Tampa Bay looks like the class of the Southern Division
By Gary Horton Scouts Inc.
(Archive)
Updated: February 21, 2008

With Austin folding in the offseason this division is back to four teams and should be very competitive in 2008. Georgia was fast out of the gate a year ago while Tampa Bay got off to a terrible start, but those roles may be reversed in 2008. It looks like the Storm may be the class of the division, with the other three franchises looking like .500 teams that will fight it out for a wild-card spot. Tampa Bay appears to have excellent depth but Georgia, Orlando and New Orleans all have significant questions entering the season, and how quickly they answer those questions will determine if they are playoff contenders or pretenders.

Here's a team-by-team look at the Southern Division, listed in order of projected finish, followed by projected division award winners:



Tampa Bay Storm (2007 record: 9-7; 2008 projection: 11-5)
A year ago, the Storm were a team that no one wanted to play in the second half of the season. After a horrible start they won eight of their last nine games and were the hottest team in the AFL entering the playoffs. Tampa suffered no significant offseason losses and has added some quality free agents, and this may be the deepest roster in the league with competition at every position.

Brett Dietz was the starter at quarterback during the second half of last season and is poised for a huge season thanks to some quality targets at wide receiver. Head coach Tim Marcum does a great job of keeping his team together through the rough spots, and that has made the Storm a very resilient group. Tampa Bay doesn't dazzle you statistically but does play smart football and limits game-changing mistakes. Look for the defense to be solid but not flashy, and the offense will be more explosive than last year when it ranked 18th in scoring. The Storm have the look of a division winner and a playoff team with depth, experience, and confidence, and if they get off to a quick start they will be tough to stop.



Georgia Force (2007 record: 14-2; 2008 projection: 9-7)
This was the most explosive offensive team in the AFL a year ago, leading the league in passing and scoring. Repeating those numbers in 2008 will be tough, though, as the Force lost WRs Chris Jackson and Derek Lee -- and their combined 2,801 yards and 71 touchdowns -- to free agency. Wide receiver Troy Bergeron is now the go-to guy, but this no longer looks like an offense that can stretch the field and dictate matchups, although dynamic QB Chris Greisen gives the Force a chance in every game.

The changes on offense mean the defense will be feeling more pressure. The Force have a solid overall unit and led the league with 29 sacks in 2007, but the special teams and cover units must get better. This is a well-coached team but one without a lot of explosive playmakers that won't be able to simply outscore opponents. The Force will be competitive, but unless the receiving corps improves quickly and the pass rush dominates they will fight to make the playoffs. Last year's 14-2 record looks out of reach.



Orlando Predators (2007 record: 8-8; 2008 projection: 8-8)
You have to give Jay Gruden and the Predators credit for at least trying to shake up their roster with a combination of aging veterans and some interesting young players, but for this group to come together and play at a higher level than a year ago is asking a lot. The Predators are not a high-scoring team and are not overly explosive, but defense usually carries them and limits their opponents' scoring ability and 2008 will be no different. On offense they have lost WR Jimmy Fryzel for the year with a knee injury, but they have four quality receivers who should be fine stepping into the void. There is work to be done on the offensive line, but they have eight linemen over 300 pounds and the coaches realize how important pass protection is for QB Shane Stafford.

Defensively, Orlando has signed three former Predators (DL B.J. Cohen, DB Kenny McEntyre and DB Damon Mason) who were part of the team's championship in 2000, and while they have 29 combined years of experience, all are nearing the ends of their careers. To stay competitive on defense Cohen, along with some promising young pass-rushers, will have to come along and compensate for the loss of Greg White, who had 15 sacks a year ago. McEntyre and Mason must solidify the secondary quickly, but the Predators do have arguably the best LB tandem in the league in A.J. Nicholson and Marlon Moye-Moore. This will be a solid team, but Orlando may not be explosive enough to win a lot of close games and Tampa Bay and Georgia will be very tough within the division. The Predators look like a .500 team again in 2008.

New Orleans VooDoo (2007 record: 4-11; 2008 projection: 5-12)
The coaches have worked hard on upgrading the roster after a disappointing 2007 campaign and they finally seem to have stability at the quarterback position with the emergence of Steve Bellisari, who gave the offense a spark in the second half of last season. Bellisari's biggest challenge will be finding a go-to receiver. Derrick Lewis was supposed to be that guy after coming over from Austin, but Lewis suffered a knee injury in training camp that will sideline him for the entire season. The rest of the guys have potential but none are stars yet. The challenge for this team is to upgrade pass protection and play better overall defense.

There is good compensation in the secondary and there are a lot of potential contributors at defensive line and linebacker, but this is not a power roster. If Bellisari proves to be the real deal New Orleans will move the ball, but the question is whether the VooDoo can generate enough big plays on offense and make enough key stops on defense to stay competitive. They are probably a year away from being a legitimate playoff contender and the loss of Lewis may be too much to overcome.




Projected 2008 Southern Division award winners
Organization of Year -- Tampa Bay

Coach of Year -- Tim Marcum, Tampa Bay



Southern Division MVP -- Brett Dietz, QB, Tampa Bay

Rookie of Year -- Qasim Mitchell, OL, Orlando

Newcomer of Year -- Ahmad Carroll, DB, Orlando

Offensive Lineman of Year -- Adam Metts, C, New Orleans

Quarterback of Year -- Chris Greisen, Georgia

Receiver of Year -- Troy Bergeron, Georgia

Ironman of the Year -- B.J. Barre, New Orleans

Defensive Back of Year -- Jeroid Johnson, Tampa Bay

Defensive Lineman of Year -- Jermaine Smith, Georgia

Linebacker of Year -- A.J. Nicholson, Orlando

Assistant Coach of the Year -- Les Moss, Asst. Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator, Orlando

Kicker of the Year -- Jay Taylor, Orlando

Return Specialist of the Year -- Sedrick Robinson, Tampa Bay



Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

Um yeah, the fact this bozo has the offensive lineman of the year as Metts on our team absolutely destroys his opinion of where we'll end up. Then again, I love coming into the season every year with no credibility in the media. It keeps us low as possible on the radar. The players in the know in this league know that you can't take the Force for granted.

MY POLL has it:

1. Georgia Force - because I'm such a Homer
2. Tampa Bay Squall
3. Orlando Pet-a-doors
4. New Orleans Doo-Doo

I think Tampa will make it an interesting race to the end, and I hope Orlando is good OUTSIDE the division just to keep the respect for the Southern Division where it should be. The New Orleans VD... they can wallow in mediocrity for all I care.