1993 USFL Offseason Review & Season Preview

USA Today, February 26, 1993

To say that this year’s USFL offseason was won full of surprises is an understatement. It began with the unexpected retirement of halfback Joe Cribbs and gave us one last surprise just 1 week ago, when Chicago finally found their starting QB. Looking back, we saw a somewhat stilted engagement between the USFL and NFL, with the biggest departure from the USFL being QB Gale Gilbert of the Invaders and the biggest NFL import being…well, we will get to that. We also saw a draft that was deep in some key positions (HB, G, DT, DE and S) but somewhat shallow for both the quarterback and wide receiver positions.

We also saw some big trades this offseason with the Breakers acquiring their new starting QB from Jacksonville and with Chicago reinventing themselves by trading away QB Chuck Long to the Stars. And, of course, it is never a USFL offseason without a final month that explodes with action with both the college draft and the NFL-USFL window. Before we get to each USFL team’s prospects based on their camp rosters, let’s look first at the Top 5 surprises that came out of these last few months.

5) Denver wins the USFL Draft. That seems to be the consensus. Not only did they meet needs, they also may have built some depth and planned for the future. The Gold got good value at a low cost from their territorial picks, bringing in former Buff LB Greg Biekert as well as BYU Free Safety David Owen. In the Open Draft they went big with their first pick, selecting and signing a bruiser of a back in UNC’s Natrone Means. Means will likely take on the role which Harry Sydney or Barry Foster held in the past, the thunder to Timmy Smith’s lightning. They then added depth at TE with Fred Baxter from Auburn, at wideout, with Miami’s Horace Copeland, and found their kicker of the future in Hawaii’s Jason Elam. The most intriguing pick of their entire draft was a late round flier on Washington Husky QB Mark Brunell. The lefty QB split time with the higher-rated Billy Joe Hobert but has looked very good in camp and may be a 2–3-year project behind starter Dave Krieg. We don’t see a lot of weak spots in this draft, and a lot of upside for a team that needs to make major changes from last year’s 4-win season.

4) A Confusing Pick: Our second surprise decision was Memphis’s 3rd round selection of Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta. Most pundits expected Memphis to either bring in a veteran QB such as the NFL free agent Vinny Testaverde, or to sign a solid backup this year and then make a run at Heath Shuler when he comes out of the U. of Tennessee next year. Signing Torretta, who has not graded out well in the pre-draft workouts, seems counter-productive. It is great for incumbent Mike Kelley, who now has to feel secure that he will be the 1993 starter despite his issues with turnovers the past 2 years. But by signing a high-profile project QB are you undermining the potential to line up Shuler for 1994? It is an unusual move and one that is not inspiring much confidence in the front office.

3) Birmingham's Gambit. When Joe Cribbs announced his retirement, the solid money was for the Stallions to sell off the farm in order to find a replacement. They did not. Yes, they drafted Robert Smith of Ohio State, but very quickly seemed to abandon the hunt to sign him, as he opted for the NFL draft and seems intent on signing there. Birmingham did not sign a high value free agent, or trade for a known commodity. Perhaps there is something we do not know about current incumbent Brent Fullwood, but when the only additional halfback signed this year is a mid-round talent such as Alabama’s Derrick Lassic, it certainly looks like Birmingham and Coach Erhardt are either sold on Fullwood’s talent or are looking to shift to a pass-first philosophy on the strength of 1992 breakout star Brett Favre’s arm.

2) An Old Friend with Very Old Legs: We all thought we knew the plan when Chicago traded away QB Chuck Long, adding draft picks and taking a long look at Notre Dame QB Rick Mirer as a slam dunk Territorial Draft pick. Chicago did as expected, drafted Mirer and immediately began negotiating. For a while it looked like Plan A was fully green-lighted, but somewhere along the way it got sidetracked. No one is quite sure what happened. Perhaps Mirer made it clear that his selection by the Seattle Seahawks made him look at the NFL as his primary interest. Quickly the negotiations with Mirer’s agent stalled and Chicago promptly had to develop a Plan B. It was Coach Schottenheimer who first proposed going with a talent he knew well, and very quickly reached out to former Browns QB Bernie Kosar. Kosar met with Chicago and signed the same day. He is certainly not a long-term QB solution for the Machine, but bringing in a championship caliber QB, one familiar with Coach Schottenheimer’s system, personality, and philosophy may be a good short-term solution. Kosar is only 27 but has a lot of mileage on his never-particularly-stable knees, so we do not expect him to lead the Machine for the next decade, but it makes sense as a bridge until the Machine can find the young QB of their dreams.

