Whew, that draft was fast. I mean, record fast. I mean Mike with a rack of ribs fast.

It used to take hours to get through the draft, let alone the time it used to take actually driving to the draft, Josh's rig setup time, small talk with AmJo (yes, like Kimye, Ann-Marie and Joel have reached one-name status) but this year we did it in a little over an hour. It was a quiet, busy, affair with little time for chit chat that made one harken back to the laid back drafts of yesteryear. Back in the days when I could actually go get a beer without having to dash for it.

2015 Season Recap

---

There is no doubt that 2015 was not only a historic season for the MeggaMen, it showcased THE greatest single season team performance by any team in league history. I can undoubtedly state this for the following reasons:

1. It was my team.
2. The MeggaMen scored the most offensive (1143) AND defensive (583) points in a single season in league history (or for at least the 10 years that Josh has been keeping these records).
3. The MeggaMen stomped their way through the league to a 12-2 record, their record third 12-2 season in franchise history. The Whiskey Tango have had two 12-2 seasons (1994 and 2007) and the Crusaders have had one (1996).
4. The MeggaMen continued to own the Sacks on the Beach in the playoffs and are now 3-0 all-time against Mike in playoff games

 

Silly Stats That I Find Amusing

---

The Sean Taylor's Ashes are 0-3 in Championship games. This sounds bad, until you realize the Sacks on the Beach are 1-6 in Championship games. If Mike had won half of those games, he'd be in the top 5 for number of Championships.

Minus the two recent expansion teams, every team in the league has played in at least 2 championship games in their history except one, the lowly Gallic Warriors.

The Woodland Rangers have only been in existence since 2010 and already they've been to 4 toilet bowls (including the last 3). That's more than teams that have been in the league since the start (almost 25 years ago), including Josh, Hall, Tim, and Byron.

The Crusaders in 2015 became the first team to surpass 200 wins in team history.

The MeggaMen and Sacks on the Beach both entered the league in the same year (2000) and, since that time, hold identical regular season records (131-89-4). How's that for parity.

 

Team-by-Team Review and Predictions

---

Amish Electricians (I miss the Joe Gibbs Good Head, they were a one-year wonder.)

2015 Predicted Finish: 7-6-1
2015 Actual Finish: 6-8 (Just about nailed it.) 
2015 Results: After having a better draft than 2014 (how could he not) and with the title in hand, Josh had a back and forth season before dropping 3 of his last 5 to miss out on the playoffs. He seems to have more success in even years, so perhaps this is the year of the comeback?

Best Pick: Malcolm Smith and Eric Kendricks (tie)
Worst Pick: James White (never draft a NE running back)
Team his season depends on: None, He's actually got great player distribution.
Schedule Outlook: Josh's schedule is tough early and late, but (like Heywood) has a soft underbelly. He'll need to get off to a fast start to stay competitive.
Draft Grade: C+
Predicted Finish: 7-7
Summary: Once again, Josh turned in a draft that I'm not a huge fan of, but was certainly a step up from past years. The pick of McCoy in the first was not unexpected but Emmanuel Sanders in the third was a bit of a reach. James White and Crabtree in later rounds were also questionable. His best pick going forward could be his last, Devin Funchess. Josh has a good solid starting lineup this yeah starting off with Bortles at QB (and Stafford behind him if he stumbles). At RB the combo of Bell and McCoy could be one of the strongest in the league, if they can stay healthy (and that's a huge if) since he has zero depth behind them. At WR, Jarvis Landry should perform and Funchess may surprise, but the other guys all have question marks around them. On Defense, his LB core could be one of the surprises of the league this year but his DBs will drag them down.

 

Mansfield Onanists

2015 Predicted Finish: 7-7
2015 Actual Finish: 6-8 (Again, so close!)
2015 Results: Matt stumbled out of the gate last year, going 1-3 in his first four, but fought back to over .500 by week 11. Unfortunately, as he did the previous year, Matt's team collapsed late and went 0-3 to close out the year.

