1973 Gains Report: Draft Preview

There was immediately a lot of intrigue in the 1973 draft class when several interesting players decided to deviate from their usual path to professional football due to the ACFL’s expansion south and the NAAF’s expansion West. The two leagues have become the premier leagues in the continent. The Texas and Pacific leagues have fallen behind, making them less attractive for graduating players. While many players that are jumping from the Texas and Pacific pipelines are heading towards the ACFL due to the American rules, there are a handful that have decided to head north.

The biggest name is RB Chavez Arrington out of Amon Carter (Fort Worth, TX). Arrington was set to join the ACFL, but after meeting the NAAF scouts he was immediately impressed with the difference in attitude and wanted to head North. Arrington gets scouts excited with his hard-nosed style, but also his quickness and speed that he has when he does get into space. Arrington was also joined by teammate, DB Clyde Henry, who is also heading North. Henry is a pure ball hawk corner, who can seemingly appear out of thin air to bring in an interception. They will also be joined by WR Ray Howard, who is coming over from California Republic. Howard isn’t as highly touted of a prospect, but he’s got great hands and tools to be a solid guy in the NAAF.

Outside of the interesting prospects coming out of Texas and California, there is plenty of talent from the usual suspects of schools. Leading the way is LB Corey Briggs out of UHamilton. Briggs is a heavy-hitting and aggressive LB who still has an intelligent mind that makes him one of the most dangerous threats defensively. Briggs may be a hot commodity with the LB position being a little weaker this season. However, there are some later talents with LB Isaac Snyder out of Minneapolis and LB Paul Sanborn out of RISU. Snyder may be a prospect of interest being more of a coverage LB, while Sanborn is a more traditional hard-hitting LB. 

There are several solid prospects for teams looking to add to their secondary. Highlighted with S George Turner out of WNY. Turner is a great all-around safety, who is an excellent tackler, not letting many get past him on the ground. DB Oliver Benson is also available in more of a corner role. Benson tended to take away the opposing team’s top receiving threat. He only allowed one WR all season to get over 60 yards in a game. DB Alexandre Gagnon is a ball-hawk corner who continuously makes big plays, including the game-sealing interception against St-Laurent in the CEHC playoffs.

After several strong D-line classes, the 1972 crop is a little thin. DL Michael Ellis is the top prospect out of Brooklyn Metropolitan. Ellis is one quick player, who’s first step off the line can beat slower O-linemen with ease and disrupt play in the backfield. The one concern could be that he may not always be able to rely on his speed when he does run into pro-level linemen. There is also Jack Davis, who is also pretty swift, but to a less dominant degree than Ellis, but then there is Stephen Marshall out of Western New York, who is more of a powerful force on the line.

Flipping to the offence. Most eyes are going to be on the RB position and whether Chavez Arrington or Joshua Tomlinson will be the first taken. Arrington, as mentioned, coming from outside of the league’s region may leave him a step behind Tomlinson going in. Tomlinson has quite the resume, helping Toronto to a continental title this season, and being a dominant running back all year long. The main difference between the two is Tomlinson is more of an elusive back, being able to create space himself, while Arrington is more of the power/speed type. Both should be great options.

At WR you got a couple of top stars in Evan Moore and Colt Robbins. Moore is probably one of the most complete WR prospects. Good route running, good hands, solid speed. It’s a wonder if you can even ask for even more out of him. Colt Robbins isn’t too dissimilar to Moore, being a great route runner as well, however, he’s not as athletically gifted which may give some pause. WR John Jackson probably has the best hands out of anyone in the class, which makes him a great option later. The aforementioned Ray Howard and Pacific Provincial product, Alex Acquafredda also provide solid depth to the position in the draft.

TE Dylan Abney has emerged as a very promising prospect on the line, becoming a top WR threat at Albert Provincial this past season. The bigger player struggled at WR and with the transition to hybrid rules found a lot of success at TE, enough to make him the top TE prospect in the class. TE Bob Byron is the top blocking-focused option. Then one of the more interesting prospects could be Taro Ueyama, who is the latest prospect following the new Japanese pipeline to the NAAF. A very balanced TE between receiving and blocking.

Like the D-line pool this season, the O-line pool is a little thinner. The headlines are the Brightman twins out of North Indiana, with Owen being the stronger of the two prospects. However, the prospect of interest could be Dennis Gould. He is a supremely talented player, however, he was caught in some deep trouble in University regarding the selling marijuana on campus. Some wonder if he’ll have the best mindset at the next level. Bill Portsmouth and Liam May round out the rest of the prospects.

Finally, we arrive at the options at QB. The top prospect is far and away Oscar Frost. Frost was the most consistent QB in college last season, finding a lot of success in his pocket passing style. It helped with a solid O-line at UEdmonton, which does bring some questions of if he can handle more pressure at the next level. Dominic Hoffmeister emerged as a solid #2 behind Frost. Also a pocket passer, he stepped up in his senior year to lead North Indiana to their first championship game appearance. He is a little less safe than Frost, often making questionable decisions on the field, but overall still a solid pocket passing QB. Two of the most interesting prospects though are St-Laurent QB, Justin Arceneaux, and Majeure Montreal QB, Matthieu Chevalier. After last season’s championship appearance Arceneaux was looking like a contender for being the top QB in this class, but an injury and inconsistent play this season led to his stock falling significantly. He’s still a talented player with a big arm but seems to have struggled without the support of #2 pick RB Axel Vandal this season. As Arceneaux fell, Chevalier rose, leading Majeure Montreal to the CEHC championship, showing a lot of potential with his arm and more consistent play. It’ll be interesting to see how those two shake out if Arceneaux still has the potential he flashed last season or if Chevalier is the real deal after this recent season. 

