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Ball Pressure Gauge Home Depot
I’m not one for sports radio. Too abounding commercials, too abounding hot takes, not abundant substance. But the one radio appearance that will consistently acquire a appropriate abode in my affection is the Tony Bruno Show. Not the actual, Philadelphia one. The Madden franchise one. That was my activity in aerial school. No parties. No crazy, run-away-from-the-cops adventures. No girls (oddly, they didn’t allotment my adulation of the Madden franchise).
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It was me controlling, and often, active into the arena financially, the storied Pittsburgh Steelers’ franchise. And afterwards every week, alert to the pre-made Tony Bruno soundbites of my aggregation and what was activity on about the league. I was the GM. I was in charge, for bigger or worse.
For the third year, we’re administering our apish offseason. We’ll run through chargeless agency, the draft, and booty a footfall aback to attending at the blend I’ve fabricated of things. As always, we’ll be application the alarming appearance over at Fanspeak.com, which I awful animate you to analysis out and annihilate a brace account – or if you’re at work, hours – testing out. It’s endless of fun. We’ll use their Manage The Cap feature to alter chargeless bureau and their apish abstract actor for, obviously, the 2017 draft.
Couple of caveats afore we dive in.
1. This is all done in one try. There’s no activity back, starting over if I ruin things. I’m autograph this afore I’ve amorphous annihilation and acquire accurately no abstraction how it will about-face out. I dabbled with the apish drafts aloof to get a feel for who had the best lath (we’re application Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller’s) but I’ve never done the exercise full-on for this go around. If I blend up, I gotta own it. Unlike the absolute NFL, these affairs are account something.
2. The chargeless agency/cap administrator is adamantine for me to get my arch around. To assurance players, you’re alone accustomed three parameters: years, bacon per year, and percent guaranteed.
I acquire that aftermost one is a signing benefit but it’s never anon specified. The agitation is accession out what your cap allegation will be until after the amateur accepts it. I’ve approved to run the numbers and it never breach with what I apprehend or the way it should be, advancing up with its own cardinal acutely out of attenuate air.
Much like the ammunition barometer on my McLumina, I acquire a accepted abstraction of what’s activity to appear but aught abstraction what the exact bulk is in there.
Having said that, it’s activity to be bigger for me to be added bourgeois than aggressive. Can’t run into the red or the Rooney’s will acquire to blaze me, a abasement to the city. If I do well, I’ll never acquire to pay for my Primanti’s sandwich anytime again. Lot on the line.
I threw on the Madden 07 soundtrack, my claimed favorite, and jumped into creating the Pittsburgh Steelers 2017 offseason. Wish me luck. I acquire a biconcave activity I’m activity to charge it.
PRE-FREE AGENCY
Before we assurance a arrangement or duke a amateur their blush slip, we gotta crisis the numbers. Fanspeak is giving the Steelers $15.248 actor in chargeless cap space, bristles actor already set abreast for abstract picks. I apperceive that cardinal doesn’t adjust with what Dave Bryan came up with, or maybe abstracts elsewhere, but hey, that aloof bureau I’m accepting added money.
That’s the cardinal we can’t go beneath or I’m activity to acquire to apprehension accessible my aback bank.
The aboriginal affair we’re prompted to do is accomplish cuts or restructure players. Tired of arena the cat-and-mouse bold with Ladarius Green? We could cut him. Want to re-do Cam Heyward’s contract? It’s an option.
For this, I’m mostly alone activity to do are procedural matters. Because as air-conditioned as these contest are, and the alone affair I apperceive about programming is the HTML advance I took in 10th brand (if you charge commodity bolded, I’m your guy), Fanspeak has some, uh…quirks.
Players still on the books include: Ryan Harris, Daryl Richardson, and Cole Manhart. Harris’ retirement is contempo so we can accord the sim a canyon but I acquire no abstraction what the others are still accomplishing here. I cut them all.
Sorry, Cole. We’ll consistently acquire St. Vincent.
I’m also going to cut Fitzgerald Toussaint to chargeless up accession 600K in space. I apperceive he won’t accomplish the aggregation as a third active aback afresh and acquiesce him to analysis the amnion elsewhere. I’m abiding you’re heartbroken.
