1969 Staff Changes

(I’ll start with a side note, when I was going through the coaching staff this season, I ended up doing a little more research and have re-evaluated how old coaches are when they retire. I have decided that some of the older coaches should probably retire at this point so over the next couple of seasons there is going to be a bit of a wave of retirements expected. As for my in-story reason, at this point, running a professional football team has become an increasingly demanding job and many of the older coaches are beginning to get tired from the job and are deciding to retire.)

As the 1969 NAAF offseason started to roll on, there was a lot of movement in the coaching carousel. Of course, Minnesota would need to hire an entire staff, while some others would be making some changes. Boston, after another disappointing season, are hitting the reset button yet again and have let go of their entire main staff, this includes GM Allen Hutchinson, HC Dean Reed, OC Charlie Shepard, and DC Hugo Martinez. These two seemed to be the only teams looking for new staff members, but then the rest of the league was hit with a flurry of retirements. It appears that the level of competition in the NAAF has made the coaching jobs in the NAAF a very high-demand job. So several of the older coaches have decided to put down the clipboard. The first was Roy Aguirre. The 3-time coach of the year winner and 2-time McCallister Cup winner, has finally stepped away from the sport after 11 seasons with the London Tigers. After Aguirre, came the retirement of Jimmy Sargent. Sargent was not very happy following a very disappointing 1968 season with Montreal and felt that he couldn’t put the same energy into the team that he felt was necessary. The last major coach was Indiana’s, Dannell Willis. Willis’ retirement is a bit of a surprise considering the team was in the McCallister Cup, but it was reportedly talked about at the start of the year that it might be Willis’ last. Dean Reed and Hugo Martinez also joined the other coaches in retirement, along with several other coaches not in the NAAF.

The sudden retirements spiked the number of teams in need of new staff members. The first hires would come with the Boston and Minnesota General Managers. Boston would elevate Assistant GM Richard Price to the GM role, a move that some thought might happen back when Boston was looking to replace Earnest Bryan but had instead hired Allen Hutchinson. Price is a strong scout, so a boost of young talent is expected, however, there are some concerns that Price is awfully familiar to the pretty conservative/passive Earnest Bryan. 

As for Minnesota, they would hire Calvin Carpenter as their GM. Carpenter was last employed by the Louisville Thunder, where he had been for 10 seasons. Carpenter has experience managing an expansion team, having been Louisville’s first GM, which certainly is a plus for the Serpents, not to mention, Carpenter was able to get the Thunder a McCallister Cup victory by year 6. There are still concerns over Carpenter’s below-average negotiation skills, but when building a young team, a former scout may be the best thing for them.

Moving on to the head coaches, there were 5 spots to fill and plenty of candidates. Urick Wilkins was easily the most talked about candidate. He had previously been the head coach of the Mariners and was a well-liked coach for players. Buffalo OC, Soni Dionne, was also among the conversation, having built a stellar offence with the Blue Wings as well as having past experience under Joseph Curry and the Royals. There was also talk about Raiders DC Kenneth Chaney, who has continuously put out one of the league’s best defences. Recently fired Boston coach, Levi Bray, and Thunder DC, Carroll Moss, also have head coaching experience and could easily be candidates. 

Wilkins was scheduled to interview with all 5 teams and was likely the top candidate for all of them. While Wilkins made the rounds, the teams would also look for a plan B, interviewing other candidates. The news about any hirings went quiet for about a week and a half as the teams waited on Wilkins’ decision. Finally, news would break and it came out of London. However, it was both expected and unexpected news. The Tigers announced that they have promoted Offensive Coordinator, Dewey Doyle to Head Coach. Doyle had been with the team for 9 seasons already and GM Joesph Johnson felt confident in keeping it within the organization. The move was expected of the Tigers, however, the unexpected was that the team never actually interviewed with Wilkins and had said Doyle was their top choice from the get-go. 