1) Oakland Finds their QB: Finally, the one that shook the USFL world, in a good way. One of the league’s early heroes returns. The Cajun Cannon is back in the fold as Oakland surprised everyone by signing the Michigan Panther great. He was not expected to be available, but after talks in New Orleans broke down, Hebert suddenly was open to negotiation with the USFL, and the Invaders jumped all over it. Eschewing options such as Vinny Testaverde or Rich Gannon, other NFL free agents, the Invaders and Coach Vermeil moved quickly to bring Hebert to Oakland and to get him to sign with the Invaders.

A two-time USFL champion, Bobby Hebert still holds many USFL records and is regarded as one of the early stars that helped develop the league. His return to the league is seen by many as a sign that the USFL has arrived and does not need to overpay to sign NFL talent, that players want to be in the league, and that top USFL talent is comparable to top NFL talent. For Oakland, the impact is immediate. The Invaders go from a position of weakness after Gilbert left for the NFL, to one of strength. Many will now certainly project Oakland as an immediate championship contender, but we must remember that it has been several years since Hebert suited up for the Michigan Panthers, and that in that time his body has taken quite a pounding in New Orleans. But, cautious optimism aside, USFL fans are just happy to see Bobby back in the fold and back on the field.

Before we get to the team profiles, let’s recap a few of the items which have come out of the league’s Winter Meetings. The first update is a good one for William Tatham and his LA Expansion club. The voters of Carson, CA have approved a bond issuance to support the creation of a new 65,000 seat football stadium in the city.

The stadium will be home to both the new LA Express, who will begin play in March of 1985, and the NFL’s Los Angeles Raiders. With the bond in place, and with designs already under review, the stadium construction can begin post haste, and there is a possibility that the new facility can be operational in time for the LA Raiders’ 1995 season, with the Express moving in the following spring. Mr. Tatham already has an agreement with the home of the former Express club, Angel Stadium, for the 1995 season, the team’s return to the city. Tatham has also been building a staff for the team,which will draft players, along with the other 1995 expansion team (or teams) in October of 1984. He has hired former Washington Redskin scout and current San Diego Chargers Director of Player Personnel to be his general manager, and has put into place both his financial VP and Director of Football operations.

We also have news from Nike regarding the schedule of upcoming team “modernizations”. After giving the Michigan Panthers a new look for 1993’s season, the two clubs on the docket for 1994 are two of the league’s fist champions, the Tampa Bay Bandits and the Philadelphia Stars. Rumors have both clubs retaining their present logo but receiving a secondary logo as well. Secondary logos have become a major part of sports branding in recent years, providing an option for teams to have both a helmet-appropriate image and one that works better on either the sleeve of the jersey or simply in marketing materials. No word yet on whether or not either team will make changes to their color scheme or general look, but more is sure to come on this front.

We also have verification that after 1993’s Summer Bowl in New Orleans, the next two USFL Summer Bowls will continue the Western Conference – Eastern Conference swapping, with Birmingham’s Legion Field selected to host the 1994 championship game, and then for Denver’s Mile High Stadium to become the first locale to host a second Summer Bowl. Of course, when Denver hosted the first USFL Championship it was not yet called the Summer Bowl, but 1995, the league’s 12th season, will return to the Rockies.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Predicted Finish: 1-Pittsburgh 2-New Jersey 3-Washington 4-Baltimore 5-Philadelphia

Predicted MVP: Eric Kumerow-LB-PIT

Predicted ROY: Michael Barrow-LB-WSH

PITTSBURGH MAULERS (10-6, Conference Champions)

Free Agent Update: The turnover for the Maulers was on the O-line, where they lost both C Roman Fortin and T Doug Reisenberg. They hope that signing Doug Gamboa from Chicago will help at Center but waited until the 3rd round of the draft to try to replace Reisenberg.

Good Looking Rookies: Demetrius DuBose looks like the real deal at LB and may crack the starting lineup very soon. Another possible contributor is Bob Kuberski out of Navy at DE.

Outlook: The Maulers made the leap last year, from marginal playoff team to championship contender. They have a solid returning corps to make another run. The Key may be just how well their two hardest hit squads, O-line and linebacker, recover from losses this offseason.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS (5-11, 3rd in Atlantic)

Free Agent Update: New Jersey had one key signing in the offseason, snagging strong safety Eric McMillian to replace the retiring Gary Barbaro. Is that one signing enough?

