January 30, 2004
Every year at draft time we get a few big trades, a few surprise picks, and, of course, the drama of whether picks will join the spring league or opt for the NFL club that picks them 2 weeks later. But this year was something special. Maybe it was the presence of several top picks at quarterback that made the draft day trade wire go nuts, perhaps we are seeing a real shift in tendencies as teams start to really value the Territorial Draft, or perhaps it was just that this is a very good draft at the top and teams were feeling the need to take advantage of every opportunity to improve. Whatever the reason, what we saw this year, both in the T-Draft and the Open Draft was unprecedented, with trade after trade leading to a shuffling of the draft and some teams doing what was needed to get the player they coveted, while others may have hurt their prospects by not making a move and hoping the talent would be there when they got their picks. In order to understand what we witnessed, we need to go step by step, starting with the Territorial Draft and then, 5 days later, the Open Draft. As we now wait for the NFL Draft this weekend, and the inevitable battle to sign players chosen by both leagues, we look at the USFL draft and wonder whose big moves will pay off and whose will leave a team empty handed.
TERRITORIAL DRAFT REVIEW
This year marks the third since the Territorial Draft was reinstated, with each USFL club having three protected schools and able to take 4 players off the board from the open draft. The tendency in the past has been to see most teams go for mid-range players here, players more likely to sign early and forego the NFL, with just the occasional smattering of top talent being chosen, and then waiting for the NFL to make a decision. What we got this year feels like a new direction, with clubs willing to make trades, to move picks both within the T-Draft and the Open Draft to go after top talent in the hopes that either the targeted pick, or the extra 5 days before the NFL Draft would give them a heads-up in the signing process.
NASHVILLE WINS AN APPEAL FOR BETTER OPTIONS
We also saw, for the first time since the T-Draft was reinstated, a successful petition for a club to obtain a 4th protected school. There is an allowance for this in the draft policies, as teams can appeal to the Competition Committee if they believe that their pre-designated 3 schools simply do not have any prospects who are considered top tier talent. Each year we get a couple of appeals, but in most cases the committee deems that there is at least one high level prospect, loosely defined as a player who would be expected to be chosen in the first 3 rounds of the Open Draft, or several players within the first 5 rounds, and the appeal is denied. This year we saw our first ever approval of a 4th school as the Nashville Knights were able to make the argument that their three designated schools--Louisville, Vanderbilt, and Middle Tennessee—simply did not have an adequate pool of quality draft-eligible players.
Nashville was one of three teams, along with Arizona, and Washington, to make appeals. It appears that the presence of QB Matt Schaub of Virginia sunk Washington’s bid, and Arizona was undone by a combination of Fresno State WR Bernard Berrian and FB Mike Karney, both of whom were borderline as qualifying, but who the committee felt were adequate. Nashville, on the other hand had as its top prospect only McNeese State CB Keith Smith, and, no offense to Smith, but that was clearly a good case for a 4th university to be assigned to the Knights. The committee agreed with Nashville’s appeal and the Knights were granted the University of North Carolina as their 4th option, a school that would end up producing 3 of Nashville’s 4 selected players, including guard Jeb Terry and FB Vontae Leach.
TRADES TARGET ELITE TALENT
While Nashville’s appeal made news days before the Territorial Draft, Draft Day was all about the trades and the big names taken off the board. It was a day when GMs were on the phone constantly, trying to get others to make the swap, either within the T-Draft, or in some cases trading high Open Draft spots for the shot to target that one elite protected player. Here, in brief is our recap of the biggest stories of the day.
Manning Going Nowhere
We knew that New Orleans would get some attention with top QB prospect Eli Manning protected, and with Trent Dilfer having just led the Breakers to the Summer Bowl, there was expectation that New Orleans would be open to a trade that would send their top T-Draft option to another club. But in what was a surprise to many, the Breakers turned away offers from at least 3 different clubs, held the pick, and did make Eli Manning their first selection. This is a huge move for the Breakers, a potential concern for Dilfer, and a huge disappointment to several other teams around the league who felt that Manning was the best prospect of the 3-4 potential early QB picks. We know that Oakland inquired about the pick, but they were also joined by Tampa Bay and Las Vegas. In each case, the offers were not enough to move New Orleans off their pick, and now the Breakers have to wait and see what happens with the NFL Draft.
