2025 FCS Day Retrospective

‘Twas a wild FCS Day back in May. Things have slowed down since. Now that I have had some time to digest the day, I wanted to throw out some of my opinions:

📈 Things I Liked

1. AJ Brown $55 2 year deal, Sign and Trade to KEN- I still view Brown as a top 5 talent in the league. Last year was lackluster per his standards, but he missed time due to injury and still managed to eclipse 1,000 yards. Other superstar WRs went well above that mark. Also, at two years, this deal feels a little less risky then the 3-year mega deals that Chase and Jefferson got. AJB projects to slide into Kentucky’s WR2 spot to give him a nasty 1-2 punch alongside Nico Collins.

2. Aaron Jones $12 1 year deal to TCB- This one has grown on me since FCS Day. RB depth in this league is like gold. While Aaron Jones is not a sexy fantasy name at this stage in his career, he is projected to be a starter on a team and for a coach that I trust. At Jones’ price tag, if he is over the hill, then oh well. If he isn’t, the Boots have an undervalued, competent bye week plug to spell Jonathan Taylor and Jahmry Gibbs.

3. Calvin Ridley $1 deal retained by NAS- Every year it seems like one or two guys slips the cracks during RFA. This year it was Ridley. The explanation for this one is simple- Ridley is the unquestioned WR1 on a Titans team that just invested the first overall pick on a quarterback. Has Ridley not lived up to expectations since his Atlanta years? Absolutely, but that does not mean he is not worth a double digit contract. On a team that projects to lack a bit at WR, the Riflemen at least have a value in Ridley. This is a deal I suspect could be extended to two or three years.

   
   

📉 Things I Didn't Liked

1. Derrick Henry $80 3 year deal to VBR- Let’s get this one out of the way. It didn’t look good in the moment, and it still doesn’t tickle my fancy. The odd thing about this deal is that I expect Henry to be a top 10 fantasy RB, so maybe the $80 price tag this year isn’t completely outlandish. Where I’m lost is the fact that he will also be $80 in ‘26 and ‘27. His age 32 and 33 seasons. The odds of him sustaining the run he is on for 3 years are not high, and at his price, I think it would be very difficult for the Rovers to trade him or buy out the contract. I am worried Virginia Beach has locked themselves into a tough situation.

2. Joe Burrow $28 2 year deal to TUC- Anytime I get the opportunity to dunk on my rival, I have to take advantage of it. I’ll start by saying this, I understand the motivation here. The Javies have been on a QB dry spell for years and stacking with their shiny new toy, Ja’Marr Chase, has some appeal. My issue is that pocket passing QBs really struggle to sustain elite fantasy production. Burrow is now the fourth highest paid QB in our league behind Jackson, Allen, and Hurts. He was able to stay with them last year and finished as QB4 on the back of 43 TDs. WIth virtually no rushing ability, Burrow would almost have to repeat that TD production the next two years to return on this investment. That is a bet I would not make.

3. Isiah Pacheco $24 2 year deal to NAS- Death, taxes, and the Riflemen overpaying for Chiefs. Pacheco disappointed last year, then got hurt, then continued to disappoint upon his return. He eventually lost out on touches to a dusty Kareem Hunt. Now the Chiefs have re-signed Hunt, signed Elijah Mitchell, and drafted Brashard Smith. This is a crowded room, and Nashville has put their chips in on a guy for the next two seasons, and at a price that is not insignificant. The Chiefs crowded backfield projects to be similar to the Riflemen who now have to juggle Mixon, Kamara, Pacheco, and Swift. Meanwhile their WR room only features Evans and Ridley. I think the money spent on Pacheco may have been better spent if it were on a WR.

📈 Draft Classes I Liked

1. Charleston Bombers- For someone that had never had a rookie pick prior to this year, the Bombers operated as true vets. This is a classic case of allowing the draft to fall to you. The story leading up to the draft was “how far do the TEs slide”. Well the answer was all of the way to the 2.01 in the form of Colston Loveland. Not only is that incredible value for a top 10 NFL Draft pick, but it also addressed a need for the Bombers. To follow up the Loveland selection, yet another first round NFL Draft pick fell in their lap at the 2.05. As someone who was not a huge Matthew Golden fan, I have to acknowledge the possibility that he immediately touches grass as Green Bay’s WR1. At the 2.05, the risk is well worth it. The Bombers might’ve found themselves two franchise cornerstones in the second round.

2. NorCal Goldeneyes- This was a polarizing draft for the Goldies and their current situation. There were talks of them trying to move back to avoid the risky Hunter selection. Then there were talks of them trying to move up from the 1.09 for an RB. Both of these trade talks did not get across the finish line, and to NorCal’s credit, they did not settle. Sticking and picking has aged pretty well. For one, they had a clear need at the WR position and now have invested young talent into the room looking toward the long term. For two, I think that Hunter and Egbuka offer ceilings that players picked ahead of them don’t have. Wins may be hard to come by in the Goldies’ first year, but watching these rookie WRs develop will be satisfying for the future.

📉 Draft Classes I Didn't Liked

1. Reno Cutthroats- The Cutthroats making this list has more to do with inaction than the actual picks. That said, I am not a huge Tre Harris guy. I felt Reno was uniquely positioned to move up to the mid first to address their RB need, but took a more passive FCS Day approach this year. I like Cam Ward, but he offers limited upside with no rushing ability and this is on a team that already has Jalen Hurts. They rounded the draft out with Dylan Sampson who was the second RB drafted on his NFL team. Holistically, I just don’t see any of these players contributing in the near term and their RB depth issue was not addressed.

2. Twin City Bootleggers- This one feels a little unfair to put on here, but hear me out. The FCS has grown accustomed to the Boots being serious players in our rookie draft. That simply was not the case this year. That said, it was not for a lack of trying. But not seeing Twin City make a splash, in a draft that has the potential to be one of the best in FCS history, feels odd. As for the actual picks, it's hard to ding them too much since they were picking so late, but as of now, Bayshul Tuten and Devin Neal are the projected RB3s on their respective NFL teams. I think Tuten has potential, but realistically, these two players will have a difficult time producing much for the Boots.

Closing Thoughts

1. The Newbies are making their mark- The Bolters and Goldeneyes appear to mean business. The Bolters inherited a roster with some valuable pieces and are now projecting as a near playoff lock. Meanwhile, the Goldeneyes have found a way to improve upon a bearish roster to the point that I expect them to be competitive in the near term, while also injecting youth into the roster for the future. Bottom line is that I think our league has gotten a lot tougher with these two additions. I expected a little bit of FCS Day jitters, and upon reviewing their moves, that was not the case. These dudes have visions for their squads and that should make us all a little uncomfortable. 

2. Bidding lengths on contracts is sick. Trent and I can’t take credit for this idea (thanks Sam), but man I love it. I was curious to see the ramifications with it for year one, and the answer appeared to be— Superstars are still going to command a pretty penny, but the mid-level talent is much more affordable. Balancing the risk of a long term deal while simultaneously assigning an appropriate contract value takes some major juggling. Now we get to sit back and watch how these contracts age. The decisions made on FCS Day now will be affecting teams much longer than before, so you better be sure on those long-term guys.