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Maine Mammoths look to bring success in 2018 inaugural season

The National Arena League (NAL) brought in the Maine Mammoths last December as one of their expansion teams. Other new teams include the Carolina Cobras (Greensboro, North Carolina) and Massachusetts Pirates (Worcester, MA). We will break down the Mammoths roster and see what they will be able to do on each side of the ball.

Maine Mammoths look to bring success in 2018 inaugural season

Maine Mammoths Roster

2018 Maine Mammoths Roster
Position Name
QB Darrien Boone
QB Jonathan Bane*
QB Michael German*
WR Darrien Boone
WR Edgar Poe
WR Maurice Dupree*
WR Keevan Lucas
WR Tres Houston
WR Ricky Hunt*
WR Derrick Macon
WR Devante Jenkins
WR Devin Wilson*
FB N/A
OL Patrick Carney*
OL Shaq Wallen*
OL Kyle Avaloy*
OL German Romero-Rosales
OL Eamon White
OL Jarius Spain*
OL Kyle Powell*
OL Clarence Clounts
OL Derek Lyles
DL James Middleton
DL Jared Washington
DL Robert Williams
DL Mikqwail Baskett
DL Eric Banford*
DL Javaughn Johnson
DL Eamon White
DL Jarius Spain*
DL Kyle Powell*
DL Clarence Clounts
DL Derek Lyles
LB Haylon Jacobs*
LB Niko Sierra*
LB Sean Walters
DB Brendan Murphy*
DB Wiley Isaac Jr.
DB Damond Smith II*
DB Davon Fuller
DB Tevin Creeks
K Brandon Rutherford*

* – Player has arena experience

The Mammoths are starting off with fresh players. They currently have 36 players on the roster. Of those 36, 16 have arena experience and 20 do not. Putting that into percentages, only 44% of the team has played for an arena or indoor football team.

What to expect from the Maine Mammoths

Offense

So far, the Mammoths don’t have anybody that catches anybody’s eye except a couple people. Their quarterbacks aren’t big name quarterbacks, even though two of the three have experience. There will be a fight for that starting job.

Their wide receivers look about average, except for the fact that they have Devin Wilson. Last year, Wilson played for the Jacksonville Sharks and recorded 25 receptions for 237 yards and four touchdowns. Since he only played in eight games last year, he didn’t get the chance to get full-season stats. Depending on the quarterback situation, Wilson could have 500 yards this season, he could have 800 yards this season, or he could break 1,000 yards. Their season is 15 games, so anything can happen.

As far as their other receivers go, they will learn along the way to become better receivers than what they are at the beginning of the season.

Between the three quarterbacks, the ball will be passed for a total of 3,500 yards and at least 20 touchdowns.

There is no known fullback for the Maine Mammoths, which means that a linebacker, offensive lineman, or defensive lineman will have to play fullback this season. Since there isn’t anybody listed and nobody on the roster seems to be an outstanding rusher, the Mammoths could just put an extra receiver or put in an offensive lineman for extra blocking.

Defense

Switching sides, we have a defense that almost lacks experience completely. There are only five defensive backs, three linebackers (which is fine), and only one defensive lineman has arena experience.

Starting with the defensive lineman, one player has arena experience. When it comes to sacks, expect the total to be slightly below average in the league.

When it comes to linebackers, 66% of them are experienced linebackers, which means they know what they are doing and know their Mac and Jack rules of the game. This could be very interesting, as it might make up for the lack of defensive lineman experience. If the ball is being thrown in the linebacker’s direction, expect a swat or interception almost every single time.

The big question with this defense is “What are they doing with Defensive Backs?” They only have five defensive backs. In arena football, you only need three, maybe four on the field at once. Normally, teams have more than five defensive backs on their team because injuries happen, players leave for other leagues, or they leave for some other reason. There needs to be at least two to four more defensive backs on this team.

With the two players on the defensive backs who have arena experience, they know the ropes. They also know where receivers are likely to go, what moves they do, and almost everything else. Don’t expect the ball to be thrown toward Brenden Murphy or Damond Smith II’s direction for most of the season.

Special Teams

The Mammoths signed the 2017 NAL Second-team selection. Rutherford was with the Monterrey Steel last year. With the Steel, Rutherford was 5-of-15 on field goals, 24-of-32 on Extra Points, and successfully cleared 12 deuces.

2018 Prediction

This team is new and their players are mostly new. This team would be lucky to reach the playoffs. With the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks losing the league MVP for the Arena Football League (AFL), the Mammoths could slide their way up the charts and make a playoff appearance, but that will be tough for this team to do.

With the amount of competition in this league, the Mammoths might struggle to stay up there with teams like the Lions, Cobras, or Sharks when they face each other this season.

The Mammoths could land at the number four spot, but they are likely to stick around number five all season.

Be sure to stay updated on everything around all arena and indoor leagues by following us on Twitter. We have updates on player signings, game updates, and much more.

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