The League

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Waco Mavericks Free Agent Signing Period Review

The Waco Mavericks were fairly successful in acquiring veteran players in The League free agent signing period to further fills holes that were brought to the forefront of attention last season.

The most notable signing is defensive back Anquan Jackson. Jackson is a 25-year old Michigan alumnus who in his time last season with the New England Regulars started opposite of All-League cornerback Vonnie Treonday. He had been regarded as a decent cornerback until this past season, in which his play dramatically improved after having spent the offseason working with Treonday. Many teams were cautious of Jackson because of this, as they felt Treonday's trademark attitude, swagger, and me-first attitude may have rubbed off on Jackson as well, but the Mavs felt the corner was worth the potential trouble, signing him to a five year deal worth $30 million, with a $6 million signing bonus.

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The other free agents brought in by the Mavs weren't nearly as high-profile as Jackson, but should be useful players nevertheless. Quarterback Danny Oldham, one of Jackson's teammates with the Regulars, will also join the Mavericks, presumably as the new backup quarterback to Tommy Player after the unmitigated disaster that was the Quincy Carter experiment. Receiver Spencer Spalding was the fourth option with the San Francisco Demons; with Waco, he could potentially be the player to assume the role of #2 receiver, as veteran Austin McAllister was released just after he signed. Linebackers Bam Waller, formerly of the Calgary Hitmen, and Jessie Dills, formerly of the New York Nightmare, will provide much-needed depth in the linebacker corps and compete for starting jobs. Former Birmingham Bolts' offensive lineman Michael Lies will provide injury assurance for all positions across the line. Finally, defensive end Trevor Pederson was also added; he previously was part of the Reign defensive line rotation in Seattle.

The Mavericks' roster is now all but set for preseason play, set to begin after the completion of team minicamps which will begin later this summer.

[Blaxican8504]

Re: The League

I'm excited about the upcoming season. Go Mavericks!

[Hooe]

Re: The League

2007 Waco Mavericks Team Preview

The Waco Mavericks inaugural season got off to as fast start as the team jumped to a 4-0 record. However, poor defensive play and key injuries brought the young club back down to earth fast and hard, as they would go on to win but three of their final twelve games to finish at 7-9. After what many critics are calling a great offseason for the club, the Mavs look to get back to the winning ways that defined the franchise's first four contests.

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Postion-By-Position Analysis

Quarterbacks: Tommy Player returns to the helm for the Waco Mavericks after recovering from a broken collarbone that ended his rookie season at the midway point. The rookie passer looks to have every bit of the arm strength he did before the injury, and with a year under his belt he should continue to show improvement in his play this season.

Should Player go down again or prove not to be not fully recovered, the Mavs have a veteran option in Danny Oldham waiting in the wings. In comparison to Player, Oldham not quite as mobile and doesn't have the rocket launcher that Player does, but the lefty knows all the tricks of the trade, has excellent read-and-recognition skills, and more touch than his younger counterpart. Quincy Carter and Jeremy Lowe will battle for the third and likely final quarterback roster spot; neither was particularly impressive last season, throwing for a combined six touchdowns and fifteen interceptions in relief of Player.

Running Backs: Veteran Anthony Castle hung up his cleats in the offseason, but with the surprising rise of Stacey Hartley's level of play last season, he should not be missed. Hartley won The League Running Back of the Year award as he amassed 1,748 yards and 18 scores, while also adding 176 reception yards and two reception scores. Hartley still has his youth and is still one of the fastest running backs in The League, and is a threat to score on any given play.

Behind Hartley is rookie Justin Black, who was just as surprised as the media to learn that he would join his former college teammate Tommy Player in Waco. Black is a powerful back with deceptive straightline speed. He is not a very shifty runner, however, and at times in training camp he has hesitated in hitting the hole that the line gives him. Bob Lowe was carried over from last season as the third back, as were Rashard Taylor and Jonathan Dillon as the fullbacks.

Receivers: CFL product Jason Tucker was another bright spot for the Mavericks last season, catching 82 passes for 1,279 yards and nine touchdowns. Tucker doesn't have the best track speed, but is a smart route runner and has very soft hands. He also has the savvy to get away with the subtle pushoffs cornerbacks always complain about and always fights for yards after the catch.

Behind Tucker there is a bit of a logjam; 2006 holdovers Mo Sylvester and Justin Jonas, as well as free agent acquistion Spencer Spalding, will fight for the spot opposite Tucker. Sylvester is likely the frontrunner as he held the job last season; the third-year man out of Southwest Missouri State has speed to burn and, despite his lack of size at 5'11", loves to run routes over the middle and is willing to sacrifice his body for a catch. All that said, he is not the best route-runner and he will drop passes more frequently than he should, though he is a fairly reliable target. Spalding was added to replace the disappointing Austin McAllister. The former San Francisco Demon has an incredible combination of speed and size; he stands at 6'2", weighs 250 pounds, and yet is every bit as fast as Sylvester. Spalding never got above fourth on the depth chart in San Francisco, however, as the coaching staff there documented that he has a poor work ethic and is a notably poor route-runner.

Justin Jonas, Bill Bridges, and rookie Dre Richart will likely serve as the reserve receivers, though Jonas could potentially grab a starting spot. At tight end, Lennox Bridges remains the unquestioned starter, and if the Mavs' minicamps are any indication, Bridges may see a lot more involvement in the passing game this year.

