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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: A tough call this week as we saw two backs far exceed expectations. Reggie Bush went over 200 yards rushing in a huge offensive explosion in LA's home opener, but Portland's Ben Tate came out of nowhere to rush for 181 yards as Portland put up 42 against the Washington Federals. Tate came in for Doug Martin early in the game and stunned everyone with his power run game. Both backs also rushed for 3 touchdowns in their team's blowout wins. So, who do we give the award to? Let's not split hairs, they can and should share the honor this week.

If Week 1 of the USFL season was defined by foul weather, Week 2 was defined by something much worse, injuries. A rash of injuries across the league have made this past week one of the costliest in recent memory, and have thrown the season into disarray as several teams are now looking for answers. And yet, in the middle of what could be viewed as a very tough week for the year, there are stories of surprising success, of players either coming out of nowhere or returning from the junk heap to help their teams this week. We will cover both sides of this week’s stories, the crushing blow of major injuries and the opportunities created for players to step in and step up. We will review all the big games this week and also look at how Week 2 was a triumph for the run game across the league. We will also look at another possible suspension on the way for a troubled superstar and question our own hype of an offseason move that, so far, has just not worked out.  It’s all right here on This Week in the USFL.   An Injury-Marred Second Week of USFL Action To say that the games this week may have a lingering effect on the entire season seems about right. With a rash of significant injuries, the likes of which we have not seen in a single week in a long time, this past week of action could well result in major impacts for teams from coast to coast. As we review the biggest blows and how teams will try to overcome them, we take into account not only the duration of these major injuries, but the question of roster depth. As much as teams like to talk about a “Next Man Up” approach, fans know that some players are special and that what can be asked of the next man is not close to matching what was lost with the injury, a reality that many teams are now facing.   Houston Loses Safety Budda Baker to ACL Tear Houston’s young safety, Budda Baker, was a star on the rise. A candidate for Rookie of the Year last season, starting since the opener and finishing the year with 68 tackles, 5 sacks and 3 picks. But now, after suffering a full ACL tear in his right leg, Baker is lost for the season, placed on IR as he is schedule to undergo surgery and a lengthy recovery process. It is one of the most dreaded injuries in the league, and while we have good recent examples of players who have rebounded well from the injury, including Charlotte HB Adrian Peterson, Baker’s brilliant first season is now profoundly offset by a lost sophomore campaign.   For the Gamblers, the options are limited. The most likely scenario is that they will move Kenny Vaccaro back to Strong Safety, having shifted him to the Free Safety position last year. That then moves the position of need to the free safety slot, where rookie Jessie Bates and 2nd year player Shalom Luani are going to be given a shot to step up. There are a couple of potential options in the free agent pool, including former Denver SS Daimion Stafford and former Express and Vipers FS Darnell Bing, who was not signed at age 34 this past off-season, but we expect Coach Phillips will give his two young safeties a shot first.   Portland Loses 2017 Rushing Leader for 8-12 Weeks For the Stags, their solution may have already appeared. When 2017 league rushing leader Doug Martin went down early in the Stags’ game against Washington, backup Ben Tate stepped in and surprised us all with 181 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Feds. Tate, a journeyman who has played for Birmingham (2010-11), Michigan (2012), Chicago (2013), Houston (2014-16) and who had only 1 carry for the Stags last year, was a shockingly effective runner behind the Stag line, and will almost certainly be given the chance to start this week when Portland has their first road game, a cross-country trek to Philadelphia. As for Martin, the 6-year veteran is not likely to be placed on IR, as there is a chance he could be back as soon as Week 11. If his hip injury does not proceed in recovery as hoped, the Stags could put him on IR at any time, but they seem content to have him on the roster for now, having already released 32-year old receiver Roberto Wallace and added HB Travares Cadet from the free agent pool to provide depth behind Ben Tate. How Tate fares in Philadelphia will likely tell us if more moves are eminent.   Three Teams, Three Starting QBs, Three Very Different Situations In one week we saw three USFL starting QBs go down, each diagnosed with a 6-8 week recovery time, and each team left with a very different scenario moving forward. Oakland saw QB Ryan Lindley suffer a torn meniscus in his knee the day before their home opener against San Diego. They started Bob Volek in his place, and Volek played well, but while the loss of Lindley certainly lessens depth at the QB position, the Invaders had already penciled in Week 3 as the day when NFL import Jimmy Garappolo would take the helm of the offense. The injury to Lindley, while unfortunate, should not derail the Invader plans for the season. They have already shifted Garoppolo into practice with the first team, moved Volek to the 2-slot, and have activated former Stags backup Kellen Moore as the emergency QB.   The situation is not quite so clear in Seattle, where a tear to the groin muscle for Jacoby Brissett will keep him sidelined at least 6 weeks. The painful injury was suffered on a scramble, when Brissett’s right foot was caught under a tackler, leading to an awkward stretch of the leg and a painful departure from the game. Matt McGloin finished the game, and has already been named the starter for the Dragons’ Week 3 matchup against in DC against the Federals. He will be backed up by former Bandit and Fire QB Brad Gradkowski, signed this offseason. That gives Seattle two veteran backups, and we expect that the next few weeks we may see both as Coach Riley tries to find the best option. At present, Seattle does not have a 4th QB on the active roster, but we expect them to sign someone in the coming week.   Finally, in Ohio, Christian Hackenberg is also expected to miss at least 6 weeks after suffering a fracture to his non-throwing arm that will require the use of a soft cast for at least the next 3 weeks. Hackenberg took a rough hit to the turf in Michigan’s Ford Field, when he was driven to the ground by Panther DE Kamerion Wemberley, a play which produced a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, but which now costs Hackenberg possibly half the season. Brock Osweiler stepped in against Michigan, and will likely be the starter for the foreseeable future, with former Buckeye Troy Smith now the 2nd option. Ohio has already signed a third quarterback, sending WR Lavelle Hawkins to the practice squad and adding former Breakers backup Keith Null on a 1-year deal.   Add in the injury to Russell Wilson of Orlando, a concussion that is likely to keep him out of Week 3 action, and this was an absolutely brutal week for injuries across the league. We will outline all the other players likely out for Week 3 in our weekly injury report, but the story of the week is certainly these major blows to the Gamblers, Glory, Dragons, Stags, and Invaders.   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 27   LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 48 This week, in which injuries and halfback performances were the two biggest headlines, we take a different tack with our game of the week. Rather than looking for the game with the wildest ending, we decided to go with perhaps the biggest surprise performance, and while there were many this past week, including the stunning games but forward by backups Ben Tate (POR) and Tim Tebow (ORL), it was the offensive explosion put forth by the LA Express, and particularly halfback Reggie Bush that caught our attention.   In their home opener against the Skyhawks, the Express, who struggled to only 14 points in Portland’s rain the week before, exploded for 48 points and over 460 yards of offense. The Express scored on 8 of 10 possessions, with one of those 10 being the kneel downs at the end of the game, and while we all knew St. Louis had issues on defense, what the Express did to them was absolutely unexpected. The run game alone produced 258 yards of offense and 5 touchdowns, and while St. Louis QB Josh Freeman tried to keep the Skyhawks in the game with 3 TDs and 342 yards passing, the inability of his team’s defense to do anything against the oft-criticized Express attack, meant that LA was able to pull away and take over the game for their first victory of the season.   The issues for the St. Louis defense started early, as it took LA only 3 minutes and 6 plays to turn their first possession into 7 points. From the start it was the run game, and particularly Reggie Bush, who proved an unstoppable force against the Skyhawks. Bush would finish the game with 205 yards rushing, averaging 8.5 yards every time he touched the ball. On the opening drive alone he had runs of 11, 9, and 13 yards, with the 13-yarder resulting in 6 points for the Express. He would add a second TD in the quarter, a 17-yard sprint to the pylon, just one drive later.   Early on St. Louis was able to keep pace with Bush and the Express, scoring on their first two possessions, with TD tosses to Rob Gronkowski and David Nelson producing a 28-point first quarter, as the Skyhawks matched the two Bush TD runs. But this pace could not be upheld by the Skyhawks. In the 2nd quarter, they would add only 2 field goals, while LA would score on all three of their possessions, adding a field goal and 2 more touchdown runs, Reggie Bush’s third and the first by backup Paul Perkins.   By the half Bush was already at 115 yards rushing and the Express had built up a 31-20 lead. St. Louis was now in catchup mode, but LA was content to continue to use run game that had proven so effective not only to add 10 more points in the 3rd quarter, but to eat up nearly 11 of the 15 minutes of the quarter. When Paul Perkins added his 2nd TD of the day in the waning moments of the 3rd, it gave LA a 21 point lead and a team record 7 scores in 7 drives. They would have their first punt in the 4th quarter as they finally were forced to give up the ball after seven successful drives, but on their 2nd possession of the final quarter they once again scored, this time with Sam Bradford finding rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling for his 2nd TD on the young season. That boosted the LA advantage to 28 points. St. Louis would add a deep TD toss to Stevie Johnson in the game’s final minute, but the outcome had long since been decided.   For LA, and particularly for Coach Andy Reid, the production of the run game was a very welcome sign. The hope, of course, is that this is the start of a more consistent, more productive offensive season for an Express team that has lacked firepower in the past. But, of course, the ability to recreate the 258 rushing yards or 461 total yards against teams with more effective defenses remains to be tested. They will get that test against Pittsburgh this week, as the Mauler front line is certainly a more formidable obstacle. As for St. Louis, the defensive woes which led them to a 3-13 season a year ago simply do not seem to have been remedied in the offseason, leading Coach Reich to face the prospect of a very rough year, one in which teams will try to replicate what we saw LA do to St. Louis, run the ball right, left, and up the middle, to great success.   Birmingham 17   New Jersey 28 Cam Newton started the game with a rousing 51-yard TD run to inspire the few Stallions fans who made their way to the Meadowlands, but on his very next play he took an elbow to the eye and was lost for the game. Before you think it was deliberate, it was his own left guard who nailed him. As for New Jersey, they rattled off 28 unanswered points to take a commanding lead, with Maurice Jones-Drew finding plenty of space, averaging over 6 yards per carry on his way to a big day. POTG:  New Jersey HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 26 Att, 163 Yds, 2 TD   San Diego 10   Oakland 23 Oakland’s Ryan Lindley was hurt even before taking the field, tearing the meniscus in his knee in a non-contact injury in Thursday’s practice, so it was Bob Volek to the rescue, and what a rescue it was! Volek led the Invaders on a 16-0 run and the defense shut San Diego out in the 2nd half to help Oakland move to 2-0 on the young season. Touchdowns by Tyler Ervin and Davante Adams, along with 5 sacks from the Invader defense, led by former Panther Michael Bennett, kept San Diego winless in 2018. POTG:  Invader DE Michael Bennett: 8 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Blk FG, 1 FF   Charlotte 20  Baltimore 14 After their big win over Philly, Baltimore came out a little flat in their home opener, though a big part of that was a Monarchs’ D that picked off Ben Roethlisberger 3 times. Add in a combined 144 yards rushing from Adrian Peterson and Taiwan Jones and you have a 2-0 Monarchs club looking like a possible contender. Charlotte never trailed in this one, opening scoring with a John Stupar TD plunge, and keeping the lead throughout, thanks in part to Gabe Miller’s 18-yard pick six return. POTG:  Monarch LB Gabe Miller: 2 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   New Orleans 27  Jacksonville 17 The Breakers came into Jacksonville intent on moving to 2-0 and did just that with a solid game plan. Drew Brees went 17 of 26 for 229 and threw TDs to Jordy Nelson and Tyler Lockett, while Leonard Fournette added one on the ground. The Bulls had some moments, including 2 Robert Griffin TD runs, but it was too little, too late as the Breakers sent them to an 0-2 start. POTG:  Breaker TE Coby Fleener: 5 Rec, 97 Yds   Ohio 10   Michigan 34 It was all Panthers in this divisional border war as Michigan ran out to a 21-0 halftime lead and coasted the rest of the way. LeVeon Bell had 179 yards rushing and Kirk Cousins went 17 of 23 on the day as Michigan cruised. Worse yet for the Glory, Christian Hackenberg suffered a broken arm on a nasty tackle and could be missed for up to 2 months. Brock Osweiler came in but could not muster a comeback as the Panthers dominated. POTG:  Panther HB LeVeon Bell: 25 Att, 179 Yds, 1 TD   Tampa Bay 20   Orlando 38 Orlando’s front 7 recorded four sacks and two picks against Dak Prescott, but the biggest surprise was that the offense racked up 479 total yards, including 277 and 3 TDs from Tim Tebow after Russell Wilson left the game with a possible concussion. Tebow looked like he was back with the Gators, completing 15 of 20 and leading Orlando on 3 second half TD drives. POTG:  Orlando QB Tim Tebow: 15/20, 277 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   Philadelphia 31  Seattle 24 Seattle gave the Stars a run, but in the end, Philadelphia just had more in the tank, led by Derrick Henry’s 3 total touchdowns, including a stunning 41-yard TD catch and run that left Dragon players in the dust. Seattle’s Dennis Pitta also had a good game, catching 5 for 30 yards and 2 scores, but it was not enough against King Henry and the Stars. POTG:  Philadelphia HB Derrick Henry: 16 Att, 63 Yds, 2 TD, 4 Rec, 117 Yds, 1 TD   Washington 14   Portland 42 Are the 2-0 Stags a surprise contender or are the 0-2 Federals just a mess? That is the question after Portland improved to 2-0 with an absolute demolition of visiting Washington. With Doug Martin lost to a possible season-ending hip injury, it was unheralded Ben Tate who proved that the Stags’ run game is not a one man show. Tate ripped Washington for 181 yards on 28 carries, an impressive 6.5 YPC, with 3 touchdowns to boot. A career game for Tate, an impressive win for Coach LaFleur’s unbeaten Stags. POTG:  Stag HB Ben Tate: 28 Att, 181 Yds, 3 TD   Atlanta 20  Pittsburgh 10 Pittsburgh’s spread offense sputtered while Atlanta’s ground game saw rookie Nick Chubb join Kenyan Drake and Chris Ivory to combine for 129 yards rushing. Aaron Murray also played well, going 26 of 35 with 2 scores as Atlanta doubled up the Maulers in Pittsburgh. POTG:  Atlanta DE William Gholston: 5 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   Memphis 20   Houston 27 After knocking off New Jersey last week, the upstart Showboats gave Houston all they could handle, but in the end, Houston found some second half scores to take the W. Carlos Hyde rushed for 120 and a score and veteran WR Mike Evans added two touchdowns as well as the Gamblers fought back and fought off a very plucky Showboat squad. POTG:  Houston LB Ramik Wilson: 7 Tck, 1 Sck   Chicago 24  Arizona 38 David Carr was back in MVP form, throwing for 270 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Arizona offense found its groove, putting up 2 points in the 2nd quarter alone and blowing open a 7-7 game to take a 31-7 lead into the half. The D is still a concern, however, as Chicago ran for 186 yards against the Wranglers. Ryan Fitzpatrick also completed 38 of 47 passes, but Arizona did snag two picks as the Machine QB pressed in an attempt to make up the huge deficit. POTG:  Wrangler QB David Carr: 14/20, 270 Yds, 4 Td, 0 Int   Denver 26  Las Vegas 13 Denver continues to impress, taking their show on the road by doubling up the Vipers in Wynn Arena. The Gold defense forced 4 turnovers, including 3 picks of Eli Manning, and the run game saw rookie Phillip Lindsay rush for 70 yards, aided by veteran DeMarco Murray. Golden Tate was also sharp, catching 5 balls for 97 yards and a score as Denver moves to 2-0. POTG:  Denver DE Von Miller: 7 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   Dallas 13   Oklahoma 37 The Roughnecks were intent on containing Marshawn Lynch, and largely did, holding him to only 1.9 yards per carry, but that allowed Joe Flacco to slowly pick apart the secondary, which he did, going 21 of 31 for 203 yards and 2 scores. Down 13-10 after 3 quarters, Oklahoma exploded in the 4th, scoring on 5 possessions, including a Lynch TD run, a Marquise Goodwin 30-yard TD catch and a Benjamin Richards pick-six that sealed Dallas’s fate. POTG:  Oklahoma safety Leon McQuay: 5 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   A Huge Week for the Tailbacks To say that this was a good week for fans of the run game might be underselling what we saw. Despite pretty solid weather all across the league’s schedule, the passing games were not on full display quite yet, but the rushing attack of many clubs certainly was. After a season opening week that saw only one back, league leader LeVeon Bell of Michigan, top 100 yards, this week, across the USFL, we saw six backs top the 100-yard threshold, with 3 more topping 90 yards, and several teams use a dual or even triple back rotation to put up impressive numbers. We already highlighted the standout game from LA’s Reggie Bush, leading all rushers with 205 yards and 3 touchdowns, but this week there were plenty of huge performances to celebrate. Backup tailback Ben Tate stepped in when Doug Martin went down to injury for Portland, and man, does he know how to step in and step up, putting up 181 yards and 3 scores of his own in Portland’s big win. Derrick Henry had only 63 yards rushing, but turned 4 catches into nearly 120 yards and a 3rd TD to finish the day with over 180 yards from scrimmage. We also saw Maurice Jones-Drew rack up 163 yards and 2 scores against Birmingham, LeVeon Bell put up more big numbers with 179 yards and a score at home against Ohio, Carlos Hyde rush for 120 and a score, and, in something of a rarity, Balitmore’s Kerwynn Williams topped 100 yards, rushing for 102 despite splitting carries with Anthony Dixon.   Add to these individual totals the team efforts that saw Adrian Peterson (90 yards) and Taiwan Jones (54) combine for 144 yards for Charlotte, Matt Forte (96) and Jeremy Hill (85) put up 186 rushing yards for Chicago, or a three-headed monster for Atlanta (Chubb, Drake, Ivory) combine for 129, and you have some serious ground advances in the USFL this week. It is rare in the spring league known for its wide open passing games to see so many teams rely on the run, and have such success with it, and while it is far too soon to say this could be a trend, it does seem that the run game is alive and well in the USFL, so defenses had better get ready to adjust. Tim Tebow Shows Up Big for Orlando Talk about a blast from the past, what we saw in Orlando’s big win against the rival Bandits this week took all of us back. When Russell Wilson leave the game with a nasty concussion that clearly had him woozy and unbalanced, in came former Bull and Express QB Tim Tebow. But the Tim Tebow we saw on Saturday was not the inaccurate gunslinger with a fullback’s running ability that we had seen in his stints with Jacksonville or LA, and certainly not the ineffective gimmick that he had become in his one year with the NFL Jets. We saw a Tim Tebow that harkened back to his time in Gainesville as the Heisman winning QB of the Florida Gators.   Other than one time he was flushed out of the pocket by Tampa’s rush, Tebow stood tall in the backfield, looking at multiple receivers and throwing a pretty accurate ball. The former Gator looked poised, especially for someone who had appeared in only 1 USFL game since 2015. He finished the game with 15 completions in 20 attempts, throwing for 277 yards against the Bandits and accounting for 3 touchdowns as he connected with Terrance Williams, Jeremy Maclin, and his favorite receiver on the day, Dwayne Bowe for scores. Tebow kept going back to Bowe, himself something of a reclamation project in Orlando, and the receiver came up big, catching 5 of 6 targets for an average of 24.2 yards per reception, all leading to a 121-yard day for the oft-forgotten former Breaker.   For fans of Tebow, and there remain many in the state of Florida who still harken back to his days as a Gator, this was a redemption game, a chance to once again proudly trot out the number 15 jersey and talk about the former Heisman winner as one of the legends of football in the Sunshine State. Tebow will get another chance to prove that his career’s demise was highly exaggerated when the Renegades travel to St. Louis to face the very suspect defense of the Skyhawks this week. Wilson will be kept out of the game as a precaution, giving number 15 a chance to shine again, and quite possibly revive both his professional career and his reputation. Johnson Flying High with Skyhawks To say that this week’s 48-27 drubbing by the LA Express was not a good time for the Skyhawks might be an understatement, but it was not a disaster for all 53 players on the roster. For newly-arrived WR Stevie Johnson, this week’s game was a breakout for him with his new team. After a pretty pedestrian season opener with his new team, the former Philadelphia Star showed why St. Louis had brought him in with one of the largest contracts ever offered to a wideout, catching 5 balls for 179 yards in St. Louis’s attempt to keep pace with LA’s scoring frenzy. Johnson had only had 3 catches and 34 yards when the Skyhawks shocked San Diego in their home opener, but this week, with the Skyhawks trying desperately to keep pace with an LA team that did not punt until the 4th quarter, Johnson’s skills were on full display. He had sideline toe-tapping catches, over the middle catches, and, the coup-de-grace, a 63-yard over-the-top catch reminiscent of Willie Mays in the final minute of the game that produced both a highlight reel visual and 7 points for the ‘Hawks. The game may have been very disturbing for Skyhawk fans, but what they saw out of their new acquisition had to be a sign of hope for the future. Arizona Secondary Being Asked to Do a Lot We all knew going into the season that the Arizona Wranglers were going to need time to find their defensive legs. We all also expected that the leadership of veterans in the secondary would be vital as the club tried to integrate a lot of new faces into the starting 11. What we did not anticipate was that the secondary would need to become the focal point of the entire defense, but when your top two tacklers are both DBs, it shows that you are relying very much on the third line of defense to take a very active role in every aspect of the team’s gameplan.   With SS Troy Polamalu leading the team with 20 tackles to date, followed closely by veteran CB Joe Haden with 19, it seems clear that Arizona is very much beholden to their secondary. We probably should not be shocked. With only 3 sacks in the opening 2 games, and with a LB group that is still trying to figure out their assignments, the only really consistent feature of the Wrangler D is in the secondary, where Polamalu and Haden lead a pretty veteran group that also includes free safety Nate Allen, veteran CB Mike Mickens and NFL import Ross Cockrell. With 2 of 3 starting linebackers new to the team (including rookie Malik Jefferson) and with 3 of 4 defensive line starter also new, there is just not a lot of continuity to be had, much less cohesion between teammates. The secondary has helped Arizona stay in games, with the pass defense ranked 13th in the league largely due to their efforts. The run defense has been harder to shift to the secondary, and that clearly impacts their ability to stop the run, with Chicago gaining over 180 yards on the ground this week after Arizona gave up 127 yards to Denver in a bad weather game at Invesco Field. The Wranglers have good leadership in the secondary to be sure, but what they need now is for the other 7 players on the field to figure out their roles and responsibilities each week and to play as a unit, something we are not yet seeing.   QB Situation Going into Week Three Just to be sure we all know what to expect this week, with injuries affecting 5 of the league’s starting QB situation, here is a quick rundown of what you should expect from the Week 3 games.   Oakland will start NFL Import Jimmy Garoppolo as they visit Ohio, with Bob Volek in the 2 slot should he be needed. Ohio will also be changing their QB for that game after the injury to Christian Hackenberg , with Brock Osweiler getting the start. So if you had Osweiler vs. Garoppolo penciled in for this game, congratulations, you may be clairvoyant.   Seattle heads to DC for the 2nd of two clashes between the Federals and PNW teams, after Washington was destroyed by the Stags last week. The Dragons will be going with former Stag Matt McGloin as their starter, but have also given former Fire QB Brad Gradkowski significant work this week in practice, so don’t be shocked if Gradkowski gets the call if McGloin struggles. Though the player to watch for certain is really HB Knowshon Moreno, considering what Ben Tate was able to do against the Federals’ run defense this past week.   To no one’s surprise after this past week’s performance, Tim Tebow has been given the start as Orlando travels to St. Louis. The Skyhawks also showed real issues with the run game, so expect Orlando to try to lighten Tebow’s load by focusing on a dual back run game with former Glory HB Rashad Jennings and veteran Latavius Murray carrying the ball early and often.   Finally, Cam Newton is listed as doubtful this week and all indications are that A. J. McCarron will get the start when the 0-2 Stallions host the Baltimore Blitz. Newton’s absence means we are likely to see Birmingham try to focus on the short passing game and hope that they can get some production from T. J. Yeldon. After 2 weeks, Yeldon has only 44 rushing yards, fewer than Cam Newton gained in one TD run this past week. If Yeldon struggles, it could be rookie Kerryon Johnson getting a shot as Birmingham will almost certainly try to run the ball against Baltimore.                 INJURIES We highlighted several key injuries in our Big Story this week, but the list is actually far longer than the list initially given, with 2 other IR additions and a long list of players ruled out for Week 5. New Jersey placed HB Kiero Small on IR and signed Toby Gerhardt to replace him. Between their active roster and practice squad, Jacksonville had 6 guards on the club, so they will not be looking to find a free agent, at least not in that position, as they place starting LG Dakota Doizer on IR with a broken leg. For the others, it looks like some temporary moves to bring a player up from the practice squad will be the answer. OUT HB         Kiero Small                     NJ           Torn Bicep            IR SS           Budda Baker                     HOU     Torn ACL                  IR G            Dakota Dozier                 JAX         Broken leg              IR HB         Doug Martin                 POR      Broken Hip              8-12 Weeks QB         Jacoby Brissett              SEA        Groin Tear                6-8 Weeks QB         Christian Hackenberg  OHI       Broken Arm             6-8 Weeks QB         Ryan Lindley                   OAK      Torn Miniscus           6-8 Weeks C             Jimmy Hook                   OKL       Broken Arm              4-6 Weeks CB          Prince Amukamara       WSH     Stress Fracture         2-4 Weeks DT          Akeem Hicks                  OHI       Fractured Jaw          1-2 Weeks LB           Rolando McClain           CHA      Concussion              1-2 Weeks OT          David Tremblay               ORL       Arm                          1-2 Weeks G            Herman Johnson            OKL       Back                          1-2 Weeks OT          Jah Reid                           LA          Hip                           1-2 Weeks LB           Brandon Spikes               DAL       Hand                         1-2 Weeks G            Joshua Garnett               NJ           Hip                           1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL TE           Rob Housler                 MGN     Hand DE          Chandler Jones               CHA      Illness QB         Cam Newton                 BIR         Eye   QUESTIONABLE SS           Kyshoen Jarrett               WSH     Concussion CB          Chimdi Chekwa              OHI       Hamstring SS           Jabril Peppers              MGN     Concussion WR         Justin Blackmon             CHA      Patella Tendinitis   Manziel Possibly in Hot Water Again As if having 5 USFL starting QBs out of Week 3 action due to injuries, we are potentially looking at another self-inflicted wound for the Dallas Roughnecks, as the league is currently investigating more allegations of misbehavior surrounding alcohol and QB Johnny Manziel. Reports out of Oklahoma City seem to indicate that the Dallas QB had some alcohol-fueled altercations with staff at the team’s hotel as they visited the city to face the Outlaws. No charges have been filed against Manziel, but it appears that police were involved when Manziel apparently clashed with hotel staff both inside the hotel and on the sidewalk outside the facility.   Reports are a bit fuzzy, but it appears that when the team arrived in Oklahoma City on Saturday, prepping for their Sunday night game against the Outlaws, Manziel wasted no time taking advantage of the minibar in his room, and soon was calling down to the hotel restaurant to order more alcohol. When some of his requests were denied, Manziel apparently made his way to the lobby and began berating the front desk staff. This developed further over the course of the night, with Manziel returning to the lobby multiple times and even clashing with building security outside the hotel. Police were called to the scene and Manziel was eventually returned to his room, with no further incidents reported, but the league is investigating the incident and local police are still potentially looking at several charges related to public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and potentially assaulting an officer for a swing that the QB apparently took towards one of the OKC police.   With a prior suspension already on his USFL record for a DUI in the 2016-2017 offseason, Manziel is already on thin ice with the league. A second alcohol-related suspension would almost certainly be lengthier than the 6-game suspension last season, and could very well come with requirements for treatment or counselling before reinstatement. We will continue to monitor this story, but as of right now it does appear that Manziel will both be active and expected to start when Dallas hosts Denver in a key early season divisional clash.   Did We Oversell Anthony Allen? As you may recall, this offseason we touted the potential of former Memphis HB Anthony Allen to take on a lead back role with whichever team signed the back in free agency. Allen had shown some real potential in his time with the Showboats, and we were confident that he could take his game to the next level and deserved a shot at being the number one back with a new team. The Washington Federals either believed us or agreed with us, signing Allen to a 3-year deal and putting him into the starting lineup as early as winter mini-camp.   But, with 2 weeks down in the 2018 season, the verdict is still very much out on Allen’s new placement. After rushing for only 15 yards on 16 carries in a dismal opener in Pittsburgh, there was some leeway given because the Mauler D-line is among the league’s most disruptive, and it clearly had given Washington’s blockers fits all game long. But, against Portland, who are not regarded by anyone as a top tier defense, Allen returned with only 55 yards. Now, that did include a touchdown run that required the back to shrug off an unencumbered defender, but even with that, his total production has just not been what Washington had hoped for. The season is early, and we do not anticipate that the Feds will drop Allen for NFL import Orleans Darkwa or scatback Joique Bell, but they will absolutely need to see more from Allen if they hope to earn their first win, and certainly if they hope to improve on a pretty dismal 3-13 season in 2017. For now we will wait and see, but so far the impression Federal fans are getting is that Allen may have been more hype than help.   League Reveals Expansion Timeline for 2020 The USFL League Office in New York announced this week the timeline for 2020 expansion. While for one expansion group, the San Antonio USFL Club headed by former Outlaws owner Red McComb, is already pre-selected for one of the two slots, for several other expansion hopeful cities the timeline provides a clear calendar for proposals, review, and selection. The announced plan calls for proposals to be submitted for review by the ad hoc 2020 Expansion Committee by September 1st of this year. The committee will conduct the financial and contractual review to ensure that the bidding investors have the resources promised as well as a stadium deal which meets USFL standards. The league will announce 3 finalists after their late fall meeting in November and those groups will present their bids to the league ownership at the league’s March meeting, with the expectation that the expansion franchise will be announced in January of 2019, providing a full year for both the San Antonio franchise and the ownership of the league’s 30th franchise to set up ticketing and marketing offices, develop sponsorship and local partnership deals, and for the league to prepare an expansion draft in the fall of 2019 and set draft parameters for the January 2020 draft.   While the SAUC (cited above) is not required to participate in the review and selection process, once the league has selected their 30th franchise, the two will follow many of the same guidelines and processes for integration into the league. As of right now, the expectation is that the expansion process will include no fewer than 6 bidding groups, representing a range of cities that currently do not possess a USFL franchise, but it is possible that more will emerge as the process begins. As of today there are known investment groups waiting to develop their bids on behalf of franchise locations in Miami, the Twin Cities, Boston, Salt Lake City and Hartford, with rumors adding potential interest in Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Virginia Beach to the mix.   While certainly not the primary focus of a bidding process, there are many within the USFL who are looking at divisional alignment as a factor in their decision making. After relocation pushed Las Vegas into the SW Division, Houston was moved out of the division and into the South, creating separation from the other Texas franchises (at the time there were two, now down to one with San Antonio’s relocation to Oklahoma City). There are some who are hoping that an expansion to 30 teams would allow for a cluster of the 3 Texas teams once again. However, there is also interest in finding franchises who could bring the two 4-team divisions up to an even 5 teams along with the league’s other 4 divisions. That could be done in a myriad of ways, so it does not necessarily rule out any particular location. For example, with the Central and Southern Divisions sitting at 4 teams, there is some talk about adding another midwestern club, like an Indianapolis or Twin City franchise, with San Antonio joining Houston in the South and leaving Dallas and Oklahoma in the Southwest. Others favor moving Dallas to the South, and yet others believe that Pittsburgh could be returned to the Central Division, which would create space in the Northeast for a Boston or Hartford franchise. Of course, if Miami is the chosen 30th franchise, there will be pressure to relocate Charlotte, which could push them somewhat uncomfortably into the NE Division, again sending Pittsburgh to the Central. And if Salt Lake City or Kansas City are chosen, well, that all but blows up the SW Division, with Dallas, Oklahoma or the expansion San Antonio team having to find a new home in either the South or the Central Division.   This is all speculation at this point. But, within the next year we should know exactly who the finalists are and, from there, which city is being added to the USFL family. That will almost certainly force some reallocation of teams, but it is certainly far too early to know just how and where teams will show up at this point. So, we wait and wonder.   Week three is a big week for many teams around the USFL, but none more than the clubs sitting at 0-2 and trying their best to avoid an 0-3 start. We have 8 teams in that situation, so let’s focus on them as we look ahead at the week’s schedule. No games with winless teams on Friday, but we do have a huge divisional game with Houston visiting New Orleans in what has quickly become a pretty solid rivalry of two “Bayou” teams.   Saturday starts us off with 3 winless teams in action at noon. We have Jacksonville playing in division against the 1-1 Atlanta Fire and we have a battle of winless clubs as the Dragons travel to DC to face the Federals. Washington was walloped by the league’s other Pacific Northwest club this past week; can they avoid an 0-2 home record against the region by knocking off the Dragons? We have 3 more 0-2 clubs in action in the later slots as well, with Baltimore traveling to Birmingham to take on a Cam-Newtonless Stallions squad in a 7pm ET start. Then, in the nightcap, it is Las Vegas at San Diego, with both preseason playoff hopefuls trying to avoid a nasty 0-3 start to their seasons.   On Sunday we have two more winless clubs, both with pretty tough assignments as they are both home but hosting a 2-0 club that has looked very good this year. At noon it is the Bandits hosting Charlotte, though it is a weakened Monarchs club with injuries that could keep three key players out: WR Justin Blackmon, LB Rolando McClain and DE Chandler Jones. Is that enough to turn the tide towards the homestanding Tampa Bay Bandits? Then, in the final game of the week, we have Chicago hosting their rivals from Michigan. The Panthers come to Chi-Town at 2-0 and looking very much like the club that drove their way to a title last year. Can the Machine find a way to throw a wrench in the gears of Michigan’s season or will the Panthers roll on to 3-0 and send Chicago into a deep hole at 0-3? Looks like a week of reckoning for many teams, so tune in and get ready for some intense early season football.   Friday @ 6pm ET         Arizona (1-1) @ New Jersey (1-1)             NBC Friday @ 8pm ET           Houston (2-0) @ New Orleans (2-0)          ABC   Saturday @ 12pm ET   Jacksonville (0-2) @ Atlanta (1-1)             ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET     Seattle (0-2) @ Washinton (0-2)               FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       Oklahoma (2-0) @ Memphis (1-1)            ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET       Oakland (2-0) @ Ohio (1-1)                       FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET       Baltimore (1-1) @ Birmingham (0-2)         NBC      Saturday @ 9pm ET       Las Vegas (0-2) @ San Diego (0-2)            ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET      Charlotte (2-0) @ Tampa Bay (0-2)           ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET        Orlando (1-1) @ St. Louis (1-1)                 FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET        Portland (2-0) @ Philadelphia (1-1)          FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET         Denver (2-0) @ Dallas (1-1)                        ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET          Pittsburgh (1-1) @ Los Angeles (1-1)        FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET         Michigan (2-0) @ Chicago (0-2)                 ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: You come out of the gate in Week 1 with a 400-yard passing day and, yes, you are going to win POTW. Colt McCoy looked 100% recovered from the injury that cost him half of the Summer Bowl, throwing for 403 on only 15 of 25, as it was big play after big play for the Gambler QB against the Bandits.

Welcome to the 36th season of USFL football. Week one kicked us off with a soggy, windy, and sloppy set of games, with a lot of weather-related football follies making up the story of the week. But, despite the elements, football is back and that is something to celebrate. We will review all the games this week, including a nice Game of the Week that saw Baltimore go into Philly and pull off a soggy, but well-earned upset. We will also take a look at how our two Summer Bowl 2017 participants seem to be keeping the ball rolling as they enter 2018, and a quick look at two potential breakout performances from players given a shot to shine in the new season. We wrap it all up with a slightly belated report on the USFL Preseason Power Rankings and a look ahead to Week 2. It’s all right here. Football is back with the USFL in action, and we are here for it.   Rain, Rain, Go Away!! We have all gotten used to the first week or two of USFL action providing a cavalcade of weather issues. That is the nature of March in much of the country. But even with an expectation of potential foul weather, what we got this weekend in the USFL was a soggy, messy, ugly set of games that not only impacted play for teams that simply have not had much time to get their timing right even in perfect conditions, but also conditions that produced one of the lowest leaguewide attendance numbers in nearly 2 decades.   Significant storms, including cold late winter winds in Chicago, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, also produced lightning delays in both Oklahoma and Memphis, while rain-soaked fields were also a problem in both Birmingham and Philadelphia. Oddly enough, of the 8 games that were clearly affected by the cold, wet weather, Portland, often the site of early season soakers, was perhaps the least affected, though a drizzle fell for much of the Stag’s home opener as well.   Conditions were at their worst for the games in Oklahoma and Chicago. The Outlaws’ opener against Las Vegas saw three separate lighting stoppages, turning the game into a marathon that took over 5 hours to complete. In Chicago the rain was mixed with sleet and brutal winds, dropping the ambient temperature form the mid-40’s easily into the high 20’s at points during the game. Conditions were not much better in most of the other impacted games, making fans in St. Louis, Houston, and Michigan feel mighty lucky that their teams opened the season in climate-controlled domes. But even with the comfort of a domed stadium, flash flooding, lightning, and gusting winds still depressed the opening week numbers.   Overall, the league’s opening week produced an average attendance of just 37,203, well below that of recent years in which, even with some foul weather games, the opening week of the USFL typically drew an average of 45,000 or more to the 14 home games. There were some bright spots, of course, with Denver getting over 47,000 to sit through a pretty chilly game at Invesco Field. Dallas also saw solid attendance for their opener, with over 44,000 on hand, and Charlotte, which was largely unaffected by the line of storms that raged from the Rockies to New England over the course of the weekend, was more than happy to welcome football back, with nearly 51,000 on hand at Bank of America stadium. Compare that to the 29,423 that came out to watch Memphis upset the New Jersey Generals in a day long soaker, and you can see just how much the weather impacted the season’s opening week. But never fear. The meteorologists are looking at next weekend and seeing very few possibilities of nasty weather. Why it may even be sunny in Seattle when the Dragons host the Stars. Well, not sunny, since it is a 6pm kickoff in Seattle, but the forecast calls for a warm day preceding the game. The league certainly hopes that the weather clears for Week 2, perhaps ready to call a do-over after a pretty miserable opening week both for the players trying to maneuver through puddles and slick turf and for the fans, sitting in the rain and suffering the wind in far too many stadiums this week.   BALTIMORE BLITZ 15  PHILADELPHIA STARS 10 Wind gusting up to 40mph and a steady drizzle welcomed the Philadelphia Stars and the Baltimore Blitz at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday night. Not exactly what we would call true football weather, but not out of the norm of possibility with a March start to the season. But, despite the pretty miserable conditions, more than 35,000 fans made their way to the stadium to watch their team open play for the 2018 season. There was a healthy Baltimore contingent in the house, maybe as many as 10,000 of the announced crowd. And what both sets of fans watch was a pretty decent game, despite the elements, with both defenses clearly having the edge in the dreary conditions.   In a game that saw 9 combined sacks and one in which neither team could muster 100 yards of combined rushing, it was a game that did not set itself up for big numbers across the two offenses. But what we saw was one of the better defensive game plans against Philadelphia’s run game, as the Blitz used run blitzes and tight safeties to devastate the Star running attack, limiting Derrick Henry to a miserable 0.8 yards per carry, and not allowing Zac Stacy to fare much better. In a combined 19 carries, the two backs combined for only 23 yards. Meanwhile, Baltimore, still a bit pass happy, which is tough in the conditions the two clubs faced, managed to see Anthony Dixon and Kerwynn Williams combine for 76 yards rushing, though neither could top 3.5 yards per carry either.   The Blitz scored first in the rain, putting together a 58-yard drive after a poor punt from Philadelphia. The drive saw Dixon and Williams slogging through the wet turf, but also saw Big Ben connect on two key passes, the first a 3rd and 10 throw to Eli Rogers that went for 13 and a first down. The second was the scoring throw to Brian Hartline, a comeback route that caused the corner to slide out of the play while Hartline hooked back, made the catch and then fell forward into the endzone. That score would put Baltimore up 7-0, a lead they would hold until the 3rd quarter.   With both teams soaked to the bones and both offenses struggling throughout the half, the two clubs happily headed to their locker rooms at the half, hoping to warm up if not dry off a bit. When they came out for the third quarter, the rain had let up a bit, but the wind was still a factor. We saw this on Baltimore’s first drive, when the Blitz got optimistic and sent out Josh Lambo to attempt a 43-yarder. That proved quite a bit too optimistic as the ball got caught in the swirling wind and was drawn far off to the right. Philadelphia would have more luck on their next possession, using nearly 6 minutes to go 61 yards before sending out Mike Nugent to try his own kick, this one from 39 yards out. The ball hooked, to be sure, but instead of hooking out of play, it hooked from outside the goalposts on the left nearly to the right upright but went through to put the homestanding Stars on the board.   With a 7-3 lead after 3 quarters, there was not much expectation that scoring would open up in the final period, but we saw 4 different scoring plays in the quarter, with Baltimore getting 3 of them. The first was a defensive score when, with Philadelphia backed up to their own 2, Matt Gutierrez bobbled the ball as he tried to put it in the belly of Derrick Henry. Henry fell on the ball to avoid the defensive TD, but it still gave Baltimore 2 more points, boosting their lead to 9-3.   After the Philadelphia defense forced Baltimore to punt the ball, the Stars took over on their own 20 and had their best drive of the game. The wind seemed to calm down just enough that Coach Harbaugh was willing to let Matt Gutierrez throw the ball against the stacked Baltimore front. He had completed only 5 of 17 passes on the day, but on this drive, he would complete 3 of 5 to move the Stars into Baltimore territory. Admitedly, the longest pass of the day, a 52-yarder to Zac Stacy was only a 4-yard throw, but Stacy made the first defender miss, then benefitted from the slick ground as he made the safety whiff on an attempted arm tackle. He would be pushed out of bounds at the Baltimore 18 with the biggest gain of the day.   A sack of Matt Gutierrez sent the Stars back to the 22, but on the next play, the Philadelphia QB found Travis Kelce over the middle, and the big tight end rumbled his way between the safety and a corner, splashing his way into the endzone for 6 points. Mike Nugent’s kick gave Philadelphia their first lead of the game with only 4:12 left to play. The Stars were up 10-9, but there was still time for Baltimore to find an answer.   The Blitz did just that, using one-cut routes to give the receivers a chance to gain a step on the rain-soaked defense. Short passes to both Darrius Heyward-Bey and Eli Rogers turned into longer completions thanks to the YAC yards both receivers were able to add to the plays. It took Baltimore 7 plays, but they were on the Philadelphia 2 and it looked like they would go in for the score, but on 1st and goal, the rain finally got to Baltimore. The snap went wonky, fluttering between the legs of Big Ben. He spun to find the ball but inadvertently kicked it. Fortunately for Baltimore, HB Kerwynn Williams was alert to the botched snap and fell on the ball. It cost the Blitz 5 yards, but they held onto possession. After 2 passes into the endzone produced no points, Josh Lambo came out for a chip shot 24-yarder. This time, Lambo found the line and the ball went straight through the uprights to once again give the Blitz the lead, 12-10 with 1:14 left to play.   Philadelphia allowed the ball to slide into the endzone on the kickoff and started from the 20 with 1:14 to get into field goal range. The rain and wind, however, would not allow them to use the passing game to speed up that drive. After the wind blew the ball out of bounds on a sideline throw to Ron Johnson, Philadelphia tried to get Zac Stacy to break open a play on a draw, but instead of busting through the hole, he too struggled with the handoff and had to fall on the ball without any gain. On 3rd and 11 Matt Gutierrez had to dump the ball down to Randall Cobb underneath, a play that gained only 5 yards. But, with 4th and 6 on their own 24, the Stars had no choice but to go for it on 4th down. But, once again the slippery ball proved a huge issue. Matt Gutierrez, back in the shotgun position, watched as the ball flew to his left. He would race the defenders to get to the ball, but even with him gaining possession, the play meant that it would be Baltimore’s ball on the Philly 17. After two dive plays, Baltimore put the game out of reach with another short field goal, with only 4 seconds left to play.   While some in Philadelphia questioned the decision for Baltimore to add more points with only 1 snap left in the game, Coach Caldwell made it pretty clear that he believed a 5-point lead was a better safeguard against any final shenanigans than their previous 2-point advantage. As both teams left the field, the fans slogged to their cars, a bit stunned by the result, and certainly hoping that the next Stars home game (Week 3 vs. Portland) would be a dryer and warmer affair.   Arizona 10  Denver 17 No rain in the Mile High City, but a cold, blustery March day welcomed both teams. Denver used the run game to their advantage, racking up 127 yards on the ground and helping Matt Leinart use play action to throw for 2 scores. Arizona’s pasing attack struggled, with FB Leron McClain finishing as the Wrangler’s top receiver with 4 catches. POTG: Gold HB DeMarco Murray: 16 Att, 84 Yds   New Jersey 13   Memphis 26 The Showboats and Generals played through the rain in Memphis, where the homestanding ‘Boats forced 2 turnovers and held New Jersey to only 50 yards rushing. Todd Gurley outpaced that total, rushing for 54 yards and a TD in the mud. Nick Foles quickly gave up on the run game, throwing the ball 55 times, but was only able to complete 21 of those throws. POTG: Memphis HB Todd Gurley: 18 Att, 55 Yds, 1 TD   Orlando 14   Charlotte 26 One of the better weather games welcomed the Renegades and Monarchs. Mitch Trubisky struggled with Orlando’s pass rush, sacked 3 times and picked off 3 more, but he got the W thanks in large part to 163 yards rushing, shared by Adrian Peterson (65), Taiwan Jones (58) and rookie Nyheim Hines (45) as the Monarchs ground out the divisional win. POTG: Monarch CB Derech Cox: 6 Tck, 1 PD, 1 Int   Los Angeles 14  Portland 19 Of all the rainy games, this one was the most expected, after all it was Portland in March. The Express and Stags played a pretty entertaining game, all things considered. A TD from Bradford to rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling gave them a 1-point lead early in the 4th, but Portland added 2 field goals in the quarter to take the W. Mariota went 15 of 22 for 165, and with Doug Martin dinged up early in the game, it was big Ben Tate who got the most carries. POTG: Stag HB Ben Tate: 28 Att, 83 Yds   Seattle 9   Dallas 22 Seattle might have liked to see some rain in Dallas, but no luck there. Instead, they saw Dallas bring out a spread offense that allowed WR Tim Wright to rack up 102 yards on 6 catches before suffering an injury that could cost him the season. Manziel went 24 of 35 in Kliff Kingsbury’s new offense. Seattle struggled, with Knowshon Moreno gaining only 27 yards in his first game as a Dragon. Jacoby Brissett threw 2 picks, and the Roughnecks got 6 points off those turnovers. POTG: Dallas WR Tim Wright: 6 Rec, 102 Yds   New Orleans 16  Birmingham 6 An all-day soaker made conditions at Protective Stadium in Birmingham look like playing the game on a slip & slide. Neither team could run the ball effectively, with Leonard Fournette gaining only 10 yards on the day while T. J. Yeldon was held to 18. Cam Newton had the most official carries for Birmingham, but most were scrambles, not planned runs. The Breakers got the W on one key play, a 21-yard Brees to Nelson TD toss that was the game’s only TD. POTG: Breaker WR Jordy Nelson: 7 Rec, 138 Yds, 1 TD   Las Vegas 14   Oklahoma 17 Officially the game in Oklahoma City was a sell-out, but there were plenty of empty seats as the game was delayed twice by lightning and rain pelted the field for the full 3 hours. Apparently, Marshawn Lynch is a mudder, because he had no issues, rushing for 71 yards on 16 carries. Las Vegas had some good runs too, but they also blew a 14-3 lead as Oklahoma ground out 3 second half scores to take the W. POTG: Oklahoma WR DeDe Westbrook: 7 Rec, 130 Yds   San Diego 15   St. Louis 26 No rain inside The Dome at America’s Center, except of course the passes raining down on the San Diego defense. Josh Freeman threw for 270 yards and 2 scores despite being sacked 5 times by the Thunder. His game included a nice 32-yard TD to TE Rob Gronkowski and a 38-yarder to Erik Decker. San Diego moved the ball well but struggled in the red zone. Kicker Jeff Reed also had a rough opener for the Thunder, missing on 2 long field goals. POTG: St. Louis LT Brian Bulaga: 15 Pancakes   Jacksonville 12   Ohio 20 The rain in Columbus was not as bad as some other venues, but it came with swirling wind which affected both passing games. With a stronger run game and some short passing, Ohio pulled out to a 17-6 lead in the 3rd and salted away the win with a late field goal by Robbie Gould. Former NFL QB Teddy Bridgewater actually came into the game for one series, completing his first USFL pass, but it was Robert Griffin III at the helm for most of the game. POTG: Ohio QB Christian Hackenberg: 18/25, 127 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   Washington 9   Pittsburgh 22 The Mauler game had only an occasional sprinkle, so Washington cannot blame their issue on the weather. Rookie Sony Michel had a much better debut than Washington FA back Anthony Allen, rushing for 77 yards on 15 carries while Allen could only muster 15 yards against the Mauler front 4. The Feds also cost themselves with 7 penalties, including 2 that wiped out first downs by the offense. POTG: Pittsburgh CB Dunta Robinson: 9 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR   Tampa Bay 16   Houston 30 Colt McCoy started strong with 403 yards passing, including 159 to Mike Evans and another 101 to Juju Smith-Schuster as the Gamblers rolled. It was 30-9 until a garbage time TD from the Bandits. Tampa did not have Dez Bryant suited up, but with 6 sacks suffered, Dak Prescott likely could not have gotten the ball to him too often had he played. POTG: Gambler QB Colt McCoy: 15/25, 403 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   Oakland 12  Chicago 7 Soldier Field was a swimming pool as the Invaders and Machine slipped, slid, and splashed their way through a game that saw at least 20,000 fans stay home due to the weather. They missed a messy game that did not showcase either team very well. QB Ryan Lindley stayed within himself, completing 20 of 29 passes, mostly short underneath throws, and Oakland kicker Roberto Aguayo managed to keep his footing pretty well, connecting on all 4 attempts, including a 52-yarder. POTG: Oakland LB Bobby Wagner: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   Atlanta 14   Michigan 28 The Panthers began their title defense with a nice home win under the roof at Ford Field. There were a few no-shows due to the rain, but those who made it out to the stadium got to see classic Panther football, with LeVeon Bell rushing for 115 (the only 100-yard day of the weekend) and with Kirk Cousins connecting with Cody Latimer for 119 and a score. Atlanta rookie Nick Chubb had some good runs, including a nice 17-yarder on a scoring drive in the 3rd, but it was not enough as Michigan held the Fire at arm’s length all game. POTG: Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FF, 1 FR   Panthers & Gamblers Still Look Like Champs Maybe it was the fact that they were fortunate to open the season in their comfortably domed home stadiums, or maybe it was just that the two competitors in the 2017 Summer Bowl were still very much in postseason form, but when you look at the results from this weekend, it seemed clear that Michigan and Houston were again at the top of the class.   