1996 USFL Eastern Conference Preview

USA Today, February 20, 1996

With camps in full force and the USFL’s 1 preseason week almost upon us, it is time to take a look at how the league’s 24 clubs have managed the offseason, the moves made, the draftees signed, and to look ahead at what we see on the horizon this spring. We will start with the Eastern Conference, and then tomorrow present the Western Conference’s prospects. For each we will discuss the biggest moves, the new talent headed our way, and our predictions for the upcoming season.

BIGGEST PERSONNEL MOVES: EASTERN CONFERENCE

• After just a lampooning by the media and an outcry by the fans, the New Jersey Generals may have been able to save face with their late signing of Chuck Knox to be the new leader of the Generals franchise. Paired with new Head of Football Operations Tom Flores, Knox will bring an old school feel to a team that has been too loose and too careless in recent years. Flores made news by ending the Rick Kotite era after only 8 weeks and no games played, but in signing the former Rams, Bills, and Seahawks head coach, he brings in a proven winner and a disciplinarian. Unlike the Kotite signing, this move has been largely praised in the market, with most folks expecting the Generals to be a more cohesive, more disciplined squad this year. First on the agenda for Knox will be setting up a new offense around HB Bam Morris, QB Rob Johnson, and a largely unproven wide receiver corps that includes NFL transfer Keenan McCardell and rookie standout Terry Glenn of Ohio State.

• Orlando needed more experience in their linebacking corps, and they think they have found it by bringing in Duane Bickett of the Seahawks. Bickett, after a successful career in Indianapolis and Seattle, is likely to only spend a season or two in Orlando, but with a relatively young linebacking corps, the Renegades needed leadership and Bickett certainly can bring that, along with a lot of savvy.

• Jacksonville signed safety Dana Hall to a 3 year deal, hoping that the former 49er can bring some of San Francisco’s winning ways and defensive toughness to the Bulls’ secondary.

• Baltimore did not sign a lot of big name offensive weapons for their problematic offense, but the inking of former NY Giant Jumbo Elliott at Left Tackle could be bigger and more impactful than any of the “hands” players signed this offseason. Elliott will lock down Chris Miller’s blind side, and help the entire line learn how to play together and keep their QB comfortable in the pocket. Even without big name receivers or a monster back, this will help Baltimore improve their offense to align better with their Top 5 defense. With NCA&T rookie Jamain Stephens likely to start the year as the #1 Right Tackle, Baltimore could have a very dynamic line, something miller and HB Barry Foster should truly enjoy.

• The Blitz are clearly hoping to compete in the tough Atlantic Division, not stopping with the Elliott signing, they outbid several other clubs to land former Memphis SS Bennie Blades. Blades immediately energizes an already deep and talented Blitz defense. With Pittsburgh, Washington, and Philadelphia also posting top 10 defenses, Baltimore is hoping that by doubling down on that side of the ball, they will have the edge in what appears to be a competition in the Atlantic to shut down all opposition.

• If Baltimore got the clear #1 defensive player available in USFL free agency, Orlando signed perhaps the top offensive prize in former Washington Federal HB Terry Kirby. The Renegades, who have struggled to put together a top grade running game over the past few seasons, are looking at Kirby’s versatility as a key to their ability to threaten the opposition offense with both the run and the pass.

• If we are going to acknowledge USFL signings from the NFL, we should also probably recognize that some top talent is headed the other way as well. Among the USFL stars no longer plying their trade in the NFL are All-USFL Center John Adickes, who will be with the Vikings to end out his career. The Eagles signed safety Eric Reid from the Bulls, halfback Reggie Brooks will move on from Baltimore to the Tampa Bay Bucs, and wideout Bobby Joe Edmunds is hoping to get another 1-2 seasons before he retires by signing on with the Cincinnati Bengals.

• And perhaps the biggest “signing” this offseason is neither a player or a coach, it is an agreement between the City of Baltimore, the Baltimore Blitz, and the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. After lengthy negotiations between the Browns and the NFL, the club will be relocating for the NFL’s 1996 season to the Charm City, where they will share Memorial Stadium with the Blitz. The NFL has agreed to the move, with the franchise required to keep the team name “Browns” and all team records in Cleveland, promising an expansion franchise to the city, while the soon-to-be-named Baltimore franchise will move and restart their record books as a “new” team but with an established roster. What is even more beneficial in an offseason that has gone very well for the Blitz, is that the negotiations between the new NFL club and the city have led to a three way deal to replace Memorial Stadium with a new facility in the city by the year 2000. It is something the Blitz had not been able to negotiate on their own, but now with the combined clout of the two leagues, the city of Baltimore will soon have a new stadium, and year round football.