The drama could not be higher with this pick as you have two very different factors impacting this selection. The first is the NFL factor, as the Manning family, represented by Eli’s father and former Saints QB Archie, has already stated that if Eli is chosen by the San Diego Chargers next weekend, he will not sign with them. So will San Diego trade away the #1 overall pick, providing Eli with another option, or will the Ole Miss QB rebuff the Chargers and sign with the Breakers. If he were to do so, then the question becomes what his timeline is, and how secure the job Trent Dilfer holds down becomes. We would expect that Dilfer would still be the Week 1 starter, after all, he was among the Top 10 QBs in the league last year and he did help the Breakers get to Summer Bowl 2003, but with Dilfer’s contract due to expire at the end of 2004, is he on the block? Could New Orleans sign Manning and then let Dilfer walk? That is a really intriguing situation all the way around, and when it is a situation that ties in the Manning family, and a chance for another Manning to play in the Big Easy, the drama level could not be higher.
Arizona Goes All In for Plummer’s Pick
New Wrangler Head Coach Jim Fassel is not known as a gambler, but with OC Greg Landry pushing for the club to add more talent to assist QB Jake Plummer, and with Plummer actively campaigning the club for his favorite prospect, the more conservative Fassel, along with Arizona’s talent eval team, must have been convinced. The Wranglers made the first deal of the day, actually getting an agreement in place the night before the T-Draft, sending their 2nd and 3rd round Open Draft picks to the Pittsburgh Maulers for the ability to use Pittsburgh’s first selection in the T-Draft.
The minute it was announced, we all knew what that meant. Arizona jumped at the chance to sign Larry Fitzgerald, wideout from Pitt and one of the most pro-ready receivers to come out in years. A tall, speedy receiver with great hands and a reputation as a dedicated film and practice player, Fitzgerald would provide Plummer with a dangerous combo at wideout, paired up with Santana Moss, who had a breakout season this year. Plummer has already reached out to Fitzgerald in hopes of persuading the top wideout pick in the draft pool to sign with the USFL ahead of the NFL draft, where he would also certainly be a Top 10 pick.
Maulers Make Their Move
With two additional Open Draft picks in hand, the GM’s office in Pittsburgh now felt confident to make a move to get the player they coveted, University of Miami safety Sean Taylor. They first tried sending Arizona’s two picks to Tampa Bay, but Coach Spurrier and the Bandits wanted something different. It took until the morning of the T-Draft, but the Maulers eventually agreed, sending their first overall Open Draft pick to the Bandits for the right to make Tampa Bay’s first T-Draft pick and lock in Sean Taylor.
Tampa now had two first round picks in the open draft, and still had a luxury of players from “The U” to choose from in their remaining T-Draft. Pittsburgh got their chance to sign Taylor, a hard hitting safety in the mold of Adam Archuleta or Troy Polamalu, a safety that would not be afraid to take on the bruising halfbacks of the USFL and fast enough to handle coverage of the league’s elite receivers. The only question now is whether Taylor would sign on or would opt for whomever selects him this weekend in the NFL draft.
A Rare Double Swap
Memphis needed help at wideout, but had none in its pool. Ohio wanted help on the interior line but their usual pipeline, Ohio State, had no top grads this year inside. So, what do you do? You pull off a rare one for one swap of T-Draft picks and you get an agreement between each team as to who each would pick. Memphis and Ohio swapped picks and each was able to get what they most wanted. Ohio would select Arkansas guard Shawn Andrews, considered by most to be the most pro-ready lineman in the draft, while Memphis would get their WR in the form of Wisconsin’s Lee Evans. Honestly, we are surprised this does not happen more often, but leave it to Al Luginbill and future HOF head coach Jim Mora Sr. to blaze this trail.
Nashville Adds More
Even after getting a dispensation to add UNC to their pool of protected schools, Nashville felt the need to do more, and so they found a willing trading partner with Boston and jumped into Boston’s pool to select guard Chris Snee. Snee, along with Andrews, was a clear first round pick were he to make the Open Draft, and with Andrews already selected by Ohio, the Knights could not afford to take the chance that Snee would fall to them at the midpoint of the Open Draft. The Knights sent Boston a 2nd rounder in the Open Draft, and Boston allowed Nashville to select the guard from Boston College.
