Scouting the league
Almost all of the AFL have played at least one pre-season game so far. Lots of things happened in the off-season; a couple of teams folding up, leading to a dispersal draft, and a lot of free agents looking for good deals from needy teams. Therefore, usually meaningless pre-season games are now more important than ever before. Lets look at each team briefly:
DALLAS DESPERADOS
A brand new expansion team owned by the Jones family (Owners of the Dallas Cowboys). This team looked to acquire talent from the expansion draft. It's tough to put a brand new team together to play against veteran teams, but they have a good start with veteran QB Andy Kelly, veteran WRs Adrian Lunsford and Bernard Holmes. This team has a lot of rookies on it's roster, 12 to be exact, and they will needs a couple to step up.
GEORGIA FORCE
Although this team has a new name, city, and arena, it essentially is the old Nashville Kats. Ron Carpenter, Robert Gaddy, Darryl Hammond, Jarrick Hillary, and Tyrone Jones are the players who fans of the AFL will be used to seeing in the Kats blue and white. Since Andy Kelly is gone to the Dallas team, there will be a quarterback battle battle between rookie Eric Zeier, veteran Donnie Davis, and veteran Kevin McDougal. One of these three will have to emerge as the leader to make this team play as well as the old Nashville Kats.
DETROIT FURY
2nd year team Detroit Fury has stepped it up on defense, at least according to their showing in pre-season, but next weeks final warm-up game will be against the Arizona Rattlers and that will be a real test for their "D". The team has many capable veterans led by QB Rickey Foggie and WR/DB Robert Gordon, but also needs help from some rookies and 2nd year man Shawndel Tucker.
CHICAGO RUSH
Another 2nd year team, they are led by their 2nd year QB Billy Dicken and star receiver Joe Douglass. Having added two ferocious pass rushers in Rich McKenzie and James Baron, the Rush should match and possibly surpass their successful inaugural season.
TORONTO PHANTOMS
The other 2nd year team will be having a quarterback decision to make. AFL veteran Pat O'Hara has two championship rings to his credit and he will face strong competition from Chad Salisbury. The receiver corps is headed by veterans Ty Law and Charlie Davidson. The team picked up veteran DS Tommy Henry to shore up the defense. Will it be enough to help them improve on last season?
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