Best Pick: Clayton Geathers
Worst Pick: TB OL and LA OL (tie)
Team his season depends on: Chicago Schedule
Outlook: Starts off tough with the MeggaMen but gets easier after that. Two 2015 playoff teams in their last four to close it out could make for another late season fade.
Draft Grade: B+
Predicted Finish: 6-8
Summary: I always like Matt's drafts but picking two OLs in the middle of the draft was surprising and odd. In the end, he finally brought in a star player (Jeffery) and avoided the Romo hole by picking up Roethlisberger in the 2nd. Will it be enough to put him over the top? I doubt it. He's got arguably the best RB in the league in David Johnson but Jeremy Langford for his #2 has question marks all over him and the depth behind them is non-existant. At WR, Jeffrey will star if healthy but questions abound outside of him, with Kelvin Benjamin back from injury, ancient Vincent Jackson, and unproven Tyler Boyd. He has a strong TE in Kelce and at least one strong player at each D position, although that probably won't be enough to put him over the top.

 

Norsemen

2015 Predicted Finish: 5-9
2015 Actual Finish: 7-7 (I didn't think AP had much left in the tank, certainly proved me wrong)
2015 Results: Many (including myself) thought Byron was doomed early on last year when both Jamaal Charles and Calvin Johnson went down with injuries. Little did we know that Cam Newton would have an MVP year and AP would bounce back as strong as ever. Those two alone almost got him into the playoffs but the schedule for his last two games put him up against the steamrolling MeggaMen and a Sean Taylor's Ashes team that was in the midst of a 3-1 end-of-year run. He dropped them both and missed out on the playoffs for the second straight season.

Best Pick: Coby Fleener Worst Pick: Kwon Alexander (dropped) Team his season depends on: Carolina and Minnesota (tie) Schedule
Outlook: The Norsemen's schedule starts out easy so I wouldn't be surprised to see them go 3-0 to start off the year. It will get tougher from there.
Draft Grade: C
Predicted Finish: 5-9
Summary: This season marked a sea change with the Norsemen, as Byron finally had to move on from Jamaal Charles and Calvin Johnson, two of the long time pillars of his team. Adrian Peterson remains and, like last year, Byron's season wholly depends on Peterson and Cam Newton. If they both perform at the level they did last year he'll be in contention, but any slip ups and he'll be in trouble (and I'm again banking on a regression from Peterson). I liked his first pick of Fleener, picking a TE high in the first round was a ballsy choice but, unfortunately for him, the rest of his draft picks won't be able to make up for the holes in his lineup. Dalton is a major step down at backup QB, there are question marks around all his other RBs (incl Mathews and Ajayi), and most of his WR (aside from Sammy Watkins) could prove to be dreadful. On defense, Navorro Bowman will beast but the rest will struggle to put up points.

 

Sean Taylor's Ashes

2015 Predicted Finish: 8-6
2015 Actual Finish: 8-6 (Bam!)
2015 Results: I liked how Tim drafted last year and it paid off. He went 4-1 to close out the year and cruised into the playoffs for the first time in 4 years. Unfortunately, he ran into the record setting MeggaMen and actually almost pulled off a first round playoff upset, but ultimately lost a close one.

Best Pick: Alec Ogletree
Worst Pick: Pierre Garcon
Team his season depends on: Dallas
Schedule Outlook: Starts tough, with the Sacks and MeggaMen early, but it gets easier as it goes. Another late season game against the Norsemen could again decide this division.
Draft Grade: B
Predicted Finish: 6-8
Summary: While I didn't like many of Tim's early picks, I can't fault him for making them. He needed help at RB and he went all-in, drafting four RB's with his first four picks. The problem is, by the time his draft position came around, he had little choice but to draft guys in potential time shares or with injury concerns. In the end, his QBs and RBs are mediocre at best and his top WR (Dez Bryant) is starting off the year with QB issues. Jordan Reed is a stud at TE and will singlehandedly win a few games for him. On defense, he's sporting a top LB in CJ Mosley but the rest of his group leaves much to be desired.

 

Crusaders

2015 Predicted Finish: 7-7
2015 Actual Finish: 11-3 (I couldn't have blown this one more.)
2015 Results: Hall started out of the gate with a bang last year, going 6-1 over the first half. He still went 5-2 in the second half to close out one of his best seasons in team history.

