Sign in or 
Share this
Arena Football League
My Week 1 AFL Power Rankings
1. Dallas Desperados: after a 13-3 regular season last year, Dallas had expected to be in Arena Bowl XX but well short in a conference loss to Orlando.
This year Dallas looks even better and to me they look to be the Colts of the AFL
2. Chicago Rush: after a tough regular season the Rush barely made the playoffs with a 7-9 record but in the Playoffs they came alive and proved to be the leagues best team Defeating Nashville, San Jose & Colorado in the post season then going on to beat the heavily favored Orlando Predators in Arena Bowl XX.
The Rush bring basicley the same team back and I see no reason why they wont be back in the post season in 07.
3. Orlando Predators: The Predators had a Great season last year and had one of the AFL's top Defenses that helped carry them to the Arenabow but Orlando would fall short loosing to the Rush in Arenabowl XX 69-61.
Orlando sense then has made what many consider the biggest move in the offseason and that was signing standout former Storm QB Shane Stafford who Orlando expects to lead them to Arenabowl 21, Orlando lost QB Joe Hamilton and WR Jerrian James in the offseason but with Stafford and OS Jimmy Fryzel the Preds should be just fine.
4. San Jose: In the West San Jose after a tough loss in the post season last year returns Arena Standout QB Mark Grieb, WR James Roe & Offensive Rookie of the year last season WR Ben Nelson. With a high powered Offense and alot of talent on Defense expect San Jose to contend for an Arena Bowl title early and often.
5. Geogia Force: The Force come into the 2007 Season with quite possibly the AFL's best Receiving core in Derek Lee, Chris Jackson, and Troy Bergeron. Loosing QB Matt Nagy dosent help there case but the Force have high expectations on QB Chris Greisen who will look to charge the Force's powered offense.
6. Colorado Crush: The Crush had a very good season last year but fell short however in the proccess All-Arena WR Damian Harrell broke the league TD reception record be scoring 61 TDs last year. Throwing him the ball will be QB John Dutton who is expected to have another solid season and bring Owner John Elway another Arena Bowl Championship.
7. Austin Wranglers: With a bundle of talent on the team it looks to be QB Adrian Mcpherson the former FSU stand out that will lead the Wrangler Offense that is filled with stars like young WR's Derrick Lewis, Nickerson and Robinson.
Mcpherson at QB can also make plays with his legs and that helped him Win AFL Rookie of the year in 2004.
On Defense look for Damon Mason to be the impact maker on opposing offenses.
8. Philadelphia Soul: Led by one of the best QBs to play the Arena Game in QB Tony Graziani the Soul look to rebound after a tough loss in the playoffs last year. The Soul can contend with any team and have a solid defense so expect them to be back in the race in 07.
9. Utah Blaze: The Blaze an expansion team last year had a solid expansion year (7-9) and upgraded there receving core with the addtion of WR Aaron Boone and held on to Star WR Siaha Burley who led the league in receiving yards last year with (1934).
Passing them the ball will be QB Joe Germaine who had a solid 41-5 TD-INT Ratio last season.
Expect Utah led by AFL Great coach Danny White to be back in the playoffs in 07.
10. New Orleans VooDoo: after loosing there entire season last year due to Hurricane Katrina the VooDoo and there fans are more excited then ever fot the Doo's return selling more then 12'000 Season Tickets.
On the field for the Voodoo will be AFL Great QB Andy Kelly who is expected to lead the Doo back to the Playoffs and possibly Arena Bowl 21 which is being played in New Orleans.
11. New York Dragons: The Dragons will likely not have QB Aaron Garcia to start the season but with talented WR's like Mike Horacek, Kevin Swayne and Will Holder the Dragons will possibly call on Rookie QB and former NFL player Rohan Davey to carry them back to the post season.
12. Nashville Kats: The Kats made the playoffs last year but may or may not be the same team.
QB Clint Stoerner will have to carry the load and find a some help in the receiving game if he wants to take Nashville back to the post season.
13. Columbus Destroyers: With the Addtions of QB Matt Nagy and WR Tony Locke if they can stay healthy expect to see Columbus in the Playoff race all season long.
14. Arizona Rattlers: With QB Sherdrick Bonner leading the way dont count the ratz out especialy when he has got Ironman of the year Randy Gatewood to throw the ball to.
15. Tampabay Storm: With the loss of Star QB Shane Stafford to rival Orlando Tampabay headcoach Tim Marcum has put the load on the shoulders of vet QB John Kaleo who will look to try and find a Go to Go Receivier wether it be Shaw or Toliver.
