Armchair GM: What Boston Breach needs for the 2024 Call of Duty League season

In Armchair GM, I take on the role of General Manager for a number of the Call of Duty League franchises to discuss the moves I would make in the offseason. In this part, I take a look at Boston Breach, and what I would do during the free agency period if I was running that team.

Boston Breach is a team that had high potential when it was formed, with a number of big-upside players that could swing matches in their favor.

It wasn’t to be, though, with a highest finish of 4th place at Major 3, finishing 7th in the overall CDL 2023 season standings and only managing a win over Minnesota Røkkr at Championship Weekend.

With that being said, how would I turn Boston Breach from mid-table fodder into potential title challengers?

Which Breach players would I keep and drop?

With the players’ contract statuses in mind, there are certain changes I’d try to avoid to be financially viable.

Firstly, I’d say goodbye to several players, including all of the SMGs besides one. Reece ‘Vivid’ Drost’s contract is coming to an end and I wouldn’t fight to make him sign a new one, nor would I take the extension option on Dylan ‘Nero’ Koch’s contract. Both are very capable pro league-level players, though with the merry-go-round this season has been, it’s fairer to let them explore other options. Similarly, I’d probably consider options with Kyle ‘Kremp’ Howarth, and he would be on the chopping block if improvements were available.

I would also want a change in the assault rifle department and, with Ben ‘Beans’ McMellon signed to a 2-year guaranteed contract, it would mean not extending Joseph ‘Owakening’ Conley.

Therefore, I’d be heading into the 2024 CDL season with Beans on the AR and young gun Eric ‘Snoopy’ Pérez on the SMG.

Who would I pick up for Breach?

With that in mind, I would be in need of a main AR and another SMG to show Beans and Snoopy what it takes to push into the upper echelon of CDL glory. One thing the team has desperately needed this season is some veteran COD fundamentals to match their incredible slaying abilities.

In the hunt for players, Boston are in a position where they can bring in top names should they want to, and will definitely show ambition in free agency.

For an AR, I would look at the top names. Sam ‘Octane’ Larew would be the preferred option as an unrestricted free agent (UFA), and one of the best ARs of the last two seasons, though it may take some work to tempt him away from LA Thieves. The same can be said of Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and OpTic Texas.

As for more realistic alternatives, I would look at the opportunities available to pry Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat away from Atlanta FaZe, should they release him from his contract without extension. I would make him my number one target to give Beans all of the tools he needs to achieve greatness.

If that’s not possible, I would target James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks or Dillon ‘Attach’ Price, leaning more towards Attach due to his impressive individual performances in recent years. Finally, if budget restrictions were in place, Sean ‘Seany’ O’Connor has been impressive for the Breach Academy and could be owed a call-up to the big leagues once again.

On the SMG, there is an interesting pool of players available. Octane’s LA Thieves teammate Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon would be a priority, on the assumption that Amer ‘Pred’ Zulbeari will most likely reject the team so as to play for one of the top three organizations.

Envoy is a player who has been around for a long time and played with some of the very best, now operating with a level of consistency that is highly desirable in an SMG player. Should I not be able to sign Envoy, I would turn to the likes of Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz or Ben ‘Bance’ Bance.

This would leave the final team as follows:

• SlasheR (alternative: Attach)
• Beans
• Snoopy
• Envoy (alternative: Bance)

Boston Breach find themselves in a position where they have several high-upside players and, while they could tempt in some big names, don’t quite have the clout of an OpTic Texas or Atlanta FaZe to compete for certain signatures.

This team would make for an exciting combination of veteran talent and young stars looking to break out and become huge names in their own right.

It’s unclear where exactly Boston intends to go with their 2024 team, but their activity in free agency suggests they have high expectations — so we could see the best iteration of the Breach roster next season.

Also in the Armchair GM series: LA Guerrillas | OpTic Texas