Gladiators casting eye toward future

Even as horrendous as this season has been for the Gladiators, Las Vegas general manager Sam Jankovich has said he sees enough promising players on the roster -- 12 to 14 -- to serve as the basis for the Arena Football League team's future.

Coach Danton Barto isn't so certain.

Barto, finishing out this season after being fired last month, said if he were returning, he would bring most of the players back to training camp but could see only five to eight of them making the final cut.

That won't be his decision, of course. It will be up to the yet-to-be-hired new coach and his staff.

But coaching these players on a daily basis has given Barto unique insight into which Gladiators are worth building around and which should be let go.

"You go into next season as a coach, you bring most of this team back and (hope newcomers) beat them out," Barto said. "I think that's what the game plan will be for this organization.

"I think there is somewhat of a building block here that wasn't here when I got here."

Barto said the club would be wise to consider bringing several of the Gladiators players back to camp: quarterbacks Brian Jones and Nick Rolovich, wide receivers Thabiti Davis, Travis LaTendresse, Kevin Prentiss and Terrance Quattlebaum, fullbacks Marlion Jackson and Joshua Rue, offensive linemen Konrad Dean and Tupe Peko, defensive linemen Chris Eggleston, Karon Riley and Khaleed Vaughn, linebackers Sarth Benoit and Will Thompson and defensive backs Rufus Brown, Scott Cunningham and Sidney Haugabrook.

Barto wouldn't say which of those players he would choose to make the squad.

"I wouldn't want to say that to those guys right now because it's been such a tough year for everybody, and if I said that, I just think it would be unfair to those guys," Barto said. "That'd be a question I could answer, definitely, after the season.

"I wouldn't want to point those guys out because somebody might step up, somebody might go down."

The Gladiators' two biggest offseason needs, Barto said, are quarterback and middle defensive back.

They have looked for the answer at middle defensive back and are still searching, though Haugabrook showed promise last Sunday against Arizona.

At quarterback, former NFL player Shaun King was brought in to be the starter but struggled to pick up the indoor game. Jones and Rolovich followed early promise with disappointing play.

"You're looking for somebody there to be consistent," Barto said. "I'm sure the organization will go out and try to find a veteran quarterback that's been a proven winner. That position wins so many games in this league."

The Gladiators, 2-11 entering today's game against the Nashville Kats (5-8), began their expected offseason shake-up last week by cutting defensive back Earthwind Moreland and defensive lineman Derrick Crawford.

"You hate to see players get released this late especially," Barto said. "But maybe the organization has sent a message to some of these guys that if you don't perform, it doesn't matter what time in the season it is, you're going to go home."