Continental Football League - The Dynasty

[fantastic flying froggies]

Some interesting facts and tidbits :

- El Paso has clinched its division
- El Paso is as streaky as they come. This season, they have gone 5-0 then 0-4 then 5-0. Does anybody see a trend here?
- Atlantic City has finally ended their record losing streak at 10, and upsett their division leader while doing it too.
- New current longest losing streak is held by Seattle, with 7 straight losses.
- Boise holds the current longest winning streak, with 7 consecutive wins.
- Despite a 4-10 record, Tampa Bay has the 8th best defense (points scored against). The offense is fully to blame for this year's debacle.
- 8 teams in the top 10 come from the Western Conference.
- Memphis is currently the lowest ranked team (#14)that would make the playoffs, as of today's standings.
- Anchorage moves up 5 spots after demolishing Seattle.


And now your rankings!

Rank Prev wk Team  Record Points
1 (1) Honolulu (11-3) 126
2 (2) Boise  (11-3) 121
3 (4) Santa Cruz (11-3) 117
4 (5) Durham  (10-4) 99
5 (3) Tucson  (10-3-1)95
6 (7) El Paso  (10-4) 87
7 (12) Anchorage (9-5) 72
8 (6) Hartford (9-5) 67
9 (13) Sacramento (9-5) 56
10 (8) Oregon  (8-6) 51
11 (9) Detroit  (9-5) 50
12 (10) Baltimore (8-6) 41
13 (11) Charleston (8-6) 39
14 (16) Memphis  (8-6) 23
15 (18) New York (7-7) 18
16 (14) Denver  (7-7) 8
17 (20) Cleveland (7-7) 7
18 (15) New Orleans (7-7) 1
19 (22) Chicago  (6-8) -3
20 (17) San Antonio (6-8) -7
21 (24) Fargo  (6-8) -8
22 (19) Boston  (6-8) -12
23 (21) Albany  (6-8) -31
24 (23) Hunington Beach (5-9) -42
25 (27) Tampa Bay (4-10) -54
26 (25) Arizona  (4-9-1) -55
27 (30) Shreveport (3-10-1)-70
28 (26) Tulsa  (4-10) -73
29 (29) Las Vegas (4-10) -76
30 (31) Atlantic City (4-10) -85
31 (28) Long Beach (3-10-1)-92
32 (32) Seattle  (2-12) -132

Ideal best score : 192 pts
Ideal worst score : -192 pts

[fantastic flying froggies]

As we head into the final week of the regular season, here are your FFF team rankings!

Up of the week: Boston, up 3.
Down of the week: Cleveland, down 4

Code:

Ranking Prev. week Team Record Pts 1 (1) Honolulu (12-3) 123 2 (4) Durham (11-4) 102 3 (5) Tucson (11-3-1) 99 4 (3) Santa Cruz (11-4) 90 5 (2) Boise (11-4) 84 6 (7) Anchorage (10-5) 75 7 (8) Hartford (10-5) 72 8 (6) El Paso (10-5) 57 9 (11) Detroit (10-5) 55 10 (10) Oregon (9-6) 53 11 (9) Sacramento (9-6) 28 12 (14) Memphis (9-6) 25 13 (15) New York (8-7) 24 14 (13) Charleston (8-7) 17 15 (12) Baltimore (8-7) 14 16 (16) Denver (8-7) 12 17 (18) New Orleans (8-7) 6 18 (20) San Antonio (7-8) 2 19 (22) Boston (7-8) -4 20 (19) Chicago (7-8) -4 21 (17) Cleveland (7-8) -19 22 (24) Huntington Beach (6-9) -35 23 (21) Fargo (6-9) -40 24 (25) Tampa Bay (5-10) -44 25 (23) Albany (6-9) -53 26 (26) Arizona (4-10-1) -74 27 (28) Tulsa (4-11) -95 28 (27) Shreveport (3-11-1) -96 29 (29) Las Vegas (4-11) -98 30 (30) Atlantic City (4-11) -106 31 (31) Long Beach (3-11-1) -112 32 (32) Seattle (2-13) -155

Ideal best score: 201 pts
Worst possible score: -203 pts

[fantastic flying froggies]

a report from our inside source Baron Von Doom

Rumor around Detroit is that QB Mathias will sit the game out this week. Freddie was dinged up in last week's game at Arizona and with the playoffs coming up, Freddie will probably rest his knee and watch the game from the sidelines.

The Vampires are set to host the Chicago Hitman in a classic Great Lakes division duel. If the rumor is true, Willard Collins would get the start, his first ever as a pro player in the CFL.

[MrBug708]

Good job

[flere-imsaho]

Last game of the season. Will Boston end up 8-8 for the 3rd year in a row? Will we sneak into the playoffs?

[fantastic flying froggies]

Hello folks, here are your last FFF team rankings for this regular season 2005.

To no-one's surprise, the best team in the regular season, ie the #1 ranked team, is clearly Honolulu and they will surely be the team to beat on the road to CFL Bowl III. Honolulu was never ranked any lower than 3rd this season and were ranked #1 7 out 14 weeks. Congrats to the Blue Pacific!

At the other end of the spectrum, the Goat of the Year award goes to Seattle, finishing 2-14 for a #32 ranking. The ThunderBirds were never able to reach better than #26 and were ranked dead last 8 weeks out of 14.

Without further ado, here are your rankings:

Rank	Prev. week	Team	Record			Points
1	1	Honolulu	13	-	3	138
2	2	Durham	12	-	4	115
3	3	Tucson	12	-	3-1	111
4	5	Boise	12	-	4	101
5	6	Anchorage	11	-	5	87
6	4	Santa Cruz	11	-	5	78
7	9	Detroit	11	-	5	67
8	7	Hartford	10	-	6	59
9	11	Sacramento	10	-	6	43
10	10	Oregon	9	-	7	39
11	8	El Paso	10	-	6	38
12	13	New York	9	-	7	37
13	16	Denver	9	-	7	28
14	17	New Orleans	9	-	7	16
15	12	Memphis	9	-	7	10
16	19	Boston	8	-	8	7
17	14	Charleston	8	-	8	3
18	15	Baltimore	8	-	8	-2
19	18	San Antonio	7	-	9	-14
20	20	Chicago	7	-	9	-18
21	23	Fargo	7	-	9	-28
22	24	Tampa Bay	6	-	10	-29
23	21	Cleveland	7	-	9	-34
24	25	Albany	7	-	9	-35
25	22	Huntington Beach	6	-	10	-49
26	28	Shreveport	4	-	11-1	-81
27	26	Arizona	4	-	11-1	-92
28	31	Long Beach	4	-	11-1	-94
29	27	Tulsa	4	-	12	-107
30	29	Las Vegas	4	-	12	-112
31	30	Atlantic City	4	-	12	-117
32	32	Seattle	2	-	14	-166

Best possible score: 213 points
Worse possible score: -215 points

Note: Division winners are bolded, and wild cards are in blue.


