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Player of the Week: Hines Ward, WR-MGN: Ward had 123 yards receiving and 2 TDs as the Panthers edged the Chicago Machine in a key Central Division matchup between the defending division champ and the defending league champion.

----February 2, 2009 We have explored some of the stories shaping the 2009 season, reviewed the impact of the recently concluded lockout, and presented the biggest Winter roster moves, signings, and NFL imports. Now it is time to look at how this will impact the 28 teams in the USFL as they head into camp and then on to the season. Will Memphis make a third straight appearance in the title game? Will Ohio and Boston rebound? Can Oakland, Baltimore, or Las Vegas get over the hump? There is a lot of optimism across the league, and a lot of hype, to be sure. We have a solid quarter of the league with new starters under center (if not Week 1, we expect by Week 7), some major NFL imports, and a rookie class with quite a reputation to live up to. How do we think it will shake out? And what could the year look like for your favorite club? We will break down each club, division by division, and make our picks for where they could end up, reviewing along the way all the player movement that is shaping their rosters and the expected strengths and weaknesses for each club. Last year the Pacific saw Oakland basically run in 1st place from the start to the finish. Las Vegas started strong but then faded, Seattle started horribly then got very hot down the stretch. Portland did better than expected in their first season, and Los Angeles just collapsed after a promising 2007. This year it still feels like a 3-team race, with Las Vegas and Seattle hoping they did enough to close the gap with the Invaders. OAKLAND INVADERS (2008: 13-3, 1st in Pacific) Head Coach: Dennis Green System: Power Run, Vertical Passing, 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: Oakland added two pieces that could be a boon to their offense, nabbing tackle Anthony Clement in free agency and WR Hank Basket as an NFL import. Their draft has yet to produce a starter, but guard Lance Louis and LB Kaluka Maiava should see some rotation. Story to follow: Oakland was a low drama team this offseason, which is what you want from a team that won 13 games last year and made it to the Conference Title Game. Little has changed, except that Joey Harrington should have better protection this year with Clement on the roster. Basket will likely play a swing role, subbing for Burress, Jennings, and DeSean Jackson as needed. The goal for this year is to keep the pressure on the rest of the division and to get just a step further in the playoffs. Outlook: The competition looks like it will be tougher this year, with both Las Vegas and Seattle likely to challenge the Invaders. We are not sure 13 wins is likely again, but 11 could be enough to win this division. Las Vegas Thunder (2008: 9-7, 3rd in Pacific) Head Coach: Jerry Glanville System: Smashmouth offense, 3-4 Defense Major Roster Changes: Steve McNair retired, but Las Vegas retained Tony Banks and then hit the jackpot by landing Jake Plummer to be their new offensive leader. They added depth at receiver by adding Sam Hurd from the Cowboys. The defense was also aided by the signing of former Cleveland Brown Santee Orr to the LB group. The draft was modest, with several picks lost to the Plummer trade, but HB Rashad Jennings from Liberty could prove to be a valuable addition as a 3rd down back. Las Vegas also was a major player in the trade market, not only sending Orlando Huff and 3 picks to Arizona in the Plummer deal, but also trading for G Chris Liwienksi and sending DE Antwan Odom to Birmingham for Center Roberto Garza. Both Liewinski and Garza are expected to start in Week 1. Story to follow: Las Vegas has improved each of the past 3 years, but largely due to the defense. Now, with Plummer at the center, the pressure will be on for the offense to follow suit. The division title and a trip to the playoffs for the first time since relocating from Portland is the goal. Outlook: Las Vegas is a bit of a media darling after the Plummer trade, and a hot pick to unseat Oakland and take command in the West. They are still a defensive-minded club that likes to run the ball, but with Plummer they have a capacity to mix things up that never really manifested with McNair at the helm. Seattle Dragons (2008: 10-6, 2nd in Pacific) Head Coach: Marvin Lewis System: One back with Vertical Passing, 3-4 Hybrid Defense Major Roster Changes: Seattle lost some contributors in WR Troy Walters (FA), G Paul McQuistan (FA), HB Kenny Watson (FA) though the bigger losses were in retirements from LB Godfrey Miles and OT Lomas Brown. They brought in Kenyatta Jones from LA to shore up the left side, signed Ladell Betts for some short yardage situations, and added NFL depth in the form of OT Jordan Gross and G Chris Kemoeatu. Their draft also helped the line depth with center A. Q. Shipley from Penn State. They also tried to address the hole at LB by signing Stanley Arnoux from Wake Forest and Maryland’s Moise Fokou. Neither will start to open the year, but provide depth to the group. Story to follow: We seem to spend a lot of time talking about the #2 receiver position for the Dragons, and this year should be no different, with both Nate Burleson and Darnerien McCants likely to see snaps on the field opposite David Boston. If one of them can step up this year, Seattle could be a serious contender. Outlook: With an improved offensive line, Seattle could be a factor on offense. The concern is the defense, which has not produced enough QB pressure or enough turnovers to make the Dragons an elite team. That will need to improve under Lewis’s tutelage or Seattle could be another early playoff victim once more. Portland Stags (2008: 7-9, 4th in Pacific) Head Coach: Rich Brooks System: Pro Style Offense, Zone 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: The Stags had signed some older vets in the expansion draft last year, so it is not a surprise that they saw a high number of retirements after year one. WR Amani Toomer, LB Barron Tanner, and especially LT Korey Stringer will be hard to replace. CB James Trapp headed to the NFL, and LB Ben Leber headed to Philadelphia in free agency. They did make some moves as well, bringing in 3 players from the NFL: CB DeAngelo Hall, C Geoff Hangartner, and DT Kedric Golston. Their draft saw their biggest coup, landing Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher, along with Nebraska LB Cody Glenn and Wisconsin LB Jonathan Casillas. Of the rookies, Oher will start at LT on day one, Golston is in the DT rotation in the 4-3, and Casillas is looking like a swing player at strong and weakside positions. Story to follow: How quickly Michael Oher can adapt to the pro game may tell the story of the season for the Stags. Another year of playing together should help this squad, but they did lose some pretty important pieces, so a potential step backwards before they improve further is very possible. Outlook: We see Portland as fitting somewhere in the 6–8-win range, which in a 14-week season now translates as 5-7 wins. That feels about right for this club. Los Angeles Express (2008: 6-10, 5th in Pacific) Head Coach: Hue Jackson System: West Coast Offense, 4-3/3-4 Hybrid Defense Major Roster Changes: A bad year led to a lot of departures last season. C Gene McGuire retired, DE Van Tuinei was lost to the NFL, and 4 significant contributors were either cut or left in free agency, including HB Ladell Betts, QB Jeff Lewis, DT Igor Olshansky, and RT Kenyatta Jones. The Express focused on the defense with their free agent signings, landing DT Brandon Whiting and DE Corey Sears from the Breakers, while boosting the offense with 3 NFL imports: OT Khalif Barnes, HB Maurice Morris, and kicker Connor Barth. The draft was the big story for the Express. LA used their territorial pick strength, and a lot of cash, to land two impressive Trojans, QB Mark Sanchez and LB Clay Matthews. They also snagged C Alex Mack from Cal, a draft that produced 3 potential starters, with Sanchez expected to be the Week 1 Starter at QB. Story to follow: It has to be the arrival and “coronation” of Mark Sanchez as the starter. LA had success in 2007 with Seneca Wallace, but injury cost him most of last season and now he faces benching for a rookie. That could be an issue, or Wallace could step back and see if Sanchez is ready, just as the Express fans are doing. Outlook: We are not sure if LA is ready to bounce back up. A rookie QB rarely leads to immediate success. However, with two outstanding rookies last year on defense, and the addition of Clay Matthews this year, Coach Jackson is building a defense that could be one of the league’s toughest. That often does lead to regular season success. If Sanchez can avoid some of the typical rookie QB pitfalls, this team could be a lot better than a basement dweller. Last season Houston and Denver represented the division in the playoffs, with a season-ending injury to Matt Leinart killing any postseason hopes for the Gold. Texas won their final 3 games of the year to give them hope for 2009, while Arizona was just not good at all. Houston Gamblers (2008: 11-5, 1st in Southwest) Head Coach: Wade Phillips System: West Coast Hybrid offense, Aggressive 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: It took time, but Houston was very successful in retaining most of its free agents. SS Chad Cota went to the NFL, but Kevin Faulk resigned with the team. Houston dealt with Cota’s departure by trading with Las Vegas to acquire Corey Gaines, and then adding the best safety in the draft, Patrick Chung to the room. They also added CB Tramon Williams and WR Matt Jones to their club via the NFL. Story to follow: Houston has made the playoffs five straight years under Wade Phillips, but they always seem to bow out almost right away. That has to change, but we are not seeing enough roster change to make that happen. They are still the favorite in one of the USFL’s weaker divisions, but the goal should be to surpass the stronger Pacific and Central Division teams, and we are not sure they have the tools to do that. Outlook: This feels like another 3rd seed, mid-range team for the Gamblers. We just don’t see how they closed the gaps with some of the other clubs in the conference, even if they are still the top choice for a division title in the Southwest. 9-11 wins, and a #3 seed just feel like what we are looking at here. Denver Gold (2008: 10-6, 2nd in Southwest) Head Coach: Dick Jauron System: Pro Style Offense, 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: It was almost as if everyone forgot the Gold existed this offseason. The Gold neither lost players nor added any in the marketplace. Their only significant veteran addition was former Bengal DT Shaun Cody. They were a bit more active on the trading block, sending Curtis Benson to Orlando for HB Marion Barber and TE Daniel Graham. In the draft, the biggest surprise was the signing of Michigan State HB Javon Ringer. They did well to snag Nebraska guard Matt Slauson, who will see plenty of snaps this year, as well as signing a new kicker in FSU’s Graham Gano. Story to follow: The question Gold fans are asking is if standing pat is good enough for this team. That is a very tough question to answer, and one that feels like the odds are against improvement. They, like Houston, are good enough to make the playoffs, but are they good enough to advance? Outlook: Denver returned to the playoffs after a 2-year hiatus, but the injury to Matt Leinart meant that they were a shadow of their earlier selves by the Wild Card round. This year, if they can stay healthy, they absolutely can compete with Houston for the division title. Our big question is what happens after that. Texas Outlaws (2008: 6-10, 3rd in Southwest) Head Coach: Norv Turner System: West Coast Hybrid Offense, 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: Texas was the exact opposite of the Gold, seeing a lot of turnover this offseason. Gone are WR Muhsin Muhammad (Retire), WR Tim Dwight (FA), SS Lawyer Milloy (Retire), LB Vernon Crawford (FA), QB Chris Simms (FA), WR Freddie Solomon (NFL), HB Troy Davis (NFL), and 4 more retirees. That is a lot of folks no longer in the locker room, including most of the receiving corp. Texas began rebuilding by trading for WR Brandon Marshall and SS Terrance Holt, then signing a league-high 8 free agents, including WRs Ben Obomanu and Craphonso Thorpe, LB Jeff Ulbrich, TE Matt Chushing, OT Mo Collins, G Tuten Reyes, and HB Leon Johnson. They also used their cap room to add Aveion Cason, Chris Canty, and punter Hunter Smith from the NFL. Finally, the rebuild accelerated even further with draft picks like Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree and Tennessee DE Robert Ayers. Story to follow: A lot of new faces as the team plays the season in Dallas. New city, new team, seems to be the motto this year. The big pieces are still there, HB T. J. Duckett, QB Joe Flacco, and a defense led by DTs Luis Castillo and Chris Hovan and LB’s Kailee Wong and Chad Greenway. Expect a lot of new starters this year, including DE Chris Canty and Rookie Robert Ayers, LB Jeff Ulbrich, and a WR group composed of rookie Michael Crabtree, last year’s top rookie, Danny Amendola, and former Monarch Brandon Marshall. Outlook: The Outlaws will be an interesting story, with so many new faces, and calling the Cotton Bowl their temporary home. Their hope, we think, is to replicate what New Orleans did in 2006, when they played most of their post-Katrina season in Portland. If they can make a home away from home, they then have to blend all these new parts into a coherent whole. That feels like a tough task, especially in a shortened season. Four to six wins would be a good finish for the displaced Outlaws. Arizona Wranglers (1-15, 5th in Pacific) Head Coach: Jim Tomsula (NEW) System: Pro Set Offense, 3-4 Hybrid defense Major Roster Changes: In addition to a new HC in Tomsula, and a new OC in Danny White, the Wranglers traded a disgruntled Jake Plummer, replacing him, they hope, with NFL castoff David Carr. They sent Antonio Pittman to Baltimore for draft picks, and brought in HB Fred McAfee and WR Kassim Osgood through free agency. With several picks from Las Vegas, as well as the #1 overall pick, Arizona ended up signing a league high of 8 rookies. Of those, DE Larry English (NIU) appears to be the only one to crack the starting 22, but the others will certainly be called on over the course of the season. Story to follow: It is a rebuild in the desert after winning only 3 games in the past 2 seasons. Coach Tomsula has to change the culture while he also rebuilds a roster that is low on consistency. He has talent at WR, but a lot will depend on the somewhat shaky O-line. David Carr started his career being sacked a lot in Houston, and now finds himself on another team with questionable protection. Outlook: Arizona needs at least one more good offseason to build this roster and create something that will produce wins. We expect Tomsula will start with the defense and let Danny White work with Carr to try to salvage an offense that needs to make better use of Fitzgerald and Moss. 3-4 wins would be a good first step for this club. Generally considered the strongest of the three Western Conference divisions, the Central is very much alive after Michigan won the league title last year as a Wild Card. Most pundits expect Ohio to rebound as they have added even more weapons for Kerry Collins, while both Chicago and Michigan have top flight defenses and enough offensive weapons to beat almost anyone head to head. Pittsburgh seems to be treading water, and is at risk of slipping to last if the St. Louis Skyhawks can finally develop some offensive consistency. Chicago Machine (2008: 13-3, 1st in Central) Head Coach: Marty Mornhinweg System: Power Run & Play Action Offense, 4-3/3-4 Hybrid Defense Major Roster Changes: Most of Chicago’s departures (HB Reno Mahe, WR Terrence Wilkens, FS Leomont Evans) were marginal contributors on the Machine roster. The loss of SS Eric Weddle is not in that category and is the hardest player to replace. Chicago is hoping that Oregon rookie Jairus Byrd can fill that spot. They also brought in Corey Gaines in Free Agency, but he is better slotted at free safety. Chicago’s draft also included a potential #2 receiver in Johnny Knox, who is raw, coming out of Abilene Christian, but has the one thing you cannot teach, speed. Story to follow: Kyle Orton is gone, traded to Atlanta, so CFL veteran Henry Burris now backs up Brady Quinn. Quinn’s health and ability to stay healthy will be a major factor in the Machine’s success this year, but when we look at Chicago overall, we all turn to the defense as the key. The addition of free agent Ellis Wyms marks a potential shift to greater use of 4-3 formations, where he would line up alongside Ted Washington to potentially free up Anthony Weaver even more. Chicago has 3 very solid LB’s, but Beau Bell at the #4 (MLB) spot is a question, so the Machine may well mix more 4-3 in with their 3-4. Outlook: The Machine were dominant last year, until they weren’t. They survived Brady Quinn’s injury during the regular season, but were taken advantage of in the playoffs, losing to division rival Michigan in their first game. They remain a highly motivated team, still seeking their first title, and that should help them in what could be a very tough division. Michigan Panthers (2008: 11-5, 2nd in Central) Head Coach: Dick LeBeau System: West Coast Offense, 3-4 or 3-3-5 Defense Major Roster Changes: Guard Chris Villarial (NFL), HB Musa Smith (FA), WR Danny Farmer (FA), OT Mo Collins (FA), and SS Mike Brown (FA) are gone. New to the squad are DT Igor Olshansky (FA) and rookies Andy Levitre (G), Asher Allen (CB), Demar Dotson (OT), and Nic Harris (S). Both Levitre and Harris are slotted to start for the 2008 Champions, as is Olshanksy at DT. Story to follow: Michigan was considered something of a surprise champion last year, and the Panthers are not feeling the love, or the respect, this year. That could well motivate them to prove they are not a fluke, a source of energy that could do them well to avoid the usual post-championship lull that many teams face. How they come out of the gate in the first few weeks should tell us a lot. Outlook: The Panthers on paper do not look like a team that should outpace Chicago and Ohio, but we thought that last year and they proved us wrong. If their run game remains strong, and if the defense can absorb the loss of Eric Weddle, they should do fine and once again compete for a playoff spot and a possible division title in the Central. Ohio Glory (2008: 7-9, 3rd in Central) Head Coach: Al Luginbill System: Vertical Passing Offense, 3-3-5 Defense Major Roster Changes: Ohio lost two important but undervalued pieces in guard Bill Ferrario and WR Santonio Holmes, both to free agency, but, as has been their style, they added more than they lost, especially when it comes to offensive weapons. Javon Walker, coming over from the Bulls, should slot right into Holmes’s role, while rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew is considered one of the most pro-ready prospects coming out this year. Adding LB James Laurinaitis in the T-Draft and signing NFL DT Tank Johnson are also potentially impactful moves, with both expected to start for the Glory. Story to follow: Last year we were all expecting an offensive explosion that just never came. Randy Moss and Joey Galloway were seen as indefensible and yet somehow the Glory struggled. The question is whether a 2nd year with this combo, even as Galloway loses a step, will prove more dynamic. The additions of Walker and Pettigrew should give Ohio even more weapons. But will the offense rise to what we all expected last year? Outlook: The other concern in Columbus is a defense that looks a bit shaky and a bit old. Adding James Laurinaitis is a good start for a youth movement, but Vonie Holliday, Carl Powell, Luther Ellis, Glenn Cadrez, and DeShea Townsend are all closing in on the ends of their careers and it showed last year. Ohio may need offensive explosiveness just to deal with some defensive gaps. We still think they have potential for 10+ wins, but they could well be just the 3rd best team in the division again. Pittsburgh Maulers (2008: 7-9, 4th in Central) Head Coach: Ron Rivera System: Power Run Offense, 3-3-5 Defense Major Roster Changes: The Maulers saw 5 players either retire or sign with the NFL, including kick returner Dante Hall, LB Dwayne Rudd, and two tackles (Anderson and McKenzie). They also lost QB Quincy Carter, HB Fred McAfee, and kicker Bill Grammatica to free agency. But, and this is big, they did what they absolutely had to do, resigning SS Sean Taylor to what is one of the best secondary groups in the league. They also may have upgraded in a couple of key offensive positions, adding OT Barrett Brooks, WR Jabar Gaffney and HB Kenny Watson in Free Agency. Their draft once gain was heavily on the defensive side, with LB Brian Cushing and DE Henry Melton among the signees, though the biggest name was the potential challenger to Cody Pickett at QB. Story to follow: The QB situation is the clear #1 story in Pittsburgh this year. Fans have been crying that Cody Pickett’s lack of consistency has been holding back the Maulers, and now he will be challenged by the dual threat option of Pat White. White, who came out of a Run-Pass Option structure at West Virginia, will challenge Pickett, and could see some very early action in some plays designed to maximize his talents. Can he be a consistent passer, and if not, can his running skills suit the Mauler’s more conservative offensive scheme? Outlook: The Maulers feel like a team that is stuck in neutral. The arrival of White is at least a sign that Coach Rivera is willing to try something new. How much he lets White be White, or whether White’s arrival will push Pickett to reach new heights will go a long way into determining if Pittsburgh can be competitive. St. Louis Skyhawks (2008: 4-12, 5th in Central) Head Coach: Doug Williams System: Vertical Hybrid Offense, 4-3 Hybrid Defense Major Roster Changes: Coach Williams had his first full offseason working with his GM to improve the Skyhawks, and overall added some important pieces, not the least of which is QB Josh Freeman out of K-State. The Draft also produced a potential Week 1 starter in CB Vontae Davis, a solid DT option in Mizzou’s Ziggy Wood, and depth across several other positions. In Free Agency St. Louis added Kenny Wright to the secondary and Jeb Terry on the O-line, but the most impactful addition may be the arrival of NFL DE Antonio Smith, expected to step in for Santana Dotson, who (unofficially) retired after 17 USFL seasons. Story to follow: Williams still has faith in Jeff Blake, despite his 23 picks last year, and expects to start him in Week 1, but if the veteran cannot cure his issues in the passing game, all the scrambles will not matter and we could see Freeman under center by the end of the year. Outlook: Williams improved St. Louis’s fortunes slightly last season, but a bigger gain is needed if they are going to close in on .500 this year. We are just not sure they have the horses to do it. Their run game is still a 3-headed mess, the defense feels like it is still talent-shy, and the receiving group needs to see improvement from Sinorice Moss and 2nd year wideout Jordy Nelson. Taylor Jacobs cannot be a 1-man show. We think St. Louis will continue to struggle in a very tough division, with 4-6 wins still a cap for them. Memphis has been the class of the division since Favre came to town, while Birmingham has been in the basement since he left for the NFL. Nashville and New Orleans look ready to challenge the Showboats, especially with improved defensive squads for both teams. This could be a very tight division, although the Stallions still look like the weak sister after struggling to resolve their QB issue all offseason. Memphis Showboats (2008: 10-6, 1st in South) Head Coach: Jim Haslett System: Power Run with Vertical Passing, 4-3/3-4 Hybrid defense Major Roster Changes: The Showboats lost depth with the departures of CB Wendell Davis, FB Theron Wilson, HB Lionel Gates, and WR Marquise Walker, but the loss of RT Anthony Clement is the change that Brett Favre needs to worry about. He tends to get sacked quite a bit even with a strong line, but without Clement, the Showboats could struggle with more aggressive defenses. They did add a safety valve for Favre in TE Jim Kliensasser, and the defense should improve with the additions of NFL veterans Keiwan Ratliff and Jarrad Page to the secondary. Story to follow: Memphis’s draft was largely unimpressive, but the arrival of HB Shonn Greene could give the showboats the ability to rotate Cadillac Williams, and a solid 1-2 punch in the backfield could really take the pressure off of Favre to be the engine of the offense. That RT position will be a question mark, with journeyman Clint Oldenberg stepping in for Clement. If he can hold his own, the Showboats could remain a powerful offense to deal with. Outlook: We like Memphis to hold on and win the division again, but it will be a tougher slog than in the past couple of years. It feels like both the Knights and Breakers have made gains. If Coach Haslett’s squad is not careful, they could take a tumble in what is a tougher division than in past years. New Orleans Breakers (2008: 9-7, 2nd in South) Head Coach: Mike Nolan System: West Coast offense, 3-4 Defense Major Roster Changes: The Breakers took a couple of significant hits in free agency, losing TE Matt Cushing to the Outlaws, and both DT Brandon Whiting and DE Corey Sears to the LA Express. The addition of Israel Ifeanyi from the Bulls certainly helps on the D-line, and the NFL signing of safety Corey Chavous is also a great addition. The Breakers also hope that rookie Ricky Jean-Francois from LSU will be an immediate plug and play option at DT. Story to follow: The key to the Breakers could well be the development of a very young WR group that started 2 rookies last year and 2nd year WR Dwayne Bowe. Can Bowe, Doucet, Avery and Pathon continue to grow into their roles and make life easier for Eli Manning? Can Matt Forte add even more of a receiving role into his HB slot? Outlook: The Breakers have some very intriguing weapons on offense, and Eli Manning seems finally ready to truly be a leader of that squad. The Defense is also looking better, with Ifeanyi, Jean-Francois, and Chavous all being good additions. We are still unsure about a pretty unheralded LB group, but New Orleans might be on the right path to challenge Memphis with their youth movement. Nashville Knights (2008: 6-10, 3rd in South) Head Coach: Jim Johnson System: Smash Mouth offense, 3-4 defense Major Roster Changes: The retirements of Terrell Buckley, Grady Jackson, and Michael Barrow are big blows to a defense the Knights have come to rely on. And yet the Knights did not really add any veterans to the mix on the defensive side, with their biggest free agent signings being WR Troy Walters, QB Quincy Carter, and NFL receiver Malcolm Floyd. They did go for a big DT in Peria Jerry of Ole Miss in the draft, but he does not feel like an immediate impact player. Story to follow: Attrition seems to be weakening Nashville’s defensive skill set, and the offense of Jay Cutler does not feel like the kind of squad that can sustain a playoff-bound team. Is last year’s 6-10 finish a sign of things to come for Coach Johnson’s squad? That is the concern in Music City as the Knights look like they might be losing a step. Outlook: We still think there are enough pieces in place for Nashville to hang around .500, and if Jay Cutler can develop further, they could challenge, but we also fear that their window may be closing and they may be headed in the wrong direction. Birmingham Stallions (2008: 2-14, 4th in South) Head Coach: Mike Shanahan (NEW) System: West Coast Hybrid, Zone Run Scheme, 3-4 defense Major Roster Changes: In addition to a new head coach and QB, there is a lot of change in Birmingham on the roster, starting with the departures of CBs Michael Booker and Ken Irvin, LB John Mobley (retire), QB Jason Campbell (NFL), and TE Itula Mili. Of course, when you are 2-14, it is the arrivals and not the departures that fans care about. New Stallions this year include TE Roland Williams, LBs DeWayne Dotson and Robb Morris, DT John McCargo, CB Adolph Petrie, and, most notably, QB Kyle Boller. The draft included an unexpected drop out of the 1st round (trade with Boston), but plenty of players, including NC State HB Andre Brown, Alabama S Rashad Johnson, DE Jarius Wynn from Georgia, and QB-turned-WR Julian Edelman of Kent State. Story to follow: The arrival of Mike Shanahan, a 2-time Super Bowl winner with the Denver Broncos has Stallion fans hoping a quick change of culture is on the way. Had they been able to land Jake Plummer, they might feel even better, but missing out on both Plummer and Orton means they had to do something, and Kyle Boller is that something. Is that enough? Outlook: The Stallions hit rock bottom in 2008. The road back will not be a quick one. Shanahan will build a culture in Birmingham, and will bring some new ideas to the club, but we are just not sure the roster is there yet to actually turn his vision into a winning team. Last season the Tampa Bay Bandits surprised everyone, demolishing the division on their way to a 14-2 record. Was that a fluke, or is Tampa Bay ready to dominate again? Their top competition will likely be either Orlando or Jacksonville, though there is a sense that the window may be closing on the Bulls. Charlotte and Atlanta are expected to bring up the rear, but just how close to going over .500 each is can be up for debate. The Monarchs went 7-9 in their first year, and could be even better. Atlanta may have solved their QB issue with Kyle Orton coming over from Chicago, and their defense is solid. This could be a very interesting division to monitor. Tampa Bay Bandits (2008: 14-2, 1st in Southeast) Head Coach: Steve Spurrier System: Vertical passing game, 4-3 zone defense Major Roster Changes: The biggest loss for the Bandits is likely DT Ellis Wyms, who is off to Chicago. They resigned Kevin Mitchell to a 1-year deal, and the other departures (Julius Jones, Brandon Merriweather) are not big impact losses. The only major free agent addition was All-USFL fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo, which should help out McGahee and company in the run game. The draft saw a rare off year for the Florida schools, with the best T-Draft option being TE Jared Cook of South Carolina. The Bandits did take a shot at Sam Houston St. QB Rhett Bomar, who almost certainly will be stashed away as the #3. Story to Follow: Not a lot of change from a 14-2 squad, so the question in Tampa Bay is whether or not the status quo will show that the Bandits truly are back or that their record last year was a bit of a fluke. Fourteen wins is not something any club should expect, but in what seems to be a slightly weak SE Division, 11-12 wins could very well be viable. Outlook: We like Tampa Bay to once again be a contender for that top seed in the conference. They have perhaps the easiest path of any playoff team from last year, and they have not had major losses in free agency other than Wyms. If the defense remains as aggressive as last year, and if the offense can keep pace, this will be a team to contend with all year. Orlando Renegades (2008: 6-10, 4th in Southeast) Head Coach: Emmitt Thomas System: Pro Style Offense, 4-3 Man Up defense Major Roster Changes: While we were all obsessed with the QB shuffle this offseason, Orlando went out and made one of the biggest NFL signings in years, landing All-Pro DT Albert Haynesworth. Putting him alongside Calais Campbell makes Orlando instantly a defense to fear in the league. They also added LB Barrett Rudd through a trade with Denver, HB Cedric Benson in another, added S Atari Bigby and CB Leigh Bodden in two more NFL moves and finished by securing the kicker position with Blitz veteran Bill Grammatica. Oh, and did we mention they landed HB Knowshon Moreno in the draft? Basically, this is a team that is just going for it. Story to Follow: The Renegades now have a defense that could be among the elite, and have overhauled their run game, with 4 backs on the roster (Moreno, Benson, Davenport, Hester). Expect a lot of power runs, play action, and controlling the tempo of the game. That appears to be the plan. With a somewhat dicey WR group (Michael Jenkins, Justin McCaerins, Donte Stallworth), this may be a plan of necessity, despite Drew Brees’s legendary accuracy. Outlook: Orlando feels more like a 10 win team than a 10 loss team. They really made some changes and if they can keep all those new players on the field and away from the IR, they could be a real factor in this division. Jacksonville Bulls (2008: 7-9, 2nd in Southeast) Head Coach: Brad Childress System: West Coast Offense, 3-3-5 Defense Major Roster Changes: The Bulls’ offseason started off poorly, with WR Donald Hayes jumping to the NFL. They then lost DE Israel Ifeanyi to the Breakers and WR Javon Walker to the Glory. It was not at all what they wanted. They regrouped, first by strengthening their secondary by signing two new potential starters at safety, Chicago’s Eric Weddle and Michigan’s Mike Brown. These two leap into the starting lineup as an immediate upgrade. For their receiving room they started with Pittsburgh Steeler Nate Washington, signed during the transfer window, where they also found LB Rashad Jeanty from the Bengals. They then added Jericho Cothery to be their slot receiver, sending Dominic Raiola to Boston to get him. Finally, in the draft, Jacksonville added 2 DE’s, including Chris Baker of Hampton, and a potential stud at tackle in Alabama’s Andre Smith. Story to Follow: The Bulls’ receiving group is going to be the key squad to focus on. Rashaun Woods is still there, but with two new players at the Flanker and Slot Receiver positions, there could be a steep learning curve in a shortened preseason. The man who could be the safety valve in this situation is TE Jason Whitten, who had a breakout year in 2007, when he came over from Pittsburgh and caught 61 passes. If the Bulls are going to put together a winning season, it may be Whitten who has to move from a solid option to the first option for this offense. Outlook: We are not sure exactly what to make of the Bulls. They could rise up as Tampa Bay did last year, or they could drop below both Charlotte and Atlanta in a largely balanced division. We think the reality is they are right in the middle, sitting near .500 once again. Charlotte Monarchs (2008: 7-9, 3rd in Southeast) Head Coach: Jim Mora Jr. System: Pro Style Offense, 4-3 Zone Defense Major Roster Changes: Just like Portland, Charlotte saw several of its expansion draft veterans opt out after one year. CB Tyrone Poole and DE Chance McCarty have retired, Henry Burris is now in Chicago ,Jeff Ulbrich and Aaron Graham in Texas. But, with a lot of cap space available, the Monarchs continue to build a roster to compete in the division. They added LB A. J. Nicholson and center Dereck Smith in free agency, signed CB Nnamdi Asomugha from the Raiders, and traded to get DT Corey Redding. They also drafted well, landing WR Hakeem Nicks and TE Anthony Hill in the territorial draft before inking USC linebacker Rey Maualuga and Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson in the Open Draft. Story to Follow: We are watching the Monarch offense to see if it grows in its confidence in year two. QB Chris Weinke has some decent options in WRs D.J. Hackett, Stevie Johnson, and Az-Zahir Hakeem. He needs to find ways to get the ball to them, rather than dumping down to TE Dan Campbell as much as he did last year. He also needs to get help from Robert Edwards to force defenses to play the run. Weinke can be effective in play action, but is not as good when it the defense knows a pass is coming. Outlook: Charlotte started well with a 7-win season. They could easily get to 7-7 this year in the shortened 14-week season, but we have also seen this before, with Atlanta dropping from their initial season to a significantly worse 2nd year. The Monarchs need to prepare for a long and tough year, and not assume that improvement is inevitable. Atlanta Fire (2008: 5-11, 5th in Southeast) Head Coach: Tom Ramsey (NEW) System: Pro Style Offense, 3-3-5 Hybrid Defense Major Roster Changes: Coach Ramsey inherits a very different club from the one that Jay Gruden left behind. The Fire have a new QB in former Machine signal caller Kyle Orton, they have a new left tackle in former Saint Zach Strief, new weapons in the run game in J. J. Arrington and Julius Jones, and one of the most dynamic playmakers in the slot after signing Ted Ginn Jr. away from the Blitz. On Defense they added SS Brandon Merriweather and LB Bart Scott. Their draft does not appear to have added any immediate impact players, but two rookie LBs, Clint Sintim and Dannell Ellerbe, should see some action in rotation with the starters. Story to Follow: The task of building a competitive offense around Kyle Orton falls on first time head coach Tom Ramsey, himself a former USFL quarterback. Expect the Fire to rely heavily on Darren McFadden, but to also mix in Arrington and Jones as they build a run-first offense that keeps the pressure off Orton to carry the load. Outlook: Atlanta’s defense has been solid for most of their existence, and the addition of a seasoned pro like Bart Scott to the D will certainly help them keep focus and avoid some of the mental breakdowns they had a season ago. If their defense can be Top 10 and the offense is not pathetic, then this Atlanta squad could rise quite a bit in the Southeast. With the exception of the New Jersey Generals, this is a division where any team could leap up to #1 or drop to #4. Balance and a significant amount of talent across 4 teams means that this is likely to be the division with the most intense intra-divisional games, and one where the division winner is not known until the very final week of the year. Philadelphia won it by 2 games in 2008, but we think it will be even closer this season. Washington Federals (2008: 11-5, 2nd in Northeast) Head Coach: Sean Payton System: Pro Style Offense, 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: The Federals were lucky to have a very small free agent footprint this year, meaning that the team that got them back to the playoffs is largely intact, if not improved in this offseason. The two free agent losses of any note, safety Bob Sanders and LB Ike Reese, were both expected and accounted for. The additions were largely on offense, with HB Rod Smart and OT Vernon Carrey coming in free agency and QB Cleo Lemon the team’s lone NFL signing. In the draft Washington also added a QB in Michigan State’s Brian Hoyer, as well as some youth for the defense with Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry and safety Chip Vaughn both signing as T-Draft picks. TE Chase Coffman of Mizzou is the most notable Open Draft signee. Story to Follow: We are keeping our eyes on rookie LB Aaron Curry, who has looked very polished on film. There is a good chance he finds his way onto the field as the alternate whenever Mark Simoneau, Cameron Wake, or Antonio Pierce need a breather. Outlook: Washington was very solid on both sides of the ball last year, and they are hoping that small additions like Curry and HB Rod Smart make them just a bit more versatile. If they are, they could easily challenge for the division. Philadelphia Stars (2008: 13-3, 1st in Northeast) Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh System: Pro Style Offense, 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: Philadelphia lost some talent this offseason, with TE Roland Williams and FB Deon Dyer leaving in free agency, and the retirement onf bothReganUpshawandC Steve McKinney, but the Stars were also very active in the offseason, landing LB Ben Leber, HB Reno Mahe, and two of the bigger names in the NFL free agent pool in center Matt Birk and WR Terrell Owens. Owens returns to the USFL after 5 seasons in the NFL. In