Just ten days away from the start of the 22nd USFL season and there is a buzz in the air. The spring league has been basking in the glow of a superb signing period, with two of the top three quarterbacks in this year’s draft opting to play for the USFL. Add to that a solid number of NFL players opting to join the league, including a third big name QB who has left the fall for the spring and a chance to play closer to home. It has been a very exciting month since the USFL draft, and now, with training camps closing down, the last preseason games in just 2 days and the final roster adjustments ready to be made, the USFL is getting to prepared for the opening kickoff.
It all begins on Friday, March 19th with a good opening game matchup as the Western Conference Champion New Orleans Breakers head up to RFK to face off against the team with the best regular season record last year, the Washington Federals. With all 24 clubs in interconference action in Week 1, we get intriguing matchups all across the schedule, ending with Sunday night’s matchup of Seattle at Pittsburgh, two up-and-coming clubs to be sure. But we get ahead of ourselves. The past month has given us plenty to talk about, and we will start our two part preview by looking at the last month before finishing up with a look forward to the 2004 season ahead of us.
STEVER SPURRIER RISKS IT ALL AND WINS
Two stories intertwined, and now two clubs who will have their histories intertwined as Oakland and Tampa Bay formed part of one of the more intriguing late offseason stories in several years. It began with the the drafting of Philip Rivers #2 overall by the Oakland Invaders. The Invaders, having swung and missed last season in their attempts to sign Carson Palmer out of USC, were dead set on getting a QB in this year’s draft. They scouted both Rivers and Miami of Ohio’s Ben Roethlisberger. When Baltimore traded with Michigan to jump to #1 and pick Big Ben, it all but guaranteed that Rivers would the the choice, and he was.
But Rivers was also the choice of the New York Giants, and given the option between a pretty solid club in the largest media market in the country, and a club in full rebuild mode in Oakland, Rivers opted for the easier path, signing with the Giiants. Once again unable to sign their top pick in the draft, the Invaders were desperate to find a silver lining in what had become very dark clouds. That meant finding a quarterback who could legitimately be viewed as a long term solution for the Invaders. Of course, by February there are not a lot of those on the market. The best USFL free agent at the position was Mark Bulger, hardly a name that would quiet the outrage of Invader fans. The NFL had a couple of true quality quarterbacks in the free agent pool, but coming to Oakland did not seem an easy sell for an NFL defector.
Enter Steve Spurrier and the Tampa Bay Bandits. With Tampa Bay not making a serious push to snag a rookie QB for Spurrier’s offense, the assumption had been that he had seen enough in Trent Green from the 2002 season (before an injury kept him out for nearly all of 2003) to feel comfortable going into the season with Green as the starter. Apparently that perception was false. Spurrier offered Green to the Invaders, and for a relatively reasonable price for a solid starting QB, though one with significant rehab still ongoing. Oakland could have the former Blitz and Bandit starter for two 2005 draft picks, a first-rounder and a third-rounder. It took Oakland less than 24 hours to review the proposal and accept it, sending Green to the Bay area to play for his 3rd team in 4 years.
But what was Tampa Bay going to do at quarterback? They had not chosen one in the draft, the free agent pool was thin, and there was no way that Kent Graham was going to be the starter. Count on the Old Ball Coach to have a plan. It appears that in conversations with several NFL/USFL agents, Spurrier had learned that Tampa Bay was on the short list for one of the NFL’s most prized free agents, former University of Central Florida QB Duante Culpepper. The big receiver had spurned the advances of the USFL back in 1999 when he came out of UCF, but after several very good years in Minnesota, the chance to be a free agent, return to Florida, and perhaps the enticing opportunity of playing for Spurrier and throwing the ball to Randy Moss, made the deal one the All-Pro QB was happy to consider.
