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Ok...so...only 3 writers came through so....here's a bit from the AC West, AC North, and NC West.
AC WEST
Anchorage Lynx
Historical Summary: Anchorage has only missed the playoffs, 4 years since the inception of the Imperial League. However, the best they have ever done is win the American Conference in 2004. It’s hard to imagine a team that has had only one losing season and has never won the Imperial Bowl. But such is the Lynx’s luck. In 2015, Anchorage again won the division by edging Portland for the Division title and beat the Vipers at home before falling to the Imperial Bowl Champion Beasts on the road.
Coaching: Lance Schott brings 221 IFL games worth of experience to the Lynx Scouting department. Lance has been too 6 playoffs and a sports an IFL Bowl ring
Key Offensive Players: Bart Alexander is the logical choice to replace QB Steiner this season. Alexander has been in the Lynx system since the 2011 trade with the Clawz. A trio of newcommers lead the Lynx offense. OL Kelso, and WR Rhinehart and rookie WR Berry.
Key Defensive Players: Lenny Olsen returns for his 11th year in a Lynx uniform. former 2006 1.3 LB Olsen is as good as ever. DE Newson and Young, OLB Sato and SHelton along with S Bishop will lead the Defense in 2016
Special Teams: Veteran K Sanderson hopes too pick up where he left off after being traded from Lansing mid season in 2015 Harris went 11 of 13 from 40+ and a sizzling 3 of 3 from 50+
Free Agents and the Draft: Anchorage executed a tag and trade on C Sanders who will come back too Anchorage in a big week 16 game. The Andy Kelso signing more than makes up for the loss of Sanders. Lynx sent CB Lofton too Europe where he promptly pulled a calf muscle and will be on the bubble comming out of camp. Rex gave Anchorage a B+ for the 2016 draft but I say the Lynx nailed 2 starters in CB Duncan and WR Berry
Prediction: 11-5. Despite the loss of Steiner Anchorage will hold onto the AC West title again in 2016 for BuddaKing and the 70500 fans who have already sold out all the games in Anchorage.
Portland Seals
Historical Summary: Portland has missed the playoffs only once in the last 7 years, but have never made it to the Conference Championship. In 2015, the Seals lost the AC West crown on tiebreakers then went into Cleveland and lost by a FG making the Seals 0-8 all time in the IFL playoffs.
Coaching: The Seals cleaned house in the coaching office as veteran Head Coach, Kris Ludwig brings his 88 wins to Portland. The Seals are Kris's 4th IFL home in 11 seasons. Ludwig lured longtime Iowa City DC, Tyler, along with former Mountaineer OC, Brown, to Portland to form an impressive staff.
Key Offensive Players: Jay Caro is currently the best QB in the AC West and he has veteran targets in the field complemented by youngsters Robinson and Lee and solid WR depth. The OL is solid being led by LT Stickney, but RT is an issue. Stevenson could move over to assist.
Key Defensive Players: Adamov returns at DE for the Seals. Leading the LBs is El-Mashtoub and Gutsche, Craig and Porter form a solid core for the Portland secondary.
Special Teams: Punter, Walters, continues too improve and Ballard will return for his sophomore season at K
Free Agents and Draft: GM jeffrey raided the Liberty for DT Franzwa and RB Newsome. Career backup C Chisholm was signed from Orlando to compete with Chisholm for starting C. DE Schumaker, signed from Oakland but made a name as a Hero, will be on the bubble. CB Prince was sent to Europe to hone his ST skills. Rex graded the Seals draft with an A+ and I would not be as kind. TE Lee, however, is a stud and should start from day 1. QB Freeman had a good camp and should make the team along with 3rd round CB Parrish. Peters, Peralta, Lake, Walsh, and Weber will be on the bubble. Then there are the second rounders. 2.20 RT Thomas could make the team due too lack of competition at backup T, but 2.26 DE Henderson needs to get off the crack pipe and come too Jesus before he considers an IFL career.
Prediction: 9-7. Although the Seal D is not bad, it won't be good enough to regain the divisional title from the Lynx, but the Seals will again be competing for a WC slot for the 77300 season ticket holders
Fresno Warthogs
Historical Summary: The Chaos that is in Fresno continues to haunt the California Coastline. These men are no longer Heroes, but now Warthogs. The question is, will another new name and new owner, break the curse that keeps Fresno from its 13th season without a playoff appearance in 2016. The Warthogs started 2015 with 1-8 record, but finished strong finishing the season 5-2 and a 6-10 overall record.
Coaching: Fresno made no coaching changes heading into 2016, sticking with Rappaport, Schroder, Hamilton and Montano
Free Agents and Draft: Veteran QB Latham finally hung up his cleats. Fresno's Kobeck threw $40m at MLB Maggard and Lawrence took $30m of it too the bank. Fresno signed a crop of guys bringing 70 to TC, most will be unemployed week 1. SE DeBoer went to Europe and came back with improved fundamentals. Rex graded Warthog draft A-, but that had too be on quanity as Fresno's first pick was 3.28. Of the Draftee,s WLB Walters looks too start. Odenbach and Hutchings could start in the secondary, but they would not on a PO team. The other draftees are all on the bubble
Key Offensive Players: Schwartz is not the best QB in the AC West - yet. RB Snap Chapman is scheduled to return from the compound fracture that ended his 2015 campaign. TE McElroy is the best target the Warthogs have. Peko is still the best WR but that ain't saying much. The OL saw no changes as everyone returns in their same positions, LG Winslett could be an all pro.
Key Defensive Players: DE Beauchamp continues too improve and he leads a solid Defensive front. Newcommers Maggard and Walters, lead a shaky set of LBs. The secondary will be improved by allowing Bailey, Shapiro, Bush and Fredrickson to play at their natural positions
Special Teams: Warthog K Oksenberg, is solid from 40+, but needs too be more consistent from the shorter distances. Their Punter is a total question mark as Kobeck clearly wants to replace Jue but neither draftee Austin or LFA Foley are obvious replacements.
Prediction: 8-8. Schwartz will improve in 2016, but he is breaking in yet another crop of Warthog targets. The 43100 season tickets holders are already talking about 2017
Los Angeles Liberty
Historical Summary: Since moving to Los Angeles from Albequerque, the franchise has missed the playoffs every year. While they had a 9-7 season in 2013, they traded away QB, Edward Jacobs and have suffered horrible seasons the past two years. 2015 was a lost season for LA as longtime IFL owner Iceman was absent due too off the field issues. In 2016, the team was sold to Mr. Hoosier.
Coaching: Liberty stick with Earle, Redd, Davison and MCCree
Free Agents and Draft: One year rental FB Kopp, retired. LA’s front office was unable to participate in early FA and lost DT Franzwa, RB Newsome, and QB’s Hairstone and Barajas. LA was not able to send anyone to Europe in 2016. New Owner, Mr. Hoosier, took over the Liberty just before the draft began and did a good job. 1.3 DT Ellard is the real deal and is one of the strongest players in the IFL. 1.27 RB Montgomery should start and CB Stevenson can be a nickleback.
Key Offensive Players: QB Debussey leads a solid Offense. TE Fehr is one of the best in the IFL but the WRs could use some quality depth, but what team couldn't. The OL is one of the best in the IFL and clearly the best in the AC West. This could allow the Liberty to improve quickly and rapidly.
Key Defensive Players: A young DL needs some more time and Ellard fits right in. Starting LBs Jefferson, Gomez and Cervantes are all good. Safetys Randle and Coghill stand out in a pedestrian backfield.
Special Teams: P Luzar and K Goodwin make the best duo in the AC West.
Prediction: 6-10. LA will defiantly improve in 2016, but by how much. Double the wins seems reasonable at this time as the less than 20000 season ticket holders are aware.
AC WEST PREVIEW:
Anchorage Lynx 11-5
Portland Seals 9-7
Fresno Warthogs 8-8
Los Angeles Liberty 6-10
AC NORTH
Cleveland Clawz
Historical Summary: The Clawz have been to the IFL Bowl twice in the history of the franchise, but still have no rings. In 2015, The 10-6 Clawz won their fourth consecutive AC North division title and made it five winning seasons in a row as they squeezed out Iowa City yet again.
Key Offensive Players: The offense led by QB Corey Perkins was reliable rather than stand out. Perkins managed good passing yardage but his passer rating dropped slightly as his completion percentage dipped and his tendency to throw a pick returned. He enjoyed playing with his new FA veteran wideout, Gino Markel, who had a career year grabbing over 80 balls for 1200+ yds.
