Post by MGB01 on Nov 20, 2009 16:20:46 GMT -5
BIRMINGHAM: The Bolts haven't really made any big splashes in a year it's been perceived they needed to after a quick postseason exit at the hands of the LV Outlaws for the second straight year. But they did keep a pair of all-XFL performers in WR Roscoe Parrish and OLB Elvis Dumervil. While CB Ahmad Hawkins remains a FA, he probably won't be re-signed because the Bolts have tremndous depth in their secondary. They only need depth in other spots.
CAROLINA: The defending X-Bowl champs' biggest need is just to keep the gang together, and with the exception of RT Daryn Colledge--who signed w LV, they did. Brandon Frye, Chris Colmer, and Jarvis Borum will all battle for Colledge's spot.
CHICAGO: Rex Ryan wanted to retool his team, esp on defense, and got it started by nabbing the best free agent OLB available in Freddie Keiaho. Gapfilling DT Colin Cole and OLB Corey Moore, who will back up both Keiaho and Thomas Howard on the wings, are good pickups too.
DALLAS: The Lonestars continue to be a thorn in their rival KC's side by picking off Garrett Mills, who Major Applewhite will use as both a FB and a TE in two-TE sets opposite last year's first-round pick Chase Coffman. The signing of Abdul Hodge means that Lance Mitchell is not only done as the starting MLB but might be a cap casualty as well. Hodge and Trev Faulk will team with Zack Follett, who finished in the top 5 in DROY balloting in 2009, to form one of the league's strongest LB corps.
DETROIT: The Mustangs brought Detroit native Larry Foote back to the Motor City, and the move will spell the end for last year's starting MLB, Ahmad Brooks. Matt Roth probably will not be back, as the team liked what they saw out of Landon Cohen. The Mustangs also flirted with Devin Hester before re-signing Travis Wilson, third on the team with 31 catches and second in the league in KR, averaging 29.0 yards per return.
KANSAS CITY: While the monarchy won't exactly crumble from a few FA losses they are pretty significant with Atiyyah Ellison, Garrett Mills, Devin Hester, Richard Marshall, and Mark Setterstrom all leaving. They did go to the waiver wire to find some hopeful replacements in DTs Terdell Sands and ex-Bolt Ed Johnson, and WR Ruvell Martin. They also signed Graham Gano to replace the seemingly ageless John Carney, 255-lb Cory Anderson to replace Mills, and essentially swapped FA corners with NY by signing Ashante Woodyard.
LAS VEGAS: The Outlaws have made a habit recently of being a mess in FA, but with the exception of a 3-9 disaster in 2007 it usually works out on the field, proof being consecutive western division titles. This year's losses are LBs Trev Faulk and Mario Haggan, but the Outlaws retained both CB Brandon Browner and DE Devan Long, which was more important. New FA signee Daryn Colledge will slide over to RG to replace Jermese Jones, who retired after eight seasons.
LOS ANGELES: The Xtreme struck out in their bids for Elvis Dumervil, Devin Hester, and Richard Marshall. They also lost CB Anwar Phillips to MEM although with Terrell Thomas and Mike Mickens the expected starting duo in 2010, he was an expected loss. Adam Terry's season-ending ACL tear shied teams away from him (including the Xtreme) and questions about whether he'll be ready for camp in March led the X-Men to ink Khalif Barnes
to a one-year deal.
MEMPHIS: The Maniax once again struck gold in FA on the defensive side of the ball (Anwar Phillips, Jonathan Babineaux) but none of it will matter if the OL can't protect Bart Hendricks, who was sacked a league-high 49 times. Charles Spencer would have been nice at LT, so would Rob Murphy, or even Khalif Barnes. But instead the Maniax will have to hope former first-rounder Andrew Whitworth and all-rookie Duke Robinson--who was pretty much the lone bright spot on an otherwise terrible OL--will be enough on the left side.
NEW YORK: In 2006 the Hitmen traded a second round pick to KC for RB Rashaan Shehee, which ended up being a disaster even before considering the second-rounder ended up being CB Richard Marshall. Long time coming but NY eventually gets him back and none too soon as their secondary has dwindled, with corners Josh Lay and Ashante Woodyard and safety Jahmile Addae all exiting. Also among the losses is Greg Lee, second in the league with an 18.0-yard PR average. Emmett Johnson is also expected to leave as a FA, leading the Hitmen to sign Reggie Brown.
ORLANDO: The Rage responded to losing all-everything WR Jeremaine Copeland by signing all-everything return man Devin Hester. But it's a puzzling move considering Hester has never been a starter, and his best season was 23 grabs in '08. Plus the Rage also have Marcus Mason coming off his first all-XFL (as a return man) season in which he returned four punts to the house, most in the XFL since Stepfret Williams had seven for WAS in 2004.