In all, these four moves save me $3.79 million, advancement our cap amplitude to $19.038. At $88.25 for a box of 200 Bagel Bites, that 19 actor of cap amplitude bureau I could be the appreciative buyer of 4.3 actor alone mini-pizzas. I accede demography the money and bolting.
Convincing myself to see it through, I get aback to business.
There will be no restructures, no blame the can bottomward the road, and the sim won’t let us extend Le’Veon Bell’s arrangement so we’re ashore with his aberrant authorization tag.
Before we go any further, we acquire to map out the locks for the 53 man roster, giving us a faculty of breadth the aggregation needs the best help. Let’s breach it down. This is, by the way, afore we’ve re-signed any of our own, none of whom will be included in this antecedent projection.
QB: Ben RoethlisbergerRB: Le’Veon BellFB: Roosevelt NixWR: Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-BeyTE: Ladarius Green, Jesse JamesOT: Alejandro Villanueva, Marcus Gilbert, Jerald Hawkins, Chris HubbardOG/C: Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, David DeCastro, B.J. FinneyDE: Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, L.T. WaltonNT: Javon HargraveOLB: James Harrison, Bud Dupree, Anthony ChickilloILB: Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, Tyler MatakevichCB: Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, William GayS: Mike Mitchell, Sean Davis, Robert Golden, Jordan DangerfieldK: Chris BoswellP: Jordan BerryLS: Greg Warren
ROSTER NUMBER: 38
BUBBLE PLAYERS: OLB Arthur Moats, CB Senquez Golson, ILB Steven Johnson, QB Zach Mettenberger, NT Daniel McCullers, ILB LJ Fort, WR Cobi Hamilton, WR Demarcus Ayers, TE Xavier Grimble, OT Brian Mihalik
FREE AGENT TARGETS: QB, RB, CB, OLB?
That’s aloof a accepted breakdown. Now it’s time to dive in and alpha architecture up the roster.
We’re accustomed a account of players restructured and cut about the league. Of course, we affliction alone about the latter, and here’s a attending at what the blow of the bot-league did.
Even the sim has little acceptance in Jay Cutler. Ouch.
Re-signings
I put on my adjudicator hat and get to work. We’ve got a continued alley advanced of us.
Here’s our re-sign list.
Ah yes, Donald Washington, the man you couldn’t alive without.
I’m a fan of adept advancement QBs and Toy Story, making Landry Jones my cardinal one priority. I alpha off with a bashful 3 year, $9 actor accord with $2.25 actor of it guaranteed.
And he accepts! I’m abundantly surprised. Off to a acceptable start.
Frankly, attractive over the blow of my list, there isn’t anyone I’m agog to accompany back. Lawrence Timmons is a boxy accommodation but I’m of the mindset of absolution a amateur go a year aboriginal than accepting him a year backward and acquire aplomb in Vince Williams to accelerate into his spot. I additionally can’t advice myself from cerebration about signing a amalgam assurance to acquire a third bottomward role.
Ricardo Mathews was underwhelming aftermost year and Jarvis Jones…yeah, no thanks. I do adjudge to bandy a minor, 2 year, $2.2 actor accord to bound end David Johnson to be the abeyant #3 bound end. Annihilation guaranteed. He accepts as able-bodied and I’m agreeable with wading into the abysmal end – chargeless agency.
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My cap cardinal drops to $15.908, about what I began with.
If you’re absorbed in who abroad was re-signed about the league, or to anticipate you from actuality that “Why didn’t you assurance X?” guy, here’s the abounding account that popped up.
Ozzie Newsome makes adeptness moves that puts me to shame. Brandon Williams inks a 5 year, $55 actor accord and Ricky Wagner comes aback for 4 years/$38.8 million. I was aloof aflame to assurance my third cord bound end. I’m at the barn sale; Newsome is maxing out his acclaim card.
The Buffalo Bills’ additionally gave Robert Woods over $32 actor in his new deal. I, uh, feel like I’m activity to get outbid in this process. That aback coffer adeptness acquire to get burst afterwards all.
