Welcome to the 2004 edition of Taco's Team Rankings! For those of you new to the league, here's how it works... Every now and then I publish my rankings of all of the teams in the league. In addition to a ranking, each team gets something written about them. It's meant to be fun, and if you enjoy them I'll try to write these up more often. So far my rankings have turned out to be quite inaccurate. For example, four months ago I had San Antonio ranked #1 (they were 4-0) but they went on to finish the 2003 season at 6-10. You never know what's going to happen in the CFL!

Note: Regular season record from 2003 is in parenthesis () and PTR = Previous Taco Ranking from 2/19/04 - after week 11 of 2003 season

[b3af0435]1. Oregon Ice[/b3af0435] (11-5) Owner: Grid Iron PTR: 13

The defending champs are still the best team in the league thanks to a good offseason. However, CB Nicolas Thrash (signed as a FA from Baltimore) has damaged his ACL and will miss most of the season. That means Chris Ripley will have to start again at LCB, but he overachieved last year by picking off 4 passes and returning 2 for TDs. He needs to step up again for the Ice defense to dominate.

[b3af0435]2. Baltimore Bombers[/b3af0435] (14-2) Owner: 3ric PTR: 2

The Bombers high-powered offense scored the most points in the league last season, averaging 26.5 per game. Their offense is anchored by All-League 2nd Team LT Larry Cawley. Cawley was acquired in a very lopsided trade last season between Baltimore and Boise. Baltimore got Cawley in exchange for FS Henry Tran (0 INTs despite playing in all 16 games) and a 4th round draft pick which was never awared to Boise! Baltimore ended up keeping the pick and selecting QB Joel Rivers from Austin Peay.

[b3af0435]3. Fargo Boxcars[/b3af0435] (8-8) Owner: MC PTR: 14

The Boxcars should be able to make the playoffs this year, and could make a run at the title now that they have picked up some more quality players via free agency. TE Delbert Lonergan was signed away from El Paso and All-League 2nd Team P Brian Hazel was signed away from New York. 1st round draft pick Dwayne Bridges (QB) is already a fan favorite, but its yet to be seen how soon he will get the starting job.

[b3af0435]4. Huntington Beach Capitalists[/b3af0435] (13-3) Owner: Primal PTR: 1

Huntington Beach is all about defense, defense, defense. It was their defense that led them to a 6-0 division record in 2003, and a division title. This offseason they added to their defense by signing FA LB Arron Kimber from New York. On offense, All-League 2nd Team RB Ben Everson will have to compete for the starting job with RB Theodore McLaughlin who was acquired in a trade with Tulsa. Tulsa got a 2nd round draft pick for McLaughlin and used the pick to select CB Otis Ames. The Capitalists got the better end of that trade as McLaughlin will have a much bigger impact than Ames.

[b3af0435]5. Honolulu Blue Pacific[/b3af0435] (9-7) Owner: MrBug708 PTR: 4

QB Ronnie Tu is back and hopes to repeat or improve on his 4300 passing yards and 32 TDs that he had in 2003. The team has repeatedly tried to trade for a WR, but has been unable to do so. So Tu's main target this year will again be Brett McDaniel, last year's offensive rookie of the year. The Blue Pacific also made some major improvements during free agency, signing G Thomas Paddock from Long Beach, LB Eugene Lemmons from Charleston, and LB Daniel Beane from Fargo.

[b3af0435]6. Memphis Express[/b3af0435] (11-5) Owner: GoldenEagle PTR: 9

The Express came close to winning the championship game last year, but couldn't quite match up with Oregon. This year they have been hit with some early injury problems, especially on defense. All-League 2nd Team DE Isaiah Melo has a sprained knee ligament and will miss the first few games of the season. LB Robby Hollander is out for the season with an MCL injury. S Roland Parra is also out for a few weeks.

[b3af0435]7. Santa Cruz Privateers[/b3af0435] (4-12) Owner: Joe PTR: 27

Santa Cruz, under new leadership this year, is looking to reverse their record from last season. On paper they have a very talented team, but they haven't performed on the field. None of the Privateer players made 1st or 2nd team all-league last year. Starting QB Brett Hedges had a terrible 2003 season, throwing 29 INTs along with only 11 TDs. If Hedges learns from his mistakes then this team can win, otherwise it will be another frustrating season.

