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By: Jay Pounds (@JayPoundsNFL)
Guest: Bryce Williams (@BryceNFL)
Ladies and Gentlemen. This will be my last off-season article before the regular season starts back up in just six days with the Dallas Cowboys taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. While the pre-season has been fun, it is time for the real deal players and some real NFL football. I want to take a second and just kind of wrap things up from this off-season before we jump into the last of the pre-season news, as well as today’s article. In the Dynasty Owner off-season, you likely went through a ton of firsts in your fantasy career like cutting big name players you did not want to cut but could not afford to keep, trading good players away just to get something of value in return, and dealing with the restraints of a salary cap. Welcome to the small sample size of what NFL GMs face on a daily basis. The thing that stood out the most to me this off-season was when I tried to move Kenny Golladay (after his new contract) and virtually had to give him away, only getting a 2nd round pick in return. The Golladay move was a real eye opener for me in my first Dynasty Owner off-season and I am sure many of you went through similar situations. Do not worry…. or do because it gets no easier from here. Dynasty Owners who have a great cap situation right now will be faced with tough decisions tomorrow and when they are faced with those decisions, the owners in the best position will reap the rewards.
Now to the news. The NFL has finished up week 3 of the preseason but it was not without a devastating injury. Running back J.K. Dobbins of the Baltimore Ravens has a torn ACL and will be out for the entire 2021 NFL season. The running back position has been hit hard with injuries this pre-season, especially young running backs with Cam Akers, Travis Etienne, and now Dobbins all out for the 2021 season. Tight end Irv Smith is also set to miss the entire season after a knee injury that led to surgery, which led to the Vikings trading for Chris Herndon. A few notable players were cut this past week: John Brown, Travis Fulgham, Wayne Gallman, Royce Freeman, Phillip Dorsett, and Jordan Howard. Some of these guys will find homes, some will not. The one on the list I am keeping a close eye on is Travis Fulgham. The NFL off-season has been a blast but it’s time for some football!
I have been waiting for this article to release for two weeks now and am extremely excited to share another owner’s rebuilding team with everyone. If you cannot already tell this article will be much different than typical articles of the past. In this article, I will cover all the trades that this team has made, part of the owner’s thought process on the trade, as well as my thoughts on each trade. I will focus more on my thoughts in the article as I let him discuss every move in depth on the video that you can find on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/DynastyOwner). The Dynasty Owner I am talking about is none other than Bryce Williams. Bryce is a first year Dynasty Owner player who decided he wanted to rebuild after a few teams in his league established themselves as clear front runners by making some key trades leading up to the season. Bryce was also placed on auto draft for his first two picks which contributed to him wanting to rebuild before his first Dynasty Owner season even began.
Bryce is the owner of team Praise Cheesus and from my understanding he is in a league filled with smart people from around the fantasy football industry. I want to highlight how every move Bryce has made up to this point was made with a well thought out plan, which is something you should all do as well when rebuilding. When handling contracts for players, it is greatly beneficial to you to go into things with a set plan/strategy and while the plan may need a few adjustments you should always do your best to stick to the plan. I am sure NFL GMs are presented with unexpected deals from time to time, but I can guarantee that they are thinking and planning many moves ahead with a clear strategy set in place. The last thing I wanted to highlight that Bryce did well is the fact he looked at what other teams situations will likely look like before targeting their draft picks. I know most of you hear from folks around the industry that you cannot predict where a team is going to be in a year when it comes to fantasy football, but in Dynasty Owner, it Is different. A team’s future can be predicted a little easier if you dig into things a little. Enough of the talk, let’s get into the trades Bryce has made with a rebuild in mind. Remember the goal for Bryce here is to be good in a few years, not 2021.
Trade #1
| Other Owner Receives | Praise Cheesus (Bryce) Receives |
| DK Metcalf (2 years, $1,146,513) | 2022 1st |
| 2022 2nd | 2023 3rd |
Out of all the trades Bryce has made this is the trade I dislike the most. My first opinion is that Bryce likely left a future 1st and 2nd round pick on the table in this deal, as well as gave up his own 2022 2nd in the deal. DK Metcalf is going in the early 2nd round of Dynasty Owner drafts with an ADP of 14.6. When really looking at this deal, I feel it would have been good trade had Metcalf been in a contract year, but with him still having two years of a team friendly salary left to work with I would have waited until I received more in return. Bryce does have his reasons for moving Metcalf and trusts that he can hit on his draft picks so I can’t argue the move at the end of the day. If I had to pick a winner in this deal it would have to be the other owner as the 1st round pick Bryce is receiving only goes down in value with the addition of Metcalf. Always remember players on a contract as friendly as Metcalf’s should be almost held hostage as a rebuilding owner simply because any owner in your league can find a way to take on that small of a deal meaning a potential bidding war.
