2009 Imperial League Season Preview

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NATIONAL CONFERENCE
NORTHERN DIVISION

1. MADISON DEMONS
The Madison Demons earned their 2nd straight NC North title last season and a trip to the Imperial Bowl with a solid all around campaign and look to duplicate that success again this year.

Behind 2nd year RB Charles Bell and a big, bruising offensive line the Demons will continue to be hard to stop on the ground. Not a single linemen last year had a block percentage under 30% and I don't see any reason why it should be any different this season.

QB Will Irby has shown flashes of brilliance at times in first 4 years in the league, and WR Rusty Ramos is a perrenial deep threat and top flight receiver for him to rely on, but Irby still throws alot of ducks and plain bad passes. But Irby is only in his 5th season and his ability to stretch the field to open up the running game is a key to Madisons offense. He's not the greatest but he's more than adaquete. This is a very good offense and I see no reason why they won't continue to thrive. They also have one of the better 12th men in the league as they have only lost at home 3 times in the past 2 seasons.

On the defensive side of the ball the team is a little weak at DE. Riley Browns retirement has left a gap that they hope will be filled by rookie Deon Lazier and free agent pickup Garrett Best. Eric Osborne has improved every year he's been in the league but he will be counted on to bring more pressure than he ever has before for this DE unit. Charles Sandberg played very well last year at DT, recording over 50 tackles and he'll need to repeat that this season as the Demons D-Line overall is a little thin and needs big seasons from its big players.

Otis Shores (9th year) and John Torres (11th year) are both getting up there but were quite productive last season. Torres picked off 4 passes. Rookie Brian Fulcher and veteran Jay March add depth to a quality if unspectacular LB corps.

In the secondary, former top 10 pick CB Preston Benson should really start to come into his own this season and Neal Ferguson who was a 5th round pick in that same draft has become a stud with 11 picks in his first 2 seasons. These 2 are a formidable tandem for any QB to have to face and the real strength of this defense. Safeties Basil Williams and Robert Poole both have keen eyes for the ball wether it's in a defenders hands or in the air. They are both extremely solid tacklers and playmakers.

Overview:
This is a team that is built perfectly for any foe. Good enough on the ground and in the interior to play a smashmouth game and good enough in the secondary to shut down the NC's higher octane passing attacks. I see no reason why they won't bring home a 3rd straight NC North crown this season.

Key Additions
DE Deon Lazier (draft), WLB Brian Fulcher (draft)

Key Departures
DE Riley Brown (retired)

Prediction: 11-5



2. PITTSBURGH POWER
The Quarterback carousel in Pittsburgh continued this offseason as Jerome Mueller was shipped out of town following a dreadfull season last year at the helm of the Power and Alvin Mann reclaimed his job. We much prefer Mann behind Center for the power anyway and feel he is on the verge of a breakout season.

In return for the maddening Mueller, the Power gained one of the IFL's best WR's from Orlando in Dexter Edmonds. Edmonds gives the Power a star on the outside and a true asset for Mann, something they've never really had. Veterans Cris Camp and Ambrose Jones should both benefit greatly from having someone that the defense will have to key on on the other side of them, and we here at the home office believe they can both have very productive seasons with Edmonds taking some of the pressure off of them. TE John Eddelstein continues to be an overall force and is always causing mayhem in the middle of the field.

On the ground, RB David Rodriguez will continue to be a ball pounder. Coming off his 6th straight 1200 yard season, theres no reason to believe the Memphis grad will be slowing down anytime soon, especially with FB's Joel Hepburn and Benny Cain leading the way.

2nd year RT Artie Denny is a key figure as the Power will likely need to rely on him more this season and start showing the productivity that a former 1st rounder should. LG Bill Dronett is a world beater and just seems to get more and more dominant but he will need more help than he got from fellow Guard Butch Anderson last year. Anderson is not terrible but his numbers have regressed every year he's been in the league and that has to stop. Rookie Derrick Haynes will also need to provide some stability at Center.

On the defensive side of the ball, there might not be a better front 4 than Pittsburgh has. DE's K.C. Cajigal and Jack Hazzard and DT's Micah Canterbury and Tod Woods are as good as it gets. Jimmie Carlisle and rookie Damon Harding add insane depth and provide the head to a foamy body of destruction up front.

LB Isaiah Graybill is a true stud in the middle of the defense and he is flanked by a solid supporting cast.

The secondary while not elite is solid and plays their roles well enough, still, I'm not sure this is the group i'd want covering some of the better passing attacks in the league.

Overview:
Make no mistake about it, this team has a legitimate chance to win it all, but the number of unknowns make it hard for us to place them above Madison. Mann is a question mark and the Offensive Line has some questions. At worst this team is a playoff contender, at best they are a true Imperial Bowl contender.

Key Additions
DT Damon Harding (draft), C Derrick Haynes (draft), WR Dexter Edmonds (trade)

Key Departures
QB Jerome Mueller (trade), RB Rusty Long (trade)

Prediction: 11-5



3. LANSING OGRES
QB Scott Nelson enters his 3rd year in Lansing and much like the Ogres he has been perpetualy average.

Nelson has been and is good enough, but he suffers from a poor offensive line and underwhelming ground game.

Tight End Nolan Huggins and WR Isreal Davis are both very solid offensive weapons for Nelson but they need 3rd year man Sherman Jarvis to really step up his game for this passing attack to take off.

On the ground, both Chris Webb and Graham Kruse performed poorly last season behind a bad offensive line.

LT Garret Sauer is a bright spot on an offensive line that has woefully underperformed the past couple of seasons. Veteran Gerald Lane was horrid last year and needs to improve dramaticly in 2009. On the Interior, 3rd round pick G Terrance Chalmers has looked very good in camp and will be relied heavily upon to provide a burst of youth alongside Isaac Wahl who looks more and more like a bust every year.

13 year veteran DT's John Ash & Lynn Phifer anchor a defensive line that includes DE Chris Razo who Ogre fans hope can return to his 2007 numbers after an injury shortened 2008 season.

MLB Dexter Lemke does an excellent job clogging up the oppenents run game and SLB Isaac Edwards looks good in camp as he hopes to return to the all world status he had before an injury shortened season in 2008. Outside of those 2 men the Ogres are woefully short at LB and are the last team that need to rely on health, as that has not been their forte.

Veteran CB Patrick Davey was aquired from Oakland to replace the departed Anthony Autry and it is a clear upgrade for the Ogres as Davey is coming into his own as an elite CB. He lines up opposite Rusty Hodges who has about as consistent as they come and give them a top notch CB tandem. Safeties Richard Sibley & Richard White are both quality playmakers who bookened this outstanding secondary.

Overview:
If the offensive line could ever step up their game this would be a very good team, unfortunately we've been given no indication that that is about to happen. The defense has the potential to be very good but they will have to alot to keep this team in games. They've also shown a propensity to fold under adversity and believe me they have suffered adversity. The Ogres have the potential to compete for the division but until they actually break the glass ceiling theres no reason to believe they will.

Key Additions
CB Patrick Davey (trade), G Terrance Chalmers (draft)

Key Departures
CB Anthony Autry (FA), FB Casey Boehm (FA), WR Casey Harding (FA)

Prediction: 8-8



4. DAKOTA SPIRT
The Spirit hit rock bottom in 2008, winning only 3 games and costing Rocco Hooten his job and place on the team.

Enter David Humphrey, who after 3 strong seasons leading a very good Albuquerque team, struggled a bit in 2008 and was put on the block. The Spirit believe that Humphrey, a 7th year vet, can be a long term solution at QB and I think they may be right.

RB Sheldon Carmack had a huge 2008 with a small workload. He could really use a complimentary back to assist him though.

WR's Gaston Williams & Ryan McCellion are competent enough but neither man is a true #1 receiver and the lack of such really hurts as teams don't have to focus the defense on anyone.

Center Wayne Rogers was brought in for big bucks to help anchor the offensive line that includes LG Tyree McKinney & RT Dennis Calvillo both of whom are very good but getting up there in age.

On the defensive side of the ball, CB Anthony Autry was brought in as a free agent from to help shore up a lackluster CB unit. Autry has not played well the past couple of seasons but the talent is there, and the hope is that alongside returning
Clayton Davis and Tommy Johnson, the Dakota pass defense can improve. Safety Eric Brito will miss a large part of his 3rd straight season which will put added onus on FS Joseph Schaffer who is a top flight Safety but could really use someone like Brito back there with him.

One thing that would help the secondary is a quality pass rush, something Dakota hasn't mustered much of lately. Their 20 sacks ranked 2nd worst in the league last year and they really need 2nd year DE Fernando Shergalis to increase his output. DT Wilfred Ramey will continue to take on double teams and be the focus of the oppositions offensive line until someone else can step up and force teams to take their focus off of him.

2nd year MLB Clarence Qualls will be expected to make more plays and be more of a disrupter for Spirit D. Basil Neace and Charles McCourt both saw declines in their play last season and at this point, arn't striking fear into any offense.

Overview:
I like the secondary, but they're young players are still developing and they are a generaly old team. Humphrey, no matter how well he plays, will have his hands full trying to get much out of this team. I wouldn't be surprised to see some shakeup out of Dakota before week 5 as it's clear the Spirit are more than a year or 2 away from contending.

Key Additions
QB David Humphrey (trade), CB Anthony Autry (FA), RB Curtis Bullock (draft)

Key Departures
TE Cornell Jeanlouis (retired), QB Rocco Hooten (FA)

Prediction: 4-12



NC North In A Nutshell
It's the same old song dance when it comes to this division. Madison should roll to another division title but Pittsburgh is just a break or two away from being right there with them. Moreso this season than in the recent past I expect this to be a definite two team race. Lansing at times feels like you're watching Mike Tyson in his post Buster Douglas phase, you expect him to show off that world class knockout ability but more often than not you're left frustrated and bewildered at his inabilty to do so. Dakota on the other hand always plays with a ton of heart but just doesn't have the players to get it done yet.

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NATIONAL CONFERENCE
SOUTHERN DIVISION

1. TULSA COWS
The Cows rolled to their first division title in 2008 and didn't waste anytime going out and trying to add the final pieces to a championship puzzle. New management has infused this team with some key players, most notably WR Bryce Groth from Reno
who gives QB Devon Taylor a legit stud on the outside and a major deep threat. RB Tim Austin was lights out last year and while we can't predict another 1900 yard season from the young man, we can't help but think that Groths addition will help open things up for him.

The offensive line was middle of the pack last year and they should be better than that, with a WR who can create space it should help both them and Taylor to increase their productivity this season.

Disruption was a key part of Tulsas defense last year and 2nd year DE Marshall Brummitt is looking like someone poised to have a breakout season, veteran Lowell Napolitano was brought in to replace the traded Jeremy Ellison and needs to have the type of season he had in California last year. In the middle, DT Tito Ash needs to be both more productive and on the field more. Ash has alot of skill but it has yet to correlate to that big season alot of people expect from him.

With the defensive line being mainly a pressuring pass rushing group, it opens up LB's Richie Currin and Eric Jean to make a lot of plays and they do, but they could use alot more help than they have, both from the 3rd LB spot and up front. Tulsa can't continue to allow the opposition to get into the 2nd tier of it's defense as often as they do.

The addition of CB Landon Sobel from Vermont was a huge coup for this defense, as Sobel alongside 2nd year man Winston Mulder
along with Kenny Panariello, Hugo Callahan and Mel Fitzgerald give the Cows what should be a very dominant CB unit. The addition S Herman Almeida, A true defensive playmaker, alongside Herman McNamara, give the Cows one of the better Secondarys in the league and should help improve the sack numbers for the line.

Overview:
They can cover and they can create pressure, something that generaly results in big plays from the defense. They have the linebackers who can and are willing to take the scraps and dont make mistakes. This defense is going to be very good. Offensively they need a better 2nd option at WR than they have but they've shown a way to make this offense work with less. If and when Glenn Bess returns and can be that compliment to Groth, this team could be a clear cut Imperial Bowl contender. As it is I still think they are the class of this division.

Key Additions
CB Landon Sobel (trade), S Herman Almeida (trade), WR Boyce Groth (FA), S Herman McNamara (trade)

Key Departures
DE Jeremy Ellison (trade), FB Travis French (FA)

Prediction: 11-5



2. LITTLE ROCK TOADS
The Toads were an anomoly last season. Dropping from 13 wins in 07' to a mere 5 wins in the 08' campaign.

QB Ralph Given continued to be among the most accurate passers in the league and RB Brian Dixon while not having an amazing season continued to be a workhorse. Offensively the Toads performed as expected but the loss this offseason of stud TE Joseph Flores will surely leave a gap in the Toads game.

LG Wilfredo Sheffield who missed a large part of the season last year is back at 100% and should be a big boost for the offensive line. LT Shane Bryant struggled a tad in the wake of Sheffields departure last year and ought to bounce back this season. RT Wes Herndon should have a breakout year in this, his 3rd season.

The loss of DE Hernandez and DT Lemos on the defensive line is going to hurt but rookie Andrew Kinney alongside Karl Cronin is still avery feared pass rush. In the middle, DT Nicky McDougal and rookie Xavier Bridges are going to have to produce to keep teams from pounding the ball right at them.