that time his personality and his reputation have grown quite a bit, so he could be a major factor in the Star offense, or a major distraction. In the draft, the Stars added some speed to their defense with LB Aaron Maybin of Penn State and some strength with DE Connor Barwin of Cincinnati. Story to Follow: We are going to follow the Terrell Owens saga, and we do expect it to be a saga. He will line up opposite Steve Smith, another pretty big personality among USFL receivers, so don’t be surprised if we don’t see some pretty wild stories out of Philly this year. Outlook: Despite the potential distraction Owens brings, the Stars look like a very solid team, and Coach Harbaugh has them poised to make another run at the division and the Eastern Conference title. Baltimore Blitz (2008: 10—6, 3rd in Northeast) Head Coach: Tom Coughlin System: Power Run/ Play Action Offense, 4-3 Defense Major Roster Changes: Losing Tedd Ginn Jr. and A. J. Nicholson in free agency will put a dent in Baltimore’s return to playoff form. Losing Obafemi Ayanbadejo may also prove to be a big issue for the Blitz, who rely so heavily on the run game. The Blitz did add some depth with QB Chris Simms set to back up Roethlisberger, and with LB Angelo Crowell coming over from the NFL Bills. The Blitz did not fare well in the draft, signing only 4 of their 10 draft picks and landing very little in immediate impact. Story to Follow: We want to see if WR Darrius Heyward-Bey lives up to the hype. He is expected to move into the #2 spot, with Marty Booker moving to the slot. With Tory Holt the clear #1, Heyward-Bey could see a lot of single coverage, and that could be a huge boon for the rookie. Outlook: The Blitz had their first 10-win season in this millennium in 2008 and are hoping to go even further this year. That could be tough as they don’t seem to have added as much as others in the offseason, but if the chips fall the right way, we could see the Blitz in the postseason again. Boston Cannons (2008: 7-9, 4th in Northeast) Head Coach: John Fox System: Vertical Hybrid Offense, 4-3 Zone Defense Major Roster Changes: While convincing Drew Bledsoe to give it one more year was clearly the biggest story for the Cannons this offseason, it was hardly the only one. Boston gave up a lot to trade into the Top 5 in the draft so they could nab speedster Percy Harvin, and they are hoping he can be a quick study and an immediate threat for their aerial attack. They sent Jerricho Cotchery to Jacksonville to land center Dominic Raiola, and then added 3 NFL starters during the transfer window. TE Robert Royal, DE C. J. Mosley, and kicker Steven Haushka all arrive in Boston expecting to be in the starting 22. Finally, Boston also added LB Ike Reese from the rival Federals, SS richCoady from St. Louis, and DT Henry Slay from the Stallions. Apparently the Cannons are hoping to add some backbone to their defense. Story to Follow: The QB situation in Boston is fascinating. Drew Bledsoe was the clear #1 until his injury last year, but Adrian McPherson clearly outplayed him down the stretch. Bledsoe is back, but will he hold onto the starting position if things start to get a bit dicey? Or will Coach Fox move on to the younger, more mobile McPherson? Outlook: Many want to imagine Boston bouncing back strong after a poor 2008 campaign, but we are not so sure that the Cannons are not on the precipice of a major renovation, with McPherson taking over for Bledsoe, and a lot of new faces taking on more important roles. New Jersey Generals (2008: 2-14, 5th in Northeast) Head Coach: Herm Edwards (NEW) System: 3-Wide Pro Offense, 3-4 Defense Major Roster Changes: The Generals wanted a facelift and they got one. The question is whether or not they got a botched one. New Jersey lost both starting guards in free agency, along with WR Kassim Osgood and DT Martin Chase. Center Jeremy Newberry is now in the NFL as well. And while New Jersey did not land Jake Plummer as we predicted, they did sign one of the more intriguing QB options available, former Bengal Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Harvard guy who busted the Wunderlich Test. They also brought in some speed in the form of WR Santonio Holmes, and may have locked down the middle of their D-line with the pick of B. J. Raji in the draft. Story to Follow: A new regime for an old coach as Herm Edwards returns to the sidelines in the Big Apple (or Big Apple adjascent). Will his “can do” attitude help New Jersey return to glory or is this team too far away from their glory days to bring them back? Edwards, a former DB, wants to win with defense, but he needs to deal with an offense that was the model of futility in 2008, getting shut out twice and held under 14 points too often to count. Outlook: We are skeptical that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the answer at QB. Yes, he had a good year in Cincinnati, but with little pressure on him. This will be very different. Coach Edwards also has to try to see if he can get more out of Rutgers product Ray Rice, whose rookie season was not exactly the stuff of legends. We think it will be a growing year, but a painful one, maybe 3-4 wins in 14 games. SI’s Own Peter King Team Picks the USFL Divisions We have looked at each team’s offseason and their biggest question, so now we call on Peter King, our resident football expert to tell us what he sees happening this spring and summer as the USFL plays a 14-game season, leading up to the playoffs and Summer Bowl 2009 in Baltimore. Hello everyone, and welcome to another USFL season. Last year we saw quite a few surprises as Tampa Bay exceeded expectations and both Ohio and Boston failed to reach the heights we expected of them. It’s the reason preseason punditry has such a bad reputation, and, as they say “why they play the games.” So, what do we think will happen this year? We did not see Michigan as a potential champion last year, so could we perhaps be a bit more prescient as we look ahead to this year? With many teams bringing new quarterbacks on board, and 4 new head coaches, there is plenty of room for surprises, and, just like last year, it is likely we will see some teams improve after a rough start, as Seattle did after their 0-4 kickoff to the 2008 season, and we will see teams fade down the stretch, as happened to Nashville last year. Before I give you my picks for the 6 USFL Divisions and the eventual champion, let’s start with some potential movers as I look over the league. Most Likely to Join the Playoff Crowd: Atlanta I like what the Fire have done this year, adding Kyle Orton at QB, bolstering their offensive flexibility by bringing in Ted Ginn Jr., J. J. Arrington, and Julius Jones, and providing a bit more defensive muscle with three new LBs in camp. Their defense has been solid ever since they came back to the league in 2006, but now they have some real weapons on offense and could rise in a relatively weak Southeast Division. Most Likely to Fall Below .500: Denver The Gold always seem like a team that on paper should be 6-10 and yet somehow Coach Jauron has them in the playoff hunt. That is just good coaching, but the talent level is just not that great compared to many of the other Western Conference teams. We are concerned that Matt Leinart may not be the answer, that Peerless Price and the other receivers cannot take the roof off the defense, and that a HB duo of Maurice Morris and Mewelde Moore is too one dimensional. I, for one, suspect that Denver may be in for a dip this year. Most Likely to Come On Late: Las Vegas As much as fans in Sin City want to imagine Jake Plummer walking into the stadium and notching a W without much trouble, the truth is that it is going to take time for Plummer to get up to speed, adapt to a new system, and connect with his teammates. It does not help that he has been unable to have minicamps and other preseason “get to know you’s” with the Thunder offense during the lockout. Now, with a short camp and only 1 preseason game, Plummer is expected to revive a pretty lifeless Thunder offense right off the bat. That seems unlikely, but what we could see is the D sustain the Thunder at first and then the offense picks up in the 2nd half of the year. Most Likely to Fade Out at Season’s End: Philadelphia I expect the Stars to come out of the gate strong, but just as we saw last year, they could fade down the stretch. I say this not just because their defense tends to spend too much time on the field, but also because I am having trouble picturing Terrell Owens and Steve Smith staying on the same page over 4 months. At some point one or the other is going to feel undervalued, undertargeted, and misused in the offense, and that will lead to resentment, friction, and, knowing these two, blow ups in front of the media. That is your sign that the Stars are about to struggle, and it feels more like a “when” than an “if”. So, who do I like? Well, let’s take a look at my predictions for the 6 divisions to find out. NORTHEAST BOSTON: 11-3* I think last year was a fluke and Bledsoe goes out on top with this team. WASHINGTON: 10-4* The Federals were a surprise last year, this year they won’t surprise anyone. BALTIMORE: 8-6 They are hoping to reach 10 wins again, but I suspect a step back this year. PHILADELPHIA 7-7 I see the Stars struggling a bit with the expectation that they are the team to pick. NEW JERSEY 4-10 Better than last year’s debacle, but still a long way off. SOUTHEAST TAMPA BAY 11-3* The Bandit defense is strong, the offense can be just as good. A nice pairing. ORLANDO 9-5* The Renegades will start the year better than in 2009, and could challenge Tampa. ATLANTA 9-5* I think the Fire are close to being very dangerous, but a lot depends on Orton. CHARLOTTE 7-7 Not bad for a 2nd year franchise, though their offense still feels underwhelming. JACKSONVILLE 5-9 I could be wrong here, but I see them as another team headed the wrong way. SOUTH NEW ORLEANS 10-4* Picking a bit of an upset at the top here, but choosing Memphis is too easy. MEMPHIS 10-4* Right there with the Breakers, and possibly a playoff run like last year. NASHVILLE 6-8 The Knights just don’t feel like they are all there yet, and I am unsure about Cutler. BIRMINGHAM 3-13 Another rough year in Alabama as Kyle Boller struggles to prove he is a starter. CENTRAL CHICAGO 12-2* I know Michigan won the title, but the Machine just look more complete. MICHIGAN 10-4* The Panthers will be there when it counts, especially if the D improves more. OHIO 7-7 I think the Old Gang is aging out of true competitiveness, even with the new faces. PITTSBURGH 6-8 I am not sure Ron Rivera can get more out of this roster, which bodes ill for him. ST. LOUIS 5-9 I like where they are headed, but Josh Freeman is not ready for prime time yet. SOUTHWEST HOUSTON 9-5* The Gamblers just don’t seem much better than a 3rd seed to me, once again. TEXAS 8-6* I could see Texas rising even further if Flacco’s new receivers can step up. DENVER 6-8 The Gold just feel like a team that has been overachieving and is on fumes now. ARIZONA 4-10 They are better than last year, but is David Carr really the answer for this club? PACIFIC OAKLAND 12-2* A real threat to win it all. A well-rounded team that can win in a variety of ways. LAS VEGAS 9-5* They may start a bit slow, but by season’s end they could be tough to beat. SEATTLE 8-6* The Dragons will be there all year, but Boston and Dillon are no spring chickens. LOS ANGELES 5-9 Matt Sanchez needs more than Keyshawn to be successful. The D could surprise. PORTLAND 5-9 I expect the 1st year euphoria to fade and the Stags to do so as well. My pick for Summer Bowl 2008 is Tampa Bay topping Chicago, once again shattering the hopes of the Machine faithful as Chicago comes close once again. My MVP will be Ricky Williams, a rare non-QB to win the title as he comes close to 1,800 yards in 14 games. My Offensive Player of the Year will be Favre again, with new NFL arrival Terrell Suggs just edging Brian Urlacher for defensive POTY. Rookie of the year is a tough one, with three potential starting QBs coming out of the draft, but I think it won’t be any of them, but will be Knowshon Moreno in Orlando. If my picks are right, then Coach of the Year would go to Atlanta’s Tom Ramsey, though Norv Turner could sneak in there if the Outlaws jump up in the Southwest. There you have it, now, let’s get these games kicked off to show everyone just how little I know.

--February 2, 2009 The USFL season will happen as a last-minute agreement between owners and the USFLPA players’ union has been reached. It will be a shortened season, but it will happen after all. Details below on the agreement and the impact on the season. We will also explore one of the most dynamic NFL-USFL transfer windows in recent memory, the latest free agency news and our top stories of the offseason. In the second half of our season preview we will look team by team at the biggest stories, most impactful departures, and most exciting new arrivals, followed by our best guess at what to expect from this most intriguing season of USFL football, a season we were not sure would happen at all. USFL Lockout Ends, But Too Late to Save Entire Season The USFL and USFLPA have settled on a CBA agreement and the lockout is now officially over, but the impact will be felt this season. The 11th hour agreement seems to be an instance where the owners have blinked, staring down a potential lost season of revenue during a very bad economy, one that could lead to several owners facing real financial woes. The Union will get the revenue share of 55% which has been their sticking point all year, the owners get some small concessions on rosters and practice squads, and an exemption for revenue directed towards stadium development funds, but overall this has to be considered a win for the USFLPA. What it is not is a win for the fans. The league announced this week that in order to allow teams to complete even an abbreviated training camp and preseason, the USFL will be cancelling weeks 1-2 of the published regular season schedule. Camps will open immediately and run through mid-March, with only 1 preseason game to be played by each team. The regular season will begin with the Week 3 schedule on the weekend of April 3-5, marking the first time a USFL season did not begin in March. The league will run a 14-week season, retaining the final 14 weeks of the published schedule and the Summer Bowl in Baltimore on August 1st. There has been no word on whether teams with home games scheduled for weeks 1 or 2 will refund season ticket holders, although they are obligated to refund any single game tickets sold for those games. Of course, as you might expect, the dropping of the first two weeks means different things to different teams. Some teams lose out on two home games, others two road games. Some will have an odd number of divisional games this year, while others will play a full slate of divisional matchups. In addition to the shortened season, the shift in calendar means that with a 3-week training camp and only 1 preseason game, teams that are installing new schemes, those with significant roster turnover, and those with new coaches in place, are at a disadvantage, and may suffer at least through the early weeks as their teams learn all that is required to develop as a unit. Just how this will play out once the games get started is anyone’s guess but expect some examples of sloppy play and disjointed offense in the opening games this April. The CBA is expected to be ratified later this week, and does not impact the cap or any current contracts for the 2009 season, but should lead to a significant bump in cap room for 2010. Those teams that structured their new contracts (free agents, rookies, NFL imports) to bubble payments into 2010 or 2011 should benefit from the added cap space as their new signees no longer occupy as significant a portion of their allotted funds. For those players with contracts expiring this year, the greater cap level is almost certainly going to prove advantageous as they try to negotiate extensions or new contracts. One final adjustment due to the new CBA as well as the delayed start to the season. The Owners have agreed to a 1-year trial period for a 14-team playoff, citing the shortened season and the likely chaos of the opening weeks, two additional playoff teams will be added for this season alone, with the option for the league to adopt a 14-team format moving forward in a league vote this September. The additional playoff teams now mean that only the #1 seed in each conference will receive a bye week, with the other two divisional champions and the 4 Wild Card teams in each conference playing their way into the Divisional round. So, more than ever, the #1 seed will be a coveted prize. Bledsoe Returns for an Encore It may have taken the better part of the offseason, but Cannon fans got what they were hoping for as Drew Bledsoe announced last week that he will return for the 2009 USFL season, his 8th in the league. Bledsoe was unable to make the announcement at Cannon facilities as the lockout was still in effect, but a short press conference at the Boston Athletic Assoc. headquarters he announced his plans to return, stating “I needed time to heal and to weigh the options before me, and I am now ready to return to the Cannons and the game.” The move ends speculation on the Boston QB situation but may just begin debate on whether or not Bledsoe or 4th year backup Adrian McPherson should be under center. It may seem bizarre to question Bledsoe’s role as the starting QB, but last season there was a definite improvement in play when the younger, more mobile McPherson finished the season for the injured veteran. Many had seen the end of last year as a passing of the torch, though a completely involuntary one, as McPherson took over for the injured Bledsoe. Now the question turns to one of immediacy vs. long term strategy. Clearly Bledsoe is a short term option, meaning the pressure is on Boston to try to win now, while going with McPherson could be seen as the start of a longer term goal for growth and continued competitiveness. USFL Raids NFL free agency heavily The 2009 NFL-USFL Transfer Window may not be the most star-studded, but in volume it is one of the most impactful of all time, with more NFL players jumping to the USFL than we have seen since the early “mad rush” of the 1980’s. More than 50 players came over from the Fall to the Spring with a major wave of signings across both leagues. Admitedly a lot of the signings came from NFL practice squads and deep bench players, but that too will have an impact on the fall league and USFL depth as a whole. However, while there were not any superstar QB’s jumping leagues, there were certainly some big name players whose impact will be felt. Here is our rundown of the 12 most impactful USFL signings. QB Kyle Boller (BIR): Boller was not Birmingham’s first choice. Not even their second choice, but he is the likely starter for the Stallions this year after a somewhat hasty exit from the NFL Ravens. The Cal product has some skills, but did not show great decision-making as a Raven. The Stallions have to hope that under the tutelage of Head Coach Mike Shanahan, he can develop into a solid option at the position. HB J.J. Arrington (ATL): The Fire needed to diversify their run game, and bringing in a quality third down back means that they can swap out Darren McFadden in passing downs. Arrington could be a leading receiver for the Fire, and a big help to their new QB. CB DeAngelo Hall (POR): The Stags get themselves a solid #2 corner and a potential special teams player in Hall. He won’t shut down a team’s #1, but he can be left on the #2 to allow safety coverage to shift to the other side of the field. WR Malcolm Floyd (NSH): The Knights needed depth at wideout, and Floyd provides them with good ball skills and solid underneath route running. Not a 100-reception guy, but someone who can get open for Jay Cutler when the protection starts to fade. WR Nate Washington (JAX): The former Steeler should fit in well alongside Rashaun Woods in Jacksonville. A straight line speed guy with solid skills and decent route running, Washington can help stretch the defense and provide Woods with his underneath gaps. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (NJ): A bit of an unknown, but one with a lot of potential. The master of the Wunderlick, Fitzpatrick may well be the smartest player in the league, but can he get more out of the New Jersey offense. We expect Kolb to start week 1, just to give Fitzgerald more time to learn the offense, but we see him as the eventual starter, coming over after an impressive 12-game run with the Bengals this past fall. WR Terrell Owens (PHI): The Stars bring in a Diva, who may be on the downward slope of his career, but who is still a top level wideout who can make a difference alongside Steve Smith. Can you just imagine the banter on the field with those two at wideout? As long as the locker room does not become utter chaos, this could be a great move for Philly. C Matt Birk (PHI): Another great find for the Stars, who needed a captain on that line to help coordinate both a revamped run game and protection for Kurt Warner. Birk is a leader and a solid lineman as well. He should help keep the front 5 for the Stars in line. CB Nnamdi Asomugha (CHA): A very solid zone coverage corner who can also hold his own in man coverage. Asomugha should be a week one starter for the Monarchs and could find himself in the #1 corner position by season’s end. QB David Carr (ARZ): We all knew Arizona had to do something after trading away Jake Plummer. They opt to sign Carr away from the NY Giants, where he lost his job midway through the 2008 season. Carr certainly has his detractors. He takes too many sacks and he has struggled with consistency, but of the free agent QBs available, he was clearly the one with the best pedigree and the best chance to step in on day one as a starter. DT Albert Haynesworth (ORL): He may be a handful to manage off the field, but the best DT to become a free agent in a long time is an absolute wrecking ball on the field. Haynesworth will now form part of a D-line with DE Calais Campbell, giving Orlando a very tough front to handle. Will Orlando ride their D-line to a Southeast Division title? OLB Terrell Suggs (NSH): The Nashville Knights land our #1 most impactful player, edge rusher and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens signs on with Nashville and instantly creates problems for opposing offensive coordinators. Nashville was hoping to improve their pass rush capacity this year, and they now stand as a defense to fear with Suggs coming off the edge. A huge signing for the Knights. Camps Open with Some Late Free Agents in Place With camps about to open, there will be even more new faces in new places as a flurry of January free agent signings followed the USFL draft and rookie signing period. Several teams, seeing drafted talent land in the NFL have tried to fill gaps with veterans, leading to a flurry of activity across the league. Some clubs were able to resign their own players, with examples ranging from QB Jeff Garcia in LA, halfback Kevin Faulk returning to Houston, DE Eddie Freeman in St. Louis, and C Ben Claxton to Arizona. Other clubs brought in new faces to build their rosters. Among those notable signings, on offense we saw QB Chris Simms land in Baltimore to back up Ben Roethlisberger, WR Kassim Osgood will get a shot at the slot position in Arizona after leaving the Generals, New Jerey recovered by signing Santonio Holmes away from Ohio. Center was a popular position to reinforce, with Aaron Graham moving from Charlotte to Texas and Dereck Smith then joining Charlotte from the Gold. Others signed include WR Danny Farmer (MGN), takle Doug Nienhuis (MEM), guard Tre Johnson (NSH), and tackle Tre Stallings (JAX). On defense, some of the bigger moves were LB A. J. Nicholson also joining the Monarchs. DeWayne Dotson leaves the Breaker LB group to join the Stallions in an intradivisional move. DT Igor Olshansky landed in Michigan, while Brandon Whiting moved from New Orleans to LA. Among others signed we have LB Shantee Orr (LV), LB Vernon Crawford (NOR), and CB Fabian Washngton (MGN). Does Orton Trade Solve Fire QB Crisis? The trade this week between Atlanta and Chicago was an absolute necessity for the Fire, and could be the key to their season, but will it be the last trade of the offseason? Chicago, who had been shopping QB Kyle Orton around for the better part of the past two months, kept coming up short of a deal, but only 4 days after Georgia QB Matt Stafford announced he would sign as the #1 overall pick to the NFL Detroit Lions, Atlanta jumped on the Orton offer and very quickly a deal was arranged. The former Purdue QB will join the Fire in camp this week, and in return, Chicago will receive two early round draft picks in the 2010 draft from the Fire, their 2nd and 3rd rounders to be exact. Orton, who came in for an injured Brady Quinn last year and guided Chicago into the playoffs, now takes over as the presumptive starter for the Fire, though David Garrard is likely to be given a shot in camp as well. Much like Chicago, the Fire are a run-oriented offense, based around last year’s rookie back, Darren McFadden, but with ineffective play from both Garrard and Tyler Thigpen, it was clear a new direction was needed. The obvious preference of the Fire was to draft Matt Stafford in the Territorial Draft, and sign the UGA quarterback to a long term deal. But, Stafford opted for the NFL and Atlanta had to scramble to a Plan B. With NFL options Ryan Fitzpatrick and David Carr already signed by New Jersey and Arizona respectively, and with the only remaining Free Agent option being career backup Ray Lucas, there just were not a lot of options for the Fire. They reached out to Chicago, which had already tried to make a deal with both New Jersey and Birmingham, but failed both times. When Atlanta came calling, their demand for a 1st round pick quickly softened to allow the Fire to retain their 1st rounder in exchange for their next two picks. And so the last of the QB dominoes has fallen, we think we now have a good sense of all 28 potential starters, or at least the 28 QB battles going into camp. Of the teams with new names on the depth chart, the question now becomes whether or not they chose wisely. Plummer ready to roll the dice in Vegas When the news of the USFL lockout coming to an end broke, one of the first to respond was new Las Vegas QB Jake Plummer. Speaking at a charity event in Flagstaff, Plummer was asked about the opening of camp and stated “I am stoked to get to camp. A new start, getting to know the guys and the system. I am ready to get back to football.” That sounds like an enthusiastic QB to us, something fans of the Thunder must be happy to hear. Plummer joins a Thunder squad that barely missed the playoffs last year as they dealt with health issues for starter Steve McNair and backup Tony Banks. Now, with McNair retired, and a lot of draft and personnel collateral headed to the Arizona Wranglers, Jake Plummer is their new starter and the hope of the Thunder making the postseason in Las Vegas (a first) is renewed. Plummer will have a pretty talented team around him, though there are a lot of new parts. HB Marshawn Lynch is clearly the main man in Sin City, but with Plummer and a refreshed receiving corps led by Matthew Hatchette and featuring NFL import Sam Hurd, slot man Troy Williamson, and speedster Kahlil Hill, Plummer hopes to elevate the Thunder to heights they have not seen since relocating from Portland. The fact that he seems eager to get started is a great sign for the Thunder that they have a QB in Plummer who is rejuvenated by the move and ready to roll the dice for his new team. Ranking the Best Rosters in the USFL As we prepare for the opening of camps and the delayed start to the USFL season, there is a lot of discussion of who got better this offseason and who may have gotten weaker. In our bullpen we often discussed this in terms of positional groups, and we thought we would share our assessment with you. So, here, for your consideration is our estimation of the three best and 2 worst teams in each position group. In each case we looked at overall quality (in some cases including backups) rather than 1 star player, so while we might say that Brett Favre gives Memphis a strong staring QB, for example, depth behind him may keep Memphis out of the Top 3 at the QB position. An imperfect metric, to be sure, but one that can reveal a lot about team preparedness for a long season ahead. We start with the Offenses and will finish with our three main defensive groupings (Line, Backers, and Secondary). QUARTERBACK: Here we look at the quality of the starter as well as the depth behind him. BOSTON: Bledsoe/McPherson/Martin With Bledsoe back, and McPherson doing as well as he did last year, along with a savvy veteran still on the bench in Jaime Martin, Boston’s depth at QB may be unparalleled. OHIO: Collins/Redman/Bollinger A multiple MVP winner with perhaps the best backup QB in the game behind him, and now a younger backup with NFL credentials at the #3 spot. It is hard to do better than that. TAMPA BAY: Culpepper/Gradkowski/Bomar The key to Tampa Bay gaining the 3rd spot was the performance of Brad Gradkowski last year in the games when Culpepper was out. Rookie Rhett Bomar is a developmental option in the #3 slot, but showed flashes of talent at Stephen F. Austin. but... PITTSBURGH: Pickett/White/Palko Maybe we are selling Pat White short here, but there are huge questions about whether or not his game translates to the pros, and we already know that Cody Pickett just has not developed into a consistent starter for the Maulers, so this group is not scaring anyone. BIRMINGHAM: Boller/Wright/Dickenson The Stallions missed out on Plummer, then could not find an option in the draft, and waited too long in the NFL transfer window, landing the clear 3rd option in Kyle Boller. Wright and Dickenson were not effective last year, so right now Stallion fans have to be scratching their heads. HALFBACK: Who has the best 1-2 punch in the backfield? OAKLAND: Williams & Norwood We saw this last year in full action, with both Ricky Williams and Jerious Norwood rushing for 10+ touchdowns. They just get the job done. Williams is the engine and very often Norwood acts as the change of pace or even the finisher down in the red zone. A great option for the Invaders. WASHINGTON: McCallister & Smart For several years, Deuce has been doing it all, but now, after acquiring Rod Smart in free agency, there is an option behind him, an option who can be dangerous in his own right. ORLANDO: Moreno & Benson (Davenport & Hester) Two offseason acquisitions, rookie Knowshon Moreno and former Gold “bust” Cedric Benson transfrorm Orlando from a question mark to an exclamation point. They have 4 legitimate backs, each with their own style and strengths. While we expect Moreno to be the lead back, having Benson available for short yardage, as well as pounders Hester and Davenport mean that Orlando can grind down defenses all day long. but... BIRMINGHAM: Jones & Woodhead Are we picking on the Stallions? Maybe, but there is just a lot of potential but no production so far from the combo of Felix Jones and Danny Woodhead. The two have some talent, but it has not manifested into production, and Birmingham did nothing to add another option this offseason. DENVER: Moore & Ringer The Gold traded off Cedric Benson, but in Ringer they brought in a back very similar to Mewelde Moore, a back with quickness and moves, but not someone who can get the team the 1-2 yards needed on a key goalline or short yardage situation. That feels like a downgrade to us. RECEIVERS: Whether it is 3-wide or two and a TE, the key to receiving groups is depth. OHIO: Moss, Galloway & Alexander (With Walker & Pettigrew Added) The Glory just keep investing in receivers, adding Javon Walker and Brandon Pettigrew to one of the best, if not the best triads in the league. Will the pieces click this year and produce a bounceback season for the Glory? MEMPHIS: Ferguson, Lee & Rice (With Kliensasser added on) We doubted Robert Ferguson as a true #1, but with Lee Evans opposite him, they form a deadly short & deep combo. Sidney Rice helps take advantage over the middle, and now, with Jim Kliensasser coming over in free agency, Brett Favre has 4 options on almost every play. BOSTON: Johnson, Jurevicius, and Harvin The bold move to jump up in the draft and sign Percy Harvin makes Boston’s wideout group one of the most dangerous in the league. We already know that Chad Johnson (formerly Ochocinco, and Johnson before that) is elite. Joe Jurevicius provides good balance opposite him, but Harvin brings the kind of quickness and big play ability that really puts Boston over the top. but... PITTSBURGH: Jackson, Jenkins, and Gaffney At one point it looked like Pittsburgh was putting together a good young receiver group, but defections and hasty replacements have been a downgrade. Jackson is solid, but not a true #1, and the depth behind him is looking very shaky. A lot of ifs and not a lot of surefire performers in this group. TEXAS: Colston, Marshall, & Crabtree It is not that this group is known to be bad, it is just that they are unknown. Texas brings in a free agent (Marshall) and a highly touted rookie (Crabtree) to basically reinvent their WR group. With Danny Amendola in the slot, we are just not sure how these pieces fit together. Could be good, could be a disaster. Offensive Lines: The big hog mollies. He who controls the line, controls the game. DENVER: Terry, Hamilton, Flanagan, Claridge, and Clady You may not recognize these names, but this is the only O-line in the league where every single member of the line is rated a B or higher by the USFL Scouting Combine. No superstars but a group that makes Denver efficient in the run and keeps Matt Leinart in the pocket. LOS ANGELES: Ogden, Faneca, Kalil, Saveea, Pears The left side of this line with Jonathan Ogden and Alan Faneca is just insane. The right side is solid, but they can just dominate half of the field with their LT and LG. That is a great thing to be able to say. NEW ORLEANS: Tauscher, Mathis, Spencer, Zakauskas, Dorsey Another underrated group, but one that can do it all, zone block, man up, pull, trap, you name it. It took a while for this group to gel, but last year they had it going on and we expect good things this year. but... NEW JERSEY: Brown, James, Wiegemann, Robinson, Jordan We want to blame the horrible offense last year on bad QB play or a lack of a run game, but that may all be tied to a line that simply is not doing its job. Orlando Brown needs some help if the Generals want to keep their QB upright or want Ray Rice to find holes to run through. ARIZONA: Kosier, Womack, Claxton, Holland, Ellis He would never say it, but we are pretty sure that one of the reasons Jake Plummer wanted out of Arizona was that he got tired of running for his life in every game. The Wranglers cannot run the ball and have trouble protecting the passer. No wonder they are not winning games. DEFENSIVE LINE: Stuff the run, rush the passer. Two key tasks a front 4 or front 3 have to be able to accomplish. HOUSTON: Pitmann, Umenyiura, and Seymour It has been a long time since Houston figured out that a 3-4 depended on 3 disruptive linemen, and they have had that for over a decade now, centered on Kavika Pitmann, but now with Umenyiura on the other side and the massive presence of Seymour in the middle, this is one nasty group. CHICAGO: Washington, Wyms, Weaver, and Abiami Anthony Weaver alone scares offensive coordinators. Add in the man-mountain that is Ted Washington, and now the Machine acquire Ellis Wyms as well? This seems almost unfair. Meanwhile Victor Abiami is developing into a very viable 2nd pass rusher. Chicago is stacked, with a Top 3 D-line and linebacker group. MICHIGAN: Renfro, Little, and Kearse This group has been totally rebuilt in only 2 seasons. They added Renfro and Jevon Kearse last year and got immediate results. This offseason they bring in Igor Olshansky to back up Renfro so they have the ability to rest the big guy and that will only make them better. but... OHIO: Ellis, Johnson, Powell and Holliday For all the money Ohio throws at the receiving corps, you would think they would invest a bit in the D-line. Vonnie Holliday is not the player he once was, and he is still the best of the group. The Glory signed NFL veteran Tank Johnson, but we are not entirely sure that is an upgrade. PORTLAND: Fisk, Gholston, Ekuban, and Dumervil The Stags rely on team defense, in part because they just don’t have a superstar on their D yet. Elvis Dumervil underperformed last year and Jason Fisk is solid but not a disruptor inside, so inside pressure is just not happening. The Stags need to hit on either a truly disruptive DT or an elite edge rusher in the near future. LINEBACKER: The ability to cover, blitz, and stuff the run all in one package. That is what teams want. CHICAGO: Urlacher, Polley, & Boiman There is no doubt that Brian Urlacher is one of the elite MLBs in the game, but what is often overlooked is how good Tommy Polley and Rocky Boiman are on the outside. Urlacher tends to rack up the tackles, but it is the combo that makes Chicago so rough to run against. MICHIGAN: Merriman, Katzenmoyer, Ware and Thurman The only 3-4 group in the Top 3, and a solid 4-man group to be sure. Merriman and Katzenmoyer fill gaps and stuff inside runs, while DeMarcus Ware and Odell Thurman pressure the QB and hold the edge. JACKSONVILLE: Vrabel, Arrington, and Green Mike Vrabel inside and J.J. Arrington outside are known commodities, while Barrett Green is an underappreciated clean up guy, who just always seems to be around the ball. but... BALTIMORE: Farrior, Crowell, and Gooden For a pretty solid defense, the Blitz are quite shaky at linebacker. Farrior is a solid performer, but the depth is not there. NFL import Angelo Crowell had flashes in Buffalo, but never developed into a 3-down guy, and Tavares Gooden, backed by Cato June, is just not intimidating opposing offenses. CHARLOTTE: Mayo, Maualaga, Fujita, and Davis This may be a question of “too soon to tell”. Jerod Mayo had a good rookie year and Maualaga could be a good addition from the draft, but this is a group that we just don’t know yet. Even veteran Scott Fujita remains a bit of a hit & miss kind of guy, while Andra Davis is clearly on the tale end of his career and may get benched for recent signee A. J. Nicholson. The Secondary: You want coverage, takeaways, and run support all from the same 4 guys. It’s a lot to ask. TAMPA BAY: Rolle, Buchanon, Basheer, and Scott The Bandits 14-2 record last year was largely on the defense, and it was the combination of ball hawking and big hits from this quartet in the secondary that got the job done. Samari Rolle is as tough to throw against as anyone, and the safety combo of Basheer and Bryan Scott is just murder on deep balls. Throw in Samari Rolles’ brother Antrel and you have a nasty nickel package. PITTSBURGH: Surtain, Bly, Taylor, and Shields The Maulers have one strength and it is this secondary grouping. Sean Taylor is just a beast in the middle of the field, and Patrick Surtain is a ballhawking corner who can shut down your best receiver. Dre Bly and Scott Shields are solid support as well, making this a strong 4-man group. LOS ANGELES: Rogers-Cromartie, Hill, Polamalu, and Bing DR-C had an outstanding rookie year, jumping up to the #1 corner position, which makes Renaldo Hill perhaps the best #2 corner in the league. Then you add the violent “in the box” presence of Troy Polamalu, and you have a lethal back 4. but... ST. LOUIS: McBride, Davis, Edwards, and Myers When your rookie cornerback prospect (Vontae Davis) is considered the best player in the entire group and he has not even stepped into camp or been sized for his pads yet, you know you have issues. PORTLAND: Manuel, Hall, Kiel, and Bierria Look, they are an expansion team, so they just don’t have all the pieces yet. Signing DeAngelo Hall is a good step, and Bierria can be effective, but this group is not yet ready for prime time. Next up, our team by team breakdowns and our always heartfelt, but so often way off base, predictions for the season.

