Player of the Week: The opening POTW goes to Ron Dayne, who almost singlehandedly won the big matchup against New Jersey this week. His 3 touchdowns were the difference and his 134 rushing yards were second in the league. A big day for the big back.

We’ve talked about the big stories of the USFL offseason, now it is time to make our picks, look at each team’s chances, and preview Week 1 of the 2011 USFL season.  We will go team by team to discuss the biggest offseason move, the rookie with the biggest potential impact, and our assessment of where they stand this year and what we might expect from them.  Before that we put together a 3-man panel of experts to answer some of the pressing questions of the year, and we wrap it all up with a look at the Week 1 slate of games.  Let’s get to it. TEN BIG QUESTIONS FOR 2011 Every season starts with a lot of unknowns. Which teams are rising and which are in decline?  Who will break out this year?  Which offseason moves will prove instrumental to change their team’s fortunes?  Will any rookies become instant sensations?   To answer these questions, we brought together three men who are well-known to USFL fans and who know the league as well as anyone.  We put the 10 biggest questions of the offseason to each of them, and here is what they said we should expect in 2011.  The Panel is: Lee Corso:  Former Head Coach of the Orlando Renegades, and one of the stars of USFL Today on ESPN for over 2 decades. Bobby Hebert: Former MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, USFL Champion, and one of the greatest QBs in USFL history, now a member of the FOX USFL pregame studio team. Lynn Swan: Former NFL Hall of Fame Wide Receiver and a broadcaster who has covered the USFL for ABC since its inception in 1983. And the questions are: Who Won the Manning-Brees Trade? CORSO: It has to be New Orleans.  Every season it seems we debate whether Eli Manning is an elite QB or not, but we don’t argue about Brees.  We know what he can do and  what kind of leader he is.  That is an upgrade for the Breakers and a downgrade for Orlando, despite what the Renegades would say. HEBERT: Honestly, it is a win for both QBs.  It may not be for both teams, but for the players themselves, this is a good move.  It allows Brees to get out of a situation where he just did not gel with the head coach, and for Eli, it gives him a chance to reinvent himself with a new fanbase and a new team. SWANN: While I agree with my colleague Lee about Brees being the better quarterback, I am going to remind everyone that Dwayne Bowe was also part of the deal and I think he has a lot to offer Orlando, so for me the 2-for-1 deal helps Orlando more. Which Free Agent Makes the Biggest Impact With Their New Team? SWANN: It has to be Troy Polamalu.  He is a difference maker.  Arizona still has some holes on defense, but you watch what Troy does each week.  He will impact games and that defense will cause issues for their opponents because he is on the field. CORSO:  I am going to say Jake Delhomme with the Monarchs.  Charlotte already had some pretty good pieces in place.  Chris Weinke was not getting the job done.  Delhomme may  not be an MVP candidate but he knows how to run an offense.  Between him and the new receivers that Charlotte brought in, I see them as a potential darkhorse. HEBERT: As much as I would love to go with the QB and agree with Lee on this one, I have to agree with Swanny.  Troy Polamalu is such a disruptive force.  He will be the difference for that Arizona D this year. Which Team Had the Worst Offseason? HEBERT: I have to go with the Philadelphia Stars.  You lose playmakers on offense like Steve Smith, Dallas Clark, and Darren Sproles, but also defensive talent like Cromartie, Schulters and Ryan Nece. Those are hits that are going to impact that team.  I like Stevie Johnson, but he is not going to be able to replace Steve Smith, and no one can really replace Sproles. SWANN: I am going with Oakland, for one reason, Ricky Williams.  The timing of Williams’s announcement, the lack of free agent options for the Invaders, and now they find their entire offense having to recalibrate because you just cannot plug in a rookie with a totally different running style like Ryan Williams and expect to get the same results.  I see Oakland struggling to overcome Williams’s departure. CORSO: I did not pick Troy Polamalu with Arizona as my biggest offseason win, but I am going to say that his departure from the Express is the biggest offseason loss.  I just don’t see how LA can make up everything he gave to that defense, and unless they can redesign a defense around others on that team, they will struggle without Polamalu back there at safety. Lots of New QB’s Under Center in 2011, Who Excels and Who Will Struggle? CORSO: Excel seems pretty clear.  I think New Orleans with Drew Brees will be a lot more dangerous.  As for struggling, I am looking at Ohio and they are taking a real chance with Vince Young.  I like the kid, he was outstanding at Texas, but we saw what his career was like in the NFL and I am not sure he suddenly gets it all right with a shaky Ohio squad this year. HEBERT: I really like the situation that Ryan Fitzpatrick is in with the Stags.  Yes, he has to battle with Feeley to win the job, but I think that he will win that battle and Portland is in a very good position to improve this year. As for struggling, I think Ryan Mallett, despite the talent around him in Memphis, has the biggest leap to make to be a successful USFL quarterback, and I just think this year could be tough for him. SWANN:  I know everyone is in love with Cam Newton, but he goes from a very talented Auburn team to a 2-win Birmingham squad as a rookie QB with really only 1 full year of top level college ball behind him.  That is a very steep learning curve.   As for the best situation, I really like where Jake Delhomme finds himself with Charlotte.  There is a lot of upside to his move from Memphis to the Monarchs. Which Rookie or Rookies Will Shine in Their First Year? SWANN: I really like what I am seeing from Patrick Peterson in that New Orleans defense.  He has great skills and can really fly around the field.  I think he moves quickly to the #1 CB slot and he makes a real impact on a pretty good team. HEBERT: I am looking at the three rookie QB’s likely to start by season’s end and the one in the best situation is clearly Jake Locker.  He has Chad Johnson as a primary target and a coach who knows what he is doing.  I think it may take him half the season to get used to the pace of the league, but by the end of the season watch out for what Locker can do in that offense. CORSO: Not so fast, my friends.  You are both missing out on the most obvious choice.  Aldon Smith is a beast, and he will be in a defensive scheme with St. Louis that allows him to blitz, to make plays in the run game, and to show off his talent.  St. Louis and Coach Arians got themselves an instant impact player in Smith and I see him causing all sorts of chaos this year. Who Do You See Winning the MVP in 2011? HEBERT: It would be easy to say either Warner or Hasselbeck again, but I am going to throw a curveball and say Joey Harrington.  He wants to prove he is back, he is on a team that may have to recalibrate their offense to be much more passing focused, and he is not a newbie, he is a veteran passer who knows what to do and what to avoid.  I see a big statistical year for him even if Oakland is not as good as a team. CORSO: Bobby, I just don’t see an MVP coming out of a team that could be 8-8.  It has to be a winning team, and I am going to go with a non-QB.  Frank Gore has been an elite back and the focal point for Nashville’s offense forever, and I think this year he finally gets the attention he deserves.  I am saying he tops 1,600 yards, more than 100 per game, and runs away with the MVP. SWANN: I love you, Lee, but I don’t see it.  MVP is almost always a QB and I think this year will be no different.  My pick is going to be Brees. New Orleans was a playoff team last year.  I think they are even better this year, and I think Brees uses that young receiver group to put up some superstar numbers.  He wanted out of Orlando. He got it. And I think he proves he is worth everything the Breakers can afford to give him. Which Non-Playoff Team from 2010 Will Not Only Get In but Could Go Deep into the Postseason? CORSO:  I really like what New Jersey is building.  I love Sam Bradford.  I think the defense is better this year, and I expect New Jersey to make a run that gets them above Baltimore and maybe even Philadelphia to finish 2nd behind Washington and get a Wild Card. SWANN: I like the New Jersey pick, but I am going with Portland.  They were close last year, and the Pacific feels like a division without a clear favorite. Oakland could be down.  Las Vegas seems weaker, and the void means a team like Portland has a clear path to a potential division title. HEBERT:  I know it will make me sound like a homer, but I am going with the Michigan Panthers.  Brian Griese is back and that makes all the difference.  This is a team that could win the division if Griese can return to his MVP numbers, and I have faith that he can. And Which 2010 Playoff Team Drops Out of the Hunt? SWANN:  I think it is Oakland.  The Ricky Williams retirement is killer for them. Harrington is still not 100% back from injury, and the team is just not looking ready to run the gauntlet this year. HEBERT:  I agree about Oakland, but Las Vegas also looks like a team that is slipping instead of rising. That receiving group is not good. I don’t know how Jake Plummer is expected to progress without more around him, and Marshawn Lynch has just too much being asked of him. CORSO: Two good picks, but kind of safe picks if you ask me.  I am going to go with the Stars. They lost a lot this offseason, and they are in what could be the toughest division in football. If they cannot recover fast and find some new stars, I could see Washington, Baltimore, even New Jersey jumping over them in that division. Can Houston Become Only the Second Team in League History to Repeat? HEBERT: No. simple answer.  It is so tough to do, and Houston is not a juggernaut like that Ohio squad in 2003.  They are good, but there are plenty of teams that are as good or maybe better. CORSO: Not so fast, Bobby. Houston has the best shot I have seen since that Ohio squad. They are stacked on both sides of the ball, and if you look at their conference, the biggest challenge may be Pittsburgh, who I just don’t see being able to stop them if it comes down to it.  Who do you see in the league that has the balance that Houston has?   No one. SWANN: They have a shot, that is true.  But it is so hard to repeat.  Every single game you get the other team’s best effort.  And on top of that you have to motivate your guys to do it again, when they already have had a taste of the title buzz.  It is hard to stay focused.  I think they have the talent, but is the hunger going  to be there? Who Takes Home the John Bassett Trophy When All is Said and Done? CORSO: I am going to double down from the last question.  I love what Coach Phillips has there in Houston. He has a run game. He has a veteran QB who can carry the team if needed. He has edge rushers, and he has a veteran leader at MLB with Farrior.  This team is stacked and I say they repeat. HEBERT: I am going to steal your trademark, Lee. Not so fast, my friend.  I don’t see Houston repeating, though I think they are the best team in the West.  I am going to go with a team that is hungry and on the rise.  I say it goes to Pittsburgh this year.  They find a way to beat Houston and move on to the Summer Bowl, and I think they are better than pretty much every team in the East. SWANN: I can do this too.  Not so fast, both of you.  You are all acting like the Eastern Conference has no contenders. I still say whichever team can win out in the Northeast Division has an advantage because they will be used to fighting wars every single week. For me, the team that is set up to do that is Washington.  I know that not everyone is on the David Garrard bandwagon, but I believe.  They have improved their receiver group, they have an underrated defense, and they have Deuce McCallister, who everyone wants to see get a ring.  I am going with Washington. TEAM AND LEAGUE PREVIEWS There you have it.  We have heard from our expert panel. So now it is our turn.  We pulled together all the bullpen picks and once again made our picks for each division.  As we review each division, we will give you our picks and then look over each team, finishing with our pick to win it all. This is, as our panel said, the toughest division in the league once again.  We could see 4 of these 5 clubs all finishing at 8-8 or better, and they very well could have 3 playoff teams once again.  Boston is still rebuilding, but with Jake Locker under center, we think they too are improved.  Within our bullpen the consensus is that Washington overtakes Philadelphia for the division title, followed by the Stars, Generals, Blitz and Cannons, with both Philly and Jersey getting into the dance. 2010 Record: 10-6, Lost in Wild Card Round Head Coach: Tom Coughlin (8th Season) Biggest Offseason Move: Signing DE Joe Tafoya.  If you think that does not sound like a major coup, you would be right. Baltimore was not a major player in free agency, working mostly to add depth. Impact Rookie: DE Robert Quinn. Lined up opposite Tafoya, Quinn will get every chance to be an immediate impact player for the Blitz defense. Offense: Expect the 2011 Blitz to look a lot like the 2010 version, focusing on the run game with Ron Dayne as the bellcow, then play action and the occasional deep ball from Ben Roethlisberger. The receiving group is good with Hot, Heyward-Bey, and Antonio Gates starring.  Expect to see more of Doug Gabriel this year as he has supplanted Craphonso Thorpe as the #3 receiver. Defense: This is where we should expect to see some adjustments.  Quinn and Tafoya join Zgonina on the 3-man line. Brandon Spikes is at the center and we will now see a full season with Jason Taylor on the weak side, blitzing often.  The secondary is solid with Asomugha and Lucas outside and Adam Archuleta roaming the middle. Outlook: Baltimore was a solid playoff contender in 2010 and they expect to be again in 2011.  But can they do more? Is this a team able to take the next step and take the division and more?  We are not so sure.  We think 10 wins is a likely outcome and that could mean once again a Wild Card role. 2010 Record: 7-9, 5th in Division Head Coach: John Fox (10th Season) Biggest Offseason Move: All about the defense.  Boston signed 5 quality free agents and 4 of them were on defense, including FS Will Allen, DE Chuckie Nwokorie and LBs Corey Miller and Dat Nguyen.  All four should start for the Cannons. Impact Rookie: You know we have to say Jake Locker, right?  I mean, you don’t make the deal Boston did without expecting Locker to be your guy for the next decade.  Adrian McPherson will start the season under center, but we all know that it will be Locker’s team before long. Offense: We expect the Cannons to rely heavily on their RBs (Mendenhall, Hunt and free agent Tatum Bell) to set the stage, hoping to use play action to give Jake Locker some easy throws to Chad Johnson.  Boston still lacks a true #2, with Cedric Wilson in that spot at the moment.  We do like the role that Percy Harvin is taking on in the slot, but a lot will depend on Locker and his growth into the pro game. Defense: All new, and largely unknown.  That is what we would say about this defense.  Two new linebacker, a new DE opposite Jason Babin, and a reshuffled secondary still anchored in CB Fred Smoot.  Can this group gel, and if so, how good can they be? Outlook: Boston is a team in transition, and that could go smoothly or be a bumpy ride.  They will likely be uneven, and need time to grow together, so an 8-win season would be a very good result for this year. 2010 Record: 8-8, 4th In Division Head Coach: Herm Edwards, 3rd Season Biggest Offseason Move:  Signing Aaron Kampman away from the Outlaws is likely the most impactful move.  Putting him opposite Shaun Ellis will make life tough for D-Coordinators, especially with both Raji and Ian Scott inside. Impact Rookie: No immediate starters in the 2011 draft, but we expect Delone Carter and TE Virgil Green to contribute. Offense: Will Bradford have a sophomore slump or will he grow into an elite QB? He has good weapons around him, including veterans catching the ball in Clayton, Houshmanzadeh, Holmes, and TE Anthony Becht.  The line still looks a bit shaky for our taste, but the skill positions are there. Defense: New Jersey is hoping to get pressure with their front 4, allowing Tinoisamoa, Fujita, and Donterrious Thomas to focus on the run and coverage.  The starting corners (Nate Clements and Devin McCourty) are solid, but we are not sure about depth there.  Bob Sanders and Tony Driver are a solid duo at safety. Outlook: New Jersey was one game away from a playoff spot last year.  To get over the hump they need more from Maurice Jones-Drew, they need their defense to take a step towards the Top 10, and they need Bradford to improve on a Rookie of the Year season.  We think all three are pretty likely.  We project New Jersey as a potential Wild Card in this division. 2010 Record: 11-5, Lost in Summer Bowl Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh (7th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  Replacing Steve Smith with Stevie Johnson.  They did not want Smith to leave, but in Johnson they have found a younger player who may be just as fast, just as brash, and just as effective. Impact Rookie: The Stars were only able to sign 3 of their draft picks, with a lot of defections to the NFL.  None of those three is slated to start this week.  We think OT Anthony Castonzo from BC is the player most likely to see significant snaps, but we just don’t see a lot coming from this draft class. Offense: A new #1 receiver in Johnson, a new #1 TE in Daniel Fells, and a QB who is still among the most accurate in football.  Add to that perhaps the best line from LT all the way across to RT and the Stars’ offense should be just fine this year.  The key may well be how #2 and #3 receivers Reche Caldwell and Troy Williamson step up to help Stevie Johnson adjust. Defense: The D was the key for Philadelphia last year, and they could be again.  Sean Lee could be even better with another year of experience and Robert Mathis is just starting to get the hang of how to be an effective edge rusher.  Signing Darren Sharper was a good option for the Stars and should help the secondary avoid a let down after a very good 2010. Outlook: The Stars came oh so close to a 4th title and we think they will be inspired to go that extra step this year, but in a very tough division, that could be a challenge.  Lots of teams are gunning for them, so a #1 seed may be a tough feat to repeat, much less a conference and league title. 2010 Record: 10-6, Lost in Divisional Round Head Coach: Sean Payton (5th Season) Biggest Offseason Move: The Feds kind of silently upgraded their receiving corps in a big way.  The nabbed McCants from Charlotte in free agency and then made a deal with Texas to bring slot receiver Danny Amendola to town.  There will be no excuses for Garrard if he does not continue his upward trajectory in 2011. Impact Rookie: Impact Rookie: Another shrewd WR pickup in Dontrelle Inman from Uva, but we have to say DT Corey Liuget is the big get (see what we did there?) for the Feds.  He will be an athletic presence in the line for the Feds, something they sorely needed. Offense: A lot depends on if Garrard can continue to produce at the level he did last year.  We know Deuce will continue to be a focal point, but now the Feds have a much deeper, much shiftier receiver group for Garrard to work with, and that could be bad news for the rest of the division. Defense: Liuget and Atkins inside, Chris Long and Kiawanuka outside.  Lots of potential, but little proven track record. That is what we see.  The LB group will still be Antonio Pierce’s to shape, but we are not seeing a lot of depth there.  Ed Reed is the lynchpin for the entire defense. If he can shape up that secondary, the D could surprise some folks. Outlook: We are putting Washington up there with New Jersey as potential contenders to knock off Philadelphia, but a lot of that is contingent on how the D-line gels and if Garrard is for real after a shaky start to his career.  Could be 11 wins, could be 6. If the NE Division is the toughest, the SE Division may well be the most balanced. You could make an argument for pretty much each and every team to finish first or to finish last.  We had all kinds of disagreement on this one, although most thought that it would come down to the two non-Floridian teams, Atlanta and Charlotte in the end.  After our polling we had Atlanta first, Charlotte second, followed by Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jacksonville, but all of them within 1-2 games of .500. 2010 Record: 9-7, Lost in Divisional Round Head Coach: Tom Ramsey (3rd Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  A pretty quiet offseason for the Fire, though we do like them bringing in Ryan Nece from Philly as a MLB option. Impact Rookie: The Fire did better than most, signing 7 of their 10 picks, including Georgia LB Justin Houston.  He will rotate with Nece inside, likely playing more passing downs to make use of his speed. Offense: Josh Reed set the league on fire last year.  He needs more help from Demaryius Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr, because this year every team will be doubling up on the 2010 yardage leader.  We like the signing of rookie HB Anthony Allen because McFadden just had too many carries last year.  The Fire will also keep using J. J. Arrington on third down, and that seems like a good plan to us. Defense: The front 4 of Atlanta Is just getting started.  Kelsay, Mosley, Jason Ferguson and Robaire Smith could develop into an elite squad.  That would be helpful as both the LB group and the secondary can be hit or miss a times, even with Charles Woodson still locking up the #1 receiver each and every game. Outlook: Atlanta was a surprise division champion in 2010.  We think it may be an even bigger surprise if they can repeat. They have talent, to be sure, but they are not a juggernaut by any stretch of the imagination. We think 10 wins could be a ceiling for them. 2010 Record: 7-9, 5th in Division Head Coach: Jim Mora Jr (4th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Monarchs were not shy about wanting a change at QB. They traded Chris Weinke to Seattle well before they had Jake Delhomme signed.  But, Delhomme is the man now, and he will want to make an impact for his 3rd team in 3 years.  He will get 2 shots at Jacksonville now that he is back in the division with the Bulls, and that should be fun. Impact Rookie: Center Mike Pouncey will be a Day One starter for the Monarchs.  He is big, but agile, and whip smart.  We like this pick and signing a lot.  We just wish they Monarchs had also been able to add some impact players in the skill positions. Offense: Delhomme will throw to a revamped, but somewhat long in the tooth, receiving corps.  D. J. Hackett is joined by Derick Mason and Anquon Boldin.  Only Hakeem Nicks is on an ascending track in his career.  Even HB Fred Jackson may be on the downside, so you have a relatively new team with a very old offensive roster. Defense: Julius Peppers has found second life in Charlotte, but he is not doing it alone.  We like the Monarch LB group quite a bit, led by MLB Rolando McClain, with young talent in Jerrod Mayo and Rey Mauluaga.  A nice trio that can cover, chase down backs, and blitz. Outlook: Charlotte came on strong at the end of 2010 and we think that momentum can continue into 2011.  Now, we say that even with a pretty questionable offensive core.  We think the defense will be key.  Keep teams under 20 points and we think the Monarchs win those games. 2010 Record: 7-9, 4th in Division Head Coach: Leslie Frazier (2nd Season) Biggest Offseason Move: Trading to get G Damien Woody was a smart move, and our pick for the most impactful this offseason for the Bulls. Impact Rookie: While we are somewhat luke warm about 1st round signee, safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, we do love LBK. J. Wright, who they picked up laterin the draft. DE Da’Quan Bowers could see a lot of snaps as well. Offense: Year 2 for Tim Tebow and Tebowmania in Florida.  He returns with pretty much the same hands group.  C. J. Spiller behind him. Jason Whitten in close, and Rashaun Woods out wide. Beyond Woods, however, we are not as impressed with the receiver group, so Tebow may find himself scrambling quite a bit once again. Defense: Mike Vrabel cannot do it all on his own, so the pick of K. J. Wright was a good one.  The Bulls also want to see Marcus Stroud continue to develop and are hoping that Tim Crowder lining up on one end, will free up David Bowens on the other. Outlook: Leslie Frazier’s club never quit last season, and 7-9 was at one point not looking very likely.  Can they take another step? It is absolutely possible in a division that is very balanced top to bottom. 2010 Record: 8-8, 2nd in Division Head Coach: Emmitt Thomas (6th Season) Biggest Offseason Move: The Trade. That is all we have to say. Orlando sent off 2x MVP Drew Brees and brought in Eli Manning. They are either geniuses or morons, and this season will be the litmus test. Impact Rookie: Impact may be a lot to ask for from this group.  James Carpenter, the Alabama OT, will get snaps.  WR Leonard Hankerson will too, but we don’t see this as a very dynamic draft class for Orlando. Offense: Manning will work with receivers Michael Jenkins, Justin McCaerins and free agent acquisition DeSean Jackson, but his best friend, as he was for Brees, will be Greg Olsen at TE.  None of Mannings skills will matter if Knowshon Moreno cannot become the 1,000-1,200 yard rusher that Orlando keeps insisting he is meant to be. Defense: The combo of Hayensworth inside and Calais Campbell outside is still nasty, but what else is there on this defense?  The LB group looks a bit slow and a bit sloppy.  Cortland Finnegan led the league in interceptions but that seems to be a byproduct of the pressure Campbell creates so can it be counted on again?  We have our doubts. Outlook: Orlando feels a bit desperate.  We get that Brees was unhappy, but to shop him around just felt like a team that simply did not know where it wanted to go.  So now they start over and hope they can find themselves.  That sounds like the perfect formula for an underachieving year. 2010 Record: 7-9, 4th in Division Head Coach: Mike Shula (1st Season) Biggest Offseason Move: The Bandits were very active in free agency, signing 6 USFL free agents. The best of the new Bandits is WR Joey Galloway, but we all know he is a short term addition.  DE Marcellus Wiley also fits that bill, so what we are seeing is a team that wants to win now, before their window completely closes. Impact Rookie: Tampa took a shot at finding an heir apparent to Daunte Culpepper, but with Christian Gabbert jetting off to the NFL, the best rookie they actually have on the roster is TE Luke Stocker, who still feels like a big downgrade from Jeremy Shockey (off to the NFL). Offense: Joey Galloway joins the Bandits as the #1, but how much is left in the tank for the former All-USFL receiver?  The same could be said for so many Bandits.  Culpepper.  McGahee.  Doering.  This is a team that feels tired to us, and that is before the season even starts. Defense: While perhaps in better shape than the offense, there is a lot of potential downward movement on the Bandit defense as well.  Jonathan Vilma and Zeke Moreno are one year older.  Bringing in Marcellus Wiley feels like a move they should have made 5 seasons ago.  There is just not the burst of energy here that a team needs to make an impact. Outlook: While the Southeastern Division is pretty balanced, we have to say that we think that Tampa Bay may be the team bringing up the rear.  They just don’t excite us and seem to be clinging to a generation of players who are not what they once were. For the past 3 years it has come down to the Breakers and the Knights clashing in Week 16 to determine the division winner, with both making the playoffs. We honestly don’t think Memphis or Birmingham are ready to change that dynamic.  Our one alteration is that most believe that New Orleans, now with Drew Brees at the helm, find a way to win that Week 16 clash and take home the Division title. We see the Breakers at 1, Nashville in the playoffs at #2 with Memphis and Birmingham better but still under .500. 2010 Record: 2-14, 4th in Division Head Coach: Mike Shanahan (3rd Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  Which of Birmingham’s 8 major offseason signings do we pick?  As much as we want to praise the additions of CB Antonio Cromartie, DE Kamerion Wemberley, and LB Nate Webster, the biggest impact could come from NFL halfback Joseph Addai.  While something of a reclamation project after a couple of nasty injuries with the NFL Colts, Addai has the potential to bring back something Birmingham has not seen in a long time, a 1,000 yard rusher. Impact Rookie: In so many ways Cam Newton has already made a huge impact.  His emergence in the 2010 Auburn championship season turned the USFL draft upside down.  His signing with Birmingham over the NFL Panthers was a huge win for the Stallions.  But now comes the hard part, living up to the hype that Newton is getting, particularly in Birmingham, but all across the league. Offense: The Stallions could not land A. J. Green, so Newton will be working with Terrell Owens, Julian Edelman and rookie Jerrel Jerrigan.  Addai will likely be the key to keeping pressure off of the rookie QB.  If he rebounds well and teams are forced to respect the Stallion run game (for a change), it could make Newton’s transition to the pro game a lot smoother. Defense: A largely reinvented group with Derrick Harvey coming over in trade, Ernie Sims signed from the NFL, Nate Webster and Antonio Cromartie in free agency, and rookie Shiloh Keo named the starter at SS, this will be a defense that will need to come together, learn who they are, and hopefully play as a unit if Birmingham wants to avoid another 10 loss season. Outlook: We like the pieces Birmingham has put together, and the aggressiveness of their offseason plan, but this is a team that has to learn who they are.  That could take most of the season before it becomes a factor, and that may mean that wins are hard to come by in March and April.  Getting to .500 would be a major step for Coach Shanahan’s squad. 2010 Record: 6-10, 3rd in Division Head Coach: Jim Haslett (7th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Showboats sent LB Keith Bullock to Pittsburgh for WR Matt Jones and CB Kareem Larrimore.  That has been a highly criticized move in local circles. Both new players are deep down the depth chart right now, so the coaches seem to be agreeing that perhaps a mistake was made. Impact Rookie: As much as we like the picks of DE Sam Acho (Texas) and Patrick DiMarco (So. Carolina), we have to say that Ryan Mallett’s development as a pro QB will be the key to whether or not the Showboats improve in 2011 or suffer another rough season as they rebuild their roster. Offense: Mallett will have two solid backs to hand off to in Cadillac Williams and Shonn Greene.  He also has a solid receiver group, particularly after Lee Evans resigned and rejoined Robert Ferguson, Sidney Rice and TE Jim Kleinsasser.  There is talent here, but is the line good enough to help Mallet make use of it?  They are solid at tackle and center with Gandy, Maurice Williams and Casey Rabach, but we are not so sure about the guards, Santucci and Alford, and about depth. Defense: Sam Acho steps in at RE on day one.  He and linemates Reggie Torbor and Dan Williams will have a lot on their plates as the hope to protect and free up a pretty good LB group (Kirk Morrison, Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Spencer Larsen).  The secondary is talented at safety (Tebucky Jones and Coy Wire) but pretty thin and inexperienced at cornerback. Outlook: Similar to Birmingham, a lot rides on how quickly and how well Ryan Mallett develops into a viable starting QB in the pro game.  If Memphis can support him with a solid defense and a good run game, the Showboats could surprise some folks. 2010 Record: 10-6, Lost in Eastern Finals Head Coach: Jim Johnson (17th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Knights only brought in two new vets in CB Duane Starks (FA from Arizona) and NFL DE Cullen Jenkins, but both could contribute right away.  Jenkins is currently the swing end on the D-line, behind Gary Stills and Mario Addison, but we expect he will see his snaps increase each week.  Starks, who has been with the team longer, is already set up as the #2 CB behind only Willie Middlebrooks. Impact Rookie: Mario Addison, the midround pick out of Troy State is already slated as a starter on the Nashville D-line, quite a surprise honestly.  His physical skills will be tested as he faces much tougher competition in the USFL than he ever did at Troy. Offense: Frank Gore remains the heart and soul of this offense.  The only major new arrival is rookie WR Denarious Moore, already set up as a starter opposite Robert Meachem. Honestly, the depth of talent on the Knight offense is a bit dubious, but they are strong across the entire O-line and that can hide a lot of deficiencies elsewhere. Defense: Shaun Rogers anchors a questionable D-line, something we rarely see in a Jim Johnson team.  But, if either Addison or Jenkins emerges, the group could be better than anticipated.  Terrell Suggs will be a regular blitzer, to be sure, and Hunter Hillenmeyer will keep the LB group focused. We still love safety LaRon Landry, and the acquisition of Duane Starks is a definite upgrade.  The D, as usual with Johnson-led teams, will be the focal point for the Knights once again. Outlook: As much as we trust Jim Johnson to put together a competitive squad that will battle each week, we are wondering if Nashville has enough to once again make a deep playoff run.  So much depends on if Jay Cutler can finally take the next step. 2010 Record: 9-7, Lost in Wild Card Round Head Coach: Mike Nolan (12th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  As with Orlando, the big story of the offseason was the QB swap that brought Drew Brees to the Bayou.  Brees is a proven commodity, but one who will need to learn about a whole new roster around him. Impact Rookie: The Breakers signed only 3 players out of 9 picks, but in DE Cameron Jordan and CB Patrick Peterson they may have landed two of the best defenders available in this year’s class. Both are already solidly among the starting 11 on defense, with Peterson competing with Randall Gay to be the #1 corner while Jordan is expected to balance the D-line opposite Ty Warren. Offense: Drew Brees has a very young, very fast WR group in Santana Moss, Early Doucet, Donnie Avery, Brandon LaFell and DeMetrius Byrd.  He will also hope that the combo of Matt Forte and Michael Robinson can take the pressure off, because the clear issue with the Breaker offense is the line.  No standouts and a couple of question marks on the line mean that Brees may need to improvise a bit more than he would like. Defense: Peterson and Jordan jump into a defense that already had strong credentials with the likes of Jason Peters, Ty Warren, Hannibal Navies, and Mike Doss as leaders.  Navies may be in the toughest position, because the rest of the LB group (Calvin Pace, Daryl Smith, and Bradie James) have not been as consistent as New Orleans needs them to be. Outlook: While the focal point will be on Brees this year, in our minds the key to New Orleans finally getting past Nashville and taking the division is the defense. If Jordan and Peterson deliver on their potential, this squad should improve, and that could be enough to finally get New Orleans over the hump. Is Michigan back now that Griese is?  Is Pittsburgh truly ascendant?  Is Chicago on the decline or ready to rebound?  And what do we make of St. Louis and Ohio’s chances? The answer, at least within our group, is that we believe in a Panthers revival.  We see Michigan and Pittsburgh battling for the Division, Chicago barely missing out on the playoffs.  St. Louis improving within the division but finishing 4th, and Ohio still in rebuild mode at the bottom of the group. 2010 Record: 9-7, Lost in Divisional Round Head Coach: Marty Mornhinweg (13th Season) Biggest Offseason Move: Two big moves to try to keep the secondary intact after Darren Sharper signed with Philly.  The first was at the same position, bringing in veteran Reggie Tongue.  Chicago then added a quality veteran corner from the NFL, a player who may also see some time at safety, former Lions DB James Joseph. Impact Rookie: Safety remained a focus with UNC’s Da’Norris Searcy and Nebraska’s Dejon Gomes both selected and signed.  Both start the year as backups behind Tongue and Corey Hall, but we expect to see both contributing in dime packages and potentially on special teams. Offense: For a supposed offensive guru, Marty Mornhinweg seems less likely than most to try something new.  The Machine offense will very likely still be focused on Michael Turner and the play action opportunities he can provide to brady Quinn.  Rookie Austin Pettis will be the new target in the slot, along with TE’s Anthony Fasano and Ben Hartsook, but as in the past 3 years, expect a lot of balls to be thrown towards Donald Driver once again. Defense: Chicago’s defense is getting older and possibly slower. They still have some younger talent like Ellis Wyms and Kendrell Bell, but Urlacher, Weaver, and Tommy Polley are slowing down a bit, which has to be a concern for the Machine and their faithful fans. Outlook: Chicago is solid.  Not flashy, but solid.  The question becomes whether or not solid is good enough.  Two years ago it was good enough for 2nd place behind a flashy Michigan squad.  Last year, by a half game, they were again in 2nd place, this time behind a young and hungry Pitttsburgh squad.  If both the Maulers and Panthers are back to their winning ways, we could see Chicago in 3rd, not 2nd, but if the Machine can just add a bit of innovation, then 1st place may be an option for them. 2010 Record: 8-8, 3rd in Division Head Coach: Dick LeBeau (8th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  Honestly nothing earthshaking came out of the offseason for Michigan.  They signed some backups at DE and HB, and traded for guard Elroy Wells, but none of those moves feel like they impact the overall quality of the roster for the Panthers. Impact Rookie: OT Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin is expected to fit right in at left tackle right away, which is both promising and somewhat scary for Brian Griese, who lost nearly all of the 2010 season to injury.  If Carimi lives up to the promise he showed as a Badger, then Griese may have a franchise LT for the rest of his career, but if he has typical rookie issues, then Griese may spend this season running for his life. Offense: If Carimi works out, then Michigan could have one of the best lines in the game.  They have two outstanding guards in Andy Levitre and Lennie Friedman, and Jeff Faine at Center is a rock, but those tackles, we just don’t know.  Griese returns and he still has an outstanding trio in Ward, Coles, and Manningham.  He also hopes that former NFL back Thomas Jones finds his 2nd speed this year and can help alleviate the pressure to throw the ball.  We shall see. Defense: There is concern in Michigan that too many pieces have wandered off the roster in recent years.  The strength of the D remains the LB group of Katzenmoyer, Odell Thurman and DeMarcus Ware, but the front line looks less than intimidating.  The secondary has talent in Deltha O’Neal, Chris Canty, and Tyrone Carter, but they still give up far too many deep balls.  Watch this group to see if they remain exposed to the big play or if they change things up and can force teams to play small ball. Outlook:  We think the Panthers can bounce back after last year’s drop.  If Griese is back to form, and that is the big ‘if’ this year, then we see Michigan competing for the division and maybe more. 2010 Record: 4-11-1, 5th in Central Head Coach: Bart Andrus (1st Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Collins-George-Galloway era is now definitively gone.  Enter Steve Smith, a very different type of receiver, but a very dynamic and dangerous one too.  He was electric for the Stars last year, and Ohio wasted no time in free agency bringing in the firebrand.  He will either torch the opposition or burn the house down in Columubus.  But, hey, no pressure to get this right. Impact Rookie: Ohio wanted Jake Locker badly.  Birmingham and Boston outmanuevered them, but the consolation prize, DT Marcell Dareus, is a pretty good one.  Dareus will eat up space in the middle, making life easier for both DE’s Chauncey Davis and Isaac Hilton, and for MLB James Laurinaitis, already one of the league’s best. Offense: If Vince can return to form after a couple of rough years with injuries in the NFL, he could be another 10-year starter for the Glory. His skill set is very different from Kerry Collins, as he is just as likely to bowl you over on a scramble than throw the perfect pass.  He has a good receiver group in TE Stephen Alexander, Steve Smith, Aurelious Benn and resigned slot man Javon Walker. The big question is at tailback, where rookie DeMarco Murray is expected to get the the lead role with Kevin Smith and James Jackson also getting carries. Defense: Coach Andrus wants this team to be known for its defense, but we are not sure they are there yet.  Getting Dareus certainly helps.  Laurinaitis leads a smart, but somewhat slow LB group with Nick Greisen and Glenn Cadrez.  The secondary is led by CB Joe Haden, but beyond him we are not so sure they are a Top 10 group.  We see this defense as perhaps 1 more offseason away from being what Andrus wants to see. Outlook:  The rebuild has begun in earnest, and some pieces are in place, but in this tough division, that may not translate to more wins this year.  All 4 other Central clubs feel like they are slightly ahead of the curve in comparison with the Glory.  So, spend the season looking for areas of growth and signs of future potential. 