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| 2009 Ring of Ice Div http://www.thecfl.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2185 |
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| Author: | timmynausea [ Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | 2009 Ring of Ice Div |
<img src="http://www.thecfl.net/images/pressman/manuel.JPG" width="281" height="280" alt="Lane Manuel" title="Lane Manuel" align="right"> [bcb14de4]Boise Stampede Last year's performance - 13-3[/bcb14de4] Everything came together last year for the Stampede as they rolled through the regular season 13-3, clinching the number 1 seed in the WFC along the way. The beautiful dream became a nightmare as QB Branden Lin got knocked out for the rest of the playoffs with a seperated shoulder in a second round playoff win over Tulsa, 30-10. Boise never stood a chance in the Conference final against eventual runner-up Denver, losing 16-6 in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score. [bcb14de4]Strongest Unit - Offensive Line[/bcb14de4] There are a couple different ways you could go as far as the strongest unit, but nowhere is as strong and deep as the O-Line. The best linemen are guard Carlton Owensby and tackles Booker Wilke and Joel Cheeks. Center Charles Bergmann missed most of last year due to injury and has dropped off from an elite lineman to a pretty good one. The future of the line looks bright as well with first round pick Shane Kudrow grooming this season in a reserve spot to take over as a starter next year. [bcb14de4]Weakest Unit - Defensive Line[/bcb14de4] Gregory Phelan will be decent enough at nose, but the Stampede are counting on some young, unproven defensive ends. Marvin Leaf had a good rookie season, recording 7 sacks, but only had 7 hurries to go with them. At the other end spot, Billy Joe Stoutmire will likely platoon with second year player Lincoln Gomez. Gomez has decent potential, but will likely be a liability this year. Phelan missed 5 games last year, but the team still had all-pro Derick Javier so things were more flexible. This year a Phelan injury would really hurt. [bcb14de4] Key Unit - Running Backs[/bcb14de4] Boise gambled in more way than one this offseason. The biggest gamble was trading a future first round pick for running back Toothpick Lang. The former third overall pick, Lang has not only had a disappointing career to this point, he is coming off a torn MCL that makes his durability questionable. On paper, however, he is one of the best running backs in the league, and with Boise trading away number two receiver Marvin Athey this offseason, Lang's production at running back becomes the key to Boise's season. If Lang can't produce or gets injured again, Boise will still win some ball games but fall short of being a real contender for the title. If he plays up to his potential they will be in the thick of the mix for the championship. [bcb14de4]Impact Newcomer - RB Toothpick Lang Key Losses - WR Marvin Athey, DT Derick Javier Outlook -[/bcb14de4] Boise will be good again. The schedule is much tougher this year, so they won't do quite as well as last year. If Toothpick finally gets it together they will be among the three most likely contenders out of the WFC with Denver and Tucson. [bcb14de4]Projected record: 11-5[/bcb14de4] [bcb14de4]Seattle Thunderbirds Last year's performance - 8-8[/bcb14de4] Seattle had a disappointing year. Despite a much improved rushing attack with 156.3 yards per game, the team only managed a .500 record. The Seattle defense allowed 358.8 yards and 22.1 points per game. The Seattle defense has never allowed less than 20 points per game in a season. [bcb14de4]Strongest Unit - Offensive Backfield[/bcb14de4] This has to be the best backfield in the league. Quarterback Charles Dever, running back Burt Liszkiewicz and fullback Paris Kimmel are 3 of the best in the league at their respective positions. Dever had sort of a let down year in 2008. After setting a record for highest single season QB rating in 2006 with a 103.2, he dropped off a bit in 2007 with a 96.7 and dropped off even more in 2008 to an 89.8 rating. Liszkiewicz did just the opposite, finally breaking 1,000 rushing yards in a season in style by racking up 1647 a year ago. [bcb14de4] Weakest Unit - Offensive Line[/bcb14de4] The starting lineman in Seattle would be decent reserves on most teams. The best is left tackle Joel Duque who is a decent pass blocker. The rest are pretty mediocre. On top of that, the best center, Ellis Price, will miss more than half the season with repetitive concussion syndrome. Dever was sacked 36 times a year ago, and it might be worse this year. [bcb14de4]Key Unit - Defensive Backfield[/bcb14de4] Even with the shoddy line, the offense will put up some points. The defensive front is excellent with all three starters on the line having been together since 2003 on top of being extremely talented. The linebackers are good, though top ILB Crist has missed all but one game the last two seasons. That leaves the secondary. The team has worked to piece together a servicable unit over the past few offseasons. Second year corner Chris Farr is ready to step up his play. He'll start opposite of veteran Augustus Eaddy. The safeties won't be great against the run, but should intercept some passes this year. It's hard to predict how this unit will hold up. That's why they're the key to Seattle's year. If they can slow down opposing passing attacks, this team could get really good in a hurry. If not it'll be another year like the last few: pretty good, but just short of the playoffs. [bcb14de4] Impact Newcomer - ILB Stephen Lee Key Loss - C Ellis Price Outlook -[/bcb14de4] Seattle is not far from being a great team. With as good as they are along the defensive line and at the offensive skill positions, you'd swear there's no way they could lose, but there are holes. The secondary won't be as bad as the last few years, but they'll still get burned enough to cost the Thunderbirds some games. The passing game will still not be up to its 2006 form with only one real target at receiver. It'll be close yet again as to whether they'll make the playoffs. I think they'll finally sneak in. [bcb14de4]Projected record: 9-7[/bcb14de4] [bcb14de4] Anchorage Wolfpack Last year's performance - 8-8[/bcb14de4] After their brilliant 12-4 season in 2007, Anchorage ran into some cap trouble and had a really up and down year last year, finishing 8-8. They beat some good teams, including a 47-17 thrashing of eventual runners-up Denver, and lost to some bad teams, such as