16. Grandrapids Rampage: With the addtion of former NFL first round pick WR Troy Edwards the fans will have something to be excited about but alot of pressure will be on Grandrapids to find a Solid starter at QB wether it be Chad Salisbury or Matt Sauk.
17. Los Angeles Avengers: The Avengers coming off a tough and down season last year look to rebound this season, leading the way will be QB Sunny Cumbie and WR Kevin Ingram but it wont be as Los Angeles open vs San Jose then travels to Orlando.
18. Las Vegas Gladiators: The Glads will be led by Rookie QB Shaun King in a new arena so any thing is possible, mabey they will struggle or be the surpise of the league we will have to wait and see.
19. Kansas City Brigade: Kansas City the AFL's second expansion team last year will be led by AFL vet Raymond Phiyaw, Expect the Brigade to improve and give a Great fan base something to rave about.
Ready for some Arena Football? Here's my preview of the up and coming Arena season starting in March
Last years season ended with a true underdog the Chicago Rush Winning their first title by Defeating the at the time Dominating Orlando Predators 69-61 in Arenabowl XX located in Las Vegas. The Rush started their regular season off 3-5 and finished their regular season 7-9 just making the Playoffs with a Wildcard and then came alive in the Playoffs defeating the Nashville Kats 55-47 in the Wild Card round followed by the a Win over the Colorado Crush 63-46 and taking down the San Jose Sabercats 59-56 in the Conference Championship game.
So what can we expect from the 2007 Season?
Lets take a look at each Division
American Conference
Western Division
Arizona Rattlers- The Rattlers coming off a 8-8 Season in which they made the postseason and started off well Defeating the expansion Utah Blaze 57-34 but the following week would see Arizona loose 62-48 in a Divisional matchup with Rival San Jose.
Arizona after a long off season break are ready to make another run at the postseason led by vetran QB Sherdrick Bonner who passes for nearly four thousand yards (3991) last year and threw (83) Touchdowns to only (16) Interceptions, Bonner in possibly his last AFL season would love to go out with a bang and lead the Rattlers to another Arenabowl title but in order for that to happen Rattlers Ironman WR/DB Randy Gatewood will have to have another solid year as he did last year (89 Recs, 1175 Yds, 35 TDs, 64 Tckls, 3 Ints).
Arizona must find and get more production from their receivers outside of Gatewood and with the loss of WR Damien Groce (59 Recs, 857 Yds, 21 TDs last year) it wont be easy so the burden is laid up WRs Cosmo DeMatteo (54-654-5) and Curtis Fagan to help carry Arizona's Passing Offense.
The AFL is not big on its rushing numbers but look for the Rattlers to hand the ball off to FB Bo Kelly a bit more this season.
Anchoring the Line is Guard Vince Amy, Jerry Sharp and TE/T Wendall Gaines who should have a big part of Arizona's Offense as well.
On Defense with the new Substitution rule its hard to say who will start but the projection is that Joseph Todd (44 Tcks, 2 Ints) and Randy Gatewood will achor the secondary while Curtis Fagan and Bo Kelly take care of the Linebacker postions.
Returning Sack Leader Wendall Gaines (5.5 Sacks last year) is expected to anchor the Dline.
On Special Teams look for K Gary Kral to rebound from a tough season last year (10-29 Fgms, 34.5% Fgp).
Predicted Record: 8-8
Game to watch: June 16th @ San Jose
Las Vegas Gladiators- The Glads coming off a disappointing 5-11 Season made a big move in the Offseason by Signing former NFL QB Shaun King and retaining AFL Vet WR/DB Joe Douglass.
While Shaun King will be a Rookie in AFL terms he is expected to be the guy to take the Glads back to the post season but if he should get hurt or just not pan out the Glads will turn back to QB Jason Fife who threw for (2221) Yards & 41 TDs in his first year of Arena play last year that is if Fife does not go to another league.
FB Charles Stackhouse will carry the load on the ground likely for the Glads and is expected to have another good season this year.
The Glads lost a big part of their Receiving corps in Marcus Nash who a few years ago set an Arena league record by catching (154) passes in a season.
The Glads kind of got snubbed this off season when they signed former NFL WR Peter Warrick but he them decided to go back to the NFL so with out him & Nash the Glads decided to sign AFL Veteran WR Thabiti Davis who along with Joe Douglass (68 Recs, 766 Yards, 15 TDs last year) are expected to step up big time this year for Las Vegas.
The Glads Defense is very young so we will have to find out who steps up and makes a name for themselves.
Young players like DS Vontez Duff, OL/DL Adrian Gozalez and many others will try and bring respect back to the Gladiators Defense.
