Inaugural RFA class nets 52 new contracts

Raiders teammates Darren McFadden (Left) and Maurice Jones-Drew (Right)
swapped teams during Free Agency.

The first ever TDL free agency period has come to a close, with 52 players either re-signing or starting new journeys elsewhere. Matt Stafford signed the most lucrative deal at $73, while Roddy White topped the unrestricted free agent market with a $40 deal (unrestricted free agents designated with: *). Andre Johnson's $35 deal was the highest amount signed by a player that was retained by his previous team. The complete list of signings is as follows:

Quarterbacks

Matt Stafford: $73 (Will)

Tom Brady: $31 (Nick)

Matt Ryan: $30 (Jamie)

Tony Romo: $22 (Jason)

Jake Locker: $1 (Joe)

Alex Smith: $6 (Harty)*

Michael Vick: $1 (Omar)*

Carson Palmer: $3 (Phobes)*

Ryan Tannehill: $5 (Jason)*

EJ Manuel: $5 (Omar)*

Running Backs

Arian Foster: $43 (Kyle)

Trent Richardson: $33 (Omar)

Ray Rice: $30 (Phobes)

Chris Johnson: $15 (Nick)

Steven Jackson: $20 (Paul)

Stevan Ridley: $13 (Nixon)

DeAngelo Williams: $4 (Phobes)

Darren Sproles: $11 (Paul)

Maurice Jones-Drew: $24 (Andrew)

Fred Jackson: $4 (Harty)

Lamar Miller: $21 (Will)

Khiry Robinson: $5 (Nixon)*

Darren McFadden: $20 (Nick)

Jacquizz Rodgers: $3 (Will)

Ronnie Hillman: $1 (Kyle)

Bryce Brown: $2 (Nixon)

Wide Receivers

Andre Johnson: $35 (Jason)

Larry Fitzgerald: $34 (Omar)

Victor Cruz: $40 (Phobes)

Roddy White: $40 (Nick)*

Vincent Jackson: $36 (Andrew)

Mike Wallace: $25 (Harty)

Danny Amendola: $22 (Paul)

Anquan Boldin: $12 (Joe)*

Julian Edelman: $20 (Omar)

Greg Jennings: $3 (Jason)

Dwayne Bowe: $7 (Kyle)

Steve Smith: $4 (Phobes)

Brandon LaFell: $1 (Andrew)

Brian Hartline: $6 (Kyle)

Jacoby Jones: $11 (Harty)

Rueben Randle: $13 (Phobes)

Travis Benjamin: $1 (Harty)

Stevie Johnson: $1 (Kyle)

Denarius Moore: $1 (Phobes)

Tight Ends

Vernon Davis: $35 (Kyle)

Greg Olsen: $25 (Harty)

Antonio Gates: $1 (Paul)

Dennis Pitta: $18 (Jason)*

D/ST

Cardinals: $12 (Kyle)

Broncos: $5 (Nixon)*

Bills: $1 (Will)*

The Commish Speaks: Stage Set for Best Season Yet

It is somewhat difficult to believe we're about to embark on the third year of the Dynasty League. In fact, I recall discussing with someone (I think Kyle) - in the closing moments of the inaugural draft from hell - that I would be somewhat surprised if everyone stuck with this a couple years from then: but here we are. Sure, there's been some turnover, but no more than the "main league." In fact, a third of the owners in the money league got their start in the D-League. I appreciate the time given by all members, current and former, so that this league can continue to operate.

I was always drawn to the idea of a dynasty league, with added wrinkles such as the salary cap, rookie drafts, and contracts beyond a year. Thanks to some great input from Zombie (God knows how many messages we sent back and forth putting together all the various rules and regulations), we were finally able to put it all together. Even when people stepped down, we have had some fantastic newcomers step in to fill their roles.

While I was excited about the plans for this year, the biggest issue was always participation. This was of course a big fear of mine going into the biggest, most involved off-season yet. However, you guys came through. Jamie stepped up to take the Deputy Commissioner (yep, giving him a title on the spot) role that Zombie left vacant, of course Will gave us this awesome blog, and everyone made this off-season crazy fun with the league's first restricted free agency. Those fears of inactivity have been somewhat alleviated now, as just this off-season we have already made 2.5 times as many posts as all of last season. Hopefully this keeps up throughout the year.

Now, as we wind down free agency, I'm putting the finishing touches on the season preparation. In the coming days I will have set the schedule, added everyone's rookies, and hopefully have prepared an updated spreadsheet. However, I need everyone's continued help on this. Please continue to make trades and add free agents to get your rosters set. You cannot add rookies just yet (I've tried, it's an ESPN thing), but getting everything else set up will make the spreadsheet easier for me. Also, once you acquire the right players, please select them as "keepers." If you don't, ESPN will automatically put them back into the player pool. You can still make trades after selecting your keepers, but we cannot move forward with the season until this part of finished.

With the increased participation we have already seen, I am confident this will be our best season yet. Finally, I just want to thank everyone who has been a part of this. Thank you Andrew, Harty, Jamie, Jason, Joe, Juggz, Kyle, Mich, Nick, Nixon, Omar, Paul, Salem, Will, and of course Zombie.

