1993 USFL Offseason Report: September

USA TODAY, September 10, 1993

One month into the USFL offseason and do we ever have a lot to report. The NFL-USFL window produced some amazing movement, with big names headed between both teams. We have a new coach in New Orleans, a bit of turmoil in Tampa Bay, a flurry of retirements, and our final USFL expansion team has their identity. No time to waste.

1993 ALL-USFL TEAM & AWARD WINNERS

The votes are in, the players named. Here are the best of the best from 1993’s spring football season.

QB: B. Favre (BIR): 235/382, 4341 Yards, 42 TDs, 16 Ints, 119.9 QBR

QB: J. Kelly (HOU): 262/401, 4545 Yards, 31 TDs, 12 Ints, 117.1 QBR

QB: B. Kosar (CHI): 439/630, 4817 Yards, 34 TDs, 16 Ints, 99.4 QBR

HB: T. Thomas (HOU): 323 Att, 1381 Yards, 16 TDs, 28 Rec, 645 Yards, 4 TDs

HB: M. Rozier (PIT): 281 Att, 1220 Yards, 8 TDs, 21 Rec, 116 Yds, 0 TDs

HB: K. Bryant (PHI): 273 Att, 1035 Yds, 12 TDs, 48 Rec, 260 Yds, 2 TDs

FB: R. Wolfley (PIT): 9 Att, 52 Yds, 1 TD, 34 Rec, 167 Yds, 0 TD

TE: W. Walls (CHI): 99 Rec, 1412 Yards, 13 TDs

TE: J. Novacek (DEN): 95 Rec, 942 Yds, 5 TDs

TE: S. Sharpe (BIR): 58 Rec, 808 Yds, 9 TDs

WR: J. Jefferson (ORL): 119 Rec, 1428 Yds, 13 TDs

WR: E. Givens (BIR): 73 Rec, 1702 Yds, 13 TDs

WR: L. Jones (NJ): 94 Rec, 1682 Yds, 14 TDs

WR: J. Walters (WSH): 110 Rec, 1546 Yds, 13 TDs

WR: L. Dawsey (BIR): 63 Rec, 1498 Yds, 12 TDs

T: R. Webb (BIR)

T: B. Armstrong (POR)

T: S. Moore (JAX)

G: J. Bruhin (BIR)

G: B. Sims (HOU)

G: J. Davis (NOR)

C: T. Rother (NOR)

C: C. Pitcock (BIR)

DE: D. Manley (WSH): 50 Tck, 23 Sacks, 2FF

DE: C. Haley (ARZ): 44 Tck, 18 Sacks, 2 FF

DE: R. White (MEM): 48 Tck, 16 Sacks, 4 FF

DT: J. Browne (WSH): 47 Tck, 9 Sacks, 1 FF

DT: J. Randall (BAL): 44 Tck, 8 Sacks

DT: D. Saleamua (PIT): 46 Tck, 6 Sacks, 1 FF

LB: K. Harvey (OAK): 121 Tck, 2 Int, 4 Sacks, 1 FF

LB: D. Hacket (NJ): 118 Tck, 8 Sacks, 4 FF

LB: K. Greene (BIR): 103 Tck, 1 Int, 5 Sacks, 2 FF

LB: B. Noble (ARZ): 84 Tck, 1 Int, 9 Sacks, 3 FF

LB: V. Johnson (JAX): 76 Tck, 1 Int, 8 Sacks, 3 FF

CB: D. Woolford (BAL): 102 Tck, 8 Int, 3 FF, 33 Passes Defended

CB: C. Dishman (BIR): 85 Tck, 8 Int, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 31 Passes Defended

CB: A. Williams (OAK): 81 Tck, 6 Int, 2 FF, 27 Passes Defended

FS: R. Lewis (STL): 61 Tck, 7 Int, 2 Sacks, 16 Passes Defended

FS: V. Glenn (POR): 64 Tck, 6 Int, 1 FF, 16 Passes Defended

SS: P. Gannon (NOR): 73 Tck, 4 Int, 2 Sacks, 8 Passes Defended

SS: R. Blackmon (HOU): 68 Tck, 3 Int, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 12 Passes Defended

