Philly Expanding its Soul
Chris Steuber
Wednesday January 7, 2004
That’s what the newest franchise in Philadelphia wants you to feel, the Soul, as the team took on the challenge of identifying the right talent and selecting some players through this year’s expansion draft.
Head Coach Mike Trigg, along with assistant coach Robert Smith, took center stage in the team’s War Room, as the Soul took its first step into the world of Arena Football.
Prior to the expansion draft, the Soul traded their first round pick to Colorado in exchange for defensive end Dwayne Missouri. A former seventh round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, Missouri is expected to be a major contributor on this year’s team.
“Dwayne is one of those guys who has great height at 6-foot-5, and he has good size at 280 [pounds],” Trigg said. “But maybe because of some of the slotting in the 11-man game at the NFL level is limiting him, where he needs to be 300 – 320 [pounds]. But, that athleticism and that mid-range weight should translate well into a guy who can pass protect and also turn around a rush and be a good enough athlete to have some good mobility and quickness.”
Corey Mayfield was also acquired before the draft. The Soul traded their second, fourth, and fifth round selections to Grand Rapids in exchange for the AFL veteran. This move was one that Trigg was very comfortable making.
“[Corey’s] been with me since 1999,” says Trigg. “Anytime you leave a team and come to a new one, there are certain players you really want to get with you – your leader, your captain. That’s what he was. He brings a lot of toughness.
“In fact, the whole time that he had played with us over the last five years, I think Corey’s missed one-game because we made him sit down. He’s very good at what he does.”
The same can be said for the Philadelphia Soul coaching staff. Walking into the War Room, you notice the work that the coaches have been doing for the previous two months. The draft boards from left to right are filled with the players who were available, the draft’s order, and the players that the Soul targeted.
The board that featured the draft order showed that it was only seven rounds deep, and three selections would be made during each round.
It’s 12:50 p.m. and the draft was about to begin. Trigg and Smith enter the room. Trigg immediately goes over to the phone to set up the teleconference between the Soul and the rest of the participants in this year’s draft. Teams like Grand Rapids, Colorado, and Los Angeles traded their way into the draft for additional power, while new teams like New Orleans, Austin, and Philadelphia rely on the day to start fleshing out their rosters.
The clock strikes 1:00, and the draft is underway.
First on the board is New Orleans, followed by Colorado (who acquired Philadelphia’s pick for Missouri), and then Austin. New Orleans selects Dallas’ OL/DL D.J. Cooper with the first pick overall. “Damn,” Smith says.
On to Colorado, who selects Winfield Garnett, an OL/DL from San Jose. “Man,” Smith says. Austin then selects Colorado WR/DB Charlie Davidson to conclude the first round.
As the draft heads into the second round, Trigg and Smith are discussing possibilities of who would go where. “They’re [New Orleans] going to take Abdul-Salaam,” says Smith.
“You think so?” Trigg replies. Just seconds later, New Orleans takes Abdul-Salaam, an OL/DL from San Jose, sparking Smith to reply, “I told you.”
The scene is reminiscent of a rotisserie league draft, where you know where the players will end up, but aren’t sure of when they’ll be selected.
The next pick belongs to Grand Rapids, a result of the Mayfield deal and a moment of interest to the two coaches in the room. OL/DL Chris Polinder from Chicago is chosen. The coaches look at each other and smile.
The moment the coaches had been waiting for is approaching, and the debate is on. Trigg wants DS Marvin Taylor out of Chicago. Smith mentions OL/DL Jerry Montgomery, also of the Rush. As the coaches discuss which player to select, New Orleans passes on their selection, to everyone’s surprise.
“Wow,” says Smith.
It takes only 20 seconds for Trigg to jump on the phone and announce that the Soul selects Taylor. “[Taylor] has shown spots of being a tough defensive back, a hitter,” Trigg says. “He plays aggressively, and will play back and come up and stroke you if you catch a ball in front of him. He’s got good hands and quickness.”
“He’s a little bit of a stretch right now, and I think the only reason he was available is because he has a [knee] injury. He’s currently rehabbing and his health comes into question. So, we’ll see how it comes out, and if it ends up being a wasted pick and he’s not right – those are the risks that you have, but if he can be healthy and he can come in and play, then he becomes a steal for you.”
As the draft moves forward, Trigg and Smith are discussing plenty of players, but one player who keeps coming up is Gunnard Twyner. Twyner, an offensive specialist, played last season with Columbus and has sparked the interest of both coaches.
“Do you want me to call New Orleans and see if they will trade their [fifth round] pick?” Smith asks Trigg.
“Do you think they will move it [the pick]?” says Trigg.
“They’ll probably pass,” Smith replies.
Smith calls New Orleans from his cell phone and says, “Are you interested in trading your pick? We’ll give you a future [selection], and take you to Pat’s [Steaks] for dinner when you’re in town.”
The deal is done, and the Soul selects Twyner.
“Gunnard Twyner is a smaller guy with great quickness,” says Trigg. “He was with the Tampa Bay Storm. He did very well with them. We [Grand Rapids] played against him last year directly, and he gave us fits. He scored three of four touchdowns – certainly a hard guy to cover with excellent quickness. He’s not a very big guy, so his durability might be something to worry about, but for him to be available in the draft for as long as he was – we’re very happy to have him and give him an opportunity in our offense.”
The Soul also believes former college basketball star and NFL Europe casualty Brandon Davis will have a great opportunity on both offense and defense, and he’s selected in the sixth round. Davis already has ties to Philadelphia, having spent time in the Philadelphia Eagles training camp during the 2002 season. He was cut before the season started.
“Davis is a very good athlete,” Trigg says. “He’s got an opportunity to play professional football. He went to the Cleveland Browns a couple of years ago and they used him as a strong safety, outside linebacker, and tried to move him into an h-back.”
“They sent him to NFL Europe for some development and he hung on there for a while, then he was released and kind of out there. I didn’t even know until I got up here that he was with the Eagles, and played tight end [with the Eagles]. So, he’s a little bit of a stretch right now, but certainly a project at least exploring.”
With that said, the draft reaches its conclusion, with the Philadelphia Soul adding three new players to Mayfield and Missouri whom they had acquired previously. All and all it was a good day, and one that will go a long way in determining the outcome of the up-coming season.
“I would have preferred the draft to have more significant players from the other teams in the AFL for use to try to develop a nucleus out of this,” says Coach Trigg. “I am pleased what was forwarded to us and what was available. We knocked out a couple of holes in our 37-man roster that we have to fill in. I feel a little more comfortable about attacking free agency based on what we accomplished here.”
The Soul did just that over the next two months – attacking the free agent market by picking up former NFL wide receiver Sean Scott, veteran AFL quarterback Todd Hammel, and a quality place-kicker in Brian Gowins. Not a bad start for a team looking to gain an identity in the AFL during its first-year of existence.
The first look at the players will be January 11th with the start of training camp. It is uncertain which players will start for the Soul, or will still be around come February 8th, but one thing is certain – AFL action will be in Philly again, (possibly a week after Philadelphia celebrates a Super Bowl Championship?) when the Soul hosts the New Orleans Voodoo.
Chris is a graduate of the Connecticut Schools of Broadcasting (Class of 1999). Over the past few years, Chris has covered the NFL for Sportsology, as well as covering the Philadelphia Flyers for The Fourth Period. Chris is engaged to his fiance Krista, as they are scheduled to get married in June of 2004.
