The Toronto Wolves are now established following Part I of our series, and now it’s time to have the expansion draft. If you don’t remember, Mike McCarthy is the head coach, Press Taylor is the offensive coordinator, and Gregg Williams is the defensive coordinator.

 

Rules

 

Exactly like last year’s series and similar to the most recent expansion draft in 2002, each NFL team must list five players that can be selected. However, they cannot be a kicker/punter, cannot be entering free agency after the season, and cannot be coming off injured reserve from the previous year. Also, only one player with more than ten years of NFL experience can be on each team’s list.

 

Once a player is selected from an existing team, one player may be removed from the list. And if two players from one team are selected, all remaining players may be pulled.

 

For the Wolves, we need to either select a) at least 30 players, or b) any number of players that have a combined contract value of at least $71.5 million for the 2019 season.

 

Available Players

 

I don’t have the ability to get in the mind of all 32 NFL teams, but below are my best guesses as to who might be made available based on the 53-man rosters from earlier this offseason (so, before free agency and the draft).

 

Arizona Cardinals

RB T.J. Logan

WR Jalen Tolliver

WR Chad Williams

EDGE Dennis Gardeck

LB Zeke Turner

 

Atlanta Falcons

WR Russell Gage

TE Eric Saubert

OT Ryan Schraeder

LB Foyesade Oluokun

LB Duke Riley

 

Baltimore Ravens

WR Michael Crabtree

C Bradley Bozeman

DL Zach Sieler

LB Chris Board

LS Morgan Cox

 

Buffalo Bills

RB Keith Ford

FB Patrick DiMarco

WR Ray-Ray McCloud

G Ike Boettger

EDGE Mike Love

 

Carolina Panthers

FB Alex Armah

C Tyler Larsen

LB Jermaine Carter

CB Corn Elder

CB Captain Munnerlyn

 

Chicago Bears

RB Jordan Howard

WR Javon Wims

EDGE Kylie Fitts

LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe

CB Kevin Toliver

 

Cincinnati Bengals

WR Josh Malone

WR Auden Tate

CB Davontae Harris

CB Darius Phillips

LS Clark Harris

 

Cleveland Browns

WR Damion Ratley

TE Darren Fells

EDGE Chris Smith

LB Jamie Collins

LS Charley Hughlett

 

Dallas Cowboys

QB Mike White

RB Darius Jackson

WR Noah Brown

TE Dalton Schultz

CB Jourdan Lewis

 

Denver Broncos

WR DaeSean Hamilton

C Sam Jones

DL DeMarcus Walker

LB Keishawn Bierria

CB Isaac Yiadom

 

Detroit Lions

WR Chris Lacy

WR Brandon Powell

DL John Atkins

CB Jamal Agnew

CB Jalen Tabor

 

Green Bay Packers

OT Alex Light

LB James Crawford

S Raven Greene

S Natrell Jamerson

LS Hunter Bradley

 

Houston Texans

RB Buddy Howell

WR Vyncint Smith

EDGE Peter Kalambayi

LB Tyrell Adams

CB A.J. Moore

 

Indianapolis Colts

DL Grover Stewart

EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad

LB Matthew Adams

LB Zaire Franklin

S George Odum

 

Jacksonville Jaguars

RB Carlos Hyde

DL Malik Jackson

LB Blair Brown

CB Tre Herndon

S Tashaun Gipson

 

Kansas City Chiefs

C Austin Reiter

EDGE Justin Houston

EDGE Ben Niemann

S Eric Berry

LS James Winchester

 

Los Angeles Chargers

RB Detrez Newsome

OT Zach Crabtree

CB Brandon Facyson

S Jahleel Addae

S Rayshawn Jenkins

 

Los Angeles Rams

RB John Kelly

WR Josh Reynolds

EDGE Justin Lawler

LB Mark Barron

LS Jake McQuaide

 

Miami Dolphins

TE Durham Smythe

EDGE Charles Harris

LB Kiko Alonso

CB Cornell Armstrong

S Reshad Jones

 