Offensive Line: The only changes in this unit from one year ago is that 1) they are much improved compared to where they were last year, and 2) there is a new right tackle. Neal Hejl was traded to the Orlando Hammerheads for a draft pick during the offseason when he held out for a new contract, and will likely be replaced by rookie Mark Fox. The former Tar Heel stands at an attention-grabbing 6'7" and weighs in at 319 lbs, and moves reasonably well for a man of his size. He doesn't particularly struggle in any area of his game, but will certainly have to adjust to the speed difference between the ACC and The League.

Defensive Line: First-round draft choice Stacey Peete headlines the changes in the defensive front seven. Peete has amazing speed and burst for a defensive lineman; to give one an idea of just how fast he is, during full-contact 11-on-11 drills, running back Stacey Hartley broke containment, exploded through the defense, and looked to be on the path for a sure-fire touchdown, only to be caught from behind by the rookie. The knocks on Peete are that he has poor strength for a defensive lineman at this point and is a notably raw talent. While matched up with All-League offensive tackle Al Taylor during minicamps, he never got close to Tommy Player, despite his athleticism. He will need to hit the weight room and refine his game if he wants to become the star in The League that he has the potential to be.

Last year's rookie defensive end, James James, was reassigned to the left end position to replace the departed Freddie Emanuel. To this point, James has looked far more natural in this position, though many question as to whether he has improved or if he is just outperforming a rookie lineman in Mark Fox. Cory Van and Melvin Redding remain as the interior linemen. The two to this point have proven to be a decent combination, combining for 52 tackles and 12 sacks last season.

Linebackers: By far the most improved position on the team, at least talent-wise. Nick Rosario and Shyrone Mitchell, both starters from last season, return from their injuries that kept them out of many games last season. Rosario will more than likely retain his original starting spot at sam backer, but Mitchell will have to outperform rookies Lake Thomas and Ty Potter in a position battle if he wishes to gain back his spot. At will backer, Jarvis Greer returns; Greer led the injury-depleted defense in tackles with 48 stops, while also getting a sack. Otis Langham and Bam Waller will likely be factors as well; the former surprised the Mavs with 33 tackles and 5 sacks in limited action, the latter was acquired in free agency after being released by the New York Nightmare.

Defensive Backs: Another unit that features significant upgrades for the Mavericks is the defensive backfield. Though many questioned the front office when disgrunted yet talented veteran cornerback Casey Black was traded away to the Sanctuary Divots, the Mavs have more than atoned for this with the talent they brought in. The top spot at cornerback is Anquan Jackson's to lose; the free agent acquistion formerly with the New England Regulars has tremendous athletic ability and incredible ball-hawking skills. Jackson was tutored last season by the best cornerback in the game in Vonnie Treonday, so he now knows more of the subtle nuances of the game that only come through experience.

At the second cornerback spot, incumbent Dennis Weathersby will likely start ahead of rookie Greg Henley on the depth chart, but unless Weathersby plays his best football Henley will eventually win his job; he is too talented. The reserve corners for the Mavericks this year are former starters from a year ago in Jeremy Randle and Cedric McFarland.

At safety, not much has changed. Chris Hooe returns to strong safety after playing free safety much of last season, where he looked very lost at times. Taking over the free safety spot is Dexter Reid, a free agent who was acquired midway through last season and played predominantly on passing downs. Reid is a bit raw, but he has the talent to be a good player in The League. Jared Simpson will be the first man off the bench at safety; Simpson has a nose for stopping the run but has no ability to play coverage whatsoever.

Special Teams: Kicker Doug Dudley returns this season, with a mullet no less, hoping to improve on his rather poor numbers last year; he made only 16 of 24 field goals and missed three extra points. Punter Derrick Gilbert also returns; Gilbert has a very strong leg, averaging over 47 yards per punt, but his accuracy can be a bit wayward at times. Gilbert also is the lead option on the kickoff team.

The kick and punt return jobs are in open competition as of this writing. Coach Steve Wieslaw has acknowledged that Stacey Hartley is the best option for the job, but he refuses to risk his ultra-talented running back on special teams, despite Hartley's willingness to take up the job. The leading candidates for the returning duties are Spencer Spalding and Justin Jonas; Spalding returned kicks last year in San Francisco, while Jonas did so in Waco last season.

Complete Roster (POS, NAME, OVR)

Skill Players: Offense QB Tommy Player 83 QB Danny Oldham 80 QB Quincy Carter 77 QB Johnny Lowe 66 HB Stacey Hartley 84 HB Justin Black 77 HB Bob Lowe 72 FB Rashard Taylor 83 FB Jonathan Dillon 71 WR Jason Tucker 89 WR Mo Sylvester 79 WR Spencer Spalding 78 WR Justin Jonas 75 WR Bill Bridges 71 WR Dre Richart 70 TE Lennox Bridges 75 TE Roland Eaton 66

Linemen LT Al Taylor 91 LT Dantonio Taylor 71 LG Brandon Brady 89 LG Leeland Nelson 69 C Kwame Vann 85 C Michael Lies 76 RG Marty Watts 83 RG Edward Pleasant 73 RT Mark Fox 74 RT Jason Dorsey 66 LE James James 77 LE Trever Pederson 72 RE Stacey Peete 80 RE Bobby Bates 74 DT Cory Van 77 DT Melvin Redding 76 DT Marty Swanson 70

Skill Players: Defense LOLB Nick Rosario 81 LOLB Bam Waller 71 LOLB Otis Langham 68 MLB Shyrone Mitchell 73 MLB Lake Thomas 73 MLB Ty Potter 70 ROLB Jarvis Greer 76 ROLB Jessie Dills 76 CB Anquan Jackson 86 CB Greg Henley 80 CB Dennis Weathersby 75 CB Cedric McFarland 71 CB Jeremy Randle 70 CB Ken Nickerson 70 FS Dexter Reid 74 FS Todd Myers 68 SS Chris Hooe 83 SS Jared Simpson 73

Specialists K Doug Dudley 81 P Derrick Gilbert 87

...geez I wrote a lot lol...