Trade #2
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| 2022 3rd | AJ Dillon (3 years, $1,321,458) |
| RB Javian Hawkins (free agent) |
Do you guys remember me telling you to sell the hype of the off-season when you are in a rebuild? Well, this is exactly what Bryce did here. Javian Hawkins was seen as a lock to make the Falcons roster by most of the community for some reason and Bryce played it perfectly. The other owner in this deal was likely low on Dillon because the Packers signed Aaron Jones to an extension and Bryce was able to turn that frustration into Dillon for a 3rd round pick and a player that has been waived now by two teams. Small deals like this can end up speeding up your rebuild significantly. Bryce also pointed out the fact that Aaron Jones has a cap hit of $19 million in 2023 for Green Bay, meaning he will likely be playing elsewhere in 2023. As you can see a little contract research can go a long way in Dynasty Owner.
Trade #3
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Jameis Winston (1 year, $5,500,000) | Ryan Fitzpatrick (1 year, $10,000,000) |
| TJ Hockenson (2 years, $4,955,306) | 2022 1st |
| 2023 2nd |
Trade number 3 for Bryce is the only other trade I feel where Bryce left significant value on the table. T.J. Hockenson is primed for a big year in Detroit and is being viewed as a Top 5 tight end by many going into 2021. Jameis Winston (not named the starter yet) was a likely starting quarterback for only $5.5 million in Sean Payton’s offense. Earlier in the off-season I was able to trade Jameis Winston and a few throw-ins for Dionte Johnson and with as weak as the tight end position is at the moment, Hockenson is a very valuable asset to a contending owner just as Winston is. In my opinion, a 2023 1st should have been added to get this deal done. Patience would have also led to being able to move Winston for a 1st alone now that he has become the starter for the Saints at such a low salary. Bryce had good reasoning behind this trade and the first will likely be a high selection, but I still feel he could have played a little hardball to get a little more.
Trade #4
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| 2024 1st | 2023 1st |
| 2024 2nd | 2023 3rd |
| 2024 3rd |
I won’t spend much time on this trade as it makes perfect sense if you look at the reasoning Bryce has for making it. Bryce wants to be competing around 2024, 2025 and he loves the 2023 draft class and the depth it has to offer. Bryce was able to find a way to move his draft up an entire year for a 2nd round pick, giving him more chances in the 2023 draft class he is targeting so heavily.
Trade #5
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| J.D. McKissic (1 year, $1,635,000) | 2023 2nd |
| 2023 3rd |
If you pay close attention to my articles you will absolutely love this trade. I am constantly preaching that you should be moving on from older players, especially ones without prominent roles and get some type of value in return. Bryce was able to execute this perfectly by moving up a round in the 2023 draft for a player that has zero business on a rebuilding roster.
Trade #6
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Jared Cook (1 year, $4,500,000) | Amari Rodgers (4 years, $1,224,974) |
| Josh Palmer (4 years, $1,258,365) | |
| 2023 3rd |
While some may look at this trade and think it is a bit much for Amari Rodgers, I will have to politely disagree. On the outside, this trade looks a little lopsided but Bryce essentially paid Josh Palmer and a 3rd for a player he strongly believes in. You may be wondering why I did not include Jared Cook in the last sentence and it is because Jared Cook offers Bryce’s team nothing at this point in his career. When Bryce is competing for championships in 2025, Jared Cook will be retired and chilling on a beach somewhere. Sometimes in a rebuild you just have to throw in a 3rd round pick to get your guy.
Trade #7
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Saquon Barkley (1 year, $7,798,688) | 2023 1st |
| 2024 1st | |
| 2022 2nd |
When Bryce first sent me a list of his trades and I was reading through them, I was a little surprised to find Saquon Barkley traded this late on the list. I personally would have started my rebuild by trading Barkley away but there are plenty of roads that lead to the same destination when it comes to rebuilding. I love this deal for Barkley because as I mentioned in my previous article, Barkley is in a lose-lose situation for rebuilding owners who want to keep him. The reason for this is because if you keep Barkley and he does not perform well, he will lose a significant portion of his trade value. If he comes out and plays well, he will get a big contract extension and you’re stuck with an expensive running back who will be on the back end of his career when it comes time to compete. I feel this trade is a huge win for Bryce getting two firsts for a running back coming off a tough injury and could end up being a win for the other owner as well depending on how Barkley looks when he returns to the gridiron.
Trade #8
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Devonte Booker (2 years, $2,750,000) | 2023 3rd |
A small trade here but a great trade, nonetheless. This trade is very similar to the McKissic trade with Bryce sending a handcuff out for some extra draft capital. The other thing this does is open up another roster spot to add another lottery ticket type player.
Trade #9
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Qadree Ollison (2 years, $707,891) | 2023 1st |
| 2022 2nd | |
| 2024 1st |
Another trade that may look a little off on the outside but once I was told the method behind the madness it makes sense. Bryce gave up another 2nd round draft pick to move up a year in the draft swapping a 2024 1st for a 2023 1st. If you can’t tell Bryce is high on the 2023 draft class. Are you?
Trade #10
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Aaron Rodgers (3 years, $33,500,000) | Ryan Tannehill (3 years, $29,500,000) |
| 2023 3rd | |
| 2024 2nd |
As little as this trade may look on the surface, it ends up being one of my favorite trades on the list. Bryce was able to move Aaron Rodgers for Ryan Tannehill and draft picks. While it may not seem like much what this does for Bryce is give him a cheaper, younger quarterback for his rebuild. The best part about this trade is that Aaron Rodgers will likely sign a massive new contract this off-season saving Bryce even more money towards the salary cap. If Rodgers were to get Prescott money this move could save Bryce $10.5 million in cap space next year.
