How can you not protect the legend that is Gregory H. Dix?

But seriously, seeing Stavros Black out there as a productive member of the Mariners was a surprise.

Hmm, looks like Magnus Torrensen is available... might be a good idea to pick up the GOAT. (No bias towards my first ever draft pick submission, couldn't be me.)

1965 Pittsburgh Blacksmiths Expansion Draft
With the Blacksmiths being the only team that was picking during the draft, the picks were made and then announced team by team. Pittsburgh could only select 3 players per team and only one player under 24 per team as well. 

Boston Independents
Pittsburgh decided to primarily go with youth from the Independents. They would grab DL Sammy Pickett, who is a former 10th overall selection, to hopefully become the baseline for their future on the line. Then, they would also select S Peter Sellers as their under-24 pick to fill out their future on the back end. The last player they would get is LB Killian Reed, who has spent most of his career with the Royals and will be a strong veteran presence for the team out of the gate. 

Buffalo Blue Wings
From the champs, the Blacksmiths would take TE Tanner Tint, who is likely going to be the team’s starter right out of the gate. The veteran TE has bounced around a lot in his career, but Pittsburgh might be the perfect home for him. They would also take a player that some were surprised to be left open in LB Sam Wynn, though he might not sign as an impending free agent. WR Moe Schafer would be the last player to be taken and will likely fill the 4th WR spot. 

Halifax Mariners
Seeing that the Mariners would protect QB Michael Benedict, it meant that QB Buck Murphy would be available and to no surprise, the Blacksmiths would take the 26-year-old to fight for the starting job. However, likely the best player they would grab is RB Stavros Black who is likely the leading candidate for the starting RB spot and the team’s first captain. While the Mariners will miss him, they still will have the younger RB Ronald O’Sullivan to take on the starting role. The last player taken was last year’s 11th overall pick, WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence, which would be a tough loss for the Mariners and could be a good young piece for Pittsburgh

Indiana Victors
From Indy, the Blacksmiths were going to start building their O-line by taking Benedict Benedicto, a 26-year-old, just getting into his prime. They would then grab S Calvin Hobbes who is likely going to be the starter going into the season. Then the most interesting pick was QB Magnus Torrensen. The 24-year-old could have the potential to be a starter down the line if he continues to develop at a steady rate. 

London Tigers
The Tigers had some tough decisions to make, and they had chosen WR Russell Wilcox to protect over WR Jack Duncan, which would lead to their #2 WR being taken by the Blacksmiths. Duncan, if he re-signs, could be the team’s #1 WR. They would also grab a couple of solid pieces in OL Jimmy McKay and LB Red Clarkson who should both be strong foundational pieces for the future.

Long Island Raiders
From the Raiders, the Blacksmiths would grab more reinforcements for the O-line with OL Wally McRose. Then they would solidify their WR core with WR Wilson Queensgate, who has quietly been real solid for the Raiders. Finally, they would also grab a RB of the future with 24-year-old Carter Roy who could potentially be a future starter.

Louisville Thunder
The Thunder might have been one of the toughest teams to figure out what to take, but they would start by taking OL Forrest Green who is a risky pick since he is without a contract but could be a vital piece in the lineup. They would then add to the defence with DL Theo Conte and DB Elvin Waters. Both players should add a lot of depth to their respective positions. 

Montreal Rouge
The Blacksmiths would take their 3rd and final QB from the Rouge. QB Mike Key was often pinned as the likely player that Pittsburgh would target as their first starter. At this point he is likely to battle with Buck Murphy for the spot, barring that both players sign with the team. They would also take aggressive DL Dexter Barbarcos to add some ferocity to the line and then a young DB Ty Boone to add to their future. 

Ottawa Royals
The toughest loss for the Royals will likely be DB Jacques Gaul, who they had hoped would be a leader on the back end into their new era, however, he will be headed to Pittsburgh to hopefully still do the same thing. Pittsburgh would also grab DL Howard Grant and OL Calvin Forman to strengthen both of their lines. 

Providence Gold Stars
A couple of potentially key pieces would be picked up from the Gold Stars with WR Ben Roland, who will likely be the deep threat for the team initially, and RB Wally Morton, who could be a great #2 to Stavros Black. They would go with youth on their final pick, taking 25-year-old DL Steve Hamm. 