Let's have a great year!
- Justin Pollard

Fantasy Focus: Feelin Scoopie and the $86 Man

When it comes to dynasty leagues in fantasy football, there are a lot of variables to consider. The most important, however, is more than likely ensuring that you lock down your best player(s). In the case of Andrew and his team, Feelin Scoopie, he did just that, by securing the number one ranked quarterback for dynasty league purposes in Aaron Rodgers. Andrew signed Aaron Rodgers to a five-year contract, guaranteeing Rodgers $86 for year one, making him the highest paid player in the league. 

Andrew made a bold statement when signing Rodgers, as he used only one of his four long-term deals to lock up the former MVP of the NFL. When asked if other players were considered for long-term deals, Andrew's answer was simple, by stating that "a lot of our team is sort of in 'prove yourself' mode right now and we'll see who's earning extensions after this season or the next." Andrew had good things to say about the young-stud receiver in Minnesota, Cordarrelle Patterson, but has since traded Patterson to Bortles in Tha Club in an effort to get one of Rodgers' favorite targets in the form of Randall Cobb. 

When asked about plans for this season and the coming season, Andrew was adamant about being in rebuilding mode, especially after finishing least season with a meager 3-10 record. He used two draft picks in the Rookie Draft to secure running back Carlos Hyde out of Ohio State (now with the 49ers) and wide receiver Davante Adams out of Fresno State (now with the Packers). By pairing Hyde and Adams with the likes of running back Marcus Lattimore (who Andrew traded the ninth pick of the Rookie Draft for) and receiver Robert Woods, one can clearly see that Feelin Scoopie is ready for a new dawn. "We have a lot of faith in Carlos and Davante and think both are going to be great contributors going forward," Andrew said. "Obviously, we pulled in Marcus Lattimore in this draft so with the Niners backfield we're just hoping to break some guys out there." 

Despite being in rebuilding mode, Andrew certainly hasn't ruled out competing this season, by complimenting receivers Torrey Smith, Jeremy Maclin and the newly acquired Randall Cobb with Vincent Jackson, who was signed-and-traded via free agency from Omar in exchange for a 2015 first round pick and a 2016 second round pick. With a solid core of wide receivers, a group of young running backs and a high-caliber franchise quarterback, Andrew is hoping to sneak his way into contention this year, but is content should things fall to the wayside. "You know, again, we're rebuilding, so I think we're tempering our expectations a bit. We'll see what we can do in free agency and see how our young talent comes along."

For the full interview, click the link here

2014 Free Agent Tracker: Quarterbacks

We're right in the thick of free agency, here's where each member of this year's high-powered QB class will call home.

Matt Stafford and his new $73 suit.

Aaron Rodgers signs 5-year extension starting at $86 with Feelin Scoopie
Matt Stafford moves West, reaches 4-year deal at $73 per with Reservations for Six
Cam Newton agrees to 5-year extension to stay with Team Pollard
Drew Brees signs 3-year extension with Future Practice Squad, may be last big money deal for him
Robert Griffin III signs 5-year extension starting at $25 with Reservations for Six
Peyton Manning kept on 1-year, $16 option with Team Salas
Colin Kaepernick agrees to 4-year deal with Team Shazier Beam
Russell Wilson takes big discount, stays with The People's dEYEnasty on 5-year extension
Andrew Luck re-ups with Team Paul for another 5 years
Eli Manning stays with Team Paul on 1-year, $13 option
Jay Cutler staying with Beastquake Tsunami for 1-year at $8
Ben Roethlisberger also hit with option, stays with Team Juggz for $7
Andy Dalton optioned-and-traded to Bortles in tha Club at $2
Sam Bradford optioned for $1, subsequently traded to Future Practice Squad

dEYEnasty GM eyes playoff run

After making making it clear there would many personnel changes this off-season, The People's dEYEnasty has used their additional cap space to make quite the splash in free agency. Firstly landing recovering - but still dynamic - RB Arian Foster from Team Pollard via sign and trade on a 3 year deal (Team Pollard will receive The People's dEYEnasty's first round pick in next year's draft, a draft pick originally acquired from Team Salas last season). While this price might seem steep to other team owners, the team's GM The Eyeball assures his fans that Foster has been looking good so far this off-season and is expected to be an integral part of the starting RB tandem alongside recently acquired RB Reggie Bush.

The latest People's dEYEnasty acquisitions: RB Arian Foster and TE Vernon Davis.

But The People's dEYEnasty was not done yet. After putting together a stellar season last year for the team formerly known as Team Bowers, TE Vernon Davis cashed in on his performance, inking a three year deal with The People's dEYEnasty as well. Davis will be joining the only TE who outperformed him last season: the phenomenal Jimmy Graham, who also scored big this off-season, signing an 5 year extension with the team that drafted him back in 2012. 

