Offseason Ablaze in Arizona
Patrick Daly
Friday December 21, 2001
The Arizona Rattlers took advantage of the opportunity by adding seven players to their 40-man offseason roster. They found more than their fair share of players from the top of their draft board. With money a major issue, a big splash free agency signing is out of the question. However, the dispersal draft enabled the Rattlers to pick up the existing contracts of the selected players rather than have to negotiate free agent deals.
With their first pick, 10th overall, the Rattlers grabbed fullback/linebacker Terrence Melton. The former Houston Thunderbear earned AFL All-Rookie Team honors in 2000, leading the team in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns that season. Unfortunately, injuries kept Melton out of action for much of the 2001 campaign but the natural linebacker did show durability in college, playing 42 games over four seasons at Rice. Melton should be a welcome addition to the current group, which includes Bo Kelly, Greg Gales, John Peaua, and Dominic Reyes.
In the second round Arizona chose a pair of former Oklahoma Wranglers, wide receiver/defensive back Kevin Cobb and wide receiver/linebacker Bobby McGowens. Cobb, a two-year veteran, has been used primarily on defense, which would add depth along with defensive specialists Cecil Doggette and Ricky Parker. McGowens, a member of the 1999 AFL All-Rookie team, is a tall receiver that has caught over 50 balls each of the last three seasons. Since he’ll likely have to compete with incumbents Hunkie Cooper and Chris Horn at linebacker, he may move to fill a spot in the defensive backfield.
The selection of kicker Chris Sailer may mean Rattler fans won’t see Kyle Pooler suit up for Arizona in 2002. In 2001, Sailer was not spectacular but he did hit 92 percent of his extra point attempts and 47 percent of his field goal tries. Pooler, currently a free agent, missed most of 2001 due to injury; replacement Ignacio Brache showed a strong leg but was too inconsistent on extra point attempts and kickoffs.
The final three Arizona choices went to add depth on the line. Lindsey Hassel, Elliott Fortune, and Ramon Okoli each bring size to the line, a position that spent much of 2001 under scrutiny on both offense and defense. Sebastian Barrie, Joe Burch, Stacy Evans, Wendall Gaines, Pat Kesi, Charlie Morris, and Mark Tucker still remain from the 2001 squad, so there will certainly be some interesting battles on line.
A major personnel decision to note is the release of offensive specialist Calvin Schexnayder at the end of October. After missing time due to a separated shoulder suffered in the preseason following a brief stint in the XFL, Schexnayder started to put up big numbers before suffering a season-ending knee injury against San Jose in week 13. The Rattlers apparently felt that he had not progressed well enough in rehabilitating the knee and shoulder, which leaves Maurice Bryant as the team’s only returning offensive specialist.
Another position to keep an eye on during the offseason is quarterback. Sherdrick Bonner battled through injuries and poor protection during the 2001 season but he’ll have to work hard to return to the form he’s displayed in previous seasons. Chad DeGrenier played well in several relief appearances, including a 53-38 come from behind win against Houston. DeGrenier showed that he can elude the rush if necessary, something both Bonner and Chad May weren’t able to do when pass protection broke down. Don’t expect a big signing here but don’t be surprised if DeGrenier opens 2002 as the starter.
One day after the dispersal draft, the AFL announced the division alignments and schedule for 2002. There are no real surprises with the updated alignment, which now includes the first-year Dallas Desperados in the Western Division with Arizona, Los Angeles, and San Jose. Aside from the loss of Florida, Houston, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma, the only other major franchise change is the move of the Nashville Kats to Atlanta.
The Rattlers will once again open the regular season in San Jose and will host the SaberCats on the second to last week of the season, possibly setting the stage for another big late season battle. Arizona gets its first look at the new Dallas franchise when the Rattlers play host in the preseason. Other highlights include a week four trip to Atlanta and a week seven home game against the defending champion, Grand Rapids Rampage. With the new 16-team alignment, Arizona will not face Detroit, New York, Orlando, or Tampa Bay during the 2002 regular season.
Patrick Daly has been an Arena Football League enthusiast since he first stumbled across the late-night ESPN broadcasts and has followed the Arizona Rattlers since their inaugural season in 1992. He graduated from Arizona State University with an engineering degree and is currently a member of a web development team for Direct Alliance in Tempe. Patrick currently resides in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona with his beautiful wife, son and a very large football helmet collection.