Last years 1st round pick, MLB Kim Cortez struggled and needs to improve greatly upon his 2008 numbers. He and Albert Cloninger should be a force in the middle for the Toads at LB. Youngsters Devin Bell & James Barber have the talent to really make this a very good LB unit but they need to play together, something that didn't happen much last year.

Veteran CB's Sandy Lindo and Rodney Love need to be healthy and on the field more this season, the Toads can't afford any injuries to these guys as without them their CB's are very weak. Safeties Omer Flaherty and Stanford Zamudio both strike fear into the hearts of opposing teams.

Overview:
This team has too much talent to repeat what happened last year. Cris Kelly lost his job because of that trainwreck and ownership believes that Sammy Harvey can reignite this team and lead them back to success and i'm inclined to agree. If this team stays healthy they should compete for the NC South title and more.

Key Additions
DE Andrew Kinney (draft), FB Nathan Regalado (draft), DT Xavier Bridges (draft), K Ross Goodwin, CB Lawrence Wiggins (draft)

Key Departures
DE Shawn Hernandez (trade), DT Cedrick Lemos (FA), TE Joseph Flores (FA)

Prediction: 10-6



3. TEXAS TROJANS
The Trojans are very much a team in need of an identity. Blessed with an all world QB in Clayton Chung, but nobody to throw the bal to. Blessed with a top flight RB in Paul Brown who wont return until at least the 1st month into the season after an ACL injury, the Trojans are very much a question mark.

Chungs best receiver, Michal Hill had a breakout year last year in his 9th season but as I said, it was his 9th season. I wouldn't gamble on Hill suddenly becoming a major threat, although he will be the #1 outside option out of sheer neccesesity.
Tight End Jamal Strong and Fullback Ryan Deming will be counted on to carry the teams passing game, and likely it's offense until Paul Brown returns from his injury.

Gaurds Nate Yamada and Dane Hollar will be counted on to buouy the running game for backup RB Russell Engleman until Brown returns, if he returns.

On the defensive side of the ball, the addition of rookie DT Wally Humphries should help boost a defensive line that got very little pressure on the QB last year. Outside of DE James Koonce, this was a dissapointing bunch for the Trojans and they need to do a better job up front if they plan on succeeding this season.

5th and 3rd year LB's, Carlos Dotson and Winston McKnight respectively, both have alot of game and although Dotson is averaging 3 Interceptions a season so far in his career, neither one strikes heart into opposing offenses. Veteran Troy Calabrese is entering his 10th season and is still the pace setter for the LB unit. He's damn good, but it's time for the young guys to step up and become the leaders of this group.

In the secondary, former #4 overall pick Roman Bond needs to rebound after an injury shortened 2008. The passing defense of the Trojans was suceptible to big plays last season and Bonds return isn't enough, he needs 3rd year man Howie Causey to have another unexpectedly nice season playing opposite him. Safeties Wilbur Trimble and John Pearl are both very good and could best be described as the oil that makes the defense run, but at nearly 90 apiece, they account for far too many of this teams tackles, the front 7 needs to do a better job and make these guys lives easier, because they can both be real playmakers.

Overview:
The Trojans are a classic middle of the road team. They have enough to win the games they should but it feels like a franchise spinning it's wheels. They're in dyer need of that 1 or 2 players to push them to the next level. Without a go to Wide Receiver and a major question mark at Running Back the Trojans could be in for a long season. Fortunately for them, playing in the same division as Columbia should keep them out of the basement.

Key Additions- DT Wally Humphries (draft)
Key Departures- K Jesse Tamaarkin (FA)

Prediction:
5-11



4. COLUMBIA FIRE
Not since the Florida Marlins late 90's fire sale (pardon the pun) has a team so dramaticly auctioned off it's stars to the highest bidders. Gone are the cornerstones & the stars and soon, so too will the Fire be as they head off to Atlanta following this season.

Whats left? A QB competition between Rob Richardson & Deron Markel which could end up in Mercury Buckner getting 500 carries as a matter of neccesisty. Mercury Halbert and Kevin Key will be the focal points of the passing game and while Halbert has come into his own as a deep threat, does he have the QB to get him the ball?

Outside of RT Weston Gribble, in his 14th season, the offensive line has woefully underperformed and they need much bigger efforts out of Jason Dube and Darron Gordon then they got last season.

Rookie DE Tyrus Boyles will have a ton of pressure on him to shake up opposing offense and DT'S Wes Goad and rookie Al Armanda need to clog up the middle and cause some disruption of their own. This is a young but talented group.

LB's John Hines, John Maynard and Derrick Goodwin are among the best units in the league and should help the young line.

CB Steven Hamilton is a solid and underrecognized player who consistently delivers good numbers and the Fire have brought in a number of players to try and work opposite of him, including Thomas Saunders and David Hill. Last years 1st round pick FS Peter Boyer had a solid year and will be looked upon to continue to improve.

Overview:
The defense can be good if they can get some pressure on the Quarterback but too many teams will break that wall, FORCING the LB's to make plays. This team can also be thrown on. Offensively I don't see how they can't struggle with the loss of one of the best QB and WR's in the league. This team will struggle to score points and as a result put a lot of pressure on the rest of the squad that they arn't ready to take on. It's gonna be a long season in Columbia, get your bags ready.

Key Additions
DT Al Armanda (draft), DE Tyrus Boyles (draft), G Deon Coleman

Key Departures
QB Julian Cartegena (trade), DE Myron McCartney (trade), WR Justin Whitaker (trade), CB Oliver McKenzie (trade), C Richard Mahler (FA)

Prediction: 4-12



NC South In A Nutshell
Again, i'm looking at a two team race. I fully expect Little Rock to bounce back from the abberation that was 2008 but Tulsa has the motors to win this division and I believe they will do this that, but they're gonna get all they can handle from the Toads. Texas and Columbia meanwhile, more than ever, will be a non factor when it comes to the division race, I just can't imagine either of those teams making a major play at the top of the division and forsee a long season for both those franchises.

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NATIONAL CONFERENCE
EASTERN DIVSION

1. NEWARK BULLDOGS
After winning their first division banner in 2007, the Bull Dogs repeated a division title in 2008 … but this time with a new twist. Previous Newark teams have centered on a juggernaut assault by Alan ‘C Money’ Crespo. Not the case last year as a carefully choreographed air attack was introduced to the gruesome pounding by Mr. Crespo. Also there emerged a star from Boston. Discarded by the Dragons as nonproducing, Newark had picked up Ruben “Picante’ Sante the year before and watched his rebirth as he threw for more TD strikes (22) than he did in his previous two years combined! Not that Crespo needs any more help; this seemed to allow Mr. Crespo to visit the end zone with season career highs of 13 by the ground and 3 by the air. This should continue into the new season and Newark seems to be the new cock on the walk.

Newark will also introduce the outcome of their business partnership with Nike when they open their new renovated stadium. Nike’s “C Money-Turf” is the high lite of the renovation effort. “C Money-Turf” is a specially formulated artificial playing surface that features complimentary footwear for traction and speed.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
Newark seems to be blessed beyond turf and shoes. The offensive line is plenty good and with plenty of depth. Behind this line, Newark complements Sante & Crespo with great skill players who will continue to split receptions from Sante: TE O.J. Peltier, WRs Jamie Williams and Kraig Marasco.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The defense is stout led by DE Julian Mangrun, All-Pros DT Robert Pruitt and SLB Landon Marshall. Depth wins championships and the D has exceptional depth with the exception of the safety position.

INTANGIBLES:
The only possible hole in the dike could be the kicking game. Don Croft has had some surprising years including last year … his skill set suggests that his lackluster performance in 2007 is more akin to his ability.

The Bull Dog draft was not particularly stellar. Outside of blue chip WLB Mack Edward (who has entered camp with a strong dislike and conflict with Team Leader John Mitchell). The other draft choices all have significant question marks.

Overview:
The Bull Dogs should take off in 2009 where they left off in 2008. They are the favorite to three-peat as NFC East division champions. They have never gotten past the divisional round in the playoffs. The talent is there and it is time that they take their game to new level that will require a crafty game plan of Sante & Crespo, a stellar defense and for Don Croft to show up mentally every week.

Key Additions
LB Mack Edwards (draft), SS Chase Webb (FA)

Key Departures
FS Michael Brown (retired as 2008 Legend of the Game)

Prediction:
11-5



2. LAWRENCE PHANTOMS
Lawrence is a very good team that will score a lot of points. That, combined with a defense that has a bad attitude, will all be needed in their ugly fight for division supremacy against arch rival Newark.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
THE GOOD. The offense features the household names of All- Pro QB Tobias Stanfield, the ‘newly acquired’ RB Bucky Beaver, All-Pro TE James Caylor, and All-Pro FL Lenny Romano. The O-line is good, has depth and will allow the skill players to do what they get paid to do. FB Scott Bunce adds to the strength of that line and also offers a dangerous target out of the backfield for Stanfield.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
THE BAD. The Phantoms defensive line will bring it. Unfortunately there is little depth beyond the starters and that can upset the apple cart if the injury bug hits.
The bad attitude just begins with the D-line because there is a group of guys behind that line that are undeniably ‘the best’ linebacking corp in the division, in the conference and in the entire league. Opposing QB’s need counseling before their games with Lawrence as they are well aware that the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year, MLB RJ ‘The Leash’ Kley, All-Pro SLB Randel McCreary and WLB Carl Wing, another Defensive Rookie of the Year are focused to make life a very miserable experience on game day!
The secondary will hold its own, but like the D-line it really is not very deep.

THE UGLY. Injuries will be ‘the bad” for this defensive starting unit. If left unscathed, it will deploy all kinds of hell on opponent offensive schemes. Odds are that will not happen.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game is above average and special teams are delighted with the addition of 1st round pick SE Dana Glover who is a legitimate return threat. The Phantoms draft helped at WR but provided little else. Blue chip Dana Glover should start at WR and will also terrorize opponents on kickoffs. The other selections all picked in the seventh round are wild cards.

Overview:
Lawrence will battle Newark week-to-week for division supremacy. Lack of depth on the defensive side of the ball is the only reason that the Phantoms are predicted to fall just a little short again this year.

Key Additions
RB Bucky Beaver (trade), WR Dana Glover (draft)

Key Departures
C Bybee Derrick (retired), LCB Jarred Roberson (released)

Prediction:
10-6



3. ORLANDO PIRATES
Head Coach Neal Bucket has never had a winning season at Orlando, now going into his fourth season. After a miserable 5 win season last year, the Pirates' Front Office is being pressured to produce some success. To that end, they have taken some bold steps on a do or die mission that hopefully, perhaps whimsically, will propel the franchise to compete for a playoff berth this year.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
The Front Office first acquired QB Jerome Mueller from Pittsburgh. Mueller has had some unpleasant memories, first at Hartford and then in Pittsburgh. But the fact remains that Jerome has the tools and that is exactly what Coach Buckett sees and wants to groom. Buckett is heavilly counting on one of the team’s strengths – the O-Line. If they stay stable, the line should allow Mueller to become comfortable with the new offense, without undue pressure. But the Front Office needed more assurance, an ace in the hole, a weapon that would assure immediate success. So, they traded for RB Extraordinaire, Wesley Connell. This guy is duarable, runs with authority and can catch the occasional swing pass from Mueller with ease. He is a multiple threat weapon and replaces the retired Alan Ho ghost, in spades. But alas, the Front Office forgot one area. There is no hiding the fact that the receiving corps is weak, with the exception of TE Scott Ginn and FB Michael Jacobs.
All this will translate into a simple formula: Behind an capable offensive line, the offense will try to dominate time of possession with the running of Wesley Connell and a short passing game to Connell, Ginn and Jacobs. RB Chris Jackson provides a nice backup for Connell and QB Harrison Hynes is an exceptional backup for Mueller.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The defense is solid and is led by All-Pro Carl Grim. It does have a few holes in the depth chart but nothing that is alarming. If the defense can stay healthy, it is a perfect match to the ball control minded Orlando offense.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game features a premier punter in Wilford Street. Unfortunately, the place kicker Darren Christmas will probably diasappoint. The Pirates traded their draft for talent.

Overview:
The defensive and offensive units are definitely on the same page for ball control dominance. But the kicking game is also a crucial element in possession type football games. The punter will contribute to the team’s goal and hopefully the kicker, Darren Christmas doesn’t turn into a Mr. Scrooge when the field goals are also needed in these ball control games. The lack of a receiving weapon won’t allow catchup and that is where the cookie will crumble. Prediction is that the Pirates will end up third in the division, make a serious run at a playoff slot but fall disappointly short of their goal.