Coming Up...
The League Preview 2007, division-by-division

[Hooe]

Re: The League

2007 American Conference Preview

East: The eastern division of the American Conference still features two teams perched squarely at the top that will be jockeying for the division championship: the New England Regulars and the Memphis Maniax.

The New England Regulars return Clyde Rowlins at quarterback as well as Ronnie Wylde and Marcel Freeman at the top receivers. The Regulars are also expected to be a more balanced team, as they signed free agent running back Raymond Taylor to back up incumbent Chester Williams. The two should be an effective one-two punch. They aren't as deep on defense as they were last year, but the key players remain and the unit should still be a formidable one to play against.

The Memphis Maniax experienced very little roster turnover in the free agency period; the club is for all intents and purposes the same as it was a year ago, with the exception of the loss of Daryl "Mantis" Hobbs, who signed on with the Chicago Enforcers instead. In his place, however, is former Bolts' receiver Quincy Jackson; while not as dynamic as Hobbs, is more reliable as a pure receiver and will catch whatever is thrown at him. The defense, led by defensive end Shante "Chaka" Carver, safety John "Christian" Williams, and linebacker Paris Lenon, continues to gel and as a whole has looked more cohesive than they did last season.

The Baltimore Bearcats are in a rebuilding phase, but they won't be the rollover of a club they were last year. At least, they are expected to be more competitive with the additions of rookies Gabe Wheaton and Randall Wilkerson at quarterback and tailback, respectively. While it is an awful lot to ask of two rookies to make a basement club competitive, Wheaton and Wilkerson were the most talented players on the offense the moment they showed up. Bruno Battaglia remains the feature player on defense after a "quiet" 178 tackle season. The rest of the defense is significantly deeper all around, despite the Bearcats not making a huge splash in the free agent market.

The New York / New Jersey Hitmen got better on defense despite the loss of cornerback Joey "Hurricane" Eloms. The defense remains anchored by All-League defensive tackle Christian Maumalanga, who has the good fortune of playing with very capable teammates on his lines and thus rarely sees double teams despite his exceptional talent. The offensive side of the ball, however, is just that - offensive. First-round draft choice Leonard Jackson has failed to outperform the incumbent starter, the much-maligned Wally Richardson, in minicamps to this point, and Dino Philyaw will assume the former job of running back Michael Blair. "Gladiator" has looked more marginal in minicamps this year than he ever did last season; not a promising sign for the running game.



South: The southern division is home to the American Conference champion Orlando Rage, who again boast at superior team this season, but will not be without challengers.

The Orlando Rage, of course, return this season out for blood; they made it all the way to the championship game last season to come up but twenty yards short of a game-closing, game-winning touchdown. Leading the charge once again will be quarterback Jeff Brohm. Brohm had an absolutely stellar season last year, throwing for 3,580 yards and an eye-opening 35 touchdown passes, with but seven interceptions en rout to winning The League's Most Valuable Player award. Running back Brian Shay will likely see much more time on the field this season after having split time with departed veteran Michael Black last season, and the track-star Rage receivers all return with speed to burn. Should the offense struggle for any particular reason (an event that likely won't happen), the defense Rage's defense looks to be very talented this season as many players on the unit continue to develop.

The Kansas City Crossfire are probably the second-best team in the division, though they do have some significant concerns. Foremost is at quarterback; Sam Schmidt exceeded expectations last season, completing passes for 3,200 yards and 23 scores, but in minicamps appears to have returned to prior form, where he was but an average passer. Mark Morris returns at running back, albeit a year older, with rookie Tony Sapp expected to chip in along the way this season and eventually assume the starting role in a future season. The receivers, led by Nate Ross, remain a solid unit with the addition of the Redhawks' Omar Nolan, and the defense has a couple of stars in Tyrell Price and Harold Beasley, at defense end and safety respectively, among a cast of younger players full of to-this-point unfulfilled potential.

The Waco Mavericks will fight tooth and nail with the Crossfire for second in the division. Tommy Player returns at quarterback, as does Stacey Hartley at running back and Jason Tucker at receiver. A complete overhaul was made by the Mavs' front office on the defensive side of the ball; the unit is now extremely young and very green, but far more athletic than last year's unit and full of potential. The unit may take a year or two to mesh, but once they do, they will be among the best in The League. For this season, however, they will have to combat their lack of experience, which doesn't bode well for winning football games.

Rounding out the southern division are the Arizona Outlaws. Familiar faces return at quarterback, running back, and receiver (Chris Kane, Justin Mears, Tito Maas). The offensive line still is a patchwork job, which will hold the group back more than the front office seems to anticipate. The defense will be helped by the addition of cornerback Byron Connell, formerly of the New York Nightmare, but with the exception him and defensive end Gary Patton, there is little talent to speak of when the Outlaws don't have the ball. This will keep them in the cellar for this season and needs to be addressed.



