Gladiators hoping to open eyes in 2008
Mike Chanpong
Saturday March 1, 2008
In most professional sports leagues, expansion teams are put together with the hope that they can be competitive during their first season. However, the Cleveland Gladiators know that if they are going to capture the attention of a town known for its rabid devotion to its sports teams, they have to start winning now.
That being said, the roster Gladiators President Bernie Kosar and GM Mike Levy assembled is an impressive mix of savvy AFL veterans infused with emerging young talent that should open some eyes around the league.
The following is a breakdown of the Cleveland Gladiators 2008 final roster by position:
Quarterbacks
It goes without saying that the key to any successful AFL offense is a quarterback who makes big plays and doesn’t turn the ball over. Cleveland Gladiators quarterback Raymond Philyaw fits that description perfectly. Last year Philyaw completed 69% of his passes for 4,338 yards and 85 touchdowns against only 11 interceptions for the Kansas City Brigade. While his passer rating of 124.1 was fifth highest in the AFL last year, his career rating of 117.3 stands as the fourth highest in AFL history.
An eight-year AFL veteran who led the Chicago Rush to Central Division titles in 2004 and 2005, Philyaw is a smart quarterback who doesn’t take unnecessary chances with the football. His 9.03 career TD to interception ratio is the highest in AFL history. It’s no coincidence that Bernie Kosar, the NFL record holder for most consecutive passes without an interception (308), handpicked a quarterback like Philyaw to lead the first year franchise.
Also at quarterback is former Kent State signal caller Jose Davis, who backed up Philyaw in Kansas City and will do the same in Cleveland. Despite limited AFL experience, Davis is an excellent athlete who coaches felt was an intriguing enough prospect to keep over veteran quarterback Jason Fife.
Wide Receivers
The Gladiators receiving corp is a solid combination of experience and young talent. Led by veteran receivers Cornelius Bonner, Robert Redd and the recently signed Andy McCullough, this looks to be a position of strength for the Gladiators in 2008.
Bonner, a former University of Cincinnati standout, is a seven-year AFL veteran who had a combined103 catches for 1,449 yards and 30 touchdowns with both Grand Rapids and Nashville last year. Redd, a third year player and former Bowling Green State Falcon, played last season with the Colorado Crush, finishing with 62 receptions for 547 yards and five touchdowns. McCullough, a Dayton, Ohio native, is a six-year veteran who provides Philyaw a big target (6-4, 226) with a nose for the end zone (85 career touchdowns.)
The Gladiators have several young receivers as well in Otis Amey, Sakeen Wright, and former Cleveland Brown Kendrick Mosley. Last year as a rookie, Amey caught 88 passes for 1,036 yards and18 touchdowns for Austin under the direction of then Austin head coach/now Gladiators offensive coordinator Brian Partlow. Wright is a two-way player who flourished as a rookie in Austin last year also, finishing sixth in tackles while seeing time at receiver as well.
Early in training camp, Kosar raved about the talents of former Cleveland Brown receiver Kendrick Mosley. But Mosley will start the season on injured reserve. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the offense once he’s eligible to return.
Fullback
Of the three holdovers from last year’s Gladiators team, two of them are fullbacks – Marlion Jackson and Joshua Rue. A four-year AFL veteran, Jackson is a punishing runner and solid receiver with the ability to protect the quarterback. He’ll get the first crack at the starting lineup, with Rue having been placed on injured reserve to start the season. Rue led the Gladiators in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns as a rookie last year, and figures to contribute as soon as he is eligible to return.
Offensive Line
Traditionalists will tell you that football games are won in the trenches. Arena football is no different – the ability to protect the quarterback on offense and rush the quarterback on defense is still of prime importance. With that in mind, the Gladiators selected three linemen in the AFL Dispersal Draft who made the final roster – Joe Minucci, Ramon Richardson, and Kimani Jones.