The running game saw Riddick Scialabba take some punishement without ever really doing enough to really impress as he scraped over1000yds. The offense had a problem with turnovers throughout the season, and coaches will be working hard on this prior to the 2016 kickoff. The Clawz have a very good QB in Perkins, a great looking O-line and a sprinkling of good, if old, receivers. If they are to win another division title, they will need rookies Battle and Bressany to step up to the plate and realistically, the pressure is on Perkins to make things happen.
Key Defensive Players: Things were similar on the defensive side of the ball as the unit performed to a generally decent standard. LB’s Vance and Doyle were everywhere as they led the team with over 100 tackles each. There was an adequate pass rush from DE Gonzale,z and DT Borgerson put up good numbers. However, the secondary struggled (the team interception leader had just 2 picks) and as a whole, the D didn’t produce the big plays often enough. The D-line looks able and expect some hard work from the Clawz linebacking corps again.
A young secondary has some potential and they will have learned a lot from a tough last year.
Coaching: Cleveland may not have had the superstar talent or numbers, but the GM knew how to get the team functioning and they certainly played as a team unit.
Good coaching and veteran experience kept the Clawz scratching for the division title but it was not enough for a deep run into the playoffs as they blew out against Murfreesboro in the division final. There were no coaching changes for the Clawz as they retain their entire staff going into 2016.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements: Popular starting RT ‘Old Man’ Lasley finally called it a day after a 14yr career for both the Clawz and the Firebirds. He was a starter his whole career and will be missed. WR Elbert Castor also called it a day after a one season guest appearance in Cleveland as a back up wideout. The biggest FA loss saw RB Scialabba defecting to the Mules, although Cleveland did not try and stand in his way as they decided to look for a new back. As far as FA additions went, the Clawz were pretty quiet, inking a vet FB and DT and making the biggest splash in signing reserve RB Borrego from Iowa City on a 3yr $5m contract.
Draft: Drafting towards the end of the round, Cleveland looked to the offense with their 1st and 2nd round picks. The Clawz took TE Donny Bressany at 1.25 and although he has yet to sign, he looks a good all round TE who should contribute well if he can cut down on the drops.
At 2.24, Cleveland grabbed the well named RB Hunter Battle who has immediately won the fans hearts. He is as slippery as an eel and will start from the get go. He too will be a solid pro.
The later rounds saw Cleveland pick up some back up standard players.
As a whole the Clawz draft was solid rather than earth shattering.
Special Teams: The kicking game is one of the better units in the league but again age is creeping up fast. Two DB’s, Shaun Miller and Roger Egbert, will have the return duties and both are a good standard without really threatening to take one back.
Prediction: This team is aging and needs to rely heavily on the experience of its vets and GM if it is to make it 5 titles in a row. Without making a splash in FA or the draft, it may be that this is the year that Cleveland start to lose their grip on their division. I predict a tough season this year and a slip to an 8-8 record as another team takes up the baton in the AC North. The Clawz to finish 3rd in the division as a divisional dynasty finally comes to an end.
Iowa City Snipe Hunters
Historical Summary: Iowa City must be fed up of living in the shadow of the Clawz recently, and 2015 was another year where their arch rivals edged them out again. Iowa City went to the Imperial Bowl in 2010 and has made the playoffs 7 times. In 2015, the Snipe Hunters finished 9-7 and missed out on a playoff spot, although they did show a burst at the end of the season which has made their fans optimistic going into 2016.
Key Offensive Players: The Offense was led by veteran QB Sammy Mathews who continued his Indian Summer posting another 100+ passer rating, thanks largely to great efficiency and a lack of turnovers.Mathews was able to spread the ball around well to a number of receivers but fellow vet Rueben Caffrey was his favorite target and managed another 1000+ yd season. It’s no coincidence that Caffrey’s two seasons in Iowa have seen Mathews passer rating rise. RB, Donald Ozguner remained the focus of this offense managing his second season in a row with in excess of 1600yds from scrimmage. As a whole, the offense was one of the better units across the IFL. The team has nice talent in the skill positions and RB Ozguner is one of the best in the league. Mathews and his receivers can provide enough danger to stop defenses keying exclusively on the running game. There are gaps in the O-line but this offense is good enough to win the division.
Key Defensive Players: Defensively, linebackers Bo Gray, Jamie McDaniel and Donnie Morton were the pick of the bunch, all three having nice production. The Snipe Hunters top tackler was corner Duane Fox and they need a dominant guy in the front 7 to stop opponents penetrating into the secondary.The pass rush was good but was more of a team effort rather than relying on any star players. The D-line needs a star. Over to the secondary, and except for Fox and Morton, there was not much to shout about. Overall, the D played well without any superstars.
They didn’t let anyone down but they were unable to take the team onto the next level. The defense is of above average standard but lacks any real star quality. Certainly all three tiers of defense are solid but the D-line needs some help and may be a priority next draft. The D may not dominate teams but they are a good enough obstacle to give their offense it’s chance to win.
Special Teams: Punter Lucas is a lock but the kicking job is open. Caffrey takes the punts back adequately whilst Jacobs and Sweeney share the KO return duties. Sweeney has the potential to go all the way.
Coaching: The only coaching change saw Iowa City pinch Defensive Co-ordinator Brian Bove from Dakota. The experienced coach has a great reputation in the game and should help improve the D.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements:Former starting LB David Day hung up his cleats after 13 years as a Snipe Hunter. His last few seasons had been as a back up but the guy was a real servant to the franchise. LT Kevin Price was another 13 year man who retired. He was a former All-Pro and regular starter until the end so he will be harder to replace. Both guys had distinguished careers in Iowa City. The Snipe Hunters were able to keep their team pretty much intact for another tilt in 2016, with no real FA losses. They were also able to sign Vancouver’s starting QB Xavier Armstrong as insurance for Mathews, should age catch up with him through Camp. This was their only FA move of note.
Draft: The Snipe Hunters had two 1st rd picks this year and with the 1.10 they drafted CB Jeremy Hickman. Hickman looks a very good player with a fierce hit and should soon be starting for the team. FL Martin King was selected at 1.18 but the jury is still out on him. Although he has good stature, his initial look is disappointing. He may mature through his first few seasons and will need a good first camp to really make his mark. The rest of the Hunter’s draft was used predominately on linemen but 4th rd pick FL Bob Ventura looks a capable 3rd string receiver.
Prediction: The Snipe Hunters are good enough to win the division and are eager to jump above Cleveland once more. However, it may be that Cleveland are simply replaced by Montreal as division top dogs, keeping the Hunters as bridesmaids once again. They may snatch the division title, but I don’t see them as talented enough to manage more than a one and out in the playoffs.
I predict another 9-7 record to finish second in the division as they flirt with a wildcard spot again.
Montreal Firebirds
Historical Summary: Montreal has made the playoffs, one time back in 2006, and has had only 2 winning seasons. The F-Birds are starting to earn a reputation that even Owner C-Rex is uncomfortable. Montreal continued to improve slightly in 2015, jumping to an 8-8 record and third spot in the division, but fans will not be satisfied until they win their first Division Title.
Key Offensive Players: Offensively, this team was all about running the ball in 2015. Young QB Bruce Cote improved into his second season and looks like a future star. However, the Firebirds appear to be breaking him in easily as they refused to put too much pressure on his young shoulders. Cote only threw for 2300yds in his first season as starter. That the Firebirds were able to safeguard Cote, was due to the work of RB ‘Ozzy’ Osborne who is a very productive back. The All-Pro running back made it five seasons in a row with over 1000yds rushing at very nice levels of ypc. He is also a dangerous pass receiver and for consecutive years he recorded more than 2000 combined yards from scrimmage to lead the team in receptions. The best receiver per se on the team is stud TE Archie Lake but the team didn’t get an awful lot from their wideouts. This offense is going to burst onto the league some time soon. QB Cote, RB Osborne, FB Uno and TE Lake are all excellent players. The Firebirds have a fine O-line taking shape too with RG Hatcher the pick. The receiving corps are their weakest spot but are serviceable.
Key Defensive Players: The defense was the real strength of the franchise last season.
The defensive line proved very useful, putting together a quality pass rush, with DT ‘Sly’ Stone really catching the eye. Star SS Everett Rose managed over 100 tackles to lead the team and excellent SLB Roger Delcorio led the second line of defense. The pass defense was fantastic and led the league in yds allowed. It was a top 5 unit in takeaways and in opponent passer rating.
This team may not have posted a winning record but it has quality young players and the season gone was a stepping stone to future success. The defense too is going to be a tough unit. They have quality in the front 7 and a very good and youthful secondary. One or two of the D-lineman are approaching the downturn in their careers and some youth here may be a priority in coming drafts.
Special Teams: Kicker Allen Bailie is the league’s best and has justified his 2nd round selection in 2014. Punter Nixon is as good as most and great at pinning teams back. Allen Shahade needs to find himself again when he returns punts after a disappointing couple of seasons.Mark Ayala has proved capable in the past but should really be more dangerous as a KO returner.