West: The West was appropriately won by the Outlaws of Las Vegas last season, but the division was one of the hardest in The League to play in; three of the four teams in this grouping had ten wins and made the playoffs.

The Las Vegas Outlaws return all their key players on an excellent defense and a respectable offense, though the latter unit won't have the element of surprise this season. Quarterback Ryan Clement and receiver Yo Murphy both took The League by complete surprise last season with the rapport they developed, which helped the level of play of both tremendously. Of course, having "He Hate Me" as a constant threat in the backfield also opens things up in the passing game quite a bit. Teams will more than likely key in on Murphy this season, however, and he will have to become more crafty in getting open; if not, Clement will have to find another receiver to throw the ball to.

The Denver Grizzlies are in great position to take second in the division, one better than they did last year. The team brought in veteran quarterback Jesse Tallman via free agency; Tallman refused to sign a contract with the Dallas Aztecs, opting for a starting job rather than holding the clipboard for the best quarterback in The League in Julius Williams. Tallman doesn't have the world's greatest weapons around him, but with his respectable skillset he should be able to manage the offense well enough for the Grizzlies' incredible defense to keep opponents' offensive production to rock-bottom levels.

The San Diego Cyclones remain a good football club, but the offseason events may result in their team slipping slightly. The Cyclones wanted to bring in a new quarterback, but failed to acquire on either in the draft or in free agency. While Dwight Parker played great last season while he was in, he is overly injury-prone, and despite his 11-2 TD-to-INT ratio, he came in and out of the lineup with such frequency that the chemsitry of the entire offense was severely disrupted. The defense also should remain a respectable unit, but the loss of defensive end Patrick Brickley came without compensation, which will hurt the unit as a whole.

The odd team out in this group is the San Jose Armada. The Armada are in the second year of their existence and were fairly picky shoppers in free agency. The team took a gamble in letting struggling feature back Craig Davis walk in free agency. The team failed to make dividends on the risk, failing to acquire a new runner to replace Davis, now with the Arizona Outlaws. The burden of carrying the rock will fall on the shoulders of unproven back Lake Linde, a smallish back who would be ideally placed in a spell-back role, as he was last season when he accumulated over 700 total yards and two scores in limited touches. The defense has issues with their pass rush, or rather the lack thereof; rookie Rashard olsen should help solve this problem, but he can't be expected to do it all by himself.



North: The northern division of the American Conference was overly weak last year, as the only team to crack the .500 barrier was Chicago at 8-7-1. The division as a whole went a dismal 20-43-1 last season.

Leading the charge in this division, so-to-speak, will be the Chicago Marauders, once again. As long as Shane Spain remains under center for this club, they have a chance of winning any given game; he is that good, despite his advancing age. Running back Toby Krause was acquired from San Francisco to fill for the retired Jason Hobbs, who was responsible for over 70% of the Marauders' rushing offense with 1174 yards. The receiving corps remains young and deep, but is without a go-to guy at this point; one of the youngsters, perhaps Jeff Simpson or Cato Sherry, needs to step up for this offense to be consistently great. On defense, the starters are very capable, but depth will be an issue should any injuries occur. The Marauders also need to bring in a corner to play opposite of James Orr, who is well on his way to becoming a top cover man in The League.

The Dakota Comets had an excellent offseason, but still have a ways to go before they can be called true playoff contenders. That said, they definitely have the talent to contend within this division. The Comets draft was primarily focused on the offensive side of the ball, as they brought in offensive tackle Colby Gamble and receiver Jamie Lang, both of whom will likely see immediate playing time. Jamel Preston and Leslie Paris also return after each put forth respectable efforts last season, given the lack of talent on the club last season; Preston threw for 2,500 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Paris ran for 920 yards and 10 scores. On defense, the team is somewhat improved, most notably with the acquisition of Cyclones' safety Donald Walton via trade, but the unit will still likely be overmatched by teams outside of their division most of the season.

Kwazi Mbutabe may actually have some help this year leading the Cincinnati Crusaders. The team acquired quarterback DeRon Ward in free agency as well as rookie Daniel Massey out of North Carolina; either one will be better than last year's starter Brennan Riley, who is no longer with the team. The team still has significant problems along the offensive line, especially on the right side, and at wide receiver, where there is Tyrone Amaris but no one else. On defense, rookie cornerback Leon McCray has already won the top spot on the depth chart at his position and looks to quickly translate his numerous collegiate accolades into professional success in The League. The rest of the group is very similar to last year's unit, but with a year's experience under their belts they should be a bit better than they were a year ago.

In the basement of this weak division are the Sanctuary Divots. The Divots aren't as hopelessly talentless as they were last season, as they acquired halfback Larry Jordan from the Calgary Hitmen via trade in an effort to improve their running game; this improvement is needly rather desperately, as last year the team did not break 1,000 yards rushing total and only scored two touchdowns on the ground. Rookie Darnay Baldwin will likely take the reigns from Ralph Turner at quarterback, and the offensive line is somewhat improved, though they still aren't a very talented unit. The defense is just as talentless as it was last season, save the addition of cornerback Casey Black from the Waco Mavericks. Him and Reed Reid figure to be the lone stars on this otherwise dire unit.

[gtm]

Re: The League

NY/NJ Hitmen: Well i was hoping forward to this coming season but after reading your reviews, it sounds like we may be mediocre. Good D and not so hot O. Oh well, we'll see and i'm looking forward to your posts.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

2007 National Conference Preview

East: The eastern division in the National Conference is once again a two-horse race between two bitter rivals: the Aztecs and the Nightmare.

