Last spring the story of the Western Conference was the rapid rise, and sudden collapse of both the Denver Gold and the Texas Outlaws. Both clubs looked to be running away with their divisions, but by season’s end each was stuck as a wildcard and quickly out of the playoffs. The collapse cost Wade Phillips his job in Denver, while Texas looked mostly at the season-ending injury to QB Kelly Stouffer as the reason for the poor second half. Taking advantage of their collapses were Portland and Michigan, who are in no hurry to give up the top spot in their divisions. And while the clubs at the top have not made huge splashes this offseason, teams at the bottom of both divisions have made major moves, including a lot of wheeling and dealing around the College Draft. Oakland traded away Bobby Hebert to get the #1 pick in the draft and quickly signed WSU QB Ryan Leaf. Seattle dropped down only one slot as they opted not to pursue Peyton Manning and instead focused on defense by signing Takeo Spikes at LB. And while the West did not see the big NFL signings like Ohio and Atlanta’s QB acquisitions, there were still a few late transfer window pick ups worth mentioning. Here are the most interesting of the NFL and USFL signings in the West.
Michigan missed out on talented young QB Stoney Case, who signed with the Bulls, but they reached a deal with local boy, former Wolverine QB Elvis Grbac, who is expected to sit behind Doug Flutie for at least a year or two if everything plays out as planned.
New Orleans was in need of a LB after losing Jeff Herrod to the Ohio Glory. They think they have found a good one in former Tennessee Copperhead Brant Boyer. The All-AFC player starts his 4th season as a Breaker after leaving his NFL club.
Denver added several players at key positions, including a quality starter in guard Jerry Ostroski of the Buffalo Bills. Ostroski will likely start on the right side as Evan Pilgrim moves to the left side after the departure of O’Neill Glenn to LA. Denver also got a big boost on the D-Line by signing Jon Carter away from the Stallions. They also signed QB Eric Wilhelm away from Texas and DT Dan Saleamua from the Maulers.
Houston tried to address some of its departures by signing USFL talent, including FB Todd Wilson, WR Hart Lee Dykes, and NFL wideout Michael Timpson.
Seattle was also very active, mostly with USFL signings, including TE Ken Dilger, DE John Copeland, and WR Courtney Hawkins.
TEAM PREVIEWS
Once again we will review each squad in the conference in the order of finish last season. While the Central Division looks stacked once again, the Pacific remains the weak link in the USFL, with only Portland looking like a potential title contender. That said, there were some moves made out West which might shake things up a bit.
PORTLAND THUNDER
(13-2-1, 1st in Pacific, Conference Champion)
DEPARTURES: LB Jimmie Kimmel (RET), CB Willie Broughton (RET), OT Bruce Armstrong (NFL), DT Mike Wells (FA), WR Hart Lee Dykes (FA), DE Eric Curry (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: DE Mike Mraz (FA), LB John Holocek (FA), G Eric Still (FA), WR David Dunn (NFL), OT Mo Collins (Rook), WR Jerome Pathon (Rook), DT Glen Steele (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: None of Portland’s moves would be considered team-altering signings. The biggest change for the Thunder is not a good one, the loss of LT Bruce Armstrong to the NFL. Armstrong was arguably the best in the league at his position, an position vital to keeping Jack Trudeau vertical and Robert Drummond running. Rookie Mo Collins seems to be the immediate answer but do you really want a rookie at LT?
OUTLOOK: Portland surprised many by emerging as the #1 seed last year, but with the Central Division clubs likely to beat each other up all season, and with a relatively easy path in the Pacific, Portland could easily repeat as division champs. They have to protect Trudeau, and they have to hope that Mraz, Holocek, and rookie DT Glen Steele help keep the Thunder defense on the right side of the rankings.