Big Names Come Off the Board
In addition to the trade drama surrounding Manning, Fitzgerald, Taylor, Snee, Evans, and Andrews, there were also plenty of potential first round picks who came off the board thanks to the Territorial Draft as many USFL clubs seemed to feel more comfortable than in the past using these picks on higher risk, lower security prospects, the kind of top tier talent who are most likely to hold out until the NFL makes its picks and then use the two to increase their asking price. In addition to the top prospects already highlighted, these additional Territorial Draft selections would be huge acquisitions for their teams:
OT Robert Gallery, Iowa—Selected by the Stars
TE Kellen Winslow, Miami—Selected by the Bandits
WR Reggie Williams, Washington—Selected by the Dragons
CB Dunta Robinson, South Carolina—Selected by the Renegades
LB Jonathan Vilma, Miami—Selected by the Bandits
DT Tommie Harris, Oklahoma—Selected by the Generals
DE Will Smith, Ohio State—Selected by the Glory
DE Kenechi Udeze, USC—Selected by the Express
HB Chris Perry, Michigan—Selected by the Panthers
CB Chris Gamble, Ohio State—Selected by the Glory
HB Kevin Jones, Va Tech—Selected by the Blitz
But, now, as every year, these teams, well, actually all the USFL teams, have to wait and watch as the NFL Draft transpires, and then get down to the business of outbidding the fall league if they can. We know that on overage 50% of USFL draft picks sign with the NFL, and while the average is a bit better (53%) with T-Draft selections, there is no guarantee at all that any of these big name picks will find their way into the league. We just have to wait and see.
OPEN DRAFT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT
Even with the drama of a more dynamic T-Draft than we have seen before, there was still plenty of drama to be had in the Open Draft. One of the Big 3 quarterback prospects was off the board with New Orleans’s T-Draft selection of Eli Manning, but both Miami (OH) prospect Ben Roethlisberger and NC State’s Philip Rivers were unprotected in the T-Draft and would be among the top picks to be sure in the open draft. Beyond the QB position, there was still a deep pool of talent for clubs to fight over in the Open Draft, and the maneuvering would be impressive, but it all started at the top.
With two elite QB’s on the board, all eyes turned to the top 2 picks. Oakland, sitting at #2 was clearly in the market for a quarterback, and well-positioned to get one of the elite options. Michigan, with the #1 overall pick, was not in the hunt for a signal-caller, sitting very happily with Drew Brees as the starter, so the question would become what kind of ransom would Michigan demand in order to move out of #1 and how far would they be willing to drop. With several teams drooling over the prospect of either Rivers or Roethlisberger, there was no shortage of suitors, but Michigan’s price would not be an affordable one for most clubs. While many expected a move well before draft day, it was not until just minutes before the official kickoff of the draft that news of a swap started to spread both in the Draft Room at LA’s Spectrum Arena, and within the Media.
It would be the Baltimore Blitz who would find the right combination of picks to convince Michigan to move down and relinquish the top pick, but at what cost? The Blitz would give up this year’s and next year’s #1 pick for the chance to draft a franchise QB. That was enough for Michigan to drop down to #8 and for the Blitz to get their shot at their top choice, Miami of Ohio’s Ben Roethlisberger. With two brand new head coaches representing each team, and two known for their defensive-minded approach to football, it was a bit surprising that this was the move that was made, but for both clubs, the deal was one that they felt was needed to move out of the early stages of the draft and move towards competitiveness.
The news was not exactly welcomed by Blitz QB Ryan Leaf, who arrived with the team midseason. Leaf was visibly agitated when approached at a charity golf tournament in Florida, not wanting to address any questions about his status with the Blitz. For their part, the Blitz have stated that they see Leaf as the starting quarterback, but also careful to say that as with all positions, quarterbacks have to earn their right to start. So, the Blitz now wait to see which NFL club makes their move for the big QB and then the battle of bonuses, incentives, and big money begins. Expect the Blitz to go all in on negotiations’ with Roethlisberger’s agent, as losing one first round pick to an NFL signing is bad, but to lose two and not land the player would be a disaster. And, what of Michigan? Good question. By moving down 7 spots, and not choosing a QB, the Panthers almost certainly save a few million dollars from their cap, and they get a pretty darn good player anyway in OT Max Starks of Florida. Clearly, with the selection of Starks and the T-Draft pick of Wolverine HB Chris Perry, Coach LeBeau is giving Drew Brees all the possible talent he can to help revive what has been an absolutely moribund offensive team.
