2002-2003 USFL OFFSEASON RECAP: OCTOBER EDITION

October 22, 2002

It has been a wild three months since the Ohio Glory held aloft the John Bassett Trophy as the league champion and the owners of the only undefeated season in USFL history. Both Ohio and their Summer Bowl opponent Memphis have seen the after-effects of a championship run, namely the picking apart of their rosters in the offseason as both NFL and fellow USFL franchises have nipped at the edges of both clubs, and in some cases taken some pretty big bites out of both. We also have two new head coaches to welcome to the league in Seattle and Oakland, and we have a ton of news on the hot stove as we had a busy NFL-USFL transfer window, a few intriguing trades, and major movement on free agency. But we start with a bit of a darker story as the future of the Portland Thunder finds itself in disarray after Worldcom CEO and principal owner of the Thunder Bernard Ebbers is indicted on multiple charges of fraud and forced to relinquish his share of the Thunder franchise by the USFL.

PORTLAND IN DISARRAY

To say that things have gotten dark in Portland is an understatement. While the club’s personnel team has been very active so far in the offseason, the front office has been in chaos. With federal charges being brought against Worldcom and its CEO Bernard Ebbers, the USFL was forced to act. Ebbers’s finances are frozen and his role as the principal owner of the Portland Thunder came under immediate scrutiny, with league officials quickly implementing a sell requirement on the franchise. Ebbers will be required to vacate his leadership role as President of the Thunder, a position he cedes to secondary owner Phil Ruffin, as he is being required to also divest his share of the team. The problem is that Ruffin is neither willing nor able to invest the funds needed to acquire the majority share of the club, meaning that additional ownership will be required if the team is to meet its financial commitments to the league, the city, and their contracts for everything from stadium rental to equipment purchase.

Ruffin, a Las Vegas casino owner with a varied investment portfolio, has insinuated that he could bring in considerable resources were he able to expand the ownership group through his network of Las Vegas contacts, but that there is considerable interest in shifting the franchise to Sin City were this to happen. The league certainly wants to avoid yet another potential relocation and is seeking to determine where potential ownership with Oregon ties or at least a commitment to keep the franchise in Portland could be found. The idea has been floated that the league itself would take over the share of the Thunder held by Bernard Ebbers, but this would require a major investment by the other 23 ownership groups, one that would likely face significant resistance. The other option is to beat the bushes in hopes of turning up new ownership committed to Portland.

Ebbers answering questions after indictment.

We have received reports that league officials have already reached out to Phil Knight, the original lead owner when Portland was granted a franchise in 1988, but that Knight has rebuffed the offer to reacquire the club. It seems certain that the Knight effort is not the only one in process, but if no local ownership can be found, the league may face no other option but to allow Ruffin to bring in associates from his network of real estate and casino development in Las Vegas, a move that could very easily lead to a relocation from Portland. So, once again, the Thunder faithful in the Rose City find themselves at great risk for losing their club to the whims of the uber-wealthy as well as to the financial malfeasance of their own ownership. Efforts to build a community buy-out of the Thunder failed 2 years ago, and seem unlike this time around, so what are the fans to do? It is a bad situation for all involved, and questions about the USFL’s background research into Ebbers and the sale of the club to his group seem to be making tensions even higher as the city, the league, and the ownership seem perfectly content to point fingers but no one is developing viable plans to resolve the immediate crisis.

MEMPHIS THREATENS MOVE

Just one month after their appearance in the Summer Bowl, the Memphis Showboats have made major ripples both in the local community and across the USFL, stoking fears that the recent franchise instability that we have seen with the St. Louis, now Nashville, Knights, Atlanta Fire, and Portland Thunder, may not be over. Memphis ownership made a public statement on September 20th that they are actively negotiating with the city of St. Louis and the stadium authority in that city, looking at possible relocation as soon as the 2004 season. After years of failed ballot initiatives, government lobbying, and PR campaigns seeking significant renovations of the Liberty Bowl Stadium or even a new stadium facility, the Showboats are threatening a departure, perhaps as a power play to force the city of Memphis to make a deal, but there is a real threat of relocation here as St. Louis has been strategizing on how to reestablish a USFL presence ever since the Knights were sold to a Nashville-based group.

At this point it is just a threat. Memphis ownership is free to discuss relocation with any city, but they are also in a lease with the Liberty Bowl that extends through the 2006 season, so any deal would have to include significant costs to break that lease. That said, there are certainly monied interests in St. Louis who could step up to help defray those costs, including possible entry into the Showboat ownership group. Add to this a sizeable grassroots effort in St. Louis to pressure the city to return USFL football and you could have a perfect storm to force the city of Memphis to either make a deal with the Showboats for major stadium renovation or to lose their franchise, a franchise that has one of the largest and most animated fan bases in the entire league.