PITTSBURGH: Owner Michael Markovich wasn't kidding when he pledged to make the new Maulers Pittsburgh's team. In FA, the Maulers signed three former University of Pittsburgh products in Charles Spencer, Greg Lee, and Josh Lay. Spencer will team with all-XFL LT Michael Roos to form maybe the toughest left OL side in the league while Lay will get his chance to start and Lee will boost the PR game. Also DE Shaun Cody and ILB D'Qwell Jackson join as the Maulers return to a 3-4 alignment.
SAN ANTONIO: Pittsburgh's former team will make a new start in San Antone, but a big piece of their OL will be left behind as Charles Spencer elected to stay in PIT. Abdul Hodge also came to Texas with the team, but snuck over to DAL instead. Mario Haggan will replace him. They did re-sign Chris Canty however.
SAN FRANCISCO: The Demons not only kept veteran LT Rob Murphy but got him relatively cheap considering how many porous pass-protecting teams could have used him. With Reggie Brown off to NY as a FA and the team unable to pry Derek Hagan loose from SEA, the Demons will move Anthony Gonzalez to the #1 spot and likely look at Darius Reynaud, Danny Amendola, or Kevin Youngblood as the #2 replacement. They were able to withstand losing Randy Starks last year but will have to do so with another big loss on D this year in OLB Freddie Keiaho. Jonathan Casillas, who showed promise as a rookie, and vet Shawn Price are the candidates to replace him.
SEATTLE: Looks like the Reign aren't alone in Seattle with new coaches and plenty of spark (at least on paper anyway), but Jon Gruden will try to avoid the first-year fates of his NFL and Pac-10 counterparts by taking it to the field. Victor Adeyanju replaces Shaun Cody, and third-year man Red Bryant will move into the starting lineup in 2010, replacing Jonathan Babineaux. A pair of ex-Monarchs will also try to help the Reign shed their recent loser label: Mark Setterstrom became a dependable starter last year at both LG and LT with injuries to both Jason Brown and Damion Cook, and his arrival likely pushes last year's starter and first-round pick Max Unger over to RG. Meanwhile Justin Forsett, cut by KC in a salary cap move, arrives to try and help a running game which averaged a decent 4.2 yds per carry, but finished last in the league and found the endzone just four times.
WASHINGTON: While the Glory figure out if Sam Keller is the guy in 2010, they did make a nice grab in FA in DT Atiyyah Ellison, who gives the Glory three 300+-lb DTs along with Ennis Davis and last year's first-rounder Ron Brace. They lose D'Qwell Jackson but hung on to Paris Lenon, who will move over to MLB to replace him, with ex-Enforcer Rocky McIntosh coming over to start on the weak side. They also re-signed LG Rob Sims and FB Jamar Toombs.
CAROLINA: The defending X-Bowl champs' biggest need is just to keep the gang together, and with the exception of RT Daryn Colledge--who signed w LV, they did. Brandon Frye, Chris Colmer, and Jarvis Borum will all battle for Colledge's spot.
CHICAGO: Rex Ryan wanted to retool his team, esp on defense, and got it started by nabbing the best free agent OLB available in Freddie Keiaho. Gapfilling DT Colin Cole and OLB Corey Moore, who will back up both Keiaho and Thomas Howard on the wings, are good pickups too.
DALLAS: The Lonestars continue to be a thorn in their rival KC's side by picking off Garrett Mills, who Major Applewhite will use as both a FB and a TE in two-TE sets opposite last year's first-round pick Chase Coffman. The signing of Abdul Hodge means that Lance Mitchell is not only done as the starting MLB but might be a cap casualty as well. Hodge and Trev Faulk will team with Zack Follett, who finished in the top 5 in DROY balloting in 2009, to form one of the league's strongest LB corps.
DETROIT: The Mustangs brought Detroit native Larry Foote back to the Motor City, and the move will spell the end for last year's starting MLB, Ahmad Brooks. Matt Roth probably will not be back, as the team liked what they saw out of Landon Cohen. The Mustangs also flirted with Devin Hester before re-signing Travis Wilson, third on the team with 31 catches and second in the league in KR, averaging 29.0 yards per return.
KANSAS CITY: While the monarchy won't exactly crumble from a few FA losses they are pretty significant with Atiyyah Ellison, Garrett Mills, Devin Hester, Richard Marshall, and Mark Setterstrom all leaving. They did go to the waiver wire to find some hopeful replacements in DTs Terdell Sands and ex-Bolt Ed Johnson, and WR Ruvell Martin. They also signed Graham Gano to replace the seemingly ageless John Carney, 255-lb Cory Anderson to replace Mills, and essentially swapped FA corners with NY by signing Ashante Woodyard.
LAS VEGAS: The Outlaws have made a habit recently of being a mess in FA, but with the exception of a 3-9 disaster in 2007 it usually works out on the field, proof being consecutive western division titles. This year's losses are LBs Trev Faulk and Mario Haggan, but the Outlaws retained both CB Brandon Browner and DE Devan Long, which was more important. New FA signee Daryn Colledge will slide over to RG to replace Jermese Jones, who retired after eight seasons.
