Happy new season Lords and Ladies! It's time for another ad hoc analysis from your favorite scribe, The Iron Bank. As I did with the earlier "What Ifs" I'll take a look at some of the interesting topics that come up during the offseason and try to consolidate them here for easier digestion.
This piece takes a look at the massive re-shuffle of troops going on in Highgarden. After narrowly falling to the White Walkers in the championship, Chase of House Tyrell took a look at his team and decided it was time to get younger. To jog your memory, his post-week 16 roster was (final starters in bold):
QB: Tom Brady, Eli Manning, and EJ Manuel
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Frank Gore, Bilal Powell, Doug Martin, Andre Williams, Antone Smith, Christine Michael, Theo Riddick
WR: Dez Bryant, Dontrelle Inman, Quinton Patton, Andre Johnson, Andre Holmes, Trevor Davis, Torrey Smith, Devante Parker, Victor Cruz
TE: C.J. Uzomah, Will Tye, Larry Donnell, Tyler Eifert
Since the finals, Lord Tyrell has made 11 distinct moves (consolidating a few trades for simplicity's sake), to reform his team. I've grouped his moves into three categories: Breaking up his core, Selling his fringe assets for youth, and Securing trickle down value. Some of these won't be in the same order the trades took place, but group together well
Break up his core
1) Gave Brady, Zeke, and Riddick for Blake Bortles, Jordan Howard, Spencer Ware, and Michael Thomas (NO)
2) Gave Dez for Tavon Austin, 1.09, 2.09
3) Gave Eli and Austin for Allen Hurns, 2.20, and 2.24
4) Gave Eifert, 2.09 for 1.15, 2.04, 3.05
Tyrell wasted no time in starting his rebuild, using arguably his most valuable asset, Ezekiel Elliott, to acquire a QB1, 2 RB1s, and a WR1. With this newfound youthful production, he turned to converting Dez, Eli, and Eifert into Hurns, 2 1sts, 3 2nds, and a 3rd.
Sell Fringe Assets for Youth
5) Gave Gore, Martin for Jeremy Langford, Tevin Coleman
6) Gave 2.24 for Charles Clay, Dion Sims
7) Gave Powell, Inman, Cruz, Smith for 2.28, 3.11
To support his broader transformation, Tyrell moved some of his non-core pieces for later draft capital, Tevin Coleman, and his new lead back's handcuff. In addition, he acquired a very cheap, but startable TE in Clay and a TE who has a chance to emerge in Miami if the newly acquired Julius Thomas stumbles.
Securing Trickle Down Value
8) Gave Ware, 3.05 for Hunter Henry
9) Gave Henry, 2.04 for 1.22, 1.25, 3.10, 3.12
10) Gave Bortles, Tye for Cody Kessler, 2.05, 2.09, Baratheon's 2018 1st
11) Gave Michael Thomas (NO), 2.20, 3.10, 3.11 for 1.17, 2.01, Lannister's 2018 1st
Not one to rest on his laurels, Tyrell took to converting some of his newly acquired assets into further draft capital. Tyrell breaks down the pieces received as part of his 1st deal not named Howard to add 5 more 1st round picks and move some of his later 2nd and 3rd round capital forward into earlier in the draft.
Putting it all together
All in all, Tyrell has turned over more than half of his 2016 roster. He's now positioned to rebuild around Jordan Howard, Tevin Coleman, Devante Parker, Allen Hurns, 7 1st round picks, 4 2nd round picks, and a 3rd round pick. In a class many pundits expect to be loaded with difference making talent, a strong draft could see Tyrell back in a long term competitive position as soon as 2018.
Gave: Brady, Eli, Zeke, Riddick, Powell, Gore, Martin, Dez, Inman, Cruz, T. Smith, Eifert, and Tye
For: Kessler, Howard, Langford, Coleman, Hurns, Clay, D. Sims, 1.09 1.15, 1.17, 1.22, 1.25, 2.01, 2.05, 2.09, 2.28, 3.12, House Baratheon's 2018 1st, and House Lannister's 2018 1st.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. As other compelling storylines come together during the offseason I'll post them here. Feel free to make suggestions of other things you'd like to see either via email or in the groupme chat.
