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--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.

The New Orleans Breakers are making a run. Their win over Memphis this week is their 4th in a row and has them 1 game behind the Showboats with a chance to catch them and steal the Southern Division next week. Chicago and Houston played an epic overtime game, Seattle had the fire going against the Invaders, and Charlotte crushed any hope Ohio had of a late run for a Wild Card. It was a wild week across the league, with Birmingham and Pittsburgh both landing major upsets while LA saw the return of Seneca Wallace under center. A wild week, with only 1 left in the regular season. No time to waste. To the recaps!! MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 20 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 21 Was it really only a month ago that the Memphis Showboats had a 3-game lead on Nashville and New Orleans was sitting at 4-7? Well, don’t look now, but the Breakers have won 4 in a row, and Memphis has dropped 3 of 4, nearly completely losing their lead. It now stands at only 1 game over the Breakers and with the win this week, New Orleans is in position to snag the division if Memphis cannot get a win next week. How did this happen? The first thing we have to recognize is that New Orleans has found themselves. Yes, two of their wins in the past 4 weeks were against New Jersey and Birmingham, but they now have also knocked off Las Vegas and Memphis, so this team is not a fluke of scheduling. The Breakers have improved their defense, moving up to #4 in the league for yards allowed, and Eli Manning is leading a Top 10 passing offense with his young receiving corps. Matt Forte is on the verge of 1,000 yards (he needs 72 in the final week) and the young receiving corps of Bowe, Doucet, Pathon, and Avery are providing their QB with a lot of targets. In this game, all phases of the Breakers had to be on their game to get the W. The defense held Memphis to only 9 first downs and an 0-for-9 record on third down. The offense survived 3 turnovers thanks to a 21 of 31 day for Manning and a 4.1 yard per carry day for Forte. And just because you see 21 points on the New Orleans scoreboard, don’t assume it was 3 good TD drives. How about 4 field goals, a safety, and a Manning to Bowe TD pass? That is one way to end up at 21-20. Memphis struggled all game, as they have recently, to protect Favre, who was sacked 5 times by the Breakers. The 3-time MVP completed only 11 of 27 passes, and while that was enough to get them a 20-18 lead with 10 minutes left in the game, it was not good enough to come back after once last David Greene kick gave the Breakers a 1-point lead. Down 21-20 with 5:39 left, Memphis had time to get that needed field goal, but on two different possessions, New Orleans held them short of the 50. The first time the Showboats opted to punt, but with time running low on their second possession, they were forced to go for it on 4th an 11, and when Ahmed Plummer disrupted a pass to Pierre Garçon, it was over for the Showboats, who stumble for a 3rd time in 4 weeks. Memphis will be at home next week against 2-13 Birmingham, and a win will still nab them the division and the #3 seed, but a loss and they have to hope that Nashville, their arch rival, can give them the division by upsetting the Breakers in New Orleans. If not, the Breakers could claim the division and send Memphis to a road game in the Wild Card round. WASHINGTON 28 BOSTON 32 A wild game in Beantown as Adrian McPherson again looked like the real deal, throwing for 286 yards and 2 scores despite being sacked 6 times by an aggressive Federal defense. Washington had their shots as well, with Deuce McCallister running wild for 150 yards and 3 scores. The Feds had the lead early in the 4th, but a late McPherson TD toss to Joe Jurevicius put Boston up for good, spoiling any hopes Washington had to catch Philadelphia for the division. JACKSONVILLE 24 TAMPA BAY 17 Tampa Bay saw Daunte Culpepper back under center, but as expected Coach Spurrier rested several starters, including Willis McGahee, who had only 2 carries in the game. Jacksonville took advantage, using Antowain Smith’s 126 yards to upend the Bandits, who have nothing to lose after locking up the #1 seed. Expect to see Culpepper in a baseball cap next week, as Spurrier rotates players to rest before the bye week. HOUSTON 33 CHICAGO 30 OVERTIME A wild one in Soldier Field between two serous contenders in the West. Houston came back from an early deficit to take a 30-20 lead early in the 4th, but Chicago bounced back, with Kyle Orton connecting on 3 TD passes in the game and Tim Seder connecting on a 52-yard kick to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, Shaun Alexander took advantage of a tired Machine D to help put Houston in position to win. Dan Carpenter’s kick went in, and since Chicago had possessed the ball first in overtime, that kick gave the W to the visitors. OAKLAND 7 SEATTLE 26 Seattle, still battling for a wild card berth, had more energy and more focus in this one. While they allowed 124 yards to Ricky Williams, they kept Oakland out of scoring range most of the game and built up a 23 point run in the second half to take this game going away. Byron Leftwich only completed 9 of 20 passing, but a solid run game with Dillon and Sproles helped power the Dragons to their 9th win. ARIZONA 3 LAS VEGAS 24 The Wrangler caught some flack for benching Jake Plummer, an apparent move to protect the valuable trade commodity during the final weeks of a lost season. That decision helped Las Vegas stay competitive for the final Western wild card, easily beating the Colt Brennan-led Wranglers. Arizona was held to 6 first downs and 140 total yards by the Thunder defense, while Marshawn Lynch and Earnest Graham combined for 121 yards in the win. CHARLOTTE 10 OHIO 6 Thunderstorms disrupted the game in Columbus and created a swampy turf for this game, but the Monarchs did not mind the slow field at all. With Kerry Collins dealing with a sore shoulder from a collision in practice on Tuesday, Chris Redman got the start for Ohio. That and the rain helped Charlotte contain the Ohio offense and sneak away with a 1-point win. TEXAS 20 DENVER 13 A surprise in Denver as the Gold looked out of synch against an improving Texas squad. It did not help that Matt Leinart was knocked out midway through the game, but Texas also put together a solid game, with Joe Flacco throwing for 2 scores and the Outlaw defense holding Denver to only 3 third down conversions in 14 attempts. PITTSBURGH 30 MICHIGAN 7 Another home upset as the Maulers came into Ford Field and shocked the Panthers. Brian Griese was picked off twice while Cody Pickett looked good with a 23/33 day and 2 scoring tosses. WR Vince Jackson had his best game of the year, catching 9 passes for 114 yards and a score. The Mauler D also did their part, causing Michigan to go 0-for-7 on third down and commit 3 turnovers in a sloppy game for a playoff-bound team. BIRMINGHAM 20 NASHVILLE 13 It seems clear that Nashville’s fall from playoff contention has let all the air out of the tires. Birmingham got 112 yards and a score out of rookie Felix Jones, but this game was all about the mistakes and lack of focus for the Knights, especially on offense, an offense without Frank Gore in the backfield. Leon Johnson did alright, rushing for 103 on the day, but the whole team was just flat. ORLANDO 23 ATLANTA 10 Orlando went down to their 3rd QB of the season when Matt Cassel was knocked out of the game, but still managed to outplay the Tyler Thigpen-led Fire. Marion Barber, Jacob Hester, and Najeh Davenport combined for 129 yards rushing to help power Orlando to a 2-score win. BALTIMORE 36 NEW JERSEY 3 This season cannot end fast enough for New Jersey as they are held below 10 points for the 3rd week in a row and the 7th time this year. This one was over by the half, where Baltimore held a 26-0 lead. Alex Van Pelt even got some snaps in the 4th it was so bad. Ron Dayne got back into the Top 5 rushers with a strong 115-yard day and Ben Roethlisberger connected for scores with Dayne and Tory Holt in this laughable game. PORTLAND 15 PHILADELPHIA 22 The Portland playoff hopes withered as Philly held court at home with a solid defensive performance that limited the Stags to only 151 total yards. While the Stags struggled, Kurt Warner and the Stars offense looked to be in rhythm, with the veteran QB throwing 3 touchdowns and connecting on 24 of 28 attempts. LOS ANGELES 27 ST. LOUIS 8 Seneca Wallace returned under center and sparked one of LA’s better offensive showings of the year. It helped that Jones-Drew and Betts combined for 140 yards rushing, and that the defense had no difficulty containing Sage Rosenfels, who got a surprise start for the Skyhawks. New