Good Looking Rookies: Five of New Jersey’s 7 signees will be on the defensive side. Of those we have seen in camp so far, the most likely to get some playing time early are DT Leonard Renfro of Colorado and DE Albert Fontenot of Baylor.

Outlook: We believe New Jersey can compete in the Atlantic, if for no other reason than we see Washington fading and the Generals have more to offer than Baltimore or Philly at this stage. Are they a potential 12-4 juggernaut? No. Can they win 9-10 games and get a playoff game this year? Very possibly.

WASHINGTON FEDERALS (10-6, 2nd in Atlantic)

Free Agent Update: They knew they could not resign Charles Haley, and so they will have to deal with that big loss. They did sign Ken Lanier to replace the departed Jim Lachey, which seems a pretty fair swap. Other than that they largely stayed out of the free agent fray.

Good Looking Rookies: Other than first round pick Derrick Barrow, the LB out of Miami, there was not a lot that impressed the pundits about the Washington draft. HB Terry Kirby of UVa is unlikely to unseat Barry Word, and Mitch Lyons at TE is not a major offensive weapon either.

Outlook: A lot of folks are expecting the Federals to take a step back this season, and we count ourselves among them. There just was not much added this year to feel that they are keeping pace with other playoff contenders.

BALTIMORE BLITZ (5-11, 4th in Atlantic)

Free Agent Update: While the Blitz snagged a solid LB in Todd Bell during Free Agency, their biggest move was to acquire WR Mervyn Fernandez from the NFL to replace the retired Jackie Flowers. Fernandez brings speed that the Blitz sorely need.

Good Looking Rookies: With Barry Foster simply not providing what the Blitz need at HB, they went out and signed Notre Dame’s Reggie Brooks to try to add more elusivity and big play potential. Expect Brooks and Foster to share time as the Blitz try to figure out an inside-outside run game. 2nd round pick Lamar Thomas from Miami adds more speed to the wide receiver group as well.

Outlook: Year two of the Lindy Infante era seems to be focused on adding more explosiveness on offense and more depth on defense. That is a good idea as both were lacking last year. A lot will ride on how Chris Miller plays in his second year with the team. There are still many not sold on him as a playoff caliber QB.

PHILADELPHIA STARS (4-12, 5th in Atlantic)

Free Agent Update: The Stars needed to upgrade in several areas and were aggressive in the offseason to do so. Adding Chuck Long is a very solid move as Browning Nagle struggled to produce wins last year. Signing Ed Brady at LB and Esera Tuaolo at DT is perhaps more important as the defense was simply not tough enough last year. The third piece of the puzzle was signing SS Marcus Quinn from Oakland to solidify the central spine of the defense.

Good Looking Rookies: Philly drafted two guards and two cornerbacks in hopes that one will emerge as a first-year starter, but the player who seems to be winning folks over in camp is former Penn State wideout O.J. McDuffie, who may unseat Tom Donovan outside along with Mike Quick.

Outlook: When you win 4 games and then bring in a whole new coaching staff, you have to expect some growing pains and some tough lessons. We expect Philly to slowly improve over the season, but they will have their struggles as they start to build a new identity.

SOUTHERN DIVISION

Predicted Finish: 1-Tampa Bay 2-Memphis 3-Birmingham 4-Jacksonville 5-Orlando

Predicted MVP: Brett Favre-QB-BIR

Predicted ROY: Deon Figures-CB-MEM

TAMPA BAY BANDITS (9-7, 3rd in Southern)

Free Agent Update: Tampa lost LB Ed Brady, a team captain in past years, but gained Bobby Houston, a faster, more versatile player at the position. So, they will need a new leader to emerge, but we expect the defense to look a bit faster. The tougher loss may be that of retired Roy Gee from the secondary.

Good Looking Rookies: Tampa signed CB Darien Gordon from Stanford to help their secondary, but the biggest improvement may be at guard, where Nebraska’s Will Shields has been impressing everyone in camp. Expect him to start Week One.

Outlook: The Bandits have been an up and down team the past two seasons. They lose games they should win and then they win games as soon as you start to give up on them. Aikman is a star, but unless the combo of Bienemy and Harmon can start to produce a solid run game the Bandits will still be too one-dimensional to truly contend for a title.

MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (10-6, Division Champion)

Free Agent Update: Memphis lost 4 contributors in free agency, but only signed one, LB Joe Mott, who is hardly considered a gamechanger. This feels like a team that took a step back because of those losses, and because of an uncertain QB future.

Good Looking Rookies: The Gino Torretta signing still baffles us, but we like the signing of Deon Figures at CB and former Razorback Raylee Johnson at DE. With White and Dotson ahead of him, we expect Johnson to mostly come in to rest the big pass rushers on some anticipated running downs.

Outlook: Memphis is a very talented team, with a defense that is still likely to be among the league’s elites, but the offense has to be more than just Greg Boone. The Showboats need a more consistent, less reckless Mike Kelley to be successful.

BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (10-6, 2nd in Southern)

Free Agent Update: Birmingham’s signing of Guy McIntyre at guard and George Little at DT are both solid moves, but the loss of Joe Cribbs will be big, and they just did not do enough this offseason to account for that.

Good Looking Rookies: Yes, the Stallions added Bama HB Derrick Lassic to back up Brent Fullwood, but the fact that they also drafted and signed two speedy wideouts, Mississippi State’s Olanda Truitt and Central Arkansas’s Tyree Davis tells us that they are shifting gears and may move to more 3-4 receiver sets to try to become a pass-first offense.

Outlook: If the shift in offensive philosophy works, and the loss of Cribbs can be minimized by that, then the Stallions may do fine. But if teams are able to play the pass first and all but ignore the run, Brett Favre may find his 2nd year as a starter a much harder one.

JACKSONVILLE BULLS (9-7, 4th in Southern)

Free Agent Update: The loss of Weegie Thompson is an issue, but signing Robb Thomas, and picking up several draft picks in the Timm Rosenbach trade gave the Bulls the ability to plug a lot of holes and still have a solid passing offense. Bringing in HB Vince Workman could be the biggest move, as he may well prove to provide the inside run game that just never materialized with James Wilder.

Good Looking Rookies: LB Jesse Armstead from Miami looks like a keeper, and Oregon safety Eric Reid has been impressive in camp. The rest of the deep draft for Jacksonville looks like roster depth more than immediate impact.

Outlook: With Rosenbach shipped off all the pressure of leading the Bulls falls on Tony Eason. Our concern is that it has been extremely rare for Eason to complete a full season. His only 16-game season was back in 1986 with New Orleans. He has missed 22 games in the past 3 years, and now the prime backup is Mike Shula. That should worry the Bulls quite a bit.

ORLANDO RENEGADES (9-7, 5th in Southern)

Free Agent Update: Orlando lost 2 of their top 3 corners in free agency and retirement. Their response, sign a Center. That could come back to bite them as no team should be playing fast and loose with good corner play in this league.

Good Looking Rookies: Orlando tried to answer their corner dilemma with the pick of Ryan McNeil of Miami in the Territorial Draft, but they needed to do more. Outside of the secondary, the other position of draft focus was at guard. Of the two guards drafted, we like Corbin Lacina of Augustana College (SD), but he will need time to adjust to the pro game after playing in Division II.

Outlook: The South remains a very even and very good division top to bottom, but when we look at each roster, it is the Renegades who pose the most questions and therefore have the longest hill to climb to return to postseason glory.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Predicted Finish: 1-Houston 2-Texas 3-New Orleans 4-Chicago 5-Michigan

Predicted MVP: Thurman Thomas-HB-HOU

Predicted ROY: Qadry Ismail-WR-NOR

HOUSTON GAMBLERS (11-5, League Champions)

Free Agent Update: The loss of Michael Dean Perry from the nose was expected, but that does not make it any easier to overcome. The defending champs were all but no-shows in free agency, as they focused on resigning their core. The key will be if the DT position can be band-aided.

Good Looking Rookies: Houston signed two rookie DT’s in Alabama’s Antonio London and Hawaii’s Maa Tanuvasa. They will likely form a rotation with veteran Ike Readon, unless one can shine once the games begin. Another player who may get some serious PT is safety Brock Marion from Nevada, who has been all over the field in camp.

Outlook: They are the league champions because they have talent all over the roster. Barring a collapse or a very unlucky season with injuries, it is hard not to look at Houston as a favorite again.

TEXAS OUTLAWS (7-8-1, 3rd in Central)

Free Agent Update: Signing Arnoldo Gardner from the Panthers is a boon for Reggie Cobb, as Gardner is an outstanding run blocker, but it may not be so great for Kelly Stouffer. No starting tackle has given up more sacks in the past 5 seasons than Gardner.