Free Bureau – Day One
Guys, this is nerve-wracking. The Steelers are on the bend of a Super Bowl and I’m the closer? It’s a lot of pressure.
If you remember, one of the quirks of the sim is that you can’t apprehend aback from players on an alone basis. You abide the offers for a day, get the responses en masse, and move on to the abutting day. So if I action bristles players and they all accept, I could run out of money. Apologetic to breach the fourth bank there but it’s important information.
I alpha out small. I acquire my eyes for the third active back. A able bang returner. I’m not of the acceptance that you acquire to acquire the best activating guy in the world, don’t discount brawl aegis and decision-making, but it would be nice to acquire a guy able of active at a acceleration faster than my Grandma. I set my architect on the Los Angeles Rams’ Benny Cunnigham. He’s averaged over 27 yards per acknowledgment in his career.
My offer? 2 years, $4 million, $400K guaranteed. Remember, we’ll acquire to delay until the end of the day for a acknowledgment from his agent.
Passing up my old bonfire of Cedric Peerman and Leger Douzable who were available, I set captain on the one big-money chargeless abettor I’d adulation to acquire: CB Morris Claiborne.
Yes, he’s been injury-plagued but has played able-bodied aback healthy. He’ll abutment the run, played in a man-heavier arrangement in Dallas, and saw reps central and out. Aloof axis 27, he’s in prime position for that one appropriate contract.
The antecedent offer? Four years, $20.8 actor with $7.28 guaranteed. It’s abundant money to get my all-overs activity and annoying about cap space. We’ll charge to delay a bit to see if we becoming our rose or are annex home.
Before borer out for the day, I accomplish one low-tier offer. It goes to DE Jason Jones, cut by the Miami Dolphins appropriate afore the playoff bold adjoin Pittsburgh. He is aloft the 30 year old beginning but I like his versatility. He’s accession who is activity to comedy added three tech than end, which is absolutely the blazon of arresting linemen I’m aiming for. Charge accession guy to get afterwards the QB and Jones has consistently done that in his career.
The arrangement offer: 2 years, $4.5 million, $675K guaranteed.
I annal bottomward to hit that big blooming button in the sky, advancing to Day Two and cogent me the after-effects of my offers. Abysmal breaths.
*drum roll*
1 out of 3. If this was baseball, I’d be in the Hall of Fame. The acceptable account is that Cunningham and Claiborne didn’t about-face about and assurance elsewhere. We still acquire a puncher’s chance.
Notable affairs active on the aboriginal day include:
Cody Wallace to Jacksonville: 1 year/$3.6 millionLarry Warford to Minnesota: 4 years/$30.8Brandon Flowers to New England: 3 years/$19.2Logan Ryan to Oakland: 3 years/$27.3Adrian Peterson to Washington: 2 years/$13.6
The cornerback bazaar is attractive appealing strong. That’s bad account for me.
Day Two
My cap space, by the way, is at $14.8 million.
I access Cunningham’s offer: 3 years, $6.6 million, $1.32 guaranteed. For a dude who is activity to acknowledgment bliss all day, that’s acceptable money. I’m hopeful.
I bandy RB Knile Davis’ hat into the ring, too. Qualifying action of 900K/90K. Maybe that puts a little bit of burden on Cunningham’s aggregation to get this accord done. And if Davis signs, he offers a agnate skillset at a abundant cheaper amount tag.
Back to Claiborne. I up the absolute and affirmed money, giving him an anniversary amount of aloof over $6 actor with a appropriate block of it guaranteed.
4 years/$24.1 – $8.44M guaranteed. That’s what is on the table.
I alpha to analyze some near-minimum offers, too. Kayvon Webster is a advancement aperture CB and amount appropriate teamer who adeptness appear to Pittsburgh on the bargain aback he’s accompany with Antonio Brown.
Nose accouterment Brandon Thompson, the man they alarm Yams, gets the aforementioned deal. Advancement adenoids accouterment advancing off abrasion but a affection run crammer who will advance Daniel McCullers and maybe – hopefully? – off the roster.
Webster and Thompson are anniversary offered one year, $1.1 actor with aloof $110K guaranteed.
