To say that the last month has been a flurry of activity would not do it justice. We had mid-camp trades, we had late signings, an active NFL-USFL window that saw a past Super Bowl MVP come to the USFL, we even had what essentially turned out to be a QB swap between the USFL and the CFL, something we do not see every year. We also had a good number of top USFL draft picks opt out in favor of fall football with the NFL, including both of the top QB’s in the draft pool. And now, as teams focus on the final preseason game of the and year finalize their rosters for Week 1 of the regular season, we can look back, determine who looks like an improved team, and who may slide a bit. Look ahead to some of the exciting new faces on USFL rosters, and prepare to get wrapped up in spring football once again. Let’s get right to it with our Story of the Month.
Kurt Warner to Philadelphia
We knew something was up when the Stars did not make a big trade to land a QB, and then did not move up to draft a QB, they had to have a plan in place. Everyone figured that neither Will Furrer or untested David Garrard would finish camp as the starter in Philly, and we all were right. On the first day of the NFL-USFL transfer window the Stars made a major move which we suspect has been in the works for a while, at least since the NY Giants released former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner. Warner, who rose to fame after a miraculous 1999 season with the St. Louis Rams, was the poster child for the undervalued and overlooked player who made it big. He went to 2 Super Bowls with the Rams, winning them both, but later suffered some bad years and was sent off to the Giants. He showed some signs of life in New York, but a combination of injuries and bad teams once again knocked Warner down. So now he gets to start over again, a new team, a new league, and a new lease on life.
Warner will join a very different Philadelphia Stars team from the one that limped through the 2004 season. The Stars have a new head coach in first time HC Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL QB himself. He has a slew of new teammates, all learning what Philly is going to be about together. Not the least of these new teammates is the 2004 USFL Rushing Leader, Ahman Green, formerly of the Nashville Knights. Green instantly gives Philadelphia a run game that it has been looking for over the past few years. Add in some significant talent outside with Steve Smith and Amani Toomer, and don’t forget new additions like WR Charles Lee (NFL signee) and rookie receivers Roddy White and Rasheed Marshall, and this Stars offense could be a very different beast, one that Kurt Warner could turn from docile pup to ferocious wolf.
Favre Unretires Just as Most Expected
Well, that did not last long. Only about 5 months after announcing his retirement, former Birmingham QB Brett Favre announced he was unretiring and immediately signed to play with the New York Jets. Essentially, he is taking about 18 months off, missing the 2004 NFL season and the 2005 USFL season, and then returning to action in Fall of 2006. This was not unexpected. Many who knew Favre were pretty sure he was not done with the game, and since the Stallions held his rights in the USFL the best option was to look at the NFL and see if he could sign a deal for 2006. Will the long gap between seasons be an issue for one of the USFL’s most heralded quarterbacks, and will going to a team that is somewhat infamous for finding ways to screw up sweet situations lead to greater issues for Favre? Interesting questions, but after years of surviving behind less-than-stellar lines in Birmingham, a long rest period and a chance to play for a new team may just be what Favre needs to regain his swagger.
A Rare CFL-USFL Swap
Technically it was not a swap per se, but it essentially ended up that way. Las Vegas, having traded with Oakland for the right to pick Aaron Rodgers in the USFL Territorial Draft, was scrambling after Rodgers signed with the NFL 49ers, who selected him first overall in the NFL Draft only 2 weeks later. With Aaron Brooks now looking like the starter for the Thunder, and only rookie Brock Berlin behind him on the depth chart, the Thunder started looking at every possible answer. They could try to resign Akili Smith, but that would be an embarrassing step backwards for a team that seemed pretty comfortable letting Smith go. They looked at the USFL free agent pool and did not find anyone at such a late date who could even be expected to back up Brooks, much less challenge him for the starting job. With Philadelphia jumping on Kurt Warner on the first day of the NFL-USFL transfer window, Las Vegas’s only NFL option would be Vinny Testaverde, and the asking price and risk for an elder statesman QB was not something Phil Ruffin and the Vegas ownership group would support. So, what do the desperate Thunder do? They head off to the Great White North, eh.
With several pro-seasoned QBs in Canada, Las Vegas looked for a player who as entering free agency in the CFL and found what they were looking for in the form of Saskatchewan QB Henry Burris. Burris had spent the past 2 years in Regina after previously playing for the Stampeders, as well as having short stints in Chicago and Green Bay with the NFL. While hardly a household name south of the 49th parallel, Burris has been successful with the Roughriders, throwing for 23 TDs and 4,267 yards in 2004.
