With the 1st pick in the '09 IFL Draft, California selects:

[Hell Atlantic]

WR Nathan Mullin - UCLA

great dynasties are built upon great players. i'll get my good QB next year, when Mullin has developed a bit more.

[Suicane]

Good pick. Still dont know that i would of given up what you did to get him, but good pick.

[Hell Atlantic]

i'm confused. i'm looking at that QB and i'm saying "man - if all those bars develop he's gonna be a real muthafucker". and i got a QB mentor on my squad too.

but i also have a WR mentor, and Mullin is the best player in the whole draft and could very likely develop into being the best WR in the whole league.

i really didn't give up that much for him. if Cartegena was even 4 years younger no way would i make this trade. as it is i wasn't sure if i woulda even resigned him to a new deal once his current one expires after next season. he's a great QB, and we coulda picked up like another 2 wins based on him being our QB alone, but long term it just wasn't hard to give up a temporary fix at QB for someone who could be the best player at his position for the next 10-12 years.

WR wasn't even a need position for us, i really had no busines making this trade as i coulda just stood pat with the 1.4 and happily selected one of the two DTs who woulda fell to me or been tempted to take that QB. but i think what really did us in offensively last season was people blatantly double teaming my top WR last year (Reuben Caffrey) after our other WR went down for half the season and us not being able to have a passing game. now, with Mullin on the team we can throw out 3 WRs and teams gotta play us honest now, no cheating or taking the easy way out.

[Suicane]

I hope like hell you get a chance at a top flight QB again sometime soon or you'll be driving a million dollar car with ten cent engine.

[Hell Atlantic]

I hope like hell you get a chance at a top flight QB again sometime soon or you'll be driving a million dollar car with ten cent engine.

c'mon, this is me we're talking about here. i've done nothing but add talent to this team without trading much actual talent myself - mostly just picks. i'll take a one year hit at QB - either next year or the year after that i'll have my guy. Cartegena just wasn't a long term option. i'll concede the West to the other 3 teams this year, next season is when we start putting it all together.

one thing i won't do again is go on a trading spree like i did when i first took over the team (much like Tulsa is doing now). yeah, i brought in great players, but the hit in cohesion negated all of that. trading-wise i'm pretty much done this year. the more you trade the more likely you'll make one trade too many.

[SteveBsFan]

I guess it depends if he really feels like he can't win it all this year, which based on his other post I guess he doesn't feel like it.

I think you should borrow that attitude and trade away some of your players too. I don't think you have a shot either, so just give it up now. :twisted:

[Hell Atlantic]

i wouldn't characterize it as giving up now. more like the QB we have now won't be around when the team is actually in a position to do something special. rather than be happy just missing out on the playoffs i rather get one of the best players in the league who'll still be playing 10 years from now.

we might still pull off an upset and win more games than i anticipate - i'm thinking this team had 7-9, 8-8 potential. that's not championship calibre if you ask me, no sense in letting Cartegena hang around and waste his talents and then when we're ready to go to the next level he announces he's retiring.

[sovstar]

Yes! I'm not the only one that wants a thread per pick apparently!!

[SteveBsFan]

I think you have a pretty good roster right now and had a serious shot at competing. Still do if you get another solid QB to replace JC.

[MrBigglesworth]

i'll take a one year hit at QB - either next year or the year after that i'll have my guy.

By then you'll need a whole new offensive line