Note2: I played around with the idea of giving bonus points to playoff teams but finally decided against it. These rankings are for the regular season only and after all, it's not necessarily the best 12 teams that make the playoffs. It's only a matter of being in the right place at the right time...(case in point, Frogman whose team Sacramento failed to reach the playoffs despite a 10-6 record and being ranked #9, will have to watch the playoffs on TV in lovely Quebec...)

[fantastic flying froggies]

Final division rankings:

Atlantic: 86 pts
Ring of Cold: 60 pts
Ring of Fire: 45 pts
Yankee: -14 pts
Great Lakes: -20 pts
San Andreas: -23 pts
Cavalry: -68 pts
Deep South: -69 pts

The Atlantic division thus confirms its reputation as the toughest division in the CFL.

[Fonzie]

Wild Card Round Results:

New Orleans Breakers 14, Memphis Express 17
Anchorage Unknown 16, Santa Cruz Privateers 13
New York Empire 13, Hartford Attack 27
Tucson Toros 23, El Paso Rockets 17

Congratulations to the victors! Now we're up to the Divisional Round, which looks like this:

Hartford Attack at Detroit Vampires
Anchorage Unknown at Honolulu Blue Pacific
Memphis Express at Durham Bulldogs
Tucson Toros at Boise City Stampede

Good luck to all!

[wade moore]

2006 CFL Draft Review
Note: These ratings are as seen by FOF

Tampa Bay: A+
Hartford:  A
Honolulu:  A-
New Orleans:  A-
Shreveport:  A-
Santa Cruz:  B+
Sacramento:  B+
Tulsa:  B+
El Paso: B
Boise:  B
Arizona: B 
Albany:  B
Tucson:  B
Detroit:  B
Baltimore: B 
Durham: B- 
Memphis:  B-
Anchorage:  B-
Atlantic City:  B-
Portland:  B-
Chicago:  B-
San Antonio:  B-  
Boston:  B-
Long Beach:  C+  
Charleston:  C+
Denver:  C+
Hunington Beach:  C+
New York City:  C+
Las Vegas:  C+
Seattle:  C
Cleveland:  C
Fargo:  C-

Besides the obvious here, the thing that stuck out to me is that Seattle had the worst record last year, and picked 1st in every round except for 3 and 4 (had two picks in round 3 though)... That does not look good for them...

[Taco]

The 2006 season is almost here and it's time for some division previews...


Memphis Express, Owner: GoldenEagle
2005 results:
- 9-7 regular season
- Won wild card game vs. New Orleans, 17-14
- Won divisional game vs. Durham, 17-14
- Lost Eastern Conference finals vs. Detroit, 27-28

Offense: The offense is based around the passing game with Mr. Consistent, QB Joshua Urrutia. Memphis has a big question mark at RB where last year's backup, Riddick Dole, is expected to start. Grade: B-

Defense: The only play-maker on this side of the ball is DE Horace Williams. Williams is tied for 3rd in career sacks with 33.5. Grade: C+

Special Teams: WR John Parsley continues to be the most dangerous kick returner in the league, having returned 4 kickoffs for TDs over the past 3 seasons. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 6-10, The Express just didn't do enough in the offseason to remain competitive.


New Orleans Breakers, Owner: backbreakers
2005 results:
- 9-7 regular season
- Lost wild card game vs. Memphis, 17-14

Offense: The Breakers' offense has talent at all positions. Their 1st round draft choice, TE Corey Francis, should be able to contribute right away in both the passing and running games. Look for QB Randolph Kranz to have a breakout season. Grade: A-

Defense: CB Forest Wheeler was a smart free agent pickup, but New Orleans still lacks depth at CB. The rest of the defense is solid, led by 5'10", 230 lb. LB Don Byer, who has 226 solo tackles and 84 assists over the past two seasons. Grade: B

Special Teams: K Eliseo Frame was 1st team all-league in 2005, and P Chris Elswick is still punting in his 17th season. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 11-5, This team should improve for the 4th straight year and could go far in the playoffs.


San Antonio Stingers, Owner: Shooter
2005 results: 7-9 regular season

Offense: Age is a concern for this offense with RB Chester Brumley (age 34) and QB Joaquin Luster (age 37). If Luster struggles early, 1st round pick QB Eddie Crawford could get thrown into the lineup soon. Grade: C+

Defense: If the Stingers could clone SS Michael Hubbard a few times they'd be ok, but for now they will allow their other young DBs to struggle for a season or two before they reach their potential. Grade: C

Special Teams: Last year's 5th round draft pick, K Alfred Luzar, made 84.8% of his field goals, including 6 in one game against Sacramento in a 32-29 Stingers overtime victory. Grade: C

Overall season outlook: 5-11, This team went 1-7 over the 2nd half of 2005 and the struggles will continue this season.


Shreveport Pride, Owner: Raven Hawk
2005 results: 4-11-1 regular season

Offense: WR Pedro Lopez was brought in to give young QB Douglas Hartman a consistent possession receiver. However, the Pride's offense is based around RB Weldon Rayburn who quietly rushed for 1328 yards last year with a 4.51 average. Grade: B+

Defense: Shreveport's defense is a young, talented group who should keep them competitive in every game. Last year's #1 overall selection, DT Jerald Barber is living up to his high expectations, and playing behind him is MLB Joshua Mask who is 2nd in the league in career tackles. Grade: A

Special Teams: Kicker Carson Blume really struggled late last year, only making 4 out of his last 12 field goal attempts. WR Juan Batchelor is a decent kick returner while rookie WR Ernie Sutton was drafted to return punts. Grade: C

Overall season outlook: 9-7, This team is a lock to improve on last year's performance.