Top 50 Prospects
1 - LB Corey Briggs - UHamilton - Wallflower
2 - S George Turner - Western New York - Burmy87
3 - RB Joshua Tomlinson - Toronto - ZO82
4 - DB Oliver Benson - Toronto - Kingsfan11
5 - RB Chavez Arrington - Amon Carter (TX)* - RaysUp
6 - WR Evan Moore - New England - idm
7 - OL Noah Glassman - Haynes - Stickman
8 - WR Colt Robbins - Alberta Provincial - Kingsfan11
9 - DL Michael Ellis - Brooklyn Metropolitan* - joho42x
10 - OL Owen Brightman - North Indiana - ZO82
11 - QB Oscar Frost - UEdmonton - Wallflower
12 - DB Alexandre Gagnon - Majeure Montreal - Kingsfan11
13 - LB Isaac Snyder - Minneapolis* - ZO82
14 - DL Stephen Marshall - Western New York - ZO82
15 - OL Dennis Gould - Detroit Tech* - DireBear
16 - S Todd Collingswood - Pacific Provincial - QCS
17 - WR John Jackson - North Indiana - Kingsfan11
18 - DB Clyde Henry - Amon Carter (TX)* - Wallflower
19 - TE Dylan Abney - Alberta Provincial - Dan O’Mac
20 - DB Art Winslow - Haynes - Wallflower
21 - DL Jack Davis - New England - Kingsfan11
22 - LB Paul Sanborn - Rhode Island State - idm
23 - S Keith Osgood - Upstate - MitchSwanson94
24 - OL Bill Portsmouth - Western New York - Jayhawk
25 - WR Ray Howard - California Republic* - MitchSwanson94
26 - OL Liam May - Rhode Island State - Burmy87
27 - S Devron Candlestick - Allegheny* - Jayhawk
28 - QB Dominic Hoffmeister - North Indiana - ZO82
29 - WR Alex Acquafredda - Pacific Provincial - Wallflower
30 - LB Spencer Morrison - Saskatchewan Provincial - ZO82
31 - DB Guy Wright - New England - idm
32 - LB Brett Spanakos - North Indiana - Dan O’Mac
33 - WR Pierre Boudreaux - Majeure Montreal - ThisIsFine
34 - RB Gabe Ibrahim - Upstate - ThisIsFine
35 - OL Gavin Brightman - North Indiana - ZO82
36 - LB Brad Johnson - Louisville State - Sevsdast
37 - RB Daniel DeVille - Maine State - Jayhawk
38 - S Bill Kozlowski - Haynes - Jayhawk
39 - DL Jake Overton - London - Kingsfan11
40 - WR Jason Tredegar - West Mass State - RaysUp
41 - LB Taysom Karlov - Allegheny* - Darknes
42 - QB Matthieu Chevalier - Majeure Montreal - ThisIsFine
43 - TE Bob Byron - Rhode Island State - QCS
44 - DL George Lewis - Louisville State - Wallflower
45 - OL Pipon Rivers - Saskatchewan Provincial - ZO82
46 - S Ian Lauder - UEdmonton - Darknes
47 - DB Frederick Royston - Cambridge of Boston - NoE38
48 - DL Butcher Moreau - Rhode Island State - Darknes
49 - OL Oliver Luddal - Minneapolis* - Darknes
50 - QB Justin Arceneaux - St-Laurent - Dan O’Mac
============================================
51 - LB Victor Underhill - Haynes - TheEnigmaticOne
91 - DB Ron Tulsa - Western Manitoba - JamHeronArk
100 - RB Otto Bahn - Major Wisconsin* - Scratch
104 - K George Ketener - North Indiana - TigersFan93

1972 College Hybrid Football Season

Canada East Hybrid Conference (CEHC)
WEST
(2) Toronto Dukes
Hamilton Howlers
London Foresters
St. George Maples
Dominion Knights
Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial Beavers
Sudbury Provincial Miners

EAST
(8) Majeure Montreal Insulaires
(10) St-Laurent Cavaliers de Riviere
Nova Scotia Armada
Rideau Rams
Montreal Provincial Panthers
UPNB Pirates
Mont-Bellevue Geais Bleus

CEHC Playoffs
(2) TOR 20-16 UHAM
(8) MMTL 33-22 (10) ST-L

CEHC Championship
(2) TOR 27-20 (8) MMTL

The Toronto Dukes remained the team to beat in the CEHC. Led by star RB Joshua Tomlinson and DB Oliver Benson, the Dukes cruised to each win in their unbeaten season. UHamilton regained 2nd in the West Division, led by their star LB Corey Briggs, a potential #1 pick. London remained competitive but fell back after losing key players from last season. The East was a battle between Majeure Montreal and St-Laurent. While St-Laurent had been a Hybrid Football Championship finalist last season, they seemed to hit a snag this year after QB Justin Arceneaux, who looked like a top QB prospect after last season struggled in his senior year. At Majeure Montreal, QB Matthieu Chevalier stepped up and delivered a great season, leading the Insulaires back to the top of the East Division. Nova Scotia and Rideau both had alright teams as well but fell short of the postseason.

In the playoffs, the Howlers would give the Dukes one of their toughest games of the season, but it wasn’t enough to topple the #2 ranked team in hybrid football. Majeure Montreal and St-Laurent had a close duel in the other final, but a late-game pick-6 from DB Alexandre Gagnon would seal the win.

Toronto ended up literally running through the Insulaires via RB Joshua Tomlinson. They held a 27-10 lead at one point. While Majeure Montreal attempted a comeback they would still fall well short of a win, as the Dukes captured their 4th conference title in 5 seasons.

West-Can Athletic Conference (WCAC)
(4) Edmonton Huskies
(6) Pacific Provincial Seahawks
Saskatchewan Provincial Prairie Dogs
Alberta Provincial Wranglers
Riel Rebels
Central BC Mountain Lions
Western Manitoba Wolverines
Royal Regina Blues
Royal Gardens Knights
Lethbridge Miners

WCAC Playoffs
(4) UEDM 24-20 APU
(6) PPU 25-19 SPU

WCAC Championship
(4) UEDM 29-21 (6) PPU

Out west, the first year of hybrid ball in the WCAC would see the Edmonton Huskies rise to the top lead by QB Oscar Frost. Coming in 2nd behind Edmonton was the Pacific Provincial Seahawks who were led by a pair of solid prospects in S Todd Collingswood and WR Alex Acquafredda. QB Steve Robiskie led a solid offence at Alberta Provincial with the help of WR Colt Robbins and TE Dylan Abney. However, they were not quite able to surpass the well coached Saskatchewan Provincial Prairie Dogs in the standings. Riel and Central BC were both playoff contenders but fell short of the mark.

In the playoffs, Robiskie would lead the Wranglers to a solid performance, but could not quite out duel Frost and the Huskies, who held on. Pacific Provincial would manage to take down the Prairie Dogs on the back of a key interception from S Todd Collingswood. 

In the title game, the Huskies would reign supreme, taking down the Seahawks for the 2nd time this season to capture the first hybrid title in the WCAC.

America East Hybrid Conference (AEHC)
(3) New England Cardinals
(7) Haynes Colonials
(9) Rhode Island State Bulldogs
Cambridge of Boston Cubs
Maine State Acadians
West Mass State Rangers
Concord-Manchester Fighting Pike
Vermont Republic Mountaineers

AEHC Playoffs
(3) UNE 34-6 CUB
(7) HAY 21-19 (9) RISU

AEHC Championship
(3) UNE 32-18 (7) HAY

The new-look AEHC would be led by the typically strong New England Cardinals with the plethora of talent they have including WR Evan Moore and DB Guy Wright. Following behind them were a couple of usual suspects with Haynes and Rhode Island State. Both also feature many prospective draftees, most notably OL Noah Glassman at Haynes and LB Paul Sanborn at RISU. Cambridge of Boston rounded out the playoff teams led by DB Frederick Royston, while Maine State, led by RB Daniel DeVille fell just short.