So, the Las Vegas Thunder now have a backup QB who could potentially challenge Aaron Brooks for the starter position, and what is more, he and Brooks play a similar style, so OC Joe Tiller can build one offense and not worry if a QB shift is needed at any point in the season. But, what about Saskatchewan, who just lost their starting QB. They now found themselves in the same position Las Vegas had been in. So, what do they do? They sign the best available USFL free agent, who just happens to be former Las Vegas Thunder starter Akili Smith. So, while no interaction occurred between the Thunder and the Roughriders, what we have is essentially a swap of starting QBs from 2004. One of the offseason’s weirder storylines to be sure.
NFL and USFL Signings
The Warner signing in Philadelphia and the QB swap involving Las Vegas were hardly the only big offseason stories to break over the past month. We will leave our discussion of the hits and misses in the draftee signings for a little bit later and start off with our Top 10 NFL and USFL signings of the past month.
10—Honestly, the NFL signings to the USFL this year were not exactly earthshaking, so rather than try to pick the one we think could have a big impact, here are several that will at least produce some interest around the league: QB Kelly Holcomb leaves the Browns to back up Tom Brady in New Jersey; OT Jonas Jennings departs the cold of Buffalo for the Orlando Renegades. Orlando also inked slot receiver Eddie Berlin from the Tennessee Copperheads. WR Travis Taylor (Ravens) and LB Donnie Spragan (Broncos) both found their way to the Gold, who continue to surprise us with their offseason spending. TE Marcellus Rivers (Giants) is now a member of the Michigan Panthers, and Memphis added depth behind Heath Shuler, by signing scrambler Mike McMahon away from the Detroit Lions. CB Kenny Wright (Oilers) will now be in Las Vegas, while HB Anthony Thomas (Bears) moves to Houston to back up Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell. Finally, the last name we expect to play a factor this year, SS Kenoy Kennedy (Broncos) is now going to join Tampa Bay as they try to add depth to the secondary.
9—Leaving behind a pretty lackluster NFL free agent crop for anyone not named Kurt Warner, USFL teams spent a lot more time shuffling their own rosters with other USFL players. The first of these on our Top 10 late acquisitions list is free agent TE Itula Mili, who now finds himself as the 2nd TE behind Stephen Alexander in Ohio. Not bad ending up on a team that most expect to contend for the title once again.
8— At the 8 spot we find another TE, as talented Outlaw blocking TE Roland Williams will now be helping Jacksonville protect Jake Delhomme. With the Bulls, Williams may even get the chance to be a primary receiver, something he never was able to accomplish in Texas.
7— QB Todd Boumann was expected to be a pretty hot commodity this offseason, but he never got the offer he and his agent expected. There was thought that he could end up in the NFL after clearing most of the free agency period, but just as NFL teams like the Cardinals and Chiefs started inquiring, his agent was able to get him a deal with the Texas Outlaws, where he could put some pressure on Jeff Lewis.
6— We have two trades in the past month that involved 4 players changing squads. The first of the two is between Chicago and Memphis, as the Machine cleared some cap and picked up players and a draft pick from Memphis. The Showboats got the better of the initial deal, but when you add in the 2nd round pick in next year’s draft, it is clear Chicago is looking long term. Memphis upgrades at two key positions of need, adding SS Coy Wire and TE Been Hartsook, while Chicago has a bit of a downgrade, receiving TE Michael Ricks and SS Glenn Earl.
5— Guard Tuten Reyes is one of the better players to slip to the end of the free agency period, but he eventually found a home with the New Jersey Generals. Not too shabby, moving to the league champion and immediately getting a shot to help New Jersey return to the Summer Bowl once again.
4— We were wondering what would happen to Joe King after most teams seemed to settle their SS position while the former All-USFL safety was still out there. Well, the ignominy of not being snatched up quickly may well be a reason why King recently announced his plan to sit out a year, to heal, and to then determine if he was retired or returning to the field at 36 years old in 2006. We think there are certainly teams who would have benefitted from Joe King in the secondary, but apparently not at the price he was asking.
3— One of the biggest darkhorses for a breakout 2005 season has been TE Bradford Banta. After a really strong campaign with Tampa Bay, one which saw him overtake Jeremy Schockey as Duante Culpepper’s preferred safety valve targets, Banta entered free agency and waited…and waited… before finally getting an offer he could jump at as the newest member of the Houston Gamblers. Houston did very little in the early stages of free agency, but they have come on strong at the end, and likely at a bargain as player demands tend to dip once camps open.
