October 17, 2006
“Devastating”. That is the word which newly appointed USFL Commissioner Don Garber had to say about the NFL’s very successful transfer window, one that saw the signing of three of the USFL’s top quarterbacks as well as a collection of big name players. Garber, the former NFL executive who came to the USFL after a 6-year stint leading Major League Soccer, was well-positioned to recognize the impact of the NFL’s all out assault on USFL free agents, as well as the clear tendency for players and agents to use the two leagues against each other to demand more from each league. Garber, who took office only 1 month ago, could do nothing to impact the results of the NFL-USFL transfer window, but now must deal with the repercussions.
Just how bad was the transfer window for the USFL this year? Well, when both starting quarterbacks from the USFL’s Summer Bowl jump ship within a month of their title game, that is bad. Add in additional departures of top flight talent such as QB Drew Brees, WR Antonio Freeman, CB Deion Sanders, and a range of starters from across the league, it is a hemorrhaging that is certain to impact the USFL profoundly. Let’s start by surveying the damage, then perhaps we can look at how the USFL might react.
The NFL owners had made it clear that their priority was the QB position, and that was certainly the biggest area of damage for the USFL. NFL owners, concerned that big name players like Daunte Culpepper, Drew Bledsoe, and Steve McNair, as well as top-ranked rookies like Matt Leinart, Eli Manning, and Jason Campbell had chosen the spring league over their own, put into place rule changes and initiatives to try to reverse the trend. We will see if the college draft sees a shift towards the fall league, but certainly the wave of signings by the NFL during this fall’s transfer window, shows that the NFL is seriously targeting quarterback as the key to their player acquisition strategy, and that player agents are more than happy to use that emphasis to get the most for their players.
So, who has taken the NFL bait and signed on? We have to start with the two Summer Bowl starters. Tom Brady, leader of the league champion Generals since 2001, was wooed, and signed, by one of the staunchest anti-USFL owners within the NFL, Dallas’s Jerry Jones. Another notoriously anti-USFL owner, Bob Kraft of New England signed away a top USFL QB of his own in the Western Conference Champion LA Express’s Cade McNown. Both players, only weeks after playing in the league title game are now gone, headed to the NFL and already on the field for their teams. A third big name QB, Drew Brees, was signed by the New Orleans Saints, but has been blocked from joining the team by legal maneuvering by the Michigan Panthers, who are claiming tampering. Michigan and the USFL legal team are claiming that contact was made by the NFL, namely the Saints organization, prior to the start of the transfer window period, an action clearly prohibited by the agreement in place between the two leagues. Until his case can be judicated, Brees remains in limbo, expected to join the Saints, but potentially returned to the USFL free agency pool if strong evidence can be found that the Saints tampered by speaking with Brees’s agent prior to the September start date for league transfers.
In addition to these three big name quarterbacks, NFL teams also signed several veteran starters from the USFL who are perhaps on the downside of their careers. These include Jon Kitna by the Lions, Todd Collins by the Bills, Trent Green by the Chiefs, and Trent Dilfer by the 49ers. In each case, these quarterbacks were free agents within the USFL, and many expected that they would not return to their 2006 teams, but to have so many starters depart all at once to the NFL is a shock to the system, and a potential drain of talent that could impact the league’s perception of parity with NFL play. In particular, the loss of both Summer Bowl quarterbacks is clearly a black eye for the league. And if it were only quarterbacks, that would be bad enough, but the bleeding did not stop there.
Among other signings that are sure to damage their USFL clubs, we have Arizona losing three offensive contributors, including their top 2 halfbacks. Stanley Pritchett (Seahawks) and Duce Staley (49ers) accounted for nearly 95% of all rushing yards for the Southwest Division Champions, who also lost WR Nate Jacquet to the Vikings. Birmingham saw team captain, linebacker Ted Johnson, leave for the Bengals, and strong safety Kwammie Lassiter head to the Saints. For Chicago it was veteran DE Simeon Rice (Bucs) and free safety Omar Stoutmire (Oilers). Houston lost both their leading rusher, Mike Anderson, and their top receiver, Antonio Freeman. Anderson will now be a Denver Bronco, while Freeman signed with the Green Bay Packers. Those are both big blows for the Gambler squad.