It would be another couple of days, but finally, the big domino would fall. The Indiana Victors announced that Urick Wilkins had agreed to an extension with the club that would make him the Head Coach of the team. Wilkins decided to stay with Indy, considering it was probably the best situation of the bunch being the only true contender, while it also remained relatively close to his hometown of Detroit. 

After the Wilkins news, the rest of the teams started to find their coaches. Minnesota would be the next to hire a coach, outbidding the Rouge for Blue Wings’ OC, Soni Dionne. Dionne hasn’t been a head coach since 1959, but has gained a lot of experience since then and should be a great addition to the young team. Montreal would fall back into plan B, hiring Halifax Mariners’ OC Alfred Deniau. It appears the Rouge wanted to return to having a French Canadian coach again and were pursuing both Dionne and Deniau. Being in Halifax, Deniau had flown under the radar, but Montreal GM Martin Gagneaux had noticed the strong offensive play from the Mariners throughout their playoff run. 

Boston was the only team yet to hire a Head Coach and the rumours had them in talks with former Boston DC Carroll Moss, and Raider DC, Kenneth Chaney. In the end, the Independents would take the gamble and go with Kenneth Chaney as the next head coach, making their last two major hirings, both of the former Raiders coordinators (Levi Bray being the other). Chaney should make a difference on defence, the clear weakness of the Independents over the last couple of seasons. 

With all the GMs and Head Coaches in place, the coordinator spots would end up being filled. Boston would hire a pair of veteran coaches in OC Theodore Ortiz and DC George Mitchell. Mitchell had previously coached with Providence in 1965, while Ortiz hadn’t been employed in the NAAF since 1958, but had a strong showing at Majeure Montreal University this season. 

Buffalo would end up hiring Levi Bray as their new OC, which might be the steal of the offseason, as Bray, despite not getting along with Braddock in Boston, is still a very smart coach and could make the Blue Wings even tougher to beat next season. 

Halifax would replace Alfred Deniau with Don Neuman. Neuman had connections with Mariners’ HC Ben McMillan from his time in Boston before he had taken on a job with the Boston Shamrocks (ACFL). Neuman lost his job and was able to find a new one with McMillan. Neuman is a tactician and should bring a new spin on the Mariners’ offence next season, however, there are concerns over his somewhat cold communication style. 

Indiana would add Haynes University Coach, Colton Forrest, to replace the promoted Wilkins as Defensive Coordinator. Forrest’s expertise is in coverage which should balance well with Wilkins’ strength as a run-stopper.

London would hire former Boston OC Charlie Shepard. Dewey Doyle is still expected to be the primary play caller, while Shepard, a former ACFL QB, will be a great addition for younger players, especially QBs.

Long Island would fill the gap left by Kenneth Chaney with up-and-coming coach Theo Espinoza. Espinoza had been on a lot of team’s radars at Brooklyn Metropolitan University, including the ACFL’s. However, his connection to Wayne Tillman lands him with the Raiders. Espinoza is believed to have the potential of being a head coach at some point in his career and might be a move for the future by the Raiders. 

Minnesota would add to Dionne with a pair of interesting hires. At offensive coordinator, they would hire Tim Bakersfield away from Montreal. The Rouge had decided to look around at other options for coordinators but had reportedly asked Bakersfield to inevitably come back, but he didn’t like that he was potentially going to be replaced and left for Minnesota. Along with Bakersfield also came former NAAF Safety, Frazier Brooks, who would become the team’s DC. Brooks is a very intelligent player that knows defences inside and out. Sure he needs some experience, but he could be a very strong hire by the Serpents. Brooks also has connections with Bakersfield, having been with the Blue Wings when Bakersfield was coaching there.

With Bakersfield gone, Montreal would end up hiring Louis Jonsson, a semi-pro coach for the Quebec City Knights. Jonsson is a strong teacher and development coach while Deniau will deal with the offence. Montreal didn’t stop there, they also let go of DC Louis Batteau and replaced him with Majeure Montreal DC, Jordan Sauveterre. Sauveterre is not the strongest coach but has helped a lot of Majeure Montreal students get to the next level, so should help with the younger talent on defence.

