Post by DiamondThief on Mar 22, 2015 13:06:43 GMT -8
At any given time in their inaugural season, three-fourths of the Thunder's roster consisted of rookies. Those rookies, along with a few veterans, came together, especially on the defensive side where the Thunder were very opportunistic. After starting the season 0-5, they embarked on a two-game road trip to Florida. It would turn out to be a very successful eight days as the team picked up its first two wins of the season.
Still though, they faced an uphill battle. A win over the San Antonio Talons (now defunct) was followed by three losses before they righted the ship with a win over the New Orleans VooDoo. The signature win came over the fellow-expansion Los Angeles KISS which, ultimately, secured a spot in the playoffs. It capped a stretch of five wins in 11 games and it gave Portland its first playoff berth in AFL history (Portland's earlier entry, the 1997-99 Forest Dragons, played three years, but failed to reach the post season in any of the three of them).
Thunder ended last season at 5-13 and in third place in the Pacific Division. That was good enough to secure the fourth seed in the National Conference. That put them up against the then two-time defending champion Arizona Rattlers. The Thunder played well against the Rattlers and had a chance to win with 15 seconds left, but were unable to convert and the Rattlers won the game by a 52-48 mark. They would go on the claim their third straight ArenaBowl victory.
Following the season, I presented my Thunder season awards.
Fans will notice a few familiar names on the roster of the 2015 Thunder, but this is very much a retooling from the team we saw a year ago. This off season has been nearly all about change.
Change is not necessarily a bad thing, as roster turnover is a commonality in the Arena Football League.
The biggest news of the off season came at the top when the team fired head coach Matthew Sauk and replaced him with AFL coaching veteran Mike Hohensee. The move came as a surprise as it was widely felt that Sauk's young team was coming together and making real progress.
QB Kyle Rowley, HC Mike Hohensee and KOIN's Stan Brock unveil new Thunder helmet
Hohensee brings in a 153-147 regular season head coaching record. He has a 12-12 playoff record and won ArenaBowl XX with the Chicago Rush. In the past four seasons (one with the Philadelphia Soul and three with the Barnstormers), he compiled a 25-47 record and his teams failed to make the playoffs in each of those four years. He played in the league for six years at quarterback, and is credited with throwing the first touchdown pass in AFL history.
The new coach kept offensive and defensive line coach Will Harrell on the staff, while adding AFL veteran coaches Ernesto Purnsley as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, as well as Lee Johnson as special teams coordinator and assistant defensive coordinator.
Hohensee was announced as head coach by the Thunder the day before free agency began, which already put him behind the gun as far as potential signees are concerned. Additionally, he went about the search for potential players with patience.
Hohensee addressed the roster cautiously. He tweeted SC2C owner Kasey the following on September 30: "Going to be picky, with so many vets we can be. Chemistry is a must. We recruit players who fit our needs in Portland. Soon."
That same day, he tweeted a fan regarding free agency: "Contacted 20 players who fit the profile of who we want to represent Portland. Passing on many with the wrong attitude."
Portland fans, some still stung by the negative reputation of the Trail Blazers from 12-15 years ago, will appreciate that last sentiment. Hohensee has brought in a combination of veterans and rookies. His emphasis has seemed to be building strong lines on each side of the ball.
On the offensive side of the ball, a pair of last year's mid-season acquisitions, John Martinez and John Collins have been brought back. Max Jean-Gilles and Brandon Lockheart, who were mainstays on the offensive line last season, were also in the plans, but each is gone due to injuries. Second-year man Jeraill McCuller, who started four games for the Thunder last season, stands at 6'7" and 350 pounds. Third-year player Jordan Mudge was brought over via trade from the San Jose Sabercats in order to solidify the line.
Defensive lineman Jake McDonough is also slated to return and play some offense as well. at 6'5" and 310 pounds, McDonough began the season with the Thunder before having a stint in the NFL with the Washington Redskins (he also has had stints with the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts). He returned to the Thunder, helping the team through its playoff push.
The defense will be vastly different. The key players returning are defensive back Bryce Peila and linebacker Brandon Tett, and linemen KC Obi and Marquis Jackson. Gone, however, are Antron Dillon (signed with the Los Angeles KISS) and Donte Page-Moss (traded to the Sabercats for Mudge).
Peila was voted by AFL players as the 37th top player in the league. He was named to the second team AFL all-defense last season. He is a ball hawk who is transitioning from the jack-linebacker position which he played last season (he started at DB in the Thunder's playoff game against the Arizona Rattlers). Tett, who attended the University of Oregon, is a rock at mac-linebacker who is called upon to clog the middle, cover the tight end and rush the QB.
Obi was with the team from the outset of last season, recording 26 tackles in 15 games, and Jackson came on strong as a late-season addition. Rookie Remond Willis will likely be worked into Peila's old role at jack-linebacker.
