The rosterpocaylpse has truly begun. In the brief time since the thrilling conclusion of the 2021 season teams have already begun their offseason shenanigans. Some teams have been silent, others have hit their rosters with the giant red reset button. In the mix of all this, many players have announced their intentions to try their hand at free agency. One such player is William “Crimzo” Hernandez. The star flex support out of Canada announced via Twitter that he will indeed explore his options.
On October 9th I'll be heading into 2022 as a FA. @Outlaws have given me the opportunity to explore other options and I will be considering all interested parties. This doesn't mean that I won't be returning to Outlaws next year, rather that I'm open to other possibilities.
— hat guy (@Crimzo) October 1, 2021
As stated in his message, this does not mean he will not return to the Houston Outlaws. Given his exceptional performance in 2021, it is quite fair for him will see what’s out there for a player of his caliber. Before making any decisions for 2022 of course. His leaving the franchise would certainly be a blow. He was a major reason for the team’s overall success. Providing big plays, and massive healing all season long. That being said, it is the offseason. So a little speculation and theory crafting are all a part of the fun. With that in mind, where oh where could Crimzo go?
Landing Spot 1: Toronto Defiant
On Friday, October 1 the Toronto Defiant did the team’s traditional beginning of the offseason purge. Releasing all but one of the team’s players, with Hee-su “Heesu” Jeong being the only survivor. It is unclear at this time if the team will be continuing with a mostly or all Korean roster but if they are open to Western talent Crimzo would be an excellent acquisition for multiple reasons. First and foremost being his immense skill across all the support heroes he is tasked with playing. With particular explosiveness on Ana and Zenyatta.
Additionally, he brings a bold personality that the team has seemingly lacked throughout their inception. Combined with his actually being Canadian, his signing would be a boon to the fanbase of one of the league’s least flashy organizations. Here is the thing… Canadians love cheering for Canadians on Canadian teams, so bringing in the best active Canadian player would do nothing but good things. Bring the lad home.
Landing Spot 2- Houston Outlaws
Hey look at that, he’s already there in this picture. Yes, one of the most likely spots for Crimzo is indeed his current team. In his Twitter post, he does state that his return to the team is not unlikely. It also makes the most sense overall. His time on the team had him finding some of the biggest successes of his career. The team culture clearly suits him well, as he was often found to be one of the more prominent players on the roster. He was seen frequently on their social media, and featured in promotional materials. Additionally, as mentioned, he was one of the best players on the team all season, so it would be in the best interest of the franchise to keep him around.
Landing Spot 3: Boston Uprising
The Uprising is in desperate need of some star power, especially at flex support right now. The surprising departure of Sangmin “Myunbong” Seo has left an unfortunate power vacuum in the Uprising’s backline. It is not quite clear the direction the Uprising intends to go for the 2022 season, but if they choose a mixed roster then Crimzo would be an excellent addition. Flexible, hard-working, and with a cheeky personality that will mesh well with the already cheeky Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist. His playmaking abilities would also pair nicely with main support Kim “Faith” Hong-Gyu, a player known for his steady and consistent play across his hero pool. Although bringing in a player of Crimzo‘s status isn’t how the team usually operates, his addition could go a long way to help fans who are saddened by the loss of some of their favorite players. The offseason has taken much from Uprising fans, so give them something good.
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