As we already noted, New Jersey, the league champion, lost leaders on both sides of the ball as Brady was signed by Jerry Jones’s Cowboys and Deion Sanders returned to the NFL with the 49ers. Oakland saw one-time starter Trent Green leave for Kansas City, but also lost LB Henri Crockett to the Oilers. Orlando also saw two players leave, both starters, as LT Kyle Turley (Jags) and WR Jabar Gaffney (Redskins) both leap to the NFL. For Texas, QB Trent Dilfer and HB Marcel Shipp are now both NFL bound. And for Washington, it is veteran WR Bobby Engram as well as fullback Robert Booker who leave for the fall league.
We should also mention the signings of LT Adam Meadows (Blitz to Giants), CB Fred Thomas (Bulls to Cardinals), LT Todd Steussie (Thunder to Vikings), and SS Je’Rod Cherry (Skyhawks to Raiders). All in all, a much more impactful and damaging haul from the NFL than in past seasons. Whereas in past years there was a tendency to see more NFL signings in September, with the USFL rebounding in the 2nd Transfer Window in January, this year’s haul was far more detrimental and far greater in scope than we have seen in the past. And while some teams were already bracing for certain players to leave (Dilfer from Texas was already replaced by Jeff George in a trade this July), many were simply not ready.
As teams scramble to fill gaps in free agency and through the draft, the league as a whole will need to develop a strategy to deal with the aggressiveness of the NFL over the next few seasons before the transfer-window agreement is due to expire in 2010. Until then the rules are pretty much set, so the league may have to either find funding to support retention of their own players or develop a better strategy to avoid the delay tactics we saw from several agents and players, delays that made it possible for those players to wait until the transfer window opened and the NFL could begin to bid on players.
One final note on this story as we mentioned that Drew Brees’s signing by the New Orleans Saints is currently being disputed. The Saints and the USFL are both expected to make their case before a district court judge in New York next Tuesday, with the hope being that a clear ruling will determine whether or not Brees is able to join the Saints organization or remain a free agent within the USFL. USFL spokesmen seem to be confident that they have uncovered sufficient evidence to back up their claim that the Saints jumped the gun with Brees, who announced his signing with New Orleans only 36 hours after the transfer window had opened. If that is the case, and they can prove that New Orleans violated the terms of the transfer window arrangement between the two leagues, it would not return Brees to the Panthers, but to the free agent pool within the USFL. If that happens, Brees could again sign with the Saints in January, when the window reopens, but USFL clubs would have a chance to match or better the offer from New Orleans in hopes of signing Brees between now and January’s reopened transfer window. With the league already deeply concerned by the NFL signings, we would not be surprised if a league-wide effort to resign Brees in the USFL were not engaged should the court rule in favor of the spring league.
A Look at the QB Situation Following the “Great Exodus”.
Before we move on to other USFL news from the past 10 weeks, we should check in on each club that lost a starting QB and where they stand with a strategy to put a qualified leader on the field next march. We will begin with the teams that seem to be in the best situation and move towards those that might have major concerns.
TEXAS: Losing Trent Dilfer is not a huge shock for the Outlaws. They fully anticipated that Dilfer would move on after the dual indignity of being benched in Week 14 and having Texas trade to bring in Jeff George. The Outlaws were clearly moving on from Dilfer, so this is not so much a crisis as an anticipated reinvention of the Outlaw offensive plans. That the trade for George was made before Texas had replaced John Mackovic with Norv Turner was a bit unusual, but it seems obvious that the hiring of Turner, an offensive specialist, is meant to align with the arrival of George in San Antonio.
OAKLAND: Another case where it seems the team was already in the process of moving on from their 2006 season starter. Despite the fact that Trent Green had taken the Invaders to their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade in 2005, the poor performance of the Invader offense in 2006 led Coach Dennis Green to bench Green in favor of Joey Harrington in Week 11 of the past season. With Green a free agent, the message seemed clear, this would be Harrington’s team in 2007, which is now more obvious with Green’s departure to the NFL. The Invaders will now likely be in the market for a backup, though we expect former NFL QB Jamie Martin to step in at #2. Sounds like a mid-round draft pick at QB is what we should expect.
NASHVILLE: Were the Knights planning on an open competition between veteran Todd Collins and 2006 rookie Jay Cutler? The point is moot now. Collins was signed by the Buffalo Bills and now it seems Cutler is the de facto starter in Nashville. The Knights have Craig Whelihan in place as a backup, and they may go after a veteran backup in free agency (believe it or not there are a few QB’s left available), but it seems clear that the Knights will move on from Collins and start former Vandy star Cutler in 2007.