[Taco]

Detroit Vampires, Owner: fantastic flying froggies
2005 results:
- 11-5 regular season
- Bye in wild card round
- Won divisional game vs. Hartford, 29-23
- Won Eastern Conference finals vs. Memphis, 28-27
- Lost CFL Bowl III vs. Honolulu, 14-19

Offense: QB Freddie Mathias has come a long way from his 33 interception season of 2003. Since then he has a 23-13 record as a starter, including the playoffs. Losing WR John Gunter in free agency will hurt, but what this offense really needs is a running game to take the pressure off of Mathias and the passing game. Grade: B

Defense: The defense has good depth, but no true superstars. The closest thing to a superstar is FS Michael Dustin who tied the team record with 6 INTs last season. Grade: B+

Special Teams: WR Harold Infante is a dangerous kick returner, returning one for a TD in the regular season against Honolulu, but coming up empty in the CFL Bowl. Grade: B

Overall season outlook: 11-5, Detroit will once again be one of the league's top teams.


Albany Crows, Owner: thater
2005 results: 7-9 regular season

Offense: It will be up to a pair of rookies, WR Cary Wheeler (1.26) and RB Rob West (2.10) to carry this offense. The sooner they learn the system the better. Grade: B-

Defense: CB Sedrick Boyd has matured into a solid starter after being a 3rd round pick two years ago, but Boyd doesn't have an adequate counterpart on the other side of the field. NT Kendrick Gunn, last year's #1 pick, is still improving and could be a name we hear a lot about this season. Grade: C+

Special Teams: Last year the punting average was only 36.5, the field goal percentage was only 75%. Hopefully rookie WR Wheeler will bring some explosiveness to the return game. Grade: D+

Overall season outlook: 5-11, Albany is a young team (14 rookies and 10 2nd year players signed to their roster) who is a few years away from being competitive again.


Chicago Hitmen, Owner: dberner30
2005 results: 7-9 regular season

Offense: No team has a better offensive line than the Hitmen, especially at the center and guard positions. That line was the reason why RB Arthur Brady was the league MVP last year with 1888 rushing yards. Grade: A

Defense: Chicago made a good move when they traded with Tulsa to pick up CB Graig Beaton (14 INTs in 3 seasons). Even with Beaton wearing a Chicago uniform this season, they still have a lack of depth there which will hurt them. Grade: B-

Special Teams: This is an average unit. Punter Nolan Grooms is very dependable and was a good pickup last year from Honolulu. Grade: B-

Overall season outlook: 10-6, Now that this is QB Sanford Hardesty's 2nd year in the offense this team can really take off.


Cleveland Flats, Owner: TheLionKing
2005 results: 7-9 regular season

Offense: Toothpick Lang, 2005 offensive rookie of the year, will be the main ball carrier behind a good offensive line. The big problem is that Cleveland does not have a QB. Wesley Jones and Norm Rayburn split the duties last season, but neither is a long term solution. Grade: C

Defense: The unit's only standout is SS Elijah Roy (all-league 1st team in 2005). However, the team would be better off if Roy didn't have to make so many tackles. Grade: D

Special Teams: Nothing too exciting here - just an ok punter and kicker along with no proven names in the return game. Grade: C-

Overall season outlook: 3-13, The Flats are in salary cap trouble which prevented them from doing anything to help the team this offseason. Historically this team has won more games than expected, so it will be interesting to see if that pattern holds true again this season.

[Taco]

Durham Bulldogs, Owner: Taco
2005 results:
- 12-4 regular season
- Bye in wild card round
- Lost divisional game to Memphis, 14-17

Offense: Last year the Bulldogs ran the ball heavily, with 1159 rushing yards from Stephen Metz (Jeeber, remember him?) and 490 rushing yards from QB Edward Kimber. The passing game may receive a spark from 1st round pick, WR Michael Browning, who is a superb athlete but may not have the size (5'8") to make it in the CFL. Grade: B

Defense: This unit was remarkable last season, only allowing 13 points per game which was the lowest in the league. However, both starting safeties were allowed to leave during free agency (SS Matthew Clarkson to Oregon and FS Don Grider to Las Vegas) and will be replaced by Tony Cook and Melvin Newson. Grade: B-

Special Teams: Durham drafted punter Scott Owens from Colorado to challenge 16th year punter Grady Strawser. Kicker John Snell is one of the best at putting kickoffs in the endzone. Grade: B

Overall season outlook: 8-8, Durham didn't make any significant moves during the offseason and their performance could regress this season.


Charleston Monitors, Owner: JJ Smitty
2005 results: 8-8 regular season

Offense: Soon after QB Timothy Gordon retired as a true legend of the game, the Monitors traded for QB Landon Hurst who won the league championship MVP in 2003. Joining him as a new name in the backfield will be RB Joseph Beavers, a 2-time 1000-yard rusher. Grade: A-

Defense: SS Chris Haugh was signed away from division rival Tampa Bay, and he just adds one more big name to the defense that was the league's toughest in 2004. Injured LB Charles Crowder will make $750,000 this season while he rehabs his knee, but could be a factor next year. Grade: A-

Special Teams: The only punter on the roster is an undrafted rookie, while the kicker has only attempted 6 field goals in his career (and made 4 of them). Grade: D

Overall season outlook: 10-6, The city of Charleston is expecting a return to greatness after last year's disappointing season.


Baltimore Bombers, Owner: 3ric
2005 results: 8-8 regular season

Offense: Baltimore's biggest offseason move was signing RB Jonathan Sill (FA from Albany) who has 2800+ yards rushing over past 2 seasons. He will run behind a very good offensive line who got even better when the Bombers selected RT Horace Poston out of Syracuse with their 1st round draft pick. Grade: B+

Defense: The Bombers have an average defense combined with 2 superstars: DT David Specht and SS Earnest Pettiford. CB Rico Turnbull started 15 games in his rookie season last year and looks like a great value for a late 2nd round draft pick. Grade: B-

Special Teams: Baltimore upgraded their kicker when they dumped Louis Tubbs for Jared Lackey, the kicker for New York for the past 3 seasons. Grade: C+

Overall season outlook: 9-7, The Bombers need to get off to a fast start to erase the memories of their 4-game losing streak that took them from 8-4 to 8-8 last season.


Tampa Bay Torpedoes, Owner: wademoore
2005 results: 6-10 regular season

Offense: The offense received most of the blame for last year's disappointing season. Tampa Bay addressed this issue by signing two veteran tackles, LT Paul Emery and RT Joel Cheeks, paying out over $16M in signing bonuses and salary this season. Grade: C+

Defense: This group has so many big names that you don't even know where to begin. Should you talk about the defensive line and guys like Bob McCalla and Albert Poole? Or should you talk about the linebackers and guys like Scott Greico and Larry Williams? Or should you talk about the secondary and guys like Adolph Means and Benjamin Montalvo. Suffice it to say that they are all good. Grade: A

Special Teams: Kicker Felton Cooper had a solid season despite one streak where he only made 2 of 7 field goals. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 10-6, Tampa Bay won 4 out of its last 5 last year, including wins against Detroit, Charleston, and Baltimore. This year they are due to flip their record around.

