The PLL waiver wire is underway, with teams free to pick up players from the PLL player pool to further fill their roster before training camp in May. Some teams will be more active than others and with the PLL College Draft looming, you may see a few teams make minimal adds. Yet, that doesn’t mean we can’t still speculate where the top PLL free agents could land.
Mark Cockerton
I was fairly surprised that Mark Cockerton was not selected in the PLL Entry Draft, but the fact that many teams are already set at lefty attack could be why he was passed over. One team that still needs a premier lefty and won’t pass on Cockerton: the Boston Cannons. I am as certain that Coach Sean Quirk will use his waiver priority to select Mark Cockerton as I was that he would select Lyle Thompson first overall in the PLL Entry Draft. Quirk is not just getting a former Boston Cannon who he coached the past three seasons, he is getting a versatile lefty who can shoot, feed and finish what is sure to be a countless number of Lyle Thompson assists this summer.
Potential Teams: Cannons, Atlas
Andrew Kew
Andrew Kew can be seen as a good fit for most teams with his shooting ability. He’s shown that over his two seasons of professional ball, which included him netting the game winner in the 2019 MLL Championship. I had Kew mocked to the Atlas, and I think that is still a strong landing spot for the University of Tampa grad. Despite the presence of lefty attackman Chris Cloutier and addition of Brendan Sunday in the PLL Entry Draft, I could see Coach Ben Rubeor adding another outside threat to his roster. A surplus of shooters isn’t a bad thing to have.
Potential Teams: Atlas, Whipsnakes
CJ Costabile
CJ Costabile is arguably the best LSM available in the player pool. His age (31) may have been why team’s shied away from him during the youthful PLL Entry Draft, but the 2020 MLL LSM of the Year has not slowed down since his pro lacrosse career began in 2012. The Whipsnakes currently have one of the smaller rosters and a hole to fill due to the retirement of Brett Schmidt this offseason. The prospect of the Whips running out Michael Ehrhardt and Costabile at LSM this summer was too good an idea not to fantasize about.
Potential Teams: Whipsnakes, Chrome, Waterdogs
Austin Kaut
With there already being a log jam at the goalie position heading into season three of the PLL (see #TradeWard), it will be interesting how coaches manage the influx of keeper talent heading into training camp. While Nick Marrocco (Cannons) and Sean Sconone (Chrome) were drafted to take over the starting spots for their respective teams (though Sconone may have to wait a year under Galloway), that still leaves a number of talented goalies in the player pool.
One goalie I think will likely land a roster spot is Austin Kaut. Despite having a tough showing in the MLL bubble, Kaut has a proven track record in cage dating back to his days at Penn State, where he was once named the nation’s top goalie. I can see a team like the Waterdogs scooping up the lefty to compete for a roster spot with incumbents Matt DeLuca and Charlie Cipriano. Coach Andy Copelan has seen first-hand Kaut’s capabilities as they battled in the CAA during his time at Fairfield.
Potential Teams: Waterdogs, Whipsnakes, Redwoods