On Special Teams at the time it looks like 27 year old Steve Azar will be kicking for the Glads but dont be surprised if they sign another Kicker before the start of the season to keep competition going.
expect if the Glads cant find a Kickreturner then for Joe Douglass to possibly return kicks for the Glads.
Predicted Record: 7-9
Game to Watch: May 6th Vs Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers- The Avengers had a disappointing season last year going 5-11 but finished strong on a 2 game Winning Streak defeating Nashville and Las Vegas.
Last year to begin the Season the Avengers had a huge QB Controversy but that was ended soon enough when Rookie QB Sonny Cumbie took the reigns and had a Solid Rookie season passing for (3241) Yards (59) TDs to just (10) Ints with a (105.2) QB Rating.
The ground game will be led by FB Lonnie Ford who rushed for (168) Yards & (10) TDs on (44) Carries.
The Receiving Crop for the Avengers lost a lot when OS Tony Locke was lost to Free Agency and WR/LB Greg Hopkins retried.
Locke & Hopkins put up Great production last year combining for (150 Recs, 1979 Yards & 31 TDs).
So the Avengers will turn to last years leading Receivier and former Iron man award winner Kevin Ingram who put up great numbers last year (111 Recs, 1354 Yards & 32 TDs).
In Addition to Ingram the Avengers have Antoine Burns, Rob Turner and they signed a number of Rookies most notably former NFL WR Chris Cole who is expected to compete for a starting WR spot.
Also TE/DL Silas Demary can play TE if the Avengers choose to make that a big part of their offense.
On the Offensive/Defensive line the Avengers have alot of talent in Sean McNamara, Reggie Rhodes, Greg Krause from Orlando last year and former NFL player Marcus Parker.
Lets not forget the Sack Master Silas Demary who set an AFL single Season record with (12.5) Sacks.
In the Linebacker Core the Avengers have a lot of young players such as Rookies Michael Craven, Jon Apgar but they will have to compete with vets Josh Jeffries and Lonnie Ford.
In the Secandary the Avengers will most likely be led by DS Damen Wheelers who led the team with (70) Tackels and recorded (3) Interceptions last year.
If WR Kevin Ingram plays a more normal Iron man Role and plays Cornerback again he may put out another 5 Interceptions as he did last year.
As well as Wheeler & possibly Ingram the Avengers have Rookies James Bethea and NFL vet Tod McBride to play Defensive Specialist or Cornerback.
On Special Teams the Avengers have Kicker of the year Remy Hamilton returning Hamilton made (75%) percent of his Field Goals last year and put up an incredible (173) Points.
Returning Kicks for the Avengers will likely be Antoine Burns who returned two kicks for TDs last year.
Prediction: 10-6
Game to Watch: March 4th Vs San Jose
Utah Blaze- The Blaze a expansion team last year came into the league with high hopes and high expectations for there first year in the Arena Football League and in a big way they snuk up on many teams the Blaze started there season on the right foot and got the fans excited with a Season Home opening Win in there first ever Arena Game over San Jose 48-35 and finished with a 7-9 Record and earned a playoff spot. In the Wildcard Playoffs Utah lost 57-34 to Arizona but with key Wins over team's like San Jose (48-35), Los Angeles (68-66), Nashville (63-34), Colorado (52-49) & Kansas City (55-54) the Blaze should have alot of momentum going into there Second year of Arena League play.
Utah lost Vetran QB Andy Kelly who after leaving New Orleans due to weather reasons returns to the Voodoo, Kelly while with Utah played well (1402 Yards, 27 TDs, 4 Ints) and his leadership and knowledge will be missed but now the Blaze will likely turn to Quarterback Joe Germaine who strugged at times last year but showed signs of promise as well (2330 Yards passing, 41-5 TDs-INT Ratio). If Germaine should get hurt or dissapoints the coaches, then the Blaze will have to further progress QB's Travis Cole, Jason Gesser and Tali Ena one of who or possibly two will likely be cut before the season starts.
Running the ball for Utah will likely be FB Kevin Clemens who was productive on scoring in the Enzone with (10) TDs but had only 67 yards on 42 Carries look for him to compete to keep his job but likely keep starting at either Fullback or Linebacker.
The Blaze have alot of talent at the Receiving game with the return of Standout Receivier Siaha Burley who put up tremendus numbers last year (136 Recs, 1934 Yards, 44 TDs) and will look to have another Great year as the Go to Go wide out.
As if that werent anough Utah returns WR Orshawonte Bryant (90 Recs, 1039 Yards, 11 TDs) who had a Solid season last year.
