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A big opening weekend, only partially impacted by weather, as rain pounded the East Coast and a cold wintery day in Denver made fans bundle up. But the weather could not diminish the fan excitement as the USFL season kicked off.  The week included 2 overtime games, a nailbiter between New Orleans and Birmingham, and a couple of big upsets as Houston stunned the Pittsburgh Maulers and Portland won their home opener against the favored Express.  We also saw Calais Campbell start the year with a 3-sack game, and QB Joe Flacco begin his MVP defense with a nice 331-yard performance.  A lot of action, a lot of excitement, and just a lot of happiness that football is back as USFL season 30 kicked off. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 17   MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS  20   OVERTIME A good one at the Liberty Bowl where two in-state rivals went head to head in an opening week rivalry game.  Neither the Showboats nor the Knights are expected to have stellar seasons, but they put together a really nice opening week clash in front of 40,202 in Memphis.  Quincy Carter got the start at QB for the visiting Knights and went 30 of 42 for 274 yards and 2 scores. Second year Showboat QB Ryan Mallett also threw for 3 scores on his 24 of 48, 233 yard day. The game began very slowly, with both teams struggling to move the ball in the scoreless first quarter, but things started to heat up in the 2nd.  Starting with a short field after a poor Nashville punt, Memphis took advantage, driving down the field and putting up the first points on a Jim Kleinsasser TD catch for Mallett’s first TD of the season.  Nashville responded with a drive of their own, with Carter connecting on 3 of 5 passes on the drive, including the 7-yard TD to his own TE, Justin Peele.  Getting the ball back with 2:45 left in the half, Mallett again drove Memphis down the field, this time using a no-huddle offense. With just under 30 seconds to go in the half, Mallett connected with WR Robert Ferguson for a 30-yard score to put the home Showboats up at the half, 14-7. In the third quarter, Nashville would equalize the score, the only scoring drive being a 14-play slow grinder that ended with Carter finding Ahmad Merrit in the endzone from 4 yards out.  The game would stay tied at 14 throughout the rest of the 3rd quarter, with both teams still struggling to make headway on the ground. Frank Gore would finish the game with 53 yards on 17 carries (3.1 per carry) while Cadillac Williams only averaged 2.6 YPC on his way to a total of 50 yards on the day.  But, in the 4th quarter both clubs were able to get in range for their kickers, with Nashville breaking the tie with a 31-yarder from Connor Barth, and Memphis coming back to once again tie the game and send it to overtime on a Dan Bailey kick. In overtime, Memphis won the toss and managed to get in range for Bailey to add a 53-yard kick on the opening possession, meaning that Nashville would need to score on their opening drive or loss the game.  The Knights moved the ball well until they reached the 50, but then struggled as Memphis turned up the defensive pressure.  A sack of Carter by FS Tebucky Jones on a 2nd and 12 forced Nashville to try to get into field goal range on 3rd down.  They gained back 8 yards, but that forced Connor Barth to go for a 48-yard field goal to tie, and the kick sailed off to the left, giving Memphis a home win to open the season, and a big bragging point as they knocked off their in-state rival to start the year 1-0. TEXAS 20   DENVER 7 Friday’s season opener showcased Joe Flacco and the Outlaw offense once again.  With NFL import Arian Foster not yet activated, the onus of the offense was on Flacco, and he came through with 331 yards passing on a 20 of 33 day.  Flacco connected for scores with both Brandon Marshall and Marques Colston, with Colston catching 7 balls for 133 yards in an impressive opening week performance. BOSTON 14   WASHINGTON 29 Deuce McCallister put up 118 yards and a score, while Deion Branch added 2 TDs in an impressive opening week win for the Federals.  Jake Locker threw for 300 yards but had to leave the game in the 4th after getting sacked as Boston struggled to keep pace all game.  It was 22-0 early in the third before the first Boston score and Washington was never truly threatened in their home opener. MICHIGAN 21   BALTIMORE 24 Baltimore came back to win after falling behind 21-17 midway through the 4th, with Ben Roethlisberger hitting Darrius Heyward-Bey with the winning touchdown in the final minute. Big Ben, who only threw for 177 yards against the Panther D got 44 of those yards in the final drive which clinched the home opener for the Blitz. LOS ANGELES 17   PORTLAND 20 Portland gets the first official upset of the day as the 5-point home underdogs upend the Express in the Stags’ home opener.  LA had led most of the day, but Portland tied the game up with a Mason Crosby field goal early in the 4th and then got one more to earn the win as Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21 of 32 for 238 and 2 TDs.  Portland held Randy Moss to only 1 reception on the game, while both Koren Robinson and TE Cameron Jordan each had 6 catches for the Stags. OHIO 9   LAS VEGAS 31 Chad Johnson’s first game in the electric lime jerseys of the Thunder was equally electric, with the All USFL receiver catching 7 balls for 70 yards as Las Vegas rolled at home.  Marshawn Lynch rushed for 106 yards and Jake Plummer completed a stunning 25 of 28 throws for 286 yards and 2 scores against an Ohio defense that did not look ready for the season to start. PHILADELPHIA 14   NEW JERSEY 9 A rainy, blustery day made offense difficult for both NE Division teams as Philadelphia managed to get the road win despite trailing 9-0 at the half.  Two 2nd half TD tosses from Matt Gutierrez to Reche Caldwell helped Philadelphia eke out the win after Kurt Warner went down to injury in the first half.  New Jersey focused on run defense, and put up a wild number, with Steve Slaton rushing the ball 21 times for only 4 total yards, but it was not enough to get the Generals the home opening win. ORLANDO 24   JACKSONVILLE 13 The Renegades picked off Tim Tebow twice, held rookie HB Lamar Miller to only 12 yards rushing, and got 9 receptions for 103 yards and 2 scores from #1 receiver Michael Jenkins as they nearly doubled up the Bulls’ score.  Eli Manning looked solid, going 17 of 23 for 167 yards and the two scoring tosses to Jenkins.  And, as usual, Calais Campbell had a big day against the Bulls, recording 3 sacks in his season opener. NEW ORLEANS 19  BIRMINGHAM 21 A good one between two familiar division foes, with Birmingham building up a 21-13 lead in the 3rd and then disrupting a 2-point play to preserve the lead after New Orleans scored on a pick-six in the 4th quarter.  Cam Newton threw for 234 and 2 scored, but threw three picks, including the one late that could have tied the game had the D not stopped the 2-point play. ATLANTA 25   CHARLOTTE 33 Two teams expected to live on defense ended up in a shootout in Charlotte as both Jake Delhomme and Kyle Orton threw for 3 scores apiece.  Free agent acquisition Mark Clayton caught 2 scoring tosses from Delhomme, while Orton connected with Reed, Thomas, and Demetrius Williams for scores in this back and forth game. Charlotte safety John Keith recorded 9 tackles and 2 sacks as the Monarchs used a complex blitz scheme to try to disrupt Orton, and it was just enough to get the home and season opening win. ARIZONA 20   OAKLAND 6 Arizona starts strong on both sides of the ball, with David Carr throwing for 2 scores, Rob Gronkowski going for 109 yards on only 4 receptions and the defense holding Oakland to only 2 field goals on the day.  Not the debut the Invaders were hoping for as nothing seemed to work for them. The Invaders were outgained 339-229 and converted only 3 of 15 third down plays as Arizona kept them in check all game. HOUSTON 27   PITTSBURGH 21 The week’s most surprising result saw the Houston Gamblers come into Pittsburgh and shock the defending Western Division Champions.  Houston got 324 yards from Matt Hasselbeck, as the veteran QB also threw for 3 scores, including 2 to Michael Sims-Walker, who broke free for 143 yards, including a 93-yard scoring play in the third quarter that made the score 24-7. Pittsburgh struggled early on, and by the time they found their offense it was too little too late. CHICAGO 6   ST. LOUIS 26 A dominant season opening performance from the Skyhawks, as they held visiting Chicago to only 2 field goals and HB Michael Turner to only 28 yards rushing on 21 carries.  Josh Freeman completed only 7 passes all day, but 3 of them were for touchdowns.  Antowain Smith carried the load, rushing for 91 yards on 21 carries, but it was St. Louis’s defense that won the day, with LB Aldon Smith recording 10 tackles, 5 for a loss, and rookie Olivier Vernon recording 2 sacks, including a safety against Brady Quinn. TAMPA BAY 19   SEATTLE 13   OVERTIME The Sunday night finale became the 2nd overtime game of the week as Tampa Bay got a touchdown on their opening drive of overtime to take the win on the road.  Seattle had fought back form a 13-3 deficit, with a late Jahvid Best TD and a Dave Rayner field goal in the 4th quarter to equalize the score on a rainy night in Seattle, but in overtime, Tampa Bay went 71 yards on 13 plays and ended the game with Jared Cook catching the gamewinner from Culpepper.  Joey Galloway was the leading receiver in the game with 109 yards on 9 catches, while Willis McGahee led all rushers with 78 yards on the day. Ron Dayne Breaks Wrist, to Miss 8-12 Weeks It was not all good news in opening week as the spectre of injury struck the league right from the get go.  Despite pulling out the 24-21 win against Michigan, a dark cloud in Baltimore as their star halfback, Ron Dayne was forced out of the game with an injury, only to discover after X-rays that they could lose Dayne for 3 months or more with a broken wrist. The big back landed awkwardly and the replay showed the wrist bent backwards uncomfortably,  Dayne immediately grabbed his right arm and rushed off the field and quickly into the locker room.  X-rays would reveal two fractures and a displacement that would require immediate care and a cast be put on the halfback’s dominant hand.  It is possible that Dayne could return to play perhaps in Week 9 or 10, but there is no guarantee.  In the meantime the rushing duties will have to be taken up by 3rd year back Anthony Dixon, who had only 5 rushing attempts in 2011, and by rookie Michael Harper from South Carolina State, a late round draft pick. We expect Baltimore, who still have significant cap space to go after a third option, as the run game is key to their entire offensive scheme.  That may mean a trade, or the Blitz could look at free agents like Marion Barber, Kevin Smith, or Reno Mahe.  Whatever path they take, the absence of Dayne will certainly be felt. Vince Young Knocked Out on Field Another injury, though one without the long term prognosis, occurred in Las Vegas, where visiting QB Vince Young of the Ohio Glory was knocked unconscious in the game and had to be revived using smelling salts.  Young was scrambling and took a hard hit, helmet to helmet from the Thunder defender. He would lie on the field until team trainers got to him and revived him.  Out of precaution they put a back brace on him and took him to the lockerroom.  He would return to the sideline later in the game, with the prognosis being a concussion and a fracture to his eye socket, one that produced a pretty noticeable black eye. Young is expected to miss 1-2 weeks to allow the bone to heal and to avoid risking a more serious break were he to take another hit.  Terrelle Pryor finished the game for Ohio and is expected to start in Week 2, with Tony Pike in reserve. Warner Out, Gutierrez Gets Win Kurt Warner was also removed from the season opener as the former All-USFL QB suffered a neck stinger in the game against New Jersey.  He is listed as probable for this week, but is expected back on the field.  Once again, backup Matt Gutierrez, who led the Stars to two playoff wins and a Conference Title Game when Warner was injured in the Wild Card round last year, came in for Warner and again looked like a solid option.  Gutierrez finished the game 13 of 15 for 202 yards and threw both second half TDs to win the game for the Stars.  Had he qualified, he would have been the league’s passing leader with a 158.3 QB Rating, but his 15 attempts were insufficient to meet the minimum requirement in the category.  That said, Gutierrez again proved how valuable a quality backup is in this league, helping Philadelphia tough out the road victory in their season opening rivalry game with the Generals. Olivier Vernon Makes Huge First Impression While many of the offensive stars who signed on with the USFL as rookie draft picks this year did little on the field, defensive end Olivier Vernon of the Skyhawks made the most of his debut in the league, recording 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and a safety for St. Louis as they crushed the Chicago Machine in front of nearly 45,000 in St. Louis to open the season strong.   Vernon, a 2nd round pick out of the University of Miami, played 40 downs, and looked dangerous on most of them, shrugging off the right tackle on several plays and showing both power and speed as he harassed Brady Quinn.   He made his presence known right away, scoring a safety on the opening drive of the game after a muffed kickoff return gave Chicago the ball on their own 5.  On 2nd and 12 from the 3, Vernon got past the right tackle and found Brady, who apparently thought he would have more time.  Vernon hit the QB as he was winding up to throw, forcing a fumble, which was recovered in the endzone by a Chicago lineman, but resulted in a safety. Vernon would be a factor the entire game, recording a second sack in the 3rd quarter, but forcing Chicago to shift their line away from LE Adrian Clayborn and towards the rookie.  A very good opening week for a player we have not talked much about this offseason, as well as a very good start to the year for the Skykhawks, who enter the season with high hopes to reach their first postseason in franchise history. Chad Johnson’s First Game in Las Vegas No surprise that when he took to the field for the first time as a member of the Las Vegas Thunder, Chad Johnson would show a little swagger and a little style as he soaked up the spotlight in Sin City.  Johnson had himself a very strong outing as Las Vegas cruised to a 31-9 victory over the Ohio Glory.  He finished the game with 7 receptions on 8 targets, racking up 70 yards, and while it was T. J. Houshmandzadeh who would bring in both of Jake Plummer’s TD tosses, it was Johnson who was taking in the limelight, seen often on the Thunder sideline pumping up the crowd and making sure fans saw when he caught passes for first down, to the point of being called for taunting on one occasion, a rare call in the USFL, where exuberant post-play celebration has long been allowed. Johnson joined the Thunder after 8 seasons in Boston, and seemed energized by the city, the fans, and their reaction to his arrival. In his 12th year in the league, Johnson already has Hall of Fame numbers and three league titles (two with Ohio in 2002 and 2003, and Boston’s title in 2009).  Fans in Las Vegas are absolutely hoping he can bring a title to the city and are more than happy to feed #85’s love of the spotlight to help him do it. While the injury to Ron Dayne is certainly the headline from Week 1’s injury report, and the Vince Young injury was unnerving to watch, these two were not the only unfortunate knocks to USFL clubs in their first week of play. The injury list is sadly quite long after only 1 week. Here are the players in each category for Week 2: OUT Ron Dayne                           HB          BAL        18-12 Weeks      Wrist Andy Alleman                    OG          BAL        Placed on IR        Achilles Austin King                          C             WSH      Placed on IR        Quad Deltha O’Neal                    CB           MGN     6-8 Weeks           Foot Zach Miller                          TE           OHIO     1-2 Weeks           Finger Patrick Demarco               OT          PIT          1-2 Weeks           Abdomen Jeb Putzier                          TE           OAK       1-2 Weeks           Shoulder Vince Young                        QB          OHI        1-2 Weeks           Eye Morris Claiborne               CB           WSH      1-2 Weeks           Neck Mark Barron                       FS           LV           1-2 Weeks           Knee DOUBTFUL Greg Scruggs                      DE           LA           Abdomen Matt Light                            OT          OAK       Hand Jake Locker                          QB          BOS        Concussion Clyde Adams                      FS           TEX         Shoulder QUESTIONABLE Casey Hampton                DT           BOS        Thigh Ben Grubbs                         OG          BIR         Neck Lee Evans                            WR         MEM     Hip LaRon Landry                     SS           NSH       Shoulder Randy Moss                        WR         LA           Concussion First Impressions: 2012 Draft Class We already highlighted the strong first outing of DE Olivier Vernon of the Skyhawks, but Week 1 is always our first chance to see how the draft class starts off, and with several players obtaining starting positions this year, there were plenty of faces to get to know and impressions to make. Here is our list of the most prominent first year players in their first week of pro football. Justin Blackmon – WR – BOS The Cannons started two prominent rookies, Blackmon on offense and Luke Kuechley on defense.  Blackmon lined up opposite Cedrick Wilson for the Cannons and led all receivers with 97 yards on 6 receptions for the Cannons.  He saw 9 targets, second only to veteran Cedric Wilson, and had a nice 2/3 competion rate with those tosses. Luke Kuechley – LB – BOS The second rookie starter for the Cannons, Luke Kuechley out of BC, had a somewhat less stellar game statistically, with only 3 tackles, though two were behind the line of scrimmage, but what was noticeable was his comfort extending run plays to the sideline and taking on blockers.  A somewhat quiet start, but one that showed a lot of promise. Vontez Burfict – LB – TEX Another impressive defensive performance, this time from late round pick Vontez Burfict, who saw 30 snaps in the game against Denver, finishing the game with 4 tackles and a sack. Burfict is being used on the weak side, and was able to exploit the RT on a key down to get to QB Matt Leinart of Denver. Isaiah Pead – HB – OHIO Halfback Isaiah Pead split carries with DeMarco Murray in the first Glory game of the year, and while Murray ended the game with more carries (13 to 9), Pead’s numbers were better, averaging a very nice 7.5 yards per carry and rushing for 54 yards to Murray’s 49. We expect the two to continue to split carries, but if he keeps producing like this, Pead could start to see more touches. Malcolm Floyd – WR – CHI Chicago’s offense looked pretty rough in their big loss in St. Louis, but we did get to see a bit of both HB Doug Martin (2 carries for 0 yards) and Michael Floyd, who certainly had the better day with 5 targets, 4 catches, and 47 yards receiving.  Both will continue to be phased into an offense that Coach Schiano still has to mold. Lamar Miller – HB – JAX Jacksonville also struggled on offense vs. Orlando, but with 14 carries, Lamar Miller was certainly a featured player, limiting C. J. Spiller to only 1 carry on the day.  Unfortunately, a 0.9 YPC average is not going to build much confidence in Miller.  He will need to do better in upcoming games if he wishes to remain the go to back on first and second down. Josh Norman – CB – HOU Of the two rookie corners, Josh Norman had the better day.  Not only did he get the start as the #2 corner, but he finished the day with 2 tackles and a pass defended, while Janoris Jenkins did not register any stats in his 22 snaps. Robert Turbin – HB – SEA While Jahvid Best had the lead in both yards and carries for the Dragons in their game vs. Tampa Bay, Robert Turbin did see 24 snaps, and carried the ball 12 times.  His 16 yards show that he did have issues with finding gaps and with the speed of the game, but he is certainly part of the mix for the Dragon run game. Week Two brings us mor intriguing matchups, including another divisional game for Texas, who open their home schedule with the Arizona Wranglers.  On Saturday New Jersey heads to Washington to face the Federals for the Generals’ second divisional game in as many weeks.  Other divisional matchups this week include Jacksonville @ Charlotte, Oakland at LA in a Saturday Night showdown, Ohio visiting Chicago, and a nice Sunday Night finale with Pittsburgh headed to Michigan.  Our best non-divisional game of the week has to be the Birmingham-St. Louis clash in the Dome at America’s Center, with both clubs feeling optimistic about 2012 after opening week victories. BOLD = National Broadcast BLUE = Divisional Game FRIDAY @ 8PM ET             Arizona (1-0) @ Texas (1-0)                                NBC SAT @ 12PM ET                 New Jersey (0-1) @ Washington (1-0)                     ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                 Jacksonville (0-1) @ Charlotte (1-0)                          FOX SAT @ 12PM ET                 Portland (1-0) @ Orlando (1-0)                             FOX SAT @ 4PM ET                   Tampa Bay (1-0 @ New Orleans (0-1)             ABC SAT @ 4PM ET                   Seattle (0-1) @ Denver (0-1)                               FOX SAT @ 8PM ET                   Oakland (0-1) @ Los Angeles (0-1)                      ESPN SUN @ 12PM ET               Memphis (1-0) @ Baltimore (1-0)                   ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               Boston (0-1) @ Atlanta (0-1)                                       ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               Nashville (0-1) @ Philadelphia (1-0)                         FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                  Birmingham (1-0) @ St. Louis (1-0)                       ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                  Houston (1-0) @ Las Vegas (1-0)                       FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                  Ohio (0-1) @ Chicago (0-1)                                    FOX SUN @ 8PM ET                  Pittsburgh (0-1) @ Michigan (0-1)                             ESPN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: While we were impressed with the opening weeks from Calais Campbell and Deuce McCallister, we have gotten used to those kinds of games from these two superstars, so we are going to award the first POTW to WR Michael Sims-Walker, who surprised us as well as the Pittsburgh Maulers with a 4-catch, 148-yard, 2 TD performance against what we expected to be one of the league's best defenses. A nice start to the year for MS-W and for the Gamblers.

Twenty-eight teams, twenty-eight destinies.  Will this be the year for your club?  Will this be the year they get over the hump and into the playoffs?  The year they win it all?  Or they year it all comes crashing down?  The start of a new season means that every possibility is on the table.  We have seen teams come from nowhere to emerge as champions and we have seen Summer Bowl Champions crash to the ground and fail to make the playoffs.  It is all on the table right now.  So, what can we say about the next year?  Well, we can say that each team has reasons to be optimistic and reasons to be cautious.  As we break down all 6 USFL Divisions and all 28 clubs, we take a look at the changes each team has made and the situation they find themselves in, at least on paper, before the games kick off.  Here is our team-by-team analysis of what we see on the horizon for 2012. Predicted Order of Finish:  1-Philadelphia   2-Washington  3-New Jersey   4-Baltimore   5-Boston Our Thoughts on the Division: The Northeast feels like a two-team race between the Feds and the Stars.  Last year we predicted Baltimore would slip, and they did.  We also predicated that New Jersey could rise up, but they did not.  This year we still see the Generals on an upward trajectory, and we have our doubts about Baltimore.  I think it is safe to say that the Boston squad that went 1-14-1 last year will be better in 2012, but not good enough to make waves in this tough division. 2011 Final Record: 12-4 (2nd in NE) Roster Movement: Departures: G Cooper Carlisle (NFL), LB Ben Leber (Ret), G Rich Ornbelger (FA), CB Justin Miller (FA), WR Lance Moore (Trade) Arrivals: DT DeMarcus Tyler (FA), OT Jared Gaither (NFL), OG Mike McGlynn (Trade) Rookies to Watch: QB Austin Davis, OG Rokevious Watkins, OG Josh LeRibeus, DT Devon Still Our Analysis:  Last year the Stars got just about everything right, but finished 1 game behind for the division and then found themselves in the playoffs without Kurt Warner.  Had he stayed healthy, who knows, we might have gotten the all Pennsylvania finale after all. This year they look very much like a team that will compete again.  Losing Cooper Carlisle was a hit, but the Stars invested heavily in the O-line in the offseason, so we think that offense of theirs will do just fine. Predicted 2012 Record: 13-3, #1 in NE Division 2011 Final Record: 13-3 (1st in NE) Roster Movement: Departures: OT Matt Stinchcomb (RET), CB Brandon Flowers (FA), G Scott Tercero (FA), WR Dontrelle Inman (Trade) Arrivals: CB Jimmy Williams (FA), P Sam Koch (FA), OT Geoff Schwartz (NFL), DE Karmerian Wimberley (Trade) Rookies to Watch: CB Morris Claiborne, HB David Wilson, WR Chris Givens Our Analysis: The Federals surprised some by winning the top seed last year, but this is a solid team in every phase.  Deuce McCallister is still a beast, and now they can get him some rest by bringing in rookie David Wilson to spell him. Expect the defense to continue to be strong, particularly in the secondary, where Jimmy Williams should slot right in as the team’s top shut down option. Predicted 2012 Record: 12-4, Just one game behind Philly and 2nd in the NE Division. 2011 Final Record: 6-10 (4th in NE) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Piso Tinoisamoa (NFL), TE Anthony Becht (Ret), WR Mark Clayton (FA), WR Santonio Holmes (FA), SS Tom Zbibikowski (FA), DE Tamba Hali (Trade) Arrivals: FS Scott Shields (FA), DT Brandon Mbane (FA), QB Bryan Hoyer (NFL), TE John Carlson (NFL), CB Daniel Manning (Trade) Rookies to Watch: OT Donald Stephenson, S Peyton Thompson, WR Mohamed Sanu Our Analysis: We picked the Generals to compete for the division last year and they did not live up to that expectation.  Do we expect that this year?  No, but we do think this team has enough talent to fight for a Wild Card.  They lost some major players, including 2 wideouts, but they did well in free agency, particularly in snagging John Carlson away from the NFL to replace Anthony Becht.  This is a team that is still looking like they have more ahead of them, but they could be a breakout team this year. Predicted 2012 Record: 9-7, 3rd in the NE and possibly a Wild Card. 2011 Final Record: 9-7 (3rd in NE) Roster Movement: Departures: C Melvin Fowler (Ret), CB Ken Lucas (FA), HB Antonio Pittman (FA), FS Shaunard Harts (FA), QB Chris Simms (FA), WR Doug Gabriel (FA) Arrivals: WR Donte Do (FA), DE Antwan Odom (FA), Rookies to Watch: LB Melvin Ingram, CB A. J. Davis, S Winston Guy, DE Jonathan Massoquoi Our Analysis: We just don’t feel confident about the Blitz.  They can look very good one week and below average the next.  They struggle to turn drives into touchdowns, putting too much on the defense to keep them in every game.  We just suspect that they just are not as good as some would have you believe. Predicted 2012 Record:  7-9, and 4th in the division. 2011 Final Record: 1-14-1 (5th in NE) Roster Movement: Departures: HB Tony Hunt (NFL), TE James Whalen (Ret), LB Corey Miller (Ret), WR Chad Johnson (FA), CB Fred Smoot (NFL), LB DeMarcus Tyler (FA), SS Rich Cody (Ret), LB Ike Reese (FA), QB Jamie Martin (FA), OT Joseph Bragg (Trade) Arrivals: QB Dereck Anderson (FA), CB Brandon Carr (NFL), FS Earl Thomas (Trade) Rookies to Watch: LB Luke Kuechley,WR Justin Blackmon, DT Akiem Hicks, WR Nick Toon Our Analysis: Boston fell and fell hard last year, producing the worst record in the league, and, even worse, a lost season for highly touted QB Jake Locker.  Locker will get another shot this year, though it is telling that Boston brought in Dereck Anderson just in case he struggles again. Thee loss of Chad Johnson in free agency, along with Fred Smoot, Corey Miller, and Ike Reese also don’t help what is clearly a team in transition. Predicted 2012 Record: 4-12, 5th in NE Division. Predicted Order of Finish: 1-Tampa Bay   2-Orlando  3-Atlanta  4-Charlotte  5-Jacksonville Our Thoughts on the Division:  Tampa Bay surprised us a bit last year, finishing much stronger than we expected and earning their 3rd league title.  That makes them the team to beat in the SE Division, but as we have seen with the last few champions, returning to a Summer Bowl is no easy feat.  We see competition coming from Orlando and Atlanta.  We expect Charlotte to take a step back and we just don’t see Jacksonville as being a contender this year.  The Bulls could be better, and may not finish in the basement, but we just don’t see them finishing over .500  with the changes they have made this year. 2011 Final Record: 12-4 (1st in SE, League Champion) Roster Movement: Departures: DE Marcellus Wiley (Ret), WR Chris Doering (Ret), FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo (Ret), LB Zeke Moreno (Ret), G Steve Sciulo (FA), QB Matt Cassel (FA), WR Earl Bennett (FA) Arrivals: WR Santonio Holmes (FA), QB T. J. Yates (Trade) Rookies to Watch: WR Alshon Jeffery, QB Ryan Lindley, LB Caleb MCSurdy, LB Nigel Bradham Our Analysis: The Bandits put all the pieces together last year and had a championship run in a year when many expected them to struggle.  So what happens this year?  They have suffered some significant roster losses, but we like their approach to the offseason.  They brought in two quality receivers, one through free agency and another in the draft, also drafted at their 2nd key position, linebacker, and have largely filled holes caused by retirement and free agency.  This very much looks like a team ready to defend their title. Predicted 2012 Record: 11-5, 1st in Southeast. 2011 Final Record: 8-7-1 (3rd in SE) Roster Movement: Departures: FB Paul Williams (Ret), DT Jarron Gilbert (FA), HB Jacob Hester (FA), WR Leondard Hankerson (Trade) Arrivals: QB Chad Henne (NFL), HB Tim Hightower (NFL), OT Chris Terry (Trade) Rookies to Watch: QB Russell Wilson, LB Sean Spence, OG Brandon Washington, DT Jeris Pendleton Our Analysis: For the second year in a row, the Renegades have been the “first team out”, meaning the team that was closest to a playoff spot without getting one.  That has to change.  Their offseason was both uneventful and a bit strange.  No major losses from the 2011 squad, but no huge gains either.  We like the signing of Tim Hightower, but why did they both draft a QB and bring in an NFL QB when they have a proven starter in Eli Manning on the squad? That has to be a sign that the club is not sold on Manning, which cannot go over well with the veteran.  That alone is reason for concern, and in a very tough division, that could be enough to keep them on the fringe once again. Predicted 2012 Record:  9-7, 2nd in the SE Division, but again on the outside? 2011 Final Record: 7-9 (4th in SE) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Rahim Abdullah (Ret), SS Brandon Merriweather (FA), G Bobbie Williams (FA), WR Marcus Robinson (Ret), HB Julius Jones (FA), HB Anthony Allen (Trade) Arrivals: LB Patrick Willis (FA), HB Ladell Betts (FA), FB Marcel Reese (FA), S Tyvon Branch (NFL), WR Matt Jones (Trade) Rookies to Watch: OT Cordy Glenn, OG Brandon Brooks, CB Brandon Boykin, HB Michael Smith Our Analysis: The Fire brought in one of the most coveted free agents in the market with LB Patrick Willis.  In the draft they tried to address issues on their line, but we are not sure it is enough to make a major move.  The defense should be better, which will help, but we are still not sure they have enough playmakers on offense to consistently pull out wins in close games. Predicted 2012 Record: 8-8, 3rd in SE Division 2011 Final Record: 9-7 (2nd in SE) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Raynoch Thompson (NFL), DE Julius Peppers (Ret), G Sean Locklear (FA), WR Anquon Boldin (FA), TE Anthony Hill (FA), FS Nick Collins (FA), FS Corey Hall (FA) Arrivals: WR Mark Clayton (FA), QB Charlie Whitehurst (NFL), Rookies to Watch: QB Brandon Wheedon, OG J. R. Sweezy, TE Garrett Celek Our Analysis: Charlotte improved over the course of the second half last year, and managed a winning record, but they also took quite a few hits.  They are clearly building for the future, as the selection of Brandon Wheedon demonstrates.  But, will they scuttle this year in order to build for 2013?  We will get a sense of that in how they treat Jake Delhomme and Wheedon.  The sooner Wheedon sees action the more likely the team is looking at the future. Predicted 2012 Record: 7-9, 4th in SE Division 2011 Final Record: 3-12-1 (5th in SE) Roster Movement: Departures: HB LaBrandon Toefield (NFL), G Michael Moore (NFL), OT Jason Odom (Ret), CB Dereck Combs (FA), HB Kerry Joseph (FA), WR Nate Washington (FA), DT Alan Branch (FA) Arrivals: QB Chase Daniel (FA), WR Lance Moore (Trade) Rookies to Watch: DT Fletcher Cox, HB Lamar Miller, CB Coty Sensabaugh, OT Tom Compton Our Analysis: This is a make-or-break year for QB Tim Tebow. He has shown flashes, especially with his feet, but also as a passer, but consistency and decision-making have not always been there.  What is particularly concerning is that the Bulls don’t seem to be doing much to build around him.  We look over the Bulls’ roster and we are just not seeing the kind of overhaul that a 3-win team should have to shake up the status quo, and so we predict another status quo year. Predicted 2012 Record:  4-12, 5th in SE Division Predicted Order of Finish:   1-Birmingham   2-New Orleans   3-Nashville   4-Memphis Our Thoughts on the Division: By all accounts, the Nashville Knights, who have won the division the past three years, are looking like a team in transition.  Peyton Manning will miss no less than the first 8 games and may not see the field at all, which, in our minds, means Birmingham has the best QB situation this season.  They also showed good improvement on defense last year.  We see them as possibly one of the fastest risers in the league.  New Orleans has several flaws, but still looks like the 2nd best team in the division, especially after we saw how they reacted to Lamar Lathon as head coach last year.  Nashville finishes 3rd, with Memphis bringing up the rear unless Ryan Mallett has a major sophomore surge. 2011 Final Record: 7-9 (2nd in South) Roster Movement: Departures: WR Arnaz Battle (Ret), FS Clarence Love (Ret), P Kyle Richardson (Ret), FB Shawn Bryson (FA), OT Jeff Backus (NFL), WR Donte Do (FA), DE Karmerian Wimberley (Trade) Arrivals: SS Pat Watkins (FA), WR Dontrelle Inman (Trade) Rookies to Watch: OT Riley Reiff, P Bryan Anger, S Christian Thompson, FB Rhett Ellison, TE Dwayne Allen Our Analysis: Can you win a division by default?  Birmingham is in a position to prove you can.  They were much improved last year and rookie QB Cam Newton, the league’s ROTY, was a breath of fresh air, but had it not been for the implosion of Jay Cutler and the inability of Nashville to land Andrew Luck, we might very well be predicting Nashville to win the division for a 4th straight year.  We don’t think the Stallions are ready for an 11 or 12 win season yet, but 9-7 may well be enough to win a very week Southern Division. Predicted 2012 Record:  9-7, 1st in Southern Division. 2011 Final Record: 5-11 (3rd in South) Roster Movement: Departures: HB Michael Robinson (NFL), LB Calvin Pace (NFL), C Todd McClure (Ret), G Paul Zakauskas (FA), C Josh Sewell (FA), K David Green (FA), LB Bradie James (FA), G Terrance Metcalf (FA), QB Luke McCown (Trade), FS Earl Thomas (Trade) Arrivals: C Chris Spencer (FA), DT Ra’Shon Harris (FA), K Graham Gano (FA), G Mike Brisiel (NFL), HB Mike Tolbert (NFL), OT Joseph Bragg (Trade), P Matt Allen (Trade) Rookies to Watch: TE Coby Fleener, S Brandon Taylor, LB Dezman Moses Our Analysis: We are picking New Orleans to be the main challenger to Birmingham for two reasons, first, they have a veteran QB in Drew Brees at the helm, and second, they have a coach that the players battle for in Lamar Lathon.  But, when you look at all the departures in offseason, and the lackluster draft class, it is hard to get too excited about this roster. Predicted 2012 Record: 8-8, 2nd in Southern Division 2011 Final Record: 8-8 (1st in South) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Keith Burns (Ret), LB D. D. Lewis (Ret), OT Jason Fabini (Ret), G Jeb Terry (FA), P Sam Koch (FA), DE Gary Stills (FA), DE Quintin Moses (FA), QB Chase Daniel (FA), LB Terrell Suggs Trade) Arrivals: LB Jarret Johnson (NFL), QB Peyton Manning (NFL) Rookies to Watch: OT Bobby Massie, DT Bradnon Thompson, DE Malik Jackson, P Marquette King Our Analysis: The Peyton Manning signing is generating a lot of excitement, but we expect the weekly updates on his practices will be better news for the Knights than the weekly scoreboard of actual games.  This team lost a lot, added not nearly enough, and may have hobbled their defense by sending Terrell Suggs to Oakland for what turned out to be a failed attempt to draft Andrew Luck. The folks in Music City may be excited to see Peyton Manning throwing passes, but it is Quincy Carter who is likely to be under center for most of the season, and that does not bode well for 2012. Predicted 2012 Record: 5-11, 3rd in Southern Division. 2011 Final Record: 4-11-1 (4th in South) Roster Movement: Departures: G Darnell Alford (NFL), FB John Kuhn (NFL), OT Mike Gandy (Ret), CB Kareem Larrimore (Ret), LB Patrick Willis (FA), WR Matt Jones (Trade) Arrivals: QB Matt Cassel (FA), LB Ryan D’Imperio (FA), G Carl Nicks (NFL), DE Mario Williams (NFL), HB Anthony Allen (Trade) Rookies to Watch: DT Dontari Poe, DE Jake Bequette, CB Richard Crawford, G Gino Gradkowski Our Analysis: Here is the deal. The USFL is a QB-Driven league, always has been and continues to be.  Based on last year, we are not sure Ryan Mallett is a QB who can get the job done.  And while bringing in Summer Bowl hero Matt Cassel is a nice move, we are also not so sure he is the answer.  Add to that the loss of their best defensive player, Patrick Willis, in free agency, and the retirement of their All-USFL left tackle, and, well, this just feels like a team that needs to start all over again. Predicted 2012 Record: 3-13, 4th in Southern Division Predicted Order of Finish:  1-Pittsburgh   2-St. Louis   3-Michigan   4-Chicago   5-Ohio Our Thoughts on the Division:  The Maulers are primed to make another Summer Bowl run after coming up just short against the Bandits in last summer’s title game.  Behind them we see three teams who are all in the range of what a Wild Card team should look like. We are taking a chance that St. Louis, under Coach Arians, will continue to improve and will finally make a playoff appearance.  Michigan and Chicago have a lot of questions, the Panthers in the run game, the Machine with a new coaching staff just getting geared up.  We have Ohio in the basement again this year as we are just not convinced they have rebuilt a talent pool that got old fast and needed a major overhaul. 2011 Final Record: 13-3 (1st in Central, Conference Champion) Roster Movement: Departures: OG Rex Hadnot (NFL), HB Brandon Jacobs (FA), OT Daniel Loper (FA), QB Tee Martin (FA) Arrivals: G Steve Sciulo (FA), WR Ben Obamanu (Trade) Rookies to Watch: HB Brandon Bolden, DT Kendall Reyes, S Brandon Hardin, G Senio Kelemete Our Analysis: The Maulers came so close last year, and were clearly a team with a lot going right.  