The off-season keeps moving rapidly. Teams announce new players on a daily basis. We just got over the 700 players mark and this is not showing any signs of slowing down. Therefore, dear readers, without further ado, let’s continue this off-season analysis where we left it a couple of weeks back.
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS
A very tough off-season for the Sea Devils, let’s face it. Key players leaving the team left and right and from both sides of the ball. Let’s have a look.
DEPARTURES
Starting Guard Robin Fensch and Tackle Gerrit Brandt leave the team after joining Bravos and Ravens respectively. Rhen Fire finds in David Weinstock the perfect replacement for Joachim Christiensen at center.
Offensive A-Imports Preston Haire (Quarterback) and Wide Receiver Malik Stanley do not renew for the team. Malik finding a new home in the Mexican Football League. Competent backup quarterback Moritz Maack takes his talents to Frankfurt Galaxy, whereas 2nd string Wide Receiver and long time Sea Devil Jean Claude Madin Cerezo signs for Madrid Bravos.
On the defensive side of the ball things have not gotten any better…if anything…worse. Once well-known as a top unit at league level, Sea Devils Defensive Line has been completely dismantled this off-season. Evans Yeboah goes to Ravens, Jean-Philip Bombek to Vikings and both, Berend Grube and Robert Lachmann walk off to Tirol.
Import Linebackers Maurice Wright Jr and Simeon Okonta-Wariso take their talents elsewhere as well. The American returns to the GFL and the British Okonta-Wariso signs for Stuttgart Surge.
EXTENSIONS
Not many extensions to brag about for Sea Devils fans either. Safety Victor Omorodion and Kicker/Punter Eric Schlomm are the two we can really highlight for Hamburg fans to get a bit excited. To fill this up a bit, let’s name as well the contract renewals of Guard Shalom Baafi, Running Back Simon Homadi and former NFL IPP program invitee, Tight End Levi Kruse. After this? Well… quite a few last season 2nd stringers will fight and have a chance for a starting spot in the new Sea Devils 2024.
NEW SIGNINGS
What about new signings then? Something to get excited with? The biggest name is, undoubtedly, American Wide Receiver Jarvis McClam from Tirol Raiders. He will pair up with American Quarterback Javarian Smith who will make his ELF debut this season after his time in the GFL. Swedish Theodor Landstrom (Barcelona Dragons) and local Noah Bomba (brief stint with the Ravens) aim at providing some extra quality depth to the receivers corps.
Euro Imports Austine Igba Ujene from Fehervar Enthroners and Deon Mutsvanemoto from Prague Lions join the team to cover up some of the key losses in the Offensive Line. Micheal Keshinro from the GFL and Zaire Ugapo from Prague Lions will have an almost impossible task of replacing the likes of Yeboah, Bomber, Grube or Lachmann in the Defensive Line. British Toby Naylor will join the Linebacker corps after being invited to the CFL Global Combine.
Two American imports will lead the defensive backs unit. Lee Pitts from Wroclaw Panthers and rookie in Europe, Caleb Mills. German Safety Lasse Mayer leaves Rhein Fire to join Hamburg and help out the two Americans.
COLOGNE CENTURIONS
Rhein Fire is no longer the only ELF team fishing in this pond. Any Centurions’ player who happens to shine one season is immediately recruited next season by their neighbours Rhein Fire, and of lately, by any other team that feels like. Disheartening for Centurions fans we must admit. Let’s check.
DEPARTURES
American Quarterback Judd Erickson hits free agency and A-Import Wide Receiver Terryon Robinson packs up and joins the Caudillos in the Mexican Football League. German promising Wide Receiver Paul Kavadia Lenhardt joins Galaxy’s receivers rotation and Offensive Line Carlos Carrasco goes back home to Madrid and joins Bravos.
On Defense things get worse. Surge goes after very promising young talent like Defensive Line Jan Patrick Schorn and Linebacker Felix Fodinger. To add up to this exciting duo, Stuttgart signs E-Import and former NFL IPP Program invitee (2021) Chad Welrond as well.
Rhein Fire continues with the yearly tradition of exploiting Centurions gems. This year is the turn of Defensive Line Jahn Jesus Lara Perez, and rising gems in Linebackers Janek Wenke and Lennart Weitz who took part in the last CFL Global combine.
Frankfurt Galaxy acquires last season ELF Rookie of the Year nominee, Linebacker Darren Okoeguale. Milano Seamen attracts ELF All Star American Linebacker Zachary Blair, and Barcelona Dragons signs British Linebacker Jai-Albert Jackson.