Fighting for the third Wide out spot will be WR's Tom Pace (72 Recs, 803 Yards, 17 TDs last year), WR Justin Skaggs (52 Recs, 655 Yards, 13 TDs last year) and the Blaze's biggest offseason addtion is 2nd year man WR/DB Aaron Boone who spent last year his Rookie year with the Kansas City Brigade another expansion team, their Boone had caught (66 Recs)for (748) Yards and (19) TDs as Boone secured himself a force in his Rookie season and now brings his talents to Utah but he will have alot of competion if he wants to start.
On the Offensive & Defensive lines the Blaze have alot of talent as well, expected to start at TE/DE is John Culp, All Ironman DT /C Hans Olsen tied Utah for the lead in Sacks with (2)
DT/G Ernest Grant & DE Lewis Powell will compete on the line and should help Utah rebound in the Sack department.
Likely starting in the Linebacker spots will be WR/LB Tom Pace () and FB/LB Kevin Clemens who tied for the team lead in Sacks with (2) also look for WR/LB Justin Skaggs to possibly become more of a full time Linebacker if he is not in the starting line up at WR, Skaggs was third in tackels for Utah last year with (34) Tackels and (3) Forced Fumbles.
In the Secandary pending on how much the new rules effect the game will determine how much WR/DB Orshawonte Bryant plays Defensive back but if they Blaze can it would be wise to keep Bryant in an Ironman role as he has been like last year, Bryant was second in the team in Tackels (51) and second on the team in Interceptions with (2).
Not sure if Secandary man Kelvin Hunter will be back, Hunter led the Blaze in Tackels (58) and Interceptions (4) last year but if he is not back then Young DS Kevin Moffett and vet Clarence Lawson will battle for a starting role in the secandary.
If Kicker Steve Videtich returns he will likely start but will have to improve after a rough season last year (9 of 22 field goals made, %40.9 percent) if Videtich dosent return then the Blaze will likely have open competion to a pair of Free Agent kickers untill the start of the season.
Returning kicks for Utah will again likely be WR's Siaha Burley or Tom Pace.
Predicted Record: 9-7
Game to Watch: Week 17 @ Los Angeles
San Jose Sabercats- San Jose has been around a while and had lots of success and last year was no different as the Saber cats finished with a 10-6 record and won the West Division, San Jose won there first playoff game 62-48 over Arizona but lost the next week to what would become the future Arena bowl Champions Chicago Rush 59-56.
On the Offensive and Defensive lines are likely to be C Dan Loney, OL Patrick Afif and OL Todd Williams of Florida State, also another potential linemen is OL/DL William Obeng who is huge at (6-7) (335).
Likely on the D-line is DL Alan Harper, NG George Williams and DL Ronald Jones although this may not be the exact lineup because I see DL Joe Jacobs his led the Cats with (4) Sacks last year getting some time in as well, the new Substitution rule should make it very interesting for Offensive and Defensive lines.
Predicted Record: 10-6
Game to watch: March 9th @ Chicago
1. Dallas Desperados: after a 13-3 regular season last year, Dallas had expected to be in Arena Bowl XX but well short in a conference loss to Orlando.
This year Dallas looks even better and to me they look to be the Colts of the AFL
2. Chicago Rush: after a tough regular season the Rush barely made the playoffs with a 7-9 record but in the Playoffs they came alive and proved to be the leagues best team Defeating Nashville, San Jose & Colorado in the post season then going on to beat the heavily favored Orlando Predators in Arena Bowl XX.
The Rush bring basicley the same team back and I see no reason why they wont be back in the post season in 07.
3. Orlando Predators: The Predators had a Great season last year and had one of the AFL's top Defenses that helped carry them to the Arenabow but Orlando would fall short loosing to the Rush in Arenabowl XX 69-61.
Orlando sense then has made what many consider the biggest move in the offseason and that was signing standout former Storm QB Shane Stafford who Orlando expects to lead them to Arenabowl 21, Orlando lost QB Joe Hamilton and WR Jerrian James in the offseason but with Stafford and OS Jimmy Fryzel the Preds should be just fine.
4. San Jose: In the West San Jose after a tough loss in the post season last year returns Arena Standout QB Mark Grieb, WR James Roe & Offensive Rookie of the year last season WR Ben Nelson. With a high powered Offense and alot of talent on Defense expect San Jose to contend for an Arena Bowl title early and often.
5. Geogia Force: The Force come into the 2007 Season with quite possibly the AFL's best Receiving core in Derek Lee, Chris Jackson, and Troy Bergeron. Loosing QB Matt Nagy dosent help there case but the Force have high expectations on QB Chris Greisen who will look to charge the Force's powered offense.
