1952-53 Offseason Part 2

 

QB’S GIFTED EXTENSIONS, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE?

Pittsburgh’s QB controversy has loomed over them since rookie QB O.J. DeMille nearly came back in the East Division final against the Hammers after starter Clarence Stanley could not perform. Most of Pittsburgh has been impressed by DeMille’s short time in the spotlight, and many were calling for him to start this season over Stanley. Pittsburgh owner/head coach James O’Leary knew that Stanley’s time as a starter may be almost up, especially since his contract with the team expired after last season. The Shamrocks gave him a 1 year, $18K extension to prove that he deserves the starting role over DeMille. Stanley would be on a short leash though, as if he is struggling at any point his year he will be benched. The Shamrocks did go 7-3 with Stanley under center last year, but many argued that it was mainly the work of RB Marion Waters and their defense leading the charge instead of Stanley. The Shamrocks didn’t draft any other help for Stanley on the receiving end, which makes his job to go back to the playoffs slightly harder. 

At age 34, Chicago QB Alfred Walton resigned with the team for a 2 year, $33K deal in what many are thinking are his last years as a pro. Chicago is going to have a hard time replacing him, as his accolades speak for themselves. He won 4 Bradshaw Cups while in the MWFC, 2 AFL championships and 2 Championship MVP’s, and 1 MVP trophy as part of his silverware collection, and wants to win more than just that. Donovan Hasenkamp has assured that when Walton retires that no other Hogs player will wear his number 2, ensuring that his legacy will remain among other AFL QB’s

Detroit’s Roy Woodward got the news he least wanted: that the Knights had drafted his replacement. QB Terry Kadlec had been drafted second overall, but the Knights wanted to take their time before rushing him into the starting role. Woodward was going into a contract year last season, and didn’t produce the results the team wanted, going 3-7 for the third year in a row. Woodward wanted to leave the Knights for another team, but there were no other bidders that wanted his services. Woodward reluctantly signed a 3 year, $30K deal with the team, which includes a trade clause after the second year in case the team wants to start Kadlec a year early.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS GET BIG CONTRACTS

Three of the AFL’s top defensive stars all got paid this offseason, each briefly becoming the highest-paid defensive players when they signed their deals. The first brick to fall was Chicago DB Clarence Newman, whose heroics during the playoffs last year made him a household name in Chicago. Newman received a 5 year deal worth $72K, making him the highest paid defensive back in the league. A few days later, Buffalo DL Ray Payne received an equally high extension,  signing a 4 year, $80K deal that will keep him with the Hammers for as long as they are contenders. Payne had flourished during his time in the AFL, becoming one of the most feared rushers and got an all-star nod because of it. Payne will be a terror for anyone facing Buffalo for the coming years, and possibly bring a title back to Buffalo. Another team making a re-signing that has championship ambitions is Tri-Cities, who signed DL Ralph Rogers to a record 4 year, $94K deal as they try to get back to the championship game. Rogers is arguably the best defensive lineman in the league, and has effectively carried the Hawks’ defense throughout the past few years, making his payday fairly deserved compared to other players on his team.

Other notable defensive extensions include Tri-Cities locking up recent acquisition S Tom Silva for a 4 year, $68K deal, Pittsburgh signing rising star LB Alex Lee on a 4 year, $66K deal, and Cincinnati keeping veteran DB Jim Farmer on a 2 year, $17K deal.

CHICAGO BOLSTERS LINEBACKING CORE IN TRADE WITH CLEVELAND

Chicago’s linebacking core was severely weakened after the retirements of longtime starters George Post and Lester Harper. After retirements, 30 year-old Douglas Marks was the only linebacker left on the team who had started at least 1 game with the team, with rookie Barry Reynolds serving as the primary backup and didn’t see much playing time. Even after drafting LB’s Killian Graves and Faolán Doyle, the Hogs still felt like they needed one final piece at the position. They joined in on the Cleveland Crows firesale and traded for LB Arthur Conley, sending WR Bobby McClure and a 1954 second round pick as compensation. Conley had been on the verge of breaking out in Cleveland, and wanted to play for a winning team instead of the rebuilding Crows. McClure wanted a higher salary and the Hogs didn’t want to pay him, as they wanted to put rookie WR Ciarán Murphy as part of the starting roster. McClure will get his pay and starting time with the Crows, and Conley gets an immediate starting job with a championship team.