BIGGEST ROOKIE SIGNINGS: EASTERN CONFERENCE

While it is always hard to judge rookies before they even make it into the league, the USFL feels that they have had a very good year, nabbing not only the Heisman Winner this year, but a pretty deep pool of talent signed and ready to jump into Spring Football. Recognizing that some of our picks may fall short of expecctations, and that some players who are not arriving highly regarded may prove to be stellar additions, this is our tentative, but intriguing list of the top rookie signings in the USFL after this year’s draft.

• We could give Birmingham two top spots if we were ranking our list as they addressed their issues in the run game with two big signings. At HB they add power runner Stephen Davis of Auburn, but they were not finished, doubling up on the idea of a strong inside run game by also signing the bruising FB Mike Alstott of Purdue, a rare talent at the position who could be as effective a ballcarrier as he is a blocker.

• Jacksonville feels they had a top to bottom haul with their draft picks, signing three players who have shown a lot of potential in training camp and may all earn starting positions in their first year. They include 2nd round pick Tedy Bruschi at LB, tackle Jon Runyan in the 4th round, and big receiver from a smaller school, Terrell Owens of Chattanooga in the 6th round. All three signed with the Bulls despite NFL offers, and all 3 look like they could break into the starting lineup early this season.

• Memphis got the back they were hoping would be there for them, a possible replacement for the retired Greg Boone. Memphis jumped on Kentucky’s Moe Williams with their first draft pick, and it took them only 3 days to come to an agreement with the talented back.

• We mentioned earlier that New Jersey got their pick of the top receivers in the draft, signing Ohio State speedster Terry Glenn. Glenn will likely compete with veteran Scott Schwedes to be the #1 target for Rob Johnson right out of the gate. They may also have found Roger Ruzek’s replacement as they spent a late draft pick on South Dakota State’s Adam Vinatieri. Unlike many positions, there is less of a concern that small school competition impacts a kicker, though it certainly will be a huge transition from South Dakota to the NY media circus.

• Orlando continued to try to beef up their defense in the draft as well, signing two intriguing prospects in FS Brian Dawkins of Clemson and USC DE Israel Ifeanyi. Ifeanyi was bypassed in the NFL draft due to injury concerns, but if he can overcome his collegiate health issues, Orlando may have very wisely spent a 7th round pick on the edge player.

• Philadelphia had something of a 2-headed draft. They surprised many by using their first two picks on defenders (Cal DE Regan Upshaw and Texas A&M CB Ray Mickens) but then proceeded to select (and sign) 5 consecutive offensive players, including 4 linemen (3 of them tackles). The sole offensive hands player was Northeast Louisiana’s Stepfret Williams at flanker, and having 3 late round tackles for many is not as valuable as having one early pick at the position.

• Pittsburgh’s draft was even more mystifying for fans, as they have signed no player graded above a 5th round pick by NFL scouts. They did use an early pick on Michigan’s Tim Biakabatuka, but the hard-to-pronounce pick has opted for the NFL instead, leaving Pittsburgh with a no-name pool of signees, with perhaps the best of the bunch being UNC DB Sean Boyd or LSU’s Gabe Northern at DE.

• Tampa went for need with several picks, including Arizona punter Josh Miller, OT Andre Johnson of Penn State, and WR Chris Doehring from nearby Florida. Their best pick may have been one of their other “home town” selections, Seminole DE Orpheus Roye did not have a huge career in Tallahassee, but has shown good instincts and a great burst off the line in training camp for the pass-rush-challenged Bandits.

• Washington also put a heavy focus on defense, signing Texas DE Tony Brackens to line up opposite Dexter Manley, and adding depth in the secondary with Austin Peay CB Kirk Pointer. They also replaced the retired Mike Hohensee on the depth chart by signing prospect QB Mike Cawley out of James Madison, a raw player with some upside and a miniscule cap hit.

• And if you are wondering what happened with the expansion clubs, well, we have big news there as well. Atlanta, who many expected to jump on the rookie HB class, seems content with the signing of Blair Thomas. They did not even attempt to draft a top tier back, instead focusing on defense, with 5 key defensive signings. Top among them are CB Tory James to create a killer 1-2 combo in the defensive backfield. They also went for hard-hitting LB Randall Godfrey out of Georgia (a territorial selection that will cost them half on salary cap numbers) and LB Carlos Emmons of Arkansas State. Their only noteworthy offensive signing was TE Lovett Purnell of West Virginia, who is more of a blocker than a receiver.