We don’t think they lost much in the offseason, as their roster is about as stable as any in the league.  That is a very good sign for 2012, as they should continue to build on a very strong 2011 campaign.  The Central Division does feel like it has weakened overall, which means a pretty good path for Pittsburgh to repeat as the #1 seed in the West, a feat we think they will accomplish. Predicted 2012 Record: 13-3, 1st in Central and in the Conference. 2011 Final Record: 8-8 (3rd in Central) Roster Movement: Departures: FB Vontae leach (FA), DE Eddie Freeman (FA), TE Fred Baxter (FA), WR Tiquan Underwood (FA), LB Ryan D’Imperio (FA), SS Coy Wire (Trade) Arrivals: FB Jerome Felton (FA), G Paul Zakauskas (FA), WR Nate Washington (FA), LB Dan Conner (NFL), WR Eric Weems (NFL) Rookies to Watch: G Kenechi Osamele, TE Michael Egnew, DE Trevor Guyton, DT Mike Daniels Our Analysis: When we look across the division, we think that Chicago and Michigan are trending downwards, but the Skyhawks have been slowly and steadily improving under Coach Arians, and we think this could be the year they break through and become a true threat. They were very active in free agency, adding weapons around Josh Freeman, and while their draft is not glitzy, we think they at least targeted some key positions.  Are they a juggernaut?  Unlikely, but they are good enough to get to 9 or 10 wins and make their first playoff appearance. Predicted 2012 Record:  10-6, 2nd in Central and a Wild Card. 2011 Final Record: 9-7 (2nd in Central) Roster Movement: Departures: LB/DE Igor Olshansky (NFL), HB Thomas Jones (FA), CB Chris Canty (FA), WR Laverneous Coles (NFL), FB Jerome Felton (FA), TE Bennie Joppru (FA), G Mike McGlynn (Trade) Arrivals: WR Keary Colbert (FA), FB Glen Smith (FA), CB LaDarius Webb (NFL), CB Drayton Florence (Trade) Rookies to Watch: QB Kirk Cousins, CB  Dre Kirkpatrick, WR B.J. Cunningham, C David Molk, DTJerel Worthy Our Analysis: A long list of departed contributors is concerning, but we do like some of the new faces in Detroit. Keary Colbert is a quality #2 option behind Hines Ward. LaDarius Webb will get a shot to step into Chris Canty’s shoes, and we like the idea of developing a QB like Kirk Cousins behind Brian Griese.  That all said, it does still feel like the 2012 Panthers have more questions and fewer answers than the 2011 squad. Predicted 2012 Record: 8-8, 3rd in Central. 2011 Final Record: 8-8 (4th in Central) Roster Movement: Departures: HB Noah Herron (NFL), C Grey Ruegamer (Ret), FS Corey Hall (FA), G Taylor Whitney (FA), WR Andre Brown (FA), OT Charles Spencer (FA), CB Daniel manning (Trade), QB T. J. Yates (Trade) Arrivals: FB Vontae Leach (FA), TE Anthony Hill (FA), C Darrell Nix (FA), DE Tamba Hali (Trade) Rookies to Watch: HB Doug Martin, WR Michael Floyd, G Jeff Allen, LB Darius Fleming Our Analysis: After a run that saw the club make the playoffs in 9 of 10 years, Coach Marty Mornhinweg is out, quickly hired by Portland, and Chicago starts over with a coach who has never been a head coach in the pros, Rutgers’ Greg Schiano.  The learning curve could be a steep one, but this club does still have talent at key positions like MLB, QB, DE, and HB.  What they lack is a clear identity.  We think it will take Schiano the season to define that identity, which means a season of growth but not necessarily of outcomes. Predicted 2012 Record: 6-10, 4th in Central. 2011 Final Record: 5-11 (5th in Central) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Nick Greison (NFL), K Josh Brown (NFL), LB Glenn Cadrez (NFL), TE Stephen Alexander (Ret), HB Kevin Smith (FA), SS Pat Watkins (FA) Arrivals: LB Bradie James (FA), K David Green (FA), HB Rashad Jennings (FA) Rookies to Watch: DE Bruce Irvin, HB Isaiah Pead, K Blair Walsh, S Matt Johnson Our Analysis: The Glory had one of the more productive offseasons in the league, adding talent through the draft in the form of DE Bruce Irvin and HB Isaiah Pead, and in free agency with the signings of Bradie James and HB Rashad Jennings.  The run game in particular looks a lot deeper and more diverse, which is good for Vince Young, who struggled last year to carry the entire offense.  The defense still looks a bit dicey, and losing both Glenn Cadrez and Nick Greison is not helping.  This will be a tough year for the defense, and possibly for the team as a whole. Predicted 2012 Record:  5-11 again seems about right. Predicted Order of Finish:  1-Texas 2-Arizona   3-Denver   4-Houston Our Thoughts on the Division: As tempting as it was to imagine a scenario where Houston jumps right back into the mix and battles the Texas Outlaws, it just never felt realistic.  We think that 2012 will look a lot like 2011, with Texas being a step ahead of a pretty good Arizona team, which, in turn, is a step ahead of a mediocre Denver squad, who are still better than a Houston team that needs to consider a rebuild. 2011 Final Record: 12-4 (1st in SW) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Rocky Boiman (NFL), LB Jeff Ulbrich (NFL), C Aaron Graham (FA), G Solomon Page (FA), TE Jermichael Finley (FA), WR Ben Obamanu (Trade), P Matt Allen (Trade) Arrivals: G Anthony Oakley (FA), OT Daniel Loper (FA), HB Arian Foster (NFL), QB Luke McCown (Trade) Rookies to Watch: LB Vontaze Burfict, C Philip Blake, LB Keenan Robinson, TE Brandon Bostick Our Analysis: The season Outlaw fans have been waiting for over decades finally came last year.  The pieces fell together, their QB had an MVP run, and they got oh, so close to a Summer Bowl. And while they did take some hits in free agency, we like this roster.  The biggest loss was the announcement from T. J. Duckett of his retirement at 31, but the Outlaws, unable to move up to select Trent Richardson in the draft, did the next best thing, signing a Duckett clone in HB Arian Foster from the NFL Oilers.  Foster should be able to play from day one and, if his body can hold out after a full NFL season, he could find himself over 1,200 yards and on another championship contender. Predicted 2012 Record: 12-4, 1st in SW Division and battling for the #1 seed. 2011 Final Record: 10-6 (2nd in SW) Roster Movement: Departures: CB Jimmy Williams (FA), OT Ed Ellis (FA), DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen (FA), WR Matthew Slater (FA), QB Dave Dickenson (FA) Arrivals: CB Brandon Flowers (FA) Rookies to Watch: CB  Omar Bolden, QB Nick Foles, WR Juron Criner, LB Nathan Stupar, S Justin Bethel Our Analysis: Arizona’s 2011 campaign started out with an 8-0 start, but then the wheels started to fall off the bus. Looking at their offseason, we are not sure they have made the moves they need to to get back to the front of the division.  Losing Jimmy Williams and Kimo Von Oelhoffen are big hits to the defense, so it looks like the Wranglers may have to depend on LT and David Carr to outpace opponents.  Not sure that is a division-winning strategy. Predicted 2012 Record: 10-6, 2nd in SW Division and a Wild Card. 2011 Final Record: 7-9 (3rd in SW) Roster Movement: Departures: DT Montae Reager (Ret), P Brad Costello (Ret), LB Nick Rogers (Ret), WR Keary Colbert (FA), FS David Young (FA), DT Brandon Mbane (FA), K Graham Gano (FA), OT Chris Terry (Trade) Arrivals: LB Clint Kriewaldt (FA), P David Zastudil (NFL), DT Sione Pouha (NFL), WR Leonard Hankerson (Trade), WR Golden Tate (Trade) Rookies to Watch: S Jerron McMillian, C Ben Jones, K Greg Zuerlein Our Analysis: The Denver Gold slid quite a bit behind their usual position last year.  Then they lost some key players in the offseason.  This is feeling a lot like a team that needs to shake things up. Coach Jauron may have squeezed every last ounce of ability out of his roster and it may well be time to blow things up a bit.  We like the Tate trade, but we still look at this club and wonder how they hope to compete with Arizona and Texas without much that scares folks on either side of the ball.  This season could be a wake up call for a club that rarely dips below .500 but could dip quite a bit this season. Predicted 2012 Record: 6-10, 3rd in SW Division 2011 Final Record: 6-10 (4th in SW) Roster Movement: Departures: DT Ra’Shon Harris (FA), LB Keith Brooking (Ret), CB Ronde Barber (Ret), FS Brian Dawkins (Ret), QB A. J. Feeley (NFL) Arrivals: CB Chris Canty (FA), QB Chris Simms (FA), LB Stephen Tulloch (NFL), Rookies to Watch: CB Janoris Jenkins, CB Josh Norman, DT John Hughes, OT Don Barclay Our Analysis: It feels somewhat surreal that Houston won a title only 2 years ago.  What is even weirder is that good arguments could be made that the 2012 team is closer to that 2010 result than the very disappointing 2011 campaign. This club still has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball.  We love the acquisition of both Stephen Tulloch and Chris Canty for the defense, but they could end up starting two rookies at cornerback, and that has to worry Coach Philips.  It worries us. Predicted 2012 Record: 5-11, 4th in SW Division. Predicted Order of Finish:  1-Oakland   2-Los Angeles   3-Seattle   4-Las Vegas    5-Portland Our Thoughts on the Division: Another 2-team battle as we view Las Vegas slipping a bit and Seattle not quite there yet.  Oakland and Los Angeles match up well against each other and are likely to split their series, so a lot will come down to who can do better at consistently knocking off the other three division squads.  We do see Seattle as potentially dangerous, and Las Vegas will likely do what they can to exploit the arrival of Chad Johnson to the roster, while Portland just feels like a team spinning its wheels without a true sense of who they are or can become. 2011 Final Record: 9-7 (2nd in Pacific) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Mike Maslowski (Ret),  C Jeff Saturday (Ret), P Josh Bidwell (Ret), LB Brendon Ayanbedejo (FA), FS Roman Harper (FA), FB Marcel Reese (FA), WR Joey Jamison (FA) Arrivals: FS Sean Jones (FA), DT Jarron Gilbert (FA), WR Tiquan Underwood (FA), E Cliff Avril (NFL), P Mat McBriar (NFL) Rookies to Watch: C Peter Konz, LB Bobby Wagner, LB Aaron Brown Our Analysis: The Pacific is consistently inconsistent, which makes it the hardest division to predict.  We could make solid arguments for any of 4 teams to win the division (Sorry Portland), but when we look top to bottom, Oakland feels like the deepest and most talented roster. We Still worry that Ryan Williams is not a true lead back, but the defense is solid, and may have gotten better by adding rookie LB Bobby Wagner and free agent safety Sean Jones.  In a very volatile division, we see Oakland as the best of a pretty even foursome. Predicted 2012 Record: 11-5, 1st in Pacific Division. 2011 Final Record: 10-6 (1st in Pacific) Roster Movement: Departures: CB Terrence McGee (Ret), G Alan Faneca (Ret), FS David Givson (Ret). WR Eddie Kennison (Ret), C Chris Spencer (FA), CB  Renaldo Hill (FA), WR Bernard Berrian (FA) Arrivals: CB Marcus Truffant (FA), G Solomon Page (FA), WR Earl Bennett (FA), FS Nick Collins (FA), CB Tracy Porter (NFL) Rookies to Watch: OT Matt Kalil, DT Alameda Ta’amu, OG Ryan Miller, DE Greg Scruggs Our Analysis: The Express surprised many by taking the division last year, but they have been underachieving for several years.  It was good to see them step up, but can they repeat?  They had some pretty big losses in the offseason, particularly in the secondary, but they made the big move, signing Marcus Truffant away from Seattle, and then adding an NFL corner in Porter and a quality safety in Nick Collins.  They may be better on defense than in 2011, which should worry the rest of the division. Predicted 2012 Record: 11-5, and right there with Oakland. 2011 Final Record: 9-7 (4th in Pacific) Roster Movement: Departures: G Bill Ferrario (NFL), TE Tyler Eckler (NFL), WR David Boston (Ret), CB Marcus Truffant (FA), HB LaDell Betts (FA), FB Glen Smith (FA0, G Vince Manuwai (FA), LB Clint Kriewaldt (FA) Arrivals: FS Corey Hall (FA), G Jeb Terry (FA), LB Ike Reese (FA), DT Alan Branch (FA), WR  Mike Wallace (NFL) Rookies to Watch: HB Robert Turbin, S D. J. Campbell, FB Jamize Olawale, G Amini Silatolu Our Analysis: Of the next 3 teams in the division, we see Seattle as the one in best position to make a move.  They have a solid QB, but lost their star receiver to retirement. So, they go out and land an All-Pro NFL receiver, but one who could be a major distraction.  If he can stay within the game, Mike Wallace could be a huge boon to the Dragons, but if he acts much as he did his final year in Pittsburgh, he could be a major distraction.  We do like Seattle’s other offseason moves, particularly acquiring solid contributors like safety Corey Hall and LB Ike Reese. Not much splash in those signings, but they will be good for this team. Predicted 2012 Record: 9-7, third in Pacific Division, but could surprise. 2011 Final Record: 9-7 (3rd in Pacific) Roster Movement: Departures: WR Kahlil Hill (NFL), TE Brian Koslowski (FA), FS Sean Jones (FA), HB Rashad Jennings (FA), QB Tony Banks (FA), G Antony Oakley (FA), WR Samie Parker (FA) Arrivals: WR Chad Johnson (FA), LB Ahmad Brooks (NFL), SS Coy Wire (Trade) Rookies to Watch: S Mark Barron, QB Case Keenum, DE Taylor Thompson Our Analysis: That sound you hear is the clock ticking on Jake Plummer.  There were so many rumors of his retirement that we thought rumors alone could lead him to walk away.  But, he is back, and the Thunder got him a brand new toy, one of the best deep ball receivers in the league, Chad Johnson.  That combo should be fun to watch, and Johnson’s presence instantly opens up even more room for Marshawn Lynch in the run game.  All that is great, but the problem is that the Thunder defense, once very formidable under Jerry Glanville, has gotten weaker and weaker each season, and we think it could be a major problem this year as we just don’t see the depth or quality across the roster that the Thunder once had. Predicted 2012 Record: 7-9, 4th in Pacific. 2011 Final Record: 5-11 (5th in Pacific) Roster Movement: Departures: LB Josh Stamer (NFL), WR Andre Davis (FA), DE Antwan Odom (FA0, QB Dennis Dixon (FA) Arrivals: DE Eddie Freeman (FA), S Dashon Goldson (NFL) Rookies to Watch: WR Brian Quick, DE Tyrone Crawford, OT Nate Potter, LB Josh Kaddu Our Analysis: There was a time when we saw Portland flirting with the playoffs and the division, but they have stumbled, and that led to major changes.  Bringing in Marty Mornhinweg, who had a very solid track record in Chicago, seems like a good idea, but it is going to take more than a new coach for Portland to climb back up the ladder.  We are not sold on the Stags’ roster overall, particularly at wideout and O-line.  We are also not sure the defense has what it needs, as veteran DE Eddie Freeman is good but not explosive, and NFL safety Dashon Goldson is not what we would consider a blue chip signing.   Mornhinweg can build a team that will compete, but he may need another year to get the pieces he needs to do so. Predicted 2012 Record:  4-12, 5th in Pacific. OUR ALWAYS SHAKY PLAYOFF PICKS As we review our picks for the divisions, we see the following playoff picture emerge.  We have Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both winning the #1 seeds in each conference, setting up dreams once again of a Keystone Clash in the Summer Bowl.  Behind the Stars in the East we see Tampa Bay again as the #2 seed, with Birmingham coming in as the 3rd Division winner.  Washington, Orlando, and New Jersey get the Wild Card berths.  In the West, Texas is again the #2 seed, with Oakland taking the Pacific and the #3 seed.  The Wild Cards will be Arizona, Los Angeles, and St. Louis, their first playoff appearance. We think once again it will come down to Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay in the Eastern Final, but this time the Stars get the job done.  In the West Texas and Oakland face off in the final after an upset of the Maulers, and Texas makes their first Summer Bowl appearance after winning a rowdy game in the Alamodome.  The title game in St. Louis will show off two high power offenses, but one has more consistency than the other, as well as more experience, so we are predicting the Philadelphia Stars to join Houston as the league’s only 4-time champions.  Philadelphia 42  Texas 38 in a barnburner in the Dome. EQUALLY SHAKY AWARD PICKS Our last set of predictions for the year, we take a look at each of the top 5 awards and give you our top 3 candidates for each.  We will start with the MVP, move through the Players of the Year, and finish with our Coach of the Year pick. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER We see two of last year’s finalists returning to battle for the title, with both Philadelphia and Texas as high seeds in the playoff race, we expect both Kurt Warner and Joe Flacco to be among the favorites for an MVP in 2012.  The third possible candidate?  Well, that is where we pick a bit of a dark horse, and for us that dark horse is a rising star, New Jersey QB Sam Bradford.  If New Jersey is competitive this year, as we expect they will be, it will be in large part because Bradford has matured into an elite QB. OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR With 3 QBs battling for MVP, we are going to look at other offensive positions for this award.  The obvious choice, and our first option, is the engine that pushes Washington’s entire offense, HB Deuce McCallister.  The defending OPOTY is primed for another big year and could be a back-to-back winner. Our second choice is a player who is always among the league leaders but who may actually get a boost this year as he joins a new team. Pairing wideout Chad Johnson with the Run & Shoot scheme of Coach June Jones could very easily produce a 120-catch season and a possible run at the as-yet unreachable 2,000 yard mark.   We expect Johnson to be a frequent target for Jake Plummer, frequent enough to put up stellar numbers even as the Thunder struggle to win games. Finally, we go back to the run game, and this time we look at a frequent “bridesmaid” in this competition, Baltimore’s Ron Dayne.  Dayne is consistent, and almost always within range of the rushing title.  If he can finally surpass McCallister, and if Baltimore is at all competitive this year, we could see the voters giving Dayne the nod almost as a lifetime achievement award. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR How do you bet against Calais Campbell?  He is easily the most dominant player in the league.  So, we have to but Orlando’s sack master at the top of the class.  Behind him we see the obvious 2nd choice to be Chicago’s Mr. Everything, MLB Brian Urlacher.  You know he will be at or near the top of the tackles leaderboard, and he is also likely to be among the leaders at the LB position in passes intercepted.  If he can force a fumble here and there or return one of the anticipated picks back for 6, he could give Campbell a run for his money. Our third pick is a bit of a longshot, but we really like the game that Troy Polamalu has brought to Arizona.  Troy’s issue is that “decleating hits” is not a category of statistic that the league tracks.  He will never have huge numbers in areas like interceptions or sacks, and it is not uncommon for a safety to fall well behind the league leaders in tackles, but true fans of the game can see every week the huge impact that Polamalu has on the field. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR This is always a tough one to pick, especially in a year when we don’t anticipate any rookie QB’s getting a week one start.  Our favorite for immediate impact should be Justin Blackmon in Boston.  The first pick of the draft will be starting immediately, but the QB situation in Boston is so shaky that it is hard for us to feel confident that Blackmon will get the kind of numbers that would put him at the top of the class. Another Cannon could actually have a better showing. LB Luke Kuechly is expected to be on the field a lot right from the opening kickoff of the season.  If he is all he appears to be on film, he could easily become a 100-tackle guy in his first year, and that would put him in the running for ROTY without a doubt. Our final candidate is another dark horse pick.  It would take a lot for a tight end to win the award, but we think Coby Fleener in New Orleans is in a perfect spot to make a difference.  He will have Drew Brees throwing him the ball, will not draw double coverage with the Breakers’ solid wideouts forcing teams to protect the outside of the field, and he has the kind of hands that could make him a favorite security blanket for Brees.  We could see him also as a key target in the redzone.  Particularly if New Orleans has a winning year, maybe 9 or 10 wins, we could see Fleener getting some love from the voters. COACH OF THE YEAR This one is always tough to predict because it almost always goes to the head coach of a team that surprised us.  Getting the most out of an underrated roster tends to be the formula, so each of our picks is a team that is not expected to make a playoff run, but if they do, this coach will certainly get the credit.  Of the many options in this category, we think that the most likely to surprise us with a better-than-anticipated club are Herm Edwards in New Jersey, Lamar Lathon in New Orleans, and Tom Ramsey in Atlanta.  Here is the thing though, two of those three have already garnered the award in recent years, so that makes it far less likely that they will win another one.  If St. Louis can stay close to Pittsburgh, perhaps Bruce Arians gets the credit.  That could be the most likely of all the scenarios we have cited. OK, enough speculation, let’s kick this thing off.  We start with a Southwest Showdown as Texas opens their division defense in Denver against the Gold.  Then on Saturday we get the Battle of Tennessee, and of two QB’s no one trusts, Quincy Carter for Nashville and Ryan Mallett of Memphis.  Saturday Night gives us another firecracker of a divisional game as the Generals and Stars clash in the Meadowlands.  Then, on Sunday, we get Divisional battles in Jacksonville, Birmingham, Charlotte, and St. Louis before a very intriguing nightcap that has the defending champs all the way on the opposite corner of the country to face the Seattle Dragons. Should be a good week for football, though we may well see some weather impacted games this week.   But, games are games, so let’s get to it.  Time for USFL football once again!! BOLD = NATIONAL BROADCAST BLUE = DIVISOINAL GAME FRIDAY @ 8PM ET             Texas Outlaws @ Denver Gold                                 NBC SAT @ 12PM ET                 Boston Cannons @ Washington Federals         ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                 Michigan Panthers @ Baltimore Blitz                  ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                 Nashville Knights @ Memphis Showboats           FOX SAT @ 4PM ET                   Los Angeles Express @ Portland Stags                 ABC SAT @ 4PM ET                   Ohio Glory @ Las Vegas Thunder                          FOX SAT @ 8PM ET                   Philadelphia Stars @ New Jersey Generals         ESPN SUN @ 12PM ET               Orlando Renegades @ Jacksonville Bulls                ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               New Orleans Breakers @ Birmingham Stallions    FOX SUN @ 12PM ET               Atlanta Fire @ Charlotte Monarchs                           FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                 Arizona Wranglers @ Oakland Invaders              ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 Houston Gamblers @ Pittsburgh Maulers              ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 Chicago Machine @ St. Louis Skyhawks               FOX SUN @ 8PM ET                 Tampa Bay Bandits @ Seattle Dragons                  ESPN

A momentous, surprising, and potentially league-altering offseason has come to a close, and with all teams wrapping up their preseason schedule and gearing up for opening weekend, there is a lot to be excited about.  Of course, for every team that has their fans excited about the upcoming season there is another whose fanbase is concerned that their moves were either not enough to keep pace or not the right decisions.  That uncertainty, along with the hope that many fans feel, is the very essence of the preseason in pro football. Not knowing if the highly rated rookie will come out of the gates on fire, or will stumble and underperform against expectations.  Add to that the preseason chaos that always impacts the USFL due to the timing of its draft and that of the rival NFL, as well as the transfer window that allows players to jump leagues only twice in a calendar year, and you have a lot of rosters in flux right up until opening day. Nashville Loses Luck, Signs Manning in Blockbuster Deal In what has clearly been the story of the offseason, Nashville’s QB situation has absorbed the entire USFL biosphere since the first weeks of free agency, through the draft, and into camp.   As you will recall, as the 2011 season wound down, QB Jay Cutler expressed his dissatisfaction with how he was being utilized in Nashville’s offense, and particularly with the limitations that Coach Jim Johnson had placed on his ability to audible and to seek to make big plays in an offense designed for ball control.   Within days of being eliminated in the Wild Card game, a 5th consecutive loss for the Knigthts, Cutler was publicly demanding to be traded. Almost immediately the Knights seemed ready to deal their starting QB, but they found no takers, no one willing to provide what they asked to have Cutler join a potential rival team in the league.  They held their ground until the NFL-USFL transfer window was about to open and then surprisingly released Cutler.  The move had the desired effect for Nashville.  While they did not get compensation for their release of Cutler, as opposed to a trade, it quickly became apparent that Cutler would jump leagues to the NFL, ensuring that he would not be a factor in the USFL.  Within 1 week of being eligible to make a deal with an NFL team Cutler was in Chicago, shaking hands and putting on a Bears cap to symbolize his new contract. When that came to pass, it was clear that Nashville would need a plan to acquire a quarterback.  That plan revolved around the consensus top talent in the College Draft, Stanford QB Andrew Luck.  Luck’s rights were within the protected territorial schools of the Oakland Invaders, which meant that Oakland could opt to draft Luck, trade the pick so that someone else could do the same, or simply not use one of their three picks on the QB, which would all but ensure a feeding frenzy with the Boston Cannons, who owned the first pick in the Open Draft.  Many even debated whether Oakland would try to trade Joey Harrington, their starter, to Nashville and then draft Luck.  But, in the end, that did not happen.  The Invaders got what they wanted from Nashville, a selection of picks and a key defensive player, edge rusher Terrell Suggs.  Suggs would be in Oakland and Nashville would obtain Oakland’s first T-Draft pick, with an agreement that Luck would be that pick. When the T-Draft came around, it was not a surprise at all that Nashville listed Luck as their target with the traded pick from Oakland.  It was by this point a foregone conclusion.  But, as with all draft picks for the USFL (and NFL), getting into position to select the player you covet is only half the battle.  Nashville approached Luck’s agent, hoping to get a deal on the table before the NFL draft, but, as we see with nearly all top prospects, Luck and his agent would not agree to anything, even with a handshake, before seeing what the NFL Draft would produce.  When it produced Luck as the #1 overall pick, a choice by the Indianapolis Colts, the war of offers would begin. Indianapolis would contribute to the offseason chaos in two ways, their selection of Luck, but also their release of 3-time NFL Champion and MVP Peyton Manning.  Manning, who had recently signed a 5-year deal, had then been diagnosed with a serious spinal issue and would undergo a spinal fusion procedure early in the Fall of 2011.  He would not play a down for Indianapolis in 2011, and by the winter holidays the club had written off any chance that Manning would return to play professional football.  So, on the one hand you had the Colts releasing a QB who, if healthy, would fetch a king’s ransom on the free agent market, and then using their poor 2011 season to lock up the top pick in the NFL draft and select the best QB prospect in many years, perhaps since Manning himself. Nashville would do all they could to woo Andrew Luck, but the club, known for its defensive posture and very conservative offensive mindset, had trouble competing with an Indianapolis team which had, until Manning’s injury, been a dominant force in the NFL and which still had a lot of pieces in place for another title run.  The Knights learned late on a Wednesday night in early February that Luck would indeed sign with the Colts, meaning they had traded one of their key defenders to Oakland and gotten nothing in return. The Knights would need a plan B, but the perfect plan B was staring them right in the face.  Peyton Manning, a legend at the U. of Tennessee, would be a massive get for the Knights.  His presence would sell tickets, merch, and publicity for the club.  All they had to do was convince him that Nashville was the right fit.  They would find themselves competing against no fewer than 7 additional teams, some from the NFL and some as close as their rivals from Memphis.  Manning’s filmed workouts seemed to show that he was regaining mobility, that his arm still had plenty of zip, and that his desire to return to the game was fueling him. The injury would keep the salary demands of Manning within a range that both leagues could work around.  Unlike the $90,000,000 contract he had signed pre-injury with the Colts, a new contract, with all the risks of Manning’s health, would be more in the range of $10,000,000 per year.  That was a price the Knights were more than willing to pay.  They played up the “returning home” theme, the presence of several UT teammates and friends of Peyton on the roster and the staff, and the ability for Manning to take the time he needed to prepare before taking the field. Just as camps were set to open, and with veteran backup Quincy Carter as the only QB on the Nashville roster, Manning and his agent agreed to terms with the Knights. Manning would report to camp, participate in private workouts for several weeks, and potentially take the field at the midpoint in the season.  His contract would ensure a percentage of guaranteed money even if he were to delay his return until 2013, and even a smaller guaranteed payout if it was decided that he would need to retire after all.  It was a risk the Knights were willing to take. Nashville, looking at a minimum of 8 weeks of the season without their newly signed QB, would quickly go out and sign the two best options in free agency to help tide them over along with Carter.  They added both Jeff Smoker (released by Michigan) and Sage Rosenfels (a free agent formerly with Texas) with a promise that both would get their chance to compete with Quincy Carter for starts, potentially for 8 weeks, but also potentially for the full 2012 season.   Just as quickly, the Knights started cranking out number 16 jerseys, t-shirts with Manning’s likeness, and ticket sale adds touting the return of the conquering hero of Knoxville. While the honest truth is that we have no idea just how much of Manning we will see in Knights’ purple, gold and silver, including the very real possibility that we will not see any snaps with Manning under center, the reality is that it does not really seem to matter.  Knights fans are over the moon with the signing, even if they do acknowledge that Manning’s return may be too late for 2012 to be a strong season.  For the rest of the nation, just having Manning in the USFL seems to have heightened excitement and anticipation for the new season.  The USFL has Manning fever, which is good for business even if it proves to be a false alarm. Griffin & Richardson Land in NFL While the Andrew Luck signing with Indianapolis certainly garnered headlines across the nation, the reality is that the NFL did quite well with their earliest picks.  All three of the top 3 NFL selections, Luck with Indy, Robert Griffin with the Redskins, and HB Trent Richardson with the Browns, opted to sign on the bottom line with the fall league, leaving Nashville, Memphis, and Seattle seeking other solutions for those positions.  Richardson had been the 3rd player taken in both the NFL and USFL draft, and was a pick that cost Seattle 2 first-rounders (2012 and 2013) to move from 9th to 3rd to select him.  His signing with the NFL Browns meant that the Dragons had given up 2 picks for no one, a common fear of GM’s in both leagues as each league tends to obtain barely 50% of the players picked. Griffin had also been part of that same trade, slipping to 9th in the draft where Memphis picked him with one of the picks they had obtained from Seattle.  The Showboats, despite having selected Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett in the 2011 draft were hoping they could appeal to the more athletic Griffin to come to the USFL and their franchise.  But, as one might expect, getting picked 9th by one league and 2nd in the other tends to favor the higher selection.  Washington played up that option, as well as the higher initial contract value that a 2nd pick in the NFL would have over a 9th pick in the USFL, and Griffin agreed to terms with Washington in short order. Overall, the exchange between the two leagues was pretty even.  Of the NFL’s 32 first round picks, 17 signed with their NFL clubs, a 53% conversion rate.  For the USFL, of their 28 first round picks, some of whom were later picks in the NFL, they converted 16 to USFL contracts, a 57% conversion rate.  Both leagues could claim victory in the annual player battles.  All 3 of the NFL’s Top 3 picks signed with them, and while picks 4-9 all signed with the USFL, their overall numbers were strong.  For the USFL, five of the top 7 Open Draft picks signed with their USFL clubs, including #1 pick, WR Justin Blackmon of OK State, who signed with Boston.  The USFL also did well overall with their Territorial Draft picks, often the stronger of the two drafts for the spring league.  Players with 1st or 2nd round NFL grades did opt to stay with their regional USFL clubs, names like USC OT Matt Kalil for the Express, LB Luke Kuechly from BC to the Boston Cannons, Memphis DT Dontari Poe who doesn’t even have to change apartments after signing with the Showboats, and Notre Dame wideout Michael Floyd, whose fans can make the short drive from South Bend to Chicago to see Floyd with the Machine. Obviously not every T-Draft pick ended up signing, with Luck being the poster child of that reality, and some teams whiffed pretty big, missing out on 2 or all 3 of their T-Draft picks. Both Denver and Houston missed on all three of their T-Draft picks, including QB Ryan Tannehill, who preferred the option to sign in Miami with the NFL Dolphins over staying in Texas to sit behind Matt Hasselbeck in Houston.  Overall, a mixed result, but one that for most teams provided enough enthusiasm and enough infusion of talent to keep the fans engaged and build some enthusiasm for 2012.  We will break down the picks that signed and those that got away in our team by team preview in part 2 of this special preseason preview. Foster, Wallace, and Williams All Jump to USFL While the draft results were mixed, the NFL-USFL transfer window this February proved to be very much a positive experience for the spring league.  In addition to the headline-grabbing signing of Peyton Manning, the USFL also landed several of the top NFL free agents, something of a coup for the league. Defensive End Mario Williams became an immediate target of the Memphis Showboats when Peyton Manning was off the table, and it took no time for Memphis to get ink on paper, signing the edge rusher to a 4-year deal worth nearly $30M. The Texas Outlaws, who were attempting to replace retired HB T. J. Duckett in earnest, had no options in the T-Draft, were unable to move up to select Trent Richardson in the Open Draft, and found no solutions later in the draft, were finally able to find a suitable replacement in another bruising back, former Houston Oiler Arian Foster.  Foster agreed to a 3-year deal with the Outlaws and will likely emerge as the #1 back within 2-3 weeks of the season start, depending on his physical and his ability to pick up the blocking schemes used by the Outlaws. Finally, controversial and outspoken wide receiver Mike Wallace, let go by the Pittsburgh Steelers despite back-to-back 1,200 yard seasons, found a home in the USFL, in the Pacific Northwest.  The Seattle Dragons and head coach Marvin Lewis were willing to take on the often confrontational personality of Wallace in order to bring to the Dragons a bona fide number one receiver.  With David Boston retiring this year, a receiver who could draw double coverage and still beat it was the top priority for the Dragons, and that meant overlooking some of the more outlandish elements of Wallace’s time in Pittsburgh. Other NFL players of note who opted to continue playing into the spring with the USFL include QB’s Bryan Hoyer (Pats to Generals), Charlie Whitehurst (Seahawks to Monarchs), and Chad Henne (Dolphins to Renegades).  Along with Arian Foster, halfback Mike Tolbert made the leap, leaving San Diego to join the New Orleans Breakers, and former Redskin Tim Hightower is now another Renegade signing.  The only other wideout of note to sign with the USFL was former Falcon Eric Weems, who now joins St. Louis. Mario Williams was certainly the biggest name on defense to jump leagues, but others like DE Cliff Avril (Lions to Invaders), LBs Dan Conner (Panthers to Skyhawks) and Stephen Tulloch (Lions to Gamblers), corners Brandon Carr (Chiefs to Cannons), Tracy Porter (Saints to Express), and LaDarius Webb (Ravens to Panthers) also made the interleague move.  Many expected QB Alex Smith to make the move to the USFL, but with few teams seeking to provide Smith with a guaranteed starting job, he would sign eventually with the Kansas City Chiefs instead. A lot of new faces, a lot of learning on a quick pace as teams hope to get all of their NFL signings on the field as soon as possible. It varies by position and by player, but we should expect to see a few players on opening day and more each week as we build through the first month of the season.  Expect Foster and Tolbert to get carries right away, while the QB’s, receivers, and some defenders could take 2-3 weeks to get up to speed and on the field.  All the while, of course, we will continue to monitor Peyton Manning’s progress and his possible appearance in the lineup for Nashville. Denver and Chicago Make Swap Players on the Cusp of Opening Games We finish our quick review of the moves and signings of the offseason with one last trade, a trade at the wire, as both teams are already preparing for their opener.  Chicago, concerned that they were unable to enhance their safety group through the draft or free agency, opted to make a move to bring in a veteran strong safety.   In doing so, they made a major shakeup to their wide receiver group, sending Golden Tate to Denver to acquire David Young.  Young is almost certain to be the starter this week at strong safety, but Tate, who finished 2011 with 83 receptions for 930 yards and 6 TDs was a major contributor to the Machine offense.  Of course Chicago did draft and sign Malcolm Floyd from Notre Dame, and Floyd’s strong preseason may just have given them the confidence to let Tate go.  For the Gold, acquiring Tate gives them a solid second option after veteran Peerless Price.  It also means that they can shift James Hardy to more of a floating  position, both inside and outside, and get more snaps for promising young players like Leonard Hankerson. Is Denver and Chicago’s trade the last of the season?  