--January 12, 2009 All the draft news, late free agency, a look at the upcoming NFL-USFL Transfer Window, and the QB situation for a full third of USFL teams in flux at the positoin. All that and the latest news on the USFL owner lockout of players as the CBA negotations remain at an impasse. It is a uncertain approach to what could be a very different 2009 season than the one we hoped for, but we will break it all down here. Lockout Could Bleed into Regular Season The USFL Owners’ lockout of players due to the ongoing CBA stallmate is now reaching a point where the regular season could be compromised. Just as the league prepares for its collegiate draft, minicamps are already being cancelled, training camp is certainly next, and that could easily lead to a delay to the start of the regular season. The two parties have been holding regular negotiations since the conclusion of the holiday break, and while there seems to be a desire by both the USFL and the USFLPA to find some compromises, a plan that is acceptable to both parties has yet to emerge. The USFL owners announced in early December that the players were to be locked out of USFL facilities as of December 15, a move largely seen at the time as symbolic, since most facilities close down during the December holiday season anyway, but with no plan to reopen facilities, and with all player-coach-facility contact shuttered, there is a real risk that this labor dispute will impact the 2009 season. The players’ union continues to insist on a 55% share of revenue, the league on only 50%, and while the two parties have come to an agreement on other aspects of the deal, including an expansion of playoff teams to 14, up from 12, as well as greater compensation for practice squad players and a return to holding 3 quarterbacks on the roster (instead of stashing an emergency QB on the practice squad), but the issue of the salary cap and overall revenue distribution to the players, that remains a very difficult nut to crack. So, what is next? The two parties are scheduled for meetings this week, and the league has brought in former Labor Secretary of the U.S. government, Robert Reich to act as a mediator for the ongoing conversations. It is hoped that Reich’s reputation as a pro-labor voice will help smooth out some of the rough edges of the talks as the union has often bristled at some of the league’s efforts as well as some off-the-cuff comments from individual owners that seem to be dismissive of player positions. If an agreement can be reached in the next 2-3 weeks, then the opening of training camps in February may be on schedule, which would save the current preseason and regular season schedules, but if the standoff extends into February, the league could be forced to alter the schedule or cancel both preseason and regular season games. That is the scenario no one wants to see, and there is certainly pressure from the TV Networks, as well as major sponsors and cities themselves not to let this reach that stage. Will those pressures prove enough for one or both sides to come to the table and get a deal done? We can only hope. Birmingham Lands Mike Shanahan in Bold Move Stallion fans finally got the move they were waiting for as this week the Stallions and GM Les Snead finally announced a new head coach for the franchise. As expected, they waited out the NFL season and when the Denver Broncos announced the departure of two time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan, the Stallions pounced. Within 8 days Shannahan was appearing in the Magic City with a Stallions’ polo on. Shanahan comes to the Stallions with a championship resume, a zone-blocking run scheme, and a reputation as a results-driven coach. The Broncos failed to make the playoffs the past three years, but they were hardly a league punching bag during that time, certainly more than the Stallions can say. So it is from a Bronco to a Stallion for Shanahan, and now the Birmingham Stallion faithful can turn their attention to the biggest player concern, their continued lack of a plan to replace Jason Campbell at quarterback. The Stallions failed to lock up a potential starter in the draft, and now are looking over the pool of USFL and NFL free agents ahead of the NFL-USFL Transfer Window. There are no All-Pros in either pool, but GM Les Snead is trying to keep fans calm, stating that he has several candidates in mind, and that he is confident that Coach Shanahan will have the players to build a winner for the Stallion Nation. Despite the ongoing labor concerns throughout the late fall and early winter, teams have been able to continue their roster-building strategies and free agency continued up until and through the draft. While the pace of signings has certainly slowed, there have been some important developments which could impact your favorite team as we now prepare for the signing of 2009 draftees and the NFL-USFL transfer window in early February, a window that tends to favor the USFL as more NFL players have become available. Before we look at the top potential NFL players who could come to the USFL, let’s look at the most impactful signings of the past few months from within the USFL pool of free agents. HB Rod Smart is moving from Atlanta to the Federals, where he will act as Deuce McCallister’s primary backup. We could also see Smart in some 3rd down and even special team roles. St. Louis has added depth to its secondary by sigingn CB Kenny Wright away from the Las Vegas Thunder. Wright is expected to compete for one of the two starting corner positions. Philadelphia added another solid run stuffer to their LB group, signing Ben Leber away from the Portland Stags. Leber’s role may be on the strong side, or potentially as a swing LB between the strong side and MLB. Ohio got itself another weapon, signing former Bulls WR Javon Walker. Walker could see a dramatic increase in his numbers in Ohio’s more high-flying offense, so consider him a possible target in your fantasy drafts. The first of the fullbacks to sign was perhaps the top-rated one, as Obafemi Ayanbadejo, who has blocked for Ron Dayne in recent years, will now be blocking for Willis McGahee in Tampa Bay. Seattle added a goal line and short yardage specialist to its HB group, signing veteran Ladell Betts away from LA. The Maulers added a solid all-around back in Kenny Watson from Seattle, providing some ability for DeShaun Foster to get a breather. Orlando found their kicker in former Mauler Bill Grammatica. Nashville was very busy, signing 4 potential contributors. Guard Bill Ferrario will almost certainly start for the Knights, while WR Troy Walters, TE Bob Slowikowski, and QB Quincy Carter could all have roles in the Knights’ offense. Carter likely serving as Jay Cutler’s backup. Chicago seems prepared to trade Kyle Orton after signing former Thunder and CFL QB Henry Burris to a 2-year deal. With Burris backing up Brady Quinn, Chicago could very well trade away Orton, and we know there are teams interested. The Machine also added to their defense, signing DT Ellis Wyms away from Tampa Bay and safety Corey Hall from Boston. Boston lost Hall but added SS Rich Coady from St. Louis, along with LB Ike Reese from Washington as they try to shore up a defense that was disappointing in 2008. Finally, Atlanta, after signing Ted Ginn earlier this year, added a running back in former Bandit Julius Jones, while also trying to improve the defense by signing another Bandit, SS Brandon Merriweather. Draft Day produced several trades, though most were of the variety of mid-range picks getting shuffled. There were a few exceptions, with both Birmingham and Memphis trading their way out of the first round. The Stallions’ trade with Boston, a move that gave the Cannons the #3 overall pick, was perhaps the shocker of the draft, but it seems that once Birmingham saw that no first round QB’s were left on the board after the T-Draft, they opted to move down and acquire more players by obtaining quality from the Cannons. Memphis’s drop out of the first round, from the 28th pick to the 32nd and 36th picks (both from St. Louis) was hardly as dramatic, but still impactful. Here is the rundown of the most important trades from draft day. Boston fought hard to move up from 14th, but could not find a taker who would swap picks, so they did the next best thing, obtaining a 2nd first round pick, #3 overall, by sending some pretty proven talent to the Birmingham Stallions. Defensive Tackle John McCargo, Cornerback Adolph Petrie, and 2nd round picks both this year and next year comprised the haul that the Stallions received in order for Boston to take their #3 overall pick. Boston, with that trade, selected WR Percy Harvin of Florida, a playmaker who the Cannons hope can flourish in the slot and draw even more coverage away from the #1 receiver in the USFL, Chad Ochocinco. With their pick from Boston, Birmingham selected HB Andre Brown of NC State. Memphis also backed out of the first round, trading their #28 pick to St. Louis for the Skyhawks’ two picks in the 2nd round, #32 and #36. With the move up, St. Louis was able to snag CB Vontae Davis, a player they knew New Jersey was looking at before them in the 2nd round. By moving down, Memphis ended up with 3 second rounders, using the two St. Louis picks to select a pair of Iowa Hawkeyes, starting with HB Shonn Greene and then adding CB Bradley Fletcher. The only other trade of any major significance (other than pick swapping in the later rounds) saw Seattle send SS Terrance Holt to the Texas Outlaws. For Holt, Seattle received a 5th rounder this year (used to select CB Erik Lancaster of Georgia Tech) and another next year. So, let’s talk about the draft. We all know that right now all these picks are just potential for each team, with the actual value coming after they are able to get signatures on contracts, something very much in doubt as the NFL also bids on the same players. We have a few signings already, mostly from the Territorial Draft held 4 days before the Open Draft, but for the most part, all of these players are now sitting on USFL and NFL offers, and we will hopefully soon see where they end up. We will run down the league in draft order (disregarding trades) and discuss the T-Draft and Open Draft for each. No grades, because until players sign, they are all “incompletes”. Arizona Top T-Draft Pick: Tackle Eben Britton could be a good addition for the Wranglers, who are also excited about safety Glover Quin. Top O-Draft Pick: The Wranglers went defense with their #1 pick, selecting Northern Illinois DE Larry English. With no quality QB’s on the board, they had no real choice. They also had Las Vegas’s 1st rounder and used it to select USC DT Fili Moala. If they could sign both, they would have a very different D-Line in 2009. Potential Sleeper: WR Manuel Johnson form Oklahoma was a solid pick in the 5th round. Not a position of need, but he could play a role, particularly on special teams. New Jersey Top T-Draft Pick: New Jersey selected Rutgers QB Mike Teel, as expected, but the more important pick up in the T-Draft might be the OU linemen they used their other two picks on, guard Duke Robinson and C Jon Cooper. If they can sign those two, any QB will be in better shape. Top O-Draft Pick: As expected, New Jersey, seeing no viable QB option, went with Boston College DT B. J. Raji, a big space-eater in the middle of the D-line. Potential Sleeper: Not a lot of late round talent for new Jersey, so we are going to go with another lineman, guard Tyronne Green of Auburn as the Generals try to build a line that can protect whomever ends up quarterbacking this team. Birmingham Top T-Draft Pick: Halfback Glen Coffee had some moments at Alabama and will certainly come into the Stallions as a local favorite. Will he get a starting role or be a role player? That is a question that he will likely ask as he debates the option to go to the NFL 49ers or stay closer to home. Top O-Draft Pick: The Stallions traded away their 1st rounder, so their first pick was #31 overall, and we think they did ok with guard Herman Johnson of LSU, but we like their 3rd round pick, DE Jarius Wynn of Georgia even better. Potential Sleeper: We could have put Wynn here, but if there is a darkhorse in the Stallion draft, it has to be former Kent State QB Julian Edelman, who entered the draft as a wide receiver. He is athletic, we will give him that, and he could make the squad on special teams, but can he also be a viable receiver? St. Louis Top T-Draft Pick: Having missed on the Jake Plummer frenzy, St. Louis did what we all expected and selected Josh Freeman out of Kansas State to be their potential QB of the future. They will need to compete with Tampa Bay for his services, but that feels like a fight the Skyhawks could win. Top O-Draft Pick: The Skyhawks traded away 2 second rounders to move up and select CB Vontae Davis out of Illinois. If they can sign him, they may have a very good long term prospect in Davis. Potential Sleeper: We are a bit surprised that New Jersey did not protect WR Tiquan Underwood out of Rutgers, a nice find for the Skyhawks in the 6th round. Atlanta Top T-Draft Pick: Do we even need to say it. This whole draft is all about Matt Stafford, the big-armed QB out of Georgia. Atlanta may be in for a fight to sign him as the NFL’s Detroit Lions also took him #1 overall, and that means big time NFL money will be competing to land the QB. Top O-Draft Pick: The Fire surprised us a bit, taking OT Eugene Monroe out of Virginia at #5, but maybe drafting a big pass protector is just what they need to get Stafford on board. Potential Sleeper: Atlanta loved the Cavaliers in this draft, also selecting LB Clint Sintim in the 2nd round, a solid player who could join a pretty talented group in Atlanta. Texas Top T-Draft Pick: Wideout Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) would be a coup for the Outlaws, who lost Ike Hilliard to retirement and who have yet to resign Muhsin Muhammad. Crabtree would be a great deep ball target for QB Joe Flacco. Top O-Draft Pick: We love the pick of Robert Ayers, the big, fast edge rusher out of Tennessee. He could be tough to sign, but the Outlaws absolutely need his skills in their defense. Potential Sleeper: The Outlaws only had 5 picks in this draft, so not a lot of depth, but we think T-draft safety Darcel McBath could be a solid signing out of Texas Tech. Los Angeles Top T-Draft Pick: They did it. The Express went for the brass ring and selected USC QB Mark Sanchez, despite having 3 QBs on the roster already, including their starter for the past 2 years, Seneca Wallace. Will Sanchez stay home or jet off to NY to play for the NFL Jets? That is the question. Top O-Draft Pick: Pick a QB, get him some protection. That is what Atlanta did, and that is what LA did as well, going with Cal center Alex Mack with their #1 pick. Potential Sleeper: He is not a sleeper, but if LA can land both Sanchez and USC linebacker Clay Matthews out of their T-Draft (the 1 LB they took of the Big 3 coming out this year), they could have the best draft of anyone this year. So nice to have the Trojans as a protected school. Nashville Top T-Draft Pick: We were a bit surprised that Nashville did not claim Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher or WR Mike Wallace. They did claim another Rebel in DT Peria Jerry, along with Tennessee HB Arian Foster, both interesting prospects. Top O-Draft Pick: DE Tyson Jackson would be a big addition to the Knights’ defense. We all know that Coach Jim Johnson loves to pressure with his front 4 and leave 7 in coverage, so landing the edge rusher could be vital to his plans. Potential Sleeper: Not that Jay Cutler should be nervous, but the mid-round selection of Chase Daniel out of Mizzou is an interesting selection for the Knights. Orlando Top T-Draft Pick: This was a really odd year in that the U. of Miami produced almost no talent for Orlando to draft. They did select LB Spencer Adkins, who could be a solid special teamer and backup, but honestly, no major talent from any of Orlando’s 3 schools. Top O-Draft Pick: With a weak T-Draft pool, Orlando has to hit on their Open Draft picks, and if they can sign their 1st round pick, they may have themselves a good draft after all. Georgia HB Knowshon Moreno was not a priority for Atlanta, since they got their back last year, so they let him go in the T-Draft and Orlando was the beneficiary. Potential Sleeper: Orlando had New Jersey’s 3rd rounder and used the pick on Mizzou OT Colin Brown, a solid option in a position of need for the Renegades. Charlotte Top T-Draft Pick: WR Hakeem Nicks was too tempting to pass on. He will have some demands after also being selected out of NC State by the NY Giants, but the G-Men have a reputation of lowballing rookies, so Charlotte could convince Hakeem to stay in the state. Top O-Draft Pick: Charlotte hopes they benefit from LA only protecting 1 of the 3 big USC linebackers this year. They used their top pick on Rey Maualuga, a thumper of a LB who could be a week 1 starter for the Monarchs if he does not sign with the notoriously cheap Bengals. Potential Sleeper: Purdue QB Curtis Painter was worth a flyer with Charlotte’s last pick of the draft. We don’t project him as a challenger to Chris Weinke, but QB depth is always something you want. Pittsburgh Top T-Draft Pick: Not a great week for Mauler QB Cody Pickett. Not only do the Maulers use their 1st T-Draft slot to pick West Virginia QB Pat White, but by that Friday they had signed the Mountaineer QB to a 4-year deal. Looks like a QB competition in the Steel City this February. Top O-Draft Pick: White was clearly the star of Pittsburgh’s draft, but selecting LB Brian Cushing, the last of the USC backers off the board, could also be a very impactful pick, especially if the Maulers still have money in the bank after signing White. They will need it to compete with the NFL Oilers for Cushing’s services. Potential Sleeper: Kicker Ryan Succop from South Carolina will likely be the favorite to win the job in camp. Portland Top T-Draft Pick: It seems clear that Portland used their T-Draft with signability as their #1 priority. They went with somewhat unheralded picks like OSU corner Keenan Lewis and OU tackle Fenuki Tupou, instead of higher risk picks like safety Jairus Byrd or Patrick Chung, two outstanding Ducks this past season. Top O-Draft Pick: Portland sought protection for A. J. Feeley and they think they have gotten it with the pick of Michael Oher out of Ole Miss. Oher was also a top pick of the Baltimore Ravens, so we will see if he heads west or east. Potential Sleeper: LB Cody Glenn of Nebraska should be an immediate contributor on special teams, and could see some rotations in Portland’s defense as the season progresses. Ohio Top T-Draft Pick: We are just used to the Glory signing some Buckeyes each year, and this year that should continue. They will have to fight to keep James Laurinaitis, the big LB in the middle, but he would be a valuable addition to be sure. Top O-Draft Pick: The Glory just keep adding weapons. They bring in Javon Walker in Free Agency to go with Galloway and Moss, and now they add TE Brandon Pettigrew from OSU. If Pettigrew signs, he could be the perfect option to force teams into zone coverage. Potential Sleeper: DT Darryl Richard of Georgia Tech is not the biggest tackle in the draft, nor the fastest, but he has a great motor. Boston Top T-Draft Pick: Boston passed on protecting B. J. Raji, but jumped on two badgers, TE Travis Beckham and G Kraig Urbick. We think Beckham could be to the Cannons what Pettigrew would be for Ohio, a 3rd option who forces defenses to rethink man coverage. Top O-Draft Pick: Boston is clearly trying to keep pace with Ohio, snagging a slot receiver as well. They made the big move to get to #3 and select Percy Harvin out of Florida. If they can sign him, they will have a WR corps that looks very much like the Glory’s. Potential Sleeper: Not a lot of sleepers in the later rounds for the Cannons, but safety Troy Nolan out of Arizona State could be a solid swing player at both free and strong safety. Jacksonville Top T-Draft Pick: The Bulls passed on Percy Harvin, but still loaded up on Gators, picking WR Louis Murphy and TE Cornelius Ingram. But, honestly, their best choice may have been Clemson safety Chris Clemons, a good player and a position of need. Top O-Draft Pick: Jacksonville went big on their first pick, selecting Alabama LT Andre Smith. They will have to battle the Bengals to sign the big man, but, as we have said, Cincinnati is notoriously cheap, so the Bulls could get their guy with some incentives in the contract offer. Potential Sleeper: DE Chris Baker out of Hampton University is a player to watch. Maybe not for this year, as he has a lot to learn, but he has the tools to be good. Las Vegas Top T-Draft Pick: Utah DE Paul Kruger is really the only player we see coming out of the Thunder’s T-Draft that could make an impact. They largely went for depth. Top O-Draft Pick: Las Vegas traded away their top pick for Jake Plummer, so we give them a pass here. Their earliest pick in the draft was a 2nd rounder spent on Temple DT Terrance Knighton, which feels like a stretch to us. Potential Sleeper: A 6th round flyer on HB Rahsad Jennings feels like a good investment. Jennings can operate as a return man, and could grow into a useful 3rd down back. New Orleans Top T-Draft Pick: We have no idea why New Orleans passed on LSU DE Tyson Jackson, but they did. They snagged two other Bayou Bengals in WR Demetrius Boyd and DT Ricky Jean-Francois, and either would be a welcome addition to the roster, but we are still puzzled by the Jackson move. Top O-Draft Pick: The Breakers went looking for a defensive playmaker in the first round and they think they have one in Texas LB Brian Orakpo. They will need to outbid the Washington Redskins to get him, but they should absolutely do their best to get Orakpo. Potential Sleeper: Southern Miss TE Shawn Nelson is more of a blocker than a receiver, but maybe that is what New Orleans needs if they want to revive their ground game. Denver Top T-Draft Pick: Guard Matt Slauson is a beast of a man and should fit in very well with Denver’s run-first mentality. Top O-Draft Pick: The went for more beef in the 1st round of the Open Draft, selecting Louisville center Eric Wood with their first pick. Wood could be an immediate starter for the Gold, and may find himself lined up with Slauson next to him if the Gold can sign both. Potential Sleeper: After trading away Cedric Benson, we expected Denver to look for a big back, which is why the choice of Michigan State’s Javon Ringer is a bit of a surprise. Is Denver going to go with a lightning and lightning combo at HB instead of their usual thunder & lightning plan? Baltimore Top T-Draft Pick: Baltimore had first shot at Eric Wood, but passed, instead protecting G George Bussey from the Cardinals, along with TE Dan Gronkowski and DT Myron Pryor. Bussey looks like the best of the three. Top O-Draft Pick: With no first round pick (from an earlier trade), the Blitz waited until the 2nd round for their first chance to land a quality player, and they opted for LB Gerald McGrath from Southern Miss. A bit undersized, and perhaps a step slow, we are not sure the wait was worth it. Potential Sleeper: FB Quinn Johnson (LSU) will have big shoes to fill after the departure of Ayanbadejo in free agency. Houston Top T-Draft Pick: OT Sebastian Vollmer will likely line up on the right side of the line for the Gamblers, if, that is, he does not sign with New England. Top O-Draft Pick: We love the pick of Oregon safety Patrick Chung for this Gambler squad. He could be a very valuable addition to a pretty solid defense. Potential Sleeper: DT Ra’Shon Harris, also a Duck, is a bit of a reach in the 3rd round, but will be productive if he signs. Seattle Top T-Draft Pick: Even with Montana added as a 4th T-Draft school, the Dragons got all but nothing out of their picks. There just was not a lot of talent, and even WR Brandon Gibson out of Washington State is iffy to make the roster. Top O-Draft Pick: The quest for a #2 receiver continues with the selection of Jeremy Maclin in the first round. Maclin was also drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, so the battle is on for the Dragons to sign the highly touted receiver. Potential Sleeper: Center A. Q. Shipley from Penn State is a solid run blocker, but will need to work on his footwork if he is going to be a starting center in the pros. Washington Top T-Draft Pick: It came down to picking either Uva OT Eugene Morris or Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry and the Feds went with defense. Is anyone surprised? Top O-Draft Pick: The Feds double dip on defense, picking Ohio State CB Malcolm Jenkins with their first rounder. He would be in good company in that Federals secondary, playing alongside safety Ed Reed. Potential Sleeper: Washington wanted a mid-round QB they could groom behind Kordell Stewart, and they got one in Michigan State’s Brian Hoyer. Definitely not ready to start yet, but with some good qualities you want down the line. Philadelphia Top T-Draft Pick: Hmmm… Do you think they went for a Penn State linebacker? When do they not? Aaron Maybin is a pass rush specialist, which is not typically Coach Harbaugh’s thing, but how do you pass up on him? Top O-Draft Pick: DE Connor Barwin out of Cincinnati could be another piece of the puzzle as Philadelphia just goes all in on defense. Now they have to keep him from signing with the NFL. Potential Sleeper: The Stars got a mid-round pick from Nashville and used it on OT Jaimie Thomas out of Maryland. A good depth pick for them. Chicago Top T-Draft Pick: Chicago is strong enough at corner to pass on Vontae Davis, but they wanted help on the O-Line, so Illinois tackle Xavier Fulton is a solid addition for them. He is already signed, which makes it an even better pick. Top O-Draft Pick: Safety Jairus Byrd out of Oregon could be a nice addition to the secondary in the safety slot. A solid pick in the latter stages of the 1st round. Potential Sleeper: WR Johnny Knox out of Abilene Christian is fast, like bullet train fast, but has only played in small school football. Can he make the transition to the USFL or will he be mostly a special teamer? Oakland Top T-Draft Pick: The Invaders love TE Bear Pascoe, and with a name like that what is not to love. The former Fresno State receiver/blocker could be a nice addition for Oakland. Top O-Draft Pick: WR Kenny Britt out of Rutgers is a player in the mold of Plaxico Burress, tall, able to make contested catches. So now the Invaders try to sell NorCal as a better spot than Nashville. That seems like it should be a win for the Invaders, right? Potential Sleeper: LB Kaluka Maiava, is yet another USC linebacker coming out this year. He was not a full time starter, so he is a bit raw and a bit of an unknown factor, but that is what 5th round picks are, right? Tampa Bay Top T-Draft Pick: TE Jared Cook will be the heir apparent to Jeremy Shockey. A very good player form South Carolina who could see time in 2 TE formations right away. Top O-Draft Pick: The Bandits went for a pass defender in CB Vontae Davis out of Illinois. IF they can sign him away from another Florida team, the Dolphins, they could have a starter right away. Potential Sleeper: We are not sure if QB Rhett Bomar will ever develop into a USFL starter, but he provides youth and depth behind Daunte Culpepper, and that is always a good thing. Memphis Top T-Draft Pick: Poor Memphis got absolutely no help out of their 3 regional schools. It may be time for them to do like New Jersey and request a T-Draft school from another part of the country. It is just not working for them to have Arkansas, Memphis, and Mississippi State. Top O-Draft Pick: The Showboats traded out of the 1st round and landed two early 2nd round picks, using both on Iowa players. If they land Shonn Greene, he could be a nice power option along with Cadillac Williams. Potential Sleeper: QB Keith Null out of tiny West Texas A&M is likely camp fodder, but could catch on as a developmental player for the ‘Boats. Michigan Top T-Draft Pick: A pretty light crop this year out of the Michigan schools for the Panthers. They selected CB Morgan Trent and DE Tim Jamison, both out of Ann Arbor, but the best pick of the three may be DT Terrance Taylor, another Wolverine. Top O-Draft Pick: Guard Andy Levitre out of Oregon State was a fine pick for the last choice of the first round. He has good footwork and fast hands, which could be a help to the Panther run game and to protect Brian Griese, not exactly the fleetest of foot for USFL QB’s. Potential Sleeper: Keep your eyes on 6th round pick Demar Dotson, another big road grater for the O-line. He was impressive at Southern Miss, and could transition well into Michigan’s offensive scheme as a swing tackle, or maybe at center as well. NFL Free Agents Ahead of Transfer Window For those fan bases who look at their team’s draft and are concerned that some pretty significant holes still exist in their rosters, there is still hope. Yes, the USFL free agency pool by this point is somewhat bare, but when we look at the list of NFL players who have recently become free agents, the talent is there for USFL clubs that are willing to spend some cash to acquire it. So, for those of you despondent that your club is missing a very important piece, a QB for example, there is still hope. Here is our rundown of the best talent available from across the NFL, for the right price. QB: You are not going to find the next Brett Favre or Daunte Culpepper in this year’s FA quarterback market, but there are some players here who could serve USFL teams well. We have two formers starters who have not necessarily lived up to expectations and a few quality backups. At the top of the group may be former NY Giants and Houston Oilers QB David Carr. Carr had some good moments, particularly early in his career, but has been on some bad teams. You also have former 1st round draft pick Kyle Boller, who many feel never got a fair chance in Baltimore to show what he could do. There is also the intriguing case of former Harvard QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who showed us some skill in a few games in Cincinnati, where he came in after an injury to the starter and proved to be more than just a little effective. Will a USFL club latch on to one of these three as an answer to their QB issues? For those looking for a solid backup, there are also several potential signings in this group, including former Wisconsin Badger Brooks Bollinger, another Raven castoff Cleo Lemon, BYU star John Beck, and former Indiana QB and Redskin backup Gibran Hamdan. RB: The halfback pool is small compared to most years, but there is still some good talent here, led by former Cardinal J. J. Arrington and Seahawk Maurice Morris. Both could be good platoon or role players, though we don’t see either as a true lead back. Others in the small pool include Aveion Cason, Noah Herron, and Ryan Torain, all younger players who could still develop into useful contributors for a HB by committee strategy. TE: Only two tight ends that show potential in this year’s free agent market, Buffalo’s Robert Royal, who is a reliable short yardage and red zone target, and Arizona’s Leonard Pope, who has the skills to be a good dual use TE but has never truly flourished in the desert. WR: We already saw one WR jump from the NFL to the USFL in September, when Hank Basket left the Eagles for the Invaders. He could be joined by several others as this group looks like it has some worthwhile options. A former USFL star could return with Terrell Owens no longer under contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Could he return to his pro starting point? Malcolm Floyd of the chargers is a very solid intermediate route option, white Pittsburgh’s Nate Washington or Jacksonville’s Matt Jones could be good fits for teams looking for some straight-line speed. Finally, a couple of younger layers in Reggie Williams and Sam Hurd round out the grouping. OT: Orlando Pace is clearly the biggest name in this group, but he may be at a point in his career where a full time starting role is not the best option. Beyond him, we have some possible rotation or swing tackles in Khalif Barnes, Jordan Gross, Donald Penn, and, of course, Zach Strief, who signed with Atlanta back in September. OG: With Chris Kemoeatu signing with the Dragons last September, the best guard on the board now is likely Mike Goff of the Chargers. There will be interest as well in the Jets’ Brandon Moore, Atlanta’s Harvey Dahl, the Saints’ Jahri evans, and Nick Cole of the Eagles. C: Matt Birk of the Vikings stands out in this small cluster of players, a clear starting option, while Jason Brown (Ravens), Geoff Hangartner (CAR), and Rudy Niswanger (KC), are likely sloted to backup roles. DE: Chris Canty of Dallas is likely the top target in this group, but we also like Antonio Smith of Arizona to possibly make the jump. We saw C. J. Mosely join the Cannons in September, leaving only Demetric Evans, something of an unproven commodity in the grouping. DT: Here is where we have one of the bigger names in the entire free agent market, but one who comes with some caveats. No one questions Albert Haynesworth’s talent, but his attitude and locker room impact are potentially a concern. The fact that the Tennessee Copperheads were unable to sign him due to his high cost demands mean that any USFL team is going to have to clear some cap room if they want him, but he will certainly have an impact. Others to consider include Dallas’s Tank Johnson, Washington’s Kedric Golston, and Tampa’s Jovan Haye. LB: If your club is lacking a run-stuffing MLB, you could do worse than to sign Bart Scott from the Ravens or Eric Barton from the Jets. Perhaps a little less expensive would be Larry Foote of Pittsburgh, Ryan Fowler of Tennessee, or Corey Mays from the Bengals. For outside LB help, we think the top candidate is clear, Terrell Suggs is a multiple All-Pro winner for the Ravens and a dangerous edge rusher. He will come at quite a cost, but he is certainly worth the investment. Other outside backers include Buffalo’s Angelo Crowell, Cincy’s Darryl Blackstock, Marques Harris of San Francisco, Shantee Orr of Clevelend, Tyjuan Hagler of the Colts, and LeRoy Hill of Seattle. CB: A deep pool, perhaps the deepest in the NFL market. Nnamdi Asomugha may be a tough name to pronounce, but he is also tough to throw against. Reynaldo Hill (TEN) and Tramon Williams (GBY) are coming into the prime of their careers and could be a good value signing. We also like DeAngelo Hall (WSH), Dominique Foxworth (ATL), and Keiwan Ratliff (PIT) as potential USFL signings. S: Several USFL clubs still have noticeable holes in the safety slot, and the NFL market has some possible solutions. How about Eugene Wilson from the Oilers? Jarrad Page from KC? Atari Bigby from Green Bay, or, our top selection, Corey Chavous, the Raiders dominant safety. For a little less, you could sign a Jon McGraw, Yeremiah Bell, or Aaron Francisco to round out a secondary. ST: Finally, we get to the kicking game. Hunter Smith is the best of the unsigned punters, while among placekickers, teams could certainly do worse than to sign Jay Feely, Shayne Graham or Connor Barth. All three have proven competent options in their NFL careers. Our Best Guess at Who Will Be Under Center Looking across the league, we are in January and we still have multiple teams with QB questions. As we approach the final phase of the offseason before camps open, we thought we should look at the 8 teams with the biggest question marks and throw out our best guesses as to who may be under center when the season starts. ARIZONA: We think the Wranglers are a prime team for either an NFL signing or to make a deal with Chicago to bring Kyle Orton to town. The Wranglers did not draft a QB and are not going to go into the season with Colt Brennan and Jim Sorgi as their options. ATLANTA: Our best guess is that they throw the kitchen sink at Matthew Stafford to get him signed. If not, then they could go into the year with Garrard and Thigpen again, which would certainly not make fans happy. BIRMINGHAM: Right now Anthony Wright is the starter, with CFL vet Dave Dickenson behind him, but that just does not feel like a QB group that Mike Shannahan is going to be happy with. Orton could be a good option for the Stallions, unless they fall in love with one of the NFL signal callers, perhaps Boller or Carr. BOSTON: Right now the starter is Adrian McPherson, who helped spark the Cannons to a late run in 2008, but there are still efforts being made to bring back Drew Bledsoe for one more year. He has not committed yet, which tells us he is still worried about his health, but he has also not filed or announced officially his retirement, which likely speaks to his dissatisfaction with how 2008 ended for him. This could very well come down to whether or not he wants to go through the rigors of camp, get the starting position back, and then possibly get surplanted by McPherson if he struggles. He is absolutely a statue now, after yet another issue with his joints, so coming back is a risk, but going out on an injury is never how a QB wants to go. LOS ANGELES: The issue in LA is not so much who they sign, but who they keep. They have three quarterbacks under contract, all of whom started games for them last year, Seneca Wallace, Jeff Lewis, and Jeff Garcia. But they drafted Mark Sanchez in the territorial draft, so if they are able to sign the USC product, who is out? One or two could be potential trade material if LA gets their golden boy. NEW JERSEY: It may very well be that despite all the noise and uproar about the QB room for the Generals, new head coach Herm Edwards very much has the same 2 options as his predecessor, Kevin Kolb and Kris Kershaw. The Generals could take a stab at an NFL free agent, but we certainly don’t see rookie pick Mike Teel of Rutgers as an option. PITTSBURGH: If he signs, as looks promising, Pat White could create a true “having 2 QBs equals not having one” situation in the Steel City. It would be a very close battle between the rookie and veteran Cody Pickett. White is clearly more athletic and more mobile, but there are questions about his accuracy and decision making after playing in a spread offense with very clear read trees in college. ST. LOUIS: The Skyhawks could be setting up a classic midseason switch strategy. If they are able to sign draftee Josh Freeman out of K-State, they could go back into the season with the dual threat option of Jeff Blake, hope his issues with interceptions is resolved, but know that they can turn to Freeman midseason if Blake struggles. Now, this could be a very fluid transition, or it could be a total mess, depending on how Coach Williams plays it. There you have it, 8 teams, a full quarter (and then some) of clubs in the USFL without a clear path at quarterback. The next month will tell us which clubs got what they wanted and which are settling for an imperfect and potentially untenable quarterback situation, and that, in turn, could help inform which clubs are looking at early draft picks again in 2010. We will be back during the preseason with our 2-part USFL preview, looking at all the biggest offseason moves, the strengths and weaknesses of each team, all the new faces, and all the predictions and previews for the 2009 season, just 8 weeks away, assuming, of course, that the league and the player’s union don’t completely screw things up. Here’s hoping we are kicking off on schedule in March.

