Mapping out the season
Courtesy: Arena Football League
Release: 02/25/2008


By Nathan Boudreaux -- Parity in the Arena Football League is at an all-time high. Over the last 10 years there have been seven different ArenaBowl winners. In fact, no team has repeated as AFL champions since the Tampa Bay Storm won consecutive titles in 1995-96. The San Jose SaberCats, winners of three of the last six championships, have been the closest thing to a dynasty the League has seen in some time.



With 17 teams (two less than last season) vying for the title this year, every club has the talent to win it all. The key to a championship will be consistent play, good health and a little luck.



Last year in this preseason column, I was somehow able to predict the San Jose SaberCats (over the Georgia Force) in the ArenaBowl. Let’s see if I can make it two years in a row.



Boudreaux’ Preseason Power Poll Rankings

(2007 records in parenthesis)



17- Cleveland Gladiators (2-14) – Moved from Las Vegas to Cleveland in off-season and will have a brand-new look in ’08...Will be much better this season but doesn’t have the depth of the top teams.



16- Columbus Destroyers (7-9) – A year removed from the ArenaBowl but will take a step back in ’08...Only nine players return from the National Conference championship team from last year...Looks like a rebuilding season for head coach Doug Kay and the Destroyers.



15- Arizona Rattlers (4-12) – New coach, new quarterback, new management...The Rattlers are hoping to turn things around in ’08 but face a tough schedule in the Western Division with the likes of San Jose, Los Angeles and Utah and non-conference battles with Georgia, Orlando and Dallas..



14- New Orleans VooDoo (5-11) – Losing free agent WR Derrick Lewis (torn ACL) in training camp is a huge blow for the VooDoo...Without a go-to receiver on offense and their top pass rusher on defense (traded Henry Taylor to New York), New Orleans doesn’t have the horses to cash their ticket in this race.



13- Grand Rapids Rampage (4-12) – New head coach Steve Thonn brings an offensive mind to Western Michigan but the Rampage lacks “big name” talent with the exception of DB Ahmad Hawkins...Will be better in ’08 but the key to the season will be how an inconsistent QB Adrian McPherson adapts to Thonn’s timing-based offense.



12- New York Dragons (5-11) – If QB Aaron Garcia can stay healthy the Dragons have a chance...New York must do a better job of protecting the passer (allowed 26 sacks last season) or it could be another long season on Long Island.



11- Utah Blaze (8-8) – Lost top WR Siaha Burley to Arizona but added a slew of top defenders in free agency, including pass rushers Dwayne Missouri and E.J Burt, and DB Reggie Doster...QB Joe Germaine will have to spread the ball around to a number of receivers and the secondary will have to make plays for Utah to compete with San Jose and Los Angeles in the West.



10- Colorado Crush (8-8) – Losing WR Damian Harrell to free agency hurts... Veteran QB John Dutton will have to step up his game along with young receivers Ben Nelson, Brad Pyatt and Willie Quinnie if Colorado wants to make any noise in the Central...If Dutton continues to turn the ball over (tied for AFL lead with 17 INTs in ’07) it could be a disappointing season in the Rockies.



9- Orlando Predators (8-8) – Despite losing WR Jimmy Fryzel (season-ending injury) and DL Greg White (signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers), the Predators will be in the mix again in ’08...Jay Gruden is too good of a coach to let his team slip...QB Shane Stafford didn’t play up to expectations last year but should benefit from a full season with WR T.T. Toliver.



8- Los Angeles Avengers (9-7) – My pick for surprise team in ’08...Third-year QB Sonny Cumbie is a star in the making in head coach Ed Hodgkiss’ offensive system...The defensive line of Jason Stewart, Ken Jones and Josh Jefferies gives the Avengers one of the top pass rushing units in the League.



7- Kansas City Brigade (10-6) – Could be another sleeper team in ‘08....Coming off a solid 10-6 season a year ago and added quality players (DB Jerald Brown, WR Mike Horacek, DL Mike Sutton) on both sides of the ball...The key to the season will be the play of veteran QB John Fitzgerald, who was out of the AFL last season coaching in af2...If Fitzgerald can manage the game and play consistently, the Brigade will surprise some people this year.