Minnesota Vikings

RB Mike Boone

WR Chad Beebe

G Danny Isidora

EDGE Everson Griffen

LB Devante Downs

 

New England Patriots

RB Rex Burkhead

DL Lawrence Guy

EDGE Derek Rivers

EDGE Deatrich Wise

CB Keion Crossen

 

New Orleans Saints

TE Josh Hill

C Will Clapp

EDGE Trey Hendrickson

LB A.J. Klein

S Kurt Coleman

 

New York Giants

RB Wayne Gallman

EDGE Kareem Martin

LB Tae Davis

CB Kamrin Moore

S Sean Chandler

 

New York Jets

RB Trenton Cannon

TE Jordan Leggett

C Spencer Long

DL Folorunso Fatukasi

EDGE Tarell Basham

 

Oakland Raiders

RB Chris Warren

TE Derek Carrier

DL Justin Ellis

LB Marquel Lee

S Karl Joseph

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Josh Dobbs

FB Roosevelt Nix

WR Ryan Switzer

S Marcus Allen

S Morgan Burnett

 

Philadelphia Eagles

RB Boston Scott

WR Shelton Gibson

DL Bruce Hector

EDGE Daeshon Hall

LB Nate Gerry

 

San Francisco 49ers

WR Richie James

DL D.J. Jones

DL Jullian Taylor

EDGE Ryan Delaire

S Marcell Harris

 

Seattle Seahawks

TE Ed Dickson

C Justin Britt

C Ethan Pocic

DL Nazair Jones

LB Jacob Martin

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

RB Shaun Wilson

WR Justin Watson

DL Beau Allen

DL Gerald McCoy

EDGE Vinny Curry

 

Tennessee Titans

G Josh Kline

DL Matt Dickerson

LB Sharif Finch

LB Nigel Harris

CB Kenneth Durden

 

Washington Redskins

RB Samaje Perine

TE Matt Flanagan

DL Stacy McGee

LB Zach Brown

LB Josh Harvey-Clemons

 

The Expansion Draft

 

Now it’s time to build the foundation of the Toronto Wolves. The team will run a west coast offense and has a 3-4 defensive alignment. [Note: the 2019 cap estimate (based on their original team) is listed in parenthesis]

 

Pick 1: Gerald McCoy, DE, Buccaneers ($13,000,000)

Tampa Bay released McCoy because of his cap number, but an expansion team needs to get talent however it can, and the former No. 3 overall pick should be determined to prove his old team wrong.

 

Pick 2: Charles Harris, OLB, Dolphins ($2,957,448)

Miami is hoping to unlock Harris’ potential under new head coach Brian Flores, but they were forced to leave him exposed in the expansion draft. The former No. 22 overall pick has started just three games in two NFL seasons, but the athleticism can still be crafted.

 

Pick 3: Reshad Jones, S, Dolphins ($17,160,000)

The Dolphins have to keep some really good players unprotected, and Jones has the most star power of the group (Miami would probably shed the salary at no cost if given the opportunity). He and Gerald McCoy are both 31, but the defense now has a couple Pro Bowl players leading the way.

 

Pick 4: Jordan Howard, RB, Bears ($2,025,000)

Head coach Mike McCarthy was 5-0 against Howard and the Bears over the past three years, but he still knows the kind of problems the power back can present to a defense. Howard won’t turn 25 until November and has totaled 3,370 rushing yards across three seasons.

 

Pick 5: DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Broncos ($740,660)

Denver had to leave Hamilton and cornerback Isaac Yiadom unprotected, and I went with the former Penn State standout because he should be a cheap WR2 that can play both outside or in the slot depending on who we can get through free agency and the draft.

 

Pick 6: Eric Berry, S, Chiefs ($6,950,000)

Some of these picks—including Gerald McCoy at No. 1—are players that were eventually released, but an expansion draft would give their former teams a chance to hope they are taken (so it doesn’t impact the cap). Berry is still without a new home in real life due to injuries, but at the very least, he’d be a great presence in the locker room.