--October 14, 2008 A rough and tumble start to the offseason has seen a lot of movement, a lot of drama, and a lot of concern as the players’ union and the USFL are not looking like they will have a new CBA any time soon, with potentially crushing ramifications. We start with what has been the story of the offseason, the frenzy of activity as no fewer than 6 teams try to make their best case to acquire 2-time league MVP Jake Plummer from the Arizona Wranglers. We will look at the offseason retirements, trades, free agency and NFL-USFL window, that sent several significant contributors to the fall. We finish up with a preview of January’s Collegiate Draft, oh, and along the way 3 of 4 clubs lock down their head coaching positions. A lot to cover, let’s get to it. Jake Plummer Finds a Home After a Wild Bidding War Rather than sum up what happened over the past 6 weeks, we thought that a timeline might help to show just how Jake Plummer’s precarious dance with suitors turned and twisted. As teams negotiated with Arizona, blindly trying to outbid competitors whose standing was never really known to them, Plummer complicated the process by all-but-announcing that there were several potential landing spots that he would simply veto, using his no-trade clause to essentially tie the Wranglers’ hands. In all honesty, it is rather surprising a deal was done at all after the Wranglers and Plummer had internal quarrels about the quarterback’s options and demands. So, here is our summation of the 4 weeks that changed the fortunes of at least 6 teams in the USFL. Where it goes from here we can only wait and see. 17 Aug—Leaks from inside the Arizona Wrangler organization confirm that five clubs have submitted serious trade offers with Birmingham, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, and St. Louis all in play. It appears that none of the bids met the announced expectation for a minimum of two #1 picks plus other considerations. Arizona officials corresponded with all five clubs to inform them that they were, in fact, in a serious bidding war, and that the winning franchise would almost certainly sweeten the pot beyond the original ask. 22 Aug—Five days later the Pittsburgh Maulers withdraw their offer, and state that they are no longer interested in pursuing Plummer. Maulers’ Head Coach Ron Rivera states that while the club will always seek ways to improve the team, they are happy with the development of QB Cody Pickett and do not feel any need to enter into a roster- and future-diminishing trade to acquire a new signalcaller. Fans in Pittsburgh are upset, but quickly turn their attention to the T-Draft and the possibility that the Maulers’ could make a move to secure West Virginia Heisman hopeful Pat White. 25 Aug—In and interview with ESPN, Jake Plummer explains his rationale for demanding a trade, and his hopes for a new opportunity. During the interview he states, somewhat nonchalantly, that he has provided the club with a list of other USFL franchises which are acceptable to him. When pressed, he will not reveal any clubs, but does say that the list encompasses about half of the league. The question, of course, is how many of the clubs he named are clubs that are in the market for a QB, and if any are among the remaining 5 clubs that have sent the Wranglers an initial trade offer. There is rampant speculation that several of the clubs that are most desperate for a QB did not appear on the list. Of course, with Plummer having a no-trade clause in his contact, he does have the ability to veto any move if he does not feel that the new opportunity suits his interests. 26 Aug—Steve McNair makes his retirement announcement official, making QB a top priority for the Thunder. Pressure mounts on Las Vegas to provide greater return to Arizona to try to sway the Wranglers into considering a Western Conference club, over the other, bids, 2 of which are Eastern clubs. Rumors swirl that the Thunder do make a counter offer to the Wranglers, but that Arizona is waiting to see what others might also offer. 1 Sept—Doug Williams is spotted in Phoenix, prompting speculation that he is on site to finalize a deal with the Wranglers to send Plummer to St. Louis. No confirmation from either side that a deal has been reached, and Williams is not available for interviews, though it does seem clear that he did visit with the Wrangler organization. 3 Sept—Two days after Doug Williams was seen in Arizona, Jerry Glanville of Las Vegas is seen on the premises of the Wranglers’ facilities. This makes two head coaches in 3 days visiting with the Wranglers. Rumors out of the Thunder organization are that the club is ready to meet the 2-first round pick minimum, and perhaps sweeten the deal even further. 4 Sep—New Jersey releases a press statement, announcing that they are no longer committed to the negotiation process with Arizona. While the official announcement says nothing about the cause of their withdrawal from the process, there is widespread speculation that New Jersey was among the teams that Plummer had specifically listed as unacceptable options. With an offense very much in transition, and no receivers who would be considered elite, this very much seems like a possible back story to their withdrawal. Coach Edwards refuses to answer questions, saying only that he is very much involved in the Generals’ upcoming personnel decisions. 8 Sept—Birmingham executives meet with Jake Plummer and his agent in Dallas to discuss potential requirements Plummer would have to include Birmingham in the short list of viable targets. This all but confirms that the Stallions were off the original list and felt the need to persuade the QB of their seriousness. With Jason Campbell no longer a fallback option, the Stallions are very much committed to the process and to convincing Plummer that they are a solid destination for him. 11 Sept—Arizona announces that a preliminary deal has been reached, and set up a press conference for September 14th to allow time to iron out the final details and introduce the deal formally. Fan websites for all three primary contenders in the hunt for Plummer start to speculate wildly about the announcement. Coach Williams, attending a game at Grambling is bombarded with questions but will not speak about the matter. Coach Glanville is equally silent. 14 Sept—The Arizona Wranglers, in a press conference held at University of Phoenix Stadium, formally announce that a trade has been submitted to the league offices. Jake Plummer is on hand, as is Jerry Glanville. The announced deal sends Plummer to Las Vegas in exchange for the Thunder’s 2009 and 2010 first round picks as well as an unnamed defensive player. The Thunder immediately update their website with an image of Plummer and the slogan “There is a New Dealer at the table.” 16 Sept—It is revealed that the player to be named later is linebacker Orlando Huff, an outside linebacker entering his third season, having moved from 1 start as a rookie to 7 in 2008. It is reported that Huff was a specific request of the Wranglers and Coach Tomsula. On the same day, the NFL’s Los Angeles Raiders announce the signing of former Stallion QB Jason Campbell. Stallion fans are incensed by their club’s situation, still with no head coach and now no clear direction at QB. Ownership refuses to comment on the Campbell signing, but states that they never put all their eggs into the Jake Plummer basket and that they believe there are other options for them moving forward. Sept. 22—In the final news directly linked to the Plummer signing, the Las Vegas Thunder formally introduce Plummer, providing him with a trademark “electric lime” jersey in the #16, while also announcing that they have reached and agreement with Tony Banks to return as the #2 quarterback. And so it is Jerry Glanville and the Thunder who come away happiest after a grueling 2 months of negotiations. Birmingham, St. Louis, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh are now looking at the draft, free agency, and whatever pool of NFL options might arrive just as camps open in February. The Thunder are now clearly set at the position and can try to ensure that Plummer has the weapons around him and the line in front of him to be successful with a club that just barely missed the playoffs in 2008. Fear of USFL/USFLPA Lockout Rise What was once one possibility out of many is looking more and more like a very real potential issue for the USFL. Meetings to produce a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the USFLPA and the USFL labor committee have been deadlocked for months. The issue of revenue sharing and the salary cap have been a major issue of contention, as has the newly revised NFL agreement which pushes the transfer windows solidly into the early weeks of both the NFL season in September/October and the USFL season in March. Players are demanding 55% of all revenue generated by the USFL must be invested in player personnel in the form of both an expanded salary cap and a new range of salary minimums which would be aligned with years of experience and past performance. The owners are pushing back that contracts should not be tied to past performance or to seniority and that allowances must be made to attract new talent, as the league competes with the NFL to sign both free agents and college draft picks. The league is also holding firm to its “final offer” of 51% of league revenue forming the cap. They seem willing to institute minimum salary expectations, but while the players are pushing for this on a player-by-player, position-by-position standard, the league is pushing for a team minimum, essentially a minimum cap expenditure to pair with the maximum expenditure. The impasse between the two means that as we head into the pre-Draft portion of the season, both parties have to identify their limits when it comes to playing without a CBA. While the USFLPA has indicated that they do not anticipate a strike as the result of negotiations, citing that the current CBA has an extension clause that would keep it in effect if no new deal can be reached, the owners appear to be pushing for a harder line, raising the issue of a lockout. A lockout of players would mean that players would not receive payment on their contracts for any missed camp, preseason, or regular season weeks in which they are blocked from play by the lockout. What it means for fans is a very real risk that the labor standoff could impact the 2009 season, either delaying the season or causing its cancellation. Now, that last possibility is very extreme. We have not seen a full season cancellation in a major sport in a long time, but we have certainly seen labor disputes lead to shortened seasons, cancelled games, even rosters of scab players suiting up when a union has called for a strike. It has been a long time since we have seen this in football, with the last major labor-related stoppage occurring in 1982, just before the USFL took the field in spring 1983. Many have speculated that the open competition between the two pro football leagues has been a major reason why we have not seen more labor disputes. The presence of the USFL created a competitive market for players that had not existed since the AFL merged with the NFL in the late 1960’s. This market drove up player salaries and forced both leagues to maintain a focus on player acquisition and retention, a focus which allowed the players unions in both leagues to make significant strides towards greater free agency and more player-friendly contract terms. Even the introduction of a salary cap for both leagues worked in their favor, ensuring that all teams in both leagues had to remain competitive with salaries within a fixed range, one often benefitting the rank-and-file players, who saw their compensation rise from $40-$50k in the mid 1980’s to the low $200,000 range today. It seems that the USFLPA and USFL have, at least up until now, reached a point where that player-focused growth has begun to strain ownership and their desire to see profitability across the board. Just how far ownership is willing to go to “reign in” the player demands and the growth of labor costs for their product, that remains to be seen. But as of right now they are not giving much to the players as a means of acquiring a mutually beneficial agreement, and that could end up costing the fans more than anyone. Retirement rundown The opening month of the offseason saw the usual wave of retirement announcements, and while we did not get the big one that we were expecting, that of QB Drew Bledsoe, there were many players who have hung up their helmets for the last time whose absence will impact their teams. Among the prominent USFL players to hang it up after the 2008 USFL season we find these impact players and contributors: Quarterbacks Steve McNair (LV), Rick Mirer (NSH), Alex Van Pelt (BAL), and Jeff George (LV) Receivers Amani Toomer (POR) and Alex Van Dyke (TEX) Centers Bubba Miller (BOS), Gene McGuire (LA) Steve McKeinney (PHI) and Joe Zelenka (TEX) Tackles John Merrill (PHI), Willie Anderson (PIT), Korey Stringer (POR), and Lomas Brown (SEA) Defensive linemen Pat Williams (ORL), Barron Tanner (POR), Grady Jackson (NSH), Chance McCarty (CHA), John Engleberger (ORL) and Regan Upshaw (PHI) Linebackers John Mobley (BIR) and Godfrey Miles (SEA) Defensive backs Tyrone Poole (CHA), Terrell Buckley (NSH), Travares Tillman (TEX) and Shaun Williams (HOU), Kicker Steve Christie The loss of All-USFL players like Regan Upshaw, Terrell Buckley, Godfrey Miles, and Pat Williams will certainly be the toughest positions to fill, but any departure is always a chance for new stars to emerge. We should also note that after 2 months of free agency there are several big-name players who are 34-years old or older who have yet to catch on with teams, including LB Michael Barrow, WR Muhsin Muhammad, DE Santana Dotson, CB Terrell Buckley, SS Lawyer Milloy, G Jamie Nails, and LB Roman Pfifer. Whether these players will resign with their former clubs or take short-term contracts with a new club is still uncertain. It seems almost certain that if something does not fall in place quickly, we may see more retirements from this group. Roster Gaps Lead to Trade Action With all 28 USFL teams trying to fill gaps in their roster produced by retirement or free agency, the trade wire had been alive over the past two months. We already saw early trades including players such as centers Dominic Raiola and Roberto Garza, WRs Brandon Marshall and Jerrico Cotchery, and LB Robb Morris. Of course, the biggest trade of the year was the one outlined already that sent Jake Plummer to the Las Vegas Thunder, but there were others which will certainly impact the season ahead. Here are the most impactful of the fall trades to date. The biggest move outside of the Jake Plummer center ring show was an intriguing swapping of offensive talent as Denver dealt away unhappy HB Cedric Benson to Orlando in return for equally unhappy HB Marion Barber and TE Daniel Graham. Benson, who was expected to be a major factor in Denver’s offense when he was drafted out of Texas never materialized as a quality featured back, and this year, demoted to the short yardage role behind Mewelde Moore, Benson spent most of the year grumbling about his role. Orlando may feel they will be able to unlock Benson’s potential, but if not, they still have Jacob Hester and Najeh Davenport to create a rotation. In addition to obtaining Benson, the deal also provides Orlando with Denver’s 5th round pick in 2010. Orlando and Denver kept busy and LB Barrett Rudd has a new home, traded to the Renegades in a 1-for-1 deal that sent DE Kamerion Wimberley to Denver. The success of Calais Campbell made Wimberley expendable for Orlando, while Denver’s deep LB corps gave the Gold a chance to enhance their line with the deal. Houston hopes they have found the answer at strong safety after acquiring Corey Gaines from Las Vegas. The Gamblers were able to pull off a 1-for-1 deal by sending the Thunder guard Chris Liwienski. While across the state, the Texas Outlaws, gearing up to play the 2009 season in Dallas, also tried to get some help at Safety, sending this year’s and next year’s 5th rounders to Seattle to acquire SS Terrance Holt. Nashville found themselves a backup to Frank Gore, obtaining Philadelphia HB Cedric Cobbs for a 4th rounder, while Baltimore also looked for depth behind Ron Dayne, sending a 3rd rounder to Arizona for Antonio Pittman. The other way teams tried to add talent this offseason (so far) has been through USFL free agency (followed by NFL-USFL transfer). Some big names found themselves with new homes this offseason, but there is plenty of talent left as well. Here is our rundown of the 10 biggest signings to date, followed by our 10 best players still unclaimed. 10—Tackle Anthony Clement leaves Memphis for the Oakland Invaders. Clement turned 30 this year and celebrated by finding himself a very lucrative 3-year deal with the Pacific champs. 9—Strong Safety Sean Taylor resigns with the Maulers. It took longer than expected, with Taylor fielding several offers, but in the end, Pittsburgh knew they could not let their best defensive “hammer” go. 8—LB Kevin Mitchell returns to Tampa Bay to complete his career. The 34-year old signed on for 2 more seasons with the Southeast Champs. 7—Safety Mike Brown will leave the Panthers to join the Jacksonville Bulls, trading in one burgundy jersey for another (though the Bulls prefer to use the word “garnet” instead.) 6—Washington safety Bob Sanders will now line up against his former team twice a year after signing a 4-year deal with New Jersey. 5—With Lomas Brown retiring, we knew Seattle had to do something at left tackle. They opted to go the free agent route and landed on former Express tackle Kenyatta Jones. 4—Boston solved their issue at tackle by biting the bullet and resigning Stockar McDougle to a deal that earns him nearly $1M more per year, from his $500,000 deal to $1,400,000 a year over 3 years. 3—TE Jim Kliensasser leaves Atlanta to join the Memphis Showboats, how is that for a QB upgrade for the receiving end? 2—Jacksonville adds another safety to pair with Mike Brown, getting one of the better young talents in the pool in FS Eric Weddle, formerly with Chicago. That gives the Bulls one of the better 1-2 combos at safety in the league. 1—Atlanta finds themselves a multi-purpose sparkplug in WR Tedd Ginn Jr. the former Baltimore Blitz receiver and returner will absolutely be a part of Coach Ramsey’s plans for the Fire as we expect him to jump into the slot receiver position as well as continuing to field both kicks and punts for his new team. Looking at the remaining pool of players, there is still a lot of talent left on the board, though, as we have noticed, in some cases it may require teams to look at shorter term deals as several of the top candidates are in their mid-30’s and could be a question mark after a year or two. Our top 10 remaining free agents going into draft season is full of talent, so don’t be shocked if any of these 10 players finds a home soon. 10—Jacksonville WR Javon Walker had a strong rookie year with the Bulls in 2002, and looked like he could grow into a solid #2 option, but was displaced with the rise of Donald Hayes. Despite that, he still brought in 45 catches for 498 yards this year, so the fact that no team has jumped on the 27-year old wideout is a bit surprising. 9—Center Ben Claxton had some good moments for a bad Arizona team this year, but has yet to find a new team. 8—Fullback is clearly not a prioritized position, with some of the best in the game still struggling to get signed. That includes Ayanbadejo (BAL), Deon Dyer (PHI), and Theron Wilson (MEM). 7—Atlanta HB Rod Smart is the Rodney Dangerfield of the league. Everywhere he has gone he has played well and produced good numbers, and yet teams don’t seem to value his contributions. Maybe, as he once famously said of “the Man”, He Hate Me. 6—DT Ellis Wyms of the Bandits had a very strong year. We are honestly surprised tha the Bandits have not found a way to resign him, but now that he is a free agent, the interest is definitely there. 5—WR James Thrash is only 32, so he has some years left in him. Life in Birmingham has not been easy, so finding a club with a quality QB is clearly a priority for the veteran receiver. 4—HB Kevin Faulk, one of the best 3rd down receiving backs in the league is still unsigned, though Houston continues to negotiate a return for another season with the Gamblers. Interest from at least 3 other teams is known, with Texas, New Jersey, and Charlotte all apparently interested in the veteran back. 3—WR Muhsin Muhammad has been a #1 receiver most of his career. That might not be a role he plays for his next team, but he will certainly improve any offense that lands him. 2—LB Michael Barrow is rumored to be considering retirement, but if the right team offers the former Knight a reason to stick around, he could be a very valuable addition. 1—DE Santana Dotson may be 36 years old, but he put up 17 sacks for a pretty bad Skyhawks defense, so he is still very much a player worth exploring. NFL-USFL Transfer We are 4 weeks out from the closure of the Fall USFL-NFL Transfer Window, and as usual we have seen something of a one-way flow of players as the NFL signed far more USFL veterans than vice versa. We have gotten used to the up-river/down-river flow of the two different transfer windows, understanding that the USFL will make its gains in February, when NFL contracts run out and the players are largely unsigned and hoping for competition from both leagues to increase their value. That is what happened with the USFL free agents this past August, and the results, as expected, were that several quality players are jumping right into a fall season this month. Here are the signings that we think will have the biggest impact for the NFL and the biggest gaps to fill for the USFL. The Birmingham Stallions let Jason Campbell walk, and he opted to walk all the way to LA and the NFL Raiders. The former Auburn product has opted to join the Raiders, who are hoping to have Campbell compete with 2007 draft pick JaMarcus Russell. It is a bit of an odd pairing, since in Russell and Campbell you have two of the bigger draft disappointments of the past few years, but the Raiders seem to believe they can use competition to inspire one or both to greater success. Jacksonville may have ruined a good thing by playing lowball with wideout Donald Hayes. After rising to compete with Rashaun Woods as a 1-2 combo, Hayes was not happy with the offer from the Bulls and when a better offer from the Houston Oilers came along, he signed it, sending him to the NFL and leaving Jacksonville with a big hole in the lineup. LB Al Wilson was a major force in the Renegade offense, but now it is a spot they will have to find an answer for as Wilson leaves Orlando for the Denver Broncos. Another quality linebacker who has jumped leagues is former Mauler Dwayne Rudd. Rudd, who has also played in DC and New Jersey now escapes the northeast corridor by heading to the NFL Minnesota Vikings. The secondary was a popular spot for NFL teams to go hunting, with CB James Trapp (POR) landing in Baltimore, Micheal Booker (BIR) in New York, safety Chad Cota going from Houston to the Dallas Cowboys, and FS Leomon Evans staying close to home, going from the Machine to the Bears in Chicago. In addition to Booker’s departure, Birmingham saw starting center Chukki Okobi jump to the fall with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while New Jersey’s starter at the position, Jeremy Newberry signed a very lucrative 2-year deal to play in San Francisco. Guard Chris Villarial also found himself a hefty payday, leaving the USFL champion Panthers and signing with the Buffalo Bills. One of the premier return men in the USFL is no longer playing in the spring, as Dante Hall, the “human joystick” departs the Maulers for the NFL Chiefs. Hall set several Mauler records in the return game, but never caught on as a receiver, something he is hoping is possible in the NFL. Others jumping to the Fall season included DE Van Tuinei (LA), WR Freddie Solomon (TEX), HB Troy Davis (TEX), and kickers Matt Stover (NSH) and Jason Elam (BOS) Coming to the USFL from the NFL was a short list of mostly backups and camp fodder, but there were a few names worth remembering. The players you may want to watch this year include: OT Zach Strief, leaving the Saints to join the Atlanta Fire. LB Angelo Crowell, coming to Baltimore from the Buffalo Bills DE C. J. Mosley, leaving the NY Jets to join the Boston Cannons. K Steven Haushka, joining the Cannons from Baltimore DT Shaun Cody coming to Denver after several years with the Bengals WR Hank Basket leaving the Eagles to sign with Oakland CB Leigh Bodden, coming to Orlando from the Detroit Lions G Chris Kemoeatu from the Steelers, joining the Dragons. The QB Situation, all 28 Teams With the initial frenzy of the first months of free agency and the first NFL-USFL transfer window completed, the search for quality QB options remains the top story in the league. You can basically divide teams between those that are set, and those that are scrambling. So, we thought we would do just that, with our look at the QB position. We created 3 categories: Golden (Nothing is needed), Solid (Starter is set, some room to improve depth), and Shaky (Starter is uncertain or unimpressive). We put all 28 teams into these categories, and will let you decide if we have it right as we look ahead to the draft and the second NFL-USFL window, the one where typically more NFL players jump ship and join the spring league than vice versa. TEAMS THAT ARE GOLDEN Houston: Matt Hasselbeck, who turned 31 this year, should be locked in for at least 2 more years. Behind him the Gamblers feel very good about Luke McCown and veteran Brock Huard as fill-in options. Hasselbeck may not be the biggest gunslinger in the league, but he is a solid option who rarely loses you games. The only question is if he can put the team on his back if he needs to. Jacksonville: Another McCown shows up right away. Luke’s brother Josh sites behind veteran Jake Delhomme on the depth chart, giving Jacksonville a very solid 1-2 combo. They need a 3rd, but we expect that they will look at a late round developmental project or a low-cost free agent for that. Delhomme is up for a new deal after the 2010 season, so the Bulls will be hoping to get an extension done this year if they can. Las Vegas: A month ago we would not have had Vegas here, but they now sit in a very good position, with a proven winner as the starter and pretty solid backup in Tony Banks. What a difference one good trade can make. The Thunder will want to think about bringing in a protégé within a couple of years, but for now they are feeling pretty good about their QB situation. Memphis: It does not get more secure than having Favre as your QB. Not only is he one of the league’s best (all time) but he also never seems to get hurt. He had some issues with the NY Jets, but in the USFL he has not missed a start for the Showboats (and Stallions) since 1993, a ridiculous run for any pro football player, much less a QB. Behind him is Mike McMahan, but does it really matter? Michigan: There is no question that Brian Griese is the man for the Panthers after delivering them a league title this year. Behind him, the Panthers are hoping to develop Drew Stanton and are happy with Shaun Hill as the #3. New Orleans: Eli Manning has taken a lot of flack, but the issues in New Orleans can no longer be attributed to their QB. Manning put up outstanding numbers this year, throwing 21 TDs to only 9 picks and gaining over 3,500 yards. His leadership was also on display as he led the Breakers on their late season run and into the playoffs. Behind him you have NFL vet Tim Rattay and 2nd year developmental player Mike Flynn. Oakland: The Invaders are well aware that Joey Harrington is never going to be a league leader statistically, but their offense is also not designed for that. He is a quality QB who can do very well on a balanced offense, as this year’s 13-3 record proved. There is no sense out of the Bay Area that QB is a position of interest this summer. They have Ingle Martin at the #2 and are liking what they see from rookie signing Bob Volek last year. Ohio: You have a 3-time MVP as your starter and Chris Redman is generally considered one of the best #2’s in the league, so Ohio is just not going to focus on the position at all. They need a #3 but will have no trouble finding a castoff from either the current Free Agent pool or the post NFL season cuts. Orlando: The Renegades made their big move two years ago, snagging Drew Brees, so they feel they are set. Honestly, with both Matt Cassel and Matt Moore behind Brees, they are more likely to be a seller than a buyer in a QB trade market. We could see Cassel as a commodity in an offseason that has so many teams hoping for help at the position. Philadelphia: Kurt Warner missed a couple of games, and we got to see that Matt Gutierrez is also a pretty solid backup. Jeff Smoker is the #3, and that is a bit of a luxury for the Stars. They are feeling pretty good, and hope to get a deal done with Warner well before his contract expires at the end of 2009. Portland: Hard to believe an expansion club is happy with their QB situation, but NFL import A. J. Feeley had a really good first year in the Rose City. He only threw for 2,800 yards, but he showed a lot of poise behind a shaky offensive line and with a cobbled-together offense. We expect he will look even better in 2009, with one more year of team-building around him. Behind Feeley are veteran backup Ken Dorsey and CFL import Dennis Dixon. Seattle: The only QB question in Seattle is if the Dragons are happy with 9-year benchwarmer Tee Martin as their #2. Last year’s late round rookie Alex Brink is also on the roster, but we could see the Dragons try to upgrade if they can do so cheaply. But, for now, it is more a signing of opportunity and not a strategic priority for the Dragons. Tampa Bay: Daunte Culpepper extended his deal with the Bandits through 2012, so they are feeling really good about their QB situation. The fact that when Culpepper missed 2 games Brad Gradkowski was able to keep the Bandits on pace for their surprising 14-2 record has them feeling like the QB position is in very good hands right now. They need a 3rd, but that will almost certainly be a late Free Agent signing when the discounts start. Texas: Joe Flacco’s year started out rough, but he showed real growth in year one. Texas has to be happy about that, and about his 16:6 TD:INT ratio. Behind Flacco, the Outlaws have Dan Orlovsky under contract, but we expect them to look for a free agent #2, perhaps a sage veteran like a Jeff Garcia or Jeff Lewis (both rumored to be leaving LA). TEAMS THAT ARE SOLID, BUT COULD IMPROVE DEPTH Baltimore: With the retirement of Alex Van Pelt, there is a need for a solid backup behind Big Ben. Caleb Hanie has not shown enough to lock up that position. Boston: The Cannons are still hoping that Drew Bledsoe will give it one more try. If he does, then they move up to Golden with both Bledsoe and