An era is over. Jared Raun, who took Sgt. Kill to four playoffs, three FFL Bowls and two championships, sold his team. Which means the leagues' most successful man, the George Steinbrenner of FFL, is out. That's a lot for new owner Marvin, who spent a lot of money in a late takeover, to follow, but he feels good about this team. "I'm not worried about tainting the team's traditions," he said. "In fact, the only ones who should worry are the other teams because we'll still kick ass." So he went out and built a team that could be better than last year's version. To help Stephen Davis lighten the load from his 17 TD season, they acquired Curtis Martin, who is valuable for two reasons, he's consistent, and he's productive. Brad Johnson is back to lead the team, and the team isn't worried about him His favorite target, tight end Tony Gonzalez, is also back. Last year, Gonzalez displayed a jaw-dropping combination of strength and finesse in catching 12 TDs, most of them in the second half of the season. Sgt. Kill feels he will give opposing defenses tons of headaches. Jimmy Smith also returns as the team's No. 1 receiver. The No. 2 slot is uncertain, with promising Kevin Johnson currently listed there. Although he showed a lot of promise, his production last year was small. Talented rookie Plaxico Burress, who showed in preseason he can make plays, could be the starter soon. Sgt. Kill's team depth is again a problem, but there's another hole the team has that it's unaccustomed too; they don't have a playmaker. Both Davis and Gonzalez rarely broke big plays last year. Last year's home run hitter, Az-Zakir Hakim, is gone, and teams will likely pack the line of scrimmage against them. But Sgt. Kill is ready for them. "A lot of people will question whether we an stay on top," Marvin said. "I say, let them. We'll prove when it counts."

What the Scouts Think Curtis Martin was an important acquisition. I don't know if Davis can carry the same workload from last year, but he doesn't have too. I'm a huge fan of Tony Gonzalez, but I don't think he'll surpass last year's production. They don't have another receiver to take the heat off of him. He'll still produce, but he'll have to fight for everything he gets. Marvin's an impatient owner and if the team falters, Brad Johnson will take the hit. The owner doesn't like Vinny Testaverde either, so Jeff George might come here.

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