We had a rash of injuries at the center position last season - we went through seven of them. When we were trading Chris Jackson, we were looking to get a starting center, but there were no takers due to the vital importance of this position.

Garnett is a ferocious pass rusher and is extremely solid on offense which made him highly sought-after in free agency. He will provide pressure up front that will help a Stan Davis-run defense dominate.

Chris (Ryan) is a key free agent signing for us. This move will help us get back to being a championship-caliber team.

There wasn't a big difference between Davis and Salisbury during training camp, but it was obvious after our first two games that we needed to play better in the first quarter and be more solid in our decision making. We did those things against Los Angeles and won. Chad's experience was evident and we need to build from this.

Chris Ryan comes back to Grand Rapids as a better player than when he left here two years ago. He brings an added punch to our red zone offense - with Ryan alongside Chris Avery we have the fiercest FB/LB corps in the AFL.