 

Pick 7: Mark Barron, ILB, Rams ($9,000,000)

Kiko Alonso would have been a selection if we didn’t already take Charles Harris and Reshad Jones from the Dolphins, but Barron can be a reliable starter at inside linebacker.

 

Pick 8: Jourdan Lewis, CB, Cowboys ($863,357)

Lewis has been unable to get consistent defensive snaps since being drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but I was high on him coming out, and I think he could thrive in a new home.

 

Pick 9: Mike White, QB, Cowboys ($624,389)

Dallas might decide to pull White depending on what they saw out of him last year in practice, but I’m going to assume he’d be available because Dalton Schultz was taken ahead of him in last year’s draft. White—who throws lasers and is accurate—was a second-round prospect for me.

 

Pick 10: Josh Kline, G, Titans ($6,500,000)

Kline is another player that was eventually released by his former team, but it’s worth paying his $6.5-million salary to get a solid starter on the offensive line. The veteran started 32-of-32 games for Tennessee over the past two years.

 

Pick 11: Jamal Agnew, CB, Lions ($709,594)

He deserves a shot to see what he can do at corner, but this pick is more about Agnew’s elite return ability. The 24-year-old was named a First-team All-Pro returner as a rookie in 2017.

 

Pick 12: Rex Burkhead, RB, Patriots ($3,000,000)

The Patriots would like to keep Burkhead around because of his versatile skillset, but they unsurprisingly had to sacrifice some good options as the defending Super Bowl champions. Burkhead can spell Jordan Howard and contribute on special teams.

 

Pick 13: Ryan Schraeder, OT, Falcons ($6,450,000)

The right side of our offensive line is now set for 2019 with Schraeder and Kline, and I think the former Falcons starter can bounce back from a disappointing season.

 

Pick 14: Kareem Martin, OLB, Giants ($5,941,666)

We don’t have a great group of pass rushers to choose from because they were mostly protected, but Martin is a prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker that will ideally be more of a role player after free agency and the draft.

Pick 15: Ethan Pocic, G, Seahawks ($1,202,464)

Pocic started 11 games as a rookie, but he lost his starting job last year and could do better on a new team heading into his third season. At six-foot-six, I like Pocic better at guard than center.

 

Pick 16: Josh Hill, TE, Saints ($1,900,000)

An all-around tight end that has made plays as a secondary option for Drew Brees since entering the league in 2013, Hill would get a chance to put up bigger numbers for an expansion squad.

 

Pick 17: Darren Fells, TE, Browns ($4,000,000)

The just-drafted Hill can block, but Fells is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. Plus, the 33-year-old has excellent size (six-foot-seven) for when the Wolves get in scoring territory.

 

Pick 18: Grover Stewart, DT, Colts ($749,912)

Our 3-4 defense needs a nose tackle, and Stewart is clearly the best option we would have out of everyone available. We can probably get a bigger run-stuffing starter later on.

 

Pick 19: Folorunso Fatukasi, DE, Jets ($613,564)

Rounding out the interior defensive line, Fatukasi appeared in just one game last season for New York as a rookie sixth-rounder, but I think he will be better in Year 2.

 

Pick 20: Captain Munnerlyn, CB, Panthers ($4,250,000)

A starter from the Panthers last year, Munnerlyn will be able to man the slot with the hopes that Jourdan Lewis is able to hold up on the perimeter. As his name would suggest, Munnerlyn is also a good leader.

 

Pick 21: Marcus Allen, S, Steelers ($643,159)

He went in the fifth round, but I viewed Allen as a Day 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, so he’s an easy choice with Pittsburgh needing to make him available. The soon-to-be 23-year-old can be the third safety behind Jones and Berry.

 

Pick 22: Javon Wims, WR, Bears ($593,978)

Wims is also an easy choice, and he might have been an immediate difference-maker last year if not stuck behind a strong collection of talent in Chicago’s receiving corps.

 

Pick 23: Alex Armah, FB, Panthers ($645,000)

Mike McCarthy used a fullback in Green Bay, and Armah gets the edge over Roosevelt Nix because a) he’s younger, and b) there is another Steelers player I still want to target (remember, we can only take a max of two players per game before the rest can be pulled).