their 31-30 loss in the finale to 5-11 Oregon. Their offense was productive but erratic, scoring over 40 points three times and less than 14 three times as well. [bcb14de4]Strongest Unit - Linebackers[/bcb14de4] The Anchorage linebackers are a solid group. They are lead by ILB Johnnie Nobles and have 4 starter level guys so they have the option of switching to 3-4, which would really probably be beneficial having lost their top DT, Frank Griggs, for the year with a torn ACL. The best pass-rusher of the group is SLB Hassan Rea who had 7.5 sacks and 11 hurries back in 2007 during Anchorage's great season. [bcb14de4]Weakest Unit - Defensive Line[/bcb14de4] The forementioned loss of Frank Griggs makes the d-line the weak spot on Anchorage's team. They really don't have anyone who is really talented along the line. They have several guys who are decent, though. The guy with the best potential is rookie Joseph Cash who was the twenty-first pick in this year's draft. Second is former top ten pick DE Clyde Montague, but his potential has dropped quite a bit since he was drafted. Both of them could develop into pretty good players some day, though Montague will likely always be thought of as a disappointment. [bcb14de4]Key Unit - Defensive backfield[/bcb14de4] Is Anchorage cursed? Last year they lost their top corner, Leo Parks, for the year in the preseason. This year they've already lost their top nose tackle and their great starting right tackle Frank Hill for the season. Yikes! That injury to Hill will really hurt this team and will probably double the amount of sacks and hurries they allow. The only good news is getting Parks back, who could really help shore up the defense as the secondary was the biggest weakness last year without him. Rookie S Kim Collins will be good eventually but will make rookie mistakes, and the corner opposite Parks, Monty Wiley, will get burnt a lot in coverage, but should make up for it somewhat with interceptions. He had 5 last year. [bcb14de4] Impact Newcomer - S Kim Collins Key Loss - T Frank Hill, NT Frank Griggs Outlook -[/bcb14de4] Anchorage has a team that could compete for a playoff spot, and with a few breaks even a division title. Unfortunately they are really thin at some spots, and having already lost two guys to injury for the season puts them in a really tough spot. They will likely continue their up and down play of last year, beating some good teams and losing to some bad ones. Lane Manuel got sacked 40 times last year, and it could be worse this year. [bcb14de4]Projected record: 7-9[/bcb14de4] [bcb14de4]Oregon Ice Last year's performance - 5-11[/bcb14de4] Last year was the first losing season in Oregon history. It was kind of a dead year, as they were waiting for cap space to open up so the rebuilding could truly begin. [bcb14de4] Strongest Unit - Linebackers[/bcb14de4] Oregon really built up their over all talent level pretty quickly, but this is the only unit that is really solid top to bottom. All four starters are great, the best being ILB Jefferson Hummel, who they signed away from Hartford. Brian Macaluso will probably be the main pass rushing threat of the group. He had 7 sacks in 2007. [bcb14de4] Weakest Unit - Offensive Backfield[/bcb14de4] Oregon actually could've been a playoff team this year if not for starting a rookie quarterback and a below average running back. In fairness, Terrell Keith is actually much better than any of the backs Oregon has had in the past several years, and he'll probably only start until Colin Sonkin is healthy, though that may not be so until next year. Myron Dickensen takes over at quarterback. He is actually already more skilled than Tommy Kuhn who started a number of games the past few years for the Ice. Next year they may be ready to make some real noise if Dickensen makes steady progress this year. [bcb14de4]Key Unit - Offensive Line[/bcb14de4] The defensive backfield is interesting, and I thought about going with them here, but I think if there were some chance for Oregon to be a success this year it'd have to be at the hands of the offensive line. As I've mentioned, Keith is a so-so back with a 3.49 career average per carry. The line would thus have to play very well to open up a real running game to take some of the pressure off of the rookie quarterback and allow him to be effective. It's a long shot that all of that would actually work out, but it's a moot point if the line fails. The line will be lead by T Craig Fectau and G Kim Honeycutt. C Korey Ludwig will be good as well, but the other two spots will be a bit green with relatively undeveloped G Andre Wynn and T Kenyon Wright looking poised to start. I can't imagine they will be consistently good, but they will have their moments. [bcb14de4] Impact Newcomer - ILB Jefferson Hummel, T Craig Fectau Key Loss - WR Matt Brunner Outlook - [/bcb14de4]Oregon is in an interesting spot. Some of their offseason moves looked to be clearly building for the future, and any team starting a rookie quarterback is in that position. Other moves, like bringing in free agents in their thirteenth year or beyond, seemed to be trying to build for success right now. By the time Dickensen is ready to play, those guys will be long gone and there may be some dead cap space in their place. I guess it is difficult to build for the future through free agency, though, and cap space was the one thing Oregon had this offseason. In any case, they will suffer through the growing pains of Myron Dickensen this year. They'll have some good days and maybe upset a couple of good teams, and they'll have some really bad days cause almost all rookie quarterbacks do. [bcb14de4]Projected record: 6-10[/bcb14de4] |
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| Author: | Aylmar [ Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Great analysis. I just haven't had any luck putting together a solid offensive line, but if the secondary improves, it will certainly rise in priority. I'd like to point out, for the record, that this is Price's third straight season with concussion syndrome. Two seasons ago, I was praying he'd retire since I couldn't cut him and he was costing me a decent chunk of money. Last season, I just stuck him on IR and pretended I didn't know he was there. This season, I'm hoping he can actually remember how to tell the difference between a football and a basketball so he can get in a snap or two to earn the last three seasons of cash I've had to pay him because of the lack of injury settlements/releases in the game. |
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