Key Additions
QB Jamie Mueller (trade), RB Wesley Connell (trade), DE Gus Cantrell (FA), CB McKinley Aycock (FA)

Key Departures
RB Alan Ho (retired), WR Dexter Edmonds (trade)

Prediction:
8-8



4. VERMONT MOUNTAINEERS
The team doctor did not understand what was happening. The specialists were befuddled as well ... on the failing vision of Virgil Sepulveda, the quarterback poster child of the IFL FRONT PAGE. Thankfully, he seems to have recovered and will be able to start at the helm for the Mountainers. The Mountainer hopes and dreams squarely rests on the continued health and vision of Mr. Sepulveda.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
Sepulveda, if healthy, will be the man. Rocco Hooton was acquired in free agency to back up to Sepulveda. He is capable but he is not the man. Quentin Logan, one of the extraordinary 2004 TEs from the 2004 draft, is the primary receiving weapon. Beyond this, there are many needs that Vermont has, and the Mountainers will use "smoke and mirrors" in order to compensate. Beginning with the running back duties, they are particularly suspect. The wide receiving corp, a little better than the backs, features an average Andrew Tilley and unproven, but looks to be the real deal rookie, Dennis Bakker. The O-Line has excellent tackles but is a little soft in the middle. Saying all this, it comes down to the man ... and when healthy the man can take advantage of a little smoke and alot of mirrors. So, some advice to opposing teams, "beware" of the deception because the Mountainers are just not that good, yet.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The defensive unit is also average but will improve with age. The reality is that Vermont is clearly a rebuilding team and the young players will just need time to develop. Look for MLB Brenden Estermeyer, who is expected to replace the retired Reggie Greiner, to have a season to compete for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game has been turned over to two rookies and both, P Wes Reid and K Spencer Wilkerson, have the credentials to be great ones.
The Mountainer draft was a good one, by far the best in their division. WR Dennis Bakker, P Wes Reid, K Spencer Wilkerson and LB Brenden Estermeyer have already been mentioned. Other diamonds in the rough are CB Tyrell Newman, T Daniel Watson , TE Blaine Webster, and C Bryant Terrel. All seem to have the credentials; they just lack a little seasoning to get their ticket punched.

Overview:
The Mountainer draft was a structured rebuilding effort. There were alot of picks – eleven in all. There was good value throughout and that value will grow as the players gain experience. Vermont is in a very tough division and on paper does not have the experience to compete. They most likely will be the caboose this year and may not even get as many wins as last year. What they will have is a good solid year for young player development and that will service them well as they rebuild.

Key Additions
QB Rocco Hooton, WR Dennis Bakker (draft), LB Brenden Estermeyer (draft), P Wes Reid (draft)

Key Departures
MLB Reggie Greiner (retired), TE Daniel McKenzie (trade), CB Landon Sobel (trade)

Prediction:
6-10


NC East In A Nutshell
One of the best rivalries in the IFL will continue to thrill football fans in 2009. Stay tuned for at least two heavy weight bouts between Newark and Lawence, perhaps a third. The nod for the division title goes to the Bull Dogs because of their better depth on defense. Lawrence will finish second and should emerge as a wild card team. The other two teams in the division are rebuilding. Orlando has the best chance to surprise the league will fall just short of going to the postseason. Vermont will wait for next year, now that their new young talent will have a full year of experience under their belt.

[Suicane]

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
WESTERN DIVSION

1. SALT LAKE CITY STALLIONS
The adage in real estate is “location, location, location.” In football language, that adage translates to “coaching, coaching, coaching.” The shocker of the off-season was the departure of Head Coach T. J. Palmateer who had led the Stallions to four playoff appearances. Palmateer left SLC for Hartford’s $greener$ pastures after the Stallions fell short on their contract negotiations. In a desperate search, the Front Office lucked into a courtship with another coach who is no stranger to the playoffs either. Enter Rico Flannery who has three playoffs under his belt before falling on some hard times with the West Virginia Beasts. He took last season off. Short term, this is clearly a win-win situation ... with Flannery in his senior years landing a classy and well oiled machine & with the Stallions getting a coach who isn’t going to his first rodeo.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
Introducing the offensive unit is like introducing the All-Pro lineup: QB Chris Chaplin, RB James Tart, FB Norm Wiseman, TE Rich Daniels, FLs Grady ‘Money’ Gomez & Richard McKinzie. The O-Line is the best in the division but has little or no depth.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The 3-4 defensive unit features an outstanding front in DE Joe Otey, DE Weston Woodring and NT Harold Bryant. The linebackers are a solid and cohesive unit. The secondary make its presence and will get better when CB Desmond Wolf returns midseason and complements the great CB Alton McNamee. All in all, a very good unit with questions of depth, but with some lucky cards it just may be enough.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game is off the charts with the acquisition of Jesse Tamaarkin and punting of Morris Boutin. Special teams have multiple return men options … starting with SE Richard Rath. The Stallion draft was not deep or of significant immediate value. Key future contributors would be LB Dana Houston and WR Cory Baker.


Overview:
This team is almost the same team as last year. The only major difference is the addition a great kicker, Jesse Tamaarkin and the unveiling of a new stadium that seats 80,000, the second largest in the IFL, next to the Viper stadium in Norfolk. In fact, the Stallions want to travel the same road that the Vipers took last year – unveiled a new stadium renovation, hosted the playoffs there and then moved on to an IFL Championship in the Imperial Bowl. The Stallions are in a tough division but should win it outright. In adding a seasoned coach (who will bring a new flavor of football to an already outstanding and talented team) in a new stadium with new turf and plenty of fanfare, the rest of the league just might be looking at the next IFL Champs.

Key Additions
Head Coach Rico Flannery, K Jesse Tamaachin (FA), LB Dana Houston (draft), WR Cory Baker (draft), LB Deandre Holzer

Key Departures
Head Coach T.J. Palmateer, 1st rounder 2008 OLB Victor Barber (released), DE Gus Cantrell (released), DT Zack Grolsko (released)

Prediction:
11-5



2. OAKLAND DEVILS
New name- again, for the third time, maybe the fourth. New management – again, but returning from the past. Old cap issues – seems resolved, but with some pain. Mix it up and what do you get? You really need to get under the sheets to understand this team and here’s an attempt to scratch the veneer and see what is below the surface.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
The offense will continue to feature the aerial circus antics of QB Gene Hamilton to the team-mate All-Pro receivers, Kurt “Showtime” Bice and Ernest Martinez . The forthcoming statistical numbers will be frightful. Rico Bailey and Gaston Lomeli will again share the running back duties behind FB Mathew Myer. TE Richard Ventura is gone which leaves the TE combo of Patrick Blair and Jarrett Bracey. The O-Line returns all, with the notable exception of its keystone at center, Wayne Rogers. Rogers was the behemoth that provided the stability of the middle line. His absence and the injury to LG Chad Jerome will have a very negative cause and effect relationship. Sacks will probably double to previous year levels even though Hamilton’s had a career low of being sacked last year. Those increased disruptions to Hamilton will enevitably shorten those passing lanes to Bice and Martinez and so on and so forth. It is also significant to note the lack of depth for the O-line … which bodes for all kinds of bally-whoing from the front office if there is an injury or two.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The departure of DE Derek Nelson leaves the D-line unremarkable with the exception NT Lance Delano. On the other hand, the line backing corp is outright scary. Not only are they scary, there is an army of them --- which leads opposing coaches to think that some of these linebackers will be playing out of position, perhaps at DE. Here is that collection of blue chip athletes, all who have a current rating of 60 or above: Bradford McCrary, Ken “Tank” Almon, All-Pro Dennis Gallup, Bert Nichols, Kenneth Fricke, Wesley McArthur and now lets add the Devils’ 1st round draft choice, LB Jon Hawkins for laughs and giggles. The secondary is of a championship caliber even with the loss of their best defensive back, CB Patrick Davey. Again there looms a question of depth.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game seems to be adequate and should not be a trouble area. Lomelli remains a threat for kick returns. The Devil’s Draft was lackluster. Only three picks with SLB Jon Hawkins as the only bright spot for a team that is screaming for depth in many places other than linebacker.

Overview:
The Red Devil’s Achilles heel for a championship run is a lack of depth on both the O & D-lines and more importantly the secondary. The prediction is that there will be at least one wild card coming from the NC West division. The Red Devil’s are the favorite but it will not be a cake walk as Reno and Vancouver take advantage of the mismatches that the unevitable Oakland injuries will allow.

Key Additions
LB Kenneth Fricke (trade), LB Wesley MacArthur, LB Jon Hawkins (draft)

Key Departures
C Wayne Rogers (released), CB Patrick Davey (trade), TE Richard Ventura (FA), DE Derek Nelson (FA)

Prediction:
9-7



3. RENO WOLFPACK
Reno made a lot of off-season moves and with very little fanfare. There are 17 new faces that made the final 53 on cut down day. All significant departures from the team were adequately accounted for with a capable replacement. The Wolfback also added a few attractive rookies and many of them will see starting time. The question is whether this is enough to bring the franchise back to division prominence.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
The first of the off-season moves fueled a quarterback controversy right off the bat. It is rumored that veteran Milan Costanzo may lose his starting job to Wichita’s former backup, Joseph Granger who was activley acquired by trade. We expect that Granger will get the nod to hand off to the Wolfpack’s stellar RB, Jacques Crosby or to find Crosby, TE Joseph Flores or SE Lamont Zumwalt with one of his packages via the air. TE Joseph Flores is a very welcome addition to take some pressure off of Zumwalt. WR Lamont Zumwalt has been the only real receiving threat and his production was severly hampered last season by a heavy dose of full game double teams.
The offensive line is very capable unit led by All Pro Horace Barrett and LG Clifford Huber. Unfortunately it is dinged up a bit going into the season.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The defensive line features 2nd year Aaron Cuthbert and veteran Clement Oakley, who both can bring it. However, the Pack runs a 3-4 and the middle is a bit soft. To say that linebacking is strength is an understatement, with Greg Dexter and Armando Sandusky clogging the middle and Richard Cade and Clay Valerio patrolling the perimeter. No slouch in that group and there is plenty of backup in case someone goes down. The secondary has some playmakers but it is also the one component of the defense that has questionable depth. There is a lot of excitement around Rookie SS Jeffrey Buckner. Buckner should challenge as a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game has the competent feet of P Colin Heath and rookie K Marlon Cooper.
The Wolfpack draft was not deep but they got some good value. SS Jeffrey Buckner will start immediately with Defensive Rookie of the Year in his sights. Rookie Marlon Cooper has won the kicking job. FB Maybe Craig and LB Quentin Posey should also see some action.

Overview:
The defense is the heart and soul of the Wolfpack and that unit may inspire an offense that lacks imagination. The Wolfpack has enough talent to pull off the occasional upset against stronger teams and those wins just might be enough to take them into the playoffs as a wild card. Don't count them out.

Key Additions
QB Joseph Granger (trade), TE Joseph Flores (FA), WR Quincy Witt (FA), G Teddy Burke (FA), G Gary Brewer (FA), FB Quentin Alicea (FA), DE Clement Oakley (FA), LB Clark Weintraub (FA),CB Chris Augustin (FA), SS Jeffrey Buckner (draft), K Marlon Cooper (draft)

Key Departures
FB Harold Johnson (retired), G James Brown (IR), K Donavan McElroy (released), DE Jessie Pettaway (released)

Prediction:
9-7



4. VANCOUVER KILLER WHALES
The front office was on a mission after last season’s continued mediocrity. There has only been one winning season in franchise history – in its first year, 2003. No player was “untouchable” and all were given critical reviews for continued employment. The end result of the spring transactions sent shock waves throughout the football world … QB Dennis Colella, RB Wesley Connell, DE Chris Aguero --- the pillars of the Killer Whales, all starters and all of them now gone.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
Well so much for cohesion, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The first press release announced a trade with Orlando to make RB Wesley Connell a future Pirate. We are talking about an extraordinary talent that just got traded away. Then they deal off QB Dennis Colella, the only QB the Whales have known and who is in the prime of his career, to California for RB J.B. Lincoln and for a very good WR, Emmitt Terry. Lincoln was an impressive rookie last year, and he now has the unenviable task to fill the shoes of Connell. The Whales drafted Xavier Armstrong in the first round of the draft to replace Colella at QB. Armstrong looks to have the scouted potential to be a good one.
Their secret formula to get this team off the dime is to combine these new players with the current standouts that remain on the team: TE Romeo Burgos, WR Patrick Harding, WR John Snowden & recovering FB Stephen Dean. Add a solid O-Line anchored by C Shawn Darcy and T Danilo Burgess, and there might be just enough talent around rookie QB Armstrong so that he can develop without being overly harassed. However, there is no getting around the fact that cohesion may be an anchor to spoil the party.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The defense is a good one …do not underestimate its strength. There are not a lot of standout players but as a unit, the D is as solid as any in the league. There is plenty of depth up front that frees up the talents of DE Zack Thornton & LB Mike Barkley. Rookie Julio Wheeler should also be on the loose to shake up things as well. He may post some numbers to gain consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year. The secondary is not as deep as the front guys and it will suffer the loss of their veteran CB Dennis Perez for a few weeks as he mends his leg.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game is strong with standout punter Orlando Poore and an all-pro kicker, Darren Dunlap. Rookie SE Brandon Clinton may turn a head or two on punt and kick returns.
The Killer Whale Draft was a good one. Headliners will be QB Xavier Armstrong, G Bryce Anderson and LB Julio Wheeler. Good supporting cast: T Ricardo Bernstein and Return Specialist, Brandon Clinton.


Overview:
This team took the bull by the horns and decided it was time for a change. The new look is very intriguing but the Killer Whales find themselves in a tough division with all teams capable of making the playoffs. Attaining that objective will depend on the play of a rookie QB and overcoming some serious cohesion fallout, resulting from the major roster shakeup that occurred during the off-season. Still, it is not that big of a stretch if the Killer Whales find themselves in the playoffs as a wild card.