Orleans Making Late Run at Southern Title What the Breakers are doing down the stretch is one of the better stories of the year around the league. From 4-7 to 8-7 in four weeks and quite possibly saving Mike Nolan’s job in the process. If the Breakers knock off Nashville next week and get a little help from Birmingham, they could actually finish the season at 9-7 and sitting atop the Southern Division, something that seemed entirely implausible a month ago. At the center of the Breakers’ late season success is Eli Manning, who seems to be finally paying off on the potential everyone saw at Ole Miss. During the streak, Manning has thrown for over 900 yards and has avoided turnovers, with only 2 picks in his last 4 games. His success has opened lanes for Matt Forte, who has over 300 yards in the 4-game streak, and the defense is also doing its part. Unheralded DE Corey Sears is in double digits for sacks and DT John Thornton is putting up numbers you almost never see from an interior lineman, leading the team with 88 tackles, just ahead of linebackers Bradie James and Daryl Smith. There is little flash to this team, and they are still very young, but they have found a way to win, and found it just in time to make a dramatic run from obscurity into a position where they control their own destiny. A win next week and they are in the postseason, possibly as a division champion. End of Year Benchings Anger Fans Look, we get it. Your team is not going anywhere this postseason. Your coach could well be headed out the door, and the owners want you to test out some of the young players and protect the high cost ones on your roster. But as a fan of a USFL team in that position, it is no fun to go to a game and see the team’s biggest stars sitting out with 2 weeks to go. That is exactly what happened this week as Arizona kept Jake Plummer out of their game in Las Vegas, as St. Louis protected Jeff Blake by starting Sage Rosenfels, and as Orlando opted not to bring Calais Campbell back to the active roster, despite an apparent clean bill of health. Expect even more of the same next week, when we can certainly expect Tampa Bay, and very possibly Philadelphia, Denver, Baltimore ,Washington, and Houston to rest some stars ahead of the playoffs. Likewise, don’t be surprised if the Stallions, Generals, Wranglers, Outlaws, Skyhawks, and Fire also try to protect players in what will be a meaningless game for them. They will scout out some of the 3rd stringers, give limited reps to the starters, and prepare for next year. Nothing you can do about it. It is a part of the game, and from a competitive standpoint it is not great for the fans, but it makes sense at the same time. So, as we look at Week 16, we will almost certainly find ourselves focusing on the teams and the games featuring teams that need that W, to lock up a division, to snag a Wild Card, or even just to finish at 8-8 instead of 7-9. Week 16 League Leader Races Along with playoff spots, there are, as always, a few statistical races as players try to finish #1 in a variety of statistical categories. Brett Favre has a healthy 500 yard lead among passers with Byron Leftwich too far back to catch up now, but Favre currently trails Kerry Collins with 27 TD’s to Collins’s 28, and if Collins is out again, Favre could finish the year with all 3 top passing categories: yards, TDs and QB Rating. The rushing title is Deuce McCallister’s to lose, with a hefty 95 yard lead over T. J. Duckett. We don’t see this one changing hands in Week 16. The same is not true for receptions, where Las Vegas’s Matthew Hatchette has all but guaranteed that he will make up the small difference separating him from league leader Peerless Price’s 108 catches. Chad Ochocinco has no worries about his lead in yardage, a solid 290 yard advantage over Tory Holt. On defense, the big race is for sacks, as it usually is. Chicago’s Anthony Weaver and Birmingham’s Mike Rucker are both tied at 18 apiece, and don’t forget the 3 players sitting at 17. If Jason Babin, Kavika Pittman, or Santana Moss can have a big game, they could leapfrog Weaver and Rucker. Finally, we have 4 DB’s sitting at 6 picks for the year, one behind league leader Jamar Fletcher. If Ed Reed, Patrick Surtain, Samari Rolle or Mike Doss can get 2 picks this week, they too could end up in 1st place. A lot to watch, even if not every game has deep playoff impact. Several races to discuss, several outcomes to monitor in Week 16. Let’s get to the big ones. Memphis can win the Southern Division with a victory against Birmingham. If they do, they are still locked into the #3 slot, meaning a home playoff game against the #6 seed the week after. New Orleans can lock up the #6 seed with a win against Nashville, and possibly jump to #3 if the Stallions upset Memphis. That is the difference between a home Wild Card game and a road one. And what is ironic is that as long as both qualify, the Showboats and Breakers would absolutely meet each other in the Wild Card round, either in Memphis or in the Super Dome. IF New Orleans falters against Nashville, believe it or not the Bulls could actually leapfrog over them on a tie breaker. A loss would make New Orleans 6-6 in the conference. A win by Jacksonville over Charlotte and the Bulls would be 8-6 in the conference, so the edge goes to the Bulls. After the world already attended Jacksonville’s funeral, it would be odd to discover that they are still alive. Boston, despite an equal 7-8 record, cannot catch either team, due to a poor 4-7 conference record. In the West, Seattle can lock up the 6th playoff spot with a win in LA next week or with a Las Vegas loss. A win plus a Denver loss and the Dragons are the #5 seed, not that it matters much, both #5 and #6 will be on the road in the Wild Card round. Now, if Seattle stumbles and the Thunder win at home against the Stags, then, by virtue of the two splitting their 2 meetings, Las Vegas would have the better divisional record and would sneak into that 6th spot. Those are the games and outcomes to monitor this week. While on paper the matchup between Philadelphia and Michigan looks intriguing, we expect both teams to rest players and look vanilla in this one. Denver could also benefit from Houston resting some players ahead of their Wild Card game. We could also see a half-hearted game between the Federals and Blitz, although, by all calculations, the winner of that game will be the host of the Wild Card game between the two the very next week, so there is some incentive to get the W. Some very dicey injuries this week, injuries that very well could linger into the postseason, but, of course, teams are being a bit elusive about the actual status of players just one week before the playoffs. There are several players listed as “Doubtful” this week who we believe could actually be out for several weeks, but no team wants to reveal their hand this early. Among the most concerning injuries are those of QB Matt Leinart in Denver (shoulder), linebacker Zeke Moreno for the Bandits, and DE Robert Mathis in Philadelphia. These three teams are saying that the players are out for Week 16 but do not want to speak to their availability for the playoffs. Others who will miss the season finale for their teams include QB Kerry Collins (shoulder), WR Justin McCaerins (Achilles), LA wideout Keyshawn Johnson (knee), Federals SS Bob Sanders (finger), Houston WR Roy Williams (scratched cornea), and Oakland WR DeSean Jackson (concussion), though the last 3 are expected back in time for their team’s playoff runs. Romeo Crenell Will Step Down After Week 16 A little bit of a Black Monday preemptive move as Coach Romeo Crennell of the 2-13 Generals has announced that he will step down from his position after Week 16’s season ender. Crennell took over the Generals from Bill Parcells after the 2005 season and immediately took the Generals to a league title. But, since then the Generals, having lost Tom Brady to the NFL, have spiraled from a contender to one of the weakest teams in the league. A lot of blame is pointed at the front office and the GM, but Crennell has also taken his share of abuse. Rather than wait for the pink slip to come for him, Crennell cited philosophical differences as a reason to step down from the Generals’ job, hoping perhaps that he can catch on somewhere else. He has an impeccable resume as a defensive coordinator, but could also land as a head coach if a team believes that the myriad of issues in New Jersey were more structural and personnel related than coach-induced. We will see, but for now the New Jersey position becomes the second after Arizona’s open spot as the offseason coaching carousel starts spinning a bit early. Stallions Won’t Make Statement on Austin’s Future While the coaching situations in New Jersey and Arizona are now understood, Birmingham remains a mystery. Team