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Atlantic City Phantoms Preview
STRENGTH
DL- Starters: DE Mike Hipp (69/71), DT Darren Richardson (63/63), Neil Farr (57/57), Johnnie Kelly (46/46)
Hipp, in his second year, is the new star of the defensive line. He recorded 9 sacks in his rookie year and should easily be in double figures this season. Richardson had his best season as a pro with 7 sacks in 14 games in 2031. Farr was brought in in free agency from Cleveland. His ratings are much better than his statistics but he should get more opportunities to excel with Hipp and Richardson getting most of the attention from opponents. Kelly is the weak link of the defensive line but did have 3.5 sacks last season. The backups include ends include Nate Luong (43/43) and Kennedy Phipps (33/49). Luong is a former second round pick who enters the last year of his rookie contract while Phipps is a rookie third round pick who is a better run defender than pass rusher. Defensive tackle J.R. Rudolph will backup both interior spots and recorded 4 sacks in limited action last year.
WEAKNESS
QB – Starter: Rico Firth (34/40)
Firth had the best preseason of the three quarterbacks and has claimed the first shot at taking over the starting spot from Tyrone Dillon (who was not re-signed). A fourth round pick in 2029, Firth has patiently waited for his chance to lead the team. He doesn’t have high overall ratings but is very good in the skills needed for the west coast offense utilized by ACI. The key is going to be managing the offense with short and medium passes and keeping the turnovers low. If Firth falters, Claude Ripple (34/46) will be given a chance. Ripple is very similar to Firth in ability and is another good fit for the ACI offence. The third QB will be Todd Nelson (28/44), who battled an anxiety disorder last year and has yet to perform to the level the team had hoped for when he was select with the first pick in round three of the 2030 draft.
OTHER UNITS
RB – Starter: Harvey Engelke (29/31)
We won’t go into the story behind Engelke except to say he has surpassed early expectations and has been handed the #1 running back spot. Exceptional speed to the outside is the biggest asset that he brings. The ACI coaches will have a short leash on Engelke, however, and won’t be afraid to use Adam Richard (33/33) or Grant Fontenot (43/43). Richard gained 1,102 yards last year for ACI but took a big step backwards ratings wise in the offseason. In just his 4th year, Fontenot has been picked up three separate times by the Phantoms. He is eager to get a chance to show what he can do and has become disgruntled in recent weeks. Also on the roster is rookie Levon Bailey (30/41), a fourth round pick. Bailey, who got into a fight with Richard in training camp, will likely be inactive all year unless there is an injury.
FB – Starter: Mario Genovese (46/46)
Genovese was the backup to Jeremy Wilkerson last season bit is the starter now with Wilkerson now in Texas. With only 26 carries in 2031, Genovese had a 4.46 yard average. He also added 25 receptions. Although his statistics don’t show it, ACI believe Genovese is one of the more talented fullbacks in the league. Backing up Genovese will be Nolan O’Neal (41/41). O’Neal, interesting enough, was signed from Texas so he basically swapped teams with Wilkerson. He is a very strong run blocker who will be a force in short yardage situations. Derek Dotson (41/41) was picked up in week 13 of 2031 and showed enough in practice to be re-signed in the offseason. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the roster number game and was the last cut of the pre-season.
WR – Starters: FL Emmit Diaz (36/36), SE Buddy Wright (32/32)
Some may argue that the wide receiver is the weakest position on the Phantoms and they may be right as no receiver is over is over 36 in actual ratings. Diaz may have the best hands of the group and was signed from Boise after a 44 catch season. Backing him up will be Leroy McLaughlin (23/38), a young player who ACI hopes will turn into an excellent west coast offense receiver. Too bad that is at least 2-3 seasons away. At split end, Wright is the starter based on experience (8th year and 50 receptions in 2031) but all three are very similar. Trent Blackwell (33/33) caught 43 passes last season and is a downfield threat once he catches the ball. Bryant Corbett (33/33) may be the biggest disappointment from the offseason as he regressed in his abilities. Due to the weak receiver group, the Phantoms decided to try a different route in the passing game. Tight ends!