NEW JERSEY: What options do the Generals have? They just lost the 2-time Summer Bowl MVP and the undisputed leader of their offense in Tom Brady. While the Generals knew Brady was holding out on signing a new deal until the NFL-USFL window, it seems that they fully believed they would be able to resign their QB. Little did they anticipate that Jerry Jones would throw out numbers that more than double the offer that was on the table from New Jersey. It was a no-win situation. The Generals simply could not meet the offer from Dallas, so Brady is headed to the NFL. So, what does New Jersey do now? They had signed former NFL backup Kelly Holcombe prior to the 2006 season to back up Brady. Could he now be the starter for the Generals? Will New Jersey seek a trade to find another option? And who would trade a starting QB at this point? They could look to the draft, but this is not a particularly strong year for the position, and one of the best options, Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, is almost certainly a pick for the Chicago Machine in the T-Draft after they traded away Jeff George.
LOS ANGELES: Things may even be worse for the Express than the Generals. After losing Quincy Carter to the Skyhawks in the 2006 expansion draft, LA has only untested backup Seneca Wallace and 2006 rookie Brodie Croyle on the roster. What is more, their salary cap situation is not great, so the odds of them being able to acquire a sure-fire starter seem less than favorable. There are a few free agents out there, players like Tony Banks, Eric Wilhelm, and Jeff Lewis, but that is not a group that inspires confidence that LA can find a replacement for McNown who can lead them back into the playoff hunt.
MEMPHIS: The retirement of Heath Shuler was always going to be a difficult adjustment for the Showboats. But after a midseason deal brought Jon Kitna to Memphis, he is now a free agent, again leaving the cupboard pretty bare in Memphis. Neither Mike McMahon nor Ken Dorsey seem like viable options if the Showboats want to rebuild their offense. Looking at the draft, they could try to make a play to sign LSU QB Jamarcus Russell, but only if New Orleans does not opt to select him in the T-Draft. They could look at the free agent pool, like LA, but again, there is not much there. And when we look at the NFL, there are almost no QB prospects whose contracts are expiring this year and who might be available in the January transfer window. A deal with another USFL team may be the best option, but Memphis may be holding out hope that New Orleans, with Eli Manning in hand, will pass on Russell. With the 2nd pick in the draft, that would give Memphis a very good chance at the LSU product.
Free Agency Roundup
While the NFL engorged on top flight USFL talent during the transfer window, they did not fully empty the cupboard. USFL teams had a week to sign some free agents before the NFL-USFL window opened, and even after it did, there were still many quality signings within the USFL, including a few key re-signings of players who looked at other offers and then decided to stay put. Here is our look at the Top 15 signings to date in the USFL, and then our list of the 10 best free agents still on the market.
12) WR Demarien McCants (Baltimore to Seattle)
Seattle has been looking for a quality receiver to take some pressure off David Boston, and they may have found one in McCants, who had 64 receptions for 716 yards and 4 TDs with the Blitz, goes from being a #1 target in Baltimore to a second option for a much better offense with the Dragons.
11) LB Mike Crawford (Philadelphia to Houston)
Philadelphia’s top tackler (98 in 2006) heads to Houston, where he joins a stacked defense that also includes Sam Cowart and Nick Barnett at LB.
10) DT Luther Ellis (Pittsburgh to Ohio)
A big need for Ohio, Ellis provides both penetration and space occupation at the nose. His presence should help free up DE Jason Babin, who already had 12 sacks in 2006, for even more in 2007.
9) DE Greg Ellis (Boston to Michigan)
Boston gains a top notch DT but loses their 2nd leading sack specialist in Ellis. Ellis had 9 sacks opposite Jason Babin in Boston and will now line up alongside DT James Manley and likely will rotate with both Ebenezer Ekuban and Leonard Little. We expect Ellis to be the 3rd down and pass play specialist with Little in most early downs.
8) FS Jerome Woods (Atlanta to Boston)
Atlanta’s surprisingly good defense did not go unnoticed, with teams looking to nab some of the talent that had been taken by the Fire in the expansion draft. The first to go is free safety Jerome Woods, who heads to the Cannons, who seem to have learned that defense is an actual thing your team can try to have.
7) WR Anquan Boldin (Jacksonville to Denver)
The first of several big wide receiver moves this season. This one just makes sense. Peerless Price had 121 targets in 2006, and is one of the best possession receivers in the game, but with J. J. Stokes retiring, Denver needed a player who would threaten the defense deep, and Boldin can certainly do that.