[b3af0435]8. Albany Engineers[/b3af0435] (8-8) Owner: Gallifrey PTR: 20

Albany has major salary cap problems and will have to play with only 46 players this season instead of the allowed 53. They went a little too far giving out signing bonuses in free agency. However, they have a talented team again this season and should improve their record. Rookie NT Kendrick Gunn (6' 7", 317 lbs) will be thrown into the started lineup immediately and needs to learn quickly.

[b3af0435]9. Cleveland Flats[/b3af0435] (9-7) Owner: TLK PTR: 16

Cleveland was the biggest surprise last postseason by upsetting Charleston and Baltimore before finally losing to Memphis. The quarterback that led them to those victories was Dino Stamm. However, Stamm left in free agency to sign with Memphis. The team then drafted QB Norm Rayburn in the 1st round (20th overall), but he isn't anywhere near as good as Stamm.

[b3af0435]10. New York Empire[/b3af0435] (12-4) Owner: timmae PTR: 6

Despite losing a few players in free agency, New York had the biggest signing of the year when they inked DE Jerrold Moton. Moton was a force for Denver last year, but he couldn't turn down a $11.5 million signing bonus and now will play on the east coast. He joins a talented team (3 players on 1st team all-league). Center Xavier Griffin, 1st round draft pick (27th overall), is still holding out and it's unclear whether he will play for the Empire this year.

[b3af0435]11. Tucson Toros[/b3af0435] (8-8) Owner: Fonzie PTR: 18

Tucson allowed the fewest points (26) this preseason. However, the strength of this team is its offensive line. The group of Perez, Gregg, Pless, Odum, and Franck is back together for 2004, and better than ever. They all have between 7-10 years of experience and all weigh over 300 lbs, including 344 lb G William Gregg. If they stay healthy then RB Chester Brumley could repeat as offensive player of the year. Last year Brumley had over 2000 yards from scrimmage (1300+ rushing, 700+ receiving).

[b3af0435]12. Charleston Sixpacks[/b3af0435] (13-3) Owner: sovereignstar PTR: 3

In 2003 Charleston allowed the least amount of points in the regular season (11 per game). They had 3 shutouts, including a 27-0 victory over the Cleveland Flats. However, Cleveland beat them in the wildcard round 24-13. Charleston had a tough offseason, but they still have 38 year old, league MVP QB Timothy Gordon. If he can stay healthy then the Sixpacks can challenge Baltimore for the division title.

[b3af0435]13. Atlantic City Phantoms[/b3af0435] (10-6) Phantoms Owner: General Mike PTR: 15

The Phantoms played well in their first 3 preseason games, getting victories over Tulsa, Seattle, and Fargo. But then Anchorage crushed them 33-9 when backup QB Horace Craven threw 3 INTs. The team's star will once again be All-League 1st Team DE Seth Keller, who had 17.5 sacks and 30 QB hurries last season.

[b3af0435]14. Las Vegas Crawfish[/b3af0435] (11-5) Owner: The Afoci PTR: 11

Las Vegas had a quiet offseason, and the team will be very similar to last year's team. DE Zachery Aaron was the first player taken by the Crawfish in the original selection draft, but he struggled as a pass rusher and only had 4.5 sacks last year. He needs to get that number into double digits to justify his $9,600,000 cap figure.

[b3af0435]15. Tampa Bay Torpedos[/b3af0435] (7-9) Owner: *open* PTR: 19

Tampa Bay was the only team to go 4-0 in the preseason. However, their 1st, 2nd, and 4th round draft picks are still unsigned. The Torpedos have the best secondary in the league, which is a difference maker considering that there has been a lack of CB talent available. CB Adolph Means (2nd team), SS Benjamin Montalvo (2nd team), and FS Wilton Burgess (league's fastest man) all won awards last season. Tampa Bay also improved its defense by signing free agent LB Lee Luciano from Durham.

