General Manager Notes
And then there were 53 left.
The logic behind the releases was easy for me, but for those needing some explaination here goes! FB Luke Smelser, RB Arthur Curran, WR Alfredo Rhodes and LT Alfonso King were noit good enough as backups, but have mentorship skills and helped to develope our youngsters. Curran also battled with RB Desmond Carlisle for the fourth and last running back spot, but both didn't make it as Kyle Montoya is signed long-term, Montoya produced better and our top backs don't need any mentoring anymore.
QB Mel Atkins had been on the bubble before and I'm willing to risk playing with three quarterbacks. DE Bubba Bush is better than Aaron Sherrill and Omar Gougeon, but the two stole my heart last season and I just don't dare to bench them, yet.
So, how does the list of 53 players look now compared to our European championship roster (excluding players on injured reserve)?
| 2007 | 2008
|
| QB Louie Flannery | QB Louie Flannery
|
| QB Shane Bower | QB Thad Pikington
|
| QB Justin McDavid | QB Justin McDavid
|
| QB Mel Atkins | RB/KR Scott Bagley
|
| RB Randy Harris | RB Randy Harris
|
| RB/PR Rodger Mowery | RB/PR/KR Joseph Schoen
|
| RB Tyrell Mahoney | RB Kyle Montoya
|
| FB Jamel Rosenberry | FB Jamel Rosenberry
|
| FB Henry Poston | FB Henry Poston
|
| TE Jim Reiser | TE Jim Reiser
|
| TE Arnold Ramirez | TE Arnold Ramirez
|
| TE/LS Charlie Martins | TE/LS Charlie Martins
|
| WR Bryce Ewald | WR Bryce Ewald
|
| WR Gregory Monti | WR Gregory Monti
|
| WR/PR Jerry Beyer | WR/PR Jerry Beyer
|
| WR/KR Devin Henson | WR/KR Devin Henson
|
| WR Jules Benedict | G Jasper Call
|
| C Brant Heinrich | C Brant Heinrich
|
| C Tom Schwartz | C Heath Ferebee
|
| G Butch White | G Butch White
|
| G Timothy Lacy | G Timothy Lacy
|
| G Brian Hammond | G Brian Hammond
|
| LT Ivan Jacques | LT Ivan Jacques
|
| LT Harold Hurtado | LT Harold Hurtado
|
| RT Cornelius Rice | RT Cornelius Rice
|
| RT Norman Holliday | RT Norman Holliday
|
| P Roscoe Corrales | P Roscoe Corrales & P Sean Smalley
|
| PK Cary Coles | PK Cary Coles
|
| KOK Al Bettis | KOK Al Bettis
|
| DE Omar Gougeon | DE Omar Gougeon
|
| DE Aaron Sherrill | DE Aaron Sherrill
|
| DE Albert Bernardo | DE Albert Bernardo
|
| DE Wally Wilcox | DE Erwin Baranowski
|
| DT Charles Gomez | DT Charles Gomez
|
| DT Andy Weliczka | DT Andy Weliczka
|
| DT Shaun Shiroma | DT Shaun Shiroma
|
| DT Andrew Rasmussen | DT Andrew Rasmussen
|
| MLB Cody Cluff | MLB Cody Cluff
|
| MLB Carl Meier | MLB Carl Meier
|
| OLB Ellsworth Thelen | OLB Ellsworth Thelen
|
| OLB Mike Kershner | OLB Mike Kershner
|
| OLB John Weisberg | OLB John Weisberg
|
| OLB Mitch Hoofkin | OLB Bernie Surry
|
| MLB Daniel Ruelas | FS Broderick Schultz
|
| CB Tai Wayne | CB Tai Wayne
|
| CB Winford Endicott | CB Winford Endicott
|
| CB Myron Stevens | CB Myron Stevens
|
| CB Johnnie Stidham | CB Xavier Clyburn
|
| CB/KR Desmond Craig | CB/PR Sammie Kennedy
|
| SS Lincoln Gilmore | SS Lincoln Gilmore
|
| S Emile William | S Emile William
|
| FS John Cole | FS John Cole
|
| S Lamar Singleton | S Lamar Singleton
|
And voila, we have 11 new players excluding 1 unsigned rookie going into the 2008 season! Who are they again and what will be their roles?
Scott Bagley - #2 KR, potential #1 KR, #3 RB, potential #2 RB
Erwin Baranowski - #3 DE in a rotation system
Jasper Call - one-year #4 G, 53rd guy
Xavier Clyburn - nickelback, potential starting CB
Heath Ferebee - backup C
Sammie Kennedy - potential starting CB, potential backup PR
Kyle Montoya - #4 RB, potential #3 RB
Thad Pilkington - #2 QB
Joseph Schoen - #2 RB, potential #1 RB, #1 PR, emergency KR
Broderick Schultz - #2 FS, potential #1 FS in rotation
Sean Smalley - potential #1 P in case of injury
Bernie Surry - #1 SLB in rotation
How about a final look at our schedule then? We start with a tough top three games and finished with three relative easy games. The hopes are to be 2-1 into the open weekend and 7-3 going into the last 6 games (of which 5 are at home) to finish the season 12-4. Anything below 10-6 and missing the playoffs would be disappointing now.
wk01 vs Gothenburg Giants (2007: 9-7, #2 Europe)
wk02 at Outer Banks Ospreys (2007: 9-7, conference champs)
wk03 at North Plainfield Plague (2007: 14-2, league champs)
wk04 open
wk05 vs Tucker Tigers (2007: 8-8, 1-0 all time vs Maassluis)
wk06 at Georgia Gridlock (2007: 8-8, 2-0 all time vs Maassluis)
wk07 at Paris Musketeers (2007: 5-11, #4 Europe)
wk08 vs Conyers Condors (2007: 9-7, Fumblin' Justin re-match)
wk09 at Bordeaux Vineyards (2007: 6-10, #3 Europe)
wk10 at Orlando Knights (2007 4-12, Dutch Bowl III)
wk11 at Gothenburg Giants (2007: 9-7, #2 Europe)
wk12 vs Asheville Axemen (2007: 7-9, Thad Pilkington game)
wk13 vs San Antonio Volunteers (2007: 12-4, AOC semi finalists)
wk14 at Miami Sharks (2007: 10-6, division champs)
wk15 vs Bordeaux Vineyards (2007: 6-10, #3 Europe)
wk16 vs Springfield Isotopes (2007: 4-12, Leonard Lyon game)
wk17 vs Paris Musketeers (2007: 5-11, #4 Europe)