6) WR Ike Hilliard (Texas to Jacksonville)
Boldin’s signing by Denver led to a domino effect, with Jacksonville now looking for someone to line up opposite Rashaun Woods. They go for Outlaw receiver Ike Hilliard, who had his first 1,000 yard season this year, with career highs in receptions (74), yards (1,109) and TDs (9). A good pick up for a team that is on the cusp of Summer Bowl contention.
5) C Gene McGuire (Arizona to Los Angeles)
We are not sure who is going to be under center in LA, but at least we now know who that center will be. McGuire is a smart player, and a solid blocker in both passing and run plays. Alongside Jonathan Ogden at LT, McGuire will go a long way to protect whoever LA’s quarterback turns out to be.
4) CB Samari Rolle (Tampa Bay Re-Signs)
The leading tackler for the Bandits ,Rolle did it all for Tampa Bay, and the Bandits could not afford to lose him. It took essentially a 40% increase in his annual salary, but Tampa Bay was able to lure the prolific corner back to the squad.
3) WR Muhsin Muhammad (Las Vegas to Texas)
Boldin to Denver led to Hilliard to Jacksonville, and that meant that Texas needed to find a receiver. Muhammad is getting a little long in the tooth after 11 seasons, but if you want a savvy route runner who still has significant speed, you can do a lot worse than the former Panther and Thunder wideout.
2) G Brendan Stai (Oakland to Jacksonville)
Without a doubt the best offensive lineman in the free agency pool, and Jacksonville continues to spend money to build a team that can get over the hump. Both Jake Delhomme and Antowain Smith will be happy with Stai’s skillset and experience, slotting in at Left Guard from day one in Jacksonville.
1) WR Terry Glenn (New Jersey Re-Signs)
With Tom Brady and Deion Sanders both headed to the NFL, the Generals could not risk losing their other big name star. Glenn was rumored to be talking with both the New England Patriots of the NFL and the Las Vegas Thunder in the USFL, but the Generals opened up their checkbook and made the All-USFL superstar an offer he could not refuse. Now, big question, who is going to get him the ball?
With these 15 players signed to new USFL contracts, just who is left in the pool of free agents? Quite a few names worth following, actually. There are over 50 players still unsigned afte the opening flurry of free agent signings. Here is our pick for the Top 10 remaining free agents
10) DE John Copeland (TBY)
Copeland led the Bandits with only 6 sacks in 2006, and while the 34-year old is unlikely to grab 10+ sacks in the twilight of his career, he is still a very solid end, one who plays the run well and can, if lined up opposite a true speed rusher, create some mismatches.
9) HB R. J. Redmond (STL)
Redmond split carries with both Larry Johnson and Verron Hayes in St. Louis’s backfield this year. That did not go well, limiting the 7th year back to only 305 yards. Put in the right situation, we could see Redmond being a quality backup, looking for somewhere around 10-12 touches per game.
8) FS Marquez Pope (BAL)
Pope played for Baltimore for 7 seasons, averaging around 30-35 tackles per year, along with a mix of sacks and picks. He is not a gamechanger at free safety, but he is a solid player who could help others shine in the defensive backfield.
7) DT Sean Gilbert (TBY)
Going into what would be his 15th season in the league, age and endurance are the concerns we see about Gilbert. The big man did start 40 of 42 games the past 3 years with Tampa Bay, but at 34 the question is whether there is much gas left in the very large tank.
6) CB Al Harris (SEA)
Harris trailed only Godfrey Miles and Brandon Noble in tackles with 69 last year with Seattle. He also had 3 picks in a very solid campaign. We expect someone to lock up the 29-year old corner to at least a 3-year deal. He may not be destined to be a lockdown corner, but he is a very solid zone defender who can also get his fair share of picks.
5) QB Jeff Lewis (ATL)
The NFL did a good job of emptying the QB cupboard in this year’s transfer window. We put Lewis, the former starter in both Texas and Atlanta, as the only QB in our top 10 because he is the only consistent starter. We fully expect Memphis, LA, and maybe even New Jersey to take a shot on Lewis. Wherever he goes, he may well have to battle for the starting job, but at least among the admittedly limited pool of quarterbacks remaining available, Lewis is clearly a step ahead of the others.
4) TE Ben Hartsook (MEM)
After a very promising rookie year in Chicago, Hartsook was sent to Memphis in trade, and has only seen his plays and targets increase. He had career highs in 2006 with 51 targets, which turned into 35 receptions for 322 yards. You won’t get blazing speed with Hartsook, but the team that signs him gets a reliable blocker who can catch the short to intermediate routes for his QB.