Coaching: With a young QB signed up, the Firebirds felt able to employ new scout Michael Meier who will concentrate on other areas of the roster.Veteran Offensive Co-ordinator Arnold Richardson was the only other coaching change, signed from Madison to develop some young talent.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements: Montreal’s only retirement was FB Roderick Carter who had only seen limited playing time in his career. The Firebirds managed to resign their only FA of note, starting CB and secondary leader Terrell Cortez. They also recruited Pennsylvania backup OT A.J Stills who is a pass blocking specialist.
Draft: FB ‘Pizzeria’ Uno was the Firebirds 1st round draft pick taken at 1.20. Uno was the top FB available and will be a stud at that position and a fine compliment to RB Osborne. 2nd round pick LB Tracy Bisson and 3rd round selection SE Kelvin Schaefer both look to be further good additions to this up and coming roster.
Prediction: The Firebirds are the up and coming team in the division and it’s just a matter of when do they flex their muscles. The only thing holding them back at the moment is self belief.
There are some great players on the roster, with youth on their side and a division title is within their capability this season.I predict a 10-6 record and a first ever AC North title.
Wichita Outlaws
Historical Summary: Wichita had to work through another disappointing season last time out, their fourth losing season in a row. In fact, the Outlaws have only made the playoffs twice in 13 years, reaching the Imperial Bowl in 2011. But in 2015, their 4-12 record saw them propping up the AC North yet again, and in the end that dismal run was enough to ensure the GM would be relieved of his duties.
Key Offensive Players: Offensively, there was a QB controversy as Terrance Porcher was the debatable choice as starter. That being said, there was no clear consensus amongst fans and coaches as to whether veterans Winston Scott or Alvin Mann, or youngster Damon Conway should be the #1 guy. The result was a sub par performance from the passing game, Porcher only managed a 76.2 rating. Part of that was down to the receiving corps as although the team had a handful of second level guys, the team lacked a clear #1 receiver. All of the receivers including TE and RB played their part, but none managed close to 1000yds. Running back Tracy Norris just about managed his third straight 1000yd season but was probably under used. With a decent o-line and running game, the offense is capable of better this year but there are decisions to be made. Who will start at QB and is there enough talent at receiver? Already, as we play through pre-season there is a QB controversy brewing with fans splitting into Scott and Conway camps.
Key Defensive Players: The Outlaws D was led by monster pass rushing DE Antoine Nece but all too often he was left to do it on his own and he was double teamed to exclusion. DT Durham and DE Everett needed to make more of an impact and didn’t. The second level of defense was more effective with linebackers Martin and Langley both recording over 100 tackles and Martin picking off 5 passes. Into the secondary and young corners Kufahl and Johnstone played well enough without really excelling but suffered with a lack of experienced guidance from elsewhere on the roster. Like the offense, the D probably didn’t play up to the standard of it’s talent and showed a lack of leadership and direction. There is a nucleus of talent developing on this side of the ball. Each of the three units has a star player to build around and like the offense, the defense should play better in the season coming. A lot is expected of Nece, Bean and Kufahl as leadership is needed to bring the D along.
Special Teams: Punter Farley has the job this year and rookie kicker Kangas is a lock.KO return specialist Grant Hatcher was traded in to provide some spark and PR Ross Daniels is good enough to be a threat.
Coaching: eteran Offensive Co-ordinator Harris Nafis had his contract renewed to ensure the coaching staff remained the same going into the new season.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements: There were no retirements from the roster. The Outlaws’ roster remained intact as their best FA’s LB Ackerman and FL Nelson both signed new contracts. Wichita brought in two new RB’s in the shape of Stanley Jamison and Fred Garcia to perform specialist roles within the offense.
Draft: With a new GM in post, there was much interest and speculation amongst the Wichita media in the run up to the draft. In the end, the new guy didn’t seem to do too bad as each of his first three picks look like starters. With the 1.4 choice, the Outlaws grabbed MLB Thomas Bean who looks like an immediate starter and will seamlessly replace Outlaws legend Wes Martin who is nearing retirement. The 2.7 pick was used to fill a need at safety and FS Ian Romine has the pass defense skills to start in this league. He struggles against the run but if he plays the pass as well as he projects then the fans will forgive him. The Outlaws 3rd rd selection is worthy of a quick word too as they used the 3.6 pick to grab their new kicker in Tracy Kangas. Already, he looks like one of the top kickers in the league. Two mid level picks, TE Stoy and FS McNeil both look capable of contributing.
Prediction: The Outlaws are under new management and there is always uncertainty with a new GM. The roster is better than a 4-12 team but how quickly will the GM find his feet? This season may be another with a losing record but further foundation should be laid for the future. I predict a 6-10 record for the Outlaws and another 4th spot in the division.
AC NORTH PREVIEW:
1. Montreal Firebirds 10-6
2. Iowa City Snipe Hunters 9-7
3. Cleveland Clawz 8-8
4. Wichita Outlaws 6-10
NC WEST
Salt Lake City Stallions
Historical Summary – Since Artie Lyle took over in 2011, he’s been to the playoffs 3 out of 5 years. Last year’s run, however, looked to be more promising as they hosted the wildcard game against division rival Reno by sporting a 12-4 record, their best record in their 13 year history. Salt Lake, however, lost another opportunity being outsted in the first round. The Stallions have never been to the Imperial Bowl and SLC fans are a little jaded, always a bridesmaid to teams like Lawrence, Texas, Madison, Little Rock, and Vermont.
Coaching – Artie Lyle was re-hired by Mr. Vito despite his losing record of 35-39, in part due to their relative success last year. Lyle got a 5 year contract which gives him a lot of rope to change the future in Salt Lake. But even more important is R. J. Rasmussen, who was re-hired as the offensive coordinator for a salary, $2 million more than Lyle’s contract. It is clear that offense is the key to Vito’s gameplan. Dusty Laroche is in his 2nd year, putting the SLC defense in the top 10 in rushing defense and 11th against the pass.
Key Offensive Players – Edward Jacobs is in his 7th season as a QB and his 3rd with the Stallions since acquired from Los Angeles. Jacobs has battled injuries every season, but has never missed a game despite two injuries last year. Jacobs is a warrior throwing a personal high 48 TD passes last year and only 9 INT’s. He’s had only 1 season, not including his rookie year that he has not passed for more than 4,000 yards. At issues for Jacobs and the Stallions is the lack of Offensive line that did not protect him well in the playoffs against Reno where he was sacked 6 times. RB, Jared Maxwell has not helped the situation as the threat to run has been diminished since the days of James Tart in the backfield. If not for “Don Juan” Gomez, the Stallions would be in trouble offensively. Don won the best receiver in the league distinction last year by catching over 100 balls for over 1400 yards. With 17 TD’s, Gomez’s career was resurrected after sitting on the injured reserve all of 2014. Gomez draws a lot of double coverage, which makes flanker, David “Deep” Norris all the more valuable. Norris was rated to the all league 2nd team in 2014, but takes back seat to Gomez..
Key Defensive Players – The Stallions 3-4 defense is a defense that is built upon pressuring the quarterback. It has a strong front 3 led by DE, Quentin Caro and NT, Lamar Ordona. Caro was Defensive player of the year back in 2013, but has had to share the sacks with Ordona who was named to the Pro-Bowl in 2014. While the linebacking corps and secondary are a little tick above average, make no mistake that the pressure exhibited from the front line doesn’t allow receivers a long time to come open.
Draft and Free Agency – Salt Lake was fairly inactive during the offseason, signing players to minimal contracts and hoping to make another run with the same team that went 12-4 last year. Salt Lake City didn’t have a first round pick, but took QB, Frank Welch in the second round. Welch appears to have journeyman type of skills and seems to be a perennial back up Jacobs. In fact, none of this years draft will probably see playing time for the Stallions this year, or maybe any other year.
Reno Wolfpack
Historical Summary – Kris Ludwig had taken Reno to the playoffs 3 out of the last 5 years, but for whatever reason chose to jump to Portland to take over the Seals. And so, for only $600,000 less, the Wolfpack chose to hire Jim Delap, the coach of Notre Dame after his amazing turn around of a floundering college program. This is Jim’s first attempt at pro coaching, so it will be interesting to see if he can repeat Ludwigs’ success. Reno suffers from a similar fate as their division rival Salt Lake City Stallions, getting bumped from the playoffs after one or two games, but it has been much better of late than in the lean years under Mike Montgomery.
