2021 Team Capsules: Switzerland Squirrels

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

Following a second straight 1-12 season, jobs are on the line and employees are on the hot seat in Switzerland’s front office. In fact, the temperature is so hot that bowls of mixed nuts around the office went from plain to roasted (thank you, I’ll be here all week). The Squirrels faced a number of issues in 2020, ranging from instability at quarterback to a significant drop in performance from some veterans, to a number of injuries to key players. But perhaps the biggest stumbling block was a loss of production from a running back for the second straight season. In 2019, the team lost Lamar Miller to a torn knee in the preseason, a setback from which they couldn’t recover. In 2020, the team reunited with Leonard Fournette in the offseason but he had a change in circumstance that led him from a borderline RB1 to a high-end RB4. The team just couldn’t recuperate his lost production. They also couldn’t get enough help from the quarterback carousel, endured a drop-off in production from players like Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee, and witnessed the erratic play from veteran T.Y. Hilton. Thanks to the league’s rule change in determining wild card teams by points scored, the Squirrels were still alive for the playoffs until the last few weeks of the season. By Week 12, however, the team packed it in and called it a season.

A look ahead

With each new season, fresh hope emerges. And this offseason, the Squirrels are assembling what they hope will be a much more competitive outfit in 2021. The team has cleaned house a little bit by shedding some salary and making way for a few new stars. They acquired the unrestricted free agent rights to players such as Michael Thomas and Aaron Jones. They’ve placed a tag on tight end Mark Andrews. They’re returning a few key contributors in James Conner, Cooper Kupp and D.J. Chark. And they’re hoping that second-year running back Zack Moss can take a big leap. Among their most potent assets this offseason will be the first-overall pick in the 2021 draft. With that selection, they will be able to choose whom they feel is the best player in the draft, and that likely will be a running back to help boost that position for them. As this writer has opined in the past, Switzerland is headed for a big improvement in 2021 and they could make the North Division the most competitive in the MFFL this year. The playoff race in the Northwest Conference could be a slugfest right down to the last week of the season.

The Stock Report

Stock Up: Aaron Jones, RB/GB; Mark Andrews, TE/BAL.
Stock Down: James Conner, RB/PIT; Michael Thomas, WR/NO.

Quarterback analysis

Ah, the elusive quarterback. Perhaps no team has gotten less out of the position over the past two seasons than the Squirrels. Fixing this position will be one of the top priorities for the team this offseason. They currently have three quarterbacks under contract in Derek Carr, Gardner Minshew, and Jameis Winston, but the latter two have uncertain futures at the moment and are currently “off the charts” — and not in the positive, idiomatic way. Meanwhile, Carr is ranked all the way down at No. 21, although he has pieces in place to surpass that. Even if Minshew and Winston are starters this season, and even if Carr meets or slightly exceeds expectations, finding an upgrade at the position is vital if the team is going to take the next step. They need to find a potential QB1, or at the very least, a high-end QB2. The Squirrels only have one pick in the upcoming draft, and it won’t be going toward a quarterback, that’s for certain. Besides, relying on a rookie quarterback to contribute immediately isn’t the best path anyway. Getting veteran quarterbacks for cheap is never a problem, but there will be other teams looking for solutions there as well.

Running Back analysis

As mentioned previously, the running back position has been a problem for the Squirrels the past two seasons. The team is letting two unrestricted free agents walk in Leonard Fournette and Raheem Mostert, as neither is worth the price of a franchise tag. But the addition of Aaron Jones ought to really boost the production from the position in 2021. The Squirrels have a handful of other players under contract including James Conner and Zack Moss. They also have three other backs signed to deals who are just warm bodies. Conner’s future is uncertain at the moment and he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and be a dependable, full-season starter. Moss could improve in his sophomore season, but the team could use an upgrade at the RB2 spot. That might come via the draft, with the first overall pick. Although running backs often contribute in their rookie seasons, you’re playing with fire relying on a rookie to be your Day 1 starter. But if any position is poised to fulfill that role, it’s running back. It is conceivable that whoever the Squirrels draft at Pick 1 can put up RB2 numbers right away and solidify the Squirrels’ backfield.

Wide Receiver analysis

The Squirrels finished the 2020 season with Adam Thielen putting up WR1 numbers, but were lacking production from some of their other top options. Cooper Kupp finished as a high-end WR3 and D.J. Chark dropped all the way down to WR47. The Squirrels did get positive production from an unexpected source, Cole Beasley. The team traded away Beasley this offseason but landed UFA Michael Thomas instead. Thomas received the NFT tag and with reduced draft pick compensation this year, it’s possible he could receive other offers, but that’s still a high price to pay. It’s likely Thomas stays and is joined by Kupp and Chark — both of whom should improve with better quarterback play this year. Fan favorite Adam Thielen will hit the free agent market but could return at the right price. Whether or not he does, the team appears to have a strong foundation at the receiver position and it will be one of their strengths this upcoming season.

Tight End analysis

The Squirrels entered last season with a strong tandem at tight end in Mark Andrews and Tyler Higbee, two players who put up TE1 numbers in 2019. Andrews once again followed through with a Top 5 finish last year while Higbee regressed to a mid-tier TE2 role. Higbee will hit the free agent market, while Andrews was hit with the Transition Tag. Andrews’ opening bid will be $4.1 million, which would rank him No. 5 in salary at the position, which seems appropriate. Whether or not he draws interest from other tight-end-needy teams remains to be seen, but expect Switzerland to aggressively try to keep him. The Squirrels have two other warm bodies under contract in Jace Sternberger and Hakeem Butler, but they could seek to add an additional quality tight end to the roster as an insurance policy behind Andrews.

Biggest Objective

The Squirrels are at least starter-deep at all the important positions: running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Adding depth is certainly important, but of more critical essence is filling the top of the depth chart at quarterback. It’s never worth overpaying a quarterback unless a team is in such good cap standing due to advantageous contracts elsewhere (think: Kyler Murray in Nagasaki). But there are enough available quarterbacks in the upcoming auction that could offer an upgrade over Derek Carr. Aside from securing the starting quarterback, beefing up the run game with the first-overall pick and making sure the team retains Thomas and Andrews are the biggest objectives for Switzerland this offseason.

“What could be…”

Patience is wearing thin among Squirrel fans, and equally so in the front office. The time to win is now and the Squirrels are building a roster capable of doing that in 2021. At present, the Squirrels have the second-lowest cash total, but they also only have four roster spots to fill. It’ll be interesting to see if Thomas and Andrews receive any action in the auction, but if they don’t, the Squirrels will have just enough money to land a veteran quarterback and some extra FLEX help. They may even retain Adam Thielen at the right price. But if the Squirrels begin the season with Aaron Jones, James Conner and a rookie running back, plus Thomas, Kupp, Chark and possibly Thielen, to pair with Andrews, they’re looking at a solid core with which to build. And competing for a playoff spot in 2021 is well within range for a starved franchise.

Next up: Ecuador Ewoks