Team Capsules: Ukraine Grainers

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

What makes a great team? Is it the team that scores the most points throughout a season? Is it a team that finishes with the best record? How about both? But there is one more criterion for greatness and that is the team that hoists the championship trophy. For the 2019 Ukraine Grainers, they accomplished the first two feats. The only thing standing in their way from completing the trifecta was the Christmas Island Crabs in the 2019 championship game. Aided by the MFFL’s MVP — the bionic running back Christian McCaffrey — the Grainers cruised through the regular season, dropping one game by a single point to the Ewoks, one to the defending Super Bowl Champion Scorpions, and one to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Crabs. The regular season loss to the Crabs, interestingly, was about as identical a score to the championship game as you can get: 156.58-147.3 in Week 10 compared to 159.33-148.83 in Week 16. In addition to McCaffrey, the Grainers boasted a strong wide receiving corps and two Top 5 tight ends. The Grainers found that success with superstars on cheap deals, enabling them to restructure contracts for their upcoming 2020 season run.

A look ahead

The 2019 season had to have been a wild ride with a rough landing for the Grainers, making the 2020 season all the more important. The Grainers return some prominent pieces to the puzzle including McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham, George Kittle and Darren Waller, among others. The team is likely to retain Chris Godwin, who was hit with the NFT, and probably will exercise the restricted free agent rights on quarterback Deshaun Watson as well. There are some MFFL teams who exhibit great strength while others possess strong depth. Few, if any, have the combination of both like the Grainers do. Ukraine has just five active roster spots to fill, the second-fewest in the league. The Grainers have three draft picks to resupply their Rookie Corral, and perhaps to add to the active roster, including the fifth-overall pick. The outlook is good in Ukraine for the 2020 season.

Quarterback analysis

The Grainers presently have one quarterback under contract, veteran backup Matthew Stafford, who spent half of the previous season hurt. Fortunately, they didn’t need him much because starting quarterback Deshaun Watson was busy having a Top 3 season. Unfortunately, the one week the Grainers needed Stafford — Watson’s Week 10 bye — was the first week Stafford was hurt. Given that that was the week the Grainers lost by 9 points to Christmas Island, they could have used Stafford’s — or any quarterback’s — points. Stafford is about as good a backup quarterback as they come, and he has been throughout his career. And he comes at the league minimum salary, too. Watson, meanwhile, has concluded his rookie contract and enters the offseason as a restricted free agent. The Grainers surely would like to match his highest offer, assuming it’s a reasonable price.

Running Back analysis

Few teams stack up running backs like the Grainers do. At present, the Grainers have 5 backs under contract on their active roster, the most in the MFFL. They also have an additional 3 in their Rookie Corral. The position is led by McCaffrey, who concluded his rookie contract last season and was hit with the EFT to prevent him from being paid perhaps one-third of a team’s 2020 budget. McCaffrey likely will play out his foreseeable career on one-year contracts, or at least until he becomes more human. The Grainers acquired Todd Gurley from the tanking Blitz midway through last season. A change in scenery might benefit him for 2020, but he finished as a strong RB2 a season ago. The Grainers are hoping for a big sophomore season from David Montgomery, the first-overall pick in the 2019 MFFL Draft. Ukraine acquired the promising young prospect from Turkey for veteran receiver Mike Evans after Montgomery got off to a slow 2019 start. Ukraine also has Chase Edmonds and Malcolm Brown under contract, a pair of handcuffs whose fate most assuredly rests on the health of the guys in front of them. As for the Rookie Corral, Rashaad Penny, Justice Hill and Damien Harris are three talented backs, all of whom are mired in stiff competition.

Wide Receiver analysis

The Grainers still boast one of the top receiving corps in the MFFL. The cheetah himself, Tyreek Hill, pairs with last year’s breakout Chris Godwin to form a lethal starting combination. Veteran Odell Beckham still possesses all-world talent despite his unsettled outlook and quarterback play. Second-year pro Marquise Brown could make a big sophomore jump and veteran Will Fuller is an explosive option, when he’s not spending time in the training room. The Grainers also have a pair of young receivers in the Rookie Corral in Parris Campbell and Hakeem Butler. Campbell is looking for a better 2020 than he had as a rookie. The Grainers “bought low” on him, acquiring him from Christmas Island for a second-round pick this offseason. Butler, meanwhile, is clouded in uncertainty on a steep depth chart.

Tight End analysis

If there are any MFFL teams looking for tight end help, the Grainers might be open for business. Aside from having two projected Top 5 tight ends in George Kittle and Darren Waller under contract on their active roster, the Grainers also have third-year pro Hayden Hurst in the rookie corral. Hurst’s change of scenery this offseason gives him a promising outlook for the 2020 season. With Kittle and Waller on league minimum salaries, it has enabled the Grainers to spend big money elsewhere.

“What could be…”

So what do the Grainers do for an encore performance after finishing the 2019 season with the best record and most points — averaging 168.6 points per game? (For a point of reference, four teams — one third of the league — failed to top 168 points in a single game all season.) Well, they need to do just about the only thing that will top that feat and that’s to win the 2020 championship. The Grainers are in strong position to do so. Assuming they lock up Watson to a contract extension, they’ll feature a Top 5 quarterback, the top running back, two of the Top 6 projected wide receivers, two Top 5 tight ends, and the rights to maybe the top defense as well. All of which goes along with a strong bench, too. Unlike in years past — including the year they left Auction Day with one third of their cash budget in hand — the Grainers could be up against the cap this year. They currently have the second lowest amount of cap space, but are in the middle of the pack in cash average. They have just five active roster spots to fill, with the starting quarterback position being the most important need. The Grainers also have the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 MFFL Draft, which should help them land a promising young rookie for depth and stability moving forward. The Grainers should be right back in the title picture in 2020.

Next up: Christmas Island Crabs