Key Additions
QB Xavier Armstrong (draft), RB J.B. Lincoln (trade), FL Emmitt Terry (trade), G Bryce Anderson (draft), LB Julio Wheeler (draft), S Chase Webb (FA)

Key Departures
QB Dennis Colella (trade), WR Wesley Connell (trade), DE Chris Aguero (released), G Gary Brewer (released)

Prediction:
8-8



NC WEST IN A NUTSHELL
Salt Lake City is one of the best teams in the National Conference and should win its division handily, barring any major injury setbacks. Oakland will claim that they are every bit as good and perhaps they are ... until they need to replace a key starter with a reserve. Oakand has some definite depth issues and this alone will keep them from the division title. If the injury bug hits too hard, it might even prevent them from finishing second. The other two teams in the division are primed and ready to step into Oakland shoes. First dibs goes to Reno who has a load of talent. If the Wolfpack finds the formula to blend the new faces with the old, watch out. The Vancouver Killer Whales aren't slouches either. They retooled their team to the max and if they generate a chemistry early, they will also be a force. The core question for the Whales is whether their rookie QB can mature and take them to a level that makes enough noise. All and all, this is a great division that can make a claim to be the toughest in the National Conference.

[Suicane]

Old Man And The Sea

68 year old Cris Kelly sits on the deck of his beachhouse overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Inside his Grandson is installing a state of the art Entertainment Center, out on the beach his Great Grandchildren, Elizabeth 5 and Kevin 3, frolic in the sand. It's a scene that every retiree looks forward too, long days spent relaxing with loved ones, just kicking back and enjoying the scenery. Except in a few short days, Kelly will leave this all behind for the next 8 months and get back to work, on the sidelines, leading the California Heroes into battle.

Almost one year ago to the day, Kelly sat in his office in Little Rock, preparing for what some expected to be another championship season, but a slow start snowballed into something nobody saw coming. A 2-6 start left fans and some would some would suggest even Toads players, to call for a change. Dissension in the locker room and very little backup from an owner whom he had just one season earlier, won a championship for. At the end of a brutal 5-10-1 campaign, Kelly was not asked to return to Little Rock.

"It was the age old story of a team tuning out a coach. There comes a point when you've tried all the gimmicks, you know, the Knute Rockne halftime speeches only go so far." He says, looking out into the blue of the Pacific, "it was quite a ride."

He doesn't appear to have any regrets about the way things ended, publicly at least. Still, he concedes that a younger man may have been given the benefit of the doubt, "I'm an old man, I'm set in my ways. They got some big changes on their horizon and the only thing that doesn't go well with big changes is a stubborn old man who don't know any other way than his way."

He takes no quarter and he gives none back. Don't like he does thing? Thats fine. Gotta fire me? That's fine too.

After more than 40 years on the sidelines in some capacity or another, Kelly was prepared to walk away from the game and the job he loved, that defined him. Time, eventually, will get the best of us all, there is no way to avoid that one discernable truth. Which made the call he recieved from California Owner Hell Atlantic even more surprising.

Kelly, with a smile cracking across his face, recalls that first phone call. "They made it abundantly clear I was not their first option. They made it also perfectly clear I was not their 2nd."

And still he came. Packing up his house and along with his wife of 47 years Doris, headed for the West Coast.

"At this point I'm taking things on a year by year basis", he says, "and I think they prefer it that way too. I'm in a good place in my life right now, it feels great to be in a situation where if they want me back - I'm back. If they want me to go away - hey, I got a villa in a fishing village in Mexico with my name on it so no worries on my part."

He's under no illusion that his pedigree, his championships or his years of experience will outlast the hands of father time, but right now he sees a team that needs a coach and a leader, "Sometimes all a team needs is someone who can say "yeah, I believe in you guys. If you'll listen, I can teach you a thing or two, They seem ready to listen."

So every morning for the past 4 months he's makes his way to Heroes Headquarters, arriving at 4am and sometimes working well past midnight, with a team not many are expecting to get out of the cellar. Two years removed from the top of the world he reads the press clipings about the aquistion of QB Dennis Collela from Vancouver and you can see a gleam in his eye, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, this old coach has one more trick up his sleeve.

Coaches coach. And for 40 years Cris Kelly has been doing exactly that. He sees no reason to stop now.

[Suicane]

Milestones

Just a shade under 2800 yards from now, which will likely happen at some point this season, Tobias Stanfield will reach 25,000 passing yards.

Jacques Crosby has the inside line, A 312 yard advantage on James, on becoming the first player in IFL history to rush for 9000 yards. Just 260 yards away, it shouldn't take Crosby very long to reach this milestone.

Olin Holst, Scott Scharf and Kurt Bice should all take aim at 500 receptions this year, with Holst having the inside track on getting there first. Martinez became the first Wideout in league history to eclipse 7000 receiving yards on the final week of the 2008 season.

The Norfolk Vipers have built themselves a dynasty, 5 wins into this season they will more than likely be the first team in Imperial League history to achieve 70 victories.

[Suicane]

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
NORTHERN DIVSION

1. WICHITA OUTLAWS
Wichita is a team on the rise after snapping a 3 season streak of losing records. Last year's 8-8 team was one week 17 victory over Iowa City away from returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. On paper this team is expected to perform even better, but it all comes down to offensive production. The Outlaws, despite their 8-8 record, only outscored 4 other teams in the AC. Look for the team to take a few more risks this year as QB Winston Scott finally will live up to his talent.

Scott's lack of production can be tied directly to the playcalling of the Outlaws. He only completed 20 or more passes in a game once last season, as the team relied heavily on the run. Scott needs to become more than just a caretaker in this offense. If the Outlaws can bring a strong passing game together to compliment their running game, their offense will have a big year.
The running game was the major focus last year with tandem backs Duane Rau and James LeGrande. Both had 1000 yard seasons last year and look to match that production this year as well. Rau is a converted FB who can line up anywhere in the backfield, and the team creates matchup problems by placing both Rau and LeGrande in the backfield at the same time.
Receivers have been an afterthought in this offense due to the run first mentality. Gone is team leading receiver Ken Liedtke and in his stead is veteran Tyler Conners and the unproven Gino Markel. Neither caught more than 33 passes last year. The team loves to go double-TE though, and with Kurtis Diep and Irv Molnar why wouldn't you? Both are solid blockers who can get downfield for catches as well.
A run first offense doesn't work without an offensive line, and the Outlaws have a solid unit led by G Lucius Ressler. 2nd overall pick in 2007 RT Eric Vitale should compete for the Pro Bowl this year now that he's settled into the pro game.

The Outlaw front three is young and talented. DE Bernard Hastings and NT Byron Ruth each had 5.5 sacks last year. DE Johnnie Basile looks to bounce back from an injury shortened season. Last year's 2nd round pick DE Deion Kinney could start for most teams and provides depth as a pass rush specialist.
ILB pair Perry Watson and Wes Martin will be the reason few teams will find success running up the middle this year. Both are great and plugging holes quickly and adding Watson in a trade with Houston in the offseason will pay dividends. Pro Bowl OLB Hank Tran is another shutdown player in this linebacking corps and will have more room to maneuver with the switch to a 3-4.
CB James Rowe is joined in the secondary by new addition CB Alphonse Goodman. Both are beyond their prime and could give up some big plays this year. SS Brian Williams is the playmaker in this unit and took home All League Safety honors last season. New addition FS Fred Flannery rounds out this unit, but Flannery is more of a run stopper than a cover man.

Overview:
The Outlaws have the talent to make the playoffs. They could easily steal the torch from the Snipe Hunters and take this division next season if their offense comes alive. Their defense played well last year and with the talent in their front seven, if should be very difficult to run on Wichita. As long as their secondary cuts down on big plays and their offense puts more points on the board, there's no reason this team shouldn't win the division.

Key Additions
LB Perry Watson (trade), CB Alphonse Goodman (trade), S Fred Flannery (trade), LB Levon Tucker (draft)

Key Departures
WR Ken Liedtke (trade), DT Bucky Tyrrell (trade), QB Joseph Granger (trade)

Prediction:
10-6




2. IOWA CITY SNIPE HUNTERS
The Snipe Hunters limped into the playoffs last season, when most expected them to compete for the Imperial Bowl. In 2007 they were the top rated scoring defense in the league. Last year they repeated this feat, but dropped from 12-4 to 9-7 and had to win 3 of their last 4 just to make the playoffs. They return all 22 starters this year, however their window of opportunity is closing fast as age catches up to them. Iowa City has probably one last shot at a championship before a major rebuilding project goes underway.

At QB Sammy Matthews emerged as a Pro Bowl candidate in his 2nd year as the starter. Matthews set career highs in completions, yards, and touchdowns while keeping his INT total to a minimum. There's no reason to expect that he won't be able to improve this season either. If Matthews goes down though, there's no insurance on the roster behind him.
Pro Bowl RB Aubrey Beamer also had career highs in yardage and yards per carry last season, helping carry the offense and taking pressure off of Matthews. Beamer took over 100 less handoffs this season and responded with more big plays. Beamer is 29 this season though, and he can't be expected to produce this well for much longer. His backfield counterpart FB Michael Saucedo is even older, but he still has soft hands and is a reliable option out of the backfield.
WRs Brent Nelson and Cory Harris hardly frighten secondaries, and are most likely the reason that Iowa City doesn't have an explosive offense. Neither caught more than 45 passes as full time starters, and the team didn't make any real upgrades behind them. At TE Peter Stoll was the first option downfield, but even his numbers are average at best. Stoll is 32 as well and won't be the solution much longer.
The offensive line's youngest starter is 29. They did an admirable job for Beamer last season, but it's feasible that this is the last season for at least 2 starters. This group has started together for an unheard of 6 straight seasons and C Daniel Baker and LT Kevin Price are among the best in the league at their positions. The line plays well becuase of it's cohesion, and this could be their last hurrah together.

The defensive line is the strength of the Snipe Hunter defense. Led by Pro Bowl DE Freddie Swift, who tied for 4th in the league last year in sacks, the defensive line terrorized opposing QBs. No starter had less than 4 sacks. The line is young as well, and should be a unit to fear for years to come if it's kept together.
At linebacker there weren't any standout performers last year. MLB David Day is solid, but both starters on the outside are over 34. None of the starters made many impact plays and it'll be hard to expect them to maintain their level of play at their current ages.
With CB Earle Jordan expected to miss most of the season, 1st round draft pick Bryan Collins is getting thrown into the starting lineup. He'll be picked on early. Opposite Collins is Stan Cagle who has 4 INTs in 6 seasons. The strength of the secondary is in the safties. Pro Bowl FS Franklin Trigg is 33 and will be hard pressed to match his production last season. SS James Hovis needs to make more plays as his production doesn't match his talent level.

Overview:
Age is a large concern for the stable Snipe Hunter franchise. They've kept the same core of players for years, but now that core is slowing down. Iowa's running game will allow them to control games, but without playmakers at receiver, it's hard to expect them to comeback if teams get ahead of them early. The Snipe Hunters will have to win the AC North if they want a playoff berth, they simply don't have the playmakers to give them a strong enough shot at a wild card spot in the talented AC.

Key Additions
CB Bryan Collins (draft)

Key Departures

Prediction:
9-7



3. CLEVELAND CLAWZ
It was a long way down for the Clawz last season. One season removed from a 12-4 record and an appearance in the AC Championship game, they fell further than the team could ever imagine, landing a top 5 draft pick rather than competing for the Imperial League Title. An abysmal 0-8 start caused alarms throughout Claw nation, but the team managed to win 5 of their last 8, including their last 3 games, giving hope for this season. Watching whethere the Clawz build on that hope and jump back into the playoffs this season will be an interesting subplot.

On offense, play revolves are QB Bart Alexander. The future is now for Alexander as he enters his 4th year in the league. With 2 years left on his contract, the future is now for him to prove he can be the face of this franchise. The only way that'll be possible is if he can cut down on turnovers. During Cleveland's 2007 run, Alexander threw 18 TDs and 17 INTs. Last season he regressed immensely, throwing only 11 TDs versus 20 INTs. The team has no chance of winning big games if Alexander can't take care of the ball.

The addition of 1st round draft pick, rookie RB Roy Ramsey should take a lot of pressure off of Alexander. Last season 3 different RBs started games for the Clawz, and it wasn't until the last 3 games of the season that someone got the job done. The last 6 games saw the emergence of an unlikely hero in Walter Burnett. He helped the Clawz win 4 of their last 6 games, averaging over 80 yards a game. Now, with Burnett and Ramsey sharing snaps, the power running game of the Clawz looks to return.

Look for WR Daniel Williams to bounce back from an injury shortened season with something to prove. His play, and that of new addition TE Richard Ventura will also play a key role in the performance of Bart Alexander. Oppostie Williams, Otis Bentley has all the tools of a starting 2nd WR. He has to make the most of his opportunities when Williams is double covered. Bryce Groff rounds out the receiving corps, and you'd be hard pressed to find a more talented slot WR. Groff could start for most teams, and when the Clawz line up in multiple WR sets, anyone of them can hurt you.