2010 Record: 9-6-1, Lost in Western Finals Head Coach: Ron Rivera (6th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Maulers wanted one more thumper in the LB group to intimidate rushers and receivers over the middle. Their trade with Memphis absolutely landed them what they craved in the form of Keith Bullock.  The former Showboat will likely alternate between Strong Side and MLB in the Mauler system, alternating with Barrett Green depending on down and distance. Impact Rookie: All the buzz in the Iron City is about the 3-headed monster Coach Rivers created by drafting and signing Andy Dalton from TCU.  Now Dalton shares the QB room with former #1 pick Pat White, and starter Cody Pickett.  That could be the best QB room in the league, or it could be a recipe for disaster.  We would not be shocked to see 1 of the 3 traded before midseason just to reduce the pressure. Offense: For now this is Cody Pickett’s team, and well it should be after a solid season and a deep playoff run that took the Maulers to a division title and the Conference Final. The Maulers tried to address the departure of DeShaun Foster as best they could, bringing in NFL back Ronnie Brown to compete with Kenny Watson for carries.  They have promoted speedy WR Victor Cruz to the #2 spot, putting Kevin Johnson in the slot, and they have a solid 1-2 combo at TE with Jimmie Graham and Owen Daniels.  This is an offense which could be even better in 2011, and that should scare folks in this division. Defense: As much as we are impressed by the potential of the Mauler offense, the defense remains the star.  DE Jared Allen, the reinforced LB group, and a 4 man defensive backfield that could be the league’s best, with Surtain and Dunta Robinson outside and Sean Taylor and Scott Shields inside. This is likely to be a top 5, possibly top 1-2 defense in the league. Outlook: The Maulers look primed to take another shot at a Summer Bowl appearance.  If Pickett can repeat last year’s success, and if the defense is as good on the field as they appear on paper, this will be a team that is hard to stop.  We see them going far, perhaps all the way. 2010 Record: 5-11, 4th in Division Head Coach: Bruce Arians (2nd Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  A lot of depth moves for the Skyhawks in the offseason.  They brought in role players in LB Brandon Siler (NFL Chiefs), and DT Kendrick Clancy. The biggest signing has to be guard Leonard Davis, who could still have 5-6 solid All-USFL years left in him.  If he can help spur a run game, the Skyhawks could be on their way to winning records in the future. Impact Rookie: The ‘Hawks failed to land CB Prince Amukamara, but they did find success in other avenues, particularly in the T-Draft, where they landed all 3 selections, including Missouri LB Aldon Smith, a potential Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. Offense: Continued development by Josh Freeman is the key.  The Skyhawks have shown they can run the ball with Antowain Smith. Taylor Jacobs leads a pretty decent receiver group along with Jordy Nelson and Sinorice Moss.  We are still waiting for Tony Moeaki to show the potential he had in college, so the TE group is still a question, but with the addition of Davis, the line does look better than the slapshot version we have seen in recent years. Davis, along with LT Brian Bulaga and C Shaun O’Hara make the left side of the line a potential force.  The right side, well, they try hard. Defense: Richard Seymour is the heart of the defense, and the best player on it.  The pass rush combo of Eddie Freeman and Antonio Smith still feels a bit undermanned, so expect the Skyhawks to blitz with players like rookie Aldon Smith, ROLB Wali Rainier, and safeties Antuan Edwards and Kendrick Lewis. Outlook: Still very much a work in progress, but we see what Coach Arians is building and we think he is moving into an area where a 2-4 win season should no longer be an option.  An 8-8 record, or even better should be the goal, it is an ambitious one in a division this tough, but it is a realistic ambition. Houston was the consensus division winner, without much debate.  After that it gets pretty interesting.  Folks in our bullpen thought that all three of the remaining teams were capable of surprising us.  Denver got the most votes for 2nd, but there was a lot of support for both Arizona and Texas rising up and possibly displacing the Gold for 2nd place.  Can any of them challenge Houston?  For us at least the answer was no. 2010 Record: 7-9, 4th in Division Head Coach: Jim Tomsula (3rd Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Wranglers limited their offseason moves to the draft and free agency within the USFL pool, signing 4 veterans, including QB Dave Dickerson, OT Wade Smith, and DE Andre Wadsworth, but the clear “big move” was their ability to pull Troy Polamalu away from the LA Express.  Polamalu is a generational talent who can transform a defense not just with his play but with his attitude.  We think Coach Tomsula is going to love crafting the defensive scheme around Polamalu’s 150% effort and pirate mentality. Impact Rookie: The Wrangler lacked the big name signing, with 1st round pick Ryan Kerrigan opting to go to the NFL Redskins instead of the USFL.  We think HB Stevan Ridley can certainly help the run game, spelling Tomlinson as needed, and we like the potential of OT John Moffitt and OG Keith Williams, but we don’t see any 1st year stars in the pool of new arrivals. Offense: David Carr had a nice jump in year two with the Wranglers.  His QBR went from a miserable 58.3 in 2009 to a respectable 85.0 in 2010, but to really be competitive, Arizona will want to see that number up in the 90’s which means a stronger TD:INT ratio and a better completion rate than his 2010 number of 53.8%.  In Larry Fitzgerald he has an elite receiver.  His 2nd target is often TE Rob Gronkowski, a mismatch nightmare for defenses.  Antonio Bryant and Mike Williams will round out the receiver group, and, of course, you have future HOF back LaDainian Tomlinson as the lead back.  If the reinforced line (Moffit and Wade Smith are now both starters) can provide basic protection and running lanes, Arizona’s offense has all the potential in the world to take another step up. Defense: We all know that Polamalu’s presence is going to help CB’s Jimmy Williams and Mike Mickens, as well as the entire LB corps.  We are still a little underwhelmed by free safety Nate Allen, and the edge rush combo of Adam Carriker and Larry English is not elite, and may not even be good. Polamalu cannot do it all on his own, so we see Arizona again struggling on defense but with a higher takeaway potential with Polamalu on the field. Outlook:  Arizona could struggle to escape the basement of a pretty tough division.  Denver is solid, Texas is on the precipice of being a playoff team, and then you have the Gamblers, league champions and still looking like a very solid contender.  Arizona should be better this year, but will that help at all? 2010 Record: 12-4, Lost in Divisional Round Head Coach: Dick Jauron (14th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  Denver rarely dives into the pricey free agent market, and they barely dipped their toes in this year, signing only punter Brad Costello and LB Will Overstreet.  That is it. No NFL guys, no trades, a very “stay the line” offseason. That may not be enough in this division. Impact Rookie: While we are down on the Gold’s free agent strategy, we are not going to complain about their draft.  For a “build through the draft” team, they have proven time and again that they excel at finding young talent.  In both OT Nate Solder, down from Boulder, and center Stefen Wisniewski from Penn State, Denver believes they have found two immediate starters and two potential 10-year locks on their line. That would be huge. Offense: Coach Jauron does not ask Matt Leinart to do a lot, preferring a defensive/run game focus, but last year Leinart’s numbers had him among the league leaders.  If he can do that again, once again focusing on WR Peerless Price, and slot receiver Keary Colbert as his two main targets, the Gold can be solid.  Javon Ringer and Maurice Hicks will continue to share carries, and this year they will run behind a line that has two top tier rookie linemen as well as veterans Ryan Clady, Travis Claridge and Elton Brown.  They won’t win a shootout game, but they rarely find themselves in that situation, which is fine with them. Defense: Denver expects to see 2nd year DT Ndamukon Suh take another big step, from very good to dominant in 2011.  He will need to as we don’t see another clear “big time” player either on the line or in the LB group.  Shawne Merriman has moments but he also seems to fade from games at times.  The secondary is solid, with the Williamses (Roy and Jamel) locking down the middle while Tory James and Jamar Fletcher hold down the outside. Outlook:  Denver will be right there all season, but right there could end up meaning 2nd or 3rd place in the division.  We have trouble seeing them outpacing Houston, and Texas is coming on. The Gold will need another efficient year from Leinart and more from the defense to stay in the title hunt in the SW Division. 2010 Record: 12-4, League Champion Head Coach: Wade Phillips (11th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  Defending champs often see their rosters picked clean in the ensuing offseason, and there was some of that this year, but Houston did sign 4 free agents, including DT Kenard Lang, who could be a great addition to their D-Line.  But  overall our favorite move was signing Willie Colon away from the NFL Steelers.  He has played at guard and RT, but Houston believes he can be the answer at LT.  He is a talented guy, but that is a big leap. Impact Rookie: The Gamblers only signed 3 of 8 picks this year, but we do like DT Phil Taylor out of Baylor, especially because he can watch and learn from Lang this year. WR Jeremy Kerley may see some snaps in the slot and should have a role on special teams. Offense: Pretty much the same crew that helped Houston win 12 in a row and win their 4th league title, so that cannot be bad.  Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Roy Williams, Ike Hilliard,Mike Sims-Walker, and Vernon Davis.  The offensive line took some hits in free agency, but adding Willie Colon could be the remedy to those concerns.  This will still be a formidable offense that can hurt you in a variety of ways. Defense: Kenard Lang and John McCargo will anchor a 4-3 defense that still features two nasty edge rushers in Pitmann and Umenyiura.  That group helps cover up what is largely a solid, but not game-changing LB group.  Though we should cite that James Farrior is a natural leader and one of the smartest players on the field in any game.  The secondary is elite at CB with Springs and Barber, and we like Patrick Chung as well, but free safety Willie Andrews may be the key.  He had a breakout season last year, and if he can repeat that, this secondary could be tough to beat. Outlook: Houston looks as likely to repeat as any champion since the unbeaten Ohio Glory in 2002.  They have offensive weapons, defensive muscle, and an attitude that their work is not yet done.  We expect them to be among the 4 clubs in the Conference title games when this is all said and done. 2010 Record: 8-8, 3rd in Division Head Coach: Greg Landry (2nd Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Outlaws signed more free agents than any other team, including WR Roscoe Parrish, TE Chris Cooley, LB Rocky Boiman, and Guard Solomon Page.   Of all of these, we believe Chris Cooley may be the biggest add.  He is exactly the kind of safety valve that Joe Flacco needs to be productive when the deep routes are not there. Impact Rookie: The Outlaws did all they could to attract DE Cameron Heyward to San Antonio, but in the end the NFL Steelers got the upper hand.  So who did Texas sign?  How about T-Draft selections HB Jay Finley and G Danny Watkins, both from Baylor, along with Open Draft picks Jonas Mouton and Casey Matthews, both linebackers.  Mouton has looked the best in camp and should rotate in with Bart Scott at MLB in Texas’s LB group. Offense: The additions of Roscoe Parrish and Chris Cooley should provide Joe Flacco more options on short to mid routes, which is a nice addition to the arsenal.  But, let’s be honest, this is still T. J. Duckett carrying the load.  Joe Flacco has a great arm, but is not all that mobile, so the key is to fool the defense into going after Duckett, then having the time to get the ball deep to Colston or Brandon Marshall.  If that fails, at least now Flacco can dump it to his TE or slot guy and still salvage a play. Defense: Luis Castillo and Reynaldo Wynn need to play up to the hype that Outlaw fans have about them.  We have just not seen the numbers wee need to see from them.  The same could also be said about LB Chad Greenway, who has largely vanished after a couple of very strong early years.  We love the pair of Michael Boulware and Nathan Vasher at corner, but we are unsold that Terrance Holt and Clyde Adams are consistent enough at safety to make this an elite secondary. Outlook: Texas feels like a team overdue to bust out, but they just don’t.  We had folks in our bullpen thinking they would win 11 games, and others saying 5 or 6.  What that tells us is that there is potential, but not yet production to warrant a major run.  Is this the year they can actually convert that potential into wins? Much like the Southeast Division, the conversation here was all about who wants it most.  It was a close vote, but we had Portland first, Las Vegas second, Oakland slipping to third, with LA and Seattle battling not to finish last.  We could envision no team in this division losing more than 10 games, but we also struggle to see any team winning more than 10 games.  This could be another division where the eventual champion is 9-7 and wins on tiebreakers. 2010 Record: 9-7, Lost in Wild Card Round Head Coach: June Jones (2nd Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  The Thunder, after years of big signings, took 2010-2011 off and looked a lot like the Denver Gold, hoping to build through the draft. They found a backup QB in Ingle Martin (POR) and added some quality at DE with Adewale Ogunleye, who should start opposite Erasmus James this year, but overall a very quiet offseason in the desert. Impact Rookie: Another team that struggled with NFL teams snapping up their draft picks.  They did land #1 pick, OT Marcus Gilbert, a big road grater out of Florida.  He is already slated to serve as Jake Plummer’s RT, which is key for both the run game and protection of the older QB. Offense: Plummer will again be under center and again will focus a lot of snaps on Marshawn Lynch.  No other back has had the same snapcount as Lynch in the past 5 years. That is not ideal, so Las Vegas needs to make more use of the pass game.  The problem is their receiver group may well be the weekest in the league.  Led by Marty Booker, with Kahlil Hill and Aldrick Robinson in the slot, there are few defenses that fear this group, and that could be trouble for the Thunder. Defense: The Las Vegas defense dropped precipitously last year in nearly every ranking.  James and Flowers could not get pressure on QB’s, Will Allen and Antoine Winfield are solid but got little help from safeties Chad Scott and Sean Jones, and outside of the ageless Joey Porter, the LB group was underwhelming.  And, if that is still what we see this year, with very few additions, then Las Vegas will struggle to compete with some of the more offensively-capable teams. Outlook:  We are somewhat underwhelmed by the Thunder’s offseason, and that may well lead to the club taking a step back rather than stepping up.  Oakland seems to be in decline, but Las Vegas does not seem to be in a position to fill the void they will leave. 2010 Record: 5-11, 5th in Division Head Coach: Gregg Williams (2nd Season) Biggest Offseason Move: No big trade, and landing NFL back La’Ron McClain is not really a big step up for LA, but they were very active in free agency, signing 5 players, including SS Lance Schulters, who will have huge shoes to fill after the Express saw Troy Polamalu depart.  We like Schulters, as well as center Chris Spencer, but we are not sure that is enough for the Express to step into contention. Impact Rookie: LA’s strategy with OT Tyron Smith backfired.  Rather than protect him in the T-Draft they used a #1 pick on him, but he signed with the NFL anyway.  Maybe the extra time and attention a T-Draft selection provides would not have been enough in the end, but it was worth a shot, rather than losing out on a first round pick in the open draft.  LA signed only 3 draftees, but one of them, UCLA’s Rahim Moore could be a potential solution, in tandem with Schulters for the departed Polamalu. Offense: Fans still question if Mark Sanchez has the potential to ever be elite, but his solid year in 2010 meant that LA did not pursue other options, signing only Kevin Kolb, a clear  number 2. With Randy Moss, Keyshawn Johnson and rookie draftee Ronald Johnson, Sanchez will have targets.  The question remains whether or not he will have a run game. Ray Rice keeps showing flashes, but never puts together a streak of solid games. Part of that may be on the line, which is uneven and quite weak at tackle. Defense: The key to the LA defense is how their LB group plays.  Clay Matthews is inside, with Keith Rivers and Lofa Tatupu outside.  That is a talented group and yet we are not seeing the production we expect from them.  Keneche Udeze is still a beast as an edge rusher, and he gets help inside from Anthony McFarland, but behind them we often see misalignments and missed tackles, and that is never a good thing.  The secondary right now is a huge question.  Other than CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, we just don’t know what we are going to get. Outlook: LA looks and feels like a team that has not found out yet what they do well, and maybe it is not something big enough or good enough to help them win games.  They are competitive in a lot of games, but they seem to find a way to fail.  That is an issue that will not be solved by losing your most engaged and enthusiastic player. 2010 Record: 9-7, Lost in Wild Card Round Head Coach: Dennis Green (9th Season) Biggest Offseason Move: While NFL receiver Dereck Hagan has potential to be a good move, Oakland’s best moves were on defense, resigning Pearson Prioleau at safety and adding both Mike Maslowski and Nick Koutavides to the LB group.  But is it enough? Impact Rookie: HB Ryan Williams has to be the answer to this question if Oakland has any shot to retain their perch atop the Pacific Division.  The departure of Ricky Williams was a shock to the Invader Nation and to the plans for 2011.  As much as the club’s selection of Colin Kaepernick (now a 49er) meant they were concerned about the future, the Williams pick is their best hope for a fruitful present season. Offense: Williams will have every opportunity to be the main man in the Oakland run game.  He is a very different back from Ricky, but he can be effective behind a very good line.  Joey Harrington says he is back to 100%, but only game action will show us if that is the case.  The offense will still run through the halfback, and if Williams is overwhelmed by the speed of the USFL game, it could be a problem for Oakland. Defense: The defense remains very solid, and with the addition of two new inside backers, they may even be better against the run.  Sedrick Ellis is solid in the middle, and we expect to see even more out of DE Justin Smith this year as he matures into a legitimate edge threat. Prioleau and Eric Wright are quality players in the secondary, but as with several other teams, free safety seems a huge hole.  Will it be rookie Chris Conte or veteran backup Fred Cline?  Or, will Oakland need to make a midseason deal if both have difficulty? Outlook: As we said in the first half of our preseason report, we see Oakland as a team that may have peaked, and may be dropping down the standings this year.  Both Las Vegas and Portland seem to have more happening, and Seattle is still a possible threat.  Could 8-8 and a dip out of playoffs be the result? 2010 Record: 8-8, 3rd in Division Head Coach: Rich Brooks (4th Season) Biggest Offseason Move: The trade with New Jersey to bring Ryan Fitzpatrick to the Stags has the potential to either set this team up for greater success or blow the whole team dynamic up.  Fitzpatrick has been competing with A. J. Feeley in camp, and while Feeley is getting the Week 1 start, largely due to his familiarity with the system, there are many observers, including local press, who have been saying that the newcomer may be the better option in the long run. Impact Rookie: We are not entirely sure what Portland got from the draft.  They failed to sign CB Jimmie Smith, their first round choice, and are another club that landed only 3 of their top picks (T-Draft and Top 5 rounds).  TE Jordan Cameron from USC looks like a keeper and may well start this week, but neither safety Mark LeGree from App State or DT Stephen Paea seem like immediate impact players. Offense: Regardless of which QB eventually gets the permanent starting gig, the Stags will continue to rely on the run game provided by Jonathan Stewart.  They brought in Michael Bush to spell him occasionally, but we still see 300 carries or more for Stewart in the future.  The other offensive signing is in the slot, where Antwan Randle-El has made his career. Defense: Portland will shift to a 4-3 this year, with Jason Fisk andKedrick Gholston inside, hopefully allowing more options for Elvis Dumervil to pressure the QB.  That means only 3 LBs will be o the field.  Newly arrived Mark Simoneau takes over the MLB spot from Mike Maslowski, and will likely be flanked by Channing Crowder and Justin Durant.  Darnell Bing joins Terrell Bierria and corners Mike Rumph and Marquand Manuel to form the primary secondary, though we expect to see a lot of DeAngelo Hall as the nickel as well.  It is a solid group, but not a defense that can carry the entire team.  They will need a coherent offense to be able to pull out games even if the D does their part. Outlook: If any team is going to break through in the division this year and upend the status quo, it is likely to be Portland.  They have been knocking on the door for a couple of seasons but need to find the right formula to escape the middle of the pack if they want a shot at the division. 2010 Record: 7-9, 4th in Division Head Coach: Marvin Lewis (9th Season) Biggest Offseason Move:  Honestly the biggest move might be the one that backfired, trading several picks to St. Louis to move up and select Von Miller in the 1st round of the Open Draft. Miller opted to sign with the NFL Broncos, leaving Seattle with nothing to show for their investment.  In other player moves, they brought in Chris Weinke to back up Leftwich and signed free agent LB T. J. Slaughter and guard Bill Ferrario, but none of those deals really moves the needle much. Impact Rookie: The Von Miller pick did not work out, but Seattle did sign 6 of their remaining 8 picks.  They were smart to double dip at LB by also drafting (and signing) UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers, a likely week one starter.  We also like the look of mid-round pick Richard Sherman, a plucky cornerback out of Stanford.  DE Christian Ballard and OG Stephen Shilling should also see significant snaps. Offense: It is still Leftwich to Boston for the win in Seattle.  The Jahvid Best-Ladell Betts duo has just not done what the Dragons had hoped, but they are giving it one more shot.  And while Nate Burleson has proven to be a decent possession receiver, he is not a threat to most secondaries when it comes to big plays.  The line is still anchored by LT Kenyatta Jones, and RT Chad Clifton is solid as well, but between those two we are just not confident in the inside strength of this group. Defense: We love the trio being put out there on passing downs with rookie Sherman joining Marques Truffant and Leodis McKelvin as primary coverage DBs.  That allows Paris Lenon and Shaun Schillinger to focus on covering gaps and stuffing run plays.  The LB group will benefit from Ayers signing on, and the acquisition of Slaughter means both outside positions look good. Just how long Jamie Winborn will hold up is a question, as is the D-line with older players at all 3 positions (Noble, Abraham,and LaBoy).  This could be a team that needs to start thinking youth and fast. Outlook: Seattle feels like a club trying to hold on with the older gang when what they need is a transfusion of new blood.  Can they win games this year?  Of course.  But do they have a long term plan to return to a position to take another title?  It does not feel like it. So, who do we pick to win it all.  A lot of theories. A lot of debate. But in the end, the vote went to Houston for the repeat, winning out over Washington in the Summer Bowl.  That said, there were votes within our team for New Orleans, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Michigan, and even Arizona, but when we got deep into the voting process, we ended up with a repeat win for the Gamblers.  Take that for what you will. Week One, a new start, and every team is 0-0 with a chance to put a W on the board and start the season right.  The schedule for Week 1 is stacked, and it all kicks off with a Summer Bowl rematch on Friday Night.  Here is your Week 1 USFL Schedule.  Enjoy the games, everyone.  As always, national broadcasts are in bold font and divisional matchups in blue. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET                          Houston @ Philadelphia                      NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET                  Tampa Bay @ Boston                                ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET                  Texas @ Washington                                 FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm ET                  Las Vegas @ Atlanta                                  FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET                    Orlando @ Nashville                                ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET                    Michigan @ Arizona                                 FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET                    New Orleans @ Birmingham                  ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET                      Ohio @ Pittsburgh                                     ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET                      Chicago @ St. Louis                                   ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET                      Charlotte @ Memphis                               FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                        Seattle @ Portland                                  ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                      Los Angeles @ Denver                            FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                         Jacksonville @ Oakland                           FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET                        Baltimore @ New Jersey                           EFN

March 14, 2011 One week away from the 29th season of USFL football and the excitement is palpable.  There have been a lot of changes this offseason, from one of the wildest drafts we have seen in years to a trade that sent two All-USFL quarterbacks to new homes. The NFL-USFL transfer window has had some results already, and it will remain open another two weeks, so there is still potential for more.  As camps turn to preseason and now to the regular season, there is a lot to look forward to in the 2011 season.  We start with our cover story, the Art of Winning.  Just what does it take to bring home the John Bassett Trophy?  In 28 prior seasons 14 franchises have held aloft the trophy, including the Houston Gamblers who won their 4th title in 2010.  But what was the common denominator among them that helped them to that glorious moment? THE ART OF WINNING Winning.  It is what the game is all about, it’s not everything, it is the only thing (to quote either UCLA coach Bob Sanders or Vince Lombardi, depending on who you believe.)  It is the key to longevity, fame, and everything from endorsement deals to Hall of Fame jackets.  But how do you do it?  Every fall there are 32 teams trying to figure that out on  a 100 yard football field, and every spring another 28 ask the same question and try to get the right answer.  But here is the thing, the formula is not the same in both the NFL and the USFL  It has not been since the early 80’s when the USFL first appeared on the scene, a wide open, fun-loving, unconventional league that promised more action and more excitement, and has been delivering ever since. So, in the USFL what is the formula?  What does the Art of Winning look like?  We looked over the full history of the USFL, from that first title for Bandit Ball in 1983 to this August’s trophy held high by Matt Hasselbeck and the Houston Gamblers, the first team in the league to win a fourth title.  We looked at what worked and what didn’t, and we think we now know the recipe for a winner in the USFL.   Want to know it? Here goes. 1.   Good QB Play.  This is an area where the USFL and NFL do not diverge, though the definition of what good QB play is does vary league to league.  The key it seems is not so much that you have the league’s highest QB rating, or even that you lead the league in yardage.  It is about leadership, efficiency, and enough big plays to throw defenses off.  In the early years of the USFL that meant the deep ball, then the Run & Shoot, and then play-action, but these days it is all about a QB who can read a defense, find the right man at the right time, and especially about accuracy.  Complete 45%, 50%, 55%, even 60% of your passes and you are not going to get there, not like in the early days.  You want a 65% completion rate, and if you can get higher, all the better.  So, first step towards a run, consistent, quality, QB play and that means accuracy and decision making. 2.   A “Take Away” Defense.  What do we mean by this?  We mean a defense that can take one of three things away.  You don’t need all three, but you have to have one of them.  That can be taking away the ball, winning turnover battles consistently.  Or taking away the big play, forcing teams to move the ball slowly and over long drivers. Or, the third option, a defense that can take away the run game.  Over the years, pretty much every title-winning team has had a defense that can do one of those things.  Typically with the high-flying offensive teams, that has been a takeover magnet defense, even if they give up a lot of yards.  With teams that have won the title with lesser offenses, it was usually because the defense could either force team to be one dimensional by stuffing the run, or a team that would just not give up the big play and would force offenses to go 12, 13, 14 plays without a mistake in order to score.  So, a quality QB and defense that can force takeaways, long drives, or one dimensional offensive schemes. 3.  Veteran leaders across the roster.  It cannot just be the QB.  You need veterans on defense, on the line, in the receiver group.  You need calming influences, respected voices in the locker room, and folks who have seen a thing or two.  Take Houston last year, not only did you have Hasselbeck under center, but you had Ike Hilliard keeping the receivers on task.  You had Kavika Pittman riling up the young guys while James Farrior called out the plays and spotted the audible adjustments of the Stars.  Even halfback Shaun Alexander is a wizened vet by halfback standards. Veterans recognize patterns, demand respect of the young guys, and avoid the rambunctious mistakes of youth. 4.  Speed.  Plain and simple, the USFL game is a game of speed.  That can be speed at the receiver and running back position, but it can equally be speed among linemen, defenders, or between the snap and the release of the ball.  The average USFL game is 17 minutes shorter than the average NFL game, despite both using a 60 minute clock.  The average down time between plays is 7 second shorter in the USFL, and the average scoring drive is nearly 3 plays shorter than in the NFL.  Speed between plays, speed at the line, speed on defense, and speed in adapting to change is the key to the USFL game, and speed kills. 5.  Confidence.  The last, and maybe the most important, factor in building a winner is building a culture of confidence.  Go into a game knowing you will win, believing that you are the better team, and wanting to prove it each and every play.  That is how you overcome adversity, how you wear down the opposition.  Now, we need to be careful here.  Bravado is not the same as confidence.  Bravado is boastful and covers up a deep insecurity. True confidence is quiet.  It is about doing your job, holding others responsible to do theirs, and not letting a bad game or a bad play shake you. Winning is an art.  Some teams have it, some don’t.  You cannot buy it, you have to build that talent, hone it, cultivate it, and learn it every day.  The USFL is about to enter its 29th season, and there are many clubs who have played every season without ever lifting the Bassett Trophy, while others have won 2, 3, and now 4 titles.  What we can learn from that latter group is what it takes to win, and now that we have made the recipe public, who is ready to make it happen in 2011? NOTE: The main image on the cover of the Kickoff magazine was my first dabbling into an AI generated design. I opted to go for the Bing AI Image Generator's impression of a "cubist" image related to the topic. Each week of the 2011 season you will find a similar image related to the focus city for that week. Just an interesting item for right now. I am still going to be generating most new images from either photos or my own designs.) USFL & NFL Spar for Top Rookies Once Again Difference year, but the same story.  The USFL and NFL talent war was well on display this year, particularly because there were so many highly touted quarterbacks in this year’s draft.  Once again, the USFL saw many of their top draft choices sign with the NFL, or I guess you could say both leagues saw the same phenomenon.  In the end, 13 of the 28 picks in the USFL first round did not sign with the spring league but took NFL offers.  When we look at the NFL Draft, 17 of the 32 first round NFL picks ended up in the USFL, so in both cases the USFL got the slightly better deal. Of course, try telling that to the 13 clubs who spent first round draft capital on players only to see them opt for the fall.  In fact, there was a run, from pick 3 through pick 10 in which the NFL signed 7 of 8 picks, with only Charlotte’s selection of center Mike Pouncy proving the exception.  The USFL started strong, with Jake Locker agreeing to a deal with Boston and Marcel Dareus signing with Ohio, but then it got ugly.  Von Miller opted for the Denver Broncos, Tyron Smith was next, then J. J. Watt to the Oilers, and Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan to the NFL Redskins.  Birmingham got Cam Newton but lost out on A. J. Green.  St. Louis’s pick, Prince Amukamara headed off to the NY Giants, and QB Christian Ponder opted not to go to nearby Tampa Bay, but heads off to chilly Minnesota to suit up for the Vikings. Among the QB’s, both players selected earlier by the USFL in the territorial draft, Cam Newton by Birmingham and Ryan Mallett by Memphis, did sign with the spring league, as did TCU’s Andy Dalton with Pittsburgh, but Blaine Gabbert (Ohio), Christian Ponder (TBY), and Colin Kaepernick (OAK) all opted for deals with the NFL.  Other first round talent that headed off to the NFL included WR Julio Jones (Falcons), DT Nick Fairley (Lions), HB Mark Ingram II (Saints), WR Jonathan Baldwin (Chiefs) and CB Jimmy Smith (Ravens). All in all, over all 10 rounds of USFL drafting (3 Territorial Rounds and 7 Open Draft rounds), 196 players signed with the USFL from their 280 picks, which is not a bad percentage at all, but when we consider that only 107 of the 196 signees were also NFL draft picks, from the 224 players selected in the NFL Draft, it means that the USFL signed 107 shared picks and the NFL 117.  The 47.7% signing rate  is a slight dip from the usual 50/50 split, but well within the range of 45%-52% we have seen over the past 15 years. Overall, the USFL has to be happy with that competitive balance, but, of course, for a team like Ohio, which  hoped it had landed its QB of the future in Blaine Gabbert, or for Seattle, which traded up to get a shot at Von Miller, the inability to sign top draft picks is a constant frustration across the USFL.  The same is true of the NFL, who cannot be happy that they lost out on 5 of their top 8 picks, including the Cam Newton, a #1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers, and Jake Locker, chosen 8th by the Copperheads.  Three of the top 4 defensive players in the NFL Draft (Dareus, Patrick Peterson, and Aldon Smith, also opted to join the USFL.  And what remains abundantly clear is that the presence of the Territorial Draft provides the USFL with one of its best avenues for acquiring talent.  Of the 32 picks the NFL made in its first round, they lost out on 17 of those choices, and of those 17, seven were T-Draft selections, including Newton, Patrick Peterson, Aldon Smith, and DE Muhammad Wilkerson. After nearly 30 years of USFL football, it is a pattern we are all accustomed to, the annual battle to bring in the best of the outgoing college class, but every year it brings a mix of pain and pleasure, depending which team you root for, and which players fill the gaps on your club’s roster.  The mad scramble once a top draft pick signs with the rival league is also part of the cycle of the spring.  Examples like Boston rushing to sign NFL castoff Vince Young, or Tampa Bay signing Mark Cassel when they lost out on Ponder, are typical each February, just a part of the cycle of the year, one exacerbated by the proximity between the end of College Bowl season and the start of the USFL’s spring season.  All part of the formula that coaches and GM’s must account for as they build their rosters each offseason. Roster Moves Continue as Season Ready to Start With so much going on during training camps and preseason, with late Free Agency, the 2nd NFL-USFL Transfer Window, a couple of training camp retirements of note, and all the movement on depth charts, we decided the best thing to do in each of our reports is to give you what we saw as the three biggest stories available and then a quick breakdown of other notable moves.  Since we will break down each team in the second half of our season preview, we won’t hit every move here, but we should touch the moves that are creating buzz. Once again, the transfer window, pushed back in the annual calendar last year, is proving an interesting challenge for USFL teams.  Just as the NFL deals with in August and September, USFL teams must figure out if adding a player after teams are in camp is beneficial, and, in some cases, they must take the chance of going into the season with a position knowingly unsettled as their NFL import stays inactive until they can pick up enough of the scheme to effectively play.  Teams that have a clear gap in their rosters try to sign NFL players quickly, to get them to camp and possibly have them available earlier, while others simply do what they can to get someone signed, even if it means that they won’t start in Week 1 or even Week 3.   With that reality in place, here are the three biggest stories out of the Transfer Window so far (It still has 10 more days for late stories to develop): OHIO PUTS THEIR FAITH IN VINCE YOUNG Going into the Transfer Window, one of the more intriguing free agents within the NFL was QB Vince Young. The former Heisman winner had spent 5 turbulent seasons in Tennessee with the NFL Copperheads, starting 47 games and amassing a 30-17 record, but injuries impacted his game, and in 2010 he was demoted from the starting position in favor of unheralded Rusty Smith, despite having a 98.6 QBR.  It was a bizarre move, made worse when team ownership announced that he would not be with the team in 2011. Meanwhile, Ohio, still trying to find an answer after the retirement of Kerry Collins after the 2009 season, had made every effort to put themselves in position to draft Jake Locker, only to have Birmingham select the Washington QB and basically auction him off to the highest bidder, who turned out to be the Boston Cannons.  Ohio had traded away significant draft capital to move back into the first round after selecting DE Marcell Dareus with their first pick.  They drafted Blaine Gabbert out of Missouri, but within 3 weeks, Gabbert was happily holding aloft a Jacksonville Jaguars jersey for his new NFL team, and Ohio was staring at the same 3 QB’s they had for last year’s tumultuous 4-win season, Chris Redman, Derek Anderson, and 2nd year prospect Tony Pike. It was clear that Ohio would make a play for a QB, and with Young available, he seemed the obvious target.  It took only 2 days for the Glory to have Young to the team facilities in Columbus, and the very next day he was standing at a podium holding up his new Glory jersey.  The move made all kinds of sense.  Ohio gets a known commodity, though the injury issues are a concern, and they have a shot at having him start in Week 1 if he can pick up Coach Andrus’s system, a system the rest of the team was still trying to learn after over a decade with Al Luginbill at the helm.  What added some drama to the situation was that this meant the Glory would have 5 quarterbacks in camp, having also drafted and signed late-round prospect Terrelle Pryor. Young would get 1 series of action in Ohio’s preseason game against Texas, completing 3 of 7 passes before giving way to Dereck Anderson.  And by that Wednesday Chris Redman was let go after over a decade as backup to Kerry Collins.  Dereck Anderson and Tony Pike would be the backups and Pryor would be added to the practice squad.  It is a rare move for teams to hold 4 quarterbacks, and the situation may change once the season gets underway, but for now, that is Ohio’s  move.  