officials have not been particularly chatty with the press about the situation after what can only be described as a disastrous season from CFL import Kent Austin. Birmingham, sitting at 2-13, is staring at the club’s worst season ever (2-12 in 2005 currently holds that mark). The team has not had a winning season since 2003 and has had 10 or more wins 3 times in the past 4 years. The hope had been that last season’s 5-9 mark would be the low water mark and that Austin’s arrival would herald a new beginning and an uptick in team fortunes, but at least in his first year that has not been evident. With most in the organization acknowledging that the roster simply needs to be better, the biggest concern is that Austin does not seem to have been able to get strong efforts from the players he has. In several games the Stallions have seemed flat, disorganized, and sloppy. Austin has also not been able to commit to a quarterback, beginning the year with Jason Campbell as the starter, then switching to another CFL import, Dave Dickenson, and now, finishing the year with Anthony Wright at the helm. Campbell is likely to become a free agent as his rookie contract expires after Week 16, and the Stallions will almost certainly be a major player in the Jake Plummer sweepstakes, but will that be enough to allow Austin a 2nd year at the helm, or will concerns about his lack of offensive innovation, something expected from the CFL game, and defensive cohesion lead to him becoming only the 3rd one-and-done head coach in league history? Free Agent Roundup We mentioned that Jason Campbell is almost certainly joining the Free Agent pool in a week. With only 7 days left until 16 of 28 teams will see unsigned players hitting the free agent pool, we thought a quick roundup of the talent that is potentially available this offseason would be a worthy endeavor. Do keep in mind that all teams have 1 week left to come to a deal with any of these players, and that playoff teams get an extension as long as they keep winning, so there will be some names here who do not finally hit the market. But, for now, this is the pool we think teams can start planning for, presented position or group by group. Defensive Back: A solid group including cornerbacks Michael Booker (BIR), James Trapp (POR), Terrell Buckley (NSH), Ray Mickens (SEA) and Ken Irvin (BIR), as well as safeties Eric Weddle (CHI), Corey Hall (BOS), Lawyer Milloy (TEX0 and Ketith Lyle (JAX). It must be said that there is a very good chance that both Buckley and Milloy will consider retirement, thinning the pool a bit, but still some good options here. Linebacker: Again, retirement could significantly thin this group as three of the top names (Godfrey Miles of Seattle, Kevin Mitchell of Tampa Bay, and Michael Barrow of Nashville) are all 34 years old or older. Beyond that trio we have more late-career talent in Al Wilson (ORL), DeWayne Dotson (NOR), Dwayne Rudd (PIT), and Roman Pfifer (BOS). If you want younger talent at the position, the top prospects are likely A. J. Nicholson (BAL), Jeff Ulbrich (CHA), and Will Witherspoon (POR). Defensive Tackle: The top name here is likely Arizona’s Jason Peter, though LA’s Igor Olshansky and St. Louis’s Pat Riley are also solid names. A player to watch may be Tampa Bay DT Ellis Wyms, who has really come on this year. Defensive End: Without a doubt, St. Louis’s Santana Dotson (with 16 sacks this season) is the name to watch. If he does not resign this week, and if the 36-year old does not retire, he will almost certainly be the highest paid of the free agent edge rushers. After Dotson there is a dip, though you can get good quality if Orlando’s Israel Ifeanyi, New Orleans’s Corey Sears, or St. Louis’s Eddie Freeman all hit the market. Offensive Tackle: A pretty deep group, which is a bit surprising considering the importance of the position. You have Memphis LT Anthony Clement, Portland’s 36-year old Korey Stringer, LA’s Kenyatta Jones, and Boston’s Stockar McDougle, all of whom could demand top dollar. Astute readers may notice we did not list Lomas Brown of Seattle in this group. It is expected, though not official yet, that the veteran LT will retire after this season. Interior Line: Not quite as deep as the tackle position, but some names to watch include guards Chris Villarial (MGN0, Jeb Terry (NSH), Bill Ferrario (OHI) and Jamie Nails (BOS), as well as centers Jeremy Newberry (NJ), Gene McGuire (LA), and Aaron Graham (CHA). Tight End: Atlanta does not seem to be able to reach a deal with Jim Kliensasser, making him the top pick in this group that also includes Johnny Mitchell, roland Williams, Matt Cushing, and Ricky Dudley. Other than blocking TE Bob Slowikowski, this entire group is over 30, so we are not talking about a 10-year fill-in, more like 3-4 at most. Wide Receiver: Always a deep pool, simply due to the number of wideouts on each roster. Other than Texas WR Muhsin Muhammad, who could be a retirement prospect, this is largely a younger group, with several players like Javon Walker (JAX), Kassim Osgood (NJ), Ted Ginn Jr (BAL), Ben Obomanu (BIR), Santonio Holmes (OHI) and Jabar Gaffney (ORL) all still in their 20’s. James Thrash and Tim Dwight round out the top of the pool, both early enough in their 30’s that a 3-4 year deal seems reasonable. Running Back: Before getting to the halfbacks, we have to say that the very much undervalued position of fullback is rich in this year’s group, with Obafemi Ayanbadejo, Deon Dyer, Theron Wilson, and Jerold Sewell leading a good group. At halfback, you will not find a stand-alone 1,000 yard rusher, but depending on your needs, there is help here. Want a 3rd down back with good ball skills? How about Kevin Faulk (HOU), Leon Johnson (NSH), or Musa Smith (MGN). Need a short yardage back? There is Ladell Betts (LA), Kenny Watson (SEA), and Reno Mahe (CHI), and for overall fill-in backup, the best of the pool is Rod Smart (ATL), with Correll Buckhalter and Julius Jones still options as well. Quarterback: Perhaps the weakest group in the pool, with Jason Campbell likely the best option. Steve McNair could be available, but he is more likely to retire after an injury-plagued 2008. Beyond those two it is Backup City with Henry Burris (CHA), Tony Banks (LV), Jeff Garcia (LA), Ray Lucas (WSH), Quincy Carter (PIT) and Chris Simms (TEX) likely to be looking for work next year. Special Teams: We won’t forget the kickers and punters, though they are often a tough commodity to figure out. Expect Orlando to let Neil Rackers try out the market, and Denver seems ready to part with Curtis Fries. Baltimore would like to resign Bill Grammatica, but it has not happened yet. As of today, no punters of significant value remain unsigned. Apparently teams value the ability to pin their opponents back. No Friday game this week as the league tried to schedule games based on playoff possibilities and an attempt to avoid having games that impact each other at different times or days. Seven games on Saturday and another 7 on Sunday, with an odd choice for Sunday night. SATURDAY @ 12pm St. Louis (3-12) @ Pittsburgh (7-8) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (4-11) @ Boston (7-8) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm Tampa Bay (13-2) @ Orlando (6-9) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Seattle (9-6) @ Los Angeles (6-9) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Portland (7-8) @ Las Vegas (8-7) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Ohio (7-8) @ Oakland (12-3) NBC SATURDAY @ 8pm Washington (10-5) @ Baltimore (10-5) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Birmingham (2-13) @ Memphis (9-6) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Nashville (6-9) @ New Orleans (8-7) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Jacksonville (7-8) @ Charlotte (6-9) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm New Jersey (2-13) @ Texas (5-10) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Chicago (12-3) @ Arizona (1-14) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Philadelphia (12-3) @ Michigan (11-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Denver (9-6) @ Houston (11-4) ESPN

Playoff Picture: Ten of twelve spots are now reserved, with Baltimore, Washington, Memphis, Denver, and Houston punching their tickets this week. Playoff positioning and most divisions are still up for grabs, but only 1 open Wild Card spot remains in each conference. In the East, it is now New Orleans who can control their own destiny, with Jacksonville and Nashville still in range to catch them. In the West, Seattle currently holds a 1-game lead over Las Vegas, Portland, and Ohio for the final playoff spot.