Houston’s Colt McCoy put up 403 yards passing and the Gamblers rolled over an overmatched Tampa Bay defense, winning 30-16 in a game that was not as close as that score would make it seem. Michigan built up a 21-7 lead at the half and held off the Atlanta Fire in their opener, with LeVeon Bell becoming the only 100-yard back of the opening week. Yes, the conditions were certainly more amendable to the offenses in these two dome games, but it was also clear that both teams retained the rhythm and momentum that had taken them to the league title game last July.   Fans had hoped that the two would meet this season in a redux of the title games, but the divisions did not align for that to be possible. Houston plays its 4 inter-conference games against teams from the SW (all but Arizona), while Michigan’s inter-conference games have the Panthers facing the Fire, Monarchs, Bulls, and Renegades from the Southeastern Division. So, if fans want to see a rematch of the Summer Bowl, they will have to hope that our “This Week in the USFL” preseason prognosticators were correct, and we will have the first rematch in Summer Bowl history.   Westbrook Not Missing His Shot With the Oklahoma Outlaws trading away Marques Colston (to San Diego), the big question is what Coach Landry and the Outlaws would do to fill those pretty huge shoes. There was talk that Oklahoma would go after one of the big NFL free agent receivers, either Cowboy Dez Bryant or former Dolphin Jarvis Landry. Some speculated that a trade had to be in the works, with names like Darrius Heyward-Bey, Amari Cooper, and Kenny Britt thrown around, but those proved to be more armchair quarterbacking than legitimate conversations. When camp closed and the Outlaws prepped for their preseason matchup against Pittsburgh, it was DeDe Westbrook on the depth chart opposite Marquise Goodwin.   The former Sooner was certainly a known name among fans in Oklahoma City, having caught 80 balls for over 1,500 yards in his senior season in Norman, but in his first season with the USFL Outlaws, Westbrook had been very much a forgotten man. He had caught only 13 passes in his rookie career, stuffed deep in the receiver depth chart behind not only Colston, Goodwin and slot man Percy Harvin, but also beneath little-used Roger Lewis. Coach Landry was asked about this last year and he simply said that Westbrook had some adjustments to make, some development needed, and that he would have his moment.   That moment came this week, when Westbrook was on the field for 47 of Oklahoma’s 56 offensive plays. Conditions were certainly not favorable for a big day from any receiver, and yet Westbrook showed up, looking every bit the weapon that we saw in Norman with the Sooners. He had 15 targets (a league high for the opening week), bringing in 7 of those throws even in the rough conditions. And with those 7 catches, he amassed 130 yards, putting him third in the league. His longest play was a 37-yarder, which was about 12 yards in the air and 25 breaking a tackle and racking up some additional yards. He also had a beauty of a catch in which he tipped the ball to himself and held onto it despite a big hit from Las Vegas safety Eric Berry. For fans of the Outlaws, the performance calmed the concerns about Coach Landry’s lack of effort to bring in a big name. It seems that Landry had seen the work put in by Westbrook not only last season, but in the offseason, to be the kind of receiver who the Outlaws could count on, and in Week 1, Westbrook put his name out there as a potential breakout performer in 2018.   Who is Anthony Hitchens? Speaking of breakout performances, this week’s Blitz-Stars game had a lot of viewers, including Blitz fans themselves, wondering, who is Anthony Hitchens and where have the Blitz been hiding him? Hitchens, a 5th year USFL veteran got his first career start this week, having moved over from the Outlaws to the Blitz in free agency. The former Iowa Hawkeye had been a 2nd round draft pick of the then Texas Outlaws in 2014 but had seen action primarily on special teams in his 4 seasons in the Southwest. He did not appear in a game in his rookie season, and while he had snaps in all 16 games the next two years, he did not earn a single start and amassed only a handful of tackles. In 2017, a combination of injuries and depth in the Oklahoma LB group kept Hitchens to appearances on defense in only 2 games. Baltimore signed Hitchens to a league minimum 1-year deal this offseason, almost certainly thinking of the former Hawkeye as a body for camp. But when Hitchens arrived in Baltimore, he started to impress folks right away. Fully recovered from an ankle injury that had cost him the latter half of the 2017 season, Hitchens had added nearly 20 lbs of upper body mass thanks to a rigorous strength program while his leg healed. He came into camp hungry, and he made plays. By the time of Baltimore’s lone preseason game, he had earned a spot as the backup to Clint Sintim at strongside linebacker. When Coach Caldwell decided to move Sintim inside to bolster the Baltimore 3-4 against interior runs, it gave Hitchens his first start in his 5-year pro career. How did Hitchens respond? How about 9 tackles, leading all Blitz defenders, oh, and 2 sacks as well. Now, admittedly, one of those was Matt Gutierrez slipping during a scramble and Hitchens patting him down, but the unknown and unheralded free agent signing was everywhere on the wet field in Philadelphia. He earned Defensive Player of the Game and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Week. Not bad for a player with fewer tackles in 4 seasons than in this one game. Looks like we should be adding Mr. Hitchens to our list of potential players to watch this year.   Several NFL Signees Held Out of Week 1 While the USFL had a better-than-average transfer window for signing big name NFL talent, many of those players are still learning new systems or simply recovering from a long fall season and were held out of this week’s action. While we did see many NFL additions on the field this weekend, some of the bigger names were confined to the sidelines and wearing track suits instead of shoulder pads.   Players like WR Dez Bryant, HB Kareem Hunt, and QB Jimmy Garoppolo have only been in USFL camps for 2 weeks or less, while others, like TE Eric Ebron or LB Junior Galette are still nursing late NFL season injuries. The expectation is that we will see several more NFL players make their USFL debuts in Week 2, with Bryant, Ebron, Hunt, and Dallas WR Sammy Watkins among them. As for Oakland’s new QB, Jimmy Garoppolo, there is speculation that Coach Kubiak is not yet ready to turn the reins over to the NFL import just yet. We may see Ryan Lindley again in Week 2’s big matchup against San Diego if only because his knowledge of the offense is considerably deeper than that of the new NFL import. Among the NFL players who did make their USFL debuts this week, we should highlight Atlanta WR Leonard Hankerson, who left the USFL after the 2016 season, played one year in the NFL, and is now back. The new Fire wideout had 5 catches for 47 yards and a TD against the Panthers. Another solid debut came from Arizona’s new cornerback, Ross Cockrell, who played 37 snaps against Denver, coming up with 3 tackles. Other than that, the main contributors from the more than 30 NFL players signed to USFL teams this offseason were the kickers, with former Steeler Chris Boswell connecting on 2 of 4 field goals in rain-soaked Birmingham, and former Brown Zane Gonzalez doing even better in the comfort of the Dome in St. Louis, hitting on 4 of 4 kicks and both PATs as the Skyhawks upset San Diego to win their home opener.   Wright Has Big Day with Bad Ending It started about as well as a player could hope and ended about as badly as they would fear. Dallas wideout Tim Wright had high hopes for the season, and with 6 catches and 102 yards in the opener, it looked like he was starting the year off right, with a goal of topping his career high 1,130 yards from 2017 this season. But midway through the fourth quarter of Dallas win over the visiting Seattle Dragons, Wright, and his high hopes for the season came crashing down.   It was a high throw from Manziel, but one that it looked like Wright was going to bring down, but when his left leg landed, it did so awkwardly, with his foot glancing off the leg of the defender. The result was a twisted leg that clearly meant something had gone very wrong. Wright pounded his fist into the turf at the Cotton Bowl, needed help getting to the sideline, and was carted off to the locker room for evaluation. After such a strong opening game, Wright, and the entire Roughneck squad, would later learn that it would be his last game of the year. It was a full tear of the PCL ligament, with damage as well to the ACL and a dislocation of the patella. In other words, a knee injury that would cost the speedy receiver the year. Wright would be placed on IR on Tuesday, a season of hope and potential wiped out by something as simple as an unfortunate landing.   Wright and Atlanta center Marcus Martin would be the worst of the Week 1 injuries, with both starters now relegated to the IR for the year. Michigan learned that they would be without newly-acquired DE Dee Ford for up to 4 weeks with a hernia suffered late in their win against the Fire, and several other players are now listed as out for Week 2, including Panther TE Rob Housler and Philadelphia’s top corner, Courtland Finnegan. Concerns for Oakland HB Christian McCaffrey’s knee were alleviated when an MRI revealed only minor muscle bruising and inflammation, not the feared ligament damage that had so concerned Panther fans. McCaffrey may be held out of this week’s game out of caution, but that will likely be a game-time decision from Coach Kubiak.   OUT C          Marcus Martin            ATL         Torn Quad           IR WR         Tim Wright                     DAL       Torn PCL             IR DE          Dee Ford                       MGN     Hernia                     2-4 Weeks CB          Cortland Finnegan         PHI        Wrist                        1-2 Weeks TE           Rob Housler                    MGN     Finger                      1-2 Weeks LB           Brandon Spikes               DAL       Hand                        1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL FB          Jalston Fowler                BIR         Turf Toe                  QUESTIONABLE OT          Andre Smith                  JAX         Turf Toe                LB           James Laurinaitis           OHI       Ribs C             Mason Cole                   BIR         Neck HB         Christian McCaffrey     OAK      Knee WR         Marques Colston            SD          Shoulder DE          Olivier Vernon                BAL        Hip C             Sean Harlow                   POR      Back   First Look at Off-Season Additions It was a very mixed week for some of the big-name players that found new teams this offseason. We had a few strong opening performances, but we also saw several players struggle to live up to expectations with their new team. Of course, one game is not an indication of how these players will fare over the course of the year, but you only get one first impression, so who impressed and who has some work to do to win over fans in their new home?   Among the top performers of the season’s first week we have to recognize CB Patrick Peterson in Dallas, finishing the day with 7 tackles, a sack and 2 pass defenses. Another corner who had a big first game was New Jersey’s Aqib Talib who had 6 tackles but also broke up 6 passes, a league best after 1 week. DE Michael Bennett had a good first game in Oakland, though he did not record a sack on the day. He finished with 3 tackles, and a tackle-for-loss. In Denver, former General Amobi Okoye racked up his first sack of the season. Among the relocated offensive players, the best day was that of Charlotte’s new wideout, Justin Blackmon, who finished the game with 6 catches for 51 yards. His replacement in Ohio, former Skyhawk Eric Weems, also looked comfortable, bringing in 4 receptions for 56 yards. It did not go quite so well for former Outlaw Marques Colston, who had only 3 catches for 34 yards in his San Diego debut, while Stevie Johnson only saw 4 targets, but brought in 3 of them for 34 yards for the Skyhawks.   It was the tailbacks that had the biggest hill to climb, as both Knowshon Moreno (ORL to SEA) and Anthony Allen (MEM to WSH) had rough days in their first appearance with their new clubs. Moreno had 15 carries but gained only 27 yards, while Allen had 16 carries, but averaged less than 1 yard per attempt, finishing with only 15 yards. Tough starts for two players who were expected to be major factors in their new offenses. There is certainly still time for any of the Week 1 performers to improve and show their worth to their new teams, while some impressed right away. Week 2 will offer another shot to impress, so keep your eyes on these players to see if more familiarity will produce positive results.   League Power Rankings Yes, we do have power rankings, perhaps a week late, but still a good starting point as we enter into the new year. As expected, the two Summer Bowl participants are at the top of the ratings, but after that the offseason has produced some big movement up and down the list. Here is our preseason look at who we think is elite, solid, shaky, and possibly sinking.   WHO IS ELITE?   1—MICHIGAN No doubt that we would put the defending champs at number one. They earned it.   2—HOUSTON Houston won the West in 2017, and who knows what would have happened had McCoy been healthy for the Championship. A deserving 2-slot for the Gamblers.   3—PHILADELPHIA The Stars look solid top to bottom and may again have a division title if not more ahead in 2018.   4—SAN DIEGO San Diego replaced Chad Johnson with Marques Colston, which means that while the entertainment value of their WR group might be a bit lessened, the quality of play is as good as ever.   5—CHARLOTTE The Monarchs are building around 2nd year QB Mitch Trubisky and hoping they can move from a division champ to something much bigger.   6—ARIZONA Arizona was 15-1 last year, but they have a completely rebuilt defense and there are a lot of questions about whether they can keep the rest of the Soutwest down.   7—NEW ORLEANS The Breakers round out our elite squad top quartile, but are they ready to do more? They need Leonard Fournette and the defense to show us they are ready to challenge the big boys.   WHO IS LOOKING SOLID?   8—DENVER Denver is going to win with defense and ball control. Nothing new there. But, if Matt Leinart cannot get more out of the offense, would Coach Hufnagel put in the rookie out of Wyoming?   9—NEW JERSEY The Generals are looking like the primary contender in the NE, but do they have enough firepower with Nick Foles at the helm to take on the Stars?   10—LAS VEGAS We like a lot of what we see happening in Vegas, and, if they can avoid losing Kareem Hunt to a lengthy suspension, they could be a surprise challenger in the West.   11—BALTIMORE The Blitz have a somewhat unknown quantity on defense, but we know what to expect from this offense, big plays, deep throws, and a lot of opportunities to pull away from their opponents.   12—OHIO Ohio seems to be modeling themselves as Denver East, focusing on a solid defense, a ho-hum but effective offense, and a strategy of controlling the pace of the game each week.   13—ATLANTA We like Atlanta’s defense, and we think the addition of rookie Nick Chubb could give the O a boost, we are just not sure who will finish the season under center.   14—SEATTLE We probably should have ranked Seattle higher after the second half of a season they put together last year. I guess we are still not 100% convinced that it was not all smoke and mirrors.   WHO MIGHT BE A BIT SHAKY?   15—OKLAHOMA The biggest question mark is the passing game, but if Oklahoma can stick to their smashmouth success from last year, they could make a run at the division.   16—BIRMINGHAM Every year we seem to think that the Stallions are due for a breakout year, and every year they seem to muddle around .500. Can they finally get more consistency out of this squad?   17—DALLAS A new coaching staff, a lot of new faces on defense, is that enough for Dallas to get ahead in a very tight and pretty solid division?   18—OAKLAND The defense has some clout to it, the run game could be solid, so it all comes down to how quickly and effectively Jimmy Garoppolo can be brought along.   19—CHICAGO The move for Sam Darnold shows that this club is not happy where they are, at least not at QB, so what does that mean now that they lost out on their star QB to the NFL?   20—PITTSBURGH That amazing 2015 season is feeling more and more distant. How can the Maulers recapture that magic? Is moving to a spread attack the key?   21—MEMPHIS There is a lot we like about Rex Ryan’s Showboats, but there are still huge question marks too, especially as they pertain to the development of Paxton Lynch.   WHO COULD BE IN IN FOR A LONG YEAR?   22—LOS ANGELES Of all the teams in our list, the Express were the ones with the widest gap between their possible ceiling and their possible basement. Most seem to think they may need to find a new path, because Coach Reid has just not found the answer with what he has tried to date.   23—ORLANDO Losing Knowshon is a huge hit, but with Wilson back the Renegades are still hoping they can ride his arm and the best front 3 in football to a playoff spot.   24—TAMPA BAY Is Dez Bryant the answer? Bandit fans hope so, but since Bryant cannot play defense, the odds his presence turns things around seems pretty slim.   25—JACKSONVILLE Can either Griffith or Bridgewater finally provide some offense so that the Bulls’ D does not have to go it alone? We are not seeing the surrounding cast needed for either QB to really make a huge impact.   26—WASHINGTON The Feds were pretty awful last year, and while not all their attempts to improve the roster panned out (See Baker Mayfield in the NFL), they did make some good moves.   27—ST. LOUIS With a truly horrible defense in 2017, the place to spend huge effort and money did not seem to be the QB position, but the Skyhawks seem very excited about Lamar Jackson.   28—PORTLAND The Stags are stagnating. We are not seeing this team making the kind of moves needed to add some energy and some quality at so many places on the roster. This just feels like a very tough job for Coach LaFleur unless he can get some help from the GM.   Week two offers us some interesting matchups, starting on Friday night, when we have the Stallions at New Jersey and the Thunder visiting Oakland for the Invaders’ home opener. Fans had hoped that they would get to see Jimmy G under center for the Invaders, but all indications are that Coach Kubiak will start Ryan Lindley. On Saturday we have a nice battle of 1-0 clubs as Charlotte is in Baltimore for the Blitz’s home opener. After upsetting Philadelphia in the rain this week, the Blitz are hoping to make it 2-0 against 2017 division winners with a win over the visiting Monarchs.   Saturday also brings us a Central Division clash as Ohio heads up to Michigan with both teams sitting at 1-0. We also have a Florida Derby on Saturday night as the Bandits take the short trip to Orlando to take on the Renegades. With both teams at 0-1, it is a chance to get that first W against an in-state rival.   When we move to Sunday we get three more early season divisional matchups, starting with Memphis at Houston in the noon timeslot. Both are 1-0 after Memphis’s surprising opening week win against New Jersey, while Houston wil be at home for a second week. Later in the day, the 4pm slot has Denver again in division after knocking off Arizona. This week they hit the road as they take on Las Vegas at the Wynn Arena. Then, in the final game of the weekend, we have Dallas visiting Oklahoma in what the league hopes is a budding “Red River Rivalry” much like Texas v. Oklahoma in the Big 12. Both sit at 1-0 and both are hoping they can challenge in the SW Division. Friday @ 6pm ET          Birmingham (0-1) @ New Jersey (0-1)           NBC Friday @ 8pm ET             San Diego (0-1) @ Oakland (1-0)                      FOX   Saturday @ 12pm ET     Charlotte (1-0) @ Baltimore (1-0)                      ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET     New Orleans (1-0) @ Jacksonville (0-1)         FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       St. Louis (1-0) @ Los Angeles (0-1)                 ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET       Ohio (1-0) @ Michigan (1-0)                           FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET       Tampa Bay (0-1) @ Orlando (0-1)                      NBC       Saturday @ 9pm ET       Philadelphia (0-1) @ Seattle (0-1)                   ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET        Washington (0-1) @ Portland (1-0)        ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET        Atlanta (0-1) @ Pittsburgh (1-0)          ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET        Memphis (1-0) @ Houston (1-0)                        FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET          Chicago (0-1) @ Arizona (0-1)                          ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET          Denver (1-0) @ Las Vegas (0-1)                       FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET          Dallas (1-0) @ Oklahoma (1-0)                        ESPN/EFN

Are you ready for some more preseason prep? We have the Wild West on hand for you, and while the Eastern Conference won the title last year, we think the West may have won the offseason. All 4 of the top 7 QBs taken in the draft and signed by USFL teams are in the West, an infusion of talent and excitement from St. Louis (Jackson) to Portland (Lauletta) with stopovers in Denver (Allen) and OKC (Rudolph). It is a conference with a lot of teams in flux. Arizona could be weakened by a massive defensive exodus. San Diego and Michigan look very strong. Seattle, Ohio, Las Vegas and Denver look like they are ready for a fight. This could truly be a very wild season out West. Let’s get right to that with our 3 big stories from the offseason, and then get to the previews and the predictions. TheThree Biggest Stories in the West   3--Oakland’s Frustrating QB Search Comes Home It was a long and difficult winter for Oakland Invader fans. With the July announcement from QB Joey Harrington that he had played his last game as a pro, Oakland had a clear need to find a new starter, hopefully a new franchise QB who could lead the team for years to come. It was a good year to do so, with seven rookie QBs considered potential 1st or 2nd round picks. But it was a frustrating situation for the Invaders, because 2 of the top 5 quarterbacks in the draft had their rights held by division rivals. Oakland was in early negotiations with both the Philadelphia Stars and Oklahoma Outlaws to try to get the rights to select either Louisville’s Lamar Jackson or Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, but on both counts they were out-hustled by another team, St. Louis and Washington respectively.   With no topflight QBs in the USFL free agent pool, the Invaders continued to look for options. They reached out to Chicago about Ryan Fitzpatrick, with Tampa Bay about Dak Prescott, and with Pittsburgh about Kevin Hogan, but none of their efforts found success. When Denver jumped up to the second spot in the draft, it was clear that Wyoming QB Josh Allen would not last until their 6th pick. But, there was hope. San Diego never traded away the rights to select UCLA QB Josh Rosen in the league’s territorial draft, so Oakland fans started lobbying hard for the Invaders to select the Bruin QB. When the first round of the open draft came, everyone and their uncle had Rosen going to the Invaders with pick number 6. When the card went up and the commissioner announced that the Invaders had selected Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, social media blew up. Fans were irate, pundits were dumbfounded. They all agreed that Nelson was a great player, ready to be an NFL starter on day one, but Oakland needed a QB and time was running out. Fans lashed out at ownership, at the GM, even at newly signed head coach Gary Kubiak, who had not even unpacked his bags yet, much less made key personnel decisions.   Without changing home stadiums, Jimmy G moves from fall in red to spring in sky blue. All that was left was the NFL-USFL transfer window. Within the recently released NFL free agent list were several QBs who had served as starters at some point in their careers. Fans immediately started to pick their favorites, some pushing for former Viking Teddy Bridgewater, others for former NY Jets draft pick Geno Smith, but the loudest group was not looking far from home at all, calling for the Invaders to sign former New England Patriot and San Francisco 49er Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo, who had played well for the 49ers in the same stadium where the Invaders played, was a known commodity, and a player who many believed had been unfairly saddled with the losses that a pretty shoddy 49er team had put up. When Oakland announced that Garoppolo would be staying in the Bay Area but changing leagues by becoming an Invader, once again social media blew up.   While for many, Garoppolo signing with Oakland was a desperate effort that would likely produce a stagnant franchise for the next few years, with many calling Garoppolo overrated and underwhelming. For others, however, it was the best possible result for the Invaders, getting a veteran presence with good physical skills at a price far below what any of the rookie QBs would have demanded. The fans in favor of the Garoppolo signing cited other team needs and the ability to work within the cap for the tenure of their new QB’s 3-year deal. Whether or not the naysayers or the optimists are correct about Oakland’s offseason strategy and their eventual choice at QB, the proof will be on the field as to whether Oakland played a tough hand well or went all in with a bad set of cards.   2—Oklahoma Deals Marques Colston to the Thunder From the very onset of the offseason there were rumors that Oklahoma would be willing to trade some of their star talent, with theories abounding that they wanted to offload some of their biggest stars from the Texas years before the 2020 expansion, when a new team in San Antonio could claim former Texas Outlaws in a special expansion roster raid of Oklahoma. Mentions of HB Marshawn Lynch, LB Chad Greenway, QB Joe Flacco and WR Marques Colston being on the trading block were everywhere. And teams did inquire. There was certainly interest in all 4 players, with several teams asking about Flacco’s availability. But, while most of the rumors were just that, the team was open to discussions, and when the right deal came to them, they took it. Marques Colston, a 4-time league leader in receiving yards (2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015) and 7-time All-USFL selection, would be traded away, sent to San Diego for a pair of draft picks. The move gave Texas some cap room and some draft capital, and it gave the Thunder an immediate high-end replacement for retired superstar Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. But is it the beginning of a litany of departures for the next 3 seasons? Is Oklahoma trying to outwit the league and the upcoming San Antonio franchise by selling off their best players from those who were with the team in 2016? One trade does not make a pattern, but as we look ahead, if we start to see more former Texas players headed off, traded piece by piece so that they cannot be part of a new Texas franchise’s expansion plans, well, then we will know if Oklahoma is playing chess when the league set up a checker board.   1—St. Louis & Denver Surprise With Bold QB Moves We all thought we knew who the players would be in the 2018 QB Draft Class Derby. It would be teams without a clear franchise QB, or with an uncertain future, teams like Oakland, Chicago, Tampa Bay, and Washington. We might see Portland make a run after struggling to develop Marcus Mariota, or LA move on from Sam Bradford to pick the prime candidate in their own back yard (USC’s Sam Darnold). And while there were some pundits out there who noted that the pool of QB-hungry teams was likely much larger, few directly named either the Skyhawks or the Denver Gold as serious contenders, and yet, for very much the same reason, both proved to be very much in the mix.   In both cases, the Gold and ‘Hawks are looking at a QB situation that could be very different in a year’s time. Josh Freeman has not been the same over the past few years, certainly not the MVP caliber QB we saw back in 2012, and not has not completed a full season since that 2012 campaign, missing half of the 2014 and 2015 seasons to injury and missing 7 games last year. In Denver, the issue has not been injury, but a combination of Matt Leinart’s age (he will turn 35 midseason this year) and a growing sense that while he is certainly a solid option at QB, he is not the option to take Denver above their usual status of a 9 or 10-win team that is eliminated early in the playoffs. After missing the playoffs in both 2015 and 2016, the Gold returned with a 9-6-1 record last year, but once again were one-and-done after losing to the Vipers 29-13. It marked the 4th consecutive playoff appearance (going back to 2012) in which Denver appeared as a Wild Card and lost their initial playoff game. And so, we had two teams who were both unsure of the future for their current QB and growing in doubts about that QB’s ability to get them to a title.   This double concern, duration and production, led both the Gold and the Skyhawks to make bold moves. They got to the trading block and made offers for T-Draft picks that would ensure them a chance to select their top choice of the rookie QBs on hand. They then did the work to turn that selection into a signed contract. While Washington was unable to outbid the NFL Browns for OU QB Baker Mayfield, Chicago could not seal the deal on USC QB Sam Darnold, and Jacksonville could not outbid the NFL Cardinals on Open Draft selection Josh Rosen, both the Gold and the Skyhawks got their QB prospects to sign on the dotted line. The plan in Denver seems pretty straightforward. Matt Leinart will start the season as the coaching staff works with former Wyoming QB Josh Allen on his accuracy and route recognitions, two areas the tall, athletic QB needs to improve. Then, with Leinart likely to retire at the end of 2018, Allen is prepared to step in next year. In St. Louis the situation could run that same way, or we could see Lamar Jackson take the field this year, particularly if once again injuries impact Josh Freeman’s year. St. Louis allowed backup Ricky Stanzi to depart for New Jersey in free agency, so Jackson is already penciled in as the backup to Freeman. It is also expected that with Jackson’s running ability, we may see some “Wildcat” style packages with him, as well as some possible short yardage option plays written into the script even in the early part of the season, something we do not anticipate Coach Hufnagel doing with Allen in Denver.   The story of the 2018 offseason was very much about the QB position, but it was also about who could make the big move to not only select a top quality rookie QB, but who could get them to sign on. When all was said and done, it was St. Louis and Denver (and to a lesser degree Portland and Oklahoma with Lauletta and Rudolph) who came out the victors in one of the wildest rookie QB free-for-alls since the early 1980’s.   10 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN THE WEST We have given you our 10 Eastern Conference players to keep an eye on. Only fair we do the same with the West. Whether they are NFL imports, free agents moving between USFL franchises, or fresh-faced rookies joining the pro ranks, the Western Conference has had its share of big moves, and potential game-changing players added to its 14 clubs. Our original list had over 15 players who we thought could make an immediate impact, but we only gave the East 10, so we trimmed and came up with this list. Here are the 10 new faces we think will be worth keeping an eye on this year.   WR Eric Weems, Ohio , Free Agent An undervalued talent in St. Louis, Weems had put up 1,000-yard seasons in both 2014 and 2016 before a season-ending injury limited his 2017 to only 3 games. Last season was a contract year for Weems, and St. Louis, concerned about the long-term impact of his injury as well as their own cap issues (and QB pursuit) opted to let him walk. Ohio, having lost Justin Blackmon to free agency themselves, and very much interested in adding a deep threat, added Weems and now hopes he can step in as a player who can add more vertical aspects to the Glory passing game.   QB Lamar Jackson, St. Louis , Trade in T-Draft We don’t know how and when we will see the 2016 Heisman winner enter games. It could be in specific packages presented in games, or in mop up duty, or it could be that he gets the chance to start at some point this season, but when he does get on the field, keep your eyes on him. Many believe he can be the most effective ballcarrier in the QB position since Jake Plummer (or Michael Vick for those who also follow the NFL).   WR Sammy Watkins, Dallas , NFL Import The former Buffalo Bill entered the NFL with a lot of expectations after a stellar career at Clemson. He had some moments early on, but not often enough for the Bills to hold onto him. He left for the Rams, who gave him a shot, but they too let him go. Dallas is hoping tha the third time is the charm. Their receiver group lacked explosiveness and Watkins has potential to bring that, but consistency and separation are two areas Dallas will need to emphasize if they want Watkins to reach his potential.   HB Kareem Hunt, Las Vegas , NFL Import There is no doubt that Kareem Hunt has the talent to be a star in the USFL. His performance in the NFL was more than enough to prove that. But, the reason he was let go by the NFL Browns is the same reason why he may be a concern in the spring. Video footage of what authorities are calling partner violence, a form of domestic violence, produced a backlash in Cleveland and led to the talented halfback being let go. Few teams pursued Hunt, anticipating both backlash from their own fanbase and potential suspension. And while the USFL has not ruled on any potential sanctions on Hunt, and fans in Las Vegas have given him something of a mixed welcome, the expectation is that as Hunt’s legal issues proceed, he may well face suspension by the league. Until then, he is expected to be a significant factor in the Viper offense.   WR Stevie Johnson, St. Louis , Free Agent “Brash, outspoken, and very happy with himself”, that description, provided by Stars’ head coach Jim Harbaugh, could describe about half of the starting wideouts in the league, and yet it seems particularly apropos for Stevie Johnson. Johnson moves on after some very strong years in Philadelphia, years in which he put up 1,400 yards once and over 1,200 last year. But a series of injuries and some clashes with his coach and his quarterback made him available, and St. Louis, having let Eric Weems go, opted to spend some of their newfound cap money on Johnson, hoping to get the best of what he provided in Philly.   QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Oakland , NFL Import We have already reported on the twists and turns of Oakland’s offseason, and while Garoppolo is not expected to start until at least Week 3 as he takes time to recover from the NFL season and to learn the new Gary Kubiak offense, we do anticipate that the new NFL import will be established as the starter before too long. He has some nice weapons in Oakland, particularly wideout Davante Adams and HB Christian McCaffrey, so it will be interesting to see what he can do with them as he transitions to the spring season.   S Tyrann Mathieu, Ohio , NFL Import We love the Honey Badger’s style of play. It is aggressive without being out of control, it is both ball hawking and hard hitting, and we think the folks in Columbus are going to fall in love with this NFL import. The Glory have lacked personality since the end of their amazing run in the early 2000’s, and personality is something that Mathieu brings to the team in abundance.   HB Knowshon Moreno, Seattle , Free Agent Despite the fact that C. J. Anderson had some very good games in Seattle’s unlikely run from 0-5 to a Wild Card spot last year, the club still wanted more, and they think they have found it in Moreno. Though the former Renegade has not had a 1,000-yard season since 2015, his per carry average in both 2016 (4.9) and 2017 (5.0) have led the league, a fact which tells us that when he is given the ball he produces with it.   CB Patrick Peterson, Dallas , Free Agent Perhaps the best defender available in this season’s Free Agent pool, Peterson is a true shutdown corner who will make life much easier for new Dallas head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Peterson can take away the opposition’s best receiver, and, if the offense does not respect that, he can then take the ball away. Dallas has had significant defensive issues ever since they relocated from Boston, but in Peterson they are putting someone on the field who can turn the tide and help the Roughnecks become a team no OC wants to face.   WR Marques Colston, San Diego , Trade from Oklahoma Look, there is not much more we can say about Marques Colston that you don’t already know. He is perhaps the best receiver in the league and has been for years. Having won the receiving title 4 times in the past decade, having been a 7-time All-USFL selection and having been in the running for OPOTY on multiple occasions, there is no denying Colston is the real deal. Now, he is 33 years old, and he may not be the 1,700-yard receiver he was in the past, but we have no doubt that he makes the San Diego attack better, and, as much as Chad Johnson may have felt he was an irreplaceable part of the Thunder attack, in signing Colston, the Thunder may have done the best replacement we have seen in a long time from one future Hall of Famer to another.   We kick off our divisional previews with the same format as with the East, taking a look at potential break out players this season, rookies who could start fast, and then our best guess at what each division will look like as we take out the crystal ball and imagine the season ahead. Let’s kick it off with the division that gave us the 2017 league champion, the Central.   The Michigan Panthers rolled through the Central last season, winning the division by 4 games. Ohio managed to reach .500 with a solid final quarter at the end of the year, but missed out on the playoffs at 8-8. Chicago fell well short of expectations at 6-10 and St. Louis went into freefall, dropping to 3-13, but it has been a very active offseason and each club is hoping their combination of moves has set them up for success in 2018. Will it be enough success to catch up to the Panthers? That is the question for the three other squads all chasing the 2018 Champs.   Four Potential Breakout Players                Chicago TE Tyler Eifert The Machine did not get the QB they wanted, failing to outbid the NY Jets on USC’s Sam Darnold, but they feel that they still have a solid offense, and they added an important piece in a TE who could be a safety valve and a threat over the middle. Eifert comes over from Las Vegas, stepping into Anthony Fasano’s spot with the long-time Chicago TE retiring this past offseason.   Chicago FS Micah Hyde A second Machine player on our list but not a new one for the Machine. Hyde was a 2016 draft pick of the Machine, starting all 32 games since then. Last year he got his first pick and finished the year with 4 to go with 55 tackles. This year he was named a team captain and there is a lot of expectation that with that honor will come even greater on-field results.   Michigan DE Dee Ford Another former Viper shipped off due to cap issues, Ford will take over in the spot held by Michael Bennett last year. This will be Ford’s 5th season. After an 8-sack rookie campaign , Ford’s numbers have slipped the past 3 years. Michigan is hoping that he can not only rebound in a new system, but get over the 10-sack hump and become a major factor in their defensive front.   Ohio WR Curtis Samuel With Eric Weems stepping into the starting lineup opposite Mario Manningham, Ohio is hoping that the slot can be more of a weapon as well. Samuel had a pretty uneventful rookie campaign, catching only 17 balls for 161 yards and 1 score. His coaches say he has had a strong offseason, is ready to take a step up, and is going to be targeted more by QB Christian Hackenberg.                 Four Rookies in a Good Position for Early Success Michigan FS Kyzir White We already mentioned WR Calvin Ridley as a potential first year standout for the Panthers, but we should not skip over White, who has won the starting job at the free safety position. There will certainly be a learning curve for the former Mountaineer, but Coach McDermott likes the physical skills he brings to the position.   Ohio FB Mike Boone Why focus on a fullback? Well, in the case of Boone, a former Cincinnati Bearcat, the reason is twofold. Firstly, he will be a key element of the type of power run game that Ohio wants to run, focused on inside one-cut runs from Isaiah Pead and Marion Mack, but also because Boone can be an effective receiver, as he showed at Cincinnati, a safety valve for Hackenberg to use when his pocket breaks down.   St. Louis LB Roquan Smith When you are the overall first pick in the draft, you are expected to have an immediate impact, and in the case of Roquan Smith and the Skyhawks, that impact is sorely needed. St. Louis had one of the worst defenses in the league last year, so adding a big-hit linebacker like Smith is considered a key to them returning to relevance in the division.   St. Louis HB Gus Edwards Our second Skyhawk on this list, Edwards will be an important part of the St. Louis offense for the simple reason that Eddie Lacy simply cannot be counted on for 300 carries a season. Lacy will remain the lead back, but Edwards will get his chances to contribute early in the year, and likely will pick up even more carries in the season’s second half.                   Our Predicted CEN Division Standing s   Michigan Panthers         11-5 When we look across the division, we just don’t see a team that seems like obvious competition for the defending champs. The Panthers added some good young pieces through the draft, and their core remained largely intact in the offseason. We think that still makes them the class of the division and the likely division winner.   Ohio Glory                     9-7 Ohio fought to reach .500 last year, and we think they may do the same this year. The Glory very much feel like a team that is taking baby steps towards building a solid roster and a solid season. We like the addition Weems to the receiver group, but when we look at the entire offense, there is just not a fear factor here. We think 8-9 wins is still just about the ceiling here.    Chicago Machine           7-9 The Machine had a huge swing and a miss looking for a QB. Now Ryan Fitzpatrick is back and with a chip on his shoulder. Will that be enough for the Machine to become a contender? It will take more than even a strong Fitz-magic season to get over the hump. The defense still needs to prove itself and leaders need to step up to hold them accountable when they don’t live up to their own expectations.   St. Louis Skyhawks        5-11 Coach Frank Reich had a rough first season. The hope, of course, is that the future is going to be brighter. This year could very much be a transitional season as Reich tries to form the team he wants as part of his 3-year plan. We fully expect that transition to occur at QB at some point this year, with Lamar Jackson clearly the future for the franchise. While Arizona raced out to a 15-1 regular season last year, there was a heated competition behind them for playoff spots, with Denver, Las Vegas, and Oklahoma all in the mix. This year Dallas could also be part of the story. There is a lot of anticipation that with their defense largely gutted in the offseason, Arizona will fall back to the pack, and it is a pretty ravenous pack that awaits them.   Four Potential Breakout Players Arizona LB Scooby Wright The player who seems perfectly poised to become a leader on this defense is 3rd year backer Scooby Wright. He is a motor guy, an example of what hard work and a spirit of competition will do. With less pure talent on the defense, that attitude is going to be key if Arizona wants to remain king of the hill in the division.   Dallas DE Connor Barwin Barwin had 12 sacks in his first year with Dallas, but was largely unseen as the Roughnecks struggled on defense overall. Now, with Mathias Kiawanuka now added at the RE spot, Barwin could have even more success, and more sacks. Offenses are going to have to scheme for him and Kiawanuka, and that should mean fewer double teams.   Denver LB Patrick Onwuasor What a leap the Denver linebacker had in his 2nd season. From 15 tackles as a rookie Omwuasor jumped up to 75 last season. He got his first USFL pick and sack last year, and now he is shifting from the strong side to the MLB spot. With Shaquile Barrett and Harold Landry on the outside, the goal will be to funnel backs towards Omwuasor, and that could be the sign that the 3rd year linebacker is ready to reach for 100 tackles.   Oklahoma WR DeDe Westbrook It is absolutely unfair to try to expect Westbrook to replace Marques Colston. It is a lot to ask for a 2nd year receiver who had only 26 targets and 13 receptions last year. Coach Landry loves his physical qualities, but there will be a big learning curve and a lot of attention on Westbrook’s growth this year. If he is up to the challenge, he could become a favorite for Joe Flacco.   Four Rookies in a Good Position for Early Success Arizona LB Malik Jefferson If Scooby Wright is going to be the heart of a new Arizona defense, then Jefferson has to be its fist. The goal is to be a hard-hitting defense, a takeaway-producing defense, and Jefferson is going to have a shot to make a huge impact, already earning the starting spot.   Denver HB Phillip Lindsay Yes, all we are hearing out of Denver is that fans are excited about QB Josh Allen, but at least for this year we are expecting to see a lot more of HB Phillip Lindsay. Starter DeMarco Murray is not a 300-carry back, and Lindsay can supply some burst that can turn short gains into long gains.   Las Vegas LB Fred Warner The Vipers had to purge a lot of talent due to their bad cap situation, so they are trying to rebuild or reload without dropping out of a playoff hunt. Warner is a player they are going to count on to step in right away. He will rotate with DeAndre Levy at MLB to begin the year, but we expect that as the season moves along, it will be Warner who becomes the central pivot person for the Vegas 4-3.   Oklahoma TE Mark Andrews Andrews came into camp as a possible 3rd TE but has been challenging Julius Thomas for the starting job since he arrived. He has good routes, great hands, and can block as well. While Coach Landry gave the advantage and the starting gig to Thomas in the end, it was close all the way through camp and we could see a lot of Andrews to see if his gameday production matches what the Outlaws saw in the preseason.   Our Predicted SW Division Standings   Arizona Wranglers          11-5 As much as we still love the explosiveness of the Arizona offense, you cannot deny that this defense will take time to gel, and may never be as good as the one the Wranglers had the past few years. We think that means that the Wranglers fall back to the pack in what could be a very competitive and balanced division.   Denver Gold                  10-6 We see the efforts to land Josh Allen as a clear shot across the bow for Matt Leinart. Now, it may be that Leinart already told Denver that he sees 2018 as his swan song season, or maybe he didn’t and they are just planning for the inevitable, but in either case, Leinart should be motivated to make this year special, and we think that, along with a pretty solid team up and down the roster, gives Denver the best shot to challenge Arizona’s division dominance.   Las Vegas Vipers            9-7 We could be underselling the Vipers, or we could be overvaluing their stars. They lost a lot of talent due to cap purges this offseason, and while there is a lot of potential, especially if HB Kareem Hunt can avoid a league suspension for the issues that arose out of his time in the NFL, perhaps they can go further than this. We think that keeping them about where they were last year is the best compromise between our Viper optimists and the skeptics.   Oklahoma Outlaws       8-8 We like how the Outlaws finished 2017, but losing Marques Colston is a big hit. They still have Flacco and Lynch, and their newfound emphasis of a smashmouth style of offense could help them avoid a major letdown with Colston gone, but this is a team that does not feel like they made strides forward so much as avoided sliding backwards in the offseason.   Dallas Roughnecks        7-9 We said this division was balanced, so having 3 teams within 1 game of .500 seems about right to us. The Roughnecks could finish almost anywhere in the division because they have the talent to do more than they have, but are also in the process of adjusting to a new coaching staff under Kliff Kingsbury. They got some nice additions in CB Patrick Peterson, WR Sammy Watkins and rookie Courtland Sutton, but learning a new system takes time and we think Dallas will have some growing pains under Kingsbury in the coach’s first pro gig. San Diego was the clear favorite coming out of last year, in large part because the division feels very much like one in transition. Seattle surprised us with a huge run late to snag a playoff spot, while LA let the same Wild Card berth slip right out of their hands. Oakland struggled without Joey Harrington and now moves into a new era with an NFL import likely to be their new starter at the position. Portland? Well, let’s just say they have not really found themselves yet. While we think there could be some shuffling in the middle of the division standings, we still expect to see the Thunder on top and the Stags at the bottom.   Four Potential Breakout Players Los Angeles SS David Bruton This one feels a bit like we are cheating, after all, David Bruton finished 2017 with 6 picks and was voted to the All-USFL roster, so while he may not be a household name across the nation, he is well-recognized within the league as one of the best in the game. Last year was a break out season for him, but we expect that in LA he will get a lot of notice for the level of play he presents each week.   Oakland TE Zach Ertz Ertz has been underutilized in Oakland, averaging only 38 catches per year while splitting time in a TE rotation with Austin Hooper. Oakland’s new head coach Gary Kubiak seems to want a much more prominent role for the talented receiving end, so we expect a big jump in production in 2018, especially as Jimmy Garoppolo adjusts to the spring game.   Portland CB A. J. Bouye Another undervalued player, Bouye was better known for his return skills in Pittsburgh than for his coverage. And while Portland will certainly want him involved in the return game, they have penciled in Bouye as a starter at corner. We expect to see Bouye’s role provide him with far more opportunities to show what he can do in coverage, and Coach LaFleur has already praised his style of play and his ability to turn pass defenses into picks. Seattle WR John Brown An NFL import with a pretty hum-drum name but a pretty flashy game. Brown played 4 seasons with the Cardinals, his best being 2015, when he racked up 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns. Seattle wants to use him in the slot, which makes for his 5’10”, 179 lb frame. We think he could be a dynamic playmaker in underneath routes. He is quick off the ball and has great cutting skills.   Four Rookies in a Good Position for Early Success   Los Angeles WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling At 6’4” and 206 lbs, Valdes-Scantling could be a red zone favorite for Sam Bradford and the Express. He also has good speed and can go up and catch high throws, both skills the Express could make good use of. We expect the rookie to be a swing receiver, particularly behind Demaryius Thomas, but he should get some looks early on as Coach Reid tries to find way to make use of his physical frame.   Oakland G Quenton Nelson Considered the most pro-ready player in the draft this year, Nelson is already set to start at left guard, and with All-USFL guard Logan Mankins at RG as a mentor, we think Nelson is in a great position to be immediately effective, which will be great news for both HB Christian McCaffrey and the Oakland QBs.   Portland CB Taron Johnson Johnson has impressed the coaches early on and will start the season as the nickel corner for the Stags. In camp and in last week’s preseason win over Birmingham, Johnson has looked very good in coverage and also made some big plays against the run, proving he can be effective if teams run against the nickel formation.   Seattle SS Terrell Edmunds Seattle had a big hole to fill when Shaun Schillinger left in free agency, but they feel good about what they have seen from the Virginia Tech safety and have already penciled him in over veteran Keanu Neal as the starter in Schillinger’s old position. Edmunds is expected to play more of a center-fielder role, with Donte Whitner more likely to come up to the line more often, but in that role, Edmunds will have a vital role in preventing big chunk plays in the passing game.   Our Predicted PAC Division Standings   San Diego           11-5 We are going to pick the Thunder to repeat as champions and to potentially knock Arizona out of the top two seeds, claiming a bye for themselves. The acquisition of Marques Colston is a huge plus for the offense, but it was not the only good move for the Thunder this offseason. Adding Henry Melton to back up Ngata at the nose is a nice addition, and adding some solid O-line depth with rookies Quessenberry and Miller is a great help to the offense. San Diego feels like a team that had marked improvement over the Winter, which could separate them from many Pacific Division rivals.   Seattle                10-6 We are still high on the Dragons after their amazing run last season. And while the loss of Schillinger was a tough one, if rookie Terrell Edmunds has a strong rookie campaign, then the Dragon secondary could be one of the best in the league. They already have the best 1-2 cornerback combo with Richard Sherman and Xavien Howard. On offense, the addition of Knowshon Moreno provides them with a great 1-2 punch as he teams up with C. J. Anderson to allow Seattle to play ball-control football. If San Diego stumbles, we think Seattle will be right at their heels.   Oakland              8-8 It may take a while to get all the pieces working together but we think Oakland made a good choice in bringing in NFL QB Jimmy Garoppolo to provide some stability. We love what Christian McCaffrey offers the offense, and the receiver group led by Davante Adams could prove to be quite solid if Coach Kubiak can establish a solid run-pass balance. On defense, the arrival of Michael Bennett from Michigan should make Cliff Avril even better at LE. Bobby Wagner also got help with Junior Galette coming in from the NFL. Oakland could rebound quickly as last year was a bit of a fluke with Harrington out to injury.   Los Angeles       6-10 We keep waiting for Andy Reid to repeat the magic we saw in the NFL and so far it just has not happened. They have solid talent on offense but it just has not produced the kind of scoring threat we expected. LA needs a lot more out of their receivers if they want to improve their production. On defense, the pass rush is not impressive, and that means more is asked of the LB group. LA got caught for a lot of big plays last year because they could not get to the QB fast enough, and we are not seeing enough potential for that to be different this year. A 10-loss 2018 campaign and LA could offer Reid the chance to return to the NFL in 2019.   Portland              5-11 We think Portland will be improved on defense with the arrival of A. J. Bouye and rookie Taron Johnson in the secondary, but we are still not sold on whether or not their passing game will improve. You ask our bullpen of USFL gurus and half think that rookie Kyle Lauletta could be the starter by season’s end, which means they think Mariota is going to continue to struggle. Losing Brian Quick in trade for Bouye does not help that situation, but the arrival of Emmanuel Sanders from Seattle does bring the potential for more deep balls. All in all, we are picking Portland for slight improvement, but until their QB situation is significantly better, we cannot move them out of the Pacific Division basement.   CAN THE ROAR REPEAT? Offseason Assessment: The Panthers lost a couple of important pieces from their D, namely DE Michael Bennett (FA) and Kenny Phillips (Ret), but feel like they have made some good additions as well, particularly with their drafting of two good safety prospects in Kyzir White and Tarvarius Moore. They also are liking what they see from WR Calvin Ridley, who they have put in the slot. They traded for Dee Ford to fill the hole at RE, opposite Justin Tuck, so a pretty good job of fixing the issues the offseason brought on.   Team Philosophy: The defending champs are not going to change a formula that works. Run the ball with LeVeon Bell, setting up play action for Kirk Cousins, and keep the game in front of them on defense. The Panther 4-3 ideally can get pressure from their DE combo of Justin Tuck and Dee Ford, and that will free up Sean Porter and the LB group to support pass coverage and create few options for quarterbacks.   2018 Outlook: The defending champs look very much like a team that can still compete for the title, which means a repeat is not out of the question. Of course, every one will be gunning for the Panthers, so the road to a 5th title will not be an easy one, but the Panthers still seem like a team that is a couple of steps ahead of their division mates, and that could help them propel themselves to a high seed in the playoffs.   GLORIOUS PURPOSE Offseason Assessment: The Glory did not offer us much in the offseason until the final month, when they surprised everyone by opening up the safe and stealing away the Honey Badger from the NFL free agent pool. That one addition will likely be the most talked-about change in the Ohio roster, though we also think that adding Eric Weems to the offense was another shrewd addition.   Team Philosophy: The joke is that Ohio’s strategy is to bore the opposition into submission, and it is true that the offense lacks true explosiveness, but the goal for Ohio is to sustain drives, eat clock, shorten games, and allow their defense to stay fresh. The defense, for their part, relies on Robert Quinn and Kamerion Wemberley to pressure QBs into throwing into heavy zones, much as Michigan does. Slow and steady seems to be the motto of the Glory on both sides of the ball.   2018 Outlook: Ohio is not a flashy team, but they have good depth, and they can win a lot of games when their game plan works out. What is perhaps troubling is that this is clearly a team built to grind out wins, so if they fall behind, we are not sure they have the firepower to overcome deficits. In a league where points often come in runs, we are not sure where Ohio’s quick strike ability would come from.   GEARING UP FOR 2018 Offseason Assessment: The Machine made a bold move early, trading with LA to try to land Sam Darnold. It did not work, and the 2018 Machine looks very much like the 2017 squad. That cannot be considered a win for ownership. Getting Mike Kafka back in Chicago and adding Tyler Eifert are not moves that will bring a lot of new hope to the fans in what was a pretty lackluster offseason in Chicago.   