Eastern Division

Columbus Destroyers

• Coach: Doug Kay, second season; 23-32 in AFL.

• Last season: 8-8.

• Key players: DB Jerald Brown, QB Matt Nagy, WR Tony Locke.

• Noteworthy: Destroyers' biggest offseason move was signing Nagy. The third-year veteran threw for career bests of 4,265 yards, 85 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season while playing for the Georgia Force. . . . Columbus defense allowed 90 touchdowns last year, the fewest in the league.

Dallas Desperados

• Coach: Will McClay, fourth season; 28-21-1 in AFL.

• Last season: 13-3, lost to Orlando 45-29 in National Conference title game.

• Key players: QB Clint Dolezel, WR Marcus Nash, KR/DB Will Pettis.

• Noteworthy: The Desperados added former NFL lineman Lincoln Kennedy (6-7, 350) and former Broncos first-round draft pick Nash. Nash was the AFL's offensive player of the year in 2004 with Las Vegas. . . . Dolezel earned All-Arena first team recognition after throwing a league record 105 touchdown passes and only 11 interceptions. . . . Dallas scored the most points (929) in league last season.

New York Dragons

• Coach: Weylan Harding, third season; 20-14 in AFL.

• Last season: 10-6, lost to Georgia 72-69 in wild-card round.

• Key players: DB Billy Parker, WR Mike Horacek, QB Aaron Garcia.

• Noteworthy: New York has reached the playoffs in four of its six seasons, including the past two. The Dragons have finished 10-6 in each of the past two regular seasons. . . . Parker returns to the Dragons after spending 2006 on the Carolina Panthers practice squad. In 2005, he led the AFL in interceptions with 10. . . . Horacek became the AFL's sixth player to reach the 200-TD milestone for his career in 2006.

Philadelphia Soul

• Coach: Bret Munsey, second season; 10-8 in AFL.

• Last season: 9-7, lost to Orlando 31-27 in divisional round.

• Key players: DB Eddie Moten, OL/DL Earnest Allen, WR/LB Sean Scott.

• Noteworthy: Soul earned its first playoff berth last season. . . . Even with new substitution rules, Scott probably will continue to play both ways as well as special teams. He won the Ironman of the Game Award five times last season. . . . Moten led the league in interceptions (13) and interception returns for touchdowns (3) .

Southern Division

Austin Wranglers

• Coach: Brian Partlow, first season.

• Last season: 10-6, lost to Philadelphia 52-35 in wild-card round.

• Key players: QB Adrian McPherson, WR Derrick Lewis, WR Kevin Nickerson.

• Noteworthy: Partlow was offensive coordinator for Colorado the past three seasons. . . . Sedrick Robinson led the league in kick-return yardage (1,855) and returns for touchdowns (7). . . . Austin added former NFL first-round pick Aaron Gibson (6-6, 370) to its offensive line. . . . The Wranglers passed for fewer yards (3,727) than any team in league last year.

Georgia Force

• Coach: Doug Plank, third season; 22-15 in AFL.

• Last season: 8-8, lost to Dallas 62-27 in divisional round.

• Key players: OL/DL Jermaine Smith, WR/LB Derek Lee, WR Troy Bergeron.

• Noteworthy: The Force reached the playoffs for the second consecutive season for the first time in the club's history. . . . Georgia returned seven interceptions for TDs last season, tying an AFL record. . . . Bergeron was the league's rookie of the year in 2005. He rejoins the Force after trying out for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in 2006. . . . Georgia will replace QB Matt Nagy, who went to Columbus as a free agent, with Chris Greisen or Ryan Vena.

New Orleans VooDoo

• Coach: Mike Neu, third season; 27-22 in AFL.

• Last season: Suspended operations because of Hurricane Katrina.

• Key players: QB Andy Kelly, FB Dan Curran, WR Jacques Rumph.

• Noteworthy: Team was 9-7 in 2005 and won the Southern Division title in 2004. . . . Kelly holds AFL career records for completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes. He played last season for Kansas City and Utah. . . . Rumph played for the VooDoo from 2004-05, when he made 83 receptions for 848 yards and 16 TDs.

Orlando Predators

• Coach: Jay Gruden, eighth season; 76-44 in AFL.

• Last season: 10-6, lost to Chicago 69-61 in ArenaBowl XX.

• Key players: OL/DL Henry Taylor, QB Shane Stafford, WR Jimmy Fryzel.

• Noteworthy: Stafford was signed to replace QB Joe Hamilton. He won 32 games in five years with the Tampa Bay Storm. . . . Taylor is tied for the league lead in sacks with eight. . . . The Predators traded three-time AFL defensive player of the year Kenny McEntyre to Kansas City. . . . Fryzel led the Predators with 87 receptions for 1,108 yards and 23 TDs last season.

Tampa Bay Storm

• Coach: Tim Marcum, 13th season; 181-77 in AFL.

• Last season: 7-9.

• Key players: WR/LB Lawrence Samuels, QB John Kaleo, WR Terrill Shaw.

• Noteworthy: Marcum is the winningest head coach in Arena Football League history. . . . The Storm missed the playoffs for the first time in the club's history last year. It has won five ArenaBowl championships. . . . Kaleo led the Storm to the 2003 ArenaBowl championship. Last year, he played for Columbus, where he threw for 3,772 yards and 61 TDs.

Central Division

Chicago Rush

• Coach: Ed Hohensee, seventh season; 106-94 in AFL.