A big week for playoff clinches as 10 of 12 spots are now locked in. Denver, Houston, Memphis, and Baltimore joined the party, locking up all but the final Wild Card in each division. Houston won their 4th in a row to become the new “hot” team, while Las Vegas continues to slide with their 3rd consecutive loss. Nashville slipped out of the #6 position in the East, replaced by a Breakers squad that has won three in a row to even their record at 7-7. In other words, a week that went a long way towards shaping the 2008 playoff picture. Let’s kick off our coverage with Tampa Bay seeking to win their 12th in a row, and Nashville hoping to reach .500 at home. TAMPA BAY 28 NASHVILLE 21 A tough matchup for the Nashville Knights, hoping to hang onto the 6th playoff spot in the East, but with Daunte Culpepper out of action for this game, there was hope that the Knights could send Tampa Bay to only their 2nd loss all season and return the Knights to 7-7. But the Bandits are not a one-man team, and with backup Brad Gradkowski playing solid football, they proved tough to overcome once again. The Knights’ strategy was obvious, feed the ball to Frank Gore, set up the play action pass, and try to pressure Gradkowski into mistakes with defensive pressure. They accomplished two of the three, but that third one did not work out at all, with Gradkowski only sacked 1 time and able to move the Bandit offense against man coverage. Nashville started off well, containing Tampa Bay in the first half to only a field goal as they took a 6-3 lead into the break. The use of the run game had proven effective both in moving the chains and the clock, limiting Tampa Bay to only 3 first downs in the opening half. But Coach Spurrier is well known for his halftime adjustments and when the Bandits came out in the third, they had a plan. Tampa Bay made two big changes to their offensive strategy to throw Nashville off their game. The first was to switch to a fast paced no-huddle strategy, and the second was to give Gradkowski easy 1-2 read patterns, getting the ball out of his hands quickly. The strategy worked from the onset of the third quarter and in just 3 minutes the Bandits had taken the lead on a goalline plunge from Michael Hicks. After Nashville stalled outside of the Tampa Bay 45, the Bandits got the ball back and Gradkowski led them down the field, helped by two Nashville penalties, but also a nice 19-yard run by Willis McGahee, who would finish with 97 yards on the night. From the 5-yard line Gradkowski found Chris Doering and just like that Tampa Bay was up 17-6. Nashville would stick to their plan, and this time it paid off. Gore rushed the ball 5 times for 43 of the Knight’s 71 yards on the drive, with Robert Meachem able to get the final 8 yards and the score on a quick seam route. The Knights went for two and succeeded, pulling them to within 3 at 17-14. But, they still did not have an answer for Tampa Bay’s no hurry, and only 1:22 later the Bandits were back to scoring, with a 31-yard field goal boosting their lead to 6. As the 4th quarter opened, Nashville again drove the ball methodically, using another 33 of Frank Gore’s 134 yards for the day to get the ball close enough for Leon Johnson to take a delayed handoff and find space on the right side, plunging in from the 4 yard line to once again bring Nashville back, this time able to lead by a point at 21-20. But, with over 6 minutes left to play, it would fall on the Knights’ defense to do what they had struggled to do the entire half, shut down the Tampa Bay offense. The Bandits got the ball back on their own 20 after the touchback, and once again went immediately to the no huddle. Short passes to Karl Williams and Roscoe Parrish, a draw to McGahee, a slant to Davone Bess and the Bandits were moving. It would take them 9 plays, but only 1:27 to get the ball into the redzone. From there, 1 play was all they needed as Gradkowski spotted Jeremy Shockey lined up with a linebacker who was too slow to handle another seam route. Shockey went straight up the field and Gradkowski hit him in stride with a high pass above the shoulders. Shockey brought it in and the Bandits were back on top. They went for 2 to pull to a 7-point lead, and a quick toss to McGahee got the job done. Nashville had 2:17 to get the game equalized, trailing by 7. Jay Cutler would have to lead them on a quick drive to even up the game at 28 and send it to overtime. He would start off well, once again hitting Meachem for an immediate first down. Two plays later he connected with Derrick Mason for another, but then things went south. A false start put the Knights at 1st and 15. After an incompletion Cutler was wrapped up by Derrick Burgiss on 2nd and 15, creating a 3rd and 21. That was a bit too much to ask of a Knights’ offense that is not known for its deep passing game. Cutler tried to hit Ahmad Merritt on 3rd down, but the ball sailed on him. 4th and 21 and essentially a hail mary attempt. Cutler could not find a receiver uncovered so he took his chances, throwing towards Meachem, but with Philip Buchanon hanging all over him Meachem could not make the grab. Tampa Bay had survived and secured their 13th win in 14 attempts. Nashville would slip to 6-8 and by the end of the weekend would find themselves a game back of division rival New Orleans for the final playoff spot. MICHIGAN 24 PORTLAND 17 The Panthers learn that Portland’s 7-6 record was no fluke as they struggle to get past the Pacific club. Portland had a 17-13 lead as the 4th quarter opened, but the Panthers rallied late with a Matt Prater field goal and then a TD pass from Drew Stanton (who came in for the injured Griese at the half) to Antwan Randle-El to get out of Portland with a narrow win and a close call. BOSTON 20 PHILADELPHIA 27 The Cannons were game in a matchup they needed to win, but Philadelphia proved to be the better team, building up a 27-13 lead and holding on against Boston’s late efforts. Steve Slaton had his 2nd 100-yard game of the season as he rushed for 113 and 2 scores. Steve Smith added 123 yards through the air and a TD of his own as Philadelphia retained their lead on Washington for the NE Division title. In defeat, Adrian McPherson still looked solid, completing 15 of 24 for 226 yards and all 3 Boston TDs. LAS VEGAS 17 TEXAS 19 A bad loss for the Thunder, who needed this one to try to keep pace with Seattle for that last Wild Card spot. T. J. Duckett rushed for 111 and Troy Davis scored twice for the Outlaws as Coach Turner found a way through the Thunder defense. Texas was also effective against Las Vegas’s offense, holding the Outlaws to 283 total yards by deploying a 5-man front on most first and second down plays. BALTIMORE 25 HOUSTON 28 We thought this would be a good game, and we were not disappointed. Baltimore outgained the Gamblers 430-372, but were unable to fully come back after falling behind 28-10. Matt Hasselbeck hit TE Vernon Davis twice for scores and both Alexander and Faulk also racked up scores as Houston built up their lead and then held on to go to 10-4 on the year and clinch a playoff spot. Baltimore, despite the loss, also clinched a Wild Card due to other game results. MEMPHIS 34 ORLANDO 10 Memphis tortured Orlando backup Matt Cassel for 4 quarters, leading to an ugly differential in yards, with Memphis dominating 453-195. The Showboats got 358 yards passing from Brett Favre, including g128 to Robert Ferguson, who also caught both of Favre’s TD passes. The run game, split between Williams, Smith and Gates, produced 95 yards as well. PITTSBURGH 9 CHICAGO 23 Two good defenses clashed in Chicago, but once again Kyle Orton kept his head about him, going 12 of 19 and avoiding any turnovers as Chicago won this war of attrition. An early Rocky Boiman pick-6 put Chicago on the board first, and despite not getting an offensive TD until the midpoint of the 4th quarter, they held on, limiting Pittsburgh to only one Walter Rasby TD catch and a late safety with the game well in hand. OAKLAND 21 LOS ANGELES 11 We thought we might see Seneca Wallace in this game, but Coach Jackson opted to start Jeff Garcia instead. Garcia threw for 272 and a TD, but a costly pick helped springboard Oakland to a 14-3 lead after 3 quarters. The LA defense was solid against the run, but the offense just did not do enough to help them pull off the upset. SEATTLE 10 OHIO 21 Ohio puts a dent in Seattle’s playoff run by holding court at home with touchdowns from Randy Moss, Stephen Alexander and Kevin Smith on their way to a win that put them back at .500 and drew Seattle within one game with 2 to play. Cornerback Deshea Townsend returned from injury with 4 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a recovery to be named Defensive POTG. NEW ORLEANS 28 BIRMINGHAM 10 The Breakers take care of business at Legion Field, dominating the Stallions to move to 7-7 and take over the #6 slot in the playoff pool. Six different players got a carry in the Breaker run game, with Matt Forte and Fred Jackson splitting