Team Philosophy: With the addition of Jeremy Hill, it appears Chicago wants to return to a 2-back rotation, but what is more important is that they want to focus on more of a vertical game. That means asking Aaron Dobson and Kenny Galloday to extend their routes and asking the line to protect Ryan Fitzpatrick for longer. On defense, the shift to a 3-4 system is in its second year and the hope is that the LB group can be more aggressive and more productive in producing takeaways.   2018 Outlook: The Machine are a team that looks better on paper than they played last year. If they can align performance to potential, they could make some strides, but if not, then we may be looking at an offseason overhaul in 2018. LOOKING TO SOAR Offseason Assessment: St. Louis surprised many by dealing with Philly and signing Louisville QB Lamar Jackson. With Josh Freeman’s injury issues, we could see Jackson on the field this year, and that could change the style of play we expect out of St. Louis. But, the bigger question is if a pair of rookie corners and a veteran DT was enough work to improve one of the league’s worst defenses.   Team Philosophy: A lot of questions here, particularly around the eventual transition from Josh Freeman to Lamar Jackson. Will Jackson’s presence push the offense to do more with run-pass options? Will Coach Reich move away from a more traditional run game and spread defenses out more? We may not truly see a shift in philosophy until we see a transfer at QB. On defense, St. Louis is hoping newly arrived LBs Christian Sam and Roquon Smith can make the 4-3 a more effective system, particularly against the run. The goal for St. Louis is to force teams into clear passing downs on 3rd and then turn pressure into turnovers. They were pretty lousy at that last year, but that is the goal.   2018 Outlook: We are just not seeing it. Even if we loved the Lamar Jackson deal, which we might, we just don’t see this team giving their defense enough attention. They just don’t have big playmakers on defense and they are too inconsistent, making life tough for an offense that needs to try to keep pace. That is not a winning formula in our book.  A NEW HERD TO DRIVE Offseason Assessment: It’s a new era in Arizona. That’s the only way to say it. When your team loses as many players in one offseason as the Wranglers did, it is just a whole new ballgame. The Wrangler defense alone lost Dansby, Dorsey, Carriker, Williams, Flowers and Grove, that is more than half the squad. So, yes, it will be a very different defense. To rebuild the D Arizona brought in LB Blake Costanzo (FA), DT Grady Jarrett (Trade), CB Ross Cockrell (NFL) and drafted LB Malik Jefferson and DE Da’Shawn Hand. This will take time, and as we look at the depth chart, they are going to need some bit players to step up in a big way.   Team Philosophy: We all know what Arizona’s bread and butter is on offense, the deep ball. Yes, they can run the ball with Carey and the ageless Frank Gore, but they make their mark with those brutal big play throws from Carr to Fitzgerald and Bryant.  The defense is completely rebuilt after a brutal loss of talent in the offseason. Arizona will continue to run Tomsula’s 4-3 defense, but the names both on the line and in the LB group are different, and it will be a while before we can tell if they are up to the task.   2018 Outlook: The Wranglers are a tale of two teams. The offense has incredible consistency, with all the major players returning and very likely still set up as one of the league’s best. The defense on the other hand is an entirely new roster, and Coach Tomsula is going to have his work cut out for him to get them all on the same page. Thankfully he still has a couple of veteran leaders on the squad in safety Troy Polamalu, CB Joe Haden and LB A. J. Klien. But will that be enough to keep Arizona from struggling on D and having to simply outscore all their opponents?   GOLD RUSH Offseason Assessment: Denver shocked many by making a move for rookie QB Josh Allen. Allen needs time and coaching to get pro-ready, but his physicality is off the charts. Will he play this year? Barring injury, probably not, so who is new to Denver that will see action? How about rookie HB Phillip Linday, and three big additions to the D from free agency, NFL safety Morgan Burnett, and USFL signees DT Amobi Okoye, LB K. J. Wright, and SS DaJuan Morgan? Okoye will line up between Suh and Miller on the D-line, Wright is likely a sub for Onwuasor at MLB, and Burnett will back up Morgan as a 1-2 option at strong safety.   Team Philosophy: With the Gold, let’s start with defense. Denver has an outstanding front 4 (Suh and Okoye inside, Cole and Miller outside) and that predicates everything they do. They will not blitz often, leaving 7 players in coverage, but now, without Aqib Talib, they may opt to use more zone defense than in recent years. On offense, it is a pretty vanilla pro-style offense. Use the run, try to set up play action, get the ball to Golden Tate or Kelvin Benjamin outside. Will that change if we see rookie Josh Allen get some starts? We would think it would need to.   2018 Outlook: Denver looks like a team that could take over for the Wranglers as one of the elite defenses in the league. You have a line made up of Ndamukong Suh, Amobi Okoye, Justice Cole and Von Miller, perhaps the best front 4 of any team. Then you have Onwuasor, Barrett, Landry, and Wright at LB and a pretty solid secondary even after trading away Aqib Talib (and his hefty salary). Adding Morgan from LA was a brilliant move. Now, if the offense can be even middle-of-the-pack, this Denver team could be a contender, a real challenger to the Wranglers, Panthers and Thunder. Coach Hufnagel and former Denver star player and current GM Bruce Pickens are doing some good work up at altitude.   READY TO STRIKE Offseason Assessment: The Vipers began the offseason underwater on the cap, or rather, nearly $12M over the cap for 2018, so they had a bit of a fire sale, sending HB Jeremy Hill to Chicago and WR Devante Parker to San Diego, also allowing Tyler Eifert and guard Ron Leary to walk in free agency. Along with safety Darnell Bing’s retirement, and some contract restructuring, they were able to get in the black, and that allowed them to make some moves late, signing TE Richard Quinn and CB Mac Anthony in December and then adding 3 low-cost NFL players in DT Daquan Jones, S Lamarcus Joyner and punter Jordan Berry. The draft produced their best addition, BYU linebacker Fred Warner, already penciled in as a swing backer between MLB and the strong side (behind Ahmad Brooks).  But the biggest deal was completed only 2 weeks ago, with NFL halfback Kareem Hunt coming on a league minimum contract for 2 years, of course, that all depends on how his domestic violence charge and the damning video evidence play out.   Team Philosophy: The Vipers are hoping to essentially emulate what they see in Houston, with a diverse offensive scheme that uses the backs out of the backfield, mixes pass and run with a low level of predictability, but do they have the personnel to make that work? On defense, they will mix 4-3 and 3-4 alignments throughout the game, much like other teams mix zone and man coverage. They want to keep you guessing as to where the pressure will be. They blitz often, use a lot of line stunts, and even drop their DE’s into coverage when the LBs are coming in hot. The goal is to create uncertainty, confusion and panic in the QB and the OC.   2018 Outlook: Despite the fire sale early in the offseason, Las Vegas retained their core, building around Eli Manning. They are taking a risk in signing Hunt. The upside could be huge, but the backlash, and the potential for a lengthy suspension if his legal woes go the way many think, could be a major downside. The defense is adding youth, with the secondary looking like the strength right now, but watch out for the duo of Mario Addison and Matthew Judon at DE, they could be a nice combo for the Vipers. Are they an elite team? No, but they are pretty solid, and sometimes that can be enough. Now, they have to start also thinking about the post-Eli years, because Manning is not the long term answer.   BETTER THAN OK Offseason Assessment: In line with their newfound focus on smashmouth power run football, the Outlaws got value by trading away Marques Colston, one of the stars of their recent years in Texas. They added one of the league’s best fullbacks in Greg Jones, and used their draft capital from the T-Draft rights to Baker Mayfield to add more blocking help in OT Austin Corbett and TE Mark Andrews. They also landed a player they hope can grow to be Joe Flacco’s protégé in OK State’s Mason Rudolph. Overall a pretty good offseason for a team that did not have a huge capacity to wheel and deal.   Team Philosophy: We saw a tectonic shift in style last season when Oklahoma moved away from a high-flying passing attack and opted to go smashmouth. It worked very well, and so we expect to see a lot of Marshawn Lynch this year and far fewer drop backs for the “human statue” Joe Flacco. The key to Flacco being effective will be keeping pressure off of him, which a truly effective power run game can do. On defense, Oklahoma will deploy a 4-3 but also tends to use nickel defense more on 1st and 2nd down than most teams in the league. We expect to see a mix of both, but always with that 4-man line at the base.   2018 Outlook: Coach Greg Landry is doing what so few coaches seem capable of, he is tailoring his system to his players. With a good run-blocking line and one of the best power backs in the game in Lynch, Landry is converting the wide open style of the Texas Outlaws into a new power run game Oklahoma squad. Joe Flacco can still chuck the ball, and will have some deep threats in Marquise Goodwin and Percy Harvin. They have promoted DeDe Westbrook to the starting lineup in a move that many see as an effort to add more height to the receiving group. With the 2-TE combo of Julius Thomas and rookie Mark Andrews, we could also see a lot of passing out of larger fronts. The defense is still a concern, with no clear stud on the edge and a good-tackling but relatively slow LB group. They still have Pacman Jones at corner, but the rest of the D looks like it could use some more speed and some more youth. We think the D might hold Oklahoma back, but if they can stay in games with the power run game, they can win some low scoring affairs.   DRILL, BABY, DRILL  Offseason Assessment: Coach Kliff Kingsbury comes over from Lubbock (Texas Tech) with a reputation for wide open spread offense, after all he developed NFL star Patrick Mahomes in that system. But is that what Dallas is set up for? Well, they added some pieces this offseason, primarily NFL castoffs Sammy Watkins and Austin Pettis, while using the T-Draft to land WR Courtland Sutton of SMU. Kingsbury is less adept at defense (typical Big 12 teams are pretty defensively inept), but will need to improve on Dallas’s erratic showing last year. Even before he arrived, Dallas tried to help with that by landing the best DB in the free agent pool in several years, signing Breaker CB Patrick Peterson. They then added DE Mathias Kiawanuka and LB Brandon Spikes. Is that enough to keep Dallas out of the defensive doghouse?   Team Philosophy: With a lot of depth at DT, Dallas wants to stick with a 4-3 defense, even slipping into some of Buddy Ryan’s old 46 defensive scheme at times. That requires a solid secondary, which has been an issue for the Roughnecks in the past, but now, with Patrick Peterson taking away each team’s top receiver, the plan could prove quite effective. On offense, Dallas will try to set up the run with a short passing game. They are still not sure what they have in the combo of Samaje Perine and D’onte Freeman, so we expect to see both backs splitting carries, but the key is for Johnny Manziel to be accurate on those shorter routes and to get the ball out quickly.   2018 Outlook: We expect to see a lot of spread and a lot of passing from this Dallas team, but if they cannot turn that into a lot of first downs, long drives, and scoring, then they will be putting a strain on their defense, and even with Patrick Peterson, that could be a big issue. The key there is if the combination of Kiawanuka and Connor Barwin can become a factor on third downs. It may only take a few stops per game to give Dallas a shot.   THUNDER ROLLING IN Offseason Assessment: While some fans were hoping the Thunder would use the T-Draft to sign UCLA QB Josh Rosen, management did not see that as a priority and let Rosen slide into the Open Draft (he would sign with the NFL Cardinals). Instead they drafted and signed line help: C Scott Quessenberry and OT Kolton Miller, along with a good looking local defender in LB Kenny Young. In free agency they added TE Scott Chandler and DT Henry Melton, while re-signing CB Tye Smith. They also brought in depth at LB with NFL signing Demario Davis. Of course, the biggest move was the trade used to replace recently retired WR Chad Johnson. Nothing like replacing one future Hall of Famer with another, which is what San Diego did by making a deal with the Outlaws to bring in 4-time USFL yardage leader Marques Colston. We call it an upgrade, but don’t tell Ochocinco, because he will not agree.   Team Philosophy: San Diego wants to be a vertical passing team, but they have not had the run threat to be effective there. Ryan Williams is just not going to ground out 4-5 yards each play, so teams will continue to play the pass. That means that it is up to Joe Webb to find receivers at each level, with Colston now taking the deeper routes and Toon & Parker underneath. When the D is on the field, they will focus on stuffing the run with their D-line, which is not a great pass rush line, and then use blitzes, primarily from LBs Myles Jack and Shantee Orr to get to the QB.   2018 Outlook: We like where San Diego is heading. They dealt with Johnson’s retirement in winning fashion, added depth on both sides of the ball, youth and athleticism on the O-line, and they have consistent leadership with team captains on both sides who are in the prime of their careers. Our only real concern is with the run game, where Ryan Williams appears to have lost a step. He dropped from 4.3 YPC in 2016 to only 3.7 in 2017. That is not a good sign, especially for a back who is only 28. But, compared to the rest of the Pacific, San Diego is in a much better position, with more depth and talent at key spots, so we still think they are going to walk away with the division simply on their understanding of who they are.   FLAME ON Offseason Assessment: There were some departures this offseason, FS Dashon Goldson to the NFL, HB Joseph Addai’s retirement, Emmanuel Sanders to Portland, and the biggie, Shaun Schillinger signing with Charlotte. But overall, Seattle looks like a stronger team after adding 5 USFL free agents including HBs Knowshon Moreno and Wendell Smallwood, LB Aaron Curry, FS Donte Whitner, and backup QB Brad Gradkowski. They also added an X-factor in NFL wideout John Brown, a dynamic playmaker with great YAC skills. They then drafted and signed perhaps the best safety in the crop, Va Tech’s Terrell Edmunds, and two potential offensive contributors in WR/KR Dante Pettis and TE Will Dissly. A very solid offseason for the folks up in the Emerald City.   Team Philosophy: The addition of Knowshon Moreno gives Seattle a very good combo in the backfield and we expect Coach Riley to use their HB duo to pound teams into submission. The ground game also helps set up Jacoby Brissett with easy play action reads, which he will use to complete mid-range routes more often than not. The Seattle D has had issues getting QB pressure, so they will rely heavily on zones and pre-snap shifting to try to confuse the QB and keep all passing plays in front of their safeties.   2018 Outlook: What a job Mike Riley did with Seattle last year. Viewed in preseason as one of the league’s sad sacks, they dropped their first 5 games, but Riley got them to believe in miracles and they pulled one off, winning 9 of their final 11 and not only knocking off LA in the season finale to make the playoffs as a Wild Card, but then going into San Diego and knocking off the division champs. Can they do similarly this year while not having the ability to sneak up on anyone? Could be tough, and we think they still have some growing pains to get through, but this Seattle team is being built the right way, and we like where they are headed.  STRIKE LIKE LIGHTNING Offseason Assessment: Oakland’s offseason started early when their head coach opted to retire and their starter at QB for the past 12 years announced his retirement. We have already walked through the long story of how they found a replacement for Joey Harrington, but what about the rest of the team? The Invaders lost 2 players to the NFL back in September, LB Donterrious Thomas and G Chris Keoeatu, but suffered almost no free agency departures within the USFL. They added DE Michael Bennett from the Panthers, a nice plus for their D-line, and they added a former 1st round NFL pick in guard Luke Joeckel to protect their new QB. In the draft Oakland landed a potential 10-12 year starter for the line as well, signing Notre Dame guard Quento Nelson. They also got some developmental talent at safety, linebacker, and DT, so overall a pretty good final result after a shaky start.   Team Philosophy: We don’t know a lot about Gary Kubiak’s offensive plan in Oakland yet. In their preseason game against Ohio they were pretty vanilla, though it seems clear that they want to focus the offense around McCaffrey. On defense Oakland showed us predominantly a 4-3 alignment, with Gallette and Gooden outside Wagner in the LB group. The hope is that the front 4 will provide pressure, reducing the need to blitz. Zone may be the predominant coverage used, at least it was in the one preseason game.   2018 Outlook: No disrespect to Ryan Lindley, but this year is all about how quickly Oakland can get Jimmy G on the field and how quickly the former Patriot and Niner can adapt to the spring game. Also adapting to the Spring game will be HC Gary Kubiak, after a long NFL-exclusive career. Kubiak left a front office position with the Broncos to get back to coaching, thanks in part to one of his mentors, former Invader coach Dennis Green. The new regime wants to build an offense around 2nd year HB Christian McCaffrey and wideout DaVante Adams. They also want a defense that can pressure the QB, and the combo of Bennett and Avril may just give them that. We see Oakland as a slow starter as the pieces come together, but they could have a late run that might make them very dangerous as a Wild Card.   NO STOPPING Offseason Assessment: No NFL imports, only 2 signed free agents, and only 4 rookies signed. Someone might want to check to see what the heck the LA front office is spending their year doing, because it does not seem to be player personnel research and scouting. The Express were about as quiet as a team can be in the offseason. Now, the good news is that they basically only lost one player of note, safety DaJuan Morgan (FA-DEN). But, when you finish 8-8, the idea should be to add pieces to get better. Has anyone told the Express that?   Team Philosophy: The Express like to stay in 3-WR, 1-back formation as much as possible. They like having Bush run primarily outside but have to mix in some inside running as well. We don’t expect much to change except for the Express to try to stretch more plays a bit deeper this year, but that will depend on protection for Bradford. The Express defense runs a 4-3, which should be aided by the arrival of John Jenkins next to Chris Jones inside. The hope, of course, is that Jones can act as a 3rd pass rusher, since the combo of Scruggs and Jackson outside is not wowing anyone.   2018 Outlook: Look, we get that Andy Reid loves to build continuity and a team culture, but you have to add talent too. We are just not sure the Express have the talent to be a contender. Sam Bradford has had decent numbers, but is not burning up the league. Reggie Bush has had back-to-back 1,100 yard seasons, but is now 31 and could be due for a big dip in production, and the Express defense, while still solid, particularly up the middle (DTs Chris Jones & John Jenkins, MLB Clay Matthews, and FS David Bruton), they lack speed and lack any true pass rushers. This is not a formula to move from 8-8 to 12-4, this is a formula to possibly stumble to 4-12, and we think that is more likely than a sudden improvement unless Coach Reid is right and it is all about continuity. Time to prove it.     ANTLERS UP Offseason Assessment: With the HC and GM both let go, you knew Portland would go in a new direction this offseason. They did that with their roster moves. They lost some talent when DT Jason Fisk retired, guard Mike McGlynn left for the NFL, and free agents Felix Jones, Donte Whitner, and Stephen Paea were allowed to walk away (Jones remains unsigned and could be back.) And while their only noteworthy free agent signing was WR Emmanuel Sanders, Portland did make some shrewd moves, swapping WR Brian Quick for a talented corner in A. J. Bouye, and getting several draft picks in trades that gave Denver the 2nd overall pick in the Open Draft (QB Josh Allen) and sent TE Cameron Jordan to Tampa Bay. With those picks, Portland signed 8 players, a nice haul when one considers how the NFL peels off players. In that haul we have starting nickel corner Taron Johnson, LB Ezekiel Turner of Washington, safety Trey Flowers from OK State, and a potential QB option in Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta.   Team Philosophy: Coach LaFleur wants to try to open things up, use more 3-WR formations, and set up fewer 8-man fronts against Doug Martin, but that will require better protection for, and production from Marcus Mariota. LaFleur’s defense will be a 3-4 alignment, with Ron Edwards and Tyrunn Walker rotating at the nose while Dion Jordan and DeMarcus Lawrence hold down the outside. Expect OLB Lance Briggs to also have a big role in the pass rush, while his opposite, Kiko Alonso, is primarily there to chase down the outside run.   2018 Outlook: Coach LaFleur came to Portland because he had such success developing Colt McCoy to take over in Houston. The goal is clearly to either pump up Marcus Mariota or to develop Kyle Lauletta to take over. For fans who are still upset that the Stags let Ryan Fitzpatrick go, LaFleur has to do something at the QB position. He has the league’s 2017 rushing champion, but without a viable threat in the passing game, Martin cannot win them games all alone. The defense too needs to be more assertive. This is largely a no-name defense, but if used correctly, LBs Lance Briggs, Kiko Alonso, and Nico Johnson can be one of the league’s better groups.  So, what do we see for these Stags? Growing pains, some tough decisions, the need for at least one more solid offseason, but for now, they need to show they can compete week in and week out, even if the scoreboard does not go in their favor most weeks.     POST SEASON & AWARD PREDICTIONS OK, back to our postseason prognostication, with our usual caveat that USFL football is wildly unpredictable. We saw that last year with the collapse of teams when their QBs got hurt (Orlando and Oakland come to mind) and the amazing rally put on by the Seattle Dragons after their 0-5 start had us writing them off as one of the league’s worst teams. So, what do we have for the post-season, well, not a lot of change from 2017. We do have Arizona slipping due to their defensive turnover, so it will be San Diego and Michigan with the two byes. Joining the Wranglers in the Wild Card round will be 4th seed Seattle, 5th seed Denver, and 6th seed Ohio.   We see Arizona easily getting past Ohio and Seattle edging Denver, thanks largely to home field up at Lumen Field. So that should send Seattle to face the 1 seed, Michigan, which we think has to go to the defending champs. Arizona heads to San Diego, and here we think the experience of the Wranglers and the leadership of David Carr are enough to pull off the road win, setting up a Wrangler-Panther title game. A Michigan win means a rematch in the Summer Bowl, something that has never happened in 35 seasons of USFL football. That is just too tempting, so we are going to predict that for the first time in league history it is a rematch, with Michigan facing off against Houston for the 2nd year in a row.   The 2017 Summer Bowl was impacted significantly by Colt McCoy’s lingering injury and his removal from the game helped tip the tide towards the Gamblers. This year we say McCoy is healthy and the Gamblers offense is in full form. That is a huge challenge for the Panthers and one we think Houston will win. We are going to pick Houston to become the first 5-time USFL champion by avenging their 2017 loss and holding off Michigan for a 28-27 victory in Summer Bowl 2018.   So, what about the award nominees we see coming out of the West. Well, a lot of obvious choices, but they are obvious because these are players at the top of their games. Here are our picks for players (and coaches) likely to be in the conversation for the league’s 5 major awards come July.   MVP: Let’s start it off with 2-time defending MVP David Carr. Seems an easy enough pick. But Carr wil not be alone. We could see Colt McCoy joining the conversation, and as a dark horse we really like Michigan’s Kirk Cousins, who keeps getting better each year.   OPOTY: Some big names in the conference seem to always be in the mix: Michigan HB LeVeon Bell, newly relocated WR Marques Colston, now with San Diego, Houston’s Carlos Hyde, and we may even see some votes headed to Portland’s Doug Martin if he can repeat as rushing champion.   DPOTY: So, who will challenge the Eastern Conference’s big sack masters for a shot at this defensive award? Well, their best shots from the pass rush are Denver’s Von Miller and Oakland’s Cliff Avril. But if the sack numbers are not astonishing this year, we could also see someone like Oakland LB Bobby Wagner, Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick, or even Arizona safety Troy Polamalu sneak into the conversation.   ROTY: Assuming neither of the big-name rookie QBs get enough of a season under their belt to compete for the title, we think the biggest potential emerging stars out of the Western Conference’s draft class would be Michigan WR Calvin Ridley and two defenders, St. Louis LB Roquan Smith (the first overall pick in the Open Draft) and Seattle SS Terrell Edmunds. But, with defenders rarely chosen, we think this one likely goes to one of the halfbacks out of the East.   COTY: As far as coaching goes, since we are not predicting a huge surprise team to rise up, this is kind of tough. Mike Riley could repeat if the Dragons jump up ahead of San Diego, but the more likely possibility is that one of the new head coaches produces a better-than-anticipated season for his club, and we think the most likely candidate there is Oakland and new head coach Gary Kubiak.                 Opening week and we are here for it. Fourteen games over three days, seven home openers, and thousands of football craving fans ready to return to America’s game. Here is our breakdown of each game, with our pick for the player to watch for each team as the USFL 2018 season kicks off.   FRI @ 6pm ET       Baltimore @ Philadelphia             NBC The season kicks off with a NE Divisional Clash as the defending division champion Stars face off against the rival Blitz. Our two players to watch are Philadelphia’s Derrick Henry and Baltimore WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, both potential All-USFL candidates in 2018.   FRI @ 8pm ET        Arizona @ Denver                          ABC The Friday night doubleheader continues with a SW Division clash and one of the best rivalries in the West, with Denver hosting the Arizona Wranglers at Invesco Field. Keep an eye on Denver’s new nose tackle, former general Amobi Okoye. For Arizona, the player to watch is rookie LB Malik Jefferson, who could see a lot of action at MLB.   SAT @ 12pm ET       New Jersey @ Memphis           ABC The Generals hope to kick off the season with a road win in Memphis, but the Showboats are preparing more than a good tailgate party for the visitors. Keep an eye on CB Aqib Talib when New Jersey is on defense, and for Memphis, rookie TE Dallas Goedert could be a key target for Paxton Lynch.   SAT @ 12pm ET      Orlando @ Charlotte                FOX Back to divisional play as we have a clash of teams from the Southeast. Russell Wilson is back for the Renegades, but we are keeping an eye on rookie HB Nick Chubb. For Charlotte it is all about getting newly acquired WR Justin Blackmon in synch with 2nd year QB Mitch Trubisky.   SAT @ 4pm ET    Los Angeles @ Portland                ABC The Express head up to Portland in this Pacific Division clash. The Stags are hoping that former Dragon WR Emmanuel Sanders can help add some spark to their offense, while LA is counting on former Bull FS David Bruton can shut him down.   SAT @ 4pm ET      Seattle @ Dallas                           FOX Some big debuts in this clash at the Cotton Bowl. HB Knowshon Moreno puts on the green and gold of the Dragons for the first time while for Dallas the excitement is around the presence of CB Patrick Peterson in the Roughneck secondary.   SAT @ 7pm ET       New Orleans @ Birmingham        NBC Fire up the smokers and get the grills blazing for a perfect southern tailgate as the Breakers head to B’ham to face the Stallions. We are watching to see how former Skyhawk Kony Ealy comes out in Week 1, while for the Stallions a lot of attention will be on the arrival of former NFL Lion Eric Ebron.   SAT @ 9pm ET       Las Vegas @ Oklahoma                ESPN/EFN A Southwestern clash as the Outlaws host the Vipers at what we expect will be a 9th consecutive sellout at OGE Energy Stadium. Oklahoma is hoping that DeDe Westbrook can step into the very big shoes left by Marques Colston’s departure, while Las Vegas is excited to see what rookie LB Fred Warner can bring in his first pro action.   SUN @ 12pm ET     San Diego @ St. Louis                ABC We don’t expect to see Lamar Jackson in this game, but we do expect some fireworks as San Diego brings their new prize, former Outlaw Marques Colston up against St. Louis’s suspect defense. The Skyhawks will counter with their new offensive weapon, former Star standout Stevie Johnson.   SUN @ 12pm ET     Jacksonville @ Ohio                     FOX Regional The Bulls head north to take on the Glory in this inter-divisional clash. Jacksonville will start Robert Griffin III, who needs a good first week to solidify his position with Teddy Bridgewater in the wings. For Ohio, the buzz has been about the play of former NFL safety Tyrann Mathieu, the Honey Badger, a player to keep an eye on all game.   SUN @ 12pm ET   Washington @ Pittsburgh            FOX Regional Two teams hoping to climb out of the basement of the NE Division meet in the Steel City. For the homestanding Maulers, the new shiny addition is rookie tailback Sony Michel, while Washington is hoping to get immediate returns from their signing of rookie Bradley Chubb at DE.   SUN @ 4pm ET    Tampa Bay @ Houston                     ABC Can the Bandits take an early swing at defending Conference Champion Houston, or will the Gamblers open strong? Houston rookie Keke Coutee will start as the 3-receiver, taking over the slot, while for the Bandits it is all about former Cowboy Dez Bryant giving the offense a true number one.   SUN @ 4pm ET        Oakland @ Chicago                     FOX With the announcement that Ryan Lindley will get the start for the Invaders, over newly-arrived Jimmy Garoppolo, Oakland will focus their offense through 2nd year halfback Christian McCaffrey. For Chicago, Ryan Fitzpatrick gets the start but Chicago looks to return to a 2-back rotation with Matt Forte sharing time with former Breaker and Viper Jeremy Hill.   SUN @ 8pm ET      Atlanta @ Michigan                     ESPN/EFN The week finishes up with the league champion on display as the Michigan Panthers take on the visiting Atlanta Fire. Michigan is excited about the camp that rookie WR Calvin Ridley has had, while Atlanta is debuting their own big-time rookie in halfback Nick Chubb.

Welcome to the first of our two USFL Preseason Preview Editions. In this edition we focus on the Eastern Conference, looking at the 14 teams vying for a berth in Summer Bowl 2018, and fighting to overtake the 2017 Conference Champion, Houston. We start with the biggest stories of the offseason for Eastern Conference teams, including QB quests, Draft signings, and a franchise building around their Rookie of the Year. We will then highlight 10 players we think could break out in a big way this year, either because they are due or because they find themselves in a new home with new possibilities. Following that we will break down each of the conference’s three divisions, review every team’s offseason moves and prospects for the year ahead, and wrap it all up with a quick peak at the 2018 season schedule before moving on to the West with our 2nd preview. So, let’s get this started with the Eastern Conference stories of the offseason. The Three Biggest Stories in the East   3--Jacksonville’s Plan B at QB The Bulls went into the offseason with a plan, a goal to find a possible competitor for Robert Griffin III at the QB position. They had modest cap room, but with a draft class as rich as any in recent years, there were more than enough options to choose from. They bypassed the somewhat modest free agent QB market, finding no potential starters in a list led by Mike Kafka and Ricky Stanzi. They also avoided the drama of the territorial pick swaps, opting instead to hold fast to their 11th pick in the Open Draft, confident that a QB would be available.   They were not wrong. With the 11th pick they had both Josh Rosen and Kyle Lauletta available. Rosen had somehow not received the attention that others like Mayfield, Darnold, and Jackson all had, each chosen in the T-Draft by a team that had swapped their way into the pick. Josh Allen had gone 2nd overall to the Denver Gold, but Rosen had slid to them at pick 11, and the Bulls felt good about their selection of the UCLA quarterback. But, as fans of pro football well know, drafting a player is only half the battle. The other half is convincing that player to join one league over the other, and in this case that meant sweetening the pot, both in finances and opportunity, beyond what the NFL Arizona Cardinals could offer.   Jacksonville failed in that endeavor. Eight days after the conclusion of the NFL Draft, Rosen was on a plane to Phoenix to sign a deal with the Cardinals. Plan A had failed, and it looked like Jacksonville would again place its offensive hopes in the hands of the oft-spectacular, but also oft-injured Robert Griffin. But the front office was not done yet. They saw in the NFL-USFL Transfer window a second chance, and much better options available than the USFL free agent pool had provided. The choice was between former Viking QB Teddy Bridgewater and former Patriot and 49er Jimmy Garoppolo. Both were similar players, and both could operate a system that had been originally designed with Griffin in mind, but which the Bulls’ new head Coach Brian Flores and new OC David Diaz-Infante were looking to modify.   Jacksonville spoke with both QBs, talked up the opportunities the USFL and the Bulls could provide and found a very willing Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater had come to the NFL as a 1st round pick (albeit 32nd in the round) and had started 12 games in his rookie campaign. He started all 16 his second year with the Vikings, but an injury in preseason wiped out his third season, and the Vikings, concerned about his return from injury, and very happy with what they got from QB Shaun Hill, decided not to use the 4th year option in Bridgewater’s career. Jacksonville signed the former Louisville Cardinal just 10 days ago, just before their preseason matchup against Portland. Looking to push Robert Griffin or replace him, the Bulls would quickly move to ensure that the NFL import was healthy and could begin to practice with the team.   So now Bridgewater is set to join the Bulls as they prepare for their opener. He will likely not be made active until Week 2 or 3, so Robert Griffin has a couple of weeks to show that he is still the QB1 in Duval County, but Jacksonville found the Plan B they had sought all season.   2--Charlotte Builds Around Trubisky The Charlotte Monarchs, defending SE Division Champions, had their QB already, 2016 Rookie of the Year, Mitch Trubisky, so now the task was to build a team around their young signal caller, a team that could advance out of the first round of the playoffs, something Charlotte had not done since 2013. With plenty of cap room and a pretty long list of wants, the Monarchs became one of the most active teams in the offseason.   In Free Agency Charlotte would land two of the Top 10 available players, nabbing both WR Justin Blackmon and SS Shaun Schillinger. They would also add OT Kelvin Beachem, who appears to have landed the starting RT job, and LB Randy Gregory, who will likely spell starters at either MLB or on the Strong Side. Blackmon has already impressed Monarch fans in camp, stepping into the 1-spot, which allows Hakeem Nicks to stay in his familiar position as the number 2 receiver. Schillinger was basically a lock to start at strong safety and is already becoming a leader in the secondary.   Charlotte also had one of the stronger signing records among USFL clubs, landing 7 of their 10 picks between the Territorial and Open Drafts. That haul did not include 1st round pick, DE Daron Payne of Alabama, who signed with the NFL Redskins, but did include their top 2 territorial picks, NC State DT B. J. Hill and HB Nyheim Hines, already penciled in as one of the return men in the Monarch kicking game and likely to see a lot of carries spelling Adrian Peterson as well. Charlotte also signed App State guard Colby Gossett, CMU tight end Tyler Conklin, UNC wideout Austin Proehl (taken in the Open Draft), and a kicker to replace Brandon Coutu (now in the NFL), with the signing of Miami (FL) kicker Michael Badgely.   The Monarchs depth chart shows a lot of new names this year, but by most accounts we are looking at upgrades. With the addition’s Charlotte’s defense should be a step quicker and perhaps more structured as they work under former LB Coach, now DC, Jim Hermann. The offense has more options, and we could see a lot of formation variation, with a strong 2-TE formation now with Conklin joining Brandon Pettigrew, all the way to a nice 4-receiver grouping with Blackmon, Nicks, Mckenzie, and rookie Austin Proehl. All in all a well-managed, and very productive offseason for a defending division champion looking to do even more in 2018.   1--NFL Devastates NE Division Draft During the draft it looked like the teams of the Northeast Division could do no wrong. Philadelphia, the defending champion, had swapped out a T-Draft pick and gained more draft capital. They used that to move up and earn two first round picks. Washington felt they got the best non-QB in the draft when they picked DE Bradley Chubb in the 3-slot. Pittsburgh had stayed patiently at the 5-spot in the first round of the Open Draft and lo’ and behold, Saquon Barkley was there for the taking. Baltimore had felt even luckier when the unquestioned best safety in the draft, Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick had stayed on the board all the way down to their 17th pick. New Jersey, picking 22nd had also found one of their top prospects, TE Hayden Hurst, still available when it was their turn to pick. It was looking like a very good first round for the NE Division.   But the draft is only half of the story. The signing period is as big if not bigger, and when it came time to sign on the dotted line, the teams of the USFL NE Division got smoked by the NFL. Barkley was the first to go. After being chosen by the New York Giants only a week after Pittsburgh’s selection, Barkley very quickly got on board with the Mara family and their NY franchise. He had one meeting with the Maulers and then was off to NYC never to return to the Steel City. New Jersey did no better with Hayden Hurst. Less than a week after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens, the tight end was another NFL signing. It took longer for Baltimore to lose out on Fitzpatrick, but after several back-and-forth discussions with the player’s agent, Fitzpatrick signed a 4-year deal to join the Miami Dolphins.   Only Washington’s pick, DE Bradley Chubb, found his way to a USFL camp. Chubb signed a 4-year deal with the Feds, becoming the lone 1st round selection from the division to join the league. And while the Feds are probably most happy with that scenario, the Philadelphia Stars certainly are not. They took their T-draft swap, combined some second rounders and gave themselves 2 first-round picks, only to watch as both, Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch and C James Daniels, agreed to terms with NFL clubs (Dallas and Chicago respectively).  Other than the Chubb signing, the NE Division’s 1-5 record in signing first round picks was the worst in the league. It also meant that teams needed to make late signings to fill spots with somewhat less-impactful options.   New Jersey added veteran journeyman Matt Spaeth for another body at TE, leaving John Carlson as the unquestioned starter. Pittsburgh was smart to have used the “double down” move in the draft as they lost out on Barkley but were able to sign 2nd round pick Sony Michel to a 3-year deal. Michel will now likely split carries with Marcus Lattimore as the Maulers try to upgrade their run game. Baltimore missed out on Fitzpatrick but acquired St. Louis Skyhawk safety Kendrick Lewis in a trade that cost them draft picks this year and next. As for Philadelphia, they have not found replacements and are likely looking to insert Erik Kendricks, acquired in free agency back in October, or Tanner Vallejo into the role left by the free agency departure of Blake Costanzo.   A rough outcome from the draft’s first round means 4 of 5 clubs in the division did not get the topflight talent they had hoped to acquire. It is not an unfamiliar position for any USFL club, as we typically see USFL first round signings at roughly 50% of all picks. This year the USFL signed only 12 of the 28 Open Draft first rounders, but did land 7 of 10 in the top 10 picks. Washington was one of those fortunate 7, Pittsburgh (along with LA and Dallas) were among the unfortunate 3 outbid by the NFL.   10 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN THE EAST As we look over the 14 Eastern Division teams, there are very few that have no shiny new weapons on the roster, but not every free agent signing, trade acquisition, or signed rookie will become a major player this season. Some will play a specific role, some may disappoint with their output, but there are always some new arrivals who step right in and make an immediate impact. Here is our list of the 10 players we think could do just that in 2018, making a splash in a new home, listed alphabetically by team.   HB Nick Chubb, Atlanta , T-Draft Rookie A 1,000-yard rusher in both his junior and senior years at Georgia, Chubb is a big, bruising back, but one with enough breakaway speed to muscle through the first line of defense and then race past the second. He will share carries with Chris Ivory and Kenyan Drake at first, but we expect to see him start to take over more and more of the load as his rookie season progresses.   TE Eric Ebron, Birmingham , NFL Import The Stallions may now have one of the best 1-2 punches at the TE position after signing Ebron away from the Detroit Lions. Paired with Hunter Henry in 2-TE formations, the defenses are not going to be able to key on the run, because they have to respect the ability of these two big receivers to get open over the middle.   WR Justin Blackmon, Charlotte , Free Agent After gaining over 2,000 combined receiving yards in the past 2 seasons in Ohio, Blackmon will quickly become Mitch Trubisky’s favorite target. Certainly not a speed burner, what Blackmon brings is a combination of crisp route running and the ability to win on contested throws.   QB Teddy Bridgewater, Jacksonville , NFL Import Robert Griffin III will start the season as Bridgewater clears to play and picks up the system, but we expect that there will be a short leash on the often-erratic Bulls’ QB now that they have a viable alternative in Bridgewater. Would it surprise us if Bridgewater was the starter by midseason? No. It would surprise us more if he spent the entire season on the bench.   OT Willie Colon, New Orleans , Free Agent It’s a one-year deal, and it is likely the veteran left tackle’s final season at age 34, but for a team that seems to be inches away from true title contention, bringing in an All-USFL left tackle to protect Drew Brees and plow holes for Leonard Fournette seems like a very good short-term strategy to us.   CB Aqib Talib, New Jersey , Trade from Denver Denver’s cap crisis was New Jersey’s gain. The Gold dealt Talib for pennies on the dollar, unable to square away his large contract bubble, but New Jersey had room aplenty and were more than happy to make the deal. It brings to them perhaps the best pure shut-down corner in the league. Paired with Devin McCourty on the other side, this duo is going to be very tough to crack by all but the best WR groups the league has to offer.   CB Jaire Alexander, Philadelphia , T-Draft Rookie Alexander was a very nice find in the Philadelphia T-Draft. He is already slated to start as the nickel back but will likely challenge Sam Shields and Courtland Finnegan for a starting spot soon enough. With the two starters for Philly a combined 67 years old, Alexander could be on a 1-year gig in the slot before taking over in 2019.   HB Sony Michel, Pittsburgh , Rookie Is Michel as good as Barkley could be? No, not likely, but he is a solid option at halfback and could push Marcus Lattimore for carries if he has a good early season. Michel rushed for over 1,200 yards on a Georgia team that also had Nick Chubb over 1,000 last year. Now, admittedly, Michell won’t be seeking Vanderbilt, Kentucky or Louisiana-Lafayette on the schedule this year, but we still think Michel was a very nice add for the Maulers, and a good bit of “double down” drafting.   WR Dez Bryant, Tampa Bay , NFL Import We did not have the Bandits on the short list to sign the former Cowboy wideout, but it does make sense. After all this is the team of Eric Truvillion and Randy Moss. Bandit Ball has always been about the huge vertical throw, and Bryant is one of the best deep ball receivers in the game. Now, if the Bandit line can only protect QB Dak Prescott long enough to have him hit Bryant often enough.   HB Anthony Allen, Washington , Free Agent We thought about putting rookie Bradley Chubb here, but while we expect Chubb to be a big factor for the Feds, Allen’s presence is of more immediate need. Coach Bradley wants Washington to return to its roots as a run-first team with a solid defense and an opportunistic passing game. To do that they need a back who can handle 25-30 carries a game and who can actually get results. Allen has proven in Memphis that he can carry a heavy load, produce good yardage, and even make the occasional big play. He is not LeVeon Bell or Doug Martin, but he could very well be a 1,200-yard back in Washington with a little help from his line.   DIVISION PREVIEWS Ready to get deep into the weeds? We are going to take a look at each of the Eastern Conference divisions, who is on the rise, who may stumble, what players are going to make an impact, what rookies could start fast right out of the gate. Then, of course, we will make our picks for each division’s final standings and who we see making the Eastern Conference playoffs. The NE Division has been among the league’s best for several years now, often placing 3 teams in the postseason. Last year saw something of a mixed bag in the division with Philadelphia dominant, New Jersey looking very strong, Baltimore up, then down, then up again, Pittsburgh still unable to duplicate their 2015 success and Washington bottoming out. Will it look different this year or will the Stars hold off all others once again?   Four Potential Breakout Players   Baltimore LB Anthony Hitchens Hitchens comes over to Baltimore from the Outlaws and will almost certainly start on the strong side, next to MLB Brandon Jenkins. It is quite a step up after not starting a single game for the Outlaws last year. Coach Caldwell says he sees great things for “Hitch” and we have learned to trust his judgement on undervalued players.   New Jersey CB Aqib Talib Yes, Talib was already a standout player in Denver, but this is the Big Apple, OK, it is Big Apple adjacent. Talib will be a star in New Jersey, with every big-time play amplified by the local media. Seeing how Talib has played for the Gold, there will be plenty of those big plays.   Pittsburgh WR Brian Quick The Maulers have a very crowded WR group, having also added Tedd Ginn Jr to a group led by Thielen and Cruz. That said, Quick showed in Portland that he can be a reliable deep threat as well as a solid mid-range receiver. Expect him to be in a lot of the 3-receiver sets, with Ginn used mostly for return duties and the odd 4-receiver formation.   Washington HB Anthony Allen We love what we see from Allen. In Memphis he not only subbed for Todd Gurley, he often outperformed him. He is exactly the type of inside/outside runner that Coach Bradley needs if he wants to return to a more smashmouth power run game. We think 1,000, maybe 1,200 yards is in Allen’s future this year.   Four Rookies in a Good Position for Early Success   New Jersey DT Deadrin Senat Senat is currently the swing tackle in Baltimore’s defense but could earn a starting job with a good start. It will be a bit of an adjustment coming from USF to the USFL, but hey, he is already ¾ of the way there.   Philadelphia CB Jaire Alexander The first of two rookies we highlight on the very talented Stars team. Alexander will start the year at the nickel position but could also see some action in early downs as well. He is going to have to pick up the more complex route trees of the USFL, but his raw talent is impressive.   Philadelphia WR Braxton Berrios Berrios came in expecting to have a role in special teams, but he had a great camp and will share slot duties with James Hardy. He has the skillset to be an outstanding 3rd receiver, running slants, hooks, and crossing routes.   Pittsburgh HB Sony Michel Yes, the Maulers had their hearts set on Saquon, but Sony is a pretty good fallback plan, and with a heavier build than Marcus Lattimore, we expect to see a lot of him on first and second down. He has to work on his blocking if he wants to be a 3-down back.   Our Predicted NE Division Standings Here we go, prognosticating again. Guess we never learn.   Philadelphia 12-4     We think New Jersey and Baltimore will challenge, but this roster is just too deep and too good. We think they win the division again and could end up as the 1 seed as well.   New Jersey 10-6       The Generals are building a very good team. We love the Talib trade, the run game, and the development of OBJ, but the D-line could have issues without Okoye, and we are just not sure about any receiver outside of Beckham.   Baltimore  9-7          Despite all their issues, we have the Blitz chasing New Jersey for one reason, Big Ben. We just trust him a lot more than we do Nick Foles. The defense is a bit of a question, so we could be overshooting their ceiling, but we just think they have the weapons to be a real tough out each week.   Pittsburgh 7-9         Andy Dalton cannot complain about having no targets, that is for sure. The line, well… that may be a different story. While we think the Maulers could have a Top 5 D-Line, what is behind it is a big question mark.   Washington 5-11       Coach Bradley will build some quality and much needed discipline into the defense, but that will take time. Drafting Bradley Chubb certainly helps there. On offense, while we think Allen is a perfect fit, we are not sure that David Garrard has gas left in the tank after missing much of 2017 with an injury, and the line still needs to prove itself. Perhaps the weakest division in the league, with only 1 team reaching .500 last year and a lot of questions all over. Even Charlotte, which looks like the best of the division again, has issues. They have struggled to win even home playoff games, and they need to prove they can beat the conference's elite teams, not just beat up on their division.   Four Potential Breakout Players   Charlotte SS Shaun Schillinger After 8 years in Seattle, Shaun Schillinger has had a solid career, but his recognition has been lacking. He now joins a Charlotte team that has been a steady playoff team but rarely has found post-season success. Schillinger could be a factor in changing that history.   Jacksonville QB Teddy Bridgewater After missing out on the 2016 NFL season with the Vikings, Bridgewater was a victim of circumstance, let go by the Vikings despite two strong years as their QB. Jacksonville is happy they jumped the gun on letting Bridgewater go. They believe they have found the rarest of commodities, a free agent QB who could turn into a regular starter. It will take time, and a lot depends on how Robert Griffin III reacts to the challenge, but we have liked Teddy B ever since his days at Louisville.   Orlando WR Terrance Williams Williams made a name for himself in Dallas, where his NFL career showed great promise. St. Louis snatched him up when he pushed the Cowboys for more money, but last year was not a great start to his USFL career. With cap issues, the Skyhawks had to let him walk, and Orlando is hoping that what they get in Williams’s 2nd spring season is a lot like what we saw in the Fall.   Tampa Bay WR Dez Bryant The Bandits have always loved deep ball receivers, and by snapping up Dez Bryant in the NFL transfer window, they have nabbed one of the best. Yes, he can be a diva, but the talent he possesses certainly seems worth it. After finding success with veteran wideouts in the past, including winning a title with Joey Galloway after Ohio felt his career was over, the Bandits are hoping that Bryant can be the next in a long line of outstanding deep threats.   Four Rookies in a Good Position for Early Success   Atlanta HB Nick Chubb Chubb shared his UGA backfield with Sony Michel, and he will start his USFL career sharing with Kenyan Drake, but from what we have seen of the former Bulldog, he may well deserve a shot, and an early one, at being a true lead back.   Charlotte DT B. J. Hill If Charlotte sticks to a strict 3-4 alignment, we may not see a lot of Hill in his first year, but if they experiment a bit with some 4-3, especially on early downs, then Hill may get a shot to show what he can do. Paired with Vernon Butler, who is only a year older, Hill could help form the basis for a pretty dynamic interior line.   Tampa Bay C Frank Ragnow Our first of two Bandit rookies who have impressed in camp. Ragnow has already won the starting job at center and will be charged with helping this line become a source of strength for the Bandits. They have outstanding talent along the line with Levi Brown at LT, Carl Nicks and Brandon Brooks inside, and now with Jake Long at RT. We could see a very good shift in both protection and in run blocking.   Tampa Bay SS Derwin James James has lit up camp in St. Pete., to such a degree that Coach Jones has strategically held him out of some drills so that the offense can gain a bit more confidence. With James and Xavier Woods deep, we expect Jones to call a lot more man coverage this year, which could make the Bandit pass rush that much more effective.   Our Predicted SE Division Standings   Charlotte 11-5      We see the Monarchs as clearly a step or two ahead of the rest of the division. Atlanta could be a challenge, but unless we are gauging the improvement of other teams far to cautiously, we think the Monarchs hold the division. Their real test will be in those opening playoff games, where they have had issues in the past.   Atlanta  9-7         The Fire had some moments last year, but uncertainty at QB is still an issue. We like the addition of Nick Chubb to the run game, and we are loving a LB group made up of Kuechley, Willis, Justin Houston and Dannell Ellerbe. If they can keep getting pressure on QBs from Chris Kelsay, this could be a very tough defense.   Orlando 8-8         Russel Wilson’s injury last year revealed that the offense did not have a plan B. With the departure of Knowshon Moreno, they may now need a Plan C. That is a major concern, and once again we look at the Renegades and wonder if they are simply wasting the best defensive player in the league with a team that does not have enough other playmakers.   Tampa Bay 6-10        We see gradual growth for this club. They like what they have seen from QB Dak Prescott, have a solid back (if he can stay healthy) in Cook, and now add a Bonafide deep threat in Dez Bryant. The defense still has some holes, but the secondary is looking solid with Jalen Ramsey, Xavier Woods and rookie Derwin James giving them some real quality on the back end. Is it enough? Perhaps too soon to say, but this could be a team that is substantially better than last season.   Jacksonville 5-11        Sorry Bulls fans, we just don’t see this working out. Adding Teddy Bridgewater is in some senses a nice move but could also produce a lot of indecision unless either he or Robert Griffin suddenly plays lights out. And we are just not seeing enough talent around them to expect Jacksonville’s offense to be more than middle-of-the-pack. The defense has talent, particularly in DE Barkevious Mingo and MLB Sean Lee, but there are also major questions at all 3 levels. This just feels like a team that will win some games and look good, but far too often will not have answers.   What had been New Orleans’s division now looks a lot more competitive. The arrival of Houston threw out the old order, and now the Gamblers look like a team that is ready to make a run again. The Breakers are following on their heels, and Birmingham, who were edged out of the playoffs despite a 9-7 record, are looking to make a mark as well. And then there is Memphis, which had a surprising run to the Summer Bowl in 2016, but last year looked like a team in a rebuild. This year feels like that too.   Four Potential Breakout Players   Birmingham TE Eric Ebron A very nice signing from the NFL, as Cam Newton gains a safety valve so that scrambling is not his only option when things don’t look good downfield. Ebron showed a lot of potential in Detroit but now could benefit from teams having to focus on Newton’s legs.   Birmingham CB E. J. Biggers Biggers will start the year as the nickel, which might be the best possible spot for him. He struggled in straight up man coverage with Memphis, but now, playing for his former rivals, he could find a nice fit inside.   Houston TE Tony Moeaki Is Moeaki going to displace starting TE Vernon Davis? No, not at all, but what Moeaki can do is help Houston use more 1-back, 2-TE formations, and serve as a viable outlet for Colt McCoy if Davis is swarmed by defenders. We expect him to be a factor in the run game as well.   New Orleans DE Ezekial Ansah The Breakers added two solid pass rushers in free agency, Kony Ealy from the Skyhawks, and Ansah from the NFL Lions. Both will rotate in as the Breaker try to account for the lost presence of Ty Warren, who retired this offseason. While both are solid speed rushers, we like Ansah for his ability to also use some muscle to bull rush when needed.   Four Rookies in a Good Position for Early Success   Houston CB Siran Neal Once again it looks like Houston’s front office did their homework. Neal looked good in camp and has locked up the nickel position for the Gamblers. We expect him to be laser locked on those slot receivers as teams try to play catchup against the explosive Gambler offense.   