1973 NAAF Draft

Round 1

1 - Halifax Mariners | S George Turner | Western New York - Buffalo, NY - Creator: Burmy87
The Mariners made the 1st overall pick for the 4th time in the team’s history. Most recently taking QB Todd Sparrow after trading up to the #1 pick in 1971. This time, they would be the first to take a Safety with the #1 pick, rolling with George Turner out of Western New York. It was a bit of a surprise when many viewed LB Corey Briggs as the top prospect. However, Turner is an excellent open-field tackler, making him a great last defence. He’s solid in coverage as well, making him one of the most complete safety prospects the league has seen. So, he is still a very strong player for the Mariners to take, and in a position of need. 

TRADE ALERT
With Briggs still on the board after the first pick, a couple of teams were on the phone to talk to Winnipeg sitting at #2. The battle for the trade-up was between the Raiders and the Victors, as the former Raider Assistant GM and now Victors’ GM, Pete Laird, was in a bout with his former Boss in Owner/GM Wayne Tillman of the Raiders. In the end, the Victors were successful in making the deal with Winnipeg, getting the nice "one-up" on his former boss. 

The full trade would see the Victors acquire Picks, 2 (WPG 1st) and 28 (LI 2nd) in exchange for picks 4 (IND 1st), 22 (IND 2nd), and 36 (PRO 2nd).  

2 - Indiana Victors (from Winnipeg) | LB Corey Briggs | UHamilton - Hamilton, ON - Creator: Wallflower 
The Victors jumped up to take Corey Briggs seconds after the trade was finalized with the league. Excitement was certainly on the face of GM Pete Laird as he got his defensive centrepiece. Briggs is a dominant LB who hits heavy and hard, stopping guys dead in their tracks. His instincts on the field are like a predator, he hunts down ballcarriers like a wolf. His tougher upbringing does lead him to be a little more emotional and aggressive which can lead him to get heated in a game. Though the emotion comes from passion as football was also the thing that kept him going throughout his childhood. 

TRADE ALERT
After Indiana made their selection, the Wheat Kings were on the clock. However, just like their prairie rivals, the Wheat Kings would make a trade to move back. They would send the 3rd overall pick to the Montreal Rouge. The full deal saw the Rouge acquire pick 3 (REG 1st) in exchange for picks 6 (MTL 1st) and 24 (MTL 2nd). Despite Montreal having 2 first-rounders, the Wheat Kings elected to go for a 2nd rounder to avoid the higher-salary bumps for 1st round rookies. 

3 - Montreal Rouge (from Regina) | WR Evan Moore | New England - Worcester, MA - Creator: idm 
With the newly acquired pick, the Rouge would take a new offensive weapon for their new starting QB Tom Applewhite. WR Evan Moore was looked at as the top WR prospect in the class, being one of the most complete players. He’s got sticky hands, solid quickness, and great route running, you’d be crazy to ask for even more out of him. Moore should slot in nicely next to WR Antonio Villanueva in the young WR Corps. 

4 - Winnipeg Falcons (from Indiana) | OL Noah Glassman | Haynes - New Haven, CT - Creator: Stickman
After trading back the Falcons would take the top O-line prospect in the class. Glassman is a tough, but durable O-lineman. Very disciplined on the line (at least from what the refs can see…) and great in both pass and run blocking. Winnipeg has been looking for sturdy O-linemen to boost one of the league’s worst protection units. Glassman should provide a reliable piece to that puzzle.

5 - Edmonton Rangers | QB Oscar Frost | UEdmonton - Edmonton, AB - Creator: Wallflower 
With the 5th pick, very few were shocked to see the Edmonton Rangers go and get the local darling in QB Oscar Frost. The Rangers attempted to ride QB Ken Myers last season as their starter, but he struggled immensely in the role. They already added QB Mike Key who will likely play a bridge QB role until Frost is ready. Frost is a pure pocket passer. Makes good reads and decisions in the pocket, and has made some great accurate throws in college. He’s great when the pressure is off him in the pocket, but his negative is that he can become frantic if he takes some hits or feels pressure coming. If he can settle in the pocket, Edmonton should have a very strong QB to lead them into the future.

