Team Capsules: Egypt Pharaohs

In a 12-part series, we take a look at each MFFL team, where they’ve been and where they’re going. We analyze the strength of their current roster build, what areas need improvement, and speculate what they might do in the coming months.

A look back

Last week, we took a deep dive into the Turkey Jerky to discover just how schizophrenic their 2019 season was. This week features much of the same in the Egypt Pharaohs, who were equally bipolar. There must be something in the water in the East Division. Egypt put together four weeks of scoring in the Top 3, and four weeks of scoring in the Bottom 4 one season ago. It seemed like every other week the team would accept or decline an invitation to show up and play. At least until the final four weeks when they went on a four-game win streak to close out the regular season and secure the division championship. Egypt would go on to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion Crabs in the first round of the playoffs by a reasonable, 15-point margin. The Pharaohs seemed to battle injuries for much of the season, including by such players as Sterling Shepard, DeSean Jackson and David Njoku. But they also received some strong performances from Patrick Mahomes, Joe Mixon, Phillip Lindsay and breakout star DeVante Parker.

A look ahead

Egypt can’t get too down about the way their 2019 season concluded. As mentioned, they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions and they are returning much of their same roster from a season ago. Patrick Mahomes, Joe Mixon, and Phillip Lindsay all received tags and they’ll be joined by Shepard, Njoku and Robby Anderson to form a nice core. The Pharaohs don’t have a first-round pick this year, having traded it to Ukraine in a deal for Njoku prior to last season. Their first pick is not until No. 22 overall, a pick they acquired from Christmas Island in a trade for Parker. Their only other selection is Pick 32, so the Pharaohs will have to look to the auction to round out their roster.

Quarterback analysis

Despite missing two games to injury last year, Patrick Mahomes still finished in the Top 10 in quarterback scoring in 2019. Egypt likely will return one of the most exciting and explosive playmakers to play the quarterback position in recent years, as Mahomes was given the NFT tag this offseason. With a $3.25 million salary and a two draft pick compensation, he’s all but a lock to return to Egypt in 2020. The Pharaohs have no other quarterbacks on the roster, but given Mahomes’ talent and high price tag, the Pharaohs will scoop up a cheap veteran or perhaps a rookie as back up.

Running Back analysis

With only third-year pro Ronald Jones under contract, the Pharaohs slapped a pair of tags on their likely starting backfield. Restricted free agent Joe Mixon received the EFT and will return to Egypt on a 1-year, $10 million deal. Phillip Lindsay was given the TT and his opening bid will be $7.50. Egypt acquired Mixon from Nagasaki before the trade deadline last year and gave up Mark Ingram in the process. Mixon had had a rough year up to that point, but went on to have a strong second half of the season and finished as an RB1. Lindsay, meanwhile, was all over the map with inconsistency, but his ability to contribute in the passing game gave him high ceilings. Jones took a big step forward in his sophomore season, and if he can replicate similar growth in his third, the position could be a strength for Egypt. The Pharaohs presently have the fifth-most cap space and could use some of that cash to further upgrade the running back position.

Wide Receiver analysis

The Pharaohs return four wide receivers from the previous season, but really could use an upgrade at the position. As previously mentioned, the Pharaohs traded their top receiver, DeVante Parker, to the Crabs and are now left without a WR1 or WR2. Sterling Shepard, if healthy, could possibly push for that No. 2 spot, but he’s been banged up a lot in his career. Robby Anderson is another guy who hasn’t performed consistently up to this point, but a change of scenery could help his cause. Nelson Agholor and Willie Snead are bench players at this point and don’t offer tremendous upside. The Pharaohs will have to aggressively target a wide receiver in the auction who can solidify the top of the depth chart.

Tight End analysis

David Njoku was the thorn in Egypt’s paw a season ago. After trading a first-round pick for his rights last offseason, he wound up getting hurt and playing in only three games. The Pharaohs then trudged through the season with underwhelming performances from Jack Doyle and Tyler Eifert. Njoku has all the talent in the world to be a big contributor, but he has to stay healthy and compete for targets to get the job done. Finding tight ends who consistently perform at a high level is a wild goose chase, as less than a handful manage to do that on a yearly basis. Egypt will try to do that with Njoku in 2020 while backing him up with some other fresh talent.

“What could be…”

The Pharaohs ran the table in the final four weeks of the 2019 regular season to win the division with a 7-6 record. But things will be a lot tougher for them in 2020. The East Division figures to be much better than it was a year ago. Bangkok will look to reap the benefits from the tanking they sowed while Turkey returns a strong core of starters. Egypt will have to outpace them this offseason and make enough strong additions to defend their crown. The Pharaohs will be definitely playing for this season as they’re without a first round pick and only have two picks total. Any chance of a youth movement won’t happen through the draft. The Pharaohs will need a pair of starting wide receivers and they will look to add depth to the quarterback and tight end positions. And, as is the case for most MFFL teams, it wouldn’t hurt to add an additional running back.

Next up: Wake Island Wookiees