So, what does the league office say to all of this? Well, not much as of yet. No official statement has been made, though there is significant scuttlebutt around the NY offices that the league is taking a wait and see approach. If this strategy succeeds in forcing Memphis to cave to the team’s demands for stadium improvements, that is a definite win for the USFL, but if they risk losing one of their flagship cities, a city that has fully embraced the league, and which sent their team to the title game this year, the upper brass of the USFL and the other team owners could have major issues on their hands. After losing the St. Louis and Atlanta markets in the past 12 months, and now with major concerns about Portland, the last thing the USFL wants to see is a continued instability with otherwise strong franchises. For this reason alone, we expect the league offices to push the city of Memphis to make a deal. Keeping the Showboats in Memphis seems a top priority for the league, while finding a way to potentially address the demand for USFL football in cities like St. Louis could push the concept of expansion back on the agenda for future league meetings. It seems that as long as there are viable markets pushing for league attention, the risk of relocation and instability remains high, something the league as a whole cannot see as a positive.

INVADERS AND DRAGONS FIND THEIR LEADERS

September saw two coaching positions filled in the league, leaving only Birmingham currently without a head coach. The Seattle Dragons were the first to announce that they had completed their search, presenting Marvin Lewis, the former Pittsburgh Steeler and Denver Gold defensive coordinator as their new head coach. Lewis made a name for himself as a motivator as well as a defensive strategist. He comes to Seattle after having helped both the NFL Steelers and USFL Gold create top ranked defenses.

Lewis trades Denver Black for Seattle Green

While many wonder what his offensive skills will be, and hoping Seattle can bring in a solid OC to assist Lewis, others are hoping the arrival ushers in an era of more fundamentally sound defense in the Emerald City. Lewis has some talent in Seattle to work with on that side of the ball, and a recent trade offers him a chance to get more (more on this below). While the Dragons lost 2 starting linebackers in free agency (1 to the NFL), they still have some players to build around, most notably SS John Lynch, DE John Abraham, DT Gilbert Brown, and remaining LBs Takeo Spikes and 2002 acquisition Godrey Miles. The offense will be another story, as the club has more questions than ever surrounding All-USFL HB Corey Dillon.

The Oakland Invaders followed Seattle with their announcement a week later, reaching into the NFL to get a coach with an impressive resume but no USFL experience. Oakland named Dennis Green, the former Northwestern and Stanford head coach who has spent the last 8 years roaming the sidelines of the Minnesota Vikings. Green compiled a solid 97-62 record with the Vikings but was never able to get them to the Super Bowl.

Green returns to the Bay Area with the Invaders.

After three straight playoff seasons, Green was let go by Minnesota after a collapse from 11-5 in 2000 to 5-11 in 2001. He comes to Oakland with a chance to revive what has become something of a moribund franchise. Oakland has not had a winning record since 1998, and that was the only year since 1994 when they have been over .500. As with Coach Lewis in Seattle, Dennis Green will have some talent to build around, although he too will face a question at QB right away. Does he stick with Marques Tuiasosopo as the starter, promote veteran Jon Kitna, or try to land a quality starter this offseason. With Cal’s Kyle Boller a protected player in the territorial draft, there may be some temptation for Green to look the kid over as a potential draft day signature signing.

With the signings of Green and Lewis, there remains only one position left unfilled in the USFL, that of the Birmingham Stallion head coach. The expectation at this point is that Birmingham will head into the winter with their player personnel team running the show, waiting for the conclusion of both the NCAA and NFL seasons before seeking to steal away their preferred candidate. Early rumors of Jerry Glanville coming to Birmingham seem to have been erroneous, and while there are certainly a few big names out there right now, looking for a position, it seems the Stallions are content to play the long game and wait through the winter to find the man they covet.

RETIREMENTS IMPACT USFL CLUBS

During the playoffs 3 months ago we began reporting on the retirements that would impact various USFL clubs, big name players stepping away from the game and forcing clubs to reimagine their draft and free agent strategies. We have already seen some clubs start moving to find alternative plans for lost superstars, and now, 3 months after the conclusion of the USFL season, we can identity those clubs that are facing the biggest challenges. Here is our list of the 10 clubs most deeply affected by retirements and how they might move forward.

PORTLAND: Only one retirement, but it is a key cog of their team, HB Napoleon Kaufmann. How have the Thunder, who have bigger issues at hand, responded. Well, we already saw that Correll Buckhalter, before his injury, had become the primary ballcarrier, but we already saw that Coach Vitt was willing to make a big trade to ensure that the Thunder could retain their HB rotation, bringing over Reuben Droughns from the Federals in exchange for one of their two first round draft picks. Droughns and Buckhalter will likely rotate duties just as Droughns and McCallister had done in DC.