Rumors from sources close to camp of The People's dEYEnasty report that The Eyeball may not be done just yet; with decent cap space still available, other big name free agents may just find their way to this team once considered a bottom feeder with little hope of playoff glory. Time will tell if these new additions are worth the price, but one thing is clear so far in these opening days of free agency: The Eyeball is back with the vengeance he has been promising, and for him, there is clearly only one goal on the horizon this season, and that goal is the ultimate prize. 

Salary Cap Numbers on Eve of Free Agency

Aaron Rodgers' new contract extension costs $86 against
the cap this year and gradually rises to $98 in 2018.

Team Name - Cap Space - Players under contract - Restricted Free Agents
Team Pollard - $80 - 15 - 8
Bortles in tha Club - $176 - 21 - 4
Team Salas - $117- 15 - 2
Team Shazier Beam - $97 - 16 - 3
Beastquake Tsunami - $135 - 19 -3
Team Juggz - $122 - 19 - 2
Feelin Scoopie - $8 - 21 (+1 on IR) - 3
The People's dEYEnasty - $149- 10 - 4
Future Practice Squad - $131 - 16 - 6
Team Bowers - $127 - 18 - 6
Team Paul - $113 - 12 - 3
Team-Building Exercises - $6 - 24 - 1

Dynasty League Banter's Ike Glorio talks Draft, Megatron Trade, and Offseason with Team-Building Exercises GM Jamie van Dyck

DLB: Jamie, it's our pleasure having you on.

JvD: Great to be here, Ike.

DLB: First, let's talk about the draft. The lottery was unkind to you, sticking you with the 5th pick when you were projected 3rd overall. Did this affect your strategy?

JvD: Not at all, Ike. If we were first overall, we were probably looking at Watkins. Had we been second with Watkins off the board, Mike Evans would have been high on our radar as well. But at pick #5, the guy we would have taken at #3 fell to us in Brandin Cooks. We love his speed and athleticism and think he's a tremendous fit for our football team.

DLB: And how about the multiple trades back into the first round?

JvD: Yeah, well Jordan Matthews was the guy we had 4th on our board so when he was still there at #7, we pounced. Joe and I have a great working relationship so he and I are very open when making deals that we feel will benefit our football teams. He needed a Tight End and we had more talent at that position that we could make use of. Jordan Reed was great for us in limited action, and he's certainly earned his opportunity to start in this league. With Julius and Ladarius as a great one-two punch at that position, we could afford to let go of Reed and Ertz to improve at other positions. Jordan Matthews will make some big plays for us.

DLB: And how about Jeremy Hill?

JvD: We felt that we wanted to give Gio and DeMarco more support, and Jeremy is that kind of bruiser that gives us a lot of versatility at that position. We love Marcus [Lattimore] dearly and love his attitude and work ethic and think he has everything it takes to be successful when healthy. But we're in win-now mode and flipping him to get Jeremy felt like the right move.

DLB: I've got to ask. The deal for Megatron -- you gave up a lot to make it happen. What was your line of thinking here?

JvD: We already had Demaryius locked up on a great long-term deal, and to pair those two together just felt like an opportunity we had to pounce on, Ike. Having bench depth is important for sure, but elite players are who win championships, and we felt that having one of the greatest players in all of football and arguably of all-time at his position gives us a great opportunity to contend for a championship this year and beyond. With him, Demaryius, Crabtree, and hopefully Josh Gordon, Wide Receiver is a position that has the potential to be a strength for us for a long time, not to mention some of the young guns who also have immense talent. We won't need to spend draft picks on the Wide Receiver position next year, which is why we felt like we could afford to give them up.

DLB: You mentioned Josh Gordon. What's the plan with him?

JvD: Ike, right now we're waiting just like everyone else. The decision on the appeal has no timetable, and we've accepted that. Our primary concern and objective is to make sure that Josh is getting the help that he needs and is able to live out his dream. He has such incredible gifts, but his mental health and well-being as a human needs to come first. When he's right mentally and emotionally, then we'll worry about football with him. As far as his contract, we'll await a decision on his appeal, and Commissioner Pollard has granted us an extension to resolve his contract situation so we can make sure we do what's right for Josh.

DLB: You have very limited cap space going into free agency. Do you view this as a potential handicap to your team being competitive with other teams having a lot of money to spend?

JvD: Ideally we'd have money left to spend, and we may still have to make some tough decisions and cut some talented guys to give us the financial flexibility to improve our football team. That said, I think we used last season, the last two drafts, and recent trades very effectively to build the core of this franchise to the extent where we don't have any real glaring needs going into free agency. And with Restricted Free Agents, there's the likelihood that the guys for whom we make competitive offers will return to their original teams anyway. We already have a starting lineup we can field on a weekly basis and feel great about prior to free agency so that we are not in a position of overpaying somebody out of desperation or allocating funds to players we might not be able to acquire anyway. But we'll be a player these next couple weeks for sure, albeit a small one. There are several guys out there whom we like and plan to target, and we'll make the necessary adjustments to our roster to make sure that we have the frontline talent and the depth behind them to win some games this year.

DLB: Jamie, always a pleasure talking with you. Thanks for coming on Dynasty League Banter. Best of luck this season!

JvD: Appreciate it, Ike. Thanks for having me on.