6 - Regina Wheat Kings (from Montreal) | WR Colt Robbins | Alberta Provincial - Calgary, AB - Creator: Kingsfan11 
After Montreal took a WR from the pick they traded, the Wheat Kings would select a WR as well, taking Alberta Provincial’s Colt Robbins. Robbins has a lot of solid traits like Evan Moore, great hands and excellent route running, however, doesn’t quite have the athletic gifts that Moore has. Robbins is likely to be a high-reception/possession WR, who can find holes in coverage to pick up yardage. A good fit for Regina who needs a high-use target in the offence. Robbins’ personality also suits the team as Robbins loves to be challenged and sees Regina as an ultimate challenge.  

7 - Toronto Steelheads | OL Owen Brightman | North Indiana - Indianapolis, IN - Creator: ZO82 
This offseason and the last, GM Reginald McMahon has been trying to address the weak Steelheads’ O-line with veteran free agents, but now he turns to the draft to try and bring in some younger pieces. With pick 7, they would take the first Brightman twin, Owen. Owen Brightman’s strength is his run blocking, very physical on the line and loves to pancake defenders. Should be a great fit in the more run-heavy offence in Toronto.

8 - Calgary Predators | DL Michael Ellis | Brooklyn Metropolitan - Brooklyn, NY - Creator: joho42x 
The Preds have been very focused on building their Wild West Offence over the past two seasons, but now they turn their focus over to the defence, drafting DL Michael Ellis. Ellis is one fast D-lineman, who has been able to beat offensive tackles off the line without being touched, causing a lot of issues in the backfield. The speed is great, but there are some concerns with his size, being a smaller player, and if his quickness will be able to so easily beat pro-level linemen. Off the field, Ellis is also a great personality to have, a hard-working leader who also looks out for his teammates. 

9 - London Tigers | DB Oliver Benson | Toronto - Toronto, ON - Creator: Kingsfan11
The Tigers were certainly excited to see the 4th ranked prospect, DB Oliver Benson, fall to them at 9th overall. The Tigers haven’t exactly had a lot of luck when it comes to taking first-round DBs. They have done it 3 times since 1965 (Rob Risker, Bernard Wilkins, Tomik Vrana) and only Bernard Wilkins remains on the team as a serviceable starter. They are hoping that Benson’s strength in one-on-one coverage will allow the team to have a true #1 lockdown corner. He’s great at keeping up with most WRs which gives him a lot of potential to go up against some of the best in the NAAF. 

TRADE ALERT
The 3rd trade of the draft would occur ahead of the 10th overall pick. Once again, Winnipeg was making a move. This time the Falcons are moving up to pick 10 (LI 1st) by trading picks 20 (WPG 2nd) and 22 (IND 2nd) to the Raiders. Seems like the Raiders were still willing to make deals with the Falcons despite GM David Eaton electing to take the Victors’ deal over the Raiders’ deal earlier in the round.

10 - Winnipeg Falcons (from Long Island) | RB Joshua Tomlinson | Toronto - Windsor, ON - Creator: ZO82
With the newly acquired pick, the Falcons would be the first team to snag one of the two top RBs, taking Toronto’s Joshua Tomlinson, as they look towards the future in the backfield behind the long-time star RB Joe Rivers. Tomlinson’s elusive style and ability to create holes for himself makes him a great fit for an offence with a struggling O-line. Tomlinson should still be able to make guys miss even if the O-line doesn’t hold up. He was the key to success for the Continental champion Toronto Dukes and can be a feature of an offence. The one drawback early on is he isn’t the strongest blocker and will likely need to work on his skills in the backfield. 

11 - Buffalo Blue Wings | DL Stephen Marshall | Western New York - Hershey, PA - Creator: ZO82
Buffalo picked a player in the 1st Round for the first time since 1969 with the 11th overall pick, also the first defensive player they have picked in Round 1 since LB Randall Lambert in 1964. The team has struggled with depth in their front-7 for the past couple of seasons, which is why they focused on grabbing a top D-lineman in the draft. They would take Stephen Marshall out of local WNY. Marshall is a strong force on the line, using power and strength to get past the O-line. He is less agile due to strength and size, but he can still clog up running lanes with good positioning. 