Trade #11
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick (1 year, $10,000,000) | Jarvis Landry (2 years, $15,100,000) |
| Matt Breida (1 year, $1,055,000) | Kylin Hill (4 years, $889,766) |
Out of all of the trades I think I dislike this one the most. The reason I am not a fan of this trade is because Fitzpatrick is a cheap quarterback who can be moved for at least a 2nd round draft pick to a team in need of a cheap quarterback. I also am not a fan of bringing Jarvis Landry back in this deal as I feel he hurts the rebuilding process much more than helps, and he isn’t cheap by any means. I would have liked to see Bryce get a 1st round pick in return for Fitzpatrick and taking on Jarvis Landry’s contract with him being rostered in only 52% of leagues.
Additions during the process
Keke Coutee (free agent)
Noah Gray (4 years, $948,444)
Juwan Johnson (1 year, $695,000)
Ryan Santoso (1 year, $780,000)
Matt Ammendola (1 year, 660,000)
Tyler Kroft (1 year, $2,000,000)
Tyrod Taylor (1 year, $5,500,000)
2 Trades since interview
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Marquez Callaway (2 years, $765,000) | Hunter Henry (3 years, $12,5000,000) |
| 2024 2nd | 2024 1st |
I won’t spend much time on these two trades as they were not covered in the video, but I love this trade for Bryce and is another great example of selling hype. Getting a 1st in return for Callaway and eating Henry’s salary is a huge win in my opinion.
| Other Owner | Praise Cheesus |
| Greg Joseph (1 year, $780,000) | Cody Parkey (free agent) |
| Kylen Granson (4 years, $1,046,592) |
A nice little kicker swap which includes Dynasty Owner darling Kylen Granson. The only downfall to this trade is the fact Cody Parkey was cut shortly after the trade was made.
Final Roster (as of 9/2/2021)
QB: Ryan Tannehill, Trey Lance, Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor
RB: A.J. Dillon, Darrynton Evans, Xavier Jones (IR), Tevin Coleman, Salvon Ahmed, Tony Jones, Kylin Hill
WR: Davante Adams, Jaylen Waddle, Rondale Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr, Amari Rodgers, Tyler Johnson, Allen Lazard, Keke Coutee, Tre’Quan Smith, Rashod Bateman (IR)
TE: Kyle Pitts, Noah Gray, Jordan Akins, Juwan Johnson, Hunter Henry, Tyler Kroft, Kylen Granson
K: Ryan Santoso, Matt Ammendola
Draft Picks
2022:
(3) 1st rounders
2023:
(5) 1st rounders
(1) 2nd rounder
(1) 3rd rounder
2024:
(1) 1st rounders
What I Would do Next
The first thing I would do as the owner of this team is to move on from Davante Adams as quickly as possible. While I love Adams and what he brings to the table, I just do not feel he fits the timeline with this team at 28 years old on top of a massive new contract looming. Adams is the one moveable piece on this roster that will bring back great value while not being on a rookie contract and should be moved before he has a chance to get hurt. I know Bryce is a Packers fan and he likely loves Adams, but the only thing he can do for team Praise Cheesus is win games you don’t want to win.
Bryce has positioned himself to start competing for championships in 2025 and beyond with 5 1st round draft picks in 2023 and I feel Adams will hurt more than help until then and be on the downside of his career come 2025. The only other things I would do is I would look to move Allen Lazard for a draft pick, and I would keep an eye out for potential scenarios to move on from Tannehill if the value is there. One thing I would like to point out is that Bryce loves the depth of the 2023 draft class and has invested heavily due to that, which goes back to having a plan and sticking to it.
Conclusion
Overall, I love the direction Bryce has his team going despite not agreeing with a trade, or two. Bryce has great young players with massive potential in Kyle Pitts, Trey Lance, Terrace Marshall, Rondale Moore, A.J. Dillon, Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Love, and Amari Rodgers. He noted that he will have 24 players under rookie contract in the year 2023, which gives him plenty of time to pick and choose the players he believes will fit best in his long-term plan. I hope everyone can take a little from this article to use on your own Dynasty Owner rebuild. I try to remind myself constantly that there is no one right way to rebuild a team in Dynasty Owner. My best advice when jumping into a rebuild is have a sound plan and try to execute that plan to the best of your abilities. Oh, and check all of my articles out from this off-season. One major under looked factor through all of this is the relationships Bryce is building while executing trades that position his team for the future and help the other owner compete.
Before I finish up, I would like to give a special shout out to Bryce for taking the time out of his day to sit down and discuss the process of his rebuild with me. If you would like to keep up with how his rebuild is going, please follow Bryce on Twitter (@BryceNFL). If any of you have a team you are rebuilding and would like to possibly have an article on your team, please contact me on Twitter so we can discuss it. I hope you all enjoyed this article as much as I did and as always good luck on your 2021 Chase for the Ring!