ORLANDO: Chris Doleman’s retirement is not a surprise, but that does not make his departure any easier. The Renegades have made a trade with Memphis to try to stabilize the position, obtaining veteran edge rusher Sedrick Clark in exchange for a 4th rounder this year and next, but Clark is hardly a gamechanger. Is Orlando going to do more, or are they going to depend on young players like Derrick Alexander, or perhaps take a shot at one of the top DE prospects like Penn State’s Michael Haynes, Texas A&M’s Ty Warren, or even seek a deal with Arizona for territorial rights to the top prospect, Arizona State’s Terrell Suggs.

HOUSTON: Pat Swilling is a big loss, but so is guard Todd Kalis. So far we have seen no action from Houston on either front, which makes us think they are looking to the draft or perhaps a late FA signing for help. Houston has some talent in the linebacking group, with Allen Aldridge and O.J. Brigance, but neither of these linebackers are going to be able to fully cover for Swilling’s departure.

NEW ORLEANS: As expected, Bobby Hoying, after suffering a nasty injury that led to an infection that could have cost him his leg, has, as he continues to recover, opted to step away from the game. He is joined by longstanding receiving leader Raynard Brown as two big departures for the Breakers. With the acquisition of Aaron Brooks from Atlanta after the Hoying injury, New Orleans is likely set at QB, with Dilfer the starter and Brooks joining 3rd year player Jesse Palmer as backups. As for wideout, we think this is likely a draft priority for New Orleans as this year’s pool is quite deep.

BALTIMORE: The Blitz lose a lot of leadership with the retirements of DT Michael Dean Perry, WR Lamar Thomas, and guard Chris Thatcher, but that said, these three players were largely platooning rather than full-time starters, so their replacement as impact on-field players is not the most serious of the USFL squads we look at today. The NFL-USFL transfer window seems to have solved 2 of the 3 positions of need as Baltimore reached out and snagged some late unsigned Free Agents away from the fall league. Jeff Zgonina will join the rotation at DT for the Blitz, coming over from the Dolphins, while return man and slot receiver MarTay Jenkins joins the Blitz from the Atlanta Falcons.

LOS ANGELES: A pretty big double-whammy as LA loses the services of both safety Carnell Lake and DT Chester McGlockton this offseason. They jumped into the transfer window right away to try to make up for the McGlockton departure, signing Daryl Gardener away from the Denver Broncos on the 2nd day of the window, while at safety LA seems to have their eyes set on one of the best available In the draft, a USC product protected in their T-Draft, Troy Polamalu.

MEMPHIS: No team saw more retirements than the Memphis Showboats. Five different players have opted to end their careers with the bitter taste of a Summer Bowl defeat in their mouths. Chief among the departures is FB Larry Centers, but don’t underestimate the impact of losing players like safety Al Walton, guard Mark Hutson, WR Titus Dixon, and CB Rodney Young. The Showboats have started to address these needs, signing one of the best fullbacks available, Damien Shelton, away from Ohio, and adding NFL corner Jason Simmons just before the transfer window closed. They still need to look for some WR help, but the draft will certainly offer lots of options there, including a strong Volunteer option in Kelley Washington.

DENVER: Losing both CB Bruce Pickens and DE Leslie O’Neill is a double whammy. Add to this the loss of DE Joey Porter to the NFL and Denver is in a world of hurt. Both DE and CB have to be major areas of concern for the Gold. We have seen no action from Denver with these two positions yet, but they absolutely have to be priorities. Denver’s only NFL signing in the first window was at wideout (nabbing former Colt Brandon Stokely) but more moves seem absolutely necessary moving forward.

PHILADELPHIA: The Stars were likely to cut Chuck Hartlieb but were saved that when the veteran QB opted to retire. Losing DT Chris Zorich is likely a bigger concern for the club. We knew QB would be a position of emphasis, and Philly found their answer through trade (as we will outline below) but at DT it looks like the Stars are scouting heavily in the draft, particularly scouting out big Penn State DT Jimmy Kennedy, who would be a protected pick for them.

WASHINGTON: Three contributors are no longer with the club as SS Louis Oliver, WR Lawyer Tillman, and All-Everything DT Jerome Brown have stepped away from the game this offseason. No question Brown’s departure is the biggest concern. Washington started to deal with these losses by signing a solid slot receiver in former Knight Kevin Lockett as free agency opened. We have not seen any moves yet to bring in a DT or SS, and Washington had depth at both positions, but we absolutely expect something to happen over the course of the next few months.

Could Washington try to snag Polamolu from LA, a costly move, or will they use the 1st round pick they got from Portland in the Reuben Droughns trade to move up in the draft and snag another big name rookie? The Feds have the #13 and 14 picks in the first round thanks to the trade, and could easily package those to get a Top 10 pick, which could put them in perfect position to go after a DT like Kentucky’s Dewayne Robertson or Oklahoma State’s Kevin Williams.

TRADING BLOCK HEATS UP

We already hinted at a big trade as the solution to Philly’s QB situation, and boy, was it a big one, but there have been several trades we need to point out as key moves of the early offseason. We saw several early trades, including the Reuben Droughns trade, prior even to Summer Bowl 2002, but since then, these trades have had an impact on several clubs as well as January’s draft:

Former Wolverine and Dragon joins Stars.