In the playoffs, New England dismantled their intown rivals 34-6. In stark contrast, Haynes would narrowly advance on a last second field goal to get past RISU and in to the AEHC final.

The Colonials’ luck would run out in the championship as New England rolled on to a 32-18 win to capture a 2nd straight conference title.

Central Hybrid Conference (CHC)
EAST
(1) Western New York Whitetails
Upstate Bluebirds
Erie Sailors
WNY-Rochester Eagles

WEST
(5) North Indiana Cardinals
Louisville State Stallions
Indiana Tech Express
Daniel Boone Pioneers

CHC Playoffs
(1) WNY 46-13 UPST
(5) UNIN 27-12 LVST

CHC Championship
(1) WNY 25-28 (5) UNIN

In the brand new CHC, it was pretty clear who the playoff teams were versus the rest. Western New York crushed their conference play, led by S George Turner and DL Stephen Marshall. Outside of playing WNY, Upstate was solid behind RB Gabe Ibrahim. Then, Erie and WNY-Rochester struggled a lot finishing far behind the top two in the East. In the West, North Indiana led the way with great performances from their seniors producing one of their best graduating classes. QB Dominic Hoffmeister had a great final season along with WR John Jackson and the OL twins of Owen and Gavin Brightman. Louisville State was still solid behind them led by LB Brad Johnson. Indiana Tech was definitely the best non-playoff team, but they still weren’t a match for the top 4.

In the playoffs, it showed just how much better the top 2 teams were with WNY crushing Upstate while North Indiana got a big win over their rivals in the Stallions.

In the championship, most expected the Whitetails to top the Cardinals, however, Hoffmeister had a career game and managed to lead North Indiana to an upset win, capturing the first ever CHC championship.

Hybrid Football Playoffs
Canadian Final
(2) Toronto Dukes 31-27 (4) Edmonton Huskies
In the debut of the Hybrid Football Playoffs, the Canadian Final would feature Toronto and Edmonton. The two teams were well-matched. Despite his best efforts, QB Oscar Frost was unable to lead the Huskies past the Dukes. RB Joshua Tomlinson had 3 touchdowns in the big win, leading his team to the Championship.

American Final
(3) New England Cardinals 17-21 (5) North Indiana Cardinals
In the American final, it was the battle of the Cardinals. Once again, North Indiana was able to shock the college world, with a 2nd consecutive upset over New England. QB Dominic Hoffmeister had another strong performance, to lead his school to their first overall championship game in their history.

Hybrid Football Continental Championship
(2) Toronto Dukes 30-24 (5) North Indiana Cardinals

Finally in the championship, it was Toronto versus North Indiana looking to pull off another massive upset. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, their luck would run out despite a solid game. The Dukes were ultimately the better team and would capture a 3rd championship in 4 seasons. 

1973 Field Design Changes

A couple of teams are changing their fields for the 1973 season.

Providence Gold Stars

Providence is adding the 4th star to each endzone wordmark.

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths

The Blacksmiths will have their own field design for the first time a year after they got the lease at Riverfront Stadium of Pittsburgh. The new field will feature the team’s logo at midfield and a new number font (the same as their jerseys). The diamond pattern in the endzones was also removed.

Winnipeg Falcons
It is also noted that Provencher Park in Winnipeg will only have one field design with the western schools having transitioned to Hybrid rules. 

*Note this occurred last season, but I wanted to note it now since I had not before.  

1973 Free Agency

Boston Independents
Boston made one of the biggest splashes of free agency, signing DB Aiden Sargent to a massive 3-year deal. The 29-year-old has been Pittsburgh’s #2 DB for the last couple of seasons. On his new team, he is expected to be the Independents’ top DB next to Tim McGovern. Boston also added LB Benjamin Page, who had a breakout season with the Victors last year after being traded from Providence. Page should shore up a solid LB corps for the team. Finally, RB Wesley Wu is back after a solid season behind RB Reggie Whitehead.

Buffalo Blue Wings
The Blue Wings’ big move was to add OL Martin Graw from Ottawa on a 3-year deal. The 27-year-old can slot well into any position on the O-line making him a valuable piece for a team looking to patch up their O-line. They would also grab a former Tiger in S Ezekiel Locke to fill in for the recently retired S Wesley Jones and S Eric Willis. WR Edward Washington will also get a new opportunity with the Blue Wings after a disappointing start to his career with Pittsburgh after being taken 10th overall in 1970. DL Ross Jackson and DL Miles Mandrycky also add younger depth to the D-line.

Calgary Predators
The Preds would make a couple of big signings in LB Daniel Timothy and OL Alan Farquharson. Timothy was taken 4th overall in 1968 and while he has been solid, he hasn't quite lived up to the expectations of a top 5 pick. In Calgary, he will be more support to an elite LB Junior Abbott and up-and-coming LB Marcus McGhee. Farquharson was taken 9th in the same draft and has been alright as well, but after a heated departure from Toronto, he finds a new home with the Predators. Calgary would also add depth in the form of DL Lukka Kudro, to fill in for the departing Barrett twins, and OL Elias Schenk.

Edmonton Rangers
The Barrett twins of Chris and Roger would head north to Edmonton, joining their hometown’s rival. The two wanted to stick together and Edmonton was able to provide a contract for both players to add depth to their D-line. They continued adding former Predator players in LB Tanner Upton (traded to LI last season) and DB Johnny Fairbanks as well. Then, they added veterans DB Corey Ross and S Pat Washington to the secondary. To help out the QB position, the Rangers would grab veteran QB Mike Key, who had a couple of solid appearances in relief of QB Martin Keller last season. While they have been busy, all but one of the Rangers signings have been 30 or older, which doesn’t exactly help what appears to be a rebuilding team. The only sub-30 player they have signed was depth WR Raymond Jefferson from Regina.

Halifax Mariners
The Mariners made a couple of solid acquisitions in what has been a relatively quiet offseason thus far. They would bring on DB Perry Ferris, who spent last season with the Tigers after being traded from the Gold Stars. Ferris will play a role in patching up the hole left by DB Joe Robinson’s retirement. WR Shay Hopkins also comes over as a younger speedy option in the WR corps. They would also bring back a pair of younger players in LB Nick Proehl and QB Colt Dorsey.

Indiana Victors
With new management and a whole lot of cap space, the Victors were busy attempting to revamp their team. They would bring in 3 solid veteran players in the form of LB Conrad Kurst, WR Felix Fontaine, and TE Hunter Ziegelbauer. All three should bring stability to their position being consistent starters. With the new management being mostly brought over from the Raiders, it wasn’t a surprise to see the team bring in a couple of former Raiders in DL Abraham Evans Jr. and OL Bob Abuoy. They also set up a QB duel for the season, signing QB Al Washington and QB Nathan Houle to matching 1-year, $15,500 contracts. The two 25-year-olds will hope to make the most of the fresh opportunity. Finally, they added DB Tomik Vrana, a former 1st Round Pick, who is hoping a fresh start can get his career back on track.

