Depth chart battles to watch in Soul camp

The 35 players the Soul invited to training camp this year have reported to the team today and are in the process of getting living arrangements squared away.

“I’m excited about today,” Soul head coach Clint Dolezel said via a team press release. “It’s a great situation for the team to be in when you have both old and new players coming in for camp. It’s a great opportunity for us to put together a winning product for the city of Philadelphia.”

After the players battle through Philadelphia traffic getting to south Philly, they will begin to battle each other for spots on the roster as the first practice is scheduled for Saturday.

There are six battles in particular that will be worth keeping an eye on during camp.

Backup quarterback – As mentioned in a previous training camp preview, Dan Raudabaugh is the starting quarterback for the Soul. That is for certain. He would have to get injured or have the worst camp imaginable in order to lose his spot. There’s no battle there.

The real battle will be between Steven Gachette and Ryan Porter to see who will be the backup at the beginning of the season. Arena Football teams typically keep only two quarterbacks, so one of these guys will earn a spot while the other will be looking for work elsewhere before the beginning of the season.

Second wide receiver – Much like the quarterback position, the receiver spot has a No. 1 guy in place in Tiger Jones. Last time I checked, you can still play multiple receivers on the field at the same time so this one will be a little more intriguing.

Heading into camp, this looks to be a three-man battle between Jackie Chambers, Alvance Robinson and Andrae Thurman.

All of three of these men have proven AFL experience, which could make this battle very competitive.

What’s particularly important about this battle is that the Soul will need one of these guys to standout because of the loss of Donovan Morgan via a trade to New Orleans.

His departure definitely left a void in the receiving corps that will need to be filled by one of these three men.

Third defensive back – This is another position that seems to be pretty set for two guys with experience in the top two spots in Rayshaun Kizer and LaRico Stevenson.

What is up for grabs is that third defensive back spot in the starting lineup. Last year’s interception leader, Kent Richardson, would have filled the spot but with his departure to the Cleveland Browns, it leaves a spot open.

Among those vying for the spot will be Jeff Hodges, Darius Pettigrew, David Richardson and James Romain.

It is crucial that one of those players step up and take that spot. In a scoring league, an opportunistic secondary can be the difference in a lot of games.

Third offensive lineman – This is yet another position where the Soul have a lot already in place. In this specific case, the Soul returns two of the best offensive linemen in the game in Christian Johnson and Brennen Carvalho.

This will be another very important battle as the Soul can ill-afford to have an offensive line that isn’t on the same page, especially since they are one of the few teams in the league that rely on their running game.

Given the task to step up to the plate will be Sioeli Fakalata, Marcus Gordon and Jason Jones.

Jones has the most experience among the three so he seems to be the front-runner heading into camp, but the spot is far from being decided.

Third defensive lineman – This is a very similar situation to the previous position, but just on the other side of the trenches.

Once again, the Soul bring back two guys with experience that will be the frontrunners for starting spots. Bryan Robinson seems to be a lock to be a starter, given that he led the team in sacks last season. Dustin Barno may or may not be a full-time starter, but will definitely be a fixture in the rotation.

Who fills that third spot, however, remains to be seen. Brandon Johnson, Lawon Scott, Michael Robinson and Jason Townson have very little to no AFL experience so it is anybody’s guess as to who will win this battle, but it will be worth watching nonetheless.

Kick returner – The Soul had no worries about kick returner last season as they had one of the best in the game, Jeff Hughley, routinely creating highlights.

Hughley, the reigning Ironman of the Year, left the Soul to return to the Jacksonville Sharks during the offseason and left a big hole to be filled.

Heading into camp, this looks to be a two-man battle between Jackie Chambers and Alvance Robinson.

Chambers gained 1,156 kick return yards last season and scored two touchdowns last season in Kansas City. He was named to the All-Ironman team for his efforts.

Robinson only returned seven kicks in 2012, but returned 43 in 2011 and gained 829 yards and scored a touchdown.

Kick returner, however, could have a surprise person come out of nowhere and impress enough to usurp both of them. But for now, the spot is for Chambers and Robinson to take.

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Soul training camp schedule (At NovaCare Complex, All times subject to change)

Friday, March 1: Physicals – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, March 2: Non-padded practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Sunday, March 3: Non-padded practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Monday, March 4: Non-padded practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, March 5: First padded practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, March 6: Practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, March 7: Practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Friday, March 8: First cuts, Practice – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 9: Practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Sunday, March 10: Practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Monday, March 11: Practice – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, March 12: Practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, March 13: Practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, March 14: Practice – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Friday, March 15: Practice – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 16: Final cuts, Scrimmage vs. Pittsbrugh Power – 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.