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Free agent quarterbacks attract attention

September 1, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Detroit Drive News Release


Free doesn't necessarily mean FREE. As in free agent!

When the list of some 200 free agents was released recently, enthusiastic and conversant Arena Football League fans took notice. They primarily were cognizant of some high-profile players especially on the ‘luscious list' of quarterbacks.

Some few, some new and some true (winners). However you look at this list and one thing is significant with the quarterbacks, a position coveted by the indoor game coaches as the most important position: The good ones don't come cheap.

Of the 19 available signal callers there are six veterans with seven or more years in the AFL. Five of those are 35 years of age or older. Three have been in the six-figure pay bracket. Free agent signing begins on September 14.

Quarterbacks in the AFL are the highest paid athletes in the league. At least eight command more than $100,000 when you consider their base salary along with performance bonuses earned during the season, while another group of four hit the $80,000, or more, a season jackpot.

QUARTERBACKS HIT ‘JACKPOT'

So you have to consider them at the top of the "food chain" in a league that has boosted its salary cap a ‘touch' from last season. Truthfully, other positions have gained increased remuneration over the past four years and include some valuable two-way linemen and some outstanding defensive specialists in a game dominated by offense.

Yet the AFL falls way short of its full-field, full-fledged National Football League brethren whose minimum salary is more than $300,000. The average salary in the NFL is more than $1 million. But who can argue the AFL is not the place to be if you are not in the NFL where the average salary is around $50,000 for a little more than six months work.

So, quarterbacks, as important as they are in the ‘50-yard War,' step up to the premier pay window. You don't show or place as a passer in a league dominated by the aerial assault. You ‘win' on a 3-step drop and a fling of the beige Spaulding blue-swirl ball.

VETERAN SIGNAL CALLERS ON TOP

Who are the top flingers? San Jose's Mark Grieb tops the list. Hands down the best and most consistent over the past three years, he helped the SaberCats to ArenaBowl championships in 2002 and 2004. What makes Grieb, who has broken all of San Jose's QB records, so special is his intelligence, leadership and accuracy.

Not to bore everyone with stats, we'll move on to the first of five, 35-year-old plus vets in John Kaleo. This former Maryland standout has been in the AFL 11 seasons and in 2003 led the Tampa Bay Storm to the league title. He was with the Los Angeles Avengers last season and head coach Ed Hodgkiss hopes he can re-sign Kaleo.

Third on the list is Clint Dolezel. If you think this long-tall Texan is sweet and juicy like a pineapple, think again. Clint is a gunslinger, one of the best out of the West, who took the Grand Rapids Rampage to an ArenaBowl title in 2001. Dolezel commanded the second-highest salary in the league, next to the $165,000 Tony Graziani received with the Philadelphia Soul.

DALLAS ENTICES GUNSLINGER

The buzz is Clint will ride back into Texas after two seasons in Las Vegas, and traverse the AFL trail with the Dallas Desperados. It's not that Clint dislikes the Gladiators, where he was able to formulate the offense and call his own game, but he might want to recharge the batteries in his home State. At 35, the arm and legs don't get any younger and where else would this East Texas State gunslinger like to finish his career after 10, already glorious seasons, in the AFL.

Michael Bishop was with Grand Rapids last season. He currently is with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The 6-foot-2, former Kansas State star has played in 13 games for the Argos and has split time with Damon Allen. How Bishop feels after 20 games (including 2 pre-season) games, will determine his availability to an AFL team.

Last year with the Rampage, Bishop had a 101.89 passer rating and threw for 3,355 yards with 57 touchdowns in 15 games. Bishop commanded a little less than $50,000 for that season and he could get more in a deal this season. This talented athlete can also run and he had 17 Rhino rushing scores.

The fifth pick is Chicago's Raymond Philyaw, who appears to be staying with the Rush. Overcoming a playoff injury in 2004, the former Northeast Louisiana standout had 67 TD tosses, one shy of this personal record of 68 in 2001 with Indiana. At 31, the 6-foot-1 Philyaw is solid all the way around and will help Chicago back in the ArenaBowl hunt this coming 2006 season.

SLEEPER SANDERS SOLID

The sleeper in this group of 19 is Orlando Predators' backup Chris Sanders, who at 27 has only a couple of years of AFL experience under his belt. Make no mistake, this 6-foot-2, Tennessee-Chattanooga product made player personnel types take notice after backing up Joe Hamilton.

