My traveling companions are and I are in Detroit. It’s December 7, the Day After the Big Thing, and we’re slowly making our way back to the west coast.

We’ve listened to the Will Johnson interview where he says he expects to play somewhere other than Portland in 2016. It’s not even online yet and won’t be for another twelve hours.

This is what we talk about now that we have the silverware. We’ve paused our celebration in order to travel halfway across the country and sleep in our own beds but we’re already looking to what will happen in the coming days and weeks.

“Blow it up.”

And that’s pretty much what’s happened.

Jorge Villafana to Santos Laguna. Michael Nanchoff to Tampa Bay. Maxi Urruti to FC Dallas. Will Johnson to Toronto FC. Options declined on Jeanderson, Paparatto, WeberAnd news today broke that Rodney Wallace isn’t re-signing.

Blow. It. Up.

With the salary cap as it is, there was no way that Cup-winning team was going to stay entirely intact. We know that. We knew it before we left the stadium in Columbus.

***

Knowledge doesn’t negate emotion. It’s not easy to let go of players we’ve watched for years, players who brought us our first MLS Cup. But there isn’t a single player on the squad who isn’t replaceable.

Dear god, when did I become the voice of reason? Heh. Roughly three years ago.

So take a few days to mourn. The wheels are turning faster and faster. The boys are back in training January 23rd.

We’re almost done with the shortest offseason in Timbers history.