6. Colorado Crush: The Crush had a very good season last year but fell short however in the proccess All-Arena WR Damian Harrell broke the league TD reception record be scoring 61 TDs last year. Throwing him the ball will be QB John Dutton who is expected to have another solid season and bring Owner John Elway another Arena Bowl Championship.
7. Austin Wranglers: With a bundle of talent on the team it looks to be QB Adrian Mcpherson the former FSU stand out that will lead the Wrangler Offense that is filled with stars like young WR's Derrick Lewis, Nickerson and Robinson.
Mcpherson at QB can also make plays with his legs and that helped him Win AFL Rookie of the year in 2004.
On Defense look for Damon Mason to be the impact maker on opposing offenses.
8. Philadelphia Soul: Led by one of the best QBs to play the Arena Game in QB Tony Graziani the Soul look to rebound after a tough loss in the playoffs last year. The Soul can contend with any team and have a solid defense so expect them to be back in the race in 07.
9. Utah Blaze: The Blaze an expansion team last year had a solid expansion year (7-9) and upgraded there receving core with the addtion of WR Aaron Boone and held on to Star WR Siaha Burley who led the league in receiving yards last year with (1934).
Passing them the ball will be QB Joe Germaine who had a solid 41-5 TD-INT Ratio last season.
Expect Utah led by AFL Great coach Danny White to be back in the playoffs in 07.
10. New Orleans VooDoo: after loosing there entire season last year due to Hurricane Katrina the VooDoo and there fans are more excited then ever fot the Doo's return selling more then 12'000 Season Tickets.
On the field for the Voodoo will be AFL Great QB Andy Kelly who is expected to lead the Doo back to the Playoffs and possibly Arena Bowl 21 which is being played in New Orleans.
11. New York Dragons: The Dragons will likely not have QB Aaron Garcia to start the season but with talented WR's like Mike Horacek, Kevin Swayne and Will Holder the Dragons will possibly call on Rookie QB and former NFL player Rohan Davey to carry them back to the post season.
12. Nashville Kats: The Kats made the playoffs last year but may or may not be the same team.
QB Clint Stoerner will have to carry the load and find a some help in the receiving game if he wants to take Nashville back to the post season.
13. Columbus Destroyers: With the Addtions of QB Matt Nagy and WR Tony Locke if they can stay healthy expect to see Columbus in the Playoff race all season long.
14. Arizona Rattlers: With QB Sherdrick Bonner leading the way dont count the ratz out especialy when he has got Ironman of the year Randy Gatewood to throw the ball to.
15. Tampabay Storm: With the loss of Star QB Shane Stafford to rival Orlando Tampabay headcoach Tim Marcum has put the load on the shoulders of vet QB John Kaleo who will look to try and find a Go to Go Receivier wether it be Shaw or Toliver.
16. Grandrapids Rampage: With the addtion of former NFL first round pick WR Troy Edwards the fans will have something to be excited about but alot of pressure will be on Grandrapids to find a Solid starter at QB wether it be Chad Salisbury or Matt Sauk.
17. Los Angeles Avengers: The Avengers coming off a tough and down season last year look to rebound this season, leading the way will be QB Sunny Cumbie and WR Kevin Ingram but it wont be as Los Angeles open vs San Jose then travels to Orlando.
18. Las Vegas Gladiators: The Glads will be led by Rookie QB Shaun King in a new arena so any thing is possible, mabey they will struggle or be the surpise of the league we will have to wait and see.
19. Kansas City Brigade: Kansas City the AFL's second expansion team last year will be led by AFL vet Raymond Phiyaw, Expect the Brigade to improve and give a Great fan base something to rave about.
Ready for some Arena Football? Here's my preview of the up and coming Arena season starting in March
Last years season ended with a true underdog the Chicago Rush Winning their first title by Defeating the at the time Dominating Orlando Predators 69-61 in Arenabowl XX located in Las Vegas. The Rush started their regular season off 3-5 and finished their regular season 7-9 just making the Playoffs with a Wildcard and then came alive in the Playoffs defeating the Nashville Kats 55-47 in the Wild Card round followed by the a Win over the Colorado Crush 63-46 and taking down the San Jose Sabercats 59-56 in the Conference Championship game.
So what can we expect from the 2007 Season?
Lets take a look at each Division
American Conference
Western Division
Arizona Rattlers- The Rattlers coming off a 8-8 Season in which they made the postseason and started off well Defeating the expansion Utah Blaze 57-34 but the following week would see Arizona loose 62-48 in a Divisional matchup with Rival San Jose.