Overview

Boston
OUT
GM Allen Hutchinson
IHC Dean Reed - Retire
OC Charlie Shepard
DC Hugo Martinez - Retire
IN
GM Richard Price - From BOS Assistant GM
HC Kenneth Chaney - From LI DC
OC Theodore Ortiz - From Majeure Montreal HC
DC George Mitchell - From RISU DC

Buffalo
OUT
OC Soni Dionne
IN
OC Levi Bray

Halifax
OUT
OC Alfred Deniau
IN
DC Don Neuman

Indiana
OUT
HC Dannell Willis - Retire
IN
HC Urick Wilkins - From IND DC
DC Colton Forrest - From Haynes HC

London
OUT
HC Roy Aquirre - Retire
IN
HC Dewey Doyle - From LDN OC
OC Charlie Shepard - From BOS OC

Long Island
OUT
DC Kenneth Chaney
IN
DC Theo Espinoza

Minnesota
IN
GM Calvin Carpenter - From Daniel Boone Athletic Director
HC Soni Dionne - From BUF OC
OC Tim Bakersfield - From MTL OC
DC Frazier Brooks - From Haynes DC

Montreal
OUT
HC Jimmy Sargent - Retire
OC Tim Bakersfield
DC Louis Batteau
IN
HC Alfred Deniau - From HFX OC
OC Louis Jonsson - From Quebec City Knights (ECSFL)
DC Jordan Sauveterre - From Majeur Montreal DC

1969 Coach Retirements

With the new retirements, I wanted to give a proper send-off to those coaches who have been some of the best in the league’s first two decades.

Coach Roy Aguirre - Toronto, ON
Teams/Positions: OC Toronto/Ontario Tigers (1951-1955), HC Providence Gold Stars (1956-1958), HC London Tigers (1958-1968)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1960, 1963)
Awards: Coach of the Year (1959, 1961, 1963)
Regular Season Record: 96-57-0
Playoff Record: 9-8
Aguirre is one of the most successful coaches in the league’s history, and is (to my knowledge), the winningest coach in the league’s history, outdoing Joseph Curry (94) by 2 wins. Aguirre entered the NAAF as an Offensive Coordinator with the Tigers before he would get a head coaching job with the Providence Gold Stars. Aguirre was strong with the Gold Stars leading them to a pair of playoff appearances and an East Division title, however, after a 2-4 start in 1958, the team fired Aguirre who would go on to get hired by the Tigers a couple of weeks later. Aguirre took over the Tigers and along with QB Riley Kiernan would lead them to have one of the best stretches of seasons in the league’s history. They would appear in 4 of 5 McCallister Cups, winning 2 of them. Aguirre also won coach of the year in 3 of those 5 seasons. Since the 1963 title, the Tigers have not been able to recreate the success they had, but Aguirre kept the team competitive even when it seemed like they would collapse. 

Coach Dannell Willis - Toronto, ON
Teams/Positions: DC Buffalo Blue Wings (1954-1955), HC Buffalo Blue Wings (1956-1963), HC Indiana Victors (1964-1968)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1957)
Awards: Coach of the Year (1957, 1965, 1966)
Regular Season Record: 69-81-4
Playoff Record: 5-5
Willis entered the NAAF as an understudy to legendary Blue Wings coach Bobby Hooper. After just two seasons in the role, Willis was given the reins. In his second season as the head coach, Willis would shock the league and lead the Blue Wings to the title, earning his first Coach of the Year award. Unfortunately for Willis, he would end up being the coach of the team through a heavy rebuild during the late 50s-early 60s which hurt his overall record significantly. Eventually, the Blue wings returned to being a competitive team, however, Willis still struggled to get the team to the next level, so he was let go. He would get a job in Indiana following the firing, and he managed to pull the squad out of their endless pit of despair, getting them to the playoffs for the first time ever in his second season. Willis continued to keep the Victors competitive, winning 2 Coach of the Year Awards back-to-back. In his final season, Willis came so close to winning a second Cup, but the Victors fell short in the final against Halifax.

