Offseason Bios: Chicks with Ditkas

Team: Chicks with Ditkas
Owner: Russell Ries
2012 Finish: 9-4-0, 2nd place overall
Budget as of 1/1/13: $109.00
Draft Pick Situation: 2013: No RD1, 2014: all intact

Contract Years Committed to 2013 (filled to reflect a full starting lineup of players): 34


RFA-eligible Players (likely to be retained in red):
Joe Flacco, Joique Bell, Isaac Redman, Brian Hartline, Greg Olson, Shayne Graham, Sam Koch, Charles Johnson, Derrick Morgan, Muhammed Wilkerson, Rob Ninkovitch, Sheldon Brown, Casey Hayward, Tim Jennings, Stevie Brown, Danieal Manning, HOU Off, Kendall Hunter, Nate Burleson

Projected 2013 Starting Lineup:*

QB: Peyton Manning
RB: Darren Sproles
RB: Stevan Ridley
WR: AJ Green
WR: Mike Williams
FLEX: Denarius Moore
TE: Dennis Pitta
PK:  X
PN:  X
DE/DT1: Cameron Wake
DE/DT2: Michael Johnson
DE/DT3:  X
DE/DT4:  X
LB1: Demarcus Ware
LB2: Daryl Washington
LB3:  X
CB1:  X
CB2:  X
S1: Roman Harper
S2:  X
OFF:  X

TS:
Andrew Luck
Lamarr Miller
Rod Streater
Deonte Thompson

*No RFAs are used to make this lineup.

Weaknesses:
By position Russell is looking at Flex and then just defensive starters, which is a darn nice position to be in.  That being said, there is a LOT of volatility on the roster.  How long can Peyton and Sproles hang on and remain elite?  Are Ridley, Williams and Moore for real?  Russell has the unenviable role of depending on players with very large asterisks on their backs heading into 2013 and nearly all of them could be viewed as sell-high players in the right context.  Some of these questions should be answered in the offseason.  Depending on who suits up at QB for Baltimore Pitta's value could decline or rocket back up.  Depending on the whims of the Grumbleking, Ridley could get 300 carries or 120.  Peyton could die of neck-AIDS today, or it could be NEXT season.  And Sproles could fall into a crack in the floor and be pinned by several burly mice.  He's...he's quite small.

Likely Off Season Targets:
First off, I see a LOT of potential moves but not many likely ones.  Russell has assembled a very good team and finished just short of immortality.  Why mess with success, right?  He also has a decent bank roll and nearly all of his picks.  Luck probably shouldn't be on the Taxi Squad much longer but Peyton outscored him last season and will need to be re-upped for 4 more years or traded.  Running back could use some reinforcement, especially if Sproles gets injured again or Ridley starts getting phased out in favor of Shane Vereen.  Neither of these things have happened yet though, and there's no pressing need to spend resources until there's a real need.  I predict some depth bidding and price enforcement work this off season, and maybe a sell-high on Peyton if the offer is overwhelming.

Hypothetical Trades:
Peyton for Run DMC and 2013 and 2014 RD2
AJ Green and $40 for Wes Welker and CJ2K
2014 RD1 for Heath Miller


2013 Outlook:
Pretty rosy, but not as lucky as 2012.  Russell benefited in 2012 from a ridiculously skewed W% in divisional games, going 6-2 while going 3-3 against Thompson Boling Arena.  With another year of age on Manning and likely small backslides to Ridley and Moore I anticipate a repeat in team production nets a lesser record in 2013.  If you figure an average points-against (instead of the 3rd easiest, ala 2012) Russell could slip down to .500, or even lower if other teams improve.  As I anticipate a playoff run from The Magnetic Turf and improvements for Chinese Mafia and Buffalo Stampede the CWD will be the ones to pay the price and miss the playoffs.  With two division titles in 2011 and 2012, it looks like the Chicks with Ditkas might just be three-masculated.