Arizona after a long off season break are ready to make another run at the postseason led by vetran QB Sherdrick Bonner who passes for nearly four thousand yards (3991) last year and threw (83) Touchdowns to only (16) Interceptions, Bonner in possibly his last AFL season would love to go out with a bang and lead the Rattlers to another Arenabowl title but in order for that to happen Rattlers Ironman WR/DB Randy Gatewood will have to have another solid year as he did last year (89 Recs, 1175 Yds, 35 TDs, 64 Tckls, 3 Ints).
Arizona must find and get more production from their receivers outside of Gatewood and with the loss of WR Damien Groce (59 Recs, 857 Yds, 21 TDs last year) it wont be easy so the burden is laid up WRs Cosmo DeMatteo (54-654-5) and Curtis Fagan to help carry Arizona's Passing Offense.
The AFL is not big on its rushing numbers but look for the Rattlers to hand the ball off to FB Bo Kelly a bit more this season.
Anchoring the Line is Guard Vince Amy, Jerry Sharp and TE/T Wendall Gaines who should have a big part of Arizona's Offense as well.
On Defense with the new Substitution rule its hard to say who will start but the projection is that Joseph Todd (44 Tcks, 2 Ints) and Randy Gatewood will achor the secondary while Curtis Fagan and Bo Kelly take care of the Linebacker postions.
Returning Sack Leader Wendall Gaines (5.5 Sacks last year) is expected to anchor the Dline.
On Special Teams look for K Gary Kral to rebound from a tough season last year (10-29 Fgms, 34.5% Fgp).
Predicted Record: 8-8
Game to watch: June 16th @ San Jose
Las Vegas Gladiators- The Glads coming off a disappointing 5-11 Season made a big move in the Offseason by Signing former NFL QB Shaun King and retaining AFL Vet WR/DB Joe Douglass.
While Shaun King will be a Rookie in AFL terms he is expected to be the guy to take the Glads back to the post season but if he should get hurt or just not pan out the Glads will turn back to QB Jason Fife who threw for (2221) Yards & 41 TDs in his first year of Arena play last year that is if Fife does not go to another league.
FB Charles Stackhouse will carry the load on the ground likely for the Glads and is expected to have another good season this year.
The Glads lost a big part of their Receiving corps in Marcus Nash who a few years ago set an Arena league record by catching (154) passes in a season.
The Glads kind of got snubbed this off season when they signed former NFL WR Peter Warrick but he them decided to go back to the NFL so with out him & Nash the Glads decided to sign AFL Veteran WR Thabiti Davis who along with Joe Douglass (68 Recs, 766 Yards, 15 TDs last year) are expected to step up big time this year for Las Vegas.
The Glads Defense is very young so we will have to find out who steps up and makes a name for themselves.
Young players like DS Vontez Duff, OL/DL Adrian Gozalez and many others will try and bring respect back to the Gladiators Defense.
On Special Teams at the time it looks like 27 year old Steve Azar will be kicking for the Glads but dont be surprised if they sign another Kicker before the start of the season to keep competition going.
expect if the Glads cant find a Kickreturner then for Joe Douglass to possibly return kicks for the Glads.
Predicted Record: 7-9
Game to Watch: May 6th Vs Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers- The Avengers had a disappointing season last year going 5-11 but finished strong on a 2 game Winning Streak defeating Nashville and Las Vegas.
Last year to begin the Season the Avengers had a huge QB Controversy but that was ended soon enough when Rookie QB Sonny Cumbie took the reigns and had a Solid Rookie season passing for (3241) Yards (59) TDs to just (10) Ints with a (105.2) QB Rating.
The ground game will be led by FB Lonnie Ford who rushed for (168) Yards & (10) TDs on (44) Carries.
The Receiving Crop for the Avengers lost a lot when OS Tony Locke was lost to Free Agency and WR/LB Greg Hopkins retried.
Locke & Hopkins put up Great production last year combining for (150 Recs, 1979 Yards & 31 TDs).
So the Avengers will turn to last years leading Receivier and former Iron man award winner Kevin Ingram who put up great numbers last year (111 Recs, 1354 Yards & 32 TDs).
In Addition to Ingram the Avengers have Antoine Burns, Rob Turner and they signed a number of Rookies most notably former NFL WR Chris Cole who is expected to compete for a starting WR spot.
Also TE/DL Silas Demary can play TE if the Avengers choose to make that a big part of their offense.
