[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Give Veterans New Homes
With the announcement of two trades, the Maassluis Merchantmen have given two veteran IHOF players new homes before playing a single game for them. Cornerback Danny Person goes to the Anaheim Matterhorns, left tackle Darrin Olive to the ROchester Lake Monsters. In return, the Merchantmen receive linebacker Mitch Hoofkin, Anaheim's 2009 fourth round pick and Anaheim's 2010 sixth round pick.

Person is said to be one of the best man to man defenders in the IHOF and being a cornerback, what else could one ask? Well, there were issues. First of all, Person had a conflict with Merchantmen star player Tai Wayne. The team wanted to resolve it before the season start. Second, the Merchantmen will hold on to the zone oriented pass defense. Person simply doesn't fit that scheme as well as a couple of younger players who were on team in 2006.

The Olive trade is even more amazing than it seems. Maassluis acquired Olive recently in a trade from the Bordeaux Vineyards for younger left tackle Edgar Dunkin. Dunkin himself arrived from the Rochester Lake Monsters in trade during the 2006 off-season. Are you still following? Olive had a shot at making the Merchantmen 53-men roster, until the team drafted tackle Norman Holliday in the fifth round of the draft and that guy looks like the real deal.

Mitch Hoofkin will give the Merchantmen some extra depth at linebacker. The team drafted Terrence 'Terror' Norris in the seventh round, but the guy didn't do much good in training camp and is on the list to be released before the first pre-season game. Hoofkin played only one game for Rochester in 2006 after playing the previous two seasons for the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums. Hoofkins started 11 games for the Bums and has a single game tackles high of 5, which he tied in a road game at Maassluis in the 2005 season.

Despite these moves, the Merchantmen still have to say goodbye to eight players before their first pre-season game in week two of the exhibition season against the Frederick Red Menace. The management announced that today fullback Greg Berk, tight end Charles Burley, center Ernie Taylor, defensive end Duane Shank and linebacker 'Terror' Norris will be out of a job in Maassluis. Shank and Norris were recent acquisitions, Berk was signed mid-way the 2006 season, Burley acquired by trade in 2006 and Taylor was drafted in 2006.

Also, the management has sent out a message that linebacker Carl Meier is on the ctrading block, as is backup quaterback Mel Atkins. Both are new to the list. Atkins could be a numbers game casualty as the team rather wants to have three quarterbacks during the regular season. Meier will be a fine backup in Maassluis, but the management said they want to explore the market and see what other teams will offer for Meier. But chances are very slim Meier is going anywhere soon...