2021 Team Capsules: Ecuador Ewoks

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 Ewoks were hoping for better fortune in 2020 after a rocky 2019 season. But what they found was another 4-9 finish. The issues can be traced back to the running back position. The team originally began the season without veteran Ezekiel Elliott, having traded his rights to Nagasaki during the offseason. But just a few weeks into the season, the Ewoks reacquired their long-time back, hoping he’d reinvigorate the offense. Instead, Elliott went on to have arguably his worst season as a pro. Similarly, the Ewoks acquired the free agent rights to Mark Ingram in the offseason, as the veteran was coming off one of his best seasons as a pro. Unfortunately for the Ewoks, Ingram only appeared in 10 games and scored double digits just twice. Seeking a spark at the running back position, the Ewoks traded Keenan Allen midway through the season for the combination of Devonta Freeman and Wayne Gallman (among other assets) but the duo failed to produce consistently and Allen went on to have a WR1 season. The Ewoks had traded away their first-round pick for Elliott, which would have been the third-overall selection in this year’s draft. Fortunately for them, they landed Jamaica’s first-round pick in the Allen deal, so they will be choosing sixth overall instead.

A look ahead

It’s been three years since the Ewoks were 8-5 and in the Northwest Conference playoffs. They’re badly in need of a roster overhaul, and that’s exactly what they’ll get this year. The Ewoks presently have just six players under contract, with two more tagged. They have a whopping 73% of their cap space available after reserving cash for Ezekiel Elliott and the Chicago Bears defense. This affords them the opportunity to mold their team how they want going forward. Having traded many draft picks along the way, the cupboard is bare with just Justice Hill sitting in the Rookie Corral. They have four picks in this year’s draft, but only one in the first two rounds. They can get a good young playmaker at Pick 6 and need to hold on to that pick and start building through the draft. In this year’s auction, the Ewoks can afford to be aggressive on some of the stars that might be available if they intend to try to compete for the playoffs in 2021. But with their cap situation finally balanced after the David Johnson fiasco of the past two years, they should avoid bloated, long-term contracts, and instead look to build their arsenal with draft picks and rookie contracts.

The Stock Report

Stock Up: Ryan Tannehill, QB/TEN; Jimmy Graham, TE/CHI.
Stock Down: Ezekiel Elliott, RB/DAL; Anthony Miller, WR/CHI.

Quarterback analysis

One of the Ewoks’ most consistent players in 2020 was quarterback Ryan Tannehill. He finished as a low-end QB1 and he’s ranked in the same spot for the 2021 season. And the good news for the Ewoks is that he’s locked under contract for two more years at league minimum. The Ewoks tried to develop two quarterbacks last year in Sam Darnold and Drew Lock. The former didn’t work out and they released him. The jury is still out on the latter. Lock missed almost five full games and was without his best receiver for the entire year. He’ll likely have one more shot to see what he can do. The 2021 quarterback class is also fairly strong, so the Ewoks could use one of their third-round picks on one to put extra pressure on Lock and to develop in the Rookie Corral. The Ewoks can pick up a cheap veteran quarterback to back up Tannehill this year and the position will be stable and possibly even fairly good.

Running Back analysis

The Ewoks have just one running back under contract this offseason, third-year pro Tony Pollard. When given time in his first two seasons, Pollard has flashed moments of success. It’s difficult to imagine him breaking out in a big way without a clear path to starter status, but he’s a valuable backup. Joining him likely will be Ezekiel Elliott, as long as the Ewoks match the highest offer on his non-exclusive franchise tag. Assuming he’s back with the Ewoks in 2021, he’s due for a rebound and will be a strong piece for the upcoming season. When you consider that Elliott had a “down year” and still finished as RB9, it speaks volumes about his abilities. It’s a little early at this point to know which position will be available to the Ewoks with the sixth pick in Round 1, but running back is a possibility. Still, even if they selected a back there, they’d need at least one more veteran to beef up the position. With the amount of cap space they have, they can afford to aggressively go after some free agents. The problem is that the Top 20 running backs will all be off the board when the auction begins, so low-end RB2’s and RB3’s are likely to get overpaid. That’s where signing them to 1-year stopgap deals becomes essential.

Wide Receiver analysis

The Ewoks have just one wide receiver under contract, fourth-year pro Anthony Miller. Miller is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Once a promising prospect, Miller failed to have that breakout season that many were predicting. His contract is reasonable, so cutting him doesn’t provide any kind of financial benefit. But it’d be hard for the Ewoks to count on him for 2021. Addressing the receiver position is one of the big focal points for the Ewoks this offseason. There will be a handful of veterans available whom the Ewoks can target and sign to short-term deals. These could be players that will help them compete in 2021 while the Ewoks build up their reserves through the draft. At Pick 6, the Ewoks are in prime position to land one of the top rookie receivers. But a rookie likely would not be ready to contribute until 2022. With a low supply of WR1’s and 2’s on the market, you can expect the half-dozen that are available to hit big paydays in the auction. The Ewoks are best positioned to land at least one, if not two of them. Once those six are gone, you’re getting into fringe-FLEX-worthy territory.

Tight End analysis

Tight end offered a decent return on investment for the Ewoks in 2020. Veteran Jimmy Graham had eight touchdowns and finished as a high-end TE2. His status is currently up in the air for 2021. A change in circumstance could lead to a significant drop in production for him and open up a big hole for the Ewoks. The team also has second-year pro Cole Kmet who showed promise in limited action last season but could be headed for a big Year 2 jump. The Ewoks could look to draft an additional tight end in Round 3, or go after one of the handful of TE2’s that will be available in the auction. It seems every year, there is a shuffling of the tight ends below the top tier. Thus, spending big on an additional body would probably not be in the Ewoks’ best interest. They could take their chances on Kmet, hope that Graham has another good year left in him, or sign a veteran for cheap who can compete for playing time in 2021.

Biggest Objective

The Ewoks have a ton of cap space available, and they’re likely going to need it in order to fill out their depth chart to compete in 2021. The bottom of the depth chart is not as important at the moment. That can be filled out with minimum-wage players once the heavy hitters are off the board. But it’s imperative that the Ewoks land as many starter-quality RBs and WRs as possible. Anybody ranked lower than that gets into “warm body” territory. The Ewoks are set at QB1 with Tannehill. They can get by at tight end without making another move, unless they want to add another cheap veteran for competition. But their biggest objective is to aggressively fill their starting lineup. With the MFFL’s rule change of switching the RB2 position to an additional FLEX, the team is free to go after either running backs or wide receivers to fill out their lineup. They’ll need five starter-quality players, and there likely will be about a dozen to a dozen and a half who will be available on the market. That’s a tall order and a big haul, but it’s imperative that they land these pieces to compete for the playoffs in 2021.

“What could be…”

The Ewoks face a tall order, no doubt. A dwindling supply means a strong demand and some costly free agent contracts. To make the playoffs, they have to be one of the four highest-scoring teams in the conference. To do that, there’s just no getting away from the need to make a big splash in the auction by throwing some money at some of the top talent available. The Ewoks presently have just one second-round pick in their arsenal — in 2023 — so they don’t currently have the compensation needed to bid on any NFT players (although I wouldn’t recommend they get rid of any more draft picks, anyway). The Ewoks still have their 2022 first-round pick, and I would advise that they hold on to it, as it could be a high pick if they can’t land the pieces they need to compete for the playoffs this year. If, however, the Ewoks can land five players of at least FLEX-worthy status, they’ll stand a chance at competing for the playoffs in 2021.

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