Gridiron Gang - The man of the people (2017 season General Manager)
Coach Stubbs Jr has won a number of awards over his career in the LOC, with many coming from the GM of the season category. But one stands out that may be worthy of the hall of fame.
2017 - long had it been since Gridiron Gang hoisted the Corona Bowl in 2010. There had been some very dark seasons since, but the recent few had been promising. 2017 would appear to be a continuation of that after the draft. Gridiron Gang was widely recognised to have had a good draft day. A strong group made up of Le’Veon Bell, Dee Bryant, Brandin Cooks and Demaryius Thomas. Greg Olsen, Danny Woodhead, Rex Burkhead, Wendell Smallwood, Matt Stafford and Carson Palmer.
After the draft, Coach Stubbs Jr added Chris Carson - an addition that would chip in. But calamity would soon unfold.
Week 1 started in a classic Gridiron Gang way - that is, by losing. But it wasn’t the loss that stung so much as the other loss. In Week 1 Gridiron Gang lost Danny Woodhead to IR. Week 2 was also a tough pill to swallow, losing the game, and losing Greg Olsen and Rex Burkhead to IR. A few key additions would help plug the gap in week 3, leading to their first win - but not getting out of the week without losing star Kicker Cairo Santos to IR. However, a skillful trade sending injured Greg Olsen to The Tuckfards for health Charles Clay would reap big dividends, as would trading a couple of free agent additions for additional depth.
Despite all that, Gridiron Gang won in week 4 to get to 2-2 - but lost yet another play in Carson Palmer to IR. Jerick McKinnon was added to ease the pain, and would provide much needed assistance as the season went on. Another win in week 5 brought them to 3-2, but lost star free agent addition Chris Carson to IR. Devin Funchess, another player who would provide key contributions, was added to fill the vacant role.
If you’re keeping count, that’s 6 players lost to IR in 5 weeks. Despite all the injuries, Gridiron Gang wheeled and dealed, and made enough adds to stay afloat. But Coach Stubbs Jr. Wasn’t done. Through the rest of the season, Coach Stubbs Jr would add further key contributors Orleans Darkwa, Jared Goff, George Kittle, Adam Vinatieri, and even Aaron Rodgers - whilst also spinning Darren McFadden to the suspended Ezekiel Elliott owner for Tyrod Taylor.
Incredibly, after all of that Gridiron Gang went 6-3 in the final 9 weeks of the season with a patch work team and sealed their first playoff berth since 2011. Although they fell in the first hurdle of the playoffs, just getting to the playoffs with all the injuries is a feat in itself.
Coach Stubbs Jr is no stranger to the top of the leader board when it comes to making the most roster moves in a season (60 in 2017 if you were wondering), but he needed every single one of them in 2017 just to keep the team competitive, as well as 4 trades in one season - which I’m pretty sure is an LOC record. But he didn’t just make them competitive, because of his potentially hall of fame worth heroics as a general manager, he made them a playoff team.
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