The League

[Hooe]

Re: The League

The League Awards

The League Most Valuable Player
QB Jeff Brohm, Orlando Rage


Other Awards

The League Player of the Year (offense)
QB Jeff Brohm, Orlando Rage

The League Player of the Year (defense)
LB Lamar Jones, Las Vegas Aces
106 tackles, 7 sacks, 5 INTs, fumble forced

The League Rookie of the Year (offense)
HB Dontrelle Drayton, Calgary Hitmen
287 carries, 1507 yards, 10 TDs

The League Rookie of the Year (defense)
LB Daryl Cobb, Calgary Hitmen
92 tackles, 2 sacks, INT, 5 fumbles forced

The League Quarterback of the Year
QB Jeff Brohm, Orlando Rage

The League Running Back of the Year
HB Stacey Hartley, Waco Mavericks
217 carries, 1748 yards, 17 TDs

The League Wide Receiver of the Year
WR Ralph Bundy, Calgary Hitmen
118 catches, 1467 yards, 17 TDs

The League Defensive Lineman of the Year
DT Christian Manumalanga, NY/NJ Hitmen
68 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 fumbles forced

The League Linebacker of the Year
LB Lamar Jones, Las Vegas Aces

The League Defensive Back of the Year
SS Omar Steele, Potomic Vipers
95 tackles, 5 INTs, 9 deflections, 4 fumbles forced

Coming up...

• The League playoffs
• The League Championship Game
• Mavericks' season review / offseason preview

---

Question: can anyone help me think of a better name for The League championship game other than the overly bland "The League Championship Game"?

[Cyros]

Re: The League

Just so you know, in the recap Quincy Carter's stats don't match up with those you posted with the picture and later on.

As for the name of the Championship I'm not sure. The League Bowl?

[Hooe]

Re: The League

The League Playoffs

The Teams

American Conference 1. Orlando Rage 2. Las Vegas Outlaws 3. New England Regulars 4. Chicago Enforcers 5. San Diego Cyclones 6. Denver Grizzlies

National Conference 1. Las Vegas Aces 2. Minnesota Reapers 3. Dallas Aztecs 4. Potomic Vipers 5. Chicago Enforcers 6. San Francisco Demons

---

Opening Round

Denver Grizzlies - 7 -- 45 - New England Regulars
San Francisco Demons - 18 -- 31 - Dallas Aztecs
San Diego Cyclones - 14 -- 12 - Chicago Maruaders
Chicago Enforcers - 6 -- 34 - Potomic Vipers

---

Divisional Round

New England Regulars - 16 -- 17 - Orlando Rage
Potomic Vipers - 7 -- 14 - Las Vegas Aces
San Diego Cyclones - 21 -- 9 - Las Vegas Outlaws
Dallas Aztecs - 28 -OT- 31 - Minnesota Reapers

---

Conference Championship

San Diego Cyclones - 6 -- 25 - Orlando Rage
Minnesota Reapers - 14 -- 21 - Las Vegas Aces

---

[Cyros]

Re: The League

Wow, both #1 seeds make it to the final game. Also, the cliffhanger was completely uncalled for.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Wow, both #1 seeds make it to the final game. Also, the cliffhanger was completely uncalled for.

But the cliffhanger will make you come back now to see who ends up winning, now won't it?

Actually, I'm gonna do a full writeup for the game, and I just need some time to get that together. Might not get up tonight though.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

The League Championship Game
Las Vegas Aces (12-4) vs Orlando Rage (14-2)

The inaugural League Championship Game was to provide the matchup that all the fans of The League wanted to see: the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces from the National Conference, led by powerful running back Kelvin Diggs and an attacking fierce defense, and the Orlando Rage, led by League MVP Jeff Brohm at quarterback with uncanny speed and finesse on both sides of the ball. Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, was set to stage the somewhat stereotypical but always intruiging matchup of brute force and pure finesse.