The Dallas Aztecs got the better of the New York Nightmare last season, edging them out for the division crown despite a 1-3 start. On paper, the Aztecs look to retain the crown; all of their key players are back, despite scares during the free agency period. Julius Williams returns to the lead the club this season; he had what many would describe as a routine, even pedestrian season for a player of his calibre last year, completing passes for 3,013 and 26 touchdowns and adding 435 rushing yards with two rushing scores. He will once more have his favorite target to throw to: receiver Braylon Starks returns to the team after nearly bolting for a big payday in free agency. He is complimented by a markedly improved Billy Dacota, the team's second-string receiver who has made large strides in Aztecs' minicamps. The defense isn't as good as the offense, but second-year safety Roy Shade has the potential to be as good at his position as Julius Williams is under center.

The New York Nightmare will once again be right at the heels of their hated rivals from Texas. In an unprecedented feat, every starter from last year's team will be on the field for the Nightmare this season. The team did lose a bit of their depth to free agency, but they will no doubt be an extremely polished unit right from the get-go. On offense, the key players are running back Ty Dixon, who missed much of last season with a broken ankle, and quarterback Clinton Thorpe, who is an average passer talent-wise but makes up for it with his knowledge, experience, and game-managing abilities. On defense, nearly every player is a star in The League, beginning most obviously with outspoken linebacker Quentin Sands. Sands finished last season with 113 tackles, 3 sacks, and two interceptions; he called this performance "below his standards." Translation: look out, League.

The Washington Redhawks come into this season having evicted one of their most recognizable players in Mike Mexico after the dynamic passers put forth one of the worst passing displays over a season in League history. In his place will likely be rookie Peter Schneidmiller, who has given the offense a completely new look in Redhawks' minicamps, in that the players all trust the system more and aren't expecting their leader to do something unorthodox. There may be issues in the receiving corps, however, as the 'Hawks lost their top man for the job, Omar Nolan, to the Kansas City Crossfire in free agency and were unable to bring in a replacement. The most likely candidate to ascend to the top of the depth chart is Brian Fetters, but even he is but an average option. On defense, other than defensive end Jacob Williams, Washington has all sorts of problems.

The Orlando Hammerheads have very little hopes of winning many games this season. What little hope they have rests with free safety Derrick Snow, who recorded an eye-opening 176 tackles last season, and free agent acquisition Mike Mexico, which many view as an attempt to garner interest in the team moreso than make the club competitive. Rookie halfback Edgar Farr may be able to provide a few sparks as well, but this team has very little talent to speak of in any facet of the game.

South: The southern division features four clubs that appear balanced on paper, but for intangible reasons, one is markedly better than the rest.

The Potomic Vipers will likely win this division again, or at the bare minimum be in the division title chase. The team's stars, quarterback Ralph McNeal and receiver Henry Jones, are both getting long in the tooth, but both are still capable players. The rest of the offense has a fair amount of firepower, but running back Todd Mason and dynamic receiver Ralph Connor are both rather fragile player, as both were sidelined multiple times last season with various injuries. On defense, The League's Defensive Back of the Year from last season - safety Omar Steele - returns, along with his longtime partner in crime Kenny McPherson. The defensive line is also very strong from end to end and everywhere between, but isn't very deep, and this could affect their performance towards the end of the season.

The Birmingham Bolts are the chic pick to surprise this season. After a strong finish last year and a decent offseason that saw the team break even for the most part, critics are predicting the Bolts will pick up right where they left off last season, when they won six of their last eight contests. The best player on offense is without a doubt receiver Stepfret Williams. Williams is a tall and talented with incredible physical abilities and hands that seem to be soaked with super glue. At the young age of 22, Williams is already among the best in The League, and even after posting over 1,200 yards and 11 TDs last season, his best years are probably yet to come. On defense, linebacker James Willis and cornerback Eric Sloan make most of the headlines; both are dynamic athletes for their positions but both are rather inexperienced.

The Santa Fe Unforgiven are a solid, but unspectacular football team to this point. They lack any real star power - their best player overall is fading receiver Justin Randolph - but all the players on their roster are capable players. The lack of a game-changing player on either side of the ball really hurts this club, as they often couldn't come through in clutch situations last season. Such will likely be the case this season unless someone emerges.

The Carolina Copperheads are likely to trail this division again, but they will be a better club regardless what their overall record is. The team is still in a rebuilding mode, but Grant Tanner now has a year's experience under his belt and with any luck a dependable target to throw the ball to in rookie receiver Meir Kozlowski. The X-factor on offense will be running back Maurice Clarett. The ex-Buckeye split carries last season with teammate Bryan Solomon and tallied nearly 600 rushing yards. If he can take sole possession of the starting job, he could more than double this figure and help the Copperheads' offense tremendously.

West: The west was a very competitive division last season, and such will likely be the case again this season.

The Las Vegas Aces came out of nowhere last season, surprising all the critics by not only taking the division crown but The League Championship after they were picked to finish in the bottom of this division. Largely responsible for this was running back Kelvin Diggs, who is unquestionably the most powerful runner in The League. At 246 pounds, he is a load to bring down even for a group of defenders. He's complimented by a powerful offensive line as well as a quick-striking passing game led by darting receivers Jake Els and James Jules, both of whom are home run threats on any given play. The defense boasts one of the groups of linebackers top-to-bottom in The League, and the club takes full advantage of this strength by implimenting a 3-4 defensive alignment. The most recognizable defender on the team is unquestionably linebacker Lamar Jones, who was last season's League Championship Game MVP.

