2021 Team Capsules: San Juan Scorpions

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

There’s a sheriff in charge of the ol’ West Division and it’s the San Juan Scorpions. Winners of 4 of the last 5 division titles, the Scorpions have been a perennial thorn in the side of rivals Jamaica and Ecuador. They’ve also been a problem for the greater Northwest Conference, winning the Super Bowl twice in the past three years, and playing in the conference title game four of the past six years. There are many ways to build a franchise, but the Scorpions have been the model of the tried and true approach of building through the draft. The Scorpions have landed such players as Alvin Kamara (10th overall), Marlon Mack (22nd), Nick Chubb (6th), Josh Allen (30th), D.K. Metcalf (8th), and Terry McLaurin (35th), players who have been good bargains and have been key contributors to the team in recent years. The Scorpions then find supplemental pieces via the auction to round out their roster. They don’t make trades often, but when they do, they seem to come out on the right side of the equation. This is perhaps best illustrated by the acquisition of the seemingly-overpriced Stefon Diggs last offseason. Diggs went from being a high-end WR3 in 2019 to being the No. 2 overall receiver last year, and one of the primary reasons the Scorpions won the 2020 championship. The Scorpions have been a model of consistency in recent years and there’s no reason that they shouldn’t continue moving forward.

A look ahead

With 18 players under contract on the Active Roster and a maxed-out 9-man Rookie Corral, the Scorpions have the most players under control of any team in the MFFL. What’s scary for other MFFL teams is that the Scorpions are returning most of their championship roster with the exception of running back Myles Gaskin and receiver Robert Woods. Gaskin was a shrewd, in-season free agent pickup last year who was a nice contributor (he even had 36.7 points in the Super Bowl — from the bench). Woods has been a consummate pro for many years and just ran into a numbers game with the rest of the Scorpions’ roster. It’s not like the team will miss those two much as they’re loaded at most positions. The team has three draft picks this year, but just one in the Top 20. Finding an immediate contributor is not a requirement, but it would be par for the course if the Scorpions did just that. What should set off alarm bells for other MFFL teams is that while the Scorpions’ currently field one of the best teams in the league and only have two roster spots to fill, they also have the third-highest cash average in the league. That’s plenty of money to make a splash or two if they so choose. San Juan is in a strong position to defend its crown in 2021.

The Stock Report

Stock Up: Josh Allen, QB/BUF; Alvin Kamara, RB/NO; Stefon Diggs, WR/BUF; DK Metcalf, WR/SEA; Terry McLaurin, WR/WAS.
Stock Down: DeVante Parker, WR/MIA; Jalen Reagor, WR/PHI; Dallas Goedert, TE/PHI; Zach Ertz, TE/PHI.

Quarterback analysis

The transition from veteran Kirk Cousins to Josh Allen took place during the 2019 season when the second-year pro, Allen, made positive strides into QB1 territory. Last year, it was Allen’s job from the get-go, and he didn’t do anything to make the Scorpions look back to Cousins. Allen made huge progress in his third season in the league and jumped all the way up to QB2, just behind Kyler Murray. Allen saw improvement in almost every stat category across the board, including completions, attempts, completion percentage, yards, average per attempt, touchdowns, and passer rating. He saw a slight dip in rushing yards, but he topped 8 rushing touchdowns for the third straight season and remains a potent, dual-threat quarterback. Allen is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is in for a big payday — by MFFL standards — next offseason. It’s not as if Cousins didn’t have his success last year, either. Cousins finished as the No. 12 quarterback — still in QB1 territory — and is surrounded by weapons. Should the unthinkable happen and Allen goes down with an injury, Cousins would be able to step in and continue to lead the offense with fairly strong production. The Scorpions have two other quarterbacks in the Rookie Corral in Dwayne Haskins and Josh Rosen, neither of whom have been able to gain traction in their young careers.

Running Back analysis

Churning out running back production has never been a problem in San Juan. As previously mentioned, the Scorpions have done a great job of landing strong running backs via the draft. From Alvin Kamara to Nick Chubb to Marlon Mack, they’ve always had good running back production. Mack got hurt early last season and was subsequently cut by the organization. He was essentially replaced by Myles Gaskin for the remainder of the year. Kamara and Chubb will return for the 2021 season — both on one-year deals. At present, they are both ranked in the Top 7, giving the Scorpions the strongest starting backfield in the MFFL. Behind them, the Scorpions have a couple warm-bodied backups in Latavius Murray and Darrel Williams. Developing in the Rookie Corral are A.J. Dillon, Darrynton Evans and Dexter Williams. Dillon and Evans are entering their second seasons and could see a little more action this year, but both have a ways to go before they can crack the Scorpions’ Active Roster. The Scorpions could use some extra depth at running back in case of injury and could either draft one at Pick 12 or use some of that cash surplus to bring in an additional body.