The opening quarter saw the teams simply feel each other out; both appeared to be a bit tentative on offense and not much was accomplished in the first few series by either team. Things began to pick up a bit in the second quarter when Las Vegas opened scoring with a 40 yard field goal by kicker John Mack. Both teams remained inconsistent on offense, however, thanks to exceptionally sound defense played by both sides. The only big play was a sack of quarterback Jeff Brohm by safety John Donaldson that would knock the Rage out of field goal range late in the second quarter.

Flustered on offense, the Rage dove deep into their playbook in the beginning of the third quarter, calling a wide receiver reverse pass. The trick play payed off and resulted in a 50-yard gain for the Rage, but they were not able to finish the drive and came away with but a 35 yard field goal by kicker Jay Taylor. The Aces didn't have a great deal of success of offense in the third quarter, but continued to control the tempo of the game with the effective rushing attack provided by halfback Kelvin Diggs.

The stage was set for a tense final quarter. Neither team had established dominance at this point, with the score at three apiece. With under four minutes left in the period, however, the Aces' smashmouth football gameplan payed off, as Kelvin Diggs burst off tackle for a 37-yard touchdown run. The game seemed to be sealed.

With little time left in the game, quarterback Jeff Brohm and the fast-track Rage offense took the field with 3:07 on the clock and but one timeout. Brohm marched his team down the field at a steady rate, picking up seven to eight yards at a time in a no-huddle offense. The Rage got down to the Aces' 17-yard line, with 30 seconds left to go, set to put the finishing touches on an amazing comeback drive that would set the benchmark for all League Championship games to come.

However, one player on the Aces' defense had other ideas.

On first and ten, the Aces took a gamble and called a suicide blitz; the play caught the Rage's offensive line off-guard, and linebacker Lamar Jones registered a sack. With no timeouts left at this point, Brohm hurried the offense up to the line and spiked the ball. Seventeen seconds now showed on the clock. On 3rd and 15, Brohm lined up in shotgun and took the snap. Lamar Jones got a perfect jump on the snap count, however, and exploded into the backfield, reaching Brohm a second-straight time. With no timeouts, Brohm hurried the offense back up to the line and the Rage tried once more to get the ball into the endzone, this time on fourth down. Flushed out of the pocket to the right, Brohm frantically searched for a man downfield to chuck the ball to, but again ran out of time, as Jones reached the passer for a third consecutive sack as time expired.

With an unprecedented, unparalleled individual performance in the most desparate of situations, Lamar Jones earned game MVP honors as the Las Vegas Aces won the inaugural League Championship Game, 10-3.

Statistics: Las Vegas (10) QB Miles: 15/28, 197 yards, INT HB Diggs: 20 carries, 101 yards, TD WR Jules: 10 catches, 158 yards WR Els: catch, 16 yards WR Greer: catch, 9 yards LB Jones: 8 tackles, 3 sacks, fumble forced LB Faulk: 7 tackles FS Lyle: 4 tackles, deflection SS Donaldson: 4 tackles, sack

Statistics: Orlando (3) QB Brohm: 20/34, 208 yards HB Shay: 26 carries, 88 yards WR Burks: 4 catches, 48 yards WR Swayne: 4 catches, 44 yards WR Bailey: 3 catches, 43 yards LB Young: 8 tackles SS Malveaux: 6 tackles, deflection CB Riddick: 6 tackles, INT DT Duff: 5 tackles, sack

[The GIGGAS]

Re: The League

Wow... that seems like it would have been a great game to watch!

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Offseason Preview
Waco Mavericks (7-9)

The Waco Mavericks enter the offseason with a rather extensive list of needs. The team will be able to address these needs to a great extent, as the Mavs have plenty of space under the League salary cap and their 7-9 record is surprisingly good enough for the 8th pick in each round of the League Collegiate Draft.