Best Pick: Donte Moncrief
Worst Pick: Torrey Smith
Team his season depends on: Green Bay
Schedule Outlook: Hall's schedule is cake early on and he could be undefeated by the halfway point. He'll have some tougher games in the second half but he should win the division easily.
Draft Grade: A
Predicted Finish: 10-4
Summary: Hall rode great seasons from Aaron Rodgers, Demaryius Thomas, and Gronk last year and, while he'll lean on them again, they'll have some help. He had a great draft and pulled in some players that will prove to be keys to his team throughout the year, including Matt Forte, Donte Moncrief, and consistant DB Eric Weddle. Outside of his big three, he's got a solid 3-down back in Carlos Hyde and should get plenty of help from Forte, if needed. At WR, Thomas will still be strong even with a new QB and Cooper should be a beast. Behind them Donte Moncrief will vie for the #3 slot and John Brown is a more than capable to backup the group. On defense, the DL is strong and the DBs adequate, but the LBs bring something to be desired. All around, Hall's team will vie for the top record again this year.

 

Fighting Squirrels

2015 Predicted Finish: 8-6
2015 Actual Finish: 8-6 (Nailed it again)
2015 Results: Brian posted his second 8-6 record in his first two years in the league, that's the best record in an owners first two seasons since the legendary Bobby Rainey's 1993-1996 reign. Brian stumbled early and, by mid-season was 3-4 and looking at a potential re-building year but, he turned it around in the second half and went 5-2 to close out the season. Unfortunately, he lost the tie-breaker with Tim and narrowly missed the playoffs for his second straight year.

Best Pick: Julian Edelman
Worst Pick: Jimmy Graham
Team his season depends on: Houston
Schedule Outlook: An up-and-down schedule, the last game against the Crusaders could prove to be a wildcard battle for this team.
Draft Grade: B+
Predicted Finish: 6-8
Summary: Brian added some decent depth players in his draft and getting Edelman in the first was a great addition. His team is decent overall but a lack of depth and some questionable players could make for an up-and-down season. For starters, he'll need Andrew Luck to return to playing at a high level and he'll need him healthy all year (both of which are up in the air). At RB, He'll need a healthy Arian Foster (good luck) and Lamar Miller will have to prove he's worth the years of hype surrounding him. At WR, Brandon Marshall and Edelman will shine and his TE's are capable, but lack of quality depth at RB and WR will prove to be his undoing. On defense, JJ Watt will again put up huge DL numbers and he has a great pair of DBs, but his LBs are lacking will prove to be a big hole on a weekly basis.

 

Gallic Warriors

2015 Predicted Finish: 4-10
2015 Actual Finish: 5-9 (so close)
2015 Results: Aside from a big week 5 upset over the Sacks on the Beach, Chris's team had a forgettable year. After making the playoffs in 2013 and 2014, it looked like Chris had finally turning around one what had historically been one of the worst franchises in the league. As predicted, he regressed last year and is again looking to rebuild.

Best Pick: Larry Fitzgerald
Worst Pick: Dion Lewis and Karlos Williams (tie, neither will play much, if at all, this year)
Team his season depends on: Atlanta
Schedule Outlook: Soft in the middle but even that won't help.
Draft Grade: F
Predicted Finish: 4-10
Summary: I thought Chris was in trouble when he missed the draft last year and the computer auto-drafted for him but, if he drafts like this, auto-draft might not be a bad idea. He started it off by picking boom-or-bust Mark Ingram followed by a load of questionable players, including injured and suspended Rob Ninkovich, PUP-listed Dion Lewis, and free agent Karlos Williams. The final roster gives him a great QB in Tom Brady when he returns from suspension but, until then, Jameis Winston will have to hold down the fort. At RB, Ingram will be the starter with serious holes behind him. At WR, he does sport one of the best in the business in Julio Jones and he'll bring him a few wins thoughout the year. He may be solid with Fitzgerald and Jordy Nelson at the 2 and 3 WR spots, but there are questions around them as well and his TEs are well below average. On defense, he'll sport a rookie (Joey Bosa) and a guy at a new position in Khalil Mack. In all, he may field the worst LBs and DBs in the league.

 

Whiskey Tango

2015 Predicted Finish: 7-6-1
2015 Actual Finish: 3-11 (Even I thought Warren would be better then this)
2015 Results: Warren came into last year with a 5-7-2 record in 2014 and seemed poised to put up similar numbers, but injuries and poor play derailed the bounce back. He stumbled out of the gate to get to 0-3 but then won two in a row and appeared to have righted this ship. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and he went 1-8 the rest of the way and eventually lost the Toilet Bowl to the Woodland Rangers.