After a tense 4 days when Bandit fans wondered what Spurrier had been up to, the announcement was made that a deal had been cut for Culpepper to join the Bandits. The reaction was immediate. The Sports Talk phonelines lit up, the Vegas oddsmakers immediately shifted Tampa Bay’s championship odds from 200-1 to only 30-1. Culpepper would bring instant clout to the Bandit offense, and an arm that can put fear into any defense. With Moss, HB Willis McGahee, and TE Jeremy Shockey, the Bandits could indeed bring back the vertical offense and multifaceted run/pass game that had made Spurrier a household name and a desired commodity. The Bandits were looking up, and in a division that feels very much unsettled, the fans have hope that the Bandits are in good hands and headed in the right direction.
While the Duante Culpepper signing was certainly the most dramatic of the NFL/USFL Transfer Window, it was hardly the only signing that has the potential to impact the 2004 season. As expected the USFL made up some ground in the balance of transfer between the two leagues, with many NFL free agents available after the conclusion of the Super Bowl in late January. There would be a few departures from the USFL to the fall, most notably that of TE Kyle Brady to the NY Jets, DE Renaldo Turnbull to the Oilers, CB Tyrone Legette to the Chargers, and LB DeShone Myles to the Cowboys. However, when compared to the number of NFL players, many starters in the fall league, who would join USFL clubs and help fill up late offseason gaps in their rosters, the balance certainly leaned in favor of the spring league this time around. Looking at the signings this February, this is our pick for the 10 most influential moves from NFL to USFL, with Culpepper solidly at #1.
10) Reggie Tongue, S, Memphis—The Showboats continued to try to improve a defense that let them down last season, signing the former Chief and Seahawk centerfielder. Tongue is good in coverage and a solid tackler. He could slot in at either strong or free safety, though we expect he will end up at the strong safety position ahead of rookie Glenn Earl from Notre Dame.
9) Ki-Jana Carter, HB, Stars—The former Penn State star has struggled in the NFL with both injuries and the bad fortune of being a NY Jet. After bouncing around the league with Carolina and Green Bay, Carter all but sat out the 2003 season in an effort to rehab knees that had required surgery twice in 3 years. The rehab and subsequent private workouts must have impressed the Stars, who offered Carter a 2-year “Prove It” contract laden with incentives and a league minimum salary.
8) Jeff Gooch, LB, Orlando—The long time Buccaneer doesn’t even have to relocate to sign on with the Renegades. Gooch will be part of a very different LB corps, with Orlando also obtaining Zach Thomas from Arizona in the draft day trade that sent Larry Fitzgerald to the desert, and a promising rookie in 3rd rounder Marquise Cooper from Washington.
7) DE Grant Wistrom, DE, Baltimore—Tom Coughlin wants the Blitz to be a team that offensive coordinators fear. Wistrom is not a 20-sack guy, but he can play both the pass and the run and his presence could free up Andre Wadsworth or provide rookie LB Karlos Dansby with easy blitz options.
6) Orlando Brown, T, New Jersey—The Generals continue to try to rebuild an offensive line that got pretty hard by retirements and free agency. In addition to Brown, who comes over to the USFL after 10 seasons with the Browns/Ravens, the Generals have added Bulls guard Matt O’Dwyer, and drafted Dylan McFarland out of Montana to try to build up that line.
5) Ebenezer Ekuban, DE, Michigan—Sometimes it is creepy how close the moves of Baltimore and Michigan seem to be. Coach LeBeau is also interested in generating more pass rush, and Ekuban has been erratic with the Cowboys, but he has speed and a good swim move. Rotate him with Aaron Schobel, Anthony Abrahms, and Leonard Little and you could certainly keep offenses guessing.
4) Tutan Reyes, G, Washington—The Federals land themselves a solid NFL guard in Reyes. In several seasons with 3 of the 4 teams of the NFC South (Saints, Panthers, Bucs), Reyes has been a steadying influence and a good run blocker.
3) Shawn Springs, CB, Houston—One of the best defensive free agents in the NFL goes to one of the best defenses in the USFL. If you think that does not worry folks in Denver, San Antonio, and Phoenix, I think you are kidding yourselves.
2) Keyshawn Johnson, WR, Los Angeles—Before the Culpepper signing, all the talk was about the gamble that Coach Hall was taking bringing in Keyshawn. Truth is the former USC Trojan is perfect for the Express. An LA guy, a good route runner who can still handle the intermediate routes that will free up Tory Holt deep. Basically a pretty good move after the loss of Amani Toomer. Now, if Keyshawn can just stay happy and out of the media, the Express will be very glad they signed him. Yup, a big “if”.