Coach Jimmy Sargent - Washington DC
Teams/Positions: DC Hartford Hawks (1953), HC Long Island Hawks/Raiders (1954-1961), HC Indiana Victors (1962-1963), DC Montreal Rouge (1964-1965), HC Montreal Rouge (1966-1968)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1958)
Awards: Coach of the Year (1955)
Regular Season Record: 72-74-4
Playoff Record: 6-6
Sargent lived up to his name throughout his career, having a pretty structured and hard-nosed approach to coaching. He had a system, and if the team bought in, they were going places. Luckily for Sargent, his players bought in early when he took over the coaching job in Long Island. He would turn a 0-10 team around to a McCallister Cup finalist in 1955, earning him his lone Coach of the Year award. Then, a few years later, he would lead the team to a McCallister Cup win over the unbeaten Royals in 1958. He continued to keep the team at the top of the West Division over the next couple of seasons, however, they were unable to win a title. Sargent’s position did eventually sour due to a pair of bad seasons in the early 60s, which would lead to his firing. Sargent would catch on with the Victors the next season, but failed to get the team anywhere in his two years as Head Coach. After the stint in Indy, Sargent would take a Defensive Coorindator role with the Rouge, which would eventually lead him to get the head coaching role after a couple of seasons. Sargent’s system worked again in getting the Rouge to a McCallister Cup in 1966 and keeping them competitive the next season. However, in his final season, Sargent was slowing down and the team didn’t have the defensive talent to make up for the aging coach, so Sargent knew it was time to call it a career.

Coach Dean Reed - Brooklyn, NY
Teams/Positions: DC Boston Independents (1952), HC Boston Independents (1953-1959), HC Montreal Rouge (1960-1963), IHC Boston Independents (1968)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Coach of the Year (1960)
Regular Season Record: 66-61-2
Playoff Record: 4-9
Reed, much like Dannell Willis, had been mentored by a legendary coach (Peter McDuffin), before taking on the head coaching role. He would find early success, leading the Independents to a McCallister Cup appearance in 1954, however, he too had to deal with a deep rebuild. Reed did a fine job and was able to get the team back into a competitive spot over the late 50s, but it wasn’t good enough and Reed was let go after the 1959 season. He would land in Montreal where he immediately had an impact. The previously struggling Rouge, would make their first playoff appearance in 5 years during Reed’s first season, earning him his Coach of the Year Award. They would win the East Division the next year before making it to the McCallister Cup in 1962. Unfortunately, Reed’s 4th season with the team would be a disappointing one and he would be fired. Reed was likely done from professional coaching following his stint with Montreal, but would make a return as an Interim Head Coach for Boston in 1968 before officially calling it quits.

Coach Perry Powell - Providence, RI
Teams/Positions: OC Providence Gold Stars (1951), HC Providence Gold Stars (1952-1955), HC Louisville Thunder (1957-1958), OC Montreal Rouge (1960-1963), HC Montreal Rouge (1964-1965)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Coach of the Year (1953)
Regular Season Record: 41-45-2
Playoff Record: 1-3
Powell will likely attribute a lot of his success in his career to one particular season. In just his second season as the Gold Stars’ Head Coach, Powell would lead them to a franchise-best 9-1 season, taking them all the way to the McCallister Cup. That 1953 campaign would lead to Powell being viewed as a pretty strong coach, especially after he was awarded Coach of the Year. However, after the stellar season, the Gold Stars would miss the playoffs on both of the next 2 seasons with a combined record of 9-11. Powell would be fired after the ‘55 season, but would find work in 1957 with the expansion Louisville Thunder. Powell’s time with the Thunder was forgettable as the team went 4-19-1 during his time as a coach. He would land with the Rouge as an Offensive Coordinator a couple of years later, which would eventually lead to the coach getting one last crack at a head coaching role. His time with the Rouge was much better, leading the team to an East Division title in his first season, however, the team fell back down to 5-7 the next year. He would be let go again, and would never find a new job in the NAAF. 