Houston WR Keke Coutee Coutee was seen at first as just another camp body, a player who could see some action on special teams, but a strong camp and good instincts have let him overtake Josh Reynolds as the Gambler slot receiver. With Evans, Smith-Schuster, and Davis already occupying a lot of attention, Coutee could benefit from some very favorable matchups each week.   Memphis TE Dallas Goedert Goedert has been a pleasant surprise in camp and has lept over Chris Gragg to take the 2nd TE spot, meaning he will be on the field a lot more, especially on early downs. He has good hands and can be an effective run blocker as well.   New Orleans CB Donte Jackson The Breakers have penciled in Jackson as the 2nd corner, meaning he is starting his career as a starter. He will be learning from Tra’Davious White, which is not a bad option, though, of course, the loss of Patrick Peterson will still be felt in New Orleans. Big shoes to fill for sure.   Our Predicted SOU Division Standings The Southern Division feels like it is a 2-team race that might get some flack from that 3rd team. Birmingham played very well at the end of last year, but they still feel like they are a step behind New Orleans (despite some big losses on the Breakers) and a few steps behind Houston, who again look like a potential Summer Bowl contender.   Houston 13-3      We think Houston stands a very good chance to repeat as the Eastern Conference’s representative in the Summer Bowl. They draft so well, and they develop those picks into solid performers. Kudos to Coach Phillips, because we think Houston is again at the top of the division, if not the conference.   New Orleans 10-6      As long as Drew Brees is guiding the offense, this is a dangerous team. We wish we saw more from Leonard Fournette last year, but very often we see backs come of age in their 2nd spring season. The defense could be a bit weaker than last year, with both Ty Warren and Patrick Peterson now gone, so the Breakers may need to rely on Brees even more than in the past.   Birmingham 8-8          The Stallions got hot late, and could make us look bad if they can recapture that mojo, but we think they failed to address their two big issues, a lack of consistency in the run game, and a defense that gives up too many big plays. We like the addition of Biggers and free Safety Will Allen, but is that enough?   Memphis 5-11        Still unsure about Paxton Lynch? So are we. Wishing the ‘Boats had retained Anthony Allen? So do we. Wondering just where the pass rush will come from? Yup, us too. So, basically a lot of questions for Coach Ryan and we are not sure we seen the answers forthcoming, which is how you end up at 5 wins in our book. PHILADELPHIA: SHOOTING FOR THE STARS Offseason Assessment:  The Stars had only 1 major loss in the offseason, with WR Stevie Johnson leaving in free agency. They feel good about moving Randall Cobb into Johnson’s position and will move rookie Braxton Berrios into the slot. They feel they got a steal in CB Jaire Alexander and feel good about adding LB Eric Kendricks from the Thunder. All in all, this Philly squad will look a lot like the 2017 team that went 13-3, which is not a bad thing.   Team Philosophy:  The goal in 2018 is to use Henry to free up the play action pass, where Gutierrez excels, and to use their solid team defense to keep foes under 21 points. Slow the game, shorten it, and grind out wins. That is what this club does better than anyone.   2018 Outlook:  If Cobb, Ronald Johnson and Berrios can step up in the absence of Stevie Johnson, this Philadelphia squad should be as good if not better than last year. They have a solid power run game, one of the game’s best tight ends, and a defense that plays as a team. In other words, they are a Summer Bowl favorite to be sure. NEW JERSEY: PREPARING FOR BATTLE Offseason Assessment:  The Generals’ D took some hits this offseason, with CB Danieal Manning leaving for the NFL, DT Amobi Okoye now in Denver, and CB Brandon Boykin down the road in Washington. But, man, oh, man, did they recover strong. Getting Aqib Talib from Denver was a stroke of genius, and the Generals, understanding that Okoye will be hard to replace, are feeling good about their depth at the position after adding USF’s Deadrin Senat through the draft.   Team Philosophy:  The goal for 2018 has to be to add a level of big-play danger to an offense that is more of a slow, methodical, matriculate the ball kind of team. That will depend on Nick Foles showing us he can find Beckham, Sanu or Zay Jones deep, and not always settle for the drop down. On defense, it is all about getting pressure with just the front 3, and maybe one blitzer. If Kampmann and Beasley can both get to 15 sacks this year, the Generals could be golden.   2018 Outlook:  New Jersey is clearly leaning into Nick Foles as their QB, signing Ricky Stanzi (a very similar player) as a backup. So now it is up to Foles to prove he can lead this team and challenge Philadelphia. MJD will still be the key to the offense, and the defense will still revolve around edge pressure from Aaron Kampman and Vic Beasley, but now, with Talib taking on each opponent’s top receiver, it will be harder than ever for teams to go over the top on the Generals. We think they can give Philadelphia a very good run in the division.   BALTIMORE: CAN LIGHTNING STRIKE Offseason Assessment:  Any team that has 4 starters retire in the same year (Adam Archuleta, Ellis Wyms, Austin King and punter Stephon Gibson) is going to have to do a lot of work in the offseason. Losing LB Brandon Spikes in free agency just adds to the “to do” list. The Blitz think they filled the gap at center with Birmingham’s Matt Tenant (FA), and they brought in LB Anthony Hitchens from Oklahoma for their LB hole, also adding LB Jermaine Carter through the draft. The big question mark is at safety, where Archuleta will be replaced by former Stallion Kendrick Lewis. All in all, it feels like the Blitz are treading water rather than advancing.   Team Philosophy:  Protect Big Ben, let him extend plays, and go deep. That is the strategy on offense. If they could get more out of Kerwynn Williams and Anthony Dixon, that mission would be a lot easier. If not, then they will need to rely on a defense that has a lot of new parts, and not all of them are top-of-the-line.   2018 Outlook:  While the passing game remains very dangerous in Baltimore, we are still not loving their ability to run the ball. On defense they are relying a lot on their secondary, and we are not sure they are as good as they were last year. The D-line’s biggest edge threat is Olivier Vernon, who does not have the burst he used to. The linebacker group is average at best, which makes us wonder if this Blitz team is ready to join New Jersey as a challenger or ready to slip beneath Pittsburgh in the division.   PITTSBURGH: FORGING AHEAD Offseason Assessment:  The Maulers missed out on Saquon Barkley, but added Sony Michel, which his a pretty good consolation prize, but the most impressive part of the roster is that WR group, which added Tedd Ginn Jr and Brian Quick to a group that already had Thielen, Cruz, and undervalued Josh Cribbs. On Defense they added DE Quentin Groves from Arizona to go alongside Dwight Freeney and Aaron Dobson, retaining a very nasty front line.   Team Philosophy:  The Maulers would be well-served to borrow some ideas from the Run & Shoot. They have such good receivers that spreading out the defense is their best bet. They can use that to free up rookie Sony Michel inside, or just keep tossing the ball to Cruz, Thielen, Ginn and Brian Quick.  On defense, the Maulers want to stick to a 4-3 and allow Dwight Freeney to rush the passer. If Gabe Wright can handle that assignment, then that will allow Aaron Donald to use his rare talent to disrupt the offenses Pittsburgh faces.   2018 Outlook:  There are still some gaps in the secondary, and the LB group could be deeper, but overall we look at the Maulers and think this is a team ready to make a move, especially if Coach Fangio is willing to open up the offense with more 3-4 receiver sets. That will certainly allow Sony Michel easier running lanes but also take advantage of the depth at WR with this club. We think Pittsburgh is a potential playoff dark horse.    WASHINGTON: A NEW ADMINISTRATION Offseason Assessment:  The Federals started the offseason looking for a new coach, GM, and quarterback, the sign of a total do-over. They found their coach in Gus Bradley, and have their GM, but they did not nab the QB they coveted, losing out on OU’s Baker Mayfield to the NFL Browns. That means that it is David Garrard, still recovering from a season-ending injury last year, at the helm once again. The other big need was at HB, and Washington thinks they found their big bruising back in former Showboat Anthony Allen. Losing DE Mathias Kiawanuka and LB Aaron Curry will be a blow to the defense Coach Bradley wants to build, but Washington is very excited about two rookies penciled into those spots, DE Bradley Chubb of Georgia and LB Tremaine Edmunds of Va Tech.   Team Philosophy:  Coach Bradley wants to return to power football. Run the ball with Allen, let Garrard use play action to find Allen and LaFell outside. Then, slow the game down when you have a lead and force teams to pass, which, they hope, means that rookie Bradley Chubb can focus on getting to the QB.   2018 Outlook:  The Feds still feel very much like a team in transition. They have an older QB who may be only 1 year away from retirement and who is not the player he once was, a free agent halfback who has to prove himself, and a defense being built around 2 rookies and shaky safety play. That is very much a team that feels like it is in Year 1 of a 3-year rebuild.   CHARLOTTE: KINGS OF THE CASTLE Offseason Assessment:  The Monarchs lost some veteran leadership with the retirements of D. J. Hackett and Shane Welton, and needed a new kicker after Brandon Coutu left for the NFL, but they are clearly building around Mitch Trubisky, adding a nice receiving back in Nyheim Hines as well as TE Tyler Conklin in the draft. They found their kicker in Miami (FL) rookie Michael Badgley, and they used free agency to fill the gap at receiver, landing former Glory wideout Justin Blackmon. They also upgraded at safety with Shaun Schillinger coming over from Seattle.   Team Philosophy:  The goal here is to keep the game simple for Mitch Trubisky. Force teams to play the run, hope Adrian Peterson has some game breakers left in him, and then give Trubisky good mid-range routes to Nicks and his new target, Justin Blackmon. On defense, it is all about the front 3 occupying blockers so McClain and Mayo can make plays from the LB position. The secondary got a boost from Shaun Schillinger’s arrival, but Charlotte does not want to let team challenge a shaky CB group, so expect a lot of blitz packages.   2018 Outlook:  It seems pretty obvious that if Mitch Trubisky grows further in his 2nd year in the league that this Charlotte team is the best of the SE Division. But, is that good enough against the powerhouses from the NE and South? We don’t see Charlotte up to Houston or Philadelphia’s level yet, but they are doing a nice job of replacing departed players and adding depth and talent year to year. They are our favorite to win the division, and maybe this year they escape the 1st round of the playoffs.   ATLANTA: BURNING HOT Offseason Assessment:  No retirements, no NFL losses, and only 1 starter lost in free agency (guard Brandon Brooks) means Atlanta should easily have a net gain in the offseason calculus. So what did they add? Well, they traded for Blaine Gabbert, which further complicates a very uncertain QB situation, so not a great start. No Free Agent additions, but a nice NFL addition in WR Leonard Hankerson (who lasted only 1 year in the fall before returning to the USFL). But, the best day this offseason for the Fire was draft day. They selected, and, more importantly, signed a potential starting halfback in Georgia’s Nick Chubb, a nice change of pace back in Boston Scott, and some good depth at other positions.   Team Philosophy:  Coach Arians wants to have a high-flying offense, but the pieces are just not there. Atlanta’s best shot is to be tough to predict. Use rookie Nick Chubb, Kenyan Drake, and Chris Ivory to keep the run game at the center, then mix it up with the pass. If Murray struggles, they now have Blaine Gabbert as well as 2nd year QB Deshone Kizer. On defense, it is all about LB play. In Kuechley, Willis, Houston and Ellerbe they have one of the best quartets in the league. They just need Nick Fairley, Gholston and Kelsay to produce enough pressure to allow their backers to expand coverage beyond the secondary.   2018 Outlook:  The old saying says that if you have 2 quarterbacks, you really don’ t have one at all. What does it mean if you have 3? The Fire are starting the year with Aaron Murray again, but still have 2017 rookie DeShone Kizer in the wings and added former NFL starter Blaine Gabbert. They need one of these three to wow us. Without that, we are not sure that even an improved run game and a defense that features perhaps the league’s best LB groups can win them enough games to keep pace with Charlotte. But, if Murray, or anyone else, can get this offense just to to the upper half of the league stats, then Atlanta could surprise us.    JACKSONVILLE: READY TO SEE RED Offseason Assessment:  Before the late signing of Teddy Bridgewater, many were writing off the Bulls’ offseason as a failure. Now, with a potential replacement for oft-injured Robert Griffin III gearing up, the perspective has shifted. Yes, losing FS David Bruton, LB K. J. Wright and DT Henry Melton, all to free agency, hurts. But with the addition of NFL CB Keenan Lewis and rookies DE Duke Ejiofor, DT Taven Bryan and safety Tracy Walker, Jacksonville is bringing both speed and youth to their defense. The continued development of LBs Alex Anzelone and Jarret Johnson could produce a very good group there.   Team Philosophy:  The Bulls offense was designed with a mobile QB in mind. They now have two of them, but need one to step up. Matt Jones has been overproducing, exceeding expectations since being made the starter, but can Jacksonville count on that? They may have to because the rest of their “hands” team has underwhelming speed and separation. If the Bulls are going to make any movement in the division, it will be the defense that leads that. They are going to mix 3-4 and 4-3 so that both Beau Allen (DT) and Alex Anzelone (LB) can be used strategically. A lot will depend on DE Barkevious Mingo to make plays on the outside and for Dominique Rogers-Cromartie to turn passes defended into takeaways.   2018 Outlook:  Our biggest questions for the Bulls are all on offense. We know we will see a solid defense, perhaps even a faster, more attacking one this year. But on offense, we are not sure what to expect. And this is not all about the Griffin v. Bridgewater QB battle we all expect. Are we really sure Matt Jones is a true lead back in this league? And if not, who else on the roster could help out? And, with no changes on the horizon we are still not impressed with the receiver group of Mike Williams, Reuben Randle, Tavon Austin and TE Gavin Escobar. It is not exactly the 1998 Bandits or the Run & Shoot Gamblers, is it?  We think Jacksonville will win some tight games, but we also think they will struggle to keep pace with the better offenses in the league, so an 8-8 finish feels like the right call here, and that is being optimistic.  ORLANDO: ROWDY & READY FOR ACTION Offseason Assessment:  Many would say that Russell Wilson’s offseason recovery is the best move Orlando can tout, though we would say that resigning Arthur Moats was also huge. As for the rest of the moves, there is not much excitement out of the Renegade draft, where OT was the main position addressed, and we are not at all certain that adding NFL castoff Terrance Williams makes up for the retirement of Michael Jenkins, but the biggest story of Orlando’s offseason has to be the free agency departure of Knowshon Moreno (now in Seattle). Orlando will try to use 2 backs in rotation, Latavius Murray and former Glory 3rd down back Rashaad Jennings to replace Moreno’s production, but that is a dicey proposition.   Team Philosophy:  If we learned anything last year, it is that the key to Orlando’s offense is to keep Russell Wilson healthy. They were a disaster without him. Losing Knowshon Moreno will make that task even tougher, though both Murray and free agent signing Rashaad Jennings are both good outlet pass targets. The defense is all about pass rush, with two of the best in the league in Campbell and Moats. What is needed to make this work is for Dee Milliner and Kevin Johnson to hold up just long enough to allow pressure to get to opposing QBs. Without that, the pass rush does not reach home, and the Renegades give up the big play.   2018 Outlook:  Orlando has talent at some key positions, but lacks depth. That is an issue. An uncertain run game, and an unimpressive receiver group adds more question marks. We like Russell Wilson’s pluck, but that is not enough to sustain an offense. Once again we are looking at this team as Calais Campbell and an underwhelming supporting cast. That does not seem fair to the consensus GOAT of USFL pass rushers. It also does not seem like a formula that will keep Orlando in the playoff hunt all season.   TAMPA BAY: RIDING FOR RESPECT Offseason Assessment:  Despite a frenzy of QB action this offseason, Tampa Bay decided to stand pat with Dak Prescott as their presumptive starter. But, what they did do was get him a truly dynamic target, signing Dez Bryant away from the NFL Cowboys in a very expensive, but very bold move. That said, the loss of TE Greg Olsen (NFL) and CB Philip Buchanon (Retirement) will be tough gaps to fill. We love the addition of FSU safety Derwin James and Arkansas center Frank Ragnow, but the TE and CB positions could still use some work.   Team Philosophy:  We all know what the fans want in Tampa Bay. They want Bandit Ball. That means getting the run game with Cook going, so that Dak Prescott has time to go over the top to NFL import Dez Bryant and slot speedster Ryan Grant. On defense, assuming the Bandits decide to play some this year, It will be a 4-3, with Brian Orakpo again playing the pivotal role. They need more from their other backers, but Orakpo is still the focal point. We like how the secondary is forming, with the addition of Derwin James in the draft, but we are still not seeing how this club gets enough pressure on the QB to keep that secondary from being stretched thin.   2018 Outlook:  The Bandits are building a young, fast offense around Prescott, Dalvin Cook, and now Dez Bryant. That is a nice development for a team that got old very fast between 2014-2016. The Defense still lacks playmakers outside of Orakpo, though Bandit fans hope Derwin James can add another big play defender to the mix. We wish Tampa had been more active in free agency, particularly to beef up their D-line, but they look very good (and young) at safety, solid at LB, and could surprise us this year. Keep an eye on the Bandits and how they start the season. A good start could be a sign that the youth movement is working. HOUSTON: GREATNESS DOESN’T NEED LUCK Offseason Assessment:  Houston lost two very solid leaders on the team in LT Willie Colon and DT John Jenkins but that is about the extent of the losses from this very talented team. What did they add? Well, depth at TE for sure with the addition of both Tony Moeaki and NFL import Austin Sefarin-Jenkins. They also addressed the DT position with rookie R. J. McIntosh from Miami, and added some real speed with WR Keke Coutee and CB Siran Neal. Left Tackle remains the one big gap, and that seems like one that needs a solution.   Team Philosophy:  Shock and awe. That is the Houston offense. They can run the ball inside or out with Hyde, but they can also go deep on you at any time with Evans and Smith-Schuster. Oh, and if you forget he is there, Vernon Davis will just keep collecting that ball and those first downs. It is a deadly attack. The defense is equally devastating. They led the league in sacks last year and could do even better this year. Their safeties (Baker and Vaccaro) are a nasty combo, and they added a solid nickel option with rookie Siran Neal. The strategy on defense is contain and control, and they have the players to do it.   2018 Outlook:  We mentioned concern about the departure of Willie Colon. Houston’s response was to slide Cedric Oghuehi over from right tackle and promote Marcus Cannon to the RT spot. They are fine players, but not in ideal positions, so we are wondering if Houston will have protection issues this year. If they don’t, then expect Colt McCoy and that Gambler offense to once again be a devastating combination of speed, power, deception, and variable options. Vernon Davis had an All-USFL season last year, Carlos Hyde, Mike Evans and 2017 rookie Juju Smith-Schuster are just a deadly talent group. We think Houston finds a way to address the O-line issues and we think they have a very good shot at being a Top 2 seed and once again fighting for a title.  NEW ORLEANS: THE TIDE IS RISING Offseason Assessment:  The Breakers’ offseason began with some pretty significant retirements, notably DE’s Ty Warren and C. J. Mosley. Then Patrick Peterson became one of the first players to change teams in free agency, heading off to Dallas. The Breakers recovered from these three big losses by adding Ezekiel Ansah from the NFL and Kony Ealy via trade for their DE needs, then drafted two corners in January, led by LSU’s Donte Jackson. Along the way they also added HB C. J. Spiller, LT Willie Colon and used draft movement, falling out of the first round, to get extra picks, including 2 linebacker selections, Ohio State’s Jerome Baker and Purdue LB Ja’Whuan Bentley. Is that overall a gain or a loss, right now very hard to tell.   Team Philosophy:  Drew Brees would love to have a game where the Breakers throw the ball 20 times but run for 200 yards. Not gonna happen, Drew. Expect a lot of 50-attempt games, which will certainly make TE Coby Fleener and 2017 receiving yards leader Jordy Nelson happy. The defense will need time to gel, especially on passing downs. With new DE’s and a new secondary, the Breaker’s goal will be to keep the scheme simple and let players play on instinct.   2018 Outlook:  The Breaker offense will remain largely the same as in 2017, so the focus right now is on the defense, which could see as many as 4 new starters on opening day. New Orleans needs that newly-configured defense to gel quickly, especially with a huge game against Houston in Week 3. They also, ideally, want to see much more out of 2017 draft pick Leonard Fournette. The former LSU back gained only 710 yards last year, averaging only 3.4 per carry. That is not going to be good enough for him or for the Breakers. As far as the passing game goes, no worries there. Jordy Nelson was a superstar last year, and despite not getting as many targets both Kyle Britt and TE Coby Fleener were outstanding options for Drew Brees. In 2018 we think this team will be in the playoffs, but how far they go and what seed they get will likely come down to where their defense can be by Week 16.   BIRMINGHAM: STAMPEDE TO SUCCESS Offseason Assessment:  Birmingham lost some key contributors in all 3 phases of the early offseason, with TE Bo Scaife and LB Brian Kehl retiring, DE Derrick Harvey signing on with the NFL, and free agents Matt Tenant, Corey White, and Stoney Woodson all taking offers from other teams. But Birmingham did not stand pat. They made a deal with Tampa Bay to bring FS Will Allen over to the Stallions, added a corner in former Showboat E. J. Biggers, and then raided the NFL just a few weeks ago to add TE Eric Ebron, a major bonus for Cam Newton, fullback Zach Line, and kicker Chris Boswell. A very busy offseason indeed.   Team Philosophy:  Does a scheme mean much to Cam Newton? Call what you want, the odds are he is going to improvise the minute things go even slightly sideways. Coach Ellard wants to rein in that tendency, but unless rookie Kerryon Johnson or former Tide HB T. J. Yeldon can provide a meaningful run game, the pressure will stay on Newton and he will continue to run. There are concerns on defense, especially with a lackluster pass rush, so the need for blitzes continues to force Birmingham to rely on their secondary a bit too much.   2018 Outlook:  the Stallions did not land the big “can’t miss” halfback that many fans wanted. They drafted two local backs, Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson and Bama’s Bo Scarbrough, but both are likely to play backup roles to T. J. Yeldon, who the Stallions just don’t seem ready to give up on. The addition of Eric Ebron from the NFL Lions will certainly help the passing game, and the defense does get an upgrade with the addition of Will Allen, a consummate pro at the safety position. Is it enough to menace Houston? Not likely. But could Birmingham battle it out with New Orleans for the Wild Card? Absolutely.    MEMPHIS: READY TO ROLL ON THE RIVER Offseason Assessment: We are still not happy Memphis let Anthony Allen go. He so often looked like a better option than Todd Gurley, and the two in the same backfield could have been very effective. In addition to Allen’s departure, Memphis also lost CB E. J. Biggers and TE Jermichael Finley in free agency and saw DT Marcus Tubbs and DE Antonio Smith retire. Truth be told, only the Allen departure is a major blow. On the flipside, the Showboats brought in a couple of nice pieces in fullback Roosevelt Nix and DT John Hughes. But what may make Memphis’s offseason is their draft. Four potential starters came out of that draft: guard Will Hernandez, TE Dallas Goedert, CB Rashaan Gaulden, and LB Zaire Franklin. They won’t all start Week 1, but keep an eye on the Memphis roster as the season progresses.   Team Philosophy: The Showboats are not going to win many shootouts; they just don’t have the big play capacity to throw it all over the yard. They need to play controlled offense, with short to mid-range passing and an effective run game led by Todd Gurley. If they get behind, they are in some trouble. On defense, they are also not well suited to play catch-up, as this is not a team that will produce many takeaways. Their goal is to keep the plays in front of them and then swarm to the ball.   2018 Outlook: The concerns about Memphis which led them to a 6-10 record last year feel very much like they are still in place: Erratic QB play from Paxton Lynch, injury concerns for Todd Gurley, good route running receivers but little true speed, and a defense that just does not have dynamic game-impacting playmakers. So, what we see in the Showboats is a team that will not be painful to watch, but may simply just not have enough to get over the hump each week. EASTERN CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS OK, time to fire up the Predictomaic 3000 and make some picks from out of the Eastern Conference. We already gave you our divisional breakdown, so that means now we look at the playoffs and try to see who could be coming out of the East and into the Summer Bowl.   We are predicting that all three 2017 division winners retain their grasps on their respective divisions, and once again that Houston and Philadelphia will be the top 2 seeds getting byes. As for the Wild Cards, our picks are New Jersey in the 4-spot, followed by New Orleans. That leaves one spot and two two teams sitting at 9-7, the Fire and the Blitz. We are going to go with Baltimore to grab that last spot. So, in the Divisionals, we have the Monarchs holding off the Blitz and the Breakers topping the Generals thanks to Drew Brees’s experience advantage over Nick Foles. That sets up Charlotte v. Philadelphia and New Orleans v. Houston. Sorry upstarts, but once again we think there is a pretty big gap between the top two teams and everyone else, so it is the 1 and 2 seeds in the Eastern Finals and we are going to go with Houston to repeat and go back to the Summer Bowl in 2018.   And what about Award contenders out of the East? Some pretty easy options in most categories.   MVP: We think Colt McCoy will be in the mix, along with Drew Brees, but if Birmingham does better than expected, it will be because Cam Newton puts up big numbers, so don’t count him out either.   OPOTY: Assuming the QBs all get sucked into the MVP discussion, what are we looking at with receivers and backs? Well, last year’s OPOTY, Jordy Nelson could be competing for a 2nd award, but he will have competition. Pittsburgh’s Adam Thielen could be a contender, as could Mike Evans in Houston. Among the backs, the West has the frontrunners, but Maurice Jones-Drew could have a big year as well.   DPOTY: You already know who the favorite is, Orlando’s Calais Campbell, but if Orlando struggles, as we are predicting they might, then that cuts down on his chances. In his stead, how about New Jersey’s Vic Beasley, Pittsburgh’s Dwight Freeney, or possibly the newest import from the West, General CB Aqib Talib. ROTY: A couple of obvious choices are halfbacks Nick Chubb (ATL) and Sony Michel (PIT), both former Georgia Bulldogs. Another name to watch would be DE Bradley Chubb in Washington, who could be a major difference maker for the Feds.   COTY: Here we are looking for the team that comes out of nowhere and exceeds all expectations, much as Seattle did last year. Our favorites to do that would be Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, so that means June Jones or, for a 2nd time, Vic Fangio.   2018 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS We are going to finish up this first of two preview editions with a quick look at the schedule. We went week by week and found one game each week which intrigues us. It may not always be a huge divisional game. It may not always be a clear battle of Summer Bowl contenders, but there is something in each of these games that should draw our attention to it.   Week 1: New Orleans @ Birmingham A pretty easy place to start, a divisional game between two teams that both finished at 9-7 last year. If Birmingham is going to make a move in the South, this game could be a great place to start.   Week 2: Denver @ Las Vegas A similar situation out west in Week 2, with two teams that most expect to be chasing the Arizona Wranglers. I doubt we will see Denver draft pick QB Josh Allen in this one, but we should see two very balanced and hard-hitting teams playing intense football early on in the season.   Week 3: Michigan @ Chicago Our third consecutive focus on divisional rivals takes us to Michigan and Chicago in Week 3. The Machine have a chip on their shoulder after a very disappointing 2017, but Michigan still looks like the class of the division after winning their 4th league title last season.   Week 4: Philadelphia @ New Orleans A really nice Eastern Conference battle here. It will be the passing game of the Breakers against the rushing attack of Philadelphia, with two pretty good defenses also in the mix.   Week 5: San Diego @ Seattle In this Week 5 matchup we have a lot of new faces, including former Outlaw Marques Colston, now with the Thunder, and former Renegade Knowshon Moreno, now with the Dragons. In addition to being a key divisional matchup, this game features two mobile QBs who could produce issues for the defenses.   Week 6: Dallas @ Arizona One of the big mysteries this year will be just how Arizona deals with a huge overhaul of personnel on defense. If their defense is only a shadow of recent years, which many expect, then Dallas could be in a position to topple the Wranglers, much to the delight of the entire SW Division.   Week 7: Orlando @ Atlanta This one could be a huge mid-season divisional matchup in the Southeast. We think Atlanta may be headed upwards and Orlando could struggle this year, but the two may very well meet in the middle and this game could prove decisive come tiebreaker season.   Week 8: Baltimore @ New Jersey So many good rivalries in the East. This is not a huge one, but it should be, because these two teams always seem to be battling each other for a Wild Card spot. That is very much what we expect this year, so Week 8’s clash could be a very big one for both clubs.   Week 9: New Orleans @ Houston You know this is a big game. The Breakers are the closest competition the Gamblers have in the South, perhaps in the conference. They will put everything they have into this game to try to knock Houston down a notch.   Week 10: Oakland @ San Diego A California Derby with some major questions. Oakland, in particular, is looking like a team that is trying to rebuild their airplane while in flight. Will we be seeing Jimmy Garoppolo in this game? Will it matter? San Diego won the division last year and could be in a position to be even stronger this year with Marques Colston on board.   Week 11: St. Louis @ Ohio The Central Division is back on center stage with this matchup. Ohio had a solid year in 2017 and are hoping to keep building a team that can compete. St. Louis bottomed out, but they added a real Wild Card in QB Lamar Jackson this offseason. If Josh Freeman struggles this year, we could be seeing the Louisville QB in action by Week 11.   Week 12: Las Vegas @ Arizona The Vipers have this one circled on their calendars already. They want to step in and step over Arizona if the Wranglers slip this year. It may also be Eli Manning’s last season, so there will be motivation for the Vipers to be sure. As for Arizona, they may have lost a lot on defense, but they still have the reining MVP and a very dangerous WR group.   Week 13: Houston @ Philadelphia This is our prediction for the Eastern Conference Championship matchup, so it is this game in Week 13 that very well could decide if that game is played at the Linc or at NRG Stadium. Expect a real slugfest here, a battle of styles and of personalities between Jim Harbaugh and Wade Phillips.   Week 14: Arizona @ Michigan We are back on the Wranglers again, but this time we are looking at a possible Conference Title Game preview once again. Could the past 2 league champions be ready to face off with playoffs on the line, or at least playoff seeding?   Week 15: Philadelphia @ New Jersey Do we really need to hype this matchup? It is one of the best rivalries in the league, a divisional match between the two teams we think will be in the hunt, and, quite frankly, two teams and fanbases that love to hate each other. This one will be fun.   Week 16: Dallas @ Las Vegas We looked at the final week of the season and tried to imagine which games might have 2 teams facing off with only 1 playoff spot on the line, like we saw last year with LA and Seattle battling for the final Wild Card spot. Dallas and Las Vegas could very well be in that same situation this year. The SW Division is about as balanced and competitive as any we can think of, so it was easy to imagine that this matchup could be a Win & In for both teams.

-February 5, 2018 Welcome back, USFL Fans, or I guess we should say that we are back, as we suspect you never really left. It has been a whirlwind in the USFL offseason since our last report in October, but we are here to run through all the big stories, major moves, and all the surprises of the USFL offseason. With camps opening up and the season only 6 weeks away, it is an exciting time around the league. We are still waiting for many of this year’s draft picks to make their final decision between the spring and fall leagues, and we still have the second offseason USFL-NFL Transfer Window coming up (opening in only 9 days), but teams are coming together, training camp is kicking off, and soon we will be back to regular season USFL action. We will start this 2nd Offseason Report with a look back at the action leading up to the 2018 College Draft, a flurry of trades that impacted both the territorial and open drafts. We will review the Open Draft’s first round as well as some selections in later rounds that could be impactful, review all the mid-winter free agent signings, the latest coaching news, and then preview the upcoming transfer window to see what final pieces the 28 USFL clubs may be adding as they break camp and prepare for Week 1. It is going to be a jam-packed edition of This Week in the USFL.   Quarterback Prospects Fuel Wild Draft Weekend It was no surprise that there was a lot of activity surrounding the USFL Draft and the prospect of teams chasing after no fewer than 7 potential first-day quality quarterbacks. We started to see the impact of the 2018 QB Class even before the 2017 playoffs concluded, when Chicago made a deal with LA to acquire the opportunity to select USC’s Sam Darnold. Then, just weeks later, a second deal was made, granting the Washington Federals the same opportunity with OU quarterback Baker Mayfield, acquiring the territorial pick held by the Outlaws. We had a feeling the trades would not end there, and they did not. What was a surprise is just who made deals and for which picks.  There were a lot of deals, and even some draft day chutes and ladders as teams moved up and down the draft board, but we will start with the situation surrounding 4 of the remaining quarterbacks in this year’s class.   Lamar Jackson (Louisville) Jackson accepting the 2016 Heisman. The third of the 2018 QB Class to have their draft day future locked in was Louisville QB and 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. His T-Draft rights were held by Philadelphia, which was already sitting pretty at quarterback with Matt Gutierrez having an outstanding 2017 campaign. The Stars were clearly and openly shopping their top 2 T-Draft positions, hoping to garner significant value for the opportunity for teams to select either HB Saquon Barkley (Penn State) or Jackson. But as we got closer and closer to the opening of the Territorial Draft, it was clear that their asking price was too high. Jacksonville, considered a clear favorite to go after Jackson as a QB option, bowed out of the hunt only 3 days before the T-Draft was to begin, specifically citing the high cost asked by Philadelphia. Rumors also had both Tampa Bay and Oakland inquiring about the pick, but choosing not to provide Philadelphia with the high picks or the players they were asking for.   Something clearly changed in those final days before the draft began, because suddenly a new team emerged in the hunt, one we had not anticipated being a QB-hungry team, the St. Louis Skyhawks. Despite having former league MVP Josh Freeman under contract through the 2019 season, and having just re-signed late 2017 addition Kyle Boller to a new deal, the Skyhawks seemed very much interested in Jackson. Philadelphia initially replied to their interest by asking if a swap that would bring the Stars the 1st overall pick in the draft was a possibliity. That was a deal-breaker for the Skyhawks, however, they did offer their 2nd round pick (29th overall) to the Stars, and with a bit of hemming and hawing, the Stars would end up taking that deal. It would be the only deal they would get, with no teams coming forward to make a second swap for exclusive access to Saquon Barkley’s draft rights. That was a bit of a shock to the Stars, and to us as well, and would eventually lead to Barkley being chosen by a team within Philadelphia’s division, something we are sure they would have liked to avoid.   So, the end result was that on the day of the T-Draft, it was St. Louis that had the Stars’ first pick and, as expected, they quickly submitted the name of Lamar Jackson as their choice. Barkley would be picked 5th overall in the Open Draft just 5 days later, by Stars’ rival, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia would use the 1st pick of the Open Draft’s second round to select DT Justin Jones of NC State.   Josh Rosen (UCLA) UCLA's Rosen As with Jackson and the Stars, Josh Rosen’s rights were held by a team that was not considered a QB contender. San Diego has UCLA as one of its protected schools (something that still irks the LA Express, who had the LA-based school as one of their own until the Thunder relocated from Las Vegas). The Thunder seemed somewhat non-commital on what to do with the pick, with some speculating that they would hold onto it, select Rosen and then make a deal with a QB-hungry team for backup Christian Ponder, signed away from the NFL just last year. That did not materialize, but neither did a swap. Rosen, it seemed, was not getting the attention that many expected. When the T-Draft came, San Diego still held all 3 picks, and with them chose three UCLA teammates of Rosen: OT Kolton Miller, C Scott Quessenberry and LB Kenny Young. All three were positions of need for the Thunder, so there was no surprise that they made these picks, but that no last-minute swap was made for Rosen, and that a QB valued as a possible top 10 pick in the Open Draft would not get more interest was certainly surprising. So, Rosen did slip into the Open Draft, which, it seems, most GM’s were not prepared for. His presence, along with the two QBs not at a territorial draft protected school (Allen and Lauletta), meant that teams who had balked on a high-cost trade to acquire T-Draft rights now had 3 options to choose from, two of whom were considered sure-fire first rounders. Jacksonville played a patient game, realizing that with 3 quarterbacks, they could get a quality option with their 11th pick in the draft. Many suspected that pick would be Kyle Lauletta from FCS Richmond, but with Rosen still on the board at 11, the Bulls selected their QB and may have gotten a steal, without having to depart with any trade capital at all.   Josh Allen (Wyoming) Wyoming's Josh Allen The highest rated QB not to be available in the Territorial Draft, due to Wyoming’s status as an unprotected program, Josh Allen was an enticing target for many teams. Yes, there were major questions about his accuracy, about the level of competition in the Mountain West, and about his short tenure at Wyoming (having first played at junior college before receiving a scholarship in Laramie), but there was also a physicality to Allen’s play that intrigued many teams. The expectation was that someone was going to move up in the draft to try to land the Cowboy QB. With St. Louis making a deal to draft Lamar Jackson in the T-Draft, that meant that the 1st overall pick was not going to be Allen. Portland started getting a lot of attention, sitting at pick 2, and having Marcus Mariota almost certainly locked in for a 2nd season as the Stag starter.   While Portland got inquiries from Jacksonville, Oakland, and others, it was an unexpected party that got the deal signed. Denver, who were not at all considered a player in the QB derby, but who had front row access to Allen’s college output, made a proposal to Portland that was more lucrative than anything offered by Jacksonville, and certainly more attractive than offering the pick to a division rival like Oakland. The Gold offered Portland two second rounders, both Open Draft picks, one this year and then next year’s as well. The move would drop Portland out of the first round, which is always risky, but would give the Stags two picks in the 2nd for two years in a row.   The Stags jumped on the deal, and suddenly Denver was sitting pretty with the draft’s 2nd and 18th picks. They would select Josh Allen at 2 and still get a defender later in the round. For Gold fans, there was a mixed reaction. What did this mean for Matt Leinart, who has helmed the Gold offense for the past 13 years? Did Denver’s front office have a plan to transition away from Leinart, or did the QB notify the team that 2018 would be his final season? There were questions about whether or not Allen was the right choice if QB was a priority, and questions about whether a 2-pick trade made sense. But at the end of the day, Allen was going to be in negotiations with the Gold, along with whichever NFL team would draft him 10 days later.   Kyle Lauletta (Richmond) Richmond's Lauletta Before we discuss Kyle Lauletta’s draft journey, a quick word about Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph. As expected, with the Outlaws having traded away the draft rights to Baker Mayfield, they did use a T-Draft pick to select Rudoph, who many consider to be a player poised to learn behind Joe Flacco for the next 2-3 years before possibly getting a shot to take over when Flacco moves on, much as we saw Colt McCoy do with Houston. Rudolph was also selected by the Steelers this week, so there will be some battle there to sign the OSU QB, but it was very much an expected pick by the Outlaws.   As for Lauletta, considered by some to be a low-first round option, and by others to be no better than a 3rd round pick, the pre-draft process was far less complex. At Richmond, he was not protected by any team’s territorial rights. He would be available in the Open Draft, but just where he would go was anyone’s guess. By the first day of the Open Draft Lauletta had been interviewed by more than 10 USFL teams, including some of the teams viewed as being in immediate need at the position (Oakland, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, and Chicago). He could end up as a “double down” pick from a team that already had the rights to a higher-ranked QB, he could be chosen early by a team that saw him as a potential 2019 or even 2018 starter, or he could drop into the mid-rounds as a potential backup.   Lauletta waited anxiously as team after team made their picks on Day One. He was not taken in the first round, which he seemed to expect. But by the end of the 2nd round, his name was still on the board. There had been some hope that Jackonville would use their 2nd pick to lock in a QB option, but that did not materialize. Oakland also passed him up in the round. It was becoming clear that the consensus in the USFL was that Lauletta was a developmental prospect, a possible backup who could grow into a starting job, and not a Year One starter. That meant watching and waiting as teams made picks on Day 2.   Lauletta would clear the 3rd round without being chosen, but then, early in the 4th, his name was finally chosen, and again it was a surprise. The Portland Stags, having used their two 2nd round picks on areas of immediate need (CB and G), chose to sign Lauletta as a backup to Mariota, and a potential replacement should the young Oregon QB continue to struggle as the starter. Lauletta’s style of play was somewhat similar to that of Mariota, with less mobility but good football IQ and pocket presence. The last of the 7 “possible 1st round QBs” had slid into the 4th round, but he now had a team interested and talking with him and his agent. The QB Class of 2018 was done, well, at least the higher profile QBs, several more would be selected in later rounds, but the frenzy was over. In the public’s and very much the media’s discussion of the 2018 USFL and NFL drafts, 2018 was all about the quarterbacks, and yet, for the teams, it was about much more. After all only 7 teams would snag a “high profile” QB, meaning that the other 21 teams had other priorities. As we review the 2018 USFL Drafts (T- and Open) there are a lot of names in this year’s pool who could very well go on to become stars in the spring. Of course, we also know that the NFL will have more than a small say in who plays in the spring league and who stays in the fall. We are going to run through the draft in the order of the Open Draft’s first round, highlighting the first pick of each club, the deals, and the NFL competition, but we will also speak to each club’s T-Draft pick as well as some potential gems found later in the Open Draft. Where teams had two picks in the first round, we will discuss both in the slot reserved for their first pick. For teams who traded out of the round, we will include them at the end of our rundown. So, as with the Draft itself, we kick this off with St. Louis holding the top spot.   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS First Round Pick: LB Roquan Smith (Georgia)—NFL Pick 8: Chicago Bears Having made the deal with Philadelphia to gain the rights to Lamar Jackson in the T-Draft, it was well-known that this pick would be on defense, but would it be NC State DE Bradley Chubb or Georgia LB Roquan Smith? Both had escaped the T-Draft somehow, and both were considered Top 5 talents. The Skyhawks opted for the mobile and hard-hitting linebacker and chose Smith with the first overall pick, a move they likely expect will give them a slight negotiating advantage over the NFL Bears, who chose him with the NFL’s 8th overall pick.   Later Round Gem: Rutgers HB Gus Edwards (3rd Rnd) The Skyhawks love to run inside, and that puts a lot of wear and tear on lead back Eddie Lacy. They needed a big bruising runner to back Lacy up and they think they found one in Edwards.   Territorial Picks: Lamar Jackson is, of course the big name here, available thorugh the deal with Philadelphia. The Skyhawks will need to compete with the NFL Ravens, who made Jackson the final pick in the first round of their draft. The Skyhawks’ picks in their own Territorial pool were Iowa CB Josh Jackson, another Hawkeye in LB Josey Jewell, and Missouri guard Ike Boettger.   Outlook: The Skyhawks have two major fights on their hands, for both Smith and Jackson. In both cases there is a slight advantage based on how and when each player was picked by St. Louis vs. where they went in the NFL’s Open Draft format, but signing both would be a major accomplishment for the Skyhawk GM.   DENVER GOLD (Traded from POR) First Round Pick(s): (2) QB Josh Allen (Wyoming)—NFL Pick 7: Buffalo Bills (18) LB Harold Landry (BC)—NFL Pick 41: Tennessee Copperheads The big move by Denver to get into Portland’s 2nd pick gave them a shot at Wyoming QB Josh Allen. Now they need to convince Allen that staying local is better than shuffling off to Buffalo. With their 2nd pick they went for something of a reach, BC linebacker Harold Landry, but sometimes a reach can benefit a USFL team as the financials for being the 18th player taken in the USFL are going to be more attractive than for being the 41st pick by the NFL Copperheads.   Later Round Gem: Oklahoma OT Orlando Brown Jr. (4th Rnd) A fourth round pick by Denver, Brown could be a nice addition to the Gold line, likely starting off as a swing lineman but hopefully moving into the RT position in a year or so. However, the Gold could be hard pressed to sign him since he was taken in the NFL 3rd round by the Baltimore Ravens.   Territorial Picks: As we have come to expect, Denver used a depth-first approach to the T-Draft, opting to bypass their highest profile option, CB Isaiah Oliver, and instead selecting some mid-round talent, including CSU wideout Michael Gallup, HB Phillip Lindsay from CU, and long snapper Trent Sieg from the CSU Rams.   Outlook: It was a bold move to make the deal with Portland and select Josh Allen, especially for a team that did not have an immediate vacancy at the position, but if Denver can sign Allen, and if Allen can work on some of his fundamentals as he learns from Matt Leinart, he could be ready to step in if Leinart retires in 2019 as many are now speculating.   WASHINGTON FEDERALS First Round Pick: NC State DE Bradley Chubb---NFL Pick 5: Denver Broncos The Gold moving into Portland’s spot was music to the ears of the Feds, who were very much afraid that either the Hawks or Stags would snap up NC State’s dynamic edge rusher before their 3rd pick. They will have to win a tough recruiting battle with the NFL Broncos, but new Feds’ coach Gus Bradley has to be licking his chops at the prospect of bringing in the draft’s most physical edge rusher to his defensive rebuild project.   Later Round Gem: Illinois State CB Davontae Harris (5th Rnd) While not a household name by any stretch, and with competition at Illinois State not being exactly the SEC, Harris tested well, has strong instincts, and his film shows good coverage skills. He may find the USFL game a bit fast at first, but if he signs with the Feds, he could find himself as the nickel in his rookie season.   Territorial Picks: The Federals have a good track record of signing their T-Draft picks, and they are certainly hoping that is the case this year, especially in the case of LB Tremaine Edwards of Va Tech. They also picked another Hokie in DT Tim Settle and, as expected, are taking a flier on Vanderbilt CB Tre Herndon as well.   Outlook: We love Chubb to the Feds, in part because he would play the role in Gus Bradley’s defense that Anthony Hargrove has had in Philly, but Chubb is a quicker, more explosive rusher than Hargrove, which could prove very effective. If they can also sign Edmunds, they could have two very solid rookie starters on their defense this year.   TAMPA BAY BANDITS First Round Pick: Arkansas center Frank Ragnow—NFL Pick 20: Detroit Lions A clear need pick for the Bandits, who seem to have abandoned any thoughts on landing a QB and will likely go into the year with Dak Prescott back under center. Ragnow is a potential Week 1 starter at center, and should help Tampa Bay’s run game in particular. Good news for 2nd year back Dalvin Cook.   Later Round Gem: Mississippi State FS J. T. Gray (7th Rnd) It is not often you find a potential need position in the final round of the draft, but Tampa Bay believes that Gray could be a strong candidate to back up Xavier Woods at free safety. He has played against top competition in the SEC, and while he needs to improve on some fundamentals, he has the physicality that the Bandits like in their safeties.   Territorial Picks: The safety position was a focus for the Bandits well before the 7th round. They went after one of the best in the draft with their first T-Draft pick, selecting FSU safety Derwin James, a hard hitting, ball-tracking safety who would likely be a Week 1 starter in Tampa Bay, if, that is, they can keep him from going to the NFL Chargers. Their other picks were FSU tight end Ryan Izzo and HB Ito Smith from Southern Miss. Outlook: Between the T-Draft and Open Draft, the Bandits have two early first round NFL picks to try to sign. Ragnow and James are both in “lower profile” positions, so that may help, but the Bandits will likely have to overpay a bit if they want to land both. That is the one advantage the USFL has over the NFL, no locked-in rookie contract caps.   PITTSBURGH MAULERS First Round Pick: Penn State HB Saquon Barkley—NFL Pick 2—New York Giants As happy as the Maulers were to see Barkley slip out of the T-Draft and down to them at pick 5 in the Open Draft, they had to be devastated when Barkley went 2nd overall to the NY Giants. Now they are up against both the relative draft position of the two picks, but the glitz of playing in NY vs the lunchpail culture of Pittsburgh. The Maulers are hoping that staying in Pennsylvania has appeal for Barkley, because NYC certainly offers more options for marketing deals and celebrity endorsement contracts.   Later Round Gem: Georgia HB Sony Michel (2nd Rnd) The Maulers, perhaps knowing that the competition for Barkley would be tough, doubled down, going with another solid HB option in round 2. Michel does not have the explosiveness of Barkley, but we could see him getting plenty of carries in Pittsburgh. Now the question is if they will delay negotiations with Michel until they have a good sense of Barkley’s position. A delay could cost them both backs.   Territorial Picks: Getting Northwestern as a 4th school (due to low output from their 3 assigned schools) gave Pittsburgh the option to select OT Brian O’Neill from the Wildcats. They did just that, adding him to Pitt Panther safety Jordan Whitehead and a bit of a wild card, Iowa State WR Allen Lazard, who was not even named in the NFL Draft.   Outlook: It is such a weird feeling to see your team pick the same position back-to-back, but with the dynamics between the USFL and NFL, it is a proven strategy that can help avoid a total draft disaster. Now Pittsburgh is in the weird position of having to woo two players in the same position without either feeling like they are second best. Easier to make that case to Barkley than Michel, but the Maulers cannot afford to go 0-for-2 on signing.   OAKLAND INVADERS First Round Pick: Notre Dame OG Quenton Nelson—NFL Pick 6: Indianapolis Colts When Chicago let Nelson go unclaimed in the T-Draft it rearranged Oakland’s entire draft board. Yes, they need a QB, but without trading up it was going to be a question of priorities, and they opted to go with a clear need and a pro-ready prospect in Nelson. They may regret that later, as they never did find a QB in the draft, but perhaps that was their plan all along. In the meantime, they have a pretty even battle with Indy, since both clubs chose Nelson 6th overall. That said, if I were choosing to play in either Indianapolis or the Bay Area, I think I would be wearing sky blue and athletic gold by March.   Later Round Gem: UCLA DT Jacob Tuioti-Mariner (5th Rnd) While we all expected Josh Rosen to perhaps be the San Diego protectable player that Oakland went for, they bypassed Rosen, but late in the draft returned to UCLA to select Tuioti-Mariner. He will almost certainly make the roster in a depth position as part of Oakland’s rotation, having already signed after turning down an offer from the Atlanta Falcons.   Territorial Picks: The Invaders went for need, picking players in positions that needed added depth. They went with Stanford safety Justin Reid, another Cardinal player in TE Dalton Schultz, and then finished up with LB DeVante Downs of Cal.   Outlook: With no QB taken in the draft and no clear options in the USFL free agent pool, everyone is expecting Oakland to try to land either a trade (Freeman? Fitzpatrick?) or an NFL free agent (there are a few who could be good fits), but landing Nelson away from the NFL Colts has to be job one right now. The Invaders have plenty of needs, but better protection for whoever their QB ends up being is one of the most pressing.   LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (Traded from CHI) First Round Pick: Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey—NFL Pick 9: San Francisco 49ers Looks like it will be a mini-version of a California Derby as the Express battle with the NFL 49ers to try to land the Notre Dame tackle. McGlinchey would help shore up the Express front five, which would make both Sam Bradford and Reggie Bush happy. It is a need pick, to be sure, but it will be a tough battle with the Niners to land the big man.   Later Round Gem: USF WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (3rd Rnd) Fans want to see more deep balls in the LA arsenal, and this pick can certainly help that happen. MVS is a speedster with enough height to go up for those 50/50 balls and by all accounts, he is leaning towards SoCal over chilly Green Bay as a destination.   Territorial Picks: We are always shocked when the 3 LA picks are not all USC Trojans, but this year they did take a flyer thanks to a 4th team being added to their pool. Toledo QB Logan Woodside was an interesting pick with their final T-Draft selection. Earlier they had taken their usual Trojan contingent with DE Rasheem Green and LB Uchenne Nwosu, two pieces that could find plenty of snaps in LA’s highly-rotational defensive scheme.   Outlook: The Express had a solid draft up and down the week, going with need repeatedly. Whether 1st rounder McGlinchey or 2nd rounder Ole Miss DE Breeland Speaks are going to excite the somewhat cynical LA fanbase is yet to be seen, but from a football perspective, these picks made a lot of sense.   MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS First Round Pick: UTEP guard Will Hernandez—NFL Pick 34: New York Giants Hernandez is considered something of a stretch, going in the Top 10 in the USFL draft but only early 2nd round in the NFL. That said, with Nelson off the board, and a clear need at the guard position, this pick makes a lot of sense for Memphis. What is more, by going with a bit of a stretch this early, the odds are in Memphis’s favor that Hernandez will take their first round money over New York’s 2nd round cash.   Later Round Gem: South Dakota State TE Dallas Goedert (2nd Rnd) While we have questions about their first round pick, we are all in on Goedert being a Showboat. He would be an ideal safety valve for Paxton Lynch, who needed more help than he got from the position last year. He was also a 2nd round pick of the NFL Eagles, but we think Memphis is a better fit for him, with more potential to earn a starting gig early on.   