Sanders spelled Hamilton in the five games at the end of the season and finished with a 100.29 rating (68 of 128) and 16 touchdowns, 15 of those in the last four contests. He's the real deal with the right meal ticket after beating ArenaBowl entrant the Georgia Force, 52-49. Sanders was no rookie because he had spent time with the NFL Tennessee Titans before signing with the former Buffalo Destroyers in 2004. Either expansion will grasp this outstanding, minimum salaried (2005) QB, from Preds' head coach Jay Gruden, who knows the value of a good game director, or the Florida team will sign him again as a backup. Best offer wins here.

The rest of the field of quarterbacks is a mix of veteran and young armed gunslingers. Todd Hammel, 13-year veteran, at 38 is the oldest, and Travis Cole of Arizona, Jose Davis of Colorado and San Jose's Nick Rolovich are the youngest at 26. Hammel has had two consecutive successful seasons at Philadelphia and Chicago, respectively, as a backup and could play this role for a couple more years. However, Hammel indicated last season he may turn to coaching in the AFL if the situation was right for him.

BONNER, DICKEN FALL IN LINE

Other vets include the Rattlers' Sherdrick Bonner, 36, an 11-year veteran who could end up with coaching togs on in 2006, Pat O'Hara, 36, a 10-year pro out of Southern California and New Orleans' Billy Dicken, a starter with Chicago from 2001 to 2003.

Other notables include Austin's Scott Dreisbach, who connected on 64% of his passes and 10 touchdowns with Dallas in 2004. Ryan Vena, a part-time starter at Columbus, and Tim Levcik, a backup to Graziani at Philly.

Not only are these quarterbacks available, but af2 has some talented tossers who will no doubt get a tryout look before the 2006 season. They include Louisville Fire Matt Sauk, Central Valley Coyotes' Juston Wood, Craig Strickland of the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz and Manchester Wolves' Jake Eaton.

In the NFL's first cutdown this week, there was former New York Dragons' quarterback Danny Kannell, who has been a backup in the NFL since having a short AFL stint in 2002. Kannell, the former Florida State product, was released by the Denver Broncos. With New York, he was 61 of 116 (.530) for 617 yards and 15 touchdowns. He had seven interceptions and an anemic 75.25 rating and he became disgruntled and said he would take his chances in the NFL.

CAN'T FORGET af2 - NFL CUTS IN MIX

Another 11 QB's were also released including high-profile names like Chad Hutchinson of Stanford by the Chicago Bears. Hutchinson had 9 starts in 2002 with the Dallas Cowboys and was with the Bears in 2004.

Others were Brock Berlin, out of the University of Miami, who was told "to bring his playbook to the coaches office" and he was given a walk. Berlin was 15 of 21 (71%) for 191 yards a touchdown and interception.

Rookies Timmy Chang (6-2, 215) of Hawaii never got a snap in a Detroit Lions pre-season game, former Montana standout Craig Ochs (6-2, 205) had one unsuccessful attempt in one game with the San Diego Chargers and David Rivers (6-2, 222) out of Western Carolina never played a game for the Oakland Raiders.

Some more quarterback cuts by the respective NFL clubs who could wind up in the AFL are Rod Rutherford (6-2, 223) of the university of Pittsburgh released by Carolina; Rohan Davey (6-2, 245), who was on the practice squad of New England for four seasons, was cut by the Patriots after going 5-of-10 for 44 yards and no TDs in pre-season games; and Jared Allen (6-2, 213) out of Florida Atlantic never got a snap in three Tampa Bay Buccaneers games.

Three more cuts that could end up in the AFL include Shane Boyd (6-1, 235), rookie out of Kentucky, was one of five quarterbacks used by the Tennessee Titans. Boyd was nine of 16 for 93 yards and a TD. Virginia Cavalier Bryson Spinner (6-2, 218) did not play a game for the Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Falcons released Bryan Randall (6-0, 228) a rookie out of Virgina Tech did run the ball five times for five yards, but did not pass in four pre-season games.

HAMILTON, BURLEY GET ‘SHOT'

Some annotations on some notable AFL players just released include kicker Remy Hamilton, a record-setting kicker with the Los Angeles Avengers, was released by the St. Louis Rams. Hamilton got some playing time in the Rams' ‘Monday Night' pre-season game at Detroit. His kickoffs sailed into the endzone which is more than most regular-rostered NFL kickers can do and hit some extra points. The former Michigan kicker will probably return to the Avengers unless some NFL team has an injured booter before the regular season stars.

Offensive specialist Siaha Burley (Central Florida), who has been with the Arizona Rattlers the last two seasons, was used as a wide receiver by the Minnesota Vikings and had two catches for 27 yards in three pre-season games. Burley has 121 career touchdown catches in the AFL, with a career-high of 45 last season at Phoenix.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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