Alright I lied about taking a break- Here are my revised thoughts:
The most charitable (and very unrealistic view) of this is that the org have a reasonable replacement lined up, have already been talking with Soph, and are really worried about cap space. That doesn't work as an excuse for me for a few reasons:
Alright I lied about taking a break- Here are my revised thoughts:
The most charitable (and very unrealistic view) of this is that the org have a reasonable replacement lined up, have already been talking with Soph, and are really worried about cap space. That doesn't work as an excuse for me for a few reasons:
1. Even if Soph's contract is as extreme as it could be -- Say 3/$2.4 mil-- That doesn't put us anywhere near the $2.75 mil cap given the state of the roster. Hard to see a world in which the Hina/Weaver/Coffey/Beckie/Becky group make more than a combined $1 mil, and probably not even that. The rest of the roster ain't making more than a combined 350K.
2. I doubt Natu was asking for a cost prohibitive amount, even it it was more than they wanted to pay. She's an in-her-prime upper third NWSL RB even given her struggles last season, so there was no real reason to play hardball with her.
So, that leaves three explanations:
1. KK doesn't rate her as a player and thinks they have a player on the roster (likely Reyes) ready to play RB at an equal level.
2. KK doesn't rate her as a player and thinks they can sign a cheap option either abroad or as a FA.
3. They have a better player lined up.
Problem is, as many have mentioned, we have no context for what comes next because the NWSL doesn't mandate press conferences, the Thorns don't have a beat reporter, and KK has no reason to put herself in front of media. The best information we have had to this point is somehow from commenters on this site who have various degrees of separation from players. That's bad! It's also bad because it really COULD be as stupid as thinking Beckie can play at RB. Or that Reyes can because she's right-footed. Or that the as-of-yet unsigned Kling can be relied on as a starting FB for another year, when all evidence says otherwise.
So, we're really still at the same point we've been all offseason, even with new ownership: We have no trust that the FO has a plan because they haven't shown themselves capable to this point. There's plenty of time for that to change, but until then it's a really shitty waiting game while other teams get better and we have a superstar in a contract year.
Alright I lied about taking a break- Here are my revised thoughts:
The most charitable (and very unrealistic view) of this is that the org have a reasonable replacement lined up, have already been talking with Soph, and are really worried about cap space. That doesn't work as an excuse for me for a few reasons:
1. Even if Soph's contract is as extreme as it could be -- Say 3/$2.4 mil-- That doesn't put us anywhere near the $2.75 mil cap given the state of the roster. Hard to see a world in which the Hina/Weaver/Coffey/Beckie/Becky group make more than a combined $1 mil, and probably not even that. The rest of the roster ain't making more than a combined 350K.
2. I doubt Natu was asking for a cost prohibitive amount, even it it was more than they wanted to pay. She's an in-her-prime upper third NWSL RB even given her struggles last season, so there was no real reason to play hardball with her.
So, that leaves three explanations:
1. KK doesn't rate her as a player and thinks they have a player on the roster (likely Reyes) ready to play RB at an equal level.
2. KK doesn't rate her as a player and thinks they can sign a cheap option either abroad or as a FA.
3. They have a better player lined up.
Problem is, as many have mentioned, we have no context for what comes next because the NWSL doesn't mandate press conferences, the Thorns don't have a beat reporter, and KK has no reason to put herself in front of media. The best information we have had to this point is somehow from commenters on this site who have various degrees of separation from players. That's bad! It's also bad because it really COULD be as stupid as thinking Beckie can play at RB. Or that Reyes can because she's right-footed. Or that the as-of-yet unsigned Kling can be relied on as a starting FB for another year, when all evidence says otherwise.
So, we're really still at the same point we've been all offseason, even with new ownership: We have no trust that the FO has a plan because they haven't shown themselves capable to this point. There's plenty of time for that to change, but until then it's a really shitty waiting game while other teams get better and we have a superstar in a contract year.
You weren’t the only one though I know I should instead of assuming they are sitting on their hands doing nothing.