Four teams remain in the 2015 USFL Playoffs after four huge divisional games gave us our Conference Championship matchups. This week we saw a top seed fall to a divisional rival, another divisional matchup went to the home favorite and we saw a Cinderella story continue for another week. After two weeks of playoffs we have one 1 seed, both 2 seeds, and a 4 seed left to contend for a shot at Summer Bowl 2015 in LA. We saw a defensive slugfest in New Orleans, a late bomb as a game winner in Baltimore, a back and forth battle in Portland, and a dominant performance from the top-seeded Wranglers in Arizona. Four very different games, four teams moving on. We will cover all the action and also give you the updates as 2 of 3 teams without a head coach found the right man to step in and take the lead. All that, plus a breakdown of the upcoming USFL Conference Title Games.
ORLANDO RENEGADES 7 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 10
We expected a game dominated by defense, since that is really what got both of these clubs to the Divisional Playoffs, but we did not expect this much defense. Both teams were held under 80 yards rushing, both failed to reach 300 yards of total offense, both struggled on third down, but one club committed 3 turnovers and the other none, and that made all the difference as New Orleans survived and advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship next week.
It was a game played mostly between the 30’s as both teams struggled to penetrate the opposing defense. Not only did we get only 2 touchdowns in the game, we only had 2 field goal attempts, a converted 28-yarder and a missed 47-yarder. That was it for scoring opportunities as the two defenses found ways to keep teams out of scoring position all day. As expected, Orlando focused on the pass rush with Calais Campbell leading the way with 2 of the team’s 5 sacks of Drew Brees. New Orleans focused on ballhawking and forcing errors, as they had all season, and they came away with one pick of rookie Connor Shaw and two fumble recoveries.
We saw 8 combined 3-and-outs between the two clubs, including 3 in the first quarter. The only scoring in the opening period came after a fumble by Knowshon Moreno, who was cleared to play on Friday. Moreno, who would carry the ball 23 times for only 72 yards, coughed up the ball on the Renegades 31-yardline, the first big play of the game for New Orleans. Drew Brees would get the offense down to the 4, but a sack on 3rd and goal forced them to go for the chipshot field goal. Caleb Sturgis connected from 28 yards out and we had the first points of the game.
The second quarter saw the only legitimate offensive drive of the game, a 67-yard, 15-play drive that saw Connor Shaw connect on 4 of 6 throws and saw Moreno with his longest run of the game, a 14-yarder. The drive reached the 7 yard line, where Shaw hit TE Daniel Fells with a go-ahead TD toss. It would be the only score of the quarter and would allow Orlando to go into the half with a slim 7-3 lead. The drive gave hope that the second half might see more fireworks than the first, but that would not really pan out as the defenses continued to dominate action.
New Orleans got a first down on the first drive of the 2nd half, but then was forced to punt. That led to 3 consecutive short possessions and 3 punts. Once again it would be an opportunistic defensive takeaway that would put New Orleans where their offense could not, deep in Orlando territory. Connor Shaw, who had an otherwise solid, if conservative game, (19 of 30 for 205), made a fatal error in trying to force a ball to Michael Jenkins. Breakers’ CB Patrick Peterson anticipated the throw, undercut Jenkins and brought in the ball before falling out of bounds. New Orleans ball on the Orlando 22.
The second major turnover by Orlando gave New Orleans their second scoring chance, and, down by 4, the Breakers would not settle for a field goal this time. New Orleans used a screen, a solid run by Jeremy Hill of 7 yards, and a quick pass to the TE to get to the 2. From there, a good play fake to David Wilson and Brees was able to catch a streaking Tyler Lockett coming across the middle. Seven points and the lead for the Breakers.
Orlando would have just over 1 quarter to either get another TD or to find a field goal that would send the game to overtime. They could do neither. They took a shot at a long field goal on their next possession, but the 47-yarder hooked to the right, leaving the score at 10-7. On their next possession, the crossed midfield, but again a turnover cost them. This time it was TE Patrick Estes who coughed up the ball after a hard hit from Breaker LB Kwan Alexander. The scramble for the ball led to DE Ty Warren coming up with it at the bottom of the pile, and that gave the ball to New Orleans once again.
The Breakers would struggle to sustain drives, giving New Orleans 2 more shots with the ball before the game ended, but both times the Renegades had possession they failed to move the ball into New Orleans territory. The game ended with a half-hearted Hail Mary that fell to the ground at the Breaker 10-yard line. Orlando had simply been unable to crack the Breaker defense and that was good enough for New Orleans to plan for one more game, but would they host the Maulers in the Super Dome, or ready themselves for a trip to Baltimore? That would have to wait a day to be determined.
ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 24 PORTLAND STAGS 28
A very different game in Portland, where the Skyhawks and Stags both showed some offensive fireworks, though once again the turnover difference would be a factor in the Stags’ 4-point victory. St. Louis fans were excited by the news on Friday that Josh Freeman would be under center, but by game’s end, the concern that their star QB and former MVP had thrown 3 picks was palpable.
For Portland, the game would be won by a combination of playmaking by veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and tough running from Jonathan Stewart. Neither would have huge numbers, with Fitzie going 22 of 33 for only 197 yards, and Stewart limited to 48 yards on the ground, but when the Stags hit the red zone, both seemed to take it to a different level.
Unlike most close games, this one did not start with a low-scoring first quarter as the two teams probed the opposing defenses for weaknesses. It began with 21 points scored as both teams came out trying to impose their wills on the opposition. St. Louis got the ball rolling with a drive that consumed 7 minutes and included a lot of short passes to the tight ends and backs. The scoring play would be a 6-yarder to rookie TE C. J. Uzomah, the hero of last week’s Wild Card victory. Uzomah would be a frequent target on the day, catching 5 balls on 7 targets and scoring both of St. Louis’s early TDs.
The second Skyhawk TD came less than 2 minutes later after a pick of Fitzpatrick was returned deep into Stags’ territory. It would be the only turnover for the Stags, but it gave St. Louis the chance to go up 14, and they did so on an almost identical play from Freeman to Uzomah, this time from 7 yards out. Only 10 minutes into the game and the Skyhawks had put up a 14-point advantage, but Portland would recover.
Unphased by the pick, Ryan Fitzpatrick led Portland to their first score on the very next possession, a 7-play drive that saw the QB connect on two big plays, a 26-yard completion to Brandin Cooks, and a 15-yard strike to Antwan Randle-El that put the ball on the 3. From there it was two Jonathan Stewart dive plays, with the 2nd crossing the plane and putting Portland on the board.
After an exciting first quarter, things calmed down in the 2nd, with the only score a Rob Bironas field goal, but it was in holding that score to a field goal that Portland kept themselves in the game. St. Louis had reached the 4 yard line, but Portland stuffed the run by Jay Finley on first down, and a 2nd down false start pushed back the Skyhawks. They would only reach as far as the Portland 7, and from there settled on a field goal on 4th and goal. Still, with a 17-7 lead at the half, Skyhawk fans had to be happy with the game so far.
The 2nd half would not start well for the Skyhawks or their fans. On the first play from scrimmage, Coach Arians called a deep ball, hoping to catch Portland expecting a run. Portland was ready and the deep sideline pattern to Jordi Nelson was easy pickin’s for FS Donte Whitner. He would run the ball back to the St. Louis 44, putting Portland in position to narrow the St. Louis lead. It would take the Stags 10 plays to reach the endzone, but once again a Jonathan Stewart off-tackle run did the job and Portland was now within 3. They would take the lead on their next possession.
After a St. Louis punt, Portland got the ball on their own 22. They proceeded to move the ball effectively, with Fitzpatrick connecting with Brian Quick, Trey Burton, and Alshon Jeffery on consecutive plays. A nice 12-yard run from Javon Ringer got them even closer, and on a 2nd and 4 from the 14, Fitzpatrick went to the endzone and found Jeffery again, this time for 6. Up 21-17, Portland started to feel good about their situation, and the fans started to get loud.
St. Louis had to make a statement to shut down the Portland momentum, and they found that statement in the form of a 30-yard strike from Freeman to Nelson. The sudden TD strike silenced the Portland crowd and gave St. Louis a 3-point lead after 3 quarters. They would get the ball back after a good defensive stand and started the 4th with a chance to increase the lead, but once again an overly aggressive call was their undoing.
Once again the attempt was made to hit a receiver on a quick out pattern, this time aimed at Erik Decker, but again Portland was ready and CB Dale Luong cut off the pass and brought it down for a pick. The Skyhawk mistake again proved pivotal. Portland moved the ball well after the pick and after a defensive pass interference call in the endzone gave the Stags a first and goal at the 1, they wasted no time, using play action to set up an easy 1-yard TD toss to Trey Burton to retake the lead at 28-24.
St. Louis would not have enough in the tank to take the lead back, failing on 3 drives to cross midfield. One ended with a punt, the second with a tipped ball that was picked by Cedric Griffin, and the final by a turnover on downs. As Ryan Fitzpatrick took a knee to end the game, Josh Freeman left the field, upset with himself after a game that he would rather forget. The Stags were moving on, St. Louis was going home.
