Nick Hill Released By Packers, Could Rejoin Storm
Adam Markowitz
Wednesday May 23, 2012
It was just another normal Wednesday morning for the Tampa Bay Storm, as they were out on the practice field preparing for Saturday night's crucial tilt with the Milwaukee Mustangs. However, news that transpired some 1,400 miles away might have changed the team's entire season without it even knowing it. The Green Bay Packers have released QB Nick Hill from their roster, which could pave the way for the return of the man that was supposed to be the leader of the Storm in 2012.
Hill was signed by the Storm in the offseason to bring some stability to the quarterback position that was a nightmare in 2011. Tampa Bay used five different quarterbacks, all of which took their turn as a starter, and that didn't even include QB Jevan Snead, who started the team's exhibition before getting released prior to the start of the regular season. Hill would be starting his third year playing in the AFL after two successful years with the Orlando Predators. In two seasons, Hill completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 9,037 yards with 176 TDs against 35 INTs. He also rushed for 24 touchdowns and had 648 yards on the ground.
This year, the Storm are a 5-5 team that are at a crossroads. QB Steve Wasil has led the team to five wins at home, but five losses on the road, and he has very suspect numbers to show for his work. He has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,545 yards with 50 scores against 14 INTs. He does have one of the league's top receivers to work with in WR Prechae Rodriguez, who has 77 receptions, 1,051 yards, and 26 scores, but aside from connecting with the former CFL standout, Wasil hasn't had all that much success, especially when it comes to taking care of the pigskin.
There is no doubt that Hill would bring an upgrade to the Storm at the quarterback position, but he hasn't played in a live AFL game since the Predators final game of last season, a playoff loss on the road at the eventual ArenaBowl champs, the Jacksonville Sharks. There has been no comment out of the camp in Tampa Bay as to whether Hill will be brought back to the team or not, and whether he would be expected to come right back into camp as the team's starting quarterback.
Currently, Wasil and QB Matt Grothe, a local player from the Tampa Bay area with the South Florida Bulls are the two active quarterbacks on the Storm's roster. Hill is listed on the "other league exempt" list, meaning he does not count as a member of the team's active roster, but his rights still belong to the Storm. If another team is going to look for Hill's services, the Storm will have to trade him, just as the Sharks did with QB Chris Leak to the Predators a few weeks ago.
Hill looked like he was going to be in line for a spot as the third quarterback for the Packers this year, but instead, the team drafted QB BJ Coleman out of Tennessee-Chattanooga, who seems to have won the battle for the roster spot on the team. Hill is the second quarterback this year to be released by a team in the NFL. RJ Archer of the Georgia Force had a short stint with the Detroit Lions before returning to the Force.
The Storm take on Milwaukee on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. (ET) at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The team looks to snap out of a two-game funk after losses on the road to the Force and the Cleveland Gladiators. If the playoffs were to start today, Tampa Bay would be the last team in the playoffs in the American Conference, though the Jacksonville Sharks and New Orleans VooDoo are just a half-game back. Milwaukee, sitting at 3-6, is 1.5-games behind the Storm entering this weekend.
