Just in time for the 2007 season, it's that time again...time for Taco's Team Rankings!
[bc99d4bb]1. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet26.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Honolulu Blue Pacific[/bc99d4bb] (13-3) Owner: MrBug708
The two-time defending champions are still the team to beat. The defense was the strength of the team last year, and this year they return their star secondary and linebackers. The defensive line is young and unproven and is a weak link. 3rd year DE Sammy Necaise was a pleasant surprise in 2006 with 7.5 sacks. On offense Ronnie Tu won the CFL Bowl MVP for the 2nd year in a row, but many felt it belonged to WR Efren Herold who had 9 receptions for 126 yards and 1 TD plus a 104 yard kickoff return for a TD.
[bc99d4bb]2. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet08.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Hartford Attack[/bc99d4bb] (10-6) Owner: Masked
Hartford traded up to have the right to draft the best running back prospect in the history of the CFL, Alan Spearman. Spearman runs a 4.35 40 which makes him the fastest running back in the league. Now that Spearman has ended his holdout, the Attack officially have the best offense in the league. The only weak link may be at the right tackle position, where last year's #1 pick, Erik Lynn, has struggled.
[bc99d4bb]3. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet25.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Tucson Toros[/bc99d4bb] (12-4) Owner: Fonzie
Tucson had to take the wild card route in last year's playoffs, defeating Sacramento and El Paso (both on the road) before finally falling to division rival Honolulu. This year they didn't have the luxury of a high 1st round draft pick (last year they selected offensive rookie of the year Drew Holliday with the #4 overall pick), but they end up getting DE Lance Crane at #29 overall. Crane will be able to learn from Isaiah Melo, who has at least 10 sacks in each of the previous 4 seasons.
[bc99d4bb]4. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet31.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Detroit Vampires[/bc99d4bb] (12-4) Owner: fantastic flying froggies
The first half of the CFL Bowl is still a painful memory. In that half the Vampires fell behind 24-0 and lost RB Thomas Wadsworth to a career ending knee injury. He will be replaced by Monty Boyd, a former 1st round draft pick, who is on his 3rd team in 3 years. Detroit has been picked by many return to the CFL Bowl and win it.
[bc99d4bb]5. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet06.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Shreveport Pride[/bc99d4bb] (11-5) Owner: Raven Hawk
Shreveport improved greatly in 2006, winning their division with a 11-5 record after winning a total of 10 games the previous two years. They started out 1-3, but then went on a tear winning 11 out of 13 before falling to Detroit in the playoffs. Not a whole lot has changed from last season, they still have Douglas Hartman throwing the ball, Weldon Rayburn running it, and Jerald Barber clogging up the middle.
[bc99d4bb]6. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet19.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Charleston Monitors[/bc99d4bb] (6-10) Owner: JJ Smitty
The Charleston roster has 49 players on it, and 29 were not on the team last year. In fact, only 5 starters remain from the 2004 championship team. This year the Monitors have added impact players DE Casey Bousquet (career sack leader with 49.5), C Corey Fulbright (from Boston who had two 1,000 yard rushers last year), and WR Terrance Ryan (talented but injury prone). The team needs to win now as they will be about $25 million over the cap at the beginning of next season.
[bc99d4bb]7. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet27.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Seattle Thunderbirds[/bc99d4bb] (10-6) Owner: Aylmar
When you think of Seattle, you think of QB Charles Dever, the comeback player of the year in 2006. After missing the entire 2005 season due to injury, Dever was the Offensive Player of the Year by throwing for 3566 yards, 28 TDs, 5 INTs, and a 103.2 rating. More importantly, his team went 10-6 after going 2-14 the year before. Seattle was one of three 10-6 teams that missed the playoffs in 2006, but they are poised to bounce back this year. The leader on defense is NT Dominic Shumpert, who had a monster season in 2006 and is arguably the best player at his position, even though he is only 27.
[bc99d4bb]8. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet10.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Sacramento Dragons[/bc99d4bb] (10-6) Owner: Joe
It was a quiet offseason for Sacramento. The biggest noise dealt with the Dragons' 1st round draft pick, WR Chuck Kuhlmann, which had mixed reviews. Some felt the pick was a reach, while others felt like it wasn't. On defense, the Dragons are loaded at free safety, having 3 players that could start on most teams. Rodrick Gonzales is the best of the three, and is signed through 2010. Sacramento is a true threat to win the Western Conference this year.