K: J. Carney (CHI): 32/34 FG, 47/47 PAT, Long of 57 Yards

P: R. Stark (PHI): 68 Punts, 3,257 Yards, 47.9 Average, 31 inside the 20

KR: C. Verdin (HOU): 23 Returns, 725 Yards, 2 KR TDs, 31.5 Average

PR: T. Mathis (WSH): 32 Returns, 345 Yards, 10.8 Average

1993 MVP: Thurman Thomas, HB-HOU: First player in USFL history to gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Led the league in rushing and in rushing touchdowns. 20 total TDs.

1993 Playoff MVP: Brett Favre, QB-BIR: 80/114, 1356 yards, 12 TD, 3 Interceptions in 3 playoff games. Led the Birmingham Stallions to their first championship with a 29/42, 433 Yard, 5 TD Summer Bowl performance.

1993 Offensive POTY: Brett Favre, QB-BIR: Started 13 games, amassed 4,341 yards, 42 TD’s and a QB Rating of 119.9 while leading Birmingham to a 14-2 record.

1993 Defensive POTY: Dino Hacket, LB-NJ: 118 Tackles, 31 TFL, 8 Sacks, 2 Safeties.

1993 Rookie Of The Year: George Teague, FS-CHI: Started all 16 games. 56 tackles, 5 Sacks, 4 Interceptions, 11 passes defended and 1 defensive touchdown.

Coach of the Year: Ron Erhardt, BIR: Led the Stallions to a 14-3 record and their first league championship. Improved by 4 wins over 1992.

RETIREMENTS

And as always, the end of a season leads to retirements as players opt to hang up their cleats, sometimes voluntarily and on the top of their game, and sometimes the result of a career of injuries or simple physical wear and tear. This year’s announced retirements include some players who made their name in the USFL, and others who split time between the NFL and the new Spring League. Here are the players who tipped their caps and are ready to ride off into the pro football sunset:

ARZ: HB Darryl Clack BAL: DT Joe Klecko HOU: S Donald Dykes JAX: LB Charles Bratton MGN: DE Ronnie Paggett MGN: WR Derrick Halloway

NJ: FB Maurice Carthon NOR: S Fred Wilder PHI: HB Paul Palmer PHI: WR Mike Quick

STL: FB Nuu Faaola TEX: K Nick Mike-Myer

STL: HB Buford Jordan WSH: LB Brandon Zavala

STL: S Al Burleson WSH: K. Ray Wesching

So it looks like St. Louis will be looking for some youth in the backfield, while Philadelphia has to replace their leading receiver. Arizona will need to find a backmate to share carries with Lionel James, no spring chicken himself, and Baltimore, Washington, Houston, and Jacksonville have some big holes to fill on defense. But, that is what free agency and the draft are for.

NEW COACH IN NEW ORLEANS

Before we get to the flurry of player signings, we have a coaching signing to announce, and it is the big fish we have all been waiting for. Two days ago the New Orleans Breakers announced that they have hired former Dallas and Chicago TE, and former Bears Head Coach Mike Ditka to lead the franchise.

Ditka, who won a Super Bowl with Jim McMahon, Walter Payton, and one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, will try to revive a New Orleans franchise that slipped from the playoffs for the first time in over a decade this year, but also a team that has built a reputation for choking when the season was on the line. Despite a solid decade of strength, the Breakers have been unable to get past the Conference Title Game and appear in the Summer Bowl. Ditka will be expected to tighten up a defense that ranked dead last in scoring defense, giving up 474 points in 1992. Of course, it is also a team unsettled on offense and needing a boost there as well, not an easy assignment.