The Mavericks will probably look to fill their list of needs as follows:

• Linebacker was a very sore spot for Waco for the entirety of the year, thanks to injuries to initial starters and poor play from reserve players. At this point the Mavs will probably look to acquire a linebacker in the first round of the draft as they look to get more athletic at the position.
• The defensive line of the Mavs could also use some reinforcing. The pass rush was inconsistent throughout the year, and the run defense was downright awful. In addition, defensive end Freddie Emanuel is not expected to return to the Mavericks next season, as he is 33 years old and his play tailed off considerably at the end of this past season. This is another position Waco will probably improve through the draft.
• Continuing a trend of everything on defense needing improving, the Mavericks could use a considerable amount of help at corner. Casey Black was the only player who played consistently well all season, but he isn't the playmaker that is desired in the defensive backfield. On the otherside, Dennis Weathersby assumed the starting role and showed some flashes after Cedric McFarland faltered, but was very inconsistent in his level of play. Touted rookie corner Ken Nickerson never saw the field in his first season and to this point has been a major disappointment. The team will most likely look to free agency to improve this position, as several big names are expected to be available; among those are Bryant Connell of the New York Nightmare and Anquan Jackson of the New England Regulars.
• The Mavericks are anticipating Anthony Castle will announce his retirement this offseason, and if such does occur, halfback becomes a need. Whlie Stacey Hartley had a spectacular season once he overtook Castle for the starting role, the Mavs played best when Hartley and Castle were used in a one-two punch manner. Bob Lowe will remain on the roster, but he is aging as well. Look for the Mavs to draft a fresh set of legs in the later rounds of the draft.
• Finally, the Mavs will probably look to acquire a veteran quarterback to back up Tommy Player. While Player is expected to return at 100% from his shoulder injury, in the event that he should go down again the Mavs probably do not want to have to rely on Quincy Carter to win any more games.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Offseason News, Pre-Draft
Waco Mavericks (7-9)

The Waco Mavericks have announced many moves over the past several days, largely with regard to contract renewals and players who will be allowed to test free agency.

The following players signed new contracts with the Mavericks and will remain with the team:

• SS Jared Simpson
• CB Dennis Weathersby
• LB Otis Langham
• CB Jeremy Randle
• OG Brandon Brady
• WR Bill Bridges

Out of the following group, Weathersby, Simpson, and Brady were full-time starters. Langham played his way into a new contract with his performance filling in for the injured Nick Rosario, and Randle was kept because he is capable of playing cornerback and safety.

The following players' contracts did not receive offers for new contracts from the Mavericks and will become unrestricted free agents:

• DE Freddie Emanuel
• LB J.J. Ortiz
• WR Scott Shaffer
• LB Lenny Williams
• DE Patrick Henson
• C Paul Smith
• OG Colby Knight

Out of this group, the only two players that saw significant time were defensive end Freddie Emanuel and linebacker J.J. Ortiz. Williams saw some time on the special teams unit, but he was deemed expendable.

The Mavericks also traded away two disgruntled veterans:

• Offensive tackle Neal Hejl was sent to Orlando Hammerheads for the 2nd pick in the 3rd round. Hejl started 16 games at right tackle for the Mavericks and his improvement contributed to the great performance of the team's running game, but Hejl's agent informed the team that the lineman would not play unless he was given a new contract. Thus, Hejl was sent packing.
• In a surprising move, cornerback Casey Black was sent to the Sanctuary Divots for the 19th pick in the fourth round of the draft. Black was the only consistent performer in the Waco secondary last season, but he unexpectedly demanded a trade away from the club. The Divots acquired the 19th selection in the fourth round as part of a trade with the Calgary Hitmen that sent halfback Larry Jordan to Sanctuary. Jordan began last season as the starter in Calgary, but got injured and subsequently lost his job to rookie Dontrelle Drayton.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

The League Draft Preview

This year's draft class is a fairly strong one, but the depth in the draft is limited to specific positions.

There are a number of quarterbacks available this year with the talent to start for a League team right now. The best by a hair is probably Kansas State product Gabe Wheaton. Wheaton is a traditional dropback passer with limited mobility, but he has uncanny touch on his passes, is a fast learner. He also led his surprising Wildcats to a BCS bowl berth in his final campaign with limited talent around him. Up there with Wheaton in talent level are Marty Mackey of Texas A&M, Darnay Baldwin of Michigan State, and Peter Schneidmiller of Southern California.