Cleveland returns all 5 starters from their offensive line, and they're no slouches. When this unit is healthy and playing well, it's amazing how well they do. If G Vern Hoff comes back strong in what could be his last season, this unit could easily allow for some big games from Ramsey and Burnett. G Alec Eliason stepped up big in Hoff's absence last season. It'll be interesting to see what the possibilities are when both are in the lineup together again.

Defense was a sore point for this team last year. Only 3 teams allowed more points. It all starts up front and the Clawz are very young along their defensive line. Neither DE is a pass rush threat, both starting DTs are rookies. Cleveland got a steal in the 4th round in DT Omar Boyles. Alongside him is number 3 pick J.J. Johnson, who was an excellent addtion after Dakota shocked the league by letting him go. This unit won't do much this year, but their future is bright.
At linebacker, veteran Jeffrey Gregorio is still the top performer on the defense. Age is catching up with him though, and he'll need help from rookie Dale Ashraf on the right side. MLB Sedrick Vance had a breakout year last season and might be ready to take the helm from Gregorio as the season progresses.

Secondary play needs to improve as no starting CB last year had an interception. Veteran CB Mike Davis was limited to 2 games last year and CB Stan Mitchell underachieved in his absence. CB Buddy Fountaine has more room to improve, but he can start if Davis can't bounce back this year. At safety Frederic Attaway and Erik Collins return. Neither were able to rescue the secondary from weak corner play last season. If the secondary as a whole can't improve, it'll be hard to see Cleveland staying in games.

Overview:
The offense has the potential to be good, but if the defense can't stop anyone it won't matter. Cleveland isn't as good as their 2007 12-4 record indicated but they arn't as bad as their 5-11 record last year either. Somewhere in between is where the truth lies, and a break here or there could push this team back towards the playoffs, but probably not this season.


Key Additions
TE Richard Ventura (FA), RB Roy Ramsey (draft), LB Dale Ashraf (draft), DT Omar Boyles (draft)

Key Departures
RB Bucky Beaver (trade), G Kory Rosa (FA), T Thanh Arrowood (FA), TE Ismael Munguia (FA)

Prediction:
7-9


4. MONTREAL FIREBIRDS
Last year was a year to forget in Montreal. Only the lowly West Virginia Beasts scored less points than the Firebirds last year and only the Beasts and Texas gave up more points. Granted last year began a major rebuilding project, but the offense returning is unchanged from last season. It's hard to see positive things coming out of Montreal in the 2nd year of rebuilding.

Last season rookie QB T.J. Fenkner was in far over his head. In a year he was supposed to come along slowly, he instead became a gunslinger trying to bring his team back from behind on a constant basis. His second season should see a drop from 24 INTs, but without a running game to support him, or a solid receiving corps to throw too, it's hard to see what Fenkner can do to elevate this team.
RB Leo Meadows was resigned to a 5 year deal in the offseason despite averaging a career low 3.41 yards per carry. Meadows had 100 yards in a game only once last season. The team drafted RB J.C. Polanco in the 2nd round hoping he will provide a spark.
WRs Jonathon Russell and Deandre Martin were average at best last season. Part of that was due to Fenkner's trial by fire. Both need to step up big in Fenkner's second season if this offense is going to improve. TE Vicente Yeh needs to play a bigger role in the offense as well.
The offensive line returns all 5 starters. Both Ts Blake Banks and Jamal Hudson have matured and look to establish themselves as the leaders of this unit. The line is probably the best part of Montreal's offense, but inconsistent play at the skill positions diminishes what the line can do.

2nd overall pick DE Dwight Stone will be the focus on the defensive line. Opposite Stone in the team's 3-4 front is no name Heath Nguyen who needs to pick his play up drastically if he's going to start in this league. NTs Walt Farley and Alexander Tye are talented, and should benefit from having Stone getting attention next to them.
The starting ILBs are both over 30. 3rd round pick SLB Roger Delcorio was a steal and is the all around LB that can stop the run and the pass as necessary. WLB Jack Shannon has been an underacheiver. He needs to contribute more and should also benefit from having Stone up front.
The secondary has to improve this season. The team forced only 11 INTs last year and no starter had more than 3. FS William Govan is still slowed by offseason surgery and Clay Wiggins is better suited for a backup role. CB Terrell Cortez is entering the last year of his contract as a surprising 5th round starter, but he has only 1 career INT.

Overview:
The Firebirds have a lot of room to improve, mostly on offense. The defense had no excuse for how poorly it played last year, but a lot of that fell on the fact that the offense couldn't keep control of the ball resulting in the defense getting wore down. The Firebirds should win more than 3 games this season, but they'll still be looking at a top 10 draft pick next season.

Key Additions
DE Dwight Stone (draft), LB Kurt Becnel (draft), LB Roger Delcorio (draft)

Key Departures

Prediction:
4-12

AC North In A Nutshell
The AC North should come down to a two horse race once again between Wichita and Iowa City. This is the year Wichita breaks out and seizes the torch from the Snipe Hunters. The Outlaws are a young team on the rise and the Snipe Hunters are trying to make a last gasp effort at a championship.
Cleveland will improve, but in a very talented AC I don't see them emerging with a winning record. Montreal is mired in rebuilding and are at least two seasons away from realistically competing.
This division was a bit of an afterthought in the AC last season and that most likely won't change much this year. None of the teams here are considered among the league's elite. The division winner here will earn the easiest playoff berth the AC has to offer. Don't expect to see a wild card come from the North with the amount of talent present in the rest of the AC.

[Suicane]

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
SOUTHERN DIVSION

1. HOUSTON RENEGADES
The Houston Renegades shocked the league last year. Not only did they finally finish a season without a losing record for the first time in franchise history, the nearly took their division at the same time and finished 12-4. Thanks to a number of key additions last year, the team attitude made a rapid transition. Now the team has to build off it's new found success and many consider them talented enough to make a run for the championship this season.

Future Hall of Fame QB Nigel Booker was a steal based on the impact he's had on this team. Houston set team scoring records last season and Booker brought with him a swagger that the rest of the team responded to. Expect more of the same as long as he's at the helm of the Renegades.

Helping Booker keep this offense rolling is RB Wilford Timmerman, last year's Solecismic's MVP, Offensive player of the year, and 1st team RB. Timmerman is the most talented back in the league right now and finally started putting up the numbers to prove it the last two seasons. The team brought in FB Travis French to pave the way for Timmerman this season. Look for him to have another huge year.

The team's weakpoint on offense last year was WR, so the Renegades acquired Ken Liedtke from Wichita. His possession style receiving should compliment WR Bryant Beckner's big play potential. TE Daniel Mackenzie was brought in to be the receiving threat while TE J.J. Crane is a far better blocker.
The offensive line is getting old, but they're still a talented bunch who had benefitted from starting together for 2 full seasons. Newcomer C Richard Mahler should bring some stablity to the only hole in this line. Depth is a concern at G where both starters are over 33. An injury could be devastating to the line.

DT Matthew Bramlett had a huge year last season. The scary part is that he might have an even bigger season this year thanks to the addition of DT Bucky Tyrrell. Team's can't double team both of them and Tyrrell is the kind of run stuffer that compliments Bramlett's pass rushing skills perfectly. DE's Shaun Pierce and Luke Padron round out the rest of the defensive line.

At LB, the team is led by SLB Bryce Young. Young is a quiet performer who had 3 sacks, 2 INTs, and would have led the team in tackles if not for an injury that sidelined him for 4 games. In the middle, Jamison Roland is starting to lose a step. WLB Mitchell Marzluf underacheived last season and needs to have more of an impact with so much focus on other players in this defense.

CBs Alonzo Sack and Garfield Rhodes have been starting together for 6 seasons now. Both still have a couple years left in them, but they only combined for 5 INTs last season. Pro Bowl SS Arthur Rose beat both of them combined with 6 INTs last year. FS Jason Bolinger was a pleasant surprise last year.


Overview:
The Renegades are poised to go deep into the playoffs, but first they'll have to beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year's division race came down to a tiebreaker. This year could see the same thing. Houston has the talent to get far, but ultimately they'll be judged on how they handle the pressure of the big games when they reach them.

Key Additions
WR Ken Liedtke (trade), DT Bucky Tyrrell (trade), TE Daniel Mackenzie (trade), C Richard Mahler (FA), FB Travis French (FA)

Key Departures
LB Perry Watson (trade), CB Alphonse Goodman (trade), S Fred Flannery (trade)

Prediction:
12-4


2. ST LOUIS CARDINALS
The Cardinals are in trouble. After winning their division 5 of the last 6 seasons, they now have to contend with a talented Houston team and a Murfreesboro team on the rise. Since winning the championship in 2005, the Cardinals haven't won a playoff game. Each year they seem to lose 3-4 starters to major injuries, limp into the playoffs, then exit early. Now there's a chance they may not even make the playoffs with the competition they face. Can they stay healthy enough to make a run?

QB Mark McMurray has missed an average of 7 games a season each of the last 4 years. Safety blanket Gerald Sanders is gone so if McMurray missed a significant amount of time this season, the Cardinals can pretty much kiss the division goodbye. When McMurray plays he's performed well, especially last year, but it's hard to expect him to last 16 games based on his history.

The Cardinals had a weak running game behind Wilford Cook last season. He was released in the offseason and 32 year old Shaun Schutz was signed. Schutz has never averaged over 4 yards a carry in a season. It's hard to say what the Cardinals can squeeze out of him at this point.

WR Olin Holst has been a godsend to this offense since he was acquired. He's the IFL career leader in receptions and shows no signs of slowing down. He gives the Cardinals a chance to win every week with his playmaking abilities. Opposite Holst is the steady Zachery Hall who had his first 1000 yard season last year.

The offensive line suffered a huge blow this preseason when G Marshall Cuomo was knocked out for the season. LT Dan 'The Whale' Dale is the only other talented starter present. If the offensive line can't pull togther in Cuomo's absence, it'll be hard for the St. Louis offense to maintain any form of consistency.

DE Louis Maldonado is a force off the edge. He had 8 sacks last season, but is a threat for double digits every year. At NT Frank Wideman goes into what will most likely be his last season. Wideman is still a solid performer and, despite his age, a pass rush threat as evidenced by his 5 sacks last year.

ILB Noel Daniels is the start of the linebackers, but he missed 6 games due to injury last season. His ILB counterpart is Leon McGrew, who also missed time due to injury last year. When the two are healthy, they're solid against the run in the middle. On the edges are Robert Yates and Dexter Black. Yates underacheived last season when the team needed him to step up in Daniels' absence. Both Yates and Black have 10 years in the league, so expect both to lose a step.

CB Drew 'D-Dog' Sandstrom is one of the best CBs in the league, if not the best. The battle for the CB position opposite him has yet to be decided, but none of the candidates are the kind that can strike fear into opposing QBs. At S, Walter Borja and Gil Langevin make big plays when they're needed. Langevin tied Sandstrom for the team lead in INTs last season with 5.

Overview:
The Cardinals have the talent to go places, but keeping that talent healthy has always been the difference. With Houston and Murfreesboro on their heels, and a weak offensive line, the Cardinals will have to play exceptionally well to hang onto the AC South. They've been through battles before though, this is a team you can't count out early. Look for them to get a wild card berth at the minimum.

Key Additions
RB Shaun Schutz (FA)

Key Departures
QB Gerald Sanders (retired), RB Wilford Cook (released)

Prediction:
11-5




3. MURFREESBORO MULES
The offseason moves made by the Mules pave the way for what could be a bright future. The team acquired one of the best CBs in the league, a dangerous WR, two top notch DEs. The pieces are in place for a run this season or the next, now it's just a matter of bringing everything together and executing.

QB Otis 'Opie' Peterson keeps showing us flashes of greatness, but he's missed 8 games in the past two seasons. If he can stay healthy, the Mule offense is dangerous. Peterson is good at taking care of the ball, but didn't get the ball in the end zone often. That should change with new target Justin Whitaker.

RB Scott Fortune took the offense on his back last season. He'll be expected to do the same again, especially if Peterson can't stay healthy. FB Sheldon Mendez gets a large share of the carries as well and is an effective change of pace back. Both backs also have great hands as each caught over 45 passes last season.
Whitaker might be the only other playmaker this offense needs. While he'll be hard pressed to match his 16 touchdowns from last season, he'll inject life into a weak passing game. Whitaker is a threat to score whenever he catches a pass, and you can expect that Peterson will be looking for him nearly every time he drops back. TE Mitchell McGinn should benefit from Whitaker as well as the middle of the field should see a lot less attention.

For the 4th season in a row the Mules will send out the same 5 offensive lineman. C Roscoe Bridges is an immovable object inside. Both Ts are young and talented. LT Amos Barnhill is an absolute nightmare to opposing DEs on runs.

DEs Shawn Hernandez and Myron McCartney are expected to be dominant on the edges. Both can get to the QB and both should benefit from the others' presence. Inside NT Andrew 'Zoomie' Monroe is still effective at occupying blockers.
Expected to benefit most from the addition of Hernandez and McCartney are OLBs Karl Hinson and Ty Fryar. Each in their 2nd seasons, they should be able to move freely to the ballcarrier. ILBs Frank Smith and Andy Barton are effective run stoppers inside.