DEALS NOT DONE AFTER QB’S OFF THE BOARD
If we thought the drama was over with Baltimore’s move to select Ben Roethlisberger at #1, we were wrong. Yes, Big Ben went #1, and Oakland, as expected, took Philip Rivers at #2, but we were not done seeing trades impact the first round. Orlando sat at #3, but when the pick came in, it was not what we expected, not WR Michael Clayton, but rather a trade announcement.
Arizona had once again made a move, sending their 1st round pick (#7) and a 5th rounder this year, along with LB Zach Thomas, to Orlando to move up 4 spaces. Clearly the Wranglers had a player in mind, and a concern that either Houston at 5 or Philadelphia at 6 were eyeing the same prospect. The Wranglers, after making a big move to snag Larry Fitzgerald for the offense in the Territorial Draft, made waves again, sending picks to Orlando to move up 4 places to help their defense, selecting Auburn linebacker Karlos Dansby. Dansby is a dynamic playmaker who has game-changing ability, particularly against the run, where he was feared by even the biggest and best SEC halfbacks for his ability to find the right angle and come in with a big hit.
For their part, Orlando was able to drop only 4 places, still get a player they coveted in Ohio State wideout Michael Jenkins, add a 5th round pick, who they would eventually use on Nicholls State CB Chris Thompson, and, of course, they now would have the services of LB Zach Thomas, who has 2 years left on his contract.
TAMPA USES TWO PICKS TO FOCUS ON DEFENSE
As much as Steve Spurrier is known for the Bandit Ball offense, he is certainly a coach that understands the value of solid defense. He prioritized this in the T-Draft, using his first pick on Miami LB John Vilma, and he doubled down by using both 1st round Open Draft picks on defense as well, selecting NT Vince Wolfork at #7 (a surprise non-selection for Tampa in the T-Draft) and then adding CB Ricardo Colclaugh of tiny Tusculum with the #16 pick they received from the Maulers in the trade that gave Pittsburgh the rights to Miami safety Sean Taylor. Tampa would not pick their first offensive player until the 100th overall selection with guard Brian Rimpf of ECU.
Many around the USFL were a bit shocked by the Bandits’ lack of emphasis on offense, as they were early bidders with the Breakers to try and get a shot at Eli Manning. Many expected Tampa Bay to make a move at QB after a year that saw Trent Green miss most of the season with an injury. The Bandits have big play capacity with Randy Moss and Willis McGahee, but questions at QB remain, and there was no solution found in the draft or in free agency so far. Unless there is a surprise awaiting in the NFL-USFL transfer window that opens in 1 week, it appears that Coach Spurrier is willing to go into the season with the same QB room he inherited, Green, backed up by Kent Graham and Ken Dorsey.
FIRST ROUND RECAP
It was a dynamic first round, with a lot of movement at the top and a lot of talent on the board for all 24 clubs. We know what happened at the top, but let’s do a quick recap of all 24 first round picks, remembering that there is every possibility that at most we are likely to see 12-14 of these players opt for the USFL option once the NFL finishes their annual draft. Whether or not these top prospects sign becomes the question of the day over the next few weeks, often making or breaking the offseason for a club.
Baltimore (via MGN) QB Ben Roethlisberger, Miami (OH)
Oakland QB Philip Rivers, NC State
Arizona (via ORL) LB Karlos Dansby, Auburn
Tampa Bay DT Vince Wolfork, Miami
Houston WR Roy Williams, Texas
Philadelp CB Ahmad Carroll, Arkansas
Orlando (via ARZ) WR Michael Jenkins, Ohio State
Michigan (via BAL) OT Max Starks, Florida
Las Vegas HB Stephen Jackson, Oregon State
Nashviille CB Chris Gamble, Ohio State
Memphis TE Benjamin Watson, Georgia
Boston DE Jason Babin, Western Michigan
Texas DT Igor Olshansky, Oregon
Birmingham QB J.P. Losman, Tulane
New Jersey LB Dontarrius Thomas, Auburn
Tampa Bay (via PIT) CB Ricardo Colclaugh, Tusculum
Seattle DE Travis LaBoy, Hawaii
Jacksonville WR Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State
Chicago G Sean Locklear, NC State
Los Angeles WR Bernard Berrian, Fresno State
Denver WR Devery Henderson, LSU
Washington SS Bob Sanders, Iowa
New Orleans LB D.J. Williams, Miami
Ohio OT Travelle Wharton, South Carolina
Outside of the obvious Top 10 craziness, what else do we see in this first round. We see concerns in Birmingham that Brett Favre is getting close to retirement, that is certain. J. P. Losman is not going to unseat Favre, but could be a protégé who is ready to step up when Favre decides to call it a career. But with several other needs, isn’t that what you normally do with a later round pick, not your first rounder at #14. The Stallions must see something in Losman that made this a priority for them. Picks we love, if the USFL clubs can sign them, include Boston’s selection of Jason Babin, a very good player on a lower tier 1-A school. We also really like CB Ricardo Colclaugh to Tampa Bay, DE Travis LaBoy to Seattle, and SS Bob Sanders to Washington. We know the Federals were hoping to make a deal with Tampa Bay to get a shot at Sean Taylor, but former division rival Pittsburgh must have given them a better deal to swoop in and select Taylor in the T-Draft.