3) WR Marcus Robinson (BIR)
The best receiver left on the board, and a pretty darned good one at that. Robinson has been a steady performer for the Stallions since coming into the league 10 years ago. A bit older now, perhaps a step slower, but still a solid threat either at Slot or Flanker. He may not be repeating his 1,000 yard seasons from 2000-2001, but he is certainly worth a flyer if he will sign for a fair price.
2) DE Hugh Douglas (LV)
By everyone’s estimation, one of the most explosive and dangerous edge rushers in the league, and yet he never seems to get the results we expect of him. This is in part due to his languishing on some pretty bad Las Vegas defenses, but even so, Douglas typically averages between 11-14 sacks per season, which a lot of teams could use. He did suffer an injury this year which cost him 5 games and could be making potential suitors nervous.
1) G Ruben Brown (PHI)
We said that Brendan Stai was the highest rated offensive lineman in free agency. We put Ruben Brown there as option 1A. Brown has been an absolute rock of a player since starting 15 of 16 games for Philadelphia as a rookie back in 1995. Age and wear and tear on his big frame is a concern, but if it is a road grater that you are looking for, just ask Ahman Green how much he liked running behind Brown. It does not get much better than Brown at either guard position.
Parcells Steps Down, Romeo Crennell Named Head Coach of Generals
Before the NFL “snatch and grab” in September, the biggest story of the offseason was without a doubt the resignation of New Jersey General Head Coach Bill Parcells. It only took a week after the Summer Bowl victory by the team for their leader and guru Parcells to announce that he had done all he felt he needed to do as a head coach, and that he would step away from the game after finding incredible success in both the NFL and the USFL. Parcells, the only coach to have multiple Lombardi and Bassett trophies in his curio, will retire from football, consider doing some TV work, and likely remain a man who never needs to buy himself his own drinks anywhere in the New York tri-state area.
Parcells’s departure was not unanticipated by the Generals, and they quickly determined that of their two top coordinators, they felt most comfortable turning over the reins to their defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Romeo Crennell. Crennell, who has been with Parcells since the beginning in New Jersey, will step up and take over the position as Head Coach. This means that the younger, more innovative but less experienced offensive coordinator, Sean Payton, would have a choice to make, to stay and finish out his contract with New Jersey, or to field offers from those teams looking for a keen offensive mind to lead their team. He would choose the latter.
Sean Payton hired by Washington
No sooner had New Jersey made the announcement that Romeo Crennell would step into Bill Parcells’s position than the Washington Federals were on the phone with Generals’ OC Sean Payton. By the end of the week, Payton was standing at a press conference at RFK Stadium, announced as the new head coach of the Federals, a division rival to Crennell and the Generals.
Payton now becomes the youngest head coach in the league, and one of the more intriguing. His task, to not only help reinvigorate a Federals defense that plunged from elite to mediocre in 2006, but to try to revive an offense that was one of the worst in the league, scoring only 11 offensive touchdowns in the 14-game USFL 2006 season. Payton’s first big decision will be whether or not to hitch his wagon to veteran QB Kordell Stewart, or to look for a change. The build up to the draft may well be the time when Payton has to make this call, because the Federals could be in a position to leapfrog over QB-hungry Memphis and snag the top pick if they wish to do so. #1 Pittsburgh is a former Federal coach, and could be amenable to a swap from #1 to #4 for the right price. If Payton is not enamored with Kordell Stewart, he could certainly make a deal with Pittsburgh to move up and take a shot at LSU signal caller JaMarcus Russell.
Memphis Goes with Internal Hire Jim Haslett.
Just about 3 weeks after both New Jersey and Washington locked in their new head coaches, the Memphis Showboats finished off the coaching carousel by staying in house. The Showboats selected defensive coordinator Jim Haslett to move up and take on the head coaching role. Haslett, who helped build the Memphis defense along with former Head Coach Jim Mora, will take over as the main man for the Boats. His opposite, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, is expected to stay on with Memphis, serving as the OC and lead play caller for the Showboats, while Haslett works on the defense as well as the big picture for the team.
Maulers send Davis to Atlanta
The rumors were true, and the trade that we all saw coming a mile away was announced just 2 weeks ago. Pittsburgh, in full rebuild mode, had sent their biggest star and future Hall of Fame running back to the Atlanta Fire. Returning to his home state of Georgia, the former UGA halfback seemed energized by the chance to play for fans in Atlanta, stating “I have always considered Georgia my home, and I am here in Atlanta to help this team catch fire.”.