GM Vigil Gross - Boston, MA
Teams/Positions: GM Providence Gold Stars (1953-1958), GM Montreal Rouge (1960-1964)
McCallister Cups: 0
Gross never really had the success in his career to really make him memorable, but his philosophy certainly did. Gross was easily one of the wildest GM’s in the NAAF’s history. He just made moves, trades, and signings whether the team needed to or not. He was not too bad at making teams better. In fact, he seemed to be the perfect GM early in his stints as he would make the moves to help a team take the next step. However, the drawback was always that he never stopped making moves. Even when the team was at the top of the league in competitiveness, he just kept trying to make the team better. Unfortunately, for Gross, he would overdo it, often destroying chemistry by sending away players that were important members of the team, or just losing sight of what the team actually needs to improve upon. 

The coaches have been added to the retirement spreadsheet from the previous post.

1969 Minnesota Serpents Expansion Draft

The selections for the draft were announced 3 at a time or team-by-team. The selections are listed below with contract status next to it.

Boston Independents
1 - WR Alexei Dubois - FA
2 - DB Ole Snurlson - FA
3 - OL Stephane Lloris - FA

The Serpents apparently had the most challenging time picking players from the Independents. In the end, they would take the former #1 overall WR, Alexei Dubois to be a veteran in their WR core. Then, they would also add Ole Snurlson and Stephane Lloris for depth.

Buffalo Blue Wings
4 - DL Albert Sullivan - FA
5 - WR Sebastian Dassler - FA
6 - DB Davey Woods - U24 - 2Y, $7,500

Despite one of the greatest DL in William Sanderson available, the Serpents elected to go a much younger route. With HC Soni Dionne’s knowledge of the roster, Buffalo was one of the easiest teams to pick. First, they grabbed the 25-year-old DL in Albert Sullivan who should be the first star on the D-line for the team. Next Dionne made sure he got one of the WRs that he enjoyed coaching in Buffalo in the German-born Sebastian Dassler. Lastly, the Serpents would grab a U24 player in DB Davey Woods, who was selected 48th overall last season.

Halifax Mariners
7 - OL Flint Boyer - 1Y, $17,500
8 - WR Edward Webb - FA
9 - RB Ronald O’Sullivan - FA

Picking from the champs was certainly going to bring some strong players. Firstly, they would add to the OL with veteran Flint Boyer, who is also under contract for next season. Next, they would grab 25-year-old WR, Edward Webb to add more youth to the WR core. Lastly, they would take the Mariners’ star RB Ronald O’Sullivan who was surprisingly left unprotected and should be a strong piece if he sticks around.

Indiana Victors
10 - OL Elias McCarren - FA
11 - WR Evan Clanton - 2Y, $22,000
12 - DL Douglas Jackson - FA

From Indiana, the Mariners would take one of the best players they are going to have on their roster in OL Elias McCarren. McCarren is a former 11th overall selection and one of the best Offensive Linemen in the league. For the 4th team in a row, the Serpents would take a WR in Evan Clanton, who does have 2 years left on his deal and could be a great anchor to fill in the depth in the passing game. Lastly, they would DL Douglas Jackson as a depth piece on the D-line.

London Tigers
13 - DL Teddy Piper - FA
14 - DB Tyler Hill - 1Y, $7,500
15 - RB Richard Morin - FA

From London, the Serpents would grab DL Teddy Piper, who should be a solid starter on the interior D-line. Next was a U24 pick in DB Tyler Hill, a former 3rd-round pick. Lastly was some RB depth in Richard Morin.

Long Island Raiders
16 - OL Mason Fitzpatrick - FA
17 - S Sully Callahan - U24 - 1Y, $7,500
18 - LB Ed Krzano - 1Y, $18,000

It appears one of the weakest bunch of players is coming out of Long Island. They still got a pair of younger players in Mason Fitzpatrick and Sully Callahan, but they are looked at as depth players. LB Ed Krzano should provide some depth in the defence while bringing some experience being as a starter with the Raiders.

