Team Capsules: Wake Island Wookiees

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 year, the Wookiees had a tall order competing in the East Division, the only division in the MFFL to churn out three playoff teams. In 2018, the Wookiees were the third-highest scoring team in the league, but they took a step backward last year, finishing 10th in scoring. Nevertheless, the Wookiees made the playoffs with a 7-6 record before being ousted by the Kamikazes in the first round of postseason action. During the regular season, the Wookiees had the misfortune of being without star running back Saquon Barkley, who missed three games with an injury. Still, Barkley finished the season as an RB1. The Wookiees also managed to churn out a stud complement to Barkley by midseason. After languishing during the first half of the year, a change of scenery opened the door for Kenyan Drake to finish the season as a strong RB2. Wide receiver Julio Jones was a top-end WR1 and helped propel the Wookiees offense all season, but the team was without a big-play complement, something they hope to rectify this offseason.

A look ahead

The Wookiees enter the 2020 MFFL offseason with the fewest roster spots to fill, despite cutting three players — tight ends Greg Olsen and Eric Ebron and wide receiver Brandin Cooks — for cap reasons. The good news for Wake Island is that they will return a handful of players from the same core that engineered a strong offensive output during the 2018 season. With the quarterback, running backs, kickers, defenses and WR1 spot already solidified, the Wookiees need to focus on adding a second starting wide receiver and a tight end to complete their starting lineup. The Wookiees may have done just that by acquiring unrestricted free agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins from Russia. With Christmas Island defending its Super Bowl crown and Nagasaki defending the division title, Wake Island will once again compete in one of the toughest divisions in the MFFL in 2020.

Quarterback analysis

Drew Brees’ time in Wake Island looks like it is coming to an end. Brees’ salary is a bit too high for the Wookiees to place any kind of franchise tag on him, but they still could entertain bidding on him in the open market if the price is right. With limited cap space and a need at receiver and tight end, though, the Wookiees may choose to go with what they have under contract. Matt Ryan slides into the de facto starting gig with veteran Nick Foles likely to back him up. Second-year pro Daniel Jones is waiting in the wings in the Rookie Corral and may get the call-up this season. Ryan finished as a Top 10 quarterback in 2019 and Jones was a mid-range QB2. Foles, who missed most of the season with an injury and later a demotion, could compete for a starting job and offers decent value at $0.50 million.

Running Back analysis

Saquon Barkley entered the 2019 season as the undisputed top running back in the league. After missing some time with an injury and struggling with the help around him, plus the ridiculous performance of Christian McCaffrey, has bumped Barkley down to the No. 2 or 3 running back according to most experts. Still, he’s an incredible weapon to have and Wake Island will reap the benefits in 2020. As previously mentioned, Kenyan Drake’s career was teetering on the edge of a cliff until a midseason trade catapulted him into RB2 status and boosted the Wookiees’ offensive output toward the end of 2019. Drake’s status remains strong heading into the 2020 season and he should continue producing strong numbers. The Wookiees don’t have much depth beyond those two, but could add a cheap option via the auction or draft.

Wide Receiver analysis

Julio Jones was a Top 5 wide receiver in 2019 and he just might be joined by a fellow Top 5 receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, forming perhaps the best wide receiver tandem in the MFFL. Hopkins came over from Russia in a trade and is an unrestricted free agent. Wake Island will almost certainly place the NFT on him, giving him a starting bid of $13 million. While there might be some interest in him at that price, the looming two draft pick compensation might prohibit some teams from bidding on him. Beyond those two, the Wookiees are hurting for receiver depth. Randall Cobb and Albert Wilson were no better than WR4’s a season ago, and Taylor Gabriel and Donte Moncrief are currently unemployed. There are few teams who will have the star power at the top of the depth chart that Wake Island does if they retain Hopkins, but health will be of the utmost importance.

Tight End analysis

The tight end position was one of the Achilles’ heels of the Wookiees in 2019 — no pun intended regarding the perennially-injured Greg Olsen. Olsen and fellow veteran Eric Ebron were two of the highest-paid tight ends in the MFFL a season ago, but Olsen finished as a TE2 and Ebron — who missed the last five games of the season — dropped off the charts and finished as a TE3. Both players were cut in a cost-saving move this offseason and now the Wookiees will be on the lookout for a replacement via the auction. Given their need to solidify the wide receiver position, paired with the uncertainty of tight end production from year to year, the Wookiees’ best route likely will be to scoop up a couple of cheap options via the auction and go with a streaming option based on matchups during the season.

“What could be…”

The Wookiees quite likely will possess one of the strongest starting lineups in the MFFL in 2020. With Top 5 prospects (likely) at RB1, WR1, WR2, K, and DST, and strong starters at QB and RB2, the Wookiees could pick up where they left off in 2018. Of course, health will be of the utmost concern because the team could be lacking depth at the FLEX positions. Wake Island has one pick — Pick 30 — after trading its first-round choice for Hopkins. Thus, most of Wake Island’s work filling the last five active roster spots will be done via the auction. If the Wookiees retain Hopkins and activate Daniel Jones from the Rookie Corral, the team can sign a pair of cheap tight end options and will be all set to compete in 2020.

Next up: San Juan Scorpions