PROJECTION: 12-4, 1st in Pacific
MICHIGAN PANTHERS
(11-5, 2nd in Central, Lost in Conference Title Game)
DEPARTURES: WR Weegie Thompson (RET), DT Chris Myers (RET), HB Rodney Culver (NFL), CB Kevin Minnifield (FA), OT Jerome Brown (FA), LB Bryce Paup (FA), TE Jay Reimersma (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: CB Thomas Pittman (FA), LB Frank Stams (FA), QB Elvis Grbac (NFL), DE Jeremy Staat (Rook), HB Brock Olivo (Rook), S Eric Brown (Rook), TE Blake Spence (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: While the recent signing of NFL QB and Michigan grad Elvis Grbac is getting a lot of play in the Detroit area, we think the biggest signing (other than resigning breakout WR Jeff Campbell) was the pickup of veteran LB Frank Stams from Philadelphia. Stams brings experience and leadership to a LB corps that was pretty green, though certainly talented.
OUTLOOK: The Panthers look and feel like a team that is on the move. They came close to nipping the Outlaws for the division title last year, and we think they have the chops to do so this season. Doug Flutie had a career season for the Panthers (41 TDs and 3,148 yards despite missing 4 games to injuries) and wideout Jeff Campbell became a star with a monster season, leading the league in both targets and receptions. Now the Panthers need either Muhsin Muhammad or 2nd year player Dedrick Ward to step into the 2nd receiver position to help take some pressure off the new star. On defense the Panthers were middle of the pack, and they need to improve to be a true championship contender. The middle of the line is solid with Sam Adams manning the nose, but either Renaldo Turnbull or Anthony Abrahms need to start reaching the QB more frequently. We see good things ahead for the Panthers, with a balanced offense and a, hopefully, improving defense.
PROJECTION: 11-5, 1st in Central
TEXAS OUTLAWS
(12-4, 1st in Central, Lost in Divisional Round)
DEPARTURES: LB Brian Bosworth (NFL), OG Eric Still (FA), WR Lawyer Tillman (FA), QB Eric Wilhelm (FA), K Chris Boniol (Trade)
NEW ARRIVALS: LB Brian Simmons (Rook), LB Steve Foley (Rook), K Tim Seder (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: Losing Brian Bosworth to the NFL is a huge blow for the Outlaws. The Outlaw defense worked through Boz for the better part of a decade, and was just getting formidable in the past 2 years. Rookies Simmons and Foley will have a role to play but the big shoes of Bosworth will probably be filled right now by Levon Kirkland, but filling in behind Kirkland will be a challenge.
OUTLOOK: With Kelly Stouffer the Outlaws were on their way to a #1 seed, without him they crashed to earth and were nearly overtaken by the Panthers. Can they regain their early 1997 form, or will this be a struggle to maintain position in the Central? We think it is the latter, with Michigan, Chicago and New Orleans all nipping at their heels.
PROJECTION: 10-6, 2nd in Central
CHICAGO MACHINE
(10-6, 3rd in Central, Lost in Divisional Round)
DEPARTURES: LB Gary Reasons (RET), FB Kimble Anders (NFL), TE Wesley Walls (NFL), QB Dan McGwire (NFL)
NEW ARRIVALS: QB Chris Miller (FA), WR Kirby Dar Dar (FA), LB Michael Brooks (FA), CB Alan Grant (FA), LB Keith Brooking (Rook), DT Michael Myers (Rook), FB Jonathan Linton (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: Two moves stand out for the Machine. They lost Dan McGwire to the NFL, but in signing Chris Miller, a multi-year starter in Baltimore, they have a worthy mentor for Alex Van Pelt, and someone who can step in if needed and provide a cool head. The other solid move was replacing the retiring Gary Reasons with a dynamic playmaker at the Strong Side LB position in Georgia Tech’s Keith Brooking. Expect Coach Schottenheimer to find ways to bring Brooking in pressure to help add to Chicago’s pass rush.
OUTLOOK: Chicago has the pieces you want in a winning club, a solid run game with Watters and Staley, a strong defensive middle, with Sean Gilbert, Darryl Talley, and Anthony Prior up the center of the field, and a good combination of veterans and youthful energy. We are still not 100% sold on Alex Van Pelt as a full time starter, so Chris Miller may see some action, and the receiving corps, led by Wendell Davis and Ricky Proehl, is getting a little long in the tooth, so we are not yet ready to anoint Chicago just yet.