Louisville Thunder
19 - OL Jordan Bryson - 1Y, $12,000
20 - DL Winfield Winchester - FA
21 - LB Brent Mayiski - U24 - 1Y, $7,500

From Louisville, the Serpents would continue to add to their O-line with 26-year-old, Jordan Bryson. They would also get a shocking grab of former 2nd overall pick DL Winfield Winchester. On top of that, they would also grab 1967, 13th overall pick LB Brent Mayiski to round out the group.

Montreal Rouge
22 - TE Hunter Ziegelbauer - 1Y, $15,000
23 - DB Ross Conroy - U24 - 1Y, $10,000
24 - OL Paul O’Doherty - 1Y, $15,000

The Serpents continued to aim for the youth, grabbing a pair of 26-year-old players in starting TE Hunter Ziegelbauer and OL Paul O’Doherty, They would also grab 24-year-old DB Ross Conroy, who was a 2nd round pick in 1967. 

Ottawa Royals
25 - QB Martin Keller - U24 - 1Y, $15,000
26 - LB Enzo Morello - FA
27 - OL Xavier Villeneuve - FA

The Serpents would finally take a QB in former 1st round pick, Martin Keller. Keller is expected to be the starter or at least the future at the position, showing promise in a Week 13 start with the Royals last season. They would also add some strong pieces in LB Enzo Morello and OL Xavier Villeneuve to continue to round out the roster.

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
28 - DB Corey Ross - FA
29 - LB Red Clarkson - 1Y, $22,000
30 - S Calvin Hobbes - 1Y, $20,000

The focus for the players coming from Pittsburgh was on defence. DB Corey Ross should be one of the most experienced DBs in the Serpents’ secondary, which is saying something considering he is only 26. They do add some real veteran help in LB Red Clarkson and S Calvin Hobbes.

Providence Gold Stars
31 - DL Ryan Sargent - 1Y, $22,000
32 - OL Ted Cole - 1Y, $12,000
33 - LB Austin Ford - U24 - 2Y, $7,500

With the Gold Stars, the Serpents would continue to take some young players in OL Ted Cole (26) and LB Austin Ford (23). Ford was a 3rd round pick last season, which could be a blow to the Gold Stars’ youth.

Toronto Steelheads
34 - LB Kenneth Mercer - FA
35 - TE Lucas Warmer - U24 - 1Y, $7,500
36 - QB Matt Fletcher - FA

Finally, the Serpents had to pick from the Steelheads, who certainly don’t have the deepest roster in the league. They would mainly focus on adding depth with LB Kenneth Mercer, expecting to be a fringe starter, TE Lucas Warmer to be a backup to Ziegelbauer, and QB Matt Fletcher to be a backup to Martin Keller.

S Calvin Hobbes and LB Red Clarkson ended up being the only two players that were selected in the Pittsburgh expansion draft and the Minnesota expansion draft.

I fixed the link if anyone tried to access the spreadsheet earlier

1969 Free Agency Part 1

DILLARD, BLUNT MAKE QUICK SIGNINGS WITH EXPECTED TEAMS
The first few days of free agency ended up being quiet, as teams waited on DB Neville Falkner’s decision. However, there was a pair of expected signings that broke in the first couple of days. LB Dallas Dillard had made it clear that he desired to complete his childhood goal of playing for the Buffalo Blue Wings, leaving his long-time team, and Buffalo rival, the London Tigers, in order to make the move. Dillard would ink a 2-year deal worth $23,500 a year to play in Buffalo. While London did lose Dillard, they regained another fan favourite in DL Richard Blunt. Blunt had been traded to the Steelheads at the deadline last season in order to help the Steelheads down the stretch, but Blunt seemed to know that he would be back in his hometown by the next season. He would sign a 1-year deal worth $25,000.

