[revrew]

Dragons Pre-Season Preview
Dick Grayson, sports reporter, Des Moines Register

Training camp for the Des Moines Dragons has come to a close, the NFL preseason is about to begin, and it's time for a look back at what we've learned about the all-Iowa roster.

Training camp highlights

Throughout camp, as many pundits predicted, the Dragons secondary stole the show. Veteran CBs Ashton Dodge and Mitch Wells blanketed every receiver they faced and provided key leadership in the locker room. It's clear the entire team is looking up to these two. Rookie safety Mitch Plante turned heads several times, as well, jumping routes with surprising speed and racking up INTs in multiple practices.

Tight end Kelvin Satterfield, meanwhile, was a star for the offense as both a security blanket for the QBs and a playmaker. Most importantly, the oft-injured former Cyclone has stayed healthy throughout camp.

In the trenches, veteran guard Burt Taylor has been a beast in the run game, consistently tossing the Dragons' young defensive line about like rag dolls, opening wide lanes for presumed starting RB Drake Boyette.

Training camp question marks

The biggest question, naturally, is who will quarterback this young club? Veteran journeyman Nathaniel Witt has the upper hand right now, based on his experience and his legs. Witt was the leading rusher, as a quarterback, for the Hawkeyes nine years ago, and he's still as dangerous as ever in the open field. But Witt's ceiling as a passer could leave room for competition from rookie Bart Dubord, who is more of a field general, or even Tony LaBrosse, who was also a scrambler at Iowa and may have the better arm.

And the biggest concern is the defensive line, where the Dragons boast only one player with more than a year of experience. They're green, they're unproven, and in training camp, the Dragons O-line dominated the youngsters across the ball from them.

Predictions

The NFC North represents a diverse skill set – the ballhawking secondary in Green Bay, the dominating run game behind Adam Devine in Chicago, or the passing attack in Minnesota with star QB Kris Van Pelt. Every one of these rivals tests the Dragons in areas of weakness.

It's hard to see anyone passing up Minnesota for the division crown, and the Dragons don't have the proven muscle up front to slow down Chicago. The best bet is that Des Moines will battle with Green Bay for the #3 spot, while neither looks poised yet to grab a wild card spot.