6- Tampa Bay Storm (9-7) – Caught fire at the end of last season and returns all the key contributors on both sides of the ball...There are high expectations for second-year QB Brett Dietz, who will be surrounded by veteran receivers Terrill Shaw, Lawrence Samuels and David Saunders...



5- Georgia Force (14-2) – Will need to replace 67 touchdowns with the loss of receivers Chris Jackson and Derek Lee to free agency...Biggest loss could be offensive coordinator Steve Thonn (now head coach in Grand Rapids) but head coach Doug Plank is confident in WRs Troy Bergeron, Brent Holmes, Carl Morris and Jamin Elliot, along with new coordinator Jim Kubiak.



4- Philadelphia Soul (8-8) – The addition of free agent WR Chris Jackson gives the Soul the big-play threat they’ve been lacking...With QB Tony Graziani and Jackson, expectations are high in the city of Brotherly Love...The quarterback and receivers garner most of the headlines, but the key to Philadelphia’s success will be the likes of defensive linemen Gabe Nyenhuis and Bryan Save and the rest of the Soul’s defense.



3- Chicago Rush (12-4) – The Rush lost their top two offensive players during the off-season (QB Matt D’Orazio and WR Bobby Sippio) but didn’t miss a beat with the addition of free agents QB Sherdrick Bonner and WR Damian Harrell...The defense has been the heart and soul of the club for the last few seasons and should be among the League’s top units again this season.



2- Dallas Desperados (15-1) – Will come out with a chip on their shoulder after dominating the regular season the last two years (28-4 combined record) only to fall in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons...On offense, veteran QB Clint Dolezel returns the nucleus of his receiving corps, and an overachieving defense got even better with the addition of free agent DB DaShane Dennis.



1- San Jose SaberCats (13-3) – The SaberCats are the champs and will remain so until someone knocks them off...Has won three of the last six championships and will be in the mix every year as long as QB Mark Grieb, WR James Roe and DBs Clevan Thomas and Omarr Smith are on the roster...The receiving corps is getting a little older but Grieb is the most accurate passer to ever play the indoor game.



Looking into the crystal ball...



American Conference Playoff Teams

San Jose, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Colorado, Utah



National Conference Playoff Teams

Dallas, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Georgia, Orlando, New York



American Conference Championship Game:

San Jose over Kansas City



National Conference Championship Game:

Dallas over Philadelphia



ArenaBowl XXII

Dallas over San Jose



Preseason First Team All-AFL

QB Clint Dolezel (Dallas)

FB Josh White (Dallas)

OL Mike Mabry (Philadelphia)

OL Devin Wyman (Utah)

OL Lincoln Kennedy (Tampa Bay)

WR Chris Jackson (Philadelphia)

WR Siaha Burley (Arizona)

WR Troy Bergeron (Georgia)



DB Eddie Moten (Philadelphia)

DB Rashad Floyd (Colorado)

DB Clevan Thomas (San Jose)

LB DeJuan Alfonzo (Chicago)

LB Duke Pettijohn (Dallas)

DL Ken Jones (Los Angeles)

DL Colston Weatherington (Dallas)

DL Jermaine Smith (Georgia)



K A.J. Haglund (San Jose)



Preseason Coach of the Year: Kevin Porter (Kansas City)

Preseason Rookie of the Year: DB Levy Brown (New York)

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: QB Clint Dolezel (Dallas)

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: DB Eddie Moten (Philadelphia)

Preseason Lineman of the Year: DL Ken Jones (Los Angeles)



Nathan Boudreaux has been working for arenafootball.com since 2002. He has been associated with the AFL since 1999 and has worked as media relations director for both the AFL's Florida Bobcats (1999) and Carolina Cobras (2000-02). He also spent four years (2002-05) in the media relations department of the NFL's Cleveland Browns before moving to his current post as manager of marketing and business development for USA Football (usafootball.com) – the national governing body for America’s favorite sport leading the development of youth, high school, and international amateur football.

What's funny is the unit that people should be looking out for the most this year is getting almost no recognition whatsoever, and that's our defensive front four. With Smith/Allen/Truluck/Johnson we might have one of the most dangerous groups ever seen on the small field.

If our defensive front stays healthy, opposing offenses won't.

It is strange that the "experts" continue to overlook this group. Hopefully, offensive planners will as well. They looked impressive at the practice, as did Thompson and Trentadue.

We ought to be used to being overlooked by now. No respect I tell you.