MAJOR QB SHAKEUP: Philadelphia and Coach Jim Mora Jr were not at all happy with their QB situation this year, and although 2002 rookie David Garrard got some late playing time, they clearly wanted to address the position in the offseason. They certainly did that in a big way. Working behind the scenes with Seattle’s GM and getting final approval from new head coach Marvin Lewis for a trade only 1 week into Lewis’s tenure, Philadelphia obtained the rights to Seattle’s starting QB Brian Griese, who will step right into the starting job for the Stars. Philly sent Seattle their 1st and 3rd round picks this year, both 2nd in each round, which seems cheap for a starting QB, but we suspect that Coach Lewis has other plans for the position and having two very early picks in the first round of the draft certainly gives him a lot to work with right off the bat. Seattle now has both the 2nd and 3rd pick in the draft (as well as the 50th and 51st in the 3rd) which could be very beneficial, and the Stars have a solid starting QB who can work in the type of balanced pro-style offense Mora prefers.

BOSTON GOES AFTER GLORY WR: Ohio, as most champions see, had several players depart early in free agency, but they clearly were not afraid to make deals as well. The Glory sent one of the stars of their Summer Bowl win, wideout Robert Ferguson, and sent the receiver to the new Boston Cannons for a pair of picks in this year’s draft. Ferguson could be a top 2 receiver for the Cannons, and Ohio gets 2 picks to try to replace some departed players with young athletes.

Armstead joins talented NJ LB group

NEW JERSEY SEEKS LINEBACKERS: After losing Bobby Houston to the NFL, New Jersey made two moves to add depth to their backer group. One was to sign Jesse Armstead away from the Jacksonville Bulls, but that was not enough so the Generals also made a deal with Texas to get rangy LB Tarek Salah from the Outlaws, sending a 3rd and 4th round pick to Texas to help round out the LB group.

ORLANDO GETS DE HELP: We mentioned this move already, but it should be noted that the Renegades gave up two draft picks (one this year and one next year) to land Sedrick Clark from the Memphis Showboats. This one still puzzles us as Clark was not even Memphis’s top pass rusher. Orlando must see something we don’t in the move because Clark’s career has not pointed to him emerging as a top pass rusher of the type they have lost in Chris Doleman.

NFL HAS A FIELD DAY DURING TRANSFER WINDOW

Once again I think we have to say that the NFL got the better of the deal in its player swaps with the USFL. While USFL clubs filled a few positions in the August transfer window, most NFL talent was already signed and with USFL free agency just opening, the market was full. This, of course, is reversed in February, when the USFL often catches up with its fall rival and the roles are reversed, but at least this year the balance seems quite problematic for the spring league. Here are some of the higher profile signings the NFL was able to pull off during the short transfer window, followed by the few NFL signings made by USFL Clubs

Halfback seemed to be a position of emphasis for the NFL as they snagged 4 of the league’s best available free agents at the position, starting in Tampa Bay.

• The Bandits were stunned by the loss of Errict Rhett, who now heads to Cleveland.

• Memphis’s hopes to return to a Summer Bowl take a huge hit when HB Garrison Hearst snaps at the money offered by the San Francisco 49ers.

• Oakland loses their starting HB as well, with Rodney Thomas moving on to Minnesota.

• Erric Pegram had a strong season for the Texas Outlaws, and he parlayed that into a lucrative contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

If there is one bright spot for these teams it is that each of the backs lost will be 30 or older by the start of the 2003 seasons, so for those who subscribe to the rapid decline theory about 30-year old running backs, the USFL clubs might be better off signing rookies or other young talent instead of hanging on to the veteranbacks.

Beyond the HB position, there were plenty of other losses along the way, some which will clearly hurt teams that cannot afford to take more roster hits.

• Philly takes two more big hits, losing OT Paul Gruber to the Buccaneers and CB Deon Figures to the Saints. Gruber is the tougher player to replace, as Figures is another player who had fallen from full-time starter to platoon player.

• Seattle LB Levon Kirkland will be joining the Steelers this year. Kirkland was one of Seattle’s best run stuffers, but with several early round picks, we expect the Dragons to go after a young athletic replacement.

• New Orleans’ offense will miss TE Steve Johnson, who is the newest Houston Oiler at age 36. Johnson caught 67 passes for 906 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. The Breakers are hoping that 2nd year player John Owens can step up, but may also be looing to sign a more veteran option.

• New Jersey loses a leader in LB Barry Houston, headed to the Jets, but as we discussed earlier, brought in both Tarek Salah and Jesse Armstead to compete for a starting job.

• Arizona QB A.J. Feely signs with the Eagles, leaving only Damon Huard behind Plummer for the Wranglers.