 

Pick 24: Bradley Bozeman, C, Ravens ($599,602)

The coaching staff would decide who should play left guard and who should play center out of Ethan Pocic and Bozeman, but I think the Alabama product is better at the pivot.

 

Pick 25: Chad Williams, WR, Cardinals ($848,072)

Arizona’s former third-round pick has only played 16 games since entering the league in 2017, but we don’t have much to lose by taking a flier on Williams and his physical tools.

 

Pick 26: Zach Crabtree, OT, Chargers ($575,000)

Left tackle is going to be a priority via free agency and/or the draft, but Crabtree—who helped protect the blindside for some really good Oklahoma State teams—can be swing depth

 

Pick 27: Chad Beebe, WR, Vikings ($570,000)

We still need speed at wideout with all possession receivers so far, but Beebe learned from two of the best in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs last season, and he has NFL bloodlines as the son of Super Bowl champion Don Beebe.

 

Pick 28: Josh Dobbs, QB, Steelers ($784,781)

I already know of a quarterback we are going to target in free agency, but as long as someone doesn’t fall in the draft, Dobbs will stay on the roster as the No. 3 option that has had a couple years to learn behind Ben Roethlisberger.

 

Pick 29: Ike Boettger, G, Bills ($570,000)

The starting five is set on the offensive line (at least for now), but Boettger is cheap depth at either guard spot, and his college days at Iowa should have him prepared for a solid NFL career.

 

Pick 30: Auden Tate, WR, Bengals ($570,000)

Cincinnati took Tate in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and if he makes the our team, he would bring another size element to the offense thanks to a large, six-foot-five frame.

 

Pick 31: John Atkins, DT, Lions ($495,000)

Despite entering his second season, Atkins is already turning 27 in December, but we can see if he’ll be able to make an impact after a year being coached up by Matt Patricia in Detroit.

 

Pick 32: Peter Kalambayi, OLB, Texans ($599,602)

As stated for Kareem Martin, the hope is that Kalambayi will be able to slide a spot down the depth chart following the rest of the offseason additions. The 2018 sixth-round pick also profiles as a core special-teamer.

 

Pick 33: Nate Gerry, ILB, Eagles ($645,000)

I originally was going to take Zach Brown to pair with Mark Barron, but it was too much money to tie up at the position with free agency and the draft still to come. Gerry might be a better fit in a 3-4 defense than Philly’s 4-3 front.

 

Pick 34: Jordan Leggett, TE, Jets ($645,000)

Unless there is an option that slips in the NFL Draft, our tight end room is now complete with Josh Hill, Darren Fells, and now Leggett. The former Clemson star is just entering his age-24 season.

 

Pick 35: James Winchester, LS, Chiefs ($930,000)

There were a handful of long snappers to choose from, but I went with Winchester because he has three years left on his contract and snapped for one of the best teams in the league last season.

 

Roster 

 

The foundation of the Toronto Wolves is now set, and here is how things currently stand ahead of free agency and the draft:

 

Salary cap: $188,200,000

Total payroll: $97,707,248

Cap space: $90,492,752

 

Offense

QB: Mike White // Josh Dobbs

RB: Jordan Howard // Rex Burkhead

FB: Alex Armah

WR: DaeSean Hamilton // Chad Williams // Chad Beebe

WR: Javon Wims // Auden Tate

TE: Josh Hill // Darren Fells // Jordan Leggett

LT: Zach Crabtree

LG: Ethan Pocic

C: Bradley Bozeman

RG: Josh Kline // Ike Boettger

RT: Ryan Schraeder

 

Defense

DE: Gerald McCoy

DT: Grover Stewart

DE: Folorunso Fatukasi // John Atkins

OLB: Charles Harris

ILB: Mark Barron

ILB: Nate Gerry

OLB: Kareem Martin // Peter Kalambayi

CB: Jourdan Lewis

CB: Captain Munnerlyn // Jamal Agnew

S: Eric Berry

S: Reshad Jones // Marcus Allen

 

Special teams

K:

P:

LS: James Winchester