[b3af0435]16. Arizona Outlaws[/b3af0435] (6-10) Owner: Ramzavail PTR: 25

Arizona really struggled on offense last season, only scoring 184 total points. But it looks like they have turned things around, as they scored the most points in this preseason (105). Head coach Jimmie Ferguson was the 2003 coach of the year, and now he has some more offensive weapons like WR Daniel Black (signed as FA from Denver) and RB Artie Sonntag (1st round draft pick, 14th overall). Look for the Arizona defense to be exceptional, and the offense to be good enough for the team to make the playoffs.

Stay tuned for #17 to #32...

Great job Taco!

'Atta boy *pats Taco on the butt*

_________________
GM of the 2004 CFL Champion Charleston Sixpacks - #1 Hater of Hawaii

ImperialFL Co-commish

[quote9cb014d="Taco"]Baltimore got Cawley in exchange for FS Henry Tran (0 INTs despite playing in all 16 games) and a 4th round draft pick which was never awared to Boise! Baltimore ended up keeping the pick and selecting QB Joel Rivers from Austin Peay.[/quote9cb014d]

_________________
GM of the 2004 CFL Champion Charleston Sixpacks - #1 Hater of Hawaii

ImperialFL Co-commish

Great job ! We want more !

I'm not in the top half of the league... Why am I not surprised ???

_________________
Former Detroit Vampire owner

Great Lakes division champions -2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Eastern Conference champions - 2005, 2006, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
CFL Champions - 2021, 2023

6th? There goes any special favors you were getting...

Thanks everyone! Here are #17-24:

[b24c5495]17. Sacramento Dragons[/b24c5495] (8-8 ) Owner: *open* PTR: 7

The Dragons started out 6-1 last year, but then the bye week came and team seemed to think the season was over. After the bye week they lost 7 out of their next 8 games, and finished up the season with a win to even their record at 8-8. The team's only left tackle is out for ACL knee surgery, so they will have to find someone else to play at that position. QB Seymour Barre hopes they find someone soon, as he was sacked a whopping 41 times last season.

[b24c5495]18. San Antonio Armadillos[/b24c5495] (6-10) Owner: Ryche PTR: 24

San Antonio's preseason record was 1-1-2. Yes, that's right, 2 ties! Hopefully those 2 extra quarters will help the team evaluate and develop some of their younger talent. That younger talent includes undrafted rookie center Ronnie Bishop, who is already a fan favorite and may get the starting job. Maybe he'll get a chance to do some run blocking this year, as the Armadillos aren't expected to repeat their throw-every-down game plan from last year when QB Joaquin Luster attempted 722 passes.

[b24c5495]19. Boise City Stampede[/b24c5495] (9-7) Owner: CrazyRooster PTR: 21

Boise City was so desperate to get a CB in the offseason, that they gave Foster Ibanez an $8 million signing bonus as part of a 5 year contract. It might pay off though, as Ibanez is now entrenched as the starter on the left side. He joins a defense that includes defensive player of the year LB Louis Evan (127 tackles, 52 assists, 13 sacks, 3 INTs) and 1st round draft pick DT Brenden Martinez from Duke. The team starts out this season with 3 relatively easy games, and that could give the Stampede some momentum and confidence going forward.

[b24c5495]20. Durham Bulldogs[/b24c5495] (8-8 ) Owner: Taco PTR: 10

Despite getting the lowest grade in this year's draft (C-), the Bulldogs are happy with how their picks are looking. 1st round selection (18th overall) DE Mitchell Vazquez is listed 10th on the green page and will get lots of playing time. Their 3rd round selection, QB Kenneth Lester, gained some valuable experience during the preseason and has high hopes for the future. The biggest free agent signing for the team was getting WR Scot Volpe from division rival Charleston. Volpe was immediately productive in the preseason, totaling 13 catches for 240 yards and 3 TDs. He is looking forward to his week 1 matchup against his former team.