For now perhaps, but we always see teams make moves between weeks 5-10 as their preseason optimism gets traded for the harsh reality of the season.  For now, however, we believe the roster are set and the teams know who they are, at least who they think they are.  All illusions are dispelled when pads hit pads in opening weekend. T-Draft Winners & Losers The trend over the past several years has been for USFL squads to be more cautious, and equally more successful, with their Territorial Picks than with the Open Draft.  Perhaps it is the built-in advantage that comes with keeping players near their college markets, a situation that allows players, particularly high profile players, to add to their financial windfall by cashing in on their local popularity through advertising and spokesperson deals in a way that is not as possible when a player from Cal ends up in Buffalo, or a Longhorn plays for the Bears.  This benefits mid-round picks as well as the big name players and has often produced good return on investment for the USFL clubs, who frequently will land 2 or all 3 T-Draft picks while only hitting on 40% or fewer of their Open Draft picks.  So, with this in mind, were there clear winners and losers in this year’s T-Draft.  Yes.  Some due to the talent pool available, and others due to their ability to sign players.  Here is our list of the 3 biggest winners from the T-Draft as well as the three biggest losers. WINNER—BOSTON The Cannons landed 2 of their three picks, signing WR Nick Toon of Wisconsin, missing on fellow Badger, punter Brad Nortman, but landing the big fish, Boston College ILB Luke Kuechley.  A top-10 pick by the NFL Panthers, Kuechley saw the value of staying in Boston, where his local notoriety was already well established, and he essentially walks into the MLB position for the Cannons, meaning immediate minutes and a fast track to being the defense’s play caller and even team captain.  For Boston they get one of the best LB prospects to come out in recent years and an instant face for a franchise struggling with perception and with a 1-win season behind them. LOSER—BIRMINGHAM The Stallions had such a deep pool of talent to choose from, just from Alabama alone, with Trent Richardson, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, Don’t’a  Hightower, and Courtney Upshaw all considered first or second round talent.  They opted to select only the two Bama linebackers, Hightower and Upshaw, and while others like Barron and Kirkpatrick would go on to sign with the USFL clubs that picked them in the Open Draft, both Hightower (New England) and Upshaw (Baltimoe) opted to sign with the NFL club that picked them.  That is a major whiff.  Add to that the indignity of midround pick, OT Matt McCants of UAB, signing with the NY Giants instead of staying in Birmingham with the Stallions, and you have an embarrassing draft form a front office that hit big in 2011 with Cam Newton coming to the team. WINNER—MICHIGAN The Panthers may have felt that the crop of draftees from the Wolverine, Spartan, and Chippewa programs this year was not the deepest, they certainly found talent they liked, and talent that wanted to stay at home in Detroit.  Michigan not only signed all three T-Draft picks—QB Kirk Cousins, DT Jerel Worthy, and WR B. J. Cunningham, but also nabbed a 4th in Center David Molk of Michigan late in the Open Draft.  Now, these were not all early round picks, so you have to temper the excitement, but anytime you can bring in a QB from the T-Draft, and particularly one who seems well suited to mentor under Brian Griese, and also nab 3 other players for depth, you have fulfilled the promise of the Territorial Draft concept. LOSER—LAS VEGAS We have to consider Las Vegas one of the biggest losers for this year’s T-Draft.  Not only did they have a really bad pool coming out of Utah, BYU, and UNLV, but they managed not to sign those players they did select.  Honestly, though, we don’t think the Thunder are too upset, as even the top rated player in their pool, Utah guard Tony Bergstrom, was not considered a blue chip impact player.  Essentially, Las Vegas knew they drew a bad hand from the onset and had to strategize around that fact. WINNER—TAMPA BAY The Bandits only landed 2 of the 3 players selected, but both of their signees were early round picks in WR Alshon Jeffery and LB Nigel Bradham.  Both are positions of need after the retirements of Chris Doering and Zeke Moreno (who was a free agent), so both are positions of need.  Now, Tampa Bay did double down at WR by signing Santonio Holmes, but having a promising rookie who can learn from Joey Galloway’s example may be the best possible result for the Bandits. LOSER—NEW JERSEY The Generals managed to sign one of three picks, which is still better than some teams (Denver & Houston), who did not land a single one, but what hurts for New Jersey is that both of their top tier choices, DE Chandler Jones and WR Ryan Broyles, opted to join the NFL, Chandler with the Patriots and Broyles with the Lions.  Admitedly, the connection between Oklahoma and New Jersey is not a strong one, with the school in the Generals’ Territorial group only due to the lack of top tier programs in the greater NY/NJ area.  So the lure for a Sooner of playing in New Jersey is not as great as it is with Florida, California, or Texas teams and players.  New Jersey did sign Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, and he is a solid mid-round product, but Jones in particular was the local star that the Generals most coveted, a Syracuse product with outstanding pass rushing skills, so missing out on him was a big hit. We will comment on the rest of the draft when we do our team-by-team preview, outlining the new faces on each team’s roster and where we see the most potential impact. FIVE BIG STORIES TO FOLLOW AS WE HEAD INTO THE 2012 SEASON While every team will have their storylines, whether it is surprise breakout players, slumps and obstacles, injury woes, or player quarrels with coaching staffs, but there are some stories we already know we are going to be following through the year.  Here is our list of the Top 5 stories to keep checking in on. 5) Does Dallas Make a Deal? The self-designated goal for the Destination Dallas investor group was to have a USFL franchise playing in the refurbished Cotton Bowl in 2013.  The stadium is well on its way to being prepped, but time is running out for the investors to make a deal and get league approval to relocate a franchise to the DFW area.  They have been meeting during the offseason with several teams, and most believe that they have serious interest from the ownership groups in Nashville, Boston and Chicago.  As we have already reported, the ease of approval for a sale and relocation is very much in the air with all three cities, but Chicago would be the toughest to get approved.  We fully expect a deal to be cut at some time during the next few months, at least between the investors and one of the teams, but then the long process of getting league approval will begin.  If it occurs during the season, will it even be reported, because clearly an announcement of purchase and a plan to relocate would make whichever team is sold a lame duck for the season, and that will absolutely produce hostility, protests, and a major collapse of attendance for this season.  It will be a black eye on a season that has a lot of promise, but if Destination Dallas is serious about their timeline, a sale will have to happen soon. 4) Which 2011 Non-Playoff Team is Ready to Make a Run? Every year we have 12 clubs that make the postseason and 16 that do not.  And every year who those teams are changes.  Houston won the title in 2010 but was AWOL in 2011, while Texas ascended to win the first division title in franchise history.  Who will be the risers this year?  Which teams might be ready to break loose and put together a playoff season, perhaps even a division winning or title-winning season?   We picked 4 teams we think are on the cusp and could make the final push from also-ran to playoff contender. ST. LOUIS The Skyhawks had a very strong 2nd half to the season in 2011, winning 5 of their last 7 games and finishing with a franchise best 8=8 record, the first time since the club joined the league in 2006 that it did not have a losing record.  Now, admittedly, they play in a very tough division and will have to find a way to leapfrog clubs like Michigan and Chicago to get close to the Maulers, who dominated the Central last year, but they are absolutely on the right path.  We love the additions of LB Dan Conner and WR Eric Weems from the NFL, the signing of Nate Washington and guard Paul Zakauskas in free agency, and the addition of DE Olivier Vernon in the draft.  This is a Skyhawks team that is getting enough pieces to compete with anyone. BIRMINGHAM The Stallions started 2011 very strong, but slid back over the course of Cam Newton’s rookie year, but they clearly are looking like a competitor in a division that is looking pretty down overall.  With Nashville likely to start a career backup at QB for at least half to the season, if not the entire season, and with New Orleans and Memphis still very big question marks, the division could be Birmingham’s this year.  The Stallions bombed in the T-Draft, but we do like the addition of LT Riley Reiff, who has already earned the starting gig protecting Newton’s blind side.  If Newton takes a step up in his 2nd year, he will possibly be the best QB in the division (Drew Brees would argue this), but he could also be on the best team in the division. ORLANDO The Renegades have been so close, just missing the playoffs in both 2010 and 2011.  They have the most dominant defensive player in the league, and with a  full year under his belt in Coach Thomas’s system, Eli Manning could be primed for a strong year.  Orlando was very active this offseason, signing NFL QB Chad Henne to back up Manning, adding another NFL vet, HB Tim Hightower to help spell Knowshon Moreno, and then bringing in a top 20 prospect in U. of Miami LB Sean Spence in the T-Draft.  We are still a bit mystified why Orlando went after Russell Wilson in the draft, but the rookie QB will now have a chance to grow into the position behind Manning as well.  The key to the Renegades this year will be cohesiveness. It cannot be all Calais Campbell on defense. He needs support elsewhere on the D.  The same is true for Manning on offense. He needs his receivers and his line to be there too.  The Renegades are close, but they will need to play together to stay in range of the defending champion Bandits. SEATTLE Another club that has been flirting with .500 for a while now.  They have had 7 wins in all three of the past three seasons.  Meanwhile other clubs have risen and fallen around them. Will the addition of NFL gadfly Mike Wallace help them get over the hump or drag them down?  Will replacing LaDell Betts with rookie Robert Turbin help the run game develop an inside-outside game?  Will the defense come together with the additions of Ike Reese and Alan Branch?  A lot of ifs, but like Birmingham, this is a division with a lot of equity, and while LA and Oakland might be favored to take the title, Seattle is absolutely in the mix this year. 3) Which Players are Ready to Break Out in a Big Way? The cliché about player development is that it is season three that makes or breaks a player.  Sure, there are some who immediately hit the ground running and make a huge impact as rookies, while others may never develop their game to match their hype in the draft.  But typically by year three if a player has not broken out they are either in a bad fit with their current team, or their talent was overhyped in college.  As we look at the 2010 draft we see some names for whom 2012 could be a year to make a splash, or could be a year that sinks them.  Here is our list of 6 players to watch this year in hopes of a breakout season. WR Aurelious Benn (OHI) To say that Benn’s performance in his first two years in Chicago has been a tease is about as accurate as you can get.  His 112 receptions and 1095 yards are decent 2nd or 3rd receiver numbers, but not the kind of production you expect of a 1st round talent. Benn has struggled to stay ahead of Golden Tate on the Chicago roster, and now with Tate off to Denver it will fall on Benn to step up and become a focal point of the offense. Donald Driver is not getting any younger and the Machine need a 2nd receiver to pick up the baton. WR Golden Tate (DEN) Speaking of Tate, the newest member of the Denver Gold has a golden opportunity (sorry for the pun) to break out this year.  Tate had a huge step up last year, from 24 receptions in 2010 to 83 in 2011, outpacing Benn and securing more snaps each week. He now moves on to a Denver squad that absolutely needs a receiver opposite Peerless Price and could very soon need Tate to move into the top slot on the depth chart.  He has a solid QB in Matt Leinart, a very good offensie line to protect the QB and allow for deeper routes, and a clean slate to start with as a member of the Gold. The time is now if Tate is going to break out. DE Jason Pierre-Paul (TBY) JPP won a title with the Bandits last year but fans in Tampa Bay are still hoping for a breakout season individually.  Pierre-Paul did not start a game in 2010, and recorded no sacks.  Last year he was the starter in 14 of 16 regular season games and all through the playoffs.  In that span he recorded 5 sacks.  That is a number that everyone in Banditland wants to see doubled or tripled this year.  JPP has the talent, we see it on individual plays, but we need to see it every play.  If he can increase his motor, he has the potential to be a 10 or 15 sack contributor to the Bandits, which would go a long way towards the club returning to defend their title this July. DT Ndamukong Suh (DEN) Suh came out of college with a huge reputation as a disruptive force of nature.  In two years with the Denver Gold we just have not seen that.  He improved on his rookie numbers in 2011, with 48 tackles (only 5 for a loss) and 4 sacks, but what Gold fans were expecting were more like Jerome Brown numbers. They want to see Suh in the backfield making opponents fear calling inside runs.  They want to see him bursting through to get to the QB right up the middle.  Suh has been solid, but not spectacular, and the expectations were so high coming out of college that only spectacular will satisfy Gold fans. QB Tim Tebow (JAX) Tim Tebow arrived in Jacksonville from just down the road in Gainesville with a huge following, a fervent fanbase, and a lot of expectations.  His first year saw him start 11 games and have pretty solid numbers with a 7:4 TD:Int ratio (14:8 in actual numbers) and over 2,000 yards.  In 2011 he bumped up his yardage to 3,802, the highest from a Bulls QB in a long time, but we also saw him throw 19 picks to only 18 touchdowns.  That has to have fans concerned, even if they won’t admit it.  Tebow needs this to be a breakout season.  We mean 3,500 yards, at least a 2:1 TD:INT ratio and a rating over 90.   Failing that, the Tebowmania may quickly turn to Tebowphobia. 2) Will Chad Johnson or Mike Wallace Explode in a Good Way or a Bad Way? There is no doubt that both Johnson and Wallace are extremely talented.  Johnson has had  11 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons in both Ohio and Boston, but he has also been quick to attack his QB and his coaches when he is not seeing enough of the ball or the team is not winning.  He now finds himself in a new situation with a new QB (Jake Plummer) and a coach who loves to throw the ball. Can this be a win-win for the Thunder and for Johnson?  And if it is not, will Johnson explode once again?  That is a sideshow we expect to be tuning in for. Very similarly, Mike Wallace has put up good numbers in the NFL, but his off-field and media antics quickly soured the more traditional Steeler organization on the young receiver.  He now finds himself in Seattle, with a veteran QB, and a veteran coach.  The problem is that the coach is starting the year on the hotseat after 3 straight 7-win seasons and the QB may be nearing retirement.  Is Wallace really in a good position for immediate success and a positive relationship with his team, coach, QB, and fanbase?  Or is he on a fast track to becoming a nuisance once again? 1) Will We See Peyton Manning in Nashville This Season? You knew this had to be our top story, right?  Even after games begin and the season gets under way, everyone will still be tuning in to Manning’s workouts, his practices with the Knights, and his press comments. Knight fans, USFL fans, and football fans in general are rooting for Manning to play again, and, at least for the Knight Nation, for him to be able to do so at a high level and as soon as possible.  The first half of the Knights’ season could be a tough go, but fans will still be excited if they see progress week to week on Manning’s status and ability to add more and more football to his routines.  He is a superstar, we know that, and if he can add some of that star power to Nashville, a team that has lacked a true national face of the franchise since moving from LA to St. Louis and then Music City, then this could well be the start of something special for the Knights.  And all this as fans freak out about the club and its interest from the Dallas group.  A perfect storm of tensions, opportunity and star power.  That is a story we will follow all year long.

January 22, 2012 To say it has been an eventful 3 months since we last joined you with our USFL offseason update would be a major understatement.  We have had signings, trades, and, of course, a wild Collegiate Draft.  As teams were able to swap Territorial Draft picks for the first time in several years, there was a lot of horse trading on all parts.  We will break it down for you, starting with our 3 big stories of the winter, then take  a detailed look at the 2012 drafts (Territorial and Open) and finish up with a look at the top 15 NFL players currently not under contract.  Just as minicamps have opened, with the main training camps opening in just about a week, it is all coming together. Nashville Sends Terrell Suggs to Oakland for Right to Pick Andrew Luck We all saw it coming, the cutting of Jay Cutler, the lack of potential replacements within free agency. It all tied together.  And, in early November it all came together.  Cutler had signed with the NFL Bears during the transfer window, so there was no going back.  The Nashville Knights had to have a plan for a new option at QB or risk going into the season with only Quincy Carter as a veteran QB on the roster.  Yes, they could sign a free agent from the USFL pool, but with the top available QBs being backup options like Tony Banks or Dennis Dixon, they would not find a day one starter in that pool.  So, from the point that the Knights opted to let the disgruntled Cutler walk, they were clearly targeting a second option, and it was pretty clear that the best option was to make a deal with Oakland to obtain the Invaders’ first T-Draft pick and use that pick to select Stanford’s All-American QB Andrew Luck. And that is exactly what happened back in November.  As expected, Oakland, wary of the 50% NFL signing rate in the rookie drafts nearly every year, wanted signed and sealed commodities.  They wanted a guaranteed top flight player in return for the shot at Andrew Luck.  Based on our reporting we know that the Knights initially approached them with a pick for pick deal, but that was inadequate.  What they would end up settling on was a combination deal that sent Oakland’s T-draft pick to the Knights and in return Oakland would obtain not only the Knights’ 1st rounder in the open draft, but also veteran LB and edge rusher Terrell Suggs.  Suggs, who came to the Knights in 2009, had his best career year in 2011, with 6 sacks and 106 tackles.  He will immediately upgrade the Invader defense, lined up alongside Nick Koutavides and Joe Odom. And while Nashville did just as expected and used their expensive pick on Andrew Luck, beginning negotiations immediately upon selection, Oakland now found themselves with 2 first round picks within a 4-pick span.  They would use their own pick (number 18 in the round) on Stanford guard David DeCastro, a player they likely would have chosen in the T-Draft had they kept their first pick. With Nashville’s pick, only 2 later, they doubled up, adding yet more linebacker help with the selection of Utah State LB Bobby Wagner.  While at present all three picks (the two Oakland selections and Luck for Nashville) remain unsigned and awaiting their NFL draft selection, there is hope in both camps that this year’s draft will prove monumental in their club’s futures. Chicago Finds Their Man... In New Jersey? The Chicago Machine waited out the NFL and College seasons before settling on a head coach, and still managed to surprise us. This week Chicago named Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano as the newest leader of the Machine franchise. Schiano, who served as the head coach at Rutgers from 2001-2011, built up the program from a Big East also ran into a 6 time bowl participant with a 5-1 recod in those bowls. He had previously served as a DB coach in the NFL with Chicago and at both Penn State and Miami. While Schiano certainly has enough of a career to warrant becoming a pro coach, he is still a surprising pick, both because he is not known for innovative offensive design, nor for developing top tier talent. Yes, his Rutgers teams have had better results, and several player, like HB Ray Rice, have moved on to the pro ranks, Schiano is more known as a players' coach and a good motivator than as an innovator on the field, something the Machine had previously expressed interest in. Schiano will take over a Machine club that fell to 8-8 in 2011 after a run that saw them make the playoffs in 9 of the prior 10 seasons with Marty Mornhinweg at the helm. The team has a solid QB in Brady Quinn, and one of the league's most outstanding defenders in MLB Brian Urlacher. Seattle Trades Up to Select HB Trent Richardson The November trade between Oakland and Nashville was the biggest of the offseason until the week of the draft.  We saw a few other less noteworthy trades, such as New Orleans sending FS Earl Thomas to Boston for OT Joseph Bragg and a draft pick, or guard Mike McGlynn sent from Michigan to Philadelphia for CB Drayton Florence, but it was not until Draft Week that we saw bigger moves. Oddly, while we anticipated more moves within the T-Draft as players tried to snag those attending one of the 84 protected schools (3 each for all 28 USFL franchises), what we saw instead were moves to adjust draft position in the open draft.  The biggest moves occurred in the 24 hours leading up to and during the Open Draft itself.  Here are the moves that impacted the first round alone: Seattle sent their 1st this year and next year to Memphis to move up from pick 9 to pick 3.  We all suspected what that was about and it was exactly what we thought, with Seattle using the 3rd pick on Alabama HB Trent Richardson.  Memphis, dropping down, would select Baylor QB Robert Griffin III of Baylor, who was not protected by the Texas Outlaws, since they have reigning MVP Joe Flacco a the position. Charlotte had wanted to move up to the Top 10, but were unable to find a trading partner, so they settled for the 11th pick, making a move with Denver to jump up from 19th to 11th.  That  move allowed them to snag the QB they had hoped to find, OK State’s Brandon Wheedon.  Wheedon is expected to sit behind Delhomme this year, but could see action if the veteran struggles. In trade for their 11 pick, Denver dropped down to 19, but also picked up a 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft.  The Gold would not stand pat with their new pick, turning right around and packaging that 19 pick with a late rounder to make a deal with Michigan, moving ahead of Oakland and selecting CB Dre Kirkpatrick out of Alabama.  Michigan, moving down only 2 spots and confident that Oakland was not looking for a HB, were able to still get their target, Oregon HB LaMichael James. The end of the first round also saw two deals as both Philadelphia and New  Jersey made deals to move into the later part of the round to snag a second 1st round talent.  Philadelphia sent their 2nd and 3rd round picks to Arizona to get pick 23 in the first round, selecting OG Kevin Zeitler of Wisconsin.  They would also add Cal OT Mitchell Schwartz 3 picks later with the 26th selection as they hope to build up a young and athletic O-line.  New Jersey, who had chosen CB Stephon Gilmore with the #8 pick in the draft, saw someone they liked still on the board, and made the deal with Tampa Bay to get the final pick of the round, sending the Bandits their #8 pick in the 2nd round as well as a 4th rounder so that they could select safety Tavon Wilson of Illinois.  It seems secondary is the prime concern for former DB and current Generals’ head coach Herm Edwards. There were also the usual set of mid-round swaps throughout the day, and even a player swap as Orlando sent WR Leonard Hankerson and a 6th rounder to Denver for OT Chris Terry, but the big news, as usual was in the first round.  And, honestly, the bigger news has yet to be written as most players, with just a handful of exceptions, are waiting for this week’s NFL Draft and negotiations with both leagues  before settling on a deal.   We will all have to wait, as we have gotten accustomed to doing, until camps open to find out which rookies will be joining the USFL and which will hold off and wait until next Fall to see the field again. Could Peyton Manning be Headed to the USFL? That has been the speculation ever since Indianapolis announced that they would be releasing Manning after a neck injury cost him the entirety of the 2011 NFL season.  Manning, who had just signed a 5-year, $90 million contract with the NFL Colts, underwent spinal fusion surgery in August, was put on IR for the year in September, and throughout the season was a topic of hot debate.  With Colts owner Jim Irsay convinced that Manning would never step on a field again, the Colts released Manning from their roster in mid-December, just around the time that Manning started throwing footballs again for the first time since his surgery. Progress in the short span since then has been tentative, but Manning himself has stated that it is his intention to return to play in 2012. So, what does this mean for the USFL?  Well, the obvious first thing is that USFL clubs would have to wait until mid-February to even explore the option of signing Manning.  They would, of course, want to get as much information about his recovery and his potential future as an athlete before making any moves, and, they would likely be up against some competition from any number of NFL teams who would jump at a healthy Manning, but who, like them, are concerned that Manning is simply not going to be able to return.  The other factor for a USFL club is one of timing.  The earliest that Manning could even possibly take the field as a pro football player would be in late May or early June, even if every single step of his recovery went perfectly.  That means that a team is looking at Week 9 or later as the earliest possible start.  That is certainly a concern for most teams, as Manning would likely be a huge chunk out of their salary cap even if he were to take a drop in pay from the contract he signed with the Colts pre-surgery. Does that mean no USFL club would take the chance?  Hardly. Manning is a generational talent and a huge boost for the marketing arm of any club.  And while this offseason we see very few clubs who are desperate for a change at QB, there are certainly many who would have interest in Manning.  While it would be a cap challenge for a club like Charlotte, Houston, or Las Vegas to have Manning on the roster while also having starters like Delhomme, Hasselbeck, and Plummer in games, the potential to swap in Manning for 2013 may just be enough to motivate them.  Then you have clubs like LA, Portland, Memphis, or St. Louis, who have QBs in place, but would certainly see Manning as an upgrade if he were healthy.   Finally, we have to consider both Nashville and Memphis seriously.  There is a very good chance that Nashville will whiff on signing Andrew Luck and that would make them very desperate indeed to sign a veteran like Manning.  Memphis is looking at Ryan Mallett after a pretty bad year, bad enough to draft Robert Griffin III this year, but if Manning is available, they would certainly consider the chance to bring a local hero to the squad.  And that is the extra bonus for both the Showboats and Knights, the chance to bring one of the most celebrated Tennessee Volunteers to a Tennessee-based USFL club would be a marketing coup, even if Manning spends the entire season on the bench recovering and prepping for 2013. The possibilities are fascinating, the risks very real, and the water cooler talk all but endless as the Manning saga rages in the fanbases of 60 clubs across two leagues. Beyond the Manning speculation, there was certainly plenty of Free Agent news this Winter, as well as the prospect of a new round of NFL signings in less than a month.  For now the NFL front is quiet, though we will take a look at the top free agents likely to be available in February.  But before we do that, we should recap some of the winter signings from within the USFL pool as several very talented players changed uniforms between our last report and this one. Pass defenders and QB protectors were all the rage over the past month as we saw DBs and guards as the two hottest positions for change. Since October we have seen several in both areas find new homes, while Portland pulled off the rare post-deadline resigning when they retained the services of SS Clifton Black.  Among those moving were cornerbacks Chris Canty (MGN to HOU), Jimmy Williams (ARZ to WSH) and Brandon Flowers (WSH to ARZ), essentially producing a “trade” of CB’s between the Feds and Wranglers.  We also saw an All-USFL safety cash in as Pittsburgh’s Scott Shields took the money and ran, to the tune of nearly $20M over 4 years to join the New Jersey Generals, where Herm Edwards is just stocking up on defensive backs. Among the guards that swapped home addresses we saw Jeb Terry (NSH to SEA), Paul Zakauskas (NOR to STL), and Solomon Page (TEX to LA) all find new homes.  There are still several quality options at guard yet to sign, including veterans Bobbie Williams (ATL), Vince Manuwai (SEA), and Taylor Whitley (CHI). Others making a move in the doldrums of winter include TE Anthony Becht, who leaves behind 12 seasons in New Jersey, signing with the Breakers in New Orleans.   HB Ladell Betts leaves Seattle to join his 5th USFL club, the Atlanta Fire.  DT DeMarcus Tyler will leave Boston for a division rival in Philadelphia, while two edge rushers also move on, with Eddie Freeman leaving St. Louis for Portland and Antwan Odom trading Portland brown for Baltimore blue.  Kicker David Green will compete for the job in Ohio after signing with the Glory, while the latest move, that of HB Rashard Jennings, has the former Thunder backup to Marshawn Lynch hoping for more opportunities to carry the ball as a member of the Ohio Glory. While the pool of available USFL free agents is shrinking, there still remain several savvy veterans and quality depth players yet to sign as we move towards camps.  Among the most noteworthy we find FB Shawn Bryson (BIR), WR Andre Davis (POR), C Aaron Graham (TEX), CB Dereck Combs (JAX), and DE Corey Sears (LA).  For teams hoping to get some depth at QB there are some veteran backups still out there, though none who are likely to compete for a starting job.  Among those still unsigned we find Tony Banks, Dennis Dickson, Dave Dickerson, and Tee Martin.  For those hoping to bolster their run game, they can still get some solid carries from players like Brandon Jacobs, Antonio Pittman, or Kerry Joseph.  Among receivers, the best remaining on the board is Andre Davis, but teams could also take a look at Arnold Brown, Matthew Slater or Joey Jamison.  Finally, among defenders, the surprising player still out there is DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen, who had a great season with Arizona. He and Damione Lewis are the best DT’s still unsigned, while on the edge there is still Corey Sears, Gary Stills, and Quintin Moses. Add to this group a potential pool of NFL players who stick out their league’s free agency period in hopes of using the USFL-NFL transfer window as leverage, so we are not done yet with free agents by a longshot. As we look back at the USFL Draft, we recognize that, as always, selection is only the first step.  How the signing period turns out for the league will be our focus moving forward.  As soon as the NFL Draft is complete, the agents for all the top talent will begin playing one offer against another, one team against another, as the NFL and USFL both attempt to get the better of the other.  Nashville eagerly waits to get a solid response from Andrew Luck’s agent while we all await to see if the Colts, having released Peyton Manning, use their first overall pick on the Stanford product.  But that is just the first of over 250 players likely to be selected by teams in both leagues and eager to use that reality to leverage better deals.  So, as we review each USFL team’s picks, let’s keep the excitement level under control, because if the past 29 drafts have shown us anything, it is that our favorite USFL club will be lucky to sign half of the players whose names were called out during the USFL’s Territorial and Open Collegiate Drafts.   We will review the draft as we previewed it, with the teams in order of their originally assigned 1st round pick. BOSTON CANNONS Territorial Draft Notes: Boston did not disappoint, locking up Luke Kuechley, the hard-hitting BC linebacker with their first pick.  They also hope they can sign Wisconsin WR Nick Toon, who they chose with their 2nd pick. Open Draft 1st Round: Wideout remained a focal point in the Open Draft as Boston used the 1st overall pick on the best “unprotected” player available in their eyes, WR Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State. Clearly Coach Fox is looking to provide Jake Locker with  more weapons and more of a chance to develop in his sophomore year. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Here is one we did not see coming.  Out of the U. of Regina, that’s right, as in Regina, Canada, the Cannons selected DT Akiem Hicks.  Of course there is more to the story.  Hicks was in Canada to begin with because of issues with his signing out of HS by LSU, issues of illegal recruitment that meant he could not play in any U.S. university.   So, he became a big fish in a very small pond in Saskatchewan but now has a chance to catch on back in the good ole’ USA. JACKSONVILLE BULLS Territorial Draft Notes: The Bulls focused on defense with their T-Draft, first selecting DE Andre Branch, then CB Coty Sensabaugh, both of Clemson.  With their 3rd pick they went after a possible special teams contributor and backup in HB Chris Rainey of Florida. Open Draft 1st Round: With the 2nd pick in the Open Draft, Jacksonville again went defense, selecting Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox, who they hope can shore up the middle of the line and help get their edge rushers into single blocks. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: The Bulls have clearly not been happy with the production of C. J. Spiller as a primary back, so the selection of U. of Miami HB Lamar Miller in the 2nd round is hardly a surprise.  Miller is a bigger, more physical back who is better suited for those 1st and 2nd down inside runs that the Bulls like. MEMPHIIS SHOWBOATS Territorial Draft Notes: Not great depth for Memphis in the T-Draft, but the 1st pick was a clear one, with the Showboats hoping to land a local star in U. of Memphis DT Dontari Poe.  Poe would be a force in the middle for the ‘Boats.  They doubled up on defense with DE Jake Bequette of Arkansas their next pick, finishing with WR Jarius Wright from the 3 graduating Razorback receivers this year. Open Draft 1st Round: The Showboats must have known something we didn’t.  We all expected them to select Robert Griffin III with the draft’s third pick, but they shrewdly traded down to number 9 with Seattle and still were able to land Griffin as their pick. Now, will the Baylor star sign with the Showboats, or will he be a Top 5 pick in the NFL and likely get a bigger paycheck out of it? Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Delaware OG Gino Gradkowski may need some time to develop his footwork after playing in the FCS, but he is a big physical guy, and with a name that just screams O-line. PORTLAND STAGS Territorial Draft Notes: We are a bit surprised that Portland did not protect either Boise State star, DE Shea McClellin or HB Doug Martin, instead using the T-Draft for lower-rated “depth” players like DE Tyrone Crawford of Oregon State, LB Josh Kaddu of Oregon, and OT Nate Potter from the Broncos. Open Draft 1st Round: Portland had several offers for their pick but did not budge.  They selected Alabama DE Michael Brockers at number 4, and are hoping he can be the edge rusher they have always lacked on their defense. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick:  We love the pick of App State WR Brian Quick by the Stags. Their WR group has always lacked pure straight line speed and, just like his dad, Quick can provide that. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Territorial Draft Notes: As usual LSU is the prime pipeline for the Breakers. They selected WR Rueben Randle first, then doubled up with safety Brandon Taylor as their 2nd pick.  Tulane LB Dezman Moses rounds out a pretty good group, if they can sign them all. Open Draft 1st Round: We call this pick the first that is a bit of a stretch.  New Orleans went with the best TE in the draft, Coby Fleener of Stanford, but could have very likely made a deal with Charlotte, who was looking to jump into the Top 10, and still gotten Fleener at 19.  But, when you love a player, you go get that player, at least that is the theory. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: We just don’t see much worth commenting on in the later rounds.  A couple of mid-round linebackers, and a little-known HB out of North Texas to end the draft. Honestly, we see New Orleans’s front office as having dropped the ball overall in the Open Draft. OHIO GLORY Territorial Draft Notes: With Ohio State not providing the usual cornucopia of top talent, this was an odd T-Draft for the Glory.  They used their 1st pick on HB Isaiah Pead from Cincinnati, traded away pick 2 and then used pick 3 on safety Nate Ebner, a Buckeye, but not a top tier prospect. Open Draft 1st Round: Hoping to upgrade their pass rush under defensive-minded coach Bart Andrus, the Glory went with West Virginia DE Bruce Irvin with their first pick.  If he signs,  he will likely slot into a starting position, or at least a rotation, on day one. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Our favorite pick is a bit of an odd one, Georgia kicker Blair Walsh. Sure, a kicker in the draft is always a bit of a headscratcher, but Walsh has been all but automatic in Athens, and should be a solid option for the Glory to consistently provide both deep kickoffs and plenty of 3-pointers. HOUSTON GAMBLERS Territorial Draft Notes: The Gamblers made it no secret that they were going to select Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill in the T-Draft.  He needs more seasoning, but that is perfect as the Gamblers hope to slowly transition from Matt Hasselbeck over the next few years.  Houston also selected TAMU kicker Randy Bullock and HB Cyrus Gray, making it a full trifecta for the Aggies. Open Draft 1st Round: Losing Ronde Barber to retirement made this a pretty logical pick, with Houston going after North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins.  There will be a sharp learning curve from an HBCU to the USFL, but Jenkins is a very fast, very talented, and technically sound corner. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: As is often the strategy to cope with NFL signing of USFL picks, Houston doubled down at corner with their 3rd round pick of Coastal Carolina’s Josh Norman.  Norman is a very athletic, ball hawking cornerback, but will need to play with more discipline. NEW JERSEY GENERALS Territorial Draft Notes: That OU connection just keeps paying off as New Jersey hope to sign OU standouts, DE Chandler Jones and WR Ryan Broyles.   They doubled down at receiver with their 3rd pick, a tall, possession receiver in Rutgers’ Mohamed Sanu. Open Draft 1st Round: New Jersey moved up to get a 2nd pick in the 1st round, getting back in with Tampa Bay’s final pick.  That means they were able to select 2 of their top 30 prospects.  With pick 8 they went DB (a theme for Coach Herm Edwards this year) with South Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore, then at 28 they took safety Tavon Wilson of Illinois, hoping to build a young and athletic secondary group. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: The Generals did not pick OU tackle Donald Stephenson with their T-Draft picks, but returned to him in the 4th round of the Open Draft, hoping to add more Sooner beef to the line. . SEATTLE DRAGONS Territorial Draft Notes: Seattle traded away a T-draft pick to Ohio in a swap of number 2’s after picking Montana safety Trumaine Johnson with their first pick. They then returned to the T-Draft in round 3 with a possible kick/punt returner in Washington WR Jermaine Kearse. With their pick from Ohio they went with TE Adrien Robinson from Cincy. Open Draft 1st Round: The Dragons continued to wheel and deal in the Open Draft, sending two first round picks (2012 and 20130 to Memphis to move up to the 3rd overall pick, where Alabama HB Trent Richardson was ready and waiting. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Seattle also did the “Double Down” strategy, not wanting to come away from the draft without a big back to pair with Jahvid Best.  They selected Utah State’s Robert Turbin in the 4th, who is very much in the mold of the departed Ladell Betts, a pounder who can do the inside work to free up Best outside. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Territorial Draft Notes: With the Stallions it is almost always which Crimson Tide and Tiger players they will choose to let go.  This year that included a lot of 1st round talent, including Richardson, safety Mark Barron, and CB Dre Kirkpatrick.  In their stead, Birmingham protected LB Dont’a Hightower, LB Courtney Upshaw, and OT Matt McCants from UAB. Open Draft 1st Round: Birmingham wants to protect Cam Newton’s blind side and they may have found their man in Iowa LT Riley Reiff, big and technically sound, Reiff could slot in on day one if he signs with the Stallions. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Fullback Rhett Ellison may not get a lot of carries, and won’t be a big part of the passing game, but the USC product knows how to run block, and that will be a huge addition for the Stallions and HB Joseph Addai. DENVER GOLD Territorial Draft Notes: A pretty modest output from Colorado, CO State, and Nebraska this year.  Denver opted to go with LB Lavonte David, DE Jared Crick (both Huskers) and Colorado WR Toney Clemons, but honestly, none of these are season 1 starters. Open Draft 1st Round: With Reiff off the board, Denver opted to accept the trade offer from Charlotte and move down from 11 to 19.  They then got excited to see CB Dre Kirkpatrick still there at pick 16, so they made a deal with Michigan to move past Oakland and snag Kirkpatrick at 17. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Denver needed a strong-legged kicker and opted to take the first one off the board, pretty early as a 5th rounder.  Missouri Western may not be a familiar name to football fans, but we expect that with the altitude-aided wind in Denver, kicker Greg Zuerlein could become a household name for Gold fans. ATLANTA FIRE Territorial Draft Notes: The Fire jumped at the chance to select UGA tackle Cordy Glenn with their first pick.  It is a position of need and Glenn is a first round talent.  They then went with CB Brandon Boykin, another Bulldog with their 2nd pick, and finished up the UGA trifecta with guard Justin Anderson. Open Draft 1st Round: Atlanta went for defense with the 12th overall pick, selecting DE Whitney Mercilus from Illinois. We like Mercilus as a speed rusher, but worry he is not bulky enough to be much help against the run. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: HB Michael Smith is not likely to start this year, but the Utah State product could see a mix of special teams assignments and backup HB duties as Atlanta tries to keep Darren McFadden from wearing down. CHICAGO MACHINE Territorial Draft Notes: The Machine had a clear shot at the highest rated wideout on the board, and they took it, selecting Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd with their first pick.  If Floyd signs he will have a great mentor in Donald Driver as Chicago begins a new era with a new, still unnamed coach.  The two other selections were Illinois guard Jeff Allen and Gold Domer Darius Fleming, a developmental LB. Open Draft 1st Round: The Machine opted to double down on their run game, and perhaps provide a bit more rest for Michael Turner, picking a very similar back in Boise State’s Doug Martin with the 13th pick in the draft. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Chicago used their remaining picks as “double down” insurance, taking another guard and another wideout, though neither particularly highly touted.  Insurance for their T-Draft is what we see here. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS Territorial Draft Notes: While St. Louis surprised many by not protecting Iowa OT Riley Reiff, they felt that there were more pressing needs on the roster.  They opted to use their first pick on TE Michael Egnew of Mizzou, then went DT with Iowa’s Mick Daniels, and finished up with WR Marvin McNutt, another Hawkeye. Open Draft 1st Round: So rather than protecting Reiff at tackle, the Skyhawks went for an interior lineman, selecting Iowa State guard Keechi Osemele in the 1st round of the Open Draft. Osemele is a bulldozer of a guard, likely going to be a big part of the run game for St. Louis. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: While we like Osemele, we think the real steal of the draft for St. Louis was when Miami DE Olivier Vernon fell all the way to pick 37 in the 2nd round.  He should be a huge addition for St. Louis, who need more out of their pass rush. ORLANDO RENEGADES Territorial Draft Notes: The Renegades went for three very different players with their 3 pick, starting with WR Travis Benjamin from Miami, then following up with guard Brandon Washington, and then a position you don’t often hear much about, as they selected UCF long snapper Charley Hughlett.  Hey, every team needs a long snapper, so why not draft a good one? Open Draft 1st Round: The Renegades had to be shocked when Boise State DE Shea McClellin fell all the way to 15.  Shea likely will serve as a respite player for Calais Campbell, but could also line up on the opposite side of Albert Haynesworth and cause real problems, as if opposition offenses were not already in a bind with the Orlando front 3. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: A very intriguing pick in the 2nd round as Orlando, who seem set up at QB with Eli Manning having a solid season last year, opted to go with a young, athletic, but somewhat short QB in former NC State starter and 1-year wonder at Wisconsin, Russell Wilson.  We expect Wilson to spend the year on the bench behind Manning, but he does bring some interesting skills with him if he signs with the ‘Gades. LAS VEGAS THUNDER Territorial Draft Notes: Las Vegas had one of the weakest pools of players available, and getting permission to add Idaho to their other colleges did not do much to improve it.  They ended up picking only 2 players, both from Utah, in guard Tony Bergstrom and DE Derrick Shelby, but to be honest, we are not sure either player can make the final 53.  Practice squad seems more likely. Open Draft 1st Round: With very little to build on in the T-Draft, Vegas needed to hit on as many Open Draft picks as possible.  They started off very strong by selecting one of the most instinctual players in the draft, Alabama safety Mark Barron.  Barron could be an impact player for the Thunder from the season opener on. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Of the later picks in the draft, the one that could pose some future payout is 5th round QB Case Keenum from the U. of Houston.  Keenum had strong numbers at Houston, and will get the chance to learn at the feet of one of the most dynamic QB’s in the USFL in Jake Plummer.  Give him a year or two and we could see Keenum pushing to become the next starter for the Thunder. MICHIGAN PANTHERS Territorial Draft Notes: The Panthers always seem to do well with the T-Draft, and this year is no exception.  They may have found their future QB in Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins, as well as a potential target in fellow Spartan, WR B. J. Cunningham.  They wrapped up the T-Draft with C David Molk, their lone Wolverine selection. Open Draft 1st Round: Michigan opted to accept a trade offer from Denver that moved them down two spots.  Denver jumped on CB Dre Kirkpatrick, but Michigan was not concerned about that.  They watched Oakland go guard and that left them in prime position to select the halfback they had been eyeing all offseason, Oregon speedster LaMichael James.  James is a shifty, make-you-miss kind of back, something very different from the more traditional straight ahead backs the Panthers have had in the past and still have with Mike Hart on the roster. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Michigan returned once more to the home state pipeline in the 3rd round, where they may have found a steal in another MSU product, DT Jerel Worthy, considered by some to have first round talent. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS Territorial Draft Notes: Nashville had a better than usual selection of talent out of Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vandy, and opted to go with the Rebel, OT Bobby Massie with their first pick.  He is a monster of a man, and should be a contributor in his first year.  They then selected Vol DE Malik Jackson and wrapped up their draft predictably by selecting Vol QB Matt Simms.  Clearly not a priority pick for them, since they are hoping to land Andrew Luck, but a very valuable backup if Luck bolts to the NFL. Open Draft 1st Round: The Knights sent this pick to Oakland, as well as next year’s number1, for a shot at Andrew luck.  Now they have to seal the deal. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Of the later picks, our favorite is a somewhat undervalued pick, punter Marquette King from Fort Valley State.  Film of King is hard to find, but what we have seen shows an absolute cannon of a leg. This is a guy who can flip the field with his foot.  That is a rare thing to find, so using a 7th round pick on him seems more than reasonable. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS Territorial Draft Notes: DE Quinton Coples from UNC was something of a no-brainer for the Monarchs.  Their second pick, WR T. J. Graham is more of a developmental pick, while selection 3, guard J. R. Sweezy feels a little extraneous, especially when the Monarchs could have locked down a LB like either NC State’s Terrell Manning or UNC’s Zach Brown. Open Draft 1st Round: Having made the big trade with Denver to move from 19 to 11, Charlotte got the shot that they wanted to nab a 1st round QB talent.  They went for OK State’s Brandon Wheedon as their choice over others like Brock Osweiler or ECU’s Dominique Davis.  Wheeden will certainly get time to develop as the Monarchs plan to go with Jake Delhomme under center in 2012. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: The Monarchs are hoping that TE Garrett Celek, younger brother to Brent, can develop very much in the same mold as his older brother, a very solid dual option TE who has nice hands, and a good blocking technique. OAKLAND INVADERS Territorial Draft Notes: We all know what the big story here was, as Oakland landed not only picks but also edge rushing LB Terrell Suggs in trade for their first T-Draft pick, allowing Nashville to pick Andrew Luck. So what did Oakland do with their other picks?  Well, how about OT Jonathan martin of Stanford and LB Mychal Kendricks of Cal.  What?  Not as impressive as Luck? Sure, but both could be solid contributors in areas of need. Open Draft 1st Round: As we cited in our story of the trade, holding two picks between 18 and 20, Oakland could double up on talented players. They think they did just that by selecting Stanford G David DeCastro, a player they likely would have picked in the T-Draft had they not traded away the selection. They then added LB Bobby Wagner of Utah State to provide a solid 1-2 combo in the first round. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Our favorite midround pick for the Invaders was Hawaii LB Aaron  Brown.  Brown is speedy, but hits hard.  He will also fit right in on an Oakland squad that has several Samoan and Polynesian players, just like playing in Hawaii. BALTIMORE BLITZ Territorial Draft Notes: Baltimore hopes their three picks turn into three signings because they could certainly benefit from all three.  Safety Winston Guy of Kentucky, LB Danny Trevathan also of UK, and Louisville WR Josh Bellamy are all in positions where they could contribute right away. Open Draft 1st Round: We love the fit between the aggressive Baltimore defense and the talents of LB Melvin Ingram of South Carolina, the Blitz’s first round pick.  He could be extremely disruptive in Baltimore’s high risk, high reward system. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Another potentially disruptive defender the Blitz took was Troy DE Jonathan Massaquoi.  He will need time to get up to speed against the tougher USFL competition, but he has natural burst and uses his hands well to get past linemen. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS Territorial Draft Notes: No shock here as LA hopes to land USC left tackle Matt Kalil and keep him in La-La Land for his pro career.  The Express also selected HB Ronnie Hillman of SDSU and another Aztec in DT Jerome Lang.  They had toyed with the idea of SDSU QB Ryan Lindley, but opted instead to Brodie Croyle to an extension. Open Draft 1st Round:  The Express opted to help out their secondary by picking Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith with their first round pick. Smith would be a solid contributor on Special Teams, but we don’t see him displacing Lance Schulters in 2012. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: How can a team in LA not sign a guy named Alameda?  Alameda Ta’amu of Washington is a big space eater in the middle of the D-line, and could be a good find for a line that wants to rotate in more people to keep their line fresher this year. ARIZONA WRANGLERS Territorial Draft Notes: We knew the Wranglers would use at least 1 T-Draft pick on a QB, but which one.  Tall and strong armed Brock Osweiler of ASU or more cerebral and mobile Nick Foles of Arizona.  They opted for Foles, then added a potential and familiar weapon for him in fellow Wildcat, WR Juron Criner. Open Draft 1st Round: The Wranglers opted for quantity over quality, moving out of the 1st round by trading their 23rd pick to Philadelphia and picking up a 2nd and 3rd rounder for their efforts. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: No team made more picks in the Open Draft than the Wranglers.  Thanks to a combination of trades both this offseason and last year, the Wranglers finished the weekend with 14 players selected.  Perhaps our favorite of all of them is the pick they got with Philly’s 2nd rounder, Auburn OT Brandon Mosley.  His footwork needs some work, but this is a man mountain who could slot into the RT spot quickly. WASHINGTON FEDERALS Territorial Draft Notes: The Feds went for depth with their T-Draft picks, selecting Va Tech HB David Wilson as depth for Deuce McCallister, Wake Forest WR Chris Givens as backup for Deion Branch, and then WR Jarrett Boykin from Va Tech just to have yet another potential receiver/returner in camp. Open Draft 1st Round: By pick 24 LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne had to be wondering what he had done wrong to slide so far.  Washington is not complaining, but now they have to hope that Claiborne does not go Top 10 in the NFL draft or he will almost certainly jump at the NFL offer. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Washington, due to earlier trades from 2011, had only 4 total picks in the Open Draft, and aside from Claiborne, we honestly don’t see anyone who we think will avoid a training camp cut.  Just being honest about that. TEXAS OUTLAWS Territorial Draft Notes: In a year when UT did not produce a single player graded as 1st round talent, the Outlaws just did not have their usual crop of blue chippers. They went with 2 Baylor prospects, selecting WR Kendall Wright first, then C Philip Blake. They finished up with LB Keenan Robinson, viewed as a mid-round talent by most pundits. Open Draft 1st Round: The Outlaws continued looking for LBs in the Open Draft, using the 25th pick on USC product Nick Perry. Perry can play middle or strong side backer but will have to improve his coverage skills to stick with the Outlaws. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Do not sleep on yet another Outlaw LB choice.  Sixth rounder Vontez Burfict out of ASU may be a bit of a hot head, but he is also a mean hitter and tackler.  He should be a dynamo on special teams if nothing else. PHILADELPHIA STARS Territorial Draft Notes: In a year when Penn State did not crank out linebackers, Philadelphia had to try something new.  They started with DT Devon Still, then went to TE Evan Rodriguez of Temple and HB Bernard Pierce, also of Temple with their 3 picks. Open Draft 1st Round: Trading with Arizona allowed Philadelphia to get two selections in during the final stages of the first round. They went O-line with both.  First up was Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, and three picks later, they selected Cal OT Mitchell Schwartz. They are hoping that both can be 10-year starters, which would make this a very successful draft indeed. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: They may not be the most talented players in the draft, but the Stars’ selected two of the best names in the draft, both at guard.  SMU product Josh LeRibeus is outdone only by South Carolina product Rokevious Watkins.  Too bad the two cannot be merged into one to get Rokevious LeRibeus. PITTSBURGH MAULERS Territorial Draft Notes: The Summer Bowl runner up went full John Denver with three picks from West Virginia in their T-Draft.  DE Vinny Curry of Marshall joins WVU grads Najee Goode (LB) and Keith Tandy (CB). Open Draft 1st Round: With the penultimate pick in the first round, the Maulers opt to go defense once again, as Coach Rivera hopes to add UConn DT Kendall Reyes to his rotation of D-linemen. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: Another great name for a player, guard Senio Kelemete from the U. of Washington was Pittsburgh’s 3rd round pick.  They also found an answer for the departure of Brandon Jacobs, selecting Ole Miss HB Brandon Bolden. TAMPA BAY BANDITS Territorial Draft Notes: The Bandits passed on CB Stephon Gilmore, and opted instead to go with WR Alshon Jeffery with their first pick.  The Gamecock receiver certainly fits a need as Tampa tries to rebuild their depleted WR group and anticipate the retirement of Joey Galloway.  They also selected FSU LB Nigel Bradham and another Seminole in OT Andrew Datko. Open Draft 1st Round: The Bandits dropped back 7 spots and out of the first round in a trade with New Jersey. Our “Best of the Rest” Pick: The Bandits added a QB to sit behind Rhett Bomar in the 5th round of the draft, selecting San Diego State product Ryan Lindley.  He is not the gunslinger that either Culpepper or Bomar can be, but he does have a lively arm. As we anticipate USFL camps opening up and players reporting, two stories will dominate the news around the league, first, the signing of rookie draft picks, and, soon after, the opening of the NFL-USFL Transfer Window.  The first will have an immediate impact on the second as teams that are banking on landing that key contributor out of the draft may find that their prize rookie opts to join the NFL, as typically 50% (more in the earlier rounds) tend to do. The insecurity of the rookie signings forces teams to have a plan B, which usually leads one of two ways, signing one of the few veterans still in the pool of USFL free agents, often overpaying or settling for a short-term solution from veterans on the cusp of retirement, or, alternatively, looking at the NFL free agent market and outbidding both fellow USFL clubs and all 32 NFL clubs to try to land an NFL veteran for that key unfilled roster spot.  In some cases the NFL pool offers a clear advantage, in others we see another form of settling, with NFL talent garnering significantly better pay simply because the USFL franchise has few other options available after missing on their draft picks. In many years, the NFL free agent market is pretty slim, after all, just like in September-October with the USFL, the 1 month head start that NFL teams have to sign other NFL players before the transfer window opens can mean a lot of talent is off the board before USFL clubs can begin to meet with free agents.  This year, we are starting the year with a pretty deep, and very intriguing pool.   Just how many of these NFL players will remain unsigned by the mid-February window, well, that is to be seen.  But, as we look at the 10 most intriguing free agents, we do expect a good number to delay signing in the hopes that they will get either a strong offer from a USFL squad or enough interest from the USFL to force a good counter from an NFL team.  With that strategy in mind, here is our list of the 10 most interesting, and potentially impactful, NFL free agents in this year’s pool. 10--HB Ryan Grant:  There are three potential starting backs in this year’s pool, with Grant rated slightly ahead of San Diego’s Mike Tolbert but behind Houston’s Arian Foster.  Grant provides a good mix of one-cut dynamism and short yardage power.  He is something of a tweener, not a scat back to be sure, but not a pounder either.  But, for a team that wants to use a zone-blocking scheme, or just one that already has a true bulldozer of a back in house, getting a player with Grant’s breakaway potential will be enticing. 9--TE John Carlson:  Several USFL clubs went into the draft looking for a potential starter at TE, but it was a pretty week group, with only Stanford’s Coby Fleener grading out as a top 1-2 round prospect.  That means that a veteran like Carlson, who has had some good years in Seattle, will absolutely get a lot of attention from across the league. 8--OT Jared Gaither:  Were Gaither a guard or center we don’t think he would garner the attention he has, but tackle is a tough position to find, and Gaither, while not an immediate All-league candidate, is a solid blocker in both the run and passing game.  With the number of teams in the USFL hoping to fill either a LT, or more likely a RT slot, someone is not going to land their prize rookie tackle, and that could mean interest in Gaither. 7--WR Wes Welker:  Another player who is parlaying a strong 2011 season into a possible cash windfall. Welker broke out in his first season in New England (his 4th NFL season), catching 112 passes for 1,175 yards.  His numbers increased every year, save for an injury-impacted 2010, and this past year he hit 122 receptions and 1,500 yards as the Patriots had one of their best years in decades.  New England has made offers to retain Welker, as you would expect, and will continue to be a factor, but he has not resigned and could be available for a team that has a clear need in the slot and some cash to throw his way. 6--QB Alex Smith:  A #1 overall draft pick (ahead of Aaron Rodgers), Smith has been viewed as something of a bust in NFL circles, but it is more that he has had issues staying healthy.  2011 was only his second 16-game season since coming into the NFL in 2005, but in 2011 he led San Francisco to a 13-3 record and threw for over 3,000 yards.  In Smith a club is getting a player who still has strong physical attributes but who may need to be in the right system to succeed, one that helps him with his progressions and decision making. 5--DE Cliff Avril:  Detroit’s Avril is an intriguing option.  He has slowly seen his sack numbers increase from 5 in his rookie season to 11 in 2011.  That is a nice trajectory, and any team that signs the Purdue product could be catching him at the high point of his career, getting 3-5 solid years of pass rushing on the edge from Avril.  That will be enticing for many clubs even if Avril never reaches the heights of some of the top edge rushers in either league. 4--HB Arian Foster:  The Oilers’ have major cap issues and have two huge free agents on the market.  While Mario Williams is getting most of the press, HB Arian Foster is a major talent who has produced in Houston but could now make a leap elsewhere.  While not as coveted a position as QB or DE, finding a bell cow back in free agency is almost as rare, and, as we saw with Birmingham signing Joseph Addai last year, can help transform an offense. 3--DT Mario Williams:  The Houston Oilers’ All-Pro DE could be the most targeted player in the pool, and almost certainly will get advice from his agent to wait out the NFL offers until the USFL clubs have a shot.  It is not every day that a player capable of 20+ sacks per season becomes available in free agency.  Half of the teams in the NFL and the USFL have to be salivating that Williams is in the pool as edge rusher can be one of the toughest positions to find in free agency, and one of the most sought after.  Expect a feeding frenzy here, where the money will be good from all teams who make offers, so coaching fit and scheme could be the difference to entice Williams to town. 2--WR Mike Wallace:  The former Steeler is a high output, high ceiling, but high headache player.  Yet another Diva in a long line of wideouts who can be a PR nightmare but an on-field terror for defenses. Wallace played 3 years with the Steelers, following a strong rookie year with over 1,200 yards and 10 TDs in his second season.  He dipped a bit in 2011, but still had very strong numbers, so it is very tempting to take a shot at him, especially for a franchise that feels confident in its coaching staff to be able to reign in the extroverted and often image-damaging comments that Wallace is prone to make. 1--QB Peyton Manning:   This is the great mystery.  Manning says he will return to play football after his spinal fusion surgery.  His former team, the Colts, were so convinced that the former MVP and Super Bowl champion would not be able to play again that they cut him loose only 1 year into a 5-year contract.  If his workouts continue to show progress, he could be one of the most coveted players in the free agent market.  And while he likely would not see the field for a USFL team until at least Week 8 or 9, possibly until 2013, if there is a chance he could return to play at the level he had for a decade in the NFL, well, that is a risk several teams may be willing to take. Beyond these 10, there is certainly more talent in the pool, whether for depth or for potential.  Among the names being discussed are QB’s Charlie Whitehurst, Chad Henne, Brian Hoyer and Josh Johnson.  Halfbacks like Mike Tolbert, Khalil Bell or Tim Hightower could see some attention.  Wideouts beyond Wallace and Welker include Eric Weems, Josh Morgan, Eddie Royal, and Jacoby Jones. The TE pool also includes Buffalo’s Scott Chandler and LA’s Kevin Boss.  Among linemen you have tackles Marcus McNeill and Geoff Schwartz, guards Carl Nicks and Travelle Martin and center Scott Wells. The DE pool dips quite a bit after Williams and Avril, but both Andre Carter and Anthony Spencer could get some attention.  At DT you have players like Paul Soliai, Red Bryant and Sinoe Pouha available.  At linebacker Jarret Johnson, Ahmad Brooks, Erin Henderson and Stephen Tolluch will almost certainly warrant some inquiries.  Corners in the market include LaDarius Webb from Baltimore, Brandon Carr of the Chiefs and Brent Grimes of Atlanta. Tyvon Branch of the Raiders tops a safety group that also includes Michael Griffin and Dashon Goldson.  And finally, there are several punters who could find work in the USFL, including former Cowboy Mat McBriar and the Cardinals Dave Zastudil. LEAGUE MEETING DECISIONS REVEALED While the USFL owners' meeting was held back in September, very little was initially revealed or reported about any decisions made. We learned then that the league had, in fact, moved to retain the 12-team playoff format, dismissing the concerns that on occasion a 9-7 team might miss the playoffs, as was the case this year with Las Vegas. Clearly the bigger concern was that a 7-9 team could make the postseason in the larger format, something that did happen and led to the surprising run of the 2005 Seattle Dragons in 2005, who finished the year 6-8 but qualified and went on to win a league title. There was also concern that the 14-team format, while producing 6 Wild Card games, instead of 4, would also provide only 1 team with the advantage of a bye week, instead of the top 2 seeds getting the delayed start to the postseason, something most clubs and players value quite a bit. Other than that confirmation, which was released upon conclusion of the meetings, little had been reported out until just recently. It seems that on the matters of the television contract with with ESPN, on the concerns regarding Destination Dallas, and on the financing of the new domed stadium in Las Vegas, the owners felt more information needed to be gathered, reports presented, and arguments both pro and con had to be laid out. Ad Hoc select groups were organized, and those reports came in just before the holidays in December. A special Winter Meeting was called for the first week of January, and in Los Angeles the owners again convened. Here is what we now know from that meeting. ESPN Contract The league rejected the initial deal to have EFN cover games in the afternoon timeslot, with ESPN then covering the Saturday and Sunday evening games. There had been objections from NBC, which has been trying to expand their footprint for several years, and from several owners who feared that their markets in particular would be disproportionally moved from broadcast networks to the cable-exclusive EFN broadcasts. The league and the ABC/ESPN group went back and forth with counter offers and the following was eventually agreed upon: NBC would retain their 1-game per week broadcast format for 2012, but in 2013 would be granted a second timeslot, a Saturday Night broadcast which would run simultaneously with ESPN's night game, essentially moving one of the Saturday afternoon games to the evening timeslot. ABC and FOX would now be broadcasting a total of 4 Saturday games, rather than 5, which means that every Saturday game would be a national broadcast. ESPN would retain the Sunday Night weekly finale, taking over for the EFN broadcast, but would also pick up 2 Sunday games, one in each timeslot, again maximizing the number of national broadcasts, with ABC, FOX, and ESPN all covering 2 games each Sunday afternoon. EFN would be used to simulcast all 3 Sunday ESPN games, but could only be exclusive with their broadcast for games during the opening 8 weeks of the season, with requirements that ESPN also broadcast any EFN games during the final 8 weeks of the year. So, what is the result for viewers and fans? Actually very positive. Essentially this arrangement means that in almost every case, all 14 USFL games will be available for national broadcast coast to coast. There will be the traditional NBC Friday Night Lights game, only 4 Saturday afternoon games, two each at noon and 4pm ET, with ABC nationally broadcasting one in each timeslot and ABC the other. Then, on Saturday night, fans get their choice of a second NBC game or the nationally broadcast ESPN Saturday Night Football game. Finally on Sunday, you would have 6 games split between the noon and 4pm ET kickoff time, one in each timeslot on ABC, one on FOX, and one on ESPN/EFN, with only early season games potentially limited to the cable elective channel of EFN, the ESPN Football Network. The week, as always, ends with ESPN's Sunday Night Football broadcast. Who loses in this deal, well two groups really, The folks at EFN lose their exclusivity for most of the year, but overall ESPN, giving up exclusivity on Saturday Night, does pick up 2 more games per week. ABC and FOX both lose 2-3 games per week with 2 going to ESPN and 1 game per week now with NBC, but they too gain an advantageous position by being able to have all broadcasts as national broadcasts rather than regional coverage. The other group that may now have issue with the TV deal is the ever-shrinking population of Americans who have not obtained either cable or satellite TV and rely on broadcast networks. With more games to be provided on ESPN and/or EFN, there is a greater chance that they will miss their favorite team in any given week. But, as we have seen with most professional sports broadcasts, the move for some time now has been towards cable channels as a larger piece of the television pie. So, if you have rabbit ears on top of your set, the time may be now to break down and get hooked up. Las Vegas Stadium Project While the decision to invest in Las Vegas as a market and for the league to directly invest in the construction of a domed stadium for the Thunder was never in doubt, the question around how the league would finance their portion of the project was very much up for debate. There were some who sought to have the Thunder and the city of Las Vegas serve as the initial backer, with the league money delayed until 2013 or later as a second phase of project development. There was concern that both parties were subject to possible shortfalls and delays in payment which could derail or delay the project. City officials in Las Vegas had agreed to a 30% commitment, but had yet to implement the local hotel and restaurant tax that would provide the revenue. Meanwhile, Thunder ownership had balked at being required to put a large portion of their committed 40% funding into the project in 2012 and 2013, hoping they too could spread out their financial commitment over the full 5 years of the project. In the end, the position of Thunder ownership won over enough votes to force the league to accept a dual-sponsorship position, one that had league funds begin to flow to the project beginning in 2012 and both league and Thunder funding to span the full 5 years of the project. This will impact the league's bottom line, of course, just as it does the Thunder's, with one strategy to provide funding tied to a slower increase in the salary pool, the largest single expenditure made by the league from its shared revenue model. Essentially this means that while funds are diverted to the Las Vegas stadium project, we should expect the annual shared revenue to be capped artificially and the salary cap to see only modest growth over the 5-year span. That likely will not sit well with the player's union, who will insist that the cap must expand as revenue expands in order for the league to meet its requirement that the cap be tied to a percentage of revenue, not a percentage of post-commitment profit. Expect some discussion of this aspect of the funding to be central to upcoming union-league CBA conversations. Franchise Sale & Relocation Policy While there was clear sentiment among the owners that expansion is preferable to relocation, there was also hesitancy among many owners on codifying any restrictions on the ability of an owner to sell their franchise, even if that meant relocation and abandonment of a current market. The owners, fully aware that today's interest among investors could lead to tomorrow's windfall sale of their own franchise at 5, 10, or even 20 times the initial investment, were in no mood to restrict their own ability at some point to sell their franchise. At the same time, the recent engagement between the Destination Dallas investor group and ownership in larger market franchises such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston did send ripples of concern through the group. We have to remember that while the owners are largely in favor of a big market like Dallas getting into the USFL, they are very wary of the impact of losing another major market, like Chicago's 2nd largest MSA would have on the league. And what if the Dallas example is allowed to proceed, only to be followed by much smaller markets with deep-pocketed ownership groups seeking to move a franchise? The nightmare scenario for the league is to see cities like San Diego, Raleigh, or Oklahoma City pull teams away from LA, New Jersey, Chicago, or Houston in a move that would diminish the league's market share, impact their television contracts, and shift the focus away from the league as a legitimate major league alongside the NFL. So, what was decided? Essentially that the league would take a laissez-faire position to individual franchise sale, potentially opening the door to the concerns many expressed but preserving each owner's ability to 'cash out" when the time is right, but allowing for the league ownership to veto the relocation of any franchise, or require "replacement" of a franchise. Essentially a group like Destination Dallas could purchase a club, but only relocate it in one of two scenarios, a 2/3 vote of the ownership to permit the relocation, possible with a market like Dallas, but unlikely for a smaller market seeking to move a larger market team to a less populous region or city. The other option available would be for a relocation plan to be approved if, and only if, it was paired with a plan to return a franchise to a market within a 3-year span. So, essentially, to use a hypothetical example, if an ownership group from a smaller market, say Raleigh, wanted to buy the LA Express, and the owners in LA wanted to make the sale, the league could hold the sale until a plan was developed to repopulate LA with a club. This could be through an expansion or by allowing another owner to shift their franchise to LA. That last option would potentially lead to a further issue, but if the market being abandoned was a smaller market, it is likely the league would opt to swap out a Nashville or Portland for LA or Chicago, even if it produced ill-will in the original market. This is good news for fans in places like New Jersey, Chicago, and LA, but potentially bad news for the Birminghams, Portlands, and Charlottes of the league, as it all but guarantees that major cities will retain their franchises or get replacements while smaller markets may be left in the lurch. But how does this impact the current issue at hand, the potential sale of a franchise to the Destination Dallas group? Well, of the three franchises most under scrutiny as possible sales to DD, Boston, Chicago, and Nashville, it means that the path is easiest if DD were to purchase the Nashville Knights, as a much smaller market, but that purchase of either Chicago or Boston could be feasible. So, fans of the Knights, Cannons, and Machine need to be worried at this point, in that order. So, there we are, awaiting the signing frenzy from the draft, looking forward to following the NFL-USFL transfer window, and expecting some last minute USFL free agent signings as teams enter camp, assess their late offseason gaps, and start prepping for a March opening weekend that cannot come too soon.  We will be here, and will be back with a 2-part Season Preview in March as we look ahead to a momentous 30th USFL season.