• Last season: 7-9, beat Orlando 69-61 to win ArenaBowl XX.

• Key players: OL/DL Khreem Smith, QB Matt D'Orazio, WR Bobby Sippio.

• Noteworthy: Chicago was 7-9 in the regular season but peaked in the postseason. . . . Sippio was acquired midway through the season and provided an offensive spark. . . . D'Orazio was named ArenaBowl offensive player of the game after throwing for six touchdowns.

Colorado Crush

• Coach: Mike Dailey, fourth season; 99-64 in AFL.

• Last season: 11-5, lost to Chicago 63-46 in divisional round.

• Key players: WR Damian Harrell, DB Rashad Floyd, QB John Dutton.

• Noteworthy: Only team to repeat as division champion last season. . . . Since 2004, when Dailey arrived, Colorado has won the most regular-season games in the AFL. . . . Harrell has been named offensive player of the year two consecutive seasons. . . . Crush lost kicker Clay Rush to Central Division Kansas City in free agency.

Grand Rapids Rampage

• Coach: Sparky McEwen, third season; 9-23 in AFL.

• Last season: 5-11.

• Key players: WR/DB Timon Marshall, WR Troy Edwards, QB Chad Salisbury.

• Noteworthy: Since winning the ArenaBowl in 2001, the Rampage has managed just one winning season (8-6 in 2002). . . . Marshall led the AFL with 2,734 all-purpose yards last season. . . . The Rampage will replace top receiver Anthony Hines with Edwards, who was the 13th overall in the 1999 NFL draft.

Kansas City Brigade

• Coach: Kevin Porter, second season; 3-13 in AFL.

• Last season: 3-13.

• Key players: DB Kenny McEntyre, WR Jerel Myers, K Clay Rush.

• Noteworthy: Brigade started camp with 23 new players on roster after finishing 3-13 in first season. . . . Brigade released QB Chris Sanders, who started eight games, and will go with Ray Philyaw and Michael Bishop. . . . McEntyre is the AFL's career leader with 63 interceptions.

Nashville Kats

• Coach: Pat Sperduto, sixth season; 46-36-1 in AFL.

• Last season: 8-8, lost to Chicago 55-47 in wild-card round.

• Key players: QB Clint Stoerner, WR Jason Shelley, DB Delmonico Montgomery.

• Noteworthy: Nashville started last season strong but finished 2-5. . . . Kats are hoping to rely on the chemistry between Stoerner and Shelley to fuel offense. When both were with Dallas in 2005, Shelley led the league with 100 receptions and Stoerner was named to the AFL All-Rookie team. . . . Montgomery led the Kats with nine interceptions last season.

Western Division

Arizona Rattlers

• Coach: Gene Nudo, second season; 9-9 in AFL.

• Last season: 8-8, lost to San Jose 62-48 in divisional round.

• Key players: WR/DB Randy Gatewood, QB Sherdrick Bonner, FB/LB Bo Kelly.

• Noteworthy: Nudo is the AFL's only three-time executive of the year. He took over coaching duties last season. . . . One of the older teams in the AFL, Arizona will try to infuse more youth this season. They'll still rely heavily on Gatewood. A 12-year AFL veteran, Gatewood won the Ironman of the Year Award.

Las Vegas Gladiators

• Coach: Danton Barto, first season.

• Last season: 5-11.

• Key players: FB/LB Marlion Jackson, QB Shaun King, WR Peter Warrick.

• Noteworthy: Barto was coach of the af2 champion Memphis Xplorers last year. . . . The Gladiators are one of the youngest teams in AFL. . . . Las Vegas hopes to be more explosive on offense by adding former NFL players King and Warrick. Warrick was the No. 4 selection in the 2000 NFL draft.

Los Angeles Avengers

• Coach: Ed Hodgkiss, sixth season; 43-39 in AFL.

• Last season: 5-11.

• Key players: K Remy Hamilton, WR/DB Kevin Ingram, QB Sonny Cumbie.

• Noteworthy: The Avengers had their first losing season since 2002. . . . Cumbie was named to the AFL's All-Rookie Team after throwing for 59 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. . . . . Hamilton was the league's kicker of the year, converting 27-of-36 field-goal attempts. . . . Ingram had 111 catches for 1,354 yards and 32 touchdowns last season. . . . Greg Krause should help the offensive line, which gave up 31 sacks last season.

San Jose SaberCats

• Coach: Darren Arbet, ninth season; 93-42 in AFL.

• Last season: 9-6, lost to Chicago 59- 56 in American Conference title game.

• Key players: QB Mark Grieb, WR James Roe, WR Ben Nelson.

• Noteworthy: Grieb set a passing mark in the AFL for the second year in a row. He threw for 4,834 yards in 2006, breaking his mark of 4,803 set in 2005. . . . FB Phil Glover led the league with 15 rushing touchdowns. . . . WR Ben Nelson was named the rookie of the year with 94 receptions for 1,405 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Utah Blaze

• Coach: Danny White, second season; 148-75 in AFL.

• Last season: 7-9, lost to Arizona 57-34 in wild-card round.

• Key players: WR Siaha Burley, QB Joe Germaine, WR/DB Orshawante Bryant.

• Noteworthy: Utah was a first-year expansion team last year, along with Kansas City. The Blaze finished the season with a 4-1 surge to make the playoffs. . . . Burley led the league with 1,934 receiving yards. He also scored 44 touchdowns. . . . The Blaze led the league in attendance, averaging 15,498 at the Delta Center.

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