the majority of the carries for a combined 101 yards and 1 score. Dwayne Bowe added 97 yards and a score through the air as New Orleans outpaced the Stallions. NEW JERSEY 9 WASHINGTON 36 Actual fans in paper bag masks at the Meadowlands as Washington simply manhandled the Generals. Kordell Stewart ran for 44 yards and a score, threw for 175 and 2 more and got a lot of help from Deuce McCallister, with 197 yards on 23 carries as the Generals put up little resistance. ATLANTA 7 JACKSONVILLE 13 Jacksonville could still reach .500 this season after winning their 3rd in the last 4 games. Atlanta struggled with Tyler Thigpen at the helm once more, while Jake Delhomme led the Bulls on their lone TD drive early in the game before giving way to Josh McCown later on. Delhomme is fine, and should be able to start next week. ARIZONA 13 DENVER 26 The Gold stopped their losing streak at 2 games by doubling up the Wranglers at home at Invesco Field. The Gold score the first 20 points of the game and cruised to victory on the strength of 105 yards from Peerless Price and a defense that picked off Jake Plummer 3 times. The win helped Denver lock up at least a Wild Card, though they still have some hope of catching Houston for the division title as well. ST. LOUIS 7 CHARLOTTE 27 Charlotte wins 2 in a row for the first time in team history as they shut down an erratic St. Louis offense and win going away. Robert Edwards found plenty of holes against the Skyhawk run defense, rushing for 112 and 2 scores on the day. Add in a TD catch from rookie Stevie Johnson (his 4th on the year) and the Monarchs get win #5 on the season. Is Plummer Damaged Goods? With teams around the league essentially foaming at the mouth over the prospect of landing Jake Plummer in a trade, no one has apparently been asking the key question: Is Plummer damaged goods? What do we mean by this? We are asking if the 7-time All-USFL QB may be fading or simply burning out. Why do we ask this? Well, for one thing he has proven unable to get Arizona’s offense moving at all this year, and this despite having significant talent around him with Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes wide and Kevin Everett inside. He has a halfway decent back in Sedrick Irvin, whose 764 yards may not light the league on fire, but is certainly better than many recent years in Arizona. More disturbing is Plummer’s 13:12 TD:INT ratio, far worse than in any year since he was a rookie. Last year he was 12:2 in the same category over 12 games. He certainly does not run like he used to, which is to be expected, but this year he has -20 yards total, compared to 132 last year and a 5-year stretch of over 500 yards per season when he was winning those MVP awards. The truth may seem harsh, but we are worried that folks are hoping to trade for 2002 Jake Plummer, but what they will trade away a fortune for is 2009 Jake Plummer, and that is not the same player. So, buyer beware, do your diligence, see if you can figure out why Plummer’s 2008 stats are so troubling before you throw everything, including the kitchen sink, into a trade deal. Will McNair return in time? And What About 2009? We actually have 3 questions related to Steve McNair in Las Vegas. First, will he be returning to action this week, with 2 games left and Las Vegas slipping out of playoff contention. Second, should Las Vegas stick with Tony Banks anyway? And finally, what are the prospects that McNair is not back in 2009? OK, let’s start with the first question. If McNair is healthy (he is listed as probable), then is his return to Las Vegas this week what the Thunder need to pull out their season in the final weeks? The Thunder have lost their last 3 games, but still sit only 1 game behind Seattle, and have a better division record. With games against Arizona and Portland to wrap up the year, Las Vegas could win the final two to finish at 9-7 and possibly edge Seattle. Seems a no brainer that if McNair is really healthy he should start. Or should he? Here is the thing, in 7 games Steve McNair passed for 1,340 yards, 4 TDs and 4 picks. In his 7 games Tony Banks has 1,436 yards, 10 TDs and only 2 picks. The numbers seem to indicate that Banks has been the better performer at QB. And yet, the current 3-game losing streak, and a 3-4 record since starting in Week 8 do not inspire confidence, even though it is barely distinguishable from McNair’s 4-3 record earlier this season. There is a good argument to make that it has been Banks and not McNair who has done more with the offense this season. Finally, what can Las Vegas look forward to for 2009? Both Banks and McNair are currently unsigned for next year. Las Vegas is unlikely to make a deal with both of them, so which one do you bring back? McNair has the pedigree, though his NFL success has not yet produced major offensive results in Las Vegas. Banks is younger and more mobile, but he lacks polish. Of course we also expect Las Vegas to make a case to acquire Jake Plummer, but that may well depend on what they do with their current QB situation and whether or not they feel good going forward with either one of their 2008 QBs. How Much Rest is Too Much? That is the question the Tampa Bay Bandits are facing this week. They have accomplished what they set out to do, clinching not only the Southern Division but the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference as well. They have done this despite holding out Daunte Culpepper this week. So, do they now bring him back in for their final two games (home to Jacksonville and away to Orlando), and what about resting other starters? It is a dicey business. They certainly want to get Culpepper back into the flow of games, but there are plenty of players who could use a bit of rest after a long season. But, as we have seen many times, with a bye week during the Wild Card round, it is possible to over-rest players, making them rusty or out of synch, and what you want is for your best players to be at their best come the divisional round. So, what do we recommend? Seems to us the best option is to play Culpepper this week, get him back in game action, and then rest him in Week 14, maybe a drive or two at the most. Then, look across the roster and decide which players get a light load in Week 13 and which in Week 14. You have a perfect scenario to rest players over both weeks, ensuring that everyone gets some down time but also some game time before the bye. Will Tampa Bay take our advice? Well, we don’t have a hotline to Coach Spurrier, but we expect he is hearing this from others much closer to him than we are, and it certainly seems logical enough. Sports Books release updated Summer Bowl Odds. The oddsmakers in Las Vegas have spoken once again and they are saying we should expect a Tampa Bay vs. Oakland matchup. Apparently they feel a bit more comfortable with Joey Harrington than Kyle Orton out west, while Tampa Bay is the clear favorite in the East, trailed by Philadelphia, Washington, and then Memphis. Out West Oakland is the favorite, but only marginally over Chicago, followed by Michigan, then, interestingly Seattle gets better odds than either Denver or Michigan despite both clubs having a better record than the Dragons. Among the Wild Card contenders, the oddsmakers still like Nashville to overcome a 1-game deficit and edge New Orleans for the final playoff spot. That may have more to do with New Orleans having to face both Memphis and the Knights back to back than in a great deal of confidence in Nashville. Seattle is significantly favored to wrap up the 6th playoff spot in the West, with Las Vegas and Ohio both seen as pretty significant longshots to catch them, and Portland, despite a 7-7 record just like the Glory and Thunder, seen as a 40:1 shot to get in. The Stags have several tiebreaker disadvantages, but also finish the year facing the Stars in Philly and then traveling to Las Vegas, so we get why they are not seen as a good bet. If you are looking to bet on who wins MVP, right now Brett Favre and Kordell Stewart are both getting good odds, and if you want an outside run, how about Ricky Williams, who is again poised for another late season run for the rushing title. Among rookies, the clear favorite for ROTY is Rashard Mendenhall, despite Bostons’s troubles. In second is Keith Rivers of LA, but Calais Campbell still comes in third despite missing much of the second half of the season with an injury. Finally, if you want an early line on the #1 USFL Draft pick, the money is on DE Larry English of Northern Illinois. Why English? Because he is the only one of the top 20 prospects not playing for a college protected in the T-Draft by one of the USFL clubs. Matt Stafford? Clearly Atlanta will protect him. DE Tyson Jackson of LSU? The Breakers could use him for sure. Even Mark Sanchez of USC is likely to be the target of