Finally, let’s finish off our draft coverage with our Top 10 Picks outside of the Top 2 rounds. Here are our favorites as sleepers who could not only make the team, but have an impact if they sign with the USFL.
WR Keary Colbert, USC (Ohio, 3rd round)
Left unprotected by the Express, the Trojan wideout could take over Chad Ochocinco’s vacated slot.
TE Tim Euhus, Oregon State (Jacksonville, 3rd round)
A solid blocker, good route runner, and has decent hands. That is a pretty well-rounded TE.
DT Tank Johnson, Washington (Pittsburgh, 4th round)
We are not only surprised Johnson lasted to the 4th. We are still unsure why Seattle did not protect him in the T-Draft.
HB Mewelde Moore, Tulane (Los Angeles, 4th round)
Moore is not a 3-down back, but would provide a lot of spark and good receiving skills as a sub for DeShaun Foster.
LB Brandon Chillar, UCLA (Las Vegas, 4th round)
Chillar needs a bit of refinement to his game, but the physical skills are there for him to make an impact.
FB Thomas Tapeh, Minnesota (New Orleans, 6th round)
Fullbacks never go in the top few rounds, but it was a surprise to see Tapeh, a very good prospect, fall all the way to the 6th. A steal for a run-heavy team like New Orleans.
DE Jared Allen, Idaho State (Nashville, 6th round)
A very athletic, very aggressive DE who just has not played against top talent in Pocatello.
QB John Navarre, Michigan (Ohio, 7th round)
Having already selected Craig Krenzel from Ohio State in the T-Draft, the late flyer on Michigan’s Navarre will at least make for some fun rivalry moments in camp. It is unlikely both will stick with the Glory.
WR B.J. Sams, McNeese State (Oakland, 7th round)
Film on Sams shows a lot of promise. Another surprise drop down until the final round.
DT Brock Lesnar, Minnesota (Orlando, 7th round)
A bit undersized for a DT, but very athletic and with a huge personality. Could be a late round steal.
With the USFL Draft completed and camps opening soon, the Free Agency period is nearly complete. The final phase, the second NFL-USFL Transfer Window, will open next week. It is traditionally a period where USFL teams have the better of the exchange as NFL teams have just wrapped up their Fall season (Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts on their Super Bowl victory) and the annual process of resigning players has begun. The USFL will likely see a healthy smattering of NFL talent headed there way just as we saw significant defections to the NFL back in August and September. But what has happened since we last looked at Free Agency? Several teams tried to address holes in their rosters with signings and several of the top unsigned players have found a new home. Here is our rundown of the biggest free agent signing since October.
OCTOBER
Quarterback Jon Kitna found a home relatively quickly, signing a 2-year deal to serve as Kordell Stewart’s backup in Washington.
Wideout Amani Toomer also got a contract done in October, becoming a new member of the Philadelphia Stars, where he will line up alongside Steve Smith and TE Marcus Pollard in Jim Mora’s pro-style offense.
Tight End remains an interesting situation as Kyle Brady remains unsigned while Fred Baxter signed pretty quickly with the Birmingham Stallions.
One of the best linemen available in the draft, center Jim Pyne, left Washington to take a significant pay increase as the newest member of the Chicago Machine, another club that would love to establish the run as the crux of their offense.
Another likely starter on defense is out of the pool when Randall Godfrey left Boston to become another significant piece of a defense the Houston Gamblers hope will return them to the top of the Southwest Division.
Finally, we saw decent money thrown at a kicker as Mike Vanderjagt traded in the Gulf Coast for the desert, inking with the Las Vegas Thunder, where he will replace the retiring Carlos Huerta.
