If things are like they were in 1998 when the Fire was born, any MLS team will lose up to 3 players (and about half of the roster will be unprotected). Who are the players we have to protect at all cost? Who are the three we may lose? Ideas, speculations...?
If there's anything that 8+ years of MLS should have taught us, it should be that whatever the rules were 6 years ago, they probably don't still apply. Having said that, I'd expect Evan Whitfield, Orlando Perez, and Jesse Marsch to be prime targets for expansion.
Protected: (not sure how many you get to protect but I'll list who should be no matter what) Armas, Damani, Jimmy, Ante. I don't think anyone else really. You can make an argument for one of two other people but I bet thats the list of people to protect.
A list of guys that I would like to see go are: Whitfield and Perez I think that the team will probably go for Gray, Marsh, or CJ
I would amend my list with Mapp as a definite, and Jesse would be a strong argument too. Everyone else...we either have someone else who is young and is already being groomed for their position or we could go out and try to find a replacement for.
I think, depending on what happens for him in Portugal you might see Thornton getting picked up (obviously it wouldn't be a draft), but he seems to me to be a prime target for any expansion club in MLS. From the current Fire roster the guys who need protection are: Armas, Marsch, (Beasley), Curtin, Mapp, Ralph, Razov, Ring. Maybe Dipsy, Jaqua, Pause and Countess as well Open season for the following: Brown, Buete, Capano, Clanton (I think we should hold on to him), Gray, Griffen, Ibrahim, Perez, Pickens, Pilarski, Whitfield.
Re: Expansion draft rules From Connolly's article: Each team will be allowed to protect 12 players. Each team may leave unprotected only one senior international. Each team may lose no more than three players in the Expansion Draft. After a player has been selected by an existing team, such team shall have the right to protect an additional player.
Re: Expansion draft rules Protect: Armas, Brown, Curtin, Jaqua, Mapp, Marsch, Pause, Ralph, Razov, Selowane, Ring, Williams. Unprotected: Buete, Capano, Clanton, Countess, Gray, Griffin, Ibraham, Perez, Pickens, Pilarski, Whitfield. *Assume Beasley is gone (otherwise leave Pause unprotected) Unprotected players likely to be drafted: Perez, Whitfield, Countess, Gray, Buete.
Re: Expansion draft rules You don't think holding onto a great backup keeper like Countess is important? After the Spiteri debacle, having someone who can actually play goalkeeper on the bench seems important to me. I agree wholeheartedly.
Re: Expansion draft rules Protect: Armas, Buete, Curtin, Jaqua, Mapp, Capano, Pause, Ralph, Razov, Selowane, Ring, Williams. Unprotected: Brown, Marsch, Clanton, Countess, Gray, Griffin, Ibraham, Perez, Pickens, Pilarski, Whitfield. Trying to figure out a way of protecting Clanton.
Re: Expansion draft rules I might get the slam but don't protect Dipsy, protect Clanton instead. We will know more by the end of the year but more and more to me it seems that Dipsy might not be worth the SI slot. I think he has some gifts but speed and strength are two of them and that's gonna always hurt him.
Re: Expansion draft rules Something else to consider is Ralph's stated desire to join his Reggae buddies at Bolton. Razov might be a consideration, too (not getting any younger). 1-10 was pretty easy. 11 & 12 are getting difficult.
Re: Expansion draft rules If we knew Ralph was going to actually be going to Bolton that would be one thing. But there hasn't been any talks about Ralph getting offers from Europe that I've heard of (could be wrong) and I think the transfer season is in January over there so we wouldn't know anything until after the draft. Definately I would protect Ralph. Ante is an interesting thought though. I guess we have to wait and see what he does the rest of the season, he could still get on a hot streak and win the Golden Boot. You just never know with Razov. Buete and Pause are both options to leave unprotected. One or the other but not both.
Re: Expansion draft rules That's the sort of thing you can lay some FUD on heavy and thick. Hey, its worked for Bill Gates So even though he is unprotected, seeds of doubt are planted in the Goats and Utes that he maybe gone so that THEY won't take a chance.
Re: Expansion draft rules As far as backup keepers go if we lost DJ I wouldn't be crying. Yes he is good but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't have him next season. We have Pickens, he fits the role of backup almost better than DJ because I think DJ could start for an MLS team like he did in Dallas where as Pickens probably has a bit of developing to do still.
Re: Expansion draft rules Not only that but I think DJ's salary counts against the cap next year and that's a very bad thing. I think seeds of doubt or not if Ralph were unprotected he would be drafted. There is no doubt in my mind about that.
(Just an idea for discussion, please don't jump on me) I'm starting to think that as painful as it may seem, it might be time to let Razov go and start thinking more about the future. As previously stated, he's not getting any younger and he's probably not getting any better either. I like him. I really do. I'm just trying to think about the future of the club. Just a thought. The expansion teams gonna need a leader/veteran performer and it might as well be Ante.
The only players I'd be 100% against losing would be Ralph, Mapp, Armas, Curtin and Ring. Some of the rest would be nice to keep but wouldn't bother me too much either way.
i see where your coming from, but i gotta disagree with you. no, ante's not getting any younger, but let's face it, his skills have never been one's associated with youth. speed, strength, and dribbling aren't what he's good at. his skills pretty much all lead back to someone's knowledge of the game, which can only get better as they get older. besides, he's only like 31 or something, isn't he? he's still got a good 5 years left in him, then 3 or 4 mediocre ones. i say we hang onto him for those 5 years, if he wants to stay. oh yeah, my list of players to keep: armas, ante, mapp, capano, curtin, beute, pause, ring, griffen (or however its spelled), gray, marsh, cj.