Team Capsules: Russia Renegades

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

The 2019 season was originally intended to be a bridge year for the Russia Renegades. The Renegades began that offseason shipping away a trio of stars in favor of a youth movement. They traded the rights to David Johnson, Michael Thomas and Odell Beckham, landing a plethora of draft picks and young prospects to team up with a quartet of second-year receivers waiting to break out. They also landed running back Josh Jacobs with the second overall pick in the 2019 MFFL Draft. Unbeknownst to many, Russia fielded a much more competitive team than was predicted by the experts, speeding up the rebuild a year earlier than expected. In doing so, the Renegades made a few trades during the season, shipping away some of their younger talent for some stars that would hopefully keep them competitive for the Super Bowl that year. The strategy paid off in part as they defeated the Jamaica Jerks in Round 1 of the playoffs before succumbing to division rival and league superpower Ukraine in the Northwest Conference championship game. Russia went on to win the 3rd place game against Nagasaki.

A look ahead

Russia originally had eyes set on 2020 as their championship window, but as mentioned, the decision to “go for it” a year earlier altered their plans a little bit. They still feature a handful of young prospects who have come into their own, such as quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Josh Jacobs, and wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Calvin Ridley, among others. They presently have 12 players under contract, most of whom are starters, leaving 8 roster spots to be filled. They have the third-lowest available cap space and the second-lowest cash average, meaning they’ll have to fill out their depth chart with cheaper talent. The Renegades have six draft picks in the 2020 Draft, four of them in the first round. This could mean some of those players get called up to the active roster much quicker than desired, rather than spending time developing in the rookie corral. Between who they have under contract and which rookies they might bring into the fold, the Renegades should be competitive in 2020.

Quarterback analysis

The Renegades caught lightning in a bottle with the addition of quarterback Lamar Jackson. Acquired in the aforementioned trade of Odell Beckham, Jackson went on to have an MVP-like season, finishing as the MFFL’s top quarterback, and one of only two players to average 30-plus points per game. His presence in the lineup is like having an additional running back, an invaluable asset considering the high demand at the position. The Renegades also have third-year pro Sam Darnold under contract, who was selected one pick ahead of Jackson in the 2018 MFFL Draft. Darnold’s career trajectory is nowhere near that of Jackson’s and the Renegades could certainly use an upgrade at backup quarterback.

Running Back analysis

How quickly things move in the world of football. What was a fairly strong position for the Renegades in 2019 has devolved into a bit of a question mark for 2020. A depth chart that once included Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and Kerryon Johnson — and later Jacobs, Johnson, Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler — has morphed into essentially just Jacobs heading into the 2020 season. The team shipped away Gordon this offseason and — as one part of a bigger deal — received Derrius Guice, who remains a big question mark at this point. In two seasons, he has played in five games. And although he looked good in his limited stretch, durability remains a concern. Johnson, meanwhile, lost his chance to be a featured back, thus he lost his opportunity to be anything more than a FLEX player for the Renegades.

Wide Receiver analysis

Other than the obvious quarterback situation, wide receiver appears to be the strength of the Renegades heading into 2020. The Renegades have four receivers under contract, three of whom finished in the Top 20 last year, and three of whom are projected to finish in the Top 18 this season. Veteran Allen Robinson had a terrific 2019 and finished in the Top 7. He remains under contract for two more seasons. As does third-year pro Courtland Sutton, who had his breakout season a year ago and is projected to be a high-end WR2 in 2020. Third-year wideout Calvin Ridley missed some time with an injury last year but has played effectively when on the field. Tyler Boyd was a strong WR2 in 2019 but faces some competition for targets in 2020. The Renegades have a trio of receivers in the rookie corral in Anthony Miller, Miles Boykin and Tre’Quan Smith. Miller looks like he has the potential to get the call-up to the active roster.

Tight End analysis

Tight end is another position of strength for the Renegades, who seemingly pride themselves on hoarding them. The Renegades left the 2019 MFFL Auction with four highly-proclaimed tight ends in Hunter Henry, Evan Engram, O.J. Howard and Mark Andrews. Needing to free up space on the active roster for Lamar Jackson and Josh Jacobs, the Renegades shipped away Andrews to Ecuador on the eve of the regular season, a decision that would later come back to haunt them. Meanwhile, Henry and Engram both spent time in the trainer’s room while Howard camped out in the doghouse. Despite missed time, Henry finished 2019 in the Top 10 and Engram finished as a strong TE2. Howard and Henry are currently under contract with Engram expected to be franchise tagged or have his RFA rights matched. Pending health, the position should be strong for the Renegades in 2020.

“What could be…”

The No. 1 need for the Renegades heading into the 2020 season is a strong RB2 — but then, that can be said for most MFFL teams. It’s a position that is in high demand but short on adequate supply. This will surely cause running back salaries to skyrocket in the coming auctions, and we’ll see the EFT frequently used on running backs. Lamar Jackson’s ability to pick up yards with his legs will help offset the current weakness in the Renegades’ running back depth chart. Russia can also help shore up the position by targeting a veteran or two via the auction, and can certainly find some rookie talent with any of their four first-round draft picks. Aside from the running back position, adding competition to the backup quarterback spot is a must, given Jackson’s propensity to run the ball could cause an injury on any given play — after all, as the cover boy for “Madden ‘21”, he has the dreaded “Madden Curse” to worry about. Even with limited funds, adding one or two veterans plus some promising rookies can help put the Renegades back into title contention in 2020.

Next up: Nagasaki Kamikazes