PITTSBURGH MAULERS 21 BALTIMORE BLITZ 14
Round three of what was the heavyweight fight in the NE Division all season saw Pittsburgh head into Baltimore to face the Blitz. Both teams had won on the road in their regular season tilts, and Pittsburgh hoped they could repeat that feat once again in Baltimore. For the Blitz, the hope was that a Week 15 drubbing of the Maulers would prove prophetic for this playoff rematch.
It was a matchup of MVP candidates in Ben Roethlisberger and Andy Dalton, of solid defenses, and of missed opportunities, a game that saw several deep balls mis their mark, but the one that did hit, hit hard, providing a last second win on a deep ball that will be controversial for years to come. It was also a game that may have made Mauler receiver a household name, a recognition he likely should have received quite a while back, but which is undeniable now.
This was a game that started a bit slowly, with only 14 total points scored in the first three quarters, but that did not mean that there were not big plays. Both Big Ben and the Red Rifle connected on big pass plays in the first half. Dalton’s was a 32 yard strike to Jimmie Graham that put the ball at the 7, and three plays later he found Thielen on a rub route for the game’s first score. Roethlisberger’s came in the 2nd quarter, when he found HB Jacquizz Rogers on a 22-yard sideline strike that put the ball at the 10, and on the very next play he was able to hit Darrius Heyward-Bey for 6. Both were the only scoring drives of the first half as the game saw several miscues and missed opportunities as well.
Roethlisberger threw his only pick of the game in the first half, giving Pittsburgh the ball on their own 44, but the Maulers could not convert the turnover into points. The Maulers tried a fake punt also in the first half, but it was snuffed out by Blitz LB Brandon Jenkins, and so the game went to the half at 7-7 despite some pretty good action. It would remain there through the third quarter as well, with the next big play hitting on the very first play of the 4th. Facing a 3rd and 11 on the Blitz 49, Andy Dalton pump faked to his short receiver and then let a ball fly deep towards Mike Williams. The safety had bitten on the pump so when Williams beat cornerback Nnambi Asomugha, he had a clear path to the endzone. It was the longest play of the day, a 49-yard strike that gave Pittsburgh the lead at exactly 15 minutes to play. It would take Baltimore 13 minutes and 45 seconds to get the equalizer.
That equalizer came on the end of Baltimore’s best offensive drive of the game, a 13-play, 77-yard drive that included a huge run by Anthony Dixon. On a first and 10, Dixon took the ball off the right side, made a man miss and raced 45 yards before being caught. That play electrified the Baltimore crowd, and when they put the ball in the endzone on a Roethlisberger to Quinn Johnson toss, the game was tied once again, but the big run and the subsequent TD did not take the clock down low enough. Pittsburgh would have 1:15 to get points on the board and take the W.
The drive did not start well for Andy Dalton and the Maulers. A holding call created a 1st and 20 on their own 11. But, in 3 plays they went 7, 9, and 7 again to gain the first down and keep the drive alive. Two plays later they were at their own 44, but were down to only 12 seconds on the clock. They had a timeout left, so one big play to get in field goal range for Andrew Franks was all they needed. They would get much more.
The play was designed to send the outside receivers deep, and send Mike Williams underneath about 12 yards to get close to field goal range and then call a timeout. But the plans changed when Baltimore LB Brandon Spikes mistimed the snap and was clearly offsides. This was a free play and Andy Dalton knew it. Rather than take the underneath receiver, he went for it all, heaving a ball high and deep for Adam Thielen. The star receiver for the Maulers got a step on the corner, caught the ball in stride and raced to the endzone, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 7 ticks left on the clock.
58,000 Blitz fans in Baltimore (ok, maybe 48,000, there were easily over 10,000 Mauler fans at the game), stood in stunned silence. Jubilation on the Mauler sideline. Dalton and the Mauler offense ran down the field to celebrate with Thielen. The Pittsburgh Maulers, only 5-11 last season, were now headed to the Eastern Division Championship. They were one win away from a Summer Bowl in a season that felt more than ever like destiny.
TEXAS OUTLAWS 21 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 31
You have to love divisional rivalry playoff games. We saw a great one in Baltimore and then had another on tap in Arizona, where the Wranglers would host the Outlaws. Texas had come into Glendale only 2 weeks earlier and whipped the Wrangler squad that was missing many of their starters, 39-10. This would be a very different Wranglers team and a very different result.