Toronto Steelheads
The last 3 picks from the Steelheads would be OL Christopher Weeks to officially put together an O-line that will have 5 of 6 players already under contract. DB Evan Harris could be one of the best DB’s they have if he sticks with the team. Then they would grab youth with LB Oscar Wilkins. 

SUMMARY
Pittsburgh did a good job picking a younger team that could easily find a grove this season and be in the mix for playoff football. They will likely still have to make some changes ahead of the season, but they look strong. They also went for the strategy of taking players who are still under contract to make maintaining the pieces a lot easier.
 

Last edited by Wallflower (8/25/2021 4:33 pm)

1965 Re-sign Stage

PITTSBURGH BLACKSMITHS SIGNINGS
One of the biggest questions about the offseason would be which players the Blacksmiths were going to be able to remain that were not under contract already. In the end, a majority of the players would remain with the team. The big names that would sign a new deal would be WR Jack Duncan, LB Sam Wynn, DB Ty Boone, DL Sammy Pickett and then both QB Mike Key and QB Buck Murphy. The two QBs were the biggest questions, but both signed 2-year deals which will likely see them battle it out for the starting job over the two seasons. There still were a few players that did not come to an agreement: RB Wally Morton, OL Forrest Green, and DB Evan Harris. The Blacksmiths were able to use the Expansion Tag which was introduced in 1957 for Indiana and Louisville, with a slightly different rule. The tag initially just signed a player to a 1-year deal with the team, however, this time if the player does not want to sign, then Pittsburgh at least has the chance to trade the player and get something back. All 3 have been tagged, and are expected to be moved at some point.

TROYER GETS HIS CONTRACT
With the Raiders going all the way to the McCallister Cup with QB Stanley Troyer under center, means that the QB would likely get a big payday. Troyer would not get the amount of the top QBs, but he would still get a 3-year deal worth $25,000 a season. He would also get a no-trade clause as well, which could potentially cause an issue down the line. The team still has a young QB in Matt Fletcher, who will need a contract next season. The question will be if Fletcher eventually does get to the level of being a starting quarterback, is the contract may cause an issue for the Raiders. However, the argument can be made that Troyer is the guy and they should pay to keep him. 

Top Re-signings
DL Timmy Kerr BOS - 2Y, $19,000
WR Evan Clanton BOS - 2Y, $17,500
WR Julius Drake BUF - 4Y, $19,000-$21,000
LB Orion Carter BUF - 5Y, $23,000-$25,000 - NTC (Y3)
DL Pat Butler HFX - 5Y, $20,000-$22,000
QB Michael Benedict HFX - 2Y, $17,000
OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins IND - 4Y, $18,500 - NTC (Y3)
WR Silas Peyton IND - 3Y, $20,000
WR Max Sutton LDN - 2Y, 25,000 - NTC
LB Gideon Jura LDN - 3Y, $15,500
RB Dareion Fields LI - 3Y, $32,000 - NTC
WR Larry Mossholder LI - 4Y, $19,000-$20,000
OL Bernhard Altermann LOU - 2Y, $18,000
LB Scotty Williams LOU - 1Y, $20,000 - NTC
DB Quentin Xavier MTL - 2Y, $30,000
RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 2Y, $35,000-$28,000
S Randall Green OTT - 3Y, $22,000
QB Landon Ross OTT - 2Y, $18,000
LB Sam Wynn PIT - 2Y, $19,000
DL Sammy Pickett PIT - 3Y, $18,500 - NTC (Y3)
WR Cedric Peterson PRO - 3Y, $26,000
LB Victor Falkensteig PRO - 6Y, $18,000-$20,000 - NTC (Y3)
DL Allen Barrera TOR - 3Y, $18,000
LB Rusty McVee TOR - 1Y, $13,000

1965 Free Agency Pre-Draft

The free agency window was one that was a little more active with more of the top players signing ahead of the draft. The biggest name of DB Malik Davenport would land in a new home with the Montreal Rouge, who were bringing him in to replace the departing DB Jared Francis. Davenport was very excited about joining a team that will be competitive after spending almost his entire career with the Victors (only being traded to Buffalo midway through last season). As for DB Jared Francis, he would head westward to Louisville to fill out their top 3 DBs behind Oliver Langstrom and Jayden Mills. While Davenport decided to move on to better things, his longtime teammate DB David Jones would end up returning to Indiana despite the opportunity to go elsewhere. 