Good Looking Rookies: The Outlaws draft was about depth. Backup QB Alex Van Pelt from Pitt, backup HB Roosevelt Potts from NE Louisiana, and backup TE John Henry Mills from Wake Forest will all contribute, but expect to see a very similar starting 22 on the field for Texas this year.

Outlook: Texas was a few bad breaks from a very strong season. We think this time the breaks will go there way and their talent, particularly on offense, will carry them to the playoffs. Their defense needs to stop giving up big plays, and if they can just hold teams to 20-23 points, the offense should pull out a lot of wins.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (10-6, 2nd in Central)

Free Agent Update: The injury that forced Matt Robinson into retirement also forced New Orleans to make some risky moves, none riskier than bringing in Timm Rosenbach to compete with Danny McManus at QB. The bigger issue is that the Breakers lost 5 solid players to retirement, including their #1 receiver and 3 defensive stalwarts. Their signing of tackle Doug Reisenberg and safety Patrick Gannon hardly seems to even the score.

Good Looking Rookies: Qadry Ismail will hope to contribute in a receiving corps that lacks a clear #1, but other than his signing, the Breakers did not do much to impress us.

Outlook: The defense and some good play from McManus saved the season for New Orleans last year, but that defense looks pretty deflated after the wave of retirements, and we are not sure that the offense will be anything special either. New Orleans could be headed for a precipitous fall.

CHICAGO MACHINE (7-9, 5th in Central)

Free Agent Update: Bernie Kosar? Really? Well, it had better work. Chicago made some good moves in free agency, signing DT Kevin Fagan and CB Derrick Burroughs. The defense could see some improvement, and if Marty is right about bringing in the veteran Kosar, the Machine could be there to contend with Houston if both Texas and New Orleans fail to rise to the occasion.

Good Looking Rookies: We like DE Chris Slade from UVa, but we love safety George Teague from Alabama. We expect him to be making plays very early in this season.

Outlook: We know, we know. Every year we all get excited about Chicago as a hot pick to rise to the top of the league, and every year they end up with 7-8 wins. But we just cannot give up picking them.

MICHIGAN PANTHERS (7-9, 4th in Central)

Free Agent Update: Letting Vince Workman go makes sense, especially if Rodney Culver can stay healthy. Letting Gardner go and replacing him with former Fed Jim Lachey feels like an upgrade too. But if that is all, is it enough to right what may be a sinking ship?

Good Looking Rookies: There is some good talent in this draft haul, DE Michael McCrary, TE Tony McGee, DT Gilbert Brown, and FB Lorenzo Neal all look legit, from what we can tell in camp. But, are these the positions Michigan needs to upgrade?

Outlook: The Panthers have the feel of a team past their prime and on the downward slope. Coach Stanley, for all his accolades in the mid-80’s, will have to prove he has what it takes this year to rebound, or he may be on the hotseat. The USFL, like most pro sports leagues, is a “what have you done for me lately” endeavor.

PACIFIC DIVISION

Predicted Finish: 1-Oakland 2-Arizona 3-St. Louis 4-Portland 5-Denver

Predicted MVP: Henry Ellard-WR-OAK

Predicted ROY: Natrone Means-HB-DEN

OAKLAND INVADERS (10-6, Division Champions)

Free Agent Update: Oakland lost 3 key players from last year’s 10-6 squad, but may actually be better. Adding Cary Conklin and 2-time champion QB Bobby Hebert to the QB group is a huge upgrade, one which may return the Invaders to the Summer Bowl sooner rather than later.

Good Looking Rookies: Oakland also added some solid talent in the draft. Strong Safety John Lynch from Stanford was a very shrewd T-Draft signing, Glyn Milburn at HB is another good pickup, and getting help on the O-line by picking and signing Iowa’s big and powerful Mike Devlin can only help.

Outlook: Sure, it may be Hebert-mania, but we are high on Oakland to get back to championship form. They were good last year, but look stronger and potentially much more dangerous with Hebert on board.

ARIZONA WRANGLERS 9-7, 2nd in Pacific)

Free Agent Update: Ed Weaver’s retirement left a big hole on the line, but signing the #1 overall free agent in DE Charles Haley has fans giddy about the potential pass rush the Wranglers can develop.

Good Looking Rookies: A mean & potatoes draft with 4 linemen signed. Maybe not immediate help, but depth and the ability to rotate in players. The one rookie who may get to start is fullback Richie Anderson from Penn State, and don’t be surprised if former Hoosier QB Trent Green competes with Scott Mitchell for the backup position behind Bosco.