This one was Arizona early, and Arizona throughout, with Texas falling back by 10 at the half and never getting closer. Joe Flacco would throw for 349, but with little help from the run game, he just was not able to bring the Outlaws back. Derrick Carr would throw for only 193 but he had 3 touchdowns before Coach Tomsula took him out after a big hit and let Nick Foles guide the offense from there. Arizona was able to build up a lead and then use a better-than-expected run game to slow down the game, leading to no scoring at all in the 4th quarter. Frank Gore would finish with 89 yards on 21 carries, and even bigger, backup Kadeem Carey had 111 yards on only 10 touches, to give Arizona 198 yards rushing in the game.
The scoring started on the initial drive, after Texas deferred after winning the coin toss. Arizona went 74 yards on only 7 plays and got in the endzone when David Carr found slot receiver David Tyree from 26 yards out. Following a Texas fumble, Arizona added another 3 on a 52-yard kick from Elliott Parson, and then, just 2 plays into the 2nd quarter, Carr found Antonio Bryant for a second score and Arizona had a 17-point lead, a perfect scenario for their defense to tee off on Flacco.
Joe Flacco would get the Outlaws on the board with a TD pass to Marshawn Lynch at the end of the first half, but over the course of the game he would suffer 6 sacks, and the Outlaw defense would be unable to get Arizona off the field often or quickly enough to allow for a full comeback. Arizona opened the third quarter as they had opened both the first and the second, with a David Carr touchdown pass. This time it was a 47-yard strike to Bryant for his second TD of the day. That put Arizona back up by 17, and despite late scores from Texas, a Nick Foles TD pass to Fitzgerald made certain that the Outlaws never got closer than 10 points.
The fourth quarter was all about slowing the game and speeding up the clock as Arizona had 17 of their 31 carries on the day in the quarter and just ate away at the clock. The Outlaws never crossed midfield against the aggressive Wrangler defense, and despite pushing Arizona back, every time the Wranglers got the ball they got 2-3 first downs on the ground and just ate up clock. The game ended with a deep ball from Flacco to Brandon Marshall that got the ball to the 11 yard line, but with no time left. Arizona had held Texas at bay, limited Flacco’s effectiveness, and run the ball to win the game. They now would host upstart Portland with a chance to return to the Summer Bowl for the 2nd time in 3 years.
Foles Expected to Test Waters After Playoff Run
Nick Foles, backup to David Carr in Arizona and potential free agent has let slip his hopes for 2016. The Wrangler backup spoke with local media this week after Arizona’s big win over Texas and all but guaranteed that he would be entering the free agent pool, hoping for a shot to earn a starting gig somewhere in the league. The Wrangler QB has seen action in several games this season, and has shown an ability to both be productive and to adapt to changing game situations, two qualities that may make him very attractive to teams across the league with unsettled QB situations. With Carr locked into the starting gig, it seems only logical that Foles would test the waters and see if he can catch on with a team where the QB situation is a bit more in flux.
Thinking about teams across the league, there is no shortage of possibilities for Foles. We expect major QB attention to be paid by the Express, Glory, Generals, Bandits, and Machine, but don’t count out the Thunder, Vipers, Monarchs, or Showboats in the mix. That is a good “seller’s market” for a young QB who has shown some talent and some leadership in a backup role. There will, of course, be other options, with Sam Bradford and Brady Quinn on the market for certain, rookie options like Paxton Lynch, Carson Wentz, and Jared Goff expected to be draft-eligible, and we also fully expect that LA will be releasing Tim Tebow this week, after comments from Andy Reid seem to verify that he is not in the plans for 2016. Lots of competition, but in Foles a team could get a solid potential starter without a lot of baggage, and that could be very appealing indeed.
An Early Offseason Trade Sends HB Davis to Invaders
The Hot Stove got off to an early start, 2 solid weeks before Free Agency officially opens, as the Invaders and Showboats completed the first trade of the offseason. With Ryan Williams unhappy in Oakland and heading to the free agent pool to look for a new team, the Invaders wasted no time finding a quick-footed back with good receiving skills to pair with Donald Brown. Oakland agreed to terms with Memphis to send 3rd down back Knile Davis to the Bay Area in exchange for some defensive help in the form of strong safety Jordan Richards.
The emergence of rookie Todd Gurley in Memphis left fewer touches for Davis, so now he will take his dual threat skills to Oakland, where he will be expected to play in passing downs and to support the lead back, Donald Brown, in the Oakland run game. Memphis, for their parts, may well have upgraded their secondary with the acquisition of Richards, a solid backup in Oakland, but a player who has flashed some good instincts in the secondary. Memphis is still looking long and hard at additional defensive talent as Coach Rex Ryan tries to return the team to the kind of defensive dominance they showed when his father, Buddy Ryan, had a tenure with the club. Oakland, who for the second year in a row faded down the stretch before being ousted from the playoffs in the Wild Card Week, are looking to fill holes left by free agency, meaning that any hope that Ryan Williams would return is almost certainly squashed at this point.
