Top Three Available NAL Free Agent Quarterbacks

There are several free agent quarterbacks available to be signed for the 2018 season, as a result of several teams ceasing operations. Standing out above several other free agents quarterbacks is Bernard Morris, Kasey Peters, and Jake Jablonski. Morris and Peters both played with the Monterrey Steel in 2017, while Jablonski played with the Corpus Christi Rage.

#1. Bernard Morris

Morris is an arena football veteran, as he began his career in 2009 with the AF2 Arkansas Twisters. Following AF2’s ceasing of operations in Sept. 2009, Morris signed with the Jacksonville Sharks in the Arena Football League. On Sept. 27, 2010, Morris signed with the expansion Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League. He made his starting debut March 11, 2011 against the Philadelphia Soul.

For the 2012 season, Morris returned to play for the Jacksonville Sharks. On Feb. 10, 2014, Morris was traded to the Orlando Predators along with Matt Marcorelle and Trevis Turner in return for Aaron Garcia. On Oct. 11, 2016, Morris announced his retirement but then his rights were acquired by the Washington Valor during the dispersal draft.

Morris was placed on refused to report on March 15, 2017, but then he was activated from refused to report later on March 21. Finally in May, the NAL’s Monterrey Steel signed Morris.

In his tenure with the Steel, Morris played a total of four games. Morris completed 51 of 79 passes and compiled a total 607 passing yards. He also passed for 13 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. Morris also rushed for 88 yards and four touchdowns. By far, Morris is the most experienced experienced and statistically successful quarterbacks available for signing.

#2. Kasey Peters

Peters is an arena football veteran just like Morris. Peters began his career in 2013, when he signed with the West Texas Wildcatters of the defunct Lone Star Football League. He ended up suffering a season-ending achilles injury early in the season.

In 2015, Peters signed with the New Mexico Stars, a former team of the CIF, but the team ended up suspending operations before the season began. After the Stars shut down operations, Peters signed with the Duke City Gladiators of the CIF.

He played in eight games for the Gladiators during the 2015 season, completing 164 of 303 passes for 1,918 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for one touchdown. Peters led the CIF in passing yards per game with 239.8 and total offense per game with 238.2 yards.

Peters spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with several AFL teams such as the Portland Steel, New Orleans Voo Doo, and the Las Vegas Outlaws. He then re-signed for one game with the Duke City Gladiators of the CIF, playing in only one game. In that game, he completed 21 of 28 passes for 302 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Peters signed with the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League on Jan. 17, 2017.

Peters played a total of six games for the Steel in 2017, as he completed 59 of 117 passes for 632 passing yards. He compiled a total of 14 touchdowns and five interceptions in those six games. Peters was released by the Steel on June 3 for an unknown reason.

#3. Jake Jablonski 

Jake Jablonski played in four games for the defunct Corpus Christi Rage. Before playing for the Rage in 2017, Jablonski was a member of the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks as a backup quarterback. He had his time to shine, getting the starting role with the Rage, a team that had roster issues. In four games, Jablonski completed  67 passes in 138 passing attempts, and seven interceptions.

He threw for a total of 571 passing yards and threw for seven passing touchdowns. Jablonski averaged 142.8 passing yards per game with the Rage in the 2017 season.

He found personal success even though the team had many failures during the season, and he would definitely be a great candidate at least for a back up role on a franchise. He proved in 2017 that he can succeed and perform well when a team is experiencing rough times.

Washington Valor Sign Quarterback Warren Smith, Jr.

Former Lehigh Valley Steelhawks quarterback and National Arena League MVP Warren Smith, Jr. has signed with the Washington Valor. Smith Jr and the Steelhawks lost the NAL semifinals to the Columbus Lions.

Smith led the league in many different passing categories, including passing completions (169), yards (1,953) and touchdowns (56). Lehigh Valley and Columbus both joined the National Arena League after both teams played in the American Indoor Football League (AIF) in 2016 and the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 2015.

Smith Jr. is the fourth quarterback the Valor have signed in their first season. They started veteran quarterback Erik Meyer Week 1 with Bernard Morris backing him up. Meyer was injured early in the season then retired and Morris signed with the Monterrey Steel in the NAL.

Sean Brackett has started for Washington since Meyer went down with injury. Unfortunately, he has not played well enough to even win a game in Washington. The Valor have lost 10 in a row since winning their first ever game and are all but eliminated from playoff contention.

Signing Smith is just a move to end the season strong. They may be looking to start him for the team’s final three games and end on a high note.

