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Orlando Predators Finalize Roster For Opening Week
Orlando , Fla. (Feb. 26) -- The Orlando Predators got down to their final roster for week one of the Arena Football League season with a flurry of roster moves over the last 48 hours. On Monday, the team got down to 20 players on their active roster, placing WR Charles Lee (right hamstring), OL Delanio Taylor (right knee), DL Eddie Freeman (shoulders), and DB Floyd Young (right groin/left knee) on injured reserve.
Those players were joined by WR/LB Clif Dell (left quad), who was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. The team also waived WR Micah Ross and placed WR/LB Jerrian James on recallable waivers on Saturday. As of Monday morning, no team had claimed James and the Predators elected not to recall him – thus making him a free agent.
Under new AFL rules, the five players placed on injured reserve can not return to action Week 5 of the regular season. Previously, players placed on IR had to miss two weeks.
AFL rules allow teams to carry 24 players on their active roster, provided the team remains at or under the league salary cap. As is the case with many teams in the AFL, those salary cap restrictions forced the Predators to carry less than the 24-man maximum. All teams dress just 20 players for each game.
James spent two seasons with the Predators, catching 117 passes for 1,342 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was an active at “jack” linebacker, recording 98.6 tackles with four forced fumbles and an interception over the last two seasons. He also compiled more than 2,200 yards in kickoff returns in his career.
The emergence of DeAndrew Rubin as an explosive kick returner, salary cap issues, and the new rules allowing free substitution all played a role in James being released. “It was a tough decision to let Jerrian go,” Head Coach Jay Gruden said. “He was a pretty good player at several positions and he did a lot of good things for us over the last two seasons. Still, we had some difficult decisions to make and believe we will have our 20 best players in uniform on Friday night.”
The moves leave seven players on Orlando ’s active roster who were not with last year’s ArenaBowl runner-up. Quarterback Shane Stafford came to the Predators a high-profile free agent signing in the off-season; while defensive back Ryan Bowers played briefly in the AFL two years ago but has spent the last two seasons in NFL-Europe and NFL training camps. DL Chaz Murphy, OL John Miller, LB Lance Mitchell, DB Rayshun Reed, and DB Micheaux Robinson all made the roster as true AFL rookies. Stafford , Murphy, Mitchell, Bowers and Reed have tentatively earned starting spots. Fifteen of Orlando ’s 20 players on the active roster have two years or less of AFL experience.
Orlando opens the season on Friday night at Tampa Bay with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The game can be seen locally on Brighthouse Networks Channel 21 and is also available on WQTM 740 A.M.
ORLANDO PREDATORS 2007 NUMERICAL ROSTER:
No. |
Name |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Exp. |
DOB |
College |
1 |
EATON, Jake |
QB |
6-2 |
215 |
1 |
1.11.81 |
Maine |
3 |
RUBIN, DeAndrew |
WR |
5-11 |
175 |
1 |
10.9.78 |
South Florida |
4 |
NAGLE, Kevin |
FB/LB |
6-1 |
255 |
2 |
4.30.75 |
East Stroudsburg |
6 |
TAYLOR, Jay |
K |
6-1 |
196 |
3 |
10.23.76 |
West Virginia |
9 |
MOYE-MOORE, Marlon |
FB/LB |
6-1 |
245 |
3 |
6.11.80 |
Maryland |
10 |
DUDLEY, Javarus |
WR |
6-0 |
190 |
1 |
12.18.81 |
Fordham |
11 |
ROBINSON, Micheaux |
DB |
5-9 |
175 |
R |
4.3.83 |
Otterbein |
14 |
STAFFORD, Shane |
QB |
6-3 |
220 |
5 |
3.14.76 |
Connecticut |
21 |
SHELL, Lin-J |
DB |
5-11 |
185 |
2 |
10.22.81 |
Jacksonville |
22 |
BOWERS, Ryan |
DB |
6-1 |
210 |
1 |
8.8.80 |
Presbyterian College |
24 |
REED, Rayshun |
DB |
5-10 |
185 |
R |
4.10.81 |
Troy State |
27 |
MITCHELL, Lance |
LB |
6-2 |
260 |
R |
11.9.81 |
Oklahoma |
50 |
CLEVELAND, Justin |
OL |
6-3 |
330 |
5 |
9.12.77 |
Siena |
70 |
SODANO, Jim |
OL |
6-3 |
310 |
1 |
6.21.80 |
East Stroudsburg |
75 |
MILLER, John |
OL |
6-0 |
275 |
R |
11.10.83 |
South Florida |
80 |
FRYZEL, Jimmy |
WR |
5-11 |
199 |
2 |
4.21.81 |
Central Florida |
95 |
WHITE, Greg |
DL |
6-3 |
270 |
1 |
7.25.79 |
Minnesota |
97 |
MURPHY, Chaz |
LB/DL |
6-4 |
252 |
R |
3.30.77 |
Kansas |
98 |
HILL , Charles |
DL |
6-2 |
300 |
1 |
11.1.80 |
Maryland |
99 |
LEE, Reggie |
OL |
6-1 |
300 |
9 |
10.26.73 |
Florida A&M |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Injured Reserve |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
DELL, Clif |
WR/LB |
6-0 |
180 |
8 |
11.28.75 |
South Florida |
18 |
YOUNG, Floyd |
DB |
5-11 |
185 |
1 |
11.23.75 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
81 |
LEE, Charles |
WR |
6-3 |
215 |
R |
11.19.77 |
Central Florida |
91 |
FREEMAN, Eddie |
DL |
6-5 |
315 |
R |
1.4.78 |
Alabama-Birmingham |
92 |
TAYLOR, Delanio |
OL |
6-2 |
300 |
1 |
6.13.79 |
Tennessee-Chatt. |
For more information log on to orlandopredators.com.
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