The San Francisco Demons have a few questions to answer, but will still likely finish second in the division. Quarterback Mike Pawlawski remains a top-flight passer in The League, though he could greatly benefir from the support of a running game. That duty will likely fall on former Orlando Rage running back Michael Black, acquired during the offseason for just this purpose. The Demons will still likely remain a passing team, and with the lollygag of talented receivers that they have on their roster, the club would be ignorant not to. Linebacker remains a strength for the Demons on paper as well, but all three of their top 'backers - Otis Floyd, Craig Powell, and James Williams - are all coming off a collective subpar effort last season and will all be looking to rebound this season.

The Los Angeles Xtreme lost a notable amount of their depth in the offseason, but the players who remain are more than capable of getting this team where they want to be. Tommy Maddox returns for another season with the club after an impressive individual effort on his part last year, completing passes for 3,746 yards and 22 touchdowns. If the team wants to improve from last year's 7-9 mark, however, they have to find a running game. Despite his subpar performance, Saladin McCullough will remain the starting tailback, as both of his competitors for the job, Rashaan Sheehee and Charles Jefferson, were released from the Xtreme during the offseason. McCullough is a similar back in size and playing style to last year's breakout running back Stacey Hartley, and could very well have a similar effort of his own in the cards. On defense, the team lost linebacker Rico Mack to free agency and has depth issues in the secondary; barring an unforseen improvement in many players, the Xtreme will be playing in many shootouts this season.

Rounding out the division is the Seattle Reign. The Reign were caught completely offguard when running back Ed Peterson decided he was done with football. The team failed to acquire a replacement back either in the draft or free agency, meaning the starting role will be given to Peterson's backup Brian Kaufman by default. Quarterback Darius Wickman also left the club during the offseason after he demanded to be released, and the team astoundingly failed to address this hole as well. Wickman's backup, David Davis, will likely assume the reigns on offense, as best he can anyhow. The defense remains a fast unit that is considerably deeper this year as well. Should the Reign make any noise this season after the seeing the egg the front office laid this offseason, all credit will likely go to this unit.

North: The northern division was the toughest in the National conference last season, with all the teams finishing at or above the .500 mark. Many of the faces remain the same in this group, and another war of a season is likely to erupt.

Leading the way will be last year's division champions, the Minnesota Reapers. The Reapers kept all the pieces of their incredible offense together, including quarterback Taylor Glover and running back Tony Forbes. Forbes was one of the best and most consistent running backs in The League last season, as he has been for quite some time, racking up 1,613 yards and ten scores. Glover took full advantage of the threat Forbes provided on the ground, throwing for 3,526 yards and 26 touchdowns. Kevin Hastings and Douglas Blake, the team's two tall and talented receivers, return as well. Rookie Jim Owens will add some much-needed talent to the defense, but the secondary is a pressing concern.

The Chicago Enforcers are just behind in Reapers talent-wise. They too boast an incredible running back in John Avery, who accumulated 1,654 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. Kevin McDougal appears to have fully recovered from a torn ACL, but one wonders if he will be the same player mentally as he was last year, when he seemed to be putting it all together. The team's top option at receiver is now Darryl "Mantis" Hobbs, formerly of Memphis, as last year's leader in receptions and yards for the Enforcers, Aaron Bailey, retired. On defense the Enforcers field a very balanced unit. Two key players can be found in the secondary in cornerback Corey Ivy and safety Dorian Brew. The shutdown corner Ivy saw an unusual amount of passes come his way last season, and he responded with a very respectable effort, recording four interceptions and 18 pass deflections. Brew had an off-season, recording 57 tackles and but one sack and one interception, but has looked very good in Enforcers' minicamps and seems poised to return to form.

The Calgary Hitmen will be right in the thick of things as well, once again. The running game is now in fully in the hands of running back Dontrelle Drayton, who is in his second year of professional football and yet has already broken The League record for most rushing yards in a single game when he put up over 350 rushing yards against the Dakota Comets last season. The scary thought is that Drayton will be even better this season. Bret Costanza returns at quarterback; he was unusally agressive last season with his passes and had mild success, but his accuracy is still a bit wayward and the coaching staff will likely reel him in a bit this season. On defense, bookends Randall Grandmount and Zach Perez headline once again, along with rising star linebacker Ty Brooks.

The Detroit Devils are in the position to jump out this season; as their head coach put it during a team media day, the Devils "have a hellacious amount of talent, but the rest of this division too damn good to win on merely talent alone. We gotta execute." The same stars return on offense in quarterback Ryan Milliard, running back Stevo Jones, receiver and special teams ace Cookie Wallace, and All-League left tackle Nim Rod. The offense also boast an enviable amount of depth, thanks to an open-checkbook policy by the front office during the free agent signing period. While the defense lacks the star power of the offense, they are every bit as good on the whole talent-wise and every bit as deep. Should this club finally put the puzzle together, they could be very dangerous.

[Cyros]

Re: The League

Think I'm going to side with San Jose. Go Armada!

