East Flanders Dungeoneers
2014 record
5-8, 4th in Peter. last in Points for, 9th in Potential Points, last in all play, lost 3 loser ladder rounds to finish last overall.
Firstly, massive Kudos to Pete Conaghan for being willing to take on the total disaster that was the East Flanders franchise. With Phil’s untimely demise some point before the draft this team was doomed from the start. Pete has wasted no time in ringing the changes and the current roster bears little resemblance to the one he inherited (particularly on offence with only 9 players surviving from last years roster – including kicker Parkey).
Let’s have a look at how all of these changes have impacted the Dungeoneers prospects for 2015.
Improvement
Pete’s strategy is a long term one, focusing particularly on getting younger on offence. This is evidenced in the QB position, where the ageing Brees was sacrificed for the longer term potential of Cam Newton. This move was enhanced with the addition of Tannehil for a few guys picked up off waivers and a back up TE. This now gives the Dungeoneers a good balance of steady & spectacular at the position.
WR is where the big improvement comes. The Dungeoneers now boast a receiving corps with an average age of just 24 and stacked with exciting prospects. With Adams, Allen, Cooper & Marshall the likely starting quartet there’s a chance this could turn out to be one of the best receiving units now, never mind in a few years time.
Regression
All of Conagan’s tinkering has come at a cost. And that is a big gaping hole at RB that is surely so big it renders any chance of the Dungeoneers competing this year impossible. Although Pete felt like he had no choice for the long term benefit of he team I find it impossible to justify the trade of Lacy – the team’s one and only stud for the second overall pick. There is only the slimmest of chances that Lacy delivers less value going forward than White / Cooper and the WR group looks to be strong enough without one of those.
What’s left at RB is a starting pair of Forsett & Blount Hyde and not a great deal in reserve (Hillman, Jennings, Sproles & Woodhead as backup) This will definitely be Pete’s area of focus with his early picks in next years draft.
Ceiling
WR’s alone will not be enough to carry this team, if Adams makes the most of his opportunity in GB and Allen bounces back to his rookie form then there is potential to break even and finish just outside the playoff positions. The ceiling should get higher in future years as the core Pete has put in place should give solid foundation for years to come.
Floor
There is very little (if any) star quality on the roster at the moment so the floor is a low one. A repeat of last years showing may well turn out to be a good return if the team doesn’t develop as Pete would hope. No matter. This team is it for the long haul.
Prediction
5-8. A repeat of last years performance with some improving WR’s being offset by a vacuum at RB. But look out. If Pete can sort that position out in the next few years this team has the foundation to be a contender.