Davis, who has a career rushing total of 13,476 yards (4th all time in the USFL), is entering his 12th season in the league. The 31-year-old rebounded from an injury-riddled 2005 with 1,232 yards and 305 carries in 2006 with a truly bad Mauler squad. He now joins an Atlanta team that surprised everyone by going 7-7 and making the playoffs as an expansion team. Expect the big back to be the focal point of the Atlanta offense in 2007, especially as the QB position for the team remains something of a mystery.
In exchange for the future HOF rusher, the Maulers get both a player they coveted, free safety Sam Shields and two high draft picks, Atlanta’s 2nd rounder this year (#39 overall) and a 3rd rounder in 2008. They also free up nearly $3M in cap space with Atlanta taking on Davis’s lucrative salary. Davis seems happy with the move. Atlanta certainly is. And Ron Rivera adds even more draft capital after the move. After losing their 3rd rounder in the Cody Pickett trade with Seattle, they end up with a second pick in the 2nd round in this deal.
Trades Spice Up Early Offseason
The Davis trade was not the only one to spice up the early part of the USFL offseason. We already saw Jeff George traded to Texas and Cody Pickett sent from Seattle to Pittsburgh. Since those two we have also seen two backup QB’s change hands as Las Vegas sent former CFL QB Henry Burris to the Washington Federals in exchange for a 4th round pick and backup HB Ernest Graham. Orlando also got into the QB swapmeet, sending backup Koy Detmer within the division, heading to Tampa Bay, in exchange for slot receiver and return specialist Tai Streets and a Bandits’ 7th rounder. In a fall highlighted by QB movement, these two moves, both designed to create depth at the position, could have easily fallen between the cracks, but they are still significant moves.
Among non-QB trades, the Davis to Atlanta move is clearly a big one, but it is hardly the only one worth noting. Here are othe trades which could have a significant impact on the 2007 season
In perhaps the biggest trade not yet outlined Las Vegas and Washington agreed on a 2-for-1 trade that sends LB Mark Simoneau (along with 4th round picks in this and next year’s draft) to the Feds in return for CB Michael Booker and DE Erasmus James. Seems like both Ron Rivera and Jerry Glanville are trying to mold their defensive squads to match their preferred systems.
The Maulers continue to be involved in deals, this time trying to find a solution for the departure of Terrell Davis. The Maulers acquire HB Ladell Betts from the Panthers in return for slot receiver Antwan Randle-El. Betts could well be the starter come opening day for the Maulers, while Randle-El certainly fills that much-needed slot receiver spot for the Panthers.
But why, you ask, would the Panthers trade away their leading rusher from 2006? Well, because earlier that same day they acquired HB Justin Fargas from the Oakland Invaders. Fargas, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry subbing for Ricky Williams last season, will likely share carries with Fred Jackson, providing Michigan with a faster combo with more big play capability. In return for Fargas the Invaders get two backups from the Panthers, TE Lovell Pinkney and DE Aaron Schobel.
Las Vegas has been very active on the trade wire, not only did they get two defenders from their deal with Washington, but they added some O-line help in the form of guard Joe Berger in a deal that sent DT Marcus Stroud to the Bulls. Jacksonville had to sweeten the pot a bit, so they will also throw in a 5th round pick this year to the Thunder.
Trapped behind both L. J. Smith and Brandon Manumaleuna on the depth chart in LA, tight end Aaron Shea felt like he was not getting a fair shake. He will have his chance now, with the starting TE position up for grabs in Chicago. Shea was sent to Chicago in trade for free safety Terrence Kiel. A straight up one-for-one deal between the Express and Machine.
The Gamblers bring back a fan favorite in a deal with Atlanta. Last winter Atlanta chose HB Kevin Faulk in the expansion draft, a player Houston had hoped would go untouched despite not protecting the pass-catching halfback for the draft. With Terrell Davis now with the Fire, Atlanta was open to sending Faulk back to the Gamblers, for the right price. Houston wanted Faulk back, and were willing to pay that price, namely sending guard Rex Hadnot and a 7th round pick to the Fire. So, Faulk is back in black and red, and Atlanta gets some help in their interior line.