Knowing I’m flirting with accession else, Cunningham bound accepts the offer. The others abatement but honestly, none of that surprises me.
Day Three
Available cap amplitude column Cunningham signing: $12.46 million.
My cap amplitude has collapsed to $12.46 million, still a advantageous sum of banknote a brace canicule in. I abuse Claiborne’s action aloof a tad, accretion the affirmed by about a million, to see if I can get any afterpiece to a accord accepting done. Maybe I’m aloof a tiny bit off. We’ll see.
Thompson gets a abundant accession as able-bodied and I’m cerebration it should be abundant to acquire him appear through the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
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The offers I placed on the table.
Claiborne: 4 years/24.8/9.92 gtd
Thompson: 2/2.6/390K
Sigh, no dice on either.
Day Four
I say to myself this is my aftermost try for Claiborne, alike alive that’s allegedly not true. We’ve been done that alley in accomplished editions of this. I can’t go up abundant academy in money, abnormally alive I adeptness accomplish some added moves afterwards in chargeless agency. The guarantees go up a bit as does the all-embracing deal. 4 years, $26 million, with about $10.5 guaranteed.
I do the aforementioned with Wesbter’s accord I did with Thompson, giving Yams a day to air-conditioned off afore I try again. Two years, $3.5 actor with a air-conditioned $350K affirmed offered up for Webster.
One aftermost try…
Nope and nope. It’s starting to get frustrating….
Day Five
Ok, new tactic. New name. Dre Kirkpatrick, a being the Steelers adeptness absolutely be absorbed in admitting in reality, are absurd to absolutely sign. He’s physical, still young, and plays the brawl in the air well. I alpha off on the low-end of things, seeing if I can get a bargain accord and airing abroad a blessed man.
He gets an antecedent action of three years for $16.5 actor and $5.78 guaranteed.
I brace it with my guy, Captain Munnerlyn. He isn’t an impactful tackler but he plays big in coverage, assuming the adeptness to jam receivers at the band and agitate timing routes. I amount Kirkpatrick can alpha outside, Munnerlyn in the slot. Absolute facelift.
Three years, $6.9 million, a bashful $1.38M affirmed is what I’m aiming for.
Another academy try on Thompson, again, accepting a abundant access in cashflow: two years, $4 million, 800K.
Three strikes. I’m out.
Day Six
I accumulate switching tactics, acquisitive for a Cunningham/Davis apperception bold to get one of the cornerbacks to sign. I go aback to Claiborne, befitting the all-embracing money about the aforementioned but bumping up the affirmed an added $2 million. It’s an olive branch, a fair offer, and the abettor has to now I’m trying, right? Right?
In total, a four year accord account $27 actor with $12.15M guaranteed.
Trying to get a hotstreak going, I go aback to Webster, acquisitive to assurance both. An Arthur Moats-type deal: three years, $6.9 million, $1.73 guaranteed. I’ll be pumped if both sign.
Finish things off with Brandon Thompson accepting a slight access and in my mind, is my final ache at it. His action comes in at two years, $4.2 actor and $1.68 guaranteed. I achievement you’re as aflame about minute banking increases as I am.
Someone accepts! It’s the guy I cared about the atomic but it’s the aboriginal advertisement we’ve fabricated in a business week. Pop the champagne.
Day Seven
My cap now sits at 10.78 actor so still affluence larboard in the tank. I go aback to my Kirkpatrick/Munnerlyn duo, going way up on Kirkpatrick’s all-embracing contract. Four years, $24 million, $8.4 guaranteed.
I bang up Munnerlyn’s too, a air-conditioned three actor per year and about that abundant affirmed too.
The verdict?
Day Eight
Fanspeak’s “negotiating tips” button at the top larboard of the folio aboveboard mocks me. Hey Alex, you blot at this, bang here.
I’m accepting the affliction luck, the best difficulty, abundant tougher than it’s been the antecedent two years accomplishing this. The corners accumulate crumbling but no one is signing either. Top bend A.J. Bouye is still on the market, allegedly still belief options. And both Claiborne and Kirkpatrick aloof bend everytime I anticipate I’m activity all in.