TRADE ALERT
The 4th trade of the first round would see the Victors make another move up as GM Pete Laird continues to get a kickstart on the team’s rebuild. The Victors would acquire the 12th overall pick from the Boston Independents in exchange for veteran OL Taylor Alexander, the 28th Overall pick (LI 2nd) and Indiana’s 5th Rounder in 1974. The Independents mainly get a solid veteran O-lineman in Alexander, who will still be a cheap option with some of his salary being retained by Indiana. Overall, Boston made the move, not seeing a strong O-line prospect at 12 and decided to get help for this season.

12 - Indiana Victors (from Boston) | DB Alexandre Gagon | Majeure Montreal - Brossard, QC - Creator: Kingsfan11 
With the next pick, Indiana would continue to build the defence, drafting DB Alexandre Gagon out of Majeure Montreal. The ball-hawking corner tends to make big plays when it counts. He isn’t a physically imposing player, but his quickness and ability to break on the ball make him a threat on every play. This pick also marks the 3rd time in 4 years the Victors have taken a DB in the first round.

13 - Halifax Mariners (from Louisville) | DL Jack Davis | New England - Boston, MA - Creator: Kingsfan11
With a desperate need on the D-line, the Mariners would reach back a little to take the next best D-lineman available in Jack Davis. Davis is another very athletic D-lineman. Using speed and agility to get past blockers. He’s also got some hops being able to get his hand on passes at the line. He could very well also slide back to play LB if necessary. However, he is not the strongest player and will likely struggle against the stronger O-linemen at the next level.

TRADE ALERT
There would still be one last trade in the first round to set the mark for most trades during the first round ever in NAAF history at 5 trades. The final trade would see the Vancouver Wolves make a move up, trading with the Montreal Rouge. The Wolves would acquire picks 14 (MIN 1st) and 78 (MTL 5th) in exchange for pick 17 (VAN 1st) and WR Graham Spencer. Spencer was a 3rd round pick last season, but with Vancouver already having plenty of depth at the position they could move the WR to go after a different prospect.

14 - Vancouver Wolves (from Minnesota via Montreal) | RB Chavez Arrington | Amon Carter (TX) - Abilene, TX - Creator: RaysUp
The Wolves would pounce on the opportunity to take the 2nd of the top RBs in the draft, taking Chavez Arrington with the 14th pick. Arrington has some great speed when he can get into open space, and he’s decently sized to be able to power through tackles at the line. He’s not as slippery as Joshua Tomlinson, but he’s still got the ability to break open a play with his power and speed. Like Winnipeg, the pick is a move for the future as veteran RB Jeremiah Morrow enters the twilight of his career.

15 - Ottawa Royals | LB Isaac Snyder | Minneapolis* - Minneapolis, MN - ZO82 
The Royals had their eyes on Arrington ahead of the Wolves’ last pick, but since he was taken, the team shifted focus to adding depth in the LB corps. With consistent injuries among their LBs, grabbing a LB in the first round should provide more immediate depth. Snyder is one of the strongest coverage LBs coming out of college. He has great anticipation to keep up with slot WRs and TEs. He also still has a great ability to tackle and get after RBs. His speed isn’t his best trait, but his positioning and intelligence help him stay ahead of the play.

16 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths | WR John Jackson | North Indiana - Indianapolis, IN - Creator: Kingsfan11
The last-1st round WR Pittsburgh took, Edward Washington, was a bit of a disappointing prospect for the Blacksmiths. They were ready to move on to the next one, grabbing WR John Jackson at 16. Jackson had a fantastic season at North Indiana, showcasing his amazing ability to catch just about anything thrown his way. He’s also got solid speed and athleticism that allows him to beat his man. However, his fundamentals are a work in progress, as he doesn’t have the best route-running ability, often being slightly off the mark on some plays. 

17 - Montreal Rouge (from Vancouver) | OL Liam May | Rhode Island State - Warwick, RI - Creator: Burmy87
After trading back the Rouge would reach back quite a distance to take OL Liam May out of RISU, despite a couple of other O-linemen (Dennis Gould and Bill Portsmouth) still being on the board. May’s strength is his pass-blocking ability, something that Montreal expects to come in handy with their new gunslinging QB Tom Applewhite. However, some may view him as a bit more of a project to get him up to speed and strength at the next level.