[bc99d4bb]9. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet20.jpg" width="35" height="35"> New York Knights[/bc99d4bb] (10-6) Owner: Noisaddct
The Knights upset division rival Hartford in the wild card game last year, one week after losing to them in week 17. The difference was WR Douglas Cowley who returned from an injury he suffered in week 1 and had 9 receptions for 112 yards and 1 TD in the playoff victory. In case Cowley gets injured again, the team traded for WR Chris Briseno. Briseno was not even a starter in Boston but New York still gave up a future 1st round draft pick for him.
[bc99d4bb]10. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet03.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Durham Bulldogs[/bc99d4bb] (14-2) Owner: Taco
Durham only lost 3 games last year and two of those losses were to Detroit. This year they return all 22 starters and added center Earnest Fant in free agency. Fant joins LG Hunter Jaimes (1st team 2005 and 2006) to form one of the best interior offensive lines in the CFL. Overall the Bulldog roster is very similar to last year: good depth and good team chemistry.
[bc99d4bb]11. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet05.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Santa Cruz Privateers[/bc99d4bb] (8-8) Owner: Fastcat
Santa Cruz was a popular favorite early in 2006, but they started off 1-3 and never won more than 2 consectutive games. Their biggest win came in week 12 when they crushed Charleston 41-14 by racking up 488 yards of total offense. This year, despite a tight salary cap situation, the Privateers still found room to sign RG Robert Rains, which gives them one of the best offensive lines in the league.
[bc99d4bb]12. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet21.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Fargo Boxcars[/bc99d4bb] (10-6) Owner: MC
The Boxcars broke all kinds of passing records last season. QB Dwayne Bridges threw the ball 793 times for 5215 yards and 47 TDs. The team franchised TE Delbert Lonergan (931 receiving yards and 9 TDs) and also have back WRs James Doney (1,453 receiving yards and 12 TDs), Jamison Reynolds (923 receiving yards and 8 TDs), Armando Villanueva (652 receiving yards and 9 TDs), and Adrian Skaggs (539 receiving yards and 4 TDs). They also used their first round draft pick to select 6' 4" WR Les Disney from Maryland.
[bc99d4bb]13. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet07.jpg" width="35" height="35"> El Paso Rockets[/bc99d4bb] (11-5) Owner: JeeberD
El Paso had one of the best defenses in the history of FOF MP in 2006, but had to let some of their key players go during the offseason in order to get under the salary cap. On offense, QB Earnest Lorenzo is gone and the man is now Dustin Hayes, drafted 4th overall in 2005. Hayes may need a year of experience before he takes the Rockets back to the playoffs in 2008.
[bc99d4bb]14. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet02.jpg" width="35" height="35"> New Orleans Raging Horde[/bc99d4bb] (8-8) Owner: sachmo
The Raging Horde went after defensive linemen in the offseason, which was a need because former first round pick Leon Bronson will miss the entire season with a knee injury. In free agency the team signed Andy Boulanger, Joseph Humbert, and Albert Garcia - all quality players. With the #16 overall draft pick they selected DE Maurice Griffin, who is still holding out. The team now has 8 defensive ends on the roster, and it is possible that they may keep all 8.
[bc99d4bb]15. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet24.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Las Vegas Rounders[/bc99d4bb] (7-9) Owner: TurfToe
QB Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen is one of the best at throwing deep, but there is concern in Vegas that he just doesn't have an explosive wide receiver that can make the big play. Michael Feeney is his best option, but his 2006 season was cut short due to injury after 9 games. If Feeney stays healthy he should have the best year of his career in 2007. The Rounders have had good success drafting defensive tackles, as last year's 1st round pick, Mario Ah Yat, was defensive rookie of the year, and this year's 5th round pick, Phil Weaver, looks ready to start immediately.
[bc99d4bb]16. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet09.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Huntington Beach Capitalists[/bc99d4bb] (10-6) Owner: Castlerock
The Capitalists could not pass up QB Clarence Lincoln when he fell all the way to #21 overall. Lincoln has the potential to be a solid starter in the league, but for now he will learn from starter Jesus Dennis, who returns for his 3rd season in Huntington Beach. The team's best player is safety Justin Luck, who has 22 career interceptions (2nd in CFL history). Look for Huntington Beach to make some major moves next offseason when they have $40+ million in cap space.
