TRADING PLACES

 

The trading window for all Brit Towers teams opened on 8th February and there was already one trade pending. All teams in the BFFL, BFC and BFA would be keeping 8 players on their roster for the 2021 season (one from each position on the roster), with the BFU, BFO and British Bulldog drafting from fresh.

Here is the story so far.

As soon as trading began, over in the BFFL the Medway Tigers sent David Montgomery to the Cambridge Dragons in exchange for their 2021 Round 3 draft pick. This left the Dragons with no third or fourth round pick and gave the Tigers GM back-to-back picks in Round 3. In light of this deal the Dragons released Duke Johnson back into the 2021 draft.

Next up were the BFA, as the Jurassic Coast Jackrabbits sent Dak Prescott and their 17th Round pick to the Deal Broncos for Tom Brady and the Broncos 5th Round pick. The Super Bowl MVP would be playing in the south-west of England this season.

Not wishing to be left out of the party, the BFC joined in the trading fun as the Suffolk Eagles sent Matthew Stafford to the Wessex Monarchs for Teddy Bridgewater and the Monarchs 11th Round pick.

Those were the trades which closed on the 8th February.

Two days later the BFFL teams were back in trading action as the Manchester Hornets sent Kirk Cousins, their 18th and 19th Round picks to the Edinburgh Cobras for their 13th Round pick. Prior to that particular trade the Hornets were 1 over on allocations and needed to release a pick.

The GM's went quiet for a few days, looking at their rosters and deciding on which moves to make prior to any tags, free agencies or NFL Draft picks being announced, but the BFC came back with a big move on 11th February.

The Merseyside Rhinos send Ryan Tannehill, Joey Bosa and Aaron Jones to the Solihull Spartans for Saquon Barkley. The Spartans GM heads into his first full season and is obviously keen to make a splash and the Rhinos hope that Barkley can stay fit and healthy to land them a consecutive BFC North Division title.

That last trade did create quite a bit of chatter and Solihull were not finished yet.

A phone call was made to the Hartlepool Heathens GM from the Spartans and soon after Stefon Diggs was on his way to Solihull as well in exchange for a 10th Round 2021 draft pick. Another Spartans deal which caused quite a bit of talk.

The next day the Bristol Trojans moved in on the market as they sent Ryan Tannehill to Swindon Steam for their 9th Round 2021 draft pick, with the Steam posting soon after that Tannehill would become the 44th player to wear the Swindon Steam colours and that he would most definitely be their keeper Quarterback this season.

It was the 14th February, Valentine's Day, when the next trade took place in the BFA. The Weston Renegades, who relocated from Leicester for this season, sent Devin Bush and a 20th Round pick to the Perthshire Wild Things for a 4th Round pick. Perthshire moved TJ Watt from linebacker to defensive-linemen to fit in Bush and released Everson Griffin.

On the same day in the BFC, the Hartlepool Heathens saw the above roster change from Perthshire and decided to implement the same plan. They released Maxx Crosby and moved TJ Watt to their defensive line.

It was a busy Valentine's Day and over at Brit Towers we felt the romance.

The Jurassic Coast Jackrabbits, one of the more active teams in trades over the last year, sent their 1st Round pick and their 20th Round pick to the Perthshire Wild Things in exchange for Odell Beckham Jr. and their 1st Round pick. This meant that Perthshire had three picks in Round 20. That wasn't the end of the story with this trade. Read on later.

The BFFL, feeling the trading love on Valentine's Day, got involved with the London Hawks sending their 3rd Round pick to the Somerset Sea Kings for Russell Wilson. The Sea Kings were in quiet mode last season but with the overall number one pick have hinted they are set to return in a big way. The Hawks, in a very tough BFFL South, are looking to overturn a disappointing and injury plagued 2020. Could Wilson be the answer?

It appeared the GM's decided to leave the love of trading behind for Valentine's Day, but it was the next day another quarterback was traded.

In the BFFL, the 2020 Champions Essex Wolverines sent Matthew Stafford and their 11th Round pick to the London Jets for their 9th Round pick. The Wolverines obviously have the title-defending sights set elsewhere in the quarterback market.