London Tigers
It’s been quiet in London, but the team still managed to bring in 2 new faces so far. Career-Blue Wing, WR Julius Drake, is joining the other side of the classic rivalry, set to be the team’s new WR3. RB Maxwell Greenfield is also joining the team to be a power back support to RB Jeremy Royal. The team also re-signed QB Tyrion Gainsborough who didn’t get a strong offer for a starting role.

Long Island Raiders
The Raiders pulled in a very interesting free agent in WR Nick Spalding. Spalding had a great 1970 season with Regina but has been limited in impact in the past 2 seasons. His speed makes him a threat and HC Levi Bray is hoping that he can use that in the passing game. The team also brought on a couple of former Blue Wings in DL Zane Tannith and OL Randal Graham. Then they also brought back QB David Simmons after his 2-year stint with Toronto. Simmons helped the Raiders win the Cup in 1970 when replacing an injured QB Ivan Sanchez in the McCallister Cup. 

Louisville Thunder
With limited cap space, Louisville has only signed 2 players thus far. LB Dylan Hill does return on a 1-year deal. Then, they also brought on TE Terry Wrasse to back up TE Rex Williamson.

Minnesota Serpents
The Serpents brought in a pair of significant signings to their defence, adding S Paul Christopher and DL Ron Prumple. Christopher should fit very well in the Serpents’ strong secondary, while Prumple solidifies their front next to Albert Sullivan and Ferris Kane. Deadline acquisitions, LB Nathan Davidson and DB Chris Berrymore, both returned on 1-year deals. Then the team would add depth in the backfield with RB George Seahorse signing on to be the other half of a backfield with RB Tyler Kuhn and QB Ulysses Lawyer set to back up Martin Keller.

Montreal Rouge
As expected, QB Tom Applewhite would be heading to Montreal on a new 3-year deal. The 31-year-old QB is joining his first new team after spending the last 9 seasons with Indiana. Applewhite has been a solid starter throughout his career, leading the Victors to one McCallister Cup appearance. Montreal hopes with a stronger team behind him, he can finally capture the cup. Indiana teammate, OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins, has joined Applewhite in the move over to Montreal. Several other veterans also have signed on with the Rouge in the form of DL Bjorn Sigmarsson and WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence. Even S Garet deVale has elected to return to Montreal in hopes of capturing the magic that DB Neville Falkner did upon his return to his old team last season. The team also added a young LB in Grover Smith, who will look to break into a bigger role with his new team after being a solid depth LB in Toronto.

Ottawa Royals
The Royals’ key signing sees the team bring over RB Nikki Yang from Vancouver. The 26-year-old has flashed some potential with Vancouver in a backup role and Ottawa is hoping they may have a future option behind the 33-year-old RB Corbyn Knight. They also added several depth pieces in WR Chad Anderson, OL Clifford Pratt, and S Nick Prince. 

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
The Blacksmiths had a little more cash to work with this offseason so they were out to make some moves. The first was to replace the departing DB Aiden Sargent. They would sign former Indiana DB Felix Roy. The 27-year-old had been the top corner in Indiana, but taking a smaller role in Pittsburgh might be a better fit overall. The team did bring back both LB Quinn Masters and QB Magnus Torrensen, before adding veteran DL Ryan Sargent. 25-year-old RB Alain Ducharme is joining the team as well to continue his growth behind Max Tracy.

Providence Gold Stars
The Gold Star entered the free agency period needing to clear cap space before they could start spending. They would end up making 2 trades. The first saw RB Ronnie Byers and DL Brandon Hall shipped off to Indiana. In order to take on the cap hit, Providence would move back in the draft, swapping their 2nd for Louisville’s 3rd.

Then, the 2nd trade would see the team move OL Millard Streety to the Toronto Steelheads. To complete that swap, the team would just swap 4th round picks that ended up being only 2 picks apart.

After making the moves, the Gold Stars would then add/re-add some pieces in FA. LB Brian O’Flaherty and RB Bob Sanders both re-joined the team. Then WR Colby Bancana would be added to replace the outgoing WR Owen Paisley. Then, OL Alanzo Tofflers and DL Teddy Piper were added for depth.

Regina Wheat Kings
The Wheat Kings have been looking to improve the roster by picking out from the players looking for a new opportunity. WR Bennie Braverman is going to get a chance to step into a bigger role after being a fringe starter for the Gold Stars in recent years. A pair of younger players looking for fresh starts LB Dallas Rush and TE Knobby Silverton also joined the team. They also boosted their D-line depth by adding DL Winfield Winchester and DL Jesse Rivard.

Toronto Steelheads
The Steelheads once again focused on bringing in help on the O-line to protect their young QB. OL Matthew Miller is the big name coming over from Edmonton before they also added Millard Streety via the trade with Providence. WR Alex Browne Sr. found a new home with the Steelheads hoping for a bigger opportunity than he got with the Tigers in the past two seasons. Local product, S Peter Sellers is also making the move over to Toronto next to a plethora of depth pieces in DB Janek Rodoslav, RB JC Skyes, and WR Eric Hodge. 

Vancouver Wolves
The Wolves set out to try and make some bigger improvements to their roster. They would make a big splash out of the gate landing the breakout DL Derick Parks from the Wheat Kings. Parks at only 25 is a great young player for the team to add to their already sturdy D-line. Unfortunately, the team struggled to land many other players due to cap restraints, but they managed to still add other depth pieces. RB Richard Morin comes in to replace the departing RB Nikki Yang, then WR Jessie Lambert adds some depth to the WR corps. Then QB Jerome Sheppard and DB Tim Ho both returned alongside OL Natsuki Ogawa after he spent a couple of seasons elsewhere.

Winnipeg Falcons
The Falcons have only managed to bring in one new face so far this offseason in LB Daniel Shao-Li coming over from Vancouver. Despite the lack of new talent, they still managed to bring back LB Kyrell Warner, TE John Wells, and DB Carl Odebell. 