NOVEMBER
November usually sees a bit of a pre-holiday rush as teams like to get Free Agency settled so they can focus on the draft in December and January. We saw that with several signings, including a couple of big-time defenders and a former 1,000-yard rusher.
Stephen Davis, feeling abandoned by the Stars after several good years in Philadelphia, found himself a new home as he signed a 1-year deal with the Arizona Wranglers. Now we have to see if a new Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator can actually make use of Davis and develop a real run game in Tempe.
On the defensive side of the ball, the two biggest signings were CB Fred Smoot, who left Arizona and found a spot on the roster of the Boston Cannons. The other was DT Norman Hand, who leaves Memphis to join an LA Express defensive line that also includes Daryl Gardener and Jevon Kearse.
Washington added tackle Matt Stinchcomb late in November to help shore up the right side of their line, while former Bandits free safety Jerome Woods heads off to Oakland.
DECEMBER
Always a quiet period, we saw only 2 significant signings in December as DT John Thornton will join the Breakers and SS Sam Shade inked with Philadelphia.
JANUARY
The post-holiday market kicked off immediately as January 2 saw four signings in the USFL.
LA decided to take a shot on journeyman QB Rob Johnson as a backup for Cade McNown. The former USC quarterback has had a spotty record in the USFL, but returns home to southern California with the Express.
Tackle Mike Gandy also moved on, leaving Orlando to sign with the Showboats in Memphis.
New Jersey found themselves a new kicker in former Knight Ryan Longwell.
And slot receiver Kevin Johnson is joining Steve Spurrier in Tampa Bay hoping to be part of a revival of Bandit Ball.
Some other recent signings in January include center Bryan Stoltenberg (LA to DEN), Cornerback Otis Smith (NJ to NSH), DE Corey Spears (OHI to ORL), FB Robert Booker (TEX to WSH), FS Omar Stoutmire (JAX to SEA), LB Barry Minter (LA to SEA), Punter Tom Rouen (PIT to JAX), TE Jamie Asher (NJ to WSH), and WR Troy Brown (PHI to OHI).
League enters TV Negotiations
Once again it is time for the USFL to engage in the regular ritual of negotiating contracts with the major players in television coverage. Contracts with ABC/ESPN and with FOX are up for renewal. NBC is still in place for another 2 years, so we know that the Friday night game is locked in and not going anywhere. But what may be interesting as the league begins talks with the two other primary partners is the impact of the expansion planned for 2006 and 2008. Expansion, specifically to St. Louis and Atlanta, brings two decent-sized markets back to the fold. The potential to add even larger markets in 2008 if Dallas, Miami, or one of Ohio’s open markets, is perhaps even more enticing to the major networks. One question very much to be discussed is the USFL schedule. The networks would love to fill the gaps in the schedule between the USFL and NFL, but USFL owners specifically moved from a 16-game to a 14-game schedule to create longer gaps, which benefit both leagues on issues of player acquisition. Returning to a 16-game schedule would mean shrinking the periods of free agency and again pushing the NFL-USFL transfer windows deeper into camp for both leagues.
But the money is certainly there. USFL broadcasts, while still trailing NFL numbers, are far outstripping those of Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and all but the most compelling playoff series of the NBA. The only real challenge to USFL viewership has been the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament and, as happens with summer broadcasting, the Olympics held in 2000 in Sydney. With another Olympic Games scheduled for mid-summer 2004 (Athens) there will once again be scheduling issues, though this is mainly a problem for NBC, as it holds the rights to both the Olympic Games and Friday Night Football. FOX and ABC/ESPN are more than happy to put late season and playoff games of the USFL up against time delayed coverage of track & field, diving, and volleyball. Yes, the occasional Team USA basketball game, or women’s gymnastics can lower USFL ratings, but this is typically only for 1 weekend a year.
So, what do we expect from these talks. Some grousing about schedules, some pressure for the league to look at large markets for expansion, but in the end, we fully anticipate a deal that splits the Saturday and Sunday day games between FOX and ABC, and preserves Saturday and Sunday Night Football for ESPN. The formula has worked very well for all three networks, the broadcast teams are in place, and the production value has worked well for all parties, so we don’t anticipate major changes, only a change in cost for the networks.
There you have it, our second Offseason Report. Next up is camp and preseason football, mixed in with the NFL-USFL Transfer Window. We shall see if we have any late February surprises, and soon we will be looking at depth charts, predicting the season, and inevitably getting most of our picks wrong. We will see you in just a few weeks, ready to gear up for USFL Football.