’s also big and strong which makes him a great blocker when he needs to be. Knight was utilized so well in WNY that he was the top receiving target during the season, taking advantage of teams not being prepared for the TE. WR Antonio Villanueva could be a dark horse as the top weapon in the draft. He was never really given the opportunity to be the #1 guy in college until his senior year, but once the opportunity came, Villaneuva became a star, being able to flash his deep-threat ability. Of course, his 3 other years of experience being more of a slot/short route option means he is just as good there, making him a potential Swiss army knife in the passing game. Finally, there is RB Rocco Peaks, who has made waves out of Western Canada. Peaks have a knack for escaping from tough situations. He’s a slippery guy that has managed to escape the grasp of 5 tacklers on more than one occasion. Peaks is high on the list and should be high for many Western Canadian teams who have been keeping an eye on him for several years. 
 
The Gains Report - Top 50 Prospects
* - American Rules School
** - Canadian Rules School
1 - QB Todd Sparrow - Rockefeller* - idm
2 - QB Henry Johnsson - Toronto - ThisIsFine
3 - S Vernon Redgate - Toronto - ZO82
4 - RB Bo Frazier - Allegheny* - RaysUp
5 - DL Butcher Callahan - UHamilton - Darknes
6 - WR Lew Wallendowski - New England - JamHeronArk
7 - OL Donovan Hodgekins - Louisville State* - Stickman
8 - TE Kairos Knight - Western New York - vladee
9 - LB Marcus McGhee - Toronto - Kingsfan11
10 - WR Antonio Villanueva - Ben Franklin* - Jayhawk
11 - DL Mathieu Tremblay - Majeure Montreal - Kingsfan11
12 - OL Peter Palmerston - UHamilton - Jayhawk
13 - DL Max Russland - Western New York - TheEnigmaticOne
14 - OL Melvin Murray - Montreal Provincial - Stickman
15 - RB Rocco Peaks - Alberta Provincial** - Scratch
16 - QB Whit Johnson - Western New York - RaysUp
17 - DB Levi Woodrow - Haynes - QCS
18 - OL Jeff Fedler - Western New York - idm 
19 - DB Apollo Duckworth - Cambridge of Boston - Dan O’Mac
20 - OL Charles Hyland - Nova Scotia - Kingsfan11
21 - WR Stanley McClendon - UEdmonton** - TigersFan93
22 - LB Perry Stevenston - Alberta Provincial** - DireBear
23 - OL Derek Butcher - Vermont Republic - Darknes
24 - DL Shane Mokri - Maine State - Edgeworth
25 - S Levi Brickshaw - St. Paul* - ZO82
26 - S Derrick Focht - St-Laurent - Darknes
27 - OL Don Shred - Central Pennsylvania* - idm
28 - RB Rudy Saunders - Rockefeller* - ZO82
29 - OL Josiah Fairey - Ben Franklin* - ZO82
30 - DL Carl Hogg - Louisville State* - Dan O’Mac
31 - S Donny McCreary - Indiana Tech* - Dan O’Mac
32 - LB Magnus Pearce - Haynes - ZO82
33 - RB Aeneas Phillips - Pacific Provincial** - ThisIsFine
34 - TE Xavier Francis Langford - Minneapolis* - TheEnigmaticOne
35 - LB Lochlan Bourne - Royal Regina** - ZO82
36 - OL Chris Masham - Toronto - Dan O’Mac
37 - WR Dennis Davtyan - Rhode Island State - ThisIsFine
38 - DL Morgan Kneller - Toronto - ZO82
39 - DB Arthur Longsjo Jr. - New England - Dan O’Mac
40 - DB Phillip Joachim - Major Wisconsin* - ZO82
41 - WR Jimmy Potter - Daniel Boone - Stickman
42 - DL Robert Westminster - Pacific Provincial** - Wallflower
43 - WR Craig Nunnery - Majeure Montreal - Kingsfan11
44 - RB Daniel Collins - New England - idm
45 - LB Tony Randolph - Baltimore State* - DireBear
46 - S Brett Tavers - New England - Stickman
47 - LB Earl Featherstonhaugh - St. George - idm 
48 - OL Phil Ampertis - UHamilton - NoE38
49 - DB Maxwell Holmes - London - ZO82
50 - DB Matt Maddux - Saskatchewan Provincial** - idm
==QBs =================================
57 - QB Joe Weber - Nova Scotia - Kingsfan11
67 - QB Harold Bryant - Upstate - Wallflower
82 - QB Josh Jailor - Louisville State* - idm
88 - QB Nathan Stauheim - Saginaw State (DIV 2) - TigersFan93

Draft Order and Picks

1 - Calgary Predators - Picks (5): 1, 19, 37, 55, 73
2 - London Tigers - Picks (6): 2, 20, 34, 38, 60, 74
3 - Regina Wheat Kings - Picks (5): 3, 21, 39, 57, 75
4 - Halifax Mariners - Picks (4): 4, 22, 40, 58
5 - Montreal Rouge - Picks (6): 5, 23, 41, 48, 59, 70
6 - Toronto Steelheads - Picks (4): 6, 24, 78, 85
7 - Edmonton Rangers - Picks (5): 7, 25, 43, 61, 79
8 - Winnipeg Falcons - Picks (5): 8, 26, 44, 62, 80
9 - Boston Independents - Picks (5): 9, 27, 45, 63, 81
10 - Louisville Thunder - Picks (6): 10, 28, 46, 64, 76, 82
11 - Ottawa Royals - Picks (6): 11, 29, 47, 65, 83, 90
12 - Providence Gold Stars - Picks (5): 12, 30, 66, 68, 84
13 - Buffalo Blue Wings - Picks (5): 13, 31, 42, 49, 67
14 - Minnesota Serpents - Picks (5): 14, 32, 36, 50, 86
15 - Indiana Victors - Picks (5): 15, 33, 51, 69, 87
16 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths - Picks (3): 16, 52, 77
17 - Vancouver Wolves - Picks (5): 17, 35, 53, 71, 89
18 - Long Island Raiders - Picks (3): 18, 54, 72

Last edited by Wallflower (7/27/2023 11:03 pm)

Obsessed with the fact that the Hybrid Football Championship teams had starting QBs with the same surname, but differentiated by one extra letter. That must have been a fun game to call.

Can’t say I’m a fan of the secondary move by the Mariners to send all that draft capital to Calgary for only one pick….