As we enter into the last two rounds of the 2013 Patriots Flag Football Draft, it's time to start putting the final pieces in place to ensure that my reign at the top is not short-lived. So far, I'm very pleased with how my draft has gone; I have elite athletes at every position, and each man fits and fills a very specific need that should allow them all to complement each other very well. What I need now is some more size, someone who can protect Tommy B on offense, rush the passer on defense, and catch a few balls on a hot route if need be. If only there was some genetic freak of a player on the Patriots with extensive experience at both lineman and tight end...
Wait, what? What's that? Nate Solder is still available? Are you sure? Huh...look at that - there he is. All 6'8" of him. Yes please.
How Solder somehow fell to the 5th round of a 4 team flag football draft is almost as big a mystery as what the hell my girlfriend could possibly see in me. Not only is Solder an absolute monster at 6'8", 320 pounds, with a 32 inch vertical, a 71 inch wingspan, and 10 inch hands, but he's a multi-positional player that represents a mean quadruple threat on offense. In Solder, I now have a wall of an offensive lineman, a downfield blocker for running plays, an experienced tight end, and a virtually unstoppable goal line threat. Seriously - who is going to be able to defend against a quick snap, a strong push off of a pass rusher, and a quick button hook in the end zone that Tommy B throws 12 feet in the air? Nobody, that's who. When Solder isn't hauling in TD pass after TD pass, he will be keeping Tom Brady's flags securely attached to his shapely waist, pulling on direct snaps to Julian Edelman, and serving as checkdown receiver in case Tommy B needs it.
On defense, I now have my primary pass rusher and a hulking monster who is almost ten feet tall with his arms raised. Add another 30+ inches to that with his leaping ability. and suddenly Brady's passing lanes become a lot more crowded. Solder is also incredibly agile and quick for a lineman; his 5.05 40 time is more than respectable for a big man, as is his 7.44 second 3 cone drill. I also feel confident in lining Solder up across from Rob Gronkowski in order to jam him at the line, disrupt his route a bit, and throw off his timing. There's obviously no way that Solder could hang with Gronk in the open field, but if he can just disrupt him enough so that my defensive captain Adrian Wilson will be able to get a read on where Gronk is going, then Solder will have done his job well. Mainly, though, Solder will be my down lineman in charge of making Tommy B's life miserable.
Of course, Solder's most important role on my team will be to hold the trophy up high over his head after I win. That way, everyone will for sure be able to see it.