14-October, 2011 Two months into the offseason and we already have some wild stories to follow as we focus on teams building rosters and making personnel decisions.  From the retirement of T. J. Duckett following the Outlaw’s first deep playoff run in years, to the unceremonious cutting and eventual NFL signing of Nashville QB Jay Cutler, to a flurry of early trades and, of course, free agent signings.  There is a lot to talk about.  We will begin with the final coaching hires to lock in all 28 clubs, and then move on to retirement news, trades, free agency, and the NFL-USFL transfer window.  We will wrap it up by looking at the top needs of all 28 USFL teams ahead of this January’s USFL College Draft. Memphis Goes With Brad Childress In what had come to be the expected move, the Memphis Showboats have opted to hire former Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress.  Childress, a former RB position coach and OC, was let go by the Vikings despite 2 consecutive playoff seasons, including a 12-4 record in 2009 with the Vikings.  He had interviewed with several NFL and USFL clubs after the 2010 season saw him dismissed after only 10 weeks.  Memphis is, as you would expect, hoping that Childress’s experience both as an OC and as a head coach can help them revive a franchise that has yet to truly recover since the 2nd retirement of Brett Favre. Memphis drafted Ryan Mallett last year, but the Arkansas product struggled in his rookie season and many looked at Head Coach Jim Haslett as part of the program.  Bringing in an offensive-minded coach, and one with a proven track record in the NFL makes sense as the Showboats need to rebuild on defense but also need to develop an offensive personality.  The Showboats have already been active this offeason, and after hiring Childress in mid-August, made their first big move, signing 7-year veteran backup and Summer Bowl hero Matt Cassel to a 3-year deal.  It is expected that Cassel will serve as a mentor to Mallett, sharing backup duties with another veteran, Bob Volek, but hopefully bringing the lessons from Tampa Bay with him.  If Mallett continues to struggle, we could envision Cassel getting a true chance to become a starter for the Showboats. Chicago Surprises with Delay Strategy Most in Chicago expected the Machine to sign a defensive coordinator to their open head coach position, with either Pepper Johnson of the Maulers or Perry Fewell of the Federals viewed as the most likely candidate.  Chicago did interview both, but then announced that they would be waiting until the January window to speak with NFL coaches rather than hire one of the currently available coordinators.  This, of course, puts the pressure on their GM George Paton to put together a roster without a head coach in place.  It certainly is not the first time a team has opted to sign their coach late in the process, allowing the GM to build the team and then bringing in a figurehead to put a gameplan in action.  Typically this means that a franchise already has an NFL coach in mind, often a coordinator, and are now forced to wait until the legal cross-league signing period. Admitedly, the 8-8 Chicago Machine do have a lot to offer a new head coach.  You have a QB in place with Brady Quinn, the base of a solid offense with Michael Turner and Donald Driver, and one of the most dominant defensive players in the league in Brian Urlacher.  This is, after all, a club that has been a regular playoff contender for several years, so the new coach, whoever he is, will be stepping into a position where the holes in the team are not huge and the base of talent is pretty substantial. T. J. Duckett Makes it Official, Retiring at 31. In late August, Texas HB T. J. Duckett addressed the rumors and his comments following the Western Conference Final, and officially declared that he has chosen to retire.  Duckett will step away from the game at only 31 years of age and after a season that saw him rush for over 1,100 yards.  But, as is so often the case for running backs, Duckett cited the wear and tear on his body, the difficulty of dealing with chronic pain, and a desire to remain active later in life. Duckett retires after 2,831 carries, 11,439 yards, and 54 career touchdowns, numbers which put him in second place in team history behind only Hall of Famer Reggie Cobb.  He has topped 1,000 yards each of the past 8 seasons, but has seen his numbers slowly decrease since his massive 2008 season, a year in which he rushed for 1,521 yards, barely missing the rushing title due to a huge final week from Deuce McCallister.  His departure makes halfback a prime position of need for the Outlaws, with Alabama’s Trent Richardson looking very much like a target for the club, though one they will need to deal to acquire, as they draft late in the open draft, but could make a deal with Birmingham to trade for their first round Territorial pick. Retirements Impact Playoff Squads While Duckett was certainly the biggest name to declare his retirement from this year’s 12 playoff teams, he is hardly alone.  Among the others who announced they were putting the pads away for good we have Washington LT Matt Stinhcomb, Oakland LB Mike Maslowski and center Jeff Saturday, Nashville LB Keith Burns and OT Jason Fabmini, LA guard Alan Faneca, and two members of the new league champions, Tampa Bay wideout Chris Doering and DE Marcellus Wiley. Some had wondered if we could see a spate of QB retirements with Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Delhomme, and Jake Plummer all on people’s tongues, but all three have since made it clear that they expect to be back under center come March of 2012.   We did, however have several players make delayed announcements in August, including 3 members of the Houston Gamblers’ defense.  The Gamblers are scrambling to recover after veteran CB Ronde Barber, LB Keith Brooking, and safety Brian Dawkins all announced they are leaving the game only 1 year after celebrating a league title with the Gamblers.  Others who delayed their announcement, but who have now confirmed they will not be back include LA wideout Eddie Kennison, and Chicago strong safety Reggie Tongue, both of whom were set to be free agents, but opted instead to step away from the game. Whether through retirements or free agency, there were plenty of roster spots open once free agency began in August, but there were also a fair number of substantial trades in the early weeks of the free agent period, as teams tried to use leverage at some key positions to either obtain draft picks or pick up a player in a position of need. Perhaps the biggest name to change hands in a trade was that of St. Louis strong safety Coy Wire.  Considered one of the best at his position, Wire became expendable when St. Louis saw a lot of promise out of 2nd year player Kendrick Lewis.  With Lewis developing into a very strong contributor, St. Louis felt they could offload Wire’s hefty salary cap and they found a willing buyer in the Las Vegas Thunder.  Las Vegas would give up two picks to get the All-USFL safety, a 2nd rounder in both this year’s draft and in 2013 as well. Another intriguing early trade of defenders saw New Jersey ship off DE Tamba Hali to Chicago to get some help in the secondary.  Hali had rotated with Aaron Kampman since the NFL product came to the Generals, and so one of the two was viewed as potential trade material.  New Jersey had issues at corner this year, and so sending Hali off to the Machine for cornerback Daniel Manning helps both clubs in areas of need. Two interesting trades involving wideouts also hit in August, with Memphis sending former Arkansas WR Matt Jones to Atlanta for HB Anthony Allen.  Memphis seems ready to use Allen to spell Cadillac Williams and preserve the big back longer into the season while Atlanta is hoping to get some deep ball capacity with Jones.  Washignton dealt a young wideout, Dontrelle Inman, not for a different offensive weapon, but to enhance the D-line by adding DE Karmerion Wimberly from the Stallions.  Expect Inman to start working with Cam Newton this offseason, while Wimberley will compete with Chris Long and Mathias Kiwanuka as the Feds continue to work with a rotating D-line. It is not often you see a punter involved in a trade, but with Texas having 2 solid options on the roster they were able to pair punter Matt Allen with a 6th round pick and solve their backup QB situation by snagging veteran Luke McCown from the New Orleans Breakers.  The Breakers were eager to move out of a 4-QB roster situation, and with the development of Keith Null behind both Brees and Kyle Boller, it made McCown the odd man out. Finally, we have some player for picks deals to report as Chicago sent backup QB T. J. Yates to the Bandits for a 6th rounder.  With Matt Cassel signing with Memphis, Tampa Bay was hoping to land a 3rd QB to join Culpepper and Rhett Bomar in the QB room.  Philadelphia opted to deal WR lance Moore, rather than restructure his deal.  They received a 3rd rounder from Jacksonville for the slot receiver.  Texas also dealt one of their receivers from a very deep pool, as Ben Obamanu was traded to Conference Title Game opponent Pittsburgh for a 5th rounder in this year’s draft. It took only 1 day for USFL free agency to explode onto the national news after the league opened their offseason market in early August.  Within 24 hours of the signing period open three of the biggest names in the market were signed, sealed and delivered.   The biggest name, and loudest of the free agents, WR Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, wasted no time, announcing he was signing with the Las Vegas Thunder from the floor of the MGM Grand Casino’s main gaming floor.  It was the kind of brash, self-celebrating press event that both Johnson and Las Vegas love. Following suit, though in not so dramatic a fashion, LA announced that they had signed cornerback Marcus Truffant away from division rival Seattle, while Atlanta also announced that they landed the best linebacker in the free agent pool, former Memphis Showboat Patrick Willis.  Within 72 hours the flurry of action at the front end of the free agent period was in full effect.  Here is a quick list of the signings that have occurred just since August. WR Chad Johnson—Boston to Las Vegas LB Patrick Willis—Memphis to Atlanta CB Marcus Truffant—Seattle to LA C Brad Meester—Resigns with Portland FB Vontae Leach—St. Louis to Chicago C Chris Spencer—LA to New Orleans SS Chad Scott—Resigns with Las Vegas G Steve Sciulo—Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh LB Rahim Abdullah—Atlanta to Seattle FS Corey Hall—Chicago to Seattle WR Keary Colbert—Denver to Michigan WR Mark Clayton—New Jersey to Charlotte LB Zeke Moreno—Tampa Bay to Nashville FS Sean Jones—Las Vegas to Oakland WR Kassim Osgood—Resigns with Arizona WR Donte Do—Birmingham to Baltimore DT Jarron Gilbert—Orlando to Oakland LB Clint Kriewaldt—Seattle to Denver QB Matt Cassel—Tampa Bay to Memphis WR Tiquan Underwood—St. Louis to Oakland WR Nate Washington—Jacksonville to St. Louis WR Santonio Holmes—New Jersey to Tampa Bay LB Bradie James—New Orleans to Ohio DT Brandon Mbane—Denver to New Jersey Despite the flurry of free agent signings ahead of the NFL-USFL transfer window, there were still many USFL players left in the pool when the fall league came knocking.  The new timing of the NFL-USFL window in September (and February-March) has reduced the cross-league signings, but there are still several well-regarded players who have made the leap, including one who was release by his club only 1 week before the portal opened. Having reached an impasse with their starting QB, and getting no solid offers from around the USFL, the Nashville Knights opted to eat the final cap year of bonuses for QB Jay Cutler and released the QB only days before the NFL-USFL transfer window opened in September.  That sent ripples through both leagues as speculation flew wildly about where Cutler would end up.  After all, it is not often that a QB who consistently took his team to the playoffs was available as a true free agent.  While several USFL clubs made inquiries to Cutler’s agent, it took only 3 days of the transfer window for Cutler to find a home, and join the NFL Bears.  Chicago, who had started the year with Caleb Hanie as their starter, were more than generous in signing Cutler to a 4-year deal.  While the former Knight has not yet started in Chicago, it is expected that he will take the reins of the club following their Week 7 bye later this month. Cutler was certainly the biggest name, and the biggest surprise in how his case was handled, but he was certainly not the only departure for the Fall league.  Here is our list of the 15 biggest names to make the leap from spring to fall. 15—G Cooper Carlisle (PHI) 14— WR Anquan Boldin (ORL) 13—G Bill Ferrario (SEA) 12—HB LaBrandon Toefield (JAX) 11—OT Jim Backus (BIR) 10—DT Igor Olshansky (MGN) 9—CB Fred Smoot (BOS) 8—QB A. J. Feeley (HOU) 7—HB Thomas Jones (MGN) 6—LB Rocky Boiman (TEX) 5—HB Michael Robinson (NOR) 4—LB Glenn Cadrez (OHI) 3—LV Calvin Pace (NOR) 2— WR Laverneous Coles (MGN) 1—QB Jay Cutler (NSH) Michigan takes a hit with 3 players jumping to the fall, but, of course, these were all players that were expected to move on in free agency one way or another.  The biggest loss is certainly that of wideout Laverneous Coles, who finished 2011 with 67 receptions, 767 yards and 4 TDs for the Panthers.  The Panthers also lose their leading rusher, Thomas Jones, who had 813 yards in shared snaps with Mike Hart, a duo system which led Jones to finally leave the Panthers and return to the NFL. QB A.J. Feeley, who came to the USFL from the fall league back in 2008, was the starter in Portland for the first three seasons of that club’s existence, but was traded to Houston this past season when Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in.  In Houston it was thought that Feeley would back up Matt Hasselbeck, which he did, but that led to only 2 appearances and only 105 pass attempts all season.   Feeley returns to the NFL with the St. Louis Rams. Finally, after 10 seasons as a member of the Ohio Glory, LB Glenn Cadrez, who helped Ohio go unbeaten in 2002 and win two titles in back-to-back years will not be back in Columbus after signing a 3-year deal to become a Kansas City Chief.  Cadrez leaves the USFL with nearly 800 tackles and 21 forced fumbles in his 8-seasons in Ohio. As we look ahead to January and the USFL's Territorial and Open Collegiate Drafts, the complexity of how the USFL drafts comes into clear focus. Whereas the NFL clearly has Andrew Luck as the #1 prospect, with HB Trent Richardson right behind, the clubs of the USFL have to navigate the T-Draft to even have a shot at these two top prospects. Luck's rights, as a Stanford product, are held by the Oakland Invaders, while Richardson, coming out of Alabama, is potentially protected by the Birmingham Stallions. But, as so often happens, Oakland really is not looking for an immediate starter at QB, and Birmingham is quite happy with NFL transfer Joseph Addai. So, what happens, well, you get a market for those T-Draft picks, now tradable after the USFL rescinded their restriction on trading T-Draft picks. So, now teams are looking to put together trade packages not for 1st round Open Draft options, but for the T-Draft picks. Now, we also need to add one more factor here. Teams are typically unwilling to make huge player for pick draft day deals because with the NFL Draft just 2 weeks later, and the usual 50/50 split of players between the NFL and USFL, it is very risky to trade signed talent away for the rights to bid against the NFL for a top prospect. Take Andrew Luck, for example. There is no way he makes it to the Open Draft. Either Oakland will fall in love with him, protect him and try to sign him, with thoughts of possibly trading away Harrington, or they will feel good about their current QB and opt to trade the T-Draft pick to a QB-needy team like the Knights, for example. Oakland will try to get players for that pick, but Nashville will almost certainly prefer to send them a combo of draft picks. Even if Nashville makes the deal, they now have to face the very real possibility that their highly coveted QB will be unwilling to make a deal until after the NFL draft. If the NFL team with the #1 pick is not a total disaster, or if someone who is not a total disaster trades up, then Nashville is in a bidding war. They could give away real talent and draft capital and come up with nothing. That is the complexity of the USFL draft, some of it self-generated with their territorial picks, but part of it the drama that comes with pro football having 2 premier leagues and having to share the top prospects between them. That is the formula for a tense, and hair-greying month of offseason drama every February. We make our picks and analysis below, but we are well aware that the best strategy is more about who you can sign than who you can pick. That said, here, in order of the 1st round, are our breakdowns of each USFL club's needs, and best options in both the T-Draft and Open Draft this January (recognizing also that free agent moves and offseason trades could fill some of the needs we list here.) BOSTON CANNONS Team Needs: TE, WR, DT, LB, CB T-Draft Prospects: While there are several good options between BC and Wisconsin in their T-Draft pool, the obvious focal point is linebacker Luke Kuechly, the BC standout.  Linebacker is a position of need and Kuechly would be an ideal player to slot into the middle.  Boston could possibly also look at the Wisconsin battery of QB Russel Wilson and WR Nick Toon. First Round Pick: #1 Possible First Round Targets: Wideout is a key need with the departure of Chad Johnson, so we could easily see Boston either take OK State’s Justin Blackmon #1 overall or trade down a few slots and still land Blackmon as a target for Jake Locker.  If, however, they are concerned about Locker, they could potentially throw us a curve and go after either Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III with this pick, assuming either survive the T-Draft unselected. JACKSONVILLE BULLS Team Needs: DT, CB, LB, HB, DE, QB T-Draft Prospects: When looking for a match between need and talent, the best option for Jacksonville is likely Clemson DE Andre Branch, but with DT being such a big need as well, they could certainly take a long look at two potentials in Clemson’s Brandon Thompson or Florida’s Jaye Howard. First Round Pick: #2 Possible First Round Targets: The Bulls have a lot of needs, but the lack of production from C. J. Spiller has to have them interested in Alabama’s Trent Richardson.  With a pick this early they would have a good shot at Richardson, because we do not see Birmingham going for a HB this year, not with the success Joseph Addai had in 2011. MEMPHIIS SHOWBOATS Team Needs: DE, LB, G, DT T-Draft Prospects: While Coach Childress is an offensive guy, the needs on defense cannot be ignored.  They could find quite a bit of help in the T-Draft with U. of Memphis DT Dontari Poe and Arkansas DE Jake Bequette both available.  The Razorbacks are also graduating 3 wideouts who are expected to be mid-round picks, so don’t be surprised if the Showboats select at least one, with either Joe Adams or Jarius Wright the most likely targets. First Round Pick: #3 Possible First Round Targets: If Poe gives off “NFL vibes” to the Showboats, they will likely jump on another DE in the open draft to hedge their bets.  We like Fletcher Cox from Mississippi State or Bruce Irvin from West Virginia as options at #3. PORTLAND STAGS Team Needs: WR, LB, T, SS, C, DE T-Draft Prospects: This is one of the deepest T-Draft classes the Stags have seen in their short existence.  We expect a halfback to be one pick, either Boise State’s Doug Martin or Oregon’s LaMichael James.  With the other, they should look at either DE Tyrone Crawford or Boise State’s Shea McClellin, two good prospects in a position of some need. First Round Pick: #4 Possible First Round Targets: Wideout is a position of true need, but one not likely to be solved in the T-Draft.  So, if Justin Blackmon is there at #4, they should jump at him. If he is not, then either Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd or Baylor’s Kendall Wright are the next best options. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Team Needs: LB, T, G, C, TE, C, K T-Draft Prospects: The Breakers have a lot of need, but their T-draft does not line up particularly well for those needs.  We expect they will take a shot at DE Michael Brockers from LSU, despite it not being a high need position.  O-line is the real prominent need, and there just are not great prospects among LSU, Tulane, and La Tech this year. First Round Pick: #5 Possible First Round Targets: The Breakers have to get a lot of help for their line, and we think a big piece of the puzzle will be here.  If LA does not snap up USC LT Matt Kalil, we think New Orleans will.  If they do, then the next best option is Riley Reiff of Iowa. OHIO GLORY Team Needs: DE, LB, FS, G, SS, K, HB T-Draft Prospects: The Glory are looking at a lot of areas of concern and one of the thinnest Ohio State graduating groups we have seen in a decade.  They may actually do better going after some Cincinnati prospects like HB Isaiah Pead, or OT John Hughes.  Safety Nate Ebner could be a developmental prospect at safety, but not an immediate help. First Round Pick: #6 Possible First Round Targets: Several good options at DE, which is a very high need for the Glory.  They should take a long look at Brockers if he is available, then Bruce Irvin or Syracuse’s Chandler Jones, again all assuming they are not sucked up in the T-Draft, which we really don’t expect. HOUSTON GAMBLERS Team Needs: CB, DT, LB, QB T-Draft Prospects: We are intrigued by Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill.  He played only 1 year at QB for the Aggies, but showed a lot, which is prime for him to be a possible developmental project for 1-2 years as Matt Hasselbeck gets on in age.  Just seems a good fit, right? First Round Pick: #7 Possible First Round Targets: If the QB position is more urgent, we could see Houston taking a shot at Robert Griffin III, but we think they are still expecting Hasselbeck to stay put for at least 1-2 years.  If that is true, then cornerback is a priority after Ronde Barber’s retirement, so we say they should look long and hard at LSU’s Morris Claiborne and South Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore as 1st round options. NEW JERSEY GENERALS Team Needs: WR, T, TE, SS, LB T-Draft Prospects: A classic question of Best Player Available or drafting for need.  Syracuse DE Chandler Jones is a clear talent, but not a position of need for the Generals. Do they select him anyway?  If not, then expect quite a few Oklahoma prospects among their 3 picks.  We like WR Ryan Broyles and OT Donald Stephenson as picks to fill need. First Round Pick: #8 Possible First Round Targets: If the Generals don’t like Broyles as a fit for their offensive scheme, they could use the first round to go after a wideout.  Assuming Blackmon is gone by pick 8, they have several options to look at, including Notre Dame’s Floyd, Baylor’s Wright, and Illinois wideout A. J. Jenkins. SEATTLE DRAGONS Team Needs: WR, HB, TE, SS, G, LB, FS T-Draft Prospects: No plug & play option to replace David Boston in the T-Draft pool, and, honestly, no 1st or 2nd round talent from UW, Wash. State or Montana this year.  Looks like the T-Draft will be mostly about adding depth. First Round Pick: #9 Possible First Round Targets: The Dragons could look to the draft to try to deal with David Boston’s retirement, but they have many other needs as well. They are very interested in upgrading the run game, so Trent Richardson could be a target, but they could also use a safety valve for Byron Leftwich, so how about TE Coby Fleener of Stanford?  Maybe not this early, but they could trade down and still get their TE of the future. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Team Needs: T, WR, SS, FS T-Draft Prospects: The Stallions hold the rights to the clear #1 HB in the draft, but they really like what they got from Joseph Addai last year, so we could easily see them trade away their #1 T-Draft pick for some more open draft options.  They could also jump on defense with some good prospects in CB Dre Kirkpatrick, safety Mark Barron, and LB Dont’a Hightower. First Round Pick: 10 Possible First Round Targets: Tackle is a position of immediate need. Kalil could be gone by 10, but there are other solid options like Iowa’s Reiff and Cal’s Mitchell Schwartz. DENVER GOLD Team Needs: FS, CB, WR, LB, K, P T-Draft Prospects: A pretty light pool for the Gold this year, though we do like LB Lavonte David as a potential target. First Round Pick: 11 Possible First Round Targets: Safety is a key need, but at #11, that seems early to go after anyone other than Alabama’s Mark Barron.  If Barron is there, he is the pick, if not, they could look at WR or Corner. ATLANTA FIRE Team Needs: G, T, LB, SS T-Draft Prospects: Tackle Cordy Glenn is perhaps the best prospect that aligns with Atlanta’s needs, but we could also see them go after C Ben Jones from the Bulldogs, with the thought of playing him at guard. First Round Pick: 12 Possible First Round Targets: O-line is a big need for the Fire, but so is linebacker.  If South Carolina LB Melvin Ingram is available, we could see the Fire jump at the Gamecock as a plug and play option on the strong side. CHICAGO MACHINE Team Needs: C, G, HB, LB, WR T-Draft Prospects: While there are higher rated players in their pool, the best fit may be Illinois guard Jeff Allen, a position of need and a solid Big 10 player to put in that slot. First Round Pick: 13 Possible First Round Targets: There are no true centers who have 1st round grades this year, so guard may be the way to go.  We like David DeCastro of Stanford or Kevin Zeilter from Wisconsin here. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS Team Needs: DE, TE, LB, G, WR T-Draft Prospects: While OT is not a need position, will St. Louis pass up the shot at Riley Reiff of Iowa?  If they do, they could land the TE they need in Missouri’s Michael Engrew, or go for O-line help with Adam Gettis, Reiff’s line mate on the inside. First Round Pick: 14 Possible First Round Targets: There is no clear DE option in the T-Draft for St. Louis, and that is their most glaring need.  Can they make a deal to get a top prospect like Michael Brockers (LSU), Bruce Irvin (WVU), or Quinton Coples (UNC)? ORLANDO RENEGADES Team Needs: HB, T, DT, DE, QB T-Draft Prospects: As always, it is the U of Miami who will likely feed Orlando with their best options, whether that is DE Olivier Vernon, LB Sean Spence, or HB Lamar Miller.  None are 1st round talent, however, so they will need to focus more on the Open Draft. First Round Pick: 15 Possible First Round Targets: We are assuming that Trent Richardson is out of reach for the Renegades, who are looking for a short yardage back to spell Knowshon Moreno.  For that style of runner, the next best option is likely either Isaiah Pead (Cinci) or Lamar Miller (T-Draft), so this may be the first true BPA selection of the draft. LAS VEGAS THUNDER Team Needs: FS, TE, SS, LB, DE T-Draft Prospects: The Thunder are almost certainly going to appeal the league for a 4th T-Draft option, because there are only 2-3 potential mid-round options available from their standard 3 schools.  We just don’t see much here except perhaps Utah G Tony Bergstrom.  Expect them to get more options once the league rules on the pool expansion. First Round Pick: 16 Possible First Round Targets: With the big signing of Chad Johnson, WR comes off the board for the Thunder draft. That leaves safety as the biggest hole in the roster.  If Mark Barron of Alabama is off the table, the next best option is likely Notre Dame’s Harrison Smith, though we also like Illinois safety Tavon Wilson as a possible riser. MICHIGAN PANTHERS Team Needs: HB, DT, TE, WR, C, CB T-Draft Prospects: No immediate help at HB in the Panther’s pool, though they may still select MSU’s Edwin Baker just for insurance.  The best option, in a position of need, is Jerel Worthy at DT, but could the Panthers surprise us and select Spartan QB Kirk Cousins?  Brian Griese is no spring chicken anymore. First Round Pick: 17 Possible First Round Targets: The first of the playoff teams is yet another club hoping to find a solution at HB after Thomas Jones left for the NFL.  Problem is that this is a very weak HB  draft.  They may have to try free agency or the NFL-USFL transfer window to find a true starter.  If not HB, then perhaps DT, where there are some top names like Fletcher Cox (Miss St) or Derek Wolfe (Cinci) who could be here at 17. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS Team Needs: QB, LB, T, DE, DT, P T-Draft Prospects: After releasing Jay Cutler (now in the NFL), Nashville is the most QB needy team in the league, but there is no hope here unless the Knights have fallen in love with Tennessee’s Matt Simms, which seems risky to us.  They can help their OT situation with Ole Miss’s Bobby Massie, or go DE with Malik Jackson of the Vols. First Round Pick: 18 Possible First Round Targets: We fully expect Nashville to throw everything they can at Oakland to obtain the rights to their #1 T-Draft pick and take a shot at Andrew Luck.  The cleanest QB prospect in several years, Luck could even tempt Oakland to trade Joey Harrington as an option, but a risky one since he is also likely a #1 pick for the NFL as well. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS Team Needs: G, TE, QB, DE, WR T-Draft Prospects: DE Quinton Coples seems an easy option for Charlotte to fill a need.  They could also look at LB Zach Brown as a potential upgrade at weak side LB, but Coples is a surer choice. First Round Pick: 19 Possible First Round Targets:  Jake Delhomme came on at the end of the year, but we still see Charlotte in the QB market.  Maybe not pushing to get Luck or Griffin, but they could be seriously looking at options like Tannehill, OK State’s Brandon Wheedon, or ASU’s Brock Osweiler. OAKLAND INVADERS Team Needs: G, TE, DE, LB, WR T-Draft Prospects: We can just hear Oakland singing Willy Wonka’s “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” as they consider what to do with the rights to Andrew Luck.  They could select Luck, and if sign him then trade away Harrington, but that seems very risky.  The better option may be to trade their T-Draft pick for players already under contract or for a boatload of picks in the Open Draft. First Round Pick: 20 Possible First Round Targets: With QB not a priority, Oakland has several options.  There should be top flight TEs and guards on the board.  We love the idea of adding a faster outside LB as well. How about Melvin Ingram or Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw? BALTIMORE BLITZ Team Needs: FS, LB, WR, T, DE T-Draft Prospects: Another club who could petition for a 4th T-Draft club as their options from Maryland, Kentucky and Louisville are pretty limited.  We do like WR Josh Bellamy, but he is a mid-to-late round prospect at best. First Round Pick: 21 Possible First Round Targets: With little to go on in the T-Draft, it all comes down to the Open Draft for the Blitz.  They need to hit on at least 3 picks to fill needs.  We think LB is the deepest of their need positions in the first round talent.  Dont’a Hightower of Alabama would be a perfect fit for them if they can pry him away from the Stallions. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS Team Needs: G, DE, DT, LB, CB, T T-Draft Prospects: A solid crop of talent for the Express, beginning with LT Matt Kalil from USC, but continuing with another Trojan, LB Nick Perry.  How about LB Miles Burris from SDSU, or even a QB prospect for the future in Ryan Lindley? First Round Pick: 22 Possible First Round Targets: Let’s assume the Express select Kalil for their O-line, then the next thing they need could be a DE.  By this late in the round, and after the T-Draft, we think the best option on the board may well be either Whitney Mercilus (great name!) from Illinois or possibly Vinny Curry of Marshall. ARIZONA WRANGLERS Team Needs: CB, FS, G, DT, FS T-Draft Prospects: As weird as it sounds, Arizona may draft 2 QB prospects in the T-draft, just to have a young up and comer behind David Carr.  Either ASU’s Brock Osweiler or Arizona’s Nick Foles could be a prime candidate to replace Carr in a few years, if either is willing to sign and then wait. First Round Pick: 23 Possible First Round Targets: Thinking about need here, and that is in the secondary, so we look at late 1st round options like safety Harrison Smith (NDame), CB Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama), or safety Tavon Wilson of Illinois. WASHINGTON FEDERALS Team Needs: DT, LB, DE, T, CB, HB T-Draft Prospects: We fully expect the Feds to select HB David Wilson from Va Tech as a security blanket behind Deuce McCallister. Beyond that they could go a lot of different ways, though we expect that CB Jayron Hosley, also of the Hokies, will be one of those picks. First Round Pick: 24 Possible First Round Targets: D-line is a core need if the Feds are going to get back to a Summer Bowl.  But, who will be left by pick 24?   How about either Chandler Jones (DE-Syracuse) or Shea McClellin (DE-Boise State)? TEXAS OUTLAWS Team Needs: HB, C, G, LB, QB T-Draft Prospects: No replacement for T. J. Duckett coming out of Texas this year, so expect the Outlaws to look to the line and the defense if they can. We like LB Keenan Robinson as a prospect out of Baylor.  Not 1st round talent, but could develop into a solid player. First Round Pick: 25 Possible First Round Targets: As with Nashville and Andrew Luck, we expect Texas to trade anything short of the deed to the ranch to try to get their shot at Alabama HB Trent Richardson.  He is in the Duckett mold as a solid inside runner with enough burst to make big plays.  Failing that, they do need to address the LB position as well as the O-line. PHILADELPHIA STARS Team Needs: LB, G, DT, OT T-Draft Prospects: Penn State has let the Stars down this year.  Linebacker U usually provides plenty of options, but not this year.  So, they will almost certainly look at guard and DT, with the best option being Temple nose tackle Devon Still, a solid 2nd rounder. First Round Pick: 26 Possible First Round Targets: It has to be linebacker, and we are looking at players like Hightower, Nick Perry (USC) or Courtney Upshaw (Alabama) as the best players potentially falling this far into the round. PITTSBURGH MAULERS Team Needs: FS, G, DT, WR, HB T-Draft Prospects: The Maulers don’t really need DE help, but they would be foolish to not take a shot at either Bruce Irvin of WVU or Vinny Curry of Marshall, both protected players.  Beyond that, the talent dips quite a bit. First Round Pick: 27 Possible First Round Targets: Safety and DT could be the pick in round 1.  If Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith drops this far, the Maulers would feel very fortunate. TAMPA BAY BANDITS Team Needs: DT, LB, WR, QB T-Draft Prospects: With the retirement of Chris Doering, expect the Bandits to draft at least 2 receivers.  We expect South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery to be one of them.  With LB also a position of need, another Gamecock, Melvin Ingram, could also be a T-Draft diamond. First Round Pick: 28 Possible First Round Targets: Looking at late 1st round WR options, how about Brian Quick of App State?  We also like the size and hands of Rueben Randle of LSU as a possible late 1st round option. We will be back in January with our full draft recap, along with all the USFL offseason news ahead of camps opening and the late NFL-USFL transfer window.  Until then, enjoy your Fall football season, and we will be here to keep track of all the spring football news.