Coaching – In addition to the hire of Jim Delap, Reno lured away Mo Aschenbrenner from West Virginia’s Championship Team. Stating that he wanted a challenge, and of course, more money, Aschenbrenner had the best pass defense in the league. Mr. Argot, despite having a passing defense that ranked in the top 10, noted that beating the combos of Jacobs and Gomez, Donovan and Jarvis in a pass happy league are keys to success. Perhaps someone should have told that owner that it was Reno’s offense, not defense that couldn’t keep up with Pennsylvania in the Divisonal Playoff Round. James Marzano returns as the OC for his final contract year.
Key Offensive Players – When RB, Darnell Castillo was drafted with the #3 overall pick in 2013, he joined Veteran QB, Dennis Collela who had just signed a $64.5 Million dollar contract for 5 years which other owner’s in the league cried was overblown and misguided a year earlier. The League looked justified in their complaints when Collela went down with an ACL tear and missed a year and a half on IR. But in 2014, Collela rebounded and with the help of Castillo, helped the Wolfpack make the playoffs two straight years in a row. Collela is now in his 14th year, while back up Bryan McNeil continues to mature as a back up and it is only a matter of time before Mr. Argot will have to make a decision about Collela’s future. Still the key to the Wolfpack’s success is in their running game and a developing offensive line. Castillo continues to get better every year, coming short only 300 yards of a 2000 yard season.
Key Defensive Players – A big mistake was noted by Mr. Argot when he could not re-sign his best two defensive players at the end of last year, DT, Ike Kendall and SLB, Lawrence Maggard. While the Wolfpack franchised Kendall, Maggard ended up going to Fresno via free agency to a 2 year, $40 million contract. They key to Reno’s success has always been a Zone Defense that keeps everything in front of them in a bend but don’t break format. Though they are not big up front and susceptible to the run, they are quick, and use team speed apply enough pressure to get the ball close to their ball hawking safeties Rookie Scottie Diaz and Veteran Jeffrey Buckner.
Draft and Free Agency – Reno did very little in free agency besides signing some aging veteran leadership and even losing SLB, Lawrence Maggard to Fresno and RG, Quentin Habich to Pennsylvania. While Reno is deep in their offensive line, the loss of Maggard will hurt tremendously in what was already a weak run stopping team. In the first round, Reno selected Irvin Sweeney, a local boy out of UNLV, Sweeney is projected to be a good safety, but was not a need for the Wolfpack. However, Reno did address their needs in later rounds picking up potential starters in DE, Rufus Walton, SLB, Deron Sheldon, WILB Darren Woods, and CB, Ernie Davison, pending their development.
Oakland Devil Dogs
Historical Summary – The Devil Dogs went a disappointing 6-10 last year, losing their last 4 games of the year prompting Owner Mr. Jave to make some radical moves trading pro-bowl CB Nicky Doyle for picks, picks that were used to move to the top of the 2016 Rookie Draft. This is Oakland’s 5th straight losing season and 6th straight year missing the playoffs. Gone is the 5 year plan that led the once proud franchise that came one point short of the Imperial Bowl Title in 2006. Though the team has been through a few changes, Mr. Jave seemed committed to excellence this year in trying to field a winning team.
Coaching – Timmy Haith once again takes the helm of the Devil Dogs despite a lack of fan support who have called for his job a number of times. Fans have even boycotted showing up at the turnstiles, but Mr. Jave continues to show faith in Haith despite an abysmal record of 32-63. Mr. Jave also renewed the contracts of Offensive Coordinator, Vince Rodriguez and Defensive Coordinator, Stanley Moore.
Key Offensive Players – This team will continue to revolve around QB, Horace Donovan and RB, Geoff Wilson. Donovan set a personal best 3500 yards in passing last year, but had more Int’s, 18 than TD’s 16. Interceptions have been an Achilles heel for Donovan except in 2014 when his passer rating was 105, but his season was cut short missing the last 3 games of the season. Donovan is a bit injury prone and Wilson will need to keep pressure off of him by having a good year. Wilson had his best year as a rookie in 2014 when Donovan was also having success. The two seem to have a symbiotic relationship that will need some game planning tweaking by Vince Rodriguez to get them firing on all cylinders. And to help with that game plan, Oakland made a trade for Veteran wideout, Sherman Jarvis from Lansing. Jarvis is a beast making the All league team 5 years in a row. Though scouts say he is starting to lose a step, its hard to argue with a season in which he came 53 yards short of 2000 yards receiving. The double coverage that Jarvis will draw will open things up for TE, Plantilla, and other WR’s Thomason and Mulligan. Thomason is always a threat to beat other teams deep and may excel in one on one coverage. The offensive line continues to improve led by Center, Gerald Shelton. This could be the Devil Dogs most explosive offensive we have seen since the days of Martinez and Bice.
Key Defensive Players – With the first pick of the 2016 draft, the Oakland Devil Dogs selected DT, Leonard Wingfield from TCU. Wingfield is a monster and has the potential to grow into one of the best Lineman EVER. Wingfield will also help DE Ricky Doyle from getting double teamed at the line of scrimmage. Oakland has desperately needed an upgraded pass rush which left Farley and Doyle too much time to cover opposing wideouts. Now without Doyle, the Devil Dogs will be forced to use their safeties to help cover. Farley is one of the best shutdown corners in the league and will no less be on an island matched up one on one against opposing wideouts. Karl Hinson leads an average linebacking crew that will be tested by the short game. Oakland’s defense ranked number 8 against the run last year, Mr. Jave is hoping that his pass defense can meet the same type of success.
Draft and Free Agency – The Devil Dogs did very little in free agency, even screaming “foul” against other owners who Mr. Jave believed “overpaid” for talent. Jave seems to be a bit gunshy after having to dismantle a top caliber club back in 2007 because he couldn’t afford everyone’s contract demands. And so Oakland is playing this year a bit conservative with upcoming contract renegotiations. As stated before, Oakland took Leonard Wingfield with the first pick in the draft, and took Safety Zach Borders in the 5th round who may actually start on opening day.
Vancouver Killer Whales
Historical Summary – Vancouver seems to be a bit cursed as a franchise. They have made the playoffs only one year in 2010, by squeaking out a wild card birth with an 8-8 season. Their only season above .500 was their first year of existence in 2003, sporting a 10-6 record but not good enough make the playoffs. Enter new ownership in 2014, and Mr. C. Mark looks to be trying to break the bad karma that has surrounded the board room. The Killer Whales went a surprising 6-10 last year after having a 3-13 season the year before. Last year, Vancouver hired Sammy Harvey as their head coach to get things turned around. It appears to be working.
Coaching – Sammy Harvey is back for his 3rd year of a 6 year contract. Joel Kooliker and Bob Peebles who excel in their offensive and defensive schemes, join Harvey in trying to turn around this sinking titantic. While the offensive improved from 25th to 20th overall last year, the defense seemed to be suspect going from top 10 to 20th. That will have to improve if the Whales want to get a glimpse of the playoffs in the near future.
Key Offensive Players – Curiously, Xavier Armstrong was allowed to go to free agency this past year, and the Killer Whales picked up QB, Cornelius Hutton. Hutton has never played a complete season and has had only mild success when backing up “Machine Gun” McMurray at St. Louis. But there is something that C. Mark sees in Hutton that he likes. It’s a big gamble considering Armstrong’s arm, but his INT’s were something that Harvey could not live with. This team is still going to need some time to gel on offense. With no real run threat, teams can blitz early and often and even double team receiver’s leader Patrick Harding. The offensive line has potential for the future, but is still young and will make a lot of early rookie mistakes in assignments.
Key Defensive Players – The linebacking corps is the heart of the Killer Whales defense. Carlton Nitschke led the team with 115 tackles last year after being brought in from West Virginia. He is joined by Julio Wheeler and Neil Barnes. Still, the Killer Whales are without a pass rush, showing great force against the run. Wes Goad is still a load in the middle and Peterson and Thornton lack the ability to get to the QB. Together they had 1.5 sacks all last season. Justin Warren returns as one of the league’s top safeties and will be joined by rookie A. J. Copeland. Still, the Whales are a bit thin at the cornerback position which will be tested in a division that sports Jacobs, Donovan, and Colella at the QB position.
Free Agency and the Draft – Vancouver attempted unsuccessfully to get involved in free agency this past year. Their pick ups of Hutton and other offensive linemen are indicative of a desperation move. However, Vancouver shows the potential of one of their best drafts ever. With the 8th overall pick, the Whales picked up A. J. Copeland from U. of California. In the second round they addressed another need in the secondary by selecting CB, Dennis Stephenson. Then, turning to their offensive line, Vancouver picked up Guard, Lincoln Bernard, and Tackle, Floyd Zimmerman in attempts to build the foundation for a franchise on the rise.