2— A 4-player trade brings two very high quality players to new teams as Houston continues to wheel and deal late in the offseason. The Gamblers depart with DT Leonard Renfro, sending the big man over to Nashville for a younger edge rusher to pair with Kavika Pittman. It looks like Osi Umenyiura will immediately take over the Michael Sinclair role in Wade Phillips’ defense. It is a fascinating swap in that both players were very solid in 2004, and did not seem to be on the trading block, but Houston needed more edge help, confident that Richard Seymour could more than hold his own in the middle, while Nashville, feeling good about pairing KGB with 2nd year player Jared Allen, felt that Umenyiura was worth trading if it would help shore up a pretty weak interior line. The trade also included DE David McMillan of Houston and DT Anttaj Hawthorne of Nashville, as both clubs essentially swapped a reserve player to fill the spot left by the other club’s departing top tier player.
1—We know we have covered this before, but how can Philadelphia’s signing of former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner not be the top move of the late free agency period. When you pair it with the best pickup of the opening month of free agency, signing Nashville’s Ahman Green, it is hard not to be bullish on the Stars as a team capable of jumping from the basement to the penthouse. Of course, they will need to get past New Jersey to do that, but how fun will those two games between the Stars and Generals be this year?
Other moves worth noting: Arizona sent backup HB Earnest Graham to Washington for two 5th rounders, a move that makes sense after the Wranglers added Duce Staley and Larry Johnson this offseason. The move should be a good one for Graham, who has shown some sparks, but just never got the chance in Arizona. With the Federals he will be behind Duce McCallister, but he should be 2nd on the depth chart, and that means more opportunities to shine.
In another interesting development involving the Wranglers, LB Kevin Hardy, after announcing his retirement from football, reconsidered, and accepted an offer from the Wranglers to return as a member of their squad. But, in order to sign Hardy, Arizona had to compensate the Nashville Knights, who still owned the rights to the shortly-retired linebacker. A 5th round pick next year did the trick, and now the 32-year old LB joins the Wranglers in what could be a crowded linebacker group alongside Lance Briggs, Karlos Dansby, Corey Miller, and Antony Jordan.
Rookie Signing Review
As always the excitement of the USFL Draft quickly fades into the harsh reality that the USFL and NFL are in competition and that no team’s picks are guaranteed. The USFL tends to do well in later rounds, while the NFL has more resources to sign the bigger name players, though every year a solid 10-12 NFL first round picks end up choosing the USFL. This year we saw mixed results, with QB being a tough position for the USFL while defenders seemed to be more likely to join the spring league. We will start our review with the big fish that got away, and then look at those who are in camp and ready to roll with the USFL this spring.
The Ones that Got Away
QB Aaron Rodgers (Cal): Signs with San Francisco 49ers. Selected by Texas by trading their #1 overall pick to Oakland for the Invaders’ first T-Draft selection. A big swing and a big miss for the Outlaws as they gave up the #1 overall pick to draft Rodgers only for the Cal QB to stay in the bay area with the 49ers. Not only does Texas not have a franchise QB for the next decade, they now have a disgruntled starter at the position in Jeff Lewis.
WR Braylon Edwards (Michigan): Signs with Cleveland Browns. Drafted by Oakland #1 overall. The Invaders were hoping to bookend Edwards with Plaxico Burress, but now they will have to look to Taylor Jacobs and Marty Booker to take pressure off Burress.
CB Adam “Pac Man” Jones (WVU): Signs with Tennessee Copperheads. Drafted by Birmingham #6 overall. This may be a dodged bullet for the Stallions. Jones has some issues which are just now coming to light, and that could be an issue moving forward.
QB Alex Smith (Utah): Signs with Washington Redskins. Drafted by Orlando #7 overall. Orlando was another team hoping they had the stuff to land a potential franchise QB, but once again the NFL offer was too good. So Smith heads to DC in the fall and it looks like Jeff Blake now has the chance to prove he is a starting QB. With only Koy Detmer and late round QB Matt Cassel of USC on the roster, the job is his to take.
WR Matt Jones (Arkansas): Signs with Jacksonville Jaguars. Drafted #9 overall by Jacksonville Bulls. The Bulls needed this signing, but they got outbid by the other Jacksonville club, the Jags. The Bulls now have Anquan Boldin and then we are not sure. Javon Walker was the #2 last year, but the Bulls brought in Donald Hayes from New Jersey, so this could be a season long battle.
HB Ronnie Brown (Auburn): Signs with the Miami Dolphins. Drafted #17 overall by Houston. The Gamblers were hoping to bring in the big back and move towards more of a lead back model, but they may have to stick to their HB by committee, rotating Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson, and NFL castoff Anthony Thomas into the position.
OT Alex Barron (FSU): Signs with the St. Louis Rams. Drafted #19 overall by Boston. This cannot make Drew Bledsoe happy. Boston’s line is absolutely in flux, which could be a real issue for the Cannon offense.