Coach Andrus has been mum over whether or not Young is ready to start in Week 1 at Pittsburgh.  We well could see Anderson start at least this one game, with Young making his debut in the home opener against Denver.  But, given the struggles last season, it will not be long before the Glory have Young under center and a new era begins for a team in major transition. PITTSBURGH GIVES BROWN A SECOND CHANCE Ohio’s opponent this upcoming week for the season opener, the Pittsburgh Maulers, had an issue of their own that was unresolved following most of free agency and the USFL Draft.  The offseason retirement of lead rusher DeShaun Foster following injury issues in 2010 had left a pretty sizeable hole in the Mauler roster.  Kenny Watson had done quite well filling in during Foster’s injuries, but few believed he could bear the full load of the Mauler’s run-heavy offense.  Pittsburgh had failed to find a back in the draft, and while they had flirted with both Houston’s Tatum Bell and Tampa Bay’s LaBrandon Toefield in free agency, both would go on to sign elsewhere.  It looked like the Maulers would have to go with Watson and short yardage back Brandon Jacobs. Enter Ronnie Brown.  The former standout at Auburn and backfield mate to Cadillac Williams, has had a turbulent 5 years with the Miami Dolphins.  He rushed for 907 yards his rookie year and had his only 1,000 season the year after, but a combination of injuries and run-ins with the coaches have cut down his season averages ever since.  He was cut loose by Miami at the conclusion of his rookie contract this past January.  Pittsburgh swooped in and signed the former Dolphin, buoyed by his nearly 4.4 YPC average over his 5 years.  Brown will almost certainly split time with Watson in the early season, and with the grind of playing in back to back seasons (Brown did appear in all 16 games and had 200 carries for the Dolphins in 2010), he may stay in a platoon situation, but he provides what Coach Rivera was hoping for, a way to keep defenses off balance and keep Watson from carrying the entire load for the Mauler’s run-heavy offense. HOUSTON BEEFS UP LINE The third USFL signing of former NFL talent to date remains on offense, as league champion Houston reloads after losing starting left tackle Mike Pearson in free agency. The Gamblers went big and it paid off as they land Pittsburgh Steeler LT Willie Colon to be Matt Hasselbeck’s personal bodyguard.  Colon, who played 5 seasons with the Steelers, alternating between guard and tackle, came into his own in 2009, when he took on the LT duties and did not give up a sack in 16 starts.  His 2010 season was cut short by an Achilles injury, but recovery has gone well and the former Hofstra lineman now looks ready to jump right in and help Houston make a run for a 5th title. Other players who have signed and who you may see on the field for the USFL in the next 2-3 weeks include former Lions’ center Rudy Niswanger, expected to get some action with the Blitz as soon as this week; CB Jarrad Page, slated to start for Charlotte in Week 1; DE Brandon Mbane and TE Zach Miller with Seattle, former Raider wideout Derek Hagan, now with the Invaders, and Jacksonville’s new kicker, former Charger David Akers.   We still have almost 2 weeks left of potential transfers, and there have been both visits to USFL teams and rumors of deals for several more NFL starters, including OT Tyson Clabo, LB Justin Durant, and HB Joseph Addai, who is rumored to be close to cutting a deal with the Birmingham Stallions. Headed off to the NFL in the late transfer window (late for the USFL, nice and early for the NFL) we have several well-known names, including guard Ruben Brown, center Mike Flanagan, DE Craig Powell, HB’s Travis Minor and Ahmad Galloway, and QB’s Henry Burris and Jeff Garcia. The past 6 weeks have not only seen teams enter camp and begin prepping for the year ahead, but they have also seen a flurry of last minute signings as clubs evaluate their needs after signing, or failing to sign key draft picks. Lots of new faces across the league.  Here are the three top signings from the past month that we see having an impact in the 2011 season. Atlanta Finds Veteran Leadership on the Line The Fire had a better-than-anticipated 2010 and they are hoping to expand on that success in 2011, but one of their glaring issues was consistency on the front line.  That may have been greatly helped this past month when the Fire came to a deal with All-USFL guard Leonard Davis.  The 30-year-old former Outlaw is one of the league’s best and a leader on the o-line, beefing up not only the blocking for Atlanta, but the veteran presence in the O-line group.  Expect the Fire to start Davis at RG to push a more balanced rushing attack left to right, but we would not be surprised if they, from time to time, moved Davis over to the left to help protect Kyle Orton’s blind side. Charlotte Revamps Receiving Group with 2 “Senior” Signings The Charlotte Knights wasted no time finding weapons for new QB Jake Delhomme.  With D. J. Hackett still coming back from injury, Stevie Johnson now in Philadelphia, and Hakeem Nicks developing in his 2nd year, Charlotte went out and added two veteran receivers to the Monarch WR room, signing both former Thunder wideout Dereck Mason and the somewhat enigmatic Anquon Boldin. Both receviers have had something of an “almost but not quite” situation in the past, with Boldin toying with 1,000 yards on several occasions ever since he left Jacksonville, where his career had started with back to back 1,000 yard seasons in 03 and 04.  Mason, who has been in the league since 1997 and will now spend his 14th season in the league with Charlotte, spent only 1 year in Las Vegas, but had a pretty good season, catching 80 balls for 888 yards and 4 TDs.  We are not sure how Charlotte hopes to fit these two in alongside Hackett, Nicks, and Ashle Lelie, though we expect a lot of substitions and a lot of multiple receiver sets out of Jim Mora’s offense as he tries to make a push from 7-9 in 2010 to a playoff position in 2011. Tampa Bay Hopes to Boost Pass Rush with Veteran Wiley The Bandits surprised quite a few folks, adding a third bona fide pass rusher to a line that already included veteran Derrick Burgess and 2nd year player Jason Pierre-Paul.  Adding 35-year old Marcellus Wiley, formerly of Denver and Memphis seems a short-term answer, but it is an answer to one of Tampa Bay’s biggest questions.  The Bandits did not have a very formidable pass rush last year, with Burgess leading the team with only 6 sacks and Pierre-Paul seeing only spot duty in his rookie year.  The hope had been that Pierre-Paul would step in immediately and add some youthful speed and power, but that just did not happen in 2010, so you bring in the veteran and hope that he can both mentor the young edge rusher and provide solid production this season.  The record seems to indicate that he can produce, recording 10+ sacks each of his three years in Memphis.  If he can do that, it may help Burgess increase his value, and may well provide Pierre-Paul with a model to follow.  After all, in Wiley you have a player with over 100 sacks to his name as a mentor. Other notable free agent moves over the past month include Orlando snapping up former Gambler LT Mike Pearson and LA jumping on Center Chris Spencer, both hoping their lines will be more formidable in 2011.  Chicago solved their problem at safety by landing veteran Reggie Tongue, who had a solid year for Charlotte in 2010.  The other prominent safety in the pool, Lance Schulters is now with the Express, who are trying to make up for Troy Polamalu’s departure.  Washington resigned their All-USFL fullback Chris Massey.  Oakland resigned safety Pearson Prioleau. And CB Antonio Cromartie finally committed to a USFL club, landing with Birmingham, the team with the most cap room available and the most they could throw his way. Looking at who is still hoping to find a team, the big story seems to be at halfback, where several veteran backs remain unsigned, including Kevin Faulk, Cedric Benson, Chris Perry, and R. J. Redmond.  We expect some will find homes in the NFL, others perhaps will sign in the opening weeks of the USFL season, but we may also see some late retirements. Top 10 New Faces in New Places Here is our look at the veterans who have changed teams and, very possibly, can provide a spark to their new club.  These are players who are perfect fits for a new system, up and comers who could shine, or veterans with All-USFL pedigrees who are sure to add quality and leadership to their new squads.  In other words, these are the players we think will have an impact in their new homes. QB Vince Young (NFL to OHIO):  The only NFL to USFL transfer to make our list.  How could Young’s arrival not make an impact?  After a very rough year in which they trotted out all 3 QB’s trying to find one who could produce consistent offense, the Glory bring in Young, who, when healthy, can be a player who can single-handedly lift up an offense.  But he won’t need to do it alone, as you will see later in our list. DE Marcellus Wiley (MEM to TBY): Wiley’s arrival by the Bay was outlined just above, but the key here is that the former Gold All-USFL DE, while not in his prime any longer, is not only going to contribute on the field, but hopefully will help the Bandits develop young Jason Pierre-Paul into a true force to be reckoned with when he is ready to step up and take on the starting spot on the left side. SS Darren Sharper (CHI to PHI): The Stars lost a lot of players from their Eastern Title squad, but they got a solid one in Sharper.  The former Machine standout will be a difference maker in the secondary for the Stars. He is great in coverage and not afraid to take on a big back for the needed tackle. We see Coach Harbaugh trying to bring him into run schemes as well as playing centerfield on occasion. LB Mark Simoneau (WSH to POR): Portland’s defense had been led by Mike Maslowski (now with Oakland), so they went shopping for a MLB who could not only make plays, but help structure and lead the entire LB group. In Simoneau they get a veteran presence and strong leadership, honed in the NE Division battles that are among the league’s toughest. WR Stevie Johnson (CHA to PHI):  We spoke above about Charlotte’s revamped wide receiver corps. One of the reasons they needed to bring in some veterans was because of the loss of their top receiver from 2010, brash, outspoken Stevie Johnson.  In Philadelphia, brash and outspoken is nothing new.  After having both Steve Smith and Terrell Owens on their squad over the past few years, Stars fans are going to have no trouble adjusting to Johnson’s style. Now, if his production can come even close to Steve Smith’s from 2010, the folks in Philly will be more than happy to deal with some Diva attitude. QB Jake Delhomme (MEM to CHA): No single move makes more of a difference to an offense than a QB change.  After struggling with Chris Weinke at the helm (he remains on the roster), the Monarchs hope to make a jump up the standings by bringing in a proven veteran in Delhomme.  He is not a flashy QB, not a gunslinger, but Delhomme can give Charlotte what they have not had in the past, poised, confident leadership. CB Antonio Cromartie (PHI to BIR): The Stallions needed help on defense, lots of it.  They had money to spend, and they spent it, and from that spending spree they brought in all kinds of talent, but the player we see as having the biggest potential impact is Cromartie.  He has the potential to be a true shut down corner.  He was dynamic for the Stars in their Summer Bowl run last season, and in Birmingham he will bring some swagger to a defense that has sorely lacked it over the past few years. WR Steve Smith (PHI to OHI): We mentioned Smith’s departure from Philly in our discussion of Stevie Johnson.  Now we need to recognize one more transition, from Joey Galloway to Steve Smith in Ohio.  Galloway has been an icon in Columbus for a decade, helping make the Glory one of the hottest tickets in the league and leaving the club with 2 well-deserved championship rings.  As with the departures of Collins and George, Galloway’s departure left a huge hole.  Steve Smith is now tasked with helping Ohio fans move on. He is a very different player than the often silent, always professional Galloway.  Expect Ohio fans to have to adjust to the louder, more demanding, more exuberant Smith.  But, his on field performance will speak volumes for the Glory, especially if Vince  Young’s arrival is all that Glory fans hope it will be. SS Troy Polamalu (LA to ARZ): No player in free agency was more coveted, and for better reason, than LA Express strong safety Troy Polamalu.  The 2-time All-USFL selection is one of the most intimidating and game-altering players in the league, and now the Arizona Wranglers get to set him loose on their opposition.  Expect Coach Tomsula, a defensive-minded coach, to tailor the defense to best suit the close-to-the-line impact of Polamalu.  From stuffing the run to blitzing the QB and intimidating receivers over the middle, the key to Polamalu’s game is that offenses can never be sure what his role will be on any given play and when he will just devastate a play with a huge hit or a key takeaway.  Watching him play for the Wranglers, who tend to be an aggressive defense under Tomsula, should be some of the best viewing of the season. QB Drew Brees & QB Eli Manning (Swapped between Orlando & New Orleans): No story is bigger this season than the stunning QB swap we saw with the Brees-Manning trade. It seemed to us somewhat unfair to focus on one of these two QBs more than the other so we are putting both together, after all, they will now be forever linked in the minds of fans.  Which of the two will have more immediate success? Which can take their club farther? And who will win their Week 3 clash?  Both clubs have weapons around their QB’s, but both also have questions, so this should be a story we will be watching with anticipation each week all year long. TOP 10 ROOKIES TO WATCH We are not going to highlight veteran additions to teams and then skip over the rookie class of 2011.  This was one of the most hyped draft groups in the history of the league, largely due to the potential for 6 starting QB’s to come out of the first round, and while the USFL was only able to secure the services of 3 of the 6 top line QB prospects, the fact that they did that well is amazing in and of itself, and that the league was able to secure both of the top-rated, highest-profile QBs, Auburn’s Cam Newton and Washington’s Jake Locker, means the spring league is going to have our attention.  But QB was not the only key position where the USFL did well and where rookies may make a big impact.  We see these 10 players as potential break out stars from the 2011 Draft signings of the past month. DE Cameron Jordan (NOR):  Expected to plug in as the starting left end from day one, Jordan is an explosive speed rusher who will need to develop better instincts in the run game, but who could be an impact player on passing downs.  He lines up opposite Ty Warren, so offensive lines are going to have to find ways to defend both edge rushers on every pass play. OT Nate Solder (DEN):  Solder and center Stefen Wisniewski are both expected to start on Denver’s rebuilt offensive line.  Both will have to prove that they can hold up against talented USFL defensive lines.  Expect Solder to begin the year on the right side, with Ryan Clady as the left tackle. C Mike Pouncey (CHA):  One of the highest touted linemen in the draft, Pouncey is already slated to be the starting pivot for the Monarchs.  He joins a shaken-up line that now features Tyson Clabo at LT and Sean Bubin on the right side.  Expect Pouncey to have immediate impact in the run game, good news for Fred Jackson. DE Robert Quinn (BAL): The Blitz continue to reload on defense.  Last year they brought in DE Joe Tafoya, and now they give him a young, energetic partner across the line.  Quinn is more of a pure pass rusher, while Tafoya is stronger against the run, so it is no surprise that we have seen more of Quinn on the left side of the line in practice and in Baltimore’s one preseason game. LB Aldon Smith (STL):  Between Antowain, Aldon, and Antonio Smith, the St. Louis equipment team is going to have to develop a system.  Coach Arians needs to see improvement on defense, and Aldon Smith is expected to make a quick impact as the weakside linebacker, chasing down backs with his sideline to sideline aggressive speed. CB Patrick Peterson (NOR): The best corner in the draft will start this year as the #2 behind Randall Gay, but don’t be surprised to see Peterson start to get matched up with the deep ball threat on each offense as we get into the season.  His speed and ball skills could lead to quite a few chances for picks as QB’s test this rookie out. DT Marcell Dareus (OHI):  A big man in the middle, someone who can hold the line and allow the edge rushers to work against single blocks, that is what Ohio is getting with Marcell Dareus.  Coach Andrus has said he hopes to build up Ohio as a defensive-minded team, a new direction for the Glory, and it may start with Dareus holding down the middle of the line. QB Jake Locker (BOS): It does not appear that Locker will start the opener, as Coach Fox wants to go with Adrian McPherson, but we expect that unless McPherson shines over the first few weeks, the move will get made sooner rather than later for the Cannons. Locker has the skills and the disposition to be a solid QB even in his first year. HB Ryan Williams (OAK):  A player who will get every chance from day one, Ryan Williams is replacing Ricky Williams in the Oakland backfield, and while he will not wear Ricky’s 34 the number he wore in college, out of respect for Ricky’s legacy, the new 33 will hope to have very similar success to his predecessor. QB Cam Newton (BIR): The Stallions went all in on Newton-mania in Alabama.  With only Anthony Wright left in the QB room from the 2010 team (Colt Brennan was also signed as a backup), the full weight of the Stallion offense will now fall on Newton.  Of course, Birmingham used a lot of salary cap collateral to put some weapons around Newton, including NFL import Joseph Addai at halfback and rookie picks Jerrel Jerrigan and Julius Thomas at wide out and tight end respectively.  Expect a lot of planned runs, and run-pass options in the mix for Newton, and, lest we forget, there is some real talent on the Stallion front line, with Jeff Backus at LT, Ben Grubbs next to him and John Greco on the right side.  Protection should be solid for Newton, if he can process plays quickly and make the right decisions, he could be an exciting player to watch this year. RISING, FALLING, AND PANICKING With each new season comes a chance for change.  Sometimes that change is an unexpected rise to the top, success that excites and engages the fans and brings a city together.  Other times the change is a sign of decline, the passing of an era of success and the need to refresh and rebuild a franchise.  Every team enters a new season hoping they are on an ascending path, headed towards the ultimate goal, a league title, but every year there are teams rising, falling, and a few panicking that their window for a true shot at glory is closing.  We have selected three clubs in each category, the ascending, the declining, and the worried.  Will 2011 verify these possibilities or will these clubs surprise us as some do each year. RISING It is not all that hard to pick a new division champion and say that they are a team in ascension, but in the case of the Maulers there have been questions.  Last season saw the Maulers get over the hump and post a winning record (9-6-1) for the first time since the 2004 season, but what turned out to be a career-ending injury to DeShaun Foster cast a shadow over the club’s prospects for 2011.  But we are still on board.  It is important to remember that while Foster has been a key piece of the Mauler offense, his replacement, Kenny Watson, had several strong games in relief, including a 128 yard outburst against Houston in the Western Finals. Add in former Auburn star Ronnie Brown, signed away from the NFL Dolphins, and Pittsburgh has a 1-2 punch that could prove very effective.  And, just between us, we love the pick of Andy Dalton in this year’s draft.  Yes, Cody Pickett had a solid season, throwing for 3099 yards, 22 TDs and 10 picks, but it seems clear that the Maulers did not have confidence in Pat White as a backup and may still be hoping for an eventual upgrade at the position.  With Dalton, Pittsburgh can take a patient approach, testing out the strong-armed Horned Frog to see if he can offer more than Pickett in the long run.  Add in a defense that finished 2010 third in points allowed and 2nd in yardage allowed and you have a very good formula.  The Central is a tough division, but we see Pittsburgh not as an upstart any more, but as the defending champion with a very solid club that can compete to repeat in 2011. Another division winner from 2010, but another team we think has not reached their potential yet.  Atlanta’s 9-7 season provided them the city’s first division title. They got their first ever playoff win against New Orleans before falling to Nashville in the divisional round, but in 2011 this is a team that should not just be “happy to be there”.  The Southeast very much feels like a division with a lot of evenly matched clubs all trying to find an identity, but Atlanta knows who they are.  They are a club that plays good defense, rushes the ball well with Darren McFadden, and allows Kyle Orton to work through play action and a developing receiver corp.  Josh Reed had a breakout season in 2010, leading the league in yards receiving and catching 13 touchdowns.  In 2011 he will need help from others like 2nd year receiver Demaryius Thomas, TE Will Heller, and slot receiver Ted Ginn Jr.  The defense could be even better than 2010’s 6th ranked squad with the addition of rookie LB Justin Houston and veteran MLB Ryan Nece.  We see Atlanta as the team to beat in the SE Division, something no one has ever said about the Fire before. The 8-8 Generals barely missed out on the playoffs last year, losing in Week 16 in a game that had the potential to put them in as a Wild Card.  More importantly, they found a QB who could get the job done for their offense in rookie Sam Bradford.  After 2 consecutive 10-loss seasons, an 8-8 record feels like the beginning of a new era in East Rutherford.  Bradford was everything promised, throwing for 2,797 yard sand 14 touchdowns after taking over for Ryan Fitzpatrick in midseason.  The Generals are so confident in their young QB that they traded Fitzpatrick over to Portland and replaced him with journeyman Jeff Blake. The offseason for New Jersey was very promising as they retained the core talent on offense, added some support in the form of guard Adrien Clark and DE Aaron Kampman and rookies Will Rackley (G), Virgil Green (TE) and Delone Carter (HB).  The key for 2011 will be further development of Bradford and his receivers, a deep group that includes starters Mark Clayton, T. J. Houshmandzadeh and Santonio Holmes, but which can also call on Michael Crabtree, Miles Austin, and rookie Doug Baldwin.  The Defense was one of the league’s most consistent last year and adding Kampman to the line may help improve their pass rush.  This is a team that very much looks like they could challenge Philadelphia this season. FALLING The Invaders limped into the playoffs last season, losing their last 4 games with Bob Volek at QB before being outsted in the Wild Card round by the Chicago Machine in an embarrassing 20-point loss (37-17).  While a lot of Invader fans want to point to the absence of Joey Harrington as the reason for the club’s decline in the second half of 2010, the reality is that with the retirement of Ricky Williams, with Harrington’s long term health a question, and with a defense that showed signs of slipping last year, Oakland has more on their plate than just a QB recovering from injury. Oakland tried to address the questions about Harrington, drafting Colin Kaepernick out of Nevada in the 1st round, but he signed with the NFL club across the bay and now Oakland’s QB room looks exactly like it did in 2010.  They are hoping Harrington is fully recovered, but the lingering effects of his injury could be an issue.  As for the HB position, they are putting all their faith in rookie Ryan Williams.  But, while the last name is the same, the shift from Ricky to Ryan is a major shift in style.  Ricky was a battering ram with break away speed.  Ryan is more of a shifty “mogul skier” who likes to change direction more than take on tacklers.  That will be a very different challenge for the Oakland line, which remains the strength of the team. The other problem Oakland faces is that both Las Vegas and Portland are very much looking like true competitors for the Invaders this year, so the cakewalk of the Pacific Division is beginning to look like a much tougher path in 2011. We may be a bit premature about this, but losing 7 games last year, and dropping games to teams Ohio, Seattle and St. Louis do not help us see this club as one gearing up for a title run.  Chicago looked very good against Oakland in the Wild Card round, but fell flat to Division Champ Pittsburgh a week later.  The core of the team remains the same, a defense led by Brian Urlacher and Anthony Weaver and a run game headed up by Michael Turner. But, we have to admit that all three of those stars are getting older and may have peaked.  Brady Quinn is efficient but has yet to really prove he can win a game on his own. Losing both Darren Sharper and Rocky Boiman from the defense is not a good place to start if the Machine want to retake the division.  Reggie Tongue is a good replacement for Sharper, but he too seems to be on the downward side of his career.  Chicago only signed 3 of 10 draft picks, which is not what you want to see for a club with an aging core.  We think the chance is there for the Maulers, and possibly a revived Michigan club to leapfrog the Machine and with both Ohio and St. Louis building young teams, the Machine need to think about the short-term future rather than just immediate results. We debated this one quite a bit.  The Manning-Brees trade could be viewed as a positive step towards creating a new culture within the clubhouse, or it could be seen as a sign of desperation.  We still love a D-line that features both Calais Campbell and Albert Haynesworth, but worry that the squads behind it, linebackers and DB’s may not be strong enough to ensure that Orlando can keep teams off the scoreboard.  And while we think Eli Manning can get Orlando some wins, his playoff record is not exactly stellar.  Michael Jenkins is a legitimate #1 target, but we are not as sure about the rest of the receiving corps (McCaerins, DeSean Jackson, and Dwayne Bowe).  The key to the passing game may be TE Greg Olsen and the ability for Manning to use play action with Knowshon Moreno, but to do that, Moreno is going to have to improve on back to back seasons below 4 yards per carry. With Atlanta ascending, and all three other teams in the division only 1 game back of Orlando (7-9 v. 8-8), the Renegades are facing a division where all 4 opponents could legitimately pull off wins any week they play.  There will be no rest for any SE Division club during the season, and we are not feeling confident that Orlando is the club that will come out on top when all is said and done. PANICKING Jake Plummer is no spring chicken anymore.  His style, throwing his body into the fray, has aged it further than his 34 years would anticipate, and we are not so sure that the Thunder, in their current form, can hold together for much longer.  What should worry everyone is that the defense that Coach Glanville built the Thunder with has completely fallen apart after 1 year with June Jones at the helm. Las Vegas ranked 24th in both yards and points allowed, which just feels like a bad omen for a club that built their success on defensive strength.  The other big concern right now has to be that Jones’s spread style run & shoot depends on two things, a back who can operate in a 1-back set with no tight end, which Lynch certainly fills, and a deep group of speedy, smaller receivers.  There is the problem. When we think of the Run & Shoot we think of Houston in the 90’s with Sanders, Verdin, Robert Johnson, and McNeil.  When we look at the Thunder receiver group, we see Marty Booker, Kahlil Hill, Willie Ponder, Samie Parker, and Kili Lefutu and we are just not seeing how that group delivers on the promises of a Run & Shoot.   The question for Las Vegas is not whether or not they are running out of time, but whether or not they have a roster that can actually succeed right now. Seattle is the more classic “the window is closing” squad.  Neither Byron Leftwich nor David Boston are going to be around much longer.  DE John Abraham seems to be slowing down, and we are not seeing the production from younger players like Jahvid Best and Marcus Truffant that we might hope for.  On defense, we are looking at 3 of the 4 starting linebackers having over 10 years of USFL service, so great leadership, but bad knees.  The Dragons did add a promising rookie in Akeem Ayers out of UCLA, but they have had only hit & miss luck with rookies in recent years.  In a division that has a lot of questions, Seattle could surprise us, but if they cannot make a run this year, it may well be time to consider a roster overhaul. Look, we get it.  There is a ton of talent on this Michigan team, and they very well could rise right back up and dominate the Central this year, if Griese is healthy, but their QB’s injury last year put into clear relief how fragile a team’s competitiveness can be.  Michigan struggled through a year in which their offense was just not capable of functioning without their leader, averaging only 18 points per game (24th of 28 teams0 and only able to barely scratch 200 yards passing per game.  So, here’s the thing, the Panthers did nothing to improve their depth at QB.  They are still looking at Tyler Thigpen and Drew Stanton behind Griese.  That does not build confidence that they could survive another injury. We do like the addition of Wisconsin road grater Gabe Carimi in the draft.  He slots in at LT from day one, allowing Patrick Chung to remain a force on the right side.  We are still waiting to see if putting the run game on NFL import Thomas Jones is a shrewd move or a false hope.  The receiving corps is solid, with Ward, Coles, and Manningham taking the lead, and the defense has some difference makers in Jevon Kearse, DeMarcus Ware and Deltha O’Neal, but we are just not sure that the 16th ranked squad from last year is all that much better this year.  Can getting Griese back be enough to turn mediocre results into dominant ones? EXPANSION REPORT REVEALED We finish the first part of our season preview with the news out of this week’s Owner’s Meeting.  As expected, the Expansion Task Force presented their report, and somewhat predictably, the league owners fell in line with the proposals within that report.  What many consider to be good news for clubs like St. Louis, Charlotte, and Portland, still trying to find themselves, can be read as potential bad news for cities whose clubs are struggling with tough stadium issues or lower revenue streams. As expected, the report first identified a 2-team expansion as the ideal, allowing the league to remain in a 6-divisoin format while adding 2 more teams to bring each division to a balanced 5 teams apiece. That will benefit the schedule-makers as it means all 30 clubs would have the same number of divisional games to plan for, while still requiring that at least 1 team in each division each week is playing a non-divisional game. The second piece of the report stressed the importance of talent acquisition and equity among clubs. That is where the question of rapid vs. delayed expansion came to the fore.  The arguments were made on both sides, concern over franchise relocations if the expansion was delayed too long, but also concern that the 2006-2008 expansion still has not produced a lot of balance across the league, with many feeling that the next expansion should only come after we see all 4 recent expansion clubs as competitive (looking at you St. Louis).  The report recommended a window between 2018 and 2020 for the next expansion, with 2 clubs added, preferably one in the Southwest (Dallas seems the obvious choice) and the other in the Southern Division (no obvious choice here, though we could see Miami coming into play). That timeline is unlikely to satisfy the bidding groups already working on stadium deals, including the approved stadium upgrade for the Cotton Bowl already in the works.  Will Destination Dallas, San Diego Spring Football LLC, and other groups be content to wait 7-10 years to get a team?  That seems very unlikely, particularly in the case of Dallas, and its lead owner, Mark Cuban, not known as a patient, long-term vision kind of guy. The owners approved the basic tenets of the proposal, so the timeline is in place, with plans to explore expansion beginning in 2016, two years before the earliest window permitted for new franchises to join in.  There will be, apparently, no planning for just how to format an expansion until then, which means that those bidding groups either have to start planning for a long delay in starting their main operations, or they have to look for alternatives.  The truth is that several owners in the course of discussions seemed to actually prefer a situation in which some of the clubs considered relocation instead of the league expanding again.  It seems clear that while some owners are either not pleased that some franchises are lagging behind others in revenue generation, and some simply do not care for the lead owners of other franchises, the overall consensus is that only if a sale and relocation could be proven to benefit the league as a whole, moving a team from a small market to a huge MSA, for example, would it be viewed as a positive rather than a disturbing sign of instability, one likely to scare off some sponsors. So, what comes next? Well, that is really up to the groups seeking a franchise.  They can play nice and wait their turn, but that hardly seems likely.  More possibly, one or more will start looking at current teams and trying to find the weakest gazelle in the herd.  Expect to see some wooing, some cajoling, and even some efforts to encourage clubs to pressure for a new stadium, in hopes that failed ballot initiatives or reluctant local governments will convince current owners that sale may be their best option.  Right now, we see Boston, Oakland, and Las Vegas as the toughest stadium situations in the league, but certainly not the only cases where ownership could be swayed by a convincing argument to sell and a big bag of money at the other side of the table.  For the rest of us, particularly fans of those clubs and others, it seems we are going to have a rough ride for the next few years.

February 2, 2011 Every offseason has a story, from expansion years to NFL poaching, draft day stars to free agent steals, there is always something that draws our attention back to the USFL each winter. This year that story is at the quarterback position. It seems half of the league is scrambling to find their man, a franchise player who can lead them to immediate success, and long-lasting competitiveness. In a league that began with Reaves, Hebert, Flutie and Kelly, and saw huge success for Heath Shuler, Brett Favre, Byron Leftwich, and Kerry Collins, the next generation is actively being sought out. In some cases, it is making the deal to bring in a veteran, as Charlotte did with Jake Delhomme, in others it is all about the draft, particularly when a player emerges out of college with a huge exclamation point next to his name, as Cam Newton has this year. In others it is about matching the right man to the right system, as the Drew Brees saga has revealed. It is about jumping at chances, as Boston did in this year’s draft, making the move to get the other “sure fire” prospect away from the Stallions, or about stumbling to recover from a setback, as Ohio seems to be experiencing. It is about protecting what is yours, and finding those missing pieces, and in the USFL, that all begins with the QB, our focus in this, our second offseason report. We will discuss the trade of the year, an extremely rare swap of undisputed #1 QBs; the rise of Cam Newton; the impact his selection had on the rest of the draft; and the QB Chaos that ensued. We will recap each team’s draft, all the Winter free agency moves, and preview the best talent that may be available to USFL teams when the NFL-USFL window opens later this month. All that right here, right now. Stunning Trade Sends Brees to New Orleans and Manning to Orlando It was a deal that no one saw coming, but perhaps we should. Orlando had been shopping Drew Brees, their disgruntled QB, for months, seeking an avalanche of draft capital to send a former MVP off to a new team. With so many teams so desperate to acquire a top-of-the-line leader and passer, it seemed clear that someone would pay the high price the Renegades were asking. But no one expected that the final deal would be a team with a well-established QB, although one who has never really been fully received by the fanbase as elite, or that the trade would not be for a plethora of picks, but a swap of starters, with a 2-for-1 deal. And yet, just 3 days before Christmas, that is exactly what we got, when the Renegades and Breakers announced one of the most intriguing and unforeseen player swaps in league history. Orlando sends Drew Brees to the New Orleans Breakers, and the Breakers provide Orlando with a bona fide starter with playoff credentials in Eli Manning. The deal sent both Manning and wideout Dwayne Bowe to the Renegades in return for the two-time MVP (2005 and 2007). Brees becomes the face of a new-look Breaker offense, and Orlando rebuilds around Manning, Bowe, and a reimagined receiving corp. Prior to the announcement, New Orleans and a deal for Manning was just a pipe dream on a few Breaker fan sites, not a serious discussion among football analysts. The nation was fully prepared to hear that Brees would be headed to Boston, Memphis, or Ohio, not New Orleans. But, behind the scenes, the Breakers were working with Orlando management on a deal that would allow both teams to trade out a QB with some issues (Brees’s dissatisfaction and Manning’s nagging issues with New Orleans’s fanbase) without having to deal with the issues of developing a rookie, building a backup into a starter, or rehabilitating a QB down on himself. Both teams get QB’s who fully believe they are among the elite in the league, and whose stats can back that up. Both players get a chance to prove themselves once again, away from the naysayers and criticisms from their former teams. In hindsight, it is a very logical, very balanced deal, one that could potentially help both teams live up to their own expectations and bust through in 2011. We are surprised we did not think of it earlier, as some fans did, but it is just so rare to see teams trade top level talent, one for one (or one for two in this case) that the idea that Orlando would land a bona fide franchise QB in trade for their 2-time MVP was just not on our radar. We will see if it ends up a good deal for both, and there will certainly be pressure on both quarterbacks to make an immediate impact, but at least in the preseason, what the Breakers and ‘Gades have delivered is a trade that awakens the possibilities moving forward. Charlotte Gets Their Man It took longer than the Monarchs would have liked, and they ended up spending perhaps a bit more than they had hoped, but by late November, Charlotte had their QB. The Monarchs signed former Memphis and Jacksonville starter, Jake Delhomme, to a 3-year deal. They had to beat out, and outbid, both Boston and Birmingham to do so, but they proved the team willing to offer the best combination of funding and on-field support to Delhomme. He will now move to the Queen City as the presumptive starter, though Chris Weinke is still on the Monarch roster. Delhomme’s signing by Charlotte was in part due to the rise of Cam Newton, as his games over the fall kept impressing, Birmingham’s interest in Delhomme started to fade. Boston remained in the hunt until the end, but, as we will see, after losing out to Charlotte, the Cannons found their own path towards bringing in a QB that their fans can get excited about. For the Monarchs, and Head Coach Jim Mora Jr., it was about bringing in a known commodity, not taking a chance on a rookie, one who could emerge as a star, could fizzle out as a bust, or could opt to sign with the NFL at the cost of a high round draft pick. Birmingham Drafts & Trades Locker, Creating Draft Day Frenzy If the Brees-Manning trade was the talk of December, the skyrocketing rise of Cam Newton, bursting onto the national consciousness with an incredible season for Auburn, and becoming a darling of both USFL and NFL talent evaluators, became the story of January. Newton would finish his one and only year with the Auburn Tigers holding a national championship trophy, victors over Oregon in the NCAA National Title Game. Within 4 weeks he had become the #1 pick for the Birmingham Stallions in their Territorial Draft and the #1 overall pick of the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. His selection by Birmingham would have a ripple effect that would run through the entire USFL draft, with teams jockeying for position to nab the other first round quarterbacks. Birmingham, holding the #1 overall pick in the open draft had offers from no fewer than 8 teams for their pick, but they did as many suspected once Newton was selected in the T-Draft, they drafted Jake Locker at #1 overall, and then started shopping the top-rated QB to the highest bidder. The feeding frenzy during the first few picks of the draft was astounding. Ohio, holding the 2nd pick and praying that Birmingham would use their pick for a top-quality defender, tried to get the Stallions to make the simple 1-2 swap of picks. Birmingham declined the offer. When their card went up to the podium and Locker was named as the #1 overall pick, the calls into the War Room in Birmingham were immediate and constant. Ohio seemed panicked. Their war room had held out hope for a shot at Locker even as they planned for other potentialities. With