[b24c5495]21. New Orleans Breakers[/b24c5495] (6-10) Owner: jdnoyes PTR: 22

The Breakers had the best draft grade with an A+. 1st round pick DE Leon Bronson was a steal at #7 overall, and he should start right away. However, the defense still struggled during the preseason, allowing a league high 102 points. The Breakers are still a couple of years away, as they have a lot of potential on the team, but overall they are too inexperienced to contend for a playoff berth. 35 year old kicker Joseph Dunford (All-League 1st Team) hopes the team can win a championship before it's time for him to retire.

[b24c5495]22. Anchorage Snow Leopards[/b24c5495] (10-6) Owner: SplitPersonality1 PTR: 8

Someone better wake up this team, as they haven't signed any of their 5 draft picks. Maybe it's for the best, as none of the 5 look that impressive. 2nd round pick, FB Casey Drake, looks like a bust and their 5th round pick was an unneeded punter. They also spent 2 picks on defensive ends where they already had quality starters. It also has been made known that there are several conflicts in the locker room, especially among the offensive linemen. Despite these problems, Anchorage did win 3 preseason games and has a terrific defensive line.

[b24c5495]23. El Paso Rockets[/b24c5495] (3-13) Owner: JeeberD PTR: 28

El Paso improved their team in the offseason without overspending for free agents. They did pick up a few new starters at reasonable prices, including G Scott Condon (Santa Cruz), LB Trevor Gainey (Las Vegas), and LB Max Price (Tampa Bay). In the draft they took 6 offensive players and 1 cornerback. Their 1st round selection, WR Tom Sonkin from San Jose State, continually improved over the course of the preseason and scored his first TD in week 5. El Paso is another team without a left tackle, and that doesn't make QB Ernest Lorenzo feel safe. Lorenzo was sacked 53 times last year.

[b24c5495]24. Denver Dynomite[/b24c5495] (10-6) Owner: varacel PTR: 5

Denver signed two starting defensive linemen away from defending champion Oregon: DT Gary Davis and DE Zachery Duggan. They will be needed right away as 3 DTs are currently injured. But Denver has a major hole in its defense at the cornerback position. They don't have anyone who has ever started a game, including 3 rookies. Idolized QB Edward Kimber leads an offense that only scored 41 points in the preseason, and he needs more weapons to throw to in order to be successful.

Coming soon, #25-#32...

[quote3899265="fantastic flying froggies"]Great job ! We want more !

I'm not in the top half of the league... Why am I not surprised ???[/quote3899265]

Hmm, I'm not even in the top three quarters of the league...
and still not surprised !

_________________
Former Detroit Vampire owner

Great Lakes division champions -2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Eastern Conference champions - 2005, 2006, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
CFL Champions - 2021, 2023

[quote2ff5596="Taco"]The biggest free agent signing for the team was getting WR Scot Volpe from division rival Charleston. Volpe was immediately productive in the preseason, totaling 13 catches for 240 yards and 3 TDs. [b2ff5596]He is looking forward to his week 1 matchup against his former team.[/b2ff5596][/quote2ff5596]

Probably not as much as my secondary is!

_________________
GM of the 2004 CFL Champion Charleston Sixpacks - #1 Hater of Hawaii

ImperialFL Co-commish

El Paso's ranked 23rd???


WOOHOO!!! Can't wait for the regular season to get started...

_________________


El Paso Rockets
2016, 2037 Wild Card Team
2005, 2006, 2015 Cavalry Divison champs

[quote7fce813="JeeberD"]El Paso's ranked 23rd???


WOOHOO!!! Can't wait for the regular season to get started... [/quote7fce813]

Major improvement from last ranking position of 28...
El Paso is already a contender for best improved team of the year award...

_________________
Former Detroit Vampire owner

Great Lakes division champions -2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Eastern Conference champions - 2005, 2006, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
CFL Champions - 2021, 2023

[quote2a3220c="sovereignstar"][quote2a3220c="Taco"]Baltimore got Cawley in exchange for FS Henry Tran (0 INTs despite playing in all 16 games) and a 4th round draft pick which was never awared to Boise! Baltimore ended up keeping the pick and selecting QB Joel Rivers from Austin Peay.[/quote2a3220c]

[/quote2a3220c]

I PM:ed GE about this to remind him before the draft. Not sure what else I could do.