OT Michael Roos (EWU): Signs with Houston Oilers. Drafted #22 overall by Tampa Bay. Tampa was hoping to boost Daunte Culpepper’s numbers even more with better protection. They did add some help this offseason, but Roos would have been a nice upgrade.
LB David Pollack (Georgia): Signs with Cincinnati. Drafted #30 by New Orleans Breakers. The Breakers spent a lot of energy and capital trying to reinforce a lot of holes in the defense, but LB was a bit of a luxury. If their signings at DE and DT work out, this may not be that bad of a whiff.
DT Mike Patterson (USC): Signs with the Philadelphia Eagles. Drafted #33 by the LA Express. LA wanted to try to bring in a younger version of Norman Hand after Hand left in free agency. They picked Patterson in the Open Draft after passing on him in the T-Draft, and that seemed to rub the big DT the wrong way.
WR Mark Bradley (OU): Signs with the Chicago Bears. Selected in T-Draft by New Jersey. With Donald Hayes now in Jacksonville, Bradley would have been a good add, but the Generals, still living in the afterglow of their league title, should do fine by moving either Jerome Pathon or another rookie, Mark Clayton, into the #2 position.
HB J.J. Arrington (Cal): Signs with the Arizona Cardinals. Selected in T-Draft by Oakland. Oakland lost both Mack Strong and Rashaan Salaam this offseason, so Arrington would have been an instant impact player, but the Cal star heads to the desert with the NFL Cardinals and Oakland now turns to Ricky Williams, just reinstated in the league, to move the rock.
QB Charlie Frye (Akron): Signs with the Cleveland Browns. Drafted in 3rd round by Ohio. A third round QB is never a sure thing, so we don’t feel too bad for Ohio. They still have 3-time MVP Kerry Collins at the helm and Chris Redman is a more than adequate #2.
The Most Anticipated 2005 USFL Rookies
Despite missing out on some pretty big name players, including both Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith, there are still several big time college players who you will be able to see in USFL uniforms this year. Here is our quick rundown of the 15 rookies we expect to make big waves in 2005.
15—Darren Sproles, HB, Dragons: Seattle loves his ability on kick and punt returns, and we expect to see him a lot on third down as well.
14—Courtney Roby, WR, Federals: The Indiana product could see some time backing up Deion Branch. He is not suited to be a slot receiver, so his action will come as others get spelled on long drives.
13—Carlos Rogers, CB, Express: Rogers will start out as the nickel back for LA, but we would not be surprised to see him overtake Renaldo Hill by season’s end as the #2 CB.
12—Kirk Morrison, LB, Showboats: A smart and hard-hitting LB, Morrison earned the starting MLB position in camp, really unusual for a rookie.
11—Reggie Brown, WR, Dragons: Brown has had something of an up and down preseason. He still should see action, though likely only subbing for O.J. McDuffie on some drives.
10—Vincent Jackson, WR, Maulers: Chosen alongside Mike Williams, Jackson has shown more in camp and will get the chance to show his stuff as a starter alongside Nate Burleson, while Williams is relegated to spot duty. But, of course, this could change at any time.
9—Erasmus James, DE, Federals: James is viewed as a plug and play guy for the Feds. He will take over at Left Ed, with Greg Spires holding down the RE position.
8—Cedric Benson, HB, Gold: You know Denver will run Benson into the ground if he will let them. He still needs to work on his receiving and blocking skills if he wants to stay in for all 3 downs, but at least we should expect him in the backfield each and every 1st and 2nd down.
7—Justin Tuck, DE, Stallions: The golden domer was seen as a bit of a stretch for the Stallions, but he has been a star in camp and starts the season as the swing DE behind Grant Wistrom and Mike Rucker.
6—Roddy White, WR, Stars: A good slot receiver who is showing an affinity for the one-handed grab in camp. White will be the designated slot receiver (#3) when the Stars take to the field.
5—Troy Williamson, WR, Thunder: Williamson is another rookie who looks to get lots of snaps as a slot receiver, with Muhammad and Hatchette locking down the two outside receiver positions.
4—Frank Gore, HB, Knights: Gore fell to the perfect position, a team desperate to find a new HB after losing Ahman Green to the Stars in free agency. Can the Miami product handle the load? He had better, because Leon Johnson and fellow rookie Cedric Houston are the only other backs that Nashville retained after final cuts.
3—DeMarcus Ware, LB, Panthers: This was a tough call, because both Ware and MLB Shawne Merriman are expected to start as rookies for the Panthers. This could be a disaster or it could give Michigan one of the most aggressive and violent LB corps in the league.
