1956 Re-Sign Stage
The Gold Stars’ young starter Connor O’Rourke made a big impact in his first season under center. Entering his second season, he will quickly become the highest-paid QB in the league. He signed on for 5 seasons starting at $31,000 a season which will increase to $33,000 by the 5th season of the contract. Jean Matieau and Riley Kiernan come in right behind O’Rourke with $30,000 a season at this point. O’Rourke is the future of the Gold Stars and he will be treated that way with the massive contract. The total he will earn over the 5 seasons will be $159,000.
Rusty McVee Becoming Sean Bowen 2.0?
The Montreal Rouge are heading into a heavy rebuild. It didn’t help that the team was attempting to still be somewhat competitive last season which might have set them back an extra year. This rebuild is a cause for concern with LB Rusty McVee, who is the team's top player when looking into the future. Looking back a few years to the Hartford Hawks when they signed their top player DL Sean Bowen to an extension, they gave him an option after 3 seasons if he wanted out if the Hawks weren’t competitive. Just two years later, the Hawks were still making no progress and Bowen was dealt to Buffalo. McVee could be following a similar path after signing a 2-year bridge deal at $22,000 a season. However, there is a lot of concern with the 2-year deal as it might not give Montreal enough time to see where they are going to either keep McVee or trade him if things aren’t going well. The deal could be a big risk for Montreal but there are reports that McVee was very hesitant on signing anything longer at this point.
Boston Locks Up Their Future
The Independents made several big signings that will be important in getting the team back to the competitive level they were at. WR Ellis Lindholm and LB Brent Harper both signed 5-year deals starting at $23,000 a year going up to $25,000 in the future. DB Clayton Malone and K Johnnie Berg both signed 3-year deals to continue to strengthen the core for Boston. They certainly look to be in a much better position when compared to Montreal after one season of rebuilding.
Lee Rogers Leaving NAAF
The former 1st overall pick has had a frustrating start to his career. Rogers just finished a season with his second team in his first 3 seasons of play and it is clear that he has just not found his footing in the NAAF. Montreal was still hoping to give Rogers another shot but the QB has decided to go elsewhere. Rogers has landed a spot in the ACFL with Baltimore and hopes that the team will give him the chance to revitalize his career.
Big Names in Free Agency
With free agency around the corner, there were some big names that didn’t resign with their teams. Ontario might have taken a big hit with two players not signing due to financial constraints as well as playing time. QB Duane Logan will be looking for a new home next season as the Tigers will hand the reins over to QB Christian Stewart for next season. The options for Logan are looking pretty slim with not many teams looking for a new starting QB, so it might be time for Logan to become a backup this season while more options with expansion open up next year. LB Roland Hensley will join Logan in free agency after his short tenure with the Tigers ended without a playoff appearance, something the player desperately wants. Financial issues also played a role in both players not being able to sign.
WR Willard Brooks also makes a surprise appearance here but after back-to-back cups with the Royals, he has decided to look for a new opportunity with the Royals WR core getting a bit crowded with youngsters. Brooks should make for a strong #2 receiver for most teams in the league. RB Gene Fischer was released by the Raiders which came at a surprise, but they might be looking to go younger with RB Lawrence Sharp and RB Timothy Weeks both being available. Weeks will be a hot target after his performance in replacing an injured RB Marcus Devonshire at the end of last season.
QB Bruce Woodard is sticking around for one more year, and after a strong week 10 performance with the Royals that earned him offensive player of the week, he might be the top target for some teams looking for veteran presence in the locker room.
Top Free Agents
1 - QB Duane Logan - ON
2 - LB Roland Hensley - ON
3 - WR Willard Brooks - OTT
4 - RB Timothy Weeks - WOR
5 - RB Lawrence Sharp - BUF
6- RB Gene Fischer - LI
7 - QB Bruce Woodard - OTT
8 - DL Matis Baril - BUF
9 - S Carl Dawson - LI
10 - DB Timothy Key - OTT
Undrafted Free Agents from the Draft
TE Danny Harmon - Stamford, CT - Captain Mort 3D
LB Dwyane Jonestroy - Portland, ME - Jack Watner
QB Lucas Sly - Syracuse, NY
OL Georgio Valzinikov - St. Petersburg, RU/New York City, NY - Darknes
WR Frank Daniels - Toronto, ON - Wallflower
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