Territorial Picks: We are still scratching our head over why Memphis did not protect Arkansas center Frank Ragnow, who could also play guard or tackle in a pinch. But, they opted instead to use their first pick on Tennessee CB Rashaan Gaulden and then follow that up with HB John Kelly (also Tennessee) and double down with HB David Williams of Arkansas as well.   Outlook: When you combine both the T-Draft and Open Draft, Memphis has a lot of picks we like, from Hernandez and Goedert to later selections like Syracuse LB Zaire Franklin and K-State CB D. J. Reed. Now, can they sign most of them? That is always the challenge.   ORLANDO RENEGADES First Round Pick: Georgia OT Isaiah Wynn—NFL Pick 23: New England Patriots With Josh Rosen still on the board, Orlando apparently fielded plenty of calls about the pick but they stood fast and took the player they wanted, a potential blindside protector for their own QB, Russell Wilson. They may well have lucked out as a trade in the NFL ended up with New England, one of the league’s worst managed teams, dropping from 5 to 23 and picking Wynn. Again, better position in the draft order, a better situation for a rookie lineman, and certainly better weather will all play in Orlando’s favor.   Later Round Gem: Florida safety Marcell Harris (3rd Rnd) The Renegades stayed in the state with this pick and filled a definite need. Harris could play either position but likely slots in as a possible candidate for the starting CB position, if not this year (Orlando signed Corey White to a 1-year deal) then perhaps in 2019.   Territorial Picks: While it wasn’t the usual treasure chest of Miami prospects this year, Orlando still found some doubloons from their 3 protected schools, selecting OT Martinas Rankin from Mississippi State, along with two Hurricanes, HB Mark Walton and TE Chris Herndon.   Outlook: A very utilitarian draft from the Renegades. No real splashy selections, light on “skills” positions, and heavy on need. It is not the kind of draft that will build a lot of excitement, but it could help build a roster that can return to competing for a division title.   DALLAS ROUGHNECKS First Round Pick: Ohio State CB Denzel Ward—NFL Pick 4: Cleveland Browns While there was some speculation among the ESPN Football Network analyst table that Dallas could be worried about Johnny Manziel, and that they might take UCLA QB Josh Rosen at 10, they opted instead to go for the best cover corner in the draft pool. But now they face a problem. Denzel Ward was also chosen by the in-state Cleveland Browns, giving him a very nice Columbus to Cleveland transition as an option. The Roughnecks could not have known this at the time they picked Ward, but now it is looking more and more like a lost pick.   Later Round Gem: Stanford DT Harrison Phillips (3rd Rnd) A big but agile interior presence, Phillips could be a nice addition to the Roughneck roster. He is at his best when he is shedding blockers and penetrating into the backfield, but he can also hold up against run blocking. He comes out of a 4-3 system at Stanford, which aligns well with his role in Dallas’s similar system, likely rotating with Star Lotuleilei and Domato Peko to form a very nice trio of big men. All this assumes, of course, that the Buffalo Bills don’t provide a better offer.   Territorial Picks: Dallas must love that the Outlaws moved to Oklahoma and gave up UT as one of their schools. The Longhorns often provide a nice T-Draft pool, and this year Dallas snapped up a very solid player from Austin, OG Connor Williams. They also protected TCU center Austin Schlotmann and SMU wideout Courtland Sutton. Of the three, Sutton should be the priority. Dallas’s WR group is a bit thin and a bit slow, and Sutton would be an immediate impact player.   Outlook: While prospects to land their 1st pick, Ward, don’t look great, this was a pretty deep draft for the Roughnecks. We think Courtland Sutton, Connor Williams, and Harrison Phillips would be a very good haul, and they have already landed one player, with 4th round pick, SJSU corner Jermaine Kelly already inking a 3-year deal.   JACKSONVILLE BULLS First Round Pick: UCLA QB Josh Rosen—NFL Pick 10: Arizona Cardinals Jacksonville’s patient, wait-and-see approach to the QB derby results in them getting the chance to select Josh Rosen from UCLA, with Kyle Lauletta also available at this time. What will be interesting to see is if that same patient approach in any way impacts Rosen’s interest in the Bulls. Will it be seen as a lack of commitment or interest, which could send him to Arizona in the NFL instead. Of course all parties will be saying the right things until a deal is agreed upon, but we wonder if Jacksonville could have done more to show that Rosen was their man.   Later Round Gem: Wake Forest DE Duke Ejiofor (3rd Rnd) After selecting Notre Dame wideout Equanimeous St. Brown, the Bulls doubled down on winning the “best names in the draft” competition by using their pick from Arizona later in the same round to select Ejofor. Ejiofor’s performances at Wake Forest were up and down, but when he was on, which often was against the ACC’s best teams, he was dynamic. He could be a steal for the Bulls, assuming he does not take the deal from the NFL Oilers instead.   Territorial Picks: The Bulls split their 3 picks between the two strongest programs in their pool, taking Clemson LB Dorian O’Daniel, along with UF DT Taven Bryan and CB Duke Dawson. All three were defenders, but when you add in the Open Draft picks, Jacksonville went 6-6, balanced between offense and defense (and with 2 extra picks this year.)   Outlook: The Bulls have quantity, hoping to sign as many of their 12 picks as possible, but also quality. In addition to the players already mentioned, Jacksonville also chose Louisiana-Lafayette safety Tracy Walker, Nebraska CB Chris Payton-Jones, and Richmond LT Alex Light, all of whom would add nice depth at key positions.   ATLANTA FIRE First Round Pick: Washington DT Vita Vea—NFL Pick 12: Tampa Bay Buccaneers A true space-eater who can play the 3-4 as well as the 4-3, Vea would likely rotate with Nick Fairley at the nose, or allow Fairley to go outside as a pseudo DE, especially on early downs. He was the 12th pick in the NFL draft and the 12th in the USFL open draft, so there is no financial advantage in Atlanta’s favor. The key for Atlanta may be Bruce Arians’s ability to convince Vea of his role in the defense. The Buccaneers have a clear need, so that could be a hard pitch to make if he will share time with Nick Fairley on the Fire line.   Later Round Gem: Louisiana Tech HB Boston Scott (6th Rnd) The Fire need some pop in their run game. Neither Chris Ivory or Kenyan Drake has proven to be able to provide big plays in the run game very consistently. Scott is a classic double-down pick, with Atlanta having selected Georgia back Nick Chubb in the first round. We like that option, and if by some chance the Fire are able to sign both, the two can both be part of a 3- or even 4-back rotation until someone proves they are a step ahead of the rest.   Territorial Picks: In addition to Nick Chubb, the big inside rusher for the Bulldogs, Atlanta also chose DT John Atkins and LB Lorenzo Carter, a UGA trifecta. Sorry Georgia Tech & State. Of the three, we think Chubb is the player they truly need to focus attention on, though, signing Atkins would be a nice security blanket if Vita Vea heads to the NFL.   Outlook: Atlanta’s draft was very strategic, using the double-down on key positions (DT and HB) while also going for value, often choosing the Best Player Available, especially in the mid and late rounds. One last name to keep in mind is Ohio State DE Tyquan Lewis, Atlanta’s 2nd rounder and a player who could easily see plenty of snaps with the Fire if he signs on.   OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS First Round Pick: Nevada OT Austin Corbett—NFL Pick 33: Cleveland Browns No surprise that the person most happy with this pick is Outlaw QB Joe Flacco. The most sacked QB in the game over the past 3 seasons (partially due to his tendency to hold the ball a long time), Flacco needs as many bodyguards as he can get and the former Wolfpack LT could be an immediate upgrade on the right side, with Rodger Saffold at LT, or the two could even swap positions. If he signs, he could quickly become Flacco’s best friend.   Later Round Gem: Florida kicker Eddie Piñeiro—(7th Rnd) Oklahoma’s last pick in the draft is the one player likely guaranteed a starting gig. Piñeiro may have to adapt to the swirling winds of the prairie, but he was about as good a kicker in college as we have seen in recent years. He is almost certain to replace Kai Forbath, who got the yips last year and who has struggled on kicks inside of 40 yards.   Territorial Picks: After trading their first Territorial pick to Washington, so the Feds could pick Baker Mayfield, the Outlaws used their two remaining picks to select QB Mason Rudolph from OSU and TE Mark Andrews from OU. We love both picks. Andrews will be a great drop down or safety valve target for Flacco and Rudolph can step in as protégé under the former MVP starter. Give Rudolph a year or two to learn under Flacco and he could be a 10-year starter for the Outlaws, at 1/5th the price that Mayfield would have garnered.   Outlook: “Shrewd”, that is the word we would use for Oklahoma’s strategy. They got a potential QB of the Future, added weapons and protection for Joe Flacco, and reinvented their kicking game by drafting a kicker and a punter in late rounds. They even doubled down at QB by drafting Houston Cougar QB Kyle Allen with the hopes of having him on the practice squad this year.   CHICAGO MACHINE (Traded from LA) First Round Pick: So. Carolina State LB Shaquille Leonard—NFL Draft Pick 36: Indianapolis Colts The Machine moved from the 7 pick to the 14 thanks to the trade that allowed them to choose Sam Darnold in LA’s Territorial Draft. So, moving down 7 spots took them out of the running for several top defenders, but landing Leonard was still a pretty solid pick. Yes, he played at an HBCU and that means he has not faced consistently strong opposition, but the natural skills are there and his 1st round status in the USFL gives Chicago an advantage over the NFL Colts, who picked Leonard early in the 2nd round.   Later Round Gem: Alabama C Bradley Bozeman (5th Rnd) As tempting as it would be to highlight another kicker (Auburn’s Daniel Carlson, also picked by Chicago), choosing Bozeman in the 5th was the better pick. He is going to need a bit of time to work on his footwork, but the Bama pivot is used to high pressure, big stakes, and very good DTs lined up across from him. He could see some snaps this year in Chicago.   Territorial Picks: Trading for Sam Darnold’s rights was the highlight of the draft for Chicago, a clear swing for the fences moment. They will be competing with the New York Jets to see if they can land the USC product, which means it is Chicago v. New York, just like a pizza war. With their own picks the Machine passed on guard Quenton Nelson and OT Mike McGlinchey, the two sure-fire first round talents out of Notre Dame, instead landing on TE Durham Smythe, HB Josh Adams, and then picking Northern Illinois WR Chad Beebe, only to send his rights to New Jersey as part of a late round swap in the Open Draft. An odd strategy all around, but with limited cap space, maybe Chicago was simply not wanting to lock up too much money before Darnold signed, if he signs.   Outlook: This is one of those drafts where if the Machine lose out on one player, Darnold, it won’t matter how good the rest of the draft is. That worries us, as USFL fans first and foremost, because losing out to a pretty dysfunctional Jets franchise is a black eye in such a high profile battle of the two leagues. What is funny, of course, is that both the Machine and the Jets have reputations as places talented college QBs go to become bad pro quarterbacks. With both Trevor Siemian and Ryan Fitzpatrick still under contract, Chicago won’t impode without Darnold, but missing out on this pick could certainly put a sour taste in the mouths of many Windy City fans.   OHIO GLORY First Round Pick: UTSA DE Marcus Davenport—NFL Pick 14: New Orleans Saints This was honestly a bit of a surprise pick. Not that Ohio does not need help on the edge, or that Davenport is not a solid pick, but all the talk around the league was that the Glory were going for a wideout, possibly D. J. Moore, but they zigged when we thought they would zag. This is likely the influence of Coach Tom Coughlin, who would rather win games 13-10 than 35-33.   Later Round Gem: Western Kentucky LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe (2nd Rnd) Ohio went for quite a few “small school” players, including Iyiegbuniwe, Prairie View WR KhaDarel Hodge, and Southern Illinois safety Ryan Neal. We are not sure all of these were good value where they were picked, but Iyiegbuniwe certainly seems like he has the stuff to be a solid 2nd rounder. Impossible to say his name 3 times fast, but a solid ballplayer.   Territorial Picks: The parade of Buckeyes continued with the Glory’s selection of center Billy Price and DE Jalyn Holmes. Shockingly, they did not go after the top Buckeye in the draft, DE Tyquan Lewis, instead selecting Cincinnati FB Mike Boone with their final pick. We know they met with Lewis, maybe there was something said to them that sent them looking for another option. Hard to say.   Outlook: The Glory were thought of as a team that wanted to upgrade their skill positions, adding weapons for QB Christian Hackenberg, but between both drafts they added only 1 wideout (Hodge) and a fullback (Boone). Every other pick was either defense or O-line. That strikes us as a bit counter-productive, though, the Glory did add WR Eric Weems and TE Jared Cooki in free agency.   BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS First Round Pick: Maryland WR D. J. Moore—NFL Pick 24: Carolina Panthers When Ohio passed on D. J. Moore, Birmingham quickly ran their card up to the podium to nab Moore, a shifty receiver with good break-away speed. He could work on his route efficiency a bit, but that is something that can be coached. Birmingham would love to pair Moore with Amari Cooper and really let Cam Newton go wild in the vertical game. They will need to outbid the Carolina Panthers to make that happen.   Later Round Gem: Alabama HB Bo Scarbrough (7th Rnd) It was a bit of an odd double-down, but the Stallions added two more in-state halfbacks between the two drafts, selecting Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson in the T-Draft and then adding Alabama’s Bo Scarbrough in the final round of the Open Draft. We see Scarbrough carving out a niche in special teams and maybe even as a short-yardage back, certainly more fitting for him than for either T. J. Yeldon or for Johnson.   Territorial Picks: In addition to Kerryon Johnson, the Auburn back, Birmingham also added WR Robert Foster and LB Rashaan Evans, both from Alabama. These were good picks, but still a bit surprising in that the obvious number one talent coming out of the state’s two big schools this year was Bama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. But with Will Allen (brought in trade from Tampa Bay) and Baccari Rambo already forming a solid 1-2 safety punch, we think we understand why they let Fitzpatrick slip into the Open Draft.   Outlook: We like Moore as an option for Birmingham’s offense. We are less sold that the backs they drafted are going to truly challenge T. J. Yeldon. And, if Fitzpatrick turns out to be the pro many think he can be, Birmingham’s decision to pass on the Alabama safety could look like a foolish one in a few years.   BALTIMORE BLITZ First Round Pick: Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick—NFL Pick 11: Miami Dolphins We keep doing this, talking about a player with the team that did not pick him, only to have the next team be the one to pick him. Fitzpatrick falls to the Blitz in what could be considered an odd, unplanned swap. Moore was Birmingham’s pick because Baltimore passed on the Maryland receiver in the T-Draft, and Fitzpatrick becomes Baltimore’s pick because Birmingham passed on him in the same way.   Later Round Gem: Clemson WR/KR Ray-Ray McCloud (6th Round) Not that Baltimore needs any more speedy receivers, but the addition of McCloud could be an immediate upgrade to the return game. He is an explosive return man and that should land him a spot on the Blitz’s active roster, unless Buffalo can offer him more of a role as a receiver in addition to a returner, something McCloud seems to value.   Territorial Picks: The Blitz passed on D. J. Moore, as we stated earlier, and instead opted to go for defense with all three selections: Maryland LBs Jermaine Carter and Josh Woods, followed by safety Raven Greene from James Madison, the 4th team added to their pool due to the limited players available from the Terrapins, Blue Devils, and ECU Pirates.   Outlook: Fitzpatrick is the key to this draft. We are honestly not all that inspired by any other pick this year. If the hard-hitting safety goes to Miami over Baltimore, which feels very possible, this could be a lost draft for the Blitz, which is tough to take when you are in such a competitive division.   DENVER GOLD 2ND PICK (See above)   CHARLOTTE MONARCHS First Round Pick: Alabama LB Daron Payne—NFL Pick 13: Washington Redskins We have our first “lost pick” of the draft, at least officially. Charlotte picked Payne, hoping to see him on the Strong Side, next to Rolando McClain in their 4-3 alignment, but when the NFL Redskins picked him 6 picks higher in the NFL Draft, it immediately meant that Washington could potentially outbid the Monarchs, and that is what they did. Payne signed with Washington only 3 days after their draft, scuttling the hopes Charlotte fans had of Payne joining their club.   Later Round Gem: Army OG Brett Toth (6th Rnd) We love when teams don’t shy away from taking players from the service academies. Yes, it can be tricky to work out a deal where their required military service does not impact their ability to play pro ball, but more and more it is possible for these players and servicemen to do both. Toth is unlikely to start for the Monarchs, but adding a bit of discipline and commitment to the O-line could be a benefit to the team even if Toth’s on-field time is limited.   Territorial Picks: The Monarchs telegraphed that they were not going to invest big time money in trying to draft NC State DE Bradley Chubb in the T-Draft. Instead, they let Chubb go to the Open Draft and focused on signability with their T-Draft picks: DT B. J. Hill, HB Nyheim Hines, and WR Austin Proehl, all players who could make the 53 and all players that combined will ask less than Chubb’s sticker price.   Outlook: Our bullpen was split on the Monarch draft. Some were still shocked they did not take a stab at the Wolfpack DE Chubb, Others felt they found good value in picks like Hines, Proehl, and TE Tyler Conklin out of Central Michigan. But, once Payne signed on with the Redskins, it certainly dampened any enthusiasm that Charlotte could muster with the rest of their picks.   SAN DIEGO THUNDER First Round Pick: Penn State TE Mike Gesicki—NFL Draft Pick 42: Miami Dolphins This one was the first true and absolute head scratcher. Not only was South Carolina’s Hayden Hurst a higher rated prospect at the same position, but tight end was on no one’s need board for the Thunder, since they already have very good 1-2 depth with Owen Daniels and Luke Wilson on the squad. With other more obvious roster needs, someone must have seen something in Gesicki that they think is special. It is the only way this pick makes sense.   Later Round Gem: Florida State DE Josh Sweat (5th Rnd) We may have big questions about San Diego’s first round pick, but we think they got an absolute steal by choosing Josh Sweat in the 5th round. Projected as a 3rd round pick, somehow Sweat fell all the way to the later 5th round before San Diego reminded us he was here. Now, the big question is can they land him when he was also taken in the 4th round by the NFL Eagles?   Territorial Picks: The Thunder made some odd choices all across the draft, one of which was not taking the late bids for their first T-Draft pick so another team could nab Josh Rosen. They held onto all three picks, perhaps because they saw three other prospects they truly wanted exclusive rights to select. Those three were all UCLA Bruins, linemen Kolton Miller and Scott Quesenberry, and LB Kenny Young. Passing up on even Aztec HB Rashaad Penny to try to land the three Bruin targets.   Outlook: While San Diego’s overall draft was solid, that first rounder, paired with their odd hesitancy to trade away Territorial picks, means they have a small margin for error. They need to sign as many of their 9 picks as possible, and hope that some work out as true contributors, especially Gesecki.   SEATTLE DRAGONS First Round Pick: Virginia Tech safety Terrell Edmunds—NFL Pick 28: Pittsburgh Steelers We are honestly a bit surprised that Edmunds fell this low (21st) in the USFL Draft, and even more shocked that he was available to the Steelers at the 28 pick in the NFL Draft. Whichever team signs the Va Tech safety is likely to be very happy with their newest defender. Edmunds is not afraid to play the run, is fast enough to stay with most receivers, and will absolutely be a player worth watching the next few years.   Later Round Gem: Kansas State CB D. J. Reed (5th Round) A bit of a raw talent, but we think Reed can develop with the right coaching and could be a real steal in this draft. Add to that the fact that if he comes to Seattle instead of the 49ers (who drafted him in the NFL’s 5th round) he will be mentored by two of the game’s best corners right now, Seattle’s Richard Sherman and Xavien Howard.   Territorial Picks: Like so many teams in the T-Draft, Seattle avoided the one player who was the clear Top 10 draft pick, DT Vita Vea. It is a strategy teams have adopted over the years as a way to avoid the huge pricetag of those picks, since they almost always end up in tough negotiations with the NFL club raising the pricetag. Instead, Seattle went with some pretty solid talent in positions of need, including UW wideout Dante Pettis, fellow Husky receiver, TE Will Disley, and finally added possible depth in the QB room with Washington State’s Luke Falk.   Outlook: A pretty solid draft from the Dragons, especially if Dissly and Pettis work out as Seattle hopes they can. If they can land Edmunds, they could have the best young defensive backfield in the league. That could prove to be a very good adjustment in a league that throws the ball the way we see it in the USFL.   NEW JERSEY GENERALS First Round Pick: South Carolina TE Hayden Hurst—NFL Pick 25: Baltimore Ravens John Carlson is not getting any younger, and Matt Spaeth is a fine blocker but not the kind of receiver the Generals need. Hurst would provide a great option for Nick Foles as he takes on the full time position as the starter in East Rutherford. Hurst could be a solid blocker if he gets a bit more help with his hand positioning, but as a receiver he is already pro ready.   Later Round Gem: USF DT Deadrin Senat (2nd Rnd) We honestly struggled to find a player lower than Round 2 to pick, as we are not seeing much value in the Generals’ later rounds. So, despite being only a few picks out of the first round, we are going to have to pick Senat as their best non-1st round pick. He is a solid space-eater, and can get penetration, especially if lined up over the center instead of the guard.   Territorial Picks: With three Northeastern schools in their pool (Rutgers, Syracuse, BC) it is rare that New Jersey has more than 3 solid picks to make. That was the situation this year, where there was again not a single anticipated 1st rounder to choose. The Generals ended up opting for two CBs from BC (that was fund to say), choosing both Isaac Yiadom and Kamrin Moore. They added Rutgers DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, but in the future they may want to petition for a 4th school, as they certainly miss the days when they had either Oklahoma or Wisconsin protected. Outlook: In a word, “meh”. No clear groaners among the picks, but nothing that will sell tickets or put fans in the seats. That may be OK if the Generals can continue to play good complementary football, but there is some value to adding a bit of sizzle to your roster each draft day.   PHILADELPHIA STARS First Round Pick: Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch—NFL Pick 19: Dallas Cowboys Thanks to a pair of trades made in the days before the draft, Philadelphia ended up with both the 23rd and 26th picks in the first round. They used their fist on Vander Esch and then came back just a few minutes later to pick Iowa center James Daniels. Both are quality value picks this late in the first round, and both could be good additions to a pretty solid Stars roster.   Later Round Gem: Miami WR Braxton Berrios (4th Rnd) In a very meat & potatoes draft by the Stars, Berrios is a splash of Tabasco. We don’t see him busting in to the starting lineup, at least not this year, but don’t be surprised if the Stars don’t create some packages where Berrios’s quick cut ability and good hands come into play. Could be some bubble screens, quick slants, or reverses. Add to that the return options in the punt and kickoff games and we are loving this fit for the Stars.   Territorial Picks: Philadelphia was open to trading away both of their top 2 territorial picks. They ended up sending their first pick to St. Louis (Lamar Jackson) but could not get a buyer (at a price they liked) for the 2nd pick targeting HB Saquon Barkley. So, Barkley went into the Open Draft and Philadelphia ended up with 2 T-Draft picks. With those picks they chose another high-value Louisville product, cornerback Jaire Alexander, who could see a lot of snaps for Jim Harbaugh’s defense, and another wideout, Penn State’s DeeSean Hamilton.   Outlook: Alexander could be a huge addition to the Stars’ secondary if they can keep him from going to Green Bay, while both Berrios and Hamilton add nice skill sets to the receiving corps. The Stars would have liked to get something in trade for the rights to Saquon Barkley, but they have to be happy with this draft, and what may really be 3 first round talents with Alexander, Vander Esch and Daniels.   ARIZONA WRANGLERS First Round Pick: UCF cornerback Mike Hughes---NFL Pick 30: Minnesota Vikings Hughes is a strong zone coverage guy who needs to work a bit on his bump & run skills and deep ball coverage, but when you pick 24th in the draft, you expect the players selected to need a bit of coaching to get pro ready. Arizona had so many defensive needs that we expected more moving and swapping picks to try to add more selections, but the Wranglers largely stood pat and made the picks that came to them.   Later Round Gem: Washington center Coleman Shelton (6th Rnd) Shelton is definitely a project, even after playing 2 seasons of Pac 12 ball, but he is a project with a lot of upside. If he can get his footwork right, and add just a bit more bulk, he could be a very good find in the 6th round.   Territorial Picks: With no early round talent coming out of ASU, Arizona, or New Mexico this year, but enough talent that the Wranglers did not qualify for a 4th school as some others did, the Wranglers had to resign themselves to using the T-Draft to build depth. They did that with their 3 picks, selecting Wildcat corner Dane Cruikshank with their first pick, then following up with Sun Devil HB Kalen Ballange and, filling a need for sure, New Mexico punter Corey Bojorquez.   Outlook: The Wranglers stayed focused on the defense for the most part, selecting Hughes in the first round, then following that up with Texas LB Malik Jefferson and Alabama DE Da’Shawn Hand in the third. If they can sign all three, they will at least have some warm bodies in camp, and bodies that could turn out to be good contributors for what is going to look like a very new defense in Glendale.   LAS VEGAS VIPERS First Round Pick: San Diego State HB Rashaad Penny—NFL Pick 27: Seattle Seahawks Penny is an interesting choice. We thought he might go higher, but based on the NFL selection at 27, Vegas’ pick at 25 seems about right. Penny is not going to be a bruising inside presence, but could be a solid inside-outside back with some potential in the passing game as well. Paired with Montario Hardesty, Las Vegas has two very similar backs, so they can swap them without major limitations to the offense. The Vipers just need to convince Penny to skip the damp, cold falls of Seattle for the dry and very hot deserts of Nevada in the summer.   Later Round Gem: Ohio State tackle Jamarco Jones (3rd Rnd) A human bulldozer, Jones is very effective in the run game, something he excelled at while in Columbus, and something the Vipers could definitely exploit. He needs to work on his balance and footwork as a pass blocker, so he is likely not going to start consistently in his first year, but few 3rd rounders do.   Territorial Picks: Vegas gets uneven production from their 3 standard schools, BYU, UTAH, and UNLV, but every once in a while, they get some real talent there. This year, the clear 1st choice was BYU linebacker Fred Warner. Las Vegas could certainly use the sure-tackling Warner as part of their LB rotation. They used the 4th school added to their pool due to low numbers to select Western Kentucky, apparently to draft QB Mike White, which is just what they did. Their third and final pick was a Utah talent, DE Kylie Fitts, who could play a role in special teams until he is ready to rotate into the D-line.   Outlook: Penny is an intriguing prospect, as is Fred Warner. Beyond that we are not seeing a lot of immediate impact in this draft by Las Vegas. They may find that they need to look at the free agent list and the NFL pool before settling on their 53-man roster for 2018.   PHILADELPHIA STARS 2ND Pick (Traded from NOR, see above)   HOUSTON GAMBLERS First Round Pick: Auburn guard Braden Smith—NFL Pick 37: Indianapolis Colts Smith is a solid guard, better in pass protection than run game motion, but he has some nice physical traits. Houston is still a pass-first club, so it makes sense that they would gravitate to an interior lineman who has shown he can hold up against SEC pass rushers.   Later Round Gem: Wake Forest safety Jessie Bates (2nd Rnd) We had Houston going for a skill player here, but the choice of Bates is a clear BPA selection. Not a vital need for a team that has both Budda Baker and Kenny Vaccaro ensconced into the starting positions, but a good addition nonetheless. Bates could swing between Free and Strong safety, though the former is his best true fit.   Territorial Picks: Another team gifted a 4th school, Houston made a unique choice, selecting Jacksonville State over another Texas school. That choice seems to have been made so that they could draft CB Siran Neal, and that may have been their best move of the week. Their other two picks were a bit more traditional, grabbing another safety in A&M’s Armani Watts, but also going for a possible return man and slot receiver in Texas Tech’s Keke Coutee.   Outlook: As you would expect of the Eastern Conference Champion, Houston did not have a lot of pressing needs. This draft was largely about adding some depth, especially in the secondary, and trying to find some diamonds in the rough.   MICHIGAN PANTHERS First Round Pick: Alabama WR Calvin Ridley—NFL Pick 26: Atlanta Falcons This is going to be a tough choice for Ridley. Both Michigan and Atlanta have strong QB play (Cousins in Detroit and “Matty Ice” in Atlanta) and pretty decent run games (Bell is better than pretty decent, but Atlanta’s Tevin Coleman is solid too.) The difference between NFL pick 26 and USFL pick 28 is not enough to make this likely a financial decision, so for Ridley it may come down to how Sean McDermott and Atlanta’s Dan Quinn showcase the receivers potential role. Could be a down-to-the-wire decision, honestly.   Later Round Gem: Southern Miss safety Tarvarius Moore (2nd Rnd) This one was tough, because Michigan pulled a classic double dip, following the pick of Moore with West Virginia safety Kyzir White in the 3rd round. Honestly, we think the two both have potential to get a lot of snaps and see a lot of action, but the odds that Michigan can sign both are not great. They would love to, since they have needs at both safety positions, but the sheer mathematics of NFL-USFL drafts shows that a 50% signing rate is about the best you can hope for.   Territorial Picks: Not the strongest pool ever out of the Wolverine State, with neither Big Blue or Big Green producing any 1st round talents this year. Michigan quickly picked (and subsequently signed) their first pick, not from either flagship school, but Western’s Chukwuma Okorafor, a swing tackle who could see action on either side of the line. They then went for more line help, picking MSU center Brian Allen as well as Wolverine DT Maurice Hurst.   Outlook: When you draft 28th in a 28-team league, you are not going to get players that excite the fans, but you can get players who fill gaps left by offseason departures or who offer depth in key positions. Michigan’s draft is not high energy, but it is the kind of backfilling that a league champion needs to avoid a drop off.   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (1st pick in 2nd round in trade from STL via PHI) First Round Pick: None—Ohio State LB Jerome Baker (Pick 1 of Rnd 2)—NFL Pick 73: Miami Dolphins The Breakers traded out of the first round, giving Philadelphia a 2nd pick in the round. Doing so gave them 2 picks in each of the next 2 rounds, but with their first pick in the 2nd round they went for a player many had projected as a 3rd rounder, someone they likely could have gotten at the end of the round. So, we are not sure what the mindset in N’awlins was here.   Later Round Gem: LSU CB Donte Jackson (3rd Rnd) The Breakers’ final pick of their 4 picks in rounds 2-3 may have been their best. Yes, they could have drafted Jackson in the T-Draft, but chose to fill other needs. When they saw he was still there at pick 82, they rectified that situation and added Jackson as an Open Draft pick.   Territorial Picks: So who did New Orleans take ahead of the LSU corner in the T-Draft? Some pretty good choices, honestly. First was Ole Miss guard Rod Taylor, who is very solid against tough SEC defensemen. Then they added Tulane corner Parry Nickerson, who we think they saw coming off the board before Donte Jackson. And finally, adding another target for Drew Brees, they added LSU wideout Russell Gage. All solid picks that should make the final 53.   Outlook: The one player we have not mentioned is New Orleans’s 2nd pick in the 2nd round. That was Purdue LB Ja’Whuan Bentley, a thumper of a linebacker, perhaps not the fastest, but a very good run stuffer. That is a good fit for what the Breakers want to do on defense, shut down the run early and force teams to be one-dimensional.   PORTLAND STAGS (2nd pick in 2nd round) First Round Pick: Weber State CB Taron Johnson—NFL Pick 121: Buffalo Bills (2nd pick in Rnd 2) Portland fans were not happy at all to see their Stags trade out of the 2nd overall pick, even if it did mean they would have 3 second round picks (cheaper and easier to sign, but not exciting picks for fans). They were even less enthused when the Stags announced Johnson as their first pick, a player from little-seen Weber State and who would not be chosen until the 4th round by the NFL Bills. Yes, they had 2 more picks in the round, but this was a stretch for a team that simply cannot afford to whiff on the draft.   Later Round Gem: Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta (3rd) The last of the Big 7 QBs comes off the board in the 3rd round. Lauletta is not expected to challenge Mariota for the starting job, but may well be motivation for Mariota to work on improvement, because Lauletta’s game is similar enough that Coach LaFleur could pull the Oregon star if the Stags continue to stag-nate.   Territorial Picks: The disappointment for Stag fans started even before they swapped their Open Draft 2nd overall pick to Denver. Many expected Portland to lock in Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch, but instead they picked two players from Northwestern, a school added to their pool for this year only. They took HB Justin Jackson and NT Tyler Lancaster, neither of whom were seen as anything but late round camp bodies. They also picked Boise State wideout Cedrick Wilson Jr, another late round talent. Now, it is not as if they had a ton of options ,but Vander Esch would have made sense, so we get why fans are shaking their heads at the direction taken by their 3-13 club.   Outlook: Confusion and disappointment in Portland as the Stags just don’t seem to be maximizing the value the draft can give them. Now, they did get 3 2nd round picks, but the choice of Taron Johnson was not a big win for them. Their other two picks, Washington State guard Cole Madison and Fort Hays State DT Nathan Shepherd may be fine players, but when everyone who is not in the war room has to google them to see who they are (and google Fort Hays State to see where the heck it is [central Nebraska]), you can understand why fans think the Stags are not playing with a full deck.   Before we continue with the player moves that impacted both the 2018 Draft and the season to come, we should highlight that both Oakland and Dallas, the two teams without a head coach in October, have found their new coaches and in time for each to have an influence in the draft and the final roster moves to come. For Oakland, the hire came midway through the NFL season in mid-November, while for Dallas, the club had to wait until late December to make their move official.   Oakland Pulls Kubiak Away from Denver He was named on Dennis Green’s short list of candidates, chosen for his ability to develop quarterbacks (as a former NFL QB himself) and his willingness to take on something of a rebuild for an Oakland team that missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade in 2017. Gary Kubiak, who had transitioned from a backup QB in Denver to the Head Coach of the Broncos, agreed to a 3-year deal to take the lead in Oakland, following in the footsteps of legendary Invader coach Dennis Green.   Kubiak, who had spent 2017 on hiatus after being released by Denver after a rough 2016 campaign, signed on in November after a back and forth with Oakland about GM responsibilities. Officially Kubiak will be the Head Coach and the Head of Player Personnel, a position that still allows GM Tom Gamble to retain his role with the club. The deal gives Kubiak considerable input into the roster building process, a process that is almost guaranteed to be focused on acquiring a new quarterback over the next month, either through trade or perhaps the NFL-USFL Transfer Window.   Dallas Finds Their Man in Lubbock It was well known that the Roughnecks were looking for their coach primarily from the two NFL clubs in the state as well as the college ranks. That meant that they were forced to hold off a decision until December, during the “down time” between college football’s regular season and the bowls, or even until January, after the conclusion of the NFL season. When an announcement was made in late December that the Roughnecks would announce their new head coach, it became clear that they had gone for one of their two primary targets out of Texas universities. The choice was between Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M and Kliff Kingsbury from Texas Tech. The decision was for Kingsbury, an offensive guru who had turned the Red Raiders into a spread-based team and sent QB Patrick Mahomes to the NFL.   Kingsbury would be charged with developing (and to a degree “maturing”) QB Johnny Manziel as well as developing a more aggressive offensive scheme. The defense would be handled by new DC Emmit Thomas, as Kingsbury worked with the offense. Kingsbury arrived from Lubbock with an emphasis on the passing game, particularly spread formation, short-route passing, which worked well for undermanned Texas Tech and may help a Dallas squad short on big name talent at the wideout position. In no surprise, Kingsbury was instrumental in the team’s decision to pursue Courtland Sutton, the speedy wideout from SMU, in the territorial draft, but also worked with the GM to bring in free agent DE Mathias Kiawanuka. This USFL offseason has been one of the most active on the trading block in recent memory, largely due to the deals that saw teams either claiming territorial picks or moving within the Open Draft to locate quarterbacks. These deals shifted the destinations of 3 of the top 5 quarterback picks, with LA providing Chicago with the opportunity to draft Sam Darnold, Oklahoma sending access to Baker Mayfield to Washington, and St. Louis obtaining the same access to Lamar Jackson from Philadelphia. We also saw Denver, a surprise player in the QB chase, move to the 2nd overall pick in the Open Draft, a position which allowed them to select and draft Wyoming QB Josh Allen. But even beyond the media and public focus on the QB chase, this was an offseason that saw more trades, and particularly trades of high profile players, than most.   As you will recall from our October edition, the offseason included several big “cap purge” trades, with teams looking to free up salary space by dumping off high-salary players, including some of their best players. We saw this early on, with Portland trading away both TE Jordan Cameron and WR A. J. Bouye in two separate deals. It was also the obvious motivation for Denver to part with All-USFL cornerback Aqib Talib, sent to New Jersey in a deal that freed up nearly $4M for the Gold to use in their pursuit of Josh Allen. We saw Las Vegas send WR DeVante Parker to San Diego. Jacksonville sent DT Grady Jarrett to Arizona, and St. Louis swapped DE Kony Ealy to the Breakers for TE Crockett Gilmore.   But the trades did not end there. The November-January block, often a bit of a down time in the league’s transactions, did not show the same slow-down this year. Teams continued to make major deals, some tied to the cap, others to deal with disgruntled players, and others still to try to fill roster needs that the draft might not address. Looking at the pre-draft period, these trades stood out to us as significant talent transfers. The six deals we highlight represent about half of the deals that impacted rosters in a meaningful way (skipping any mid-draft position swaps and focusing on deals involving regular contributors to each team). Here are six deals that will certainly have an influence on the 2018 season.   HB Jeremy Hill: LV to CHI The Vipers continued to clear cap space by sending former Breaker HB Jeremy Hill to Chicago. Hill gained nearly 500 yards with the Vipers, backing up Montario Hardesty, but his backloaded contract would increase his cap hit by nearly $1M next year. Las Vegas opted to send the back to Chicago, where he will likely sub in for Matt Forte, and in return received help for their line in the form of Chicago guard Michael Dunn. That move both added needed depth at guard and helped increase Portland’s capacity to sign free agents by freeing them from the bubble payment in Hill’s contract.   C Phillip Blake: OKL to SEA The Oklahoma Outlaws were one of the teams struggling to find even the minimum cap space needed to successfully sign a rookie class, much less make a splash in free agency. They had been seeking deals on several fronts but found their first taker in the Seattle Dragons. Seattle, looking to add greater versatility to their offensive line play, more pulling and more consistency, made an offer for Oklahoma’s starting center, Phillip Blake. It took a bit of back and forth, but eventually a deal was cut, and Blake was traded to the Dragons for nickel back Richard Crawford. The deal helps Oklahoma save cap space while bolstering a secondary that had some issues last year.   SS Kendrick Lewis: STL to BAL The Skyhawks needed more cap room, the Blitz needed to try to address the gap left when Adam Archuleta announced his retirement. In mid-November both teams agreed to a deal that helped each with their concerns. Baltimore would obtain Kendricks, who had started every game for St. Louis at strong safety since 2012, racking up an average of over 70 tackles per season, while St. Louis would free up nearly $1.5M in cap space and obtain Baltimore’s 4th round picks both this year and next, draft capital much needed by a 3-13 squad that has many needs across the roster. Lewis, 29, has only 2018 left on his contract, so expect Baltimore to start working on an extension right away.   WR Steve Breaston (WR) and OT Kyle Murphy (OAK) swapped. The Federals and Invaders both got help in key positions with the swap of Breaston and Murphy. Washington, trying to return to a run-heavy, ball control offense, brought in an athletic OT who excels at zone blocking, while Oakland continued to rebuild a WR group that was decimated last year and clearly lacked playmakers outside of Davante Adams. Breaston will likely play in the slot, though at this point we are very much unsure who will be throwing him the ball.   HB Rashard Jennings: OHI to ORL Six frustrating seasons in Ohio end for Rashard Jennings as the Glory agree to a deal that sends the back to Orlando for CB Syd’Quan Thompson and a 5th rounder. Jennings, unhappy that despite solid production he remained mired behind Isaiah Pead in Columbus had made it pretty well-known that he wanted a shot at a true lead back position. His production this year, particularly when Pead was out with injury, certainly showed he could handle a heavy workload. Used mostly as a 3rd down back, Jennings still rushed for nearly 800 yards in 2017, but wanted a shot to do more. Enter the Orlando Renegades, having lost Knowshon Moreno to free agency and looking to shift to a 2-back rotation with Latavius Murray. It took some work, with Orlando hesitant to let Thompson go, but eventually a deal was cut. Jennings now gets the chance to prove he is a true lead back, while Ohio adds a strong cover corner who could find himself starting opposite Chimdi Chekwa in the Glory secondary.   WR Marques Colston: OKL to SD In our mind this was the biggest move of the past three months, and one of the biggest for both teams involved. We had reported earlier that Oklahoma was fishing for takers for either Joe Flacco or Colston, their two offensive stars, but many thought the move was nothing more than a leverage issue with these players’ agents. Well, the Thunder called Oklahoma’s bluff, and it turned out not to be a bluff. For only a 6th rounder this year and a 2nd in 2019, San Diego was able to fill the huge WR gap left when Chad Johnson retired and immediately bring in another future Hall of Famer to be the primary target for Joe Webb. This has to be considered a huge loss for the Outlaws and for QB Joe Flacco, but for San Diego, this could be the piece that helps them get over the hump and make a deep playoff run. While trades often make the headlines, and certainly in the case of the Colston deal, can radically alter the prospects of a team, the free agent market is the true meat and potatoes of each team’s offseason, providing each team with the chance to reimagine their rosters. The cap certainly plays a role in a team’s success and failures over the offseason, but so too does making the case to key free agents, and evaluating just who the best fits are for a team’s needs and their scheme. Every year we see player find better fits, where they can see their success skyrocket, the best example being Jordy Nelson’s move to New Orleans last year, but we also find players who take the big deal to join a new team but never quite find their groove in the new system. It is something of a crapshoot, but the teams that work free agency well can see rapid improvement. So, who are those teams? Here is our pick of the teams that have had the best free agency haul so far this offseason.   CHARLOTTE: WR Justin Blackmon, SS Shaun Schillinger, OT Kelvin Beachem, LB Randy Gregory The Monarchs came out of their corner swinging in August, filling two immediate needs with a quality receiver and one of the better safeties available in the market. The additions of Beachem and Gregory are not going to make headlines, but both will be solid contributors.   DALLAS: CB Patrick Peterson, DE Mathias Kiawanuka, LB Brandon Spikes Defense has been a huge issue for the Roughnecks for several years, but it seems that management is finally taking major steps. The signing of Peterson is a slam dunk for Dallas and adding Kiawanuka could be a boost to their pass defense as well. Spikes is not a big play guy, but is a consistent presence in the LB group. Coach Kingsbury and his DC are likely going to mix up the scheme as well, so don’t expect the same results that we have seen last few years.   OHIO: WR Eric Weems, G Brandon Brooks, TE Jared Cook The Weems signing is major for the Glory. After losing Justin Blackmon, the Glory needed a player who could step in and make an impact right away. Weems proved in St. Louis that he could be the go-to target, and his speed makes him a better deep ball option than Blackmon.   SEATTLE: HB Knowshon Moreno, FS Donte Whitner, HB Wendell Smallwood The Dragons surprised us in 2017, making a run from 0-5 all the way to the Divisional Playoffs. In 2018 they are not going to sneak up on anyone, but by adding Moreno as their lead back, they will have more firepower. Smallwood also gives them a good 3rd down option, and adding Whitner will be a nice plus for the secondary.   WASHINGTON: G Kyle Long, HB Anthony Allen, CB Brandon Boykin, TE Kellen Winslow Jr The Feds had to restructure several contracts, and did lose some talent in free agency, but they also addressed the type of team they want to be, bringing in both a grind-it-out halfback in Allen and the best pulling guard in the pool with Long.   Not all teams did as well as these five, losing more than they gained. Here are the clubs we think have come out on the losing end of Free Agency so far.   ARIZONA: Lost CB Brandon Flowers, DE Quentin Groves Losing 2 players from one of the league’s best defenses may not seem like a big hit, but we have to remember that the Wranglers also lost LB Karlos Dansby, DT Glenn Dorsey, LB Demorrio Williams, and DE Adam Carriker to the NFL, technically more free agent losses. That is a huge hit. Basically the vultures are picking over the carcass of Arizona’s defense and Coach Tomsula is going to have to basically build his defense all over, from scratch.   HOUSTON: Lost OT Willie Colon, WR Johnny Knox, DT John Jenkins, HB Kiero Small, TE Donte Rosario The Gamblers knew this would be a tough year for departures, and while most of these players had bit roles, supporting the stars on the Gambler roster, losing LT Willie Colon will be a big hit for the Gambler offense. Their only signing so far being TE Tony Moeaki, which means they still have gaps in the depth chart to deal with.   JACKSONVILLE: Lost FS David Bruton, DT Henry Melton, TE Kellen Winslow, LBK. J. Wright Coach Flores wants to build on a pretty solid defense, but losing three key players from their starting 11 is not going to help. Bruton in particular is a big lost, but combining that with Wright and Melton also leaving will be an issue.   NEW JERSEY: Lost DT Amobi Okoye, CB Brandon Boykin, HB Delone Carter, QB Charlie Whitehurst, C Jon Cooper So far only Boykin has found a home, and New Jersey remains interested in re-signing Amobi Okoye. They have already brought in Kiero Small to be a backup for Maurice Jones-Drew, but they still have some gaps to fill, including at center and that CB slot that Boykin left vacant.   ST. LOUIS: Lost WR Eric Weems, QB Ricky Stanzi, TE Tony Moeaki, WR Terrance Williams, HB Jay Finley, CB William Gay Technically, only 3 of these 6 players have signed on with another team, but it does not seem that St. Louis is close to resigning Gay, Finley, or Williams, so they could lose all six. While the signing of Stevie Johnson certainly takes the sting away from losing Weems, the Skyhawks still have a lot of gaps to fill.   After a pretty nasty September transfer window that saw the NFL sign a ton of quality USFL players, with a strong emphasis on the D-line. But, as always, with the NFL season ending in January, the February-March window will be the USFL’s opportunity to flip the story and raid NFL rosters for last-minute talent infusions. Looking over the current status of USFL rosters, there are certainly some obvious needs still to be addressed across the league, and this year’s pool of NFL free agents may well provide answers. Here is our list of the 15 top NFL talents available for the Transfer Window, and where we think the best fit would be in the USFL.   15  K Chris Boswell (Steelers) Several teams still don’t have their kicker position set, and Boswell, along with Cleveland’s Zane Gonzalez and Carolina’s Graham Gano could get solid offers from several of them. We like St. Louis for Boswell, but Birmingham or Charlotte could also be possible destinations.   14  TE Eric Ebron (Lions) Ebron is the best receiving tight end available from the NFL Pool. While Houston is a possible contender, Ebron wants to be the number one guy wherever he goes, which won’t be the case with Vernon Davis a Gambler, so we are going to send Ebron to either Birmingham or Memphis.   13  LB Zaire Anderson (Broncos) An aggressive tackler and solid in pass coverage, we think the former Bronco could be a good fit in Oakland, San Diego, or Las Vegas, all teams looking for an outside backer who can cover tight ends.   12 HB Jerrick McKinnon (Vikings) A bit of a workhorse type, McKinnon is not likely going to be a lead back, but could be a very good contributor to a dual-back system or a strong short yardage player. So, who is in that market? Charlotte, Arizona, Denver, or Memphis could all be in the market for a player like McKinnon or Cleveland’s Isaiah Crowell.   11  S Eric Reid (49ers) Reid could be a popular pick since so many USFL clubs had safety as a priority need. We could see Reid signing on with any number of teams, but for us the best fit might be in Ohio, where the Glory need his mix of speed and aggressiveness.   10  G Luke Joeckel (Seahawks) Joeckel was a high draft pick for Seattle but never panned out the way the Seahawks had hoped. Can a USFL team get from him the type of dominance we saw in college? And who would like to take a shot at finding that player? Of the clubs looking at the interior line, the natural fit would be the Dragons, allowing Joeckel to stay in the Emerald City but work in a very different offensive scheme.   9  WR Sammy Watkins (Rams) A lot was expected of Watkins when the Buffalo Bills picked him in the 2014 draft, but only 4 years later he is leaving his 2nd team and looking to reawaken the player the Bills saw at Clemson. He has good hands and can escape coverage, but his consistency has been an issue. No shortage of teams needing another target for their QB, but at the top of the Watkins list we see Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Dallas as the teams most in need of adding some quality in the receiving corps.   8  DE/OLB Trent Murphy (Redskins) Where Murphy goes depends a lot on who wants to have him line up with a hand on the ground in the 4-3 or standing up as an OLB in a 3-4. We think Murphy prefers the more straightforward role of a DE over that of a linebacker. If that is true, then the best fits may be in either New Orleans or Oklahoma, both of whom are hoping to find more edge pressure.   7 QB Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings) Our first of two back-to-back potential starters at QB who are in the market. The two are very similar, Bridgewater and Garappolo. Both have good mobility but are not running QBs. Both throw a nice ball, with Bridgewater having a bit more arm strength, and both have struggled a bit with consistency. No surprise who the teams are in this market, Oakland, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Washington, and pretty much any other team that chose a 1st round rookie QB if that rookie signs with the NFL.   6  QB Jimmy Garappolo (49ers) There really is a mixed rating for both Bridgewater and Garappolo. Some teams have one much higher in their rankings than others. We even saw one team that had Geno Smith above both of them. We think Teddy and Jimmy are the top two prospects, though we understand the interest in Geno as well. When we look at systems, we think both can be successful in any number of teams, but perhaps the best option would be Oakland for either, just because he would have a solid run/pass option in HB Christian McCaffrey and a QB-friendly coach in Gary Kubiak.   5   HB Kareem Hunt (Chiefs) This one is going to be tricky. Yes, Hunt has undeniable talent and can turn a short screen, sweep, or swing pass into an 80-yard score, but the reason he is in the market in the first place is because Kansas City did not want to deal with the possibility of both league sanctions and public outrage after a video showing domestic abuse by Hunt came to light. Signing Hunt could be a major upgrade or a major headache. Who might take that chance? Honestly we don’t know, but we somehow expect that at least 1 USFL team will play the odds and take a chance on the talented back.   4  WR Jarvis Landry (Dolphins) Our 2nd rated wideout, but a good option if speed is what you are looking for. Landry has had some run-ins with his coaches in Miami, so he likely is not going to go to a team with a disciplinarian at the helm (sorry, Ohio and Coach Coughlin), but in the right place, he could be an instant contributor. What if the right place is a team like Michigan, who won a title this year without a deep receiver group? Scary, right?   3   HB Isaiah Crowell (Browns) While some backs, like McKinnon, would have a particular role in an offense, or others, like Kareem Hunt, bring a lot of baggage, in Crowell, you might just be getting a player who, with time to rest early in the USFL season, could emerge in the season’s second half as a legitimate lead back. Our best guess here is that he could be very attractive to the Maulers, if they miss out on Saquon, or with Atlanta if Chubb goes to the Browns (an interesting swap of talent in that last case.)   2  WR Dez Bryant (Cowboys) Bryant’s talent is undeniable, his ego is also bigger than life. If you sign him, you either have to be ready for a lot of drama or you have to dedicate a lot of effort to keeping him happy, but you will get a true number one and a possible All-USFL talent if you can get him to maximize his talent. Our best guess is that Bryant will be happiest in a big market and with a solid QB in place. How about LA with Sam Bradford? Philadelphia with Matt Gutierrez, or Michigan with Kirk Cousins?   1   S Tyrann Mathieu (Cardinals) That’s right, we are putting the Honey Badger at the top spot. He is everything you want in a safety, fast, strong, aggressive, but smart at the same time. We see Matthieu having the kind of role that we saw with Archuleta in Baltimore and that we see with Polamalu in Arizona. Who wants him? How about half of the league, maybe more? Who can realistically get him? We think there are 3 teams in the running, just due to cap space, scheme, and coaching. Those three, who likely will enter into a bidding war with a good number of NFL teams as well, are the Dragons, Maulers, and Renegades, but we could see an outlier make a winning case as well. The desire is certainly there across most of the league.   So, what is next for the league and for our report? Well, camps are opening up, and that means we are only about a month away from our double issue USFL Season Preview. In our annual guide to the season ahead we will review all the big camp moves, the rookie signing battle between the NFL and the USFL, the NFL imports and USFL defections, all the last-minute Free Agent signings, and take a look at each teams’ depth chart, prospects, and potential impact. We will make our usual mixed bag of picks, looking to assess who has a shot to take the title away from the Michigan Panthers, and who has a chance to take home an award at the USFL Gala next July. It will be a jam-packed report, which is why we are going to divide it into two sections, so we don’t miss a thing. So, just a few weeks away, let’s get ready for some Spring Football, USFL-style!