Outlook: The Wranglers spent big to get Haley, which means they did not do much to upgrade other positions. If Haley improves the pass rush the way most expect, the Wranglers D could make a big leap and that will benefit the whole team.

ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS (7-9, 4th in Pacific)

Free Agent Update: The Knights lost 3 players to retirement, the biggest being TE Todd Christiansen, but adding Alex Higdon from Philly should help soften that blow. And don’t sleep on Terrance Flagler as a replacement for Tim Richardson. With Jordan and Thompson carrying most of the load, Flagler can come in on 3rd down and be an effective receiver.

Good Looking Rookies: The Knights looked to add depth and more “pop” to their LB corps, and it looks like they signed two good ones in Middle Tennessee’s Mike Caldwell and Tulsa’s Barry Minter. They also added a potential H-back tight end in U. of Maryland’s Frank Wycheck to go along with Higdon’s more traditional TE skills.

Outlook: Coach Elway saw good improvement from the squad he took over 2 years ago. They are on an upward trajectory, though most are still not sold on Dan McGwire at the helm. If McGwire falters, expect to see David Archer take over. Solid QB play, and the continued development of Darrell Thompson as a lead back are key to the continued upward climb of the Knights.

PORTLAND THUNDER (8-8, 3rd in Pacific)

Free Agent Update: We do not like Portland losing 3 of their best defenders in LB Houston, DT Tuaolo, and SS McMillian. That is going to hamper a defense that already had issues. Vencie Glenn is a good add at safety, but Jamie Kimmel, while decent, is not going to replace Houston.

Good Looking Rookies: Portland’s first five draft picks were on defense, so it is clear they know where the problem on their roster lies. How many of those picks will get significant playing time? We like Alabama DE Eric Curry to be on the field a lot, especially in passing downs, and DT Chidi Ahanotu should be part of a D-line rotation as well. LB Lewis Bush from Washington State is likely going to need a year to just get up to speed, but may play some as well.

Outlook: Portland made the playoffs despite a very mediocre 8-8 season. We don’t think that will happen again. They need to take a step forward and develop some real playmakers on both sides of the ball. It cannot all be Cris Carter making amazing sideline catches.

DENVER GOLD (4-12, 5th in Pacific)

Free Agent Update: Denver lost Patrick Gannon at strong safety, which is a problem, but adding the best DT in the free agent pool in former Gambler Michael Dean Perry will also help the secondary. Perry is a space hog in the middle, which helps against the run, but also will free up Larry White and Vince Rafferty to rush the passer.

Good Looking Rookies: We have already declared Denver the winner of the 1993 USFL Draft. We love the signing of LB Greg Biekert out of the U of Colorado, and we see UNC’s Natrone Means as a perfect fit for a power running game. If Horace Copeland can provide some spark to a lackluster receiving corps, the Gold may see quick results.

Outlook: Wade Phillips inherits a roster that simply did not have much gamebreaking ability on it. It will likely take at least one more draft to change that dynamic, but at least this year’s Gold are likely to have a more consistent run game and a harder hitting defense. It likely is not enough to move them up the divisional standings yet, but it is a start.

OUR 1993 SEASON PREDICTIONS

We have proven over the years that we are not great at this, but you expect it of us, so here it is. Don't place any bets based on this prediction. We have not been on point once in 10 years.

USFL Championship: After just barely edging out Oakland in the Conference Final, we see Houston returning to the Summer Bowl. There they will face a dangerous Tampa Bay Bandits squad. It will likely be an aerial show, but in the end we are picking the Houston Gamblers to become the first club in USFL history to repeat, and the first 3-time champions.

USFL MVP: After the year Brett Favre had last year, his first as a starter, we would be crazy not to pick him as this year’s MVP. He will have to hold off a bevvy of quality running backs, including the 1992 MVP Mike Rozier, and the versatile Thurman Thomas, to do so, but with the entire Stallion offense now squarely on his shoulders, we think he will come through with another strong, if not record-setting season.

USFL Rookie of the Year: If for no other reason than that he will get the carries and the opportunities to succeed, we have to go with Denver HB Natrone Means, but keep your eyes out for Chicago DE Chris Slade or Portland DE Eric Curry. Both will be expected to produce sacks and pressures as starting ends, and if either can have a year like Santana Dotson did last year, they could get into this conversation.