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Waco Mavericks 2007 Season Schedule

vs. New England Regulars vs. Orlando Rage vs. Arizona Outlaws at Baltimore Bearcats vs. Kansas City Crossfire at Memphis Maniax at Kansas City Crossfire open week at New York Nightmare at Orlando Hammerheads vs. Denver Grizzlies vs. NY/NJ Hitmen vs. Dallas Aztecs at Orlando Rage vs. Washington Redhawks at Arizona Outlaws at Cincinnati Crusaders

Outlook: Compared to last year, the Mavericks' slate of games this year appears much more difficult on the surface. They open the season with a stretch of three home games, during which they must play two teams they lost to last year in the Orlando Rage and the New England Regulars (the Mavericks did also split their season last season with the Arizona Outlaws). The only cupcake game on the schedule, so-to-speak, is against the lowly Orlando Hammerheads, but this game comes at a price, as the Mavs must also take on the rest of the eastern division of the National Conference, which includes the highly-regarded Dallas Aztecs and New York Nightmare, at other points in the season. Nine wins would be impressive against this schedule.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Team Overview / Week 1 Preview: New England Regulars

The Waco Mavericks begin their 2007 campaign against a tough New England Regulars squad. The Regulars were the champions of the eastern division of the American Conference last season and field a very solid team. In last year's matchup, a battered Mavericks' squad edged the Regulars by the count of 44 to 41; they will no doubt look to repeat the victorious outcome and start this season on the right foot.

Offense: The Regulars are led once again by quarterback Clyde Rowlins. Rowlins had an up-and-down season last year, completing sixty percent of his pass attempts for 3,362 yards, nineteen scores, and ten interceptions. Rowlins personally does not possess exceptional physical skills, but is a very sound decision maker and has a quick release. He is once again complimented by receivers Marcel Freeman and Ronnie Wylde. While Wylde is the more talented of the too, he was injured for much of last season, and Freeman made good the opportunity to prove his own worth to the club, catching passes for 1,215 yards and ten scores, including a 252 yard, four touchdown effort against Waco last season. The Regulars aren't known as a running team, but they do have two very capable backs in Chester Williams and former Armada feature back Raymond Taylor. Neither topped the 1,000-yard barrier last season, but on paper the two backs compliment each other fairly well.

Defense: Even the best passing teams fear the New England Regulars' amazing secondary, which features ballhawks all over the depth chart. Most notable among these is All-League cornerback Vonnie Treonday. Treonday is regarded as the most talented defensive back in The League, and teams rarely, if ever, throw his direction. Teaming up with Treonday once again is safety Lawyer Law, who has great range and great skills in coverage, but battled through an injury-plagued season last year when he was constantly nicked up. The most notable member of the not-as-talented, but still respectable front seven is linebacker Pete Williams, who is past the prime of his career athletically but is still quite a playmaker.

Projection: The Regulars should once again be right in the thick of things for the American Conference eastern division crown. They did a few of their key role-players on both sides of the ball during the offseason, most notably cornerback Anquan Jackson, and they will need reserve players to fill the voids these players left.

---

Keys Players: New England Regulars vs. Waco Mavericks

Key Players: Waco QB Tommy Player: Player started off last season decently enough for a rookie before his season was cut short as he broke his right collarbone. He has looked good in Mavericks' offseason minicamps and appears to have the same arm strength as he did prior to the injury, but his decision-making abilities are still in question. With a year of the offense under his belt, he should be able to improve upon his up-and-down performance in limited action last season, and he will need to for the Mavs to win this one. WR Mo Sylvester: While the Mavericks did bring in Spencer Spalding to provide Player with a second option, the former Demon has failed to pass Sylvester and even slot receiver Justin Jonas on the depth chart. Sylvester will likely start opposite of Jason Tucker, who led the Mavericks in receptions and yards last year but will be covered and presumably shut down by cornerback Vonnie Treonday. Sylvester has to be able to get open, as Player's opportunities to get the ball to his favorite target in Tucker will be few and far between. CBs Greg Henley and Dennis Weathersby: It is still unknown which of these two players will start at right cornerback. Whichever one does will have the unenviable task of covering speedster Marcel Freeman. Weathersby "covered" Freeman during last year's contest when Freeman torched the Oregon State alumnus for 252 yards and four touchdowns, while Henley is but a rookie corner and can't be expected to put forth a stellar performance if he gets the nod. Both players will have to be on top of their game, regardless who gets the start, as the Regulars have an irregular amount of talent at receiver and will torch the Mavs if their secondary isn't up for the challenge. Key Players: New England CB Vonnie Treonday: Treonday will be matched up with the Mavs' best receiver, Jason Tucker, likely for the entire contest. Treonday has the talent to and must take away Tucker as a receiving option for Tommy Player and force the second-year man from TCU to go through his progressions, a skill to this point he hasn't demonstrated expertise in. HB Chester Williams: Williams could potentially have a field day running the ball, depending on how much improvement the Mavericks' run defense shows from their dreadful performance during much of last season. Even if he doesn't rack up tons of yards on the ground, Williams will need to provide Rowlins with an additional target in the passing game to keep the Mavs' defense honest and be able to get chip blocks on Waco pass rushers. OT Bobby Murphy: Murphy is a reasonably talented left tackle who started every game last season for the Regulars at the position. His first assignment of this season matches him up with rookie defensive end Stacey Peete of the Mavericks. Peete is freakishly athletic for a defensive end and is easily the most gifted athlete at the position in The League. Murphy will need to stick to his fundamentals in his pass blocking technique, as any little mistake he makes will be capitalized on much faster than he is used to seeing. Don't be surprised to see Murphy play an aggressive game, however, as he has a considerable strength and size advantage over Peete which may shift this matchup into his favor.