EXTENSIONS
Some interesting contract extensions here though. The biggest by far is American Cornerback Dajon Owens who will stay in Cologne another year after an excellent first season with the team. Some players with ELF experience, but still young, will stick around too. The likes of Cornerback Michael Ofosuhene, Linebacker Sven Appelt, Running Back Gerald Ameln, Offensive Line Fabian Kratz and Wide Receivers Ben Frolich and Valentin Rodiger. Youngsters Kevin Kreider (Offensive Line) and Safety Tom Kleinmann come back for a second season with the team after very promising debuts last year.
NEW SIGNINGS
American Quarterback Isaiah Weed will lead the team after an impressive season at GFL2 level with Rostock Griffins. His main target will be American Wide Receiver Connor Wedington. It is worth mentioning that Connor has been part of the NFL Seattle Seahawks practice squad until April 2023.
The Centurions have invested heavily in the Tight End position after signing two E-Imports for this unit, Finnish Daniel Luoma with NCAA D-1 experience and Dutch Robin Merjenburgh who spent last season in Denmark with the Gold Diggers.
The Offensive Line has been revamped and sees quite a few signings. Jan-Hendrik Koch comes back home after a one year stint with Rhein Fire. Young guns like Paul Kolter who joins the team after a short period with the Galaxy and Swedish Viktor Neumann from Berlin Rebels, are other promising additions for the Offensive Line.
However, the biggest signing for the Centurions this off-season has been Austrian Linebacker Lucky Obgevoen. This signing shocked the League from North to South. No one saw that one coming. The big question around Lucky is whether he will stay or move to the Canadian CFL if an offer arrives. Other interesting arrivals for the Linebacker corps are Euro import Sverri Finsson with NCAA D-2 experience and German Luis Fiedler who leaves Rhein Fire looking for a more relevant role elsewhere.
American Rusher Will Lydle is another very good signing. Will is coming from the Helsinki Roosters where he won All-Stars 1st Team and Sacks Leader honours in the Finnish 1st division. Samoan Lance Leota is another interesting signing for the Defensive Line as long as he manages to stay healthy.
Finally, Defensive Back Richard Grooten comes back home after two years with the Rhein Fire along with German Journeyman Cornerback Benjamin Barnes.
MADRID BRAVOS
This is a brand new franchise that joins the league this season. Let’s have a quick recap on its signings so far.
NEW SIGNINGS
The American duo leading the offence will be Quarterback Chris Helbig from Vienna Vikings and Wide Receiver Willie Patterson from Rhein Fire. Two high quality signings for the most important positions in offense, they come with plenty of experience in the ELF and Europe. Veterans Wide Receivers Jean-Claude Marin Cerezo from Sea Devils and Mario Flores will enhance the receivers corps.
Big time talent at Running Back as well. From the GFL comes British sensation D’Wayne Obi who played for the New Yorker Lions last season and impressed greatly. Edu Molina is another great signing at Running Back after showing last season with Barcelona Dragons what he is capable of in a non-ideal situation for a runner.
Another interesting steal off Barcelona Dragons is Tight End Raul Cernuda. Again, he showed nice flashes last season in a dysfunctional season by the mediterranean team.
The best Spanish Offensive Line talent available has gathered together in Madrid in an attempt to lay a solid foundation for the team. Spaniards with solid ELF experience like Carlos Carrasco (Centurions), Celestin Ngimbi (Musketeers/Dragons), Gabriel Rodriguez (Guards/Dragons) and Edu Sanchez (Musketeers/Dragons/Panthers) lead the group. German Guard Robin Fensch from Sea Devils and British Connor Bolton (Enthroners/Thunder) will provide top quality support to the aforementioned spaniards.
On defense, ELF All-Stars and sacks machine, Edge Rusher Alejandro Fernandez comes back home to spread havoc among opposing teams. Bravos have placed a strong bet on going full Spanish in the Defensive Line. Former Barcelona Dragons Sebastian Bowen, ELF Rookie Victor Dos Santos and recent GFL champion Yago Rivero stand out among their Defensive Line peers.
British Jonell Pelie (Schwabisch Hall Unicorns) will lead the Linebacker unit along with Spaniards Javier Carrasco (New Yorker Lions), Sandro Moreira (Paderborn Dolphins), Victor Albarracin (Barcelona Dragons) and Sebastian Castañer (Barcelona Dragons).
Very promising Defensive Backs unit as Madrid Bravos spends most of its import chips here. A duo of Americans will lead the unit: Cornerback Ja’Len Embry and Safety Luke Glenna who led the ELF in tackles last season. As a Euro import comes french Kevin Fortes from the Sea Devils. Spaniards Andy Vera (Barcelona Dragons), Felix Velasco (Barcelona Dragons), Pablo De Diego (Black Demons) and Pablo Araya from a NCAA D-2 University complete a very strong defensive backs squad.
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