Projected Finish:
1. Salt Lake City 10-6
2. Oakland 9-7
3. Reno 9-7
4. Vancouver 6-10
AC WEST
Anchorage Lynx
Historical Summary: Anchorage has only missed the playoffs, 4 years since the inception of the Imperial League. However, the best they have ever done is win the American Conference in 2004. It’s hard to imagine a team that has had only one losing season and has never won the Imperial Bowl. But such is the Lynx’s luck. In 2015, Anchorage again won the division by edging Portland for the Division title and beat the Vipers at home before falling to the Imperial Bowl Champion Beasts on the road.
Coaching: Lance Schott brings 221 IFL games worth of experience to the Lynx Scouting department. Lance has been too 6 playoffs and a sports an IFL Bowl ring
Key Offensive Players: Bart Alexander is the logical choice to replace QB Steiner this season. Alexander has been in the Lynx system since the 2011 trade with the Clawz. A trio of newcommers lead the Lynx offense. OL Kelso, and WR Rhinehart and rookie WR Berry.
Key Defensive Players: Lenny Olsen returns for his 11th year in a Lynx uniform. former 2006 1.3 LB Olsen is as good as ever. DE Newson and Young, OLB Sato and SHelton along with S Bishop will lead the Defense in 2016
Special Teams: Veteran K Sanderson hopes too pick up where he left off after being traded from Lansing mid season in 2015 Harris went 11 of 13 from 40+ and a sizzling 3 of 3 from 50+
Free Agents and the Draft: Anchorage executed a tag and trade on C Sanders who will come back too Anchorage in a big week 16 game. The Andy Kelso signing more than makes up for the loss of Sanders. Lynx sent CB Lofton too Europe where he promptly pulled a calf muscle and will be on the bubble comming out of camp. Rex gave Anchorage a B+ for the 2016 draft but I say the Lynx nailed 2 starters in CB Duncan and WR Berry
Prediction: 11-5. Despite the loss of Steiner Anchorage will hold onto the AC West title again in 2016 for BuddaKing and the 70500 fans who have already sold out all the games in Anchorage.
Portland Seals
Historical Summary: Portland has missed the playoffs only once in the last 7 years, but have never made it to the Conference Championship. In 2015, the Seals lost the AC West crown on tiebreakers then went into Cleveland and lost by a FG making the Seals 0-8 all time in the IFL playoffs.
Coaching: The Seals cleaned house in the coaching office as veteran Head Coach, Kris Ludwig brings his 88 wins to Portland. The Seals are Kris's 4th IFL home in 11 seasons. Ludwig lured longtime Iowa City DC, Tyler, along with former Mountaineer OC, Brown, to Portland to form an impressive staff.
Key Offensive Players: Jay Caro is currently the best QB in the AC West and he has veteran targets in the field complemented by youngsters Robinson and Lee and solid WR depth. The OL is solid being led by LT Stickney, but RT is an issue. Stevenson could move over to assist.
Key Defensive Players: Adamov returns at DE for the Seals. Leading the LBs is El-Mashtoub and Gutsche, Craig and Porter form a solid core for the Portland secondary.
Special Teams: Punter, Walters, continues too improve and Ballard will return for his sophomore season at K
Free Agents and Draft: GM jeffrey raided the Liberty for DT Franzwa and RB Newsome. Career backup C Chisholm was signed from Orlando to compete with Chisholm for starting C. DE Schumaker, signed from Oakland but made a name as a Hero, will be on the bubble. CB Prince was sent to Europe to hone his ST skills. Rex graded the Seals draft with an A+ and I would not be as kind. TE Lee, however, is a stud and should start from day 1. QB Freeman had a good camp and should make the team along with 3rd round CB Parrish. Peters, Peralta, Lake, Walsh, and Weber will be on the bubble. Then there are the second rounders. 2.20 RT Thomas could make the team due too lack of competition at backup T, but 2.26 DE Henderson needs to get off the crack pipe and come too Jesus before he considers an IFL career.
Prediction: 9-7. Although the Seal D is not bad, it won't be good enough to regain the divisional title from the Lynx, but the Seals will again be competing for a WC slot for the 77300 season ticket holders
Fresno Warthogs
Historical Summary: The Chaos that is in Fresno continues to haunt the California Coastline. These men are no longer Heroes, but now Warthogs. The question is, will another new name and new owner, break the curse that keeps Fresno from its 13th season without a playoff appearance in 2016. The Warthogs started 2015 with 1-8 record, but finished strong finishing the season 5-2 and a 6-10 overall record.
Coaching: Fresno made no coaching changes heading into 2016, sticking with Rappaport, Schroder, Hamilton and Montano
Free Agents and Draft: Veteran QB Latham finally hung up his cleats. Fresno's Kobeck threw $40m at MLB Maggard and Lawrence took $30m of it too the bank. Fresno signed a crop of guys bringing 70 to TC, most will be unemployed week 1. SE DeBoer went to Europe and came back with improved fundamentals. Rex graded Warthog draft A-, but that had too be on quanity as Fresno's first pick was 3.28. Of the Draftee,s WLB Walters looks too start. Odenbach and Hutchings could start in the secondary, but they would not on a PO team. The other draftees are all on the bubble
Key Offensive Players: Schwartz is not the best QB in the AC West - yet. RB Snap Chapman is scheduled to return from the compound fracture that ended his 2015 campaign. TE McElroy is the best target the Warthogs have. Peko is still the best WR but that ain't saying much. The OL saw no changes as everyone returns in their same positions, LG Winslett could be an all pro.
Key Defensive Players: DE Beauchamp continues too improve and he leads a solid Defensive front. Newcommers Maggard and Walters, lead a shaky set of LBs. The secondary will be improved by allowing Bailey, Shapiro, Bush and Fredrickson to play at their natural positions
Special Teams: Warthog K Oksenberg, is solid from 40+, but needs too be more consistent from the shorter distances. Their Punter is a total question mark as Kobeck clearly wants to replace Jue but neither draftee Austin or LFA Foley are obvious replacements.
Prediction: 8-8. Schwartz will improve in 2016, but he is breaking in yet another crop of Warthog targets. The 43100 season tickets holders are already talking about 2017
Los Angeles Liberty
Historical Summary: Since moving to Los Angeles from Albequerque, the franchise has missed the playoffs every year. While they had a 9-7 season in 2013, they traded away QB, Edward Jacobs and have suffered horrible seasons the past two years. 2015 was a lost season for LA as longtime IFL owner Iceman was absent due too off the field issues. In 2016, the team was sold to Mr. Hoosier.
Coaching: Liberty stick with Earle, Redd, Davison and MCCree
Free Agents and Draft: One year rental FB Kopp, retired. LA’s front office was unable to participate in early FA and lost DT Franzwa, RB Newsome, and QB’s Hairstone and Barajas. LA was not able to send anyone to Europe in 2016. New Owner, Mr. Hoosier, took over the Liberty just before the draft began and did a good job. 1.3 DT Ellard is the real deal and is one of the strongest players in the IFL. 1.27 RB Montgomery should start and CB Stevenson can be a nickleback.
Key Offensive Players: QB Debussey leads a solid Offense. TE Fehr is one of the best in the IFL but the WRs could use some quality depth, but what team couldn't. The OL is one of the best in the IFL and clearly the best in the AC West. This could allow the Liberty to improve quickly and rapidly.
Key Defensive Players: A young DL needs some more time and Ellard fits right in. Starting LBs Jefferson, Gomez and Cervantes are all good. Safetys Randle and Coghill stand out in a pedestrian backfield.
Special Teams: P Luzar and K Goodwin make the best duo in the AC West.
Prediction: 6-10. LA will defiantly improve in 2016, but by how much. Double the wins seems reasonable at this time as the less than 20000 season ticket holders are aware.
AC WEST PREVIEW:
Anchorage Lynx 11-5
Portland Seals 9-7
Fresno Warthogs 8-8
Los Angeles Liberty 6-10
AC NORTH
Cleveland Clawz
Historical Summary: The Clawz have been to the IFL Bowl twice in the history of the franchise, but still have no rings. In 2015, The 10-6 Clawz won their fourth consecutive AC North division title and made it five winning seasons in a row as they squeezed out Iowa City yet again.
Key Offensive Players: The offense led by QB Corey Perkins was reliable rather than stand out. Perkins managed good passing yardage but his passer rating dropped slightly as his completion percentage dipped and his tendency to throw a pick returned. He enjoyed playing with his new FA veteran wideout, Gino Markel, who had a career year grabbing over 80 balls for 1200+ yds.
The running game saw Riddick Scialabba take some punishement without ever really doing enough to really impress as he scraped over1000yds. The offense had a problem with turnovers throughout the season, and coaches will be working hard on this prior to the 2016 kickoff. The Clawz have a very good QB in Perkins, a great looking O-line and a sprinkling of good, if old, receivers. If they are to win another division title, they will need rookies Battle and Bressany to step up to the plate and realistically, the pressure is on Perkins to make things happen.
