DENVER — Following Gridiron Standard's Season 6 preseason rankings, which placed the Denver Summit atop the league with the top-rated offense and defense in the DFL, owner Lila Grant issued the following statement:

"We saw the numbers, and I'll say this — they're gratifying, but they're not the point. What matters to us is what that ranking actually reflects: a team with no obvious side to attack. That wasn't an accident. Every move we made this offseason was about closing a gap, not padding a highlight reel."

The Summit's offseason overhaul touched nearly every position group, headlined by the addition of running back Lawson Pike alongside quarterback Evander Holt to anchor the offense, and defensive lineman Micah Temple leading a defense that the rankings now call the best in the league.

"Rankings are a snapshot, not a result," Grant added. "We're an expansion team. Nobody in this league has to give us anything, and nobody will. We understand that being ranked first means we're the team everyone else is circling on their schedule now, not the other way around."

The Summit open the season Thursday on the road against the Richmond Capitols, a team the same rankings project as a top-five offense in its own right.

"We didn't build this roster to be talked about in July," Grant said. "We built it to still be standing in the championship match. Everything else is noise until we're on the field."