• LB Duane Bickett leaves Baltimore for the Indianapolis Colts. With a lot of their cap room tied up, expect Baltimore to seek a replacement through the draft.

• CB Tyrone Hughes will stay in Atlanta with the NFL instead of becoming a Boston Cannon. With Tyrone Poole and Tyrone Legette still with the club, their Tyrone strength remains high.

• Boston loses another veteran as WR Wayne Chrebet joins the NY Jets. Chrebet did not have a big impact with Atlanta after coming over from the Generals, catching only 30 balls for 305 yards this past season.

• Denver is out a 2nd big DE as Robert Porcher heads to the Detroit Lions, as we mentioned earlier. This leaves Denver with only Marcellus Wiley and 2nd year player Ryan Denney as returning edge rushers.

• LA’s wily veteran wideout Mike Pritchard signs a 1 year deal with Tennessee. Pritchard, who had been the first breakout star for the Express when they returned to the league in 1995, had slipped to the 3rd or 4th WR slot as more of the looks went to Tory Holt and Amani Toomer this season.

• Finally, LA also loses a solid backup QB as Glenn Foley heads to Dallas. With Quincy Carter likely the backup to Cade McNown, LA will likely try to bring in a veteran as a calming presence and emergency 3rd QB.

Looking at USFL signings of the few NFL unsigned players, the balance is clearly not there yet, though we do expect some big names to come available in February, as so often happens.

• Baltimore added DT Jeff Zgonina and WR MarTay Jenkins, as already reported.

• Birmingham found a kicker in former Jaguar Mike Hollis

• Boston landed a solid LB in Chris Claiborne of the Vikings.

• Chicago hopes they have found a goal line back in big Cecil Martin of the Raiders.

• Denver, as cited earlier, signed slot receiver Brandon Stokely

• Jacksonville hopes they found a good one in safety Omar Stoutmire.

• LA signed DT Daryl Gardener to a 3 year deal.

• Michigan looked for a safety after Carnell Lake’s retirement and settled on Sammy Knight from Miami.

• Nashville hopes they too have a battering ram in HB Leon Johnson of the Rams.

• Oakland added two NFL vets, guard Cameron Spikes and DT John Thornton

• Orlando found a backup for Joey Harrington in former Cowboy Jason Garrett

• Philly hopes Flozell Adams, one of the biggest men left unsigned, is the answer at tackle.

• Seattle added LB Mike Maslowski after losing Levon Kirkland to the NFL.

FREE AGENT FRENZY

As crazy as the NFL-USFL transfer window was, the first 3 months of USFL free agency was just as wild. As seems to be the trend these days, players seem quick to seek greener pastures either for a lucrative payout or for more opportunity to start, especially if they were demoted on their original club, an easy ticket to free agency for many. With each player that leaves a club, the pressure mounts for that club to find a quick replacement, and while some teams are more content to build through the draft, there were still plenty of takers in the free agent feeding frenzy that began this past August. We won’t talk about every signing, but here are the 10 players who we think have improved their standing by making a switch over the past 3 months.

Guard Chuck Johnson won a title with the Glory, and then took the money, serious money, to become the new protector along the right side for Jake Plummer in Arizona.

Another Ohio Glory starter cashed in on the post-championship feeding frenzy as Memphis, having lost Larry Centers to retirement, outbid 3 other clubs to sign FB Damien Shelton. Shelton is nowhere near the receiver that Centers was, but is one of the best lead blockers in the game, just ask Eddie George.

Memphis may have gained a back, but they lost their clear #1 receiver as negotiations remained miles apart between the club and wideout Joe Horn. Horn, who wanted to be paid in the ballpark of Randy Moss in Tampa Bay or Terrell Owens in Jacksonville, got pretty close, signing a lucrative 3-year deal to become Brett Favre’s new favorite target. Going from Memphis to arch-rival Birmingham is going to sting the Showboat faithful to be sure.

Birmingham also made a big move to improve their defense, signing former Michigan SS Lawyer Milloy to a 3-year deal. Expect Milloy to quickly lock up the starting job and very likely a captainship in Birmingham, where he is hoping to bring an aggressive style to the Stallions’ secondary.

Another big wideout signing happened on the first day of free agency when Michigan’s Muhsin Muhammad found a new home in Portland (we told you the Thunder front office was active this offseason). Muhammad moves from one young QB in Drew Brees to another with Akili Smith.

One of the best tackles available, Baltimore’s Korey Stringer, rebuffed an offer from the NFL Giants and signed instead with the Pittsburgh Maulers, which certainly will make Terrell Davis happy. The other high caliber tackle, LA’s Blake Brockmeier is still fielding offers, though most now think Baltimore will make a major play for him now that Stringer has departed.

Wideout J.J. Stokes, who had a very strong 63-reception season in Washington this past season, will have to break in a new QB in Seattle, as he heads off to the Dragons and their very murky QB situation.