Key Defensive Players: Things were similar on the defensive side of the ball as the unit performed to a generally decent standard. LB’s Vance and Doyle were everywhere as they led the team with over 100 tackles each. There was an adequate pass rush from DE Gonzale,z and DT Borgerson put up good numbers. However, the secondary struggled (the team interception leader had just 2 picks) and as a whole, the D didn’t produce the big plays often enough. The D-line looks able and expect some hard work from the Clawz linebacking corps again.
A young secondary has some potential and they will have learned a lot from a tough last year.
Coaching: Cleveland may not have had the superstar talent or numbers, but the GM knew how to get the team functioning and they certainly played as a team unit.
Good coaching and veteran experience kept the Clawz scratching for the division title but it was not enough for a deep run into the playoffs as they blew out against Murfreesboro in the division final. There were no coaching changes for the Clawz as they retain their entire staff going into 2016.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements: Popular starting RT ‘Old Man’ Lasley finally called it a day after a 14yr career for both the Clawz and the Firebirds. He was a starter his whole career and will be missed. WR Elbert Castor also called it a day after a one season guest appearance in Cleveland as a back up wideout. The biggest FA loss saw RB Scialabba defecting to the Mules, although Cleveland did not try and stand in his way as they decided to look for a new back. As far as FA additions went, the Clawz were pretty quiet, inking a vet FB and DT and making the biggest splash in signing reserve RB Borrego from Iowa City on a 3yr $5m contract.
Draft: Drafting towards the end of the round, Cleveland looked to the offense with their 1st and 2nd round picks. The Clawz took TE Donny Bressany at 1.25 and although he has yet to sign, he looks a good all round TE who should contribute well if he can cut down on the drops.
At 2.24, Cleveland grabbed the well named RB Hunter Battle who has immediately won the fans hearts. He is as slippery as an eel and will start from the get go. He too will be a solid pro.
The later rounds saw Cleveland pick up some back up standard players.
As a whole the Clawz draft was solid rather than earth shattering.
Special Teams: The kicking game is one of the better units in the league but again age is creeping up fast. Two DB’s, Shaun Miller and Roger Egbert, will have the return duties and both are a good standard without really threatening to take one back.
Prediction: This team is aging and needs to rely heavily on the experience of its vets and GM if it is to make it 5 titles in a row. Without making a splash in FA or the draft, it may be that this is the year that Cleveland start to lose their grip on their division. I predict a tough season this year and a slip to an 8-8 record as another team takes up the baton in the AC North. The Clawz to finish 3rd in the division as a divisional dynasty finally comes to an end.
Iowa City Snipe Hunters
Historical Summary: Iowa City must be fed up of living in the shadow of the Clawz recently, and 2015 was another year where their arch rivals edged them out again. Iowa City went to the Imperial Bowl in 2010 and has made the playoffs 7 times. In 2015, the Snipe Hunters finished 9-7 and missed out on a playoff spot, although they did show a burst at the end of the season which has made their fans optimistic going into 2016.
Key Offensive Players: The Offense was led by veteran QB Sammy Mathews who continued his Indian Summer posting another 100+ passer rating, thanks largely to great efficiency and a lack of turnovers.Mathews was able to spread the ball around well to a number of receivers but fellow vet Rueben Caffrey was his favorite target and managed another 1000+ yd season. It’s no coincidence that Caffrey’s two seasons in Iowa have seen Mathews passer rating rise. RB, Donald Ozguner remained the focus of this offense managing his second season in a row with in excess of 1600yds from scrimmage. As a whole, the offense was one of the better units across the IFL. The team has nice talent in the skill positions and RB Ozguner is one of the best in the league. Mathews and his receivers can provide enough danger to stop defenses keying exclusively on the running game. There are gaps in the O-line but this offense is good enough to win the division.
Key Defensive Players: Defensively, linebackers Bo Gray, Jamie McDaniel and Donnie Morton were the pick of the bunch, all three having nice production. The Snipe Hunters top tackler was corner Duane Fox and they need a dominant guy in the front 7 to stop opponents penetrating into the secondary.The pass rush was good but was more of a team effort rather than relying on any star players. The D-line needs a star. Over to the secondary, and except for Fox and Morton, there was not much to shout about. Overall, the D played well without any superstars.
They didn’t let anyone down but they were unable to take the team onto the next level. The defense is of above average standard but lacks any real star quality. Certainly all three tiers of defense are solid but the D-line needs some help and may be a priority next draft. The D may not dominate teams but they are a good enough obstacle to give their offense it’s chance to win.
Special Teams: Punter Lucas is a lock but the kicking job is open. Caffrey takes the punts back adequately whilst Jacobs and Sweeney share the KO return duties. Sweeney has the potential to go all the way.
Coaching: The only coaching change saw Iowa City pinch Defensive Co-ordinator Brian Bove from Dakota. The experienced coach has a great reputation in the game and should help improve the D.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements:Former starting LB David Day hung up his cleats after 13 years as a Snipe Hunter. His last few seasons had been as a back up but the guy was a real servant to the franchise. LT Kevin Price was another 13 year man who retired. He was a former All-Pro and regular starter until the end so he will be harder to replace. Both guys had distinguished careers in Iowa City. The Snipe Hunters were able to keep their team pretty much intact for another tilt in 2016, with no real FA losses. They were also able to sign Vancouver’s starting QB Xavier Armstrong as insurance for Mathews, should age catch up with him through Camp. This was their only FA move of note.
Draft: The Snipe Hunters had two 1st rd picks this year and with the 1.10 they drafted CB Jeremy Hickman. Hickman looks a very good player with a fierce hit and should soon be starting for the team. FL Martin King was selected at 1.18 but the jury is still out on him. Although he has good stature, his initial look is disappointing. He may mature through his first few seasons and will need a good first camp to really make his mark. The rest of the Hunter’s draft was used predominately on linemen but 4th rd pick FL Bob Ventura looks a capable 3rd string receiver.
Prediction: The Snipe Hunters are good enough to win the division and are eager to jump above Cleveland once more. However, it may be that Cleveland are simply replaced by Montreal as division top dogs, keeping the Hunters as bridesmaids once again. They may snatch the division title, but I don’t see them as talented enough to manage more than a one and out in the playoffs.
I predict another 9-7 record to finish second in the division as they flirt with a wildcard spot again.
Montreal Firebirds
Historical Summary: Montreal has made the playoffs, one time back in 2006, and has had only 2 winning seasons. The F-Birds are starting to earn a reputation that even Owner C-Rex is uncomfortable. Montreal continued to improve slightly in 2015, jumping to an 8-8 record and third spot in the division, but fans will not be satisfied until they win their first Division Title.
Key Offensive Players: Offensively, this team was all about running the ball in 2015. Young QB Bruce Cote improved into his second season and looks like a future star. However, the Firebirds appear to be breaking him in easily as they refused to put too much pressure on his young shoulders. Cote only threw for 2300yds in his first season as starter. That the Firebirds were able to safeguard Cote, was due to the work of RB ‘Ozzy’ Osborne who is a very productive back. The All-Pro running back made it five seasons in a row with over 1000yds rushing at very nice levels of ypc. He is also a dangerous pass receiver and for consecutive years he recorded more than 2000 combined yards from scrimmage to lead the team in receptions. The best receiver per se on the team is stud TE Archie Lake but the team didn’t get an awful lot from their wideouts. This offense is going to burst onto the league some time soon. QB Cote, RB Osborne, FB Uno and TE Lake are all excellent players. The Firebirds have a fine O-line taking shape too with RG Hatcher the pick. The receiving corps are their weakest spot but are serviceable.
Key Defensive Players: The defense was the real strength of the franchise last season.
The defensive line proved very useful, putting together a quality pass rush, with DT ‘Sly’ Stone really catching the eye. Star SS Everett Rose managed over 100 tackles to lead the team and excellent SLB Roger Delcorio led the second line of defense. The pass defense was fantastic and led the league in yds allowed. It was a top 5 unit in takeaways and in opponent passer rating.
This team may not have posted a winning record but it has quality young players and the season gone was a stepping stone to future success. The defense too is going to be a tough unit. They have quality in the front 7 and a very good and youthful secondary. One or two of the D-lineman are approaching the downturn in their careers and some youth here may be a priority in coming drafts.
Special Teams: Kicker Allen Bailie is the league’s best and has justified his 2nd round selection in 2014. Punter Nixon is as good as most and great at pinning teams back. Allen Shahade needs to find himself again when he returns punts after a disappointing couple of seasons.Mark Ayala has proved capable in the past but should really be more dangerous as a KO returner.