The position of outside linebacker is also notably strong. The class is led surprisingly by Rashard Olsen out of tiny Fordham. Olsen has outperformed all of his peers at linebacker at the League Combine and it was evident during his days at Fordham how much he outclassed his opposition. Olsen possesses incredible instincts, natural tackling ability, and unrivaled pass-rushing skills. A player to keep an eye on is Brett Davis out of Tennessee; he also had an incredible combine workout, but was injured much of his senior season after a stellar junior campaign, during which he recorded 97 tackles and 15 sacks.

Teams looking for help at running back and free safety will find little help in this draft. While there are a few gems, this year's class on the whole is weak talent-wise in these two facets.

Draft Order, First Round

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

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Waco Mavericks Draft Review

Coming into the draft, the Waco Mavericks seemed to be focusing on improving their defense. With eight total draft picks, they would have the opportunity to bring in quite a bit of talent. As always is the case with collegiate drafts, however, things can get unpredicatable as players get taken off the board, and as such the Mavs ended up picking up talented players spread out across both sides of the ball.

The Mavericks held the eighth pick in the first round, and used it to select defensive end Stacey Peete out of West Virginia. Peete declared early for the draft after an astounding junior campaign in which he amassed 79 tackles and 19 sacks playing both defensive end and linebacker. He possesses amazing speed for his size, clocking a 4.44 in the forty yard time trial. It remains to be seen whether he will be big enough to play defensive end in The League, however, as he is a bit undersized for the position.

With their next pick, the 40th overall selection (second round, eighth pick), the Mavericks acquired cornerback Greg Henley out of the University of Miami. Henley is a big, physical corner with deceptive speed. Sometimes his play would be too physical and he would draw pass interference calls, however, and every once in a while he struggles coming down with interceptions. Despite this, he may very well be the best cornerback on the Mavericks' roster, and he hasn't played a down of League ball yet.

The Mavericks surprised everyone, however, when they traded the two draft picks they previously acquired from the Divots and the Hammerheads via trades to the Birmingham Bolts to acquire the 50th overall selection (second round, eighteenth pick). Rather than select defense, however, they acquired TCU running back Justin Black. Black was the starter in the backfield during Tommy Player's tenure at TCU, and is a prototypical durable power back that will wear out a defense. With Stacey Hartley already on board, however, trading up for an running back seemed to be a rather unusual move. Rumors are already circulating in Waco that there may be an open battle for the job, despite Hartley's 1700+ yard performance last season and winning The League Running Back of the Year Award.

Note: multiple-framed animated image

With their later picks, the Mavericks acquired a few more players that may prove useful in later seasons with some development. Offensive tackle Mark Fox out of North Carolina was added by the Mavs in the fourth round; Fox is the definition of a balanced offensive lineman; he can do everything good, but no one thing great. In the fourth round, Waco took linebacker Lake Thomas of Florida. Thomas had four solid season at Florida, despite being a smaller player and not being the most gifted athletically. The Mavs selected another linebacker in the fifth round, Ty Parten from Washington. Parten is an accomplished pass rusher, but his open-field tackling technique needs some work and his game overall is a bit rough around the edges. Miami defensive end Bobby Bates was added in the 6th round. Bates is more of a run stuffer than a pass rusher, and could be an effective spell option for James James. Finally, in the 7th round, they picked receiver Dre Richart out of Brigham Young University; Richart has blazing speed but has a lot to learn about playing the position.

Overall, the Mavericks accomplished, at least on paper, what they set out to do, that being improve their defense. Peete and Henley should be starters from Day 1, the linebackers both should see plenty of playing time, and the couple of players drafted by the Mavs on offense could develop into gems with the right amount of coaching.

Coming up: The League Draft analysis, complete first round

[Cyros]

Re: The League

Exactly how customizable is Madden on the PC?

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Exactly how customizable is Madden on the PC?