McPherson available. If not, then McPherson is likely the starter in 2009, and they could use a bit more depth behind him, perhaps a veteran who is willing to hold a clipboard and mentor McPherson a bit. Chicago: We wanted to put Chicago into the Golden list, and if we were confident that they were holding on to Kyle Orton we would, but rumors have them shopping Orton around, hoping to get maximum value for him after his strong late season and post-season performance, and that makes us nervous about who would be #2 behind Brady Quinn if Orton leaves. Denver: The injury to Matt Leinart and the collapse of the Denver offense without him showed us just how fragile the QB situation is in Denver. They need to be thinking about a solid option at #2. Could they be in the market for Jason Campbell? Would that make sense? Dereck Anderson has shown some ability, but has had a hard time winning games, and we see Jordan Palmer as purely an emergency option. Nashville: Jay Cutler is still their #1, but there is an uneasiness about Cutler. Fans seems concerned, and the offense certainly did not look particularly smooth this year. We think the Knights are happy to play a long strategy here and help Cutler grow, but if he falters, do they have someone who can step in? Quincy Carter is their #2, which is not the worst option, but he is more of a #2 than a guy who can displace a struggling Cutler. Will Nashville invest in a potential competitor for their starter in his 4th year? Washington: Kordell Stewart’s comeback season was one of the stories of the year. The 34-year old bounced back from his 2007 injury with one of his best seasons ever. The question for the Feds is who are they going to put behind him? Stewart is currently the only QB on the roster, and we know that they are not going to enter minicamps without a very solid option at backup QB. TEAMS THAT ARE SHAKY OR ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A NEW OPTION Arizona: Now that Plummer is out of the picture, the question becomes, what is the picture? The Wranglers like 2nd year player Colt Brennan, but certainly not as a full-time starter, and Jim Sorgi is clearly not starting material. So, where do they look for their new QB? Recently hired OC Danny White may be the best QB on the roster right now. Atlanta: We all know what Plan A is, draft and sign Matthew Stafford out of Georgia. Behind him they have Garrard, Thigpen, and veteran Kelly Holcombe, so if they can sign him, they are looking pretty good. If they cannot, then what? Birmingham: The Stallions finally gave up on Jason Campbell. They experimented this year with CFL import Dave Dickenson and late round pick Anthony Wright, but neither seems a viable answer at starter. They fought hard for Plummer, but failed to land the All-USFL QB, so what is their best option? Do they go for a rookie? Take a shot on veteran Steve McNair (a local college product from Alcorn State) or look to the NFL for an option? Charlotte: The Monarchs committed to Chris Weinke last year, but we are not sure that his 2,500 yard, 13 interception, and 84.7 QBR season is enough to ensure him of the starting gig. We don’t think 2nd year player John David Booty is likely to unseat him, but we are also not sure that Charlotte will not make a play for another option in their 2nd year. Los Angeles: With Seneca Wallace coming back after a serious injury, and with both backups struggling when they played this past year, the Express cannot feel good about where they are sitting. And, of course, temptation is staring them in the face in the form of USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez is in his final year with the Trojans, and will be available to the Express if they want to use a T-Draft pick on him. That could be a very popular move with locals to be sure, and provide LA with a pro-ready QB with a serious set of skills. New Jersey: Both Kevin Kolb and Kris Kershaw are under contract for 2009 (Kolb’s contract year), but the front office certainly is not showing confidence in either one. They bid hard for Jake Plummer’s services, and we expect they will do more to try to bring in some competition for both. Could they end up with this combo as their 1-2 in 2009? Very possibly. There is no player in their T-Draft pool who is a sure fire USFL QB, only Rutgers’ Mike Teel, who is definitely a project, so that would mean hoping someone is available either in the open draft or in free agency. Would they sign McNair? Pittsburgh: The Maulers dropped out of the Plummer race pretty early. Maybe the fan cries for Pat White out of West Virginia were heard and swayed leadership away from an expensive trade. Maybe they feel better about Cody Pickett than most others do. Pickett did throw for over 3,000 yards and had Pittsburgh in most games, but he just has not taken that next step to be a true franchise guy. So maybe you bring in the rookie, and then have a competition. Tyler Palko is the other QB on the roster, and he is a project right now. St. Louis: The last of the Plummer contenders on our list. Jeff Blake put up some gaudy numbers as a rusher, but as a passer his 57.0 rating was the worst of any starter. Leading the league with a painful 22 picks is also not going to help you keep a starting gig. Coach Williams wants more out of the position, which explains the bid for Plummer. But now that they lost that contest, what is the option? Do they stick with Blake for 1 more year? Try out Ohio State product Troy Smith? Or, perhaps the most intriguing option, do they use a T-Draft pick on athletic K-State QB Josh Freeman? He is a really interesting prospect, but we are not sure he is ready for the leap to starter in the pros. Does Williams think otherwise? Atlanta Looks to Build Offense with Ramsey After interviewing no fewer than 5 candidates for their open head coaching position, the Atlanta Fire settled on former LA Express QB and offensive coordinator of the Pacific Division champion Oakland Invaders, Tom Ramsey. The position in Atlanta will be his first as a head coach after working his way up from QB Coach to OC. Ramsey will be tasked first and foremost with helping to evaluate options at QB, though it seems clear that Atlanta is making a serious push to woo Matthew Stafford from Georgia. So far, Stafford has been very noncommittal, which is easy to do during his final year in Athens, but come January the heat will certainly be turned up. Ramsey inherits a team that has a solid foundation on defense and a 1,000 yard rusher in Darren McFadden. They could use some more talent at the receiver position, where Josh Reed leads a pretty middling group, but the clear issue for the Fire has been getting production either from David Garrard or Tyler Thigpen. If they cannot land Stafford, and that is very possible with NFL teams also salivating over the UGA Bulldog, then a Plan B will be needed and quickly. That is what Ramsey steps into. Arizona adds Danny White as OC When the Arizona Wranglers selected Jim Tomsula, DC from the Stars, to be their new head coach, the general consensus was that Tomsula would do fine in reconfiguring the Wrangler defense, but would need significant help to create an offense, one without Jake Plummer at the helm. The position of offensive coordinator was seen as a key hire, and in mid-September we found out who the Wranglers and Tomsula had tabbed for that role, former Dallas Cowboy QB. White, himself an Arizona State graduate, has worked with the Sun Devils, the NFL Cowboys, and the CFL BC Lions over the past decade, moving from position coach to coordinator, and one rough year back in 1999 as the interim head coach in BC. He is considered partially responsible for the success of Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo the past 3 seasons in Arlington, but now returns to his roots in Tempe (Well, Glendale) and will help the Wranglers settle on a QB for the 2009 season, and design an offense that can maximize the talents of Santana Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, and HB Sedrick Irvin. He has some tools to work with, but will be essentially reinventing the offense after a truly dismal year for the Wranglers. Birmingham to Stand Pat For Now The Birmingham Stallions, under the leadership of GM and President of Football Operations Les Snead, are opting to play the long game as they look for their next head coach. We have seen several teams do this over the past 10 years, essentially using the current fall NFL season to scout position coaches, coordinators, or even head coaches who may be having issue with their current clubs. Now 10 weeks into the offseason for the Stallions, it seems clear that they are going to employ that strategy, having determine that a hire from within the USFL ranks is not what they are looking for. We have no insight into who, if anyone, Birmingham has their eyes on within the NFL, but, as each year we typically see 4-5 head coaches, and most of their coordinators let go, and as it is possible in the Winter Transfer Window for USFL teams to talk to NFL coaches who are under contract, it is entirely possible that Birmingham has a short list that they are monitoring, and will reach out in early February to see if they can land the NFL coach who most impressed them. While all mock drafts are something of a crapshoot, trying to predict the USFL draft is significantly complicated by the existence of the Territorial Draft. It is so common for teams to protect and claim exclusivity on top talent, that we often see the Open Draft’s first round filled with talent that in the NFL draft would not be on the board until the 3rd round. Just looking at the Top 10 prospects in this year’s draft, there are easily 9 who could be off the board if the clubs that have exclusive rights to players from their school opt to protect them. But here is the thing, competition with the NFL has also created an entire framework in which teams often do not protect or claim the clear #1 talent from their pool, afraid that the NFL will outbid them, but will, instead, focus on midrange players who are more likely to sign on with the USFL even before the NFL draft has occurred. The other factor we see is that very often the most talented player in a team’s pool is in a position where there is no gap or need for that team. For example, while JaMarcus Russell was a highly coveted talent out of LSU, the Breakers were committed to Eli Manning at QB, so they did not use one of their three T-Draft picks on the top QB, allowing him to go to another team in the Open Draft. This happens all the time in the USFL T-Draft. So, how do we do a mock Open Draft if we don’t know who will be claimed in the T-Draft. We can’t? So, with our 2009 Mock Draft, we imagine a world where no T-Draft exists, just as a way to gauge talent and see who could be a big add for the league if they sign with the USFL. We know up front that many of the players we name will not be with their teams. If and when it is possible, we will try to place players with teams that are likely to sign them in the T-Draft, if it is a foregone conclusion, but when there is not a clear consensus, we will go based on team need. Arizona Wranglers NEEDS: QB, DE, DT, TE BEST FIT: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC—The Wranglers are certainly hoping that LA passes on a QB in the draft, freeing up the Trojan signal caller to become the first highly anticipated Wrangler QB since Jake Plummer came across town from the Sun Devils. OTHER OPTIONS: There is a very real shot LA does not go after Sanchez, but if they do, the best option here might be a DE like LSU’s Tyson Jackson or Northern Illinois’s Larry English. New Jersey Generals NEEDS: QB, G, DT, LB BEST FIT: Assuming Sanchez and Stafford are gone, the QB position is likely out, so we look at LB and that would be Aaron Curry of Wake Forest. Still a bit of a longshot, since Washington seems very interested in him as a T-Draft pick, but if he is here, he is a solid pick. OTHER OPTIONS: Others who would fit the bill and are likely to be here are BC defensive tackle B.J. Raji and Mizzou DT Ziggy Hood. Birmingham Stallions NEEDS: QB, LB, WR, G, DE BEST FIT: Another QB-needy team unlikely to find one worth the #3 pick after the T-Draft is done. They too look to another need area. That could be Curry, or it could be a speedster like WR Darrius Heyward-Bay. Baltimore should not be looking at wideout as a top position of need, so the Maryland product could be here for the Stallions. OTHER OPTIONS: We think Heyward-Bay is very possible, and if not, then Jeremy Maclin out of Mizzou could be a good 2nd option. St. Louis Skyhawks NEEDS: QB, DT, SS, CB, DE BEST FIT: The QB quest continues. St. Louis could select their QB in the T-Draft, K-State’s Josh Freeman, so that would leave them open here to go for defense. We like CB Malcolm Jenkins from Ohio State as a great fit for the needs St. Louis has, especially after Tyrone Poole retired. OTHER OPTIONS: If not Jenkins (a possible pick by Ohio in the T-Draft), then either DE Tyson Jackson, DT B. J. Raji, or CB Vontae Davis of Illinois would be good options. Atlanta Fire NEEDS: QB, LB, OT, HB BEST FIT: We all know the Fire are going for Matthew Stafford, the strong-armed QB out of Georgia. So, in a world without a T-Draft, he would be out of reach at #5, so Atlanta would have to move up to get him. But, he is theirs if they can sign him. OTHER OPTIONS: Assuming Stafford is gone in the T-Draft, that makes offensive tackle a new focal point for the Fire. How about either Jason Smith from Baylor or Eugene Monroe from Uva? Texas Outlaws NEEDS: WR, DE, FS, OT, G, TE BEST FIT: Hey, look, a team not trying to find a QB. Amazing. So, what do they need? A lot, but a good place to start would be the defense. There are not really any safeties we would put in the Top 12 picks, so DE once again is a coveted position. If Jackson and English are gone, Robert Ayers of Tennessee would be a solid pick. OTHER OPTIONS: If DE is also off the table by pick 6, the Outlaws could go wideout. For their offense, the best option there would be Michael Crabtree, who they can pick up in the T-Draft if they want, otherwise perhaps Hakeem Nicks of UNC. Los Angeles Express NEEDS: C. DE, LB, HB, QB, K BEST FIT: If LA wants to go for a QB, they have Sanchez who they can protect. If not, then they will almost certainly focus on the LB group of Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, and Rey Maualaga. They cannot sign everyone in the T-Draft, but maybe they pick up yet one more Trojan in the open draft. OTHER OPTIONS: Center is another key area for the Express, so a sleeper choice could be Alex Mack of Cal. Nashville Knights NEEDS: DT, LB, OT, WR, K BEST FIT: One of the USC linebackers, if LA cannot take them all, would be a perfect fit, particularly a big run stuffer like Maualaga or Matthews. OTHER OPTIONS: If the Trojan LB’s are not an option, than perhaps Aaron Maybin from Penn State, who is more of a pass rusher, or James Laurinaitis from OSU, a more traditional thumper. ORLANDO RENEGADES NEEDS: HB, FS, CB, OT, DT BEST FIT: We are entering the phase of the draft where QB is no longer a top priority. For the Renegades, even with their trade for Cedric Benson, HB might be a priority. They could have a legitimate shot at either Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno or UConn’s Donald Brown. OTHER OPTIONS: If the ‘Gades hold off on RB after the Benson trade, they could look for a DB, and so Malcolm Jenkins or Vontae Davis could be the pick. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS NEEDS: CB, LB, DE, TE, DT BEST FIT: Brandon Pettigrew, the dual use TE out of OK State is unprotected by any team in the T-Draft and would be a great outlet for Weinke. OTHER OPTIONS: If 1st round is too early for a TE, then we would say that the list of CBs and LBs we have already noted would be on the radar of the Monarchs. PITTSBURGH MAULERS NEEDS: LB, G, QB, K BEST FIT: The Maulers could be in the market for a mid-range QB like a Josh Freeman, but Pat White is in their T-Draft, so that may take QB off the table before the open draft. OTHER OPTIONS: We would love to see USC’s Matt Cushing in Pittsburgh, but we think LA is going to want first crack at him. PORTLAND STAGS NEEDS: C, CB, OT, LB BEST FIT: Improving the line for A. J. Feeley has to be a priority, especially with Korey Stringer’s retirement as the LT. IF they can get Jason Smith from Baylor, they will be overjoyed. OTHER OPTIONS: If Smith is gone, they still could look at Andre Smith (Alabama) or Eugene Monroe (Virginia) and come away fine. At least one of the three will be here at #12. OHIO GLORY NEEDS: OT, LB, DT, TE BEST FIT: Ohio could go a lot of directions, but we suspect that line help will be a top priority. We just listed the top 3 tackles, so one of them would be a good fit. OTHER OPTIONS: If OT is not what they most need, the Glory could be the one to jump on Pettigrew at TE, or they could go for some D-line help. BOSTON CANNONS NEEDS: G, C, FS, DE, K BEST FIT: Center Alex Mack (Cal) or Louisville’s Eric Wood would both be solid options for a Cannon club that wants to get more athletic on their interior. OTHER OPTIONS: IF they don’t go O-line, then perhaps safety Louis Delmas or Patrick Chung would be a good fit here. JACKSONVILLE BULLS NEEDS: OT, WR, DE, FS BEST FIT: We would love to see a speedy slot receiver here, perhaps Florida’s Percy Harvin (T-Draft) or Jeremy Maclin from Mizzou. OTHER OPTIONS: A possible sleeper here would be DT Peria Jerry from Ole Miss, a big-bodied run stuffer. LAS VEGAS THUNDER NEEDS: DT, CB, C, HB, DE BEST FIT: The Thunder solved their QB problem, but now have no 1st round pick, so they will need to wait until Round 2 to solve any other issues. A good round 2 option for them may be CB Darius Butler from UConn. OTHER OPTIONS: If Coach Glanville prefers an edge rusher, Everette Browne of FSU might be on the board still in the 2nd round. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS NEEDS: DT, WR, C, LB, CB, SS BEST FIT: We could see Hakeem Nicks or Rutgers WR Kenny Britt in this slot if neither are taken in the T-Draft. OTHER OPTIONS: How about CB Alphonso Smith of Wake Forest here? DENVER GOLD NEEDS: TE, HB, G, K, DT BEST FIT: Having traded away Cedric Benson means that Denver could use a bigger back to pair with Mewelde Moore. How about Ohio State’s Beanie Wells? Is he big enough for you? OTHER OPTIONS: If Wells is not available, a good alternative could be Shonn Greene from Iowa. BALTIMORE BLITZ NEEDS: LB, FB, WR, G BEST FIT: We really think Baltimore will want to add more linebacker speed this offseason. We could see a Clay Matthews here, or perhaps Aaron Maybin, but our favorite for the Blitz is Wisconsin’s DeAndre Levy. OTHER OPTIONS: We really see Baltimore going LB, but if not, they could jump on a receiver like Georgia’s Muhamed Massoquoi or OSU’s Brian Robiskie. HOUSTON GAMBLERS NEEDS: HB, CB, DE, SS, DT BEST FIT: If Faulk is gone, which could very well be the case, then Houston needs a receiving HB. Of the 1st round options, Donald Brown (UConn), but the better option would have to be Pitt’s LeSean McCoy, a very good receiver out of the backfield. OTHER OPTIONS: If Faulk does sign, then Houston could switch to a defensive focus, which would mean a CB like Troy’s Sherrod Martin or UConn’s Darius Butler. SEATTLE DRAGONS NEEDS: OT, G, LB, C, DT BEST FIT: It’s all about getting O-line help, and really they can go Best Player Available at the three different line slots. Andre Smith, Eugene Monroe, Alex Mack, or Eric Wood would all be a good signing for the Dragons. OTHER OPTIONS: If not O-line, then perhaps linebacker. Laurinaitis or Maualuga would be ideal, but could be gone, so we would also recommend they look at Clint Sintim from Uva. WASHINGTON FEDERALS NEEDS: TE, LB, SS, OT, G BEST FIT: If Pettigrew is gone by pick 22, then the next best TE option is likely Richard Quinn of UNC, but not in the 1st round. OTHER OPTIONS: If not TE, then more linebacker action is likely. We have not mentioned Western Illinois’s Jason Williams yet. He would be a good value here. PHILADELPHIA STARS NEEDS: LB, WR, C, OT, G BEST FIT: Eric Wood is a great fit here, but Philly would also like to look at Alabama’s Antoine Caldwell at the center position. OTHER OPTIONS: If one of the LB’s drops this far, we could see Philly try to snag that position first. CHICAGO MACHINE NEEDS: OT, FS, LB, HB, TE BEST FIT: Chicago likes to blitz, so if they can get an Aaron Maybin, they might pull that trigger. OTHER OPTIONS: LB is not the most needed position. That would be LT, so moving up to try to draft Andrew Smith or Eugene Monroe is not out of the question. OAKLAND INVADERS NEEDS: WR, TE, G, DT, LB BEST FIT: They would love to get a shot at Michael Crabtree or Darrius Heyward-Bey, but at pick 23, that seems unlikely. OTHER OPTIONS: Kenny Britt or Brian Robiskie may be more likely for the Invaders. TAMPA BAY BANDITS NEEDS: LB, SS, TE, QB BEST FIT: Jason Williams or DeAndre Levy would be good signings at this lower position. OTHER OPTIONS: If LB is too tough, we think that safety Rashad Johnson from Alabama could be here for the Bandits. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS NEEDS: LB, HB, OT, CB, FS BEST FIT: Memphis has no urgent needs, so they could opt to drop into the 2nd round and get a few more picks. If they pick here, we expect it will be at linebacker. OTHER OPTIONS: If the linebacker group that is available does not attract them, we could see the Showboats focus on the secondary and a cornerback like Ohio State’s Donald Washington. MICHIGAN PANTHERS NEEDS: SS, G, CB, OT BEST FIT: The Panthers are picking last because they already have a pretty solid roster. They likely will focus on the safety position, but would be lucky indeed if William Moore (Mizzou) or Darcel McBath (Texas Tech) dropped to them here. OTHER OPTIONS: We like the safety here, as a position likely to drop a bit in the draft.

Michigan Panthers Shut Down the Deep Ball to Edge Showboats The Michigan Panthers throttle Memphis’s passing attack to win their third title. In a minor upset, the Michigan Panthers did what so many others could not, contain Brett Favre and the Showboat passing game. In a strategy that saw the club switch from a 3-4 to a 3-3-5 for the title game, Michigan put the pressure on HB Cadillac Williams to carry the game, and while the tailback would rush for 94 yards, it was not enough to come back after Michigan built up a 2-score lead and proceeded to match Memphis score for score through the second half. It was a brilliant strategy from defensive-minded head coach Dick LeBeau. With stud linebacker Shawne Merriman unable to go, Michigan opted not to replace their starter with another linebacker, but to emphasize pass coverage and ask the Showboats to beat them on the ground by bringing in a third safety. The strategy worked as Brett Favre was held to 14 of 34 passing and only 236 yards by the frequent use of nickel and dime coverage schemes. The 3-man front of Kearse, Little, and Renfro, bolstered by blitzes from Odell Thurman and DeMarcus Ware, got to Favre early, producing two sacks in the first quarter and forcing Favre to throw underneath throughout the game. The defensive move was coupled with a balanced offense that saw Brian Griese throw 26 passes while Fargas, Washington, and Musa Smith combined for 34 carries forcing Memphis to remain in base personnel for most of the game. In the end, Michigan controlled the cock for nearly 34 minutes and produced 5 more first downs and, most importantly, 7 more points than Memphis. The game began, after a somewhat shaky rendition of the national anthem by Carrie Underwood, with Memphis taking the ball first. They would gain their initial first down on a short Maurice Smith run, but would soon have to punt when Favre could not find a receiver on 3rd and 7. Michigan took the ball over at their own 33 and proceeded to put together a very measured and consistent drive, 10 plays over 6 minutes, ending with Fargas’s 2 yard plunge for the game’s first points. Memphis would seek to equalize the score, and they moved the ball well on their 2nd drive, but on a 3rd and 4, Leonard Little got to Favre before he could find an open receiver, moving the Showboats even out of Jeff Hall’s impressive range. They would again have to punt the ball to the Panthers. Michigan again found success by combining outside runs by Fargas and Washington with short passes, one to Randle-El over the middle, another to Coles, who would lead all receivers by game’s end with 101 yards. As the opening quarter came to a close, Michigan was poised to score again, with the ball at the 16 and a 2nd and 3 to go. Rather than play it conservatively, Coach Jauron had QB Brian Griese take a shot at the end zone, and that shot paid off, with Hines Ward hauling in the throw from Griese and Michigan taking a strong 14-0 lead. By this point in the game, a sense of concern was clearly hitting the Showboats and their considerable fan base in Alltell Stadium. The Showboats responded with a solid drive that stalled to halt inside the red zone. They would have to rely on Jeff Hall to put them on the board, something he did with a 29-yard kick from the 12. Michigan was allowing the Boats to move the ball but was preventing the big plays that had gotten Memphis past the Bandits and into the title game. On their next drive, Michigan added their own 3-pointer to pull back out by 14, thanks in part to a pair of penalties against the Memphis defense, now just a bit overaggressive as they got called for neutral zone offenses twice. Memphis’s front would only get to Griese once all day, a Patrick Willis blitz, and more often than not they found themselves holding back to avoid getting caught by a draw or screen, both significant tools in the Michigan arsenal. Michigan’s drive stalled at the Memphis 31, and Matt Prater added a field goal to push the lead back up at 17-3. Memphis would use the remaining minutes of the first half trying to narrow that gap, and with success as they finally found pay dirt, but again, it was not a 40-yarder to Evans but a 4-yard slant to Ferguson at the end of a long, slow, time-consuming drive. They pulled within 7, but needed nearly all the remaining time in the half to do so. As the fans in Alltell watched Creed and, weirdly fitting, guest star Limp Bizkit perform at midfield, the coaching staffs tried to energize their players. Michigan needed to stay disciplined, keep Memphis penned in and playing a slow game that did not suit them. Memphis, for their part, needed to find ways to use the Michigan 3-3-5 lineup to their advantage, use the run more, bide their time and look for a shot when they could get one. Michigan would get the ball first in the half, and once again they would balance their offense between Fargas runs (4 on the drive) and short passes. On this drive it was Ward, Randle El, Bennie Joppru and rookie Mario Manningham. The drive would eat up over 5 minutes, but again fall short of a touchdown, with Matt Prater building back the Panther lead to 10 with another field goal. Memphis went 3-and-out on their next drive, but once on defense managed to force the same from Michigan, so they got the ball back relatively quickly. This time Favre would not settle for dinking and dunking. On a first and 10 from his own 18 he went for it all, just missing Lee Evans on a fly pattern. Two plays later he would connect with Evans for the longest play of the game, a 42-yard catch and run by the former Badger. But even with the big play riling up the Memphis fans in the crowd of 66,880, it was not enough to will Memphis into the end zone. They settled for a 27-yard kick by Jeff Hall, pulling them to within 7, and hoped for better on their next possession. What followed were two straight failed drives, the first a Michigan drive that got as far as midfield before fizzling and then a Memphis drive, spurred by a 31-yard Cadillac Williams run on 2nd and 9, but one that ended with a Hall field goal attempt from the 35, a 52-yarder that sliced to the left. Michigan took over at their own 42, and this time they would find the formula to get back in the end zone once again. The drive would be an epic slog, starting just inside the first minute of the 4th quarter and taking nearly 8 minutes. Fargas would be the star of the drive, though a Coles catch on 3rd and 13 would keep the drive alive for the Panthers. Fargas rushed the ball 3 times, including a 17-yarder to get the Panthers inside the 10. From there it was run, run, run, ending on 3rd and goal with Fargas taking a swing pass from Griese and diving past the oncoming defender into the end zone. Michigan was back up by two scores, 27-13, and with only 7 minutes left, Memphis would need to do what they had not all game, score quickly. Again, Farve tried to break the Michigan defense with a deep strike, this time to Ferguson, but it was broken up by Deltha O’Neal, back from injury just in time for Michigan’s deep playoff run. Memphis would have to work their way downfield in short chunks. They got a 5-yarder to Simeon Ferguson, then an 8 yarder to Wilson, a short run by Smith and then finally a better play, a 29-yard to Pierre Garçon. They were set up in the red zone, but it would take 3 more plays before Favre hit Evans with a TD pass from the 13. Memphis were back within one score, down 27-20, but there were now only 2 minutes and 38 ticks left on the clock. The Showboats opted to kick it deep and hope to get a quick 3-and-out and a shorter field to drive. On a 3rd and 2 it appeared they may have put the Panthers where they wanted them, but before Michigan could even get the ball into Fargas’s hands, the referees whistled the play dead. Memphis had had 12 men in the defensive huddle, an inexplicable foul up so late in the year. The penalty gave Michigan a first down and the ability to run even more time off the clock. They reached 3rd and 3 with 44 second still on the clock. Lining up with 2 tight ends and Musa Smith alone in the backfield, Brian Griese dropped back in what looked like an attempt at a short crossing pattern. He then handed the ball to Smith on the draw, and the backup halfback found a crease between the center and the left guard. Smith would take the ball for 6 yards and with that any chance Memphis had of getting the ball back was lost. The Michigan sideline erupted when Griese took the kneel down to end the game. Gatorade doused Coach LeBeau, and Brian Griese pointed to the sky in thanks. For Memphis it was a bitter end to a very good playoff run, a shot at a 2nd straight title was lost. For Michigan it was their first title in 22 years, and to be led there by a former Wolverine was doubly appreciated. With Detroit reeling from the recession and the deep issues of the auto industry, the Panthers had given Detroit and all Michiganders something to celebrate. And so concludes the 2008 season, with a new champion, a return to glory for a proud franchise, and a long offseason ahead, filled with intriguing possibilities and concerning uncertainties. But on this night, those thoughts were pushed until later as the Panthers celebrated, and it felt like all of Duval County celebrated with them, a Saturday night in July to remember.