[Taco]

Hartford Attack, Owner: Masked
2005 results:
- 10-6 regular season
- Won wild card game against New York, 27-13
- Lost divisional game to Detroit, 23-29

Offense: QB James Oberg put up amazing numbers in 2005: 4506 passing yards with 34 TDs and 11 INTs for a rating of 97.1. He threw at least one TD pass in every single game, and he had 6 games where he threw for over 350 yards. RB Toby Radke will do his best to provide some balance to the offense so that they don't become too one-dimensional. Grade: A-

Defense: Hartford has one of the deepest secondaries in the league. Their leader in the defensive backfield is Damon Freeman, a 5th round draft pick two years ago who has blossomed into a fan favorite and a quality starter. Grade: A-

Special Teams: Kicker J.C. Richmond doubled as the punter for 6 games last season and did surprisingly well, averaging 38.2 yards per punt. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 11-5, No one, except for CFL champion Honolulu, scored more points last year than the Attack. Look for more of the same this season.


New York Knights, Owner: Noisaddct
2005 results:
- 9-7 regular season
- Lost wild card game to Hartford, 13-27

Offense: In the offseason New York traded away 2 first round draft picks in exchange for WR Douglas Cowley. Cowley is expected to return punts and kickoffs in addition to being the #1 target of QB Kim Pace. Protecting Pace are an outstanding pair of tackles, Davis and Lukas, who only allowed a total of 3 sacks last season. Grade: B

Defense: The Knights paid big bucks for DE Jerrold Moton two seasons ago, and in each of those seasons he has racked up double digit sack totals. He will need to continue to get a consistent pass rush to make life easier for New York's young cornerbacks. The team has 5 cornerbacks on the roster and none of them have played more than 1 season in the league. Grade: B-

Special Teams: Cowley should be a quality return man. Undrafted rookie kicker Jerry Baxter has been handed the kicking duties and that should be a concern. Grade: C+

Overall season outlook: 7-9, New York has 10 undrafted rookies on the 51 man roster which sounds like trouble. They also need an upgrade at the running back position. Don't expect to see them back in the playoffs this year.


Boston Panthers, Owner: flere-imsaho
2005 results: 8-8 regular season (3rd year in a row)

Offense: Boston made headlines when they traded away RB William Sheehan (1618 rushing yards with 13 TDs in 2005). Sheehan has been replaced with RB Rodger Rubenstein who is the CFL's career rushing TD leader with 29. Rubenstein will run behind a powerful offensive line, and he'll need it at age 32. Grade: B

Defense: In exchange for Sheehan the Panthers got extremely talented DE Ralph Crank from Santa Cruz. Crank is the only quality player in Boston's front 7. On paper this defense looks weak. Grade: C

Special Teams: You've got a love a punter named Brock Lightfoot. Lightfoot is expected to be adequate, as is kicker Joe Lynch. However, the team doesn't have anyone for returning punts or kickoffs. Grade: C

Overall season outlook: 7-9, At least it's not 8-8. The Panthers should be able to control the clock with their offensive line, but they don't have a good enough defense to stop the top offenses like division opponent Hartford.


Atlantic City Phantoms, Owner: General Mike
2005 results: 4-12 regular season

Offense: Atlantic City had the worst offense in the league in 2005, only scoring 178 total points (compared to 420 by Honolulu). They made a move to get better this offseason by trading for WR Coleman Parr from New York (1043 receiving yards with 7 TDs in 2005). However, they desperately need a QB to replace last year's starter Joel Razo. Razo finished the season with 2 TDs and 23 INTs for a rating of only 39.8. Grade: D+

Defense: The Phantoms had the #2 overall pick in this year's draft and took CB Willie Golalic out of Penn State with that pick. Golalic will start from opening day and is the pre-season favorite for defensive rookie of the year. The best defensive player on the team is still DE Seth Keller, who rebounded from a 3.5 sack season in 2004 with a 13.5 sack season in 2005. Grade: B

Special Teams: Punter Andrew Haire had to punt 118 times last year (over 7 times per game) and only averaged 38 yards per punt. Grade: C+

Overall season outlook: 3-13, The Phantoms lost 11 out of their last 12 games and this year doesn't look any brighter.

[Taco]

Santa Cruz Privateers, Owner: Fastcat
2005 results:
- 11-5 regular season
- Lost wild card game to Anchorage, 13-16

Offense: In their playoff loss to Anchorage, Santa Cruz rushed 26 times for only 73 yards (2.8 yds/rush). They made a big move to prevent that from happening again when they traded with Boston for RB William Sheehan. Sheehan filled the most obvious hole on the team, and now there isn't a weak link in this offense. Grade: A-

Defense: Many felt FS David Visser deserved some awards last season after he intercepted 10 passes. Perhaps he was looked over because he's the 3rd best safety on this team, behind studs Pitman and Bird. Losing DE Crank (traded in the Sheehan deal) will hurt, but this defense is still looking good. Grade: A-

Special Teams: Kicker Brady Stiehl missed two extra points last year but did connect on 85% of his field goals. Sheehan is a quality punt returner. Grade: B

Overall season outlook: 12-4, Santa Cruz was 11-3 last year before losing their last two regular season games and then losing the next week in the wild card round. This year they should learn from that experience and make it to the CFL Bowl.


Sacramento Dragons, Owner: FrogMan
2005 results: 10-6 regular season

Offense: Sacramento picked up all-league WR Mikel Rice from Honolulu. Rice had 83 receptions for 1216 yards and 6 TDs last year when catching passes from Ronnie Tu. Now he'll be catching them from Seymour Barre who signed a renegotiated contact for $51.67M over 6 years, the highest total dollar amount of any player this season. Grade: A

Defense: The Dragons' defense is very deep, and they should be able to play a lot of different players to keep everyone fresh. Their biggest name is CB Paul Stith who had 5 INTs in 2005. Grade: A-

Special Teams: Kicker Branden Eastman had a quality season in 2005 and is unchallenged for the kicker job this year. Grade: B

Overall season outlook: 11-5, The Dragons are hungry for a playoff berth after missing the playoffs with a 10-6 record last year. This is a dangerous team that has the talent to beat anyone.