In general, the same options that you have on the console versions are the same on the PC version. However, the ability to add your own artwork for helmets, logos, and field emblems in the PC version makes Madden 2006 on the PC seem a lot more customizable than its console brother.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

Draft Recap, First Round

01		The Sanctuary Divots may have completely finagled their number one draft choice by selecting a quarterback who according to critics was not the best in the draft. Darnay Baldwin out of Michigan State has a good head on his shoulders and somewhat better mobility than that of Gabe Wheaton, but the cannon-armed Wheaton put up better numbers both in college and at the League combine. What compelled the the Divots to take Baldwin over Wheaton, we may never know, but one can only hope it pans out for them.
02		Running back Edgar Farr out of tiny Northwestern State was the most talented running back in the draft, and the Hammerheads made the correct choice in bringing him to their squad which is in so desperate need of a running game. Farr will give them just that with his excellent burst, shifty moves, and deceptive power. Great pick, but a rather obvious one.
03		The Bearcats benefit from the mistake of the Divots as they snap up Gabe Wheaton. Wheaton stands tall in the pocket, has a rocket launcher of an arm, and also has great touch. he can make all the throws. Mobility and leadership are the only question marks on Wheaton; during his time at Kansas State, despite his great numbers, they never won a bowl game while he was under center.
04		The Arizona Outlaws chose linebacker Lionel McDonald out of TCU. McDonald doesn't have the greatest athletic prowess, but he is easily the most complete linebacker in the draft. He has great tackling skills, is superb in coverage, and has the knowledge of an eight-year veteran. He will make an impact for the Outlaws immediately.
05		Last year the Copperheads drafted quarterback Grant Tanner; this year, they logically drafted someone for him to throw the ball to. Receiver Meir Kozlowski is the only receiver in this class that can truly be an impact from the get-go. Though a little on the diminutive side at 5'11", Kozlowski has the kind of speed that gives defensive coordinators nightmares and has a great feel for where the holes in zone coverage are. His hands are good enough for a rookie, but he will have to improve his concentration to become a great player in The League.
06		Even the great Kwazi Mbutabe can't win a League Championship by himself. Thus, the Crusaders enlisted some help on a facet of the game that Mbutabe can't control, the defense. Cornerback Leon McRay isn't the most agile of corners, but he has great straight-line speed and instincts that make up for his lack of fluidity desired at the position. He showed a knack for coming up with interceptions in crunch time at Tennessee, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him carry that trait over to The League.
07		The Dakota Comets' front office likes to build teams from the ground-up. Thus, the pick of Georgia Tech offensive tackle Colby Gamble was hardly a reach for this club. Gamble doesn't exactly live up to his name, though; the odds of him missing a key block in pass protection are slim-to-none. He has good natural strength, but his run blocking technique leaves a bit to be desired at this juncture. Regardless, Gamble will be a bookend tackle for this club for seasons to come.
08		The Waco Mavericks gladly took defensive Stacey Peete with their first selection. Peete has a kind of athleticism that has yet to be seen in The League from the defensive end position. If he can adapt and take as much advantage of his athletic prowess as he did at West Virginia, he will become a star, and fast.
09		The Washington Redhawks began their search for a passer that will make them forget about the nightmare that was Mike Mexico by drafting Peter Schneidmiller out of USC. Schneidmiller may have been a bit of a reach at the ninth overall pick, but he is an accurate passer who is a natural-born leader. It isn't certain whether he has a strong enough arm to be a top-tier quarterback, however, which makes this pick a bit of a gamble.
10		The Santa Fe Unforgiven bolstered their defense by taking defensive end Andre Hayes out of Texas A&M. Hayes will likely be moved to defensive tackle in The League, as he lacks the agility and straight-line speed traditionally desired by defensive ends. He has superior strength and leg drive, however, making him a good fit at the defensive tackle position. It will take some time for him to adapt and learn how to deal with the constant double-teaming, however.
11		Rashard Olsen from Fordham University probably would have been a top-five pick had he gone to a school other than Fordham. The San Jose Armada were wise to see past this simple fact and take the gifted linebacker. Olsen has incredible pass rushing skills and is a very sound tackler. His unknown, however, is in coverage; he is virtually untested in this facet of the game.