PROJECTION: 10-6, 3rd in Central
DENVER GOLD
(9-7, 2nd in Pacific, Lost in Wild Card Round)
DEPARTURES: WR Willie Gillespie (RET), DE Dante Jones (RET), P Josh Miller (NFL), OG O’Neill Glenn (FA), SS Alex Walton (FA), LB John Holocek (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: DE John Carter (FA), DT Dan Saleamua (FA), QB Eric Wilhelm (FA), P Todd Sauerbrun (FA), G Jerry Ostroski (NFL), WR Kevin Dyson (Rook), WR Jacquez Green (Rook), QB Matt Hasselbeck (FA), LB DeShone Myles (Rook), S Corey Gaines (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: While there was a lot of turnover on the Denver roster, including bringing in 2 new QB’s behind Mark Brunell and 2 rookie wideouts to diversify the offense, the biggest move may have been the decision to sack Wade Phillips despite Denver making the playoffs last season. Phillips had been able to hold Denver to a midling 7-9 win range in his time in Denver, but there was little faith he could build something bigger. Enter former Packers and Panthers defensive guru Dick Jauron. Jauron immediately got to work adding heft to the Gold defense in the form of DE John Carter, DT Dan Saleaumua, and rookie LB DeShone Myles.
OUTLOOK: We expect Jauron to get more out of the Gold defense, which was a disappointing 20th in the league last year in both points and yards allowed. If Denver can crack the Top 10 defensively (and they have the talent to do it), then Mark Brunell, Rashaan Salaam, and a revamped receiving corps may be able to pull out a few more games and get Denver over the hump.
PROJECTION: 10-6, 2nd in Pacific
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS
(8-8, 4th in Central)
DEPARTURES: OG J. Davis (RET), OG Jeff Zimmerman (NFL), WR Qadry Ismail (NFL), LB M. Brooks (FA), LB Jeff Herrod (FA), DT Shane Burton (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: LB Ron Hinkley (FA), WR Raynard Brown (FA), DT Brett Sowell (FA), LB Brant Boyer (NFL), DT Leon Bender (Rook), OG Benji Olson (Rook), WR Az-Zahir Hakim (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: The Breakers basically played “fill the gap” all offseason, signing Brown to replace Ismail, Hinkley for Herrod, Sowell for Burton, but we are not sure these are improvements, lateral moves, or slight downgrades. The one move we know is solid was drafting Bender out of Washington State as a DT who can help fill the gap of Burton leaving in free agency. We also like what we have seen in early camp coverage from the speedy wideout Az-Zahir Hakim.
OUTLOOK: If New Orleans really did make mostly lateral moves, then 8-8 may well be where they end up again. The defense needs to add more aggression if they want to play with the scheme Mike Ditka has brought with him from the NFL, but we don’t see the kind of heavy hitters or scheme-wreckers on this defense that Ditka had with his Chicago Bears. Add to that an offense that is not bad, but also not capable of taking over a game, and a mediocre record seems fair.
PROJECTION: 8-8, 5thth in Central
HOUSTON GAMBLERS
(7-9, 5th in Central)
DEPARTURES: FB Tim Manoa (RET), FS Todd Bowles (RET), HB Thurman Thomas (NFL), OT Howard Ballard (NFL), K John Kasay (NFL), HB Keith Woodside (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: WR Hart Lee Dykes (FA), FB Todd Wilson (FA), OT Tra Thomas (Rook), CB Patrick Surtain (Rook), HB John Avery (Rook), OG Jason Whittle (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: Houston’s big move was a swing and a miss. The Gamblers desperately needed to find a way to replace Thurman Thomas’s rushing and receiving, and that was not likely to be from one player, but the only back they landed in the draft was John Avery out of Ole Miss. They spent an early pick on Florida’s Fred Taylor, but the big back opted to sign with the NFL instead. They swung again, trying to land Adrian Murrell from the NFL, but were rebuffed by the former Jet, who signed with the NFL Cardinals.
OUTLOOK: Houston was in retooling mode last year and with the losses of Thomas, Ballard and Woodside, they are in full rebuild mode this season. It looks like either scatback Mario Greer or rookie John Avery will be the lead back, which should trouble Gambler fans. Chuck Hartlieb is back under center and he still has WRs like Antonio Freeman and Brett Perriman to throw to, but there are concerns up and down the Gambler roster. Coach Willsey is going to have a tough time matching his 8-win season with the talent he has on the squad right now, and we think there is a legitimate shot that Houston has to hit rock bottom before things get better.