NEVILLE SWEEPSTAKES TAKES THE DB WEST
Some may say that Neville is currently the best player in the NAAF, at the very least, the best defensive player. To no surprise, the DB ended up holding up the rest of the signings due to the amount of interest he had. Almost every team made at least a call into the Falkner camp to field an offer. Over the few days, the number of deals would dwindle from both teams who were in no position to contend and contenders who didn’t have the cap space to spare on the deal. In the end, there would be 3 teams vying for Falkner’s services: The Indiana Victors, Pittsburgh Blacksmiths, and Providence Gold Stars. Throughout the process, Providence was offering the highest salary in a desperate attempt to change the DB’s mind about changing teams, but it was no use as the other offers were more intriguing to Neville. Indiana made the case for being the most competitive team that was in the running after their run to the McCallister Cup last season, while Pittsburgh had shown they have a young team that is on the brink of breaking into the playoffs. Both were considered heavily by Falkner, especially with Pittsburgh as it was an opportunity to return to his hometown, however, he would shock quite a few people by selecting the Indiana Victors. Neville will be heading to Indy on a 3-year deal worth $40,000 a season, making him the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NAAF. The move is huge for the Victors who will most certainly be looked at as one of the top contenders for the cup next season. When interviewed after the signing, Falkner noted how he loved the experience the group had and that he had a lot of confidence in Head Coach, Urick Wilkins. Falkner also is reunited with former teammate DB Cameron Taylor, who had left Providence to get out of Falkner’s shadow. Taylor, however, said that he is excited to have Falkner on the team and that he has had enough time out of the shadow and is ready to win some football games. A final note, LB Buddy Harwick has given up his #46 so Neville can have it for next season.

LANGSTROM BECOMES SECOND OPTION FOR SOME TEAMS, BUT ELECTS TO RETURN HOME
After the Falkner signing occurred, DB Oliver Langstrom was flooded with offers from several of the teams that missed out on the star. Pittsburgh had especially made a strong push, considering they needed a 3rd starting DB. However, Langstrom certainly felt a little hurt about being some teams’ second option. So he turned to the offers that were there from the start. After lengthy discussions, Langstrom would make the decision to return to his hometown of Toronto and sign with the Steelheads. It was a move that not as many saw coming, as Toronto wasn’t looked at as a top contender like other teams considering they fell apart after RB Max Tracy was knocked out of the season. Langstrom, however, feels the team is underestimated as they have been since joining the NAAF and believes he can bring the championship to Toronto. Langstrom’s contract would come out to 2-years at $38,500 a year. It was also announced Langstrom would wear his usual #17 despite the recently retired, and fan-favourite, DB Orville Blake having had the number for a long time. 

RUNNING BACK CAROUSELL SEES MANY TEAMS WITH NEW FEATURE BACKS
The selection of RB Ronald O’Sullivan from Halifax in the expansion draft seems to have started a flurry of running backs changing teams this offseason. RB Rashed Smith decided to leave Providence with the younger RB Ronnie Byers looking to take his place, RB Hugo Hughes left Montreal in search of more money, and RB Carter Roy lost his job to Tresean Jones in Pittsburgh. Several others joined the group looking for better opportunities to see the field. Halifax, Montreal, and Providence all were looking for a replacement for their missing RBs. Halifax would be the first to get one as RB Rashed Smith would jump on over to the defending champs. Smith shouldn’t have to worry about job security in Halifax considering they don’t have any real 2nd options, and hopefully he can bring a different element to the Mariners’ offence. Montreal is in talks with Hugo Hughes still, but Minnesota has also made a pitch to the back as Ronald O’Sullivan is not fully signed due to being on the expansion tag. Hughes would try to use the competition to raise his price, but eventually the Rouge would end up signing RB Carter Roy to a much cheaper contract. Providence seemed like the only other team that could fight with Minnesota for Hughes, but in the end they would sign RB George Seahorse. Seahorse did a solid job in relief for RB Théodore Lemieux with the Thunder last season. They hope that Seahorse and the younger Ronnie Byers can fill in the hole left by Rashed Smith. Suddenly, Hughes was seemingly left without a place. Minnesota is still an option for the 28-year-old, but he could see the amount he is offered dwindle, especially if Minnesota ends up keeping Ronald O’Sullivan. 