2—Cadillac Williams, HB, Showboats: Another halfback falling to a team that will do everything they can to get him the ball and hope it works out. Williams will be the starter in Memphis, but is likely to step out on 3rd down in favor of fellow rookie Lionel Gates or backup Maurice Smith.
1—Jason Campbell, QB, Stallions: Of the three projected 1st round QBs, only Campbell signed with his USFL club, and Campbell is being handed the keys to the car as it were. He will be under pressure, stepping in after Brett Favre, but he will likely have a reduced roll in Coach Franchione’s offense, as they refocus on the run with Shaun Alexander leading the charge.
Other players to watch:
DT Luis Castillo (TEX), DE Chauncey Davis (ORL), CB Marlin Jackson (CHI), S Antrel Rolle (TBY), TE Joel Dreesen (OAK), WR Mike Williams (PIT), WR Roscoe Parrish (TBY), LB Channing Crowder (ORL), DE Dan Cody (NJ), LB Lofa Tutupu (LA), HB Maurice Clarett (CHI), HB Brandon Jacobs (PIT), WR Mark Clayton (NJ), HB Marion barber (BOS), TE Bo Scaife (TEX), and WR Lance Moore (BOS)
Week One Preview
We will be looking at the team by team predictions and roster changes in the 2nd half of our 2005 USFL Preview Edition, but we thought we would at least highlight the best matchups and most interesting stories of Week One as we prepare to kick off the 23rd season of USFL football.
New Jersey @ Seattle: A really interesting cross-country matchup kicks us off the 2005 season on Friday Night. The league champions head out to Seattle to face the Dragons in one of their biggest prime time games ever. Can the Pacific Division champs make a statement right out of the gate? Will New Jersey have a pass rush without Phil Hansen? A really good kickoff game.
Philadelphia @ Las Vegas: We put this game up here as a game that is all about teams trying to reinvent themselves. The Stars have a new coach, new QB, new HB and new attitude. They are a darling of the press after signing Ahman Green and snagging a former Super Bowl MVP in Kurt Warner. Can they put it all together quickly? Las Vegas is the mirror image, a team that swung big to try to land Aaron Rodgers and failed to do so. Can they turn things around for former Tampa Bay Bandit HC Jerry Glanville, or will it be more of the same for this snakebit franchise?
Chicago @ Nashville: Two clubs who look to their defenses to lead the way. Can either develop their offenses enough to make a serious playoff run? And which new players will have an immediate impact? Will it be HB Brian Westbrook or even rookie Maurice Clarett for Chicago, or will Nashville’s late acquisition of DT Leonard Renfro help shut down the run while rookie Frank Gore tries to become the next big thing for the Knights?
Ohio @ Birmingham: A really tough first game for rookie QB Jason Campbell of Birmingham, not because the Ohio defense is a danger to him, but because the pressure to keep pace with Ohio’s point-a-minute offense could require that Campbell sling the ball around more than he ever did at Auburn.
Orlando @ Arizona: The Wranglers had a season to remember in 2004, but they came up just short in the Summer Bowl. Will that stoke the flames for another run, or will they suffer a post-defeat hangover? Orlando seems mismatched with Arizona, but there are a lot of new faces in Renegade helmets, and with a new coach in Emmitt Thomas, cand the ‘Gades kick things off with a win on the road?
Boston @ Houston: An intriguing matchup of two clubs that could be on the way up. Boston had their big leap forward last year, but fell short in the playoffs. They lost a big piece of their success in WR Robert Ferguson, but still look very dangerous. Houston won with defense, and even survived the season-ending injury to Matt Hasselbeck to make the playoffs. What can they do with Hasselbeck back in the fold?
Tampa Bay @ Denver: The Bandits seemed to be on a fast track to a title until they got derailed at home by New Jersey. Denver, for the first time in a long time, got outpaced in their division. Can the Gold rebound, now with a stud rookie HB leading the charge, or will Tampa Bay’s amazing offensive run from 2004 continue with a season opening win at Mile High?
Other matchups include 2nd year QB Ben Roethlisberger leading the Baltimore Blitz against the Oakland Invaders. Washington will head out to LA to take on the Express in a battle of clubs hoping to regain an edge in their divisions. Jacksonville and Texas will clash in the AlamoDome in John Mackovic’s first game as a pro head coach. Michigan will be in New Orleans, with both teams hoping their completely rebuilt defenses can show some early signs of success. And finally, Memphis will host Pittsburgh as both teams look to rookies to reignite their offenses, wideouts Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams for the Maulers and HB Cadillac Williams for the Showboats.