 

1953 Season Preview

1 - Cincinnati Rivermen

1952 Record: 7-3 (1st West)

1952 Result: Lost West Division Play-Off

After losing to Chicago for the second year in the row in the postseason, the Rivermen are a team on a mission to win their first title in nearly 20 years. They took a gamble by trading for RB Perry Ferguson after his struggles in Cleveland, and he looks all set to take over the starting job. Reigning OPOY QB Lester Parker has his mind set on MVP after his breakout season, and with WR Alfred Dunn, TE Floyd Rankin, and new acquisition WR Chris Marks as his weapons, he might just win the MVP race. While they have their great offense, their defense is the one thing that might prevent this team from winning this year. Their front seven is mediocre, except for 3rd year LB Jeff Blankenship, who is carving out a role as the top defender on the team. Two new starters grace the secondary, with S Virgil Romano taking over for the departing Tom Silva, and 1st round selection DB Kerry Lantz might just elevate the defense in ways that the front seven might hold them back. The one concern for the team is their age. The team has just 5 starters over the age of 28, and the team as a whole doesn’t have much postseason experience. If the Rivs can ride the hot hand like they did for the first 8 games like last year, the West might be theirs for the taking once again.

2 - Buffalo Hammers

1952 Record: 7-3 (1st East)

1952 Result: Lost Championship

The Hammers kept a majority of their starters coming in from last year, meaning they’re still a threat to light up the rest of the league with their offensive might. With a cast containing QB Don Melton, RB Calvin Townsend, WR’s Ben Farrell and Bernard Clarke, and TE Dan Finley on offense, the Hammers were tough to beat last year. DL Ray Payne and DB Joe Merritt headline the defense, but those two will have to carry a lot of the weight. Buffalo suffers from the same issue as Cincinnati, having few big players on defense to help their offense thrive. Their linebacking core may hurt them especially, with 2nd year LB Stefan Stauer and rookie LB Chris Cassidy both being thrusted into starting roles. Rookie DB Rogelio Amos was drafted to take some of the burden off of Merritt’s back, but being a rookie may take time to adjust to the pro level. If this team can produce at the same rate as they did last year, then they might go right back to the championship.

3 - Chicago Hogs

1952 Record: 7-3 (2nd West)

1952 Result: Won Championship

As long as Alfred Walton is the starter, then the Hogs have a legitimate chance of making the playoffs. However, age is catching up to a lot of the main core that brought them to their championships. Walton is 34, WR Nicholas Kramer just reached 30, TE Glenn Chambers is 31, and LB Douglas Marks is 32. Their receiving core took a massive hit from last year, with Kramer beginning to regress due to his age and not one receiver looking like the number 1 target in his absence. DL Eric Forbes commands the defensive line pretty much all by himself, with the age issue coming up as to why DL’s Joel Valentine and Leslie Black can’t put up the same effort as forbes. Their linebacking core was completely overhauled, with only Douglas Marks the only starter from last year. Despite that, their defense is still one of the best in the league. If the Hogs’ age still does not catch up with them, they will once again make another push to the championship.

4 - Washington Federals

1952 Record: 4-6 (4th West)

1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

The new team on the block might make a serious push to relevancy, maybe as soon as this year. QB Johnnie Sellers has been on the verge of breaking out as an all-star, and finally has a supporting cast around him that he can succeed. Head coach Irving Berry is taking a lot of the focus off of second-year RB Rip Rooney, which might benefit Rooney as much as it might for Sellers. The team made great efforts to improve the receiving situation, trading for WR Joseph Atkins and drafting WR Darius Sanderson to make a potentially incredible combo on offense. The defense also contains a bunch of rising stars ready to make a name for themselves. DL Robert Stanton looks to pair well with second rounder DL Daley Norris, and second-year LB Howard Treadaway looks to make his breakthrough season this year. DB Johnathan Moon finally has some backup with 5th rounder S Josh von Bank ready to support him if the top target goes through him. The main issue with this team is their youth and relative inexperience. If they get past their inexperience and play up to their potential, they could be a wild card in the already tough West Division.