Huntington Beach Capitalists, Owner: Castlerock
2005 results: 6-10 regular season

Offense: Jesus Dennis threw 28 INTs in his two seasons in Atlantic City, and then threw 30 INTs last season alone. This included a game against Santa Cruz where he went 10-34 for 98 yards and 5 INTs. Despite the stats he was given a $4 million signing bonus to continue to throw the ball. Grade: C-

Defense: The defense is the strength of the team, particularly the secondary. The four starters (Seawright, Unknow, Luck, and Gourley) are all between the ages of 30-34, but they can still play the game. Grade: B

Special Teams: WR Otto Perry returned a punt for a TD last year which was the difference in a 28-21 victory over Memphis. Grade: B

Overall season outlook: 5-11, The team is in good shape salary cap wise and could make a big splash next year in free agency.


Long Beach Calibri, Owner: Daedalus
2005 results: 4-11-1 regular season

Offense: QB Rodney Darr has joined Long Beach, his 3rd team in 3 years. Darr's cap cost in only $2 million, which is a bargain for a guy who threw for 3900+ yards and even won a playoff game last year. He will line up behind C Robbie Sutton, the best center in the CFL. Grade: B-

Defense: Defensive front leader Hollis Beardsley was given the franchise tag and later signed to a 3-year contact. This might be the last year for starting cornerbacks Kubiak and Poole, who have a combined 29 years of experience. Grade: B

Special Teams: WR Carl Schwartz returned both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown last year. The punt was a game winner against division foe Santa Cruz in the season finale, as Long Beach won 13-9. Grade: A-

Overall season outlook: 6-10, The Calibri have an improved passing game this year, but still need to work on the running game.

[JeeberD]

We want the Cavalry! We want the Cavalry! We want the Cavary!

[Doug5984]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

We want the Cavalry! We want the Cavalry! We want the Cavary!

I agree!

We want the Cavalry! We want the Cavalry! We want the Cavary!

Tulsa- This is our year

[Taco]

The Cavalry Division is on deck!

[Taco]

Boise City Stampede, Owner: timmynausea
2005 results:
- 12-4 regular season
- Bye in wild card round
- Won divisional game against Tucson, 20-17
- Lost Western Conference finals vs. Honolulu, 6-31

Offense: Boise's pair of talented WRs (Terrance Ryan and Abe Muncy) are back for another season, and the team added more depth at the position in the draft with Vinny Sims (1.29) and Cybersleuth Pritchett (4.26). Add in receivers leader Clement Pelfrey and you've got the most talented set of WRs in the league. Grade: B+

Defense: The Stampede added two impact players to an already solid defense when they signed free agent DE Brian O'Connell ($8M signing bonus) and when they traded for CB Craig Jiles (all-league 1st team). Also, SS Edgar Raymond (the team's 1st round pick in 2005) was voted defensive rookie of the year with 5 INTs and 2 TDs in 2005. Grade: A-

Special Teams: Rookie kicker Conrad Fisher made 18 out of his last 19 field goals last season. WR Terrance Ryan returned a punt for a TD last year against Baltimore in a 20-17 victory. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 11-5, This team definitely has the talent to be a contender for the CFL title this year. Last year they won their first playoff game in franchise history but the following week had their worst half of the year in the Western Conference Championships when they fell behind 24-0 to Honolulu.


Anchorage Renegades, Owner: vexroid
2005 results:
- 11-5 regular season
- Won wild card game against Santa Cruz, 16-13
- Lost divisional game to Honolulu, 9-20

Offense: 32 year old QB Guy Dendy is the starter even though he has only thrown 3 passes in his career. Anchorage likes his athletic ability and his ability to throw on the run. This team an interesting set of skills, and they might use more double TE sets this year to take advantage of Andrew Bidwell and James Robertson. Grade: B-

Defense: The Renegades traded for LB Johnie Nobles from Boise for a pair of draft picks but has been unable to sign him to a long term deal. He joins a strong defensive front led by superstar DE Casey Bousquet, a 3-time all-league selection with 38.5 career sacks. The biggest hole in this defense is at the cornerback position. Grade: B

Special Teams: Punter Billy Wentland (5th round draft pick) is still unsigned and may be losing his chance to make a CFL roster. Grade: C+

Overall season outlook: 7-9, The loss of QB Rodney Darr to Long Beach hurt, but if Dendy steps up then this team could sneak into the playoffs.


Oregon Ice, Owner: Grid Iron
2005 results: 9-7 regular season

Offense: Oregon fans had to say bye to the backfield that won the 2003 CFL championship. QB Landon Hurst was traded to Charleston and RB Roger Rubenstein was designated the franchise player, released, and finally signed with Boston. The new backfield consists of QB Maurice Brown and RB Teddy Woodard who are not the same caliber players as Hurst and Rubenstein. Grade: C

Defense: Once again Oregon selected a bust with their first round pick. This year it was CB Austin Mallard who has a long way to go before he gets playing time, if he ever does. The team also drafted 3 DEs to plan for the future since their two starters are 33 and 34. Grade: C+

Special Teams: The Ice have drafted special teamers well, as punter Jay Shehee and kicker Craig Schanding are among the best in the league. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 5-11, The mighty have fallen and it is now time to rebuild in Oregon.


Seattle Thunderbirds, Owner: Aylmar
2005 results: 2-14 regular season

Offense: Charles Dever had a great first game back from his season ending injury last year: 12-15 for 160 yards and 1 TD. This year he'll have a running back behind him named The Polish Express. Burt Liszkiewicz was drafted 1st overall out of UNLV and is the complete package of speed, power, intelligence, hands, and he can return kicks too. Grade: B

Defense: The Thunderbirds' defense has a few quality players, but not much depth at all. An injury to this unit could really cause problems. Last year's 1st round pick, FS Ernest Cobb, is a big hitter in the secondary who forced 2 fumbles and intercepted 5 passes in his rookie season. Grade: D+

Special Teams: Liszkiewicz has the talent to be the most dangerous kick returner in the league. Punter Calvin El Nino improved his average up to a respectable 41.3 yards/punt last season. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 5-11, Seattle is headed in the right direction. A few more playmakers on defense and this team will be able to climb the rankings.