18 - Providence Gold Stars | S Todd Collingwood | Pacific Provincial - Kamloops, BC - Creator: QCS
With the final pick of the first round, the champions would take a safety to set up a replacement for the departing S Paul Christopher and veteran S Tom Parrish. Collingwood, out of Pacific Provincial, has great anticipation and ability to sniff out the ball down the field. He led his team in interceptions in both of the last two seasons. He can struggle a little more coming downhill to tackle if the play is underneath him. However, he is a very coachable player and with a great defensive mind in HC Tommie Warner, he should be a good fit for the champs.

Round 2

The 2nd Round would kick off with the Mariners making their 3rd selection of the draft. They would look to boost their O-line by selecting Bill Portsmouth out of Western New York. Once again a team passed on OL Dennis Gould due to his troubling drug history. Portsmouth is a great run blocker, which should be a good fit with Halifax’s young backfield weapon in RB Axel Vandal, however, they may still need to reel in his temper off the field. 

The Raiders made their first pick of the draft, taking DB Art Winslow out of Haynes. A physical DB who has great fundamentals in one-on-one situations. Regina would make their 2nd pick, taking S Keith Osgood at 21, a strong safety that can wrap up just about anyone with great tackling skill. Long Island would be up again right after Regina’s pick and they would be the ones to take the gamble on OL Dennis Gould. Seeing the projected 1st talent still on the board, GM Wayne Tillman couldn’t pass up on him even with the risks off the field. 

Edmonton would add to their defence with their 2nd pick taking LB Spencer Morrison out of Saskatchewan Provincial. Morrison has a lot of speed to get around the field, making him good at covering the middle of the field in pass defence and still gets after the running back, but does lack a bit of overall strength. Regina was hoping to land Morrison with pick 24, but they had to settle with taking the top TE in Dylan Abney. The receiving TE will join his APU teammate in WR Colt Robbins, who was taken at 6 by Regina as the Wheat Kings add to their passing attack again.

Toronto would double up on the O-line and on the Brightman brothers, taking Owen Brightman’s twin, Gavin Brightman. The duo will continue to play together like they have their whole lives as Toronto adds more depth to the line. Calgary would then take a shot on DB Clyde Henry, one of the prospects out of Texas. Henry has been known as the “Bandit” for his ability to steal the ball from opposing teams. A great piece for the Predators to add to their defence. 

Ahead of the 27th pick, we would see the next trade in the draft. This time the Thunder would make a move up the draft order in a swap with London. The Thunder would acquire picks 27 (LDN 2nd) and 54 (PRO 3rd) in exchange for pick 31 (LOU 2nd) and S Graham Kensington. London is happy to add more depth to the secondary while Louisville clears some cap with Kensington being involved in the deal. With the 27th pick, the Thunder would take a shot on WR Ray Howard out of California Republic, as the team hopes to continue to build up their dangerous WR corps with another solid pass catcher. 

Boston would then finally make their first pick, taking LB Paul Sanborn out of RISU. Sanborn is a hard-hitting LB that adds some depth to the position in Boston ahead of this season. Buffalo would follow that pick up with a safety taking Devron Candlestick out of Allegheny who is a force in breaking up passing plays at the catch point. Boston would complete the Buffalo sandwich with the next pick, taking the tall WR Alex Acquafredda out of Pacific Provincial to hopefully add a different style of weapon to the offence for QB Nathaniel Braddock.

After making the trade back, the Tigers would land the guy they wanted in LB Brett Spanakos. Spanakos is a great overall tackler who should be able to slot in as a depth option this season. Edmonton would continue adding to the defence by taking DL Jake Overton who is more of a run-stopper up the middle of the D-line. 

The Victors would switch focus to the offence with their next two picks taking WR Pierre Boudreaux, a speedy WR out of Majeure Montreal, before then taking QB Dominic Hoffmeister two picks later. Hoffmeister will need some time to develop, but there is a solid pocket passer in there that could become a local hero for the Victors in the future. In between the two Indiana picks, the Pittsburgh Blacksmiths would add S Bill Koslowski, who is a bit more of an over-the-top safety that can settle into a deeper zone. 

Finally, Winnipeg would round out the 2nd round taking DB Guy Wright out of New England. A scrappy DB who likes to play hands-on with WRs. 