the Express, despite them having 4 QBs on the roster right now. This was a big week for locking up playoff spots. Baltimore, Denver, Houston, and Memphis all locked in their postseason tickets, and now we are looking at positioning and the 6th slot. The only two divisions fully locked in are the Southeast, where Tampa Bay has it all wrapped up at 13-1, and the Pacific, where Oakland’s strong 12-2 year has them 4 games up on Seattle. Among those still battling for a division crown, Memphis is in solid shape and can claim the South with a win this week as their 2-game lead over New Orleans would grow to 3 with a win at the Breakers. Philadelphia and Washington are 1 game apart, so if the Feds can sweep Boston and Baltimore, they would only need one Philadelphia loss to jump back into the fray. Philadelphia is done with division play but has two potentially tough games to close out the year, hosting Portland this week and then finishing up at Michigan, with a Panther team that may well be fighting for a title and a bye as well. In the Central, Chicago can basically wrap this up with a win over Houston this week. Michigan has to hope the Gamblers step up because they cannot expect much out of Arizona when the Wranglers host the Machine in Week 16. Finally, in the Southwest, Houston’s game with Chicago could be huge. A Machine win and Houston could easily drop back into a tie with Denver, who face a much easier foe in the Texas Outlaws. Then, of course, we have the Gold at the Gamblers in Week 16, a game that likely will decide the title. As for teams out of the picture, LA, Pittsburgh and Charlotte officially join the ranks of the eliminated, while an almost infinitesimal chance keeps Orlando out of that group. The Renegades need two wins, plus two losses from New Orleans, a Week 14 loss by Nashville, and at least one loss from Jacksonville to have a shot, and then it is all about strength of schedule, which gets too complex to focus on. With Orlando facing Tampa Bay in Week 16, their best hope is that the Bandits opt to rest pretty much everyone in their final game, and that does not feel realistic. Michigan finds itself short on cornerbacks after Donovan Greer was added to the IR with a hip injury. Deltha O’Neal is still expected to miss at least 1 more game, so the secondary for the Panthers will be thin as they finish up the regular season, something you generally do not want in a pass-happy league. Texas loses rookie WR Danny Amendola to the IR as well, and Atlanta finds themselves in a similar position with Josh Reed suffering a leg injury that will cost him the final two games. LA Comes down the stretch with DT Daryl Gardner sidelined by a PCL injury, while Memphis could miss OT Anthony Clement for the final two games. Tampa Bay is happy that DT LaRoi Glover will be out for the final 2 games but is expected to be back in action for the 2nd round of the playoffs, when the Bandits will begin their postseason. Nashville, however, cannot be feeling good about their playoff chances as they chase New Orleans for the final spot and now must do it without Frank Gore, whose hamstring will need at least 2 weeks to recover from a severe strain. Potentially returning to action this week is Orlando’s stellar rookie Calais Campbell, though there is a chance that with their playoff hopes almost evaporated, and Drew Brees still out, Orlando will not bring him back into action. Also expected back this week are LA OT Kenyatta Jones, Seattle CB Leodis McKelvin, NJ WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Las Vegas QB Steve McNair, Oakland DE Justin Smith, and Memphis WR Sidney Rice. The Contenders for Plummer Start to Line Up We knew it would not take long for the announcement out of Glendale, AZ to start making waves. All across the USFL there are fanbases clamoring for their club to get in early and decisively into the Jake Plummer sweepstakes. It is not every day, after all, when a two-time MVP who is only 33 comes on the market, offering the potential for a quick 5-year fix at the most important position on the field. So, who are the contenders and what do we think their odds are? Glad you asked. Here is our breakdown of the top 8 teams we think could be in the Plummer Derby this offseason, ranked from least likely to most likely. #8—Arizona Wranglers Yes, we realize that Arizona is where Plummer now resides, and that he has been pretty vehement that he wants out. We also know that sometimes the threat of trade is enough to shake loose a better deal and keep a player in town. Do we think that will happen? No. But, this at least gives us a chance to talk about what the plan may be for Arizona next year. Honestly, we don’t think the USFL free agent market is going to miraculously provide a clear starting QB option. Yes, Jason Campbell will almost certainly be an option, but is that really where Arizona wants to go. The Wranglers don’t have an inside (protected t-draft) path to a quality rookie, so free agency or a trade is the most likely option. We are not sure if the NFL will finish their fall season with any obvious choices either, so expect to see Arizona parlay one or more of the picks they get for trading Plummer and use it/them to acquire a quality option, if not an obvious one. ODDS: 1000:1 that Plummer Stays #7—New Orleans Breakers The Breakers are an interesting option here. They have a quarterback in Eli Manning who has played very well at times but who is also dogged by claims that he is a poor leader, too erratic, too indecisive, and not particularly adept at motivating his team. And yet, he currently ranks as a Top 6 QB in the league. Considering the insecurity about Manning, would the Breakers be open to a trade that sends the younger Manning to Arizona for a proven commodity in Plummer? Would Arizona be interested in such a deal instead of getting a greater haul of draft picks? It feels like the kind of trade that sounds great in a barroom discussion, but just does not work in the real world. We don’t see this as very likely. The more obvious path is for the Breakers to extend Manning and continue to build around him. ODDS: 350:1 #6—Atlanta Fire In almost any other year we would likely have Atlanta a lot higher on this list. Jay Gruden is known as a QB-Centric coach, and it seems clear that the Fire are looking to move past the makeshift coverage of the position they have had since (re)joining the league in 2006. In the Fire, Plummer would have a team distant from his Arizona past, meaning that the Wranglers would love to get him into the Eastern Conference, but also Plummer would have a team with a lot of potential draft capital to use in a deal. But this year we are seeing one of the best prospects in a decade come out of the University of Georgia. The presence of Matt Stafford as a very real option for the Fire, who can lock out all 27 other USFL clubs by protecting the Bulldog QB in the T-Draft, and who could begin negotiating with Stafford as soon as his bowl game concludes (likely in early January). The Stafford factor makes us think that Atlanta will not be a major player in the pursuit of Plummer. ODDS: 100:1 #5—St. Louis Skyhawks We are now getting to the 5 teams who very clearly could be in the hunt for Jake Plummer. St. Louis makes sense in a lot of ways. They have a top tier receiver in Taylor Jacobs to entice Plummer. They have a lot of draft capital and a good amount of cap space to provide Plummer with guaranteed money and incentives. They play in a dome so weather is not an issue for the former ASU star, and while they are not in the Eastern Conference, Arizona is not exactly regularly clashing with the Skyhawks on the field, so the odds of Plummer hurting his former club are not great. We see the Skyhawks as a real potential bidder in this contest. ODDS: 25:1 #4—Las Vegas Thunder Two things could be a real issue for the Las Vegas Thunder and a potential run at Plummer. The first is QB Steve McNair. There have been consistent rumors that he is prepared to give up the last year of his contract and retire at the end of 2008, but if he does not, if he opts to return for 1 more year, then Las Vegas could quickly be out of the hunt. They could not afford to have both on the roster, and both would be very unhappy taking a backup role. The second factor is the visual of Plummer playing just a few hundred miles from Phoenix. Yes, it is true that Las Vegas is in the Pacific, not the Southwest Division, so it is not a division rival, but the two cities are close enough that a move by Plummer to Las Vegas could actually boost the Thunder fanbase at the expense of the Wranglers, something the owners will be very vigilant of. ODDS: 18:1 #3—Birmingham Stallions We all know the Stallions are planning on making a move at QB. Jason Campbell has just not panned out and will not be resigned when his contract expires