The Bronx Dominion

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Barnes had his work cut out for him this week as he was tasked with patching a couple holes in his roster to play up to par with his deadly RB duo. Acquiring Lockett for Hunt and cash was not exactly game breaking, but patched a hole nonetheless at the expense of RB depth. The quarterback position however was not addressed and he failed to really make that all-in type move that a couple other Eastern Conference teams did. In order to make a deep run, the Dominion will need some current players to step up in a way that they haven’t done to this point. 

Verdict: Loser

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BSC Jacks

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The Mayor seemed to be a tad more active on the trade market this year than in years past. He had a clear void in his RB2 spot entering this week and I believe addressed that issue beautifully by adding James Conner. Having said that, the Conner deal came at a cost as longtime Jack Diontae Johnson was shipped off. Dana then made a late week deal to swipe Gabe Davis and future picks from Portland for a first rounder. The Jacks did get better this week, but sit in a similar position as The Bronx where making the playoffs seems attainable, but anything further that feels out of reach. Despite the limbo period for the remainder of the year, The Mayor leaves the deadline better than before.

Verdict: Winner

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Portland Rippers*

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Rip City came in hot this week shifting their starting squad by acquiring D'Andre Swift and Jaylen Waddle which sets them up with some longterm value that's critical to sustained success in our league. With that being said, where does it leave Portland in 2022? Selling Jacobs, one of the top feel good stories of the year, as well as Gabe Davis, makes it seem like Hendricks is already conceding to BSC with 4 more weeks to go before the playoffs. Portland's roster construction is very solid, but lacks big play potential where it feels like they have very few holes but also very few strengths. They are set up well with good assets in the future, but in my opinion diminished their ability to really compete for a third straight trip to the Victor Bowl this season. As they've been the second best team in the west all year, that seems like a missed opportunity.

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Verdict: Loser

*Written by Trent

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Little Rock Capitals

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Another active team at the deadline, the Caps were striking big deals left and right. The first of which was sending of Cook for DK and a first. I was a big fan of this deal given his depth at RB and need for WR help. He followed up that deal with a more questionable one sending Nashville a Wilson and a 1st for Miles Sanders which seemed like a steep price. However, he finished the deadline with a bang by acquiring Diggs for a hefty price. Having an Allen-Diggs stack may make the price irrelevant as the Caps should be in the thick of things on their quest for back-to-back titles, which has only happened one other time in FCS history. Can't remember who, though.

Verdict: Winner

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Colorado IceCat

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The IceCats still believe they have a shot to sneak in the playoffs this year, yet were relatively quiet during deadline week. They snuck a deal a few hours before the deadline as they sent Tua to Reno for a first rounder in ’24. While the IceCats did not necessarily get better, shipping off a piece that sits on your bench for a first is a major win in my book. While he may end up regretting not sending Lamar off for an even bigger haul down the road, Chris was able to get a future asset. For a roster depleted of relevant long term pieces besides Hill, this is better than nothing.

Verdict: Winner

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Reno Cutthroats

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Reno had some deficiencies that needed to be addressed, and to his credit he did so by acquiring Tua and Terry McLaurin. The only problem was that he paid the house to get the pieces by shipping off $10 cash and a ’24 first rounder. That’s a lot for non-superstars and for a team that does not have a lot of picks and cash to give away with 3 big ticket RFA players up for bid. Even more disappointing is that their biggest weakness, RB2, was not addressed. Gairhan is the hottest team in the FCS hands down, but still has an uphill climb being under .500. Time will tell whether these moves will be worth overpaying for.

Verdict: Loser

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Charleston Bombers

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The #1 team in our league according to the Power Rankings boasted a scary lineup a week ago but seems to have taken it to the next level on paper after this week. Adding Saquon Barkley was not cheap, but was exactly the type of move that needed to be made in order to give them a chance this year. The ailing Darren Waller was also shipped off for a less injury prone TE option in Pat Friermuth. The Bombers have placed themselves in a position to be one of the favorites down the stretch.

Verdict: Winner

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Twin City Bootleggers

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Blankenship’s Boots got a nice facelift over the past week. They got things started with a bang by adding Dalvin Cook to their repertoire. From there, the 3-teamer earned them the likes of Ja’Maar Chase, Dallas Goedert, and Fournette. Adding Sutton, Godwin, and a couple of Robinson’s was the cherry on top. While the Bootleggers mortgaged off plenty of future assets, they have their sights set on a championship.

Verdict: Winner

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Nashville Riflemen

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Nashville is in no position to compete this year and made moves that were geared toward the future. He started things off by sending McLaurin to Reno for a lesser WR in Robinson, but throwing a casual $10 on top of it tips the scales majorly. Shipping off an expiring Saquon made all of the sense in the world and he gets another productive RB and two firsts in return. That is an unbelievable haul for a rebuilding team. He then commits another heist by sending Miles Sanders to Little Rock for a comparable RB and another first. It gives me no joy to admit it, but the Riflemen very clearly got the most out of some assets that likely weren’t going to be back next year anyway.

Verdict: Winner

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Virginia Beach

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We’ve said it a lot this year, but the Rovers are still a year away. Their only deal of note this week was trading away a young blossoming TE in Pat Friermuth for the often injured Darren Waller. Given Neese’s position, it was a puzzling move as Waller will hit the RFA market this offseason and there is no telling if he will be anywhere near what we saw a couple of years ago. Virginia Beach did not seem to really lift their ’23 outlook during deadline week.

Verdict: Loser

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Tucson Javelinas

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Tucson entered the week with a lot of confusion. His first deal was the blockbuster 3-teamer that seemed to be a deal aiming at giving him a fighting chance this year while guarding himself for the future. His next deal squashed the whole “giving him a fighting chance” narrative and they seemed to wave the white flag for the first time ever in Javelina history. While Trent seems to have maximized his returns, losing the likes of Taylor, Chase, Swift, Diggs, Godwin, Sutton and Fournette definitely hurts. Tucson is in unfamiliar territory and that stings for a team that had so much promise entering the year. In a broader scope, the Tucson dynasty seems to end with only 1 title. For all of the hype and talent, that is extremely disappointing.

Verdict: Loser

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DC Anarchy

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To no one’s surprise, Massey was extremely active during deadline week. It seemed like this was going to mainly consist of small moves with him acquiring picks and cash, but he shocked the FCS with a blockbuster on Thursday. The Anarchy sent off a good chunk of his future for the likes of Jonathan Taylor. This package for Taylor included his lottery ticket for the draft, Drake London, and Javonte Williams. The price was steep, but Massey needed more proven players and instead of hoping that those assets turn into a player like Jonathan Taylor, why not just go get Jonathan Taylor, himself.

Verdict: Winner