Round 2 Picks
19 - HFX | OL Bill Portsmouth | Western New York - Fremont, OH - Creator: Jayhawk
20 - LI (from WPG) | DB Art Winslow | Haynes - Worcester, MA - Creator: Wallflower 
21 - REG | S Keith Osgood | Upstate* - Rome, NY - MitchSwanson94
22 - LI (from IND via WPG) | OL Dennis Gould | Detroit Tech* - Detroit, MI - Creator: DireBear
23 - EDM | LB Spencer Morrison | Saskatchewan Provincial - Regina, SK - Creator: ZO82
24 - REG (from MTL) | TE Dylan Abney | Alberta Provincial - Calgary, AB - Creator: Dan O’Mac
25 - TOR | OL Gavin Brightman | North Indiana - Indianapolis, IN - Creator: ZO82
26 - CGY | DB Clyde Henry | Amon Carter (TX)* - Tyler, TX - Creator: Wallflower
27 - LOU (from LDN) | WR Ray Howard | California Republic* - Stockton, CA - Creator: MitchSwanson94
28 - BOS (from LI via WPG via IND) | LB Paul Sanborn | Rhode Island State - Andover, MA - Creator: idm 
29 - BUF | S Devron Candlestick | Allegheny* - Chambersburg, PA - Creator: Jayhawk
30 - BOS | WR Alex Acquafredda | Pacific Provincial - Vancouver, BC - Creator: Wallflower
31 - LDN (from LOU) | LB Brett Spanakos | North Indiana - Detroit, MI - Creator: Dan O’Mac
32 - EDM (from MIN) | DL Jake Overton | London - London, ON - Creator: Jayhawk
33 - IND (from OTT) | WR Pierre Boudreaux | Majeure Montreal - Montreal, QC - Creator: ThisIsFine
34 - PIT | S Bill Kozlowski | Haynes - Bridgeport, CT - Creator: Jayhawk
35 - IND (from VAN) | QB Dominic Hoffmeister | North Indiana - Kenosha, WI - Creator: ZO82
36 - WPG (from PRO via IND) | DB Guy Wright | New England - Worcester, MA - Creator: idm 

Round 3

The 3rd Round would start with the final trade of the draft, seeing the Edmonton Rangers move up to pick 37 in exchange for pick 41 and RB Aeneas Phillips heading back to Halifax. Phillips was traded to Edmonton last season but didn’t seem to fit in with the Rangers’ offence so he’s on the move once again. With the newly acquired pick the Rangers would take local product S Ian Lauder. 

Winnipeg would add another O-lineman next at 38, taking OL Pipon Rivers out of Saskatchewan Provincial. Regina would then add another D-lineman named Butcher to their ranks, taking Butcher Moreau out of RISU. The Moreau selection would lead to 2 more D-linemen being taken next with Indiana going for George Lewis and then Halifax taking Ted Albright. 

Montreal would add RB Gabe Ibrahim with the next pick to add some depth at the position. Toronto would add depth to the defence taking LB Brad Johnson at 43. Then, it was another RB going to Calgary at 44 with Daniel DeVille out of Maine State. The Tigers would add OL Oliver Luddal out of Minneapolis before Calgary picked again, adding a more physical offensive weapon in WR Jason Tredegar.  

The Victors would take a “Victor”, going with LB Victor Underhill, a younger cousin of WR Sterling Underhill. Boston would then add a new speedy WR in Leo Naylor Jr. before their rivals, the Gold Stars, added DB Frederick Royston out of Cambridge of Boston. 

Regina would be the first to take (technically) an international player, going with St. Pierre and Miquelon RB, Jean-Marie Vigneau. Ottawa would then pick OL Thomas Maxwell out of New England before Pittsburgh would take the next TE of the draft in Bob Byron.

To round out the 3rd Round, Vancouver would take LB Taysom Karlov to add to their LB corps, before Louisville took S Lonne Van Goethem with the 2nd pick they acquired in the earlier trade with the Tigers. 