LOS ANGELES: The Xtreme struck out in their bids for Elvis Dumervil, Devin Hester, and Richard Marshall. They also lost CB Anwar Phillips to MEM although with Terrell Thomas and Mike Mickens the expected starting duo in 2010, he was an expected loss. Adam Terry's season-ending ACL tear shied teams away from him (including the Xtreme) and questions about whether he'll be ready for camp in March led the X-Men to ink Khalif Barnes
to a one-year deal.
MEMPHIS: The Maniax once again struck gold in FA on the defensive side of the ball (Anwar Phillips, Jonathan Babineaux) but none of it will matter if the OL can't protect Bart Hendricks, who was sacked a league-high 49 times. Charles Spencer would have been nice at LT, so would Rob Murphy, or even Khalif Barnes. But instead the Maniax will have to hope former first-rounder Andrew Whitworth and all-rookie Duke Robinson--who was pretty much the lone bright spot on an otherwise terrible OL--will be enough on the left side.
NEW YORK: In 2006 the Hitmen traded a second round pick to KC for RB Rashaan Shehee, which ended up being a disaster even before considering the second-rounder ended up being CB Richard Marshall. Long time coming but NY eventually gets him back and none too soon as their secondary has dwindled, with corners Josh Lay and Ashante Woodyard and safety Jahmile Addae all exiting. Also among the losses is Greg Lee, second in the league with an 18.0-yard PR average. Emmett Johnson is also expected to leave as a FA, leading the Hitmen to sign Reggie Brown.
ORLANDO: The Rage responded to losing all-everything WR Jeremaine Copeland by signing all-everything return man Devin Hester. But it's a puzzling move considering Hester has never been a starter, and his best season was 23 grabs in '08. Plus the Rage also have Marcus Mason coming off his first all-XFL (as a return man) season in which he returned four punts to the house, most in the XFL since Stepfret Williams had seven for WAS in 2004.
PITTSBURGH: Owner Michael Markovich wasn't kidding when he pledged to make the new Maulers Pittsburgh's team. In FA, the Maulers signed three former University of Pittsburgh products in Charles Spencer, Greg Lee, and Josh Lay. Spencer will team with all-XFL LT Michael Roos to form maybe the toughest left OL side in the league while Lay will get his chance to start and Lee will boost the PR game. Also DE Shaun Cody and ILB D'Qwell Jackson join as the Maulers return to a 3-4 alignment.
SAN ANTONIO: Pittsburgh's former team will make a new start in San Antone, but a big piece of their OL will be left behind as Charles Spencer elected to stay in PIT. Abdul Hodge also came to Texas with the team, but snuck over to DAL instead. Mario Haggan will replace him. They did re-sign Chris Canty however.
SAN FRANCISCO: The Demons not only kept veteran LT Rob Murphy but got him relatively cheap considering how many porous pass-protecting teams could have used him. With Reggie Brown off to NY as a FA and the team unable to pry Derek Hagan loose from SEA, the Demons will move Anthony Gonzalez to the #1 spot and likely look at Darius Reynaud, Danny Amendola, or Kevin Youngblood as the #2 replacement. They were able to withstand losing Randy Starks last year but will have to do so with another big loss on D this year in OLB Freddie Keiaho. Jonathan Casillas, who showed promise as a rookie, and vet Shawn Price are the candidates to replace him.
SEATTLE: Looks like the Reign aren't alone in Seattle with new coaches and plenty of spark (at least on paper anyway), but Jon Gruden will try to avoid the first-year fates of his NFL and Pac-10 counterparts by taking it to the field. Victor Adeyanju replaces Shaun Cody, and third-year man Red Bryant will move into the starting lineup in 2010, replacing Jonathan Babineaux. A pair of ex-Monarchs will also try to help the Reign shed their recent loser label: Mark Setterstrom became a dependable starter last year at both LG and LT with injuries to both Jason Brown and Damion Cook, and his arrival likely pushes last year's starter and first-round pick Max Unger over to RG. Meanwhile Justin Forsett, cut by KC in a salary cap move, arrives to try and help a running game which averaged a decent 4.2 yds per carry, but finished last in the league and found the endzone just four times.
WASHINGTON: While the Glory figure out if Sam Keller is the guy in 2010, they did make a nice grab in FA in DT Atiyyah Ellison, who gives the Glory three 300+-lb DTs along with Ennis Davis and last year's first-rounder Ron Brace. They lose D'Qwell Jackson but hung on to Paris Lenon, who will move over to MLB to replace him, with ex-Enforcer Rocky McIntosh coming over to start on the weak side. They also re-signed LG Rob Sims and FB Jamar Toombs.