[Taco]

El Paso Rockets, Owner: JeeberD
2005 results:
- 10-6 regular season
- lost wild card game to Tucson, 17-23

Offense: 335 lb. offensive tackle Kenneth Claypoole had a sensational year in 2005. He was on the field for 477 pass plays and did not allow a single sack. The quarterback that he will be protecting this season is... Well, it's either Ernest Lorenzo or Dustin Hayes. Both guys are young and have not yet reached their potential, and they will continue to compete against each other with mutual benefit. Grade: B

Defense: The Rockets used their 1st round draft pick to select DE Damon Young, who team scouts believe isn't any better than 3rd round selection DT Bart DiStefano. These guys will make the team as backups and their role will be to motivate the starters to play up to their ability. Starter Pierre Hinson has the skills to be a dominate force on the D-Line, but he has not put up the monster numbers that he is capable of. Grade: B

Special Teams: The search for a kicker continues. After 2nd round draft pick Dexter Collett was released along with undrafted rookie Kelly Upton, the Rockets signed Eddie Spires who kicked for Memphis last year. Grade: C

Overall season outlook: 9-7, El Paso started out a surprising 5-0 last year, then fell to 5-4, then rose to 10-4, before losing their last two regular season games and their playoff game in overtime. Expect a lot of close games again this year.


Denver Dynomite, Owner: varacel
2005 results: 9-7 regular season

Offense: Denver traded two 1st round picks (2006 and 2007) to Hartford to obtain WR Curtis Plotkin. They also picked up veteran WR John Gunter via free agency. These two will be the new targets for 2nd year QB Marcus Garibaldi. Garibaldi went 2-1 as a starter last year including a 4 TD performance against El Paso in the last game of the regular season. Grade: B-

Defense: SS Jack Upshaw was given the franchise tag after intercepting a team record 7 passes last year. He is now signed through 2010. Last year's #2 overall selection, CB Joel Sanderson, is just one other standout on a very tough defense. Grade: A-

Special Teams: All of the Dynomite receivers can return kicks and kicker Gary Hutchins is very accurate even though he doesn't have the strongest leg in the league. Grade: A-

Overall season outlook: 8-8, Garibaldi is too much of an unknown at quarterback to predict anything better than an 8-8 record.


Fargo Boxcars, Owner: MC
2005 results: 7-9 regular season

Offense: The offense now belongs to Dwayne Bridges who threw the ball 647 times last year, including 3 games where he had more than 50 attempts. His career day was against New York in week 14 where he went 24-42 for 458 yards and 3 TDs, including the game winning TD pass with 18 seconds left. The team is very impressed with 3rd round draft pick TE Leon Witt and he may steal some playing time from Delbert Lonergan. Grade: C+

Defense: CB Ismael Edwards was signed as a free agent and will immediately start at the right CB position. LB Jeffrey Weinstein was designated the team's franchise player and will earn a $4.6 million salary this year. Overall the defense lacks a real disruptive player. Grade: B-

Special Teams: WR Jamison Reynolds handles the kick return duties while WR James Doney (along with CB Edwards) returns the punts. Any of these guys can talk one back all the way. Grade: A-

Overall season outlook: 9-7, Bridges should be able to carry this team as long as the offensive line gives him a little bit of time. If the offensive line doesn't play well then Fargo doesn't have a chance of reaching this prediction.


Tulsa Talons, Owner: Doug5984
2005 results: 4-12 regular season

Offense: There have been some stories that RBs Butch Fulton and Monty Boyd aren't happy about splitting duties running the ball, but don't expect the conflict to have a major effect on their performance. Both have been 1,000 yard rushers in the past and either one can do it again. Tulsa may allow QB Donnie Lowe to open it up and air it out more this year, but they'd be best to stay with what they do best and that's run the ball. Grade: B+

Defense: LB Nickolas Snodgrass won the defensive player of the year award in 2005 after a 111 tackle/12 sack season. Behind him is an underrated secondary with CB Damon Jankowski and safeties Desmond Ward and Seymour Horgan. Grade: A-

Special Teams: The Talons have two of the leagues best specialists: punter Earle Cabral and kicker Joseph Dunford. Dunford is in his 17th season while Cabral is the youngster in his 14th year. Grade: A

Overall season outlook: 10-6, Yes, that's right. I predict that the Tulsa Talons will win the Cavalry Division title this year despite having a 12-36 franchise record in their 3 year history. The rebuilding phase is over and it's time to win some games.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Taco

Overall season outlook: 6-10, The Calibri have an improved passing game this year, but still need to work on the running game.

The pathetic part of that (quite correct) assessment, of course, is that I've been trying to build a running team.

Meh!

[Taco]

Honolulu Blue Pacific, Owner: MrBug708
2005 results:
- 13-3 regular season
- Bye in wild card round
- Won divisional game against Anchorage, 20-9
- Won Western Conference finals against Boise, 31-6
- Won CFL Bowl III against Detroit, 19-14

Offense: Honolulu won the CFL championship by having an offense that no one could stop. They averaged 26 points per game (best in the league). Their stars are back again for 2006: QB Ronnie Tu (4443 passing yards, 31 TDs, 10 INTs, 98.5 rating) and RB Colin Sonkin (1285 rushing yards, 4.5 average, 7 TDs). Grade: A

Defense: The secondary has 4 outstanding starters, but the backups are very poor. If there is an injury here it will make a big difference in how the whole defense performs. Also, if there is a weakness on this team it is the defensive line. The way to win games against Honolulu will probably be to run the ball and keep Ronnie Tu off of the field. Grade: B+

Special Teams: The punter this season will be undrafted rookie Orlando Johnstone, who has averaged a little under 40 yards/punt in the preseason. Grade: C+

Overall season outlook: 11-5, The offense will put up points, but the defense could be a problem. Expect a lot of shootouts and exciting games.


Tucson Toros, Owner: Fonzie
2005 results:
- 12-3-1 regular season
- Won wild card game against El Paso, 23-17
- Lost divisional game vs. Boise, 17-20

Offense: Tucson gave up two 1st round picks (1.18 and 1.30) and a 2nd round pick (2.30) to move all the way up to 1.4. With the 4th overall draft pick they selected RB Drew Holliday out of Oklahoma State. Holliday is fast and has good moves, but still has some things to improve on such as his skills in the passing game. Even as a rookie he should be a more effective player than Daryl Bradley, a former 3rd round pick who had 945 rushing yards last year. Grade: B

Defense: The addition of DE Isaiah Melo and DT Chester Reed filled in the weakest part of the defense. The overall unit doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. Last year's star was CB Keven Biggs who set a CFL record with 32 passes defended. He also returned 2 INTs for touchdowns. Grade: A-

Special Teams: The Toros don't have a dangerous return man, although Holliday may occasionally return punts. Punter Kent Eyles and kicker Rubin Castorena are both very good. Grade: B+

Overall season outlook: 11-5, This is a complete team that will once again be in the playoffs.