the 2nd pick they went the safe route, choosing Alabama DT Marcell Dareus, a good pick but not nearly the level of need they had at quarterback. They would regroup, but at great cost, sending 3 draft picks, including next year’s #1 pick and this year’s 2nd rounder to jump back into the 1st round and select Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert at #13. They apparently had been so frustrated with their attempts to swap picks with Birmingham that they did not even attempt to make a deal for Locker now that he was on the market. Sitting at #3, St. Louis had the #3 pick and no interest in Locker, but they did have multiple needs. They would end up moving down, swapping picks with Seattle, who jumped on the chance to nab their top-rated defender, Texas A&M’s Von Miller. LA went for a player they could have picked in the T-Draft but strategically skipped over, LT Tyron Smith of USC. That put #5 Memphis on the clock. The Showboats had already selected their preferred QB, Ryan Mallett, with one of their own T-Draft picks, but they were fielding calls from teams hoping to move up to #5, possibly to trade that pick to Birmingham (along with other collateral) to get a shot at Locker. But Memphis got word midway through their allotted time that a deal had been cut, and the teams hoping to move up to #5 withered away. They would select DE J. J. Watt with their pick. By the time Memphis’s card went up front, a deal had already been cut. Boston, sitting at #7, would trade that 7th pick to Birmingham, along with two second rounders, this year’s and next, to obtain the rights to Jake Locker and begin negotiating with the Huskies’ QB. It turned out to be less than the Ohio Glory sent to New Jersey to move to #13 and land Gabbert, their clear 2nd choice. Birmingham would select WR A. J. Green with the #7 pick, hoping to provide Cam Newton with a weapon from the get-go. By the end of the 1st round, all 6 of the top rated QB’s would be accounted for. Newton and Mallett going to the Stallions and Showboats in the T-Draft. Gabbert to Ohio at #13. Christian Ponder selected by Tampa Bay with pick #10, the Bandits hoping to pass the torch from Culpepper to the Seminole in a year or two. Colin Kaepernick, the Nevada dual threat player, was chosen by Oakland at #19, a move that has a lot to do with Joey Harrington’s medical situation and the concerns that the Invaders cannot trust that Bob Volek will lead them to victories should Harrington continue to have injury issues. The final QB of the Group of 6, Andy Dalton, was expected to slide into the 2nd round, with most of the playoff teams not in the market for a QB but were a surprise selection at #25 by the Pittsburgh Maulers. Pittsburgh, which already spent a 1st round pick on Pat White 2 years ago, and who have seemed to settle on Cody Pickett as their man, were not seen as a likely candidate for one of the Group of 6 but felt the value for the pick was just too high, and the chance to develop Dalton without immediate pressure made it an ideal pick. So now we see if all these gambits pay off. Newton was, as we stated, also the #1 pick of the Carolina Panthers, but Birmingham is hoping that loyalty to the region, as well as a huge bag of money, will convince the Auburn QB to stay in the state. Boston will begin wooing Jake Locker in earnest, hoping he will see more to work with as a Cannon than a Tennessee Copperhead. Ohio hopes to outbid or entice Blaine Gabbert away from the somewhat dysfunctional Jacksonville Jaguars. Tampa Bay hopes that Christian Ponder sees a move from Tallahassee to Tampa Bay as an opportunity to build on his regional brand. Oakland is in a Bay Area battle with the San Francisco 49ers to try to convince Colin Kaepernick which side of the Bay to call home, while Pittsburgh will pursue the redheaded cannon, Dalton, counting on their playoff status in 2010 and that pierogies and Iron City Beer are a better option than Skyline Chili, as they work to lure Dalton away from the NFL Bengals. Trades Add Excitement to First Round of College Draft While the Jake Locker saga was by far the most dramatic element of the USFL Open Draft, it was hardly the only wheeling and dealing done in the draft’s first round. The round saw no fewer than 9 picks change hands over the course of its 3-hour duration. It began with St. Louis moving out of the #3 spot and giving Seattle their shot at Von Miller. Then Boston made the deal that sent Locker’s rights to the Cannons and allowed Birmingham not only the chance to pick A. J. Green, but 2 more picks later on. Boston traded 3 picks to New Jersey to get back into the QB hunt after Tampa Bay passed on Gabbert, landing the Generals’ 13th pick and taking the Mizzou QB. Atlanta backed out of the #21 spot, trading down 2 picks and allowing Washington to get in ahead of the Machine and select DT Corey Liuget. When Washington’s #23 pick, now held by Atlanta came up, the Fire traded down again, this time to the #26 pick of Nashville. The Knights had moved up 3 spots and jumped at their prime target, CB Aaron Wiliams of Texas. When Atlanta finally picked at #26 it was DT Marvin Austin of UNC that had his name called. With all the swapping, later rounds were also affected as teams jumped all over the board. Birmingham, with both the #2 and #7 picks in the 2nd round, added even more talent, landing Idaho safety Shiloh Keo and Portland State TE Julius Thomas in the round. The second round also saw the running backs finally come off the board, with Oakland selecting Va Tech’s Ryan Williams, Ohio tabbing OU’s DeMarco Murray, and Arizona jumping on LSU halfback Stevan Ridley. Even an unexpected HB pick came when Charlotte reached a bit for Eastern Washington HB Taiwan Jones. The drop of the draft had to be WR Jonathan Baldwin of Pitt. Not selected with one of the Maulers’ three T-Draft picks, Baldwin was generally considered the 3rd best receiver behind Green and Jones, but he just kept sliding. Falling all the way out of the first round and into the 2nd, where he was selected by Tampa Bay as a possible protégé to Joey Galloway, their new veteran acquisition. The reach of the draft may have been Taiwan Jones, but others might point to the 2nd round selection of wide receiver Cecil Shorts from tiny Mount Union College by the Las Vegas Thunder. Shorts, considered at best a 4th or 5th round pick went off the board before higher-rated receivers like Boise State’s Austin Pettis or San Diego State’s Vincent Brown, both taken in the 3rd. We will have all the big picks, the top prospects, and the surprises in our team-by-team analysis of the draft in just a little bit, but the draft was only one element of the recent offseason player movements. Before we delve deeper, let’s look into the last few months of free agency, trades, and the upcoming NFL-USFL Transfer Window, with the potential for some big-name free agents out of the fall league now that their season has ended. While the USFL and NFL Drafts occupied everyone’s attention in January, the preceding months had seen a steady flow of players back and forth across the USFL. While many of the biggest names were claimed in the first few weeks of the season, answers were found around many of the remaining big names as players signed deals all through the fall and into Winter. Returning to our list of the top free agents available after our October report, we can now say that most, though not all, of the higher rated free agents are now off the board and signed to new deals. Here are the new faces in new places to monitor as we enter the preseason and prepare for kickoff in March. QB Jake Delhomme got his deal, and, as expected, he will enter camp as the anticipated starter in Charlotte. Delhomme signed a 3-year deal with the Monarchs in November, with Boston the other late contender. Boston would get their man in the draft, while Charlotte’s signing of Delhomme took them out of the rookie QB market. HB Cedric Benson will find himself on his 4th team in 4 years, signing a 2-year deal with the Las Vegas Thunder to back up Marshawn Lynch. Fullback Chris Massey opted to stay at home, resigning with the Federals after more than 3 months on the market without an offer that met his demands. Two other backs, 33-year-old Kevin Faulk and former General R. J. Redmond have yet to find a new home. Among the wideouts, after the initial frenzy that saw Galloway, Smith, Stevie Johnson, and McCants all find new homes, and saw Lee Evans and Javon Walker resign with their clubs, there has been little movement for wideouts left in the pool. Texas opted to sign slot receiver Roscoe Parrish, Orlando did the same, bringing in former Oakland slot receiver DeShaun Jackson. Philadelphia added Lance Moore for depth. LA made the boldest move, adding 35-year-old Joe Jurevicious to a receiving corps that already has Keyshawn Johnson and Randy Moss outside, hinting at the fact that they may intend to go deep on every play. Another veteran, Derrick Mason, found Charlotte to be his best option, so he will now be catching passes from another newcomer in Delhomme. Still on the market are Eddie Kennison, Antwan Randle-El, Anquon Boldin, Travis Taylor and Dedrick Ward. We finally saw the run on offensive tackles that we had expected, with the bubble burst by Curtis Rinehart and his 3-year deal with Houston. Omar Cousins followed, signing with Pittsburgh, while Orlando landed former Gambler Mike Pearson. Mike Williams, the St. Louis LT, still out there waiting for the right offer. The only big name guard to sign after Pitts joined Texas was Ross Hochstein, who moves from Seattle to Tampa Bay. Of the D-Linemen, we saw former Outlaw Aaron Kampman join the Generals to boost their pass rush. Arizona tabbed Andre Wadsworth, the former Cannon. Michigan went for Chris Baker, the 24-year old as a depth move, while DT John Thornton jumps from New Orleans to Philadelphia, where he will likely serve as a swing lineman for Coach Harbaugh. Still waiting for the right deal we have DE’s Marcellus Wiley, and Carl Powell, as well as DTs Alex Rubin, C. J. Moseley and Richard Coleman. We saw quite a few linebackers moving around early in free agency, but the market seems to have dried up for 36-year-old Takeo Spikes and Kevin Mitchell, both hoping to get one more shot to play the game. Only two major signings after the initial push at the position, with Boston locking up former Atlanta star Corey Miller and Pittsburgh going for Jacksonville veteran Barret Green. Still out there to be signed are Denver’s Dat Nguyen, Philly’s Ryan Nece, Birmingham’s Nick Koutavides and the two wiley veterans we already named, Spikes and Mitchell. In the secondary, the story among cornerbacks was Antonio Cromartie, who held out for over 3 months, apparently turning away several teams before signing a lucrative 3-year deal with the cap-space-rich Birmingham Stallions. The second rated CB, Jaimie Webster, remains available, while Breaker CB Billy Austin, whose numbers the past 2 seasons have been his best, has announced that he is retiring after dealing with ankle and knee issues for years. Among the safeties, we saw free safety Darrell Bing move from Boston to Portland, New Jersey’s Corey Fuller is now in Atlanta, while strong safety Pearson Prioleau finally came to an agreement to stay in Oakland with the Invaders. Another top safety target, 33-year old Reggie Tongue, remains unsigned, as does former Star Lance Schulters, though rumors have him in serious talks with his former club. The only kickers to sign were placekicker Shayne Graham, who will be taking over for the retired Doug Pelfrey in Washington, and 36-year-old punter Mitch Berger, who joins the Skyhawks. Our list of free agents is growing shorter, but there is still some talent out there as teams prepare to enter camp. With the NFL-USFL transfer window soon to open as well, this might be a time for USFL teams to put up or shut up, because some of these quality ballplayers may simply take the extended vacation until August and sign with the senior league. NFL-USFL TRANSFER WINDOW PREVIEW We are only a couple of weeks away from the reopening of the NFL-USFL transfer window, and, as we have seen for going on 2 decades now, it is this 2nd offseason window, with NFL contracts having just expired, where the USFL can make the most hay. Yes, the new timing of the windows means that some players may not see the field for the first few weeks of the season, but a boost after 2-3 weeks is very possible with the influx of NFL talent. But just what talent may be there for USFL teams to sign on? Here is our look at the top 20 NFL players that USFL teams should be considering. DEFENSE The 2011 free agent pool is not exactly a who’s who of All-Pro selections, but there are a few names to pay attention to as the USFL franchise get their late run at NFL talent. Perhaps the best available player is DE Cullen Jenkins of the Eagles, who seems ready to move on. Joining him in the D-line group we have Shaun Smith of Tennessee and Ronald Fields of the Chiefs. Another Chief, LB Brandon Siler, is an interesting prospect and one of the younger free agents available on defense. Another LB, Justin Durant of the Lions could be a good fit for a team looking for a pursuit backer. In the secondary, we like the look of Bills’ CB Drayton Florence, though he remains a bit rough around the edges. OFFENSIVE LINE Another group with a few solid options, and one name stands out. Steeler tackle Willie Colon has had some outstanding moments, but consistency has been his bugaboo. Alex Barron, last of the Patriots is another tackle who could be a top USFL target. On the inside, the two best options appear to be center Chris Morris, also from the Patsies, and guard Evan Mathis of the Eagles. OFFENSIVE SKILL PLAYERS These are the players that fans tend to get excited about, and in this year’s NFL pool, while we don’t have a LaDainian Tomlinson to watch for, we have some interesting options. The top name in the pool is Colts HB Joseph Addai. Addai has shown he can take over a game, but he has been erratic, and a bit injury prone, so he is a risk. Other HBs to watch are former Panther DeAngelo Williams, who is hoping for a comeback season after a rough year in 2010, and Bengals’ back LeRon McClain. An intriguing prospect at receiver is Brad Smith, a sort of “Slash” player who was a QB in college and can be used as a receiver, rusher, or even on trick plays as a passer. The other receiver worth a long look is Browns’ TE Daniel Fells, who is a very solid blocker with soft hands. He is not a speed burner by any stretch, but inside the redzone he could be a great target. QUARTERBACKS As we have seen in every phase of the offseason, QB remains the toughest position to fill and the most coveted. We have seen more than a few NFL quarterbacks make the leap to the USFL and thrive, including this year’s Offensive Player of the Year, Kurt Warner. From the 2011 crop of free agents, the two most intriguing are former Ram and Raven, Marc Bulger, and former Texas Longhorn star Vince Young. Young is an interesting case in that he has actually had something of a bounce back in the past year, and yet Tennessee let him loose. As for Bulger, his best years seem to be behind him. After 3 years in the USFL with Orlando and Atlanta, his game matured in the NFL with the Rams, but he struggled to maintain a consistent quality and his stint in Baltimore was more than a little disappointing. Is a return to the USFL a chance to redeem himself once again? Outside of these two, the next best options are both young QB’s who have had limited chances to start, but who have shown some hints of potential in their few opportunities. Both Seahawk Tarvaris Jackson and former Jet and Redskin Kellen Clemons may be better fits for teams looking for a solid backup than a new starter. There are always plenty of teams looking for just that, so we would not be shocked to see one or both make the leap to the USFL and make a team’s roster just as the season begins. Of course, the NFL-USFL Transfer window goes both directions, and we already listed some pretty big name free agents who are still unsigned in the USFL pool. Will NFL teams take a shot on some long-in-the-tooth vets like a Takeo Spikes, Ruben Brown, Kevin Mitchell, Brian Dawkins, or Marcellus Wiley, or will they favor youth and potential like we see in players still seeking their first post-rookie contract, players like LB Tim Crowder, HB Antonio Brown, DE John Anderson, or DE Quientin Moses. We won’t have to wait long to find out. The Transfer Window is set to open in 2 weeks, just as the USFL opens their preseason, and will extend through Week 2 of the spring league’s regular season. 2011 USFL DRAFT RECAP So before we look at each team, a major caveat. The success or failure of each team’s draft is just as much about who they can sign and who they lose to the NFL as it is who they picked. Any team that can land their top 2-3 prospects did well, those whose top picks all go to the NFL did badly, it is just that simple, and the same is true of all 32 NFL teams as well. So, for the sake of our analysis, we are going to work from the assumption that the picks the teams made will all sign. We know that is not the case, but we can only study who they picked and say what we think about the prospect for a good draft based on that. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: DE Brooks Reed (Ariz) FIRST ROUND PICK: DE Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: HB Stevan Ridley (LSU)—3rd Round ANALYSIS: The Wranglers went for guards in two early rounds, with Wisconsin’s John Moffitt and Nebraska’s Keith Williams. Not bad to get a Badger and a Husker inside to push defenders around. We love the addition of Stevan Ridley as a potential complement to Tomlinson, and, if they can land their #1 pick, Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan, this will be a very solid draft even with a pretty week T-Draft pool. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: LB Justin Houston (UGA) FIRST ROUND PICK: OT Derek Sherrod (Miss St) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: HB Anthony Allen (Ga Tech)—5th Round ANALYSIS: Trading down twice in the first round gave Atlanta plenty of picks over the course of the draft. They seem hopefull that they will land top T-Draft choice Justin Houston. They did well with their mid-round picks, with HB Anthony Allen and DE Markell Carter (Central Arkansa) our favorite picks. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: WR Torrey Smith (Maryland) FIRST ROUND PICK: DE Robert Quinn (UNC) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: QB Tyrod Taylor (Va Tech)—4th Round ANALYSIS: Getting a quality option like DE Robert Quinn with the 20th pick in the first round is a bit of a coup. Their T-Draft likely hinges on whether or not Torrey Smith will join the Blitz receiver group. They also took a flyer on Va Tech QB Tyrod Taylor in the 4th round. He could prove to be effective if given a set of plays, particularly on short yardage, where he could run or pass in ways that Big Ben just cannot. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: QB Cam Newton (Auburn) FIRST ROUND PICK: WR A. J. Green (Georgia)—In trade with Boston BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: TE Julius Thomas (Por. St)—2nd ANALYSIS: No way Alabama does not come out of this draft a much better team. Not only did they have 3 studs in the T-Draft (Newton, Fairley, and HB Mark Ingram), but they used their #1 overall pick to add more picks and still were able to draft A. J. Green at #7. The problem will be signing all the talent they picked, even with one of the biggest cap spaces available. Just the 3 T-Draft players could break the bank. We think Newton has to be the priority, with Fairley 2nd and Ingram 3rd, but they certainly will try to land all three and Green as well. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: TE Lance Kendricks (Wisc) FIRST ROUND PICK: QB Jake Locker (Wash)—In Trade with Birmingham BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: LB J. T. Thomas (WVU)—3rd Round ANALYSIS: They basically moved from #7 to #1 by trading for Jake Locker and giving up only their 1st, and 2 second rounders. That is a pretty good deal, and it gets them the QB that most teams were coveting. It meant having fewer picks in the draft, but quality over quantity for the Cannons. We like the pick of LB J. T. Thomas out of West Virginia as well as WR Ryan Whalen from Stanford, a good possession option. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: LB Bruce Carter (UNC) FIRST ROUND PICK: C Mike Pouncey (Florida) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: HB Taiwan Jones (EWU)—2nd ANALYSIS: Mike Pouncey is as reliable a pick as you can get, maybe a bit high at #9, but still a quality improvement for the Monarch line. If they can sign Carter out of UNC, that will be a boost to their defense, and, while perhaps drafted a bit soon, we think Taiwan Jones will offer some value on both offense and special teams. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: TE Kyle Rudolph (Notre Dame) FIRST ROUND PICK: CB Aaron Williams (Texas) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: WR Austin Pettis (Boise)—3rd ANALYSIS: The kind of draft that fans boo initially because the big names are not there, but may eventually come around on. Chicago went 1-2 with DBs, first CB Aaron Williams, then safety Da’Norris Searcy from UNC. They got their kicker in Kai Forbath out of UCLA late, and may have also added some depth at WR with Austin Pettis from Boise State, again, if they can sign them all. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: OT Nate Solder (Colorado) FIRST ROUND PICK: C Stefen Wisniewski (Penn St.) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: DE Pernell McPhee (Miss St)—2nd ANALYSIS: If they can sign both OT Nate Solder and C Stefen Wisniewski, the Denver line could be set for the next decade. This is going to make Javon Ringer and Matt Leinart very happy. Not a lot of skill players in the draft for Denver, though Nebraska WR Niles Paul could be a nice addition. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: WR Jeremy Kerley (TCU) FIRST ROUND PICK: DT Phil Taylor (Baylor) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: TBD ANALYSIS: Picking last is the downside of being the league champion, and, unsurprisingly, the result is that we don’ see a lot of big names in the draft for the Gamblers. Their best two picks may have come from their TCU connection in the T-Draft, OT Marcus Cannon and WR Jeremy Kerley. They picked two halfbacks late in the draft, but we don’t see either being the next Kevin Faulk. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: CB Marcus Gilchrist (Clemson) FIRST ROUND PICK: S Jaiquawn Jarrett (Temple) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: LB K. J. Wright (Miss St)—2nd ANALYSIS: If ever a team could have and should have taken a deal to trade down it was the Bulls. Yes, Jarrett is a solid prospect, but at #11 he was picked way too early. With all the QB frenzy, Jacksonville could have moved down several spots, maybe as low as the early 20’s and still gotten Jarrett. Instead they picked him at #11 and missed a chance to add more picks. They are hoping that T-Draft selection Da’Quan Bowers makes the move from Clemson to Duval County, and they may have gotten a good one in the 2nd round in WR K. J. Wright, but otherwise, their draft feels like a missed opportunity. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: CB Brandon Burton (Utah) FIRST ROUND PICK: OT Marcus Gilbert (Florida) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: WR Aldrick Robinson (SMU)—4th ANALYSIS: Sitting at #18, we thought the Thunder might go for either Kaepernick or Dalton as an eventual replacement when Jake Plummer retires, but they opted to play it safe, picking an OT to protect their grey-haired QB. We already criticized their very early pick of Mount Union WR Cecil Shorts, so now it is up to Shorts to sign and then prove us wrong. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: S Rahim Moore, UCLA FIRST ROUND PICK: OT Tyron Smith (UCLA) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: TBD ANALYSIS: Despite early talk of moving on form Mark Sanchez, a pretty solid year on a bad team last year kept LA out of the QB Market. The Express made an odd move, protecting lesser talent like SDSU’s DeMarco Sampson in the T-Draft and then using a 1st round pick to select Tyron Smith, a player they could have protected. How will that fly with Smith and his agent? Is it better to be a T-Draft selection or a 1st rounder? LA had only 5 picks in the open draft, so we will see if they get any help from a small pool. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: QB Ryan Mallett (Ark) FIRST ROUND PICK: DE J.J. Watt (Wisc) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: DE Sam Acho (Texas)—2nd ANALYSIS: The Showboats have had their eye on Mallett forever, so they had better sign him. If they can get their QB and also land Watt out of Wisconsin, their 1st pick, this could be a draft we look back on as a foundation of something special. We love that they doubled down on the DE position by picking Acho out of Texas, since you know the NFL Oilers are going to be aggressive in trying to wrest Watt away from the Showboats. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: LB Greg Jones (MSU) FIRST ROUND PICK: OT Gabe Carimi (Wisc) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: DE D’Aundre Reed (ARIZ)—5th ANALYSIS: With Griese recovering nicely and looking good in voluntary minicamps, Michigan also felt no pressure to chase a QB. Their 1st round pick is a nice addition to a pretty solid line. They also hope that perhaps a weak T-Draft pool means they can dedicate the cash needed to Greg Jones to get him to sign on the dotted line. A possible sleeper in this draft is TE Rob Housler out of Florida Atlantic. He is not speedy, but he is a solid blocker who could also be a nice outlet for Griese. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: WR Denarius Moore (Tenn) FIRST ROUND PICK: DT Jarvis Jenkins (Clemson) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: DE Mario Addison (Troy)—4th Round ANALYSIS: You can ask us, but we have no idea why Nashville traded up to pick Jarvis Jenkins. Yes it was only a few spots, but why do it at all? They should have had no issue getting Jenkins with their original pick. We do like some later picks, such as DE Mario Addison in the 4th. The best of their T-Draft was WR Moore, another Vol to add to the Knight roster. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: S Quinton Carter (OU) FIRST ROUND PICK: NONE—Traded to Ohio BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: TE Virgil Green (Nevada)—5th ANALYSIS: The choice to drop out of the 1st round will not make the Generals’ Army happy, but it may have been a shrewd move in the long term, especially since Ohio clearly overpaid to move back into the round for Gabbert. What we find odd is that New Jersey did not go after HB DeMarco Murray in the T-Draft, but picked Syracuse back Delone Carter instead. In the open draft, we like the selections of guard Will Rackley and WR Doug Baldwin in the mid-rounds as well as the Virgil Green pick. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: CB Patrick Peterson (LSU) FIRST ROUND PICK: DE Cameron Jordan (Cal) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: TBD ANALYSIS: If they can sign both Jordan and Peterson it is a win of a draft. We don’t see much else in their picks that merits comment, but those two, with the addition of Drew Brees makes for a pretty stellar offseason for the Breakers. Now they just have to do what they can to get these players signed to long term deals. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: S Chris Conte (Cal) FIRST ROUND PICK: QB Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: HB Ryan Williams (Va Tech)—2nd Round ANALYSIS: Cap issues clearly impacted Oakland’s choices. They went a bit cheap in the T-Draft, not protecting top flight options like Cameron Jordan, but going for a Chris Carter (Fresno LB) and Chris Conte (safety). In the Open Draft, the big move was to sign Kaepernick, which is not a “today” pick, unless they know something about Joey Harrington’s recovery that we don’t. They landed their replacement (they hope) for Ricky Williams in Va Tech HB Ryan Williams, a more dynamic player than Shane Vereen, who they could have protected in the T-Draft but let slide by. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: CB Chimdi Chekwa (OSU) FIRST ROUND PICK: QB Blaine Gabbert (Mizzou) & DT Marcell Dareus (Alabama) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: WR Randall Cobb—4th Round ANALYSIS: Birmingham’s decision to draft both Newton and Locker clearly flustered the Glory. They ended up paying way too much in draft capital to get back in the 1st round with a second pick, but, if they can sign both Marcel Dareus and Blaine Gabbert, they may be forgiven the fluster. Their later draft was actually quite good, selecting a plummeting DeMarco Murray in the 3rd, TE Lee Smith of Marshall, and Cobb. They even took a flyer on Terrelle Pryor of OSU late in the draft despite passing on him in the T-Draft picks. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: G Rodney Hudson (FSU) FIRST ROUND PICK: OT James Carpenter (Alabama) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: LB Colin McCarthy (Miami)—3rd ANALYSIS: Orlando hopes they have a diamond in the rough in WR Leonard Hankerson, a T-Draft pick from Miami, but the rest of their draft feels somewhat lackluster. Hudson is a fine guard, but neither he nor OT James Carpenter is going to move the needle on excitement. What they will do, if they sign, is help Eli Manning feel safe in the pocket. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: DE Muhammad Wilkerson (Temple) FIRST ROUND PICK: OT Anthony Castonzo (BC) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: LB Greg Lloyd Jr. (UConn)—5th ANALYSIS: No team used the “double up” strategy of picking two players for the same position, quite the way Phily did. They not only picked back to back LB’s in the draft (Quan Sturdivant of UNC and Greg Lloyd Jr. of UConn, but then did the same thing with DT’s in later rounds. Seems they believe that they may have difficulty signing some players, or maybe they are just realistic about the NFL’s 52% sign rate of players drafted by both leagues. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: DE Jabaal Sheard (Pitt) FIRST ROUND PICK: QB Andy Dalton (TCU) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: G Julian Vandervelde (Iowa)—3rd ANALYSIS: While many thought that Pittsburgh might use a midround pick on a QB, not many saw them jumping at Andy Dalton in the 1st, but when he slipped down to the #25 pick, perhaps it was a question of value at that spot. If Dalton signs, we expect Pat White, who has simply never broken through for the Maulers, to be shipped off. No need to pay 3 QB’s that top pick money. Beyond Dalton, the best pick for the Maulers may well be Vandervelde, a human tractor at guard for the Hawkeyes. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: WR Titus Young (Boise St) FIRST ROUND PICK: CB Jimmy Smith (Colorado) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: TBD ANALYSIS: One of the funniest moments of the draft was when Portland Pick, TE Jordan Cameron, stood next to Breaker draftee Cameron Jordan and they challenged reporters to get their names right. Cameron (the TE) should be a nice safety valve for either Feeley or Fitzpatrick. Other than Young, Cameron, and Jimmy Smith, the rest of the draft is pretty light, so the Stags better hope they can nab those three. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: LB Mason Foster (Wash) FIRST ROUND PICK: LB Von Miller (TAMU) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: LB Akeem Ayers (UCLA)—2nd ANALYSIS: Seattle knew who they wanted and did what they needed to so they had the shot to pick him. Von Miller will be an impact player for the Dragons if they can keep him away from the NFL. You notice they also double dipped, selecting Akeem Ayers in the 2nd round for back-to-back LBs. That seems smart, since the odds of both heading to the PNW is not great. Add in a 3rd LB in Mason Foster from the T-Draft, and it seems clear that Seattle is worried about NFL defections. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: LB Aldon Smith (Mizzou) FIRST ROUND PICK: CB Prince Amukamara (Nebr) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: CB Buster Skrine (Chatt)—4th ANALYSIS: Traded down in the first round and still got the player they coveted in Amukamara. St. Louis needs lots of help on defense, and with picks like Amukamara, Smith, and Skrine they think they are headed in the right direction. If they can also land Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn, also from the T-Draft, they will have added a lot of talent and youth to a D that needed both. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: DT Terrell McClain (USF) FIRST ROUND PICK: QB Christian Ponder (FSU) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: HB Shane Vereen (Cal)—2nd ANALYSIS: The Bandits joined several teams in passing on a top player in the T-Draft only to use their #1 pick on that same player. We are not sure the strategy here, though perhaps it is about guaranteed compensation as a lure for the player, but Christian Ponder was the pick. We prefer their choice of Shane Vereen in the 2nd round, since Willis McGahee is not getting any younger. TE Luke Stocker out of Tennessee will have some big shoes to fill after Jeremy Shockey left for the NFL Giants. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: G Danny Watkins (Baylor) FIRST ROUND PICK: DE Cameron Heyward (Ohio St) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: WR Kamar Aiken (UCF)—3rd ANALYSIS: The Outlaws went heavy on Baylor players in the T-Draft, which is unusual when you have UT right there. But we like the choices of HB Jay Finley and OG Danny Watkins. Neither are 1st round talents, but both could be useful additions if they ink them. In the Open Draft, the choice of Heyward is an interesting one. It almost feels like Texas got a bit wrapped up in a run on DE’s and felt they needed one too. Our favorite pick may actually be LB Casey Matthews later in the draft, an underrated player who could be dynamic on passing downs as a blitzer or in coverage against a TE. TOP T-DRAFT SELECTION: CB Ras-I Dowling (Uva) FIRST ROUND PICK: DT Corey Liuget (Illinois) BEST SELECTION FROM ROUNDS 2-7: DE Allen Bailey (Miami)—2nd ANALYSIS: The team with the fewest picks in the open draft due to past trades, Washington had only 4 selections, but their first one was a nice one. Liuget could be a major player for the Feds as soon as this year, should they be able to keep him. Outside of that, the T-Draft may produce more use for the Feds, if they can sign both CB Ras-I Dowling and WR Dontrelle Inman, both underrated talents out of Uva. Rumors Push Later Expansion As we await the special Expansion Task Force report in the March owners’ meeting, there is a lot of speculation about the potential growth of the USFL only 3 years after the last expansion. And while there have been no official statements from the league or members of the executive task force charged with exploring the scope and timing of a potential growth in the league, there have been enough leaks to get a sense of what we might expect in March. The first of these, and not particularly an unexpected result, is that the task force is very likely to recommend an expansion of 2 teams, creating 6 equal divisions of 5 teams each. Some had floated the idea of a 4-team expansion, to match the NFL at 32 clubs, but that would entail a major overhaul of divisions, adding 2 more divisions to obtain a balance of eight 4-team divisions, as we see in the NFL. The USFL has used a 6 division format ever since it grew to 24 clubs in 1995 and it appears no one is interested in scrapping what has been a good format. If and when the USFL expands, we should anticipate that only 2 new cities will be added and the league will retain the six current divisions. Second, despite retaining the same divisions, an expansion could require reallocation of teams among the divisions. For example, if the two top bids are both in the West, let’s say Dallas and San Diego, then that means that someone from the Pacific Division would have to relocate, perhaps Las Vegas to the SW Division, but that would mean that Dallas would have to be placed either in the Southern Division, or another SW team would have to be bumped so that Dallas could join the other 2 Texas Teams. That is just one example. A similar situation would occur if Miami were to get a team, if the league wanted to keep all 4 Florida teams together, which could be untenable. Basically, what we should expect is that at least 1 existing team may have to find a new division if and when expansion were to happen. Finally, and this is the most tenuous set of leaks and theories. There has been some very unofficial and very back door hubbub that the task force is leaning towards recommending expansion in 2018 or possibly 2020. That is a very long timeframe, and one that could lead bidding groups like the Destination Dallas group led by Mark Cuban to look for more immediate answers through purchase and relocation of an existing team. That is obviously a concern, but it appears that concerns about oversaturation and dilution of talent soon after the 2006-2008 expansion may be winning out. Again, this is very unofficial and very tenuous, but if that is the direction that the league moves, they will almost certainly find themselves looking at potential relocation of franchises, as we saw leading up to the 1987, 1995, and 2006 expansions, with several expansion clubs in each (Chicago in ’87, LA in ’95, and both Atlanta and St. Louis in ’06) occupying spaces vacated by clubs that departed for a new location in between expansion cycles. This cannot be good news for the fans of clubs considered prime relocation targets. Fans in Boston and Las Vegas, where stadium issues are considerable, or in Oakland, where the Coliseum is in dire need of replacement. Even clubs like Charlotte, St. Louis, and Ohio could be potential targets due to issues of stadium control and tenancy. It is way too early to speculate on that now, but within the next month or so we will at least have the recommendation of the task force, and very likely a leaguewide vote on the issue of expansion. Based on those results, things could get pretty “exciting” around many clubs in the USFL. Highlights of the 2011 Schedule As we prepare for preseason to begin, it is also time for USFL fans to get excited about the upcoming season. We scoured the 16-week schedule and found the games that we think will be particularly engaging and worth the watch. Some are regional rivalries and derbies, others great inter-divisional or inter-conference clashes between 2010 playoff clubs. We even have a few games here that could be great matchups of individuals, like the Manning-Brees showdown that features both QB’s with their new teams. What we came up with were 40 games over 16 weeks that we are going to circle on our calendars. WEEK 1 HOUSTON @ PHILADELPHIA—Nothing better than a Summer Bowl Rematch to kick off the year. NEW ORLEANS @ BIRMINGHAM—Drew Brees with his new club, possibly against Cam Newton? SEATTLE @ PORTLAND—The Cascade Clash as a season opener. This could be fun. WEEK 2 LAS VEGAS @ OAKLAND—The two top candidates to take the Pacific clash early. CHICAGO @ PITTSBURGH—Another divisional matchup of potential frontrunners. WEEK 3 ORLANDO @ NEW ORLEANS—The Brees-Manning Swap takes center stage in Week 3. HOUSTON @ TEXAS—The defending champs visit their in-state rival, hoping to topple the kings. MICHIGAN @ CHICAGO—One of the fiercest rivalries in the league is reborn for another year. WEEK 4 WASHINGTON @ NEW JERSEY—Two contenders in the NE Division do battle. LOS ANGELES @ OAKLAND—The Gold Coast Darby is renewed, with LA hoping for a better year. WEEK 6 PHILADELPHIA @ NEW JERSEY—The Turnpike Classic, nothing more needs to be said. NASHVILLE @ MEMPHIS—Can a new-look Memphis squad take on the Knights? ORLANDO @ JACKSONVILLE—Both clubs disappointed in 2010, will either rebound in 2011? WEEK 7 HOUSTON @ DENVER—The head-to-head battle for the SW Division starts here. MEMPHIS @ BIRMINGHAM—A classic rivalry that could be rookie vs. rookie at QB ATLANTA @ CHARLOTTE—A newer rivalry, but one that could be huge as both teams improve. WEEK 9 PHILADELPHIA @ WASHINGTON—These two always seem to be in the mix each year. WEEK 10 JACKSONVILLE @ TAMPA BAY—Another Florida Derby between teams that finished 7-9. ATLANTA @ ORLANDO—All about the SE this week with 4 of 5 teams going head to head. PITTSBURGH @ OHIO—A growing rivalry now that Ohio does not dominate as they had. BALTIMORE @ PHILADELPHIA—Another great NE Clash. Seems everyone hates the Stars. DENVER @ ARIZONA—A bit of a one-sided rivalry, but the Wranglers will upset on occasion. WEEK 11 ORLANDO @ TAMPA BAY—So many great games in Florida. Hard to pick just one. WASHINGTON @ BALTIMORE—No two rivals live closer to each other than these two. PHILADELPHIA @ ATLANTA—Could this be a playoff preview? Two 2010 Division Champs. WEEK 12 OAKLAND @ SEATTLE—If the Dragons can rebound and compete in the Pacific? DENVER @ WASHINGTON—One of the more intriguing inter-conference games, with lots of D. WEEK 13 PHILADELPHIA @ DENVER—Another inter-conference fight for the Gold. ORLANDO @ ATLANTA—Yes, the SE Conference is one to watch this year. WEEK 14 BOSTON @ NEW JERSEY—Not Red Sox-Yankees, but still a great battle in the NE Division. DENVER @ HOUSTON—We reprise this matchup because we think it will be huge by Week 14. WEEK 15 PITTSBURGH @ HOUSTON—A rematch of the 2010 Western Finals. CHARLOTTE @ ATLANTA—One more time for these two SE Rivals. JACKSONVILLE @ ORLANDO—Will one or both be in a playoff hunt at this stage? WEEK 16 TAMPA BAY @ ORLANDO—Week 16 divisional play is always huge. With these two moreso. PHILADELPHIA @ BOSTON—Could be a battle for a top seed, or a Wild card. ATLANTA @ JACKSONVILLE—With any luck, this game will have lots of playoff meaning. HOUSTON @ OAKLAND—A rough final week for both teams, likely with seeding on the line. PITTSBURGH @ MICHIGAN—If Panthers rebound with Griese back, this could be a title fight. NEW ORLEANS @ NASHVILLE—The last 2 years this has determined the division. Will it be 3?

