Blaze roster has new faces, talented players

Players weren't walking around with "Hello my name is ..." stickers on their chests, but it was pretty close to that scenario on Thursday when the new-look Utah Blaze took the field for the opening of training camp.

Each player had his last name taped to the front of his helmet above his eyes.

"A lot of us don't even know each other," said quarterback Joe Germaine, one of the Blaze veterans. "There are players on this team that we have heard of or seen playing on other teams, but that we've never had the chance to meet. So it's good to have names there (on the helmets) so that we can put a name with a face."

Or at least a name with a jersey number and helmet since faces are sometimes hard to see through face masks.

Of the 43 players on the field Thursday morning, only 16 played for the Blaze last season. Gone are some of the mainstays from last year's team, like wide receiver Siaha Burley, WR/LB Ryan Dennard, offensive lineman Hans Olsen, defensive lineman Steve Konopka and linebacker Frank Carter.

But Blaze coach Danny White believes the newcomers that have been brought in will more than make up for the losses. He calls this year's Blaze team "very, very talented."

"On paper, we should win every game," said White. "If we can just figure out how to play the game on paper, we'll be in great shape."

Perhaps the two biggest prizes for the Blaze in free agency were defensive linemen E.J. Burt and Dwayne Missouri. Other AFL veterans expected to contribute immediately are fullback Rodney Filer, 2007 All-Arena offensive lineman Devin Wyman and wide receiver J.J. McKelvey.

The Blaze veterans looked more polished during the first practice of the season at the University of Utah's indoor practice field on Thursday, but White was expecting that. The 16-year veteran AFL coach will expect the newcomers to catch up quickly, however.

"My philosophy is to just throw everything at them and you learn on the run," said White. "We don't spend a lot of time in the classroom going over things. We get out here. The smart rookies and young guys and guys that are new will watch the veterans and learn. The ones that catch up the quickest are the ones that will make the team."

White and his fellow coaches, Hunkie Cooper, Ron James, Lindsay Hassell and Scott Lieber, will have to trim the Blaze roster to 24 players before the season begins. Utah may have as few as 22 players, however, due to the AFL's salary cap restrictions. The 16-game season will open on March 1 at EnergySolutions Arena against the rival Arizona Rattlers.

Germaine, who set an Arena Football League record for passing yards with more than 5,000 in '07, has a new five-year contract with the Blaze through the 2012 season. Tom Pace, Orshawante Bryant, Aaron Boone and Huey Whittaker give him four targets he is familiar with. Germaine is also looking forward to seeing what the guys he doesn't know quite as well yet can do.

"We have a lot of new faces out here, but a lot of guys with talent," said Germaine. "It's nice to finally get out and see what we have."

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E-mail: lojo@desnews.com