Arizona Outlaws, Owner: Condors
2005 results: 4-11-1 regular season

Offense: Arizona didn't bring anyone in during free agency and as a result the offense will struggle again. QB Al DeNeff started off well last year in the first 8 games (only 3 INTs and a 3-4-1 record) but then faded over the 2nd half of the season (10 INTs and a 1-7 record). He needs to rebound from that bad streak but he doesn't have much talent around him to work with. Grade: D

Defense: The secondary needed help so Arizona drafted CB Derrick Bottoms with the #6 overall pick. He's a small corner (5'7") but he has the athletic ability to become an all-league player. SS Hans Walton was an all-league player in 2005 after totaling 109 solo tackles. His total was padded due to the fact that the defensive line and linebackers missed so many tackles. Grade: C

Special Teams: Kicker Paul Stephan was signed from Charleston. CBs Bottoms and Tony Richard are both good punt returners. Grade: B

Overall season outlook: 3-13, The sequence continues... 6 wins in 2003, 5 wins in 2004, 4 wins in 2005, and now it will be 3 wins in 2006.


Las Vegas Rounders, Owner: TurfToe
2005 results: 4-12 regular season

Offense: WR Lee McDonald is on his 4th team in 4 years. He has only started 1 game over the past two years, but should start this year. On the other side of the field is WR Michael Feeney who is on his 3rd team in 4 years. He lost his starting job in Tulsa early last season. The offensive line is lacking depth, especially at the guard position. Grade: B-

Defense: Las Vegas brought in 15 new defensive players during the offseason. This list includes the #3 overall draft pick, DT Mario Ah Yat out of Miami. It also includes a pair of veteran defensive backs: CB Douglas Beesley and FS Don Grider. These two immediately make this a respectable defense. Grade: B

Special Teams: WR Feeney returned a kickoff for a touchdown last year for Tulsa in a 16-10 win over Denver. He will probably return kicks again this season. Punter Dorsey Danner was the 1st team all-league punter last year with a 43.5 average and 37 punts inside the 20. Grade: A-

Overall season outlook: 7-9, This team made the necessary moves to improve itself during the offseason, and it should pay off immediately.

[Taco]

And that concludes the 2006 division previews. The regular season begins Monday night at 10pm EST with a live play-by-play chat. Come join the fun! Details are at http://www.thecfl.net/forum/

[Taco]

The 2006 season is now complete with the Honolulu Blue Pacific winning their 2nd straight championship over the Detroit Vampires. The 2007 offseason has begun so let's get this dynasty rolling again...

3 teams signed new head coaches in the first week of the offseason:
Baltimore Bombers (3ric): Corey Tannenbaum, 1st time head coach
New Orleans Breakers (sachmo): Christian DeFelice, 1st time head coach
Boise Stampede (timmynausea): Johnnie Sutter, 38-28 career record

[Doug5984]

Free Agency Has begun, and we all now get a look at the draft class- here is my mock draft for this year:

# 1 Arizona
Alan Spearman, RB, Northern Arizona. 6-2, 225
Arizona already has a young solid QB so taking Hoffman # 1 would not be a need pick. However, they also have one of the best young RBs in the league in Arnie Sonntag. I really see Arizona either trading out of this spot or picking Spearman with the intention of trading Sonntag. Spearman is the big, fast, every-down back that any team in the league would love to have.

# 2 Memphis
Don Terrell, RB, Oregon. 5-7, 210
Memphis has a lot of needs- their biggest need right now is probably RB where they only have 1 player under contract. Terrell would step in and be the starter from day 1, he would help take pressure off of Urrutia. Hopefully for Memphis Terrell would be the piece to the puzzle they are missing to get back to their winning ways.

# 3 Cleveland
Blaine Hoffman, QB, North Dakota State. 6-3, 227
Cleveland is in trouble with the salary cap, and will most likely try to trade out of this spot. If they are stuck here I see them taking the QB, they drafted Norm Rayburn in the first round a few years back and he never panned out but Hoffman looks like a “can’t miss” prospect.

# 4 Long Beach
Clarence Lincoln, QB, Iowa. 6-3, 231
Rodney Darr is not the long term answer at QB in Long Beach, and with this being a weak draft I could see Long Beach taking the “project” QB here. Lincoln is the least ready for the CFL of all the top QBs, but with a year or two to develop his skills he could be a very solid QB in the league.

# 5 Atlantic City
Colin Sawyer, QB, Miami. 6-6, 226
Atlantic City needs a QB, Sawyer is the top QB left in the draft and also has the ability to start from day 1 if needed to. He is a big QB that can also run. In college he had some problems with throwing to many INTs, but hopefully he can fix that in the CFL.

# 6 Cleveland
Cary Delgado, DE, Missouri. 5-11, 269
With 2 picks in the top 6 Cleveland really needs to do something soon to address the salary cap situation. With their second pick look for Cleveland to address the defensive side of the ball with Delgado being their pick. Delgado is undersized for the CFL; but he has a great motor and is the best defensive player in the draft. He is not the best edge rusher but he is a great run defender.

# 7 Albany
Claude Montague, DE, Ohio State. 6-5, 287
Albany is in a position to take the best available player here- with the other 2 really good players being at TE & Safety it is likely they will go with the DE. Both of their DE’s have contracts expiring after this season so Montague could see limit playing time this year before being promoted to full time starter or he could start from day 1.

# 8 Anchorage
Maurice Griffin, DE, East Carolina. 6-2, 259
Anchorage could go either DE or DT here. Griffin and the DT Hardy are both rated very closely this will simply be which position they feel is more important. Getting a DE who is great against the run is probably what Anchorage will do here. Griffin will be able to step in day 1 and start opposite Simonton to give Anchorage a nice set of DEs.

# 9 Chicago
Derrick Ardrey, CB, Rutgers. 6-0, 209
Chicago needs another CB; and Ardrey is the best play on the board at a position of need so this pick makes the most sense. Ardrey is a big CB who is great in coverage but does not make a lot of INTs. He would most likely be a nickel back in his first season and then move up to the starting spot in a year.

# 10 San Antonio
Casey Duran, FS, Washington State. 5-11, 200
San Antonio could either go DT, or FS here- Duran is one of the best players in the draft and San Antonio would be happy to see a cant miss player like Duran fall to them at # 10. Duran would start from day 1 and would be an immediate impact on this defense.