Coaching: With a young QB signed up, the Firebirds felt able to employ new scout Michael Meier who will concentrate on other areas of the roster.Veteran Offensive Co-ordinator Arnold Richardson was the only other coaching change, signed from Madison to develop some young talent.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements: Montreal’s only retirement was FB Roderick Carter who had only seen limited playing time in his career. The Firebirds managed to resign their only FA of note, starting CB and secondary leader Terrell Cortez. They also recruited Pennsylvania backup OT A.J Stills who is a pass blocking specialist.
Draft: FB ‘Pizzeria’ Uno was the Firebirds 1st round draft pick taken at 1.20. Uno was the top FB available and will be a stud at that position and a fine compliment to RB Osborne. 2nd round pick LB Tracy Bisson and 3rd round selection SE Kelvin Schaefer both look to be further good additions to this up and coming roster.
Prediction: The Firebirds are the up and coming team in the division and it’s just a matter of when do they flex their muscles. The only thing holding them back at the moment is self belief.
There are some great players on the roster, with youth on their side and a division title is within their capability this season.I predict a 10-6 record and a first ever AC North title.
Wichita Outlaws
Historical Summary: Wichita had to work through another disappointing season last time out, their fourth losing season in a row. In fact, the Outlaws have only made the playoffs twice in 13 years, reaching the Imperial Bowl in 2011. But in 2015, their 4-12 record saw them propping up the AC North yet again, and in the end that dismal run was enough to ensure the GM would be relieved of his duties.
Key Offensive Players: Offensively, there was a QB controversy as Terrance Porcher was the debatable choice as starter. That being said, there was no clear consensus amongst fans and coaches as to whether veterans Winston Scott or Alvin Mann, or youngster Damon Conway should be the #1 guy. The result was a sub par performance from the passing game, Porcher only managed a 76.2 rating. Part of that was down to the receiving corps as although the team had a handful of second level guys, the team lacked a clear #1 receiver. All of the receivers including TE and RB played their part, but none managed close to 1000yds. Running back Tracy Norris just about managed his third straight 1000yd season but was probably under used. With a decent o-line and running game, the offense is capable of better this year but there are decisions to be made. Who will start at QB and is there enough talent at receiver? Already, as we play through pre-season there is a QB controversy brewing with fans splitting into Scott and Conway camps.
Key Defensive Players: The Outlaws D was led by monster pass rushing DE Antoine Nece but all too often he was left to do it on his own and he was double teamed to exclusion. DT Durham and DE Everett needed to make more of an impact and didn’t. The second level of defense was more effective with linebackers Martin and Langley both recording over 100 tackles and Martin picking off 5 passes. Into the secondary and young corners Kufahl and Johnstone played well enough without really excelling but suffered with a lack of experienced guidance from elsewhere on the roster. Like the offense, the D probably didn’t play up to the standard of it’s talent and showed a lack of leadership and direction. There is a nucleus of talent developing on this side of the ball. Each of the three units has a star player to build around and like the offense, the defense should play better in the season coming. A lot is expected of Nece, Bean and Kufahl as leadership is needed to bring the D along.
Special Teams: Punter Farley has the job this year and rookie kicker Kangas is a lock.KO return specialist Grant Hatcher was traded in to provide some spark and PR Ross Daniels is good enough to be a threat.
Coaching: eteran Offensive Co-ordinator Harris Nafis had his contract renewed to ensure the coaching staff remained the same going into the new season.
Key FA losses/signings and retirements: There were no retirements from the roster. The Outlaws’ roster remained intact as their best FA’s LB Ackerman and FL Nelson both signed new contracts. Wichita brought in two new RB’s in the shape of Stanley Jamison and Fred Garcia to perform specialist roles within the offense.
Draft: With a new GM in post, there was much interest and speculation amongst the Wichita media in the run up to the draft. In the end, the new guy didn’t seem to do too bad as each of his first three picks look like starters. With the 1.4 choice, the Outlaws grabbed MLB Thomas Bean who looks like an immediate starter and will seamlessly replace Outlaws legend Wes Martin who is nearing retirement. The 2.7 pick was used to fill a need at safety and FS Ian Romine has the pass defense skills to start in this league. He struggles against the run but if he plays the pass as well as he projects then the fans will forgive him. The Outlaws 3rd rd selection is worthy of a quick word too as they used the 3.6 pick to grab their new kicker in Tracy Kangas. Already, he looks like one of the top kickers in the league. Two mid level picks, TE Stoy and FS McNeil both look capable of contributing.
Prediction: The Outlaws are under new management and there is always uncertainty with a new GM. The roster is better than a 4-12 team but how quickly will the GM find his feet? This season may be another with a losing record but further foundation should be laid for the future. I predict a 6-10 record for the Outlaws and another 4th spot in the division.
AC NORTH PREVIEW:
1. Montreal Firebirds 10-6
2. Iowa City Snipe Hunters 9-7
3. Cleveland Clawz 8-8
4. Wichita Outlaws 6-10
NC WEST
Salt Lake City Stallions
Historical Summary – Since Artie Lyle took over in 2011, he’s been to the playoffs 3 out of 5 years. Last year’s run, however, looked to be more promising as they hosted the wildcard game against division rival Reno by sporting a 12-4 record, their best record in their 13 year history. Salt Lake, however, lost another opportunity being outsted in the first round. The Stallions have never been to the Imperial Bowl and SLC fans are a little jaded, always a bridesmaid to teams like Lawrence, Texas, Madison, Little Rock, and Vermont.
Coaching – Artie Lyle was re-hired by Mr. Vito despite his losing record of 35-39, in part due to their relative success last year. Lyle got a 5 year contract which gives him a lot of rope to change the future in Salt Lake. But even more important is R. J. Rasmussen, who was re-hired as the offensive coordinator for a salary, $2 million more than Lyle’s contract. It is clear that offense is the key to Vito’s gameplan. Dusty Laroche is in his 2nd year, putting the SLC defense in the top 10 in rushing defense and 11th against the pass.
Key Offensive Players – Edward Jacobs is in his 7th season as a QB and his 3rd with the Stallions since acquired from Los Angeles. Jacobs has battled injuries every season, but has never missed a game despite two injuries last year. Jacobs is a warrior throwing a personal high 48 TD passes last year and only 9 INT’s. He’s had only 1 season, not including his rookie year that he has not passed for more than 4,000 yards. At issues for Jacobs and the Stallions is the lack of Offensive line that did not protect him well in the playoffs against Reno where he was sacked 6 times. RB, Jared Maxwell has not helped the situation as the threat to run has been diminished since the days of James Tart in the backfield. If not for “Don Juan” Gomez, the Stallions would be in trouble offensively. Don won the best receiver in the league distinction last year by catching over 100 balls for over 1400 yards. With 17 TD’s, Gomez’s career was resurrected after sitting on the injured reserve all of 2014. Gomez draws a lot of double coverage, which makes flanker, David “Deep” Norris all the more valuable. Norris was rated to the all league 2nd team in 2014, but takes back seat to Gomez..
Key Defensive Players – The Stallions 3-4 defense is a defense that is built upon pressuring the quarterback. It has a strong front 3 led by DE, Quentin Caro and NT, Lamar Ordona. Caro was Defensive player of the year back in 2013, but has had to share the sacks with Ordona who was named to the Pro-Bowl in 2014. While the linebacking corps and secondary are a little tick above average, make no mistake that the pressure exhibited from the front line doesn’t allow receivers a long time to come open.
Draft and Free Agency – Salt Lake was fairly inactive during the offseason, signing players to minimal contracts and hoping to make another run with the same team that went 12-4 last year. Salt Lake City didn’t have a first round pick, but took QB, Frank Welch in the second round. Welch appears to have journeyman type of skills and seems to be a perennial back up Jacobs. In fact, none of this years draft will probably see playing time for the Stallions this year, or maybe any other year.
Reno Wolfpack
Historical Summary – Kris Ludwig had taken Reno to the playoffs 3 out of the last 5 years, but for whatever reason chose to jump to Portland to take over the Seals. And so, for only $600,000 less, the Wolfpack chose to hire Jim Delap, the coach of Notre Dame after his amazing turn around of a floundering college program. This is Jim’s first attempt at pro coaching, so it will be interesting to see if he can repeat Ludwigs’ success. Reno suffers from a similar fate as their division rival Salt Lake City Stallions, getting bumped from the playoffs after one or two games, but it has been much better of late than in the lean years under Mike Montgomery.