Round 3 Picks
37 - EDM (from HFX) | S Ian Lauder | UEdmonton - Edmonton, AB - Creator: Darknes
38 - WPG | OL Pipon Rivers | Saskatchewan Provincial - Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, SK - Creator: ZO82
39 - REG | DL Butcher Moreau | Rhode Island State - Boston, MA - Creator: Darknes
40 - IND | DL George Lewis | Louisville State - Huntington, WV - Creator: Wallflower 
41 - HFX (from EDM) | DL Ted Albright | Haynes - Springfield, MA - Creator: Wallflower 
42 - MTL | RB Gabe Ibrahim | Upstate - South Orange, NJ - Creator: ThisIsFine
43 - TOR | LB Brad Johnson | Louisville State - Lafayette, IN - Creator: Sevsdast 
44 - CGY | RB Daniel DeVille | Maine State - Dover, ME - Creator: Jayhawk
45 - LDN | OL Oliver Luddal | Minneapolis* - Minneapolis, MN - Creator: Darknes 
46 - CGY (from LI) | WR Jason Tredegar | West Mass State - Chicopee, MA - Creator: RaysUp
47 - IND (from BUF) | LB Victor Underhill | Haynes - Bridgeport, CT - Creator: TheEnigmaticOne
48 - BOS | WR Leo Naylor Jr. | Toronto - Toronto, ON - Creator: Dan O’Mac
49 - PRO (from LOU via IND) | DB Frederick Royston | Cambridge of Boston - Atlantic City, NJ - Creator: NoE38 
50 - REG (from MIN) | RB Jean-Marie Vigneau | Majeure Montreal - St. Pierre, PM - Creator: idm 
51 - OTT | OL Thomas Maxwell | New England - Boston, MA - Creator: Kingsfan11 
52 - PIT | TE Bob Byron | Rhode Island State - Warwick, RI - Creator: QCS 
53 - VAN | LB Taysom Karlov | Allegheny* - Pittsburgh, PA - Creator: Darknes
54 - LOU (from PRO via LDN) | S Lonnie Van Goethem | Rockefeller* - Provo, UT - Creator: Dan O’Mac

Round 4

The draft would settle into a rhythm in the 4th round, with no further trades being made. The interesting drama here would see Calgary take TE Josh Jordan over Japan’s TE Taro Ueyama. Many felt that Ueyama had at least more potential even if there might be an adjustment for the international prospect. Luckily, Ueyama didn’t have to wait too much longer with Vancouver taking him at 71. 

The 3rd QB of the draft would also be taken with Louisville drafting QB Justin Arceneaux. QB Mathieu Chevalier was ranked higher on The Gain Report in the lead-up to the draft, but it seems that the Thunder still liked Arceneaux more. He does have a similar skillset to QB Buck Murphy which may have also influenced the decision. 

Minnesota also made their first selection of the draft at 60th overall, the new latest a team has ever picked for the first time in any draft. With the pick, they would take King’s’ OL Louie Hughes, a pass-blocking O-lineman, who will probably need some time to develop.

The Gold Stars would take the lone Division 2 prospect, RB Tyler Greene, out of Oneida at pick 61. 

Round 4 Picks
55 - CGY (from HFX) | DL Adam Morin | St-Laurent - Quebec City, QC - Creator: Wallflower 
56 - WPG | WR Jake Stevens | Rideau - Barrie, ON - Creator: Kingsfan11
57 - REG | OL Phillip Stewart | Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial - Kitchener, ON - Creator: Wallflower
58 - CGY (from IND via PRO) | OL Tristan Glaukos | St. George - Toronto, ON - Creator: Jayhawk
59 - EDM | LB Eason Goodlow | Royal Regina - Moose Jaw, SK - Creator: Wallflower
60 - MIN (from MTL) | OL Louie Hughes | King’s* - New York City, NY - Creator: idm 
61 - PRO (from TOR) | RB Tyler Greene | Oneida** - Albany, NY - Creator: Kingsfan11
62 - CGY | TE Josh Jordan | New England - Providence, RI - Creator: Burmy87
63 - TOR (from LDN via PRO) | LB Brian Paxton | Western New York - Pittsburgh, PA - Kingsfan11
64 - LI | WR Ricky Sundquist | Rochester* - Rochester, NY - Creator: Wallflower 
65 - BUF | OL George Rooney | Long Island State* - Hempstead, NY - Creator: idm
66 - HFX (from BOS) | DL Jackson Hyde | Toronto - London, ON - Creator: Jayhawk
67 - LOU | QB Justin Arceneaux | St-Laurent - Saint-Hyacinthe, QC - Creator: Dan O’Mac
68 - MIN | DB Tony Rhodes | Gateway* - St. Louis, MO - Creator: DireBear
69 - OTT | LB Caleb Turner | Nova Scotia - Halifax, NS - Creator: Kingsfan11
70 - PIT | S Norris Biletnikoff | Louisville State - Akron, OH - Creator: Wallflower
71 - VAN | TE Taro Ueyama | Yokohama - Yokohama, JP - Creator: OCS 
72 - REG | DB Aaron Fernandino | Indiana Tech - Chicago, IL - Creator: ZO82 

Round 5

The final round would see a couple more internationally-born players selected. Both would go to Minnesota who took British WR Reggie Chamberlain at 77 and then German TE Rudolph Klaughnschoe at 88. 

