2021 Team Capsules: Jamaica Jerks

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 Jamaica Jerks were West Division champions in 2019. They had a running back stable that was perhaps the best in the MFFL. They had a crew consisting of Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette (when he was good), Austin Ekeler, and Melvin Gordon, as well as James White, who was a pretty good FLEX player. They went 9-4, were the second-highest scoring team, and outlasted San Juan for the division title. In 2020, however, the Jerks took a step back, finishing 6-7 and getting knocked out of the first round of the playoffs. There wasn’t one glaring hole that anyone could point to as the cause for the drop-off. Rather, it was the inconsistency from a few positions that made it difficult for the team to rely on a baseline for points. Most notably, the quarterback position, the WR2 and the FLEX positions were difficult to lock down from week to week. The Jerks did not have the strong core of running backs that they had in 2019 to fall back on. And, of course, it didn’t help that star receiver Kenny Golladay missed almost the entire season. The Jerks occasionally had the firepower to compete with the best of them — highlighted by a 0.65-point victory over the West champion Scorpions in the regular season finale. But in the end, they finished in the bottom third of the league in scoring in six games and finished 8th overall in points scored on the season.

A look ahead

Every year is a fresh start for every team in the league. The slate is wiped clean and each team can mold and shape its roster as it sees fit. Battling the Scorpions has been a difficult proposition throughout the years. The Jerks were back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 2015 and ’16. Since 2016, San Juan has won the West four times compared to the Jerks’ one time. It has been a difficult hill to get over and now the Jerks have to unseat not just the West champs but the defending Super Bowl champs. To overcome them, the Jerks will need to add some weaponry to their arsenal this offseason. They have a few solid pieces to form their core and are looking to supplement that with additions in the draft and auction. Jamaica has six picks in this year’s draft, including the ninth overall, plus two picks each in the second and third rounds, and one in the fourth. They have five spots to fill and have the fifth-most cap space and fourth-highest cash average with which to do it. Adding a few starters to their roster will make this team competitive in 2021. Will they be able to knock off the Scorpions? Only time will tell. But they’ll at least be in the hunt for the postseason.

The Stock Report

Stock Up: Dalvin Cook, RB/MIN; Keenan Allen, WR/LAC; Rob Gronkowski, TE/TB.
Stock Down: Cam Newton, QB/NE; Kenny Golladay, WR/NYG.

Quarterback analysis

Quarterback was a big source of consternation for the Jerks in 2020. After a stellar start to the season, in which he averaged 36.5 points per game in the first two weeks, Cam Newton had a significant drop-off in production in Week 3, scoring just 16.15 points. For the remainder of the season, he had up-and-down performances, scoring less than 20 points five times, including three performances in the single digits. His inconsistency was a big hindrance to the flow of the Jerks’ offense. The Jerks drafted rookie Joe Burrow with the 14th pick in the draft. Burrow looked like he belonged at the pro level, averaging 24.24 points per game before his Week 9 bye. He then suffered a season-ending injury two games later. He should enter the season as the Jerks’ starter and is expected to make strides in his sophomore year. He currently is projected as a high-end QB2. And although the Jerks could use improvement there, there aren’t a whole lot of better options available, short of having to trade assets to acquire one. The Jerks’ best bet is to ride with this duo and seek improvement from within.

Running Back analysis

As previously mentioned, the Jerks went from one of the best running back depth charts in the MFFL two seasons ago to slightly thinned out last year. And this year, they’ve gotten even weaker at the position. The team traded promising wide receiver A.J. Brown for the free agent rights to Chris Carson last offseason. Carson was a strong RB2 last year, but the team let him walk this offseason. They placed the EFT on Dalvin Cook, who will anchor the position for the third-straight season. Cook finished as the third-overall running back last year and projects to finish in that same stratosphere again in 2021. Beyond Cook, the Jerks don’t have much else at the position. Cook’s handcuff, Alexander Mattison, enters the third year of his rookie contract. Veteran Jordan Howard enters the final year of the three-year contract he signed in the 2019 Auction. Neither player offers much unless there is an injury. The Jerks also have former fifth-overall pick, Rashaad Penny, collecting dust in the Rookie Corral. Penny has been a huge disappointment throughout his career, and barring a historic change of direction, will likely ride out his rookie contract where he currently sits. He would have to perform incredibly well to get the call-up to the Active Roster given his high salary. The Jerks definitely need at least one more running back for depth purposes, but could go without an additional starter at the position if need be.