TE: Starters: Graham Phillip (48/48), Myron Learned (48/61)
Based on the very strong quartet of tight ends, the plan for ACI is to feature many more two tight end sets. This is why we are listing two tight ends as starters. Phillip caught 28 passes last year but has the talent to make a much bigger impact. He is a good blocker with excellent all around skills. Learned was the second of ACI’s two first round picks and has already worked his way into the starting lineup. He is already a fan favorite and has the skillset to be a top flight tight end for many years to come. The third and fourth tight ends will get plenty of action as they are rotated throughout a game. Harold Rasmussen (45/45) was signed from Denver for close to $5 a year. He is not much of a blocker but has great hands and overall receiving skills. Alex McDaniel (39/56) is a young player with excellent potential. He led all ACI tight ends with 42 catches last season and averaged 9 yards per catch. Don’t be surprised if he joins Learned in the starting lineup at some point this season to create a very dangerous young, 1-2 punch at tight end.
OL: Starters: LT Gabe Burdick (53/53), LG Jimmie Matthews (68/68), C Roosevelt Shepard (80/80), RG Curtis Babinchak (65/65), RT Wesley Sample (56/56)
A case could have been made for the offensive line as the strength of the Phantoms. Burdick was designated the teams franchise player in the offseason and recently signed a 5yr, $46 deal. Sample is a seven year vet who started 15 games for ACI last year. Matthews is a veteran center who will slide over to guard. Babinchak and Shepard are the two young studs of the offensive line. Jessie Blackwell (42/42) and Max Salinas (38/38) are capable backups but are not long term solutions if an injury occurs to any of the starters. K.C. Norton (40/70) was a second round pick this year and is a future replacement at LG.
LB: Starters: SLB Edwin Stoner (85/85), MLB Zack Koethe (44/44), WLB J.C. Morrison (56/56)
Stoner = Stud. Enough said. Koethe took a step back in his development this summer but will still be tasked with replacing Darnell Lyon (who was not resigned and has since moved to Honolulu. ACI needs Koethe to be strong in run defense. The other outside linebacker spot will be handled by veteran Morrison. Morrison has a history of injuries but when healthy he is a solid compliment to Stoner with excellent run defense skills.
CB: Starters: LCB Leo Pasquarella (39/54), RCB Dennis Porter (69/69)
Porter returns for his seventh season as the secondary leader and one of the top corners in the league. Pasquarella, another second round pick for ACI this year, was moved from safety to corner during training camp. He is very good against the run and has the bump and run skills that the Phantoms are looking for in their cornerbacks. The backups are not great in overall ratings but do excel in B n R and run defense. They include Omar Goodwin (34/34), Buddy Thomson (27/27) and Rickey Wiggins (30/30). Youngsters Deron Fulton (23/40) and Riddick Mikolic (25/39) are projects.
S: Starters: FS Dwight Ross (52/52), SS Wendell Myrick (58/58)
Ross and Myrick are what we believe to be a top 10 safety combination in the CFL. Ross appears to be fully recovered from a serious ACL injury in 2030 while Myrick gained a ton of experience in 2031 with 16 starts. Wayne Fleming (24/40) is a rookie 5th round pick who is not ready for prime time but will be thrust into the role of backup for both safety spots.
ST: Starters: K Dixon Finch (78/78), P Howard Doyle (52/52)
Finch was 27/32 with a long of 53 in 2031. He was also 12/13 from 40+ and 5/5 from 50+. With an offense that will have trouble putting touchdowns on the board, field goals will be critical. The Phantoms used a 6th round pick this year to get a punter but Claude Duran (23/34) appears to be a bust. Dustin Warner (40/51) was signed as an undrafted rookie and is better than Duran but not good enough to unseat last year’s starter Howard Doyle (52/52). Doyle doesn’t have great overall numbers but he was a top 15 punter for average and net average. He also was 5th in the league with 42 punts inside the 20, which is critical when you have a poor offense and excellent defense.
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