CBs Oliver McKenzie and Jose Mangum might be the most talented pair of corners in the league. McKenzie is looking to have a huge year after Columbia decided he wasn't worth his huge contract demands. Mangum played well as a rookie last season, but with teams throwing away from McKenzie, he'll have all kinds of opportunities to make big plays. At SS Kris Benson has to prove this year that he was worth a 2nd round pick. FS Tony Dorsett moves well in man coverage, but is a liability in zone.

Overview:
It's hard to predict where the Mules end up this season. They have the talent to go all the way, but they've never done much in the past and it remains to be seen how all the new faces will fit in. They also have huge hurdles to overcome in Houston and St. Louis. Look for them to be a sleeper this year who will disrupt a lot of seasons along the way.

Key Additions
DE Shawn Hernandez (FA), DE Myron McCartney (trade), WR Justin Whitaker (trade), CB Oliver McKenzie (trade), WR Dwight Palmer (draft)

Key Departures

Prediction:
10-6

4. LOUISIANA VOODOO
The Voodoo are a far cry from the team that made the playoffs 3 out of the first 4 years the league existed. Since then they've fallen into a state of rebuilding while Houston and St. Louis sit atop the division. The Voodoo need time to turn things around as they currently have the oldest roster in the league. All offensive skill position starters are over 30. 15 of 22 starters overall are over 30. The team won't get young overnight, so it's hard to see Louisiana emerging as a contender in the near future.

QB Angelo Hairston's days are numbered. First round pick Stephen Scott will most likely be the starter before season's end. Hairston had a career low in yardage last season as it seemed like the team lost faith in his ability to win games. Scott has a lot of promise, and he'll likely be the face of this franchise as it attempts to turn itself around.

RB Bennett Jones was a pleasant surprise last year and his productive season earned him a Pro Bowl berth. He's playing for a contract this year and doesn't seem to figure into the Voodoo's long term plans now that he's 30. Teams will be expecting him to get the ball, he'll be hard pressed to match his numbers from last season.

WR David Pereira had a career low in receptions last season. He'll most likely retire after this season. Journeyman WR Joseph Bailey was average on the other side of the field. TE Larry Spraggins was slowed by injuries last season. He's the best playmaker the Voodoo have on offense when he's healthy.

The offensive line has some promise for the future. Undrafted LT Gerald Stevenson will be due a big payday after this season. RG Myron Reiss and C Seth Stender should be locked in for years to come.

DT Toby Torres looks like he could be one of the best DTs in the league. Look for him to have a huge sophomore season on a defense lacking in stars. DE Keith Montgomery quietly had 6 sacks last season. Next to him DE Alphonse Kelly missed 13 games last season but looks ready to go.

The linebacking corps is old. The team traded for WLB Andrew Valley from the Dragons in the offseason, but he has 2-3 years left tops. SLB Hubert Parker is on his last hurrah and was still a force against the run last season. MLB Aaron Wilson was solid in his first year with the team but, like Valley, is on the wrong side of 30.

CB Daniel Lenhart was franchised and resigned in the offseason despite having only 1 INT. The other CB is Ricky Stitt. Neither really scare opposing QBs. Secondary leader SS Henry Dockery was lost for the season to injury and that was a huge blow to this team. Tommie Lopes and FS Ronald Sunderland have to pick things up in his absence.

Overview:
The outlook on this season isn't bright for Louisiana. The team is old in too many places and while this season would be ideal to allow young talent to get experience, there simply isn't a lot of young talent on the roster to take advantage of that. The Voodoo won't be a contender for the playoffs this year and look like they're about 2 years away from turning the franchise around.

Key Additions
WLB Andrew Valley (trade), QB Stephen Scott (draft), CB Shaun Miller (draft)

Key Departures
WLB Jamie Wortham (FA), CB Jon Houston (FA)

Prediction:
6-10


AC South In A Nutshell
The Renegades will repeat their 12-4 performance of last year and take control of the AC South. St. Louis will hold on as a wild card and Murfreesboro will be on the outside looking in despite a 10-6 record. The AC South will be even more competitve this year than the last and that might end up keeping 1 or both non-division winners out of the wild card race due to the
divisional matchups.
It's conceivable that both Wild Cards could come from the AC South this year, but given the talent of the AC East and West, it's hard to see one of the non-division winners there not finishing with at least 11 wins. The AC South will be exciting to watch this year. Adding playoff races with the rest of the conference will only add to that.

[Suicane]

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
EASTERN DIVSION


1. NORFOLK VIPERS
Dynasty is often a term thrown around way too often in professional sports, but not in the case of the defending Imperial Bowl Champs. They are led by one of the greatest QBs ever to set foot on a field in Harold 'Finger' Lozier. Lozier led the Vipers to their 2nd title in 3 years. Not too shabby, but even better was their Imperial Bowl appearance smacked between the two titles.

That’s right folks, three straight years to the dance. Norfolk has essentially kept the team together for another title run. They signed a couple OL to help keep that unit going strong. So what’s the key to success this year? The same recipe is in place this year led by a terrific OL. The hog mollies up front do a remarkable job in both pass protection and run blocking. With RB William Brown starting to show his age, don’t be surprised to see FB Skip Book take a few carries and shoulder the load for the Vipers. All Pro TE Jerald Harden will once again be the favored target of Lozier as the Vipers methodically move the ball down the field. Rookie TE Mario Henry will try to get in on some 2 TE sets with the vipers.

The great thing about the Vipers team is their balance. By balance I mean a good offense and a good defense. Omer Hasty returns this year feeling good after missing 6 games due to various injuries. He’ll once again be one of the veteran leaders on the defense. Karl “Elmo” Austin looks to continue to improve as team officials are excited about his future on the team. MLB Chris Fiscus is feeling more and more at home in Norfolk and looks to have his best season since joining the team back in 2007.

Overview:
Overall, I think that this team is set for yet another run at the title. They should be able to hold off the other teams in the AC East, for atleast one more year.

Key Additions
G Kory Rosa (FA), WR Casey Harding (FA), TE Ismael Munguia (FA), G Sterling Wentz (FA), TE Mario Henry (draft), WR Rufus Crowell (draft)

Key Departures

Prediction:
11-5


2. HARTFORD GRIZZLIES
Is this their year? It’s been a long road for the Grizzlies of Hartford. Being in the same division as Norfolk has not helped the Grizz in their hopes of returning to the playoffs. 2004 seems like a long time ago for DT Bryce Tan. Fans in Hartford are hoping that 2009 is the year of the Grizz. Jim Hickman is the key to their success. Last season it appeared that Hartford had assembled the right components to finally have an offensive team. Then Jim Hickman got hurt. The good news is that Hickman has had another full year of working with WRs Gary Ferreira and Larry Ostrowski. We were supposed to see the fireworks last year, but I expect that we’ll see the best offensive output in Grizzly history this year.

RB Stanley Jamison had his lowest output in yards last season due to the inconsistency in the Grizz passing game. Expect Jamison to get back on track this year and put up a 1300yd rushing season. I think the FA acquisition of Ismael Munguia will serve wonders for Hickman. He finally has a decent player he can dump the ball off to in the middle of the field. The Grizz are also solid up front. Last year’s mid round pick Marcus Stazer is turning out to be a terrific player. This line has some serious talent on it and they’ve been working together for a long time.

The defense is led by future Hall of Fame DT Bryce Tan. Tan is entering what could be his last season in the Imperial league. He definitely wants to go out on top. He’ll anchor a front seven that is just plain scary. The Grizzly LBs are a ball hawking group of monsters that hit anything that moves. Guess who’s back?????? No one is happier than Courtney Cleeland that he’s returning. The 2006 DROY is a monster that will dominant on the defense. Cleeland will try to repeat his strong rookie numbers. Wortham, Scott, Martin, and Boyer round out the rest of the key players at LB. This defense will bring heat to the opposition and insure that Hartford’s offense is in a lot of games.

Overview:
Hartford will push for either the division title or a wildcard birth this year. To insure they do get in, I’d suggest they win the division as the AC is going to be tough sledding to make the playoffs.

Key Additions
WLB Jamie Wortham (FA), RB Grant Hernandez (draft), LB J.T. Rydzak (draft), TE Ismael Munguia, C Vince Dowdell, FL Casey Harding, DE Ulysses Williams

Key Departures
G James Brockway (retired), C Davis Higdon (FA), DE DE Howie Lucus

Prediction:
10-6

3. BSOTON DRAGONS
There’s magic in Boston. This team has been steadily improving since ownership changes a few years ago. There is a buzz in Boston that hasn’t been there before.

The offense is led by a young J.B. Fogarty. Fogarty was finally given his chance to start and did not disappoint. Fogarty led the Dragons to a 5-2 record while he was the starter, including a win vs. divisional rival Hartford. Fogarty will start from day 1 and hopes to led the dragons to their first ever playoff berth. Fogarty will be throwing the ball to two fine young WR’s. Both Josh Sullivan and Brian Christie are in their prime and look to put up some nice numbers as Boston tries to throw the ball a little bit more this year. I expect Sullivan to get close to the 1000yd mark this year. The Dragons must get something from Tory Wigfall this season. His 3.4ypc last season isn’t going to cut it in Boston this year. If he falters, don’t be surprised to see Ross Benson or Tony Moriarty take over in the backfield. Rookie T Karl Sanford will be a staple on the Dragons line for year’s to come. FA Thanh Arrowood will help solidify a good OL.

Like the other teams in the AC East, Boston has a tremdously talented defense. Former 1st rnd pick Raymond Webb looks to have a breakout year. He has unbelievable talent and with Fritz Gaddis on the other side, these two should put a lot of pressure on opposing OLs. Their DT’s are also great. Their front 4 are considered some of the best in the game today. Earl 'Mount' Hood looks to have a monster sophomore season. While the front four eat up OL, Virgil McIver cleans up the mess. He’s a lock to once again reach the 100 tackle mark. Jonathan St. Louis is a steady OLB who’ll see the upper single digits in sacks again this year. Their secondary is led by all world CB Willie Ames. Ames will simply shut down ½ the field. His talents are unmatchable, and will help shut down opposing WR’s.

Overview:
If this team could get a steady ground game and steady QB play they could be deadly, but those important pieces cannot yet be counted on full time. Boston is a team that could falter because of them or exceed expectations because of them. So much of this teams success falls on those two aspects. The defense will continue to keep them in every game, it's just a matter of wether or not they can begin to take advantage of that luxury and make the opposition pay.

Key Additions
C Davis Higdon (FA), T Thanh Arrowood (FA), FB Casey Boehm (FA), T Karl Sanford (draft), LG Ted Griffin

Key Departures
WLB Andrew Valley (trade), SE Rodney Sena, SLB Shawn Hinsley

Prediction:
9-7

4. WEST VIRGINIA BEASTS
Enter the Legend. Much has been made of the West Virginia blowup of 2 years ago. As they look to re-build their team, they’ll have an all time great to help them bridge the gap. QB Julian Cartagena has made his way to WV via CAL for one last hurrah. JC inherits a team that has had some really, really bad seasons. In playing what could be his last season, JC hopes to bring the Beasts back to respectability. While there’s no Justin Whitaker, Rusty Ramos, or Mercury Halbert the Beasts do have a few weapons on offense. William Simpson and Henry Lee are ecstatic about JC coming to WV. Steady QB from JC should also open up the field for RB Nicky Kersey.

Kersey is a gamebreaker waiting patiently for this team to build around him. Kersey should see the 1000yd mark if he can find his way behind last years 1st overall pick T Raymond Rodriguez. Rodriguez leads a pretty shaky line. This line will have a lot of problems keeping defenses away from JC and Kersey. I’m sure this will be an area of focus in the next few years when the Beasts start to see some cap relief.

The defense is a different story. They have some talented LBs in Quinn Chelius, Reggie Ramsey and Joseph Noah. This years 1st rnd pick, Glen Terry, will have some troubles early on as he learns the ropes of pro football. Both Freddie Adams and Evan Shoop are solid safties and should help control the bleeding in the secondary.

Overview:
The Beasts have a long way to go until they are a perennial powerhouse. A few more years of good drafting and key FA signings will help them as they try to improve.

Key Additions
QB Julian Cartegana (trade), S Nolan Vance (trade), DT Glen Terry (draft), G Joey Sampson (draft), TE Jermaine Allred (draft), CB Calvin Summers

Key Departures

Prediction:
5-11

AC East In A Nutshell
Every team in this division continues to get better, including the top dog Vipers. The Grizzlies and Dragons will continue to push on but there is no sign that Norfolk is ready to slip or have their top spot taken from them. A more insteresting fight will be the spot for #2 between Hartford and Boston. And even though they are still a perrenial 4th place team, the Beasts could make inroads if everything comes together for them.

[Suicane]

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
WESTERN DIVSION

1. ANCHORAGE LYNX
The Lynx head into the season off of back to back AC West titles and now have a new foe in the rearview mirror ready to pounce. In many minds the Portland Seals have replaces Albaquerque as the main foil for Anchorage and wether it's the Seals, Matadors, or both, the Lynx will have a bonafide fight on their hands for control of this division.

Already working against them is the injury bug. All world QB Leslie Steiner has been a rock of greatness for the Lynx, but two of his top receivers are on the shelf. Arthur Osman (out for likely the regular season) and Ward Emerson (out till at least mid season) being down will put alot of pressure on 12 year vet Max Brown to shoulder the load. New addition Luther Wolf will be counted on very heavily when teams key on Brown. FB Zachariah McGruder and TE Charles Reuter may have to share a heavier part of the passing game due to the injuries.