It may not be the matchup we predicted in February, or even the one we expected in June, but we have our Summer Bowl 2008 contenders lined up and ready to battle for the USFL title in Jacksonville. The #3 seed in the East will face the #4 seed from the West when the Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers take over Alltel Stadium on Saturday Night. Memphis got here on the arm of who else, Brett Favre, as he shredded the #1 defense in the league for 362 yards and 4 touchdowns. Michigan came back from a 13-3 halftime deficit with three touchdown drives in the second half, putting away the Oakland Invaders to claim the Western Conference title, and now these two clubs, one the defending champion, the other a club with a proud history making their way back to the title game for the first time in over 20 years, square off for the USFL title. Let’s see how they got here, preview the game and run through all the other news from across the league in this week’s USFL report. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 34 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 21 To say that the battle between one of the league’s best offenses and one of the best defenses was decided early and went heavily in one direction seems almost an understatement. The Memphis Showboats scored 28 points in the first half, scoring on 4 of their 5 possessions in the half and doing it with big plays across the board, with 4 Brett Favre TDs of 32, 18, 24, and 24 yards. And while Tampa Bay tried to find a way to keep pace, with Daunte Culpepper hitting Chris Doering with two TD strikes in the half, they simply could not stay with Memphis. Brett Favre would finish this game with 362 yards aon 17 of 25, most of it in the first half. In the second half of the game the Showboats pushed the run, giving Cadillac Williams 14 of his 19 carries for the day, and mixing in runs from Maurice Smith and Lionel Gates. The shift in style, up 14 at the break, shortened the game, giving Tampa Bay fewer opportunities to come back, and helped Memphis build a 34-14 lead that would not be challenged until the final minutes of play. The scoring began almost immediately, with Favre hitting Robert Ferguson with the first of his two TDs only 3 minutes into the game, a 52-yard strike that sent shockwaves through Raymond James Stadium, Favre was only warming up. On their next possession, following a missed field goal from Kaeding on Tampa’s end, was a 6-play drive that featured catches from David Martin and Maurice Smith before Favre found Lee Evans open on an 12-yard out that turned into an 18-yard TD. Tampa got on the board with Culpepper hitting Doering from 15 yards out just as the quarter was closing, but Memphis would go on in the 2nd to put two more quick strike scores on the board, dual 24-yard TDs to Ferguson and HB Cadillac Williams. Tampa, down 28-7 would have to scrap their plans for a balanced attack and rely on Daunte Culpepper to get the job done. He would hit Doering again just as the half ended, but that is as close as Tampa Bay would get. In the second half, Memphis slowed the game down, using shorter routes and the run game to maintain possession, adding two Jeff Hall field goals to extend their lead to 20. The defense would pin their ears back and go after Culpepper, sacking him 4 times in the 2nd half and limiting Tampa Bay to 2 conversions on 11 third down attempts. In short, the game was played on Memphis’s terms as the defending champions showed off their firepower and ability to dictate tempo. Memphis now finds themselves back in the Summer Bowl for the 2nd year in a row, and again it is Brett Favre, the one-time rival in Birmingham, who used a somewhat insincere retirement ploy to jump to the NFL only to return 18 months later, who was the story and the driving force in the game. Tampa Bay, which had surprised many by winning 12 in a row on their way to a league’s best 14-2 regular season record, was out, and Coach Spurrier was the first to admit that as much as they got outplayed, they also got outcoached, saying “Coach Haslett put together a great plan, saw our weaknesses and exploited them, and just had his team ready to roll this week.” MICHIGAN PANTHERS 24 OAKLAND INVADERS 19 The Michigan Panthers will return to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 1986 after edging the Oakland Invaders in Oakland on Saturday Evening. A 21-0 run in the third and fourth quarters helped Michigan erase a 13-3 halftime deficit and take over the game in the second half. The halfback duo of Justin Fargas and Leon Washington proved to be pivotal, while QB Brian Griese went 12 of 14 in the 2nd half to spark the Panthers after only a 6 of 14 performance in the first half. Oakland started the game well, using the running of Ricky Williams to get into scoring range three times. They put up the first 6 points of the game with field goals midway through both the 1st and 2nd period, playing a conservative strategy that had Joey Harrington only attempt 12 passes in the first half. After a Michigan field goal, Oakland closed out the half with the only touchdown of the first 30 minutes, a 9-yard edge run from Jerious Norwood that gave the home team a 10-point lead going into the break. That lead would quickly dissolve in the second half. After forcing Oakland to punt on their first possession, Michigan took 6 minutes and 11 plays to march down the field and get on the board with a Washington TD run. The defense again shut down Oakland on the next drive, allowing Michigan to get the ball right back, and again, this time after only 7 plays, they were back on the scoreboard with a 7-yard Fargas run. Despite getting no turnovers and only sacking Joey Harrington 3 times, the Panther defense was finding ways to get Oakland’s offense off the field. A big part of that was the play of linebackers Andy Katzenmoyer, Odell Thurman, and Keith Ellison (in for the injured Shawne Merriman), who limited Oakland’s main weapon, Ricky Williams, to 3.4 yards per carry. Shutting down Oakland’s offense for the better part of the 2nd half, Michigan had taken the lead at 17-13, and would add to it with a Griese to Hines Ward TD touchdown 1 minute into the final period. Now up 11 points at 24-11, the Panthers clamped down even more. For the game they held both Greg Jennings and Plaxico Burress to only 2 catches. Jennings was targeted 10 times in the game but had one lone catch, a truly amazing statistic. It was Alex Bannister who would finish as Oakland’s top receiver, a sign that things did not go as planned for Coach Green and the Invaders. Michigan will now have to set their eyes on the Memphis Showboats, seeking to become only the 2nd team in league history to win back to back titles. Can the Panther defense which held Burress and Jennings in check do the same with the very deep Memphis receiving corps? Can Jevon Kearse put pressure on Favre? Can Michigan avoid the quick strikes that doomed Tampa Bay? Those are the questions Panther faithful are asking, but even as they ask these tough questions, they are also reveling in their return to championship football as Michigan’s Panthers are heading to Jacksonville and Summer Bowl 2008. Memphis Opens in Vegas as a 5-point Favorite. The books in Las Vegas are placing their faith in Brett Favre and the offense that just decimated Tampa Bay to do it again in the Summer Bowl, setting Memphis as a 5-point favorite for Summer Bowl 2008. The Over/Under also anticipates high scoring game, with the current tally set at 48 points. All this despite the fact that Michigan has a better overall record (11-5 vs. 10-6), though it must be said that their 1-3 finish to the regular season had many folks expecting them to go out in the Wild Card round. But, the Panthers have rallied, knocking off a somewhat weakened Denver squad, then winning on the road in Chicago and in Oakland, defeating both the #1 and #2 seeds in the West. However, when your opposition is the defending champion, even as a #3 seed, you have to respect that club’s experience and prior success. Memphis finished the year on their own rough patch, losing 3 of 5 down the stretch, but avenged a late season loss to New Orleans in the Wild Card round before upsetting the Philadelphia Stars in Philadelphia, and this past week blowing past the #1 seeded Tampa Bay Bandits. And, of course, when your QB is a 2-time MVP, a bit of a living legend, and just threw 4 TDs against the top defense in the league, you have to expect to get the Las Vegas line on your side. Arizona signs Stars DC Jim Tomsula as new head coach, still seeking an OC Two stories out of Phoenix this weekend as the Arizona Wranglers have settled on their new head coach and started taking bids from clubs interested in the services of QB Jake Plummer. We start with the new lead man in Wrangler’s camp, former Stars DC Jim Tomsula. Tomsula, who helped build up the Stars defense from a low point in 2006 to one of the more formidable squads in 2009, has been Jim Harbaugh’s right hand man since the duo came to the USFL in 2005. Tomsula, prior to signing on with Harbaugh’s Stars, was briefly in the CFL with Hamilton, then short stints with Carolina and San Francisco in the NFL. It was in San Francisco that he met Harbaugh, and joined him in coming to the USFL. A former defensive end from Catawba College in North Carolina, Tomsula began as a strength coach at his alma mater. Known for pressure defenses built around a strong and athletic linebacking corps, Tomsula hopes to rebuild an Arizona defense that has some talent in DT Jason Peter, DE Gary Walker, LB Karlos Dansby and the CB duo of Jimmy Williams and Asante Samuel, but which has underperformed the past two years. His first big task, however, is to find an offensive coordinator who can rebuild with a new quarterback and a run game that has been nothing less than catastrophic for what feels like a decade. Who he brings in will almost certainly determine the style of play, though there almost certainly will be growing pains regardless of who the new starter at quarterback will be. Wranglers Hear Offers from 5 Clubs in Early Trade Bids Speaking of Arizona’s QB position, the club officially opened their “inbox” to trade offers from clubs around the league. According to a source within the Wrangler organization, they have already received 5 substantial offers for Plummer’s services, though none meet the original expectation of 3 consecutive #1 Open Draft picks. It is unlikely that 3 number ones will be a final deal, as it is a very high price to pay for a 33-year old QB, even for one with 2 MVP awards. While Arizona officials would not reveal which clubs had reached out, they did say that none of the clubs were involved in this year’s postseason, which to some degree was the expectation. There is significant evidence that at least two of the clubs are the New Jersey Generals and the Birmingham Stallions. Beyond that is pure speculation, but many expect that another is likely Pittsburgh, who have not seen the growth in Cody Pickett’s game that they had hoped for. Other potential bidders include the Las Vegas Thunder (depending on Steve McNair’s status), the Los Angeles Express, the St. Louis Skyhawks, and quite possibly the Boston Cannons, despite the relative success of Adrian McPherson and the efforts to bring back Drew Bledsoe for one more season. We expect some leaks will start to emerge and some clubs will step into the light as serious contenders. And, of course, once the negotiations between Arizona and the other clubs start to heat up, there will be clubs who step away and start to work on an alternative plan. Whoever is left standing at the end, and that end could take several weeks, will likely be giving up significant draft capital, but could be landing a big piece of the puzzle as they seek on-field success. Memphis will be without guard Dan Santucci, still dealing with back spasms. Reggie Torbor, is questionable at DE, but Anthony Clement should be back at Left Tackle to protect Favre’s blind side. For Michigan, we all know that CB Donnovan Greer is still out, and while he is listed as Doubtful with an abdominal injury, he is still lobbying for Coach LeBeau to at least let him play on the kick coverage team, not wanting to miss his chance to contribute on a Championship Saturday. USFL Presents 2008 Awards and All-USFL Team in Jacksonville As has come to be tradition, the USFL held a gala event in Jacksonville, site for the 2008 Summer Bowl, this Tuesday, presenting the 2008 Season Award Winners and the 2008 All-USFL Team, and if the recognition of the night means anything, Michigan may have a long night ahead of them on Saturday. The Memphis Showboats had 4 All-USFL players named, including QB Brett Favre, who also won for Offensive Player of the Year. Michigan had only DT Leonard Renfro recognized on the All-USFL team. Favre was joined on the All-USFL squad by receiver Robert Ferguson, whose 1,226 yards was a career best, Left Tackle Mike Gandy, and kicker Jeff Hall, who not only led the league in scoring, but also set a new league record with a 63-yard field goal this year. Ironically, it was the team that Memphis defeated this week, and the coach that admitted he was simply outcoached, Steve Spurrier who walked away with one of the night’s biggest honors as Spurrier was honored as the Coach of the Year for his turnaround of a 5-9 Bandit squad into a 14-2 division champion. And while most of the awards on the night were not controversial, with Rashard Mendenhall running away with Rookie of the Year honors and Brian Urlacher earning a much deserved second Defensive Player of the Year Award, the selection of Kordell Stewart as League MVP was not without some controversy. Stewart, who finished 11th in passing yards, 5th in passing touchdowns, and 19th in QB Rating, was given the award over Favre, Kerry Collins, or Byron Leftwich, all of whom had better statistical years. However, this is an MVP award, and it was clear that Stewart’s performance, which included 10 rushing touchdowns and nearly 400 yards on the ground, was largely responsible for Washington’s rise to playoff contention this season after nearly a full year spent on injured reserve. One stat seems to sum up why so many voters pushed for Stewart as the MVP. Last year, without their starter, Washington scored a total of 14 touchdowns, this year, with Stewart back and playing his best football, they scored 45, with Stewart personally responsible for 34 of them (10 rushing and 24 passing TDs). That is pretty good evidence about how valuable Stewart is to the club. That won’t make Memphis or Seattle fans feel any better about their man not getting recognized (though Favre did win OPOTY for his 4,300 yard, 29 TD season), but it seems like a fair assessment to most others. In addition to Favre, Stewart, and Ohio’s Kerry Collins, the All-USFL Team included the following standout players: HB: Deuce McCallister (WSH), T. J. Duckett (TEX), and Ricky Williams (OAK) FB: Alan Ricard (CHI) TE: Bubba Franks (POR), Dan Campbell (CHA) WR: Chad Ochocinco (BOS), David Boston (SEA), Robert Ferguson (MEM) Peerless Price (DEN), and Tory Holt (BAL) OT: Stockar McDougle (BOS), Mike Gandy (MEM), and Tra Thomas (OHI) OG: Jaime Nails (BOS), Vince Manuwai (SEA), and Cam Stephenson (OAK) C: Jeff Saturday (OAK) and Trey Teague (TBY) DE: Anthony Weaver (CHI), Mike Rucker (BIR), and Kavika Pittman (HOU) DT: Leonard Renfro (MGN), Luther Ellis (OHI), and Steve Rogers (NSH) LB: Brian Urlacher (CHI), Wali Rainier (STL), Kevin Mitchell (TBY) DeMeco Ryans (BIR), A. J. Hawk (LV), and Mike Vrabel (JAX) CB: Patrick Surtain (PIT), Jamar Fletcher (DEN), Samari Rolle (TBY), and Quentin Jammer (PHI) SS: Shaud Williams (HOU) and Lance Schulters (PHI) FS: Ed Reed (WSH) and Tarvaris Tillman (TEX) ST: Kicker Jeff Hall (MEM) and Punter Matt Turk (TBY) USFL Open Draft 2008: Top Unprotected Players Last week we looked at our choices for the Top 10 players that should be protected in the T-Draft, and hopefully signed by their respective USFL club, of course. This week we look at the only players we know will not be protected, players from schools not included in the 3 per team, in other words, not among the 84 protected schools among all 28 USFL clubs. While many may say that the schools not included in the T-Draft are unlikely to produce a lot of quality, every year we see several very good players coming out of smaller schools, and this year is no different. And while we do need to also remember that with each USFL club only protecting 3 players in the T-Draft, there will still be plenty of talent from the usual suspects, the Miami’s, USC’s, and Oklahoma’s even after the T-Draft has claimed 3 players for each USFL club. But, since we cannot know who those players left for the Open Draft will be, this list is exclusively players from unclaimed schools. QB Rhett Bomar (Sam Houston St): We felt we had to have at least 1 QB on this list, and while Bomar does not exactly project into a future Hall of Famer, he is a solid option for a team looking for a #3 QB who could move up with some time and coaching. WR Johnny Knox (Abilene Christian): Speed cannot be taught, so finding a player at a smaller school, like Knox at Abilene Christian, is always a good option. You can teach up a lot of skills, but when you start with speed, you are starting from a good place. CB Ladarius Webb (Nicholls State): Webb has looked very polished against some mid-to-low-level competition. He does not make a lot of misreads and can time his jumps well to get between a receiver and the ball, and that is a pretty good combo for a cornerback. DT Alex Magee (Purdue): Yes, there are some big conference teams that are not claimed and Purdue is one of them, so when a talent like DT Alex Magee comes around, coaches hope he will be there in the 2nd round, so they can grab a higher value position in round one and still get a steal. DE David Veikune (Hawaii): It is so hard to gauge players from Hawai’i. They play in a mid-level conference, but every game is a question about energy because teams coming to Honolulu are often out of synch on their body clocks, and when Hawaii goes on the road, the same happens in reverse. Makes it hard to tell if players are truly dominant or just facing tired opposition. Veikune seems to do well regardless of the game’s location, so we trust that he has real talent. S Michael Mitchell (Ohio): A big time hitter in a mid-sized team. Ohio’s Mitchell is a legitimate thumper, as we have seen in those early season games against some top opponents. He still has some things to learn about coverage, but when it comes to laying the lumber, he is ready to go. CB Darius Butler (UConn): Tiny Connecticut has some quality talent this year. We seriously considered adding more Huskies to this list, but decided to stick to only two. Butler is a traditional man-up corner who can play bump and run and has good make up speed if he cannot connect at the line. HB Donald Brown (UConn): Running back is considered one of the easier positions to scout, because regardless of the level, you can see speed, you can judge elusivity, and you can witness whether a player avoids or relishes hits with defenders. Brown looks like a very solid prospect on all counts. TE Brandon Pettigrew (OK State): Again, a pretty big program that just was not claimed by anyone. So, the school that produced Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas now has more of a pass-happy offense, and the star of that offense could well be at TE, where Pettigrew looks like a legitimate dual-roll TE, able to block on the outside rushers and also able to get open over the middle. DE Larry English (Northern Illinois): Our favorite of the open draftees, English looks like a younger, more raw version of John Abraham from Seattle. He is not the biggest, and not the fastest, but he has a good repertoire of moves using balance, quickness, and leverage to get through blocks and get to the QB. A solid prospect who could be a true 1st rounder in this year’s draft. PREVIEW OF SUMMER BOWL 2008 Summer Bowl 2008 is upon us, and it is a match with lots of storylines. Can the Showboats repeat as champions? Can the Panthers win their first title since the glory days of the mid 1980’s? Will it be the star power of Brett Favre or the underrated abilities of Griese, Fargas and Ward that win the day? Michigan fortified their defense by bringing in both Leonard Renfro and Javon Kearse this offseason. Will those signings be enough to shut down the Offensive Player of the Year and one of the league’s most potent passing attacks? A lot of questions, a lot of intrigue, and a lot of money being bet both ways as two of the league’s most fervent fanbases descend on north Florida. Burgundy, Sky and Champagne mixes with Scarlet and Silve Sky in Jacksonville this week, proud Michiganders from the embattled auto industry towns of the north vs. jubilant southern BBQ and Blues from the city along Ol’ Man River. It’s a clash of cultures, a clash of regions, and a clash of two very good football teams on Saturday Night in Duval County. So, what do we think of the actual game? Honestly, we think it comes down to one thing. Can Michigan contain the Memphis passing game? If Favre can get hot early, as he did against the #1 defense of Tampa Bay, and if the deep Memphis receiving corps is too much for Michigan’s secondary, this game could be decided early. But, if, as we have seen before, Memphis’s line struggles with blitz pickup, the talented Panther linebacking corps can make a huge difference in this game, putting pressure on Memphis’s All-USFL QB and disrupting their main means of attack. Both scenarios are possible, but only one will play out on Saturday. Expect the Panthers to try to bring pressure, likely blitzing either Odell Thurman or DeMarcus Ware, their two fastest linebackers, and relying on the secondary of (a now healthy) Deltha O’Neal, Chris Canty, Leon Hall, Mike Brown, and Kenny Phillips to hold up long enough for either the blitzing LB or defensive ends Javon Kearse and Leonard Little to get to Favre. For Memphis’s defense, task is a bit more unclear. Do they focus on shutting down Justin Fargas, or double covering Hines Ward. Michigan’s balance on offense does present a challenge, but if Reggie Torbor and Marcellus Wiley can force Brian Griese to move around in the pocket or even leave the pocket entirely, his accuracy wains and the potential for takeaways is there. Expect the key for the Memphis defense to be the outside linebacker Patrick Willis and Hannibal Navies. If they can maintain their lanes and keep both Fargas and Leon Washington from exploiting the edges of the defense, they can contain the Panther offense. Finally, if it comes down to the kicking game, you have All-USFL kicker Jeff Hall, who now holds the league record with a 63-yarder kicked back in Week 7 against Seattle, lined up against Matt Prater, who made only 22 of 30 attempts, with a long of 49, so edge to Memphis there. With all these factors under consideration, we are going to side with the Las Vegas books and pick Memphis to win back to back titles by doing very much what they did to Tampa Bay, striking quickly and early in this game to force Michigan to play from behind and abandon their balance for a heavy dose of passing. If Memphis can do that, they can again control the tempo of the game and Brett Favre can pick up yet another John Bassett Cup. We pick Memphis to win 31-21.

Eight teams vying for four spots in the Conference Championships, one step away from Summer Bowl 2008. We overpredicted upsets last week, and underpredicted them this week with 2 of 4 visitors pulling out wins on the road. Memphis showed the form that got them a title last year, while Oakland put an end to Seattle’s hot streak. Michigan showed up strong in Chicago, and Washington did not have the answer for the top-seeded Bandits. Let’s get to it and then stop for a peak at where teams stand as we prepare for free agency. Some early trades are already shaking things up, and we will explore that too. MEMPHIS 41 PHILADELPHIA 17 It was shock and awe for the defending champs as they exploded to a 24-14 halftime lead and then just kept building on it in the second half. Brett Favre threw for 3 touchdowns including a completely bizarre final score that saw Erron Kinney go 93 yards for a score, but despite the Favre heroics, once again it was the defense that made the most hay, with two pick sixes and 4 total interceptions against a very uncomfortable Kurt Warner. Tebucky Jones scored the first points of the game, returning a Warner miscue 61-yards for a score. Only 9 minutes later it was Wendell Davis returning another Warner pick for 54 yards. A true nightmare game for the Stars’ QB. And while Brett Favre was pressured as well (6 sacks by the Stars), he did not make the mistakes that Warner did, going 15 of 20 for 331 yards and three scores. And Memphis showed depth in the receiving corps, with Ferguson and Evans leading in receptions but with scores from Sidney Rice, Pierre Garcon and Erron Kinney. The run game was also working for the Boats as Cadillac Williams and Maurice Smith combined for 130 yards in what was a blowout early and late. Philadelphia did fight back from their 21-7 early deficit, pulling the halftime deficit to 24-14, and then 24-17 before Memphis went off again. In addition to the Kinney 93-yarder, the second half also featured a 55-yard toss from Favre to Rice for a score as the Showboats just kept piling it on. Fans in the Linc started leaving the stadium well before the final score was settled, and Coach Harbaugh had no answers in the post-game interview. “We could say we beat ourselves today with those early picks, but we fought back and then Memphis just beat us on their own” said a clearly frustrated Harbaugh. No excuses, indeed. This was just a beatdown by an inspired Memphis club. MICHIGAN 21 CHICAGO 7 The Panthers and Machine know each other well enough to predict how they will attack each other, but that was not enough to keep Chicago in this game, one in which Michigan got two safeties and, for perhaps the first time ever, a punter was named game MVP. Panther punter Dustin Colquitt kicked for 454 yards on 10 punts, placing 7 within the 20 and two far enough in Chicago territory to make two safeties possible. For their part, the Machine simply looked out of sorts from the start. Kyle Orton did not have a great game, completing 19 of 35 for 221 but with 3 picks. Michael Turner was limited to 2.7 yards per carry on his way to a 57-yard day, and the Machine just could not win the field position game. The game began with Michigan taking possession and getting out to the 45 before having to punt, and that is where Colquitt’s MVP game began. His first kick placed the ball at the Chicago 2-yard line, and on their first play from scrimmage turner got caught in an all-out blitz, and was stuffed in the endzone for a safety. Chicago would not get out of their own half in the entire quarter. Michigan also struggled to move the ball but Colquitt just kept pinning Chicago back. After a Machine punt, Michigan got the ball at their own 49, and on their most successful drive of the day, went 51 yards and into the endzone with a Justin Fargas run. The Panthers would split carries between Fargas and Leon Washington, each getting 14 on the day, with Washington edging Fargas 49 yards to 42. They would add a second touchdown to open the third, moving to a 16-0 lead just minutes after a Kyle Orton pick gave Michigan the ball inside the 30. Leon Washington got the 6, and the Panthers enjoyed significant lead on a Machine club that just could not sustain drives. A field goal put Michigan up 3 scores at 19-0. Chicago would finally score with 1:46 left in the game to make it 19-7, but despite picking up the onside kick, Chicago started moving backwards with two consecutive penalties pushing them back to their own 17. And, almost as if symbolic of the game as a whole, the shotgun snap got away from Orton, who had to scramble to fall on the ball, but scrambled into the end zone, providing Michigan with their second safety of the day and a final score of 21-7. Chicago had a great season, but they just did not have it together in this game and Michigan moves on. They now would turn to rooting for Seattle. A Dragon victory and the Panthers would get to host a Conference Championship for the first time since their 1986 championship year, an Oakland victory and Michigan would again be on the road. WASHINGTON 17 TAMPA BAY 38 A Huge third quarter and a defensive adjustment at halftime gives the win going away to the Bandits, as they outscore Washington 21-0 in the second half to pull away and take the game and the chance to host the Eastern Conference Final next week. It was a story of two very different halves as Washington and Tampa Bay battled to a 17-17 tie at the half, but the Bandits simply took over in the second half. The game began very much in Washington’s favor, with Kordell Stewart connecting on two early touchdown passes, the first to Eddie Kennison on their first possession and the second only 1:23 later, following an Ed Reed pick of Daunte Culpepper. Following the turnover, it took only 3 plays for Stewart to put Washington up 14-0 with a strike to Deion Branch. But Tampa Bay was unphased, finishing the first quarter with a field goal and then getting their first TD drive 3 minutes later when Samari Rolle picked off Stewart and ran it back for yet another huge playoff pick-six. Washington would add a field goal, but momentum had swung. Tampa Bay finished off the first half with a precision drive that took them 64 yards in only 8 plays, the last a 6-yard strike from Culpepper to Chris Doering for the score. We are not sure what Coach Spurrier said during halftime, but the results were immediately evident. Washington went 3-and-out on thee opening possession, one highlighted by a Jonathan Vilma sack on third and 4, and then Culpepper started a Tampa quarter that will not soon be forgotten. In only 4 plays he put Tampa Bay up, hitting Karl Williams with a 23-yard corner route that left the defender sprawled on the turf. Four plays later, the defense again stepped up, this time Samari Rolle again, his 2nd pick of the game, and only 5 plays later Culpepper hit Williams again, this time on a seam route that ended up going for 63 yards and a 14-point lead for the Bandits. Down 14 and with the Bandit faithful in full voice, Stewart again tried to inspire the Feds to get moving, but was picked off for the 3rd time in the game, this time a route over the middle where he did not see MLB Kevin Mitchell, producing a somewhat rare interception for the Bandits’ enforcer. Mitchell returned the ball to the 11, and once again in short order the Bandits scored again, this time LaBrandon Toefield taking the goalline run over the pile. Up by 21, the Bandits pinned their ears back and pressured Stewart for the entire 4th quarter. The single-minded pressure of one of the league’s top defenses produced two failed 4th down attempts and a fourth Stewart pick in the final period. Washington was thwarted at every turn and by the final Bandits’ possession the entire stadium was in celebration mode. The Bandits would return to the Conference Title Game, and would serve as hosts for next week’s clash with Brett Favre and the Showboats. SEATTLE 14 OAKLAND 27 Despite the support of Panther fans along with their own fanbase, the Dragons could not keep their run going as the homestanding Invaders, very familiar with Seattle’s capabilities, found ways to limit the damage done by David Boston and Corey Dillon and to inflict their own damage. Boston did score, giving Seattle an early 7-3 lead, but Oakland kept chipping at the Dragons, first with another field goal, then a beautiful screen play to Williams that allowed the big back to get up a head of steam and railroad his way to a 59-yard touchdown in the final minute of the half. Oakland took the lead with just 29 seconds in the half, and they would not give it up. Williams would finish the day with 3 receptions for 71 yards and two Oakland touchdowns, while also contributing 90 yards on the ground to boost Oakland to the win. Joey Harrington would throw for 3 scores, including the two to his halfback and a third to slot receiver DeSean Jackson. Both the 2nd Williams TD and the Jackson TD came at the start of the 4th quarter after a scoreless 3rd. Oakland had found a way to keep Seattle off the board for 2+ quarters, holding them to only 5 of 13 on third down. Having built up a 27-7 lead, they eventually gave up another score, a Nate Burleson TD, but with only 18 seconds left in the game and still down 13, the game was essentially over. Seattle tried the online kick, but Oakland recovered and Joey Harrington took a knee to the delight of over 44,000 in Oakland. The Invaders would now host the Panthers in next week’s Conference Title Game, their first appearance in the game since their 1991 league title. Coach Dennis Green celebrated with his players in the locker room after the game, but insisted that the ride is not over yet, that there were still more games to play, a reminder that only produced more cheers for the players in sky blue and yellow. Experience or Exuberance? With Oakland and Michigan making their way back to a title game for the first time in years (if not decades for Oakland), Tampa Bay back again and Memphis looking to repeat as champions we have a mix of experienced leaders and youthful upstarts. Whether it is past championship QB’s like Daunte Culpepper and Brett Favre, or players who have never gotten quite this far like Brian Griese and Joey Harrington, there is a clear difference between the feeling of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The East feels like a heavyweight fight, with the defending champs taking on a 14-2 Bandit squad that sports the league’s best defense. In the West, it feels almost like the young turks who are leading a revolution. Sure, Dennis Green and Dick LeBeau are hardly young revolutionaries, but neither Michigan nor Oakland has reached this stage of the playoffs in a long time. Oakland’s last appearance in a title game was their 1993 USFL Championship, 15 years ago. Michigan was appeared in their last Conference Title game 4 years later in 1997, losing to Portland after a solid 11-5 season. Compare that to Memphis, who are, of course, the returning league champion and are hoping to get Brett Favre his third ring. Or to Tampa Bay, who were in the Conference title game only 3 years ago, when they lost to Chicago in the 2005 game, with Culpepper on the helm there as well. It is a study in contrasts across the board, and within each game as each club brings their own strengths to the table. Tampa Bay will rely heavily on their defense, Memphis on the passing of Brett Favre, Oakland on the 1-2 punch of Williams and Norwood, and Michigan on one of the deepest receiver corps in the league. While nearly every fan in America has their reasons for favoring one team or another to go all the way, what we have here is a final four that provides us with all the debates and arguments that make playoff football so engaging. A good final four for a good season around the USFL. Birmingham Goes with GM from NFL Falcons The Stallions appear to be going about their process of building a new staff a bit slower than some of the other teams, but we do have news as it appears that they have come to a decision about their open GM position. Birmingham is reportedly in final negotiations with Les Snead, who has served as a lead scout with both the NFL Jaguars and Falcons to be the new GM of the Stallions. The selection of Snead may seem to point to a strategy that will emphasize the draft, as Snead has far more experience with college scouting than free agency, though he has certainly been engaged in both. Snead is expected to sign on with the Stallions in the next week and then get to work quickly on developing a free agent, draft and NFL transfer strategy for the club, along with assisting the team president with the head coaching vacancy. New Jersey Adds GM After Hiring Coach The Generals went a different way, choosing their head coach first in former Jets’ Head Coach Herm Edwards, and then landing a GM to help him build a roster to match his preferred schemes. That GM has been named and it is former agent, turned GM in Jacksonville and Detroit of the NFL, Michael Huyghue. Huyghue helped to develop the Jaguars from expansion to their early NFL playoff run, and the Generals are hoping a rapid talent boost and rise back to prominence is in the cards with their club as well. Huyghue will be working with Herm Edwards to develop an offseason strategy, one which almost certainly will center on improving the worst-rated USFL offense from this past season. Trading block Officially Open After last week’s deal between Las Vegas and Birmingham primed the pump, we have started to see the trading block pick up speed. With a lot of teams looking at a lot of areas for improvement, it is not surprising that we are seeing trades even before the Free Agency period begins. These will likely tail off during free agency until early December, when the pre-draft trading tends to pick up, but, for fans hoping their teams can grab some needed talent in key positions, an early offseason trade can be just the thing to provide hope for the next season. Here are the trades enacted this week which could do just that: Texas, which lost Ike Hilliard to retirement and may also see Muhsin Muhammad go the same route, if not departing as a free agent, needs to rebuild its receiver group. They reached out to Charlotte and made a deal to bring Brandon Marshall to the Outlaws, sending the Monarchs DT Cory Redding and a 6th round pick to bring in the tall UCF product. Texas will be Marshall’s 3rd team in 3 years after moving from Orlando to Charlotte in the expansion draft. He had 49 receptions for 568 