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With starters safe, battles will be among backups 
By Brian Distelberg 
  
   If you were to pick the two brightest gems the Cobras front office dug up for their opening-day roster last season, you would likely name FB/LB Marrio Grier and WR/LB Cornelius White.  Grier, a former   
starter for the New England Patriots, led the league in rushing (117 yards in five games) before suffering an ACL injury early in the season.  And White was the Cobras' most consistent performer all season, gaining a slot on the league's All-Ironman team and leading the team with 15 touchdown catches. 
   It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that the Cobras aimed for consistency this offseason among their FB/LBs, WR/LBs, and WR/DBs, the positions where they had the most personnel luck last year. 
   That meant re-signing David McLeod, a valuable mid-season addition at WR/DB, who was a free agent.  It meant inking Grier, White and other young players like Alan Campos, Greg Harris and Kotto Cotton to longer contracts. 
   Thus, when the Cobras take the field this March, their FB/LB corps will look much like it did in 2000, with one glaring difference.  Gone will be Bo Kelly, a dependable backup and special teams player, and a seasoned veteran, who returned to Arizona as a free agent.  The team's failure to lure him back could end up to be their costliest offseason blunder, if Grier goes down again with another injury. 
   The loss of Kelly aside, though, the Cobras have a good chance of repeating the league-leading rushing performance they were putting up last year, especially with a vastly-improved line blocking for Grier.  If he's back near 100%, we could see one of the best running games ever in the AFL.  The depth situation - with local products Randy Neal and Bobby Cotten gone, only Alan Campos and Jeremy Beutler (converted from lineman) will back Grier up - is this unit's Achilles heel. 
   At WR/LB, meanwhile, the situation is much simpler.  White has a lock on the starting job, and the Cobras wisely brought in some new faces to learn under him and Harris, a late addition who brought valuable size to the position.  Jammie Deese, a Wake Forest product, is on the exempt roster after signing with the Washington Redskins, meaning ECU alum Troy Smith and former New York Jet James Adderley will battle it out for the final roster spot.  Smith, the Philadelphia Eagles' sixth-round draft pick in 1999, has the athletic skill the AFL demands (he also played basketball for the Pirates) and has a reputation for his good hands and good work ethic.  Adderley started six games for the Jets at defensive back, and has indoor football experience after a short stint with the IFL's Steel Valley Smash that saw him put up 115 yards and four touchdowns in five games.  If either shines in the preseason, the Cobras might shift him to another position to get him in the game more often. 
   At WR/DB, finally, a shakeup was needed, and was received... sort of.  The Cobras re-signed McLeod, who did help re-invigorate the unit.  Tommy Johnson, Antwaun Wyatt and Jason Nichols got their walking papers.  Kotto Cotton, a late-season addition last year, was resigned, and Dexter Dawson should return to Ironman play -- and the starting job -- after filling in admirably for Marlon Estes at OS most of last year. 
   New faces include Kyle Gary, acquired from San Jose in exchange for OL/DL Bryan Lytle, and Antwon Black, former UNC backup quarterback.  Gary didn't play last season, but had 44 receptions and eight touchdowns from 1998-99 with the Sabercats.  He also has two interceptions on defense, and NFL and CFL camp experience.  Black was the Tarheels' backup QB his senior year after starting at safety as a junior. 

THE BOTTOM LINE 


Best move: Re-signing the young core -- Grier, White, Dawson, Harris, and Campos -- that is the future of the team 
Worst move: Letting Kelly, valuable as a FB/LB and as a veteran leader, get away 
Keep your eye on: A trick play with Black motioning behind center and taking the snap
NEW FACES: TROY SMITH
Allsport/Scott Halleran
Former ECU standout Troy Smith joins the ranks of the Cobras' WR/LBs this season.

FB/LB 
In
Jeremy Beutler (moved from OL/DL)
Out
Bo Kelly (FA to Arizona), Randy Neal (cut), Bobby Cotten (cut)
Still Here
Marrio Grier, Alan Campos
Rating: A-
  
WR/LB 
In
Troy Smith (rookie), James Adderley (rookie)
Out
Kevin Lee (cut), Manny Pina (cut)
Still Here
Greg Harris, Cornelius White
Exempt
Jammie Deese (NFL Washington)
Rating: B+
  
WR/DB 
In
Kyle Gary (trade from SJ), Antwon Black (rookie)
Out
Tommy Johnson (cut), Antwaun Wyatt (cut), Jason Nichols (cut)
Still Here
David McLeod, Kotto Cotton, Dexter Dawson
Rating: B
  
Brian's Depth Chart 
FB/LB
1. Marrio Grier
2. Alan Campos
3. Jeremy Beutler
WR/LB
1. Cornelius White
2. Greg Harris
3. James Adderley
WR/DB
1. Dexter Dawson
2. David McLeod
3. Antwon Black
4. Kyle Gary
  
What do you think? 
Discuss the Cobras' situation at WR/DB, WR/LB and FB/LB in the Rating the Roster thread of the CZ Forum.