[bc99d4bb]17. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet17.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Anchorage Wolfpack[/bc99d4bb] (5-11) Owner: Stretch
NT Albert Poole has returned to Anchorage (average September high: 55) after spending two years in Tampa Bay (average September high: 89). Joining him is QB Lane Manuel who lost favor in Tampa after failing to lead his talented team to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. Look for Manuel to thrive away from the distractions in Florida, and focus on throwing the ball to receivers McCaleb (4,200+ career receiving yards) and Blackmon (FA from Cleveland).
[bc99d4bb]18. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet04.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Oregon Ice[/bc99d4bb] (11-5) Owner: Grid Iron
Oregon displayed tremendous confidence in QB Thomas Kuhn when they sent Maurice Brown away and re-signed Kuhn to what is essentially a two year contract worth $3 million. Kuhn was 5-3 as a starter last season, including a playoff loss. This year their biggest acquisition is LG Kim Honeycutt, who was one of the major reasons why Arthur Brady was so successful in Chicago. The team also acquired Fredric Diggs from Chicago, who is a pass rush specialist and pairs up nicely Brian Vanegas, who had 15.5 sacks during Oregon's 2003 championship season.
[bc99d4bb]19. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet29.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Denver Dynomite[/bc99d4bb] (8-8) Owner: varacel
40-year old QB George "Pittbull" Pitts has returned to Denver, but this time it will be as a backup. The team is now run by 25 year old Marcus Garibaldi who is 10-9 as a starter. If you were playing fantasy football last season it was hard to miss RB John Lubin's numbers (17 rushing TDs). One mystery from last year was the performance of DE Zachery Duggan. Duggan had 13.5 sacks in the first 9 games, but only had 0.5 sacks in the final 7 games.
[bc99d4bb]20. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet18.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Tulsa Talons[/bc99d4bb] (6-10) Owner: Doug5984
Tulsa has been a patient team that builds through the draft, and this year they should start to show the results of it. QB Donnie Lowe and RB Butch Fulton are ready to go on offense, and this year's #1 pick, DT Donnell Hardy, should mature into the team's best defensive tackle. The Talons need a breakout season from WR Charles Lindberg, who so far has not earned his huge contract.
[bc99d4bb]21. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet01.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Boise Stampede[/bc99d4bb] (11-5) Owner: timmynausea
In last year's wild card game against Oregon, Boise scored 9 points in the final 1:23 to pull out a 18-17 victory. The next week they were destroyed 31-3 by Honolulu and then the dismantling began. The salary cap problems have been solved now that Boise has 21 rookies on their 48 man roster. The offense will rely on magic from QB Branden Lin, as there isn't a quality running back on the team. The starter will probably be 5th year back Archie Chun who has averaged 3.3 yards per carry in his career. Behind him are 3 rookies: 6th rounder Tommie Doyle, 7th rounder Reggie Van Pelt, and undrafted rookie Darrell Woods who might be the best of the three.
[bc99d4bb]22. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet15.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Long Beach Calibri[/bc99d4bb] (3-13) Owner: daedalus
Long Beach has their best team in their history, and they should have their first winning season this year. The keys will be their new players on offense: QB Charles McMillan (who never got to do much in Boston) and rookie RB Don Terrell. Not to mention last year's starting RB Sherman New who had 1,475 yards and 11 rushing TDs. On defense the Calibri traded for DE Bob McCalla and took on his $7 million salary which Tampa Bay could no longer afford.
[bc99d4bb]23. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet14.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Baltimore Bombers[/bc99d4bb] (7-9) Owner: 3ric
The slide continues: 14-2 in 2003, 10-6 in 2004, 8-8 in 2005, and 7-9 in 2006. QB Philip Barbieri missed the final 5 games last year due to injury after posting great stats through the first 11 games: 64% completion percentage, 17 TDs, 3 INTs, 99.3 rating. His favorite target, Gregory Rice, is a reliable receiver but doesn't get into the end zone enough. Baltimore's first round draft pick, safety Robbie Umphenour, is still unsigned but will probably start once he stops fighting over his contract.
[bc99d4bb]24. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet23.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Boston Panthers[/bc99d4bb] (7-9) Owner: flere-imsaho
You've got to be a little surprised when a running team like Boston (4th most rushing yards in FOF MP history) drafts a quarterback in the first round. But that's what Boston did when they selected Harry Ayanbadejo from UCLA with the 26th overall selection. Last year's #1 pick, RB Bryant Pressley, rushed for 1056 yards but that was topped by teammate Rodger Rubenstein who had 1167 rushing yards. This year they need better production out of guys like LB David Mattos, who only had 35 tackles despite starting 12 games.