this July. The Stallions are very much willing to walk away from Campbell rather than try to pull off a sign & deal maneuver. So, Plummer will be very attractive to a club in need of some star power, a return to the type of QB icon they had with Favre for so many years. But Birmingham’s bid will not be an easy to pull off, not with the ownership in flux and a cap that is not as friendly as their 1-13 record would seem to imply. The Stallions are not in a great spot to trade away multiple picks to land a QB, even if that QB is a regular All-USFL talent. They have so many needs in so many areas that trying to use Plummer as a silver bullet seems a luxury they don’t have the capacity to obtain. ODDS: 12:1 #2—Pittsburgh Maulers The conditions in Pittsburgh are very favorable for a Plummer relocation. A young team with a good defense and a solid run game, some intriguing receivers, and a young QB who has struggled but who could be a protégé to a sage veteran. The finances in Pittsburgh are tight but manageable, and the draft capital, while likely not Top 10 picks right now, are solid enough that we could see a deal being made that would offer Arizona what they want to see. The only potential hiccups we see with the Maulers are the image of Pittsburgh itself, perhaps not a destination that Plummer would find interesting, and the flexibility of the roster to accommodate a large, and we expect it will be very large, QB expenditure. If Pittsburgh can roll out the red carpet and impress Plummer with its vision for the team, we could see him lobbying the Wranglers to make a deal with the Maulers. ODDS: 5:1 #1—New Jersey Generals The Generals are our favorite to win this race. First off, they have shown over the years a very open attitude towards spending significant cash to get a star player, from Herschel to Doug Flutie, to Deion Sanders, the Generals have never been the most tight-pursed club in the league, to say the least. Secondly, the NY market is going to be very attractive to Plummer. He can finish his career in the Big Apply and cash in on far more ancillary revenue than he ever has in Arizona. Between local sponsorships and spokesperson options to the connection between the club and Madison Avenue, increasing Plummer’s potential national exposure simply by being available in the market where the commercials are made. Finally, the fact that New Jersey looks to have a top 3 or 4 pick this season could make their trade fodder all the more attractive to Arizoan. Imagine the Wranglers with the 1st overall pick and then potentially the 3rd pick, now picture that in both of the first two rounds. You don’t think that is a deal that the Arizona front office would not jump for in a heartbeat. That capacity, to clean up in the 2009 draft, may just be too tempting to pass up, and a big reason why we put New Jersey as the most likely landing spot for Jake Plummer. ODDS: 3:2 Hall of Fame Class of ’08 Named It is that time of year again, when nominees for one of football’s greatest honors get that knock on the door and five amazing football players receive the news that they are the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That knock at the door came this week for five USFL greats, all now getting sized for gold jackets. This year’s class features three first-year nominees and two players who entered in their 2nd year of eligibility. Strong Safety Bennie Blades (MEM 88-95, BAL 96-00, ARZ 01-03) enters the hall a 10-time All USFL player with three different teams. Blades, who amassed more than 1,200 tackles and 54 sacks over his 16-year career becomes the 4th safety into the Hall from the USFL, joining William Cesare, Donald Dykes, and Frederick Wilder in that honor. Wide Receiver Raynard Brown (PIT 87-97, NOR 99-02). The former Mauler and Breaker #1 wideout enters the hall in his 2nd year of eligibility after a career that included 1,183 receptions for nearly 16,000 yards and 104 touchdowns. Brown also holds a championship ring from the 1995 Maulers. He is only the second Mauler to make the Hall, following the legendary Mike Rozier. Cornerback Bruce Pickens (DEN 91-02) enters the hall in his 2nd year of eligibility. A 5-time All-USFL selection, 2000 league champion, and holder of Denver’s career and season records for interceptions. Pickens was also known as a ball-stripping artist, producing 26 fumbles during his 12 year career. Defensive Tackle John Randle (BAL 90-03) is no surprise as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Generally held in the same conversation as legendary DT Jerome Brown, Randle was a disruptive, penetrating DT, who could ruin a run game single-handedly and also harass the quarterback on pass plays. He retired in 2003 with 102 sacks, second only to Brown among defensive tackles. Randall was an All-USFL player 13 times in 14 seasons, a truly stunning number. Linebacker Broderick Thomas (ARZ 89-03) is another slam dunk first-ballot entrant to the Hall. The centerpiece of the Wrangler defense for over a decade, Thomas was an 8-time All-USFL player who retired with over 1,400 tackles, 248 tackles for loss, 73 sacks and 18 picks. One of the all time great intimidators, Thomas played with ferocity and flair, and will now adorn a gold jacket as a result. These five USFL greats will be recognized in a ceremony in October, and while we applaud for these stars of yesteryear, we recognize that there are others who have come close but for whom this year was not their year, including first-time nominees Will Shields and Marvcus Patton, and returning semi-finalists Pat Swilling, John Bosa, and Chester McGlockton. USFL Bridesmaids: The Best Teams to Not Win the Title For every champion there is a runner up, for every Cinderella story there is a favorite who missed their shot. This week, as we wrap up our review of USFL History, we finish with the five teams our writers see as the best of the not-quite-best. The five teams that should have, could have, maybe ought to have, won it all, but didn’t. For this we did not consider multiple-year spans, and we did not consider clubs that won the title the year before or after, essentially saying that a failed dynasty is not the same as a failed single shot at glory. So, without further ado, in order of the years so that you can decide how you would rank them, our Five Biggest Bridesmaids. 1985 Chicago Blitz (13-3, 1st in Central Division, Lost to Philadelphia in the League Championship) The Blitz of the early 1980’s had gone on a wild ride in their first seasons in the league. An early favorite for the 1983 title thanks to the presence of Head Coach George Allen, Chicago fell short in a big way, finishing the year at 5-11. They then saw a wholesale franchise swap, with the entire staff and most of the players relocating to Arizona and a new, former Wrangler squad taking over as the Blitz. In 1984 the “New Blitz” fared better, winning 7 games, but in 1985 everything started to click. With former Chicago Bear QB Vince Evans brought in to revive the offense, and a defense that ranked 2nd in the league thanks in large part to the talents of DE Junior Ah-You, the Blitz won the Central Division at 13-3, and entered the playoffs as the Western Conference’s top seed. They did this despite having almost no support at home, with one of the league’s worst attendance records, a reality that was forcing ownership to reevaluate their commitment to the city and start to explore options for relocation. Chicago edged the “old Blitz”, the current Wranglers, in the first round of the playoffs in front of a relatively sparse crowd, and then handily beat the Pacific Division Champion Express, 29-10, in the Conference Finals to appear in their first Summer Bowl. In the title game they would face the only team with a higher ranked defense in the league, the Philadelphia Stars. Chicago would fall to Philadelphia 22-18, and the very next year would relocate to Baltimore. It would be the Blitz’s only league title game appearance in 25 seasons in the league. And, there are some who believe the city of Chicago cursed by the relocation as the Chicago Machine, who replaced the departed Blitz in 1987, have yet to obtain a title, despite three Summer Bowl appearances. 