I go aback to Claiborne with accession access to the accord to levels I’m starting to get afflictive with. I’m advantageous Ross Cockrell $1.78 million. How can Claiborne absolve added than amateur that? Bristles years, $31 million, $14 actor guaranteed.
Sign. The. Contract.
AHHHHHHHH
Day Nine
Another try. I don’t alike affliction if I’m spending too much. I’ll get the behemothic scoreboard from Dallas’ amphitheater and address it to Pittsburgh. Whatever it takes.
I’m attractive at the blow of the chargeless bureau chic and truthfully, there’s absolutely no one abroad who interests me. Abnormally with the adeptness of how abysmal the abstract is. If I can alone get that ambiguous cornerback, my white whale.
The action increases to bristles years, $33 million, $15M guaranteed.
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Day Ten
Guys…I’m so sorry. I acquire angry this into an commodity about nothing. The Seinfeld of Depot articles. I can’t blanket my arch about it. Chargeless bureau has broiled up, no one is signing players anymore and yet actuality these guys sit, abnegation $6 actor contracts.
It’s day ten of ten, the aftermost the actor allows me to conduct. Moving on from Claibrone, I artlessly can’t absolve annihilation academy than what I’ve already approved to carapace out, I go aback to Kirkpatrick and Webster, the best associate cop cine you’ve never heard of. Kirkpatrick gets accession access in his deal, four years, $27 million, with $10.8 guaranteed.
And Webster gets a nice accord for advancement money: 3 years, $7.8 million, $2.34 guaranteed. I hit the blooming button, my aftermost chance, and hope.
Welp, this is awkward. Bethink aback I said the CB bazaar was bringing me bad news? Yeah, that angry out to be one heck of an omen. It’s a bite to the gut.
Free bureau is “over,” and I’m larboard with little gained. My signings.
I entered an optimistic, bright-eyed kid. I larboard hardened, mad at the world. Welcome to the NFL.
NFL Draft
We move on to the draft. Unfortunately, we acquire several added needs than I, uh, anticipated. I’ll go at it one annular at a time to accumulate the anxiety going. Commodity absorbing has to appear in this offseason.
Round One (30th Overall): Derek Rivers/OLB Youngstown State – 6’4/1 248
Analysis: I had a lot of options here. Charles Harris, Carl Lawson, and Obi Melifonwu were all on the board. But afterwards his able Combine, I alloyed it up and went with Rivers. He has the size, the length, adeptness to set the bend adjoin the run, and abeyant to be a arch canyon rusher. Assuming able-bodied at the Combine and Senior Bowl offers aplomb as to him authoritative the jump in competition.
Round Two (62nd Overall): Kevin King/CB Washington – 6’3/2 200
Analysis: I’m not absolute he’s activity to aftermost this continued but I’ll booty any array of luck I can get in the abstract I absolutely didn’t get in chargeless agency. King is Artie Burns on steroids. He’s big, long, and had one heck of a Combine. Some of the best times in around every category.
He adeptness not be *the* acknowledgment to the sub-package amateur but I can absolutely anticipate application him on some big bound ends in assertive situations/matchups. And bend abyss does consistently charge to be strong.
Round Three (94th Overall): Gerald Everett/TE South Alabama – 6’2/6 239
Analysis: His name has popped up a lot afresh in my accessories in mocks so it shouldn’t be a abruptness to see him go here. If Ladarius Blooming isn’t available, or misses time during the division – an appraisal that seems acceptable – Everett will footfall into his shoes as the move bound end.
If Blooming stays healthy, that in itself is a win because hey, the dude is advantageous and assuredly productive. It’s a win-win. The Steelers acclimated some 13 cadre and advance the acreage aftermost year to beneath boilerplate success because David Johnson would become the third guy. Everett is a abundant bigger option.
Round Three (105th Overall) – Trey Hendrickson/OLB Florida Atlantic – 6’3/7 266
Analysis: Doubling up on the bend rushers. Hendrickson afflicted at the Combine with abundant numbers beyond the lath and his contour suggests accession the Steelers will be absorbed in. He has 29.5 career sacks and 7 FFs.
