Each GM develops special relationships with their players, sometimes because drafted them, other because the player appeared in a key moment or sometimes we just like them.
On this article i’ll mention the player i consider “Franchise player” of each GM. It doesn’t mean the GM and the player are currently together, and i might miss someone from the first 5 seasons i wasn’t in the league, but the article is for fun so let’s go.
Felipe, Anthony F and Shah Kahn won’t be included on the article for obvious reasons, but love you guys.
NFC
GM Romeo Mendez -TE Jeremy Shockey (Original Roster)
The league has few players as Jeremy Shockey, players that were part of the original roster and played all their career with the same team but also were consistent on the field. Shockey have been productive at all seasons played with the Giants, NYG had some ups and down but the most consistent aspect have always been Shocket. During those 10 years Romeo have never had the need of look for a replacement or an upgrade as TE was always a safe position. Age affects us all and regression will eventually retire Shockey. But he has conditions for being considered HOF.
Other players considered here: QB Matt Schaub - WR Craig Bragg - CB Antonio Cromartie - MLB Zach Thomas
GM Anthony Cepparulo - QB Brady Quinn (Drafted 1.3 at 2007 Draft)
QB Brady Quinn and GM Cepparulo were 1 game away to acomplish something incredible, to win a SB with a rookie quarterback, at least on the time i’ve been here, i don’t recall any other team to be that close, even make playoffs with a rookie QB is incredible hard. Football is an sport where you gotta work hard for your place, and defenses won’t allow the new guy to display his talents. This is not the NCAA anymore. Most rookies QB ends with awful stat lines, some of them as the recent Cousins case post good stats but don’t win games. So what happened at 2007 season is still incredible, sadly that SB lose took down not only Quinn but Anthony moral and now he’s in a new team. Yet is an story worth of mention and QB Quinn was the only posible player for this spot.
Other players considered here: HB Demarco Murray - WR Cory Rogers - CB Quentin Jammer - LT Todd Herremans
GM Bill Ryan - OL Joe Thomas (Drafted 1.1 at 2008 Draft)
This content creator likes 2007 draft and remember it with nostalgia, Bill Ryan had a decision to make when he had Joe Thomas and Calvin Johnson both at the board, a fast 6”5 is always juicy, but Bill decided football is win at the trenches, and took the best OL prospect the league ever had with Joe Thomas. Both players at the end underperformed but that’s not what we’re discussing here. I would love Bill to keep doing his radio shows, and he could tell us if he agree with this selection, and if he could go back to 1.1 if still picking Joe, or would go with Megatron now. You’re the best at Podcast Bill, if you read this, go back to them, love that content.
Other players considered here: WR Latarence Dunbar - MLB HB Blades - CB Dre Kirkpatrick
GM Brent LaChapelle - OLB Karlos Dansby (Drafted 1.8 at 2004 Draft)
One day GM LaChapelle was at the office, and thought: Hey, my team looks ready for a championship, but QB Alex Smith is some steps behind, so what he did? He took the phone and called GM Rock from seattle and asked him for the Seahawks legend Matt Hasselbeck, a clearly win now mode trade that ended paying off with a SB and the chance of develop another different quarterback as Erik Ainge. So Hasselbeck is my pick for them...? The answer is NO. Even with how he helped them to win a SB, OLB Karlos Dansby is a bear legend and one of the best OLB if not the best at league history. The ammount of TFL is just ridiculous at 120 with 35 sacks. For all those GM’s consider OLB is a low impact position, i recommend to look at Dansby
Other players considered here: HB Cedric Cobbs - CB Corey Webster - OL Tony Ugoh - QB Matt Hasselbeck
GM Justin Herr - CB Aqib Talib (Drafted 1.4 at 2008 Draft)
GM Herr is always looking to do BIG deals, he doesn’t care to pay a fair price for a top player/pick, or viceversa he doesn’t get attached to specific players. So to pick one player for him was a bit complicated, as i don’t see him as the kind of person gets attached to a player, matter of fact my selection for him was traded last offseason. But from his years as Chiefs GM, Aqib Talib might been the most simbolic player, the career of this CB still has a lot of moments, and he’s already a top CB meaning he’ll get a lot of atention in other articles, or in SFL media. And Justin Herr always going to be attached as the GM drafted him, invested AP on him and progressed him. For those reasons my pick is Talib.