We mentioned New Jersey’s signing of former Bull LB Jesse Armstead above, but the other big LB signing was also in the Northeast Division, where Philadelphia added former Stallion Henri Crockett to their LB group.

Texas nabbed a very good corner in former Nashville Knight DeShea Townsend. Townsend, 27, signed a 5 year deal that will is rumored to have some pretty substantial incentive clauses if he can keep up his reputation as a ballhawk for the Outlaws.

Finally, the Boston Cannons added another BC player to help rile up an already enthusiastic local fanbase. HB Mike Cloud had struggled to get on the field with Orlando, but may replace Tiki Barber in some short yardage and goal line situations as a member of the Cannons.

Still a lot of time until the closure of Free Agency and the start of camps in late January. A lot of talent still out there to be signed, and a lot of holes on a lot of clubs. So don’t expect that the feeding frenzy is over, just wait. More is certainly to come.

We finish off our look at the first three months of the offseason by looking at the upcoming draft this January and take some very early shots at who we think each club should target. With the return of the Territorial Draft in 2002, the strategy of drafting USFL talent shifted just a bit, and we wonder if the trends we saw last year will continue. Will clubs be as willing as they were last year to trade Open Draft picks for T-Draft opportunities? It is always a risk when any player can simply wait out the process and see how they fare in the NFL draft before signing with the USFL. The strategy bit several teams last year, who made a deal, picked a player through the T-Draft and then failed to land them. Of course, the same can happen in the open draft, but when you trade away the big pool to target a specific player from another team’s territory, you had better have a very good expectation that the guy will sign, otherwise it is draft capital wasted.

OK, with that in mind, here is our rundown of all 24 USFL clubs and the one player we think they need to target, whether in the T-Draft, the Open Draft, or even making a deal to take a shot at a player in someone else’s protected pool. We usually do this in draft order, but for drama, let’s reverse that and start with the league champions, working our way down to Atlanta.

OHIO

The Glory have suffered death by a thousand nibbles since their title win. Hard to say which position they need to address first, but we are going to go with safety for two reasons. Reason 1: The retirement of FS Pat Terrell leaves them with a hole in a key position. Reason 2: They have the answer staring them in the face in the Territorial Draft with Ohio State’s Mike Doss the perfect candidate to join Galloway and George as former Buckeyes who stayed in Columbus to play pro ball.

MEMPHIS

The league runner up also saw massive defections across the roster, including their top receiver, starting HB, and All-USFL fullback. They have their new FB, but what to do about HB and WR? We expect Tennessee wideout Kelley Washington to get wooed hard by the Showboats. We also think they might try to make a play on a back like Chris Brown of Colorado or Justin Fargas of USC, because there is no way Tampa Bay won’t draft Willis McGahee from Miami after losing Errict Rhett.

HOUSTON

The Gamblers had the D last year, but need more on offense. While many think that their Open Draft will continue to be defensively focused, we think Wade Phillips will use the T-Draft to try to snag some offensive talent. Best place to start might be Texas A&M receiver Bethel Johnson, who would be a nice fit in the slot.

NEW JERSEY

We love what the Generals have already done to shore up the LB corps, now they need to address a big hole at corner, and again, a good territorial pick just falls into their lap. Get the checkbook out and make sure you can sign Oklahoma’s Andre Woolfork if you are the Generals.

JACKSONVILLE

The Bulls lost a quality LB in Armstead, but they also need help at HB and WR. Some of that is depth, which sounds mid-round pick to us, but if you have a shot to upgrade a key offensive position through your protected picks, why wouldn’t you go for it? With FSU as a territorial school, there is always talent at the skill positions, and this year that talent is named Anquon Boldin, the Seminole wideout.

NEW ORLEANS

Finding a young receiver seems important after the retirement of Raynard Brown, but guard is another vital position for a club that loves the power run game. With neither position strong in the Breakers’ protected schools (LSU, Tulane, and Ole Miss), the best bet may be the open draft. New Orleans can hope that Philly does not use their T-Draft on Iowa’s Eric Steinbach at guard, or they can look receiver, where a player like Tyrone Calico (Middle Tennessee) is outside the protected pool.

CHICAGO

If the Machine do not throw money at Illinois receiver Brandon Lloyd, they are not doing this right. Lloyd is exactly what the Machine need opposite Curtis Conway. And with a pretty shallow talent pool from their protected schools, they should have the cash to do it.

PORTLAND

The Thunder have been active so far in free agency and through trades. Expect Coach Vitt to also push for some talent in the draft, starting with Oregon HB Onterrio Smith. But while Smith would be a good pickup, the bigger needs are at DT and WR. Neither of those are likely to be solved with the T-Draft unless Portland makes a move up in the Open Draft. If they can get in position to land either of the top “unprotected” DTs (Robertson of Kentucky or Williams of OK State) they would be wise to make that move.