PLAYER MOVEMENT & SIGNINGS

OK, on to the players, over the past few weeks we have seen several key signing from within the USFL free agency pool. Now that the USFL-NFL transfer window is closed, it has been trades and free agent signings that have kept the hot stove cooking. Here are our Top 10 moves so far this season:

10) Oakland trades center Troy Dixon to Tampa Bay to strengthen their d-line. The Invaders receive DE J.J. Wierenga in return. This is a trade that allows or an upgrade for both teams.

9) Tampa stays active, signing former Denver Gold TE Jay Novacek as a short range weapon for QB Troy Aikman. Novacek is not a speedster, but Tampa already has that. He will provide a solid 3rd down and red zone option in the Bandit offense.

8) The Federals stock up their defense, signing both LB Winston Moss from Orlando and CB Anthony Blaylock from the league champion Stallions. As Washington’s D was not good enough already.

7) Houston and Jacksonville pull off a trade of defenders, with FS LeRoy Butler going to the Bulls in exchange for DE Aaron Wallace coming to Houston. The Gamblers have good depth at safety, making Butler expendable, while it was a definite area of need for Jacksonville.

6) The Knights bolster their run game, signing fullback Craig “Ironhead” Hayward from Orlando and adding a solid 3rd down back in Michigan’s Alfred Jenkins.

5) The Panthers add two wideouts, one through free agency, signing Washington receiver/returner Terrance Mathis, and one through trade, sending TE Tony McGee to Memphis for veteran wideout Billy Joe Edmunds. All this in an attempt, we expect, to replace the retired Dereck Holloway’s production.

4) The league champions add some explosiveness on the D-line, by trading 2 picks to Arizona for DE John Carter. Birmingham loses their 3rd and 5th rounders this year but get a DE capable of rattling opposing QBs.

3) The Thunder are active, signing three potential starters in free agency, DE Anthony Pleasant (BIR), WR Bruce Hill (ARZ) and guard Ray Brown (MGN). Of course, having lost both Cris Carter and DT Roland Putzier still makes their offseason feel a bit below a success.

2) Philadelphia aims to improve their passing game and make up for the retirement of Mike Quick by signing the best offensive player in the free agency pool, former Thunder wideout Cris Carter. For Carter it will be his second stint in Philly, after starting his career with the NFL Eagles. But the Stars did not stop there, signing Houston slot receiver Ernie Jones, and adding a solid backup for Chuck Long in former Baltimore Blitz backup Erik Kramer.

1) While the Cris Carter signing was big, we think the signing of DE John Bosa away from Pittsburgh and into the Texas Outlaw roster was the biggest coup of free agency to date. Bosa can be a disruptive player and can come at the QB from either the right or left side of the line.

In addition to these cross-league signings, we should also note that several of the remaining big name players, most notably 2-Time Summer Bowl Champion QB Jim Kelly, have resigned with their teams. Kelly joins Reggie White, Alan Risher, HB Barry Word and WR Eric Martin as top flight players who opted to remain with their current teams.

SEATTLE NAME REVEALED

And finally, after a 3 week process which saw 4 names whittled down to a final 2, the final vote tally is in. With 57% of the vote, Seattle Dragons was announced as the team’s name. It appears that have 3 other nautical themed teams split the vote and many who may have voted for Admirals or Pirates, refused to back the Sea Devils in the final round of the name selection process.

The Seattle Dragons revealed their logo and helmet this week, both focused on a fire-breathing dragon’s head. The yellow head and red flame are trimmed in black, and will appear on a forest green helmet. The full uniform is expected to be revealed at some point in 1994, along with those of the 3 other expansion clubs in LA, Columbus, and Atlanta.

The Admirals had been the second identity eliminated as fans preferred both Dragons and Sea Devils, which meant that Seattle would not be the first team in pro football to include "salmon" as a team color. The week after that, the two finalists, the Navy, Teal, and Red Sea Devils identity and the Green, Yellow, and Red Dragons identity went head to head.

Fans in Seattle seemed to recognize that with one of the Dragon owners being an owner for the green and yellow Seattle Supersonics meant that perhaps green and yellow were the way to to. Both names received over 40,000 votes in the call-in final contest, but in the end, Dragons won by a wide 57-43 margin.