• But the biggest signing of the draft class, as so often it has been for the USFL, is the reigning Heismann Winner, HB Eddie George of Ohio State. George opted to stay put, remaining in Columbus to play for the expansion Ohio Glory. Expect George to quickly supplant Ernest Byner as the lead back for the Glory, and to bring a lot of Buckeye faithful to the team, as he teams up with last year’s big signing, fellow Buckeye Joey Galloway on the Glory offense. But while everyone was (understandably) obsessed with the George signing, on a year when neither Biakabatuka or Lawrence Phillips joined the USFL, Ohio also helped upgrade their defensive line, inking two quality tackles to stuff the middle of the line. The first is Daryl Gardener of Baylor, who was rated a 1st round talent by many scouts, and then, much later in the draft, with a 5th round pick, the Glory also added DT La’Roi Glover of San Diego State. Finally, with their 2nd round pick, they also added quality at offensive tackle, signing Louisville’s Roman Oben. Ohio may well have won the draft, and for the expansion club that ended 1995 with the best record of the 4 new teams, they may be fast-tracking their way to relevance, even in the toughest division in football.

5 BIGGEST MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

It is not an offseason without missed opportunities, whether it is the trade that did not happen, the draftee who signed with the NFL instead, or the free agent that just did not come to terms with a team that really needed him. This year is no exception. Here, in our opinion, are the 5 biggest missed opportunities.

• Atlanta standing pat at HB after the Blair Thomas trade. The Fire had several backs on their radar in this draft, but ended up not selecting any of them. They could have gone after Lawrence Phillips with their early pick, and while the Nebraska back did not end up signing with the league, despite being selected by Jacksonville in the 3rd round, an earlier pick by Atlanta might have lured him to the Spring.

• Arizona passing on a Doug Flutie trade. Sure, Robbie Bosco has been the incumbent for years, and backup Trent Green has shown some talent, but in getting the former Heisman winner, the Wranglers could have had an upgrade in both on-field playmaking and Q-rating with local sponsors. Flutie is a natural on camera, and on the field, but he will now be touting car dealerships and insurance agencies in Detroit, not Phoenix.

• Pittsburgh missing on Dan Marino. Yes, Marino was in contract negotiations with the Dolphins, but there was enough smoke being blown about the Maulers trying to prepare for Alan Risher’s expected retirement, and hopes that the former Pitt QB and now NFL icon would come back to his home to finish his career to get Mauler faithful all riled up. That this did not happen will be seen as a disappointment in the Steel City even knowing that it was a longshot to begin with.

• Baltimore features in our penultimate missed opportunity. The Blitz chose to double down on defense, signing SS Bennie Blades and drafting/signing 5 of 6 picks on the defensive side, including another safety in the highly-touted Lawyer Milloy out of Washington, but they put no effort at all into adding mor dynamism to their offense. While the emphasis on the tackle position should benefit the offense, there is just not a lot of explosiveness in an offense led by Chris Miller, with Barry Foster at HB and a receiving corps made up of veteran Bill Brooks and younger receivers Rob Moore, Lamar Thomas and Oronde Gadsden. TE Kyle Brady is solid, but hardly a gamebreaker. Baltimore needs to show that they can muster consistent scoring from this group, and in a year when there were some really interesting prospects at both HB and WR, it seems an opportunity missed.

• Finally, we have to say that several clubs missed out on the chance to sign a truly top flight head coach in Jimmy Johnson. Johnson, who spent last season in broadcasting, signed with the Miami Dolphins, meaning he was open to returning to coaching. Whether it was New Jersey’s Kotite to Knox bizarre situation or the internal hire of Paul Hackett in Washington, it just feels like a missed chance to put a proven winner in charge of their team and make an immediate statement.

SEASON OUTLOOK

Having looked at the moves, signings, and draftees likely to impact the 1996 season in the Eastern Conference, it is time for the rubber to hit the road, our picks for the season. We know that you know that we are not great at this. Sure, we can basically tell who looks stronger and who looks weaker, but every year there are surprises, collapses, and uprisings, which make it really hard to do this. But, that is, of course, part of the fun, not knowing what will happen when they put the pads on. Here is what we see today as the climate in the East, but, as always, don’t hold us to it.

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

PHILADELPHIA (12-4 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 12-4, Division Title

We are picking the Stars, and not the Maulers to win the division. We like their balance of offense and defense, and the Stars are eager to return to the form that got them a title 2 years ago. If any of their OT picks end up as solid contributors it will help the Stars, and we like the addition of Upshaw and Mickens on defense as well.

PITTSBURGH (13-3 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 11-5, Wild Card

The Maulers return a lot of the strengths that got them the title last year, but it is so hard to repeat when everyone is gunning for you. Add in a relatively weak draft pool and the loss of All-USFL roadgrater Ron Wolfley leading Rozier to easy yardage and we think things will be tougher, but not overwhelming for the Maulers.

BALTIMORE (9-7 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 10-6, Wild Card

We criticize the defense-first mindset of the Blitz’s front office, and we worry that their offense just does not have enough flash, but at the end of the day if the defense can be as dominant as many expect, then this team could win a lot of low-scoring game. That is an iffy proposition, but Baltimore seems committed to a strategy and sometimes having a clear vision of who you are can lead to success all on its own.

