Everett boasts wealth of talent at wide receiver

SNOHOMISH – Heading into training camp it appeared the Everett Hawks boasted one of af2’s elite wide receiver corps.

Imagine, then, how the Hawks were feeling Sunday after a weekend trade added 6-foot-3, 215-pound former Stockton Lightning standout Phil Goodman to Everett’s star-studded cast of wide-outs.

Despite the fact Goodman hauled in 91 passes for 1,227 yards and 30 touchdowns for Stockton last season, Everett coach Cedric Walker jokingly downplayed the news at first.

“Last time I checked that happened in 2006,” Walker laughed. “Right now he has no catches in 2007.”

Of course, offensive numbers were just part of Goodman’s contribution at Stockton. On defense Goodman had 46.5 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries.

Even Walker relented, sort of.

“He’s a great leader and a great player,” Walker acknowledged. “He just hasn’t been pushed.”

Everett’s impressive talent appealed to Goodman, with a caveat.

“Everybody’s got an arms-length list of (individual) accomplishments,” Goodman said. “But, nobody has a ring and that’s what we need to do.”

“The kid has the total package,” Walker said. “The one thing that will make him truly great is putting in the preparation and practice. Things come easy for him so coaches have to be on him harder.”

So, the addition of Goodman gives Everett yet another sudden-impact player?

“No doubt,” Walker said. “But, if I need him to run a screen he’ll do it. If it’s fourth-and-one he’ll block too.”

With Goodman’s arrival Everett has a group of receivers in camp that put up impressive numbers in 2006, including:

* LaMonte Jones, 107 receptions, 1,419 yards, 40 TDs, 36.5 tackles, three interceptions, two kickoff returns for TDs and af2 “Ironman” award-winner for Central Valley.

* Marvin Brown, 74 receptions, 976 yards, 18 TDs in 12 games for Central Valley.

* Milton Myers, 64 receptions, 873 yards, 16 TDs, 36.5 tackles for Everett.

Also in the mix is veteran Robert Reed, who after two monster years at Tulsa (2004-05) starred for Billings of the National Indoor Football League in 2006. Everett coaches covet Reed’s leadership as well as his considerable pass-catching skills.

For all the targets including second-year man Josh Richey and rookies Calvin Pierre and Nate Brookreson there is still just one ball for presumed starting quarterback Ben Bowling to distribute.

“It’s not a matter of keeping everyone happy,” Bowling said. “No one person is going to be bigger than anyone else. Phil might have eight catches in a game, Monte (LaMonte Jones) might have two, whereas Reed might not have any. In the next game it might be completely different.

“We don’t have one person we’re looking at all the time,” Bowling continued. “We have three, four, five gifted receivers that you can put in at any time.”

NOTES

Goodman’s path to Everett involved former Hawks QB: Goodman was traded by Stockton to Cincinnati last week for former Everett quarterback Brian Baker.

Stockton subsequently dealt Baker to Tri-Cities where he will be reunited with former Hawks coach Tony Wells, who now leads the expansion Fever.

Goodman, meanwhile, preferred to stay on the West Coast as opposed to reporting to Cincinnati. Everett had been assigned rookie receiver Derin Graham (6-0, 185, Indiana) who preferred to stay nearer his family in Indiana. The trade of Graham for Goodman resolved the impasse.

Walker one wicked task-master: After what appeared to be an extremely spirited and productive second day of camp during which he doled out chest-thumping approval more than once, Walker is looking for a lot more.

“Every day has got to be better than the last,” Walker said. “We’re not going to be better as a team if we accept mediocrity. … I give us a D+ today.”

Hey, that’s better than the grade of D- Walker awarded on Saturday.

Crank it up: Second-year lineman Kai Ziegler pronounced himself completely recovered from the nagging ankle injury that forced him to miss the final 11 games of his rookie season with Everett.

“I’m full strength and ready to rock and roll,” Ziegler said. “The intensity level is up at this camp and everybody wants to win.”