1990 New Orleans Breakers (13-3, 1st in Central Division, Lost to Arizona in the Western Finals) When we now discuss the Breakers of the late 80’s and early 90’s we often talk about missed opportunities. And of all the Breaker squads that entered the playoffs as a league favorite only to depart without a trophy, it is perhaps the 1990 squad that is most discussed as a missed opportunity. Led by former LSU Head Coach Bill Arnsbarger, and on the field by QB Matt Robinson and HB Marcus Dupree, the Breakers in 1990 had a talented and explosive offense, but they also boasted the league’s top scoring defense, a combination which should have lead to a deep playoff run. And yet, this Breaker team, which held a first-round bye as the Central Division champions at 13-3, struggled to defeat the Houston Gamblers at home in the Super Dome 20-17. That game was an omen of what was to come as their defense seemed to lose the vigor which had sustained it over the regular season. In the Conference Finals against an underdog Arizona Wranglers squad that had finished the season at 10-6, the Breakers’ defense failed them, giving up several big plays, while the offense made too many mistakes to keep pace, falling to the Wranglers 31-24. The Breakers in 1990 were in the middle of a playoff run that stretched from 1984 through 1992, with 9 consecutive post-season appearances, and while the club would record winning seasons over a decade, no team was more hyped and more talented than the 1990 squad, and yet, it was not enough and to this day the Breakers still do not have a league title to their name. 1998 St. Louis Knights (14-2, 1st in Central Division, Lost to Tampa Bay in Summer Bowl 1998) We jump from 1990 to 1998 for our third team, the ’98 Knights. And if you think there is a theme to these almost-champions across USFL history, the fact that St. Louis had the 2nd best scoring defense in 1998 might drive the point home. For the third time on our list a dominant defense somehow did not get the job done in the postseason. St. Louis was, like our other entrants in this dubious list, a club that lived off its defense, and used short-field scoring drives to also build up solid offensive stats. Coach Jim Johnson had built the club up after its relocation from LA to St. Louis around the defense and a conservative offensive style led by QB Todd Collins. That formula helped the Knights to an outstanding 14-2 record in the regular season, easily topping the Central Division by a 6-game margin over the Texas Outlaws. In the Western Conference playoffs, the defense also dominated, helping St. Louis crush the Outlaws 45-14 in the Divisional round and then holding Arizona to only 1 TD in a 29-10 victory in the Conference Finals. In the Summer Bowl they would face the top offense in the league, a club that had set the league ablaze with an aerial assault the likes of which the pass-happy USFL had rarely seen, the 1998 Tampa Bay Bandits, led by Troy Aikman. In that title game it would be the Aikman-led air attack that would win the day. Tampa Bay managed to do what no team had done to the Knights all year, convert big plays on a regular basis. Tampa Bay would dominate, and despite one of the better offensive performances from the Knights all year, it was not enough as the Bandit Ball offense proved far too much for St. Louis to manage, helping Tampa Bay to their second league title with a 45-30 barrage of scoring. The Knights have not appeared in a title game since, and in 2003 left St. Louis for Nashville. 2001 LA Express (13-3, 1st in Pacific Division, Lost to Arizona in Divisional Round) Here we go again as the #2 ranked scoring defense once again came up short. The 2001 LA Express were another club that combined a very solid defense with a more conservative offensive approach and found it lacking in the postseason. Coach Galen Hall’s team, led by Tavares Tillman’s league best 7 interceptions in the regular season, had won the Western Conference’s #1 seed as well as the Division title in the Pacific with their 13-3 record. They went into the playoffs with a healthy squad, led on offense by QB Cade McNown and WR Michael Pritchard, and with a defense that was known for forcing their opponents to make mistakes under pressure. After a bye in the Wild Card round, the Express had what was viewed as a potential cakewalk in the Divisional round, facing off against an 8-8 Arizona Wrangler squad that had just barely qualified for the playoffs and had already lost twice to the same Express team. Many say that LA came into that game cocky and overconfident in their ability to dominate the Wranglers. They quickly found themselves in a nasty, ugly, and sloppy game. The Wranglers, whose defense had been nothing to crow about all season, played inspired football, and the Jake Plummer offense did just enough against LA’s highly ranked defenders, to help the Wranglers to a huge upset, a 17-16 win that shook the league and rattled the Express psyche. LA would return the next year with a 5-9 season as they simply could not escape the hangover from a humiliating defeat to a team most viewed as vastly inferior. 2003 Washington Federals (13-1, 1st in Northeast Division, Lost to Ohio in Eastern Finals) We conclude our list, with, you guessed it, another defensive powerhouse that lost power in the postseason. The Washington Federals had always been known for stout defense, and in 2003, they lived up to that reputation, with the top scoring defense in the league. That defense helped push them to a 13-1 record, the best in team history, and a four-game cushion in the Northeast Division. After a Wild Card bye they easily dispatched the Chicago Machine 21-6 in the Divisional Round, before running into a buzzsaw in the Eastern Finals. Washington would face the 11-3 Ohio Glory, the team that one year earlier had completed the only unbeaten season in USFL history. It was billed as Offense vs. Defense, and that it was, and once again the game quickly showed that offense is the dominant force in the USFL. The Federals, led by Deuce McCallister and Kordell Stewart, would do their best to keep pace, but in the end, Ohio was simply more capable of winning a shootout, which they did 41-38. Like so many bridesmaids before them, the Federals would suffer a hangover the next year, finishing a disappointing 7-7 in 2004. So, what lesson can we learn from these five outstanding teams that all came up short. While the old saying is that defense wins titles, the clear message in the USFL is that it is offense that is king, and that the long haul of a USFL season and the pressure of the playoffs often leads to strong defensive teams falling short when faced with the pressure of win-or-go-home. So, as we look at this season’s contenders, the wise wagerer might look at which clubs have the offensive firepower to do what so many past teams have done, overpower the defensive squads in the end. Only two weeks left in the regular season and only two Wild Card spots up for grabs. The teams that have already punched their ticket to the postseason are now battling to get home games and byes, those on the bubble are battling for a shot to be the final team in their conference to get that extra week of action, and for the rest it is about staying healthy and cashing in on personal success this year. FRI @ 8pm Memphis (9-5) @ New Orleans (7-7) NBC The Breakers have a 1 game lead on the field for the final Wild Card, but Memphis is still hoping for a bye week, so don’t expect to see them rest any starters this week. SAT @ 12pm Jacksonville (6-8) @ Tampa Bay (13-1) ABC The Bandits have locked up the #1 seed in the East. Do they rest players over 2 weeks? SAT @ 12pm Birmingham (1-13) @ Nashville (6-8) FOX The Knights need this one and help from Memphis to get back in the Wild Card spot. SAT @ 12pm Orlando (5-9) @ Atlanta (4-10) FOX Two teams who expected more this season and finish the year without their starting QB. SAT @ 4pm Charlotte (5-9) @ Ohio (7-7) ABC Ohio was expected to run away with this season, but now they need 2 wins and help just to make the postseason. SAT @ 4pm Washington (10-4) @ Boston (6-8) FOX Boston still has a shot at a playoff spot, but to get it they need to upend the very hot Federals. SAT @ 8pm Texas (4-10) @ Denver (9-5) ESPN If Denver still has hopes for the division title, they cannot let this game cause a stumble. SUN @ 12pm Pittsburgh (6-8) @ Michigan (11-3) ABC Pittsburgh has been playing well of late, and Michigan may have a hangover from their loss to Chicago last week. SUN @ 12pm Portland (7-7) @ Philadelphia (11-3) FOX The Stars had better not sleep on these Stags, they have proven dangerous all season long. SUN @ 12pm Baltimore (9-5) @ New Jersey (2-12) FOX We are not sure who will get the start for the Generals, and we are not sure it matters. SUN @ 4pm Los Angeles (5-9) @ St. Louis (3-11) ABC Seneca Wallace returns to action, but it is too little too late for a disappointing Express club. SUN @ 4pm Arizona (1-13) @ Las Vegas (7-7) ABC The Wranglers could actually pose a threat to Las Vegas, since the Thunder has been pretty rough on offense without Steve McNair available. SUN @ 4pm Oakland (12-2) @ Seattle (8-6) FOX A very tough game for Seattle, as Oakland is well aware that they could help push the Dragons right out of the playoffs if they beat them here. SUN @ 8:0pm Houston (10-4) @ Chicago (12-2) ESPN A great end to the weekend with two very good teams playing to keep their leads in their two divisions.