ARIZONA

Say it with me… Terrell Suggs. The Sun Devil DE is a clear difference maker, and Arizona gets first crack at him. The only potential issue is that there is no way Suggs’ agent is not going to have him hold out to see what NFL team selects him. Arizona may have to play the waiting game, but they have to play that game, right?

NASHVILLE

The Knights made their name on defense, but they have gotten a bit long in the tooth and could use an infusion of youth at both DE and DT. But, with their mishmash protected list of Vandy, Mizzou, and La Tech, that help is not coming from the T-Draft. They are right in the middle of the first round, but if he is still there, they could do a lot worse than selecting and signing either Miami DE Jerome McDougle or Penn State’s Michael Haynes (again we assume that the Bandits and Stars do not prioritize these two, which may be wishful thinking.)

WASHINGTON

Thanks to the Reuben Droughns trade, the Federals now hold both the #13 and #14 picks in the first round. Do they keep both and sign two midround talents or do they move up and get one guy that they fall in love with? If they stand pat, they could try to address the big hole at DT that Jerome Brown’s retirement produced, but if they move up, they could go for a big name, big impact player like a wideout. Andre Johnson perhaps?

ORLANDO

The Renegades have some good options out of the T-Draft this year, with some solid talent out of Florida, but also a really intriguing receiver from UCF, Doug Gabriel. But with DE still a top priority, and with several possible 1st round options, they should definitely focus attention and resources to that search.

TEXAS

The Outlaws have a lot of questions across the board, but they also have a pretty deep territorial pool with Texas, TCU, and SMU as feeder schools. From those three, we think the focus for the Outlaws should be split between DT Corey Redding (a definite need pick) and guard Derrick Dockery, though it would shock us not at all to see the Outlaws also select QB Chris Simms, son of former NFL QB Phil Simms, as a developmental project behind Leaf and Lewis.

BIRMINGHAM

It is a rare year when neither Alabama or Auburn have a player that is a plum target for the Stallions, but that seems like the case this year. We actually think Birmingham is likely to fare better in the open draft this year, where their #11 pick could help them fill needs at guard, DT, or HB. DT is the position with the best talent unclaimed by the T-Draft, so maybe it is Birmingham that snags that big burly space occupier. We like OK State’s Williams headed to Legion Field as a good option.

BALTIMORE

Coach Infante always seems like he is hanging onto his job by a thread. Another collapse like this year and that thread is likely to unravel, so this draft is key. Another team with a weak T-draft pool, Baltimore needs to use their Top 10 pick wisely. With the holes they have on the roster, thatlikely means addressing their league worst defense. How about a really good LB on an unprotected NCAA club, Wake Forest’s Calvin Pace?

DENVER

The Gold are hurting. Only 2 years removed from a title and they look like a team that needs a major assist. DE is the clear issue this year, with both Porcher and O’Neill gone. The good news is that there are some quality DE picks just from their three protected schools. They can take a shot at Nebraska’s Chris Kelsay, a solid 3-down end, or go for the pass rush skills of CU Buffalo Tyler Brayton. Heck, go for both, you need more than 1 DE anyway.

TAMPA BAY

I think everyone in the country knows what we are going to say. After losing Errict Rhett to the NFL, the eyes of Florida fall on Miami Hurricane HB Willis McGahee. If Tampa Bay can sign him to a deal, they are right back to having the type of dual-threat back that they made famous all the way back when Gary Anderson was catching screens from John Reaves.

PITTSBURGH

The Maulers are an interesting case. They could upgrade the passing game with a speedy wideout or a solid TE, or they could go defense. They have several options and at #7 they just need to hit on that first pick to do some good. The talent in their T-Draft (Purdue, Pitt, WVU) is likely mid-round level, so its about that first open draft pick. If they go for a receiver, how about Charles Rogers from Michigan State, a player the Panthers may skip in the T-Draft if they like defense more.

OAKLAND

Coach Green’s first draft could be a big one. Does he go for Kyle Boller from Cal in the T-Draft or stick with his 2 returning signal callers? Does he go after a big time defender by trying to get Arizona to give up Suggs? Seems unlikely, right? How about this? Trade down. You have a couple of teams with multiple picks. Does it make sense for Oakland to snag 2 early picks by giving up a Top 6 pick? That could be a tough sell to the fanbase, but it could also be the best option for a club that needs more talent in a lot of positions.

LOS ANGELES

Stop writing us with weird trade theories that have LA giving up on Cade McNown and drafting Carson Palmer. It is not happening. With Philly having traded for Griese, and Seattle now the most likely trade partner, there is no way LA sends McNown to a division rival. They have a good QB, so they let Palmer slide to the open draft and focus on areas of need. The best player in their pool may not even be Palmer, it may be Troy Polamolu, and that is absolutely who they should be targeting for a big contract.