October 14, 2017 After a nearly 3-month hiatus, we are back to review the early offseason for you. It has been a busy fall with the trading block, free agent market, coaching carousel, and even the NFL-USFL transfer window fully engaged. In this first of two offseason reports we will look at the flurry of trades that have played a huge role in the early offseason and the upcoming draft. We will talk free agency, looking at both the biggest signings and the names left out there, we will see what kind of damage the NFL transfer window did to the league’s player pool, and we will take a look ahead to January’s Collegiate Draft, sure to be a wild one with perhaps 5-7 quarterbacks being considered early round choices. It is all right here, the full rundown. All your USFL offseason news and intrigue.   Cap & QBs Create League Wide Swap Meet We warned everyone that with between 5-7 draft eligible quarterbacks, and a solid pool of talent in other positions, as well as with significant retirements this year, we could see a real flurry of trading in the offseason leading up to January, and we were dead on. The past 3 months have seen trades rumored and trades completed, some dealing with the draft, others with teams trying to purge salary to make room for new signings, and others still just trying to shore up some key positions. The result is a very busy trade wire across the league. You already know about two teams making deals even before the playoffs ended. Portland kicked us off as they tried to free themselves from an untenable salary cap situation. The Stags sent TE Jordan Cameron to Tampa Bay for some draft picks, and then swapped out WR Brian Quick for CB A. J. Bouye, a move that saved them nearly $1.7M in salary cap considerations. Then, only a week later, we got the first broadside shot related to the 2018 QB pool. Chicago sent two 2018 Open Draft picks to LA, swapping first round positions with the Express (a 7-spot drop for Chicago) while also picking up the Express’s first T-Draft selection, almost certainly a move to get bidding rights to Sam Darnold, the USC quarterback.   Well, Chicago was not the last team to try to gain exclusive USFL access to a top tier QB. With 5 of the top 7 QBs in the draft attending schools within a USFL team’s territorial protected status, and none of them held by teams with deep need at the QB position, trading picks or players to get access to a targeted T-Draft pick was the one sure way to ensure a team would have access to a QB prospect. It is still a risky proposition as all of these QBs are sure to wait out the NFL draft and then play the two leagues against each other to get the better deal and the better placement. So, no guarantees, but to even be in the mix teams had to move. So, where are we there. Federals Make Their Move to Land Baker Mayfield. Chicago was first and they are locked in on Sam Darnold. The next to fall was the rights to select Oklahoma University QB Baker Mayfield. There were rumors that Oklahoma might actually trade Joe Flacco and take their own shot at Mayfield, but those proved to be either a smokescreen or a bidding tactic to drive up the price for their first territorial pick. By mid-September, the Outlaws got the bid they wanted, a deal with Washington. The deal sent Oklahoma two draft picks to in 2018, a 2nd rounder and a 6th, along with a swap of two cornerbacks, with Oklahoma getting the more-established Bradley Fletcher and sending backup Richard Crawford to the Feds.  The Feds then get the ability to select any player from OU, OSU or Kansas State before Oklahoma makes their other 2 selections. That pick, without any doubt, will be OU quarterback Baker Mayfield.   A third deal seems to be on the table, with San Diego and Jacksonville discussing a multiple pick swap that would have given the Bulls the option to select UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen using San Diego’s protected pick. However, as of today, the two teams have yet to be able to reach a mutually acceptable deal, and we are hearing that both Tampa Bay and St. Louis may be interested. Meanwhile Philadelphia is playing things very close to the vest, not providing any insight into inquiries about their T-Draft picks, which is fascinating when you consider that between Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, the Stars have more high value trade bait than any team in the league.   Even outside of the QB frenzy surrounding the draft, the combination of offseason player losses and cap space issues has led to a higher-than-normal number of player-for player as well as player-for-pick trades over the past 3 months. With some teams trying to dump higher salaried players and others in a clear buyer’s market, the deals have been surprising in number and in quality. As we look over the deals from the past weeks, we chose six that we think have real intrigue as we look ahead to 2018 rosters.   WR Devante Parker: Las Vegas to San Diego We had a feeling that the Thunder would respond quickly to Chad Johnson’s retirement, and with Las Vegas looking to purge salary they found a seller right away. By mid-September the deal was done, WR Devante Parker would go from the desert to the Southern California beaches and all the Thunder had to give up was a 4th round pick. Now, Parker is not considered a true number one receiver, but the 3-year vet has shown some flashes, especially as a deep ball receiver. We don’t think San Diego is done seeking WR help, but getting Parker was a low risk, high potential upside deal.   CB Aqib Talib: Denver to New Jersey Denver is another team with major cap issues, and while it was certainly a painful departure, the decision was made that Aqib Talib and his nearly $4M annual contract was a luxury the team could not afford. The Gold found a willing buyer in New Jersey, where the Generals were more than happy to take on the contract of one of the league’s best cover corners. They sent back to Denver a 2nd round pick in the upcoming draft along with little-used WR J. D. McKissic. By pretty much all accounts a steal for New Jersey, but it does make Denver’s cap situation a good deal more tenable.   DE Kony Ealy: St. Louis to New Orleans The Skyhawks also had some real issues with the cap, especially if they are pursuing one of the rookie QBs. They too would have to part with a player that few wanted to see go, DE Kony Ealy. The 6th year DE saw his production jump nicely last year, from 4 sacks in 2016 to 8 in 2017, but with a pretty poorly structured deal, St. Louis felt they had to find a new home for the edge rusher. So, off to New Orleans he goes, and in his place, the Skyhawks add a 5th round pick in this year’s draft as well as depth at TE, with the Breakers sending Crockett Gilmore along as part of the deal.   SS Troy Petty (MGN) and DE Dee Ford (LV) swapped. Well, Troy Petty’s celebration of a Summer Bowl win was short and sweet, but he won’t get to take the field with the Panthers to celebrate on opening day. With the departure of edge rusher Michael Bennett to free agency, Michigan acted quickly to try to add talent at the DE position. They were willing to give up Perry, who backed up Jabril Peppers most of the season, but was called into starting duty when Peppers went out, starting every game of the team’s Summer Bowl run. Perry will now suit up for the Las Vegas Vipers, who just keep making moves, shifting their funds and their roster over the offseason. In return for their safety, Michigan gets Vegas DE Dee Ford, a 4-year vet, had a solid rookie year in Las Vegas in 2014, recording 8 sacks in his first year. His numbers have dipped since then as he shared rotation with Mario Addison and Matthew Judon. In Michigan he will likely line up on the right side, Bennett’s former position, opposite LE Justin Tuck. Perry, for his part, will get a chance to battle for the starting SS position, though veteran Eric Berry could be tough to unseat.   FS Will Allen: Tampa Bay to Birmingham In what we imagine is a changing of the guard in Tampa Bay, longstanding veteran FS Will Allen, after only 1 season in Tampa Bay, will be off to Birmingham for his 15th season. The veteran of 7 seasons in Oakland, 6 with the Cannons/Roughnecks, and a 15 starts in Tampa Bay, heads to Birmingham with 1 year left on his deal. In return for the veteran safety’s leadership, Birmingham sent the Bandits guard Carl Nicks as well as a 6th round pick this January. We temporarily leave the subject of player acquisition to talk about another huge part of the offseason, the search and hiring for new coaches. Five teams this offseason are in the hunt, and after 3 months we have 3 of those 5 positions locked down. It took a little while, largely because some of the top candidates were with teams that went deep into the playoffs, but it seems like the pieces are beginning to fall into place, at least for 3 of the 5 teams in need of new leadership.   Houston OC Matt LaFleur spurns Dallas for Portland Job Teams wanting to talk with Houston OC Matt LaFleur had to wait for several weeks as the Gamblers kept advancing, but, following Summer Bowl 2018, the interviews came fast and furious for the coveted offensive guru. LaFleur was a popular man, meeting with all five USFL clubs that had open positions, while at the same time trying to make a deal for an upgraded contract back in Houston. At one point it seemed all but assured that the man credited with Houston’s high-powered offense, as well as the steady development of Colt McCoy, would be heading just up the road to Dallas. The Roughnecks were wooing him pretty hard, but something apparently just did not feel right for LaFleur. Maybe it was the philosophy of lead owner Mark Cuban, or maybe it was the potential issues dealing with a young QB who was already suspended 6 games for alcohol issues (Manziel).   Whatever the reason, LaFleur kept talking to teams and someone up in Portland must have said the right things because LaFleur finished his grand tour, flew back up to the PNW, and signed on the dotted line. We suspect that the prospect of going to a team that had the league’s rushing leader and a young, moldable QB without the baggage of Johnny Manziel may have been enough to entice LaFleur to take the job with the Stags. He will have some challenges, moving from the 14-2 Gamblers to the 3-13 Stags, but he does have pieces to work with in Portland, including Marcus Mariota, Doug Martin and a young receiving corps that features Brandin Cooks and Alshon Jeffery.   Washington Looks to Renew Defense with Gus Bradley The Federals had met with LaFleur, but everyone knew that their real focus was defense. Washington was embarrassed by a team that gave up over 360 yards a game last year and had an average margin of defeat over 10 points. For a team with legendary defensive figures like DT Jerome Brown, LBs Antonio Pierce and Michael Barrow, DE Dexter Manley, and CB Charles Woodson in their club history, having one of the league’s worst defenses just did not sit well.   Enter Gus Bradley. Not only does he bring a reputation for hard-nosed, opportunistic defense as his calling card, but by stealing away the DC of the Philadelphia Stars, the Feds get to punish a rival at the same time. Bradley is very familiar with NE Division football and was quick to point out in the presser announcing his hire, that he will enjoy having the chance to continue to torture the Blitz, Generals and Maulers, while now adding Philadelphia to his list of potential victims. The Feds now need to focus on bringing Bradley the bodies he needs to turn gameplans into effective on-field defense, but in hiring the Philly DC, the Federals are stepping into the fray with both feet, hoping to return to their rich tradition as a defensive football team.   Jacksonville Stays in Division, Signs Charlotte's Brian Flores After flirting with several candidates, the Jacksonville Bulls also opted to pull a coordinator from a division rival, and like Washington, they went with defense. Unlike the Federals, the Bulls’ defense was quite solid in 2017, holding teams to only 18.7 PPG and proving very tough against the run. For that reason, many expected the Bulls to head for an offensively minded coach like a LaFleur or New Orleans OC Matt Nagy. It was a bit of a surprise that they settled on Charlotte DC Brian Flores. Flores has certainly earned the chance to be a head coach, having built a consistently aggressive and effective defense in Charlotte. The concern, of course, is that Flores has little experience with offense or with QB development, and with Jacksonville very much expected to be in the QB hunt this offseason, Flores will be in a position to build a new offensive scheme. Just who he picks to be his OC may well determine what the Bulls will do moving forward as they try to build themselves a full roster that can compete in the very uneven SE Division. Oakland Still Unsure on Coaching Front So, three down, two positions left. What about Oakland and Portland? We start with the Invaders, who were handed a short list by Coach Dennis Green when he announced his retirement. We are not sure who is on that list, but we do know that the team has met with Green’s defensive coordinator, Kurt Gouveia, and that they have had interviews as well with former Broncos’ Head Coach Gary Kubiak as well as former Glory head coach Bart Andrus. The indication seems to be that Oakland is not going to play the waiting game for an NFL coach in January, but that they are just not decided yet on any of the available candidates in the pool. We are also not entirely certain which direction Oakland is going. One would imagine that QB development will be a key factor in their search, as the Invaders will be without Joey Harrington for the first time in nearly a decade, but they seem open to building a team of coaches rather than limiting their search on supposed QB gurus. If they are not waiting until January for a high-profile NFL candidate, then the decision should come in the next few weeks, before the holiday lull hits. Roughnecks Playing the Waiting Game? Our last leaderless franchise, Dallas, does appear to be playing the waiting game. We reported earlier that they were meeting with a range of coaches, all located in Texas. As of now they don’t seem to have a clear favorite, but they also don’t appear to be in a hurry, having had very few visits to their facilities in the past month. So, what does that indicate? The most likely scenario is that they do have a top choice, maybe 2 potential choices, but that both are not available for interviews at this time. With both the NFL and NCAA seasons in full swing, the expectation is that Dallas is looking at someone currently occupied in fall football. Now, who that could be is wide open. It could be a coordinator, perhaps from the Cowboys or Oilers, but it could also be a head coach from the college ranks, perhaps A&M’s Kevin Sumlin or Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury. Honestly, we are also just working from what may be a very flawed assumption, that the Roughnecks remain focused on Texas and that owner Mark Cuban is not casting a wider net to try to draw a big name from elsewhere. The reality is that what we are seeing in Dallas is an absolute lack of urgency, and that often points to the fact that the man they want is not going to be able to interview until late December at the earliest (for a college coach) or early January if it is an NFL coach. First week of Free Agency Hits Hard I suppose we have come to expect this, the very early, very quick flurry of signings, as the USFL free agency period opens 10 days after the Summer Bowl. With barely over a week before the NFL can start signing across the transfer window, USFL teams use this brief early window to try to snap up their top targets before having to face competition from the fall league. It makes for a frantic news cycle, but an exciting one for fans of the spring league. This year was no different, with no fewer than 4 major signings just in the first 12 hours of official free agency, and more beyond that.   It began within an hour of the “opening bell” for the period. For the weeks prior, player agents could speak with teams, but no deals could be signed, but as soon as deals could be signed, they were. The first domino to fall was former Breaker cornerback Patrick Peterson , who became the first official free agent to change teams when he signed a new 3-year, $12M contract to join the Dallas Roughnecks. Just minutes later, news arrived that WR Stevie Johnson had agreed to relocate to St. Louis and become the new presumptive number one receiver for the Skyhawks. That was followed later in the day by two more big signings, DE Michael Bennett leaving the league champion Panthers to become a member of the Oakland Invaders and SS DaJuan Morgan taking a 2-year deal to leave LA and become the newest member of the Denver Gold.   And that was what the first week was largely about, players, typically those within the top 20 of our free agent rankings, taking deals with new teams, often for large paydays compared to their prior contracts. Following the Day 1 signings, we saw two more receivers off the board on Day 2, with Justin Blackmon leaving Ohio for Charlotte and Eric Weems signing on later that same day with Ohio. We also saw the first major lineman signing as guard Kyle Long agreed to the largest deal ever for a USFL player at his position, a 3-year deal worth over $10M to join the Washington Federals. We also saw SS Shaun Schillenger join the Monarchs, giving them two big signings in less than 48 hours.   The top name on our board, halfback Knowshon Moreno , would take 3 more days before settling on a deal, but by Friday he was in Seattle, holding up a Dragons’ jersey and celebrating a new deal that sets him up to be the lead back for the Dragons for the next 3 seasons. Los Angeles also made a couple of big moves before the NFL Transfer Window opened, adding former Jacksonville safety David Bruxton , who could now move from Free to Strong Safety to replace DaJuan Morgan, and adding DT John Jenkins from the Eastern Champion Gamblers. Finally, two often overlooked positions saw some attention as TE Tyler Eifert got a very nice 4-year deal to leave Las Vegas and join the Chicago Machine and FB Roosevelt Nix was brought over from Oklahoma to Memphis, where he will now be creating holes for Todd Gurley to exploit.   It was a wild 9 days ahead of the NFL Transfer Window, but with a lot of talent still available, the NFL had plenty of opportunity to raid USFL talent, and they did so with abandon just as their season was kicking off.     The two-pronged NFL-USFL Transfer window has developed into a regular rhythm, one that sees the USFL lose a lot of talent each August & September, and the NFL suffer the same fate each February. The cycle means that both leagues are using the window to fill last-minute gaps, including often bringing in players after each league’s regular season has already begun. It is an uneasy schedule, but there really is such a limited “down time” between seasons that the September and February windows are about as close as the two leagues can come to signing each other’s players without negative impacts at the end of each season. So, what did the autumn window look like? As usual, the emphasis now is on NFL teams signing newly released USFL free agents only 1 week after the league’s internal free agency opened. This year, there was perhaps less of a pool of offensive playmakers but certainly the NFL saw talent on defense and went right after it. How is this for a list of defenders all signed away in the short transfer window? You have CB’s Danieal Manning (NJ) and Charles Godfrey (JAX), FS Darnell Bing (LV), LBs Zak DeOssie (DAL) and Rocky McIntosh (NOR) and a quartet of Arizona Wranglers.   Yup, you read that right, 4 starters, including two legitimate All-USFL stars all left Arizona for various NFL destinations. It started small, with LB Demorrio Williams joining the NY Jets, but then the flood gates opened. Karlos Dansby signed with the NFL Cardinals (staying in Phoenix), Adam Carriker with the Steelers and DT Glenn Dorsey with the Eagles. It was a complete decimation of the Wrangler defense that included 2 team captains, the leading tackler and the sack leader. Arizona essentially has to do a full rebuild on their defense after this NFL tsunami.   Outside of the Wranglers, the NFL spread things out, but the USFL will still lose some quality players, including Bandit TE Greg Olsen, Denver HB Jamaal Charles, WR Danny Amendola (SD), center Kory Lichtenstieger (NJ), Charlotte kicker Brandon Coutu, and backup QBs Matt Moore (BIR) and Adrian McPherson (CHI).   And what about USFL signings? Well, don’t expect to see too many name players. It was mostly a selection for depth, as it often is in the fall, when the NFL season is already kicking off. The USFL will have a richer pool to raid in February, with the NFL releasing their end-of-season free agents just as the USFL did in August. So, who was signed? Here is the short list of USFL acquisitions:   CB Ross Cockrell:                   NY Giants to Arizona Wranglers WR Leonard Hankerson:       Atlanta Falcons to Atlanta Fire FB Zach Line:                         New Orleans Saints to Birmingham Stallions K Chris Boswell:                     Pittsburgh Steelers to Birmingham Stallions WR Austin Pettis                     Dallas Cowboys to Dallas Roughnecks TE Austin Sefarian-Jenkins   NY Jets to Houston Texans CB Keenan Lewis                  New Orleans Saints to Jacksonville Bulls S Lamarcus Joyner               St. Louis Rams to Las Vegas Vipers C Owen Phillips                     NY Jets to New Jersey Generals P Matt Haack                        Miami Dolphins to Portland Stags K Zane Gonzalez                   Cleveland Browns to St. Louis Skyhawks REMAINING FREE AGENTS When the Transfer Window closed, it was back to USFL teams trying to land USFL talent. The past couple of weeks have seen a few key signings, most notably that of Memphis HB Anthony Allen, who joins the Federals as they try for a second time to replace Deuce McCallister. The 29-year-old Allen signed a 2-year deal and steps into the lead role in the Federals backfield after some very strong seasons in Memphis. Expect him to take full advantage of the opportunity as Washington is desperate to find a true bell cow, and the very durable Allen seems a very good fit.   Others signed just over the past two weeks include former Stallion center Matt Tenant, who got a nice deal to replace Austin King as the pivot for the Baltimore Blitz; Bulls DT Henry Melton, who will now join the San Diego Thunder in a cross-country relocation, a pair of tight ends shifting locations as Richard Quinn leaves Denver for Las Vegas and the Federals add another piece, signing former Bandit Kellen Winslow II. We also should note a couple of key re-signings as Charlotte holds onto tackle Kevin Beachem and San Diego renews the deal for CB Tye Smith.   So, who is left on the board after this initial flurry? Quite a few big names actually. Perhaps the biggest, and most surprising to still be available, is Houston LT Willie Colon. The Gamblers are still very much in the mix for Colt McCoy’s bodyguard, but he is apparently listening to multiple offers and has yet to make a decision. Others still taking offers include New Jersey DT Amobi Okoye, Portland HB Felix Jones, Arizona CB Brandon Flowers, Houston WR Johnny Knox, Stallion safety Corey White, Portland safety Donte Whitner, Seattle wideout Emmanuel Sanders, and Dallas HB C. J. Spiller. That is just a fraction of the pool still unclaimed, and while there does seem to be some hesitancy to sign players who have hit the later years of their careers, typically anyone at or over 33 years of age, there are also a few younger players also holding out to see what kind of offer they can get.   Before we leave our discussion of veteran USFL players and where they end up, we should acknowledge a few more key retirements that have impacted the offseason plans of their clubs. The wave of announcements slowed down in September, as it usually does, but there were a few players who announced their plans to file for retirement, and several whose absence could be a major offseason factor for their teams.   First among these is New Orleans’s star DE Ty Warren . Warren announced in mid-September, opting to prioritize his health and his family. He played 13 of his 14 USFL seasons in the Crescent City, racking up 137 sacks in his long career, including 8 consecutive 10-sack seasons, with a personal best of 18 sacks in 2015. He retires having helped the Breakers finally get over the hump and win their first league title in 2015.   Also calling it a career were wideout Michael Jenkins of Orlando, FB Madison Hedgecock of the Gamblers, DT DeMarcus Tyler of Charlotte, FS Kenny Phillips of the Panthers, and WR Ben Obamanu of the Ohio Glory. Phillips was a big figure for Michigan this year, leading the league champions with 7 sacks and making the All-USFL team for the first time in his career. The ball hawking safety opted to go out on top, celebrating his career with a championship ring. For Michael Jenkins, 2017 marked his 14th season with the Renegades, a long career that included six 1,000-yard seasons. He retired with over 1,200 career receptions, spanning over 12,000 yards and including 68 career touchdowns. And we should also highlight the contributions of FB Madison Hedgecock. The unheralded life of a fullback does not come with a lot of statistical glory (only 106 carries and 323 yards in 13 seasons), but the work Hitchcock put in, clearing the way for backs like Carlos Hyde, protecting the blindside of QBs Matt Hasselbeck and Colt McCoy, and even catching the occasional pass (40 receptions as a Gambler) are all important contributions to his team.   With so many moving parts, players leaving, players arriving, the list of needs for each USFL club has shifted significantly from just 10 weeks ago. That means the draft priorities have also shifted. As we take a look at January’s 2-stage draft, we try to look at each club, where they are strongest and where they have gaps, what their priorities might be, and try to get a sense of what they might be thinking as they plan to add new talent from the college ranks. It all starts with the Territorial Draft, and this year we have already seen the impact that having some top tier QBs in the mix has done to those territorial picks. We expect to continue to see some trading of picks as teams try to get the exclusive USFL rights to select key targeted players. Then we have the Open Draft, where the GMs are really tested, not only trying to find the best talent in the best position to help their teams, but also assessing a player’s (and an agent’s) willingness to sign on the dotted line rather than playing the USFL against the NFL to increase their draft value.   We are going to look at all 28 USFL clubs, in their pre-trade draft order. We know that this is not likely how the draft will go, as we have already seen a lot of swapping of picks this offseason, but by following the draft order, we are able to start with the teams that likely have the greatest need and move slowly towards those that have more complete rosters (though that is also not 100% fool proof, as the massive NFL defections of Arizona Wranglers has the Wranglers looking a lot more needy than their 15-1 record last year has placed them in the draft order.) We will assess which positions need attention, what options might exist in each team’s territorial pool, and just what they might opt to do in that all-important first round of the Open Draft, a first round where traditionally only one of every two selections ends up signing on to spring football, and where the players at the top of the pool are often the hardest to get into camp. We start with the 3-13 teams from last year, St. Louis, Portland, and Washington, and then work our way down to the two conference champions, Houston and, finally, league champion Michigan.   A couple of notes before we start. First, we will account for those trades we already know about, particularly as we discuss the T-Draft, but we are also going to imagine that the top talent that is not clearly targeted already (like Sam Darnold and the Machine) as if they are available in the first round of the Open Draft. Many of the names we cite will not be, that is the nature of the T-Draft, but every year several top talents are not chosen by the clubs who have their territorial rights. For example, assuming other teams don’t pull off a trade with Philadelphia, the Stars are not going to pick either Lamar Jackson or Saquon Barkley in the T-Draft, so one, or both, could find their way to the Open Draft. In our Round 1 analysis, we will assume both, along with a lot of other big names, are available.   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS Team Needs: LB, DT, QB Territorial Schools: Missouri, Iowa, Kansas Top Territorial Talent: The Skyhawks need more speed and grit on defense and the T-Draft may be a big help this year. Iowa, in particular, could help with CB Josh Jackson and LB Josey Jewell. Kansas DE Dorance Armstrong could also be a possible target, as could another Hawkeye, LB Ben Niemann. First Round Targets: Defense. The pick has to be defense. We are assuming they don’t take a trade offer from a QB-hungry team that loves Josh Allen, so if they stand pat, there are two names that are at the top of the list, DE Bradley Chubb of NC State or LB Roquan Smith of Georgia. Both would be huge help for a pretty porous Skyhawk defense, but will either be there to be chosen?   PORTLAND STAGS Team Needs: CB, DT, G Territorial Schools: Oregon, Oregon State, Boise State, Northwestern (2018 Addition) Top Territorial Talent: The Stags are finding that the combo of Oregon, Oregon State, and Boise State is not a regular gold mine. There are on years and off years. This feels like an off year, though we do like Boise LB Leighton Vander-Esch. We also think Portland will take a look at another Bronco, WR Cedric Wilson. First Round Targets: Portland has a tough choice. They could potentially draft Josh Allen, or any of the QBs who escape the T-Draft, but they have big money invested in Marcus Mariota, so do they pass and take a CB like Denzel Ward from Ohio State or Jaire Alexander from Louisville. Honestly, neither feels like a 2nd overall selection. So that leaves option 3, trade down a few slots, get a few more picks in the deal and then pick their cornerback.   WASHINGTON FEDERALS Team Needs: QB, DE, DT Territorial Schools: Virginia, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt Top Territorial Talent: You know that the Federals are going to try to land Va Tech LB Tremaine Edwards, a dynamic playmaker for the Hokies. We also think they should invest some scouting time on another Hokie, safety Terrell Edmunds. Heck, let’s make it a trifecta at Va Tech with DT Tim Settle as well. First Round Targets: The Feds already made their deal to try to land a QB, snagging Oklahoma’s T-Draft pick to get to Baker Mayfield. So, what do they do here? How about Bradley Chubb at DE, and if not available, they could look inside, perhaps Alabama’s Daron Payne or Washington’s Vita Vea.   TAMPA BAY BANDITS Team Needs: C, SS, TE Territorial Schools: Florida State, Southern Mississippi, South Florida Top Territorial Talent: Both FSU and USF have some nice talent to offer the Bandits. From the Seminoles there is safety Derwin James, as well as DT Derrick Nnadi and OT Rick Leonard. From USF you could look at another DT, Deadrin Senat, as well as DE Josh Sweat and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And let’s not forget their 3rd school, Southern Miss, and their outstanding safety Tarvarius Moore. First Round Targets: If he is available, Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick would be the ideal pick for the Bandits. Yes, they could go QB, or they could swap out, but we like the prospect of a dynamic, hard-hitting safety in that Bandit defensive backfield.   PITTSBURGH MAULERS Team Needs: HB,SS,LB Territorial Schools: Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Iowa State, Indiana (2018 Addition) Top Territorial Talent: The clear focus point for the Maulers has to be OT Brian O’Neill from Pitt, a road grater who can be a huge asset in the run game. We also like a possible mid-round pick from West Virginia, safety Kyzir White, one of two tempting safeties, along with Pitt’s Jordan Whitehead. First Round Targets: Having missed out on Knowshon Moreno, outbid by the Dragons, the clear need for the Maulers is at halfback, and, what do you know, here sits Saquon Barkley, unclaimed by Philly in the T-Draft. A Penn State halfback playing in Pittsburgh, that is just too good not to happen.   OAKLAND INVADERS Team Needs: QB, FS, G Territorial Schools: California, Stanford, San Jose State Top Territorial Talent: No help at QB here, but some good talent, including a trio of Stanford Cardinal to scout out: Safety Justin Reed, DT Harrison Phillips, and TE Dalton Schults all would look good in an Invaders’ jersey. First Round Targets: The Invaders need a QB, so we are going to pencil in Josh Allen right here. That said, we know they also like Josh Rosen from UCLA. No way in the world that San Diego trades with their in-state rival to give Rosen to Oakland, but if Rosen is unclaimed, and it is between the physically-gifted Allen and the much more polished Rosen, we are not sure which way Oakland would go.   CHICAGO MACHINE Team Needs: LB, TE, QB Territorial Schools: Notre Dame, Illinois, Northern Illinois Top Territorial Talent: Perhaps the most pro-ready player in the entire draft could fall into the Machine’s hands if they think he will sign. Guard Quenton Nelson of Notre Dame could be a slam dunk if he is open to the Machine as a destination. Beyond Nelson, the pool drops off a bit, but we do also like another Golden Dome lineman, OT Mike McGlinchey. First Round Targets: Yes, QB is on the list above, but we already know Chicago is going to use LA’s first T-Draft pick on Darnold, so that leaves the LB position as the top choice. The Machine drop from this 7th pick to the 14th after the trade with LA, so we don’t think Roquan Smith is going to be at 14, but perhaps Va Tech’s Tremaine Edwards or Boise State’s Leighton Vander Esch. Of the two, Edwards makes more sense for what Chicago needs.   MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS Team Needs: MEM—TE, G, CB Territorial Schools: Tennessee, Arkansas, Memphis Top Territorial Talent: Memphis loves center Frank Ragnow of Arkansas, and it is a position of need. Beyond that, the best available player may be Memphis WR Anthony Miller, though we also like what we see in safety Rashaan Gaulden from Tennessee. First Round Targets: if Denzel Ward is still on the board, we think that is the pick. If not, they could actually go for the interior lineman, which in our mind would mean looking at Quenton Nelson of Notre Dame, the most pro-ready player in the entire draft pool.   ORLANDO RENEGADES Team Needs: OT, SS, LB Territorial Schools: Miami (FL), Mississippi State, Central Florida Top Territorial Talent: An off year for “The U”, so expect Orlando to look across all three schools. At UCF they have a couple of good prospects in CB Mike Hughes and WR Tre-Quan Smith. From Mississippi State, OT Martinas Rankin could be a find, and then at Miami there is DE Chad Thomas and TE Chris Herndon to scout out. First Round Targets: The top-rated tackle is another Golden Domer, Mike McGlinchey, and we could see Orlando go that direction, especially after seeing Russell Wilson lost for most of 2016, but, if by some miracle Minkah Fitzpatrick is still here, well…   DALLAS ROUGHNECKS Team Needs: WR, DE, G Territorial Schools: Texas, Southern Methodist, Texas Christian Top Territorial Talent: The Roughnecks inherited the Longhorns after San Antonio relocated, and that means they will have access to players like guard Connor Williams, LB Malik Jefferson, and safety DeShon Elliott. But, Dallas needs playmakers and they may have one in SMU wideout Courtland Sutton. First Round Targets: If Dallas feels good about drafting and signing SMU’s Sutton, than WR may be off the board, but USFL teams love to double dip, picking 2 players at the same position just in case the NFL wins the battle for their top choice. If that is the case, then we could see Dallas pick Sutton in the T-Draft and then go for either D. J. Moore or Calvin Ridley in this slot.   JACKSONVILLE BULLS Team Needs: DT, QB, FS Territorial Schools: Florida, Clemson, Georgia Southern Top Territorial Talent: Not a great draft for offense, so new coach Brian Flores may use the T-Draft to help him build his D. Adding Florida DT Taven Bryan or CB Duke Dawson would be a good start. We also like Clemson LB Dorian O’Daniel as an option there. Oh, and if you want a new kicker, you could do worse than Florida’s Eddy Pineiro. First Round Targets: If Lamar Jackson is on the board, which is very possible considering Philadelphia’s lack of interest, then we think Jacksonville is the perfect landing spot. Jackson is basically a younger, healthier, perhaps even better version of Robert Griffin III, so he should be a good match to join an offense already designed around RGIII.   ATLANTA FIRE Team Needs: HB, DE, G Territorial Schools: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State Top Territorial Talent: The fire have many needs, and Georgia has 5 potential “first day” draft candidates to help them with that wishlist. We start with LB Roquan Smith, a legitimate overall number one pick in an open draft. Then you have OT Isaiah Wynn, LB Lorenzo Carter, oh, and how about not one, but two halfbacks who look like early round picks? Take your pick between Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. Both have real pro potential. First Round Targets: The Fire would love to see Barkley here, but there is no way he slips past the Maulers. They have two good HB options in the T-Draft, so perhaps they go for DE here. If Chubb is here, he is the pick, if not, then UTSA end Marcus Davenport is the obvious choice, especially because he cannot be claimed in the T-Draft.   OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS Team Needs: DE, OT, FS Territorial Schools: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State Top Territorial Talent: We finally get to the first team with a top tier QB to consider, and we already know the plan. Back in July we thought they might seriously trade Flacco and take a run at OU’s Baker Mayfield. They didn’t. They instead traded their 1st T-Draft pick to the Federals, so expect Mayfield to be the target for Washington. As for Oklahoma’s other two picks, they have to be looking at WR James Washington from OSU, and while they are there, maybe scout out QB Mason Rudolph, who could be a nice 2-3 year backup for Flacco before taking over, much as McCoy did with Hasselbeck in Houston. First Round Targets: If Davenport is here, he is the best option for the Outlaws. If not, then they could look at OT Kolton Miller of UCLA or Isaiah Wynn of Georgia, either of whom make sense for their new run-focused offensive scheme.   LOS ANGELES EXPRESS Team Needs: DE, CB, WR Territorial Schools: Southern Cal, Hawaii, Fresno State Top Territorial Talent: Another top tier QB prospect and another early trade, with the Express sending the pick, and the rights to select USC QB Sam Darnold, to Chicago even before the USFL playoffs had concluded. So, LA has 2 territorial picks left. Do they go for defensive talent like USFC linebacker Uchenne Nwosu or DE Rasheem Green? Or do they look to find a nice complement to Reggie Bush with another Trojan, HB Ronald Jones II? First Round Targets: They traded away the rights to Sam Darnold, moving up from 14th to 7th in the Open Draft first round. So, with the 7th pick do they go for defense (Chubb, Ward, or Davenport) or do they go for a playmaking wideout? Looking at the WR group, we would love to see Calvin Ridley join this Express squad.   OHIO GLORY Team Needs: FS, C, LB Territorial Schools: Ohio State, Cincinnati, Kentucky Top Territorial Talent: The Glory must save so much money on scouting. They just set up camp in their own backyard at OSU and scout Buckeyes all year long. This year that likely pays off. Look at this roster of potential talent: CB Denzel Ward, C Billy Price, DE Tyquan Lewis, LB Jerome Baker, DE Sam Hubbard, DE Jalyn Homes, and OT Jamarco Jones. And that is without even looking at Cincinnati and Kentucky. Must be nice. First Round Targets: With little chance at Fitzpatrick, we think Ohio plays it safe and goes for the top rated center in the draft (Assuming the Showboats stay away with their territorial picks), Arkansas’s Frank Ragnow, a monster in the run game and solid against inside pressure.    BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Team Needs: DE, HB, C Territorial Schools: Alabama, Auburn, UAB Top Territorial Talent: No one milks the local talent pool quite like the Stallions. And when you have Auburn and Bama to choose from, the talent is rarely tough to find. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has expressed interest in the NFL, where he could be a Top 5 pick, even with all the QBs this year, so we expect Birmingham to avoid him and focus on others like DT Daron Payne, WR Calvin Ridley, HB Kerryon Johnson and guard Braden Smill, all first day picks in most people’s eyes. First Round Targets: With so much to choose from in the T-Draft, we are not sure which priority positions will be unfilled by the time they get to the Open Draft. Our guess is that HB remains a priority, and we think the best fit for the Stallions would be Georgia’s Sony Michel, a well-rounded back who could immediately share the load with the disappointing T. J. Yeldon.   BALTIMORE BLITZ Team Needs: DT, OT,DE Territorial Schools: Maryland, Duke, East Carolina, James Madison (2018 Addition) Top Territorial Talent: The Blitz qualified to add a 4th school to their pool this year and they were shrewd to look at the FCS James Madison squad. JMU has some real talent this year, including safety Raven Green and guard Aaron Stinnie. Add to this group a clear favorite for the Blitz, Maryland LB Jermaine Carter and you may well have their 3 picks right there. First Round Targets: The Blitz would absolutely be overjoyed if Washington DT Vita Vea were to slip this far down the draft. We don’t see it, and they likely don’t either, so the pick could be Alabama’s Daron Payne or Florida’s Taven Bryan.   DENVER GOLD Team Needs: LB, FS, DT Territorial Schools: Colorado, Nebraska, Colorado State Top Territorial Talent: Denver does not have the usual assortment of giant Cornhusker and Buffalo linemen to choose from this year, but they do have some talent in the pool. We really like CB Isaiah Oliver (CU) and WR Michael Gallup (CSU), but we also know Denver needs a new change-of-pace back, and CU’s Phillip Lindsay could be a good choice there. First Round Targets: Denver is likely looking at the same DT’s that Baltimore is, so they may try to move up and leapfrog the Blitz. If not, and if there is not a DT on the board that fits the mold they want, we think they could go for Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch.   CHARLOTTE MONARCHS Team Needs: DT, HB, G Territorial Schools: North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest Top Territorial Talent: After nabbing the 2017 ROTY in last year’s T-Draft (Trubisky), the Monarchs may be smart to turn to defense this year, especially with a territorial pool headed by NC State DE Bradley Chubb, but also with UNC CB M. J. Stewart, Wake Forest safety Jessie Bates, and NC State DTs B. J. Hill and Justin Jones. Too bad they can only have 3 picks. First Round Targets: Another team hoping for a DT, but if they don’t move up, then they may wait until Round 2, and instead, add some versatility at HB by looking at Rashaad Penny out of San Diego State. Penny would be a very nice 3rd down option, paired with Peterson in a backfield duo.   SAN DIEGO THUNDER Team Needs: OT, DT, LB Territorial Schools: UCLA, San Diego State, Minnesota Top Territorial Talent: What to do with Josh Rosen? Do the Thunder draft him and give up on Christian Ponder? Do they trade the pick away? Do they pick him as a “block” so that no one else can draft him? It’s 3-dimensional chess and there are a lot of ways to screw it up. Beyond Rosen, the best prospect for the Thunder’s needs is clearly on the O-line, but which Bruin to take? Center Scott Quessenberry or tackle Kolton Miller? First Round Targets: If McGlinchey is not here, which we think is likely, then the next best OT candidate is UCLA’s Kolton Miller, but San Diego could land him in the T-Draft, so maybe they double up at the position and pick Isaiah Wynn from Georgia instead.   SEATTLE DRAGONS Team Needs: DE, SS, WR Territorial Schools: Washington, Washington State, Montana Top Territorial Talent: The best player in the Dragon pool is clearly UW’s Vita Vea, but the real needs for the Dragons are on offense, so they may bypass Vea (who certainly will be a high NFL pick, making signing much tougher), and could take a look at WR Dante Pettis, TE Will Dissley or even WSU QB Luke Falk as good depth in needed areas. First Round Targets: If Emmanuel Sanders signs with anyone but Seattle (he is still unsigned), then we think WR moves up the list here and the Dragons go with either D. J. Moore (Maryland), Calvin Ridley (Alabama), or Christian Kirk (A&M), which assumes that they have not already landed UW’s Dante Pettis.   NEW JERSEY GENERALS Team Needs: DT, HB,CB Territorial Schools: Syracuse, Rutgers, Boston College Top Territorial Talent: No potential 1st rounders coming out of Rutgers, Syracuse, or BC, but, as usual, there is depth here and New Jersey needs to shore up several positions. The top graded player is BC linebacker Harold Landry, but the Generals also seem to like CB Isaac Yiedom from the Eagles as well as his teammate, Kamrin Moore, two solid cornerback choices there. First Round Targets: We expect the DT pool to be quite a bit thinner by this pick, so does New Jersey go cornerback, Alexander or UCF’s Mike Hughes, or do they get someone who can help spell MJD at tailback? We would love to see MJD get some rest, so maybe a player like Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, or USC’s Ronald Jones II.   PHILADELPHIA STARS Team Needs: DT, CB, WR Territorial Schools: Penn State, Temple, Louisville Top Territorial Talent: The Stars still hold all three picks, but we expect they are getting a lot of asks as teams look at Louisville QB Lamar Jackson and Penn State HB Saquon Barkley. Philly could end up trading their way entirely out of the T-Draft since they don’t want or need either. If they only get 1 pick, then that pick should be Louisville CB Jaire Alexander, a 1st day pick in a position of need. First Round Targets: For the time being we cannot assume that Philadelphia will have a bucket of picks by trading away the rights to Barkley and Jackson, but we all kind of expect that to be the case, and if it is, they could easily trade up to get a shot at DT Vita Vea. If they don’t, then all three positions of need could be on the table. If we go purely on best player available in those 3 positions, we then say it could be Jaire Alexander or Mike Hughes.   ARIZONA WRANGLERS Team Needs: DE, LB, WR Territorial Schools: Arizona, Arizona State, New Mexico Top Territorial Talent: We are not loving Arizona’s T-Draft pool. No first day candidates and no real help for all the losses they suffered in the NFL Transfer debacle. We do like ASU linebacker Christian Sam, but he is a 3rd pick, not a 1st pick. We just don’t see any real 1st picks here. First Round Targets: Arizona, thanks to retirements, free agency, and NFL “poaching” has to essentially rebuild their entire defense. They would love a shot at DE Bradley Chubb, but might need to trade into the T-Draft with Charlotte to have a shot. If that fails, a good fallback might be to look at Ole Miss edge rusher Breland Speaks.   LAS VEGAS VIPERS Team Needs: LB, DT, OT Territorial Schools: Brigham Young, Utah, UNLV, Western Kentucky (2018 Addition) Top Territorial Talent: Even after adding Western Kentucky as their 4th school, we are barely seeing 5-6 draftable players in the Viper pool. Our only “must pick” is linebacker Fred Warner from BYU. Other than that, honestly, some camp fodder perhaps. First Round Targets: The Vipers need to get stronger up the middle of the defense. Like almost every other team in the draft, they want some DT help, but their best option in this round may be to look at MLB, and if that is the case, then we would say either Vander Esch (if he is still on the board) or BC’s Harold Landry.   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Team Needs: LB, G, CB Territorial Schools: Louisiana State, Tulane, Mississippi Top Territorial Talent: Four solid LSU starters to choose from (CB Donte Jackson, HB Derrius Guice, WR D. J. Chark, and DE Arden Key), but our favorite player in the Breaker’s pool is Ole Miss DE Breeland Sparks. First Round Targets: Another team looking for LB help, but the Breakers are more looking for the outside or weak side speed guy than the thumper in the middle. In that case they may find their man in Alabama’s Rashaan Evans.   HOUSTON GAMBLERS Team Needs: FS, DT, CB Territorial Schools: Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, Rice (2018 Addition) Top Territorial Talent: Wideout is not a position of need for the Gamblers, but will they really pass on both A&M’s Christian Kirk and Tech’s Keke Coutee? They could, but for what? First Round Targets: If somehow Derwin James is on the board, not picked by Tampa Bay in the T-Draft, then he would be an ideal fit for Houston. If he is not there, then the next best option is likely Va Tech’s Terrell Edmunds.   MICHIGAN PANTHERS Team Needs: WR, SS, DE Territorial Schools: Michigan, Michigan State, Central MI, Western MI (2018 Addition) Top Territorial Talent: The Panthers can shore up both lines with some good choices in their pool. There is O-line help in Michigan center Mason Cole or MSU center Brian Allen, oh, and, even better is guard Chukwuma Okorafor, which is also fun to say. But if they want to go D-line, there is always DT Maurice Hurst from the Wolverines. Expect several line picks in this group, with “skills” positions the focus of the Panther open draft later on. First Round Targets: The Wide Receiver pool is a good one this year, so even if Ridley, Moore, and Sutton are off the board, the Panthers could still find talent, talent like Washington’s Dante Pettis, A&M’s Christian Kirk, or U. of Memphis wideout Anthony Miller. Michigan could even trade down just a few spots, get out of the first round, and still find a receiver they really like.   So, there you have it, our draft preview. As always, a lot of “ifs” because we just don’t know which players will be claimed in the Territorial Draft, which will be Open Draft options, and whether teams will go for positions of need, or double down, selecting the best player in the same position in both drafts, territorial and open. Then, we should remind everyone, there is the battle with the NFL over who signs the picks, since pretty much every single player taken in the first 3-4 rounds of the USFL drafts will likely also be taken in the NFL Draft. It makes for a very messy, very strategy-heavy draft process, and makes our jobs, as prognosticators of picks, that much tougher. So, that is a wrap for our October USFL report. We will be back online in February, following the USFL and NFL Drafts to see just what each roster looks like. Between now and then we expect a lot of trading, a lot of free agents to get signed, a lot of maneuvering, and a pretty wild draft week. We will be back to break it all down in early February, looking back on all the deals and moves, reviewing the draft, and looking ahead to the final stage of the offseason, the second NFL-USFL Transfer Window, when the USFL often gets the better of the deal and teams fill those very needed spots as they enter preseason and even the early weeks of the 2018 campaign. We will be here to cover it all. Until then, enjoy the fall, the holidays, and the NFL, and we will be back before you know it with more USFL coverage.

Panthers Hold On Against Hobbled Houston for 4th Title The Michigan Panthers used a combination of a hearty run game, effective play action passing, and a defense that chased, challenged, and eventually sidelined Houston QB Colt McCoy to defeat the Gamblers and equal their Texan opponent’s league best four USFL titles. In a game that was surprisingly defensive-oriented, Michigan controlled the clock for nearly 36 minutes of action, doubled Houston’s output on the ground, and used aggressive stunts and line shifts to get to Colt McCoy, who was forced out of the game at the half.  Houston’s defense kept them in the game, but they simply could not put enough points on the board to erase a 6-point halftime deficit.   Detroit's Ford Field hosted the Gamblers and the "visiting" Michigan Panthers. The game began, as all Summer Bowls do, with a lot of pomp and circumstance, and while the Panthers were technically the road team due to their 12-4 record being 2 games worse than Houston’s 14-2 mark, it was clear from the early stages of pre-game that this game would have a heavy Detroit slant to it. In addition to the Panther faithful filling the entire “vistor” section with team-issued tickets, it was clear that folks in the Motor City and the entire Wolverine State had done their homework and found as many tickets in the general market as possible. While not as partisan as a standard home game, there was clearly a plum, champagne, and sky tinge to the 65,000 seat sell-out crowd at Ford Field.  Panther fans show up for their team. The pre-game festivities also had a very Michigan feel to them, with the Michigan National Guard presenting the colors, with Motown star Diana Ross on hand to sing America the Beautiful and former Commodores lead man and solo star Lionel Richie belting out a high octane ersion of the National Anthem. Throw in the unique “fly over” and you had quite a show. With Ford Field not having a retractable roof, the USFL opted not to engage in the ridiculous concept of fly over with military jets that no one inside the stadium could witness. In its stead they opted to have a legends of the game “drive over” as fans cheered a parade of 28 cars representing the 28 league teams, all vintage U.S. convertibles from the ’57 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz and ’64 Ford Mustang to the 55’ Chevy Bel Air and the ’69 Pontiac GTO. Each car had 2 team legends from the 28 USFL squads.  The biggest cheers, of course, went to the Panthers’  car, with former QB Bobby Hebert and former All-USFL linebacker Corker, but there was plenty of applause for other legends, including Herschel Walker (NJ), Jake Plummer (SD), Joe Cribbs (BIR), Troy Aikman (TBY), Joey Galloway (OHI), Eric Metcalf (SEA), Aeneas Williams (LA), Chris Doleman (ORL) and Tim Mazzetti (NOR).    After the ceremony, the coin flip went to the Panthers and another roar from the crowd. Rather than defer, Michigan took the ball first, wanting to establish their offense. The kickoff was a touchback and the Panthers took over on their 20. The first Michigan drive showcased LeVeon Bell, the Panther back rushing on all three of the initial downs, producing a first down on a 3rd and 1 run.  Bell would have himself a heavy workload on the day, with 23 carries and 4 receptions, and would eventually be named the game’s MVP for his 144 yards from scrimmage.    The drive did not pick up a second 1st down as a holding call on what appeared to be a 2nd converted 3rd down led to a 3rd and 12 that the Panthers were unable to pick up. They punted the ball to the Gamblers and Houston took over on their own 33.  Houston hit a nice initial play, with McCoy faking the ball to Hyde and finding Juju Smith-Schuster on an inside-cutting route. It gained 8, but on 2nd down, Carlos Hyde was caught behind the line by Michigan’s Terrell Troupe and on 3rd and 4 a short pass to Vernon Davis fell incomplete.  Michigan returned the ball to the Panthers back on their own 17.  Michigan QB Kirk Cousins was all smiles on Media Day ahead of the game. Michigan’s next drive would be a clinic in efficient ball control offense.  The Panthers used 14 plays and converted two third downs on their way into Houston territory.  The drive was highlighted by a 9-yard run by backup Mike Hart, giving Bell a spell midway through the drive. Hart seemed to be caught in the backfield but somehow spun out of the tackle and advanced the ball for a first down. The drive did sputter out in the red zone, when Kirk Cousins did not see a wide-open Jerrel Jernigan in the endzone and instead forced the ball to Rob Housler over the middle.  The ball was swatted away by All-USFL rookie safety Budda Baker, and Michigan settled for a 37-yard field goal to put the first points of the game on the board.   Houston would get a nice return on the Michigan kickoff, with rookie Josh Reynolds bringing the ball back 21 yards from the 11 to give the Gamblers a nice starting spot on the 32-yardlline. They would move quickly, trying to shake up the Michigan defense by using a muddle huddle to get to the line quickly.  It would be Colt McCoy’s best drive of what would be a shortened appearance. McCoy connected on 3 of 5 passing and Carlos Hyde broke tackles to turn a short gain into an 11-yard play. Following a defensive holding call against Michigan, Houston would have a first and 10 on the Michigan 7. After Hyde rushed for 2 yards on first down, the Gamblers lined up with 3 receivers bunched to the left and only TE Vernon Davis to the right. It was a classic rub route, with all 3 Gambler wideouts taking varying angles across the middle of the field, making for tough assignments for the Panther DBs. Davis slipped beneath the coverage, got a step on Michigan LB Sean Porter and took the McCoy pass in stride. He galloped into the endzone and the Gamblers took the lead. A PAT kick from rookie Younghoe Koo and Houston was up 7-3 with only 3 seconds left in the opening period.  The Panthers find success with a ball control offense. Michigan would respond in kind as the 2nd quarter began. Kirk Cousins led the Panthers on an 8-play drive that took only 2:35 to retake the lead. The key play of the drive was a beautiful throw to Cody Latimer on the outside. Latimer, who would be the game’s lead receiver with 8 receptions, and tying Juju Smith Schuster with 85 yards, used a wicked inside shoulder fake to put distance between himself and the corner, catching the ball along the sideline and gaining 33 yards before being knocked out of bounds by safety Kenny Vaccaro. The play put Michigan just outside the red zone and 3 plays later it was Cousins to Latimer a second time, this time for 7 as the receiver took an inside move on the Panther corner and found the ball right between his numbers on the slant.   Houston would again try to go quickly on the next drive, but on both 2nd down and 3rd down pressure from the outside forced Colt McCoy to shift to his left, and in both cases his passes were thrown at the knees of the receivers. Houston was forced to punt back to Michigan, but more disturbingly, McCoy was visibly struggling to sprint on both roll outs. He could shuffle, he could move, but he clearly could not run with any authority. That was noticed by the Michigan defense, and would be theme of the rest of the half.   McCoy's knee and mobility became a major story of the game in the 2nd quarter. Michigan would add 3 more points on their next drive, with Michael Beam connecting from 45-yards out to give the Panthers a 6-point lead halfway through the 2nd quarter.  Houston would again take over, but this time they seemed willing to slow things down. They turned to Carlos Hyde to gain a first down, then gained a second on an offsides penalty on 3rd and 2, but mired down on their own 48. On 3rd and 7 Colt McCoy was taken down, sacked by Panther DE Justin Tuck, and was slow to get up. Michigan punted as McCoy sought an adjustment to his taping and his knee brace on the sideline.   Houston’s defense would come up with a nice sack of their own at the end of the next Michigan drive, pushing the Panthers back from the Houston red zone and bringing out Michael Beam to attempt a 39-yarder from the 22. The ball would shank off to the right and the Gamblers would sigh in relief as the lead would stay at 6, less than a touchdown. Michigan had moved the ball well on the last 2 drives but had only come away with 3 points.  With the ball back with 57 seconds to go in the half, Michigan took a couple of shots down the field, but on 3rd and 10 opted to hand the ball to Hyde on a draw that gained 7 yards, but not enough to convert for a first down. Michigan called for a time out, forcing Houston to punt with 17 seconds left. The punt went out of bounds inside the Panther 20 and that was enough for Coach McDermott to call a kneel down and go to the half, Panthers up 13-7 and seemingly having the better fortune in the game.   At the half, Houston trainers worked on McCoy’s knee, giving the Gambler starter the green light to go out in the 2nd half. The coaches worked on defensive schemes to better defend Latimer while not allowing Bell to run wild. In the Michigan locker room the focus was on intensity, with Coach McDermott urging his team not to let up, to fight on every down, and to stay focused for 30 mor minutes of action. Outside the locker rooms, the sell-out crowd was given a very different Mo-Town experience, not classic Rhythm & Blues acts but two very different Detroit sounds as rapper Eminem teamed up with Jack White and the White Stripes. The transition from some classic Slim Shady to 7 Nation Army was a bit forced, but fans, at least the large Panther contingency, seemed to enjoy rapping along to "Lose Yourself”, yelling “One Opportunity” every time Eminem hit it.    With a bit of smoke from the indoor pyrotechnics still in the air at the top of the dome, the second half kicked off with Houston getting the ball first. Out trotted McCoy and the offense, the QB looking a little more spry. But, following a pair of runs by Hyde, McCoy lined up in the shotgun for a 3rd and 4, Michigan pressured with blitzes from both SS Troy Petty and OLB Stanley Arnaux. McCoy tried to evade the pressure, but was clearly uncomfortable moving to his left. He attempted to get the ball out to Hyde on the left side, but took a vicious hit form Arnaux just as the ball was released. Rather than finding Hyde, it found LB Odell Thurman, who was a good 2 yards inside Hyde. Thurman, bobbled the ball at first, but brought it in as he rolled to the ground. Houston had turned the ball over in their own territory and it was clear that McCoy was not anywhere near 100%.  Michigan Coach McDermott not happy about the sideline call reversal. The Houston defense needed a stop, and they got exactly what they needed on first and 10 from their own 30. Houston sent pressure up the middle, apparently a run blitz, but the ball was not in the hands of LeVeon Bell.  Michigan had tried first down play action, but it was about to backfire. With the immediate pressure, Kirk Cousins spun out of the pocket, rolling to the right and trying to find space as he headed towards the sideline. DE Antwan Applewhite showed surprising speed in pursuit, pushing Cousins further back. Just as he headed out of bounds, Cousins tossed the ball up the sideline and out of bounds, but it was on the Houston sideline and as soon as the play happened a dozen Gamblers pointed at the sideline, insisting that Cousins had stepped out before throwing the ball away. The officials had called incomplete pass, but Coach Wade Phillips threw the red flag. Upon review, the officials amended their ruling, giving a sack to Applewhite and placing the ball back at the 41.  Michigan was forced to punt.  Houston found few big plays in the 2nd half, with McCoy sidelined. After the touchback, Houston took over on offense but it was not Colt McCoy, but Jeff Driskel who came onto the field with the offense. McCoy was on the bench, clearly frustrated and upset, surrounded by trainers working on the brace. Jeff Driskel led the Gamblers out, and on first down completed his first pass, a s short swing to Hyde. It would be one of only 3 completions in the entire second half. Houston would make a first down on that first possession, but then failed to obtain a second and punted. Michigan, noting the change at QB and feeling good about their current position, perhaps prematurely went into a shell, focusing on the run game and passing on 3rd and 4 or longer for the rest of the game. The result was that we saw a 3rd quarter with no further ventures across the 50 for either team.  Celebrating the safety that gave Michigan an 8-point cushion. It would be a game of field position for the entire second half. The Michigan punt put the ball on the Houston 7, and with the focus now clearly on containing Carlos Hyde, by 3rd down it was 3rd and 15 on the 2-yardline. Michigan again brought pressure and the pressure was effective, with Tuck forcing Driskel into a desperate attempt to scramble out of the endzone.  DT Kevin Vickerson would catch him before he could get away and 2 points went to the Panthers, to raise their lead from 6 to 8 points, still within a single drive’s ability to match, but still a bit more breathing room for the Panthers.   The 4th quarter brought more of the same, with Houston unable to capitalize even on the occasional nice play, because they simply were not able to keep drives going. Michigan was content to play for field position and drain the clock with run plays and the occasional short, safe pass. Houston did manage to get a long field goal from Younghoe Koo on their most successful drive of the half, but it was only enough to bring them within 5.  They would need a touchdown in some fashion, and they simply were not getting the plays they needed to pose a threat.  Michigan took the clock down to 3:03 before opting for a squib punt instead of a long fieldgoal attempt, and Houston would get their last possession on their own 9-yardline. Jeff Driskel managed to find Juju Smith Schuster on a nice out-route to earn a first down, and hit Carlos Hyde with a screen on the next play, but again Houston could not get the ball out from their side of the field. They found themselves with a 4th and 4 on their own 44, and when Driskel could not connect with Vernon Davis, it marked the end of Houston’ title bid.  Michigan took over with just over 2 minutes to play, needing one first down to end any threat of a last minute miracle. They would get it from, who else, LeVeon Bell, as he turned a 3rd and 3 into a 7-yard run to the right side. Cheers went up on the Michigan sideline and throughout the stadium. The Panthers would end the game with one more Bell run and a Cousins kneel down.    A happy LeVeon Bell celebrates his Summer Bowl win and MVP. The Michigan Panthers had outlasted the Gamblers in a game that was more a war of attrition than a shootout. It had been clear that Colt McCoy’s injury and inability to continue in the second half changed the tenor of the game, but even in the first half Michigan seemed to be the more physical team, able to pressure McCoy while Kirk Cousins benefited from a pretty solid pocket and a decent ability to run the ball. As Coach McDermott and team owners passed around the John Bassett Trophy, the players hugged each other, bathed in plum and champagne confetti. LeVeon Bell had failed in his bid to break 2,000 yards rushing, but he had won a league title, and the Summer Bowl MVP as well. He was happy, and the state of Michigan celebrated its first title in a decade.    2017 Championship Gear is already available at the USFL and Panther online stores. For Houston, it will forever be a game shrouded in “what ifs”. What if McCoy had stayed healthy? What if he had not played in a meaningless Week 16 game? Would his knee have healed just enough to not be a factor in this game? What if Landry Jones had been available to back him up? A lot of questions, but at the end of the day Coach Phillips acknowledged that the Panthers were the better team on this day, and that his Gamblers were proud of their season and eager to get to work on 2018. It was perhaps not the most glamorous or even the most attention-holding title game, and the second half certainly lacked in big plays, but it was a title game between two very good teams, both of whom could have a strong future ahead of them, and in the end the Panthers proved a worthy champion.

