2007 AFL Rookie Watch

Published on January 18, 2007 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release

By Nathan Boudreaux -- Each season there are a number of new faces who seem to take the League by storm. Last year Orlando's Greg White, Kansas City's Aaron Boone and San Jose's Ben Nelson came out of nowhere to play key roles on their respective teams.

Here's a look at some of the top AFL rookies to keep an eye on this season:

QB Shaun King (Las Vegas Gladiators) - The Gladiators are putting all their chips on a new coach and a rookie QB-WR tandem. Although both QB Shaun King and WR Peter Warrick are rookies by AFL standards, both come to desert from the NFL with a ton of talent and even more expectations. King spent seven seasons in the NFL, including two as a starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he earned a 14-8 record as a starter. A former second round pick, King seems very suited for the AFL game - he's a very accurate passer. He set the NCAA record for passing efficiency while at Tulane University in 1998. My guess is that King will remind a lot of AFL fans of San Jose's Mark Grieb - neither has the strongest arm in the League but both are extremely accurate. Vegas is dropping a ton of money on King and Warrick in the hopes that the two former NFLers can bring some excitement to Sin City.

WR Troy Edwards (Grand Rapids Rampage) - Edwards is a rookie by AFL standards but no stranger to the game of football. The 1998 winner of the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top collegiate receiver, Edwards begins his first AFL season with the Rampage. He was the 13th overall selection in the 1999 NFL Draft and spent seven seasons in the NFL with four different teams. With last year's top threat (WR Anthony Hines) gone via free agency to New Orleans, Edwards will take over as the Rampage's top receiver. Grand Rapids is also high on OL/DL Jerome Davis. Davis, who is no spring chicken at age 32, has spent time in both the CFL and the NFL and is a unique find. He began his career in the NFL as a defensive end but was moved to offensive tackle and has experience on both sides of the ball.

WR Steve Gonzalez (Philadelphia Soul) - For the second straight season, the Soul will look to the AFL's development league to help their receiving corps. Philly head coach Bret Munsey is extremely high on WR Steve Gonzalez (6-0, 180), who starred for Manchester of af2 last season. Philadelphia second-year WR/LB J.J. McKelvey also played in af2 for Manchester prior to joining the Soul last season. Gonzalez, who played collegiately at Division III Menlo College in California, finished second in af2 in total points (276) and amassed 2,525 all-purpose yards last year. He grabbed 118 passes for 1,355 yards and 45 TDs - good for second-most in af2. Philadelphia is also excited about the addition of a trio of rookie offensive linemen - Bryan Save, Martin Bibla and Phil Bogle - all of whom have previous NFL experience. With free substitution rules in place this season, look for each of these guys to help take some of the pressure off veteran QB Tony Graziani, who took way too many hits for the Soul last season.

DL Ed Wangler (Colorado Crush) - Crush head coach Mike Dailey is a former line coach and is extremely excited about the addition of DL Ed Wangler. At 260 pounds he plays light for a defensive end, but has good speed and a long wingspan (6-foot-4). He joins the Crush after earning All-af2 First Team honors last season as a member of the Macon Knights. In 14 games as a defensive line specialist, Wangler set a club record with 13 sacks (finished fourth in af2) and added 23.5 tackles, three forced fumbles, a pass break-up and two safeties. Wangler will also benefit from having an outstanding supporting cast of AFL veterans around him, including Dustin Barno, Aaron Johnson, Kyle Moore-Brown, Chris Synder and Chris Watton.

OL Marquis Sullivan (Chicago Rush) - Offensive lineman usually don't garner many headlines in professional football, but the defending AFL champion Rush can't say enough about rookie Marquis Sullivan. At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Sullivan is a mammoth lineman with a ton of pass blocking experience. Sullivan, who attended college at the University of Illinois, played offensive tackle in the NFL for the Bills and Patriots and has made a living protecting quarterbacks. The AFL's new substitution rules will allow for offensive-minded players like Sullivan to see more action, which is great news for Rush QB Matt D'Orazio.

DB David Crocker (Georgia Force) - The Force is loaded at receiver and along the offensive-defensive line, but has a few questions in the defensive secondary. Although rookie David Crocker has not taken a snap in the AFL, head coach Doug Plank is excited about his potential. A former standout in af2 for the Green Bay Blizzard, Crocker is expected to fight for a starting spot in the defensive backfield along with free agent Hamin Milligan (Dallas) and returnee's Willie Gary and Rober' Freeman.

OL Myniya Smith (Utah Blaze) - As a former quarterback in the NFL, Blaze head coach Danny White has an affinity for offensive lineman like rookie Myniya Smith. Smith (6-7, 327) has NFL experience and has also impressed new line coach Ron James with his soft hands and quick feet. Also, don't be surprised to see the Blaze try to sneak him out into a pass pattern, especially in the red zone.

WR Jake Schifino (Austin Wranglers) - New Wranglers head coach Brian Partlow is quietly piecing together an offensive machine in Central Texas. With free agent QB Adrian McPherson under center and WRs Derrick Lewis and Kevin Nickerson returning, Austin has a solid offensive nucleus. Partlow is also high on rookie WR Jake Schifino, who played a number of years in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. Schifino was a four-year starter at the University of Akron and was the Titans' fifth-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. Once he learns the ins and outs of the indoor game, Schifino should be a nice compliment to Lewis and Nickerson.

WR Charles Frederick (Kansas City Brigade) - The second-year Brigade returns leading receiver Jerel Myers, but will be looking for a complimentary target in '07. Head coach Kevin Porter and new offensive coordinator Chris Siegfried are excited about former af2 standout Charles Frederick. Frederick (5-11, 185) is a speedy receiver who helped the af2 Spokane Shock to the 2006 Arena Cup championship last season with 85 catches for 973 yards and 22 TDs.

WR Cleannord Saintil (San Jose SaberCats) - SaberCats QB Mark Grieb does a great job of making everyone around him better, which is good news for rookie WR Cleannord Saintil. Saintil is an exceptional route runner and is expected to battle for the 'Cats third receiver position behind James Roe and Ben Nelson. Saintil was a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection at Middle Tennessee State and should fit nicely into 'Cats offensive coordinator Terry Malley's offensive system.

DL Mark Word (Tampa Bay Storm) - Storm head coach Tim Marcum won an ArenaBowl championship with a strong pass rush in 2003 and is assembling a similar defensive line again this season. The addition of free agent Tom Briggs (Austin), along with returnee Ernest Certain and rookie Mark Word should form a nice defensive line rotation. Word is an experienced pass rusher who spent seven years inn the NFL with the Chiefs, Browns and Colts and is expected to bring a lot of energy to the defensive front.

OL Lawrence Smith (Nashville Kats) - Kats Head Coach Pat Sperduto is a former offensive lineman and is excited about the addition of rookie Lawrence Smith. Smith is a mammoth player (6-3, 325) who brings four years of NFL experience to the Kats. A physical, hard-nosed player, Smith has nice athletic ability for a player his size. The Kats coaches think his four years of NFL experience - he spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (2002-03) and another two years with the Buffalo Bills (2004-05) - will help his transition to the AFL game.

Nathan Boudreaux has been working for arenafootball.com since 2002. He has been associated with the AFL since 1999 and has worked as media relations director for both the AFL's Florida Bobcats (1999) and Carolina Cobras (2000-02). He also spent four years (2002-05) in the media relations department of the NFL's Cleveland Browns before moving to his current post as manager of communications for USA Football - a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping to grow and support the game of football at the youth level.

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 18, 2007

• 2007 AFL Rookie Watch - AFL I

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