RB Chad Richardson saw his heaviest workload as a pro last season and responded with a phenomonal year, he'll need to replicate this season, at least until Emerson returns, to keep teams honest against the pass.

Center Gerald Shelton in just his 3rd year is already among the elite at his position and he and RT Xavier Sims anchor the line. LG Louis Kingston struggled hard last season and needs to regain form. Youngsters Lee Marquardt and Glenn Testaverde need to step up and hold down the right side of the line.

On the defensive side DE's Ron Hill and Russell Taliaferro need to get more pressure on the QB, the Lynx were among the worst teams in the league last year at getting pressure on the QB, something that won't be easily erased due to the loss of stalwart DT Stewart Lundquist, whose MCL injury may have ended his career. The addition of Derek Nelson from Oakland is a key, the team hopes, to increasing pressure on the opposing QB's. At DT, veterans Cedrick Lemos, picked up from Little Rock, and Edmond Bui will need to, at the very least, try and come close to replacing the speed and power Lundquist provided up front.

Linebackers Horace Ford and Lenny Olson both are capable of having breakout seasons, and with the diluted middle of the line, will have to pick up the slack, both are very capable of doing that.

Cornerbacks Jerold Marroquin and Kenneth Jones, along with Arnoldo Abraham are a very good and cohesive unit. FS Preston Larios who missed almost the entire 2008 season is back and looking as strong as ever. A huge pickup last offseason, Larios was expected to provide a big splash for the Lynx but injuries derailed his coming out party. With Dorsey Rockett and Major Parades alongside him, this is a very good secondary that has the ability to make up for the shortcomings on the line.

Overview:
While the injuries have been a huge negative for Anchorage, I don't think they've devestated this team into the 2nd tier. Everything that has always worked for the Lynx should continue to work, but the secondary will need to continue to play lights out and Richardson will need to continue to be among the best for this team to fend off it's challengers in the AC West.

Key Additions
WR Luther Wolf (trade), DT Cedrick Lemos (FA), DE Derek Nelson (FA), T Byron Nieto (draft)

Key Departures


Prediction:
11-5


2. PORTLAND SEALS
The Seals enter the 2009 season with a whirlwind of change, anticipation and excitement. Owner SpunkyWhiteBread stepped down at the end of the 2008 and in stepped Jeff, assuring that no stone would be left unturned in the Seals attempts to wrest away the division crown from Anchorage.

Portlands 2008 campaign was highlited by a dismal 0-5 start and a strong finish which gave their fans hope for the future.

4 years removed from their last winning record, the Seals will take aim a division that has been a 2 man show between Albuquerque and Anchorage.

QB Jay Caro is among the best in the league but his completion percentage has dipped in each of his 4 seasons, which is a bit concerning, but he has so many weapons that one simply cannot imagine anything less than a top flight season out of him again this year.

The recieving tandem Of Blake Ameche and Dominic Field both had injury shortened seasons in 2008. Drafted together in 2007, big things were expected of them and it seems that their time to shine is upon us.

Tight End Allan Bryant is among the best and steadiest in the league when it comes to his offensive prowess and Fullback Terrance Greeley is one of the best all around backs in the league.

With so many threats on the field at any given time it will be very hard for defenses to key in a single man, and Caro has the ability to make people pay if they do.

The running game is in the hands of veteran Rusty Long and rookie Kerry Glenn. Long specificly, has tremendous speed and will be counted upon for the bulk of Portlands ground game. The 4th year vet and former 1st round pick comes over from Pittsburgh where he has served as the backup to David Rodriguez. His speed is something the Seals will no doubt attempt to make use of. He's not a 25-30 carry a game kind of guy but he will be counted on to make some big plays and keep defenses on their toes.

The offensive line is a strong and workmanlike unit. They'll need a healthy season from LT Joseph Reynolds and RG T.J. Doser who have had injury troubles the last few seasons that have limited their playing time. Veteran Jason King went thru a sort of renosance last season, and along with Albert Stacey will try and shore up the right side of the line. LG Gary Reiner is the glue that holds this unit together and did a really good job protecting Caro last year.

Defensively the Seals have about as good a front seven as you'll find in the league. DE's Blake Abram and Fernando Moss will only be bolstered by 1st round pick Brian Adamov and NT Gary Davis continues to plug up the middle as good as anyone in the league.

Linebackers Daniel Stickney, Cletus Bodnar, Mark Segura and Erick Burress are frightening, although they have had a little trouble all staying healthy at the same time. They way this unit works together is unparraleled and it's an injustice that it doesn't get brought up more often.

The secondary is of some concern however. FS Alphonso Ortego is a stud who truly is a playmaker and SS Raymond Klotz also fits into his role as a ballhawk quite well. The Cornerbacks though need to step up their game. The Seals hope the signing of Jon Houston helps bolster a squad that is rather vanilla.

Overview:
This is a very good team, but alot will depend on RB Long. He needs to show some of the stuff that made him a 1st round choice and less of the stuff that made him disposable in Pittsburgh. The passing game is so good that they don't need alot out of him but just enough to keep this from being a 1 dimensional offense. Still, that 1 dimension is very good.
Defensively they are as good as any team in the league at creating pressure and their Safeties will make offenses pay if they succumb to that pressure. Add in a schedule, that until the last month, is among the easiest in the league, the Seals are a legitimate contender to breakthrough to the top of the AC West this season.

Key Additions
CB Jon Houston (FA), RB Rusty Long (trade), DE Brian Adamov (draft)

Key Departures


Prediction:
11-5



3. ALBUQUERQUE MATADORS
The Matadors have made an appearance in the playoffs for the last three years. The team is looking to overtake Anchorage but this year’s most notable addition to the franchise seems to be the new stadium improvements. Looking at the balance sheet of adds and deletes: Exit four veteran starters on one side of the ledger; enter one vet replacement and one rookie replacement on the other side. Was there enough talent from last year's squad to step up and fill the other voids?

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
QB David Humphrey was traded to Dakota for a 2nd rounder (next year). QB Donald Hanks, the Matador’s #1 pick in 2006, seems prepared to officially take the tiller for good after starting 6 games last year, including their Wild Card loss to Anchorage. The main weapon of the offense is RB Kelly ‘Crisp’ Wheat who runs behind a battering ram aka FB Felton Bartel. Look for Bartel to be used more as a receiving target and return to his production of two years ago when he caught 61 of 74 balls thrown his way. WR Scott Scharf, Louis Halstead, Burton Boswell and TE Roger Webster are all top flite. But the O-Line is the true heart of the Matador offense. Luke Ford, Brian Pihos, Miles Perkins and Rickey McCloskey will allow this team’s skill players put a lot points on the scoreboard. Depth seems to be adequate in every category.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
The Matadors play a 4-3 and like their O-Line, they have some talented beef on the D-Line. Arlen Weise leads a linebacking corp that provides a very good complement to the front four, although traded LB Ken Fricke will be missed. The secondary features Andy ‘Vegas’ Rouleau. There are capable starters at all the other secondary spots which includes rookie Jason Sims, who is expected to start at SS. Traded S Herman Almeida will be missed since the depth in the secondary is very very sparse. A late trade will take place after the 1st game for CB Kenny Panariello is an attempt to rectify this deficit. However, Panariello is not Almeida.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game is solid behind the foot of P Michael Curry an All-Pro kicker Haywood Tate. There were seven draft choices that made the final roster. S Jason Sims should break into the starting unit. QB Bo Barajas shows some talent. The others are either real green or just there as roster stuffers.

Overview:
So the verdict is out. Albuquerque didn’t lose a step on offense but there is nothing new either. The defense does not look as strong, on paper, as last year’s unit. So where is the twist, the new player addition or change in game plan that allows Albuquerque to overtake Anchorage’s stronghold on the division title for the last two years. We don’t see one, and feel that the Matadors will finish behind Anchorage again. But they better keep a good eye on theri backside. Portland is making some noise and may bounce Albuquerque one notch lower on the food chain than they are use to. This happens to teams that stay pat, especially if they are not already in the cat bird seat.

Key Additions
DE Jeremy Ellison (trade), S Jason Sims (draft), QB Bo Barajas (draft)

Key Departures
DE Clement Oakley (released), QB David Humphrey (trade), LB Ken Fricke, S Herman Almeida (trade)

Prediction:
9-7



4. CALIFORNIA HEROES
The off-season activity in California was like the movie, “the fast and the furious.” There will be twenty-three new faces on the final squad of 53. This comes from a team that only won three games last year … so one could say that anything should be an improvement. As for the changes, let’s start with a discussion on the Head Coach. The Heroes found a dandy in Cris Kelly, Coach of the Year in 2006 & 2007, who was not rehired by Little Rock. The only criticism of this move is that this coach’s age will probably not allow him enough years to reorganize the major reshuffle of talent that occurred this year.

SNAPSHOT: OFFENSE
The first of the new faces is QB Dennis Colella which was a very good start for the new look. RB Larry Deason, acquired last year, is an outstanding back that was not used to his fullest potential. FB Dallas Ellis will help Deason’s productivity but not until his injured ribs repair. Colella will love his wide outs. Fl Rueben Caffrey, good in his own right, has the task to orient the Number One Pick in the Draft, SE Nathan Mullin. Mullin deserved the number one pick and will be a name all will be hearing for a long time. The offensive line is simply excellent, but as good as it is, its depth is just as bad. The hope is for the O-Line to remain healthy and intact in order to provide Colella plenty of protection so that he can play pitch and catch with Caffrey and Mullin.

SNAPSHOT: DEFENSE
Jose Gilpin anchors an excellent D-line that has absolutely no backup depth. The linebackers are solid, led by Justin Callihan. The secondary has an extraordinary talent in CB Darren Bruner and in five weeks, S Alton Fillmore will join. But the secondary just does not have enough talent to fill all positions, let alone cover for injury.

INTANGIBLES:
The kicking game is average but adequate. The draft allowed the Heroes to get the prize: WR Nathan Mullin.


Overview:
There was so much change on this team; it was hard to keep up. Even core strategy changed at a whim. Hell Atlantic’s own words after the Cartegena pick-up: “JC is great. But I can call a spade a spade - California wasn't and isn't gonna win any championships this year. So what, I have JC on my team so that I can not make the playoffs and get stuck with some weak mid-1st round picks? This team wasn't going anywhere this year; success would have been not finishing in last in my own division. So, I rather acquire an awesome WR who'll learn the ropes, and after a year or two of some good drafts, smart trades and good luck by 2011 we'll be championship contenders.”

Go figure, JC is now gone and Colella is in. After you get past all the schizoid changes that occurred every other day, the end result looks to be a nucleus for good things to come. It just will not happen this year. The main reason is that the defense is very vulnerable to injury and has way too many holes in its secondary. The Heroes will endure another last place finish in the division that will yield nice draft picks again. The Heroes will likely trade these picks next year for existing talent on the defensive side of the ball … and then the team will compete on a qualified footing with the rest of the division.


Key Additions
QB Dennis Colella (trade), WR Nathan Mullin (draft) RB Otto Smith (trade), LB Anthony Hansen (FA), K Gus Raymond (FA)

Key Departures
RB J.B. Lincoln, WR Emmitt Terry, DE Lowell Napolitano, LB Dong Sisson

Prediction:
7-9


AC East In A Nutshell
Anchorage will have to dig in it's heels to hold off the onrushing Seals who will not only battle for the division, but for the conference.

The Matadors will continue to play well but they are slowly sinking into that 2nd tier of teams.

California seems to be throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks but they do have the talent to surprise teams, but they just arn't good enough to compete in this division yet.

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As we head into the 2009 Season, we here at ESPN have attempted to go around the league and get inside the minds of the leagues owners and various media members.

The Insider has been granted unparalleled access to the people who run the teams of the IFL, and in that regard we hope that you, the reader, both enjoy and gain insight into the teams, owners and players of the IFL.

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Roadrash: Iowa City Snipe Hunters

Sammy Mathews has progressed nicely for your team. How much has his holdout been a distraction for the rest of the team?

None really. Sammy came into this season after setting every IWC passing record making chump change. It was something that needed to get down. Just wish it didn't have to be this year.

Aubrey Beamer is coming off of his best season ever. What type of role will he have in the 2009 version of the Snipe Hunters?

More of the same. Beamer is still the work horse of the Snipe Hunters. Everything from plowing through the middle, catching passes out fo the backfield, everything that that want-to-be in SLC thinks he is.

How difficult will it be for this team offensively without a top notch WR?

Top notch? You mean that we are not paying some fool 12 million to play every few downs. We do have one of the best receiving TEs int he game with Peter Stoll. And we have a couple good receivers to get the job down. We just realize that a QB spreads the wealth, and that is what we do with our receiving corp as well.

When I look at the talent on the defensive side of the ball, I'm impressed. How far can this defense push the rest of the team this year?

All the way. If the O can keep up, this defense is built to go deep into the playoffs. Last year, IWC was one of the best Ds in the league, this year they will be the best.

Can IWC make it 3 straight division titles? if so, how far is this team capable of going?

