Post by Gene on Dec 15, 2011 12:45:52 GMT -5
By Jeff Morrow, Tri-City Herald sports editor
KENNEWICK -- When training camp for the Tri-Cities Fever opens in February, head coach Adam Shackleford has a good idea who is going to show up.
He also is a realist and knows some of the players he has signed will get an offer from a Canadian Football League team, or an Arena Football League squad.
So he's looking to put together a roster with depth -- one where someone steps in seamlessly for another player who leaves.
This week, seven contracts signed by talented players have rolled into the team's offices.
They are wide receivers Giovanni Stanley, Larrone Moore, Travis Cobb, Edward Berry and Garrett Andrews; running back Keith Payne; and defensive lineman Darian Barnes.
Of those seven names, the one most familiar is Stanley, who was with the team for a few weeks, played in one game, and had four catches for 26 yards and two touchdowns.
"He wasn't here that long," said Shackleford. "He was actually here for three weeks."
Stanley's agent got him a shot with the NFL's San Diego Chargers.
"He would have changed the culture of our offense if he was with us all of last season," said Shackleford. "He could have easily been the man in camp. An injury kept him from going further in (Chargers) camp. But one of the problems was he didn't have any game film."
The other receivers, says Shackleford, also have a lot of talent.
Moore, a former Delaware State standout, was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent this summer. Cobb is a former University of Arizona star that spent some time with the Chicago Bears. Cobb was one of the Wildcats top return men, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns his senior season. In 2010, he caught 26 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown.
"Berry is a CFL kid, a Steven Whitehead type," said Shackleford. "Garrett Andrews is a kid I like. He's a Joey Hew Len type of guy. The Raiders liked him, but the lockout really hurt him.
"I watched Andrews' film in August, I circled his name and said 'If we want to win I've gotta have him.' But he's another kid who might go to the CFL before our camp starts."
As a group of receivers, Shackleford is excited with what he has.
"The other guys are an upgrade from last year's camp," he said.
Payne, who played at the University of Virginia, was a second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2010 and finished his career with 1,004 rushing yards. In his senior season, he led the ACC in scoring with 8.7 points per game, scoring 14 total touchdowns.
"We have the potential to do a lot things in our offense with Payne and Dennis Kennedy," said Shackleford. "Are we predictable to the pass? A lot of times we were last year, basically because of the way we ran our offense.
"But inside the 5, this takes the pressure off of our quarterback," he continued. "This kid (Payne) is 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds. I watched film of him outrunning Virginia Tech guys."
Notes: Former Fever DB Emery Beckles re-signed with the Wyoming Cavalry. So has ex-Fever DB George Kelly. ... The team is going to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Toyota Center concerning the 2012 season.
www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/12/14/1752908/fever-adds-7-players.html
KENNEWICK -- When training camp for the Tri-Cities Fever opens in February, head coach Adam Shackleford has a good idea who is going to show up.
He also is a realist and knows some of the players he has signed will get an offer from a Canadian Football League team, or an Arena Football League squad.
So he's looking to put together a roster with depth -- one where someone steps in seamlessly for another player who leaves.
This week, seven contracts signed by talented players have rolled into the team's offices.
They are wide receivers Giovanni Stanley, Larrone Moore, Travis Cobb, Edward Berry and Garrett Andrews; running back Keith Payne; and defensive lineman Darian Barnes.
Of those seven names, the one most familiar is Stanley, who was with the team for a few weeks, played in one game, and had four catches for 26 yards and two touchdowns.
"He wasn't here that long," said Shackleford. "He was actually here for three weeks."
Stanley's agent got him a shot with the NFL's San Diego Chargers.
"He would have changed the culture of our offense if he was with us all of last season," said Shackleford. "He could have easily been the man in camp. An injury kept him from going further in (Chargers) camp. But one of the problems was he didn't have any game film."
The other receivers, says Shackleford, also have a lot of talent.
Moore, a former Delaware State standout, was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent this summer. Cobb is a former University of Arizona star that spent some time with the Chicago Bears. Cobb was one of the Wildcats top return men, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns his senior season. In 2010, he caught 26 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown.
"Berry is a CFL kid, a Steven Whitehead type," said Shackleford. "Garrett Andrews is a kid I like. He's a Joey Hew Len type of guy. The Raiders liked him, but the lockout really hurt him.
"I watched Andrews' film in August, I circled his name and said 'If we want to win I've gotta have him.' But he's another kid who might go to the CFL before our camp starts."
As a group of receivers, Shackleford is excited with what he has.
"The other guys are an upgrade from last year's camp," he said.
Payne, who played at the University of Virginia, was a second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2010 and finished his career with 1,004 rushing yards. In his senior season, he led the ACC in scoring with 8.7 points per game, scoring 14 total touchdowns.
"We have the potential to do a lot things in our offense with Payne and Dennis Kennedy," said Shackleford. "Are we predictable to the pass? A lot of times we were last year, basically because of the way we ran our offense.
"But inside the 5, this takes the pressure off of our quarterback," he continued. "This kid (Payne) is 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds. I watched film of him outrunning Virginia Tech guys."
Notes: Former Fever DB Emery Beckles re-signed with the Wyoming Cavalry. So has ex-Fever DB George Kelly. ... The team is going to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Toyota Center concerning the 2012 season.
www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/12/14/1752908/fever-adds-7-players.html