Retirement Announcements Continue
Another week into the offseason and another wave of retirement announcements. Not quite as many big names as in the first two weeks of the offseason, but still some players who will certainly be missed. Perhaps the biggest name in this week’s pool of retirees, DE Jevon Kearse informed the Monarchs that he would not return for an 18th season. Kearse spent 3 seasons with Charlotte, following 1 lone year in New Jersey, 4 in Michigan, 5 in Los Angeles, and his first 4 in Jacksonville. He retires with 144 career sacks and 8 career 10+ sack seasons.
Houston CB Shaun Springs will also be missed. The 36-year old cornerback retires after 12 seasons in Houston, seasons that included 862 tackles and 30 career interceptions (5 returned for scores). He leaves Houston with Leodis McKelvin the most likely replacement at the lead spot. 3rd year player Jenoris Jenkins is expected to compete with Malcolm Butler for the number 2 slot.
Other defenders of note in this week’s listing include Baltimore DE Joe Tafoya, Las Vegas DT Shaun Rogers, Orlando LB Mark Simoneau, Oakland DE Justin Smith, and Michigan corner Deltha O’Neal. Michigan lost two big stars this week, with both O’Neal and 8-time All-USFL receiver Hines Ward both stepping away from the game. Ward is hoping to get into coaching after a stellar 18-season career split between Arizona and Michigan. Ward finished 2015 with 79 receptions for 817 yards and retires with eleven 1,000 year seasons under his belt, including a league title in 2008. Expect to see his name among the semifinalists in the Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
Ohio Signs Former Blitz HC Tom Coughlin to Revive Glory
The Glory opted for experience as they seek to rebound from a rough few years, signing former Baltimore Blitz head coach Tom Coughlin to a 4-year deal to lead their club. Coughlin, who coached the Blitz from 2004 through the 2012 season, has spent the past 2 years back at Boston College, serving as a “consulting coach” to the Eagles. He returns to full time coaching after a 3-season hiatus, with the challenge to shape up an Ohio Glory team that started 2015 well but then fell hard and finished as a 5-11 club, losing 6 of their final 8 games.
Coughlin, known as a disciplinarian who believes you need to be 10 minutes early to be on time, had a good run with Baltimore, amassing a 76-59-1 record in his 9 seasons, taking the team to the playoffs 4 of his final 5 seasons, but he struggled in the playoffs with a 2-4 record, never advancing past the Divisional Round with the Blitz. Many, however, believe it was his team development which left Jim Caldwell with a squad that was ready to compete and which would win the league title only 2 years later.
The first issue Coughlin is likely to face is the QB situation in Columbus, where neither NFL import Brock Osweiler nor former OSU alum Troy Smith showed much this year. Smith finished they year with a slightly better 74.1 QB rating compared to Osweiler’s 65.8, but the two QBs combined for only a 19:18 TD:INT ratio. It may very well be that Ohio does not have their 2016 starter on the roster right now. Of course, with a 5-11 team there are more than one issues to address. The Glory were also pretty poor on defense, giving up 23.8 points per game and over 340 yards of offense each week. Expect Coughlin to bring in an OC to run the offense while he takes a very hands-on approach to building a defense for the Glory.
Chicago Hoping to Land Lovie Smith
It is not official yet, but all indicators point to the Chicago Machine bringing in former NFL Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith. Smith, who led the Bears from 2004 through 2012 (the same years Coughlin was with the Blitz) is still accepted by Chicago fans as a coach who did well with a somewhat dysfunctional franchise. Smith did get the Bears to the playoffs 3 times in his tenure, appearing in a Super Bowl in 2006. He was released after the 2012 season, a year in which Chicago finished 10-6, certainly far better than the Machine’s past two seasons.
Smith and the Machine still need to agree on a deal, but by all accounts, it is just a matter of days before we see Lovie Smith back in Chicago on the sidelines of Soldier Field. Like Coughlin, he would be walking into a major QB controversy. Brady Quinn was allowed to test the free agency waters, and according to several sources close to the former Notre Dame star, Quinn is eager to find a new home and not interested in returning to the club that drafted him but which also benched him twice this season in favor of an untested rookie from Northwestern (Trevor Siemian).
Chicago has some talent, particularly at halfback with Matt Forte and Doug Martin. They have two solid young receivers in Aaron Dobson and Austin Pettis, and their defense has some talent, but has simply not come together. After signing Jason Pierre-Paul last offseason the hope had been that the team would develop an elite pass rush, but both JPP and the Machine defense struggled to get pressure on opposing QBs. With Brian Urlacher now 36 years old, new leadership will need to step up on defense, and Smith will need to mold them into a more effective and more intimidating squad.