The Valor are one of two new expansion franchises in the Arena Football League. Both the Valor and the Baltimore Brigade are owned by owner of Monumental Sports and Entertainment Ted Leonsis.

The Arena Football League is currently playing its 30th season. Five teams are competing for the right to win ArenaBowl XXX. The game is scheduled to be played Saturday, Aug. 26.

Steel Pull Off Upset, Beat Sharks in Playoff Preview

In the first of two consecutive Saturday night matchups, the Monterrey Steel pulled off the biggest upset in the National Arena League’s short history, handing the Jacksonville Sharks their first loss of the season, 44-37.

Both the current and former Shark quarterbacks had terrible starts to the night, as Jason Boltus, who started the night, fumbled the first of three snaps on the night, and Bernard Morris threw an interception on the very next play. Both pivots bounced back, as Boltus finished the next drive with a touchdown pass to Devin Wilson, while Morris capped off his next drive with a long touchdown run.

The rest of the first quarter went Jacksonville’s way, as Moqut Ruffins took a screen pass and ran 25 yards for a touchdown, and Nick Belcher hit his 20th deuce of the season to extend the lead to 16-6. The Steel tried to answer with a quick drive, but Charlie Hunt snagged an interception to end the first quarter.

The second quarter started the exact same way as the first did, as Jason Boltus fumbled another snap, but the Sharks defensive line came in to collectively bat a Bernard Morris pass into the air and catch it for another interception. Boltus scored on a quarterback sneak to extend the lead to 23-6, but that’s when the tide started to turn.

Another former Shark, London Crawford, caught a 20-yard touchdown pass to get the Steel back on the board, but Morris couldn’t escape Charlie Hunt, who got the sack on the two-point conversion attempt. After another fumbled Boltus snap, Morris was sacked again for another big loss. However, Morris rebounded to find David Lewis in the end zone for another touchdown to tighten the screws on Jacksonville.

Jason Boltus, who had an off night, recovered to find Emughedi Umodu in the end zone for the first time of the night, but the lead remained 11 after a rare Belcher missed extra point. Brandon Rutherford made that miss a bit more interesting when he ended the first half with a 35-yard field goal for Monterrey.

The pace of the game slowed down tremendously in the second half, allowing the Steel to slowly come back. First, fullback Jamari Fletcher scored from the one-yard line to cut the deficit to a single point. Then, after three Boltus incompletions led to a stop, Rutherford gave the visitors the first lead of the night with a 34-yard field goal.

With the lead gone, Sharks head coach Siaha Burley made the change under center, and Darien Fleming got the call to see the game out. Fleming found little success on his first drive, and a 34-yard field goal from Nick Belcher went wide left.

While Jacksonville’s defense took Bernard Morris out of the game for a play, it didn’t stop the Steel from scoring again thanks to London Crawford, but a bad snap on the extra point left the door open. The Sharks, trailing in the second half for the first time ever, were now down by eight points and needed a score in the worst way. That score came thanks to Derrick Ross, and Emughedi Umodu caught the tying two-point conversion to give Jacksonville the life they needed.

Neither offense could generate much as the fourth quarter wore on, but Bernard Morris did have the final say, as he found London Crawford again for a late touchdown. The Sharks had time to respond in the final minute, but a Derrick Ross fumble and one final Morris run sealed Jacksonville’s fate.

Both teams now have a lot to learn and a lot of film to study for next week, as the Steel and Sharks will face off yet again in the semifinals. Jacksonville will look to Red Out Veterans Memorial Arena for their first home playoff game since 2013. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 24.

Monterrey Steel Defeat Georgia Firebirds, 68-26

The Georgia Firebirds hosted the Monterrey Steel at the Albany Civic Center in Albany, GA Saturday night. It was a must-win game for the Steel. A win would all but guarantee them the final playoff spot. A loss would give the High Country Grizzlies an advantage to catch up to them.

The Steel scored first when quarterback Bernard Morris rushed for a touchdown. An interception returned for a touchdown by Nathaniel Dunn gave Monterrey a 14-0 lead.

The Firebirds fell apart in the first quarter. Tracy Belton threw three interceptions and the Steel held a 21-0 lead after one.

It was more of the same in the second quarter. The Firebirds couldn’t get anything going and Monterrey got everything going. They would take a 46-14 lead into the locker room.

The Steel dominated the second half, as well. Even when Georgia would score, Monterrey would have an answer. Not only that, but the defense also stepped up to keep the rout going.

The Steel would go on to win by a final score of 68-26. They are now one step closer to clinching the final playoff spot. Their next game is on June 5 when they will meet the Firebirds in a rematch.