Wide Receiver analysis

The Jerks acquired the free agent rights to wide receiver Kenny Golladay last offseason from the Christmas Island Crabs. (They also got a 1st Round Pick and $4.5 million in the deal in exchange for the rights to Leonard Fournette, which turned out to be a total steal.) The Jerks placed the NFT on Golladay, which earned him a $13 million payday. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t get to see their new prized piece much as Golladay played in just five games and was effective in only four. Golladay has found himself in new surroundings this offseason and he’ll have to stay healthy and play effectively to justify his contract. At present, Golladay is the seventh-highest paid receiver. The Jerks also acquired Keenan Allen prior to the trade deadline last year and he churned out a Top 10 finish. With his salary paid down, Allen has a very favorable, $4.6 million contract. Assuming both stay healthy and play to their abilities, the Jerks have themselves a dangerous 1-2 punch. Beyond them, there are some question marks. It would have been nice to have A.J. Brown, but that’s neither here nor there. Corey Davis managed to salvage his career with a WR30 finish. He finds himself in new surroundings this year, and it’ll be curious to see in which direction his career goes from here. Second-year pro Laviska Shenault had a modest rookie season and will look to improve in Year 2. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, James Washington, and Hunter Renfrow are just warm bodies. Can Davis and Shenault be counted on as weekly FLEX options? If the Jerks don’t believe so, they’ll have to address the position this offseason.

Tight End analysis

It seems some players can, in fact, come out of retirement and still play effectively. Rob Gronkowski did just that and put up a high-end TE2 finish. Gronk signed a two-year deal in last year’s auction and will return for the latter half of that in 2021. He has a little bit of an expensive contract, slotted fifth among all tight ends. Behind him, the Jerks have Austin Hooper entering the third year of the three-year contract he signed in the 2019 Auction. After a great 2019 season, Hooper fell off the map last year when he changed locations, finishing all the way down at TE21. Can he rebound and have a better 2021, or is he in for much of the same as last year? The Jerks are hoping for the former. It’s not impossible that Gronkowski puts up another season similar to last year, but he’ll face a potential decrease in reps next year with O.J. Howard returning from injury. There aren’t many better available tight ends should the Jerks wish to upgrade the position. But they could try to draft one or sign another TE2 to add competition to the depth chart.

Biggest Objective

The Jerks are locked in at RB1, WR1 and WR2 for the upcoming season. They may not have a ranked QB1 or TE1, but they have two strong options in the second tier at both positions. Beyond that, the depth is called into question a little bit. Their prime objective this offseason is to determine how they intend to fill out their starting lineup at the three FLEX positions. Corey Davis and Laviska Shenault are both ranked as WR4s, and there are a handful of better options available on the free agent market, should they choose to shell out some money in the auction. They could also look to add depth at the running back position. There are several RB2s and RB3s who would make good FLEX options. The Jerks’ goal should be obtaining three new players who could start at the FLEX positions, and the team has the resources to do just that. Using Pick 9 won’t necessarily land them a rookie who can contribute right away, but it’s always a possibility. Justin Jefferson was selected in that slot last year and was a big contributor. But the Jerks have $34.6 million in cap space and can certainly use most of that to land the pieces they need.

“What could be…”

It’s difficult to compete in a division with a powerhouse, and that’s the obstacle that the Jerks have had to contend with in the West. But given the MFFL’s switch to a points-based wild card berth, all teams can feel they have a fair shake at the postseason simply by controlling their own destiny with the amount of points they put up. The Jerks exhibited that in 2019 with a running back core that dominated the competition and put up major points. Replacing that production last year was not easy, and it has become the primary challenge of their 2021 offseason. The Jerks have six picks with which to work in this year’s draft, but counting on rookies is always a risky proposition. They could package up some future draft picks and try to land a young prospect ready to contribute immediately this year. Or, they could stay the course, spend some money on some free agent starters, and try to build for the future simultaneously. The returns of Burrow and Golladay from injury surely will help, and there’s no reason to believe the Jerks won’t be right back in the playoff picture in 2021.

Next up: Egypt Pharaohs