http://tarheelblue.ocsn.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/010903aaa.html I sure would like to see him on the Crew roster. It won't happen, but I sure would like to see it. Just to entertain myself here are the chances the Crew have based on the other teams in front of us needs and what they have. 1)DC-Going to pick Eskandarian(excellent) 2)NY-Needs CAM and Dmid(Good) 3)CHI-Needs CAM, solid in the back(excellent) 4)Dallas-???? has solid back line(Good) 5)DC-needs defense and Dmid(poor) 6)SJ-needs defense if Stokes available here they are going to take him(Shite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Supposedly Stokes faired very well in the first day of the combine. Also www.topdrawersoccer.com envisions him falling to our spot and us taking him. I think this would be a great pick I was at the game at Crew Stadium where he and the rest of NC shut down my beloved Hoosiers. Needless to say I was already pissed off from the cold and his play didn't help matters. Now if we don't resign Dunseth (which I'm starting to think more and more will be the case) is he good enough to come in and start at central defense right away. It's strange but it seems like we have more questions obout our defense now than we did at the end of last season. I guess all I am hoping for is a Stokes pick ad a Hejduk signing. I guess our defense would loo like this then from left to right Denton Stokes Clark (or McCarty) Hejduk Or is it possible that Stokes is good enoough to man central D by himself and we go to a 3-5-2 to make sure that we don't have guys like Martino on the bench?
I wouldn't put a rookie in at central defense in a three man back line, I even have problems throwing him in right away in a four man back line. Also, if it comes down to a clark v mccarty roster decision, look for McCarty to be the one coming out on top.
At the risk of sending this thread off its original topic, I found a quote from UNC's coach interesting (from the linked article in the first post):
I agree with that statement mostly. I guess but without Dunseth in our mix at the time being I can't think of anyone else to put at the center of Defense (I think a McCarty/Clark combination, while bruising, may be too slow and too foul prone. And Stokes is more athletic than both of them easily, Now if we needed to sub for offense late in the game and you had to take out someone (assuming Stokes is with us) I wouldn't feel so much less comfortable leaving him in a three man back than I would McCarty. (Also as for the Clark McCarty debate, I agree with ya 100% on that.)
Stokes is definatley good enough to step straight in a four man back line. I don't think he could come right in and man a 3 man back line though. Maybe in a couple years when he learns some tricks of the trade from Clark. Now if you want to talk about a defender capable to man a 3 man back line straight out, your talking about Shavar Thomas. He's everything you want out of a CB. He's got speed, man marking, and good foot skills. He already at 21 is a member of the Jamaican Nat team. If he fell to the Crew (He won't) everyone would be asking, "Bonsue who?"
Actually, here's my Mock SuperDraft for TopDrawerSoccer.com http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/NextStep/1042342349/view It has the Crew plucking a gem once again. -Tron
I wish that the Crew would make some major decisions before the draft. If we are going to let 4 players slip out of our hands this offseason, can't we at least sign them to a contract w/ a trade to another team promised in exchange for some draft picks? I would love to be able to get ourselves some more P-40 players that have real potential. We just had 2 graduate, so we have plenty of openings. Stokes would be 1. Would love to get another 2 if possible.
I don't believe that is true. We, being the Crew, have to have partial say in what they are willing to put towards their salary cap. The league can't just assign a dollar figure to players and tell teams to deal with it when working out exentensions on contracts. You could put a clause in the contract that says they'll sign at X price, and if they are transferred to another team, then X price will be increased by Y. Just an idea, which the league probably frowns upon.
That's essentially true, as I understand it. Ot's the "Tab Ramos" clause. Remember when Sunil Gulati was running the business end (Gazidis' job) and Tab's contract expired? He re-signed him to the league max and told Metros about it afterwards. Nick the Sack and company were so PO'd (they had wanted Tab back, but he was getting older and slower and wasn't playing as much so they planned on lowering his salary) that they held an owners meeting and got Gulati fired. So now yes, I believe the GM's do now get some say in the dollar amount. Of course, the League could simply explain to everybody just how it all works, but that would mean treating the fans like they had brains. Much better to just keep everything a big dark secret.
I think the Tab Ramos deal was the exception. Imagine the Crew looking at a player like Freddy Garcia and wants to sign him. They tell the league that they have $100,000 in cap space for him. The guy will not sign for less than $125,000 but KC has cap space (and maybe even the need). What would impeded the league from signing him for the $125,000 and then say, sorry Crew, you guys aren't willing to pay for him so KC will get him. I believe that the club identifies the players they would like to have and the league then tries to work out a contract with them considering things like salary cap (information which is obviously available to them) for that club. That's probably why we have these extended contract negotiations like Harkes last year, and why we had to wait a few weeks for both Perez and Garcia when they each joined the Crew.