Avengers Take Off Salary Caps, Put On Helmets

One may wonder what sort of L.A. story the Avengers are crafting. The plot line is certainly missing a couple of key characters.

Tony Graziani, who was second in the Arena Football League in passing and first in touchdown passes last season, moved on to the Philadelphia Soul.

Offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who led the league in yards receiving and was second in touchdown receptions, joined Grand Rapids.

That left the Avengers with a hardly desirable marketing option: “Two Great Players; Come See How We Replaced Them.”

The extreme makeover has made the Avengers an unknown quality coming off a season culminated by a loss in the first round of the playoffs -- for the third consecutive season.

Coach Ed Hodgkiss said the team changed about “40% of the roster,” with Graziani and Jackson being the biggest subtractions. They were a dangerous duo, but they were priced out of the team’s range.

The roster shuffling kept the team near the league salary cap -- about $1.7 million a team, or the average salary of a National Hockey League player last season -- but where it leaves the Avengers in the standings remains to be seen.

Sunday may provide a sneak peek. The focus moves from the financial ledger to the artificial playing surface, when the Avengers play the Las Vegas Gladiators in Las Vegas. It’s a season opener that comes with a couple of promises.

“We will be tougher and have a little more swagger,” Hodgkiss said.

That had better be true. The Western Division, where the Avengers will strut, includes the San Jose SaberCats and the Arizona Rattlers. San Jose won the ArenaBowl last season, beating Arizona. Also in the mix is Las Vegas, which won five of its last six games, including a late-season victory over San Jose.

The league’s new playoff system -- with four teams from each conference qualifying instead of the top eight teams -- makes division play more vital.

Preseason predictions have a revamped Avenger team at the bottom of the division.

Graziani and Jackson struck it rich, or richer. Graziani, who threw for 4,254 yards and 99 touchdowns last season, received AFL-rock-star cash, signing a three-year, $500,000 deal with Philadelphia, which is owned in part by Jon Bon Jovi. Jackson received a six-figure contract with a Grand Rapids team that was 1-15 last season.

“What we did was more because of salary cap management,” Hodgkiss said. “We put the team together three years ago and now, in the fourth year, we have to restructure it. That happens.”

What happens now is the question.

Quality pieces remain from last season’s 9-7 team. Receivers Kevin Ingram and Greg Hopkins return. Both found room to work in Jackson’s shadow, although their numbers combined did not equal Jackson’s 1,803 yards receiving and 45 touchdowns. Ingram had 848 yards and 22 touchdowns, Hopkins 745 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“It was a little more different [without Chris and Tony] when we started training than it is today,” Hopkins said. “They had been here a while and there was a comfort zone. But we have had time to work together. There were a lot of new faces, and a lot of young guys, and that created competition. Guys were competing for jobs and older guys were trying to keep their jobs.”

The one guy guaranteed his job was quarterback John Kaleo, who was acquired from Austin in a trade. Kaleo, an 11-year AFL veteran who is with his ninth team, did not have Graziani-type numbers last season -- his quarterback rating was 14th. But Kaleo has something that Graziani never picked up -- an ArenaBowl championship ring. Kaleo led Tampa Bay to the title in 2003.

“Kaleo is more vocal and he speaks his mind,” Ingram said. “He has already shown better leadership skills.”

Kaleo takes over control of a team that Hodgkiss hopes is grittier. Linemen Fred Ray, Jerome Stevens and Richard Seals were brought in to bulk up the front -- although Ray will miss at least the first two games because of a neck injury. Antuan Simmons and Jermaine Smith were signed to toughen the skill areas on defense.

“That was the prerequisite when we went looking for players during the off-season,” Hodgkiss said. “Our offense scheme has not changed. We are just going to be more physical.”

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Avengers at a Glance

* Head coach: Ed Hodgkiss (fourth season).

* Home games: Staples Center.

* Last season: 9-7; lost in the first round of playoffs to Arizona.

* Key players lost: Quarterback Tony Graziani and offensive specialist Chris Jackson.

* Key addition: Quarterback John Kaleo (6-0, 205).

* Local connection: Asi Faoa (UCLA, OL/DL); Lonnie Ford (USC, FB/LB); Bernard Riley (USC, OL/DL); Antuan Simmons (USC, DS).

*--* Regular-Season Schedule Sunday at Las Vegas*, noon Friday Georgia**, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Austin**, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 20 San Jose*, 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at Colorado*, noon March 6 at Arizona, TBA March 18 Dallas, 7:30 p.m. March 26 Tampa Bay**, 7:30 p.m. April 3 at Orlando*, 9 a.m. April 10 New York, noon April 17 at Nashville*, 10 a.m. April 23 Chicago**, 7:30 p.m. April 30 Arizona, 7:30 p.m. May 7 at San Jose**, 7:30 p.m. May 14 Las Vegas**, 7:30 p.m. May 21 at Grand Rapids**, 4:30 p.m.

Playoff Schedule May 29 Divisional round, 12:30 p.m. June 4-5 Conf. championship., noon June 12 ArenaBowl XIX (Las Vegas), noon * Games televised on Channel 4. ** Games televised on FSN West. All times are Pacific.

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