Top 25 Signings (Ordered by Salary):
1 - QB Tom Applewhite - IND -> MTL - 3Y, $40,000-$44,000
2 - DB Aiden Sargent - PIT -> BOS - 3Y, $32,750-$33,250
3 - S Paul Christopher - PRO -> MIN - 2Y, $27,000
4 - LB Grover Smith - TOR -> MTL - 3Y, $26,000
5 - LB Daniel Timothy - LOU -> CGY - 2Y, $25,000
6 - OL Matthew Miller - EDM -> TOR - 2Y, $25,000
7 - LB Conrad Kurst - MIN -> IND - 2Y, $24,000
8 - DL Derick Parks - REG -> VAN - 3Y, $24,000
9 - WR Alex Browne Sr. - LDN - > TOR - 2Y, $23,500
10 - OL Alan Farquharson - TOR -> CGY - 3Y, $22,500
11 - OL Martin Graw - OTT -> BUF - 3Y, $22,500
12 - WR Nick Spalding - REG -> LI - 2Y, $22,500
13 - DL Chris Barrett - CGY -> EDM - 1Y, $22,000 - NTC
14 - DB Felix Roy - IND -> PIT - 2Y, $21,250
15 - WR Felix Fontaine - TOR -> IND - 2Y. $21,000
16 - DL Ron Prumple - VAN -> MIN - 2Y, $21,000
17 - LB Benjamin Page - IND -> BOS - 2Y, $20,000
18 - S Ezekiel Locke - LDN -> BUF - 1Y, $20,000
19 - DB Corey Ross - PRO -> EDM - 2Y, $20,000
20 - OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins - IND -> MTL - 1Y, $20,000
21 - S Pat Washington - LI -> EDM - 1Y, $19,500
22 - QB Mike Key - MIN -> EDM - 1Y, $19,000
23 - TE Hunter Ziegelbauer - MIN -> IND - 2Y, $19,000
24 - WR Julius Drake - BUF -> LDN - 1Y, $19,000
25 - RB Nikki Yang - VAN -> OTT - 2Y, $18,500

1973 Design Changes

Providence Gold Stars
As expected, following their first championship in 41 years, the Gold Stars are adding a 4th star to the team’s helmet. The new formation sees the stars placed in a square shape on the front of the helmet, deviating from the 3 in a row the team has employed since joining the NAAF. The other minor change also sees a 4th star added to the wordmark.

Regina Wheat Kings
Last offseason, Scott Hoffman was appointed to President of Football Operations in Regina. Part of his work encompasses the marketing of the team and he has set out to make a change for the 1973 season. While the tradition of the Gold Jersey dates back many years to having to contrast with the Edmonton Rangers, there is no longer a need to maintain the tradition with both teams having white jerseys now. On top of that, there are some issues at times with the Yellow jerseys going up against white jerseys on TV, especially on muddy games. The two contributing factors has led the team to change their gold jersey to green starting this season. The jersey is almost a pure colour swap, with the green and gold swapping, however, white numbers and lettering are set in white.

NOTE: Both uniforms are without the anniversary patch, but this is an example of what it will look like on the defending champs.

1973 ACFL League Meetings

Last offseason, the ACFL and SFL merged to expand the ACFL to 14 teams. The first season was an overall success with the new markets bringing eyes to the ACFL. While there was still a bit of a talent gap between the ACFL teams and the former SFL teams, the Atlanta Redtails and Birmingham Ironclads each showed they could compete with the Redtails getting to the Semi-Final. They fell short against the Washington Stars, who would go on to win the title this season. Overall, the deal seems to be a success as the ACFL is rising up again as a big attractive landing spot for players coming out of college.

Commissioner Don Soriano has also continued pushing for more systematic changes to increase league parity, something that Soriano has gone on record to praise about the NAAF. However, there is still some convincing that needs to happen amongst the ACFL owners as Stephen Van Fossen, who continues to have an unwavering vendetta against the NAAF, is keeping enough people on his side to block most changes. It is a work in progress, but Soriano hopes to continue to convince other owners that his plan is one for the better in the long run. He hopes that based on how far behind the majority of SFL teams are skillswise to the rest of ACFL teams, may help in getting the new ownerships on his side. 

Another thing working against Soriano is the situation in Pittsburgh. The Hammers, after losing the lease at Riverfront Stadium of Pittsburgh, have seen a rapid decline in the team’s financial performance. Considering the situation they were already in, it isn’t a big surprise that the team is facing a potential shutdown. More investors have pulled out leaving the team in a place where the organization was unable to properly pay players. At this point, Soriano is looking at options for what they can do with the team to give them a financial boost, but the historic franchise may be coming up on its final days. The instability of the weaker teams, which includes teams like Pittsburgh and the Richmond Lions, gives another reason for richer teams to go against balancing changes. They don’t exactly want to have to spend money on other teams just to keep them afloat. If Soriano can sort out these tougher situations, he may finally be able to move on to his bigger ideas.

Introducing the 25th Anniversary Patch

As mentioned before, the 1973 season will be the 25th Season in the NAAF’s history. To celebrate, the league announced that there would be a 25th Season patch that would be used in the league’s branding this season. 

The first patch is the official league patch that will be used in official manners. The patch takes the league’s logo, swapping out “NAAF” for “25th Season” while the “est. 1949” is replaced with “1973”.

The 2nd patch will be featured on team jerseys this season. The main difference is that the green banner and year have been removed leaving just the football shape and the “25th Season” text.

The patch will be placed on the right side of the player's chest opposite the captain's letter. The exception is the Halifax Mariners, whose patch will be placed on the sleeve, replacing one of the two anchor logos. A green version of the patch will also be used for teams with red jerseys (Louisville and Montreal).

1973 Re-Sign Stage

Boston Independents
Boston focused on retaining key offensive pieces. RB Reggie Whitehead and WR Al Allmendinger would both get big $30,000+ extensions. Then, QB Nathaniel Braddock would sign a new 2-year deal at $46,500, maintaining his previous salary to hopefully give GM Richard Price more cash to work with in free agency. Boston also locked up young S Mason Paquette to a 4-year deal worth $115,000 total and retained a couple of vets in DL Moses Abraham and OL Ken Lafontaine.

The most surprising departure is going to be DL Bjorn Sigmarsson. The 34-year-old has been hoping to win a 2nd championship in his career, but his time in Boston may be ending with the younger talent coming through on the Boston D-line. WR Edward Webb hopes that his solid season in Boston can yield him a solid contract, while RB Wesley Wu wants to see if there is a starting job available after doing well in the absence of RB Reggie Whitehead earlier this season.

Buffalo Blue Wings
GM Casey York’s first moves as a GM would be to lock up two of the team’s top offensive weapons in RB Jasper Dickerson and WR Tracy Driscoll to equal contracts at 3-years, $37,500 with Driscoll’s contract also coming with a No Trade Clause. S Ezra Power would earn a new 1-year deal while WR Jimmy Jack also returns on a 2-year deal. 

York was also not afraid to let go of some key veterans as well. Career-Blue Wings, DB Dean Hawkins and WR Julius Drake are set to hit the open market for the first time in their careers. While Drake intends to just see what the market looks like, Hawkins reportedly wasn’t being offered as high of a salary and the DB is not exactly happy that he feels he is being low-balled by the team. DL Zane Tannith will also join the two veterans in free agency after just a single season with the Blue Wings. 

Calgary Predators
After the Predators had their best season since joining the NAAF, the team was ready to commit to QB Emmitt Jackson, signing the 27-year-old to a 4-year deal with $35,000 a season. They would also maintain several core veteran pieces, locking up DL Damian Battles for 2 years at $36,000 and then LB Junior Abbott to a 3-year, $34,000 contract and WR Ted Jackson at 2 years, $32,500. They would also keep All-Star OL Charles Schwartz and S Jarell Parker. 