Looks like we are going to have battle of traditions and legacies in Summer Bowl 2017. The two teams that emerged out of this week’s Conference Title Games have a combined 7 USFL titles between them, and a grand total of 10 Summer Bowl appearances. The two top remaining seeds advanced this week, both in close games, but games that showed that the narrowest of margins can often determine the fortunes of a franchise. Houston won the Eastern Conference Title with a 23-20 victory over divisional rival New Orleans, largely on the strength of a defense that kept the heat on Drew Brees all game. Michigan won the West with a comeback for the ages, down 24-6 midway through the 2rd quarter, the Panthers turned on the afterburners and scored the game’s final19 points to overtake Las Vegas and claim the right to play for the league title in their home stadium. We will break down how both teams emerged out of the Conference Championships and are now ready to face each other for the first time in a league title game. We will also discuss all the news of the past week, including a reversal on the league’s planned schedule for 2018, a goodbye from one of the league’s most flamboyant characters, and a trade that could open the floodgate for one of the wildest draft week’s in USFL history. It all starts right now, so don’t go anywhere. About Face: USFL to delay bye week plan until 2020 expansion season Before we get to the on-field action of the week, a late announcement from the league on Saturday became one of the most discussed stories of the weekend. On Saturday, league officials announced that they were putting on hold the plan to add bye weeks to the USFL schedule, to add a 17th week and give each team a week of rest during the season. It seems to be a combination of factors that forced the league to reverse course on the plan. In addition to ongoing opposition from a significant number of teams, and concerns about scheduling, particularly towards the end of the year, which would have seen the postseason extend into August, the other major factor was apparently the inability of the league’s four network partners to agree on a plan to split the schedule during the various bye weeks.   The USFL plan was to have all teams hold their bye either in weeks 8, 9, or 10, creating three weeks in the middle of the season which would have between 8-11 games rather than the usual 14. It seems that NBC was unwilling to trade their two weekly games for 16 weeks for a plan that would have 4 games spread out over the 3 bye weeks. Likewise ESPN balked at a similar arrangement, while both ABC and FOX were squabbling about how to divide up the Saturday and Sunday afternoon games if each week during the bye period would have varying numbers of games. The two networks, which typically divide up 10 of the14 games each week were apparently at an impasse about how to work with the spread out schedule of the midseason, and at least one, though no one has revealed which, was very much against the USFL moving the start of the season up a week, citing the NCAA basketball tournament as a major impediment to broadcasting a full Saturday-Sunday schedule earlier in March.   And so, the decision was made, the USFL would hold off on any talk of mid-year byes as they studied the options more thoroughly, likely not reintroducing the idea until the league expands to 30 teams in 2020. Of course, by then the league will also be coming to the end of their current broadcast contracts with all 4 networks, and we can expect a wild frenzy with a lot of new players in the marketplace right now. The league, even with expansion, is likely to face some serious challenges to the status quo and to the current balance of games between FOX (5 per week), ABC (5 per week), ESPN (2 per week) and NBC (2 per week). In the short run it means that the 2018 schedule will look a lot like the 2017 one, and in the long run, who knows what the scheduling or broadcasting of USFL games will look like when the league returns to San Antonio and adds a 30th city in 2020. But, enough business talk. Let’s get to the games that gave us our Summer Bowl 2017 Matchup. As I expect you may hae figured out, the actual issue is Draft Day Sports: PF2021 won't allow me to add bye weeks into a 28-team league. I thought it would, tested it and it seemed fine, but when I tried it with the USFL for 2018 it kept cutting off Week 17 and telling me that teams only had 15 games. It looks like with 30 teams it is allowed, so that is what we will do.   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 20   HOUSTON GAMBLERS 23 We start in Houston, where the Gamblers were facing their division rival, New Orleans, for the third time this year. The Gamblers had won both of the regular season matchups and came into this game confident they could make it 3 of 3. New Orleans, having already defeated two division winners, Charlotte and Philadelphia, were not intimidated by the Gamblers and came into the game with every intention of returning to the Summer Bowl for the second time in 3 years, after their first league title in 2015.   The game got off to a fast start with New Orleans taking the opening kickoff and quickly getting into Houston territory, but on a 3rd and 5, Houston blitzed SS Kenny Vaccaro, in at the nickel position, and the Breakers line did not pick it up. Drew Brees tried to pivot out of the way of the charging safety, but that only caused the sack to be 4 yards further back from the line of scrimmage. The Breakers’ drive was over and kicker Caleb Sturgis came out to attempt a 48-yarder. When Sturgis’s kick hooked left, the Gamblers took over on the 31-yard line. Houston wasted no time testing the Breaker defense either. No jabs and testing the line, they too went for some big plays right away. They found one pretty quickly too, turning a 2nd and 6 into a 35-yard dagger to JuJu Smith-Schuster that put the ball into the Breaker red zone. Four plays later and McCoy found Mike Evans for the first score of the game on a classic rub route, with Evans taking an inside cut and snagging the high throw from McCoy. Houston was up 7-0, but McCoy still looked a bit unsure on his braced knee.   The Breakers would do little on their next drive, and as the first quarter turned into the second, Houston found themselves with the ball once again. They mixed inside runs to Hyde with short throws to Evans, Vernon Davis and Dante Rosario to again move the ball effectively against New Orleans’s defense. A nice throw from McCoy to Evans forced CB Patrick Peterson to throw his body into Evans to avoid a touchdown. The defensive pass interference call was a pretty easy decision for the refs, and from the 1-yardline, Carlos Hyde did the rest, plunging over the line from the 1 to double Houston’s advantage.   But the Breakers were not ready to give up down 14-0, they went to their best option on their next possession, a deep ball to Jordy Nelson, and the play produced exactly what they wanted. Nelson made an effective fake on an out route, then took the route up the sideline, with Leodis McKelvin now a clear 2-3 steps behind the speedy Nelson. Brees laid the ball out over the top and Nelson ran under it, never changing pace as he snagged it out of the air and down the sideline for a 43-yard touchdown that kept New Orleans right in the game.   Houston would respond to the stunning play, taking a patient tack on their next drive. Carlos Hyde, who would run for 110 on the day, carried the ball 7 times on the drive, but once again when the Gamblers got into the red zone, Hyde was used as a decoy, first on a swing pass out to the fullback, and then on the touchdown toss, another short route to Mike Evans, this time a fade from the 3 that utilized Evans’s height advantage over the corner to good effect.   New Orleans went into the half down 14 once again but emerged with a plan. Drew Brees had been trying to get the ball down the field and had suffered 5 sacks because of it in the first half. Yes, they had hit on one play to Nelson, but it was proving too risky against the aggressive Houston blitzing scheme. They would start by putting pressure on Colt McCoy, using their own blitz, and then on offense they would dink and dunk to avoid putting Brees into a defensive posture. Both halftime adjustments proved effective early. Houston started with the ball, and on the first third down of their drive, New Orleans brought pressure right up the middle. McCoy tried to roll out of it, but LB Kwan Alexander was there. McCoy tried to make a desperation throw to the sideline, but the ball fluttered on him and FS Clyde Adams was in position to pick it off.   From there, now with the ball on the Houston 41, New Orleans used short passes, along with a couple of nice runs from David Wilson to get the ball down to the 9. On first and goal from there, New Orleans put Nelson in motion, faked the end around and gave the ball to Wilson once more. The back found a huge hole in the center of the line, sidestepped the initial tackle and slipped into the endzone before the safety could get his knee down. The Breakers had pulled back to a 7-point deficit.   The Breakers’ 2nd half adjustments seemed to be doing exactly what Coach Lathon had hoped. On Houston’s next possession, McCoy again felt pressure on third down. This time the pass was incomplete, but once again, Houston’s offense had sputtered and New Orleans would again get the ball back in good field position. Brees found Keny Britt with a nice throw, turning a 7-yard catch into a 29-yard play, but when they got down into Houston territory the drive fizzled and the team settled for a Caleb Sturgis field goal. The third quarter ended with Houston holding a precarious 21-17 lead.   The fourth quarter saw Houston stifle New Orleans with back-to-back sacks on their first drive, but the Gamblers were struggling to make first downs. Carlos Hyde’s per carry average was dropping as New Orleans reined him in, and Colt McCoy’s mobility was clearly becoming an issue. After another short drive, McCoy was again pressured and it was clear he could not run to safety. For the second time in the game, he forced a throw, and for the second time New Orleans came up with it, this time the throw for Evans was short and Patrick Peterson was there to snag it off the carpet. The Breakers were again in position to use a short field to their advantage.   Houston’s defense stepped up when pressed, sacking Drew Brees for the 8th time in the game, and once again the Breakers had to settle for 3, this time a 25-yarder from the Houston 8-yardline. The chip shot was nice, but when New Orleans was so close, many wondered why they did not go for the touchdown on 4th and goal. That will be a question folks will be asking for a long time in New Orleans, because the 21-20 score would be as close as New Orleans would get in the game.   After Houston managed to move the ball on their next drive, they shifted the field a bit, pinning New Orleans back to their own 7 on a nice punt from David Sepulveda. A false start by the Breakers made it an even tougher 1st and 13 from the three-and-a-half yard line. A run by Fournette lost almost 2 yards, now with both the Houston defense and the crowd fully engaged in making life tough for the Breakers. On 2nd down, now from just outside the 2, New Orleans tried to use play action. Houston was not fooled, and their run blitz quickly turned into a pursuit of Brees. DE John Hughes got to him first, but got help from DT Albert Haynesworth as they brought Brees down for a safety.   New Orleans would touch the ball only one more time in the final minutes of the game. They got the ball back with 37 seconds to play, frittered away too much time trying to cross midfield and had to settle for a Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds. The pass did not connect, and Houston collectively let out a sigh of relief. They had not played well in the second half, at least not on offense, and nearly gave up a 14-point lead, but in the end they held on and had punched their ticket to the Summer Bowl, their first since their 2010 league title. LAS VEGAS VIPERS 24   MICHIGAN PANTHERS 27 A very different game took place later that day in Detroit. In a game defined by a single play, momentum became the deciding factor as Michigan fought back from a 24-6 deficit in the final 20 minutes of gametime. Las Vegas had played an outstanding game for 2.5 quarters, but a costly pick led to a shift in fortunes and the Panthers took advantage of that swing to mount their comeback.   The game between the Central Division Champion and the upstart 5th seed Vipers began with a lot of cautious testing. The two had met back in Week 2, a Michigan blow-out, but this game had a lot more riding on it and both teams wanted to use the first quarter to test out their options. It would be 3 drives before either team got past their own 40, as Las Vegas, on their second possession of the game connected on some nice plays, including a nice 8 yard toss from Manning to Baldwin on 3rd and 6 to move the ball inside the Michigan 40. But, the drive did not reach paydirt and Brett Maher was called on to kick from the Panther 15, giving Las Vegas an early 3-0 lead on the 32-yard kick.   Michigan would respond with a drive of their own. With LeVeon Bell still being bottled up by the Las Vegas defense, often with 8 or 9 players close to the line, the Panthers relied on their passing game. Kirk Cousins completed a nice 14-yarder to Cody Latimer, then found Bell for 13 yards on a screen, and then got a defensive holding call on a 2nd and 4 to gain another first down. They soon found themselves a the Viper 9 yard line, and a first down fake to Bell did the trick to free up Latimer in the enzone. Cousins found him along the back line and Michigan took the lead. But Las Vegas was not feeling intimidated. They were ready to strike. The missed PAT from Michael Beam had made it only a 6-3 lead, but Las Vegas wanted more.   The Vipers would win on both sides of the ball in the 2nd quarter, the defense holding Michigan to only 3 first downs in the quarter and picking off Kirk Cousins midway through the period to set up the Viper’s first of 3 consecutive touchdowns. Cousins had thrown the ball late and Las Vegas linebacker Nate Irving had made up ground on TE Rob Housler, wrenching the ball out of his hands and setting the Vipers up at the Michigan 33. Four plays later, on 1st and 10 from the 21, Eli Manning connected on the first of 3 touchdowns, a nice corner route to Denarius Moore to give Las Vegas a 10-6 lead.   The game would go to the half with that 10-6 advantage for Las Vegas. They would add to it in the 3rd. Las Vegas got the ball first and in only 6 plays they put another 7 on the board. The key play was a 44-yard connection between Manning and Doug Baldwin, a play that probably should have been a sack, but Manning somehow managed to worm out of the tackle and find Baldwin deep. 2 plays later he connected with Dustin Keller and the Vipers were up 17-6 in front of a stunned Panther crowd.   Only 3 minutes later they would add another 7. Michigan had opted to throw the ball on all three plays of their drive, with two of the three falling incomplete, including the 3rd and 5 throw needed to get another set of downs. A mediocre punt gave Las Vegas the ball at their own 42, and they again struck quickly. Manning hit Denarius Moore for 32 yards on a play that got Michigan Coach Sean McDermott to throw his headset to the turf. Three plays later Manning had his third TD toss, this time to Jeremy Hill, his only catch of the game.   Down 24-6 with 9:09 left in the third, the Panthers needed a spark, and it would be their defense that would get it. After another short drive, Michigan had again punted to Las Vegas, giving the Vipers the ball on their own 12. The Panthers stuffed Hill after 2 yards, bringing up a 2nd and 8 on the 14. Manning had to be throwing, and the Panthers would bring pressure. As they figured, Manning took the snap, faked to Hill and started his drop. Panther DE Michael Bennett had ignored the fake and was right there when Manning tried to set up. He swatted at the QB’s arm, caught it just before Manning stated his throwing motion, and the ball sputtered backwards. With most of the two lines still engaged, Bennett was able to roll onto the ball, roll to his feet and lunge into the endzone.   It was a play that brought the entire stadium to their feet. In one bold play, Bennett had brought Michigan back into the game, both emotionally and on the scoreboard. Now down 24-13, the Panthers were a new team, and Las Vegas seemed to sense it. The Vipers would have a badly timed 3-and-out on their next drive and Michigan would respond with a 64-yard drive that finished up the 3rd quarter with a Mike Hart 3-yard touchdown run. They went for 2, failed, but the tone was still set, and the Panthers were now down only 24-19 with a whole quarter to play.   The sudden turn of the tide seemed to deflate the Vipers, who had played so well for nearly 3 quarters. Their next drive lasted only 5 plays before they again punted the ball away. Michigan was unable to keep their offensive production going, and after a short drive, they too punted the ball away. The next Viper drive would be a bit more successful, as they ate up over 5 minutes and got into scoring range, well, the fringe of scoring range at least. When a holding call turned a 3rd and 2 into a 3rd and 12, Manning was forced to try to fit a ball into Moore, but the play was disrupted by Michigan safety Troy Petty, forcing New Orleans to go for a 51-yard kick. The ball did not stay on target and Michigan took over with just over 7 minutes to play, down only 5.   Kirk Cousins led the final Panther drive, though he did get help from LeVeon Bell, who was finally seeing some space as the Viper D tired. Bell hit the hole quickly on a 2nd and 5 and turned a short gain into a 17-yard scamper that again got the Panther faithful up to their feet. Cousins would connect with Jerrel Jernigan for another first down and soon Michigan was knocking on the door. With the ball just outside the 10-yard line, Michigan used a bit of trickery, lining up Bell under center with Cousins out wide. They brought Cousins in motion, snapped the ball to Bell, who pitched it to his QB. Cousins turned to the opposite side of the field and there was Latimer racing across the field on the flattest corner route we have seen in a while. Cousins put the ball into the endzone and Latimer came down with it, his cover man caught up in the mass of bodies in the center of the field. The Panthers went for 2 and Bell lunged over the pylon to convert the try. Michigan was up 27-24 with just over 4 minutes left to play.   The Panther D would do the rest. On the first Viper possession, LB Odell Thurman tipped a Manning pass, almost producing another takeaway. The play was good enough to force a Breaker punt. Michigan then burned some clock before returning the ball to Manning with only 47 seconds. But, needing only 3 points, the Vipers were still in this one.   Well, they were in it until an aggressive shift by the Panther D-line led to a false start, producing a 1st and 15. That became 2nd and 15 on a missed pass to Nelson, then a draw produced only 3 yards, leaving Las Vegas with a tough 3rd and 12 and time ticking away. Houston blitzed on 3rd down, with Bennett this time getting close, but not quite getting to Manning. It was good enough to force a bad pass and the Vipers were down to 4th and 12 with only 23 seconds left. The 4th down toss to Tyler Eiffert gained 9 yards, but three Panthers were there to end his run before he could reach for the first down. Michigan had the ball in Viper territory and needed only a kneel down to set up a Summer Bowl return. They would be facing Houston in their own stadium, a rare chance to win a league title on familiar ground. Houston’s Gamble Pays Off with 9 Sacks of Brees The Gamblers knew what the mission was this week, disrupt Drew Brees. They had watched how Brees decimated the Monarchs’ and Stars’ defenses, throwing for 6 touchdowns and no picks over the past two weeks and taking over both games. They understood that the key to defeating the Breakers was to force Brees out of rhythm and out of his comfort zone. And so, Coach Phillips decided to take a risk. The Gamblers would blitz early and blitz often. They would send everyone from safety Kenny Vaccaro to any or all three of their linebackers, anticipating that Albert Haynesworth and John Jenkins would occupy the linemen, and that with Applewhite and Fowler on the outside, they could create gaps for the blitzers to reach home.   The plan was a good one. Yes, it allowed Brees to throw for 315 yards, with several big plays, but it also disrupted a lot of drives. Pressure, including 9 sacks of the New Orleans QB, turned potential touchdown drives into field goal attempts, and ended several drives before they got dangerous. And while Brees did top 300 yards passing, he threw for only 1 touchdown in a game where his ability to make plays under duress was the key to the Breakers’ attempt to come back from a 21-7 deficit. It was close, but Houston managed to blitz Brees into a safety in the 4th quarter, and several other big defensive stops, enough to hold on and earn a trip to the Summer Bowl.   How Houston’s Draft Success Has them Headed to Summer Bowl 2017 If you are looking for the reason that Coach Phillips’s team is once again so successful, and why they have become a power in the Southern Division and Eastern Conference, you may actually have to look a little higher on the food chain. Yes, Coach Phillips has molded the team into a dynamic and dangerous squad, but we should also look to the front office, where GM Nick Caserio has built this team through the draft. Houston’s roster is a prime example, perhaps the example, of the value of drafting and signing talent that builds year after year. Three of the past four years the Gamblers have found multiple starters in the draft, and 3 of the past 4 years they have earned a draft grade of A or A+.   Just take a look at the Houston roster and its All-USFL performers and you can see just how successful the Gamblers have been when it comes to finding talent through the league’s two drafts, the territorial draft (mostly of Texas schools for this club) and the Open Draft. In 2014 the Gamblers drafted and signed WR Mike Evans and CB Malcolm Butler in the T-Draft and then added Ohio State HB Carlos Hyde in the open draft. That year Hyde and Evans were both finalists for Rookie of the Year, with Hyde winning the honor. The next draft, they brought in center Shaq Mason, LB Ramik Wilson, and DE Dante Fowler, with Wilson winning the Sporting News and ESPN: The Magazine designation (unofficial) of Defensive Rookie of the Year. And this past January Houston added WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, SS Budda Baker, and kicker Younghoe Koo, with, again, two players among the five finalists for Rookie of the Year. Even in their supposed off-year, 2016, they added solid contributors like CB Brandon Williams, backup QB Jeff Driskel, and LB Kamalei Correa. Even in his first year in the position, rising up from scouting, Caserio brought in a solid draft, with 2013 adding safety Kenny Vaccaro, DT John Jenkins, and guard Ryan Seymour to the roster.   With success like this Caserio has risen from a scouting position to now being considered the best young GM in the game, perhaps the best GM in the game. The results are there, countless success stories, not only drafted but signed and delivered. While other teams are overspending trying to attract mid-career free agents or NFL imports, the Gamblers built this club from the ground up, using the draft better than any other team, retaining their talent every year, and improving their roster. Yes, Wade Phillips is one of the league’s best head coaches, no denial there, but if we want to understand the root causes for Houston becoming the team they are today, we need to look at the draft and the success of their player personnel team, because that is where the building blocks of success are put into place.   Michigan's Unheralded Heroes Spark Summer Bowl Run Michigan’s victory this week owes a lot to some players who just don’t get the national attention or the spotlight they deserve. While LeVeon Bell, admittedly, has a way to suck up all the air in the room, and while his talent is certainly a major factor for this Michigan squad, he is not a one-man show, and this week’s win over Las Vegas proved it.   Look at the stat line of the Panthers’ 27-24 comeback victory over the Vipers and what you see is that, yes, Bell played his part, rushing for 51 yards and catching 3 passes for another 24. Kirck Cousins also had a solid game, completing 19 of 23 passes and throwing for 2 touchdowns, but there are three other players who came up huge in this game and have been playing some of their best football down the stretch for the Panthers. It is about time they got recognition as well.   Wide Receiver Cody Latimer has been a quiet star for the Panthers all season. After putting up his first career 1,000-yard season last year, he stepped it up once again this year, with a season that had him in the running for All-USFL honors (he lost out to Marques Colston by only 3 votes). Latimer had 91 receptions for 1,332 yards and 8 Panther touchdowns, and yet he is hardly a household name even among USFL fans. In this week’s title game, Latimer was certainly seen as a threat by the Vipers, who often double covered the speedy receiver. The former Indiana Hoosier was held to only 3 catches, but, when he was needed he was there, with two of those receptions going for 7 points, including the 11-yard catch in the 4th quarter that got Michigan the win.   If Latimer is only marginally known by casual USFL fans, TE Rob Housler is a complete unknown. The 6th year receiver out of Florida Atlantic has been a steady presence in the Michigan offense since his second season, when he amassed 77 receptions. His numbers this year were actually down from recent norms, with 62 catches and 311 yards, but on this Sunday, he was a prime figure in the Michigan attack. With Las Vegas trying to take away the outside receviers, and the linebackers keying on LeVeon Bell, Housler was an available and useful weapon for Kirk Cousins. He led all receivers with 5 catches and his 63 yards included 3 third down conversions.   Finally, there is Kenny Phillips. The Michigan free safety was among the league leaders with 7 picks this year, going along with 51 tackles and 13 passes defended. Often used to help double cover a team’s 2nd receiver, while Dre Kirkpatrick takes on the primary target, Phillips’s role was a bit different this week, with Kirkpatrick unable to play. Phillips supported CB Keivarae Russell whenever Michigan used man coverage, and took the middle of the field in zone. The result? Two key pass defenses and a pick of Eli Manning that proved essential to the Panther victory. Phillips was recognized for his outstanding season this year, earning All-USFL honors along with Panther LB Sean Porter, QB Kirk Cousins, and HB LeVeon Bell.   Manning Says He Will Be Back For worried Viper fans, concerned that their run with Eli Manning to the Western Conference Championship would mark the end of a 1-year swan song for the 12-year veteran, good news. On Tuesday, when met by reporters at an event in LA, Manning stated unequivocably that he plans to be back with the Vipers for another go in 2018. Appearing with his brother, Peyton, Eli told reporters that he had an amazing experience with the Vipers, that while he needs time to recover from a second straight season of 20 games or more (with pre-season and post-season, Manning played in 21 games in 2016 and 20 in 2017), but that he will be there for mid-winter minicamps and is looking forward to getting even farther with the Vipers in 2018.   Manning has been one of several USFL quarterbacks whose future in 2018 has been in question. Along with Joey Harrington (who has announced his retirement), Drew Brees, and David Garrard, the rumor mill has been active in pushing the idea that Manning might walk away from football after the season. So far, Manning, who recently turned 36, is the first of the 4 to clearly state he will be back. Harrington has already announced that he is retiring, while the verdict is still out for 38-year-old Drew Brees or 35-year-old David Garrard.   While overall we would say that the Summer Bowl this year will see both teams at near full strength, it is important to note that both teams will be without a few quality players. For Michigan both SS Jabril Peppers (OUT) and CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Doubtful) could miss the title game. Houston, in addition to QB Landry Jones and G Ryan Seymour (both on IR), will likely be without halfback Kiero Small (Questionable) and possibly DT John Jenkins (Probable).   Ochocinco Says Adios The retirement announcements continue across the USFL, and this week one of the league’s biggest personalities was next up to announce he would be hanging up his cleats. San Diego wideout Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson made the announcement on Monday via Twitter, stating “I love football, I love being “Ochocinco” but the time has come to move on.”  That was quickly followed by a press release from his agent and a few more tweets, thanking his teammates, his quarterbacks and his fans.   The 16-year veteran of the Glory, Cannons, and Thunder was a huge star in the league, ever since his first season in Ohio. When he racked up 1,355 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie on one of the league’s greatest dynasty teams, the Glory of the early 2000’s. Johnson was there for the 2002 unbeaten season and the repeat title in 2003, but left for Boston in 2004 to become the clear number one receiver, rather than sharing the spotlight with Joey Galloway in Columbus.   For Johnson, who would legally change his name to Chad Ochocinco for a 7-year span, attention was as precious as financial compensation, though the two were certainly walking side by side. Whether it was pulling a cellphone out of his sock after a touchdown, or making outlandish statements in post-game interviews, Johnson never shied away from the spotlight. The receiver also never shied away from his role as a top target for his quarterbacks, racking up an impressive 21,047 yards over his career, an average of over 1,300 per season for 16 seasons. He also added 157 touchdowns among his 1,128 receptions. His career totals put him at 2nd place (ironically behind his old teammate Joey Galloway) in yardage and third in touchdowns among all-time USFL receivers.   While “85” was certainly the loudest, brashest, and most likely future HOF player to depart the league this week, he was not the only one. Others announcing their retirement plans included Seattle halfback Joseph Addai , who played 7 USFL seasons with the Stallions and Dragons after coming over from the NFL Colts. Joining Addai was New Orleans edge rusher C. J. Mosely , who announced only hours after the loss in Houston, and San Diego TE Kevin Everett . Baltimore received word from the agent of DT Ellis Wyms , that he would be submitting the retirement papers to the league, and several other players, including Tampa Bay CB Philip Buchanon , Baltimore WR Lance Moore , Memphis DT Marcus Tubbs , and Birmingham TE Bo Scaife were announced as having filed for retirement by their team’s PR departments.   Chicago In the QB Hunt with Big Draft Trade A huge announcement out of LA and Chicago as the Express and Machine announce a trade that fires the first salvo in what we expect to be a wild offseason of moves and deals related to the incoming class of draft-eligible quarterbacks. As expected, the LA Express, not really in the hunt for a young QB to develop, have opted to make a deal to trade away their first pick in this year’s Territorial Draft, and, as we all anticipated, that pick will go to a team in the hunt for a quarterback, the Chicago Machine.   Chicago is sending two picks in the Open Draft to the Express in exchange for the chance to negotiate with USC quarterback Sam Darnold. The Express will get Chicago’s pick in the 1st and in the 3rd rounds this year, sending Chicago their first pick in both the T-Draft and the Open Draft. Essentially, what this gives LA is the ability to move up from the 14th pick to the 7th in the Open Draft’s first round, while also picking up a second selection early in the 3rd. Chicago drops to the middle of the first round in the Open Draft, but the real prize is the exclusive rights to select one player from either USC, Hawaii, or Fresno State. And while many teams would love to see them take a flier on a Samoan D-lineman from the Rainbow Warriors, it seems pretty clear who the target of Chicago’s attention is.  Could SoCal's Golden Boy be trading in the beach for a lake house? The Machine spent most of the year with veteran journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm of the offense. The results were, let’s say not ideal. In 13 starts, Fitzpatrick threw for a respectable 2,725 yards and had a solid completion rate of 68.8%, but with only 8 touchdowns and 10 picks, and a record of 4-9, it was clear that Chicago was going to look for another option. Second year QB Trevor Siemian got the final three starts of the season, including wins over St. Louis and a Michigan squad that played quite a few backups, but Siemian’s performances (with 2 TDs to 4 picks and a 57.6 completion rate) were not the kind of dynamic showcase that the low draft pick needed to secure the starting job. So, Chicago now becomes the first team to officially take a stab at one of the draft’s elite QB prospects. They will almost certainly have stiff competition from the NFL, where Darnold is projected to be a Top 10 pick, so they had better start wooing the young USC star now, well, as much as they are allowed during the NCAA season, which is not much. The Draft's Top Talents and Where They Could be Heading With USC’s Sam Darnold now almost certainly being taken off the Draft Board by Chicago in January’s T-Draft, we wonder where the other top prospects in the draft might be heading. For this exercise in hypotheticals, we are going to limit the QB picks to the remaining 4 almost-certain 1st round talents, and we will add in the two highest-rated non-quarterbacks, Penn State tailback Saquon Barkley and NC State Defensive End Bradley Chubb.   QB Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) Like Darnold, Mayfield is a topflight QB prospect whose USFL rights are held by a team who is really not looking to spend big to bring him in. The Oklahoma Outlaws hold his T-Draft rights, but they are not going to move on from Joe Flacco, not this year, so we expect them to do as LA did and move the rights to another team in trade for some draft capital. But which team? We see two likely contenders here, both of whom would seem good fits for a QB with the kind of gunslinger mentality and out-of-the-pocket skills that Mayfield possesses. Both of our top contenders are in the SE Division and the state of Florida. We see the Bandits and Bulls being at the front of the line when it comes to interest in Mayfield. Both have draft capital, but with Tampa Bay holding a Top 5 pick (they hold the 4th pick in each round) we think the advantage goes to the Bandits. So, we are penciling in Mayfield as a Bandit acquisition.   QB Josh Rosen (UCLA) This one is a bit trickier. There are some in San Diego circles who are saying the Thunder may be interested in drafting the UCLA quarterback and possibly trading NFL import Christian Ponder, thus paving the way for Rosen to spend time behind Joe Webb before taking over, much as Colt McCoy did with Matt Hasselbeck. There are others who say that San Diego will do as LA and Oklahoma likely will (as LA already has) and will seek to trade the rights to select Rosen. So where could he end up? Honestly, of the options we see, the best possible fit for Rosen may well be to stay in the hands of the Thunder, spend a year or two developing in his game, and then get the starting gig in either 2019 or 2020.   HB Saquon Barkley (Penn State) Before we get to the next 2 QBs, both of whom are viewed as more-likely mid-round NFL picks, let’s jump to halfback Saquon Barkley from the Nittany Lions. The unquestioned best back in the draft, a solid 0.6 rating above 2nd candidate Rashaad Penny of SDSU, Barkley, like many of the QBs in this year’s draft, has his territorial school rights held by a team that is just not in the market. The Stars are more than happy with what they have gotten out of their 2016 draft pick, Derrick Henry, so they are more than likely going to be fishing for a trade out of the first T-Draft round and into some Open Draft selections. Who might they trade with? That is a pretty open field, with lots of teams needing a true bell cow back on their roster. Where do we think the best scenario is, perhaps not the most likely, but the best fit for Barkley? How about Seattle? The Dragons seem to be putting something together. They have a solid defense, and their young QB, Jacoby Brissett, had a better-than-expected sophomore campaign. With Joseph Addai retiring this week, we could certainly see the Dragons making a play to obtain Barkley, and we think it would be a pretty nice fit for the Penn State back.   QB Josh Allen (Wyoming) Back to the QB position and now we get to the only true free agent among the top draft prospects. Allen, at Wyoming, is not under any team’s territorial rights, so we know he is headed to the Open Draft. When we look at the current draft order, we see several possible landing spots among the teams with early picks. Allen could go first overall, assuming none of the other top prospects slip into the Open Draft, which would mean he heads to St. Louis. But that may not be the top need for the defensively woeful Skyhawks, who we think go for the best defender in the draft. If Seattle passes, that places Allen at the number 2 spot, which is Portland. Maybe, I guess we could see it, but only if they can find a way to ship off Marcus Mariota, a high-profile, low production top draft pick from only 2 years ago. No, we don’t think that will happen, which means Allen slips to pick 3, which is where we are placing him. The Washington Federals hold that pick. David Garrard is an unknown, but even if he does return for 2018, that means Allen has a year to work on some development, particularly his full-field reads and his accuracy. That sounds like a win-win to us.   DE Bradley Chubb (NC State) Here is our choice for the top overall pick in the Open Draft. But, first things first. Does Chubb get out of the T-Draft without being selected. Charlotte owns the rights to any NC State players. They have a very talented left end in Chandler Jones, who had 17 sacks this season and is under contract for another 2 years. Does Charlotte spend big on a 2nd DE to create a duo akin to the one Orlando has in Campbell and Moats? They could, they really could. But, if they don’t, will someone swoop in and make them a deal to try to land the draft rights to Chubb? Again, yes, that is very possible. But we have a year in which at least 10-12 teams are worried about cap space, and a year in which many are looking at what Houston has done in their drafts (using their own T-Draft picks and not swapping out of the Open Draft), and the imitation wave may mean that Charlotte gets few takers. We think that there is a good chance that Chubb makes it to the Open Draft, and if so, then St. Louis will take him first overall.   QB Lamar Jackson (Louisville) Our final prospect, and one of the most controversial ones. Jackson has amazing physical gifts, but is he a true pro QB? Will a team be open to adapting their offense to a more read & run style than a progression-following QB? There are a few, and one of them is a team we already mentioned as being QB needy. The Jacksonville Bulls basically already have a Jackson-ready offense in the one they adapted to Robert Griffin. If they miss out on Mayfield, as we are predicting, they could quickly pivot to Jackson. It would require a deal with Philadelphia, who has Louisville among its protected schools, but that seems viable. So, we think the Bulls miss on Mayfield but recover and take a shot on Jackson. But what happens to RG3 in this scenario?   Are Flacco and Colston on the Trading Block in OKC? An odd situation seems to be brewing in Oklahoma City. We are hearing a lot of rumors that the Outlaws are not only open to trade offers, but are actively pitching the idea of trading two of their most high-profile players. If the rumors are true, then both QB Joe Flacco and WR Marques Colston could potentially be on the trading block for the right price. What could be inspiring such a radical step for a team entering their second year in a new city and building on the enthusiastic reception in their first year? There are three very different rationales that are being thrown around among pundits and fans alike.   The first has to do with Oklahoma’ cap situation. They are not among the tightest cap situations in the league, not this year, but if they are looking ahead to 2019 they do have something of a ticking timebomb on their hands. They have quite a few high-cost contracts that were backloaded when they were made, and will come due in 2019, including both Flacco and Colston, but also HB Marshawn Lynch, LB Chad Greenway and the newly-extended deal for DT Luis Castillo. If they do not do something this year, they could well be in a real bind come the 2018-2019 offseason. So, there is a financial element to it.  Is Mayfield the key to the Outlaws' offseason? The second element is the presence of two strong draft candidates in the Outlaw’s Territorial Draft options, with most considering OU quarterback Baker Mayfield a Top 10 talent while down the road in Stillwater, OK State’s Mason Rudolph is also views as a QB with a lot of upside potential. The fact that the Outlaws could potentially land a top tier future franchise option on a lower cost rookie contract, thus freeing up more funds for other positions makes sense on the one hand, but it means trading away a QB who has put up huge numbers, been named a league MVP, and is a steady leader on the team. This theory also does nothing to explain why Colston would also be potential trade fodder.   The third possible motivation is perhaps the most bizarre, but also very likely is a factor for the club’s management. If you recall, when the sale of the Outlaws to the OKC Football Group was approved, there were several concessions made to former Outlaw owner Red McComb and to the city of San Antonio. These included guaranteed expansion to San Antonio, retention of the team colors for use by a San Antonio expansion club, and, the most relevant here, the ability for San Antonio to claim up to 10 players from the Oklahoma roster in something of an exclusive expansion draft even before the new club and whichever team takes the 30th league spot would conduct their standard expansion draft. The agreement allows the new San Antonio club to select from any players who were with the team when they played in Texas. That would include players like Castillo, Faulk, Greenway, and both Flacco and Colston.   In a sense, the agreement made by the Outlaws and the San Antonio ownership group motivates the Outlaws to get value now for any player who moved over from Texas to Oklahoma, rather than holding on to veterans only to have them snatched up by the new expansion team. While losing QB Joe Flacco and/or WR Marques Colston now would be a major blow to the team, having them leave by trade means that the club could acquire talent, draft picks, or both, and that is more than they would get in 2020, when the league has planned for expansion. Could Oklahoma be playing a long game by trying to trade away not only some of their most cap-compressing players but also the players who they could very well lose in 2 more years? If that is the case, it is either pure genius or a major overreaction. But, if we put the three theories together, moving Joe Flacco, for example, helps solve the cap situation for 2019, assures the Outlaws of some pretty solid compensation right now, and makes room for them to try to land a QB with major Oklahoma connections. That last piece of the puzzle seems essential if the Outlaws are going to maintain the enthusiasm in the state. Trading Flacco away and bringing in a QB from Miami, USC, or Penn State would be a PR disaster, but signing the Sooner QB as their new franchise player. That could actually keep enthusiasm high. Truly a fascinating theory, and as rumors go, one of the juiciest we have seen in a while.   AWARD DINNER HAS FEW SURPRISES The 2017 USFL Awards Gala was pretty much as uneventful as these post-season award ceremonies get. Unlike the past few years, when several categories of award had multiple frontrunners and the votes for the winners were very close, the 2017 ceremony was largely a confirmation of already identified favorites and expected results.   The night began with the announcement of the All-USFL team for 2017, and while there were a few potential players upset about being snubbed, the roster of the league’s All-season team was solid and held few surprises. Here is the quick breakdown of the honored players: QB: David Carr (ARZ), Matt Gutierrez (PHI), Kirk Cousins (MGN) HB: Doug Martin (POR), LeVeon Bell (MGN), Maurice Jones-Drew (NJ) FB: LeRon McClain (ARZ) TE: Jimmie Graham (ARZ), Vernon Davis (HOU) WR: Jordy Nelson (NOR), Adam Thielen (PIT), Larry Fitzgerald (ARZ)      Brian Hartline (BAL), Marques Colston (OKL) OT: Brandon Scherff (ARZ), Brian Blaga (STL), Marcus Gilbert (NOR) OG: Chase Warmack (ARZ), Jon Asamoah (HOU), Vincent DuCasse (NOR) C: A. Q. Shipley (SEA), Shaq Mason (HOU)   DE: Calais Campbell (ORL), Von Miller (DEN), Arthur Moats (ORL) DT: Aaron Donald (PIT), Ndamukong Suh (DEN), Albert Haynesworth (HOU) LB: Brian Orakpo (TBY), James Laurinaitis (OHI), Kyle Morrison (PHI)     Sean Porter (MGN), Manti Te’o (CHI), Sean Lee (JAX) CB: Joe Haden (ARZ), Xavien Howard (SEA), Dominque Rogers-Cromartie (JAX)       Pacman Jones (OKL) SS: Brian Taylor (NOR), Budda Baker (HOU) FS: Kenny Phillips (MGN), David Bruton (JAX) K: Robbie Gould (CHI) P: Matt Bosher (BIR)   So, who might feel snubbed this year? We expect that QB Cam Newton feels he is a better talent than Gutierrez or Cousins, but the numbers don’t support that. Reggie Bush and Derrick Henry also likely have arguments to make, as would WR Cody Latimer of Michigan and Mike Evans of Houston. On defense, DT Haloti Ngata, DE Cliff Avril, and LB DeMarco Ryans seem like the biggest season performers left off the list, but we cannot argue with the roster the league has put together.   After the All-USFL team received their honors, the individual honors began with the Rookie of the Year . While there were certainly votes for both WR Juju Smith-Schuster and SS Budda baker, both of Houston, it was a foregone conclusion that by leading his club to a 10-6 record, Charlotte QB Mitch Trubisky was going to take home the award, and so he did. Trubisky finished the season with over 3,300 yards, 23 touchdowns, and a 65.4% completion rate, all while helping his club with the Southern Division.   The Coach of the Year Award was about as big a landslide as we have seen in years, bolstered, no doubt, by a surprise playoff appearance. First year coach Mike Riley of Seattle was given accolades not only for getting the Dragons to the post-season in his first year, but for turning an 0-5 start into steady growth, growth that had Seattle win 9 of their final 11 games to qualify as a Wild Card. It marks the first time in league history that a team that started with 5 consecutive losses was able to turn the year around and qualify for the postseason. The vote was taken before Seattle knocked off division winner, San Diego, in the Wild Card round, but that victory certainly put the cherry on the sundae for Coach Riley and those who voted to give him this honor.   Next up was Defensive Player of the Year , or “how do we shaft Calais Campbell yet again”. We all know that Campbell is the most dominant player of his generation and having won the sack title this year by an impressive 9-sack lead over his own teammate, there is very good argument that once again Campbell should be receiving the award, which would be his 5th, a truly astonishing number. But, with Orlando finishing the year at 6-10 and well outside the playoff picture, the usual conundrum of an individual award being tied to team results came up again. The failure of Orlando, largely on offense, made it easier for voters to find someone other than Campbell to select. They did just that, taking a hard look at the 15-1 Arizona Wranglers and deciding that CB Joe Haden deserved their votes. Now, we are not knocking Haden. He is clearly among the elite cornerbacks in the league, and his season was a very strong one, with 111 tackles (a huge number for a corner) and 6 picks. But we think even Haden would still point to Campbell if asked who the most dominant defender in the league is, and was this year.   Offensive Player of the Year was perhaps the least drama-filled of any of the awards, with Jordy Nelson a runaway winner over 2nd place David Martin and 3rd place Larry Fitzgerald. With 1,851 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Breakers, Nelson won all but 2 first place votes in the nomination for OPOTY. He may have fallen shy of the league record of 1,959 yards, but his total this year marks the highest receiving total since 1992, and sets a new season mark all-time for the Breakers franchise.   And, of course, the final award of the evening, the USFL MVP for 2017 was no surprise either. David Carr , the defending MVP, makes it back-to-back awards after posting 4,269 yards passing, with 43 touchdowns to only 10 picks, and with a season Passer Rating of 127.6, a trifecta that put him at the top of the league in yardage, touchdowns, and QBR. With the back-to-back titles, Carr becomes the first repeat MVP since Kerry Collins won 3 years in a row from 2001-2003 with those championship Ohio Glory teams.   As always, kudos to all the players nominated and to the winners. Truly amazing individual performances all year long and each was a huge part of their team’s success as well.   Summer Bowl Preview Here we go, for the 35th time two teams will battle it out to become the champions of spring football. The two teams we have this year are no stranger to this game. Houston has been champion a league-best 4 times, Michigan only 1 behind at 3 league titles. Now, that is not to say that these players have felt this pressure before. Certainly for Colt McCoy, in his first year as the starter in Houston, this is a new feeling, as it certainly is for most of the Panthers’ squad, since the last appearance by Michigan in a Summer Bowl was back in 2008. For Houston the last title was in 2010, so for both teams there is not a lot of direct experience, but these are two teams with proud traditions behind them.   As we broke down the game, we looked at the statistical differences to see where either team might have an advantage, then we selected 4 players to watch for each team, and finally we decided on two keys to the game for each team, steps they could take to nudge the game in their favor. So, what did we find out? Let’s start with the statistical distinctions between these two teams.                                         HOUSTON           MICHIGAN POINTS PER GAME:              28.2                      27.9 YARDS PER GAME:               370.5                    364.3 PASSING YARDS:                    281.6                         256.9 RUSHING YARDS:                  88.9                        107.4   POINTS ALLOWED:               18.9                          17.1 YARDS ALLOWED:                  316.7                        292.7 PASSING ALLOWED:               244.1                       201.8 RUSHING ALLOWED:               72.1                          90.9 TURNOVER MARGIN:            +19                          +10 SACKS:                                     75                             49   These numbers show two very evenly matched teams, with Michigan relying more on their run game than Houston, but with both teams able to put up significant yardage and nearly 30 points per game all season long. Houston is the more aggressive defense, shown in their league-leading sack total, while Michigan is happiest when they can play zone and keep teams from obtaining big chunks of yardage on offense.   The matchups that look like they might have a huge impact on the game start with LeVeon Bell up against the very stingy run defense of the Gamblers, and the Houston passing game against a pretty stingy Michigan defense. Both clubs are going to have to mix up their run and pass plays, as well as their targets in the passing game. We expect Michigan to try to take advantage of play action, forcing the Gamblers to account for Bell on every play while Houston, as we often see, may use the pass to open up the run game, forcing Michigan to keep their safeties back, creating more gaps for Carlos Hyde.   When it comes to playmakers, neither team lacks players with the capacity to break the game open. We limited ourselves to 4 key players for each squad, players who could be the key to their team’s chances on Saturday.   HOUSTON GAMBLERS   QB Colt McCoy:  There was a lot of trepidation about handing the reins over to McCoy when Matt Hasselbeck retired, but this season has been about as ideal as Houston fans could have hoped for. McCoy has been on target, making good decisions, and has a cast around him that can make small plays into big plays at any moment. The main concern right now has to be mobility. If McCoy, wearing a brace, can have some elusiveness in his game, he can certainly make plays.   HB Carlos Hyde:  Hyde is a defensive coordinator’s nightmare. He can run inside, he can take the ball to the edge, he blocks, and he is pretty darn good in the passing game as well. Expect Hyde to see as many as 30 touches in this game, mixing runs with short passes and screens to keep the Michigan defense on its toes.   LB Ramik Wilson:  Wilson may have only finished with 84 tackles this year, but don’t mistake that number for a lack of impact. He is able to range sideline to sideline, is good in coverage and a big hitter against the run. He had 8 sacks this year as a blitzer and we expect him to be coming after Kirk Cousins pretty often in this one.   DT Albert Haynesworth: In his first year since moving over from Orlando in Free Agency, Haynesworth finds himself in a Summer Bowl. You won’t see a lot in his stats, but his presence is one of the reasons the Gamblers led the league in sacks despite having only 1 player over 10 sacks on the year. He eats up space in the middle, takes on double and sometimes triple assignments and makes it easier for blitzers to get a free run at the QB.   MICHIGAN PANTHERS   HB LeVeon Bell:  Everyone in the building knows that when Michigan has the ball, Bell is at the center of what they are planning, and yet so often they cannot do a thing about it. Bell’s presence, the threat of the big run, force defenses to dedicate safeties and linebackers to him on every play, making play-action so very effective for Kirk Cousins. And when he gets the ball, which is often, Bell can still find ways to turn a 3-yard run into a 30-yarder.   WR Jerrel Jernigan:  Because Houston will likely feel pressure to double cover Cody Latimer after a 91 reception, 1,332-yard season, Jernigan could have a big day. More of a possession receiver than Latimer, Jernigan can help Michigan rack up first downs, and he is a good target in the endzone, with 9 touchdowns this season. If he can get open underneath, that also may pull the safety away from either Latimer or TE Rob Housler, which would give Cousins an easy target.   LB Sean Porter: After receiving All-USFL recognition this week, Porter will be a key cog in the Panther defense on Saturday. He does a bit of everything, blitzing on occasion, covering the TE or a back out of the backfield, and often swatting out the ball (4 forced fumbles this season). If Porter can get hits on Carlos Hyde or Vernon Davis, we may see some turnovers in this game.   FS Kenny Phillips:  With Dre Kirkpatrick expected to be on a play count, Phillips is going to be pivotal in how Michigan tries to defend the combination of Mike Evans and Juju Smith-Schuster. He will likely join in double coverage of a specific receiver each play, allowing Troy Petty to play centerfield and help Michigan avoid any deep plays.   KEYS TO THE GAME So, we have looked at the stats, talked about key players, with that knowledge, what are the keys to victory for each team. We ran this question through the bullpen here at This Week in the USFL, and we got pretty consistent answers. Here are our picks for the 2 keys for each team going into the title game.   HOUSTON 1.  Use the Middle of the Field The Gambler offense has a lot of variables, from deep throws to Smith-Schuster and Evans to a grinding run game with Carlos Hyde, but when they are at their best, they are keeping the defense on its toes by mixing in Vernon Davis over the middle along with Hyde as a receiver. Michigan will almost certainly be focused on keeping the two Gambler outside receivers in check, which means Davis could have a big day if the offense targets him.   2. Get to 3rd and 4 or Longer Michigan is so dangerous on third and short because you absolutely have to account for LeVeon Bell, so play fakes are just incredibly effective, but if you underplay the run, then they will hand off to Bell and on 3rd and 3 or less he has a conversion rate of nearly 70%, so what is your option? Keep Michigan to 3rd and 4 or longer, minimizing the effectiveness of both the run and the play action game.   MICHIGAN 1. Get Bell on Track Early This is not a shocker. Kirk Cousins’s best games are when the run game is well-established and defenses cannot drop 6 or 7 into coverage. That means finding ways to get Bell on track early, even with Houston putting men up in the box. This could be through screens, delays, or effective pulling linemen to give the offense a numbers advantage. Once it is shown that Bell can run, it means the defense has to commit more resources there, and that leaves receivers like Jernigan and Housler with better assignments.   2. Force McCoy to Move Around We all saw in the Conference Title Game that Colt McCoy’s knee is still not at 100%, and we expect he will still be wearing a light brace on the knee. We also know that while McCoy can occasionally make plays outside the pocket, he is far less effective there than when he has a clean pocket to wait out routes. Michigan needs to overload one side or the other, forcing McCoy to roll or pivot out of the pocket. Based on stats from the last few weeks, when the knee was a factor, it seems flushing him to the left would produce the best results.   OUR PICK We expect this to be a close one, perhaps quite high scoring, as many Summer Bowls are, and likely coming down to the 4th quarter and either a big play or a big stop. There is a lot of balance among these two teams. We give the offensive edge to the Gamblers just on the sheer number of weapons they have, but Michigan’s defense has proven time and again that they can adjust to a team’s strengths and remove their primary attack philosophy, so for both teams we think this comes down to which team adapts better to the strengths of their opponent. We could be in for a chess game with multiple levels of adjustment as both teams try to counterattack the other. In the end, we think the edge in title games often seems to go to the offense, and while Michigan will have a slight advantage playing in their home stadium, it will not be an overly partisan crowd, with both teams getting equal ticket allotments and the league distributing the rest. So, in the end, we think Houston’s offensive variability is the key to this game, because as Michigan takes away some weapons, Houston has others to fall back on. Our pick is for the Gamblers to take a 2-game lead on the rest of the league, including Michigan, by winning their 5th title.   Houston 33 – Michigan 28