1) QB Duante Culpepper, QB, Tampa Bay—This one is the gamechanger, the signing that could move the Bandits from the “and they also played this week” type of team into a headliner. Snagging the All-Pro quarterback will define the year for Coach Spurrier. If he can get him on the same page quickly with the returning Bandit skill players, the chance is there for Culpepper to help Tampa Bay do big things this year.
DRAFT DISAPPOINTMENTS
While it is certainly the focus of this preview to focus on the players who are suiting up this March with your favorite USFL teams, the reality each and every year is that the NFL and USFL are in a bidding war for talent, and each year there are as many disappointments for USFL fans as there are exciting signings. In addition to players moving back and forth in the Transfer Window, there is the matter of the two Collegiate Drafts, held only 2 weeks apart, and the subsequent war of agents and GMs trying to sign as many of the top picks as possible. While this year was very promising with many Top 20 picks signing with the USFL and a solid 51.1% signing rate of all picks, there were still some disappointing misses as the NFL also got their fair share of big name talent. Here is our list of the 10 most disappointing missed draft picks, players who opted for the NFL to the detriment of the USFL squad who drafted them.
TE Kellen Winslow II, Tampa Bay (Signed with Browns):
The Bandits had a pretty successful offseason, and they landed Winslow’s U. of Miami teammate Jonathan Vilma, which is a bigger need. Winslow felt like a luxury pick, and when the bidding war got serious with Cleveland, that luxury just got too pricey for the Bandits to stay competitive.
TE Benjamin Watson, Memphis (Signed with Patriots):
Tight End was a problem for the USFL this draft. They lose Winslow to the Browns and then Watson to the Patriots. Guess that makes Orlando the big winner for landing their T-Draft TE pick, Ben Troupe of Florida.
HB Kevin Jones, Baltimore (Signed with Lions):
Jones was going to be the Lightning to Ron Dayne’s thunder, at least that’s what fans (and likely Coach Coughlin) hoped. But the Hokie halfback was offered a chance to be a full-time starter in Detroit and balked at the prospect of playing second fiddle to the big back in Baltimore.
QB J.P. Losman, Birmingham (Signed by Dolphins):
You would think the prospect of spending a year or two behind Brett Favre, learning what he has to teach would be appealing, but apparently not. Losman took a shot at becoming a Week 1 starter in Miami, who struggled to only 6-wins with Jay Fiedler at QB. It was a weird pick for Birmingham, who certainly have more immediate needs, and a bit of a waste of a 1st round pick as Losman almost certainly would have been there in the second round, but it ends up being a truly wasted pick (as so many are) when the NFL offer was more enticing.
OT Robert Gallery, Philadelphia (Signed with Raiders):
The big burly tackle out of Iowa opted for the West Coast and a team that has more of an established offense. Can’t really blame him, but the Stars were hoping to lock down that LT position for a decade with Gallery.
DT Vince Wolfork, Tampa Bay (Signed with Patriots):
We said that Tampa Bay had an embarrassment of riches in the T-Draft thanks to the U. of Miami. They did. But they landed only one of the 4 players selected, and then they draft Wilfork in the Open draft and cannot close the deal there either. That has to bother Coach Spurrier, having that much talent available and missing out on most of it.
HB Stephen Jackson, Las Vegas (Signed with Rams):
The Thunder needed a big win at the HB position. Reuben Droughns did not pan out as they had hoped when he came over from Washington and they had hoped Jackson would be a slam dunk. Old school coach Joe Vitt did the Old School USFL move however, drafting two players at the same position within the first three rounds, so the Thunder were able to sign Notre Dame’s Julius Jones, not quite the speedster that Jackson is, but a good inside runner who might just help the Thunder mix up the offense a bit.