Finally, Seattle made a deal with Arizona, hoping to lock up the Right Tackle position before the draft. The Wranglers part with tackle Chad Clifton, who had shared time at RT with Ed Ellis, and in return they get a 3rd round pick from the Dragons. Not a flashy move, but a move that could help both teams.
Remaining Needs for all 26 teams
And so, a lot has happened this offseason, and we are only really 2 months into the 6-month hiatus between the Summer Bowl and the opening week of the 2007 season. A lot has happened, and a lot remains to be done as teams prepare for the USFL Draft, continue to make deals, sign free agents, and look into the crystal ball to see what options might exist when the NFL-USFL transfer window opens back up in January. As we look ahead to the next 4 months of deals, drafts, and camps, we still see a lot of questions for a lot of teams. So, here is our look at the next phase of the offseason. We aimed to determine the biggest need for each club, and then provide some ideas on how each club might address those needs. Here is our look at what we see as each team’s most pressing roster position, and some thoughts on how they might find a solution.
ARIZONA: An easy one to spot. Halfback. The Wranglers lost both Stanley Pritchett and Duce Staley to the NFL, so they need both a starter and a change of pace back. Certainly one of the two will come in the draft, but then what about the other?
ATLANTA: It all depends on if they feel comfortable with David Garrard or Sage Rosenfels as their potential starter at QB. If they do, then they could look to add a linebacker, or perhaps a corner. If not, then it has to be a priority to replace Jeff Lewis.
BALTIMORE: So far not a big player in free agency, but Baltimore has clear needs, the most pressing being a top end receiver to replace McCants. There are several options in the draft, and if Baltimore is trying to be frugal, that should be the way to go.
BIRMINGHAM: Safety, linebacker and guard are all positions of need, but again, only if Coach Franchione liked what he saw from Jason Campbell last year. Otherwise, we are right back to QB again, with not a lot of options out there.
BOSTON: The Cannons have already been making deals to improve that defense. Defensive Tackle is the obvious need area right now, so expect a lot of movement to try to lock down that position with some combination of vets and rookies.
CHICAGO: We don’t even need to tell you, right? It is all about Brady Quinn right now. The Machine have not hidden at all their intentions, and are in full wooing mode with the Notre Dame QB. They just added a TE through trade, but the key will likely be how they sweeten the compensation deal for a sure fire first round pick in the NFL draft.
DENVER: The Gold lost both their kicker and their punter to retirement, so special teams will need a little love. Fortunately there is a top quality college kicker in their protected pool, Colorado’s Mason Crosby is right up the road in Boulder, and should be an automatic T-Draft choice.
HOUSTON: With Kevin Faulk back, paired with Tatum Bell, the immediate need for a halfback seems less urgent, so we look at positions on the O-line, particularly right tackle and center, as must have acquisitions.
JACKSONVILLE: A very active team so far. The Bulls have already upgraded at guard with Brendan Stai, at CB with Sheldon Brown, and have done their best to deal with Anquan Boldin’s departure by adding Ike Hiliard to their receiving corps. They also brought in Marcus Stroud at DT through a trade, so what is the priority now? Well, they still don’t have a kicker, and a QB3 could be a good thing to add as well.
LAS VEGAS: Another very active team. They have added picks, traded picks away, added players and traded players away. Their roster is in flux, to be sure, but the one thing they still need to add is a dominant halfback. We just don’t see Rhodes or Julius Jones fitting the bill, so expect some action in the draft to try to find a true lead back.
LOS ANGELES: The Express were not prepared for Cade McNown to sign with the NFL. They are pretty solid across most of their roster, and Coach Jackson is saying all the right things about both Seneca Wallace and Brodie Croyle, but the Express faithful are not feeling good about either as their new starter.
MEMPHIS: Another team desperately trying to figure out the QB position. But, we already knew this, so what else is on their plate. How about adding some linebacker depth. The Showboat defense needs some swagger and some brute force. A good outside LB can help provide both.
MICHIGAN: While the Panthers are certainly hoping that the hearing on the Drew Brees signing will return Brees to the free agency pool, but they should not expect that this would be an automatic return to the Panther fold. There are too many teams desperate for a QB to assume he would return to Michigan. If he does not, then the team could well be handed over to Brian Griese, a better backup plan than many other teams have at the position.
NASHVILLE: With Jay Cutler ready to take over, we don’t see QB as an area of need. Nashville has two big needs that stand out far more, cornerback and wideout. The Knights need to see if they can land a quality player at both positions, but the WR pool is growing thin, so we might have to wait until the draft to see if the Knights can find themselves a bona fide pass catcher.