12		The only thing the Los Angeles Xtreme could look forward to following a disappointing season was a high draft pick, which they used to bring in Nebraska cornerback Danny Vincent. Vincent is one of the fastest players in this class and is a grade-A ballhawk. His tackling ability, however, compares to that of former NFL great Deion Sanders. He will only survive in The League if he becomes the be-all end-all shutdown cornerback that Prime Time was, or if he learns to wrap up.
13		The Detroit Devils opted to bring in safety Grant Webster out of Penn State. The Nittany Lion isn't too great in run support, but opposing Big 10 quarterbacks always had to check for where he was on the field, as he is a tremendous pass rusher and very proficient at picking off even the best-thrown passes. His head isn't always in the game, however, and can at times be mistake-prone and blow coverages.
14		The New York / New Jersey Hitmen officially set an end date for the Wally Richardson experiment by bringing in Bowling Green product Leonard Jackson. Jackson has a League-ready arm, but is rather raw and isn't the most intelligent player. He would be best-served to have a year to learn the playbook before attempting to lead the Hitmen to the playoffs.
15		The acquisition of a safety by the "Ax" was made necessary when the club sent veteran Rico Clark packing earlier this offseason. Memphis may not have gotten the safety they wanted in Marhall's Terry Lawton, however; like Clark, he excels in run support and is vulnerable in pass coverage. He does enjoy an athleticism advantage over Clark, however, and this may allow him to cover up for his relative lack of intangible talent in space.
16		The Kansas City Crossfire know that, despite his excellent performance last season, 32-year-old running back Mike Morris' days as a starter are numbered. As such, they shrewdly acquired Maryland runner Tony Sapp. Sapp has a very similar running style to the speedy, shifty Morris, but unlike Morris, he has a nasty penchant of fumbling the football at inopportune times. He will need to overcome this problem to be a great player in The League.
17		The Seattle Reign were stuck in an awkward position with the seventeenth pick; the team was looking to acquire a running back, as their leading rusher Ed Peterson unexpectedly decided to call it a career at the age of 29, but when the Crossfire took Tony Sapp, no first-round-pick-worthy halfbacks remained on the board. The Reign couldn't find a trade partner, and thus they chose to go the "best overall player" route by taking NC State defensive end Cortez Thomas. Thomas is a well-rounded defensive end, capable of beating tackles with both bull rush and speed rush moves. He sometimes forgets that he has a responsibility against running plays, however, and allows gaping holes to form on his side of the line. With a bit of coaching, he should be able to overcome this deficiency and become a solid end for the Reign.
18		The Birmingham Bolts bolstered their defensive line by drafting All-Pac10 selection Bobby Hunt. The former Sun Devil is a force at defensive tackle, and demands double teams due to his combination of size and athletic ability. He doesn't have a huge repetoire of moves that he can use to get past blockers, however.
19		In spite of having The League Wide Receiver of the Year on their roster in Ralph Bundy, the Calgary Hitmen chose to draft Purdue receiver Grant Perry. At 6'3", Perry is every bit as big as Bundy, but the Boilermaker has far more physical ability than his All-Pro counterpart. He isn't a natural catching the ball and will drop passes at times, and his route running leaves something to be desired at times.
20		A disappointing finish for the New York Nightmare left them sitting at home during the playoffs, while their rivals, the Dallas Aztecs, nearly made the League Championship Game. Despite the obvious frustration that came with this fact, cooler heads prevailed in the front office and the team made the smart pick in acquiring offensive tackle Sammy Hendricks of Oregon. Hendricks is a bulldozer of a lineman, clearing out paths for his running back with ease. His pass protection skills leave a bit to be desired, and he will probably be moved from his natural position at left tackle to right tackle in his first season to cover this deficiency.
21		The Chicago Enforcers parted ways with accomplished veteran linebacker Trace White, paving the way to drafting Georgia Tech linebacker Trace Heyward. Heyward has a nose for the ball and is an adequate pass rusher, but too often misses tackles in open space for a player of his caliber. The hard-nosed coaching found in the Enforcer organization will no doubt do their best to correct this shortcoming which has popped up on Heyward at the worst times.
22		The crosstown Chicago Marauders also decided to bring in a linebacker from this deep class, Dan Bender of Tennessee. Bender has exceptional physical talents, but never seemed to put it all together during his career as a Volunteer. He had an exceptional combine, which resulted in the skyrocketing of his stock, but he will need a fair amount of time to become even a decent player. That said, if he puts it all together, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