Other players considered here: MLB James Laurinitis - LE Tyson Jackson - DE - Chris Long - WR Taylor Price
GM Gary Hickman - QB Brett Favre (Original Roster)
I’ll take a long shot here, and select a player i never saw playing, and have no really much info about him. But looking at early SFL Packers dominance i can only assume big part of it was the presence of QB Favre on the team. GM Hickman has drafted a lot of talented players over the years and many of them could carry a more special feeling than a player was already on the team, specially if not a Packers fan but a Cardinals fan (He’s an smart man). So why am i picking Favre? Everybody LOVES to win, and he gave many wins to him. 43-21 record and almost 100 QBR are perfect reasons to assume Gary loved him and still missing him.
Other players considered here: HB Adrian Peterson - CB Aaron Ross - MLB Justin Durant - WR Koren Robinson
GM Neal Wintermute - CB Sean Smith (Drafted 1.1 at 2009 Draft)
On the past have never hide my personal admiration for the way Neal manage his team, i do consider he’s a GM i can learn a lot from, but often i see him as the kind of GM, will wait for a guy with talent to fall to his pick, and moves very well at late 1st - 2nd rounds and even early 3rd. Those in my opinion are the spots where he excells, but he completely changed his strategy, and once had 1.2, and saw Sean Smith available, he did everything he could for trade up and grab him. And who could blame him? CB Smith is an absolute stud one of those players comes only once. There’s other studs CB’s around the league but sean is special. He was progressed slowly and finally last season he displayed his full potential, for this exercise i could’ve went with the long time face of franchise QB Culpepper, or Randy Moss, or Andre Caldwell. But for me Sean Smith is the player motivated neal to be aggresive and move up against what at least i perceive his methodology . Neal; if you’re reading it, spend 50k on that speed to be 99, or trade him to me :).
Other players considered here: QB Dante Culpepper - WR Randy Moss - WR Andre Caldwell - MLB AJ Henderson
GM Garth Pearce - K Sebastian Janikowski (Original Roster)
Few seasons ago someone mentioned on Discord about the difference of Touchbacks Janikowski and his 99 kpw had vs other kickers, and the difference was abysmal. Consider your defense most drives start at 20 yard line, and the few KR Raiders have allowed, i did a research and think only allowed 1 or 2 KR for TD. Sebastian Janikowski in my opinion is the most important player at league history, he is not a QB, a WR, a CB, and personally i don’t invest much at my K. But there isn’t another player that have been as dominant compared to the #2. And that means the player have gave an edge only Raiders had. I could write a whole article about it, but the topic here is Garth and his franchise player, sadly i haven’t had the chance to talk a lot with Garth, so im taking a long shot, and selecting the best Raiders player here,
Other players considered here: HB Matt Forte - QB Chad Pennington - CB Charles Tillman - WR Chad Johnson
GM Phil Mellon - WR Marc Mariani (Drafted 1.23 at 2010 Draft)
On the run for Offensive Player of the year and MVP, is clear Phil loves him. He have been a very solid wide receiver and have helped the team during the rebuild process. To pick a player for Phill here is a bit difficult as he has just few seasons on the league, and even if he loves to run the ball and lynch could be the perfect pick for him, something tell me he might be a bit dissapointed at Lynch performance and could draft an HB this draft, that help him to become what he intend to, a team that demolish you running the ball, and control the time. Stanton could be considered as the face of franchise but with Vick acquisition he might not get the same atention. But Marc Mariani production should become better now that he has a new QB. Phil is ready for reclaim his title as the best Mellon
Other players considered here: HB Marshawn Lynch - QB Drew Stanton - CB Richard Sherman - OLB Bobby Wagner
GM Nathan Jones . HB Deuce McCallister (Original Roster)
2007 was a phenomenal year for Deuce McCallister and GM Nathan jones, maybe the best season by an HB ended with a SB Ring. The Saints always an underrated team that play in an underrated division, have a team build phisolophy really clear, they build throught the draft and they focus at defense and rush the ball. Nathan not necesary rely on those studs that shine and everybody falls in love with them, but instead he focus on players that does well the job. Saints plays as a core, and for that reason is hard to find a player that has incredible stats, or a player that brings in atention. That’s why im picking McCallister, my gut tells me Nathan loved the 2007 season and Deuce had the main role on it.
