Retirements

Graig Regalado RT - After playing 11 seasons, Regalado retired from the Thrashers. He won three championships with the Thrashers after joining the team in 2024. He also spent time in Charlotte prior to coming to Arkansas.

Charles Webber TE - Webber spent five seasons with the Thrashers, winning 3 championships in his time. He's the all-time TE for the team with 405 receptions for 4,345 yards and 26 TDs.

Steve Bland, CB - Bland played for 11 seasons, 4 of which for the Thrashers. He won three championships with the Thrashers, and one with San Francisco in 2021.

John Alvis, WR - Alvis joined the league in 2019 with Oakland. After two seasons, he was picked up by Arkansas and remained until his retirement. Alvis never achieved too many distinctions individually but was on the team for three championships.

Thomas Webster, OC - Webster retired after only spending one season with the Thrasher as Offensive Coordinator. Webster worked in the league for 11 years, and spent 5 years as Houston's Head Coach.

Departures

Tommy Guyette, TE - traded to Houston Golden Dragon for 2029 3rd and 4th round pick after Guyette expressed displeasure with his current role with the team.

Regalado was a stalwart in Charlotte, other than a couple seasons recovering from an injury. Plug him in, and watch him go.

Early Free Agency Acquisitions

Arron Heller LT (from DET) - Heller is a a beast of a left tackle playing into his 10th season. He's only signed on for two year contract, so he's really a stopgap as the Thrashers are pushing for a three-peat championship.

Clayton Ellis RG (from MIN) - Ellis is in a similar situation, a veteran to add depth on the interior line. In 10 starts last season, Ellis allowed 0 sacks.

Jason Borg RG (from IRV) - This interior lineman is only on his 5th season and will provide depth on the line for many years. He has above average strength and blocking and can fill-in where necessary. As some of the other pieces around him age up, he can plug in and play while rookies and younger players get coached up.

Dennis Prom FB/TE (from HOU) - Prom isn't going to light the world on fire, but he can be serviceable as a fullback / tight end backup. He's a strong run blocker and has nifty hands and isn't prone to turnovers.

2028 Draft

The Thrashers never seem content to draft a full menagerie of seven gridiron warriors, and so it goes in 2028 as well. After trading away picks and acquiring a 4th round pick from Houston, the team was locked in for three selections in this year's draft.

1 (32): Sam Quint - WR, Arkansas, 5'11" 190lbs.
Quint is a native Arkansan and while not a truly determining factor that owner Timothy Thompson seeks out, it was certainly a serendipitous one in this case. Sam Quint has above average speed and elite pass receiving courage. As the current WR corps of the team ages and retires, Quint should be an integral piece for many years to come.

3 (96): Martin Brody - LB/DE, Morehead State, 6'3" 267lbs.
This hybrid LB/DE will be expected to have more than one role although he might not ever be more than a rotational piece. Brody has the potential to lock up the strongside eventually. He has great speed for 267lbs player. His potential for run-stopping while adding decent coverage skills on passing down could really make or break his career for Arkansas.

4 (97): Matt Hooper - C/G, James Cook University for Marine Sciences (AUS), 6'3" 311lbs.
Matt Hooper was on a research expedition in the Atlantic Ocean when he discovered his love for American Football. He transferred stateside to Amity Island University and walked on to the Fighting Sharks, where he had a prolific career as a guard for two seasons. Now, Hooper will spend some time at Center developing his snapping skills. He might not ever become a starter, but he should do in a pinch.

2028 Training Camp

"Wait? Training Camp happened?" -- Reporter Newsman, Thrasher Beat Reporter

This season's camp wasn't a bust nor was it a boom. If you factor in all the player's changes, it would net a negative one, which isn't great by any means, but the organization can live with it.

Sam Quint WR (+7 / -1) Quint is still not a flashy pick, but he didn't regress to the point of uselessness either. He'll be in the rotation this year, and will assume a potential starting role by next year most likely.

Martin Brody SLB (+8 / -1) He also slimmed down an additional 5lbs. My guess is with his height (6'3"), speed, and coverage skills, Brody snags 3-5 INT this season.

Matt Hooper C/G (+7 / +1) Hooper showed the most potential growth of the Rookie class. He's not called upon to be a starter anytime soon, but he might in three years.

Late Free Agency

Randall Riordan RB/WR (from Free Agency) - This hybrid player will suit up exclusively as a WR this season, although playing time might be limited. It's doubtful that he'll challenge anyone through camp, but the coach's model of giving the kid a chance has paid off before.

Mike Walker P (from Free Agency) - Walker is expected to push aging William Noel for the sole punting role this season. Noel has expressed retirement, so this is more of an insurance selection to test Walker's strengths.

Todd Tipton SLB (From Battle Creek) - Tipton was brought in for this season to help reinforce the strong side linebacking corps since Robert Jones took a huge step back during training camp this season. Tipton could get the starting nod while Martin Brody and Simon Phoenix get some experience in this area.

