SUNRISE, Fla. — There's perhaps no bigger indictment about Real Salt Lake's troubled past than the fact six rookies are poised to make the team's 28-man roster this year — most to developmental contracts.
"I think it's a product of where we were, and I'd like to think six rookies won't make our team every year," said RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey. "But at the same time, we drafted kids with a ton of potential, and we intend to use our developmental roster for kids with potential."
Tony Beltran, David Horst and Alex Nimo were among the first 17 players taken in the 2008 SuperDraft, and are locks to make the team. The trio of remaining rookies — Brennan Tenelle, Tino Nunez and Kevin Reiman — have been impressive as well thus far and are very much in the hunt for a roster spot.
"Right now we're not guaranteeing six rookies will even make the team, but we're awful happy that out of seven picks, six rookies are in the mix for the final roster," said Lagerwey. "We feel we've improved the bottom of our roster."
Reiman, taken in the third round of the secondary Supplemental Draft, is the type of player RSL will have a difficult time letting go. He's a left-footed outside midfielder, the only one on the team, according to coach Jason Kreis.
"We have guys that will probably play on the left side, but (Kevin's) a natural left-sided midfielder," said Kreis. "He's a guy that likes to play wide, have that line at his back."
Considering where the New Yorker was drafted, he knows he's on the bubble, but added, "I just wanted the opportunity. I probably would've been devastated if I didn't get the opportunity."
Nunez, RSL's other supplemental pick, fills a void as well. He's not very tall at 5-foot-9, but he's thick and strong and in many respects the only target forward in camp. The coaching staff has been scouring the globe all offseason for a more proven, taller target forward, and their success or failure in the final month may determine Nunez's fate.
Kreis said he's very comfortable with Nunez, adding he's exactly the type of teammate other forwards want to play with.
"He's impressive because he does the simple stuff. He's a guy who as a forward is very willing to play with his back to the goal, get the ball off supporting players, hold the ball and get it back to him," said Kreis. "That's not easy to find."
Regardless of how many rookies survive next week's projected cutdown day, they better not get complacent. Real Salt Lake's new regime believes in a pretty bold approach to its 10-man developmental roster.
"Our philosophy on the developmental roster is to give kids probably no more than two years ever, and they either move up to the first team or they move out," said Lagerwey. "We really want to convey to these guys that they are at that stage of their career where they're fighting to become professional soccer players. They're on the team, and they're a full member, and all the legal niceties, but in terms of having a long and successful and prosperous career, they need to move up or they're going to be shipped out."
E-mail: jedward@desnews.com