On a steamy evening in Memphis, the Tampa Bay Bandit, led by backup quarterback Matt Cassel, outlasted the Pittsburgh Maulers to claim their third Summer Bowl title.  With the on-field temperature at kickoff just over 100 degrees, it was a long, hot evening in the Liberty Bowl for both teams, and the energy level of both players and fans was definitely affected, but over the course of the game’s second half, the Bandits rallied around Cassel to come back from an early 7-3 deficit to score 17 second half points and take their first John Bassett Trophy as USFL Champs since 1998. It had been a sweltering day in Memphis, and while the game began just after 6pm local time, the temperature was still hovering around 100 degrees, with on-field conditions even hotter.  And while that was great for beer, soda and water sales in the sold out Liberty Bowl Stadium, it was not as good for the members of the two teams, who struggled to avoid cramping and stay hydrated throughout the game.  Even halftime performers Justin Timberlake and Lady Antebellum commented on the heat during their performance. The game itself got off to a slow start, with the two teams, who had not met in the regular season, sizing each other up and trying to get their run games going.  There would be no points in the first quarter, as neither team ventured within their opponent’s 40-yard line. What would be the biggest play of the first quarter, and a defining moment in the game was not a long pass or a dynamic run, but a sack.  Linebacker Keith Bullock, blitzing on a 3rd and 8, drove Daunte Culpepper to the ground. The Bandits’ starter got up and immediately called for attention, his non-throwing left arm dangling awkwardly at his side.  He would go immediately to the locker room, and later it would be revealed that not only had his shoulder been dislocated, but that there appeared to be damage to the joint.  Culpepper would not return and in a scoreless game it would have to be backup Matt Cassel, who saw all of 12 snaps during the season, who would now have to lead Tampa Bay in the championship game. The next two drives, one each for the Bandits and Maulers, would continue the slow pace of play and would again see both teams fail to cross the 50.  As the Mauler offense prepared to go onto the field at the 3:33 mark of the half, Coach Rivera encouraged Pickett to open up a bit and test the Bandit secondary.  He did just that, connecting with Vincent Jackson for one first down, then Ronnie Brown rushed for 15 three plays later for another, before Pickett connected with Victor Cruz for the opening score, a fade route to the right side of the endzone.  The Maulers were up 7-0 and facing an untested backup for the Bandits. As Matt Cassel prepared to come in for his next series, Coach Shula gave Cassel a pep talk and a pat on the back.  Shula started Cassel off with a makeable short pass just to help calm his nerves.  The strategy worked, and on Cassel’s second drive he completed 4 of 4 passing and got the Bandits into field goal range for Nate Kaeding.  Cassel would lead the Bandits down to the 5-yard line, but could not connect with Chris Doering on a 3rd and goal, so Kaeding would come in and put the Bandits on the board. The Maulers received the kick and took a knee, apparently happy to go into the air-conditioned locker rooms up 7-3, confident that Tampa Bay’s offense was significantly hobbled without Culpepper, and ready to slowly pull away.  But that is not what would happen. Following the half-time show which saw Lady Antebellum get the crowd up and cheering to songs like “Need You Now” and “I Run to You”, and Justin Timberlake both bring “Sexyback” and hit with “Cant’ Stop the Feeling”, the Liberty Bowl crowd settled in for what they feared would be a slow-moving and low-scoring second half.  The temperature had, by this time, dipped into the 90’s but with humidity and no breeze at all it was a sticky, muggy evening still. As expected, the two teams coming out of the locker room had a bit more energy, having hydrated at the half.  And yet, getting into scoring range proved difficult.  Tampa Bay garnered 2 first downs on the opening drive, but then stalled and were forced to punt.  Pinned in their own end, Pittsburgh moved the ball slowly, largely on the backs of Brown and Watson, who would combine for 99 yards on the day.  They would get down to the Tampa Bay 41, but then the ballhawking Bandit defense got its first break.  A slightly off-target ball towards Vincent Jackson made for easy picking for Patrick Robinson, who stepped into the throw and snatched it away from Jackson, returning the ball to the Maulers’ side of the field. Energized by the turnover, Tampa Bay’s offense came onto the field, and hit Pittsburgh with two quick plays, both for first downs.  Shane Vereen started the drive off well when his initial carry of the drive went for 12 and got Tampa Bay inside the 35.  Then Cassel connected with Joey Galloway for another first down, hitting him with a very well thrown out route.  4 plays later, Cassel would connect with TE Jared Cook on a short goal-to-go toss for 6 and Tampa Bay would surprisingly take the lead.  Cassel, who would finish the day 25 of 29 for 241 yards, was showing confidence in his arm and in Coach Shula’s playcalls.  The Bandits went up 3 and seemed amped up as the third quarter wound towards its conclusion. That feeling would only grow stronger after Pittsburgh was forced to punt after a 3-and-out, giving the Bandits the ball back in good field position with 1:01 left in the quarter.  Cassel again found Galloway, again putting the team in range for Kaeding, but they would not be satisfied with that.  3 plays later, from the Pittsburgh 39, the Maulers went for it all. It was a 3rd and 2, and the play fake to Brown worked to perfection, forcing the safeties to hesitate, and leaving Chris Doering in single coverage with Dunta Robinson.  Now, Robinson is a solid corner, but even he cannot defend against all routes.  Cassel let fly a perfect arcing ball towards the endzone and Doering got a step on Robinson, stretched his arms out and brought in the pass for another score and a 10 point lead for the Bandits.  Shockingly, the Bandits, with their backup QB at the helm, had a two score lead. Pittsburgh was stunned, the big play had been something they had avoided all season, and all game, and they just did not see it coming, figuring Shula would go for the first down with his run game, or perhaps a short crossing route, but Shula trusted Cassel to take a shot and that confidence paid off.  The Maulers took the field with an air of desperation about them. They had rarely faced this type of scenario during the season, and they had simply not proven an ability to drive the ball consistently all game. They had some success on the drive, relying heavily on the run and the play action pass.  Pickett connected with TE Owen Daniels to get the Maulers within field goal range for Ryan Succop, but Pittsburgh could not move the ball any further.  With 10:14 left to play, the Maulers settled for a Succop field goal from the 27-yard line, drawing within 1 score at 17-10.  Tampa Bay would take over on their own 14 yard line, and would do what they could to retain possession and kill as much clock as possible.  They relied on Vereen, who would take the handoff from Cassel 5 times on the drive, and they would mix in short passes to Galloway, Cook, Tyree, and Stocker, but while they did take significant time off the clock, they would have to punt the ball back to Pittsburgh with just over 4 minutes left to play. The Maulers had time, had time outs, and had the ball with a chance to tie the game, or go for 2 and possibly take the win.  They did not need to rely entirely on the pass, and they did not.  Using Watson on first down, and Brown 2 plays later to snag the first new set of downs of the drive.  A short pass to Jackson, then another to Owen Daniels and they had a 2nd first down.  But on 1st and 10 from their own 48, catastrophe.  Jason Pierre-Paul, who had recorded one of only 2 sacks against Pickett all game, got immediate pressure on the left side of the line.  Pickett threw the ball hurredly, but inaccurately, and once again Tampa Bay’s Patrick Robinson was there to take advantage of the rushed throw.  Robinson caught the ball cleanly and started down the sideline for what appeared to be a certain game-clinching touchdown.  Only Cody Pickett’s diving shove forced Robinson out of bounds at the 17-yard line. In field goal range, and with just under 3 minutes to play, Tampa Bay was content to send Vereen and fullback Ayanbedejo into the center of the Mauler line on three consecutive plays.  They failed to pick up the first down on 3rd and 3, but set up Kaeding for an easy 20-yard chipshot.   Kaeding connected and once again Tampa Bay was up 10, now with just over 2:30 left in the game.  Pittsburgh would need two drives and two scores to recapture this game. The Maulers, exhausted, drenched in sweat, and deflated by both the sudden turn of events and by their inability to capitalize on Daunte Culpepper’s absence, did not have it in them to mount one, much less two, scoring drives.  Their initial drive would stall out around midfield, and on a 4th and 5, Pickett was unable to find a receiver, scrambled, and tried to hit Jimmie Graham late over the middle.  The pass did not connect and the Bandits took over on downs.  They would milk the clock, force Pittsburgh to use their last time out, and then take a knee to end the game. As red, silver, and black confetti was shot into the air around the Liberty Bowl, the Bandit players celebrated on the field with their families, Coach Shula congratulated Coach Rivera on a game well-played, and Matt Cassel hugged everyone in sight, including a wincing Daunte Culpepper, back on the field in sweats, his arm in a sling.  Many felt that Cassel deserved the MVP trophy, but it was awarded to Patrick Robinson, whose two interceptions of Cody Pickett set up 10 points for the Bandits and preserved the win in the process.  The Bandits would take home their third John Bassett Trophy, matching Philadelphia, Michigan, and New Jersey in that feat, and now only 1 behind 4-time winner Houston. For Pittsburgh, it was a tough and bitter pill to swallow, to come so far and fall short, even after knocking out the opponent’s star quarterback.  The Maulers simply were not able to generate the offense they needed, and Cody Pickett, despite a solid 20 of 30 day passing, also threw two balls that led directly to Bandit scores.  For Tampa Bay it was a celebration of tenacity, toughness, and timely big plays that gave them the league trophy and the title of USFL Champions.  Well earned and well deserved by the Bandits. And so, now on to the 2011-2012 USFL offseason, as clubs prepare for the 2012 season and a chance to appear in Summer Bowl 2012 in St. Louis for the 30th title in the 30th season of the spring league.

And then there were two. The Tampa Bay Bandits and the Pittsburgh Maulers both advance at home against tough opposition to return to the Summer Bowl for the first time since the late 1990's. It took the Bandits an extra period to get their as the plucky Philadelphia Stars, led by backup QB Matt Gutierrez simply would not go out easily. For the Maulers, it was the defense that led them, holding the explosive Texas Outlaws under 20 points and securing their first trip to the title game since 1995. We will have breakdowns of both games, a preview position-by-position of the 2011 Summer Bowl matchup, and all the latest league news, from a coaching hire in Portland to the All-USFL team and award winners for the 2011 season. It's all right here. Say what you will about the Philadelphia Stars, they are not a team that is easily discouraged.  A week after battling back in the final minutes to defeat Washington, the Stars were at it again, taking Tampa Bay into overtime despite playing without QB Kurt Warner.  They may have eventually fallen to the homestanding Bandits, but they certainly impressed many who watched with their effort. In a game that saw Tampa Bay lose one of its offensive stars, with Willis McGahee going out in the 1st quarter with what would be diagnosed later as a dislocated kneecap, Tampa Bay found itself in a similar position to the Stars, forced to reassess their offensive plan and the weapons at their disposal.  The injury happened on Tampa Bay’s 2nd drive, already down 3 to the visiting Stars.  Philadelphia had managed a field goal on their first possession, thanks in part to the first of 6 defensive penalties called against the Bandits on the night, a 15-yard roughing the passer call that turned a failed third down into a first down in Bandit territory for the Stars. However, even with McGahee out, Tampa Bay was able to take the lead as the first quarter ended, backup Shane Vereen doing the honors with a 5-yard TD run on a perfect draw play.  Tampa Bay would increase the lead to 7 with a Nate Kaeding field goal early in the 2nd quarter, but the plucky Philadelphia Stars would not go away.  Philadelphia, which emphasized the run all game with 30 combined carries between Steve Slaton (19 for 81 yards) and Leon Washington (11 for 95 yards), saw Washington make the first of several big plays, a 19-yard scoring scamper that equalized the score before the half.  The Stars were making life tough for Tampa Bay and were able to go into the half all even at 10 apiece. The two teams continued to trade offensive drives, defensive stops and points throughout the second half as well. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the third on the period’s lone score, a 1-yard plunge from FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo.  Philadelphia would equalize midway through the 4th as once again Leon Washington found paydirt, this time from much closer with a 2-yard dive.  But only 3 plays later, Tampa Bay again took the lead.  Daunte Culpepper found a mismatch in the defense and connected with veteran wideout Joey Galloway for a 58-yard TD strike to again take the lead. With 3:20 left to play, Philadelphia found themselves down 7 points.  Again, they would call on backup Matt Gutierrez to get them the points they needed to stay in the hunt, in this case to send the game to overtime.  It would take the offense 3:19 of those 3:20 to get the job done, but on a 3rd and goal from the 3, with only 6 seconds on the clock when the play started, Philadelphia got it done.  Gutierrez used a bootleg, with Steve Slaton trailing for a possible pitch, but instead of pitching, the QB found TE Brent Celek in the end zone and Philadelphia found the points they needed to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, the Bandits were stymied on their first possession, but then returned the favor as they forced a 3-and-out from the Stars.  On their second possession in the extra period, Tampa Bay found what they needed to get the ball in range for kicker Nate Kaeding.  Another perfect pass to Galloway got them down to the Stars’ 20-yard line.  Shane Vereen slammed the ball into the line on two consecutive plays, getting the ball to the 16 before Coach Shula sent out Kaeding to end the game with a 33-yard kick.  Kaeding got It done and Tampa Bay punched their ticket to the Summer Bowl, dinged up, exhausted, and respectful of Philadelphia’s effort, but ultimately claiming the Eastern Title and the chance to seek a third title, potentially their first in over a decade. The Maulers found their stride after struggling through the first quarter, scoring 23 consecutive points to overtake an early Texas lead and claim the Western Conference title in a battle of wills.  Both QB’s were picked twice in the game, and Pittsburgh’s Cody Pickett suffered 6 sacks, but found his rhythm with 2 third quarter touchdown tosses as the Maulers return to the Summer Bowl for the first time since their 1995 title. The star of the game for Pittsburgh was WR Vincent Jackson, who turned 12 targets into 10 receptions for 122 yards and the go-ahead TD in the 3rd quarter.  Despite frequent double coverage, Jackson exploited Texas’s secondary on multiple occasions, using double moves and sharp cuts to create space and get open for Pickett.   The Mauler QB, who spent a good part of the first half scrambling to avoid Texas’s pass rush, got help in the second half as TE Owen Daniels was kept into chip DE Reynaldo Wynn and provide his QB with more time. After a battle of field goals led to a 3-3 score, Texas took their first lead thanks to a 12-play drive and a 5-yard T. J. Duckett scoring run.  They would hold their lead through the half, though Pittsburgh did chip away at it with 2 field goals.  Up 10-9 at the half, Texas had struggled to mount offense in the 2nd quarter and that would continue well into the second half.  The third quarter was dominated by the Maulers.  On their opening drive, Pickett connected with Vincent Jackson 3 times, the last one being the 18-yard TD pass that would put the Maulers on top, with a 2-point PAT added to give them the 17-10 lead.  On their next drive, a defensive flub by Texas safety Terrance Holt allowed TE Jimmie Graham to turn a 9-yard route into a 62-yard catch and run.  Pittsburgh was now up 14, and they would not look back. The Maulers boosted their lead to 17 with a Succop field goal to open the 4th quarter, and the defense would hold that lead until the final moments, allowing only a garbage time touchdown to Brandon Marshall with only seconds remaining.  The defense which had sustained the Maulers all season had shut out Texas after the first quarter, limiting T. J. Duckett to a paltry 24 yards on the ground and picking off Joe Flacco, the presumptive league MVP, twice.  Pittsburgh would be returning to the Summer Bowl as Mauler fans started planning a bus convoy to Memphis as their beloved purple and orange would take on the Bandits. Sam Shields Making His Case Before Free Agency Strong safety Sam Shields of the Maulers is doing everything in his power to convince Pittsburgh to pay him a hefty sum in order to retain his services.  After a regular season in which Shields made 45 tackles and added 5 takeaways (2 fumbles forced, 3 picks), Shields has emerged in the playoffs as a player who steps up in big moments. With a pick of Flacco and three key pass breakups, Shields helped keep the Texas offense in check and led a secondary that was the undoing of the Maulers.  His squad mate, Dunta Robinson would be named Defensive Player of the Game, with both a pick and a forced fumble on the day, but Shields was clearly the leader of the position group.  The 13-year vet, and former Outlaw himself, is in the final year of his contract with the Maulers, and he is making a strong case that he should end his career with Pittsburgh, but certainly not yet. McGahee Injury Will Cause Him to Miss Summer Bowl 2011 It was confirmed on Monday that Willis McGahee’s knee injury was a dislocated patella, and that the injury would not permit McGahee to appear in the Summer Bowl.  After a season that saw McGahee rush for 1,050 yards and 9 TDs, while also catching 22 passes for the Bandits, the 9-year veteran will be forced to watch the championship from the sideline. Taking McGahee’s spot in the backfield will be rookie Shane Vereen.  Vereen, who started 4 games this season as Mcgahee dealt with a midseason injury, has been a valuable player in reserve, but with only a 2.1 yards per carry average, he is neither as explosive nor as productive as McGahee.  Just as we have been talking about how the Stars would need to alter their gameplan without QB Kurt Warner, the absence of McGahee will certainly force Tampa Bay to look at other options, whether that means letting Culpepper throw the ball 50 times or mixing in Vereen and 2nd year back John Ball remains to be seen.  We fully expect to see a lot more emphasis on Daunte Culpepper and the passing game, whether through use of their 2-TE formation with Luke Stocker and Jared Cook or if the Bandits will have David Tyree on the field in more 3-WR sets, well that is the question. Portland Gets Their Man We had a feeling that it would not take Coach Marty Mornhinweg long to find a new gig after parting ways with the Chicago Machine.  Afterall how many coaches can say that they took a club to the playoffs nine times in the past eleven years.  That is not normally a resume that has you seeking employment.  Well, he was not seeking it for long.  On Tuesday the Portland Stags introduced the former Machine head coach as the new leader of the Stags. Mornhinweg will take over a team that fell from back-to-back 8-win seasons to a 5-11 record in 2011, but it is a club that has some noteworthy talent.  The Stags have key pieces in place with HB Jonathan Stewart, CB’s Marquand Manuel and Mike Rumph, and MLB Mark Simoneau.  They seem to have settled on Ryan Fitzpatrick as their QB solution and the Harvard grad did have a solid season when healthy.  They could upgrade on the D-line and in the receivers group, but this is a squad with several core positions well-established. Mornhinweg will likely bring in several coaches from his Chicago squad but may want to find someone with specialization in D-line play, as that has been a particular weakness of the Stags over the past couple of years. With Mornhinweg hired by the Stags and Lamar Lathon shifting from an interim to a permanent position with New Orleans, there remain only 2 open positions across the league, in Memphis and in Chicago.  And with the Summer Bowl this weekend, there is a good chance that we will see movement on those two positions before too long, as many of the top coordinators are now sidelined and available to interview. Nashville Open to Trading Cutler for the Right Price The Nashville Knights and head coach Jim Johnson have responded to Jay Cutler’s demands to be traded, with both Johnson and GM Dave Caldwell stating on the record that Nashville is open to a trade offer but will not be actively engaging with teams.  Essentially a “come and ask” attitude.  Cutler may have mistimed his decision to demand a new home, as this offseason looks to be one of the most stable for the QB position in recent memory.  As we look around the league, we are just not seeing a lot of teams who are going into the offseason with a mindset that they absolutely must obtain a new signal caller.  Sure, there are always teams looking to upgrade, but is Cutler going to be considered a significant improvement over most USFL starters?   Not necessarily. Of the league’s 28 clubs, we count no fewer than 20 who are pretty well set up at the position, with topflight QB play, a veteran who is viewed as a solid option, or a younger player who is being developed.  That leaves 7 potential landing spots.  In our estimation the top options would be Boston, where Jake Locker has not impressed in his first year; Ohio, where Vince Young also struggled after coming over from the NFL; Portland, if Coach Mornhinweg is not a fan of Fitzpatrick; and Memphis, where Ryan Mallett is the current starter.  But here is the tricky part, in 3 of those 4 cases you have either a young QB on an expensive rookie deal or an NFL veteran brought in, so trading for Cutler would create both a cap space issue and a perception of failure that few GM’s are willing to put out there. The most likely scenario is that Cutler could potentially go to a team with a veteran QB who is nearing retirement, which would put him in a backup role, a step down from being a starter in Nashville.  The Knights are certainly not going to void his contract so that he can jump to the NFL, so his options are limited.  So as much as fans may criticize some of Cutler’s decisions on the field, this decision, to push for a trade this offseason, may well be the worst one he has made to date. Is T. J. Duckett Retiring? Call it frustration with a big loss or call it the end result of a long and tough season, but T. J. Duckett on Monday hinted that he may well be considering retirement.  While it certainly would not be unusual for a running back to retire at age 30, especially one who has taken the kind of beatings and hits he has as a power runner, Duckett’s 2011 season still had him playing at a very high level. He rushed for 1,168 yards, putting him in the Top 10 in the league, had a 4.0 YPC average, and he remained a significant contributor to the offense with 294 carries.  That is a high number for any back, though certainly well below the 340 he had in 2010 or the 350 in 2008. Duckett survived the season injury free, and, unlike in most past years, had a topflight passing game to take some of the pressure off.  But only he knows the impact all those carries over 9 years have had on his body.  Again, it may just be frustration after a pretty tough outing against Pittsburgh, or it may just be a sore and aching body speaking to him one day after his season ended, but if Duckett is serious and does call it a career, it certainly leaves a major hole in Texas’s roster and a major target point for their offseason. Duckett was backed up this year by Aveion Carson and rookie Jay Finley, but combined, these two backs had a total of only 98 carries.  Texas would almost certainly have to look seriously at a halfback in either free agency or the draft. The free agent pickings, as usual, do not contain any franchise backs, with Ladell Betts, Brandon Jacobs, Antonio Pittman and Rashad Jennings being the top-rated backs available. That leaves the draft, and while there are certainly some talented backs in this year’s draft pool, players like Alabama’s Trent Richardson, Boise State’s Doug Martin, or Virginia Tech’s David Wilson, there is not a top prospect from the Outlaw’s three territorial schools, which means they will need to invest heavily in either a 1st round pick or a trade to get access to a T-Draft blue chipper.  The best option within the T-Draft for the Outlaws is Baylor’s Terrance Ganaway, who is considered marginal as a draftee at all, and certainly not a plug-and-play back. So, Outlaw fans wait with anxiety to see if Duckett retracts his post-game statements, or if their club will need to invest in a back one way or the other.  Their success in providing a high-level run game next year could well be the difference between returning for another deep playoff run or taking a step back in a pretty competitive division. Looking at the Summer Bowl rosters, it seems the Maulers have a distinct advantage on the injury front.  They had no new injuries in Sunday’s Conference Title game, with only guard Chester Adams still listed as Out.  No players added to the list and no other injuries of note.  Meanwhile, Tampa Bay lost two important players on Sunday, with Willis McGahee out after dislocating his knee and LB Zeke Moreno also listed as out after an ankle injury.  Add those two names to LB Jeff Goff’s injury, one expected to keep him out as well, and immediately the issue becomes clear, the Bandits’ LB group is running on fumes.  Tampa Bay will go with Jonathan Vilma and Monty Beisel in their usual positions but will likely rotate 12-year veteran Mike Peterson with youngsters Jesse Nading and Tyrone McKenzie into the two remaining spots.  That is not ideal, and we could well see the Bandits opt to use nickel personnel as an option. That reality has to be making HBs Ronnie Brown and Kenny Watson grin ear to ear.  A weakened LB group or the use of nickel personnel likely means a big day for the Mauler running backs, and we know that Coach Rivera is absolutely fine with the idea of a run-first game plan.  How Tampa handles what is likely to be a very large dose of the Pittsburgh HB duo could well become the story of the game. All-USFL Team & Award Winners Named The Week before the Summer Bowl means a lot of excitement for the game, but also the announcement of the annual awards and the All-USFL team.  We got both last night in the league’s Honors Ceremony, held in Memphis, site of the Summer Bowl.  Not a lot of surprises, but always still good water cooler conversation starters with this year’s winners and snubs.  Here is our quick rundown of the award recipients for 2011. MVP No surprise here as QB Joe Flacco took the trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player.  It was a breakout season for the Outlaw signal caller, leading the league with 4,129 yards passing, 34 touchdowns, and a 122.9 QB Rating.  When a QB wins all three of those statistical races, there is almost no way he is not named MVP.  When that QB’s team wins its first divisional title in its 25-year history, you had better give that QB the award. OPOTY While another Texas Outlaw, WR Marques Colston, did very well to finish second in the voting, ahead of QB Kurt Warner, the runaway winner was also not a surprise.  Washington HB Deuce McCallister won the rushing title by 146 yards over Knowshon Moreno and also led the league with 13 rushing TDs and a 4.6 YPC average.  He was an absolute beast this season, racking up seven 100-yard games and adding more of a role in the passing game as well.  His 344 receiving yards and 3 receiving TDs were personal bests.  Add to this the dominance of the Feds run game down the stretch and the clinching of the #1 seed in the East and McCallister was an easy choice. DPOTY Was their any doubt here?  Calais Campbell did it again, topping 30 sacks for the second time in his career. His 34 sacks means he averaged over 2 per game for the Renegades. That is just a stunning number, especially considering how much of the opposing offensive strategy he sees each week is designed to slow him down.  Teams are just not able to find a way to effectively keep Campbell off their QB, partially because of the presence of Albert Haynesworth in the middle, but clearly also because of the repertoire of devastating swim, power, speed, and lift moves that Campbell employs play after play.  Another no-brainer come time to vote for the Defensive star of the year. Rookie of the Year This vote was closer, with some pulling for Nashville WR Denarius Moore or Baltimore DE Robert Quinn, but in the end the QB won out. Cam Newton started the year hot, cooled off a bit (as did the Stallions) in the second half of the long season, but still had strong numbers throughout.  The one-year wonder from Auburn finished the year with 2,958 yards and 29 touchdowns, completing 57.6% of his passes and garnering an 84.3 QB Rating. He also rushed for over 200 yards and added 2 rushing touchdowns.  It is an aspect of his game which Coach Shanahan admitted to trying to repress this year, to force Newton to spend more time working the progressions in the passing game, but a feature of his game which we may see more of in 2012.  Newton helped revive a stagnant Stallion offense, along with NFL import Joseph Addai, and while Birmingham did fade down the stretch and failed to reach the postseason for the 8th consecutive year, their 7-9 record was a huge step up from the 2-14 season the Stallions had in 2010. Coach of the Year Votes for Coach of the Year went to Tampa Bay’s Mike Shula, Pittsburgh’s Ron Rivera, and Arizona’s Jim Tomsula, but the winner, and rightfully so, went to former USFL QB Greg Landry for his work with the Texas Outlaws.  Landry, given credit for developing Joe Flacco into an MVP quarterback, helped build a club that went from 8-8 to 12-4, and from the bottom half of the league in both offensive production and total defense, to one that finished #2 in scoring, #2 in yards gained, #5 in points allowed and #8 in yards allowed.  Texas was one of the stories of the year, and despite their loss in the Western Finals, the 2011 season will long be remembered in San Antonio as the year that the team finally broke through, winning the first division title in 25 seasons of USFL football. Finally, we have the All-USFL Team. This is usually where we see the biggest complaints about snubs and favoritism, but there is no doubt that every player on this roster had an outstanding year, so, rather than focus on those who did not make the team, we celebrate those who are represented here. QB: Joe Flacco (TEX), Kurt Warner (PHI), Cody Pickett (PIT) HB: Deuce McCallister (WSH), Ron Dayne (BAL), LaDainian Tomlinson (ARZ) FB: Rick Razzano (TEX) TE: Jordan Cameron (POR), Jason Whitten (JAX) WR: Marques Colston (TEX), Hines Ward (MGN), Joey Galloway (TBY), Vincent Jackson (PIT), and Taylor Jacobs (STL) OT: Jonathan Thomas (PHI), Matt Light (OAK), Brian Bulaga (STL) OG: Eric Stienbach (BAL), Mike Holland (ARZ), Stee Sciulo (TBY) C: Matt Birk (PHI), Aaron Graham (TEX) DE: Calais Campbell (ORL), Jason Babin (BOS), Justin Smith (OAK) DT: Brian Noble (SEA), Rene Jean-Francois (NOR), Marquez Pope (ARZ) LB: Brian Urlacher (CHI), DeMeco Ryans (BIR), Mike Maslowski (OAK), Glenn Cadrez (OHI) Jeff Goff (TBY), and Shawne Merriman (DEN) CB: Brandon Flowers (WSH), Patrick Buchanon (TBY), Cortland Finnegan (ORL), Marquand Manuel (ORL) SS: Troy Polamalu (ARZ), Bob Sanders (NJ) FS: Tebucky Jones (MEM), Scott Shields (PIT) K:   Mike Nugent (PHI) P:   Matt Turk (TBY) The Tampa Bay Bandits (12-4), Champions of the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference, face off against the Pittsburgh Maulers (13-3), Champions of the Central Division and the Western Conference, in Summer Bowl 2011 in Memphis, Tennesee’s Liberty Bowl Stadium.  It is a battle of battlers.  The Bandits improved from 7-9 a  year ago, building their success on a vertical offense and a ballhawking defense. The Maulers went from 9 wins in 2010 to a league best 13 in 2011, thanks to one of the league’s stingiest defenses and a running back duo that accounted for over 1,700 yards on the ground. These two face off in a Summer Bowl most did not expect, and yet, watching both clubs down the stretch, there is no shock that they both arrived here.  Pittsburgh won 12 of 13 before resting their starters in the season finale.  Tampa Bay won 8 of their last 9, including 5 straight to lock up the #2 seed in the East.  In the postseason, both easily dispatched their Divisional opponents and hosted their conference title games, edging their opponents to punch their ticket to Memphis and a shot at a title.  It will be a chance for Tampa Bay to earn a third John Bassett trophy, and the first since 1998.  For Pittsburgh it is their shot at a second title, along with their 1995 championship.  But, who will come out on top?  We break down this game position by position to see who we see holding the John Bassett Trophy aloft on Sunday. QUARTERBACK:  Both teams have solid QB play.  You generally don’t get this far without it.  On paper, Culpepper has the advantage in yards, completion percentage, and QB Rating.  Pickett threw for 2 more TDs and 6 fewer picks, so this is pretty even, but when we look at the film it is clear that while Pickett tends to look to move the sticks and keep drives going, Culpepper is going to look for the big play, the gamebreaker.  For that alone, we give the nod here to the Bandits. RUNNING BACK: Were Willis McGahee able to go in this game, he would tilt the scales towards the Bandits.  He reached 1,000 yards despite missing 4 regular season games, but he is out, and that means that Tampa Bay has to rely on rookie HB Shane Vereen, whose 2.1 yards per carry are not going to scare the Maulers.  Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has two solid options and likes to make use of both.  NFL import Ronnie Brown led the club with 888 yards and 9 TDs, but right there with him is Kenny Watson with 786 yards and 4 TDs.  The Maulers will pound Tampa Bay with Brown and then throw a curveball with Watson.  The edge has to go to Pittsburgh on the ground. RECEIVERS: Vincent Jackson had a stellar year for Pittsburgh with 104 catches for 1,343 yards, and the Maulers also got 1,000 yards out of second option Victor Cruz, a speedy and elusive receiver who finished the year with a team best 10 TDs.  They have two tight ends who can also catch the ball in Jimmie Graham and Owen Daniels.  And yet, despite this solid group, we give the edge to Tampa Bay.  The ageless Joey Galloway came to the Bay this year and lit up the league for nearly 1,300 yards on 96 catches.  He is joined by another veteran, undervalued WR Chris Doering, who just gets it done every year without accolades. Rookie TE Luke Stocker has been a solid target, and David Tyree as the slot receiver has been tough to defend.  They do lose a quality receiver out of the backfield with McGahee out, but this group has been consistently playing at a high level all year. OFFENSIVE LINE:  Both lines are outstanding.  Tampa Bay’s front 5 has given up only 17 sacks all year, while Pittsburgh’s is right there with them with only 19 sacks allowed.  Both are athletic, can pull to assist the outside run, or just bowl over defensive linemen for the inside run game.  We are going to call this one a push, since it is so hard to see how either line has a clear advantage. DEFENSIVE LINE: Two very different schemes at work with these teams, but both very effective.  Pittsburgh employs a 4-3 with Dan Klecko and Amobi Okoye occupying blockers in the middle to free up Jared Allen to rush the passer, which he did to the tune of 13 sacks this year.  Linemate Jerome McDougle added another 9 as the Maulers finished the season with 53 sacks on record.  Tampa Bay was not quite as dominant up front, with only 24 sacks in 16 games, but that is not their game. Their line of Jason Pierre-Paul, Marcellus Wiley, and Andre Nesbitt is designed to get pressure, but more importantly to occupy blockers so that the linebackers can roam freely to disrupt plays.  However, even with two different schemes, we have to recognize the quality of the Mauler line.  They take this one. LINEBACKERS:  Where Pittsburgh wins on the line, Tampa Bay has the more gifted linebacker group.  They will be without Jonathan Goff for this game, which will impact them, but they still have veterans Jonathan Vilma and Zeke Moreno, runstuffer Monty Beisel, and will rotate between Jesse Nading and veteran Mike Peterson in the 4th position.  For the Maulers, their 3-man group of Brian Cushing, Buster Davis, and Keith Bullock is often used in pass coverage and to squelch the outside run.  Expect to see swing backer Barrett Green in on passing downs as one of the faster backers responsible for covering the tight end.  We still give the edge to the Bandits here. SECONDARY: The combo of Patrick Surtain, and Dunta Robinson outside, and Sean Taylor and Scott Shields inside makes the Mauler secondary the strongest part of their shut-down defense.  Their catch to target ratio is one of the best in the league, and yet, they have not proven to be particularly effective at snagging interceptions.  Tampa Bay, on the other hand, may give up more big plays but also was 2nd in the league behind only Atlanta, with 20 interceptions this season. Their quartet of Patrick Robinson, Philip Buchanon, Idrees Basheer, and Bryan Scott, often bolstered with Richard Colclough in the nickel, is not afraid to take a chance on a big play, go for the ball, and occasionally give up the big catch.  While the Bandits’ aggressive play in the secondary could be a factor in this game, we have to go with the steady shut down ability of the Mauler DB’s to take this category. SPECIAL TEAMS: Tampa Bay’s Matt Turk has a clear advantage over Pittsburgh’s Steve Kemp in punting average and accuracy, while Nate Kaeding and Ryan Succop are pretty evenly matched when it comes to range and accuracy for field goals.  In the return game Richard Colclough and Victor Cruz are pretty evenly matched as return men, both capable of finding a crease and breaking a big gainer.  With so much being even, this could come down to opportunity and just one or two missed blocks to see a difference here. So, we will call this a push. COACHING: Pittsburgh’s Ron Rivera certainly wins on seniority, serving in his 6th season with the Maulers while Dave Shula has done amazing things in his first year at the helm in Tampa Bay.  Rivera came out of the DC ranks, where he built a reputation for discipline, structure, and aggressive gameplans, but on offense he tends to play it conservatively, using short passes and the run game to keep the chains moving and shorten games.  Shula is an offensive-minded coach, always looking for the mismatch and the chance to take the ball deep.  His defense tends to be a bend-but-don’t-break philosophy, and he seems to have little concern for the clock, except to play at tempo when the club is behind.  We are going to give the edge to Rivera here, but recognize that when it comes to championship football, both of these coaches are inexperienced and largely unknown to each other. OUR PICK: With all the factors in place, and in large part due to the absence of Willis McGahee and Jonathan Goff from the Bandit lineup, we are giving the edge to the Maulers.  We love their defense scheme, their aggression against the QB, and their ability to power the ball with a 2-back system.  While Tampa Bay could hit on some big plays, we don’t think they will be able to consistently break down the Mauler D, while Pittsburgh’s Cody Pickett should see good protection all day, and, with a focus on possession, should be able to limit Tampa Bay’s opportunities for the surprise gamebreaker.  Our pick is Pittsburgh to win their 2nd title, Maulers 23-18.

