Preds shuffle roster
May 17, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Orlando Predators News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 17, 2005) -- Orlando Predators head coach Jay Gruden made a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday as his team began preparations for Sunday's showdown with the New Orleans VooDoo.
Most notably, the Predators activated both offensive specialist Jimmy Fryzel and quarterback Joe Hamilton from injured reserve. Hamilton was 8-4 as a starter prior to suffering a separated shoulder during the New York game on April 25. In his four games prior to being injured, Hamilton had completed 75.9% of his passes for 1,091 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Fryzel, the former UCF star who replaced Travis McGriff in Week 5 as the team's starting offensive specialist, was averaging more than 100 yards receiving per game. He totaled 979 yards and 17 touchdowns on 66 receptions in just nine games played before being injured in the Georgia on April 22. Both Hamilton and Fryzel are slated to start on Sunday against the VooDoo.
The Predators also activated defensive specialist Arkee Thompson from the injured reserve list and then waived the second-year player. Thompson was signed as a mid-season replacement when defensive specialists Kenny McEntyre, Reggie Doster and Johnnie Harris went down with injuries. He played in three games, totaling 13 tackles with a pass defense.
Orlando announced the signing of lineman Elfrid Payton. A pass rush specialist, Payton played 14 seasons in the Canadian Football League, where he recorded 154 quarterback sacks -- second most in league history. He was a seven-time division all-star and four-time CFL all-star. He played college football at Grambling and went to camp with the Tampa Bay Storm this past season.
To make room on the roster for Payton, Orlando released veteran lineman William Carr. Obtained in a trade with Grand Rapids in a mid-season trade for Cecil Caldwell. In six games with the Predators, Carr recorded 7.5 tackles with one quarterback sack.
In other moves, the Predators placed fullback/linebacker Marlon Moye-Moore on injured reserve (ankle), released veteran quarterback Connell Maynor, and waived offensive/defensive lineman Nate Bandy from the practice squad.
Additional roster moves will be made later this week.
The Predators, 9-6, find themselves in a battle with New Orleans (9-6) and Tampa Bay (9-6) for the two final playoff spots. The Predators can clinch one of those spots with either a win over the VooDoo or a loss by the Storm at Columbus (2-13). The Predators are coming off the bye week after dropping back-to-back road games to Philadelphia and Austin. Had Orlando won either of those games, they would already be in the playoffs. "It was disappointing not getting a victory in one of those two road games," Gruden said. "But we are finally starting to get our key players back from injuries and we still control our own destiny. Win and we're in."
PREDATORS NOTES: Fans are reminded that the season finale with New Orleans has been moved from Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22...kickoff for the nationally televised game (NBC) is 3 p.m. ...due to its popularity for the last game, the team is bringing back the "Jay Gruden Special" for the New Orleans game...For $44 fans receive four game tickets and four beers or sodas ($90 value)...the package is available by calling 407-44-PREDS...kicker Jay Taylor converted all six of his extra points in his first game back since being released by the Tampa Bay Bucs...Taylor has now extended his club record for consecutive extra points made to 44...WR/LB Cory Fleming's five touchdown receptions against Austin marked the 4th time in his career that he has caught five or more touchdowns in a single game and was the most by a Predators player since Siaha Burley snagged six touchdown receptions against San Jose in 2001...With more than 11,500 tickets sold for Sunday, the Predators should finish with an average attendance of around 13,300 for the year...that total would be the most since the 1999 season and eighth highest total in franchise history...with 62 career coaching wins, Jay Gruden is within six wins of moving past Perry Moss for most coaching wins with the Predators...he already ranks ninth for most in AFL history...with 114 career touchdown passes, Joe Hamilton needs four passes to move past Gruden for third place on the Predators all-time list...both Gruden and Hamilton played two seasons for Orlando, Pat O'Hara (166 TD passes in six seasons) and Ben Bennett (162 TD passes in five years) rank one-two on Orlando's all-time list.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 17, 2005
- "Doc Locke" on hold for now - Los Angeles Avengers
- New York Dragons game notes - New York Dragons
- VooDoo QB Andy Kelly named AFL Offensive Player of the Week - New Orleans VooDoo
- Tom Pace Named U.S. Army Ironman of the Week - Arizona Rattlers
- Tampa Bay Storm game notes - Tampa Bay Storm
- Chicago Rush game notes - Chicago Rush
- AFL Fan of the Year team winners announced - AFL I
- AFL announces weekly award winners - AFL I
- Rattlers shut down SaberCats, 54-44 - OSC Original by Andrew Nordmeier
- L.A.'s Kevin Ingram leads online fan voting for U.S. Army Ironman of the Year honors - AFL I
- Colorado Rapids game notes - Colorado Crush
- Las Vegas Gladiators game notes - Las Vegas Gladiators
- Georgia Force game notes - Georgia Force
- Arizona Rattlers game notes - Arizona Rattlers
- Preds shuffle roster - Orlando Predators
- Numerous AFL records on verge of being broken - AFL I
- Four Gladiators test movie industry - Las Vegas Gladiators
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.