On the Offensive/Defensive line the Avengers have alot of talent in Sean McNamara, Reggie Rhodes, Greg Krause from Orlando last year and former NFL player Marcus Parker.
Lets not forget the Sack Master Silas Demary who set an AFL single Season record with (12.5) Sacks.
In the Linebacker Core the Avengers have a lot of young players such as Rookies Michael Craven, Jon Apgar but they will have to compete with vets Josh Jeffries and Lonnie Ford.
In the Secandary the Avengers will most likely be led by DS Damen Wheelers who led the team with (70) Tackels and recorded (3) Interceptions last year.
If WR Kevin Ingram plays a more normal Iron man Role and plays Cornerback again he may put out another 5 Interceptions as he did last year.
As well as Wheeler & possibly Ingram the Avengers have Rookies James Bethea and NFL vet Tod McBride to play Defensive Specialist or Cornerback.
On Special Teams the Avengers have Kicker of the year Remy Hamilton returning Hamilton made (75%) percent of his Field Goals last year and put up an incredible (173) Points.
Returning Kicks for the Avengers will likely be Antoine Burns who returned two kicks for TDs last year.
Prediction: 10-6
Game to Watch: March 4th Vs San Jose
Utah Blaze- The Blaze a expansion team last year came into the league with high hopes and high expectations for there first year in the Arena Football League and in a big way they snuk up on many teams the Blaze started there season on the right foot and got the fans excited with a Season Home opening Win in there first ever Arena Game over San Jose 48-35 and finished with a 7-9 Record and earned a playoff spot. In the Wildcard Playoffs Utah lost 57-34 to Arizona but with key Wins over team's like San Jose (48-35), Los Angeles (68-66), Nashville (63-34), Colorado (52-49) & Kansas City (55-54) the Blaze should have alot of momentum going into there Second year of Arena League play.
Utah lost Vetran QB Andy Kelly who after leaving New Orleans due to weather reasons returns to the Voodoo, Kelly while with Utah played well (1402 Yards, 27 TDs, 4 Ints) and his leadership and knowledge will be missed but now the Blaze will likely turn to Quarterback Joe Germaine who strugged at times last year but showed signs of promise as well (2330 Yards passing, 41-5 TDs-INT Ratio). If Germaine should get hurt or dissapoints the coaches, then the Blaze will have to further progress QB's Travis Cole, Jason Gesser and Tali Ena one of who or possibly two will likely be cut before the season starts.
Running the ball for Utah will likely be FB Kevin Clemens who was productive on scoring in the Enzone with (10) TDs but had only 67 yards on 42 Carries look for him to compete to keep his job but likely keep starting at either Fullback or Linebacker.
The Blaze have alot of talent at the Receiving game with the return of Standout Receivier Siaha Burley who put up tremendus numbers last year (136 Recs, 1934 Yards, 44 TDs) and will look to have another Great year as the Go to Go wide out.
As if that werent anough Utah returns WR Orshawonte Bryant (90 Recs, 1039 Yards, 11 TDs) who had a Solid season last year.
Fighting for the third Wide out spot will be WR's Tom Pace (72 Recs, 803 Yards, 17 TDs last year), WR Justin Skaggs (52 Recs, 655 Yards, 13 TDs last year) and the Blaze's biggest offseason addtion is 2nd year man WR/DB Aaron Boone who spent last year his Rookie year with the Kansas City Brigade another expansion team, their Boone had caught (66 Recs)for (748) Yards and (19) TDs as Boone secured himself a force in his Rookie season and now brings his talents to Utah but he will have alot of competion if he wants to start.
On the Offensive & Defensive lines the Blaze have alot of talent as well, expected to start at TE/DE is John Culp, All Ironman DT /C Hans Olsen tied Utah for the lead in Sacks with (2)
DT/G Ernest Grant & DE Lewis Powell will compete on the line and should help Utah rebound in the Sack department.
Likely starting in the Linebacker spots will be WR/LB Tom Pace () and FB/LB Kevin Clemens who tied for the team lead in Sacks with (2) also look for WR/LB Justin Skaggs to possibly become more of a full time Linebacker if he is not in the starting line up at WR, Skaggs was third in tackels for Utah last year with (34) Tackels and (3) Forced Fumbles.
In the Secandary pending on how much the new rules effect the game will determine how much WR/DB Orshawonte Bryant plays Defensive back but if they Blaze can it would be wise to keep Bryant in an Ironman role as he has been like last year, Bryant was second in the team in Tackels (51) and second on the team in Interceptions with (2).
Not sure if Secandary man Kelvin Hunter will be back, Hunter led the Blaze in Tackels (58) and Interceptions (4) last year but if he is not back then Young DS Kevin Moffett and vet Clarence Lawson will battle for a starting role in the secandary.