23		Like the Seattle Reign, the San Francisco Demons found themselves out of luck looking for a running back in this year's shallow class of runners. Knowing this, the club decided to bring in another weapon for quarterback Mike Pawlawski to play with in receiver Tyrone Spence out of Southern Mississippi. Spence ran the fastest 40 time out of all the players in this year's class, clocking a 4.21, attracting the attention of just about every team in The League. Spence will give opposing defenses one more thing to think about, and given a bit of luck, might even help the Demons' running game a bit.
24		The Denver Grizzlies decided to bring in an offensive lineman to help their offense, which is not up to the exceptional level of their defense. Right tackle Ted McCormick of USC is a road-grade run blocker who is surprisingly good in pass protection. He is a bit clumsy at times, however, sometimes allowing defenders to blow by him while he trips over his own feet out of his stance. If he can overcome this, he will be a top-tier tackle in The League; if he can't, he will be out of a job for allowing his quarterback to get inexplicably blown up one too many times.
25		Without a real need, the New England Regulars took a different approach from other teams and drafted the exceptionally talented tight end Evan Dunbar from Colorado State. Dunbar is unlike any tight end presently in The League in that he is a legitimate receiving threat. His blocking skills need a notable amount of work, but once he develops he could be the X-factor that the Regulars need to get over the hump.
26		Despite his excellent season this past year, quarterback Ralph McNeal is on the backside of his career and will soon need to be replaced. The Vipers decided to address this need sooner rather than later by drafting Texas A&M quarterback Marty Mackey. Mackey is a strong-armed passer with a fair amount of mobility. The offense that he ran as an Aggie was not very complex, compared to schemes used in The League, and he will need time to pick up the intricacies of the Vipers' complicated but effective passing scheme. Fortunately he will have time to do this with Turner still on the roster in front of him. It's a good situation for him.
27		The offense-oriented Dallas Mavericks opted to upgrade their defense this year by taking defensive tackle Chris Wright out of East Carolina. Wright is a menace to block for opposing interior linemen, as he has a great combination of speed and strength for the position. He often is out of position in run support, however; he will have to right this problem if he wants to be an every-down menace to quarterbacks League-wide as he desires.
28		The loss of Mike Furrey at receiver left the Las Vegas Outlaws with but one legitimate receiving threat in Yo Murphy. The team decided not to wait to address this issue by drafting receiver Derrick Kiniry out of Wisconsin. The Badgers' standout isn't the best route runner, but has incredible hands and great ability to create big plays after he catches the ball. Given time, he could be the next Tito Maas.
29		The San Diego Cyclones let the talented but injury-prone defensive end Patrick Brickley walk in free agency, and as such they needed a defensive end. They decided to address the need by drafting one out of this year's deep class, Dale Newman of Florida State. Newman is primarily a pass rusher, and he excels at his craft. His athletic ability allows him to make up for the mistakes he will make in run support, but if he learns to avoid the miscues that plague him, he could become the best defensive end of this class.
30		The Minnesota Reapers reached a bit by drafting Notre Dame linebacker Jim Owens. Owens isn't as physically gifted as some of his peers in this class, and while he is a solid linebacker, he wasn't necessarily the best choice at linebacker remaining at this point in the draft. His tackling ability can also be downright poor at times. Not a smart pick, at least from this initial judgment, by Minnesota.
31		The Orlando Rage came but 17 yards short of winning the League Championship Game this past year. Coming back to the drawing board, the team chose to address the area of their team that proved to be their undoing: their pass protection. Offensive tackle T.J. Reed is a superb pass blocker, but isn't the most physically gifted offensive lineman and won't exactly move mountains in the running game. That said, the Orlando Rage aren't quite a run-first football club, so this draft choice should work out quite nicely for them.
32		The League champion Las Vegas Aces come into the offseason with the enviable position of having no true needs. With that in mind, the team decided to bolster their fearsome defense by bringing in ECU defensive end Greg Brookes. Brookes is proficient at all aspects of playing defensive end, and with a bit of work could become a great player in The League. Where he stands right now, he will be an excellent addition to the Aces' defensive line rotation.