Preseason

The preseason came with plenty of fireworks this year. The Thrashers won every game (not that it counts for much), but it doesn't seem like the team lost a step from back-to-back championships. QB John Spartan demolished the competition playing six quarters against starters for a perfect QB Rating of 158.33, going 39/47 for 622 yards, 8 TDs and 0 INTs. The average yards per attempt was over 13 yards, so dat boi J-Spart was slinging it.

Defensively, the crew was solid. producing 11 turnovers over four games. The linebacking corps experienced some changes with SLB Robert Jones having a rough camp and never seeming to recover. Todd Tipton stepped in from FA and won the starting role as Martin Brody develops in the position. Simon Phoenix MLB also got some time on the strong side as well. WLB Randy Pierce filled the void at MLB with Phoenix getting reps at SLB and both could see time in their new positions over the season.

On Special Teams, K George Miles nailed 12/14 FGs, smashing 4/4 from over 50 yards, but uncharacteristically missed two less than 50. The team will also carry two punters this season and will split games to get new acquisition Mike Walker more playing time as long-time punter William Noel ponders retirement.

Lastly, in a bit of a surprise, former Head Coach Grant Ledbetter (2027 NYN 16-2) was hired as an assistant coach and tight end coach before the last preseason game. He had previously spent time in Memphis as a Tight End Coach there as well.

The Thrashers open up the 2028 season with two road games against the Argonauts and then the Xtreme for a Super Bowl rematch.

Quarterly Report

The Thrashers sit--uncomfortably--at 3-1 after the first four games of the season. General spectators say a 75% win rate is nothing to scoff at, but a deeper look reveals some cracks in the Thrasher's champion veneer. -- Reporter Newsman

The best game of the season was their opener against an ailing Wilmington team where Spartan and the boys put on a show. However, flying back across country for a day layover in Little Rock and then on to Los Angeles proved to be too much for the crew as they were handily defeated by the Xtreme. Little went right for the Thrashers that game. Then, the Thrashers had their first home game against division rivals, The Real Kayfabe, one that went down to the wire if not for the late game heroics of some defensive turnovers and QB John Spartan making his magic. Recently, the team headed back on the road to visit the Frozen Tundra, where the Thrashers were favored initially, but after three sluggish quarters, Arkansas looked beaten. It wasn't until around the 9:00 minute mark of the 4th quarter that Spartan came alive and had masterful drives to take the lead, while the defense held Chuck Farr to a series of punts.

All of this to say, a win is a win, but it ain't pretty. These aren't confident wins of a team that just won back-to-back Super Bowls. A lot has changed over the offseason, but owner Timothy Thompson isn't making any excuses for the team. He knows they have to do better to win again. "The stakes are higher; everyone has painted a target on the Thrashers' backs."

Over four games, Spartan has thrown for 1,246 yards, 10 TDs and 1 INT. His QB rating is still a praiseworthy 107.93. The oft-injured but dynamic RB duo of Lusher and Erwin have been middling at best. Rookie WR Sam Quint has been an early bright spot and will certainly have a role for the team for years to come. Longtime TE Winston Wolfe is the leading receiver and could top 1,000 receiving yards this season at this pace.

Defensively, the unit has generated 4 sacks, 2 INTs, and 4 forced fumbles, but more pressure needs to be applied, and the entire unit is allowing far too many points this season. Overall, the unit ranks 27th in yards allowed this season (349), a far cry from last season's 256 yards.

The next three games are on the road at New York, Boston, and Arizona, so the changes need to come sooner rather than later.

Quarterly Report

Halfway through the season, the Thrashers (6-2) look decent if not a little roughed up. RB George Erwin has taken the brunt of it and will miss multiple weeks with a leg injury.

After some defensive hang-ups early on in the season allowing the 6th worse yards per game (349 ypg), the defensive got some retooling and in the last two contests only allowed an average of 200 yards per game, which brings the season rank up 10 spots to 17th in the league. The front seven are 7th in Sacks, but the secondary is 24th in INTs. The turnover ratio is still very much in the Thrashers favor at +4.0 which is good enough for 7th overall.

Offensively, the unit has been consistent, just not stellar. The 158.33 QB Rating of the preseason has long since passed, but QB John Spartan is still top ten in every statistical category. The running game has also been moving averaging 4.4 ypc (2nd) and 105 yards per game (7th). Rookie WR Sam Quint looks to be a future star. He's hauled in 5 TDs on 29 catches for 429 yards, and his game is still very much developing.

Next week brings the undefeated San Francisco Demons to town for a true test of this season's mettle. Then, it's a trip to Waco for the Kayfabe, and then the Thrashers get a nice long home stretch with only one more road trip the regular season. Arkansas is primed for another post-season run, even with potentially a few more losses than they usually carry.

Check back after Week 12 for more updates.

Bring it to Waco
You'll find everything shut down
And don't forget the toilet paper to wipe away those tears