If Kicker Steve Videtich returns he will likely start but will have to improve after a rough season last year (9 of 22 field goals made, %40.9 percent) if Videtich dosent return then the Blaze will likely have open competion to a pair of Free Agent kickers untill the start of the season.
Returning kicks for Utah will again likely be WR's Siaha Burley or Tom Pace.
Predicted Record: 9-7
Game to Watch: Week 17 @ Los Angeles
San Jose Sabercats- San Jose has been around a while and had lots of success and last year was no different as the Saber cats finished with a 10-6 record and won the West Division, San Jose won there first playoff game 62-48 over Arizona but lost the next week to what would become the future Arena bowl Champions Chicago Rush 59-56.
The cats are led by a high powered offense that is always a threat to score, QB Mark Grieb a true AFL veteran had a phenomenal season last year completing 395 of his 604 pass attempts including (4834) Yards, (83) TD's to (10) Ints and a (117.4) QB Rating.
To help Grieb out even more he has a strong Running game to lean on with FB's Phil Glover & Brian Johnson who may just be the best one two running punch in the Arena League, Glover (55 Att, 161 Yards, 15 TDs), Johnson (48 Att, 116 Yards, 12 TDs) combinded for 27 Rushing TDs last year.
To help Grieb out even more he has a strong Running game to lean on with FB's Phil Glover & Brian Johnson who may just be the best one two running punch in the Arena League, Glover (55 Att, 161 Yards, 15 TDs), Johnson (48 Att, 116 Yards, 12 TDs) combinded for 27 Rushing TDs last year.
Despite how impressive that is it is San Joses's Receiving game that was even bigger last year with Vet WR James Roe (113 Recs, 1321 Yards, 31 TDs) and Rookie sensation Offensive Specialist Ben Nelson (94 Recs, 1398 Yards, 26 TD's) Nelson for his out standing season was named AFL Rookie of the year.
Along with Roe & Nelson look for WR's Charles Pauley & Jason Gathers to become more involved in San Jose's air attack.
Along with Roe & Nelson look for WR's Charles Pauley & Jason Gathers to become more involved in San Jose's air attack.
On the Offensive and Defensive lines are likely to be C Dan Loney, OL Patrick Afif and OL Todd Williams of Florida State, also another potential linemen is OL/DL William Obeng who is huge at (6-7) (335).
Likely on the D-line is DL Alan Harper, NG George Williams and DL Ronald Jones although this may not be the exact lineup because I see DL Joe Jacobs his led the Cats with (4) Sacks last year getting some time in as well, the new Substitution rule should make it very interesting for Offensive and Defensive lines.
In the Line backing core likely to start will be FB/LB Phil Glover (17 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 1 FF),on the other side WR/LB James Roe (19 Tackles, 2 FF's, 1 Int) despite not having played at linebacker as much both Glover & Roe will have a much bigger part in the Cat's Defense.
In the Secondary DB's Omar Smith (39 Tackles, 3 Interceptions, 2 Defensive TD's) & Marquis Floyd(41 Tackels, 3 Interceptions, the star of San Jose's Defense is Defensive Specialist Clevan Thomas who led the Cats in Tackels with (79) & Interceptions (7). expect Thomas to have another outstanding year and make a run for Defensive player of the year.
On the Special Teams unit K Brian Schmitz (7-17 Fgm, 41.2% Fgp, 99-117 Xpm) will look to become a bit better and improve upon a rough year last year.
Returning kicks for the Cats will likely be WR Charles Pauley (32 KRs, 617 Yards, 1 TD).
Returning kicks for the Cats will likely be WR Charles Pauley (32 KRs, 617 Yards, 1 TD).
After another great season from San Jose last year I see them back in the Playoffs and Mark Grieb running for AFL MVP
Game to watch: March 9th @ Chicago
|
Primetime82 |
Latest page update: made by Primetime82
, Feb 28 2007, 8:53 PM EST
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by Primetime82
280 words added view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
None
More Info: links to this page
|
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anonymous | you might like this player | 0 | Apr 12 2007, 5:53 PM EDT by Anonymous | ||
|
|
Thread started: Apr 12 2007, 5:53 PM EDT
Watch
Take a look at this kicker's wiki: www.kevinkicker.wetpaint.com
Thanks. |
||||
Showing 1 of 1 threads for this page
|
Arena Football History.rtf (Unknown File - 12k)
posted by Primetime82 Feb 10 2007, 4:12 PM EST
Arena Football History
|