yards in his one season with the Monarchs. Cory Redding has been with Texas since 2003, started 7 games as a rookie, but has only started 2 more since then. Another receiver changes hands as Boston hopes to replace C Bubba Miller, who announced his retirement after Week 16. The Cannons acquire Jacksonville center Dominic Raiola, who started 15 games for the Bulls, but rotated with Nick Hardwick in most games. Hardwick was seen as the better blocker and so Raiola became expendable, for the right price. That price was a wideout to help Jacksonville replace Donald Hayes, who was unhappy in the #2 position behind Rashaun Woods, and wants a chance to be a #1 option. He waved off contract offers from the Bulls and is now in the free agency pool. So, the Bulls trade away Raiola to bring in Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery, who played 5 seasons in Boston, has seen his numbers increase each year, with 81 targets, 32 catches and 477 yards in 2008, all career highs. In Boston, Cotchery primarily played in the slot, and he may occupy that position in Jacksonville as well, as the Bulls are also expected to look to the T-Draft and two very promising prospects in Florida’s Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, as options at #2. Finally, with the club having to make some cap room, Orlando felt it had no choice but to part with a significant contributor in LB Robb Morris. Morris, a 9-year veteran of the Renegades, was scheduled to make just under $3M in 2009, thanks to a backloaded contract, one the Renegades could not support. They sent him to Birmingham, who is flush with cap space, in exchange for two 3rd round picks this year, including Orlando’s, which had been traded to the Stallions in a deal last year. Orlando may continue to work on increasing their cap space now that they have some extra picks, while Birmingham is clearly focused on adding talent to a roster that was just not very good this past year. We should have two championship games largely absent major injuries after a pretty clean Divisional Week. Michigan is hoping to get backup QB Drew Stanton back this week but is still doubtful about linebacker Shawn Merriman. For Oakland, the only name on the injury list was WR DeSean Jackson, but, as we saw with this week’s TD catch, he is clearly fit enough to see game action. In the Eastern title game, Memphis looks to be without guard Dan Santucci, which could be an issue, while Zeke Moreno and Quintin Glover are bot expected to miss the game for Tampa Bay. NBC Seeks to Add to Their Deal, Working for a Deal with Fox Word this week that NBC is hoping to expand their NFL footprint and is in negotiations with FOX to buy out a portion of their contract with the league. NBC, in a contract set up back when the league had 24 clubs, owns the rights to a Friday Night showcase game, and while that game has largely been successful for the network, they apparently are hoping to get into the weekend schedule in a more expansive way. Fox has the rights to a rotation of 6 to 7 games each week on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, alternating heavier and lighter weeks with NBC. However, since both the FOX and ABC contracts are not up for renewal for another two years, NBC cannot work directly with the league if it wishes to expand its profile, they must strike a deal with one of the two day-game providers and that appears to be with FOX. Sources within the industry seem to point to Saturday afternoon as a target for NBC, hoping to get a foothold on more afternoon programming. Their broadcasts of a range of spring sports has simply not competed well, with the exception of the Olympic Games. Whether FOX is open to selling off some of its top rated weekend coverage is unknown, but considering the amount of revenue, and the potential growth in revenue over the next several years, it seems unlikely that the network would be willing to give up a significant portion of its share of USFL coverage. The more likely scenario is that NBC will have to wait for the next round of contract extension negotiations to make a move, a move that would be seen as somewhat hostile, but a move that would almost certainly increase the value of the television deals, benefitting the league at the expense of one or more networks. To date, no discussion with ABC/ESPN about their large package of Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening showcase games has been discussed. NBC had approached the league about a potential Monday Night game, but the league is apparently both leery of “imitating” a longstanding NFL tradition and of the required renegotiation with FOX as well as ABC/ESPN which shifting a game to Monday would require. Top 10 Draft Prospects: Territorial Draft While many USFL fans across the country are keyed into the ongoing playoffs, for 20 fanbases (now perhaps 24 with this week’s results) the focus has already turned to the offseason and the hope that their club can make some additions to improve the roster and their chances in 2009. This week and next we will be taking a look at the upcoming draft class of 2009, determining the best players available in both the protected Territorial Draft and the Open Draft. We start with the T-Draft, where all 28 teams can lock in their favorite three players from their pool of three protected schools. In most cases these are schools within close proximity of a team, with a few notable exceptions (Oklahoma being protected by the New Jersey Generals, for example). The idea, from the early years of the USFL, was to create interest by giving teams a better chance at signing players who were popular locally and thus build a fanbase among local college supporters. It is a strategy that has largely been successful, but one which many have said favors certain teams, such as those with SEC or Big 10 affliations, over those that are in regions with fewer major players in college football. With 28 USFL franchises, each with 3 schools to choose from, the T-Draft means that a majority of players in each year’s draft tend to be within protected schools, but with only 3 picks per year, teams have to be very judicious, often looking at what would be mid-range talent, talent more likely to sign before the NFL Draft, with only the occasional top rated pick, often a high priority pick like a quarterback, halfback or defensive end, being protected. Today we start our pre-draft previews by looking at the most likely high value targets, the potential 1st and 2nd rounders in an open draft who may not be there thanks to the T-Draft’s early selections and even signings. Next week we will look at those players not coming out of schools on the T-Draft list, but we begin with the best potentially protected players: 10) HB LeSean McCoy (Pitt): This Pitt Panther has the potential to be a 3-down back in the USFL, with great hands and ball skills as well as great elusivity. The Maulers however have a quality back in DeSean Foster, so they may not feel the need to protect and sign McCoy. 9) DE Connor Barwin (Cincinnati): An explosive and shifty edge rusher who could interest the Ohio Glory. We all know that Ohio tends to run deep into the Ohio State U. pool of players, but a talent like Barwin’s could cause them to use one of their picks elsewhere. 8) QB Pat White (WVU): Another potential target of the Pittsburgh Maulers. White has put up huge numbers for the Mountaineers but some worry about whether his game translates into the pros. For the Maulers, White could be seen as a Plan B if they find themselves out of the Jake Plummer sweepstakes. 7) S Patrick Chung (Oregon): The Stags surprised many by going 7-9 this year, and their defense was solid, but Chung could be a nice addition to a secondary that did have its struggles. It is not a primary position of need, however, so that could cause Portland to look elsewhere. 6) WR Hakeem Nicks (UNC): As with Portland, Charlotte has several areas of need, and wideout is not top on that list, but from their pool of NC schools, Nicks may be the prospect with the greatest upside. 5) LB Clay Matthews (USC): LA has a lot of talent to choose from in this year’s draft, and that is just looking at USC and UCLA linebackers. We like Matthews as the best of the bunch and suspect the Express do too. 4) WR Jeremy Maclin (Mizzou): St. Louis often complains that their pool of regional schools is one of the weaker ones, but the recent success of Mizzou means that they are seeing better talent, and finding a receiver to line up opposite Taylor Jacobs could make Maclin an obvious choice. 3) QB Josh Freeman (Kansas St): Back to St. Louis, like we said, more talent this year than most. If Coach Williams is not happy with Jeff Blake (led the league in interceptions), then he likely will take a long look at Freeman even as he and the team bid on Jake Plummer. 2) QB Mark Sanchez (USC): Quarterback is usually where we see teams try to corner the market on a guy they love, and with the Express QB situation in a lot of flux, taking a run at Sanchez seems a logical choice for Coach Jackson and LA. 1) QB Matthew Stafford (Georgia): You knew we would be putting Stafford here. The Atlanta Fire have hardly been subtle in their pursuit of the Georgia QB. Expect him to be their first pick and their priority, problem is the NFL also has Stafford as a top pick, and he can easily opt to play the market to maximize his payout. Two very different Conference finals next week with the East featuring the defending champions against the team with the best record in the league while in the west we have two clubs who have not been here for quite a while facing off. Two teams will advance, two will fall short. Here is our look at who we think finds their way to Jacksonville and Summer Bowl 2008. EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL Sunday, July 13 @ 1pm EDT Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL #3 Memphis Showboats (10-6) @ #1 Tampa Bay Bandits (14-2) Another classic Offense v. Defense showdown, with the Bandits in the unfamiliar position of representing the defense. Last time we saw the Bandits vying for a Summer Bowl it was all about Culpepper to Moss, McGahee and Shockey. This time it is all about takeaways and third down stops. Tampa Bay boasts the #1 scoring defense, allowing barely 14 points a game, largely due to their ability to either cut opposition drives short or force turnovers. They will face a team that can put points on the board in bunches. Memphis,led by Brett Favre, averaged nearly 26 points a game, good enough for 2nd in the league. They do it mostly through the air, where their deep receiver group of Robert Ferguson, Lee Evans, Sidney Rice, David Martin, and rookie Pierre Garçon can overwhelm defenses. They can run the ball too, though Cadillac Williams’s 1,049 yards are often undervalued. So, who wins out? There is one factor which is making us lean towards Tampa Bay in this game, and that is the ballhawking defense. If there is one downside to Brett Favre’s game, it is that he often tries to force balls into impossible spaces, trusting his arm to beat even flawless coverage. That can lead to some bad choices and some game-impacting interceptions. You do that against this Tampa Bay team and they will make you pay. OUR PICK: We see Tampa forcing at least one nasty error out of Favre and capitalizing on it to edge the Showboats and return to the USFL Championship for the first time since 1998. Bandits 28-24 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL Sunday, July 13 @ 5pm EDT Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA #4 Michigan Panthers (11-5) @ #2 Oakland Invaders (13-3) In the Western Final we have two teams that many did not expect to make it this far, despite very solid seasons. With all the hoopla about the Seattle Dragons and the Chicago Machine, it almost feels like Oakland and Michigan flew under the radar most of the year, which is crazy because these are two very balanced, very good teams. Oakland finished the year with a Top 10 offense (in both scoring and yardage) as well as a Top 10 defense. Michigan just missed the Top 10 in both, despite having one of the best rushing attacks and one of the better pass defenses in the league. So these are two very evenly matched, and very solid clubs. Why do they not get the respect some others do? We think it might be the QBs. Joey Harrington is still seen as a restoration project after being unceremoniously let go by Orlando and spending time on the bench with Oakland. Brian Griese, despite an outstanding 2007 campaign, still gets treated by folks outside of Michigan as a game manager, a player who got the start for the Panthers only because Drew Brees jumped ship. And yet, despite the naysayers, it is Harrington and Griese in the Western Finals. The rest of the teams are also solid, and we may see both teams try to establish the run, which has worked for them both. Both Michigan and Oakland use a platoon style, though Justin Fargas (1,197 yards) and Ricky Williams (1,411 yards) get the majority of the carries. Oakland likes to bring in Jerious Norwood to cap off drives in the red zone, evident in his league leading 12 touchdowns, while Michigan will often utilize Leon Washington in shotgun formations, or bring in Musa Smith from time to time. What that means is that both clubs can run the ball a lot without wearing down their lead backs, and we expect both will try to do just that. The defenses are also pretty evenly matched, so this game could come down to turnovers and missed opportunities. Oakland has a slight edge here, sitting at a +3 turnover differential, while Michigan was slightly in the red at -2. What that tells us is that either team could be the beneficiary or the victim of turnovers. Michigan committed 24 this year, Oakland only 13, so while the Panther D is a bit more aggressive, the offense is also a bit more careless. That could, in a tight game, be an advantage to the Invaders. OUR PICK: With two teams so evenly matched, we tend to lean on the home team to get an edge. So, we will trust in the Invaders to get 1-2 more big plays, possibly turnovers, to edge Michigan in this one. Invaders 21 Panthers 18.

Last week we predicted three of four Wild Card games would be won by the visiting, lower ranked team. Perhaps we were a bit ambitious in doing so, because in this week’s action three of four higher seed home teams proved victorious. That’s why they play the games, of course. Memphis, Washington, and Michigan hold court while Houston struggled to contain a very hot Seattle team. We will review it all, along with the first wave of league retirement announcements, which, perhaps significantly, do not include a certain injured QB, and talk about the early trade offers being made to Arizona for their star QB, this Week in the USFL. BALTIMORE 27 WASHINGTON 30 For the second week in a row we had a rough and tumble, high scoring affair between two rival clubs so close they can share an airport. Baltimore and Washington essentially gave us a continuation of their Week 16 clash that determined the site of the game. Rather than Week 16’s M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, this game was held in RFK, but the result was again a narrow Federals win, but it did not always look that way. The Federals dominated the first half, rushing out to a 20-0 lead at the break. With Kordell Stewart’s long runs shut down this week, they did it the old-fashioned way, a strong game from Deuce McCallister, and a defensive score. McCallister, who started the game with 87 yards in the first half, got the first TD on the board on a 7-yard run from the shotgun. Only 4 seconds later, after a touchback, the Feds got their second touchdown, when cornerback Ben Flowers guessed right on a hook route, jumped it and returned the ball untouched to the endzone for a pick-six. Down by 3 scores at the half, Tom Coughlin was incredibly calm (especially for him) as he delivered the halftime speech and adjustments. The cool, calm approach seemed to work. Baltimore came out on fire in the second half. Roethlisberger connected with Tory Holt for a TD on the first possession of the half and 7 plays later, Adam Archuleta returned the pick-six favor, snagging a tipped ball out of the air and returning it 35 yards for the score. The sudden turnaround left Washington with only a 6-point lead. They finished out the 3rd quarter with a Doug Pelfrey field goal to make it a more comfortable 9-point lead, but that too would not hold. Baltimore continued to dominate the second half, early in the 4th getting a field goal of their own to pull the Federals’ lead back down to 6, and then Stewart made his own bad throw (the first pick really being on receiver Eddie Kennison’s shoulders). Stewart forced a ball in to TE Derek Schouman, but did not account for LB A. J. Nicholson, who stepped in front of the ball and followed a convoy to the end zone for Baltimore’s 2nd defensive score. The Blitz, once down 20, were now on top 24-23 and the Federal faithful in RFK were in stunned silence. Baltimore would add another field goal on their next possession, and Washington was down 4 with 4:55 to go. Momentum seemed to have swung the wrong way for the home team, but they still had one shot left. The Federals took the ball at their 23 and began working. Once again they relied on their run game, and against Baltimore’s zones, the run was effective. McCallister would gain 23 yards on the drive, and help set up a couple of effective play action throws to Branch and FB Charles Massey. Massey would also get a chance to be the game’s hero with a rare carry. After a defensive PI on CB Ken Lucas put the ball at the 1, Baltimore keyed in on McCallister, stuffing him on first and goal. 2nd and goal came and Washington lined up in the I, but instead of giving the ball to Deuce, Stewart gave the quick handoff to Massey and the big fullback, who had only 8 carries all season, plowed his way between the guard and tackle and in for the score. Washington had retaken the lead with 1:17 left. Big Ben and the Blitz offense, down to only 1 timeout left, did their best to get in range for Martin Grammatica, but in the end, they asked their kicker to make a 55-yarder, and it was too much to ask. Washington survived and advanced. SEATTLE 27 HOUSTON 14 The one upset we got right and it was barely an upset. Houston was only a 1-point favorite at home by gameday, and most were expecting exactly what we got, a Seattle team that had won 10 of 12 down the stretch dispatched a Houston club that has had trouble producing consistent offense all season. David Boston, once again, was the star of the game, collecting 123 yards on only 3 catches as his deep ball skills were once again on display. Boston’ 48-yard scoring catch put Seattle up 27-7 late in the third, all but killing any hopes the Gamblers had of a comeback. Seattle, like Washington, had dominated the first half, building up a 17-0 lead on two Corey Dillon runs, and while Houston faired better in the second half, it was too little to catch up to the red hot Dragons. Byron Leftwich played longball, with only 14 pass attempts, but gaining 321 yards thanks to tosses like a 53-yarder to Stevens, his 48-yard score to Boston, and a 45-yarder to Nate Burleson. The bulk of the offensive plays were runs with either Dillon, Sproles or Kenny Watson, as the league’s trend towards more balance was clearly evident in this one. Houston tried to counter, and Shaun Alexander had a solid day with 95-yards, but the Gamblers could not turn drives into points. Dan Carptenter missed on two field goals, including a 27-yarder that had the entire stadium groaning. Matt Hasselbeck threw the ball more than Leftwich, but could not connect on deeper routes or find the scoring tosses needed. The result was a comfortable win by the visiting Dragons and a chance to move on to face Oakland next week. NEW ORLEANS 21 MEMPHIS 24 The rematch of New Orleans’s Week 15 one-point home win over Memphis was another hard-fought war of attrition between two division rivals who know each other well. Maybe it was home field advantage for the Showboats, or perhaps having a more experienced QB at the helm, but this time the Boats came out on top. Despite Cadillac Williams and Maurice Smith combining for only 38 yards on the day, Memphis was still able to use the threat of the run to force New Orleans out of nickels sets and into a standard defense. That allowed Favre more options in the passing game, and while both offensive TDs for Memphis were short runs by Smith and Williams, it was the passing game, and the defense that got Memphis the win. New Orleans scored first, a Matt Forte run on their opening drive, and at the half it was only 7-3, but a Fred Jackson TD early in the 3rd seemed to give the visiting Breakers a great position, up 14-3. Memphis would get the kickstarter in the form of a pick-6 from Tebucky Jones late in the 3rd, and, just like the Washington game, the pick-six proved pivotal. Perhaps a bit more cautious afterwards, New Orleans struggled in the 2nd half to put together drives. Memphis did not, and they scored twice in the 4th to flip the scoreboard and go up by 10 at 24-14. A late drive got New Orleans within 3, but when their onside kick with 23 seconds left failed, Favre and the Showboats could take the knee and celebrate a tough win, but a win nonetheless. DENVER 7 MICHIGAN 30 With Matt Leinart sidelined, it was clear that Denver would need a superlative defensive game and a huge contribution from Moore and Benson to advance on the road in Michigan. They got neither. The Gold’s HB duo were held to only 52 total yards rushing, and the defense struggled all day to contain Michigan’s offense. Brian Griese, whose 2008 numbers did not compare with his strong 2007 season, looked like he was in 2007 form, completing 14 of 21 for 212 yards and 2 scores, while HB Justin Fargas had a rare 100-yard game, averaging 5.1 yards per carry as he rushed for 107 on 21 carries. Michigan is trusting their run game more and more this year and that is producing more single coverage for Hines Ward and Laverneus Coles. In Sunday’s game, that coverage led to two Hines Ward TD’s as Michigan rolled to victory and set up a matchup with the Chicago Machine next week. Denver, undone by an unfortunate injury just weeks before the playoffs, was not able to play the game that had gotten them to 10-6, and would return home to evaluate what moves they wanted to make in the offseason. And so, with three favorites winning, it sets up the following Divisional matchups: Seattle @ Oakland, Michigan @ Chicago, Washington @ Tampa Bay, and Memphis @ Philadelphia. (A note on the Divisional round: Not sure why, but DraftDay Football 2021, the game used to simulate the USFL, seems to have issues distinguishing the #1 vs. #2 seeds. This is the second time it has misaligned the divisional rounds, with Seattle headed to #2 Oakland, when they should play #1 Chicago. Not much I can do about that, so we will just have to imagine that the USFL has some weird rule that would set up Seattle at Oakland instead of Chicago. Sorry, out of my control.) Retirement Announcements Begin With the first week of the postseason complete, we turn our attention to the pretty standard flurry of retirement announcements that follow the end of the regular season. We will go into more depth on the situation with Boston QB Drew Bledsoe below, but for now, all that needs to be said is that he was not among the retirees to announce this week. So who was? Two veteran QB’s who had taken on backup roles stepped away as former Texas and Chicago starter Jeff George and longtime Mauler and Blitz backup Alex Van Pelt have announced their retirements. George had come back after a pseudo-retirement to help Las Vegas when McNair went down, but never saw game action. Boston had two announcements, with center Bubba Miller and fullback Daimon Shelton both announcing. In Birmingham, LB John Mobley made the announcement. Expansion Charlotte saw both Chance McCarty and CB Tyrone Poole hang it up after one season with the club. Los Angeles kicker Steve Christie called it a career, as did center Gene McGuire. Several potential Hall of Fame nominees also declared this week, including Nashville CB Terrell Buckley, Orlando DT Pat Williams, and Portland OT Korey Stringer. Portland also lost WR Amani Toomer as the former Knight and Outlaw stepped away from the game after 12 seasons. The team hit hardest by a spate of retirements was Texas, who saw WR Alex Van Dyke, FS Travares Tillman, C Joe Zelenka, and DE Demetrius Underwood all declare this week, creating some significant gaps for Coach Turner and the front office to fill. Boston Hopes to Convince Bledsoe to Return The one announcement we all expected did not happen, that of QB Drew Bledsoe. Now, this is not unusual, as not every player declares in the first week of the offseason, but Bledsoe had gone into the 2008 season declaring it his farewell tour, so the delay is interesting. Stories out of Boston have Coach Fox speaking with Bledsoe about legacy, and how he may not want to have his injury shortened, and disappointing season with the Cannons as the final chapter of his pro story. Whether Fox’s conversations will have an impact on the 37-year-old QB remains to be seen, but fans of the Cannons who were saddened by the way Bledsoe’s season ended may still have some hope that the All-USFL quarterback may still have a swan song left in him. Of course, a return by Bledsoe means that once more Adrian McPherson is back on the bench. McPherson, a 3-year backup out of Syracuse, stepped in for Bledsoe this year and looked awfully good. He finished the year with a QBR of 98.6, which would have put him in the Top 5 among USFL QB’s had he had a larger portfolio. He threw for 12 TDs and only 3 picks in 7 games, topping 2,000 yards in half a season, a pace that would have had him right there with Brett Favre had he played 16 games. McPherson may well be the future of the Cannons at QB, but there is both sentimental and practical motivation behind having Bledsoe return one more time. We will see if either proves convincing as the injured QB looks ahead at a fall and winter of PT and decisions to be made. Interest in Orton Grows While Jake Plummer is clearly the QB story of the offseason, and plenty of attention will be paid to the rookie class of signal callers as well, Chicago backup Kyle Orton is also getting a lot of attention. The 3rd year QB out of Purdue stepped in midseason for the injured Brady Quinn and has also looked like a very viable starter for Chicago. His numbers may not be as gaudy as McPherson’s in Boston, but that could also be due to Chicago’s conservative approach. Orton threw for 1,635 yards and 10 touchdowns in his 7 starts, more than Brady Quinn had in both categories in his 9 starts this year. So does Chicago have a QB controversy, or, alternatively, do they have a valuable asset that could fetch a high trade value once Jake Plummer is off the table. With at least 7-8 teams hoping to find a new QB this offseason, the feeding frenzy for Plummer could easily lead to a secondary market for a player like Orton, who marketed himself well in Chicago’s strong season. If Chicago feels comfortable with Quinn’s recovery and with alternatives at QB2 on their roster, they could very well be open to offers for Orton, and there certainly will be teams who will give the Purdue product a long look. First Trade of the Season We have our first offseason trade (that did not take long at all), and, no, it is not Jake Plummer. Las Vegas, which, despite a solid defense in other areas, finished the year dead last with only 23 sacks on the season. Coach Glanville wanted to address that issue quickly, and was willing to give up some talent to do it, sending backup center Roberto Garza and a 4th rounder to Birmingham for DE Antwan Odom. Odom, who lines up opposite league leader Mike Rucker, had 11 sacks of his own in on of Birmingham’s only bright spots this year. The Stallions, in flux in so many ways, apparently could not pass up the player/pick combo that the Thunder offered. Las Vegas, which has a good amount of cap room, is likely not done and could be a very active player this offseason. Birmingham, who have a lot rebuilding to do, are now sitting on 10 picks in the 2009 open draft, including Orlando’s and New Jersey’s 3rd rounders and now Las Vegas’s 4th rounder. They need to get their New GM in place soon as it seems the Stallions will also have a very busy offseason. Looking ahead to 4 big divisional games, we take a peak at the injury situation for all 8 clubs. Here is what we see. MEM DE Reggie Torbor O, OT Clement D PHI DE Mathis Q, CB Ben Kelly P Losing Torbor in last week’s game will not be a help to Memphis, but if Robert Matthis cannot go for Philly, that could be an even bigger concern. MGN CB Greer IR, QB Stanton Q, CHI QB B Quinn IR No new injuries for either team, so this one will be about performance, not personnel. WSH TE Kellen Davis O, TE H Miller O, DE G Spires, D, G Arron Sears Q TBY LB Moreno IR, DT Glover D, DT Wyms P, WR Doering P Tampa put Zeke Moreno on IR this week. That could be big. If Chris Doering also cannot go, then Tampa is seriously hindered. Washington is down to 2 TE’s on the roster, but are more concerned about Greg Spires’s ankle right now. OAK WR D Jackson, P SEA LB G Miles IR Oakland is hoping that DeSean Jackson is a go on Sunday. His absence would impact both the offense and the return teams. Seattle found a way to cope without Miles last week, so we don’t see that as a major issue for them now. New Jersey To Bring Back Former Jets Coach It appears that the New Jersey Generals had a man in mind for their coaching vacancy, perhaps even before Romeo Crennel’s tenure officially ended. Only 8 days after Crennel’s last game as the Generals’ head coach, New Jersey held a press conference to announce a name very familiar to tri-state area football fans, former Philadelphia Eagle DB and New York Jets’ Head Coach Herm Edwards. Edwards had led the Jets from 2001 through 2005, taking the club to the playoffs three times. In 2006 he was “traded” to the Kansas City Chiefs but lasted only 1 season in Kansas City before stepping down. He returns to the NY area with a big task in front of him, to rebuild a team that won a title only 2 years ago, but which has fallen about as far and fast as any team in recent memory. Edwards’ first task will almost certainly be to find an OC who can help him either develop Kevin Kolb into a viable starter or bring in a new starter this offseason. The run game also needs work as rookie Ray Rice struggled to take on the lead role this year, splitting time with James Jackson. New Jersey was shut out twice this year, and failed to reach 10 points in 7 games. Their 10.0 PPG average was easily the worst in the league. Of course, Edwards, as a defensive minded coach will also want to address an aging defense that finished 25th in scoring and 22nd in yards allowed, but the offense is such a disaster that it will have to be a major focus for the former Eagles’ DB. Atlanta Requests Interviews with Coordinators The Atlanta Fire, moving on from inaugural coach Jay Gruden, have started their search for a new leader in earnest. During the bye week for both clubs, Atlanta interviewed DC Jim Tomsula of Philadelphia and OC Tom Ramsey of the Oakland Invaders. They are also hoping to speak with Memphis OC Turk Schonert, but will have to wait until the Showboats are done with postseason play. The fact that the Fire are speaking with both offensive and defensive coaches tells us that they are simply playing a Best-Man-Available game with the position. They could use help on both sides of the ball, of course, but when you look at their season it seems clear as well that offense should be the bigger concern. The Fire defense ranked 8th in the league in both points allowed and yardage, which is awfully good for a 5-11 squad. The issue for Atlanta was the passing offense. With rookie Darren McFadden, they rated 6th in the league in rushing, but were only 27th of 28 teams in passing. Swapping from David Garrard to Tyler Thigpen, then having Garrard return only to get hurt, was a bit of a clusterfudge for Fire. Atlanta absolutely has to figure out their QB situation this year, and that may cause them to lean to the offensive side of the ball. In fact, while they let both head coach Jay Gruden and OC Ken Zampese go, they have, as of now, retained the services of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, so it is very possible that working with Zimmer could be a condition for any new coach brought in. Arizona also spoke with Tomasula last week, but have been somewhat mum on other potential candidates. Birmingham, the 4th team with an open position, is apparently working on bringing in a GM first and then will begin the head coach search. Divisional playoffs are on tap. Here’s is our best guess at what to expect, but after a 2-2 record last week, maybe seek additional advice before putting down any money on this. #3 Memphis Showboats (10-6) @ #2 Philadelphia Stars (13-3) Saturday, July 5 @ 3pm EDT Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia This is a very interesting matchup. You have Brett Favre going against the top defense in the league. These two met in week 13 and the defenses clearly won out, with the Stars edging the Showboats 12-10 on 4 Mike Nugent Field Goals. We have to expect that both offenses will look better this week, with more on the line. Memphis will almost certainly focus on the passing game with Favre trying to connect with Robert Ferguson and Lee Evans to open up the Stars’ defense. Philadelphia will try to pressure Favre with Regan Upshaw on the edge, and on offense, expect a healthy rotation of 1,000 yard rusher, rookie Steve Slaton and undervalued change-of-pace back Michael Robinson. The key may actually be the play of veteran Kurt Warner. This has not been Warner’s best year, with a QB Rating of only 92.7, solid but not great, and a 17:10 TD:INT ratio. OUR PICK: We think that in front of a boisterous home crowd, Philly will get the best out of Warner, a playoff veteran, and that may be enough to edge Memphis again. We pick Philly 24-20. #4 Michigan Panthers (11-5) @ #1 Chicago Machine (13-3) Saturday, July 5 @ 8pm EDT Soldier Field, Chicago Nothing like a divisional rivalry in the playoffs. The Panthers split their series with Chicago this year, both teams winning on the road. Michigan got a 20-17 win in Week 8 and Chicago evened up the set with a 23-16 win in Week 13 at Ford Field. What does this tell us? It tells us these two teams are neck and neck, and that even a loud home advantage for Chicago may not be a deciding factor. What could be the deciding factor is how each team defends the run. Michigan has developed a legitimate run game this year, for the first time in a long time. Justin Fargas went over 1,000 yards and Michigan also likes to sprinkle in Leon Washington. The combo rushed for nearly 2,000 yards this year and provides great cover for Brian Griese to use play action. That strategy was practically invented by Chicago, which has been one of the league’s most consistent run-first offenses for years. Michael turner is the engine for the Machine, rushing for over 1,300 yards this year and making life easier for both Brady Quinn and now Kyle Orton. Orton will be under a lot of pressure in this game, so the more Chicago can run the better. OUR PICK: This will be a good one, likely a very close one, and a lot will come down to which team makes fewer mistakes. We see this as a very tough game to call, and when that is the case we side with the home team. Chicago 19-17. #4 Washington Federals (11-5) @ #1 Tampa Bay Bandits (14-2) Sunday, July 6 @ 1pm EDT Raymond James Stadium, Tampa These two teams did not meet this season, but they will this week in a classic clash of offense v. defense. Now, when we say that you might immediately think that this is going to be Washington’s defense against Tampa Bay’s offense, but you would be wrong. Washington finished the year with the #1 scoring offense in the league, thanks in large part to Kordell Stewart’s outstanding comeback year. Tampa Bay finished with the #1 scoring defense. We know, world is upside down, but so it is. The Bandits will try to balance their attack with Willis McGahee and a lot of short passes from Culpepper, while Washington will likely try to get Kordell Stewart on the outside of Tampa’s line and give him the option to run if needed. That has proven very effective this season. OUR PICK: As much as we are impressed with Stewart’s 2008 campaign, we are not going to go against the Bandits, at home, with 2 weeks to prep. Tampa Bay 23-20. #6 Seattle Dragons (10-6) @ #2 Oakland Invaders (13-3) Sunday, July 6 @ 5pm EDT Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland The final game of the week brings us another divisional rivalry, and one that has been very heated the past couple of years. Oakland beat Seattle by 14 in Week 1, but the Dragons got their revenge in Week 26, with a 26-7 beat down of the Invaders. The two return to Oakland for this game and we expect a very hotly contested game, perhaps a very chippy game. Seattle is strong on both sides of the ball, with the #3 scoring offense and the #5 scoring defense. Oakland counters with the #5 scoring offense and the #7 scoring defense. The key for us is that Oakland rushing attack, one averaging 128.5 yards per game. If they can get the ball rolling, and get both Ricky Williams and Jerious Norwood red zone carries, they can dominate, but if Seattle can contain them, then the Dragons have a real chance here to stay hot and advance one more round. OUR PICK: Seattle has proven to be a truly dynamic team over the past two months, while Oakland has been steady throughout the year. We are going to give the edge to the home team here, but we are not feeling very confident about it. Oakland 27-25.

