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. |