Buffalo would take QB Mathieu Chevalier at 83rd as the final QB selected in the draft, taking a bit of a fall from his projected draft stock ahead of the draft. 

Providence would round out the draft with the final pick, taking WR Consequences McGee out of Royal Regina. 

Round 5 Picks
73 - CGY (from HFX) | LB Seamus Finnegan | New England - Boston, MA - Creator: Darknes 
74 - WPG | LB Shaun Winterhawk | Riel - Winnipeg, MB - Creator: ZO82 
75 - REG | DB Raymond Thompson | Alberta Provincial - Medicine Hat, AB - Creator: idm
76 - IND | OL Terrence Payne | Louisville State - Chapel Hill, TN - Creator: Dan O’Mac
77 - MIN (from EDM) | WR Reggie Chamberlain | Cambridge of Boston - Brighton, UK - Creator: Darknes
78 - VAN (from MTL) | OL Pete Conway | New England - Boston, MA - Creator: idm 
79 - TOR | DL Adam Addington | Upstate - Yonkers, NY - Creator: ZO82
80 - LI (from CGY) | DB Patrick McClain | North Indiana - Indianapolis, IN - Creator: idm
81 - LDN | LB Jean Saint-Germain | Majeure Montreal - Montreal, QC -  Creator: idm
82 - LI | RB Guy Houghton | Concord-Manchester - Worcester, MA - Creator: Dan O’Mac
83 - BUF | QB Mathieu Chevalier | Majeure Montreal - Montreal, QC - Creator: ThisIsFine 
84 - HFX (from BOS) | WR Jacques LeBrun | St-Laurent - Sainte-Marie, QC - Creator: idm 
85 - LOU | RB Otto Bahn | Major Wisconsin - Milwaukee, WI - Creator: Scratch 
86 - LDN (from MIN) | DL Derek Watts | UPNB - Fredericton, NB - Creator: Kingsfan11
87 - OTT | OL Scotty English | Atlantic State of Massachusetts - Newport, RI - Creator: idm
88 - MIN (from PIT) | TE Rudolph Klaughnschoe | Saskatchewan Provincial - Mannheim, DE - Creator: Stickman
89 - VAN | DB Ron Tulsa | Western Manitoba - Virden, MB - Creator: JamHeronArk
90 - PRO | WR Consequences McGee | Royal Regina - Rosetown, SK - Creator: Stickman

Undrafted Prospects
DL Brandon Fields - The Colonial College - Richmond, VA - Creator: RaysUp
OL Christo Shaffer - Huntington** - Wheeling, WV - Creator: idm
OL Dillon Dover - St. John’s Dominion - New Harbour, NL - Creator: idm 
QB Florian Decebal - Northern West Virginia - Somerset, PA - Creator: Jayhawk
K George Ketener - North Indiana - Oberlin, OH - Creator: TigersFan93
DB Gregory Moran - Indiana Tech - Farmersburg, IN - Creator: Dan O’Mac
DL Leo Brueggemann - Middle Illinois - Springfield, IL - Creator: Dan O’Mac
DL Leo Moon - Kansas City - Jerico Springs, MO - Creator: idm
K Luka Vaillancourt - Montreal Provincial - Trois-Rivières, QC - Creator: ZO82
WR Phillip Patroklos - Upstate - Poughkeepsie, NY - Creator: Jayhawk
TE Richard Hooks-Wright - Salt Lake State - Ogden, UT - Creator: Scratch
S Roger Malloy - Cambridge of Boston - Brighton, UK - Creator: Dan O’Mac
QB Steve Robiskie - Alberta Provincial - Strathmore, AB - Creator: Wallflower
QB Thomas Gundar - Maine State - Portland, ME - Creator: TheEnigmaticOne
LB Winston Cox - Haynes - Hartford, CT - Creator: ZO82

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