NEW JERSEY: Here we are again talking about the QB position. Kelly Holcombe could be the answer, and if he is, then New Jersey has a pretty solid roster. They might take a shot at a top DT if one is available, but let’s not assume that new coach Romeo Crennell is ready to give up on finding a true leader at quarterback. The loss of Brady is huge and New Jersey is not the kind of market that will tolerate a vacuum at such a vital position.
NEW ORLEANS: The Breakers are gearing up for a big Welcome Home party in March, after a year that was both incredibly difficult and incredibly satisfying for the Breaker organization. We still think the run game of Troy Davis and Chris Perry is not up to par with what a winning team needs, so we expect to see New Orleans go for a back. Their other move may be to cut a deal with another USFL club to draft JaMarcus Russell from LSU, sign him, and then trade him. That is allowed even after the league made it impossible to simply trade away T-draft picks.
OAKLAND: Linebacker is a key need, in fact, two linebackers would be better than one in the case of the Invaders. They need more range in their starters, but could use greater depth as well. This could be a draft priority, or they could look in the free agent pool, where there remain several potential fits for them.
OHIO: First they lost Chad Ochocinco to Boston, then Santionio Holmes to injury. Holmes could be back by the season opener, but Ohio is still a team in need of a clear #2 behind Joey Galloway. Could another Buckeye be taken in the T-Draft? And if so, would it be Ted Ginn Jr or Anthony Gonzalez? Sometimes having Ohio State as your feeder school seems just a bit unfair for the opposition.
ORLANDO: The Renegades seem set at QB with Jeff Blake, which is a rare thing to say this year. So, where do they look for an upgrade? How about at Tight End, where starter Rickey Dudley has been too erratic to be considered a true #1 at the position.
PHILADELPHIA: Another team hoping to pick up multiple linebackers in the offseason. Philadelphia has not yet made a move on any, but we think it is just a matter of time. Of course, they also could take advantage of having Linebacker U. as a protected school, with two Nittany Lion linebackers looking like good targets this year, ILB Paul Posluszny and OLB Tim Shaw.
PITTSBURGH: The Maulers think they have solved their QB problem by bringing in Cody Pickett from the Dragons. They also traded for Ladell Betts in hopes of replacing some of Terrell Davis’s production. Now the Maulers have to look at DT and see if they can get some run stuffers on the inside, something Coach Rivera’s defensive scheme relies on.
SEATTLE: The Dragons should have one goal, and one goal only, resign Corey Dillon. Dillon turned down an offer from the New England Patriots of the NFL to stay in the spring, and has been in negotiations with Seattle ever since the season ended, so the Dragons just need to get this done and bring Dillon back.
ST. LOUIS: From all accounts, the Skyhawks are satisfied having Luke McCown at QB, with Quincy Carter also in the room. So now they look at halfback as a position of need. Neither Larry Johnson nor R. J. Redmond impressed much last season. Redmond remains a free agent, but we think St. Louis can do better in the draft. HB has been an undervalued position in recent years, so it is possible that a top quality back is available when the Skyhawks pick at #3, maybe even in the 2nd round.
TAMPA BAY: The Bandits have a lot of talent on that team, but they still are not producing enough QB pressure, so we think DE is the key position for them. Rather than go for an aging vet like Hugh Douglas, we think the Bandits need to focus on the draft, where there are several really intriguing prospects.
TEXAS: Coach Turner has his QB in Jeff George, his HB in T. J. Duckett, and his #1 receiver in Muhsin Muhammad, so what is Texas’s big need now? Defensive line seems the obvious choice. The Outlaws could really use replacements at both NT and LE, two tough positions to fill. Our advice, if Sean Gilbert is still looking fit, sign him. If not, then take a look at a rookie pool that includes Amobi Okoye of Louisville and Justin Harrell of Tennessee.
WASHINGTON: Sean Payton comes to a pretty talented team that just did not put it together last year. They have needs on both sides of the ball, but they also have some quality across the roster. The most pressing needs are at DE and on the O-line, but it also would not hurt if Washington could finally settle on a receiver to put opposite Deion Branch.
In our next issue, due out in January, we will review the full free agent period, assess the best talent in the draft, and take a look at the NFL players who are as-of-yet unsigned and available in the USFL-NFL Transfer Window. For now, we focus on the ongoing free agency period and the trades that will help shape the rest of this offseason. See you again in January.