[bc99d4bb]25. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet16.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Tampa Bay Torpedoes[/bc99d4bb] (8-8) Owner: wademoore
Tampa Bay found their groove midway through 2006, winning 6 out of their last 8 games but it wasn't enough to make the playoffs. Then they had to trade away their big name, big price players in order to get under the salary cap. In the process they acquired an extra first round pick next season (from Anchorage). This year the team will once again be good on defense and poor on offense. Last year they averaged less than 16 points per game.
[bc99d4bb]26. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet22.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Memphis Express[/bc99d4bb] (3-13) Owner: GoldenEagle
The Express have 25 new players on their roster, including 7 who should be starters. At the top of this list is LT Lance Lukas, who was the #1 overall selection in the original allocation draft. Lukas has had injury problems but has been a solid pass protector of his QB's blind side, only allowing 12 sacks in 1583 pass plays. He will probably be protecting Joshua Urrutia this year, unless rookie Blaine Hoffman is immediately thrown into the lineup. Hoffman recently signed his rookie contract that included a $17 million signing bonus.
[bc99d4bb]27. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet28.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Cleveland Flats[/bc99d4bb] (3-13) Owner: TLK
The Flats have escaped from salary cap hell and the future is looking very promising. The team brought in QB Ernest Lorenzo from El Paso to lead the offense and take the pressure off RB Toothpick Lang, who has been a disappointment considering he was a #3 overall selection just two seasons ago. This year they had the #3 overall selection again and used it to select DE Cary Delgado from Missouri. Delgado is strong for his size (5'11"), but the Flats had to be disappointed that there wasn't a true impact player available for them with the pick.
[bc99d4bb]28. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet12.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Albany Crows[/bc99d4bb] (5-11) Owner: thater
In 2006 Albany finished 5-11, including a 7 game losing streak. It was the worst season in the history of the franchise. As a result the Crows brought in 27 new players, including 15 on defense. The biggest names are two defensive ends that came in via trades: Brian O'Connell from Boise and Pierre Hinson from El Paso. If QB Rocky McFarland stays healthy (has missed 11 career games due to injury) then the Crows should return to the playoffs.
[bc99d4bb]29. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet11.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Chicago Hitmen[/bc99d4bb] (5-11) Owner: dberner30
RB Arthur Brady had started 60 consectutive games, averaging 27 carries per game, before suffering a season ending injury in week 13. He still finished with 1,702 rushing yards and now has a 1,200 yard lead over Sherman New in career rushing yards. Rookie CB Casey Duran is a stud and should be one of the top defensive backs in the league in a year or so. He forms a good pair with Graig Beaton (18 career interceptions).
[bc99d4bb]30. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet30.jpg" width="35" height="35"> San Antonio Stingers[/bc99d4bb] (6-10) Owner: Shooter
Now that QB Eddie Crawford was dumped by Bridget Hall (she was last spotted with Lenny Olsen), he can focus on winning football games. He's got a pair of solid receivers in Jerome Stearns and Miles Shumaker, but the defense is still weak, especially in the secondary. If the guys up front don't get a pass rush, these cornerbacks will be burned early and often.
[bc99d4bb]31. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet13.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Atlantic City Phantoms[/bc99d4bb] (5-11) Phantoms Owner: General Mike
The Phantoms finally have their quarterback and his name is Colin Sawyer. Sawyer, from the University of Miami, is smart, big (6' 6"), talented, and experienced, but he has a reputation of throwing too many interceptions. He's used to the pressure from Miami and should do fine in Atlantic City where he has workhorse RB Lanny Hower (1,446 rushing yards) to take the defense's focus off of him.
[bc99d4bb]32. <img src="
http://www.thecfl.net/cfl/helmet00.jpg" width="35" height="35"> Arizona Outlaws[/bc99d4bb] (1-15) Owner: Condors
The Outlaws won in week 3 against Fargo, but then dropped their last 13 games to become the 2nd team in the history of the CFL to finish 1-15 (Detroit in 2003). They then traded away their 1.1 pick to Hartford in exchange for 1.17 (FB Blaine Stovall), 1.19 (DT Rondell Isola), 3.19 (WR Jose Greenway), and TE Erich Frazee (22 career TD receptions). These four will not come close to having the impact that someone like Spearman or Hoffman would have had. Arizona has improved, but not enough to win more than 5 or 6 games this year.
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