Okechukwi Okoroha returns to the defensive backfield, but he was seldom used toward the end of the season. Last season's starting backfield is completely gone, with Varmah Sonie going to the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and Eric Crocker and Dwight McLean moving on to other teams through free agency. Rookies Andre'Martin, Matt Pierce and Osagie Osiase have been brought in to full the void.
WR Jamar Howard (photo courtesy PamplinMedia)
The receiving corps are a bit of a question mark, but there is some talent there. Last year's top three receivers -- Jeffrey Solomon, Eric Rogers and Douglas McNeil III have moved on, the latter two to the Canadian Football league's Calgary Stampeders and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, respectively.
Jamar Howard, who has the distinction of being the only Thunder player to return a kickoff for a touchdown, returns. He's a big target at 6'4". Duane Brooks is a talented receiver who made his mark as the team's primary kick returner before falling to injury. V'Keon Lacey was brought over from the Philadelphia Soul, where he averaged 11 yards per catch and grabbed 12 touchdowns in 13 games last season. At 6'4" he could turn into a red zone target. Perez Ashford and Martel Moore, who both attended Northern Illinois, have had stints in the NFL and also will figure into the mix.
The Thunder also brought in Aaron Lesue on March 5, who was All-Arena in 2012, but he was placed on the physically unable to perform list a day later.
The Thunder will utilize their fourth franchise kicker as Brady Beeson has been brought in. Beeson has played the past two seasons with the Tri-Cities Fever (Washington) of the Indoor Football League, so while he's listed as an AFL rookie, he is no stranger to this type of football.
The one area for the Thunder which has not changed is at quarterback. Kyle Rowley returns under center for his first full season with the team. It was a sort of whirlwind season for the sixth-year former ArenaBowl most valuable player. Portland was his third team last season, which he led to their first franchise win before becoming injured, returning for the playoff push and playoff game. He's a solid veteran QB who will benefit from having a full off season and training camp with the team.
Fan favorite Darron Thomas is back as the backup. He had a tumultuous first season with interception problems, but is a shifty runner in goal line situations. He led the Thunder with 10 rushing touchdowns, played some special teams and even had a pick-six in the playoff loss to the Rattlers while filling in at linebacker. For training camp Hohensee brought in Danny Southwick, who guided the team to three of its five wins, but he was released among the final cuts on March 20.
With that, the Thunder's 2015 roster is set.
The Thunder's schedule starts out promising for the Thunder, with home games over three seemingly beatable teams. It all starts on March 27 at 7 p.m. against the KISS in a battle of last year's expansion teams (note that the AFL does not use the term "expansion," but we will continue to do so). The KISS, who hired Sauk as director of player personnel, have improved their roster and will look to compete for a playoff spot.
The second game is against the Tampa Bay Storm (Thunder vs. Storm, if you will), a team the Thunder beat last season in Florida. Coming up third is the Spokane Shock. The Thunder lost all three meetings to the Shock last year, but Spokane has lost several key players, most notably QB Erik Meyer to the Sabercats.
QB Kyle Rowley (photo courtesy Portland Thunder)
Getting off to a good start, perhaps even 3-0, could be a key for the Thunder, as they face the talent-packed Sabercats and defending champion Rattlers three times, playing each team on its home field twice. They also face the Shock three times, with two of those coming at home. The KISS come to the Rose City for two of the three meetings between the teams. Portland plays the expansion Las Vegas Outlaws twice this season.
The Thunder visit a couple of American Conference playoff teams, the Philadelphia Soul (May 6) and Orlando Predators (May 23). In addition to the Storm, the Thunder will host the Jacksonville Sharks (July 11), who many are picking as their favorites to represent the American Conference in ArenaBowl XXVIII.
There are winnable games, and the Thunder seemed to match up well with the Rattlers last season, coming one play and 15 seconds away from stealing the playoff win in Arizona.
It is tough to gauge the success of an AFL team prior to the season's start. There are just too many factors to consider, what with the possibility of players move on to opportunities with the NFL or CFL, predicting whether there is a breakout player and injuries. The AFL is a quarterback-driven league. If you have a solid quarterback, which I believe the Thunder to have in Rowley, it's an absolute must that he stay healthy in order for the team to be successful.
There's also the question of whether Hohensee's retooled team can gel and if so, how long it might take.
That said, after examining opponents' roster moves and those of the Thunder, I can see the Thunder winning between seven and nine games this season. As four of six teams from each conference make the playoffs, that should be enough to return the Thunder to the postseason. The problem is, it would likely put them up against the Rattlers or Sabercats. Without some major strides and a distinct lack of injuries, it's unlikely the Thunder get past the first round.
Click to see my AFL predictions for this season.
Much like last year, it should be an interesting ride.
- ANM
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Graphic courtesy of David.