The league could award Boise (and CrazyRooster) my 3rd-round pick next draft as compensation.

from 27th to 7th? Looks good to me. Now I've just gotta improve on those 4 wins from last season.

Great work!

It's stuff like this that makes multi fun.

21 huh? Well I suppose thats better than 32...wonder who gets that honor??

[quote16a8d0b="jdnoyes"]Well I suppose thats better than
32...wonder who gets that honor??[/quote16a8d0b]

I'll go out on a limb there and predict it is my humble self...

_________________
Former Detroit Vampire owner

Great Lakes division champions -2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Eastern Conference champions - 2005, 2006, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
CFL Champions - 2021, 2023

And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for...the bottom 25% of the league:

[baa5ed9c]25. Chicago Hitmen[/baa5ed9c] (7-9) Owner: dberner30 PTR: 26

There's a good old-fashioned quarterback controversy brewing in Chicago. Last year's starter Rodney Darr is struggling to hold on to his job now that Nathanial Leake (Long Beach) was signed as a free agent. No matter who the QB is, they now have a great target in the biggest boom of the draft, 6th round selection TE Alfred Morton.

[baa5ed9c]26. Shreveport Pride[/baa5ed9c] (9-7) Owner: Raven Hawk PTR: 17

Last year QB Douglas Hartman led the Pride to 9 wins in his rookie season. In his sophmore campaign he hopes to continue his good start on a quality career. He will again be protected by elite guard Paris Johnson, the franchise player for Shreveport. Johnson signed a 3-year contract that included a $7 million signing bonus. Shreveport needs to prove that its group of average defensive players can play well as a team, otherwise it will be a disappointing season for Pride fans.

[baa5ed9c]27. Hartford Attack (3-13)[/baa5ed9c] Owner: Masked PTR: 31

Hartford's season took a major hit when LT Chad Oroumieh (1st round draft pick, 2nd overall) was lost for the season with an ACL injury. Chad will need to work hard if he ever wants to make it back to the level of play that was expected of him. Despite this loss, Hartford has significantly improved its offensive line and should win a few more games this season. Center Mike Kenney was signed away from Boston, and guard Danny Cordell was signed away from Fargo. Both should start immediately. The Attack also found a starting CB late in the draft with 5th round selection Damon Freeman, who grew up 8 miles away from Hartford in New Britain, CT.

[baa5ed9c]28. Seattle Thunderbirds[/baa5ed9c] (4-12) Owner: Sun Tzu PTR: 30

Seattle has a very young team, with only 2 players with more than 4 years of experience. The average age for a Thunderbird player is only 23.7 years. Seattle is patient, sacrificing success early in order to have a better team in a few years. The team used its first two draft picks on offensive linemen, taking LT Howie Aaron at #5 overall and RG Winston Rayburn at #37 overall.

[baa5ed9c]29. Boston Panthers (8-8)[/baa5ed9c] Owner: Passacaglia PTR: 23

Boston's best player is All-League 1st Team LT Jaime Barnard. In the offseason he signed a renegotiated contract that will pay him $39+ million over 6 years. However, Boston will find itself at home during the playoffs until he has a decent quarterback to protect. On the other side of the ball, 1st round draft pick DT Kirk Anelli is out to prove he deserved to be the 15th player selected in the first ever CFL draft. According to the green page, NT Kendrick Gunn (18th overall) and NT Richard Cassidy (65th overall) have more potential.

[baa5ed9c]30. Long Beach Calibri (7-9)[/baa5ed9c] Owner: daedalus PTR: 12

Long Beach's best position is fullback with Tom Grafton and Julius Gillen, either of which would start for most teams. Unfortunately both can't play at the same time. The preseason has been tough on the rest of the team, with 9 players currently on the injury report. The list of injured players includes MLB Dennis Perez, a bargain free agent with a cap cost of only $650,000. Unfortunately Perez will miss most, if not all of the season with a torn patellar tendon.