5 - Pittsburgh Shamrocks

1952 Record: 7-3 (2nd East)

1952 Result: Lost East Division Play-Off

The main issue surrounding the Shamrocks entering the 1953 season is the quarterback position. While QB O.J. DeMille played one great quarter for Pittsburgh in the play-off, QB Clarence Stanley did go 7-3 and only struggled in one game primarily and sporadically in the regular season. They’re still going to rely on RB Marion Waters to bring their offense to life, with very few other options for the QB to throw to. Their defense is as stout as ever, with DL Roy Forbes and the 1-2 punch of linebacking duo Alex Lee and Barry Moore terrorizing the line of scrimmage, and recent acquisition DB Jerry Pruitt providing much needed secondary help to S Raymond Walters. The defense should play up to the same level they did last year, but the real question is on offense. In the already weak East, all Stanley has to do is be a competent quarterback to take them to the playoffs, but the real issue is with Stanley. If Stanley doesn’t falter from his issues in the East Play-Off throughout the season, then this team is an easy lock to make the playoffs.

6 - Tri-Cities Hawks

1952 Record: 4-6 (3rd West)

1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

With the rest of their division only getting stronger, the Hawks’ championship ambitions are getting further and further away. Injuries have hindered the team the past two years, and the main core of QB Gilbert Clay, WR John McLean, and WR George Payne have played just 6 total games with each other last season, so their chemistry might be put to the test in a season where they have to perform against the frontrunning Cincinnati and Chicago teams and a potential newcomer in Washington. DL Ralph Rogers could not carry the defense like he did last season, but he may have to in order for the Hawks to compete. The team did acquire S Tom Silva from Cincinnati, but he might be relied on a bit too much with how few other contributors there are in the secondary. If the Hawks can repeat their magic from their 1950 championship, then they might have a slight chance of making it to the playoffs, and need even greater help to win the division outright.

7 - Detroit Knights

1952 Record: 3-7 (3rd East)

1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

Detroit is a team going through an identity crisis. They were plenty successful while in the MWFC, but for some reason that success has failed to translate over to the AFL. QB Roy Woodward has taken the brunt of the blame from fans as to why the Knights aren’t winning, and his struggles might be directly linked to fan outcry. With Detroit drafting QB Terry Kadlec at number 2 overall, his time as a Knight is coming to an end. RB Jeffery Spears has been carrying a bulk of the offense because of Woodward’s struggles, and the rest of the offense is upset at coach August Riddle for not giving them the opportunity, notably the receiving tandem of WR’s Lloyd Lawson and Paul Kent. Their back half of the defense is keeping them in games, including LB duo Jerry Flowers and Vincent Meyer shutting down the interior and DB Herman Schmidt and Johnathan Hobbs getting some much needed help with S Charlie Fischer being added to the fray. Don’t count on their front 4 to create any pressure though, which was their main downfall last year as well. If they can create any kind of consistency and get back to their heights of the MWFC days, then they might just have a chance of making it to the playoffs.

8 - Cleveland Crows

1952 Record: 1-9 (4th East)

1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

All Cleveland has to do now is do bad to do good later. They look to be playing their cards right, selling at the same time Buffalo and Pittsburgh are struggling for a division title and Detroit having an identity crisis to determine if they are a good team or not. As long as Cleveland doesn’t somehow pull a winning season out of thin air, they should finish with a top-3 pick and a ton of other draft picks to potentially build a championship-winning team. QB Denzel Collingsworth is in shape to become the Crows’ long-term starter, but his rookie season might start out on the wrong foot due to how few pieces the offense has. Second-year RB Max Panders might be the best beneficiary on this rebuilding team, with coach Ike Schwann stating that Panders would get a bulk of the snaps to get this team off and running. The Crows still have a couple of pieces they can sell off, so expect them to be at the bottom of the league table. If they can continue their rebuilding process, then they’ll be set for the future.