Four huge games, split right down the middle between road upsets and home favorites. We saw the top seed, the overall favorite, go down to defeat in overtime. We saw a 6-seed take out the 2-seed in their own stadium, but we also saw both a 1- and a 2-seed walk away unscathed and ready to head into the Conference Title Games next week. We also saw some teams starting to think ahead to the offseason, from interviewing for open coaching spots to scanning the list of potential free agents. We even had our first trades of the offseason as at least one club decided the time was now to purge their roster and free up some salary for the offseason. We will review the week that was, look ahead to this week’s Eastern and Western Title Games and talk about salary cap a little as teams try to set themselves up with the best chance to build their rosters for next year. All this, plus news of some big-name players hanging up their cleats. It’s all right here in our Divisional Playoff Recap edition of This Week in the USFL.   Saturday for Favorites, Sunday for Upsets While there is always news around the league, this week the main story was on the field as we saw a tale of two very different days. Saturday’s divisional matchups played largely as expected, with the two Wild Card teams playing tough but eventually falling to the higher-seeded division winners. New Jersey played a solid game, but in the end the Gamblers just had a little bit more and took a 7-point victory. In Detroit, the Michigan Panthers looked clearly like the better club, with the defense holding down the surging Dragons and the big offensive producers, HB LeVeon Bell and WR Cody Latimer both having big games.   But on Sunday, the script was flipped, with two big upsets that few saw coming. In the early game, the New Orleans Breakers went into Philadelphia and stunned the Stars with a 26-20 victory. Drew Brees hit some big plays, including the game’s biggest, a 72-yard backbreaker to TE Coby Fleener that set the tone for the game. Later that evening, an even bigger upset as the 15-1 Arizona Wranglers were one-and-done after a shocking overtime loss to the 5-seed Las Vegas Vipers. Eli Manning was every bit up to the challenge of playing David Carr in a shootout, throwing for 4 touchdowns and helping Las Vegas come back from 14-point deficits twice before securing the win with an opening drive in overtime that will go down in USFL history.   The weekend shook expectations and ended all talk about an unstoppable Arizona dynasty. Yes, the Wranglers have been to 3 Summer Bowls and won 2 titles in a 4-year span, but they would not get the repeat and would not make it 3 straight appearances. We will have a new champion this year, and it is down to two pretty strong top seeds in the Houston Gamblers and Michigan Panthers, and two major underdogs in the Breakers and the Vipers. We also have 4 outstanding quarterbacks going into the Conference Finals, with Colt McCoy facing off against Drew Brees while Eli Manning will try to make it 2 consecutive Summer Bowls with 2 different teams as he faces Kirk Cousins and the Panthers.   NEW JERSEY GENERALS 20   HOUSTON GAMBLERS 26 An “old school grinder”, that is what Coach Wade Phillips called his Houston squad’s victory over the New Jersey Generals. It was that, indeed, with the two teams combining for 264 yards rushing as the ground game proved pivotal for both New Jersey and Houston. General HB Maurice Jones-Drew found big holes and big plays in the run game, rushing for 140 yards on 19 carries, an average of 7.4 yards per carry, boosted in a big way by a 43-yard run that led to 7 points in the third quarter. Not to be outdone, Houston’s Carlos Hyde rushed for 103 on 25 carries, but scored twice to help propel Houston to a 6-point victory in the Divisional matchup.   Colt McCoy outdueled Nick Foles in the air as well, completing 16 of 22 passes for 245 and a key 4th quarter TD to TE Dante Rosario. Foles had a harder time finding his receivers, completing only 18 of 34 passes, but hit on two important scoring tosses, a 5-yard touchdown to Odell Beckham Jr in the 3rd and a late TD to Miles Austin to pull within 6 at 2:27 left in the game. But, the final minutes were defined by the run game as Houston killed the clock and took the W thanks to their ability to run the ball in the final 2 minutes. New Jersey had a costly penalty on that final possession, turning a 3rd and 7 into a far more makable 3rd and 2 after an offsides call on Aaron Kampman. It was one of 9 penalties on the Generals in the game. Hyde won Game MVP for his 2 scores and his late success running the ball to secure the win. Houston now moves on to host the Conference Title Game at NRG Stadium next week. SEATTLE DRAGONS 17   MICHIGAN PANTHERS 28 The Panthers secured their path to the Eastern Conference Title Game by pressuring Jacoby Brissett into two costly picks and by mixing the run with play action passes to rack up 445 total yards in a game dominated by the Panther offense. LeVeon Bell averaged 6.2 yards per carry on his way to 112, while also playing a big role in the passing game, where he caught 4 balls for 31 yards and a 2nd score. Kirk Cousins, using play action on early downs, added 314 yards and 2 scoring throws to Michigan’s impressive total. His two outside receivers, Latimer and Jernigan, did not catch any scoring throws, but combined for 238 yards receiving as Seattle’s defense had to come to the line to slow down Bell.   The Dragons’ impressive 9-2 record to reach the postseason and upset of San Diego in the Wild Card will be remembered for a long time in the Emerald City, but the magic ran out in Detroit, where Jacobby Brissett was pressured all day by Michigan’s front 7, producing 3 sacks and 2 drive-killing picks. He did throw a 4-yard TD to Mike Wallace, but it was Wallace’s only catch of the day as he spent most of the game double covered by the Panthers. The game was close until the final period, tied at 7-7 at the half, and through the 3rd, but Michigan wore down the Seattle defense, scoring 3 TDs in the final 9:13 of play. Touchdowns by TE Rob Housler, Bell, and FB Kyle Juszczyk highlighted the Panther’s late game domination as they move on to the Conference Title Game. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 26  PHILADELPHIA STARS 20 The Breakers’ defense held Derrick Henry to only 2.5 yards per carry as the offense got a surprising lift from HB David Wilson, whose 9 carries produced several big runs adding up to 71 yards as New Orleans won a tight game with the Stars, knocking off the 2-seed in the East. A strong first quarter for New Orleans was highlighted by a 72-yard touchdown to TE Coby Fleener, who survived being hit by two defenders at once and kept moving towards the goalline. Down 10-0, Philadelphia rallied in the 2nd, but trailed 17-10 at the half. They got within 17-13 early in the 3rd, but two consecutive scoring drives from Drew Brees gave New Orleans a 26-13 lead that Philadelphia just could not overcome.   Brees only completed 8 passes on the day, but several produced big plays, including Fleener’s 72-yarder, a 44-yard TD to the league’s leading receiver, Jordy Nelson, and a 32-yard completion to another tight end, Joel Dreesen, that set up a TD run from Jawan Jamison in the 4th. Philadelphia, unable to get Derrick Henry on track, struggled to get big plays to match the upstart Breakers. Stevie Johnson had 6 receptions for 119, but never found the endzone. After a late score from Gutierrez to Randall Cobb, Philadelphia tried an onside kick, down 6, but New Orleans recovered, killed off 2:22 on the clock and punted back to Philadelphia with only 15 seconds to play. The Stars were simply unable to deliver up a miracle in that time and when the clock hit 0:00, the Breakers moved on to the Eastern Finals, where they will face division rival Houston for the third time this year. LAS VEGAS VIPERS 33  ARIZONA WRANGLERS 27   OVERTIME An absolute stunner in Glendale as the Las Vegas Vipers, a 13-point underdog by game time, outgunned the 15-1 Arizona Wranglers to punch an unexpected ticket to the Western Conference finals. It was a classic Eli Manning upset special, with the veteran QB outperforming league MVP candidate David Carr in a battle of gunslingers. Manning would throw for 292 yards to Carr’s 337, but his 4th touchdown of the game would prove the winning score in overtime to knock off the heavily favored Wranglers.   Early on the game looked like the Wrangler cakewalk many expected, with Arizona scoring on their first two drives to take an early 14-0 lead. A 48-yard TD to Fitzgerald on the 5th play of the game was followed by an equally devastating 54-yard bomb to Antonio Bryant. Fans in University of Phoenix Stadium were ready to party as Arizona took the 2-score lead, but Las Vegas refused to go away. Manning hit DaVante Parker for a score to get on the board, and even after falling behind 21-7, the Vipers just kept coming. They would score 17 unanswered in the 2nd quarter to go from 21-7 down to a 24-21 lead, stunning the Arizona crowd. It was Manning to Denarius Moore and then Tyler Eifert as the Arizona pressure left the secondary exposed.   The game was tied at the half after a last second Elliot Parson field goal, and after a strangely scoreless third quarter, the Vipers took the lead back with a field goal of their own early in the 4th. Arizona, unable to connect on deep balls since the first quarter, had to work their way down the field in small chunks, eventually putting a 37-yard kick on the board to tie the game with only 40 seconds left. But, the joy of pushing the game to overtime was quickly replaced by frustration as Eli Manning hit Arrelious Benn and Doug Baldwin with back-to-back first down throws to move into field goal territory only minutes into the extra time. Knowing a kick would not end the game, Coach Neuheisel went for a short 4th and 1 at the Arizona 31, and Jeremy Hill made good, diving ahead for 2 yards to keep the drive alive. 4 plays later, Manning connected with Denarius Moore on the receiver’s 2nd score of the day, leaving the Wrangler faithful stunned and their 15-1 team devastated. There would be no title defense for the 2016 Champions. The best team all season had fallen to an upstart 5-seed in their first playoff game. Las Vegas moves on and Michigan now finds itself hosting the title game in the same stadium where Summer Bowl 2016 will be held in 2 weeks. McCoy Clearly Not at 100%, Hobbles to Houston Victory It seems clear to anyone who watched Houston edge New Jersey that Colt McCoy is still not back to 100%. Many are questioning whether putting him in during Week 16 was not a mistake. His knee injury is clearly still a concern, limiting both the QB’s mobility and the velocity of his throws. Against New Jersey McCoy largely relied on underneath routes and drop downs to keep Houston moving down the field. On the few times New Jersey flushed him from the pocket, he was quick to dump off the ball rather than scrambling for yardage. While the Houston QB was not wearing a bulky knee brace, it was clear that he had at least some minimal support in place. As Houston prepares to face the New Orleans Breakers, the ability of McCoy to roll out of the pocket, to scramble as needed, and the ability of him to find the deep pass remain will be huge in Houston’s ability to run their offense and stretch the Breaker defense.   Panthers Hoping Home Cooking Will Get Them a Ring The Michigan Panthers have a rare opportunity in pro football a chance to win a title in front of their home crowd. Having watched as Arizona was upset by Las Vegas, the realization quickly hit the Panther players that the Arizona loss meant the Panthers could roll to a title without ever having to leave the confines of Ford Field. This week, Michigan will host Las Vegas in the Western Conference Final. A win against the upstart 5-seed and they are in the Summer Bowl, and that Summer Bowl is right back at home in Detroit, played in the Panthers’ home stadium.   Will home cooking, a familiar bed every night, and an innate understanding of the field, their home field, be enough to get Michigan a title? It is a rare opportunity, and Panther fans are certainly hoping that if they hold off the Vipers, the somewhat beleaguered Detroit community will rally behind them and make the Summer Bowl feel like a home game. That could be difficult since nearly 80% of tickets are distributed by the league and not open for public sale. Michigan will have its team-allocated seats, but if Detroiters want to make the stadium rock in plum, sky, and champagne, they are going to have to hit the secondary ticket market hard, and that is going to cost a pretty penny. Last year, with both Arizona and Memphis playing far from home, tickets to the Summer Bowl at MetLife were still going for well over $1,500 a seat. If Michigan is able to play host and compete in the game, we could see tickets easily topping $2,000 or $3,000 on the resale market.   Brees Completes only 8, but Deep Throws Defeat Stars It was the football equivalent of asking how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. One-two-go deep on 3 was the play for QB Drew Brees. In their win over Philadelphia, Brees only attempted 16 passes, and only completed 8, but it was what he did with those 8 that mattered most. Brees averaged 17.9 yard per attempt (nearly 35 yards per completion), racking up nearly 300 yards on only 8 completions. That included his 72-yard TD toss to TE Coby Fleener, as well as a 44-yarder to Jordy Nelson, and completions of 29 and 32 yard to Kenny britt and Joel Dreesen. It was about quality, not quantity against the Stars. Now with Houston lined up across from them, Brees will again be asked to work wonders from the pocket. He may dink and dunk this week, or he may again go for home run balls and upset the Gamblers with the big play, not the slow-steady approach that so many teams attempt.   Manning Magic as Vipers Vanquish Arizona in Overtime Fans across the USFL may still be debating the merits of a case for Eli Manning to be considered an “elite” quarterback, but there is no doubt that when his team is in the playoffs, he becomes the best version of himself. Manning proved that once again with a 4-touchdown performance that put his Las Vegas Vipers into the Western Conference Championship and stunned the top-seeded Arizona Wranglers, ending their quest for back-to-back titles.   To say Manning has been erratic as a regular season quarterback seems fair. He has a lifetime QB Rating of 86.2, not exactly a legendary number. That includes several seasons in New Orleans and Orlando where he finished below 80. His career TD:INT ratio stands at 228:155. Which is above water but is not elite to be sure. But when we look at what Eli has done in the postseason, last year with Memphis, this year with Las Vegas, and even back in 2009, when he led the underdog Breakers to road wins over the Nashville Knights and Philadelphia Stars before falling in the Eastern Conference Finals, you have to say that he is at his best when it matters most.   Last year, despite knowing full well that the team was transitioning towards rookie Paxton Lynch, Manning led the Showboats to a 12-4 record, the best record ever for a Wild Card team, then proceeded to defeat New Orleans, division champion Houston, and the NE Division champion Generals to reach the Summer Bowl. This year, now with an entirely different cast of characters, Manning has led Las Vegas to the Western Conference Championship, again taking the underdog route by winning in Denver, and now knocking off the top-seeded 15-1 Arizona Wranglers.   Against Denver his numbers were solid, but not spectacular, completing 30 of 45 passes for 356 yards but tossing no touchdowns against the Denver defense. This week, against a superior defense in Arizona, Manning threw for fewer yards, though a still impressive 292, but added 4 touchdown passes with no picks. He led the comeback from being down 14-0 and again at 21-7, took a lead in the 4th, and then saw it disappear, only to come out in the opening drive of overtime and lead the Vipers to an improbable game-ending touchdown. So, as we look ahead to the Vipers’ unlikely Championship match-up with Michigan, perhaps we should second guess the naysaying and expect to see the best version of Eli Manning we have seen all year. Looking ahead to the two championship games, there are no major additions to the injury list. New Orleans is a bit healthier, with DE Cameron Jordan expected to play and LB Rocky McIntosh at about a 50/50 chance. For Houston, they will again go with only 2 QBs, with Landry Jones not replaced with a free agent. Las Vegas should see Arrelious Benn in action, but Montario Hardesty remains out. Michigan is hoping to get both guard Chris Watt and WR B. J. Cunningham back on the field, both listed as “probable” for the game.   NOR: OT Charles Leno (IR), DT Everett Dawson (IR), LB Rocky McIntosh (Q), DE Cameron Jordan (P) HOU: G Ryan Seymour (IR), QB Landry Jones (IR), DT John Jenkins (Q)   LV: HB Montario Hardesty (OUT), OT Nat Dorsey (OUT), FS Antrel Rolle (OUT), WR Arrellious Benn (P) MGN: SS Jabril Peppers (OUT), CB Dre Kirkpatrick (D), G Chris Watt (P), WR B. J. Cunningham (P)   Retirement Announcements Continue Another week into the offseason for many teams, with several more joining them after playoff defeats, and that means more players making their decision to step away from the game they have played since they were small children. For teams it may be about cap space, or filling holes in the lineup, but for each of these players it is about stepping away from what has been a major focus of their entire lives, a tough time, even for those who leave the game with a sense of satisfaction. And while the list of newly announced retirements is not quite as long as we saw last week, these are still big changes for these players and for their teams. SS Adam Archuleta (BAL) After 16 seasons, one of the longest tenures in Baltimore history, the “Old Man of the Defense” is going to be absent from the locker room next year. Archuleta has been a starter pretty much since he was drafted by Baltimore back in 2001. He leaves the Blitz with a legacy of leadership and a reputation as one of the league’s fiercest hitters. He also retires with some impressive numbers, including 1,095 tackles, 39 sacks, 12 picks, and 1 forced fumbles.   WR D. J. Hackett (CHA) Another veteran with a long tenure on one team, D. J. Hackett has been the primary receiver in Charlotte since he came to the team in 2008. Following a brief NFL career, Hackett joined the expansion Monarchs and has been a fixture in the starting lineup ever since. With precise routes and soft hands, Hackett has put together six 1,000-yard seasons in his 10 USFL seasons, including each of the last 5. He has also racked up 61 touchdowns and more than 800 receptions as a member of the Monarchs. With Hackett’s announcement, the question becomes whether Charlotte will promote Hakeem Nicks into the top position or will look to bring in a veteran to help develop young receivers like Mac Hollins and Isaiah McKenzie.   WR Mike Williams (PIT) One of 4 players active today with his name, Pittsburgh’s Mike Williams will be leaving the game after 12 seasons, including 4 each in Washington, Arizona, and Pittsburgh. An injury held him to only 1 start in 2017, a year after he put up career numbers in 2016 with 41 catches and 81 yards. He retires with 348 career receptions. 4,760 yards and 27 career touchdowns.   WR Tiquan Underwood (DAL) A shifty receiver, Underwood played for the Skyhawks, Invaders, Dragons, and Roughnecks over his 8-season USFL career. The last two years in Dallas saw him reach career highs, with 12 touchdowns and over 1,300 yards over the past two seasons. With Underwood’s announcement, many expect young Geronimo Allison to get a shot opposite Tim Wright.   SS Shane Welton (CHA) A 14-year career is nothing to sneeze at, and while Shane Welton has not always been a superstar for the Monarchs, he has served as the starter on a pretty good defense since coming over to the team in 2010. He retires with 659 career tackles at the strong safety position.   C Austin King (BAL) Our last big announcement of the week was that of 37-year-old center for the Cannons, Federals, and Blitz. King started 157 games over his 14-year career, racking up over 500 pancakes while allowing only 46 sacks, only one ever 3.4 games. Baltimore has been grooming 4th-year center Tim Barnes, expecting this day to come, but it still won’t be easy to replace a veteran leader like King.     Portland Purge? Salary Cap Issues Lead to Early Trades Last week we listed the Portland Stags as one of two USFL clubs that were underwater in their salary cap situation for 2018. They came into their offseason not only one of the league’s biggest on-field disasters at 3-13, but were also nearly $4M over the cap for the upcoming season. That means that they needed to clear at least $8M to have a chance to sign their draft class, not to mention any free agents for a roster that seems to need some nsiderable upgrades.   Well, it seems the Stags have taken the hint. They restructured the contracts of QB Marcus Mariota, WR Brandin Cooks, and CB Vernon Hargreaves, who had been making a ludicrous $4.8M per season without the production to warrant even half of that. But, even with major shifts in those three deals, the Stags were still far short of a comfort zone in their cap. So, what is a GM to do? He starts trading away overpriced and underproducing players. And that is exactly what Portland has done, jumping the gun on free agency with two big deals that freed up considerable cap room.   The Stags, whose offense was not exactly dynamic, apparently decided that less is more. In two separate deals, one with Tampa Bay and another with Pittsburgh, freed up nearly $7m in salary by moving two well-regarded skills players. They started on Monday, announcing that TE Jordan Cameron had been dealt to the Bandits for two draft picks, a 3rd rounder this year and a 4th in 2019. Tampa Bay, having allowed their own high-priced TE, Greg Olsen, finish his contract and explore free agency, brings in a solid option at the position, one that will likely need a contract revision, but a younger option at the position. Portland, liking what they saw from 3rd year end Trey Burton and rookie Pharaoh Brown, got something for Cameron, who would have gone to free agency at the end of next year.   Their second move, sending Brian Quick to Pittsburgh in trade for CB A. J. Bouye, is a bit more understandable. Since a strong sophomore year that saw Quick rack up 77 receptions and 997 yards, Quick has dipped every season since, down to 738 yards in 2015, 621 in 2016, and only 39 catches for 402 yards. Apparently in Pittsburgh they found a team that believes Quick is being underused, not losing his talents. The Maulers part with a cornerback who has 6 picks in his 5 seasons, but who has also served as a return specialist for them. Bouye, on a league minimum contract, is a good deal for the Stags, saving them nearly a full $4M and giving them room to sign a potential free agent or two, but the departure of both Jordan and Quick means that Portland will need to find some skills talent. They are likely to promote Burton to the starting TE position and replace Quick in the slot with either Jordan Shipley or a rookie, but just who will come to the Stags at this time is unknown. We will have to wait and see how their search for a Head Coach, a position not impacted by the cap, affects their ability to bring talent to the Rose City.   Bulls Speak with Flores & Mangini Jacksonville is jumping right into the Coaching search, requesting to meet with Charlotte defensive coordinator Brian Flores as well as setting up a meeting with another former defensive coach, ex-49er DC Eric Mangini. It seems clear that the Bulls, who have had a halfway decent defense the past two seasons, are going to double down on winning games with defense. They have big issues at QB, and are thin at WR, but they seem deadest on building the defense first, and in finding a coach who can build an opportunistic, ballhawking squad. Mangini, who had a short and somewhat troubled position as the head coach of the NFL Cleveland Browns, spent the past year with the 49ers, but was let go along with their head coach this past February. Flores is now available for interviews, following Charlotte’s Wild Card bow out against New Orleans. His defense in Charlotte finished the season 7th in yards allowed and 1st in the league against the run.   That is an attractive set of credentials for a Bulls team that was solid in taking the ball away, but gave up too many yards. Now, many will say that the real issue with the Bulls defense was that they were just on the field far too much. When your offense scores only 15.6 points per game and leads the league in 3-and-outs, that is going to happen. So, whether the Bulls go with Flores, Mangini, or a third option, the key to building a solid defense may actually lie in developing a viable offense that can do more when they have the ball, use more of the clock, and put some points on the board.   Two Teams Want to Interview Nagy as Breakers Move On Looks like the coaching carousel will have to wait at least another week before stopping at Matt Nagy’s door. The Breaker OC is a hot commodity, with several teams inquiring about his interview schedule.  But, as we know, as long as New Orleans stays alive in the playoffs, teams are prohibited from communicating with Coach Nagy directly. They can speak with his agent, and they can try to schedule a meeting for a point after the Summer Bowl, but there can be no direct contact with the coach as long as his team remains active in the postseason, which this week’s win over Philadelphia assure at least for 5 more days.   Nagy is being credited with developing a multiple formation, high-motion, complex passing offense in New Orleans, one that maximizes the benefits of Drew Brees’s on-field IQ and accuracy. That offense allowed Jordy Nelson a legitimate shot at the league’s 30-year-old receiving yardage record and also produced strong numbers for Brees (including a 123.8 QB Rating), and receivers ranging from speedster Kenny Britt to TE Coby Fleener and even fullback Curtis Nelson, who led all blocking backs with 24 receptions this year. Those kinds of stats have made Nagy a frontrunner for a head coaching position, with rumors that both Portland and Washington are both very interested in him as a candidate. But for now, both the Stags and Federals, along with everyone else, will have to wait to try to land the up and coming coordinator, because he still has a job to do with the Breakers.   Dallas looking locally for Top Coach Candidates The Roughnecks are another team looking to fill their vacant Head Coaching position. While former OC Todd Haley remains a candidate, it seems that the Roughnecks are also scouring the state of Texas for other options. Meetings have been scheduled with two local college coaches as well as two NFL coaches who can speak with Dallas but would not be available to hire until January (assuming they were not fired mid-season). Among the Lone Star State candidates are Houston Oiler DC Romeo Crennell, Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, and, an interesting pick in that his position is somewhat unique, Dallas Cowboy LB Coach and passing game coordinator, Matt Eberflus. What makes Eberflus so interesting is that he is not currently either an offensive or defensive coordinator, and yet with the Cowboys his position touches on both, serving to coach up the Cowboy linebacker group while simultaneously providing coach Jason Garrett with passing game schemes and calls.   Whether Dallas goes with a pro coordinator, including their own OC, or opts to test out a college coach in a pro position, well that is very much up to them. What seems clear, however, is that they are either very keen on bringing in someone who has spent time coaching in the state of Texas or they are just trying to keep their hiring team’s airline mileage down by skipping the trips to see coaches on the coast and staying in state with their exploration of options. Seems Mark Cuban, lead owner of the Roughnecks, is more frugal than his reputation reports.   We are down to four teams, two division champions and two surprising lower seed Wild Cards, ready to fight for the right to appear in Summer Bowl 2017 at Detroit’s Ford Field. Will Michigan use home field against Las Vegas to make an appearance in a Summer Bowl in their home stadium? Will Houston ride their one seed into the league championship, or will the Vipers or Breakers rise up and shatter their opponent’s home field advantage? Everything is on the line, only 2 games and we will be at Summer Bowl 2016.   9-7 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (6) @ 14-2 HOUSTON GAMBLERS (1) Sunday, July 17 @ 2pm ET NRG Stadium, Houston, TX Gamblers -7   A matchup of the 1-seed and the 6-seed is pretty rare in a Conference Title Game, and even more rare to have the two be divisional foes, but that is what we have next week. Houston and New Orleans played twice already this season, with Houston sweeping the series, winning big at home in Week 5, 40-27, then completing the series with a 28-17 win in New Orleans. In both games the Breakers had trouble containing the passing game of the Gamblers. Colt McCoy threw for 5 touchdowns and over 600 yards combined in the two games, with Vernon Davis, JuJu Smith Shuster and Mike Evans all putting up good numbers. The Breakers did better against the run, but they may need to contain both if they hope to win this third matchup.   New Orleans will be quick to point out that it was Pat White, not Drew Brees in the Week 9 game, but it was Brees in Week 5, when Houston won by 13 at home. Admittedly, the Breakers were competitive on offense in that game, coming on strong only after Houston had built a 26-0 lead and outscoring them 27-14 the rest of the way, but you generally don’t want to wait until you are down 4 scores before you find answers on offense. If New Orleans is going to pull this one off, they are going to need big games from Brees, Nelson, Fleener, and their defense. Patrick Peterson will likely be matched up on Mike Evans all game, which means that McCoy might try to work more towards Davis and Smith-Schuster, so the rest of the Breaker D had better be ready. OUR PICK:  We know that Drew Brees has been here before, while Colt McCoy has only ever watched from the sidelines, but this Houston squad is deep, disciplined, and they just have so many weapons, it will be a huge task for New Orleans to hold them down. We think it is likely too much to ask. We are going with Houston, 33-26. 9-7 LAS VEGAS VIPERS (5) @ 12-4 MICHIGAN PANTHERS (2) Sunday, July 17 @ 6pm ET Ford Field, Detroit, MI Panthers -4   Las Vegas seems wary after losing big when the Vipers upset Arizona last week. This should by all rights be a wider margin for the Panthers, but it seems that there is a lot of faith out there in Eli Manning to pull off another upset, keeping the line under 6 points. These two teams met in Week 2 and, well, it was not pretty. Michigan dominated on both sides of the ball and crushed the Vipers in their home opener, 45-14. Has enough changed between then and now for us to pick Las Vegas in this game? No, not really. If anything, Las Vegas is in a worse position having lost Montario Hardesty, their lead runner. So, how do the Vipers get the W?   As with the Breaker-Gambler game, it all comes down to the Vegas QB having a surreal game. Now, we have seen Eli Manning do that before, with last year’s playoffs being prime evidence that it is possible. But, it is hardly something you can anticipate. Michigan will have picked apart the film from the Vipers’ upset of Arizona. They will certainly approach Manning differently, and on offense, Michigan poses a very different issue for the Viper D, the run game of LeVeon Bell. This won’t be a purely aerial assault from Kirk Cousins. He is going to be there, but this offense depends on Bell and the threat of the breakaway run to keep linebackers and safeties from bailing out of the box. OUR PICK:  Yes, we are going with both home favorites, but that is why they are home favorites. We just don’t see the Panthers’ D buckling this week, not with what could be a very one-dimensional Las Vegas attack. This one may be a bit too close for Panther fans to enjoy the whole game, but we think the final result will lean their way. Panthers 20-17.

For all the hoopla about playoff seeding and homefield advantage, the USFL this year just goes to show that sometimes it is more about who is hot than who is home. Three of four games were won by the road underdog in this week’s Wild Card playoffs. That includes both 6-seeds emerging victorious as well as 5-seed Las Vegas. The Seattle Dragons continued their Cinderella story by outlasting the Pacific Division Champion San Diego Thunder. New Orleans got a huge game from Drew Brees to blow past rookie Mitch Trubisky and the SE Division Champion Monarchs, and Las Vegas got vintage Eli Manning in their win at Denver, a game that saw Matt Leinart looking very much out of focus. Only the New Jersey Generals managed to use their home field as an advantage, holding off the Baltimore Blitz thanks to a nice game form Maurice Jones-Drew. We will recap all four Wild Card games, take a look at the first wave of player retirement announcements, explore possible fits for 10 of the best players already considered Free Agents, and look at the salary cap and its potential influence on the offseason. All that, plus previews of this week’s big Divisional Playoffs, when the 4 top seeds will hit the field against the upstart Wild Cards. But we start with the news that has shaken the Bay Area like a 5.5 earthquake, with Coach Dennis Green retiring and leaving the Invaders with no head coach and no quarterback.   Green Steps Down, Oakland Scrambling To say the last 10 days have been rough on Invader fans would be an understatement. First, last Tuesday, their star QB, still in crutches after an MCL tear, announces that he will not be returning for the 2018 season. And just yesterday, head coach Dennis Green makes public what management has apparently only known for a couple of days, that he is retiring effective immediately. Green, who has been at the helm of the Invaders since 2003, a 15-season tenure, one of the longest in the league. In his time at Oakland, he has led the Invaders to the playoffs 11 times, won 3 Pacific Division Titles and took Oakland to Summer Bowl 2009. He amassed a franchise record 130 wins and an overall record of 130-100-0 for a .565 winning percentage.  Coach Green Steps Away from the Game. Green, who turned 68 this year, was among the eldest of the league’s 28 head coaches, and his tenure was one of the longest, but for many in the Bay Area, his retirement is still a huge shock. In a year when Oakland dropped to 6-10, missed its star QB for all but 4.5 games, and struggled with a roster that is clearly in a generational shift, the steadying hand of Green was seen as a factor that could lead to a quick rebound. But now, with Green stepping down, the team is left with a huge leadership gap. As the club searches for a new front office leader, the club absolutely has to address on-field leadership as well. The biggest stars on the roster are all young, including rookie HB Christian McCaffrey, 26-year-old receiver Davante Adams, and defensive star Bobby Wagner (in his 5th season).   So, where does Oakland go now? Well, it appears that Green did not leave them empty-handed. He provided a list of potential coaching candidates who he believes are best suited to move the team forward with management. Rumored to be on that list are defensive coordinator and former USFL star Kurt Gouveia, passing game specialist Dave Canales, current Stanford head coach David Shaw, and former Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak. Whether or not the Invaders limit their search to those 4 candidates or cast a wider net will have to be seen over the next few weeks, but Oakland’s venerable founding owner Tad Taube has stated that the team will move quicky to find a suitable replacement. The 83-year old Taube, who handed over operations to minority owner Robert Pera several years back, still remains the face of the franchise in league matters, but it will be GM Rick Mueller who has the task of finding both a new head coach and a starting QB for the franchise.   With Oakland needing both on-field and front office leadership, this will be a very interesting offseason by the Bay. Expect a quick move on the head coaching position, followed by attempts to find a path towards either a trade for a veteran QB or a deal with either Philadelphia or Oklahoma to try to get a shot at one of the hot QB prospects locked into T-Draft protected roles, Lamar Jackson of Louisville being in Philadelphia’s protected school group and Baker Mayfield at OU being in the Outlaw’s protected group. Oakland has to be looking at these two, along with Wyoming’s Josh Allen, as they already know that neither the LA Express or San Diego Thunder would ever give them, as division rivals, a shot at USC’s Sam Darnold or UCLA’s Josh Rosen.  Like we said, this will be a huge offseason for the future of the Invaders, doubly so with Green’s retirement adding another dimension to their busy fall and winter.   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 34  CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 21 The first of four Wild Card games provided the first of three upsets by the visitors as New Orleans scored 24 unanswered points to close out the first half and take control of their game against the Southeastern Champion Monarchs. Drew Brees was a master at play, throwing for 360 yards and 4 touchdowns, including two to Jordy Nelson in the 2nd quarter that blew the game open. Mitch Trubisky played well, throwing 3 touchdowns to keep the game respectable, but it was just not enough as Charlotte fell to 20 points down at 27-7 early in the 3rd quarter and just could not recover.   After an early Trubisky to Hackett TD started the scoring, the game simply turned. Drew Brees responded with a lightning fast 5-play drive that saw him hit Coby Fleener with a perfect seam route for New Orleans’s first score. In the 2nd quarter he would lead an exhausting 14-play drive for a second score, a 2-yard flip (honestly, an underhand flip on the run) to Nelson. Then, only 5 minutes later, he hit Nelson from 17-yards out and it was 21-7. Two more field goal drives and New Orleans had the game well in hand. The Breakers used the run in the second half, with Fournette and Wilson combining for 99 yards on 24 carries, and it set up one last big play as play action let Brees find Kenny Britt on a 40-yard fly route that just ripped the hearts out of the Monarch faithful at Bank of America Stadium. LAS VEGAS VIPERS 29  DENVER GOLD 13 Eli Manning did not throw a single touchdown, but he also did not give the ball away. Matt Leinart also did not throw a TD in this one, but his three picks were devastating for the Gold. The Gold committed 4 turnovers in the game, and Las Vegas garnered 13 points off of them, not the decisive points, but enough to pull away and hold a lead.   An early Leinart pick, straight into the hands of E. J. Gaines, was returned all the way to the Denver 7, and 2 plays later Montario Hardesty plunged into the endzone for the first of 2 Vegas TDs in the 2nd quarter. It was 20-3 at the half as Denver just looked out of sorts against the Las Vegas defense. Leinart would complete only 13 of 29 passes, but the killer were the picks. After clawing back to 23-13 midway through the 4th, Denver gave up a 4th field goal to Viper kicker Brett Maher, and on the very next play from scrimmage, Leinart again tossed a ball right to a defender, this time CB Sheldon Richardson, his second pick of the game. That allowed Las Vegas to add 3 more and now up 16, it was too much for Denver in the final moments of the game.   The Vipers finished the game with a 413-258 yardage advantage, a 36:11-23:49 time of possession advantage, and the deadly 1-4 turnover margin. They did have a loss in the game however as starting HB Montario Hardesty was injured midway through the 2nd quarter. The team would later reveal that it was a partial hamstring tear, likely ending the back’s playoff season. But, Las Vegas moves on, and Coach Neuheisel says they are raring to take on the 1-seed when they head to Arizona next week. BALTIMORE BLITZ 21   NEW JERSEY GENERALS 24 The only home team to win this week, and in perhaps the week’s best game, New Jersey never trailed, but also never pulled away from the Blitz all game. It was a 7-point lead after 1 quarter, thanks to a Delone Carter TD run on the lone scoring play of the period, then 14-13 at the half, with Baltimore first equalizing the score with a Lance Moore TD catch. New Jersey responded by getting a nice 9-yard TD run from MJD, but an effective 2-minute drill gave Baltimore a chance to tie. Roethlisberger hit Brian Hartline with a beauty of a corner route for 30 yards and 6 points, but kicker Josh Lambo had the PAT blocked at the line.   The second half saw New Jersey add 3 points to make it a 17-13 lead. They relied heavily on MJD in the game, both to eat clock and to gain first downs. Jones-Drew finished the game with 106 on the ground, another 6 touches through the air for 35 yards, and was responsible for 7 of New Jersey’s 8 successful third down conversions. He would also add the game-winning score early in the 4th, a short swing pass from Nick Foles that put the Generals up 24-13. Baltimore would score late, but it was too little too late as New Jersey held the ball for the final 2:33 and took the victory. SEATTLE DRAGONS 21   SAN DIEGO THUNDER 14 The third and final upset propelled the Cinderella Dragons into the divisional round. The game was honestly not as close as the final score made it look. Seattle scored the first 21 points, one score per quarter, and had a 21-0 lead until the 8-minute mark of the 4th. The Dragon defense stayed in coverage, with LB Khalil Mack hanging back as a spy on Joe Webb instead of rushing the passer. The tactic worked, with Webb rushing the ball 8 times for only 17 yards. The coverage scheme also led to 3 picks as Seattle simply dared Webb to win the game with his arm.   On offense, Jacoby Brissett was not asked to do much, throwing only 17 passes, but was amazingly efficient, completing 15 of his 17 throws. After rushing touchdowns from Joseph Addai and Brandon Oliver in the first half, Brissett threw his first playoff touchdown in the third, connecting with speedster Mike Wallace on a 17-yard endzone fade to put Seattle up 21-0. In the 4th the Thunder finally got on the board when Terrance West broke out of a tackle and raced 19 yards to paydirt. They would add a Chad Johnson TD in the final seconds but could not recover the onside kick and had no time outs to stop the game from ticking away from them. Seattle’s Xavien Howard, with 2 picks of Webb, was named player of the game, and Seattle now prepares for a trip to Detroit and a tough matchup with a very good Michigan Panther squad.   Drew Breezes Through Monarch D It was the kind of performance you expect from a 2-time league MVP, and that is exactly what Drew Brees provided for the Breakers as they took over the game in the 2nd quarter and never looked back. Brees was 17 of 21 on the day, including a streak of 11 consecutive completions from the late 1st quarter until the half. He would throw 3 TDs in those 11 throws, and then add a 40-yarder late to drive home the message that at 38 he is still one of the most accurate, incisive, and dangerous QBs in the game today.   Charlotte got to the playoffs on the back of their defense, a squad that allowed an average of only 21.1 points per game and was 1st in the league against the run. Problem was, Drew Brees was not running, he was throwing the ball, and with amazing accuracy all game long. It was a clinic, led by a master craftsman. If I were prepping the Stars’ defense for Brees this week, I would not be getting a lot of sleep, because Brees was effective against zones, completed 6 of 8 when pressured, and just picked out receivers all game long. New Orleans has been quite inconsistent all season, but if this is the version of Drew Brees the Stars are going to see next week, they had better be ready for a shootout.   Did Leinart’s 3-Pick Day Put Denver in the QB Hunt? On the other side of the spectrum, the heat on Matt Leinart after the game shows just how fickle a fanbase can be. Leinart has never been an “elite” quarterback, with a lifetime QB Rating under 90, and a limited range on his deep ball, but what fans saw on Saturday was a veteran QB who simply did not seem to be reading the defense well at all. Of his three costly picks on the day, two appeared to be thrown right to the defender, and these were not ducks thrown up as he was being hit, these were clean pocket mistakes.   Coach Hufnagel was quick to point out that Matt Leinart was a big reason the Gold were in the playoffs at all, but the fans have not been as forgiving this week. Denver sports radio is awash in callers begging the Gold to take a serious look at the rookie QB class, including a player who has gotten a lot of attention locally, Wyoming QB Josh Allen. Leinart is not expected to go anywhere. He signed an extension through 2019 just 2 months ago, and Coach Hufnagel sees him as a core member of his team’s leadership group, but don’t tell that to the upset Gold fans who watched their team lose in the first round of the playoffs for the 4th time in 6 years. Their last playoff win was back in 2010, and they seem to be getting a bit fed up with being good enough to make an appearance but not good enough to turn that into a run of good games.   Xavien Howard A Star on the Rise The playoffs are a time when a player can go from being well-regarded by his team and the local fans to breaking out onto the national stage. This week’s game in San Diego may have been that moment for Seattle 2nd year corner Xavien Howard. Fans in Seattle have loved what they have seen of Howard since his 4-interception, 42-tackle rookie campaign. This year he doubled his interceptions, becoming the league leader in his 2nd campaign, but when you play in the Pacific Northwest, you just don’t get much exposure, even with the USFL’s bevvy of national games. Well, if you were watching Howard closely for the first time this week, you got to see what Dragon fans have been seeing for 2 full seasons, a player who is tenacious in his coverage, quick to react when the ball is thrown, and has the hands to turn a deflection into an interception. Howard took the ball out of the hands of Chad Johnson twice, something you just don’t see. Yes, Joe Webb could have placed the ball better, but Johnson is notorious for winning 50/50 balls, but not on this day. Howard showed up and balled out against a very savvy veteran wideout. If this was your first exposure to Howard, congratulations, we think you will be seeing a lot more of him as his career continues.   MJD Does it All for Generals There is no doubt that 2017 has been a career highpoint for Maurice Jones-Drew. A bit unusual to say that about a halfback who turned 31 during the season, but MJD’s 1,314 yards were a career high, allowing him to finish ahead of LeVeon Bell and just behind David Martin in the yardage race. He continued his outstanding year on Sunday with a huge game against the Blitz. He was a big part of the passing game, getting 7 targets and converting them into 6 catches for 35 yards and the game-clinching score.   Not too bad for a player jokingly referred to as the Pocket Hercules. At 5’7” he is a surprisingly powerful back, and at 31 he is surprisingly fast. He has great hands, which is why Nick Foles just kept looking his way, and he is a team leader, joking with OBJ one minute and chastising a lineman for a missed protection on the next. Well, this week’s game he got to do a bit of everything, rushing for 106 while also making some key blocks and bringing in the ball when it was thrown to him. A very strong day for Pocket Hercules indeed.   Two Injuries that Could Impact Divisional Games As we look ahead to the Divisional Round, there are two Wild Card Game injuries that could very much influence the course of games this week. For the Las Vegas Vipers, the loss of lead back Montario Hardesty could produce significant changes to the team’s offensive schemes against that brutally tough Arizona Defense. For New Jersey, losing DT Amobi Okoye could equally force some changes to the defensive structure of the front 7 as they prepare for Carlos Hyde and the Houston Gamblers’ potent attack.   Hardesty went down early in the 2nd quarter against Denver, suffering a hamstring injury. He remained on the sideline, but by Monday it had been revealed as a partial tear, which rules him out of any upcoming games this postseason. In the second half against Denver, former Breaker Jeremy Hill took over as the lead back and had minimal success, averaging only 2.5 yards per carry. Against Arizona, his ability to improve on those results could be the difference between Arizona playing an honest base defense and going into full QB attack mode. The Vipers, and veteran Eli Manning, would love to see Arizona forced to respect the run and not send bodies at the somewhat immobile Manning.   For New Jersey, the loss of Okoye to a torn bicep in his right arm means that their 3-4 will be without their pivot in the middle. They will move B. J. Raji into that spot, and while Raji is solid against the run, he does not have the penetration skills that Okoye brought to the position. What that means is that the Generals will likely have to rely more heavily on their duo of edge rushers, Vic Beasley and Aaron Kampman, to beat double teams. Either that or we will see more blitzing from Aldon Smith, Rey Maualaga, or rookie Matt Milano. New Jersey rarely blitzed during the regular season, with Beasley and Kampmann accounting for 34 of the team’s 55 sacks, but with Okoye out, we may see New Jersey try to create more mismatches by sending pressure, a risky move with Houston’s receiver group and the effective role Carlos Hyde has in the passing game.   The two injuries highlighted above are the primary stories on the injury front this week. For the 4 teams just beginning their playoff run, there are some key figures out, but most are injuries that have been in place for several weeks. Philadelphia will be without FS Jairus Byrd, as they have been for the past few weeks, but it looks as if LB Dan Connor can return for this game. For Michigan, the question is about CB Dre Kirkpatrick. He is listed as doubtful, but has been participating in limited practice all week. Houston’s big injury is to backup QB Landry Jones. Colt McCoy will start, but if he is still dealing with the fallout from his knee injury, then Jeff Driskol remains the lone backup available. Finally, Arizona is happy to see Peyton Barber at practice, and is perhaps the healthiest team overall.   NOR: OT Charles Leno (IR), DT Everett Dawson (IR), LB Rocky McIntosh (Q), DE Cameron Jordan (P) PHI: FS Jairus Byrd (IR), G Rokevious Watkins (OUT), WR Alexander Lefebvre (OUT), LB Dan Connor (P)   SEA: TE Dennis Pitta (IR), OT Terron Armstead (IR), HB C. J. Anderson (D), DE Travis LaBoy (Q) MGN: SS Jabril Peppers (OUT), CB Dre Kirkpatrick (D), G Chris Watt (D), WR B. J. Cunningham (Q)   NJ: DT Amobi Okoye (OUT) HOU: G Ryan Seymour (IR), QB Landry Jones (IR), DT John Jenkins (Q)   LV: HB Montario Hardesty (OUT), OT Nat Dorsey (OUT), FS Antrel Rolle (OUT), WR Arrellious Benn (P) ARZ: WR Jaelen Strong (IR), SS Joseph Beal (Q), HB Peyton Barber (P)   Retirement Announcements Begin with Big Loss for Maulers As we see every year, the early weeks of the playoffs are also the primary period when USFL players declare their intention to file with the league and the union for retirement. This year’s announcements began in earnest this week, with one of the biggest names to declare his career complete coming in Pittsburgh, with the retirement of two-time All-USFL edge rusher Jared Allen . Allen played 14 seasons in the USFL, primarily with the Blitz and Maulers, having been in Pittsburgh since 2010. He retires with over 150 sacks (152 to be exact) and nearly 600 tackles. Allen finished second to Dwight Freeney with 13 sacks this year, his 9th season as a double-digit sack man in the league.   Defensive line seemed to be the hardest hit position among the retirement wave this past week, with several names beyond Allen coming from the ranks of the DT’s and DE’s. Among the D-linemen who announced their retirements this week we find Dallas’s Larry English , a 9-season veteran with 111 career sacks); DT Jason Fisk of Portland, an 11-year veteran; and Memphis’s Antonio Smith . The TE position also saw two veterans announce, both highly regarded as dual-use ends, able to block and go out into routes. Chicago’s Anthony Fasano played 12 years with the Machine, amassing 4,931 yards, 562 receptions, and 29 touchdowns over his years in Chicago. Oklahoma also announced that TE Chris Cooley would be declaring his retirement after 6 years with the Outlaws. He had also played 8 seasons in New Orleans, retiring with 371 receptions and 37 touchdowns.     Two more names worth noting are Ohio safety Jim Leonhard , who split his career between the Panthers (07-13) and Glory (14-17), and halfback Donald Brown , who came over to the USFL after 5 NFL seasons. Brown had his best season in 2016 with the Oakland Invaders, but sought a chance to be the lead back, moving to Washington in free agency last offseason. In Washington, Brown struggled to fill the shoes of legendary back Deuce McCallister, rushing for only 531 yards this year, being benched for Wendell Smallwood midway through the tough 3-13 season for the Federals. Brown announced he would not return for the 2nd year of his contract, and was retiring due to the physical demands of the halfback position.   Expect more announcements in the weeks to come, particularly among players on playoff teams, as the reality of the season ending and the physical and mental demands of preparing once again for the long rehab and re-training process of the offseason start to kick in. Along with QB Joey Harrington, who was the first player of note to officially declare his retirement, we expect a few more big names to be added to the list, and thus to the potential pool for the Hall of Fame Class of 2022.   Ten Big Free Agents And Where They Would Best Fit Retirement is not the only roster-impacting aspect of the early offseason. While the Free Agency period for the USFL will not begin until 8 days after Summer Bowl 2017, the pool of players who are now free of their 2017 contracts is filling quickly, with 16 of the league’s 28 clubs already transitioning to offseason mode, and more joining each week as teams are eliminated from postseason play. In most cases these players have already turned down offers to remain with their current clubs and are, at the very least, interested in testing the waters and seeing what is possible. We picked the 10 most notable, likely most in-demand, players already in the pool, and gave some thought to where they should be looking for a deal and an opportunity. Here is our list of 10 current free agents and where we think they should end up.   Knowshon Moreno (HB, ORL) Easily the biggest name among the tailbacks we expect to be available this offseason. Moreno grew unhappy with his role in Orlando, and with sharing carries with Latavius Murray for much of his career. After several 1,000-yards seasons with Orlando, Moreno, now 29 years old, has had 770 and 760 yards his past two seasons with the Renegades, seeing his carry load drop from 262 in 2015 to only 152 this year. He is looking for a chance to be a true lead back, and to get both his carries and his yardage back to an elite space of 1,000-1,200 yards per year. Where he Fits:  There are no shortage of teams that need to upgrade their run game, but we see two in particular as obvious options: Birmingham and Pittsburgh. The Stallions have just not gotten what they want from former Alabama back T. J. Yeldon, who has yet to crack the 1,000 yard mark in his 3 years with them. For the Maulers, the combo of Marcus Lattimore, Ronny Hillman, and Jay Ajayi (acquired midseason) did not produce results, with the three averaging only 3 yards per carry. They are clearly looking to shift to a 1-back model to provide more of a threat and keep defenders from crashing in on Andy Dalton.   DaJuan Morgan (SS, LA) One of the best “centerfielders” in the league, Morgan is perhaps on the back end of his career at 32, but the safety position is one that can have good longevity. Morgan had 77 tackles this year with the Express, only 3 away from a 6th 80-tackle season. He might be willing to return to LA if the deal is right, but so far the team and his agent have not reached common ground. Where He Fits: Assuming Morgan does not return to LA, the teams that could show the most interest are those that prefer his style of deep centerfield coverage over a more aggressive line-of-scrimmage safety like Polamalu in Arizona. So, who fits that bill? How about Charlotte, likely to lose SS Shaun Schillinger to free agency, or Denver, who will need to settle their cap issues, but who certainly want to improve at the safety position.   Justin Blackmon (WR, OHI) After moving from Dallas to Ohio in 2014, Justin Blackmon established himself as one of the league’s more reliable possession receivers. He went over 1,100 yards this year with 91 receptions. While Blackmon is not going to tear the roof off a defense, his strength is in getting open on short and intermediate routes, something all clubs look for, especially on third down. Where He Fits: Several clubs are in the market for a reliable 3rd down option, so there will be no shortage of markets for Blackmon. Looking at teams that are in the market for that mid-range threat, we think Atlanta could be a possibility, though their QB situation may deter Blackmon from signing on. Another, perhaps more attractive option, would be Michigan, where the Panthers could see both slot receiver Ted Ginn Jr and mid-range target B. J. Cunningham entering free agency. Going from Ohio to the Panthers will make Blackmon no friends in Columbus, but it won’t be the first time these two teams saw players swap sidelines.   David Bruton (FS, JAX) More of a hitter than Morgan in LA, Bruton tends to play at his best closer to the line of scrimmage. The current Jacksonville free safety can play either safety position and has a knack for the ball. Snagging 6 picks this season as a career best. Nothing like hitting a big number like that in a contract year. Jacksonville is going to have to purge salary this year (see below), so Bruton’s asking price is likely going to be a non-starter for them. Where He Fits:  We know that Houston HC Wade Phillips loves Bruton’s game, so we could see the Gamblers make a run at the Jacksonville safety. And, with Donte Whitner almost certainly departing the Portland Stags, we think that Portland will be in the mix as well, though they will be at a disadvantage until they get a head coach in position.   Kyle Long (G, OKL) Guard tends to be a low-attention, low-pricetag position, but we expect a player of Long’s quality to get quite a bit of attention this year. The Outlaw line gets a lot of criticism for the number of sacks that Joe Flacco takes, but that is more of an issue at tackle than with Long. When Oklahoma switched to a power run game late in the season, teams saw how effective Long was as a lead blocker. Where He Fits:  Any team that wants to use power runs will take a look at Long. That likely includes Portland, Denver, Philadelphia, and the Federals. We like Washington as a fit, though they don’t have a back in place to be a power run team, you know that the plan is there to protect David Garrard by establishing the kind of run game they had with Deuce McCallister 2 years ago.   Felix Jones (HB, POR) Speaking of a power run game, Felix Jones is hoping that Oklahoma’s success with that style of play inspires others to bring in a bigger, more steamroller type of back, like him. He was displaced in Portland by the emergence of former Machine HB Doug Martin, seeing his carries cut nearly in half this year. So, he is in the market for a team that will give him a chance to grind out yards and play in short yardage situations. Where He Fits:  No one expects Jones to get a full-time starting gig after several down seasons, but what might happen is that he may be brought in to help mix carries with a smaller back. If that is the case, then our favorite landing spot for him would be in Baltimore, where neither Kerwynn Williams nor Anthony Dixon are designed to carry the ball 300 times a year. He would be part of a 3-back system, but he would clearly be the big man of the three.   Matt Tenant (C, BIR) The Stallions have no interest in losing Tenant from the center of their line, but they seem to be miles apart form his agent when it comes to numbers. Tenant could be the highest paid lineman in this year’s pool, largely because we are not seeing any top tier left tackles testing the market. Where He Fits: Tenant is solid in both pass protection and the run game, so there will be a market. The team that pops out as in need of his talents is New Jersey, where 32-year-old Jon Cooper has not resigned over the course of the season. If, however, the Stallions can find the cap space, we think they will make a solid offer to their center to try to keep him in house.   C. J. Spiller (HB, DAL) Spiller is a tough sell for many teams. He was so talented at Clemson, but has just not proven to be either reliable or healthy for much of his pro career. Now on the cusp of 30, and with a career high of 742 yards rushing all the way back in 2011, we think that Spiller’s best chance is to combine kick and punt return duties with some 3rd down back snaps. Where He Fits:  Baltimore could be an option if Jaquizz Rogers is let go, as is Birmingham if Danny Woodhead leaves in free agency.   Matthias Kiawanuka (DE, WSH) This is going to be a tough market for Kiawanuka. He is 31, has already played 11 seasons, and has not sniffed 10 sacks or more in any of them. Not a lot of teams want a guy at the edge position who is solid on the run but takes bad lines when rushing the QB, and that is the story on Kiawanuka’s time in Washington. Perhaps a move to a true 4-3 scheme would help, but those are more and more rare these days. Where He Fits: If he is honest about his worth, and willing to be paid less than he earned in DC, then he will find a spot, but we could not tell you where.   Ricky Stanzi (QB, STL) While the market for future franchise QBs is always white hot, the market for “serviceable” backups is quite a bit cooler. Stanzi has been a solid backup, but never really challenged Josh Freeman for the starting gig in St. Louis. His best fit is with a team that wants a veteran backup, someone who can help mentor a young starter and who sees action only when games are out of hand. Where He Fits: If St. Louis is looking to transition away from Freeman in the next year or two, then Stanzi does not make sense for them. But he could make sense with any team that will have a rookie QB as their starter this year, so possibly he is not signed before the draft shakes out. Otherwise, clubs like Portland (Mariota) or Charlotte (Trubisky) make sense because they are still working with a young starter who could use some veteran guidance.   Buyers & Sellers Could Define Offseason Moves As much as the offseason is about players, where they fit, and what deal they can get, it is also about team finances. Who has funds to spend on free agents and who is trying to lower their cap number so that their rookies can be signed? It is a dance every offseason, with some teams reworking deals, others letting veterans go, some trading talent for picks, and others accumulating cheaper rookie deals to try to stay legal with the cap. This year we have some really interesting cap numbers. Now, some of this is speculative, especially with the current playoff teams, who have players in the final weeks of deals, but no official free agents yet. The other factor is retirements and their impact on team rosters. When we look across the league, we see something very interesting. If things shake out the way we expect, some of this year’s playoff teams could also be the most flush in the offseason, while some of the teams struggling for wins are also struggling with bloated contracts and a lack of cap space.   Let’s start with the potential “buyers”, teams that should have significant cap room and who could snap up free agents without concern for their rookie draft class being adequately funded. Right now, San Diego, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans look like the teams in the best position, each with between $10M-$18M available without any restructuring or deal extensions needed. But, there could be a team lurking in the background. Arizona is in pretty solid shape, with decent cap room right now, but they also have some seriously veteran players, particularly on defense. If some of their higher cost defenders, players like LB Karlos Dansby, S Troy Polamalu or DE Adam Carriker choose to retire, we could see the 15-1 Wranglers with $15M or more in accessible cap space. Of course, with that cap space also come needs across the roster, because they would be losing a lot of leadership and a lot of production, but from the look of it, they would have the cash available to spend big to restock the armory.   On the other side of the spectrum, there are several teams with real cap dilemmas. Denver, Oklahoma, and Jacksonville are right on the edge right now, and will need to either cut loose some big contracts or work them into extensions that shift the cap load to future years. Even worse off are the Vipers and Stags, who are currently $2M-$4M over the cap based on next year’s numbers for their current deals. That means that they both need to free up a minimum of $5M in cap space just to have adequate funds to sign 4-6 draft picks, much less any veteran free agents. Expect something of a yard sale in both cities, with expensive players being swapped in trade for lower-cost deals. That, combined with significant contract renegotiation, is the primary path available to these clubs to get back in the black and to have any shot at signing needed players.   Expect some deals, some cuts, and some new contracts among the teams in danger, and expect a lot of signings and picks for player trades among the teams with money to spend, because as much as it is about the players on the market, it is equally about the teams coming to market with or without money to spend.   10-6 NEW JERSEY (4) @ 14-2 HOUSTON (1) Saturday, July 9 @ 3pm ET NRG Stadium, Houston ,TX Gamblers -6   For the Generals, the win over Baltimore was a very nice step, and seeing QB Nick Foles play efficient football was exactly why Coach Turner made the midseason switch from Brett Hundley. But, as good as that game must have felt for the Generals, things are about to get real this week. Houston has been a juggernaut all season, blowing through the league with a top flight offense and a defense that can put real pressure on opposing QBs. It will be no easy task to go into NRG Stadium and get a road win. For Houston the key will be Colt McCoy and his ability to play on a knee that was clearly not back to 100% in his surprise appearance Week 16. He has had a week to rest the knee, and he will be wearing a brace, but we still expect Houston to try to take pressure off of McCoy by finding ways to put the ball in the hands of HB Carlos Hyde. If Hyde can produce in the run game, then McCoy will face far less pressure from Beasley and Kampman, and Houston’s highly dangerous deep ball attack can be a factor.   OUR PICK:  If McCoy were out, we might give the Generals a fare chance in this game, but even if he is only at 80-90%, that gives Houston the edge, and we think he is healthier than that. We have to go with the 14-2 Gamblers here. Houston 31-21 in a game that Houston wins on both sides of the ball. 9-7 SEATTLE (6) @ 12-4 MICHIGAN (2) Saturday, June 9 @ 8pm ET Ford Field, Detroit, MI Michigan -4   No team has been hotter in the season’s second half than the Seattle Dragons, and yet, when we look at their roster, we worry that it is all somehow a mirage. The Dragons are not great in the run game, averaging only 83.8 yards per game. Their defense struggles to contain the run, giving up 110 yards a game, and while they are excellent at bending without breaking, this matchup looks like a tough one for them.   The reason we think Michigan is a bad matchup for Seattle is quite simple, they do well in the areas where Seattle struggles. Seattle is 27th in the league against the run, enter LeVeon Bell and one of the best, most-consistent run games in the league. They are not particularly strong at running the ball, and Michigan features a defense that just does not allow backs any space. Add in the experience of Kirk Cousins vs. the playoff novelty of Jacoby Brissett and we think this one could get ugly unless Seattle really does have some magic in them.   OUR PICK:  It is pretty obvious we are going with Michigan here. We think Bell has a big game and the Panthers do to. Panthers 27-16   9-7 NEW ORLEANS (6) @ 13-3 PHILADELPHIA (2) Sunday, June 10 @ 1pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia PA Philadelphia -6   Now this one should be fun. We have two very good defenses, two very good quarterbacks, and two stars in the making in Stars’ HB Derrick “King” Henry and Breaker’s wideout Jordy Nelson. Philadelphia boasts the 4th best scoring offense, largely built on the running of Henry to set up the pass. They also have allowed only 17.4 points per game. New Orleans, for their part, has one of the game’s most diverse and complex passing games, led by the savvy and very accurate Drew Brees. Their defense is allowing less than 80 yards per game on the ground, and they just don’t give up a lot of big plays, making teams earn their points with long drives. In other words, this could be a real slugfest between two teams that are solid from top to bottom.   OUR PICK: We love Drew Brees’s confidence and swagger, but the Breakers were 9-7 for a reason. They lack a true stud in the backfield, with rookie Leonard Fournette struggling to gain 700 yards his first year in the pros. They also struggle to be consistent, evident in losses to teams like Dallas and Birmingham. Philadelphia is also 13-3 for a reason, and that is the coaching and confidence that Jim Harbaugh brings to the team. We think Philadelphia withstands Brees’s passing attack and finds a way to win the game late. Stars 23-20.   9-7 LAS VEGAS (5) @ 15-1 ARIZONA (1) Sunday, June 10 @ 6pm ET University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ Arizona -9 Call it David vs. Goliath, or just the 5-seed vs. the 15-1 top seed, but this game looks and feels like the most lopsided of the week. Arizona can beat you so many ways, though they prefer to crush your spirit with their defense and then break your heart with the deep ball. David Carr is a likely back-to-back MVP, in Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Bryant, and TE Jimmie Graham he has a receiver group that simply makes defenses look bad. Then you add in the Wrangler D and this team looks very much the favorite to repeat as champions.  So, what does Las Vegas need to do to pull out a win in Glendale? Well, they need Eli Manning to be the QB who got Memphis to the Summer Bowl last year and played well against Arizona in that game. They need former Breaker Jeremy Hill to blow us away in the run game, and they need their defense to do what no one has done in a few years, avoid Arizona making big plays.   OUR PICK:  Yup, we are going with the obvious pick here, but, c’mon, who isn’t?  Arizona 30-17 in a game dominated by David Carr and that passing game.