OCTOBER 14, 2010 The early offseason has focused more on the moves that have not been made than those that have. Yes, there have been some significant signings in free agency, led by Troy Polamalu leaving LA for an even sunnier climate, but for the most part the two biggest stories have been the negotiations and bidding wars for two starting QB’s, Drew Brees, being shopped on the trade market by Orlando, and Jake Delhomme, the only true starter among a limited QB free agent pool. Both QB’s remain in limbo, but both are getting significant interest across the league. In our October Offseason Report, we will bring you up to date on all the news, from Ohio changing gears with a new Head Coach, to all the Free Agent and NFL signings, news out of the league meetings, and finally, a full draft preview as we look to see what gaps and needs can be met from this year’s Territorial and Open Collegiate Drafts. It’s the USFL offseason, so you know a lot is happening, we will break it all down for you. Andrus Named Ohio Head Coach We start our review of the past 2 months of offseason news and transactions with the second and last coaching vacancy being filled. It will be a big shift for the culture of the Ohio Glory as they go from offensive schemer Al Luginbill to the hard-nosed defensive style of former Baltimore Blitz defensive coordinator Bart Andrus. Andrus, who spent 4 seasons in Baltimore after a short tenure with the NFL Tennessee Copperheads, will take over the head coaching duties for an Ohio club that is in a clear rebuild phase. Ohio, now without all three of the big 3 offensive stars that helped bring them back to back titles in the early 2000’s, will now very likely take on a more defensive-minded stance. The team has several quality defenders already on the roster, including Ohio State products James Laurinaitis and Ashton Youboty, DE Chauncey Davis, and DT Wendell Bryant. The offense is in a major reworking phase after the 2010 experiment of going with longstanding backup Chris Redman proved an unsuccessful effort. This offseason, Ohio has to find a new signal caller, but also is looking at replacing both HB Eddie George (retired) and all-time receiving leader for the club Joey Galloway. They have already made a move to start on that path, as we will see later, but now Andrus will be looking for help with the offense as he focuses his attention on building a defense much as he did in Baltimore. Expect Andrus to focus on linebacker play, a wide array of blitz schemes, and solid safety support behind it. That is the formula that did well for him with Adam Archuleta and James Farrior in Baltimore, and we expect much of the same with the Glory. Ohio missed the playoffs and had their worst season in over a decade in 2009, finishing with 10 losses for the first time since 1996, their second year as an expansion club. They finished 2010 at 4-11-1 and sit with the second pick in the upcoming Collegiate Draft. Expect their target to be QB Jake Locker out of Washington, a top tier prospect who most expect to be available (since Seattle has the rights to UW and they have no need for a high-cost backup QB). With Birmingham picking first, Ohio may not get the chance at Locker, so they should be scouting several potential QB prospects this year. Beyond that, it will be through free agency and trades that Coach Andrus will try to enhance his roster. That work has already begun, as you will see. Ricky Williams Calls it a Career, Invaders Caught Off Guard With an announcement just 14 days ago, on Sept. 31, that he was going to retire from competitive football and focus his attention on his burgeoning business interest in the legal cannabis industry in California. Williams, who once served a 1-year suspension in the USFL for his use of marijuana as a medical recovery option, and a long time advocate for both medical and recreational legalization, has been investing in California’s medical marijuana industry, as well as advocating for the state to follow Colorado in legalizing recreational use. Williams, rushed for 1,307 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2010, and was very much expected to be the centerpiece of Oakland’s offense in 2011. His sudden, and clearly unexpected departure, forces the Invaders and Coach Dennis Green to reevaluate their off-season plans, with the first wave of free agency already completed. Oakland will have to look for an answer, which may include moving to more of a dual-back system with returning veteran Jerious Norwood. The draft is one option, with several quality backs available, including a potential workhorse in Cal halfback Shane Vereen, a player who is within Oakland’s three protected schools for the Territorial Draft. Free agency also holds a few options, though five of the better running back options (Tatum Bell, LaBrandon Toefield, Ciatrick Fason, James Jackson, and Michael Bush) have already signed with a new team, leading Antonio Brown, Anthony Womack, and James Jackson as the best prospects left. We don’t know what the second NFL transfer window will provide, but topflight halfbacks tend not to move teams during their prime years. All in all, there appears to be no way that Oakland does not take a hit with Williams’s retirement, and the late announcement. Orlando Has Several Suitors for Brees Before we get to the trades that have already been finalized in the USFL offseason, we have to address the 300 lb. gorilla in the room. That is the “auctioning” of QB Drew Brees by the Orlando Renegades. The Renegades announced their intent to move the disgruntled QB even before the playoffs had begun, and they have had no shortage of suitors making contact with their front office. We know as fact that Orlando has already spoken with the Boston Cannons, Memphis Showboats, Charlotte Monarchs, and Birmingham Stallions. We expect as well that they will hear from several others, including very possibly the Ohio Glory. What has been interesting so far is that Orlando has said that any deal must include either multiple #1 picks in the Collegiate Draft (this year or combined with future years) or a mix of players that includes a viable starting QB. Our question is what Orlando considers viable. Would they look at Portland’s A. J. Feeley and feel that he could start for them in 2010? What about someone like Cody Pickett from Pittsburgh, or even their current backup, Pat White? Could a team with a solid starter like a David Carr (Arizona), Mark Sanchez (LA), or Joe Flacco (Texas) view a move to get Brees as an upgrade at the position? He is a former MVP of the league after all. We expect that any move will be completed before the draft, as Orlando would want a shot at the very strong rookie QB class of 2011, including a potential T-Draft protected player on their radar, FSU’s Christian Ponder. If a true starting QB is not included in a trade deal, the odds are that Orlando wants to acquire several top picks and then use their T-Draft on the Seminole QB. Right now, we would put Boston and Birmingham at the top of the list of potential suitors, but we are in no way confident that either will be willing to pay the price Orlando is requiring at present, and since neither has a strong QB in house right now, it would require a lot of draft capital to land Brees with either club. Let’s turn to the early trades that have already impacted the league and shifted some draft day strategies. We will almost certainly see a flurry of action in December as we draw closer to the January draft, but the wheeling and dealing has already begun, with at least 1 notable player sent from one coast to the other. QB Chris Weinke: Charlotte, having decided that a new direction was needed at QB, has sent their starter of the past 3 seasons, Chris Weinke, to Seattle. Seattle plans to use the NFL veteran as a backup to Byron Leftwich, and is apparently willing to absorb the remaining year of his contract. In return for Weinke, Seattle sent starting strong safety John Keith to the Monarchs. Keith was viewed as expendable after Seattle coaches became enamored with the growth they saw in understudy Shaun Schillinger, a training camp standout who finished 2010 with 6 starts, 33 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. Schillinger’s rise made Keith a commodity Seattle was willing to part with and now almost certainly makes Keith the new starting center fielder for the Monarchs, who are trying to strengthen a defense that has been their most productive squad, all the while trying to find a direction at QB. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: The former member of the Bengals in the NFL and starting QB for just over 1 season in New Jersey, Fitzpatrick is a contract New Jersey was not willing to absorb now that 2010 rookie Sam Bradford is the clear starter at QB. They wanted to get some value for Fitzpatrick, who still has 2 more years on his contract, and they found a willing trade partner in the Portland Stags. Portland, which still has A. J. Feeley under contract for 2011, will now have an open position between their 2010 starter and Fitzpatrick. In return for the QB, New Jersey went a different route than Orlando, opting to take draft picks, Portland’s 2nd and 5th rounders this year, as they try to build depth for a roster that surprised many by going 8-8 this past season. New Jersey also resigned Kris Kershaw, as the 13-year veteran backup will now very likely be the #2 behind Bradford. QB Brad Gradkowski: A third QB move, though this one does not involve a starter. With Tampa Bay happy to have Brett Romar backing up Daunte Culpepper, the 5-year veteran Gradkowski was a contract to remove rather than one to retain for the Bandits. They shopped Gradkowski around, and while trading with a division rival is somewhat rare, in the case of a backup QB, it is not unheard of. So, Gradkowski will now move slightly more northward and make his new home in Atlanta, where he will serve as the primary backup to Kyle Orton. Gradkowski will almost certainly displace Jordan Palmer, who honestly has not shown much in his 4 years in the league. In return for Gradkowski, Tampa Bay obtained much needed depth at wide receiver with former Fire and General WR David Tyree. Tyree, who had a career-high 59 receptions in Atlanta’s expansion year of 2006, also had a strong 2009 campaign with 58 receptions for 747 yards, but only started 3 games in 2010 due to nagging injuries and the emergence of Josh Reed and Demaryius Wiliams as the primary receivers for the Fire. He will now likely get a shot to become a true #2 receiver once again with Tampa Bay. LB Keith Bullock: A true 2-for-1 deal brings linebacker Keith Bullock from Memphis to Pittsburgh, where he will join Brian Cushing and Kawika Mitchell in Ron Rivera’s 3-man LB group. Bullock leaves Memphis after only 1 year of his 4-year rookie contract, in a rare move for a team. He started only 3 games for the Showboats, but made 29 tackles in his limited playing time. Now in Pittsburgh, he will form a part of what has been an improving defense, led by Cushing, safety Sean Taylor, and DE Jared Allen. In return for the young linebacker, Memphis wrangled two players in need positions from the Maulers. Both wide receiver Matt Jones and cornerback Kareem Larrimore will now suit up in the scarlet and silver sky uniforms of the Showboats. Jones, a 5-year veteran of the Express and Maulers, has yet to find a true home after leaving Arkansas for the USFL. His best year so far was his final year in LA, where he had 35 receptions for 292 yards. Larrimore was a 9-year veteran of the Maulers. He started all 16 games for the Maulers this year, but played a mix of #2 corner and nickel. With Patrick Surtain, Will Poole, and Dunta Robinson all available to the Maulers, Larrimore was an expendable piece of the defense and may get more attention with Memphis than he would have in the Steel City. G Damien Woody: One last “big name” trade in the early days of the offseason as Philadelphia parts with 6-year veteran guard Damien Woody. Woody, who started for the Stars for 2 seasons, became the swing guard for Philadelphia this year as 2nd year prospect Rich Ornberger was given the starting slot opposite Cooper Carlisle. Woody is considered an outstanding run blocker in zone schemes, but has struggled with holding penalties over his career, particularly in pass protection. He now heads to Jacksonville, where he will likely start opposite Michael Moore as the Bulls try to build a run game around C. J. Spiller and QB Tim Tebow. Jacksonville sends the Eastern Conference Champion Stars another piece for their defense in the form of cornerback Sam Shields. With Antonio Cromartie gone in free agency, the acquisition of a solid #2 behind Quentin Jammer was essential for the Stars, and in Shields they have a corner who is not afraid to tackle (32 in 2010) and can also make plays with his hands. Shields is another example of a 2nd year player who is getting traded after only a partial season in the league. With only a few new retirements to report (Williams, Punter Chris Gardocki of Pittsburgh, WR Reidel Anthony of Baltimore, HB Fred McAfee of Arizona, and HB Robert Edwards of Charlotte), the main attention the past two months has been firmly on free agent signings, and we have had no shortage of players shifting loyalties over the first 8 weeks of hot stove action. Here are the biggest stories coming out of the first 6 weeks of free agency in the USFL WR Shuffle A lot of movement on the WR front, including some of the biggest names in the league. It started with Joey Galloway, who Ohio expected to retire, opting instead for a 2-year deal to join the Tampa Bay Bandits. With Galloway gone, the new staff of Bart Andrus in Ohio had wideout as a top priority and they jumped on that, signing away Steve Smith from the Eastern Conference Champion Stars for what was rumored to be one of the most lucrative receiver contracts in league history. That signing prompted Philadelphia to get active and they went for rising star Stevie Johnson, another flamboyant flanker, from the Monarchs. Two players who did not swap teams were Lee Evans, resigned to the Showboats for 4 years, and Javon Walker, who decided to stay put with the new regime in Ohio. Still on the market we see veterans Joe Jurevicius, Derrick Mason, Eddie Kennison, Anquon Boldin, and slot receivers Roscoe Parrish and Antwan Randle-El. Polamalu Leads DB Field Troy Polamalu was the undisputed best defender in the market, so it is not surprising that he received no fewer than 8 offers for employment, but, after 3 weeks of back and forth, the superstar safety found his match and became the newest member of the Arizona Wranglers. He topped a flurry of DB signings that included fellow safeties Darren Sharper (to the Stars) and Will Allen (to Boston), as well as cornerbacks Lenny Walls (Birmingham), Corey Webster (Ohio), and Duane Starks (NSH) Offensive Lineman Cash In In a year that saw several star quarterbacks knocked out for the year, protecting a team’s leader has never had more value, and that means that offensive lineman have never had a better market. A lot of money was tossed at O-line talent this offseason (to date) and a lot of players took those deals to the bank. Among the newly rich & famous we have center Robbie Tobeck, moving from Baltimore to Atlanta, guard Bill Ferrario, who leaves Pittsburgh for Seattle, and guard Chris Pitts, making a new home in San Antonio with the Outlaws. Tackles, the highest demand position, remain a shrewd bunch, with some of the top prospects (Mike Pearson, Mike Williams. Will Smith, Corey Rinehart) holding out as Free Agency continues. Jake Delhomme Continues to Field Offers Three teams have been in a bidding war for the services of QB Jake Delhomme, released by Memphis after their disappointing season. Charlotte appears to be the front runner, but they are getting some fierce competition from Boston and, surprisingly, Las Vegas. Perhaps the Thunder know something we don’t about Jake Plummer’s long term prospects, as most pundits did not see the Thunder in the market for the veteran QB of the Showboats and Bulls. And while Delhomme has been using the competition to increase his value as the only true starter on the market, a couple of players have opted to sign to backup roles. Kevin Kolb will join yet another team, as he heads down the coast from a short gig in Oakland to a 2-year deal to back up Mark Sanchez in LA. Jeff Blake, the quintessential “journeyman” QB will test another market in New Jersey, where his veteran savvy will help Sam Bradford stay focused. Finally, former CFL starter Dave Dickenson stays in the USFL as a backup for David Carr in Arizona. Other notable signings abound over the first 6 weeks of free agency. They include: DEFENSE DE Chuckie Nwokorie cashing in on a 3-year deal to leave Baltimore for Boston. DE Joe Tafoya will replace Nwokorie on a revamped Baltimore D-line. DE Kamerian Wemberley is one of several big signings by the Stallions as he cashes in. DE Adewale Ogunleye hoping to add some pass rush punch to a solid Las Vegas defense. DT Jason Peter, at age 35, signing on for 1 more year, now with New Orleans. DT Kendrick Clancy goes from perennial power Philadelphia to struggling St. Louis DT Kenard Lang taking a 2 year deal in Houston. LB T. J. Slaughter goes the opposite, way, leaving St. Louis for Seattle. LB Will Overstreet trades Orlando’s sun for Denver’s snow season. LB Joe Odom will remain in Oakland, resigning for 2 more seasons. LB Mark Simoneau signing with the Federals in Washington. LB Mike Maslowski staying in the division and joining the Oakland Invaders. LB Nate Webster leaving Pittsburgh for Birmingham in a Steel City swap. LB Rocky Boiman hoping to get a permanent starting gig with the Texas Outlaws. LB Jeff Goff, only 23, is seeking a warm reception in Tampa Bay after a rough year in Boston. OFFENSE HB LaBrandon Toefield hoping to get more snaps as a new Jacksonville Bull. HB Tatum Bell will be a rotational player for his new club, the Boston Cannons. HB Michael Bush also hopes to get some snaps as he heads to Portland and the Stags. TE Chris Cooley, leader of a very limited pool, will likely be the new starter with his new club, the Texas Outlaws. With winter approaching fast, there are still a lot of big names left to find a home in the USFL, and while some players jumped to the Fall league (more on that in a minute) the free agency pool still has some talent that hope to find a paycheck and a place they can thrive in the USFL. Our top remaining free agents at this juncture are: QB: Jake Delhomme (MEM) HB: Kevin Faulk (HOU), Cedrick Benson (TEX), R. J. Redmond (NJ) FB: Chris Massey (WSH) WR: Derrick Mason (LV), Joe Jurevicius (BOS), Eddie Kennison (WSH), Roscoe Parrish (TBY), Anquon Boldin (CHI) OT: Mike Pearson (HOU), Mike Williams (STL), Will Smith (ORL), Corey Rinehart (BAL) OG: Leonard Davis (TEX), Ruben Brown (OAK), Jeffrey Fischer (STL) C: Chris Spencer (ATL), Mike Flanagan (DEN) DE: Marcellus Wiley (MEM), Chris Powell (JAX), Aaron Kampman (TEX), Andre Wadsworth (BOS) LB: Takeo Spikes (SEA), Corey Miller (ATL), Dat Nguyen (DEN) S: Reggie Tongue (CHA), Pearson Prioleau (OAK) CB: Antonio Cromartie (PHI) K: Shayne Graham (LV) The expectation when the NFL and USFL opted to shift their transfer windows later in to September-October and February-March is that the result would be more players staying within their current leagues, and fewer big shifts in talent, particularly right as one season started. Last year that was certainly the trend, but, if this September’s window is any indication, teams are now more willing to sign across leagues and wait until the 4th or 5th week of their regular season to be able to fully utilize new talent. At least the NFL seems to be looking at doing that. We will see if the USFL reciprocates in February. This year’s crop of players making the jump from the USFL to an NFL season which has already begun is pretty significant. Among the top players signed by the fall league, we find defensive stalwarts like Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (NSH to the Packers), DT Rocky Bernard (HOU to the Steelers), LB Rob Morris (Birmingham to the Colts), Adalius Thomas (Charlotte to the Bears), and Sean Barber (Las Vegas to the Cowboys). Perhaps the biggest name of anyone who jumped is Jacksonville LB Lavar Arrington, who, at age 33, signed a surprising 4-year deal with the Washington Redskins. Among offensive stars signing to play this fall in the NFL, we find wideouts Dez White (DEN to the Bears), Mike Williams (WSH to the Lions), and tight ends Jeremy Shockey (Bandits to NY Giants), Mark Breuner (ARZ to Steelers), and Dallas Clark (PHI to Colts). Philly will certainly miss Clark, a big target for Kurt Warner. Halfbacks also made the leap, with Travis Minor, Maurice Morris, Ahmad Galloway, and, in yet another blow for the Stars, Darren Sproles, all jumping to the Fall. On the line, we see Mark Hill (CHA to Raiders), Mark Tauscher (NOR to Packers) and Jonas Jennings (ORL to Bills) all join the NFL. The only QB of any note to make the jump was backup Brock Berlin, who leaves the Thunder to get a shot in Miami with the Dolphins. Now, admittedly, with Jake Delhomme the only full time starter to become a free agent, the pool was not big to begin with, but it very well may be that QB is not a position where a team in either league is willing to wait for their opportunity to sign a starter. It would mean going several weeks into a season without a clear option at the team’s most vital position. One more note about players leaving the USFL for the NFL, troubled wide receiver Plaxico Burress is going to get a shot to redeem himself in the NFL after his self-inflicted gunshot wound cost him not only his spot on the Oakland Invader roster, but significant money in fines from the ensuing gun charges in Alameda County. Burress, who remains in physical therapy to strengthen the leg he shot, will get a chance to take the field in about 2-3 weeks with his new team, the New York Jets. Before moving on to non-free agent news, there are just a handful of USFL signings from the largely-picked over, NFL free agent pool for September and October. No huge stars, but a few names that you might here on spring and summer weekends in the 2011 USFL season. Birmingham, which continues to use its significant cap room to bolster their roster, added a pretty solid LB in former Oiler Ernie Sims. Boston thinks they found an answer at guard with Steeler Harvey Dahl. Charlotte went for a tackle, signing Falcon Tyson Clabo to a 3-year deal. Kicker David Akers, after a short stint in San Diego, will join the LA Express as in a competition for their kicking duties. And finally, perhaps the biggest “splash” (in a very small pool) was the signing of former Miami Dolphin HB Ronnie Brown. Brown is hoping to revive his career after he had his starting job reduced in Miami. The former Auburn star signed a 2-year deal to join the Pittsburgh Maulers, who, after an injury-induced retirement from star DeShaun Foster, were looking to add a 2nd back to rotate with Kenny Watson. Brown will have a shot to prove he can be a full time starter as he splits carries with Watson next season for the Maulers. The next NFL-USFL window will open in mid-February and extends through Week 2 of the USFL regular season in March. That is when we would expect to see NFL players signing with the USFL, as it comes at the very beginning of the NFL free agency period. League Meetings Produce Little Change, Few Answers There was a good chance the USFL league meetings in September could produce some huge changes for the league, but as it turned out, change is sometimes a difficult pill to swallow. The owners had options on the table to expand the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams, to alter the revenue sharing model, and to approve yet another wave of expansion, but what we got was a lot of status quo being reinforced and a new committee which will delay a leaguewide decision on expansion. The biggest news out of the league meetings was a shift in how the league will manage its Territorial Draft in the future, but even that was simply a return to past practice. For those who were hoping for sweeping changes or front page news, the 28 USFL owners provided little to be excited about. EXPANSION The issue of expansion was the story getting the most press around the country, largely due to some of the bigger markets which are already in the process of developing ownerhip bidding groups. We learned through the materials released by the USFL that there are currently 6 ownership groups which have already officially notified the USFL of their intention to seek a franchise in the next expansion round, all of which have asked that the round be conducted in 2016 or earlier. We knew about Destination Dallas, which largely kicked off the question of a quick return to expansion, and the group asking for the quickest turnaround, hoping for a team in time for the 2012 celebration of the USFL’s 30th anniversary. We learned that there are also potential suitors either fully developed or well on their way representing Miami, San Diego, the Twin Cities, Oklahoma City, and the Tidewater region of Viriginia. But, what each of these groups learned after the course of the week-long gathering of USFL ownership, is that the league is simply not of one mind on the topic and timing of expansion. What came out of the league meetings was a decision to put together an ad hoc “Expansion Viability Study Group”, essentially a new temporary committee of 7 owners (or their representatives) and chaired by New Orleans’s David Dixon, to explore potential timelines and impacts of expansion from 28 to 30, or even 32, teams. The task force plans to work with the Finance and Competition committees and to provide a report in March of the viability of expansion as well as a recommendation on timing. It had been hoped that such a decision would come out of the fall meeting, but with ownership around the league divided on the concept, much less the timing, and a lack of reliable data, owners were not willing to commit based solely on anectodal stories about competitive balance and unfounded projections on financial impact. So, for Mark Cuban’s Dallas group, as well as the other 5 currently recognized groups (and potentially others who have not reached the point of filing a statement of intent with the league, the can is being kicked down the road. PLAYOFFS The league owners did vote on the issue of expanding the playoff pool from 12 to 14 teams, and the decision was to remain at 12. Two primary complaints were raised about the expanded format. First, that it limits the number of byes to 2, only allowing the top seed in each conference to avoid a Wild Card matchup in the first week. Several owners spoke of the importance of recognizing the validity of the regular season by retaining at least 2 byes per conference, with arguments made to somehow expand that to all 6 division winners, though that would be a logistical nightmare. The second major concern came on the issue of celebrating mediocrity, with owners in agreement that no one wanted to see 8-8 clubs, much less any 7-9 teams qualify for the playoffs. Had the league stuck with a 14 team playoff in 2010, owners cited, the two beneficiaries would have been 8-8 New Jersey and 8-8 Portland. Several owners pointed out the impact of expansion of the college bowl system as a parallel, talking about the watering down of the entire bowl system by having both mediocre schools and unknown smaller schools now obtaining bowl berths. Not a perfect parallel, but one that drove home the idea that, like in baseball, the smaller playoff pool meant that only truly strong franchises would qualify and that competition for the final playoff spots, as we saw this year, would be intense. And so, with those arguments winning out, the 12-team format was retained. TERRITORIAL DRAFT This was the one area where some changes were expected and one was approved. While proposals to fold the T-Draft into the standard draft to create one single event, or to eliminate the T-Draft entirely, were squashed, one proposal, to return to the days when T-Draft picks could be traded away, was approved in a modified format. The controversial practice, which had been permissible during a solid 10 years of USFL history, means that a team can use T-Draft picks as collateral in a trade. This was used quite often in the past when a team with strength in a particular position, say QB, would have a top QB prospect available in its protected schools. Rather than simply not pick that player and send him to the Open Draft, the team could take bids from other clubs for a trade, allowing that other club exclusive access to the QB. In the past, this was a practice that did create some controversy, since the entire concept of a T-Draft was to ensure that players with high marketability in one area of the country would more likely end up with the most appropriate team to maximize the fan base for the player and the team. What is the point of a territorial system, some have said, of the star QB from an LA school has his rights traded to a club in Atlanta or Boston? The counter argument about fairness, brought up, as usual, by teams in the somewhat college-poor regions of the Northeast and Northwest, is that the current format favors teams in places like Texas, California, and the South East, where most of the bigger college football programs reside. The ability to trade away those T-Draft slots, it was argued, creates more drama around the draft and more equity in the league overall. Those arguments seemed to take hold, but a bone was thrown to the owners who favored a stricter use of the T-Draft as a regional talent pool. The final proposal, which was approved by a 22-6 vote, allows teams to trade away only 1 of their 3 T-Draft selections, and that the league will have the ability to nullify any T-Draft pick trade if it’s Competition Committee deems the trade to be imbalanced, essentially demanding that a T-Draft pick be measured with equal weight to an Open Draft selection, something which was not always the case in the earlier days of the league when the T-Draft picks were fully tradable. The restriction also permits only reallocation of the first T-Draft selection, which means that the equity required to obtain a T-Draft pick will have to equate to that of a first round selection in the Open Draft, a ruling that is expected to minimize the swapping of picks only to those instances where true first round talent is available in the T-Draft but not of interest to the team with the protected rights to the player. With these three topics dominating the full week, no action was taken on rule changes (only a handful of minor adjustments had been proposed) or on other routine business. The 4th anticipated topic of discussion, the raising of the attendance requirement for full shares of the league’s revenue sharing plan was delayed until a virtual owner’s meeting scheduled for December. So, the big picture is that for now there is no decision on expansion, but that one should be known around the start of the 2011 season, that the playoff roster will stay with 12 teams at least until an expansion occurs, and that we will once again see the occasional T-Draft selection traded, particularly where QB’s are concerned, beginning with the 2012 Collegiate Draft. But what about this year’s Draft? What do we expect from one of the biggest QB classes in recent memory? And can one spectacular season alter the course of the entire draft? That is our next topic to explore. Can One Breakout Season Upend the Entire Draft? That is the question being asked as the league and the country watch a relatively unknown player put together a season like few before. Auburn QB Cam Newton began the year as something of an afterthought among draft experts, but that is not the case midway through the college season. Named the starter for the Tigers after arriving from tiny Blinn College, and after leaving Florida with little to show, Cam Newton is lighting up college football with a combination of passing and running skills that are drawing immediate comparison to some of the best in the game. And that is throwing a monkey wrench into the script we all anticipated for the USFL and NFL drafts. Newton began his Auburn career throwing for 186 yards, but also rushing for 171, but that was against an inferior opponent in Arkansas State. In victories over Mississippi State and Clemson, Newton showed many of the same skills, but his numbers were far more modest. But then came the game against South Carolina just a few weeks ago. 158 yards passing with 2 TDs and 176 on the ground with 3 more rushing TDs. Folks around the pro scouting world took notice. He followed that game with a 3 TD performance against Louisiana-Monroe, but again impressed hugely against Kentucky, throwing for 210 but also rushing for 198 with 4 rushing touchdowns. With these performances, questions started to be asked about whether Newton could be a true contender as a top QB pick in the 2011 draft, something no one had been discussing a year ago. Newton will have to prove himself with some tough SEC games on the docket. He has Arkansas up next, then LSU, Georgia, and Alabama in the Iron Bowl to finish the season. But right now heads are turning and, in particular in the USFL, possibilities are being discussed. Why? Well, because as of right now the team with the #1 pick in the USFL Open Draft is none other than the Birmingham Stallions, just down the road from Auburn. The Stallions are desperate for a quarterback, and the chance that Auburn would produce a top prospect just at the time when the Birmingham franchise has a major need is too good a story to pass up. Newton, like all Auburn players, is within Birmingham’s protected school group for the Territorial Draft, and that prospect is exciting teams across the league. It had long been thought that Birmingham would use their T-Draft to shore up other areas of the team, reserving the #1 pick in the Open Draft for a QB, most likely Washington’s Jake Locker. And while there was some talk of teams trying to make a deal to move up and grab Locker, the prospects were pretty slim that Birmingham would be willing to do that, at risk of alienating a large portion of their fanbase who feel QB is the key to the club’s success. But, if Birmingham has access to a top flight QB in the T-Draft, particularly one who is making headlines nationwide, and creating a feeding frenzy within the state of Alabama, that means that the #1 pick in the draft may not need to be a QB for Birmingham. And that prospect makes the chance for another team to leap up and snag Locker far more conceivable. Outside of Stallion fans, who are ecstatic about the prospect of Newton as a Stallion, and Birmingham being able to potentially land a top flight defender or halfback in the Open Draft, the rest of the USFL fandom is now in full panic mode about what this means for their team. For Ohio, which holds the #2 pick, and now might very well have an inside line on Jake Locker, the hope, of course, is that Birmingham drafts Newton, and goes a different direction with that top Open Draft pick, allowing Locker to sit available at #2. There is no mystery that Ohio rates Locker as their top prospect, though, thinking he may not be available, they have looked at Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, and Andy Dalton quite extensively. There was even talk about Ohio pushing for a trade up one spot, but Birmingham would not hear it. Now, the prospect that Locker could be available at #2 has Ohio Glory fans very excited. But they are also very nervous, because, with so many teams desperate to land a franchise QB, the risk is very real that Birmingham, sitting on Newton, could be open to a trade, and that, for a hefty price, another team could leapfrog the Glory’s #2 pick and nab Locker for themselves. That essentially puts Ohio in the same position they would be in without Cam Newton’s rapid rise to national attention, but it feels far more problematic to Ohio fans and, we expect, front office staff. If Birmingham were to find in Newton a potential franchise QB, which is still an if since he has really only played 5 games in his one season with Auburn to date, the potential winfall for the Stallions is significant. Imagine coming into the new season not only with a QB that fans would already see as a local hero, but also having potentially three or four top 10 prospects. Picture this scenario (one that requires that the Stallions spend a lot of salary cap, but one that is feasible.). Birmingham could spend their 3 T-Draft picks on Cam Newton, Alabama DT Marcel Dareus, and Alabama WR Julio Jones, and still have the top pick in the Open Draft to select someone like LB Von Miller of Texas A&M, WR A. J. Green of Georgia, or CB Patrick Peterson of LSU (assuming they are not T-Draft selections of other clubs). That would potentially be the single greatest draft any USFL team has ever had, and could immediately upend the entire Southern Division. Birmingham could also hedge their bets, drafting Newton in the T-Draft and still drafting Locker in the Open Draft. With just over 50% of all USFL draft picks signing with the NFL that is not a strategy that is out of the question, though it is one we rarely see. In the past, we have seen plenty of examples where need at a key position leads a team to use 2 picks on that position, typically it has been a top round pick and a mid-round “safety valve” in case the star did not sign. But to draft 2 stars, sign one and then trade away the rights to the other, that is a huge potential win for the Stallions. If, instead of double dipping, Birmingham opted to trade that top pick, any one of a dozen teams could jump over Ohio and nab Locker, forcing the Glory to rethink their entire draft, though we expect they would just drop down to the next QB on their list. Would LA at #4 make a move, despite Mark Sanchez’s strong 2010 campaign? Memphis sits at #5 and while they have been looking at T-Draft option Ryan Mallett, Locker would be a tempting potential move as well. Arizona at #6, Boston at #7, Charlotte at #9, and even Tampa Bay, with a long-in-the-tooth Daunte Culpepper, could also be in the running with a top 10 pick to swap with Birmingham. It will take more than 1 pick, of course, but the option for the Stallions to retain a Top 10 pick, get their franchise QB, and add even more picks, that would be enticing. Amazing the impact half a season for a player with talent can do to upend what had been a pretty interesting draft already. The 2010 Draft is shaping up to be perhaps the most engaging and controversial in a long time. We expected no less with 5 potential starting QB’s graded with first round talent, and a ton of teams desperate to get new leadership under center. But now, with the potential for a 6th QB to jump into the discussion, and at the top of the draft as well, that makes this one to watch very closely. TEAM BY TEAM DRAFT PREVIEW BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (2-14) NEEDS: QB, SS, HB, DE, LB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: In addition to Cam Newton, a Wild Card in the draft, the Stallions have a huge pool of talent, including both of the top 2 defensive tackles in Alabama’s Marcel Dareus and Auburn’s Nick Fairley. Add to that WR Julio Jones and HB Mark Ingram II, and the issue for Birmingham is how to pick only 3 and how to sign all three of their eventual picks. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: If Cam Newton comes back down to earth, the logical choice for Birmingham is Washington QB Jake Locker, but if Newton continues to shine, we expect Birmingham will jump on that PR goldmine in Alabama, which means that the #1 pick in the open draft could go 100 different ways. If they keep the pick, they could still pick Locker as insurance, or they could go for the best DE in the draft, Cameron Jordan of Cal (as with all picks, we have to imagine the player not protected by the T-Draft.) OHIO GLORY (4-11-1) NEEDS: QB, HB, WR, DT, G, CB, TE T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: The Ohio State pipeline does not provide help at any of the big 3 offensive needs, though they could use a low-risk pick to take developmental QB Terrelle Pryor. We think the best prospect for them is either DE Cameron Heyward or Cincinnati center Jason Kelce. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: It has to be a QB, right? If Birmingham does not take Locker, then he is absolutely their pick, but if they do, or if someone trades with them to nab Locker, then it will be up to the scouts to make a choice among Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, FSU’s Christian Ponder, or TCU’s Andy Dalton. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS (5-11) NEEDS: LB, DE, T, DT T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: The Skyhawks love what they see in Josh Freeman, which means they are very unlikely to protect Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert. So, who do they protect? LB Aldon Smith of the Tigers is a safe bet, and we also like DE Adrian Clayborn of Iowa, both areas of need for the St. Louis defense. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Assuming St. Louis feels good about signing Smith and/or Clayborn, they could go with a third position, like a Marcell Dareus or Nick Fairley at DT, because Birmingham won’t protect both outstanding DTs. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (5-11) NEEDS: SS, OT, DT, WR, HB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Even though it is not a position of need, tackle Tyron Smith seems a good bet for LA, as is either LB Akeem Ayers of USC, or, more importantly, with Polamalu now a Wrangler, they could jump on Rahim Moore, another top Bruin prospect. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: LA should look for help at DT if one of the Bama-Auburn DT’s is there. If not, then how about a WR like Julio Jones or A. J. Green? MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (6-10) NEEDS: QB, DE, FB, WR, K, P T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: The Showboats have been high on Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett for a long time, and their willingness to let Jake Delhomme go seems to be a pretty clear indication that they not only are going to select him, but feel very good about signing the big guy from the Razorbacks. Outside of that pick, their pool is somewhat shallow, but we could see them looking at Miss. State LB K. J. Wright or OT DeMarcus Love, a favorite of Mallett’s. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: If the QB situation for Memphis is settled, which it could be, then we think this will be a WR pick and if either A. J. Green or Julio Jones is out there, Memphis should jump on that option to help Mallett find a good target. They have Ferguson and resigned Lee Evans, but a top flight WR sure would help a young QB. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (7-9) NEEDS: HB, G, DE, TE T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: The Arizona Wildcat program have 3 decent DE’s graduating this year and that position is one of need for the Wranglers. We think Brooks Reed is the clearly superior player, but we could absolutely see Arizona also putting protection on either D’Aundre Reed or Ricky Elmore just for security. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Signing Polamalu wiped out one of the biggest need areas and put Arizona in a good position to go for Best Player Available, at least within the range of positions they see as needing improvement. At pick #6 they are likely to have the first shot at one of the linemen in the draft, so it could be someone like guard John Moffit of Wisconsin, center Mike Pouncey of Florida, or tackle James Carpenter of Alabama, any of whom would be a help for David Carr and the Wrangler offense. BOSTON CANNONS (7-9) NEEDS: QB, LB, WR, DT, TE, FS T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: If it were not for their choice of Wisconsin as one of their 3 schools (the 1 not tied to region), the Cannons would not have much to go with. OT Anthony Castonzo is the best player from BC, and they could go for him, but if they don’t protect J.J. Watt out of Wisconsin, they are fools. Sure, DE is not an immediate need, but Watt is such a talent that you have to make room for him. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Boston needs a QB and are considered a prime candidate to make a move if they think they can get Locker. If not, then the best option may well be Blaine Gabbert of Missouri, with Christian Ponder and Andy Dalton also viable options at pick #7. SEATTLE DRAGONS (7-9) NEEDS: LB, DE, G, P T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Would Seattle take a shot at Jake Locker when they have a starter well in place in Byron Leftwich? Most say no, especially since sign & trade is such a rare feat in the USFL. Let’s assume they let Locker into the main pool as most expect, then what? Based on need, we love the idea of Seattle protecting LB Mason Foster of UW, and beyond that, maybe a flier on CB Jimmy Wilson of Montana. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Let’s assume that J. J. Watt is not here, then that means looking for another option at DE. How about Clayborn of Iowa, Cameron Jordan of Cal, or Robert Quinn of UNC. All solid prospects, all potentially protected, but we think at least 1 will be here for Seattle. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS (7-9) NEEDS: QB, C, HB, T, SS T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: We just mentioned Robert Quinn, the powerful DE out of UNC, but that is not really a position of need with the way Julius Peppers has revived his career in Charlotte. LB is a bigger need, and UNC has one of those too in Bruce Carter. NC State has a potential LB option in Nate Irving as well. And then there is UNC DT Marvin Austin, another big time defender who could help that Monarchs’ front 7. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: We know Charlotte is in the market for a QB, and they are a serious player in the Jake Delhomme sweepstakes, but if Delhomme signs elsewhere, we could easily see Ponder or Dalton headed to the Queen City. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (7-9) NEEDS: DT, WR, HB, G, TE T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: The usual river of talent from Miami is just not there this year, so look for Tampa Bay to look long and hard at the players out of USF and South Carolina. The best of the bunch is DT Terrell McClain of USF< but we could also see them going for CB Chris Culliver of South Carolina. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Wide Receiver or Halfback would be a good move here, though Tampa Bay has already made some moves in the receiving corps with the Galloway signing. If they go halfback, Va Tech’s Ryan Williams is an interesting prospect, as is Ingram from Alabama. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (7-9) NEEDS: LB, G, DE, SS T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Florida center Mike Pouncey is tempting, even for a club that is not really in need of a new pivot. DE Da’Quan Bowers makes a bit more sense for the Bulls, as would CB Marcus Gilchrist of Clemson. Jacksonville is also looking for safety help, so Florida’s Ahmad Black could be a pick here. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Safety or Linebacker are the obvious choices. If they want to replace Lavar Arrington with another outside linebacker, they could do worse than Justin Houston of Georgia or Aldon Smith of Missouri. At safety, if available, Rahim Moore of UCLA or Temple’s Jaiquawn Jarrett seem the most likely picks. TEXAS OUTLAWS (8-8) NEEDS: TE, LB, G, HB, FS, WR T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: The Longhorns always seem to have someone worth a look. This year they have 2 corners to consider in Aaron Williams and Curtis Brown. Texas could also look to LBSam Acho as a potential pick. Guard is a need for Texas, and Baylor could provide the answer with Danny Watkins a possible T-Draft target. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Likely to be the top LB available at pick #14. Those to consider include Ayers, Mouton (Michigan), and Houston (Georgia). But if a top flight HB like Ingram is here, they may go that route, preparing for T. J. Duckett to step away from the game in the next year or two. ORLANDO RENEGADES (8-8) NEEDS: QB, T,LB, WR, P T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: We wonder if the Drew Brees move is a sign that Orlando is all in on Christian Ponder. That seems a logical direction if they really do move Brees for a bunch of picks or players in other positions. Others to consider protecting include FSU guard Rodney Hudso andUCF OT Jah Reid. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: We think it will be either O-line or a linebacker here. The same linebacker list as Texas is likely, while the big need for Orlando on the line is at RT, so perhaps someone like James Carpenter (Bama) or Marcus Gilbert (Florida). MICHIGAN PANTHERS (8-8) NEEDS: T, TE, DE, G T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: This may be the thinnest T-Draft pool the Panthers have ever seen. Both MSU and Michigan are very thin this year. We like LB Greg Jones of MSU, though linebacker is not a top priority for the Panthers. The other possible option is guard Stephen Schilling of the Wolverines, but he is considered a mid-round prospect, not a sure thing. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Left Tackle has to be the priority, so we think that Carpenter from Bama or perhaps Gabe Carimi if he is not protected by Boston. The big Wisconsin tackle is a huge reason why the Badgers keep punching out top halfbacks. An excellent run blocker. PORTLAND STAGS (8-8) NEEDS: FS, TE, T, LB, HB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Portland could use a scatback or 3rd down receiver to help balance out Jonathan Stewart’s inside game. They may have just the man in Oregon State’s Jaquizz Rodgers. He would be a nice pick, as would either Duck LB Casey Matthews or Beaver LB Gabe Miller. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: We had Portland as one of the QB-needy teams, but the deal to get Fitzpatrick to battle with Feeley makes us feel the search is over and Portland will focus on other areas of need. Tight End is a bit need area, and while not typically a first round position to hunt for, we do like the look of USC’s Jordan Cameron as an option at pick #16, though don’t count out a tackle or linebacker here, as there are several TE picks in rounds 2-3. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (8-8) NEEDS: G, LB, Hb, DE, FS T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: As always with the Generals, we look at Oklahoma first, and then circle back to see if Rutgers or Syracuse contribute anything. This year, OU has a HB in DeMarco Murray, but NJ could also go with Syracuse’s Delone Carter, who is going to come in at a much lower price. Since the position they seek is a backup to Maurice Jones-Drew, Carter may make more sense. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Help for Sam Bradford would be much appreciated. If one of the top 2-3 wideouts are here at their pick, they will likely jump on a receiver. If not, then offensive line is the next best way to help Bradford continue to grow into a leadership position. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (9-7, Lost in Wild Card) NEEDS: DE, T, TE, CB, DT T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: We love CB Patrick Peterson out of LSU and corner is a need for the Breakers, so this is a match made in heaven, if, and we stress, if, Peterson is willing to forego the NFL and sign for the Breakers. Another LSU option is at halfback, where Stevan Ridley would be a nice complement to the Breaker run game. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Defensive End or Defensive Tackle. Pick your poison. So much depends on which DE’s and DT’s escape the T-Draft. The Breakers absolutely need to improve both positions to compete with Nashville, as has been evident with their late season losses to the Knights in both 2009 and 2010. LAS VEGAS THUNDER (9-7, Lost in Wild Card) NEEDS: DE, OT, WR, CB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: The Thunder have to be one of the teams most in favor of alterations to the T-Draft system. Their feeder schools (Utah, BYU, UNLV) are just not consistent enough in producing top tier talent to compete with other clubs in football rich areas. This year the Thunder might have trouble finding even 3 players to protect, which is not what you want. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Las Vegas needs a good open draft to have any young talent this year. The good news is that their positions of greatest need—OT, WR, DE, and CB—are all pretty deep pools, so someone with real talent will be here for them in the first round. BALTIMORE BLITZ (10-6, Lost in Wild Card) NEEDS: OT, DE, QB, C T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: We really like WR Torrey Smith, but it is just not a priority position for Baltimore this year, so they may let him go. It is doubtful they will pass on either CB Johnny Patrick (Louisville) or OT Byron Stingily, also of the Cards. Both fit the mold of what Coach Harbaugh wants, so we think they will be 2 of the 3. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Baltimore is looking for a backup QB for Roethlisberger, but we don’t see that being a first round priority, just too expensive to do that. So, in the first round a tackle or a defensive lineman seems more likely. Could be a tackle like Florida’s Marcus Gilbert, a center like Pouncey, or a top DE if any fall this far. OAKLAND INVADERS (9-7, Lost in Wild Card) NEEDS: HB, FS, G,LB, WR T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Ricky Williams’s unexpected retirement has left a huge hole in the Invader offense. Oakland now has to scramble to fill a position that had been a strength. Cal offers them one path towards filling that space, with HB ShaneV Vereen, but we are not sure Oakland is in love with Vereen’s skill set. They could pass on the Cal back and go for a differen option in the Open Draft. One player we don’t expect them to pas son is safety Chris Conte, a player who fits their scheme perfectly and could be a Day One starter at free safety. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: If the Invaders do land Vereen, then HB is off the table here, but if not, then we may see Oakland looking long and hard at someone like Alabama’s Mark Ingram, Va Tech’s Ryan Williams, or Oklahoma’s Demarco Murray, all of whom could be solid options in a shared backfield with Jerious Norwood. CHICAGO MACHINE (9-7, Lost in Divisional) NEEDS: SS, FS, WR,CB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: It is all about the defensive backfield for the Machine this year. So, do they find any help from Illinois, Northwestern, and Notre Dame? Not really. We don’t see any top prospects at either safety or corner coming from the T-Draft. Chicago will have to look at other positions in this portion of their draft strategy. DT Corey Liuget, HB Kyle Rudolph, and HB Mikel Leshoure are the best prospects, but none is a true position of need. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Safety and Corner are huge for Chicago, but not huge for most teams ahead of them, so the Machine may luck out and get one of the top prospects. We don’t see Patrick Peterson dropping this far, assuming he is somehow not protected by the Breakers, but we could see UCLA safety Rahim Moore,Temple’s Jaiquawn Jarrett, or UNC’s Da’Norris Searcy all being here at safety. At corner we can envision possibly Chekwa from Ohio State or Buster Skrine from UT-Chattanooga both being available, though we are not sure both are truly 1st round talents. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (10-6, Lost in Divisional) NEEDS: WR,DT, DE,LB, FB, K T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Not a lot of top talent in need positions here for the Feds, though we think they will take a shot at CB Ras-I Dowling of Uva just because you can never have enough corners. Two interesting mid-round prospects out of Uva, Va Tech, and Wake are QB Tyrod Taylor of the Hokies, sort of a poor-man’s Michael Vick, and WR Dontrelle Inman of UVa, who is raw but teachable. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: We come back to D-Line again. Washington could go with a tackle or an end, depending on who is still on the board. If they have a shot at someone like Robert Quinn of UNC, that would be an excellent fit for them, but Quinn may not be dropping quite this far. DENVER GOLD (12-4, Lost in Divisional) NEEDS: C, DE, T,WR,LB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Hmmm, let’s see. Denver has a need at tackle. They have Nebraska as a pipeline for big hosses (as Keith Jackson would say) and just by chance Nebraska is graduating one of their best, Nate Solder, this year. Looks like a match made in heaven. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: If Denver can land Solder, that is a huge piece, but a center would be even bigger. The two we are looking at for the Gold, as always if not protected, are Pouncey from the Gators, and Penn State’s Steve Wisniewski. ATLANTA FIRE (9-7, Lost in Divisional) NEEDS: LB, FS, C, QB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: LB Justin Houston is a no-brainer for the Fire, but our bigger question is whether or not Atlanta will go after A. J. Green, despite already having a pretty solid 1-2 option at wideout. This may be a perfect opportunity for a sign-and-trade deal, if Green is open to that. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Linebacker and safety are both key areas of interest for the Fire, so someone like Da’Norris Searcy or West Virginia’s Robert Sands could be a good pick here, or a linebacker like Aldon Smith or K. J. Wright if they are not locked in on Justin Houston. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (9-6-1, Lost in Conf. Title Game) NEEDS: HB, G, FS, DE,LB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: No obvious HB help in the T-Draft for Pittsburgh, but several defensive options. We like DE Jabaal Sheard as a good option for the Maulers, as is CB Brandon Hogan of West Virginia, or fellow volunteer Robert Sands, the rangy safety. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: The Ronnie Brown signing from the NFL may well be all Pittsburgh does to address the loss of DeShaun Foster. Pairing Brown with Kenny Watson may be the solution, but it is a short term one. If they have a shot at a Mark Ingram, Ryan Williams, or Mikel Leshoure, they might want to build some long term depth at the position. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS (10-6, Lost in Conf. title Game) NEEDS: DE, DT, WR, CB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: A bad year for Tennessee means a shallow pool for the Knights. We like TE Luke Stocker, but he is not a first round pick. The Knights could also look at WR Denarius Moore, who has shown flashes of talent, but is a bit raw. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: With KGB headed off to the NFL, the biggest obvious need is an edge rusher, but drafting 26th does not often mean a lot of top options exist. Nashville may need to move up if they want one of the true 1st round options, or they could stretch a bit and just pick the best DE available, which could be someone like Texas DE Sam Acho, Iowa’s Christian Ballard, or Miami’s Allen Bailey, all seen as round 2 talents. PHILADELPHIA STARS (11-5, Lost in Summer Bowl) NEEDS: OT, LB, DE, WR, SS T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: Philadelphia has several options across multiple positions. They could go O-line with Penn State center Stefen Wisniewski or Villanova OT Ben Ijalana. They could go for defense with Temple DE Muhammad Wilkerson, or even take a flyer on Nittany Lion HB Evan Royster. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: With Offensive Tackle their biggest priority, we think the Stars take a long look at that position. You have James Carpenter of Alabama, Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin, Marcus Gilbert of Florida, and BC’s Anthony Castonzo. So, the Stars are largely at the whims of the T-Draft and which tackle might escape unclaimed. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (12-4, League Champion) NEEDS: DT, OT, HB, QB T-DRAFT PROSPECTS: We are intrigued by the possibility of a protégé for Matt Hasselbeck in Houston. They have the perfect candidate in TCU’s Andy Dalton. It means Dalton sits on the bench for a while, but if he is willing to do that, he could be in a prime position to be at the head of a top flight team in 2-3 seasons. FIRST ROUND PROJECTION: Houston has more wants than needs. They want to upgrade, but clearly don’t have huge needs. This makes them a perfect candidate to either go with Best Player Available or to trade out of the round and pick up more mid-round picks. If one of the QB’s is still on the board here, there is no shortage of teams who would be looking to trade up to the 28th pick to nab one.