Denver Talking with Three Candidates this Week
The Denver Gold seem resigned to the fact that longstanding coach Dick Jauron is not returning in 2016. They have scheduled interviews with three coaches for the next 10 days, each bringing a very different approach to the game to the Gold. The three include longstanding CFL coach John Hufnagel, current Michigan Panther DC Paul Pasqualoni, and former NFL Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Soprano. While none of the three would be names we would have listed as hot coaching prospects, they do all share one thing in common, a dedication to an aggressive defense, one that is not afraid to blitz or to put pressure on QBs.
That emphasis tracks with Denver’s major commitment to pass rush in 2015, signing NFL veteran Von Miller in the offseason, a financial commitment atypical for the usually frugal Gold franchise. The goal clearly seems to be to focus on the defense in the offseason, though many would suggest that it is the lack of explosiveness on offense that has hindered the team’s success in recent years. In a division that has one of the best teams in the league in Arizona, an explosive Texas squad, and a Dallas team that had its first winning season since relocating, Denver is feeling very much like the forgotten franchise. Even Las Vegas got more press thanks to their odd home/road pattern for most of the year. Denver struggled to 7-9 this year and simply did not look all that dangerous, and now, with Jauron all but stepping down from the team as his contract expired, it appears that Denver is looking to sign a coach who will bring defensive stability if not name recognition to the club.
Four teams left, two games to play to see who is headed to LA and the Summer Bowl. Pittsburgh and Arizona may have more injured players to deal with, but it may be the absence of Randall Gay for New Orleans that has the biggest impact, especially as it would have been Gay set up to cover Adam Thielen of the Maulers. The loss of Adam Carriker to an ankle injury could also be big for the Wranglers, as that forces them to rethink their pass rush options and their need to blitz.
PIT: CB Reggie Smith (OUT), HB Marcus Lattimore (P), SS Sean Taylor (P)
NOR: CB Randall Gay (OUT)
POR: C Brad Meester (OUT), LB Channing Crowder (P)
ARZ: DE Adam Carriker (OUT), FS Nate Allen (D), OT Wade Smith (P),
CB Mike Mickens (P)
Ten Possible Trade Candidates
With the deal between Oakland and Memphis, the trading block is now open. So, just who may be primed for a swap as teams try to use depth at one position to barter for a player that can help in an area of need? While no one is ever fully tradeproof, we have identified 10 players who could be very likely trade candidates as teams try to acquire value for a player whose role on their squad may be in question.
OT Nate Solder (DEN)
Solder was supposed to come in and become the new left tackle and protector for Matt Leinart, but he just could not work his way into the starting job. He got moved to right tackle and has been a steady starter there for Denver, but the emergence of David Bakhtiari in his second season with the team has made Solder a likely trade candidate despite being only 3 years older than Bakhtiari.
WR Doug Baldwin (NJ)
Veteran wideout Doug Baldwin seems to be getting caught in a crunch, with New Jersey heavy at the position and with others like Odell Beckham Jr., Miles Austin, and Muhamed Sanu taking away snaps and targets. Beckham eclipsed Baldwin in both targets and catches this year, and with Baldwin the most expensive wideout on the squad, don’t be surprised if New Jersey does not dangle him out there to fill needs in other positions.
QB Jake Locker (DAL)
The clear “odd man out” in a QB room that includes starter Johnny Manziel and young gun Landry Jones, Locker is a player without a clear path to a starting gig in Dallas. The former starter for the then-Cannons, Locker fell to 3rd on the depth chart, but could rebound with a new team if someone is willing to pay the price to bring him in. He is only 27 and certainly has some talent. We could see a team being willing to part with a mid-round pick to bring him in either as a number two or to compete in an open QB room.
CB Brandon Boykin (ATL)
Would Atlanta really part with a 26-year-old cornerback who spent most of the season in the number one position? They might if the right deal is there. Why? Well, the emergence of 2nd year corner Darius Slay and the evident needs in other areas of the team seem to point to Boykin being a bit more expendable than most starting corners might appear to be.
HB Jacquizz Rogers (BAL)
Another clear odd-man-out situation as Rogers lost carries to backup Kerwynn Williams, who finished the year with more yards on fewer carries than starter Anthony Dixon. Williams and Dixon are both solid receivers as well as strong runners, so the need for a true 3rd down back like Rogers was minimized. With only 33 touches this season, Rogers just did not see enough action to warrant his salary, but if Baltimore can get some value in a trade, we could see him blossom with a team that needs his skill set.
