2022 Matadors

[Hoosier]

Offseason in Los Angeles, 2022 Style

Everything's Ducky!

Ducky Mallard was awarded the 2021 Player of the Year; 2021 Offensive Player of the Year; and Imperial League 1st Team Running Back.

Bazooka Barlow!

Bazooka Barlow had his best year as quarterback in seven seasons as he finished with a qb rating of 95.9. He threw for 20 touchdowns while only throwing six ints. I guess a strong running game does help the passing game after all!

Now to help the passing game by getting Barlow better receivers.

Retirements

Ten year IFL veteran left guard Tony Knispel has retired. Knispel played his entire career with Los Angeles after being drafted from Washington State in the second round of the 2012 rookie draft.

Knispel leaves L.A. standing second on the Matadors record book for Pancake Blocks; third in Key Run Blocks and Key Run Opportunities; and 8th all time Games Started. He won Player of the Game twice, and earned 14 Player of the Week mentions.
　
Defense suffers a big hit as well, as safety Nolan Coghill has announced his retirement after 11 seasons. Coghill was a second round draft pick out of Minnesota-Morris in the IFL's 2011 rookie draft and spent his entire career in Los Angeles.

Coghill leaves ranked 1st in the Matadors record books for Passes Defensed, and Games Started; 2nd in Pass Defense Percentage, Tackles, and Assists; 4th all time Matadors in Interceptions.


He never won Player of the Game, but was Player of the Week candidate 12 times.
　
Offseason Manuevers

Franchise Tag: Offensive tackle Kyle Ford will have the honor of wearing the franchise tag. Efforts to sign Ford to a contract extension last season proved futile as Ford's agent and G.M. "Hoosier" Owens could not see eye to eye.

Summer League Candidate Moe Hoover, an offensive guard drafted in the fourth round of last year's rookie draft, will spend a summer playing overseas. Hoover will be pressed into starting at right guard after Knispel's retirement. In limited action which included four starts last season, Hoover didn't allow a single sack and registered 15 key run blocks.

Show Me The MONEY!!!

Los Angeles is 47 million dollars under the salary cap, and we will be aggressive in free agency.

ATTENDANCE IS UP!!

Los Angeles Matador fans turned the turnstyles with a whopping 23 percent increase last season. Improvement that the team now has to reward by posting it's first winning season in aeons.

Record: But we still finished 8-8, and missed the playoffs.
That's gotta change soon.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

[DDT]

Nice write up. If I recall you gave up a lot for Barlow. Going to be difficult to find receivers.

[Hoosier]

Nice write up. If I recall you gave up a lot for Barlow. Going to be difficult to find receivers.

one more season without a first, and we'll be back in first round action. The way receivers fly off the shelves here in the IFL, it will be difficult, but I've got a wideout in the DFL that was drafted in the sixth round 13 seasons ago, and he ranks in the top three all time Utah receivers ... so..you can find em in the mid rounds and late rounds, they're just usually running backs with great pass catching abilitiy...and crappy run ability.

And then there's the tight ends..


If Barlow sticks around for 13 seasons, that gives me five seasons to look...

[markc]

Congrats on Ducky winning POTY. I wish I could get fans to show up like you, apparently Vancouverites aren't impressed with playoffs

[Hoosier]

2022 Rookie Draft

2.25. Center Spencer Gliniak, Oklahoma State
6-3, 296 lbs.
Very High Volatility
Did Not Interview



Bars, Combines, and Stelmack. I liked the guy better than a lot of other offensive
lineman. It may not make sense to a lot of other g.m.'s, but to me, it's the bpa on my wish list.

Gliniak has some huge upsides in Blocking
Strength, Run Blocking, and Endurance, but will never be a great long snapper. I think he'll anchor our new young offensive line rebuild for a long time, and he's the anchor piece.

I doubt we'll ever find wideouts in this league..lol.

[JesterBlaze]

Love the Matadors coverage every draft, Hoosier!

[Hoosier]

3.17. RB Damon Briggs, UTEP
6-0, 234 lbs
High volatility
Did Not Intervew



I like running backs, but I took this guy to experiment at wide receiver. If not, he'll stay as backup to Ducky Mallard.
I need a good young second back as insurance, and to help spread the carries a bit more.

[Hoosier]

4.16. FS Antoine Bruce, SMU
5-11, 204 lbs
Did not interview
Average volatility




We needed a safety, and we drafted one. He fits our defensive scheme well with strong bars in zone, bump n run, and endurance, but his combine score in the forty is low average. Hopefully his outstanding combine scores in intelligence and strength combined with strong play recognition bars give him a leg up.

[Hoosier]

5.4. WR Billy Joseph, Ohio State
6-3, 214 lbs.
Did Not Intervew
Very low volatility



A long term project with solid potential barwise, we needed to try something at wideout depth. The only combine score I can work with is Solevision, and it's pretty damn good. Position drill is average. I doubt if he'll ever be a superstar, but at least he'll be a solid wideout.

[Hoosier]

5.15. T Stephen Zimmerman, Cal
6-7, 346 lbs
High volatility


Strength is what I look for in an o lineman, and this guy doesn't have it. On the other hand, the dude is overweight, and his bench reps don't seem to translate well to blocking strength, and it shows. Endurance is solid, run blocking is outstanding. An enigma wrapped in a 6-7 body. Oh well.
Looks to be nothing more than a backup.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

[Hoosier]

6.17. K Ed Carter, Clemson
5-11, 194 lbs
Low volatility



Recruited as a field goal kicker only, we'll have to find a kickoff specialist.
I'm not even sure this guy'll make the team.






7.16. DE Moe Hartley, Nebraska
6-5, 295 lbs.
Low volatility


A Weak Assed Defensive End Joins The Matadors

Okay, the guy is as weak as one of Iceman's jokes, but he's got good size, needs to lose weight, and Stelmack seemed to think there was something good about him.
What the hell that was, I don't know.

[Hoosier]

Raven Hawk Lynch , Oregon
5-11, 191 lbs
Well Liked
Low Volatility

Raven Hawk Lynch, his real name, has been moved from corner to strong safety and gained in the move. He'll play behind starting strong safety Richie Randle, a nine year veteran and mentor

CB 19/39
SS 18/44



LCB Toby Fouts, Mississippi
5-10, 185 lbs
Recognized
Very Low volatility

Fouts has signed with Los Angeles as an undrafted rookie free agent. Strong Zone Defense Bars coupled with good Endurance and Special Teams bars caught our eye.
LDE Moe Hartley has been moved to left defensive tackle. The move picks up one point in future rankings for the 6foot five inch 7th round rookie pick.
　
　
　
　
　

[Hoosier]

Since we focus so much on the run, it's only natural that I look to the rookie running back for a lot of playing time during preseason. So, how did the backup to Ducky fare during preseason?

He ran the ball 50 times for 259 yards, and a 5.18 ypc average. His strongest game was the only game he started, and that was against Lansing, where he carried the rock 15 times for 131 yards and one touchdown. He also caught the ball 4 times our of six passes thrown his way for 37 yards caught.

Briggs outperformed last season's backup Eric Johnstone, now on i.r. with plantellar fascitis for 12 weeks. His Strong endurance bar and a high elusive bar seems to help the rookie overcome the other deficiencies in hole recognition and third down running.