Ummm. . have you seen our division? 3 straight division titles is a forgone conclusion. The trouble is outside the division. But this is the year of the Snipe Hunters. The #1 seed is our goal. And then we can ride home field advantage to the big game.




Cydney: Montreal Firebirds

Talk a little about your draft. What made you decide to go with Dwight Stone at #2?

Mr. Stone was the obvious choice for us at #2 because we've been trying to bring some youth to the d-line. His run stopping potential is huge, and he was already excellent against the pass coming out of college.

Roger Delcorio was a terrific draft pick. What does he bring to the table, and how does he change your defense?

Roger was a great pick, and I'd like to give the scouting department its due recognition in spotting him. Frankly I'm shocked he fell so far. What I love so much about him, again, is how young he is, especially important as we've avoided drafting linebackers. He gives us a solid db around whom we can build the rest of our defense going forward into future seasons.

What have you done to try and control T.J. Fenkner's 'gunslinger' mentality?

Absolutely nothing, I love his approach to the game. It may lead to a lot of interceptions, but his style is just so exciting, and its impossible to win big without being willing to risk it all. That said, we've brought Cordell Meacham in to try to mentor him a bit, share his understanding of the game. Meacham's an extraordinarily intelligent player.

What happened with Lyman? I thought that he'd be a Firebird for life.

So did I.

Your team obviously is in the rebuilding stage. What is the plan? How many more years until this team is competetive?

The plan so far has focused on rebuilding our defense. It's won for us in the past, and I expect it to again. I fully expect the team to be competitive within the next year or two with a couple key additions to the offensive side of the ball.



DBerner30: Wichita Outlaws

You've had the opportunity to build a solid team. when can all these pieces start to come together?
Do you feel that you have a legitimate shot of winning not just the division but the Imperial Bowl?
You've had handcuffs on young Winston Scott. When are you going to take them off to finally see what this kid can do?
What went on with Alphonso Ortego? He left Wichita suddenly and didn't seem too happy with what went down?
What about your matchup with the Snipe Hunters brings out the best football from the Outlaws?


Wow Vic you asked some great questions. Lets start with the easy one. Wichita is a contender and has been a contender every year. It just seems like we havent had much luck closing out seasons and winning playoff games. I think if you go back and look at the past you will find some injuries to key players and some inopportune moments. It can be really difficult to overcome the injury bug sometimes. We think this will be the year it all comes together. We spent a lot of time this offseason working on conditioning and hoping to avoid those injuries. We also brought in some new training staff that have been trained in some unique injury management methods. Of course all those details are top secret. So I guess that covers the first couple questions. We should win our division and from there its anybody's guess. The playoffs are a tough. We are as good as any other team at the top of the Imperial league.

It's interesting you have the perception that Winston has been handcuffed. We have probably underutilized him a bit. The issue isnt really that we dont trust him to handle the game flow. We just inked him to a long-term extension and handed over a fat bonus check. We really do think he is a great QB in this league and will have an even brighter future. We just have some exceptional talent at RB and have a great offensive line. We have really been a ball control team with a strong ground attack. This year we are going to shift a little bit more towards being a balanced attack. Its hard to say how it will play out from game to game. Winston is a great player and he has a great group of guys at the skill positions around him. This will be a big year for him. I thnk you asked the question with the focus in the wrong place though. I think our defense holds the keys to our success. Our offense will do just fine. The defense is still young and coming together. How well they improved this offseason will be HUGE. It will also be important that our new defensive additions in the LB corps and the secondary gel with the current guys. The change to the 34 defense should play to our defensive strengths. Which brings us around to Ortega. I bet you thought I would dodge that one. There really isnt much of a story there. I think he is very disappointed that we had to let him go and he took it hard. He is a great player and I wish we didnt have to make the change. This one was all about the dollars. His cap figure just didnt work for us. Our cap is tight, like every year, and he refused to take a salary reduction to make it all work for everybody. I guess the short answer is the business of football caught up to him.

You asked about the Snipe Hunters and I think our team gets up for every game. It just happens that they are in our division and probably one of our biggest rivals. That always makes those games a bit exciting. On top of that, the pig ranchers just cant help themselves. Every year they pop off in some way shape or form. I know when we go to their place we always try to get the game over as fast as we can. The place just smells like hogs. Man does it stink. But then so does their team.




Eckman: Cleveland Clawz

Tell me why Roy Ramsey will be the next best thing?

By taking Ramsey at #5 in the draft we are expecting Roy to be one of the better backs in the league. We needed something more than 3 yards and a cloud of dust that our past rb's were giving us. Going into the draft we didn't think Ramsey would fall to 5.
We targeted several D-lineman which was our biggest need but felt Ramsey was too good to pass up at that point and we did have a big need to upgrade the rb spot with an explosive player.
I expect Ramsey to be right up there in the rookie of the year voting.

From the outside, it appears that you have built a nice looking offense. Explain a little on what you expect to do this season?

The Clawz will be a well balanced offense. We have very good talent at the wr spot and a explosive rookie rb running behind a pretty good group of lineman. Offense will not be a problem for the clawz this year.

What are your expectations for this team?

We expect to be competitive in every game. I think at the very least we are looking at an 8-8 season or if we get a break or two 10 wins and maybe steal the division away from wichita & Iowa City.
We go as our defense goes. Our defense is the weakness of the team and we may have to win shootouts to pull down most of our wins this year. We will be playing a lot of young guys this year and I want to see improvement as the season goes on.

What pieces do you need to complete what you're trying to build?

I think on offense we need to have the qb just play solid and not give the game away with turnovers. I think we are set otherwise on offense. The defense still needs a lot of work. A defensive end is a must next year. We got a couple young dt's in the draft and late free agency that must reach their potential over the season for us to improve. We have no shutdown corners just real solid players. We are just lacking some top notch playmakers on defense that we must have to get to the next level.

Bart Alexander has been very inconsistent in his young career. What are you trying to do to help him develop?

It's make it or break it year for Bart. He has all the weapons he needs to be successful in this offense. Bart just needs to stop throwing ints. In 13 starts last year Bart had a 11/20 TD/INT ratio and thats not going to cut it. We should have a better running game to help take some pressure off the qb. If Bart stumbles out of the gate and continues to struggle with the ints we have a 2nd year qb Reuben Walton who we are not afraid to start. He won all 3 games he started last year and was player of the game in all 3. Both qb's had excellent preseasons. We actually like all 3 of our qb's with the mentor Edward Latham as the 3rd qb.

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Ragin: Louisiana Voodoo

It’s hard to go wrong with a terrific young QB Stephen Scott being drafted at #9. Tell us a little about what Scott brings to the table, and whether or not he’ll see some time this year.

Well I'll be honest with you, we were not looking QB in the first round, however, Stephen was there and is just to good to pass up. Angelo is our guy. He is a 9 year veteren and a lot of good football left in him. Stephen is a good future talent but still needs some maturing before he is ready to go in this league. We brought Pat back to help him along. I think he will compete for the job next year but will not start this year.

You have the oldest roster in the league right now. How does that affect your future planning?

It is on our minds but we just want guys to compete. We feel the guys that are on the field can play with anyone regardless of age. They just need to show it. We will be younger in future years but it will be a process and one we have already begun. Next year will be a turning point as we will have a ton of cap space that will give us the ability to do some things but we are not going to sign guys just because of age, they still have to perform on the field.

Talk a little about RB Bennett Jones. Probably one of the best RB’s in Imperial history, yet doesn’t get the pub of others

Personally I have never understood why he does not get more pub. He is a workhorse for us and just gets the job done. In the past, we have had opportunities to go after or draft some young talent but Bennett is a character guy and comes to work everyday. We brought in Cary Morris from Vermont to give Bennett some rest and Cary will be a ramrod this year. He is very good running inside while Bennett likes to and still can stretch it to the outside. We think they will make a good 1-2 punch.

Is your defense going to be good enough to lead this team to a playoff berth?

We need to improve on defense no doubt about it. We have had some key injuries this preseason already with Dockery out for the season and Torres out for the first 4 games of the season but there are some guys on this team that will just have to step up and get the job done. Good enough for the playoffs, we'll see.

It’s nice to see Patrick Smith back with the club. He’s said he wants to retire as a member of this team. Any chance he’ll end up on the sideline or in the VooDoo front office?

Who knows. Pat is a great guy and we hope to keep him for a while to help Scott mature and Angelo to see things a little differently. He is already a coach on the sideline for us. He left the team in 2005 and at the time was a good move for us and him and he understood that. He will retire with the VooDoo.





Suicane: St. Louis Cardinals

How have you recovered from last years abysmal playoff matchup against Anchorage?

With lots of malt liquor and wacky weed.

Are the injuries beggining to get on your nerves?

Like syrup gets on pancakes my good man, like syrup gets on pancakes.

Murfreesboro has become a legitimate threat to the AC South, how hard is it going to be with both them and Houston now to look fend off?

Good query. In all my IFL seasons i've had a rival. First it was Louisiana and then it was Houston. I've always had a clear foil. Not so much now. It'll be interesting, thats for sure.





SteveBsFan: Houston Renegades

First of all, congrats on the organizations first playoff berth last year. Talk a little about how special last season was for your team?

Last season was special for a number of reasons. Not only did we make the playoffs for the first time, but it was our first ever winning season, in fact we doubled our previous high of only 6 wins. We also snuck by a few teams climbing out of last all time in win %, and we had the best conference record in the league. I feel we should have won the division because of that, but that tie breaker obviously went to the Cards and we finished second. Call it sour grapes, but that did not make the team very happy, and gave us motivation for this upcoming season.

Your season came down to a huge 4th qtr comeback by one of the league’s all time great QB’s. Is there any consolation in losing to the eventual Imperial Bowl champs?

Very slight. If you're going to lose, I guess that's the team to lose to, but knowing we had the game in hand to a team good enough to win it all will leave a bitter taste in our mouth for awhile.

This division appears to be very competitive this year. What is it going to take to get Houston to win its first division title?

Honestly, I believe just staying healthy. This is not taking anything away from the great teams in the South, but I think this is possibly the most talented team Houston has fielded yet, and if it can remain healthy I see no reason why we shouldn't win the division.

I’m glad to see that you signed Booker to an extension. So now that you have both arguably the best QB and RB in the league, how scared should defenses be of Houston?

I think they should be a bit worried, especially considering I also have the best young LT in the league who had an amazing off-season, and looked fantastic in mini camps during the summer. Grant is just coming into his own now, and should give Booker even more protection this year to fire off passes to an improved Beckner, and newly acquired Liedtke.

How special was it to be named executive of the year by your peers

This was probably the best award I could be given in the league. As much as i'd want to win an imperial bowl, I know how talented the teams are in this league, and know many games almost come down to a flip of the coin (so to speak). Great teams can easily get knocked out of the playoffs early due to fluke plays, so sometimes winning the bowl isn't always about being the best, it's sometimes the team that catches the breaks. That being said, the fact that there are so many great teams in the league, made this honor even better. To be recognized like that despite all the other great GM's to choose from it truly an honor.




Kobeck: Murfreesboro Mules

I admit, I’m a big fan of the Mules. I really like what you’ve done with the team in the last few years. From 3 wins in 2006, to 5 wins in 07, to 6 wins in 08, where does this team go in 2009?

Thanks Vic. I personally believe everyone is a Mules fan deep down. Seriously the Mules have the talent to compete with anyone in the IFL. Mules must learn how too win in the AFC South. Mules were 0-6 in the AFCS last year and 6-4 against the rest of the IFL. Mules hold their own against the AFCS and the playoffs are possible. The fun starts week 1 against the hated VooDoo.

You were one half of perhaps the biggest offseason trade. You traded for 3 superstar players. Talk a little bit about what Oliver McKenzie, Myron McCartney, and Justin Whitaker will bring to the Mules?

The Fire and the Mules were negotiating for over a week before that trade was finalized, and it was nice to see talent comming to Murfreesboro instead of being delt away - lol. Whitaker's move to SE gives Opie a legitmate downfield target for the first time. McKenzie complements Mangrum at CB and McCartney adds to an already talented set of Mule DEs.

You were also able to sign Shawn Hernandez this offseason. Have the Mules finally filled out this roster enough to make a serious run at the playoffs?

Well everyone in Murfreesboro is excited heading into 2009. As for Shawn his agent was inexpleciably unavailable for the first week of Free Ageny this off-season. The Mules convienced Shawn to visit the 'boro and he did not leave till he had signed. Shawn is excited to be playing with McCartney and Cox.

How relieved were you that Opie was able to return from injury and still be the stud QB you drafted?

Opie was a fixture in the training room throughout his rehab. The Mules were happy, but not suprised, that Opie was able too come back at such a high level. The Mules will go as far as Peterson can carry them.

I thought you had a terrific draft in 2008. Talk a little about your draft technique that year and how important it’s been for the Mules to build through the draft.

2008 strategy consisted of getting Mangum. Mules were expecting him to be available at 1.8 and did not consider it a reach to grab him there. After that is was getting more speed at LB to go along with the solid Frank Smith at MLB. Fryar, Barton and Hinson started 41 games as IFL rookies. The Mules had 55 games started on defense by drafted rookies in 2008, plus Gepner played in all 16 games as a punter. The 2008 draft is definatly shaping up to be a good one for the Mules.