He wasn't an All-Arena selection like B.J. Cohen, but the Storm suffered an equally big free-agent loss when offensive/defensive lineman Al Lucas signed a three-year deal with Los Angeles on Monday.
Lucas, a 6-foot-1, 300-pound nose guard, controlled the middle, pressured quarterbacks and freed linebackers to make plays during Tampa Bay's ArenaBowl run.
"He really gave us a good push in the middle," Storm coach Tim Marcum said. "You hate to lose him, but this is the era of free agency. There are just so many dollars to go around."
Lucas, 25, earned All-Rookie honors after recording 191/2 tackles, 11/2 sacks, a blocked kick and a safety in 13 games with the Storm last season. A former defensive tackle with the Carolina Panthers, he was one of five Arena players with NFL potential singled out in a Sports Illustrated article.
"The determining factor for me in choosing Los Angeles was just feeling comfortable with the entire situation," Lucas said in a news release. "Hopefully, what I bring to this team and what I learned last season in winning the ArenaBowl will help put the Avengers over the top."
FAMILIAR FOES: The Storm will begin defense of its championship Feb. 8, when Jay Gruden-coached Orlando visits the St. Pete Times Forum for a rematch of last season's semifinal playoff game, which Tampa Bay won to advance to the ArenaBowl.
The game is one of 13 involving the Storm being considered for broadcast by NBC.
New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Austin visit Tampa Bay for the first time, while the Storm makes its first trip to Chicago. Other highlights of the 2004 schedule include John Kaleo's return to Tampa Bay on April 18 and the visit of Jon Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul on Feb. 29.
ON BOARD: The Storm re-signed lineman Jorge Diaz, a former Buc, and signed former Tennessee Tech lineman D.J. Bleisath, a Division I-AA first-team All-American in 2001.