PROJECTION: 5-11, 6th in Central
ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS
(7-9, 6th in Central)
DEPARTURES: DE T. Tolbert (NFL), DE A. Harmon (FA), OG Todd Rucci (FA), DT Brett Sowell (FA), HB Joe Mickles (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: WR Bert Emmanuel (FA), OG Brett Fournier (FA), OG Gennaro DiNapoli (Rook), HB Ahman Green (Rook), OT Jason Fabini (Rook), SS Izell Reese (Rook), DE Vonnie Holliday (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: By general consensus, St. Louis’s draft is considered one of the best if not the best this year. Not only did they effectively trade down to pick up additional picks, but they were able to sign some top level talent from various rounds of the draft. We love the signing of DE Vonnie Holliday from UNC, as well as tackle Jason Fabini out of Cincinnati, but the steal of the draft, at least based on early reports, may be HB Ahman Green out of Nebraska, taken in the 3rd round of the draft, but still signed despite being a 2nd round pick in the NFL. This was some top level drafting, and it should make St. Louis a clear step better than last year.
OUTLOOK: The Knights flashed some moments last year, and with the additions they have made, including snagging one of the best receivers in free agency, Orlando’s Bert Emmanuel, the Knights are a deeper and more dangerous squad this year. It still all comes down to better decision-making from QB Todd Collins, but he has weapons around him with Thompson, Ahman Green, Ironhead, Emmanuel, Amani Toomer and Patrick Rowe. The Knights defense is still a work in progress, but adding Holliday to a line that features Jerry Ball and Mike Lodish inside will make it tougher on opponents to run on the Knights. Will it produce pass rush, or will Coach Johnson have to blitz Marcus Cotton, Kevin Hardy or Mike Caldwell to get pressure? They may not be all the way there yet, but we see this team on the rise this year.
PROJECTION: 9-7, 4th in Central
OAKLAND INVADERS
(5-11, 3rd in Pacific)
DEPARTURES: DE Glen Veris (RET), DT Tony Siragusa (NFL), HB Reggie Brooks (NFL), QB Bobby Hebert (Trade)
NEW ARRIVALS: DE Eric Curry (FA), HB Joe Mickles (FA), LB Kailee Wong (Rook), DE Leonard Little (Rook), C Jeff Saturday (Rook), QB Ryan Leaf (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: You know what we are going to say. The 3-team trade that landed the Invaders this year’s #1 overall pick, and the quick signing of QB Ryan Leaf will define this club for the next decade, one way or the other. If Leaf turns into the type of gunslinging pro we have seen in the USFL from Kelly to Favre, then Oakland is in great shape, if he fizzles, then the Invaders are likely to be in deep for a while to come. Either way it was a daring move from the ownership, the GM, and new coach Dan Reeves.
OUTLOOK: Oakland did a really good job of restocking their roster. They lost very little as far as starts and impact, and they added some big pieces, with a very strong draft, but also with the signing of talent like DE Eric Curry, who should immediately upgrade the Invader pass rush. With Denver in flux, and with LA, Seattle, and Arizona still trying to build a winning roster, the Invaders, for as badly as they played last year, could be on a fast track to a playoff spot. Are they a legitimate contender, no, especially not with a rookie QB at the helm, but could they rise quickly in a weak division. Yes, we think so.
PROJECTION: 9-7, 3rd in Pacific
LOS ANGELES EXPRESS
(4-12, 4th in Pacific)
DEPARTURES: DT Greg Meisner (RET), HB Bernie Parmalee (NFL), FS Tim Hauck (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: OG O’Neill Glenn (FA), DE A. Harmon (FA), OG Alan Faneca (Rook), HB Michael Pittman (Rook), S Artrell Hawkins (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: LA, as one of the weaker clubs in the league, was not picked over by the NFL or other USFL teams, so their best move may have been simply building through the draft. We like Faneca and Hawkins to play immediately, and for Pittman to get some snaps as well. The biggest shock for us was the lack of effort by LA to improve their QB situation. They must see something in Jeff Garcia that the last 2 years of play has not borne out, because it seemed an obvious position of need.
