Orlando Was a Getting a Team One Way or Another for 2017
Predators Step Up from Minor League to Major League
September 22, 2016
Orlando, FL - David A. Siegel along with Orlando Predators LLC are proud to announce that the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators would be joining the AAF for the 2017 season and that Jeff Brohm would be serving as the team's new Head Coach.
In June, rumors began surfacing that the Arena Football League's financial woes we're becoming a major problem and teams were making other plans. In August, the Jacksonville Sharks and Arizona Rattlers joined the Indoor Football League. Siegel admits that he planned on doing the same after it was announced that the Portland Steel and Los Angeles Kiss closed operations leaving the AFL with only four teams, the Predators, the Tampa Bay Storm, Philadelphia Soul and the Cleveland Gladiators. However, this is when AAF Co-Founder Charlie Ebersol stepped in and offered Siegel a spot in the Alliance, an opportunity he jumped at.
In order for the AFL to have a 2017 season, the league added the Columbus Lions, New Jersey Flight, Richmond Roughriders, Carolina Cobras and Monterrey Steel from other minor arena football leagues.
The Orlando Predators were allowed to bring some players currently under contract with them. These players included WRs Greg Carr and Larry Brackins, OL Justin McCray, QB Dennis Dixon, DBs Nick Taylor and Emanuel Cook, DL Earl Okine, Donte Paige-Moss and Darryl Cato-Bishop.
Jeff Brohm
Brohm was currently the Head Coach at Western Kentucky University. Immediately prior to that, he was the Offensive Coordinator at the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2012 and at Western Kentucky in 2013 before becoming the Head Coach. Brohm played in the NFL from 1994 to 2000 for six different teams before being the starting Quarterback for the Orlando Rage of Vince McMahon's original spring football league, the XFL.
Orlando Predators
Joining Brohm in Orlando will be Brian Brohm as the Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach and Ray Horton as the Defensive Coordinator. Brian is the younger brother to Jeff. Brian was a standout QB at the University of Louisville before spending 2008-2015 playing in the NFL, UFL and CFL. Brian spent 2016 being the Offensive Coordinator for Western Kentucky under his brother prior to taking this job. Horton was fired from being the Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator in January. Prior to that stop, he served as the Defensive Coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals for 2011&2012, the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and the Tennessee Titans for 2014&2015 before returning to Cleveland.
Former Orlando Predators' Head Coach Rob Keefe was also attained. Keefe will be serving as the Defensive Backs Coach for the new iteration of the team. Keefe has been an assistant coach in the AFL since he retired from the league in 2008.
Trent Baalke will serve as the General Manager of the Predators. Baalke served as the GM of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016.
The Predators will be playing their home games at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando.
Expansion Teams Announce "Franchise Players"
October 3, 2016
Stamford, CT - The four expansion teams have all signed their presumed starting Quarterbacks for the 2017 season ahead of the expansion draft on October 15th. These players will all have a salary of $1M in 2017 and won't count against their team's salary cap.
The Orlando Predators have signed QB Christian Ponder. Ponder was just released from the San Francisco 49ers where he served as a backup QB for the season. Ponder was the starting QB for the Minnesota Vikings from 2011 to 2014 before being a backup for Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and the 49ers.
The Baltimore Brigade signed QB Kellen Moore. Moore has been the backup QB for the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys since going undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft.
The Washington Valor signed QB Matt McGloin. McGloin started on and off for the Oakland Raiders from 2013 to 2016 before being released.
The Chicago Alphas signed QB Aaron Murray. Murray served as the backup QB for the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons, and one season for the Arizona Cardinals since being selected in the 5th round of the 2014 draft.