A really fun week of playoff football as we witnessed an upset no one saw coming, a defensive struggle, and two dominant performances by home favorites.  Texas and Tampa Bay proved to us why they are Summer Bowl contenders with convincing wins at home, both clubs taking early leads and just pulling away over time.  We had a nice game between the Wranglers and the Maulers, one that was controlled by Pittsburgh’s D, but which stayed close enough for Wrangler fans to have hope up until the final seconds, and we had a huge upset as the wounded and cornered Philadelphia Stars rose to the occasion, fought back in the final minutes, without their superstar QB, and upended the number 1 seed Washington Federals in RFK, a bitter defeat for the home team, but a historic win for the Stars.   We will cover it all right here, and take a look at two very intriguing Conference Finals, plus a check in on the free agent pool, and a couple of intriguing bits of player news from the pre-Free Agency period. All coming up right here. As a general rule, if you are only going to convert 1 third down all day, try to keep the opponent from converting 75% of theirs.  That is the number that stands out from the Bandits’ dismantling of the Baltimore Blitz on Saturday.  That and a 455-286 yardage advantage.  The Bandits’ D locked down on third downs all game long and that meant that Blitz drives sputtered to a halt outside of scoring range far too often. Meanwhile, Willis McGahee and Daunte Culpepper had no difficulties with the Blitz’s defensive scheme.  McGahee rushed 24 times for 114 yards and a score.  Culpepper threw for 298 yards and 3 scores as Tampa Bay took a 14-3 halftime lead and extended it in the second half, pulling away and ending the game well before the whistle blew.  Down early, Baltimore had to abandon their plans to use Ron Dayne to milk the clock.  Dayne would finish the day with only 13 carries as early TDs from Chris Doering and Willis McGahee forced Baltimore to play catchup. Doering would catch a 2nd TD pass in the 4th quarter and Culpepper would also find former Ohio Glory receiver Joey Galloway for a 3rd TD as Tampa Bay thoroughly dominated and set up an Eastern Title Game at home as the top seed remaining in the East. The Outlaws were also inhospitable hosts for the visiting Express.  They too jumped out to a significant first half lead, forcing LA to settle for field goals on their two scoring drives, while the homestanding Outlaws got two first half Flacco-to-Cooley TD passes, along with a Rian Lindell kick, to build up an 11-point halftime lead. LA was game, as Mark Sanchez completed 31 of 45 passing, but the need to settle for field goals was a theme of the day, with LA adding a 3rd early in the second half to pull within 8.  But while the Express struggled in the red zone, Texas did not.  They would add a goalline TD pass to Marques Colston and a Duckett 2-yard run in the 2nd half and pull away from LA long before the Express finally found the endzone in the final minute of the game. The win sends Texas to the first Conference Title Game in franchise history.  They would have to wait to see the result of the Wrangler-Mauler game, where they would oddly find themselves rooting for division rival Arizona to ensure that the title game would be in San Antonio, but on Saturday night those concerns were not formed yet.  It was just time to celebrate as Texas moves on to the conference title game. In an odd bit of scheduling, due to Pittsburgh being in the Eastern time zone, the Western divisional game was scheduled before the Eastern.  That was no concern for the Maulers, but meant an early start for Arizona, who had to fly east and adjust to the 2-hour difference in kickoff time.  But, the bigger issue for Arizona was not the timezone, but that nasty defense of the Maulers.  Arzona, like Baltimore before them, would struggle to convert on 3rd down, achieving the feat only twice in 10 attempts.  They would also find absolutely no room for LaDainian Tomlinson to run as the 1,000 yard rusher ended the game with only 23 yards on 11 carries. Pittsburgh, while certainly not putting up huge numbers, at least got a decent showing with 81 total rush yards between Brown and Watson.  Both Mauler backs also scored, putting up the first 14 points on the board.  As we saw in both of the Saturday games, early leads of 10 points or more were enough in each game to force the opposition out of their early game plans.  Arizona started to emphasize the pass, which proved disastrous as Pittsburgh accumulated 9 sacks of David Carr in the game.  LB Keith Bullock and DE Jared Allen both got to Carr twice, and 5 other Maulers also found their way to the Wrangler QB, who spent most of the game either dumping the ball off quickly or taking a hit for holding it longer. Arizona did get a late TD from Tomlinson to pull within 3 at 14-17, but Pittsburgh added a field goal within 2 minutes, holding the ball and forcing a desperate late Wrangler drive that failed to produce points.  Pittsburgh’s win means they, and not Texas, will host the Western Conference final, what should be a great matchup of the Maulers and the team that shocked them only a month ago. Looks like it is time for our staff and many others to eat some crow.  Few gave Philadelphia much of a chance as they headed into their big game with Washington absent their All-USFL QB Kurt Warner.  But this is a plucky and determined Stars team and those qualities showed up in spades as they forced the division champions into a hole after 3 quarters, and, when the Federals pulled ahead, they came back with a late TD that shook RFK Stadium to its foundations. The Stars started off about as well as a team can, with LB Sean Lee snatching away a David Garrard pass and running it back for a score in the opening minutes of the game.  That was followed by a 17-play drive by the Stars offense, using every weapon available to them before handing the ball to Steve Slaton on the 1-yard line and having him plunge in behind the left guard.  Philadelphia, the underdogs, were up 14-0 just 6 minutes into the 2nd quarter. Washington would pull the game back to a 7-point difference with a long Garrard to Kellen Davis TD pass, but with the only points in the 3rd quarter being a Mike Nugent field goal, Philadelphia went into the final period up 10.  Along the way, the Stars offensive line played like true champions, winning the battle at the line of scrimmage and giving backup QB Matt Gutierrez all the protection he would need.  Washington blitzed, twisted, stunted, all to try to get to Gutierrez, but to no avail. But the Washington offense also had its moments, and in the 4th quarter they erased the 10 point Stars lead, thanks to a Chris Massey TD and a pick-six of their own.  It was Gutierrez’s one bad play of the game, throwing late towards Reche Caldwell, allowing Sheldon Brown to step in front of the pass and return it for a score that would put Washington up 21-20 with 4:27 left to play.  The Federals would add a field goal just 2 minutes later, and with 2:25 left to play the Stars’ bubble appeared to have burst.  Down 4 with just 1 time out left and a TD needed, it looked bleak. But, rather than fold, the Stars rallied, with the O-line giving Gutierrez time and the receviers finding gaps in the Washington zone.  The backup QB hit Stevie Johnson for a huge 24-yard play, then TE Brent Celek for 11, and Michael Newhouse for 9 on a key 3rd and 7.  With 33 seconds to play, they had the ball inside the 10, and Gutierrez called what would be the winning play, a cluster formation that would allow slot receiver Troy Williamson to take advantage of some rub routes to get free from the nickel back.  The play worked to perfection and Gutierrez found Williamson all but uncovered on the left sideline.  He zipped the ball to the small receiver, who took it in stride and dove for the pylon.  It took over 3 minutes for the review to confirm what most of the fans at RFK dreaded.  Philadelphia touchdown and the Stars took both the lead and the game. It was a gutsy performance from the Stars, their line, their receivers, and their defense, but Philadelphia was moving on to the Conference Title Game.  They now travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Bandits for the right to play in the 2011 Summer Bowl. Playoff First as Center Matt Birk Gets POTG Honors We have never seen it before, but this week the USFL declared that Matt Birk, the Philadelphia center, and captain of the line was the Player of the Game for the Stars’ upset of Washington.  There were other options, particularly LB Sean Lee, whose pick-six sparked a strong first half for the Stars, but when we look at the game film, there is a very good reason that Birk was chosen. Protection and run blocking were key for the Stars to have any chance against the Federals, and Birk led a line that played about as well as we have ever seen from a unit.  Not only did Birk record 10 pancake blocks on the day, a ridiculous number against as good a line as Washington has, but his leadership, calling out plays and adjustments, kept the Stars unit working as one, both in the run game and particularly in the final drive that allowed the Stars to take the victory.  It is a rare thing for any lineman to get recognition, so we salute Birk and the entire Stars line for the honor this week. McGahee Magical in Bandit Win Is anyone really surprised that Willis McGahee was a focal point for the Tampa Bay offense this week?  When McGahee goes over 100 yards rushing, the Bandits win. It is that simple. Add in a key play,  a short pass that the back turned into a 39-yard scamper, and you have impact in the passing game as well as on the ground. Yes, the Bandits have a lot of weapons, not the least of which is 2-time league champion Joey Galloway, but for our money, the secret to the Bandits has been, and remains, their halfback and his ability to make plays in space.  Something the Stars may want to focus on this week. Moss Fumes About Missed Opportunities Randy Moss was targeted 9 times in the game against Texas this week, and he caught 7 of those, but he is not touting that, he is fuming over two other opportunities that did not go his way.  Moss, speaking on ESPN radio this week, was livid that he is not being targeted enough by Mark Sanchez and the Express offense. He cited two plays in particular, stating he was open deep but Sanchez checked the ball down to the middle of the field.  Tape of the game shows he was not wrong, though certainly the design of plays to a degree determines the QB’s progression.  There was a play early in the 2nd quarter, and another in the 3rd, where Moss had beaten his defender and a well-thrown ball along the sideline could have resulted in 6 points, but on both occasions Sanchez looked elsewhere, connecting with L. J. Smith on one case, and missing a pass to Keyshawn Johnson on another. Prodded to speak about the disappointment of losing on Saturday, Moss would not lay blame by naming names but it is clear that he believes that the offense of the Express is too conservative, too focused on achieving first downs and hesitant to look deep. Whether he puts the blame for that on QB Mark Sanchez, Head Coach Gregg Williams, or OC Steve Fairchild is not known, but what is clear is that Moss is going to keep asking for the ball, and the Express should have known this about him when they signed him. Mauler D Manhandles Wrangler O-Line We went back through the tape of the 20-14 Mauler win over Arizona this week looking for a key to the game, and it became apparent pretty quickly that there was one unit that was simply outclassing their opposition.  Pittsburgh’s D-line, mad up of ends Jared Allen and Jerome McDougle and tackles Amobi Okoye and Dan Klecko, simply dominated the Wrangler offensive line.  Whether on pass plays, with David Carr running for his life and sacked 9 times, or in the run game, where LT was held to only 2.1 yards per carry, the Wrangler offensive line simply had no answers. We all knew that the Maulers love to blitz, it is part of who they are, and they did, on 45% of passing downs, and on 21% of first downs, but it seems clear to us tha they did not need to . Even on the plays when they did not send additional rushers into the line, they simply overwhelmed the Wranglers up front, winning battles across the line and disrupting blocking schemes and playcalls all day.   If Pittsburgh can get a similar performance out of this group against a Texas line that is likely to have 2-3 All-USFL nods, then the Maulers may well be purchasing tickets to Memphis and the Summer Bowl. Good news across the league as we have three of four teams that have not added any new players to their injury list. The one exception is Texas, who have listed backup Sage Rosenfels and linebacker Jonathan Moulton as probable. Moulton is the bigger factor here as he is a key member of the Outlaw defense, but if he is probable, then we expect he will actually see the field.  All other injuries, including that of Kurt Warner, are from prior weeks and each team has worked their way through the options to replace or cover for that missing player, so we enter the Conference Finals with a pretty good sense of what to expect from each club. Chad Johnson to Generals? While free agency does not begin for another 2 weeks, players are certainly allowed to speak with other teams, to visit other facilities, and to get a sense of where they want to be.  They just cannot sign on the dotted line.  So, when Chad Johnson appeared in East Rutherford, chatting with Sam Bradford and Herm Edwards, it was very much a part of his plan to find a new home with an established QB and a shot at team success.  New Jersey may not seem like the optimal location, but there are few current playoff teams that are desperate for a new number 1 receiver, and few non-playoff teams that have a young and talented QB.  New Jersey makes sense, it also happens to be a team with a pretty spacious salary cap shortfall, which means they have the funds to sign someone like Johnson if that is their interest. Certainly New Jersey will not be the last team Johnson and his agent engage with over the next 2 weeks.  Rumors already have him talking to New Orleans and Orlando, but it is an intriguing option, particularly since that would mean twice annual matchups against Boston. Cutler Seeks Trade After Rough Playoff Ouster The season did not end the way that Nashville fans would have liked, with 4 straight regular season losses, including a devastating 14-6 shutdown in the home finale against New Orleans and then a beatdown by Baltimore in the Wild Card round.  Well, apparently, one player who is more than a little unhappy not only with the way the season ended, but by the entire season and how he was utilized is Nashville QB Jay Cutler.  Reports this week have Cutler demanding of the GM that he be traded, stating that he cannot continue to be held back by Coach Johnson’s run-first philosophy.  Honestly, trading Cutler and starting fresh may just be the move that the Knights, and Coach Jim Johnson, need to reinvigorate the franchise and an increasingly uncomfortable culture of “just good enough” within the team. Now, we are not sure what Cutler believes he can do in another system.  Honestly his numbers have never been that great with Nashville.  In fact, over his 5 seasons in the league, this year’s numbers are the best he has ever posted.  He finished 2011 with nearly 3,500 yards passing, a 67.1% completion rate, and a 20:16 (5:4) TD:INT ratio, all the best of his career.  That said, he also finished with only an 83.7 QB Rating.  Cutler has yet to finish any season with a Top 5 rating, but perhaps he believes it is the system that is producing these less than all-star results.  If that is the case, going to a new location, with a new coach, could be a solution.  At worst it will prove that it was him all along, and not Coach Johnson’s conservative approach to offense that led to mid-range results. Is Nashville open to the idea? We believe they might be, particularly if they feel they have a shot at acquiring a young gun at QB who could help them right away.  With a mid-to-late draft pick, that won’t be Andrew Luck of Stanford, but could be a player acquired in trade, or could be a late 1st round QB like a Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M.  Of course, with the new rule in place this year, Nashville could take a shot at either Luck or Baylor’s Robert Griffin III if they are willing to trade open draft picks to acquire one of Oakland’s or Texas’s Territorial Picks to land one of the two QBs.  That would make things interesting. Free Agent Pool Expands with 8 Playoff Teams Eliminated With 8 teams now out of the postseason, the free agency pool continues to grow.  Again, these players cannot be signed by any club until Free Agency officially opens in 2 weeks, but they can speak with other teams. Here are the 3-5 players from each eliminated playoff team that could garner some attention in the marketplace. ARIZONA:  CB Jimmy Williams, WR Kassim Osgood, DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen, QB Dave Dickenson BALTIMORE: HB Antonio Pittman, FS Shaunard Harris, WR Doug Gabriel, QB Chris Simms CHARLOTTE: G Sean Locklear, WR Anquon Boldin, TE Anthony Hill, LB Raynoch Thompson LOS ANGELES: FB Casey Kramer, CB Terrence McGee, CB Renaldo Hill, HB Cedric Houston, WR Eddie Kennison, WR Bernard Berrian MICHIGAN: WR Laverneous Coles, TE Bennie Joppru, OT Breno Giacomo, CB Chri Canty, DT Igor Olshansky NASHVILLE: G Jeb Terry, P Sam Koch, DE Quintin Moses, OT Jason Fabini, QB Chase Daniel OAKLAND: FS Roman Harper, FB Marcel Reese, WR Joey Jamison, C Jeff Saturday, LB Brendon Ayanbedejo WASHINGTON: CB Brandon Flowers, G Scott Tercero, OT Matt Stinchcomb Of this group, we see a lot of market value for Raynoch Thompson, Roman Harper, Renaldo Hill, and Jimmy Williams. We doubt that Oakland let Jeff Saturday go without a clear message from him that he is going to retire.  Much the same for Eddie Kennison of LA. Could we really get an All-Pennsylvania Summer Bowl?  Well, the Stars and Maulers are both still alive as we enter the Conference Title Games, but while Pittsburgh is at home, the Stars, still without Kurt Warner at QB, are on the road in a tough place to get a win, Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.  Here is our breakdown of both Conference Title Games, and our picks for who will be making the trip to Memphis and the Summer Bowl at Liberty Bowl Stadium in just 10 days. #4 PHILADELPHIA STARS (12-4) @ #2 TAMPA BAY BANDITS (12-4) Sunday, July 24 @ 2pm ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL Tampa Bay -5 To be honest, we are still somewhat shocked that Philadelphia made it here without Warner, but kudos to them for the way they fought in the Federals game.  Looking at this matchup the formula will have to be the same, protecting Gutierrez, using the run game and putting in a very strong defensive effort.  Tampa Bay has a lot of options on offense, including one of the best pass-catching backs in the league in McGahee and a veteran wideout in Galloway who still has enough speed to beat teams deep. When Philadelphia has the ball, expect Tampa Bay to try to pressure Gutierrez with blitzes and stunts, while using coverages that force the ball to the middle of the field.  When Tampa Bay has the ball, Philadelphia will try to get pressure with just four players, allowing them to double receivers and prevent the deep ball. OUR PICK:  As much as the win last week was impressive for the Stars, we have to go with the favorite here.  Tampa Bay 24-18. #2 TEXAS OUTLAWS (12-4) @ #1 PITTSBUGH MAULERS (13-3) Sunday, July 24 @ 6pm ET Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh -2 This one could be a very low scoring affair.  We have two teams that just don’t crack on defense, although we also have two top 5 offenses on the field as well. One of these 4 squads is going to give, and the one that does could determine the game.  If either team can establish the run to the point of drawing in the safeties, then the passing game will open up and it may only take one deep shot that connects to win this game.  We think this one will stay a one score affair throughout, but will it be 17-14 or 31-35?  That is the question. OUR PICK:  As much as we like the Maulers, and we do, Joe Flacco is having a legitimate moment this season, and we think that moment continues with the road upset of Pittsburgh and a trip to the Summer Bowl for the long-suffering Outlaw faithful.   Texas 19-16.

Playoff football is back as the USFL kicks off the 2011 postseason with four Wild Card games.  The results this week showed the wide range of quality we expect from the opening playoff games.  We had only one truly competitive game, with LA taking an early lead over Michigan and then holding on for dear life over the final quarter.  We had a battle of teams that backed their way in, with Baltimore showing that they had more left in the tank than Nashville.  We had a potential sign that Arizona was righting the ship and getting back to early season form, and we had a depleted Charlotte squad simply unable to compete with the 12-4 Philadelphia Stars, but it was a win for the Stars that took a heavy toll.   We will recap the action this week, take a look ahead at the divisional round, and hit all the top stories from the games and from the other 14 clubs who are already seeing questions arising as retirement announcements begin to impact rosters. It is all right here at This Week in the USFL. In a battle of clubs that backed their way into the playoffs, it was a chance for one team to right their path and get back to winning ways.  That team turned out to be the visiting Baltimore Blitz, who turned two first half touchdowns into a lead they would not relinquish.  In the battle of running back, Baltimore’s Ron Dayne had the last laugh, not only outgaining Frank Gore 98 yards to 41, but scoring both of the 2nd quarter touchdowns that helped propel the Blitz to victory.  Dayne was helped by QB Ben Roethlisberger’s 17 of 25 passing day and by a defense that picked off Jay Cutler twice and limited Nashville to only 3 of 13 third down conversions. Up 14-3 at the half, Baltimore got the deciding score from that defense as Ken Lucas picked off Cutler late in the 3rd quarter and raced the ball back 38 yards to give the visitors a decisive 21-3 advantage.  Add in a Tory Holt TD catch from Roethlisberger and the die was cast.   Baltimore would move on to face the Tampa Bay Bandits in the next round (part of the USFL’s odd playoff tree system that does not guarantee that the lower seed will face the highest seed in each round).   For Nashville, it marks 4 straight defeats to end what had been a very promising season, with questions now arising about Jay Cutler’s development and about the offense in general as once again the Knights fail to score more than 10 points in defeat. For weeks now we have been waiting for the Wranglers to regain the form that got them off to an 8-0 start, and in their home playoff game against Oakland we think we have finally seen it.  Arizona dominated the first quarter, with TDs from Carr to Antonio Bryant and an LT TD run to give them a 14 point lead after only 15 minutes of play.  By game’s end, Tomlinson would have 110 yards rushing, Bryant would have 2 TDs, and the Wranglers would have a statement game to lead them into the Divisional Round. Oakland tried to come back, with Harrington throwing the ball far more than is customary for the Invader offense, completing 28 of 48 passes for 292 yards, but with that shift in focus came risk, and that risk manifest as 2 drive-ending picks, including one in the endzone that kept Oakland from pulling back within 1 score.  The defense was able to sack David Carr 6 times but the Arizona QB did not turn the ball over and the Wranglers played a steady game throughout.   Arizona will now travel to Pittsburgh to face the 13-3 Maulers.  If they can play the type of football that they showed in this game, they could stand a very good chance in that game. Everyone from the Las Vegas books to our own staff felt that this game was ripe for a blowout, and that is exactly what we got.  Philadelphia, at 12-4, is considered among the elite of the Eastern Conference, and they played like it against a hobbled and humbled Charlotte Monarchs team.  But the victory, easy as it may appear on paper, did not come without a price. Early in the 3rd quarter Stars QB Kurt Warner threw a pass to his tight end, but on the follow-through his hand hit a Charlotte defender’s helmet.  The finger was broken, bent in a way that was uncomfortable to see.  He would not return and, up 20-7, Matt Gutierrez would have to go the rest of the way.  Gutierrez would not be called on to do much, as a pick six by Stars defender Darren Sharper put Philadelphia up comfortably at 27-7.  He would manage the remaining game, completing 6 of 11 passes, including two touchdowns as Philadelphia cruised, but Warner is sure to miss the divisional playoff against Washington. That game now takes on a very different tone from the two regular season matchups, a split series that saw both games down to the wire. Without Warner, more will fall on the Stars’ defense and on running back Steve Slaton, who only carried the ball 10 times against Charlotte.  Expect a much heavier load next week as the Stars try to protect Gutierrez against a fierce Washington defense.  So, a big win for the Stars, but a very costly one as they move on in the playoffs. The closest of the games, this matchup in the West saw LA race out to a 14-0 lead and then struggle to do anything more, allowing Michigan to slowly fight their way back.  But, the LA defense was stout all game, holding Michigan to only 26 yards rushing, pressuring Brian Griese, and keeping the Panthers out of the endzone until the final 1:32 mark of the 4th quarter. Early scores from Randy Moss and a rare Mark Sanchez TD run put LA up early, but Michigan’s defense shut them down from the second quarter on.  Meanwhile, Michigan’s offense could get nothing going in the first half, allowing LA to take that 14-0 lead into the half.  In the second half, Michigan was forced to settle for Matt Prater field goals until the final minutes of action.  Up 14-6, LA held Michigan down for 58 minutes, but on a fluke play just after the 2-minute warning, Hines Ward escaped a tackle on a short slant route and took the ball 45 yards to paydirt.  The Panthers were now only 2 points away from tying the game.  Brian Griese tried to connect with TE Bennie Joppru on the 2-point play, but was thwarted by the right hand of LB Lofa Tatupu, who forced the ball out of Joppru’s  hand before control could be gained and the points scored.  With little time left, Michigan’s onside kick attempt failed and LA would milk the clock with 3 straight kneel downs to seal the victory and set up a trip to San Antonio to face the Texas Outlaws next week. Warner Injury Casts Shadow on Stars’ Big Win No team wants to see a key player go down in the playoffs, but when it is your MVP-candidate quarterback, the impact is about as profound as it can get.  That is the scenario that the Philadelphia Stars are facing this week as they prepare for a very tough divisional matchup against division rival Washington.  An inadvertent clipping of a defender helmet by Kurt Warner as part of his throwing motion led to the grisly finger break and dislocation.  The injury is expected to require at least a month to heal and for Warner to get full use of the finger, which certainly would impact his grip of the ball and his spiral.  This means that by all accounts Warner’s postseason is done. Backup Matt Gutierrez, the former Michigan Wolverine and 5-year backup to Warner, will get the start against Washington.  Gutierrez has certainly started games before, including 6 starts in his rookie campaign.  Since that year he has started only1 game, but appeared in several others, often in mop up duty.  He now faces one of the toughest challenges any QB can face, starting in a playoff game with only 1 week of reps as the starter and against one of the most innovative and aggressive defenses in football. The Stars will almost certainly alter the gameplan to protect Gutierrez.  Rather than the wide open, vertical game we see with Warner throwing to Stevie Johnson and Reche Caldwell deep, we expect a lot more short and medium routes, more use of slot receivers like Troy Williamson and tight ends Daniel Fells and Brent Celek.  They will try to focus on providing a solid rushing attack through Steve Slaton and receiving back Leon Washington, and keep Gutierrez from having to progress through 3-4 receiver reads.  But, even with that, the final result, success or failure, will depend on Gutierrez’s ability to deal with pressure, protect the ball, and make good decisions. Maulers Mum on RB Plan As the Pittsburgh Maulers prepare to face Arizona in the Divisional Round, they are being very tight-lipped about the one feature of their offense which shifts game to game, the lead back.  All season long the Maulers have been altering their plans based on their opponents, in one week using the slashing, quick juke moves of Kenny Watson, and in others the “bull in a china shop” approach of Ronnie Brown. Both backs finished the year with similar totals.  Brown rushed 216 times for 888 yards and 9 TDs, while Watson had 209 carries, 786 yards and 4 TDs.  The game plan always involves both, but Coach Rivera has tended to favor one or the other in each game, often a decision made before the game begins, but alterable in-game if one back seems more successful early on. Against the Wranglers, whose rush defense ranks 10th in the league, the bigger back, Brown, may seem the better choice.  If Pittsburgh can wear down the Wrangler front line over the course of the game, his runs will become more and more productive.  Of course, if Arizona takes a lead in the game, then having Watson in the backfield, a better receiver, could help Pittsburgh challenge Arizona’s pass defense while still keeping the run an option. It is no surprise that Coach Rivera does not want to reveal which direction he is heading as he preps for the Wranglers, but as fans, we like to debate these things, and that was certainly true in our bullpen, where arguments were made for both backs as to who might find more success against the Wranglers. New Orleans To Stay With Lathon Having taken over as interim head coach after New Orleans’s horrific 0-8 start, Lamar Lathon knew that any chance he had to get the permanent job would depend on showing success in his 8 week trial.  After losing the first 2 games of that trial, Lathon’s Breakers would win 5 of the final 6 games, including victories over two playoff teams.  As expected, that turnaround, and the support the players heaped on Lathon, was enough to land him the permanent gig. New Orleans made it official this week, naming Lathon the new Head Coach and signing him to a 3-year deal in that position.  For the former Breaker LB, it is a dream job, to be able to coach the team he spent his entire pro career as a linebacker with.  Lathon only retired in 2004, and now, 7 years later he has risen through the ranks.  At the start of 2011 he was the linebackers coach, but with the firing of Mike Nolan and both coordinators at midseason, the chance was given for Lathon to lead the team, and he did just that.   Now he is rewarded with an opportunity to mold the team in his image, to bring in some more talent, and to compete in a very weak Southern Division. Memphis to Interview Several Candidates The Showboats are now one of three teams looking to add a new coach.  They have been active in that endeavor already, reaching out to several potential candidates to set up interviews.  Former Minnesota Viking HC Brad Childress is likely to be the first to be interviewed, but Memphis has also sent out feelers to both Philadelphia and Texas about their current offensive coordinators.  They are prohibited from meeting with either as long as both clubs remain alive in the playoffs, but the clear message has been sent.  The Showboats are looking for an offensive-minded coach who can help groom Ryan Mallett into the next Shuler or Favre. Meanwhile, no word out of Portland or Chicago about their coaching searches.  As we have seen in recent years, it is possible that one or both have their eyes set on someone currently within the NFL, which means they may have to wait until January to make a deal. Both teams have solid front office staffs and long-established GM’s, so it is possible they could go that route, having the GM guide the offseason roster build and then bringing in an NFL name in the winter.  But it is also early and it is possible as well that someone within the current playoff teams is the true target, and patience until that club’s playoff run is complete is the order of the day for the Stags and Machine. As we look ahead to the divisional round, one injury, that of Kurt Warner, is getting the press, and deservedly so.  But, every team has questions to answer.  Here is our breakdown of the 4 games and the injuries which could impact them. BAL: OT James Brewer-D, LB Angelo Crowell-P TBY: FS Bryan Scott-Q,  WR Davone Bess-D, OT Marvel Smith-Out,  LB Jonathan Goff-Out For Baltimore there are no new injuries, and Angelo Crowell has moved up to “Probable” meaning that the Blitz will get some defensive help for the matchup. For Tampa Bay, there are several players out of the game, including their All-USFL caliber linebacker Jonathan Goff.   The absence of Goff and Bryan Scott from the defense has to be a concern, especially with Ron Dayne coming to town. PHI: QB Kurt Warner (Out) WSH: TE Kellen Davis--P Sure, each team has one player on the injury list, but when one of the two is a backup TE and the other is the starting QB and MVP candidate, Kurt Warner, it seems a bit unbalanced.  It will be Gutierrez at the helm of the Stars’ league leading offense when they head to Tampa Bay, and that is almost certainly going to mean that the Bandits load the box against the run and force the backup to try to beat them. LA: No new injuries, WR B. Lloyd--P , QB B.Croyle--Q TEX: No injuries reported No new injuries for LA, and no injuries reported for Texas, so this game could be strength against strength.  LA has to find a way to both attack one of the league’s toughest defenses, but also how to stymie what has become a very balanced and dangerous offense. ARZ: No injuries reported PIT: G Chester Adams (Out) Another pretty clean game, injury wise, with Arizona reporting no injuries and Pittsburgh only one.  Without major talent missing, this one will come down to gameplan and execution. Retirement News as Offseason Begins for 16 Clubs As the postseason marches on, for the 16 USFL franchises not participating in playoff football, it is the offseason which has already taken over the headlines.  Yes, free agency is still a few weeks off, and while we know who is still unsigned, there is still some time to make a last second deal.  But the other offseason impact point for rosters across the league are the retirement announcements which accompany the end of every season.  We have already seen several big name announcements over the past week and a half, and we expect more as the offseason moves along.  Here is our recap of the biggest names and most difficult players to replace from the early announcements. DE Julius Peppers (CHA): A five time All-USFL player on the edge, Peppers played 6 frustrating seasons in Memphis before finding a home with the expansion Charlotte Monarchs.  In Charlotte, Peppers flourished, averaging 16 sacks per season in his last 4 years.  His presence on the D-line was a key factor in Charlotte’s defensive strategy and a huge part of their playoff run this year.  However, injuries and concerns for his knees in particular have caused Peppers to miss games, and, finally, to declare retirement at only 31 years of age.  He announced his retirement the day after Charlotte’s loss to Philadelphia, a game in which he recorded a sack and a fumble recovery but had to come out of the game for most of the second half due to knee concerns. WR David Boston (SEA): The 6-time All-USFL nominee and all-time leading receiver for the Seattle Dragons, David Boston has decided to call it a career after 13 seasons in Seattle.  Boston retires with 679 career receptions for over 14,000 yards.  He brought in 112 career TDs and averaged nearly 21 yards per reception over 13 seasons, all impressive, and likely HOF worthy numbers. DT Montae Reager (DEN): “A lineman’s lineman” is how Reager has been described.  Reager has been a force in the middle for the Gold since coming over  from St. Louis in 2002. Typical of a nose tackle, his numbers are not staggering, though 31 sacks at nose is pretty darn good.  His impact is that he consistently took on double teams, allowing the edge rushers and linebackers free access to ballcarriers and the QB.  Reager was named to the All-USFL squad 4 times and won a title in his rookie year as a member of the Memphis Showboats. OT Mike Gandy (MEM): A four-time All-USFL tackle and two-time league champion, Mike Gandy has been protecting his QB’s blindside since his rookie campaign, a year in which he helped Orlando win a title.  He played three seasons for the Renegades before joining the free agent pool and signing with the Memphis Showboats.  In Memphis he protected Brett Favre during the 2 year run where the Showboats won and then returned to a Summer Bowl.  Of his 160 games in the league, he started 144 of them, but retires now at the age of 34. TE James Whalen (BOS): One of Drew Bledsoe’s favorite targets, Whalen retires after 11 seasons with the Boston Cannons.  Over his career as a Cannon, Whalen caught 613 passes for 5,069 yards and 26 touchdowns.  He won a title along with his QB, Bledsoe, two seasons ago. P Brad Costello (DEN): The 34-year old Costello has been punting in the USFL since 1998, having played in Memphis all the way through the 2010 season before catching on for one more year in Denver.  One of the most consistent punters in league history, Costello averaged between 43 and 44 yards per punt in eery season since 2002. Other players announcing their retirements ove the past week include Boston LB Corey Miller, Birmingham WR Arnaz Battle, New Orleans C Todd McClure, Brimingham FS ClarenceLove, and Denver LB Nick Rogers. League Schedules September Meetings We have dates for the next league meetings, schedule for the week of September 20-24 in New York.  What is on the table for these meetings?  Three potential big items are likely on the docket.  First and foremost is a potential vote being proposed by several teams to reconsider the 12-team playoff format.  We know for certain that both Las Vegas and Orlando are now very much in the camp of those who want the league to expand back to a 14-team playoff, a format used only in the strike-impacted 2009 season.  Both franchises had winning records this year but missed out on the post-season, so you know they are in favor of expanding the field. The second topic is very likely to be how to deal with the aggressive stance taken by Destination Dallas in pursuing a franchise to purchase and relocate.  There are very much mixed feelings among league owners, as some are hoping to add Dallas as a large market currently unserved by the league, while others are concerned about the impact that a relocation has on the league’s image.  The other major concern is that the Dallas group led by tech billionaire Mark Cuban is not limiting its inquiries to small market franchises, but has been in talks with teams in large markets the league does not want to lose, including Boston, LA, and Chicago. A third big item, the league is looking at reworking its deal with ABC/ESPN.  While the decision to broadcast the Sunday night game exclusively on the ESPN Football Network (EFN) has provided solid numbers for the add-on cable network, the numbers pale in comparison to the Friday and Saturday night games on NBC and ESPN proper.  While the network seems happy to get eyes to EFN, and to be able to push the add-on network to more cable subscribers, the league would rather see its Sunday night game as one of its top viewership games, rather than one of its lowest numbers.  It is believed that the league may be open to the idea of swapping the EFN night game to allow EFN to broadcast both a Saturday and Sunday afternoon game (producing more national broadcast games by adding a 3rd network to the afternoon slate) and having either ABC or ESPN take over the night game.  The networks are expected to push back on this, though the premise of having 2 games per week to boost EFN ratings would be a very enticing offer for them. And, of course, as always, we expect the meetings to also look at reports from the Competition Committee for some in-game rule adjustments, as well as the Corporate Relations Committee on potential partnership and sponsorship deal adjustments.  We don’t expect anything major to come from these two reports, though we do expect that the Competition Committee will look at moving the 2-point play from the 2-yard line to the 5 yard line as a proposal, and that the ongoing issue of how to define what qualifies as a catch or reception will again be dealt with.  After several plays this year in which the referees seem to vary wildly on what constitutes possession in cases where balls were either ruled catches or incompletions, this topic is not going anywhere. Finally, expect the league to be updated on the agreement between the Las Vegas Thunder, the city of Las Vegas, and the league itself, to fund construction of a new domed facility along the Strip in Las Vegas.  The deal seems very solid, with each party essentially chipping in for a share of the cost.  The location has been settled on, and architectural firms are now competing for the deal, with stadium giant HOK expected to get the contract, but getting competition from both Manika and Perkins as alternative bids. Let’s take a look once more at each of the 4 matchups this week, focusing on the key player for each team that we think can make or break the game for the teams involved. #6 Baltimore (9-7) @ #2 Tampa Bay (12-4) Saturday, July 16 @ 3pm ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL Bandits by 4 Baltimore showed some grit last week against the Nashville Knights, snapping a 4-game losing streak and claiming a win on the road. They will have to be even more steadfast this week as the Bandits are one of the best, and the hottest, teams coming into the playoffs.  The Bandits have won 5 in a row to end the season, boast Top 10 rankings in scoring, yardsage, and scoring defense, and come in with a week of rest to prepare for the matchup. Expect Willis McGahee to be back in action this week, backed up by rookie Shane Vereen. He will partner with Daunte Culpepper and Joey Galloway for the latest “Triple Threat” in Tampa Bay’s long history of potent offenses, but don’t forget as well about players like Chris Doering, David Tyree, or TE Luke Stocker, all of whom have proven to be very effective in the passing game.  The Blitz will likely try to shorten the game, keeping the number of Bandit possessions to a minimum, by feeding Ron Dayne with as many carries as he can muster.  Will that be enough or will Big Ben have to air the ball out to Tory Holt, Darrius Heyward-Bey and TE Antonio Gates.  The Blitz can certainly do that, but we know they prefer to kill clock and keep scores lower if they can. OUR PICK: We just think Tampa Bay is the hotter club, with more weapons and a better scheme to use them all.  Baltimore is 20th in points allowed this year, which means that there will be chances for Tampa Bay to put the ball in the endzone.  Bandits 31-24 #3 Los Angeles (10-6) @ #2 Texas (12-4) Saturday, July 16 @ 7pm ET The Alamodome, San Antonio, TX Outlaws by 5 A matchup of two chronic underachievers who this year had better than anticipated seasons.  Los Angeles struggled to move the ball against Michigan, so we are not sure if they are ready for Texas’s 5th ranked defense. The Outlaws are also a challenge for the Express defense, with the top ranked passing offense in the league and the option to lean on T. J. Duckett on the ground as well.  LA’s defense is also tough (4th in points allowed) but their offense has struggled, averaging only 18 points per game.  If they get into a shootout with Texas they do not match up well. OUR PICK: We think Texas has the total package, whereas LA is too dependent on their defense to give them short fields to work with.  Outlaws 24-16 #5 Arizona (10-6) @ #1 Pittsburgh (13-3) Sunday, July 17 @ 3pm ET Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh by 4 We are excited for this game.  If the Wranglers are back to early season form, this could be one monster of a game.  Pittsburgh is strong on both sides of the ball, ranked 4th in points scored and 3rd in points allowed, giving them a league best 8 points per game scoring differential.  As we discussed above, they have a 2-back rotation that is tough to defend, and Cody Pickett is having his best year as a pro.  But, Arizona, when they are at their best, is equally as dangerous.  With LaDainian Tomlinson they can run against even the best defenses, and David Carr has solid options in the passing game with Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant able to stretch the field while Rob Gronkowski is a matchup nightmare in the middle. OUR PICK:  As much as we want to go with the underdog in at least one matchup, we just cannot pick against the Maulers, who have been the best team all season long.  Counting on Arizona to play their best game of the year to match up with the Maulers is a lot to ask.  Maulers 27-23 #4 Philadelphia (12-4) @ #1 Washington (13-3) Sunday, July 17 @ 7pm ET RFK Stadium, Washington, DC Federals by 7.5 This game with Kurt Warner on the field would be epic.  Without him we are hoping that the Stars can keep it close.  The Stars have a good defense, good but not great, and they can run the ball, but their entire season has depended on Warner to go deep and loosen up the defense. What will Reche Caldwell and Stevie Johnson do to make life easier for Gutierrez?  Meanwhile, Washington is a health squad, with the top yardage offense in the league, 3rd in scoring, and they also have the 2nd best scoring defense in the USFL.  That is a killer combo.  Expect a lot of Deuce McCallister to loosen up the Stars and force them to defend with 8 or 9 in the box, which is when Garrard will look for Deion Branch and Darnerien McCants deep. OUR PICK: We have to go with the obvious choice here.  Washington 28-18

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Once again, the final week's results did not shake up the playoff positioning. The Seeds are now set, however, and the matchups for the Wild Card. EAST: 1-WSH 2-TBY 3-NSH 4-PHI 5-CHA 6-BAL WEST: 1-PIT 2-TEX 3-LA 4-ARZ 5-OAK 6-MGN PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The final POTW of the 2011 season is Tampa Bay QB Daunte Culpepper, who looks to be in prime form for a playoff run after throwing for 4 TDs in the season finale for the Bandits.