The big free agents coming out of Calgary are the Barrett twins being let go. Chris and Roger Barrett have been core pieces on the Preds’ D-line for most of their career. While Calgary wants to maintain their captain in Chris Barrett, they are less enthusiastic about Roger, who is the lower skilled of the two. It appears that the two want to stick together, whether that is with Calgary or another team.

Edmonton Rangers
Despite a lot of signs pointing towards the Rangers needing to get younger, they still focused on bringing back many of their veteran players. 5 of their top 6 contracts given were to players above the age of 30. The key pieces in that are LB Frank St. John, OL Charles Crieghton, and RB Gary Hubbard. The one player below 30 would be 25-year-old DL Caleb Cologne who has broken out as a great option on the D-line. After a disappointing season at QB, the team let go of both Ken Myers and Michael Benedict, but they did retain Leif Christiansen on a 1-year deal who will likely compete for a starting job next season.

As mentioned the two QBs will be on their way to new spots this offseason, along with many other depth players. However, the biggest name on the way out is OL Matthew Miller. Miller is a solid O-lineman for the team, but he wants to test the market and see if he can earn more in what may be the final contract of his career. 

Halifax Mariners
The Mariners focused on locking up young talent on their team. All-Star OL Kane Warwick would sign a 3-year deal worth $28,500 a season, then a pair of 25-year-olds in DB Jack Treadaway and TE Brandon McPhail would each sign a 3-year deal themselves. Then S Sampson Wendel would sign a 2-year deal. The only 30+ year old extended was WR Jav Kerrigan. 

On the way out is WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence who has battled injuries and limited targets since returning to Halifax in 1969. He hopes to find a new opportunity elsewhere this offseason. DL Bernard King is the other notable name after having a lacklustre season in 1972. 

Indiana Victors
With the new regime in Indiana, it wasn’t a surprise to see the team only extend 7 players. They retained veteran OL Viktor Stahl on a 1-year deal and K Ross Poindexter on a 2-year deal. The rest of the signings were younger pieces, most notably S Derrick Fayden and DB Byron Knight. 

As expected, longtime QB Tom Applewhite was on the way out after being very frustrated with the team over the last couple of seasons. He hopes to start fresh on a competitive team. OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins seems to share Applewhite’s frustration as the former 1st overall pick is also heading out on a hunt for the cup. Several 1972 acquisitions, TE Dylan Chowder, WR Jessie Lambert, and LB Benjamin Page all elected to move on after just one season with the Victors.

London Tigers
The Tigers moved along with their continued build towards returning to being a contender by locking up a lot of their young core. DB Victor Vratislav and DL Matt Brown both got extensions following the end of their rookie contracts. TE Pete Mayfield, OL Ethan West and S Frank Thorpe were also included in that mix in what is shaping up to be a great 1970 draft class, despite the team trading their 1st Round Pick from that year in WR Leon Hudson last season. The team also retained key players in DB Bernard Wilkins and OL Felton McDowell. 

On the way out, QB Tyrion Gainsborough leads the way after being the backup last season. He hopes to look for a starting job once again this offseason. WR Alex Browne Sr., who made the move over to London from Edmonton a couple of years ago, didn’t quite get the targets he expected, especially this past season, so he is looking for a new home. Longtime S Ezekiel Locke is also on the way out with the Tigers’ up-and-coming safeties. Finally, disappointing 1st Round Pick, DB Tomik Vrana is also set to find a change of scenery this offseason.

Long Island Raiders
The Raiders would give both DB Rutherford Winters and WR Larry Mossholder matching 1-year $30,000 contracts. Both are 34 and 33 years old respectively but both are still contributors. They would also bring back both of their #2s at each position, also getting matching 3-year contracts at $28,000. The O-line got attention with Doyle MacInnis, Gary Bies, and Alan Mitchell all getting new deals while LB Tyrone Dye would get his first big-boy contract with a 2-year $20,000 contract.

Despite the team bringing back two key veterans, GM Wayne Tillman was still clear on letting go of a lot of other veteran pieces. Most notably, DL Abrahan Evans Jr., S Calvin Hobbes, and WR Otto Washington. Trade acquisitions from last season, LB Tanner Upton and S Pat Washington are also on the way out.

Louisville Thunder
The Thunder would start the offseason by making WR Casey Coleman the highest-paid WR in league history, inking a new 2-year $42,000 contract with their captain. QB Buck Murphy would also get a big contract worth $43,500 over 3 seasons following a pair of solid seasons including the McCallister Cup in ‘71. Former 1st overall pick, LB Ricky Wildgoose, would get his big contract at 4 years, $32,000. Breakout WR Ben Graham would also get a new 3-year deal worth $26,000 a season with a pay raise in the 3rd year. Finally, RB Neil Bradley would stick around with a new 2-year deal at $32,000 despite coming off of an injury last season.

After just one season, WR Orlando Barrack is set to leave the team alongside deadline acquisitions in LB Mike Francis and RB George Seahorse. Finally, LB Daniel Timothy, a former 4th Overall Pick, is on the way out with the Thunder picking to keep the younger LB Elias Ragsdale over the somewhat disappointing draft pick. 

Minnesota Serpents
Minnesota focused on extending DB Austin Sherebernikoff to a massive 4-year deal worth $147,000 total. #1 WR, Sebastian Dassler, would also get a new deal at 3-years $35,000. They would finally lock in several O-linemen Jordan Bryson, Daniel Chou, and David Biarski. 

The Serpents have a long list of free agents with 17 in total. Most are 30+ as the team hopes to get a little younger this season. Trade acquisitions LB Conrad Kurst, DB Chris Berrymore, LB Nathan Davidson, and OL Fred Tiny are all among the free agents. DL Winfield Winchester was cut after a disappointing season. Finally, QB Mike Key is looking to see if there is a last chance to start, while WR Colby Bancana still hopes for a larger role out there.

Montreal Rouge
After a disappointing follow-up season to their 1971 McCallister Cup appearance, it wasn’t a surprise to see very few players sign extensions with the team. LB Jean-Christophe Bain was the biggest signing on a 4-year deal at $142,000 total. Then veterans, WR Taylor Karis and OL Mathieu Roy, both got 1-year extensions.

20 free agents in total are coming from Montreal, though many are depth pieces in the team. QB Nathan Houle looks to be on the out after being the 6th Overall Pick in 1970. He’s had a handful of starts, but with an injury this past season, and an impatient team, it looks like they will be looking for a new option at QB. RBs Maxwell Greenfield and Alain Ducharme will at least test the market with RB Bo Frazier being the starter of the future for Montreal. 

