Supplemental draft goes quickly
Posted on Sunday, February 17, 2008
CONWAY — Talk about a sharp contrast.
When Team Arkansas ’ coaches convened for the All American Football League’s inaugural draft in January, they sequestered themselves in Little Rock’s Embassy Suites hotel for a weeklong period and worked out of a war room stocked with player reports, DVDs of prospects and enough caffeine and junk food to sustain them through the process.
But for Saturday’s 10-round supplemental draft at Kymes-Lyons Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Center in Conway, the staff simply showed up, ran through their picks in less than an hour, then headed home.
“We knew exactly our formula,” Arkansas Coach and General Manager Ron Calcagni said. “This was a successful day for us. We got what we wanted.” Just as with the January draft, when Team Arkansas made Troy offensive guard Zarah Yisrael the league’s No. 1 overall pick, Calcagni showed a zest for linemen. Brandon Newton, a 6-2, 300-pound center from Hofstra who briefly spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers, was Arkansas ’ first selection, followed by Ohio defensive lineman and former NFL Europe player Kevin Carberry.
Overall, five of Arkansas’ 10 supplemental picks involved offensive or defensive linemen. Team Arkansas was also awarded two “compensatory picks” to make up for the retirements of two previously acquired players who later chose not to play.
“We’re a full team now,” Calcagni said. “Now it’s time to get our playbooks together. We’ve got what we’re going to do offensively, and we know what we’re going to do defensively. We chose the players to fit our system.” The AAFL established a supplemental draft to help teams fill their rosters to the league-mandated 60 players that each of the six franchises will take to training camp starting March 13.
The league must verify that each player holds a legitimate degree from a four-year college, per AAFL rules for player eligibility.
As was the case with the main draft, each player will receive a salary of $ 50, 000 provided he makes the team. The roster will be trimmed from 60 to 42 during the course of training camp.
Calcagni said offering a livable salary to every player, even those chosen in the final rounds Saturday, has simplified the process of building a team. Few players have backed out, Calcagni said, primarily because most won’t have to take up second jobs while playing in the AAFL.
By contrast, the Arkansas Twisters, a member of Arena Football 2, pay players between $ 3, 200 and $ 4, 000 a season.
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