[baa5ed9c]31. Detroit Vampires[/baa5ed9c] (1-15) Owner: fantastic flying froggies PTR: 29

Detroit was the laughing stock of the league last year being outscored 447-178 (which averages to 28-11 per game). However, they did manage one win against league champion Oregon! Ze Vampires were counting on immediate contributions from top draft pick Scott Flowers, but the extremely talented DE is out for the season with degenerative hip condition. However, don't be surprised if ze Vampires climb up many spots in these rankings soon. Their roster is loaded with future stars like QB Mathias, RB Wadsworth, C Tarver, LT Loudermilk, RT Peters, DTs Haley and Cassidy, LBs Thibeault, Macedo, and Parker, and Ss Ly and Dustin.

[baa5ed9c]32. Tulsa Talons[/baa5ed9c] (3-13) Owner: Doug5984 PTR: 32

Someone has to be ranked last, and once again it is Tulsa. Tulsa made a valient effort to improve its roster during the offseason through free agency, trades, and the draft. The Talons have 30 new players on their roster, including 11 draft picks, which will result in more than 3 wins, but the wins will probably come late in the season like they did last year. This seems to be a slow starting team, as shown by their lack of production in the preseason (only 28 total points scored). The Talons' 1st round selections are as opposite as they come: RB Butch Fulton is expected to be a star, while WR Daniel Campbell was a major reach at #31 overall and is only expected to be the #4 receiver on the team.

[quote9049213="3ric"][quote9049213="sovereignstar"][quote9049213="Taco"]Baltimore got Cawley in exchange for FS Henry Tran (0 INTs despite playing in all 16 games) and a 4th round draft pick which was never awared to Boise! Baltimore ended up keeping the pick and selecting QB Joel Rivers from Austin Peay.[/quote9049213]

[/quote9049213]

I PM:ed GE about this to remind him before the draft. Not sure what else I could do.

The league could award Boise (and CrazyRooster) my 3rd-round pick next draft as compensation.[/quote9049213]

I wouldn't worry about it. I didn't even realize that it happened until I started writing this up, and even then I was wondering if I just missed something. You did everything that you could by PMing GE, and without Boise having an owner at the time there was no one to make sure that they got their pick. I would just chalk it up as a footnote in CFL history and move on. Good luck this year (except against me)!

Wonderful job Taco!

job. New managment is here in Chicago and we are determined to make you look silly in your evaluation of our team. Playoffs here we come.


in a couple years from now.

[quote2362f74="Taco"][b2362f74]30. Long Beach Calibri (7-9)[/b2362f74] Owner: daedalus PTR: 12[/quote2362f74]All I have to say is . . . WE'RE NOT LAST!!!

Oh, yeah . . . good job, Taco.

[quote086219a="daedalus"][quote086219a="Taco"][b086219a]30. Long Beach Calibri (7-9)[/b086219a] Owner: daedalus PTR: 12[/quote086219a]All I have to say is . . . WE'RE NOT LAST!!! [/quote086219a]

ME NEITHER ! Wow ! That 31st place was totally unexpected and really came out of the blue, I'm really happy with it !

Taco, how often do you publish those ? After every 4 games sounds about right, no ?

_________________
Former Detroit Vampire owner

Great Lakes division champions -2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Eastern Conference champions - 2005, 2006, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
CFL Champions - 2021, 2023

Thanks, everyone! It's great to get such positive feedback! It makes all of the effort worth it.

[quote5bd6485="fantastic flying froggies"]Taco, how often do you publish those ? After every 4 games sounds about right, no ?[/quote5bd6485]

Last season I wrote them up twice, but I will try to write it up a few more times this season. I'll aim for after every 4 games, but that might change depending on my schedule.

Good luck to all teams (except Charleston) in week 1!

32- woo hoo! That takes a lot of pressure off my team. There is no where to go but up now . I held most starters out of the preseason for a reason, injuries. So my team will probably get off to a slow start again but I am hoping for atleast 6 wins this season- I think my roster is MUCH improved over last seasons.

_________________


Home of Marvin "Muddy Waters" Raffo

Nice job, Taco!

_________________
GM of the Boston Panthers

[quotec7326f3]29. Boston Panthers ( 8-8 ) Owner: Passacaglia PTR: 23
[/quotec7326f3]

Out of curiosity, Taco, how many games do you expect the 29th place team to win?

_________________
GM of the Boston Panthers