Football
Brian O'Connell 8y

Revs notes: Davies is returning

First Kick 2016 may still be months away, but a series of developments over the last week is a surefire sign that next season is already taking shape for the New England Revolution.

Last Monday, the club announced that it will kick off preseason camp on Jan. 22 at Gillette Stadium before embarking on a pair of trips to Arizona. The first will consist of a 10-day visit to Casa Grande, were the Revolution will face the Houston Dynamo on Feb. 6. The second will put the squad in Tucson for the Desert Diamond Cup tournament, which has become an annual winter tradition for the locals since coach Jay Heaps took the reins four years ago.

While many were finalizing their Thanksgiving plans, the Revolution front office was putting the first touches on their 2016 roster on Wednesday when they exercised the options on 14 players.

Among the notable names set to return next season: All-Star left back Chris Tierney, center backs Andrew Farrell and Jose Goncalves, midfielders Lee Nguyen, Kelyn Rowe, Diego Fagundez and Teal Bunbury, as well as forward Charlie Davies, who led the squad in scoring in 2015 (10 goals).

Although there will be a number of familiar faces back in Foxborough next year, not everyone will be returning. Veteran defenders Kevin Alston and Jeremy Hall, along with 2014 first-round pick Steve Neumann, all had their options declined. Another player who's presumably played his final game for the Revolution is 33-year-old midfielder Andy Dorman, who is currently out of contract.

Of course, the most significant development of Wednesday's roster moves was that star midfielder Jermaine Jones remains out of contract, which could be a sign that the organization has moved on from the prospect of bringing back the most prolific player in club history.

One year after entering into a partnership with Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portugal, the Revolution are set to make their first significant trip to Lisbon this week. Heaps and general manager Michael Burns will be joined by midfielders Zachary Herivaux and Donnie Smith, as well as forward Sean Okoli to pay a visit the current Portuguese Liga leaders. Burns and Heaps are expected to meet with Sporting's braintrust to discuss player development while Herivaux, Smith and Okoli will train with the first team from Nov. 29 through Dec. 18. "Sporting are known for their ability to develop young talent," Burns said in club release, "and we feel these three players will really benefit from this opportunity to train at a high level during the offseason."

With the trio of youngsters about to embark on their training stint, the Revolution front office will certainly have plenty to do during the month of December.

On Dec. 8, MLS clubs may begin negotiations with free agents, and on Dec. 9, the waiver draft is set for 4:30pm ET. Stage one of the re-entry draft will take place on Dec. 11, and stage two is set for Dec. 17. Before you know it, the 2016 SuperDraft, which is scheduled for Jan. 14, will be on the doorstep. And not long after that, the boys will be back in town getting ready for the new season.

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