OUTLOOK: We are still not sure how LA is going to improve their 21st ranked offense without a major upgrade at QB. We like the new combo of Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman in the backfield, TE is still a weakness, and we still don’t feel that they have a real threat at receiver other than Mike Pritchard. The defense, also ranked 21st seems to have gotten little attention this offseason as well, though we do like the depth Harmon brings at DE. Where are the playmakers, the game wreckers? We just don’t see it. With Seattle and Arizona getting better, LA may find themselves looking at the #1 pick in 1999, which looks to be a QB-rich draft. Is that the plan here?
PROJECTION: 4-12, 6th in Pacific
SEATTLE DRAGONS
(4-12, 5th in Pacific)
DEPARTURES: DE Jim Reynosa (RET), TE Theo Young (RET), DE Bill Goldberg (FA), FB Tim Wilson (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: WR Courtney Hawkins (FA), DE John Copeland (FA), TE Ken Dilger (FA), LB Takeo Spikes (Rook), S Corey Chavous (Rook), QB Brian Griese (Rook), C Matt Birk (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: Despite being one of the most active teams in USFL free agency, and having a very solid draft as well, we still think the best move the Dragons made was resigning DT Gilbert Brown. With Brown locking down the middle of the line, newly arrived DE John Copeland, and LBs like J.D. Fuller, Jim Schwantz, and Tommy Thigpen, should be able to work the 3-4 defense to far better than a 24th ranking. On offense, the Dragons have some weapons, most notably 2nd year HB Corey Dillon and wideout Eric Metcalf. They are trusting the offense to unheralded Jon Kitna, but now have Michigan rookie Brian Griese on deck as well.
OUTLOOK: The Dragons were a quirky pick to win the division last year. We saw how that turned out. We don’t project that this year, but .500 may be possible.
PROJECTION: 8-8, 4th in Pacific
ARIZONA WRANGLERS
(3-13, 6th in Pacific)
DEPARTURES: DE Charles Buchanon (RET), OT J. Totten (RET), TE Pete Metzelaars (RET), LB Bill Romanowski (NFL), WR Courtney Hawkins (FA)
NEW ARRIVALS: DE Robert Porcher (FA), CB Kevin Minniefield (FA), LB Sam Cowart (Rook), WR Hines Ward (Rook), TE Matt Cushing (Rook), DT Jason Peter (Rook), OG Phil Ostrowski (Rook)
IMPACT MOVE: Having the #1 pick and not needing a QB paid off for the Wranglers as they parlayed a move down in the draft (and a 3-way trade) into a solid draft that provided talent up and down the roster. We love the selection of Jason Peter, a bruising DT from Nebraska, to line up opposite FA acquisition Robert Porcher. We also love the choice of Sam Cowart in the 2nd round, and, while he may need some time to season, 4th round pick Hines Ward from Georgia could be a quality weapon for Jake Plummer.
OUTLOOK: We like the moves that Arizona and Coach Shell are doing in the desert. A lot still depends on Jake Plummer, who threw more pass attempts than anyone last year. Signing two rookie receivers (Ward and Villanova’s Brian Finneran) should help, but what the Wranglers really need is for either Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Tim Lester to become a regular threat out of the backfield. We are not sure either has that in them. And if that is the case, Plummer may again be trying to do a lot with the passing game. The defense could be better this year, which will help a lot. Not ready to get over the hump yet, but unlikely to finish with the #1 pick again. That’s our assessment.
PROJECTION: 6-10, 5th in Pacific.
SEASON STANDING & PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS
CENTRAL PACIFIC
Michigan-y 11-5 Portland-z 12-4
Texas-x 10-6 Denver-x 10-6
Chicago-x 10-6 Oakland 9-7
St. Louis-x 9-7 Seattle 8-8
New Orleans 8-8 Arizona 6-10
Houston 5-11 Los Angeles 4-12
We think St. Louis is a better club than Oakland, so they snag the final Wild Card. In the first round we see Texas fall to St. Louis while Chicago beats Denver at home. That sets up St. Louis @ Portland and Chicago at Michigan. Both favorites win, so it is the Panthers vs. the Thunder for the conference once again, and this time the Panthers get revenge, tempered by their Central Division battles. We see the Panthers facing the Federals in Summer Bowl 1998.
Comments