TE Luke Wilson (CHA)
Wilson finished 3rd on the Monarchs with 43 receptions for 316 yards, but with a healthy Brandon Pettigrew, we could see Wilson shopped around to a team looking for an inside threat. Wilson has only played 2 full seasons in the USFL, and at 24 could develop into a regular role player if not a starter. The price will not be high, but will someone bite?
DE Antwan Applewhite (HOU)
A strong year from rookie Dante Fowler could be all that it takes for Houston to move Applewhite. Fowler’s 8 sacks took about half the snaps that Applewhite needed to earn 11 sacks this year, and with Malik Jackson also looking solid with 9 sacks in 2015, Houston could part ways with Applewhite, save some much-needed cap room, and perhaps find a replacement for Shaun Springs at corner, if a team was inclined to swap one defensive role for another.
SS Patrick Chung (JAX)
Hard to imagine that Houston would allow their 2nd most prolific tackler and a team captain leave? Well, when you are Patrick Chung and you have a much younger, physically gifted youngster like Kenny Vaccaro behind you on the depth chart, the answer is yes. Houston invested pretty heavily in Vaccaro, and there is some pressure to get the A&M product on the field. Chung is only 28, but we could see him as a combination cap hit and youth hit. Seems a tough call, but Houston is not afraid to go with youth, especially with the two years producing very strong draft classes.
HB Joique Bell (ORL)
The emergence of Latavious Murray in his 2nd season has really put Joique Bell in a precarious situation. Two years after coming over from Oakland, Bell does not seem to have much of a role in the new Orlando run game. He had only 50 attempts for 229 yards this year and was not used nearly as much in 3rd down situations as in 2014. We still think Bell has talent and can be an effective 3rd down or scat back, but perhaps Orlando is not the place.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (POR)
This will certainly be the most controversial name on the list. Ryan Fitzpatrick started every game for Portland this year, has them in the Western Conference Championship, and put up some great numbers, throwing for over 3,300 yards and 21 touchdowns in his best season as a pro. But, and this is a big one, Marcus Mariota, the golden boy of Oregon Football, is sitting there on the Portland bench. The calls to start him are not being heard in the stands, but you know the pressure is there to let the young QB start in his 2nd year.
Fitzpatrick will never have more value than he does now, and with so many teams having no answer at all at QB, the Stags could ask a king’s ransom and get it. Whether it is New Jersey, LA, Chicago, Ohio, or any number of other suitors, we expect the Stags to dangle Fitzpatrick out there and see if they can nab a very big fish in the form of players and draft picks.
Five Cities Pushing for USFL Expansion
It has been a while since the USFL has seriously considered expansion, nearly 8 years since the last addition of teams in 2008, and it is not as if there are no cities hoping to add spring football to their local attractions and sports calendars. Some have even suggested that Texas Outlaws owner Red McCombs should consider a sale and relocation of his club rather than take on the herculean task of rebuilding the Alamodome and playing what could be 3 or even 4 seasons in alternate stadiums. While that conversation seems very premature, we thought we should at least take a peak at the situation regarding potential expansion suitors. We looked over the cities that have made some noise in the past, or those which seem obvious targets, to see what the next pool of potential bidders for a USFL franchise could be. These are the five cities we have identified as the next up to the plate, as it were, to see if the USFL could come to town.
BOSTON: This one seems pretty obvious. The Cannons won a title in Beantown and then packed up ship for a bigger stadium and a big paycheck. Boston is the largest market without a USFL franchise, has had clubs twice, and lost them twice. The issue now is the same issue we have seen in the past, stadium viability. With no access to Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium, thanks to the intransigence of Patriot’s owner Robert Kraft, there are slim pickings in Boston itself. Could a team take on a regional identity and play somewhere else, like Hartford, for example, possibly, but the concern is that Boston fans would not make a trip to Connecticut to be part of the USFL family, not after being burned twice by clubs moving on.
NASHVILLE: Another recently jilted USFL city, Nashville lost the Knights to Las Vegas just this year. The pain is raw and very real in the Music City. But, could an expansion club help to revive interest in USFL football? What if the league made a deal like the one they pursued with Atlanta, bringing the Knights back as the Fire were revived back in 2006? The stadium is there. The fans were not the issue in Nashville. So, why not bring spring ball back to central Tennessee?
MINNEAPOLIS: We like the Twin Cities as the best of the “never had it” cities. A large, wealthy, and sports-crazed city in the upper Midwest, a team in Minnesota would help bring in viewers and fans from a wide region of the country spanning several states. They would be a good fit for a Central Division that currently has only 4 teams, and they could be a good rival for at least 3 of the 4 Central clubs. We like the idea of a spring team in Minnesota, especially if a new stadium for the Vikings comes to fruition, allowing the club avoid ridiculous snow and freezing games in March (or even April).