Best Pick: Chandler Jones
Worst Pick: Kenny Stills
Team his season depends on: Kansas City
Schedule Outlook: It starts off ok but hits a brutal three game stretch in which they play the Crusaders, Sacks, and MeggaMen in a row. It gets a bit better after that but the damage will have been done.
Draft Grade: D
Predicted Finish: 5-9
Summary: There was little to like in Warren's draft. His first pick of Jamaal Charles was fine but his injury history is a concern. Beyond that, he got a load of timeshare guys with odds against them. In the end, he'll field a team with Philip Rivers at QB (with "most-hated man" Kaepernick behind him), two solid RB's (if healthy) in Charles and Doug Martin, and two quality receivers in Mike Evans and Randall Cobb. His offensive starters aren't the issue, it's his total lack of depth at all offensive positions. On defense, he's lacking in every group and this should be one of the bottom dwellers for defensive points this the year. In the end, Warren's team will via for another Toilet Bowl this year.

 

MeggaMen

2015 Predicted Finish: 9-5
2015 Actual Finish: 12-2 (undersold myself, it won't happen again)
2015 Results: It took a few games for the MeggaMen to find their footing but, once they did, they were off to the races. They were just 2-2 by week 4, but both of those losses came against playoff teams (the Crusaders and Sacks). They certainly hit their groove after week 4, winning 10 in a row and sweeping through the playoffs for their 5th championship in 15 years in the league (yes, that's 1/3rd of the championships since they joined). Between weeks 5-7, they recorded three straight shutouts, putting up 207 points to zero in the process.

Best Pick: Kony Ealy
Worst Pick: Joe Flacco
Team his season depends on: Los Angeles (it feels weird typing that)
Schedule Outlook: Great up until the last 3 games against a potentially re-surging Amish Electricians, top notch Crusaders, and always tough Sacks on the Beach.
Draft Grade: B
Predicted Finish: 11-3 (It takes alot of luck to go 12-2)
Summary: The MeggaMen tried desperately to re-create their championship team during the draft, and mainly succeeded. They were able to re-aquire LB Telvin Smith, DB Cory Graham, TE Tyler Eifert, and DL Fletcher Cox. In the end, the MeggaMen will field an identical starting lineup to last year (once Eifert is healthy), with the exception of Drew Brees at QB. Will this group be able to re-create last year's magic? That's the ultimate question. Much of that depends on Brees at QB, he'll have to be able to perform at his usual Brees level for another season, otherwise they'll have to turn to mediocre Flacco to carry the load. At RB, much depends on Gurley being able to perform with a bad team and equally bad offensive line behind him. With questions surrounding CJ Anderson and Ameer Abdullah as well, RB could be an area of concern for this team. At WR, they'll field the best trio in the league with ODB, DeAndre Hopkins, and Allen Robinson, with potentially good depth behind them. TE is a bit of a question mark with ultra-streaky Jared Cook needing to fill in for the first few weeks. On defense, this is the exact same lineup as last year and will again via for top D honors, with studs at every position, depth however is a bit of a concern.

 

Pretend I'm Not Here

2015 Predicted Finish: 5-9
2015 Actual Finish: 5-9 (again, spot on baby!)
2015 Results: As predicted, the PNH had a down season. Things were actually looking surprisingly up early on when Devonta Freeman came out of nowhere to be the best running back in the league over the first half. The PNH rode his success to a 5-1 record early on, but as Freeman began to stumble, so did they. They collapsed totally after week six, going 0-8 to close it out and end the year at 5-9.

Best Pick: Johnathan Cyprien
Worst Pick: Michael Griffin (recently released)
Team their season depends on: Atlanta
Schedule Outlook: Up-and-down but not bad to close out.
Draft Grade: C
Predicted Finish: 6-8
Summary: I typically like Joel and Ann-Marie's drafts but they stumbled a bit this year. The Eddie Lacy was a necessary first pick but they're always trying to split his time in GB and his last season was forgettable. #2 pick Golden Tate is in an unsettled WR situation in Detroit and questions abound about their other picks. They'll go into the year with a clear #1 QB in Russell Wilson, questionable Devonta Freeman and Lacy at RB, and a solid Keenan Allen as the #1 WR. The rest of the offense is backups in iffy situations who may not contribute much. on defense, they're fairly strong at each position so I would expect their defense to keep them competitive in most games this year, and hold them near a .500 record.

