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St. Paul – What Happened? The Bandits looked unstoppable in the first half of the 2008 season. During the first 10 games, the Bandits beat the NC champs Morgantown, Memphis and Gainesville. They finished the season 13-3 and looked like they were on their way to a 2nd straight championship. Then Floyd Cosby came to town and threw for 326 yards and 4 TDs and eliminated the Bandits on his way to his to the OSFL Bowl. Maybe we should have seen this coming. The Bandits defense gave up an average of 37 points in two of its three losses and both of them were against playoff teams (Camden and Columbus). Morgantown also scored 35 in their regular season meeting. So the St. Paul front office was left with a decision, spend more money solidifying the defense or stand pat and trust that the talent that brought a championship in 2007 will be good enough to win one in 2009. It appears they chose to do the latter and I think it was the right move for a number of reasons. First, the FA crop was that strong defensively so they decided to use that money to resign G Tyrell Rivera. Second, the Bandits still have one of the best offenses in the OSFL. QB Dusty Galloway is an All Pro and WRs Dwayne Holzenburger and Mercury Humphrey make one of the best WR tandems in the league. RB Rob Cote is arguably the best back in the OSFL. Finally, St. Paul’s schedule is easier this year with Columbus, Yuma and Camden as real tests. They could easily win 13 games again and have home field through the entire playoffs. Hopefully, they can protect their home field and return to the big game.
Chicago- The Reapers are built like the great Chicago football teams in the past with the defense leading the way. The problem is for all the talent on this defense they are very inconsistent. Just look at last season: Held Columbus to 7 points, Gainesville to 16 and New Orleans to 6. On the other hand, the D gave up 37 points to Charlotte, 31 to Morgantown and 33 to Memphis. The Reapers can’t afford this inconsistency because its offense isn’t good enough to carry the team when it’s struggling. QB Desmond Kaplan is going to be a good QB someday but he is still a year or two away from leading this team. It appears that the team will rely on rookie RB Ian Sanderson to provide a rushing attack. Sanderson is a solid and elusive back but I don’t think he’s good enough to provide this team with balanced offense. Sanderson and Kaplan’s lives were made a lot easier with the addition of G Macey Forbes. Forbes is a two-time All Pro and was a steal at only 6 million a year. He will immediately be a leader for this offensive front. On the defensive side, Chicago drafted star OLB Julio Durham with the #4 pick. Durham will be a contributor on day 1 and will be a top pass rusher for years to come. The Reapers will go as far as their defense will take them. If they are dominant and consistent, the Reapers will make a run for the Playoffs.
North Liberty- The fans in Iowa cant say that the front office didn’t try to improve this team. A 32 million dollar offer to WR Leland Lilledahl, a 85 million dollar offer to WR Kent Hutton and a 68 million dollar offer to T Deon Aviles were all made by N. Liberty and all turned down. The biggest FA signing was QB J.R. Abrams who will serve as a backup and mentor to QB Myron Allen. Speaking of Allen, the time is now. He was the number 1 pick in the 2007 draft and appears to have all the talent in the world but he struggled in his first two season. It appears fellow young QB’s Desmond Kaplan and Rico Whalen have passed him and the pressure is building. He needs a great season to show the league that he’s deserving of his #1 pick status. One person that doesn’t have to prove his status is Offensive Rookie of the Year RB Conrad Bronson. With 1300 yards in his rookie season, Bronson appears to be the real deal. If Allen can give them a passing game, Bronson will have an even bigger year. Defensively, their strength is at the linebacker position with veteran Zach Mcdonald, 1st round pick Joel Wild and talented LB Darrel Bernard. Bernard was underused in Gainesville and should be good in N. Liberty. With that said, the success of this team depends on Allen. If he struggles, he would be this league’s first #1 pick flop.
Dakota- The Savior Has Come! Roy Parrish has come to Dakota. After dominating the college ranks, Parrish steps in as the Totems starting QB. The question is whether he will be able to carry this team like Rico Whalen last year or whether he will struggle like most rookie QB’s. As long as Parrish can manage the game and not turnover the ball, RB Jim Whalen should be able to carry the load. Whalen did not run for more than a 1000 yards last season but he is still one of the league’s best backs and I expect him to have a bounce back year. Defensively, the Totems are solid but they will miss SS Earnest Robertson who is out for the first 6 games with a torn rotator cuff. I don’t see the Totems making a playoff run this year but the future is bright for this young team.
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