CB Deangelo Hall, Baltimore (Signed with Falcons):
Another bad blow for the Blitz. They lose out on their HB choice and on the top corner in the draft. Atlanta may have overpaid to sign Hall, but they have him now, whereas Baltimore is hoping to fill in with Chris McCallister (moving over from nickel), and, yes, the whole city is blind to anything that is not Big Ben related, but having a true shut-down corner was high on Coach Coughlin’s list of priorities.
CB Chris Gamble (signed by the Panthers) and DE Will Smith (Signed by the Saints).
Both were T-Draft choices for the two-time champion Ohio Glory, and both were elite prospects for a defense that simply pales in comparison with the Glory’s offensive starpower. Could Ohio have realistically signed both of them? Not likely, not with their cap limitations, but they were hoping to get at least one of them on board.
QB Philip RIvers, Oakland (Signed with NY Giants):
This one had to hurt Oakland. Yes, they recovered by trading with Tampa Bay for veteran Trent Green, but that makes two years in a row where the Invaders tried to land a young, charismatic franchise QB only to have the player opt to play in the NFL. Eventually the series of band-aid options will not be enough for the Invaders and they will have to do something to try to actually land a blue chip prospect at the position. But for now, Trent Green seems a viable option for Coach Green.
TOP DRAFT CLASSES
So those are the disappointments of the post-draft signing period. Let’s not dwell. It happens every season. Let’s look instead at the success stories, the draft classes that have real potential to contribute right away, to be impactful to their teams right now. In some cases this may be because of a single signing, while in others it is more of a cumulative benefit, but we see these 8 teams as the ones who made significant improvement thanks to both a good draft strategy and the ability to sign key players.
BOSTON: The Cannons did not have a flashy draft, no big trades or shocking moves, but what they did was go for quality and signability. They landed their 1st round pick, DE Jason Babin, and they also added a solid mid-round receiver in Jerrico Cotchery, another in the 5th (Northern Arizona’s Clarence Moore) and a second DE in Roderick Green of Central Missouri State. The double-up strategy is one that has proven effective over the length of the USFL’s existence, and it seems to have produced results for Boston this year.
PHILADELPHIA: While the fans in Philly are not at all happy about missing out on Robert Gallery, they should be focused on the signings the Stars did make. They landed a solid tackle in Jacob Rogers of USC, a quality safety in Madieu Williams, a good developmental DE in Anthony Hargrove, and they might have gotten a steal in the 6th round with HB Cedric Cobbs of Arkansas.
MEMPHIS: They did not land all their top picks, but they got three players early in the draft who we think will be a factor. The trade with Ohio helped them add some speed at wideout by signing Wisconsin burner Lee Evans. They then added DT Marcus Tubbs and DE Reggie Torbor from Auburn. Both should see time in the D-line rotation right away.
BALTIMORE: Yes, they missed on a few picks/signings, but they got the man they wanted at the position they wanted. Ben Roethlisberger could have easily headed off to Pittsburgh and the NFL, but the Blitz gave him enough to entice him to the Charm City. The rest of their draft is a bit hit or miss, but in signing Roethlisberger, they have brought a lot of hope to Blitz fans.
LOS ANGELES: We already mentioned the Keyshawn Johnson signing, but the Express also drafted a versatile receiver in Fresno State’s Bernard Berrian. Expect him to get some time in special teams and in the slot early on. More importantly, the Express were able to sign their top target in the Territorial Draft, DE Kenechi Udeze from USC. Add to this a sneaky good pick in Tulane HB Mewelde Moore and the Express get high marks for their draft.
HOUSTON: They missed on a few of their defensive draftees, and we are still trying to figure out why they drafted a punter in round 5, but what we see in the Houston draft is the potential for real offensive growth over the next couple of seasons. We love the fact that they went big for WR Roy Williams, something the Outlaws refused to do by passing on him in the T-Draft. Williams will be a big help to QB Matt Hasselbeck. And then to have the luck that unprotected HB Tatum Bell from OK State slipped all the way to the 2nd round and Houston’s #29 pick is more than Gambler fans could have hoped for.