Playoff Picture: Week 16 did not alter the playoff rankings, but did confirm both New Orleans and Seattle as the 6 seed in each conference. Here is the seeding as we prepare for Wild Card Weekend. EAST: 1-TBY (bye) 2-PHI (bye) 3-MEM 4-WSH 5-BAL 6-NOR WEST: 1-CHI (bye) 2-OAK (bye) 3-HOU 4-MGN 5-DEN 6-SEA

A big weekend with a lot of games that influenced the standings, playoff seeds, and the final two Wild Card berths, and yet, by the end of the weekend, nothing changed. The same 12 teams in the same order took on seeds 1-6 in each conference. No sudden shuffling, no collapse or surprise ending, at least not this week. But, that is not to say there was not drama over the course of the weekend. There was plenty of that, as you will see with our scoreboard roundup. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 34 BALTIMORE BLITZ 27 This was a very tough game to peg. Win or lose, both teams knew they would be facing off one week later in the Wild Card playoffs. The game would only decide which of the stadiums would host the game, RFK or M&T. Would both teams hold back, rest starters, or play all out to get that home field edge, an edge that is somewhat dulled because the two cities are so close to each other that you would have to expect a huge visitor contingent on hand no matter where the game was played. So, what did we get? Well, apparently both clubs went all in. The starters played the entire game, the teams fought back and forth the entire game, and Baltimore almost pulled off a stunning 4th quarter comeback, but in the end, the Federals held the advantage and held on to retain the #4 seed and the ability to play the rematch next week in the District. How did they do this? With a ton of old school Kordell Stewart showing up. The Washington QB looked like a 22-year-old out there, running the ball 8 times, including 3 scoring runs, one a 69-yarder that had the stadium erupting and another a 49-yarder that was almost equally as dramatic. Opposite him was Ben Roethlisberger, staying in the pocket, extending plays, and connecting for 3 TD tosses as Baltimore would not go away. After the two teams swapped field goals in their opening drives, Baltimore got the ball into the end zone first, scoring on a short pass from Big Ben to Marty Booker. Their lead would be short-lived as on the 2nd play of the next drive, Kordell Stewart faked out the entire Blitz defense, bootlegged left and had wide open field in front of him. As Blitz players found themselves out of position and with bad angles on Stewart, the veteran QB just kept sprinting towards the end zone. With his score the game was once again knotted up. On the very next drive, Stewart did it again, this time to the right and this time only 49 yards to paydirt, but the back-to-back drives showed the Blitz that their defensive plan had a major flaw, they simply did not account for Stewart as a rusher. They would remedy this in the 2nd half, but by then the damage had been done. Down 17-10, Baltimore had a good drive and tied the game back up at 17 when Big Ben hit Jacob Tamme on a play action toss from the 3. But, just as the half was ending, Washington drove the ball back into Baltimore territory, thanks in part to a 36-yard reception from Eddie Kennison and then a defensive pass interference called in the end zone. With the ball at the 1, they let Stewart plunge in on the keeper and the Federals’ QB put Tampa Bay up 24-17 at the break. The third quarter saw only a field goal from Doug Pelfry to help Washington extend the league to 10 points, but when Stewart connected again with Eddie Kennison, this time for 7 points, the Feds had a growing 17-point lead on the host Blitz. Baltimore would need to start throwing the ball more, taking it out of the hands of one of their chief weapons, HB Ron Dayne. Dayne, who finished the game with 107 yards on 18 carries, would have only 2 carries in the final period. Baltimore began their comeback effort with a short drive leading to a Martin Grammatica field goal at 8:49 left in the period. They kicked deep and the defense got them the ball back. This time they would not settle for another 3 points. In 7 plays they drove the ball to the Washington 17 and then Roethlisberger hit Harry Douglas for the score that got them back to within 7. But they would need an onside kick this time, with only 3:03 left to play. The onside kick failed to give the ball back to the Blitz, and they called on the defense to get it back as quickly as possible. The problem is, chasing both McCallister and Stewart all day had gassed the Blitz D, and in the final 3 minutes of action they simply could not stop the Washington run game. Stewart kept the ball twice, McCallister added his 14th through 17th carry, and Washington just kept running down the clock until, at last, the final second ticked off as both teams awaited a 2nd and 4 play. With the win, Washington retains 2nd place in the NE Division and the #4 seed. They will host the #5 seed Blitz in one week’s time, just 37 miles away at RFK Stadium. The end zones will look very different, but the mix of Fed and Blitz fans should make the stands look about the same. Will Washington be able to pull off two wins in two weeks, or will Baltimore take the rematch? Should be a good one. In order to present the final weekend of play as it happened, we will return to covering the games in the order in which they happened, beginning with the three noon games on Saturday and working our way to Denver’s showdown with Houston on Sunday night. St. Louis 18 Pittsburgh 13 A let down by the Maulers, who had a chance to reach .500, but gave up a win despite St. Louis not scoring an offensive touchdown in their finale. With Sage Rosenfels again at QB, St. Louis managed only 4 field goals, but were helped to the win by a poor throw from Cody Pickett that led to a William Gay pick-six, the score that would eventually prove the difference in this one. Atlanta 13 Boston 10 Adrian McPherson did not fare well in this game, going 14 of 29 and struggling to connect on third downs, not a great final impression to leave on the coaches as they go into the offseason thinking about the QB position. Both Atlanta and Boston are very likely among the 7-9 teams who may be trying to upgrade at the QB position this offseason, and this game is good evidence of why. Tampa Bay 24 Orlando 17 It was Brad Gradkowski going up against Matt Cassel in this one, not the game that most Bandit or Renegade fans expected at the beginning of the season. The star of the game was Willis McGahee, who returned from a week of rest with a strong 132-yard game, including a 41-yard run that helped set up the game winning score, a Roscoe Parrish TD catch. Orlando finishes a very disappointing 6-10 campaign, while Tampa Bay finishes a surprising 14-2 and prepares for a bye before hosting a divisional round game in 2 weeks. Seattle 45 Los Angeles 0 A truly ugly game between two teams with very different priorities. A win and Seattle would lock up a Wild Card, while LA was playing out the string and trying not to suffer any injuries. It showed as the Dragons simply had their way with the Express all game. It was 24-0 at the half thanks to TDs from Nate Burleson, David Boston, and Darren Sproles. Three picks by Seneca Wallace certainly did not help as Seattle made short work of the Express and now prepares for a road game in the Wild Card round. Portland 5 Las Vegas 24 With Seattle up big against LA, the Thunder knew that they likely were sitting out the playoffs, but they still played well all game to lock down the Stags and give the fans one last W for the year, their first winning season since moving from Portland. Marshawn Lynch had 111 yards in limited action (only 9 carries), including a 47-yard rumble that included one of the best straight arms you will ever see. Ohio 20 Oakland 23 The Glory, a preseason favorite for the league title, finish the year at 7-9 and out of playoff contention in what has to be one of the more surprising stories of the year. Oakland got 2 TDs from Jerious Norwood, giving him the rushing TD title this year despite being a substitute for Ricky Williams, who had more than double the carries. Chris Redman started for Ohio and struggled to avoid Oakland’s improved pass rush. BIRMINGHAM 20 MEMPHIS 33 Birmingham gave the Showboats a good game at Liberty Bowl Stadium, but in the end the Boats had more to fight for, knowing a win would lock them into the Southern Division title, regardless of the result in New Orleans. Brett Favre survived 5 sacks to throw for 324 yards and 2 scores, including a 78-yard haymaker to Lee Evans as the Showboats finish the year at 10-6 and will host a Wild Card game next week. NASHVILLE 7 NEW ORLEANS 17 The Breakers may not have captured the division, but their 5th straight win guaranteed them the #6 seed in the East, and a vast improvement over the 4-7 record they had a month ago. Fred Jackson rushed for 2 scores in split carries with rookie Matt Forte, and the defense held Jay Cutler to only 177 yards, which is still far better than the Knights’ rushing game did with Frank Gore still sidelined. Benjarvis Green-Ellis had 21 carries for a stunningly bad 4 total yards. For those keeping track, that is 0.2 yards per carry. JACKSONVILLE 20 CHARLOTTE 24 A good ending to a solid season for Charlotte as they equal Portland’s win total for the year and finish a very respectable 7-9 in their first season. Chris Weinke threw TDs to Brandon Marshall and TE Dan Carpenter, while the defense picked off Jake Delhomme two times to send Jacksonville to the same 7-9 record as the Monarchs would end with. NEW JERSEY 13 TEXAS 24 Romeo Crennel’s stint with New Jersey comes to an end with a whimper, not a bang, as the team Crennel led to a title in 2006 now finishes at 2-14 and very much in need of a full overhaul. Texas, improved to 6-10, but still has a lot of questions to ask of itself. The good news for Texas is that they seem to have a solid foundation with HB T. J. Duckett and rookie QB Joe Flacco. CHICAGO 17 ARIZONA 0 Not much drama in this one as Colt Brennan and the Wranglers could not do anything against Chicago’s defense. The Machine recorded 6 sacks of Brennan and 2 picks as ell on their way to an easy win and a shutout. Both Chicago touchdowns were defensive scores as Marlin Jackson ran back a pick and Victor Abiami turned a strip-sack into a score with a 6-yard runback. Chicago may want more from their offense in the playoffs, but they will have 2 weeks to prepare as they finish the season as the #1 seed in the West. PHILADELPHIA 10 MICHIGAN 6 Their playoff positions locked in, both clubs played quite a few backups and played very conservatively in this one. It was Drew Stanton for the Panthers against Jeff Smoker, the former Panther and current backup for Kurt Warner in Philly. Smoker got the lone TD of the game, a 28-yard toss to Reche Caldwell to give Philadelphia the win in a game both teams played far too cautiously for our taste. DENVER 9 HOUSTON 6 Another game that saw both teams playing conservatively and with both backups in the game. Matt Hasselbeck started for Houston but was pulled after only 3 drives in favor of Luke McCown. With the Gold revealing that Matt Leinart’s injury was a significant one, one keeping him out of the postseason, they started Derrick Anderson at QB. Neither team showed much with a lot of vanilla playcalls, and in the end Denver was one field goal better than Houston in a game that did not alter the playoff destinies of either team. The Biggest Stories of 2008 Rather than focus on Week 16, which, in all honesty was a bit of a letdown after a great season, we thought we would look back over the entire season and provide you with our take on the 8 biggest stories that came out of this year, understanding, of course, that more stories will certainly be told during the playoffs. But, from the regular season, these 8 developments had us all debating and discussing the USFL this spring and summer. 8. A Shift Towards Balance at Last? This is a subject we have not really delved into but a lot of people have noticed it, the disparity between the run and the pass seems to be shrinking. The USFL, always known as a wide open passing league, seems to be warming up to a strong run game, ironically just as the NFL seems to be opening up to a more spread, open passing game. What is our evidence? How about the fact that this season, how about the fact that only 3 wideouts this year were able to gain more yards than the 10th best halfback? Only Ochocinco, Holt, Boston, and Price had more than Antowain Smith’s 1,234 yards. Furthermore, we had only 17 1,000 yard receivers and 20 1,000 yard rushers this season. That in and of itself is amazing, heck, just having 20 backs top 1,000 yards is amazing all on its own. Looking at total yardage, only 5 of the top 10 passing teams made the postseason, but 7 of the top 10 rushing teams have playoff games yet to play. Stopping the run also seems to have been vital for team success. The of the top 5 rush defenses (New Orleans, Chicago, LA, Philadelphia, and Denver) only the Express are not a playoff team. Now, we are not saying that the passing game has seen its day, after all Brett Favre, Byron Leftwich, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning, the top 4 passing yardage guys in the league are all headed to the postseason, but what we are saying is the USFL is looking more and more like a good team, balance in what it can do. 7. New Orleans’s Hot Streak. This story may have emerged only in the past month or so, but it has become one of the best water cooler conversations around the league. After muddling to a 4-7 record by Week 11, a week that saw them lose by 12 to the LA Express, something started going right for New Orleans. They knocked off the New Jersey Generals in Week 12, not really unexpected, but then rattled off 4 more wins to end the season at a surprising 9-7. That included wins at Las Vegas and then home to Memphis and Nashville. During that span, the defense came alive, limiting all 5 opponents to 20 points or fewer and turning up the pressure. By season’s end their middling defense had moved up the table and they finished the year #10 overall, but #1 against the run, allowing only 83 yards per game. Add to this the success of Eli Manning and the interesting duo of Matt Forte and Fred Jackson, whose combined 1,522 yards helped the Breakers make that run to the postseason. Many fans are still somewhat dubious of the Breakers’ success, but they will get a chance to silence the doubters with their Wild Card game in Memphis this Sunday. If they win that, they may just make believers out of us all. 6. Seattle’s Turnaround. If New Orleans’s change of fate is sending ripples through the league, the Seattle turnaround from an 0-4 start to a 10-2 finish is a tidal wave. The 2007 Pacific Division champions looked like anything but a contender in the season’s first month, when they dropped games not only at Oakland and Las Vegas, two tough places to play, but also lost at home to expansion Portland and the Breakers. And yet, like New Orleans, once things clicked, they really clicked. Seattle, beginning with a Week 5 win at Birmingham, went on to win 6 in a row before dropping a game in Denver. Along the way, the Dragons improved on both sides of the ball, ending the year with the 2nd ranked offense for yardage (3rd for scoring) and the 5th ranked scoring defense. They will play at Houston this week, and it would not surprise anyone if they pulled off the road upset and kept moving on. Like we said, once they figured out what was wrong, they fixed it and have been rolling ever since. 5. Shutouts? In the USFL? The USFL is known for many things, but shut outs have never been one of them. Up until this year you could count the number of seasons with more than 1 shutout on one hand, and most seasons there was nary a one recorded. So what happened this year? In 2008 we have seen six shutouts along with another 26 games where the losing team failed to score a touchdown. Some point to the expansion over the past three seasons, spreading out offensive talent (apparently, they would say, there is more defensive talent out there to be spread). Others might point to rule changes that benefit the defense, while others look at some of the NFL raids of USFL free agency and wonder if the overall quality of player might have dipped. There are a lot of theories, which is what makes this such an interesting topic, but no clear sense of how to fix this and improve the overall competitive balance in the league. No one, from the Commissioner’s Office to the common fan wants to sit through too many games where one of the two teams is just not able to do anything. 4. The Year of the Rookie? This has been a particularly good year for rookie starters across the league. Running Back was the focus of our preseason preview edition, and that turned out to be a pretty good focus, but certainly not the only position where rookies found success. Joe Flacco had a solid first year as the only rookie to start for his club this season. Several receivers, including Donnie Avery and Early Doucet in New Orleans, Harry Douglas in Baltimore, James Hardy in Chicago, and Jordy Nelson in St. Louis, got significant snaps, and defenders like LA’s Keith Rivers and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie excelled in their first season. Others worthy of mention include LBs Jerod Mayo (CHA), Beau Bell (HOU), Dan Connor (PHI), and Xavier Adibi (WSH) also made big contributions. Early in what would become an injury-shortened season, Calais Campbell of Orlando was lighting up the league and quarterbacks as one of the league’s sack leaders. But in the end, it is the halfbacks who are getting most of our attention. Looking back on the backs taken in the 2008 Draft, we give you this breakdown of their carries, yards, and touchdowns. It is an impressive group, to say the least. 3. The Jake Plummer Sweepstakes. It’s always a bit of a shock when a starting QB, especially a long-term starter moves on. But when that QB won two MVP awards for the team in the same city as his college heyday, it is a huge deal. That is what we have with Jake Plummer demanding a trade from what he believes is a dysfunctional Arizona Wranglers club. That the club realized that trading Plummer was their best move is a sign that they are not totally dysfunctional. They will be able to cash in on Plummer, who could easily have another 5 years of quality play in him, even more if he lands with a team that can use him properly and protect him well. Problem is, the teams that have proven they can maximize a QB’s talent and protect that QB are very unlikely to be in the market. We have already reviewed our most likely candidates, and most of them are teams that have been floundering with poor QB play for quite some time, including all 4 teams that are currently looking for new coaches. Where Plummer ends up will be a huge story this offseason, and will have a domino effect as every club that does not land the Wrangler QB will need to have a solid Plan B. Depending on when the move is executed, that could be tricky. Regardless of the result, Plummer’s transition to a new team after 16 years in Phoenix (4 with ASU, 12 with the Wranglers) will be talked about all offseason. 2. The Underperformance of Boston, Orlando, and Ohio. We were all so confident this year in predicting Ohio, Boston, and Orlando as division champions. Enamored of their pedigree, their talent level, and their success in 2007. We fell head over heels for the idea of Randy Moss joining the trifecta of Collins, Galloway, and George in Ohio that there was plenty of talk of another 16-0 season. So what happened? That is tough to say. For Boston there were problems long before Drew Bledsoe went down to injury, and the Cannons actually seemed to play better with him on the IR. In Orlando, there was early success, and rookie Calais Campbell made a huge first impression, but the offense never got on track, and when Campbell went down the defense started to slide as well. And, quite frankly, what happened in Ohio, leading to a 7-9 season and no postseason, may be the toughest of the three to address. The word that keeps coming up is “age”. Kerry Collins just does not seem the same QB as in his MVP runs in the earlier part of the decade. Eddie George also seems a step slower, and Joey Galloway could be on the fringe of retirement. The Ohio offense should have been a juggernaut, but it was instead more of a clunky tugboat. Will one, two, or all three clubs rebound in 2009? It is very possible, perhaps most likely for Orlando, which has a younger core than the other two. All three clubs still have a lot of talent to bring to the table, but if this season shows anything it is that talent on paper and results on the field do not always go hand in hand. 1. The Surprising Dominance of the Tampa Bay Bandits There was no bigger shock this season than the sudden rise to dominance of the Tampa Bay Bandits. This was a club that finished 2007 in last place in the Southeast Division, with a 5-9 record and a 1-6 road record. They come out , edge Chicago in the opener, then lose 7-3 at Pittsburgh (admittedly in horrible gametime weather) but then roll on to 12 straight wins before resting a dinged up Daunte Culpepper in a late season loss to Jacksonville. This was just not supposed to be the story this year on the Gulf Coast. It was the beginning of a rebuild. They had lost Randy Moss to free agency, so the offense was expected to suffer. Many, including this reporter, called their receiving corps the worst in the league. And while the offense was not 1998 dynamic (they finished 12th in scoring and 10th in yardage), they found a new way to win, a way that we just did not think aligned with Tampa Bay football, a little thing called defense. The Bandits finished the year with the league’s best scoring defense, allowing a paltry 14.4 points per game. They did this despite being only 17th against the pass and 11th against the run. How is that possible? Well, a +18 turnover margin is a huge part of it. A league-best 100 tackles for loss is another, and a Top 3 stop rate on third down, that is how you do it. As always, the defense was led by Kevin Mitchell, whose 137 tackles were 40 more than the next Bandit. Jonathan Vilma and Zeke Moreno were also huge factors in the LB corps. Ten sacks from Derrick Harvey and another 7 from Derrrick Burgess made the D&D front as scary as the actual D&D was for evangelical parents in the 80’s. Then you add one of the best ball-hawking defensive backfields, with Samari Rolle leading the way with 6 picks, and you have a defense that stops drives, makes big plays, and puts your offense in a position to win. Can this formula take Tampa Bay all the way back to the Summer Bowl, just up the road in Jacksonville? Well, it appears that Zeke Moreno will miss at least one game, which could hurt, but otherwise the team is solid. If they can play their game, at their pace, and get the turnovers they have gotten all year, there is no reason not to pick them as a favorite. The Bandits may have surprised us all this year, but they will not be underestimated in the postseason. As we mentioned in our intro, with all of this week’s games, nothing actually changed in the standings. Seattle and New Orleans held onto the final Wild Card spots and Memphis locked up the Southern Division. So, we have our 12 playoff teams, and, to say the least, these are not the 12 that most people predicted, with Tampa Bay, Baltimore, New Orleans, Denver and Oakland all outperforming preseason expectations. So, what do we have next week, well, the Bandits, Stars, Machine, and Invaders get a week to heal and plan, while 8 teams battle in the Wild Card round. The matchups are possibly more interesting in the East, where both Wild Card games are divisional matches and rematches of games from the past 2 weeks, while out West we have two less common pairings. The weekend will start with a rematch of this week’s Game of the Week, just in a new setting. #5 seed Baltimore will now travel down the road to #4 seed Washington, hoping to flip the script from this week’s Federals’ win. The other Saturday Game pits the #6 seed Seattle Dragons, who no one wants to play, against the #3 seed Houston Gamblers. Expect the line on this one to be very close because of Seattle’s impressive 10-2 finish to the year after a 0-4 start. On Sunday we kick off at noon with a rematch from two weeks ago, when the Breakers edged the Showboats. This time the game will be in Memphis, and this time the loser of this divisional matchup will be headed home. The final game of the weekend has Michigan hosting a playoff game for the first time since 1996, more than a decade ago, as they host the Denver Gold in a #4 vs. #5 Wild Card matchup. Looking at the four Wild Card games, injuries absolutely could play a role in each. Let’s break it down. WSH SS Bob Sanders (Q), C Austin King (Q), LB Antonio Pierce (Pr) BAL FS David Trujillo (IR), WR Marty Booker (Out) , T Matt Hill (Q), DT Barry Cofield (Pr) If Bob Sanders cannot go, that definitely could open up the passing game for Baltimore, but if Matt Hill cannot go for the Blitz, that makes it tougher to defend the pocket to allow for a deep passing game. A bit of a chess game on that front between these two teams. HOU G Chris Naole (Out), LB Kevin Burnett (D), DE Jabari Issa (Q), LB Keith Brooking, (Pr) SEA LB Godfrey Miles (IR), CB Leodis McKelvin (Prob) Seattle is not only one of the hottest teams in the league, but one of the healthiest. Missing Godfrey Miles is not great, but Houston is also down one, maybe two starting linebackers. MEM T Anthony Clement (Out), LB Hannibal Navies (P), WR Sindey Rice (P) NOR CB Billy Austin (Out), LB Bradie James (P), DT Josh Shaw (P) A pretty healthy matchup, assuming all the probables turn into players on the field, but Anthony Clement being out of the lineup for Memphis could explain why Favre has been sacked more often the past few weeks. If the Breakers can get to Favre, they can cause him to make mistakes. MGN CB Donovan Greer (IR), QB D Stanton (Doub), C Jeff Faine (Prob) DEN QB Matt Leinart (Out), TE Greg Clark (Out), T Dustin Rykert (Q), G Travis Claridge (Q) All you have to do is look at the impact on Denver’s offense of their 4 injuries to realize that the Gold might be in some trouble. Not only their starting QB, but their primary tight end, and two offensive linemen are down. That is a real challenge for Coach Jauron to overcome. Black Monday Limited to 2 Teams With Romeo Crennel stepping down and Arizona letting Jim Fassel go mid-season, we had a feeling that Black Monday would not see a lot of announcements. Only two this year as Birmingham does pull the trigger on Coach Kent Austin after a dismal 2-14 first season and Atlanta decides to part ways with Jay Gruden after three seasons of diminishing returns. Neither dismissal is a huge shock. Birmingham brought Austin in attempting to salvage Jason Campbell in his contract year and to bring some innovative play calling down from the CFL. Neither occurred, and the Stallions suffered their worst season in team history. They will now start from scratch with a new GM, a new Head Coach, and very likely a new QB, since Campbell was allowed to hit free agency. Rumors have Birmingham looking for a coach with a winning track record and a flair for creativity. Will they step outside of the SEC and its coaching trees to get one? And will they sign a coach quickly or set up their GM with the offseason and then wait for the NFL season to end to snag a hot prospect from the fall league? As for Atlanta, a 7-7 inaugural season set up high expectations, but the Fire have dropped a game each subsequent year, down to 6-8 last year and 5-11 this season. That generally does not work for ownership, and that was what largely cost Jay Gruden his position. Not landing on a franchise QB in three seasons, paired with the more immediate success of 2008 expansion clubs Charlotte and Portland made it clear that the Fire needed a change. Our best guess for a new direction is that they will try to land a defensive-minded coach, but also invest in an up-and-coming OC to try to kickstart an offense around Darren McFadden and, quite possibly, if their hopes turn into realities, QB Matt Stafford out of Georgia. Surviving poor seasons this year were first-year Skyhawks coach Doug Williams, third year Texas coach Norv Turner, and 3rd year LA head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson was not in much risk, having helped LA to a Summer Bowl only 2 seasons ago, with two outstanding rookies on defense to build on, and with the excuse of their starting QB being lost for most of the season. Texas saw solid improvement from the early weeks until the final month, largely due to the learning curve for rookie QB Joe Flacco, while St. Louis is giving Doug Williams time to build a roster that matches his preferred style of play. Expect St. Louis to be a major player in the Jake Plummer sweepstakes as Coach Williams is clearly enamored of the idea of bringing in the 2-time league MVP. League & Union Still at an Impasse A concerning bit of news coming out of New York, that while the league office has managed to come to a new understanding with their counterparts in the NFL regarding the transfer window, that agreement has perhaps worsened, not bettered, the relationships between both leagues and their respective unions. The new agreement very likely decreases the market for inter-league signings as both windows now fall squarely during the early season of each league, meaning that players would need to give up several potential paychecks, and risk remaining unsigned for 18 months or more if they don’t get a solid offer from the rival league after failing to sign in time to start the season with their current league. Add to this that as the story of the inter-league negotiations developed, more and more financial information from both leagues was made public, and that information showed that the players in both leagues not only benefited from the inter-league transfers, with salaries going up consistently, but that both leagues had grown at a rate that made the last CBA with the players all but obsolete. Based on lower revenue numbers the prior CBA between the USFL and the USFLPA, for example, meant that while the players were initially earning about 50% of all league revenue within the salary cap and contract framework in existence, by the current year, that number had dipped to only 43% and could potentially dip even further if a new agreement does not address salaries as a percentage of revenue directly. The dual issues of mobility and salary structure, including the salary cap as a floating number tied to revenue from recent years, is very much at the heart of the position the USFLPA is taking, demanding a greater seat at the table when it comes to inter-league discussions, and a greater cut of the league’s growing revenue stream. The NFLPA has similar demands, of course, but the CBA in the fall league has allowed greater correlation between revenue and salary cap adjustments, so the players there still receive about 52% of all revenue as salaries, despite the growing revenue available to the league. Expect that point, along with the limiting structure of the new transfer windows, to be the two big sticking points this fall. What we have to worry about is that a new deal will not be in place by January, which could produce an offseason “stoppage” or even a delay to training camps in February. Let us hope it does not come to that. For now, with meetings scheduled in both September and October, there is hope that a deal can be cut that allows the league’s owners to still see profitability while also providing players with the negotiating power the transfer window had given them and a fair cut of the league’s revenue. Here we go, playoff football is here and we kick it off with four intriguing Wild Card games. We have rematches, division rivals, Cinderella stories and teams hot at the right time. Should be 2 days of must watch TV, and for those who can get to Ford Field, RFK, the Liberty Bowl or NRG Stadium, get out there and get ready for some midsummer playoff football. #5 Baltimore Blitz (10-6) @ #4 Washington Federals (11-5) Saturday, June 28 @ 3pm EDT RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. Back to back matchups between two teams are rare in football, but sometimes we do see a divisional season ender paired with a Wild Card matchup of the same teams, and that is what we have here. Washington edged Baltimore to win the right to host this game, but that game was so close that there is no way to be sure that the Feds have the edge. We feel pretty confident that Baltimore is going to adjust their defense to account for Kordell Stewart’s legs after he ran for 2 long TDs last week. But what will both clubs do differently? That is the key to this game, surprising an opponent who knows you well. Our suggestion to Washington, use McCallister more as a receiver. He had only 1 catch in Week 16. For Baltimore, more 2 TE formations with Gates and Tamme. Both can catch the ball, and having a bigger base lineup means more blocking for Ron Dayne. OUR PICK: A tough call as these are two very evenly matched teams. The Federals barely won both regular season matchups, and you know what they say about facing the same team 3 times, so we are going to go out on a limb and pick the upset (a 2-point upset) by going with the up and coming Blitz. #6 Seattle Dragons (10-6) @ #3 Houston Gamblers (11-5) Saturday, June 28 @ 8pm EDT NRG Stadium, Houston Seattle’s 23-20 win at Houston in Week 5 was one of the early indicators that the Dragons were turning their season around after an 0-4 start. They would go on to win 10 of 12 games and come into the Wild Card round after having just demolished LA 45-0. Houston finished with a more troubling 9-6 loss to Denver in Week 16, a game that snapped a nice 5-week run of victories. The Gamblers will have a clear home field advantage, though playing in a dome means that Houston’s heat and humidity will not be a factor. Seattle is higher ranked on both offense (3rd vs. 8th) and defense (5th vs. 9th) but Houston is a better pressure team, meaning they can get to the QB and force mistakes. OUR PICK: If this game is played in the teens, that seems to favor Houston, but if the score starts to rise, we think Seattle gets the W on the road. Our best guess is that this game ends up in the high 20’s, with the Dragons staying hot and moving on. #6 New Orleans Breakers (9-7) @ #3 Memphis Showboats (10-6) Sunday, June 29 @ 1 pm EDT Liberty Bowl Stadium, Memphis These two division rivals played just 2 weeks ago, with the Breakers edging the Showboats 21-20. Earlier in the year, Week 1 to be exact, it was Memphis winning 26-20, but that feels like a long time ago. Statistically the Showboats should have this one. They have the #2 offense in the league with a likely MVP finalist in Brett Favre leading the way, and their defense is solid against the run, making New Orleans a bit more one dimensional. But the Breakers are on a 5-game winning streak, and in that time they have shown a great deal of maturation and focus. Their rankings are not great, though they do have the #1 run defense in the league, which could be a great advantage, but what we like about New Orleans is their focus. OUR PICK: We are going for the upset here. Brett Favre does have a tendency to make some unforced errors (ie. picks), and with Memphis being the defending league champion, we are not sure their fire for another trophy is as fierce as that of the Breakers, who have never won a title. #5 Denver Gold (10-6) @ #4 Michigan Panthers (11-5) Sunday, June 29 @ 5pm EDT Ford Field, Detroit This may be the toughest of the 4 games to figure out, but finding out that Matt Leinart is out does have us leaning more heavily towards the Panthers. The Panthers have lost 3 of their last 4 as they head into the postseason, with a 30-7 crushing by the Pittsburgh Maulers bothering us quite a bit. They need to rediscover their focus, a focus that had them atop the Central for much of the year, and they need to maintain offensive balance, mixing the run in to ensure that Brian Griese does not get too much pressure. Without Leinart, Denver is absolutely diminished. They will have to use Mewelde Moore and Cedric Benson well to provide offense, because we are not sure Derrick Anderson is ready to carry the load on offense. The defense is very solid, and could be the key to a Denver upset here. OUR PICK: As much as Michigan has been struggling over the past month, we think the injury to Leinart is reason enough to expect Denver to struggle. The Panthers have more going for them, so we opt to pick the favorite here.

Playoff Picture: Ten of twelve spaces are now claimed, though we still have many divisional races still happening. Tampa Bay has clinched the SE Division and the #1 seed in the East. Chicago and Oakland have locked up the Central and pacific Divisions, but either one could still claim the #1 seed. Houston has also locked up the SW Division and Philadelphia has locked in the NE Division. Only Memphis could face a challenge from the Breakers, winners of 4 in a row. New Orleans and Seattle currently hold the edge for the final two playoff spots but both have challengers. Jacksonville and Boston have some complicated formulas to oust New Orleans if they lose next week. The same is true for Las Vegas and Seattle.