It was not the most suspenseful Week 16, with 9 of 12 playoff spots already set and many seeds also locked in, but don't tell that to fans of the Panthers or Renegades. Both clubs were on the fringe of the playoffs, and both were guaranteed a Wild Card with a win. Michigan took care of business and eliminated 5 other contenders with their win against the Maulers (starting several backups), while Orlando had their fate in their hands. Baltimore and Charlotte had fallen on the final Saturday of the season, and on Sunday Orlando could win a Wild Card with a victory over a Bandits team that had nothing to play for. To say they did not execute is an understatement. We start our coverage of Week 16, and our kickoff of the USFL postseason with that Bandits-Renegades game, but we will be here for all the news, including the firing of 2 coaches with a lot of playoff pedigree. All right here. TAMPA BAY BANDITS 34   ORLANDO RENEGADES   31 The Renegades had it all lined up, with both Charlotte and Baltimore losing their games, all they needed was to edge a Bandit team that had nothing to play for and they would be playoff bound.  They played some of their best ball of the year, but something about their chippy attitude also inspired the Bandits to come out swinging and in the end Tampa Bay got the last laugh, scoring 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to oust the homestanding Renegades from the playoffs despite Calais Campbell’s astounding 2nd record-setting season at DE. The game started strong for the visiting Bandits, who rattled off 2 straight TD drives in the first quarter.  Daunte Culpepper hit the ageless Joey Galloway with a 38-yard strike to start off the game, but then connected with David Tyree on the 2nd drive to silence the Renegade crowd.  Orlando would rebound and would go on to score on their next 4 possessions, getting 2 TD receptions from TE Greg Olsen, a third TD pass to DeShaun Jackson, and a Knowshon Moreno 39-yard run that put Orlando up 31-17 after three quarters. But, along the way, Orlando started to get chippy, with a couple of late hits, and some taunting.  Apparently that was enough to trigger QB Daunte Culpepper, who spent the break between the third and fourth quarter riling up his team.  He came out on fire in the 4th, a period when he would complete 11 of 13 passes and lead the Bandits to 17 straight points.  The defense did their part, picking off Eli Manning late in the game, with the score tied at 31, and giving Tampa Bay a chance to end the game with a field goal and a win. Earlier in the quarter, Culpepper connected with Chris Doering for a score to bring them back to within 7.  Then, after the D shut down Orlando for the first time in the half, he followed it up with a perfect screen to Shane Vereen, and 32 yards later Vereen had tied the game with a score.  Panic had set in for the Renegades, and they tried to rally by going to a no huddle with 2:38 in the game and now tied.  That strategy backfired as Philip Buchanon stepped in front of a pass intended for Justin McCaerins, setting up the Bandits with a chance to steal the win in regulation.  Willis McGahee, who returned to action with 95 yards rushing, helped get the Bandits into range and Nate Kaeding ended the game and the Orlando season with a 54 yard strike with no time left on the clock. The Bandits enter the playoffs fired up, Orlando exits the season deeply disappointed and once again unable to take advantage of a defense that features one of the league’s elite players. BIRMINGHAM 30   MEMPHIS 24 A week 16 game with no playoff implications, though when it is the Stallions against the Showboats it is always a party, and that was certainly the case for this game at the Liberty Bowl.  Birmingham started Colt Brennan while Memphis gave Ryan Mallett the start but quickly pulled him out of the game after 2 sacks by the Stallions.  So it was Brennan vs. Mike Flynn, and both offenses showed some spark.  Cadillac Williams rushed for 103, Brennan threw for 344 and 3 TDs and the fans just seemed to have a good time in their last football for the year. NEW ORLEANS 14   NASHVILLE 6 The Knights played their starters the whole way, but still lost their fourth in a row as once moribund New Orleans makes the case for Lamar Lathon to stay on as head coach with their 5th win since he took over the winless club.  Lathon seems likely to get the gig as he has taken a team with no energy at all and gotten them to win 5 of 7 down the stretch.  It was not a pretty game, particularly fo the Knights, and fans in Nashville have to be concerned that they enter the playoffs at only 8-8 with a 4-game losing streak on their backs. PORTLAND 27   BALTIMORE 10 Another club that cannot be happy about their final stretch as Baltimore loses their third straight, this time at home to a 4-win Stags squad.  In Rich Brooks’s last game at the helm, the Stags go with Mike McMahon at QB due to the injury to Fitzpatrick, and the backup leads them to a win in the finale.  The defense was particularly effective, forcing 3 Roethlisberger picks and nabbing him for 3 sacks.  The Blitz would still get a Wild Card, but questions persist about the club’s ability to rally. HOUSTON 21  OAKLAND 9 It seems like the 2-8 Gamblers are gone and there are signs of hope that Houston will rebound from this bizarre season in 2012.  Both clubs kept their starters in and Houston found running room  against the usually solid Invader D, with Shaun Alexander leading all rushers with 116 yards on 19 carries.  Cedric Cobbs added another 56, creating concern for the Invaders as they enter the playoffs on a home loss. LOS ANGELES 6   LAS VEGAS 17 The Express, secure in the #3 slot, rested a lot of starters, while Las Vegas, still fighting for a Wild Card spot, did not.  The result was a comfortable win for the home team as Marshawn Lynch rushed for 74 yards nd Jake Plummer connected with former General T. J. Houshmandzadeh to give Vegas a 17-3 lead which they would not let slide against Brody Croyle and the LA second string. But would the victory mean anything?  Only if the Panthers lost to Pittsurgh. CHICAGO 19   SEATTLE 11 Playing at the same time as the Thunder, these two teams were still in the hunt for a Wild Card and played tough football throughout.  Michael Turner led Chicago with 137 yards and a TD, while Seattle struggled on offense with Leftwich sacked 5 times and hurried on almost every passing down.  The Machine dominated with defense and held a 19-3 lead until the waning minutes, when Seattle got a late TD from Tyler Eckler and a 2-point conversion to pull within 8.  But that was all for Seattle as Chicago improved to 8-8.  But with Las Vegas’s win it was not enough, and by Monday Coach Mornhinweg would face the consequences of another disappointing showing. WASHINGTON  13   CHARLOTTE 3 With the #1 seed still to be won the Federals’ defense took this game in their hands and held Charlotte in check all game, forcing a league leading 21st pick from Jake Delhomme and limiting the Monarchs to a sole field goal.  Charlotte’s D was also solid, holding Deuce McCallister to only 74 yards on 24 carries, but it was enough to help the Feds get the win and lock up home field advantage for the playoffs. PHILADELPHIA 14   BOSTON 13 With Warner, Slaton, and Stevie Johnson all wearing sweats on the sidelines, Philadelphia struggled on offense, but still managed to get the W thanks to 5 sacks of Jake Locker and a late Gutierrez to Marshall Newhouse TD pass with 1:02 left to play.  Boston finishes the year with 1 lone win, but despite the struggles, ownership confirms that John Fox’s position is secure. OHIO  14   ST. LOUIS 17 Despite having been eliminated from playoff contention by the Thunder’s Saturday win, St. Louis showed some pride and won their 8th game of the year, creating their first ever .500 season as a franchise.  Josh Freeman threw for 228 and a score, with both Taylor Jacobs and Jordy Nelson going over 100 yards receiving. The finish strong in the final month of the year and will now look forward to 2012 with optimism. PITTSBURGH 17   MICHIGAN 26 Much to the dismay of the Las Vegas Thunder, Pittsburgh did as expected, starting rookie Andy Dalton at QB and resting several key players, and that was enough for Michigan to earn the W and lock up the final playoff spot in the West.  Thomas Jones was the hero for the Panthers, rushing for 51 yards and a TD, but also nabbing a 2nd TD through the air. Brian Griese continues his hot streak as the Panthers win their 4th in a row to go from 5-7 to 9-7 and a playoff spot. ATLANTA 41  JACKSONVILLE 31 Both defenses apparently took the finale off as the Fire and Bulls went back and forth in this shootout.  Kyle Orton threw for 266 and 3 TDs while Tim Tebow matched him with 387 yards and 3 scores of his own.  It was a fun game to watch, but only 22,407 were there in Jacksonville after a disappointing season ends with the Bulls at 3-11-1. TEXAS 21   NEW JERSEY 13 The Outlaws, looking at a bye in the first round, played Joe Flacco only a couple of series, but kept T. J. Duckett in the whole game to try to bolster his rushing stats.  That,plus 7 sacks of a shellshocked Sam Bradford, were enough to get the Outlaws their 12th win of the season.  They will  now rest before playing in the Divisional Round.  New Jersey finishes the year a disappointing 6-10 and look to figure out how to improve their roster despite a tight cap. ARIZONA 19   DENVER 13 Denver drops to 7-9 with a loss in their big rivalry game.  A good win for Arizona as they prepare for a Wild Card matchup next week.  David Carr looked solid, throwing for 263 and 2 scores, while LT rushed for 107 to finish the regular season strong.  Denver had been eliminated from the Wild Card by Las Vegas’s win on Saturday and the spark just was not there for the Gold. Final Wild Card Spots Stay in Same Hands The Michigan Panthers, Charlotte Monarchs and Baltimore Blitz held the three final playoff positions after Week 15, and with this weekend’s results all three retained their spots after Week 16, locking themselves into Wild Card playoff spots.  Michigan did it the way most teams hope to, capturing a “win and in” game to eliminate all 5 other contenders without having to rely on anyone else.  Baltimore and Charlotte did it the hard way, losing their season finale and then having to hope that Orlando did the same so that they did not get leapfrogged by the Renegades. Both the Blitz and the Monarchs lost on Saturday and had some waiting to do.  With Baltimore’s loss, Charlotte knew they would at least capture the #6 slot, even with a Renegade win, while the Blitz had to hope for Orlando to fall to the Bandits.  Tampa Bay, riding a 3-game win streak had hoped that Charlotte would knock off the Washington Federals, opening the door for the Bandits to steal away the #1 seed, but when Charlotte fell in one of the two Saturday night games, it meant that Tampa Bay was playing for pride, locked into the #2 position.  And yet, despite the somewhat meaningless nature of their game in Orlando, the Bandits came to play, leaving their starters in the game despite the risk of injury and rallying back from a deficit in the final period to stun the Renegade faithful.  That comeback not only gave the Bandits a 4-game winning streak heading into their bye, and knocked Orlando out of the playoffs despite a winning record (8-7-1), but also saved Baltimore from dropping out despite not winning a game in a month. Baltimore and Nashville Back into Postseason Play Let’s talk more about the idea of backing into the postseason because we had not one, but two teams fall into that category this year.  At one point this season Baltimore was 9-3, Nashville 8-4, and both looked headed for 10-win seasons and high seeds, but the past month has not been kind to either club. Baltimore had a nice win At Philadelphia in Week 10, and had expected wins in Boston and against the Breakers, but then fell to Washington for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, dropped a game in Michigan, and came into the finale needing a win against Portland to lock in their playoff destiny.  The Stags stunned the Blitz and put it all in doubt.  In all three of their final losses, the Blitz scored only 10 points.  That is a real concern as Ron Dayne and the offense had been a major factor for the Blitz all season long.  Had Dayne hit a wall?  There were no major injuries on offense, so why the sudden power outage.  That is a a question the Blitz will have to answer as they head to Nashville to face the Knights. Nashville has its own big questions to answer in that matchup as they too enter the playoffs with a major slump in effect.  After a solid 30-3 victory over Ohio in Week 12, the Knights have dropped 4 in a row, including defeats to all 3 division rivals.  Again offense seems the issue as the Knights could only muster 3 field goals against Tampa Bay, and only 10 points vs. Birmingham, finishing the year with a truly poor outing against New Orleans, a 5-win team, as they scored only 6 points. Frank Gore topped 1,000 yards again, but his last few games have been very much a disappointment, rushing for only 59 yards against Memphis and then only 53 in the season finale.  Meanwhile, Jay Cutler has also failed to pick up the slack.  Over the past 4 games he has thrown 2 TDs to 8 picks, not a good ratio at all.  It seems the Knights have simply forgotten how to sustain drives, and they are putting a lot of pressure on a defense that has dropped out of the Top 10 in pass defense.  The edge rushers are not getting to the QB, and that is allowing opposing QB’s to have success connecting on deeper routes.  That is not a good thing to say about a defense about to face Big Ben and Tory Holt.  But, with both of these teams entering a matchup on cold streaks, one of the two is going to find success, snap the streak and get a playoff win. The other will be left to wonder what went wrong down the stretch. Michigan, Texas and Tampa Bay Peaking At Right Time On the opposite side of the momentum swing we have the Panthers, Outlaws, and Bandits, all of whom prepare for the postseason on nice winning streaks.  Michigan came from 5-7 after a Week 12 loss to St. Louis and rattled off wins against Houston, Portland, Baltimore and the Maulers to move from near irrelevancy to the final Wild Card spot and a showdown with Los Angeles in the Wild Card round.  They did it with a combination of improved pass defense and, most notably, with a significant return to form for Brian Griese.  Griese’s late season run included a 4 TD day against the Blitz and over 1,000 yards passing over the past month. For Texas, their 4-game win streak is part of a 7 of 8 second half that was only diminished by a loss to the Stars in Week 12.  Since then they have raced past Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Denver, and New Jersey to lock up the 2nd best record in the West and a bye.  The win against the top seeded Maulers was perhaps the jewel in that climb as they demolished a 1-loss Mauler squad to the tune of 30-14 in Pittsburgh.   The two could very easily meet again at Heinz Field in the Western Conference Final. For Tampa Bay, a 5-game win streak is also part of a larger trend as they have won 8 of their last 9.  Their only defeat was a home game against in-state rival Orlando in Week 11, a game they thoroughly avenged this week by not only beating Orlando in Orlando, but in doing so knocking them out of the postseason altogether.  Tampa Bay is doing it with a balanced offense that also has quick strike capability.  “Old Man” Galloway has had a monstrous season after coming over from Ohio and rookie HB Shane Vereen has done an admirable job subbing in for Willis McGahee when called upon.  The Bandits get a week to rest before their first playoff game, and that should be good news as we expect McGahee back in full form for the Divisional round.  Entering in the playoffs as the number 2 seed and possibly healthier after a week of rest, Tampa Bay is certainly in a position to challenge Washington to represent the Eastern Conference this year. Black Monday Comes for Mornhinweg and Haslett As we look forward to the postseason, we also recognize that the end of regular season play always comes at a cost.  Retirements, free agency, and the inevitable decisions to relieve coaches of their duties is just a part of the transition from season to offseason, and this year was no different.  In addition to the earlier departures of Mike Nolan in New Orleans and the resignation of Rich Brooks in Portland, Black Monday, the first day after the conclusion of regular season play, claimed two more coaches as the Chicago Machine and Memphis Showboats opted to make a change. Coach Marty Mornhinweg had been on the cusp of being let go after the 2010 season, and an 8-8 year this year, missing the playoffs after several season of postseason disappointment, was the final straw.  Machine management were simply not satisfied with decent regular season play that led to a quick playoff exit, and the failure of Chicago to qualify this year was enough for them to call Coach Mornhinweg into the meeting room for the hard news. Mornhinweg, who has been at the helm of the Machine since 1999 and who has helped Chicago make the postseason 9 of the past 11 seasons, including two Summer Bowl appearances, is clearly the victim of high expectations and the slow build up of postseason frustration.  With an overall coaching record of 124-86 in Chicago (a .600 winning percentage), we expect that Martyball will find a place to be sooner rather than later.  After all, there are plenty of teams who would jump at the chance to make the playoffs as often as Chicago has the past decade. As for Jim Haslett in Memphis, the trajectory has not been kind to him. After a league title with Brett Favre at the helm in 2007, Memphis returned to the title game again in 2008, but with the retirement of Favre, the club’s success has plummeted.  Memphis won only 4 games in 2009 as they searched for an option at QB.  After a 6-win campaign in 2010, they drafted Ryan Mallett of Arkansas and Haslett’s future rode on the success of the rookie QB this year.  The successes for Mallett, and the wins, were hard to come by this year, with Memphis finishing with only 4 wins again (4-11-1).  That lack of improvement was a huge factor in the decision to let the defensive-minded coach go.  We expect that Memphis will look to bring in an offensive coordinator or offensively-minded coach to help Mallett develop in 2012.  They have invested a lot in that pick, and both finances and  pride will want them to see a much better sophomore season for the former Razorback. So, four openings across the league, though we suspect that 5 wins in the final 2 months of the season may well have locked in the New Orleans job for interim HC Lamar Lathon.  Chicago is looking for a coach who can keep them in the playoffs and get them a title, Portland a coach who can take a club with a lot of potential over the hump and into the mix in the Pacific Division, and Memphis a coach who can develop a QB and get a team back to a competitive stance in a pretty weak division. Not much to say that has not already been reported.  The seeding and the final Wild Card berths do not shift, so we see Washington and Pittsburgh at the top in each conference, Tampa Bay and Texas getting Wild Card Round byes, and Nashville and Los Angeles hosting games as the third division winner in each conference.  Philly, Charlotte and Baltimore will be the Wild Cards in the East, with the Stars hosting the Monarchs and Baltimore traveling to Nashville. Oakland nabs the 4th spot, with Arizona claiming 5th and the Panthers locking in the final spot in the West with their win this week.  It will be Panthers at Express and Wranglers at Invaders in the Western Wild Card roundup. We can also say that we have the draft order set for the 16 teams that did not make the playoffs.  Boston, with a truly horrible 1-14-1 season, will have the #1 pick and, it appears, John Fox will be there to make that pick.  In second are the 3-12-1 Jacksonville Bulls, followed by Memphis, Portland, New Orleans and Ohio.  The 2010 league champions have the ignominy of a top 10 pick, along with fellow 6-win team New Jersey.  After them, the cluster of 7-9 and 8-8 clubs will have the mid-round picks, before the playoff teams start to fill in picks 17-28. As we look at the Wild Card matchup, we do see some key injuries that will impact the ability of each team to put their best foot forward.  Only Arizona reports having a clean roster with no injury designations, while some teams are dealing with significant injury concerns.  Here is the breakdown of each Wild Card matchup on the injury front. BAL: OT James Brewer (Out), LB Angelo Crowell (D) NSH: CB Willie Middlebrooks (P) Good news for Nashville as they do expect Middlebrooks to be a go on Saturday.  That has them clean, while Baltimore will be without a key defender in Crowell as well as their RT in Brewer. CHA: DE Fred Perry (Out), DT Jimmy Kennedy (Out), HB Fred Jackson (Out) PHI: FB Frank Sosa (Out), LB Sean Lee (Q), TE Daniel Fells (Q) The Fred Jackson injury is huge for Charlotte, but so too is losing 2 of their 4 starters on the D-line. The Monarch defense has simply not been as effective without those two beefy linemen in the game, and against a high-flying Stars offense, the lack of line control could be huge. MGN: DT Marcus Springs (Out), SS Tyrone Carter (Out) LA: DT Gabe Watson (Out), QB Brodie Croyle (Out), WR Brandon Lloyd (Out) Michigan is down two defenders, with Carter joining Marcus Springs on the injury report this week.  Meanwhile, LA will be without DT Gabe Watson and WR Brandon Lloyd.  The injury to Croyle, who got the start in a meaningless Week 16 matchup, did have to leave the game, which means that it will be Kevin Kolb backing up Mark Sanchez for the playoffs. OAK: DE Israel Idonije (Out), WR Pierre Garçon (Out), FS Chris Conte (Q) ARZ:  No injuries reported Arizona has to be happy to be at full strength, while Oakland will miss WR Pierre Garçon, one of Joey Harrington’s favorite targets.  The loss of Israel Idonije could also be huge as it means less pressure on David Carr of the Wranglers, and when Carr can stay in the pocket he is a much more effective passer. Five Coaching Prospects Being Talked About With four spots open in the USFL as we enter the offseason, there are jobs to be had.  As we mentioned earlier, we fully expect Interim Breaker HC Lamar Lathon to get more than a fair shot at the job with the club he pulled out of a winless collapse to get 5 wins during the interim period.  But who else is being talked about as a top prospect for a possible coaching job this offseason.  Here are five names we are hearing a lot about: Brad Childress, Former NFL Vikings HC Childress, a former Running Backs coach who served as OC for the Philadelphia Eagles before taking the HC job in Minnesota, was let go by the Vikings in 2010 despite winning a division title with the Vikings in 2008 and going 12-4 with the club in 2009.  After two straight playoff seasons, a 3-7 start in 2010 and friction with team owner Zygi Wilf, led to Childress being relieved of duties.  He remains without a position and is considered a frontrunner for several NFL and USFL positions.  An offensive-minded coach, we could see both Memphis and Chicago taking a long look at the former Viking coach. Mike Mularkey, Texas OC and former NFL Bills HC Nothing surprising about this.  The Texas offense under Mularkey has become one of the league’s best this year.  A lot of that is on the development of Joe Flacco into one of the league’s best passers and a clear MVP candidate.  Mularkey will not be able to interview as long as the Outlaws remain in the playoffs, but he should expect his phone to ring once they are done for the year.  Memphis, and possibly New Orleans if Lathon is not signed, could be the top contenders to help them improve their offensive attacks. Pepper Johnson, Maulers DC If you are looking for defense, you cannot do much better than the Maulers’ squad led by DC Pepper Johnson. The former NFL linebacker has proven he can put together aggressive schemes and solid gameplans. We could easily see him doing the same with the Machine’s talented defense, or brought in to improve the situation in Portland.  Pittsburgh will do what they can to extend Johnson’s deal, but he could walk if the deal is on the table. Perry Fewell, Federals DC Another DC with a lot of clout after a very strong season.  Fewell will be in demand for interviews as soon as the Feds are done in the playoffs, which could be a while.  His defense has been impressive in that they have found ways to manufacture pressure without a clearly dominant edge rusher.  They are nearly impenetrable against the run and have a knack for timely takeaways. Marty Mornhinweg, former Chicago Machine HC Look, if you are a team that has issues reaching the postseason, Martyball has a track record you have to like.  10 appearances in 11 years is a pretty good resume.  Yes, he was let go by Chicago after an 8-8 season, but his clubs are always in the mix.  We see him as a possible candidate in Portland, where the Stags have enough talent to compete, but fell well short of expectations this year.  He could also be a good fit in New Orleans, where the Breakers need to find an offense to put around Drew Brees. Free Agency Pool Begins to Fill With the conclusion of the regular season players with 2011 contract terminations are now free to play the field and seek out better opportunities.  While Free Agency does not officially open until 8 days after the Summer Bowl, we already know that for the 16 non-playoff teams there are players no longer under contract who could soon be looking elsewhere for employment.  Looking across the league, there are some names worth taking a long look at.  Yes, those players could still resign during the playoff period, but if they have lasted this long without a deal, the odds are very good that they will be looking to move on.  Here is our look at all 14 non-playoff teams and the best player on each who could be in the market for a new home. ATLANTA: LB Rahim Abdullah is going to be a big loss for the Fire, but you know he will earn top dollar as a free agent.  Abdullah started 12 games this year (injury), but nabbed 81 tackles in that span.  After 6 seaosns in Atlanta, the 12-year vet wants to find a spot to finish his career with playoff expectations. BIRMINGHAM:  WR Donte Do had some flashes in his 5 seasons in Birmingham, but never really developed up to his talent.  His best year was 2010, where he had 586 yards on 60 receptions.  Best suited as a number 2 receiver on a team that already has a speedburner, Do could find this a tough market this year. BOSTON: No question here, Chad “85” Johnson is a star who will demand superstar money.  A league champion with the Cannons, and a top receiver in the league for a decade, Johnson wants to go to a team that has a solid QB in place and a shot at another title.  Oh, and he wants Bill Gates money and a lot of camera time too. CHICAGO: SS Reggie Tongue could still resign with Chicago.  He is 34, which will make some teams wary, and his one year with the Machine was not ideal, but he is still highly regarded around the league. DENVER: WR Keary Colbert is clearly the odd man out after Denver resigned veteran Peerless Price to a big deal.  Colbert is talented, and at 30, could be in the market for a 3-4 year deal with any number of teams. HOUSTON: Yes, Ronde Barber is a free agent, but we expect his retirement announcement any day now, which makes DT RaShon Harris likely the biggest Free Agent out of Houston’s roster.  Not a big name, and not a major factor in the Houston defense, we don’t see a big market for Harris. JACKSONVILLE: CB Dereck Combs struggled as a number 1, but could be an outstanding find as a second corner for a club that already has an established guy in the top spot.  He is 33, so a 2-4 year deal is quite possible. LAS VEGAS:  Hard to choose between the two safeties who are testing the market.  SS Chad Scott is the bigger hitter, but FS Sean Jones is better in coverage. Either way Coach Jones is going to struggle to put a secondary back together if he loses both. MEMPHIS: LB Patrick Willis has seen enough.  He wants to return to a contender, and get contender money in a new deal.  Expect him to get a lot of offers. At 25 he could be a decade contributor for a club. NEW ORLEANS: Guard Paul Zakauskas may not have name recognition among fans, but personnel experts across the league know how good this guy is.  He will likely be among the highest paid interior linemen by January. NEW JERSEY: Both Mark Clayton and Santonio Holmes remain unsigned.  We think NJ will go for Clayton one more time, but if he is annoyed by their earlier lowball offers, he could walk. OHIO: LB Glenn Cadrez had an All-USFL season and has been a stalwart for the Glory, but he has not meshed well with the new coaching regime and we think he will look for a new home.  If he finds the right fit, someone could see All-USFL play for at least another 2-3 seasons. ORLANDO: DT Jarron Gilbert and HB Jacob Hester are not household names, but both will be missed if they do not return to Orlando. PORTLAND: Center Brad Meester was an All-USFL performer three times over the past decade, so for him to go unsigned by the Stags is a big whiff.  Expect the 32-year old to get a 2-3 year deal from someone and quickly. SEATTLE:  CB Marcus Truffant is only 30, and Seattle does not want to lose him, but he will likely hit the market to earn top dollar, something Seattle just cannot pay with their cap troubles. ST. LOUIS: FB Vontae Leach is one of the best dual-use fullbacks in the league.  He can catch the ball, and he can blow up linebackers in the run game.  Not an expensive position, but with limited cap space, St. Louis may well let him walk to prioritize another position. #6 Baltimore (9-7) @ #3 Nashville (8-8) Saturday, July 9 @ 3pm ET Adelphia Stadium, Nashville, TNKnights favored by 1 This one is a battle of who is slumping the least.  There is some homefield advantage on Nashville’s side, of course, but the reason the line is so low for them is that no one has faith in either club right now.  In our minds it is whichever team can get their back rolling downhill.  Ron Dayne and Frank Gore are both exceptional running backs, and if one of them can get rolling, well, that may be all it takes for either club to snap their losing streak and get a playoff win. OUR PICK: Can we call this one a toss up?  No? Well, then we will go with the home team as having a slight edge. Nashville 17-15. #5 Oakland (9-7) @ #4 Arizona (10-6) Saturday, July 9 @ 7pm ET University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ Wranglers Favored by 3 This is a very intriguing matchup between two teams that have had some really dominant games but have also struggled at times.  If Arizona can recapture their early season form, they could roll, but we have been waiting for that ever since David Carr came back from injury and have not seen it yet.  We think they will try to get LT in the game early, force Oakland to bring men up into the box, and then try to hit Fitzgerald deep.  But Oakland knows that too. OUR PICK: We are going to go with the road dog here and pick the Invaders.  Oakland 20-14. #5 Charlotte (9-7) @ #4 Philadelphia (12-4) Sunday, July 10 @ 3pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Stars by 8 Las Vegas has Philly up big, and we are not sure it is big enough.  We see the Stars as a legitimate Summer Bowl contender, while Charlotte, missing 2 key D-linemen, is limping their way in.  Could their be an upset?  Sure.  But we think a solar eclipse is more likely. OUR PICK: Philadelphia big, 31-17. #6 Michigan (9-7) @ #3 Los Angeles (10-6) Sunday, July 10 @ 7pm ET Farmers Insurance Field, Carson, CA Express by 3 Michigan is hot, and if Brian Griese is on his game, this one could be a big win for the Panthers, but LA is often sold short, and they have a pretty solid club as well.  We like their LBs, led by Lofa Tatupu, and we like their balance on offense.  Getting Randy Moss certainly did not hurt either.  One or two plays by Moss could put LA over the top. OUR PICK: We are going with Moss and the Express to hold court in LA.  Express 24-21.