ARIZONA: The wheeling and dealing of the Wranglers paid off big time. Not only did they trade to be able to draft (and sign) wideout Larry Fitzgerald from Pitt, but they also moved up in the Open Draft and landed LB Karlos Dansby of Auburn. That is a difference maker on both sides of the ball. We are honestly jazzed to see what OC Greg Landry does to get the ball to both Santana Moss and Fitzgerald. Should be a lot of fun in Tempe this year.
NEW ORLEANS: When a good team can make the jump to being a great team with one move, that is a big move. We don’t see the signing of Eli Manning as an immediate change of the guard for the Breakers, but as we look ahead a year or two, we absolutely think he will be the starter and we see good things ahead. Snagging undervalued TE Chris Cooley in the mid-rounds is just icing on the cake for Coach Nolan.
USFL CAMPS PRODUCE SOME LATE MOVES
In addition to the always dramatic NFL-USFL Transfer Window, we have seen more and more cases of mid-preseason retirements and late offseason free agent signings as teams fine tune their rosters as camp breaks, cuts are required, and teams try to get their rosters right before opening week. So, what did we see this year? Well, no last minute trades, but several retirements and several very late signings. Let’s start with the players who came to camp and then opted to step back and away from the game.
The biggest of the last second departures was DT David Rocker, who, after several productive years in Los Angeles, signed a deal to come to Pittsburgh, but a combination of age, injury, and a very different defensive scheme left Rocker feeling out of sorts, and that led him to speak to Coach Bicknell and leave camp. Pittsburgh had hoped that Rocker would line up next to Russell Maryland, but that role may now have to fall on a rotation of Monsanto Pope and Josh Shaw.
Perhaps a more surprising retirement was that of SS Sam Shade, who had signed a 2-year deal to move from the Maulers to the Stars. Shade had played 9 seasons in Pittsburgh and at 33 appeared to have several more in him, but, citing issues with his health and his focus, Shade opted to step away, much to the dismay of the Stars, who now find themselves looking to either 3rd year backup Marlon McCre or 2nd year Tank Williams as their starting safety. Don’t be surprised if the Stars make a move to shore up that vital defensive position.
Others who opted not to come out of camp but to retire include QB Jason Garrett, who came to the USFL last season, after several years in the NFL. He was cut by the Renegades after they dealt to get both Jeff Blake and Koy Detmer. Garrett briefly joined the Chicago Machine in camp, but opted to return to the Miami Dolphins, now as a QB coach instead of a QB. Another late departure was that of punter Tom Rouen, who left the Bulls after dealing with a hip injury throughout most of camp. Jacksonville opted to sign undrafted rookie James Erwin of USF as their new punter.
In addition to departures, we had several teams that cut their roster below the limit of 53 active players and 8 practice squad signings. That made room for some very late free agent signings as teams tried to either upgrade a weakness discovered in preseason or add one more player at a key position. Many of the signings were essentially players moving from the cutting floor of one club into the practice squad of another, but there were some veteran signings worth noting, including:
Baltimore signed WR J.J. Stokes, after a very good year in Seattle. The Blitz will be Stokes’s 5th USFL club.
Another wideout who found work was former Showboat and Panther Cedric Wilson, who now finds himself in Boston, his 3rd team in 4 seasons.
Las Vegas added three players, signing HB Detron Smith, LB Antony Jordan and LB Shawn Barber after camp led to a bit of a depletion of their linebacking corps.
Chicago also added a veteran backer in former Star and Gambler Mike Peterson. They also opted to sign DT Darwin Walker to a one-year deal.
Michigan added a 3rd tight end to their roster, signing Lovell Pinkney.
LA added free safety Scott Shields.
Ohio gave DE Carl Powell a 1-year deal after he was cut in camp by the Stars.
Finally, Freddie Solomon was finally signed after looking like he might not find a home after getting only 1 start as a Panther last year. Solomon, who had two seasons of over 90 catches in 1998 and 1999 in Pittsburgh, suffered a knee injury in 2000 and has not been the same since, but catches on with the Outlaws, where he will back up Carl Pickens and Ike Hilliard.
With that update we leave you for today, but come back for the second half of our USFL preview, where we will look at all 24 teams, their starting lineup, rookies to watch, and where three football gurus will give us their best predictions for the 2004 season.
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