[Hooe]

Re: The League

2007 Free Agent Signing Period Preview

The 2007 free agent crop contains a number of players who are able to quickly fill a void for any team with a particular need, or wanting that final piece to the puzzle in building a Championship-calbre team.

Leading the group is wide receiver Braylon Starks. Starks led the Dallas Aztecs in all receiving statistics last year with 95 receptions for 1441 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, at the ripe old age of 32, the Aztecs refused to offer Starks the long-term deal he desired, and thus he is being allowed to test free agency.

While Starks is probably the most talented free agent available, there are a number of talented players at other positions as well. Quarterbacks Mike Mexico, formerly of the Washington Redhawks, and Jesse Tallman, the now ex-backup to Julius Williams in Dallas, both could provide an immediate solution to a team's problem at quarterback. Both also have their best years of their careers ahead of them as well. Teams looking for a defensive back will find a myriad of options. Talented cornerback Bryant Connell played nickel back with the New York Nightmare, but is seeking a deal with a club to become a full-time starter, which he has the talent to be. Anquan Jackson is also available at corner; last season he played well alongside Vonnie Treonday in New England, but the club chose to give Treonday a long-tern deal over Jackson.

There are some weak areas in this free agent class, however. Most notably, teams looking for a running back to fit any sort of role will be disappointed to find that there not many decent options available. The best of the group is Raymond Taylor, formerly of the Santa Fe Unforgiven. The club released the 31-year old runner outright a few weeks ago, presumably to make way for the younger Angelo Kirby. Taylor seemed to have lost about a halfstep compared to his previous years, but he is still a capable back that could probably best excel in a spell back role. The only other running back of note available is Craig Davis, formerly of the San Jose Armada. At 5'8", Davis was one of the smallest running backs in The League last year, and while he does have a good amount of athletic ability, he only scored three touchdowns last year, while fumbling five times. His longest run last year was also a mere 19 yards, a far cry from what backs his size should be able to do.

With the free agent signing period set to begin in the next few days, teams will have the opportunity to sign over the services of these and other key players without teams in an effort to better position their clubs for another run at The League Championship next season.

Key Available Free Agents

Quarterbacks Mike Mexico last season with Redhawks: 2433 total yards, 7 total TDs, 8 INTs Jesse Tallman last season with Aztecs: 248 pass yards, 2 TDs Running Backs Raymond Taylor last season with Unforgiven: 879 rush yards, 5 TD Craig Davis last season with Armada: 886 rush yards, 3 TDs Wide Receiver Braylon Starks last season with Aztecs: 1441 receiving yards, 13 TDs Kevin Hastings last season with Reapers: 901 receiving yards, 8 TDs

Defensive Line Patrick Brickley last season with Cyclones: 29 tackles, 10 sacks Freddie Emanuel last season with Mavericks: 39 tackles, 7 sacks Linebackers Trace White last season with Enforcers: 73 tackles, 2 sacks Carlton Carrier last season with Cyclones: 77 tackles, sack, 3 INTs Defensive Backs Anquan Jackson last season with Regulars: 24 tackles, 3 INTs John Donaldson last season with Aces: 47 tackles, sack, INT