Written Option 2:

Slip McScruff has no reservations about using tricks to get an advantage. However, it's more like trying to negate the disadvantages of being super old. He's not tricking his way into being the best defender in the league. He's tricking his way into being a replacement level defender who can fill a roster spot.

He mainly tricks his coaching staff (don't tell) into thinking he's doing full workouts when he's actually getting lapped by the rest of the team. They complete 10 sprints when he's only finishing 8. During drills, he's slotting himself into an encouragement role while secretly sitting out 25% of the reps but he seems engaged.

During the games themselves, he has to resort to embellishment and dirty hits because he can get a material benefit without any extra skill. It's generous to call it embellishment when his body can't take the beating anymore. The hits are mainly dirty because the other guys are much faster and he clips them in the wrong spots.