MICHIGAN

We mentioned Charles Rogers as a possible target for the Maulers, but that all depends on if Michigan uses their protected picks to select the big receiver from the Spartans. Well, realistically, why would they? Yes, they lost Muhsin Muhammad in free agency, but they have a pretty solid group with Hines Ward, Laverneus Coles, and Dedrick Ward ready to go. I think they do pass on Rogers and focus on other need areas like TE, Guard, Center, you know, guys who can keep Drew Brees vertical.

SEATTLE

Following the Griese trade Seattle has the 2nd and 3rd picks in the draft, but they also have a glaring need at QB. No way to do they go into the season with Craig Erickson and Tee Martin as their options. So, who will it be? Carson Palmer of USC? Kyle Boller of Cal? Maybe Byron Leftwich of Marshall? All three could be available because LA, Oakland, and Washington simply may not prioritize QB, and all it takes is one of them to fall to Seattle for their plan to work. Well, that assumes they pick the one who actually pans out.

PHILADELPHIA

Having traded their top Open Draft pick to the Dragons for Griese, the Stars now have to look at later rounds and their T-Draft for support. We know they have their eyes set on their Penn State pipeline, and for good reason. Whether it is DE, DT, HB, LB or WR, there is a lot of talent coming out of Happy Valley this year. You only get 4 selections, so Philly must choose wisely. We would recommend they look at DE Michael Haynes, HB Larry Johnson, and DT Jimmy Kennedy.

BOSTON

The top pick in the draft. That is a lot of pressure. As the Atlanta Fire, this club has been here before, and not always made a good choice. What do they do this year? We love the T-Draft talent out of the U. of Georgia, but that is only part of the story. The bigger story is that first Open Draft selection. We would urge Boston not to waste it on a skills player, that is not their biggest need. This club needs a defense, and that means either LB or DE. In this draft there will be a really good DE available at #1, so it is just a matter of picking him and signing him.

USFL RELEASES 2003 SCHEDULE

We close our offseason review with the always anticipated release of the USFL schedule. This year’s schedule had a bit of mystery as league owners had to decide what to do about divisional alignment with the relocation of their Atlanta franchise to Boston. The decision? Do nothing, at least for now. The Boston Cannons will be a bit oddly placed as the only non-Floridian team in the Southeast Division, but with both Baltimore and Washington profoundly protesting a split of their rivalry with one moving to the South from the North, it seemed the easiest short-term solution. The league could easily double back to the decision in future years, especially if we see more teams relocate, but for now Boston will be very much like the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, who are oddly placed in the NFC East or Miami Dolphins, who sit with three NE teams in the AFC East.

As for the schedule itself, very much the same format as last year, with one interesting twist. Each team will play their 3 division foes in a home and home to occupy 6 games. They will then play 2 teams from each of the other divisions in their conference for the next 4 games, and then finally 4 games against teams from the opposite conference, for a total of 14 games during the year. Once again we will have several weeks that showcase exclusively inter-conference games, several weeks where one conference is in division while the other is in inter-divisional play, and several weeks where all 24 clubs are in divisional play. As has always been the case, expect a lot of divisional play in the final 4 weeks of the season, to build drama as playoff battles come down to the wire. The big shift this year, and for the first time in recent memory, we will see the season begin with half the league in divisional play in Week 1. Unlike past years where Week 1 was often reserved for interconference play, this year the USFL is jumping right into some rivalry games in the East, with the West getting their shot the following week. Among the highlights of weeks one and two, we have these games to look forward to:

WEEK ONE

The League Champion Ohio Glory will face their new rival, Chicago, in Columbus on Saturday Night in what may be a very celebratory Ohio Stadium.

New Jersey and Washington, two favorites for the NE Division will battle at RFK Stadium to kick things off on Sunday.

A really intriguing inter-divisional game out West is the season opener as Memphis hosts the Arizona Wranglers in the first game of the season.

Jacksonville & Tampa kick off the year with a Florida Derby game at Raymond James Stadium.

And the newest stadium in the league, Lincoln Financial Field, will see its first action in the USFL as the Stars host the Blitz to open their season.

WEEK TWO

The West enters divisional play with some good rivalry games, headed by Memphis @ Birmingham on Saturday Night.

Arizona and Denver will clash at New Mile High to kick off their usual SW Division battles.

New Orleans and Nashville were both playoff teams, and they will resume their battles at Adelphia on Sunday.

The California Derby gets an early season edition as LA travels to Oakland to face the Invaders and new head coach Dennis Green.

That means that the Cascade Clash is also in effect, with the Thunder (facing a lot of uncertainty) facing Coach Marvin Lewis and the Dragons at Civic Stadium.

And yes, it’s a battle of Texas in Houston as the Gamblers host the Outlaws on Sunday.

The most interesting inter-divisional game is the home opener in Boston for the new Cannons franchise, as Alumni Stadium should be rocking for their clash against the visiting Chicago Machine.

Some great games to kick off the new season, which makes it just that much harder to wait until March and the return of USFL action.