OKLAHOMA CITY: Look, this growing city sits in the heart of football country, has huge audience for college ball, and have even gone so far as to build a 55,000 seat stadium, the sweet spot for a USFL club. They could be natural rivals for the 3 current Texas clubs, and it would almost be a bit of a legacy team after the Outlaws played their first season in Tulsa before merging with the San Antonio Gunslingers and relocating. It is not a huge TV market, but again, like Minnesota, we could see fans from as far away as Kansas City or Omaha making the trek to see a team that represents the Great Plains.
LOUISVILLE: This was our hardest call. There were votes for Salt Lake City, Miami, and Indianapolis, but in the end, we wanted a new market, and what is more new than a city that has no other pro sports (major league) to compete with a USFL club? We can hear the complaints already. Louisville and the state of Kentucky is basketball country, not football country. It’s too small a market. Papa John’s Stadium at the U. of Louisville is not a pro stadium. Yes, all true, in a way, but this is about capturing a new market, letting it grow into its role as a USFL city. Isn’t that what the league did with other pro castoffs like Memphis, Birmingham, Jacksonville, and Portland? Who is to say that Louisville might not be the next Jacksonville story, where the team helps put the city on the map for the rest of the nation?
We seem to have gotten a bit off topic. After all, we have playoff football this week. Not just playoff football but Championship football with two teams crowned as the best in their conferences and heading off to battle in the USFL Championship, the Summer Bowl. So, what do we think about these two title games? Who do we see taking the win and the trip to LA? Well, here goes. We give you our best guess.
EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
(4) PITTSBURGH MAULERS @ (2) NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS
Sunday, July 20 at 3pm ET
Louisiana Super Dome, New Orleans, LA
Breakers -2
Can we really call Pittsburgh a Cinderella story after the season they have had? We liked them in the preseason and they have proven pretty impressive all year long. Maybe it is the big numbers from Andy Dalton, but we have seen more press about the Maulers than we have for New Orleans by a longshot. And yet, despite it all, the Breakers are both the favorites and the home team in this Eastern Final. They just don’t put up the huge eye-popping games to draw our attention, but this Breaker squad is solid from top to bottom. They have a steady hand at the QB position in Drew Brees, they don’t make mistakes, and they can play shut down defense when the mood strikes them.
But, we love the flashier, more charismatic team, and that is certainly the Maulers. Whether it is Andy Dalton’s gunslinger mentality, the flashing wideouts, Victor Cruz’s salsa dance moves in the endzone, or the most intimidating 3-man defensive line in football (Jared Allen-Aaron Donald-Dwight Freeney), there is just a lot more sizzle to the Maulers. Will sizzle or substance win the day?
OUR PICK: We are going with the sizzle. Why? Well, mostly because we cannot believe we got a preseason pick, much less a long-odds pick, right. So we want to stick with the horse that got us here, and that means picking the Maulers. Pittsburgh 27-21.
WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
(2) PORTLAND STAGS @ (1) ARIZONA WRANGLERS
Sunday, July 20 at 7pm ET
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Wranglers -8
We don’t call Pittsburgh a Cinderella any more, but we certainly do for Portland. The Stags looked like a middle of the road, 8-8 pick most of the year, but came alive late. They stunned us by pulling out not only the Pacific Division Title but snagging the 2 seed as well. They got a bit lucky drawing St. Louis and not Texas in the Divisional Round, but they did what they needed to do to get here. But now things get very real. In Arizona they face a team that has been about as good as a team can be down the stretch. Their defense has been among the elites not only of the year but of the past decade. Their offense is balanced and dangerous. They can run the ball down your throat with Gore or go over the top with Fitzgerald and Bryant. They are just plain scary.
So, we have a David & Goliath situation here. What can the Stags do to counter the Wranglers? Well, first off, run the ball. They have that in their DNA with Jonathan Stewart, but can they do it with Arizona loading the box? If they struggle to run, then they will need to show that they have explosiveness in the passing game. On defense they need to contain the big play but also find a way to limit the run game of Frank Gore. Overcommit to one element of the Arizona attack and they will get you with the other. That is the tough part, keeping balance on defense just as the offense can do.
OUR PICK: We want to love the underdog, but every fiber in our bodies is saying Arizona takes this. After all it is not just a talent differential, it is an experience differential as well. There are over 30 players on this Wrangler team who were there in 2013 when they won the league title. This year’s team looks very much like the club that won the first John Bassett Trophy for the Grand Canyon State two years ago. We have to go with our guts and not our underdog instinct on this one. Arizona takes the W 24-13.
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