Ottawa Royals
The Royals made sure to bring back two key secondary pieces in S Marc Bellecourt and DB Jerome Caldwell. Bellecourt got the team’s biggest deal at 3-years $34,000 a season. They also were able to lock in their future at WR, signing their trade deadline acquisition in WR Sterling Underhill to a 3-year, $32,500 contract, as well as WR Charles Toothacre to a 2-year deal. O-linemen Matt Helmut, Tommy Reynolds, and Dane Hodgeson all also stayed put.

On the way out is mostly depth pieces. The key players are DL Ryan Sargent and OL Martin Graw. Graw has been a solid lineman for the team but remained without a contract as the Royals focused on bringing back other key pieces. 

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
Last offseason, the Blacksmiths were right up against the cap, and this season it appears they hoped to avoid the same fate, only handing out 5 extensions. The biggest, however, being QB Louis Vaughn, who becomes the first player to eclipse $50,000 as a yearly salary. The 2-time MOP is set to make $256,000 over the next 5 seasons in Pittsburgh with a NTC. They would also sign Vaughn’s top target in WR Taylor Austin to a 2-year deal. Finally, they would sign S Jarrett Sutherland to a new 3-year deal, while DL Jeff Lamonte would land a 2-year deal, keeping intact a very strong D-line. 

With the decision to cut some cap, there are some key pieces that are on the way out. DB Aiden Sargent is the biggest player here, as he wants more money after putting up 5 picks last season. WR Edward Washington was let go after an overall disappointing first 3 years of his career as the 10th overall pick in 1970. Veterans LB Quinn Master and S Garet deVale will also head to market, but both could very well return if the team feels they can get them on cheaper deals.

Providence Gold Stars
The championships bill comes due for the Gold Stars. The biggest bill heading for QB Red King. The former 2nd Overall pick has been good in his 1st couple of seasons as a starter, but injuries have become a concern. Despite that, the Gold Stars are buying in, signing King to a max 6-year deal worth $286,000 in total. The team continued to sign a couple of veterans in OL Emil Jennings and fan favourite DB Neville Falkner. The did end up extending RB Tresean Jones to a 2-year deal at $29,000 a season. They still have RB Ronnie Byers for 1 more year at $28,500, but the team is looking to move the 28-year-old in order to clear some cap. 

Byers isn’t the only potential cap casualty. 33-year-old WR Owen Paisley looks to be on the way out with the team extending 25-year-old WR Leon Hudson who they acquired in the draft last season. S Paul Christopher is also likely gone with the team instead holding onto S Murdoch Chesterman. DB Corey Ross also will looking for a new opportunity after falling further in the depth chart with the addition of Neville Falkner. 

Regina Wheat Kings
With their limited resources the Wheat Kings still handed out some solid extensions to several key pieces. Veterans DL Pete Gingers and LB Brett Pride both got new 1-year deals, while DB Madison McGee and WR Leonard Green got a new 2-year deals. The team also remains committed to their backfield with RB Deion Chapman getting a 2-year deal at $30,000 a season while QB Stanley Evans getting a new 2-year deal at $28,000.

There are some interesting players leaving Regina. Notably, WR Nick Spalding who lost some of his target share to the in-coming WR Leonard Green and hopes to get a bigger role elsewhere. DL Derick Parks is also looking to capitalise on a great season after stepping up in the absence of DL Butcher Callahan this past season. The 25-year-old should be a very interesting acquisition for many teams in the league.

Toronto Steelheads
1972 was a solid bounce-back year for the rebuilding Steelheads. They would aim to lock up several of their new core pieces. LB Lincoln Webster would get a 2-year deal at $37,500, keeping LB Judge Barrett and Webster together. DL Haakon Leichenberg would land a 3-year deal at $30,000 for his first big deal after a solid season. WR Cameron Kane would also earn a new 2-year deal despite a major injury last season. RB Shannon West, who shined as the starting back last season, earns a new 3-year deal at $28,500. 

WR Felix Fontaine may look for a fresh start after 2 seasons with the Steelheads. QB David Simmons is also going to be looking for a new opportunity after losing out on the opportunity in Toronto. LB Grover Smith is also looking for a bigger role which led to the Steelheads extending LB Chase Chalker instead of Smith. Finally, OL Alan Farquharson is looking for more money elsewhere after he and GM Reginald McMahon reportedly ended their contract talks with some hostility. 

Vancouver Wolves
A finalist team is one that is worth keeping together as the Wolves extended many key pieces. WR Keshawn Johnston was the biggest signing at 2-years $37,500. WR Akria Sakamoto and WR Tristian Lewis also both landed 2-year deals as the WR corps remains intact. Several other veterans remained with the team, LB Shawn Anderson and DB Christian Allen both on 1-year deals at $34,000, while RB Jeremiah Morrow is also back at $33,500. 

The decision to keep Morrow does lead to RB Nikki Yang being set to test the market. In a similar vein, LB Daniel Shao Li is also looking for a bigger role. Deadline acquisition, DL Ron Prumple was released by the team as well while veteran DL Jared Kendall is a key leader that may be heading to a new team next season as well. 

Winnipeg Falcons
After a year of experimenting at QB, the Falcons elected to only retain QB Emerson Thompson who had the strongest performance out of their 3 starters from last year. Also on offence, the team retained both RB Joe Rivers and WR Terry Upshaw on 2-year deals. WR Elijah Skinner also remains with the team, keeping a solid WR group together. Deadline acquisition, OL Bobby Shields, does remain with the team after the move from Minnesota on a new 2-year deal. 

As mentioned, Thompson is the only QB to remain with the team, meaning both QB Ulysses Lawyer and QB Xerxes Wynn will be hitting the open market once again. LB Kyrell Warner may be a key loss as he hopes to see what else is out there for him. The last key free agent is LB Dallas Rush. The former 11th overall pick was traded to Winnipeg in 1971, but still hasn’t shown much improvement. He hopes for a fresh start next season.

1973 Staff Changes

INDIANA VICTORS
As many expected, the Victors cleaned house after their team crashed and burned in a miserable 4-10 season. GM Everett Henderson, who had been in the position since 1961 was let go. Owner Sammy Kirkdale was thankful for his work, but knew that a change was needed, as this was not the first time that Henderson’s job had been considered in jeopardy. Kirkdale liked the consistency of Henderson and he aimed to hire a younger GM that could be sustained just like Henderson. Ultimately, through links in Long Island, he was set onto the path of Pete Laird. Laird has been an understudy of Owner/GM Wayne Tillman for the last while. Tillman spoke highly of the bright King’s University graduate and thinks he has a future as a GM in the league. However, he also believes he needs more time. Kirkdale didn’t seem deterred by the warning and hired Laird anyway, giving the 33-year-old his first GM job. 