TOP PASS CATCHERS FIND NEW QUARTERBACKS TO PLAY WITH
There were several wideouts that have found a new team to call home. 27-year-old, Nathan Murray-Lawrence was the top available being the best mix of talent and youth. The Halifax native would end up deciding to head back to his hometown signing a 2-year deal worth $19,000 a season. Murray-Lawrence returns to the Mariners after the team had drafted him back in 1964, but had been taken in the Blacksmiths’ expansion draft the next season. Next to sign would be WR Carter Henderson who took a 2-year deal to be a top target with the London Tigers. Henderson wanted a bit more of the spotlight, and London’s offence seems to give that opportunity despite looking like one of the weaker squads in the West Division. Former 1st overall pick, Alexei Dubois, would head back out west and land with the Thunder after 4 and a half seasons in Boston. Dubois should find a lot of free space in the offence with many teams focused on the stars of WR Lloyd Lane and WR Casey Coleman in Louisville. Finally, Providence would add WR Troy York to round out their WR core. 

DUMONT LOOKS FOR A NEW OPPORTUNITY AFTER BEING BENCHED SINCE EARLY 1967
QB Leonidas Dumount has had a rough go since he took the Thunder to the McCallister Cup in 1962. The former 1st overall pick has suffered through several injuries and an overall decline in the time since. He did get the team back to the Cup in 1965, but had another injury riddled season in 1966. The Thunder acquired QB Buck Murphy in the offseason, and the younger QB took over the reins and left Dumont stuck. The Thunder tried to trade Dumont, but no team wanted him for his salary of almost $40,000. Dumont is finally free to find a new place. He would get a couple of offers, most notably from Minnesota and Providence. While Providence was enticing since they were looking to replace the retired QB Connor O’Rourke, he would end up heading to Minnesota, reuniting with the GM that drafted him in 1957, Calvin Carpenter. Dumont isn’t guaranteed a starting spot with Minnesota, but they do like that he brings a lot of experience and should still get some chances to play if the opportunity arises. 

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - DB Neville Falkner - PRO -> IND - 3Y, $40,000
2 - LB Dallas Dillard - LDN -> BUF - 2Y, $23,500
3 - DB Oliver Langstrom - BOS -> TOR - 2Y, $38,500
4 - S Randall Green - OTT -> LDN - 1Y, $19,000
5 - WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence - PIT -> HFX - 2Y, $19,000
6 - RB Rashed Smith - PRO -> HFX - 2Y, $27,500
7 - RB Hugo Hughes - MTL - Unsigned
8 - WR Alexei Dubois - BOS -> LOU - 1Y, $19,000
9 - WR Carter Henderson - LOU -> LDN - 2Y, $25,000
10 - DL Richard Blunt - TOR -> LDN - 1Y, $25,000
11 - OL Xavier Villeneuve - MIN (OTT) -> MTL - 2Y, $19,500
12 - QB Landon Ross - LI -> LI - 1Y, $18,000
13 - RB Carter Roy - PIT -> MTL - 2Y, $19,500
14 - DL Dean Leanman - OTT -> LI - 1Y, $17,500
15 - WR Troy York - HFX -> PRO - 1Y, $18,500
16 - QB Leonidas Dumont - LOU -> MIN - 1Y, $19,500
17 - RB Rodney Clark - BOS -> TOR - 1Y, $18,000
18 - WR Jack Duncan - LDN - Unsigned
19 - S Peter Sellers - HFX -> PIT - 1Y, $18,000
20 - S Clarence Sale - IND -> OTT - 1Y, $18,000
21 - QB Michael Benedict - OTT -> TOR - 2Y, $15,250
22 - OL Calvin Foreman - PIT -> TOR - 1Y, $14,000
23 - QB Michael Miranda - LDN - Unsigned
24 - RB Robert Jack - OTT -> OTT - 2Y, $15,500
25 - RB George Seahorse - LOU -> PRO - 2Y, $15,000

Full list of signings are again linked below. The FA signings should have the team they were formerly on in the second last column. 

SIGNINGS