Summer Bowl 2010 was one of the most hyped, most anticipated games in the near-30-year history of the USFL. With two of the three 3-time title winners going head to head, both more than 10 years removed from their last title, there was a lot of pride on the line. And this was not even the first time these two have met in the league’s title game. Back in 1987 Philadelphia and Houston clashed in the league’s 4th title game, before it was known as the Summer Bowl. The Stars came away from that epic game with a 39-38 victory over the Gamblers. Chuck Fusina defeated Jim Kelly in one of the most exciting and action-packed games in league history. Fans in 2010 expected much the same from this year’s matchup of the two top teams in the league, both #1 seeds in their respective conferences. What fans got was a nip and tuck game, complete with big plays, defensive stands, and a fourth quarter game winner. Halfback Shaun Alexander came up big for the Gamblers, wideout Steve Smith for the Stars, and both QB’s had strong games on behalf of their teams. On defense, CB Shaun Springs led all players with 11 tackles, while teammate Willie Andrews, a surprise All-USFL selection this year, made good with the game’s only interception. James Farrior, one of the newer Gambler players, added 2 tackles for loss and a sack, while for Philadelphia it was rookie Sean Lee who impressed with 8 tackles, 2 for a loss. The game started with the usual fanfare. The pregame at Columbia Sportswear Stadium featured Oregon native Meredith Brooks singing “America the Beautiful” and the national anthem performed by the United States Coast Guard Band. The Coast Guard featured prominently in the festivities as Portland decided to honor the oft-forgotten force of the U.S. Armed Forces. It was Coast Guard helicopters that did the fly over prior to the game, with one helicopter lowering a Coast Guard Seaman to the field to deliver the coin for the pre-game coin toss. Houston won the toss and elected to receive the ball with the opening kickoff, an unusual choice in a league where nearly 80% of all coin toss winners opt to defer to the 2nd half. The Gamblers’ decision to take the ball first turned out to be a good one. Clad in the home dark uniforms, Houston took the field, and in pretty short order moved down the field and put points on the board. It would take Houston only 6 plays to find paydirt, well within the scripted opening plays set up by Wade Phillips and his OC. The scoring play came on a swing pass from Hasselbeck to Kevin Faulk, a 39-yard catch and run that got the Gambler fans in the crowd to their feet. Less than 2 minutes into the game and Houston had taken a 7-0 lead. Philadelphia would struggle to move the ball on their first drive. Steve Slaton was stuffed on first down, Kurt Warner connected with Brent Celek, but only for 4 yards on the first pass for Warner, and on third down, he did not connect with Dallas Clark. Philadelphia was forced to punt. Houston also struggled when they got the ball back. Shaun Alexander rushed for 7 on first down, but a false start on 2nd down wiped most of that out. On a 3rd and 5, Hasselbeck tried to hit Mike Sims-Walker, but the pass was off target and nearly picked off by Jairus Byrd. Houston punted the ball right back to the Stars. On their second possession, Philadelphia had more success. Hasselbeck connected with Steve Smith on the first of 9 receptions for the speedy wideout. He also found Clark with a 12 yard pass, and then got some help from Steve Slaton with a 4-yard run on 3rd and 2. On a 2nd and 2, Warner went for it all, sending a deep ball to Reche Caldwell. Caldwell brought the ball in and thought he had a touchdown, but the replay showed that he had stepped out at the 1. But, with first and goal at the 1-yard line, surely the Stars would punch it in. Not so fast, as former Renegades HC Lee Corso would say. Philadelphia shot themselves in the foot, losing 3 yards on an ill-conceived sweep left that was blown up by James Farrior. On 2nd down they went play action but Warner could not find a receiver. He scrambled (not his forte) and managed to avoid a sack, gaining 1 yard back. On 3rd and goal from the 3, the Stars tried to force the ball in the middle with Slaton but again got stuffed. With a 4th down once again from the 1-yard line, Coach Harbaugh got conservative and sent out Mike Nugent for the chip shot 18-yard field goal. 7-3 Houston with nearly 5 minutes left in the quarter. The Stars and Gamblers would trade drives, with both gaining one first down before either penalties or miscues forced them to punt the ball. Houston got the ball back with 10:02 left in the 2nd quarter. They would grind out a first down on the back of Shaun Alexander, but on the next 1st down, they would use the success of Alexander’s runs to surprise the Stars. Faking the ball to the big back, Matt Hasselbeck had plenty of time to survey the field, and what he found was a streaking Roy Williams, behind the defense and with a step on the corner. He lofted a deep arcing ball to the sideline and Williams came down with it. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie went for a diving tackle, but when he missed on the attempt, Williams high stepped his way the remaining 10 yards to complete the 44-yard scoring play. Houston was now up by 11, 14-3. The Stars rebounded on their next drive. They would use nearly the rest of the half, slowly dinking and dunking their way down the field, in no hurry between plays. Their slow-play of the drive, played right to their advantage, giving them the chance to end the half with a score. They were helped along the way by an offsides penalty on a 3rd and 3, but for the most part they simply took what the Houston defense would give them, eventually finding themselves on the 1-yard line of the Gamblers. Unlike their first attempt at a short TD, they went play action on 1st down. The move worked, and Kurt Warner found TE Dallas Clark in the endzone as the Gamblers bet on the run. With only 35 seconds left in the half, Philadelphia cut the Houston lead to 14-10. The Gamblers, getting the ball back on the kickoff, opted to take a knee and go into the break with the 4-point lead. The halftime show featured another local favorite, Portland band Everclear, who performed their hits “Santa Monica” and “Father of Mine” before being joined on stage by Seattle’s own Foo Fighters for rousing renditions of “Everlong” and “Learn to Fly” before finishing with the Everclear song “Wonderful”. The crowd seemed appreciative of the grunge NW sound, and the second half was ready to begin. Both clubs had regrouped in the break, neither feeling that they needed major adjustments, simply being efficient and making the plays that were in front of them. In their interviews with sideline reporter Erin Andrews, both Jim Harbaugh and Wade Phillips talked about making plays, players knowing their roles, and playing within themselves. What resulted from the halftime talks was a third quarter with no scoring at all. Both teams made key mistakes, including a fumble by Steve Slaton, and a key third down penalty on Houston WR Ike Hilliard, wiping out a long gainer to Roy Williams due to the call of an intentional pick play by the veteran. Houston had a shot to widen the lead to 7, but, uncharacteristically, kicker Dan Carpenter shanked a relatively easy kick, a 28 yarder from the 11. The ball just never lined up right and went far to the right, causing Carpenter and holder David Sepulveda to look at each other in disbelief. Philadelphia would get the ball back with 3:37 left in the third quarter and would mount their best drive of the half, an 11-play, 71-yard march towards the Gamblers’ endzone that ended with a controversial no call on what appeared to be pass interference in the endzone against Houston’s Shaun Springs. The refs saw no foul, and Philadelphia was forced to settle for a short Mike Nugent field goal just as the 4th quarter got underway. We now had a 1-point Houston lead at 14-13. Houston failed to earn a first down on the ensuing possession and Gambler fans were starting to get nervous. Their vaunted offense had been held scoreless for over a quarter and did not look to be in synch. Philadelphia, on the other hand, put together another strong drive, marching the ball down to the Houston 5-yard line, largely on short passes from Warner to Clark, Caldwell, and Steve Smith. On 2nd and goal from the 5, Warner would look to a far-less well-known name, rookie slot receiver Marshall Newhouse, and the rookie, who had only 12 receptions all year, now had one to remember, a Summer Bowl TD reception that gave the Stars a 19-14 lead midway through the final period. The Stars would go for two to create a 7-point lead, but were unable to connect, leaving them with a precarious 5-point advantage with 7:31 left to play. Houston would have one, maybe two shots to get the game winner. Down 5 they knew that a field goal was of no use. They would need to score a touchdown to take the game and the league title. They mounted a fast-paced drive, using a mix of huddles and no-huddle to impact Philadelphia’s substation package. Hasselbeck connected with Ike Hilliard on a huge 35-yard completion from the 30 all the way to the Philadelphia 35. He would connect with Hilliard only 3 plays later for the lead. It was an out-and-up double move route that caught Quentin Jammer guessing wrong, making a play on the initial move and out of position when the ball went over the top. The 18-yard TD toss from Hasselbeck to Hilliard was the 12th scoring connection of the year between the two veterans. When Shaun Alexander punched in the 2-point PAT try, going off tackle and using a strong second effort to push his way through the pile, the Gamblers were up by 3. But, with 4:15 left to play, there certainly was time for the Stars to snatch the lead back, or at least get a game-tying kick and send the Summer Bowl to overtime. It would be on Houston’s defense to hold off any Philadelphia comeback. At first that did not seem likely, as on consecutive plays, Kurt Warner connected with Steve Smith to gain first 9 yards and then 8 more. A Slaton run gave the Stars a second first down and they were quickly at midfield. They crossed the 50 on a short toss from Warner to Caldwell. A draw play to Slaton gained nothing, leaving Philadelphia with a 3rd and 6 and setting up the play of the game for the Houston defense. Warner lined up in the shotgun, Slaton to his left and 3 receivers on the right (Smith, Caldwell, and Troy Williamson). Houston, which had been rushing only 4 (3 linemen and 1 backer) added a 2nd blitzer to the pass rush in the form of strong safety Patrick Chung. With the defense bearing down on him, Warner made a toss towards Caldwell, but Willie Andrews was watching the QB’s eyes and snatched the ball away from the receiver. He would return it only 7 yards, but the pick meant that Houston would have the ball back with fewer than 2 minutes to play. Houston rushed for 6 on first down, forcing Philadelphia to use their last timeout and try to avoid a first down. Another Alexander run brought Houston within 1 yard of a first down. On third down, they used the QB sneak to gain the needed yard, and from there it was 2 kneel downs and the Houston Gamblers were the 2010 USFL Champions, the first team to reach a 4th title in league history. Matt Hasselbeck, who attempted only 16 passes, completing 11 for 260 yards and 3 scores, was named the MVP. Coach Phillips held the trophy aloft before passing it to his QB, who then shared the trophy with the whole team. The Gamblers stayed on the field, reveling in the confetti, music, and attention. Philadelphia returned to the locker room, clearly dejected at the missed opportunity. While perhaps not the most riveting Summer Bowl in league history, this was still a very good game, played well by two very talented teams and decided by only 3 points. A good finale for a very exciting and engaging season.

The two #1 seeds prove that they were ranked at the top for a reason, with both Houston and Philadelphia getting the win at home and setting themselves up for a return to the Summer Bowl. Philadelphia relied on their offense to outpace the Nashville Knights, while Houston gave up an early 10-0 deficit to the Maulers but then scored the next 35 points to roll to victory and into the championship game. We will review just how the Stars and Gamblers punched their ticket to Portland, preview the big game, and highlight all the news of the week, including an injury-provoked retirement, some coaching updates, and the results of the 2010 Awards and All-USFL votes. All that, plus two cities receiver the welcome news that they will be hosting the Summer Bowl in the near future. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 31 PHILADELPHIA STARS 41 The Philadelphia Stars punched their ticket to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 2000 with an explosion of offensive production, outpacing the Nashville Knights to a 41-31 victory thanks to a 326-yard, 3 TD day from Kurt Warner. Philadelphia never trailed in the game and despite solid performances from Jay Cutler and Frank Gore, the Knights could not catch the stars as Philadelphia kept them at arm’s length for most of the game. Philadelphia’s offensive outburst began on the first possession, which saw the Stars move the ball 77 yards in 11 plays, capping off their opening drive with a Reche Caldwell TD catch. Nashville would level the score at 7-7 on their first possession, thanks to a Cutler pass to Malcolm Floyd, and the race was on. The Stars, who got contributions from role players all game long, then scored on back-to-back drives to make it 3 in a row, as they first connected on a 49-yard scoring strike to little-used Marshall Newhouse, and followed it up with a Steve Slaton TD run to take a 21-7 lead midway through the second. That double dip provided the buffer that Philadelphia would never relinquish. The two clubs exchanged field goals and went into the half with the Stars still up 14 at 24-10. Nashville’s defense would struggle to contain Kurt Warner and the Stars’ offense all game, but they did get one big play, one which they hoped would shift the momentum. Kurt Warner threw an ill-advised pass towards Steve Smith on the Stars’ first drive of the second half, and Knights’ cornerback Tyrell Johnson was there to pick it off and return it 61 yards for a score. The small contingent of Knight fans in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field hoped this was a momentum changer, but only 4 minutes later the Stars again spread the lead out to 14 points as Warner recovered and hit Reche Caldwell for a score to make the tally 31-17 after three. In the 4th quarter, Nashville again pulled closer, this time with Jay Cutler hitting Ahmad Merrit, but two consecutive Star scores, first a field goal, and then, following a pick of Jay Cutler, a second TD run by scatback Darren Sproles, and the Stars were up 41-24. Nashville would pull closer with only 17 seconds left, when Troy Walters caught a score from Cutler, but it was too little and too late. The Stars recovered the onside kick and the hopes of the Knights for a miracle comeback were extinguished. Philadelphia heads back to the Summer Bowl for the first time in a decade, and can win their first title since 1994. It will be the Stars’ sixth appearance in the Summer Bowl, with the club holding a 3-2 record in the league title game, making them one of 3 clubs, along with Michigan and Houston to have 3 USFL titles to their name. Will they become the first club to win a fourth? PITTSBURGH MAULERS 10 HOUSTON GAMBLERS 35 It will be a battle of three-time Summer Bowl winners as Houston handled the Pittsburgh Maulers and advanced to their 7th Summer Bowl, and their first since their 1996 victory over Tampa Bay. Houston was dominant against Pittsburgh, winning their 12th consecutive game in convincing fashion to advance to the title game. The game did not start out looking like an easy win for the Gamblers, as Pittsburgh had the edge in the first quarter, building a 10-point lead on a Kevin Johnson 22-yard TD catch and a Ryan Succop field goal, but that would be the last they would score all game as the Houston defense clamped down on Cody Pickett and the Gambler offense took flight late in the opening quarter. Down 10-0, Houston shook off their sleepy start as Matt Hasselbeck brought the 54,677 at NRG Stadium to their feet with a 73-yard toss and run to Ike Hilliard. The veteran, having his best season in years, shrugged off the tackle from the corner and outpaced the safety to the endzone, showing impressive speed for a 12-year veteran. That play would awaken both the Houston offense and defense as they gained momentum and never let up. Hilliard proved his value again on the very next drive, catching a 2nd TD from Hasselbeck to take the lead away from the Maulers. Pittsburgh would try to contain Houston, relying on Kenny Watson and the ground game to eat up clock. Watson would finish with 128 yards rushing, but the Maulers would never reach the endzone again. Meanwhile Houston would get touchdowns from Shaun Alexander, Mike Sims-Walker, and TE Vernon Davis to build up their lead over the remaining 40 minutes of action. By the half it was 21-10, and by the end of three, 35-10. The 4th quarter would see Pittsburgh turn the ball over on downs twice and Houston would slow things down with the run game, leading to a total of 98 yards for Alexander and another 53 for scatback Kevin Faulk. By the fiinal possession, it was Luke McCown relieving Matt Hasselbeck, whose 4 TD passes set him up as MVP of the game, a nice preview of the award he would win 3 days later as league MVP. Houston returns to the Summer Bowl, setting up a clash of dynasties as the Gamblers face the Stars in a battle of 3-time champions. It has been a long time for both clubs, with Houston’s last title coming in 1996 and Philadelphia’s two years earlier in 1994. These are very different teams from the ones that garnered titles in the 80’s and 90’s, but both are built on solid foundations and both have proven that they can win in a variety of ways, either through stingy defense or explosive offense. It should be a beauty of a game between two storied USFL franchises. Maulers Get 2nd Major Blow as Foster Makes an Announcement Pittsburgh, only 2 days after bowing out of the playoffs with a 35-10 defeat at the hands of the Houston Gamblers, took another blow to the chin as star halfback DeShaun Foster revealed that his ruptured Achilles was proving to be a problematic recovery, and that in light of the recommendations of his physicians, and his own personal reflection, he would be retiring from the game of football. A teary-eyed Foster made the announcement alongside his family and Coach Rivera from the team offices at Heinz Field. Foster thanked his teammates, his coaches, and the Mauler faithful in Pittsburgh. He spoke highly of Coach Rivera and of young QB Cody Pickett, and he said goodbye to the game that he has played since he was a boy. Foster’s retirement leaves a huge hole in the Mauler roster, one they will now need to address in the offseason. Kenny Watson has done well in relief, rushing for over 100 yards on several occasions, including the playoff loss this week, but the Maulers are still expected to bring in another back, perhaps for a RB-by-committee structure in 2011. Foster leaves the game with a total of 7,874 yards and 50 touchdowns in 9 seasons. He began his USFL career in LA, where he got 7 starts his rookie year. He had his first 1,000 yard season in 2004, rushing for 1113 with LA. In 2007 he left the Express for the Maulers, where he had put together back to back 1,000 yard seasons in 2008 and 2009. He was on pace for a third when he ruptured his Achilles against St. Louis in a Week 14 clash. It was his second injury of the season, having missed 4 games in the early weeks of the year. Concerns that the large tendon was not healing as expected, and would limit the flexibility of his ankle, making reaggravation a major concern, was the medical issue on Foster’s mind, but clearly there were other concerns as well which led him to make the difficult decision to step away from the game. Ohio Down to Two Finalists for Open Coaching Position News on the coaching front as the front office of the Ohio Glory confirmed rumors this week that they were down to two candidates for their vacant Head Coaching position. Second interviews were scheduled with both candidates, current Baltimore Blitz defensive coordinator Bart Andrus, and former Texas Outlaws head coach Norv Turner. The two men are both respected in USFL circles, but clearly indicate two very different directions. Andrus, known for his blitz schemes and emphasis on run blitzing, will be a defensive-minded coach who will likely make major changes to the way the formerly high-flying Glory approach games. Turner, an offensive gameplanner by trade, will almost certainly focus his attention on reviving what had been for years one of the league’s most feared offensive attacks. If the choice is Turner, he will likely be starting from scratch as HB Eddie George has announced his retirement, WR Joey Galloway was allowed to enter free agency and may still opt to retire, and 3-time MVP Kerry Collins has yet to be replaced by a viable long-term solution at the offense’s most demanding position. If it is Andrus, he will try to build a defense around a linebacking corps led by James Laurinaitis and Glenn Cadrez. Ohio lacks a true difference maker on the D-line, so expect edge rusher to be a priority, and while SS Jermaine Philips is a solid performer, the secondary will also require attention. Ohio has the #2 overall pick in the draft, and nearly every analyst expects that the pick will be a quarterback. Jake Locker is everyone’s favorite going into the fall NCAA season, but with Birmingham sitting at #1, and also very much in need of a signal caller, Ohio would be wise to look at alternative options like FSU’s Christian Ponder or Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert. The Glory could, alternatively, make a play for former Jacksonville starter Jake Delhomme, released by the Memphis Showboats this offseason, as a transitional QB option and go for the best edge rusher in the draft, Wisconsin’s J. J. Watt, assuming that Boston, who owns the territorial rights to Badger players, does not jump on him in the T-Draft. But, we are putting the cart before the horse. First order of business for the Glory is to make a decision and hire a new coach, a decision we expect to be made before Free Agency opens in 2 weeks. Mornhinweg Gets Vote of Confidence Despite some very loud voices in the world of sports talk radio, and from the Sun-Times, Chicago Machine ownership has made it clear that Coach Marty Mornhinweg is not going anywhere. Some pretty vocal calls had been made to replace the veteran coach after another playoff defeat once again left Chicago as a perennial bridesmaid. But, with Coach Mornhinweg having successfully taken the Machine to the playoffs for the 9th time in the past 10 years, ownership knew enough to not listen to the loud voices calling for them to relieve the coach of his duties. Yes, the case has been made that the Machine simply cannot get over the hump, but when that hump has taken you to the postseason regularly, including two trips to the Summer Bowl in the past decade, maybe you should not throw the coach under the bus. There are a lot of teams that would give their right eye to have the record that Chicago has had over the Mornhinweg years, and while it is certainly frustrating for Machine fans to feel that they are never quite good enough to win it all, they have to acknowledge that they have been on the winning side of far more games than a lot of other clubs in the league. Mornhinweg has 2 more years on his contract, and we expect that decisions will be made as that contract come close to its expiration, but for now at least, the position of head coach in Chicago is not up for reconsideration, and the Chicago Machine, as ownership were quite vehement in stating this week, will be led by Marty Mornhinweg in 2011. Harbaugh Extended through 2016 Speaking of coaching contracts, we should not let it pass that Coach Jim Harbaugh of Philadelphia, who was considered to be on something of a hotseat following a dip from 13-3 in 2008 to 8-6 in 2009, has won over the Stars’ owners with a strong 2010 season and now a trip to the Summer Bowl. Philadelphia announced this week a contract extension which will keep Harbaugh as the Philly head coach through the 2016 season. Harbaugh has amassed a 54-33 record in his six years with the organization, taking Philadelphia to the playoffs each of the past 4 years, with 2010 marking his high water mark with a #1 seed in the East and, just this week, a conference title. He hopes to add a John Bassett Trophy to his accomplishments this upcoming weekend, but the Stars’ organization did not wait for that to happen before inking a 5 year extension to his contract. Harbaugh can now go into the Summer Bowl confident that he is well compensated for his efforts for the next 6 years, averaging $3.5 million in salary for his role as chief strategist and motivator for the Stars franchise. Not much to report on the injury front as Houston remains without any players designated on the weekly injury report and Philadelphia suffered no new setbacks in their game against the Knights. The Stars will again be without tackle Jaimie Thomas for the Summer Bowl, but both tackle Ken Shackleford and LB Ben Leber are listed as probable for the title game. So, a very healthy Summer Bowl this week is on tap. USFL Award Winners & All-USFL Team Announced It’s the week leading into Summer Bowl 2010 in Portland, and that always means the annual USFL Award Gala. This year the Award Gala was held on Tuesday in Portland’s exclusive Arlington Club and featured the reveal of this year’s All-USFL Team along with the winners of the league MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year awards. There was suspense in the air this year as two top candidates vied for the coveted League MVP trophy, both of them schedule to play in this Week’s Summer Bowl. MVP: It came down to the two Summer Bowl quarterbacks for the MVP, and it was, by all accounts a close vote. Kurt Warner of Philadelphia led the league with a 103 QB Rating, and helped guide the Stars to the best record in the East and the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Houston’s Matt Hasselbeck countered with the league lead in both yardage and touchdowns, and became a hot name in league circles as he led the Gamblers to 10 consecutive regular season wins to snatch the #1 seed in the West on the season’s final week. He too now finds himself preparing for a Summer Bowl appearance after two convincing victories over Denver and Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Neither men would appear at the gala as both are deep in pre-game preparations and practices, but a short video by both men was shown during the event. And the winner is… Houston QB Matt Hasselbeck. The 12-year veteran, who has only ever been named to one All-USFL team in the past (2005), now finds himself with the highest annual honor in the league. Hasselbeck has posted strong seasons before, but this is the first year he has ever crossed the 4,000 yard mark in a season, and was the only player to do so in 2010. He also had career highs for touchdown passes (35), But, perhaps most impressive in this season was his leadership as he guided Houston from a 2-4 start to 10 consecutive wins to finish the year 12-4 and atop the Western Conference. Hasselbeck, in his recorded speech, thanked Coach Wade Phillips, his OC, former USFL QB Jason Garrett, and his teammates, including veteran wideout Ike Hilliard, for their part in his MVP Season. As for Kurt Warner, his night would not be without its own accolades. Offensive Player of the Year: In a year where the MVP vote was so close, it is not unusual that the 2nd place votegetter walks away with one of the two Player of the Year trophies, and that is exactly what happened this year as Philadelphia Star QB Kurt Warner won his first major annual award, the OPOTY. The Star signal caller finished the year atop the QB Ratings with a 103 score, along with 32 touchdown passes and 3,970 yards passing. He led Philadelphia to the best record in the Eastern Conference and a #1 seed. In his prepared video he too thanked his coach, his teammates, and, in typical Warner form, spoke of his faith and his family. Defensive Player of the Year went to Washington LB Antonio Pierce. Something of an oddity for the award, which normally goes to the year’s leader in sacks, this year’s award went to an all-around performer. Pierce did not lead any defensive category, but was among league leaders in several, with 127 tackles on the season, along with 7 sacks, a safety, a defensive TD, nine forced fumbles and 4 recoveries. With neither sack leader Calais Campbell or tackle leader Mike Vrabel on playoff teams, it is not a surprise that the voters went for a defensive star who did it all in helping his club lock up a playoff spot. The award is Pierce’s first league-wide award, and this year marks his third appearance on the All-USFL team. Rookie of the Year: While this season saw several rookies start off strong, it soon boiled down to a competition between the two rookie signal callers who came into the league with high expectations and built-in fan bases. Tim Tebow may have sold more jerseys and had a bigger hoopla, but Sam Bradford produced better numbers and better results for his team, leading New Jersey to within one game of a Wild Card berth and finishing with an 8-8 record on a team that had been one of the league’s worst only a year before. Bradford finished the season with 2,797 yards, 14 TDs and 7 picks, but more importantly, he went from inexperienced rookie to the unquestioned starter and leader of the New Jersey offense in less than one season. Do not be shocked to see Bradford named a team captain in 2011 as he has already garnered the respect of his teammates for his play this year. Coach of the Year: A tough decision this year as several teams outperformed expectations and made runs to new heights, but, as expected, the award goes to the coach who most perceive as having done more with less, and this year that award goes to the leader of the surprise Southeast Division Champion Atlanta Fire, Tom Ramsey. The former USFL Quarterback finished his second season with the Fire, improving from 6-8 in 2009 to 9-7 in 2010 and a division title as well. Ramsey is praised for his work with Kyle Orton, turning the oft-criticized starter into one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league this season. At the same time he helped Atlanta build on a solid defensive reputation, finishing 6th in the league in both scoring and yards allowed. The #6 was huge for the Fire this year as they finished 6th in the league in all 4 major team categories, adding offensive production and points scored to their two defensive rankings. The night began with the reveal of the 2010 All-USFL Team, and, with few surprises, perhaps the biggest shock was just how many Orlando Renegades made the team despite the fact that Orlando finished a disappointing 8-8 and out of playoff contention. Orlando landed 6 players on the team, evenly split between offense and defense. No surprise that both DE Calais Campbell and DT Albert Haynesworth made the team. They were joined by interception leader, CB Cortland Finnegan, as well as receptions leader WR Michael Jenkins, TE Greg Olsen, and guard Damien Cook. Both Summer Bowl teams were also well represented. Philadelphia, in addition to Kurt Warner, saw TE Dallas Clark and WR Steve Smith make the squad, while the No-Stars defense lived up to their name, with no members of the Philly D being selected. Houston saw Matt Hasselbeck joined by WR Ike Hilliard, center Ryan Pontbriand, punter David Sepulveda and two defenders, safety Willie Andrews and free agent arrival James Farrior make the squad. This was Farrior’s fifth All-USFL honor, but first away from the Baltimore Blitz. The rest of the All-USFL team reads like a who’s who of the season’s top performers and gamechangers. Here is the full roster of the team for 2010: QB: Hasselbeck, Warner, and Washington’s dual threat, David Garrard. HB: Baltimore’s Ron Dayne, Texas HB T. J. Duckett, and Portland’s Jonathan Stewart. FB: Big James Green of Charlotte gets the kudos. TE: Olsen and Clark, as already highlighted. WR: In addition to Hilliard, Smith and Jenkins, honors go to Chicago’s Donald Driver and Atlanta’s yardage leader, Josh Reed. OT: Boston’s Shaun McDougle, Seattle’s Kenyatta Jones, and Oakland’s Matt Light get the honor. OG: In addition to Cook of Orlando, we find Oakland’s Logan Mankins and Baltimore’s Eric Steinbach. C: Houston’s Pontbriand is joined by New Jersey’s Casey Weigeman. DE: Campbell is joined by perennial Chicago sack master Anthony Weaver and Charlotte’s Julius Peppers. DT: Haynesworth joins Jacksonvilles’s Marcus Stroud and Portland’s Jason Fisk on the team. LB: A solid group led by Antonio Pierce, James Farrior, and Brian Urlacher, joined by the only rookie on the team, Memphis’s Navorro Bowman, and tackle leader Mike Vrabel. S: The four safeties this year are Willie Andrews along with now-free agent Troy Polamalu, Baltimore’s Adam Archuleta, and Washington’s Ed Reed. CB: Four ballhawking corners make the squad, with Cortland Finnegan’s 8 picks leading the group. He is joined by Will Allen of Las Vegas, Mark Jackson of Chicago, and Seattle’s Marcus Trufant. ST: Joining Sepulveda as the special teams reps is kicker Connor Barth of Nashville. He did not lead the league in scoring but his 34 of 38 field goals was among the best in the league, and finishing 1 point behind Tim Seder was no small task either. USFL Reveals 2012 & 2013 Summer Bowl Locations One more reveal night as the USFL shared with all the Gala attendees and with the media the sites for the 2012 and 2013 USFL Summer Bowls. Following this year’s game in Portland and next year’s game at Memphis’s Liberty Bowl Stadium, the league championship will make its first appearance in St. Louis, Missouri. The Dome at America’s Center will be the site in 2012, another new city for the league’s title game and the first non-retractable dome stadium to host the event since the Alamodome hosted in 1997. The following year, the 2013 Summer Bowl will return to a familiar site as Denver will host the big game for the third time, becoming the first city to have that honor. Denver’s Invesco Field will be the site, the first time the facility has hosted the event after both the league’s inaugural title game in 1983 and the 2nd Denver title game in 1995 were held at Mile High Stadium. Disappointed by the decision were fans of Boston’s Cannons, who had hoped that their club would get the nod. The game has never been held in Boston, but with Alumni Stadium having a capacity of only 40,000, it was a longshot that the league would put their title game, which regularly draws 55,000 or more, in the BC facility. St. Louis becomes the 2nd recent expansion club to host the Summer Bowl, following this year’s title game in Portland. Charlotte and Atlanta are hoping for an opportunity in the next few years as they too entered the league in the most recent expansion wave. Summer Bowl Preview Only one game on the schedule this week but it is a biggie, as the two #1 seeds in the USFL playoffs face off in Summer Bowl 2010. Portland’s Columbia Sportswear Stadium will be the site, but it will be the Philadelphia Stars, representing the Eastern Conference and flying in with a big contingent of fans from the City of Brotherly love, and Houston, Champions of the West, who arrived in the Rose City with an equally impressive party of Texas-sized proportions. Las Vegas has set up Houston as a 1.5 point favorite, a close margin that shows just how balanced this Summer Bowl could be. We have one team who stormed out to a healthy lead in the NE Division and then stumbled a bit in the final weeks against a team that started slow out of the gate but has now won 12 in a row on their way to the Western Conference title. Philadelphia comes in with the top ranked run defense in the league, allowing only 71.2 yards per game and the #5 scoring defense, giving up an average of 17.2 points per game. Their offense is ranked 3rd in the league in scoring, averaging 23.9 points per game and led by the 2nd rated passing offense (251.3 YPG). For Houston it has been about offense. They rank 2nd in the league in points scored, 25.1 per game, and 1st in yards per game, thanks mostly to Matt Hasselbeck and the league’s 2nd rated passing offense. Their defense finished 13th in scoring, but 9th in yards allowed. Slightly better against the pass than the run, the key for Houston is quick pressure on the QB from edge rushers Kavika Pittman and Osi Umenyiura. They do not blitz often, but when they do, it is often recent acquisition, James Farrior doing the damage. Let’s take a look, position group by position group, as we break down the matchup this year. QUARTERBACK: About as close as a competition can get between the league MVP and the Offensive Player of the Year. Warner has more experience with playoff football, having not only participated with the Stars, but having won a Super Bowl in the NFL as well. Hasselbeck has the more talented receiving corps as a whole, but perhaps the most explosive target on the field is Philadelphia’s Steve Smith. We are going to call this one even, because that is what it is. EVEN RUNNING BACK: Another tight one. Shaun Alexander finished the year with 1,220 yards on 312 carries for a 3.9 YPC average, adding 7 touchdowns. His opposition, Steve Slaton was not far behind, 1,110 yards, a 3.7 YPC average, and 4 TDs on the season. Both teams also have excellent and multitalented 3rd down backs, with Kevin Faulk in Houston and Darren Sproles in Philadelphia. If either one of these smaller receiving backs can have a big day, they could be huge factors in this game. We are going to give the slight edge to Houston in the run game, simply based on a stronger inside game with Alexander than Philly gets with Slaton. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON RECEIVERS: As we mentioned, there is no more explosive player on the field than Philadelphia WR Steve Smith. Smith finished the year with 97 catches for 1,315 yards and 6 TDs. Philly also has an excellent tight end in Dallas Clark, who had 80 receptions for 862 yards and led the team with 10 receiving TDs. For Houston, the star has been veteran Ike Hilliard, who had 1,231 yards on only 55 receptions, a 22.4 YPC average. He added 9 TDs, but it was not a one-man show in Houston. Roy Williams had 53 catches and 8 TDs, and Mike Sims Walker had 50 receptions and 4 TDs. Vernon Davis did not have the production of Dallas Clark, but he is a dangerous receiver as well. Once again, a close matchup, but we are again going to favor Houston thanks to their depth. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON OFFENSIVE LINE: Houston has a solid line, perhaps a bit better at run blocking than pass protection, and they are a healthy line. Mike Pearson is the anchor at Left Tackle, while Ryan Pontbriand at center was an All-USFL selection this year. In Philadelphia, injuries have hurt the depth of the line, but center Matt Birk and LG Cooper Carlisle are at the top of their game. Whether it is a system issue, or just better cohesiveness for the Stars, they simply have been more effective than Houston’s line, so we are going to give the edge to the Stars based on their recent history. ADVANTAGE PHILADELPHIA DEFENSIVE LINE: Few teams can compete with Houston’s Front Three. John McCargo holds down the middle, allowing Osi Umenyiura and Kavika Pittman wreak havoc on offensive lines. Rookie Jerry Hughes, adds depth to a group that will be aggressive in their pursuit of ballcarriers and the high profile QB Kurt Warner. On the other side, Philadelphia will counter with a 4-3 lineup that has Seth Payne and Kendrick Clancy inside, Robert Mathis and Anthony Hargrove on the outside. Not as prolific at the pass rush, this line is designed to hold the run in check, and they excel at that. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON. LINEBACKERS: While Houston has the advantage at the line, Philadelphia’s 3 linebackers give them an edge. In the middle is Sean Lee, who has been a revelation since arriving as a rookie. On some downs they will swap in Dan Connor as well, to keep Lee fresh for all 4 quarters. On the outside we have Ben Leber, back from injury, and Ryan Nece. A bit of a no-name linebacker group, but highly effective. Expect multitalented backups Rian Wallace and Quinton Caver to also see a lot of snaps as the Stars like to rotate their backers and have fresh legs in the 4th quarter. Houston counters with a 4-linebacker setup, led by James Farrior, the All-USFL signee from Baltimore. He is joined by Keith Brooking and Kevin Burnett, with Burnett and Zak DeOssie on the inside. Unlike Philly, Houston keeps these 4 in the game unless one calls for relief. Overall, Philadelphia is more effective in the use of their linebackers, while Houston very much uses them more in support of their front 3. For that reason, the edge goes to the Stars. ADVANTAGE PHILADELPHIA. SECONDARY: Houston’s secondary is about as good as you can get in the USFL. When your starting corners are Shaun Springs and veteran Ronde Barber, you are off to a very good start. And while Strong Safety Patrick Chung may be the more well-known name in the league, it was Free Safety Willie Anderson who made All-USFL this year. Philadelphia likes to consider themselves a “No Stars” defense, but if there are any familiar names on the Star defense, they are in the secondary, where Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie are a combo equally as heralded as Houston’s two outside cover men. In the middle, Philadelphia brings Lance Schulters at strong safety and Jairus Byrd at the free safety. In other words, both of these teams have secondaries that can make life difficult on the opposition. We are again going to call this an even balance. EVEN. SPECIAL TEAMS: Mike Nugent and John Carlton are solid performers at the kicker and punter positions, but the edge has to go to Houston with All-USFL punter David Sepulveda and kicker Dan Carpenter as the better 1-2 combo in the special teams. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON COACHING Jim Harbaugh’s motivation vs. Wade Phillip’s schemes, which do you prefer? The two coaches are very different leaders, and bring very different skills to the table. Harbaugh believes in solid and well-structured defense and a balanced offense. Wade Phillips likes to see big chunks on offense, counting more on the big play, while using the defense to create turnovers and avoid big plays by the opposition. These are two very solid coaches, but we think we have to give the edge to Phillips, who simply has more experience in these type of high pressure games than Harbaugh. ADVANTAGE PHILADELPHIA Our overall count is 4-3 Houton, with 2 even categories. That seems to give a slight edge to the Gamblers, but it is close, as every indicator seems to reflect. Vegas may be right to keep this game with a very slim margin for the Gamblers. USFL Player Picks We finish off our preview of Summer Bowl 2010 by asking those with the closest seats to the action to make their picks. Five USFL stars were asked their thoughts on the matchup and who they see taking the title this year. There was a bit of bias, as expected, but the results largely match the debates we are having in our own This is the USFL bullpen. Jake Plummer, QB, Las Vegas Thunder: Both of these quarterbacks are great leaders and really accurate passers. In my mind the key to the game is whether or not either team can get pressure, because putting pressure on a QB can greatly affect the offense’s rhythm. Houston is well-equiped to put on that pressure, because Pittman still has all those skills and Umenyiura can just take over a game when his mind is right. I have to go with the Gamblers because I know just how tough those two edge rushers can be. Deuce McCallister, HB, Washington Federals: We played the Stars three times this year, and they got us two out of three, including in the playoffs, so I have to go with the Stars. They are just a team that does not hurt themselves. They are especially tough when they can get Slaton rolling early. I know Houston has been on a huge run, but I have to go with the Stars after having to deal with them three times this year. Hines Ward, WR, Michigan Panthers: I am going with Philadelphia for one reason, Steve Smith. That guy is loud, brash, and able to back it all up. I love players who give it 150% on every play, and that is Steve Smith. He is not the biggest receiver, but he will fight for every catch, and once he has the ball in his hands, he will make you work to tackle him. I love his game, and I am picking him to be the difference in this game for the Stars. DeMeco Ryans, LB, Birmingham Stallions: The Stars beat us pretty good, so my heart kinda wants to go with Houston, but if I go with them it better be for more than bitterness towards the Stars. Honestly, what I like about Houston is their ability to pressure the QB with their front 3 and maybe one blitzer. I also love what they do in the secondary with those two corners. It will be a tight game, but I am going to pick the Gamblers. Lofa Tatupu, LB, Los Angeles Express: We didn’t play the Stars this year, and we had a tough game against Houston just as they started to get rolling, but I am going to go with the Stars. I am loving the game Sean Lee is bringing to the Stars, and their secondary does not get the credit they deserve. It is tough to run against them, and that ends up putting a lot of pressure on the QB. I also know Steve Smith pretty well, and he is a difference maker. I am going to go Stars by 3, probably right at the end. So, there you have it. Our five experts make their picks, and honestly, they are about where we are, with a slight edge going to Philadelphia. Our staff gave the slight edge to Houston, so once again we find ourselves split right down the middle. Our advice, if you are going to bet, bet on the over/under and not the spread. This one is likely to be decided by something wild like a big special teams play, or a bizarre turnover. Other than that it will be close, and we think this could be a very exciting game.