Laird would get right to work on hiring an entirely new coaching staff. His target would be the close-to-home picks, hiring Raiders’ DC Theo Espinoza to be his new Head Coach. Espinoza had been pinned to be a future HC as well, but with HC Levi Bray getting the extension in Long Island, his path there was becoming less apparent. Espinoza is a defensive tactician who should bring stability to a younger but still solid Victors' defence. For coordinators, Espinoza would also hired out of the Raiders’ system. At OC, he would bring on Raiders’ OC Benny Schwartz, who was not going to remain with the Raiders anyway. A developmental coach, who has worked with Espinoza over the last 3 seasons. Then at DC, they would hire Raiders DB/S Coach and former NAAF DPOY Alexander Bradley. Bradley has also been working under Espinoza in recent years in Long Island.

HALIFAX MARINERS
HC Ben McMillan’s name has floated around in the last year or two if he is going to keep coaching the rebuilding Mariners. Finally, the question was answered as he has elected to step away from the coaching duties and take on a front-office role moving forward. To replace the veteran coach, the Mariners initially interviewed both their OC Charlie Shepard and DC William Jennings but decided not to promote either. Both still were signed to extensions in their current positions. Instead, the team would bring on Victors’ OC Alfred Deniau as the new Head Coach. Deniau previously was Halifax’s OC during their McCallister Cup win in 1968, which led to him getting his first Head Coaching role in Montreal shortly after. Deniau only lasted 2 years with the Rouge, but the GM Anthony Vigneault has faith in Deniau and that a familiar place with familiar players will help him this time around. 

BUFFALO BLUE WINGS
The Blue Wings haven’t been as satisfied over the last two seasons since GM Reginald McMahon took a new job with the Toronto Steelheads. Under Earnest Bryan, the team hasn’t been as dominant. Injuries have certainly played a factor, but the conservative GM does take some of the blame with roster depth being a common issue. The team has elected to make a change, promoting Hall of Fame OL Casey York from the scouting department to be the new GM. York has been in the wings in Buffalo for a bit and now has the chance to get in the driver's seat and try to steer his former team back into dominance. 

HC Maurice Evanson also elected to make some changes in the staff after OC Paul McMahon retired. He would promote OL Coach Jean Mathieu-Baptiste to be the new OC. Mathieu-Baptiste is also a Hall of Fame OL for the Blue Wings and has been working in the coaching staff since he retired from playing. Mathieu-Baptiste does have a run-heavy approach to the offence so expect some of the load to be taken off of QB Charles Lemieux. Evanson also decided to change it up at DC, letting go of Maurice Sawyer, and hiring Matthew Carson. Carson has previously spent 9 seasons with the Royals as their DC and has been coaching in Rideau up until 1968 when he was let go by the school. Carson is an older coach but has shown good ability when it comes to working with a more barebones defence which Buffalo has trended towards in the past couple of seasons. 

LONG ISLAND RAIDERS
HC Levi Bray was given an extension to start the offseason, despite that, he knows the team needs to be better after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The first change is at OC with Benny Schwartz being let go. In to replace him is Louis Jonsson, who had a stint as Montreal’s OC recently. Jonsson is a more developmental coach, and Bray hopes he can work with QB Ivan Sanchez about cleaning up the interceptions, which he led the league in this season. 

Bray didn’t intend to change it up at DC, but with Theo Espinoza being poached by Pete Laird and the Victors, he was forced to bring on a new face. He would turn to Maurice Sawyer for the job bringing him on after being replaced in Buffalo. Sawyer’s specialty is the blitz and Bray hopes the team can bring back their dangerous defence moving forward. 

PITTSBURGH BLACKSMITHS
DC Arnold Baker would retire from professional coaching following the conclusion of the 1972 season, leaving Pittsburgh without a DC. They would go out and hire Colton Forrest who had been let go by the Victors in their house cleaning. Forrest has a specialty with pass defence, running some more experimental coverages. He wasn’t able to fully utilize his strategy in Indiana with the younger secondary, but with Pittsburgh’s stronger group, he should be able to show what he can do.  

MONTREAL ROUGE
After a disappointing season following a McCallister Cup appearance, GM Jon Neal pushed HC Malachi Knowles to make some changes. Knowles went out and looked at a few options both at OC and DC. Knowles would have to part ways with longtime friend and coworker, DC Carroll Moss, who just wasn’t getting the most out of a strong Montreal defence. To replace him, he would bring on former Victors’ HC Urick Wilkins. The two also have a history with Wilkins hiring Knowles after he was fired from Louisville in 1970. Wilkins should be a stronger DC and can provide Knowles with more support as a HC with his 9 total seasons as one. Knowles would also look at a couple of options at OC, Benny Schwartz and Louis Jonsson were in consideration, but both signed elsewhere, so the team decided to just extend current OC Andrew Glover, who has still been a good development coach for some of the young stars on the team.

REGINA WHEAT KINGS
The Wheat Kings entered year 2 with their new GM Aaron Thornton. The team looked to improve again after bringing on OC Ben Flemming last offseason. This season, they are hoping to upgrade the DC position, letting go of Ralph Hanson. They would land Thunder LB Coach Jerome Morris for the job. Morris has a rough history as a DC, having not lasted more than 2 seasons in any position he has held. Still, after 6 years of working smaller coaching jobs, he will get an opportunity to prove himself with Regina. Morris is best at development, which Regina hopes he can provide given their young draft picks in DL Butcher Callahan and LB Lewis Vander being keys to their future success. 

CHANGES OVERVIEW

Buffalo Blue Wings
OUT
GM Earnest Bryan - Fired
OC Paul McMahon - Retired
DC Maurice Sawyer - Fired; Hired by LI
IN
GM Casey York - Buffalo Scouting Department
OC Jean Mathieu-Baptiste - Promoted from OL Coach
DC Matthew Carson - Free Agent (was with Rideau)

Halifax Mariners
OUT
HC Ben McMillan - Stepping Away from HC duties, Front Office Position
IN
HC Alfred Deniau - From IND OC

Indiana Victors
OUT
GM Everett Henderson - Fired
HC Urick Wilkins - Fired; Hired by MTL
OC Alfred Deniau - Hired by HFX
DC Colton Forrest - Fired; Hired by PIT
IN
GM Pete Laird - From LI Front Office
HC Theo Espinoza - From LI DC
OC Benny Schwartz - From LI OC
DC Alexander Bradley - From LI DB/S Coach

Long Island Raiders
OUT
OC Benny Schwartz - Fired; Hired by IND
DC Theo Espinoza - Hired by IND
IN
OC Louis Jonsson - From St-Laurent OC
DC Maurice Sawyer - From BUF DC

Montreal Rouge
OUT
DC Carroll Moss - Fired
IN
DC Urick Wilkins - From IND HC

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
OUT
DC Arnold Baker - Retired
IN
DC Colton Forrest - From IND DC

Regina Wheat Kings
OUT
DC Ralph Hanson - Fired
IN
DC Jerome Morris - from LOU LB Coach