 

Sacks on the Beach

2015 Predicted Finish: 7-7
2015 Actual Finish: 8-6 (yet again, close one)
2015 Results: If I were a betting man, the one team I would continually bet on to make the playoffs is the SOB. They've only missed the playoffs in two of the last ten years and are continually one of the toughest teams in the league. They again proved this last year by hitting a 5-3 record following week 8 but stumbled slightly after that, going 3-3 to close out the year. They won the tiebreaker against the Squirrels though and dropped the #2 Crusaders in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, they faced their playoff nemesis MeggaMen in the championship and again wilted on the big stage.

Best Pick: Harrison Smith
Worst Pick: T.J. Yeldon
Team his season depends on: Pittsburgh
Schedule Outlook: Back-to-back games against the MeggaMen and Crusaders in mid-season will prove tough and a season finale against the MeggaMen will prove vital for playoff contention.
Draft Grade: C+
Predicted Finish: 8-6
Summary: Mike tuned in a fine draft and is again poised for another strong year. His first pick of Latavius Murray will prove good in the long run and Danny Woodhead and DeAndre Levy also fill vital needs. His draft had its weak moments with 2-TD T.J. Yeldon and backup DeAngelo Williams filling in (although Williams will probably be expendable after week 3). The rest of his draft was solid and many of those players will contribute from day 1. At QB, he'll field the combo of Marcus Mariota and Kirk Cousins (but I wouldn't be surprised to see this as Cousin's team in short order). At RB, Murray is locked in with Woodhead as a potential #2. His WR's include Mr. All-World Antonio Brown and AJ Green and those two alone will be responsible for most of his offense. Behind them, questionable Tyler Lockett and rookie Sterling Shephard will via for playing time. His TE's are solid with Barnidge and Delanie Walker and they're basically interchangeable. His defense this year is a bit of a letdown, with a mediocre DL and LB group but a top notch DB in Harrison Smith. I would probably put him at 7-7 again this year but, time and time again, Mike beats the odds.

 

Woodland Rangers (this team needs a new name to wipe the stink of failure away)

2015 Predicted Finish: 6-8
2015 Actual Finish: 5-9 (again, close as hell)
2015 Results: Marc's team started out bad (as expected), showed a little life mid-season, then tanked. He was 2-6 after week 8, went 3-1 in weeks 9-12, then lost his last two to finish 5-9. It was another dreadful and lifeless season from this franchise.

Best Pick: Ezekiel Elliott
Worst Pick: None
Team his season depends on: Jacksonville
Schedule Outlook: It starts out fairly tough for Derek, with 2 playoff teams (and one almost playoff team) in his first four but the ending is pretty soft. He is hampered by being in the toughest division in the league.
Draft Grade: A
Predicted Finish: 7-7
Summary: Derek (or Derick as listed on the site) turned in probably the most impressive draft for a first time owner and is poised to resurrect this team from the ashes. His first pick of Ezekiel Elliot was spot on an he should anchor this offense for years to come. Following that, he made solid picks in each round including a solid QB in Manning, good depth with Eric Decker and Jordan Matthews at WR, and a starting TE in Julius Thomas. The rest of his picks provided solid depth and filled out his roster nicely. On offense, he'll sport a growing top notch QB in Derek Carr, quality starting RBs in Elliott, Chris Ivory, and DeMarco Murray, and solid WRs (albiet streaky) in Eric Decker, Bradin Cooks, and Jordan Matthews. Depending on the weekly matchup, he should be able to piece together a competitive lineup from the bunch and has depth if necessary. On defense, he's got a great DL in Carlos Dunlap and one of the best DB combos in the league. His LBs are lacking and may need an upgrade during the course of the season. Early signs show this team turning around and they may be in the wildcard race toward the end of the season.

 

Season Predictions

Burgundy Division Winner: Amish Electricians
Gold Division Winner: Crusaders
White Division Winner: MeggaMen
Wild Card: Sacks on the Beach

Playoff Winners: MeggaMen and Crusaders
League Champ: MeggaMen

Comeback Team of the Year: Woodland Rangers
Manager of the Year: Jon Hall

Good luck to everyone, except Warren!