Divisional rivals clashed in 3 of 4 games this week, and we ended up with three very close games, including an overtime thriller in Pittsburgh. We also got our first true blowout this week as the Houston Gamblers proved to all who watched that they were a team to reckon with, winning their 11th straight game in convincing fashion over the Denver Gold. In all four games the higher seeds won, proving once again how valuable that bye week for the top 2 seeds in each conference can be. It sets up #2 vs. #1 matchups in both conferences as Nashville will take on the Stars in Philly while Pittsburgh will take their chances in Houston against the heavily favored Gamblers. We will recap all four Divisional Playoff games, preview the two conference championships, and take a look at updates from across the league as postseason turns to offseason for 4 more clubs. ATLANTA 23 NASHVILLE 29 The Battle for the South turned out to be a really fun game between two teams that complemented each other really closely. Nashville took a 3-0 lead early and the Southeast and Southern champions traded scores throughout. The two traded field goals in the first half, with Nashville taking a 9-6 lead into the half. In the second half we finally got our first touchdown, but it came from the defense, when Kyle Orton tried to force a ball to Josh Reed and it was snatched by Nashville DB Tyrell Johnson and returned for 6. That gave the Knights a 10-point lead, but not for long. On the ensuing kickoff, Andrew Woolfork wove his way 99 yards for a score, wiping out Nashville’s 10 point lead, and cutting the difference to only 3 points. A Nashville field goal would extend that back to 6, but Atlanta’s first offensive score, the first offensive TD of the game, would soon give the Fire their first lead, just as the 4th quarter began. The score came from Demaryius Thomas, the final play of a 12-play drive that was the best of the game for the Fire. Atlanta followed that score up with a field goal and had a 4-point advantage with 9:40 left to play. But Nashville had the home crowd behind them, and a running game that was beginning to wear down the Fire defense. On a long drive that took nearly 5 minutes, Nashville went from their own 21 all the way to paydirt as Frank Gore busted through the line on the 9 and dashed his way to the endzone to once again put the Knights up. With time growing short Atlanta tried to go to a hurry up to respond, but that led only to a quick 3-and-out, and Nashville took over once again. They would add a field goal to take a 6-point lead, while also drawing the clock down to 1:42 to play. Atlanta would again work the no huddle, and again, Nashville would hold them without a first down, regaining possession after a failed 4th and 7 throw from Orton to Marcus Robinson. Nashville gets the win and moves on to the Conference Final. CHICAGO 18 PITTSBURGH 24 OVERTIME Despite being the lower seed, and on the road, the Chicago Machine were a 3-point favorite at Pittsburgh. That apparently did not sit well with the Maulers, but as the game began it did appear to be appropriate, as Chicago scored the first 12 points of the game, all field goals from Tim Seder. They scored on their first 4 possessions, all the while holding down the Mauler offense, picking off Cody Pickett in the process and limiting Kenny Watson to only 11 yards in the first quarter. But, the tide turned as the first half was winding down. Pittsburgh put together its first real drive of the game, and with 55 seconds left in the half, they found paydirt, Pickett connecting with Matt Jones on a 20 yard TD that pulled the Maulers to within 5. They would go into the half trailing, but with some momentum against a Chicago club that simply could not turn drives into touchdowns. Chicago would again settle for a field goal in their opening drive of the second quarter, and for the 4th time it was a red zone drive that did not reach the endzone. That would haunt them throughout the game. It did not take long for it to come back on them, as only 2 minutes later Pittsburgh equalized the score. This time it was a 22-yard run on a busted containment scheme that allowed Kenny Watson to scamper 22 yards for the score. Cody Pickett connected with FB John Kuhn for the 2-point PAT, and the game was tied up a 15. As the game entered the 4th quarter Chicago again drove the ball and again had to settle for a kick, this time from the 39. They again had the lead, but the failure to secure a touchdown was beginning to prove problematic. Pittsburgh would equalize the score on a final drive field goal and the game would head to overtime, with a sense that a field goal would simply not be enough. Both teams faltered in their initial attempts to score, but on their 2nd possession, the Maulers got the score that would end the game and send them to the Western Conference Final. IT would come with only 1:16 left in the extra period, when Brandon Jacobs broke a tackle, found the sideline, and raced his way to a touchdown, sending the Pittsburgh crowd into a frenzy and securing the playoff win for the Central champion Maulers. WASHINGTON 19 PHILADELPHIA 24 David Garrard would get the start, but struggled as his injured ankle kept him from being effective as a dual threat. He would stay in the entire game, but would be limited to being a pocket passer. Washington also quickly found themselves down 17 points and that threw their plan of riding Deuce McCallister out the window. Down 17-0 at the half, the Federals needed to shake things up. They got the shake up they needed from their defense. A tip at the line led to LB Antonio Pierce snatching the ball out of the air and returning it 37 yards for a score, Washington’s first of the game. The Federals would go on to add 12 more points and take a 19-17 lead over the next quarter and a half. On 4 drives they found themselves kicking field goals while the defense held Kurt Warner and the Star offense in check. Steve Slaton rushed for 132 yards, but the Stars simply could not get into scoring position, and the one time they did Mike Nugent missed on a 33-yard kick. When Doug Pelfrey connected from 41 yards out at the 1:22 mark, Washington had its first lead, a 19-17 margin that felt very much like the end of a long gradual comeback. Philadelphia had done nothing in the half, and now would have less than 90 seconds to get on the board and salvage a win. The Stars had struggled to put together drives the entire second half, but they were still dangerous. Washington learned that quickly as Kurt Warner connected with Steve Smith on the first play of the drive. Only two plays later they would get the big play that had eluded them all game long. Warner pumped towards Smith again, the safety slid towards the speedy receiver, and Warner sent a ball deep down the seam, where TE Dallas Clark was open, with the linebacker trailing 2 yards behind. Clark would get a block from Reche Caldwell, and rumbled all the way to paydirt with the go-ahead score. 22 seconds left and the Stars had gotten the big play to avoid the upset. Washington would not recover, and the fans in Lincoln Financial Field would breath a sigh of relief as their Stars would move on to host the Eastern Final next week. DENVER 16 HOUSTON 43 Denver may have felt that the Southwestern Division Title was unfairly pulled out from under them due to the league’s late confirmation that they had not locked the title up, but if there was any doubt that Houston was a worthy champion, they put that to rest with a thorough dismantling of the Gold. Denver may have come into the game angry, but they too had to recognize that Houston was simply playing better ball by the end of this game. The game started well for Denver, as a holding call in the endzone gave the Gold the first points of the game, a safety against the Gamblers. They would add a touchdown on the ensuing short drive, Leinart hitting Dez White on a deep ball that gave Denver an early 9-0 lead. But that would be the high point of the game for the Gold. Houston would go on to score the next 33 points and by the time the Gold reached the endzone again, the game was out of their hands. IT began with a Shaun Alexander 43-yard TD run, just one of 3 touchdowns on the day for the game’s MVP. Alexander would finish the day with his highest rushing total of the season, 143 yards, all against the #1 rated rush defense in the league. He would add a 2nd TD only 3 minutes later, then Houston went on to add a safety, touchdowns from Kevin Faulk and Vernon Davis, and a 43-yard kick from Carpenter to take over the game and take a 33-9 lead into the third quarter. Denver would get back on the board with a Ringer TD run, but down 17, they would fall further behind when Shaun Alexander scored his third and final TD on the day as the 4th quarter began. Houston would milk the clock, Denver would try and fail to connect on big plays, and as the game wound to a close, Houston would emphatically take the win and end the controversy over who was the true champion of the Southwest. The 27-point victory was the biggest of the year for Houston and the worst loss of the year for Denver. The Gamblers move on and will now host Pittsburgh with a shot at returning to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 1996 title season. Orlando Shopping Brees Around League We have known that Drew Brees and the Renegades were not seeing eye to eye for some time, but now it appears that Orlando has made the decision to get top value for the former MVP and find a willing trade partner. While there is no shortage of teams that are in the market for a starter, and Brees is certainly a top talent, the price we expect the Renegades to be asking will be a steep one. Don’t expect Brees to be traded for less than 2 first rounders, perhaps more, unless, of course, there are players in the deal who could help cut down the draft capital cost. Orlando has the inside track on FSU QB Christian Ponder, a fact that certainly makes the potential trade of Brees more feasible. It also means that while Orlando might be open to looking at other QB’s, a trade partner might be able to make a deal that does not involve another QB, but perhaps players at other high need areas for the Renegades. Who might be in the market? Well, if we look at teams that have clear need at QB and who have early draft picks that might be attractive to the Renegades, we have to start with Birmingham, holders of the #1 overall pick and a team absolutely in the market for a QB. With the #2 pick we have Ohio, another club that absolutely would love to upgrade the QB position. Others who could be prime targets include Boston, Portland, Charlotte, and Memphis. This is just the obvious teams. There are certainly many others who may have a viable QB, but who may be looking to upgrade. We could certainly imagine a trade where a team like LA or Texas makes a deal to send their young QB to Orlando along with some picks to get a proven winner like Brees. Rumors Swirl that Mornhinweg Out in Chicago Interesting news out of Chicago as stories have started to emerge that the Machine may be parting ways with Head Coach Marty Mornhinweg. While Mornhinweg has had Chicago at or near the top of the Central Division for the better part of the decade, including two Summer Bowl appearances, there is a sense that Chicago simply cannot take the next step. This week they once again bowed out of the playoffs, falling to the Maulers. Would Chicago really give up on the most successful coach in franchise history and one of the winningest coaches in the league? It seems a daring move, but if there truly is a belief that Mornhinweg cannot get the team one step closer to a title, they may just make the move. While our bullpen staff certainly feels that letting go of Mornhinweg would be a big mistake, that sentiment is not shared with all fans in Chicagoland, and may not be shared by Chicago management. Again, these are just rumors right now, but where there is smoke there is often fire. Retirements & Free Agency from playoff teams Over the past 2 weeks, 8 teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, and that has meant not only new free agents but also a wave of retirements. We reported last week on the free agents whose contracts expired with losses in the Wild Card round, so this week we have the 4 divisional round losers freeing up several players, and we thought we would catch up on the later retirement notices as well. New Free Agents: ATLANTA: Some hits to the defense and the offensive line as Atlanta has 5 starters join the free agent pool, including LB Chris Miller, DE Eric Flowers, as well as O-linemen Charles Pitts and Chris Spencer. Cornerback Duane Starks is the fifth and final free agent out of the starters on the playoff squad. CHICAGO: Chicago was hoping to resign both WR Anquon Boldin and SS Darren Sharper, but as of this week both are now free agents. Add to that list LB Rocky Boiman and cornerback Rick Smith. Expect Chicago to spend the next 2 weeks trying to resign one of their two big free agents before the open period begins following Summer Bowl 2010. DENVER: Denver is in very much the same boat as Chicago, hoping not to lose WR Dez White, but struggling to find a formula that fits in the cap and meets the wideout’s demands for compensation. The Gold are also hoping that they can reach a deal with LB Dat Nguyen, whose absence was certainly visible in their loss to Houston this week. Others not signed as of today include punter Mike Barnes, center Mike Flanagan, and DE Kamerion Wimberley. WASHINGTON: Eight players are now out of contract from the Federals’ roster. Among them are two important wideouts for the Feds’ offense, Eddie Kennison and Travis Taylor. The Feds are also looking at some key defensive contributors like DT Alan Harper, LB Mark Simoneau, and DE Greg Spires. Kicker Doug Pelfrey is also a free agent, but at 39 may well be considering retirement rather than relocation. RETIREMENTS In addition to the players who find themselves out of contract, there have been several retirement announcements from the 8 playoff teams eliminated over the past two weeks. Some will absolutely create ripples across the rosters. LB Na’il Diggs (ATL): No sooner had the game ended in Nashville than Diggs announced that he had played his last game as a member of the Fire. His leadership as a team captain, as well as his play at linebacker will be hard to replace. LB Akin Ayodele (DEN): Another linebacker announced his retirement, as Ayodele’s short-lived career in Denver comes to an end. Traded from LA midseason this year, Ayodele was expected to have an impact on the Denver D, and while his season was solid, it appears that the move did not sit well with the veteran linebacker, who is now opting to step away from the game. WR Matthew Hatchette (LV): The 36-year-old Hatchette has spent the better part of his career with the Thunder, first in Portland, and throughout the move to Las Vegas. He retires after 14 years of catching passes for the Thunder, the only team he ever suited up for. CB Tod McBride (NOR): The anchor of New Orleans’s secondary calls it a career after 8 years in the league, split between Philadelphia, St. Louis and the Breakers. McBride had a playoff season with the Breakers this year, but health concerns, particularly with his hip, have led him to step away at 33. It is early, of course, and we expect that as we move further into the offseason, we will get both additional cuts from team rosters and additional players who are opting to step away from the game. As always, we will report on both developments through our offseason reports. Two games next week, both with some significant injury news that could impact play. NSH HB Cedric Cobbs (OUT), T Jon Stinchcomb (D), LB Terrell Suggs (Q), TE Justin Peele (Q) PHI T Jaimie Thomas (OUT), T Ken Shackleford (D), LB Ben Leber (P) Philadelphia had a strong game this week, but losing OT Ken Shackleford will be a blow to the Stars as they take on Nashville’s defense. The Knights are also hoping that Terrell Suggs might just be able to make an appearance, perhaps on a “pitch count”, with limited snaps. PIT HB DeShaun Foster (OUT), DT Dan Klecko (OUT), G Trevor Canfield (D) HOU No Injuries to Report Houston’s health advantage has certainly been a story this offseason, and while Pittsburgh found a way to cope with the absence of DeShaun Foster against Chicago, they have to be concerned after seeing how dominant the Houston offense was against Denver’s higher-ranked defense. If the Maulers get into a shootout with Houston, they will struggle to keep pace. Could USFL Really Expand Again? With expansion on the agenda for the upcoming USFL Owners’ Meeting, the question is being asked, could the USFL truly expand again. Let’s look at the pros and cons, and just where we think the USFL could and perhaps should add teams. First things first, it should be acknowledged that there is a very good chance that the USFL owners will do as they have done in the past and set a date in the future as the earliest date to again discuss expansion. This is what happened after both the 1987 and 1995 expansions, when the the owners, in an effort to solidify the current league, set up a date no less than 6 years out before which the topic would not be broached and expansion would not be debated. While we could see this happening once again, and for the very same reasons as in the past, in an effort to ensure the competitive and financial balance of all current teams, there are lessons to be learned from both 1987 and 1995. Perhaps the most damning lesson from both expansions is the fact that delaying or postponing expansion options was a contributing factor in seeing franchises relocate, which arguably creates more issues for the league than an expansion would. After the 1987 expansion, St. Louis, left on the outside, successfully wooed the LA Express to town, leaving the league without a team in the 2nd largest market in the USA. After the 1995 expansion wave repopulated LA and added teams in Atlanta, Columbus, and Seattle, we again saw some of the cities that did not obtain a club continue to work to acquire a USFL franchise. While the relocations of the Atlanta Fire to Boston, the Thunder to Las Vegas, or the St. Louis Knights to Nashville cannot entirely be attributed to the lack of expansion opportunities (each having its own internal dynamics), the fact that there always seem to be cities with stadia waiting, money available, and owners itching to invest does play a part in the pattern of relocations. We believe the league would like to avoid further relocations, and while another round of expansion from 28 to 30 teams would not guarantee that no team ever looks for greener pastures, it does eliminate the biggest temptation in that the cities with the best opportunities, and the ownership groups already open to footing the bill, would be removed. But the honest fact is that another factor has to be the solidification of the most recent expansion clubs. When we look at the 1995 expansion, one of the reasons the original Atlanta Fire ended up relocating is because their lack of on-field development kept their revenue down. Yes, there were other factors (choosing an outdoor stadium in Atlanta for games in the heat of summer was not ideal), but Atlanta’s lack of early success also helped depress the club’s value and profitability. The same concern could exist already for at least one of the clubs added between 2006 and 2008. St. Louis, now on its 2nd team, has failed to avoid the basement in its division in each of its 5 seasons, and has had 10 or more losses each year. Attendance has dipped, and there are concerns that once again the Gateway City will be a prime location for a poaching by an out-of-town interest. While Atlanta, Charlotte, and Portland have seen more success on the field, none of the three are out of the woods yet when it comes to long term viability. The debate now becomes whether it is riskier for the league to expand again at this time, stretching the talent pool even thinner or to hold off expansion and risk the possibility that a franchise (or several) will find themselves hemorrhaging money and seeking a quick solution with a sale and relocation to a new market. And there is no shortage of potential markets out there. We are all aware of the investment group out of Dallas, known as Destination Dallas and fronted by tech billionaire Mark Cuban, but that is just one of several potential groups trying to bring USFL football to town. Not all are well organized, or well-financed at this point, but as with Dallas, all it takes is for one big fish to join the school and a group that may have looked like a non-factor can become a major player. USFL owners are, after all, businessmen, and that means that if a deal is out there, and if conditions are right, a sale and relocation can become a very attractive alternative to the rigors of owning a professional sports franchise, and the headaches it can produce. An owner who can make a tidy profit by selling a club, even if relocation of a team alienates that owner in his home market, is going to be tempted to take the money and run. That is what the USFL fears, as relocation creates an image of instability, which is never good on the sponsorship side, and market shifts can force renegotiation of media deals, which can get very messy. We mentioned Dallas, and they are the city and investment group that is certainly triggering the discussion, but they are certainly not the only market or group hoping to find a way into the club. As a primer for the discussion on expansion and/or relocation, here is our list of the 8 markets that could be in discussion for the USFL as the owners look over the landscape. 1—Dallas: The obvious one, with a well-monied and well-organized bidding group and a stadium just begging for a franchise. The Destination Dallas Group has already been working with the city of Dallas to get renovations made to the Cotton Bowl to turn it from an occasional college bowl venue into a viable top tier USFL stadium. There is already considerable talk that if expansion is not a viable option within 3-4 years, that this group will start to branch out and speak with ownership of several existing franchises in hopes of bringing a team to Dallas sooner rather than later. 2—Miami: Can Florida really have 4 USFL clubs? That does feel like a stretch, but with all 3 of the current Florida teams doing quite well on both the attendance and financial side of the equation, the argument is there that Florida is prime USFL territory. With two viable stadiums in the city (Orange Bowl and Joe Robbie) as well as the option to expand FIU’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale, there is no shortage of venues. And while it seems very unlikely that one of the existing Florida franchises would relocate within the state, there are certainly other franchises that might be available for the right price. 3—Kansas City: A great football town, and a region that is somewhat under-represented. Kansas City has two big things going against it as an expansion site and as a potential relocation bid. First is size. KC is not a small market, but it is also not a high population, high visibility market like Dallas or Miami. There would be almost no benefit to the league to have a team in the city other than adding a 5th Southwest franchise. Now, if, for example a team from a smaller market were to make the move, that would be acceptable, we believe, so if, for example St. Louis were to continue to struggle, we could see them heading across the state. But what the league would not want is for a larger market club, someone like Boston, whose stadium issues are well known, to head to a much smaller market in KC. The other issue, and a pretty obvious one, is stadium use. Arrowhead Stadium is the only venue in town, and that would mean cutting a deal with Lamar Hunt and the NFL to get access. That could be possible, but would almost certainly guarantee that the USFL club would be a secondary tenant and get less agreeable terms as it relates to revenue from parking, tickets, and concessions. Not ideal by any measure. 4—San Diego: A larger market than KC, but also a 1-stadium site, and the stadium is by no means ideal. Qualcomm Stadium has history, but it also has issues. The NFL Chargers have been pushing for renovation for quite a while, and are running into a brick wall with every initiative. While adding another team to southern California is attractive, and adding a major market like San Diego would help with TV revenue, there is a belief that having LA in a pretty solid position is more important than adding a new market, and, unless the situation with Qualcomm improves, the city could be a low priority for the league. 5—Twin Cities: This has been a region of interest for the USFL for a long time. The Midwest is somewhat underrepresented among the USFL roster of teams, with only Chicago, Michigan, Ohio, and arguably St. Louis represented. Compare that to the NFL which has 8 franchises of its 32 in the region (Chicago, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Indianapolis). Adding a team in the upper Midwest would make a lot of sense, and the Twin Cities seems the best option there. Again, stadium issues would be a concern, though we could see the USFL accepting a deal with the University of Minnesota to play in their outdoor venue rather than trying to share the aging Metrodome with the Vikings and Twins. Ownership has not emerged out of the region to make an offer yet, but if expansion is on the table, we could see the area being an attractive market to target. 6—Virginia Beach/Norfolk: A contender in for one of the 2008 teams, this would be a “virgin” market for the league and for top tier professional sports. Currently the Tidewater or Hampton Roads region is the largest population area without a top tier sports franchise. There was an ownership group ready to go for 2008, so we could imagine one forming again if the opportunity arose. The biggest issue is that there is simply no stadium in place in the region which could even be quickly converted to meet USFL capacity needs, much less fitting the profile of a first class facility, with all the bells, whistles and luxury suites the USFL would want to see. That largely sunk the 2008 bid, and could be a factor in any future bid as well. 7—Oklahoma City: A growing region and city, with a growing sports profile after the arrival of the NBA Thunder. There have been talks in the city of building a football facility that would serve as both a neutral site for major college football games (think OU-OSU) but which could also be a viable USFL location. There is certainly no shortage of football enthusiasm in the region, but it is a small market, one that simply would not add any value to the TV deals that keep the USFL viable. 8—Toronto: The USFL, like the NFL, has been intrigued by expansion into Canada, but has been very hesitant to cross paths with the CFL and, very likely, the Canadian government. As we saw back in the 1970’s with the World Football League, there is serious interest in Canada for preserving the Canadian version of the game and the CFL in particular. Expansion into Canada, while attractive due to the sheer size of the Toronto (and Ontario) market, would almost certainly result in major legal and political opposition, something both leagues have been very cognizant of and very leary of provoking. It is a huge market, and a potentially lucrative one, but as long as the threat of legal opposition exists, it may be more of a false hope than a real option. One last comment about expansion. As we saw with Chicago in 1987, Los Angeles in 1995, and both St. Louis and Atlanta in 2006, the trend of the USFL has been to use expansion to replace teams in cities devastated by relocation. If the league opts to delay expansion once again, that could very well be the scenario once again. If Dallas, for example, were able to lure away a team from a current USFL city, history tells us that the league will do what it can to repopulate that city with a new franchise. It certainly cannot be guaranteed, but that is the track record which has been established already. #2 Nashville (10-6) @ #1 Philadelphia (11-5) Sunday, July 25 @ 2pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Vegas Line: Philadelphia -5 The Stars are heavy favorites to make their sixth appearance in the Summer Bowl, their first since a 27-20 defeat at the hands of Denver in 2000. Kurt Warner, Steve Smith, and Steve Slaton will take on a Knight defense that has proven effective all year long. Nashville knocked off Atlanta thanks to that defense, and now they head on the road to Lincoln Financial Field to try to rein in the Stars. Philadelphia has their own top-ranked defense, and enough firepower on offense to be a tough out for the visiting Knights. In Kurt Warner they have a potential MVP candidate, and they can balance out the offense thanks to the emergence of Steve Slaton as a 1,000 yard rusher. Speaking of 1,000 yard rushers, Frank Gore will almost certainly be the focal point of Philadelphia’s defense. When he gets rolling early, the entire playbook opens up for Nashville, but if he can be contained, it reduces the effectiveness of Nashville’s play action game and forces Jay Cutler to stand in the pocket and take a lot of hits. Not a mobile QB, Cutler is susceptible to the rush, so Nashville needs to find a way to protect him by developing a solid run game early. OUR PICK: We think Las Vegas got it right. We are going with Philadelphia to find gaps in the Nashville defense. Look for Warner to take a few shots early to Smith, and then that Philly defense will lock in on Frank Gore and make Nashville work for every yard. Our pick is Stars over Knights 24-18. #2 Pittsburgh (9-6-1) @ #1 Houston (12-4) Sunday, July 25 @ 7pm ET NRG Stadium, Houston, TX Vegas Line: Houston -8 That is a huge line that Las Vegas has put out, a sign that all the action in the sports books has been on the Gamblers. Houston has won 10 games in a row, and have seemed to get stronger with each win. Their demolition of the Denver Gold has impressed both bettors and pundits. It certainly has impressed us as ell. Matt Hasselbeck has worked himself into the MVP conversation, leading the league in both passing yards and touchdowns, and the Houston D is also a pretty serious group, led by long-time standout DE Kavika Pittman, with a burst of new energy with the arrival of James Farrior from Baltimore. So what is Pittsburgh’s best shot against the juggernaut Gamblers? They have to find a way to develop a run game with Kenny Watson. Watson has been solid in relief of the injured DeShaun Foster, but he will need to take it up to a new level in order for the Maulers to keep pace with what we expect to be a fast-paced and explosive Houston offense. The defense will need to focus on Hasselbeck and the passing game, which means that we could see a big game from HB Shaun Alexander. That may actually be the best possible option for the Maulers, forcing Houston to use the run game to slowly make their way down the field. If Pittsburgh can shorten the game by forcing the run and using their own run game to keep that clock ticking, they could find themselves in a close game, and in that case a takeaway or two could be the difference. If the game becomes a shootout, that falls right into Houston’s wheelhouse, and would be a disaster for the low-scoring Maulers. OUR PICK: We are again going to go with the favorites. When you can win as many games in a row as the Gamblers have, it means you are not just good, but you have momentum and luck on your side. We were surprised by Pittsburgh’s success this year, and they certainly have a lot to be proud of, but this Houston team is looking very much like a team of destiny, and we are not going to pick against that. Our pick is Houston 31-20.

Denver played angry, Washington played smart, Chicago played nasty, and Atlanta played with composure, and that has moved all four on to the next round of the playoffs. The Wild Card round saw four very different games, with only one (Atlanta-New Orleans) kept within a single score. The Machine rolled over a dispirited Oakland squad. Washington just had too much for the Blitz as they rolled to a 24-3 halftime lead and never let up. Denver played with fire in their eyes and took Las Vegas out early, while the Fire exploded out of the gate and then hung on as Eli Manning and the Breakers kept battling back. It was a fun weekend of playoff football, and it sets up a divisional round that could be non-stop energy on the field, with 3 out of 4 divisional playoff games being between divisional foes. We will lay out what happened last week, look ahead to this week, and give you updates on retirements, the coaching searches in Ohio and Tampa, and the upcoming league meetings. All this week in This is the USFL. NEW ORLEANS 16 ATLANTA 19 An explosive first quarter was followed by three much quieter periods as both defenses settled down and the Atlanta Fire held their lead through the remaining 45 minutes of action to take their first ever playoff victory. HB Darren McFadden came up big with 117 yards rushing and a score as Atlanta took a 16-9 lead into the half and never looked back. The first quarter seemed to portend a high-scoring game but after 3 TDs in the opening period, there was only 1 more the rest of the game. The game opened with Atlanta scoring on their initial drive, Kyle Orton connecting with rookie Demaryius Thomas for the score to open the game. New Orleans responded 4 minutes later when Chris Cooley caught a 5-yard scoring strike from Eli Manning. But, the game turned to Atlanta with a 2nd scoring drive that saw McFadden rush the ball 5 times for 39 yards on the 72-yard push. He finished the drive with a 5-yard run to paydirt and Atlanta took the lead, a lead they would hold the rest of the game. The 2nd quarter saw 4 points scored, as field position battles led to a safety for each team (the first time that two teams have scored only a safety in any quarter in USFL history. In the 3rd, Atlanta added 3 more to their lead, going up 19-9. New Orleans would not give up and with 3:27 left in the game, they got back to within 3 thanks to a Manning to LaFell pass that got them back in the endzone. Down by 3 with over 3 minutes left, the Breakers decided to play the field position game, trusting their defense, and kicked the ball away to the Fire. That proved to be a miscalculation as Atlanta was able to ride McFadden to two first downs, draining the clock all the way down to the final whistle. The Fire win their first ever playoff game in franchise history, and the Breakers again come up short in the postseason. CHICAGO 37 OAKLAND 17 The Oakland Invaders, with Joey Harrington still sidelined, simply did not have enough to overtake the Chicago Machine. Chicago built up a 24-10 lead, largely on the strong performance of HB Michael Turner (144 yards rushing on the day), and cruised to a comfortable 20-point win in Oakland. Chicago got 2 TDs from short-yardage specialist Maurice Clarett, added TDs from Tate to Anthony Fasano and rookie Golden Tate, and kept Oakland on their heels all game, limiting the home team to 1 third down conversion in 12 attempts. Bo Volek did what he could (20 of 36 for 225 and 2 TDs) but with the Chicago front 7 limiting Ricky Williams to only 40 yards on 16 carries, the Oakland offense just did not have the capacity to keep pace with Chicago. BALTIMORE 17 WASHINGTON 31 Duece McCallister may not have been in the hunt for the rushing lead this season, but he certainly proved his worth in this game, rushing for 141 yards on only 16 carries, and adding a TD to boot. McCallister helped Washington stay on track even after David Garrard was knocked out of the game. Kudos as well to backup Joe Webb, who came off the bench and played heroically, going 13 of 19 for 143 and finding both Deion Branch and Eddie Kennison for touchdowns as the Federals built up a 24-3 lead int the first half and then hung on and ran down the time for Baltimore. Two early picks by Ben Roethlisberger, one on a tipped ball, one just a bad throw, helped Washington build up the early lead, and the deep hole meant that Ron Dayne simply was not as useful as the Blitz would have liked. Washington played most of the second half in nickel and dime packages, daring Baltimore to use the run and run down the clock. The strategy was effective, and the Federals took this one and advance to a matchup against another division foe next week, when they head to Philly to face the Stars. LAS VEGAS 10 DENVER 29 Denver came into this game still fuming about the league’s late reversal of their status as division champs and the stunning turn that forced them to play a Wild Card game in the first place. They took that fury out on the Thunder, forcing three turnovers (2 Plummer picks and a fumble) and building up a 13-0 lead which became a 19-3 halftime advantage. Las Vegas tried their best to stay in the game, but at every turn Denver simply refused to give an inch. The combo of Hicks and Ringer combined for 111 yards and a score, while Plummer was held to 23 of 45 passing and gave up two costly interceptions. Denver now goes on to face the Houston Gamblers, and we expect that their anger at the league’s late announcement of status prior to Week 16 will fuel them once again as they face the team that “stole” their division crown and their bye week. Should be a good one. Tampa Bay Wastes No Time Finding Coach Well, that did not take long. It seems clear that the Bandits had significant advance notice of Steve Spurrier’s retirement plans and were working behind the scenes to study options, because they took less than a full week before announcing that they had found their man, and he comes to Tampa Bay with a last name that Florida football teams will be sure to recognize. This Monday the Bandits introduced Mike Shula as their next head coach. Son of the legendary Dolphins’ head coach Don Shula, Mike has been making a name for himself as an offensive coordinator and QB guru since retiring from the USFL as a player. Shula, who played 10 seasons as a backup with the Texas Outlaws and Jacksonville Bulls, starting only 3 games in his career, left the field for the coaching staff at Alabama. He started as a grad assistant at his alma mater, before taking on the role of QB Coach, eventually signing on to serve in that capacity for his father’s team, the Miami Dolphins. From there he returned to Alabama, this time as Offensive Coordinator, even taking on the interim head coach position in 2008. Returning to the USFL with the Orlando Renegades, Shula again served as OC. He comes to Tampa Bay as a true son of Florida football and will now have his first shot as a head coach in the spring league. Many are taking the signing of Shula as a sign that the Daunte Culpepper era is perhaps going to be short lived moving forward. Known for his work with young QB’s, Shula could be positioned to help usher in a new era for the Bandits perhaps with a new QB coming along in the next year or two. Tampa Bay does have the territorial rights to Florida State, which could be a sign that the Bandits are looking long and hard at Christian Ponder as a potential target this offseason. Having Shula on board might be a tip of the hat to the young QB that the team is serious about building an offense around a young QB. Ohio Interviews Three for Open Position While Tampa Bay jumped right into their signing, Ohio is taking a more patient approach. Word is out from Columbus this week that the Glory will be scheduling interviews with several coaches over the next few weeks. This is to include Baltimore DC Bart Andrus, Seattle OC Jeremy Bates, and former Texas head coach Norv Turner. Expect Ohio to interview at least 5-6 candidates before settling on a new coach. Whoever that coach is, he will need to deal with a roster in a major rebuild mode after the retirements of Kerry Collins in 2009 and Eddie George just this week. Ohio is expected to make a major push to bring in a new QB, but whether that will be a rookie through the draft or a veteran like Jake Delhomme may very well depend on just who the coach is and what his preference for a restart for the Ohio offense looks like. Retirements Alter Offseason Plans Across the League One week into the offseason and the retirement announcements have begun in earnest. While there are some players who linger over the decision or wait until the strains of camp in February to make a determination, every year we see a good number of players who know now that they will not be back the following year, and we get a spate of announcements over the first few weeks of the postseason and offseason, informing us who will not be returning for another year. For 2010 this wave has already included some pretty noteworthy names. Here is our list of the retirements of note already announced this week. Eddie George, HB-OHIO: An Ohio State Buckeye who would stay in Columbus for his entire pro career, George retires after 14 seasons in the USFL as a 2-time league champion, two time USFL offensive player of the year, and 6-time All-USFL nominee. We fully expect George to be wearing a gold jacket in 2015 as a first ballot entrant. He finishes his illustrious career with over 16,000 yards rushing (16,265) and 102 career touchdowns. Mike Rucker, DE-BIR: The all-time sack leader for the Stallions, Mike Rucker retires at the age of 35 with 11 consecutive 10+ sack seasons as his legacy. In 12 seasons of action as a member of the Birmingham Stallions, Mike Rucker garnered 199 sacks, an average of 15.5 sacks per year, truly awesome. Rucker was a 5-time All -USFL nominee, but never saw a championship with the Stallions, often a lone bright spot on some pretty bad defenses. He will leave the field, but not the game as he is returning to his alma mater, Nebraska, to serve as a grad assistant and position coach for the D-line of the Huskers. We have no doubt that we will, at some point, see Rucker patrolling the sidelines as part of a USFL coaching staff. Dan Campbell, TE-TEX: A 12-season veteran of the Gamblers, Monarchs, and Outlaws, Dan Campbell announced his retirement this week after a very nice season in San Antonio. Campbell, who saw his career peak in his first season in Charlotte, finished his career strong, with 94 catches in 2008, 82 in 2009, and 70 with his new club in Texas in 2010. He finishes his career with 607 career catches and 38 career touchdowns. Roosevelt Colvin, LB-POR: Though he played his final season with the Portland Stags, Roosevelt Colvin will forever be remembered as a member of the Oakland Invaders. Colvin joined Oakland out of Purdue in 1999. He would go on to play 11 seasons for the Invaders, making the All-USFL team in 2005 and 2007 and retiring with over 800 career tackles, 29 sacks, and 14 interceptions. Kailee Wong, LB-TEX: Another longstanding member of the Invader linebacking group, Kailee Wong found new life and a new purpose when signing with Texas in 2006. He was named a team captain in his first season with the Outlaws, and would play 5 seasons in San Antonio. Known as a thumper who was never afraid to go for the hit over the tackle, Wong had his best statistical season in 2000, when he amassed 79 tackles in only 7 starts. Leonard Little, DE-MGN: A member of 2008’s USFL title team with the Panthers, Leonard Little has been a staple of the Michigan D-line since coming into the USFL from the NFL in 2002. He had double digit sack totals in both 2005 and 2006, while also building a reputation as a stout run defender at the DE position. He retires in 2010 after 9 USFL seasons. Andre Weathers, CB-BIR: Something of a late bloomer, Weathers only became a starting cornerback with Birmingham iin 2008 after 10 seasons in Washington as a nickel corner and backup. In three seasons in Birmingham, Weathers would start 37 of 43 games, would amass 156 tackles, and 5 interceptions in 2.5 seasons. Karl Williams, WR-ORL: An outstanding return man and a part-time wideout, Karl Williams made a name for himself with the Tampa Bay Bandits before spending 2010 with Orlando. Williams returned both punts and kicks for the Bandits for 8 seasons, returning 2 for scores and averaging 9.4 yards per punt return and 22.6 yards per kick return. As a receiver, he had his best season in 2006, when he caught 37 passes from Daunte Culpepper, amassing 673 yards and 2 scores. Never able to break into the starting lineup as a receiver, he was still a valued member of the special teams in both Tampa and Orlando. While we anticipate many more names will be added to this list, particularly once the playoffs are completed, we should note one interesting name that has not come up yet, that of Ohio wide receiver Joey Galloway. The Glory released Galloway at the end of 2010, with most anticipating an immediate announcement of retirement. Will another team be able to persuade the Ohio State and Ohio Glory standout to give it a go, in the style of Jerry Rice with the Raiders? Free Agents from Baltimore, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Oakland Hit the Pool With four eliminations from the Wild Card round, four sets of unsigned players now hit the free agency pool. Some interesting names from the Blitz, Thunder, Breakers and Invaders as we expand the marketplace with these newly-out-of-contract additions. Baltimore: Among the newly released Blitz players we find QB Mike McMahon, kicker Martin Grammatica, DE Tim Crowder, and veteran Chuck Nwokorie, who may be ready to announce retirement. Center Robbie Tobeck and OT Chuck Rinehart are also now unprotected and available to negotiate when free agency opens next month. Las Vegas: Veteran wideout Derrick Mason leads the list of names from the Thunder who are now on the free agent market. The 34-year old is hoping to catch on with another team. Also released are backup QB Brock Berlin, kicker Shayne Graham, and, after a long, drawn out dispute about contract terms, leading edge rusher for the Thunder, Vonnie Holiday. New Orleans: The Breakers had tried to resign both TE Chris Cooley and backup QB Tim Rattay, but both now join the free market and can look for other offers. Joining them are DT John Thornton and DE Israel Ifeanyi, both of whom are 34 and may find the marketplace a bit harsher than anticipated for older d-linemen. CB Billy Austin, also 34, could be an easier signing if he is ready to take a 1-2 year deal. Oakland: Several players that Oakland had hoped to resign are now free agents, chief among them slot receiver DeSean Jackson. The speedy receiver and return man could be a prime target for teams looking to add explosiveness to their offenses. Also a key target will be safety Pearson Prioleau, an All-USFL player at the position, but one unhappy with Oakland’s lowball offers to date. Also in the Oakland free agent pool we find QB Kevin Kolb, and linebackers Duane Bishop and Joe Odom. Guard Ruben Brown is technically a free agent, but we anticipate a retirement announcement within the next few days as Brown has indicated he is seriously considering stepping away from the game. Four games on the schedule for the Divisional Round and once again injuries could play a factor in the week’s games. Let’s see which games could see the injury list play a part in each team’s chances. ATL: WR David Tyree (OUT), G Red Hadnot (OUT), DE Chris Kelsay (D), CB Charles Woodson (Q) NSH: HB Cedric Cobbs (OUT), LB Terrell Suggs (D), T Jon Stinchcomb (D), LB Keith Burns (Q) Atlanta will certainly miss Chris Kelsay, and if Charles Woodson cannot go, then the Fire could have some issues on defense. The pass rush and the coverage capability of the Fire depend heavily on those two standout players. As for Nashville, missing Terrell Suggs certainly impacts the defense, but they also have to be concerned without Jon Stinchcomb in the lineup to protect Jay Cutler. WSH G Arron Sears (OUT), HB Rod Smart (Q), QB David Garrard (P) PHI T Jaimie Thomas (OUT), LB Ben Leber (Q), G Cooper Carlisle (P) Washington is confident that David Garrard can play this weekend. If he cannot, well, that would be huge. For Philadelphia, the offensive line might be a concern, but that is one of the deeper groups on the team, so expect the Stars to plug and play with backups. CHI CB Reggie Smith (OUT) PIT HB DeShaun Foster (OUT), DT Dan Klecko (OUT), T Daniel Loper (P) Chicago is in a strong position, with only Smith on the injury report. For Pittsburgh, DeShaun Foster is the biggest loss, but don’t underestimate what it means for the Maulers’ ability to rein in Michael Turner without Dan Klecko. Seems like a clear advantage for Chicago there. DEN DE Kamerion Wemberley (OUT), TE Daniel Graham (Q), LB Dat Nguyen (Q) HOU No Injuries to Report Denver could be without two of their top defenders with both Dat Nguyen and Kamerion Wemberley both expected to miss the game. When you compare that with Houston’s clean injury report, the advantage definitely goes to the Gamblers. September Owner’s Meeting to Focus on Playoffs, Expansion, & Revenue Sharing The league owner’s meeting for Fall has been scheduled for September 6-9 and the league has released several items related to the topics of focus for the meeting. In addition to the usual annual reports from the Competition, Media Rights, and Finance committees, the agenda will include three topics of interest to fans of the league. The first is discussion making the 14-team playoff format used in the strike-shortened 2009 season a permanent fixture in the league, essentially increasing playoff participation to exactly ½ of the league, up from the current 12-team format. The second is a discussion regarding potential expansion to 30 teams. Spurred largely by the pressure being put on by outside investment groups such as Destination Dallas, as well as groups representing San Diego, Miami, and the Twin Cities, the owners will discuss a timeline for future expansion. This could be pivotal as while there is a general consensus that building to 30 teams would be beneficial to the league, allowing for 6 equally-sized divisions of 5 clubs each, the question of timing is very much up for debate. While, on the one hand, there is concern that another round of expansion too quickly will disrupt the progress and integration of the four 2006 and 2008 expansion clubs, there is almost an equally compelling argument for a more proximate expansion, as it appears that several potential ownership groups are willing to consider purchase and relocation of existing franchises if expansion is not on the table sooner rather than later. If the owners wish to avoid the potential disruption that franchise relocations can cause to the league, they may lean towards a more proximate round of expansion from 28 to 30 teams simply to minimize the risk. The third topic for discussion will be the league’s revenue sharing plan. Expect broad support to increase the attendance requirement from 30,000 to 33,000 or even 35,000 as the expectation for a team to achieve full access to the league’s extensive revenue sharing model. Currently it sits at 30,000 which even the teams stuck with smaller venues have been able to reach in recent years. We have seen a few teams dip below that threshold for short stints, but rarely has it been more than a 1-year situation, which likely will spur the league to increase the requirement, hoping to spur all teams on to more effective ticket sales and higher overall attendance, a boon to the television contracts as well as the bottom line. With the vast majority of the shared revenue coming from a combination of television and sponsorship contracts, the key to obtaining higher revenue league wide is keeping the networks, as well as the sponsors, happy with overall attendance and viewership numbers. It is, of course, possible that one of the committee reports will spur additional items, including possible rule changes from the Competition Committee, but with these three items on the schedule for the September meetings, the docket will certainly be packed as it is. Three divisional rivalry matchups and a battle for the South are what we have in our divisional round of playoffs. This week could be one of the most fun weeks of playoff football we have seen in a while, because these are teams that already don’t like each other very much. These teams know each other well and will be playing a game of chess on the field. Should make for some close games, some intense games, and some real fun for fans. Don’t miss this week of playoff football because we think you will be missing a lot. #3 Atlanta (9-7) @ #2 Nashville (10-6) Saturday, July 17 @ 3pm ET Adelphia Stadium, Nashville, TN The only non-divisional matchup, but it is still a battle of Tennessee and Georgia, so the rivalry is already there. Atlanta brings in both a top 10 scoring offense and a top 10 scoring defense, so they can beat you in a variety of ways. Josh Reed has had a monster season, so he will have to be a focal point for the Nashville defense. As for the Knights. They too have both a top 10 offense and a top 10 defense, and while they will be keying on Reed, the Fire will want to focus their attention on Frank Gore. Slow down the Nashville run game and you can disrupt the entire offense. Our Pick: Nashville certainly has more experience in this matchup, and they have had a week of rest as well, so we give the edge to the home team. Atlanta has been a tough matchup all year, but we think the defense that Jim Johnson has built aligns well with the Fire’s strengths, so we think it may be tough for Atlanta to put up points. Nashville has a bit more of a one-note offense, so they too may find their offense a bit stifled. Should be a tough, close, low-scoring matchup, but we feel like Jim Johnson has the edge when it comes to the strategic battle, so we pick Nashville to win: 17-13 Knights. #6 Chicago (9=7) @ #2 Pittsburgh (9-6-1) Saturday, July 17 @ 7pm ET Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA While not the biggest rivalry in the Central Division (Chicago-Michigan and Pittsburgh-Ohio are more intense), this is still a battle of two teams who know each other very well. The Machine won both regular season battles, with a combined score of 44-23, but we all know how hard it is to beat the same team 3 times in a season. Both teams also lost their final two regular season games. Chicago got a rebound last week, beating the hobbled Invaders, while Pittsburgh benefited from a bye week. We think that advantage actually goes to Chicago. Our Pick: As tough as it is to win 3 in a row, the combination of experience, leadership, and on-field talent, especially with DeShaun Foster out for the year, has to go to Chicago. The Maulers will play tough at home, but we are just not seeing the offensive capacity for them to outduel the Machine. Our pick is Chicago, 23-16. #4 Washington (10-6) @ #1 Philadelphia (11-3) Sunday, July 18 @ 12pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Man, this one should be fun. The two split their series this year, and both are coming into the postseaos with a chip on their shoulders. Washington is the #4 rated scoring offense, and they can beat you on the ground with Deuce McCallister’s and QB David Garrard’s legs. Philadelphia wants to have balance, with Steve Slaton opening up the field and Kurt Warner taking advantage. The advantage on defense is with the Stars, whose 5th rated scoring defense is also the #1 defense against the run. That is key. If they can contain McCallister, and keep Garrard in the pocket, we think they will outlast the Feds. Washington has to find a way to move Philadelphia on first and second down if they want to have a shot. Our Pick: We like the Stars here. They have a veteran QB, with plenty of playoff experience, a defense designed to limit big plays and hold down the run, and a wild card in Steve Smith, who tends to play big in big games. Philadelphia 27-21 #4 Denver (12-4) @ #1 Houston (12-4) Sunday, July 18 @ 4pm ET NRG Stadium, Houston, TX This one could be a war. Denver is still fuming about the league’s blunder and their failure to capture the #1 seed. A lot of that anger is targeted squarely at Houston. But the Gamblers had nothing to do with that except taking advantage of the issue by winning 10 in a row. The Gambler’s last dropped a game back in Week 6 (Philadelphia), which was in April. They have the #2 offense in scoring (#1 in yards) and they can beat you on the ground with Shaun Alexander, or in the air with Matt Hasselbeck and a diversified passing attack. Denver relies more heavily on the ground assault, using both Javon Ringer and Maurice Hicks to batter defenses into submission and to free up Matt Leinart with play action. They also have the #1 rated scoring defense, so don’t expect Houston to just run all over them. They make good decisions on both sides of the ball, and while they are not a very explosive team, they will wear you down over time. Our Pick: As impressed as we are by Houston’s win streak, a streak that included a 21-14 victory over the Gold, we think Denver comes into this game with a huge attitude and a lot of fire. They will be playing their best ball, and they will be gunning for the Gamblers. We think that gives them the extra push that a road team needs to win in the playoffs. Our pick is Denver, 18-14.