Boston would look to get some help for LB Brent Harper and LB Konrad Aust, however, the is questions if 32-year-old LB Harrison Bennett was the right option considering both Harper (34) and Aust (31) are no longer the young bucks they once were. LB Joe Larkin, who some considered a better option ended up being interested in what the Royals were building and would head to the team on a 3-year deal. Larkin is hoping the Royals will provide him with a bigger role over the next few years. 

As for some of the top offensive players, there certainly wasn’t as much interest going around. Most of the top guys would end up taking the only offer they got. TE Paul McDowell would head to Toronto to mentor their young TE Jesse Butler. RB Eddie Thompson would head over to Providence to be RB Rashed Smith’s new backup, and WR Darryl Duke would ultimately return to his first team on Long Island. RB Eric Sydney would also make a shift over to join the Raiders as RB Dareion Fields’ backup. 

The veterans certainly did not get the same amount of attention as the younger talents. Many younger players had up to 4 or 5 offers each. After the bidding, the Tigers would land WR Dwayne Alexander to be the team’s new #3 WR. DL Jordan Buckner would land in Ottawa thinking in a similar way as LB Joe Larkin hoping for a larger role with the team. WR Stuart Smalls will hopefully finally get some more snaps as Louisville’s #3 WR, while WR Bernard Sandiers would stay with the Raiders. QB Joshua Nolan was the only younger talent that only received a couple of offers. The QB market seems to have hit a lull waiting for the draft and potentially some other moves to go through, however, Nolan would still take the 2-year deal with Rouge. He will hope to finally be on a NAAF roster after spending the last 3 on the Raiders’ reserve list. 

The Blacksmiths did not make any signings, however, they did make a pair of trades to clear out a couple of their expansion-tagged players. The first was DB Evan Harris who was shipped back to Toronto in exchange for Toronto’s 3rd round pick in 1965 and RB Alex Warren. Warren was not happy with the lack of snaps he got last season in Toronto and will be excited for the opportunity with Pittsburgh. With Warren coming in, the Blacksmiths then send their own tagged RB, Wally Morton, to the Royals (the team that originally drafted him), in exchange for Ottawa’s 3rd rounder and OL Tommy Yorke. Both tagged players would sign contracts with their new teams. 

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - DB Malik Davenport BUF -> MTL 2Y, $18,000
2 - DB Jared Francis MTL -> LOU 1Y, $15,500
3 - LB Harrison Bennett BUF -> BOS 1Y, $18,600
4 - LB Joe Larkin HFX -> OTT 3Y, $18,000
5 - TE Paul McDowell OTT -> TOR 1Y, $14,000
6 - QB Robert Humphrey LI
7 - RB Eddie Thompson LI -> PRO 1Y, $12,750
8 - S Nick Larson TOR
9 - DB David Jones IND -> IND 1Y, $13,500
10 - WR Darryl Duke LOU -> LI 1Y, $12,000
11 - QB Rigobert St-Hilaire LDN
12 - S Cal Clemmons PRO
13 - WR Dwayne Alexander TOR -> LDN 2Y, $12,500
14 - RB Eric Sydney OTT -> LI 1Y, $12,000
15 - DL Jordan Buckner TOR -> OTT 2Y, $13,500
16 - OL Ivan Zamora MTL -> PRO 1Y, $13,500
17 - WR Stuart Smalls BUF -> LOU 1Y, $8,000
18 - DL Dennis Hughes BOS -> MTL 1Y, $13,500
19 - OL Stanley Witt BUF -> BOS 1Y, $14,500
20 - S Johan Eckhart HFX -> IND 1Y, $12,000
21 - RB Bernard Alston LI
22 - QB Joshua Nolan LI -> MTL 2Y, $13,500
23 - DL Allen St. Bensen IND -> BOS 1Y, $14,000
24 - WR Bernard Sandiers LI -> LI 1Y, $9,000
25 - S Nick Dixon LI -> TOR 2Y, $8,000

Expansion Tagged Players
1 - DB Evan Harris PIT -> TOR 2Y, $18,500
2 - RB Wally Morton PIT -> OTT 2Y, $18,000