WASHINGTON (11-5 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 8-8

We loved the early run of the Federals last year, and while they clearly lost that mojo at year’s end, we tend to view their early success as more of an anomaly than their late season struggles. There is a good amount of talent on this club, but they are getting older and their draft did not feel like one which would add a lot of immediate impact. The retirement of Coach Rutigliano also leaves a gap at the top and we are just not feeling Paul Hackett as the kind of guy who will step in and inspire an uprising from the onset.

OHIO (5-11 in 1995) – Predicted finish: 6-10

We like the direction the Glory are taking, and we think that young talent like Joey Galloway and rookie HB Eddie George will provide dividends in upcoming years, there are still a lot of positions where the team still screams “expansion roster” and that will take time to attend to. We know the Glory will fight for Coach Saban, and we think they can spoil things for some clubs, but it feels a year or two too early to expect a winning record or Wild Card berth just yet.

NEW JERSEY (4-12 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 4-12

We think Chuck Knox will push this team to play a tough, disciplined style, but he is also a very conservative coach, which may not be ideal in the more fast-paced USFL, compared with the NFL game. We are also still very wary of the talent level on offense for this club. Rob Johnson has something to prove, but little time to get it right. Bam Morris needs to step up big, and rookie Terry Glenn will have a lot of pressure on him to produce immediately, without a lot of veteran leadership on offense to mentor him. That is a formula for another rough year in the Meadowlands as the team just does not have what it needs to flip the script this season.

SOUTHERN DIVISION

BIRMINGHAM (8-8 in 1995)--Predicted Finish: 11-5, Division Title

The way you hear it from Stallion fans, you would think they finished last year 0-16 instead of 8-8, but dropping from the top and finishing out of playoff contention was a tough pill for this club to swallow. They have so much talent on offense, and now have a real shot to add a power run game to their undeniable aerial power. If their defense improves just enough to be mediocre, the Stallions could once again see themselves run away with the division.

JACKSONVILLE (10-6 IN 1995)—Predicted Finish: 9-7, Wild Card

The Bulls have some quality. That is undeniable. Their surprise run last year showed us that. They also still have some holes to fill. We like the depth of their rookie class (the three already mentioned plus 1st round pick Fred Thomas, the CB from Tenn-Martin) and we think that their acquisition of Dana Hall from the 49ers was shrewd, but the loss of both Eric Reid and Donald Gagne is going to hurt this defense. The key for both their offense and defense may honestly be nothing more than being able to run the ball with Natrone Means. A solid run game can shorten their defense’s exposure and open up passing for Chris Chandler.

TAMPA BAY (7-9 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 9-7

We like the Bandits to leapfrog Memphis and Orlando and earn that one extra win to stay above .500. With Troy Aikman and Errict Rhett they have more than enough offensive firepower to compete with most clubs. Adding scatback Terrell Fletcher through trade and drafting a solid slotback in Chris Doehring should also help them convert more 3rd downs. On defense, the Bandits still have a lot of questions, and they need to generate more pass rush to be sure, but perhaps the addition of Orpheus Roye will help there. More talented than both Memphis and Orlando, we just think 1-2 more wins will be in the cards for the Bandits this year.

ORLANDO (8-8 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 8-8

We like the direction the Renegades are taking. They have some quality signings in veteran LB Duane Bickett from the NFL, and in rookie FS Brian Dawkins, but is that enough? Their offense still has to be more consistent. Scott Mitchell has been up and down at QB, and the run game, which now will rely on Terry Kirby as a lead back, has a lot to prove. We think another 8-8 season is a fair prediction, but the Renegades could fall anywhere 2 games above or below this pick.

MEMPHIS (7-9 in 1995)—Predicted Fiinish: 6-10

We are not sold on the Buddy-Ryan-Led Showboats. They show too much of their coach’s fire, but also his lack of discipline to make the most of their talent. Heath Shuler has yet to show that he can become an elite QB, though, admittedly, the talent around him has been a bit shaky as well. Rookie Moe Williams will be expected to lead the run game right away, and that is a lot to ask of a rookie. The defense now feels like it relies more than ever on Reggie White after losing both LB Mike Douglass and SS Bennie Blades this offseason. Without a staunch defense, we just don’t see how Memphis will win a lot of games.

ATLANTA (4-12 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 5-11

Atlanta added some young talent on defense with the drafting and signing of both Torey James and Randall Godfrey. If James pans out, the Fire will have a shot at being a takeaway machine on defense, and that could help them produce wins. Eric Zeier is likely to take the helm from the start, but we are still so unsure about a run game now led by Blair Thomas. The line needs more depth and more explosiveness, and the playcalling needs to be more creative, but the building blocks are there, but maybe another draft away from really making a move.