Wide Receiver analysis

It seems like three teams have a stranglehold on the Top 11 receivers, as 9 of them are under contract with those squads. The Scorpions are one of those teams, employing Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin. Diggs and Metcalf are currently ranked in the Top 5 with McLaurin down at No. 10. McLaurin, originally drafted with the 35th pick in the 2019 draft, has steadily improved in each of his first two seasons. If he’s primed for a third-year breakout, the rest of the league is in real trouble. Success stories like his are not the norm, but let it be a lesson to the league not to lightly discard any draft pick. The Scorpions just acquired veteran DeVante Parker via trade with Christmas Island. He slots in as the No. 4 at the moment with second-year pro Jalen Reagor behind him. Reagor was a bit of a disappointment in his rookie season, as were so many other Eagles players (more on that in a moment), but under new coaching he could be ready for a bit of a bounce-back sophomore season. The Scorpions also have four receivers developing in the Rookie Corral in K.J. Hamler, Bryan Edwards (both acquired from Christmas Island), Andy Isabella and Jalen Hurd. Of the bunch, Edwards could have the best chance to show the most growth, but most of them appear poised to settle in for the long haul while San Juan’s Active Roster continues to churn out production.

Tight End analysis

The Scorpions have a strong tight end corps with three players under contract, two of whom are seeking a rebound of sorts while the other will look to take a big third-year jump. Much like Reagor, Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz underwent difficult seasons in 2020. Ertz, one of the perennial staples at tight end for many years, fell all the way down to TE28 last year. He missed five games, but age might have finally caught up with him. He’s under contract for two more years at $5.6 million, making him the league’s highest-paid tight end. He could be a potential cap casualty. However, given the good financial shape that the Scorpions are in, they’re not seeking immediate cap relief. They could ride it out with him and see if his stock rises to a more manageable situation. If Ertz changes locations this offseason, that stock increase could happen sooner than later. Goedert, meanwhile, dropped to TE20 last year, but that was largely due to missing five games in addition to a poor surrounding cast. When he played, though, he played well while averaging TE1 numbers. He’s currently ranked TE6 and should have a nice rebound season. As for the third tight end on the roster, Irv Smith is entering his third year in the league. He had a better sophomore season than his rookie year despite appearing in three less games. He could be on the rise again, currently ranked in fringe TE1-TE2 territory.

Biggest Objective

What can you say about a team as well-rounded and prepared for a title defense as the Scorpions? Health and good fortune are things that no team can prepare for outside of adding extra depth in order to break glass in case of emergency. That’s primarily what their biggest objective is. Adding a third capable running back who can compete for FLEX duty and who can fill in in case of injuries to either Kamara or Chubb would seem like the prudent thing to do. Taking another swing at a wide receiver for increased FLEX competition is another avenue they can take. Parker has been inconsistent at best throughout his career and Reagor just got some added competition at receiver. The Scorpions could also add a rookie quarterback given that Cousins and Allen are both in the final year of their deals and Haskins and Rosen don’t appear to be the answer. Allen will be back one way or another next year, but they could use depth behind him. The Scorpions are well positioned to make another title run and the amount of cash they have remaining for the amount of spots left to fill gives them some flexibility.

“What could be…”

Repeating as champions is no easy task. The Jamaica Jerks managed to do it in 2015 and 2016. However, in many instances, the defending champions have experienced some regression the following year. The Jerks went 3-10 in 2017. The Renegades went one-and-done in the postseason in 2018. The Scorpions, likewise, experienced a first-round exit in 2019. And the Crabs went 6-7 and failed to defend their title last year. Sustained success is difficult unless you have a solid foundation built through the draft, which is exactly what San Juan has going for them. Unless there is some kind of major regression or serious injury in San Juan, the team is built to be right back in the title picture in 2021. With a Top 3 quarterback, two Top 7 running backs, three Top 10 wide receivers, a Top 6 tight end, and yes, even the league’s top kicker and pair of strong defenses, the Scorpions could not only defend their Super Bowl championship but could make a run at the points title as well. Unless the franchise has a few moves up their sleeve — which is a rarity — it’ll mostly be a quiet summer in San Juan. The real noise will come this fall when the team returns to the gridiron to defend its crown.