Another day ended and the very next day the BFC were in trading mode and it was those Solihull Spartans again. The new GM was obviously in the mood to shape the team to his taste for 2021.

 

The Spartans sent Quinnen Williams and their 9th Round pick to the Walsall Guardians for their 11th Round pick and Jessie Bates III. To make room on the roster for Bates, the Spartans released Adrian Amos into the 2021 draft pool.

The Perthshire Wild Things were back in trading mode the day after, the 17th February, sending Allen Robinson to the South Devon Dolphins for their 5th Round pick and Chris Boswell. The Wild Things released Mason Crosby for this trade and the Dolphins released Keelan Cole, with both players now in the 2021 draft pool.

The 18th February was not only the birthday of the Yorkshire Panthers GM but also the first trade for Colchester Knights in the BFC. They sent Jaylon Smith to the Solihull Spartans, yes them again, in exchange for their 12th Round pick. The Spartans released Nathan Gerry to make way for Smith.

Later that day the Swindon Steam sent Carson Wentz to the Newcastle Lions for Austin Ekeler and their 9th Round pick. This particular trade did cause much conversation across all the league networks.

There was another BFFL trade on the 18th with the Manchester Hornets sending their 13th Round pick they had received via the Edinburgh Cobras to Brighton Sharks for Joe Schobert.

Saxon Chaos!

Then came a little bit of chaos in the BFU as the Herne Bay Saxons negotiated three trades. They sent their 18th Round pick plus a free agent token to the Wakefield Marauders for their 19th Round pick, they sent their 20th Round pick plus a free agent token to Bonnyrigg Huskies for their 19th Round pick and they sent their 23rd, 28th and 31st picks to the Jersey Devils for their 19th Round pick. This then gave the Herne Bay Saxons four picks in Round 19 of the BFU draft.

The Saxons were not finished yet. Late that evening the Charlton Valiants contacted the Saxons GM and they negotiated a trade. Herne Bay sent their 17th Round pick and a free agent token to the Valiants for their 19th Round pick. At the end of the evening the 19th Round for Herne Bay looked like this:

19.03 - received from Bonnyrigg

19.05 - received from Wakefield

19.10 - received from Charlton

19.14 - received from Jersey

19.15 - their own pick

The very next morning the Herne Bay Saxons were at it again as they traded their 22nd and 24th Round picks to the St. Helens Storm for their 20.01 pick.f

It was a couple of days later when the Redditch Raptors and Solhull Spartans stepped into the trading arena. The Raptors sent their 1.09, 9.09 and 10.09 picks to the Spartans for their 1.03, 11.03 and 23.03 picks.

On the 23rd February the IOW Buccaneers sent their 23rd Round pick to the Perthshire Wild Things. Let us just say it involved Tom Selleck!

On the same day the Suffolk Eagles received the 2nd Round pick from the Wessex Monarchs and it cost them Vonn Bell, their 2nd and 16th Round picks.

 

The BFFL stepped into the trading circle as the Brighton Sharks sent Diontae Johnson and Jessie Bates III to the Cambridge Dragons for Danielle Hunter and their 12th Round pick. The Sharks released Emmanuel Ogbah and the Dragons released Ugo Amadi and Antonio Brown, all of whom are now available in the draft pool for 2021.

Remember earlier I told you about the Jurassic Coast and Perthshire trade and things weren't finished, well they weren't. The Jackrabbits sent their 1.13, 4.05, 6.13 and 12.05 to Perthshire for their 1.05, 6.05, 10.06, 16.13, 20.05 and 23.07 picks. That was a sit down moment for The Commish.

The Brighton Sharks were back in action as they sent D'Andre Swift and their 10th Round pick to the Yorkshire Panthers for their 2.02 pick. The Panthers released Le'Veon Bell.

The Sharks GM had a little sleep overnight and then on the 25th February made another trade as he sent Jason Myers and their 23rd Round pick to the London Jets for their 22nd Round pick.

And that, was the February trade hustle. 

All teams have until the day before the NFL Draft to finalise any further trades and all further trading will cease until the teams decide their 8 keepers on 1st June. League trading will then recommence on 2nd June.

The Commish

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