Other players considered here: CB Deangelo Hall - OL Dbrickashaw Ferguson - QB David Greene - MLB Stephen Tulloch
GM Bryan Mellon - S Adrian Wilson (Acquired Via Trade)
I had doubts for this spot, options were multiple: Referees, Russians, Bounty Hunters, 40 yrs old players that plays as MVP or Cowboys QB/CB, that last one i almost picked it. Jokes aside is really hard to pick a player for the GM that won 3 SB with almost different teams, and with veteran players. Mellon is an extremely complete GM, that now is trying to progress even more and become a team expert on the draft, specially at the first round. Stay away from my zone Bryan, this is a personal treat. And now finally leaving the jokes aside, S Adrian Wilson was fundamental on the Redskins defense, his presence helped not only at pass game but at rush game too, i think he’s the silent hero does the important job and at the end doesn’t receive the credit but he was a stud with size, str, tackle and AWR. AWR is everything for a safety and bryan knows it. I had the chance to discuss about Wilson with him, and he agreed he was very important for redskins.
Other players considered here: HB Ricky Williams - MLB Alfred Fincher - QB Steve McNair - WR Eric Moulds
GM Scott Gardiner - WR Dezmond Briscoe (Drafted 1.25 at 2010 Draft)
Scott took a gamble when he joined as Lions GM, he didn’t have the result he was expecting with the rebuild but in my opinion he did the right thing. Lions roster was not in a good position when he took charge of it, he could’ve win more games and probably still has his job if he focus more at veterans, 100% i have no doubt about that, but he was never winning something important following that path. A rebuild gave him the chance that if some players turned into stars that team could become a dinasty, people don’t rebuild because loves to see a team losing each week, a rebuild is to pay a price a present for the future. The options i have here were 2: QB Sam Bradford and WR Dezmond Briscoe, i took the second one as he was consistent at his first 3 seasons at Detroit, amazing 1st round pick by Scott. I’ll use this spot for wish him the best luck at Cardinals and i’ll be cheering for the red birds.
Other players considered here: QB Sam Bradford - CB Vontae Davis - MLB Luke Kuecklhy
GM Peter Fenger - WR Sidney Rice (Drafted 2.29 at 2007 Draft)
Rice and 49ers are one of those extraordinary things the universe has. It feels like Jerry Rice spirit posessed Sidney and he started playing like a beast WR. His 20 TD was incredible, and he have become a symbol at San Francisco, and im betting he is Peter’s favorite player. I was lucky to share division with him and he always was a classy rival, he have put one of the best rosters of the league and after avoid being fired twice, i have the feeling soon is going to be in the big game. Probably im missing a player or two from original roster, but when you see WR Rice is not needed to overthink it.
Other players considered here: QB Kyle Orton - LE Lamar Woodley - HB Stephen Davis - CB Cortez Allen
GM Rock Hewko - HB Shaun Alexander (Original Roster)
Rock is one of the most interesting GM’s as he doesn’t follow stablished guidelines, and he just follow his instinct and own likes. So predict a player here can be as throw a dart in the middle of the night, but i’ll go the safe way and pick HB Shaun Alexander, the few times i played against him he was the soul of the seahawks offense and the first comment Rock made after pick Jonathan Stewart was he was his new Shaun Alexander. As said this prediction is really hard, but i think the selection is at least decent.
Other players considered here: QB Matt Hasselbeck - FS OJ Otagwe - OL Steve Hutchinson
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