Where Do We Go From Here? Eruption Edition

We're back with Part Two of the "Where Do We Go From Here" series!

We started out talking about the New York Mafia in the East and now we move towards the Western Conference with one of our OG teams in the USFA. An interesting place and an interesting team that is constructed but just like the last article, we'll do a deep dive on what the team has been from S7 up to now along with, just like the title implies, where do they go from here now that they won't have a chance to contend for the S8 United Bowl.

Lets get to it!

The Tacoma Eruption has held some of the greatest players in USFA history on this team. Rebecca Montagne, Preston & Vic Dotson, Bob McBob, WR Tom Creeg, Mykee Jackson, just to name a few. Its also a team rich in championship gold, tied for second most with two. It is a bit of a shock to see where they currently are given the talent they currently have on the roster.

Starting from the top of the food chain, its led by four year man Shawn Bridges out of Central Houston Polytechnic (CSFA school if you're unfamiliar). He's one of the most talented QBs in the league as a whole and it's unfortunate that this will be another year that he won't be able to win the championship.

He's had two different opportunities in the United Bowl and has come up short in both tries and now he's on the outside looking in this season. I would be lying to you if I said that he hasn't underperformed in those instances but the same can also be said about his play in Season Eight.

Off the top of my head, he's had four chances this season where he could have potentially tied or won the game and in a majority of those cases, it was a bad interception that essentially wrapped up gameplay for the boys in red. You can very much say that this was an opportunity to really showcase how great they can be but it didn't pan out for them when they needed it.

Around Bridges, there's a lot of talent to be excited about. HB Lamar Davis had a career campaign that should have him being in the Pro Bowl this season. The true question is whether he can keep this play up going forward. Is he the true #1 for the future? That'll be decided later in his career but a great start to the young HB!

WR wise, its a lot of promise as well with Chris Banks, Extra Magic & James Peach holding it down, a trio of big time playmakers and don't forget Zoro Lunar with some extra experience to top it off. TE got a great foundation as well with Joe Beasley and Fredrich Kaiser helping in as the new #2 at the position.

If I was to choose what exactly they need to improve on, its overall grinding in the gym, working on the details. Adding some more activity wouldn't hurt and in my opinion, a 2nd HB can help lift this team to new heights to spell Davis. A K/P wouldn't hurt either.

Defensively is where this team sort of falls apart and that mostly pertains to the front seven. Carlton Rhodes is definitely a guy that I can see be a mainstay for the Eruption on the DL but everywhere else is a question mark. They definitely need interior DL to help give Rhodes the space to flourish and an active DE opposite side of Carlton can only make things better for their team to slow down the opposing offenses they face.

Line Backers are also a pretty big need here with Alpha Wolfe being the main player here and even he can use a lot of improvement. Secondary wise, I believe they are all set in that area, led by Safety of the Year candidate John Carter and CBs Rozay O'Neal & Jacob Copeland, there's a lot to love about slowing down the passing attack. That being said, Copeland & Rozay can stand to get better as well as they push for their first full season of the USFA.

Even with the great secondary, the depth leaves a LOT to be desired. I think it would be wise to let CBs like Goofy Goober (goated name btw) and Balra Ber walk and pick up some new blood to help foster a great base at the DB spots. A slot CB or another safety can help them out.

With everything that happened this season, its hard for me to think that they won't be in the race to make the playoffs next season but they'll have to learn how to finish games or put themselves in better positions to win. That is my hardest thing to take grasp on. I'd say their floor of the amount of wins can go as low as 5 and if they pop off like they're supposed to, its not out of the question that nine or more wins can be in the future with the amount of talent here.

I'll go ahead and close it here, what are your thoughts about Tacoma going forward?

I'll talk to you soon as the next one will have us take a trip to Pennsylvania!