# 11 Tulsa
Donnell Hardy, DT, Stanford. 6-1, 291
Hardy looks like a clone of Jessie Sherman, last year’s # 18 pick to Tulsa- they still need a DT, so maybe they try once again to fill that need. It is rumored that Tulsa will be switching back to the 4-3 defense so Hardy would have the opportunity to start next to Sherman. However, the team may be skeptical of picking another DT high in the draft.

# 12 Boston
Devin Hopper, CB, Utah State. 5-9, 180
Boston could use some help at the RCB spot and that is where Hopper played in college. Hopper is undersized but is very fast, and very strong. This pick makes the most sense- Boston is a run heavy team so I don’t see them using a pick this high on a QB that wont start for a year or two, then wont pass very much when he does get the chance to start.

# 13 Baltimore
Robbie Umphenour, FS, Tulane. 6-0, 208
Baltimore has a need at the FS spot, and Uphenour is the best player on the board so this pick makes sense. Uphenour is a smart and athletic FS from Tulane- he is a great coverage corner with good size. He would start from day 1 and would be an immediate impact player on Baltimore’s D.

# 14 Las Vegas
Anthony Jennings, RB, Georgia Tech. 5-10, 198
Las Vegas currently has only 1 RB on their roster- Cary Sonntag, last years fourth round pick. RB is a huge need for them and Jennings is the best player there. He would be a starter from day 1 and would help give Las Vegas a more balanced offense around Lenny Olsen.

# 15 Tampa Bay
Wes McGregor, TE, Florida. 6-3, 236
McGregor is one of the best players in the draft, and has simply fallen this far because TE is not a need position for most teams. He will be be a stud TE in the league for many years to come. Tampa Bay is in cap trouble so this is a pick that will be able to start early and not cost too much against the cap.

# 16 New Orleans
Donovan Burcky, QB, Central Connecticut. 6-0, 203
Burcky is a QB that will need atleast a year to develop but New Orleans has an aging Randolph Kranz who will be able to mentor Burcky for a year before he is handed the starting job.

# 17 Hartford
Rondell Isola, DT, UCLA. 6-1, 277
With DT Rodger Clark coming off of ACL Knee Surgery Hartford needs to start thinking about a replacement player. Isola is undersized and might make a better DE in the CFL, but Hartford needs a DT and would most likely give him a shot there.

# 18 Boston
Luke Manning, DE, Nebraska. 6-4, 274
It seems its about time to give up on Kirk Anelli and find a new DE in this draft- Luke Manning is a good sized strong and quick run stopping DE from Nebraska. He would most likely split time with Anelli this year before taking the full time starting job next season.

# 19 Hartford
Chuck Kuhlmann, SE, Louisville. 5-10, 192
Kuhlmann should be the first WR taken- and it might be a reach at 19. He is not as fast as you would like in a WR but he is solid, and can also return punts. He would be another good weapon on Hartford’s offense.

# 20 San Antonio
Earl Mills, CB, Southern University. 5-9, 190
Mills is a solid CB with good speed, he would compete for the starting job in his rookie year and should be a solid CB in the CFL for years to come.

# 21 Huntington Beach
Luther Horner, RB, Vanderbilt. 5-9, 202
Horner is another undersized RB, and would be a reach here- but Huntington Beach needs a RB very badly and Horner is the best available.

# 22 Sacramento
Les Disney, WR, Maryland. 6-4, 206
Disney is a big receiver, he is solid all around and a pretty fast player- his one draw back is he was never known to go over the middle in college. He might take some time to develop but could be a solid # 3 receiver in Sacramento.

# 23 Fargo
Burt Goodwin, RB, Buffalo. 6-1, 229
Fargo had a lot of success last season throwing the ball, if they want to be more balanced this pick would make a lot of sense. Might be a little reach for him here, but it gives them the RB they need. If they are happy throwing most the time they could go defense with this pick.

# 24 Seattle
Ted Sinclair, CB, Temple. 5-11, 192
This is a dangerous pick- Sinclair looks like he could be a bust, but Seattle really needs a CB. If he plays like he is capable he would be a great pickup for Seattle this late in the first.

# 25 Shreveport
Gilbert Penman, DT, Southern Methodist. 6-2, 274
Shreveport does not have a lot of holes to fill so that allows them to take the player they think will help them the most. Penman is an undersized DT but he is an excellent pash rusher- he could be a pass rush specialist in his first season and then work his way into the starting lineup in the future.

# 26 Boise
Blaine Stovall, FB, Mississippi. 6-1, 277
Boise really needs a FB, and while it might be a reach to pick one this high in the draft Stovall should be a great player- and would be an immediate upgrade at the position.

# 27 Chicago
Lance Crane, DE, Arizona. 6-3, 264
Chicago is another team in cap trouble right now- they will most likely look to fill a starter’s role at # 27. Crane could be that man. Crane is a great pass rusher who could either be a flop or a great player for them.

# 28 El Paso
Perry Stropka, WR, Oregon. 6-0, 206
El Paso has no real needs so they will look to pick the best player who can have an impact next year. That is a WR- Stropka would be a # 3 / # 4 reciever- but he would be another weapon for the young QB Dustin Hayes.

# 29 Tucson
Wayne Garner, MLB, Northwestern. 5-11, 243
Tucson is another team with very few holes to fill- they will simply look for the best player available and that happens to be a MLB Garner. Garner would be picked much higher but there are so many talented MLBs in the league he could fall all the way to the end of the first round.

# 30 Durham
Claude Hamblin, DE, Duke. 6-3, 254
Hamblin is another risky player he could turn out to be really good, or turn out to be nothing more than a backup. Durham has very few holes so they will also look to fill a roster spot with the best player on the board, and Hamblin is a player who could start in a season if they need him too.

# 31 Detroit
Rusty Scott, CB, Wake Forest. 5-11, 193
Detroit got hit with a major injury to their starting RB in the championship game- they will be hoping one falls to them here; or they might try to trade this pick for a RB- If they are stuck picking here and there are no RBs on the board a CB makes the most sense.

# 32 Honolulu
Kirk Hardy, FS, West New Mexico. 5-10, 201
Honolulu let their FS Paul Dover test the open market; if he chooses to sign elsewhere and Hardy falls to them Honolulu would be very happy with this pick. Finding a starter this late in the draft is always great. Also, going to a team that has won back to back championships is a nice bonus for Hardy.

Making a mock draft this early is always hard because of trades and FA signings, this is just for fun- but please feel free to say how horrible it is; and bring it up after the draft to show me how wrong I am. Also, the # 6 pick now belongs to Anchorage…I missed that trade when making the mock, and it was to late to go back and try to fix it.