[Blaxican8504]

Re: The League

WOO HOO!! The season is starting!!

[The GIGGAS]

Re: The League

WOO HOO!! The season is starting!!

Hell yes!

Go Waco!

[Hooe]

Re: The League

2007 Regular Season, Week One
New England Regulars (0-0) vs Waco Mavericks (0-0)

When the Waco Mavericks took on the New England Regulars last season, the teams combined for over 1,000 yards total offense and 85 total points as a struggling Mavericks squad edged the playoff-bound Regulars, 44 to 41.

Anyone expecting a similar scorefest in this week's matchup, however, was sorely disappointed, as the Mavericks once again edged the Regulars, this time by the count of 6 to 0.

Despite the low score, the Mavericks were able to move the ball with relative consistency, thanks to the performance of the running back duo of Stacey Hartley and rookie Justin Black, who combined for 180 yards on the ground. Quarterback Tommy Player appeared very jittery throughout the first half, but settled down after halftime and was able to contribute 163 yards passing.

The Mavericks' defense, however, put forth a surprisingly dominant performance. New England was held to under 100 yards total offense for the game, and could only muster two third down conversions in nine tries. Contributing to the weak performance no doubt was an injury to Regulars' starting quarterback Clyde Rowlins that forced him out of the game permanantly in the second quarter. Backup option Kevin Robinson failed to lead the offense in any facet of the game, and thus the unit struggled to mount consistently productive drives all day. A poor performance by the Regulars' offensive line can also be blamed, as the team mounted but 42 yards rushing and allowed three sacks.

The Mavericks will attempt to carry over the momentum they've established from this early impressive victory to their game next week against the defending American Conference champions, the Orlando Rage.

Statistics: Waco (6) QB Player: 9/19, 163 yards, INT HB Hartley: 18 carries, 125 yards HB Black: 15 carries, 55 yards TE Bridges: 4 catches, 77 yards WR Spalding: catch, 25 yards SS Hooe: 6 tackles, 3 TFLs LB Greer: 3 tackles, sack DE James: 3 tackles, sack DE Peete: 2 tackles, sack

Statistics: New England (0) QB Rowlins: 4/10, 32 yards QB Robinson: 4/8, 27 yards, INT HB Williams: 10 carries, 42 yards HB Jackson: 2 catches, 10 yards WR Freeman: 5 catches, 46 yards FS Schroeder: 7 tackles DE Wiley: 5 tackles, sack SS Law: 4 tackles, INT CB Treonday: 3 tackles

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Week One Roundup

Orlando Rage	14-22	Arizona Outlaws
Minnesota Reapers	16-6	Detroit Devils
Carolina Copperheads	7-26	Potomic Vipers
New York Nightmare	12-9	Orl. Hammerheads
Los Angeles Xtreme	17-20	Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas Outlaws	24-27	Cincinnati Crusaders
San Francisco Demons	19-3	Chicago Enforcers
Birmingham Bolts	6-37	Dallas Aztecs
Kansas City Crossfire	9-7	Dakota Comets
San Jose Armada	12-21	San Diego Cyclones
Washington Redhawks	17-21	Santa Fe Unforgiven
New England Regulars	0-6	Waco Mavericks
Calgary Hitmen	14-24	NY/NJ Hitmen
Seattle Reign	10-30	Denver Grizzlies
Baltimore Bearcats	28-9	Memphis Maniax
Sanctuary Divots	13-37	Chicago Marauders

The League Player Of The Week
DT Hank Westbrook, Denver Grizzlies

Commentary and League News: Just one week is in the books and already records are falling. Defensive tackle Hank Westbrook was a man possessed this week, recording five sacks as his Denver Grizzlies easily defeated the Seattle Reign by the count of 30 to 10. Westbrook's performance sets a new bar for sacks in a single game, topping Bubba Stapleton's previous record of four. Stapleton, who coincidentally plays for the Reign, commented on the record-breaking performance, stating that Williams "was unstoppable out there. I don't know if any offensive line would have been able to contain him the way he was playing today. This kid's on his way to being something special."

The Memphis Maniax were surprisingly flat to open the season, as they fell to the Baltimore Bearcats by the count of 28 to 9. The Ax were decidedly snakebitten on offense, as both running back Rashaan Salaam and receiver Quincy Jackson suffered injuries during the game and the status of both is still up in the air. In spite of this, quarterback Jim Druckenmiller still took much of the heat for the loss as he threw two interceptions while his offense was inside the Bearcats' 20-yard line. "All of us on offense were making mistakes, though Druck is probably gonna get most of the heat for it" said receiver Charles Jordan, who caught four passes for 55 yards but was the attention of double-teams throughout the game once his teammate Jackson was incapacitated.

On a related note, several rookies hit the ground running to open their careers. The most impressive performance was quarterback Gabe Wheaton of the Baltimore Bearcats, who completed passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Meir Kozlowski of the Carolina Copperheads also put forth respectable numbers for his first outing, catching 7 passes for 78 yards, as did running back Justin Black of the Waco Mavericks, who ran for 55 yards on 15 carries in relief duty. Finally, cornerback Leon McCray of the Cincinnati Crusaders was the hero in his first professional game, snagging a game-clinching interception after struggling for most of the day against receiver Yo Murphy of the Las Vegas Outlaws.

[gtm]

Re: The League

Yea! NY/NJ win opening day game.

[Blaxican8504]

Re: The League

Hell yea! 1-0!