Jones is part of a very young Gladiators offensive line that includes Antonio Narcisse, Tango McCauley, and Craig Heimburger. Chemistry within the offensive line will be the key to protecting Raymond Philyaw, as no lineman has more than three years of AFL experience. It’s interesting to note that Narcisse and McCauley played together in New Orleans last year while Jones and Heimburger were Austin teammates in 2007. Without a doubt, the Gladiators are hoping that this familiarity among teammates will allow their young offensive line to gel quickly.
Defensive Line
Whereas the Gladiators are young along the offensive line, the defensive line is loaded with experience. The anchor of the defensive line is former Los Angeles Avenger Silas Demary, a sackmaster who won ADT Defensive Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year in 2005. Still one of arena football’s most dominant defensive ends, Demary reunited in Cleveland with Head Coach Mike Wilpolt, his defensive coordinator in Los Angeles. Along the defensive line, Demary will team with Joe Minucci, a former Nashville Kat who was the first overall pick in the AFL Disperal Draft, as well as five-year veteran Bryant Shaw, four-year veteran Richardson and former Las Vegas Gladiator Karon Riley to form a solid defensive front. Add to the mix Donovan Arp, a five-year AFL veteran on injured reserve, who at some point during the season could help also.
Linebackers
It will be interesting to see how Head Coach Mike Wilpolt incorporates the AFL’s new jack linebacker rule into his defensive scheme, and how well the Gladiators jack linebackers adjust to it. In previous years, the jack linebacker was forced to stay in a confined space between the defensive tackles until the ball was thrown, giving the offense a distinct advantage. Sakeen Wright, who started at jack linebacker last year in Austin, will likely get the first shot at the job.
At the mack linebacker position, both Marlion Jackson and Joshua Rue (when healthy) will probably see some time on defense. The key to this unit being effective is going to be the how well Wilpolt exploits his jack linebacker’s new freedom to roam and create as much havoc on opposing offenses as possible.
Secondary
Just as chemistry is so important to an offensive line, chemistry is also one of the keys to a successful defensive backfield. University of Toledo product Brandon Hefflin was signed away from the Columbus Destroyers to be the leader of the Gladiators secondary. The Destroyers all-time leading tackler and one of the most physical players on a team that reached the Arena Bowl last year, Hefflin will combine with third-year defensive back Ryan Bowers, who recorded five interceptions for the Orlando Predators last year in only 12 games, and recently signed veteran Tony Scott to patrol the Gladiators defensive backfield. AFL rookie Alex Teems, a former standout for the af2’s Spokane Shock, is the only first year player on the Gladiators roster and could see significant playing time as well.
Special Teams
The Gladiators have entrusted the kicking duties to former Colorado kicker Jason Ball. Last year, Ball had an outstanding season for the Crush, leading the league with 17 field goals and making 90 of 105 extra point attempts. His field goal percentage of 60.7% was second in the league and his141 kicking points were good for fifth. Ball also provided a strong leg on kickoffs and should continue his success in Cleveland.
When it comes to kick returns, the Gladiators have a host of candidates to choose from. Otis Amey, Ryan Bowers and Robert Redd all have experience returning kicks. Of the three, Amey might be the leading candidate, as he returned 33 kickoffs for a18.5 average last year for the Austin Wranglers.
Analysis
Overall, Kosar and Levy did a fine job of fielding a competitive expansion team in Cleveland. Since most of these players have never played together before, team chemistry and the ability to stay healthy and avoid injuries will ultimately be the key to their success.
With Raymond Philyaw at quarterback and a solid group of receivers to throw to, Cleveland’s offense should keep them in many games. The defense, anchored by Silas Demary and Brandon Hefflin, will feature a tough pass rush to defend, but their lack of depth might not allow them to suffer many injuries and be successful.
Still, if Cleveland can stay healthy and the team has great chemistry, the Gladiators might find themselves in excellent position to make a playoff push near the end of the season.