Round Four (135th Overall) – Damontae Kazee/CB San Diego State – 5’10/2 184
Analysis: Because of our absolute abortion in chargeless agency, we acquire to be advancing with the accessory in the draft. Kazee is my advised aperture bend for 2018 and maybe, if charge be, can assignment his way on the acreage in the additional bisected of 2017. I like his abbreviate breadth quickness, brawl skills, and willingess to adduce in the run game.
Round Bristles (173rd Overall) – Corey Clement/RB Wisconsin – 5’10/2 220
Analysis: I wasn’t absolutely intending on demography Clement actuality but there was a above run on active backs afore my pick. Kareem Hunt, Jamaal Wiliams, and alike James Conner went in the 15 picks afore mine. Clement has the admeasurement the Steelers attending for in a workhorse-potential aback and I like his feet. He isn’t an atomic guy however, and that may absolute his potential.
Round Six (213th Overall) – Nate Gerry/LB-S Nebraska – 6’1/7 218
Analysis: Here’s my amalgam guy. It’s a sixth bastard so sure, the allowance of him authoritative an actual appulse isn’t great, but at 218 pounds who can run and hit, there may be some abiding abeyant with him. He’s already accepted teams are attractive at him in that way. And you’re activity to get a bedrock solid appropriate teamer.
Round Seven (248th Overall) – Greg Ward/WR Houston – 5’10/6 186
Analysis: A fun alternative to accomplishment things out. Ward was a quarterback in academy authoritative him a apparatus guy at the abutting level. Stick him on the convenance band for a year and amount out what you acquire in him as he learns the position. Wouldn’t be the aboriginal quarterback called Ward the Steelers begin success with at receiver.
Your final attending at the Steelers’ abstract class.
And if you’re curious, the top ten of the all-embracing draft.
Now that our agenda is set, my projected 53 man agenda for the alpha of the 2017 season.
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Zach MettenbergerRB: Le’Veon Bell, Corey Clement, Bennie CunninghamFB: Roosevelt NixTE: Ladarius Green, Jesse James, Gerald Everett, David JohnsonWR: Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Demarcus AyersOT: Alejandro Villanueva, Marcus Gilbert, Chris Hubbard, Jerald HawkinsOG/C: Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, David DeCastro, B.J. FinneyDE: Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, L.T. Walton, Jason JonesNT: Javon Hargrave, Brandon ThompsonOLB: James Harrison, Bud Dupree, Derek Rivers, Trey Hendrickson, Anthony ChickilloILB: Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, Tyler Matakevich, Steven JohnsonCB: Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, William Gay, Kevin King, Damontae KazeeS: Mike Mitchell, Sean Davis, Robert Golden, Jordan Dangerfield, Nate GerryK: Chris BoswellP: Jordan BerryLS: Greg Warren
And a projected ten man convenance band with a brace abeyant UDFAs befuddled in.
RB: Leshun Daniels Jr (UDFA)WR: Greg WardOL: Brian Mihalik, Clint Van Horn (UDFA)DL: Lavon Hooks, Johnny MaxeyILB: Akil BlountOLB: Al-Quadin Muhhammad (UDFA)CB: Al-Hajj ShabazzS: Jacob Hagen
Those on the balloon advancing into affected and obviously, cut. Arthur Moats, Xavier Grimble. L.J. Fort
So there you go. It acutely didn’t go as planned but hey, like I said, this is done in one swoop. This offseason has created some added aplomb in the bound end position with the accession of Everett and we’ve fabricated two moves to bolster the arresting band depth, authoritative this a absolutely able group.
Edge rusher has been accustomed a facelift and the accessory has apparent a abundant advance for the additional year in a row. The aperture position is a little beneath abiding than what I’d like it to be but it’s acquiescent and if Kazee pans out, it should assignment out.
Let me apperceive your thoughts and acknowledgment in the comments section. And if you’re like to try your own offseason, the links will be acquaint appropriate below.
I’d adulation to apprehend your apish offseason. I’m action it’s bigger than mine. Blessed chargeless bureau eve, everyone.
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Manage The Cap (offseason sim)
On The Clock (draft sim)
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