Controversy mars the USFL’s final weeks as the Denver Gold are informed on Thursday, only 3 days before their season finale, that errors had been made in the calculation of seedings and that a loss, paired with a Houston win could produce not only a loss of the #1 seed, but a loss of the SW Division title. Across the league, two legendary coaches say goodbye, while a spate upsets and spoiler games impact the playoff pool with several key losses keeping teams from reaching the postseason. Meanwhile, Washington makes an emphatic statement about their status as contenders, Nashville wins the Southern title once again, and the Las Vegas Thunder win on the road to lock up a playoff berth. We will start with the scores, then review the bizarre situation surrounding the Denver Gold and their status. We will provide the scores in the order of the weekend’s games so you can follow along just as fans did all weekend. BOSTON 15 OHIO 16 Coach Luginbill goes out with a win as the Glory eke out a 1-point victory against the Cannons. Rookie Tony Pike threw for 121 and Eddie George rushed for 103 as the Glory say goodbye to their longstanding head coach. Coach Luginbill announced his resignation in the post-game press conference, tearing up as he said that it was time to move on and wishing the organization and their fans well. CHARLOTTE 38 TAMPA BAY 14 Not quite as storybook a finale for Coach Spurrier as the Carolina Monarchs spoiled his going away party. QB John David Booty got the start for Charlotte and went 21 of 30 for 219 yards as he plays for a chance to be the starter in 2011. The Monarchs sacked Daunte Culpepper 5 times and got TDs from both Fred Jackson and Robert Edwards as they handily defeated the Bandits. MEMPHIS 24 BIRMINGHAM 14 Cadillac Williams rushed for 112 and Shonn Greene added two TD runs as the Showboats won a less-than-high-stakes rivalry game with the Stallions. Birmingham went with Anthony Wright at QB as they are clearly viewing the position as a priority for the offseason. The Stallions finish the year with the worst record in the league, and therefore will have first shot at a QB in the Open Draft if they so choose. NASHVILLE 20 NEW ORLEANS 10 For the second year in a row the Breakers and Knights meet on the final week to determine who will win the Southern Division, and for a second year in a row, Nashville emerges victorious. Robert Meachem had a big day with 7 receptions for 118 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. Down 10-6, Nashville scored the only points of the second half as they shut down Eli Manning and the Breakers in New Orleans to claim the title. TEXAS 16 ARIZONA 23 The 4pm games highlighted the three teams that all sought a chance to earn a Wild Card berth with a win and a Las Vegas loss. All three would lose to non-playoff spoilers, ensuring that Las Vegas would make the postseason even before the Thunder faced off with Oakland on Sunday. Arizona did in the Texas Outlaws in the desert, using 96 yards from LaDainian Tomlinson and a defense that picked off Joe Flacco twice to spoil the day for the visitors from Texas. SEATTLE 34 PORTLAND 24 Portland faced a rival at home on the season’s final week, and the Seattle Dragons treated this game as their Summer Bowl, upending the Stags to knock Portland out of playoff contention. Byron Leftwich threw for 264 and wo scores, both to Nate Burleson, as Seattle outpaced the Stags, thanks in part to 2 picks of A. J. Feeley. Portland drew the game to 27-24 early in the 4th, but a LaDell Betts TD run with 4:14 left, made it a 2-score game and the Stags simply could not find it in themselves to come back. MICHIGAN 21 LOS ANGELES 37 Michigan was the third victim of spoilers on this Saturday, traveling out to LA and taking a loss to the Express. The Panthers went with Tyler Thigpen again at QB, and he had a solid outing with 3 TDs and a 22 of 35 day, but Mark Sanchez and the Express outperformed the Panthers. Sanchez threw for 3 scores and got help from the combo of Ray Rice and Maurice Morris, who added 115 yards rushing as LA earned their 5th win and removed any shot Michigan had of a playoff spot. CHICAGO 17 ST. LOUIS 31 Chicago needed a win and a Pittsburgh loss to claim the Central crown, but early on Sunday they got neither. St. Louis got 93 yards and 2 scores from Antowain Smith as the Skyhawks earned their 5th win on the season, a franchise best in their first year under first year coach Bruce Arians. Chicago’s offense was out of synch all game, accounting for only 10 points, while St. Louis found ways to turn Chicago miscues into points. The loss means Chicago could only earn a Wild Card berth and will travel for their first playoff game. PITTSBURGH 16 HOUSTON 33 With Chicago losing, the pressure was off Pittsburgh, which turned out to be a good thing as Houston was in no mood to be generous. Having received news that the SW Division and the top seed in the playoffs was not yet settled, the Gamblers went for blood, and they dominated the Maulers to win their 10th game in a row, and possibly a lot more. PHILADELPHIA 22 ORLANDO 21 Coach Harbaugh said he wanted to use this game as a tune up for the postseason, while Orlando needed a win to have a shot in the SE Division. For most of the game it looked like Orlando would get their wish. They built up a 21-9 lead through three quarters, but with all the starters still in the game for the Stars, Philadelphia rallied in the 4th, getting two Warner to Dallas Clark TD’s in the final period to upend the Renegades. Orlando finishes 8-8 and out of playoff contention, while Philadelphia goes into their bye week with a new confidence that they can recover from a slow start. BALTIMORE 7 DENVER 6 Denver, still reeling from the late news that their final game was not a meaningless affair, struggled to move the ball and were limited by Baltimore to two field goals. The Blitz were happy to take on the flustered Gold and use a win to lock up a Wild Card berth in the East. The only TD of the game, an Antonio Pittman 3-yard TD run, was enough for the Blitz to edge the Gold. The loss was doubly painful for Denver, as they lost not only the top seed in the postseason, but their division title as well. WASHINGTON 19 NEW JERSEY 9 New Jersey needed a win to find themselves in the Wild Card hunt, but Washington could not afford to lose this one and they played like it was already the playoffs. Deuce McCallister was dominant with a 167 yard performance, averaging 7 yards per carry. The Federal defense was equally as dominant, holding Maurice Jones-Drew to only 27 yards rushing and sacking Sam Bradford 5 times. The loss removed any Wild Card chances from New Jersey and gave the final playoff spot to the New Orleans Breakers. LAS VEGAS 16 OAKLAND 6 Losses by Portland, Michigan, and Texas on Saturday meant that Las Vegas was already guaranteed the 6th and final playoff spot in the West, but the Thunder wanted to win this game regardless of the playoff situation. They sent Oakland to a 4th straight defeat, an ominous sign for the postseason, as Jake Plummer went 21 of 27 for 173 yards and Marshawn Lynch rushed for 80 more on the day. The Thunder defense took care of business as well, limiting Bob Volek to only 7 of 25 for 39 total yards passing on a miserable day for the Invader offense. Controversy as Denver Loses Their Top Seed Lock 2 Days Before Game It was the story of the week, perhaps of the season, as the league, only 3 days before their season finale with Baltimore, notified the Denver Gold that miscalculations of the tie breakers had falsely caused the league office to declare the Gold both champions of the Southwest Division and the #1 seed prematurely. Denver Gold officials were notified by the league on Thursday afternoon that a combination of a Denver loss and a Houston win could, in fact, lead to Houston, not Denver taking both titles. Apparently somehow the order of tie breakers had been confused by league officials in New York, an error which had caused the league to declare Denver the winner of the SW Division, and the top seed in the West last week, when, in fact, the third tiebreaker should have broken for Houston and not the Gold. Having prepared all week to rest many of their starters, Denver coaches and front office staff lashed back at the league. Their club would have to prepare to face the Baltimore Blitz on Sunday with only 2 days of practice with many of their starters, including QB Matt Leinart, who had been given permission to return home to LA for several days during the week. The team now had to scramble to face Baltimore with both their division title and bye week on the line. The result, as you saw above, was not pretty, and the loss at home to the Blitz, a loss the Gold had initially believed they could absorb with no impact on their playoff status, instead cost them home field, a bye week, and a division title. Instead of having the Wild Card week off as the West’s #1 seed, Denver would now have to prepare to host a Wild Card matchup against Las Vegas this weekend. Calls for the league to reverse the decision were met with silence from the league office. Cries of unfair practices, and a psychologically damning impact on the team were also unanswered by the league. It appears that while technically the right results were put in place with Houston becoming the new #1 seed, the results of the week, and the final outcome, were absolutely and unequivocally impacted by the very late notice of the league’s error. This offers no solace to the Gold, who went from a celebratory mood to one of deep anxiety and frustration with the league. The club is now calling on the league to discipline the data analytics team that was responsible for calculating all the playoff scenarios and informing both teams and the public in general of the permutations still in play. Denver officials, almost certainly rightfully claim that had the Gold known from Week 14 on that their season was still in question, they would have certainly prepared differently for both their Week 15 and Week 16 contests. The starters would have been fully engaged in preparation all week prior to the Baltimore game, and the results could have been very different. Meanwhile, the Gold must now prepare to face a very game, and dangerous Las Vegas Thunder squad this weekend. Can they get their minds back into the game and off of the scandal that put them in this situation, or is a very good season in Denver at risk due to something completely out of their control? Luginbill Announces Retirement after Ohio edges Cannons Ohio head coach Al Luginbill made it official on Saturday, speaking to the press after his Glory squad defeated the Boston Cannons in front of 38,505 at Ohio Stadium. The Glory, who finished the year at 4-11-1, by far the worst record for a Luginbill-coached squad. The longstanding coach of the Glory announced is plan to step away from the game. Not exactly a retirement, but a pause to reevaluate his goals, and his passion for the game. Luginbill came to Ohio in 1999 and within 3 seasons had his club poised to make history as the first (and only) undefeated club in league history. He followed that up with a second consecutive Summer Bowl title in 2003. The Glory were based on an offense devised by Luginbill, one predicated on quick decision making by his All-USFL quarterback Kerry Collins and the consistent run game provided by Eddie George. With Collins now retired and George expected to be stepping away soon, Luginbill’s core roster is in transition, and the timing simply seemed right for the coach to step away. He leaves Ohio with a win-loss record of 113-64, the best win percentage of any head coach in league history. Spurrier Sets Off into Sunset as Bandits Fall at Home Saturday marked a milestone for the Tampa Bay Bandits and for their two-time head coach Steve Spurrier. The former U. of Florida and Buccaneers QB officially finished his second term as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits. And while the team could not send him out on a winning note, falling to Charlotte in the season finale to finish the year 7-9, they did not let Spurrier’s departure go without recognition or celebration of his long career with the Bandits. The Bandits, very likely without his endorsement, paused the game at the 2-minute warning to officially recognize Coach Spurrier. The coach waved to the crowd, who gave him a standing ovation as the two teams applauded on the sideline. Spurrier, like Luginbill in Ohio, has stated that he is stepping away from the game, but is not calling this a permanent retirement. Whether the pause will turn into a permanent retirement is still to be seen, but for now the Bandits will be looking for a new leader to return them to playoff contention and, fans hope, a third title. Black Monday Comes & Goes with no Firings A rarity in the world of pro football, a Black Monday with no firings, and yet, that is what we got this year. Aside from the two resignations by Al Luginbill and Steve Spurrier, it appears that there will be no changes on the sidelines of USFL squads this year. While there were several teams who underperformed expectations, teams seem to be taking a patient approach to rebuilding and building a new culture within their organizations. Birmingham, the team with the worst record in the league at 2-14, seems committed to Mike Shanhan as the answer, even if the team has struggled to build an identity in his first two seasons. Several other teams, including Jacksonville, Los Angeles, and and St. Louis, are in the first year with their new head coaches, and are not pulling the trigger after only one year. Perhaps the biggest surprise, and one that some fans are having trouble accepting, is that Memphis is sticking with Jim Haslett despite back to back years with 10+ losses. Following a 4-10 season in 2009, the 5-11 season this year was hardly what Showboat fans were waiting for. Haslett, of course, gets credit for the 2007 Showboat championship, though it was his first year with the team, but the declining results the past two seasons were seen as a potential threat to his job security. It seems that Showboat ownership views their current issues as one tied to inadequate QB play, and yet when we look at the statistics, Jake Delhomme’s season this year was hardly a disaster. The fact that Memphis had one of the league’s worst pass defenses (27th in the league) was certainly as big a factor for their struggles as the lack of offensive explosiveness. With Delhomme now a free agent and Memphis looking to go in a new direction, it seems that ownership has decided to allow Haslett to build the roster he feels can revitalize the club. Many fans may disagree, but at least for now it appears that the club will stay the course and move forward with Haslett at the helm. League Leaders Locked in as Regular Season Comes to a Close With the conclusion of the regular season, the statistical races have also been finalized. Looking across the statistical tables, not a lot of surprises, though certainly some players stepped up in 2010. From budding stars like Josh Reed to veteran standouts like Matt Hasselbeck, this season saw some outstanding performances across the league. Here are the standouts from the 2010 statistical leaders. PASSING: A split result this year, with Matt Hasselbeck taking the titles for passing yards (4,105) and touchdowns (35), while Kurt Warner takes home the title with his 103 QB Rating. The two also helped their teams reach the #1 seed in each conference and must be considered the two frontrunners for this year’s MVP award. RUSHING: T. J. Duckett takes the rushing title, finishing the year with 1,388 yards, besting Baltimore’s Ron Dayne by only 7 yards, and third place finisher Rashard Mendenhall by only 15. Duckett has come close before, finishing 2nd to Deuce McCallister in 2008, but this marks his first time taking home the title. RECEIVING: Two rising stars emerge out of this year’s receiving numbers. Orlando’s Michael Jenkins had himself quite a year, targeted 173 times, he came down with 127 receptions to lead the league. The total put him 5 catches ahead of Chicago’s Donald Driver. Jenkins’s production this year also helped him make his first appearance among the league leaders in receiving yards, finishing fourth behind perennial contenders Donald Driver, Steve Smith, and this year’s league leader, Atlanta wideout Josh Reed. Reed finished the year with 1,476 yards on 91 receptions. Driver, who finished 2nd in both categories, did take home one very important title, leading the league with 14 receiving touchdowns. DEFENSE: No one is shocked to learn that Mike Vrabel led the league in tackles, or that Calais Campbell’s 22 sacks gave him the title as well. Vrabel has been a top tackler for the better part of a decade, with 2010 marking his second title in tackles. He previously won the tackle race in 2004, but the past three years we have seen domination by Brian Urlacher, winning 3 titles in a row. Calais Campbell wins back-to-back sack titles, and while his total of 22 sacks this year is a far cry from his 2009 record of 34, it is certainly a strong year for one of the league’s emerging stars. The total put him 2 ahead of perennial sack master Anthony Weaver of Chicago. Another potential emerging star on Orlando’s talented defense, cornerback Courtland Finnegan led the league with 8 picks, The total put him 2 picks ahead of the closest competitor, Charlotte’s Carlos Rogers, and was paired with an impressive 25 passes defended and 84 tackles, highlighting Finnegan’s skills as both a ball hawk and a solid tackler. With this week’s results, the playoff matchups and seeds are now set. In the East there are no surprises. Philadelphia maintains the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With their win over the Breakers, Nashville earns the #2 seed and the bye week it provides. Atlanta, with a final week loss, still manages to win the Southeast Division, their first division title, but will host a playoff game next week as the #3 seed. The 4, 5, and 6 seeded Wild Card berths go to Washington, Baltimore, and New Orleans, in that order, setting up a rivalry game in the Wild Card round as the Blitz will travel to DC to face the Feds in the playoff round. Atlanta will host New Orleans in a southern-style playoff matchup. In the West, Houston takes full advantage of the chaos surrounding Denver’s positioning to upend the standings and take over as the #1 seed. They now will have homefield throughout the playoff and will earn the bye this week as the Western Conference’s #1 seed. Pittsburgh, despite their loss this week, retain the #2 position and will have a bye in the Wild Card round. They will host the higher seed coming out of the Wild Card round in 2 weeks. Oakland, losers of 4 in a row, finish the year as the Pacific Division champions and will be hosting a Wild Card game against Chicago as the #3 seed. Chicago finishes the year as the #6 seed after losing to the Skyhawks this week. At #4 we have the Denver Gold, who are still livid at the turn of events that has them hosting #5 Las Vegas this week. With losses in their final games, Orlando, New Jersey, Portland, Michigan, and Texas all failed to take advantage of possible last second playoff pushes. All 5 finish the year at 8-8 and must be content to earn at least a .500 record for the season. As we prepare for next week’s Wild Card playoffs, injuries certainly could have an impact on the 4 playoff games. We review each game, with the key players expected to be out. NOR CB Billy Austin (OUT), OT Mark Tasuscher (OUT), C Todd McClure (DOU), DE Trent Cole (QUE) ATL WR David Tyree (OUT), DE Chris Kelsay (OUT), WR Demaaryius Thomas (PROB) Losing Chris Kelsay certainly impacts Atlanta’s efficacy in the pass rush, but New Orleans potentially missing 2 of their starting 5 on the offensive line may be a bigger issue. BAL LB Jason Taylor (OUT), CB Ken Lucas (OUT), CB Chris McCallister (OUT) WSH G Aaron Sears (OUT), HB Rod Smart (DOUB), OT Matt Stinchcomb (PROB) Baltimore lost Jason Taylor this week for the entire playoffs. The NFL import has not has as large an impact as the Blitz had hoped for, so they should be able to compensate for his absence. The bigger concern for the Blitz is, of course, their secondary, down to the 3rd and 4th cornerbacks after season-ending injuries to both Chris McCallister and Ken Lucas. Washington will miss Rod Smart, but with the performance Deuce McCallister put in this week, we would not be too concerned. CHI CB Reggie Smith (OUT) OAK WR Pierre Garcon (OUT), LB Joe Odom (DOU), QB Joey Harrington (QUE) Both Chicago and Oakland are relatively healthy, however, Oakland fans have to be disappointed that it does not look like Joey Harrington is ready to return to action. He will be active, but likely only as the 3rd, emergency, QB. LV No Injuries Reported DEN LB Dat Nguyen (DOU), TE Daniel Graham (QUE), CB Tory James (PROB), T Ryan Clady (PROB) A bit of a lopsided injury report with Denver likely to miss some key contributors, most noteworthy being LB Dat Nguyen, while Las Vegas is not reporting any injuries that could impact this weekend’s game. It feels very much like a bunker mentality for the Gold, who did not anticipate playing in this week’s action to begin with. FREE AGENT POOL SWELLS AS 16 TEAMS RELEASE CONTRACTS With the conclusion of the regular season, 16 of the league’s 28 teams now see players in the final year of their contracts become free agents. The remaining 12 teams will have a similar situation arise as they are each eliminated from the playoffs. While free agency does not officially begin for 1 month, and teams can still resign players during this period, history shows us that players who have not signed by now are significantly less likely to return to their current team than to test the waters in open free agency and find another home, either in the USFL, or later this Fall, when the NFL-USFL transfer window reopens. As we look at the current pool of free agents, recognizing that it represents only 16 of 28 clubs, it is clear already that there will be some very interesting battles to sign some top flight talent this offseason. We start with our pick of the 10 best free agents available as of right now (again, more will join the pool each week from now until the Summer Bowl. 10— DE Andrew Wadsworth (BOS) With the emergence of Jason Babin as Boston’s premier edge rusher (17 sacks in 2010), Andre Wadsworth was an expensive player at a position that was not producing as many results (only 4 sacks). He still can provide a push for a team that may not have a premier edge rusher available. Don’t expect top level money here, but mid-range salary for a 2-3 year deal is certainly possible. 9— LB Mike Maslowski (POR) Portland’s leading tackler (94 in 2010) Maslowski is a better-than-average middle linebacker in a league where the position has taken something of a backseat to the faster, more aggressive outside backers. Despite this, Maslowski could be a top target for some of the clubs around the league who are dealing with a less than stellar run defense. 8— OT Mike Williams (STL) Finding a quality tackle, especially one who can play on either side of the line, is always an attractive option, so expect Williams to be quite a popular player in this year’s offseason. 7— WR Joe Jurevicius (BOS) The longstanding #2 receiver for the Cannons had a rough year in 2010, appearing in the first six games of the year before injury wiped out the rest of his 2010 season. Prior to this year, Jurevicius put together back to back 1,000 yard seasons, and, assuming the 35-year old is able to bounce back from injury, Jurevicius could again find himself as a team’s 2nd receiver, though a role player position may not be out of the question at this stage of his career and after returning from significant injury. 6— DT Kenard Lang (OHI) With 83 tackles in 2010, Kenard Lang is one of the best in the business at both run stuffing and occupying blockers in the pass rush. He will not garner DE money, but he should end this offseason as one of the highest paid defensive tackles in the league. With uncertainty about leadership in Ohio as Al Luginbill steps down, Lang may well be open to a move. 5— QB Jake Delhomme (MEM) A bit of a surprise as Delhomme had a solid year statistically with the Showboats. Delhomme threw for over 3,100 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 12 picks. Memphis allowed Delhomme’s contract to expire, which seems to indicate that they already have other plans at the position. Most around the Showboats believe this may be an interest in Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, whose senior season begins in about a month. Mallett would be a territorial pick option for the Showboats. As for Delhomme, with QB being such a vital position in the league, and with several teams less than satisfied with their current signal caller, we expect Delhomme to get a lot of interest. 4— WR Plaxico Burress (FA) Unsigned since his gunshot injury and subsequent suspension, Burress is an interesting case for the league. He is a true free agent, and could be signed by an NFL club outside of the transfer window, but so far this offseason the NFL seems uninterested in the receiver. Will the same be true for the 28 USFL clubs who will be able to sign Burress as of late August. 3— LB Lavar Arrington (JAX) Jacksonville could not afford to resign both Mike Vrabel and Lavar Arrington this offseason. They prioritized their All-USFL middle linebacker, which means that 10-year veteran Arrington is cut loose. Arrington dealt with injuries all season, amassing only 17 tackles, a career low, and not a good way to enter the market. 2— G Leonard Davis (TEX) The big right guard played over 1,100 snaps this year, and had only 2 penalties called against him. One of the best run blockers available this year, and a solid pass protector as well. Guard is a tricky position to judge when it comes to value and compensation, but expect Davis to get his payday this offseason. 1—SS Troy Polamalu (LA) Without a doubt the most intriguing defender currently available as a free agent. He has had something of a beef with LA ownership over what he sees as a lack of respect for his role on the team, so we expect him to jump at a chance to relocate and will focus on his role, perhaps more than purely financial value in a new contract. Expect a ton of interest from across the league as many teams will do what they can to get this heavy hitter into their camp. Outside of the ten listed above, there are certainly other players who will get interest. Here is our quick breakdown of the other noteworthy names that are now outside of a contract. Quarterbacks: Jeff Blake (STL), Matt Cassel (ORL), Jeff Garcia (LA), Tee Martin (SEA), Ingle Martin (POR), Dave Dickenson (BIR) Halfbacks: LaBrandon Toefield (TBY), Chris Perry (POR), R. J. Redmond (NJ), Michael Bush (BIR) Fullbacks: Marecellus Reese (SEA) Tight Ends: Marcellus Rivers (MGN) Receivers: Joey Galloway (OHI), Lee Evans (MEM), Darnerien McCants (CHA), Javon Walker (OHI) Tackles: Will Smith (ORL), Oliver Ross (MGN), Kurt Vollers (TBY) Guards: Jonathan Fischer (STL), Steve Sciulo (ORL), Stefen Page (BIR) Centers: Chris Spencer (ATL), Jonathan Sewell (MGN), Melvin Fowler (TBY) Edge Rushers: Marcellus Wiley (MEM), Akin Ogunleye (MGN), Joe Tafoya (ARZ), Carl Powell (JAX) Defensive Tackles: Daryl Gardener (LA), Jason Peter (TBY), Alan Rubin (LA) Linebackers: Kevin Mitchell (TBY), T. J. Slaughter (STL), Will Overstreet (ORL) Corners: Jason Webster (OHI), Duane Starks (ARZ), Corey Webster (CHA) Safeties: Reggie Tongue (CHA0, Clifton Black (ARZ), Brian Dawkins (ARZ), Darnell Bing (BOS), Cory Fuller (NJ) Kickers: Jeff Hall (MEM), Nick Folk (ARZ) Punters: Darren Colquitt (MGN), Brad Costello (MEM) Wild Card Weekend. Four games over two days, and the round where we most frequently see road teams pull the upset. With the top 4 clubs in the league resting during their bye week, the remaining 8 playoff teams must find a way to survive and advance. Here is our look at the four games on tap this weekend. #6 NEW ORLEANS (9-7) @ #3 ATLANTA (9-7) Saturday, July 10 @ 4pm ET Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA Two pretty evenly matched clubs face off in the Georgia Dome this week. New Orleans comes in with the league’s 4th rated passing attack, led by Eli Manning and a young group of receivers. Their weakness has been on defense, where they have given up nearly 330 yards per game (23rd in the league), and yet, despite bending quite a bit, they do not break as often as you might think, rankied in the top 10 at only 17.8 points per game allowed. Atlanta won its first division title largely on the back of the 4th ranked pass defense. The Fire do not allow a lot of yards through the air, which creates an interesting matchup with the Breakers’s pass-first strategy. On offense, the key is balance, with Kyle Orton at his best when Darren McFadden poses a viable run threat. Josh Reed led all receivers this year with nearly 1,500 yards receiving, so you have to believe that the Breakers will do all they can to contain Orton’s #1 target. Our pick: We think experience might give an edge to the Breakers, who have seen more playoff action than the Fire to be sure. Yes, playing in Atlanta will be a boost for the Fire, but we still see the more experienced team having a better shot of handling the pressure. #5 LAS VEGAS (9-7) @ #4 DENVER (12-4) Saturday, July 10 @ 8pm ET Invesco Field, Denver, CO This one will be interesting to say the least. The question on everyone’s mind is if Denver will come out disheartened and flat or absolutely seething and rage-fueled. There is a lot of anger about this past week among the Gold players and coaches, and that could translate either into sloppy play or into a beat down of the Thunder. If Las Vegas can survive the emotional wave that will hit at Invesco during the first quarter, they might be well-suited to use Denver’s fire against them, forcing mistakes, penalties, and turnovers, which would certainly help Las Vegas’s erratic offense with short fields and potential big mistakes. On paper, Denver is clearly the better team. Their record, their defensive strength, and the consistency of their run game, a two-headed beast that accounted for nearly 1,800 yards (Hicks 893, Ringer 772). Las Vegas will depend on their run defense and hope to find some answers with the 26th rated offense. Jake Plummer might need to find some of his old magic for the Thunder to move the ball against what will likely be a fired up Gold defense. Our Pick: Denver is the better team, that seems pretty clear. Our only worry is that they are rattled by the events of the past week. We think that they will turn the shock of this past week into a driving motivation to come out strong. This one could be ugly, but we think it ends with a Denver win. #5 BALTIMORE (10-6) @ #4 WASHINGTON (10-6) Sunday, July 11 @ 1pm ET RFK Stadium, Washington, DC This one should be fun. Two foes who know each other about as well as any two teams in the league. Baltimore have won 4 of their last 5 and are back on track with Ben Roethlisberger back under center. As always, they will try to get Ron Dayne rolling, which frees up Tory Holt and Darius Heyward-Bay with single coverage. Washington will counter with Deuce McCallister and the dual threat of David Garrard, who has really come on over the past month. Baltimore’s defense is 25th in the league in scoring and 28th in yards allowed, so the Federals are hoping to keep their offense on the field and keep Big Ben sitting on the sideline for as much of the game as possible. Our Pick: This is a tough one since both clubs are playing really well right now. Washington won pretty handily only 2 weeks ago, so we think they have the psychological edge. We will pick the Federals to win again, but this one will likely be a torrid and high scoring affair. #6 CHICAGO (9-7) @ #3 OAKLAND (9-7) Sunday, July 11 @ 5pm ET Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA Two clubs who are not at their best the past month. Chicago has lost 3 of 4 and Oakland has lost 4 in a row. What that tells us is that neither of these teams is coming into this game with a lot of swagger. The Mahine have a bit more confidence in them simply because they have all of their stars available, both on offense, with Michael Turner, Donald Driver, and Brady Quinn ready to roll, and on defense, where Anthony Weaver just missed on the sack total, while Brian Urlacher remains one of the best MLB’s in the game. Oakland was hoping for a miraculous return from Joey Harrington. With that not happening, Bob Volek will have to surprise us. Either that, or Ricky Williams will have to simply explode against Chicago’s #2 rated rush defense. That feels like a lot to ask of the veteran back. Our pick: We see Chicago as the team with more momentum, though they too have struggled of late. Losing to St. Louis cannot be a confidence booster. Honestly, turnovers could be the key to this game. We have two good defenses and two offenses that have talent. Overall we just cannot shake the feeling that Chicago is in a better position to win this game.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Antonio Pierce left no doubt about the Federals' place in the playoffs, reacking havok on the New Jersey Generals in the key Week 16 victory for Washington. PLAYOFF PICTURE: FInal Playoff Seeds. EAST: 1-PHI 2-NSH 3-ATL 4-WSH 5-BAL 6-NOR WEST: 1-HOU 2-PIT 3-OAK 4-DEN 5-CHI 6-LVS

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Deuce McCallister did it on the ground and through the air to help Washington upend the Baltimore Blitz and put them in position to lock up the top Wild Card spot in the East. His combined 215 combined yards from scrimmage, along with 2 scores were the spark the Feds needed in this key rivalry game. PLAYOFF PICTURE: A lot of movement on the playoff front this week, particularly in the West, where Pittsburgh, Oakland and Chicago all clinched postsseason berths. Denver and Philadelphia also locked up both their division titles (thanks to tie breakers) and the #1 seed in each conference, so we know the playoffs will be running through Invesco Field and Lincoln Financial Field. One playoff spot remains in the West, with Las Vegas controlling their own destiny, but Portland, Michigan, and Texas all in the mix if the Thunder stumble. In the East there is only 1 spot locked up, but all 5 current playoff contenders are able to control their destiny. A win and they are in. Nashville is in the tightest situation as, for the second year in a row, a season ending game against the Breakers will determine who wins the Southern Division. Nashville could still get in as a Wild Card with a loss. Orlando and New Jersey are currently both 1 game out of contention, but if Baltimore, Washington, Nashville, or New Orleans lose (and one of the Southern teams is sure to), then we could see either the Generals or the Renegades sneak into the postseason on the season's final weekend.