Coaching – In addition to the hire of Jim Delap, Reno lured away Mo Aschenbrenner from West Virginia’s Championship Team. Stating that he wanted a challenge, and of course, more money, Aschenbrenner had the best pass defense in the league. Mr. Argot, despite having a passing defense that ranked in the top 10, noted that beating the combos of Jacobs and Gomez, Donovan and Jarvis in a pass happy league are keys to success. Perhaps someone should have told that owner that it was Reno’s offense, not defense that couldn’t keep up with Pennsylvania in the Divisonal Playoff Round. James Marzano returns as the OC for his final contract year.
Key Offensive Players – When RB, Darnell Castillo was drafted with the #3 overall pick in 2013, he joined Veteran QB, Dennis Collela who had just signed a $64.5 Million dollar contract for 5 years which other owner’s in the league cried was overblown and misguided a year earlier. The League looked justified in their complaints when Collela went down with an ACL tear and missed a year and a half on IR. But in 2014, Collela rebounded and with the help of Castillo, helped the Wolfpack make the playoffs two straight years in a row. Collela is now in his 14th year, while back up Bryan McNeil continues to mature as a back up and it is only a matter of time before Mr. Argot will have to make a decision about Collela’s future. Still the key to the Wolfpack’s success is in their running game and a developing offensive line. Castillo continues to get better every year, coming short only 300 yards of a 2000 yard season.
Key Defensive Players – A big mistake was noted by Mr. Argot when he could not re-sign his best two defensive players at the end of last year, DT, Ike Kendall and SLB, Lawrence Maggard. While the Wolfpack franchised Kendall, Maggard ended up going to Fresno via free agency to a 2 year, $40 million contract. They key to Reno’s success has always been a Zone Defense that keeps everything in front of them in a bend but don’t break format. Though they are not big up front and susceptible to the run, they are quick, and use team speed apply enough pressure to get the ball close to their ball hawking safeties Rookie Scottie Diaz and Veteran Jeffrey Buckner.
Draft and Free Agency – Reno did very little in free agency besides signing some aging veteran leadership and even losing SLB, Lawrence Maggard to Fresno and RG, Quentin Habich to Pennsylvania. While Reno is deep in their offensive line, the loss of Maggard will hurt tremendously in what was already a weak run stopping team. In the first round, Reno selected Irvin Sweeney, a local boy out of UNLV, Sweeney is projected to be a good safety, but was not a need for the Wolfpack. However, Reno did address their needs in later rounds picking up potential starters in DE, Rufus Walton, SLB, Deron Sheldon, WILB Darren Woods, and CB, Ernie Davison, pending their development.
Oakland Devil Dogs
Historical Summary – The Devil Dogs went a disappointing 6-10 last year, losing their last 4 games of the year prompting Owner Mr. Jave to make some radical moves trading pro-bowl CB Nicky Doyle for picks, picks that were used to move to the top of the 2016 Rookie Draft. This is Oakland’s 5th straight losing season and 6th straight year missing the playoffs. Gone is the 5 year plan that led the once proud franchise that came one point short of the Imperial Bowl Title in 2006. Though the team has been through a few changes, Mr. Jave seemed committed to excellence this year in trying to field a winning team.
Coaching – Timmy Haith once again takes the helm of the Devil Dogs despite a lack of fan support who have called for his job a number of times. Fans have even boycotted showing up at the turnstiles, but Mr. Jave continues to show faith in Haith despite an abysmal record of 32-63. Mr. Jave also renewed the contracts of Offensive Coordinator, Vince Rodriguez and Defensive Coordinator, Stanley Moore.
Key Offensive Players – This team will continue to revolve around QB, Horace Donovan and RB, Geoff Wilson. Donovan set a personal best 3500 yards in passing last year, but had more Int’s, 18 than TD’s 16. Interceptions have been an Achilles heel for Donovan except in 2014 when his passer rating was 105, but his season was cut short missing the last 3 games of the season. Donovan is a bit injury prone and Wilson will need to keep pressure off of him by having a good year. Wilson had his best year as a rookie in 2014 when Donovan was also having success. The two seem to have a symbiotic relationship that will need some game planning tweaking by Vince Rodriguez to get them firing on all cylinders. And to help with that game plan, Oakland made a trade for Veteran wideout, Sherman Jarvis from Lansing. Jarvis is a beast making the All league team 5 years in a row. Though scouts say he is starting to lose a step, its hard to argue with a season in which he came 53 yards short of 2000 yards receiving. The double coverage that Jarvis will draw will open things up for TE, Plantilla, and other WR’s Thomason and Mulligan. Thomason is always a threat to beat other teams deep and may excel in one on one coverage. The offensive line continues to improve led by Center, Gerald Shelton. This could be the Devil Dogs most explosive offensive we have seen since the days of Martinez and Bice.
Key Defensive Players – With the first pick of the 2016 draft, the Oakland Devil Dogs selected DT, Leonard Wingfield from TCU. Wingfield is a monster and has the potential to grow into one of the best Lineman EVER. Wingfield will also help DE Ricky Doyle from getting double teamed at the line of scrimmage. Oakland has desperately needed an upgraded pass rush which left Farley and Doyle too much time to cover opposing wideouts. Now without Doyle, the Devil Dogs will be forced to use their safeties to help cover. Farley is one of the best shutdown corners in the league and will no less be on an island matched up one on one against opposing wideouts. Karl Hinson leads an average linebacking crew that will be tested by the short game. Oakland’s defense ranked number 8 against the run last year, Mr. Jave is hoping that his pass defense can meet the same type of success.
Draft and Free Agency – The Devil Dogs did very little in free agency, even screaming “foul” against other owners who Mr. Jave believed “overpaid” for talent. Jave seems to be a bit gunshy after having to dismantle a top caliber club back in 2007 because he couldn’t afford everyone’s contract demands. And so Oakland is playing this year a bit conservative with upcoming contract renegotiations. As stated before, Oakland took Leonard Wingfield with the first pick in the draft, and took Safety Zach Borders in the 5th round who may actually start on opening day.
Vancouver Killer Whales
Historical Summary – Vancouver seems to be a bit cursed as a franchise. They have made the playoffs only one year in 2010, by squeaking out a wild card birth with an 8-8 season. Their only season above .500 was their first year of existence in 2003, sporting a 10-6 record but not good enough make the playoffs. Enter new ownership in 2014, and Mr. C. Mark looks to be trying to break the bad karma that has surrounded the board room. The Killer Whales went a surprising 6-10 last year after having a 3-13 season the year before. Last year, Vancouver hired Sammy Harvey as their head coach to get things turned around. It appears to be working.
Coaching – Sammy Harvey is back for his 3rd year of a 6 year contract. Joel Kooliker and Bob Peebles who excel in their offensive and defensive schemes, join Harvey in trying to turn around this sinking titantic. While the offensive improved from 25th to 20th overall last year, the defense seemed to be suspect going from top 10 to 20th. That will have to improve if the Whales want to get a glimpse of the playoffs in the near future.
Key Offensive Players – Curiously, Xavier Armstrong was allowed to go to free agency this past year, and the Killer Whales picked up QB, Cornelius Hutton. Hutton has never played a complete season and has had only mild success when backing up “Machine Gun” McMurray at St. Louis. But there is something that C. Mark sees in Hutton that he likes. It’s a big gamble considering Armstrong’s arm, but his INT’s were something that Harvey could not live with. This team is still going to need some time to gel on offense. With no real run threat, teams can blitz early and often and even double team receiver’s leader Patrick Harding. The offensive line has potential for the future, but is still young and will make a lot of early rookie mistakes in assignments.
Key Defensive Players – The linebacking corps is the heart of the Killer Whales defense. Carlton Nitschke led the team with 115 tackles last year after being brought in from West Virginia. He is joined by Julio Wheeler and Neil Barnes. Still, the Killer Whales are without a pass rush, showing great force against the run. Wes Goad is still a load in the middle and Peterson and Thornton lack the ability to get to the QB. Together they had 1.5 sacks all last season. Justin Warren returns as one of the league’s top safeties and will be joined by rookie A. J. Copeland. Still, the Whales are a bit thin at the cornerback position which will be tested in a division that sports Jacobs, Donovan, and Colella at the QB position.
Free Agency and the Draft – Vancouver attempted unsuccessfully to get involved in free agency this past year. Their pick ups of Hutton and other offensive linemen are indicative of a desperation move. However, Vancouver shows the potential of one of their best drafts ever. With the 8th overall pick, the Whales picked up A. J. Copeland from U. of California. In the second round they addressed another need in the secondary by selecting CB, Dennis Stephenson. Then, turning to their offensive line, Vancouver picked up Guard, Lincoln Bernard, and Tackle, Floyd Zimmerman in attempts to build the foundation for a franchise on the rise.
Projected Finish:
1. Salt Lake City 10-6
2. Oakland 9-7
3. Reno 9-7
4. Vancouver 6-10
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