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The career-ending injury of Casey Schaplowsky has me looking at the rest of the roster, and seeing the apparent end of the careers of a lot of key players after this season. This will probably be the year that every player from previous management is officially gone, along with a good portion of the starters from our Bowl-winning season in 2017.
I took over this team in 2015, where the team had just drafted Nate Graham 1.1. He was a stud CB for a long time, and still plays well at safety currently. But he's 33, and his rating will likely go under his age this next year, if he doesn't outright retire. He will remain a Bomber for as long as he is active, though.
In 2016, our first pick (6th overall) was a very unimpressive-looking RB named A.J. McGee - aka 'Not Isaac Staat'. I remember voicing my apathy at the pick at the time. McGee went on to become an icon - Rookie of the Year in 2016, ring in 2017, and POTY/MVP of 2019. 11,698 yards on the ground, 2,389 receiving, 1,136 in returns, and a nice tidy 100 TDs in 8 seasons. He's still not Isaac Staat, but I can't complain. He came in with FB Corwin Metzenbaum, and they will most likely go out together.
There wasn't much to holdover from the previous incarnation of the Bombers, coming off of back-to-back 1-15 seasons. But there are 6 left, and all most likely gone in 2025.
ILB/OLB Brandon Sponable - Sponable is a great story. Drafted 6th overall in 2012, he was defensive ROTY. But near the end of 2013, he suffered a very serious leg injury and missed the entire 2014 season. So he came in to 2015 with a new GM and a history of serious leg problems. Long story short, he started 136 games over the next 9 seasons, only missing 7 games in 2020 with a wrist injury. He was 1st team ILB in 2016 and 2018, and 1st team OLB in 2021 and 2022; he holds the team records for tackles and sacks in a season.
DE Junior Bullock - A few of you may remember the fearsome tandem of a young Junior Bullock, and Roger Boren still in his prime. It only happened for three years, but in that span, they accounted for 54.5 sacks, 123 hurries, and 99 knockdowns. Bullock was DPOTY in 2015, my first year here and Boren's last. 1st team DE in 2015 and 2019, he started every game but two over his first 11 years here. Now still a quality backup, but his time is nearly done.
C Howie Foreman and T Casey Schaplowsky - Both drafted in 2013, these two have been on the line together for almost every game the last 10 seasons. That's some serious cohesion going bye-bye.
TE Harold Rogers and DT Shannon Bruce - rounding out the pre-2015 bunch. Rogers has been a very key cog in the offense, but never much in the spotlight. He has been there in the trenches with Foreman & Schaplowsky since they were all drafted 12 seasons ago. Bruce has always been a role-player/occasional starter/mentor, but never really lived up to his 2.2 pick.
Assuming all these players retire/get cut, that would leave no players before 2016 (K Hunter Bauer will be the old man), and only four players from the championship year. Time for another? :D
Salute, fake fellas.
I took over this team in 2015, where the team had just drafted Nate Graham 1.1. He was a stud CB for a long time, and still plays well at safety currently. But he's 33, and his rating will likely go under his age this next year, if he doesn't outright retire. He will remain a Bomber for as long as he is active, though.
In 2016, our first pick (6th overall) was a very unimpressive-looking RB named A.J. McGee - aka 'Not Isaac Staat'. I remember voicing my apathy at the pick at the time. McGee went on to become an icon - Rookie of the Year in 2016, ring in 2017, and POTY/MVP of 2019. 11,698 yards on the ground, 2,389 receiving, 1,136 in returns, and a nice tidy 100 TDs in 8 seasons. He's still not Isaac Staat, but I can't complain. He came in with FB Corwin Metzenbaum, and they will most likely go out together.
There wasn't much to holdover from the previous incarnation of the Bombers, coming off of back-to-back 1-15 seasons. But there are 6 left, and all most likely gone in 2025.
ILB/OLB Brandon Sponable - Sponable is a great story. Drafted 6th overall in 2012, he was defensive ROTY. But near the end of 2013, he suffered a very serious leg injury and missed the entire 2014 season. So he came in to 2015 with a new GM and a history of serious leg problems. Long story short, he started 136 games over the next 9 seasons, only missing 7 games in 2020 with a wrist injury. He was 1st team ILB in 2016 and 2018, and 1st team OLB in 2021 and 2022; he holds the team records for tackles and sacks in a season.
DE Junior Bullock - A few of you may remember the fearsome tandem of a young Junior Bullock, and Roger Boren still in his prime. It only happened for three years, but in that span, they accounted for 54.5 sacks, 123 hurries, and 99 knockdowns. Bullock was DPOTY in 2015, my first year here and Boren's last. 1st team DE in 2015 and 2019, he started every game but two over his first 11 years here. Now still a quality backup, but his time is nearly done.
C Howie Foreman and T Casey Schaplowsky - Both drafted in 2013, these two have been on the line together for almost every game the last 10 seasons. That's some serious cohesion going bye-bye.
TE Harold Rogers and DT Shannon Bruce - rounding out the pre-2015 bunch. Rogers has been a very key cog in the offense, but never much in the spotlight. He has been there in the trenches with Foreman & Schaplowsky since they were all drafted 12 seasons ago. Bruce has always been a role-player/occasional starter/mentor, but never really lived up to his 2.2 pick.
Assuming all these players retire/get cut, that would leave no players before 2016 (K Hunter Bauer will be the old man), and only four players from the championship year. Time for another? :D
Salute, fake fellas.